Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Photos Galore!

Good Morning Everyone!

I apologize that I did not get my weekend photos posted as I promised yesterday.  You see, I have a teething little girl.  Yes.  Full-blown teether.  She's been mildly uncomfortable with her teeth, on and off, for the last few months.  I think these babies are coming through "for real" this time.  She's sleeping good at night and all that, and trust me, I'm not complaining...but yesterday was one of our more difficult days.  Poor Peanut!!!  Wish us luck...hope they pop through and give her some relief SOON!

We had a very busy weekend, as I'm sure you all did.  Thursday was Thanksgiving and Braelyn turned 7 months old!  Wow, huh!!?? 

Friday we went with her Daddy to the Holiday Parade that he helps organize.  He pulls Santa's Float every year and we got to ride with.  Braelyn did not know what to think, but she was really watching all the people outside the window.  Yes, I was able to take her out of her carseat for it.  It was a parade...it's allowed.


Saturday we decorated our Christmas tree and took a few family pictures.  Peanut was not happy with pictures after a little bit.



On Sunday, we traveled to my Mom's house for a small birthday party for my brother-in-law, David.  It was fun with pizza, chicken wings and cake...and we surprised him with a ticket to Sunday's Green Bay showdown against the 49'ers at Lambeau Field.


We rounded out the day with a little shopping.  Whew!  I'm still a little tired!

We can finally say it:  Happy Holidays!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Monday, November 29, 2010

Cyber Monday Deal from Barnes & Noble

Happy Monday Everyone!
Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.  I did, but wow, I feel fat today.  Yuck.

I have some super cute pictures to post, but first I wanted to let you all know of a great Cyber Monday Deal:

Barnes & Noble is offering FREE SHIPPING on any order all day today!!!  Just place your order, select standard shipping and enter the following coupon code:

B3X4N4N

Happy Shopping!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy 7 Months, My Sweet Peanut (and Happy Thanksgiving)!!!

Short and sweet.  That's how I'm going to keep it today.  I'm cooking like mad this morning, as I'm sure many of you are.

Today, Peanut is 7 months old AND it is her 1st Thanksgiving!!!  I love you so much, Miss Braelyn Mary Christine!!!

This picture is from yesterday...she helped Mama make pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate cake!!!

What a good girl!!!

From our family to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving Menu

Good Morning Everyone!

Happy Wednesday and Day Before Thanksgiving!  Is everyone ready to do some major eating tomorrow???  We sure are!!!

Our menu for tomorrow:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Squash
Corn
Green Beans
Dinner Rolls
Cranberries (Whole Berries and Jellied)
Homemade Wild Rice Dressing
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Cake

As I said in yesterday's post, I am going to share how I cook my turkey:

Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. (Yes, that high, just for the beginning.)

Remove the neck and giblets.

Slice a stick of butter into small portions, like "pats" of butter.

Gently separate the skin from the breast but don't remove it. You just want to be able to get your hand between the skin the breast meat. Your goal is to place pats of butter on the turkey breast between the breast skin and the meat. You might want to use a rubber glove.  I also rub a small amount of seasoning under the skin.  You can use the typical poultry seasoning found in most stores, or you can try your own blend of rosemary, thyme and black pepper.

Use same seasoning blend to rub generously on the outside of the turkey. 

Place turkey into roasting bag and roasting pan.  (Make sure you add the recommended flour to bag as seen on the directions of the box.)

In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 cup of water, a sliced apple (any kind) and a sliced onion (any kind).  Add generous portion of seasoning to the mix and microwave for about 4-5 minutes.  The time is not that important, as we just want the onion and apple to start their own cooking process for "aromatics" before we add them to the turkey.

Place apple/onion mix into the cavity of the turkey.

Close roasting bag as directions state.

Place turkey (in bag and roasting pan, obviously) in the oven (preheated to 475) for 20 minutes.  This helps to seal the turkey and keeps it from drying out.

After 20 minutes, turn heat down to 325 degrees.  Roast according to the following guidelines:

6 to 8 pounds:      2 - 2 1/2 hours*
8 to 12 pounds:    2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours*
12 to 16 pounds:  3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours*
16 to 20 pounds:  4 1/2 - 5 hours*
20 to 24 pounds:  5 - 6 hours*

*NOTE:  If you are NOT using a roasting bag, please add 1 hour roasting time to the above guidelines.


What are you most looking forward to eating tomorrow?

From our family to yours, have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

P.S. Also, Happy 7 Months (tomorrow) to my Lil' Peanut...MOMMY LOVES YOU SWEETHEART!!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Countdown to Thanksgiving!!!

