Blog Revival- An Update

So, I haven’t blogged in about 2 months.  Sorry about that.  I have good excuses though!  First of all, I was deathly ill and quite pregnant the entire month of January, which pretty well hindered my motivation to do anything.  Second, I had a baby!

Isn’t she beautiful?

Hailey Mae was born at home on February 3rd (more on that to follow).  She is the light of our lives and we have loved every minute with our beautiful baby girl.  It’s hard to even remember what our life was like without her.  

Here are some adorable pictures for your viewing pleasure:  

I am planning on getting back in the habit of blogging now that we have found our footing and things have settled down--or perhaps just reached a new normal* for us.  After all, now I have a baby to update you on!  

*something tells me that things won’t actually “settle down” for a few years!  :) 

Look! I Made a Lampshade!

Ok, so I didn't make a lampshade...but I did give it a facelift.  We've had this floorlamp since we got married, but it didn't have a place in our home here, so we decided to use it in the baby's room.  The only problem is that the shade had seen better days (lets just say that moving is not kind to white lampshades).

So, I tracked down some cute pink fabric, made a template with newspaper, and went to town.  About 1/2 yard of fabric later, combined with some spray glue and trim, and I had a much cuter version for our little girl's room!

You Should Make This For Superbowl

First let me say that it feels so nice to be back in action.  I was recently stricken with the plague sick with the world's worst cough/cold combo.  Man, I did not leave my house (or my couch for that matter) for over a week.  Let me just say that I don't wish that illness on anyone, and I particularly don't wish being full term and sick on even my worst enemy.  Fortunately, the baby has decided to wait for me to be better before making her entrance into the world.  I was VERY worried for a while about going into labor without being 100%.

Anyway, on to more exciting things like yummy recipes.  You should totally make this delicious cheesy bean dip for the Superbowl. 

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not my recipe.  I shamelessly stole it from another website, but that doesn't make it any less delicious.  Here it is:
-2 cans Hormel chili with beans (I used vegetarian, but you can use any kind)
-1 block of cream cheese
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-1 small can diced tomatoes with green chiles
-1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
-pinch of cilantro
-pinch of cumin
-salt and pepper to taste

Drain Chili and diced tomatoes. Mix Chili and cream cheese. Mix in all other ingredients, except the shredded cheese. Add shredded cheese to top. Bake at 375 for about 15-20 or until cheese is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Souper Delicious- Corn & Vegetable Chowder

Please forgive my terrible puns, but this soup really was delicious!  I know it's freakishly warm here in the Southwest, but I'd make this soup anyway, and it would be the perfect warm-up for those of you in colder climates.

Corn & Vegetable Chowder:
-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-1 med. red onion, diced
-1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
-3 garlic cloves, crushed
-2 medium diced potatos
-3 tbsp. all purpose flour
-2 cups vegetable stock
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1 cup broccoli florets (more if desired)
-2 cans corn kernels, drained
-2 cups grated cheddar
-salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot.  Add in onion, bell pepper, garlic, and potato and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes

Add in flour and stir until completely mixed, then add milk and stock

Add the broccoli and corn.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender

Stir in 2 cups cheese until completely melted

Season to taste and enjoy!

Just in Time for the Cold...

Sweet feet and little hats to match!  I whipped up these baby booties and some matching baby hats to send to a friend in California that had a baby ohhhhhh, ummmmm..... a month ago?  I promise I will become a more punctual crafter now that work is not sucking all my energy.  (Did I mention that I had my last day of work?  Yippee!)

Anywho, I made the baby booties from a pattern found in this book, and the hats I cheated as usual and used my knifty knitter.  Now they are on their way to a good home.  I hope they like them!  :)

That Darn Cat

That darn cat is not supposed to be up on the back of the couch.  He knows this, and I know he knows this because I have successfully trained him to stay off of other cushions.  He is now totally trained to stay off the back of our loveseat, but I think he is going to test the waters (and my patience) with EVERY OTHER CUSHION until he runs out of options.  You know, just to make sure I really mean it.

You Aren't Going to *BELIEVE* This!

It has been pretty chilly and rainy here in Arizona, more so than usual, but I never expected that it would actually SNOW here!!  This afternoon I peeked out the window to check out the rain that was falling and I swore that I saw a flurry, and then a few seconds later I was sure I saw another one!  By the time we made it to the back yard to get a closer look at the situation, it was really snowing!!

(Do you see the flurries?  I swear they are there!  My friend Alicia suggested that Arizona is attempting to win me over, I think she might be right.)

Nothing stuck around, of course, but it was wonderful to see snow falling outside my window, even for just a short while.