Make-up JUNKIE!

You may not know this about me (ya, know-if you live under a rock or something).....

I LOVE make-up, not just a little-A LOT.

I love watching tutorials, I love searching Pinterest for the latest and greatest. I could peruse the aisles of Sephora and Ulta for hours. No.joke.

Last week I took the girls into Sephora with me, they were in HEAVEN! Thank goodness too since I spent a good 45 minutes in there sampling anything and everything.
They came out looking like clowns and I came out with the most amazing highlighting cream ever. Bene'fit High Beam.*
It comes in a little nail-polish-looking bottle, you even use a little brush to apply it. I'm soooo loving it. After a little pinteresting, I found some great application techniques, this one is my favorite: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/179651472611500502/  So pretty and glowy, a fresh-off-the-beach look. I recommend running out and grabbing it ASAP!!!

Okay, let me calm myself down.....I just so excited about great products.


*Another thing to know about me, I am ALL about bargain make-up. BUT....I love a good splurge on really fantastic products! (MAC is my go to when I have money burning a hole in my pocket)


Until Next time!

-B

In suuuummmeer

Well, it's already July!!! Less than 2 months until school starts-my baby starts KINDERGARTEN!!! I'm gonna be a hot mess. 

I was trolling her school's web page and had to hold back the tears-my baby eating lunch in the lunch room, without me there making sure she eats, her walking into/out of the school ALONE. What if big kids tease her? Worse-what if she befriends the big kids and learns things she shouldn't?? Oh, mommy worries!!

Did I mention that I was homeschooled? I never had to face these fears, I mean I did, just not so intensely! I'm so scared for Ruby!

BUT!!!! I know she is sooooo ready! That girl is ridiculously smart-she is ready for the intellectual challenge. The social side....that will be interesting! She is seeing a therapist right now for some anxiety issues-(so grateful for our wonderful psychologist!) Ruby is learning some great coping skills/tools to help with all those overwhelming moments. 

Did I mention Ruby's in therapy?? That's for another post, but I will say this: EVERYONE could use a therapy session!!

Anyways, just a little update. Here's a picture of our summer thus far....as good as it got...lol!  

Recipe: Tangy Potato Salad with Dill

Ahhhh, Memorial Day is here- the unofficial start to summer! 

We are headed to our 2nd BBQ of the weekend, and I'm whipping up a yummy, lighter version of the traditional BBQ side dish staple.

I use fresh and dried dill, the dry dill has a bit more flavor, the fresh dill looks pretty while also adding flavor. 

Target carries strawberry red potatoes, tiny and easy to use, perfect for the lazy me that HATES peeling veggies.

Tangy Potato Salad with Dill

1 bag of steam-in-the-bag Strawberry Red potatoes (Or 6 small red potatoes)

1/2 a red onion thinly sliced

2 hard boiled eggs, cooled and sliced

Dressing:

1/3 cup Greek Yogurt (0%)

1/4 cup Olive Oil 

1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried Dill

1 Tbs fresh chopped Dill

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cook you potatoes as the package directs, then cool. (or cube up your reds, boil until fork tender, cool)

Boil your eggs- place eggs in a small pot, fill with cold water, bring to a boil. Boil one minute, remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Cool, peel, slice.

While potatoes and eggs are cooking, Whisk your dressing together in a large bowl, toss in your sliced onion. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When your potatoes are cool, cut them into quarters, (bigger reds can just be cubed). Toss in dressing, salt and pepper to taste, arrange sliced eggs on top, garnish with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

This is how I roll.....my grocery cart down the aisle.

I've been asked twice in the last week: "How do you plan your meals out for 2 weeks at a time?!?!" or "How do you get dinner ready while doing hair while taking care of the girls!?!".

Firstly, I LOVE to cook, so that really helps the situation. 

Secondly, I LOVE my crock pot, it cooks for you.

Thirdly, I LOVE my chest freezer! Stock pile that food girl!

