Weeding out the disappointments

Pinterest is addicting.  Pinterest is also the queen of pins that claim to be "the BEST recipe ever".  I've tried my fair share of recipes that I found through Pinterest and quite frankly, a lot of them have been flops.

Now... I'm no Chef Gordon Ramsey but I can cook... for the most part.  I'm my own worst critic in the kitchen.  So when I make something that tastes good, in my book, it turned out superb!  When I make something that is disappointing, most of the time it's the ingredients themselves that just didn't mesh well enough to make a tasty dish and not the execution.  I mean how hard is it to boil noodles and add sauces?

Although, trust me.  I've had my fair share of "Doh!  I definitely screwed that up!" moments in the kitchen.  I attempted to make homemade cinnamon rolls one time and it turns out execution and the EXACT amount of ingredients is 100% necessary.  I ended up with a cinnamon roll disaster that would bring shame to any mother's kitchen.  Maybe when I'm 50 I'll be able to pull it off.

I tried 2 new recipes recently and both turned out phenomenal!  Both were super easy and super tasty.  Both are Asian dishes with similar ingredients but two very different tasting dishes.

I find it's helpful to hear from friends, whose cooking abilities I trust, what recipes they tried from Pinterest that actually turned out really well.  Since there are so many fraudulent recipes claiming to be the BEST ever, I've been burned one too many times (figuratively speaking) by spending time and money making it only to be not impressed in the slightest.

If you're up for an Asian dish that's relatively quick to whip up, try these!

PS I added chicken to the Spicy Thai Noodles for additional heartiness.  

Try them out!

It's not about the nail!

We know men and women are different.  Sometimes, those differences are incredibly annoying.  Other times, the differences are different enough to just be downright funny.

Caleb sent me this video and it made me laugh out loud.  The reason it made me laugh out loud is because we both have experienced this exact "conflict" in our marriage.  

It's not about the nail!

Growing girl

It is bittersweet that my daughter is growing... and growing rapidly at that.  It's fun to see new milestones such as her beautiful smiles and eventually laughter, crawling, walking, etc.  

But while each new milestone is exciting, there is a strong desire to hold onto her as a one week old newborn.  Since time undoubtedly will pass and with each week she will grow, I want to document her growth so I can look back and remember how tiny she once was and so I can remember what milestones she reached at what age.

Selah Grace- 1 week old

Weight: She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz at birth.  At her one week appointment, she had lost a bit and weighed 6 lbs 6 oz.

Milestones: Lots of feeding, peeing, pooping and sleeping.  You know, typical newborn stuff :)

Selah Grace - 1 month old

Weight: 8 lbs 5 oz

Milestones: She began smiling and became much more alert and expressive.

Look at the growth in just about 3 weeks!

Oh and by the way, she furrows her brow just like her daddy!

All Selah

What happens when you become a parent?  Especially a parent for the very first time?  You want to take photos of your kiddo... all. the. time.  And really, they are the same type of photos just about every single time.  Baby lying on the play mat.  Baby lying in your lap.  Baby yawning.  Baby sleeping.  Baby smiling.  The only thing that changes is the outfit!  And I suppose the only other thing that changes is that she begins to grow.

They change so quickly and really, they change before our very eyes.  Being home with her everyday, I can't see her changes until I start comparing photos from weeks past.  

Allow me to show off our beautiful daughter!

Try it!

Now that we have wireless Internet again I've rekindled my fond relationship with Pinterest.  Caleb and I love making smoothies and there are A TON of smoothie recipes out there.  It's safe to say that pretty much anything goes when making a smoothie.  Fruit?  Duh!  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Why yes.  Spinach?  Kale?  Chia seeds?  Oats?  Sure!  Throw some of that in there too.

Breastfeeding takes A LOT out of a woman's body.  Literally, it's like being sucked dry.  My little one depends on my milk as her only form of sustenance.  So I need to make my diet a priority.  If I'm not eating healthy and adequate quantities of foods and water, it affects my milk which is going straight into her sensitive little system.

I was perusing through Pinterest this morning when I found a recipe for a Banana Bread smoothie.  I got really excited, overly excited as I read through the ingredients and thought "Oo!  Ooo!  I have that!  And that!  And that!"  That rarely happens... having all the ingredients on hand to make a recipe you find online.  The only thing I didn't have was the whey protein powder.  Below is the initial recipe - it's a protein smoothie so it has whey protein in it.  But since I didn't have any of that on hand I modified the recipe.

Original recipe

Modified recipe - I basically doubled the amount of oats and cinnamon since I didn't have the protein powder.
1/2 frozen banana
4 oz unsweetened Almond milk original flavor (this is what I had in the fridge - I didn't have Vanilla flavored)
4 oz water
2 T quick oats
1/2 t cinnamon
I just dropped a dollop of vanilla extract in it, I didn't measure
4 ice cubes (since the banana was frozen)
**I will add spinach next time for the added health benefits.  Adding spinach to smoothies does not alter the flavor one teeny tiny bit.  It just turns the smoothie green or a nasty brown color depending on what you're mixing it with.  So it looks awful and completely unappetizing.  But it still tastes good!