Goodbye Grandpa

My grandfather Walt Bull passed away last week, April 16th, at home surrounded by his loving family. I could go on and on about what a wonderful, honorable man he was and how he loved my grandmother, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved his country and proudly served as a pilot in the Marine Corps. Grandpa was even awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.

He lived 90 amazing years and will be deeply missed by so many people. I, as many others do, have such great love and respect for him and will cherish the memories of him always. Goodbye Grandpa.

Easter Weekend

We spent Easter weekend in Gig Harbor at Ryan and Jody's house. On Saturday the guys went golfing while my mom, Jody, Grayson, Avery and I went shopping, of course! On Sunday we went to the Canterwood Golf and Country Club for Easter Brunch. We had a blast celebrating Avery's first Easter. Poor Grayson went into hysterics when the Easter Bunny approached our table. He spent the rest of the time looking over his shoulder for that darn rabbit. Hope you had a great Easter!

Avery's 4 Month Appointment

Avery had her 4 month appointment today. She is 11.5 lbs and almost 24" in length - growing at a steady pace! She also got her 4 month shots today. Poor thing! She cried for five minutes and then was a snuggle-bug the rest of the time! The doctor said she's doing great! He also gave us the go-ahead to start rice cereal. We thought we'd try it and see how she reacted. She was pretty indifferent about the whole experience, which was no surprise to us...she's fairly laid back about everything anyway. She just had a little taste but made some very memorable faces while she was eating!

Spring is finally here...

And I think someone is pretty darn happy about it, too!

Pizza Pockets

On Saturday, my mom, my sister and I threw our friend Alice a twin shower. She is expecting boys at the end of May! We are so happy for Brian and Alice and are excited to meet the boys!! Anyway, we made these pizza pockets and they were a hit. A few people asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd share. When I was pregnant I watched the Food Network religiously. I never made much of what I saw, but these caught my eye. They are now a regular staple in our house. Thank you Giada De Laurentiis!


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 8 ounces Italian turkey sausage
• 1 cup tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (13.5-ounce) package of store-bought pizza crust (recommended: Pillsbury)
• All-purpose flour, for rolling out pizza dough
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.

Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce over low heat in a medium saucepan. Serve the hot pizza pockets with the marinara sauce alongside for dipping.