Oh.my.YUM

Y'all. It's been domestic craziness over here in the Casa de Edwards. I've been baking, cooking new recipes, working out my crockpot, and making babyfood/cleaning products. What the?

I HAVE to share these two recipes with you. I found them from some bloggy girlfriends, and they are both AMAZING. Do yourself a favor and try them sometime!

First up, pumpkin oreo cheesecake minis. Nicole from The Wallace Word gifted me with this delicious recipe. I took them to my baker BFF's Halloween party, and they were a hit! They are SUPER easy too-I swear, I'm not a baker, and this was not difficult to make!

Pic from Nicole

Visit her blog for the complete recipe and helpful pictures!

Next, we have a nice dinner from Laura at Between the Lines. This is a baked spaghetti alfredo. Laura made some tweaks to the recipe, but I followed the original (posted on her blog) and it was outstanding. It also made a ton, so we have lots of leftovers.

Pic from Laura

Visit her blog for the complete recipe!

Hopefully you can try one (or both) of these recipes soon. Let me know your thoughts!

My first baby food making experience

Well, the time has come. My boy is finally starting to eat baby food. I always wanted to make Emma's baby food, I even bought the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. However, I never really made the time and just fed her commercial food. I'm trying to do different things with Harrison, now that I'm at home and have the TIME to do it. This book is really cool because it's not just about making baby food. It also includes feeding your toddler, and making yogurt! I still want to get into cloth diapering Harrison! One thing at a time...........

The first homemade food: sweet potatoes!

This was so easy, and this batch will last at least a week. They are frozen, so they will actually last longer, but if he eats one cube a day, it will last a week. I'm pretty sure even my GIANT boy won't be able to eat one cube per day right now. It's about 3-4 T each.

I simply baked a sweet potato, peeled the skin off, cut into cubes, and put it in the food processor. I added about 1/2 C water while blending until it was very thin-the book recommends that it fall off the spoon. At this age, they should be eating VERY thin food. Later, I leave it more textured.

Emma tried it and declared it, "Yum." Buddy had a spoonful and was ALL about it. Can't wait to feed it to him for real today.

I would love to hear from those of you who make your own baby food on what you started with and any ideas/tips. Right now, I'm looking for storage options so I can make other foods in bulk to freeze. The above picture is of a Beaba container that my MIL gave me when I had Emma. I'm sure they are expensive, and they are also hard to get the frozen cube out of. I popped the frozen cube out and put it into a tupperware to defrost in the fridge.

This is what I'm thinking of using in the future. Thoughts? Ideas? Advice? Please share.

THE Soup of the Season

I got this recipe last winter from a blogger that's no longer blogging (DAR for y'all who read her). This soup is amazing and EASY!

The cast of characters:

4 C potatoes (peeled and cut up)

1 diced onion

1 block cream cheese ( I used low fat)

4 C chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt and black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne ( I used 1/4 tsp)

Peel and cut your potatoes into chunks. Dice your onion. Put it in a pot with the chicken broth. Add spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Mash with a potato masher to thicken up. Add the cream cheese (cut into chunks). Stir consistently until thickened and cream cheese is melted. Top with turkey bacon and shredded cheddar. It's so stinkin good! I serve with a side of broccoli (gotta get those veggies in!) so I don't eat 4 C of soup!

Just thought I'd do the favor of sharing THE soup of the season! Try it and let me know your thoughts. You know, IF you like potato soup............

Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival

Our second annual trip to the pumpkin patch was awesome! But, not without its comedic moments! The patch is about 45-50 minutes north of us. We got a late start on Saturday, so by about 12:30 we were stuck in outlet mall traffic, and still had at least 30 minutes to go! The kids were starting to melt down, we were all hungry, and it just seemed like a bad idea to continue. So, we stopped at Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. Glad we did. After eating, we discovered Emma had pooped OUT of her overalls and it was alllll over. After an interesting diaper change in the back of my car, we made our escape, went home, and napped! In the process, Flash ate the poop crotch out of her new, worn once Osk Kosh overalls. Murder crossed my mind. We had friends over for dinner, and at 8:30 I had to go to Kohls for a new pair of overalls. Luckily, they had ONE pair left in her size. But, for $22, Flash almost lost his life. Dummy.

