January/ February 2013 Re-cap

Im totally behind on this year, but here are some of my favorite pics for January and February!

These two girls love love love to play together! Most of the time it ends up with Lilly is tears because Elise loves on her sister a little too much but its so sweet to hear them laugh and giggle together!

My sweetest Elsie girl is growing up before my very eyes! She is definitely a little girl now! We do makeup everyday, pretend to go to school, have endless playmates, and play dress ups daily! I love my conversations with her and all the random thoughts she has! 

 

Our house has been the sick house since the beginning of the year I swear. Just when someone gets better another gets sick! Poor Lilly got the stomach flu, the high fever with no symptoms, a mild case of rev and bronchitis. Elsie got the high fever and croup! It was a rough few weeks!

My sweet Lilly baby is growing up to (not really in size though, smallest peanut!)

She loves playing and mauling her baby cousin Davey, loves to walk with her walker everywhere but is not walking on her own yet, had her first french braids and curls with the iron, and she loves to drink out of anything, bottles, cups, you name it! If she thinks she can drink it she's all about it! She is the cutest thing ever to get up form her nap or in the morning!

Last but not least Ive been lucky to get in lots of girls nights/ activities! (Its my sanity sometimes) Loves these girls!!

Sorry...

So i just realized in on my recipe post about the protein balls I forgot to add 1/3 cup of agave nectar! So sorry, that part is pretty crucial!  Also instead of making all of the mix into balls, I leave part of it in the fridge and use it as "granola" on top of greek yogurt! It is delish!!

Paleo/ GF Clean Eating Recipes

Okay so here are some of my favorite paleo recipes....
For those of you who want to know more about Whole 30 and Paleo, here are some links with more info

Whole 30
http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/
Paleo
http://thepaleodiet.com/

Be warned I hate to cook and  I am a terrible cook so these are really easy and simple recipes. If you like to cook and are more adventurous and don't have kids to feed there are really great recipes out there.

Some of my go to websites are
paleomg.com
nomnompaleo.com
theclothesmakethegirl.com
dirtyfloorsdiaries.com

Most of the recipes I find on off Pinterest on my paleo board

Okay so my top favorite recipes are..

Paleo Pancakes
2 eggs
2 bananas
almod butter (1-2 tablespoons)
mix together with blender and cook like pancakes
serve with pure maple syrup or agave nectar and berries
I eat greek yogurt even though its not paleo and these are great with greek yogurt (unsweetened of course)

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Marinate chicken for a few hours in a mixture of olive oil, lemon jounce, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Cut up chicken, bell peppers, onion, pineapple (I get our frozen from costco), and bacon (th bacon should be sugar and nitrate free from a health food store to be technically paleo). Put on skewers and grill. This is my all time favorite. I serve it with a sale with fruit, almonds, cucumbers and peppers, chia seeds and strawberry vinaigrette

Strawberry Vinaigrette
Vinegar of some sort ( I like pomegranate)
Dollop of Dijon Mustard
Strawberries
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

I eyeball everything and mix it to taste

For lunch we love chicken salad wraps

I mix chicken or tuna, apples, celery, almonds, chia seeds, and olives with paleo mayo and eat it in lettuce cups

Paleo Mayo
Watch this video for the fastest and easiest paleo mayo
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/16739191755/video-here-comes-your-mayo

My other favorite is Crock Pot Chicken Faitas from Dirty Floors Diary

Crock Pot Fajitas

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	4 hours
Total time	4 hours, 15 minutes
Dietary	Diabetic, Gluten Free
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Salad
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable
Region	Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 jar Gluten- and sugar-free salsa
• 2 Bell Peppers (Any Color, Chopped)
• 1/2 Red Onion (Diced)
• 1 cup Pineapple (diced)
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1 head Cauliflower
• 1 head Romaine Lettuce (For the )

Directions

Step 1

Place chopped bell pepper, diced pineapple, and diced onion into the CrockPot. Add Salsa and stir to combine. NOTE: the "heat" in a Medium salsa will cook off to be mild enough for your children.

Step 2

Nestle chicken breasts in with the salsa mixture.

Step 3

Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours.

Step 4

When done cooking, shred chicken with two forks and mix in evenly with the salsa mixture.

Step 5

Grate Cauliflower in a food processor. Once grated, place in microwave for 3-4 minutes. Season with Salt and Pepper if desired.

