Guess who turned 1 !?!

I can't believe that it's already been a year since we welcomed little Eli.  We celebrated his first birthday this weekend and I couldn't help but be grateful for all of Gods blessings. 

Spicy Lentil Tostadas

My husband doesn't like it when I make lentils.  When I make lentils, it means that the meal will not include meat, something that he craves.  However, when I prepare lentils like this, he actually enjoys them (even if he does pretend in his head that its beef he's eating).

Purge

I'm taking a slight deviation from my usually up-beat and light posts to write about something that's really been weighing on my heart.  I'm feeling a need to purge.  No, not physically lose my stomach contents, but to purge some things from my life.

Holy Gastro-Intestinal Sickness Batman!!

For the past week, my house has been one of total discomfort and nausea.  There has truly been a war waged in my house, leaving a trail of laundry that is truly scary.  Not-So-Little-Man, Handsome Hubby, and Baby Boy were all sick with a crazy bug that created havoc on their poor digestive systems.  Needless to say, I've had to change more diapers, clean up more vomit, and try to force more pedialyte than I'd like to remember.  I think Baby Boy had it the worst out of all, poor little guy. 

Leftover Roundup: Pasta Frittata

I hate to throw away leftovers.  Maybe it was all those years of my mom reminding me of the starving children in Ethiopia that would love to have the portion of my dinner I didn't want to eat.  Maybe it's the dollars I see spent on the food being put into the trash.  Whatever the reason, it drives me to find new ways to repurpose my leftovers. 

Adventures in Bento

Ok, so I've always thought those cute little bento boxes from Japan were adorable. So, I decided to try my hand at it to see what I could do. The result, I've found a creative outlet and I don't have to pull out my sewing machine or paints.

Ladies Bunco Night Guacamole

I played Bunco for the first time on Friday.  It was super-fun.  However, I had to whip up something fast after work to bring to the 6:30pm game. 

Wild Caught Shrimp... Oh what to do?

Wild Caught shrimp was on sale this week and it's been staring at me from the refrigerator for a couple of days.  I have to be honest, I don't really like shrimp.  My husband LOVES shrimp.  So I buy it occasionally for him.  Tonight, was one of those nights where I didn't know what I was going to do to make the shrimp something we would both enjoy.  My first thought was to marinate and grill or maybe a gumbo.  But the recipe I ended up settling with involved sauteing it and serving with pasta.  My deciding factor for which recipe to choose: my pantry ingredients. 

Comfort Food: Homemade Pizza

This was my 5th attempt at a whole wheat pizza crust, and I have to say, success!  When using whole wheat, it is easy to have a crust that resembles something closer to the sole of a shoe rather than a crust.   But this recipe produced a fluffier crust with just the right amount of chewiness. I added toppings from what was leftover in my refrigerator, and voila, pizza. 

Lunchboxes Filled with Love: Thursday

I've got a sick baby at the house, so today's lunch had to be prepared with one hand.  Why?  Because Baby Boy gets extra clingy when he's sick and refused to let me put him down. 

Lunchboxes Filled with Love: Wednesday



We had homemade pizza for dinner tonight.  So guess what found it's way into my son's lunchbox?...

Lunchboxes Filled with Love: Tuesday

So, this week, I've decided to attempt to do a series on my humble little blog.  The series: Lunchboxes Filled with Love.  I'm going to do my very best to post each day this week what I'm packing for my 11 year old in his lunch.  Ever since making the switch to whole foods, I've realized how unhealthy school lunches are and how they were affecting his ADHD. 

I Have Two Valentines...

I know I know, it sounds crazy.  But hear me out.  One Valentine has been mine for almost ten years and the other has been mine my entire life. 

One of those "Perfect Days"

Saturday was one of those perfect days that leave you feeling revived and at total peace.  Here is a glimpse of what made this day so wonderful:

Athena Creation Chicken and Mushrooms with Polenta

As with any other Athena Creation, this one came about based on what I had left in my refrigerator and pantry because it's the middle of the week and I am too busy and tired to want to set foot in the grocery store.  I was a little intimidated with the polenta because I've never used it before, but it's been staring at me from my pantry ever since I got it on sale.