Handmade in the Heartland

Tanner Hall

2012-03-07T14:12:00.004-06:00

So way back in 2007-08 i was a senior at RISD. It just so happened that there was a movie being filmed nearby by two Brown alumni- Tatiana Von Furstenberg and Francesca Gregorini, and they were looking for help in the costume department. (btw that is DVF's daughter and the stepdaughter of Ringo Starr) I jumped at the chance and ended up helping out with a few things. The main thing i did was make a pizza cape. Yes, thats right a cape the shape of a slice of pizza with oversized toppings. It was a fun little side project to do in the midst of a very crazy senior year and i was anxious of course to see the movie and catch a glimpse of the cape in action! Much to my dismay Tanner Hall's release date on IMDB didn't change from unannounced until last year when it debuted at a few independent film festivals and word around the internet is that the only reason it actually got to DVD is because the lead actress is Rooney Mara- who was unknown until her role in the girl with the dragon tattoo. So last week via Netflix it arrived in my mailbox, I have to be honest i read so many bad reviews on it that i mostly fast forwarded to the carnival scene when i knew i could catch a glimpse of my cape in action, and seriously the below picture is the best shot in the whole scene. Sad but true. But more exciting than that- my name in the credits! :) Cheers!

That's a black olive on his shoulder :) and the start of a green pepper...

and finally...

Pregnant... Again

2012-02-28T19:46:00.002-06:00

Quite possibly the best thing to happen to pregnancy since i was last pregnant (which wasn't all that long ago) are these amazing fruit snack prenatal vitamins! I have a confession to make, last pregnancy i probably only took my vitamin about 5 times- 3 of which i puked directly after. I hate to swallow pills- especially big pills and all the different prenatal vitamins i found last time were super huge! These little gems taste like yummy fruit snacks- its a like a little treat i get to have instead of having to choke down something, or just not taking it all together. :)

And yes we are expecting another little Muir baby August 25th. Max will be a year and half older than this one and although i know the next few years will be a challenge i think they will be great friends. Pregnancy has already gone by so much faster this time, probably because i'm chasing around a Mr.Max, and fully involved in my company The Green Bean- i can't believe i'm already 14 weeks! I think August will be here before i know it!

Max's Penguin Party

2012-02-26T17:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated Max's birthday here in KC with friends and family who came in town. I hope everyone who came had a good time, we were a little overwhelmed with trying to come up with what to do at a party with 1 year olds :) but it was fun. Here are some photos and recipes from the big day.

These cupcakes are seriously the best white cake i have ever made, and the milk chocolate icing is divine. i actually posted the icing a while ago, you can see the recipe in THIS post.

White Cupcakes:
Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll
need approx. 36).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt.
Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or
until well blended.
3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4
full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center
comes out clean.

i made THESE southwestern eggrolls and avacado dipping sauce. However the recipe says to bake them, don't. Fry them in a pot of oil over med-high heat. they are SO much better- i baked them the first time and they were gross. this recipe reminds me a lot of the eggrolls at chilis and i love those!

Those potato rounds are super easy, just cut up potatoes into 1/2" slices, brush with butter and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Take them out, make sure they are cooked and sprinkle cheese and green onions on top. Put back in oven for a few minutes until cheese melts and then put bacon on after.

I'm a big fan of these ham and cheese sliders. You can see the recipe HERE.
Below i made these little thank you cards to attach to the favor bags- we did bubbles for favors.

And here is our very own little penguin. The poor guy was actually pretty sick for his party- we went to the doctor right before and found out he had a pretty bad ear infection, but the party goes on... :) Doesn't he just look adorable?! and you can also kind of see in the background that dad matches him :)

You can download the cupcake toppers HERE and the thank you tags HERE.

Birthday Boy

2012-02-17T20:26:00.001-06:00

We can't believe it but this little guy is 1! its amazing how fast a year has gone by and how many fun adventures we have already had. Its amazing how much happiness he brings into our lives!

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T12:31:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentines to Everyone! Today i am missing my two boys- i am in Vegas for work and i can't wait to see my two favorite people tomorrow...

99 candles

2012-02-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we took a drive over to where my mom's side of the family lives in southern illinois for a very special lady's 99th birthday. My great grandma Ruby, Max's great-great grandma turned 99! can you believe that?! Our family threw a surprise birthday party for her and it was quite an elegant affair for a sweet and elegant lady. My favorite part of the party was when she saw her youngest sister Clari, whom she had no idea would be there and hadn't seen in 15 years, it was a sweet reunion.

Max found a picture of Matt and I and wouldn't leave it alone, he kept pointing at it, it was funny.

Walking in to the surprise.

Seeing Clari

blowing out the candles. We hope there are many more birthdays to come for this one!

2012-02-02T13:42:00.000-06:00

Lately i feel like my house is getting smaller, do any of you feel like that sometimes? Well i know that my house isn't getting smaller, and i know for certain it's plenty big for us- the problem is the stuff. I haven't quite reached the moment in life where I am master over my stuff, in my opinion sometimes the stuff gets the best of me, but lately i've been trying to think of ways to eliminate, get rid of, organize and contain the stuff that fills our life. The book club i'm in read "The house that cleans itself" last month, i have to be honest i didn't read much more than the 1st chapter because it started depressing me because at that very moment my house was anything but clean, however, i thought the book club discussion was great and it gave me a renewed determination to read the book and clean my house!

All that to say that one of my friends made an observation about the book that i really liked- she said that the author said that every "thing" in your house takes up your time- to clean it, to pick it up, to move it to get to something else, it all takes valuable time- so is it worth it? Do you need it? Is there a better home for it? One thing i did that was a huge step for me was to get rid of the magazine subscriptions. I know that's like taking away my birthday, right?! Well actually for about a year now (possibly coinciding with having baby) i find that the magazines come every month and i read about 1/4 of them and then they just sit until the next month when the stack doubles, and then triples... and you get it because i don't read them so i don't want to recycle them yet, but they are taking up valuable space! So did it, i didn't renew anything. So not all of them have stopped yet, but sometime within the next few months they will, and i'm totally okay with it. I think the other main reason i'm good with it is because of pinterest, It's like reading all my magazines at once!

The second thing i did just today was get rid of all the dvd cases. Sometimes i wonder why we hold on to such things- do i really need to see the cover image of Legally Blonde to know i want to watch it? NO, i know i want to watch it- duh, Elle's my favorite. So why keep things that take up the space of a whole garbage bag that you can fit in something the size of a large book? Done and Done. You can see the pic below for further illustration. :)

Here's to keeping New Years Resolutions! :)

Baby Cookies

2012-01-31T10:31:00.001-06:00

So being a new mom you go through all these phases with your baby. We are now in the regular foods phase, well i should say regular foods that you can eat with 8 teeth and not choke on, but nonetheless you hand our little man a cracker and he'll down it like no ones business. He might be a monkey because he eats a minimum of 2 bananas a day! Regardless I've decided to not just feed him all the typical white flour kid foods- crackers, bread, etc, and so trying to figure out what to feed an 11 month old is a bit of a challenge. This is where i turn to my favorite baby-toddler cookbook, the Petit Appetit Cookbook. Its awesome. I highly recommend it for making babyfood as well as good healthy toddler foods. It's funny how much i've watched what i eat now because Max wants literally anything i put in my mouth and i don't want to feed him crap- even though sometimes i know thats what i eat.
I've made a few things from the cookbook including muffins- which he loved but made a HUGE mess so i wasn't so much a fan, and then last night i made the fruity puree cookies- and he loved them! Here is the recipe:

Fruity Puree Cookies
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup apple puree (she says pear puree works well too) i used applesauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
Heat oven to 350. In a mixer combine sugar and oil until smooth. Then add remaining ingredients one at a time mixing after each addition. Refridgerate dough for 30 minutes. Roll 1 tablespoon-pieces into balls and placed on greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten cookies with fork. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
And Here's proof they were a success…

Btw- i love the baby bjorn bib- its a must have at this age because he catches like 50 percent of what he eats in his mouth and the rest would go in his lap if it weren't for the "trough" of the bib, We also love our keekaroo high chair. it's a lifesaver.

New Software

2012-01-25T08:28:00.002-06:00

Hi friends.

this is just a test, i'm trying out some new blogging software on my new mac book pro :)-- its called MarsEdit, does anyone else use it? here's a cute pic of the little guy for fun. He's into everything these days!!

xoxo

Ang

Happy 2012

2012-01-04T19:40:00.002-06:00

It's no secret i'm a big fan of new years resolutions, and goals in general. I usually make a huge spreadsheet like list of all the goals for the new year, categorized and printed like 8 times. This year i needed something a little bit simpler. So i decided to make 12 resolutions for 2012. Here's my list, and here's to making this year better than the last! Cheers!

Aloha!

2011-12-30T13:09:00.002-06:00

Aloha from the island of Kauai! We will be back on the mainland after the ball has dropped, until then Happy New Year to you all!

p.s Max LOVES the sand and the beach.

Can you do it?

2011-12-08T15:53:00.004-06:00

It's been a rough week around here. Yesterday we spent 12 hours at the Childrens Mercy ER, Max somehow got a sewing needle stuck in his foot that had to be surgically removed. He was a trooper, but we were all exhausted. That happened 3 days after getting the stomach flu- all of us. So yeah, its been super fun around here. Needless to say i need something else to think about, and this challenge has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks now. It's for January. January is such a cleansing month, isn't it? Well this year i want to kick off my year with a spending cleanse, especially following the Christmas shopping craziness i am looking forward to seeing how much we can do without spending any money. I thought i would put the challenge out there and see how many of you want to do it with me? Here are the rules/guidelines/reasons why to do this, I've thought up in my head.

1. Don't spend any money except bills and $50 a week on perishable food- i.e milk, bread, eggs- did you think i was going to make your kids starve?

2. Use what you have. Use your pantry, your freezer, your food storage. Use it!

3. Shop your house. I'm pretty sure i own a general store in my house and i forget about so much. Catalog what you have. Make it work.

4. Make things from nothing. Well not nothing, but all the craft supplies you have. If you don't have a lot come over to my house because i have enough for the rest of ya.

5. Find free entertainment. Play games. Enjoying hibernating, whatever!

Is that enough for ya? and yes i mean no eating out, not even lunch, no running to target or grabbing that magazine at the grocery store, this is a cleanse people! I'm quite excited to see just how much money i can save, and then to translate that into my budget for the rest of 2012. back in 2008 i went a whole year without buying any clothing and it did wonders for my spending habits, heres to hoping this does the same! I'll be blogging about my adventures and telling you all about it, so stay tuned!

a little Christmas decor

2011-12-02T14:32:00.005-06:00

I love this time of year. Christmas is one of my favorite Holidays- second only to my birthday, jk. and i love taking down regular decorations and replacing with Christmas ones. Its really fun. I get it from my mom no doubt, that was the dreaded task every year bringing up the boxes and boxes and boxes of decorations, but i sure loved it once they were all up. I swore i wouldn't do it to my kids, and well that's one promise i wont be keeping. :) I love that my living room and kitchen are already painted green, so all i have to do is add red accents and its perfectly Christmas! I am also super excited about the new end tables my friend gave me for free that i refinished- i just need to find new nobs, and i was super excited to find my new lamps at Marshalls. i Love them! To paint them i just sanded them down (well get it done group did that) primed them with oil based primer and then used a flat black paint. I sanded small areas to distress them and then finished those areas off with a wood stain. Aren't they cute?!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T14:15:00.004-06:00

We had SUCH a wonderful time on our Thanksgiving trip to the desert. I'll take 70 degree weather in November any day. The kids played outside and there was wonderful food and the entire Muir family. We had a photographer come and take a photo of us all, which i can't wait to see and despite the very very horrible hair cut/color catastrophe that happened to me the day we left, i think they'll turn out good. 10 children, 8 of them under 3 years old- the photographer had a fun time :)

my sister-in-law is a Graphic Designer, can you tell? -- Make your own snack mix, snack bar.

yummm.... so much great food
i made brussell sprouts and dessert- creme brulee

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-11-19T22:04:00.004-06:00

yes i know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but that didn't stop me from pulling out my Christmas boxes and getting it all out last week. I even swapped out all my regular dishes with my favorite Christmas ones. This time of year makes me really happy. Not that i'm not happy at other times of the year :) As i was decorating i saw some open areas that needed some more Christmas cheer, and we all know the best way to spread Christmas cheer is.... yes that's right... singing loud for all to hear. I whipped up this little guy to print and i'm thinking it needs to be big. like 24 x 36 or something.

The Perfect Tomato Soup

2011-11-14T19:04:00.003-06:00

Last week we had a couple of those days where you just need a bowl of soup- you know the kind of day, it's drizzly, cold and all you want to do is put on your favorite pair of sweats, watch a good movie and have a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwhich. As a kid i'm pretty sure we just had strait campbell's but my grandmother derived this amazing recipe and i've been making it for the last few years. Its perfect because its delicious and so easy. Also i bought some ready made asiago cheese foccacia bread at the grocery bakery, slapped some butter and meunster cheese on it and threw it in the oven for about 5 minutes to make a melty goodness. The perfect pair.

Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans of condensed Tomato Soup

1 ½ cups of whole milk

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp basil

½ tsp of salt, ¼ tsp of peper

1 tsp of sugar

Combine all ingredients, stirring constantly. Use a hand mixer if very smooth soup is desired. Bring to a slow boil. Stir constantly. Simmer for 20-40 minutes. Serve hot with parm & croutons.

