tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64631995998856722812024-02-18T21:55:21.072-08:00A LAND CALLED ANNALEEAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-70461413428651634762014-01-03T21:09:00.003-08:002014-01-03T21:09:35.708-08:00CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA<div>
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i am a pretty boring cook. i make the same things over and over and over again and usually don't step out of the box as far as "types" of food. we eat mexican and italian, but my spice cupboard doesn't really do well with indian or asian or really anything besides things that call for garlic, onion, salt, pepper and the occasionally herbs and chili powder, but this changed for me tonight! i stepped out of box! i filled my spice cupboard a bit fuller and the result was AWESOME! it felt so nice to taste something i had made that didn't taste like EVERYTHING else that i make. the flavor profile was COMPLETELY different and it was refreshing. </div>
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[the man] and i had Chicken Tikka Masala at a street fair on New Years eve and he asked if i could make it. you know me...willing to give anything i try said YES! i used Aarti Sequeira's recipe (adapted of course). I fell in love with her on the Next Food Network Star, but had never tried any of her recipes and now i can't wait to try more!</div>
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I served this with Basmati rice and sauteed kale on the bottom (this was just to add some more vegetables to our plate. it would taste better without it, but it was nice to have some greens).</div>
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ENJOY!</div>
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<b>CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA </b></div>
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<b>(my changes are in bold)</b></div>
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<b>INGREDIENTS</b></div>
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<br />Marinade: <br />
<br /> 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
<br /> 3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1
tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic
press or finely minced) <br /> 1 teaspoon kosher salt
<br /> 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
<br /> 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
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<b>(i had roasted a chicken a few days back and so i used roasted shredded chicken instead of marinating and grilling. this made the recipe easier because my chicken was already cooked. it tasted great as well, but i am sure grilled marinated chicken would just be that much better if you have the time to prepare it that way)</b><br /> </div>
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Sauce:
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<br /> 2 teaspoons olive oil
<br /> 3 tablespoons butter
<br /> 1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
<b>(because i did not grill and marinade my meat, i didn't make the paste, but rather just used the garlic and minced ginger)</b><br /> 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
<b>(i used one jalapeno pepper with the seeds removed, it had the perfect amount of spice for me. i couldn't find serranos.)</b><br /> 2 tablespoons tomato paste
<br /> 1 teaspoon garam masala
<br /> 2 teaspoons paprika
<br /> 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
<br /> 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
<br /> 1 to 2 cups water
<br /> Oil, for grilling
<br /> 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
<b>(i didn't use the fenugreek leaves)</b><br /> 1/2 cup heavy cream
<br /> Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
<b>(garnished with cilantro, but [the man] said he would have preferred it without, i personally liked it.)</b><br /> Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving
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<br />Directions
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<br />For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade
ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30
minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.
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<br />For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large
skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the
butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers.
Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and
cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the
garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out
their flavors.
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<br />Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down
to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need
more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.
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<br />Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly
brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of
the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each
side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it
finishes cooking in the sauce).
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<br />Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion
blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring
back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take
the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes <b>(only cooked for about 5 because my chicken didn't need any further cooking)</b>. Add the cream
and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over
rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread! </div>
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<b>THIS IS A KEEPER AND I WILL DEFINITELY BE MAKING IT AGAIN!!! </b></div>
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<br />Ginger-Garlic Paste:
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<br /> 1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
<br /> 1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
<br /> 1/4 cup canola oil
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<br />Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor
and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be
tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.
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<br />Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the
fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta
sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a
jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up. <br /> </div>
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(recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/chicken-in-creamy-tomato-curry-chicken-tikka-masala-recipe2/index.html)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-9621665306706684802014-01-03T20:45:00.003-08:002014-01-03T20:45:28.933-08:00TABBOULEH<div style="text-align: center;">
when i was young my dad would make this for us. i liked it then, but hadn't had it in years. i bought some bulgur the other day to make some peanut cookies (which were amazing...recipe coming soon) and i couldn't stop thinking about this amazing salad. i was craving the tartness of the lemon with the freshness of the parsley and the coolness of the cucumber along with the sweetness of the tomato. yeah, i wanted it and i wanted it BAD! i broke down and had to make it. i don't remember the recipe my dad used, but i found a recipe by Ina Garten that looked great and so i used that as a guide. (i don't think i have ever had a bad recipe from her). and this one didn't disappoint either.</div>
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<b>TABBOULEH</b></div>
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<u>INGREDIENTS</u><br />
<br /> 1 cup bulghur wheat
<br /> 1 1/2 cups boiling water
<br /> 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
<br /> 1/4 cup good olive oil
<br /> 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
<br /> 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
<br /> 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
<b>(i didn't have mint, so left it out and it was fine, but would probably be better with it and traditionally it always has mint)</b><br /> 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
<br /> 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
<br /> 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
<b>(i used diced romas instead)</b><br /> 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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<b>1 chopped avocado (we added this just to give it a bit more substance and a little more healthy fat, it worked really well with the other ingredients)</b><br />
<br /><u>INSTRUCTIONS</u><br />
<br />Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and
add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then
allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
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<br />Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons
salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and
refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few
hours. <br /><br />(recipe adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tabbouleh-recipe/index.html)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-35293570103124513452014-01-03T20:20:00.004-08:002014-01-03T20:20:39.462-08:00STILL HERE<div style="text-align: center;">
yes, i am still here. once again the holidays got the best of me and i just didn't make time to share all of the joy and fun we were having with the rest of the world...sorry! i am sure you were having your own. but our holidays were great, i will write more about that soon, but tonight i am just going to post a few recipes. [the man] and i have decided to start eating "cleaner" and healthier in 2014, so i am trying a lot of new recipes and trying to break out of my normal day to day. it has been really fun and i have tried a few new things that have actually been really really good. it is really nice too, because [the man] is so excited about it. it is our new adventure. (stay tuned for grain grinding, more bread making and possibly yogurt making in the future). and you will probably see a lot more vegetables than before as well. so far i feel really good and it has been fun to try new things and to actually follow a recipe (I HAVE NOT DONE THAT IN...WELL A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME!) i change them up a bit, but actually using one is a new and actually nice change...plus if it tastes bad you can blame it on the person that wrote the recipe. just kidding...well kind of. anyway, enjoy!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-31431568418405176032013-12-12T13:40:00.003-08:002013-12-12T13:40:54.654-08:00CHICKEN POT PIE<div style="text-align: center;">
i wanted to write this recipe down as i went, but yesterday was a crazy day (i feel like i say that everyday) and i had a kitchen full of dirty dishes, a toddler that wanted my attention and a man that was expecting pot pie when he walked in the door (sound familiar to anyone out there). needless to say, i just did what i could. there isn't really a set recipe, so i will explain how i make this and then you can just go for it! (it tastes a little different every time).</div>
