EAT DRINK PRETTY

Vinegar broiled red potatoes with sour cream dipping sauce

2013-05-22T20:52:00.000-05:00

My family is a bunch of suckers for vinegar chips. Well, chips in general, but also vinegar chips. So when I saw a recipe for vinegar broiled potatoes on Pinterest I knew I needed to give them a try for our next family gathering.

I am a big fan of anything and everything potato-related so I'm willing to give most potato recipes a try.

A couple important notes about this recipe:

The original recipe calls for fingerling potatoes. The grocery store didn't have any that day so I opted for red potatoes. These worked just fine, but fingerlings have a little different flavor and would probably be really good, if not better, in this recipe.

Be prepared for your house to smell strongly like vinegar as you boil these. The smell didn't linger, thankfully...though I sort of like the smell of tangy vinegar so it probably would have been fine it it had.

Don't give the potatoes a taste right when come out of their vinegar boil. Just. Don't.

Dry the potatoes off extremely well after you drain them from their vinegar bath. This will help them get nice and crunchy on the outside when you broil them. I didn't pat them dry enough and as a result they were a bit soggy.

The original recipe says you can use regular white vinegar or malt vinegar. I recently went to a cooking class and the chef said never to use white vinegar unless you're cleaning your coffee pot. There are many other vinegars that are much better to use for cooking. That's why I opted for malt vinegar.

And lastly, the original recipe didn't include a sour cream dipping sauce and I like to dip things. Especially potatoes. The sour cream is awesome and helps to cut the super tangy, vinegar taste.

Vinegar broiled red potatoes (recipe adapted via Umani Girl)

Ingredients
1 pound red potatoes, sliced into rounds, 1/4 inch thickness
2 cups malt vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
Couple dashes of hot sauce

Preparation
1. In a small pot, combine the potato slices and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Let cool in liquid for 30 minutes. Drain well and pat potatoes dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches below the heat source. Dump the potato slices onto a sheet pan, sprinkle very generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer. Broil until lightly browned on top, about 7 minutes. Then flip the slices and broil until the underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes more.

3. Combine the sour cream and hot sauce in a bowl and stir. Serve with warm potatoes.

Juliet: 15 months

2013-05-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

{Rompers and pigtails!}

My little honey turned 15 months last week. What a sweet girl she is and what a wonderful month we had.

Juliet had some very exciting milestones this month:

She got 3 new teeth! Her first two bottom teeth appeared back in December and then nothing for 5 months. We could see that teeth wanted to pop through on the top but instead she had bumpy gums for a long time. Then all of the sudden three came through in a matter of a couple days. She looks so much older with her top teeth! Luckily teething doesn't seem to bother her much and just resulted in a few wake-ups at night, but nothing major.

Juliet has been much more verbal lately and has been learning more words. She picked up on Erik and I telling Kody to "get down" off our counters when he jumps up and suddenly one day she mimicked us and said "get down!", even down to the tone all while pointing and shaking her finger. Oh my goodness. It was the cutest thing. And now she does it every time she sees the cat. Over and over and over. She also started saying "uh oh", "more", "hi" (this was from last month but I finally heard it this month) and more words I'm sure I'm forgetting. She is constantly babbling. I just love it.

Juliet has been testing her boundaries and limits and displaying her independence with Erik and I lately. Mostly it's been in the form of throwing food on the floor during meal times. She's still a very good eater, but when she's had enough to eat she'll start dropping handfuls of food. She does this while staring right at us, as if testing us. We try to distract her and/or we take her tray away. Erik has attempted sternly saying "no" but I don't think she is quite old enough to understand that and even if she is, she blatantly ignores him. I'm sure there is much more of this to come...

She took her first unassisted steps! Erik and I were sitting about 5 feet apart and asked her to "walk to momma" and "walk to dada", then one day she took about 4 steps forward and launched into my arms with a big smile while we clapped and cheered. That was 3 weeks ago and we haven't made much progress since. We practice walking a few steps everyday but she doesn't seem to want to make it her main mode of transportation quite yet.

Happy 15 months to my talkative, happy, sweet, beautiful little love. I love you so.

Winner of the Blue Nile giveaway

2013-05-17T11:44:00.002-05:00

The winner of the leaf chandelier earrings from Blue Nile is:

Jen Gebrosky who said "I love their diamond earrings!" and "My favorite thing about being a mom is watching my daughter learn and discover"

Thanks to all that entered to win and have a great weekend!

Mom brain

2013-05-14T21:13:00.000-05:00

{Photo via my Instagram @eatdrinkpretty}

Mom brain is real right now. I've always been a pretty organized person but lately I've been doing things, forgetting things...things that make me feel like I'm losing my mind.

For example:

I've forgotten my laptop at home multiple times, only realizing it when I've gotten to work and went to check my e-mail
I've forgotten my wallet more times than I can count
I've put condiments that belong in the fridge in the cupboards, finding them days later
I've put a bag of frozen peas in the silverware drawer, and found it the next day

and the kicker...

Last Friday I got off the train and walked to the parking lot to get into my car. I couldn't find it. Then I remembered that I drove that day. My car was in a parking ramp downtown Minneapolis. I almost lost it. Almost. Then I called Erik and he was super cool and understanding and calmed me down and thank goodness for him.

I'm sure there are many more examples I'm forgetting.

What is the deal with mom brain? Is it temporary? UH.

I know I'm not the only one...my good friend at work has done the whole "drive to work, forget and take the bus home" scenario multiple times. I mean...there is even a Laughing Cow Cheese commercial about it, isn't there?

Anyway, luckily I haven't dropped the ball on anything important at work and everything I've forgotten or did has been relatively trivial, so that's good. It's still damn annoying.

What is your experience with mom brain? What kinds of crazy things have you done?

Mother's Day + a giveaway

2013-05-12T20:55:00.003-05:00

Right now Erik and I are winding down after a busy day. We are watching old seasons of Mad Men and lounging on the couch. It is a good end to a great day.

Mother's Day is really special. I love having a day to celebrate my love for my daughter and to share with my mom how much I love her and how awesome she is. Not that we shouldn't do these things everyday. We should and for the most part, I do. The photo above is with my mom. Many people have commented that Juliet and my mom look alike. They adore each other and it is really sweet.
On Mother's Day I get breakfast made for me plus all the dishes get done. Erik made hash browns, pancakes, eggs and bacon. We also had (non-alcoholic) mimosas. Juliet ate a whole pancake! After breakfast Erik and I went to church and then had my family over for lunch. I was hoping we could have a picnic like last year, but it was pretty chilly in MN today, so we kept the party indoors.

We ate artichoke dip, sandwiches, salads, fruit, chips and strawberry angel food cake.

We had a fun time with the family, laughing at toddlers saying funny things and marveling at their cuteness. By the way, Juliet says "get down" now. She picked it up from me always yelling at the cat to "get down!" when he jumps up on the counter and table. She even started wagging her little finger. It's pretty amazing hearing her little toddler voice using multiple words.
Artichoke dip and Juliet with aunt Chris. Let's just say Juliet was not quite Miss Photogenic today.Me and my girlie. I love her so much.

Do you like my earrings in the photo above? Blue Nile sent them to me and also a second pair to giveaway to a reader. They are super cute Leaf Chandelier Earrings in sterling silver. I've worn them a few times in the week I've had them and have gotten a lot of compliments.

How to enter:

Head over to Blue Nile and leave a comment with your favorite piece of jewelry from their site.
For a second chance leave another comment with your favorite thing about being a momma or if you aren't a momma leave a comment with your favorite thing about your own mom.
Eligible to US residents only

The giveaway will end on Thursday at midnight and I'll announce the winner on Friday, May 17th.

Blue Nile is offering 10% discount to my readers, use code momgift13 when you checkout.

Happy Mother's Day to all your mommas out there!!!

