Gift Ideas - Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is coming up and I always like to have a little something for my kids - something small that says, "I love you and you are special to us!"  Valentine's Day also happens to be Matthew's birthday.  He will be 11 this year, which is amazing in and of itself.  Where did the time go?  It seems, in ways, that he was born yesterday.  He didn't have school on Wednesday, so we enjoyed some Matthew/Mom time.  He wanted to go bowling, so we went to Midtown Bowl and spent 45 minutes competing with each other.  We finished that off with some arcade time.  Have I mentioned yet that I have a major addiction to Pac Man?  If I could find a local competition, I would totally enter it.  I logged many hours back in the 80's, and folks, I haven't lost it!  I think I broke a sweat at the bowling alley playing it.  Not sure if Matthew was impressed or embarassed.... 

Midtown Bowl was a blast!  It opens at 9 AM during the week and we were the ONLY people there!  For $20.00, we bowled almost 3 games in 45 minutes.  Perhaps because we were the ONLY patrons, I felt comfortable exaggerating my super smooth bowling moves - enjoyed making Matthew laugh....   Well, I woke up the next day and felt like I had aged 30 years - stiff and sore!  It was fun, though.  I really enjoyed having some one on one time with him.  When you have more than one child, it's fun to do that from time to time.  Matthew felt so special - and he got to pick our activities.  We ended our time at the Wing Factory, and we got to talk, and he shared so much with me - I don't get that all the time because when all the kids are present, it's go-go-go....So, I'm going to make a commitment to making sure I get some one-on-one time with the kids as frequently as I can!

I wanted to share some fun gift ideas with you.  I think it's fun to have a little something on the kitchen table when the kids come down for breakfast on Valentine's Day morning.  For my boys, this could be a new shirt wrapped up with a bow.  (Patagonia is having their annual 30% off sale between the days of January 25-30.  For those of you who are planners, go ahead and pick up next year's Christmas gifts!  Why wait and pay full price for a new Patagonia jacket when you can buy one now at 30% off and tuck it away for Christmas?!!).  They have great t-shirts and hats - for adults and kids - which may be a fun gift to receive on Valentine's Day.

Of course, candy is always fun, and the Fresh Market has really cute Valentine's Day candy.  You can't miss the display as you walk into the store.

And if you don't have time to look around for something, pick up a $15.00 gift card to Learning Express, Target, or AMC Movie Theater....How fun would it be to have a gift card wrapped up with a pack of fun pencils or pens?

How about a pack of mini "fat-heads" from Dicks or Sports Authority?  They cost $10.00 for a pack of 5, and the boys love to put them on their binders, walls and trade them for others.  

Kids LOVE the school store.  I know my boys would be DELIGHTED to find $5.00 tied up with a ribbon and a little card that says, "To use at the school store...."

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JEWELRY IDEAS

For those of you who have girls - I have the perfect gift for you!  Check out these adorable little sterling silver hearts for $20.00!  Wrapped up in a cute box with a bow, your daughter would love them!

OR, for those of you who are shopping early for Christmas or birthdays go ahead and buy for these occasions!  All orders must be in by Wednesday, February 1, for delivery the following the week.

$20.00/pair (sterling silver)

And check out these INCREDIBLE looking bracelets!  They are $25.00/bracelet, but if you buy 3 or more, save $10.00!  Buy a couple for yourself, teachers, your sister, mom, etc. 

$25.00/bracelet (specify leather & turquoise or leather & crystal bead)

The items on the side (earrings and bracelet) are always available, too!

Please email me by next Wednesday, February 1, to place your order!

(P.S. - Spell Check is not responding, so my apologies for any spelling errors!)

Checking In!

This month has proved to be a very busy one.  Between the upswing in volume at work, the kids' schedules, preparing for our move, and the stomach bug, I've barely had time for anything else!  I have some great gift ideas for Valentine's Day to share, so that's coming!  Patagonia's annual 30% off sale is going on from January 25-30 - stop in or shop online and buy some gifts for next year!  How happy will you be when December rolls around and you already have several gifts ready to be wrapped?

More on gifts soon.  Didn't want you to think that I've stopped blogging!  I've got plans to share some jewelry with you as well as a recipe for homemade laundry detergent...fun stuff!