FNL

2011-11-07T15:42:00.004-06:00

I've been meaning for a while to blog about one of our new favorite shows. Friday Night Lights. All the seasons are on Netflix instant and we got addicted pretty quickly. I only regret that we didn't watch it when it was on TV, due to low amount of viewers it was canceled after 5 seasons and all i want is a few more episodes- well i would really love a few more seasons to tell you the truth. Matt and i both really enjoyed it, and for those of you who think it's just a remember the titans tv version- its not. sure it's a show about a high school football team, but its more about the characters than anything else. Needless to say when we watched the last episode, which they wrapped up very nicely, a few weeks ago i was sad. Maybe its just me, but whenever we watch tv series on netflix or dvds and watch the episodes back to back to back in a short amount of time i grow really weirdly attached to the characters. They pop up in my dreams and subconsciously i start to think i know them. Which in itself is a little weird, i admit. So how do you think i reacted when star quarterback Matt Saracen got in line next to me at security in the Nashville airport...

yeah. im not kidding. So i'm standing there and i see this guy walk up to get in line and the first think that goes through my mind is "hey i know him" and then "wait. a . second... AH! i KNOW him!! i didn't scream and run up to him or anything but this huge smile came across my face and i'm pretty sure his girlfriend spotted it/me recognizing her bf because she smiled at me. so the whole time im waiting in the security line i'm like gauging if we will come through at the same time- sweating profusely and arguing in my head if i would even go up and talk to him, what would i even say? And then theres the fact that his girlfriend is with him and thats a little awkward anyway, and his line kept moving faster than mine and i just knew he would be long gone by the time i got through. geez. finally i got through security the fastest i have ever- whipping poor Max out of his stroller and shoving it down the belt as fast as i could. I finally got through and put Max back in his stroller in time to see Mr. Saracen's girlfriend getting the double pat down and he walking over a few feet from me to sit down. and get this, someone i know for real from high school was sitting two seats away from him. destiny, i thought to myself. destiny. I walked over started talking to Mrs.Baskin and then turned to him, interrupted whatever he wad doing on his phone and did it. I told him that my husband and i were huge fans of the show and asked him if he would take a photo. he was really nice and talked just like on teh show. i'm a total nerd. i know. but it was really cool. :) i only wish it wasn't a hideous picture of me...

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T09:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween from Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. Isn't our little tomato so cute?!

Spring 2012

2011-10-28T21:59:00.004-05:00

I pretty much hate that the spring runway shows hit at just the moment that you are packing up all your light and funny summer clothes into a box to go under your bed- or wherever you store yours. Its precisely the moment that you are craving yummy chunky knits, warm layers and beautiful coats and then you look at style.com and that all disappears because really all you want is to head strait back to spring and wear these amazing runway looks. I guess this is why i need to live in the desert. Here are a few of my favorite looks and heres to dreaming of spring...

Carolina Herrera

J.Crew

Zac Posen

Oscar de la Renta

Marchesa

Alice + Olivia

Helping Friends

2011-10-26T15:03:00.003-05:00

My friend Lacey is pretty awesome. She is a crazy good knitter and when i realized that i just wasn't ever going to really take up that hobby i decided to give her all my needles and yarn that i had collected to try and venture there. She made me the most gorgeous ruffle scarf that i really need to take a photo of. So it was nice when she had a project that she needed my help with- sewing some curtains for her very cute living room/kitchen area. It was a fun project and i love the way they make the room pop. One tip i always tell people when hanging curtains is to put your curtain rod well above the window- this makes it look much bigger. You can see how Lacey did that in both rooms and it looks fabulous!
She made the gorgeous flower pillows- i just sewed them together and put a little piping on. She used THIS tutorial to make the flowers.

Out and About Around KC

2011-10-25T13:30:00.006-05:00

Last weekend was gorgeous. just beautiful, and we took full advantage of the lovely fall in Kansas City. Friday night i had such a fun girls night with friends. We went to dinner at lulu's noodle shop and then went to Holiday Mart at the convention center. Holiday Mart is a big trade show with lots of different vendors selling all kinds of items from gifts and jewelry to clothes and Christmas decor- its a one stop shop for every girl on your Christmas list- i knocked out quite a few people on my list at this big show and made a mental note that i must exhibit next year with the green bean, every vendor i talked with said they had done really well. I have some photos below of some things that i loved and wanted to buy- but then thought, i can make that. :)

On Saturday after Matt got home from a training meeting we went down to my favorite Saturday morning spot- the farmers market. A lot of people forget that the market is still going strong in the fall with onions, spinach, pears, apples and all kinds of other produce still in season. Matt has been into geocashing lately so we walked around the city market area of downtown for a little while looking for a geocash and then went to our favorite antique store down there too, it was a great day to just be out walking around downtown. Oh and thanks to the great camera on my new iphone 4s i captured lots of blog worthy photos :) enjoy.
little man lookin stylin and happy on our walk...

Some fun goodies at Holiday Mart...

a new dress...

2011-10-23T20:54:00.002-05:00

Lately i've been making a lot of bags. which is great and all, but i feel a little like a factory worker at times. So this week after i mailed off the last of the orders for this month, i put the bags aside and made something for myself. It felt SO good to make clothes again. I have 3 tops in progress on my table right now, our Halloween costumes and then this dress that i finished in about 3 hours. i think i need a few more, don't you?!

Nerdy Thirty

2011-10-17T19:36:00.003-05:00

Saturday was pretty fun. Our friend Lacey turned 30 and we attended her "nerdy thirty" party. I was just going to wear an ugly sweater but when Matt got home from goodwill he had hit the jackpot with quite possibly the ugliest jacket and shirt i had ever seen. But really his whole look was hilarious. We won the costume contest, and people at dave and busters didn't know what to think of our group! :)

Green Bean News

2011-10-03T15:01:00.004-05:00

Hi Friends,

There is a lot going on with the Green Bean right now. a few of the bags are being featured in a flash sale on sneeq peeq right now- the prices are much lower than in our etsy store, so now is the time to buy if you were thinking about it! You can see the online boutique by going HERE.

Also we are doing a giveaway on the Green Bean blog so make sure to enter! Just go HERE to see all the details.

Family Photos

2011-10-02T13:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we took some family photos, my friend Sam was so great and came over for a few minutes to snap them. You can see her photography blog HERE. I figured Max wouldn't last too long, and i was right, however after about 20 minutes Matt is done as well. Good thing we got several really good ones and i was having a good camera day :)

Happy Saturday

2011-10-01T20:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday. We have been watching general conference all day, which as been relaxing, rejuvenating and wonderful. I was thinking about the quote above, i just remembered it from a while ago and how we need to remember the things that are really important. Sometimes thats hard, don't you think? I feel like i need it in my bathroom or something, somewhere i can see it everyday!

I made this quote a while ago for our bedroom that i still have not decorated. I'll get to it one day...

Apples Apples Everywhere

2011-09-27T14:52:00.006-05:00

I have a friend that told me that she gets apples from a farm north of KC for only $10 a bushel! i couldn't help myself so i told her to get me some when she went this year. I ended up with 2 1/2 bushels- only $25- but seriously enough apples to last a looooong time. It's kind of been a race to get them all prepared in some type of fashion before they go bad. I have diced them and froze them, peeled and sliced for the freezer, and made apple sauce with the most amazing kitchenaid attachment ever. With the last 1/2 a bushel on my counter i plan to make apple butter, apple pie filling and maybe some dinner recipes- apples and porkchops anyone? Needless to say we are going to be eating apples (local, in season apples) for the next year, and for only $25...

I just diced some, after washing them to freezer for oatmeal and what not. Using the sink as a bowl was key when doing so many at a time!

I filled my sinks like this 7 times, i know, that's a lot of apples! Max will have applesauce for the next year!
To make apple sauce it was actually pretty easy. You just wash the apples, the core them with a handy $5 segmenter and then pop them in a pot that is filled with about an inch of water. I was so glad i had a huge pot to use because i just filled it, let it cook and then started saucing.

I used the kitchenaid food grinder and fruit strainer attachment. I already have the food grinder part of the attchment so i just had to order the fruit strainer addition, I think the investment for the attachment is well worth it if you plan on doing apples more than once. After you cook the apples- and make sure they are cooked to where it is soft all the way through, you just use a slotted spoon and transfer then to the "hopper"- the top portion of the attachment- Peel and all, thats one of the best things about using the kitchenaid- no peeling!
Then the strainer poops out the stuff you don't want in your apple sauce. cool huh?
and the good apple sauce falls into the bowl. I personally didn't think that the instructions that came with the attachment were very helpful and i found THIS tutorial online that helped me out. For half of my applesauce i just kept it plain for Max and then the other half i mixed cinnamon and honey into for us. All in all i made 16 jars of applesauce. Since i have a chest freezer i just popped them all in the freezer instead of canning them. I also made THESE wonderful apple peanut butter cookies and THESE apple bars.
Happy Fall!

Relief Society

2011-09-25T11:18:00.003-05:00

Last night i attended the general relief society broadcast for our church. I really loved the messages given and the moment to just listen to inspired words. Here are my favorite quotes from the night.

Max's Blog

2011-09-19T08:04:00.001-05:00

Hey Friends. If you were reading my blog for my son Max you might have noticed that we went private. i just felt that with my business going so public and bags being sold all over the world that all the info. about our little guy being out there might not be the best thing. So if you did read it and you still want to, please comment here so i can email you an invite.

thanks!
Angela

Emmy's Best

2011-09-18T21:58:00.001-05:00

seriously. i need this dress. Lea Michele you have my vote for the best dressed tonight!

p.s so happy that Modern Family swept it all! and even more excited that the new season starts this week!

Football Time!

2011-09-18T10:51:00.007-05:00

If there is one thing that i missed out on during my college years its was cheering for college athletic teams. Now don't get me wrong i'll take living in New England and going to an art museum any day over watching a football game, but its just something i missed out on. Growing up in TN you would think i would have become a volunteer fan, everyone else was, but i wouldn't be caught dead in that hideous orange. So when i married Matt i adopted his alma mater, BYU, I even went to a football game with him once. I kind of like having a "team" even if i didn't go to school there... All this to say that last night we had some other BYU fans over to watch the game against the big rival the Utes. We won't talk about the actual game, because well that just upsets Matt, but the food and friends were quite fun. :)

Homemade Oreo Footballs
2 packages of devils food cake mix
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together and then roll into little tube looking pieces (see pic)
Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Let cool and then frost one cookie and put one on top for sandwich cookie effect.

Cream Cheese Icing

1pound (2 8ounce packages) cream cheese, softened slightly, cut into
small pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened slightly, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups confectioners' sugar

in a medium-size bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat
the cream cheese and the butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add
the vanilla extract. Gradually add the sugar and beat until well
incorporated. Add your teams color food coloring!

Up all Night

2011-09-14T08:14:00.001-05:00

How funny does this show look? maybe its just the timing, but its set to record on our DVR tonight.

My favorite kitchen appliance

2011-09-13T22:33:00.001-05:00

Now don't get me wrong i love my kitchenaid stand mixer, but lately i've realized how essential a food processor is. We have been pureeing everything from peaches to zucchini for the little man and i am impressed every time at how effortless making baby food is with this miracle of an appliance. I am a big fan of the cookbook Petite Appetit, however once you've done one batch its pretty self explanatory- cook/steam your veggie or fruit and then puree- but its a fabulous reference guide if you're not sure what to make or how to prepare it. i have been freezing most of the food once i make it and i really like THESE small ziplock containers- you can get them at your grocery store- they are super easy to just pop a few in the fridge a few times a week- for Max they are about 2 servings per container. I also used my muffin tins once i ran out of containers and they worked well also. You just put the food in the muffin pan, pop it in the freezer for a few hours, take it out, pop them out and put them in a freezer bag. Really there is NO reason to buy baby food- making your own is easy, way cheaper and healthier for baby! I've been using all the fresh produce from my farmers market.

I also made a big batch of pesto- since basil is so plentiful these days. i just used a basic recipe and it turned out great, i froze the rest in muffin tins which will be perfect for pasta throughout the winter. just another thing the food processor does perfectly.

POOL Tradeshow

2011-08-29T22:20:00.006-05:00

I'm back from POOL! It was such a success, i am so glad i went. My recycled coffee bean bags were picked up by stores in California, Ohio, Florida, JAPAN & New Zealand! I'm international! I am still working on following up with people that i met and i am excited about all the new possibilities for the green bean! (that's the name of my company) Stay tuned because i'm sure this blog is going to get a big makeover and lots of exciting things will be happening in the coming months!

25 is a good number

2011-08-20T19:37:00.008-05:00

1. So you think you know about a perfect day? really?? well let me enlighten you on mine.

2. Get your hair cut and colored in a sassy new do the night before so you wake up feeling cute.

3. Sleeping peacefully the entire night because a fabulous husband slept on the couch with baby in a pack-n-play so you dont have to get up to put a binkie back in. blissful.

4. Waking up to mummified door by streamers was especially cute.

5. Then seeing more streamers draped downstairs was even cuter.
6. opening gifts is really fun.

7. especially when its adorable shoes that you didn't pick out and totally love and need and are perfect for the outfits that you were stewing over what shoes to wear with. Even more amazing is that your husband knows you so well that he can pick out the shoes that you yourself would pick out if you went shopping.
8. and then a spa gift card?! really? and i get to go right now!? massage. manicure. pedicure. can i just say heaven. oh and this spa has a Swedish Bath Ritual room that although sounds wierd is just three different hot tubs that you get to "soak" in before your services. delightful.
9. lets top it all off with the watch that you were dieing for. shall we?
10. Spend some quality time with your two favorite boys.

11. Eat lunch at a greasy but delicious local burger joint that you haven't tried before.

12. Use some birthday money and shop for new makeup to make you feel even cuter.
13. Hire babysitter

14. Make a reservation at a swanky restaurant that you haven't ever been before.

15. arrive at said restaurant and realize its in a totally cool and picture worthy part of your city.

