EASY SPRINGTIME MEAL

I thought I would share an easy and tasty meal since a lot of us aren't able to eat out at restaurants anymore. This meal has been one of my favorites to make since Ross and I were first married. You can of course make it anytime of the year but I like to make it in the spring and summer best! I had to change a couple of ingredients this time because our grocery store was sold out of a few things. The thing I like most about this recipe is that you can change so many things up and its still so good. For example, in the spring I usually use asparagus but in the summer I use zucchini and yellow squash. I used to hate asparagus, couldn't even stand the smell. When I was a little girl my grandma would take me on walks down the road she lived on and we would pick wild asparagus that grew on the side of the road. She had to bribe me with brownies to get me to eat it! I didn't start liking it until I tried it grilled with olive oil and seasoning. Now I love it! This isn't a recipe I found online, I just threw things together that I thought sounded good together. By no means is this a professional recipe LOL, I just like simple ingredient meals. Let me know if you try it or have any questions! I hope you all enjoy it!

EASY SPRINGTIME PASTA

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of pasta ( I like to use farfalle or penne )

2 fresh chicken breast ( you can always use frozen but be sure to thaw it first)

2 TBS lemon juice

Italian seasoning

Fresh asparagus ( I buy it in a bundle and use about 3/4 of it )

Shredded mozzarella 

Olive oil

2 TBS butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start the grill ( ours takes awhile to warm up so we always do this step first ).

2. Butterfly chicken breast. 

3. Wash and cut up asparagus ( I like to cut the stalks in thirds and usually toss the bottom piece. If you have animals, they love to eat the asparagus bottoms. Our goats really enjoyed them tonight! )

4. Start boiling water for pasta.

5. Throw chicken on the grill and cook until fully cooked through.

6. I use a metal basket thats meant for grilling veggies in to cook the asparagus. Toss them in the basket and drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice over them. Then sprinkle some italian seasoning. You can use other seasonings as well. I had to use Mrs. Dash seasoning because I was out of italian.

7. Place basket with asparagus on the top rack of your grill if you have one and cook until soft.

8. While the food is cooking on the grill, throw the pasta in the boiling water and follow directions on the pasta box. 

9. Once everything is cooked, you're going to start combining them. Make sure you cut up the cooked chicken into bite size pieces, it makes it easier to eat later. 

10. Drain the pasta and then put it in a large bowl or dish.

11. Add 2 TBS of butter and stir it in until melted.

12. Stir in the cooked asparagus and chicken.

13. Drizzle more olive oil and add a little more seasoning then stir until combined. 

14. Add some mozzarella cheese and stir that in until melted, ( sometimes I have to put the pasta in the microwave to melt the cheese. )

15. Enjoy!

***If you have extra time, throw the mixed pasta in the oven at 375 degree for about 20 minutes with some added cheese on top. I love it that way, I just usually don't take the time to do it!

Baby's First Easter Basket

Wow! I can't believe how fast the past two months have gone by. Evangeline will be just shy of three months old by Easter. I started collecting goodies for her Easter basket pretty early on, before she was even born actually. I'm so glad I did because who would have thought we would be in the situation we're in now! Thank goodness for Target drive-up and online shopping being available still. I have been able to purchase and receive everything I wanted to put in the girl's baskets this year even while being on lockdown. Putting together holiday baskets is one of my favorite things to do. I usually tend to go a liiitle bit overboard, but I just find this sort of thing to be so much fun. When it comes to Easter baskets, I like to fill them with a variety of things. It needs to have some fun items and some practical items as well. I usually try and find things that can be used in the warmer months. One of my favorite things to put in their Easter baskets is soap from Tubby Todd. I have done this since Hadley's first Easter. Bows are something I've always liked to add to her basket as well. Its been double the fun this year getting to put together two Easter baskets! Both of the girls are getting a super fun picnic basket from Anthropologie. As soon as I saw the baskets online, I could picture the girls skipping back to our creek, picnic baskets in hand full of snacks to share. There are several items that are not pictured in my post on IG that will be in Evie's basket. I will list them below and will also be adding a few things I didn't buy but thought may be a fun idea. When I get some more time I will be making a post for Hadley's Easter basket as well. While these baskets are fun, I do pray that our main focus of Easter be on Christ and the ultimate sacrifice He made. I hope you find this post to be fun in time when it seems a little uncertain of how we'll even be spending Easter this year. Just remember as long as we keep our eyes and hearts on the Lord, it will be a blessed Easter no matter where or how its spent. 

DIY VALENTINES WREATH

Can you believe Valentine's Day is in just over a month?! Time seems to be flying by which is great because I'm so ready to meet our baby girl in a few days! I don't normally decorate much for Valentine's Day but this year Target had so many cute decorations that I decided it would be fun! It also has helped me transition out of Christmas decor without going straight into spring decor. I decided to keep out a lot of pink and white bottle brush trees and the little white houses from Target that compliment all the valentines decor. 

