what's for dinner tonight {crockpot fajitas}.

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i've been on a mexican food kick these days... with frequent runs to taco bell, i decided i needed a healthier alternative to help aid my mexican food pregnancy cravings.

healthy + crockpot cooking = my dream come true.

not even joking. how could it get any better than this combo?? i have fallen into the pinterest trap... but it is a wonderful place for me to gather many ideas and inspiration sources, especially recipes. so when i found this crockpot fajita recipe, i knew i had to try it. and soon.

here it is. SUPER delish.

crockpot fajitas

* 3 chicken breasts, sliced into strips

* 1 lb. thinly sliced steak, sliced into strips

* 1 yellow onion, sliced into half circles

* 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

* 1 green pepper, sliced into strips

* 2 t. chili powder

* 1 t. ground cumin

* 1/4 t. salt

* 1/2 c. chicken stock

* 3 T. lime juice

- prepare meat and veggies. place in crockpot. sprinkle with spices, top with chicken stock and lime juice.

- cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 6-7 hrs.

- serve with your favorite fajita fixings:

* flour tortillas

* refried beans

* shredded cheese

* guacamole

* salsa

* sour cream

super yum, healthy, and extremely easy. a winner all around, i say. and a perfect sunday night meal for watching football with your man on the couch :)

bella's got some news.

yep. it's true. our little miss is going to be a big sister sometime around april 27th :) it's been a little tough for me to blog lately without spilling the beans that i am with child, not to mention making excuses as to why i've been slacking in craft projects, cooking and other noteworthy blog-items of interest. but now you know, blog friends, now you know :)

so now that the news is out, let me process this pregnancy thus far. i'm ten weeks along, and we go for our first ultrasound next friday! this time around has been quite a bit different than when i was growing bella in my belly :) speaking of belly, last time i didn't wear maternity clothes until at least twenty weeks... this time? wearing maternity jeans at about eight. yeah, i guess its true what everyone says: you show a lot faster the second time around! i haven't been as nauseous as i was with bel, morning sickness really only lasted about two to three weeks this time with no major food aversions other than mushrooms (which i had with bella) and eggs (also had with bel). i couldn't stand the smell of coffee or grilled chicken a couple of weeks ago, and while i'm certainly not pining away for any grilled chicken, i have managed to eat chicken just fine this time around, while last time it took me until the third trimester to be able to handle it. aaaaand i'm back into the swing of coffee which i have missed. decaf, of course.

i've had most of the same cravings as i had last time... so far, they are as follows:

-chocolate milk

-cereal

-cheese everything

-taco bell (seven layer burritos to be exact)

-grapes

-watermelon

-cinnamon everything

-mexican, chinese and italian... apparently this wee one does not discriminate and is rather culturally diverse in terms of taste

i am due a month apart from my sister, who is also pregnant again... so there will be cousins even closer in age in round two... so fun :)

we could not be more excited about growing our family and bella being able to be a big sister; she's so into babies right now, which is *perfect timing*! can't wait to see what god has in store for us on this journey... and i am vowing to completely embrace it, fully love this baby as it grows in me and savor every moment, without fear or reservation. when i was pregnant with bella, i struggled alot with fear. i think i tried to protect myself too much thinking "what if something happens? what if something goes wrong?" that i didn't fully allow myself to enjoy my pregnancy as much as i could have.

i don't want to do that this time.

{sweet little baby, we are SO excited to meet you! we know god has special plans for your life, whatever those may be. daddy&i put our hands on my belly every night and pray for you... for your growth & development, your health, your life and what you will become... we can't wait to be your parents! and your sister? she's so excited to meet you... even if she doesn't know it yet :) we love you!}

multitude monday.

271. going out for breakfast. especially to geaghans. yum.

272. apple picking!

273. doing new and special things with bella. creating memories as a family.

274. cooking in my crockpot. it saves my life on so many days. and i love coming home to my house smelling like dinner already made.

275. watching bella&jude get so excited to see each other!

276. eating dinner with nick, just the two of us, after we put bella to bed.

277. soft pretzels at the mall.

278. going shopping with my sister.

279. seeing my husband pray... i'm so thankful for a man who loves the lord and seeks after his heart.

ten things {i heart fall}.

fall is my favorite season. besides christmastime, it is hands down, my most *favorite* time of the year. and there is something oh-so-lovely about fall in new england. trees turning such brilliant shades of red, gold and orange. cool, crisp air with the hint of firewood burning in the distance. apple picking and pumpkin patches. tall boots and warm sweaters.

this post is all about the things i {heart} about this most wonderful time of the year.

