What's For Dinner {Catch Up 2020}

There's a meme going around the social media world that cracks me up.  It says, "Who knew the hardest part of being an adult is figuring out what to cook every night for the rest of your life until you die."  Let's all just stop right here and laugh out loud right where you are.  Now let's breathe and soak in the sometimes overwhelming reality of how true that statement is! 

It has been awhile, but every month or so I try to do a post where I highlight some of the delicious recipes that I tried out over the course of the previous month.  I love trying new recipes and I am so thankful for Pinterest and all the delicious recipes that catch my eye as well as food bloggers and instagram.  I am constantly looking for new inspiration and trying out new recipes.  It makes cooking fun and not a redundant chore and sometimes I get to try something new!  The best part is that my kids are starting to really love food and trying new things.  One is not picky about anything and one is slowly growing out of his pickiness. 

So here is where I share some sweet yumminess with you. 

Thai Chicken Peanut Ramen

This winter I just craved ramen, but not that gross stuff you can get for crazy cheap at the store.  I wanted some good, wholesome, flavorful noodle soup.  I also love thai peanut noodles so when this recipe combined the two of them I couldn't resist.  I've made this twice over the last 2 months and I hope to make it again sometime soon.  It really is amazing.  This also was a recipe I was able to substitute soy sauce for coconut aminos and it became Weston friendly.  I used some ramen noodles from Sprouts made of millet and wonderful! 

Here's the link to the recipe.

Pumpkin Chili
I may have mentioned that I was really into soups this winter.  There was just something warm and cozy about it.  When Bri McKoy posted on instagram her pumpkin chili I could not wait!  I immediately added it to our menu and we just happened to have all the ingredients (I may be the kind of person who keeps canned pumpkin stocked in my pantry year round.  It was really good! 

You can find the recipe and her super fun post about it here.

Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs

One thing that we started doing this year was meal prepping lunch options for Jon and I.  More so for Jon, but as it turns out, I love having the option of a quick healthy meal that isn't necessarily a salad.  A few weeks ago, our local grocery store was having a really good sale on ground turkey so I grabbed two and doubled this recipe for the meatballs and froze half of them for a future week.  I cooked up some cauliflower rice and some roasted broccoli and this recipe was amazing.  The perfect lunch for a busy day!  Plus, none of us felt the urge to go and get take out! 

You can find the recipe here.

Bang Bang Shrimp

One of my favorite newly found recipes has been something I've been eating at lunch quite often.  It's easy enough to do on a slow day and so delicious and filling!  I keep frozen, uncooked shrimp in the freezer (I find that Costco has the best price) and cook this up along with some cauliflower rice.  If the sauce didn't have mayo in it, I might have been able to get my husband to try it out. . . except he doesn't care for shrimp all that much.  So for now, it's just something I eat at lunch.

You can find the recipe here.

We also cooked up some Simple Sesame noodles by Pioneer Woman. . . we sub the soy sauce for coconut aminos and Weston loves them!  It's one of my favorite easy dinners that everyone eats up very quickly! 


And that's some of my favorite things we have eaten so far in 2020.  What are you eating? 

Valentines Day Wrap Up {Free Printables}

I just love holidays.  I love any excuse to celebrate and have fun and I'll be honest: Valentine's Day is one of my favorites!  It's a wonderful day to celebrate friendship and shower our friends and family with love.  And best of all, this year it was on a Friday . . . a day that I'm pretty sure every teacher was doing a happy dance that it landed on a Friday. . . because while the day is fun, it's exhausting for a teacher.

I spent the morning  hanging out with my husband (who just happened to have the day off!) and delivering cookies to one classroom and than hanging out with third graders and throwing a fun party.  We did some coding and ate food complete with a special Valentine's Day punch (raspberry sherbet and 7 up).  Then went and caught the tail end of my Ethan's basketball game, came home and got ready to take our kids to see Toby Mac in concert.  We were pooped.  The day was such a fun day that we all needed the weekend to catch up. 

This post may seem a little bit late because. . . well, things have been a little insane around here.  Let's just say that this mom does NOT have it all together (a post that I will hopefully write next week) and I am just now sitting here at a Starbucks while one kid climbs mountains and the other does homework and sips his Butterscotch Frappuccino next to me.  So, while Target is ready to move onto Easter and Lent starts next week (Are you going to do the She Reads Truth study?), I am going to talk about Valentine's Day.  I know.  Weird.  But, go ahead and pin these images for next year.  You'll be ahead of the game! 

