Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Date 4: Chili Manicotti
The last couple weeks, Mike and I have kept our date nights very low key with making dinner together and watching a movie. Life has been a little crazy and trying to adjust to a few added changes in our schedule has exhausted us. I started babysitting our friends’ sweet baby girl so her mama could go back to work. Last week I literally felt like I did after my first week of student teaching. Absolutely exhausted. Having a very low key date with one of our all time favorite dishes was the perfect remedy for us to finish the week.
Mike allowed me to completely relax on the couch with a glass of wine after the kids went to bed while he made my mom’s recipe for chili manicotti. This is by far one of my favorite dishes she made for us growing up. It’s a little obscure and looking at the ingredient list you would think there’s no way this could be good, but Mike who once was the pickiest eater loves this as much as I do.
When we were dating we would often cook together and try new recipes. We love food and we used it as a way to build our relationship. Shortly after we became engaged I compiled our favorite family recipes into a book using Shutterfly. We often turn to this book when we’re really needing a little piece of home. There’s nothing better than the warm and cozy feeling of biting into a favorite dish our parents often made for us growing up.
The chili manicotti recipe was added and we often joked whether this was an Italian or Mexican dish? Then again, chili itself isn’t really Mexican, but the pickled jalapeƱos kind of are. Uh huh, it sounds awful, right? Whatever it is, it’s a mixed up collaboration of both and it’s stolen our hearts. The best part is it’s always better the second day.
So if you’re brave enough to try this crazy concoction I really hope you thoroughly enjoy it as much as we do and it can become one of those weird recipes that the family talks about, but never really understands.
Chili Manicotti
2 cans condensed chili beef soup (with or without beans)
1/2 cup water
12 manicotti shells
2 eggs, beaten
24 ounces cottage cheese
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 pickled jalapeno peppers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir chili soup and water together and set aside.
Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain and let cool.
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeƱo peppers. Mix well. Carefully spoon cheese mixture into cooked manicotti shells.
Place filled shells into a 9x13 baking dish. Pour chili soup mixture over the shells.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and top with remaining cheddar cheese and serve.
When we were dating we would often cook together and try new recipes. We love food and we used it as a way to build our relationship. Shortly after we became engaged I compiled our favorite family recipes into a book using Shutterfly. We often turn to this book when we’re really needing a little piece of home. There’s nothing better than the warm and cozy feeling of biting into a favorite dish our parents often made for us growing up.
The chili manicotti recipe was added and we often joked whether this was an Italian or Mexican dish? Then again, chili itself isn’t really Mexican, but the pickled jalapeƱos kind of are. Uh huh, it sounds awful, right? Whatever it is, it’s a mixed up collaboration of both and it’s stolen our hearts. The best part is it’s always better the second day.
So if you’re brave enough to try this crazy concoction I really hope you thoroughly enjoy it as much as we do and it can become one of those weird recipes that the family talks about, but never really understands.
Chili Manicotti
2 cans condensed chili beef soup (with or without beans)
1/2 cup water
12 manicotti shells
2 eggs, beaten
24 ounces cottage cheese
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 pickled jalapeno peppers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir chili soup and water together and set aside.
Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain and let cool.
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeƱo peppers. Mix well. Carefully spoon cheese mixture into cooked manicotti shells.
Place filled shells into a 9x13 baking dish. Pour chili soup mixture over the shells.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and top with remaining cheddar cheese and serve.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Three + Four Month Favorites
The last couple of months have been a little bit of a blur with all the holidays and festivities we had going on. Olivia is now five months and rolling around everywhere. She’s competing with Finn for our chunkiest baby. Her rolls are the squishiest, most adorable thing EVER and she just keeps adding to them. It actually makes me sad to think once she starts crawling her lovable baby fat is going to melt away.
Around four months, she dove into the infamous sleep regression and I’ve been trying to catch up ever since. She loves to snuggle to no end and has been trying to roll to sleep on her tummy. She absolutely hates it when I roll her onto her back and screams at the top of her lungs. She hasn’t quite figured out to turn her head when on her tummy and often puts her face straight down, which of course is never good and freaks me out....hence why she screams at me.
.
.
