Pinterest Wins

A few recipes on the pinterest wins list....

Smoked Gruyere Butternut Soup with Spicy Chickpeas - I am pretty sure the smoked gruyere is what made this so great

Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars - This was easy enough that Wyatt could help me at 8:30 at night and still make it for bedtime...and it has oatmeal in it so it's practically healthy

Wicked Delicious Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings - I think I already talked about these...so good


Butternut Squash Noodles with Shredded Brussels Sprouts, Walnuts, and Caramelized Onions - This is an epic side dish. I used my Paderno Spiralizer to make butternut squash noodles and I loved it...almost as much as zucchini noodles.


A few recipes on the to try list....

Roasted Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole - Yes I have a squash problem right now...acorn, butternut, spaghetti...get in my belli

Use Your Cast Iron Pan to Make World Class Bar Style Pizza in Under 12 Minutes - Tortilla pizza, this I can get into. 

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie - I tried one last year that I didn't love. Hoping this one is better.


Ok, and does anyone have a quinoa recipe that is actually good? I just can't get into the stuff. I have been trying to use up a bag for quite a while.  My only win is mixed in with some homemade granola. I have even tried recipes that smother it in cheese. If cheese can't fix quinoa, I am not sure what can.

Jammies on the left...overalls on the right...not worth the fight.

Breakfast Hacks

Here are a few breakfast items that I make in advance so that I have to put forth zero effort in the morning and I don't have to eat cereal.  I loathe cereal.  Eating cereal actually makes me hungrier!  Cereal consumption causes intense carnivorous daydreams.  I start looking around for meatballs or want to bust out last nights pot roast for breakfast.  Fact..in high school I ate leftover meatloaf frequently.  Ha ha!

Idear number 1:  Make a big ol batch of breakfast taquitos like these , cool completely, freeze, and then pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes in the morning.  They are a bit dried out so they need a dipping sauce (salsa, chipotle sour cream, avocado).  I haven't found a way to make these with corn tortillas and keep them crispy.  Flour tortillas work nicely. 

Idear number 2: Overnight oatmeal.  I have tried crock pot oatmeal and it was disgusting.  This recipe has you put oats and milk in the fridge overnight.  When you wake up, you stir in greek yogurt.  I added honey and granola.  I really liked this cold oatmeal. I guess its kinda like cereal but whatever. It was good and I wasn't starving in an hour.

Idear number 3: Green smoothies that you make in bulk and freeze into individual sized freezer bags. The night before you want one, but the bag into the fridge.  The smoothie will be mostly thawed.  Just squish it around in the bag to finish the job.  I found this guide for green smoothies that is perfect.  I went with coconut water, spinach, the big ol mixed frozen fruit, coconut oil, and honey.  Deelicious.  I usually scarf down a cheese string or something silly like that with it.  I don't really know what to eat with smoothies but I know smoothies aren't enough.


Wyatt loves all three of these.  I also found Wyatt licking the trash can yesterday so use your own judgment for his meal recommendations.  Any of yous guys have any quick non cereal breakfast ideas?

Kitchen Gadgets

I got a few new kitchen gadgets for Christmas that are super fantastic (DD).

Instant Pot Programmable Pressure Cooker

This puppy can make steel cut oats, veggies, meats, rice, everything, the kitchen sink, and everything.  It doesn't take up one of your burners on the stove.  It is easy cleanup.  I have a goal of making a side / veggie in it every night.  I have also found many great recipes to try and have pinned some of them here. 

Paderno Tri - Blade Spiral Vegetable Slicer

One word for you....zoodles..thats zucchini noodles.  I can't explain why I love this little gadget so much, but I do.  I like my zoodles with marinara or with garlic, olive oil, and salt.  I have done a few cucumber spirals.  I tried sweet potatoes while some screaming kids were distracting me.  I was zoodling every week and Hunter was making fun of me.  Z to the Oodles...lets eat some veggie noodles.  I also want to try apples or something else fun like that.  This goes on sale frequently with amazon and you can get for ~$15.  I don't usually like little gadgets that take up space, but this one is a keeper...for now.  Keep the blades away from the kiddies. And the accident prone adults.

What's Cookin

I am still having some connection problems at work so today I put on makeup, real clothes (already have spit up on em), and have prepped dinner. 

Tonight we are trying Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas.  We had all the stuff and I have been looking for a reason to use Gnocchi (which I have never tasted).

I snagged some blood oranges off of my dad's tree, so I have been looking for some fun recipes.  Maybe this Blood Orange Loaf Cake or maybe this Meyer Lemon Bread with Blood Orange Glaze.  It needs to be special.

I am trying to use up a truckload of kale from the in laws garden.  So far we have had this Blueberry Kale Smoothie.  I want to try Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. 

Veggie Tales

This week has been a week of vegetable adventures. I must have been having some strange and healthyish cravings while strolling through the grocery store.

BLT(fried and green) - Yes, I bought green tomatoes with intentions of making a tomatillo / green tomato salsa, but I turned it into a bacon, lettuce, fried green tomato sandwich with chipotle mayo.  I would do this again!