Menu planning does take time, you may need to get a cup of coffee before you start, I usually do!

I sit down and map out my schedule, I write down the dates for the next 2 weeks, and make a notation of whats going on each day/night (busy nights are usually crockpot/easy meals.) 

Next, I'll browse pinterest for recipes, or my paprika app, or just write down some standbys. 

Here is the part where you have to really get into it!!

Try to get more than one meal out of each day!! Example: I bought 2 rotisserie chickens from Costco, and will use it in 4 meals. I have to put thought into it for sure!

Also, make double of a meal, one for dinner and one for the freezer. HUGE time saver! 

One of my favorite freezer-to-crockpot meals is this amazing bolognese sauce. It is sooooooo good! We put it on hoagies for meatball subs, its great for lasagna, I wanna lick my plate its so good. It's really big so I separate it into 4 portions. 

Okay, for real though, you really can't learn without doing. It took me a while to get a rhythm down, and sometimes (especially around the holidays) I just give up and we eat out 3 times in a week, I am human!

Here is my current menu, at the bottom there is notes on how to spread out your ingredients for multiple uses. I don't shop by coupons, rather, I plan the menu and then look for coupons. I saved $62 between the cartwheel app, target printed coupons, target online coupons, the coupons in the sunday paper, and my target red card. Two hours of work for 12 meals and a saved $62. Worth it? I'd say so.

1.Rotisserie Chicken, baked beans (big can), chips

2. Salad topped with cold rotisserie chicken, and veggies.

3. Hot Dogs, baked beans, store bought potato salad

4. Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad, veggies, chips 

5. Indian simmer sauce-Tikka Masala or Vindaloo (Costco/Target), naan, jasmine rice add half the 2nd rotisserie chicken.

6. Mac and Cheese with Hot dogs

7. Grilled Kielbasa and Pierogies -grill an extra kielbasa

8. Corn and kielbasa Chowder, and bread

9. Crockpot Bolognese Sauce (makes 3-4 batches), noodles, bread/salad-I use ground turkey

10. Sloppy Joes, tater tots, veggies/fruit (use extra ground turkey)

11. Order a pizza/Leftovers

12. "Meatball" Subs on hoagies with mozzarella, salad/chips/veggies+dip

I bought 2 rotisserie chicken at Costco, half of one for meal #1, the leftovers picked off and used for meal #2, 

baked beans from meal #1 are used in meal #3. 

The other chicken is used for meals #4 and #5. 

Leftover hot dogs from #3 are used in #6.

Grill 2 kielbasa on meal #7 and use it for meal #8

Cook an extra pound of turkey during #9 prep and save for meal #10

I bought a giant tub of mixed greens form Costco for all my salads, the chickens from there are huge too.

Kale and Smoked Gouda Quiche

Doesn't that just sound fantastic?!?! Quiche just reminds me of a fancy brunch, or a French bistro. I LOVE this dish, breakfast-all whisked together in one delicious dish. A quiche is really quite simple, and could be made with hundreds of different combinations. I like a simple bacon and cheddar, or ham and swiss. My mom made it with tuna and mixed veggies when I was a kid, still delicious. 

I made this version a while back, for my best friend's baby shower. It was a hit! I think we could have licked the pie plate clean. But, being the proper ladies we are...we settled for licking the crumbs from our fingers.

I'm not a baker by any sense of the word, I used a Pilsbury pre-made pie crust. If you'd like to throw a crust together, more power to you!

An important step in this specific quiche is wilting/cooking your kale. It's a pretty hearty green and doesn't soften easily, it would be too chew if you were to add raw. Sautéing my kale, with a drizzle of olive oil and a glove of garlic, took all of 5 minutes. Easy peasy.

Smoked Gouda, the cheese from heaven. Mmmm....creamy, rich, salty goodness. I purchased mine from the deli counter, I haven't found smoked Gouda in the dairy section. I don't venture far from Target so you may be able to find it with the dairy elsewhere.

