p i n t e r e s t

oh goodness - it's been so long and probably don't have any readers but this is as much for me as it would be for anyone that still reads this. so pinterest...i've done a few posts about it in the past and i'm sure there are actual professionals that do pinterest testing but i want to restart a series on PINTEREST TESTED. just quick little reviews...i'm always looking for THE best recipe of whatever i'm making. i want my boys to grow up and say, "remember when mom made that ______?? that was THE best!"  but seriously, i want to gather up all the yummy recipes that are THE best. here's my first one...

APPLE CRISP: "the best apple crisp you'll ever have"
KEEPER. i don't usually bake with dark brown sugar as most recipes call for golden but it's yummy and i could smell all the yummy molasses coming out of the dark brown sugar...i left out the almonds as my #1 is allergic, but i'd add it if i was eating this all by myself.  so the only other substitution / add on i made was the vanilla bean and bourbon. vanilla beans cost almost an arm and a leg - and i didn't have bourbon on hand so i used vanilla bean paste that i picked up at sur la table when scott and i took a cooking class together. this stuff is BOMB.COM as my husband would say. i would buy this stuff in gallons if i could. it's THAT good. the only other adjustment i made was using a 9x9 baking pan versus the 8x8. not sure if the 8x8 would have held all the yummy crisp this recipe makes. follow this recipe to a T - i'm betting you'll be tucking this gem away to make THE best apple crisp for that perfect fall night...summer bbq...or right now. :P

{http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-best-apple-crisp-youll-ever-have.html}

pinterest tested

apricot chicken: super easy and good. i was a bit shocked when i ended up using the whole jar of jam but i'd say for a last minute dinner idea - it's pretty darn good. we had friends over this night and we barely had any leftovers...love easy crock pot recipes! (we served it over rice and had roasted broccoli as a side)

roasted broccoli: okay, this is a no brainer - any veggie you roast tastes better!! i didn't follow the recipe exactly but it came out so yummy and is my favorite way to eat it! preheat oven to 425'...rinse and thoroughly dry the broccoli. drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil with some salt and pepper and put roast for 15 minutes. i then, took them out and flipped them and put them back in for another 10. so so good - try this one!

raspberry oatmeal cookie bars: SO easy & SO good!! i made these twice in one week because my husband loved them. we took one over to a friends and the other to my mom's for dessert - both leftovers were left at the place which made the husband bummed...anyways, these were so easy. i decided last minute to try these because i had everything in my pantry/fridge. of course husband wanted vanilla bean ice cream with these...try this recipe!! (i didn't have seedless preserve and it was just fine. i bet you can use any combination of flavors...might try boysenberry or blackberry next)

overnight blueberry french toast: i made this for easter brunch and it was a huge hit! i feel like the only down side was how long it took - 30 mintues room temperature before going in the oven. then an hour to bake. then some cool down time...but in the end, i'd say it was worth it. also, the blueberry sauce is very sweet...next time i'll cut back on the sugar and maybe add some fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

{all images via}

i won't picture it now but i'm going to try a cowboy cookie recipe tonight. i'm getting into some pre-nesting mode and feel like baking/cooking!! i'll review and post later this week...

pinterest tested

okay...so with being pregnant and super sick it's been really hard to want to cook and figure out what i want to eat for a particular meal but as of late, i've been wanting to cook more and so here are my reviews of some recipes i found on pinterest.

sundried tomato fettuccine: this looked and sounded pretty yummy as i read the ingredient list. it's supposed to be a lighter version of the cheesecake factory's one...and i can how they cut calories by omitting the heavy cream, rue, etc and substituting it with greek yogurt and sour cream. and again maybe i am a bit biased as my taste buds seem to be changing with this pregnancy every other second but i'd give this one a so-so. i've found anytime i use greek yogurt in cooking, it always has that curdled look to it. the sauce had an overall good taste and loved the sundried tomatoes but i just wasn't that into it.