She’s also notorious for spitting up and exploding out of her diapers. We recently went up a size due to all of her 17 lbs of squishy chunk. I think Kensi was only around 20 lbs by the time she turned one, Livie is setting new goals. We’ve continued to use some of our favorites listed on the first and second month favorites and don’t have too many new ones to add right now, but here’s but we’re currently using and loving for our sweet baby girl.
| Sound Machine | We’ve always used a sound machine with Finn because it seemed to help him sleep better through the night. He’s had to share the last month or so because Olivia does not sleep well in silence. She’s the one baby who sleeps or will fall asleep when the vacuum is running and the kids are running around screaming. The more noise, the better she sleeps.
| Swing | We have both the MamaRoo and the Rockaroo by 4Moms. When we brought Olivia home from the hospital we immediately used the Rockaroo for the ease of moving it around. She loves this swing and often naps in it, however we can’t get her to give the same love to the MamaRoo as Finn did.
| Como Tomo Bottle | Kensi loves helping me with Olivia. She’s always one to grab the diapers and wipes when needed and is never far from Olivia. One of her favorite things to do for Olivia is feeding her a bottle. Kensi often asks me if I would like to pump milk for her baby sissy so she can feed her. We’ve tried different bottles with each of our kids, but our favorite right now is the Como Tomo.
| BabyGanics Lotion | Livie has very dry skin and several little eczema patches on her legs. arms and will even get them on the sides of her face. We use Babyganics Lotion to help hydrate her sensitive skin and does the trick every time. I even use it on my dry spots and it’s been a dream! Buh-bye dry skin!
| Apple Music | We joined Apple music a few months ago and it has literally been a lifesaver during nap time. I love downloading the lullabies, especially this one. Its my favorite and totally beats listening to an instrumental rendition of twinkle little star on repeat.
I can hardly believe we’ll soon be embarking on all things food related to this little chunk, I can only imagine how many more rolls she’ll acquire in the next couple months...hopefully a lot!
| Apple Music | We joined Apple music a few months ago and it has literally been a lifesaver during nap time. I love downloading the lullabies, especially this one. Its my favorite and totally beats listening to an instrumental rendition of twinkle little star on repeat.
I can hardly believe we’ll soon be embarking on all things food related to this little chunk, I can only imagine how many more rolls she’ll acquire in the next couple months...hopefully a lot!
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Date 3: Movie + Pizza
I’ve been a little MIA this past week. It’s been so busy over here with the kids, Mike and I and the everyday chaos. Funny little side note to start today’s post, when I was sharing with my parents about our resolution to date each week they thought it would be hilarious if we did a post simply saying our date was cancelled due to not getting along and fighting. Of course not marriage drowning fighting, just annoyed enough to not have a date that week. I thought it would be funny too, until it kinda happened.
Last week I planned to have us make fried rice and watch a movie on the couch, just something simple and cozy to do. I was just not in a good mood on Friday and everything was irritating me. Poor Mike got the brunt of my sass and attitude and pushed me too far with our workout that day. I was exhausted, I didn’t want to do it and I found what he meant to be encouraging flat out nagging and I checked myself out of the entire evening. I wasn’t in the mood to cook dinner with him or even watch a movie. He tried being sweet and made the meal, and even asked me to pick the movie. When I failed to choose one he started one of my all time favorites and I chose to be a brat. I went to bed. I don’t know why I allow myself to have moments like that, as if it’s going to really stick it to him for making me mad. He really didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me. I chose to let tone and words offend me. Worse than that I allowed it to completely ruin our night and I felt awful. Pure regret. I missed out on a date with my husband for stupid reasons.
The thing with blogging about such things and sharing life with our friends and family is that it’s important to be real and genuine. Our life is not always a bunch of highlights you see on my Facebook or Instagram posts. We are a real couple who love each other, annoy each other and sometimes fight. We’re here raising this little family of ours on our own without family around to help us. It can be stressful. It can be hard, really hard. There are days I’m drowning in laundry, dishes and glitter. There are days I do not want to get out of bed. There are days I’m so sad and I’m homesick. There are days I cry because I miss my friends and family so much it hurts. There are days I long for the opportunity to be able to go grab lunch with my mom, sister or best girlfriend. There are days where I dread Mike going to work because I so badly want to have more adult interaction other than talking to the barista in the Starbucks drive thru. But there are also days of pure joy. Days where I get to experience new adventures with the kids. Days we stay in our pajamas and play for hours and hours. Days that are far too short and I don’t want them to end. We have all these days just like everyone else. Our life and our marriage are so far from perfect, but I really believe the difference for us is constantly praying and looking for the good, the beauty and the joy. Mike and I know we couldn’t do our journey...our marriage....our life without God. There’s just no way.
