One Pot Recipes Happening Soon

I love, love, love to cook. And, I love getting my kitchen messy. I'm not a big fan of the clean-up, but one cannot have everything. So sometimes using just the one pot a few days out of the month makes up for the kitchen chaos.

With summer pretty much already here in the Gorgeous South, I thought I'd share some one pot recipes that look quite tasty that I plan on making in the coming weeks.

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Low Country Boil

Um, yes please! Buckets of seafood? WHO is going to say no to that? This is something I really plan on doing as a "YAY! We are FINALLY at our new house!!!" Of course, we have no idea on God's green earth that will be because apparently there are some picky, picky buyers out there... Also, as I am writing this Andrew peeks at what I'm up to and say, "WHOA! Look all that yummy, yummy shrimp!!! Is that dinner tonight?!" Oh, sugar, I wish! But, this mama is in serious need of a Costco run...

One Pot Mexican Rice Casserole

You know that when you think of summer you totally think of sippin' some margaritas by the pool, right? Well, ok...mine will be served at the end of summer, but still. Margaritas = Mexican goodness. So, yes! This recipe is definitely on the list!

One Pan Skinny Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini

Another awesome-looking recipe that I can't wait to try is this Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini. It is just so pretty and colorful, y'all! I may have to put the cheese on the side and let everyone add their own on top. The boys seem to be all about that anyway. Plus this dish starts getting us back to the farmers markets with that yummy zucchini.

One Pot Zucchini and Mushroom Pasta

Ok, now that just looks like summer in a pot with all the green. And, see? More use out of all that zucchini I'll be buying soon!

Summer Vegetables with Sausage and Potatoes

While we are shopping those fabulous markets, I'll be sure to grab these ingredients for this dish. This one just looks like fun. Plus, I'm sure that my Sous Chef-in-Training would love to help me out with this recipe!

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Now to figures out dinner for tonight! Have a fabulous weekend!!

Weekly Rewind: September 23-29

Well, I do believe that my wacky week and a half long headache is gone. So, it is that time again to share what we have been up to! Here's a look back at the fun we had as September came to an end.

{MONDAY}

This is how we roll...

 ...down the hill, bumping into each other...

  Good times!

 {TUESDAY}

 This is NOT what you want to find in your laundry room at 545 in the morning as you are trying to get the ironing board out without waking the rest of the house up. Meet Mr. Grasshopper...er, locust? He flies...And, he somehow found a cozy spot in my laundry room. Of course, it was 545 am and I wasn't sure what it was at first, so everything came crashing down. Jason really thought that I was dreaming this. Well, we were almost late to school due to me making sure this little guy was caught and shown to the world. HA! I was NOT dreaming... 

{WEDNESDAY}

We headed to the zoo!!

 It was breakfast time in the primate house. Love that guy on the right :)

 Banging on some Djembe drums and being silly with masks

 {THURSDAY}

Picked up a TON of fall themed library books on Tuesday. This one is Alex's favorite one! When I "read" (no words - just pictures) it to the boys after school, Alex CRIED at the end!! If you haven't seen this book, it is SO cute!! The little bird is lost and the cat helps him find his way back to his bird family. They become friends along the journey South. Well, they find the little bird's family and must say goodbye to each other. The cat needed to get back home anyway. Well, as they hugged goodbye, Alex just busted out in tears and wanted them to stay together. It was so sweet. I told him that the bird would come back and this was just a little vacation until it was warmer back home. Oh, my...love that little guy.

Jason "read" it with him, too. You can see his little hand on his face... The cat is on the page waving bye to the birds. He was sad again, but no tears this time. But Alex said, "Cat goes home... (sniffles)" Really, it is a super cute book. I might just have to get it to add to our collection of fall/Halloween books for next year.

