Easter Recap

Did everyone have a great Easter or Passover? We had a great weekend. Friday the weather was so incredibly beautiful that I didn't get anything on my Easter to do list done except going to the grocery store! We also managed to have an impromptu photo shoot on the beach because it was so beautiful!!

And at this point made the executive decision to cut down on all the things I was going to make. First to go was my Triple Lemon Blueberry cake. If you read my post on Friday you will know this is something that I have attempted to make multiple times but have yet to actually make it. Big plans to make it next Wednesday for my Aunt's birthday. Considering I am in charge of the cake I hope to actually make it this time! Haha!

Saturday we went out to lunch and walked around downtown at an arts and crafts show. It started off rainy but ended up being beautiful. When we got home it was still so nice out we went for another walk!

And we even got to sneak in a date night sans baby Saturday night. We had an amazing meal and I can't wait to try and recreate some of the appetizers and entrees we had. And I had a great Sauvignon blanc called Hunky Dory out of New Zealand

Easter morning I  attempted to make the "healthy chocolates" I mentioned in my post from last friday. I made coconut balls dipped in chocolate (mounds bar), peanut butter eggs (Reese's Pieces) and last minute decided to make yogurt dipped pretzels. And the verdict on all 3 recipes.... is Pinterest FAIL!!! Ugh these do not compete whatsoever with my other recipes that call for a pound of confectionery sugar.

From now on at Easter I am going with the all sugar recipes that I am used to. The Yogurt covered pretzels got so soggy and gross. On a plus I had extra chocolate from the candy attempts and decided to do chocolate covered pretzels. And those were DELISH!! SO incredibly good! Did I mention I made all of these candies Easter morning? Luckily my daughter woke up at 5:30 am and I was able to get to work. The candies didn't take long to make so that left time to attempt the  bunny cinnabon rolls from my to do list.

I would say this is a Pinterest maybe if I spent more time on it might be a success. I wasn't happy with the quality of the cinnabon rolls i got. They weren't swirled so I had to roll the dough, and not to mention super dry on the inside. I blame the fact they look like mice on the fact that I didn't buy the right kind. I went with cinnabon brand but might try a more traditional one next time.

Well, I had quite the busy morning on Sunday as you can see. By the time everyone was up we were ready to open our baskets! A loved hers (details here) and Armondo are cat LOVED his even more. Armondo would dive into his basket and take out the toys!

I swear A is happy and having fun!!

Once we opened baskets it was time for A's morning nap! She actually had two before we went to lunch at my Aunt's house. While she was napping I attempted to do the last two things on my list and then decided that I need a cup of coffee and to rest. I was way too sleepy! At my Aunt's house A got to participate in her first egg hunt. Next year we are going to be more competition. This year we were trying to take some pictures and missed some valuable egg searching time. We ended up getting 5 eggs!! WOO HOO!!

Hope you had a great Easter/Passover! Would love to hear if you any Pinterest wins or fails this past weekend!

xoxo!!

Five on Friday - Easter To Do List

Happy Friday! I can't believe Easter is coming up. Does it feel like Easter snuck up on anyone else? I kept thinking about ideas but then figured I had a ton of time. Here are 5 things I am planning on doing this weekend!

1. Making my own candies for easter! Don't worry these all look super simple to make. I found these recipes on Pinterest. Not to mention they are Paleo friendly! 

• Salted Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
• Raw Peppermint Patties

2. Remember the Easter bunny craft from earlier this week? Well I still have about 500 cotton balls left so I figured I might as well get my fill on arts and crafts. This one will be a mask made with paper plates so it should be easier than trying to paint those little baby feet. 

3. Triple-Lemon Blueberry Cake which I have written about before on my to do list but have yet to make. I think I have bought all the ingredients 2-3x but for some reason never actually made. Well now I am committed to bring this to my Aunt's house for Easter so I will definitely be doing it. I will also be making my own lemon curd from this recipe i found on Pinterest. 

4. Cinnabon Bunnies look so cute! And lets not forgot how simple with the Cinnabon rolls from the grocery store. I can't wait to make these. We always have some type of cinnamon on holidays since we eat our big meals later in the day! 

