Lovely Weekend: Three Whole Days

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Happy Tuesday! I surely enjoyed the last three days spent with my little family. We worked hard and played hard. Here are a few highlights.

Made pancakes for breakfast Saturday morning. Miss M has named Saturday morning "Pancake Saturday". We've had pancakes for the last four weeks I think. She's loving it because she gets to make them with her daddy.

Took a walk to the park and played. The weather was perfect.

Went out for a yummy dinner. The kids were so cute and very well-behaved.

Put the kids in bed and watched the Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader with Husband. Have you seen it? It's been a long time since we've watched a movie. So fun.

Went to church Sunday morning. Husband and I take care of the little nursery kids. They were all exhausted and kept laying down on the floor. I felt the same way!

Husband and Miss M cooked dinner while Mr. T and I had naps. Miss M came running upstairs and said, "Dinner's ready, Mom. I love you." So sweet, right? Dinner was delicious, and it was so nice to have dinner at home with just the four of us. It's a rare event these days.

After the kids went to bed Sunday night, I was sitting in bed reading, and Husband was playing games on his iphone. He fell asleep just after nine. I thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet in the house and didn't want to put my reading down!

Spent all of Monday putting a few more things away and organizing. I finally feel like things are getting close to being finished.

Reflected on the incredible blessing it is to live in our beautiful country. My grandpas both served in the Armed Forces. I am so thankful for all of the brave men and women who have served, and those who are currently serving, to protect our freedoms. What a blessing it is for us all. May those serving be continually watched over.

I feel rejuvenated and energized after this lovely weekend. Ready to tackle the coming week. Hope you had an equally as enjoyable weekend.

Long Weekend and the Perfect Spring Jacket

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I am loving this darling jacket.

The stripes.

The bow.

Oh my. Love.

So ready for a long weekend. Husband actually has Monday off! Hooray!
We are planning some fun things, weather permitting. We'll have fun either way.
Miss M is stoked that Husband will be home for three whole days.
So am I.

Have a lovely weekend!

Try Cork As Toxin-Free Shelf Liner

Before moving into my new house, I started looking for shelf liner because I wanted to protect my cabinet shelves and drawers, especially in the kitchen and under the sinks. Most liners I found were made of some type of plastic. I really wanted something that provided some cushion and was also toxin-free, so my search began.

After some quick searching, I realized this wasn't going to be an easy task. There wasn't a single website that listed their liners as BPA, phthalate, or PVC free. I picked a handful of companies and sent requests for information about the material content in their shelf liners.*

While waiting to hear back, I started thinking about alternative materials. I had noticed that a few sites offered cork shelf liner, but it had adhesive backing which I wasn't thrilled about. Since cork is used for a variety of things, such as bulletin boards and under hardwood floors, I started searching for rolls of cork I could cut myself. The vast number of options surprised me, and after reading more about cork, I ordered a big roll of it.

A bit about cork: Cork comes from a tree. It is naturally toxin-free and considered environmentally friendly. It is also hydrophobic, meaning it repels water, which is perfect for under the sink. Cork also provides the bit of cushion I wanted, and it is easily cleaned. A roll of cork costs significantly less per square foot than cork shelf liner and regular shelf liner. It also doesn't have the adhesive backing which can attract pests.

It took about a week for my cork roll to arrive. It looked huge on my doorstep. It took some time to cut the cork to size, but it would have taken that long with any other shelf liner, too. I'm really happy with the cork on my shelves, and I love how it looks.

Do you use shelf liner? Have you found a great, toxin-free product?

*Of all the companies I emailed, only one company, The Container Store, said they had a few toxin-free natural fiber shelf liners. The woman at customer service went way above and beyond in contacting every company that The Container Store receives shelf liner from to find out the materials used. That right there impressed me very much with their service. However, I had already decided on cork.

Lovely Weekend: Hanging in there

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Loving these shaded sandbox ideas to protect from the sun.

Went on a date with Husband Friday night. It's been a long time since we went out by ourselves. Saw Pirates of the Caribbean. Enjoyable. Big thanks to brother and his girly friend for watching the little monsters.

Took sister-in-law out to breakfast for her birthday Saturday morning. Yummy food. Better company. Proud of her.

Took a walk with Miss M and played outside in the dirt. Enjoyed the bit of sun we had. Love that girl.

BBQ'ed with friends on Saturday night. Wonderful to catch up and kiddos had a blast. Dirt-covered and all.

Semi-relaxing Sunday complete with a big family dinner.


Husband got sick. Miss M still coughing. Still raining. Will it ever go away? I'm not sick yet. Trying to hold out this time. Fingers crossed. Like the rain, but ready for some sunshine.

