Recipe: Chick-faux-la

Let me start by saying no one loves Chick-fil-a more than the Lyon family here. There have even been weeks in the past where our family has eaten lunch there 5 days out of 7. Besides the fact that such a habit can b rough on the weekly budget there are other factors to consider such as how unhealthy that can be and it's not always the most convenient option. So, I started looking for other options. I found a few different copy cat recipes online and after trying a few out I created my own version. I'll admit it's not a dead ringer for CFA but, in my opinion, it's a tasty second place and even better, it's really easy to make. 

First step, cut your boneless, skinless chicken breasts into nuggets, strips or just fillet if you're a sandwich fan. Place in a large freezer bag with a zipper. (I used the 2.5 gal) for every two ounces of chicken use 1/4 cup of dill pickle juice. We love Claussen's, especially the hearty garlic. Let the chicken sit in the pickle juice in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Next, drain pickle juice from the bag. Mix I beaten egg with 2 Tbsp buttermilk or cream. Pour into bag and massage chicken to work the egg and buttermilk in. Wait 5-10 minutes and drain again. 

 While your chicken is soaking in the egg/buttermilk mixture mix together your dry ingredients:

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1 Tbsp paprika

- 1 tsp each salt and pepper

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Stir those together. Once you've drained the egg/ buttermilk from the bag,  pour in your dry ingredients. Work into chicken one last time. Fry chicken in oil or lard ( we use peanut oil) until done. Usually 3-4 minutes.  

Enjoy! 

Note: when we make this, we usually make tons extra so that I can flash freeze a bunch to have on hand. For frozen nuggets and strip bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes. For fillet breasts, bake for 15-17 minutes. 

Another note: please excuse my crummy phone pictures. They'll get better as I blog more. 

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Meet Ellie Kate

Photo by Kristina Maor Photography

Everyone meet Ellie Kathryn Lyon! She was born on September 4, 2012 at 5:46pm. She was 9 lbs. even and 20.5 inches long. When she was born I didn't think she looked like she could be 9 lbs. but she was! She's such a good, easy going baby. We all love her very much and are so excited to have her in our family. Her big sister is especially fond of her. Watching Maggie meet Ellie Kate for the first time was one of the sweetest sights I have ever seen and I will remember it forever. I wish we had gotten it all on video but due to lots of stuff going on all at the same time when Maggie first came in we missed our chance.

Our first couple of weeks at home have been great! We had a few bumps in the road at first but we have managed to work through them and our now figuring out our new normal. I am happy to report that Maggie still loves her baby sister who she calls "Ellie Cake". She hasn't asked us when she is leaving or tried to send her away. She loves to help me out with her when she can especially when it's time to give Ellie Kate a bath. I'm excited to have her learn to help out more and more and watch her grow. Being a mommy to these two girls is such a blessing and I love watching them grow and learn even though sometimes it goes a little too quickly.

Pinterest Attempt: Frosty Recipe

When I was pregnant with Maggie I had massive Frosty cravings and would ask Will to run to Wendy's to get one for me at late hours. Most of the time he would go for me but at least half the time he went the machine would be down. Fast forward to this pregnancy. The Frosty cravings hit but not nearly as strongly as last time but that didn't stop me from pinning this recipe for a Wendy's Frosty copycat. I thought if nothing else it would be a fun project for Maggie and I later on.

 

Well, now that football season is starting back up I was trying to come up with something fun that Maggie and I could do while her daddy watched the games. I remembered this recipe and we decided to give it a try.

 

Here is all you need. (Not pictures, ice cubes.) 

 

Get your vanilla, pudding mix, cool whip and milk together...

 

 Grab a really cute, REALLY enthusiastic helper....

 

Place about 8 ice cubes as well as the other four ingredients into your blender...

 



 

and let it blend.

 

(Please excuse the blender in the garage. I make smoothies in the mornings and don't want to wake the entire house.)

 

 

Enjoy!

 

In reality you put this in the freezer, stir it ever now and then until it gets to the same consistency of a Frosty.

 

In conclusion it was a fun, tasty treat for Maggie and I to make but doesn't really taste at all like a Wendy's Frosty. It does need a little something to sweeten it up a bit. I may try it again with chocolate milk or maybe some powdered sugar.

Pinterest Attempt: Maternity Hospital Gown

A few months ago I was on Pinterest and came across a pin for "designer maternity hospital gowns" and I immediately fell in love with them. I did not, however, fall in love with the prices I was finding! They ranged anywhere from $50-$70! For something that was going to end up with some sort of gunk on it either from delivery or a new baby! (Sorry but it's the truth.) While the price turned me off to the idea of purchasing a gown it didn't turn me off to the idea all together. I searched a bit more and came across a tutorial on how to make one for myself.

