It's Here! It's Here!

When Avery started eating solid foods at the age of 6 months, I decided that I was going to make my own baby food and scoured the Internet for any and all websites geared towards doing so.  When I found Weelicious I was thrilled.  Catherine McCord (the founder of Weelicious) is a genius when it comes to making healthy meals that use fresh, non-processed ingredients and that kids love.  But what I love most about Weelicious is that while the recipes are kid friendly, the whole family can enjoy them.  So imagine my excitement when months ago I caught word that a Weelicious cookbook was being  published and would be available for purchase in September.  I immediately went to Amazon to pre-order my copy and it arrived today!!

I've only had a chance to briefly skim through it but I already see at lease five recipes that I want to try out ASAP, including a recipe for shrimp tacos that has me drooling.  And who knows, maybe Avery will end her self-imposed hunger strike and start eating something other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

A-hem

I'm making this as soon as humanly possible...

The recipe can be found here.  If it stinks, don't blame me.  But honestly, anything involving apple crisp in the form of pizza can't be bad.

The "Eyes" Have It

I love make-up and am one of those people who rarely ever leaves the house without it on.  The only time I really don't wear make-up is if I am sick as a dog or spending the entire day in crummy clothes and cleaning the house from top to bottom.  It makes me feel confident and put together and like I am putting my best face forward (get it?).   However, in recent years, it seems eye shadow and I have had a love/hate relationship.  I love the stuff, and I love playing with different colors but it seems I can never find the right color for me, I can never find an eye shadow that has just the right amount of shimmer or when I apply it to my eyes I get that crumbly eye shadow dust on my cheeks and it looks like I went round for round with Tyson when I try to brush it off.  I recently found and purchased Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow, an eye shadow pencil that you just color right across your lid, and am so impressed.  Available in 12 different colors (I'm currently using Pearly Copper), I love the ease of applying it and the color lasts all day. Plus, it really cuts down on the time I spend doing my make-up which is a huge plus since my time is severely limited these days.  Will I give up on regular shadow forever?  No - truth be told, I am dying to get Urban Decay's Naked Palette and Naked Palette 2 but since funds are a bit tight right now, that purchase will have to wait until after I return to work in a few weeks - but for a quick, easy, every day make-up routine, this eye pencil is a must have for my make-up bag.

Yummy in the Tummy Banana Bread

Nick (my husband for those of you who don't know) absolutely loves banana bread so every once in a while I set aside a few bananas from a bunch I have just bought and let them ripen up so I can make a loaf of one of his favorite treats.  Not to brag, but my recipe for banana bread is pure win and Nick sings my praises whenever I make it for him.  My wonderful mother took Avery for the day so while Zach napped I headed to the kitchen and got to bakin'.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick  of unsalted butter - softened (note: a good trick to get softened butter fast is to put it in the microwave for 4 seconds on every side.  The end result is perfectly softened butter)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 3 ripe bananas (the blacker the better)
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 3 tablespoons of cold water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Preheat over to 325 degrees.

Prepare loaf pan, cupcake pans or square pans with Pam or butter.

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Add egg and beat until creamy smooth

Add bananas and mix until combined.  The mixture will look watery and curdled like this.

Slowly add the flour, salt, vanilla, baking soda mixture and walnuts (if you are using them) until all of the ingredients are incorporated and smooth.

Pour or spread into your loaf pan, cupcake pans or square pan.

If you are using a large loaf pan, bake for approximately an hour; about 45 minutes for a square pan; about 25 minutes for cupcake pans.

(note: baking time will vary depending on the type of pan you use and your oven.  Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick)

Lookey here

See those pretty icons to the right here that allow you to contact me through various social media outlets?  Well, I can't take the credit for making those.  In fact, the only thing I can take credit for is successfully adding them to my blog and even then I had help.

I searched high and low for something adorable that matched the theme of my blog and only came across buttons that were fairly standard which was ok but I wanted something different.  I headed over to Etsy to see if I could find something over there and wouldn't you know?  Lots of web and graphic designers are there to offer their services.  Angie Baldelomar over at AngieMakes on Etsy (or at www.angiemakes.com)  is the genius behind the social media buttons that grace my blog page and she is a complete sweetheart.  Not only was the file with icons delivered to my e-mail inbox within ten minutes of purchase (these little cuties were $5) but she helped me out and answered my questions when I ran into trouble applying them to my blog.  I was so impressed with her talent and willingness to help that I had to give her a shout-out here.  So, if you are ever in need of graphics or handmade clipart or want to start your own custom boutique website or blog, I urge you to check out Angie.  I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Homemade Granola

We love granola in this house and eat it like it's going out of style. And while our love for the stuff is fantastic, granola in and of itself is a seriously expensive item to constantly have on your grocery list.  Lucky for me, a few months ago I was watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (don't judge) and the owner of a diner they were showcasing was showing how she made her own granola to serve to customers in the morning.  I literally smacked myself in the face.  Make my own granola?  Why have I never even considered this?  After that I was on a mission to find a fantastic granola recipe that didn't use a lot of butter or sugar.  I finally found one on Pink Pisatchio's blog and have been using it ever since.  It's easy to make, lasts us a while, tastes delicious and definitely reduces my food bill by a few dollars (ever little bit helps, right?).  Needless to say, I'm hooked and will never, ever buy granola from the supermarket again!

