A Few Thoughts

Selfies... I have mixed feelings about them. I used to take selfies all the time. Now I rarely do it ever. I guess I just dont really have any interest in showing other people pictures of myself. Now a days I mainly take pictures of Bear, my cats and food!

Money.... wish I had some!

Food... I currently have mixed feelings about food. Some days I don't want any and other days I can't get enough. I have started to try and eat lunch at work this week because Anthony is now working and needs someone to eat lunch with, so far so good, lets hope it stays this way!

Etsy... I love Etsy! I am so exited to start my soap store, I just can't wait. I have been making labels and prepping for the launch. I think we will launch on Tuesday, May 6th!

Cats.... LOVE my cats! Hate the fact that they decided to rip up my carpet while I was at work yesterday!

The future.... I have BIG plans for it! Can not wait 'til 2017! Of coarse I can't tell you my plans, that would spoil the surprise ;p

Pepperoni Hot Pockets.... LOVE!

Shows I have been watching... I have been watching The Walking Dead, I just ran out of that last night though. Anthony and I have also been into The Following and we are about to start watching the new season of Game of Thrones. We also watch Shark Tank when there is nothing else available, and I have been watching the new season of Grey's Anatomy as it has been coming out.

Hot Air Balloons... I am slowly becoming obsessed with them.

I think that's all =]

This Week's Recipes - April 3rd to 14th

I have been slacking in on making bunches of new foods as of late, part of this has to do with the fact that we are low on funds and unable to buy ingredients for a bunch of fancy recipes. I have made 2 though so here they are. Hopefully in a few weeks I can go back to trying a new recipe everyday.

April 3rd - Eggplant Parmesan II

I liked this one but Anthony did not! He did eat it but told me he did not care for it afterwards. He would not say if it was because he did not like the eggplant or if he just didn't like the whole thing. I thought it was sorta salty even though it did not have salt added to it, maybe it was because the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese? Also, this recipe says to use 3 eggplants, I used 2 and THAT was way too much, I think for two people you may only need 1 or 1.5. It was pretty good though and a nice change from the norm. I do suggest you eat it with a meat of some sort. I ate mine alone because I was tired and did not feel like cooking anything else but I do think it would have been a lot better had I cooked up a steak or something to go with it. I probably wont make this again just because Anthony does not like it, but if it was just me I would make it for myself again. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/eggplant-parmesan-ii/detail.aspx

April 14th - Oven Baked Pork Chops

This was really fanatic! It was super flavorful and nice and crispy. Anthony loved it and even went for seconds. This recipe is VERY easy too! It took me less than 15 min to prep it, then all you got to do is pop it in the over and wait for it to be done! I used stuffing to bread mine and I did not add milk to the eggs because I was out but it still worked great! I am definitely going to make this again! I would rate this a 5 out of 5 stars.
http://www.food.com/recipe/oven-baked-pork-chops-18255

Silent Sunday: Getting into the Cabinets

Things I am DYING to have!

Here are a few new finds that I have been dying to buy! Seriously, can not wait until I get a little money lol

This T-shirt from themountain.com! LOVE IT!

A Yumbox! Have to have it for lunch at work!

This Paula Dean Porcelain Cookware Set!

Hmmm, actually I think that's it! There are lots of other things I would like to buy at this time but nothing that I am just dying to have other that these three things :]

This Week's Recipes - CATCH UP - March 8th to 29th

March 8th - It's Chili by George!!

I tried out my Crock Pot for the first time with this recipe! And I LOVED it! Love the Crock Pot and LOVE this recipe! Anthony loved this chili as well. I did make few adjustments to the recipe though so I could just use what I had on hand. Instead of tomato juice I used a can of diced tomatoes, I did not use any pinto beans because all I had was kidney beans so I just doubled those. As for the spices, I doubled them (except for the salt and the chili powder) and I also used Italian Seasoning instead of Oregano. I topped it with shredded cheese, sour cream and jalapenos. And we used Frito's scoops to eat it with. It was FANTASTIC and I do plan to make it again. I would rate this one 5 stars out of 5!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/its-chili-by-george/detail.aspx

March 11th - Hawaiian Calzones

This was okish. The only thing I did differently was I used the pizza dough that comes in the packet that you mix water with. And instead of making one huge calzone I made 4 small ones. Anthony did not like it at all and I did not care for it that much either. It just lacked flavor. I think also it tasted too much like kid food. I definitely will not be making this again. I would rate this 2 stars out of 5.

