July 28, 2013

What's for Dinner?::Beer Soaked Beef

I've never bought steaks nor have I ever cooked them! So this was totally new for me! They weren't too bad. They were actually very tender & juicy...

I didn't follow the recipe to a T. (Get it? T? Like T-Bone steak, hahaha!)

#1. I couldn't find "flank steak" at the grocery store so I think I bought sirloin? IDK they're all the same to me! haha!

#2. My steaks must have been thicker than a flank steak because they had to cook longer than what the recipe said.

#3. I followed the directions for the "sauce", but didn't like the way it turned out so I didn't pour it over the steaks...OK actually I did then I took the steaks off, rinsed off the plates, and started over.

#4. I didn't "cut against the grain" or whatever...I just served the whole steak on the plate!

Ok...so here's the recipe...I'm posting my pic, but don't judge! I think I'll definitely make this again...or make the marinade rather & have Ryan grill the steaks. :)

Cheers!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a 9- X 13-inch glass baking dish, combine beer, oil, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt and cloves; add steak. Cover dish and marinate in refrigerator, turning once or twice, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  • Place a grill pan in broiler; preheat broiler to high. Remove meat from marinade and broil about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or longer until desired doneness.* Remove meat from broiler and place meat on a plate; loosely cover with aluminum foil and let stand for about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place grill pan on stovetop over high heat; carefully pour marinade onto grill pan. Bring to a boil (beer will foam) and cook until all alcohol burns off, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with sauce. Yields about 4 ounces of steak per serving

Letters to Prestyn Part III

My dear sweet Prestyn,

You are 4 month and 1 week old, and such a ball of fun! Literally a ball...you lift both feet up and if you tried...could probably roll into a ball. Speaking of rolling...you're rolling all over the place now! You like to roll to your tummy to go to sleep...and if we lay you on your back to play...you roll to your tummy! Too cute!!

So here's kind of how your days have been looking lately:

7 AM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
7:30 AM: Play in the exersaucer while Mommy makes breakfast
8 AM: Play in your high chair learning shapes and colors of the plastic cookie cutters while Mommy eats breakfast.
8:30 AM: Your wake times are extending so if you're pretty awake you might stay in your high chair & eat some cereal.) :) Yep...that's right! You're such a big girl now! But if you're ready for a nap then this is how we get ready for a nap::

1. Diaper change. 2. Story. 3. Rock until you're drowsy 4. Lay you down to sleep.
 
10 AM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
10:30 AM: This is usually when Mommy is doing things around the house so you play. Here are things you like to do during play time these days::
 
1. Jungle Play Mat. 2. Piano Play Mat. 3. Bumbo with tray & toys. 4. Jumper-roo. 5. Exersaucer 6. Tummy Time with toys. 7. Lay in your chair on your tummy with your boppy while Mommy sings & dances for you! 8. Sit in your bouncer & watch Baby Einstein or Nick JR.
 
*Now I know some of your other friends' mommies won't agree with #8...it doesn't happen often, but sometimes Mommy needs that!* :)
 
12 PM: Go down for an afternoon nap
1:30 PM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
2:00 PM: This is really the best time to take you anywhere...by now you've had 2 good naps & are a pretty happy baby. :)
 
 
*You're getting to where you don't need another long nap...So at about:
 
3:30-4 PM: You have some down time...maybe a cat nap in your swing, maybe a cat nap in Mommy or Daddy's arms. (We LOVE when you nap in our arms!) :)
 
4:30 PM: Diaper Change, Eat (Woops! It's 4:30 now & you have fallen asleep in the swing...I guess I should wake you up & stop blogging for now!)
 
*Well I decided to let you nap until 5...I woke you up to feed you & this worked out perfectly! I hope this continues!*
 
5:00 PM: diaper change, eat
 
5:30 PM: Playtime/watch Mommy cook dinner
 
6 PM: Eat cereal (Ideally I'd like for us to have dinner at the table while you have your cereal so we're all having dinner together, but Daddy wasn't home from work yet.)
 
6:30-7:30 PM: More play time/down time/dinner time with Mommy & Daddy. (On the nights Daddy works you get a bath during this time)
 
7:30 PM: Get ready for bed...PJs, lavender lotion, medicine, vitamin, night time diaper, night time feeding
 
8 PM: Down for the night...aaaand you're out!
 
Night night P...sleep good!
 
