taylorseast

2/5 Pick of the Week

Amy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:00:42 +0000

Baked Mozzarella Sticks with Buffalo Chicken Dip
We really enjoyed our mini-Super Bowl Party for two. Ryan watched the game. I made some Banana Bread, and Maevy watched Alice in Wonderland. Both recipes were great, and easy to make. I clearly didn’t do the best at watching to make sure my mozzarella sticks didn’t melt in the oven. Maevy enjoyed her Mozzarella stick as well proclaiming, “I love it!” when she saw it was on her plate. Enjoy!

Filed under: Pick of the Week

Big Girl Room Reveal: Artsy Corner

Amy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:05 +0000

Next up is Maevy’s Artsy Corner.

It’s a pretty simple corner. Chalkboard paint on the closet door (and we replaced the shiny gold door knob with a nickel one).

Ryan had a couple new canvases laying around; so I made 2 Melted Crayon Art pieces. This idea is all over Pinterest. I thought it was cute, easy to make, and a great way to add some color to the room. (I didn’t bother removing the crayola wrappers.) I don’t know if I have a weak blow dryer, but it does take a while. It probably didn’t help, but I did it outside on a day when it was pretty cold. It took around an hour to do both canvases.
Finally, I used some Command Picture Hanging strips to attach both the eraser and the chalk holder I found at Michaels, which is actually a metal chinese take-out style box with the top and handle removed.

Next up- Accents and Accessories!

Filed under: Decorating, Maevy

Activity Tuesday: Daddy’s Helper

Amy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:44 +0000

For a long time now, Maevy will touch Ryan’s face and say, “Dad, you need to shave!” Sometimes he takes her advice, shaves, and gets some extra help from her. Here’s Maevy helping….and shaving herself with a lotion bottle. I love how focused she is, and how brave Ryan is to trust an almost 3yr old with a razor!
Happy Tuesday!

Filed under: Activity Tuesday

2/5 Menu

Amy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:05:16 +0000

Here’s plan-

Day 1- Super Bowl Night (not doing anything special, but we can still make some party food) Baked Mozzarella Sticks with Buffalo Chicken Dip

Day 2- Hawaiian Pizza (from last week)

Day 3- Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Day 4- Spaghetti with Lean Ground Beef Sauce
(I think I’ll just cook up some ground beef with onion and add a jar or 2 of my homemade sauce…then simmer)

Day 5- Golden Crusted Lime Fish with Roasted Asparagus

Day 6- Roast Beef Cheddar Paninis with Kettle Chips

Enjoy!

Filed under: Apples, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Pasta, Pizza, Salad, Sandwiches

1/29 Pick of the Week

Amy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:42:07 +0000

Sausage Rice Casserole with side salad
I actually heard from a reader earlier in the week that they had made this meal and loved it! It’s very simple to throw together. I made it even easier by cooking the sausage the night before. So on dinner night, I just made the rice, mixed all the ingredients in a big bowl, and cooked it in the oven for 30 minutes. It was delicious and great for leftovers the next day. Enjoy!

Filed under: Pick of the Week

Big Girl Room Reveal: The Reading Corner

Amy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:04:31 +0000

Next up is the Reading Corner. My idea was to get a comfy chair and bookcase and create a little reading nook. For a while now, the rocking chair has been too small for comfy reading, and we’ve been reading books before bed on the floor. It also doesn’t help that Maevy usually insists on sitting on your lap, right in front, which is becoming increasingly more difficult because of Baby Brother.

I found the inexpensive bookcase on Craigslist and we (Ryan) painted it our accent green color. Grandma hooked us up with one her recliners. I think she’s on her 3rd, maybe 4th recliner, so they had a couple extra to spare. (Thanks, Mom!)

To add a little decoration and to ensure everyone knows – this is the Reading Corner – we painted and hung the wood letters (READ) over the book case. Plus, Maevy is really into recognizing her letters/in the very beginning stages of stringing together letter sounds; so why not give her more letters to practice.

Other Reading Corner items:
Rainbow afghan: Baby gift
Lamp: This was already in the guest room. I picked up some accent fabric from Joann’s and covered the shade and part of the lamp. I’ll post some other accent fabric projects soon.
Pink Piggy Bank: Baby gift- Once she saw the Curious George episode where he has a Piggy Bank, Maevy has been all about putting money in hers.
Pink Storage Bins: We have a ton; so I put a couple on the bottom shelf for miscellaneous items.

Next up: Artsy Corner.

Filed under: Decorating, Maevy

Activity Tuesday: Conductor Jack

Amy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:13:58 +0000

This week we headed to the Conductor Jack show with a friend from school. They sang songs, jumped like kangaroos and high-fived a possum. What more do you want from a Saturday morning outing. If you want to see a hilarious video of two friends talking on the way to the show, click here. Happy Tuesday!

Filed under: Activity Tuesday

1/29 Menu

Amy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:12:56 +0000

Here’s the plan for the week-

Day 1- Chili Roasted Chicken with Baked Sweet Potato (from 2 weeks ago…must make this!)

Day 2- Sausage Rice Casserole with side salad

Day 3- Asian Lettuce Wraps

Day 4- Creamy Tuna with Tarragon Egg Noodles

Day 5- Hawaiian Pizza

Day 6- Sesame Chicken and Orange Pitas

Enjoy!

Filed under: Asian Cuisine, Ground Turkey, Ham, Lettuce Wrap, Pineapple, Pizza, Sweet Potato

1/22 Pick of the Week

Amy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:05:56 +0000

Balsamic Tilapia with Mixed Greens
I think when I originally picked this recipe I thought there would be balsamic on the fish. Clearly, I didn’t read the recipe thoroughly. Either way, I enjoyed this simple supper. I pan-fried the fish, giving it a nice sear. The vinaigrette was delicious, even without the orange juice. It took me all of 15 minutes to put this meal together. Note: Maevy does not like fish with the crunchy part. The salad was too tart. She made a face like she had just eaten an entire lemon, followed by whining “I don’t like the salad.” and tears. I replied, “Well, thanks for trying it.”

Enjoy!

Filed under: Pick of the Week

Party Menu

Amy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:00:19 +0000

We had a few friends over last weekend and I, of course, forgot to take pictures of the tablescape and food display. It was a pretty low-key event, but we offered 2 house cocktails, 2 appetizers, and 1 dessert. Couples brought a snack to share…and more alcohol (beer/wine).

I got most of my inspiration from pinterest. Here are the recipes-
Sausage Cheese Balls

Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites (I’m sure you could switch up this recipe with other candies. The Candy Cane Kisses are seasonal; so they would probably be hard to find now.)

House Cocktails-
Ciderhouse Bourbon Cocktail
Pomegranate Champagne Punch

I printed off some quick food labels, backed them with construction paper, and then made these super easy card holders. I just used textured white paper..and borrowed some binder clips from work. I kept the handles on, and just placed the card in between the handles.

The best part about hosting…no need to pay for a babysitter. Happy hosting!

Filed under: Party