Some Fall Fun

On Sunday, we went to a local farm area for the yearly Fall Festival. It was quite windy, but sunny and warm. We explored the gardens, Lily painted a pumpkin and made a potpurri cup, we enjoyed freshly picked apples, and hung out in a hammock. It was a nice time. 

Running to the festival

"I picked my pumpkin!"

Painting her pumpkin

This is fun!

Taking a break in the hammock while clutching her potpourri cup

A Girl Scout there with her mom had a table offering free DIY potpourri cups. Lily was instantly drawn to this table because they had markers! I don't normally let her use markers at home since she makes such a mess with them; they've been reserved for "special" occasions only. I let her have fun this time, and here's what we put together:

Potpourri Cup

Materials:
Plastic cup(s)
Potpourri
Markers
Stickers (optional)
Foamie shapes (optional) 
Small piece of lace
Rubber band
Ribbon

First, decorate the cup with markers and stickers. Next, fill the cup with the potpourri. I also added a foamie dragonfly that I thought was cute to the top. Place the piece of lace on top of the cup and secure with the rubber band, then tie ribbon around it. Ta-da!

Lily's pumpkin masterpiece (she used all the paint to cover the entire pumpkin!)

Now on to another potty training update...Last night I got her to try the potty for me twice- the first time she has done so since I don't even remember when. She will sit on it if her Daddy is in there with her, but as far as Mommy is concerned, she just says "No" and runs away, screaming if I ask her twice. Maybe it had something to do with the new Ariel doll I got her...I accidentally broke her former one when draining the water out of it, and she had a mini meltdown. So, I did the right thing to do when you break someone's possession- you replace it.

Now she's asking for Flounder and Sebastian as well, so I just tell her whenever she chirps "I want Founder. I want S'bastian", that she can have them if she keeps trying potty. Now I told her if she tries to use the potty at least three times this week, we'll look into getting them; she's already tried it twice, so let's hope this keeps us. I just need to get her to start actually making something into the potty again...

Stop by Friday for this weekend's Sweet Saturday link party! Have a great day!

 

Meatless Monday: Apple Pancakes

Recently I came cross this clever idea involving pancake batter and sliced apples on Pinterest...read on...

Apple Pancakes
(makes about 12 pancakes)

2 apples of your choice
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp honey
1 1/4 cup milk of your choice
1 egg
2 tbsp butter or oil (I used coconut oil)

Mix all dry ingredients together in one bowl, then all wet (except for oil or butter) in another; combine until batter is smooth. Core apples, and then slice width-wise at about 1/4" thick, or desired thickness. Heat oil or butter over medium-low heat in large frying pan (or use a griddle if you got one!). Dip each apple slice into batter with a toothpick, then place onto pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve topped with extra apple slices and maple syrup. (Here is a recipe for apple cider vinegar from the original post).

Super easy and super yummy! Lily and I loved them, and I'm sure your family will too :) Such a clever and simple way to make a fun, fall-themed breakfast anytime of the year. We used ginger gold the first time, and then honey crisp the second time and both ways were very good, although I prefer the sweetness of the honey crisps over the spicy ginger golds.

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 
 

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Sweet Saturday #24: Happy Fall Foamie Banner

Lily and I have been busy doing fall crafts, at home and at school, and our recent project used foamies- lots of them! They always have them in the $1 Spot section of Target right when we walk in, so we picked up some fall-themed shapes: apples, leaves, acorns, and pumpkins. Here's what we made.

I made the ones that say "HAPPY" and "FALL", and Lily decorated the two apples on the ends (I know, as if you needed me to explain that...). It was a fun and simple project to do with her. After we were done sticking the foamies on, I punched holes into the stems then  strung them together with a piece of ribbon. Easy-peasey and cheap! Gotta love it!

Lily enjoyed decorating the foamie apples with me, but she enjoys real apples even more!

We picked up some pumpkins earlier today, so stay tuned for what we do with those. I'm not sure if I want to do some classic carvings, paint them, or something completely different. What do you think?

