Maybe it will be a good day.

My day has been pretty rough so far. The house is trashed, which makes me nervous and itchy. We spent all afternoon yesterday making valentine's.

We had to wake up early today because my license expires tommorrow. I wanted to be at the DMV at 8 am, when they opened, so we wouldn't have to wait as long. On the way there, my gas light goes on. I ignored it and got to the DMV, and we sat in the parking lot for 15 or so minutes. Got SweetPea out, and into the stroller, then got TinyDancer out. Went to the door, and saw a sign that they are closed until Tuesday for President's Day. Great. Did I mention it's like 9 degrees outside?

Get to the gas station, and the credit card machine is giving me a hard time. And I can't find my gloves. Whatever.

Then I realized we forgot all of TinyDancer's Valentine's. So we had to treck back home and get them.

Brought her to school, and she cried at drop off. First time this year. Weird.

We came home, and I was seriously foul, once I walked into the messy house. But then, i found SweetPea in the livingroom, watching Super Why, and she was so cute! I just want to smoosh her little face with tons of kisses. God, i'm so lucky! She's now sitting next to me, eating her raisin's and reading a Berentstain Bears book. The house WILL get cleaned, but there are more pressing matters, like playing with this little muffin!

Making Valentine's with my Valentine's

I took alot of time thinking about what we could make together for TinyDancer to bring into school for her friends Valentine's. We made our list, and ran out to the store to get supplies yesterday. Once I actually sat back and added up the costs, I decided that we needed a change of plans. I wanted something we could do together, and that everyone would enjoy. After walking around the store for a bit, it hit me. I'd make chocolate covered strawberries for her teachers, and just buy the plain valentine's for her friends. BUT-if I already had the chocolate, then I may as well just make heart shaped lollipops for he friends then, right? So, that's what we did. It was an afternoon production, which was interupted by dance class, but we had a blast.

First, we made the chocolate covered strawberries.
I used 2 Qts of Strawberries, and 8oz of chocolate.

Wash strawberries and pat dry. Melt the chocolate on low in a small sauce pan.

Once chocolate begins melting, add 1 tbsp. Veg. Shortning (this will make it shiny!)

Wisk together until smooth. Remove from heat.

Dip strawberry into chocolate, twisting to cover all sides. Remove slowly, and let excess chocolate drip off.

Put dipped strawberries on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Once cooled, we drizzled pink and red chocolate across them.

I found these heart shaped Reynold's tins at Job Lot. I put 3 strawberries into each of them.

Then wrapped them up in red tulle and tied it with a pink ribbon.


Then TinyDancer and I got down to business making the lollipops. She wanted to make them for both her friends at school, and the girls that she dances with. That's quite a few lollipops!
We used a heart shaped lollipop mold, pink and red chocolate, lollipop sticks, and plastic bags.

First we melted the chocolate in the microwave on defrost, then stirred it to be smooth.


Then used a spoon and filled the molds. The sticks went in after, and then we made sure that they were covered with extra chocolate.

We put them outside to cool, since it was 15 degrees out. They were done in about 3 minutes!
We put them in the bags, tied them off with a red tulle bow, and attached them to the Valentine's Day Cards Tiny Dancer signed.



It was definately a fun, yet tiring afternoon. Hopefully, next year SweetPea will be able to help us!

Innocence

There is just something about a sleeping child. I don't know what it is, but it's so amazing to me. When a child is sleeping, everything is ok. They day that they had is now a memory in the past, yet the days to come are full of the unknown, full of dreams and expectations, hopes and concerns.

Throw a daddy into the mix, and you've got one awesome combination.

Today we had a good day. TinyDancer was allowed to stay awake and miss her nap, because she was so excited that Miss Jenn, her ballet teacher, was coming over. She spent a good chunk of the afternoon practicing her dance moves, trying to perfect her jazz square, and working on her double irish. She even went as far as to put on her black leotard and pink tights, and asked me to practice doing her makeup for the recital. She sure is passionate about what she does.

TinyDancer missing her nap is a big deal. She normally naps for 4-5 hours any given afternoon (Yes, I know how blessed I am to have a 3.5 year old that still takes a long nap). I knew that she'd go to sleep a little earlier than normal, but was completely surprised when Stash called me into the livingroom. I walked in to finding daddy nestling his princess, with her clutching onto her favorite blnaket and monkey tightly. She was fast asleep. It brought tears to my eyes. She just looked so beautiful. Even with a smudge of sweet and sour sauce still on her face. And, guess what? I fell even more in love with my husband. He really is a fantastic daddy. I don't tell him that enough. I'm glad that I have him to share such a great responsibility with.



