Happy New year!

Welcome, 2013!!  I'm so glad you're here!

2012 proved to be a whirlwind of a year.  It started with me finding myself newly pregnant.  There was lots of prep for our newest family member during the beginning of the year -- childbirth classes, buying a new, bigger "mom car", and having lots of talks with Amelia about being a big sis.  The second half of the year was a true adventure -- welcoming Juliet Elise, learning how to be a family of four, and trying to embrace every moment with our little gals.  Josh and I couldn't be my thrilled with the year we've had. 

It will be hard to beat the excitement of last year, so I'm really not going to try.  However, I do have a few goals in mind to make 2013 a success.

1.  I would like to blog twice a week.  Life is sliding by so quickly and I would love to have a way to easily look back on all the fun we've had.

2.  I would like to get in better shape.  Cliché, I know.  But, seriously, it's time.

3.  I'd like to create a few more family traditions.  They may be big things, such a a special ritual for the holidays, or they may be smaller things, such as having a designated enchilada night (can we Josh, pleeeeease??).  I think having something to call our own, as a family, is a lot of fun and I'd really like to see more of that.

4.  I would LOVE to get outside more often.  In the last few months of my pregnancy and the early months of Juliet's life, we just didn't get out as much as we should have.  In my defense, being nine-months pregnant in Florida in JULY is not exactly conducive to outdoor activity.  Nonetheless, it's time for change and for more fresh air.  Picnics and Bench Brunch, here we come! \

5.  Josh and I will be enjoying far more date nights.  My parents are moving a two blocks away and have already insisted that we take some time fro ourselves each week while they keep the girls.  We are blessed to have them so closely knit into our lives!

So, what's on your plate for 2013?

Halloween

Halloween was so much fun yesterday!  For a little more about what our little family did, visit the baby blog.

This was the first year that Amelia expressed an interest in deciding on her own costume.  She told me she wanted to be a "happy tutu pumpkin".  Success!  I happen to love making tutus, so that part was easy enough.  Unfortunately, it seems to be quite difficult to find Amelia-sized orange leotards.  Luckily for us, Target carried a cute little sequined jack o' lantern shirt this year in the girls' department.  The XS was still a little large for my pipsqueak (it came nearly to her knees), but I think it looked adorable and can be worn for years to come!  Also quite fortunately, I happened to have some already-curled green corker in my craft room, so Amelia's pumpkin vines were easily made into a bow.  Something tells me Halloween will not always be this easy and I should appreciate this while I can.

Tulle pumpkin tutu with ribbon accents

Sequined shirt from Target

Corker pumpkin vines

The Little Pumpkin in action

Thanksgiving Casserole

Martha Stewart is a big part of my life.  I subscribe to three of her magazines -- Everyday Food, MS Living, and Whole Living.  I even subscribe to a majority of her email newsletters and mailing lists.  I always appreciate the delicious recipes and handy tips and tricks she publishes.  In her October issue of EDF, I was especially enamored with her Turkey and Stuffing Bake.  I made it for the first time week before last and I'm already making it again (I try not to remake meals very often).  To put it lightly, it's a new family favorite.

Turkey and Stuffing Bake

Serves 2 - Active Time: 25min - Total Time: 1hr

My modifications are in red.  For the three of us, I half the recipe.  It is still easily made in an 8-in square casserole dish.
 

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

2 lb ground turkey (85% lean) or ground chicken

1 tsp rubbed sage (I doubled up on the sage)

3 T all-purpose flour (I used WW flour)

3.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I prefer broth made from Better Than Bouillon)

coarse salt and pepper

1 yellow onion, diced medium

3 celery stalks, diced mdium

1 loaf crusty white bread, cut into large cubes (8 cups) (I used WW bread, too)

2/3 cup dried cranberries (I doubled the cranberries and I soaked them in broth)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425*.  In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil over medium-high.  Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 to 10 min.  Add sage and flour and stir to coat.  Add 1/5 cups broth and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is thickened, 2 min.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer mixture to an 8in square baking dish.

2.  Rinse out skillet; wipe dry.  Return to heat and add 1 T oil.  Add onion and celery and cook until softened, 8 min.  Remove from heat and add bread, cranberries, and 2 c. broth; toss until combined.  Stir in eggs.  Spoon bread mixture over turkey mixture; dot with butter.  Bake until juices are bubbling and bread is golden brown. 20 to 25min.  (Just enough time to clean up the kitchen and set the table -- how considerate!)  Let cool 10min before serving.

