Have a Cozee Thanksgiving

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

My favorite memory has to be hubby and mines very first thanksgiving.  We just got married and moved 3000 miles away from home to the south thanks to the military.  We were are own little family and I was so nervous to make the whole thanksgiving dinner all by myself with my limited cooking skills.  They only had 20lb turkeys so that's what we bought.  (We were eating turkey for the entire week!)

We watched football and just spent the day relaxing.   It was one of the first times when I felt like we are our own little family him and I with our little pup Charlie.  It was so special and had a happy ending.  The turkey I cooked (Gilbert) turned out so pretty and it was so tasty!  I was shaking in my boots that dinner was going to end up a disaster and it was the opposite, we had a perfect night.

Favorite thanksgiving dish??

Nothing fancy I love love love stove top stuffing!  I don't know what it is about stuffing I just love it!

Any Thanksgiving traditions?

Football is of course a tradition.  I make a meat platter for the mister and he watches while I cook. Now that my little lady is big enough I have started doing movie nights for holidays.  So we bake cookies and its Peanuts.  We did it for Halloween and now for Thanksgiving.  I ended up getting the Peanuts Holiday Collection on Amazon and it was a great deal.  Aren't these turkey cookies so fun?!  She loves cooking with me and these home made sugar cookie recipe reminds me so much of when my mom and I use to make them.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?
I would have to agree with Patty, it would be mt first Thanksgiving with my hubby about 4 years ago. I think it was extra special because I got to make Thanksgiving dinner all by myself. It was a ton of work but well worth it. I remember that we had to celebrate ours the Saturday after Thanksgiving because we were too busy driving all around that Thursday and Friday seeing family. 

Favorite thanksgiving dish??
Mine would have to by far be my Egyptian grandma's (my aunt's mother-in-law) Potato Casserole. It was pretty much a shepherd's pie but 100 times way better. I don't know what her secret ingredient was to make it so good (probably a whole lot of love). She has passed for a little over a year now. Unfortunately she never shared her recipe with anyone, and we sure miss her that much more on Thanksgiving! I guess second after that would be green bean casserole.

Any Thanksgiving traditions?
Ever since I was a kid my Thanksgiving tradition is to watch Mirace on 34th Street (the one with Dylan McDermott and Matilda). I made this my own tradition and have kept it every single year since I was 7. This is mine and hubby's 4th Thanksgiving together and I still can't seem to get him on board with this one. And next would be officially starting to listen to Christmas music at full force! 

How to Make Baby Gender Reveal Scratch Cards

If you didn't already know we are having a BOY!!  It was a dramatic reveal [at least for me].  We went into the ultrasound room and mentioned [okay repeatedly told] the tech we would really like to know the sex of the baby.  He went through and did his thing.  He showed us the baby's strong heart, sweet face, little hands.  There is nothing more amazing than seeing that little itty baby up on that screen.  Finally after about 20 minutes he went to look.  At this point my heart was galloping with excitement and without a doubt he said you are having a BOY!  The hubby let out a big cheer and the feeling was overwhelming.  Wow a little boy.  He printed out the proof and told us he has no doubt, so looks like we'll be welcoming a little man into the world. 

I couldn't tell you beforehand that I felt like I was having a girl or a boy.  I had no idea, all I knew was that this pregnancy was really different than my Boo Bear.  I'm still a bit nervous but not as much as before.  My hubby of course is thrilled and I am excited for him.  I know he looks forward to doing all those things boys do.  I have cherished my time with my little lady doing all the fun girly stuff so I can understand.

If you follow me on social media you would know that I mailed out scratch cards to family and made the big announcement online.  But you can also use my DIY scratch card idea as a game at your baby shower or gender reveal party!  There are a ton of baby shower invitations and announcements that you can pick and choose from on Shutterfly.    

You can download this card design HERE on Flickr.  If you have any trouble shoot me an email and let me know I can usually be of some help but no guarantees.  Also, if you don't want to make them yourself you can buy them on Etsy. 

The scratch off part is super duper easy to make and the best part is you can make them in advance, which is what I did.  When we found out I just used the boy stickers on the cards.  

