Celebrating Baby Atlas Vivian Amongst Dear Friends

My sweet friend Lauren and I met through our Sunday school class with baby bumps and due just a few days apart.

Precious Shepard ended up being born a few weeks after Collins since Collins decided to come a few weeks early and Shepard decided to be late. Those two babies and us mommas have been friends from the beginning. And don't even get me started on our husbands....they have a serious "bromance" going on. Lauren and I also joined the same bible study/small group with our husbands and a few other couples from our sunday school class and while it proved quite hard for us parents to meet on a regular basis, us mommas and wives have remained dear friends. While we haven't been able to keep up with a small group, we have gained ourselves an accountability group without even trying. Their friendship is a sweet blessing in my life and we can group text encouragement, frustrations, baby tips and 911 prayer requests like the best of them!

The encouragement of these girls as moms and wives is refreshing and God sent. They keep me looking to God and seeking Him in the midst of the things God has me doing in this life. Getting together is not as easy nor as often as we would like but our time together is always some of the best moments shared.

Well, when Lauren found out she was having baby #2 and would need girl stuff after her world of blue, we couldn't let her have a sweet baby girl without a proper celebration so us girls got together to do just that.

On a Friday night, we had a much needed girls night with us and Lauren's closest loved ones. I was in charge of games:) and we had a great time and of course, delicious food. I chose two new recipes that I was dying to make: Tennessee Caviar and Bruschetta Goat Cheese Cups and thankfully it all turned out yummy.

 Tennessee Caviar

(I love this recipe because of the name AND because you can prep it ahead. Well, and it is incredibly easy and good:)

1 (15oz) can black eyed peas

1 (11 oz) can yellow corn with red and green bell peppers

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup hot picante sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Tortilla chips

Rinse and drain peas and corn.

Stir together peas, corn, tomatoes, and next 5 ingredients in a serving bowl; cover and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips

Bruschetta-Goat Cheese Cups

1 (1.4 oz) package crispy pastry shells

1 (4 oz) goat cheese log, crumbled

1/2 cup refrigerated sweet pepper, vegetable, and olive bruschetta topping or tapenade

Garnish: Fresh thyme leaves

Place shells in a shallow pan. Divide goat cheese evenly between shells, pressing gently to fill bottom of each. Spoon 1 tsp. bruschetta topping into each shell 

Bake at 350 for 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.

            Since this shower,  Lauren had her precious baby girl, Atlas Vivian and she is just a blessing. 

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Carson Claire is Almost Here!

A few weeks ago, the phone lines were hot between the sisters getting all details planned for Claire's baby shower. As you can imagine, Jenny and I were bossing each other around and Claire Bear (the guest of honor) was bossing us around too. It is what we do best when we are all excited about something...we just can't help ourselves. And in the knick of time, we pulled off one sweet little shower if I don't mind saying so myself.

We packed all we owned (at least it felt like that with all of the shower decor and stuff for 2 adults, one dog and a baby) and headed south to Houma, Louisiana. Jenny and her clan (with mom and dad in tow) did the same and we skyped on the way. We just love each other like that. It was a full house the minute we all arrived and you would think we were all staying for a week! Poor preggers Claire had her beautiful house all beautiful and we had it turned upside down within minutes. The next day we got our rears in gear and bossed the men around while we got everything ready and Claire's house cleaned for the millionth time since we had arrived. Jason even managed to get a few baby bump pictures which turned out so well. My sister looks just so beautiful.

Guests started arriving as  all of us girls were finishing up getting ready but somehow we pulled it off. It was a perfect afternoon celebrating our newest bundle to arrive. Carson Claire is going to be so loved AND spoiled! I can't wait to hold her. Any day now!