She had a busy day today. My TinyDancer. I love you baby girl with all of my heart. I hope you know that forever and always.

Roasted Red Peppers

There's just something so exciting to me when I can go a week or two without having to grocery shop, and when I'm able to repurpose something. Especially, when repurposing is something delicious from my refridgerator that's about to go bad, and live the rest of it's life in the landfill (ah yes, we could-and should-compost, but we don't). And, when repurposing something our families favorite vegetable-the Red Pepper.

Today's plan was to make homemade pasta. A recipe was included with the pasta maker for Roasted Red Pepper pasta. Who doesn't love the smokey yet sweet flavor of a fabulous Roasted Red? Knowing that I had an abundant amount of peppers in the veggie door, I went in to grab a few. Much to my surprise, *someone* had cut a couple of them, using just a small piece, and leaving it there, open on the shelf, waiting for someone else to claim it. I'm pretty sure the peppers were happy that they would be used to nurish our family.

We keep roasted red peppers on hand and use them often. They are great in salads, pizza, pasta dishes, and of course, sandwiches. And, why pay a ton of money for a tiny jar when you can make them yourself at a fraction of the price? The only thing you need is an oven, and an hour of time!

First, the ingredients:
A few Red Peppers, and Olive Oil


Wash the peppers, and remove any stickers. Then cut the peppers in half, removing the stem and seeds. Lay them flat on a baking sheet, and drizzle with Olive Oil.


Place the Peppers in a preheated oven at 425 for 40 minutes. Halfway through, flip the peppers over with tongs, so both sides will roast.


Once both sides are slightly charred, immediately remove from baking sheet into a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap. Leave to cool. No peeking!

Once cool, remove the skins. They should slip off easily if they were steamed long enough.


Once all of the peppers are peeled, you can either enjoy them immediately, or put them in a jar with some olive oil. They should keep for a few weeks. I've read somewhere that you can use the oil in the jar for salad dressings and cooking oil still, so there is no waste.

So little, yet such a big heart

Weekend plans were foiled by a sick little Tiny Dancer. Thursday evening she wasn't herself, and by the time she went to her bed, she was crying and shaking, saying her body hurt. At 4 am when i was supposed to leave for a long anticipated weekend away with my best friend and some of her bridal party, I checked on Tiny Dancer and she had a fever. My plans were cancelled in an instant. It hurt me so much that my first baby was so sick. She rarely has so much as a sniffle, so I knew this had to be something more than just the cold. Later that morning she was diagnosed with bronchitis and H1N1. She was spoiled as every sick little person should with popscicles and lots of snuggling and loving from mommy. It was a lazy weekend, but just what she needed to get back to her old self.

Today we were making plans for the afternoon, and the conversation went the same as usual. What should we have for lunch? Peanut Butter and Jelly. What movie do you want to watch? How about 27 Dresses? (Have I mentioned yet how much I adore having a girly girl? ) Ok, then. That's the plan. But, she didn't stop there. Her tiny little voice then proceeded to ask "Mimi, do you think we could make some bracelets today? I'd like to give them to XYZ for Valentine's Day. (Can't say, incase XYorZ are reading this blog ;) ).

So, since SweetPea is now feeling the ickies, she went down for her nap a bit earlier, and TinyDancer and I set out our beading supplies on the livingroom floor and made bracelets for her favorites. Together, while watching 27 Dresses. My heart. She sure does own it. And in an instant, I was smitten again. I find myself repeatedly falling in love over and over and over again with this beautiful little ballerina.

Crockpot Chili with CornBread Toppers

It amazes me how many people are intimedated by the crockpot. Honestly, I think it's one of the greatest inventions! Just take some food, throw it in the pot, add some sort of liquid, and leave it alone for 4-10 hours, and you have a fully cooked meal, with little to no effort! Did you know you can make almost anything in the crockpot? Oatmeal is delicious in the crockpot, as is an apple dessert, or sausage and peppers, and even a chicken dinner!

Just in time for this weekends Snowy Weather, and the Superbowl, I thought I'd share a nice warm comfort food that we love in our house.

Well, since it's Thursday, and Tiny Dancer has dance at 4:15, I make dinner in the crockpot. Since it's a chilly day outside, I figured I'd make Chili for dinner. Now, my recipe is from a Weight Watchers cookbook (I can't tell you which one-Í think maybe "Cook It Slow"), but I've altered it enough to make it my own (As I do with almost all my recipes).





