Never too late (a Procrastinator's Christmas post)

Yep, I admit it I am a procrastinator. That is why I am sharing our Christmas decorations with you on January 24th. Hey, if there is some rule about posting Christmas stuff no later than a month after Christmas, then I at least beat it by one day. This Christmas I decided that I wanted to redo our Christmas decor, but I wanted to do it without spending a lot of money. I got started this year and can just add more as I go. Here are the pictures I took (right before taking everything down). Oh, and no I didn't just take my Christmas decorations down, I just procrastinated on writing about it. A large chunk of my decorations were either handmade this year, or had a handmade element to them. I didn't put together any tutorials about how to do any of these, but if you would like I can put something together for next Christmas. So, without further ado, here is our handmade Christmas.

The tree, and don't worry, I know it is a bad picture.

Some of my tree ornaments

My homemade tree skirt

A couple shots of my favorite part, my railing. Yes, you are seeing the mess of toys on the other side because our house is overrun by a 3 year old and keeping a room clean for more than 5 seconds if just about impossible.

I just had to share the cutest little deer that I found at Pier One this year. I just could not resist these cuties! Neither could Ashlyn since somehow they kept getting moved quite often. 

So, those were our mostly homemade Christmas decorations. There were more, but for some reason I didn't get pictures of them. Oh well life goes on and welcome back to Christmas one month later (or eleven months early) however you want to look at it.

A Big 3rd Birthday Party!

Yep, I know, you don't have to tell me. I disappeared for what is it, 3 months now? It was just one of those times when life gets away from you. Now, don't think I have just been sitting around for 3 months not doing anything because that is far from the truth. At the beginning of September I asked Ashlyn what theme she wanted for her birthday party this year (at the end of October). Her response, Jake and the Neverland Pirates! I was thrilled, because how much fun is a pirate party! Except of course 2 weeks before the actually party she told me she now wanted a princess party. Well, she got a pirate party and enjoyed it anyway. This year I told myself I would concentrate more on the decorations and not so much on the food. Yeah, didn't really work out that way since I eventually decided to go big on both. What can I say I was having fun!
We did do something a little different this year by doing an open house birthday party since our house is not very big, but we have lots of family and friends. So, we had it from 11 to 4 and let people come and go as they pleased. Ashlyn opened her present right away when someone showed up. This actually worked out perfectly (since we are doing family parties right now) that I think until she starts having friend parties we will continue this. Now instead of boring you with me describing everything I will just show a picture montage (insert your own montage music here). Just a warning, when I took these pictures the light in our house was just right to cast shadows on everything, so the pictures are definately over edited to get rid of as many shadows as possible.

 

This is the whole spread. Obviously the picture is way over edited!

 

Different Angle and yes we did make all of the decorations.

The Dessert Table. We did make that sail.

Main Food Table

How do Neverland Pirates get their light? By trapping fairies in jars of course!

Oh how the cake pops flowed! 5 different flavors!

Yummy fall inspired fruit salad!

 

I think this is how I will serve veggie dip from now on.

Chickpea, Tomato, and Spinach Salad. Yum Yum!

 

 

So, as you can see I have been busy. But what about the last month you say? Well, I have been busy with other things as well, but that post will come very soon. I promise it won't be 3 months!

 

I hope you enjoyed your peak into Ashlyn's 3rd Birthday party! If you have any questions about how we did some of the decorations, or if you want me to post any of the recipes please leave a comment below.

 

 

 



Philly Cheeze Fakes

 

Have you ever had time go by and then soon realize that it is almost the end of the month when it seems like just yesterday it was the beginning on the month? That has been my August. I swear that yesterday was August 1st! It has been such a busy month that I forgot to post for almost the whole month. I guess between numerous out of town trips, an unexpected hospitalization of a family member, Internet outages, and Mark running his first triathlon (good job babe!) time has just gotten away from me. I even have recipes waiting in the wings ready to be posted! I guess this month I am just thankful that Ashlyn is far from starting school yet and I didn't have to add first day of school to that list.

OK, so on to what I am sure you have been waiting for. Now, as cute as the name Philly Cheeze Fakes is I can't take credit for the name. I ran across this recipe on Taste of Home and I just had to try it based on the name alone. Here is the original recipe Philly-Cheese-Fakes which I tweaked to fit our tastes. The original recipe calls for shiitake mushrooms which I am not a huge fan of, but more importantly are fairly expensive. So, I changed the shiitakes to cremini or button (depending on what you have available) and also changed the spices up a bit. I actually didn't even try the original recipe as written and just used it as inspiration to make my own version of the sandwich. Let me tell you though that my version is definitely worth making. We all love this recipe including Ashlyn! This is a for sure winner if you like the taste of a cheese steak sandwich, but would like to make it a little healthier. Hey, you can also make it for the reason I did, the name! How can you resist making something with such a cute name!