The menu was oh so yummy and barely anything left...even at a 2pm shower! The men (and babies) did finish off what was left after they were allowed to come home:)

Thank goodness that my sisters and I go a little overboard in planning. I did what I did best and planned 2 recipes that I had never cooked before and with an ingredient that I had never touched..won ton wrappers, which are now my most favorite ingredient ever. But everything turned out delicious...thank God! It is Jason's pet peeve that I try out new recipes on important occasions. I always tell him that IF the recipe is a bust then I will go grab pizza. So far that has only happened once:)

I made Sausage Won Ton Cups and Phyllo Cheese Straws...both things that I knew Claire would love. Give that girl cheese any day and she is a happy camper. And both were delicious!

Sausage Won Ton Cups

1 pound hot sausage, browned and crumbled

 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1/2 cups ranch dressing

1/3 cup red bell pepper

1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced

1 (16oz) pkg 3 1/2 inch won ton wrappers

Mix sausage with cheeses, ranch salad dressing, bell peppers and jalapeno chili in bowl.

Spray a mini muffin cup pan with cooking spray. Place one wrapper in each muffin cup, pressing inside to form a little cup. Spray the wrappers lightly with spray. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 5 minutes. Spoon 1 heaping of sausage filling into each won ton cup. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until heated through. Remove from pan and serve hot. 

Makes 48 

Recipe adapted from Marshes to Mansions

Phyllo Cheese Straws

1 lb feta cheese, finely crumbled

1/4 cup parsley

1/2 of a 16 oz.pkg of frozen phyllo sheets

1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix feta and parsley. With sharp knife cup the stack of phyllo sheets in half crosswise to make 40  (9x7 inch) rectangles. 

Lightly brush 1 rectangle with melted butter. On rectangle, spread 1 tablespoon feta filling in a 3/4 inch strip along one short edge. Fold in the long sides of the phyllo, 1 inch on each side and tightly roll the phyllo dough into a thin, straw shape log. Brush seam with butter. Place log, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush with more butter. Repeat with remaining filing and rectangles. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve warm. 

Make ahead: Freeze baked straws in freezer. Reheat in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until crisp.

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Holly Jolly Christmas and Armadillo Eggs!

Over Christmas, we loaded up practically everything we own including tons of presents and headed to Louisiana for Christmas. Our car was packed to the fullest and poor Garcia barely had a spot to ride in but we made it and had everything we needed for our week long jaunt!

First stop was Basile! The Mayeux family celebrated together...

and the babies all woke up in their matching jammies together on Christmas Eve morning.

Us sisters played all day, acted silly the entire time (including making a few of our very own home music videos to Timber by Pitbull) and the men just looked at us like were were nuts and the kids played happily! We went to Christmas mass...decked out to the nines, took a thousand family pictures in the front yard!

Of course there was food and we enjoyed yummy appetizers after church to celebrate before we went on to the in-laws. My contribution was Armadillo Eggs...only fitting with our new Texas culture. So I chose this recipe because my man loves anything jalapenos stuffed with cheese. It is kind of his love language. Well, what I wasn't expecting was the HEAT in the jalepenos that I happened to pick out. I am not even going to lie. My fingers flipping burned for DAYS! But everyone seemed to like them:)

Off to the in-laws we went and we got to wake up on Christmas morning at the Welch house. We headed to Glenmora for Christmas lunch and it was delicious and a wonderful time with our family.

Collins fell in love with Paw Paw's dessert and even entertained us with her dancing skills to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. She is kind of a natural:) My contribution for lunch was Spinach and Feta Crostini...yummy, delicious, Christmas joy!

We spent the next few days seeing friends and family including our new Louisiana natives Kelly and James,

 making more yummy dishes like Barbecue Chicken Salad in Tortilla Cups (AMAZING!) and then Jason and I ended back in the town of our Alma Mater of Natchitoches, Louisiana at the Christmas Lights for our belated anniversary trip.  It felt so good to be back and did I mention it was just the two of us? 

The grandparents shared custody of our CC and Jason and I were like wild college kids again. Well, not quite but we sure felt wild without having a napping schedule to work around:) Our dear friends, Jessica and Blaine happened to be in Natchitoches too so they joined us for dinner...it was the Fab 4, back in Natchitoches eating at Mama's Oyster House like zero time had passed! 