Sunday, we decided to try again. We got up and got going! On the road by 10:00, we had a few snafus with getting some early lunch around 10:45 (really, Burger King, your "meat cooker" isn't working??? Nice, after a 10 minute wait in line.) and got to the patch. Parking was a nightmare but we finally found a spot close to the entrance. You have to haul your pumpkins out in a wheelbarrow, so you don't want to be the unlucky soul who has to park 3 miles away.

Emma went WILD when she saw the pumpkins! (PS, I know this is picture OVERLOAD! The grandparentals will love it!) :0

Emma sitting pretty!

Giant pumpkins!

I get this one mommy......

It's heavy!

Cheese!

I hug it mommy.

Freedom! She literally ran around the whole patch like this.

Mommy and Emma

Ha! Emma liked to pretend she was eating this nasty, germy Indian corn.

Montage of Harrison being pumpkined by Emma

Aaaaand he's over it!

Harrison hitching a ride in the Bjorn.

Wheelbarrow full of pumpkins and a crazy toddler!

Later that day, we had a neighborhood fall festival. The playground is right across the street from our house, and this is what I saw from our front door while they were setting up! I love horses and was so jealous there was a 90 pound weight limit!

Emma got to ride a pony, eat cotton candy and popcorn, get a balloon animal,

and have her face painted. She was JACKED up when we got home!

 (Yes, that is our video monitor on my pocket. We left Harrison at home taking a nap,

and since we were so close, we could see him without worrying!)

First time eating cotton candy.

Loo and Daddy.

 Gotta get every bite!

Posing with her Winnie the Pooh balloon animal.

Getting a unicorn painted on her face! She was so good and still for the artist.

She cried when we had to wash it off at bath time.

Overall, it was a fabulous Sunday! We had a great time and made a lot of memories with our kids!

(Emma's shirt was on sale at Kohl's for $5.99! I also got a turkey one. So cute!)

Four Months-a.k.a. where did the time go?

Harrison,
I apologize in advance for being such a slacker on your monthly posts! If it were up to the blog, you would still be ONE MONTH old! Sorry little man! You are already 4 months old! I can't believe it!

You are a big boy.

Month Four Stats:
Weight: 16.8 (75-90th %)
Height: 25" (50th %)

You are eating every three hours during the day (6-7 ounces). You just tried rice cereal (Earth's Best organic). Most of it dribbled down your chin, but we will practice this week on the spoon use. I'm starting to make your baby food. We will start with sweet potatoes first! I'm so glad I have time to do this for you. We will try the sweet potatoes once you have the hang of rice cereal. I think you will like them!

You are in size 3 diapers and size 6-9 month clothes!!! Chunky boy!


You have discovered your voice and hands this month. You coo and laugh a lot. I can get you to laugh on demand with the classic, "Boo!" However, when I try to take your picture or film you, you stare at my phone/camera and just...look. Forget the smiles and laughter. You want to know what that is. You jam your hands in your mouth pretty much non stop. And the drool? Non stop. I thought it was beginner teething, but the doc says it's just your body making more saliva, getting ready for real food.




You are a great sleeper. We've broken the 3:00 am social call. You sleep from about 8:00 pm-7:30 or 8:00 am. Yesterday you decided that 5:50 am was an acceptable wake up time. No bueno boyfriend. You're taking about 2-3 cat naps in the am and 1 long nap in the afternoon. You typically pass out in your car seat.



You are just the happiest boy ever! And super laid back. I tote you and Emma around EVERYWHERE and you just roll with it!

You are getting over your blocked tear duct, thanks to some eye drops. You do still have a raging case of cradle cap though. I did round one of Head-N-Shoulders last night and am seeing some improvement. After another round in a few days, it should be gone.



You still love your bouncy chair, but are becoming too big for it. I tried you in an exersaucer, but you're not quite big enough. I'll probably buy a consigned one soon and just prop you in it with a towel. You are good at sitting in your Bumbo too! You aren't a big fan, but you'll put up with it for about 20 minutes. Basically, you are over just laying around. You want to see what's going on around you.

You ADORE your big sister and smile, laugh, or coo when she talks to you. She absolutely loves you and loves talking to you, so this is a big benefit!

You are just the sweetest angel Harrison! I'm so thankful to be your mommy!

Randomosity

I've been a very inconsistent blogger lately. Sorry guys, I really have no excuse. I've been reading A LOT during naptime and giving my normal chores of cleaning, blogging, and commenting the shaft. I have to make a plan and schedule and get with it!

