10/6/12

Today was a BUSY, BUSY day for us, with a TON of driving.

Christian ended up having to work today, basically a full day, so it was just the girls and me for the morning/afternoon. We were up early, showered, dressed and ate some breakfast. I also had to pack up their overnight bag because they’re spending the night at my mom’s. Once we were all ready, I loaded up the truck and we were on our way, after a quick stop at the gas station (thanks, Christian).

First up, we were off to a birthday party. My friend from work, Kelly, invited us to her little girls 5th birthday party. It was WAY out in New Richmond, Wisconsin, about an hour away, so we trekked it over there. The girls had a blast playing the jump houses and running around. Olivia LOVES watching people open presents (it’s so sweet), so she was really anxious for that…kept asking me all morning when Annabelle was going to open her presents.

We left the party around 2:00, and I dropped the girls off at my mom’s house. She’s babysitting while we off at tonight’s event, and we won’t be back until late, so she offered to just keep them. YAY, but man am I going to miss them! My camera died as soon as we got to the party, so I just snapped this one pic of Olivia and I with my phone...

I arrived home a little after 3:00. Christian was home and just getting out of the shower. We got ready and all fancied up, and then were off to a wedding. Tonight, a couple of old friends, John and Michelle, were getting married. It was a little bit of an awkward situation…I used to be SUPER close to Michelle (she was in our wedding and everything), but we just kind of drifted apart, especially after I had the girls. So, we hadn’t seen them, or even really talked to them, in well over a year. I was really nervous to go, but I knew that it was just a really small, intimate wedding, so if we were invited to it, it must have been important to them to have us there. We left the house a little before 5:00, picked up our friend Nate, and made the trek to Stillwater for the wedding. It was at a Bed & Breakfast, and much to our surprise, it was an outdoor wedding (I suppose you don’t really expect it to be FREEZING cold this early in the fall). The ceremony was short and sweet, and we made our way inside. The reception was super informal, no music or standard “reception” stuff. They had food and drinks out, their families pretty much sat in the “living room” chatting and hanging out. We hung out in the foyer with our friends, laughing, catching up and actually had a really great time. I was so anxious and worried about how everything would go…being around everyone again after so long. It was definitely awkward, but it was fun. I haven’t laughed like that in a LONG time, and it definitely felt like old times hanging out again. Hopefully we can all do it more often now…

We left the reception around 11:00 and made our way home. I was beyond exhausted, and climbed into bed. Christian’s friend Lorenzo was just getting off work and stopped over to hang out with him for a little while. Something tells me he is going to be HURTING for our early morning tomorrow!

Here are some pics from the wedding...

10/5/12 - Layered Italian Casserole

Today was a HAPPY, HAPPY day! I lost 2 pounds this week. Putting me at a total of 38.6 to date, and with that I have FINALLY surpassed my biggest goal yet…I have lost every single ounce of pregnancy weight! It’s way overdue, but it’sf finally gone, and I am so excited about it! Technically, from my highest weight ever (when I delivered Olivia), I have lost 51.6lbs. That’s crazy! I can’t even imagine carrying an extra 50lbs from where I’m at right now! I’m so ready to knock out the rest of the weight loss, its going feel amazing!

Here are my updated progress pics! Totally embarassing, but it does wonders to REALLY see how far you've come!

The girls were actually pretty well behaved today. We had some breakfast and got our day started. As we were getting ready to leave, I let Chuy out for a bathroom break, and of course, my luck, he disappeared. I am SO sick of searching the neighborhood for him. So frustrating. We drove around for a long time looking for him, with no success. So, we took a break from our searching to carry out our plans for the day…some fall pictures of the girls. We don’t really get any leaves in our yard, so we stopped down the street and the girls had a ball rolling around and playing in the leaves. They thought it was hilarious, and I got some great shots of them.

We took one last drive around the neighborhood on our way home, and sure enough, came across Chuy. Wandering the streets like it’s no big deal. Ugh! We had lunch when we arrived home, and the girls went down for their naps. I relaxed for a while, and caught up on some shows, then started preparing dinner. We had dinner as soon as Christian arrived home from work, and then took a little family trip to Target. We returned the ottoman we bought a few weeks ago (it’s too small for the area we need it) and picked up a present for a birthday party we’re going to tomorrow. We made our way home and had some little bedtime ice cream snack (my first time trying Pumpkin Ice Cream, and man was it delicious!). Christian has to work tomorrow, but his friend Lorenzo wanted to stop over and hang out for a bit, so he risked being the walking dead tomorrow and stayed up. The girls and I were just exhausted, and called it a night. Another day down, and we have a crazy busy weekend ahead of us!