5. Hatching Hard Boiled Chicks will definitely be coming to my Aunt's house with us. A few years ago we did the deviled egg chicks and I thought this was so adorable. Not to mention so much quicker since you don't have to scoop out the eggs! 

And not to mention we also have the spring festival this weekend. I will definitely be a busy little bee chasing after the baby and getting all this accomplished. But at the same time SO incredibly excited to see lil A open her Easter basket! 

Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend and enjoys the Spring weather!

Linking up with April,  Darci, Christina, Amanda, and Natasha!

Easter Art & Crafts Project for Baby

So the other day I realized I have never really done an arts and craft project with my baby! Considering I love my arts and crafts I was slightly disappointed with myself. Granted she is only 7.5 months old but still.

So I went to Pinterest for some ideas and found this one! I thought this looked pretty simple and really cute!

Here is how my attempt came out!

This was super simple to do!

Supplies needed: Picture of child's face, Crayola Washable paint, poster board, Elmers glue and sponge paint brush.

Directions:

1.) Paint your childs foot with paint and stamp on poster board. This took me a few tries since my daughter only like to stand on her tippy toes. Make sure to do one foot at a time and have those wipes ready to clean after. The last thing you need is paint all over your floors. Also paint a little extra of the poster board so you can use it to cut out the ears and bow.

2.) I drew the bunny freehand. But I am sure you can find a bunny template online. Make sure that the bunny you draw and the picture are relative in size so it looks like a bunny head. Then cut out.

3.) Once paint is dry cut around the feet, cut strips for ears and cut out a bow.

4.) Glue face on bunny and pink strips on ears.

5.) Apply glue and cotton balls to the bunny template. I started in the middle and then moved in a circle outwards.

6.) Glue bunny feet and bow onto the bunny. Make sure to use lots of glue so it stays on.

Voila! Pinterest Win!!

What type of Easter Arts and Crafts do you do with your kids?

Cheers!

1st Easter Basket Gift Ideas

So I finally discovered Polyvore and I am still learning how to put together collages so be patient with me. I just wanted to share some of the items I purchased for my daughter's Easter basket. It is her first Easter basket so I wanted to get her some keepsake items as well as fun items. Not to mention the Grandma's were very generous and purchased some of the items below as well.

One toy that I couldn't find a link to is Banner Toys! We purchased a great monogram bunny teether that was engraved with A's name on it! We are teething right now so we are very excited for a new toy!

Zebu's Pink Harriet Bunny: If you haven't heard of Zubel's check them out. They make a great and cheaper alternative to Bla Bla dolls. All of the dolls are organic and knit. I am a huge fan. You can purchase on their website or via Amazon.

Bath Toys: We are finally getting to the age where A loves her bath time. We have a few toys but always looking for more. Not to mention I feel the need to clean the bath toys every day so the more the less I have to wash.

Peter Rabbit: This was something Daddy saw at a toy store and decided that A must have it. He also purchased all of the books below there as well. You can find them at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. But Daddy had way too much fun picking out items for A's basket.

Beaufort Bonnets: These are the most adorable bonnets and clothes I have ever seen. I am slightly obsessed and can't wait for lil A to wear this outfit and sunhat. She is going to look so incredibly cute. The bucket hat has great sun coverage so perfect for our daily walks on the beach.

Hohner Musical Toys: Around Christmas I found a mariachi that Hohner made at Buy Buy Baby as I was checking out. I thought it was cute and put it in her stocking. Well let me tell you I think I could throw out all of A's other toys and she wouldn't miss them because she loves that mariachi. She loves to shake it in her stroller and carseat. My favorite is when she falls asleep with it in her hands, and then moves and it wakes her up. So anyway, long story short I found the rest of the musical instruments that I am hoping she loves.

Other items I included were a Lilly Pulitzer Lobstah Roll Bonnet from Seaside Stitchery which is so cute! Bubbles and Sunglasses from the Target dollar aisle, and some puffs in her easter eggs!