Tomatillo Cheese Grits from Homesick Texan - I am obsessed with grits as long as they are slow cooked with milk and other tasty stuff.  Breakfast grits I can do without.  I served this up with some shrimp cooked with salt, cilantro, butter, and lime.  A Mexican version of shrimp n grits perhaps? 

Spaghetti Squash sorta like Steamy Kitchen Says -  Spaghetti squash might be my new favorite veggie. I absolutely loved it.  Hunter appreciated it too.  I thought Wyatt would dig in thinking it was pasta.  He did call it pasta but detected the intruder immediately and decided not to have anymore.  Maybe if I try the spaghetti squash and cheese (mac n cheese style) recipe he will go for it. 

Roasted White Carrots inspired by PW - I had thyme and I impulse bought white carrots. I roasted them along the lines of the PW recipe. 

Well peeps, I have a little more than 2 weeks left until my due date and I am rrrready.  I spend my afternoons trying to convince Wyatt to do things where I get to sit.  Sometimes I even fall asleep on the couch while he plays in the living room.  I am tots sure I would wake up before he get into something he shouldn't.  I think I bought THE last thing I need to buy before baby girl arrives. I got one last haircut. I washed clothes. I mostly packed our hospital bags.  Car seat check. I don't sleep at night. I only want to sleep during the day.  The usuals.  Just need a baby girl here to stir up some things.

A dose of cuteness...Wyatt found a little stuffed baby dolly that is not for him.  He has been carrying her around and taking her to read books before nap.  He propped her up by us and put a dump truck in her lap.  Sharing!  We call her "baby girl" and he gives her hugs and kisses.  I can only hope he is this sweet to his sister.  I also hope she can claim her "baby girl" back someday. 

Hello October

October is here....baby girl's theoretical birth month.  Whoo hoo!

Did you remember to pay your rent today? In my tiny town, I have to physically drive to the realtor to drop off a rent check. What a strange idea.

My tiny town IS getting two starbucks though...one in a grocery store and one at our "mall". Now if we can just get some thai food, I will be ready to settle in for a while.

So here is a list of the pumpkin things I have tried so far this season:
Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch
PW's Pumpkin Smoothie
Phyllo Pumpkin Bundles (had some phyllo and some punkin to use).  Not too shabby. 

And a few pumpkin things to try:
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Crunch Granola

Now please excuse me.  I must go put on some panel shorts because my belly button feels like it is going to explode and I can't even handle a shirt touching it.  I don't think it is normal for innies to become half outties. 

Partied Too Hard

Hello my loyal (and very few) blog readers.  I have been so busy and lazy that I put blogging below cleaning toilets on my to do list.  Basically, I have been partying too much!  You know, the usual 8 month pregnant girl problems.


Tractor birthday parties for Wyatt and Hunter.   Family birthday parties for the 79% of my family that was born in September. 

Birthday boy #1

Birthday boy #2 with a nephew

Bachelorette and bridal showers for my friend Stephanie.

Me making macarons

Stephanie making macarons

We took a Macarons cooking class, we had a lingerie shower, we had dinner, there was a bridal shower.  Lots of fun fun fun!

I did lots of cooking, crafting, and planning over the past few weeks (never thought I would say those words), and I am enjoying being lazy this week.

A few of my labors over the past few weeks:

Make ahead and freeze Funfetti Pancakes for a birthday celebration.  Tasty and cute!

Some amazing make ahead shrimp cocktail to be paired with homemade cocktail sauce.

Also, did you know you can make macaroni and cheese in the crock pot?  It's not as good, but it is still pretty good and you don't have to do any work?!? My sister found a recipe.  Maybe this is it?

Did you know you could buy tractor nail decals on Etsy here?  Well you can, and I packaged them up a bit cute like for a party favor.  I rocked my John Deere and Farmall decals for 2 weeks (including to the bachelorette party)

A few Cricut banners for a bride to be weekend (our color scheme was silver, gold, and white) ...

Some tasty treats...

Swim Suit cookie cutters from Hobby Lobby, this delicious cookie recipe, and this royal icing recipe.  I add some almond extract to the icing.  I piped with a Wilton round tip 4 and 5 and was able to make a few almost decent looking. You can make all of this a week in advance.

Cupcakes with pearls and glitter.  I used the Wilton 12 star tip on these.  I tried 2 home made vanilla cupcake recipes that were sorta flops so I went with a nice box of French Vanilla that turned out pretty tasty.  I iced with this buttercream recipe. 

White chocolate truffles with sprinkles.  I can't remember the exact recipe I used but truffles are so easy and can be made way in advance.  A few things I learned...use paramount crystals to thin your candy melts.  This works much better than shortening and has a better taste.  Also, people prefer Merkens candy melts over whatever you can find at Hobby Lobby.


So that is all!  Hopefully I didn't gain 10 lbs, but I had to eat a lot of mess ups and taste tests.