What's cooking this week?

They say you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're hungry...I'm thinking the same goes for when you're making the list. It seems like an extra long list this week. Maybe it's because I ran out of a lot of pantry staples OR because I added a few snacks to the list. Let'ssssss just go with the first one! While perusing Pinterest for recipes I came across my own lettuce wraps and I took it as a sign. Yum, can't wait to have them later.

Tonight: Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Monday: Balsamic Burgers w/ Roasted Cauliflower 
Wednesday: Chipotle Mac & Cheese
Thursday: Coconut Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Broccoli
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Today we're going to the pool and planning for our big move on August 1st!!! I'm also experimenting with a crock pot beef stew...for Ella! She hasn't had beef yet, I hope she likes it!

Luckily I had a cute little helper to work on this weeks meal planning, but she is getting a little restless. It's time to get back to our Big Block SingSong dance party ("Fifteen kinds of fruit...."). Happy Sunday!

Avocado Yogurt {For Baby}

Let's bring on the baby food! It's time for the next phase of my blog! Little people food just might be more enjoyable to make than big people food (there, I said it). I've been having a blast putting all kinds of yummy combinations together for Ella. She seems to be loving it too - at least there haven't been any complaints yet. Luckily my girl is a great eater and it's been SO much fun expanding her palate. Avocado is one of MY favorite ingredients so it was only right to make this my first baby food recipe post!

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (plain/full fat)

Pinch of cumin

1/2 tsp. of lime juice

Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor.

2. Puree until smooth.

Made enough for 2 servings - approx. 7 oz.

Can freeze up until 3 months.

Hopefully your baby loves this as much as mine did...minus the part where she got so excited and smeared it in her eye!

Ella's Nine Month Update

Yesterday, Ella turned NINE months old! Every morning when we wake up, I swear she looks significantly older. It's blowing my mind! Yesterday at her nine month appointment she weighed in at 18 pounds 4 ounces. Lately I've been noticing how tall she is getting...her head now skims the underneath of our dining room table. Officially though, she is 26 and 3/4 inches tall. A few weeks ago, her two little bottom teeth finally poked through and they're adorable! Our pediatrician says the top ones look like they'll be making an appearance very soon too.

She's crawling like crazy, pulling herself up on everything (walls, cabinets, furniture...you name it) and cruising from couch to couch and back again. She can stand without holding on for short periods of time, although she's still pretty wobbly. She's been pushing her little stroller all over the place - and getting really good at it too! 

There have been a few new foods in her diet this past month - yogurt, summer squash, avocado and even little teeny tiny bits of bread and cheese. It's safe to say she has overcome her milk allergy (if she ever even had one). She gets three solid meals a day, three bottles (about 6-7 ounces each) and we've been working on getting her used to drinking water out of a sippy cup. She mostly just uses it as a teether but it's a start.

I love hearing her voice, which is a good thing because we hear it all day long. Ma-ma, Da-da, Ba-ba, and now "COOK"....yup. This is the best I could do capturing the moment...

Our routine is pretty set and hasn't changed much at all in the past month. She takes about two naps anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour (sometimes more) each. We usually put her down to sleep anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30 depending on how she is and how much she's napped during the day. I'll probably post about our nighttime routine soon.

Her favorite toys lately have been her stroller, her teethers (all 80 of them), her new activity table and books - especially the touchy feely ones. I try not to plop her in front of the TV, it's mostly on in the background but she stops in her tracks every time Mickey Mouse Club House comes on, and she LOVES Baby Einstein (only certain ones though). It's kind of funny how she has all of these preferences...this girl knows what she likes and she lets you know! 

How lucky am I that I get to spend all this one on one time with her this summer?!? It's only a few days into our break and it's been so fun getting to know her better every day. I love my girl so much! 

No Work = More Reading!

Fun fact...I LOVE to read! Often times I feel bad that I don't make more of an effort to set time aside for reading. For me it's the best way to unwind and clear my mind - better than getting involved in a good TV show. Even before baby, the bulk of my reading always seems to happen over the summer or during breaks. Obviously that's not something that's going to change now that Ella is here. While school is in session, I do read a little bit here and there. I hate to admit that it's inconsistent and I often lose interest halfway through (even if I'm enjoying it). I'm the girl with way too many hobbies and not enough time for all of them - so obviously I don't read nearly as much as I'd like. 

I've always been a sucker for chick-lit - the typical "down on her luck woman who turns it all around, finds herself and a love interest along the way" kind of books. They are all very predictable, very cliché...and I love them all. I like to keep it light...it's a nice break from the real life sad stuff that weighs me down (I'm talking work related stuff, not in my personal life). I want to be taken away and immersed in something that is going to make me feel good! Does that make me shallow? Whatever. I steer clear of anything by Jodi Picoult, and I KNOW The Fault In Our Stars is supposed to be insanely amazing but I just can't bring myself to do it! If there is a possibility my iPad will suffer from water damage from crying hysterically, then count me out! Maybe, just maybe, I'll watch the movie!

Ever since becoming a Guidance Counselor, there's a new guilty pleasure. I started reading more and more YA novels to "relate" to the kids I work with. Obsessed. It sounds silly but, I'm convinced they just didn't have books like that when I was younger. Maybe they did but I was too busy reading the adult stuff that I skipped over it? 

Now that it's summertime, I've added a bunch of books to my "to-read" shelf on Goodreads. The perfect opportunity to make a dent in this list will be while Ella is napping. As you can see, it's mainly a combo of chick-lit and YA fiction....

Summer Reading - 2014

Stephanie's favorite books »

Follow me on Goodreads to read my reviews when I finish these, and let me know if you have any recommendations!!!

What's cooking this week?

I'm freaking out! The charger to my 8 year old MacBook is on its last legs. I've got 60% battery left and it's possible that I won't be able to position the charger in such a way to give this bad boy any more power. Granted, this laptop is a piece...of work....yeahhhh, work. This is my second charger. We've been wrapping it with electrical tape for about two years now. Whyyyyy now? I'm officially on summer break and I need to catch up on this blog! Now I have the time, but without a charger I'm going to be posting from my iPad - which isn't the same. Anyway, Hubs and I are deciding whether or not we want to just buy another charger to hold us over, OR buy a new MacBook. Guess what my vote is.... we'll see!!! Enough of that...here's what's cooking...

Tonight: Turkey Chili
Monday: Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caesar Salad
Tuesday: Black Bean Veggie Quesadillas
Wednesday: Grandpa's Marinara
Thursday: Stuffed Veggie Pizza Rolls
Friday: Turkey Bacon BLTC's

Yesterday was such a nice day! We visited the new house and took measurements. The more time I spend there, the more I fall in love with it. Hubs and I are going to decide on a moving date later today. The end of July would be perfect, but it might not be until August. This photo of Daddy and Ella-Bean from our little outing yesterday makes me smile! (This is NOT the new house, although how amazing would it be to have a porch like this?!?!)

We also went to a furniture store to start scouting out some couches, and after that dropped in on Mal's Mamma at her job! Someone was a little jealous...

HA! Anyway, my little love muffin is waking up from her nap - I've got to wrap this up! Hopefully the weather holds out so we could make it down to the pool later! Have a great Sunday!