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this recipe came about per request from [the man]. he asked if i knew how to make pot pie. "of course" i replied. (no i had actually never made it before, but was confident that it couldn't be that hard) he then went on to explain the type of pot pie he would like, needs this, not that, i want it this way, but not that way...etc. and so i set off on "recipe research". i checked out what spices people used. whether veggies were cooked or not and how, before being placed in the pie. what veggies did people add? how did they make the gravy...and so on. Finally one day i gave it a go and man oh man was it good. i am sure there are better crust recipes (i am dieing to try my friends cream cheese crust, which sounds heavenly!) but as of now i do a <a href="http://www.crisco.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=1242">classic Crisco crust</a> (butter flavored Crisco, flour, salt and ice water). yes horrible for you, but oh so delicious and all together makes a great, basic, easy, flaky crust. for four ramekins with a top and bottom crust i used a double crust recipe (this makes a very thin top and bottom crust). as you can see below the crust is quite thin and i am by all means not a perfectionist when i comes to crust...if it covers the bottom it is fine with me...it all tastes the same.</div>
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1. make your crust (you can leave it refrigerated while you are making your filling.</div>
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2. make your filling. this is the time consuming part, but to me it is worth it. i don't like overcooked veggies and i don't want everything to taste the same, so i cook things separately. </div>
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- first, i chop 1 onion and brown it in a saute pan with a little celery salt (this is worth going out and getting just for this recipe, it adds some really great flavor). i then add the carrots and celery (about 1.5 cups of each) and saute just until they become bright in color. i add a bit more celery salt and pepper if needed, just so they are seasoned. i remove this from the heat and chop the chicken into cubes.</div>
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- i use 2-3 small breasts. chop and cook. i cooked the chicken in the dutch oven on the stove top and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder, when it was finished cooking i removed it from the heat and transferred just the chicken to the saute pan (leaving the juice). *remember that this is going to be baking too, so the chicken can be just a little underdone when you remove it from the heat as it will have more time to keep cooking in the oven. i added two cans of chicken stock to the juice and seasoned it with pepper, italian seasoning and thyme (the thyme is key) and a little more garlic powder. i then thickened it with flour to make a gravy and added about 1/4th cup half and half at the very end. add the veggies back in and taste. i didn't need anymore salt (i have a heavy salt hand), but you may need to add a bit more. at this point i usually add 1 cup frozen peas, but totally forgot...oops (i add them in frozen and they cook in the oven and in the hot gravy).</div>
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i could eat this just as soup!</div>
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3. if you haven't already, roll out your bottom crusts and line your ramekins.</div>
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4. fill with your delicious filling.</div>
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5. roll out top crust and cover. poke holes in top, so air can escape.</div>
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6. bake at 375 degrees for about 30-45 minutes or until crust browns. (i thought ours could have used a little more time, but we were starving and so i pulled them out just as they started to brown and bubble...they were still delicious. *also bake on a cookie sheet because they do tend to bubble over.</div>
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7. remove from oven and let cool. there is nothing HOTTER than pot pie right out of the oven and man can it scorch your tongue! so be careful.</div>
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ENJOY!</div>
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just a few more pictures taken with a camera rather than a phone. :) </div>
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if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. sorry this isn't precise, but to me i find the most joy in cooking by creating and experimenting! if you have any questions about the methods used or amounts, i would love to help.</div>
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ENJOY AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-16732415496614348702013-12-09T14:25:00.002-08:002013-12-09T14:26:06.296-08:00THE BEST TRI-TIP EVER!<div style="text-align: center;">
remember that delicious tri-tip i was telling you about that i made for <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/12/i-feel-like-it-has-been-ages-since-i.html">thanksgiving</a>. well, we love it so much we made it again when my <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/12/sisters.html">sister </a>was in town. not only is this tri-tip delicious, but it is so easy to make. </div>
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the first night we ate it sliced thinly with couscous and <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/10/bread-breasts-brussel-sprouts.html">roasted brussel sprouts.</a> the second night we had it sliced in strips as tacos or burritos (it was one of those make whatever you want nights). i had a burrito with a flour tortilla, radishes, cabbage, sourcream, tri-tip (OF COURSE), cheese, and fresh salsa. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! oh man now i want that for dinner tonight too. dang. </div>
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anyway as much as i would love to take credit for this recipe it is not mine. i got it from one of my best friend's mother in law (man does that woman know how to do meat)! </div>
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i know you can't wait to know how to make this so i will stop babbling so you can get one ready to make. </div>
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1. Marinate an UNTRIMMED tri-tip in italian dressing over night. (it works better in a ziploc bag, but i was all out).</div>
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2. you are going to bake it uncovered in a roasting pan and i don't know about you, but i hate scrubbing the bottom of pans, so i line mine with tinfoil.</div>
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3. Remove the tri-tip from the marinade. It works best to set it on a brown paper bag, so it dries it off a bit. Coat the tri-tip with Montreal Steak Seasoning along with extra pepper and garlic powder. There is a Spicy Montreal as well that we used for thanksgiving and it was really really good. </div>
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4. Bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours (or until the center is 160 degrees for medium meat). Arrange the tri-tip so the untrimmed side (side with the most fat) is on top.</div>
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MY MOUTH IS WATERING!</div>
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let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing</div>
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ENJOY!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-68878939068186096652013-12-09T13:51:00.003-08:002013-12-09T14:26:21.324-08:00SISTERS!<div style="text-align: center;">
i promise that one day i will be a good "blogger" and actually blog consistently, but life has been crazy and wonderful (like usual). my sister came into town, which was wonderful. she brought along one of my nieces and we had a blast. we went to the aquarium, saw dolphins, played hide and seek, relaxed, ate good food, talked, and just enjoyed each others company. i am so grateful that i have a sister and that we are so close. </div>
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apparently there is an increase in the anchovies in the bay and so there were TONS of dolphins swimming around that we got to see.</div>
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enjoying a day at the park.</div>
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thank goodness for kids to keep us young!</div>
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COUSINS! </div>
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a little game of hide and seek.</div>
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there are many more pictures from the aquarium that i will post later, but it was an awesome week. sure love you and miss you already! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-62228222555370326892013-12-02T13:53:00.000-08:002013-12-02T13:53:00.609-08:00RECENT PICTURES<div style="text-align: center;">
these past few weeks have been so fun. i have gotten to photograph two great families. </div>
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you can't get much cuter than this little guy and this puppy!</div>
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look at him!</div>
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so excited to meet the new addition to this family! he is one lucky little guy to get to have this mama and dad and brothers and sister!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-76121625900518586122013-12-02T13:42:00.001-08:002013-12-02T13:43:54.747-08:00THANKSGIVING 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
wow i feel like it has been ages since i last blogged and at the same time i feel like it was yesterday. these last few weeks have flown by with a vengeance. i was busy with pictures and then busy with thanksgiving and now busy trying to catch up and get back into the swing of things while unpacking and editing and cleaning because my sister is coming into town (i can not contain my excitement for that!!!) </div>
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our thanksgiving was great, but very nontraditional (which to be honest i really liked). we didn't eat turkey. we didn't even have potatoes or stuffing, but boy did we eat some good food and a whole lot of it! we woke up and had breakfast (i had a chocolate chip cookie i think everyone else ate cream of wheat) and then played outside. then we came in and had a delicious greek salad that my mother in law made with grilled bbq chicken made by my father in law and warm bread. after we ate, i made a tri-tip and my sister in law made sweet potatoes with pecan streusel on top <br />
(TO DIE FOR!). while all of this was cooking we played outside some more and then went back in and ate some more and then continued playing. it literally was a day of EATING and enjoying the nice California SUN!</div>