I'll leave you with this mental picture.  I was at the doctor yesterday with Brooke, checking out.  I was thinking about how annoyed I was that I drove all the way down to Piedmont to find that her rash was just a virus and couldn't be treated.  I always find great satisfaction when I go to the doctor to find that the trip down there was worth it because it truly was something like an ear infection or strep - walking out with a prescription in hand is always satisfying for me.  Not yesterday.  I wanted a reason for her middle of the night awakenings and fussy behavior, but he couldn't give me one.  Anyway, between thinking about that and gazing at the waiting room, I wasn't paying attention to sweet little Brooke who was playing with the pack of gum I handed her in the examination room just minutes earlier.  Someone behind me in line tapped my shoulder and said, "Excuse me, is it okay with you that your daughter is chewing gum?" 

WHAT?!

I snapped out of la-la land and grabbed the gum before she put it in her mouth. :).  Nothing like feeling like a neglective mother!  I was embarassed but am now laughing at msyelf (and thankful that the nice mom behind me stopped the potential disaster). 

I'm off to watch the remaining minutes of one of the best movies I've seen in a while, "The King's Speech," and then catch some shut eye. 

Crafty Fun and Menu Ideas!

I had had the wonderful privilege of spending yesterday with my niece, Morgan!  My boys were at the farm and Brooke and I didn't have much going on, so I picked up Morgan and we have had such a nice time!  We stopped by an "antique" store - I put that in quotes because it was really a junk store - we were looking for old frames that we could paint and make new and fun.  We didn't find any but it was a fun outing, nonetheless.  If you have a little time to spend freshening up an old item, it's not only rewarding, but you get so much character at a fraction of the cost.

Anyway, we came back home and had lunch, put Brooke down for a nap and watched the movie, Hachi.  Morgan was curled up on the sofa with Sandy, appropriately enough, as the movie is about the love between a man and his dog.

This movie is rated G and is just wonderful.  For those of you with Comcast ON DEMAND, you can rent it for free!  My dear emotional friends, grab some tissue.  If you are an animal lover like myself, this story will pull at your heartstrings, but it's a great movie for the whole family - and based on a true story.

We enjoyed some cookie cups filled with ice cream during the movie.  We turned an ordinary cookie into a cup.  I placed cookie dough on the bottom and sides of a muffin tin and made 6 cookie cups.  They puffed up as they baked (shorter cooking time than normal cookies), so right when I took them out of the oven, I used a spoon to sort of press the middle of the cookie to give it a "cup" shape.  I let them cool and then scooped some vanilla ice cream into 2 cups - one for her and one for me.

Then I drizzled a little chocolate sauce over the whole thing.  Delicious!  Nothing but a cookie and some ice cream, but served like this, it was super fun!

After Brooke's nap, Morgan, Brooke and I went to Ace Hardware and picked out some craft supplies to make homemade chalkboards - one her for her room and one for my new house to hang in the hallway between the boys' rooms.  We found two unused wooden boards that I found in the basement.  We bought some paint and a container of non-sanded grout.  The recipe to make chalkboard paint if you have a paint color that you like, is to mix 1 cup of your favorite paint with 2 TBS of non-sanded grout.  I tweaked the measurements as we only used a tiny bit of paint. 

Here's Morgan mixing the grout and paint together in a bowl.

We placed newspaper on the counter and laid our board down and painted away! When they were dry, we wrote all over them in chalk.

Then we wiped them dry and placed our hooks and wire on the back for hanging!  Simple and the cost was under $10.00!  To complete her chalkboard, we're going to hot-glue some ribbon to the top. 

Now let me just say here that I am not a masterful crafty person.  I love crafts - I love planning out crafts, but when it comes down to it, I do not have the golden touch, by any means.  But this does not keep me from trying new things all the time.  I LOVE creating things myself - for the satisfaction and speciality of it.  What I'm saying is, these projects don't have to come out perfectly - if they were perfect, they could be store bought, so to those of you with kids who enjoy crafts, try it!

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Several of you have asked me about meal planning.  I will tell you what I'm making this week.  I actually sat down this morning and made a list of meals that I will make.

