Author Archives: annettelharvey

Gift Ideas for 1 year old Boys

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We are headed to my friend Haleigh’s son’s 1st birthday party today! For the first time buying a gift for a child’s birthday party wasn’t an overwhelming task. For years as friends had birthday parties for their kids I was constantly faced with, “What is the world do I buy a “X” year old boy/girl that he/she will absolutely love?!” I was clueless. Now that we have a 1 year old boy (and am around other 1 year old as well) I finally have a grasp on what boys, at least, love to play with at this age and hope this helps out anyone else who might need a tip or toe on what to get a little one..

Gift ideas for 1 year old boys:

  • Fisher Price Little People playsets
  • Trucks/cars that he can push around- big chunky ones that are easy for him to crawl or walk and push as opposed to little cars
  • Balls
  • Board books
  • Water table
  • Little Tikes car
  • Swim suits and personalized and/or matching beach towels (more for the parents – but my bestie got our little guy this for his 1st and I absolutely love it)
  • If they are still learning to walk then anything they can stand and push to walk with like this.

Happy Shopping!

 

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I often visit my blog to recall past recipes and previous information- its the original reason I started blogging in the first place, to capture everything I want to remember and have it all in one place. So tonight I came to the blog looking for this recipe and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t posted it yet. This is one of my favorite recipes for traditional chocolate chip cookies that are anything but ordinary. Trust me….your taste buds will thank you! Served best warm with a tall glass of cold milk. 🙂 Enjoy!

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Ingredients: (see below before you start measuring! – this makes a TON- save this quantity for a bake sale or a neighborhood block party) 🙂

  • 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 6 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4-5 cups semisweet chocolate chips (4 cups is 2 bags)
Ingredients: (1/3 the recipe = 3 dozen cookies)
  • 1 stick and 3 tbsp butter
  • 2/3 cup packed brown super
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tbs baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla, and cream on medium high speed.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to mixture. Mix until fully incorporated, but do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

3. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until starting to brown.

Original recipe available here.

Weeknight Shrimp and Grits

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I’ve been doing pretty well sticking to our meal plan for the week. We’ve moved around some of the meals but no emergency pizza calls or cereal nights so that’s a plus! Tonight we tried this recipe for shrimp and grits.. It was so simple to make but has a flavorful and simple taste. It’s the perfect weeknight meal after a busy week when you want something different but don’t want to make an extravagant meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:IMG_5669

  • 3/4 cup instant grits
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered.
  • Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
  • Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter.
  • Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
  • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and parsley, stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve.

Original recipe available here.

Weeknight Dinners 1

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So I’ve really been slacking on making dinner lately. Thankfully my husband is amazing and has been saving us and our tummies these past few weeks and taking care of making meals for us. In an effort to try and get on top of things again here is my meal plan for the week for easy weeknight dinners… week 1. Here’s to hoping I can come up with an easy month of meals to make future planning a little easier.

  • Sunday: Food Trucks after church
  • Monday: Filet steaks on the grill and roasted Brussel sprouts
  • Tuesday: Fish tacos with salmon and Mexican corn.  (I’ll have to write a post with the recipe for both of these that night)
  • Wednesday: Ranch chicken club roll-ups
  • Thursday: Homemade pizza
  • Friday: Date night- Dinner out!
  • Saturday: Shrimp and grits

So full recipes and results on how well we stuck with this plan to come!

Twins, Triplets and Quads

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Soon after we found out we were expecting twins I immediately reached out to one of my friends and co-workers, Ellen, who has 18 month old twin boys, as well as a 4 year old sibling. I figured she would know better than anyone exactly what I was about to experience and what I could expect!

The first thing Ellen recommended was that I read the book, When You’re Expecting Twins,Unknown Triplets, or Quads by Dr. Barbara Luke & Tamara Eberlein. I immediately dove in and have learned A TON already. This book focuses on a  nutritionally based prenatal program for women pregnant with multiples. It even includes diet and exercise recommendations for the postpartum mother as well as recipes and step by step guidance for each trimester of your multiple pregnancy. I recently went and visited a nutritionist as well and even though she rolled her eyes at the mention of this book both the nutritionist and the book gave the same advice as to how to successfully nourish your body and your babies to a full term pregnancy.