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i loved it! we never got over full and the weather was perfect and i didn't gorge myself on mashed potatoes or other things that aren't necessarily my favorite foods, but are just there. instead we chose our favorites and ate LOTS of them! </div>
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[the little one] loved helping grandma make salad.</div>
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amazing chicken!</div>
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we taught the pup how to catch a frisbee.</div>
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i love my family! truly truly grateful!</div>
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love her!</div>
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one of my favorite "faces." she has quite the collection.</div>
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anyone that did have a traditional thanksgiving may find that either now or around christmas they will have leftover turkey and ham and have no idea what to do with it. i posted this <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2012/11/use-leftover-holiday-food.html">list </a>last year and have since added a couple of things. just a few ideas of what to do with the loads of ham and turkey in your fridge or freezer. </div>
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<b>HOW TO USE LEFTOVER HOLIDAY HAM</b></div>
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- Fried Rice</div>
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- Stir Fry</div>
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- Hawaiian Pizza </div>
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-Breakfast Hash</div>
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-Breakfast Casserole</div>
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- Omelets </div>
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- Ham and Sauerkraut Sandwich (or just plain with out the bread)</div>
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- Corn Chowder</div>
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-Blackeyed Peas and ham</div>
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- Lentils</div>
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- Split pea soup</div>
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- Chicken Cordon Bleu</div>
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- French Toast, Waffles or Pancakes with ham on the side </div>
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- Breakfast Sandwich</div>
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- Ham and Cheese Tortilla<br />
</div>
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<b>HOW TO USE LEFTOVER HOLIDAY TURKEY</b></div>
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<b>- </b>Pot Pie</div>
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- Turkey Noodle Soup</div>
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- Turkey Cranberry Sandwich</div>
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-Turkey Bacon Avacado Sandwich</div>
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-Oriental Salad</div>
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- BBQ Turkey Pizza</div>
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- Turkey Enchiladas</div>
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- Turkey Tacos</div>
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- Turkey Stir Fry</div>
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- Turkey Sliders</div>
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- Turkey Salad Sandwiches<br />
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These are just a few ideas. I would love to hear what you do with your
leftovers. Please share and enjoy. You can always freeze it and use it
over a period of time as well. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-2340461617946442492013-11-25T14:46:00.003-08:002013-11-25T14:47:35.638-08:00LIFE IS GOOD<div style="text-align: center;">
editing pictures and eating ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (while the baby naps). life is good!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-15458762672626500612013-11-22T14:01:00.003-08:002013-11-22T14:01:27.216-08:00CRISPY CRUNCHY ROASTED CHICKPEAS<div style="text-align: center;">
sorry i haven't posted in a while, but fun things have been happening around our house. i have been baking lots of "healthy" cookies and along with that, have also been consuming them. i have lots of photo stuff in the works and a rambunctious little toddler that loves to play. so needless to say we have been busy! </div>
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yesterday i finally broke down and made ROASTED CHICKPEAS. i was going through all of these vegan cookbooks and kept coming across stuff with chickpeas and i thought, "i'm roasting these right now!" and so i did! i can't believe it has taken me so long to just do it. they are super easy and they are delicious! i even tried to be crafty and see if i could store them in a cute (old peanut butter jar) with gauze and string. attention neighbors: you may be getting these for christmas (i don't think people give out enough salty treats around the holidays and i get a little sugar overload...and these are salty and despite all of the oil...healthy). just an idea.</div>
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i used the baking instructions from <a href="http://www.crunchyrock.com/2013/05/crunchy-roasted-chickpeas.html">this </a>recipe because she said they were crispy (they are!) and that is what i wanted, but i used different seasoning and just sprinkled so there is really no measurements. this is approximately what it would be. i used garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika. the smoked paprika almost gives them a bbq flavor!</div>
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<br /><b>
CRISPY CRUNCHY ROASTED CHICKPEAS</b><br />
<br /> <b>INGREDIENTS</b>:<br />
<br /> 2 (15 ounce cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br /> 3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br /> 1 teaspoon garlic powder<br /> 1 teaspoon smoked paprika<br /> 1 teaspoon onion powder<br />
sea salt to taste<br /> <br /><b>INSTRUCTIONS:</b><br />
<br /> Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br /> <br /> Dry the chickpeas as best you can. I like to give them a spin in a salad spinner and then blot them on a clean kitchen towel.<br /> <br /> Spread them out on a rimmed sheet pan so that they are in a single layer. Roast (with no oil or seasoning) for 20 minutes, until they are dry to the touch.<br /> <br /> Remove them from the oven and raise the temperature to 425 degrees.<br /><br />
Toss them with the oil and spices (you can do this on the cookie sheet).<br /> <br /> Roast for an additional 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. <br />
<br /> Season the chickpeas with a little more salt if they need it.<br />
<br /> Store in an airtight container or glass jar for up to 1 month. Make sure your chickpeas are completely cool before storing. (The chickpeas will begin to lose a little crunch over time.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-36157706474405909372013-11-19T21:36:00.005-08:002013-11-19T21:37:49.957-08:00HEALTHY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES<div style="text-align: center;">
I DID IT! THEY WORKED! AND THEY ARE SOOOO DELICIOUS!</div>
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remember <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/healthy-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-coconut.html">these </a>delicious cookies from 2 days ago. well the pumpkin ones worked and they too are sooo good. i also experimented with less sugar and it turned out great as well. i added 1/2 as much sugar, but increased the banana to 1 1/2 instead of just one. i also just completely omitted the oil and i could tell no difference. these things are going to be the death of me! they are delicious! to all of you out there who said you had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for breakfast when i had brownies...i will probably be having that tomorrow morning (but mine have flax and oatmeal and NO OIL!) love that!</div>
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YUMMY!</div>
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<b>HEALTHY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES</b><br />
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1 ½ cups oat flour (i made my own just by blending oats in the Vitamix)<br />
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (also did the same with these)<br />
¾ cup rolled oats<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (you could use raw or i am sure honey or agave would be good)</div>
½ cup chopped walnuts<br />
½ cup chocolate chips (i used semi sweet with these ones)<br />
½ cup shredded coconut (we used sweetened, but if you had unsweetened you could use that too)<br />
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1½ bananas mashed <br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
¾ cup pumpkin puree<br />
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Preheat oven to 350°F.<br />
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<br />
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.</div>
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<br />
Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, until <br />
well combined.</div>
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<br />
Use
a medium-size ice cream scoop or a large spoon to scoop batter onto a
cookie sheet lightly greased or covered with parchment paper. <br />
<br />
Bake for 14-18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, or bake until the edges of the <br />
cookies are light brown.<br />
<br />
Makes about 12-14 cookies.</div>
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<b>ENJOY!</b></div>
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i also put up my christmas decorations last week. i am usually an after thanksgiving kind of girl, but i honestly couldn't help myself. it could have had something to do with cleaning out the garage and bringing the decorations inside. the box in the kitchen was driving me insane, so rather than put it back out in the garage i just put the stuff up. i love it though, it is peaceful and simple and totally us.</div>
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this is it. the extent of my decorating skills. i have a wreathe on the door and <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2012/12/stockings.html">stockings </a>(below that i made last year).</div>
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the tree has very few ornaments on it, but they are all special. my inlaws got me this nativity last year for christmas and i just love it. i have been waiting a whole year to put it up. the little angel on top is from my parents. i cherish it. it was given to me at a time that i really needed angels surrounding me and they were there.</div>
