CasaCullen

Recipe of the Week: Curry Lentil Stew and Red Cabbage Slaw

2012-02-15T10:42:14-06:00

You know how I love quick and easy recipes that are also healthy and packed with veggies too! Today's lentil stew packs a serious winter punch and is pretty easy to make. I made it on Monday night while we watched The Bachelor (there, I said it) so that I could have warm soup for lunch all week long. The only problem is that I don't think the curry is making the cut when it comes to Nash's digestion. I'll try it one more day and if not, then our neighbors are going to get some delish stew...or maybe I'll just freeze it.

Also the cabbage slaw is super easy. Walt made that for the game night we hosted on Saturday night. He threw the ingredients together and into the fridge it went to 'slaw up' all day long. Only problem? We forgot to take it out for the party. Oh yeah, we have buckets of red cabbage slaw in our fridge, haha! It makes a heap ton! But cabbage is one of Walt's favorite so he's been snacking on it and we've been noshing on it as a side dish too.

PS - Make sure to check out the original lentil stew recipe HERE. I'm off citrus (for Nash's sake) and we didn't have any celery and I just went with our curry powder instead of the garam masala, which would've been way better, most likely. And I added some fresh corn in the mix too, which was dynamite! Enjoy!

Curry Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cups water

1 cup lentils, rinsed

3 small potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 ears of corn with kernels cut off

2 medium carrots, 1/4" slices

6 ounces torn spinach leaves

1 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute for a couple of minutes. Add water and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, corn kernels and carrots; cook uncovered until potatoes and carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and curry powder into the stew. Cover and simmer until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(recipe adapted from Eat You Vegetables or You Don't Get Dessert)

Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 head red cabbage, cored and shredded

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the canola oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and onion powder. Place the cabbage in a large glass bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain before serving.

(recipe from Allrecipes)

Perosnal Peek: From the Desk of Nash (and His Monkey) - Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:44:35-06:00

Morgan

Oh, Baby: DIY Nursery Decor - How to Make Your Own 'Made In Texas' Wall Art

2012-02-13T07:30:00-06:00

Today we're featuring another fun DIY wall art project we tackled for Nash's nursery. We always loved all the 'made in' signs we spotted all over the place but as soon as I spotted this star covered canvas at our local thrift store, I knew we had a DIY project up our sleeves! Read on for the tutorial!

SCORE! $4.99 at my local Savers Thrift!

Sketched out the words made and in on contact paper that we had laying around from our laundry room makeover HERE.

Cut them out and stuck them on the canvas.

Found a map of Texas on my iPhone and free handed it onto the contact paper too.

The finished product, pre-paint. Look at all those pencil marks, ha! It was actually really hard to get a good Texas!

Now Walt went to work spraying the whole canvas with black spray paint.

We let the paint dry overnight and I was literally giddy to rip off the contact paper and see how the project turned out. We figured we'd only be $4.99 in the hole if it was horrible. And then we'd use it regardless, because you know how we like to cover old canvases in fabric (more on that HERE!)

Peeling off the letters and we're lookin' good, people!

Creating our Austin star!

And voila, I'm in love.

Walt measuring where to hang our new art.

Check out how adorable it is in Bubba's little room!

Here's a closer look! Love this project and you could totally wrap a canvas in a star print fabric and do the same exact project for you wee one. I also think this doesn't have to only fall into the nursery art category...this would be a great piece of art in a living room art gallery display or a perfect conversation piece for your kitchen.

Personal Peek: Entertaining - Co-hosting Heather B's Baby Shower 'Sprinkle'

2012-02-09T07:30:00-06:00

I had the pleasure of co-hosting a baby shower for a good friend of mine, Heather. My co-host, Kate, was a lovely lady I had never met and we literally planned the entire shower via email, go us! Wait, I keep saying shower but it was a sprinkle and I love that term. This is Heather's second and her first girl so baby Elise just needed to be sprinkled with tutus and bows! Heather got so many wonderful gifts and I loved meeting all her close friends and family. The sprinkle was at CasaCullen and I just wanted to share some of the little touches, great pics and scrumptious spread with you.

