Yeah, we're still alive

I've totally gotten out of the groove of making posts.  Mostly because nobody reads this bad boy, and mostly because I haven't had time or money to cook creatively, or sew much.  But, I will share some of our summer activities.  It's been so crazy to have Carter moving and shaking soooo much more than last year.  It's opened doors that I never imagined we would be walking through.  Trips to the lake, trips to the store, spending time with family and friends have all been changed and rotate around what his schedule is and what his current bad boy getting into trouble activity is.  We started out the summer with a trip to a local organic strawberry farm.  I never pictured really caring about going to a strawberry farm that is purely organic until I saw Carter absolutely diggin' into the "bewies" (aka- berries) like he did.  He could have eaten every single berry in that place!  I never knew we had such a wonderful "you pick it" organic farm near us.  Isley Farms in Burlington, NC is just amazing.  The people working the farm are just awesome, and gave Carter a book about Strawberry picking and stickers.  Here are some pics:

We finally got home with our delicious strawberries and promptly decided to dig into the amazing ice-cream they manufactured with their yummy berries.  This was Carter's first go with ice-cream, and ..... well..... let's just say he was NOT so happy when I had to take it away from him.  I was going to put up a picture of the damage we did to that ice-cream but smartly decided against it :) 

Sweet little face dripping with ice-cream!

I've been reading throughout "blog world" for several summers now about how wonderful "freezer jam" is and how incredibly yummy it is.  I've always had this "southern girl" desire to learn how to make jams, jellies, and learn how to pickle, but never thought I could do it.  Boy was I wrong.  This was so easy and soooo yummy!!  I could not believe the beautiful red rubbies this recipe made.  I tried to take pictures of it to show how bright this jelly was, espcecially in comparison to store bought jelly, but the pictures do it no justice.  I've definitely decided that next year will be a year to furociously pick as many berries (of any kind!) as possible and to make this freezer jam as much as possible.  I looove opening my freezer and seeing these little beauties inside.  It makes me a very happy girl.  

 

 

Here is the recipe from the "Sure Jell" website (AND CAN I PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO STRESS AGAIN HOW EASY THIS WAS TO MAKE AND HOW FREAKIN' DELICIOUS IT WAS!!!):  

3-1/4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

CRUSH strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 3-1/4 cups crushed strawberries into large bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in pectin; let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended. Stir an additional 3 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

I had a wonderful reason to do a little bit of sewing again.  Not as much as I wanted to do, but a little more.  Another one of my friends was expecting a baby girl, the first in my group of friends- woooot!  So, I finally got to bust out the pinks and purples.  I wish I had known how to sew when Paisley came around.... well... maybe not, because that girl would have been spoiled 10 times more than she is now!! We had a beautiful lunch at "The Weathervane" in Chapel Hill.  The did a wonderful job setting up the area and having great helpers for me to decorate, and to serve.  We sat out on the patio next to a beautiful fountain.  I got to do a beautiful pink and orange themed shower.  I wish I had done it up a little more on the pink because I'm not sure if I'll ever get to do it again!  Here are some pics from the shower and the quilt and baby booties I made.  If you are a professional quilt maker you will probably cringe because it is far from perfect, but I loooooved the fabric and the colors together.  It made me cry when I saw baby Avery in a picture wrapped up in this little blanket.  It did

 

 

Here are the cupcakes, pre transit.  They were so pretty wrapped in that beautiful cupcake wrapper.  Then, they slid allllll over the place and got DESTROYED before I even made it to the venue.  

 

 

I found some really cute platters at Target and hot glued coordinating pink and orange ribbons to them to help tie in the color scheme.   I used the same ribbon on "sand buckets" that I also found at Target and put a little votive in.  You can see how the cupcakes were mooshed and destroyed.... so disappointing!!

Here is little momma in the middle with another one of our friends who is also expecting and

her sister-in-law.  

 

 A few present pictures (also with little momma's cutie patootie son):

 

 

 The beautiful letters for Miss Avery's room:

And a group shot of us girls:

OUTRAGEOUSLY Deeeelicioius Sugar Cookies

These are the cookies I used for the Valentine's Day cookies I made.  They were insanely delicious and buttery.  And again.... note to self.... THESE ARE NOT GOOD COOKIE CUTTER COOKIES!  They spread out too much for cutters.  Holy Hannah these are soooo good!  You can find them at All Recipes: 

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups margarine
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup white sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Half Hour Chicken Gumbo

This is a little late, but I really got into the Mardi Gras spirit this year and made some REALLLLY yummy gumbo this year.  I found a "Half Hour Chicken Gumbo" recipe on Martha Stewart's website.  It used a roaster chicken from the grocery store, and it was quite simple and easy.  After it cooked it looked really gross and "grey" so I added a large can of crushed tomatoes to it.  I don't remember any gumbo I've ever eaten being the color it was before the extra tomatoes, and I was sooo glad I added them.  It was delicious!!  Here are my pictures from my meal:

  Here's the recipe and the picture from her website!

Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo

Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra
• 8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick
• 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
• Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.

Holy Cannelini beans... that is good!

I've had this recipe marked under my "favorites" bar for a long time, but I've been waiting for ground turkey to go on sale  the right day to make it.  I finally got around to making it last night and oh my goodness it is sooooo good!  It was actually pretty easy and fast to make, and not too expensive b/c I had most of the stuff in stock besides the ground turkey.  I was surprised how brothy this soup was b/c the pictures doesn't show very much broth.  But, please, try this recipe!!  IT'S SOOO GOOD and not very fatty!  It didn't make very much, so after dinner I found myself making an extra pot so I could have it for lunches this week, and to freeze some.  Check out Martha Stewart's website for the original post.  I left the jalapenos out of mine because Carter was eating the soup too.  The soup was still very good.  Phillip had sour cream and jalapenos to add to his and he said it was amazing.  The prep time, and cooking time listed on the site are definitely correct, but it's not something you have to stand over and worry about while it's cooking.  It took about 40 minutes start to finish.  I'm a big fan of cutting corners to make things go faster so I used a bag of frozen chopped onions the second time I made it and it was perfection! (Oh, and let's not forget that they also sell the jalapenos canned already chopped and seeded!  Score!)  The Cannelini beans were hard to find, but I eventually found them at Food Lion.  If you can't find any I'm sure you can substitute with Northern Beans, even though they have a bit different taste.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, diced and seeded for milder taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• Sour cream, cilantro, and radishes, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large, deep, skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up turkey with spoon, until browned, 9 minutes.
2. Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 3 minutes. Stir in cumin and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.
3. Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, and water; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thick, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and radishes, if desired.

Skinny au' gratin potatoes

Phillip and I are really trying to do well for ourselves and loose some weight.  It's been very nice to have the shift in temperature and be able to walk outside at the end of the day.  I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website and it actually turned out pretty well.  This recipe calls for Yukon Golds, but I really hate those, so I ended up using our regular baking potatoes and it still turned out pretty well.  I bought a 10 pound bag of potatoes trying to save a buck (what was I thinking!!!) and we've been eating off this bag for 3 weeks now!!  Wont do that again!  Anywhooo!  Next time I will peel the potatoes because it seems like it added a tang to it that wasn't right.  I definitely encourage this recipe though!  So yummy!

au gratin potatoes

POINTS® Value:    3 Servings:  8 Preparation Time:  20 min Cooking Time:  90 min Level of Difficulty:  Moderate

Our cheesy potato dish is the perfect crowd pleaser—rich enough for your spouse and kids, yet light enough to keep your waistline slim.

Ingredients

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	1 Tbsp butter
	1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
	2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
	2 pound(s) Yukon Gold potato(es), thinly sliced
	1 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
	1 tsp table salt
	1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.
  
• Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.
  
• Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

Carrot Cake Deliciousness!

Mom had her birthday in January and my sister and I got our babies together and celebrated with her. I used Martha Stewart's Carrot Cake, and holy mackerel it was good! That icing was to die for. Enjoy!

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded on a box grater or in a food processor (about 2 3/4 cups)
• 2 cups pecans (1 cup finely chopped for batter, 1 cup coarsely chopped for decorating sides of cake)
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
2. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
4. Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day, covered) before serving.

So, I lied.....

Yeah, I lied.... I didn't post anything yesterday like I said I would. I brough my camera to work, but I had so many patients to see yesterday that I never got a chance to post. So, here are our pictures! We had 2 Thanksgivings, one with Phillip's family, and one with just us and college friends that came to visit. It was so wonderful to see them. It's been a year now and I really do miss them!

Getting ready to go to Aunt TT's for dinner

He's so freakin' cute!

Diving in to some yummy Thanksgiving Dinner!

The grown-up table that we've been allowed to join since we had Carter :) LOL!

The dinner I cooked! Yummy! Not as much as my mom makes, but I'm not sure I could've done more!

(Oh, and P.S.... I have the BEST recipe for crockpot mac and cheese! DELISH!)

Accent decorations- Tip from Martha to add cranberries to your fall flowers

Our table

Where's my food momma?!!

I made pumpkin pie (thank god it didn't turn out like my pecan pie did!) and Pumpkin Spice Cucakes and Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing with candy acorns (Totalllly did not taste like pumpkin and were AMAZZZZING!! Our guests cleared through 1/2 of them before I even got to ice them!)

The Acorn Toppers (made from caramels, dipped in chocolate, then dipped in sprinkles)

Sam and Katrina, our guests :)

I never thought I'd miss the boy, but I really do!