I'm Never Buying Green Onions Again

I won't ever have to buy green onions again! Now, I will have some sitting nicely on my window sill. I never imagined how easy they are to maintain and how mildly delicious they are.  We use green onions for a lot of recipes. I always top my baked potatoes with them and throw them in a good salad.

All you have to do is cut just above the white section the next time you use green onions.  Place them in water, up to the start of the green area, in a clear glass and set them in a well lit area.  Every morning change out the water (I just dump mine out and add new while the onions are still in the glass) and in just a few days you'll have fresh green onions! The tops dry out so make sure you snip the hard ends off first and they are ready to eat!

Two Days

Four Days

One Week

Cornflake Cookies

My mother in law is in town this week spending time with our family.  Adam wanted her to make him some cookies that she hadn't made for him in quite some time.  They are classic chocolate chip cookies with cornflakes added in. I admit, at first I thought that was a strange additive but they don't change the taste of the cookie at all.  What they did do is add a nice crunch and texture! Adam enjoyed them and she even under baked a few just for me!

I don't really have a recipe for them other than taking a classic chocolate chip cookie (we used jumbo chocolate chips) and folding in a cup of cornflakes right before baking! You could even use Special K or Rice Krispies! Trust me, these are delicious and since they contain cereal they must be okay for breakfast, right?

Slow Cooker Chili

The weather here in Kentucky has been awfully strange lately. Today, the snow is coming down while last week we were near 70 degrees.  Chili has to be one of those meals that warms you from the inside out. Full of protein and fiber, it's also a great choice for someone following Weight Watchers like myself.  I indulged myself with this low point meal and relaxed while watching the snow fall.  It's a good thing it feeds a crowd too since my in-laws are in town.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (I used hormone free)
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can northern beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, undrained
1 packet chili seasoning
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 cloves crushed garlic

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, green peppers and garlic until the meat is browned.  Put in a crock pot with the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili seasoning.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, green onions or crackers. Enjoy

A one cup serving of this chili without toppings is 6 points plus. I topped mine with a little cheese and light sour cream for an extra two points!

Younique

I was lucky enough to meet Shannon in Alaska, and I'm even luckier to call her my friend.  She is also a southern girl with a familiar draw and a personality that is contagious.  Shannon sells wonderful products from the company, Younique.  They are naturally based products made with women's needs in mind.  It is no doubt that these products are spectacular!  I was so impressed by the Awake face wash that I have to order more!

Their best selling item is hands down the 3D Fiber Lashes. I was blown away at how well these worked at bulking up my lashes and they wash away at night with ease.  No glues or dyes that could be harmful to your eyes at all.  I will certainly be keeping these in my make-up kit from this point on and plan on adding many more Younique products in the future.

No mascara. 

One coat of my regular mascara.

With just one coat of the 3D Fiber Lashes!

Daddy's Home

After 6 weeks in training Adam finally made it home yesterday.  He's officially an Army Recruiter and we are so very proud of him. We're all so happy to have him home, Owen's reaction when daddy came through the door was priceless. They have been attached since the moment Owen woke up till he went to sleep tonight. We spent the day playing games, watching movies and eating Owen's favorite for dinner, pizza.  It's not always easy, but it is definitely always worth it! I hope that recruiting is everything Adam expects it to be, although being the hard worker he is, I can't imagine him having much trouble.

Meatless Baked Ziti

I love a good pasta dish.  This one is cheesy, simple, and delicious.  I could easily make this meal in a half hour which makes it the perfect dish for a family on-the-go.  It makes a large portion so I simply divide it between too dishes and freeze one for lunch the following weekend.  With just five ingredients, it's super affordable too!

Ingredients:
1 box whole grain penne pasta
1 jar light alfredo sauce
1 jar traditional pasta sauce
1 bag mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I used the leftover from making Cesear Salad)

In a large pot, bring the pasta to a boil with a little salt.  While the pasta cooks, mix together the alfredo sauce, pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add directly to the sauce. Pour into a prepared 13x9 inch pan and top with the shredded parmesan cheese (At this point, I split mine between two 9x9 pans to freeze one). Bake covered at 350 for about 20 minutes, remove the foil and finish baking until the cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

This comes out to 8 points plus per cup! I enjoyed two servings for a splurge.

Eight Months

Our sweet and sassy Haley is eight months today! I can't believe that she has grown so much, so fast. She's definitely a ray of sunshine and she loves her brother so much.  She makes us giggle with her silly faces and exciting laugh.  Haley is certainly easily amused and that makes her so fun to be around.

She is/has...
18 pounds.
five teeth.
wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes.
self feeding.
crawling.
cruising along furniture.

Her favorite thing right now is pulling on Owen's hair while he's getting changed on the floor. He hates it and she just laughs.