More to Come

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. We have have four sets of dinner guests, 2 work functions, and symptoms of a new tooth (meaning a massive lack of sleep). But come back next week and I will make up for it with two new awesome recipes, more gift ideas for the aspiring cook, pics of Rach, and some other tips and projects. Have a great weekend.

More Baby Winter Shoes

We talked about winter shoes/socks in one for babies for this winter. While I had a hard time at first, I got lots of comments regarding Etsy's choices. I don't know why I didn't think of that. am a huge etsy fan and have bought LOTS of stuff there. So here are a few favorites along with some others I found for cheap this week!

Cute little Pink and Brown Booties $23

Wool Plaid Baby Boots $28

Park Fountain Baby Boots $28

Baby MukLuk - on sale for $9.99 right now...I want to talk about these. So cheap and my baby loves these. We received some of these in a lot of hand-me-downs, but these are AWESOME and super cheap right now. They are basically socks with a leather sole and leather sides. So cute and so comfortable.

I featured Bebabean's sweater socx a few weeks ago, but I thought I would mention that they have free shipping all month long and they seem to be all restocked now. If you have a chunky monkey baby, order a larger size. My daughter has some serious calves and I can barely get them around her chunky legs.

The Upcoming Projects

I saw this on Homemade by Jill and Martha Stewart and completely melted. My sweet baby needs one of these. She has a little baby she plays with that E calls "her Mama Doll" because he thinks the doll looks like me. But I don't care, she loves that doll and she loves her mama.

Looks at these? Aren't they precious?? I have lots of clothes in my yard sale pile to make lots of little accessories for the doll I make for her. Oh...how cute these are. I am so excited?

The Friday Wrap-Up

-We had an awesome week. E was off of work and we played and walked and cooked and enjoyed having him home for a few days before the nightmare at work starts again next week.

-The Christmas Tree is officially up but I refuse to decorate it until December. However, lights don't count as decoration. Decorations are meant to go on the tree with ambiance...Some eggnog or apple cider, and a christmas movie playing in the background with the whole family helping.**Rach was able to reach the tree topper and pulled it into her playpen...She was so excited that she had her very own Christmas tree inside her crib.

-Rach is standing and pulling up on anything and everything. This makes nap time a pain since she pulls up in the crib and tries to suck on the babycam. Or she drops her paci over the side and can't reach it to put it back in her mouth so she cries FOREVER. This is the blurry picture we got this afternoon and it's something we are starting to see alot more of...

-I heard "MaMa" come out of Rachel's mouth this week. However, I say "MaMa" and she looks me in the eye and says "BaBa." She makes the M sound all of the time but just won't say it 2 times in a row. It's still beyond cute! We also started solid foods almost exclusively. Here is Rach eating some black beans and Maggie, assuming her usual position, standing by waiting for some chicken to fall her way.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Taco Melts

Whoops! I forgot about posting What's Cooking Wednesday ...on Wednesday. Better late than never. But I had another project I was working on that I can't wait to tell you about in due time. But first, a little Tex Mex meal you can make ahead the night before and throw in the oven when you get home from work the next day. **As a side note, ... this is not one of my healthier meals, however, it is one of my tastier meals. Biscuit dough is a rarity at the Bailey house.

Tonight we are having Taco Melts for dinner. I am "not so much" about the ground beef, so whenever I can, I always substitute ground chicken/turkey or shredded rotisserie chicken for a leaner option. So take artistic/nutritional liberties with this recipe and make it your own. I also like to throw a mixture of corn, black beans and rotel tomatoes into the mix. What do you like? How about a little more heat? Pepper Jack cheese? Some veggies?

Taco Melts

1 pk. Taco seasoning mix

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 cup salsa

1 lb. Ground beef, cooked, drained (or shredded chicken)

1 can Grands biscuits

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, cook the ground beef on medium heat until browned. Then, add taco seasoning mix, water, 1/2 cup of the salsa to the beef until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Mix the remaining salsa and sour cream together in a separate bowl.

Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. On half of the biscuit, leaving 1/4 inch room on the edges to seal, top with 2-3 T. taco beef mixture, then 1 T. cheese, then 1 T. of sour cream-salsa mixture. Fold dough over filling and press to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with remaining salsa and sour cream mixed together.

