Thursday, May 22, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
In Other News...and a Great Recipe (Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad)
Man, that giveaway in my last post went over like a ton of bricks, huh? Holly, I owe you. Thanks for your comment. I planned to send you the valentine happy anyway, but to be honest, I have no idea what I've done with what I bought. So, shout out to you for winning....nothing. ;) Ha! Seriously, appreciated you commenting.
What do y'all think about that ole Juan Pablo? Ay yi yi! He's a jerk face, huh? Is Nikki out of her mind for staying with him? Reality Steve said he was only in it for the fame and fortune, and I happen to agree. ABC lost a perfectly good season with him. I'm working on being excited about Andi, but I'm not there yet. But let's face it, Kermit the Frog could be the Bachelor and I'd watch.
I'm so excited about the warmer weather! Although, the only thing on my mind is....snake season. I avoided any sightings last year, so pray this year will be the same.
I tried a new recipe this week that I love. It's simple and the best part is, there's only about 250 calories per serving, which is 2.5 cups. It's called Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad.
Ingredients:
What do y'all think about that ole Juan Pablo? Ay yi yi! He's a jerk face, huh? Is Nikki out of her mind for staying with him? Reality Steve said he was only in it for the fame and fortune, and I happen to agree. ABC lost a perfectly good season with him. I'm working on being excited about Andi, but I'm not there yet. But let's face it, Kermit the Frog could be the Bachelor and I'd watch.
I'm so excited about the warmer weather! Although, the only thing on my mind is....snake season. I avoided any sightings last year, so pray this year will be the same.
I tried a new recipe this week that I love. It's simple and the best part is, there's only about 250 calories per serving, which is 2.5 cups. It's called Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad.
Ingredients:
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
My First Giveaway!
Every now and then I get inspired to completely change the look of my blog. In doing so, I feel inspired to blog more….to share more recipes, funny stories, pictures of my life and the amazing people in it, great deals I've found shopping, my favorite things, or how God has shown Himself to me. I LOVE reading your blogs (now, get busy writing) and I LOVE discovering new blogs that challenge me to be a better writer.
So in order to add to my blog list, I want to hear from you. What are YOUR favorite blogs to read? They could be written by someone you know or someone you've never met. Which ones inspire you? Which ones entertain you? A new favorite of mine is www.mrspotter.com. For my fellow Parenthood gurus, it's Christina Braverman! She crafts and cooks and writes about it! It's super neat to get a glimpse into her real life. I am also a new fan of www.skinnytaste.com. There are lots of low-calorie recipes that actually sound good! I'm excited to try some of them very soon. (I'll let you know what I think!) So, this is what I want to hear from you. Post a comment and share your favorites with me. I will randomly choose a winner on Friday. The winner receive anall expense paid trip early little Valentine's Day "happy"….because something happy needs to happen in my life on that dreaded holiday. :)
P.S. If you blog and are not on my blog list, please comment with your blog address. I lost my entire list a couple months ago and still haven't gotten it all back together yet.
Comment away!
So in order to add to my blog list, I want to hear from you. What are YOUR favorite blogs to read? They could be written by someone you know or someone you've never met. Which ones inspire you? Which ones entertain you? A new favorite of mine is www.mrspotter.com. For my fellow Parenthood gurus, it's Christina Braverman! She crafts and cooks and writes about it! It's super neat to get a glimpse into her real life. I am also a new fan of www.skinnytaste.com. There are lots of low-calorie recipes that actually sound good! I'm excited to try some of them very soon. (I'll let you know what I think!) So, this is what I want to hear from you. Post a comment and share your favorites with me. I will randomly choose a winner on Friday. The winner receive an
P.S. If you blog and are not on my blog list, please comment with your blog address. I lost my entire list a couple months ago and still haven't gotten it all back together yet.
Comment away!
Monday, February 03, 2014
My Little Prince
You are all familiar by now with my little princess, ST. Well, I am delayed in welcoming to the world my little prince, Thomas Finley. He has totally captured my heart just as his sister has. He's the calmest, most laid back, cuddliest, and most precious little human ever. I'm just completely in love. Here are a few pictures of my latest love and the story of his birth.
