Something to Hold You Over

I have been such an absentee blogger.  It really is pitiful.  Life has thrown us a couple of curve balls in recent months that led to some stress/upheaval/whatnot.  It also contributed to my lack of motivation to craft/blog/etc.

But, never fear!  It's not all bad, we did manage to get the baby's room painted (don't tell our landlord, kay?).  It's a lovely shade of lavender.  The room is still a work in progress but here is a sneak peek!

In other news, I actually look kind of pregnant!  Fancy that!  It only took me forever to start showing.  The other day I was at JC Penney buying a cute little baby outfit, and the cashier asked me who was having a baby.  Depressing.  But, it only gets better from here! 

Now, all I need is for someone to please send a memo to the State of Arizona and tell it that it is time to cool off!  Then maybe I will find my motivation and actually be able to get my craft on.  :)

Gnome & Friends

I checked out this cool book from my local library, and just had to try out a project from it: 

I set out to make this cool gnome, owl, and raccoon for Brooke's son, Truman. 

They were a lot of fun to make.  I made them a couple months ago at the height of my morning sickness.  Turns out that embroidery is the perfect activity for when you are too sick to get your butt off the couch.  :)

The patterns for all three can be found in the Doodle Stitching book.  The only thing I modified were a few colors, and I sized down the owl and raccoon patterns so that they would be handheld size and more in proportion with the gnome. 

Check out the book, it has lots of great ideas!!

IT'S A GIRL!!

Brett and I were both very excited to learn on Thursday that we are expecting a beautiful baby GIRL!!!!!

We love her so much already.  ♥

Now the baby crafting can really begin!  

The World Needs to Know About Spaghetti Pie

I was guilting myself over posting this because the picture of spaghetti pie simply does not do it justice.  The husband did not get home until after dark this evening, which made my pictures less then stellar, but today, I'm setting that aside, because the world needs to know about Spaghetti Pie.  This is more important than any of my own insecurities.  So here it is: 



2 large carrots (peeled and diced)

1/2 pound spaghetti

1 15 oz jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

8 to 10 mini meatballs (optional)

1 teaspoon oregano

salt & pepper



The Rules:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil spaghetti for approximately 6 minutes, then add in carrots.  Continue boiling until Spaghetti is al dente.  Drain and transfer spaghetti and carrots into a large bowl.  Stir
in tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of  mozzarella and ricotta cheese.  Stir well
so that spaghetti begins to cool before adding the egg. Then add egg,
meatballs, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and pour into a
9 inch pie dish. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and
bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly and
pie is set. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 4 to 6.



Here is what you get:

We thought it was a really nice change of pace to the usual 'spaghetti and red sauce' that we do so often around here.  I think you should try it this week!



P.S.  In the interest of full disclosure, I did not think up this recipe all by myself.  The original can be found at another blog called Cooking With My Kid. 

Brett's (World Famous) Salsa Recipe

Ok, so maybe it's not world famous, but it is delicious!  I highly recommend that you try it out:

1 large can Contadina crushed tomatoes with roasted Garlic

1 can chopped/diced Jalapeños

1 can chopped green chiles  

1 medium onion

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Real tablespoon of Salt

Real tablespoon of Pepper

Real tablespoon of lime juice

1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic (more or less to taste)

Place 1/2 can of Crushed tomatoes, full can of Jalapeños and chiles, salt, pepper, and garlic in blender.  Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds or so.

Chop the onion and cilantro to desired sizes (smaller is better) and place in bowl with other 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes.  Stir until mixed.  Pour the contents of blender into the bowl and mix.  Mix in Lime juice, and you have salsa!  

REALLY Big News!

Ok, so I haven't blogged in forever + 3 days.  But I promise I have a really, really good excuse that will make you forgive me:

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!  

We are beyond excited, and as I'm sure you can imagine, I can't stop thinking about all the adorable little baby crafts/quilts/goodies/etc. that I finally get to make for my baby.  

What does this have to do with not blogging, you ask?  Well, this baby is making me tired.  Like, beyond exhausted.  Like, more tired than I ever knew I could be + 10.  So, it's not that I don't care, it's just that I'm sleeping.

You forgive me, don't you? 

Thanks, I knew you would.  :)

Amazing Mac N' Cheese

I don't know if this particular version can technically be considered a mac n' cheese, since I didn't actually use macaroni noodles.  So call it what you like, either way it will still be delicious.

The Ingredients:
1 box pasta of your choice
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell's Cream of Cheddar Soup
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or any variety)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

The Rules:
1.  Cook pasta until al dente
3.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
4.  Transfer mixture to casserole dish and bake with foil cover at 400° for 40 minutes.

And you're done!  It's super easy and amazingly delicious.

Enjoy!