I am one very blessed woman to have a very loving husband who forgives me when I’m being a brat and sees past my flaws. We decided to make up our date Saturday night and together made homemade pizza and snuggled in for another favorite movie; Definitely, Maybe. I’ll plan another date to share our fried rice recipe because it’s the bomb and you will definitely want to try it out.
Lately, I’ve been all about hamburger pizza and adding as many veggies as I can fit, along with our favorite pizza seasoning we found at an Amish market outside of Annapolis, Maryland. We enjoy using naan bread for individual pizzas or we’ll use my sister Trish's favorite go-to recipe for dough using a food processor. It’s so simple and makes pizza night easy every week.
Pizza, a movie and bottle of wine was definitely a good way to make up for my bratty attitude and enjoy a date with the hubster.
xo
Simple Pizza Dough
2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon Sugar
1-1/4 cups Warm Water (105-115F)
3-1/3 cup Flour
1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
3 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Insert dough blade in food processor work bowl and add flour, salt and olive oil.
With machine running on dough speed, pour liquid (yeast + sugar mixture) through feed tube as fast as flour will absorb it. Process until dough cleans sides of work bowl and forms a ball. Then process for 30 seconds to knead dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Coat dough evenly with a drizzle of olive oil; transfer to a glass or metal bowl and let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare pizza toppings and preheat oven to 475 F.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and punch down. Roll dough into desired crust sizes.
We usually split dough in half and make two medium to large pizzas. Left over dough can be stored in a plastic zip bag in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Pre-bake dough before adding toppings for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top dough with sauce, toppings and cheese. Return pizza to the oven and bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Date 2: Rach’s Star
Hi! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Mike and
I am Rachael's husband. As you probably know, Rach and I had a resolution to
date each other more in this new year. Well, I got to plan date number two and
Rach agreed to let me guest write the blog post for this date. Please be kind
as this is the first time I have ever attempted to write something like this. I
am far more comfortable with technical writing based on the nature of my job.
If you recall our first date (here), Rach introduced some of our
history into the mix to both make it fun and reminiscent of our early years
together. When I started to think about planning my first date of 2017, I
figured I better follow suit and bring some history into the mix. I did just
that in a fun way and realized for some reason we had not done this “thing”
ever before now (Keep reading…it will all make sense later).
To start off this story I must explain the history part that
is both sweet, in a young love kind of way, corny, and a little sad (the sad
part is a funny story that I discovered while planning this date…keep
reading!). When Rach and I were dating back in high school, which seems so long
ago now, I decided to "name a star" in her honor. It was a sweet,
cute, and lovely jester at the time and was part of a bigger love we both
shared for laying around at night in the summer to star gaze. So as any young
man would do, I found a website online that allowed me to pay a price for a
package that would "name a star" in her honor. I aptly named it
"Rachael's Star" (I know…very original).
With all of that in mind, let’s move onto the actual night
of the date. I decided to take Rach out to dinner at one of our all-time
favorite local restaurants for some tacos, fish tacos to be exact. We both had
been having mad cravings for some really good tacos, so I tried my best to
fulfill that desire. The place was Las Olas, and if you are ever visiting
Wilmington, it is a must try. At dinner I gave Rach our traveling journal to
read my entry. The other thing to know about me is that I love riddles and more
than that, I love giving Rach riddles to solve that provide clues for whatever
we might be doing. She read my entry and the riddle, took a few minutes and
solved it on the spot. She was surprised
how quickly she solved it, but she aced it.
The riddle is below.
At night they come out without being
fetched
and by day they are lost without being stolen.
and by day they are lost without being stolen.
What are they?