16. Stuff yourself with the best italian food you have eaten outside of Italy.

17. Order the nutella dark chocolate and caramelized banana custard. just do it even though you have cake at home.
18. enjoy the ambiance, conversation and company of your very amazing husband.
19. Take some fun pictures while strolling around the restaurant in a warm summers night.

20. Buy yourself a hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting from Bloom bakery in the city market.
21. and invite some fabulous friends over to share it with you.
22. Check your facebook to see that over 50 people wrote on your wall wishing you happy birthday. feel very loved

23. Read the birthday cards that were sent in the mail. feel even more loved.

24. Go in and see your sweet baby sleeping soundly.

25. Kiss that amazing husband who did it all for you goodnight.

Sneak Peek

2011-08-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

Here's a little sneak peak of the items i will be debuting at Pool for my line of Recycled Coffee Bean Goods. When i get home from market i will update my etsy store as well as hopefully inform you of some awesome shops where you will be able to purchase them!

2011-08-15T21:58:00.002-05:00

i'm a bottle of nerves this week. i leave on Sunday for Pool and i keep going back and forth between feeling confident that i'll sell lots of bags to fear that i wont sell anything. One thing i do know is that i'm so excited to be taking a risk and doing something that makes me happy, because isn't that what life's about?

The Help

2011-08-13T20:57:00.003-05:00

I loved the book and its not very often that you enjoy a movie as much as you did the book, but in this case i really loved them equally. Great casting, beautiful costumes, amazing story. Jessica Chastain as Celia Foote was one of my favorites and Emma Stone was fabulous. Go See It!

Dear Future...

2011-08-07T17:53:00.007-05:00

Dear Future

i'm not certain of many things- i mean i like to plan a lot and have tons of ideas- but i'm not for sure on most of it. But here is one thing that i know for. a. fact.

These two people must live near us- as in down the road or at least within the same zip code.

We had such a fun summer. I feel like i have a new best friend and well Casey is Matt's best friend...

It was my favorite summer in Kansas City by far. and we are feeling the pains of Casey and Kylie's empty apartment- all we can say is that we will one day live in the same place, for sure!

featured on stella & henry

2011-07-22T18:10:00.003-05:00

Hey friends. i was asked to give my favorite baby prodcuts for the fabulous stella & henry blog. Hurry over to see the post and my favorite things for Max. :)

Fun with the Fam

2011-07-13T10:34:00.008-05:00

So i have been super slow at posting anything lately. Maybe its the 5 month old that is constantly needing something, or the fact that nap times have been totally overtaken with preparation for market in August- either way i know i really needed to get these fun photos up! We had SUCH a wonderful 4th with most of Matt's family here in Kansas City. I can't wait for Max to be big enough to play with his cousins, they are going to have a blast! So here it goes...

there was a lot of frisbee throwing
and swimsuit time

these two are only a few months apart, aren't they so cute!?
Chris climbed a tree...
Madi had so much fun with her uncles
i cooked. alot.
Madi made us all smile and laugh. a lot.
we went to a carnival, it was really hot so we didn't stay long- however it was long enough for brothers to compete in something...

Madi, all smiles the whole weekend. what an ADORABLE girl!
we took some fun photos.

and did some more swimming
and more frisbee-ing...
and of course there were fireworks.

what a fun family. i totally lucked out.

New Things

2011-07-11T12:44:00.002-05:00

So a lot of you know that i make sewn items using recycled coffee bean sacks and a few years ago i had wanted to take my small craft business to the big time but it never actually happened. Well i am very excited to say that in August i will be exhibiting my bags along with the tshirts i design for Classic Coup at the Pool tradeshow in Las Vegas! its a big deal in my world and im currently using every second of naptimes to source and sew and figure everything out before i go to pool. Its exciting and anxiety ridden at the same time, but more exciting. I knew i wanted to have a cool hangtag so i enlisted the local print shop Hammerpress to design one for me. I am SO excited about it, its going to be letterpressed on chipboard and i pick them up today! ill post a pic of the real thing once i have them, but i wanted to go ahead and give you a glimpse of the design. how cool is that?!

a fabulous fourth

2011-07-05T18:59:00.002-05:00

Isn't this photo gorgeous? i keep looking at it thinking that we kind of look a little bit like a ralph lauren ad. ha! and to think the camera was just set on a tripod! 4 out of 5 of Matt's siblings came to the heartland to celebrate the fourth and it was a 4 day party. There are lots of details to share but for now i'm decompressing with a big dose of tv watching, blog reading, magazine flipping and NOT cooking... :) It was a blast, i'm pretty convinced we need to all live near each other so these cousins can play all the time!

Baby Shower for Angela Cady

2011-06-30T09:43:00.006-05:00

Last night i had a baby shower for a friend here in Kansas City. I did a blue & green polka dot theme and since ive been really into using my new ice cream maker attachment for my kitchen aid mixer i did an ice cream bar. It was simple and fun. I found the recipes for these ice creams in different places but i'm really excited about THIS book i treated myself to-it came yesterday and has endless options of delicious ice creams to make. I'm really excited to start trying them out.

For the shower i made Salted Caramel, Vanilla with a hint of Sage & Blueberry Basil Sorbet. We also had lime french macarons, lemonade with a hint of basil and fresh peach cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I've been really into making a simple syrup - which is just bringing the same amount of sugar and water to a boil, i usually do 2 cups of each, and then after it boils i take it off the heat and as it cools i pop in some fresh herbs, basil is particularly delicious, let it steep and then remove the leaves. For my lemonade i just used a lemonade powder mix and then added 2 cups of the basil simple syrup, its so easy and gives it a hint of another flavor. I did this same thing with the vanilla ice cream- i used a basic vanilla ice cream recipe but added 1 cup of sage simple syrup.

As for the Salted Caramel Ice Cream i used THIS recipe but since she is from Europe and uses grams i converted the recipe for you here. (who measures egg yolks in grams? just tell me how many eggs please!) It also uses this weird sugar called demerara, i had considered ordering in off amazon but then scrapped the idea and wasn't going to make this recipe at all; then we were out shopping on Thursday and they had it at Williams-Sonoma so i snatched it and gave it a try. Its seriously so good. i highly recommend it. i guess you could substitute the demerara sugar for brown sugar but i don't know if it would taste the same.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup demerara sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a small saucepan, simmer the whole milk, heavy cream and the split vanilla bean scraping all the vanilla seeds.
In a large saucepan, we are going to make a dry caramel with the demerara. Heat the saucepan and sprinkle about half of the sugar on it. The sugar will slowly start to melt and turn brown, keep sprinkling more sugar over it until you have incorporated all of it. Stir with a wooden spoon so it caramelizes evenly. It will start to turn darker and it might even have a burnt caramel smell. This is what we want but be careful that it does not burn. Turn the heat off.
Slowly whisk half of the warm milk and cream mixture into the caramel. This mixture will start to bubble up so be careful not to add too much at once or it will over flow. Keep whisking until bubbles disappear and add the remainder of the milk.
If you feel there are crystallized caramel pieces in the bottom of the pan, turn heat on and let them melt again.
Temper the caramel mixture into the egg yolks. Pour this back into the saucepan and cook until thermometer reaches 82ºC. Be careful not to overcook it because it will curdle. Remove from heat and add sea salt. This is going to be the ice cream base.
Strain the ice cream base into a clean bowl and place it on an ice bath so it cools down quickly. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before churning it in the ice cream machine. I usually leave it in the refrigerator over night. Churn it according to your machines’ instructions and freeze it.

4 Years in a Flash

2011-06-24T17:00:00.005-05:00

So its been one of those days today. Little man is finally down for a nap that i'm praying will last more than the other two at a whopping 30 minutes. Just long enough for me to start sanding down a table, be completely covered in dust but not really make that much of a dent in the project... So we decided to run errands, because that always makes him a little bit happier when he's fussy. seriously he likes to be on the go. Well during our target outing i found a great deal on patio chairs- and since we need them for the family coming into town for the 4th i didn't hesitate to buy 6. I thought they would fit fine in my car, didn't even really consider that it would be difficult to get them home... well just be glad you weren't driving behind me on Ambassador as one of them flew out the back of my scion into the road. like i said, its been one of those days.

However yesterday was one of those literally perfect days. It was our 4 year anniversary. Matt took off from work, took the 2 am feeding (because for some reason my baby who was sleeping until 5 am at 10 weeks old has started waking up at 2 and 18 weeks- a mystery to me) then let me sleep in a little bit, and made me breakfast in bed. what a man. We then spent the morning hanging out, opening gifts- he got me that amazing jcrew striped dress i'm wearing in the photos- and then we went down to the plaza and loose park. On our way home we stopped at world market (forgot how much i like that store!) and then we had a babysitter for our dinner reservations at Room 39. It was just a really wonderful easy going nothing too fancy type of day. Max wasn't fussy and loved strolling around the park and the plaza and It was 79 degrees!

We talked at dinner about 4 years of marriage. about how we love that we are adventurous. How we have been hang gliding in Rio, zip lining in Costa Rica, journeying through Europe (walking up the Eiffel Tower) and always finding new little spots to explore right at home. We decided we want to always stay adventurous no matter how crazy life gets. Matt told me he loved that i was always trying new things especially with cooking and i told him a little secret- deep down i'm afraid of becoming a boring person so i'm always trying to do something new. Everyday i am reminded of how i honestly couldn't have found a more perfect person for me. I love my Matty.

Besties in town

2011-06-18T13:10:00.005-05:00

So i've been a bad blogger. I know. You don't have to tell me. and i apologize, but honestly i have good reasons. it seems that every time i think i have a moment to start typing up a post the monitor starts to grunt and cry and i have to run up two flights of stairs to the little man. Anyway a few weeks ago my best friends from home were in town for a fun girls weekend. It was so fun and made me realize how much i miss these girls and wish they lived closer! To add to the excitement Caroline just got engaged- you know i love a wedding- and so i set up an appointment at a very cute bridal salon for her to try on dresses. One of my favorite moments of the day was when i gave a suggestion on how to alter a dress and the saleswoman told me i should be a designer... ha. (of course we didn't tell her that i would most likely be making the brides dress...) If you are shopping for a wedding gown in KC i would highly reccomend Altar, such a wonderfully unique shop with very cool designers- the dress Caroline liked the most was a carol hannah! (PR alum) We had a great weekend and i cant wait to see them again.

Girls Camp 2011

2011-06-14T21:56:00.006-05:00

So i am home. Most of you didn't know i was gone, but i was, for a whole week. away from my bebe. It was for a good reason- i was asked to be the director for my church's youth girls camp last year and this year. It was a long but wonderful week. Our theme for the week was "Your Happily Ever After" taken from a talk by President Uchtdorf. Throughout the week we found opportunities to remind the girls that they truly are daughters of a Heavenly King who loves them. We had some fun activities, lots of fabulous campfire food and plenty of laughs. I love getting to know these young women and be reminded of how wonderful they are. I also found a few babysitters :) Here are some fun photos from the week.

I decorated the lodge the first night for a "princess" dinner for the YCL's (Youth Camp Leaders- all the girls ages 16-18)

On Tuesday night we had an activity where the girls were given different materials and had to make a wedding dress in an allotted amount of time.
and then they walked the runway...
One night we had a tournament between the different wards.. it was very fun!

Matty is 28!

2011-05-31T14:20:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday Matty turned 28! It was a good birthday, we celebrated by doing some shopping, eating at our favorite restaurant- Justus Drugstore, and enjoying cake with Casey, Kylie & Tim. I made a white cake with coconut icing topped with shaved coconut. I think one of Matt's favorite things about this summer is having his brother Casey out here in Kansas City. We have really enjoyed spending so much time with Casey & Kylie and they will be here until the end of July! i'm not sure what we are going to do when they leave- one thing is for sure we need to live in the same place at some point. These brothers are best friends.

Max helped dad open his presents...
Last weekend we went to the Indy 500 (a family tradition) and Casey, Billy & Matt had a great time..
A few weeks ago we went down to Sadlers indoor racing and had some fun. Here are some photos from that weekend...

such good friends.. (p.s we think they should go on the Amazing Race, they would call them "the redheads")

Simple Centerpieces

2011-05-24T10:39:00.005-05:00

Last week i headed our Relief Society's annual service auction. Its such a fun activity and i was happy to make the dessert and decorate the tables. I came up with these super easy pinwheel centerpieces. All you do is buy some 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper, i bought a pack of 50 sheets for $5.00 at walmart, then cut 2 inches of each side so the page is 10 x 10. Then you draw diagonal lines from each corner to the center leaving about 3 inches from the center not drawn. Cut the lines, punch holes in all the left corners and then pull them together into the center with a brad. I used square dowels i also bought at walmart and used hot glue to hold them in place. I think they turned out super cute and SO inexpensive!
For dessert i made my banana peanut butter cream pie as well as pink lemonade pie. SO easy. Here is the recipe

Pink Lemonade Pie
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 8ounce cool whip
1 sweetened condensed milk
1/2 can of frozen pink lemonade

Mix all ingredients together, dump in pie crust, put in fridge to set for a few hours. i topped with some lime slices & zest. Its a perfectly light summer dessert. Thanks to my bestie Jessica who gave me the recipe!
The service auction is such a fun activity. Everyone brings either an item they have made- everything from cupcakes & cookies to handmade headbands and jewelry or a service they are willing to preform- like "babysitting for a date night" or "i'll clean your fridge". When everyone arrives they take a survey that asks questions like Did you pray today- 10 points, have you told someone you loved them today- 10 points. etc. and then the amount of points you get from the survey is the amount you have to bid on the different items. We always have SUCH a fun time doing it! I ended up with delicious cupcakes, a cute necklace, and a few other items as well.