Philly Cheeze Fakes

Sandwiches:
24 oz of cremini or button mushrooms sliced thick
1/4 c worcheshire sauce
1/4 c water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
4 split whole wheat hot dog buns

Toppings:
Cheeze Sauce
Caramelized Onions (optional)
Sauteed Green or Red Peppers (optional)

Directions:

1. Saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil on medium heat until brown about 10 minutes.

2. While the mushrooms are cooking in a measuring cup or bowl whisk together the rest of the sandwich ingredients (except the buns).

3. Once the mushrooms are brown add the contents of the measuring cup and cook until the liquid is absorbed.

4. While the mushrooms are being glazed toast your hot dog buns.

5. Once the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms and they are coated in the glaze place the mushrooms into your hot dog buns and top with Cheeze Sauce or cheese of your choice if you eat cheese.

6. If choosing to do so top the Cheeze Sauce with caramelized onions and sauteed peppers.

*Notes: We choose to use hot dog buns instead of hoagie buns to decrease the portion size, but feel free to use whole wheat hoagie buns.

The night I took the pictures I was out of peppers, so these pictures just contain caramelized onions. I also served the sandwiches with roasted potato wedges and steamed green beans.

If you choose to use the optional toppings you can still make this an easy one pan meal (minus making the Cheeze Sauce) by caramelizing your onions, removing them from the pan, sauteing the peppers in the same pan, removing them, and then doing your mushrooms.

This is one of my family's favorite recipes so I hope your family enjoys it just as much as we do.

Where have all of the stickers gone?

*Warning: I am getting on my soap box for this one.*

 

 

When I was younger I remember being so excited to go to the bank with my mom. The reason? I was going to get stickers! The bank that we went to gave the kids that came in stickers. I had a notebook with my sticker collection and every time we would come home from the bank I would sit down with my notebook and put my stickers in it. I was so proud of my sticker notebook. So, when did it change from giving kids stickers to giving them candy?

 

Growing up I really don't remember a lot of candy in the house. We got candy on Halloween, in our school Valentine's, and in our Easter baskets. We may have gotten a candy bar at the store maybe twice a year if even that. That was about it for the candy. I remember candy being a special treat that we got on certain holidays, but we never expected to get it on a weekly or even monthly basis.

 

Now that I am a mom I am mortified at the amount of candy that is being shoved in my toddler's face. We go to the grocery store they offer a sucker. We go to another store, here is another sucker. She goes to daycare and has a good week, here we go with another sucker (this was actually worse because she was getting candy every day until I stopped that one). We go and visit people here is a candy bar and more suckers. And this is just in the last week! Where have all of the stickers gone?

 

I really want to start acting like a two year old, stomping on the floor and screaming NO NO NO! Being the mom I have to deal with the consequences of other's actions. Weather that be the temper tantrum that will probably occur when I take the candy away or the 2:30 am tummy ache and diarrhea that occur if she eats more than her little system can handle (which is maybe one sucker). Where have all of the stickers gone?

 

When did candy change from a special treat that kids get a couple of times a year to an every day occurrence? Should my toddler get candy just because we went to the store? NO! Should she get candy just because we went to visit people? NO! Should she get candy because she had a good day at daycare? NO! Should she get praise and hugs and high fives from people instead of candy? YES! We are getting to the point where she knows who gives her candy and she is expecting it. It is now not a treat, but an expectation and I am NOT OK with that. Where have all of the stickers gone?

 

Now, I am not saying that my toddler needs anything, she doesn't, but if you feel the need to give her candy instead BRING BACK THE STICKERS! I am urging everyone who thinks that kids need treats just for being kids to BRING BACK THE STICKERS! One very small way to fight childhood obesity in this country is to BRING BACK THE STICKERS! Please, from one mom trying to do what is best for her child's health and well being PLEASE BRING BACK THE STICKERS!

 

 

*OK I have now stepped off of my soap box*

 



Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Cream Sauce over Pasta

I have been meaning to post this for two days now, I guess life just gets away from you sometimes. Anyway, I don't know about you, but whenever we go out to eat at a pasta restaurant I almost always get some sort of creamy pasta dish and then pay for it the next day due to all of the cream and cheese. I really don't know why I do this to myself. I think for some reason the white sauces are just so much more a comfort food than a red sauce. I have tried to make cream sauces in the past and they just don't turn out like you get in a restaurant, so I had given up until now. Obviously from my previous posts I am still obsessed with cashew cream and the versatility of it.