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[the little one] loves to hold and kiss (stick their heads in her mouth) the sheep and Jesus. it is really sweet. sometimes i think kids know about Jesus before we actually teach them about who He is. it seems to me like that is a part of life before earth that they just still remember. when i say His name her face lights up as though i am showing her the most special thing (i am). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PKGqyOgS6Xo/UoxE-_lsHkI/AAAAAAAAG0E/syNsleSCfN4/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PKGqyOgS6Xo/UoxE-_lsHkI/AAAAAAAAG0E/syNsleSCfN4/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OF1haqASA88/UoxFM-sy1EI/AAAAAAAAG0M/TJ6M9tRyQQM/s1600/IMG_0112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OF1haqASA88/UoxFM-sy1EI/AAAAAAAAG0M/TJ6M9tRyQQM/s1600/IMG_0112.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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and today i baked a pumpkin pie with a lot of other women from our neighborhood at a pie making class. it was really fun....and yes there is an empty pie tin on the kitchen table as i type. oops. [the man] ate the whole thing. just kidding. we shared, but i would like to say he ate it all. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so yeah, today was a great day. the highlight...those cookies! and [the man] getting off work a little early ANDi got a backdrop stand that i ordered for photos, so i am excited to use that next week for a brand new baby!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-46885724735649188092013-11-19T07:50:00.001-08:002013-11-19T07:50:06.745-08:00A BREATHE OF REAL LIFE<div style="text-align: center;">
today i just wanted to give you a breathe of "real life." dirty dishes, caked on food, a messy house, pure exhaustion, burnt dinner...a little of the stuff we can all understand.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-reErVDK_XTY/Uorq7BtxAtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/gN2cbpvrqL8/s1600/IMG_9278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-reErVDK_XTY/Uorq7BtxAtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/gN2cbpvrqL8/s1600/IMG_9278.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8eFa4aDjVf7PtpYwNtYBdtdEk9lkCDdk1wS71Wvm5nTN-bb-6FfEibpf8U0Y-dh1WSlZB_uI5tihZK63ycaVzkHO6QKIVOFP6x8jJW2LI9giKKn3dFKVpQxPP6l1zG9dcuSSrBAEPDc/s1600/IMG_9253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8eFa4aDjVf7PtpYwNtYBdtdEk9lkCDdk1wS71Wvm5nTN-bb-6FfEibpf8U0Y-dh1WSlZB_uI5tihZK63ycaVzkHO6QKIVOFP6x8jJW2LI9giKKn3dFKVpQxPP6l1zG9dcuSSrBAEPDc/s1600/IMG_9253.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
i have been trying to capture some images lately that actually portray a different part of "social media" reality. the hard part, the ugly part, the part we often "don't post." something that portrays the nights that you are too tired to touch another dish and then by noon the next day they are still sitting there. or the dirty house that was clean two minutes ago before your toddler dumped and pulled everything out, just to be put away again and pulled out again. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1YuHp8gqN4/Uorq2JtpQdI/AAAAAAAAGtM/liYrHsxCTuw/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1YuHp8gqN4/Uorq2JtpQdI/AAAAAAAAGtM/liYrHsxCTuw/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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or this one that happened last night when i tried so hard to make [the man's] favorite dinner (with a tired crying toddler pulling on my legs because she wanted to be held) only to burn the rice right before he came home. i should have opted for steamed rice instead of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahdig">Tahdig </a>(Persian rice). </div>
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some days food tastes horrible or is just plain inedible, people have bad days, babies cry or don't sleep, houses are dirty and the only thing you can do is keep going. hope that tomorrow will be better and your energy lasts until your head hits the pillow. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
these are little problems compared to so many of the other problems people face, but i think sometimes it is refreshing to see someone else's bad days so you know that you are not alone.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-11039439689794880442013-11-18T12:43:00.002-08:002013-11-19T21:43:03.667-08:00"HEALTHY" CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COCONUT BANANA WALNUT COOKIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-tL3hNfxcit_RdQzDPw_xoePDGyVHr3edWMGM1hbrHLwJYyT7x8kbcRTDDtZH1QuOvQztuGjzIT-rujF9VHIhoAwfFDQMLzsT8W2GVFJZLPmXxw690BoqJjDn35HSJ2KNzmDiy2gjxc/s1600/IMG_9947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-tL3hNfxcit_RdQzDPw_xoePDGyVHr3edWMGM1hbrHLwJYyT7x8kbcRTDDtZH1QuOvQztuGjzIT-rujF9VHIhoAwfFDQMLzsT8W2GVFJZLPmXxw690BoqJjDn35HSJ2KNzmDiy2gjxc/s1600/IMG_9947.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
the name is quite the mouthful isn't it? i wasn't really sure what the best name for them would be and they have so many delicious parts to them, i thought "why not just list them all and call it a name?"</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
these seriously are amazing . [the man] LOVES them. he takes a bite and without fail says, "these are the most delicious cookies" "these are the best cookies" "i love these cookies." this man LOVES cookies, so you know if he says they are good, that is really saying something. we got this recipe from his aunt (the one that gave us this amazing <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/09/adas-polow.html">recipe </a>as well...which we are having for dinner tonight). </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
the best part about these cookies besides the dark chocolate chips and coconut would have to be the fact that there is only 1 tsp of oil in the whole batch. i know, right? you can't believe it can you? we made one batch of these and one batch with dates instead of chocolate. i am working on a <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/healthy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">pumpkin</a> variation right now as well...be excited! :) </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9PWlY7dYqk8/UopC6C0DyJI/AAAAAAAAGj0/vnTWyQXmAs4/s1600/IMG_9963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9PWlY7dYqk8/UopC6C0DyJI/AAAAAAAAGj0/vnTWyQXmAs4/s1600/IMG_9963.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>"HEALTHY" CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COCONUT BANANA WALNUT COOKIES</b><br />
<br />
1 ½ cups oat flour (i made my own just by blending oats in the Vitamix)<br />
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (also did the same with these)<br />
¾ cup rolled oats<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
½ teaspoon imitation coconut or coconut extract<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup packed brown sugar (you could use raw or i am sure honey or agave would be good)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
½ cup chopped walnuts<br />
½ cup chocolate chips (the best ones are <a href="http://www.ghirardelli.com/store/shop-products/collections/baking-products/60-cacao-bittersweet-chocolate-baking-chips.html">these</a>. they are large and the flavor and melting temp is perfect!)<br />
½ cup shredded coconut (we used sweetened, but if you had unsweetened you could use that too)<br />
1 teaspoon coconut oil<br />
1 medium banana mashed (about ½ cup)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy) (<a href="http://almondbreeze.com/?navid=530">this </a>is my new favorite milk and so i used this)<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>"HEALTHY" CINNAMON DATE OATMEAL COCONUT BANANA WALNUT COOKIES</b><br />
<br />
1 ½ cups oat flour (i made my own just by blending oats in the Vitamix)<br />
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (also did the same with these)<br />
¾ cup rolled oats<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
½ teaspoon cinnamon<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup packed brown sugar (you could use raw sugar or 1/4 cup of honey or agave)</div>
½ cup chopped walnuts<br />
½ cup chopped dates<br />
½ cup shredded coconut (we used sweetened, but if you had unsweetened you could use that too)<br />
1 teaspoon coconut oil<br />
1 medium banana mashed (about ½ cup)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy) (<a href="http://almondbreeze.com/?navid=530">this </a>is my new favorite milk and so i used this)<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Preheat oven to 350°F.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.</div>
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<br />
Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, until <br />
well combined.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Use a medium-size ice cream scoop or a large spoon to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet lightly greased or covered with parchment paper. <br />
<br />
Bake for 14-18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, or bake until the edges of the <br />
cookies are light brown.<br />
<br />
Makes about 14 cookies.</div>
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<b>ENJOY!</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N46mrfjePZs/Uop7wD4_QwI/AAAAAAAAGkM/zBi50KA3IJw/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N46mrfjePZs/Uop7wD4_QwI/AAAAAAAAGkM/zBi50KA3IJw/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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some days are just good. you get to play at the park and eat delicious cookies with one of your favorite people in the whole world. </div>
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feeling overly blessed!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-73655995699425827872013-11-15T12:51:00.004-08:002013-11-15T12:53:06.588-08:00I. THERE ARE NOT JUST "HEALTHY" AND "UNHEALTHY" RELATIONSHIPS<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I. THERE ARE NOT JUST "HEALTHY" AND "UNHEALTHY" RELATIONSHIPS</b><br />
<br />
i'm not a psychologist, but i have spent my fair share of time in a therapists office. i have been a part of various types of relationships and have observed even more.<br />
<br />
do you want to know what i have learned?<br />
<br />
<i>no relationship is perfect. why? because we aren't perfect. </i><br />
<br />
do you want to know what else i have learned?<br />
<br />
<i>unless you are in the relationship it is very difficult to understand the intricacies of what is going on behind closed doors. </i><br />
<br />
relationships are complex, often confusing, and alive. we often try to categorize relationships as "oh they have a good relationship" or "oh, they really shouldn't be together." i could go on, but you know what i mean. we often make these assumptions off of very little information that we have. someone is happy, therefore things must be good at home or someone complains about their spouse (they must have married a jerk). when it very well could be, that someone is really good at covering up how they are really feeling and things are horrible at home and the person married to the "jerk", might in fact be the bigger one. you really never know. <br />
<br />
