meatball sandwich and garlic fries

We love meatball sandwiches at our house. They are messy, but delicious. This recipe is easy, and the cream cheese spread makes them out of this world! The garlic fries are a nod to the garlic fries you can get at Safeway Field in Seattle, Washington. I was introduced to them at my first Mariners game, and I fell in love. We love to dip our garlic fries in ranch or honey mustard.

Meatball Sandwich

Ingredients

Hoagie buns

Meatballs

Marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Cream Cheese Spread (for 2 sandwiches):

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a saucepan, heat marinara sauce and meatballs until they are heated through. In a small bowl combine cream cheese, mayo, and seasoning. Stir until completely combined. On a cookie sheet, place hoagie buns open and insides up. Bake for a couple minutes until the bread in just starting to toast. They won't even be golden brown, just toasted enough that the bread is starting to crisp (this will keep the sandwich from getting soggy. Pull buns out of the oven, and spread cream cheese mixture on both sides of the sandwich, add meatballs and close up the sandwich. I usually use toothpicks to hold the sandwich together until I am ready to serve. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Place in oven again and broil until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is a toasty, golden brown color. Serve immediately and Enjoy!

Garlic Fries

Ingredients

Frozen fries (unseasoned)

Minced garlic

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Place fries on a cookie sheet. Make sure to keep the fries to one layer so they cook evenly. Spoon minced garlic on top of fries. I usually do a half teaspoon over every couple of fries. The more garlic you use the more flavor you'll get. You can always take some of the garlic off the fries before you eat them if you don't want to eat the garlic straight. Coat with salt and pepper. Bake according to your fries' directions. I like to broil my fries for a bit after they are done cooking to make them a little more crispy and golden brown. Enjoy!

cream cheese chicken roll-ups

These chicken roll-ups are the perfect dinner for a fall evening. They are warm, comforting, and delish. I can't wait to use our Thanksgiving leftovers to make these with turkey. This recipe is simple, and only has five ingredients. For my small family, I half the recipe, and heat up the extra soup with some milk to make a gravy to top the roll-ups with. If your family is too large for that you can always just get a gravy packet and mix it with some milk or water. This recipe is from Six Sisters' Stuff. You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Cream Cheese Chicken Roll-ups

Ingredients

4 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
2 packages of crescent rolls
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened (I use fat free)
1-2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 small can of cream of chicken soup

Instructions

Head over to Six Sisters' Stuff for baking directions. Enjoy!

toddler ghost craft

Croup is the worst. Croup with an ear infection makes things really exciting. There hasn't been a whole lot of sleep going on around here, which means patience is pretty low. As we were waiting for Elle's doctor appointment for her ear infection I wanted to keep her distracted from how crappy she felt. This ghost did the trick. Elle loved swirling the cotton balls in the glue, and swirling the glue onto her ghost. I was worried about the mess this craft might create (I hate messes), but I was pleasantly surprise. It was easy to contain, which is really saying something when a toddler is involved.

Halloween Ghost

Materials

White cardstock
Cotton balls
Liquid glue
String (to hang the ghost)

Directions

Cut the cardstock into a ghost shape - I just freehanded it. Pour some glue onto a paper plate. Dip one side of a cotton ball into the glue, then stick it onto the cardstock ghost. Repeat until the ghost is completely covered. Use a hole punch or scissors to create a hole at the top, and thread some string through it. Tie a knot and hang!

meatball mummies

I can't  believe how quickly Halloween is sneaking up on us. I feel like it was just the Fourth of July! I really wanted to make this year special for Elle because she's finally at the age where she gets excited about things. Tonight I made meatball sandwiches for Mister and me, and I decided to make something special for Elle. They were really easy to make, and she loved eating them.

