Friday, October 19, 2012
:)
I just love those big blue eyes!!! :) and I could literally eat those cheeks!!! Love love love this child!!!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Clutch it...
I've been in quite the sewing mood as of late! I've made six fleece toddler hats, two taggie blankets, two medium tote bags, one large tote bag, one bucket purse, and three clutches! I have to say that I'm most proud of the little clutches and the tote bags! They are super cute and really easy to make! Maybe I'll post a tutorial on how to make the clutches! There's a really great tutorial for the tote bags found here so there no need to make a tutorial for that! :-) AND they might not actually be used as clutches but they would make perfect make up bags, pen holders its just a good all purpose holder of stuff...I've posted a couple of pictures of the clutch/bag things so hope you enjoy!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Homemade Chocolate Beetroot Cake
This post was originally started way back in July or August and I am just now completing it! I guess that tells you how crazy life has been around here! The little one is on the move crawling all around getting into everything! I've been canning a bunch, cooking a lot, spending lots of quality time with friends, going on dates with the hubby, squeezing those sweet baby cheeks, practicing the piano and many other things! It's been fun but busy! So here goes to hoping I'll be blogging more in the near future!
Back in July or August I had a surplus of beets...what do you do with a ton of beets you ask? Well you pickle them, you roast them, you make baby food and then when there is nothing else left to make you research things to make and you find odd recipes one of which was homemade Chocolate Beetroot Cake! Insane I know veggies inside of a chocolate cake? Does the cake actually taste good? Is the texture that of a normal cake? Does it have a rich chocolate flavor like it should? ...Is it even edible??? Well yes...yes...yes...and yes... it is all of those things it taste great, it is the texture of normal cake, it has a rich chocolate flavor and it is most definitely edible! I would go so much as to say that it was very very good! My father-in-law brags about it to all of his friends and relatives and asks if anyone has ever heard of a beet cake...its quite comical! So if you ever have a large quantity of beets or just want to add in some extra nutrition to chocolate cake give this cake a whirl!
I used the recipe below as the base for mine and I made a few adaptations to it! Next time I might not do the cream cheese icing and do a sprinkling of confectioners sugar instead as the cake was so good by itself. Everyone seemed to like the icing but I'm still thinking just confectioners sugar would be great!
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar or regular brown sugar which is what I think I used
3 eggs at room temperature
2-3 oz. dark chocolate
5 medium beets (2 cups pureed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Icing
8 oz. cream cheese softened
2 cups of confectioners sugar or less if desired
2 Tablespoons of beet puree
Directions
Make the beet puree by trimming the beets and simmering them for about 50 minutes, until tender. Drain the liquid and cool the beets (you can run water over them to cool them off.) Slide the skins off, then place them in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Let the puree cool slightly before using it in the cake.
Cream 3/4 cup of the butter with the dark brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Melt the remaining butter together with the chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler over simmering water. Cool slightly, then add the chocolate mixture, beet puree, and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture (it may look separated at this point.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into two greased 9 inch cake pans; bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (I started checking around 25 minutes.) Cool the cake in the pan 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth add in beet puree to create that lovely purplish color!
Back in July or August I had a surplus of beets...what do you do with a ton of beets you ask? Well you pickle them, you roast them, you make baby food and then when there is nothing else left to make you research things to make and you find odd recipes one of which was homemade Chocolate Beetroot Cake! Insane I know veggies inside of a chocolate cake? Does the cake actually taste good? Is the texture that of a normal cake? Does it have a rich chocolate flavor like it should? ...Is it even edible??? Well yes...yes...yes...and yes... it is all of those things it taste great, it is the texture of normal cake, it has a rich chocolate flavor and it is most definitely edible! I would go so much as to say that it was very very good! My father-in-law brags about it to all of his friends and relatives and asks if anyone has ever heard of a beet cake...its quite comical! So if you ever have a large quantity of beets or just want to add in some extra nutrition to chocolate cake give this cake a whirl!
I used the recipe below as the base for mine and I made a few adaptations to it! Next time I might not do the cream cheese icing and do a sprinkling of confectioners sugar instead as the cake was so good by itself. Everyone seemed to like the icing but I'm still thinking just confectioners sugar would be great!
Chocolate Beet Cake
From Straight From the FarmIngredients
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar or regular brown sugar which is what I think I used
3 eggs at room temperature
2-3 oz. dark chocolate
5 medium beets (2 cups pureed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Icing
8 oz. cream cheese softened
2 cups of confectioners sugar or less if desired
2 Tablespoons of beet puree
Directions
Make the beet puree by trimming the beets and simmering them for about 50 minutes, until tender. Drain the liquid and cool the beets (you can run water over them to cool them off.) Slide the skins off, then place them in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Let the puree cool slightly before using it in the cake.
Cream 3/4 cup of the butter with the dark brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Melt the remaining butter together with the chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler over simmering water. Cool slightly, then add the chocolate mixture, beet puree, and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture (it may look separated at this point.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into two greased 9 inch cake pans; bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (I started checking around 25 minutes.) Cool the cake in the pan 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth add in beet puree to create that lovely purplish color!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
What I've Been Doing...