1. Sunday:  I am making mini hamburger sliders tonight with a side of organic boxed mac-n-cheese, roasted vegetables, and a steamed artichoke with a side of smart butter dipping sauce (couple TBS of Smart butter with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper).  I bought a pound of ground sirloin from the Fresh Market and will make little mini burgers that I'll either grill or just cook in a pan on the stove. I have a pack of whole wheat slider buns in my freezer that I'll use.
2. Monday:  Poppy Seed Chicken.  I am boiling a couple of chicken breasts and shredding them into small pieces.  I mix together 1 can of fat free cream of chicken soup, 8 oz of light sour cream and 2 TBS of light cream cheese.  Put the shredded chicken in a Pyrex sprayed with Pam.  Pour the chicken soup mixture over the chicken.  Sprinkle heartily with poppy seeds.  Crush up some Ritz Crackers and sprinkle this over the whole thing.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.  I will steam some broccoli and make some reduced fat crescent rolls to serve on the side.
3. Tuesday:  Because I work on Tuesdays and Champ has basketball, this is a day on which I like to use the crock pot, but I didn't plan a crock pot meal, so I will probably do breakfast burrito roll-ups.  My kids LOVE these.  I'll cook some turkey bacon, scramble some eggs and roll up bacon, eggs, salsa, sour cream, and cheese in a whole wheat flour tortilla.  Serve with a side of unsweetened applesauce.
4. Wednesday:  "Homemade" Chicken Nuggets.  I'll cut a few chicken breasts into nugget sized bites.  I'll toss them in some mustard.  Then I'll mix together some breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and put that into a zip lock.  Add the chicken pieces, close the top of the zip lock and shake vigorously.  Put them on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.  I'll serve this with twice baked potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts.  I'll bake the potatoes in the oven while I simultaneously steam a head of cauliflower.  Take the potatoes out of the oven, cut a slit in the top and scoop out the potato and place in a bowl.  When the cauliflower is done steaming, take about half and mash it together with the potatoes (your kids will never know!).  I pour a little ranch dressing in - a little cheese - scoop it back into the potato skins and I'm done with my twice baked potatoes!  I'll use the other half of the cauliflower to make a twice baked potato but without the potato - add some cheese and what not to the cauliflower and mash it all up - that's a nice carb free side for me!  I'll also cook some green beans.
5. Thursday:  Back to work for me, so I need something easy and quick - nothing better than Taco Night!  Old El Paso to the rescue.  I always cook a small pot of black beans (which I drain and rinse - then cook them in chicken broth) as the side.  I bought some white American cheese today at the deli because it was on sale, so I'll make some of my "homemade" cheese dip on the side - and I bought an avocado to make guacamole. I always serve tacos with a lot of shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes and my boys end up making a big taco salad. 

So, nothing special but there are a few menu ideas for you! 

  

The Difference a Year Makes

I was thinking this morning about how many changes have transpired since this time last year.  Last year, this time, we were snowed in for the first of 5-6 days of a complete white out! 

Today, the temperature is 65. 

Last year, Brooke was a newborn and we lived in our old house (and I could put her down and she wouldn't go anywhere, which means that more laundry got folded, more meals were home cooked - there was a little more...um....sanity coming from the matriarch).  :)

This year, she brings us so much joy with her energy and sweet personality.

Last year, we were living in our own home but feeling the desire for a little more space. 

This year, we are living with Mimi and Papa.... with the WONDERFUL news that we are under contract on our new home.  We move next month!!

Last year, my boys were at the same school, and this year, they are at 2 different schools - each new to our family. 

So, lots of changes between then and now - but that's how life is.  You just roll with it and try to keep up, right?

Brooke and I enjoyed a Fresh Market adventure this morning.  We picked up some good things. 

Have you tried these Banana Babies?  They are delicious and nutritious!  My boys love them and right now they are "buy one, get one free" at Fresh Market.  They come in a dark chocolate flavor as well, but my kids have not developed a taste for that just yet - so for now, we'll stick with the milk chocolate. 

I also picked up a jar of Wickles sandwich spread.  This sandwich spread is really spicy with a tinge of sweetness.  I made a sandwich today and used this spread as my condiment - along with turkey and spinach - and it added that flare that my sandwich needed.  I picked up some smoked honey turkey at the Fresh Market and plan to make sub sandwiches for dinner one night (along with a green vegetable and fruit as sides). 

I also picked up a single beet, which was nice to buy.  Usually, you have to buy the whole bunch and I never use them all unless I end up juicing one.  So, it was nice to be able to buy a single beet this morning.  I plan on roasting this with some butternut squash, broccoli and red pepper.  I will chop my vegetables into bite size pieces, drizzle with olive oil and salt - then bake at 420 degrees for 25-30  minutes.  YUM!

I made some buffalo chicken wraps last night that I'd like to share.  They were really good - I got the recipe from a website to which Pinterest led me. 