Side story from after dinner that made Rach and I laugh to
the point of crying. While sitting in the car about ready to leave, I noticed a
guy sitting at the outdoor table at the Dunkin’ Donuts next door talking on the
phone. Seems innocent at this point, but then I noticed and immediately pointed
out to Rach that he was picking, or itching depending on how you see it, his
belly button constantly. He literally
did not let up for a solid five minutes and we sat there and laughed. Keep in mind that we were not laughing at
him, but it was constant, very awkward, and hard to watch. Laughing was the side
effect of all those feelings.
Once we got over the hysteria of the moment, I started into
the surprise, star gazing on the beach and attempting to find “Rachael’s Star.”
This may sound crazy and it actually is crazy, but we had never attempted to
actually look for her star until now. I drove us down to Wrightsville Beach and
parked at a local restaurant with direct beach access. We strolled to the dark beach and took in the
beautiful moon, crystal clear sky, and the soothing sound of waves crashing. We
took in the star gazing for a while, failed to take a decent shot of the moon
shining over the water, and then I pulled out my phone…I know it sounds bad,
but I had my reason.
At this point you may be wondering how I planned to locate a random star in the sky, let alone see it without a telescope, but that is where my phone comes into play. Our technology today is amazing, and I found out through some internet searching that a certain star app can help you see all the stars in the sky via augmented reality, and provide the coordinates for wherever you point the phone. This combination allowed me to locate Rach’s star with a little effort. Unfortunately, her star was below the horizon so we could not see it in the sky, plus we would need a telescope to pinpoint the actual star because it is so faint in the sky. I was able to show here the general point where the star was located and she was very excited.
At this point I went on to tell her the story (sad story referenced
above) of my work to find the paperwork on the star, researching on the
internet on an easy way to locate the star, and a way to be able to gaze upon
it in the night sky. This research lead me to a massive discovery of fraud and
deceit. As I started looking for the website of the place that allowed me to
name a star, I found my way into various forums that had discussions on the
merit of these websites. What I discovered is that there is only one
international body that officially names stars and you are not allowed to buy naming
rights, just so you know. All the other websites that sell you on the ability
to name are star are just a gimmick. The specific site I used is no longer around
and actually shows the website is for sale.
If you read over the certificate they sent you would guess
that these records would be kept for all eternity, but what that really meant
was as long as the company is still in operation.
Rach and I both had a laugh about the legitimacy of her star
in the sky, but in the end, we both agreed she still had a star up there in the
sky that was named in her honor…we have the coordinates!
This was one of the best dates we have had in a while and I
look forward to the many more dates we have ahead of ourselves this year.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Essential Oils: Lavender
The first oil we ever purchased was Lavender. This is literally the catch all oil. We use it every night to make our Sweet Dreams Monster Spray for the babes. When Kensi was between two and three years old she developed a fear of monsters in her room and would often not want to sleep by herself. We decided to make a monster spray that we would spritz all over her room. After about a month a friend suggested to add lavender to help Kensi sleep better. Lavender helps promote calmness and relaxation, which is perfect for getting a good nights sleep. It’s been three years now and every night we still spritz monster spray in each of the kids’ bedrooms and even in our own. It’s part of our nightly routine and the kids never let us forget it!
Sweet Dreams Monster Spray
10 drops Lavender + 4 drops Cedarwood
šæ
Using a 4 oz glass spray bottle add each oil and fill with distilled water. Spritz on blankets + pillows before bedtime!
Lavender also helps with scrapes, blisters, cuts and burns. When I was pregnant with Finnley, I was cooking at the stove and reached for the cabinet right above and my belly hit a hot pot of boiling water leaving a burn across my stomach about two inches long. I rubbed one drop of lavender oil on the burn (and my stretch marks) everyday. The burn healed and didn’t even leave a scar behind.
I also use lavender as part of my nightly face cleansing ritual. It can help diminish fine lines and wrinkles. After washing my face I put one drop neat into my palms and rub all over my face. Perfect for finally getting a little shut eye, or at least until Olivia wakes up.
To learn more about Young Living Essential Oils or if you’re interested in becoming a member head over to my Essential Oils tab at the top of the page!
To learn more about Young Living Essential Oils or if you’re interested in becoming a member head over to my Essential Oils tab at the top of the page!