Brunch with Smirnoff Sorbet Light

2013-05-09T21:05:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday I hosted a brunch with my girlfriend Shannon, Emily and Natasha. We drank cocktails and had a wonderful spread. The food is always amazing and the drinks are always flowing and the company is always awesome when I am with these gals.

Smirnoff contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I wanted to try their new flavors of infused vodka. Typically I like mimoas with brunch but after trying these infused vodka recipes I have a few additional cocktails that I will definitely be adding to my brunch regime.
I wanted to add some light, colorful touches to decorate my home for our girl's brunch. I kept it easy and used lemons in tall cylinder vases and bought a bouquet of pink tulips and placed them in small mason jars and glass vases. My entertaining philosophy is to keep things pretty simple. I add special touches here and there but I try not to go overboard, and I don't spend a ton of money. I also always focus on serving good food, which doesn't always mean homemade. And I always, always have alcohol.

Another entertaining philosophy I have is to divide and conquer. I am a big fan of hosting events but not necessarily providing everything. My friends and family are awesome and without fail, offer to bring something. I take them up on it almost every time.
Smirnoff sent me three bottles:

Smirnoff Sorbet Light Mango Passion Fruit
Smirnoff Sorbet Light Lemon
Smirnoff Sorbet Light Raspberry Pomegranate

We made three different cocktails with each of the vodkas. You will definitely want to check out these recipes at the end of this post. Two of the three of bubbly and perfect for brunch. The other is made with coconut water and is light and refreshing. Overall, this vodka has less calories than other dessert-inspired flavored vodkas. Plus, it's infused vodka, not flavored and it tastes way better.

The menu:

Strawberry bread
Fresh fruit
Bacon and egg strata
Bagels and goat cheese
Fruit tart
Cocktails!

Emily made an awesome strawberry bread and Natasha and Shannon made a beautiful plate of fruit with pineapple, strawberries, papaya and peaches. Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pomegranate Punch (recipe at the bottom of this post) and gluten-free bagels with goat cheese.

I purchased this bacon egg strata at Byerlies the morning of the brunch. It was delicious.The whole brunch spread. Let's just say none of us gals went hungry. I also purchased this beautiful fruit tart for dessert. It was calling my name at the bakery counter of Byerlies. I set up a little Smirnoff cocktail bar on my foyer table. Smirnoff Sorbet Light Tropical Martini and Smirnoff Sorbet Light Lemon Pomegranate Punch.

Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pomegranate Punch

Ingredients

1.5 oz Raspberry Pomegranate Smirnoff Sorbet Light
2 oz Diet Ginger Ale
1 oz Cranberry Juice

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a martini shaker with ice and strain into a glass (I like using champagne glasses but martini glasses would work too)
_________________________________________

Smirnoff Sorbet Light Tropical Martini

Ingredients

1.5 oz Mango Passion Fruit Smirnoff Sorbet Light
2 oz Coconut Water
1 oz Pineapple Juice

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a martini shaker with ice and strain into a glass
_____________________________________________

Smirnoff Sorbet Light Lemon Pomegranate Punch

Ingredients

1.5 oz Lemon Smirnoff Sorbet Light
2.5 oz Diet Sprite
1.5 oz Pomegranate Juice

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a martini shaker with ice and strain into a glass
_____________________________________________

What an awesome brunch we had. Thanks to Shannon, Emily and Natasha for such a great time. Can't wait to do it again soon.

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post by Smirnoff Sorbet Light. As always, all the opinions are my own.

Homemade cheese crackers

2013-05-05T21:58:00.002-05:00

This is my second time making homemade crackers. It's so easy and they are so tasty, I really need to make these on a regular basis. I saw this recipe on Pinterest, be sure to check out the original recipe via Tidy Mom. These crackers are like Cheez Its but are 1000% times better and so much healthier.

Right after I rolled the dough out and cut it into little squares. This recipe requires a food processor...you could probably mix the dough by hand, but a food processor makes it much easier. Onto a greased pan and ready to go in the oven.Homemade cheese crackers (recipe via Tidy Mom blog via Pinterest)

Ingredients

6 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (I used mozzarella because that's what I had)
1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into pieces
3/4 cup flour (plus a little more for dusting)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (because I was sharing these with Juliet I omitted the red pepper flakes and instead used dried basil)
1 tablespoon milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° Grease baking sheet, or line with parchment or silicone mat.
Place first 5 ingredients in food processor, and pulse until it turns into coarse crumbs.
Add milk and process until dough forms.
Using your hands form dough into a ball, then flatten on floured work surface.
Roll out dough to 1/8" thick. Try to roll into rectangle as best as you can.
Using a pizza or pasty cutter, cut dough into one inch squares. Use the flat end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker
Using a spatula, transfer crackers to prepared baking sheet. You can place them fairly close together, they will puff up, but not spread much.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges start to brown. Do not over cook. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Enjoy when cool. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days in a cool place.

Homemade crackers are not as crunchy and hard as store-bought. I actually like this because they are perfect for toddlers, soft enough for little mouths that don't have lots of teeth yet. Trust me when I say that these taste so much better than anything you can buy store-bought. It's worth the extra effort of mixing a few ingredients and rolling out dough.

Check out the other homemade cracker recipe I made a couple years ago. These are great, too.

These crackers were a big hit with Juliet. She loved dipping them in hummus. They were gone in a few days.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was busy and fun. Erik was at the Kentucky Derby so Juliet and I had a lot of momma/daughter time, which was wonderful. We had a fun brunch with girlfriends and then had a lot of family time. The weather finally warmed up again today and we enjoyed it by taking a walk and hanging out at the park. I'm a bit sad to see the weekend end...

Here's to a great Monday and week!

Pasta salad with goat cheese and tomatoes

2013-04-29T21:27:00.002-05:00

We finally had a beautiful spring weekend in Minnesota. It was in the mid 70's and absolutely amazing. Erik golfed Saturday so I planned a picnic at a nearby park with my family. It was pretty impromptu but I had a bunch of ingredients to make a tasty pasta salad. We also had sandwiches, chips, cupcakes, veggies and hummus and fruit. I also packed a Smirnoff Ice Peach Bellini for my mom and I...who doesn't like a little bubbly with their picnic?

Picnics are one of my favorite spring and summertime activities. We spent hours outside, it was just what we needed after a very long winter.
This pasta salad was really tasty. Erik loved it, too. It's a great salad to bring to a picnic or any potluck.

Pasta salad with goat cheese and tomatoes (recipe inspired via Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

3/4 pound whole wheat rotini
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
1 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 package spring greens (baby kale, spinach or arugula would work as well)

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large bowl, toss pasta with tomatoes and goat cheese.

Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to 1 day.)

To serve, toss pasta mixture with dressing and spring greens.

Apparently the weather is going back down into the 30's this week...UH!!!! But it shouldn't be too long before we have another sunny, warm weekend. Here's hoping.

Easy Korean beef with kale

2013-04-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

The other day my sis-in-law, Nikki and I were emailing back and forth about how challenging it is to get dinner on the table during the week with an active toddler on our hands. And really, the only thing we want to do when we walk in the door from work is scoop up our babies and play with them every second until it's bedtime.

But...that's not realistic because dinner needs to be made and people need to eat. And eating together as a family is really important. I remember sitting down to dinner with my family every single night growing up, that family time is really invaluable.

So the goal is to find the easiest, quickest meals that are still healthy and taste good. My strategy is all about planning ahead as well as making the most out of leftovers. Erik and I (but mostly me) decide what meals we want to eat that week and we prepare a grocery list. Then one of us does the shopping (I shop more but he's pretty good about doing it when I need a break).

Typically I cook two meals during the work week, then we eat leftovers two nights and on the last night we opt for convenience (frozen pizza, paninis, quick salads, etc). That way, I am only cooking two nights during the busy weeknights. I'd love to get to the point where we don't have that last day where we just eat whatever is convenient (we don't eat fast food ever...but frozen pizza isn't healthy either). Juliet always eats what we eat, with the exception of frozen pizza, those days I'll make her a hummus and Applegate turkey sandwich with veggies and fruit or something else that is simple but nutritional.

