{confessional}

I have a confession....well other than the fact that I haven't 'blogged, blogged' in awhile that's a different story...I have never been to Williams Sonoma. There I said it. It's true... I don't know if you frequent there a lot, a little, or a none, but I absolutely loved it! A little overwhelming since I am in no way a chef, but taken in small, quick doses, I'm sure one could certainly become a chef! The poor best walked through listening to me "oohing & awing" the whole entire time, all the while I yell out "LOOK AT THIS, OH I LIKE THAT all over the store!" Bless her heart, she thought she was just going in to grab a mother's day gift (I should take notes from her & not put things off like I do!), browse a little, & be done. Little did she know, I had never been.


So while on my mini tour de Sonoma, I stumbled across the baby cook section. When I was expecting Miss Busy A, I had HUGE aspirations of buying the baby beaba cooker & making ALL of her baby food. Well since I've never been to Williams Sonoma, you can probably also gather that, that did not happen. (although I did make sure she only ate organic baby food & read all ingredients!) It's like I was this Super Nanny/Pretend Mom/Amazing Housewife before I had my own child & then I became a mother for the first time! Easy-peasy until she hit 3months old, then I just became consumed with trying to entertain her, soothe her teething pains, & just trying to take a shower every other day! Anyways, back to admiring the baby food cooking machine & reminiscing about my dreams of making all of her food, I saw a cookbook, the baby&toddler cookbook; fresh, homemade foods for a healthy start. I flipped back to the 12+mos. section & LOVED what I saw. Then it hit me, it's not too late to make her food! The recipes were right up my ally (quick, easy, & healthy) PLUS I thought, hmm all these recipes are things that the Mr & I like too! Everything from pastas, fritters, soups, pizza, etc! So there I was waiting to checkout with my very first WS purchase.




Which brings us to the WHOLE point of this post...This little recipe was so amazing, I thought while we ate it, "this is worth blogging about", then I thought "is there enough left for a photo-opp?" So here it is:


Cheesy Pasta Wheels 
(Totally used mini bow-tie because WholeFoods unfortunately did NOT have wheels! Yes I was beyond bummed, but luckily Miss Busy A has no clue yet!)


1 cup dried pasta
1 cup chopped broccoli
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
(makes about 2 cups cooked!)


step 1: Bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta & cook for 8mins, then add broccoli (I used frozen florets!) continue to cook 2-3mins. longer. Drain well in a colander.
step 2: Leaving pasta/broccoli in the colander, return the saucepan to the stove. Add cream & butter,simmer over medium heat until the butter is melted & the cream is bubbling. Remove from heat & stir in the cheese. Return the pasta & broccoli to the pan & stir gently to mix well.
step 3:Bon Appetit! (And mommy's please share with your child! I know you'll want to eat it all for yourself, but this is a children's recipe after all ;D)

Until next blog....

oh Alice...

Until next blog...

powerful.

Until next blog...

STOP SEEKING OUT THE STORMS!

Is there something going on? Is it contagious or in the water? I'm talking about people & their negativity.... It truly is about to drive me insane. (Which I am totally working on not letting it, because then those kind of people succeed at exactly what their trying to do!) But if people don't start standing up saying enough is enough, when will it ever start to slow down or at least start to get better? I understand everyone has the right to their opinion or "freedom" of speech, or that someone did something to you so you are bitter or hurt, but when will we ever stop? Doesn't everyone have excuses for anything that they do? I could give you a laundry list of life events that I have gone through that I could use as my excuse line, but I don't. I want to be different. I want to be positive. I want to see good in the world. It is coming at me from all angles lately...but I'm standing my ground. I will always try to find & spread the good. After all, I find this world to STILL be a beautiful place!

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Poor Monday...

Every week it seems to be the same ol' pattern...starting around Sunday evening to all day Monday, news-feeds everywhere fill up with "where did the weekend go? I hate Monday! Can't Wait until Friday! Monday is the worst..." You've seen it, you may even have said it or like everyone, you at least thought it. But if we change the way we think, we could learn to love Monday...if even just a little! I mean think about it this way....

Anyone else in joining me in changing the way we think about Monday?

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what matters most?

Wouldn't people everywhere start an amazing thing if we all saw the things that truly mattered most...Is that thought even possible or is it impossible because the things that truly matter most in life are different & vary to every person? Feel free to share your comments & thoughts...




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...when skies are grey!

I can just see this in a nursery or little boys room! Would also be really cute in a bathroom! Such a fun, sweet print! Enjoy!

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.happy.

I think I have created a new hobby for myself, taking quotes I find or love & making them into little artworks to share or print out for all to see! Enjoy!!!


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beautiful quote...

Sometimes when I am pinning away on pinterest, I come across a quote that seems to fit exactly how I feel or what I think. This quote I stumbled upon does just that. I made it into this chic little print! I plan on "pinning" this in our home for all to see & to remind myself just how I feel when I start to feel discouraged. Enjoy!!!

Until next blog...

never, never....

Just like the old saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover," people need to also remember to "Never judge a girl by her handbag!" I say this for many reasons, here are just a few...1) I feel like some people tend to decide whether one has money or not by the bag a girl may carry 2) That some people think that just because a girl carries a nice bag she MUST think she is better than everyone else & 3) Who does she think she is carrying THAT bag?! Anyone else out there with me? 