One night this week we did not feel like what I had on the menu, so instead of heading out to eat and spending money I went scouring my pantry and throwing things together and this recipe emerged. I was smart enough to actually write this one down and take pictures, most of the time that doesn't happen and I almost always regret it. After I tasted this I was dancing around my kitchen because I knew this was a recipe I was excited to share with you.

As far as the family front and their opinion Mark did really like this one. I actually think he went back for seconds. Ashlyn on the other hand preferred the garlic bread that was served with this pasta dish. She did take two bites of the pasta, like I asked, and that was it. It really didn't surprise me because she prefers tomato based pasta sauces over creamy ones I mean she doesn't even like mac and cheese. If this had been tomato based I am sure she would have had two helpings. I knew she probably would not eat it, but I made it anyway because if I cooked around her requests all we would eat would be tacos, pizza, and tempeh. OK I am done rambling here is what you have been waiting for.

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Cream Sauce over Pasta

 2 heads of garlic
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 c soaked cashews
2 c almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch
8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 medium onion diced
handful of baby spinach chopped
1 tsp dried basil
12 oz farfalle pasta

1. To soak your cashews put them in a bowl, cover with water, and place them in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Cut the top 1/4 off of each of the heads of garlic. Place each head on a square of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic like a little pouch. Place the two garlic pouches in an oven safe dish and place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the garlic cool down.
4. While the garlic is cooling cook the pasta according to the package directions.
5. In a saute pan drizzled with olive oil add the mushrooms and onion. Saute on medium heat until the mushrooms are browned and the onion is translucent.
6. Once the garlic is cooled remove the cloves from the garlic paper and add all of the cloves to a blender. Also place cashews, milk, salt, pepper, and cornstarch in the blender. Blend for about 2 1/2 minutes (depending on your blender), until you have a smooth consistency.
7. Add your cream sauce and basil to the pan with the mushrooms and onion. Whisk the sauce every couple minutes until it starts to thicken.
8. Once the sauce thickens remove from the heat and stir in the spinach.
9. Serve over pasta and enjoy.


*Next time I make this I will probably use double the amount of mushrooms.
 * I always keep soaked cashews in my fridge so I have them on hand, just keep them in water and change the water every few days.

 

My High Needs Child

The day I became a mom is definitely number one on the list of the happiest days of my life (sorry Mark). It was also the day that my world as I knew it did a back flip. I was responsible for my daughter now and her needs came before anything else. I was overjoyed and already exhausted (I went into labor at 9 pm and gave birth at 6:58 am) little did I know that the exhaustion was just beginning.

From day one we knew Ashlyn was a little spitfire. Isn't it funny that as a mom even on the first day of life you already have a perspective on your child's personality? We found out in that first day that everything we thought we knew about being a parent did not really apply to Ashlyn. She would cry of course, but this was no ordinary cry, it was an I am hungry and I want it now kind of cry. She really only slept for a few sporadic hours, and was very alert for only having been born that morning. She also had to be held and would cry her "need it now" cry if she was put down. We could also see in her little eyes that she was constantly studying the world around her. That first night was a rude awakening, OK never mind I didn't get any sleep that night so that might not be the right phrase. One of the few things I do remember about that night was our night nurse who made a comment, "I don't know why she is not sleeping, babies always sleep the first night." Ha Ha, not my child! Anyway these are the traits I saw the first day that gave me an indication of the ride I was about to take.

Looking back now I can laugh, but back then I was shocked!  Babies are supposed to give you hunger cues before they cry. I promise you I looked for them, but alas they just never appeared. A newborn is supposed to sleep 15-18 hours a day. Because mine didn't. You don't need to hold your baby all of the time. Really, because mine would freak out if I put her down. How could this be? Everything that I had read in books and that we were taught in classes just did not happen. These were supposed to be professionals giving this advice right? Ha Ha yeah right, I can tell you now after having experienced it myself most books and classes will not cover raising a high needs child. Through trial and error you will learn what is best for your child, your self, and your sanity.

OK, so many of you out there probably don't know what a high needs child is, and to be honest I had no idea myself until Ashlyn was about 18 months old. I just thought she was a little different than most babies, until I came across Dr Sears' website and the section High Needs Baby. I was so excited to find this little section on a website that helped me to understand my child a little bit better.  The 12 features of a high needs child are: Intense, Hyperactive, Draining, Feeds Frequently, Demanding, Awakens Frequently, Unsatisfied, Unpredictable, Super-Sensitive, Can't Put Baby Down, Not a Self Soother, and Separation Sensitive. Below are examples of how Ashlyn fits into each category now as a toddler.