When I saw this Easy Korean Beef recipe on Pinterest the other week I thought it looked awesome. It fit the criteria I listed above and best yet, we always have ground beef in our freezer because we get it from Erik's uncle who has cattle in North Dakota.

This recipe was super easy, had a lot of flavor and is overall pretty healthy. It may not be the prettiest dish around, but when you're feeding a toddler and a hubby who would be happy with boneless wings for dinner...well, presentation is the last of your worries. I will definitely be adding this to the list of 20 minute meals that make my weekdays easier.

Easy Korean beef with kale (recipe via The Girl Who Ate Everything blog)

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (I always used reduced sodium)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I omitted this because Juliet hasn't had spicy foods yet)
Bunch of kale (or bag of pre-washed kale, I prefer baby kale)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, sliced (optional, I didn't use these)

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef in the sesame oil. Add the garlic towards the end of browning and cook for a couple of minutes. Drain the fat.

Add the kale and stir to wilt.

Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over brown rice. I use Trader's Joes brown rice that comes pre-cooked and frozen. It just takes 3 minutes in the microwave.

This recipe is a bit nostalgic, it totally reminds me of a meal my mom used to make when I was growing up. Her dish had ground turkey, spinach, soy sauce and probably a few other ingredients. We ate it over white rice (we had white rice every single night). It was totally delicious, just like this easy korean beef.

Juliet gobbled this meal up, she really loved it. It's funny how happy something like this can make me.

I'd love to hear what your go-to weekday meals are. Please comment and share and bonus points for links to the recipes!

My spring love list

2013-04-23T21:56:00.001-05:00

Ok so spring isn't actually here yet in Minnesota. We've had a few snow storms in the past two weeks and all of us Minnesotan's patience is up. We want green grass and warm sun. And stroller rides with babies!

Diet Pepsi reached out to me to put together a sassy spring love list, inspired by the newly designed can by Vern Yipp (HGTV star). The can is really cool (and mini!) and features Pantone's spring fashion and color report's dusk blue and a pretty peacock design. The cans are being sold at your local grocery stores and Target (get them while you can, they are limited editions).

So the sassy part of this list is a bit funny to me...because I am not quite the sassy twenty-something I used to be. Get a cocktail in me ten years ago and watch out, I was sassy as hell. Now I'm a bit more reserved, (hello, I was in bed at 9pm last Friday night!). But I'm sure there is still some sass left in there somewhere.

Of course my spring love list has to include a couple items for my sweet toddler girl...and overall represents things I'm loving lately:

The Sakura Bloom sling: I am a huge fan of babywearing. Ever since Juliet was 8 pounds I had her snuggled up next to my chest in the Moby Wrap. We existed that way, heart to heart, for many months until she got a bit big for the Moby and transitioned to the Beco Gemini. We still use the Beco as well as this sling, which I love. I use the hip carry which works best for a toddler. Some days Juliet wants to be held by mommy a lot and she is getting heavy, so this sling is the perfect solution.
Diet Pepsi: Coffee is my choice of caffeine in the mornings but Diet Pepsi is a great pick-me-up during an afternoon slump. I like it with a slice of lime.
Honest Organic Lip Balm: I recently started using Honest products and really like them so far. I couldn't go as far as subscribing to their monthly diaper service, because of the price, but I like their Essentials Bundle which includes 5 products of your choice delivered every month to your door. I love that their products are chemical-free and also work really well. I love the lip balm, shampoo and bubble bath (I use all their products on Juliet).
Boon Snack Box: I anticipate going on lots of picnics this summer with Juliet and Erik. I use this snack box to pack Juliet's lunch and it will also be perfect for packing her picnic lunches and snacks while we lay on a blanket basking in the sun.
GAP Always Skinny Jeans: Like all women, especially moms, I'm always on the look-out for a great pair of jeans that actually look good on my post-baby body. I recently found these skinny jeans at GAP and I am in love. I wear them too much already and need to buy them in every color.
GAP Eyelet Colorblock dress: For Juliet, of course...this little dress has been on my Pinterest board for the past couple of weeks. Isn't it so adorable! I'm waiting for it to go on sale.

And there you have it...my (sassy?) spring love list. Is there anything super fun on your spring love list?

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Diet Pepsi and as always, all opinions are my own.

Juliet: 14 months

2013-04-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

My sweet girl turned 14 months last Tuesday. She is all smiles lately. She giggles and laughs and squeals. We have been having so much fun.

There weren't any major milestones this month. Mostly, her little mind is hard at work taking in the world. She has been super engaged lately; loves being read to, loves hanging out in her playroom with momma or daddy and playing with her kitchen.

Here are the (sort of) milestones that took place this month:

Juliet learned to say "hi"...ok, I haven't heard it, but Sarah her daycare provider told me she's said "hi" recently. She came in to get Juliet after a nap and said "hi, Juliet!" and Juliet replied "hi!" This is the first time Juliet's had a milestone at daycare that I haven't experienced at home. I'm a little bit sad about this, but Juliet adores daycare so much, and the truth is, she is there 45 hours a week, so it wouldn't be realistic to think all her milestones will happen at home with me and Erik.
Juliet says "dada" all the time and uses it in the right context. Before she would say "dada" to pretty much anything (the couch, shoes, cheese, etc) but now she calls Erik "dada". It's so cute. It mostly happens in the morning after I breastfeed her and bring her into our room. Before we even get to the bed she starts saying "dada, dada" because she knows she is going to see him.
This next milestone is mine. I am completely done pumping. I went down to just one pumping session a day a month ago and for some reason, it was so hard to give that one session up. I had anxiety about it dropping my supply and I guess I came to realize that while I mostly hated the pump, I was attached to it. I carried that thing with me everyday for 14 months. Last week was my first full week with no pump and it is a glorious thing. I carry a purse now instead of a pump. Juliet still nurses mornings and before she goes to bed, and on-demand on the weekends. That works amazing for us and it's my favorite part of my day.

A few milestones that shouldn't be too far away...Juliet has 3 teeth coming in on top. They are about to come through. Fortunately, Juliet doesn't seemed bothered much by teething. She still has a sweet little gummy grim and I wonder what she'll look like when she gets 3 top teeth all at once.

Juliet loves walking while holding our hands...she is getting stronger and her balance improves everyday. She has stood by herself a couple times and seems really close to taking her first steps...but really, who knows for sure. For now, I'm still enjoying the thump thump thump sound her little knees makes as she crawls around the floor.

There were a lot of cute, happy and very smiley photos taken for this post.

Happy 14 months my darling babe. I feel like the luckiest momma in the world because of you.

Baby frittatas

2013-04-17T20:23:00.001-05:00

So these frittatas may not be the prettiest things in the world but my girlie loves them. I recently bought the Weelicious cookbook and this was the first recipe I tried. These frittatas are great because you can swap out the veggie ingredients for whatever is in your fridge.

I've packed these in Juliet's lunches and have been giving them to her for breakfast. They would also be nutritious snacks.

Baby Frittata (recipe via Weelicious cookbook)

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 Tablespoons of milk (I use Organic Whole Milk)
2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan (I had shredded cheddar so that's what I used)
1/4 cups diced asparagus
1/4 cups diced tomatoes (original recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray or grease 12 mini muffins cups with oil or butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the egg/vegetable mixture in each muffin cup.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden and set.

I liked these, too. You can double the recipe and fill a regular size muffin pan for a brunch with friends. The minis would be great appetizers for a cocktail party. I'm a big fan of recipes that work for baby and momma.

Excited to try more of Weelicious recipes for my girl.

Big giveaway: Peek Plus Monitor by Summer Infant

2013-04-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

After not posting pretty much all last week I am back today with an big giveaway. You will love what I am about to share with you...seriously, this product looks so awesome I am temped to buy one for myself.