First, I boiled 2 chicken breasts (I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts), then removed the chicken from the skin and bone and shredded. 

Then I mixed the chicken with some Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce. 

May I just stop for a moment and say that Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce makes anything you put it on taste sinfully good, sinfully being the key word.  It was all I could do not to inhale the bowl of shredded chicken covered in sauce.  So, I started thinking that for years, the only time we ever tasted the buffalo sauce flavor was while we were eating wings, right?  That association was made (buffalo wing sauce - yummy sinfully good wings)... and so now, I can't speak for you, but when I use this sauce in a recipe, it tastes...well, sinfully good!

Alright, back to the recipe. 

I laid out egg roll wrappers and put a spoonful of chicken, broccoli slaw and blue cheese near the corner of each wrapper.

Then I folded them up like so:

I sealed them by putting a little water on my finger and rubbing the inside of the wrapper just before folding it up.  Then I put them all on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. 

I sprayed a little Pam on top of everything and popped them into a 400 degree oven for 150-20 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. 

I served them with more Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and some ranch as dipping sauces.  The only change I would make next time is that I would use regular shredded cabbage instead of broccoli slaw.  I love broccoli - steamed, raw, whatever - I love the way it tastes, but I am not a fan of broccoli slaw.  Just sayin'.

This is the day which the Lord hath made...

we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

I have had the simplest and most wonderful of mornings.  With 3 kids, two of whom are older (meaning, not babies or toddlers), life is so busy.  School, sports, carpool, commutes, activities....  It's go, go, go all the time.  Working part time in addition to that makes things that much busier, but this morning, I had a morning that reminded me of when Matthew and Champ were little - it was just a simple, lovely morning.  And while years ago I probably would have considered it a pretty average day, today, it was super special to me - because these simple mornings are so few and far between. 

First, I got up at 5:15 and met Debbie for a run which felt great.  I came home, got lunches made, breakfast cooked, and waved goodbye to my boys at 7:10.  The second they stepped out of the door, I locked it, turned off the light and headed upstairs to my bed.  I jumped right back into bed for 45 minutes of blissful sleep, until I heard Brooke starting to stir.  So, I hopped up, showered and went into her room.  Picking her up out of her crib is just awesome.  She's warm and snugly and so sweet - I never tire of doing this.  We enjoyed oatmeal and blueberries together.  Then we played for a few minutes and went to Publix. 

She delighted in holding her purple Publix balloon all the way through the store.  Even something as silly and normal as this - a child with a balloon - brought me IMMENSE joy as we made our way through the store.  She was so happy to have her balloon.  On the way home from Publix, we stopped at the Park and played for 45 minutes.  I have taken her to the park twice, I think.  It was a daily excursion for the boys when they were little, but Brooke's "park" time now has three letters in front of it - N, Y, and O.  Today we went to the kids' park and she had a ball!  She climbed up stairs and went down slides - she loved the swing - she ran around as happy as a lark.  It was wonderful!!!  Then we came home, had lunch and this is what she's doing now.

To relax and enjoy life with no cell phone, computer, newspaper - was therapeutic for me this morning!  So, if you have older kids and you're looking for this kind of peace, go on and make another baby!  Ha - only joking.  I do hope that you can find moments to sit back, relax and just enjoy beauty and life for the purity of it.
Speaking of beauty, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite things.  First, is this tinted moisturizer made by Aveeno.  I started using this last Summer mostly for the SPF.  I think I bought it without realizing that it was even tinted.  This stuff is GREAT!  I don't wear foundation or pressed powder or anything - I just mix a squirt of this with my regular moisturizer and smear it onto my face - it makes my skin look smooth and even. I highly recommend it!




My next favorite thing is Rao's sauce.  I picked this off the shelf from Publix a while back because I loved how few ingredients it had.  I warmed it up and was so excited by the taste.  Oh my goodness, is this stuff good!  It tastes like my Italian great grandmother made it (though I don't have an Italian great grandmother - but if I did, this would remind me of her cooking).  It's better than my homemade marinara, that's for sure.  So, when I want a meat sauce, I season and cook the beef and then let it simmer with the sauce for a couple of hours - spoon over pasta or a spaghetti squash - delicious!  I bought a jar this morning for $8.69 from Publix.  Below is what the jar looks like (I copied this picture from the website - you can order in bulk straight from Rao's - which I may do, after we move and I have more space).  Rao's makes a bunch of other sauces and dressings - the only other one that I have tried, in addition to this marinara sauce, is Rao's Balsamic Vinaigrette - which is phenomenal.  My friend, Irmela, taught me how to make my own Balsamic Vinaigrette, and this tastes just like it - it's delicious. 





