A Week With Daddy

Last week I mentioned, several times I believe (because I was so excited), that my husband was off work for a whole week. It started off great with us getting out of the house and having delicious cake and tasty dinners...until we all got sick. Yep. Every time. Every time my husband has time off he gets sick! No joke. He was sick for Christmas. He was sick when we went to the beach. He never, ever gets sick and he somehow manages to get sick when he's off. The body and mind are a powerful thing. He knows he can't be sick at work and the minute he's able to relax, it hits him.

So from Wednesday-Friday we hung out at home. I started coming down with something and then soon after Miss A had a runny nose. Thankfully she seems to have gotten my sick fighting traits because I never stay sick for long and neither does she. We were fine after two days and were itching to get out of the house. My husband, being the trooper he is, said he felt better on Saturday and wanted to enjoy his last two days with his girls.

It was gorgeous here in NC over the weekend with sunny, blue skies and 70 degree weather. So we decided to go to the park! We needed fuel first to keep up with the toddler and stopped at a coffee shop. Can you guess what I contributed to the chalkboard? ;)

I got a Berry White Mocha and my husband got a Turtle Mocha. They were both SO good. We will definitely have to go to again. Miss A was being an absolute doll that I had to reward her with a chocolate chip cookie. Gathering our drinks and treats, we headed off to the park. 

She went down all five slides and yelled "weeeee" every time. It's a treat for her to be with her Dada at the park and she was so happy to run around with him. After playing for a while we ate our snacks and decided to check out a local toy store, where we spent an hour playing with all the toys out on display and ignoring her to play with things ourselves. We're such kids. 

On Sunday I ran some errands and then we hung out at home putting up our gallery wall in the family room. It still needs work and more odds and ends but I'm liking how it's turning out so far. I'm sad that our week came to an end and I'm already looking forward to his next vacation, which is in June! We'll be taking our first family vacation and I'm SO excited. Let's say so excited that I almost bought this and this swimsuit but held off because I'm not sure what size Miss A will be. I just love summer shopping!  

Have a great week!

Five on Friday

I'm actually not glad it's Friday because that means there are only two more days left of the hubby's vacation. We are both coming down with colds now so that isn't helping us make the most of our time together. Why does it always seem like you get sick at the worst possible time? As usual, I'm linking up for Five on Friday today!

One. This Dinner

I rarely make macaroni and cheese as a side dish for dinner. Occasionally I will if what we're eating isn't going to go well for Miss A but last night I wanted chicken legs, mac and cheese, and roasted broccoli. Simple, easy, delish!

Two. This Cake

We had company over for dinner earlier this week and any time we are having guests over I immediately scroll through Pinterest looking for something sweet to make. I've had this cake on there for ever and had everything I needed in the house. I didn't make the chocolate ganache or peanut butter frosting as indicated. Instead I melted half a stick of butter, poured in half a cup of milk, and a bag of dark chocolate chips. I poured that over the cake and then melted some white chocolate chips I had to use as a drizzle. Best cake I've had in a LONG time!

Three. The Dentist

I went to the dentist yesterday and was happily entertained by two TV's. One in front of me, one above me. Mind. Blown. Does your dentist have TV's?!

Four. This is How We Watch Cartoons

With our feet in the air and possibly in our mouth.

Five. Spring

This weather is such a tease. Beautiful, sunny skies with temperatures in the 70's. A look a head shows us back to the 40's and 50's. Ugh. Who's ready for March!

Kitchen Shortcut: How to Make Crispy Bacon!

We are all looking to save time in the kitchen, am I right? While we're doing so, we don't want to sacrifice flavor or the quality of ingredients. We want to find the easy way out, yet we want to have it all. Isn't that a metaphor for life, haha. Life brings you bacon.

I don't know about you, but I love bacon. I try not to buy it too often since it's not exactly the greatest thing for you...and when I do have bacon in the house, it tends to disappear pretty quick. I like to throw bacon in everything: pasta, salads, on top of sandwiches, and as a breakfast component. The one thing I don't like about bacon? The mess. The popping oil, the splattering, and tell me if I'm alone on this...sometimes, it doesn't turn out as crispy as I want it to. 

Like this.  

This is crispy bacon. How bacon should always be, if you ask me. There's only one way to get your bacon to be this crispy...by baking it in the oven! 

Here's how you do it:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Layer bacon on a lightly greased bacon sheet

3. Bake for 6-7 minutes

I'd start checking after five minutes on your bacon to see if it has reached your desired crispness. My bacon is usually done after six to seven minutes. 