All you need is silver acrylic paint,soap, tape, and a brush.

Mix the paint and soap together [more paint than soap]. The soap is what lets you scratch the paint off. 

I printed the "boy" stickers on white address labels because I already had them.  Put tape over the word and get ready to paint.  You can avoid the tape portion if you print them on those clear labels. 

The first layer will still show the word so wait until it dries and then paint another layer on.  It took about three layers to cover the word completely. 

Once they were dry and ready to be put on the cards I peeled and trimmed them.  Stuck it on there and WALA your own scratch off cards. 

Oh the possibilities!  You can even do it in different colors. I know my family really enjoyed it and so did I. 

If you have any questions don't hesitate to shoot me an email.  Happy Tuesday everyone!

Freddy's Sticky Ribs Recipe

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My holiday season always includes lots of running around, lists, and do to's especially with my little lady.  One thing that keeps me sane is being in the kitchen having some time to myself.  I don't know about you but I love to watch TV shows and movies while I cook and wash dishes.  Thanks to Netflix I can set up my ipad on the counter and get busy.  Netflix is also perfect for us because we don't have cable so at night when only the news is on we can easily pick a show to watch or a movie.  Plus I hate kid commercials and Netflix has all the kiddy shows my love bug loves.  What is your favorite movie or show on Netflix?

Have you heard of "House of Cards"?  Well,Curtis Stone teamed up with Netflix and came up with this delicious and really easy recipefor the the ribs that Frank eats at Freddy's BBQ Joint.  Let me tell you, they were a HUGE hit with the hubby.  I haven't heard him say mmmmhh that many times in a long time.  Not too shabby for my first time cooking ribs.  Don't they look yummy?!

Ingredients for the Rub

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sweet paprika [or regular is fine too]

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

 

Either the night before or at least four hours before cooking, prepare the rub and show that meat some lovin'.  The recipe calls for baby back, but I love beef ribs.  Cover and refrigerate until it is time to cook. 

 

I chose to cook mine in the oven just to make it easier on myself.  I placed the ribs on a cookie sheet and covered them with foil.  Position the racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to

375°F.  Baste the ribs with some apple cider vinegar every thirty minutes for the next two hours.  This will ensure they won't get dry. 

 

Ingredients for the BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil 

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup whiskey

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup honey

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

Now onto the BBQ sauce.  You can prepare this sauce up to two weeks before you make the ribs just refrigerate it.  Then as I was making the sauce I realized if you really don't have time to make BBQ sauce from scratch feel free to use your favorite bottle of BBQ.  Cuts cooking time and makes the recipe even easier! 

 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic is tender.

 

Stir in the paprika, then stir in the whisky [i omitted this] and vinegar, bring just to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring the sauce to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often to prevent scorching, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.

    

 

After two hours of cooking and basting you can remove the foil and start lathering.  Every ten minutes for the next 30-40 minutes spread the sauce over the ribs.  I strained my sauce of the onions and garlic so it was smooth.  Be sure the sauce has set before applying the next coat.  

 

They looked so good after coming out of the oven!  This recipe is definitely a keeper in the family cookbook.  Delish! 

 

After eating this dinner I was so curious to watch "House of Cards" on Netflix.   I can't wait to start watching holiday movies with my family.  You better believe the Christmas movie-a-thon is going to start the day after Thanksgiving.  What is your favorite holiday or non holiday movie on Netflix?  What's your favorite show?  My hubby and I are always on the lookout for a good series to enjoy. 

 

Make Netflix apart of your holidays with a free month trial.  Be sure to Like Netflix on Facebook, Follow @Netflix, and Follow Netflix on Pinterest

 

DIY: Reupholstery Under $10

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to share this post with you all! I have had these fine corduroy ultra suede dining chairs that came with my dining set. Hubby and I got this set at a really reasonable price over 3 years ago. Anyways, it was time that these chair got revamped!

The best part about this project is that it was under $10!!! I was at Joanns and browsing through the upholstery fabric and came across this fabric. Honestly I had been contemplating between this one and chevron but I thought this matched my dining room decor better. Anyways this fabric was about $15/yd. and I only needed 1 1/4 yd. Plus I had a 60% off coupon on any regular priced item (you do the math). 

