8 months…

My baby who was so tiny so little time ago is now 8 months old. And I wouldn’t trade her for anything she is so funny. She babbles all the time, I really wish I could sneak into her head and see what she is thinking. With the babbles she throws in a Bye-bye and waves, it is pretty amazing. She is crawling everywhere, and pulling up and letting go and falling. But that is ok she is trying her hardest and I am there to scoop her up when she falls. Oh I love this little girl she is such a special delight in my life, one I couldn’t have imagined even if I tried.


I have wanted to take some pictures of her outside for quite some time. But this summer was not conducive to that, the heat was crazy. Now it is officially FALL, and I am in love with the weather. So the little miss and I trotted outside the other night with Gabby for some pics. I can’t say that Gabby was exactly the most cooperative though.

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Recap…

Good golly Miss Molly we had a fun filled weekend, and I could seriously use a nap to recover. This time of year is my favorite time of the year but it does seem to be one of my busier times. The fall festival was raging in our hometown over the weekend, and I out of tradition entered my baby girl in the baby contest (I was in it as a little one). Let’s get some things straight don’t think Toddler’s and Tiaras’, the attire for each baby was a white onesie. I was excited to show my precious little one off to the whole town. I wanted them to see how cute and happy she is.  Instead of her normal whole face shining smile she did more of a face like this…

Let's just say she didn’t win, I think she enjoyed herself though. But you know what I still believe my sweetie is the most precious little girl around. The lose did take a toll on the family, I think it broke the Hubs heart.

On Saturday I hosted a Pink and Brown themed baby shower for my friend/co-worker Cheri. Her little angle MacKenzi is scheduled to arrive around Thanksgiving. This was the first baby shower I had ever hosted and let me tell you I was SUPER excited to be doing so. I didn’t get a ton of pictures, because well honestly I am a dodo brain at times and I just forgot. I made most of the decorations and I made all the food. The menu consisted of a cheese and cracker platter, assorted veggies with a creamy dill dip, shrimp and bacon bruschetta, fruit and cream filled phylo cups, strawberry and chocolate fudge cupcakes. It all turned out wonderfully, the Momma-to-be enjoyed herself, all the guests seemed happy. Thus I deem it as a successful day! I can hardly wait to have the chance to host another! Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Drinking glass mason jars for favors

 Messy Shrimp and Bacon Bruschetta (I'll post the recipe later)

 Momma-to-be enjoying her cupcake.

The shower was just too much excitement for Charlot.

Hope all of you have a wonderful day!

Fresh Apple Cake...

Yesterday was my bosses’ birthday and as usual I made a special treat to celebrate. Typically he is a cherry pie guy, but this year he said he wanted something different. I thought great different, what the heck does he want. Well there was quite a nip in the air over the weekend reminding me of my favorite season FALL and my boss adores apples. I knew that my mother in law’s Fresh Apple Cake would do the trick. And man oh man did it! I decided to follow my hubs request and not put any icing on it, instead I made a Carmel Whipped Cream to be served with it. I think every one really enjoyed it!

Fresh Apple Cake

3 Eggs

2 Cups Sugar

3 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 Cup Oil

3 Cups Fresh Apples (Peeled and Diced)

1 Cup Pecans (Chopped) (I suppose you could use walnuts here but I believe that is criminal)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bunt pan thoroughly (or if you are like me and don’t own a Bunt pan use an angel food cake pan). Cream Eggs, Sugar, and Oil together until light and fluffy. Add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon , mix until well incorporated. Add in the apples and nuts. The batter will be thick but don’t worry it will be great! Pour into prepared pan, bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes prior to inverting the pan.

Caramel Whipped Cream

2 cups Whipping Cream

6 TBSP Butter (the Real Stuff)

¾ cup Dark Brown Sugar

Melt butter and brown sugar together until bubbly and thick, turn off the heat add a splash of cream stir together and allow the Caramel to cool.

Once Caramel is cooled pour whipping cream into a bowl and begin to whip once it has started to thicken gradually add the Caramel continue to beat until thick and fluffy

Please don't judge the back grounds of these pictures I had to take them at work!