{THURSDAY}

 My view from my doc's office. Nice, huh? Yep, another appointment. I'm going every 2 weeks now... Fun. Oh, and this time my doc was out of town - which I knew so I chose the doc that delivered Andrew... But, let me just complain a bit for a sec (because that's what I do now apparently)... My blood pressure NEVER cooperates with the nurse. I have to ALWAYS have it taken at least twice before leaving. So, I let this nurse (the nurse to the doc that delivered Andrew) know this before taking my blood pressure. And, yep. It was not being nice. So, we wait to take it until the end of the appointment. And, it was ok, but not perfect. But, it was in the range it ALWAYS is in when I leave my doctor. So, it is like 1:45pm. It's Thursday. I pick up the boys in about an hour at the latest. Well, the nurse and doc didn't like what they saw...maybe they should look at my file BEFORE what they say next. The nurse comes back in and says, "Well, it's a little high so just hang out in here for a bit and we will try again." Anyone that knows me knows that I am now beginning to get anxious that maybe I am not going to get to that car rider line to get my little men. Ten minutes go by and she tries again. Again, I'm beginning to get nervous. It's now about 2:10pm... Sure the school is about 7-8 minutes away, but still! Well, my blood pressure is a tad higher...shocker! So she doesn't say anything and goes back out to talk to the doc. I can kind of hear them, but not really. Maybe they were talking about me...maybe not. But I hear "labor and delivery" and "33 weeks" and some other bologna that I DON'T have time to hear about right now - I have kids to pick up. I am the ONLY one with the cars seats and they are in the parking deck. Grrr. Anyway, I'm still pregnant and Austin is still chilling out for now. I got the boys in time and, yes, I now have 2 extra back up friends in case this happens again. Which, knowing my doc...I'm sure it will. He is such a tease...I wonder if he had anything to do with this... Kidding. Kinda.

{FRIDAY}

 Playing tackle football with Daddy. Yes, TACKLE football. Don't worry about Alex he can take care of himself. He is starting to catch up to Andrew in speed, too. Andrew better watch out LOL

 Alex's turn to be the QB

{SATURDAY}

New project for Austin!  It is all done actually! I made him this Cozy Baby Afghan over the weekend. It was super easy to make and it went by really fast. Just 3 colors and a mega crochet hook (I used a Q hook - it is huge! Biggest I have gone was K hook one time). It is SO soft and cozy! The colors are from Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Rust, Dusty Blue, and Beige. It is hanging over the side of his crib now! Love it!!

 Apple Cider Floats for Jason and I after the boys were in bed. They were ok. I liked them fine, but I feel like it needed something else... Jason wasn't a huge fan. Oh, well. There are more fall treats to be made!

{SUNDAY}

 It was National Coffee Day today (9/29), so with my handy dandy Dunkin Donuts app, I got my freebie iced coffee and donuts for these men in my life :) Yummy! Gotta love a good coffee that is also FREE!!

 

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And just to check up to see how things went around the House last week...

 

Last Week's Goals:

Family Goals:
1. Pick up fall book from the library I got ALMOST all of the ones I wanted. We read through all 15 of them twice, too. So next week, we are going back for more!
2. Put together big brother and daddy bags I am SO glad to have this all done! Andrew and Alex are going to be surprised to see that Austin has a little something for them! I will share what I did for them soon!
3. Go on a family adventure this weekend! Maybe something like this? We will be doing something THIS weekend instead! :)

Personal Goals:
4. Wake up at 530 everyday this week.
5. Keep reading through Catholic Mom's Cafe and A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy
6. Catch up on my fav podcasts in the car while boys are at school and I'm out running errands. I'm back to listening to the Simple Mom podcast and the Inspired to Action podcast. These are great! I'm almost caught up with these! And, I even came across one at just the right time! These days I'm having a bit of a patience problem (what? me? noooooo..... lol) and Kat with Inspired to Action had the perfect solution the day before I knew I was going to being a mommy monster... Gotta love those days...

Home Goals:
7. Paint the frames for Austin's room. I can never remember to tell Jason to get the frames out of the attic for me... Along with the Fall wreath... Brain freeze...
8. Make another Fall treat! I made Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies over the weekend. I am thinking of making Apple Cider Floats this weekend!
9. Clean up front walk, trim bushes, weed the beds, etc. Oops...I'm sure my neighbors love my "harvest" look I have going on. LOL Oh, well. This weekend!

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And for this week's to-do list:

Family Goals:

1. Pick up more fall/Halloween books from the library AND have a reading picnic!! Fun! 

2. Work on the "Our Father" with the boys.  

3. Go on a family adventure this weekend!

Personal Goals:

 4. Rise and shine 530 am!

5. Sanitize and organize binkies, bottles, and other items needed

6. Read Catholic Mom's Cafe and A Catholic Mother's Companion to pregnancy. 

7. Listen to the rest of the podcasts - find some new ones!

Home Goals:

8. Paint the frames for Austin's room and get print outs done

9. Fall treat! Sweet and Salty Fall Snack Mix OR Scarecrow Crunch

 10. Yard work! Some serious yard work...

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 Happy Fall, y'all!

