We Bought a Zoo??

Just kidding! But we did take our girls to the Woodland Park Zoo this past weekend!

Anytime I have to break out my avaitors we know its gonna be a good day!

The animals were all out to play especially the gorillas and Orangutan.

 How cute is he, he kept sticking his tongue out at all the little kids!

Don't let the photo fool you, she was literally 5 feet in front of us. She was batting her eyes at everyone.

Now I can't forget about the rest of the cute animals and boy were there a lot. It took us a total of 4 hours to go through the whole zoo seeing 90% of everything. We skipped all the birds minus the Raptor and only spent a little bit of time with the animals that were sleeping.

The elephants are Audrey's favorite becuase they too play with balls just like her and get to go swimming.

Look at those happy faces.

You can't tell but they have matching pigtails, they are so cute!

Lovers!It was the best day minus trying to drive around in Seattle, ugh number 1 reason we will never live there.

After the Zoo I introduced Nathan to Dicks Burgers and no suprise there he loved it!

My man is so easy to please which makes life easier!

Sunday morning I tried another Pinterest recipe.This time it was cinnamon rolls made from canned biscuits.

Super easy recipe but it took forever to bake because the sauce in the bottom of the pan was too much, it caused the bottom of the biscuits to stay mushy.

Before

After.

If  I ever make these again I will use half the sauce it calls for to make!

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/2 cans refigerator bisuits

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp Melted Butter

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl combine syrup and melted butter, whisk to mix.

In a round cake pan or Bundt cake pour half the syrup and butter mixture into the pan. In another small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle some of the sugar mixture over the syrup in the pan. Layer the biscuits over each other and pour the remaining sauce over the biscuits and sprinkle the remaining the sugar mixture on top. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Like I said I kept having to put them back in to make sure the bottoms of the biscuits were cooked so you can try using only half the mixture all together and use the rest as a glaze.

Happy Cooking! 

5 under $5

I use these 5 things everyday and I love them!The best part is that they are all under $5!Eeeek

1. Hawaiin Aloha Fabreeze $3.99

2. Hazelnut Cream Candle by Mainstay $4.99

3. XXX Vitamin Water $1.29

4. Nivea A Kiss of Moisture Lip Balm $2.99

5. Creme Brulee Coffee Mate Creamer $2.69

What's Cookin Good Lookin

We have all heard of Taco Tuesdays but what about Taco Monday??

Taco's are good anyday in my book and with this weather we wanted something quick and small!

My Husband was obviously excited!

For dessert tonight I made my Mom's Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcakes.

Yum! These are great for breakfast on the go and high in protein from the peanut butter.

Keep posted for the recipe!

While doing the dishes I saw this out of our kitchen window!

How gorgous is this? The weather the last few days has been ridiculous, in the 70's!Shaw!

Audrey and I decided to head out to the porch to soak up the view and the last bit of warmth!

Happy Birthday Justin

Today is my best friend Justin's Birthday!!

Last night we did it up big for his big 26th

first we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner! It was also fight night so the place was packed and loud and festive so it was the perfect place.

Justin and my husband did the wing challenge which is 12 of their hottest wings and you have to finish them in 6 minutes.

This would be Nathan after the challenge.

They could not drink anything, or eat anything besides the wings in the 6 minutes.

They both finished under 6 minutes and got their picture taken with the time on a card that will scroll on one of the tv's in the restaurant so everyone can see it!

After dinner we went bowling and of coarse I lost but I did tie for first place with the birthday boy in the first game!

Happy Birthday Justin! Love you friend!

Lets Talk Food

Tonight my Husband was really sweet and made dinner so I didn't have to.  Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to be married to him. He always steps up and does more around the house when I need him and most of the time I don't even have to say anything. 

Tonight he made Cheese Stuffed Ravioli with an Alfredo Cream Sauce.

I apologize ahead of time for the crappy cell phone pictures.

Last weekend he also made his famous BBQ Pulled Pork.

He slow cooks it for 4 hours in a mixture of brown sugar, bbq sauce and water, then he pulls it and lets it sit for another 1 to 2 hours to marinate.

He makes enough so that we can have it for days as a quick meal or lunch for work.

I'm pretty sure we still have a container in the fridge.

Last week I also made Lasagna, which unlike pulled pork doesn't last past dinner.

Audrey's Fitting

On Tuesday the 17th Audrey finally was fitted for her Orthopedic Inserts to help correct the way she walks and stands. They had to cast each one of her feet much like they do for when you break your foot and need a cast.

Her Occupational and Physical Therapist hope that these inserts will help to correct her flat feet and prevent her feet from rolling in when she stands in place.