what i am trying to get at with this is it is often hard to determine whether someone or even ourselves has a relationship with food that is actually good (healthy in it's true sense) for us.<br />
<br />
often times we see a thin person and automatically attribute that to health and vise versa.<br />
<br />
the skinniest time of my life was the most unhealthy i have ever been. i was in a bad relationship, was completely stressed out. anything i ate made me sick and so i seldom ate. when i did it was usually candy and coke or dr. pepper. did i feel good about my body? heck yeah, but i was so unhealthy and the relationship that i had with food was horrible. i used it. i controlled it. i abused it. i got energy from caffeine and satisfaction from sugar. i used food (if you can even call it that...it was more of a drug) to fill a void and over exercising to get away from reality. i was unhealthy not just physically, but emotionally as well.<br />
<br />
there were other times in my life that food was a compulsion. i couldn't help myself and would consume way too much. or other times when it was an obsession. all i could think about was eating and how many calories were in something, so maybe, just maybe, i could free myself from the extra weight. in these instances i felt controlled by food, somehow (i don't know why) it had me in its talons and i did not know how to get out. i believe at these points in my life there was also a void. that void was eventually healed and with the healing the obsession went away.<br />
<br />
there are countless other faces of unhealthy relationships with food, but mostly they involve over or under consumption. this can often be combined with too much or too little physical activity. i believe the root of these problems may have actually nothing to do with food. it may be control, it may be sadness, or trying to cope, or trying to compete at an advanced level. it may be our job to look a certain way or be a certain size.<br />
<br />
so what does a "healthy" relationship with food look like? it may be different for me than it is for you. for me it is <i>fueling my body with fresh, real, unpackaged food in moderation free of compulsion, control, or abuse.</i> it is combined with being active <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/09/ditch-car.html">everyday</a>.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_BOsK-l3bKs/UoaJkLvMKLI/AAAAAAAAGjE/XrKdSWVhHK4/s1600/328264_831215791664_212270839_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_BOsK-l3bKs/UoaJkLvMKLI/AAAAAAAAGjE/XrKdSWVhHK4/s400/328264_831215791664_212270839_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
while i think i often have it "figured out" i realize that my relationship still is not perfect. it has taken years to get to this point. it has taken finding the root of my problems and learning what works for me. i LOVE food. there is no hiding that. i find great
satisfaction in eating healthy food and occasionally eating not so
healthy food. but like i said; it has taken YEARS to get to this point. for me there was no quick fix, lose weight fast, 8 week program. my life had to change, the way i viewed food had to change and happily food no
longer controls me and i try to no longer control or abuse it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
this healing came through understanding the
following points and a lot of hard work.<br />
<br />
<b>2. in every relationship peoples needs are different</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>3. our behavior in our relationships is often learned and a product of observation</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>4. relationships are not stagnant</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>5. you are not bound</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>6. all relationships take WORK</b><br />
<br />
<b>7. there are trained people out there that can help</b><br />
<br />
<b>8. certain things just aren't okay</b><br />
<br />
<b>9. a good relationship is built on a goal</b><br />
<br />
<b>10. only you can decide what works for you</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
if you missed the introduction to this series it can be found <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-relationship-with-food-introduction.html">here</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
stay tuned for the remaining 9 points.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i hope this is helpful. again i am not a doctor, psychologist, expert, or dietician. i am just sharing my story in hopes that it will bring light to a problem you may be dealing with or to inspire you that there is hope and things can get better.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-17463297770779198132013-11-13T21:46:00.001-08:002013-11-13T21:52:23.503-08:00MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD (introduction)<div style="text-align: center;">
i once came across a blog called "every woman has an eating disorder." and while i thought it was clever and it caught my attention, i didn't agree. after much thought i would say "every woman (and man) has a <i>relationship </i>with food."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i was asked by a reader to share what a typical day of eating is like for me. i know this probably seemed like a simple request, but i have thought about this for days (probably getting close to weeks) and how i could best portray my eating habits.<br />
<br />
i wanted this to be truthful, candid and real. i wanted in some way to help someone (or many) that may be struggling with their own personal relationship with food.<br />
<br />
in doing this i felt a lot of apprehension. i didn't want people to think i have it figured out (i don't). i didn't want someone to assume that because i am thin i eat right and i am always healthy...(remember <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/eating-habits.html">this</a>). i didn't want people to feel discouraged because of struggles they may already be dealing with or be let down because i didn't have "the answer."<br />
<br />
so in writing this, know that i am doing my best to explain what i have learned and only that. there is no scientific proof, i am not a dietician or anything of the sort. i am a woman that has struggled with weight issues for years and through a lot of sweat, discouragement, failed diets, and calories i have finally found what works for ME. if knowing what that is helps any of you in some way. that makes me happy. <br />
<br />
i have decided that the best way to do this would be to talk about my life long relationship with food using the analogy of other relationships that we may have in our lives. there are 10 key points that i thought could help bring some light to this topic.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1. there are not just "healthy" and "unhealthy" relationships.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2. in every relationship peoples needs are different</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>3. our behavior in our relationships is often learned and a product of observation</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>4. relationships are not stagnant</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>5. you are not bound</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>6. all relationships take WORK</b><br />
<br />
<b>7. there are trained people out there that can help</b><br />
<br />
<b>8. certain things just aren't okay</b><br />
<br />
<b>9. a good relationship is built on a goal</b><br />
<br />
<b>10. only you can decide what works for you </b><br />
<br />
i tried writing all of these in one post and it is just too much information, so this is going to be a series of ten additional posts with each topic having their own day, so stay tuned and i hope this is helpful to someone out there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVsDxmr4bsQ/UoRkr8prWnI/AAAAAAAAGgY/i4NTwheKj58/s1600/Anna+blog+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVsDxmr4bsQ/UoRkr8prWnI/AAAAAAAAGgY/i4NTwheKj58/s1600/Anna+blog+3.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
blog posts just aren't complete without pictures. this is around the time i started struggling with my weight (and hairstyle and jewelry selection). </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-1837078507903156622013-11-13T13:09:00.000-08:002013-11-13T13:09:49.363-08:00EVERY STORM RUNS OUT OF RAIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1q3LEadIk3w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thank you Gary Allan.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i absolutely love this song. the reasons are endless, but some are more simple to explain.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
there are often times in life when you feel like the winds will never stop blowing, the rain will never stop pouring, the trials will never stop coming. this can go on for days. months. years even. it is often impossible to see hope, to see a future ahead of what you are going through at the current time.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mortality is full of this. sickness, death, disease, disasters, hate, crime, heartache, failure, misfortune, (should i keep going)? it awaits at every corner. there have been times in my life where i wanted to do nothing outside of my control because the fear of more trials taunted me. i knew it was lurking around the corner just waiting to attack. i was fearful. i was afraid. i was dammed. i was paralyzed to move forward for fear of more heartache.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and then something wonderful happened. the darkness still surrounded me from all sides, but the rain stopped, the wind ceased, and eventually the clouds broke. this storm cleared a little.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
there wasn't a magnificent double rainbow in the middle of a clear meadow, but there was a glimpse. a clearing. it seemed about like this; </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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(thank you google images)</div>
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the sky was still grey, but you could see the blue, you could see the colors poking through the clouds. and i remembered the promise, that the storm wouldn't last forever, the heartache would one day end and there was hope.</div>
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with each trial we may face, there is hope that there may be a brighter (not perfect) but a brighter tomorrow. </div>
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this may seem like a strange thing to write about out of the blue, but i had an incredible opportunity to do a couple maternity session with the campbells and they told me it would be okay if i shared their story as well.</div>
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i don't know all of the details, but the story is touching nonetheless. </div>
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the Campbells are expecting their second child in two weeks! (i am so excited to meet this little girl!) this little girl is their "rainbow baby." i had never heard this term before now and i am so glad i know now what it means. </div>