Ethan loves Harry Potter.  Well, he really just loves books, but Harry and his friends are right up there at the top next to Percy Jackson.  Last Fall, when the Harry Potter line came out at Williams-Sonoma, I couldn't not buy the silicon ice cube tray that had each house!  It would make perfect crayons, which Ethan thought would be so cool!  So, after Christmas we went through ALL the old crayons and miraculously had just enough to do for his entire class.  Thankfully, Weston wanted to go a different direction because we just barely made it!

But, we had enough and they came out so perfect!  I used this silicone ice cube tray. We chose two colors for each one matching each house color.  Once they melted they made this beautiful marbled crayon.  They were a big hit with the 5th graders.  You can find a tutorial on how to make the crayons here.

Weston had approached me a awhile back very concerned for his friends that may not be able to eat all the stuff that usually gets sent home (like himself) and wanted to provide a fun treat that was both delicious and allergy friendly.  So, we stocked up on the Mini Made Good bars and I created a fun Valentine based on the colors of the wrapper as well as the tag line. (Side note:  Made Good Bars are great for schools that have allergy restrictions because they are free of almost all major food allergens).  

I had all the printing done at Office Depot because it is so easy and the quality is really good.  Plus, it is cheaper than me using all my ink cartridge (and that is not cheap).  I just ordered it online and picked it up the next day (actually, I had my BFF grab them on her way home from work because she's awesome!).  This is totally not an ad, just a recommendation because I love them so much! 

I printed them on 110lb cardstock and once they are cut they fit perfectly into almost 4 inch wide plastic bags and then taped them shut with washi tape (because it's fun!).  

And that's about it for Valentine's Day.  So feel free to tap the red "Pinterest P" in the top Left hand corner of the image you want and save it to your Valentine's Day board for next year.  

Click here to Get your Granola Bar Valentines

Click here to get your Hogwart's House Valentines.

From Lost to Found {a book review}

It was a beautiful morning.  My surroundings looked like the mountains, but my nose smelled the fresh, salty sea air.  I sat in my cushioned chair, a delicious lavender latte in hand, listening the story of this sweet new friend.  She shared her hurts, her pain, her struggles and although my story wasn't the same, her story resonated deep within. 

Nicole Zasowski is a wife, mom, and marriage and family therapist. I was so lucky to meet Nicole at our Women's retreat last Spring.  She is just the sweetest!  If we didn't live on two sides of the country, I would probably want to sit down and get to know her more over a warm latte at the local coffee shop! This month, her first book made it's debut, and sweet friends. . . It's a good one! her book, From Lost to Found, shares the story of her and her husband's cross country move and her struggles and hurts during that time.  A big part of her story has to do with the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages.  She so beautifully intertwines to gospel and the promises that Christ gives us as pours out her story for us. 

Her story is not one I want to give away, because I really want you to read this book. But, I will share a little glimpse of how her story intertwined with mine. Something I have always struggled with is my calling.  I feel like it changes with each season and those passions and desires that awaken during those seasons. Sometimes, it can be very discouraging when things don't happen in the timely matter I sometimes think they should (I can be very impatient).  This past fall, I was leading a Bible Study that just struggled.  We were trying something new and it seemed like those closest to me were the only ones really excited about my vision for the study.  It struggled so much that sometimes I wondered if this was what God really wanted me to be doing.  It was so easy to look at my accomplishments and measure my worth based on the results or who showed up.  This left me feeling like a failure and start questioning my calling.  Nicole, so wisely states, "the problem with medicating our pain with performance is that we are only as valuable as our last accomplishment." What wise words.  I keep coming back to this chapter because it really challenged me to rethink some of those thoughts that were sabotaging me being used by God in the way that he wanted to use me.

I really encourage you go to out and pick up your own copy and read this book. (or you can be like me and click here and add it to your Amazon cart)  Nicole has a gift of sharing her story in way that brings you in.  You can easily read this book in one sitting, although I encourage you to take your time and let it soak in.  Underline and highlight.  Maybe even take some time to journal.  Let  her story minister to your soul.  You won't regret it! 


You can follow Nicole on instagram here.

You can listen to her on the Jamie Ivey Podcast her

Travel: Route 66 and South Rim of the Grand Canyon Adventure

 My husband I love adventure and our kids are growing up loving it too!  So, when the opportunity came to meet my parents in Williams, Arizona,  we jumped at the opportunity.  We both had never been and it sounded like a lot of fun!  There were definitely no regrets after this trip and it's been a year and half and my kids still talk about this as one of their favorite adventures!

This trip was quick and we knew we didn't want to rush exploring on the way there and on the way back.  We ended up pulling the kids out of school for a total of 2.5 days.  The first day, they went to school for half the day and then we headed out to make it to Barstow, CA in time for dinner. We saw a gorgeous sunset, ate at the local Panera, and hung out in our hotel and let the kids do their homework.  The next day is when the adventure truly began! We stayed at the Best Western there, because we know that they have decent breakfasts. . . and really. . . the boys could live off of their waffles for breakfast! 