My inspiration for this wreath is actually from Target's valentines decor. Below is the picture of Target's wreath, its by their Spritz brand. The link will be attached below in case you want to purchase it or take a closer look at it. I wanted to make my own so that I could use the colors I like and have it be a touch bigger. On my Instagram stories I showed pictures of the steps it took to make and attach the tassels. I didn't go into depth on how they were made because I am going to do that here. I will try to be as detailed as possible but if you have any questions please send them my way!

DIY POM POM WREATH

Wow, its been awhile since I wrote a blog post. Its been even longer since I've crafted, and today I've accomplished both! Before I had Hadley I crafted all the time. I made wreaths and wooden signs. I even had my own Etsy shop for awhile. It was a lot of fun but got to be too much once Hadley was born. This DIY pom pom wreath was pretty simple and a lot of fun. Ashley from Grace Collective Shop did a great tutorial of how to do a pom pom wreath. Her's is beautiful and has little bottle brush trees and a little house on it!

I had some issues in the beginning with the wreath. Hobby Lobby only had the wide green styrofoam wreaths so I tried to wrap it with white felt. The felt was kind of difficult to wrap it tightly in. Then when I started to hot glue the poms onto it, I realized they would be too small to cover the wreath. So I decided to go to another craft store and look for a white wreath. JoAnn's is where I ended up finding a white wreath, which I will link below. It worked perfectly so I definitely recommend using the round white wreath!

Here is the steps I took to make a whimsical pom pom wreath! I will try to link the items I used. I hope you all find it easy and fun to do! Be sure to send me pictures or tag me if you end up making one, I would love to see them!

POM POM WREATH

Supplies:

large white poms  6-7 bags depending on how fluffy you want it to look

medium white poms  I used 1 bag to fill in any holes

hot glue sticks

hot glue gun

styrofoam wreath       

jingle bells  I found the copper bells in the Christmas craft area of Hobby Lobby. You could definitely use any jingle bells you want.

1. Plug in your hot glue gun to get it warmed up.

2. Fluff your pom poms- when you get them out of the package they need help with their shape so I just fluffed mine a bit until I liked the way they looked.

3. Start glueing- I started glueing the pom poms on the front of the wreath first. Then did the inside of the wreath and lastly, the outside of the wreath. 

4. Once the glue dried, I fluffed the pom poms out even more to give it a fuller look. 

5. Glue the jingle bells or whatever you would like on the wreath! I wanted jingle bells because I loved the look of the pom pom wreath from Target, (Target wreath) but wanted a more neutral look.

6. Glue the medium sized pom poms if needed- I wanted a full and fluffy look to my wreath so I stuffed in some smaller sized pom poms to give it the look I wanted.

7. Hang your wreath and enjoy!

Here is a close up of my wreath, can't wait to see yours!

I'M JUST HERE FOR THE PIE

Pie is a dessert that has been around for centuries and enjoyed by many. The first pie recipe published was by the Romans that was a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie. The Pilgrims that came to America mainly made meat pies, I don't know about you but I have never tried any meat pies and I don't plan to either! The first pie recipe that was recorded in an English cookbook in 1675 was none other than pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie was my very first pie I had ever baked on my own. It is such a simple pie to make but you can add so many things to make it more than just a classic Thanksgiving dish. Pumpkin pie cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts that my mother makes, its super rich and creamy. My love of baking came from the influence of my mom. She always gave me something to help with when she was baking. My favorite baking memory I have with her is when we would bake and decorate sugar cookies for all of the different holidays. Those were the times when we would have some of best conversations, even in my teenage years. I knew even before I had Hadley, that I wanted to pass this family tradition onto her. Now, I can't even pull out the mixing bowl without her running up to the kitchen counter with her stool shouting, "I help you mommy!" It makes my heart so happy, these are memories I will cherish forever and memories that will help shape her into the woman she will someday be.

Ross and I have been married now for five years which means I have had five years to try out recipes in my own kitchen. I've learned a lot in my kitchen. For example, the first pie I made in my own kitchen was a strawberry pie, one of my absolute favorites! If you've made a strawberry pie with the jello mix filling you know to plan on standing by the stove top stirring constantly to make sure that jello mix doesn't boil over. Silly me decided it would be okay to have Ross stand and stir for a bit while I went to change the laundry in the other room... let's just say I've made better choices haha! As upset as we were that our brand new glass stove top was now covered in a burnt, sticking strawberry glaze I am glad it happened. You see, that jello glaze never did come off of our stove top. I see it everyday as I cook or clean and it brings a smile on my face. I mean how lucky am I to have such a kind husband to come help me in the kitchen. Just like with my mom, some of our best conversations are in the kitchen too.

Now that you have a little history on pie and on my experience with pie, lets talk recipes! Please note, these are not my own recipes. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not a professional baker/cook nor do I ever want to be. This is truly a hobby of mine that I love to do and enjoy talking about. I have made changes to some of the recipes and left notes that may help someone not to make the same mistakes I did while making it. If you have any questions or would like to share a good pie recipe with me leave a comment below or send me an email! Thanks for taking the time to read along, God bless!

Every pie needs a good foundation, the crust. This is the pie crust recipe my mother taught me and it is by far the best I've tried!