 

This Week at the House: Aug 12-16

Taking a look back at this week's adventures...

{MONDAY}

I'll spare you the pictures... But, apparently it was a day of "nesting" for me. I cleaned like crazy (welcome to the 3rd trimester, right?) and organized for the upcoming preschool year, organized Austin's room/dresser/closet, and even got a bit of shopping done in between thanks to my Zulily app (which is really a BAD idea...I may need to get that thing off my phone). 

{TUESDAY}

Terrible pic, sorry. The boys' have been doing GREAT on getting their "school" work done after they have cleaned up from breakfast. Andrew and Alex are doing so well with using their scissors correctly (I hear Andrew's new teacher is pretty serious about scissor usage, so we are READY!). Alex now knows ALL of the ABCs - in order, in any voice (from monster-voice to quiet mouse whispers LOL) thanks to Andrew! We are DEFINITELY ready for back-to-school! We meet Andrew's teacher next week!! Then he starts the following week. Alex will start the following week. And this mama is excited! I excited for them to see their friends again and I am excited for a "mini-break" before Austin arrives in 11 weeks :)

 

And, speaking of getting ready for Austin's arrival...  Check out this cute onesie Andrew saw at Target.  LOL Yes, there is a reason... Andrew and Alex have both decided that orange is Austin's color and that his baby is going to be a fox. Andrew has an elephant named Tusker. Alex had a lion named Roary. So, Austin will get a fox (thanks, Nana!) and Andrew and Alex think his name should be Mr. Fox. Oh, my. I have very particular...and silly boys, don't I? I can't even begin to imagine what life if going to be like when Austin is big enough to play with them!

{WEDNESDAY}

 

Oh, doctors appointments...ugh. Honestly, I don't mind going every month. I get to hear Austin's happy little heart. But this past appointment was just obnoxious. I can't stand the glucose test. No the drink is not horrible. Just a really sweet version of the red Hawaiian Punch. But, you have to down it in front of the nurses while they ask you a bunch of stuff... Then you have to wait in the office for an hour... Then you get to hand over some blood. Fun. Not. I know it is a "good" test, but really? I have better things to do than hang out at the doc for an hour. The quiet was nice, but you know. I just think that there should be a better way to figure out if I have gestational diabetes or not. Someone get on that! Luckily, there is a Starbucks at the hospital, so I busted out of there as soon as they gave me my bandaid. The funny thing about this Starbucks is that I have only HEARD the espresso machines from the other side of the wall where I was holding newborn Alex. Sweet memories. But, when you are in a hurry to get back to your regular doc appointment, you have only seconds to take in that moment. But, the good news is that I passed that test, so yay me! 

{THURSDAY} 

 Look who joined us for breakfast this morning! Kristi is just a month behind me and today was her appointment, so I offered to watch her little man. He is such a sweet kid!! These guys were SO funny all together. The conversations that they have crack me up - mostly because I have not a clue in the world what they are talking about. So funny!

 We played with playdoh for most of the morning. We made animals and letters to begin with. Things got crazy after a while when they all start making telescopes and horns and such. LOL

Best friends forever!

 After we cleaned up, I let them watch some Super Why and such. Then giggles galore began. Look at these silly monkeys! I love that you can see all those little legs and toes - SO cute!

The sillies didn't stop at the couch, though. All of a sudden there was this group of little men taking swigs of Alpha-Bits cereal and yelling, "CHEERS!" Ah, well...this is the cutest little fraternity in the world, right?!

 After a while it was time for Braxton to get home and EVERYONE down for a nap. But, I ran out to the mailbox before and check out what Austin got in the mail! I guess when I joined some baby club from Fisher-Price, they decided to send a gift! Fun!! 

 Alex was sleeping for a bit and Andrew was being....rather quiet... That is sometimes a good thing or a bad thing. This time it was the cutest thing! He was trying on his Daddy's belt. I heard him say it was "time for work" once he got it where he wanted it. Adorable!

One everyone was up, we had to get ready for Mass - today was the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (a Holy Day of obligation -  so it's a big deal for us). We picked up Jason from work and headed out to grab a quick dinner at Zoe's - yum! Afterwards, we headed back to Jason's work to get his car...