After finding my fabric and matching ribbon I set out to make the gown. I did have to make a few alterations to the pattern but nothing major or difficult. I will say that the hardest part of making this gown was not having my serger. (It's at the shop being serviced as I type.) But I didn't want to put off making the gown due to Ellie's fast approaching due date. I'm really happy with how the gown turned out.

My favorite feature is the nursing capabilities. I remember with Maggie that the hospital gowns were not quite as modest or discrete as I would liked to have been.

So, instead of spending anywhere from $50-$70 I spent a little over $20 and have a custom hospital gown. I'm really happy with how it came out! I can't wait to wear it when Ellie makes her big debut! 

First Haircut

Almost everywhere we go someone comments on Maggie's curls. I really do think they are beautiful even if I do have mom goggles on. However each morning was turning into a battle when brushing her hair because her ends were still little fine baby hairs. They were wispy and would tangle easily. I decided that the best solution would be to trim the little wispy ends. Will was due for a trim as well so we all went together to the salon to get everyone clipped.

Maggie waited her turn and was really excited to have her "cut hair" but even more than that. She was excited for the chance to earn a lollipop.

Here she is while waiting for her name to be called

The stylist sprayed her hair down before brushing out tangles and every time she sprayed the water Maggie said "Eww stinky."

Once her hair was sectioned off and the trimming started Maggie looked in the mirror and said to her stylist "Are you sure this is going to be okay?" We would reassure her and tell her it was fine. A few minutes would pass and she would ask again. I have no idea where she came up with that but she was cracking us up.

She did great and earned her lollipop. The whole time she was in the chair she had us laughing. This kid is definitely one of a kind. Also, I'm happy to report that while we have still battled a couple of times when combing out hair in the mornings it's gotten much better and not nearly as bad as before. 

My First Pinterest Project Review

I've managed to complete a few Pinterest projects and recipes but I think that this one is my favorite so far. When we found out that we were expecting a new baby Maggie was still in her crib but getting close to making the move to a big bed. Instead of changing her nursery into her big girl room we decided to start from scratch it was was our office. I started looking at different ideas for this room and wanted to have run getting it all together for Maggie. One thing that I really needed to do was come up with a solution for her books. The little cubby shelf they were on was now too small for them. In the process of searching for ideas for her room I stumbled upon this photo on Pinterest. I fell in love with it because I thought it would take up less time than a traditional book shelf.



I think they are already a little full

 I found fabric that coordinated with her new bedding which I also made and set out to make the shelves/slings.

The sewing portion of the project took no time at all. I did make a few changes to the measurements just to fit them on our wall a little better but other than that I followed the tutorial completely. If she adds any more books to her library I'm going to have to add another shelf. 

Making my return to Blogging

So, after taking a year and a half break from blogging I'm toying with the idea of starting back up again. I would love having a place to keep family and friends up to date on Maggie and Ellie (due to arrive around the end of August) as they grow. Also, with the discovery of Pinterest I think it would be a lot of fun to share any ideas I try to complete from there. It may seem silly but I think it'll be fun.

Show Us Your Life- Christmas Tour of Homes

Kelly at Kelly's Corner and The Nester are both hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes so I thought I would participate and show you our little bit of Christmas decor we have. I should probably start off by saying that I love, love, LOVE Christmas time! I love the decorations, the food, the traditions and the celebrations! Mostly I love celebrating the birth of Jesus. So, with all that in mind I usually start getting ready for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rush Thanksgiving. I love it too. It's just that I want to make sure that I get my fill of Christmas before it's over. 

Most of my Christmas decorations are gifts and hand-me-downs and truthfully, I love that! I love that there is a story or a memory behind every single thing.  

Here is our tree which was a gift from my grandmother and aunt on mine and Will's first Christmas after we were married. I love this tree. It's nice an big and full! You can also see the tree skirt which I made this year. I seriously love the fabric in this tree skirt. I was walking through Joann Fabric's and the fabric caught my eye. I saw it and decided I had to come up with something to make just so I could use that fabric. So, now I have a beautiful tree skirt. I also made one for my sister while I was at it. 

 Here is our mantle. About half of what is on this mantle was given to us by my aunt and grandmother, yet again. Those two are probably the only two people I know who love to decorate for Christmas as much as I do. I still need to get a stocking for Maggie but I haven't found just the right one. I thought of making one for her but I haven't found any more fabric that I love and wouldn't you know that the fabric I made the tree skirt out of was all sold out before Thanksgiving!

Here is Maggie's Little People Nativity. I have this sitting on our window seat so that Maggie can play with it. She usually just throws the pieces all over our living room and we have since composed the song "Oh Little Terror of Bethlehem". It's a lovely little ditty about a giant baby who comes to the little town of Bethlehem and destroys it with one swift sweep of her giant baby arm. Luckily, the town miraculously recovers...several times a day.