For me, my love of handbags started when I was little. I witnessed my Memaw (very much a lady, cared for her appearance, & loved to spend money on her wardrobe) select her handbags based on quality, craftsmanship, & timeless style. If you could have met my Memaw you would have known that her handbags were not a way to say to others I am better than you or look at me, I can spend $X amount of dollars on a bag, she was more than that. She was a hardworking, loving, sweet, faith based lady, full of grace, & never, ever placing judgement on a n y o n e. Her bags she carried were simply because she liked them, wanted to invest in ones that would last, & because they were something she chose to spend her hard-earned money on. Definitely not because she thought they brought her some sort of status or made her better than the next woman.


I remember the first bag my Memaw gave me. I was probably 4 when she gave me my first "designer" handbag. All I have left of it is a photograph...with my dad, Memaw, & myself, bag on one shoulder, holding hands with her & Barbie in the other, oh how I wish I still had that bag! You see when your 4 you don't know what things cost or what a designer is, so I (now regretfully) threw it in the "mission bag." My parents were great about teaching me that when you get new things you should go through & clean out your old things, then in turn give to those less fortunate than yourself. I didn't know at the time, that some things you just DON'T throw out because they will mean so much to you long after your Memaw is gone & that if that thing is a handbag from her, it probably cost her a pretty penny. 


Anyways....after I got older I started to appreciate handbags. I recognized that although I may like certain handbags that cost more than what others are willing to pay, it didn't mean that I was better than them. It just meant that, that's the bag I liked & I was willing to pay the cost. Anyone that shops can buy something that has a hefty price tag on it...does it mean that they are privileged or wealthy? Not in the slightest. They may have worked hard & saved for that purchase or they may be in credit card debt up to their eyeballs for all you know. Does it mean that they think they are better than everyone? Some might have that mentality (& if they do, that doesn't mean everyone else does too!), but you might be surprised to find that some don't at all, but rather that's just what they like. Just remember, never judge a girl by her handbag!


Until next blog....

valentine print!

I made this little printable for my Mr & I am adding it to a 5x7 frame:D Thought I would share it for those with significant others who don't want you to buy them anything but you LOVE to give or do something sweet for them! Enjoy! And I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day filled with lots of love & happiness!






...until next blog!

wishes..hopes..dreams for ALL!

This amazing quote needs no blog-schpeel! It says it all...




Until next blog..

...words to live by in the bathroom!

Our playroom bathroom has been in a stand-off with me for almost a year now! I had a few decor items, but nothing that said, "welcome to our bathroom, we aren't boring people I promise!" So finally I got the motivation to spruce it up & finally give in & add some stuff! Which brought me to make this little printable... I have been seeing some really cute printables out there & wanted to make one to fit ours...so here it is, enjoy!!!

Until next blog...

count them 1 by 1...

Being an avid pinner on pinterest, I am almost inspired on a daily basis! Sometimes I just wish I could stop life & recreate all the things I want to recreate! But I have to do things as time allows...Here's a little something I made! I plan on printing it out on some card-stock & framing it for the playroom..or playroom bathroom. You can too! Sorry I am not a savvy upload file, yada-yada-ya person, but you could just right click & save image as & print from home! Enjoy!!! And if you do print it out, put in a frame, & place it in your beautiful home, email me a pic & I'll post it in the blog! {outofthetiffanyblue@gmail.com}


Until next blog... 

putting the apron back on...

I don't know about you, but I tend to go in waves of wanting to cook all the time to "Honey can you just grab something on your way home!" It seems I get stuck in the rut of cooking the same ole same ole...pinterest & cookbooks aside, I still always seem to cook the usual, get bored with it all, & just opt for carry-out. But carry-out really does add up and let's be honest, it has to be the worst quality of food/ingredients. So I decided to start making a menu list every Sunday, then go through what I need for it all and make my store list. Then on Monday, Miss Busy A and I are off to the races, I mean store(s). 


That's the other reason I get discouraged on cooking...I can NOT buy everything we need at one store. Sure WalMart is convenient, and yes they claim they in fact have everything from tires, to candles, to a new iPad, & did you forget you were out of milk because they have that too, all while picking up a new pair of gym pants...but they do NOT have it all people, they just DON'T! I buy some things organic, that W-Mart doesn't carry, as well as Method cleaners, nor do they have Miss Busy A's baby food pouches, so I basically have to go to a)W-Mart b) Whole Food's & c) Target...not exactly my idea of fun for a 14mo. old! Note to Big Wig developers, put all 3 in ONE shopping center! I know not only myself, but many other wives & mommy's would GREATLY appreciate it!


Whewwww...you still with me? Sorry :D Back to putting the apron back on! I decided when making this weeks meals to bust out the old trusty BHG Cookbook (Celebrating the Promise) Edition. I flipped through searching for new, semi-easy, toddler AND hubby approved meals. I came across Ranch Pork Roast....now our family doesn't eat pork or beef, so I thought this one would work well with Chicken, and inspired me to make Creamy Ranch Chicken! As you can see I tweaked it a little, as well as made a couple of discoveries, 1)this could be an amazing soup and 2)would be amazing over baked potatoes!!! Hope you enjoy because I know we did!!!!

Until next blog...