Oh, I should also add that now I turn your noise maker off when I dream feed you around 10:30. It's harder for me to fall asleep without it, but easier for Daddy. And that's what marriage is all about...compromise!
 
Love,
Mommy


4 Month Sleep Regression

So I like to read. And when it comes to how-to's on a baby--I read a lot! So I knew the 4 month sleep regression was coming. And of course it would come after the stormy period of Wonder Weeks which followed the giant 12 week/3 month growth spurt.

It basically just all means sweet girl is growing! And I'm so thankful for that! She's growing physically (mommy's little piggy!) and mentally (daddy's little smarty pants!). 

The sleep regression basically means Prestyn would go back to sleeping like a newborn. Well since she still gets up 1-2 times a night my friend Jaimee and I thought maybe..just maybe P would progress rather than regress! 

Wrong! She isn't waking up anymore than 1-2 times a night but she is thinking the 4-5 am wake up time is a good time to start the day! It's pretty sweet to hear her laughing and talking to herself in the mornings. My body will sleep on the day my soul leaves, right? So who needs sleep now?! 

So we've noticed with this regression Prestyn is having trouble napping now. aaaand break...

I began writing this the other day, but was unable to finish it because I really don't have much to say. I believe Prestyn's nap troubles have been due to teething. So next time we're at this point again...teething tablets to the rescue! Amber teething necklace! And maybe some Tylenol. :)

Here's some pics on how our sweet girl has been sleeping. :) I'm so in love!!




A Beautiful Day!

Today is Sunday...a day of rejoice & rest...we did rejoice in this beautiful weather while Husband rested after a long night at work...so we missed our rejoice at church this morning. Since the weather was so nice I thought a walk would be nice! So I strapped P in the jogging stroller, and we started walking. Along our walk I thought...let's go by the new school! I do have to say she was stylin'! I timed it...from the school to our house is a 10 minute walk! Not too bad! A car drive is 1 minute. I wonder how long a bike ride is?! ::ahem:: Husband...time to fix those bike tires!

I do have to say...P has taken good naps today & been in a great mood! Ryan is working his last shift at Urgent Care...yes...last shift...again. When I go back to work he will need to be home with Prestyn on the days he doesn't work. That is if she goes to the daycare because we only have her signed up to go part time. Please pray with me that the wonderful lady in the neighborhood still has a spot open for Prestyn in the fall! That would be the best scenario for all of us!

So we took Ryan lunch, and some of the people at Urgent Care got to meet P. :) They were so sweet to shower us with gifts when I was pregnant...I'm glad they got to see her! So I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon thinking...will life be this "easy" when I go back to work? I'm super excited about the new school year, but I'm a little leary on how I'll manage a baby, a job, a home, etc. Again...please pray with me! I'm going to need it!

Maybe I should've titled this one a Beautiful Weekend! Yesterday was a great day too! My Uncle Tim & Aunt Brenda were in town so we got to visit with them a little bit at my parent's house with my mom, brothers, and nephews. :) Ryan and Dad were missed, but I was thankful P was being so social! We enjoyed our visit, and had a delicious home cooked meal! Gotta love Mom's cooking!

That walk today was good...I haven't ran since the last time I did Day 2 of C25K. It's hard to find the time! I'm still workin' on losing the last 5 pounds of baby weight! So for dinner tonight...beer soaked beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Be looking for the recipe post! :)

Cheers! XOXO!

Oh and the last pic is included because that was playing while we walked and it's our song! :)





July 27, 2013

Rebel AKA Beau-Beau

So after the tragic loss of Ryder Pup we knew we would one day want another dog...that day came sooner than we planned! I opened Safari on the iPad one day, and saw that Ryan had been searching dachshunds on petfinder.com. I perked up, and began browsing too!

We found 3 that we loved, and wanted to meet! 1 of them had a video! And oh my cute!! This dog was found and taken to DFW Pup Patrol. The vet thought he was about a year old, and a mix between a long haired dachshund & pomeranian. He was so cute!!