Tonight’s dinner was Layered Italian Casserole.

Ingredients:

• 12 ozs of Cooked Spaghetti (cooked according to the package)
• 1½ lbs Ground Beef (I only used 1lb, and of course, 93/7)
• 2 Minced Gloves of Garlic
• 2 15oz Cans of Italian Tomato Sauce
• 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
• 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 4 Cups Cottage Cheese
• 2 ½ Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I only used 2 Cups)
• ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

Sides:

• Garlic Texas Toast (cooked according to the package)
• Green Giant Mixed Vegetables Steamer (cooked according to the package)

Directions:

1. Brown the beef, and mix in the garlic until cooked. Add the tomato sauce, parsley and oregano until heated through.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
3. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce into a greased, 13x9 baking dish. Layer with half of the spaghetti, then add a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers, and the dish should be full.
4. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (I just omitted a handful from the previous mixture) and parmesan cheeses, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

This made a TON of food, especially for our family. I would definitely either half the recipe, or freeze half of it in the future. It was good though, I would make it again.

10/4/12 - Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Today was my Friday at work, so yay for that! It’s still crazy cold here though, which kind of sucks. In fact, today a lot of the state was under a winter storm watch. WHAT?!? It’s barely October, and there are winter storm watches out already? Yeah, I’m guessing we’re in for a rough winter. We have an amazing, packed weekend ahead of us, and I’m excited about it. I know I’ll be exhausted and drained by the end of it, but I love when we’re busy and have a lot of different plans over the weekend.

I really don’t have much else to report on this week. Work and school are going well for all of us. Olivia’s teacher very proudly informed me that Olivia writes her name, “by far” better than all of the other kids today. That just made me so proud, I just love mom moments like that!

Other than that, it was just a pretty typical day. Tonight’s dinner was Mexican Chicken Lime Soup (which was a tad too spicy for the girls, so they had some little pasta bowls we keep on hand).

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 Minced Cloves of Garlic
• 6 Chicken Thighs, Cut into Pieces (I would probably shred it if I made this again)
• 2 Canned Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Adobo Sauce from the Can
• 6 Cups of Chicken Broth
• ½ Cup Fresh Cilantro
• Juice of 2 Limes
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Avocado
• Tortilla Chips

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the garlic to one side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chiles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam.
2. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pace 2 avocado slices in each bowl of soup, and top with tortilla chips.

This one actually turned out really good. Christian even said it tasted pretty authentic and really enjoyed it.

10/3/12 - Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

We had a pretty different morning today. Christian took Amelia to school because Olivia and I had some stuff to do!

After getting ready, Olivia and I were off to a very nerve-wracking appointment…her kindergarten screening! WHAT?!? How is it even possible? Granted, she doesn’t actually started kindergarten for another nearly 2 years, it’s still crazy. Apparently it’s Minnesota state law kids get screened for kindergarten readiness/early intervention needs before their 4th birthday. I was pretty nervous about it because Olivia still seems so young to me, and is so extremely shy around people she doesn’t know. I talked to her about the appointment a lot, hoping to psych her up for it. Unfortunately, it didn’t go great.

First, we met with a nurse for her hearing and sight testing. She flat out refused to do the hearing test – she was terrified of the headphones. I finally got her to participate by sitting next to her, and letting her “high-five” me when she heard the beeping (which, were the lamest high-fives ever). She made it through though, and no hearing issues. For the sight testing, they have her wear some glasses with one eye covered up. They have one of this vision screens on the wall, and have her sit at a little table with 4 letters on it. The nurse pointed at a letter, then asked her to find it on the table to see how small she could read. She was apprehensive about it, but she did complete the testing and passed. YAY, no glasses! Though, I didn’t need glasses until my late teens, so I wouldn’t be surprised if our kids don’t need them down the road.

Next up, we met with a teacher to “play some games”. This part, I KNEW would not go well. It required a lot of interaction with the teacher, and I knew that no matter how nice she might be, Olivia was not going to be interested at all. She tested Olivia’s ability to write (lines, circle, triangle), and because it was independent, she did great. She tested her ability to build a tower with 8 blocks, then “copy” a bridge that she built. Again, independent task, so she did well. Then, it went downhill. The teacher would show her an object (red bouncy ball, yellow car, etc.) and asked her to describe it. Olivia would do the basic – color. And have to be prompted to say anything else. She did a “complete this sentence” activity, which seemed WAY over her head to me. For one, she said “If brother is a boy, sister is a ____”, another as “a table is made of wood, a window is made of _____”. I just cannot see a 3 year old “filling in the blank”. The only one she got was big vs. little. There were a few other activities, but none of them went great. Basically, as I expected.