I think one of the things that is so enjoyable about this meal is that it encompasses the Thanksgiving flavors without requiring days and days of cooking and baking.  It's like Holiday Lite.  Who doesn't love a little added holiday cheer without all the effort??

Cleaning Schedule

Image Source: imperfecthomemaking.com via Ashley on Pinterest

As some of you might know, I follow a cleaning schedule.  It makes life so. much. easier.  I don't know about you, but I feel like it can be a little overwhelming to try to start a day of productivity when you have a never-ending to do list.  To make sure you never experience that feeling again, do yourself a favor and test drive a cleaning schedule.  The beauty of a schedule is that you never feel like you have to clean the entire house in one day.  There is a set starting point and ending point.  Even if you don't follow it religiously, you will have an idea of what you need to accomplish that day and your goal will be totally attainable.

I know what some of you are saying.... 'It's so easy for her, because she's a stay-at-home mom!'  Not even remotely true.  Have you ever tidied the path directly in front of an F3 tornado??  That's kind of what it is like to attempt to clean the house while my little Tasmanian-Devil-of-a-toddler is around.  I can also tell you that I started this schedule when I was still working.  That's right, folks.  Schedules are GREAT for busy professionals and homemakers, alike!  Did I mention that I schedule my weekends so they are free and clear of all household duties??  Sounds delightful, doesn't it? 

Here are a points to keep in mind as you start planning your schedule:

Map your house into cleaning zones.  Lump like items together, such as dusting all the rooms in one region or cleaning all the bathrooms on the same day.  Make sure you work efficiently.  If your greatest challenge is hiking all your cleaning products up your stairs, start storing a set on each level (I live in a 3-story townhouse, so i know this one all too well).  If dusting inflames your sinuses, get it all over with in one day so you can enjoy the rest of the week.  Work smart! 

Keep your weekly schedule in mind.  Are you exhausted after the weekend?  Make Monday's list light.  Do you do all your grocery shopping on Thursdays?  Clean the kitchen on Wednesday when there are fewer food items in it -- groceries love fresh, sparkling kitchens!  Do you have the ladies over for Bible study on Tuesday?  Make sure the living room is dusted and vacuumed the day before.  For me, this means I prepare for weekend guests.  I put the finishing touches on the living areas on Fridays, so they are as fresh as possible, and I refresh the guest rooms on Mondays, once my guests have departed.  That way, the guest rooms are always prepped and ready for any expected visitors.  Also, I keep my workload light on Mondays and Thursdays, due to weekend exhaustion and grocery shopping, respectively.  

Most importantly, be regimented, but not brittle.  If you have to take a day or two off, don't kick yourself.  The point of the schedule is to make life easier, not to make you feel guilty when you haven't checked every item off.  It may be difficult to get started, too.  For me it definitely was.  I had a lot of organization that needed to take place before I could easily clean my horizontal surfaces -- humbling, but true!  Celebrate the little successes and take note as you accomplish increasingly more of your list each week.  In no time, you will have a house that always looks clean and rarely takes much work to maintain.  If you are like I was when I started, you will also notice you can once again devote weekends to fun activities, instead of playing catch up on all your chores.  That is truly a beautiful thing!

If you decide to try this technique out, please let me know how it goes for you!

Here's an example of my weekly schedule.  Tasks such as dishes and light kitchen cleaning are not mentioned, as they take place as needed.  

Monday

o   Coupons

o   1^st story – cleaning

o   1^st story – vacuum

o   Outdoors

Tuesday

o   Meal planning

o   Kitchen deep clean

o   Dining room

Wednesday

o   3^rd story – bedrooms

o   Laundry room

o   3^rd story – vacuum

Thursday

o   Groceries

o   3^rd story – bathrooms

o   Office

o  Living Room

 Friday

o   2^nd story – bathroom

o   2^nd story – vacuum

o   Mop

 Weekend

o   FREE!!!

Crockpot Baked Apple... Sauce?

Since I'm not one for following recipes exactly, I've learned that I often end up with something I wasn't initially expecting. For instance, I set out this morning to make some festive baked apples in my crock pot. While I'm a fairly seasoned apple baker, I've never attempted to make them in my crock pot. So, when I found this recipe on Pinterest, I was excited!

Skinny Chef's Baked Apples

Apparently, I did something wrong along the way. The apples were falling apart a full hour before they were supposed to be done. I have a few theories on what might have gone wrong. First, it is possible I scooped out too much flesh when I cored the apples. Also, the heat in my pot might have been too high, so the apples cooked much faster than they should have. Or, maybe, it just wasn't meant to be. Have any thoughts??