• 8 cups of whole oats (not instant oats - this is important)
• 1 cup of sesame seeds
• 1 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 cup of flax seeds
• 2 cups of dried cranberries or raisins 
• 1 cup of light olive oil
• 1 cup of honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  

Incorporate all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl (don't be afraid to use your hands - you will be able to combine all of the ingredients better).

In a separate bowl, mix all of your wet ingredients together - starting with the oil first, then the honey and then the vanilla. 

Mix well and stir into your dry ingredients.  

Once the ingredients are completely incorporated, divide equally onto two baking sheets and sprinkle liberally with salt.  

Bake for 1 hour and then take pans out to stir the granola and rotate your pans.  

Bake for an additional hour.  Let the granola cool completely before storing in airtight containers or gallon sized ziploc bags.

If you can't tell by the amount of each ingredient you need, this recipe makes A LOT of granola. See?

 I can usually fill up two whole air tight container and a gallon sized ziploc bag (Note to self: this would actually make a great gift to give at Christmas or for when someone has a baby, etc.).  I urge you to try this recipe and enjoy all of its granola-y deliciousness!!

Cheesy Chicken Rolls

We've kind of been in a rut over here when it comes to the things I make for dinner that I feel like we are on a rotation of boring dish after boring dish.  Part of the reason I started this blog was to find inspiration to make new and exciting dishes that were delicious but not very time consuming since I am now a busy mom of two who will be returning to work in just a few short weeks after 4 1/2 glorious months of maternity leave.  So last night I turned to my trusty Pinterest main dishes pin board and looked to see if something I had already pinned caught my eye.  Lo and behold, a while back I pinned a recipe for Chicken Kiev that looked promising.  Now, we all know that things on Pinterest can be hit or miss and I have a husband who can be somewhat picky about the things he eats so I was a little nervous to try something new. But I threw caution to the wind anyway and decided to try this recipe out.  Now, I really wasn't interested in using the butter the original recipe called for (because it calls for a lot) and thought that maybe adding cheese instead before rolling the chicken up would be better.  In the end, husband had a delicious cheesy chicken roll that he LOVED.  Chalk this one up to a Pinterest Win!

• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley (I only had dried and it was fine)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

In a small bowl combine green onion, parsley and garlic; set aside.  In a shallow bowl stir together egg and water.  Place flour in another shallow bowl.  Place bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl.  Set aside.

Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick (I didn't have a meat mallet so I used a hand held potato masher.  True story.).  Remove plastic wrap.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with one-fourth of the green onion mixture and cheese (I used mozzarella but you can use an Italian cheese blend, cheddar or a Swiss cheese if you want).  Fold in sides of chicken; roll up.  Repeat with remaining chicken.   My roll-ups were a bit on the thicker side so I placed one or two toothpicks in each to hold them together and then took them out right before cooking.

Coat chicken rolls with flour.  Dip in egg mixture; coat with bread crumbs.  Dip in egg mixture again; coat with additional bread crumbs, making sure to coat ends well to seal in the cheese and green onion mixture.  Place coated chicken in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.  Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours.

In a large skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat; then add the oil.  Add chilled chicken rolls.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning to brown on all sides.  Place rolls in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Spoon any drippings over rolls and serve with a side of rice or noodles.

(note:  If you are interested, you can find the original recipe for Chicken Kiev here)

Instagram

Instagram is all the rage, it seems.  It's a cute little way to take pictures with your cell phone, play with the filters to make said pictures look funky or professional and then post all those photos to your social media outlets or email them to friends and family members.

So, follow me on Instagram at Colleen5182.  I love taking pictures.

Word

I'd like to also add "peeing alone" as #7.

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

I love using the crock pot.  Who doesn't?  Anything that can cut out time for meal prep and does all of the cooking for me gets a big, fat win in my book.  So when I came across a pin on Pinterest for "50 Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes at Chef In Training" I was very excited.  In fact, it was this pin that got me into the Chef In Training's website and I've been hooked ever since.

I decided to give this recipe a whirl tonight because I was short on time and had all of the ingredients already in my cupboard.  Plus, anything someone claims that their picky 2 year old scarfed down is something I immediately want to try since I, myself, have a picky 2 year old.

The outcome?  It was delicious.  The chicken was moist and not at all dried out and it had a very nice sweet and spicy flavor to it.    Did my picky 2 year old eat it?  No.  She looked at it like it was a bowl full of dirt and then screamed and cried for Woody (Toy Story), cheese, her Nana and a cracker (in that order).  I realize that that isn't quite the stellar review this recipe calls for but she's 2 so try not to take her opinion of this meal too seriously.

Anyways, without further adieu, here is the recipe.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
recipe from Chef In Training

Here is what you will need:

• 2.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons of diced onion
• 4 tablespoons of ketchup
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
• Sesame seeds

Season both sides of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and put into the crock pot.  In a small bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes and pout it over the chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the crock pot but leave the sauce.  Dissolve the 4 teaspoons of corn starch in the 6 tablespoons of water and pour into the crock pot.  Stir to combine.