 We started off our adventure by checking out the Barstow Harvey House.  There are all sorts of trains to climb on, a route 66 museum (we didn't do this on this trip, but we did it when Ethan was a baby).  It is a beautiful building both inside and out, well worth the extra time to check it out.  We also spent some time on the second floor checking out NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Visitor's Center.  The museum is completely free and full of some really neat interactive exhibits! The kids could have spent a couple of hours there learning all they could!
After, probably more time than we had planned (we didn't know about the Deep Space Exhibits), we started on the rest of our journey.  It was going to be a full day of driving, with a couple of spots along the way.  Our plan for the day was to drive Highway 40, but with a slight detour down part of the original Highway 66 to visit the teeny town of Oatman, and then on to our dinner and our hotel in Williams.

Our first stop was Needles, CA for lunch.  We wanted to eat at as many "authentic" route 66 places as possible so, we found the Wagon Wheel Restaurant and it was delicious!  Then, because it was still quite a ways to Williams we headed on down the road.

Not far from Needles, you can take a turn off to Oatman/McConnico/Kingman.  It's a bit slower, being the original 66, but there are not a whole lot of cars.  But, Oatman is well worth the drive and so are the views.  You can stay on the 40 and go through Yucca to Kingman and probably get there in a fourth of the time, but you won't get to see Oatman and you will regret it. 

The town of Oatman is basically a street in the middle of the dessert that has wild donkeys roaming the streets.  It smells.  But, for a dollar you can feed them (and if you don't they will follow you like sad puppy dogs).  There is also an old hotel that if you dare go up the stairs (we did. . . they are really old and wobbly), you can check out room 15, where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed on their honeymoon.  I am not going to lie. . . I am still wondering why on earth a famous movie star felt the need to take his new wife to Oatman for their honeymoon.  We stayed for about 45 minutes, because it stunk so bad and we still needed to make it to Williams in time for dinner.  In all serious, Oatman is the most authentic Route 66 town that has been kept alive by wild donkeys, unlike a lot of others that kind of died off when the 40 was built. 

 The quiet roads and the views were amazing! The view outside our window changed so much as we got closer to Williams.  It was fun to see the colors and rock formations, as well as Joshua trees and cacti.

We made it to Williams, met up with my parents (who were coming home from their summer in Wyoming) and went to dinner.  There were a lot of places to choose from to eat, but the best part was walking around at night and seeing all the neon signs lit up!  Plus, after being in triple digit weather, it was actually chilly and we needed to put on a sweatshirt!

Williams, despite being a tourist-y town, is also a small town with a very successful high school football team.  Some of the stores, including the local dairy queen were closed because it was homecoming and their employees (local high school students) wanted to celebrate, too!  We could hear the fireworks, band, and cheering from down the street that you almost wanted to cheer for them too!

The next morning we boarded our train that would take us to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was a nice way to get there and gave everyone a break from driving.  Each car has a host, full of fun jokes and puns, a beautiful view out each side, and live entertainment from fiddlers to robbers and bandits! 

 We had several hours to hang out at the South Rim.  One of the things we wanted to do was eat at the famous El Tovar Restaurant (you can even see the table that Teddy Roosevelt liked to sit at on his visits).  The food was delicious and the desserts were dreamy!  Then, we set off to explore! 

  Ethan was learning about rocks in his 4th grade science class, so we explored and even learned some new facts and Weston earned his Junior Ranger Badge.  He as so excited! 

 We spent a lot of our time, partly because it was so hot and partly because it was so gorgeous, just looking out into the Grand Canyon.  It's vastness is just so breathtaking that even the kids were speechless!  We spotted chipmunks, lizards, and a lot of other fun animals lingering on the rocks and out in the canyon. 

 Late afternoon came and we boarded back on our train and headed back to our temporary home in Williams.  We explored the streets a little bit more and tried the local brewery (delicious).  One thing we really loved about Williams is that you could walk just about everywhere!

The next morning came and it was time to head back home (well, to Barstow, anyway!).  We started by fueling up on caffeine at the local coffee shop (quite necessary and quite delicious!) and then headed back home.  This time taking a little detour along the original route 66 from Seligman to Kingman.  They way takes you through roadside stops with fun shops, and fun town names like Peach Springs and Hackberry.  There's even a stop called Radiator Springs (which I am sure is just a play on the Cars movie!).  There are all sorts of old cars and replicas of Cars characters, as well as vintage gas stations and old license plates!  We all had so much fun that we realized we were taking too much time exploring! 