PS - I totally teared up when she was opening some of the itty bitty outfits. Seriously people, what have you done with me and who have you super-imposed my head on. My eyes started watering thinking of tiny/new Nash 12 weeks ago and I just had to laugh at myself for being such a sap...who am I?

PSS - After throwing this 'Sprinkle' I cannot thank the three women enough times that threw my shower for me. Did you miss those pics? HERE they are! Awww, baby bump...I kinda miss you. I actually used some of their sweet touches in Heather's Sprinkle because they were just so thoughtful and awesome! Hugs and love go out to April, Kelly and Chris...blessed to have you ladies in my inner circle!

Sweet Decor:

Loved the "E" on the front door...such a great grab, Kate!

A big thanks to Luann from The Riley Family for bringing her Cricut on our girls weekend and helping me create this great little banner!

Lanterns...another great find by my co-host Kate. Walt is actually a fan so there still hanging there. I'm now on the search for the right color...I don't know if bright pink is my thang for in the middle of the kitchen. But it has opened up a whole new world of lighting possibilities for that area!

More Cricut shenanigans that Luann helped me with...these were a huge hit and an absolutely adorable touch! Everyone thought I made them but when I showed them how easily the stickers peeled right off, they were ooohing and aaaahing all over the place. On my crafty purchase list: a Cricut!

I also stamped some thank you stationery for Heather and asked the attendees to address their own envelopes. I figured this would be one last thing that Heather would have to tackle in the next few weeks before her baby girl arrives!

The favors? Bath salts in dreamy coconut...yum!

The Grub:

The table was heavy on the finger food, scrumptious dips and sweet treats...just how we like it!

Some of the ladies in attendance were asking for the punch recipe. HERE'S the one I made and it was such a huge hit with Walt (he noshed on some of the leftovers) that he made an extra batch and has been sipping on it all week long.

Ok, just for the record...these are some of the best cookies I've ever tasted! They're Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies (get the recipe HERE) and I could only have one! Why? Well I'm surely going to do a post all about this but we've finally figured out a few of Nash's food sensitivities and dairy is one. These have butter and cream cheese. Let's just say, Nash was none to happy with me for splurging on a few of them...but dang, they were good y'all! (in my best P. Deen voice!)

A Few Fave Pics/Moments:

Just like we did at my shower...draw what you think the baby will look like via the paper plate on your head. And just like at my shower, some were very impressive and others were impressively hilarious! Fun, fun shower game that's quick and easy!

Gorgeous, glowing Momma to be! I'm already imagining her little Elise to be a mini version of Heather.

It's such a shame that Zola is so unfriendly and uncomfortable with strangers...bwah! This pup was literally making herself at home on laps all over the house. Funny furry baby!

How adorable are these tiny kicks? They were the itty bittiest red cowgirl boots I've ever seen. One of my fave gifts of the day and let me tell you, that girl got some kah-ute stuff!

Some mother/daughter adorableness in attendance!

And coming in last is this pic of Heather and her best girlfriend from the Dallas area, Beth. Beth drove into Austin just for Heather's shower and totally surprised her. It was so sweet and nearly took Heather's breath away! I love friends that go out of their way to make their gals feel special. Cheers to wonderful friends and amazing Showers Sprinkles!

Food and Drink: Quick and Healthy Snack Idea - Ziploc Fresh Fruit Smoothies

2012-02-08T07:30:00-06:00

Mmm, there's nothing like a good, healthy smoothie. I hate buying them when I'm out because I think the prices are just borderline highway robbery. Actually, I take that back, I NEVER buy them when I'm out. The only drink I really splurge on is a Boba Tea every once in a while. Smoothies just hit the spot for me. Now that things have gotten much more busy around the house and I have way less free time, smoothies are a key component to keeping my energy levels up and getting in some nutrient rich produce too.

