Friday Favorites {22}

Come one, come all! It's time for Friday Favorites.

Sorry.

I don't mean to be so wound up.

It's just the combination of an amazing trip last weekend, the ground hog not seeing his shadow, and maybe a little wine, that are making me all jazzed up for this weekend. I. Am. Ready for it! I haven't posted any favorites in awhile, so I'm very excited to be back doing just that. Check out what I'm loving this week.

1. You know those guilty pleasure books that make you stay up way-too-late because you can't stop reading? That's totally what I'm sucked in to right now with Anything Goes on a Friday Night. It's a super easy read, and one you just can not put down. It's about Elena, who is in high school, and her seemingly-perfect life falls apart when her mom kicks her out of her house, her parents separate, she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, and just about everything else that could go wrong. It's filled with so much teen drama. I love it. Think Pretty Little Liars. Check it out if you're looking for a good read.

2. I love these ideas for valentines to make with your kids from What's Up Moms. So many sweet, cute, and simple ideas. Check em out.

3. So, earlier this week, something pretty amazing happened in a little ole Kidcycle group on Facebook. You know, one of the private groups where you can buy and sell used stuff, sort of like Craigslist? Long story short, the #LoveTrainMKE was inspired and people just started giving away things. Seriously. All kinds of things: $50 gift cards to Target, home cooked lasagnas delivered to your door, two train tickets from Milwaukee to Chicago, diamond earrings. Seriously! It was so inspiring and encouraging and uplifting. I was the lucky recipient of a stack of locally-made soaps and candle melts from Halo Soaps. And, the amazing mom, whom I never met, simply dropped them off for me after I was the lucky one picked as the recipient. These small acts: They seem so, so small, but they have the power to make someone feel amazing. You can learn how to get involved in Love MKE here. It's time to love our city by loving on its people.

4. I can't stop making this Chicken Enchilada Soup from my friend and neighbor, Alyson. It is so good and so easy! Top it with some tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream, and #imdead. I like to get a rotisserie chicken from Costco and use the chicken in a bunch of meals for the week, and this is a perfect recipe for that. Seriously. The fact that it's ridiculously easy to make and is just so delicious makes it a front runner for my favorite soup of all time. Make it now! You can thank me later.

5. If you have a little one that loves trains, be sure to get to the Domes this month. Their current special exhibit is a huge trains show. We went a few weeks ago and it was amazing. Callum and I both could've stayed there all day. Plus, this weekend, they will also have a bunch of train sets and layouts displayed in their lobby. I plan on checking it out Saturday morning so we can also hit up the indoor farmer's market.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! According to the groundhog, only a few more of them left in winter. Woohoo!

Here's what's going on in Milwaukee if you're looking for something to do. If nothing else, get out there and #LoveTrainMKE.

• Train exhibit on the Domes on Sat and Sun (Plus the Winter Farmer's Market on Saturday.)
• Kids Dream Winter Film Series at Marcus Theatres - This weekend features the Minions movie!
• Free day at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Saturday.

Have a good weekend!

Friday Favorites {20}

Alright, everyone, hold on to your Christmas jammies! This week's Friday Favorites are all holiday favorites. I know, I know. You can hardly contain your excitement.

Since I know you can't wait, we'll go ahead and jump right in.

1. This video of holiday hacks from What's Up Moms is so great! I especially love the hack for watering your Christmas tree and hanging Christmas lights on your mantle. It also totally motivates me to go wrap a bunch of presents.

2. I ordered these Christmas pajamas for Callum in November from Crystal Faye Embroidery. I am totally obsessed with them, and they are even cuter on Callum! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures on Christmas morning. I ordered them a size too big, as well, so he should be able to wear them next year, too!

3. Every year, we decorate a gingerbread house on Christmas Eve. I love it so much, and I get so into it. I want it to be perfect! Well, this year, we have a toddler who is going to want to help with everything. I was talking to a friend about it and she suggested having Callum decorate waffle cones like a Christmas tree, and then we'll (hopefully) be able to work on the house uninterrupted. I turned to good ole' Pinterest for some examples and found a ton of them! I think Callum is going to love doing this.

Photo from Some What Simple.

