Waving to Iron Man and Spiderman across the street.
Running away.
Unsure why she’s wearing this bug outfit.
Not grasping the concept of going from house to house.
Blurry action shot.
Running away. Then consenting to a photo.
After a trek to three houses, calling it a night.
Dan does not like mac and cheese. At some point in his childhood, something dreadful must have happened that prevented him from loving that lovely, neon orange, artificial dusty cheese and noodles dish that was a staple of my youth.
I’ve tried offering boxed mac and cheese to Kate, only to have her toss noodles over her high chair and into Belle’s open mouth.
But a couple weeks ago, my playgroup mommies were raving about another mommy’s homemade mac and cheese recipe. It sounded divine, so I decided to whip it up and try to convince my anti-mac and cheese family members to join me on the carbs and cheese train.
(PS – Lest you think Dan and Kate are on some low carb diet, I can assure you that is not the case. These two simply cannot get enough carbs. In fact, I would say their diet mainly consists of carbs. But for some reason, mac and cheese isn’t their thing. So I set out to change that.)
Okay, this mac and cheese is not truly a “traditional” mac and cheese. So I suppose die hard mac and cheese lovers will rate this dish as mac and cheese fraud. However, I would classify this as a more adult mac and cheese for those looking to add more veggies to their diet.
Here are the ingredients:
-1 pound dried pasta
-2 1/4 cups milk (I used skim, use whole for added decadence)
-1/4 cup flour
-1 teaspoon salt
-3 cups shredded cheeses (I used parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella. However, one of my gal pals added gruyere, which I think would be out of this world.)
-1 pound bag of frozen, chopped spinach (You could use fresh, but I found that to be a total pain. Frozen is easy peasy.)
-1 pound broccoli (I used frozen. Do you see a theme here?)
-1 package of chicken sausage (The flavored ones are best. I used Roasted Garlic and Gruyere from Aidells.)
-2 tablespoons garlic (We love garlic over here, so I toss it in like it’s going out of style. If garlic is not your thing, scale back.)
-2 tablespoons margarine or butter
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
Saute garlic, chicken sausage, and spinach together until chicken sausage is cooked through. While that cooks, steam your broccoli and cook your pasta. Heat milk either on the stovetop or the microwave (I used the microwave.). Melt butter in a large pot, add flour, and cook on medium heat for about a minute. Add milk slowly while whisking mixture. (Okay, I know this is sounding like Black Diamond Level cooking, but I assure you, it’s easy. And if you fudge this part a little – as I did – it still turns out.) Continue whisking for 8 – 12 minutes until mixture thickens. (Is it not really thickening that much? It’s okay. Just move on, it still works.) Take pot off heat and add your spices – add more than a teaspoon or less than a teaspoon, whatever is more to your liking. I do urge you to use the nutmeg, it makes a difference. Add cheese and whisk until smooth.
Combine chicken sausage, garlic, and spinach mixture into the cheese mixture. Add in cooked pasta and broccoli. Then serve and receive many accolades.
This mac and cheese is awesome. And totally customizable. Don’t like chicken sausage? Try cubes of ham steak or turkey bacon. Add more cheese or less. Forget the broccoli. Add mushrooms instead. Or, go totally crazy and add mushrooms and broccoli!
You could also choose to bake this dish. I baked it once at 375 for 30 minutes, and that method is also good. If you do bake it, I suggest topping it with panko and sprinkling some EVOO on top.
The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!
Sometimes I’m a completely scheduled and organized mom. And sometimes I’m a last minute mom.
Take for example, last Halloween when Kate was five months old. I hemmed and hawed about a costume for her because it seemed like the mommy thing to do. But how could I pay $20+ for a costume for a 5 month old? Especially because she would be all dressed up with no where to go since she did not receive any invitations to Halloween parties nor would she trick or treat seeing as that activity takes place after her bedtime.
So I decided I should at least get her a Halloween themed onesie. Only I waited to go get said onesie until October 29th. Guess how many Halloween-themed onesies Target had on it’s shelves? That would be zero.