Step 6

Place 1 spoonful of cauliflower rice on a lettuce leaf, then as much of the chicken and salsa mixture as you would like. Garnish with extra salsa, fresh tomatoes, or if you allow dairy - sour cream. This makes a lot so the next day I put on on salad with a cilantro vinaigrette which is just regular vinegar, cilantro, salt and pepper and tiny bit of agave nectar, garlic powder and olive oil I also love her creamy chicken Creamy Roasted Chicken Breasts This is reminiscent of my days as a Campbell’s soup dump & bake-er.  It takes a couple more steps, but is totally worth it, and can be prepped ahead of time.   Creamy Roasted Chicken Breasts Print recipe Serves 4 Prep time 20 minutes Cook time 40 minutes Total time 1 hour Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free Meal type Main Dish Misc Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot Ingredients 4 Chicken Breasts 1 tablespoon Olive Oil 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1/2 yellow onion (Diced) 1/2 cup High-Quality Full-Fat Coconut Milk 1/3 cup Chicken Broth 1 teaspoon Paprika 1/2 teaspoon Salt Optional Salt & Pepper (for chicken breasts, to taste) Note Your family will love this creamy roasted chicken, especially if you are used to canned soup dump & bake style cooking.  It requires a few more steps, but the sauce can be made ahead of time and stored for up to 5 days, to save YOU time in a pinch. Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 350*. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place in glass baking dish. Step 2 Heat olive oil in large pan and add onions and mushrooms. Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are brown. Step 3 Whisk in chicken broth, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and reduce slightly. Step 4 Pour mixture over chicken and place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. Flavored Water Mint, cucumber, lemon Mandrin orange (cuties), mint, green tea Strawberry lime Other things from the grocery store I love that are Paleo... Terra sweet potato "chips", they are the best with homemade guacamole Lara Bars - coconut cream pie is the best in my opinion The almond butter that you grind your self at the store ( I just go to smiths and do it) So I don't eat Paleo all the time, I add in Gluten Free oatmeal and unsweetened greek yogurt. Here are some of my favorite gf oatmeal recipes Oatmeal Cups http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/personal-sized-baked-oatmeal-with-individual-toppings-gluten-free-diabetic-friendly/ Protein Power Balls These are amazing! I got the recipe from my friend! They taste just like cookie dough and Elsie loves them!! I c. gluten free oats 1/2 cup of peanut butter (I use almond butter but it makes them less sticky so they kind of crumble easier) 2 T. honey (it should be raw) 1/3 c. agave nectar 1 c. coconut flakes unsweetened  3/4 c. flax seed ground 1/4 c. chia seeds 1/2c. chocolate chips ( I use dairy free from Good Earth) 1t. vanilla 2 scoops protein powder  mix together and chill in fridge 30 mins. Once chilled roll into balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge This is not the greatest list but for those of you that wanted recipes there they are!! Let me know if you have questions or it didn't make sense!!

Elsie & Lilly's Woodland Fairy Party

We did a joint birthday party for the girls this year and it turned out so fun! I wanted to do a Fairy theme since Lilly is our little sprite fairy! We invited our family and some close friends and had the best time ever! Tinkerbelle showed up, there was a piñata and lots of cake and ice cream! All Elsie wanted was a party with her friends and she had the time of her life! You couldn't wipe the smile off her face all night! Lilly was a trooper too! She loved Tinkerbelle and the piñata but was not sure of her cake which surprised me!! All in all it was such a fun day to celebrate our little sweeties!!

Valentines Day 2013

I LOVE Valentines Day! It was a little hectic this year because we were getting ready for the girls birthday but none the less we love "Love Day" The girls had special pink pancakes and received sweet cards and a stuffed animal from their daddy! After some more Valentine surprises showed up on the door! Swimsuits and candy!! We made cupcakes for our friends and family and delivered them around! That night Dave made us a special Valentines Dinner of Steak! 

Happy Valentines to my loves!!

This was the best picture I could get of the three of them! It cracks me up every time I look at it!

Elsie's Birthday

Elsie's Birthday was such a fun filled day! We started the day off with a birthday breakfast and presents, then went to gymnastics and handed out cookies to her friends. After we met Nana and Papa Larry for some lunch and a birthday surprise at Build A Bear! She has been begging to go forever, and was so excited to pick out her own stuffed Dog name Ellie. Ellie was outfitted in a pick tutu, rainbow rhinestone sneakers and a red leash! After we had to make a stop at her favorite place... The Makeup Store aka Sephora! She loves that place!! That night we celebrated some more by having dinner at her "favorite restaurant"  Blue Lemon and then had family over for cake and ice cream! We love our Elsie girl and were so excited to celebrate her all day!!

Elsie is Three

On February 1st this sweet girl turned 3!! 

She was over the moon that it wash her birthday, and even more excited to  be three!

I interviewed Elsie with some questions and here were her answers...

