lemons make more than lemonade

LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN

tonight for dinner i whipped up a little something my husband referred to as "his favorite dish i've ever made." for about 10 minutes of prep and minimal work i'd say that is a huge success! the original recipe called for a dry white wine. i live in a dry county and did not have any lying around so i made a substitution. you may choose to use the white wine, or if you don't have any lying around, have an alcohol intolerance or just want to cut a few calories from the mix, you can use my version. if you don't have the ingredients i used you can also sub apple juice or white grape juice! either way, its oh so yummy...



Ingredients (serves 4)

- 8 chicken legs
- 1 lemon
- 1 pound (450 g) potatoes
- 10 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- fresh rosemary
- coarse salt & pepper
- can of chicken broth/tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or glass of dry white wine)

Put chicken legs into a roasting dish. Cut potatoes and lemon into wedges. Add in the wedges and peeled garlic cloves. You can half some of the largest cloves.

Add in olive oil, coarsely chopped rosemary, salt and pepper and toss all the ingredients are evenly coated. Pour in the broth/tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or other choice). Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 40-50 minutes until tender, fragrant and beautifully browned.

LEMON BAR CAKE



wow, all i can say here is yummy! if you tried out my recent post on PUMPKIN BREAD then you MUST try this! i am enjoying a slice (ok its my second...) as i sit and blog! it is absolutely yummy and ridiculously EASY! what's not to Loooove?

2 ingredients - THATS IT. All you need is an angel food cake mix and a can of lemon pie filling. Mix them together and bake in a 9x13 cake pan at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (since ovens vary). Sprinkle with powder sugar once cooled. Ahhhmazing!

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Follow me on Pinterest to see this and other recipes! http://pinterest.com/jnabernathy/

DIY Wreath - Take ONE

so thanks to my new found love of Pinterest i made my first attempt at a DIY Christmas wreath tonite. it actually turned out pretty cute. certainly room for improvement. but it was a total cinch and super cheap! all you need is a coat hanger, a hot glue gun, and some ornaments...i bought 2 boxes of 50 ($9 each) non-shatter ornaments from BIG LOTS. i DEFINITELY recommend the NON SHATTER type for this project!

find the full tutorial HERE

and follow me on PINTEREST for more Holiday DIY projects and other fun stuff :)

HAPPY DIYing :) xoxo

my wreath :)

no bake cookies

no baking. no fuss. no problem!



OATMEAL = 2 1/2 CUPS
PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCHY = 1/2 CUP

BUTTER = 1/4 CUP
COCOA = 4 TEASPOONS
SUGAR = 2 CUPS
MILK = 1/2 CUP
VANILLA = 2 TEASPOONS

BOIL EVERYTHING BUT THE OATMEAL AND PEANUT BUTTER FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES AND POUR OVER OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER MIXTURE.

PLACE IN FRIDGE TO COOL & HARDEN (20 - 30 MINUTES)

ENJOY :)

turkey pumpkin cornbread casserole

YUM! this is a warm and fuzzy recipe. it will leave you feeling FALL all over :) enjoy!



Dry Corn bread mix (I used Marie Callender's bc it requires nothing but water)

1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies
1 can black beans
1 can pumpkin purée

1lb ground turkey meat

Brown sugar
Salt and pepper
-----------------------------------
brown turkey meat stovetop in a frying pan (spray pan with canola oil first) season with salt and pepper. Cook thoroughly.

Mix cornbread as box indicates
Spread 1/2 mix in casserole dish (spray first with canola oil so cornbread doesn't stick)
Drain the tomatoes/chilies, beans and corn and mix with together with pumpkin purée. Mix in brown sugar. I'd say about 3 tablespoons.
Spread your mixture across the first layer of cornbread.

Cover that mixture with the rest of cornbread mix.

Bake for 35 minutes at 375.

Delish!!!

ridiculous - 15 months

i know, it is ridiculous. i have not posted in months. it is what it is. i will jump in at real time...i wont even attempt to catch up on all i have missed...

my baby is not a baby anymore. she is almost 15 months and is a toddler in all senses of the word. she has given up bottles she is quite the TALKER - her vocabulary expands daily. she can say so, so much! she knows her farm animal, zoo animal, cat dog, noises. she can tell you if she wants more or if she is all done (sign language). she says "NO" to LOTS...her new favorite word. she says hat and shoes - she will clearly love accessorizing and fashion like her mommy :). she eats table food and baby food, but of course prefers whatever mommy and daddy have on their plates. and our newest development....she is WALKING! i would say officially as of yesterday. she has toddled around 3 or so steps here and there only when i "forced" her too by suddenly pulling my finger from her death grip around it...but yesterday she stood herself up and took off on her own for 10 plus steps! such a proud moment for mommy and daddy! of course we cheered and squealed and begged her to do it again. she has...all day long today!ON YAY! i am sure walking will be our desired mode of transportation in no time. i am so excited! this opens up so many new exciting doors for us. the park is now more than just swings, and sophia is free to explore the world in a whole new way. i am beyond proud and thrilled for her! she

in case my blog is not indication enough...sophia keeps me busy beyond belief! ON TOP of the crazy fun mess that is raising a toddler...we also moved! we moved "back home" to tyler in August. my darling hubs was out of state for work during the majority of the process so i single handedly packed every last possession of ours and unpacked it all myself too. i attended both closings (for the sale of our old home and purchase of our new one) and signed Power of Attorney on hubs behalf. SO MUCH FUN...NOOOOOT! NEVER AGAIN! i seriously hope to die in this new house. partially because moving was such a nightmare, and also because i LOVE LOVE LOVE our new home. so please friends, come visit :)

i know there is much more to be said, but hey. at least i showed a little love to this web address. it was beginning to get all cob webby and dusty :)

xoxo

and what would a post be w/o a pic or 2!?!?