This year Kate is clearly much more mobile and capable of activities. And as President of my mom’s group, I knew we’d attend our annual Halloween Party. So I didn’t want to be that mom without anything for her kid to wear. I am already a sort of holiday scrooge, but on account of Motherhood, I try to alter my ways. But, I wasn’t about to spend too much money on a costume she’d either 1) decide to be afraid of and not wear or 2) only be able to wear once.
Enter, the tutu.
This year I made it to Target on the early side and found this sweet tutu. Kate took a shine to it right away. What can I say? She’s her mama’s daughter.
She wore it with gusto at the Halloween Party this past weekend:
Kate and her boyfriend, Josh, as Elmo.
What could be more fun than a paper bag and a pile of scarves?
Apparently nothing!
Except maybe assaulting your friend with the scarves.
Cranky face. See that cupcake? It’s about to be all over her face and my sweater. Don’t worry, I licked it off. Glamorous!
So far I’ve gotten my money out of that tutu as Kate also enjoys wearing it around the house for fun. Who wouldn’t want to wear a tutu? Wonder if they come in my size…
This October, I vowed to light my own creative fire.
I had some initial failures but then some success on the crafting front. I get so mad at myself when I craft because I want it to be PERFECT! But, that’s the thing about handmade. It’s made by hand. Not machine. And it’s all about the process. I can’t expect perfection the first time.
The important thing is, I tried something different. And I like to try different things. Novelty is part of what keeps me humming. This month I found the more novelty in my life, the happier Sarah I am.
I also learned to bask in the inspiration of other’s, not dwell on what I can and can’t do. Just because I see others being creative doesn’t mean all the creativity in the world’s been used up leaving none for me. There is more than enough to go around.
In that vein, here are a few people inspiring me this month:
+Ashley from That is All started a beauty channel. How cool is she?! I’ve long admired Ashley’s look, and I always thought she’d be great at a beauty channel, so I was super happy to see she’d taken the plunge.
+My pal, Alexis, is on fire! Look at this girl go! She just launched her newest e-guide and now she is offering an e-newsletter called Solopreneur Secrets about how to transition from working for someone to working for you. (Pst…in case you missed it, I interviewed her here.)
+Amy from Just a Titch is a kindred soul. Her posts always leave me saying “me, too!”
+I’ve been reading Kayla Aimee for years, so when she announced the release of her Blogging E-Guide, I was all over that like a 2/$6 sale on Ghirardelli chocolate chips. If you are looking for an e-guide on branding, expanding your readership, and monetizing your blog, this book’s for you. And at $5 (yes, just $5!) a pop, it’s more than worth it.
What’s been inspiring you this month?
1. Conair Mega Self-holding Rollers. I used to be a hot rollers girl. When I discovered hot rollers a couple years ago, I thought I finally found the perfect hair-doing technique for me. It was easy. Plug in rollers, blow dry hair mostly straight, roll hair. And done. But then the rollers started to annoy me. They left kinks. They are so heavy and hot on my head. The curls wanted to go where they wanted to go. So I decided to try velcro rollers. Velcro rollers require a little more work but the results are much nicer. With these jumbo rollers, I get great lift and volume without kinks. (For a good velcro roller tutorial, check out EmilyNoel83′s video.)
2. Oakley Women’s Abandon sunglasses (in tortoise shell). For the longest time, I only bought cheap-o sunglasses. A Target or Walmart tortoise shell number that probably cost me $12…and broke within a couple months. Dan is a diehard Oakley fan, so when he found a deal on this pair of women’s Oakleys, he convinced me to try a pair of more expensive sunglasses. I figured I probably bought enough cheapy pairs to more than pay for an expensive pair, so I snapped up these glasses. And I’m so glad I did. These are such nice quality and block out the sun much better than my inexpensive pairs.
3. Merona Women’s Ultimate Long Sleeve T. I’ve been searching for the best long sleeve t for ages. I tried some from Old Navy, but they always seemed to stretch out and pill. So when Target had these long sleeve t’s on sale for $8 each a couple weeks ago, I bought a bunch. I am happy to report, these are great t’s. They are not too baggy, not too tight. And they come in a tons of colors, making them the perfect t’s to mix and match.