We had lots of goodies linked up here last weekend- thank you all for joining! Here are the top 3 fall-themed features:

Just look at this delicious and creative slice of cake! It's made with apples, chocolate, and honey! Wow! This cake just took my breath away, and many others as well! Thanks, Winnie at Something Sweet!

Still looking for the perfect Halloween costumes for your whole family? Look no further than Carpe Diem for instructions for this creative set of Wizard of Oz costumes. Simply amazing! Thanks, Ana!

I featured Kim from Made in a Day last weekend, but I just couldn't help but feature her again with this awesome Halloween Mantel of hers here today. The lady has creativity!

The Top 3 clicked on overall were:

The Only Way at Saved by Grace

Eat to Beat Cancer at Back to Basics

No-bake Peanut Butter Fudge at Good Girl Gone Green

Thanks, ladies!

Now on to the party!!!

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Don't forget to hop around and say hi!

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

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Meatless Monday: Pan-seared Asparagus

Today I'm keeping it simple with this easy, yet dinner crowd-pleasing, side dish. Sometimes you just want something that tastes gourmet, even though it only took you a few minutes to prepare it. Search no further- this is it, and it can be done with other vegetables too.

Pan-seared Asparagus
(serves 6-8)

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once heated sprinkle some of the salt and pepper over the oil, then place the asparagus spears on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper and thyme, then cover, cooking for about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir the spears around, allowing to cook on each side for a period of time until slightly blackened. During the last minute of cooking, toss the lemon juice in and stir the spears around once more. The object is to cook them well enough so that they are crisp, yet soft in the middle. Serve hot with extra seasoning if desired, with some rice and eggplant or other main course. Although this is Meatless Monday, I must add that this side dish goes excellent alongside steak.

Thyme is quite lovely with asparagus, and even better with the added lemon juice. It really brings out its flavor while subduing some of its sharpness. Thyme is full of vitamin K, antioxidants, and iron, as well as antimicrobials that have been used for years to help preserve foods. Fir this dish, you can use it fresh or dried, it will taste good either way. Although, its beneficial properties will be more preserved if used fresh.

Over the weekend we attended a young relative's birthday party, and I was pleased to see Lily pass over her pizza for raw veggies and ranch dip. This was especially good for her since- as you may have read in a previous post -she's been fighting a nasty cold for the past nearly week and a half. We even considered not taking her to the party, but she was having fun with the rest of the group bouncing around at Bounce U! All that's left of the cold now is a cough.

Choosing veggies over pizza

Affirming the values of healthy eating habits for children is a lesson that can last far into adulthood. It is so important for kids to eat healthy and balanced, and including fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily diet is a must. Variety is best, but sometimes there will be types of veggies that they just don't like, or won't even try, such as brussel sprouts. I believe it's important to never give up, and just keep trying new ways to serve it, and even when that doesn't seem to be working, give it a break then try again some other time. Taste buds grow and develop along with your child, and one day they may hate broccoli, then the next thing you know they're asking for seconds!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

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Sweet Saturday #23: Festive Fall Wreath

Poor little Lily is still not feeling quite herself, so she's home having a sick day again today :( She got sent home a little early from her school again yesterday with a fever; today the fever is pretty low, but I felt it was best to keep her home again anyway. She's happy as can be watching her favorite, The Little Mermaid, right now as I type this.

Today I'm sharing this easy-to-make fall wreath I created. It was quite simple...

 

I purchased the wreath a while ago, and have been reusing it each month to make a different wreath. Well, I made one for April and one for June...then this was the most recent one I finally made again for October! I'm a busy lady, what can I say? But, now that the holidays are upon us, I think I will be more inspired to keep up with changing it up each month. All in all, it cost me about $8 to make this heart-warming wreath. Not bad!

I wrapped the ribbon around the straw wreath, then affixed all the embellishments by either sticking the stems directly into the straw, or attaching it with wire. I do this without glue so I can use the wreath over and over and not have to buy a new one. 

I mentioned in my last post that I am moving towards changing up the layout here. I'm kind of "over it", and my blog is about more than just eating healthy and recipes now, so I think the general look should reflect that. The name will be the same, of course, but I don't know how the rest will look. So stay tuned and don't be surprised if next time you visit, things look different!

