monday misc.

This past weekend was wonderful. 

A lot of hanging around the house, reading and napping.

I love my weekends with my family.

Even if we don't have any major plans, I get giddy as Friday progresses, thinking about spending time with my favorite people.

The week ahead is going to be a busy one.

I have three mornings of work scheduled.

Kid A has her very first field trip on Thursday, where she will be visiting a tree farm to do all sorts of fun Fall things with her classmates.

And on Saturday, we have the Fall Fest for Kid A's school.

I'm really looking forward to that one.

I used to love when we would put on Fall Festivals when I was in school.

Definitely looking forward to some fun family time.

I will also be making sure that I carve out a little time to go spend my birthday gift cards.

Anthropologie and Barnes & Noble, here I come!

I am currently reading this book.

It's about a girl who is a zombie.

Yes, you read that right.

She's not being attacked by zombies.

She is one.

It's definitely an interesting idea and I'm curious to see how this book pans out.

I have several upcoming posts that I'm looking forward to sharing with you, including one showcasing my Halloween decor, and a few talking about a few habits I've recently picked up, that I hope will positively impact my health and wellness.

Stay tuned.

Advice to live by....

{via}

Tonight seems like a homemade burgers and fries kind of night.

{via}

Hope wherever you are in your day, you're smiling!

{via}

bewitched by :: apple juice

Apple juice is something I went YEARS without drinking,

that is until I got pregnant with Kid A.

I definitely went through a pretty large period where I craved it a lot.

I would even by the HUGE jugs of it.

Over the last 5 years I find myself drinking it here and there.

That's what happens when you have a toddler/young child who loves it.

Apple juice is something that we pretty much ALWAYS have in the fridge,

in either juice box or jug variety.

Today I picked some up from Target (cue angels singing), as we ran out a couple of days ago.

At first I was just going to go with the good ol' Archer Farms brand, but then I saw that the Motts brand was on sale for just a penny more.

Not only was the regular apple juice on sale but so was their Natural Apple Juice.

This stuff is made from fresh pressed apples and has no added sugar.

It's the kind you have to shake up before pouring as it has small bits of pulp floating in it.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! 

This stuff is AMAZING!!!

It's sweeter than regular apple juice and tastes more like you're biting into a sweet, crisp apple.

SO  FREAKING GOOD!

If you're a fruit juice lover I definitely recommend that you try this nectar of the gods out.

Now.

dreaming of :: fall :: food

Another thing that Fall brings is the longing for rich, decadent, comfort food.
The Autumn months are perfect for eating things that taste of caramel, apple, pumpkin and cinnamon.
There are the typical desserts that you think of, such as:

Pumpkin pie.
With fresh whipped cream, of course.

Cinnamon Rolls.
Perfect for an early breakfast on a chilly morning.

Hot apple pie.
A la mode, please!

Caramel apples.
This would also be a fun kitchen "project" to do with the kiddos that are a bit older.

And then there's other desserts that use those same flavors in an even more imaginative way.

How about a salted caramel and vanilla cheesecake?

Or a spiced pumpkin mousse trifle?
It's almost to pretty to eat. Almost.

Here's a carrot cake cheesecake cake.
Two of my favorite desserts combined, definitely not a bad thing.

Ooh! And these fried apple rings with cinnamon sugar butter icing.

One of my favorite hot beverages is a chai latte.
With it's warmth, creaminess, and various spices, it's the PERFECT fall drink.

Then there are the savory foods that we traditionally think of as "comfort" food.
I know that I will definitely make each of the following dishes at least once this fall, but more than likely, they will get made multiple times.

Chicken Pot Pie.
My sister in law makes the best pot pie and I am fortunate enough to have the recipe.

Mashed Potatoes.
Preferably with LOTS of butter and garlic.

Homemade mac and cheese.
This is truly more comforting than the bright orange boxed stuff.

Baked potato soup.
I make this often in the fall and winter months.
SO easy and SO good!

So, what kind of recipes are looking to break out once the weather starts cooling off?

worcestershire sauce

One of my favorite condiments of all time is Worcestershire Sauce. When I use it on a food, my consumption of it can be a little on the excessive side. I douse my food in it, time and time again.

I do, however, pronounce the word worcestershire "wrong". The correct pronunciation is 'woos-tar-sher', but I say it like it's spelled (I've only met one other person that pronounces it like I do). And let me tell you, my way of saying it is more fun. It is probably one of my favorite words to say, and often the "sauce" part of the phrase worcestershire sauce, comes out sounding like shauce, which I find myself giggling at.

Oh, and my favorite thing to drown in a pool of this condiment from above??



A yummy steak, preferably cooked by the hubs. On a sidenote, I ate SO MUCH steak when I was pregnant with Baby L. I am normally not a huge meat eater, but boy did I crave it when pregnant.

What is your condiment of choice for a steak?

me, a-z

(a)ge - 27 years young (but that will change in less than 2 months).

(b)ed size - Queen. It's from Ikea and it's SUPER comfy!

(c)hore you dislike - Dishes!! YUCK!!

(d)ogs - None right now. But ever since I was a kid I've wanted a female Golden Retriever named Sadie.

(e)ssential start to your day - Iced tea or Dr. Pepper. Give me caffeine!!

(f)avorite color - Turquoise.

(g)old or silver - Generally silver, but gold is starting to grow on me.

(h)eight - 5'3 3/4". Yes, I claim that 3/4 of an inch.

(i)nstruments you play(ed) - Used to play piano. I WILL pick it up again one day.

(j)ob title - Currently, Mommy.

(k)ids - 2 cuties. Audrey is 5 year old (going on 15) and Lawson is 10 weeks old.

(l)ive - Central Texas. IT IS HOT!!!

(m)om's name - Charlotte.

(n)icknames - Jen, Jenny, J, JJ, etc.

(o)vernight hospital stays - Twice. When each of my kiddos were born.

(p)et peeves - My main one is when people use the word, irregardless. Also, text speak.

(q)uote from a movie - "I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly. Mm, mm, mm."

(r)ighty or lefty - Mainly right, but I'm pretty ambidextrous.

(s)iblings - 2 older brothers, 1 younger sister, 1 younger brother.

(t)ime you wake up - Which time? Normally between 6 and 8, although that will change in the coming weeks, when A starts Kindergarten.

(u)nderwear - Ummm, yes please?

(v)egetables you don't like - Beets and spinach from a can. BLECH!!

(w)hat makes you run late - My kids and the hubs. Plain and simple.

(x)rays you've had - Dental, arm and foot.

(y)ummy food you make - I'm a pretty decent cook, but a few family favorites are spaghetti, chicken fried steak, arroz con pollo and cupcakes.

(z)oo animal favorites - Hmmmm....giraffes and hippos.

how to make onion rings

Who doesn't love onion rings??? Even my 5 year old and the hubs, who are PICKY eaters, gobble these up. And, I have to give the hubs credit. He was the one who suggested giving these a whirl, and even made the first batch himself. Now we're hooked.

When I cook, I don't keep track of quantities. I pretty much eyeball everything or add ingredients to taste. But onion rings are SO cheap and easy peasy to make (not to mention DELICIOUS) that I just had to share.

Ingredients:
a white onion
one egg
milk
salt
pepper
all purpose flour
vegetable oil

step 1: slice your onion into rings.


step 2: salt & pepper your onion slices.


step 3: mix an egg and a few splashes of milk together in a bowl.


step 4 : pour some flour in a bowl.


step 5: heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.


step 6: dip onions in egg mixture and dredge in flour.


step 7: fry in oil for a few minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.


step 8: drain onion rings on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt to taste.


step 9: ENJOY!!!

random eight

1. When I first got pregnant with A, I developed an aversion to spaghetti that lasted for almost 3 years. Now we eat spaghetti AT LEAST once a week.




2. The hubs and I got married after dating for less than 8 months (less than 2 weeks after I turned 20). We are now going on 8 years of marriage.




3. I do not like dark meat chicken, UNLESS it is a fried chicken drumstick.




4. My favorite author of all time is Dean Koontz.




5. My parents once figured out that by the time I turned 18, we had moved upwards of 15 times (most of it in the same city). How many times have they moved since then? Zero.




6. Pregnancy amnesia is real. Even though I was super sick and uncomfortable while I was pregnant this last time, within a week of Baby L being born I missed being pregnant.




7. My favorite superhero is Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix.




8. And, speaking of the X-Men, Baby L was *almost* named Logan, after Wolverine, who is the hubs favorite superhero of all time.