And lastly, while I'm on the subject of enjoyment for the sake of enjoyment, might I suggest that you start watching Parenthood, if you don't already?  This comes on at 10:00 on Tuesday nights, I believe - on NBC.  I'm usually asleep by 10:00 so I DVR it and watch it as I have time.  It's a great show - really for everyone, but I, as a parent, can really relate to some of the characters and happenings on the show.  It has something for everyone - it's got a very REAL quality about it - so check it out if you haven't already!

Happy New Year! Olive fan?

Happy New Year!  I have been MIA lately - busy with the holidays, busy with Champ starting a new school (tomorrow!), busy with all sorts of things that I'm excited to share with you! 

My theme-less blog continues.... though it seems the majority of what I post is food related - this is ironic because since living with my in-laws, this is the least amount I've ever cooked.  That said, when I AM in the kitchen, I do love it - especially because I have Mimi's help with watching over you know who....

I have some great new pieces of jewelry that I'll blog about soon - cute, affordable pieces that make great gifts for yourself or for friends!  Perhaps you can go ahead and start your Christmas shopping early!  I actually did that one year - maybe not in January, but in June, I made my list and started buying a few presents a month so that as Christmas neared, I only had the kids to buy for.  It was fantastic!  And then there was the year when I ventured out at 7:00 AM the day after Christmas (7:00 AM years ago was really early in retail land but not today....) to load up on fun Christmas "stuff" for the following year.  These efforts do pay off, literally - less hectic shopping before Christmas and less money spent before Christmas.  Anyway, I did none of that this go around - I don't know if it's the third child or my age or the fact that I work... but honestly, I was just too tired!  So.... that said, I am going to make my list and start buying as I go through the year.  Perhaps I will inspire you to do the same! 

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a recipe that I received from our VP of Total Rewards at Children's.  I told her that I needed a knockout appetizer to take to a party  - pressure was on to take something good, and she sent me two recipes - one for mini crab cakes with an aioli sauce (which I have not yet made but when I do, I'll let you know!) and the other for Olive Cheese Puffs.  She told me that they were always a hit when she made them.  I took a peek at the recipe and imagined what they might taste like, and honestly, I wasn't all that excited about making them (but she's the kind of person who, when she gives you a recipe or a recommendation, you know it's got to be great).  I really wanted to make the crab cakes but they are more labor intensive and time was of the essence.  Turns out I didn't go to the party (due to a cold), but I made the olives on New Year's Eve.  Let me tell you that these are EXCELLENT!  Oh... the way the cheddary dough bakes to a nice crisp tender consistency and the little splash of salty green olive inside - mmm mmmm - they are the perfect marriage of tastes.  It took me hardly any time to make these AND you can make them ahead!  How great is that!?!  I would make these as an appetizer before having people over for dinner - I would take them to the nicest of parties.  Easy, elegant and down right TASTY!

First, you make the dough out of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, flour, butter, salt and paprika.

Combine everything and knead it into dough.  Then you take a teaspoon (I probably used 2 tsp per every olive) of dough and wrap it around your olive. 

Place the wrapped olives on wax paper on a cookie sheet and freeze until you are ready to bake them. 

How easy is that?

I baked them and they looked like this...



My mouth is watering just looking at these!  The recipe says to wrap 1 tsp of dough around each olive, but I probably wrapped twice that amount.  We all agreed that we'd do them the same again.  I don't have a pretty picture of these on a platter with a sprig of greenery because they never made it to the serving dish.  We gobbled them up straight from the cookie sheet.  They were magnificent!

Olive Cheese Puffs

2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 tsp salt (I used less)
1 tsp Paprika

50 small/medium olives, drained

Combine everything except olives and form into dough.  Wrap 1 tsp around each olive and place on a piece of wax paper.  Freeze until ready to bake. 

Spray cookie sheet with Pam and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

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We woke up New Year's Day and decided to pack up and head to the farm for the day and night.  The boys shot their guns with Matt - they rode their 4 wheelers everywhere, and Brooke took a million steps.  It was nice to enjoy the day before the cold front came in! 

Here she is standing with Sandy and Sandy's "mini me" - Sandy is a lab and "Mini me" is a chihuahua - the running joke is that Sandy had a one night stand and then came "Mini me."  :)