4. This photo series of a baby dressed up as Elf on the Shelf is so amazing. I can't stop laughing. 

5. Finally, I just wanted to share this recipe for Candied Pecans. I've been making a ton of them these past few weeks and handing them out to friends and neighbors for Christmas gifts. I think it's way easier than making cookies, and so delicious. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar, but I used 1/4 sugar and 1/4 brown sugar. I also added some vanilla. They turned out delicious! I bought some cute bags from Target (in the dollar spot, of course) that make for the perfect way to package the pecans. Simple, delicious, and so cute.

I'm off to squeeze in as much Christmas fun these next few days as we possibly can. I can't believe it's only seven days away! Have a good weekend!

Favorite soup recipes

Can you guys believe there's only 10 days left in October? Where is the time going? The weather in  Milwaukee has just been so gorgeous these last few days, it's hard to believe winter will be here before we know it.

We've been doing our best to make the most of fall. Over the weekend, we picked out pumpkins and got to carving. I tried the whole carving with a drill technique. You guys: It was so easy. Like I was done carving in about 30 seconds. If you're looking to carve about 100 pumpkins in a sitting, this is the way to go.

I used the drill to make the pumpkin that says "Boo." As happy as I am with the end result, it wasn't nearly as exciting as carving.

One of my other favorite things to do in fall is bust out some of my favorite soup recipes. Soups are generally such an easy dinner option, and the varieties are endless. Here are a few of my favorite recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.

Check em out.

1. Pasta e Fagioli from Iowa Girl Eats

This is probably my favorite soup ever! I love making it on a Sunday night and having it for lunch throughout the week. It's easy. It's filling. It's perfect. I'll sometimes sub ground turkey for the ground beef to make it a little healthier. 

Iowa Girl Eats.

2. Cauliflower Sweet Potato Bisque from Yes, I Want Cake

First off, this soup is made in the crock pot. Need I say more? Just throw everything in and forget about it. It's also packed full of veggies, which is great for my picky kid. 

Yes, I Want Cake.

3. Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup from The Pioneer Woman

This is not a healthy soup, nor is it a super simple recipe. But, man, oh man, is it delicious. You must make this at least once this winter. You won't regret it.

The Pioneer Woman.

4. Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup from Cooking Classy

A little twist on the old classic. This is one of my favorite things to make when I have leftover chicken. Just throw the pantry staples together, and about 20 minutes later you have an amazing soup that everyone will love. Plus, this soup tastes even better the day after you make it.

Cooking Classy.

5. Thai Coconut Corn and Mushroom Soup from Bev Cooks

This is not a soup that Matt likes (he hates mushrooms and corn), and Callum won't eat it (because he's two), but I can't get enough. If you're looking for a veggie soup that is packed with flavor, this is it. Plus, coconut milk is the best thing on this planet.

Bev Cooks.

Now, get outta here and go make some soup! Tell me: What're your favorite soup recipes?

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Fun fact: Matt and I first met when we were both working at a Chili's location in Milwaukee. Our love blossomed over Burger Bites and Quesadilla Explosion salads. But seriously, after I left Chili's, I missed the food so much!! I'm still convinced they lace it with something to make it that much more delicious.

One of my all-time favorites was their Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad. It clocks in at a whopping 1030 calories, so it was definitely not something you wanted to eat on the regular. Well, since I no longer work and Chili's, and I was looking for a healthier option (Please note I said healthier, not healthy.), I thought I'd try my hand at recreating it at home. Definite success! If you're a lover of wing sauce, this salad is for you.

Plus, it's a cinch to throw together. Whenever I'm making chicken breasts for salads or sandwiches, I always like to throw it in the crockpot in the morning with a couple cups of chicken broth. Then, when you're ready to assemble your salads, it's all ready for you!

What you'll need for four:

• 5 cups lettuce mix
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken, tossed in 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 5 strips of bacon, cooked, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 avacado, diced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
• Ranch dressing

Toss everything, except dressing, in a large bowl. Serve with ranch dressing. Easy peasy!

We love this salad combo so much. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Tips for Getting Your Toddler to Eat Vegetables

For as long as Callum has been eating solids, we have struggled with getting him to eat his veggies. He is just not a fan. I hear plenty of moms say, "I can't get my kid to stop eating broccoli" or "She especially likes peas." Sadly, that's just not my kid. He'll eat any carb you put in front of his face, but turns his nose to even the smallest veggie. The struggle is real.