In the end, she needed a score of 16 to pass. She had exactly 16. The teacher did say it was obvious Olivia COULD do more, but wasn’t comfortable and it was affecting her scores. I’m bummed that she didn’t work up to her potential, but relieved she passed and happy the teacher recognized her potential.

We stopped in to McDonald’s for breakfast, then I dropped her off at school. Work of course flew by since I missed half the day, so that felt good. The evening was pretty standard…dinner, playtime, baths and bed. Christian did end up meeting a friend at the bar down the street for a couple beers after the girls went down. I say, he’s crazy on a work night!

Tonight’s dinner was Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes, with fruit on the side.

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of Reduced Fat Biscuits
• 1 Chicken Breast, poached and diced
• 1 10.5oz Can of Reduced-Fat Cream of Chicken Soup
• 2/3 Cup of Shredded Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Cup of Frozen Mixed Veggies
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Separate biscuits and place each in a cup of highly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up the sides to edge of the cup (I made them bigger, in 6 cup pans).
2. Combine chicken, soup, veggies, cheese, onion powder, parsley and pepper in a bowl, and mix well.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared biscuit cups, and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Note: I would recommend using a light colored pan, vs. dark, because I think the dark makes the biscuits cook too fast along the side. This is another good, family-friendly meal - as long as you can find some veggies your kids will eat.

10/2/12 - Taco Tuesday!

Well, the most exciting thing to happen for a while was actually being on time for work for a change this morning! Woot, woot! Let’s hope this is a new trend! Just need to get my butt out of bed in the morning, and I’d be golden! I should try that trick about putting your alarm clock across the room…

Today was actually a pretty quiet day. I don’t really have anything to report on, so I’m pretty lame. I will say, Amelia slept straight through the night last night, never made a peep, so maybe she was just tired and actually wanted to go to bed. Maybe I’m not so evil after all!

Tonight’s dinner was Tacos. Nothing new or out of the ordinary, but a family favorite for us, and definitely a staple in our house (and, PS, Amelia’s bowl was bone dry!).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Turkey (we always use turkey, it’s healthier and the girls actually like it better)
• Package of Low-Sodium Taco Seasoning
• Lettuce, Shredded
• Tomatoes, Chopped
• Shredded Cheese
• Tortillas (corn for me, flour for the family) 

Side:

• Rice a Roni (went the easy route) – cooked according to the less fat preparation instructions.

Directions:

1. I think everyone knows how to make tacos! Brown the turkey and add in the seasoning. Prepare all of the toppings. Heat the tortillas, stovetop on a gridle. For the girls, I warm their tortillas, add in meat, cheese and tomato and press it on the griddle so the insides don’t fall out.

Note: We pretty much always have a jar of homemade salsa verde on hand, and definitely make it on taco nights if we don’t. It’s cheap to make, delicious and Christian uses it on pretty much EVERYTHING.

Salsa:

• 10-12 Tomatillos
• 10-12 Jalapeños
• 1-2 Chopped Cloves of Garlic
• A Few Onion Slices
• Dash of Salt
• Handful of Fresh Cilantro

Directions:

1. Wash the veggies and cut the tips off of the peppers.
2. Boil the tomatillos, peppers, garlic and onion in a small amount of water.
3. Mix all ingredients, plus the water (but, not TOO much) in a blender, and mix well. We ALMOST puree it. 

10/1/12 - Cheesy Potatoes & Smoked Sausage

IT’S OCTOBER!!!!!! OMG, who can seriously believe that?!

As shocking as it is, I’m actually really excited about it. Not super excited about WINTER, but this is seriously the best time of year. I’m so ready to welcome fall and experience these next few months. We have a month of fall festivities, birthday parties and Halloween coming up. Thanksgiving and the Holiday season kickoff next month. And then, of course, Christmas galore. The most wonderful time of year. When October hits, my mood just seems to naturally heighten now. I love it!

I did leave work a little early today to do some grocery shopping. Then, I was super excited to get started on my new cooking plan, and started if off with a bang! Christian was off to dinner, drinks and football with his friend from work though, which kind of bummed me out. I guess he isn’t as excited about my new adventure as I am…

Amelia would not eat her dinner for anything. She refused to take a bite. I threatened her with being sent to bed, asking her if she wanted to eat, or wanted to go to bed. I got her to take two good bites, and the third time she looked at me and said “Mom, I’ll just go to bed”. So, I cleaned her off, brought her in the room, sang her our songs and put her to bed. She went right down, no fight, no argument, no fuss. Olivia and I finished dinner, watched a few videos together, and then she was off to bed, ending another day.