See...they recover nicely.

This nativity is one that my dad made years ago and gave to my grandmother. Last year she passed it down to me. I played with this nativity set every year when I was a little girl. Some of the pieces have been repaired or replaced but it's still a very special addition to our Christmas decor.

Lastly, every single year since the year I was born my grandparents have given me a brass ornament. I have several all over our tree. I love them all. They are so unique and special to me. Here is one of my favorites. Of course all of these ornaments are out of Maggie's reach. In fact, if you look very closely at our tree you can see where all the kid friendly ornaments stop and the more fragile ornaments end.

So, that's our Christmas decor. I hope you all enjoy it. Hopefully next year we will have more to add.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Show Us Your Life- Bathrooms

I have been reading Kelly's Corner for a few months now and decided to participate in her 'Show Us Your Life' series. So, here goes...

First, let me say that bathrooms, especially in our house are hard to photograph. And they are not fun at all. But the have their purpose... and that's all I'll say about that.

This is the master bath. It's long and narrow which is why this is all you can see of it. I felt weird posting a picture of just the toilet so you can use your imagination. We do have a nice, big tub that I love!!! But I left that picture out, too, because it was hard to get a picture of it.

This is our guest bathroom/Maggie's bathroom.

I really want to take out this vanity, mirror and light fixture and put in a pedestal sink, new mirror and lighting to dress it up a little.

Here are the little pictures in the wall in the bathroom. Just thought I'd include them because they are cute and bathroom themed.

So, there you have it. Hopefully the next 'Show Us Your Life' will allow me to show you something a little more interesting in our house. Especially since the holidays are coming!

Smile and say "Cheese"!

Lately, whenever I take out the camera and ask Maggie to smile and say "cheese" I usually get one of these silly faces. What a goof! It looks quite similar to a face that her Aunt Bird use to make when she was asked to smile. We called it her Popeye face.

1 Year Old!

WARNING: Lots of pictures.
I know I'm about a month late in posting pictures of Maggie's first birthday but since that day our lives have been busy, busy, busy! So, with out further delay here we go...

We had a lunch party for Maggie's first birthday and invited family and friends to join us at my mother-in-law's house. We decided to have a cupcake theme for her party and even though I didn't get to make everything I had wanted to for the party there were still several fun little cupcake items...

Such as the cupcakes them selves...

Maggie's cupcake shirt I made for her to wear... ( I probably should have put the little cupcake up higher...oh well...we live and learn.)

And her birthday cake.

Speaking of cake...this kid LOVES her cake! She had no problem getting in there and tearing that sucker up!

We had a great time at Maggie's party and really appreciated having all our friends and family that could make it there.

We especially enjoyed trying to take this picture. I was about to split a gut this was so funny. All these little kids were such troopers!

Harvest Festival 2010

Before it gets too late I wanted to publish a few photos of my little Lyon in her lion costume at this years Harvest Festival.

Maggie was really a good sport about wearing this little outfit. I had not planned on us really doing anything for Halloween. Our church usually holds a Harvest Festival as a Halloween alternative and initially I hadn't even planned on us going to that because I really don't want Maggie or any of our kids thinking that we have to do anything on that night. We never really did anything when I was growing up so I didn't feel the need with Maggie. And then I came across this pattern. It was so cute and it was a LION!!! How perfect! I had to make it. I started it in the beginning of October not knowing how difficult it was going to be and was done with the majority of it pretty quickly. The hardest part was gluing all the little ribbons on the hood. But I am so pleased with the results! I think I have the cutest little lion ever!

A shot of the tail. I had a few requests to see the back.

At the Harvest Festival.

Keepin' it Clean

I remember, growing up, Saturday was always the cleaning day at our house. I dreaded it. I'm sure my parents dreaded it because it was like pulling teeth getting us to actually do our chores and do them well. Now that I'm in my own house I do see the importance of keeping your house clean and taking care of things but I still hate the thought of dedicating Saturday morning to doing that. Especially since that is one time when Will is home and we can spend time together. Keeping all that in mind I went searching for a solution and that's when I discovered The Clean Mama!

For the past couple of months I've been following her blog and after a while I started using her weekly docket to keep our house in order and keep me on a schedule. It's been great! Every day has a task assigned to it as well as specific task that I do every day. For example, today is the day I wash our floors so I will mop all the hard floors in our house and tomorrow is vacuuming day so that will take care of the rest of the floors in the house. That means that after tomorrow I will have cleaned our entire house for the week and I'll have the weekend to enjoy my family.

The best part of it all is that our house stays fairly clean and I don't feel like I'm working hard and stressing out over staying on top of it. Some tasks I complete while Maggie is napping and others I complete while she is just playing around the house and I can keep an eye on her. And I have it all done on Saturday morning!