Friday, January 13, 2017
Kiddo Day Date
Happy Friday the 13th!!!! I know so many people who find this day superstitious, but it’s always been one of my favorites and today didn’t disappoint! Every so often Mike and I love taking the kids out for a family date, but since Olivia was born we haven’t made much time for specific dates. Kensi and Finn have watched Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas a few too many times and asked if we could go ice skating sometime so we added it to our winter bucket list this year. We were a little nervous thinking of Finn trying to ice skate since he just turned two, is quite clumsy and still isn’t speaking more than a handful of words which are almost always consisting of ear piercing screams, but we decided to go ahead and take him anyways.
We knew this would-not, could-not be a zone defense, but had to be man to man. So today we dropped Olivia off with some friends so we could have some one-on-one quality time with Kensi and Finn skating. We were thrilled to learn our ice rink has skate sled rentals which really help kids (and adults) to learn how to skate. We sat the kids on the bench and began lacing up the cutest little skates we ever did see and almost immediately Finn started melting down due to just wearing the skates. He hated the way they felt. Of course he couldn’t stand and you can only imagine a two year old trying to have a small tantrum wearing ice skates. It just doesn’t work.
We quickly laced Kensi up and moved to the door and placed our skate sleds on the ice and a babe into each one. Mike and I exchanged looks of fear and anxiety. We knew this was about to be an epic disaster as neither one of them could stand holding the sled. We quickly got over our fear and decided to tackle this outing and burst into laughter. If we were going down, we were doing so having fun.
Finn somehow figured out how to keep his little legs straight and toes tucked under the front of skate sled, which only made us have to hold his arms and the sled together and push him around. Kensi quickly caught on and before long we were sliding and gliding with ease and happy faces. The kids LOVED IT! Finn was screaming “WOOO WOOO!!!!” each time around. We were so proud of Kensi too. After a few laps of learning the feeling of gliding, she decided to try it on her own. She only fell a couple times, but did awesome for her first try!
After several laps around, we began to race each other with the kids and their faces were lit up with joy. Lap after lap, Mike and I began feeling the aches set in from constantly bending down to push the sleds and skate simultaneously. We finally called it quits and waddled off the ice as our legs and backs began to slowly ache with pain. Our noses and cheeks were rosy red from the chill, but as soon as we stepped back outside we were pleasantly greeted with warm 76 degree weather. The benefits of living in the south!
We finished out family date by heading to the coffee shop for hot cocoas and cookies on the patio. It was a pretty great way to cross yet another item off our supposed winter bucket list!
Here’s to the weekend, make it great! xo
We knew this would-not, could-not be a zone defense, but had to be man to man. So today we dropped Olivia off with some friends so we could have some one-on-one quality time with Kensi and Finn skating. We were thrilled to learn our ice rink has skate sled rentals which really help kids (and adults) to learn how to skate. We sat the kids on the bench and began lacing up the cutest little skates we ever did see and almost immediately Finn started melting down due to just wearing the skates. He hated the way they felt. Of course he couldn’t stand and you can only imagine a two year old trying to have a small tantrum wearing ice skates. It just doesn’t work.
We quickly laced Kensi up and moved to the door and placed our skate sleds on the ice and a babe into each one. Mike and I exchanged looks of fear and anxiety. We knew this was about to be an epic disaster as neither one of them could stand holding the sled. We quickly got over our fear and decided to tackle this outing and burst into laughter. If we were going down, we were doing so having fun.
Finn somehow figured out how to keep his little legs straight and toes tucked under the front of skate sled, which only made us have to hold his arms and the sled together and push him around. Kensi quickly caught on and before long we were sliding and gliding with ease and happy faces. The kids LOVED IT! Finn was screaming “WOOO WOOO!!!!” each time around. We were so proud of Kensi too. After a few laps of learning the feeling of gliding, she decided to try it on her own. She only fell a couple times, but did awesome for her first try!
After several laps around, we began to race each other with the kids and their faces were lit up with joy. Lap after lap, Mike and I began feeling the aches set in from constantly bending down to push the sleds and skate simultaneously. We finally called it quits and waddled off the ice as our legs and backs began to slowly ache with pain. Our noses and cheeks were rosy red from the chill, but as soon as we stepped back outside we were pleasantly greeted with warm 76 degree weather. The benefits of living in the south!