I've been outrageously busy as of late! In my last post you saw that we started swimming lessons and that consumed my life for four weeks! We had two weddings (both outside in the 100 degree weather) and I've been doing lots of gardening/canning! We've spent time visiting friends and family, the little one got to meet his great, great, great aunts, and we've had many a play dates with lots of little people!
My father-in-law has a beautiful huge garden! He said that he wasn't going to plant a garden and well he did and its massive! It could easily feed 5-6 families instead of the three people that live in his house! Well after his garden was planted he had to go in for surgery! He had knee replacement surgery a few years ago and one of his artificial knees got infected and he had to have it removed and then had to undergo 6-8 weeks of IV antibiotics and then will have his knee put back in! So that means that his garden needs tending to! He has some good friends that care for the garden and then he sends me down to pick veggies for him and usually whatever I pick I can keep! I take it to him to see what he wants first since he's done the hard part but I get to keep tons of stuff! So he has 4 rows of green beans and each row was producing 2.5 five gallon buckets FULL of green beans! So one lady picked one row, two of his friends picked the other rows and I picked the fourth row! The two friends gave me most of their beans and I ended up having an entire trash bag full of beans, a five gallon bucket, a mop bucket, and multiple food lion bags! I also had an entire milk crate of beets and I've had 3 heads of cabbage that were probably 12-15 inches in diameter! I also had tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, broccoli and potatoes! EEK the veggies are coming out my ears!!!
So I've been canning like a crazy woman! I've canned 18 quarts of beans, 17 pints of beans, and I've frozen 10 quarts of beans! I also canned 6 quarts of pickled beets, 4 pints of beets and 4 jelly jars of beets! The week before that I had 7 food lion bags full of yellow plums from my grandmothers plum trees and I made plum freezer jam, plum baby food, and homemade plum ice cream!
My father-in-law has a beautiful huge garden! He said that he wasn't going to plant a garden and well he did and its massive! It could easily feed 5-6 families instead of the three people that live in his house! Well after his garden was planted he had to go in for surgery! He had knee replacement surgery a few years ago and one of his artificial knees got infected and he had to have it removed and then had to undergo 6-8 weeks of IV antibiotics and then will have his knee put back in! So that means that his garden needs tending to! He has some good friends that care for the garden and then he sends me down to pick veggies for him and usually whatever I pick I can keep! I take it to him to see what he wants first since he's done the hard part but I get to keep tons of stuff! So he has 4 rows of green beans and each row was producing 2.5 five gallon buckets FULL of green beans! So one lady picked one row, two of his friends picked the other rows and I picked the fourth row! The two friends gave me most of their beans and I ended up having an entire trash bag full of beans, a five gallon bucket, a mop bucket, and multiple food lion bags! I also had an entire milk crate of beets and I've had 3 heads of cabbage that were probably 12-15 inches in diameter! I also had tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, broccoli and potatoes! EEK the veggies are coming out my ears!!!
So I've been canning like a crazy woman! I've canned 18 quarts of beans, 17 pints of beans, and I've frozen 10 quarts of beans! I also canned 6 quarts of pickled beets, 4 pints of beets and 4 jelly jars of beets! The week before that I had 7 food lion bags full of yellow plums from my grandmothers plum trees and I made plum freezer jam, plum baby food, and homemade plum ice cream!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Swimming = So Much Fun!
We started the sweet boy on swimming lesson for the month of June! We had 4 weeks of lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 30 minutes! It was a blast! He loved every minute of being in the water and is on his way to becoming the next Olympic Swimmer! I figured I'd do the first round of lessons at the local pool and then use the skills we learned the rest of the summer by bumming off of other people's pools! Swimming is one of my favorite activities and I want the little man to be as comfortable in the water as he is on land! He was so cute throughout the lessons and we quite a hit with the older ladies that take swim aerobics on the other side of the pool! There were three other children in the class and two of them were two years old! The two year olds were phenomenal! They could swim to the bottom of the pool and pick up diving sticks and diving rings! They could also swim a short distance to another person AND they could float on their backs for up to 30ish seconds! It was amazing!
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| Going Under!!! |
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| Practicing reaching for toys! |
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| Kicking!!! |
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| Playing with the watering can! |
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| The lovely instructor! |
Friday, June 15, 2012
Breastfeeding, Pitocin and Babies oh my!!!
So as you've guessed it from the title of this post its about Breastfeeding, Pitocin and other medicines and Babies!!! So I'd probably say if you are not pregnant, you don't have any interest in these topics or if your not a mother then this post MIGHT just bore you! This is the first time I've ever shared my blog with the large land of facebook (eek) however I know numerous people that are pregnant/nursing/mothers that this information just might be of some use to! This is my experience and I figured I'd share! Normally I post randomly about my baby boy, my life, recipes I like and a few other tidbits but today its all about babies!
Breastfeeding is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life! I personally wouldmuch definitely rather give birth again than have all these issues of breastfeeding! It has been insanely difficult for me and has posed its long long long list of complications including but not limited toooo mastitis, plugged ducts, blibs, Raynauds, thrush, torticollis and bad latch problems (insert sound of small violin playing for my personal pity party....ok moving on)!!! Granted most of these things haven't happened all at one time but none the less they have been painful and difficult to move past! I am happy to say that I am still nursing despite the numerous issues I've had! I feel like I am a very persistent person and because I am so adamant on nursing its the only reason I am continuing to do so! NOW most people do NOT have the insane amount of problems that I have however if you're one of the few that do then there are some things that I've learned from this experience!