pineapple smoothie: apparently this was supposed to be the "orange julius on steroids" drink but again...wouldn't make it. i actually couldn't finish mine. so i made my husband's and followed the recipe to a t. tasted his and wanted mine a little sweeter so i added a little bit of honey to mine but still, it sure wasn't "orange julius on steroids" in my opinion. there is another one that includes coconut milk that intrigues me more so i'll have to let you know how that one tastes. i'd say for this one, make it a special treat and instead of the greek yogurt, add vanilla bean ice cream... :)

the perfect snickerdoodle cookie: i made these last sunday after scott got home from a work trip. and these get an A!! mine ended up much flatter but these cookies were so yummy, it really didn't matter what they ended up looking like! i'll keep this recipe for future use. 

mini banana pancake muffins: so so yum AND easy. i made these when jacob's cousin was in town and i think the adults ate as much as these as the little ones did! i think the purpose of these were to eliminate the mess of the syrup and utensils but i can't say these were the cleanest to eat either. because of the maple syrup in the muffins, it makes for a sticky mess - but oh so worth it. 

weight watchers pumpkin cream cheese bars: never again. i think scott and i had one when they were fresh and warm out of the oven and they were super good. but after they cooled, it turned into a super weird texture. scott, being the non-waster that he is, kept forcing himself to have one but we ended up dumping them in the trash. maybe for desserts, i'll skip the weight watchers one and indulge in the real stuff just once in a while.

martha stewart's pasta: this one was actually pretty good. using the food processor is always messy but since i had, i decided to give this recipe a try. it's very fresh tasting and takes a little bit of getting used to but i actually enjoyed this one. i think it would be good in the summer...

best salted caramel brownies: i will say that i bought my caramel rather than making it so that could have made the difference. but i did go to williams & sonoma and bought a good quality salted caramel and it didn't look like it does in the picture. i will say that making your own brownie batter is pretty darn easy and so good. i'd make these again...crowd pleaser.

mini cinnamon rolls: OMG. these are TOO easy for anyone's good. we always have crescent rolls in the house because i make jacob little sandwiches with them, so one saturday morning i decided to whip these up and they are so so good (and you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry too)! make these with your little ones... :)

roasted sweet potato and coconut soup: i made this for our bible study and it was a hit! it's definitely on the thicker side for soup but it was yummy with all the different spices. definitely one to make for those cold fall/winter nights!

crock pot cinnamon almonds: these were so so sugary and candy like - and i usually don't mind that but this one was too much. i prefer the pumpkin pie almonds...won't be making these again.

tart: this was SOOOOOO yummy. i made these for our annual costume party and i got lots of thumbs up for this recipe. it has really bold flavors but they all come together nicely on the puff pastry. i will say, making it for a large crowd is tough and it's time consuming because of the onions but for an intimate gathering for a little appetizer - this would be perfect. keeping this recipe for sure!!

chocolate peanut butter muffins: these turned out just like it did in the photo below but it just didn't  have much flavor. the recipe was super easy and i had all the ingredients in the house but i wouldn't waste them again on this recipe...sad.

chipotle chicken salad: this is a staple in our household. i usually make this as the main course when we have friends over for dinner. the only thing i omit is the actual chipotle. i bought a jar of this and had no idea what to do with it and tasting it justified me throwing it out. the dressing is great without it. also, i think the recipe says the salad keeps but just as an fyi: it doesn't. i don't know any salad that keeps when you dress it. but try this one...it's so so good and easy!! (i forget what they say to do for the chicken but i always roast mine at 350 degrees with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper for 25-30 minutes and then just shredd it. it turns out juicy and yumm!)

orzo with parmesan and basil: this recipe was so good and easy. scott liked it better than i did but i think for me, when i cook it and have to taste it as i'm cooking it...my mind changes and i'm a much harsher critic than my husband is. overall though...it's a keeper.

pumpkin pudding: this one is ahhh-mazing. i made these for bible study (thanks for being my guinea pigs!!) and these were SO SO easy and good. i will be making these annually for the fall and winter festivities!!