When berries go on sale at the market I immediately stock up. Now, I love me some berries but I can't devour four whole pint of strawberries before they go bad. What do I do? I wash and freeze them for smoothies! I've been doing this for over a year and love it! It's so much more cost efficient than buying frozen fruit and I also know that I've purchased ripe, organic fruit that's in season too.

I've also started separating the fruit into personal sized baggies (which I reuse) for individual smoothie success. I just grab a bag and toss the contents in the blender, throw in whatever type of milk (rice, coconut, cow, soy) I'm partial to that week and any other mix-ins I happen to have on hand. Then hit blend and bam, I'm sippin' away and playing with my little man.

Being a stay at home/work at home Mom doesn't provide for much down time and I'm slowly realizing how to sneak in nutritious and quick snacks that pack some punch. Smoothies, for me, are one of those great options that keep me full for an hour and give me that perfect balance of energy while satisfying my massive sweet tooth. Want to know some of my favorite mix-ins in addition to all the great produce I already pack in there?

Mo's Fave Smoothie Mix-ins:

Local honey

Flax seed

Nut butters

Green tea

Chia seed

Wheat germ

Greek yogurt

Cocoa nibs

Ginger

Protein powder (hemp, whey, or plant-based)

So what are your favorite mix-ins? I'd love to hear more about some smoothie concoctions that you gravitate towards. We try to make green monsters too, but I actually tire of that taste rather quickly so I only opt for those about once a week. I wold love to learn more about wheat grass and juicing that and adding it in. I'm not totally sure of it's health benefits (thought health nuts sing its praises) so I'd like to know if anyone grows it and why they go to the trouble of adding it in? Remember, I have the worst green thumb ever...another house plant bit the dust last week, ugh!

Check out the pics below from our Super Bowl smoothie lovin' Sunday!

Berries on parade!

Cheapo store brand freezer bags...yes please!

This week's smoothie bags are fillin' up.

Three berry smoothies are ready for the freezer!

While I arranged this, look at the cuteness level that was happening in the tv room! Love seeing these two play all the time...it melts my heart!

I put a wee bit of fresh fruit aside for us to munch on during the big game too!

And maybe a tiny bit more to make me a Sunday afternoon smoothie, pictured above! What did I have in it? The three berry combo, coconut milk and flax-seed.

Here I am, post smoothie smile with a full, happy belly. As you can see I'm already onto round two of snackin' with Walt's fresh guacamole. Yummy and perfect for the Super Bowl. It was such a relaxing game day at home with my three angels. We were all showered and bathed (yes, I now realize officially took showering for granted, pre-baby, ha!) and hunkered down for some good football watching fun! Hope you enjoyed the game and the grub too!

Personal Peek: Maternity Photos with I Heart Photography and How Our Lives Have Changed Since Baby

2012-02-06T07:30:00-06:00

Dare I say I miss that bump? The proze that popped out is way better though! Our adoration for Mel and her amazing talent over at I Heart Photography is through the roof. We love her shooting style and are proud to have her in our inner circle of friends too. Mel and I have become really good friends over the last year as we weathered the craziness of pregnancy together (check out her maternity photos HERE, love them) and gave birth to sweet little boys only weeks apart. HERE is Mel and Chase's wonderful little nugget, baby boy Jude. Nash and Jude are sure to be good buds!

But back to the post at hand! These were shot almost three months ago and I can't believe how much our lives have changed since. For starters, this is our first post back since our DIY Closet Divider post HERE on December 8th...yowza! That's almost two months people and holy smokes, it's sorta flown by! Of course there are the hard days and nights where time seems to stand still and I watch the clock just hoping Walt might walk in the door early. But those days are starting to become fewer and farther between.