Some of you might have heard of the new online magazine, Daily Mom, that just launched last month. It's an amazing resource of posts and articles for the modern woman and mom. Imagine Pinterest worthy posts with useful information about all aspects of life - from parenting to beauty, fashion, green living, health, fitness, and more. Once you visit Daily Mom, you will be hooked - jumping from one post to another.

It's probably no surprise that I love reading mom blogs, it's where I get great advice and learn about awesome products. The Managing Editor, Elena, is also the writer/creator of The Art of Making a Baby blog, which happens to be one of my favorite mom blogs out there. I've been reading it since Elena was in her first trimester with baby Lexi. She finds the best products and I always trust her recommendations because she researches everything extensively. She is also big into natural living and toys/products free of chemicals and toxins and I have recently been moving in that direction. The information she provides is invaluable. All of that great information and advice is also throughout Daily Mom, it is definitely an awesome resource.

I have partnered with Daily Mom to host one of their giveaways as a part of an extensive 50 Days of Giveaways campaign to celebrate their launch. For 50 days, they will be giving away one awesome prize a day to thank their new readers. So today we're giving an opportunity for one lucky reader to win a Peek Plus Monitor by Summer Infant.

Being able to peek in and check on your baby while they are sleeping is the ultimate parent anxiety relief. Sometimes you just want to look at them and know that they are still peacefully sleeping, or quietly playing. What about if you're a working Mom? What if you could check in on your napping baby while you're out and a babysitter is home with your little one? Thanks to the Peek Plus by Summer Infant, you can use this technology integrated video monitor to see baby on your phone or even on the web through a password protected log-in site. Be sure to check out their products on their website, and follow their Facebook and Twitter for updates. And of course, enter to win it below. To read what Daily Mom writer, Megan V., thought about the Peek Plus that she uses in her own home, read this feature.

The giveaway will run for a week, and there are only two mandatory entries with many optional ones. All you have to do is follow the directions below in the Rafflecopter widget. This giveaway is open to legal US residents only. And be sure to visit Daily Mom tomorrow to see what new item they are giving away and to enter previous drawings! The prizes range from strollers to high chairs, monitors, diaper bags, fashion items, baby clothing and photography products. There is something for everyone.

Need Help? Do not have a Facebook account to enter? Email Daily Mom staff!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After you've entered the giveaway, be sure to browse Daily Mom and check out some of my favorite posts! I'm loving:

Hidden Veggie Meatloaf

Rediscover Yourself After Having a Baby

How to Clean Toys

FEATURED SPONSOR GIVEAWAYS FROM DAILY MOM

To see a full list of prizes and current giveaways, please visit Daily Mom's Giveaway page.

I'll be back this week with some great recipes for toddlers and parents alike including Asparagus and Tomato Mini Frittata and Peanut Edamame Noodles. Juliet tried peanut butter for the first time this weekend and absolutely loved it. I've been cooking a lot lately and loving the longer days with more light. It allows me to take more photos which means more recipes on the blog.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Mac and cheese with sweet potatoes {toddler meal}

2013-04-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to make Juliet homemade mac and cheese for a while and hadn't gotten around to it until yesterday. I bought a couple boxes of Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese but then thought to myself, why don't I just whip some up homemade? And I'm glad I did because it was super easy and healthier than the boxed variety.

I found this recipe for mac and cheese via Pinterest. It includes pumpkin puree which I thought sounded great. I had sweet potato puree that I had made Juliet a couple weeks ago in my freezer, so I thawed out some of that and added it (instead of pumpkin). Either would work. Adding this is awesome because it ups the nutritional value and gives the mac and cheese a rich, orange color, which is what we're used to seeing (unfortunately) from the artificial dyes in the Kraft boxed kind. To see some inspiring women create change in the food industry regarding artificial dyes at Kraft Foods, check out this blog post from Food Babe.

This mac and cheese seriously took about 15 minutes. It's so quick you can do mostly everything (make the roux and chop extra veggies) while the noodles boil. I had an organic zucchini and squash in my fridge so I decided to chop that up and add to the dish.

Mac and cheese with sweet potatoes (recipe via Simple Bites)

Ingredients

1 box (8 oz.) whole wheat macaroni pasta (I used whole wheat rotini, these are super easy for Juliet to pick up with her little fingers, I cut them in half before giving them to her)
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed
½ cup canned pumpkin*
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

Cook the pasta in large pot of boiling water according to package instructions, about 8-9 minutes. Drain and set aside in large bowl.
Begin making the cheese sauce by melting butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Once completely melted, add the flour little by little and mix with a whisk to prevent lumps. Cook flour and butter mixture for about 3 minutes, but do not let brown. Remove from heat and slowly add milk; mix with whisk until well combined. Return to medium-low heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg and sweet potatoes (pumpkin puree or squash works as well). Remove from heat and add grated cheese; stir until cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth.
In a large bowl, pour cheese sauce over cooked pasta. Mix sauce and pasta until well combined. The mixture may appear a bit soupy but the pasta will absorb more of the cheese sauce as it sits. Once cooled, chop slightly in food processor for small babies or keep whole for toddlers.

Notes

*Can substitute pureed sweet potato with pumpkin puree or butternut squash. I also included half of an organic yellow squash and zucchini (chopped into small pieces) and added it to the milk/cheese mixture prior to combining with the noodles. This slightly cooks and softens the squash/zucchini to make it appropriate for toddlers who might not have all their teeth!

Juliet was my taste-tester and loved it! She also was giving her new Oogaa spoon a try and did so good with it! She isn't coordinated enough yet to scoop up the food but she understands the concept and loves eating with a spoon. Mama helped her out a lot. This recipe made a lot of mac and cheese and Juliet will be eating it for lunch a couple times this week and I am also taking a serving for lunch tomorrow. It's great for adults, too! I would just recommend adding salt and pepper to taste because I found it to be a bit sweeter than I prefer (but this is also most likely why Juliet loved it!).

Our Easter

2013-04-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was pretty great. I had Wednesday and Friday off work. Random days off work to spend with my sweetie are the best. And days to myself are pretty great too. I had my first ever full day to myself on Friday. Juliet's daycare was closed all week so Erik's mom flew in from North Dakota and watched Juliet Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday was a Jenna/Juliet day and we went to the Children's Museum with my good friend, Jill and her two boys. Then we went to lunch (3 kids age 3 and under and they did great!) and after Juliet and I spent the rest of the day hanging out, playing, napping, etc.

Thursday and Friday was all about Grandma and Juliet and they had a blast together. Erik and I really appreciated Karen coming down for the weekend. She also got to spend Easter with us, which was awesome.

My "Jenna day" was amazing. I met Jill at the spa for a facial and a massage, followed by lunch, followed by a couple hours of shopping. I felt no momma guilt. I knew I needed this day. I needed a little time just for me. And I REALLY needed new clothes. My body is different these days. I'm actually smaller than before I was pregnant, but things are just...weird. Clothes fit different and the boob situation is not ideal. Luckily I found some decent things that I actually like and feel pretty good in. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike shopping? I really do.

My sweetie wore a beautiful Easter dress on Sunday, a gift from my aunt Chris (and Juliet's godmother). She was just the prettiest little thing in that dress. She also loved that big stuffed bunny and kept giving it kisses and snuggling with him on the floor. Check out how much she's grown and changed since last Easter!!
I am trying to move towards healthier/cleaner living and eating lately and I had ambitions to make my own natural egg dye (using fruits/veggies/spices) but I ran out of time and ended up finding this ntural dye from my favorite baby boutique called Pacifier. The dye is made up of fruits and plants and is 100% safe and free of chemicals. It produced beautifully colored eggs! Some were sparkly, some were swirly.