So, that's what has worked for me. Let me know what works for you and your family.

"No Puke" Beef Stew

Sadly there is no photo to go with this post but that's mainly because when making this wonderful meal there is not much to photograph.

This is a simple crock-pot recipe that I grew up on and it's delicious! Even though we call it "No Puke". And how did it get such a name? Well, because I'm an airhead and don't always read things carefully. At least not when I was as kid.

I think it was about the time we got a crock-pot that we discovered a recipe for "No Peek" beef stew and my mom decided to make it. I glanced at the recipe and could have sworn that the title said "No Puke" and so that's what we constantly referred to it as. I thought that maybe beef stew had a reputation for not being so tasty and that this was a recipe that was actually for a good and tasty beef stew. (Hey, I was about 8 years old, cut me some slack.) So, we made the beef stew and I loved it and continued to call it "No Puke" and no one corrected me. In fact, we just called it that and still do. I don't think that I actually discovered that the name of it was "No Peek" until I was married and looking for the recipe to make for Will and myself.

So, what is in this wonderful beef stew? It's so simple:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 envelope of onion soup mix
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 lbs. beef for stew

Pour the first three ingredients into a crock-pot and mix together. Add the beef and mix in to cover with sauce mix. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles. It's fabulous! And it won't make you...um...puke.

It's a Great Day at Chick-fil-a

Maggie has decided, with the help of her parents, that she is a huge fan of Chick-fil-a. She and I frequently have lunch dates with Will at this favorite restaurant. Besides the fact that their food is great, there is also the friendly service of the staff their that makes eating at CFA such a treat.

They love to talk to Maggie and play with her and on occasion they will give her a balloon, which she loves. This particular time they even gave her a stuffed cow! She played with it the rest of the day.

The last reason we love CFA...

We love sharing ice dream with each other. Although, Maggie is still learning the concept of sharing....we are working on it.

DIY Home Decor

Yes, I have taken a 2 month break from blogging and now I return with a DIY post... I do have Maggie updates but for right now this is what I want to blog about.

Ever since Will and I moved into our house I have been trying to decorate but have been on a very strict budget. I have looked online at several blogs for great, inexpensive ideas and finally found one that I thought I could cut my crafting teeth on. I found this through another blogger's site and decided to give it a try. Well, here are the results:

I bought all my supplies that I didn't already have at the Dollar Store. So the total project cost me about $2.00. Let me know what you think.

She gets it from her Aunt Jenny...

When I was about 10 years old my mom, sisters and I discovered a soft serve ice cream that we loved. Some evenings after dinner we would make a special trip to the mall where it was located just to have a cone. And if we happened to be at the mall for any special reason we usually stopped to get some then as well. One day in particular my mom, sisters, and I were at the mall and we wanted to get some ice cream but my mom only had enough cash to buy one cone. (this was obviously in the days before check cards) We all decided that we would share the cone, each person would take a little and pass it on to the next. Jenny was maybe about 2 years old and while she said she was on board with this plan, I now believe that the only part of the plan she actually understood and agreed to was the buying of the ice cream cone. The sharing part went way over her 2 year old head.


So, we made our purchase and started the sharing rotation. First mom took her turn, then me, next Adrienne and last was Jenny. The whole time the cone was being passed around she waited anxiously for her turn. Once she had it, I think, she thought it was hers for good. She took her turn and when mom reached to take it from her for the next person Jenny let out a scream that would wake the dead...and she didn't stop until it was her turn again. She did this every time we took it from her. We would try to calm her down in between turns but she still screeched at the top of her lungs. People were gawking at us wondering what awful things were being done to this poor child who would not stop yelling. We also tried to explain to her before giving her another turn that she would have to give up the cone once she took her turn but she would get it again. It didn't matter, all she knew was that she wanted HER ice cream and WE were taking it from her. I think we eventually gave her the rest of it once we got to the end of it. To this day we still give Jenny a hard time about that incident.

Now, almost 19 years later there is another little girl who has a similar love for ice cream and detestation for sharing it...

A few weeks ago Maggie and I went to visit Will while he was working at the valet. While we were there I ran over to Kilwin's, the new favorite ice cream joint, and got a small chocolate cup for us to share. I thought we would also give Maggie a couple of bites to see how she liked it. It might as well have been Jenny eating that ice cream when she was 2 because every time we filled the spoon to serve ourselves Maggie hollered until we gave her some. Only this time there was no explaining and no reasoning, not that it made much difference when we tried with Jenny.

We haven't given her any more ice cream since that time. First of all, she's still a little young, second of all, I personally like the mall from time to time. I'd like to be able to return there. I fear that if my child keeps up that screaming they might ask us to leave and not come back. That has happened in my family as well. That is a comparison I do not wish to make...