Ahhh..one of my favorite holidays is almost here...THANKSGIVING!  This year is special, because it's our 1st Thanksgiving with our Lil' Peanut AND she'll be 7 months on Thanksgiving!  Like everyone says, where did the time go???

I am finalizing our menu as we speak.  Something that I do that is rather silly, is that I buy a HUGE turkey, no matter how many guests we are having.  This year's bird weighs a whopping 23 pounds!!! 

Over the past week, I have seen many "turkey tips" on different websites and today I am going to share one of my best tips for a delicious turkey.  Tomorrow I will post the whole turkey cooking procedure that I use, along with a couple of recipes. 

My best tip, you ask?  Stuff the turkey, NOT with stuffing/dressing, but with these simple items:

1 apple, any kind, quartered
1 onion, any kind, peeled and quartered
Whatever seasoning you will use on the outside, use a generous portion on the apple and onion
(Rosemary, sage, etc.)

Usually, I take these items and insert them raw.  This year, I will try Alton Brown's suggestion and place the apple, onion, seasoning and 1 cup of water in a bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes before inserting them into the turkey's cavity.  I will let you know if this extra step makes a difference, but usually Mr. Brown is pretty darn helpful with his suggestions.  (Explains why he has a Food Network Show, right?)

Speaking of shows, who doesn't love Charlie Brown?  I am so excited to watch Ol' Chuck with our family this year!



Thanksgiving food is great, but what is the real reason why this is one of my favorite holidays?  It gives me a day to reflect just how lucky and THANKFUL I am.  It's a reminder that we should all give thanks EVERY DAY.

To kick off the holiday, I would like to tell you what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my beautiful children, Dylan and Braelyn.  (I finally have my boy and girl!)
I am thankful for the wonderful man who loves us all so much, Chris.
I am thankful for both sets of our parents (Grandmas and Grandpas!)
I am thankful for my siblings, even during the times we argue.
I am thankful for my nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends.
I am thankful for my family's good health.
I am thankful for the big, warm home that we live in.
I am thankful for my new friends, my blog followers and readers.

Now, obviously, I am thankful for a lot of other things, some quite trivial...but I will list those in a separate "fun" post tomorrow. 

What are you thankful for?

Have a great day...some of us are enjoying our first snow flurries!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Friday, November 19, 2010

Christmas Tree? Already?

Happy Friday Everyone!

It is with great excitement that I announce...WE HAVE OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!!!  You say, it's only November 19th?  We know.  Let me explain...

Peanut's Daddy is the Executive Director of a local Chamber of Commerce.  They hold social gatherings once per month called, "Business After 5."  On Wednesday, they had their November Business After 5.  One of their Chamber Members (Hilliker Tree Farm...way cool place) donated a beautiful (real) tree with lights, stand and all.  Well, Peanut's Daddy purchased a raffle ticket AND WON!!!  He brought it home last night and it's really a gorgeous tree.

We are not planning to decorate it until Saturday, November 27th to keep up with our family tradition, decorating (and baking cookies) the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  However, we were very excited and had to take pictures of Peanut with her Very 1st Christmas Tree (yes, I capitalized it like it's a movie...I do that a lot.)  We had an issue with the lights/focus, etc., but here are a couple of pictures.  Enjoy the cuteness overload of Peanut and her Big Brother.

We could not get her to smile...I think she was wondering what in the world was going on...

Brother, why are we sitting in front of this tree???

Poor Baby, she was so tired...

We will definitely post more pictures of the finished product, AND a SMILING Lil' Peanut!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Yesterday, Lil' Peanut decided she wanted to bake Daddy a cake.  We play "Patty-Cake" all the time and she knows how much Daddy loves cake.


Just a few days shy of 7 months old, she "made" her very first cake.  Well, it wasn't from scratch, it was from a box...but give her a break!  She's just a baby! 

We had a great time!  In fact, we had so much fun whipping up this cake, that we decided we would have "the guys" help us start a brand new tradition for the holidays:  The 1st Annual Hanson/Schultz Family Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!  We plan to do this on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when we get our Christmas Tree! 

Oh...and speaking of "Patty-Cake", did you know how many variations of this little rhyme there are???  The version that we use is as follows:

Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, Baker's Man!
Bake me a cake as fast as you can!
Roll it, roll it, mark it with a B!
Throw it in the oven for Baby and me!