The company Wee Can Too also makes edible crayons and other art supplies. I am thinking of getting some for Juliet and my niece, Chloe, they both like to taste their crayons!
The picture on the right are the snacks we put in Juliet's Easter eggs for an egg hunt. I didn't want to do candy and toys or trinkets that are small enough to fit into an egg and would be a choking hazard. So we stuck with organic snacks like yogurt melts, veggie crisps and puffs. They aren't exactly the most healthy things but for a special treat it is fine. We kept Juliet's Easter basket simple and free of candy. There is nothing wrong with a little candy here and there but I think Juliet is a bit young for it. We got her books, flashcards and another Lollacup, which is the best straw/sippee cup out there (in my opinion). Yes, it's spendy but totally worth it. Pretty eggs!! Also, Erik's breakfast for the next week or so. I didn't get many great photos of Juliet digging into her basket because it was early in the morning and the lighting was terrible. Luckily, I did get a few cute Instagram photos (follow me @eatdrinkpretty).

Karen bought Juliet the cutest rain boots, rain jacket and umbrella. She is all set for puddle jumping once she starts walking and it gets warmer outside. Aunt Chris also dropped off a big basket full of adorable clothes for Juliet.
After we opened Easter baskets we went to church with my family and then came back to our house for a big Easter brunch. My whole family was over and we feasted on way too much food as usual.

As I mentioned before, but Erik and I host most of the gatherings with my family because our new home is perfect for entertaining. But we do potluck style so it's not too much work for us. Everyone brings an item and it works out great.

The brunch menu consisted of two egg bakes, cheesy potatoes, scones, donut holes and a balsamic/mustard glazed ham. The spread was delicious.
Erik's mom ordered an edible arrangement and we had that for dessert along with this beautiful Lemon Orange Chiffon cake that I made (with some help from Karen). I've made this cake a few times now and this last time it ended up being a tad dry. I'm not really sure what happened but maybe I left it in the oven for just couple minutes too long. It was still really good. I've made it with store-bought orange juice and squeezing the orange juice fresh. Honestly, unless you have the most perfectly ripe oranges you'll be better off using store-bought juice. Aunt Chris gave Juliet an adorable personalized onesie that said "Juliet. Official Easter Egg Hunter". So cute! I wouldn't say this is the greatest family picture ever...but Erik looks really handsome!It's pretty impossible to get a decent photo of Juliet and her cousin! They are very busy little gals and don't want to sit still. I hope you all enjoyed your Easter weekend as much as we did!

A girl's night (in) dinner party

2013-03-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday my girlfriends and I had a much-needed dinner party/girl's night at my place. The party was a bit of a potluck style dinner party, which lowers stress levels on my part as the hostess.

The more I entertain lately, the more I love the idea of doing things potluck style. Of course, there is a time and place for throwing a totally awesome party where I do everything myself, but for the most part, those are few and far between. And at the end of the day, both types of parties are still fabulous.

But because this is me we're talking about, I wanted somewhat of a theme to the dinner party. So we went with a Spring(ish) Italian style. It was light on the theme but helped determine what everyone contributed.

You'll notice all the photos are Instagram pics. Erik went to a friend's place and brought our laptop which had my camera SIM card in it. Oh well, what do you do??

Here is the breakdown of what everyone brought / what was on the menu:

Appetizers
Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs
Alexia Mozzarella Sticks
Alexia Mushroom Bites
Assorted Olives
Brie, Sharp Cheddar and Blue Cheese
Chips and salsa

Salad
Spring Salad with Grapes and Pistachio-Crusted Goat Cheese

Main Entree
Cheese Ravioli with Olive Oil, Parmesan and Dried Cranberries
Alexia Artisan Ancient Grain Rolls

Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Um, we dipped these sweet potato puffs in ranch dressing. So good. Cheese overload. While us gals were eating our faces off we joked around about how our guys often "forget" to eat when they are hanging out and having drinks. We would NEVER ever forget. I mean, seriously!!Olives are such an easy snack to have at any dinner party.
Libby made this salad and it was absolutely delicious. She rolled each one of those pistachio crusted goat cheese balls by hand, so this salad is a bit time-consuming. But totally worth it. We all raved about the salad. My friend Summer made ravioli. She kept it fairly light with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of parmesan and dried cranberries. It was really good and I'll definitely be making this for dinner sometime soon. I've made these buttermilk pudding cakes before (I call them strawberry shortcakes). They are pretty easy to make and are a light dessert for spring.

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Strawberries (recipe via Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh raspberries
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack positioned in the top third of the oven.
Sift together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In another large bowl beat eggs until creamy and yellow. Whisk in buttermilk, vanilla, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, and butter (mixture will look curdled and broken). Slowly add flour and whisk until batter is smooth and combined.
Spray 8 standard-size (3-ounce) nonstick muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin pan cups, filling about two-thirds full. Transfer to oven and bake until sides of cakes are evenly browned (check by inserting a knife tip between the rim of cake and muffin cup, pulling gently to expose side of cake), about 9 minutes. If cakes are not evenly browned, they will not hold together when inverted. Continue baking, checking every minute, until evenly browned.
Meanwhile, place raspberries in a medium bowl; add remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and gently toss to coat.
Invert cakes onto eight individual plates. Place berries on top and alongside cakes; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Thanks to my girlfriends Libby, Summer, Alena and Deanna for a fun night!

And thanks to Alexia Foods for sponsoring this dinner party. Check out the fall-inspired dinner party I threw with more fabulous Alexia products and an awesome menu.

Disclaimer: I am being compensated for partnering with Alexia Foods as an Alexia Tastemaker. This partnership allows me to try their new products and incorporate their food into my everyday life and entertaining. All the opinions are my own.

Ham cheddar chowder and lentil soup

2013-03-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

My family and I had Soup Sunday last weekend and it was a great day filled with lots of comforting food, toddler cousins playing, snuggles with grandma and overall awesome family time.

I made two different kinds of soup; ham and cheddar chowder and lentil soup. The ham and cheddar chowder recipe is from my sister in law, Nikki, and it is one of her favorite soups. It's rich and cheesy and super yummy. I found the recipe a little tricky, I'll explain below.
I served our soup with Alexia Sweet Potato rolls and Ancient Grain Rolls. They are super delicious and convenient.

Ham and Cheddar Chowder (recipe via The Bank Gift Haus Tea Room cook book)

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups potatoes, diced
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar, shredded
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups ham, diced

Preparation

Bring to boil water, potatoes, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

In saucepan, melt butter and saute the onion. Add the flour to make a smooth paste. Add milk and cheese. Heat slowly, stirring often until cheese is fully melted and incorporated. Do not boil. Low heat is important.

Slowly add the water and vegetable mixture to the milk and cheese sauce. Stir to combine.

***My notes: add the shredded cheese slowly and be sure to fully melt and incorporate it before added the water and vegetable mixture. I didn't do this and it slightly changed the texture of the cheese and after that it would not fully melt. I believe this happened because the temperature of the water/veggie mixture was too high. Most of the cheese had melted but the amount that had not refused to ever melt. Super weird but it has something to do with cheese science/chemistry. Yeah, I spent way too much time googling why I couldn't get the remaining cheese to fully melt.
My mom and sister don't eat ham so I made a separate soup for them. My sister loves lentils (and so do I) and I thought this recipe looked great. It was. The leftovers taste awesome.

French Lentil Soup (recipe via Epicurious)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
1 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.

***My notes: I didn't puree the soup and just left it chunky and rustic. It was totally fine this way. If you choose to puree an immersion blender would work well, don't fully puree, just a couple cups.

After we ate soup, we hung out and watched Juliet and her cousin play and be little cuties.

My sweet girlie is wearing a pretty dress from her Grandma Karen. After lots of playing we changed Juliet into some comfy jammies. She loves snuggling with her Grandma Connie.
Here she is playing with her wooden shopping cart. Juliet adores this cart, it's from Pottery Barn Kids but unfortunately it says no longer available on the website. Bummer! Lots of people on my Instagram (@eatdrinkpretty) were asking where to get it.

Juliet's daycare is closed this week for spring break so Juliet is being taken care of by both grandmas (on different days) and I'm staying home with her tomorrow. Yay! A whole day with my sweetie pie. I can't wait.