1st Easter Basket Gift Ideas by jennifer-leonard on Polyvore

Here are a few pictures of her almost finished Easter basket. I have a feeling I might be shopping this week and find a few last minute items.

Below please find some links to the products that I mentioned above! In addition I have a bunch of ideas on my Easter Basket Pinterest Page!

Would love to hear what you put in your children's Easter baskets as well!

Linking up with The Good Life Blog Today!

Guest Blogger - Spinach Torta in Potato Crust

Today we have our FIRST guest blogger! You might have heard me mention Kate in some of my earlier posts regarding wedding showers!! She is an amazing cook, baker, chef and more!! I am so excited that she is sharing some of her recipes and secrets with us!!

Also, this could be a great time to test out that homemade ricotta you made!!

I made this spinach torta for Easter, inspired by this post. The blog is written in the Netherlands so the measurement units aren't what I'm used to, so I outlined what I did below. 

Spinach Torta in Potato Crust

• 1lb Fresh Baby Spinach
• 2 Eggs
• 1 C Part Skim Ricotta
• 1 C Fresh Herbs (I used about 3/4 C Parsley and 1/4 C Chives)
• 1 - 1 1/2 C Feta
• Zest of one Lemon
• Salt & Pepper
• 2-3 Russet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Springform Pan 

Place a large skillet over medium heat, add the spinach with a splash of water, toss until all spinach is wilted. You may need to add the spinach in batches if it doesn't all fit in the skillet at first, it will cook down. Place the cooked spinach in a clean kitchen towel and twist/squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Roughly chop the spinach and set aside. 

In a bowl mix the eggs and ricotta, add herbs, feta, spinach and lemon zest. Season with S&P and mix well. Set aside. 

Peel the potatoes and slice 1/8 inch thick, slice one potato lengthwise to make long slices to line the sides of the springform pan, and the other 1-2 potatoes into rounds to line the bottom of the pan. I used my mandoline slicer and put the slices in a bowl of cold water as I was working. This helps to keep the potatoes from browning while they sit, and draws out some of the starch. 

Place a nonstick skillet over med-high heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Working in batches remove potatoes from the water, dry well with a towel, then fry in the skillet until lightly browned on both sides and tender. Remove potatoes from skillet to paper towel and continue with remaining potato slices until you have enough to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan. 

Preheat the oven to 375.

Spray the springform pan generously with nonstick spray and use the potatoes to create your crust. I started with the sides, using the lengthwise slices to create one layer going around the side of the pan, with the potatoes slightly overlapping. 

Then use the potato rounds to cover the bottom, starting on the outside, working your way in, in a circle, and slightly overlapping again to create a solid layer to hold the spinach mixture. Pour the spinach-ricotta mixture into the prepared pan, being careful  not to disturb the potatoes. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until the spinach mixture is set and everything is golden brown. 

This looks DELISH and I can't wait to try this recipe!! Thank you so much Kate for sharing and we can't wait for your next recipe!

Happy Pinning!!
By Kate Lindsey

Easter - Chickadee Deviled Eggs

With Easter being tomorrow I decided to try and make some Chickadee deviled eggs that I saw on Pinterest. Of course I thought it would only take me a few minutes to assemble, but let me tell you make sure to dedicate the proper amount of time and cook a few extra eggs as well.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/167196204886031104/

Here are a few tips we learned while making these!!

• If you are making a dozen chickadee deviled eggs, make at least 6 extra hard boiled eggs. 
• We used the egg carton to hold and display the eggs! We thought it added more flair and we didn't have to worry about them standing up correctly. 
• Be careful when taking out the hard boiled yolk, you don't want the egg to break. 
• Use a icing decorating bag to fill the eggs. 
• Pre-cut all your vegetables before hand. We cut them out and put them in little bowls and used food tweezers to place the eyes and beaks on the chickadees. 

Here is what ours looked like! I might be bias but I think they are adorable!!

Also, since this blog is new I really haven't been able to share too many photos of my adorable cat Armondo. Here are a few of my favorites of him in his bunny ears!!

By Jennifer Shelton