Meatball Mummies

Ingredients - per one mummy

3 meatballs

1 Rhodes roll

1 uncooked spaghetti noodle or wooden skewer

Marinara sauce

Instructions

Defrost the Rhodes roll and meatballs (if they are frozen). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stick the three meatballs on the spaghetti noodle or skewer. With your hands form the dough into a very thin rope (about 1/4 inch). Wrap the dough around the meatballs to make it look like a mummy. Carefully take out the noodle or skewer and place the "mummy" on a baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce on the side. Enjoy!

taco pizza - copycat bajio mexican pizza

Life has been a little crazy lately. I haven't even had time for grocery shopping. Normally I use Walmart's grocery pickup. Let me tell you, that program is a lifesaver. I promise I am not affiliated with Walmart in any way. I just like to share with my friends things that make my life easier. 

Grocery pickup helps me meal plan and save money. It keeps me from wandering the aisles looking for new things to buy and try. It also helps my dinners go smoother because I know what I'm making each night. Also, the service is free. FREE! The cons, if you can even call them that, are that you have to order a day in advance if you want a specific time slot, and if they don't have something that you order they substitute it. When they substitute they find something equal or better than you ordered and you don't have to pay the difference. For example, one week I ordered a 20ish ounce bottle of Great Value brand ketchup. They didn't have any in stock, so instead I received a 40ish ounce bottle of Hienz ketchup at no additional cost to me. 

Before they load your car, they tell you any substitutions or omissions there are from your order. If you don't approve of they substitution they will take it back and refund you for the item you originally ordered. You also can select "no substitutions" when you order, and they will omit anything that isn't in stock.

The only problem I've ever had with this service is once I received some fairly under ripe tomatoes. I mentioned this in my review and the next day I received an email from Walmart apologizing and refunding me for the tomatoes. I'm telling you, grocery pickup is heaven sent.

Anyway... sorry for the detour.  We were low on groceries, and I needed to figure out something for dinner. Inspiration hit and I remembered a recipe I made a few months back from the website Barbara Bakes. I was delicious, and I had all the ingredients (minus some tomatoes for a topping). These taco pizzas are so good, and so filling. Elle even ate a slice! 

Taco Pizza

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

Taco seasoning

1 - 16 oz refried beans

Soft taco sized tortillas

Salsa

Shredded cheese

Green onions

Tomatoes

Jalepenos

Sour cream

Instructions

Head over to Barbara Bakes for cooking directions. Enjoy!

beanless queso

When I was pregnant with Elle and was going through morning sickness this queso was one of the only things I could keep down. I make this queso for girls' nights, parties, and weekend get-togethers. This recipe uses only four ingredients and is microwavable - no dirty pans! Eat on baked potatoes, tacos, or just dip some tortilla chips. You really can't go wrong.

Beanless Queso

Ingredients

1 13.5 oz can beanless chili 

1 small can diced green chilis 

1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 4 minutes, or until queso is warm and smooth. Stir after each minute to keep from burning.

creamy penne

Today was Elle's 2 year checkup. When we got there Elle was thrilled that they had a tank full of "feesh" and a "show" playing for her to watch. When we arrived at the room for her checkup she immediately backtracked and refused to walk in on her own. The rest was meltdown city. Little did she know that the worst was saved for the end of her appointment. After she was pricked in her legs and she calmed down, we were on our way. She was very melancholy in the backseat until the song "Can't Stop the Feeling!" came on. She immediately asked me to ""nance" with her, so we jammed together on our way to the post office. I just love my little dancer. She's got quite the moves. If you're lucky I'll record it and share it with you some day.

We found a new show that Elle likes to watch on Netflix. Bless Curious George's Boofest for keeping her busy while I cooked dinner. Tonight's dinner was a simple pasta. We tried ground turkey in it, and it wasn't to shabby. This pasta recipe is my go-to when I don't want to think about meal planning. I always have the ingredients in the pantry, and if I don't have any meat I make it meatless. This meal can't fail you. Throw in some quick bread sticks and a salad, and you're good to go.