Intense: We call this passionate. She has always known what she wants and just goes for it.

Hyperactive: She is always on the move. Mark commented that he wishes he could "bottle that up" and sell it as a new energy drink.

Draining: She always wants to share her adventures with the people around her.

Feeds Frequently: Even as a toddler she constantly wants to eat and out eats me on occasion.

Demanding: She constantly needs attention and wants to be involved in anything you are doing.

Awakens Frequently: She did not sleep through the night until she was 16 months old. Even as a toddler she is not a great sleeper. She sleeps maybe 9 hours at night with a 30 to 60 minute nap during the day.

Unsatisfied: This one has never really applied to her.

Unpredictable: You just never know if you are going to get a good day or a bad day.

Super-Sensitive: She wears her emotions on her sleeve (and her face) so you always know how she is feeling.

Can't Put Baby Down: Even as a toddler she still loves to be hugged, rocked, and cuddled.

Not a Self Soother: When upset she has a hard time calming down and lots of cuddles are the only help.

Separation Sensitive: She hates to see people leave. She will cry when people leave our house.

 Until you have lived with a high needs child you may not understand any of this or why it is so important to post. I have to say that the first 6 months were probably the hardest. At that point we quit taking people's advice and we did what we felt was best for our child. If you have a high needs child you understand how much advice people (even complete strangers) are willing to give. The best advice I can give since having Ashlyn is to do what is right for your family (and sanity) and take time at least once a week to do something that makes you happy even if it is just 5 minutes alone in the bathroom painting your toes. Because as the old saying goes if mama isn't happy no one is happy.

The best thing we did for our family was to embrace Ashlyn's qualities. It is OK that we held her all of the time as a baby and still do. It is OK that I cried right along with her on many a night. It is OK that we unintentionally co-slept and slowly transitioned her to her crib and then her crib out of our room at around 20 months. It is OK that she used a bottle until she was 16 months old. It is OK that I still rock her to sleep at 2 1/2 years old. It is OK that I take time for myself once in awhile. And it is OK that she does things on her own terms and not before.

We know that she is a passionate, creative, and intelligent child that puts her whole self into her activities. We know that as long as we embrace the traits that make Ashlyn who she is she will grow into the person she is meant to be.

Roasted Tomato and Onion Bread Salad

Have you ever come across a picture of some sort of food and said to yourself "I just have to have that"?  That is what happened to me with this bread salad. I was looking through the newspaper at the office and came across this recipe for a tomato, onion, and bread salad and knew at that moment I had to have it. I also knew I could improve the recipe a lot to fit my tastes. So, that is how this salad was created. I have to urge you to try this because I don't think you will be disappointed.

I loved it, but my family was on the fence. Ashlyn loved it while it was sitting on the counter and I was getting the other elements of dinner together. She kept coming up to me asking for more bread out of the bowl and I of course let her have some and it was met with Mmmms. Then comes dinner time and I put in on her plate and she won't even try it. This one I definitely did not push on her partly because I knew she had already had quite a few bites and also (I confess) because it was so good I wanted it for myself. Mark on the other hand wouldn't even try it. He now likes bread, tomatoes, and onions separately, but I think it may have been too much for him all mixed together in a salad. Oh, and I say now because he used to tell me that he hated tomatoes and onions, but now that we changed our diet all of a sudden he likes them and will actually admit to it. Getting him to admit that he likes something that he previously disliked is a challenge in and of itself.

So, all in all this did not go over great with the family, but to be honest I really did not care because that just meant more for me! I also had the leftovers the next day warmed up and they were still very good, the bread was not as crunchy, but it was still drool worthy.

Roasted Tomato and Onion Bread Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 c cubed bread
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh basil chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes and onion slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil and add salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat the tomatoes and onions. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and dump the tomatoes and onions into a bowl. Add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. In a separate bowl whisk together 3 Tbs olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, dried basil, and dried thyme. Add the cubed bread and toss to coat. Place bread on same baking sheet that the tomatoes and onions were on and place in the oven. Bake for 7 minutes then remove from oven and place the bread in the bowl with the tomatoes and onions. Combine the contents of the bowl and add the fresh basil. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
*If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge and it is good warmed up the next day.
*I know it is summer, so if you don't want to turn on your oven you can easily grill the tomatoes, onion, and bread instead of roasting.