Crazy Train of Thoughts

I was giving Jett a bottle getting him to sleep tonight when I smelled something really nice. Here's how the next few minutes in my head went:

"Oh yeah, that's my new candle burning. Oh no, I left it burning. I wonder if it was close to that grocery bag on the counter. What if the house catches on fire while I'm up here feeding Jett? I guess I would just run outside & watch my house burn. Good thing we live close to the fire station. Surely the fire wouldn't be so bad already that we couldn't get down the stairs. Could it? I would have definitely smelled smoke before now. I could just put the tiny fire out with the fire extinguisher. Do we even have a fire extinguisher? We need one. How do those things work? What if I sprayed it the wrong way & it got in my eyes then I couldn't see? That would be terrible. I would just turn it around & spray the fire blindly if that happened. Where would we even keep a fire extinguisher? We need to put a battery in that smoke detector. How long has there not been one in there? Way too long. But I think the battery is just for back up. I'll ask Jonathan when he gets home. I want to do yoga before he gets back. Then I'm going to make BLT's. I should have gotten a vegetable to go with it. OMG, I'm so hungry."

This is just a few minutes of my thought process about EVERYTHING. No wonder I'm exhausted at the end of the day! Needless to say, my house was NOT on fire. If I really believed it was, I would have definitely gotten the hell outta dodge before I wrote that ADD train of thought book in that head of mine. The BLT's were delicious. I'll post my BLT makin' process tomorrow. And I had to improvise on yoga since AT&T doesn't have an exercise channel (that I can find) anymore. Happy Tuesday, people! 

Steak with Zucchini and Squash

Aaah, fresh summer veggies! Today's meal is simple & delicious. Jett & I walked to the East Nashville Farmers Market today & got some super fresh zucchini & squash. When we got home, my box of Omaha Steaks I ordered with a Groupon had arrived, so I didn't even have to think about what to cook tonight! BOOM! I love not having to think sometimes. I usually make this zucchini squash recipe, and it's delicious, but I decided to toss them on the grill tonight since I was cooking steaks. Here's all you'll need:

Steaks with Zucchini & Squash

For the Veggies:

1 zucchini

1 squash

salt

pepper

thyme (fresh if you have it) or your favorite herb

For Steaks:

Whatever type steaks you prefer

Dales reduced sodium marinade

Pre-heat grill to medium / medium high

First, I poured enough Dale's in a baking dish to cover the bottom. Then I put the steaks in & turned them over once. I don't like them completely saturated. If you do, you should do this way before you're ready to cook. And I'm also aware that a good steak doesn't need any marinade. I respect that. But I also respect Dale's because it's delicious & I like the way it makes my steak taste. 

OK. So while the steaks are marinating, make an aluminum foil "holder" to put the zucchini & squash in, then chop the veggies however you prefer. Once they're all chopped, spray them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then add fresh thyme, rosemary, or whatever herb you have on hand. I didn't have any fresh, so I just used the stuff in the jar. 

Once it's all seasoned, close the top of the aluminum foil bowl and set it on the grill. I let mine sit for about 10 minutes before I put the steaks on. 

For the steaks, I cooked for 3 minutes, then rotated them 90 degrees on the same side for another 2-3 minutes. I like the grill marks, so the extra step is important to me :) Then just flip and do the same on the other side. Once the steaks are done, put them on a plate, cover with foil & let them sit for 4-5 minutes. This makes the steak taste perfect & more juicy than if you just dug right in.

Sprinkle the veggies with a little parm, throw the steak on a plate, & you're ready to eat! Hope you enjoyed this super simple summer time meal :)

Grill marks :) 

Caramel Sauce with Sea Salt

So I know I said I'd be posting meal recipes, but this caramel is just a fun thing to know how to make. And what if you're having ice cream one night, & you're like "This ice cream is so boring. It really needs to step it up a notch. I KNOW! I can make that caramel sauce I saw on Third Bird Mom's blog to put on there!" So you're welcome for that. And it can be used in several different ways. It's pretty simple, but you have to be kind of quick. I wouldn't cook this if there were kids running around underneath me as it gets pretty hot. 

Caramel Sauce with Sea Salt

non-stick skillet

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons of butter

Sea Salt to taste

1. Pre-measure ingredients & have them ready

2. Heat skillet to medium high heat. This may need to be adjusted depending on your stove. Pour the sugar in & begin stirring with a wooden spoon or whisking. The sugar should begin to liquefy. My heat was up a little high, so it got hard in places. I kept pushing the sugar to the center of the pan so it would all liquefy at the same time.

3. Once the sugar is melted, add the butter. The mixture will start to bubble. Stir until the mixture is smooth, then remove from heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Once the cream is mixed in, add as much or little sea salt as you'd like. I'd start with a little, then add more as you go so it won't get too salty.

4. Let it cool for a few minutes then do whatever you want with it! I put mine in this cute tiny mason jar. Then drizzled it on some apple slices. The possibilities are really endless. The caramel in jars make great gifts too!

Hope you enjoyed today's recipe! 

Turkey, Gouda Avocado Omelet

This week I'll be posting a variety of simple recipes for busy moms. Or for anyone who needs to cook a quick meal. Some will be more easy meal ideas than recipes, but I just want to share a few things I like to cook, especially when there's not a lot of time. Or if I'm completely exhausted. Which isn't the most rare thing around here.

