All the Crazy Kiddos...

It was soooo good to get together with all my family for my birthday!! We took the opportunity to snap some pictures of all the kiddo cousins. I have a new appreciation for professional photographers...it was some kind of crazy to try to get all of them to make a decent expression at the same time! But it was a ton of fun!

LOVE this one of the boys...but those girls were being difficult!! :)

This picture says it all!!! :)

Kaelyn ♥

Kourtney {L} / Kaelyn {R}

Update in Pictures - Vacation 2012 - Part 1

We are having a super fun time relaxing with my parents!!! So, not a lengthy post, but here are a few pictures of my cute little kiddos. This is my family blog, so please pardon the overload of adorableness. :)
I really do love looking back on my picture posts....even if no one else does, so humor me?? But just in case, I'm inserting a page break...you'll need to "read more" to see all my pics. :)

Minnie Mouse Inspired Hair Pretties ♥

My girlies are starting to show interest in cartoon characters and like to point out EVERY. SINGLE. ONE they see while we are out and about.  I really have no idea where they pick up on these things, but awhile ago while we were out they pointed out Mickey and Minnie. :) So I decided it was time to finally make these cute little headbands I pinned on Pinterest ages ago. I wish the pin went back to the original site, {it's just a photo someone pinned} so I could give the maker credit for her design - this was the first headband I saw made like this.  :)  

There are a few tutorials out there for how to make them {like this one and also here}, but it's really just three rolled rosettes and a bow. If you don't know how to make a rolled rosette, check out this tutorial, or there are also lots of YouTube video tutorials. They can be a little tricky depending on what your desired final look is.  I love the vintage, frayed look, but that doesn't suit Minnie very well., so just be sure to keep your raw edges tucked under.  

For Minnie's head, I cut my strip about 2" wide and for her ears, I cut the strips about 1" wide. And obviously the longer you twist and fold your fabric, the bigger she gets. :)  I used 5/8" ribbon for Minnie's bow - and everyone knows it goes in the center of her head! Though, I must say, I don't think mine is quite big enough to be true to scale - bows don't come any bigger than Minnie's. :) So, maybe 7/8" would work better for the larger size silhouette... 

This one is my favorite!

Large Minnie on a hard headband

Small Minnie on a stretchy headband - perfect for babies!

Small Minnie on an alligator clip 

{Freebie Friday} Sugar and Spice & Everything Nice

Today's freebie is this "subway art" printable I designed for my girlies' first birthday party - a Sugar & Spice theme! Go here to see the fun details. ♥

Printables and all designs are for PERSONAL USE only. Please feel free to download and share, but do not distribute for profit or self-promotion. If you would like to share online, you must include a link back to my site. Thanks! ENJOY!!

Marinated Salmon with Mango-Kiwi Relish

This recipe is to die for!!!  I didn't change a thing... except for using Worcestershire sauce because I thought I had soy sauce and didn't! :) Also, I measured everything except the fruit...ended up using 2 mangoes and three kiwis because I knew we'd want extra relish.  

The fish alone was SOOO TASTY...the honey in the marinade caramelizes when the fish is pan-fried, giving it a sweet crust of sorts.  And the black pepper adds just enough zing to make you say "WOW!" after your first bite!  Kaelyn was shoving it in as fast as she could! :)

The kids and I won't be in town with Tim for Father's Day weekend, so I made his Father's Day dinner for him yesterday. In addition to the salmon, we had Fancy Green Beans, Sweet Potato Crisps, and a Hearty Salad.  

I always cook my green beans {healthier} southern style - covered in water with a little olive oil, beef bouillon, salt and pepper.  I boil them until the water is almost completely gone. Super tender and full of flavor - not bacon grease!

To make the sweet potato crisps, I sliced them in circles, tossed them in olive oil and Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning, and baked them at 400° for too long! :) Really I did -  a few of them burned. I didn't expect them to cook as fast as they did. They only took about 15 - 20 minutes...I think...I lost track of time while I was prepping everything else. :)

Oh, and surprisingly enough, Aldi has WILD-CAUGHT Salmon...which is harder to find than you think!

It was a super scrumptious Sunday dinner - with no leftovers!! 

Mexican Lasagna

I made Mexican Lasagna last night for supper - vegetarian style! It was super yummy and delicious!

Mexican Lasagna

1 pkg Archer Farms Oven Ready Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles

{I LOVE these - they are super thin and were great for this recipe. Traditional whole wheat lasagna may have been too thick for our tastes. Archer Farms brand is found at Target.}

2 cans Pinto Beans, pureed

2 Avocados, pureed

1 can Olives, sliced

Salsa {I used my homemade recipe}

Black Bean and Corn Salsa {recipe here}

Whole Grain Tortilla chips

Nutritional Yeast/Cashew Powder

{made by blending nutritional yeast and cashews - we use this as our cheese substitute}
Lettuce, optional

Spread a little salsa in the bottom of the pan. I used one of my deeper, square baking dishes.

Layer ingredients in the following order:

Lasagna Noodles

Pinto Beans

Avocado

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Olives

Tortilla Chips 

{I actually crushed a few handfuls for each layer}

Salsa

{The size of my pan allowed for three layers.}

Top with Nutritional Yeast Powder
Bake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Garnish with lettuce and olives {and sour cream if your diet allows!}

Next time I make this, I may try a few different things:

•including lime-cilantro rice in the layers

•adding cheese to each layer and on top

{We've not completely given up cheese, but I do use it sparingly and we'd already had some this week...}

•using corn/whole wheat tortillas {that I also found at Target} instead of lasagna noodles

We are definitely a Tex-Mex lovin' family!! SALSA!! ♥