 We ended up eating a late lunch in Kingman at Floyd and Company, which is a BBQ place and a pizza place on Kingman (it came highly recommended by some friends of our and is owned by some of their family).  This place was wonderful and the pizza side even had dairy free cheese, which made our youngest quite thrilled that he could actually partake in the food!  That afternoon there was even an old car show, which was kind of fun to walk through to get to lunch!

From there we headed back to Barstow.  Same hotel and as a welcome back to California, we ate at the largest In & Out that I have ever been in!  The next morning, instead of eating the Best Western Food, we went to the local McDonalds because it actually inside a train.  Then it was time to head home and prepare for reentry to reality.  Kids were back at school the next day and Jon had to go to work.  This trip was very quick, but so worth it!  I highly recommend you take the trip if you get a chance! 

 p.s. if you wanted to make the trip even more exciting. . . stay on the 40 and end up in North Carolina! 

Decorating your Hutch {A tutorial}

 I am celebrating my Friday by having a working lunch with my boys at Panera today.  So, while they are working hard on independent study work (we are headed out on adventure next week), I thought I would work on the hutch decorating tutorial that so many of you asked for over in my Instagram stories.

Taking Christmas stuff down earlier this month gave me a week of what the Nester calls, quieting the house.  No new decor up.  Just empty shelves and spaces.  It's a nice time to quiet my house and in turn, my soul.  It allows creativity to move in and inspiration to come.  So for about 7ish days, I sat there with an empty hutch.  Once the kids headed back to school and things slowed down a bit and before new commitments begin, I slowly started to pull out some decor and place it on the table.  It feels weird and unnatural to leave your house looking empty and "quiet," but I promise you, it's worth it.

I am pretty minimalist when it comes to decor.  I have a few things hidden in the cupboard of my hutch and in my hall closet (Christmas and Fall has a box in the garage, but other than that, my decor is pretty minimal).  Most everything that I use for my hutch gets recycled throughout the house and seasons.  It helps keep clutter low and keeps me not running to the store for new decor each season.

I start by placing all the decor in my color scheme on the table.  I am currently loving neutral colors and in that room, with the blue walls, they just sort of pop.  I recommend picking 2-3 colors. . . one being the color of frames.  This week, I chose brown, black, and green tones, with some galvanized metal thrown in.

Next, look at your shelves.  Mentally, take note the length and height of each one.  Note what decor fits where.  Then start placing a tall item on each shelf. I try to keep the tall things on the edges of the sides, making sure to alternate tall things going down.  For example, I put my tall hurricane on the Left side for the top shelf so on the next shelf down, I placed the taller item on the right side.

Then, on the shelves on the other side, I placed the tall item on the Left side so it balances the whole shelf out.  The middle of the Right hand side I just placed a wooden wreath (Hobby Lobby) and a square grape basket in the middle. And that's that.  Super easy.  Sometimes, one thing is enough. 

 Decorating your shelves and/or your hutch can seem to be a little daunting, especially if you are under a budget.  Let's be honest, sometimes our money has to go other places than home decor.  So before you do anything, shop your own house.  Look for picture frames that you already have.  I think I bought one thing when I did my most recent Hutch update and that was a $4.50 wood picture frame from Target (they have great inexpensive ones!).  Sometimes, I have even painted an old frame to get the color I wanted (I actually did this with a frame that just got relocated from our kitchen to our hallway and it needed to be white to match).   Pinterest is also a great place to "shop" for free prints to decorate your walls and your shelves.  And, it's also a great place to find ispiration for creating your own art or wreaths. 

My favorite places to get things for my shelves are. . . 
1.  Target Dollar Spot. . . if you see it, buy it. . . it most likely won't be there when you back! 

2.  Hobby Lobby - their decor is pretty much always on sale and if it's not, there is always a 40 percent off coupon in their app!

3.  Ikea - I love their frames, vases, fake plants, and plus, they have some great random stuff. 

4.  Your local craft fair.  Twice a year, one of my favorite stores throws a weekend event called the Old Town Clovis Flea Market.  It's a great combination of antiques and really talented local creators (and food trucks) that makes for a fun day and a great place to shop local, gather inspiration, and spend a little bit of money!

Here's some ideas from different parts of the year.  You will probably notice a lot of things reused over and over again.  Don't buy one thing that you will only use once (except Christmas stuff. . . a lot of that is hard to use other parts of the year). 

And that's all I have for decorating Hutches and shelves.  Have fun!  Don't make it a chore and if you're stuck, let it hang out and see what inspiration slowly floats in. 

Happy decorating!