I may or may not have taken FOUR bubble baths in the huge tub at our B&B while indulging in my latest book..all in the same day...just because I could. It was a busy and blessed week! So much to be thankful for and I am deciding to forget the bad part of having Collins get so sick that we almost went back to Houston mid-week ready to forget about our deposit at the Bed and Breakfast. But we didn't and prayers were answered for our baby to improve enough that we could get away and celebrate our belated anniversary...7 years and going strong! 

Armadillo Eggs

15 fresh medium jalapeno chilis

4 oz. monterey jack cheese, slivered

8 oz. breakfast sausage

8 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups biscuit mix

2 envelopes shake and bake mix

2 eggs, beaten

Cut the jalapeno chilies lengthwise into halves. Discard the seeds and veins. Soak in cold water in a bowl for a milder flavor if desired. Stuff each jalapeno chili half with the cheese slivers and press the halves together.

Combine the sausage, shredded cheese and biscuit mix in a bowl.

The dough will be stiff so knead with hands to mix. Pat the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds large enough to enclose the jalapeno chilis. Shape 1 round around each jalapeno chili and roll between hands into the shape of an egg. 

Roll each jalapeno chili in shake and bake, dip in beaten eggs, and coat again with shake and bake. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown, turning several times. Cut each crosswise into 5 slices. Serve with salsa. 

Spinach and Feta Crostini

 1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise and sour cream

1 garlic clove, minced

pepper to taste

1 loaf French bread, cut into slices

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Spread on 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Barbeque Chicken Salad in Cups

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

3/4 cups drained black beans

3/4 cups drained whole kernel yellow corn with red and green bell peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Bowl shaped tortilla chips (Can use baked!)

Fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, black beans, corn and onion. 

In a separate bowl, combine bbq sauce, mayo, sour cream, salt and pepper; stir to mix well. Combine chicken mixture and bbq sauce mixture, stirring to mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

To serve , spoon chicken salad into tortilla chips, and garnish with fresh cilantro, as desired. 

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Faux Snow Days and Comfort Food

Recently Houston experienced something that I like to call a little "Snow Faux Day". And we didn't have just one, we actually had two. Seriously. Two of these days. And let me tell you how how much snow came down...zilch. Nothing. Maybe a few flakes but that is it.  However, schools were closed all over the Houston area. So I did what any girl and momma would do...I stayed in my little robe and pajamas, indulged in many cups of coffee in my favorite mug...

and wasted the day away with my baby girl. We had zero plans and it was too cold to do much outdoors. However, we did venture out for a few minutes on the wagon and tried out pigtails for the first time!

 

Having a one year old indoors all day was a bit rough with her attention span of 5 minutes. We did everything we could and played with every toy possible at least three times.

So I knew we had to get some plans quickly because we couldn't stay home all night. So I called Mary Rachel, who is also a teacher with a faux snow day and we got some plans together quickly. Dinner with the babies and game night once they were in bed ASAP. I made it to the store for a few ingredients and and whipped up an delicious appetizer (Compliments of Southern Living many moon ago) and a yummy dessert. Mary Rachel made her delicious chili and we had ourselves a little faux snow day party.

And somebody LOVED Mattthew's big and comfy chair:)

Pecan Crusted Artichoke and Cheese Spread

1/4 cup butter, divided

 1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 8oz. package cream cheese, cup up

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 8oz. package shredded four cheese blend

2/3 cup chopped pecans 

1/2 cup herbs seasoned stuffing mix

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet; add onion and garlic, and saute until tender. Add spinach, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Spoon into a greased 2 quart baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stir gently.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon butter, pecans and stuffing mix, tossing until blended. Sprinkle over top, and bake 15 more minutes.

Serve warm with pita chips

 White Chocolate Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350. In 13x9 inch baking pan, melt butter in pan. 

Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter, pour condensed  milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients, press down firmly with spoon. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into bars. 

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