Favorite Little Princess

Got another Paleo recipe for you! This is one looks much more difficult than it is. In fact, I think producing these meals has made me feel like I can actually cook. Maybe. We like topping ours with our favorite spice blend. Ingredients: Chicken breasts - slice open butterfly style 1 slice of deli “honey baked” ham 3 asparagus stalks, hold each end and bend until it breaks, use only the top half 1 slice of brie cheese Olive oil Salt and pepper Your favorite spice blend  Directions: Stuff chicken with ham, asparagus and brie. Hold together with a toothpick. Sprinkle olive oil, kosher salt and black cracked pepper over the chicken or use your favorite spice blend. We use  Minorcan Datil Pepper Spice  and it's perfect! Bake on 400 degrees for 15 minutes. If your breasts are really thick, you may need more time. YUMMY!  This is a great way to not serve chicken the same old way.

Oh my goodness. It's November. I'm stalling. I admit it. The days keep ticking away and all I can do is look at patterns. I can't seem to come up with a real plan. What do I give my mom? What would my husband's aunt like?  It all just gives me a headache. I hate just giving gift cards. It seems so impersonal. My kids, however, love the idea of shopping for what they want. It's a losing battle. I tend to make most of my gifts because I like to put thought and time into it. I also like the idea of buying from other crafters. Maybe I can find some fairs to go to before Christmas? Where do you go for inspiration? Magazines? TV? Blogs? Pinterest? Etsy? It doesn't help that I don't like shopping. Maybe it's time for a trip to my local library. I found some really great books for crochet patterns when I was hunting for baby gift inspiration. There's nothing worse than buying a book and then not liking what's inside. What's wors...

I love this salad. It's so delicious! The only bad news is now I have used up my entire stock of blueberries from our picking outing last April. Guess I need to get more this year. If you can't find honey roasted almonds, the coconut or cinnamon almonds are tasty, too! Ingredients Fresh spinach leaves Fresh strawberries, sliced Fresh blueberries Goat cheese or honey goat cheese Honey roasted almonds Grilled chicken (optional) Directions Gently mix berries and cheese in a bowl. The strawberries, blueberries and goat cheese will break down to make the best dressing. Pour over spinach and top with nuts and chicken.  Put this together in no time. It's easy to make for 1 or 10. Super simple, super quick, and super yummy!

I love Eggplant Parmesan, but it's not exactly on the Paleo diet. This is the next best thing and it's super simple to make. It's got great texture and flavor. I have to admit, the hubby doesn't care for it, but K1 and I love it. I guess I can only push vegetables so far.  More for us! Eggplant Bruschetta: 1. Heat Oven to 350  2. Slice the eggplant into even slices (don't slice too thin or they will burn - about 1/4 inch) and lay slices out on a sheet pan sprayed with olive oil 3. Lightly shake salt and pepper over eggplant slices and place in the oven for 15 minutes 4. Flip eggplant over and add salt and pepper to the slices and place back in oven for 10 minutes Bruschetta topping: • 3 or 4 ripe plum tomatoes • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar • 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Place eggplant on a plate and top with bruschetta and fresh mozzarella. ...

Charlie is the best little model. She's always awake, quiet, and never complains. I think we will keep her.  The soft colors are perfect for wearing with anything and would be great for photo shoot, too. There are plenty of color combinations  that you can switch it up with as well. Makes a great gift for a new baby! Size : 3-6 months Supplies : Worsted Weight Yarn - I used Caron So Soft. Perfect for babies Size H Crochet Hook Size G Crochet Hook Size F Crochet Hook Tapestry Needle Hat Using H Hook, Ch 3. Join into a ring. Round 1: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1). *Dc, ch 1; repeat 9 times. Join to 3rd ch of beg ch 4. Round 2: Sl st in first ch 1 sp. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), dc in same sp, ch 1, *(dc, ch 1) twice in next ch 1 sp; repeat from * around. Join to 3rd ch of beg ch 4. Round 3: Sl st in first ch 1 sp, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), dc in same sp, ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, *(dc, ch 1) twice in next ch 1 sp, dc in next ch 1 sp, ch...

A few weeks ago I decided to get serious about my eating habits. I was feeling sluggish and just blah.  It has been suggested over and over that I try a Paleo diet. I really didn't know what that was, but I finally decided to check it out. I found a website that interested me that had a meal plan with simple recipes. Robin's Sweet Confessions  Paleo Challenge seemed simple enough, so I figured I could try anything for 5 days. I posted photos of the meals as I made them on my personal Facebook page and generated a lot of conversation. Well, 5 days turned into weeks and I'm still sticking to it.  Do I cheat? Heck yea! However, I have noticed a huge difference in the way I feel when I do and don't eat paleo. Better yet, I feel like I'm enjoying my kitchen again. The preparation is simple and the results are fantastic.  Have I lost weight? Sure, some. I've been slacking in the exercise area since I hurt my wrist in kickboxing, but I'm getting back into runni...

I know you must have thought I disappeared. Well, I did sort of. K1 and I went to Spain for a week and had quite an adventure.  It was not the trip we were hoping for, but we made the best of it. Next time we will go without a tour group. I don't speak Spanish at all, so I was anxious about being on my own, but we were given so much "free time" that we might as well have been on our own. Lesson learned, but I'm glad to have had the experience. When we got home, it was a mad dash to get ready for school to start. Supplies to buy, teachers to meet, and K2 got braces. She was such a trooper and has really been good about keeping them clean. I'm so proud of her! As if getting the kids ready for school wasn't enough, I had my own course to get ready for. It's a class I've taught many times, but we just got a new learning system at the university so I had to adjust to that. Fall is always crazy with new hires and it seems like something always happ...

Ok, so this is just a small sample, but have you ever seen the prices of Origins products? I'm not paying that kind of money just to see if I like it. Free is much more my style.  If you head over to their website , they usually have something up for grabs. It changes often so keep checking. 

The best thing about this coming in the mail today was that I didn't even request it! I had signed up for one of Target's beauty bags in the spring, which was awesome by the way, but they are no longer sending those out. Bummer. However, I guess that put me on a list to send samples when they have them.  Now I get to try this John Freida shampoo and conditioner. Keep it coming, Target. This is much better than just getting bills in the mail.

It looks like I'm not the only one who liked this pin. I just love the look of this bracelet. Simple, yet so pretty. You could easily make one to go with with each outfit. The pin contains all of the instructions, so no need to click through! I've got this one on my list to make ASAP. If you make one, I'd love to see it! DIY Bracelet

Hair accessories are taking over my girls' bathroom. Now K1 has taken a particular interest in headbands, so I needed to come up with something to wrangle this mess in. I had come across several ways to organize headbands on Pinterest, but I finally went with the good ole oatmeal container because it doubles as storage for other accessories inside. Oh ok, plus it's free and I love to upcycle. 1. I took the label off the outside and glued some batting around the container. 2. After the glue dried, I cut off the excess batting. Time to grab that leftover fabric from a dress I made K2 years ago. 3.  I measured around the container as well as the height and added 1 inch to both height and width to allow for tucking the fabric under. Just because I'm not sewing it, doesn't mean I don't want a nice finished edge! 4. This particular container has a plastic rim that I decided to use to tuck the fabric under with a butter knife. You could easily...

The best thing about summer is all the fresh fruit and veggies, don't you agree? I wish I had the time to grow my own. Someday, maybe.  It gets pretty warm here in Florida during the summer, so fresh, cut up veggies are a perfect side to any dinner without adding heat from the stove. I found this little serving tray (it comes with a lid, too!) at Wal-Mart a few years ago and I still like pulling it out for finger foods.  The carrots are for my hubby because I think that's the only veggie in this bunch that he will eat.  I try to just pick up whatever is in season, such as summer squash and zucchini . This is perfect for parties, too, and super fast to put together last minute. Add a little fat-free dip and enjoy! 

What's in the mail today? Have you tried anything from the Burt's Bees product line? I love their lip balms. Well, now  they have another line called  güd .  These are all natural beauty products such as lotions, shampoos, and body wash. Plus they don't test on animals, which is always a plus. If you like them on Facebook or follow on Twitter , you'll be the first to know about future giveaways.

So, remember that pin from a week or so ago? This one is really easy, so for all you beginners this is a perfect project to sew.  I love mixing and matching different fabrics for a fresh, funky feel. This tutorial is pretty good, so I'm not even going to duplicate or change it. You should head over the the Crafty Cupboard to check it out. Note to self: Don't wait until the last minute to make your gifts or you'll leave out steps. Yeah, I forgot to sew around the edges. I didn't even notice until after I had given the gift. Guess I need to make another one. I also didn't have any fusible fleece and I think that would work better than the batting I replaced it with. Live and learn. I still think it's cute and can't wait to make more. 

I'm sure I've mentioned it a couple hundred times, but I really like winning stuff. My most recent win is a box full of full-sized Newman's Own snacks. How cool is this?!?   See how much was in there? I've tried the Chocolate Cups with Peanut Butter Centers and they were so yummy with the dark chocolate.    The pretzels are really good, but I haven't made my way through the dried fruit yet. Ok, this group about did me in. I've finished off 3 of these by myself. The chocolate creme cookies are all that's left. The vanilla creme cookie is good, but I still prefer the ones from Trader Joe's. K1 likes Golden Oreos. They are all generally the same, but slight changes. However, the Orange Chocolate Chip cookies were Ah may zing! I'm definitely going to buy those. I didn't have to do anything special to win this package. Just a simple rafflecopter submission. You can't win if you don't try! Don't forget to checkout my ...

As much as I like getting samples in the mail, I like getting full sized products even better. Plain water is actually what I prefer, but my family does not. Using a little MIO is the perfect way to get them to drink water and cut out the sugary drinks. My mom, bless her heart, carries around some in her purse. Actually, it's a great idea as some restaurant water is awful tasting. She usually gets the curiosity of the server and ends up talking them into getting their own glass of water so she can let them try the MIO. I think the MIO company should supply her with as many bottles as she wants since she is so good at advertising for them! So where did I come across this freebie? On Facebook. I had already liked their page and when they released this promotion, I was the first to know. If you go to the MIO website , they are still giving away free samples!

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I spend a lot of my free time either running, at the gym, or - more recently - kickboxing. Yes, I know I'm crazy and it's a little bit above insane, but it's my stress relief and I love it. What I don't love is getting into my brand new car wearing my gross, sweaty clothes. I came up with a quick, easy, and practically free solution for that. Towel Seat Cover Materials Needed: Towel Ribbon (1 yard) Sewing Machine - or just needle and thread Note: Satin ribbon is slick and will probably slide out. Stick to Grosgrain ribbon, which has little ridges. I have box of ribbon that I keep for impromptu projects like this. The ribbon used here I bought on clearance for 50 cents and the towel is um...borrowed from someplace I won't mention the name of. Instructions: 1. Find the center of your towel by folding it in half lengthwise (A). Line that center up with the center of your headrest a...