(The most adorable baker on the planet, Lil' Miss Peanut)

Have an awesome day!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Monday, November 15, 2010

WAY TO GO, DYLAN!!!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a really great weekend.  We sure did!  We didn't even do that much, but it was nice to spend some time at home.  Dylan ("Peanut's Brother") was with his Dad for the whole weekend.  He seemed to have a good time, but we sure do miss him when he's gone.

Today's post is about Dylan, actually.  In today's mail?  Dylan's very 1st Middle School REPORT CARD!  Always a bright student and well-behaved boy, he brings home good grades.  This time was no different; he got 5 A's and 3 B's!  I'm so proud of him!!!

Middle School is a lot different...even for parents.  He really has a lot more homework and responsibility.  Did I mention what a great big brother he is???

GREAT JOB TO THE BEST SON IN THE WORLD!!!  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

(Seems every recent picture I have of Dylan and Braelyn...Peanut has her fist in her mouth...C'MON TEETH!!!)

Have a great day everyone!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Friday, November 12, 2010

Family Game Night

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Before Peanut was born, we used to set aside one night per week to spend some quality family time together and play a good old fashioned board game.  We all have different interests and thought this was a great way that we can all "play" together nicely.

After Baby was born, we all got caught up with our own schedules and have not had a game night in over six months.

We decided it was important to start this tradition again.

Ladies and Gentleman, Peanut's 1st Game Night!!!



As you can see, we played "LIFE" and I was the banker.  I guess that made Peanut the bank teller.  She was pretty tired after about 30 minutes, so she went right to sleep.  Crunching numbers is hard work!!!



What does YOUR family do for fun???

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

P.S. I'M WORKING ON THAT NEXT GIVEAWAY...STAY TUNED...AND PLEASE VOTE FOR ME BY CLICKING THE LINK ON THE UPPER RIGHTHAND SIDE OF MY BLOG...THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Perfect Guacamole Recipe

Good Morning Everyone!

As mentioned yesterday, I made a batch of "Perfect Guacamole."  I promised the recipe in today's post, so here it is:



Ingredients:

4-5 Ripe Avocados
2-3 Roma Tomatoes (diced)
1/2 Onion (red, yellow or white, diced)
1 Lime
Handful of fresh chopped Cilantro
Dash of black pepper

Directions:

Cut avocados in half, remove seed.  Scoop avocado from peel and place in medium mixing bowl.

Mash avocado with a fork or spoon.

Add chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro, pepper and juice from lime to avocado.  Mix together.

(Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.)

Chill for 1-2 hours and serve with tortilla chips, crackers or fresh veggies.

Serves Approximately 4.  A good way to measure how many people your guac will feed is to assume 1 avocado per person.  ENJOY!!!

Have a great day, and please remember to show your appreciation to all our past, present and future Veterans.  Tomorrow is Veterans Day!  Peanut's Dad is a Veteran.  Happy Veterans Day, Daddy!!!  We love you!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"









Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Toes and Taco Tuesday

Good Afternoon and Happy "Taco Tuesday"!
I know, what a goofy title, huh?  Toes and tacos? 

Lil' Peanut is doing the funniest thing right now.  She likes to grab her toes and it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get her dressed!  I never knew a 6-month-old baby could have such strength!  It's really funny and she'll even hold onto her toes while you pick her up.  I know babies love their feet, but she REALLY loves hers! 

Wonder if she'll love shoes like her Mama...


As I mentioned above, it is "Taco Tuesday" in the Peanut Household...AND I'm making a batch of "Perfect Guacamole."  It's almost like a holiday around here...

"Perfect Guac" recipe will be posted tomorrow!

Have a great day...enjoy the sunshine!!!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

P.S. Like my new Facebook badge?  Please find us on FB!  Don't forget to vote for us (once per day) by clicking the Top Mommy Blogs link on the upper righthand side of my blog page.  Thank you, thank you!  We're currently ranked at #10, thanks to you!!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Bath and Body Works Coupon!

Happy Monday Everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend.  I have been looking around at coupons and special deals for the holiday season and ran across this awesome deal from Bath & Body Works.



Use coupon code fl02776 to get $10 off your $30 order! This coupon code is valid from 11/8 – 12/13!

It's hard to think about Christmas when it's 64 degrees out, but the forecast is calling for SNOW this weekend...

46 Days 'Til Christmas...

Have a good day!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Countdown to Christmas: What Peanut is Getting

I just realized...WOW, ONLY 48 DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS???

It has been on my mind, especially since it's Peanut's Very First Christmas (Haha, like I how capitalized it, like it's a movie?)  I just did not think about how close it really is.  I mean, I better get my Thanksgiving menu planned.  Yikes, we're running out of time!  Just kidding.