PIE CRUST
(makes enough for two pies and a top)

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup crisco
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
Stir flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the crisco next. Then add the cider vinegar, egg and water. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. I put mine in the fridge for at least an hour before using. If you need the dough to be a bit firmer you can add more flour and knead it into the dough while rolling it out.


SUGAR CREAM PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 single pie shell
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter cubed
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450. Bake pie shell for 8 minutes with foil over it. (Be sure to poke holes in the dough so that it stays flat) Remove foil and bake for 5-7 minutes more. Take out the crust and reduce oven to 375. In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk & cornstarch...bring to a boil. Stir continuously so the filling doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan and burn, (I learned that the hard way.) Reduce heat and cook for about 2 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir in cubed butter and vanilla.
Pour the filling over crust and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 minutes. You can enjoy it warm or chilled. I prefer warm!

AMISH OATMEAL PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 single pie shell
1 & 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup old fashion oats
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs beaten
3 tbsp butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
vanilla icecream (optional, goes great with it on the side)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients well, pour mixture in unbaked pie shell. Bake for 45-50 minutes and enjoy.



STRAWBERRY PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 box strawberry jello
1 cup sugar
4-6 cups of fresh cut strawberries
1 single pie shell
2 & 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
Bake one single pie shell and have ready and cooled for the pie filling. Dissolve box of strawberry jello and 1 cup of sugar into a saucepan of 1 cup boiling water. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 & 1/2 tbs cornstarch with 1 cup of cold water. Then add that to the jello/sugar mix. This is when you need to make sure your filling does not boil over! Stir A LOT! Boil the mixture for 15 minutes on medium/high heat. Take it off of the stove and let cool for about 5 minutes and pour over hulled strawberries. Pour mixture into a baked pie shell and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to set up. Enjoy with some whip cream!


PUMPKIN PIE

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz canned pumpkin
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp molasses
3 eggs beaten
1 cup evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Mix all the ingredients except the milk and eggs. Once blended then add milk and eggs and pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy!

PUMPKIN SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE

I know its been quiet over here for awhile! We have been enjoying the last bit of summer before harvest begins, which I think will start tomorrow actually! Something I always like to make in the fall are pumpkin muffins. They are super easy to make and they make a great breakfast on-the-go for Ross! There are two recipes I like to use. One is a normal version and the other is a healthier version. I will say, I can't tell the difference between them. I usually add mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to both versions!

Please note that I am not a professional baker...nor do I want to be. I just love to bake for fun! These are not my own recipes, I have found them on the internet and tried them out several times. I've switched a few things around in each recipe and I think I've finally perfected them (for my family and I that is LOL). If you have any questions or try out either recipe please let me know!

THE ORIGINAL PUMPKIN MUFFIN RECIPE 

3 cups of flour

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups of granulated sugar

1 can (15 ounce) of Libby's 100% pure pumpkin

(note that this is NOT pumpkin pie filling)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1-2 cups of mini chocolate chips

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

makes around 30 muffins

I use paper baking cups 

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

MIX sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in a separate bowl. Then add the dry flour mixture and mix well. Next gently stir in the chocolate chips, you can use however many you like. I just like a hint of chocolate in mine so I stick to about 1 cup.

SPOON batter into paper cups about 3/4 full.

BAKE FOR 30-35 minutes...check with a toothpick, every oven is different so keep an eye on them for the last 5-10 minutes.

COOL... be sure to let them cool before removing them from the pan.

HADLEY IS TWO!

Its been a couple of weeks now since Hadley turned two so I figured I should finally get around to editing the pictures I took of her. I took these photos the night before she officially turned two... and I swear she has changed so much already in just the last couple of weeks. Her hair has grown, I think she's grown another inch taller, her feet grew...again, and she just has this new kind of toddler look about her that has me in tears most of the time. While I am so happy that she is talking more and able to do a lot on her own, I still long for those days when she was a teeny tiny baby.

 For as long as I can remember I couldn't wait to be a mom. In fact a lot of my friends always bet on me being the first one out of our group of friends to be a mom... they ended up being right lol! Ross and I waited about two years after being married to start trying for a baby. I can remember the first summer we were married I was crying all of the time about how badly I wanted to have a baby and didn't want to wait. Luckily, Ross talked me into waiting a bit longer so that we could have more time alone together first. I say luckily not because it would have been bad if we had gotten pregnant right away but because now having had her, I look back at the times when it was just us and am so thankful we got that time together. It gave us more time to get to know each other, save money (kids are expensive), fix the house up and travel a little. 

We plan to have at least one more kid but Hadley will always be my baby. She made me a mom and we have such a strong bond already, I hope it continues to grow. My prayer for her is to not only live a happy, healthy life but to live a life that will glorify God. 

I didn't get to take as many pictures with her and the #2 balloon because she was terrified of it! Ross tried and tried to get her to not be afraid of it but she just was not a fan. The thing I enjoy most about taking Hadley's picture is the joy she has is when I am taking them. She didn't always like her picture being taken but now she loves to say cheese and make silly faces at the camera. She even likes to jump and twirl around! As I look back at them I can't help but to smile, we are so blessed to have such a happy, healthy two year old daughter. Without further ado, here are Hadley's two year old pictures!