She said WHAT??

So I swear I am not trying to brag (okay maybe just a little) but is anyone else's 16 month old talking in full complete sentences. She tells me what she wants when she wants it and how she would like it delivered without hesitation.......I am a little dumbfounded as her brother did not talk (at least not in full sentences) until he was 2.

Courtesy of Sabrina Dowdy Photography

Of course I think she is special....she is my child, but she amazes me everyday with her new found abilities. 

This was our conversation last night.

Em: Mommy....where blankie?
Me: I don't know baby go find her.
Em: (Walks down the hallway to her room) Mommy....'mere.
Me: (Going into her room) What Em?
Em: Blankie in bed (points to her crib where her blankie is hanging) (I hand her her blankie)
Em: Where Pasi?
Me: Here (handing her pasi)
Em: Night Night Mommy.... ' ove You!

Courtesy of Sabrina Dowdy Photography

FOR REALLLLLL???? And then there was this last week:

Me: Okay it is time to go we need to get you some diapers and some shoes on.
Em: okay mommy (as she walks to her room)
Me: Em come here please
She comes out carrying a diaper and her sandals
Em: Here mommy. I ready

I think I need to slow down time because I no longer have a baby!!

Courtesy of Sabrina Dowdy Photography

She repeats EVERYTHING and not only that but she knows EXACTLY what you are referring to or what you mean by it.

Just a Proud Mommy Moment.

Courtesy of Sabrina Dowdy Photography

Do you Buy Local??

We do...at least we try!

After several weeks of talking about it this spring I took my little man to the strawberry patch to teach him about the importance of locally grown fruits and veggies and supporting the local farmer. Without them we would never survive!

We went to the Strawberry Patch and he had a blast! Any excuse for the little booger to get dirty and play in the mud is a good one, but when you add FOOD...its 10x better!

Try before you buy!

We had a wonderful time at Rutherford Farms and learned a lot about Strawberry plants and what they need to survive the crazy messed up Tennessee weather! 

After all the picking was done we went home to clean up and make a simple and easy treat with the fruits of our labor! This Strawberry Cobbler was the most AMAZING thing I have ever put into my mouth and I MADE IT!!! It was so easy and so delicious.....and gone in 10 minutes :)

So DO YOU BUY LOCAL? Do you support your local farmers and their efforts to support the community?

We are looking forwarding to going back next week to get some Broccoli and Greens :)

Cute as a Button Birthday!

Can you believe it!!!! It was Em's FIRST BIRTHDAY??? I know doesn't seem real just seems like yesterday I was telling you all about her birth and sharing those ADORABLE bunny pictures from Easter.....BUT IT IS TRUE. She is 1!! And we celebrated with Family and friends a couple weeks ago.

The inspiration for her birthday party actually came from her great-grandmother who passed away from breast cancer complications when I was 16. She was my best friend and the one person I think about more than any other. When I was growing up she always had this tin of buttons we use to dig through and play with every time I would spend the night or come to visit. When she passed away all I had left of her was that tin of buttons.

Because Em never got to meet her I wanted to incorporate this into her birthday and make it special. So we had a "Cute as a Button Birthday Bash" and it was SEW much fun!! I know you cannot read the poem in the picture, but here is what it said:

I can remember clearly as a child so small

Asking Mamaw for her tin of buttons she had hidden behind the dolls.

We would get them out and count them one by one

Playing with them until the evening sun.

Some were red, some were blue

Some were plain, but some were fancy too.

She kept them there if ever a shirt needs mending

But most of all for us kids pretending.

Now that she is gone I share this collection with you

In hopes they make precious memories for you too.

I wish she were here to see your sweet face,

But I know she is looking down on you from a better place.

Happy First Birthday sweetheart we love you!

Friends and family were invited to attend her party with this CUTE invitation!

Here are a couple of my favorite things from the party.

 Somehow amongst all the craziness, kids screaming, cake smashing fun we squeezed in a family shot! I just love the mischievous look on her little face!

Her cake turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!! I could not have asked for it to be more perfect! And it was delicious!

Em decided to share a little with Daddy :)

 Here daddy Have a bite!!

 I loved her little chalkboard I had made from Etsy (Michelle's Party Shop). Matched her party theme PERFECTLY :)

 I made this little frame off an idea I seen on Etsy and Pinterest as well. The background is fabric hot glued on to a piece of poster board and the letter  is a wooden letter with Buttons glued on :) It looked super cute and now is hanging in her bedroom!!

 We had a "Thanks for Coming table" where the guests could sign the photo mat (not pictured), grab some wallet sized photos for themselves, and take a Button cookie for the road!
Hanging in the background is her 1-12 month photo banner. It is hard to believe she got so big so quick!! 