{all images via}

woah baby!

tomorrow marks the beginning of our 2nd trimester...time seems to fly by and go slow all at the same time with this pregnancy. 

we just met with dr. stewart's associate, dr. dion about receiving weekly progesterone shots starting this week all - the - way until 35 weeks. this means, scott giving me a TWENTY shots in the rear for which will seem like an eternity. this will give us a 30% chance of keeping this bean in longer because i have a higher % of going into preterm labor (jacob came 4 weeks early). scott and i decided to pray over it for the next few days but my heart is leaning towards going this route, only because if it ensures keeping baby in longer and staying out of the NICU, i've got to do what's best for baby...

did i mention as much as i've been poked with many, many needles, i STILL hate it??! 

on a more fun note, we have the appointment made to find out the gender of this one...may 1st. not sure as to how we'll do it this time but i'm sure pinterest will have lot's of good ideas for us. :)

for names, we're pretty set for girls - riley is still our front runner. last year i met a little girl named reese and fell in love with it. scott still loves claire...now, if we have babyboy #2, i have no clue. jacob was so hard to agree and decide on, so we will see! i know if jacob had his vote, his names for either a brother or a sister would be as followed: caillou, dora, gilbert, bob or boots. hehee

we're having baby #2!!

with the third round of IUI (intrauterine insemination) we received the good news that it had worked!! having the first two rounds not work - were of course devastating and hard but i knew in my heart it just wasn't the Lord's timing for us. we are now on our 12th week with this little growing in my belly and we couldn't be happier. 

this second go has been a lot tougher - with jacob i was over the toilet more than a handful of times but this one - let's just say the toilet and i have become quite the bff's. my worst hours usually hit late afternoon throughout the evening and at times, wakes me from my sleep. i feel like i look like a ghost and i've been hiding out the past month and half without really realizing it. i feel MISERABLE but at the same time i have consciously set out to thank God for feeling this way for i know my baby is growing and thriving. 

we have been fortunate enough to have at least 5 (i've lost count) ultrasounds with the latest one being the "sequential" one. the biggest change i've seen was from the 6 week ultrasound to the 9 week one where it literally went from a dot to having the silhouette of a little human being. it truly is amazing...our 12 week one was sweet because scott was there and we got to see the little bean moving and shaking! this new one and jacob both loved having their little hand around their faces...it's already so exciting to see the common and unique things through these pregnancies. 

scott and i have talked a lot of this one being our last one...i feel that with all the efforts of getting pregnant with both and how my first pregnancy went with our sweet jacob - we just feel that my body just doesn't respond well. and it's probably because of the way i'm feeling right now that i can't imagine going through another round with two kiddos running around. but, we are leaving that door open and seeing with God has planned for our lives...until then, i am trying my best to live day by day and trusting Him in all that i do...

current wants & purchases

scott is asking for my Christmas wish list...and this is what i want:

marc by marc jacobs too hot to handle hobo in mink. i have been eyeing this for MONTHS. the color is so unique...the photo doesn't do it justice.

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i need a new pair of these. my current ones are thrashed. they used to make this style for women but not anymore. i have found these are my favorite so i'll take these in the smallest size in men's!

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i think i'd like a pair of these. i feel like they are a bit too "trendy" for me but maybe the neutral with rolled up skinnies and a white-t?:

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a current purchase of mine: i fell in LOVE with the elbow patch. heehee i didn't realize it until now, but i'm wearing the exact same outfit that she has on...

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what's on your wish list?

mama's pretties...

so after having a baby, i was pretty limited in choice in the bra department since i was nursing. for me, i really couldn't have anything restrictive so i was on the hunt for practical and yet some-what pretty. so here are my fav's for new mom's to be:

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these are both from target the gilligan & omalley brand. i tried the elle mcpherson bra's from nordstrom and althought they were beautiful and double the cost, it just didn't serve its purpose. the tanks, i lived in the 13 months i nursed and had in probably all the colors available at the time. 

i also would highly suggest in a robe. after you deliver {i was via c-section} they wanted me to walk the halls, even though it was so so very painful. and as much as you'd like to think you'll put on a pair of pants, the easiest and most comfortable thing to do was just wrap a soft robe around you...and trust me, you won't care what you look. in my book, if you've just given birth - you are already a rock star. {the one pictures below is an ugg one and you can find it at nordstrom. mine is from target and i love it but this one...oh my. it is YUMMY. Christmas is right around the corner ladies...put this on your list!!}

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