Roasted chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a favorite snack at my house. (I like to call them chickpeas because it sounds cuter.) The kids both love them, and so do Husband and I. Well, I think Husband just "likes" them or tolerates them.

I cooked up a batch of dry chickpeas on the stove this morning during breakfast with the intent to roast them for snack time. Mr. T couldn't even wait for them to cool down after cooking, so I pulled a bunch out and set them in a little bowl. He would toddle over with his empty bowl and hold it up to get more. Miss M soon followed with a request for her own bowl.

Mr. T devouring his chickpeas.

My favorite way to eat them is roasted. I love foods with a good crunch. Roasted chickpeas are a great replacement for your favorite high fat, salty snack. Chickpeas are a good source of fiber and protein. They are also high in copper, folate, and manganese. To learn more about chickpea nutrition facts, go here and here.

My finished chickpeas. Crunchy and delicious!

Roasted Chickpeas

2 C freshly cooked chickpeas*
Olive oil, about 1 T
Garlic salt or another seasoning of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Give it a little shake about 10 minutes in. After the 20 minutes, take it out and lightly drizzle on olive oil and seasoning. Gently toss to coat. Return to oven for another 10-20 minutes. Ovens vary quite a bit, so your time may be longer or shorter to get a nice crunch. I also watch pretty closely the last 10 minutes or so to make sure they don't burn. The chickpeas along the outside will brown quite a bit faster in the end.

*I prefer the taste of freshly cooked, dry chickpeas. I soak them overnight and gently boil them in water for 60-75 minutes or until tender. Adding a bit of salt the last 15 minutes or so. You can use canned chickpeas if you prefer.


Besides being super tasty, I love that my kids will devour them. I much prefer feeding them something like this for a crunchy snack than less-nutritious alternatives.

Leftover roasted chickpeas (if you have any) make a nice, crunchy addition to salads.

Grilled turkey, goat cheese, and roasted red pepper sandwich

Last week, Husband and I made one of the most delicious sandwiches. I've been craving lighter meals as the weather warms up, and this sandwich makes a perfect light meal with a side of veggies.

The sandwich we created was based on this recipe from Cooking Light. First, I decided against using a pre-made pizza crust for the bread. Instead I found a nice, freshly baked loaf of ciabatta bread. After slicing the bread, I drizzled balsamic vinegar on the inside before layering the filling ingredients on. I also layered in some fresh baby spinach to add nutrients and color. Don't skimp on the roasted red pepper or basil. I thought the amount in the original recipe would be overwhelming, so I added less, and it really needed more. The second time I made it, I added one whole red pepper per sandwich and a couple of basil leaves. It was fantastic! Husband gave it a 9 on his 1-10 scale. He doesn't throw his 9's around lightly either. It's a really high number around here.


Grilled turkey, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers sandwiches
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 small loaf of crusty bread (I used ciabatta, but focaccia would be really yummy, too.)
balsamic vinegar
4 oz goat cheese
3/4 lb sliced turkey
1 (7 oz) bottle roasted red peppers or 4 peppers
1 C. baby spinach
fresh basil leaves (I just used a little packet from the store)

Heat a skillet over medium low heat. The sandwich will be thick, so cooking it slowly ensures the cheese melts, the turkey gets warm, and the outside bread gets crispy.

Cut bread in half horizontally if it is thin. You'll build the sandwich and then cut it in quarters. If it's a thick loaf of bread, just slice it and build your sandwiches that way. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top half of bread. Spread goat cheese on bottom half of bread. Then layer turkey, peppers, spinach and basil on top. Top with balsamic drizzled half. Cut sandwich in quarters. Add to pan and cook until desired crispiness is reached and middle is warm.

I hope you like it!

Are brown eggs healthier?

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Have you ever wondered, "What's the difference between white eggs and brown eggs?" Are brown eggs more nutritious? Is one better for you than another?

Maybe you already know the answer, but I sure didn't. I actually hadn't really thought much about it until a few days ago. My sister came to visit and asked me if I knew what the difference was. She told me it had to do with the chickens' earlobes. Whaaaat?

Here's the scoop on brown eggs versus white eggs. Even though many people believe brown eggs are healthier, brown and white eggs are nutritionally the same. The difference in the egg color is determined by the breed of chicken. Chicken with white feathers and white earlobes lay white eggs. Chickens with red feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs. Oh, and one more difference is brown eggs are usually more expensive because we think they are healthier.

So, next time you are picking up eggs, check out how the chickens are treated instead of just the color of their eggs.