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/hawaiian-calzone/bf2f549d-80a5-404f-a273-cf0114fe7da0

March 15th - Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ok first of all let me start off by saying... no one told me you are supposed to soak the corned beef in water before you cook it! So when I cooked this it came out VERY salty even though there was not a single grain of salt in it. The meat was very tender though and the flavor (aside from the salt) was very good. I will definitely try this one again next year (I make this meal once a year around St. Pats day) but next time I will soak the beef for sure. No rating on this because I am not sure it would be fair. But if you would like to try it I do think you should! It really is a great recipe I just messed it up. Live and learn.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-corned-beef-and-cabbage/detail.aspx

March 18th - Pizza Casserole

Does this taste like pizza? No. Does it taste good? Absolutely! When I told Anthony I was making him pizza casserole he was very put off by the name and did not want any, but after tasting it he decided he liked it. He even went for seconds. This is quite yummy and a quick meal you can throw together when in a bind, we both liked it and will probably be making it again sometime. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pizza-casserole/detail.aspx

March 20th - World's Best Lasagna

This recipe was great! I really did like it a lot and so did Anthony. Anthony complained that I did not cook anything to go along with it though. So you may want to make a side salad and some garlic bread to accompany it, if you ever cook this. The flavor of this lasagna was amazing! It was incredibly rich, in a savory way. It took about 3 hours to make, and did require some work but it was worth it and I will be making it again. This is my new go-to lasagna recipe for sure. I would rate this one 5 stars out of 5.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/worlds-best-lasagna/detail.aspx

March 22nd - Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I loved these cute zucchini boats! I used pork sausage in mine and green bell pepper instead of red because that was what I had on hand and they turned out fabulous. Anthony loved them as well but not the zucchini part lol. He ate the stuffing out and left the zucchini, I could stuff a bell pepper with it and I'm sure he would just love that. I will more than likely make these again and I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars.
http://www.ziplist.com/souschef?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinnytaste.com%2F2012%2F07%2Fsausage-stuffed-zucchini-boats.html

March 23rd - Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

This was pretty good! We halved the recipe because there are only 2 of us and it was plenty. I doubled the lime, cilantro, and taco spices. The flavor was very nice and strong just like we like it and the chicken was very tender and fell right apart. The chicken was slightly dry in some places I did notice but overall it was okay. I served this over rice with sour cream and scallions on top. I do plan to make this again and I would rate it a 4.5 out of 5.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken/detail.aspx

March 24th - Blackened Shrimp Stroganoff

This was bad. Neither I nor Anthony liked it. We cooked it just like the recipe said, the only thing we did differently is we left out the capers because turns out our jar had expired. We ate what was in our bowls but the leftovers all went in the trash. It was edible but the flavor was just odd. And the shrimp tasted very ocean-y I am not sure why, I got the same shrimp I always do and I have never had it taste like that before. I think it may have been because in this recipe you do not cook the shrimp that long so you don't have time to really cook that flavor out? Who knows. We will not be making this one again for sure! I would rate this a 2 out of 5 because it was edible.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-shrimp-stroganoff/detail.aspx

March 26th - Salisbury Steak

Loved this one! While I was cooking it, Anthony thought I might not like it so he told me to take a few of the patties out and save them so he could make burgers out of them just in case (Those burgers were fantastic btw!). Turned out he liked the recipe too. I added mushrooms to mine and served it with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. The flavor was very good and strong and the meat was very moist and tender. I think the flavor of ketchup was a tad but too strong but Anthony thought it was perfect. I will more than likely be making this again. I would rate this one a 4.5 out of 5.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/salisbury-steak/detail.aspx

March 29th - Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This was great! We both loved it. I sort of thought it needed a little salt but Anthony said it was perfect ( I think I just have a thing for salt! lol). I made a few changes to the recipe when I cooked it. I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. And I mixed the pasta with the sauce in a bowl instead of pouring the sauce on top of the pasta. I also made layers with sliced Swiss cheese instead of adding shredded Swiss to the pasta. I did pasta, cheese, pasta, cheese. It came out fantastic and I will definitely cook this again. I would rate this one a 5 out of 5.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/detail.aspx

10-15 Months Old!