We finished out family date by heading to the coffee shop for hot cocoas and cookies on the patio. It was a pretty great way to cross yet another item off our supposed winter bucket list!
Here’s to the weekend, make it great! xo
Monday, January 9, 2017
Valentine Style
As each new holiday approaches I am a sucker for cute clothes for the kids. Now that we have three it's actually fun (and a little annoying) to find outfits and pieces that coordinate. It's easy finding pieces for the girls, but it can be difficult finding something for Finn. I typically try and get matching pieces from sister stores like Gap and Old Navy since the styles and colors are almost always similar and there is ALWAYS a sale. However, I absolutely love picking up things from small shops like our favorite sweats from Childhoods Clothing and and leotards from Alice + Ames.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve actually spent time shopping for Mike and I. It’s usually a quick grab when we know we need something like a sweater because it shrunk by accidentally getting thrown into the dryer or a new shirt because the one currently be worn has a hole. It happens more often than I really like to admit. We definitely don’t prioritize our wardrobe, but it’s fun to be able to add a new piece here and there. Typical we shop for neutral basic pieces that can be worn a bazillion different ways, but I am loving these comfy tops from Aerie for the cold winter days. Plus, anyone who knows me well, knows I can’t pass up fun + festive socks!
Happy Monday friends! Here’s to a great first full week back to the grind!
xo
| Fit + Flare Heart Dress | Patterned Blouse | Sailor Bow | Gusset Pants | Tutu Onesie | Heart Sunglasses | Jersey Dress | Graphic Bodysuit | Red Gingham Shirt | Varsity Moccasins | Love Stripe Hat + Mitten Set |
Happy Monday friends! Here’s to a great first full week back to the grind!
xo
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Winter Bucket List
It always seems everything winter-ish gets jammed and rushed into this itty-bitty window of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but winter has just begun! There's still so much time, a good three months, to sip hot cocoa, cozy up by the fire, and walk in a winter wonderland. I feel like once Christmas has passed, the stores are stocking swimsuits and gardening equipment. Didn't we just see all those go to clearance a few weeks ago? How is it possible winter always seemed to be the longest season when we lived in Nebraska, but now that we're in North Carolina it feels like the shortest. We sometimes get ice, very rarely do we see snow, but there's still so many fun winter to dos for a winter bucket list.
We’ve been spending the last few cold days snuggled up on the couch with blankets on blankets, building forts in the living room and watching movies. Somehow we missed all the beautiful snow that sprinkled the southeast, but we still enjoyed cold temperatures and freezing rain. It doesn’t sound ideal, but we love having a day here and there that keeps us homebound. We watched The Secret Life of Pets repeatedly over the weekend and the kids still can’t get enough. Hearing them laugh at the silly scenes is absolutely one of the sweetest things to a parent. We love watching their personalities grow and their individual humor come to life. Finn’s laugh is contagious. He thinks it hilarious when the bunny accidentally poops!
We have a few family dates planned to cross some items off our bucket list the next couple months and I can hardly wait! I know the kids are going to love everything winter has to offer!
Ice skating
Build a snowman
Make sand angels (Hoping for snow angels)
Try a different hot cocoa flavor
Enjoy a snow/ice day
Read a book by the fire
Cut paper snowflakes
Cut paper snowflakes
Sleep on flannel sheets
Make chicken soup with homemade noodles
Mix up glitter play dough + slime
Mix up glitter play dough + slime
Go sledding (does sledding on ice count??)
Purchase a pair of warm, fuzzy socks
Have a camp out the night before an ice day
Build a fort with twinkle lights
Watch the ball drop
Make + bake a crumble
Send sweet love notes
Share some of your favorite winter to dos in the comments below, we’d love to hear them!
xo
xo
Saturday, January 7, 2017
First Date: Meet Me Under the Stars
It was 2001, I was 15, a freshman in high school, and Mike was a sophomore. I wasn’t allowed to date by myself until I turned 16 so we planned for a group date. As typical teenagers we didn’t have much to plan. We all did the same thing, either hung out at someone’s house or went to the movies. Our theatre of choice was one of the largest in the city at the time and the ‘cool’ place to go. In the main lobby there was a night sky in the ceiling with computerized shooting stars. Mike has always been a hopeless romantic and since he wasn’t allowed to pick me up at my house, he asked me to meet him under the stars at the theatre.