5 generations

2011-05-16T15:35:00.002-05:00

Its not very often that someone has a great-great-grandmother alive, but Max is one lucky little guy. My great-grandma Ruby is holding strong at 98 years old and the day before Mothers day she met Max and we all had our picture taken. 5 generations- isn't that cool?! i know we will cherish these photos forever.

Clothing Swap Party

2011-05-09T07:56:00.002-05:00

I had another clothing swap party that was a huge success! I would say this is one of my favorite parties to throw because at the end of it i walk away with new clothes that i didn't pay a cent for, i am lucky to have such cute friends that have great taste. Anyone can throw one of these because everyone has clothes in their closet they probably haven't worn in a while and could use a new home. I have everyone bring their clothes on hangers, i set up my clothing racks and after we have a few snacks we go upstairs and shop away! I made cheesecake, blueberry focaccia bread & some savory empanadas for the party and my go-to raspberry lemonade punch.

I have to also say a big thank you to my friend Jenny who found my drink dispenser- i LOVE it! :)

Crumb-Topped Cheesecake
adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Old-Fashioned Recipes from New York’s Sweetest Bakery
makes one 10-inch cheesecake

Filling
2 lbs cream cheese (that’s 4 8-oz packages), softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temp
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp vanilla extract (I used the scrapings of 2 vanilla beans-soak them in the heavy cream before adding)

Topping
You could cut this in half and still have plenty…
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese at low speed until it is smooth. Slowly add the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between. Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure the filling is mixed well with no lumps, then stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, confectioners sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Use a pastry blender or 2 forks to cut the butter into the mixture, working until you have coarse crumbs

Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of it. Return it immediately to the oven, baking for another 20 minutes.

Bake until the edges are set and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour in total. Once it has reached this point, turn off the oven and prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon to keep it slightly ajar. Cool cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour before removing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove from fridge at least 20 minutes prior to cutting to serve.

It's BBQ Season

2011-05-04T12:49:00.003-05:00

Its BBQ season again and that means that i'll be cooking up a storm. My favorite thing about a backyard get together is the treats and last week when we had our first go at the grill i made a delicious peanut butter banana cream pie, i used a couple different recipes to come up with my final pie and i've included the recipe below. I hope you all are enjoying nice weather wherever you are.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

1 ½ cups water
2/3 cup vanilla pudding mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 very ripe banana
vanilla wafer crumbs- blended in a food processor
3 ounces of cream cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 banana cut in diagonal slices to put on top

Banana Cream Layer
Blend the water, pudding mix and sweetened condensed milk until will mixed. Refrigerate until set, at least an hour. While chilling make peanut butter topping.

Peanut Butter Topping
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla, then peanut butter. Beat cream in another medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold large spoonful of whipped cream into peanut mixture to loosen, then fold in remaining cream in 2 additions.

Filling the pie shell:
first spread banana pudding mixture then sprinkle with vanilla wafter crumbs. Top with the peanut butter topping and then around the edges place diagonally cut pieces of bananas. Chill until well set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.

A Royal Brunch

2011-04-29T14:48:00.008-05:00

I'm sure many of you watched as Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot Friday morning, i for one was not going to miss it. It's no secret that i love weddings, so for the occasion i dvr-ed it and had some friends over to watch and enjoy a brunch. On Monday i was watching the Today show and they had an editor from Bon Appetit on showing how to make a cake similar to what Williams grooms cake was going to be- a traditional chocolate biscuit cake that William & Harry grew up eating. So of course i went strait to the Today show blog, grabbed the recipe, ordered the special "golden syrup" needed to make it and started planning my brunch menu accordingly. The cake turned out delicious, its a very rich cake, perfect for chocolate lovers. and here's the recipe...

Prince William's Chocolate Biscuit Grooms Cake
This dense, ultra-rich dessert, enriched with crushed tea biscuits and
glazed with chocolate ganache, was inspired by the cake Prince William
has chosen as the groom’s cake for his royal wedding.
Ingredients
For the cake:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups plus 6 tablespoons (4 sticks minus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
30 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup
2 7.5-ounce packages lightly toasted butter biscuits (such as Le Petit
Beurre), coarsely chopped
For the glaze:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Preparation
For the cake: Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick
spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Stir butter and
chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth.
Stir in cream and golden syrup. Remove from heat; mix in chopped
biscuit pieces to evenly incorporate. Pour chocolate mixture into
prepared pan; smooth top. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 3
hours or overnight.
For the glaze: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream and corn
syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over
chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth. Let
cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until glaze is slightly
thickened but still pourable.
Wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around cake pan. Remove pan sides.
Invert cake onto a cardboard round or the removable bottom from a
9-inch tart pan. Remove cake pan bottom and peel off parchment paper.
Place cake on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze
over cake, allowing it to drip down sides; spread as needed to cover
cake. Refrigerate cake until glaze sets, about 30 minutes.
Note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep chilled.
Cut into wedges and serve.

The special ingredients i used:
The cake in the springform pan
& the final product. I didn't glaze it because i felt like it was chocolate-ie enough

i also made raspberry scones
and bacon & onion quiche

French Onion Soup

2011-04-27T18:04:00.005-05:00

I just made the best french onion soup ever. Seriously. The recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs- Smitten Kitchen, it only has a few ingredients and it tasted like i was in a nice restaurant and not my own kitchen with spit up on my shirt ;). It took a little bit of time, but was so worth it on this very chilly spring day. Oh how i long for warmer temps so i can actually use the screen door we just had installed!

Also i couldn't resist putting up these photos from Easter Sunday. I just love this little guy!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter from the cutest little bunny you've ever seen... :)

From my front porch looking in...

2011-04-23T15:25:00.003-05:00

i think i mentioned a couple posts ago that i was updating our front porch, well here are the pictures! I absolutely adore my vintage planters that my awesome friend Kate gave me, and our new storm/screen door is so nice. I love being able to have the breeze run through the front door to the screen door in the back of the house, i'm hoping its greatly going to increase the amount of time before we have to turn the AC on. I decided i wanted a garden flag that i could leave up all year instead of changing them out so often (i have a Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc) so i went with our inital and got a door mat to match. I found them both on Amazon for cheaper than in stores, oh how i love amazon. You can see the mat HERE and flag HERE. I hope you all are enjoying your Easter weekend i kept hearing about Easter egg hunts and parades and all kinds of fun kid things to do i never thought i would look forward to the day i get to go to those kinds of things, but i'm actually very excited for Max to be able to actually play! We are enjoying a Missouri spring which of course comes with really warm sunny days and then stretches of gray cool days such as the last week, i'm ready for the summer weather, but as always def. not ready for the best dad ever to be gone working all the time. Tonight Matt and i have dinner reservations at R Bar, thank goodness for Groupon and an amazing babysitter :).

Game ON!

2011-04-18T17:50:00.001-05:00

I think i mentioned a few posts ago that we started a new diet. (i know i know i'm not supposed to be dieting while nursing, you're only like the 15th person to tell me that) I'm not really a person who normally sticks to any kind of diet, exercise i can get in the habit of, but cutting out certain foods, especially sweets has always been hard for me- hence why i gave up sugar for 3 months last year to try and break the bad habit. However i will say this plan is so different than anything i had ever heard of before and mainly because you do it in a group and its a competition and you put in money and theres a winner, how exciting is that?! In our group there are 20 people- 5 teams of 4, we are on a team with our friends Katie & Anthony and our team name is INitTOwinIT. (we got a little help from Randy Jackson) So i'll give you a little run down of what it entails but if you are interested you should get the book.

Basically you get points for each required thing you have to do each day and then there are penalty points as well. There are certain foods you completely cut out- like sugar, bacon & fatty meat, white flour, mayo, etc. you can go to their website to see a list of foods that are good and ones you can have. You have to eat 5 small meals a day- they can't be less that 2 hours apart or more than 4 hours apart and at each meal you are allowed to have a fist size of carb, a palm size of protein and a thumb size of healthy fat. You also have to drink 3 liters of water a day, Exercise for 20 minutes and communicate with a person on your team and a person on an opposing team. You have to create one new good daily habit and break one bad habit- and do them everyday. You loose points for snacking, changing your daily habits, drinking soda etc. You get one free meal off a week + one free day. You also can have 100 calories of anything you want every day.

You get bonus points each week for loosing 1% of your bodyweight. When we started i had 17 pounds to loose to get back to pre-pregnancy weight, (well if i'm honest i probably was 5 pounds heavier than my ideal weight right before getting preggo, but 17 pounds to my ideal weight anyway ) This week is the final week and if i'm honest i'm a little over it, especially since there are Reese's eggs in my pantry, which i can only have 1/2 of one per day - they are 170 calories each! However the results have been pretty amazing, I pretty much fit into my jeans- they are quite tight, but they zip and button and most of my shorts/pants fit perfectly, and i've lost 10 pounds. The little man is 8 weeks so i think thats pretty good, especially considering that for some reason i'm one of those crazy people that gained 50 pounds with child! AH!

So heres to eating healthy for one more week! :) i think we'll keep up the healthy eating, but we might just supplement with Reese's eggs...

I also made a new workout playlist- i've been doing a lot of pilates & self workout videos via the instant netflix-who knew your netflix membership could also count as a gym membership?! Here's the pump up mix:

Teenage Dream, Katy Perry

Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus

California Gurls, Katy Perry

Firework, katy Perry

Superstar, Lupe Fiasco

Loser like Me, Glee cast

Forget You, Glee cast

Hold it Against Me, Britney Spears

Baby, Justin Bieber

If I Ever Feel Better, Phoenix

Pre Camp 2011

2011-04-18T09:41:00.005-05:00

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that i am the director for my church's youth girls camp- i did it last summer and its already time again for all the planning and prep for this summers camp. Every year we have a pre-camp training meeting in April for all the adult and youth leaders- i actually met with the youth leaders back in October to choose the theme, and they chose "Your Happily Ever After" which was based on a talk by an apostle of our church, you can see President Uchtdorf's talk HERE. Since the theme is a princess theme i decided to make the training meeting a little more formal that normal- i borrowed the table cloths we used for my mom's wedding and i made crown sugar cookies as a favor for everyone that came. I also designed the cameo image that we are going to use on the camp tshirts and other materials. It was such a great event, we had way more people than expected and i think everyone felt more prepared for the week in June that before they came.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies:
2 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups flour

Cream the butter, sour cream & sugar together. Add the egg, mix together. Add the salt & vanilla and then the flour. On a well floured surface roll out the dough and cut out with your cookie cutters. I usually leave the dough around 1/4-1/2" thick- so a pretty thick cookie. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

I bough the crown cookie cutter off Amazon- HERE, and i usually just make up my own icing recipe as i go.

Entryway MakeOver

2011-04-08T09:38:00.002-05:00

I have big new plans for my entry way which includes stripping and repainting my entry table and this brand new hall tree that i just ordered HERE. This weekend i want to get a lot done. It probably wont all happen but lets think big people! I'm hoping to get the front porch flowers in the planters with flowers purchased from todays awesome groupon, pay a visit to the farmers market since its going to be like 88 tomorrow and top it off with a visit to the KC Rep Saturday night. :) Yay for weekends!

Hello Beautiful...

2011-04-03T18:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my life

yes there is a kate spade outlet in Vegas and yes i got a wallet to match. Hello spring i'm ready for you :)

Spring Fashion

2011-04-01T18:02:00.003-05:00

Aren't we cute in our sailor stripes :)

We are currently enjoying lots of sun in Las Vegas and yesterday i was so fortunate to have a few hours away with my fun sister-in-law Sheena to go shopping. I have been waiting and saving for this trip to get some new spring clothes, my favorite time to shop, especially since the post-baby body isn't fitting into a lot of things in my current wardrobe. I told myself right after having Max that i would wait until my 6 week appointment to try on my jeans and weigh myself. I weighed myself a little early because we started a fun diet called Game On with our friends-more about that in another post- but i tried on my old jeans the morning we left and they fit! they were a little tight i'm not gonna lie, but they buttoned and zipped and i was so happy! So mainly what i was shopping for was tops- because the whole nursing situation has made my current shirts waaay to tight, and i found a lot of great buys. First of all the largest forever 21 known to man is here and it took us an hour and half to get through that and then we rushed to zara which is one of my favs and i found a few tops there as well. It was so nice to be out and shopping (and completely unaware that my baby was screaming bloody murder back at Matt's dads house).

We have had our ups and downs on this trip so far- the plane ride was amazing, he slept the entire time and last night he even slept the entire night- a full 8 hours!! However yesterday afternoon-evening was a nightmare he screamed basically non-stop from 2-9 and we went out to dinner which was awful if you ask me, Matt & I had to keep getting up and walking around the casino with him to get him to stop crying, we aren't quite sure what set him off but the poor guy could not get comfortable and i was so flustered by the end of dinner that i didn't even get dessert on my "free" meal. and then today he's been an angel and taken multiple naps and given me plenty of time to read by the pool.

Here are some of my favorites from the spring 2011 runways to inspire your spring shopping! :)

Cynthia Steffe for the full collection click HERE

JCrew for full collection click HERE

Tommy Hilfiger for full collection click HERE

Oscar de la renta full collection HERE

Chloe full collection click HERE

These 3 looks are from Barbara Tfank, who i'm always a fan of which is not surprising i'm sure, you can see the whole collection HERE

KC Eateries: A Complete List

2011-03-24T14:41:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that we love to eat out, and not at your typical chain restaurants. Since we have lived in Kansas City we have tried our fair share of locally owned eateries and we have many many favorites. Tonight i am helping out with a marriage class and giving out a list of date night restaurant options and so as i was compiling all of them i thought i should probably just post it here as well. Most of the restaurants are in the downtown area & and the northland. My absolute favorites are bold & in blue, but we like them all or i wouldn't list them! Click on the title of the restaurant to go their website. Happy Eating!

