36. Take Avie to a Gymboree Class.

Everyday since we've gone, she wakes up asking to go to the "baby gym" to play.I LOVE their ever lasting bubbles!!

I am so glad I put this task on my 101 list. Avie and I had such an amazing time at Gymboree!! Avie is in the Level 5 class which is 22 months to 28 months and the class is all about using your imagination. This specific class had the kids pretend they were riding on a Firetruck. They had to wash the fire truck, put out a fire and then jump off the truck. I've never seen her giggle and laugh so much. She played well with the other students and took to the instructor right away. She enjoyed herself so much that we signed her up for a year membership and enrolled her in music classes for June and July. I'm so excited to have a place to take her during the summer. The summers here are hotter than Hades and it's just unbearable to be outside. This was such a perfect fit for us. Good times ahead for sure!

70. Every week for a month, make a dish I've never made. (4/4)

What the skillet looks like before heading to the oven. YUM!!

The finished product! WHOA talk about filling!

4. Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans by Tyler Florence
-I LOVE Tyler Florence's show "Tyler's Ultimate" and have it set to my DVR. He just did a show on "Ultimate Brunches" and I thought that breakfast would be a fun meal to make for my last new dish on this 101. Around this time of year, we joke that the King Bed and Breakfast is open for business because we have so many friends and family come down to visit this time of year. We like to think they come to visit us but we secretly know it's to come to the beach. ;) I ended up saving this brunch for when my mother-in-law and her beau came to visit: they like their sweets! The first words out of their mouths, "This is FANTASTIC!!!"

This 101 has taught me how much fun it is to venture off the beaten path when it comes to cooking. I am excited to try more recipes in the future for my family. Food = love

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 loaf of challah bread - cut up into 1 inch-thick slices (my bakery needed a days notice to make a specialty bread so I opted out for a loaf of white bread.)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut up into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Confectionar's sugar, garnish, optional (I forgot to add this at the end but trust me this dish is very sweet it doesn't need the extra sugar)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.

Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered - you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.

When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve.

Chef's Note: FYI - if your cast iron skillet is not seasoned, the cranberries will react with the skillet and turn black.

17. Take my grandma to watch the Blue Angels practice.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 -
I finally took my grandmother to see the Blue Angels at one of their practices. My brother and his wife were in town that week because my dad was retiring from the Navy so I thought we'd make it a family event. We are so fortunate to be able to go see them on a weekly basis living here in Pensacola since their home base is here at the Naval Air Station. My gram has been wanting to go and see them for sometime now and I figured since she's moving back to Michigan here in a couple of days I thought I better hop on the next opportunity. She had a fantastic time and loved every second of their practice. It made me very happy to see her smiling. I love that woman to pieces!!!

70. Every week for a month, make a dish I've never made. (3/4)

3. New England Clam Chowder from Woodman's of Essex in Essex, Massachusetts (out of Coastal Living Magazine)
- I just received my latest Coastal Living Magazine and they had a section devoted to "The Best Seafood Dives" and on the fourth page was a "Secret Dive Recipe" for clam chowder which happens to be a family favorite. Matt begged me to make this as my new recipe for the week and I gladly accepted. I've never made any kind of homemade soup so I was very excited to make this. We hit up our favorite fresh seafood joint: Joe Patti's where I purchased fresh clams. Moving down here has been such a bonus in the department of fresh seafood! Had we lived in Michigan still, this recipe would not have been as exciting as I would have had to use "canned" clams - ewwwww!!!

I must admit this recipe was very easy to make. This was a huge hit! The first words to come out of my husband's mouth was, "DAMN!! This is really good!" I totally agree! This recipe is going down as a King family classic and if I ever have you over for lunch or dinner, there's a big chance this is going to be on the menu! This is a MUST TRY if you love you some clam chowder! By far my favorite new recipe!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups minced clams, with juices
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS
Cook clams (I boiled 2 cups of water with 1/4 cup of salt for 20 minutes or until the clams completely open up. Any clams that do not open up, throw them out.)

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potato is tender.

Add clams, and return mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes.

Stir in cream and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Makes 4 servings.

70. Every week for a month, make a dish I've never made. (2/4)

2. Creamy Macaroni and Cheese by Paula Dean
-I was looking for a recipe that reminded me of being a kid again and something that I knew Avie would love too. I am a HUGE fan of Macaroni and Cheese and knew the perfect person to turn to for a great recipe: Paula Dean. I have never made Macaroni and Cheese from scratch and have heard of a lot of recipes out there that call for quite a few different types of cheeses. I wanted to keep this one simple and stick to one type of cheese.

This recipe turned out great and was very creamy! Avie kept coming back to eat off our plates after she was done eating hers! This was a super easy dish since it simmers in the crock pot to cook. I plan on bringing this to our church potluck next month. It's going to be a hit!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-oz box isn't quite 2 cups)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 oz) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 - oz) an condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

86. Avie's Big Girl Room

I thought Avie would be in her crib until her 2nd birthday and then we would convert it to a toddler bed. However, Avie had other plans! One afternoon about 2 months ago, I heard a loud thud come from her room during nap time. I went in and there she was smiling, walking around the room and OUT of her crib! Thank God she didn't break anything from her little acrobat stunt! Now that we officially have a big girl, I wanted to give her a big girl room and get rid of her nursery theme and decor. My mother-in-law ordered Avie some wall appliques from Uppercase Living that were pink and brown so I got my inspiration for the room from that. I still have to make some 'fru-fru' type curtains - just haven't found the fabric that I love and we still have to buy her new bedding and a rug for the center of the room. The big part of painting is done and the pink stripes make it very girly. I love it!

BEFORE - I got so excited in painting her room that I forgot to take a 'before picture'. This photo was of her nursery at our old house in Michigan. It gives you an idea of the ABC/Animal and bright/unisex colors we had. And yes, we did the striping in here too in a pale yellow. We are fans of striped walls!

AFTER -View of her room from hallway.

This picture clearly shows the striping that we painted - it turned out awesome!

I painted these stars in the corners of the room then added clear and pink sparkly jewels in the middle of the star.

19. Read one parent/self-help book a month for a year. (1/12)

#1 - APRIL 2009 - Withhold Not Correction by Bruce A. Ray

A good friend of mine from church told me about this book and how it has helped her get a clear mind in disciplining her son. I thought it would be good to get another perspective especially one that involves the reformed church. There are quite a few nuggets that I will take away from this book and I have tabbed certain chapters to reference as Avie gets older. This book has helped me to look at discipline in a way that should reflect God's discipline and that it should always be corrective and by disciplining children, it shows evidence of love.

"Our concern as parents must be to see our children corrected: to see a change in their attitudes and a change in their actions, to see their lame feet put back onto that course and walking once more in the direction that the Lord would have them pursue. May God forgive us when we seek to turn the authority to correct into a license to abuse; we don't have that right. Any discipline that we administer, any correction that would be biblical, must be administered under God's authority, and it must be administered in a context of love. . . . . Your children will never believe you are in earnest, and really wish them to obey you, so long as your actions contradict your counsel."