Yummy (easy) Side Dish

It's eerily quiet in Atlanta, isn't it?  All the public school Spring Breakers are on their way out of the city.  I get to enjoy time with my oldest and youngest this week as Matt and Champ enjoy some father-son time of their own.  Matthew is at a birthday party that lasts all afternoon today and Brooke is taking her nap, so I think I'll hang more pictures and dabble in another house project (my list is oh, so long!).

I want to share with you an EASY recipe - so easy, actually, that it's probably embarrassing for me to even blog about it because you probably already make it.  I had a large Idaho potato sitting around and I was trying to think of a way that I could make it work as a side dish for the five of us.  I sliced it really thinly (probably about 1/4 inch think slices).  In a bowl, I mixed together some olive oil and several spices, all of which I can no longer recall, but I know I put dried rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme... I mixed it all together to make a liquidy paste.  I then dipped each slice into the bowl - to coat it with the mixture - then laid them flat on a cookie sheet.

Into a 400 degree oven they went for about 30 minutes.  I flipped them over half way.  This is what they looked like coming out.

My house smelled amazing when they came out of the oven.  They were crispy on the outside and so well spiced - and the inside (of the thicker slices) was tender and potato-y.  Yum.  The thin ones tasted like crunchy homemade chips - just delicious!  I gave the boys a little dipping sauce of good ol' Ranch dressing for their slices, and they gobbled them up! 

I'm hosting Easter this year at my house for our families - my first occasion to host in our new home.  I'm so excited!  Everyone will bring something, and I'll fill in the holes.  I'm thinking our menu will look a little something like this:

Honey Baked Ham
Biscuits or Rolls
Cabbage salad (the one with cabbage, baked Ramen noodles, sesame seeds, soy sauce, etc.)
Fruit salad
Lemon Squares

I haven't quite finalized it in my mind yet, but I want to do lemonade in mason jars, something like this: 

And, I think I'll make my tomato tart, which I'll share with you after I take some pictures of it.  It's beautiful, simple and delicious.  It would be a nice appetizer as we all arrive here from church while we're waiting for lunch to be served. 

I have no Easter decorations, so I need to head out to Target or Walmart and stock up on some decor - at the very least some glass bowls or big jars filled with plastic eggs.  Easter egg baskets still need to be filled this week - lots to do! Thank goodness sports is on a bit of a hiatus - provides a nice break!

Have a great week!

Spinach Bacon Quiche

My sister-in-law had a birthday Sunday (Happy Birthday, Allison!), and we had our annual birthday brunch at my house on Friday.  I worked last week and between that and sports, I had a very small window Friday morning to go to the store and get what I needed.  I needed something fast that I could prepare before she arrived so that we could maximize our talking time - it's so precious these days!

I decided on quiche.  It's quick, easy and very tasty.  It's basically eggs, cream, cheese and whatever else you want to throw in it.  I looked up a few recipes and finally settled on one by Paula Deen herself.  Now, I typically don't make her recipes because they are generally pretty caloric and high in fat.  That said, quiche is quiche - whether it's Paula Deen's or someone else's.  Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy life's little fatty pleasures.  A small slice with some healthy sides and it makes a delicious meal!

I bought Pillsbury's pre-made crust, bacon, fresh spinach, Swiss cheese, and heavy cream, and I was ready to make it!  It took me maybe 8 minutes (max) to prepare. 

First, I put the pie crust into the pie plate.  I put 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach leaves in the bottom.  Then I chopped my cooked bacon (that I fried earlier when I was making some for the boys for breakfast) and sprinkled that on top of the spinach.

Then I added the shredded Swiss cheese on top of that. 

In a blender, I combined my eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper.  I poured that into the quiche and popped the whole thing into the oven for an hour.  It came out with a beautiful lightly browned crust and my house smelled amazing!

I served it with roasted asparagus and mixed fruit with a dollop of Greek yogurt.  We had virgin mimosas (orange juice with sparkling water) with our meal.  It was delicious!  I meant to take a picture but Allison and I were having too much fun talking and I forgot about taking pictures.  We enjoyed it that morning and my family also ate it for dinner!  It is super quick and so delicious and a huge source of protein (eggs and cheese) and vegetables (spinach)!  I spooned some salsa on top of mine - and hot sauce.  

Click here for Paula's recipe. 