1lb. Ground Turkey,

1 Red Onion (Diced)

4 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

1 Large can of Crushed Tomatos

1 14oz Can Diced Tomatos

I small can of diced jalapeno peppers (I rinse my peppers and cut out the seeds)

1 large can of Dark Red Kidney Beans (you could also use light red or Black, or a mixture of them!)

In a skillet, brown ground turkey and garlic. Meanwhile, in the crockpot, add your tomatoes, onion, peppers, and beans. Once turkey is browned, add salt, 1/2 tsp. Cumin and 1/2 tsp of Chili powder. Add to crock pot, and stir until everything is evenly distributed. Top with lid, and cook on high 4 hours, or low 8 hours. Serve with a sprig of Cilantro (I always leave Cilantro out because it tastes like soap to me!). You can top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc.

In our house, we top our chili with Cornbread toppers. They are so easy, and a perfect match for the spice in the chili.















Mix 3/4 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of EggWhites (or 1 egg), and 2 tbsp of Oil in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour (I use whole wheat), 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tbsp. baking powder. Gradually combine the wet ingredients into the dry. At this point, you can make rounds on a preheated griddle set at 325. You can also add in 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, then place on griddle. Cook until underside becomes brown, and then flip over and cook the opposite side. Serve onto of chili.

It's a blueberry Muffin kind of day!

Today is a weird kind of day. One minute it's sunny, and the next it's snowing. The girls and I were going to work on some Valentine's Day crafts today, but when I opened up the fridge for SweetPea's morning snack, the blueberries were calling out to me.  Since we are trying to use everything, and waste much less food, I decided that they just needed to be baked into my favorite-Blueberry Muffins!

Now, I know that the great bloggers such as Pioneer Woman post pictures like this when she cooks, but I couldn't figure out another way to do it. I will say, I suck at photography, and my pictures are terrible. These are pretty good for me though.

First of all, you need the ingredients.


[caption id="attachment_21" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Melt half a cup of margarine."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_22" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Add 1 cup of Sugar, and 2 eggs, & a splash of vanilla extract to the margarine. Combine well."][/caption]

In the meantime, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.

[caption id="attachment_23" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Combine wet and dry ingredients, then fold in 1 cup of blueberries. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_24" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Fill muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_38" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="18 minutes is a long time to wait for little helpers, so they decided to relax and watch a movie."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_29" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Remove from tin, cool, & enjoy!"][/caption]

Tiny Dancer has been really picky when it comes to fruit lately. Normally, she won't go near blueberries. She was more interested in them now because she was able to help me turn them into a delicious treat!

Pajama Tuesday

Tuesdays are our favorite day during the week. Noone has school, there is not dance, and I try my best not to book any appointments. It's a nice easy day for us to relax around the house, snuggle on the couch and watch a movie, play games, work on projects, and make a nice lunch together. It's a favorite with the girls because they can wear their pajama's all day! Sometime's Tiny Dancer likes to change it up a bit and do a fashion show in her different pajamas. We always have breakfast for lunch, either making pancakes (although, I'm constantly told that daddy's pancakes are better), muffins, waffles, or eggs.

While the girls were enjoying some Sesame Street, I decided to head upstairs and clear out SweetPea's dresser. A task that pulls at my heart and I have been putting off for a few months. Still a peanut, she's finally outgrown most of her 3-6 month onesies, and I needed to replace them with a more appropriate fitting size. Feeling nostalgic, and I tiny bit sad at the reality that these clothes may never make an appearance in our home again, I heard a yell from downstairs. Just then, Tiny Dancer appeared at the doorway saying "Mom, i have to show you something! Follow me!", I knew it was good, because she was tugging my arm while holding my hand; something this little princess does not do often.

I had to chuckle at the mess that was in the livingroom. My pretty little SweetPea, covered in hotchocolate! She looked really pleased with herself, as she was licking her fingers, nodding her head yes, and smiling. This would be her first taste of hotchocolate-and hopefully her last for a while. The third ingredient is creamer, which contains both Caseinate (a milk protein) and soy. A beautiful combination for a bad night in our house.

I quickly snapped a picture, then put her in the bath. Tiny Dancer, always loving to help, went to the kitchen and got a cloth and wiped up the floor, while I stripped her messy sister and ran the bath water. Of course, it had to become a pool party, so both sisters were enjoying splashing in the tub. Getting out, they both got right into new jammies, ready for pajama tuesday to continue.




*The picture is from my cellphone's camera, so the quality is less than impressive. Sorry!

