More adventures and Recipes!

    Good afternoon!  I hope you've had a good weekend so far, I know we have!  So thankful we get to extend this weekend and next!  We got a late start yesterday because Eisley let us sleep in yesterday to our surprise.  She recently put herself on a new schedule where she wakes up with Aaron at 6am, eats, gives him cuddles and kisses bye-bye, then falls asleep again until 10am.  I really LOVE this new schedule.  It forces me to get an early start and I get so much more done around the house.  It was a surprise that she didn't wake up at 6 and ended up just getting up at 10!  I guess she knew daddy and mommy would appreciate getting to sleep in because it was the weekend.  Thanks baby girl! hehe So anyway, we got up and got ourselves ready for the day, ran some errands, and decided to take a trip to the park.  It was such a beautiful day but got really cold so we didn't stay for too long.  Here are a few snapshots of our park time.

 They are too cute!

 I love this little baldy! <3

Crazy gal is winking!! hahaha

When we got home, my oven worked overtime.  Aaron wanted to make homemade BBQ chicken for dinner and it was DELICIOUS!  I will add the recipe for the dough and chicken after I post photos of it.  It takes a little more time than some may want to spend preparing a meal but you can make dough ahead of time and keep it in the freezer for quicker meals during the week.  You obviously don't need to make the pizza specifically BBQ either of course.  Blahh I'm beginning to ramble. Here you go.

Pizza Dough:

This recipe makes 3 9 inch pizzas

ingredients:

1 1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
3 oz vegetable oil (per pan) *Sounds crazy I know. We did one without so much oil and it was great too but it needs to be in oil for sure.*
butter flavored cooking spray

directions:

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large (2 qt.) bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. 

Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans, put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle. Place in cake pans. 

Spray the outer edge of dough with cooking spray. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sauce: 

Combine ingredients and let sit for 1 hour. 

For Each Nine Inch Pizza: Preheat oven to 475 degrees F Spoon sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge.  Place toppings of your choice. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.

Yeah, we don't know how long to keep it in, just watch it.  If the crust is browning, its done! 

Chicken Recipe:

Oil boneless and skinless chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

If you have a gas grill, turn one side of the grill onto high heat.  If you have a charcoal grill, put the charcoal on one side of the grill.  

Allow the grill to heat up and place the chicken on the opposite side of the grill so that it is not directly on the fire.  Cook one side of the chicken for 7-10 minutes, then flip it over.  After you flip it, baste your favorite BBQ sauce onto the cooked side of the chicken.  Cook the other side of the chicken for 7-10 minutes.  Flip the chicken over so that the the side with the BBQ sauce is down on the grill.  Baste the opposite side with BBQ sauce.  Repeat this process two more times so that you have a total of 3 coats of BBQ sauce on each side.  At the very end, if you using a charcoal grill, place the chicken directly on the fire, close the lid for a few minutes (depending on how much fire you have left) to allow the chicken to smoke.

Hopefully the directions all made sense. :\

We also baked at banana bread.  No nuts because my husband isn't a very big fan of them.

Banana Bread Recipe

 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DirectionsSet oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts (if your want to add them). Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Ok, gotta go! Enjoy! <3

Science Project

This is going to be a fairly short blog but I recently saw this on a website and I am drawing a blank as to which one.  Possibly something someone posted on FB.  Eh I have no idea, I see so many things that I try and keep in my brain memory.  Anyway, I am using it as a little home science project for myself to see if it works.  If it did, oh man, that could save a few bucks!

Have you ever heard of growing your own lettuce

back from the old stub that is left over?

I know I haven't until recently.

I will post an update on the progress if any.  I guess all you do is put it in a cup of water and watch it grow! Make sure to change the water daily though! It would be great if it actually worked. 

I am just waiting patiently for Peanut to wake up and thought I would post this before she wakes up.  I'd better get going though, I gotta start lunch before my hubby gets home! 

Eisley update and baby crafting how-to

So this blog has been on the back burner for a while.  I have been so busy with Eisley and house work! Eisley is going through a phase where she doesn't want to be put down...like EVER!  I think she may be teething as well.  My poor little lady.  I think the last time I posted, I mentioned something about a weekend full of projects for the house?  Yeah well that didn't happen. :( It turned out to be a packed weekend!  We still had a good time though anyway!  Since I last posted, Eisley has started solid foods. So far just avocado which she LOVES and we may try sweet potatoes this week.

Looks pretty yucky huh?! haha I can tell that this is going to be a fun journey of trying new foods!  I am doing a no sweets till her 1st birthday rule though.  Mean mommy?  Maybe so, I just don't like the idea of a baby having sweets so young.  Just my personal opinion.  Anyway, I can't believe that she is coming up on 5 months already! It is the strangest thing.  I still have yet to make her outfit! I'm cutting it pretty close here.  I also have an Etsy order I need to fulfill this week! Ahhh crafting overload!  Hopefully Eisley naps reeeeeaaallllyyy well this week.  Oh but that reminds me! Eisley made her first craft with me a week ago!

