And on the menu for tonight...

We've discovered that the less you have to work with, the more creative you get. It's the end of the month and what we have in our cupboards and refrigerator is slim...However we're out of the Mac N' Cheese/Top Roman for dinner every night phase...We're married and we have a 2 year old to feed as well...so what do we do for dinner...well I'll tell you! We bought a bag of salmon from Winco at the beginning of the month...you know the frozen filets that come in the air tight, plastic, sealed bags...Thankfully there are 4 left so That's what I started with...We rifled through our kitchen and went on a website called RecipeMatcher.com...it lets you list the ingredients you have and picks out recipes accordingly...We found one that sounded good, elaborated on it (made it our own), and viola we have a healthy dinner for 3!


RECIPE AS WE MADE IT


4 SALMON FILETS
SALT
PEPPER
1/4 CUP BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1/4 CUP WATER
4 1/2 TSP. LEMON JUICE
5 TSP. BROWN SUGAR


SALT AND PEPPER BOTH SIDES OF THE SALMON, THEN SEAR 3 MIN. ON EACH SIDE. PLACE ON PLATE AND SET ASIDE.
MIX THE BALSAMIC, WATER, LEMON JUICE, AND BROWN SUGAR...REDUCE IN A SAUCEPAN...NOT TOO MUCH (YOU DECIDE HOW YOU LIKE IT)
PLACE A LITTLE BIT OF THE SAUCE ON YOUR SALMON AND ENJOY!!


I know salmon can be expensive, but as I said before look for sales! Check out your local WINCO, or if there's not one where you are then find a store that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for their food. Make this recipe your own! Although it's pretty darn good as is...add or lessen the sugar...enjoy!

AWESOME PENNE PASTA!

So my husband and I have been trying to eat healthier. We've never been the type to eat at McDonald's everyday, or even every month, but we've eaten our fair share of potato chips. Anyway, we've been looking for healthy alternatives that don't taste like cardboard! The other night we made an AMAZING, inexpensive penne pasta that I thought I'd share with you!!


1 box of whole grain Penne Pasta
2 bell pepper (we used a red one and a yellow one)
4 portabella mushroom (you can substitute different ones)
1 red onion
Italian sausage
Fresh Basil
1 Roma tomato


Cook the pasta (just follow the directions on the box), Saute the mushroom, bell pepper, and onion.(the onion and mushroom take the longest so do those first), cook the sausage (we used the links, cooked them according to the instructions, and then chopped them up).
Mix the cooked food together, add the tomato and Basil...and enjoy!!


I know that the colored bell peppers and portabella are usually really expensive, but we got them on sale at our local WINCO. Keep a look out for sales, you never know what yummy food may become affordable!! This recipe was just made on a whim. Our 2 year old wasn't big on the veggies, but we just gave him some of the pasta and sausage (before we added the veggies) and he loved it!! Hope you like it! Feel free to add/subtract ingredients from it. Make it your own...that's the best part of cooking!!

You know what's really sad?

Breastfeeding

People see that word and 1 of 2 emotions pop into their heads.

1.Disgust

2.Awe

Of course these both break down into different facets, but that's generally what occurs. People are either super offended that a mother would snap a picture of a beautiful, natural, and yes private thing and post it on facebook or wherever. They think "eww that's so gross! I don't want to see that!" Or they see it and as a beautiful moment between mother and child. 

I understand the fact that nursing is infact an extremely private thing. I do. It's a bonding time between my son and I. I personally don't post pictures like that...I do have them, but I don't post them because honestly it's none of your damn business!! However, there are mother's...and those mother's have friends who view it as a great thing. Their friends love to see those pictures, and they in return those mothers love sharing them. You know what...to each there own! If you have a friend who posts such pictures and have a problem seeing them....DON'T FREAKING LOOK!!! People who are against breastfeeding pictures have this morbid curiosity to look at them! They can't help themselves! "Curisoity killed the cat?" no it's more like "Curiosity grossed out the nosey friend!" 

