Roasted Veggies and Black Bean Burrito

In our quest to find Ansley-friendly meals, so we can all eat the same thing (or at least some version of the same thing) at dinner, I found a recipe on Pinterest that that twisted and tweaked to our tastebuds' likings. It was a hit.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1VERY large Sweet Potato, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• a small handul (less than 1/4 cup) of frozen diced onion
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar (I also have a non-dairy Ansley version)
• 1 package Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)

Directions:

1. Toss raw veggies with olive oil and spices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

2. Combine roasted veggies with black beans and cilantro.

3. Scoop desired amount onto a warmed tortilla.

4. Top with cheese.

5. Roll into a burrito and place into a greased casserole dish for crispier burritoes; wrap individual burritos into aluminum foil for softer burrito.

6. I made six burritos out of this mixture. Warm them in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

7. Serve with homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and guacamole.

***Patrick was skeptical about this meal since there was no meat in it. He quickly backpedaled when he tasted it and has already requested it again. We loved it!

***Ansley wouldn't eat it... Oh well, at least she COULD. 

In our quest to find Ansley-friendly meals, so we can all eat the same thing (or at least some version of the same thing) at dinner, I found a recipe on Pinterest that that twisted and tweaked to our tastebuds' likings. It was a hit.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1VERY large Sweet Potato, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• a small handul (less than 1/4 cup) of frozen diced onion
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar (I also have a non-dairy Ansley version)
• 1 package Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)

Directions:

1. Toss raw veggies with olive oil and spices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

2. Combine roasted veggies with black beans and cilantro.

3. Scoop desired amount onto a warmed tortilla.

4. Top with cheese.

5. Roll into a burrito and place into a greased casserole dish for crispier burritoes; wrap individual burritos into aluminum foil for softer burrito.

6. I made six burritos out of this mixture. Warm them in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

7. Serve with homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and guacamole.

***Patrick was skeptical about this meal since there was no meat in it. He quickly backpedaled when he tasted it and has already requested it again. We loved it!

***Ansley wouldn't eat it... Oh well, at least she COULD. 

What we've been eating: Easy Chicken Florentine

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)

Halloween Fun

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!

Sweets

I did a trial run on pdub's vanilla bean scones a few weeks ago. I intended to make them again for my friend Heather's shower... Until I found out that 1 measly vanilla bean costs a whopping $8.95 at public. This recipe calls for 3. I have since learned that you can find paste at Williams-Sonoma, but still... They were good, but I think I will try blueberry scones next time.

A week or so later, we ate at the Stephens' house, and April made this super yummy butterfinger dessert. When I asked for the recipe, she laughed at me and said that she got it off of one of my pin boards on Pinterest. I didn't even remember pinning it, but it is a Weight Watcher's dessert. I have made it again since, and it is super yummy.

I am blogging from my phone and don't know how to move pictures around or share links, but the scones recipe is on the food network blog and the butterfinger one is on my "yummies" board. Enjoy!

I did a trial run on pdub's vanilla bean scones a few weeks ago. I intended to make them again for my friend Heather's shower... Until I found out that 1 measly vanilla bean costs a whopping $8.95 at public. This recipe calls for 3. I have since learned that you can find paste at Williams-Sonoma, but still... They were good, but I think I will try blueberry scones next time.

A week or so later, we ate at the Stephens' house, and April made this super yummy butterfinger dessert. When I asked for the recipe, she laughed at me and said that she got it off of one of my pin boards on Pinterest. I didn't even remember pinning it, but it is a Weight Watcher's dessert. I have made it again since, and it is super yummy.

I am blogging from my phone and don't know how to move pictures around or share links, but the scones recipe is on the food network blog and the butterfinger one is on my "yummies" board. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Grits

Ever since my 20 year old summer in Charleston, shrimp and grits has been one of my favorite low country dishes. During a recent week of "shop my pantry and freezer" cooking, I made this with ingredients on hand. It was yummy.

I thawed some frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp and seasoned them with trusty ole' Old Bay. I think I used about a pound of shrimp.