I am excited because we just purchased Peanut's first Christmas gift...

A SING-A-MA-JIG!!! 

Here is the product description:  Get ready to meet The Sing-A-Ma-Jigs, the new free-spirited, offbeat characters that set off unexpected laugher and excitement with every interaction! The Sing-A-Ma-Jigs enjoy nothing more than singing together, and just to prove it, they harmonize with each other in perfect pitch every time. The more you collect, the larger the chorus! Their zany looks are unique to them, and when they sing you can't resist when their little mouths open wide for each note! Every Sing-A-Ma-Jig has three modes of play where they chatter, sing their own song, or sing in harmony with their other Sing-A-Ma-Jig friends!

Have you seen these things?  They are so cute and addicting!  We literally could not pry ourselves away from the display, we were having so much fun with them.  Bad news though, I think they're going to be hard to get as we get closer to the holiday season.  The display was already half-empty and I just checked some online retailers and they are selling out.

We only grabbed one Sing-A-Ma-Jig, thinking that we'd have plenty of time to pick up a couple more.  They're way cuter when you have more than one because they harmonize when they sing and chatter together.  The one pictured above is the exact one that we got for Peanut.

They are really getting high ratings and "toy experts" call them one of this year's top sellers.

Be sure to get your "Sing"...before they're all gone!!!

Happy Weekend,

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"


Friday, November 5, 2010

Movie Review Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

Before I go to sleep at night, I think about the next day's blog post.  Last night was a no-brainer.  Immediately after we finished our "Family Movie Night", I knew that I had to do a post on my new Pixar favorite, "Toy Story 3."


I understand that I am a little behind on this one, but Peanut was too little for us to go see it in the theater when it was playing.  We decided to wait until it came out on DVD.

Before I talk about this movie, I just want to mention what we had for dinner, because I am going to share a quick recipe at the end of this post.  Peanut's Dad has his top 5 or 6 dinner favorites that he will suggest every time I ask him what he wants for dinner.  In fact, if he could have tacos every single day, he would.  BUT, no tacos last night.  We had one of his other favorites...burgers and fries.  I do not wish to mislead you or pick on Peanut's Dad here, because I love burgers and fries too.  Lately, I have been cutting my own "fries" into wedges and "frying" them in the oven.  (Recipe at the end of this post.)

Peanut's Dad has drill this weekend (he is a Senior Chief in the Navy), so we planned for a "Family Movie Night" after dinner.

I will admit, I have always been a Pixar fan, almost any of their movies are loved in this household.  I actually thought that maybe since it was the THIRD ONE, it wouldn't be as good as the first.  Movie trilogies are like that...SOMETIMES.  Not this time.  I. LOVED. IT.

There are many reasons why I loved this movie.  I understand that I need to be careful with what I type, in case one of my readers have not seen it yet. (NO SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG)

I absolutely loved each and every one of the new characters...especially these two...


Barbie and Ken in this movie are not quite what I had in my childhood mind, but their personalities and behaviors are SO FITTING, especially watching this as an adult.  I'm still laughing...

I already told myself that this should not be a lengthy post, so I will not gush and carry on about ALL of the aspects that I loved...but I really saw some strong examples of great life lessons we all should be practicing.

LOYALTY:  These toys are friends, such close friends that they are like family.  They stick together and have each others' backs.  This is an element missing in many families today.  It's a very powerful example for our children.  To feel like you're important and you belong is key to a healthy life.  I will ALWAYS be there for my children and they will ALWAYS feel that they belong in this family.

ANTI-BULLYING:  This is a tough one to talk about, because it will give away the story line.  Let me just say that one of the new characters shows clear traits of a bully and I applaud Pixar for showing a zero-tolerance for bullying in the other characters.

LOVE:  This goes hand-in-hand with loyalty, but many, many times throughout the movie, you get a true sense of how the characters (toys and human "owners") love each other so much that they would do anything for each other, even if that means being as unselfish as possible.

RESPECT:  There is an instance where the toys are put into a different situation and they are not treated with care and respect.  I believe that any child that sees this movie will put some thought into treating their own toys, along with the property of others, a little better.  I also believe that this important lesson will carry over into how our children treat others as they grow older.

Okay, enough of that.  Please see the movie.  Watch it with your children, watch it with your spouse.  We will watch it many, many times in the "Peanut" household.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

P.S. As promised...the recipe for oven-fried potato wedges...(By the way, MUCH HEALTHIER than regular french fries!!!)