If you are expecting twins, triplets or quads I HIGHLY recommend this book. But to get you started here is a list of some of my top learnings:

General Facts about Twin Pregnancy:

  • Women age 30 or older are significantly more likely to carry their twins for at least 35 weeks compared to younger women.
  • Adequate maternal weight gain is associated with significantly better fetal growth, longer length of gestation, and higher birth weights, as well as better childhood growths.
  • One third of all twin pairs are identical (that’s our girls!). Identical twins share 100 percent of their genes and always are the same sex and have same basic physical features.

Nutrition Goals for Twin Pregnancy:

  • Weight gain goal (if normal weight pre-pregnancy): 40-45 lb
    • 24 of those pounds by 24 weeks
    • 7-9 lb per week
    • If you lose weight during first trimester due to morning sickness then those pounds you lost and re-gained don’t count. It’s a total of 40-45 lb from your original starting weight
  • Goal is to consume 3,500 calories per day for twin pregnancy
  • Eat often! Daily Meal Pattern should include 7 “meals” per day!
    • Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Snack | Dinner | Snack
    • Focus on small, frequent meals as opposed to fewer large meals
    • Always eat protein first, then veggies and fruits and then starches
    • Always eat protein and carbohydrates together in every snack and every meal
  • Goal: 100 grams of protein/day
    • I accomplish that with the help of UNJURY – a medical grade protein powder mixed with milk – 30 grams of protein in one 8 oz glass!
    • Each meal or snack should contain protein
  • Eat a bedtime snack that includes dairy
  • As with any pregnancy avoid: alcohol, deli meats, sushi, more than 6 oz of tuna per week, and unpasteurized cheeses

1 year!

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Our little man officially turned ONE on Friday! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone.  Our lives forever changed when we welcomed him into our family one year ago. We truly love him more and more every day and are so blessed to have him in our lives. We absolutely love watching him learn and grow!

Jude weighs 19 lb 12 oz and is 29.5 in long. He is currently in the 25 percentile for height and weight. He is no longer a fan of baby food (even though I try to sneak it in there from time to time) but prefers to eat whatever we are eating. He still LOVES playing outside, loves the water and going on walks through the park in his stroller. His new favorite thing is swinging at the park. He is also a big fan of rolling (and throwing) balls and playing with trucks. This kid is all boy!

To celebrate his 1st birthday we had a small party at our home with some close friends and family. Jude mastered the art of cake smashing like a champ. For a list of where we got our decor and my menu for the day check out this post.  I’d consider this birthday a success!

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Planning a 1st Birthday Party

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Our little man just turned one and here is a list of all of our food and decor for the main event!

Menu: IMG_5078

  • Pigs in a blanket
  • Veggie Tray
  • Apples with toffee dip
  • Sausage and cheese dip (recipe coming soon!)
  • Caprese sticks (fresh mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil)
  • Sugar cookies with blue icing
  • Cake (If you order from Publix for a 1st birthday you’ll get a smash cake for free!)
  • Basil Lemonade
  • Sweet Tea

Decor:

  • We got most of our party decor from BirthdayExpress.com. Plates, napkins, streamers, balloons and even a banner were all from this 1st birthday theme. It makes party planning simple for those who are on a budget or have limited time and just want a one stop shop.
  • I created a banner with all of Jude’s monthly pictures by printing my Instagram pictures through Social Print Studio. I like using them because the pictures are printed matte and on a very thick paper. I hung them on twine using paper clips and then added a colored fabric banner underneath. Instant mantel decor!

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Easy Sugar Cookies

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I am finally starting to feel like myself again! After weeks of exhaustion and morning/all day sickness, I’ve hardly cooked at all, let alone bake. Today my hubby and I spent the day resting (as we are both trying to get over a cold) and then shopping- a treat for my upcoming birthday next week. His one request at the end of the day was that I make these sugar cookies.. and considering his birthday is just around the corner as well I could hardly say no! Enjoy the easiest (and yummiest) sugar cookies around!

Ingredients (I usually half this recipe to make around 20-24 cookies)IMG_2845

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  3. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
  4. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

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Original recipe available here.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

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It’s girls night tonight and so I’m whipping up one of our favorite appetizers- corn and black bean salsa. My husband was actually the first to master this dish and could eat it by the bowlfuls. It’s a sweet and salty dip that will leave you wanting more!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 bunch of scallions, chopped (use all or half)
feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Mix oil, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper.  Combine corn, black beans, scallions, feta cheese.  Now mix everything.

For best results let it sit over night in the fridge before serving (or at least 1-2 hours if you’re in a time crunch.) Stir and drain before serving.
(Side note: the longer it sits it may look funny at first but don’t worry just stir and it is good to go).