I've searched and searched for tips on getting my toddler to eat vegetables. And, to be honest, most really aren't that helpful. But, I have managed to find a few tips that never fail for us. Here's what I've got.

1. Blend it.

I am not exaggerating when I say I make a smoothie for Callum every. single. day. He can't get enough of them and they are filled with fruit and veggies.

Here's our go-to smoothie recipe. This makes enough smoothie for the three humans in my family.

• two cups fresh spinach
• one frozen banana (Before I freeze my bananas, I peel them, break them into pieces, and put them in individual baggies. So, I'll have one peeled banana in pieces in each bag.)
• one cup frozen berries
• half cup vanilla greek yogurt
• enough milk to blend it all up

2. Shred it.

This right here is my favorite tip ever: Shredded zucchini in your pancake mix. Every time I make a batch of pancake or waffle mix, I shred a fresh zucchini right into the batter before cooking. Works like a charm.

Shredded carrots in mac n cheese is another popular trick. Rice, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti are also great disguises for any veggie you can shred.

3. Dip it.

Kids love to play with their food. So, use it to your advantage! Giving them some sort of dip for their veggies will always perk their curiosity. Ketchup, ranch, and peanut butter are our favs. Sure, at first, they may just use the veggie as a vehicle for the dip, but it won't be long before they are eating that celery carrying the peanut butter.

4. Keep trying!

Even if Callum won't eat it now, we still always put it on his plate. Someday, he'll surprise the heck out of us and devour those veggies.

Tell me: What are your favorite tips for getting your child to eat vegetables?

Toddler-sized homemade Larabars

You guys. I have the easiest recipe for you in the world! The easiest.

Homemade bite-size Larabars!

Do you guys eat Larabars? We love them in our household! They are so simple, healthy, and delicious, and Callum can not get enough of them. All of the flavors contain no more than 2 - 9 ingredients and are the perfect snack for little hands. Since we do go through them so quickly, I thought I'd try my hand at replicating them at home to ease the stress on the bank account. And, I am so glad I did! They are so easy to make.

I went ahead and tackled two flavors: Peanut Butter Cookie and Coconut Cream Pie. But, you can easily create any combo you like. You just need the two basic ingredients: whole, unsweetened dates and any type of nut. (I accidentally typed butt instead of nut at first. Don't worry. There are no butts in this recipe.) Throw them into your food processor and add whatever else you'd like: dried cranberries, banana, chocolate chips, ground flax seed, cinnamon, dried berries, coffee. Whatever floats your boat, yo.

Here's what I did for the Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars.

Start with:
1 1/2 cup whole dates
1 1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts

I got both things from Trader Joe's. I've tried rewriting this sentence multiple times and it still sounds uncomfortable, so I'll just give you what I've got: TJ's has the best nuts. They've got a huge variety, are inexpensive, and they have a lightly-salted version for all of them. I love it. So, get all your nuts there. You can always buy unsalted nuts and just add a pinch or two of salt yourself.

Throw your dates and your nuts into your food processor and let your kid push the button. Easy peasy.

Also, can I get a high five for the fact that food processors don't turn on with the top off? If not, I'd have such a mess on my hands thanks to my button-happy son.

To this batch, I also added 1/4 ground flax seed. It's all about those Omega-3s, baby!

Process the mixture for as long as you want. We grind it down pretty well. Callum is still weird with some textures, so the smoother it is for him, the better. Once it's ground to your desired consistency, use a cookie scoop to roll the mixture into balls. Store in the fridge. Enjoy. That's that.

Don't worry if your mixture is rather oily. That's just the peanuts being broken down. Everything will dry out a bit after being stored in the fridge.

The process was exactly the same for the Coconut Cream Pie balls. I just switched up the ingredients a bit. These ones are my fav! 

Here's what I threw into the food processor:
1 1/2 cups dates
3/4 cup lightly salted almonds
3/4 cup lightly salted cashews
1/4 cup coconut (You can use sweetened or unsweetened. Whatever your little heart desires.)
1/4 ground flax seed

Go give this super simple recipe a try. You will love them. Your partner will love them. Your kid will love them. Your second cousin, twice removed will them. Trust me.

Tell me: Which combo are most wanting to try?