Replace the crock pot lid and cook on high for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, then return it to the pot and toss with the sauce before serving.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Note:  The ingredients for this recipe have been doubled as per the Chef In Training's website.  You can find the original recipe, which serves 4, at Baby Center.

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

I know.  This isn't the most exciting post ever (I promise a more exciting recipe later on tonight) and it may not even be the most favorable as a good amount of people aren't hard boiled egg fans or egg fans in general.  But, I've recently had to go dairy-free in order to continue to nurse my 2 month old son so it's slim pickings as to what I can eat and I've had to get creative.  You would be amazed as to the amount of things that have dairy in them because it isn't just foods that contain cow's milk or butter. I have to look into the ingredients as well because things that contain whey or caseins are a no no.  This means I am eating a heck of a lot of proteins and a heck of a lot of carbs.  My sweet tooth is very, very angry with me right now.

Anyways, hard boiling eggs seems like such a simple thing to do but, alas, it can be tricky.  Shells can crack, the yolks sometimes don't cook entirely through or sometimes the yolks get that very unattractive green ring around them that make them look completely unappetizing.  I've been using the following method for a while now and have gotten perfect results every time.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 6 cups of water
• 8 eggs

Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once the water is boiling, add the eggs carefully one at a time, being careful not to crack (if you notice a slight fissure on the shell, the egg will crack and pop open once it hits the water.  Trust me on this.)

Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 14 minutes.

Once the eggs have cooked, remove them from the hot water and place them into a container of ice water or cold, running water.

Cool completely for about 15 minutes.

You can store these in a container in your refrigerator for up to one week but I like to make a simple egg salad with them.  Just peel (they peel so easy using this cooking method) and give them a rough chop, put them into a bowl, add some chopped up celery (optional), some mayonnaise, a dash of dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste and voila!  Serve on bread or with crackers and you have yourself an easy, yummy lunch.

3-in-1 Miracle in a Tube

I was recently introduced to Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm via Missy over at Pink Pistachio (she's adorable and I am a HUGE fan of her blog) and I am in love.  This little baby acts as a concealer, moisturizer and primer and I really like that it's light and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy.  Instead it makes my make-up look flawless, works on all skin types and, as an added bonus, it has SPF 25 in it to protect my skin from the sun's pesky UV Rays.  So trust me when I tell you to run, not walk, to your nearest Sephora store (or at sephora.com) and pick up this little slice of heaven.  I'm not going to lie, it's a little on the pricey side ($34) but totally worth it in my opinion since it technically replaces three of your beauty products and a little goes a long way (you only need a pea size amount each time you use it).  Go ahead and try it - your skin will thank me for it!

Welcome to my humble abode...

So, in the grand scheme of life there are dreamers and there are doers and I, my friends, seem to fall into both of those categories (I know what you're thinking - um, what?).  But I've recently decided that I'm a dreamer who wants to be a doer.  Let me explain.

When I first had my daughter Avery, I swore to the heavens that I would be the absolute best mom to the little blessing that had just been placed in my arms, as any mom would want to be.  Her safety and happiness would, without a doubt, always come before mine and I would fight to the death to always keep her protected.  But I also had all of these dreams and aspirations that I was going to be one of those moms who made every meal for her child from scratch using only fresh, organic ingredients, who wouldn't allow her child to watch television until she was 5, who would teach her child to be polite and to say please and thank you, and whose child never, ever, had any sort of temper tantrum because she had such a perfect life that she would never be so upset that she felt she needed to throw herself on the floor and scream like she was on fire.  And for a while, I was that mom.  And then Avery turned 18-months and did a complete one-eighty on my husband and I overnight.

The temper tantrums can be epic, my friends,  I'm not ashamed to admit that she lives on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and has had more than one or two frozen chicken nuggets and we watch Tangled on loop about 4 times a day (trust me folks, sometimes mother does not know best).

And it's exhausting.  

But besides the tantrums, the refusal to eat any sort of vegetable that doesn't come in a food pouch and her love of Disney feature films, she is a happy little girl who I love and adore more than life itself.  She teaches me things every day and I look forward to our picnics in the park and outings when the weather is nice.

However, I still have that want and desire to be the mom that does it all for her family- works, cooks, cleans, sets aside an ample amount of play and outdoor time, does crafty, DIY projects that are budget friendly, and who remembers to take care of herself as well, because a mom who neglects to take care of herself, in the end, isn't doing the best for her family.  So, that is where I got the inspiration to create this blog and to finally become the doer that I have always dreamed about.   I'm going to be brutally honest about the joys and hardships of motherhood, talk about style (don't get too excited about this one - I'm a jeans a t-shirt kind of gal and always will be, but you can fancy up the look when needed), share recipes and DIY craft projects and maybe dedicate a post a week to something I have pinned on Pinterest (I'm an obsessive pinner) that I want to try - whether that be a recipe or beauty regimen or craft project - and together we can decide if it's a Pinterest Success or Pinterest Failure.  

It's going to be fun.  Who's with me?