I have also decided that in light of the fall season that has already been full of Halloween crafts, pumpkin treats, costume ideas, and other fall-inspired blog posts, I will feature the top 3 most clicked on Sweet Saturday link that is fall-related now through November. I will then continue this trend season-to-season as long as this link party keeps going! Too much fun stuff gets linked up here each week for me not to share :) It is my favorite thing about Friday, truly!

Now on to the features!

When I saw these cookies from What's Cookin' in the Burbs, it was no wonder they had so many visitors! The perfect Halloween treat with fun and festive decoration :)

Speaking of wreaths, how cool is this one from Made in a Day? I especially love the crows and spooky white pumpkin!

Who doesn't like hot chocolate on a chilly day? Chocolate, Chocolate, and More offers a unique spin on a classic using white chocolate and pumpkin spice!

Thanks for sharing, ladies! 

The top 3 most clicked on overall were:

Taco Ranch Chili from Full hands, Full Heart

My Froley

Christs Earthly Ministry: Triplets of Love from Saved by Grace

Now on to the party!!!

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Hop around and say hi. 

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

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Comfort Soup Italian-style for the sick house + quick potty update

sicky girl

Since Sunday, Paul and Lily have had the sniffles and coughs. No serious fevers, they have just both been feeling all-around blah. Lily was actually well enough to go to school on Monday, but after I tried bringing her in on Tuesday, they called me and suggested I bring her home early. I rushed right over and scooped her up- stopping for princess stickers on the way, of course. Yesterday everyone was home and having a sick day, so I made this cozy and easy to make ravioli chicken soup from the "Nanny Rose Recipe Vault".

Ravioli Chicken Soup
(serves 8+)

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 12 oz package of frozen, small-shaped raviolis
2 cups packed baby spinach
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 large egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook ravioli in separate pot and set aside. Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil in large pot over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Next, add broth and water and bring to a boil. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, then remove broth from heat. Crack egg over the broth and quickly mix in with beater so it breaks up into small bits and turns white. Add the spinach and stir in until wilted, then the raviolis last. Serve up in large, shallow soup bowls and stir in some grated or shredded Parmesan cheese if desired. If you have the sniffles, adding cheese is not the best idea, although some people just can't say no to extra cheese!

Ravioli in one pot, broth and seasoning in the other

And there you have it- the perfect comfort soup, I guarantee it! We ate it up so quickly I almost forgot to take a picture of it! It will fill your belly and warm your spirit.

Good to the last bite...

  
On a side note, I have backed off quite a bit on potty training Lily lately. After one too many fits and kicks and screams from her, I continue to offer it any chance I get, but the only person who she will willing sit on the pot for is her daddy right now! Unfortunately, he's at work most of the time, but when he's home, he can usually get her to sit on it at least a couple of times a day. She still hasn't made anything in it since those first few times, but here's hoping we'll have a breakthrough soon!

How are you doing with potty-training if you're in the process as well?

That reminds me- a few weeks ago, they had back-to-school night at Lily's daycare, and it made me feel better about the potty training thing when, a) the only thing any parent there had to ask the teacher about was potty training help, and b) the "potty hall of fame" wall was completely...

BARE!

Not really sure what to think about that...it really can be hard, huh? I know they have the kids sit on the pot at her school (there is not even a changing table in her classroom), but you'd think they'd learn faster in a group...I had actually been hoping they'd teach her so I didn't have to!

Another thing I wanted to mention in this post is that I am moving towards changing up the layout here. I'm kind of "over it", and my blog is about more than just eating healthy and recipes now, so I think the general look should reflect that. The name will be the same, of course, but I don't know how the rest will look. So stay tuned and don't be surprised if next time you visit, things look different!

No Meatless Monday recipe Hop today :(

Hello, my friends. I had a busy weekend, and today I'm not feeling too hot, so I'm going to lay low and skip attempting to write a decent post for today. I will post something for Wednesday and then Sweet Saturday should be up on its normal schedule. Thanks to everyone who linked up this weekend, everything was awesome!

Here are some other fun linky parties happening today you can join: