HAPPY FEBRUARY!

February 1st, Superbowl Sunday, and a gorgeous day!! It's only 2 weeks away until Valentine's Day, and I'm already planning what to do. I LOVE all the cutesy, hearts, pinks, blah blah, and I love sweets. I actually try not to put a lot of thought into this holiday because I don't like the way it is overrated and the high expectations it gives to everyone. Everyday should be a day to celebrate love!

I still put effort into it though, I just can't help it. I am a sucker for cute things, especially since becoming a mom. There are so many ways to show love to the people you care for. I can't spill the beans of what I have in store for the hubster because he reads my blog (trust me, it's nothing big). But I can share what I am doing with my toddler.

First, his gift. I struggled with this because there really is no point. He is so spoiled as it is and doesn't need anything else. I had decided I wasn't going to get him anything until I was browsing Wal-Mart and the sippy cup he uses was on sale and there was a tiny toddler baseball mitt! I couldn't resist. And it wasn't candy so I felt like that alone justified it more...? I spent a total of $5.

Second, his treat. Yes, he will get some sugar. Mom fail. Nate loves to watch me cook and do anything in the kitchen so we are going to make heart shaped cupcakes. We are just going to bake the cake in a 9X13, use a heart shaped cookie cutter, then frost. Easy peasy. He will be able to help me stir and frost the cupcakes then he will get ONE. My pregnant self will most likely eat the rest by myself. Don't judge me.

Third, his food throughout the day. I did a trial run for a lunch option and it turned out pretty cute! Grilled cheese, banana, plum, and craisens. I used the cookie cutter for the heart shaped sandwich and then just free-hand cut the fruit. It wasn't a ton of work, but I definitely could have used a mini cookie cutter to help speed up the process of cutting fruit hearts.

Some other toddler food options I was thinking about...
BREAKFAST: use a heart cookie cutter or cut by hand.
1. pancakes
2. french toast
3. sausage patties
4. fruit
5. baked oatmeal
5. muffins
LUNCH: heart shaped
1. pb&j
2. grilled cheese
3. cheese slices and deli meat
4. pizza hearts or pizza with heart pepperoni
5. pasta
TREATS/SNACKS:
1. jello
2. fruit
3. strawberry mini wheats
4. raisins or craisens
5. tomatoes

There are so many options! If you don't have a heart cookie cutter or think you can't hand cut, you can also get a muffin tin, put Valentine's day themed cupcake holders and fill up each one with a different food. It would be like a little Valentine's Day buffet!

Hope everyone has a wonderful first day of February and a great Superbowl Sunday!

Super Start to my Sunday.

When you wake up at 6:30, you get stuff done. Georgia (my cat) thought 6:30 was an amazing time to start the day so I went with it.

A little note about myself: I heart Pinterest. So many cool things to pin, 90% of which I will probably never do. But this morning I was on a mission. I wanted to make a baked oatmeal I had pinned about 3 months ago and today was the day. Partially because last night's dinner was yuck to me and partially because I was up and had the time. Here is the actual link to the recipe from a blog...
http://alwaysamrsforeverakidd.blogspot.com/2012/01/gluten-free-baked-oatmeal-casserole.html

I'm not sure on the "rules" of blogging yet, so I hope giving the link to her blog was enough credit. If not, please let me know.

I got all my ingredients out and started. This recipe is super easy...so I loved it already. I made some minor changes. 1. I used blueberries and strawberries instead of raspberries. 2. I used pecans instead of walnuts (pecans taste better to me and they are cheaper).

Here is how mine turned out. Feel free to compare it to "Urban Nester" (blog girl).

It is really good! Next time I would make a couple more modifications to be more healthy. The only reason why I didn't do them in the first place is because I am a chicken when it comes to changing recipes. I like to follow them exactly/ I am getting better about this...after all, I did sub raspberries or TWO types of different berries. Watch out now!

Healthier option: 1. Omit the chocolate and add more fruit and nuts. 2. Use Almond milk instead of regular. 3. Use coconut oil instead of butter. Small changes can make a difference. I should've done these this time around. Oh well, gives me reason to make this again. It would be perfect for a potluck bunch. Or I could make one of the other hundreds of Pinterest items I want to do...

Here is my Pinterest page if you would like to see some other ideas. Have a Super Sunday!!
http://pinterest.com/jenn317/