Inexpensive

Dog Nuvo- Downtown,Crossroads- a brand new gourmet hot dog joint that is sure to surprise you with new topping combinations that you would have never thought up at home.

Oklahoma Joes- Downtown- In a gas station, this is, in my opnion, the best BBQ Kansas City has to offer, the ribs are a mans favorite and the pulled pork is sure to satisfy.

The Filling Station- Downtown- A cute coffee shop that has the best juice bar in town, the juice called “liquid sunshine” is a perfect pick me and their lunch menu of sandwiches and baked goods is the perfect afternoon treat.

Happy Gillis- Downtown, River market- Very quaint, delicious for brunch and equally as good for lunch.

Tasty Thai- Northland, 72^ndSt- Best pad thai in town, takeout is just as good as eating in, the décor leaves a little to be desired, but the food is SO good.

Succotash- Downtown- Brunch and lunch the turkey sandwich with the basil mayo is heavenly, and the hashbrowns/potatoes are delish!

Ingredient- Plaza- New to the plaza via Lawrence KS, think a little more upscale panera- same type of setting order at the front and they bring it to your table, everything i've had is creative and delicious

Mid-Range

Strouds- Northland- Quintessential family style southern cooking, fried chicken, big sides and the best cinnamon rolls on the planet.

Pizza Bella-Downtown, Crossroads- Gourmet pizza at it's finest- combinations that will make your mouth water. The cheese plate is also fabulous.

Spin Pizza- Plaza- another fabulous gourmet pizza place.

Bluebird Bistro- Downtown- I highly recommend blue bird for brunch, lunch or dinner- almost everything on the menu is made with local ingredients and so good.

Trezo Mare- Briarcliff- Italian with a Spanish flare

Bella Napoli- Brookside- Best traditional Italian ever! Seriously a must try

Blanc Burgers- Plaza- Gourmet burgers with delicious house made ketchup and the sweet potato fries come in a cute mini shopping basket.

Ixtapa- Northland- Delicious traditional mexican

KC Sushi- Northland- really good sushi, I personally love the Lee's Summit roll.

The Rieger- Downtown- It's new I haven't tried it yet, but its getting rave reviews

La Bodega- Downtown- Never been, but it is highly recommended and in the press a lot, we've been meaning to try it.

LuLu's Noodle Shop- Downtown, crossroads-Great thai food.

The Farmhouse- Rivermarket-i haven't been able to try this one yet, but i've heard its delicious- and uses mostly locally grown ingredients.

Jack Stack- Plaza- legendary kansas city BBQ

Extra Virgin- Downtown- Chef Micheal Smith's more casual option, it's sure to impress you with its creative menu.

Julian- Brookside- award winning chef. satisfying upscale comfort food, it sounds like a oxy-moron but its not!

Expensive

Micheal Smith- downtown, crossroads- Delicious, creative, wonderful mood/ambiance

Justus Drugstore- Smithville- In such a random location, this wonderful restaurant used to be a drugstore and was remodeled to be one of the most fabulous restaurants in KC. It's been listed in bon appetit several times and every time we go we are astounded at how creative and delicious it is!

Bluestem- Westport- amazing food. top notch chef. everything you expect out for an expensive date.

Room 39- 39th Street, downtown KU Med campus- We have never been for dinner, but the brunch is one of my favorites in Kansas City (the oven eggs are to die for) and its very reasonable for brunch, the dinner menu is expensive but i can't imagine it being anything but fabulous.

Le Fou Frog- Rivermarket- A true french experience, they even serve escargot.

The American- Crown Center- We have yet to make it here but i've heard its one of the best dining experiences in the city.

Sweet Treats

Donut King- Northland- AMAZING donuts. no longer only a breakfast treat, they are open late so you can have one for a date night dessert.

Cupcake A La Mode -Plaza- best cupcakes in Kansas City, hands down. Try the hawaiian honeymoon its my favorite

Yogurtini- Zona Rosa- Great frozen yogurt- tons of flavors and lots of toppings.

Christopher Elbow Chocolates -downtown, crossroads- These chocolates are sold all over the world and made right here in KC. If you have a chocolate tooth your sure to love it all.

Glace Ice Cream- Plaza- Best Ice Cream Ever. From Christopher Elbow, chocolate master, you are sure to have an amazing experience with flavors like "salted pretzel" , "french lavender" & "toasted coconut".

Bloom Bakery- rivermarket- A fabulous bakery- the only one that i know of in Kansas City that sells french macaroons.

Fresher than Fresh Snocones- Traveling- This mobile snocone stand travels around the city and all the flavors are homemade with top notch ingredients. a fun experience.

Murrays Ice Cream- Westport- Traditional homemade ice cream. Always good for the soul.

Sugar Mama's- Briarcliff- An adorable cupcake bakery, although i go for the iced sugar cookies- YUM!

Lessons in Cooking

2011-03-18T15:28:00.004-05:00

I was so proud of myself on Wednesday night when i made dinner for the first time since Max was born. This week has been SO much better, a world of difference from last week, i actually feel like a human. Mostly because our little guy switched from waking up twice a night to only once. It is crazy what a difference that makes! I have my friend Jenny to thank for my new restful nights, she took me out to get yogurt on Monday night and told me to swaddle him super super tight, i had been swaddling -but obviously not tight enough, because that night i did it like she said and it was the first night that he didn't wake up till 2:30 and then slept till 7am! Seriously a tight swaddle and the use of those gas drops are my miracle fixes.

Anyhow i'll write more about how great this week has been on Max's blog this weekend, but i thought i would share a great recipe and then a not so great cooking moment of mine...

I checked out another cookbook at the library, High Flavor Low Labor, and tried my first recipe out of it. The picture above is the Chili Balsamic Marinated Sirloin with Fettuccine and Sun-Dried Tomatoes- its the cover recipe of the book as well. It was really good. I actually think the marinade for the steak is one of my favorites ever and i will be using it in the future for steaks with or without the rest of the dish. And just like the title of the book claims, this recipe is super easy-low labor with lots of flavor! Here is the recipe:

Chili Balsamic Marinated Sirloin with Fettuccine and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon siracha chili sauce (i have been seeing so many recipes in magazines lately using siracha)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorns (or a blend), roughly crushed

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 pound sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips

3 cloves garlic

12- ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips

half of a 7ounce jar julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes

16 ounces fettuccine pasta

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl whisk together the first 6 ingredients. Add the steak, mix to coat well. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

In a second medium bowl, combine the garlic, red peppers & sun-dried tomatoes. Mix well & Set aside

When the pasta is nearly finished, in a large saute pan over medium-high, heat the canola oil. When the oil is hot, remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade) and, working in batches if necessary, cook the strips for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Transfer the steak to a plate and cover it with foil. Return the pan to the heat and add the red pepper mixture. Toss until heated through.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pepper mixture. Toss well, then add the grade cheese and toss until melted. Serve topped with steak strips and additional parm.

On another note I was making cupcakes for a St.Patricks day party we went to last night and as i got to the last ingredient i realized i was out of flour! i went down to our food storage closet hoping there might be some and i was out of luck, although i did spot a yellow cake mix. I thought oh what the heck i'll just add that- it has flour in it. as my friend Libby says- it was a recipe FAIL. As you can see in the picture below...

Basement Reveal

2011-03-15T16:54:00.010-05:00

When we moved into our house in September of 2009 we had the builder finish the basement so that we would have the extra 500 square feet and at the time we decided to fully dedicate it to my studio space. Since it was going to be a sewing room the only thing we really didn't "finish" was the floor- we just had them paint the cement my favorite shade of aqua and called it done. I don't know why i didn't think of laminate wood flooring as an option then- for some reason the builder only suggested either linoleum or tile and neither sounded that great to me. One of the best things about my studio is the table. It's a 4 ft. by 8 ft. workspace that is indispensable to me, i can't imagine working without it and because it's so big it took up a large portion of the studio.

As we started thinking about getting preggo i had thought about turning the basement into more of a family room/play room, but i was hesitant because i knew i would have to give up my big table, because of it's size i couldn't have a couch and family room and my big workspace. Well that all changed when we were on our flight to Europe and i was flipping through the d*i*y magazine i had brought along. In the magazine there was a room with a murphy bed- a bed that flips up onto the wall when not being used, and suddenly i had an epiphany! My table could be a murphy table and then we could have it all! :) About 1/2 way through the trip i slowly introduced the idea to Matt and told him we could do it slowly- no rush, it would be great if we could get it done by next fall... ha!

A lot of love, hard work, and time went into this room re-do and because when everything was being done i was large marge it's all due to the outstanding efforts of my wonderful husband. Oh how he did humor his pregnant wife. :) Here are the before and afters...

Before

You can see my big table and how it took up a good portion of the middle of the room...
This is what we call indecision... After getting the main room done the only thing left was to paint the hallway, Matt wanted a neutral beige of some sort and so i set out to find a shade that would suit. I hate neutrals. I am not a neutral type of girl, i like color and i'm totally clueless when it comes to finding the right shade of cream or caramel, so this was such a chore. Finally after staring at all these swatches i decided that i hated all of them and that we would just go to the color card with the blue that we chose for the main room and choose the lighter blue on the same swatch. I'm SO glad i did because i love the hallway color and how it blends with the living room.
After!

yes i should have moved the baby swing for the picture but i just didnt- i blame it on the tired factor :)
What we did:

*Matt put in Ikea's wood laminate flooring- which we drove to Minnesota to get and wouldn't have been able to properly install it without help from a nice friend who showed Matt a few tips.

*The white beadboard and chair rail are from home depot and installed by Matt, i think they add a really nice finished look to the room.

*The blue is Home Depot Behr paint in Bleached Denim

*With my idea and Matt's brain to figure it out we made my table into a "murphy" table that flips up onto the wall when not being used. I Love it! I still need to make a curtain to cover it up- you can see the curtain wire that we got at ikea that is already installed.

*The frames are from ikea. ( I cant wait to fill them with cute pics of the new guy) I bought the shelf with the baskets off amazon- click HERE to see it. We got the amazingly comfy couch off craigslist and Matt got an early Valentines day, St.Patricks Day, Easter and Birthday present in that utlra thin TV that he's very excited about :)

and now you can see where dad and son spend a lot of time- Matt playing Modern Warfare and Max chillin in his swing. :) It's a man cave and a sewing room! Oh and a funny little side note- Matt informed me that i'm not allowed to put any fabrics with flowers or butterfly's or anything girlie in this room... He hasn't really been too picky about any decor anywhere in our house, but this room he has an opinion on. I think with all the time he put into it he deserves to get his way this time! I'm just happy we have a place to put all the toys once they start accumulating...

Where did the sleep go??

2011-03-13T12:08:00.005-05:00

This week has been a lesson in patience, patience and endurance. We started off the week with Matt's mom leaving and hearing the news that my mom had caught the nasty flu and wouldn't be coming. So I was on my own a week earlier than i had thought i would be. We also started off Monday night with a bought of screaming for two hours strait, for no apparent reason- i guess it must have been something i ate.

Also just a thought on this whole baby has to eat every 3 hour situation-- i'm pretty sure that this type of sleep deprivation is really close to torture methods used at Guantanamo. Seriously lets let you fall asleep for just long enough to start REM sleep and then BAM wake you up with a screaming baby. and lets do it for weeks on end... I might admit to anything you would want me to just to get a good night of sleep. (and everyone warns you about this whole sleep thing beforehand but there is no way to prepare and no way to comprehend until you are in the middle of it all.)

Anywho it suffices to say that by Friday morning at 8 am when he had been crying since 4 i started crying as Matt was walking out the door and he decided it would be best to stay home. He then proceeded to book me a message for Saturday morning which was heavenly. Thanks again to the best husband in the world. I just wish he didn't have to work for the next 4 weeks!

Whoever said being a mom was easy didn't know what they were talking about... wait i don't think anyone has ever said that...

The one thing that makes it all quite bearable is that adorable little face. It must be why God makes babies so dang adorable, so that mom's can make it through the first 3 months.

Just in case any of you are interested i did start a blog for just updates on the little man. Milestones and weekly info for all the family and friends that are expecting every detail- and so this mom can remember things down the road. You can view Max's Adventures by clicking HERE.

WE design studios

2011-03-09T17:09:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite things to do post-art school graduation is find out what my friends from RISD are up to these days. I have loved my visits to NY to hear all about new jobs and interesting work that people are engaged in and it never ceases to amaze me the talent that RISD kids posses. My friend Laura is no exception, i have always been a huge fan of her talented hand, i think she needs to illustrate some children's books for my Max! Since graduating Laura and her friend David have started a blog & design studio where they are bringing creative ideas as well as art education to the masses, WE Design Studios.
Here is one of their freebies they have on the WE site. I love it!

