"Better Than French Fries" Broccoli

Okay, so it may not be better than french fries, few things are; however, we have a new favorite way to make broccoli at our house... the crispier and the browner, the better... 

Here's the recipe in a nutshell: take note, I'm starting to "dump and pour" when I cook, like my husband does, so all measurements are give or take a little:

•  10 C Broccoli
• 1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (can use bit less)
• 1/4 C Nutritional Yeast
•  2 tsp Garlic Salt (Can use more - depends on your taste buds)

Coat Broccoli with remaining ingredients and bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.

we buy our broccoli from SAMs now because we eat so much of it; I typically use half of the bag for one recipe

BEST EVER ingredient - we buy ours from Nourish Christian Marketplace, but you can also get it at Whole Foods

Put Broccoli in a large bowl

 Toss Broccoli with EVOO, Nutritional Yeast, and Garlic Salt; I typically don't measure, just add enough to coat. I think it's best to mix it with your hands; that way you can make sure each piece of broccoli gets its fair share of yumminess.   Don't be shy, throw your hands in the bowl!

 Another staple in my household: parchment paper.  The best invention next to peanut butter. (Don't get me started on PB, my 4th love... My husband and my 2 kids taking spots 1, 2, and 3).. Anyhoo, I digress... Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and the only clean up you have to do when your finished is to take the paper off the pan and throw it in the trash!!  Handy tool when your a busy mom like me who hates to wash dishes over and over!!

 Put your coated broccoli in a 400 degree oven and bake for approx 30 minutes, switching pans on racks half way through cook time...

 Halfway done.. Starting to get crispy.  At this point, my little monkey walked in the door and said "MMM, that smells good.  What are you making for Lunch?" *Broccoli*  "OOOHHH YUM, that's my favorite"

 Here we are, the finished product.  Crispy on the edges and oh so tasty.  If you look closely, you can see some smaller browner pieces: these are A's favorites!!  Trust me, it may look a bit scary, but this broccoli is to die for!!  One Saturday night (Matthew was gone) Monkey and I polished off 2 cookie sheets of this broccoli.  I was feeling a bit guilty until I realized, "hey, it's broccoli - could be french fries..." 

Enjoy and stay tuned for my next household favorite - Veggie Bean Salad

Introducting "ASK"

Introducing
"ASK"

Born December 17, 2011

Weighing 7 lbs, 14 oz

 measuring 20 and 1/2 inches long

Little "Rew Rew" (as Monkey has named him) has filled our lives with joy and we are so proud to have him be in our family.  'A' is the best big sister.  She loves to quiet him when he is crying and to play with him when he is awake.  She gets so excited when her baby brother smiles at her.

And we are blessed to have such an easy baby.  He usually only fusses when he is ready for a nap or when he is hungry.  Otherwise, he is a laid back little guy; happy to play on his mat or sit in his swing or make smiley faces Mommy, Daddy, and Sissy.

We are truly in love!!


~ all pictures taken by
 Chelsea Nicole Photography

3 years... Have you missed me?

So, the short story is... I forgot my blog address...Again. Then I forgot my email that was linked to my blog... Then I forgot my password that was connected to my email.. Needless to say, it took me a while to figure out where I had left my life... online that is.

So here we are... 3 years later with 1 extra peanut and 1 extra dog.  I will try to fill in the missing pieces as best I can; however, as a disclaimer.. If I can't remember where I PUT my blog, it might be impossible for me to remember the details of my life as well.  That's why my motto is "live in the moment" and "enjoy every second", because if it happened yesterday, I may not remember it... :o)

Ha ha!!  Enjoy catching up with us.. I will try to post pictures too...

Our Silly Girl...

The Sad Face...

Gimme a kiss...


Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

What am I up to???

We were getting ready to go play in the snow and 'A' decided to make some silly faces before we went outside...

'A' had a fun day playing in the leaves...

'A' playing piano with Daddy...

I'm SO bad at this!!!

Yikes! It's already May and I still haven't posted any new pics. Okay, I'm going to keep it short and post some pics right now. We are doing better than ever! We finally have had an answer to prayer. God has answered not in the way we were expecting, but He has lifted a huge burden off of our shoulders. We have leased our other house and we have a contract to sell by next April!! Hooray!!!! God was watching out for us for sure; the contract is signed for a larger amount than what we were originally going to get for the house and, in the meantime, we are getting more in rent each month than the mortgage, so we are actually making a little extra cash. So, now we are officially "Cottontownians". Avery is doing great! She amazes us every day! She can now count to 10, say her ABCs, identify "A" for Avery, and she can even tell a couple of jokes. I can't believe how fast she is changing and growing, but we are so proud of her and her accomplishments. Anyway... this ended up much longer than I intended, so I'll stop typing and start adding pics.... Love to you all!