Pitocin- If you don't know what Pitocin is....its the drug that is given during an induction to help get labor going and to start your contractions! BE AWARE of pitocin and the complications it can cause and the risks it poses to the health of you and your baby!!! Now I know there are instances where Pitocin is completely necessary however just be aware of what you are putting in your body! Do your research!!! There are numerous articles out there regarding the side effects and risks of pitocin This Article is very informative on the risks of pitocin and even questions why it is so frequently used! Also there is a link to pitocin and ADHD. This Article goes over the link found between pitocin and ADHD and according to the article those children whose mothers were exposed to pitocin are twice as likely to have ADHD as opposed to mothers who were not exposed to pitocin! I know that labor can be a scary thing and when you are in the moment its hard to make rash decisions so just know what your going to be up against before you go in! I would also recommend looking at the other medications and drugs administered in the hospital so that you are aware of whats going to happen when you give birth!
Babies- I know that just because I have been a mother for a whole 6 months that it does not make me any expert of the whole motherhood thing but I feel that SO FAR it seems to have come very naturally for me. I am thankful for that innate ability that's just come out in me and I am so very grateful for the insight of all the other wonderful mothers in my life who have shared their experiences and given support! Experience and support are so crucial when raising a child and I am so blessed to have so many good examples of mothers in my life! If you don't have someone you can turn to for advice there are plenty of books/articles/forums out there to help new mothers but always tailor things to meet your needs and to fit your lifestyle! Just because someone says to do it this way doesn't mean its wrong to do it another way! I've been given plenty of advice that I don't care to use right now but it doesn't mean that that advice was wrong, its just not right for me!
*Disclaimer* This is the way I do things for my family...this is not to pass judgement on anyone on the way that they do things for their family!!!
Breastfeeding is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life! I personally would
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter is amazing! Not only did I find it to be 10x better than lanolin but its also all natural as it says in the title and its NOT made of the yellow waxy stuff secreted by sheep that lanolin is actually made of! Yeah that just kind grosses me out to think about that lanolin is a yellow waxy substance secreted by sheep!
- All Purpose Nipple Ointment is even more amazing than the Earth Mama Angel Baby stuff! It's composed of 3-4 different medications that are so helpful when experiencing pain while nursing! Next time I'm asking for this BEFORE I even go to the hospital!
- Don't sleep on your stomach! You may be so excited by the fact that you aren't sporting a super huge belly anymore but trust me don't sleep on your stomach! EVERY time I sleep on my stomach I get plugged ducts and trust me they are so painful!!!
Pitocin- If you don't know what Pitocin is....its the drug that is given during an induction to help get labor going and to start your contractions! BE AWARE of pitocin and the complications it can cause and the risks it poses to the health of you and your baby!!! Now I know there are instances where Pitocin is completely necessary however just be aware of what you are putting in your body! Do your research!!! There are numerous articles out there regarding the side effects and risks of pitocin This Article is very informative on the risks of pitocin and even questions why it is so frequently used! Also there is a link to pitocin and ADHD. This Article goes over the link found between pitocin and ADHD and according to the article those children whose mothers were exposed to pitocin are twice as likely to have ADHD as opposed to mothers who were not exposed to pitocin! I know that labor can be a scary thing and when you are in the moment its hard to make rash decisions so just know what your going to be up against before you go in! I would also recommend looking at the other medications and drugs administered in the hospital so that you are aware of whats going to happen when you give birth!
Babies- I know that just because I have been a mother for a whole 6 months that it does not make me any expert of the whole motherhood thing but I feel that SO FAR it seems to have come very naturally for me. I am thankful for that innate ability that's just come out in me and I am so very grateful for the insight of all the other wonderful mothers in my life who have shared their experiences and given support! Experience and support are so crucial when raising a child and I am so blessed to have so many good examples of mothers in my life! If you don't have someone you can turn to for advice there are plenty of books/articles/forums out there to help new mothers but always tailor things to meet your needs and to fit your lifestyle! Just because someone says to do it this way doesn't mean its wrong to do it another way! I've been given plenty of advice that I don't care to use right now but it doesn't mean that that advice was wrong, its just not right for me!
NOW for some super cute pictures of my favorite little boy!!! Pictures were taken curtsey of my best friend Di over at the Super Tiger Goose blog! She's an awesome photographer and she will take wonderful pictures for you!!! She's just starting out so shes really reasonable too!!!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Swimming
The little one loves loves loves the water!!! He loves to kick and splash and is super content while in the water! We went swimming for the first time on memorial day and then this week I got a call about starting swimming lessons and they are for four weeks every Tuesday and Thursday and he loves them! We've been twice and it's a mommy and me swimming class! We sing songs, blow bubbles, practice kicking and other very basic things and it's just so much fun!!! There are three other babies in the class with him and let me tell you two of these babes are über talented!!! They have been taking the class for over a year and both just turned two years old and they can swim down to the bottom of the pool pick up toys and swim across small sections of the pool! It's phenomenal to watch such little babies swimming! That is sooooo going to be my child some day!!! I'm starting him so early so that he will be used to the water and so that he will hopefully start swimming early like these other little tikes! But it's super fun and I'm enjoying getting to spend a little time in the water myself!!! :) so excited that summer is here and that we can now go to the pool more whenever we want!!! Wooo hooo for summer!!!! 