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a "rainbow baby" is a child that is concieved after a miscarriage or still birth. </div>
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i found this quote online and thought that it gave a nice description;</div>
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<i>"Rainbow Babies" is the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover, but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy and hope.</i></div>
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i love that! and find it to be so true.</div>
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the campbell's first son was born still when jen was 7 months pregnant. </div>
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i can't imagine the pain or the heartache they must have felt then and still feel now, but their clouds opened up a little and they are expecting a little girl in 2 weeks. </div>
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i had the opportunity to be a part of helping capture some of the feelings that these little babies are already bringing to this family. jen asked that we incorporate the rainbow baby theme in a couple of the images.</div>
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ENJOY!</div>
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these two babies are incredibly lucky to have such wonderful parents! </div>
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thank you campbell family for reminding me that there is HOPE.</div>
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a few more photos can be found <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/work-in-progress.html">here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-17808840535974516592013-11-12T07:14:00.003-08:002013-11-13T13:18:20.284-08:00WORK IN PROGRESS<div style="text-align: center;">
working on these and loving every minute of it!</div>
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sorry for being MIA, we went out of town and i am WAY behind on so many things! i have pictures to edit, a house to clean, a baby to chase, and an unfinished food post to complete. let's see how productive we can be today!</div>
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more photos can be seen <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/11/every-storm-runs-out-of-rain.html">here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-29894044412062365302013-11-07T08:16:00.003-08:002013-11-07T08:32:04.316-08:00TRY SOMETHING NEW<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvUCEL2zDEk/UnnYgG3M4NI/AAAAAAAAGUI/VyQVlIPI1cg/s1600/b92afed62493eb281ef73a282b43139f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvUCEL2zDEk/UnnYgG3M4NI/AAAAAAAAGUI/VyQVlIPI1cg/s1600/b92afed62493eb281ef73a282b43139f.jpg" height="400" width="376" /></a></div>
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it feels so good to have found (yet another thing) i enjoy doing so much.<br />
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i am really LOVING photography!</div>
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this is so true. i have an amazing friend that kept telling me over and over and over again that i needed to get a camera. that i needed to do something with design. that i needed to get into the wedding industry. i came up with excuse after excuse after excuse that i wouldn't be good. that i didn't have time. that i had other priorities and on and on and on and on and on. thankfully this friend didn't give up. we would have conversation after conversation about just what this quote said. about taking risks and working hard and just trying.<br />
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and so i did. i bought a camera and something happened. i fell in love again. (i have a lot of loves!)</div>
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i am a firm believer in trying new things (even though it scares me). in exploring undiscovered loves and talents. you never ever know if you are going to love something until you try it and you will never know if you can potentially be good at something until you put in the time and face your fears and step out of your comfort zone and just do it. i was scared to get into photography for a lot of different reasons, one of which was the fact that it would require that i get out of my comfort zone and approach people and meet people and advertise myself (i have a hard time with all of these things). in fact, they really really scare me, but from this instance as well as countless others i have learned that the risk is worth it.<br />
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i have learned that there are so many reasons we have for not doing things and most of the time they aren't very legitimate. often times we are fearful of failure or not being good. (that is one of my biggest fears), but i have learned that you don't have to be perfect the first time or EVER. it is a learning experience and every time after that is too. you get better every time, or you don't, and you just enjoy doing it. also we are often worried about making a fool of ourselves or embarrassing ourselves if what we are doing involves other people. i had (and still have) this fear about photography. this would require that i approach people and offer them something that i wasn't and still am not completely comfortable doing yet. this was and is hard for me, but each time has gotten better and better and better and i don't think the people minded at all. they were patient and kind and we had fun together.<br />
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this shoot was one of those shoots. when i first moved here i saw this girl and knew immediately i wanted to take pictures of her. i didn't know her, we had never met (we had mutual friends) and so i found her on facebook and sent her a message saying that i was a photographer just starting out and i wanted to take pictures of her and it probably was a little creepy, but if she would be willing i would really appreciate it.<br />
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she didn't get my message (thank you facebook "others" folder!) and so i thought, "did she get it and just think i was crazy?" time passed. eventually we were at a mutual get together and i approached her awkwardly and told her i was the one that sent the message to her (she looked at me confused). come to find out, she didn't get it, i asked her in person if she wanted to do a portrait session with me, she consented. we had a great day and became friends.<br />
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i was so scared to talk to her and to send that message, but nothing bad came from it, in fact so much good came from it! i mean look at her! this was so much fun!</div>
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i still have fears, in fact i have tons, but i know that they are usually worth facing.</div>
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great things happen when you try new things and as cliche as it is "you only live once" and life has SO many things to offer. try them, find new loves and ENJOY your time. </div>
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try something new this week and let me know how it goes. anything.<br />
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<i><b>what are other things in your life you have done that you were scared to do at the beginning, but the outcome was way worth the risk? </b></i><br />
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this doesn't have to be a huge thing. it can be as simple as trying a new recipe.<br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
i remember the first time i made a particular tiramisu recipe and it required that you make a Sabayon (an egg based italian dessert where you slowly cook eggs over a double boiler while constantly whisking). i was scared i would ruin it! (lots of people have on chopped!) but i tried and you know what? that tiramisu may have been on of the best things i have ever tasted! it was worth it!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-87693199033604971822013-11-06T21:58:00.005-08:002013-11-06T21:59:25.197-08:00EATING HABITS<div style="text-align: center;">
i ate brownies for breakfast today.</div>
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as i have been thinking about what to write in regards to my eating habits it has become a lot harder than i thought. so bare with me as i am trying to create something that makes sense. </div>
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until then, know that some days i think brownies are the best breakfast.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-608904173801917662013-11-04T22:36:00.004-08:002013-11-07T12:49:17.681-08:00BOYS AND THEIR TOYS<div style="text-align: center;">
these little guys are adorable. they are turning 2 years old and 5 months old . </div>
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i love photographing children, especially in their element. i love capturing candids of them doing what they love. this was the perfect shoot for that. </div>
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happy birthdays little one's. </div>
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don't ever stop enjoying the simple joys that life has to offer.</div>
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these little guys are blessed with one amazing mama!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
[the little one] came along this morning (she and B are friends).</div>
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these pictures were so fun to take because in most of them, they both have the exact same expression on their faces. "like father, like son."</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
i am working on a few more photo sessions, as well as an insight into my fitness and nutrition regiment (per request.) so the next few days will be about that. </div>
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until then, enjoy these adorable little guys!</div>
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...and remember what it was like to enjoy playing with the water hose and pretending you were driving in a car and just being in awe at all of the things that the world had to offer. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-79283165849642472462013-11-03T19:52:00.000-08:002013-11-03T19:52:29.782-08:00CORN AND TOMATO SALSA<div style="text-align: center;">
we were flipping through cook books and the man saw this salsa and immediately wanted it for dinner. we changed a couple of things (specifically how it was served and the amounts of ingredients). it turned out great. it is fresh and limey, not spicy. if you wanted to add jalapenos to it that would be good as well. the flavor was nice and with the salty crispy chip it was heavenly! the creaminess of the avacodo and sour cream really add to it as well. if i made it again, i would probably dice the avacodo and put it inside along with a can of rinsed black beans, a jalapeno and just eat the whole bowl with chips and side of sour cream. maybe this week. i'll let you know how it is, until then this way was delicious too! </div>
