She's Got The Look!

It appears Emma, our little Boogs, just may be the star of the blog lately, but it can't be helped. The other daughters, Gorgeous and Beautiful -- and the sons, Awesome and Amazing -- just don't have "The Look".

Emma has "The Look".

She has just started giving out The Look in this last week. We're not entirely sure what triggers it, although it appears to be new tastes. Maybe she's deciding whether or not she likes it.

So, to appreciate the look, here's a shot of Emma with her typical smile: (she's helping me with the dishwasher here)

Um, yeah -- that fork is dirty. Eww!!

And now, here's The Look:

It's a little squinty-eyed, and always includes a weird, almost fakey smile. Sometimes the eyes are fully closed, and other times not. Here's another shot of it:

These pictures were taken as she was tasting some Gator Salad, one of our favorite summer side dishes. She really liked it -- so maybe "The Look" is some sort of baby ecstasy or something. She also gave us The Look while tasting some zucchini brownies the next day.

I think she totally realizes what she's doing, because it causes everyone around her to break out in peals of laughter. This is definitely an ON PURPOSE Look!

So, to appreciate what Emma was enjoying, here's the quick recipe for Gator Salad. As is typical for me, there's almost nothing remotely healthy or salad-like in this, (except maybe the pineapple) but I can tell you it's extremely popular at every potluck dinner we take it to. And one of the big advantages to it is that you can keep all the ingredients on hand - nothing is really all that perishable in it.

Gator Salad

1 large (12-16 oz.) tub Cool Whip

1- 1 1/2 pkgs instant pistachio pudding mix

1 can crushed pineapple, including juice

miniature marshmallows

green food coloring

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix it all together, then chill. Figure about 1- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Only a few drops of food coloring, but you need it to keep the stuff from looking too bland. Also, don't use the fat-free, or whatever it's called for the Cool Whip. Store brand is ok. It's just that the fat-free stuff won't stand up, and turns out runny. Ask me how I know.

You can buy this stuff in the deli section of the supermarket, but why? It's way too easy and fast, so make it yourself!