Friday! And Jack's 1 year photos!

You may have noticed Jack's pictures in the ad on the left side of my blog.  Those are his first year pics!  I CAN NOT believe I will have a one year old in less than a week. Maybe if I don't talk or think about it, it won't happen.  ; )

So a few weeks ago I took Jack for his one year photos.  I took him back to Lisa at Stephen Green Photography, where I had his 6 month photosdone. Now that Jack is walking, I was worried he would not sit still for pictures, or that he would scream and cry the whole time, but he was such a good boy during the photo shoot.   I don't think it is possible for them to have come out any better.

The surprising part???  Jack wanted absolutely nothing to do with the cake!! He took a few licks and screamed.   If you live in the Chicago area be sure to check Stephen Green Photography out.  Lisa did such a great job with Jack, she had him smiling and laughing within minutes; and her studio is beautiful!  Now for the tough decision....which ones to order!

Have a great Friday, and if you are a new visitor, welcome and I hope you return!

Working Mom Meals...Jack's Pick

Jack is CRAZY for anything apple, especially applesauce.  It is our go to food when he will eat nothing else.  Applesause never fails us. 
And since we brought home 36 pounds of apples this weekend, I decided to try and make my own applesauce.  And I must admit, I did a pretty good job.

The best part, it's so simple, and you will never want to buy applesauce again.
Enjoy!


Homemade Applesauce (Makes several cups)

15-20 apples (I used Golden Delicious, but any kind will work)
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Sugar (as needed)

Peel, core, and slice apples, tossing them into a stock pot as you go.  When all the apples are sliced, add the water and cinnamon to pan and cover.  Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally, recovering, until apples break down into a thick sauce, about 20 minutes.  Taste applesauce and add 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar if desired. If you like your applesauce sweeter or if you are using less sweet apples, you may need sugar. When the apples are dissolved, simmer over low heat, half-covered, until sauce is thick, about 20-30 minutes.  You can serve warm or cool.  Leftover applesauce will last one week when in the fridge.

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Wordless (ish) Wednesday

We gave Jack one of his gifts a little early.  I think he likes it.

 

So does someone else....



For other Wordless Wednesday photos check out The Paper Mama.
Have a great day!

I loooooooooooooove looooooooooong weekends.

I do.  It's amazing how just one extra day can make a person feel so much more relaxed, and rested.  Feel like they can get so much more done and catch up on so many things.  I did all of those this weekend.  Slept in and relaxed on Sunday knowing I had an extra day to get errands done.  I was able to clean the ENTIRE house!  I even was able to organize and get rid of old things! 
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Most importantly....we had fun. I can't believe how smart Jack is becoming.  He understands so much now and is taking EVERYTHING in.   So on Saturday we went apple picking in Michigan.  I love how we can drive an hour and a half away and feel like we are in a different world.  So open and relaxing. 

 Can you believe it was almost 90 degrees, in the second week of October, in Michigan???  I was a little disappointed in that, as I prefer a cool fall weekend, but we were able to go to the beach!  Then off to pick apples. Jack wasn't too into it at first...

But then he had a taste of those apples, and he was obsessed with them!  He screamed if we took them away! 

We took our 36 pounds of apples and thought about all the wonderful things we will make with them. 

Heat and all, it was a great time.  This is definately going to be something we do every year. 

Have a great day!

I'll be back....

I am taking a break from Meetup Monday this week.  I have a 3 day weekend, and am catching up on some much needed rest and much needed time with Jack.  I will be back Tuesday with some pictures of our apple picking weekend!


Enjoy your Monday!

What's your flavor Friday and a Giveaway!

The weeken is finally here!! And it's a 3 day weekend which is even better!!  I am so excited we are going apple picking in Michigan this weekend!  I will for sure post some pictures of that.  It's hard to believe a year ago this weekend we went, and Jack was not born yet.  Now he is going to be a year in less than 2 weeks.  Time is FLYING by!
If you are a new visitor from  Feature Me Friday I hope you like what you see and come back to visit soon.  If you are one of my regulars, thank you for reading, and thank you for all your comments. 

Now for the giveaway!

I love easy dinners, but no matter how easy a meal may be, it has to be delicious.  So when Lawry's  and My Blog Spark asked if they could send me some of their delicious marinades and seasionings, I of course said yes!
I received my package in a mail a few days later with these amazing mainades and seasonings:
Marinades

• Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ gives meat a delicious sweet and sour flavor with a touch of Szechuan heat
• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato includes extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers and the perfect blend of herbs

Seasoning Mixes

• Asian Style Beef & Broccoli – This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice and you have a complete, satisfying meal.
• Chimichurri Burrito Casserole – Lawry´s gives the familiar Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.
• Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken – Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family´s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese to easily make a flavorful meal any night of the week.
• Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil – Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite, but it might not make the menu at home. This effortless version comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.

I decided to try the Beef and Broccoli Seasoning Mix that I was sent, and it made the meal preparation quick and simple! My husband loved it and so did I! 

***You can find Lawry's Seasonings at a grocery store near you.

WIN IT:
One Lucky Reader will receive a Lawry's“What’s Your Flavor” kit (pictured above) that includes a marinating dish, a set of skewers, Lawry’s two new marinades, as well as a sample of each of the four new Seasoning Mixes and a bottle of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment~ Which Lawry's Seasoning Mix / Marinade are you most excited to try? The comment is considered your entry.