Thursday, May 24, 2012
FYI
I have been out of commission lately as I have been outrageously busy! Doing what you might ask....cooking, visiting with friends, having play dates, going to weddings, attending bridal showers, celebrating birthdays, playing with chunky babies, spending a precious few hours with the hubby and running around like a headless chicken! I feel like I've been going non stop for weeks! Every weekend for the past two months seems it have been consumed by something!
I have a love/hate relationship with peanut-butter pie...I love the way it tastes however I hate what it does to my thighs!
My sweet sweet child is able to sit up and is rolling and is already six months old!!! How time does fly!
I am a cloth diaper-aholic and you might think that's really weird but I love me some cloth diapers! They are just awesome! If you ever decide you'd like to discuss cloth diapers with me please let me know!!! I could talk about them all day!
I didn't get a garden this year so I've taken over one of my flower beds and gone crazy with fruits/veggies! I've got tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, zucchini, strawberries, green beans, beets, corn, blueberries and possibly a watermelon plant! I'm
So excited and cannot wait to see these plants grow and flourish!
I've been meaning to post on this blog for weeks but keep forgetting so I apologize!!! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!
I have a love/hate relationship with peanut-butter pie...I love the way it tastes however I hate what it does to my thighs!
My sweet sweet child is able to sit up and is rolling and is already six months old!!! How time does fly!
I am a cloth diaper-aholic and you might think that's really weird but I love me some cloth diapers! They are just awesome! If you ever decide you'd like to discuss cloth diapers with me please let me know!!! I could talk about them all day!
I didn't get a garden this year so I've taken over one of my flower beds and gone crazy with fruits/veggies! I've got tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, zucchini, strawberries, green beans, beets, corn, blueberries and possibly a watermelon plant! I'm
So excited and cannot wait to see these plants grow and flourish!
I've been meaning to post on this blog for weeks but keep forgetting so I apologize!!! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Oatmeal
So I know it's been way too long since I posted here! It's been a very busy couple of weeks and the next few weeks are just as busy! We've got lots of weddings to go to and wedding showers and birthdays and all sorts of things! I feel like I've been going non stop for weeks! AND my house is suffering because of it! It's not nearly as tidy as I'd like it to be!!! But that's completely off topic...oatmeal....so the little one had some baby eczema going on so I thought I nice oatmeal bath would be very calming and nice for him to sit in....NOT it turns out the little one is probably allergic to oatmeal as he was covered in hives after his bath! I felt so bad that I was trying to correct something minor and then he gets this major flare up! Thankfully he was quite the trooper throughout the whole ordeal and was very happy and not a bit fussy despite the huge hives all over his back! I posted a picture of how bad they were below so please don't mind the baby butt crack that you see! I also called his pediatricians office and they said I could give him benedryl so out to the store I went at 9:30 to get benedryl! Thankfully he didn't need it and by the time I fed him at 11 the hives were greatly reduced and just bumps!!! I'm so thankful it wasn't any worse and that he is okay! Not fun!!! 
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Smiles
I love this little guys smile!!! This picture was taken today at church when I took him to the nursery! He didn't stay in the nursery long and got quite fretted while in there but they did get a few big smiles from him! One of which we caught on camera!
We also went to the hubby's parents tonight and the little one laughed and I mean deep belly laughed for us for like 10 minutes! Apparently their dog was super funny! And when he was laughing it made us all laugh it was too cute!
I'm currently sick and super ready to not have a sore throat/cough and I'm really tired of sounding like a man! Im also ready for the little one to start back to his normal schedule of sleeping through the night as this whole getting up every 2-3 hours if not earlier is just exhausting! Heres to hopping tonight is a better night!!!
We also went to the hubby's parents tonight and the little one laughed and I mean deep belly laughed for us for like 10 minutes! Apparently their dog was super funny! And when he was laughing it made us all laugh it was too cute!
I'm currently sick and super ready to not have a sore throat/cough and I'm really tired of sounding like a man! Im also ready for the little one to start back to his normal schedule of sleeping through the night as this whole getting up every 2-3 hours if not earlier is just exhausting! Heres to hopping tonight is a better night!!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
4 Months Old!!!
My sweet little boy is 4 months old!!! It's hard to believe how fast time flies!!! He is already cutting a few teeth (crazy right) and changing every day! He is such a joy and blessing to us and we are so thankful for him!!! Love this little man so much!!!
Below are a few pictures from our photo shoot with my best friend Di today! Thanks to her we have all these amazingly beautiful pictures!!! She's the best!!!
Below are a few pictures from our photo shoot with my best friend Di today! Thanks to her we have all these amazingly beautiful pictures!!! She's the best!!!