Creamy Penne

Ingredients

1 jar marinara sauce
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 pkg penne (or any type of noodle)
1 lb ground beef (optional)
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Italian Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the noodles according to their package's directions. After draining the noodles, pour them into a 9x13 pan. Pour both sauces on top and stir together. Sprinkle desired amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I always add a bit of Italian seasoning on top for a bit of flavor. Throw in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes - until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

ice cream cake: circus animal cookie cake

In our family we have a tradition of making ice cream cakes for birthdays. We've done all sorts of concoctions. For Elle's birthday I wanted to do something fun. For you Utahans, if you haven't tried Red Button ice cream you are missing out. One of our favorite flavors is  Sprinkled Animal Cookie. Mister and I decided to get creative and use that as the base for Elle's cake. It was quite delightful, and absolutely perfect for a sweet little girl's birthday party. 

Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream Cake 

Ingredients

1 bag of Circus Animal Cookies, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups butter, melted 

1 container of Red Button's Sprinkled Animal Cookie ice cream 

1 jar of marshmallow cream (I used Smuckers)

1 - 8 oz bag white chocolate mini Kit Kats (roughly chopped)

Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop the Circus Animal cookies. Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, and press to the bottom of a greased spring-form pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Once the crust has cooled, warm up the marshmallow cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Spead marshmallow cream over the crust and top with the chopped Kit Kats. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Scoop ice cream on top and spread with a spoon to evenly disperse. Top with sprinkles. You'll need to lightly press the sprinkles down with your fingers to get them to stay put. Freeze for at least one hour before serving. Serve with leftover marshmallow cream. Enjoy!

baked chicken flautas

Feeding a toddler is hard. Let me rephrase that, feeding a toddler actual food is hard. Elle loves cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, crackers, and apple sauce (sometimes). Getting her to eat the dinner placed in front of her is a marathon. I was thrilled when I tried this recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff and she SCARFED it. She.asked.for.more (#miracle). These flautas are delicioso. The combination of spicy, creamy, and sweet is enough to die for. Enough chit-chat, here's the goods.

Baked Chicken Flautas

Ingredients

4 cups cooked & shredded chicken

1 cup salsa verde

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz) can black beans, rised and drained

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained (I used Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn and it was the best!)

1 1/2 cups cheese, divided (we used cheddar)

12-14 tortilla shells (soft taco size)

Directions

Head to Six Sisters' Stuff for the baking instructions. Enjoy!

elle's nursery

Elle is turning two today! In celebration, we are having a throwback to her nursery days. I loved her nursery. I was so cozy, and has so many tender memories attached. I didn't want to spend a lot of money decorating because I knew we would be spending of money on other things, so I reused a lot of things we had around the house.

The changing table and baskets are from Ikea. I made the artwork on the walls. We got the mirror from Tai-Pan awhile ago, but I thought it would look great in the nursery.

Jeremy owned that giant chair before we got married. Words cannot describe how comfortable that chair is. I'll tell you right now though, it is really hard to get out of when you pregnant with a giant stomach that likes to get in the way. The faux fur throw is from Ikea, and I made the pillow with scraps from the crib blanket.

I bought the mobile on Amazon. It was my big splurge. I couldn't help it though; it is simply adorable. I made the pennant banner, as well, out of left over fabric from the crib quilt.

I put my sewing skills to the test with this room. I made the crib quilt and the elephant pillow.

This cute rocking chair was given to us by Mister's mom. It was her's when she was a little girl. Elle absolutely loves it!

The rocking chair was a garage sale find for only $8. I painted it because it had definitely seen better days. I found the hamper at TJ Maxx, and the elephant mask I made in my high school ceramics class. This nursery was my favorite. I can't believe that my little babe has been around for two whole years!

easy homemade pizza crust: papa murphy's copy cat pizza crust

We love having homemade pizza at our house. It's cheap and delicious. The hard part about making pizza is finding the right crust. After many attempts at different recipes, I finally found the perfect crust. Leave it to Six Sisters' Stuff to have the best recipe of all time. It's easy to make, has simple ingredients, and doesn't take a long time to raise. From starting the crust to taking the pizza out of the oven, it takes me about an hour. That's pretty darn good! We have all sorts of pizza concoctions in this household, but our favorite is alfredo with chicken, bacon, onion, and tomato. It is quite delightful. This recipe make 3 medium pizzas. That is a lot for my little family, so I half the recipe and make one medium size pizza and one small pizza or cheese bread.