To make ahead: Put taco melts on a greased cookie sheet and refrigerate. When you are ready to cook, make sure you let them thaw on the counter for about 20 minutes before cooking according to the directions.

Gift Ideas

Have you drawn a blank trying to figure out what you want for Christmas? Starting in October and November, me and sisters start the phone calls and emails back and forth regarding what we are getting everyone and what we want and what our husbands need. I hate telling people exactly what I want, but none of my family is around me these days to know my taste and needs. So I am here to help you with those awkward conversations and give you a few ideas regarding gifts for the cook (or aspiring cook).

Every Tuesday until Christmas, I will bring you some gift ideas that are cost conscious. I would love to have some wonderful cast iron enameled cookware or Dutch oven, like Le Crueset, but for me, it's just seems impractical to spend $300-400 on ONE pot. Last year, E got me an off-brand one from Sam's. It's the best thing I have ever cooked with. LOVE IT and it was only $30-40. Kohl's has a line of Food Network and Rachael Ray Cookware with good prices and you can always get a good sale at Kohl's. If you haven't signed up for their email service, they will send you a $5 off coupon.

Check Amazon. They had some good prices on cast iron cookware as well. Also, Mario Batali and Paula Deen have their own "celebrity" cookware that is fairly reasonably priced.

Why do you want a cast iron pot? What can you do with it? The question is, what can't you do with it. Soups, Stews, Roasts, Chili, ... You can do anything with it! You can cook with it on a stove, in an oven, over a fire, it's just so versatile and cleans well too. I find myself using this pot at least once a week in the summer and twice a week in the winter time.

In the Spirit

I love Christmas and I am SO ready to let the festivities begin! We have already started the Christmas music, today I rearranged the living room so the Christmas tree would fit, the baking has started, I am preparing my grocery list for my Thanksgiving meal, SO many things to get excited about. And none are more exciting to me than my trip home for Christmas. I am pumped!! I can't wait to see all of our family, for Rach to play with her cousin, to do a a little Christmas shopping. Ahhh...I love the holiday season! Have I mentioned that I am putting up my tree tomorrow? Don't make fun! You could do it too if you wanted! I took Rachel to Target yesterday and we hung out in the decoration department for the longest time because she was squealing at the all of the tree and yard ornaments that were all lit up. I can't wait to celebrate with her.

Here is my baby (who said MaMa to me this morning) practicing opening presents already by unloading the diaper basket 12 times daily. While I like that she moves around the floor these days, I miss the days when I could sit her down, and she would still be in the exact same spot when I checked on her a few minutes later.

Halloween Pics - My Little Sweet Pea

What's Cooking Wednesday - Sausage and Wild Rice One Pot Wonder

Why didn't I ever think of this?

Let me tell you about the love affair I have had with fresh thyme for some "thyme" now! Cheesy, I know. But I am not kidding. That flavor is unbelievable! So I am always looking for a good excuse to use it in anything and everything!

Since I had 1/2 a link of sausage in the fridge that needed to be cooked or thrown out, on a whim, I threw some stuff together, added some fresh herbs, the fastest rice known to man kind and I had one of the best meals that I have had in my mouth in a long while. It was so hearty and familiar and it just screamed "autumn" without having to add pumpkin. So much so, that I may use this same recipe with stuffing instead of rice for my thanksgiving meal! It's Thanksgiving worthy and comes with a turkey shaped stamp of approval from yours truly!

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice rice is like manna from heaven. I always seem to over cook or under cook the rice. This doesn't even begin to touch on the fact that rice takes FOREVER to cook. This rice is flavorful, super fast and comes with an online coupon!! You just tear the top open a bit, throw it in the microwave for 90 seconds and serve. Now I don't have to slave in the kitchen all day but E doesn't have to know that when he bites into his dinner!

Go home and make this tonight. It takes a total of 15 minutes to throw together and it's completely worth it!

Sausage and Wild Rice One Pot Wonder

1/2 package of smoked sausage, sliced into bite size pieces

1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onion, diced

4 T fresh thyme, chopped

3 T fresh parsley, chopped

1 bag Uncle Ben's 90 sec Wild Rice

1/4 cup water or chicken broth

Fresh Ground Pepper

In a pot or large saute pan, cook the sausage at medium-high heat until browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and leave the drippings. Meanwhile, put the rice in the microwave and cook according to the directions.