The rest of our day is going to be easy. Breakfast sandwiches for lunch, maybe make some muffins. Naps will come soon enough, and that's when I'll start tonight's dinner, along with the cleaning for the day. But now, I'm going to snuggle with my two princesses and watch "UP"!

What's for Dinner?

I'm definately a creature of habit. I love things to be organized. Organization make me happy. When I'm happy, I smile. And, who doesn't love a smiling face? ;)

One of the best things that I have taught myself is to have a plan. The plan can always get interupted, but if there is a plan in order, than things will go much more smoothly. I like to plan ahead for almost everything. Meals, clothes, chores. I find that planning ahead tends to save quite a bit of money too!



On Sunday evenings, I like to sit at the table with a cup of hot tea, a few of my favorite cookbooks, and my Meal Organization book (You'll come to find I love Target bargains...and was this ever a target bargain! $3!). Of course, you could use any old calendar. I like to write down on each day what meal we will have. The cookbooks are great to get new ideas from, and while I'm looking at the recipe, can jot down (again, in the great meal org. book) the ingredients that I need to buy for the recipe. I'll also write down the book and page that the recipe can be found on; which in turn, saves time too!

Our meals are organized even further than that. I try to follow a simple rule, that way meals aren't repeated too often. On mondays, we have soup and sandwiches. Soup is 90% of the time homemade. Tuesdays are Italian night. I'll bake a loaf of homemade bread to go with dinner. Wednesdays we either have some sort of Mexican food, or try something new. Thursdays are Crockpot nights, and fridays are always Pizza. We tend to wing it on the weekends, eating lunch out once in a while, or having a FFYS (Fend for YourSelf), or eating leftovers.

I *LOVE* to cook. It excites me. Knowing that my family is eating something wholesome and nutritious, that I have prepared for them is a priority to me. Sure there are days that I just don't feel like cooking, but when Stash or Tiny Dancer say "Dullicioussss!", I know I did a great job. Or, when SweetPea says"more please", I know I can put it on the repeat list.

And, little miss SweetPea has food allergies. She's such a petite little thing, but has such a huge appetite! Having a child with an allergy to dairy and soy hasn't hindered my cooking experience at all. It makes it more exciting to make sure that I am able to cook for my baby the proper foods to get the calories that she needs. I have to be creative when it comes to things like lasgana, but even stash is enjoying the vegan version that I've been making!

I'd like to know. Do you like to cook? Is there any dietary restrictions holding you back? Maybe together we could Make It Happen!

My dreams are coming true!

Welcome to my blog!

I'm excited to start this new adventure. My dear friends Lauren & Jessica have been asking me to start a blog for some time now. Staying home with my two girls has been such a blessing, and sometime's I think I take it (and my poor husband!) for granted. I have been home for almost 4 years now, and can't believe how quickly time has passed. When I was a new mom, I remember my friend Emily telling me that her mother always said "The days are long, but the weeks are short". Isn't that the truth?

When I was in second grade, we had to write a paragraph on what we wanted to bewhen we grew up. I was so excited to write about how I dreamed to be a mom, and stay home with my babies. The teacher called me up to the front of the class, and asked if I was sure I didn't want to be a lawyer, doctor, or the President. No. Even at eight years old, I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. Fate was on my side, when eleven years later, I met the man who would be my husband. Before we were married, we talked about our future and our children. He had hoped to have a wife that was willing to stay at home and raise the children! Can you believe it? Now, after six and a half years of marriage, I am able to stay home. People often ask us how we can afford to live off of one income. Our answer is always the same. "We make it happen".

I feel like it was just yesterday that we found out that we were (finally) pregnant with our first baby. Now, she's dancing her little heart thru her journey of life, taking 2 tap classes, jazz, and ballet. She's also in a preschool program. Everyday she's learning and growing so much. Just today, she spelled MOM for me. She'll always be my Tiny Dancer.

Stash and his siblings are 2 years apart evenly. My sisters and I have 8 years between each of us, so, while we were still siblings, it was almost like we were only children as well. Seeing the strong bond between Stash and his brother, I knew I wanted my children to be close in age. We were fortunate enough to get pregnant with our second baby and learned that they would be just shy of 2 years apart. We were so excited when we learned baby #2 was a girl. Now, at almost 2 years old, she is best friends with her older sissy, and the happiest little girl. She's my little Sweet Pea.

I invite you to follow me along. I'll be showing how we live our lives thru our passions (Cooking, sewing, dancing, fishing, etc.), and how we have made our house a home. . I hope that I am able to inspire someone, anyone, to go forth with their dream. Because anything is possible, and you can just Make It Happen!