ADDITIONAL  ENTRIES:

1)Follow me (if you do, leave a comment!)

**Please leave your email address with one of your comments.  Contest will end Friday October 15th, at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted by email.
Good Luck!

Working Mom Meals....Pumpkin Edition

I wrote a while back about my LOVE for pumpkin.  I can't get enough of it.  In the past few years I have found some really great recipes using pumpkin.  I posted my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies a few weeks back and now have a delicious entree using pumpkin.   Penne with Pumpkin and Sausage.

When I first saw this recipe, I thought, "This is going to taste awful", but I gave it a try and made it one night for dinner.  The results?  Fantastic.

The pumpkin does not take over this meal, all of the flavors blend together perfectly! 

If you love pumpkin, I suggest you give this a try, and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

p.s. I am sorry for the lack of photos, I have not made this meal yet this year.  As soon as I do, photos will be posted!

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage (recipe from Foodnetwork.com)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock 
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate, cooked al dente 
• Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Directions

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute.  Top the pasta with shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Round one: Mommy 0-Weather 1

So the first of Jack's Birthday celebrations are over.  The friend party was planned for outside at the beginning of October because "Early October weather is always beautiful!" I thought.  And it was...except for his party day, Saturday. 

The weather was in the 50's with 23 mph winds.  It felt like it was in the 40's.  So we set up for outside and hoped for the best. 

Banner from Paper Circus on Etsy.

And Jack's wagon themed party was a great time, but the weather sure did a number on us all.  Most people ended up moving inside which left our beautitfully decorated tent pretty empty.  And Jack was having a BAD mood day.  I think it was all of the people, but I'll blame that on the weather too. 

It was great to have all of our friends over to celebrate with Jack.  When cake time came around, Jack wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.  As you can probably tell from his faces in these pictures...

But hey, it's his party and he'll cry if he wants to.  I'm just hoping the next celebration (in a few weeks) puts Jack in a better mood.  At least this party will be inside.   I'm also hoping I'll have better pictures to show you all then as well. 

Have a great Tuesday. 

You are all winners in my eyes...

BUT.....only 2 of you can be winners of my last two contests.  The winner of the $40 Benihana gift certificate is ...Kathy!  

And the winner of the Sweet Pea Totes clutch is Christina!

Congrats to both of you, I will be contacting you via email!

Jack-O-Lantern...and Meetup Monday

I hope you all had a great weekend!  The birthday party is over, and....it was COLD.  But it was fun.  I have pictures and will post them later this week! 

While we recover from the party craziness, I wanted to post our pictures from the pumpkin patch! Jack had a blast!  He walked SOOOOOOO much, and slept for two hours after.  The pumpkin patch is one of my favorite times of the year, and we had even more fun this year with Jack. 

Please be sure to join Meetup Monday, I hope your Monday goes by quickly.

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If this is your first time linking up to Meetup Monday, here's the info:

Add a link below to a specific blog post or your main blog address

If you could grab my button and pop it up on your blog someplace visible, that would make my day!

Most importantly: Make someone's day by commenting on the blog post of the two blogs (or more) before you.

...i'll be back

Sorry for the lack of posts this week.  I am stressed to the max with the birthday party! I will be back later this weekend with all the details and pictures from Jack's big day.

Until then, I hope you have an awesome weekend!  Get out and enjoy it while you still can!

Thank you to all my new friends for visiting from New Friend Friday and Boost my Blog Friday.  And be sure to enter to win a custom clutch from Sweet Pea Totes!
Contest ends Sunday!

Enjoy!

Let the nervousness begin

I'm getting nervous.  Nervous because Jack's party is Saturday.  The party we decided to have 3 weeks before his birthday becuase "Early October weather is always beautiful" I said. 

The party is planned for outside.  With 50 people. 

The forecast is 52 and 30% chance of rain.  I am now in panic mode.  Do I book a place last minute?  Do I cancel and reschedule?  Or do I go with the flow and let things be as they may?

Maybe the weatherman is wrong.  We shall see.

Wordish Wednesday...

Such a tough decision......

For more Wordless Wednesdays be sure to check out The Paper Mama.

Meetup Monday!

This weekend had perfect Fall weather.  I love weekends like this, and I am beginning to think Jack does too.  He was SOOOOO happy this weekend which made this one of the best weekends we have had together.   We also had his first year pictures taken this weekend, so I am excited to see how they turn out!  We are having his first birthday party this Saturday even though his birthday is not until October 21.  We are having it outside, and hoping the weather stays nice!  I will be sure to fill you in on all of our plans.

So before we get to meetup Monday, a couple of pictures of Jack from this weekend.  One thing I am learning, is how hard it is to take a picture of a walking 11 month old!  He will not sit still long enough for me to get a picture of him!  If any of you all have an idea on how to get them to sit still, please, let me know!

(I love how BIG his smile is here!)

Have a great  Monday, and please join me for Meetup Monday! 

<a href="http://www.justanothermomday.blogspot.com"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i219/agrip76/coffee.jpg" /></a>

If this is your first time linking up to Meetup Monday, here's the info:

Add a link below to a specific blog post or your main blog address

If you could grab my button and pop it up on your blog someplace visible, that would make my day!

Most importantly: Make someone's day by commenting on the blog post of the two blogs (or more) before you.