Friday, March 9, 2012
He Laughs
He laughs and giggles and it is the most magical sound in the ENTIRE world! It makes me smile and laugh and do whatever ridiculous thing that made him laugh over and over again! This particular time it was blowing raspberries on his leg! Apparently he found it quite comical! Usually when he laughs its because I play peek-a-boo with him! We have one of him laughing while playing peek-a-boo and when we the hubby was watching it I heard this awful noise and I was like what is that???? and it turns out that it was me talking/playing peek-a-boo with the babe! I despise the sound of my voice when I hear it over the video camera or something! It sounds as if I have the highest pitched squeakiest voice ever and I personally would not want to spend time with me if that's really how I sound...I just hope and pray that its not how I sound because I sure feel sorry for the people that have to listen to my voice all the time! But enough about me please feast your eyes upon this sweet little child of mine laughing and giggling and I hope it makes your day as fabulous as it made mine!!! :-D
Oh and PS when he saw himself laughing it made him cry! How crazy is that???
Oh and PS when he saw himself laughing it made him cry! How crazy is that???
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Fashion
The newest in fashion has just arrived straight off the runways of Paris and Tokyo! It's a unique style that no one saw coming! All the ladies are raving to get in on this fashionable attire! High cheekbones are out! What you need is to plump up those cheeks (the chubbier the better)! Potbellies are also in style this season and should be accompanied by cute cloth diapers! Argyle socks are also a big hit! Make sure you wear red and orange together along with some sort of pattern or design like monkeys! If you can't pull off this style it's okay but don't be jealous of those who can! It's not for everyone!!! Keep on trying out your own new looks and stay posted for some other new fashion trends!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A few little things...
1. I have dropped 10 lbs!!! And might I add more quickly than the hubby! Although the enormous amount of Mexican food I consumed today probably didn't help! Now I just need to keep it off!!!
2. I love love love all the babies being born!!! It makes me giddy and oh so excited to go see another little babe!!! They are so sweet and darling!!! Four if my friends have had babies in the past couple weeks and another is due in a few weeks!!!
3. Who doubles their weight in three months time???? MY CHILD!!! :) he is already 16 lbs!!! Insane I know!!! He has the cutest chubby cheeks!!! They jiggle when we go for walks in the stroller! Hehe
4. I'm growing my hair out and right now it's the longest it's been since I was five years old!!! I'm quite proud that I've gotten it this long without chopping it off! Don't get me wrong I love long hair it's beautiful and I'm quite fond of the way it looks on me so far but the problem is that it is seriously annoying! If I don't have it up in a bun or up in some way it gets all over the baby while we are doing feedings! It hangs in my face while we play and he's starting to pull it!!! Eek! So therefore I never wear it down which is so sad!!! Eventually I will cut it but I want to be able to donate ten inches to locks of love before I do so I've got a ways to go! :)
5. Speaking of hair and getting hair cut, when I was in high school I got my hair cut pretty short and I loved it....however my dear great aunt (who is the most opinionated woman I've EVER met in my entire life) said to me....
A-"What did you do to your hair?"
Me- "I got it cut!"
A- "Did a blind person cut it?"
She also has a lovely souther twang and I do her impersonation very well! While I was she told me that my clothes were too tight around my belly and then leaned over to the person who sits beside her in church and said "I just despise when these pregnant girls wear clothes that show off their bellies!" (my outfit really wasn't tight) I no longer take the things she says to heart and while I was pregnant I was much more sassy than normal and I would banter back and forth with her! Normally I respect my elders by not saying anything at all but there were a few times while pregnant that I let my hormones get the best of me! (like when I told her I was going to the beach at 7 months pregnant and that yes I was going to wear a bathing suit on the beach and that it was going to be a bikini! Then wen I got back from the beach I told her my belly was nice and tan.... I do believe she was mortified! (When I told my grandma her sister what I said she just laughed hysterically!)
But she is seriously comical if you don't take what she says to heart because then you get your feelings hurt!!! I love her dearly but she is definitely an old fashioned set in her ways opinionated lady!!!
2. I love love love all the babies being born!!! It makes me giddy and oh so excited to go see another little babe!!! They are so sweet and darling!!! Four if my friends have had babies in the past couple weeks and another is due in a few weeks!!!
3. Who doubles their weight in three months time???? MY CHILD!!! :) he is already 16 lbs!!! Insane I know!!! He has the cutest chubby cheeks!!! They jiggle when we go for walks in the stroller! Hehe
4. I'm growing my hair out and right now it's the longest it's been since I was five years old!!! I'm quite proud that I've gotten it this long without chopping it off! Don't get me wrong I love long hair it's beautiful and I'm quite fond of the way it looks on me so far but the problem is that it is seriously annoying! If I don't have it up in a bun or up in some way it gets all over the baby while we are doing feedings! It hangs in my face while we play and he's starting to pull it!!! Eek! So therefore I never wear it down which is so sad!!! Eventually I will cut it but I want to be able to donate ten inches to locks of love before I do so I've got a ways to go! :)
5. Speaking of hair and getting hair cut, when I was in high school I got my hair cut pretty short and I loved it....however my dear great aunt (who is the most opinionated woman I've EVER met in my entire life) said to me....
A-"What did you do to your hair?"
Me- "I got it cut!"
A- "Did a blind person cut it?"