Add the onions and mushrooms to the sausage drippings. Cook until tender, then add the thyme, parsley and garlic. Stir together for 1-2 minutes. Add rice and water to the pan. Season with ground pepper. Cook on medium until all ingredients are well blended and heated through about 3-5 minutes.

The Accident

We had our first memorable accident this week. I saw Rach holding on to the coffee table. Her feet kept pushing further and further back meaning she was going to scrape her face all the way down the table when she fell. So I went to fix her legs and didn't make it in time! UGH! The sound of her face hitting the table and then the crying. I felt so bad for her.

Since then, I had E put the playpen in the living room so she could stand in there and fall down till her heart's content. Man, she loves it! She can watch Special Agent Oso and stand up at the same time!

The Friday Wrap-Up

As usual, our Friday wrap-up...

-Lots of rain and cold and runny noses are run-amuck at our house. The common cold strikes again for the second time this month...for all three of us! Looks like there will be no trick-or-treating in our future. Just lots of rest and plenty of fluids. Maybe we will put on her costume tomorrow night and take her with us to answer the door and hand out candy.

-Someone at E's office has swine flu. We are praying hard that he doesn't have it.

-Rach learned to drink from a straw. We also tried apples and cheese this week. She has a new game where she puts her paci in my mouth (which is probably how I caught her cold in the first place). Then she takes it out and puts it back repeatedly while squealing over and over again. She likes to play copycat games. Still no crawling, but plenty of scooting backwards.

A Few More Pictures

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from our photoshoot this weekend...

Mommy Blog

Sorry, today is a mommy blog! What do you do about shoes? Everything I have read says not to put shoes on babies until it's absolutely necessary due to walking or weather. Well, we have hit that weather mark and we need some winter shoes. Really, all I wanted were some warm walking socks but I couldn't find anything like that anywhere. So I started looking for some warm booties. Do you know how much those cost? I just couldn't bring myself to spend 40-50 dollars for a pair of booties that probably wouldn't last the winter.

Just by chance, Cool Mom Picks, another mommy blog I read, had exactly what I was looking for on the exact day I was starting to give up. Check out these super cute walking socks from Beba Bean. Evidently, due to the post on Cool Mom Picks, they sold out of alot of stuff pretty fast. But I was able to secure a pair of these Cape Cod socks in pink for Rach for the next few months. I am so excited about these!! And they were less than $20.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Dutch Apple Baby

So I was parusing the Williams-Sonoma website the other night, a guilty pleasure, and came across this little product... Dutch Baby German Pancake Mix for $9.50!?! What? Let me help you out here. I know, we have done this recipe before but it is so good and HELLO! It's apple pickin' season. Do you know how I know? Because the on-base grocery store has their name written in apples at the front door. I know...Lame! But $9.50? Let me save you a ten spot plus shipping because I have an awesome recipe for a Dutch Apple Pancake and everything in this mix is probably already in your pantry and refrigerator.

**Need a little variety? Use pears instead of apples or add a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the batter...Mix it up!!

German Apple Pancake

2 eggs

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 Tbsp. butter

3 medium granny smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Put oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 500º. Combine eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and process until well mixed, about 15 seconds. Add the flour and process until lump free, about 30 seconds; set the batter aside.

Add the butter to a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the apples and sprinkle them with the brown sugar. Cook for 9 or 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden brown.

Remove pan from heat. Quickly pour the batter around the edge of the pan, then over apples; place pan in the oven. Reduce heat to 425º and bake until browned and puffed, 16 to 17 minutes. With a heatproof spatula, loosen the edge of the pancake. Invert the pancake onto a serving platter, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

Picture Day

Not much to say here but the photographer, Lindsley, sent me few pictures by email last night because she knew I would be itching to see them and I am so glad she did. I love them...they are beautiful! I can't wait to see the rest!

The Friday Wrap-Up

Its been a long week as we recover from house guests and sickness. E is working incredibly hard at work for a few more days. I am really hoping for a baby break on the other side of these projects. The late nights (3am) at work are really taking a toll on us all.