Today Bear turns 15 months old! I can't believe he will be 18 months in just 3 months! Yikes! Where does the time go?

He is doing great all around! Here are all the new things he's been up to!

• Standing unassisted 
• Walking 5-7 steps before falling (we are still working on the walking)
• Pointing to things
• Clapping his hands
• Pulling Legos apart (he can't put them together quite yet)
• Eating solid foods only, he eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and two snacks daily
• Sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am
• Babbling, he still is not saying any clear words
• Hugging, this is quite new
• He also has lots of teeth! I lost count how many but all the top front four are in as well as some top molars
• His health has been sorta off this past month, he has had lots of diarrhea and we are working with the doctor to figure out what all is going on. I will know more about that in a week or two.
• Loves his cats, race cars, Mickey Mouse, Mom and Dad, Gatorade, Chicken Nuggets, Snacks, His Binky and crawling around on the floor playing
• Hates getting his face wiped, taking medicine, sippy cups in the morning time, getting his diaper changed, when mom and dad leave, being still or stuck in one place more than 20 minutes (like waiting rooms) and laying down on hard surfaces.
• He weighs 20 lbs and I am not sure of his height

Here are some pictures from month 10 - 15 since I have been away from my blog so long!

10 Months Old:

11 Months Old:

12 Months Old:

13 Months Old:

14 Months Old:

15 Months Old:

Baby's First REAL Foods

Bear has REALLY taken off in the eating field! He LOVES to eat! While he loved to eat just about anything we offered him when it came to purees, real food is another story.

Bananas- He loves bananas and for a very long time they were one of his most favorite foods, as of late he has started to not eat them though. I am not sure if this is a phase or if he just does not like them anymore.

Chicken Nuggets - This child eats chicken nuggets everyday! He seriously loves them that much. We buy them from Walmart (the frozen kind) and he eats them at school for lunch everyday. We would send other things with him for lunch but so far this is the only thing that we have found that he will always eat no matter what. He also loves fries as you can see in the pic below. We only give him fries once in a while though as a treat. This pic was taken at a festival so he got a little spoiled that day =]

Rice and Eggs - We have only tried eggs a few times and he did not like them either time. Rice, he is up and down on, some days he will eat it and other days he won't.

Spaghetti - He wanted nothing to do with the stuff.

Snacks - He loves animal crackers, Teddy Grams, dry cereal, Club Crackers, Ritz Crackers (the cheese filled ones), and anything sweet. We have found that he does not like cheese flavored crackers like Goldfish or Cheese-Itz. But snack time is always a big hit with him.

Poptarts - His school sends home daily reports of what he does there each day, and one day they said on the report that they gave him 1/2 a poptart... so I thought "hmmm maybe he likes those and I should buy him some" and I did, and it turns out he loves them!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich - I tried this only one time so far and he was unsure about it. The sandwich I gave him was real small and he ate half of it. He seemed to like the flavor of just not really the texture. When I gave it to him he had just woke up as well, so I think I may try this one again at a latter date and see if he goes for it.

Ice Cream Cones - We tried this the other day and he had no interest what so ever in the ice cream he just kept pushing it away. We then tried taking the ice cream out of the cone and giving him just the cone, and he loved it! Ate it all up! The same day we also gave him a pretzel rod and he loved that too!

Other foods he does not care for - He is really so so about veggies, I know he does not care for them but we still send them with him to school everyday. I am pretty sure that some days he eats them and others he does not. He also is up and down with macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes, sometimes he will eat it and other times he will not. He did not want anything to do with meatloaf, pizza, potato salad or any meat other than chicken nuggets (not even chicken).

Foods he loves - Bear loves canned raviolis, grilled cheese sandwiches,  fruit (he loves all kinds), anything sweet, juice, milk (he is now on whole cow milk), Gatorade (this is his all time favorite drink he goes bonkers when he sees we have it!), bread or anything similar to bread with the same texture like rolls or bagels... muffins etc. 

There are still a lot of things that we have not offered him yet but we continue to offer him new things all the time. We are really hoping to get out of this (only eats chicken nuggets) stage soon.