We hope that this will provide her with confidence and stability so that she can start to try and climb and jump and tumble around.

Audrey hated every minute of getting casted but the therapists were really great, they let her choose the color of her inserts and she is truly a child after my own heart. She picked PINK!

Sunshine Girls

If you live on the West Side of Washington you know the sun does not always shine and when it does EVERYONE and their mother breaks out the shorts and t shirts!

Well....the last 4 days have been so gorgeous, so much so that Audrey and I have been spending hours outside drawing with chalk and playing bubbles.

So it was only appropriate that after picking Hayley up from school we spend hours again outside playing and soaking up the sun.

I think my cheeks even got a little color, shaw!

 They crack me up! I love them!

I heart Sunshine!

Makeup for $1....Oh yeah

O yes, I do not lie.

I would like to introduce you to the E.L.F Elements cosmetic line from Target.

Their product starts at $1 and ranges from that to $3 and $5 is the most you'll pay for anything. 

They have brushes, eyelash curlers, eyeshadow, concealer and powder and much more.

Today I picked up 4 new eyeshadows, a compact to hold them all and concealer, all for $6!

Even though their makeup is inexpensive they offer great products. The eyeshadow is bright and colorful and lasts a long time and the brushes are great quality.

Now go get some today!!!

Easter!

This was one of the best weekends. 

The weather was absolutley gorgeous. High 60's and not a cloud in the sky.

Saturday we took our daughters down to Chambers Bay Golf Course and Trail and took a nice long leasurely walk and went down to the water.

It was beautiful!

Easter Sunday was perfect.

The girls had an Easter egg hunt at our house before we left for the Grandparents house!

How cute are they before the big hunt?

The Easter bunny was funny and left eggs down the stairs!

Hayley with all her loot!

Audrey couldnt stop smiling!

Audrey took best dressed by far on Sunday! My Dad and Stepmom sent her this adorable dress!

After breakfast which was donuts and chocolate milk, Hey it was Easter so they got a special breakfast, we headed down to my Grandparents house for another huge egg hunt and a delicious buffet!

This was my only contribution to the buffet table! Cute huh? I think so!

After my Grandparents house we headed to Nathans Grandparents for Easter dinner along with some family friends. We laughed and watched cute videos of chickens for hours!

Officially the best Easter!

Slacker Status

I am such a slacker. My goal this year was to keep up with my blog as often as possible, no matter how people read or not ;)

This week has gone by slowly but I just couldn't find time to blog so here is a wrap up of the past week!

MONDAY

Audrey has Occupational Therapy every Monday afternoon, but this appointment brought to light some new obstacles.

Her Therapist was observing the way Audrey walks around and how she stands.

She paid very close attention to how both of her feet roll in and that when she is standing still her left heel does not fully touch the ground like it is supposed to.

She also noticed that Audrey's right side of her lower body is much stronger then her left causing her to drag her left foot while walking but still being able to clear it before taking another step.

I had been noticing that Audrey likes to flap her feet when she walks but I thought that was becuase she loved hearing her feet slap the ground.

This was all a concern to her OT and can help explain a lot of her instability and balance issues that she has.

Her recommendation was to get Audrey fitted for Orthotic Inserts in her shoes and start going back to PT regularly. We stopped PT about a year ago after she started walking and catching up.

Audrey is diagnosed Developmentally Delayed specifically her Gross Motor skills i.e walking, running, climbing and even playing and suffers from Hypersensativity.

She doesn't like loud noises, dark places, new people, her hands being dirty or things that move like a balloon. These are all things we focus on at OT.

We go in on Monday to get her fitted and start PT again. My hope is that with the inserts she will feel more confident running around and won't feel so unstable on the playground, or staircase or even just walking around.

For dinner I made cheesy meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Quick and Easy. We don't get home from OT until 4:30 and Nathan gets off at 6 so Mondays I always make something quick and easy.

TUESDAY

Tuesday was a normal day.

Audrey and I went out to lunch with my sister Lynn to FIVE GUYS Burgers and Fries.

They use all local ingredients and tell you exactly what farm their ingredients come from.

I like my burger simple, I put cheese, ketchup, carmelized onioins and lettuce on mine.

It tasted just like my Grandma's burgers and they even give you unlimited peanuts.

If you have one near you, you should try it.

For dinner that night I made homemade Calzones

I used a simple pizza crust recipe

Mild Italian Sausage and Onions & our favorite jar of tomato sauce and shredded mozzerella cheese

Simply make your crust a few minutes before stuffing in

Roll it out into an Oval shape, size of your preference and stuff with ingredients

Brush with butter and season with salt and pepper

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes.