We have a big day planned this weekend. We are going to the Shenandoah Valley Garden Museum to get some pictures taken of Rachel and then a few family pictures too. I am so excited.

But as usual, I will leave you with a few pictures from this week...

I haven't decided whether I would rather her NOT spread the food on her mouth into her hair or not ... because then I would never get pictures like this!

She has officially inherited the Bailey Bedhead...

A side view.

The last lost picture of our sightseeing trip from last weekend.

We still don't actually know whose baby this is...light brown hair and blue eyes. I think we may have brought the wrong baby home from the hospital.

An Instant Creative Streak

I saw a few blogs yesterday with some of the cutest ideas that I got excited about trying. The first one I saw on Homemade by Jill. She has a son a little older than Rachel so I always like the ideas she has for kids toys. Yesterday was no exception. She has the cutest felt playhouse that she made to go over her dining room table that you have to go see. My mom got a little worked up about it so now Rachel (and her new cousin Brodie) are getting one for Christmas.

The second I saw on Cool Mom Picks and had to try. Little did I know it would turn into a sewing familiarity exercise. I spent more time trying to figure out how the parts I took out of my sewing machine (when some thread got stuck) actually went back in. After (literally) 30 minutes of frustration with one particular part, I realized that I was putting it in backwards. DUH!!! I digress ... So they had the cutest stuffed owls and I thought to myself "I could do that!!!" I dug through the baby clothes and t-shirts in my garage sale pile and was able to put together a plan. I finally finished it this morning and I can't wait to show you. It's so amatuer but it's so huge for me. Who knows...maybe I just might get the hang of this afterall.

What I started with..

My friend Ashley, has a little girl, and I am told that she loves little pockets and compartments to hide things in so I ripped the pockets off of one of Rachel's old dresses to put on the owl.

TADA!!!

I am so proud...if you leave me a comment critiquing my sewing flaws, I will have to hunt you down for bringing me off of my creativity high! :)

Give-Away

Because I am a nice person, I am going to diminish my chances of winning any of these prizes by sharing them all with you...I know...I told you, I am a nice person! Found a new blog today that I really love and they are having a HUGE giveaway! Did I say huge? What's bigger that HUGE??? Gigantic? Enormous? Whatever! There are 10 prizes. And not 10 tiny prizes that you could care less about...10 awesome prizes that make you want every last one of them! (At least I do)

Or So She Says is the new blog. Go visit here and check out their giveaway here.

What's Cooking Wednesday - My Olive Garden Copy

In my home town in Alabama, we have the crappiest Olive Garden known to mankind!! I don't think I have ever eaten there and then afterward said to myself "That was delicious and the service was excellent! I am glad I did this!" NEVER!!! I think I went 2 or 3 times before completely boycotting it altogether. I have been to other chains in other cities that I was impressed with. Having worked at an authentic Italian restaurant for several years during college, I am not a huge fan of their food but it was so close to our house in Texas, that it was super easy sometimes.

While I was pregnant, I was ADDICTED to their Zuppa Toscana! Notice the all caps in the word ADDICTED!! I had it for lunch several days a week with their breadsticks. I started to realize I had a problem and took a break for a while. I eventually relapsed and scoured the internet looking a copy recipe. After several failed attempts, I finally gave up. I eventually found one more that I thought I would try and it finally worked. It tasted so good. I love soups in the Fall and love to share those recipes because they freeze well and you can really feed a crowd or have alot of leftovers. I always love that! The next cold snap, you REALLY need to make this!

***My changes to the recipe are noted in italics.

Zuppa Toscana

• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage **I used link Italian sausage and pulled off the casings.
• 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 6 potatos, thinly sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 bunch fresh spinach, tough stems removed **I used Kale because it held up better in the soup and didn't wilt right away. I highly recommend kale instead of spinach.

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

Getting Big

My big girl got a new car seat last week! She's getting too chunky and too tall for the old one.

Red Bull Art Exhibit

On our first day of sight-seeing, we rode the metro over to Union Station. The Red Bull Art Exhibit was there and I have been wanting to see it for a few weeks. All of the art is made from Red Bull cans and for the most part, alot of the displays were made by high school kids. What Talent. So Cool! So here is a few pictures from the exhibit. Some of the pics are from my phone because I forgot my camera so please excuse!