She also has a lovely souther twang and I do her impersonation very well! While I was she told me that my clothes were too tight around my belly and then leaned over to the person who sits beside her in church and said "I just despise when these pregnant girls wear clothes that show off their bellies!" (my outfit really wasn't tight) I no longer take the things she says to heart and while I was pregnant I was much more sassy than normal and I would banter back and forth with her! Normally I respect my elders by not saying anything at all but there were a few times while pregnant that I let my hormones get the best of me! (like when I told her I was going to the beach at 7 months pregnant and that yes I was going to wear a bathing suit on the beach and that it was going to be a bikini! Then wen I got back from the beach I told her my belly was nice and tan.... I do believe she was mortified! (When I told my grandma her sister what I said she just laughed hysterically!)
But she is seriously comical if you don't take what she says to heart because then you get your feelings hurt!!! I love her dearly but she is definitely an old fashioned set in her ways opinionated lady!!!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Light Up The Sky
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky
To show me You are with me
And I, I, I can't deny
No, I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see You all around me
So tonight as we were on the way to the in-laws for dinner I couldn't help but think of the song Light Up the Sky by the Afters! The sky was brilliantly illuminated with such beautiful colors!!! Since the hubs was driving I got to take pics with his fancy phone! They certainly don't do it justice but you'll get the idea! There were brilliant blues, purples, vibrant oranges, pinks, bright yellows and a few other colors! It was so pretty!!!
You light up the sky
To show me You are with me
And I, I, I can't deny
No, I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see You all around me
So tonight as we were on the way to the in-laws for dinner I couldn't help but think of the song Light Up the Sky by the Afters! The sky was brilliantly illuminated with such beautiful colors!!! Since the hubs was driving I got to take pics with his fancy phone! They certainly don't do it justice but you'll get the idea! There were brilliant blues, purples, vibrant oranges, pinks, bright yellows and a few other colors! It was so pretty!!!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tough
This picture just makes me chuckle!!! I love his never ending array of facial expressions!!! He's always coming up with a new expression cutter and more amusing that the previous!!! When we took this picture he was as happy as a clam without any worries but then he just gave this hilarious tough guy face and had his hand in a fist and I just couldn't resist posting this picture as opposed to the one of him smiling!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Worst Chicken Pot Pie....EVER
I like to think that I USUALLY make a pretty mean chicken pot pie! It can hold its own with some of the best in my opinion! It's also super pretty with a lovely crust and the veggies and chicken peeping through! It looks like a real pie with two homemade crusts and lots of veggies and chicken! I love it and enjoy making it, however when we were having lovely meals brought to us by our awesome family and friends when the little mister arrived one of them was a turkey pot pie! It was really good and the hubby exclaimed that he liked that this chicken pot pie had more gravy and just one thicker top crust! So with that being said I should have asked for the recipe and saved myself the trouble of messing up what could have been a good chicken pot pie!
One of my biggest mistakes was that I should have cooked my potatoes before putting them in! Everything else was pre cooked so why did I not pre cook them??? I have no clue....it just didn't even dawn on me to cook them first! Secondly do not...I repeat...DO NOT put cinnamon in your chicken pot pie! It tastes TERRIBLE!!! Why did you even put cinnamon in the pot pie you ask? Well that is a fabulous question...see the cinnamon is beside the cumin in the spice drawer and I was going to add a hearty few dashes of cumin which we love on chicken and instead I grabbed the cinnamon and gave numerous hearty dashes of cinnamon! I mixed it all up, took a huge whiff and scrunched up my nose (cause you know I do that frequently)... What was that I thought to myself why does my chicken pot pie mixtures smell of cinnamon??? So to try to correct my horrid mistake I added in cumin and a few other savory spices to "help it out!" It didn't work!
Then I decide that since the baby needed to eat and I didn't have time to make a thick flaky crust i would use some pre made crescent rolls and just roll them out on top! That way it would be thick and flaky and taste like crescent rolls mixed with chicken pot pie! Well I didn't realize that the crescent rolls would cook so beautifully on top and then be gooey and uncooked on the bottom!!!!
So I had uncooked potatoes, a nasty savory-cinnamon gravy and a gooey crescent roll top!!!! So it was terrible!! Next time I'll either get the real recipe or stick to old faithful....why fix what isn't broken right??? Oh well better luck next time!!!
One of my biggest mistakes was that I should have cooked my potatoes before putting them in! Everything else was pre cooked so why did I not pre cook them??? I have no clue....it just didn't even dawn on me to cook them first! Secondly do not...I repeat...DO NOT put cinnamon in your chicken pot pie! It tastes TERRIBLE!!! Why did you even put cinnamon in the pot pie you ask? Well that is a fabulous question...see the cinnamon is beside the cumin in the spice drawer and I was going to add a hearty few dashes of cumin which we love on chicken and instead I grabbed the cinnamon and gave numerous hearty dashes of cinnamon! I mixed it all up, took a huge whiff and scrunched up my nose (cause you know I do that frequently)... What was that I thought to myself why does my chicken pot pie mixtures smell of cinnamon??? So to try to correct my horrid mistake I added in cumin and a few other savory spices to "help it out!" It didn't work!