She made one for grandma's birthday

and one for mommy and daddy!

You are going to want a happy and fed baby for this project.

Ingredients:  

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 cup of salt

(I used idolized salt because of the texture and it gave a sparkly look)

kneed dough, roll out or flatten between hands and form a circle

place child's hand in dough and use a straw to make a hole for hanging. 

Bake in the oven on parchment paper

200 degrees for about 3 hours or until dry.

pretty simple eh?

Well, my hubby is about home and we gotta go run a few errands.  Have a blessed day! <3

Finished Embroidery Hoop

I forgot to post my finished embroidery hoop that I said I was going to post! Here it is:

close up.

As you can see, I was getting tired and lazy towards the end. (the hanging flags)  It was probably about 3am...I couldn't sleep at first and then I just wanted to get it finished.  I will probably go back and try and fix it but until then, here it is!  I have requests from a few people who would like one so if you want one, just shoot me a message either on here, FB, or email.  

This weekend, the hubby and I are finally putting together our headboard that we have been wanting to make! Rain is expected this weekend so we are going to work on some DIY home projects.  Can't wait!

Our Day Trip

I was planning to post yesterday but my sister and I decided to have a movie night sleepover! So fun!  She's still sleeping which I can't say I can blame her because she rarely gets sleep these days with her schedule.  Any who... Day 3 of our 3day weekend had to be my favorite!  We went to Morro Bay and Aaron showed us where his grandpa used to live and the street his mom grew up on which I thought was super sweet.  I took a photo of Aaron and Eisley standing in front of the house but I don't think I will post it because, well, I think if I saw my house on some stranger's blog, I'd be kinda creeped out. 

haha I will however, show you our photos as we left for our road trip and and got to our destination.

Eisley and daddy getting ready to leave.

She's got her shades on so you know she's ready! 

C'mon guys lets hit the road! 

Are we there yet?!?!

We made it!  Eisley couldn't be more curious

about everything new around her.  

First thing was first though.  We had to eat! haha We had lunch at this cute little place called, Rocca's Surf Shack.  It was really cute in there and the food was great! 

 Not sure if you can really see, but the chairs were

covered with beach towels! Too cute.

They were playing Michael Jackson in

there during this time and just play Eisley

the right kind of music and she's dancin! 

After all of our in town adventures we went to the beach and showed Eisley the ocean for the first time.  Eisley has always loved water and taking baths so to see a big body of water...we just had no clue how she would react.  

This is the reaction we got!  She LOVED it!

 I love how tiny Eisley looks!

 <3 Love <3

 Mommy.Daddy.Eisley

Our little beach bum fell asleep on the beach. <3

The weekend as a whole was great but this was by far my favorite day! Aaron and I had not been to Morro Bay in such a long time!  Aaron hadn't been there for about 13 years or so and I hadn't been there for maybe about 8 years or so. We usually go to Ventura so this was a nice change though we love anywhere there is water! 

Ta-ta for now! (oh man, too much Winnie the Pooh with Peanut.)

2 days of our 3 day weekend adventure

I haven't been able to get on here as much as I have been wanting to.  Life has been busier than ever but all grand!  Aaron is no longer sick and we have had the best 3 day weekend!  After Aaron got off of work, I finally went to the office I work for and turned in my resignation letter.  I am officially a stay at home mom!  It's all such a blessing!  Bittersweet but so exciting!  We picked up my sister from work, took her home, and took Eisley to the park.  She didn't really seem to know what to do or think of it.

See what I mean? hahaha

We went to the park again the following day but a different one. We had a picnic with Eisley and took her to feed ducks.  It was such a beautiful day!

 Kisses from daddy!

Hungry me.

Hungry ducks and geese.

Daddy and Eisley feeding the ducks. <3

Me and Peanut feeding the ducks.  It was

her first time ever seeing real ones.  She really

loved it!

That night, Aaron and I had a date night!!! It was really awesome and just what we needed.  He had been so sick and I hadn't even hugged him since the Saturday before!  I was finally able to snag some smooches. Haha We went to dinner and a movie.  We really wanted to see This is 40 but for whatever reason the showing we were going to see got cancelled due to technical errors.  I was kinda bummed about that but happy with what we ended up seeing!  We went to the other side of town (which is always and adventure) to the dollar theater and saw Wreck it Ralph!! Oh my goodness, such a cute movie! haha no baby and we still ended up seeing a kid movie. That's us alright!  We had a day of just hanging out at home which was nice because we got a lot done...or should I say my husband did.  He took our Christmas tree down (finally heh), he also cleaned the back yard which was awesome!  

This is what I did...

I crocheted a crown for Peanut but it was too big for her and obviously too small for me.  I measured her head too but I clearly measured incorrectly.  Oh well, do over!  I will post more tomorrow about our last day of our 3 day weekend.  It deserves a post all on its own because it was so fun! Goodnight y'all! <3