Meanwhile I boiled 3 cups of chicken broth, and cooked a cup of grits in there according to the box directions.

Then I mixed the grits with the shrimp, a drained can of rotel, and whatever cheese I had on hand. I think I used cheddar, Monterey jack, and even a little velveeta that I had left over--Between a cup and a cup and a half. I have used pepper jack before, and that is good if you like it extra spicy.

I kept the mixture in my pan, and then I baked it until the cheese was melted and bubbly. My family thanked me. :)

Ever since my 20 year old summer in Charleston, shrimp and grits has been one of my favorite low country dishes. During a recent week of "shop my pantry and freezer" cooking, I made this with ingredients on hand. It was yummy.

I thawed some frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp and seasoned them with trusty ole' Old Bay. I think I used about a pound of shrimp.

Meanwhile I boiled 3 cups of chicken broth, and cooked a cup of grits in there according to the box directions.

Then I mixed the grits with the shrimp, a drained can of rotel, and whatever cheese I had on hand. I think I used cheddar, Monterey jack, and even a little velveeta that I had left over--Between a cup and a cup and a half. I have used pepper jack before, and that is good if you like it extra spicy.

I kept the mixture in my pan, and then I baked it until the cheese was melted and bubbly. My family thanked me. :)

I got a wild hair...

and decided to host a Christmas Open House for my neighbors...

Somewhere during one of my rereads of The Mission of Motherhood, I wrote myself a post it note that said: "Open up your home to your neighbors. Do it. No excuses." I found it stuck in a November page when I did my daily devotional over Thanksgiving and broached the subject of hosting an open house with Patrick. He was on board, and we discussed what our motivation would be. We summed it up these ways:

1. Aside from our 2 next door neighbors' families who we love, we don't know our neighbors well. We need to. If we don't know them, we can't reach out to them.
2. We want to teach our girls about hospitality and community.
3. We want to have a clean and decorated home. (Honestly, sometimes my biggest motivation to have people over is so that I will HAVE to clean my bathrooms. Seriously.)

(We added the Santa this year because we thought we needed to "up" our decor for the girls. They LOVE it. Ansley "Ho ho ho's" every time she sees it.)

When we looked at our calendars and the Titan's football schedule, we realized that the only date that would be feasible would be this Sunday. At that point, I almost backed out, but I saw that post it note again, and I thought, "no excuses." We prayed about it, we asked the Lord for guidance and blessings, and we went for it. I mixed and matched some Christmas invitations that I had on hand, and I hand wrote this greeting on them:

Jingle Jingle, let the neighbors all mingle.

Let's get together for some holiday cheer,
And get to know the families who live so near.

Please join us for a
Christmas Open House

Details...Details... Details...

Because it was last minute, I walked the invites to the mailboxes in the freezing rain at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, and honestly didn't know if anyone would show up.

I went to Costco and got some petite quiches, spinach dip, and pigs in a blanket. Then Addison and I made candy cane cookies, pumpkin muffins, and a snowball with graham cracker sticks. (Recipe below, and pictured on the Snowman with the mitten and boots spreaders) We served hot cider and water, and we waited in anticipation.



Addison was especially excited. She prayed for her neighbors, and after baking all morning on Saturday, she woke up from her nap and thought the party was that day. She was devastated when I told her it would be the next day (I think mostly because she really wanted to eat the candy cane cookies she had slaved over...).

Our party turned out to be so fun. We only had about half of the people come, but that allowed us to have real and meaningful conversations with them. It allowed us to make connections that hopefully the Lord will bless in the future. The kids were hilarious together. They snuck food and swapped elf stories. One of them said, "Hey, guys, I bet our elves meet up each night to fly back to the North Pole." Another gave tips on how to get a girl elf in the future. It was entertaining eavesdropping for sure! We were so thankful and so blessed with an absolutely lovely Sunday afternoon.

Here are a couple of pictures of my little sweeties after church yesterday.


Snowball Recipe:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of shaved coconut

Mix ingredients. Form into a ball. Roll in remaining coconut flakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with graham cracker sticks. Make sure you have a big party and can share the goodness because otherwise you will eat it ALL.