Cort and Trey arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am the morning of November 5 to be induced. Mom and I had Sarah Taylor, so the plan was to keep in touch with them, see how quickly she was progressing, and plan our time of arrival accordingly. We wanted to be there in plenty of time for the birth, but didn't want to have too much spare time on our hands because we knew a certain two-almost-three year old would get bored really quickly. The first word we got from Trey was that they were in the room and had tried unsuccessfully to break her water due to her cervix not having thinned out enough (sorry if that's TMI for some of you). They tried again, still without luck. The next time, the doctor noticed it looked as if Finn might have flipped and wasn't in position to be delivered. She ordered an ultrasound machine "stat" to check. As it turns out, she was right. Within about 20 or 30 minutes, Trey came to get ST to visit Cort before she was whisked away and taken downstairs to be prepped for a C-section. No one else got to see her before the surgery. We were all worried how she was handling the news, if she was scared, etc. Not getting to see her before the baby came was hard. I just worried about her and wanted to see for myself if she was okay. It all happened so fast! I knew that C-sections were extremely common, but because it happened so very fast, I was just worried there was something someone wasn't telling us.
We waited and waited for word that our sweet baby was here. I was pacing the hallway and watching the door for Trey. I stopped a nurse and asked if someone would come and notify us when Finn was born, but she said no. We were informed it was illegal and the only person allowed to give us any news at all was Trey. Well let's face it, men and their communication......???? Add that to a daddy who was understandably not a fan of being on his phone after the birth of his baby and you have basically no information. Finally, we got a text that said, "here and good." I felt better and was relieved things went well. But then, it seemed like forever that we heard anything else. My mind was wandering.... has something happened with Finn? Has something happened to Cort? Were there complications since he told us things were good? You name it, I thought it. After what seemed like forever, we receive a text saying we could come and meet our sweet baby. News couldn't have come soon enough. From the moment I saw him, I was in love immediately. He's perfect and precious, and I'm completely obsessed with him just as I am his sister. Cort did well through the surgery. She was very nauseous the remainder of the day and didn't feel well at all. We held Finn and visited a while, then left with ST so everyone could try and get some rest.
The second day was great. Cort felt much better, Finn was showing sure signs of being a CALM baby (if you remember ST, you know why this is such a big deal), and I felt much better. I could finally breathe knowing both mommy and baby were well. We went to visit, stayed a few hours, left and let ST nap, got up the next day, and did it again.
The third day wasn't so great. Cort developed a headache and when texting me to explain, she said "They think it could be a spinal headache. If it doesn't go away, they will resort to using other measures to help." Excuse me? You don't tell this chronic worrier that and then allow your phone to die!!! What in the world is a spinal headache anyway? Other measures? What does that mean? Is she okay?? It was nuts, but that's what happened. I was left in limbo until she had a second to charge her phone and get back to me. Apparently, she developed a headache from the spinal anesthesia they gave her during the C-section. They asked her to drink lots of caffeine to see if it would go away. It got better, but continued to return upon any sort of movement. On the morning of November 8 (Friday), they had to do a blood patch to repair the spinal headache. They took blood from her arm and placed it in her back at exactly the spot she had the spinal the first time. She slept for an hour after, sit up little by little, and it was gone. In the midst of diagnosing and treating the headache, Finn seemed to have developed a little bit of jaundice. Cort was told she had no choice but to begin supplementing with formula until his bilirubin levels went down. Thankfully, they were both dismissed later on Friday. Sweet little Finn is still fighting a little bit of jaundice, but is perfect in every way. They go back Thursday to check his levels again, so please pray they will be lower and no further treatment will be needed. Cort is tired, but great. We are super super thankful for a healthy baby that is as laid back as you've ever seen. I certainly prayed he would be!
Looking back, I most definitely over-reacted and worried for nothing. But in the moment, I was so concerned for the well-being of people I love so very much. PRAISE GOD that he answered our prayers and we have a perfect baby and healthy mommy at home now. He turns three months old tomorrow, and he is just the greatest little blessing!
Cort and Trey arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am the morning of November 5 to be induced. Mom and I had Sarah Taylor, so the plan was to keep in touch with them, see how quickly she was progressing, and plan our time of arrival accordingly. We wanted to be there in plenty of time for the birth, but didn't want to have too much spare time on our hands because we knew a certain two-almost-three year old would get bored really quickly. The first word we got from Trey was that they were in the room and had tried unsuccessfully to break her water due to her cervix not having thinned out enough (sorry if that's TMI for some of you). They tried again, still without luck. The next time, the doctor noticed it looked as if Finn might have flipped and wasn't in position to be delivered. She ordered an ultrasound machine "stat" to check. As it turns out, she was right. Within about 20 or 30 minutes, Trey came to get ST to visit Cort before she was whisked away and taken downstairs to be prepped for a C-section. No one else got to see her before the surgery. We were all worried how she was handling the news, if she was scared, etc. Not getting to see her before the baby came was hard. I just worried about her and wanted to see for myself if she was okay. It all happened so fast! I knew that C-sections were extremely common, but because it happened so very fast, I was just worried there was something someone wasn't telling us.
