11 Months!

Happy 11 Months, Eva!!!

How is it possible that we have only ONE month until our baby's first birthday? Since she's probably the last one for us, I wanted it to go by slowly. It's going by way too fast. Sometimes I find myself staring at her, trying to imprint her baby image into my mind. Trying to freeze into memory how sweet it is to hold a baby. There's nothing like it. Anyway, I don't want to get too emotional. Sniff, sniff...

Eva @ 11 months:

• still loves to eat...everything!
• been sleeping good lately (comes and goes)
• can throw quite a fit when she doesn't get her way lately
• can stand alone, but not confident enough to take any steps yet
• wants to be wherever Emma is, especially if she has a friend over
• starting to like more people besides just me, her daddy, and GJ
• looking forward to her 1st Christmas!

A New Adventure

     I'm so excited to tell you about a new adventure I'm beginning! Let me start by telling you that, since Jonah was born, I have always been a stay-at-home mom. It's hard to believe, but that's been eight years now...man, where has the time gone??? I love staying at home. It's not as easy as people think. We work just as hard as everyone else, with one BIG difference: we don't get paid. Atleast not with money. It's rewarding in other ways though. One of the main sacrifices of staying home is not being able to contribute financially to our family.
     Over the years, I've struggled many times wondering if I should go back to school and get my masters, get a teaching degree, etc. I can honestly tell you I have never felt a real peace about any of those things. I can also tell you that God has always been faithful to our family and has provided EVERYTHING we've ever needed (and then some)!
     Anyway, I have a couple blogs that I read on a weekly basis. Two weeks ago, I was reading one of those blogs and saw an advertisement for something called Willow House. The first thing I did was to look through the products and I fell in LOVE with everything I saw!! Willow House is a direct selling company, much like Pampered Chef or Mary Kay. They sell beautiful, versatile products for your home that make entertaining and decorating SO SIMPLE! Never in a million years would I have seen myself doing anything like this, but it's easy to sell something you love! I'm so excited about the opportunities I will have with this company!
     I am having my launch party to start my new business December 2 @ 6:30! I would love for you to come look at some of the beautiful products Willow House has to offer. Also, if you're interested in hosting a party, you can get free products and items at half-off...how great is that? If you want to see what all Willow House has to offer, you can go to my personal website, emilyallen.willowhouse.com. Hope to see you Thursday, December 2 @ 6:30!

Emily's Open House Launch Party

Thursday, December 2

6:30 PM

Bring a friend!!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

O my goodness...this was one of the best meal's I've had in awhile! If you think you don't like fish, try tilapia. It's so mild and absolutely delicious, and the best part is it only takes about 10 minutes in the oven! You can't beat that! I made some steamed green beans and baked sweet potatoes to go along with it. Give tilapia a try, I think you'll really like it!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
olive oil


In a shallow dish, mix together the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Brush the fish with the olive oil and pat fish (oil side down) into mixture until evenly coated. I had a little trouble getting it to stick, so I sprinkled the remaining mixture onto the fish and patted it down with my fingers. Bake @ 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the top of fish.

Taste Test and a Fall Wreath

Okay...I know this isn't exactly a "fall" dessert, but I made it because: 1) I had some blueberries and 2) It sure as heck doesn't feel like fall in these parts! I saw this recipe a while back on Pioneer Woman. Anything with blueberries in it is worth trying in my book. Also, the buttery, crumbly topping doesn't hurt either!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

1/2 stick butter + 1 Tablespoon, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup whole milk ( I used 2%)

2 cups fresh blueberries

For the topping:

3/4 stick butter, chilled and cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir and set aside.

Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with sugar. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Pour in batter.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Bake cake for 40 - 45 mintutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into squares and serve with softened butter.

Also thought I'd show you guys the wreath that has been on my front door since the beginning of fall! It was super easy and cheap! All I needed were strips of burlap and a wire round wreath form. You can see more about it @ kleypas.blogspot.com. Mine didn't turn out quite as full as hers, but I was still pretty happy with the results!

Blueberry Crumb Cake. Source: The Pioneer Woman.

Wreath Inspiration: Kleypas.Blogspot.com

Heaven on a Plate

On Saturday morning, I thought I'd show my family a little love. This love came in the form of some truly delicious pancakes (if I do say so myself)! My dad's family put together a little cookbook many years ago with all their favorite recipes. Even though there are some exceptional things in this little book, I keep it around simply for this pancake recipe. Let me just say this: If Heaven has pancakes, these are them. Yes, they're that good. I even tweaked the recipe just a little to make them healthier and they were still just as delicious!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter (half a stick)

1/4 cup canola oil

fresh blueberries, optional

warmed, real maple syrup

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Combine eggs, buttermilk, and canola oil. Add to dry ingredients, mixing LIGHTLY (This is important. DO NOT overmix your pancake batter or I will come to your house. I'm not kidding.) Stir in melted butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup (for each pancake) onto a buttered skillet or griddle. Cook 2-3 minutes per side.

Note: Walter and I love blueberries in our pancakes, but the kiddos not so much. So, I put the regular batter in the skillet and then gently press the blueberries into the pancakes. Then, flip them over and they'll stay in place! DELICIOUS!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Oven Roasted Potatoes

If you don't have one of these...

you totally should. This could be your new best friend, especially for those of you moms who work. I'm talking about the good ole crock pot/slow cooker...it doesn't matter what you call it because it gets the job done, plain and simple.

On Monday morning, I put two pork tenderloins in this baby and cooked them on low for about 5 hours. Then, I shredded 'em up, made a special sauce and put it back in the crockpot for about an hour, and...

TA DA! It's magic, I tell ya, pure magic. Now, this might not look real pretty, but it sure did taste good! The original recipe called for pork shoulder, but I used the tenderloins to keep it healthier...your choice. I promise I cook more than just sandwiches and potatoes. That just happens to be my first two posts..more to come!





Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 cup water
2 pork tenderloins (or you can use 4 lbs. pork shoulder or Boston butt)
2 tsp salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups ketchup
8 oz taco sauce (not salsa)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. vinegar
2 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
toasted sandwich buns

Pour the water into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place your meat in and sprinkle the salt on top. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove the meat, get rid of the water, and shred the meat with two forks. Stir together remaining ingredients and add shredded meat to combine. Put the meat mixture back in the slow cooker and continue to cook on low 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve on toasted sandwich buns.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

potatoes, sliced very thin (I used 3 potatoes for the 4 of us)
olive oil
seasoned salt

Place the potato slices in a bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt. Toss well to combine. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake @ 425 for 10 minutes. Turn over and cook another 10-15 minutes or until crisp.

Recipe slightly adapted from Eat At Home Cooks.