10 months


11 months


12 months


13 months


14 months

10 months

sweet sophia lynn is 10 months today. i have spent the last hour scrolling through pictures of her from birth to present day. i cannot say enough how in love i am with this little angel. is it not just absolutely insane how amazing motherhood is?! i am enjoying my life as a SAHM so, so much. i have not had a moment's regret in this decision. i LOVE spending every second with my precious daughter and we have the best time together.

a little info on my muffin-
-she is around 20lbs & 30inches
-2 top teeth and 2 bottom - working hard on some more this week, i can tell!
-she is quite the talker and can say the following - momma, dada, cat, uh oh, puppy, byebye and occasionally she will say "that" as in "whats that?"
-loves to sing. if you sing a song she will sing her own version right along with you
-crawling all over the place and pulling up to her knees on everything in sight.
-loves to cuddle and snuggle in my lap (be still my heart!)
-obsessed with the cat in the hat!
-prefers books over toys and constantly wants to be read to or to "read" herself
-excellent eater. she will eat anything in reach, rubberbands included (oops)
-claps her hands
-dances (bounces) to music
-knows where her tongue is :) and sticks it out if you ask her
-has a ton of hair
-hates accessories (breaks my heart). rips shoes, sunglasses, bows, headbands, hats off of her body before you can even get the all the way on. i have no idea where she gets this. we are working on it!

she is the light of my life and my little best friend. happy 10 months sophia! mommy and daddy LOVE you!

NINE months

it is so hard to believe that my sweet angel is nine months old today. she has brought more beauty to my world than i could have ever dreamed. she is truly my tiny, little best friend. these days when she is playing with her toys on the floor i will watch her from across the room and she is totally unaware. she will pick up her little stuffed bunny and hug and kiss it. and then, she talks to it. she will have a full on conversation with this bunny (of course nothing that you or i could understand). her tiny voice is so sweet and she is so endearing. its the little things, isnt it? i could just sit and watch her for hours. she is a tiny sponge, soaking up this world as fast as her little eyes and ears can send it all to her brain. she is growing and learning a mile a minute. she is still so pure and free from all this world is. i know it wont be this way forever and i cherish every single second. i pray every night that she will be an intimate of god's. that even now, when there are no words, that she will hear his whispers and know him and his great love for her. i am overwhelmed at the gift god has given me in my sweet daughter. to be a mother is undoubtedly the greatest joy i will ever know. nine months...where does the time go? i love you rooster, xoxo -mommy




ps) am i the only mommy that stares at the monitor trying to figure out a way that i can crawl into that crib without waking her up or breaking the darn thing? i wish i could cuddle her at night while she sleeps! :)

so i had a baby...

hello...is anyone out there? no, i havent been hacked...its really me...

yep. i had a baby. and i know that lots of you do too and you have still found the time to blog and stay on top of life. and to that i say cheers, hats off to you and way to go. NOT ME! my world has been turned upside down, literally, for the last (almost) NINE months! WOW. has it really been that long? time has flown by since sophia entered the world and yet at the same time it is as if she has always been with us. it is hard to remember life without sophia. it is certainly a richer and more fulfilling life with her in it!

just in case anyone out there in cyber-world still checks in on this blog, i will catch you up to speed. since my last post things have really changed. i resigned from my job back in february and made the decision to be a stay at home mommy. this is something i really wanted from day one. i was terrified of going back to work and leaving my angel behind, but mommys do what mommys gotta do. and for the time being, that was work! ANYWHO...since then we have reprioritized life and living and i am a beaming and thrilled SAHM! yay! it is truly a miracle from the lord and i am so, so blessed beyond measure to be at home with SLA. i am very thankful to my loving and supportive family, especially my husband!

these days SLA and i spend most of our time walking, playing at the park (she loves to swing), visiting with friends, shopping, cooking (a new hobby of mine to go along with the home-maker gig), and just enjoying one another's company. she is at such a fun age laughing and talking (well babbling, but she DOES say momma!. i wouldn't trade a second of our time for anything. she has brought matthew and i so much joy!

anyhow - i hope to keep things fresh from this point on. after the pregnancy i started journaling (by hand, yes old skool style) for sophia. i hope to one day give her the book as a special keepsake. so hence, the blog sort of took a backseat. but with work off my back and a little extra time on my hands (a LITTLE) i think i can manage a post here and there :)...hey, if you can do it, i can do it!

xooxo jna, SAHM ;)

and of course...here is a recent pic of my heart <3