Ingredients:

Potatoes (Use 2-3 potatoes per person)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Wash potatoes and slice into 8 wedges each.

Spread wedges onto cookie sheet. 

Drizzle with approximately 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes and then flip wedges and bake for another 15-20 minutes* until golden brown.

*BAKE TIME CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR CRISPINESS.



ENJOY!!! =)

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

Today's post is dedicated to Peanut's Grandma, Jane.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA (MOM)...

HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GREAT DAY!!!



Love,

Chris, Jaime, Dylan and Braelyn

EVERYONE ELSE:  STAY TUNED...GIVEAWAY IS COMING...

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Mom, What's For Dinner? (AND Winner Announcement...)

Happy Wednesday Everyone,

I have been asked a few times for a recipe (more of a method, really) of how to make the perfect steak INDOORS, now that winter is just around the corner. 

PERFECT STEAK

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 rib eye steaks or 2-3 New York strip steaks, 1 1/2-inch thick (I am sure any other cut would work)


  • Olive oil or Vegetable oil, to coat


  • Salt & fresh ground pepper

  • Directions:

    1. Remove steak(s) from fridge and start bringing them to room temperature.

    2. After 30 to 45 minutes, place a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees F.
    When oven reaches temperature, remove the pan and place it on a burner over high heat.

    3. Coat steaks lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

    4. Immediately place steaks in the middle of the hot, dry pan. Cook 30 to 60 seconds without moving. Turn the steaks with tongs and cook another 30 to 60 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip steaks and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. (The time in the oven depends on how rare you like your steaks. The time given is for medium, but depends on number of steaks, etc. as well.)

    5. Remove the steaks from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes.

    6. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

    DRUM ROLL...AND NOW FOR THE WINNER OF MY FIRST CONTEST:

    Congratulations to Heather, one of my newest followers!!!  Heather is expecting her first baby, a little girl, so I am sure this gift card will come in handy!!!  Heather, I will e-mail you for details by end of today...choice of gift card, address, etc.

    I am working on another giveaway, so please stay tuned for more information!

    Have a great day,

    Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

    P.S. Be sure to check out www.TopMommyBlogs.com ... Bringing Up Peanut is ranked at #11 in the Stay-At-Home Mom Category!  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember to vote for us by clicking on the link at the top righthand corner (the brown box with the cartoon mom picture). 

    YOU CAN VOTE FOR US ONCE PER DAY!!! (Pretty please???)

    Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    Election Day and Product Review

    Happy Election Day!

    Please, please vote...every vote really does count.  I am going to take Peanut to the Town Hall later today for her first time "voting".

    I have decided to do my first product review also.  This item was something that was given to us this past weekend and I absolutely LOVE IT.  Even better, PEANUT LOVES IT.

    Ladies and Gentlemen...let me introduce, the JUMPEROO!!!



    My cousin, Erin, has a little girl who is older than Braelyn and she sent me a text on Saturday that said, "Do you have a decent Jumperoo for Braelyn?"  I'm thinking, Johnny Jump-Up?  Exersaucer?  Yes, she does have both of those.

    "No, that is not a Jumperoo."  Erin sent me a picture text showing me what she was talking about.  "Yes, we would love that!" I said.  I just didn't know how much "we" would love it.

    Peanut spent most of her Sunday in this Jumperoo.  Well, not most, but she spent a lot of time in it.  It is so cute, makes fun "horsey" noises and is such a great workout for her little legs. 

    I strongly recommend that every new parent invests in a Jumperoo.  I could not find this specific model and style for sale on Amazon or Fisher Price's website, but there are many other styles out there.  Thanks Erin, we're having a blast with it!

    Get jumping...and GO VOTE!

    Tomorrow is the big drawing for my giveaway...you can enter up until midnight tonight.

    Have a great day!
    Jaime "Peanut's Mom"

    Monday, November 1, 2010

    First Words!!!

    Good Morning,

    Big news...Peanut said her first words.  Just a few days ago, she said "Da-Da".  Yesterday, on Halloween, she said "Mama"!!!  This morning, she is saying "Mama" constantly.  I love every minute of it!

    Peanut celebrated her 1st Halloween this past weekend.  She went as a ballerina and was super adorable.  I only have a couple of pictures of her that turned out.

    Here are a few costumes photos from this past weekend...

    Chris went as Richard Simmons and was the big hit of the party.  I went as a Solid Gold Dancer.  Peanut was a Ballerina and Dylan opted to not dress up.  (I was sad about that one...)