Sign Language etc.

I feel like we've been really, really busy lately, but we haven't done that much at all. It seems like endless work trying to get the house together. We JUST started getting pictures on the walls this week! We've been teaching Maddie sign language and she knows quite a few signs. She can recognize and will respond to kitty, ball, milk, more, water and hungry and she even makes the sign for 'more', which she uses for both 'hungry' and 'give me more cheerios'. 'More' also looks a little like clapping, which she is doing readily when she's excited and when she hears music, so you really have to use context clues to decipher what she wants. So fun!

She's moving between pieces of furniture (I think that's called 'cruising'?) and is really crawling like a maniac! She discovered outlets the other day and today she discovered the doggie door. I'm exhausted.

I've been doing Weight Watchers for the last few months (slowly, as to not affect milk supply) and I recently purchased one of their cookbooks. It's PHENOMENAL! Tonight I'm making one of my favorite recipes, called Pork Marrakesh. All of you foodies out there must try it. You'd never know it's good for you!

Ingredients
2 t olive oil
4 pork chops
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
3 small red onions, thinly sliced
12 dried apricots, sliced
3/4 c apple juice
2 t minced ginger
1/2 t thyme
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 c chopped cilantro

1. Heat 1 t. oil, sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper, add chops to skillet and brown on each side (about 2 min per side), transfer to a plate

2. reduce heat to med and add onions and 1 t. oil, sautee until the onions are golden

3. place half of the apricots and half of the onions at the bottom of a slow cooker, top with pork chops and the remaining onions and apricots. add apple juice, ginger, thyme, and a cinnamon stick. cover and cook until the pork is fork tender. The book says 3-4 hrs on high or 6-8 hours on low. I did 4 hours on high last time and I felt that everything was a little 'too' done, so this time I'm going to lean towards the 3 hour mark, if not less.

I served this over couscous and it was fantastic!!!