We waited and waited for word that our sweet baby was here. I was pacing the hallway and watching the door for Trey. I stopped a nurse and asked if someone would come and notify us when Finn was born, but she said no. We were informed it was illegal and the only person allowed to give us any news at all was Trey. Well let's face it, men and their communication......???? Add that to a daddy who was understandably not a fan of being on his phone after the birth of his baby and you have basically no information. Finally, we got a text that said, "here and good." I felt better and was relieved things went well. But then, it seemed like forever that we heard anything else. My mind was wandering.... has something happened with Finn? Has something happened to Cort? Were there complications since he told us things were good? You name it, I thought it. After what seemed like forever, we receive a text saying we could come and meet our sweet baby. News couldn't have come soon enough. From the moment I saw him, I was in love immediately. He's perfect and precious, and I'm completely obsessed with him just as I am his sister. Cort did well through the surgery. She was very nauseous the remainder of the day and didn't feel well at all. We held Finn and visited a while, then left with ST so everyone could try and get some rest.
The second day was great. Cort felt much better, Finn was showing sure signs of being a CALM baby (if you remember ST, you know why this is such a big deal), and I felt much better. I could finally breathe knowing both mommy and baby were well. We went to visit, stayed a few hours, left and let ST nap, got up the next day, and did it again.
The third day wasn't so great. Cort developed a headache and when texting me to explain, she said "They think it could be a spinal headache. If it doesn't go away, they will resort to using other measures to help." Excuse me? You don't tell this chronic worrier that and then allow your phone to die!!! What in the world is a spinal headache anyway? Other measures? What does that mean? Is she okay?? It was nuts, but that's what happened. I was left in limbo until she had a second to charge her phone and get back to me. Apparently, she developed a headache from the spinal anesthesia they gave her during the C-section. They asked her to drink lots of caffeine to see if it would go away. It got better, but continued to return upon any sort of movement. On the morning of November 8 (Friday), they had to do a blood patch to repair the spinal headache. They took blood from her arm and placed it in her back at exactly the spot she had the spinal the first time. She slept for an hour after, sit up little by little, and it was gone. In the midst of diagnosing and treating the headache, Finn seemed to have developed a little bit of jaundice. Cort was told she had no choice but to begin supplementing with formula until his bilirubin levels went down. Thankfully, they were both dismissed later on Friday. Sweet little Finn is still fighting a little bit of jaundice, but is perfect in every way. They go back Thursday to check his levels again, so please pray they will be lower and no further treatment will be needed. Cort is tired, but great. We are super super thankful for a healthy baby that is as laid back as you've ever seen. I certainly prayed he would be!
Looking back, I most definitely over-reacted and worried for nothing. But in the moment, I was so concerned for the well-being of people I love so very much. PRAISE GOD that he answered our prayers and we have a perfect baby and healthy mommy at home now. He turns three months old tomorrow, and he is just the greatest little blessing!
Saturday, February 01, 2014
The Best Mexican Cornbread Ever!
Warning: NOT low-calorie. But delicious.
Ingredients:
3 cups self rising cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup milk
1 can cream corn
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 bell pepper
1 onion
Saute' bell pepper and onion until soft. Mix with all other ingredients and bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes.
Ingredients:
3 cups self rising cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup milk
1 can cream corn
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 bell pepper
1 onion
Saute' bell pepper and onion until soft. Mix with all other ingredients and bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Seven Can Soup
Forgive all the recipe posts, but I have a tendency to lose where I've written these down. I'm hoping to record them on my blog and then print them and make a cookbook!
This recipe is EASY and SOOOO delicious! However, I'm not sure why it's called "Seven Can Soup" when there are clearly eight cans involved. Oh well...
Seven Can Soup
2 cans Chili (one with beans, one without….You know I use both without!)
2 cans Campbell's Chunky Vegetable Soup
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
Mix and heat until warmed through. Serve with my Mexican Cornbread recipe coming soon!
This recipe is EASY and SOOOO delicious! However, I'm not sure why it's called "Seven Can Soup" when there are clearly eight cans involved. Oh well...
Seven Can Soup
2 cans Chili (one with beans, one without….You know I use both without!)
2 cans Campbell's Chunky Vegetable Soup
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
Mix and heat until warmed through. Serve with my Mexican Cornbread recipe coming soon!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Easy and Quick Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pastry shells
4 eggs
2 cups chopped ham
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cups half and half
2 tsp dried minced onion
salt
pepper
***I put some pineapple tidbits in also, and it tastes great!
Place pie shell in pie plate. Mix other ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 for around 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pastry shells
4 eggs
2 cups chopped ham
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cups half and half
2 tsp dried minced onion
salt
pepper
***I put some pineapple tidbits in also, and it tastes great!
Place pie shell in pie plate. Mix other ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 for around 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
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