Juliet: 13 months

2013-03-20T21:49:00.002-05:00

It seriously seems like we were just cleaning up after Juliet's one year birthday party and whoosh...another month has gone by. My sweet girl is 13 whopping months old now and the time just seems to be going faster and faster. I try to combat this by cherishing each quiet nursing session, our fun playtime after I get home from work, every time she rests her head on my shoulder when she's tired and all the moments in between.

Here are her latest milestones:

She started saying no...or more specifically "neh". She knows what it means and she uses it in the right context. When she doesn't want to drink out of her straw cup anymore she will push it away and say "neh".
Juliet started doing "soooo big" and putting her hands up in the air right after her first birthday (or maybe it was on her birthday). My mom has been trying to teach Juliet this for a while and her other Grandma also taught this to her when she was visiting over Juliet's birthday. Something seemed to click and now she does it all the time. She gets lots of praise from mama and dada and looks so pleased with herself.
She plays patty cake, claps her hands along with the song and when we say "toss it in the pan" she throws her hands up in the air. Grandma Karen taught her that over Juliet's birthday weekend.
Juliet is getting stronger and has better balance now while walking with support. I still think it could be another month or two before she's walking but I really have no idea. There is no rush, she will do this in her own time and when she's ready.
Juliet transitioned to whole milk at daycare in her bottles. We did half breastmilk and half whole milk until last week when I used the last bag of my frozen milk stash. I took a photo of that last bag (yes, I seriously did). My frozen stash was very important to me and that last bag was a symbol of a lot of hard work of pumping, pumping and more pumping. Fortunately, the transition to whole milk was a non-issue. Juliet loves it and for that I am very happy.

Juliet is still breastfeeding and it's going very well for us. She eats in the morning and evening before bed, on the weekends as much as she wants and at night if she wakes up (which, unfortunately has been kind of a lot lately). We are on no timeline for weaning, I am just going with the flow on this and doing what feels right. I did cut pumping sessions back from 3 to 1 a day. I had the intention of quitting pumping altogether but at the end of the day, I just couldn't completely quit (for fear of losing my supply). I pump during my lunch hour at work and it's not too bad. I am so happy I cut out the session before I went to bed. I pretty much dreaded that one every day and not doing it anymore feels liberating.

I have no idea if I will continue these monthly updates or not. I didn't have any plans of stopping the updates at a year but I haven't really thought about how long I'll continue. I love having this digital journal of my girlie with all her milestones documented. So I may just continue.

It's crazy to see how much she's changed in just one short month. Her little pony makes her look like such a big girl and is much needed to keep her hair out of her eyes. I love brushing her hair and she sits very still for me while I do her hair.

The days with my sweet love just keep getting better and better. Love you so much silly girl. Happy 13 months!

Healthy toddler oatmeal banana muffins

2013-03-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for healthy, homemade breakfast ideas for my toddler. Juliet has pumpkin oatmeal cookies a couple times a week but I wanted to mix things up a bit with a good muffin recipe.

After a lot of searching I found an awesome recipe for toddler muffins. It was a great recipe to start, but I modified it a bit to make it even better (in my opinion). The recipe has no flour or sugar and still tastes great.

The muffins are insanely easy to make. One caveat is that you do need a regular sized food processor to whip these up, but if you have one you are set. All the ingredients get thrown into the bowl of the food processor and it eliminates making a huge mess in the kitchen (which I am known for).

My favorite part of the recipe is taking oats and grounding them into a flour consistency. So cool.
Cute mini muffin liners help spruce these up. You can also make them right in a muffin tin, just be sure to spray first to avoid sticking.
Oatmeal banana muffins (recipe inspired by Examiner blog)

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 extra ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (I use organic from Trader Joes)
1/4 cup wheat germ (totally optional)
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with spray or butter or use muffin liners.

Using a food processor, grind oats until fine. They should have the consistency of flour.

Add all other ingredients, and pulse until the batter has a smooth consistency.

Distribute batter evenly in the muffin tin or liners (fill about 2/3 full). Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the tops gently bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out of center of a muffin clean. Juliet was a fan of the muffins. She had one for lunch yesterday and I could tell she really liked having her own mini muffin to eat like a big girl. She took little bites and ate the whole thing. Here she is drinking out of our favorite straw Lollacup. We went straight to the straw cups because Juliet is a pro at drinking from a straw and the sippie cup didn't come as easy to her. I've read that straw cups are better for speech development and there are other benefits as well (read the article here). Juliet still drinks whole milk mixed with breastmilk at daycare from bottles, but I'm hoping to get rid of bottles in the next month or so.

Here is a list of typical breakfast items Juliet enjoys (I find these lists help because I often struggle with what to make for meals and like to see what others do):

Pancakes (typically make with fruit puree or mashed bananas for added nutrition)
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Green grapes
Pureed prunes (I get the non-sorbate organic prunes from Trader Joes, boil them until they are soft and them puree in a blender) with organic whole milk, full fat plain yogurt
Pureed prunes with whole grain oatmeal (we use Earth's Best)
Scrambled eggs
Fried eggs (with the yolks completely cooked and hard)
Smoothies (Juliet adores smoothies and I typically make them with plain yogurt, frozen berries, a small amount of spinach and whole milk or almond milk)
Pumpkin oatmeal cookies
Organic fruit pouches (when we are in a hurry)
Hashbrowns or breakfast potatoes (only on the weekends)

I'm so happy I gave these muffins a try and now have a freezer stocked for easy breakfasts.

Juliet's one year photo session

2013-03-14T22:06:00.003-05:00

Juliet's one year photo session was a little over a month ago. It's crazy how much older, and much more like a toddler Juliet looks versus these photos. She is changing every day, especially her hair...it is getting so long! I have to put it in a side ponytail on top of her head to keep her bangs from falling over her eyes.

These photos were taken by Gruman Photography (she also took Juliet's newborn photos and 6 month photos). I've said this before and I'll say it again...I did invest quite a bit in documenting Juliet's first year with professional photography and I am so happy and grateful I did. These photos are so dear to me and I will forever have a beautiful collection of my baby girl's first year.

For Juliet's one year photos, I wanted the session to be very authentic and lifestyle-focused. So we had the photos taken in our home. I kept Juliet's outfits pretty minimal. I think she is most adorable and sweet crawling around with just a diaper on...so we went with a less is more approach.

Juliet maintained her stance of not wanting to smile much for the camera. She still looks adorable in my opinion! This may be my favorite photo of the session. We took a few photos on a huge white rug with Juliet in a cute ruffly diaper cover.

I've taken photos of Juliet on our pink glider chair every month since she was one month. I'm glad we got a smiley one here!But then she got distracted and had more important things to do. We took a few photos outside our front door. Juliet was not very amused with being outdoors. This part of the session lasted about 3 minutes. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a cake smash as part of the session, since I knew we'd be taking plenty photos during her actual birthday party. But at the last minute I bought a cake and topped it with a gold heart and decided to go for it. I think this was Juliet's favorite part of the session and I'm glad we did it. Apparently a big bite of frosting = a smile. Yummy! I love these photos so much. I immediately printed my favorite six in 8x10 and Erik hung them on the wall in our living room.

Thanks to Sally Gruman for so beautifully capturing my little sweetie for this big milestone birthday.

Quinoa mac and cheese

2013-03-10T20:50:00.003-05:00

I'm a big fan of quinoa and am always looking for ways to make dinner out of it. Some of my favorite quinoa meals include quinoa taco salad and quinoa caprese.

This quinoa mac and cheese is a new favorite. Best of all, it's a great toddler meal. I packed this in Juliet's lunch two days in a row and she ate it all up.

Even though it's called mac and cheese, this meal is far less cheesy than any mac and cheese I've had. It is still plenty cheesy and pretty healthy. You can change out the veggies for your favorites.