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(can you tell i am hungry) </div>
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<b>CORN AND TOMATO SALSA</b><br />
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<u>INGREDIENTS</u><br />
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3 ears of white corn (cut the kernels off the ear of corn) <br />
6 roma tomatoes, finely chopped<br />
1/3 c minced red onion<br />
1/3 c minced fresh cilantro<br />
3 Tb minced fresh basil<br />
1 minced Anaheim pepper<br />
juice of 3 limes<br />
salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced<br />
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<br />
<u>INSTRUCTIONS</u><br />
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In a large bowl, mix corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, basil, chile, lime juice, salt and pepper.<br />
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depending upon how you were eating this you could slice the avocado (as shown above) or you could dice it and add it to the salsa if you were going to be eating it all right away. <br />
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this salsa was great on chips alone and was also excellent on bean burritos with a side of chips, lime, and of course sour cream.<br />
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ENJOY! <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
i ate mine a top homemade mac and cheese. it was delicious!</div>
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i made mac and cheese for the little one for her birthday, but wasn't totally pleased with the recipe. i will keep working on it and when i find or come up with a perfect mac and cheese i will let you know. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-88276196757650159722013-11-02T08:47:00.000-07:002013-11-02T08:47:41.347-07:00MORNING GLORY MUFFINS<div style="text-align: center;">
we made these muffins this week and boy oh boy are they yummy! this recipe is from a really great family friend named Bessie Lee. My mom would make these muffins in huge quantities and freeze them. they freeze great, are very delicious and are a wonderful on the go breakfast. [the little one] LOVES them and so does [the man]. that makes life easy for me.<br />
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another great thing about these muffins is that you can "hide" so many great things into them. they have carrots, raisins, nuts, seed, we threw in some flax this go around, and coconut! YUM YUM YUM! i think i might just eat one right after i am done with this!<br />
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the batter is pretty thick, which makes it incredibly easy to scoop into the muffin papers.</div>
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i can smell these while i type. CINNAMON! mmm mmm mmm!</div>
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all ready to be baked!</div>
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the house is beginning to smell amazing...</div>
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and TA DA!</div>
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they are here! warm and ready to be consumed.</div>
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or cooled and refrigerated or frozen!</div>
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you really will love these and the recipe is very easy.</div>
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ENJOY!</div>
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<b>BESSIE LEE'S MORNING GLORY MUFFINS</b><br />
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<u>INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS </u><br />
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BAKE FOR 18-20 Minutes at 350 Degrees<br />
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<br />
<u>In a large bowl mix </u><br />
<br />
3 cups flour<br />
2 1/2 cups sugar<br />
<br />
4 t soda<br />
<br />
4 t cinnamon<br />
<br />
1 t salt<br />
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4 c quick oats<br />
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<br />
<u>then stir in</u><br />
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4 cups grated carrotts<br />
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1 cup raisins<br />
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1 cup chopped nuts (I always put in more and use at least 2 kinds) (this time we used sunflower seeds, cashews, and flax seeds. it totaled about 2-3 cups all together.)<br />
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1 cup unsweetened coconut<br />
<br />
2 grated apples or 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce or blended unsweetened canned pears <br />
<br />
any other dried fruit or seeds you like<br />
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<u>In another bowl beat together</u><br />
<br />
6 eggs <br />
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1 1/2 cups salad oil<br />
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4 t vanilla<br />
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Stir everything together until just combined. Fill cupcake papers in muffin tins about 3/4 full.<br />
<br />
You can bake and freeze them or keep the bowl in the fridge for a couple of days and make them as <br />
<br />
you want. <br />
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TRY THEM AND ADD YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO THEM!</div>
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ENJOY AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.</div>
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i have so many thing in queue to write about, but this week of birthdays and halloween has gotten me behind...i'm so sorry.</div>
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i wasn't going to dress up for halloween, but we decided last minute to throw something together. i didn't want to hand out candy (i figure the world doesn't need any more sugar pulsing through their veins) and so i decided i would give a different kind of "treat." we set up a backdrop and i took pictures of the trick or treaters. i then gave them a slip of paper with the web address and password to a password protected online gallery. </div>
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i was really nervous because i didn't know how people would take it. i didn't want to be one of those creepy people trying to take pictures of their children, but i really thought it would be a nice thing for the parent to have and a nice thing that i could give.</div>
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overall people were really really excited about it and appreciative. i used it as a kind of half marketing tool. i didn't want to come across as solely advertising, so i just handed out the little slip of paper.</div>
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i had a blast doing it. i actually got to interact with all the cute little kids and they had a lot of fun too.</div>
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i was rosie the riveter for halloween (easiest costume in the world!) it was an easy thing to throw together. the [little one] was superman (thank goodness for pj's). this is how the pictures were, most were full length, but just a basic black backdrop with the subject in front. they all turned out so cute. i wish i could share, but maybe you will see some floating through cyber space that people eventually post themselves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyZXRy7TFn5FvP_OYq1LM89bl0uRNug2z_Vi66D8B4T_aPMNhm5vGLAuogJoJqAehflVXWikuDG_83mmirGxUvwCqnSCmS8LjfzPvj9ig8uf3XOIbo-aJpOAD89qv3o_6bx0JIjbB0YA/s1600/IMG_8377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyZXRy7TFn5FvP_OYq1LM89bl0uRNug2z_Vi66D8B4T_aPMNhm5vGLAuogJoJqAehflVXWikuDG_83mmirGxUvwCqnSCmS8LjfzPvj9ig8uf3XOIbo-aJpOAD89qv3o_6bx0JIjbB0YA/s1600/IMG_8377.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z2Cf0pmuP_4/UnPOEX7uetI/AAAAAAAAFqo/NgBgwiVV2s4/s1600/IMG_8386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z2Cf0pmuP_4/UnPOEX7uetI/AAAAAAAAFqo/NgBgwiVV2s4/s1600/IMG_8386.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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so overall, halloween was good at our house. it was fun and rewarding. the man and i ended the night with watching the office and eating delicious chocolate chip oatmeal coconut cookies (yes recipe coming soon!) i hope you all had a great halloween and that you were all safe. i wish you could have come trick or treating at our house, so we could have seen your great costumes and gotten to capture that moment for you! </div>
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Have a great weekend! </div>
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Don't eat too much of your kids candy! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-44032766532573708792013-10-30T08:15:00.002-07:002013-10-30T08:15:45.093-07:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY [LITTLE ONE]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrdfO4B-VYQa1jl_sEGnYJzsbcSNdddKNsyGWOkEscMf6cp6dmMlIun_0sD0WRGdm9bcQgWMG55vS9YWBPo89_XpqPKY2cOml5eNOPdsKwwK0H1RcaDRqgut2mCP5FtyjplV4P2Gy5Dg/s1600/IMG_9001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrdfO4B-VYQa1jl_sEGnYJzsbcSNdddKNsyGWOkEscMf6cp6dmMlIun_0sD0WRGdm9bcQgWMG55vS9YWBPo89_XpqPKY2cOml5eNOPdsKwwK0H1RcaDRqgut2mCP5FtyjplV4P2Gy5Dg/s1600/IMG_9001.jpg" height="400" width="237" /></a></div>
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i can't believe that my baby is 1 year old today! </div>
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she is smart, funny, happy, calming, content, inquisitive, and just perfect (in my eyes of course). there wasn't much that was enjoyable about being pregnant except for that i knew that inside of me there was a little person. i never imagined i would be so blessed that it was <i>this </i>little person. i loved it when she moved, she seemed to already have this amazing personality before she even arrived. she literally was an angel sent to save my life and over the past year i have experience more joy, and learned more, and felt more love from God than i ever thought possible.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kb5kCNES6hk/UnCXiLVr_AI/AAAAAAAAFoM/Wt4iiL6Eiv8/s1600/IMG_8997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kb5kCNES6hk/UnCXiLVr_AI/AAAAAAAAFoM/Wt4iiL6Eiv8/s1600/IMG_8997.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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i thought i already loved her before she was born,</div>
