Little Red Riding Hood 2013

While we were getting ready, Daddy loaded up the extra big stroller in the car (to haul jackets, umbrellas, and possibly a pooped out toddler) and pretty soon we were ready to go!

Mommy and L (She wasn't yelling, she was doing her "big smile")

We headed over to the meeting place and in about ten minutes, it started raining.  L was a trooper though!  She kept trucking along!  She wasn't afraid to go up to houses or to people.  She would say hello and talk to them and do her big smile and wave bye bye to everyone. It got to the point where Mommy just kind of stood back behind her a bit and let her do her thing.  Ha!

Source

Welcome to the first post in the From My Kitchen series!  I am excited to share today's recipe with you and hope that you will come back week after week to see what else I have been cooking in my kitchen.

The purpose of this series is to help me broaden my horizons in the kitchen.  I fell into a huge rut cooking this past year and I have to get out of it.  I enjoy cooking (and baking), but I had lost interest.  I had lost interest to the point where I was mainly just fixing the same things over and over again throughout the month.

I thought today would be a good day to showcase some of what L has been reading lately.  I, of course, use the term "reading" loosely because she is just under two and a half years old. However, she knows what books are her favorites and we read them quite frequently throughout the week.

Today I decided to do a post for the 5 Little Grins Link Up that is going on right now over at Warrior Queen.

I am a 30 year old SAHM who used to dress fashionably, back in the day, before I had a kid.  I still love fashion and love to shop, but I am no longer certain what style I am or where I fit in style-wise any longer. These posts are to get me out of my yoga pant/t-shirt rut, facing my closet, and finding my style (and myself) again.

Once to twice a week, you will see a new post that takes something off of my Style Ideas board on Pinterest and is created, in real life, on me.  These posts will be complete with pictures and information on where you can find what items I have on.  By posting here for you all to see, I am holding myself accountable to get out of my yoga pants, into my closet, and be brave.

source My two favorite things about this outfit are: 1.  It is casual, but still looks put together. 2.  There is a mustard yellow cardigan to wear. Mustard yellow cardigans are awesome!  They are really hot this year for fall and can be dressed up or down. I had been searching for months for the perfect mustard yellow cardigan to wear this fall and I finally found it about a month ago.  (I'll tell you where in just a second!) I chose to re-create the above outfit when we went to the pumpkin farm the other day. Pumpkin Farm Style I will never again take pictures in front of this door.  Ugh! We have waaaay too much wood going on here and my pic is dark.  Sorry, guys.  Better picture next time-I promise! I was lucky I even got this picture taken. Ha!  I changed it up quite a bit, but the concept is still there: casual, yet put together. Cardigan: Target (exact) Tee: Kohl's (exact) Jeggings: Kohl's (similar)  Boots: Urbanog.com (similar)  In hindsight, I probably should have added more accessories (i.e. a scarf) to this outfit.  I have a leopard print one that would have been fun!   Also, I realized that I need to start getting ready a little bit earlier than normal so I am not rushing the process.  Lastly, I need a full length mirror.  I'm tired of telling myself I don't need one.  I do.  Period. End of discussion with myself. And this concludes the first post in the Operation: Get Out Of Yoga Pants series.  Come back next week to see more!  Have a great day everyone!

I have recently talked about how there are a few areas of my life that I would like to improve on.  I believe we, as human beings, are better focused when we are actively participating in life.  I am at my best when I am creating something.  I am the type that needs  craves an outlet to express myself.  If I am not able to do that in a timely manner, I start getting very crabby.

Saturday we took L to the pumpkin farm to pick out her first pumpkin.  We went to a place called Relleke's and they had all kinds of things for kids (and adults) to do.  It was a great way to spend a couple of hours outdoors and we came home with three pumpkins, which we will be carving later this week!

While making dinner last night, I reached into the refrigerator  for the spaghetti sauce, (I know, my bad.  Scratch is better.) opened the lid, and was met with mold on the inside of the cap!  WHAT!?  I checked the expiration date-still good. I promptly tossed the jar into the trash can and went downstairs to see if I had any spaghetti sauce in my (small) stash.