What are your nicknames... Belle, Ariel (We really call her Elle, Sissy, Toots, Bubs)

How old are you... Six (She really is three going on 12)

Whats your favorite color...Blue and Purple

Whats your favorite animal... Bunny

Whats your favorite book... A Disney Book (She always loves Pinkalicious, If you give a pig a cupcake)

Whats your favorite show... Peppa The Pig

Whats your favorite movie... Cinderella

Whats your favorite song... Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty 9She also loves Taylor Swift and One Direction)

Whats your favorite food... Peanut Butter Sandwich

Whats your favorite Drink... Sprite, Water and Chocolate Milk

Favorite thing for Breakfast... Peanut Butter Sandwich

Favorite Snack... Treats, Fruit Snacks, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples

Favorite Toy... Strawberry Coit Coit (Dress ups and Dollhouse)

Favorite Games... Chase and Chocolate Milk

Who are your best friends... Preston, Hadley, Zack, Ty, Kenzie

Whats your favorite thing to do... Play matching with Mommy

Favorite thing to play outside... Play in the wet grass

Favorite Holiday... Easter

What do you take with you to bed at night.. My doggie Ella

Wheres your favorite place to go... Hide and Seek

Favorite Restaurant.. Blue Lemon

Where do you want to go on vacation... Baseball

What do you want to be when you grow up... A princess like Tiana, a Doctor

What makes you happy... to relax

What makes you sad... When When my friends are mean to me

What do you think about before you go to bed... Being a doctor

If you could have a wish what would it be... A toy monkey

If you could meet someone famous who would it be... a monster

Our little Elsie girl is quite the character with quite the imagination! Some of the highlights of the year were...

Going to Disneyland for the first time

Going to Arizona

Starting Dance

Starting Gymnastics again

Becoming a Big Sister

Having Play Dates

Sissy:

My oh my how you have grown fast!! If it were up to me I would keep you little forever, but if it was up to you, you would be turing 6 going on 15! You love to be older and act older than you are! Your very mature for your little age and extremely smart! You can spell your name, write you name, recognize some letters, recognize and say all colors and shapes. You can count to twenty and recognize a lot of numbers. You love to color and be creative. You recently started drawing stick figures and they are my favorite! You add hair, eyes, nose, lips, hands and feet! You also love to "work in your office" and create all sorts of projects! You have the most amazing imagination! Everyday it is something new.. your off to school, your being a mom to "your daughter or you have grandsons", your invent games like chocolate milk, you are a "princess and Lilly is your puppy"", your "making soups and having cute little pica nicks". You say the funniest things ever! You always have people laughing with all of the things you have to say! "Lilly is ridicilus" or you talk about "credit cards" or tell me " if i'm a good girl I can go on errands". We love to talk to you and hear what you have to say about things! You are definitely opinionated and quite the little boss!! You are always making sure everyone is doing what they should or what you think they should. You don't let anyone get out of line!! You are quite the little singer and it is the best! You love to listen to your music and sing! Some of your favorite songs have been Taylor Swift "Never Getting Back Together" One Direction "Live Like We're Young" Fun "Some Nights" Aladin "A Whole New World". You will just start busting out songs from the radio that you learn as we drive. You are currently taking dance and gymnastics, both which you love, especially "Remnastics"! You are really amazing a gymnastics! You can walk the beam, do somersaults perfectly, do the bear crawl, go into a handstand against the wall, flip over on bars, and jump really high into the pit! Elsie you have the most amazing memory ever! In the summer (6 months ago) we went swimming with a little girl name Megan. The other day you were talking to me about how you used to go swimming with Megan. How do you remember the things you do? Its crazy what you soak in and will just remember all of the sudden! You don't forget anything! Your very sensitive to feelings! You don't like it if someone hurt someone else's feelings or someone hurt yours! Your definitely a feisty little friends but your always quick to apologize and give hugs! You love to have play dates with your friends! You and Preston play so well together! You both have wild imaginations and I hope you stay friends forever! You both claim you are going to marry each other and he even gave you a ring for your birthday! Your a little boy crazy which scares me! You  have crushes on Tyler, Parker, and Preston! Your sister loves you with all her little heart! You have been such a great big sister! You are constantly giving her hugs and kisses and playing with her! You love to be the first one to go in her room in the morning! You get in her crib with her and you two giggle and giggle and giggle! Sometimes poor Lilly puts up with a lot of mauling, but we know its out of love! You love to read books and watch your shows! Your past and current obsessions include, Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, and Peppa the Pig. Your favorite books have included Knuffle Bunny, Pinkalicious, If you give a series, I feel silly! You love to play dress ups, play doll house, play kitchen and of course do makeup! You are a little obsessed with makeup! We don't leave anywhere without your lipstick! Your definitely a little beauty! You are such a fun loving, spirited, kind, sensitive, tender hearted little girl! We are so grateful to be your Mommy and Daddy! You have taught us so much! We are now more patient and loving because of you! Thank you for being patient with us as we figure out parenthood! We love you to the moon and back! Never forget how special and loved you are! You know you were blessed with many talents and meant to touch the lives of many with your kindness and bright spirit! xoxo Mommy and Daddy