4. Women’s Blissful Knits Draped Cardigan. What do you layer over those Target t’s? Drapey cardigans, of course! I love these open cardigans from Lands End. They come in a nice variety of colors, and for only $20 a pop, a great deal.
5. L’Oreal Limited Edition Lipstick in Sultry Raven’s Pout. I love myself some Project Runway. So when I saw these Limited Edition Project Runway lipsticks/eyeshadows/nail polishes, I just had to scoop something up. I love this lipstick. It’s a great, versatile nude.
What did you love in October?
I love a good make ahead dish. As I said last week, there is nothing better than knowing dinner’s done.
So last week when it was my turn to bring dinner to one of my families in my playgroup, I decided to whip up a dish for them and a dish for us. I wanted something I could prepare the day before, bring over, and could be popped in the oven with no extra fuss.
I already have oodles of noodle casserole dishes, so I was on the hunt for something different when I stumbled across this baked ziti recipe. Since it received almost 4,000 five star reviews, I decided this must be good. I liked how it was a little different from your run of the mill baked ziti recipes. It called for sour cream and provolone cheese rather than ricotta, which piked my curiosity. Ricotta is pretty awesome, so I wondered how the sour cream and provolone mixture would compare.
I made a few modifications on this dish. Rather than ziti, I found these giant rotinis at my Harris Teeter than screamed USE ME. We use a lot of smaller sized noodles around here, so I thought we’d get crazy and change it up with these Herman Munster sized rotinis. I also only needed one jar of Ragu for each dish. And don’t worry about simmering the sauce and meat together for too long. You can probably skip that step.
The verdict? Delish. I didn’t miss the ricotta. This dish was a little tangy with a creamier texture. And those giant noodles were an awesome choice. It definitely made the dish a little meatier.
Are you a baked pasta casserole fan? Ricotta or no ricotta?
Last week, my friend Corrine and I took our energetic toddlers to Cox Farms Fall Festival. Oh my goodness. What a blast. If two small people didn’t need to head home for naps, we could have spent all day wandering through the corn maze, riding the hayride round and round, and gawking at the piglets.
Kate agrees to a photo opp in the toddler area.
Sheep fight over breakfast. After I took this picture, one fell in the food bowl.
Kate and Josh’s favorite activity had to be throwing rocks into a pool of water. Who knew?! Seriously, toddlers, we spent $9 to throw rocks into a tin basin filled with water. But no one’s crying, so whatever makes you happy!
Throwing rocks is the best!
“Seriously, mom, get that Nikon out of my face. You’re embarrassing me. Also, do you have any snacks in that Mary Poppins bag of yours?”
The corn maze.
No one got lost.
But we had to carry around this specific rock the entire time.
Josh tries to hold Kate’s hand.
And off they go. So sweet! Those two make my heart all melty.
Piglets!
Josh smiling so sweetly and patiently letting me take this picture. And Kate tossing pumpkins and gourds off the wagon.
Our token pumpkin.
I tried to get a picture of Kate and Josh each holding their pumpkins and looking all sweet. But at this point we were pushing 1:30 p.m. and they were less than enthusiastic about cooperating for a picture.
Anyway, all in all, best $9 I’ve spent in a long time. And this pumpkin-retrieval crosses an item off of my fall to do list.
And on a somewhat related note, to all the moms with little babies, don’t despair. It keeps getting better. This time last year, Kate was almost five months old, getting up several times a night, and I never thought I’d get to the point where I could take her somewhere and she could run around on her own and do things like pick out a pumpkin and have fun throwing rocks. But she grew! And she walks! And runs! So, true, I do spend approximately eight hours a day on my feet chasing her. But that’s so much more fun than attempting to soothe an angry infant.
In short, toddlers, they are fun. And challenging. But mostly fun.