Okay, enough chatter! Here's my recipe!

Kale and Smoked Gouda Quiche

1 pie crust 

4 eggs

2 cups of fat-free half & half 

1 cup of shredded, smoked gouda 

4 medium stalks of kale, stems removed, chopped into bite size pieces.

1 glove of minced garlic

Olive oil (I used coconut oil)

Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350'

Place pie crust in pie plate, lightly press to mold into the dish. Pinch extra dough together or crimp with a fork. Set aside.

In a large skillet, warm your oil over med/hi heat. Add kale and garlic. Turn heat to medium, sauté for about 5 minutes, or until kale softens and turns bright green. Spread on pie crust.

Shred your cheese, and sprinkle over kale. I shredded mine right ontop and spread it out.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk together well. Add a sprinkle of each salt and pepper. Slowly pour over kale and cheese.

The dish will be VERY full! Careful not to tilt the plate.

Place in preheated over, bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving, as it needs to set. If your pie crust edges seem to be getting too dark while baking, simply cover the edges with a little foil for the remainder of the baking time.

Serve and enjoy!!!

I hope you love this as much as I do!!

Baby Food: Quick "Rice Pudding"

Ivy needs lunch....I set aside some jasmine rice from our previous nights dinner.....sure lets use that.

I use the term rice pudding loosely, its just a quick cheater version for baby.

Baby Rice Pudding:

1 Tbs. Cooked Jasmine Rice (heaping)
1 Tbs. Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 Tbs. Brown Rice Baby Cereal
A few Raisins or Craisins (I cut into smaller pieces)
1 Oz. Formula or Breast Milk (mix in gradually for desired thinness)
Sprinkle of Cinnamon

I mix it all up together, warm in microwave for 20 seconds. Watch baby devour!

Baby Food: Mac & Cheese

The other day, I made the big girls Mac and cheese. Good ol' Kraft-artificially flavored and colored; creamy and delicious!

I threw a couple noodles on Ivy's tray, she gobbled 'em up! I wasn't thrilled about giving her all that "crap" so young, (the big girls are at the point of no return, they want the stuff in the blue box)...so I decided to throw together a batch of homemade m & c for the little one!

It was sooo easy! I whipped it up while Ivy noshed on Cheerios, and the tv raised my bigs.

I had a handful of orzo left, but you could use any small pasta-acini de pepe, anellini, or stelline.

I decided to add some cauliflower, I had a ginormous bag from Costco that needed to be used. Sneaking veggies into dishes is always fun, it's a small victory watching my family devour chocolate muffins laced with zucchini. 

I threw my pasta in and cooked it past al denté (my toothless wonder needs it super soft). I added the cauliflower florets to the boiling water as well, it's okay to let them get mushy.

While that was going, I made my roux.

Melt the butter, add flour, stir til bubbly, slowly add milk-whisk! whisk! whisk!

Next, I added my shredded Colby Jack cheese-marble jack, cheddar, or white cheddar will work. I'd recommend staying mild, babies have sensitive pallets and tummies.

I Drained my pasta/florets, poured my sauce in the pot, stirred it all up. You can serve it fresh, or freeze it.

We use covered ice cube trays to freeze baby food. I spooned the cheesy goodness into the trays, this small batch filled one tray. 

Like most creamy pasta dishes, it gets a little thick when reheated. No biggie! I just added a splash of formula to "loosen" up the sauce. 

Here's the recipe, hope your little one enjoys it as much as Ivy did!

Baby Mac & Cheese

1/2 cup orzo or small pasta

4-5 cauliflower florets

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 Tbs flour

1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Boil water, add pasta and florets.

While that cooks, make your roux:

Melt butter (over medium heat) in a skillet, whisk in flour, cook until bubbly 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, the sauce should thicken, add more milk if too thick. Stir in cheese, stir until melted and combined.

Drain pasta/florets. Put back in pot, pour sauce over pasta. Stir until combined. Serve or freeze!