This squid was the size of a small car...Amazing!

Family in Town

My aunt and cousin came into town late Wednesday night. Since Rach is still a little, the temperature has dropped significantly and there is a constant drizzle here, we stayed close to home and tried to do DC indoors yesterday.

We decided to show them the ropes of the Metro and hit Union Station for a little shopping and some lunch. Then, we did a tour of the base here where we live and hit the exchange and the commissary.

Somehow, Rach poked my cousin Laurel in the eye and now she can only see out of one eye...poor girl! So she is wearing sunglasses indoor now so that she can open her eye. Here is some of our pictures from yesterday.

Me, Laurel and Rach waiting for the Metro

Carrie, Laurel and Rach at Union Station...we snuck outside for a quick picture and then ducked right back in ...too cold and rainy.

Rach was super funny...she couldn't look forward to save her life...there was so much stuff above her head to look at.

Lots of glass balls in one of the art shops

After I finished eating lunch, Laurel took the baby so I would get a chance to eat.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Flu Fighter Cookies

As I have preciously mentioned, all three of us were sick last weekend (which is turning into this week). Just a few hours before I started showing those sad, sad symptoms of my yearly nemesis, I started making these Flu Fighter Cookies....maybe if I had made them 72 hours earlier, I would have been SAVED!!!

While me and E put down a WHOLE batch of these in 2 days (carb counting is off limits when comfort food is needed), I think that the antioxidants inside of these little fighters really took a hold. I honestly think that these cookies helped me get rid of my cold quicker. More scientific studies will need to be done to prove my hypothesis, but my opinion based prognosis is in and it says that cookies full of dark chocolate (a personal addition), nuts and berries are good for a cold!

These cookies actually come with 2 perks...the flu fighting perk, of course, and then the holiday perk. These cookies taste like Christmas in your mouth! We both fought the urge (and fought it hard) to turn on the Christmas music. In the end, the Christmas music won as I started to sing that ever popular Dan Fogelberg hit, Same Old Lang Syne...lame, I know! I can't explain why that was the first holiday song that popped in my head.

**This recipe came from the new Food Network Magazine, which I didn't necessarily like. Lots of complicated recipes with hard to find ingredients that the average person doesn't want to put the time and work into finding. However,with that being said, I will probably the Thanksgiving edition too since I need to learn how to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving!

Flu Fighter Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed dark browns sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Add the molasses, yogurt, ginger and lemon zest and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture to make a sticky batter (do not overmix). Fold in the oats and half of the raisins, cranberries and walnuts. Mix the remaining dried fruit and nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Top each with some of the reserved dried-fruit-and-nut mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cookies until dark golden but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes; cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

The Longest Weekend EVER!!!

The weekend started on Thursday with a 12:30 am wakeup call. Nothing good happens at 12:30 am. Around 4:30 am, Rach finally calmed down and went to sleep. The rest of the day Thursday included a long phone call (on hold) for an appt with the dr, a trip to the exchange for medicine, a crowded wait at the pharmacy, a new humidifier, and a screaming baby while I cleaned out her nose (to which the dr said "if she's not crying, you aren't doing it right"). But by nights end, me and E were full blown sick too!

Friday and Saturday seemed to be looking up. However, Sunday started at 4:30 am and the morning and afternoon naps never happened. Oh, how we watched Special Agent Oso, Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Here is my little sicky at 4:30 am watching winnie the pooh after first breakfast.

Monday=Good day. My happy chatty baby woke up at 7:30 am and crawled into bed willingly for each nap. Ahhhh...SEE!! That's what every day is supposed to be like! Good days!

Toys washing Round 1

I hope your holiday weekend was WAY more eventful with less tissue and way less nose...suctioning!

The Friday Wrap-Up

Rach is going international today ...check her out at My Bella Vita

A funny thing happened yesterday...Rach woke up in the middle of the night sick, by that afternoon, I was sick. Then E came home from work sick. How weird is that?!? This should definitely be a long weekend since we are all sick and none of us are sleeping very well.

We were also supposed to have fall pictures made today, but since we are all running fevers, that's probably not the best idea so we had to postpone.