I have to share this picture of Daddy and his little princess.  My goodness.... she has his heart in a way that only she will ever have.  I'm seeing a tenderness in my husband that I've never seen before.  It's quite amazing!  He treasures every moment he spends with her and she sure adores him back. 

Chores and Easter Baskets

What a weekend it has been!  Full of... yes, you guessed it!  Baseball!!!  More than that, though, I had a nice dinner Friday night with the boys, Jen Penn and her boys.  Matt and Brooke enjoyed a father-daughter evening in.  I'll tell you - it's quite the different dining experience when there are no toddlers present :).  I say that lovingly, of course.  Jen and I actually got to have a nice conversation over a couple of beers and fantastic pizza at Blue Moon Pizza on Glenridge! 

Saturday night I got to hang out with a bunch of my friends from Furman - it was an intimate reunion, I guess you could say.  We had so much fun.  It's funny because we were all saying, "Gosh, you look exactly the same as you did in college 15 years ago!"  We wonder if when another 10 years go by, we'll be able to say the same thing?  There is something very special that you share with your friends from yesteryear, isn't there?  We knew each other when we were still growing up - I mean, we're still growing up (I know I am!), but we knew each other when we were trying to find ourselves.  One of us said, "we're all the better versions of ourselves than we were in college..."  We had a ball!  Love my Furman girls!

I'm going to transition from college, when I'm not sure I ever did anything in the way of chores - to chores :).  When we lived with Mimi and Papa, I didn't implement much structure in the way of chores.  It was more me barking orders at them from time to time.  After we got settled into our new home, I decided to bring back the chore chart.  Ahh... the chore chart.  I love it!  I haven't had to say A WORD to them about doing this or that. They know when they check off the box for making their bed or putting their clothes away, they're on their way to a full allowance!  We sit down on Sundays or Mondays with the kids and review the week - we take into account their attitudes, which are starting to be less than desirable at times, and if we feel that they have put forth a pretty good attitude, then they aren't penalized - if the opposite is true, we deduct a few bucks from their "pay". 

For "extra chores", they receive extra compensation - or if they don't do all of their other chores, extra chores can help them earn a full week's allowance.  How much do we give them?  We give them a dollar for every year of their age.  So, Matthew gets $11.00 and Champ gets $8.00, though they've yet to earn a full week's worth...

Here is what it looks like - I just print one sheet out and keep it on my kitchen counter.

CHAMP'S CHORES
CHORES	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Make bed
Brush teeth
Take dirty clothes to laundry room
Put clothes neatly away in drawers
Take trash/recycle to trashcan
Feed Sandy
Agenda signed
Read 15 minutes
Extra Chores:
MATTHEW'S CHORES
CHORES	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Make bed
Brush teeth
Take dirty clothes to laundry room
Put clothes neatly away in drawers
Take trash/recycle to trashcan
Feed Sandy
Agenda signed
Read 15 minutes
Extra Chores:

Easter Baskets.  My friend, Beverly, just texted me for some ideas.   I'll be honest, aside from seeing about a dozen things I know Brooke would have fun with, I haven't given the baskets much thought.  Typically for the boys, an outfit (golf shirt and shorts) always shows up in their baskets.  Dicks Sporting Goods sells great Under Armour golf shorts - and I've looked online and cannot find them, but we've bought them at the store several times.  They are sporty golf shorts that can be worn to church and for play - they're great for growing boys!  Even Matt has several pairs. 

Some candy - but not much - ends up in the basket.  Occasionally we've done a game for one of their gaming devices.  In addition to that, a bunch of little fun stuff - fun little games - think Learning Express - all the little stuff...

If anyone has any ideas, please comment!  As I start to look more over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sure to update you if I find something spectacular!

I've got a few easy recipes to share with you this week.

Happy Spring!



Happy First Day of Spring!!!

The above picture is what Google has on their homepage.  I love how they change it up from time to time.  This is such a happy scene!  Thanks, Tara, for telling me to log onto Google!

Consignment Shopping

Last week, a friend told me about a consignment sale at a local church.  It was on a Friday and I was planning on just hanging out at home with the kids.  Matthew and Champ were out of school that day and it was the first day since we moved in that we didn't have to go to school, practice, game, etc.  I was really looking forward to just being at home, actually.  But when I got my friend's email telling me it would start at 9:00, I bribed my kids with a donut stop on the way, and we were out of here in minutes.  I got there and the early birds were already in line to check out - this was no ordinary line - it wrapped almost half way around the gym.  I grabbed some great stuff for Brooke - adorable outfits and a few cute toys!  The boys even got a working set of walkie talkies - they pretty much got whatever they found that they wanted that morning because I told them that I would be in and out in 15 minutes, and it took an hour. The line took 40 minutes, but it was worth it because I had a new warm weather wardrobe for Brooke and some new toys!

Here are just a few of the many things I found:

Look at this cute crocheted owl!!  I mean, this stuff is soo cute!!

So, I washed it all and after it was ironed, it was hung beautifully in Brooke's closet.  A couple days later, I was at Mimi's house grabbing a few things that we had left behind (from our move) when I found a tub of clothes that my friend, Amy, had given me about a year ago.  I kept it all in a big container but with the move and all that we had going on, I had forgotten about it.  So... enter bushel #2 of the cutest, most adorable clothes!  I took the bin home, washed everything, and now it's all hanging beautifully in Brooke's closet.

The next day, my sweet next door neighbor called to tell me that she left a bag of clothes on my front porch that her 2 year old has outgrown.  My goodness - can one child be SO lucky to have so many clothes?!!?  I washed it all, some of it needs a little ironing, but it all hangs beautifully in Brooke's closet.  She is SET for the Spring and Summer.  I'm thrilled!! 

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I went to Marshall's to pick up some kick around shoes for Brooke and we found these:

They are open on the sides and back which give her little stinky feet some air to breathe while she's running around.  I think they're adorable!  Have I mentioned yet that this whole girl clothes thing is SO MUCH FUN!!?!

I love walking around Marshall's and TJ Maxx and places like that - I like hunting for cute things at good prices.  Anyway, I came across these cute Easter towels and picked them up. 

Each set comes with 2 towels - and they were only $4.99/set!  They will make a cute teacher gift or hostess gift for Easter Sunday.  Wrap a pack of jelly beans in the middle and tie it all up with raffia and you have yourself a cute gift!  Or clip anything that is blooming right now, put it in a mason jar and give the gift of flowers and the towels.  Adorable!

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Snacks

I have been picking up a bunch of these freeze dried snacks lately. My kids LOVE them. They are nothing more than freeze dried fruit - no additives, no preservatives - just a piece of good old fashioned fruit that has had all the liquid zapped out of it. It comes in a bunch of varieties - kiwi, cantaloupe, apple, pear, peaches, strawberries, etc. It's easy to throw one into a lunchbox or into your bag of snacks for the days when you're at the ball field for hours on end. They're crunchy and sweet and so nutritious! You can buy big packs containing 6 individually wrapped bags, which is what we do. 

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And this is a regularly stocked item in our household.  I grab them from the freezer section at the grocery store.  They are easy (takes 30 seconds to microwave) and they make a great snack for the kids - dipped in mustard, barbecue sauce or ranch dressing, they are quite tasty!  Click here for a coupon!

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My go-to sweet snack lately is so good.  I take a spoonful of Natural Jif and put it into a little coffee mug - I microwave it for 20 seconds until it melts a bit.  Then I add a small container of fat free chocolate pudding.  I mix the pudding with the peanut butter and it's just heavenly!  It tastes SINFULLY good, but I consider it a pretty darn healthy dessert (with some protein!)!  Thanks, Erika, for the suggestion!

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How delicious are fresh blueberries?  I just read that it's time to start planting them.  If you have a sunny spot in your yard that is between 4 and 7 feet wide, pick up a bush and try your luck!  Papa has a few blueberry bushes at the farm and in the heat of Summer, we sometimes pick them and it's so much fun to pick and eat that which is homegrown. 

We have a lot of work to do in our backyard - I like to think of it as opportunity - we have lots of opportunity for landscape improvement in our backyard, but I hope to plant a few edible things soon. A couple Summers ago, we planted strawberries in an old whiskey barrel full of dirt.  The first Summer they didn't yield many strawberries, but the next Summer, we were picking off deliciously sweet, bright red strawberries every week!  You can pick up any of this at Pikc Nurseries.  I was just on their Facebook page and saw this cute sign. 

Happy Spring, everyone!