I started by unscrewing the cushion from the chair, cut & ironed my fabric into squares, then stapled away. I apologize for not taking more pictures and for the poor picture quality. Honestly this project was so easy I am super sure anyone can do it. Basically I folded the corners and once it was all stapled in the back I just screwed the cushion back on. Super easy! This little make over really made a difference and made our dining set look way more expensive than what we got it for.

I hope you enjoyed this project!

Mini Tutorial: Red Riding Hood Cape

Okay enough resting for me I have finally recovered from our visitors and mini getaway and now I'm back.  Lot's going on, lots on my sewing table, and big news... I know the sex of Baby Bear!  Follow me on facebook or instagram and you can find out tonight.

Anywhoo... was trying really hard to get this post out before Halloween but there was too much crazy and it didn't happen.  I figure you can either save it for next year or make a cape just for fun, maybe to add to the dress up wardrobe for boy or girl.  

I thought about just buying the red riding hood costume and then making a thicker more elaborate cape, but I just couldn't find one that I liked so I ended up making it.  I wish I had a tutorial for the dress but I don't because I kind of just made it up as I went along.  

It's really similar to the Very Hungry Caterpillar dress except it has that foe vest portion and the sleeves are bigger.  I also like dresses to be more fitted at the waist so I added the little apron and attached the front portion on so it won't fall off.  We all know how two year old kiddos are.  

There are a million cape tutorials out there and videos.  This is a mini tutorial and my version, but I recommend you google it and find a tutorial you like.  This was my first pancake flop so it isn't perfect.

Because her dress was so full I wanted the cape to be just as full.  With our colder weather here in Colorado I also lined the cape with flannel to keep her extra warm.  Capes are basically circle skirts except 3/4 or 1/2 of the skirt.  I substituted the waist measurement with the measurement around her shoulder area.  Once the circle is cut make an opening in the front as shown in the second picture.  Repeat with the lining. 

I made a hood template with one of her hood sweaters and made it larger.  Cut and sewed the outer and the lining so you have two separate pieces. 

The lining will be right side out and the outer will be inside out. Tuck the lining inside the outer portion and line up the bottom opening.  You will sew around the face area and leave the bottom opening open.  Then flip it and tuck the lining inside the outer portion.  

Top stitch around the face opening.  I used a decorative stitch just for fun. 

 Follow this for the cape portion leaving the top portion open.  Flip it right side out and top stitch all around the cape portion.  Because the cape will be much larger than the hood you will sew it so it scrunches like in the first picture.  Pin it to the hood.  Be sure to line up the center of the hood to the center of the cape and sew it together.

I then used a thick ribbon to create a casing for the ribbon used to tie a bow in the front. 

It also covers the raw edge where you sewed the cape and the hood together.

Run some satin ribbon in the casing and tada a cape.  I hope my instructions were clear, it is actually a really simple project and doesn't take much time. 

It looked just darling on my little Red Riding Hood and kept her nice and warm!

I abosultely love the little dress on her.  Reminds me so much of being back in Germany!  She could have worn it to Oktoberfest. 

So that's it for a mini tutorial on how to make a cape.  You can get creative, make a super hero one, a princess one, or whatever.  Would make a great little gift for Christmas too!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Recovering from the Weekend

This past weekend the in laws were in for a visit and as usual my husband packed out schedules to the max.  A weekend trip to Vail, a little gold mining tour and panning in the river, hiking in Boulder, and a shopping date for the girls.  It was awesome.   It was so nice to have their company and we just love seeing new places!  But little introvert me has to recover from all the interaction and traveling.  I saw this on facebook and couldn't help but laugh.  

If you are an introvert you totally understand.  So, I need to get back in my bubble for a few days and re-energize.  This means a couple of days away from the computer.  See you soon!

Happy Wednesday,

20 Week Update

I've completely failed at updating you on the baby growth.  I think the last time I mentioned baby was when I announced that I was pregnant.  Well, I am now halfway there!!  Woo hoo for being 20 weeks.  Just look at that belly grow.... and well me too. 