Here's what we've been up to:

*Hanging out with Emma's (and my) friends from my old school. So hilarious! The kids are both like 1-3 months apart, so Mindy and I have lots to talk about. Our friend Ali came with her PRESH little 4 week old too. So little and sleepy! I miss it already.........

*Playing outside LOTS. Enjoying this weather while we can. However, it has been raining the past two days!

*Making chocolate almond pie. The easiest thing I've ever made! And, delicious! Melt 6 Hershey's with almonds bars. Mix with an 8 ounce container of cool whip (I used light. I'm sure it's because I'm watching my weight. Not. Old habits and all). Pour into an oreo crust. Freeze. Keep in freezer when you're not stuffing it in your face.

*Reading. As mentioned above, we've been library whores like woah. Emma is getting about 5-6 books a week, and I'm putting down about 2. I've made my way through most of Tess Gerritsen, working on James Patterson, and finishing up most of Kristen Hannah. By the way, I LOVE her books! Firefly Lane, Winter Garden, The Things We Do For Love, and True Colors. Very interesting!

*Having friends over for dinner. So much fun! I plan to do this more often! I miss my work friends!

*Making plans to go to school and visit old friends. And, thinking of them as they go through the heinous-ness that is the end of quarter one. (Conferences, grades due, etc.)

*Looking forward to an afternoon of drinks and gossip with friends this Friday! Yay!

*Having a blast as a family last weekend at the pumpkin patch and our neighborhood fall festival. Pics coming soon. Beware, cuteness overload!

*Neverending laundry for the love. I get all caught up, then bam! I still have to put it away and then there are more dirty clothes! Cray-cray!

*Starting to research and make Harrison's baby food. I really wanted to do this with Emma, but I didn't make the time. I have the book Super Baby Food and am excited to do this for Harrison! Plus, I have lots of friends who do this that I can turn to for advice!

*I've been working on swaying husband on the iPad2 for Christmas. I need some more selling points please! Hook it up @grizas :) Me want one bad!!!!!!!!!! (On the way to a Mac household!!)

*Not much else around here. Like I said, it's random. I know what y'all have been up to because I have been reading. Please leave me some advice on scheduling, baby food making, and the iPad2!!!

Two on Tuesday

I'm linking up with Andrea for '2 on Tuesday' again this week.

The topic is: What are your two favorite restaurants?

Anything Mexican! We have a few around here that we frequent! We always get tons of chips and salsa, sometimes get queso, and I typically get 2 or 3 hard tacos. Not much deviation from the norm. I may branch out to nachos or a taco salad.

Also, I LOVE Chili's. Generic, I know. I love their chips and salsa, plus if I'm craving a salad, they have TONS of good choices. I pretty much like their whole menu.

So, link up for '2 on Tuesday' with Andrea and tell us, what are your favorite restaurants!!

Two on Tuesday

It's Tuesday and I'm linking up with Andrea for.........

Today's topic is fashion disasters/mistakes you made. Y'all. My whole life from 6-12th grade was a fashion disaster. I can't even remember most of my heinous crimes, but I do vividly remember these few things from middle/high school. Yes, it dates me. 

First up, allll the cool girls had these Liz Claiborne purses. The one WITH the raised triangles. This was a middle school requirement. I believe I had two-a red one I scored for Christmas, and a white one I stole from my mom. That joker was packed OUT with junk. (Kissing potion, word!)

Ahhh, the Duckhead shorts. I'm sure I had some cracked out colors like this. 

I know I had the beige ones, but these, rolled up. Stop the world.

Duh. Slouch socks. It was the early 90's after all. 

Another duh. Slap bracelets. These were eventually outlawed at our school

 because people were getting cut while slapping. Ridic.

Guess jeans yo. You HAD TO HAVE the little triangle and the zipper down the ankle to be cool. I had only a few pairs, cause my momma was not about to spend $50-60 on jeans! I vividly remember a white pair and a GREEN pair. Yeah.

Bass shoes. Not just for boys. You wore them with the Duckheads. 

Get a good mental image there. That's hottt.

So basically, my whole life has been a fashion disaster. And, I'm still having one. What? Yoga pants and a Grateful Dead tee aren't hip?

Maybe my mom will send me some old school pics from middle/high school and I'll do a pic reveal of my coolness. I'll try to score a few yearbooks too. Yikes, 1991 called..............