I love to scrapbook. But I won’t. Because I feel whatever I have to say isn’t worth saying. Whatever words I write about our family vacation or afternoon at the park or even just my thoughts aren’t worth writing down.
And then I met Katie. And she convinced me otherwise.
Katie says my story does matter. Whatever I have to say and share matters. I matter!
So a couple of months ago, I shared a couple pages of my Gadanke journal on the blog, and Katie just shared a few more pages from my journal on her shop site. Not only that, Katie is offering Sunny Side Up readers 10% off anything at Gadanke from now until October 27 at midnight (MDT). Just enter the code SARAH10.
Gadanke journals would make fantastic gifts for friends and family, so they can write down their stories and share them with you. Also, for those of you teaming up with Becky and her handmade holiday pledge, this would be a perfect time to purchase a handmade holiday gift.
How do you share your stories? Blog? Scrapbooking? Journaling?
Look at me, posting all these recipes! Can you believe I didn’t learn how to boil water until I graduated from college? Seriously. I never cooked a thing in middle school or high school. When I took Home Ec in 8th grade, I pretty much just let the boys in my cooking group run the show. The only thing I contributed was setting a paper plate on fire in a foiled attempted at crepes.
Now, here I am, all domestic. Okay, so I’m no Martha Stewart. But! I can definitely boil water and cook chicken.
My favorite types of recipes involve the crock pot. Oh, how I love the crock pot. You dump a bunch of stuff in, turn it on, and dinner’s done. No standing over the stove or checking on a dish baking in the oven. Or making sure a certain coonhound isn’t kitchen counter-surfing and eating all the ingredients. Not that that has happened. Or that we’ve eaten stuff Belle tasted first.
Moving on!
Recently we tried this Italian chicken and potatoes recipe, and it turned out pretty solid. Here’s what you do:
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 bottle of Italian dressing
-1.5 cups parmesan cheese
-6 to 8 red potatoes, skin on, cut into chunks
-1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (you can adjust this to your taste)
Place chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with half of the dressing, seasoning, and cheese. Put the potatoes on top and around the chicken. Top with the remaining dressing, spices, and cheese. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Oh my goodness, the chicken is so tender, it pulls apart. I thought for sure it would be shoe leather. But, happily, the chicken remained super moist. And the potatoes remained nice wedges instead of falling apart into mush.
This is definitely a do-over at Casa Bagley. And since the chicken fared so well, I am thinking about what other chicken crock pot dishes I can whip up. I’m up for anything, as long as it does not involve crepes.
Dan and I used to live close to a Trader Joes, and each week I would spend a good $50 on my favorite vice. Dried fruit.
Not freeze dried, mind you. That’s astronaut food. I’m talking dried fruit, that tastes like fruit, not like crumbly sugar cubes.
I loved the died mangos the best. But I also loved the dried apples. Trader Joes was the only place I could find pure dried fruit containing only fruit, not fruit plus copious amounts of sugar.
But then we moved away from the Trader Joes, then we had Kate, and I could not longer justify spending obscene amounts of money on my favorite snack. So I did without.
Until I found a recipe for making my own dried apples.
Oh, happy day!
I found the original recipe here. But this is what I did:
I bought about eight Fugi apples at the grocery. I suppose Fugi apples aren’t the tastiest. It seems a lot of people prefer Honeycrisp and the like, but they are much more expensive. And I found that baking the apples really takes them to the next level in terms of yumminess, so I wouldn’t spend the extra money.
I washed and dried my apples then cut them into slices. I tried for pretty thin. But be careful not to cut them too thin or else they’ll burn. After I had all my slices, I arranged them on my baking sheet (which I lightly coated with baking spray) and sprinkled on a generous portion of cinnamon. Then I baked they for one hour at 270 degrees, flipped them over, and baked for another hour.
Oh my goodness! So yummy! And my house smelled like apple pie. The thinner chips turned out a little more crunchy, but, really, you cannot go wrong with this recipe.
Now I can make my own apple chips for considerably less than I paid at Trader Joes. I’ll take that extra $50 and buy Pampers.