Tonight’s dinner was Cheesy Potatoes and Smoked Sausage.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Idaho Potatoes
• 4 tbsp of Butter
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 2 Cups Milk
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper
• ½ lb Velveeta
• ½ Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 lb Smoked Sausage (I used a Jennie-O turkey link)
• 1/8 tsp Paprika

Directions:

1. Wash and peel potatoes. Boil until tender, and dice.
2. Brown the sausage until heated and cooked through.
3. Mix the butter, flour, milk, salt and pepper together and heat over medium heat until blended well. Place the potatoes and sausage in a greased casserole dish, and pour the sauce mixture over it.
4. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the mixture, and then the paprika on top of the cheese.
5. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown on top.

I really liked this one. I would definitely make it again, it's a good, filling, family-friendly meal.   

9/30/12

Today was a GORGEOUS day! We definitely had to take advantage and get out of the house. So, we made our way to my old “hood”, on Como Lake, to a children’s music festival they were holding. I read about it earlier this week, and it was completely free, so we certainly had to take advantage of it! Olivia’s BFF, Bella, and her dad joined us, so the girls were pretty excited about that!

They had 5 different, fun kids acts perform, a “Crazy Hair” stand, face painting and all kinds of fun for the girls. Of course, diva Olivia, refused to get her hair done, and could barely be talked into face painting. Oh, my boring child. They had a lot of fun dancing and acting goofy together, so it was definitely worth the trip.

We picked them up some lunch so they could eat on the way home and nap when we got here…and, they took some nice, long naps! Meanwhile, I had a roast cooking in the crockpot all day long…YUM! Bella and her parents stopped back over for dinner and some playtime to end the day. Sad to see another weekend come to an end…

Here are some pictures from the festival. I didn’t have my camera (which, is like a knife to the heart when I realize I’ve left the house without it), so phone pics will have to do.

9/29/12

Today was a fairly busy day. Christian had to work, so the girls and I spent the day together. We had breakfast and hung out for a while. Then, were off to do a little shopping at Target. By the time we got home, it was time for lunch and naps.

I got my workout in and some relaxing time, then had to get ready for today’s festivities. Once Christian was home and ready, the girls were up and we were off to a 5th birthday party for my cousin’s little girl, Nattie. The party was super fun and unique…she had it at a little dance studio, where the instructor took all the kids through some little games and activities. Not REALLY dance, but music related. It was really fun. The girls were pretty shy about the whole thing…it’s an unfortunate downfall of them taking so long to warm up to people they aren’t really familiar with. They really didn’t want to participate, even when I was with them. Hopefully they both grow out of that shyness as they get older.

Our evening was pretty low key. We had dinner and relaxed for a while after the party. Christian and I were pretty tired, so we didn’t do much after the girls went to bed. Just a pretty low key night, which is never a bad thing.

Here are some pics from the party…

9/28/12

Well, I’m finally over that hump, and hopefully back on track. For this morning’s weigh in, I was down 3lbs, for a total of 36.6 to date. I only have to lose ½ a pound this upcoming week to reach my next big goal…FINGERS CROSSED!!! It feels good to finally see a significant drop again. I can’t wait until I get to the point of really just maintaining my weight, and I can stop stressing so much! Be happier, healthier and feeling better about myself. Getting there, slowly but surely!

Today was a pretty low key day, a pretty standard end to the week. My mom had plans in the city tonight, so she dropped the girls off to me at work to save some time. Everyone was pretty excited to visit with them for a little bit, and they just love visiting my work (I’m sure, all of the attention they get has nothing to do with it…), and it was nice not having to stop and pick them up, just be able to go straight home…

Once home, we loaded up in the wagon and took a stroll around the neighborhood. The weather was great, and all of the leaves are turning into the most amazing colors, so we went on a little nature mission to collect a bunch of leaves. The girls were pretty excited and thought all of the colors were pretty cool. It was a good end to the day.

Christian picked up some take out on his way home, and we spent a little family time together. After the girls went to bed, I spent the evening finalizing our October meal plan. I’m so excited for my new adventures in cooking to start! It’s going to be nice to get some more variety and get back into REALLY cooking (it’s been a LONG time). Life should be a little less chaotic too, since I basically have my weekly shopping list ready to go too. My goal is to also keep up on the dishes and cleaning at the same time, so hopefully our lives will be much less chaotic and much more organized as a result of my efforts.

I plan on sharing my meals/recipes, so my blog might take a little shift in content for a while. We’ll see how it goes…

Here are some pictures from our nature walk today.