Papa Murphy's Copy Cat Pizza Crust

Ingredients

8 cups flour

6 Tbsp sugar

6 3/4 tsp fast rising yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups very warm water

6 Tbsp oil

Directions

Head to Six Sisters' Stuff for the baking instructions. Enjoy!

twix cookies

Shortbread cookies are Mister's absolute favorite. For me, they are probably a one on a scale from 1 to 100. I want my cookies soft; I want them chewy. I found this recipe for Twix cookies on Chef in Training. Since I had all of the ingredient in the pantry, I decided to give them a go. I needed a last minute treat for the youth activity I was in charge of and I thought I'd get some brownie points from my husband for making shortbread cookies. I had no idea I was forming a new love connection.

These cookies are heaven sent. They taste exactly like a Twix candy bar, and they are incredibly easy to make. The girls in my youth group raved about them all night, and I saw Mister sneaking some to work this morning. I'm telling you, once you make these cookies your life will never be the same.

Twix Cookies

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer

15 oz caramel (use directions on packaging for melting)

Chocolate Layer

2 cups of chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

2 teaspoons shortening

Instructions

Head to Chef in Training for the baking instructions. Enjoy!

parenting: the good, the bad, the ugly

Yesterday was not my day. Well, it started out okay, but after my dad's visit, it slowly (actually quickly) went downhill. It all started when I tried to lay Elle down for her nap. Nothing worked. Not singing. Not stories. Not even a spanking. Finally, after an hour and a half she dosed off. I quickly got started on my nap time projects.

Fifteen minutes later, almost to the second, Elle was roaming her room getting into everything. I quickly finished spray painting the primer on my project and went upstairs before she could do too much damage.

Once we got downstairs everything set her off. She cried about everything. Everything. Finally, I got her to agree to go for a ride with me. We headed to Swig to get me something to help me make it to the end of the day. After that we went to Chick-fil-a to get some french fries for Elle.

Before we even got out of the parking lot the fries spilled in the car twice. I parked the car to clean up the fries. When I leaned over to pick them up off the passenger side floor I leaned on the straw of my drink. This caused the straw to go through the styrofoam cup. I didn't realize what happened, of course, until I picked up the drink and got deliciousness all over my lap.

Once we got home, I checked my spray painting project. The primer was sticky! It had been over two hours and my project was sticking to the drop cloth, causing a rough texture. This meant that I'd have to sand everything and try again, unless they never fully dry. In that case I'll have to use paint remover or something.

Luckily, Mister got home from work early and brought pizza with him. Man, I love that guy. After dinner and bath time it was time for bed. Once again it was a struggle to get Elle to sleep. An hour later she was finally asleep.

Mister and I worked on Elle's birthday present, and headed up to bed at 9:30. Yeah, we were beat. I got ready for bed and soon after Elle woke up crying. Mister went in and got her back to sleep. About a half hour later she woke up crying again. My turn.

I head in and sing her lullaby. She calms down, and when I thought she was asleep I began to leave. She immediately sat up and started to cry again. Normally, I would leave her to her own devices, but she was sick and I could tell she was miserable. 

After many more unsuccessful attempts to leave the room I decided to sleep on the floor in her room. I'm too old to sleep in the floor. I woke up around three in the morning aching all over. I snuck out and slept on my bed of clouds for a few hours. I love our bed.