Oh the fun times…

I guess there comes a time in every parent’s life that you realize just how big your baby is getting. Each night after Charlot’s 5:30 supper she typically likes to take a little nap, it is typically between 30 and 45 minutes. This gives me a great time to get supper together/finished. Last night I laid my sleeping baby down in her crib and left to go and cook supper. I was cooking away and being quite productive, when I heard her starting to wake up. I thought oh I only need a few more minutes to finish the dish; she doesn’t seem upset so I will let her be for a few. Within a few minutes I heard her laughing hysterically, I knew that she was up to something and this is what I found!

She just looks to stinking cute! But the hubs and I will be lowering her bed this weekend!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Guacamole Bacon Cheese Burgers

Talk about excess these babies exemplify it! Oh I do love a good burger. The hubs would say that I don’t ever cook burgers so I must not enjoy them. But here is the real reason I am not good at cooking them at all! I never manage to get them molded correctly so sometimes they end up super thick and tiny around. Then I can’t seem to get them done the way I like them. It is just one thing after another. So when the hubs said that he wanted bacon cheese burgers for dinner I was a bit terrified. I did decide to give it a go though and honestly they turned out pretty great. I got my inspiration for these from one of my favorite burger joints Fuddruckers, oh man their burgers are good. If you have never been go. Please! I have a particular love for their Southwest burger, smoke bacon, guacamole, and pepperjack cheese. Yummy!


GBC Burgers- (makes 4 burgers)

1lb Lean Ground Beef

1 tbsp Cumin

½ tsp Red pepper

1 tsp Season Salt

Salt and pepper to taste

Cheddar Cheese slices (I didn’t’ have any pepperjack in the house)

6 pieces of cooked bacon (1 per burger, except the hubs’ burger he likes two, and a spare piece for Gabby-chubby girl needed a snack)

A batch of your favorite Guac (I made my own you can buy it if you choose)

Toasted buns

Mix the burger and all seasonings in a large bowl, patty out four burgers making them a bit thinner in the center (this prevents the burger from shrinking in to a miniature football). Heat a cast iron skillet with a pat of butter, once the skillet is hot throw in the burgers, cook 4-5 minutes per side (less if you like a pink burger). Assembly spread guac on the buns place on burger, cheese then bacon! Enjoy!

When the cat’s away…

The hubs had to be away from home for a few days last week, he went to help harvest a plot in SWMO. Now I am sad when he is gone, I miss him so much as does Charlot. But when he is away I have to take advantage of it when it comes to dinner. Now he would never touch a meal of pasta with sauce with no meat I mean never. I on the other hand do occasionally enjoy a meal-free pasta meal. I really can’t think of a simpler or tastier way to enjoy pasta and tomato sauce. This sauce is a bit spicy from the red pepper flakes, yet velvety and rich from the cream. Oh excuse me while I drool a bit. If anything can make the hubs being away any easier this simple supper can!


Spicy Tomato Sauce

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp Butter

3 cloves Garlic finely chopped

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (you can used more if you want it extra spicy)

1 large Can Crushed Tomatoes

2 heavy splashes of Heavy Cream

Melt oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper, allow to cook until garlic is browned, but do not allow to burn. Pour in tomatoes and stir until well combined, it takes a bit, be patient eventually the tomatoes and oil will become one. Turn heat to low and stir in the cream.

I ate mine with spaghetti but whatever pasta you choose make sure the sauce completely coats the noodles. I top mine with a bit of parm cheese. Serve with crusty bread. Yummy

Note: Do not try to serve this recipe to your meat and potato men!

7 months

I seriously have been meaning to post these pictures for several weeks, considering in about a week she will be 8 months old. I thought about just not posting them but I have posted pictures each month since she was born, I didn’t want to slack. Wow sooner than later she will be 8 months old, oh my I am not sure I am prepared for this, I had better just focus on that she is only 7 months now. Charlot is quite a little lady she is crawling all over and has been for several weeks, she is still a super smiley baby. She loves her daddy so much every time he walks in the room she can’t stop giggling. I am so amazed how her little personality is forming and how she can entertain herself for quite awhile with absolutely nothing. She is still sleeping through the night (she has been since about 2 months), and I love that she wakes up in the morning babbling and giggling, it is the GREATEST thing to hear at 6a.m.!  I can’t think of a better gift God could have blessed the hubs and I with, we are so lucky.

This is her face when the hubs walks through the door, (sorry for the low cut, I bought the shirt along time ago and was desperate for her to wear it. Obviously it is too big!)

Have a great day!