WEDNESDAY

For dinner we had Italian Meatballs with a Raspberry Jam Reduction

I used the leftover Italian sausage from the calzones and mixed it with eggs, italian bread crumbs and raspberry jam, just like you would with meatloaf.

I put the raspberry jam on the stove with a little bit of sugar to counter act the tartness and spice of the sausage. 

I baked them for about 15 to 20 minutes and served them with Mac & Cheese. It is Audrey and Nathan's favorite.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

Thursday was my lazy day, I made Hamburger Helper and tonight my Husband was sweet and made dinner. Tator Tots and Chicken Sandwiches never tasted so good!

Dinner's

I promised you all recipes from past dinners I have been making lately. I found most of these on Pinterest and some in a cookbook a girlfriend gave me. Here we go

 Easy Chicken, Cheese & Rice Bake

2 Chicken Breast (thawed)

4 Cups Brown Rice

3/4 Cup Corn

15 Ounces Black Beans(rinsed)

4 Ounces chopped green chiles

1/2 Cup Salsa

1 Cup Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the oven is preheating, cook the rice on the stove top or microwave and set aside.

Cube the Chicken and mix together all the ingrediants including the rice but keep the cheese for the topping.

Pour mix into 9x9 pan and top with cheese.

Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes.

FYI: This made a lot of food, Nathan had leftovers for week, it made delicious leftovers especially with an additional baked Chicken breast.

 White Chicken Enchilada's

10 Soft Taco Shells

2 Cups shredded cooked chicken

 2 cups monteray jack cheese

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

4 oz diced green chiles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan

Mix chicken and 1 cup of cheese, roll up in tortillas and place in pan 

In a sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Stir in sour cream and chiles. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese

Bake 22 minutes and then under the high broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.

 Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

3 skinless boneless chicken breast

I can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

4 ounces sliced Ham

4 ounces sliced swiss cheese

1 pckg herb dry bread crumb mix

1/4 cup butter, melted 

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. 

Pour enough of the mixture into the slow cooker to cover the bottom.

Layer the Chicken breast over the sauce

Cover with slices of ham and cheese

Pour remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between the layers.

Sprinkle the stuffing on top and drizzle the remaining sauce over the stuffing.

Cover and cook for on low for 4 to 6 hours. 

 Sweet & Tangy Chicken

4 chicken breast

8 oz russian dressings

1 small jar of apricot preserve

Mix all ingredients in a bowl minus the chicken

Place the chicken in a baking dish

Pur sauce over the chicken

Roast uncovered for 400 degrees for 1 hour.

This is perfect over white rice or even mashed potatoes.

I saved the remaining sauce to use at a later date.

  Easy Garlic Chicken

4 Boneless Chicken Breast

4 Garlic Cloves

4 tbsp Brown Sugar

3 tsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish

In a small saute pan, saute the garlic with the oil until tender

Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar

Place chicken breast in a prepared dish and cover with the garlic sugar mixture

Add salt and pepper to taste

Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes

  

Weekend Wrap up

I am sad to see the weekend come to an end, we had a lot of fun.

Saturday we went to Michaels to pick up the makings for a new front door wreath.

I saw this DIY wreath on pinterest and really wanted to make one for our door.

Our Townhouse is missing the Unit Letter on the door so I thought a wreath that said Unit B would be cute. This is how it turned out!

Cute right?

Stay tuned for more pinterest ideas I try. They are endless!

After Michaels we headed to my cousins 15th Birthday party, where my Aunt proceeded to give me this!

This would be my dress from when I was 2 years old. Since then every girl born after me has worn this at some point.Now I get to put Audrey in it and take a picture! She is going to look super cute! I can't believe she still had it, it looks no older then when I had it.

Saturday night I went with my two best girlfriends!

We had a low key night, we started at Farrelis, then stopped at Dirty Oscar's Annex then ended the night at Jazzbones. I don't get out much anymore because I am an old married mother :(.

We wrapped up our weekend with brunch at BURS. My Grandpa used to have coffee here every Saturday at the counter and sometimes if I was lucky, he would take me. I was about 2 or 3 at this time.

After brunch we headed to Ft.Nisqually at Point Defiance. It is a living history museum. They rebuilt the actual Ft. Nisqually inch by inch and they have reenacts in every house and shop. It was the coolest 2 hours. 

Audrey and I on our way, Daddy is driving!

If you want more history on this historical site visit HERE. We are going back for their candlelight tour in October which is where you go by candlelight and watch from outside as the actors reenact as life as back in the 1800's. The actors do not talk to you and pretend you are not there.