Then I decide that since the baby needed to eat and I didn't have time to make a thick flaky crust i would use some pre made crescent rolls and just roll them out on top! That way it would be thick and flaky and taste like crescent rolls mixed with chicken pot pie! Well I didn't realize that the crescent rolls would cook so beautifully on top and then be gooey and uncooked on the bottom!!!!
So I had uncooked potatoes, a nasty savory-cinnamon gravy and a gooey crescent roll top!!!! So it was terrible!! Next time I'll either get the real recipe or stick to old faithful....why fix what isn't broken right??? Oh well better luck next time!!!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Denial
I have been in denial the past two weeks about my sweet baby boy growing up. He's getting too big too quick. Not only has he completely outgrown his bassinet but I've refused to move the bassinet out of our bedroom in the hopes that maybe he will shrink and just possibly fit back into it? He is also such a big boy now and is sleeping without being swaddled! Two weeks with only swaddling one arm, then a few days of only swaddling his torso and now nothing...nada....zilch...he is an unswaddled sleeper! I am impressed at how quickly he transitioned to sleeping without being swaddled! He seems to love it and is able to freely move all around in his crib! He does a 90 degree turn in his crib every night! Its quite amusing how active he is in his crib! I do believe he's going to be a crazy sleeper like his mama! :)
He also is starting to drool and blow bubbles which I'm told is an indication of teething???? TEETH??? That's not possible! He's only three months old!!! EEK! However according to my mom I cut three teeth in a week at four months old!
Also its official...I am not going back to work! I'm not sure if I've mentioned that on here but I'm super excited about staying home with this sweet little man! :-) I know my hubby is a bit nervous about it as he is also in the process of starting his own business venture but I'm sure we can make it! I have faith that everything will work out just the way God wants it to and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be able to raise my little one without having a daycare worker or a family member have babysit him all the time! Its going to be an adventure the next couple of months but I'm looking forward to it!!!
He also is starting to drool and blow bubbles which I'm told is an indication of teething???? TEETH??? That's not possible! He's only three months old!!! EEK! However according to my mom I cut three teeth in a week at four months old!
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| Sitting together in the same chair....I know shocking!!! |
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| Such a ham! :) |
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
My Little Teddy Bear
We took these pictures tonight before walking to my parents house!!! Doesn't he look darling all bundled up in his Teddy Bear Snow Suit!!! I just love how cuddly he looks in it!!! Does anyone remember those Anne Geddes Baby Bear Dolls that were popular a while ago? Well that's what these pictures remind me of! Every time we put him in one of these suits I think of these dolls!!! I think I might have had one as a kid....now I've got a real live version!!!!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Honey Mustard Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
I wanted to share my Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Recipe!!! Its phenomenal if you like Honey Mustard, Sweet Potatoes and Chicken! We have now included this recipe in our list of favorite that we will eat frequently! Plus its super easy!
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1-2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup creamy honey mustard salad dressing (Or you can make your own honey mustard dressing...I've done both and it turns out great either way)
- 1 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken, sweet potatoes, and onion in 13x9" pan or a jelly roll pan. Combine garlic, salad dressing, and dried tarragon and brush half of this mixture over chicken and vegetables. Roast at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, stir food. Brush remaining honey mustard mixture over chicken and vegetables. Bake for 20 more minutes until chicken is done/no longer pink and potatoes are tender. Depending on the size of your chicken you may need to cook it a bit longer!
Its pretty amazing and I hope if you try it that you enjoy it as much as we do!!!
:-)
Monday, February 6, 2012
Things you should know!
1. Spit up has become a part of my daily wardrobe! I wear it proudly and with great style! Some days I wear it on my shirt which is the usual place people wear spit up, other days I wear it on my pants and then on really good days I wear it in my freshly washed hair! It goes best in the freshly washed hair!
2. I have 3 more pounds to go in my weight loss challenge against the hubby! We are pretty close and he only has 3 to go too!!! I'm struggling with wanting to devour every piece of sugar in our house!!!
3. I am doing this great devotional/workbook and I I've already learned a ton of things!!!
4. I learned you can make a chai at home for quite a minimal amount of money compared to buying one at Starbucks or some other coffee hut! Which I'm super excited about!!! It doesn't taste exactly like it but it's close enough for me! I bought Tazo Organic Chai tea bags (20 bags for $3.99) and brewed the tea into 6oz of milk & 2oz of water! I added some vanilla creamer and a bit of sugar and voila....a cheapskates version of a chia latte!
5. My little...large munchkin has outgrown almost all of his 3 month things and fits into all of his 6 month things!!! Ahhhh so crazy how big he's getting!!!
2. I have 3 more pounds to go in my weight loss challenge against the hubby! We are pretty close and he only has 3 to go too!!! I'm struggling with wanting to devour every piece of sugar in our house!!!
3. I am doing this great devotional/workbook and I I've already learned a ton of things!!!
4. I learned you can make a chai at home for quite a minimal amount of money compared to buying one at Starbucks or some other coffee hut! Which I'm super excited about!!! It doesn't taste exactly like it but it's close enough for me! I bought Tazo Organic Chai tea bags (20 bags for $3.99) and brewed the tea into 6oz of milk & 2oz of water! I added some vanilla creamer and a bit of sugar and voila....a cheapskates version of a chia latte!