Quinoa mac and cheese (recipe source unknown, passed along by a co-worker)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions

Lightly saute the squash and zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare quinoa according to package directions until fully cooked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 inch glass dish with cooking spray. You can also use individual ramekins (I used a couple ramekins and put the rest in a pyrex). Whisk together the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Fold in the quinoa, vegetables and cheese. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir well, allowing the cheese to begin to melt. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, sprinkle parmesan on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Real party: Juliet's "baby love" first birthday, part 2

2013-03-06T12:38:00.000-06:00

Thanks for stopping by part two of Juliet's "baby love" first birthday party. Part two has all the sweet dessert details and best part of all...the cake smash!

Click here for part one.

We set up a simple and lovely little dessert table. We displayed Juliet's smash cake along with cupcakes, macarons, cookies, cake pops and candy. We also had two more cakes that were displayed on the brunch buffet.

I loved the heart backdrop and it was pretty easy to make as well as low cost. My sister-in-law cut out all the hearts by hand (this was before I figured out how to use the Cricut). Total cost of the backdrop was probably about $15, including the foam core and paper. I'd like to frame this and hang it in Juliet's playroom.

Photo credits to Jessica Rose Photography, unless otherwise noted.

I super loved Juliet's invitations. I made them using a printable template from Onto Baby. The glittery gold paper was so pretty and the heart design was perfect. Rock candy is so silly, isn't it? No one eats it. Literally it's sole purpose is looking pretty, which it does. Good thing I found it for only $5 at Party City. The smash cake was so adorable. Erik made it!!! We had high ambitions to make a somewhat healthy, carrot cake recipe from Wholesome Baby Food but by the time I went grocery shopping for ingredients it was already 9pm the night before the party. So we ended up with a yellow cake mix. Regardless, Erik baked it and frosted it perfectly.

My brother's girlfriend (we call her Lumbie) made the awesome heart cake toppers.
The beautiful macarons were purchased from Cocoa and Fig on Valentines Day. They had tiny white hearts on top. Guess how many were eaten at the end of the party? Only one. What the heck? I guess people filled up on cake.

I made simple cupcake toppers using gold paper, a mini heart punch, toothpicks and glue.

It's hard to tell in the photos, but the fabric on the dessert table was gold with little flecks of gold glitter. It could have used our steam machine to get the wrinkles out but who has time for that?!!!

I found the fabric at JoAnn Fabrics and after using a coupon and geting another discount (thank you Katie) for a black smudge on a corner, I only spent $9 on it. The fabric was used as a tablecloth on the dessert table, drink table and as the photobooth backdrop.

Each dessert had a pretty label. Aren't these cakes lovely? They're from Target Bakery. I ordered two for $16.99 each and they were delicious. I brought a photo of rossette frosting to show the baker and they said they could easily do it. I was really happy with how the cakes turned out. We had a white cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and raspberry filling and a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. Pretty little heart-shaped sugar cookies from Fun Sugar Cookie Etsy shop. If you are a parent, then you know the cake smash is where it's at for first birthday parties. This is the moment I waited for all day and was super excited about. I knew my girl would love her cake and I couldn't wait to see her adorable face covered in sugary frosting. My heart was exploding in my chest as we sang Juliet happy birthday.

She was actually quite dainty about tasting her cake at first, and then she dug in a bit more. Mmmmmmmmmm. Yum, yum. Sorry for the cake smash photo overload, but seriously...her big eyes...her adorable frosting covered face. I love these photos. The party was lovely, right? It was everything I dreamed it would be. The details were just perfect, the food was great and all my family and close friends were there. But my girl? Well, she was a bit of a crab cake during the party, as well as the entire weekend of her birthday.

Juliet is very rarely crabby. She is a happy girl 95% of the time. The weekend of her birthday was the crabbiest I've ever seen her. I think it was because she was getting over strep throat and she had been kept home from daycare for three days to recover and feel good for her party. She was out of her routine and missing daycare. Also, I'm sure she could feel her momma's stress from party planning as well as the fact that I was a bit emotional leading up to her birthday...and well, babies are intuitive like that. She was probably feeding off my energy.

Despite the fact that she was a bit fussy during the party, I am also quite sure she enjoyed it, including eating her cake, opening presents and seeing friends and family. Oh, and she loved the heart-shaped pancakes, too!

No, she wasn't perfectly happy during her party. But it was still a perfect day and she's my perfect girl, crabbiness and all.

She was also getting a bit sleepy at this point. I was asking her to "stay awake just a bit longer my dearest, it's almost time to open presents!!!"
I set up a "photobooth" in Juliet's playroom using gold fabric and a pink heart banner. We had some fun props like heart-shaped sunglasses, a gold frame, a love sign and a sign that said "love is sweet".

These photos were taken with a digital camera.
Above photobooth pics taken with Instagram on my iPhone.

Let's have some cake!
I know I've said I had a lot of favorite details of the day...but honestly and truly one of my absolute favorite details was this photo slideshow. I put it together the week before Juliet's party and we played it on our big screen TV for all our guests. It was 3 minutes of our sweet girl's first year and I made sure to include photos with beloved grandparents and other family members who helped make this year so wonderful.

You can see in the photo above that Erik and I both look a bit wistful while watching the slideshow. I was emotional and Erik actually admitted that "he started getting a little teary and had to get up and walk around". If you knew my husband you would realize how crazy that is for him to get that emotional and then admit it! What can I say, becoming a mom/dad changes you.

And there you have it. Juliet's "baby love" first birthday party.

Juliet, you are my sweet little love, my darling one year old girl. This party was such a wonderful celebration, all for you. You deserved each fleck of gold glitter, every sugary taste of frosting, the crazy amount of presents. Every little heart displayed at this party was a HUGE symbol of our love for you. We love you so, so much. Happy birthday.

Vendor credits:

Photography: Jessica Rose Photography
Event styling: Jenna of Eat Drink Pretty
Macarons: Cocoa and Fig
Rosette cakes: Target bakery
Mini heart sugar cookies: Fun Sugar Cookie Etsy shop
Invitations and placecards: Printable template from Onto Baby

Real party: Juliet's "baby love" first birthday, part 1

2013-03-04T20:43:00.000-06:00

I am super excited to post Juliet's "baby love" first birthday party!! Of all the many parties I've hosted, this is one of my favorites. I was, after all, celebrating my sweet little love's first birthday. What a reason to celebrate! Her first year brought more joy than I ever could have imagined and while this party was a big celebration, I quietly celebrate her every. single. day.

I'm not exactly sure how I came up with the idea to do a "baby love" party, but I think I just wanted something relatively simple and something that conveyed the sweetness that is my baby girl and my enormous love for her. So "baby love" it became. Also, since her birthday is so close to Valentine's Day, I thought it was fitting.

I chose a pretty color scheme of light pink and sparkly gold. All of the decor and details from the party are being re-purposed into Juliet's playroom.

I loved planning Juliet's party and I love how it all came together. I was fortunate to have lots of help from family and friends leading up to the party. One important thing I've learned since having a baby is to not be afraid to ask for help. I have an awesome, supportive family who is always here anytime I need them. They all helped and I appreciate it so much.

We held Juliet's party on her actual birthday on Saturday, February 16th. Erik and my immediate families were invited plus my closest four girlfriends and their families. In total, we had about 27 people over.

I'm going to break Juliet's party into two parts because I have tons and tons of photos. Jessica of Live the Fancy Life blog photographed the party. She recently started consulting (for event planning as well as PR) and she also has a side business doing photography called Jessica Rose Photography. I knew the day was already going to be crazy enough getting ready for the party, while taking care of a toddler, and I didn't want the added stress of having to take my own photos. Hiring Jessica was the best decision.

Photo credits to Jessica Rose Photography.When guests arrived, they were greeted with a "LOVE" table. I asked everyone to write a "love letter" to Juliet using a pink heart. I'll keep these in her baby box and we can read them when she's older.