Hope you are enjoying this season of advent!

and decided to host a Christmas Open House for my neighbors...

Somewhere during one of my rereads of The Mission of Motherhood, I wrote myself a post it note that said: "Open up your home to your neighbors. Do it. No excuses." I found it stuck in a November page when I did my daily devotional over Thanksgiving and broached the subject of hosting an open house with Patrick. He was on board, and we discussed what our motivation would be. We summed it up these ways:

1. Aside from our 2 next door neighbors' families who we love, we don't know our neighbors well. We need to. If we don't know them, we can't reach out to them.
2. We want to teach our girls about hospitality and community.
3. We want to have a clean and decorated home. (Honestly, sometimes my biggest motivation to have people over is so that I will HAVE to clean my bathrooms. Seriously.)

(We added the Santa this year because we thought we needed to "up" our decor for the girls. They LOVE it. Ansley "Ho ho ho's" every time she sees it.)

When we looked at our calendars and the Titan's football schedule, we realized that the only date that would be feasible would be this Sunday. At that point, I almost backed out, but I saw that post it note again, and I thought, "no excuses." We prayed about it, we asked the Lord for guidance and blessings, and we went for it. I mixed and matched some Christmas invitations that I had on hand, and I hand wrote this greeting on them:

Jingle Jingle, let the neighbors all mingle.

Let's get together for some holiday cheer,
And get to know the families who live so near.

Please join us for a
Christmas Open House

Details...Details... Details...

Because it was last minute, I walked the invites to the mailboxes in the freezing rain at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, and honestly didn't know if anyone would show up.

I went to Costco and got some petite quiches, spinach dip, and pigs in a blanket. Then Addison and I made candy cane cookies, pumpkin muffins, and a snowball with graham cracker sticks. (Recipe below, and pictured on the Snowman with the mitten and boots spreaders) We served hot cider and water, and we waited in anticipation.



Addison was especially excited. She prayed for her neighbors, and after baking all morning on Saturday, she woke up from her nap and thought the party was that day. She was devastated when I told her it would be the next day (I think mostly because she really wanted to eat the candy cane cookies she had slaved over...).

Our party turned out to be so fun. We only had about half of the people come, but that allowed us to have real and meaningful conversations with them. It allowed us to make connections that hopefully the Lord will bless in the future. The kids were hilarious together. They snuck food and swapped elf stories. One of them said, "Hey, guys, I bet our elves meet up each night to fly back to the North Pole." Another gave tips on how to get a girl elf in the future. It was entertaining eavesdropping for sure! We were so thankful and so blessed with an absolutely lovely Sunday afternoon.

Here are a couple of pictures of my little sweeties after church yesterday.


Snowball Recipe:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of shaved coconut

Mix ingredients. Form into a ball. Roll in remaining coconut flakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with graham cracker sticks. Make sure you have a big party and can share the goodness because otherwise you will eat it ALL.

Hope you are enjoying this season of advent!

Let her eat cake...

Well, it happened. Somehow, our baby turned 1, and I am still reeling at how fast this year went by.

Part 2 of our celebration included Ansley eating her very own birthday cake, something that at one point during the first year of her life, I wasn't sure would ever happen. If you've been around here, you know that she suffers with severe allergies to milk and eggs (and earlier in her life, to MANY other things). Thankfully she got to eat her very own ladybug (not to be mistaken for porcupine :) ) cake:
The winning recipe (I tried several) was 1 box Classic Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix (the only milk free kind I have found), 1 can of pumpkin, and 1/2 cup of water.

We stripped her down to watch for rashes, but there was no need because she did GREAT!

I made each of the cousins their own bugs and the adults cupcakes with these cute toppers.
We started off her party with a prayer from Patrick over her precious life.
Then we ate lunch. I served only things that Ansley could eat, and our menu was barbeque sandwiches, baked beans, chips, apples, and cake. The kids had some hot dogs too. Ansley had her favorite: bananas and peas. :) She'll end up being the healthiest eater of all of us.
Then we had cake!
And opened presents...

Then we went outside for some family pictures.