This is a great kitchen shortcut. You're saving time, by having less to clean up (which is in itself a win, there's no scraping your pan to get those stubborn bits and pieces off, no cleaning up your oil splattered stove) and by having crispy bacon much faster than you would if you cooked it in a skillet on the stove. 

After the bacon is done, I lay it on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. 

Then I crumble it up in the paper towel...

...and sprinkle it on top of my favorite salad: hard boiled eggs, chopped tomatoes, cubed chicken, mozzarella cheese, and croutons with honey mustard dressing!

Viola! If you have a moment, I would love it if you could check out Golden Grain's Facebook page and vote for my "Share Your Shortcut" idea. AND while you're there, you can enter for a chance to win a $100 American Express gift card! 

Have a great Tuesday!

Five on Friday- Valentine Goodies, Snow, and More

Happy Valentine's Day! How are you celebrating the day of love? I've got a couple of goodies for Miss A and we sent out our Valentines earlier in the week. I just love holidays and every holiday is so much fun now that I have a little girl to share them with.

Via

One. Date Night

Earlier this week my husband had the night off and our friend graciously offered to babysit so that we could have a date night! It has seriously been six months since our last date night and it was looooong overdue. We went out for sushi and ice cream, chatted the night away, and enjoyed each other's company. It was so nice to feel like adults again!

Two. V-day Goodies

For her Valentine goodie bag I didn't want to go crazy. I got her two new books, a Minnie Mouse necklace, and a new shirt (with hearts!) to wear for the day. I loved the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" books when I was a kid and was so excited to pick this one up for her. The other book is from Target's dollar spot and I found the necklace at Michaels.

Three. Making Valentine Cards

I was inspired by a Valentine craft I saw on Strawberry Swing and Other Things for Miss A's Valentines. We used washable markers (very important for everything to say "washable" when dealing with a toddler), a giant art pad, and vellum paper to make them. Miss A scribbled to her hearts content on the paper, switching to a different color every ten seconds, and then I traced a heart onto the back side of the page using a heart cookie cutter and cut them out. I then traced hearts on the vellum paper, cut that out, and glued it to the marker heart with a glue stick. Later I added a personal message to each Valentine, we decorated the envelopes with stickers, then signed, sealed, and delivered them away! I hope our families enjoy them.

Four. Snow Day #2

We had another snow day here in the North Carolina. This time the meteorologists were right and the storm came right on schedule, dumping 5 inches of snow and freezing rain. Our front yard is a massive block of ice and our deck is covered in icicles. We tried taking Miss A out in it again but this time she wasn't as thrilled about it, probably because it wasn't as soft and fluffy like last time. It's so pretty out there but I can't imagine having more, let alone an entire winter of the white stuff.

Five. No Naps for the Toddler

What else, what else...oh, I know, I fear I've entered the land of no-more-naps. Say it isn't so! Miss A hasn't napped in the last four days, unless it's in the car, and that nap lasts for about 30 minutes. I'm so sad to see nap time go. The days will feel longer now, that's for sure. Mama's with toddlers who already stopped taking naps, how old were they when they stopped? I'm curious to know if my 19 month old child is stubbornly abandoning ship.

Happy Friday! Be sure to link up for Five on Friday here.  Enjoy the love!

Classic Fudge Brownies a La Mode

If you're still looking for something sweet to make for Valentine's Day (which is this Friday, yay!), I've got the perfect thing for you. Last week I mentioned that we had a last minute date night at home. We ordered take out from a great italian place, put the toddler to bed early, lit some candles, and ate in our dining room. It was perfect, low-key, and exactly what we needed.

We decided to do this about two hours before we normally eat, so I went to see what we had in the pantry o and for dessert. I always keep the essentials well stocked- flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are a necessary staple in our house. I saw that we also had cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. All the things you need to make brownies!

I got to work and the brownies were in the oven in no time. Miss A ate her dinner while I measured, poured, and stirred. I checked to see if we had ice cream in the fridge and wouldn't you know it, we did! Brownies a la mode, my husband's favorite dessert. Seriously, he wants to order it every time he sees it on a menu when we go out. Me, I like to get something I wouldn't normally make at home, like cheesecake or something. Anyway, I knew he'd be thrilled to have it at home.

I've made these brownies twice before, and I have to say, they are definitely my go-to recipe. They're everything you want in a brownie- fudgy, chocolatey, and not too rich. A great dessert for Valentine's Day, or any special occasion, like a random Tuesday night!      