Not much happening at the Bailey house. Lots of rest and plenty of fluids. We (I) did Fall Cleaning on Monday, we hung out at the park on Tuesday and did some shopping for pajamas on Wednesday. I think my child literally grew an inch since last week. None of the clothes I bought for her 2 weekends ago fit her anymore. I feel gypped...I don't feel like I got my money's worth out of those clothes.

Here is Rach this week showing off her new dress for fall. She wore it to church on Sunday and evidently, a set of twin girls sitting on either sides of her in the nursery at church kept untying her bows. That's so funny!

Wardrobe Makeover

Well, as of today, I have officially lost a total of 30 pounds since we moved in. Great, I know, however, none of my clothes fit. Luckily, I saved one small pair of jeans and bought another pair. I have a pair of khakis, 2 coats and 6 sweaters that all fit for winter. And honestly, that's about it.

Since I am broke, I am learning to get creative with my wardrobe. I bought a bunch of new shirts and dresses after I shed some of my baby weight (but not nearly enough) and they looked great! I bought them...so they must have been cute, right?! Now they fit like a family size tent! Sigh! TIME TO GET SEWING!!

I bought this shirt for Easter this year and loved it. Here is the before picture...

...and here is the after picture.

I am so proud of myself! One shirt down, 15 more to go!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Breakfast Mini Quiche

Tired of the same ole breakfast routine? Wish you had time to make quiche full of sausage and veggies? I have a solution.

During the weekend, make my recipe for Breakfast Mini Quiches. (And you don't have to add the veggies in yours that I added in my recipe. Throw whatever veggies you have in your fridge. You can't go wrong!) Eat what you want and put the rest in single serving baggies (I throw 2 in a bag). Throw the baggies in the freezer. Whenever, you are feeling the itch for more of a hearty breakfast than cereal, poptarts or just a cup of coffee can offer you, pull out a single serving bag and ENJOY! They are better if you pull them out of the freezer the night before to thaw, but will still warm up nicely straight out of the freezer. Cold weather is coming so start your mornings a little warmer and stress free.

**Everyday Bailey Tip of the Day: Silicone bakeware works GREAT here if you have silicone muffin cups.

Breakfast Mini Quiche - based from Jimmy Dean's recipe

1 pk. Regular flavored Pork Sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheese

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 cup onion, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper; Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute all of the vegetables until they are tender. Add vegetables and sausage to egg mixture. Stir well.

Distribute sausage and egg mixture evenly into greased baking cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Let cool for 5 minutes and before attempting to remove from muffin cups.

My Baby Says DaDa

Last night, E was talking to Rach and then all of the sudden, she did it. She said "DaDa." Now the trick is getting her to stop saying it! Click here to watch the video!

Friday Wrap-Up

It has been the longest week EVER!!! E has been at work until REALLY LATE every night and when he finally comes home, he is in the office doing more work. I completely understand and I know he has ALOT of projects coming to an end but somehow I get dragged into the exhaustion with the baby! Maybe because I think we have yet another tooth coming in. Luckily the weekend is here! That means energy for me. Thursday and Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings are my days at the gym. After thirty minutes of spinning, I can't remember anything that happened over the past week and I feel so refreshed. After an hour of spinning, I am doing good to remember my own name!!

With the rain and the cooler weather, we have been cooped up inside for a few days as well. We got a few walks in with Maggie, because otherwise she would drive me insane following me around the house, but I had to get creative with Rach. So we invented a new game called "Shoes". Since she hardly ever wears shoes, a big basket of them is a whole new world of different textures and colors.

A Look at Things to Come...

As I cleaned up the kitchen the other night (for the fifth time that day), I stopped and looked into the sink and suddenly saw my future. No, nothing weird...I saw all of the little bits of crackers and fruit and yogurt bites and cheerios sticking to the bottom of my sink and thought to myself..."We are here!"

We have arrived to that stage of raising children that seems to last forever...that stage where there are crumbs everywhere...the crib, the living room, the changing table, between her toes, in her hair, in MY hair, behind MY ear...I guess it's probably easier to tell you where I haven't found cracker crumbs at this point.

We got a little bored one day and stuck cheerios to her face...Cruel? no way! She thought it was hillarious!