For treats, I got the girl cousins ladybug cups, stickers, and bubbles. I got Sawyer a book and bubbles. I also displayed her costume picture that I took on her actual birthday, the invitation the Haley designed for her, and her costume. We ladybugged it out! :)
And finally, my sweet girl on her birthday:


At one-year-old, Ansley weighs 20 pounds, 3 ounces and is in the 30th%, is 29 3/4 inches long and is in the 70th%, and has a head in the 95%.

She is learning to walk, and takes more steps and gains more confidence each day.

She moves her mouth all the time, and some of her new words are "gobble, tree, night-night, peas, potato, chicken, Bible, this, look, book, Elmo, Big Bird, Dora, and Boots.

Her favorite foods are peas and bananas and cheerios. As of last Thursday, she is no longer a breastfed baby! She is drinking 20 ounces each day of the second stage soy formula from a cup (but I still give her a bottle at night)! We are going to keep her on this for a little while so that she can have a complete nutrition for a little longer, and then we are going to transition her to straight soy milk. She is eating a mixture of finger foods and pureed foods. Getting her nutrition is my main concern with our slow start, so I am taking my time with making her do all finger foods.

She loves books. Elmo's So Big, Are You Ticklish?, Twinkle Toes, and Brown Bear are her current faves. At night, when I am reading to her, she signs for "more" when we finish a book. It makes my heart so happy.

We are thankful to have a happy little one year old in our house! Thanks to everyone who celebrated her birthday with her. She is so blessed!

Well, it happened. Somehow, our baby turned 1, and I am still reeling at how fast this year went by.

Part 2 of our celebration included Ansley eating her very own birthday cake, something that at one point during the first year of her life, I wasn't sure would ever happen. If you've been around here, you know that she suffers with severe allergies to milk and eggs (and earlier in her life, to MANY other things). Thankfully she got to eat her very own ladybug (not to be mistaken for porcupine :) ) cake:
The winning recipe (I tried several) was 1 box Classic Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix (the only milk free kind I have found), 1 can of pumpkin, and 1/2 cup of water.

We stripped her down to watch for rashes, but there was no need because she did GREAT!

I made each of the cousins their own bugs and the adults cupcakes with these cute toppers.
We started off her party with a prayer from Patrick over her precious life.
Then we ate lunch. I served only things that Ansley could eat, and our menu was barbeque sandwiches, baked beans, chips, apples, and cake. The kids had some hot dogs too. Ansley had her favorite: bananas and peas. :) She'll end up being the healthiest eater of all of us.
Then we had cake!
And opened presents...

Then we went outside for some family pictures.




For treats, I got the girl cousins ladybug cups, stickers, and bubbles. I got Sawyer a book and bubbles. I also displayed her costume picture that I took on her actual birthday, the invitation the Haley designed for her, and her costume. We ladybugged it out! :)
And finally, my sweet girl on her birthday:


At one-year-old, Ansley weighs 20 pounds, 3 ounces and is in the 30th%, is 29 3/4 inches long and is in the 70th%, and has a head in the 95%.

She is learning to walk, and takes more steps and gains more confidence each day.

She moves her mouth all the time, and some of her new words are "gobble, tree, night-night, peas, potato, chicken, Bible, this, look, book, Elmo, Big Bird, Dora, and Boots.

Her favorite foods are peas and bananas and cheerios. As of last Thursday, she is no longer a breastfed baby! She is drinking 20 ounces each day of the second stage soy formula from a cup (but I still give her a bottle at night)! We are going to keep her on this for a little while so that she can have a complete nutrition for a little longer, and then we are going to transition her to straight soy milk. She is eating a mixture of finger foods and pureed foods. Getting her nutrition is my main concern with our slow start, so I am taking my time with making her do all finger foods.

She loves books. Elmo's So Big, Are You Ticklish?, Twinkle Toes, and Brown Bear are her current faves. At night, when I am reading to her, she signs for "more" when we finish a book. It makes my heart so happy.

We are thankful to have a happy little one year old in our house! Thanks to everyone who celebrated her birthday with her. She is so blessed!