Nash certainly had a fussy period but we've found out much of it was linked to food sensitivities and acid reflux. We are in a wonderful place now as we approach his 3 month birthday on Valentine's Day. He's a very alert and expressive little fella. I look at him all the time and my eyes well up in tears (hello, hormones) and even glancing at these pics above really reiterate how amazing the entire baby baking process is. I never thought I'd appreciate a Mom's body on this level. All that it does to grow and sustain an entire mini-human...totally amazes me.

So how has life changed since Nash moved in? Well for starters...I'm gingerly balancing my Mac on my lap while typing and trying to nurse a baby. Everything is a balancing act and likely will be forever. I'm learning that it's all about multi-tasking and being one step ahead. I live for/love my iPhone and am so thankful for the capabilities it provides but you can only do so much on a phone...I miss my computer time!

Walt and I are trying to make sure there is some balance/'me time' in my life too. Although we miss having Walt around when he works a full day, that is his time to get away and recharge. Even though I don't feel like I actually need any away time, I do take time for me every week...if only for a few hours. And let me tell you, Momma misses her boys when I do!

I'm astounded at how quickly the hours pass in most days and then there has been a few days where I can't imagine a clock moving any slower. No really, have I entered the movie Inception? Ha! All in all, we are absolutely over the moon about being parents and constantly talk about how much we love being Nash's parents. How much we adore this little guy. How cool he is to us and how much we think his personality is a hilarious combo of both of us.

We plan to slowly get back into blogging both on here and RunwayDaily but it'll be a slow start. Maybe one week we'll have 4 posts and the next week only 1 post. We hope to eventually work back up to 5 posts per week but at this point, I'm just happy to be typing away again...sharing really is so good for my soul.

As I sit here on a rainy Sunday with a warm fire crackling and a sweet tiny puppy snoring softly next to me...I can't help but glance up at Walt with watery eyes. He's on the other side of the sectional with the love of our life laying calmly on his chest. We meet eyes, we smile, he sees my watery eyes but he doesn't need to ask 'what's wrong?' this go round. He knows. And there's nothing wrong. Everything is right, so right that this non-crying lady has turned into a big ol' blubbering sap.

It's funny how you think you know what life is before you have a child, and don't get me wrong, that was one fun and adventurous life...but God shows you what LOVE truly is when you look in the eyes of your child. We love being parents and can't wait to share all the ups, downs and around the house adventures with you too! Here...we...go!

PS - As for all those emails about how things have changed with Zola and where she is with dealing with the baby-ness of our household now. Nothing has really changed with Zola, truthfully. Like we said in THIS post, she had a hard first week but has been totally awesome since then. The only thing I'm finding really tough to balance is when Zola needs to go outside and go potty and I'm nursing Nash. I can't be two places at once so I have to tell her to wait...she always does, like such an amazing lil' angel!

Oh, Baby: DIY Nursery Decor - How to Make Your Own Closet Dividers

2011-12-08T07:30:00-06:00

Guess who has fancy little closet organizers? Our Nash! I kept spotting them online and in stores but gawked at the price tag. I knew there wold be an easy DIY option. And there was. When I stumbled upon THIS example over on Pinterest (follow us HERE) I knew this was the project for us. So I set out to grab up the materials we didn't already own and we spent our last Sunday morning, the day before Nash was born, making his closet organizers. Read on for the instructions and how-to.

Grabbed some wooden O's from Hobby Lobby for $.99/pair.

Walt wanted to spray paint them white...now I wish we would've chosen a more contrast-y color. But I'm always thankful for his opinion and help.

Spray painting the wooden O's.

Scrapbook paper, enough to cover each side of the O's.

Tracing time. We did this while watching Sunday church online. It was a dreary and cold morning, perfect for three C's: crafting, coffee, church!

Taking form!

The preservative. How we attached said scrapbook paper to the wooden O divider.

First painted the O with the podge.

Then used my finger to secure the paper to the mod podge surface. Use your finger and smooth out any bumps right away.