So we went ahead & filled out the application. I got a call from Beau-Beau's foster mommy. Their only concern was us having a 4 month old baby, and how Beau-Beau would do around a baby. So I asked if we could at least come over & meet him to see how he would do...

He did great! And we fell in love with him! We wanted to go home, and talk about it before taking him with us...so we talked...and decided we would try! With the adoption process you're allowed a 72 hour "test run" just in case! Since we were out of town for the Baucom wedding we decided to get him once we got back.

The day before picking him up we went to PetsMart. We got him toys, treats, a collar, and even a tag with the name Rebel engraved on it! ::Side Note:: Those who know...Ryder was named Ryder because the offical Texas Tech mascot is Masked Rider. I just changed the spelling because apparently I like doing that i.e. naming my daughter Prestyn. :) Well since Ryan went to Ole Miss we always said our next dog would be named Rebel.

So we went to get Beau-Beau, brought him home, and began calling him Rebel! He was a really smart dog & caught on really quit! He would come if we called Rebel. He could sit, shake, stay, lay down...he was a great dog! We had so much fun with him the first day and night...he even slept on our bed!

The next day Ryan had to work so I was home alone with the baby & the dog. And oooohhh boy! That was a lot of work! A new dog with a baby was just too much for me to handle alone. All day I was looking forward to Ryan coming home that evening since he was working his part time job. But I kept thinking, "I can't do this again tomorrow!" Since Ryan was to go in for 24 hours the next day...

So with tears in my eyes we decided it was too soon, and wasn't going to work for us...So I texted Beau-Beau's foster mommy. She completely understood, and came to pick him up the next morning. There will be another "Rebel" in our life, but not for a while...

I just had to blog about this since this sweet dog was a part of our lives even if it was just for a couple days. :) And I had to include the pictures I got of him! :)





What's for Dinner?::BBQ Turkey Joes

This is the WW version of sloppy joes...I've had another sloppy joe recipe that they have, but I thought this one would be good...and it was! I didn't measure anything. I just kept adding BBQ sauce until it looked "sloppy". I also added chili powder for a little kick. I served it with waffle fries...again...not WW, but all is ok in moderation! ;) Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off liquid. Add peppers and onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add barbecue sauce and cayenne pepper; heat thoroughly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
  • Top bottom half of buns with turkey mixture; cover with top half of bun and serve.

July 25, 2013

Introducing Solid Foods

It's funny how whenever you: get engaged, get married, get pregnant, have a baby, etc...everybody feels the need to give you their opinon on the topics whether you ask for it or not. Yes we are new at all these things, and we do appreciate advice...when we ask for it...anyway...rant over...maybe I shouldn't even include that part...it's my blog and I'll say what I want to! ;)

So some say give cereal in a bottle right away...it'll help the baby sleep at night. Some say don't give any solids (including cereal) until 6 months. Some say skip cereal all together, and go to puree at 6 months. And our pediatrican said...you can start cereal now that she is 4 months! So...that's who we listened to! :)

I bought rice & oatmeal cereal in the brand the pediatrician suggested. We tried rice first. I didn't follow the mixing instructions. Ha! I just put some breastmilk in a bowl then kept slowly adding the rice cereal until it was "the desired consistency".

We are thankful enough to be given a high chair by one of Ryan's co-workers. Prestyn has mainly just been playing in it with plastic cookie cutters while I cook. And of course I'm teaching her colors & shapes while she "plays". Well today she got to use the high chair for what it was meant for!

We will probably eventually feed her cereal at our dinner time, but wanted to do a morning feeding so we can watch for any allergic reactions. So once P was all set up it was time to start filming! I mean feeding! haha! We did both! It was so cute! She didn't really know what to think at first, and basically spit it all out! She eventually opened up to the idea, and opened her mouth & actually took some of the cereal in rather than just leaving it on her bib. :)

This part cracks me up:: Ryan was saying yum, yummy, mmmm! Then I told him to try it. (I guess he thought I already did so he tried it.) Through a fake smile & gritted teeth he said mmmm this tastes like crap! HAHAHAHA! Then I tried it...yup! Tastes like crap! I was gagging & looking for my water! How can I feed this to my child?!

