Menu for 10/27/14-11/2/14

Okay, so I know I'm a little behind this week but I promise there's a good reason. I'm also going to cut this post a bit short but again, good reason.

Bailey is turning 3 this weekend and I have been working super hard on her birthday party. Bailey's Birthday Bash will be Sunday and the only thing on my mind this week should be getting decorations and food and making the cake (and somehow finding a picture of Tinkerbell that will fit on her cake) and all the little details that go into making her birthday super special. Unfortunately we have hit an unexpected speed bump.

Perfect Pie Crust

This recipe is a warm-up for an upcoming post, apple pie. I've made the pie crust multiple times for different pie recipes. I've used it for chicken pot pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, and apple pie and it always comes out perfectly flaky. It's not too sweet for a savory pie and just sweet enough for desserts. I'm sure it would also work for pumpkin pie or pecan pie come Thanksgiving. Of course coming from Annie's Eats it's a recipe that couldn't possibly fail.

Menu for 10/20/14-10/26/14

After fighting a horrible migraine all day I am finally feeling well enough to get some things done. Since I got Bailey down I've been trying to clean up the house, mostly the kitchen which was a mess, and getting some stuff packed to visit with Nana tomorrow.

Last Monday when we visited Nana Bailey just couldn't get enough snuggling with Nana.

Halloween Fun

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Okay so every holiday is one of my favorites. What can I say? I like to celebrate! But seriously it is one of my favorites because I have tons of creative ideas for decorations, food, crafts, costumes... you get the picture.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

I had never been a huge fan of meatballs until about 4 years ago. I'm not particularly fond of ground beef except in chili or hamburgers, I've always loathed meatloaf, and the thought of eating reheated leftover meatballs used to turn my stomach. Of course all of this was before I tried the mozzarella stuffed meatballs from Annie's Eats. They made me rethink my whole outlook on meatballs which is why I finally decided to try these.

Menu for 10/13/14-10/19/14

Oh, the rain! I think it has rained all week and we're looking at plenty more rain the coming week. Tuesday it's supposed to rain all day long.

Of course that didn't stop Bailey from having tons of fun. We had some family visiting from out of town and finally got to meet the latest addition to the family, my cousin's 2 month old boy. He is just precious, slept almost the whole time we were at Nana's.

Baked Ravioli

If you're looking for a quick, simple dinner this is it! The whole thing comes together in about ten minutes and then just needs a bit of time in the oven.

Crispy Cheddar Baked Chicken

I've been taking a lot more short cuts on my cooking the past few weeks. I'm using more packaged and canned foods and I've even resorted to fast food several times just because I didn't feel like cooking. I don't know if it's just being extra tired or not in the mood but I think I may have finally broken out of the funk I've been in.

Menu for 10/6/14-10/12/14

I have had a great week. Among other things I found Bailey's birthday gift, or at least part of it (my friend does amazing things with polymer clay and made her a Tinkerbell charm that we're going to hang in a shadowbox on her wall) and I had one incredibly successful new recipe. Our first box from graze.com came in this week and 3/4 of the snacks were absolutely delicious! Bailey devoured the jelly doughnut mix, I finished off the herby bread basket almost as quickly, and the flapjacks which I was unsure about when I saw them were surprisingly delectable. They look like those chewy granola bars but they're not really chewy so much as like a flourless oatmeal cookie held together by honey. I was very impressed. The only snack I didn't care for was the jalapeno fiesta but that's because I'm not fond of spicy peanuts.

Monday night I made an amazing apple pie.

Wishlist Wednesday October 2014

This month includes several sewing patterns that I can't wait to try, a couple of adult beverages, plenty of comforting, fall foods, and a couple of odds and ends that I couldn't help but throw in. This is what I'm wishing for this month.

I'll start with the sewing.

A Wish to be More Eco-Friendly:

DIY Unpaper Towels from A Blossoming Life

I've been thinking of doing this for awhile now. I don't use too many paper towels but Aaron does. This would increase the weekly laundry but they're pretty, softer than paper towels, and sturdier for clean-up jobs too. They're small so the materials wouldn't cost much and they look like they'd be a nice, easy project. I could probably make a whole roll of them in a week of nap times. I bet they make great gifts too.