I sent a shout out on Facebook seeing if anyone had a quick and easy spaghetti sauce recipe they could give me and started frantically searching for my Mom's sauce recipe in my (totally unorganized) recipe basket.

My aunt text me a link to a Pinterest pin and it seemed easy enough except....


So, in my Aries way, (I work best under pressure) I began searching up recipes on the iPad, seeing what all the recipes in the internet world had in common.

(Mind you, my child is running around like a heathen, screaming and throwing things.  Daddy is downstairs working in his office.  The cats are running a muck and Mommy is having a panic attack.  Welcome to my life at dinner time.) 

My trusty iPad informed me that spaghetti sauce had these things in common:





I had everything but the garlic, basil, oregano, and tomato paste.

So, I began rummaging around my spice cabinet again and came up with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.


I started throwing ingredients in my skillet with the meat already browned, stirred it around really good, and let it simmer, while covered, for a good fifteen minutes.


I was very proud of myself in the kitchen last night.  I actually used my resources (and my brain) and was able to produce a spaghetti sauce on the fly.

Please pin this image.   Ingredients:  1 can of diced tomatoes 1 can of tomato sauce 1 can of tomato paste 2 tbsp. of sugar 1/2 tsp. of black pepper Garlic powder Italian seasoning Add all above ingredients into your skillet with your browned (and drained) meat.  When you get to the garlic powder and Italian seasoning, these are to taste.  We like garlic around here, but not overpowering amounts.  I did 3-4 shakes over the entire skillet of both seasonings and it turned out just fine. Mix everything up in your skillet, set your stove to simmer, and cover for about 15 minutes. Do a taste test before you serve.  If it needs more of something, add it now. Voila! On-The-Fly Spaghetti Sauce! So, tell me: What's your go-to spaghetti sauce recipe?

Hey everyone!  Just a quick post today to let you all know that I am working on a couple of things for this week.  I did some thinking over the weekend like I said I was going to do, and have come up with a couple of things I want to start doing here on the blog.  I am excited to start implementing some of these things and can't wait to see what you all think about them as well.

Have a great rest of the Monday and I will see you all tomorrow for the October Literary Junkies Link Up!

I've been thinking about those reader surveys again.  I got less than ten responses, but those that responded gave some good feedback and quite a bit to mull over this last week or so.

When asked what they wanted to see more of on the blog, they responded with pictures, series, recipes, and more uplifting posts.  I see all of those requests as things that I can use to grow this blog....and myself.

You see, here's the thing, all of those listed above are things that I would like to improve on in my life.  Example:  I've always wanted to be a great cook. As it stands now, I am an okay cook in my book.

My husband will read that statement and roll his eyes, but I am a "room for improvement" kind of person.  Room for improvement means you have things to work on in your life.  When you have things to work on in your life, you are a productive person.  When you are a productive person, you are happy.

You know you want to pin this. Go ahead, pin it.

I could take the areas in my life that I want to work on, such as cooking better dinners for my family, hold myself accountable on the blog, and voila! I will have content that will probably even produce some blog series along the way. I would be benefiting from it, my family would benefit from it, and my readers would, too!

I'm not sure how I'm going to put all of this in motion, but I am going to take this weekend to think some more on it and try to come up with a plan.

Here's the bottom line:  When I am creating, I am happy.  I enjoy gathering supplies for a craft and putting it together.  I enjoy writing words until my head is empty.  I enjoy the process of making food for my family.  When I am creating, I am at peace with myself.

I need more creating in my life.
I need more peace.

After I put the kiddo down for a nap today, I stepped outside to do something that I hadn't done in quite some time.

I took a walk around our yard and took in the scenery. It was refreshing to stroll along all of the plant life that had been planted by the previous owner; the sun beaming warm on my face.  The air was clean smelling from the rain we had had a couple of days prior and it was quiet.


Here in the Midwest, we are in that cusp between the end of summer and the beginnings of fall.  The sun is warm on your face, yet the breeze has the smell of fall on its end.  The nights are chilly, but the days still warm.  This is the time right before my favorite time of the season.


Currently in our yard, we have remnants from spring and summer mixed in with fall colors.  It's quite an amazing site.  I found it calming how they were content living within the same space as another.  None trying to take over the other; just existing in perfect harmony.

source