I do infact think it's wrong that facebook and other such websites will allow photos of girls showing off so much skin, you really don't need a great imagination to know what they look like naked...and yet won't allow photos of nursing mothers. What's the difference? Why has, basically, pornographic pictures been excepted in society more so then the natural feeding of a child? Why can a girl walk around in an itty bitty string bikini and people don't even look twice...well OK when you're dressed as such people look twice because they like what they see. They like seeing half your ass hanging out and seeing so much cleavage that all it would take was a soft breeze to see the girls in all their glory. HOWEVER when a mother is feeding her child the "ick factor" gets played up.

What's the deal? Is it the fact that breasts have become purely sexualized that seeing a child eating from them has become "so last season!"? Actually in most cases you can't, infact, see the child nursing. I'm not usually so gung-ho to jump on the band wagon with issues. I have my way of thinking and they usually don't aline with how other people view things. But this whole "breastfeeding is gross" thing has really pissed me off!!! You don't have to look at pictures of mothers nursing. If you see a women covered up, or (and yes I realize this happens) not covered up look the other way. Don't stare!! 

I want to say...I agree that nursing your child is a very private, personal thing!! I promise you wont find pictures of me feeding my sons on my facebook page!! Scouts honor! I won't, however, tell another mom that she shouldn't post her own nursing pictures...It's her right to share that experience if she so chooses. 

Rocket Queen Cupcakes

Rocket Queen Cupcakes

Tattoos

My tattoo

I've been reading lately about the controversy over tattoos. Should you get them? Does having one make you a bad parent/christian/person? Honestly I think it's ridiculous!! I'm a mom, a Christian and I have a tattoo. I also plan on adding tattoos in the future. Does that make me a bad person? I don't think so. My boys think I'm pretty awesome. I do the best I can with what I have and so far I think I've done pretty good. My tattoo is a Lily, it's on my shoulder and I think it's very pretty. I understand that tattoos are a fairly new trend, when my Grandparents were my age Tattoos were NOT done, PERIOD!! So I understand the opposition older generations have against them... although I don't really agree with the animosity that tends to come along with it. I see tattoos as a form of art that is simply portrayed on a different type of canvas. Like art, I've seen tattoos I like and ones I don't like. Also like art, the ones I don't like I simply pass by and don't give them a second glance. I think if more people had this mind set that tattoos wouldn't be such taboo subject. Having one tattoo or even several shouldn't define you as a good person or a bad person, it's a personal choice. If you don't like them, don't get them.

My son makes me smile

So my son has pretty much made up for my shitty week...He wanted the "2" candle we got him for his birthday so he said "thank you, welcome!" and then he couldn't reach it so he said "honey!please honey!" and when I handed it to him he took a bite out of it and said "mmm good! Thank you." but then he realized it wasn't a cookie and spit it out and said "NOT a cookie!!"


Isn't it amazing how things can seem like their crashing down on you, but one word, one hug can make it all better. I'm so thankful for my boys!!

What's for Breakfast?

Baked French Toast Sticks Recipe
6 pieces healthy multi-grain bread cut into sticks
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
3 pears sliced into spears

Combine all of the ingredients except the bread and use an emersion/stick blender for 10-20 seconds to properly mix the ingredients
(What’s great is that you can make combine these ingredients the night before without the bread and give it a quick mix in the morning. The bread can be cut and stored in an airtight container too. It’s not a good idea to soak the bread overnight because it will turn into mush, not sticks.)
 In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and place the sticks of bread into the egg mixture, gently toss to coat. Spray a 9×13 baking pan and place the sticks in one layer, not overlapping. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, just enough time to get the kids dressed. Remove from the oven and use a thin spatula to release the sticks from the pan. On the outside they will look like toast and be easy to grab and go, but on the inside it’s soft and delicious and addicting. Serve in a cup with pear spears.  No need for dipping into syrup, this recipe is tasty enough!  Serves 4.

*I didn't come up with this recipe, but I suppose mixing the ingredients the old fashioned way works just as well.