I can still remember the ridiculous outfit I chose after changing four times and although I thought it was cool and the hot thing to wear, today I laugh with embarrassment. My top was a tank that tied up the sides with red embellished lips on the front, my first purchase from Wet Seal, and a black light weight zip up sweater. I paired it with my Tommy Hilfinger jeans and cross body purse from Gap that held my Heaven scented perfume.
Mike ended up being late so our group of friends had to split up. Mike and I found a couple empty seats at the top of the theatre. We laugh about the awkwardness between us. Do we hold hands? Does he want to hold my hand, should I reach for his hand? The date ended with us sharing our first kiss and walking to a nearby diner for french fries and milkshakes. Which brings me to our first date of 2017.
I’ve been struggling with planning our first resolution date. I felt so pressured to make it grand, but after too much thinking I decided to start from the very beginning and felt inspired by our first date together. I wrote a little love letter to Mike in our traveling journal we share, asking him to meet me under the stars later that night. We started up the fire pit and made dinner for two. Since we dined on french fries and milkshakes back as teenagers, it was only fitting to recreate it similarly by making burgers and oven baked garlic fries. It was chilly outside so we skipped the milkshakes and popped open a couple Cold Snaps instead.
We had no idea how much we’ve been missing out on while running around, raising three babes. It may seem like a simple and small gesture, dating, but it was so fulfilling to just sit, talk, and enjoy each other’s company without having three little people yelling mama + daddy; constantly needing something. I found a list of fun questions we read back and forth to each other. Even though a few were very basic such as what’s your favorite food, I found myself not knowing all of Mike’s answers. It’s terrible. In the almost eight years we’ve been married we’ve changed and forgot to continue to study each other. I’m so glad we are choosing to make our relationship a priority because it’s so easy to let everyday life cloud what’s really important. I can’t wait to see what Mike has in store for date night next week!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burgers for Two
1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/8 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Cold Water
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Nebraska Steak Salt Seasoning
Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, water and egg together in a bowl. Once mixed, form two burger patties and set aside. Once ready to cook, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon Steak Salt on each side of the burger patties. Cook until liked doneness.
Toast bun by lightly buttering and place on grill or skillet until golden.
Top each burger with preferred condiments. A few of our favorites are sliced avocado, roasted bell pepper, pickles, sharp cheddar cheese + apple cider vinegar mustard.
Garlic Parmesan Fries
sixsistersstuff.com
4 Medium Russet Potatoes, washed + sliced into 1/4 inch strips.
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Season Salt (We use Lawry's or Gates BBQ)
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Spicy Aioli
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
In a gallon size plastic zip bag, place potatoes, oil, garlic, garlic powder and season salt. Seal the bag and shake until potatoes are well coated. Place potato strips on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove potatoes from oven and place back into plastic zip bag, along with parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss gently, then pour back onto the baking sheet and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve with Spicy Aioli and enjoy!
Burgers for Two
1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/8 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Cold Water
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Nebraska Steak Salt Seasoning
Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, water and egg together in a bowl. Once mixed, form two burger patties and set aside. Once ready to cook, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon Steak Salt on each side of the burger patties. Cook until liked doneness.
Toast bun by lightly buttering and place on grill or skillet until golden.
Top each burger with preferred condiments. A few of our favorites are sliced avocado, roasted bell pepper, pickles, sharp cheddar cheese + apple cider vinegar mustard.
Garlic Parmesan Fries
sixsistersstuff.com
4 Medium Russet Potatoes, washed + sliced into 1/4 inch strips.
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Season Salt (We use Lawry's or Gates BBQ)
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Spicy Aioli
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
In a gallon size plastic zip bag, place potatoes, oil, garlic, garlic powder and season salt. Seal the bag and shake until potatoes are well coated. Place potato strips on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove potatoes from oven and place back into plastic zip bag, along with parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss gently, then pour back onto the baking sheet and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve with Spicy Aioli and enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