When I saw my apples were not the aesthetically-pleasing subjects I hoped they would be, I closed up the lid and let them continue to stew. I didn't end up with lovely baked apples today, but I come out with my very first attempt at homemade apple sauce! Meli and I ate it warm out of the pot and we were both salivating for seconds after quickly devouring our first bowls. YUMMM! What a wonderful mistake.

fully-mashed sauce

the way I ate my apples - soft and unmashed with an extra bit of margarine

I can't say that all my cooking and baking mistakes turn out this well. In fact, this is a rare treat. I'm thrilled with the results and I'm looking forward to trying the recipe again (both versions -- sauce and baked apples!).

In case you're interested, below in BLUE is the original recipe from which I took my inspiration. I modified it quite a bit. I cored the apples, stuffed them each with a few spoons of brown sugar, topped the sugar with one pat of margarine per apple, and sprinkling each apple pot with a healthy dose of cinnamon and a pinch of ground clove. I did pour cider over the apples and into the pot, as well. The apples were split open in about an hour's time and they were sauce-soft by 2.5hr. I used Macintosh apples.

coring apples, stuffed apples, happily cooking, saucy apples

Original Recipe from Skinny Chef

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons orange liquor (optional)

Directions

Preheat a large crock-pot on high heat and preset it for 3 hours. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine, and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot. Pour in the apple juice or cider and the liquor, if using. Cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

Simple Pleasures

Image Source: kimasurf.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Thinking of simple pleasures has been particularly easy today.  Thanks to God for a GOOD Monday!  Here goes today's list:

• Waking up before sunrise on a Monday, actually getting in some vinyasa yoga, and not being dead to the world by noon (amazing... and quite rare!).
• The smell that fills the house when I'm slow cooking something delicious.  It's as if the smell is saying, "patience pays!"
• Checking things off the To Do List.  I find myself adding items that I've already completed just so I can have the pleasure of checking them right off.

Here's a to pleasurable, productive week!

Christmas by way of Elfster

So, it may seem a little early for a post like this, but I would like to announce that I am already fully immersed in Christmas excitement!  Menu are being planned, gifts are being hunted, and new crafts are in the works. 

A couple a years ago, we started a new family tradition for Christmas.  Instead of everyone buying gifts for each and every member of the family, we hold a Secret Santa Exchange.  Each participant draws a name and then purchase a present (or presents!) for just their one recipient.  We set a price limit, to keep things fair, and then we go crazy!

I feel like this new concept opens up a very different type of Christmas for us.  First, there's an added sense of mystery.  No one knows who selected them until the big day!  Also, there's no direct discussion of *who* is getting *what* for *whom* (see below).  Finally, with the gift-giving budget significantly reduced, I feel like there is more Christmas Spirit available for allocation.  We're not as financially and temporally stressed, so the little details can really shine through.  We can focus on our lovely shared meals and on actually enjoying time with one another.

I think one of the best parts of one of these kinds of exchanges is using fun tools like Elfster.  Elfster facilitates the whole process, allowing a well-orgnaized exchange without blowing anyone's cover.  When we've done {analog} exchanges in the past, someone had to keep track of all the draws, thus ruining the mystery.  With Elfster, everyone is invited to the exchange and each person RSVPs (no one is forced into the process by having their name thrown into the mix without permission.  Trust me, it happens.).  A draw date is selected ahead of time and the draw is performed automatically.  Everyone is notified of their draw, without the information being posted publicly (except to the Organizer who must specifically request to see the draws -- no accidental beans spilt!).  Then, the real fun begins.  Elfster allows participants to create their wishlists, so gift giving is left to chance.  They even offer a nifty "add to wishlist" button that allows you to add items to your wishlist directly from the sit you're already viewing, all without logging into Elfster.  Additionally, Elfster allows the exchange participants to ask one another anonymous questions.  It's really pretty fun, once everyone gets the hang of it.  From an organization standpoint, Elfster rocks at keeping everyone on track.  The organizer posts information about when/where/how the exchange takes place and there is the ability to send reminders about the exchange.  Again, these are real issues that truly do come up in exchanges!

   

 Here's a peek at our actual exchange, including a feed of everyone's wishlist additions.  

This is a screenshot of the "+ Wishlist" button at work.  Caribbean Blue Le Creuset??  Yes, please!

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty inspired. If you need a closer look, you're welcome to look me up and look over my wishlist.. hint, hint!