Tomorrow morning we will try oatmeal cereal, and see if it's any better...I think at 5 months we'll start veggies, then fruits. Then at 6 months add meats. Oh my goodness our baby girl is getting so big!!


"What hotel again?"

Husband knows why this is the title of this post...

We have been so excited to take Prestyn to her first wedding since before she was born! The bride was even so excited that she bought Prestyn's outfit for the wedding since it matched her wedding colors! The wedding was in Weatherford which was about an hour and a half drive for us so this would also be Prestyn's first hotel stay!

We let Prestyn nap for a while the morning of the wedding so that she'd be well rested before the big night! She napped all the way there. Once we got there she even took a little cat nap! Then...she was ready to partaaaaaay!!!

The venue where the wedding was was beautiful! Every detail that Amanda put into decorating was so pretty & perfect! The ceremony was outside...thankfully it didn't rain since it had been raining this day...but "they" say it's good luck to have rain on your wedding day! :) ::side note:: I wonder what "they" say about high winds on your wedding day? That's what we had!

Amanda looked stunning! And Calen looked handsome! Amanda was crying as soon as she saw Calen...so sweet! We sat on the Groom's side so we saw Amanda the whole time. We're really friends with both of them so to pick a side was hard to do...we just picked the side that had the quickest get away in case the baby started crying! But she didn't! She was absolutely perfect the entire time! We had a paci just in case, but she wanted nothing to do with that! She just wanted to watch the happy couple get hitched!

Once the ceremony was over the crowd celebrated by spraying silly string! How fun!! Ryan tried to shield Prestyn's head, but I think she enjoyed it. :) Then we went into Th' Barn for dinner, drinks, and dancing!

Dinner was from Babe's. Which neither of us have ever had before & boy oh boy was it yum-o! They had HUGE buckets of water, soda, and beer. Then a margarita machine & wine! :) There was also sweet tea & water in mason jars! So cute! They also had cute coozies to keep and remember their special day. :) They played all the fun wedding songs...I had fun dancing with Prestyn in my lap & she enjoyed watching everybody dance.

When the slow songs played P had her first daddy/daughter dance with her daddy. :) It was very sweet! I of course wanted some snuggles too! We were so proud of P for not fussing even the tiniest bit! She was so perfect! Once we thought she was getting sleepy she just went to sleep in Ryan's arms! We said our good-byes & went to the hotel...

It was a really nice hotel, and Prestyn did great sleeping there at night...She was ready to wake up at 5:50 though! We thought she'd sleep longer since hotels have the black out curtains, but nope...she was ready to start the day! So Daddy made coffee while Mommy fed her then we enjoyed a breakfast downstairs. :) It was a great weekend!
















What's for Dinner?::Chicken Marsala

Oh my goodness! This was SO good!!! I was wishing I made more to have more because it was SO good!

 
Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and sauté until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • Add wine to skillet; simmer 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  • Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in a small bowl; add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute. Serve chicken with mushroom sauce spooned over top. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce per serving.

What's for Dinner?::Chicken Sausage Casserole

I didn't get my own picture of this one so the picture is from the Weight Watchers website, but this is pretty much what mine looked like. It was really good, and made enough for lots of leftovers! It was so good I didn't mind having it for lunch & dinner for a couple days! ;)

I couldn't find Chicken Sausage so I just used regular Italian Sausage & crumbled it as I cooked in...I'm sure it was probably more points this way, but that's the joy of Weight Watchers...you have room for flexibility!




Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain pasta and return to pot.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 4 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs to a small bowl; stir in Parmesan and oregano and set aside.
  • In same skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate and drain any fat from skillet.
  • Add pepper and onion to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms and water to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Add vegetables, sausage and marinara sauce to pot with drained pasta; toss to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella and reserved breadcrumbs. Bake until heated through and cheese melts, about 25 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving (about 1 1/2 cups).

Prestyn's 4th Month

So I decided to start working on these posts throughout the month rather than when she turns that age. This way I'm not trying to remember everything that has happened. So I apologize if this sounds choppy since it was worked on daily.