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but then this happened...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NlC6vzJPWKs/UnCOjpDb4DI/AAAAAAAAFl0/r6oi87flA6I/s1600/IMG_0364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NlC6vzJPWKs/UnCOjpDb4DI/AAAAAAAAFl0/r6oi87flA6I/s1600/IMG_0364.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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my life was forever changed! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YATLCaBnn-4/UnCPktJ4bCI/AAAAAAAAFl8/yv95KZqamxA/s1600/IMG_0372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YATLCaBnn-4/UnCPktJ4bCI/AAAAAAAAFl8/yv95KZqamxA/s1600/IMG_0372.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fgPvpmmGYYM/UnCQdYwPzpI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/M5bZhw_ib3s/s1600/IMG_0379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fgPvpmmGYYM/UnCQdYwPzpI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/M5bZhw_ib3s/s1600/IMG_0379.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aFuLwP6_P_s/UnCQFI9NxlI/AAAAAAAAFmI/ILoK68a2-F8/s1600/IMG_0388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aFuLwP6_P_s/UnCQFI9NxlI/AAAAAAAAFmI/ILoK68a2-F8/s1600/IMG_0388.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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there was joy beyond description.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AtsmbXnAY0o/UnCRW1tZMII/AAAAAAAAFmY/wmBfBeuGqQk/s1600/IMG_0664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AtsmbXnAY0o/UnCRW1tZMII/AAAAAAAAFmY/wmBfBeuGqQk/s1600/IMG_0664.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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that joy has not dimished. in fact it grows stronger and stronger every day and so does the love and gratitude i have for this little girl. as soon as she entered the world, she was alert, observant, and content. She had this look, which she still possesses, that is almost deep contemplation mixed with contentment and understanding. when she looked at you, it felt like she was staring into you.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fRTUuRtzW_M/UnCRyktYv5I/AAAAAAAAFmo/RY2fHntZUgA/s1600/00000654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fRTUuRtzW_M/UnCRyktYv5I/AAAAAAAAFmo/RY2fHntZUgA/s1600/00000654.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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(her daddy protected her from the beginning with robocop's help)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qjds07F-dUU/UnCRfIB8c_I/AAAAAAAAFmg/j39S--tzdQM/s1600/00000762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qjds07F-dUU/UnCRfIB8c_I/AAAAAAAAFmg/j39S--tzdQM/s1600/00000762.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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she has loved water since day 1.</div>
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she has grown so fast and time has flown by. i have loved every moment of being her mama.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fjau4GOldsY/UnCTBoSqGwI/AAAAAAAAFnE/TSzkiMokIeU/s1600/IMG_2050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fjau4GOldsY/UnCTBoSqGwI/AAAAAAAAFnE/TSzkiMokIeU/s1600/IMG_2050.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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like i said she LOVES water. she is inquisitive and loves to explore and play.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N3kHaZYQyjc/UnCUea_tVAI/AAAAAAAAFnU/E3HNEysvpuA/s1600/IMG_4278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N3kHaZYQyjc/UnCUea_tVAI/AAAAAAAAFnU/E3HNEysvpuA/s1600/IMG_4278.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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she melts my heart!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TGCjnuAjYEU/UnCUmML_sRI/AAAAAAAAFnc/upZcZc1unw4/s1600/IMG_7695-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TGCjnuAjYEU/UnCUmML_sRI/AAAAAAAAFnc/upZcZc1unw4/s1600/IMG_7695-2.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPjT1fzXFfc/UnCVKqQQqBI/AAAAAAAAFnk/GAr6v6_CAYI/s1600/IMG_7854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPjT1fzXFfc/UnCVKqQQqBI/AAAAAAAAFnk/GAr6v6_CAYI/s1600/IMG_7854.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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she has 6 teeth, weighs 17.5 pounds and is a bundle of pure joy! she loves to walk and climb and clap. she loves animals. birds and puppies seem to be her favorites. she loves babies and rocks her dolls, carries them around and showers them with kisses. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpw7wPqXlj-OQGvlBfBOSA6J3rbCnqBBo1LchHh16QyeGKE9hPUVGKwwC1HMWzZnylHBAw6RB_Iip918aGVccBNOSeiXANz4ZDuS2xzWcVmszgCbIx4uKCyoz5K3uW7mEvh6rLPkEtn0/s1600/IMG_8059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpw7wPqXlj-OQGvlBfBOSA6J3rbCnqBBo1LchHh16QyeGKE9hPUVGKwwC1HMWzZnylHBAw6RB_Iip918aGVccBNOSeiXANz4ZDuS2xzWcVmszgCbIx4uKCyoz5K3uW7mEvh6rLPkEtn0/s1600/IMG_8059.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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she has got her daddy wrapped around her little finger.</div>
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Happy Birthday little one! we love you with all of our hearts and are so happy you are ours to take care of and teach. we will do our best. please forgive us of our shortcomings. know that no matter what, we will ALWAYS love you.</div>
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may life bring you incredible opportunities and lots of joy! enjoy it all...even the hard stuff </div>
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(it will teach you amazing things).</div>
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WE LOVE YOU!</div>
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!</div>
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<3 </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406076696929879598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463199599885672281.post-67360823026943494412013-10-29T11:28:00.001-07:002013-10-29T11:29:26.566-07:00EASY CABBAGE SOUP AND PICTURES<div style="text-align: center;">
it rained yesterday. it was wet and cold and dark. we stayed inside and played indoors. our day was filled with fun despite not being about to enjoy the fresh air and the trees. </div>
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the [little one] is cutting another tooth, so she was a little sad today, but still very happy considering. we got together with friends and took pictures in the morning which was great. it is both of our daughters birthdays this week and next and i wanted a couple of portrait shots of myself done for my website. it turned out to be a great time and i also was able to capture a few shots that i really like. I am still working on others, but here are a few that i did. it helps to have such a cute subject! isn't she just precious!</div>
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i love this first one. she is standing against an open window which made great light.</div>
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this next one i love because i feel like it could say so much. one of the girls is in the light while the other is in the darkness and the way she is standing and the position of her face almost looks like there are two different individuals pondering and observing the same thought. it reminds me of an internal struggle or observation.<br />
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later that afternoon we had more friends come and play which was fun for all of us. mom got some adult conversation and [the little one] got some kid interaction. the joys of play dates!<br />
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i had no idea what to make for dinner yesterday and frankly didn't want to cook, but knew i had too. i wanted to make something easy and use what i had on hand. i had hamburger, but wanted to have a light meal (that meant, no potatoes, meatloaf, gravy, meatballs...). i remembered this soup my mom used to make when we were all living at home. She would use cabbage, hamburger and V8, but i didn't have V8 and i couldn't get a hold of her, so we just went for it. I used chicken stock, diced tomatoes, hamburger, cabbage and an onion. i seasoned it well and served it with biscuits and sour cream. IT WAS DELICIOUS! [the man] liked it too. in fact he ate it for breakfast this morning. </div>
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you can serve it with or without sour cream, but we all know i love it, so i would go with WITH! There are not a ton of "convenience" foods that i use. They are generally more expensive and i don't mind doing the extra work of making things from scratch, but one of the convenience foods that i think is "worth it" is this little gem...<br />
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They literally take like two minutes to throw together, they are good (not great for you) but they get the job done for certain meals. You don't get flour all over the counter and you can mix it all in one bowl! I LOVE THEM! They make 6 biscuits and are less than a dollar. There are two other flavors. there is a honey one which we like and a garlic cheese that we could do without. anyway, they are nice and actually taste good.<br />
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this is a great throw together meal that is so fast!<br />
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plus with winter coming up, it is nice to have some "hearty" feeling meals that are nice on cold, dark days that don't pack a ton of calories. <br />
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ENJOY!<br />
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<b>EASY CABBAGE SOUP</b></div>
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<u>INGREDIENTS</u></div>
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2 (14.5 oz cans) Chicken broth</div>
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2 (14.5 oz cans) Diced Tomatoes</div>
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1.5 lbs Lean Ground Beef (i bet turkey would be good too)</div>
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1/2 A Cabbage (roughly chopped)</div>
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1 Onion (sliced)<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
1/2 tsp Pepper<br />
1 tsp Onion Powder<br />
1 tsp Garlic Powder<br />
1/2 tsp Cumin<br />
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Chili Powder (depending on spice level you want to achieve)<br />
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Smoked Paprika</div>
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<u>INSTRUCTIONS</u><br />
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Slice onion and saute with olive oil in Large Pot over medium heat until transparent.<br />
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Add meat and lightly salt and pepper. Cook until Brown.<br />
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Add Chicken Stock, Tomatoes, Cabbage and Seasoning.<br />
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Taste liquid and add salt or spice to taste. <br />
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Bring to Boil.<br />
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Boil for 5 minutes.<br />
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Turn town and allow to simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.<br />
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Cabbage will cook down and flavors will blend.<br />
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Serve with sour cream and <a href="http://alandcalledannalee.blogspot.com/2013/09/no-fail-french-bread.html">Warm Bread</a> or Biscuits.<br />
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*This soup, like most, is great the day after!</div>
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