I can't believe you've made it this far, and read all of my whining. The moral of my bad day? Parenting can be draining. Parenting can be hard. Parenting can push you to your limits and then some. But, kiddos are so sweet. One little smile and your frustrations can melt away. One "luh you" can make you wonder how you could have been so mad. That's why parenting is the most amazing calling you can have on this life.

creamy pesto grilled cheese

Being a wife and a mom is the best. Some days, though, being a wife and a mom isn't so great. Sometimes I long for the days where my biggest worry was taking care of myself. Now, I feel like I rarely have time to take care of myself because I'm so busy with everyone else. I only have one kiddo. I have know idea how the rest of you moms do it with multiples. One thing constantly weighing on the back of my mind is what I am going to pull together for dinner. We don't eat out a lot because we would rather spend the money on other things. Also, eating out with a toddler isn't always the smoothest experience.

I don't have the time to make big, elaborate meals; Elle won't allow it. The second I head to the kitchen to start dinner she is tugging at my legs wanting all of my attention. I have learned that simple meals are the best way to go for us. One of my favorite fall and winter recipes is grilled cheese and soup. I get a little bored with the typical cheddar, bread, and butter though. We've found a new and exciting way to make grilled cheese, and we are in love! Because I like you, I'll share our secret. If you have some deep, dark grilled cheese secrets you better share!

Creamy Pesto Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

Bread

Provolone or munster cheese

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup basil pesto 

Sliced tomatoes (optional)

Butter

Instructions

Warm up a skillet or griddle to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together mayo and pesto until smooth. Spread some butter on one side of a slice of bread and place on griddle, butter side down. Spread desired amount of pesto mixture on the bread on the griddle. Top with cheese and tomatoes. Place another slice of buttered bread on top, butter side up. Grill until both side of the sandwich are golden brown (a couple minutes on both sides). Serve with some soup on the side. (We love the creamy tomato basil soup at Costco). Enjoy!

pumpkin cookies with white chocolate, caramel, & cinnamon spice

Have I mentioned that we have a cat? Meet Atlas. She joined our family about a month ago when our brother-in-law went to school and couldn't take her with him. She is the sweetest little kitty that loves cuddling. I mention this cutie because she deserves the credit for these delicious cookies being made. We had to run to the store to get canned pumpkin to help her with a little.. ahem... constipation. Since I couldn't let the rest of the pumpkin go to waste, I got on Pinterest and made the first delicious pumpkin cookie recipe that came up. I've never made pumpkin cookies before, so I don't have the cook time down, but these cookies were delightful. I made a spin off of the recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron. I'll share the ingredients I used, but follow the link to get the baking instructions.

White Chocolate, Caramel, Cinnamon Spice Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup cinnamon chips

3/4 cup caramel bits

Instructions:

Check out Chelsea's Messy Apron for baking instructions.

caramel apple pie: it's even more amazing than it sounds

Let's just take a minute to talk about this recipe. I don't care for apple pie, it's just not my fave. I'm not a fan of pie crust (I know, I know, I'm crazy), and apple pie usually has a lot of crust. Mister loves anything with apples and is a math nerd, so when Pi Day came around during our first year of marriage I knew I needed to be a good wife and make him some apple pie. That is when I came across this recipe from designeddecor.com. It is ah-mazing! Also, it is incredibly easy to make. It is my Pi Day go to recipe, but it is also perfect for autumn. Enough blabbing, here's the recipe.

Caramel Apple Pie

1 pie crust for a 9" pie tin
1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
6 c peeled & thinly sliced apples (I like to use Granny Smith)

Crumbly Topping
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c butter (softened)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Caramel syrup

Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add apple slices, and toss until coated. Transfer the apple mixture to the pie shell. Sprinkle crumbly topping over apple mixture, making sure to cover all the apples. Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to avoid overcooking it. Place a cookie sheet on the lower rack of the oven to catch drippings and bake the pie for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped pecans and drizzle with caramel topping. Serve with some delicious ice cream, and enjoy!

microblading: 8 things you should know before you go

Microblading. It's the new thing. It's so new that I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I offered to be a model for a friend that was being trained. What is microblading, you ask? Well, essentially it is a semi-permanent tattoo that looks like strokes of hair to fill in bald or sparse spots in your eyebrows. How is it done? Oh, this is where my friend got me. I thought it would be similar to a henna tattoo or something. How naive I was! They literally take a microblade, make a bunch of paper cuts, and fill the wounds with pigment. When your paper cuts heal they will be tinted scars that look like stokes of hair. I mean, I'm sure there is a more technical way to describe what was done, but that is basically the "Microblading for Dummies" version for you readers out there like me. I should admit, they do use a numbing cream. For me, the cream lasted for about half of the amount of time it took to do my eyebrows. Here's the good new though, you will survive and you will have amazing brows! I've come up with some tips for those of you who are more than ready to get your eyebrows on fleek (did I use that term correctly?).