Well...we knew the day would come. When you no longer needed to be swaddled. :( Before we moved you to your room we started weening you out of the swaddle with 1 arm out. Once you were in your crib we went back to both arms in. Then slowly did one arm out again. I read that you would let us know when you were ready to bit be swaddled anymore. That was when you got both arms out of the swaddle and still slept soundly! So now we still put you in the swaddle me but arms are out! 

You are definitely a girly girl and such a lady. Except when you lift your dress up to suck on it, and stick your tongue out at everything! But both are so cute!! Since you have found your tongue you find it quite funny and entertaining to stick it out! And so do we! We just laugh at you & stick our tongue right back out at ya!

Oh my distracted baby! Your daddy has officially been diagnosed with ADHD...mommy has unofficially been diagnosed with ADD since I can manage...so I'm sorry kid...the cards aren't dealt in your favor! Ha! It's so cute though! Sheesh everything you do is cute! Even when a you pop off during a nursing session to gaze at me then giggle! I'm pretty sure you're getting a full feeding so I'm not too worried about it...we hesitated to hang a mobile from your crib or to put the projection on your ceiling from your noise maker since you do get distracted so easily and you might talk to it all night rather than go to sleep. Well we figured out that not much can stop you from talking to anything & everything so we went ahead and put the projection on your ceiling...and whatdya know?! You stared for a little bit then went right to sleep! Such a good baby!

One of my favorite things that you now do is reach up and touch my face. I cried the first time you did it. It was the best feeling. To feel you reaching up to feel me. You like to do this when I'm trying to rock you before bed. I smile at you for a little bit then hold your hand so we can hold hands, and you can concentrate on going to sleep! 

Oh little girl! How you make us laugh! And we make you laugh too! Mommy blows raspberries and you just laugh! Daddy tries to which makes Mommy laugh, and then you laugh because Mommy's laughing! But boy oh boy you do not like when raspberries are blown on your cheek or neck! We found this out when Papa did it! We thought you didn't like his whiskers, but the next day Momma did it...ohhhh girl and you turned that bottom lip out! Good thing we were able to soothe you before it turned into an all out cry! 

Oops you did it again! Started leaking in your diapers that is! So we tried the next size up--size 2--and they fit! So you're now wearing a size 2 diaper. Your size 3 month clothes are getting pretty snug too! 

During this 4 month you are experiencing 5 weeks of a "leap" in brain development. This is what the Wonder Weeks app calls it. On the chart these weeks are all black with a storm cloud. Which means you might be fussier during this time. Might?! Nope! You for sure are! But I still love you! By the end of this leap you'll be able to do all the things you see here. I'm noticing you already are which is A LOT! So that explains your fussiness! You're so smart!!
 
So 1 day during your 4th month during a nap you decided to try to start rolling. Daddy and I were watching you on the monitor then went into your room to watch you. We watched you roll from your back to side. Then side to stomach. It took a while for you to get completely on your stomach since your arm was in the way...once you figured it out and were on your tummy you were a little surprised, and woke up! We celebrated! Then we wondered what to do since you could now roll, and wanted to sleep this way. So we still put you to bed on your back, but you always make it to your tummy! And you seem to sleep much better this way!
 
We had your 4th month appointment this week. We told Dr. Drake about you rolling, and she said it was time to not swaddle at all anymore. I thought it was getting close since you just kick when we put the swaddle on you. Since you had shots this day your naps were mostly in our arms...so when I put you to bed that night I did so without a swaddle...and you...SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!! Halleluia! I don't think it had anything to do with the swaddle, but EVERYTHING to do with the shots! Ha! We might be onto something though! I'm hoping you'll do this again! People talk about the 4th month sleep regression. I don't think you can regress much, but you can progress! And I think you're almost there! You're waking up 1-2 times a night. We will be starting you on cereal soon hopeful that it will help you sleep. Contrary to what some other moms may say...we're going to try & see what works for us! :)
 
You had a really good nap before your doctor's appointment so you were a happy baby at the appointment! They did all your measurements & here's how you did:
 
Height: 23.5 in (13%) you might be a shorty like Mommy & Daddy! Sorry Kid! :)
Weight: 12 lb 10 oz (17%) EXACTLY 3 pounds more than at your 2 month appt!
Head: 41 cm (61%) the same percentage as your 2 month appt!
 
