an open (love) letter to my son on his fifth birthday

Dear Baby Boy,
You're FIVE! Five! I have been completely avoiding thinking about it. Five feels like the end of an era to me.  No more babydom. We're out of clothes sized with a "T" after the number size. You are size 6 in the boys section. We're almost out of toddler sized shoes. You're a size 11 now.  You have long gave up your beloved dinosaur sippy cup that you drank your morning chocolate milk out of for years. You prefer an open Spiderman cup now. You've been a big brother for almost a year now. And, not to my surprise, you are the best big brother who ever lived.  Being a nurturer is your nature. What a lovely trait for you to have. It will get you a lot of good places in this life. I promise. Because with nurturing comes empathy and kindness.  You make this world better by being you.  You make me better by being you.
You make our family, my boy.  With your birth you made me a mother.  We all fell in love with each other.  We stuck by each other.  You make us a family where laughter happens everyday. Where laughing at ourselves is encouraged. You remind us to slow down and enjoy Family Movie Night.  You make us look up and admire the animal bones you find.  You help us listen as we listen to you giggle with Violet Alice. You are an intergal part of this family being human. Making mistakes.  Forgiving. Loving. Laughing. Sharing.  With your birth we learned that loving and being loved were the bread and butter of this life.
Your kindness, desire to stand up for others, sense of humor, and willingness to contribute continue to be your best characteristics.  Your father and I are constantly in awe of your kindness.  Your show of love, daily, to your sister is enough to melt my heart.  May you both always love each other this much.
Somedays I miss the afternoons where I would sing to you to get you to nap.  Other days I miss your pudgy fingers.  A lot of days I miss you being my baby.  Then you, with your sweet heart, tell me that you will always be my baby.  With the first child, parents tend to not stop and smell the roses enough.  I certainly did not.  Now I try to more. For instance, you recently learned about the planets in preschool.  You are now totally stoked about learning anything to do with outer space.  I absolutely love to hear you talk about things you are excited about.
Speaking of, this year you will be playing T-ball.  I am absolutely pumped to watch you play.  I could care less if you hit the ball or catch one.  I just want you to have fun with your friends.  I want you to enjoy yourself. You have been to known to be your own worst critic when you don't immediately succeed at something.  This year you have done a much better job, though.  And that makes me more proud than anything else.  Because if you try and try you will get better and then you will get really good. Ask anybody.
Five will bring lots of good things for you.  I just know it.  What an incredible five years it has been already.  For me, they have been the fastest, most love-filled, and fulfilling years of my life.  You continue to teach this family what life is really about and I have no doubt you will continue to do so. Happy Birthday,Hendrix.
With More Love Than I Knew Was Possible,
Mom

(letters for age 2, 3, and 4)

7 tips to be a successful novice gardener

Image from ellaclaireblog.blogspot.com

We believe anyone can grow food. We also believe that it can be fun. And we know it is incredibly satisfying. However, like anything, it does require planning, practice, and a desire to learn by doing.  Over the years we have figured out that there are 7 things folks should do before they plant their garden. We've talked a lot about gardening here and in people's backyards, but these 7 things are really all you need to know and do.

Sunny Spot

Seems obvious, I know. But I have seen one too many gardens fail because they were not getting enough Sun. Go for 8 hours of sunlight. Sun is food, man.

Access to Water

If you have to haul around a heavy hose or make fifty trips with the watering can you may want to get better equipment. Or pick a new spot. All that work to water on a hot summer morning won't help grow your love of gardening.  Procrastinating with the watering (because it's too much work) won't help grow your garden, either.

Easy to Weed

Weeds are the farthest from our minds in May as we place our sweet little plants in the ground. Then the crabgrass and purslane threatens to take over in July and you just want to cry.  Container gardens and small raised beds are a cinch to weed.  Plastic mulch in the larger gardens is incredibly helpful and how a lot large scale producers operate.

Insect, Fungus and Pest Prevention/Treatment Plan

Do you have rabbits? Tons of birds? Does your neighbor's garden have a cabbage worm problem every year? Plan accordingly. Put up a fence or netting, if needed, while setting up in the Spring. Research your options for treating insects and fungus. Do you want to go organic? Make your choices BEFORE there is an issue. Then you are less likely to be left scrambling to save your garden. All gardens face one of these issues during the growing season. Preparation will mean you're eating good ALL season long.

Starter Plants

For novice gardeners I highly recommend buying starter plants as opposed to starting from seed and transplanting. Obviously, some varieties you will need to start from seed. Like radishes, carrots, etc. Buy your starter plants from a reputable nursery in your area. Stick with the plants in the outdoor area of the nursery center. They have acclimated to the environment and will have a better success rate. Buying plants from a local nursery means (most of the time) that those varieties are good option for your area.

Limit What You Grow

Take a moment to consider what your household consumes. Are you always buying greens and tomatoes at the Farmer's Market? Or perhaps you are the only one who likes beets. Think about what you all can logically consume, put up, &/or give away during the season. You don't want to be pawning off 4 foot zucchini all summer long. Once you have a list, make sure your garden space can handle it. Your people may LOVE sweet potatoes, but if you have a container garden on your balcony, sweet potato growing isn't going to work. It's  just as easy to get overwhelmed harvesting as it is to over buy at the nursery. Restraint will make you a successful gardener.

Amend Your Soil As Needed

Invest in a soil tester. Test your pH levels. Research what the preferred pH is for your chosen varieties.  Add compost to enrich the soil and decide on fertilizers, if needed. Till garden to loosen up soil. 

march: month of meals

super cute cake topper 

March is almost upon us. And with it, hopefully, Spring. I'm a little ahead of the curve (by like 3 days, but that's good for me) and have the monthly meal plan for March ready to go. My MIL gave me one of those Taste of Home cookbooks so a lot of these are from it. Email me or FB message me if you want recipe from there (*Taste of Home Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 2014). I'm happy to send it to you. This month is always a delicate balance for me....I'm trying to will Spring while staying warm. I also hope that sometime in the month of March I will be able to dig into the ground and get some seeds buried.  Maybe some kale or even radishes.  We shall see. Without further ado...

{Dinners}
Slowcooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Slowcooker Pork Satay*
Slowcooker Pepperoni Pizza Soup*
Cornmeal Dusted Flounder with Black Bean-Corn Salad*
Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs with Rice*
Creamy Herb Salmon with Rice Pilaf and Greens*
Sweet Chili Salmon with Blackberries and Rice*
10 Minute Macaroni and Cheese
Meatball Pizza Pockets and Salad
Antipasto Braid with Salad*
Reuben Bake (using leftover corned beef)
Greek Fish Fillets with Rice and Peas*
Pizza Burgers* with Fries (this oven fry recipe is my go-to)
Pork Schnitzel and Cabbage*
Slowcooker Italian Shredded Beef Stew*
Chicken Lo Mein
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls with Salad and Crusty Bread
Loaded Nachos
Slowcooker Veggie Lasagna
Roasted Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Stew
Slowcooker Korean Ribs with Rice and Bok Choy
Slowcooker Lentil and Sausage Stew
Black Beans and Sausage
Roasted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies
....
You can always check out my food boards on Pinterest for ideas and our What's For Dinner Tab, too.

*Taste of Home Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 2014

oh, spring. where art thou?

I realize it's the end of February and it snowed this morning. But I can't take it anymore. I've been shopping for a Spring wardrobe for weeks now. I've bought seed for the garden. And now we have some sweet corn growers that will be selling produce with us this year. The BEST sweet corn in Sarpy County. I want Spring! Spring means we will be planting. Windows can be opened. May Day Baby parties will be happening. Weekend farm stands. Fresh greens.
This season, in addition to Sarah and David's sweet corn,  we will have a some new offerings...a punch card for Loyal Customers, a weekly farm stand in Gretna, and a farm stand in Midtown. We will have online ordering/purchasing via this site and Facebook again, too.  We'll be narrowing down our growing list this week and I will be making the March monthly plan, too. Stay warm today and dream of Spring.

top 10 {new} crockpot recipes

About a year and half ago, I sent Jenny at DALS an email with my Top Ten Crockpot Recipes for Parents.  Clearly, people were looking for some tried and true crockpot recipes because that post and my Korean Ribs continue to be the most popular reads on this site. It goes to show you that reaching out and sharing is always a good thing. And since I am a crockpot junkie I am always trying new recipes. So, in the spirit of sharing, here are ten more tried and true crockpot recipes. The following have all been winners and have made the "on rotation" list.

spaghetti squash and meatballs ready to go in the crockpot

Here are my ten {new} favorites for parents or novice crockpotters:

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs (so stupid simple)
Lentil and Sausage Stew (great way to introduce lentils)
Chicken Taco soup (party winner!)
Corn Chowder with Shrimp (Hendrix's fav)
Veggie Lasagna (only time cheese and my crockpot work together)
Holiday Ham (see below)
Franks and Beans (the boys' favorite and my favorite for summer)
Salisbury Steak (a mike favorite and winter keeper)
Black Bean, Barley, and Corn Burritos (great vegetarian options, but adjust seasonings to your tastes)
Banana Bread (yes, bread)

.....

Holiday Ham
After trying a few different crockpot ham recipes I found this way works the best for me.  You'll want to use the largest crockpot and tent foil if the lid does not go on all the way.  This ham makes an appearance at most of our gatherings...from Baptisms to Christmas. It couldn't be easier. 

1 good quality, spiral cut, bone in ham
1 c. Maple Syrup
3/4 cup Brown Sugar,
Pepper, to taste
Water
Place ham in crockpot. Drizzle maple syrup all over.  Sprinkle brown sugar and pepper on top.  Pat into ham.  Pour about 1/2 cup of water into bottom of crockpot.  Cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until heated through.  Do not over cook.  Enjoy.

friday favs {winter uniform}

Every winter, I pretty much wear the same thing but this year since I swore off the FUG UGGs and leggings (!!!)...I had to step it up a knotch. Also, my beloved military-grade red peacoat finally gave out.  I got it at the Salvation Army about 5 years ago for $10 so I probably shouldn't be too disappointed.  Then I complained about my feet being frozen one too many times so Mike took me to Cabela's where SOREL and I were finally united in forever matrimony. Thankfully, my husband values good footwear. And a happy wife.

So, here are my favs this winter....

sorel joan of artic in black

old navy black puffer (no longer available)

old navy flirt skinny jean in rinse

february: month of meals

if you do nothing else this month, at least enjoy some hot cocoa.

I'm back to my monthly meal plan.  Albeit, a few days late.  I really like having a plan every month and doing one giant trip.  I still have to run to the store every week or so for things like milk and fresh fruit, but the monthly thing works for us.  I should say that Mike runs to the store with me which helps a lot when it comes to bagging the groceries and unloading the car.  Also, he can pick out all the snacks he wants.  This month the groceries will run us about $400 dollars with all of our shopping done at Aldi and Fareway. (Have you checked out Aldi's new organic line? The salsa is amazing.  Try it!) So here is our meal plan for the month, including snacks that I like to make and keep in the fridge...

{Dinner}
Black Eyed Peas with Leeks and Chicken Sausages
Fish BLTs with Fries
Spanish Meatloaf with Roasted Veggies and Cheesy Sweet Potatoes
Stuffed Steak with Warm Wilted Kale and Roasted Potato Salad (date night IN)
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
Pan Roasted Flounder with Chopped Winter Salad
Magic Macaroni & Cheese
Pasta Carbonara with Peas
Crockpot Paella
Crockpot Venison Greek Wraps
Steak with Mushroom Sauce and Cauliflower Puree (Valentine's Day)
Crockpot Chili
Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
Crockpot Maple and Mustard Pot Roast with Roasted Veggies and Grits
Mustard Glazed Salmon with Lentils
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Pulled Sammies with Coleslaw (I dump BBQ sauce and chicken in the crockpot)
Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Mango Dipping Sauce and Salad
Runza Casserole
Hendrix's Great Grandma's Meatballs (similiar to DALS' porcupine meatballs)
Mongolian Tofu Stirfry

{Snacks | Big Batch Salads}
Country Pate'
Cold Noodle Salad
Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad
Dark Chocolate & Trail Mix Bites
.....
On Fridays, we have Family Movie Night which means we usually make pizza or get take-out so I don't include those on my meal plan. I let the boys decide the day of what they want, but I always have pizza dough or frozen pizzas in the fridge.  A lot of these recipes are new to me so I am anxious to give them a try.  Hope this month gives you time to sit with your family and share a meal.