1. fall foliage.

in just a couple of weeks the leaves here in maine should be at their peak. the forests will become patchwork-quilt-like, dotted with bright, bold hues... golden leaves carpeting the grass. it is an absolute display of god's handiwork and i can't wait to take it all in this year.

2. boots.

it's always an exciting time for me when i get to unpack my boots, where they have been hibernating all summer, just waiting for the weather to turn cold. one of my all-time wardrobe staples, this picture shows my favorite pair i bought last year from old navy. skinny jeans + boots = one.happy.girl.

3. fall-scented candles.

i have some burning even as i type. a couple pecan-pie scented candles and an apple one in our kitchen. how can you resist? the minute labor day is over, i can't wait to fill our home with the delicious scents of pumpkin pie, apple crisp and cinnamon. doesn't reading those scents just make you feel warm&fuzzy?

4. pumpkin goodies.

i love everything pumpkin. pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pancakes (see my recipe here)... but i would have to say that there's still nothing that can compare to the ole classic: pumpkin pie. thanksgiving dinner isn't complete without it.

5. cute costumes.

i have always thought halloween is kind of a pointless holiday... until i had a little one to dress up :) now, i start buying halloween costumes in september; i just can't help it they are so cute. last year, we dressed bella up as a flower, which was adorable and this year we bought her this super sweet strawberry costume from old navy. i'm just hoping she will keep the hat on for at least two seconds so we can get a good pic...

6. football.

i love football. and nick? well, he played football in high school and college and has coached it as well... so, we are a football-loving-family, which makes for really fun sundays from september through january. our home cheers on the patriots (me) and the cowboys (nick) and several fantasy teams between the two of us.

7. picking apples.

one of my favorite childhood memories. today bella and nick went for their first apple picking trip of many... we picked a whole bag full and only paid twelve dollars. on the menu? applesauce, apple crisp, a pie or two, an apple breakfast dish for my crockpot and some apple dumplings. i'd better get cooking...

8. sweaters.

one of my favorite things to wear. there's nothing comfy-er than wrapping up in a thick, warm sweater on a crisp, fall day. i think i need a shopping trip to the jcrew outlet :)

9. comfort food.

ahhhh, comfort food. i love cooking in the fall and winter because it means using my crockpot a whole lot, soups, chowders, chicken&dumplings, chili and homemade biscuits. yum. i think your family should always know what season it is by what you give them for dinner... that's how i like to cook anyway; if it's fall, i want my food to feel like fall :)

1o. fall crafts and home decor.

i used to love going to barnes&noble to study while i was in school... i especially loved it in the fall because my study breaks consisted of a pumpkin spice latte and flipping through a martha stewart living magazine, checking out all of her beautiful fall decor and dreaming of my someday-house. well, now i still dream of what my house will look like once we get fully unpacked and settled, but i did manage to put out some pretty gourds today! tis the season ;) hopefully i will get my act together and at least make a wreath or something...

what are the things YOU love about fall?

what's for dinner tonight {broccoli cheese soup}.

ahhhhh what a perfect fall day it was here in maine. a crisp sixty-five-degrees, a bit overcast and a few trees are already turning bright shades of brilliant red.

i'm in heaven.

fall is absolutely my favorite time of year (besides christmas) and i haven't spent one in maine in a very long time. so i am pumped. i decided the fall cooking begins now, with many soups and new crockpot recipes in the lineup.

tonight nick, bel&i had my parents over for dinner. on the menu: caesar salad, homemade biscuits and a oh-so-delish broccoli cheese soup i hadn't made in a while. i found the recipe a couple of years ago when i was pregnant with bella and we ate it probably once a week for a while it was just THAT good! it's an emeril lagasse recipe, but super easy and surprisingly not complicated. i tweaked it a bit to fit our taste (and because two of his original ingredients include white pepper and nutmeg... i usually don't have nutmeg on hand and who in the world cooks with white pepper?!)

so here it is. you need to hurry to the store to get all the ingredients because you need to try this... and you won't be sorry you did, i promise!

broccoli cheese soup

* 5 T. butter (yes, i said 5 tablespoons... just forget the amount and still make the soup)
* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 t. dried thyme
* 3 T. flour
* 3 c. chicken stock
* 1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli, thawed
* 1/2 c. heavy cream
* 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

- melt 3 of the T. butter over medium heat in a large pot. add onion, salt and pepper and cook until onions are soft.
- add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. add flour and cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly.
- slowly add chicken stock, whisking continually. bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened, about five minutes.
- add broccoli and cook until tender, about ten minutes.
- with an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, puree until smooth.
- add cream and bring to a very low simmer, just enough to heat through. add cheese, stirring until melted. finally, add final two T. of butter and stir to blend.
- ladle into bowls and enjoy :)

this is a great soup; perfect for the beginning of your fall cooking! pairs great with bread and caesar salad... one of our absolute favorite meals (you can find my biscuit recipe here).

my dad gave it a "ten" :)

what's for your sweet tooth {birthday cake ball pops}.

have you gotten bit by the cake-ball-bug? well, if you haven't yet let me just warn you... one taste and you will be. cheesy intro, i know. but it's just fact.

i was first introduced to cake balls last year in dallas when the sweet family i was nannying for introduced me to them. (pssst: if you live in dallas, you have to try the cake balls at creme de la cookie. there's a location on preston/forest and one in snyder plaza in university park. oh.my.deliciousness.)

around the time i was thinking of ideas for bella's first birthday party, i met my friend amanda for coffee at starbucks one saturday morning. it was then that i saw them. these sweet, little "birthday cake pops". perfectly pink. deliciously girly. and a little bit expensive. so, i decided to try my hand and make them myself. just as tasty and alot less cash. aaaaand the satisfaction of doing something myself. priceless (as they say in those credit card commercials).

as for the recipe/instructions; i combined two i found... one on the wilton baking site and one from bakerella.com. the result was scrumptious. here is my recipe.

birthday cake ball pops

* 1 box yellow cake mix (cook cake according to instructions on box)
* 1 can cream cheese frosting (i recommend using betty crocker, whipped)
* 2-3 pkgs of wilton candy melts (you can buy at your local craft store such as joanns or michaels... for the birthday cake pops i used pink)
* pretty sprinkles (i used white crystal sugar sprinkles)
* a pkg. of at least fifty lollipop sticks
* cookie sheet
* wax paper
* couple blocks of styrofoam

- bake cake according to instructions on package. cool *completely*. make sure it's totally cooled before the next step!!!
- shave off the outer edge, corners and any rough spots on the top of the cake. this will ensure your cake balls to be very smooth.
- crumble cake into very fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly with frosting. i find my hands are the best tools for doing this! just extremely messy...
- roll mixture into quarter size balls... should make about 45-50 or so. once you roll them, lay them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
- chill for several hours. and i mean CHILL. i like to use the freezer to speed along the process. but this step is very important!
- while you are waiting on this step, you can prepare your display for your cake ball pops. for mine, i used a basket and cut two blocks of styrofoam to fit. later, i filled in the spare spots between my pops with fake moss i bought at the dollar store.
- melt candy melts according to instructions on the package. i melted mine into a tall, wide mug to make it easier for dipping.
- dip sticks into the melted candy and insert into each cake ball. let set and wait until sticks are completely firm before dipping the cake balls.
- with the help of a spoon, dip pops into the candy melts. i found (with the help of my good friend, who dipped most of them for me thankfully!) that if i dipped the top of the cake ball and used the spoon to guide the candy melt around the rest of the cake ball, this worked much better and kept the excess from dripping everywhere.
- stick each pop into the styrofoam blocks and top with sprinkles. allow each to harden (with the help of your refridgerator) before you serve to your guests.

happy baking/dipping/sprinkling. you will not be upset with the end result, i promise :)

multitude monday.

261. watching bella run down the hall in her jammies, just before bed, in our new home.
262. cinnamon rolls on saturday mornings. i think this has made my "multitude" list almost every week.
263. hearing bella's sweet little voice say "mama".
264. lazy sundays watching football... sooooo glad it's back.
265. sitting on the couch and talking with nick after we put bella to bed. ahhh, the peacefulness :)
266. chinese food. kung pao chicken and eggrolls. yum.
267. pajama pants.
268. warm garlic bread, crusty from the oven.
269. crispness in the air, announcing fall's arrival.
270. bella's chubby cheeks... and kissing them!