You Will Turn into a Cartoon
They will map out your new brow shape before they start the slicing. They will also let you check it out before they start. Here's the tip, when you look at your mapped out brows, don't freak out. They basically fill in the shape with pigment, so it looks like you have cartoon eyebrows. Don't look at the color. Look at the shape. Look at where your brows start, stop, and arch. If you like the shape, you'll love the final product.

Pain is Beauty 
It hurts. I mean, they are giving you paper cuts over and over again. You can always ask for more numbing cream. It won't be the worst experience of your life, but just know that you aren't getting a facial.

Eyebrow Water Fast
You can't get your brows wet for a week. Personally, I was too worried that I would get my brows wet in the shower, so I bathed for a week. When you wash your face, you can't get your brows wet. I used the facial wipes from Costco. They were a life saver that week.

Say Hello to Scabby McScabberson
Your eyebrows will scab. It's part of the process, and it will itch like crazy. You have to be strong, and not touch the brows. The healing process is very important and if you mess with the scabs, you mess with the final product. They will give a Neosporin-esce gel to put on in the morning and before bed. It really helps.

From Dark to Light
You eyebrows will heal lighter than they look when you walk away from the salon/spa. After your scabs heal you will be left with normal looking eyebrows. Once the pigment scabs leave you will be left with lighter eyebrows than you have had for a week. You will have a touch-up appointment in 4-6 weeks where you can get your eyebrows darkened (if you'd like) and spots filled that didn't take the first time. This appointment is free for me. You will want to check with your technician to see if this appointment is available for you as well.

$$$
This procedure is a little spendy (in my book). I wouldn't have done it if it weren't free because I was a guinea pig. The price will depend on where you live. I've seen some for $200 all the was up to $500 in Utah. I guess when you take in how much money and time you'll save by waking up to amazing eyebrows it could be worth it.

Short Term Fleekage
Your tattoo will last up to 2 years. The time frame is different for everyone. I will be surprised if mine last that long. My hair color fades really fast when I dye it, so I'm assuming this probably will too.

Perfect Brows Take Time 
Your appointment shouldn't be longer that 2 hours. My eyebrows took about 2 hours from start to finish, and that was with a technician that was learning the ropes. The part that takes the longest is when they map out your eyebrow shape. The actual procedure maybe took 20-30 minutes.

All jokes set aside, this process wasn't bad. It is so nice to wake up to great eyebrows, and it cuts down on my makeup time. 30 minutes of pain and 7 days of itch is a pretty small price to pay for having the fleekest eyebrows on the street.

italian lasagna with an american twist

Friends! I have the best lasagna recipe for you!  I have gotten so many compliments from this simple dish. I love this dinner idea because it can be a pantry staple, and you don't have to go buy a ton of ingredients to make it.  Here's the recipe:

Americanized Italian Lasagna

2 bottles of marinara sauce
5 T butter
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
dash of salt
oven ready lasagna noodles
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

White Sauce Directions

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add in the flour and stir to combined with the butter. Slowly add in the milk. Salt to taste. Continuously whisk to keep the white sauce from burning. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to a simmer and stir for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Assembly Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan. Lay a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Keep the noodles all going the same way. I like to use the oven ready noodles so I don't have to boil them, but any type of lasagna noodles will work. Break or cut noodles to fit in the pan.

Spread another layer of marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Then, drizzle a layer of white sauce on top of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of that, then prepare for your next layer.