Erik spent the couple weeks leading up to the party helping with odds and ends, like spray painting these frames and the giant mirror gold. I have been planning on getting that up for a while and Juliet's party finally motivated us to hang it! The mirror was a $16 find at Good Will. Spray paint was an additional $15. I found these cute heart pillows at Target before Valentine's Day and had them on our couches.

Above the table, we displayed cute LOVE prints I ordered on Etsy and a photo of Juliet from her recent one year session.

I bought the letters at Michaels and had Erik spray paint them gold. Showing the birthday girl her party decorations. This pink yarn wreath with a mini heart banner was on the front door the day of the party. I made this "One" sign (and most of the heart decorations) using a Cricut machine from Staples. The Cricut is awesome and once I figured out how to use it (took me a couple hours) it saved me a lot of time. It cuts shapes and letters with all different fonts. I will get tons of use out of this thing for all my future party planning!
We had a pretty little display on our mantle above our fireplace. The love printed frame and all the photos are always there and I added the heart banner, pink yarn wreath with a gold heart and the beautiful "chalkboard". This chalkboard sign was one of my favorite details of the day, made by my sister-in-law, Nikki of Lovely Scribbles. I saw something similar on Pinterest and sent her a photo asking if she could make it for Juliet's party. Nikki used a piece of black foam core and luckily chalk worked well on it. It looks like a real chalkboard at a fraction of the price. The foam core was only $8 at Michaels and Nikki already had the chalk.

We featured Juliet's "loves" on the sign. Isn't it just awesome? I love it so much I haven't taken it down. Hearts, hearts and more hearts. We had a drink table set up in the dining room and above it I strung a ribbon with monthly photos of Juliet. Each photo had a little pink heart in the upper corner with her age. I love seeing how much she's grown month-to-month, 12 whole months of my little, beautiful girl.
We used pretty pink and white striped drink straws for "build-your-own-mimosas".We kept drinks pretty easy and offered water, orange juice, coffee and mimosas.

See that pretty Jenny Lind high chair? I found it on Craigs List and Erik spray painted it white (this was sort of last minute and the chair could have really used a second coat). This was supposed to be Juliet's smash cake chair but we ended up not using it (Juliet was happy in her other high chair and we decided not to chance it by transferring her). We had a little "fake" cake smash in Juliet's one year photo session so we still have cute photos of her in this chair.

Yes, I dressed in theme. Target had this cute pink heart sweater that I couldn't pass up for her party.

Juliet's party was a brunch (my favorite...and Juliet loves it too!).

Here is the menu:

Ham and cheese quiche
Quiche Lorraine
Three cheese quiche
Spinach and cheese quiche
Roasted red breakfast potatoes
Build-your-own-fruit-and-yogurt-parfaits (vanilla yogurt in individual cups with strawberries and granola mix-ins)
Donuts
Heart-shaped pancakes

Almost all of the food was store-bought. I love the frozen quiche from Byerlies. Honestly, I've learned to be ok with having store-bought food at my parties. With a baby (toddler!!!) there is not as much time for homemade goodies.
I used a mini heart punch and glued hearts on each cup for the build-your-own-yogurt-parfaits. Can't have a brunch without a donut tower. The kiddos loved the donuts. Another one of my favorite details were these heart-shaped pancakes. I have to give a big shout-out to my mother-in-law, Karen. She came into town for the weekend and helped out so much. Karen and Erik made all the pancakes the night before and cut them the morning of (using a heart-shaped cookie cutter).

Aren't they so super cute? Idea from Pinterest.

My beautiful little birthday girl!!! She wore a cute, heart ruffly dress from Old Navy with a pink heart headband from Gap.

Playing with her "desserts" and her new play kitchen.
Hanging with grandma.
Please stay tuned for part two including the invitations, dessert table, photo booth and cake smash photos!!!

Update: click here for part two!

Vendor credits:

Photography: Jessica Rose Photography
Event styling: Jenna of Eat Drink Pretty
Each beat of my heart Etsy print (in yellow and pink): Etsy Hairbrained Schemes shop
I love you this much Etsy print (in hot pink): Etsy Hairbrained Schemes shop
Heart banners, One sign: Cricut Machine from Staples
"Chalkboard" love sign: Lovely Scribbles
Placecards: Printable template from Onto Baby

Disclosure: Staples provided me with the Cricut Machine. All the opinions are my own.

Fancy mama series on Live the Fancy Life

2013-03-03T20:07:00.000-06:00

Please head over to Live the Fancy Life blog and check out the latest "Fancy mama Fridays" series. Jessica, writer/creator of Live the Fancy Life, featured me in the latest post.

We talk about mama stuff, including my favorite part of being a mom, what's hard, and products I love.

Also, be sure to check back this week, I'll be featuring Juliet's "baby love" first birthday party with lots and lots of photos!

Juliet: 12 months!

2013-02-24T20:21:00.002-06:00

My darling girl turned 12 months last weekend. Oh my...one year! We were very busy last weekend with a big birthday party full of love, family and friends. It was a fun day, a bit stressful...my little girlie enjoyed the party but also had a few crabby moments, too. I think all the excitement was a bit much plus she was getting over strep. Overall, it was a great weekend and fun birthday. I will have a full post with lots of photos coming soon.

The night before Juliet's birthday I thought to myself, this is about the time my water broke....one year ago we were about to start an amazing journey. I had no idea just how awesome it would be. I had no clue...none whatsoever how much my life was going to change and how much love I would feel for this new, little person.

The evening before her birthday we did our bedtime routine which ends with rocking and breastfeeding in the glider. Each night, this is our time, hers and mine and on that evening we took extra time and I just stared and stared at her...my sweet little girl, about to turn one. When I laid her down I stood above her crib and whispered to her how much I love her. Over and over. Her first birthday was a bit emotional, to say the least.

This month brought more milestones, more growth...my little baby girl turning into a toddler girl.

Juliet started walking along furniture. She pulls herself up on everything and cruises along while holding on. She is getting more confident and strong and I imagine it will be just a month or so before she is walking all by herself.
She started sleeping through the night! Around months 5-6 Juliet was completely sleeping through the night, but it didn't last. She went through the next 6 months waking up about once a night, sometimes more. I got used to this and actually didn't mind it too much. I would feed her quickly and lay her back down, and she would pretty easily fall right back to sleep. But when she went back to fully sleeping through the night...holy crap was that nice. It is a beautiful thing. Of course, she has her nights when she wakes up, but for the most part, she's sleeping through the night.
We have been working on clapping for months and Juliet finally started clapping one day a few weeks ago. And then she never stopped! She claps all the time, with a big smile on her sweet face.
All of the sudden one day Juliet decided she had a mommy preference. Up until that point, Juliet was super easy going and very social, she would go to anyone. Now she wants mommy all the time and whines a bit if daddy holds her when I am around. Fortunately, this has eased in the past week, which is nice before it makes daddy feel really bad.
Juliet has been making the sign for milk for a while now, but I don't think she really knew what it meant until this month. One night she woke up and I was rocking her back to sleep. She sat up in my lap, looked at me and made the sign for milk. We aren't big signers but I do it once in a while with a few signs like eat, drink, more and milk. In this moment I knew she was communicating with me that she wanted to breast feed. It was really cool.
This is not really a milestone, but I realized this month just how much Juliet loves/adores daycare. I kept her home for a few days when she was getting over strep and by the time Juliet went back to daycare she couldn't wait to get there. She just lights up at daycare...she loves the other kids (her friends!) and her daycare provider Sarah. This makes me so happy and really helps with any traces of guilt I feel being away from her while I'm at work.

I'm so glad I have documented Juliet's first 12 months with photos and milestones. I posted all 12 months at her birthday party and it was crazy to see how much this precious girl has changed and grown. She is my beautiful, sweet, loving girl and I adore her beyond words and feel so blessed and lucky that she's mine.

Happy 12 months my sweet sugar plum. Mommy loves you more than anything in the whole wide world. I know the next year will be just as fun adventurous and the first.

Juliet's 12 months: