Menu Plan thru February 3, 2013

Our family had a wonderful relaxing weekend and it's hard to believe that it is Monday already!  My Dad came up for a visit and we mostly chilled out.  He likes to try new recipes like I do so on Sunday we whipped up some homemade chicken pot pie from America's Test Kitchen.  It took the two of us a little over an hour from start time to sitting at the table eating but it was SO worth it!  I normally don't cook on Sunday but now I have leftovers for tonight's dinner!

Monday-Leftovers from the weekend
Tuesday-Pancakes with Nutella, milk and fresh fruit
Wednesday-Panko crusted baked chicken, green beans and pears
Thursday-Chicken Carbonara Risotto
Friday-Pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, roasted potatoes and cinnamon applesauce
Saturday-visiting family
Sunday-leftovers or snack on yogurt and blueberry muffins

This menu can also be viewed here and here.

Happy Cooking!

Homemade Gifts

I meant to get this post up right after Christmas...I couldn't do it before without people guessing what they were receiving as gifts.  Better late than never I suppose.  So--I love making homemade gifts.  Don't get me wrong-I also love shopping for gifts but there is something heartfelt about a homemade gift.  Last year I only did one homemade gift and this year I ramped it up and wanted to do more.  Next year will be even better!

I took a sewing class this summer and had a blast.  I would have rocked the 50's era....I love cooking, baking and sewing.  Gardening will be added to that list as soon as we get in our house.  (56 days and counting!).  Anyway, taking that class kind of lit this sewing fire and I wanted to sew more. 

Two of my gifts this year were on the sewing docket....I made this pillow for my Mom.  She is 100% hoosier and technically I'm 50% so I thought this would be a really fun idea.  This used to be a t-shirt but I thought it would make an awfully cute pillow.  I cut the shirt down into a pillow pattern and whipped this out.

An apron was the first thing I really ever attempted by myself...although my Mom really helped me during some tricky parts.  After that I was ready to tackle one on my own.  My mother-in-law doesn't use aprons...instead she shoves a dishtowel down the front of her shirt.  Although a viable option, I wanted to make her a pretty apron.  Here is the final outcome!  What do you think?

My Dad love protein bars so Rory and I made him a fresh batch!  Remember these?  So yummy and I know you can cut them up, freeze and pull out a bar anytime!

My mom received a photo book of the highlights of our year.  This is maybe not technically homemade but I did upload the pictures. :) 

Can't wait to show you what is in store for next year!  My wheels have already been spinning about what I can make.

Fire Museum

Rory and Josh routinely get to spend days together...just the two of them and just being boys.  Although I miss not getting to spend those days with them it's good for boys to just be boys!  On this particular day they visited the fire museum.  Like any boy, Rory is fascinated by airplanes, firetrucks and "popo" cars!  And...Josh is too!

Is this a boys dream or what?!

Christmas with the Smith's

Our Christmas celebration continued with Josh's side of the family.  This year we celebrated with a brunch at Aunt Becca and Uncle Dan's.  Since we met after the official Christmas holiday Rory figured out how this process works.  He was so happy to have a few new tractors to play with and Uncle Dan willingly took all the boxes apart and assembled the trucks while Rory patiently waited.  Good team work!

Rory gave Becca and Dan lots of practice!  Next year we will have a new little cousin/niece or nephew!

Some are Silver and the Others Gold

"Make new friends, but keep the old. Some are silver and the others gold."  Remember that song from Girl Scouts?  Well, I actually never made it past the Daisies but we still sang that song. This song always runs through my head when we met new great friends and sadly when friends leave.  When we moved across the state we left all of our friends.  It's not that we aren't still friends but things are just different when you live 2 hours away.  It just is.  However, it gave us the chance to meet new friends!

I met Katie for the first time when she moved in exactly a week and two doors down from our condo.  The second time she popped in to see if she could borrow our internet connection.  Hey, what are good neighbors for?  Maddie is only about 4 months younger than Rory and instantly our families had a connection.

These people were the kind of neighbors you always want to have.  We watched out for each other, traded babysitting and animal sitting services and routinely shared groceries, treats and dinner.  The kind of neighbors you can call when you baby is throwing up with a high fever and magically jello shows up at your door.  They patiently endured and taste tested my quest to find the best recipe for pumpkin bread in the fall and cherry bread in the spring.

Our husbands both worked lots of hours so us girls and the kiddos spent quite a bit of time together.  Trips to the zoo were always more fun with friends and when the power went out for 4 days we braved a trip to JoAnn's fabric store to wait 30+ minutes in line for fabric with 2 toddlers.  Although I love the trucks, tractors and legos, it was nice to have a little girl in the house.  Maddie routinely went home with clips in her hair because I just couldn't help myself!!

Not only did the kids have a great time I really enjoyed having another mom, friend and woman to talk to.  Katie was my first friend when we moved to this new city.  She is one of the strongest and most independent women that I know.  If it weren't for her I think I would still be adjusting to this new place we call home and trying to figure my way around. It was heart-breaking when we had to say good-bye and I maybe did the ugly cry just a little bit.  I don't have a sister but if I did I imagine that she would be like Katie. We will never forget and will always appreciate the great friendship we forged!  I am so thankful that modern technology allows us to keep in touch and stay connected.

Sometimes it's the people you only know for a short while that you want in your lives forever!

Menu Plan thru January 20, 2013

This week I'm pulling out some recipes I've had book marked.  I'm notorious for printing out recipes that look interesting but then I don't always get to them.  In an effort to be a bit more organized I'm either bookmarking electronically the recipes I like or printing them off, 3 hole punching them and putting them in a fresh purple binder I just bought.  Hopefully this will also help on the weeks I'm running low on inspiration.

Monday-Rachel Ray Sloppy Joe's on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Tuesday-Pancakes or Waffles with bacon and fruit
Wednesday-Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps with pears and green bean fries
Thursday-Biscuit Pizza Bake
Friday-Leftovers
Saturday-with family
Sunday-with family

My menu can also be viewed here and here.

Happy Cooking!

Menu Plan thru January 13, 2013

I'm not sure if the fact that we are moving and I'm starting to pack things up has me so distracted....but I had a hard time coming up with a menu this week.  I looked through my cookbooks but nothing was really jumping out at me.  So, this is what I've got....

Monday-Chicken alfredo pasta with peas and asparagus.  We had this last week but there is more than enough ingredients to make another batch.  Waste not...want not!
Tuesday-Pizza with our friends that just had a precious baby girl
Wednesday-Crunchy ranch chicken with green beans and blueberry muffins
Thursday-Semi-homemade chicken noodle soup
Friday-Fried Rice
Saturday-out
Sunday-leftovers

Even though we aren't moving for another 2 months I've got the itch to start packing up everything right NOW!  I know that time will be here fast and I don't want to get caught in the crossfire of moving but not having everything ready to go.  Hopefully, next week will be more inspirational!

Check out other menu plans at here

Happy Cooking!

Bye Bye Plug!

Well, it's official--we no longer have a baby in our house.  No crib, no diapers, no pacifier.  We may not have done everything in the right order but the pacifier, or plug as Rory calls it was the last to go.

I've struggled with this because we got "the talk" at his 2 year old check up that we needed to get rid of it.  BUT-he loves it!!  He only used it at nap time and night-time and most of the time just held it in his mouth.  He knew he had to leave it in his bed once he got up and didn't ask for it other times.  It made me feel guilty on two accounts: 1-medically speaking I know he should get rid of it but 2-how do you take away something that he loves? 

I've heard lots of stories about other moms getting rid of the pacifier but I wanted Rory to get something in return, not just give his plugs to Santa, mail them of in a box, or willingly throw them in the trash.  These plugs are all he's known for 2 1/2 years so I thought by reaching this milestone he should be able to celebrate.

Yes-I'm probably over thinking this but just go with me...

Rory understands a little bit about money.  He knows we have to pay for things when we go to the store and loves handing the cashier the money to pay.  **Insert light bulb moment!**  What if Rory used his plugs to "pay" for something that he really wanted?

We started talking about our shopping trip a week before and by the time Saturday rolled around he was so excited to get his "new toy."  I had the plugs ready to go in a plastic baggy so he could hand them over.  We spent quite a bit of time looking at all the different toys, tractors, and trucks.  We purposefully didn't rush him because I wanted him to pick out exactly what he wanted....well, we did steer him away from toys that were way overpriced! :)

It took about 20 minutes but he made his selection and we were off to pay.  I was a little nervous because what if the cashier didn't play along or understand?  I handed Rory his baggy of plugs while Josh put the toy on the counter and I slide some cash to the side.  The cashier at Toys-R-Us was fabulous!  She didn't miss a beat and congratulated Rory!  He was so proud!

The cashier asked if we wanted the "little baggy" back and I said no...it's too much temptation for me to give in!  We are now on day 5 without a pacifier and it's going much better than I thought.  It takes him a little longer to get to sleep but I'm sure with more practice he won't have any trouble.  Occasionally he says he wants his plug because he's little but we remind him that he is a big boy now.

This car transporter was his purchase!

I still can't believe I'm the Mom of this amazing little guy!  Or the Mom of a toddler!  It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital!

2013: A Bucket List

Happy New Year!!  From our family to yours we pray that 2013 brings you peace, love and happiness!


Let me start by saying I'm not a resolution maker--I'm just not.  I have in the past and by January 4th I'm discouraged and ready to give up.  If it works for you that is great but for me, it just doesn't.  However, a bucket list does seem more appealing.  Creating goals that are clear, concise, and moderately achievable-well, that is right up my alley.

I love the idea of a bucket list but creating a list that would last a lifetime seems daunting to me.  I'm very organized and I like to break up big goals into smaller more manageable ones.  Doing this also gives me that instant gratification.  I can get something done this month and cross it off my list...or wait 10 years for a dream trip to Ireland.

I'm a doer, a finisher, a crosser-offer. 

I need to feel that accomplishment...even if it's only to take a Sharpie marker and cross something off my to-do list.

Josh will tell you I'm a list maker.  I love lists!  I don't forget things, I remember everything I need at the grocery and I remember everything I'm supposed to be doing.  The only times I forget are when it's not on my list.

So rather than creating resolutions or a forever bucket list I'm creating a list of things I want to do before 2013 kicks the bucket!

Without further adieu here are a few things I'd like to accomplish in the coming year.

1.  Buy a house  (this one is kind of in the bag but it was a goal so I'm leaving it on and when we close I'll cross it off.)

2.  Run a half marathon

3.  Donate my hair (only if my hair grows enough to donate)

4.  Go on a shooting date with Josh

5.  Have a family picnic in our new backyard

6.  Start a fruit/veggie garden with Rory

7.  Visit our friends in Texas

What's on your bucket list this year?