{this moment}- playing house

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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big and little

reading giraffe and a half

It never ceases to fascinate me the relationship is blossoming between my boys. 

One big and fast and smart and sassy. 

One little and feisty and funny and incredibly quick at picking up all there is to learn. 

They love each other fiercely. 

They seek each other out for company and comfort. 

It is exciting to know that they will grow together in this special relationship all their lives and I will be the lucky mom who gets to see this beautiful connection shift and change. 

No matter what, I know that they will always cherish each other.

 How I love these boys; one big, one little, both my heart.

lickity split

In our house pizza is like gold...we love to eat it and since we don't do so often it is always fun to try a new recipe each time we make it! This one so is by far my favorite if for no other reason than it took me 15 minutes to go from ingredients to dinner! That's what I call fast food!

Super Fast Thin Crust Pizza

Ingredients:
Spinach
Bell Pepper
Mushroom
Garlic
Basil
Any topping that makes your mouth water!

Cheese (I used mozzarella and colby jack but any good melting cheese is perfect)
The crust recipe came from The Kitchn.com
3/4 cup water (lukewarm)
1/2 tsp yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Heat water until lukewarm, add the yeast, and stir. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Combine. When the dough becomes cohesive turn it out onto the counter and knead until smooth. It should be moist and a little tacky but not super sticky like bubble gum.  Using two pieces of parchment paper, roll out 1/2 of the ball of dough onto each and top with everything except the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes and rotate. Bake for another 3 minutes (unless the crust is already getting dark) sprinkle the cheese over the top of the pizzas and bake another 2-3 minutes or until the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Bon Appetit!!!

getting that spring feeling

With this most recent burst of 70 degree days and gorgeous clear skies it has felt like Spring was here in full force. Spring is one of my favorite seasons! The warm breeze filled air carrying sweet smells of trees and gardens in bloom, the fresh vegetables and fruits popping put of the Earth in abundance, and the beginnings of new life all around me bring a special kind of warmth to my heart. As the days start cooling again, in the way they do at the end of Winter, and the rain and frost move back in, I want to keep that warm lovely Spring feeling with me. This hearty Split pea makes me feel warm, cozy, and filled with the yumminess of a Spring soon to come!

Garlic & Ginger Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups veggie broth (or chicken broth if you are so inclined)
2 cups water
1 cup chopped spinach
2-3 cups chopped carrots (l like to chop mine small so they cook quicker)
4 cloves garlic minced
fresh ginger (approximately the size of your thumb) chopped
6 green onions chopped
1 cup brown rice
 1 cup split peas (dry)
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Put the broth, water, split peas, and rice into a heavy bottomed pot; if you don't have a heavy bottomed pot a large pot is just fine. Cover and bring to boil. Once it is boiling reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 35 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger, garlic, and onions and simmer until the carrots are tender (around 15 minutes or so depending on the size of the carrots). Remove from heat and add the onions, spinach, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended.  

{this moment}

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

*********

fast and yummy

I am a cheesecake fanatic! I have been known to poke s person with my fork (only grown up persons...and gently!) if they try to sneak a bite of my favorite yummy off my plate. I even once sat and ate an entire cheesecake by my self; I know SCANDALOUS! Even more exciting, I have passed my cheesecake love gene onto my 7 year old son...the baby is still on the fence about where his taste buds lie in this department but since he is sooo darn cute, it's ok. My love for cheesecake is often thwarted by the amount of time it takes to make this delectable treat...to make a real, awesome, yummy, fantastic, New York style cake (like the Cake from my oldest boys 7th birthday...in the post Birthdays, Birthdays, and More Birthdays!) can take upwards of 6 hours. But never fear I have found the answer in these palm sized pieces of heaven! No longer will I stare longingly at my cheescake recipe knowing I can not devote the time to fulfill my sweet tooth. Now the problem will be remembering to use moderation in how many times in a month I will make these babies and how many different variations I will try. Cheesecake is so accomodating like that!

Mini Cheesecakes
Crust:
1 cup Cracker Rounds (kinda like ritz crackers but way less disgusting!); I got mine from Trader Joe's
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1-2 tablespoons agave syrup
Cheesecake:
8 ounces cream cheese; softened (I let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes)
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice or palm sugar (or other natural sugar product)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a muffin pan, line the cups with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, crush the crackers into crumbs and then mix in the brown sugar. Mix in the melted butter and the agave until the crumb crust takes on a slightly tacky consistency. Place two tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cup and press down evenly.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth (I did this by hand with a fork, but for a less lumpy consistency use a hand mixer). Pour the filling onto the crumb crust until the cups are nearly full. If there are any empty cups in the cupcake tin place a small amount of water into each to keep them from scorching. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheesecakes are firm (you can check this by poking a toothpick into the center ; if it comes back clean than the cakes are finished). Take the cheesecakes out of the cupcake pan and let sit to cool. Simple and delicious; Enjoy!

porch pool picnic

There are those times in life where everything lines up perfectly. Where the weather, the food, the people, the fun are all just perfect! The moments when I sit back with a happy sigh, a full belly, and a sweet smile while I gaze at the wonder of my little ones and revel in the fact that yes this is my life! With temperatures bouncing gleefully into the mid 70's, and the sun playing peekaboo with us through the big old man oak tree in our front yard, nothing seemed more right than a porch picnic pool party (say that as fast as you can...it's fun!). I forget, in the rush and mad dash of everyday life, how necessary it is to just be sometimes. To simply sit and snack as I watch my boys be boisterous, loud, silly, fantastic little boys and do nothing more than this until bed time rolls around. I am soothed by times like these. 

This is time well spent. 

pressure...

Pressure...

That feeling in your chest as though you are about to "POP"...

The doubts, the worries, and the resurgence of faith in your abilities...

Holding fast to the certainty that within you lies a lion, a Warrior, a Goddess!

Battle cry both fierce and joyous for you are greater than the weight upon you...

Greater than the fear within you...

Brighter than the moon that shines like a swollen belly in the midnight sky...

All of the challenges before you exist because you can handle them...

Let the pressure bring your brilliance to the top...

You are AWESOME!

happy weekending

Good Morning and happy weekend.

May you find bliss, joy, laughter, and love on this beautiful weekend. 

{this moment}

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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