5. My little...large munchkin has outgrown almost all of his 3 month things and fits into all of his 6 month things!!! Ahhhh so crazy how big he's getting!!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Too Stinkin Cute!!
Yesterday we had a 4 year old little girl come visit us for a few hours during the day! That was so much fun! We got to play school bus and farm we also rode tricycles and fire engines in the basement and had some really insightful conversations about friendships! While I was changing Parker's clothes this was our convo...
J- "He has blue eyes like me! That means we are friends!"
Me- "Well I have green eyes so what does that make me?"
J- "Mommy has green eyes too so that means that you are girls."
Me- "You are a girl too!"
J- "Yeah."
Love the logic at that age! So funny! :) I have done lots of cooking this week and it has been amazing!!! I love to cook and I have had a blast entertaining and cooking! On Tuesday we had some great friends over and had honey mustard roasted chicken, sweet potatoes and onions, salad, green beans, homemade bread and chocolate toffee crunch cake! While they were visiting we watched Courageous which is a great movie if you haven't seen it!!! On Wednesday we had both sets of parents up for dinner and my grandma and we had some amazing lasagna, green beans, garlic bread and some left over cake! It was great fun! on Thursday I made veggie enchiladas and cookies for my friend/her family that had the preemie! Overall it was a great week and I will definitely post the recipe for the chicken dish as its so easy and quite amazing! Hope everyone's week is fabulous!!!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Precious Little Miracles
Ten little fingers,
Ten tiny toes,
The sweetest of smiles
And a cute little nose.
All these add up
To a very special thing...
A baby
The greatest of gifts
That life can bring.
Ten tiny toes,
The sweetest of smiles
And a cute little nose.
All these add up
To a very special thing...
A baby
The greatest of gifts
That life can bring.
 |
| Love that sweet little foot!!! |
I love babies! They are such a gift! They are little miracles and sweet blessings! I had the chance to meet one of the sweetest most precious little miracle babies today that I've ever seen! One of my best friends gave birth at 27 weeks to this 2lbs. 7oz., 12 inch long bundle of joy! She sure did create quite an entrance and scared her family half to death but she is a fighter and came out breathing on her own! How amazing!!! She is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and I am in awe at the technology and the vast knowledge of the staff! They are wonderful! I know that these next few weeks are going to be quite a stress on their family but these little ones are worth it! We would ride to the moon and back for our dear little babes! I have so much admiration for our Awesome God and the way he created human life! This little babe is so perfect she has every single feature that a full term newborn has just on a smaller scale! She is a phenomenal little girl and I know big things are planned for this sweet little blessing!!!
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| She has her "sunbathing" shades on while she is under the lights! |
I can't wait to go visit her again!!!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Nap Time
The little man decided he didn't want to nap in his bassinet today so I became his napping place! I didn't mind as he is already growing up too quickly!!! Love this sweet little man!!! :)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Nose
I just love that nose!!! The way it scrunches up! It's my nose and he's got it! One of my only features he's inherited! He will have conflicting views on his nose as he grows up! Throughout early childhood people of all walks of life will comment on how cute his nose is! Then he will absolutely hate it when he's in middle school and high school! When he gets out of school he will probably become indifferent to his nose until he finds that one girl who loves that he scrunches up his nose when he smiles and flares his nostrils when he is upset, angry, happy, excited or when he's just talking! At least that's the way it was for me...and I'm going to pretend that my hubby thinks my nose flaring and scrunching is cute!
It really helps to animate your face you know the whole nose scrunching and nostril flaring! :)
It really helps to animate your face you know the whole nose scrunching and nostril flaring! :)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Let the Challenge Begin
Let the challenge begin. My hubby and I decided to challenge each other on losing weight. It was my idea....I am beginning to rethink this idea but it was my idea nonetheless. We decided that whoever loses 10 pounds first would win... Bragging rights! The challenge started Monday. We are eating healthy, attempting to exercise and doing all those things that people who are trying to lose weight do. My hubby and I are very competitive when it comes to doing anything against one another. Whenever we play monopoly or any other board game we are very competitive and always talk smack to one another. We have had some very intense games of Monopoly, video games, bowling, anything that requires a competition. In general we are just very competitive people when playing against one another. So this weight loss challenge was designed to help us lose weight by tapping into our inner competitive spirit to make us work really hard. This is also enticing me to eat healthier and to exercise more, things that I wouldn't normally do if I were trying to beat him! I've been cooking healthy dinners including chicken, veggies and rice, homemade chicken noodle soup and enchiladas. I've also been craving sweets so I had to come up with something sweet I could eat that was relatively healthy! So I made Black Bean Brownies! Yeah I know sounds absurd and quite disgusting but I loved them and they were amazing!!! I had numerous people try them and they honestly had no idea they were made with black beans and that they didn't have any flour in them! I even got surprisingly good reviews from my dad who is as much of a dessert lover as I am! And how many brownies can you eat and say that they had fiber in them??? Anyways maybe I'll post the recipe next week for all you adventurous people who would try black bean brownies!!! I highly doubt that I will beat Jonathan in our challenge but eating better and making better lifestyle choices (for the time being) is a good idea whether I win or lose!
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