Quick and Light Appetizer - and many photographs

Wow - what a week it has been - 7 baseball events in 5 days... some hail, some rain outs, some sunshine. As much of a commitment as all this baseball is for our family, it is fun social time for us! Brooke has settled in nicely in her role as little sis at the baseball field. She snacks her way through the games and loves the freedom to roam (I'm always watching her) and explore.

Here are some pictures that I snapped this weekend. I've had my camera with me for days - snapping what I can - she's the easiest at the baseball games because I don't have to worry about photographing through the fence.

I had fun playing with black and white. Turning a picture black and white is like muting the television. It takes all the noise away and leaves you with nothing but your thoughts - it adds a level of drama to the shot. I just love it!

But then without color, you miss out on blue eyes......

I love this one. Matthew and friends took her up to the playground to play - which I loved because not only did she have a blast, but it allowed me to watch Champ's game without having to keep one eyeball on Brooke! Here they are walking back down from the playground - it appears that Brooke is leading the pack...

I continued playing with pictures last night. Here are my best shots...

I find that I get the best shots when they are kind of doing their own thing - I follow them with my camera and say, "Hey, Champ!" - He quickly turns, I shoot the shot and BAM- there it is! It also works well with animals! That's our yellow lab, Sandy, up there - she's the best dog in the whole world! (don't we all feel that way?)

Matthew's team had a pre-game tailgate yesterday and I took a little appetizer. I wanted something light and low carb - so I decided to make some little skewers with grape tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese - all drizzled with a little homemade balsamic dressing.

I looked everywhere in my kitchen for my wooden skewers. My sweet mom unpacked my kitchen for me the day we moved in, so every day, I'm on the hunt for something - it's such an adventure! I couldn't find the skewers - nor could I find any toothpicks - BUT, I did find these cute little party picks in my pantry and decided to use those. These little party picks are an example of holding onto something and waiting for the BEST time to use them - well, they have been sitting in my kitchen for 5 years. I used to hang on to stuff waiting for the perfect time - holding onto a gift card for that perfect occasion for which I have to buy something - saving a great, expensive bottle of wine for something ultra special - and occasions come and go and there I am still holding onto this stuff. So, over the past few years, I've adopted the philosophy that the every day is something to be celebrated! Who knows WHEN or IF that PERFECT occasion will come along, right? I'm all about celebrating the every day - because the every day is pretty darn awesome!

Okay, back on track I go....First, I made the balsamic dressing. My friend, Irmela, taught me how to make this years and years ago, and it's my go-to homemade dressing because it's easy and oh, so good!

Here is what you need:

What I forgot to picture here is my fresh lemon and pinch of sugar.

Here's the recipe:

Balsamic Vinaigrette ala Irmela

3 parts Oil (I use 2 parts Olive Oil and 1 part Canola Oil)
1 part Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Sugar
Dollop of Sour Cream
Squeeze of Lemon

That's it! Now, as far as "parts" go - if you're making a huge salad and need to serve a TON of people, you can use 1/2 cup for each "part." That would make A LOT of dressing. For one family size salad, I use a spoonful - probably a little larger than a tablespoon (so it would be 3 TBS oil to 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar). Mix all together and taste - then add anything if you think it needs it. It's delicious! The Sour Cream gives it that slight creaminess that it needs. It tastes so good! I put it into a container with a lid and shake vigorously before pouring.

After that was made, I chopped some grape tomatoes in half, cubed mozzarella cheese and tore off little pieces of basil. Seriously, this is one of the easiest appetizers I've ever made - with the exception of something store bought that's ready made. I first threaded some basil, then tomato, then basil and lastly cheese.  That's it!  Simple and really pretty...

 I then put the little skewers on my dish. If I had the little mini Triscuits, I would have put those on the sides, but I didn't - so I broke normal size Triscuits in half.

I wrapped it up with aluminum foil and took it to the tailgate. When I got there, I drizzled my Balsamic Vinaigrette all over the toothpicks and served! Super easy - light, healthy and delicious! And what a pretty presentation!

It's a gorgeous day so I'm off join my man outside in the yard.  Baby is asleep... boys are being boys outside and Matt is hard at work in the yard... I may try to sneak in a few pages of The Hunger Games before heading out....

Oh - one more thing.  I've got some spicy stewed beef cooking on my stove right now - compliments of The Pioneer Woman.  Mmmm... my house smells amazing!  Hopefully it'll be as good as she says it is and I'll blog all about it!