Then I painted over the entire piece of paper with Mod Podge to seal it on. Oh, I just have to point out my lil' hairy helper in my sweatshirt...funny pup!

Walt was on tracing/cutting duty and he was such a smarty pants. Why? The engineer in him knew that each side tracing was a bit different so he labeled them like this for me. I'd match up the numbers for correct placement before Mod Podging them on. It was really helpful to keep them organized.

Our makeshift drying rack...door knobs!

What was I noshing on during all this pre-labor work? Our homemade granola (scrumptious recipe HERE) of course! If someone told me I would have a baby in less than 48 hours from this moment...I would've laughed in their face, ha!

Oh no she didn't! (Said in my Real Housewives of Atlanta voice, ha! You know you watch it, don't even lie!) Zola fell asleep on the job, yo! At least we had our internet church to keep us crafting along.

Finished products, sans numbers! LOVE THEM! We chose pseudo boy themed scrapbook paper for our dividers. I can only imagine the cuteness level you could do for a little girl too.

Adding the numbers...

0, 3, 6, 9 and 12! That should just about cover all his hanging clothes for a while!

Fast forward weeks later and I finally had the chance to add those dividers into his closet! Look WHO was spotted, in his crib, in a chair! Nasher Doodle Doo...snoozing away! Actually, my Mom and I were cleaning up the nursery after Nash's cousin Minnie 'broke it in' while staying with us!

In the closet, I die at the cuteness level! Such an easy, fun and crafty project. And a great way for him to not only be organized but also learn his numbers and match up clothes sizes, etc. Ok, maybe that won't even happen but a Mom can dream, right?

Food and Drink: Seven Different Recipes Using Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

2011-12-07T07:30:00-06:00

This time of year is alwas so hectic, busy and overwhelming at times...do you agree? It's nearly impossible to get a healthy, quick meal on the table (especially for us, recently) throughout the week but we do have one trick up our sleeve: rotisserie chicken.

Either the store bought or homemade version (we scored ours at a garage sale, brand new, for $20) will do and it's an easy thing to make on a Sunday evening in preparation for the week to come. Here are seven scumrptious looking recipes we found with 'leftover chicken' as the main ingredient. We can't wait to try a few of these in the coming weeks!

Lemony Tarragon Chicken Salad

Get the recipe HERE

Chicken Soup with Latin Flavors

Get the recipe HERE

Quick Cassoulet

Get the recipe HERE

BBQ Chicken Tacos

Get the recipe HERE

Chicken Corn Chili

Get the recipe HERE

Chicken Tostadas

Get the recipe HERE

Chicken and Gruyère Turnovers

Get the recipe HERE

Personal Peek: Top 25 Fave Memories from Thanksgiving and Nash's First Three Weeks

2011-12-06T07:30:00-06:00

So we've had one of the best Turkey Week's ever. Holy smokes, it was amazing! Almost my entire family was here with us and that was such a treat. We all missed my youngest sibling, Preston, but I was sure to send him daily texts and pictures to let him know how much we wished he were here too. These last few weeks have been over flowing with good food, amazing family and gracious/giving friends. We truly felt thankful for so much around us/in our life this year, more than any other. Just looking at Nash made me tear up multiple times over the last few weeks...I'm surely thankful for that little Bubs.

Read on for some of our favorite memories from Thanksgiving and Nash's first few weeks of life at CasaCullen. Thanks for all your sweet comments, support and words of encouragement. I had no idea the balancing act that would be Motherhood. Blogging, client work and being a WAHM (work at home Mom) are all such a blessing, but on top of baby, I'm finding it hard to 'find the time' to fit it all in. I plan to slowly get back/into some sort of routine so just hang tight if I skip a day's post...my main priority is now Nasher Doodle Doo, but I love every minute with that special priority!

Walt and my niece Minnie doing the dishes...one MUST do the dishes while donning only the highest quality princess dress! I do recall Walt saying multiple times, 'Ok, stop spraying...stop spraying Minnie!' They were a very cute combo!