Lay your noodles facing the other way, then continue with your sauce layering (marinara, white, mozzarella, Parmesan-- keep alternating directions with lasagna noodles).

Once you run out of space, or sauce make sure that your final layer is the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes or so until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve with a fresh green salad and bread sticks. Enjoy!

painting 101

I love purple just as much as the next person, but I'm a firm believer in having neutral walls, and adding color by using other decor in the room. Mister and I decided that we (meaning I) were going to paint this room grey. I love grey. It is a great neutral that adds a little more excitement than white or cream. The hard thing with grey paint is that it is hard to find a truly grey color. Most grey paints have a blue, green, or brown undertone. I finally found one that I loved.  The color I used is Behr Ultra's "Elephant Skin." It is the perfect color for this room. I thought I would share with you my painting secrets. Everyone has their preferences when it comes to painting walls, but this method has always worked well for me.

First, take out any nails and screws, and fill in any holes in the wall. If you are going to use the hole again after you paint you don't need to fill it.

Next, wipe down the walls. It's amazing how dirty the walls get, and this is a great way to make sure that the paint sticks well to the walls. I just mix some dish soap with hot water and use a sponge.

Once the mud has dried, use a sponge to wipe off the excess. If you don't do so, you will be able to see the texture of it after you have painted over it.

Remove the face plates off of all outlets and light switches. You can take them off with a screwdriver. Make sure you find a safe place to put the screws so you can put them back on when you are down.

Now it is time to tape. Some people choose to forgo the taping and just use an edger. Edgers just don't do your paint job justice. Tape all the outlets and light switches. Tape around the molding, the ceiling, and the floorboards. This step is time consuming, but so, so, so worth it.

Lay down the plastic. This will save your carpet, I like to attach my plastic to the tape around my floorboards. This helps it stay put, and will save you a lot of headache while you paint.

Now it is time to paint! You will need the paint, a roller, rolling pan, small brush, and a small container to hold paint in. I always have a damp paper towel handy just in case I get pain somewhere that I don't want it.  Before you buy gallon(s) of pain, get a sample of your paint color (it only costs $3-$4 and it will ensure that you are getting the right color before you hand over the dough).

First, use a small brush and paint around all corners and small areas. I paint around the ceiling, floorboards, molding, corners, and outlets/light switches. These areas are hard to get to with the paint roller, and you will more than likely get paint on something you don't want paint on if you skip this step. You'll thanks yourself later, I promise.

Then, get out the roller and paint the rest of the walls.  This part will go much faster. I always do at least two coats of paint. I've noticed that the color is more smooth if I do at least two coats. If you use Behr Ultra (a paint/primer) you will more than likely only need to do two coats. Also, because it is a paint and primer, you don't have to worry about priming your walls; you can just paint away. Take off the tape as soon as you are done with all of your coats. if you leave it on until the paint dries it is much harder to peel off, and you risk the paint chipping when you pull the tape off. It's amazing the effect a new wall color can have on the feeling of a room. Have fun painting!

* This post is in no way affiliated with Behr paint. All views and opinions are my own.

baby & toddler leg warmers

So I found a super easy was to make baby leg warmers. They turned out great, and it's a 

convenient way to dress your babe and have great diaper access.

I used knee socks from Target. They have tons of colors, and if you watch you can get 

them on sale or clearance.

Cut the heel and toe.

Save the rest.

If you are making these leg warmers for a baby you'll want to cut off an inch from 
the fabric that was in between the heel and toe. If you are making them for a toddler 
you can skip the next few steps.

Turn the fabric so that right sides are together.

Sew the edges back together with a zigzag stitch.

Turn the fabric tube so that the right sides are facing out, then sew the raw edges together
to make a mini tube. this will be the cuff at the bottom of the leg warmers.

It will look like this when you're done.

 

Slip the tube around the raw edge of the sock so that the zigzag edge and the raw edge match up.

Sew the two edge together.

Flip the cuff and you have a leg warmer!

Move over Jane Fonda. We have a new leg warmer fashonista!