With your awesome growth you have not only moved up in diaper sizes, but in clothes too...you wear size 3-6 months. You've even outgrown some of your size 3 month clothes. Exciting news about your growth though...you can now wear your size newborn shoes! Yay! You don't care for them too much though since you like to eat your feet. :) Silly girl!
 
Or Silly Goose as I sing to you & you just laugh! You also get a kick out of peek-a-boo! We love you, P, Tooter, Sugar Booger Bear! Muah!!
 



 

July 14, 2013

What's for Dinner?::BBQ Chicken Pizza


I don't have much to say about this one other than it was really good! And easy! Here's the recipe...Enjoy!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 1 or 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
  • Place tortillas on prepared pan(s).
  • In a small bowl, toss chicken with barbecue sauce; divide among tortillas and sprinkle each with 3 tablespoons cheese and 2 tablespoons onions. Bake until cheese melts and bottoms of tortillas are lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle each pizza with 2 tablespoons cilantro. Slice each pizza into 4 wedges and serve. Yields 1 pizza (4 wedges) per serving.

July 10, 2013

What's for Dinner?

I've done posts like this before...but I'm wanting to start it up again to save some of my favorite recipes...I was going to later post about my post pregnancy weight loss until I lost all the weight I wanted to lose, but I'll go ahead and start a little with this post...then blog more about it later when I lose all the weight!

So I gained about 50 pounds during pregnancy. Go ahead...look all wide eyed! Unless you saw me in person you may be like, that's all?! Ha! I got pretty big! And I don't regret it at all! I ate what I wanted to eat...I still ate healthy, but if I wanted a Little Debby I had a Little Debby! My weight gain was slow so the doctors weren't concerned about it...my blood pressure was always good so health wise...I was fine!

Since I had a C-Section I had to go to the doctor 2 weeks post partum to check my incision. So...I also had to step on the scale...by this point I lost 20 pounds! We had lovely friends and family bringing us meals for the first 6 weeks since Prestyn was born. So I wasn't going to worry about it! I was going to eat the yummy meals that were brought to us and enjoy them! At my 6 week post partum check I don't remember what my weight was at the doctor, but I had weighed myself at home that morning...that was the day I decided to start Weight Watchers! Not because the number scared me, but because this was my plan all along.

I did Weight Watchers before we got married, and was pleased with the results! I have a Weight Watchers scale at home...and a newborn so going to the meetings wasn't going to work for me! So I joined online! I hardly have to get on the computer since I have the Weight Watchers app. But I do get on the computer when I'm looking for recipes!

So here's the point of this blog...for the Weight Watcher recipes that Husband says, "mmmm! That was good! Make that again!" I'll be blogging the recipe! I wish I would have thought of this sooner since we've had several "mmmm! That was good!" meals...and since I pay for Weight Watchers I'm paying for these recipes... so I'm blogging about them so I can find them again later. And hopefully my readers will try some of these recipes, and enjoy them as much as did!

So for dinner tonight we had: barbecue pork sandwiches, mac & cheese, and green beans (no...the mac & cheese isn't Weight Watchers, but we like it so we had it!)

Ingredients



Instructions


  • Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add pork slices in a single layer and season with salt and pepper; brown 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd; cook in batches if necessary. Remove pork and set aside. Add onion and garlic to skillet; sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

  • Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to skillet; stir and simmer 1 minute. Add pork to skillet and spoon sauce over pork; cover and simmer 15 minutes.
I guess next time I'll be like everybody else, and take a picture of my food to post for the blog...haha!

July 4, 2013

Roll the Stone Away...

...Let the Guilty Pay...It's Independence Day!

I have been looking forward to this day since Prestyn got her 1st bikini that looked like the American Flag! Then I got really excited for today when BFF sent us both matching flag shirts!

Of course we wear the American flag, and celebrate in such a way because we are rejoicing that we are an independent country! Though our country...may have it's ups and downs...and that's all we'll say about that...I am still proud to be an American! Where at least I know I'm free! And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me!

Ryan's mom, Prestyn's Grammies, got her the American Flag bikini & matching hat so I told Ryan we must spend the 4th with them so they could see her in it! Thankfully they had planned on having family over to Nanny's for a pool party & cook out!