These are all pictures I took from my Instagram hence the yucky quality, but the belly size is kind of deceiving.  It look small in the morning and as the day progresses it just grows and grows.  I was shocked at how big it was at the end of the night here at 15 weeks.  Then I wake up in the morning and it's a little smaller again, the tiny belly bump at 18 weeks.  

 Belly growth isn't all that's happening though.  Reading back through my journal with my love bug, she killed me the first trimester, but was pretty pleasant the second.  I've been sure to journal to this baby what a hard time he or she has been giving me this second trimester.  Head aches, overly tired, getting sick, nausea, overly emotional, aversion to my love of milk.  I guess it's payback for a breezy first twelve weeks. 

You know me, I am not a huge fan of being pregnant, but feeling those little movements make it all worth it.  I know I keep comparing this pregnancy to the last but it is just so amazing to me how different they are.  During this same time, my love bug was kicking up a storm around this time and daddy had already felt her move.  Doing her gymnastics in there I am sure.  This baby on the other hand has been real gentle.  I feel the kicks but they aren't as strong and not as frequent, mostly at night.  With love bug my candy of choice was Reese's and with this baby Snickers [I hate Snickers].

Nothing like pregnancy to make you want what you don't like.  For me, craving are all over the place... from white rice and at one point I only wanted Asian food. Then I went through a pita and hummus phase and now it's just sweets.  Doesn't help that it was just Halloween.  Trying really hard to keep eating healthy especially since my doctor is so crazy about me not gaining so much weight, but it's tough being preggo during the holidays.  Hopefully I can manage the eating during the next few months.   

So that's my baby update.  Keep Baby Bear and I in your prayers as we grow even bigger the next 20 weeks!

Happy Thursday,

Wing Tuesday and Boneless Thursday at Buffalo Wild Wings

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Buffalo Wild Wings for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know football season just started but we are all about the baseball playoffs in our house because the Dodgers actually have a chance to make it to the World Series [woo hoo]!!  When games are on the weekends I always make some game food for the hubby and I.  A meat platter, some chips and dip, and I will soon be adding wings to that snack menu.   After hearing about Wing Tuesdays and Boneless Thursday I decided to test out just how yummy these wings actually are.  

Thursday after I picked love bug up from school I called in my order.  At our Buffalo Wild Wings it is 60 cents per boneless wing every Thursday.  Sweet deal for lunch or dinner!  The choices of sauces and seaonings they have are ridiculous.  It was so hard to choose but I ended up sticking to what I know and ordered 8 Honey BBQ wings for only $5!  I chose to take it to go because my preggo craving self really wanted to eat it with some rice.  I know it sounds crazy but thanks to baby I can't get enough rice [seriously, rice with everything].  The wings were so yummy!  Tangy with this little kick in the sauce.  I can't wait to try the other sauces!  Think I'm going to have to try Parmesan Garlic next time.  

I love that I can take the wings to go in case we watch to stay in and watch the game, but I if the Dodgers can stay in this series we are going to have to watch the next game at Buffalo Wild Wings.  As soon as we walked in the little lady asked to sit down and I told her we would come back again.  And why not?  A fun place to watch the game and share some yummy food too!  Bottomless wings for me please. 

Once baseball season is officially over onto football we go.  Thanks to fantasy football the hubby watches every game he can and thanks to Buffalo Wild Wings I think we can both enjoy the game.  He gets to watch, I get to eat and we can enjoy some good quality time together as a family.  Be sure to Like Buffalo Wild Wings on Facebook and Follow Buffalo Wild Wings on Twitter.  And be sure not to miss out on Wing Tuesday and Boneless Thursday.  Those wings are definitely worth the trip! 

Free Home Depot Workshop Tomorrow

Just here to remind you that this Saturday there is yet another free kids workshop at  Home Depot. Yup I said FREE!  They provide everything, you sign your kiddo up online HERE and show up.  Last month we made an airplane and of course spent forever painting it millions of layers.  She loves it and is learning to do it herself.  She can actually use a hammer on her own with my supervision.  So, if you don't have anything to do tomorrow morning take your kiddos or someone else's kids.  

And be sure to note the December workshop is actually Nov 30th.  

Happy Friday everyone!