Source: adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (that you see for baking)
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1/2 of the bittersweet chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave on HIGH again for 30 seconds, then stir. Chocolate needs to be completely melted before you can move on to the next step, microwave more if needed. 

Pour the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients. Add the butter, vanilla, eggs, and the rest of the chocolate chunks into the bowl and stir until all is combined. Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 22 minutes, brownies are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, or with a few crumbs. 

Baked Potato Soup

Happy Tuesday! Today I'm guest posting for Amanda over at Kids and Cabernet. I hope you'll take a minute to check out her blog and to find this delicious recipe for Baked Potato Soup! I'm sure we could all use a tasty soup to warm us up, plus, it has bacon! That's always good in my book. ;)

Snow Day!

Last week we had our first official Snow Day in North Carolina. I waited impatiently for the snow to fall ALL DAY and it didn't arrive until late in the evening. I honestly did miss snow and I was excited to see it again and of course, excited for Miss A to see it! She was barely sitting up last winter, we weren't sleeping, and I was in no mood to go out and play in the snow with a five month old. This time around it was so much fun!

Luckily my husband didn't have to go to work at the crack of dawn and was home that morning to experience the snow through his daughter's eyes. We went out back first and as you can see by the look on her face she was very confused! 

Here I am, at 8:30 in the morning, with no makeup on, in a sweater and pants thrown over my pajamas. :)

She liked being out in the front yard better and started to explore. She walked down the driveway and into the street, like she always does when we're out front. 

She was amazed by her footprints in the snow and did NOT want to go back inside. There were many tears. I was sad to pull her away, but it was really cold! I thought we would go back out to play in the afternoon when it was a little "warmer" but she suddenly developed a slight fever (?) and I didn't think going back outside would be a good idea.

We had plenty to do indoors though! Since I knew the storm was coming I went to Target before it, searching for something new/crafty/exciting to do at home. I found the cutest Valentine cookie decorating kit, for $3.99 that I couldn't pass up.

It came with three colored icings, three different kinds of sprinkles, and four heart shaped sugar cookies. We were busy for quite a while!

I tried showing her how to decorate her cookie with icing, but of course, all she wanted to do was eat the icing.

Can you guess who decorated this one? ;)

Cookie decorating on a snow day isn't complete without some hot chocolate. I made it lukewarm for Miss A and I to share. It was her first time trying hot chocolate (or any kind of chocolate milk) and she loved it. 

Oh yes, it was straight to the bath after this. Her face, hands, and neck were SO sticky. Not to mention she picked up the mug and tried to drink it, spilling milk all down her shirt!

Messy messy!

All the snow is gone, it melted the very next day. See, now this is a winter I can handle. A little bit of fun, snow, and snow day activities, perfect! I couldn't ask for anything more...except..Spring!? What can I say, I'm a warm weather girl at heart.

Baked Potato Soup & Waffle Sandwiches

Hi! I'm Christina, a former teacher, turned SAHM to a sweet, beautiful, hilarious eighteen month old little girl. I blog over at This Woman Cooks!, which started out as a food blog many moons ago and has slowly transformed into more of a mommy blog. I still share recipes, but mostly I like to write about my life as a SAHM and our crazy little adventures.

I'm happy to be here guest posting for Amanda today! I thought I'd share something we had for dinner recently that we absolutely loved, the mini included!

I like to make soup when it's cold out and it has been pretty chilly here lately. Baked potato soup is one of my favorite soups, probably because of all the toppings! I like to add crispy bacon bits, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives, if I have some on hand.

What I really like about this recipe is that half of the soup is actually cauliflower- not potatoes! It's a great way to get more vegetables into your kids, they will never know the difference. You can decide if you want to bake your potatoes in the oven or in the microwave (I chose the microwave) and it all comes together fairly quickly, 30 minutes tops!

I also love making waffle sandwiches to go along with soup. I toasted up two waffles, spread some mayo, added smoked virginia ham, and colby jack cheese. A few minutes under the broiler and it's nice and warm, with the cheese melted. That's my kind of sandwich!

Source: adapted from Skinnytaste
Servings: 2

2 russet potatoes, scrubbed 
1 small bag of frozen cauliflower 
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
10 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 
Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. If you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool potatoes slightly and peel. I found it easiest to scoop out the flesh and add it to my pot. 

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water until tender. Drain. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes, and cauliflower to a large pot and bring to a boil. If you have an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, pour soup into a regular blender and puree. Return soup back to the pot.) Add sour cream, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with cheese and bacon and any other toppings you like!

I hope you enjoy! Thank you for having Amanda!