 The boys were rather excited that a train was passing by ans BLARING its horn more than a few times. This is the EXACT reason why Andrew says he wants to be an engineer like Daddy when he grows up. Not because he knows that Daddy does super cool stuff with computers and robots, but because he is under the impression that his daddy is a TRAIN engineer. He knows he doesn't drive the trains really - he just thinks that he must work with the trains by using those computers and robots. LOL So cute! Yes, we have tried explaining it, but he doesn't think so. Especially at times like this one where a train (or two) is just hanging out behind his office. Love it!

{FRIDAY}

Movie night! I wonder what will be tonight's pick...

And, apparently some more nesting ;) I'm working on all the games and puzzles we have just thrown in the hall closet.

Luckily, dinner has been cooking away in the crock pot since lunch time. Can't wait for our "Stuffed Pepper Casserole" YUM!!! No, this is not a crock-pot specific recipe. I just tailored it to just make it happen.

Y'all have a great weekend! Hopefully, there will be some painting going on... If not, I am sure we will be enjoying these wonderfuly wacky temperatures! It was 64 when I woke up this morning and it is only getting up to 73. Sweeeet.... 

Y'all have a great weekend!!

Memorial Day Weekend!

What a fun weekend!! We always love it when Daddy gets an extra day off to play!! We hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Here is a look back at our fun in the sun :)

 

Pool time!! 

Chillin'

My little water baby - he could play in it ALL DAY. I have high hopes for this one in becoming my swimmer!! 

Splashin'

Watermelon time!! Our FANTASTIC neighbors are...well, just that! FANTASTIC!! They shared their watermelon with us. And, oh, yes, it was a great one! The boys loved it so much that we had to get one when we we to the grocery store the next day. Actually, the baby loves it so much (it seems anyway) that I need to get another one now ;) YUM!

Taking a break from the sun  by playing with playdoh! Andrew made this blue snowman. Alex was busy making snakes and bugs or something. Cuties.

I wish I took a picture of the drink, but I got sidetracked in the process of enjoying my Pineapple Planter's Punch! Next time I make this for Memorial Day, I plan on adding rum for an extra treat. But, for us mamas to be THIS DRINK is perfection in a glass! A perfect summery concoction! Click over to get the details on the recipe.

Ah, a Memorial Day dinner! Homemade BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, homemade cornbread, and baked beans - yes, oh, yes!

 

CUPCAKES!!! Funfetti cupcakes :) 

YUM!!

Enjoying a yummy cupcake and playing with his topper (which, apparently is a "Captain America" symbol...honestly, I didn't catch that until I just posted this. I guess that is because I am more of a DC Comics gal than Marvel...)

This baked bean and icing face says it all...

What a great weekend!!

Chocolate Cake, Obnoxious Song, and Cold Weather - Oh, My!!

Ah, the first week of May. Flowers are in bloom. Birds are singing happy tunes. Treat are being made and movies are being watched. The weather has that hint of frost bite in the air. UM, WHAT?! Yes, the first week of May (the later 1/2 anyway), we were wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, socks, and jackets. Listen, Groundhog... you are out of a job, buddy. I mean, really?! It. Is. May! MAY! Ugh... This is exactly why we ALL still have a cough. It's hot. It's cold. It's raining. It's hot. It's below freezing. No joke. We had a freeze warning. Not. Even. Kidding.

Ok, enough of that. It was a nice, sunny day for Andrew's Spring Program and we had so much fun the rest of the week that it all just evened out somehow.

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We made an easy peasy chocolate cake!! Now, that I know that I actually have all of these ingredients on hand (usually), we may have this special little treat more often. It was so moist and delish!

'Round and 'round we go!

 Andrew is clearly in chocolate heaven here ;)

 This is why I have double the dishes to do. Everyone has to have their own spoon. These really are their spoons, too. They picked them out at Publix a while back. Andy said they needed to be able to cook with me and have their own stuff. Fine. 

 Doesn't that look yummy? Well, it is :) 

 Another awesome train track! 

 Playing so sweet together

And then yelling...because the school bus is coming! LOL All the kids and the bus driver wave to them. They LOVE it! During the summer, while out on walks, the big kids we see will say, "Hey, you guys are from the window!" Too funny. 

 Friday's movie night!! Robin Hood - thanks to Julie for this suggestion! The boys loved it! Jason loved it, too. So much that the darn Rooster's Song got stuck in my head the whole weekend. Shoot...now it's back... Here. Let me share with you the Rooster's Song. Enjoy!

(Please note: If you are viewing this post via email, then you need to click through to the actual post to see the video. Thanks!)

We hope everyone had a great weekend (and stayed warm...)!