David and Laura provide design education and inspiration to their “WE-bie” blog reading community. Each person is a creative genius and WE wants to provide the design tools to unleash their artistic brilliance on the world. So to see more freebies, read interesting blog posts and generally check out their creative coolness go to the We Design Studios site by clicking HERE. Kudos to you Laura, you're awesome! :)

Like Father Like Son

2011-03-05T09:59:00.005-06:00

Right around the time i became pregnant the song "If He's Anything Like Me" by Brad Paisley came out on the radio and i couldn't help but think about how much it reminded me of my husband, now best dad in the world, Matt. If you know us and know him you know that he was quite the dare devil of a child, and that his mom refers to him as her E.R son. My mother-in-law Vicki has been here this week, which has been fabulous, and she brought some baby photos of Matty so we could compare to little Max. I love to pick out the resemblances, and next week when my mom is here i'll put up some of me as a baby so we can see the similarities there as well. Seriously my man was made to be a dad, he's the best and i don't know what i would do without him. I hope our son is an exact replica :) - well maybe with a little bit of me too. :)

If He's Anything Like Me

Brad Paisley

I remember sayin' I don't care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy, I'm okay
And then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said, "You see that thing right there? Well, you know what that means"

I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me

He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast
End up every summer wearin' something in a cast
He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass
In a window down the street

He's gonna get in trouble, oh, he's gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback
If he's anything like me

I can see him right now, knees all skinned up
With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt a Tonka truck
Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast
Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass
He's gonna get caught skippin' class
And be grounded for a week

He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback
If he's anything like me

Matt & Mom

Max & Mom

Baby Matt

Ready for Visitors

2011-02-28T13:46:00.003-06:00

It's been over a week of being home and we made it! :) It's time for Matt to go back to work and we are excited to welcome our moms. Matt's mom arrives tomorrow evening and then leaves on Sunday and then my mom will be here next Monday-Friday. I realized as i was getting the guest room ready that i never put up pictures of its finished decor. I originally painted the walls a way too bright orange- not too far off from home depot's signature color, and then fixed it with this warm brown. I am still in love with the quilt i made, my first ever, i think it turned out so cute. If you're in need of a vacation and want to come hold an adorable little baby this is the room awaiting you!

Top 10 Newborn Essentials

2011-02-26T20:48:00.007-06:00

I've only been doing this mom thing for a little over a week now, but one of the things i kept looking for when i was preggo was a good list of baby things that were really essential - and from a mom, not from babies-r-us or some other retail store telling me what all they wanted me to buy. And i never really found a good one, so maybe some of you will find this helpful, i hope, and if anything it will be a reference for me to look back on the second time around- because apparently i cant remember what day it is, let alone keep up with all this down the road. :)

1. A Fabulously Helpful Husband- seriously i'm not joking. I couldn't have made it through this week without my wonderful Matty. We opted to have family come in and stay with us after we got the hang of everything, so we could figure out this new parent stuff together on our own. I know, a scary move on my part, but it's been the most amazing week. Sure we are sleep deprived and a little loopy but i'm so glad he was able to take off work for a week and really figure it out with me. We are such a great team and i'm so thankful for his never ending helping daddy attitude and how happy is to do anything and everything. One of my favorite moments of the week is when he was changing a diaper and Max started pooping in the middle of it! He was scream "AHHH, wow kid how did that much come out of something so little!" we have had our fair share of being peed and pooped on this week.

2. A Professional Cleaning Service- One of the best things i did was research a cleaning company during pregnancy and then we called them when we got to the hospital and arranged for them to come and clean the house before we came home with Max. It was AMAZING. Coming home to a perfectly spotless house was a treat and let me totally take my mind off of anything chore related and just focus on Max. I highly recommend it.

3. the My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow, Lanolin Cream, & Hydrogel Pads- For the Breastfeeding mother these three things are essential. When we first got home from the hospital i didn't use my pillow because when i tried it in the hospital bed it just wasn't working out, well that was due to the awkward hospital bed, not the pillow, and after fighting with 4 pillows all around me on the bed every time i nursed i decided to give it another shot, and it is fabulous. It has a latch that keeps it up (unlike the boppy) and its super stable and just makes nursing so much easier. The lanolin cream is essential and the hydrogel pads are also great in preventing cracking, bleeding & any other unwanted discomfort. Ask for the hydrogel pads at the hospital- they have them, but don't really offer them so you have to ask, but ask, because they aren't cheap!
4. A Rocking Bassinet- At first i didn't really think i needed/wanted a bassinet and so i didn't register for one, but my dad and step mom surprised me with this adorable one so we of course put it in our room and decided to use it for the first month or so. Well let me tell you the most amazing thing about it is that it rocks- like a swing or glider- and so after those late night feedings all i do put him right back in, crawl into bed and lay down and with one hand push it back and forth for about 5 minutes and he falls right to sleep- and so do I. :) It's heaven.
5. A changing table, A plastic changing cover, Diaper Doo, & Butt Paste- The changing table is really nice, and you don't even need a "changing table"- i just bought a dresser and then we used velcro and attached the changing table topper pad to it, so that down the road he can just use it as a dresser. For me the biggest plus of the changing table is not having to bend over to change him- my back thanks me every diaper change. Normally it does have a cute cloth cover on it, however i've already washed it 3 times and we finally wised up and decided to put one of the plastic portable changing pads on top of the cloth cover because seriously he loves to go to the bathroom on us while we are changing him and it inevitably ends up soiling the fabric cover and goes back into the dirty laundry. When we first got home i don't think we realized when he had a wet diaper because it wasn't that much and it's clear so on Monday he had a diaper rash, talk about feeling a little bit like a bad mom, and so to clear it up a used the butt paste i had received at one of my showers. The rash was completely gone by Tuesday afternoon! Its wonder cream! and then to prevent any rashes and create a barrier between the poop and the bum i started using the diaper doo gel and it seems to be working great as well.
6. Swaddle Sack- One of my absolute favorite items we own, this fleece swaddle sack is genius! I actually registered for it just on a whim because it looked nice and then my friend Tiffany gave it to me and said she used it and it was great. Well i knew that babies loved to be swaddled and to be honest the whole swaddling situation kind of intimidated me, which as my husband pointed out is a little ironic since i work with fabric, but i just was unsure about how to make it so that the thing stayed on correctly. Anywho there is no need for a swaddling tutorial because all you do is put them in the sack, zip it up and then fold the side panels over each other and they velcro into place, its more than genius. Fast, Easy, and he falls asleep within a matter of minutes once he's in it. I just don't know what i'll do when he grows out of it! yikes!

7. The Infant Nightgowns- We are a big fan of the sleepers with the elastic at the bottom, especially since we put the swaddle sack over it. It makes it super easy for diaper changes- no snaps or zippers to worry about and they just look comfy, right?
8. Baby Timer Iphone App- When we first got home we bought a little memo book and were writing down every time he ate and it was getting a little hectic and then my friend Sam showed us this app and it has honestly changed my life. I love it. It records your diaper changes, feedings- with a timer!, sleeping and a journal for other notes which is where i record when i last took my meds. It also tells you in the stats part how many diapers he's had in the last 24 hours and how many feedings etc. so when your pediatrician asks you totally know the answer! Talk about making life easier.
9. Baby Swing- I actually didn't buy a swing but my friend Jamie was kind enough to loan me hers and as I type this our little man is sound asleep in it. I will for sure purchase one for the next baby because he really loves it, awake or asleep. We have it in the basement so i can work on the computer and Matt can play video games and he has somewhere to be. I think he also likes it because when he's awake he can watch whats going on.

10. Pack-n-Play with Changing Table- We put our pack-n-play on the main level (my house has an upstairs where the bedrooms are, a main level and then the basement) and it has been super convenient to have somewhere to place him while we are eating or watching tv, etc. Especially because he literally sleeps all the time and i'm not comfortable just putting him on the couch just in case he might roll. i guess i could just use the monitor and have him upstairs, but i like that he's with us even though he's asleep. It's also fabulous for diaper changes, the one i have has a diaper changing station on it and i love it.

For such a little guy he sure has a lot of stuff. :) A little update- we are doing great, he is such a sleeper. I have to wake him up to feed him every single feeding- day and night. I think next week (once he is 2 weeks old) i am going to transition into 7 feedings a day instead of 8, eliminating one of the middle of the night feedings. I know he's doing good health wise, even though he's always sleeping, because his diapers are very consistent and he has gained weight. We try to keep him awake during the day for the 30 minutes after he eats and he's been getting better at that- and then as soon as we swaddle him he's down for the count. My only frustration is that since he's such a sleepy baby i have a hard time keeping him awake to eat a full feeding, so we have to strip him down to his diaper for each feeding and sometimes even get a cold wash cloth to give him a little cold shock, changing his diaper in the middle of the feeding also helps.

I am pretty much following the book On Becoming BabyWise, in my opinion there are a ton of great baby method books out there but i just decided to choose one and go with it, instead of reading a bunch and becoming overwhelmed with advice. I know a lot of people who used baby wise and it worked for them so that's what we are doing as well. So far it's been going great- he's on such a good 3 hour schedule, and it's just nice to have some sort of "manual" to help say this is normal, this is good, this is bad, etc. Oh and look at the time- feeding time, again! :)

Newborn Photos

2011-02-25T17:37:00.003-06:00

I know i said i was going to do a post today with my essential first week baby gear but that will have to be put off until tomorrow. I just couldn't wait to put these photos up, today my friend Tara came over and took some newborn shots of Max- i am so in love with them! I honestly think he might be the cutest baby in the whole world, but i'm not bias or anything. :) A huge Thank you to Tara who did an awesome job, and my friend Lacey for making the adorable knit set that he is wearing, i know we will love to look at these for many many years to come.

one of my favs

Coming Home

2011-02-24T15:41:00.003-06:00

We were able to leave the hospital Saturday at noon, thank goodness for my discharge nurse who was with us from 6 am to noon because she helped me tremendously get the hang of breastfeeding right before we left. The second night was difficult- i had a nurse who i didn't really like and Max was so hungry that he was fighting eating and finally we pretty much gave up and sent him to the nursery for a few hours and to be fed a bottle of formula, something i really had not wanted to do, but at that moment i was so tired and frustrated i just did it. Thank goodness for Elizabeth really showing me how it was done Saturday morning, when we left i felt confident and ready to leave. Since my milk wasn't in yet- it came in on Monday- we supplemented with formula for the days before- but instead of using a bottle we used a little syringe with a tiny little tube that you put into his mouth while he is nursing. The only downfall with that method is that it takes two people, so for the first 2 nights Matt and i were both up for each feeding which meant we were both exhausted. Once my milk came in we stopped using the formula and he's doing great with just my milk, which is so comforting, and each feeding gets easier and easier. He likes to fall asleep while nursing so we normally strip him down to his diaper to eat so he stays awake longer- the little sleepy head. Here are some photos from Saturday-Monday. Above & Below is before we left the hospital.
My dad picked up this chocolate bassinet, isn't it cute.
Aunt Holly with Max
Sleeping Grandpa (who needs to come up with what he wants to be called) with Max
Sleeping-- which is almost always what he's doing. You can see my new necklace that Matt gave me in this pic.
The flowers my mom & doug brought me
When we came home on Saturday my mom and doug were at my house to welcome us home and then they headed out and my dad, michelle & holly came over and stayed the night, then left Sunday morning. Here's the family hanging out on Saturday evening.
Grandpa & Max
And Max is so lucky to have 2 built in best friends. Our pups Jack & Jill were very excited to see him- they've been wondering why mom has been cranky for 9 months and are glad to welcome the new little guy home. I have been so impressed with how curious and cute they are with him, so interested but so gentle. Jack likes to get really close to him without touching and smell him, he sleeps next to his bassinet and when i get up for feedings in the middle of the night he follows me into the nursery and sleeps at the doorway until we go back to our bedroom. I loved my dogs growing up and Max is going to love playing with these two, they are such fun good dogs! :)

Max & Jill
Max & Jack
the 3 of us taking a little nap.
All in all the transition to home was really welcomed, i wanted to leave the hospital really bad and get home to my bed and get started on our own routine. Right now we have a pretty good schedule set- he eats at 7-10-1-4-7-10-1-4 and of course that changes if he's extra hungry or going through a growth spurt, but right now it seems to be working really well. He sleeps most of the time, but we try to keep him awake for a little while after each feeding unless its the night time feedings. His diapers are like clockwork- every time he eats, we change him.

We went to our first pediatrician visit yesterday and he is a very healthy boy- i am so thrilled. Most babies loose a little bit of weight and are back to their birth weight by week 2, so i was expecting him to be below 8lbs 11 ounces, well when they put him on the scale he was 9lbs 1 ounce! On Wednesday we also switched him from newborn diapers to size 1-2 because he had two leaks, and 3 outfit changes- can you believe it, not even a week in newborns!

I'm probably going to start another blog just for Max updates for friends and family who are interested in all these details, so that the rest of you are not overwhelmed with baby details all the time! :) Tomorrow I'm going to put up a post with all the things i have found essential this first week- something i kept looking for when i was preggo and couldn't' really find a good list anywhere. so stay tuned for baby gear!

Thanks again for all your comments here and on facebook, when i'm feeding late at night the only thing there is to do is check my email and facebook on my phone and its so nice to get little messages from all of you. so thank you.

February 17th: A Timeline

2011-02-23T16:56:00.012-06:00

We are at home and happy and adjusting to the new schedule of 2 hour sleep increments :) Here is my birth story in time line form. There might be too much information for some people, but as i went through the entire pregnancy i found it very helpful and comforting to read other people's birth stories on their blogs. So here it is...

2:00 am- I woke up with contractions, i went downstairs and sat on an exercise ball to see if they would continue or just go away like they had been doing the past week. I was already realizing that they were stronger than i had previously felt, but i wasn't convinced just yet. I timed them out and they were about 8-10 minutes apart and they felt like intense menstrual cramps.

3:00 am- i went upstairs to try and lay down, which then made them worse so i woke up Matt. I went to the bathroom and realized i was bleeding and so we decided it was probably happening and we got up to get things ready. I changed clothes, finished packing, and had Matt make the guest bed, finish the dishes from the night before, and then he took a shower and did payroll on his computer for his employees because it was due on Friday. i was also experiencing the natural laxative of going into labor and cleaning out my system- running to the bathroom quite frequently.

5:00 am- we fall asleep on the couch for 2 hours while watching saved by the bell- we are now happy to know that there are 4 back to back episodes of the 90's most loved show on at that hour :)

7:00 am- we wake up because i'm in quite a lot of pain and start timing the contractions. They are between 5-6 minutes apart.

8:30 am- we called the hospital, they asked me a lot of questions and then told me that they usually have people come in when the contractions are 3-5 minutes apart and that i should go ahead and come in. Matt then then took the dogs out, and i texted our friend Margaret and asked her to stop by and let them out later that afternoon and again that evening.

