Last Week of Maternity Leave

Sadly, my maternity leave is coming to an end.  I'm so fortunate to have had a nice break getting Palmer settled into the world.  Next week, I return to work and will put Palmer in the very capable hands of my sister for two months.  Then, Palmer will start nursery school in the fall.

Palmer and I made the most of our last week together.

We celebrated Samantha's birthday over a swanky dinner:

Palmer had a playdate at his friend Charlie's pool:

We sang our little hearts out at Kindermusik with Miss Lisa:

We went to the library's infant story hour.  (Even better, this library branch is located inside the mall.  So we *might* have done a little shopping, too!)

And Palmer mastered a new toy, the bouncy seat:

I'll miss being at home, but know that Palmer is going to have a fun two months with Aunt Samantha.
Can you tell that I just love this little drool monster?

And as always...
WHAT'S FOR DINNER:
BBQ TOSTADAS:  Okay, this combo sounds crazy, but give it a try.  Southern Living had the tostadas listed last month and I made it over the weekend.  It was a good summer dish away from the hot stove. (I especially recommend the Jicama Cole Slaw in this recipe) http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-barbecue-tostadas-50400000112166/

PAULA DEEN'S CHOCOLATE BUTTER CAKE:  No, this is not healthy.  But, it's really really good.  And yes, there is a lot of butter in it.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/double-chocolate-gooey-butter-cake-recipe/index.html

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED CREAMY GAZPACHO:  This is an excellent summer dish because it's a cold soup that maximizes on so much of the yummy summer produce.  It's one of those recipes that is even better the next day.  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/COOKS-ILLUSTRATED-CREAMY-GAZPACHO-ANDALUZ-50091152

Side Note: During my maternity leave, I treated this blog as my creative outlet away from work.  Although I promise I will continue to update the blog regularly, I warn you now that the postings may be a little less often as I adjust to being a working mom.

-Bethany