So, without further ado, here's my first simple meal of the week

Turkey, Gouda Avocado Omelet

What you'll need:

a good non-stick skillet

olive oil or cooking spray

3-4 eggs or egg whites (I used 2 eggs, 2 egg whites)

salt

pepper

turkey

gouda

avocado

salsa

First, spray the skillet generously with cooking spray or olive oil & turn it on medium high heat. I use this Misto olive oil mister. A smaller skillet works best as it keeps the eggs from spreading too thin.  Then, whisk the eggs in a small bowl & season with salt & pepper. Garlic salt is also delicious. 

Once the skillet seems ready, pour the egg mixture in there & just be patient. 

I let it sit until it starts bubbling & looking cooked from the top. If it looks sturdy, try to flip it over so both sides are cooked all the way. if not, just let it keep cooking.

Then layer with deli turkey & gouda on one side, then fold the other side on top with a spatula.

I topped with avocado, salsa & a little jalapeno tabasco for an extra kick. And if your omelet falls apart, you can always just scramble all the ingredients together for an equally delicious breakfast.

Hope you enjoyed!

Cheekwood Gardens Play Date

Yesterday, Jett & I went to Cheekwood Gardens to meet our friend Jill & her baby boy Lincoln. Cheekwood Gardens is a gorgeous piece of land with beautiful gardens & ponds all throughout that's been there since 1932. The property was bought by the founders of Maxwell House Coffee after they sold the business for $40 million in 1928. I'm not sure what the equivalent to $40 million is today, but I think the coffee business might have been the place to be way back in the 30's. 

So, after they sold the business, they bought 100 acres of land in, what was then the country, & hired a New York residential & landscape architect to do all the landscaping & detailing. Even inside the home. Pretty cool that his work at Cheekwood is still appreciated to this day. It's still absolutely stunning out there. Here's a couple of photos of Cheekwood way back when.

photo credit: Cheekwood.org

Luckily, when we decided to go, there was a Tree House exhibit celebrating the ten year anniversary of their first summer exhibition. They selected 7 different designers to depict great works of literature through building tree houses throughout the gardens. And let me just tell you, they are impressive. Here are a few photos of our fun day at Cheekwood. If you live in Nashville or are in the neighborhood, you should definitely check it out.

I'd like to have this as a playhouse in my back yard.

Jett & Lincoln just chatting about the beautiful gardens.

Guess what this is.

A giant fish tree house made from CD's! How cool?!

Gorgeous.

Jett was excited.

You better believe I got in there!

So pretty & colorful on the inside!

For more information about Cheekwood Gardens click here.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Money Savers

Babies are expensive, so I like to try to save a few bucks anywhere I can. So here are a few things I do that I've found to be very helpful:

Sign up for diaper & formula promotions

Yes, you'll probably get  a few unwanted emails, but if you sign up for email & mail lists on sites like Pampers, Similac , or Enfamil, you'll constantly get $2-$5 off coupons for diapers, wipes, & formula, and occasionally you'll get a few free samples. I use Similac, & I usually have  a $5 off coupon, & sometimes Target has a promotion where if you buy two containers, you get a $5 gift card. So total cost each ends up being about $18 each. BARGAIN!

Join Costco / Buy in Bulk

If you're a Costco member, the coupons mentioned above won't work here. But Costco sends their own coupons. Usually the diaper coupons are $6 off, so I end up getting a box of 180 diapers for about 30 bucks. Not too shabby. I usually stock up on formula here too. The big size formulas make about 30 8 ounce bottles, so it lasts a little over a week. It's also helpful it is to have a "stock pile" of toilet paper & paper towels. It just makes everything easier to always have household necessities on hand. Another Costco pro is buying meat & cheese in bigger quantities. I always freeze ground turkey & chicken just to have on hand. And a huge wedge of gouda cheese is only about $12. The tiny ones at a regular grocery store are 8 or 9 bucks! No thanks, regular store. I am a Costco member! Mwahahahahahahahahaaaaa! 

Get the Target Debit Card

Especially if you're as big a Target shopper  as I am. It just links to your normal checking account & works like a debit card, and you'll save 5% on all purchases! In store and online. And when you order online, you get free shipping! That alone is worth it to me. That also makes buying & shipping registry gifts to out of town newly weds & new parents much easier too. Target's shipping is not cheap, so the savings just keep adding up! The only thing that's kind of annoying about it is that the transaction won't show up on your bank statement for a few days. But it doesn't really bother me that bad. Just a little:) To sign up, just take a check with you next time you shop & Target, & they'll get it done for you right at the register. Quick, easy & painless.

These are just a few things I do that I've found are helpful. I'm interested in hearing your ideas too! Happy shopping, everyone!

Cozymonster Down!

Good morning, & happy Saturday, everyone! In case you were wondering how our day started today. I'll go ahead & tell you it wasn't a good beginning for Cozymonster. I saw & heard Jett sitting up & moving around a little on the monitor, so I thought I'd just let he & Cozymonster have a few minutes to play. AKA, I needed 5 more minutes of sleep before I was up for the day. Shouldda known better… I go in Jett's room to find poor Cozymonster face down in doo doo. Yep. A big ole squishy mess of poo. On the nice clean fresh sheet I just put on yesterday. (There's a photo below, so don't look if you don't think you can handle it.) So, needless to say, Jett had a bath with his duck friends, & later, Cozymonster got one too. So we're all good now. Although I'm pretty sure there's about a 75% chance of pink eye. Let's keep our fingers crossed though. Eeeeww…

Here's what we use to remedy this stinky situation:

1. Aveeno Baby wash smells so so good, but not too scented. 2. Cozymonster is replaceable if anything happens to him. 3. You can never have too many rubber ducks. 4 Noodle & Boo Supersoft Lotion really is super soft. It smells nice too. Like a sweet little poop-free baby. 

That's all for today! I hope you all have a great weekend!