9:00 am- we arrived at the hospital and they put me into the triage room. They hooked me up to the monitors to see Max's heartbeat and to see the contractions. She then checked my cervix to see how far dialated i was. -- Now, as some of you know from reading previously i had not been dilated at all at my dr.'s appointments, but i thought for sure since i had been contracting since 2 am i had to be dilated, also my cervix seems to hide from people checking it and its really painful for them to do the checking.-- My nurse Kim checked me and gave me the horrible news that i wasnt dilated at all. Cue the breakdown because i about died. What?! are you kidding me?? She then told me that labor is defined by cervical change, not contractions so unless i showed cervical change they could not admit me and there was a chance they would send me home, but they would watch everything for an hour and then see where i was at the end of the hour. Oh and btw i was 4 days over-due.

10:00 am- I have been laying in the triage room for an hour, contracting- gripping onto Matt's hand and the side of the bed through each bloody one and praying that they were being productive. Kim come in to check me. which hurts, again. She tells me that i am 1/2 cm. She says that its not enough to admit me, but asks me to stay another hour and to see where i'm at the end of that hour. She had me get up and walk around for the last 15 minutes and i had to stop and grip the wall rail through each contraction. The other problem was that i would have regular contractions and then they would space out a bit more so it would be like 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes, then 9 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes.

11:00 am- Kim comes in to check me again, at this point i'm thinking i'm going to be going home with an ambien or something and laboring for the next 3 days until my cervix changes, and she gives me the fabulous news that i'm a 2!! Pretty sure at that moment i had the biggest smile ever, and a wash of relief. She then admitted me into a very nice labor and delivery room. Once we were admitted we sent a text out to our family members to let them now that he would be arriving soon! My family started packing and getting ready to make the 9 hour drive as soon as they could from Nashville.

12:00 pm- I'm moved into my room and Dr. Hartung comes in to talk with us. I had not previously met her-- my practice has 6 OB's and whoever is on call will deliver your baby, All the OB's are women, which is important to me and they try to rotate you through all of them during your pregnancy but i had not had the chance to meet Dr. Hartung yet. I was actually quite happy that she was on call and not the dr. i had been primarily seeing, i'm not a big fan of the dr. they assingned me to as my primary physician and i will be switching for all future appointments/babies. I Loved Dr. Hartung from the minute she sat down in our room to talk with us, she is very friendly, very sympathetic and very nice. I probably saw more of her than most women see of their doc while they are in labor because as it turned out i was the only woman in labor at the time and she came into my room throughout the day to check me, probably 6 or 7 times. When she was there she asked me about pain management and i told her i was planning on having an epidural, she asked me when i would like it and i responded, whenever i can have it, as soon as possible. They then said they would call the anestheologist, Dr. Cho, and he would be up soon. YAY!

1:00 pm- Dr. Cho arrives and gives me the epidural in between contractions. About 30 minutes later i am pain free and realizing that was the best decision ever. EVER. The only negative thing in my mind throughout the day was that since i was all hooked up to the IV and the Epidural i couldn't eat anything- only ice chips to chew on, and so i was pretty hungry. After they put in the epidural they check me and i'm at a 4!

3:00 pm- They check me again and realize i'm starting to progress much slower- i was only a 5, and so they start me on pitocin to speed things along. Throughout the day Kim, my nurse and the dr. keep telling me that his head is super super low. While she was checking me my water broke, and it wasn't clear, which meant that he had already passed some meconium inside. This meant that instead of placing him on my chest right after delivery he would move right to the warming table to receive extra suction to make sure he didn't breathe it in.

6:00 pm- After checking again i'm only at a 6 so they put in an internal monitor to see how strong the contractions actually are and then end up upping the pitocin dose because although the contractions are close together they aren't really strong enough to be working effectively. They want to see at least a cm per hour. by this point Matt and i have taken a nap and are now watching some TV- we didn't even miss American Idol that night :) I also have to say goodbye to my nurse Kim at 6 because their shifts change, she was such an amazing nurse and i was sad she was leaving. I told her she had to get me someone good like her to replace her and she said she would request Amanda for me because she was good. Around this time is when i also start to feel contractions on the left side of my stomach again. Amanda tells me to press the button to release more meds and if that doesn't work we would get the anesthesiologist back up there. For some reason i didn't want to be whiney and complain so i didn't get the dr. back up to see what was going on and that was quite a mistake. Matt and i also realize that by the time delivery happens all the restaurants around will probably be closed so he runs and gets tasty thai for me and we put it in the fridge in the room so that i'll have something good to eat when its over.

8:20 pm- The doctor comes back in to check how far dilated i am, expecting to be at an 8 because that's been the rate of progression, she tells me that i am all the way and that we will begin pushing soon! At this point i am still feeling the contractions on the left side despite the extra pushes of the button. At 8:40 i start to push and for the first 30 minutes it hurt badly but i could handle it and i was really channeling all my energy into pushing- not screaming, just pushing as hard as i could. My nurse Amanda and Matt each were holding a leg and helping me grip and push, coaching me through it. Matt would count to ten and cheer me on and it was extremely helpful, however after about 20 minutes of pushing Matt could see his head and so he started saying "your almost there" "your so close, you can do it" and things similar to that, well after about 30 minutes of hearing i was so close i turned to him and said "Stop saying that!!" He was just trying to help and we laugh about that now- but when your pushing and someone is saying that your close you start to think its going to be the next push and then it isn't and then you get a little upset!
After about 30-40 minutes of pushing it started to get really really really painful. To the point where i was screaming quite loudly and then in between pushes crying and saying "I'm sorry I'm sorry" I'm pretty sure that my epidural wasn't working, my doctor kept asking me can you feel this, or that and i would scream yes and then she ended up giving me a few more shots of lydocane, but honestly i don't think it really helped with anything but the stitches afterward. I can honestly say that the hour of pushing was the hardest, most painful thing i have ever gone through in my life. I felt everything and by the time where he was almost out i was on the verge of hyperventilating- One of the problems was that each time i would push i would hold my breath, then coming out of it to take a deep breath i was crying and my nose was clogged so it was so hard to catch my breath. I also think a big problem was that mentally i had not prepared myself for such pain- all day i had been pain free with the epidural and so with that and the fact that my friends told me that with the epidural you only felt pressure, not pain when pushing, i really didn't expect it to hurt even half as bad as it did. i felt very much like a woman in a movie screaming and crying!

9:40 pm- Once his head was delivered they did a lot of suction to get the meconium and then i pushed the rest of him out and they took him over to the table and he started crying immediately. At that point it was just very surreal- the pain subsided so quickly because i wasn't pushing anymore and i was overwhelmed that the crying baby was ours! i kept saying that's our baby, that's our baby! Matt went over to the table and video taped a little bit, held his hand and then brought him over to me once i was stitched up.

He weighed 8 lbs 11 ounces- yes that's right, i pushed out an almost 9 lb baby- shocking i know, i honestly really didn't think i would have a baby over 8 pounds! It was quite a surprise.

After delivery we had some quality time with our little man, i breastfed him for the first time and he latched right on and ate really well. He fell asleep pretty quickly and then around midnight my mom and doug arrived while i was eating and then my amazing husband gave me a little robins egg blue bag, with a little blue box with a white ribbon, my gift for giving birth, it was one of the key necklaces and i love it, he really is the sweetest man alive. Around 1:30 my dad, michelle & hollyanne arrived. We did get to sleep around 2:30 but i honestly didn't sleep very well because i still had adrenaline running through me. The nurses came in to help me feed him around 3 and then again around 6, they also removed the epidural right after labor and started me on some pain meds. Basically we didn't get much sleep and then Friday was a constant stream of visitors which was very fun, yet a little exhausting also. I realized i was SO glad that he had been born before midnight because that meant we could go home on Saturday morning, if he had been born after midnight they would have kept us till Sunday morning and by Saturday i was really ready to go home and get settled!

Here are some more photos from Day 1 of little Max's life.

posing for the hospital photographer
Snuggles with dad
Jenny :)
Grandma Nae Nae
my favorite series that Matt took:

How amazing is this photo!! :) Such a lucky shot because he really didn't smile but like 2 times in the hospital.

Introducing...

2011-02-18T18:47:00.003-06:00

We are so happy to announce that our precious baby boy is here!

Max David Muir

February 17th, 2011, 9:40 pm

8lbs 11 ounces, 21 inches long

13 1/2" head & 14" chest

Who knew you could love something so much. We are completely smitten. Here are a few pictures, so many more to share and the birth story will be up sometime soon. We will be home from the hospital tomorrow!

Valentines Day

2011-02-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of holidays, and valentines day is no exception. A few years ago we decided that Valentines and our anniversary would be the two holidays that we went all out for for each other since they were the two holidays that really we only celebrate with each other. However this year was a little different, obviously. I honestly usually start planning a few weeks in advance but i really thought i would have a baby in arms so we didn't plan anything. Well as you can see we have no baby so i threw together a yummy menu last weekend and spent all Monday afternoon cooking. I made a favorite meal of Matty's- Filet and paired it with the most divine steak sauce you can make, port wine sauce. We had potatoes au gratin, brussel sprouts with bacon & an appetizer of shrimp cocktail. I made one of his favorite desserts, creme brulee. I thought after standing for 4 hours i might go into labor, and i was for sure having some contractions Monday night, but then they just went away.

We also decided that we wouldn't do gifts this year- 1. because Matt did get a gift a few weeks ago, the new TV for the basement which he is totally excited about and 2. because i'm pretty sure i'm getting something special for having a baby and since the baby gift is so close to Valentines (hopefully) i told him not to get me anything besides maybe some chocolate and a card. Well the little stinker didn't listen, just like Christmas, and showed up with some fabulous chocolate and a JCrew box! He's such a good listener, i told him last week that one of the main things i was really excited about post-pregnancy was to buy some cute new spring clothes, i had been out with some friends and seen the offerings at forever 21 and i'm a real sucker for spring clothes... He really knows me well because the shirt dress he picked out is SO adorable, i can't wait to wear it with a pair of white capris, i just love that he knows me well enough to pick out clothes for me, theres not really anyone else who gets it so perfect. I Love my Valentine :)
I'm always looking for an excuse to use my china, isn't it just lovely :)
a couple of years ago i found those cute little heart ramekins at Target for $2.50 for 4 and i pull them out this time of year :)

isn't that card so cute?! i was inspired by Matt's grandma to start saving all our valentines to each other- maybe one day we'll have been married 68 years like them and have all the little valentine cards to show for it :) Any cute ideas on how to store them?

A little bit of a book worm...

2011-02-16T08:31:00.004-06:00

During this pregnancy, for some odd reason, i completely lost my ability to focus on reading books. It was a little sad, since i love reading so much, but every time i picked up a book i just couldn't even get past the first chapter. Well something changed because in the last two weeks i devoured 4 books, and caught myself up to the new years goal i have of reading 2 a month. :) Here's what i read:

Gifted Hands
The Ben Carson Story
Love Love Love this book. Such an inspiring story.

Revolution
Such a fun read, i loved running aroudn the french revolution with the main character- a little bit of history, romance and lots of entertainment. Thanks to my friend Kathryn for lending it to me!

MockingJay
The 3rd and final book in this series, and to be honest i kind of hated it. I guess i have never been a huge fan of any of the books, but i read the first two so i really felt like i should read the final one. I think my main problem is that i really don't like Katniss, the main character and in this one she just seems so whiny and annoying. The ending was also a little lame... but that's just my opinion.

The Friday Night Knitting Club
Such a cute chick lit read. Although the ending really threw me for a loop!

p.s i have a 40 week post and a valentines post that need to go up, but my downstairs computer has been acting strange and not letting me upload pictures to blogger! arg! hopefully i'll get them up today. Happy Wednesday. Lets hope for a baby- the 16th is a good birthday right?? :)

40 Weeks

2011-02-15T11:29:00.008-06:00

Picture Taken Sunday Feb. 13th- the official due date.
So it looks like this little man wants to cook just a bit longer than i expected. Sunday was my official due date and at my appointment on Friday i wasn't dilated at all. I asked about stripping my membranes and she said they can't do that if you're not dilated. She did say that she thinks he is probably around 7 to 7 1/2 pounds right now and that i don't look too big. We scheduled an appointment for this coming Friday and i have an ultra sound to see his measurements and then a dr. appointment after. She said they would then schedule a induction date at that point for the following week- i'm really hoping if i have to schedule an induction we can at least do it for the beginning of next week and not have to wait till Friday- it just seems like cruel punishment at this point. I really really want to be done. obviously. However, this last week was better than the week before, i think only because mentally i just stopped thinking about going into labor and focused on other things. Saturday we had a really fun valentines date- we went to the Truman library and museum in Independence, went shopping on the square and then we ate dinner at a Kansas City tradition- Stroud's. It's not someplace i would recommend eating at often, you go for the fried chicken, but it is delicious! It reminded me of home quite a bit.

Last week i kept busy with lunch with friends, baking for the Relief Society activity, cooking dinners and freezing half of them and reading a lot- i have read 4 books in 2 weeks! (i'll put a book post up soon) I've decided that Heavenly Father must really want me to learn some patience because that's exactly what it feels like- waiting for the right timing for this little boy to come into our lives. It's def. a mental battle these last few weeks, but it will all be worth it i'm sure. This last week i was also given two of the cutest things for little Max, my sister-in-law Cynthia who is an awesome quilter finished his quilt and sent it to me- i am so in love with it! It matches the nursery and all the other things i've been making perfectly! and then my friend Lacey was so sweet and knitted up the perfect little ensemble for me to have his newborn photos taken in, a little cocoon and hat, i love them!