The exact moment my Mom held her only grandson for the first time...magical! Nash loved his Mimi!

Per Zola's adorable usual, it was a cold week, so warm/un-folded laundry was her fort(e)!

Best...expression...ever! Oh Nasher Poo, what a funny/grumpy looking lil' old man we have!

I treated three of my fave women in the world to a mani/pedi combo only 9 days after Nash was born. This was pre spa time! These three were SUCH a huge help and pretty much handled every aspect of Thanksgiving and stocking our freezer with good eats. And yes, I did pretty great being away from my 9 day old baby. But I did rush home afterwards to snuggle on him.

Minnie found herself a funny nappin' spot! Zola was happy to share!

We even made it out for our first family walk! Zola led the way and (of course) Nash slept the entire time.

Mirror image...this really does take my breath away. I framed this for my Mom and sister and thanked them for all they did while they were here!

Silliest...little...lady...cakes! Love my Minnie Moo Moos!

Some of my favorite moments were when everyone got into their jommies and sat by the fire. We chatted hours away and as you can see (click image and zoom in) little Nasher Bottoms was enjoying himself too. Just look at that little old man grin, ha!

Mad jokes about the 'Pope' around these parts! We're happy to inform everyone that my Mom purchased a few newborn hats that actually fit so we've retired his hospital versions for night-time wear. Seriously, our man has a rather small head so NONE of his hats fit yet!

Zola, the puppy parrot, always finds a snug place to snooze on her Papa's shoulder!

Instead of making breakfast one morning, we actually all went out for breakfast. It was such an awesome treat to have my brother Beckett and girlfriend Ediz drive (with their two VERY well behaved pups) all the way from Chicago just to meet Nash. We are blessed to have family members that love our little man so much!

Family pic from our Thanksgiving feast. How about that gorgeous leaf wall art (back there) that Minnie made for our dinner? ADORABLE!

Someone tiny and hairy and cute even got a snippet of turkey in her Thanksgiving bowl too!

"Pass the Cheetos please!" Yeah, we all got a good laugh about that. Somehow Minnie's Cheeto bowl got put on the table...hilarious!

Minnie Monet! Minnie made a very impressive work of art for Nash's nursery...I can't even begin to express how special this piece is to us/will be to him. ADORABLE!

Tradition! Two years ago we went as a family to the Chuy's Blue Santa children's parade in downtown Austin...this year we got to bring our own 'child' with us! A special day, even though Nash slept through the entire thing, ha!

Hilariousness ensued with Ryan (brother-in-law) grabbed Minnie and started playing her like an air guitar. As you can see by the looks of her grin, she LOVED it!

You have to watch this video above. Why? It will totally show you what KING SNOOZE slept through. Sirens, live music, kids screaming...not even phased. Awesome, awesome!

Minnie was the best helper (in her princess dress and tiny high-heels) for Christmas decorating on December 1st. It's a tradition that we've had all the years we've been married to decorate/drink egg nog/listen to Christmas music on December 1st! We've just never had such a cute helper before, ha!

Painted nails - check! Tiny adorable trendy boots - check! A Barbie loving smile - check! The greatest Mimi in the world - check!

And guess WHO got his first baffer baffer? Yep! I'm not gonna lie, there were certainly some baby pterodactyl screams but he smelled like baby heaven afterwards. But I think we have a typical boy on our hands, he wasn't a huge fan yet! Also, Walt did most of the work while my Mom gave us some great pointers. He'll have to show me the ropes during lil' Bubba's next bath. Yay for great Dadda's!

Hope you had an eventful, memorable and fun Turkey Week too! We can't believe we were in the hospital three weeks ago having our little man and now life seems incomplete before him. Thankful for his amazingness, for sure! Hope you enjoyed a peek inside these first few weeks!

DIY: Top Ten - How to Make Your Own Napkin Rings for the Holidays

2011-12-01T10:59:21-06:00

Morgan