We were so excited that we were the first there! Besides Nanny of course...and the cooks, Uncle John & Stevie. We of course had to get some family pictures, and some pictures of me & P in our matching tee! (Have I been reading too much Dr. Suess?!...speaking of reading...P got her 1st Curious George book! I don't think we've ever seen Aunt Gina & Uncle Chris and NOT gotten a gift for P!) Woops! There I go rambling again...

Since P's wake times are short I fed her then we were able to get in the pool with her! She loves bath time, and has loved the other times we've gotten her in a pool. But we were a little hesitant since the water was a little chilly. But she did great! She just floated around with Mommy & Daddy! I know, I know, I didn't wait the 30 minutes to an hour after feeding her to put her in the pool, but she did wonderful so no complaints!

Then it was time for the grown ups to eat! We had a delicious 4th of July lunch with BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, pasta salad, and more! As soon as I finished eating, and ready for Aunt Gina's patriotic cake the baby was ready for a nap! Oh well...maybe I'll get some next year! ;)

We put P in the Pack 'n' Play in the "doll room" at Nanny's house (duh! that's where we were!). She went right now. Thankfully Nanny still had a monitor from when Moose was living with her so she kept an ear out for Prestyn while Ryan and I got in the pool with everybody else! It was so fun to lay out in the pool & relax! I haven't done this in a YEAR! It was a year ago this weekend that we found out we were pregnant...I already felt chubby & like I was showing (yeah right!) so didn't get back in a bathing suit after that!

Nanny did such a good job listening for Prestyn. When she started to fuss when she was waking up Nanny went in to check on her. And oh sweet Nanny! I know she tried, but Prestyn woke up in an unfamiliar place with somebody not as familiar to her as Mommy & Daddy! So it took her a good while to calm down. Thankfully Ryan was there because I don't think I could have done that alone! Once we finally got her calm she ate, and then it was time to go!

So here we are...baby is bathed & in bed while Daddy is volunteering at the fire station. Let's hope for a good, quiet, and safe night for all!

Cheers! XOXO








Prestyn wasn't too thrilled with her new sunglasses today so I thought I'd get some use out of them! :)

July 2, 2013

2 Year Anniversity

No...that is not a type-o. We call our anniversary a anniversity...it's an inside joke, but I'm feeling generous so that you can all laugh here's why::

After we'd been married for 6 months Ryan left me a sweet note on our bathroom mirror that said: Happy 6 Month Anniversity! I was like, anniversity?! I have to give credit to my friend Amy who said...what's that? The college of marriages? Haha! So now we call it an anniversity & laugh about it every time! Who knows what he was thinking about when he wrote that, but it was at about 4 in the morning so the thought was nice. :)

It took us a while to celebrate our anniversary...with an infant & a the recent events of our puppy the celebration was put a hold a little bit. If you read our previous post you have an idea on how we celebrated.

I am all about the traditions! This year the traditional anniversary gift is cotton. So I got Ryan a cotton golf towel with his monogram on it. And what goes better with a golf towel than a new golf bag?! Husband has been wanting one, and was pretty excited to get both! 

My BFF is selling seersucker monogrammed koozies. I never mentioned to Ryan that I wanted one, but he just knew I did! And got me one in my favorite colors: pink and orange! I love my cotton koozie and use it all the time! 

For our Valentine's gift to each other we got the camera we've been wanting! And since then I've been wanting a fancy camera strap that set our camera apart from the rest! Since we assume the straps are woven of cotton that's another thing Husband got me! I love it!!! It's red and white striped because the 2 year anniversary stone is garnet and garnets are red! It also has my name on the leather part on the end. He did good!! 

So to celebrate we had dinner at PF Chang's in downtown Fort Worth. It was delicious!!! We went all out with cocktails, appetizers, dinner, and dessert! Thanks to my FIL for the gift card and to my MIL for babysitting! 

And since I'm all about the traditions last year we started a few anniversary traditions! One of them is to take a picture of us each year holding a picture from the year before. So you'll see in this picture were holding a picture from our 1 year anniversary where there's a picture of us on our wedding day! 

We enjoyed watching our wedding video and reminiscing that beautiful day! I love him even more now than that day! He's an awesome husband and father! 

Cheers! Xoxo!