Chocolate Goodness

2011-02-10T15:50:00.004-06:00

Last night at our church we had a special activity dinner/devotional for all the women in the ward. It was actually supposed to happen in January and was rescheduled because of all the snow- so when i accepted to do the dessert & centerpieces for the evening i didn't realize i would be baking the week of my due date, but it was actually nice to have something to do all day. and i spent all day baking, let me tell you... :) and it was worth it. I made chocolate cupcakes with orange-nuttella filling with chocolate fudge icing. I had tried another recipe for the chocolate cake and this one is the best- most moist- by far. I also made mini fruit tarts from my Martha Stewart baking cookbook and they were so delish. The centerpieces were just styrofoam rounds that i covered with paper, i think they turned out like nice little cake stands. Here are the recipes for the cupcakes in case you feel like whipping up some chocolaty goodness for your valentine this weekend. :)

Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
Makes 20 cupcakes
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 8-oz carton of sour cream
1 cup milk

Preheat Oven to 350
In a small bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. In a large bowl beat shortening and sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and milk; beat on low after each addition just until combined. Put batter into cupcake liners, i used a little less than 1/4 cup of dough for each cupcake.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Orange-Scented Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling

Mix all ingredients in a mixer with paddle attachment.
1 small container of nutella
1 small container of marshmallow cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2- 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese

1/2 tsp of orange oil

Milk Chocolate Icing

1 12oz. bag of milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 oz. sour cream
5 cups powdered sugar

Over medium heat melt chocolate and butter. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream until combined. Mix in powdered sugar until smooth- always mix icing on medium-low speeds, do not over beat.

Happy Valentines

2011-02-09T19:37:00.004-06:00

I happen to be a big fan of this holiday, and although its the first time since we have been dating/married that we don't have any plans at all- other than having a baby, i decided i should still whip up some cute valentine cookies. I am super excited about these cookies because i finally found a successful recipe where the cookies keep their shape when they cook. I don't know about you, but it totally frustrates me when i make cute sugar cookies, cut them out with fun shaped cookie cutters (because we all know i have a huge bin of different shapes) and then when they come out of the oven they are all poofy and don't resemble said shape anymore. Well no longer my friend! this recipe is fabulous for cut out cookies!

I'm also not going to lie, i made the dough a week ago and put it in the fridge and finally got the energy/motivation up to make them yesterday. I had fun using the decorating tips i learned in my cake decorating class and i think they turned out super cute. I kept thinking that maybe if i went in to labor before i pass them all out/eat them all myself i would take a big plate in with me to the hospital and totally win the nursing staff's affection. :) and yes there is your answer... still no baby. I feel a lot like Rachel in THIS friends episode, even though i'm not over-due yet. Although today was such a better day than the past few- two of my friends took me out to lunch and it was a much needed girl afternoon, i'm so grateful for friends that make me feel better!
Happy Valentines Week Everyone! :)

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Mix flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar, and egg with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well combined. With rubber scraper, form dough into ball. Wrap in waxed paper or foil; refrigerate several hours, or overnight. Divide dough into four parts. Refrigerate until ready to roll out. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheets. On well floured surface, roll dough, one part at a time, ¼ inch thick. With floured cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Sprinkle tops with sugar or leave plain if you’re going to frost. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly, lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool. Store in tightly covered container to keep soft. Makes 4 doz. 2” cookies.

39 Weeks

2011-02-07T13:02:00.005-06:00

I'm not going to lie, last week was a roller coaster of a ride for me. I'm a little, well lets be honest, a-lot over being pregnant. Lets just talk about how last week went.

Tuesday morning we know there is going to be a huge snow storm, i hear that pregnant women tend to go into labor when the barometric pressure drops significantly and there is a storm, i get mentally prepared to go have this baby. I finish up my craft projects, pack our bags and even go so far as to tell Matty that we will be going to the hospital in the next 48 hours, i know it. i just know it. The big blizzard comes... and goes... and we are home together all day Tuesday and Wednesday because seriously who wants to go out in that and yes you guessed it right, no baby.

Then Thursday arrived, i had a dr. appointment and i was just sure she was going to tell me i was at least dilated a bit and maybe even a lot and she was going to say go get your bag you should go right over to the hospital. But really i would have been happy with any news of some kind of progress... Well not only did it take her forever to find the top of my cervix, which hurt like no ones business, she then tells me that i am still 100% not dilated at all. OK so slightly earth shattering, but i decide to ask about induction, we haven't talked about that yet. She then tells me that if i'm not dilated at all they will not induce me until i am 2 weeks over my due date. She then leaves the room and i then proceed to have a slight breakdown. Oh did i mention that the night before i only got 4 hours of sleep because that is the night that the head cold that has descended on our house started? 2 weeks? 2 weeks?! that means i could be pregnant for a FULL month longer?! are you kidding me?!

i pulled it together just long enough to get myself into my car and call Matt where i then have a full on meltdown about how i cannot, absaloutely can not do this for much longer, and the thought of 3 more weeks is seriously devastating. I go home, thankfully i had planned for some friends to come over and craft with me Thursday night so i had a distraction and i've been mildly ok since then. It was a very hormonal moment.

This all being said i then proceeded to look up all the ways to induce your labor naturally and then Saturday we set out to do them all. We went on a long walk around zona rosa- 2 hours of not sitting and constantly walking, we went to our favorite mexican place and i ordered the dish thats normally to spicy for me and then i drank a lot of raspberry leaf tea and had matt give me a foot massage. Lets just say that i have decided that sure all the different methods may be effective if your baby is ready to come out, but i'm pretty sure theres nothing you can do if he's not ready. Although i might go find a trampoline today... I'm starting to think this kiddo is going to be a stubborn little thing.

Oh and i'm sorry there is no picture, but trust me, other than our little adventure out on Saturday we have been holed up in our house trying to get our nasal passages open with copious amounts of sudafed and tylenol. It's not been pretty, def. not picture worthy i assure you.

a little entertainment...

2011-02-03T13:15:00.005-06:00

I guess you could say we've been taking advantage of the fact that we don't have a baby yet and so our trips to the movie theater have been quite frequent- and the fact that there are so many good shows out right now to see. I have been so impressed with so many different preformances and i'm so interested to see who will take home the coveted academy awards, this year i won't be hosting a party, but i'll sure be watching! Here are the flicks we've seen recently and my two cents, for what it's worth.

Seriously Amazing. I for sure did not keep my eyes open the entire time, yes you heard right he has to cut off his arm and it's pretty graphic, but the fact that it's a true story is amazing. I can't imagine going through that- well lets be honest i would have died, but this guy, he's pretty incredible and James Franco does an outstanding job.

The Dilemma is sure to not be on any Oscar lists but it's pretty darn funny. It's def along the same movie standard as Vince's "The Breakup" - entertaining and actually somewhat thought provoking, What would you do if you saw your best friend's wife/husband cheating??

The Fighter surprised me because i thought Mark was going to be the standout star in it but Christian Bale steals the show with his amazing portrayal of the drug addicted brother. I also thought it would just be another sports movie about an underdog winning the title, but it digs quite a bit deeper than what happens in the ring. Amy Adams is fantastic as well, love her.

WHO even knew that this whole story was unfolding during the start of WWII in England?? I seriously believe Mr. Firth should win for this preformance (and he already did take home the golden globe for it), he was absaloutely capitvating, and i can't imagine how difficult it must have been to play his part. Geoffrey Rush however made the movie for Matt and I, his comic relief and fabulous character really helped to create a dynamic movie. Of all the movies we've seen i would say this is the most must see of the season.

And yesterday we made it out in the snow to see True Grit. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't near as dark and creepy as There will be blood, which i only saw parts of and hated. And what a fabulous breakout preformance by Hailee Steinfeld, she was really very good. It's a western with a happy ending, Matt and i both enjoyed it.

What are your favorites this season? any that i didn't see that i must? i know Black Swan is supposed to be amazing, but i just can't get myself to go because it looks so dark. I really want to see how do you know and no strings attached, i guess it all depends how much longer we are baby-less! :)

Cookbook Review: Simply Suppers

2011-02-02T11:18:00.003-06:00

I don't know about you, but when it snows i want something warm and delicious in my mouth, especially these days as I'm waiting patiently for Max to arrive, uncomfortable as I am. Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler has given me quite a few dishes that fit perfectly into that comfort food you crave when it's cold category. So far i have made her Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Croque Monsieur (which is the closest recipe i've found to the scrumptious sandwiches we had in Paris), Bannana Pudding & Chicken Pot Pie. I've added this one to my amazon wish list because there are SO many recipes i want to try that i know my time with the library copy is going to be up too soon!

I changed the Pot Pie recipe slightly so i thought it would be OK to share it here with you. We had it last night for dinner and it made enough to make two pies and freeze a bag of filling, enough for one more pie.

Chicken Pot Pie
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
kosher salt & pepper
1 Bag Frozen Mixed Vegetables (my mix had carrots, lima beans, green beans, & peas)
4 medium/small Yukon Gold Potatos, washed & diced small
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups (1 can) chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 frozen deep dish pie crusts + 1 package of refrigerated pie crusts for toppers

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place your chicken on a pan and rub with olive oil and kosher salt. Roast chicken until done, about 30-40 minutes. When done shred with knife & fork to add to the pie.
2. While the chicken is roasting, bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are crisp-tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the bag of mixed vegetables and cook for a few minutes more. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set aside.
3. In another large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until they are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the last 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and then add the flour. Stir until combined & golden brown, just a few minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cream, sage & thyme and a little salt and pepper. Cook stirring often until thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables and shredded chicken to sauce and stir to combine. Fill your two pie crusts with filling. Unroll the refrigerated pie crusts and place over the pie, fold up edges & cut slits in the top. If you have extra filling you can freeze it and use it for another pie in the future.
5. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. I like to use my pie shields around the edge of the crust, but you can also just cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent from burning.

Happy Comfort Food Cooking & Happy Groundhogs Day!
(i heard little Phil didn't see his shadow so spring should come early! however i don't really believe it looking out my window at the arctic.)

On another note my nursery was featured by these two lovely blogs, check them out! Nest Design Studio and BuyModernBaby

All our bags are packed, We're ready to go...

2011-02-01T15:37:00.008-06:00

Well February has arrived with a bang, seriously you would think we lived in the north pole by looking outside. All day we have been under a blizzard advisory and it is nasty out there! The wind is just whipping the snowfall so it looks like its falling sideways. I woke up around 4am and started to feel like i really wanted to get everything ready today with all the little details and pack for the hospital, it is February! I have been saying for a while now that i was pretty sure he wouldn't arrive in January but once February hits it could be any day. So we did just that. I finished the diaper bag and whipped up the last two sewing projects i wanted to make- a nursing cover and car seat canopy. I used the Nicey Jane collection from Heather Bailey and i can't wait to get the quilt that my awesome sister-in-law Cynthia is making with the same fabrics. Here are some photos to show how productive we've been today :)

inside of the diaper bag
Nursing Cover (hanging), Car Seat Canopy & Bag
Here is what our master bedroom looks like right now- the bassinet and glider are set up there for the next couple months and then my suitcase is packed along with the diaper bag of cute little newborn outfits for baby. Matt also started his backpack with things they he needs. We are getting excited around here :) Now lets just hope if i go into labor tonight or tomorrow we can make it to the hospital through the snow!

Haute Hot Dogs

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure about you, but when i was growing up we ate our fair share of hot dogs, and now for the most part they stay out of my kitchen besides the occasional summer bbq- banished as a "kid only" food. However, just when i think something couldn't ever be made into a gourmet meal i am quickly repremanded by fabulous chef's who know a lot more than me.

So today I met Matt for lunch and we decided to give Dog Nuvo a second taste. I've been using Groupon a lot lately and a few weeks ago there was a groupon for it, so i snagged it and we ate lunch at half price. It seems like haute hot dogs are the new trend, and i have to say it's quite delish. Not really something i could eat more than once a month, but Dog Nuvo has quite the inventive menu and everything is really good. Today we tried the Mac and Cheese dog and the KC Dog which has burnt bbq ends on it, we also sampled the pierogis to start and the house made potato salad & potato chips as sides, nothing disappointed. Last time we went i had the thai peanut dog and Matt had the blue cheese one, they were both good as well. So if you're in the mood for a new hot dog experience head down to the crossroads for lunch and Dog Nuvo is sure to knock your socks off. you can see their menu on their website HERE.

Some more Maternity Photos

2011-01-26T15:28:00.006-06:00

I really wanted to have some photos taken of me in the nursery, so my friend Tara was so great and came and took some fabulous ones! I am totally in love with the nursery colors, the room just makes me really happy! A huge thanks to Tara for taking these, i know we will be so happy to have them in the future, they are SO cute!

Nursery Reveal!

2011-01-26T14:58:00.007-06:00

I am so excited to finally put these photos up. Yesterday my friend Tara came over and took some more maternity shots of me and these of the Nursery. She did such an amazing job, i am in love with all of them! I'll put up the maternity shots in the next post. The first photo is from, of course, a long time ago- i was 14 weeks, but it gives you a good idea of how empty the room was before. At this point everything is ready besides a few fun craft projects i will be doing next week, but baby Max can arrive any day and we would be ready!

Before:
Finished Nursery!

one of my besties gave me this goodnight poster for my birthday, it goes perfect in the nursery! thanks Caroline :)
my bestie Jessica gave us the elephant hamper, i love it!

Resources:
i found the crib HERE, the Penguin mobile HERE, the elephant hamper HERE, the yellow dachshund lamp HERE, the robot prints HERE and the good night poster HERE. Several of the prints i made and you can download them for free from THIS post. I made the curtains from fabric from Ikea and my dresser and cube shelf came from Ikea as well. i found the vintage blocks at a antique shop and the color of the walls is Benjamin Moore #618 Robins Nest.