Two of my other favorite decorations were the table centerpieces made from margarita glasses, foam balls, and dum-dum pops. These were on the middle of the tables and so easy and inexpensive to make! And then there was the gift table that had her #1 made of buttons. If nothing else this was fun to make :) It looked cute and me and Em's aunt Destiny had a great time placing all these buttons on!

This has to be my favorite picture from the day. She was such a mess and was not feeling well at all, but once she dug into those bags and unwrapped her present she was one happy little girl.

Time flies but memories like these will last forever.

I love you sweet angel!
Happy Birthday!!

Pumpkin Applesauce :)

I never in a million years thought I would be one of those mommas who made their babies food and took the time to cook and steam the veggies before pureeing and chopping them up. It just never crossed my mind. That is until the day I realized my little girl had special dietary needs. She is allergic to milk protein (i.e all dairy is out) and to wheat/grains (i.e. no Gluten either).

So here we were shopping in the baby food isle for something other than plain carrots or green beans...BORING and there is NOTHING!!! Okay there are like two things...One was Turkey and Cranberry which she liked pretty well and the other was chicken and peas which she tolerated. At that moment I knew I had to do something. My daughter was not going to starve to death because of the little food selection the local grocery store carried for dairy and gluten intolerant infants. That's when I seen it.....The saving grace of the baby food dilemma!

THE BABY BULLET :)

And I became an addict!!! I have made Em's food ever since and she absolutely LOVES it!! We enjoy meal time again and we are up to three meals a day FINALLY! She is doing so much better and I cannot tell you the money this thing has saved me!!

With it being the holiday season I thought I would share with you one of her favorites right now. It is delicious (yes I tried it!!) and perfect for this time of year.

In this recipe I used canned pumpkin puree, but you could always make your own. If you buy the canned make sure you buy 100% pumpkin puree and check the ingredients to ensure that the only ingredient is pumpkin! :)

Pumpkin Applesauce

Ingredients

100% Pumpkin Puree

2 Apples

1 tbsp Cinnamon

Directions

Completely Core apples. Pour cinnamon in center 'cored' hole and place in a oven safe dish. Place 1/3 cup water in dish (just enough to cover the bottom of the dish). Place in the oven at 305 degrees for about 45 minutes. 

Cut apple into 4 pieces and place in baby bullet along with 1/2 can 100% pumpkin puree. Blend until desired consistency. 

And VOILA! Yes it is that easy! And by far her favorite recipe yet.

Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Linkup Party :)

Welcome to this (RE-VAMPED) edition of....

I along with a couple other ladies have joined forces to bring you this exciting weekly linkup. Every week we will have a theme to follow. The schedule for the coming weeks will be posted at the bottom of the linkup so you can plan out your posts in advance. Find your favorite recipes to go along with the theme and be sure to take lots of pictures!!

There are only a couple rules to play by!

1. Follow all your beautiful Hosts!

The Campbells

Babies, Bosses, & Boyfriends

Lost In Boston

The Semler Life

Bailey Dailies

2. Grab a button, place it on your blog, and link up your post for your favorite recipe following the weekly theme!

<a <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">href</span>="http://<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">babiesbossesandboyfriends</span>.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">blogspot</span>.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Babies Bosses and Boyfriends"><<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">img</span> alt="Mouthwatering Mondays" border="0" height="150" <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">src</span>="http://i1358.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">photobucket</span>.com/albums/q764/Christin_Walker/<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">mouthwateringmondays</span>.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">jpg</span>" width="150" /></a>

3. Check out some of the other fantastic links & Have a blast!

And it is as easy as that! So get your favorite recipe book out and practice up! NO strings attached just a fun and friendly weekly linkup for working moms, single moms, Stay at home moms, housewives, young married couples, or even the single lady looking for a great idea!!



Favorite Drink Recipe:

I LOVE FALLLL!!! Everything about the season...from the smell in the air to the costumes on Halloween. From the beautiful leaves to the pumpkin flavoring in EVERYTHING!! But my absolute favorite thing about this time of year is the Pumpkin Spice Latte :)

Pumpkin Spice Latte 

Ingredients

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup hot brewed coffee 

Dash pumpkin pie spice

2 cinnamon sticks  

 

Whipped Cream

 

Directions

1 In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, pumpkin and sugar over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, the vanilla and coffee.

2 Pour into 2 large mugs. Garnish each with whipped cream, dash pumpkin pie spice and a cinnamon stick.

 

The schedule for the coming weeks:

September 30: Favorite Beverage (ex: coffee, tea, adult beverage, punch, etc..)

 Link up your recipe below!!

Mouthwhtering Mondays & My Favorite Recipe EVER!!!

Welcome to this (RE-VAMPED) edition of....

I along with a couple other ladies have joined forces to bring you this exciting weekly linkup. Every week we will have a theme to follow. The schedule for the coming weeks will be posted at the bottom of the linkup so you can plan out your posts in advance. Find your favorite recipes to go along with the theme and be sure to take lots of pictures!!

There are only a couple rules to play by!

1. Follow all your beautiful Hosts!

The Campbells

Babies, Bosses, & Boyfriends

Lost In Boston

Spatulas on Parade

The Semler Life

Bailey Dailies

2. Grab a button, place it on your blog, and link up your post for your favorite recipe following the weekly theme!

<a href="http://babiesbossesandboyfriends.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Babies Bosses and Boyfriends"><img alt="Mouthwatering Mondays" border="0" height="150" src="http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q764/Christin_Walker/mouthwateringmondays.jpg" width="150" /></a>

3. Check out some of the other fantastic links & Have a blast!

And it is as easy as that! So get your favorite recipe book out and practice up! NO strings attached just a fun and friendly weekly linkup for working moms, single moms, Stay at home moms, housewives, young married couples, or even the single lady looking for a great idea!!



Want to know my FAVORITE RECIPE EVER?????

Well here it is:

 

Strawberry Banana Pudding Trifle

Ingredients

2 3/4 Cups Milk

1 Pkg (5.1 ounces) Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 Can (14 ounces) Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Carton (12 ounces) Frozen Whipped Cream (Thawed)

4 Cups Vanilla Wafers (Crushed)

1 Pint Fresh Strawberries (Sliced)

4 Whole Bananas (Sliced)

1 Whole Angel Food Cake (Cut into cubes, approx. 6 cups)

• 1 In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 mins. Let stand for 15 minutes; fold in condensed milk. Fold in whipped cream topping into pudding mixture (**Set aside 2 tbsp’s of whipped cream and 4 tbsp’s of wafer crumbs for top layer decorating**).

 

• 2 In a 3 quart serving bowl, layer a third of the strawberries, bananas, wafer crumbs, angel food cake cubes and pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with reserved wafer crumbs and whipped cream topping. Refrigerate until serving.

 

• 3 Refrigerate. Servings: 12 - 14

 
 
 
AND VOILA!!! You have the best dessert I have ever tasted in my life!!!

The schedule for the coming weeks:

September 23: Favorite Recipe EVER

September 30: Favorite Beverage (ex: coffee, tea, adult beverage, punch, etc..)

 Link up your recipe below!!

Buffalo Chicken Chili {Guest Post}

In most households with kids, quick and easy recipes are the way to go. Moms are on constantly hectic schedules and keeping up with your kids all day doesn’t always allow for much time to think about dinner! So as we head into fall, there’s one particular food that every busy parent looking to save time in the kitchen should become very familiar with, and that food is chili.

Don’t know how to make chili? Don’t worry about it. Chili is one of the easiest meals out there, and is the perfect hearty fall meal to please a crowd, adults and kids alike. Since it’s usually made with pantry staples like ground beef, chicken, tomato sauce and beans, you won’t have to spend a fortune on fancy ingredients. Chili recipes also don’t get too much more complex than stirring everything together until it’s hot—even the most novice cooks will be able to handle chili! And best of all, chili makes a nutritious, protein-packed meal.

This buffalo chicken chili is great to make throughout the cooler months, whether you’re feeding a crowd during Sunday afternoon football games or just looking for a quick weeknight dinner on nights when you don’t have time for meal planning. It’s ready in just thirty short minutes and calls for basic ingredients, but tastes like you’ve been slaving away on it all day long!

If you’re more of a spicy food fan than your kids, go easy on the pepper sauce and simply add more into your own bowl at the end of the recipe. Enjoy and have fun making and eating your favorite easy chili recipes all fall long!

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Serves: 6

Total Time: 30 minutes

·         PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

·         1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

·         1-1/2 cups sliced celery

·         1 can (15 oz. each) Rosarita® Premium Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed

·         1 can (14.5 oz. each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained

·         1 can (8 oz. each) Hunt's® Tomato Sauce

·         2 tablespoons red pepper sauce

·         1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Spray a large saucepan or Dutch oven with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and celery; cook for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender and flavors are blended. Top each serving with blue cheese and more pepper sauce, if you want it a little spicier.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat. For more quick and easy recipes for dinner, visit www.readyseteat.com.