Peanut Post: 11 Month Update!

My little Annalyn, you never cease to amaze me.  With only one month til your first birthday, you are changing and learning so fast!  Every day is an adventure as you become more and more mobile, curious, and brave.  I started writing this post, then for whatever reason decided it was time to update your baby book (I was really good about it for the first 4-5 months, but the last few have been a little neglected).  So now that it's midnight and I'm pretty well caught up on your book (minus the pics), I'm finally finishing my post.  You will never have to doubt where you're obsessive nature comes from - that one's all me, kiddo.

"singing"

such a lady...

Mexican Beef Poblano Casserole

This layered Mexican casserole starts with a layer of poblano peppers, then taco meat with corn and black beans, and finally a green chile and cheese topping.  The result is more than worthy of the one-pot-wonder title.  Like it spicy?  Add some hot sauce and jalapeno peppers to the taco meat.  Extra mild?  Use green bell peppers in place of poblanos and mild salsa verde in place of the green chiles.  Not a fan of red meat?  Try shredded chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.  It's just so versatile!

Mexican Beef Poblano Casserole



Ingredients:

- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef (or mix it up and use shredded chicken)
- 2 poblano peppers, halved and seeded
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
- 2 T. taco seasoning (my recipe here)
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 (7 oz) can diced green chiles
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 c. shredded cheese

Comfort Food Classic: Ham & Bean Soup

Here's a comfort food classic for leftover ham.  I found this great dried bean mixture made specifically for ham soup, so I decided to give it a shot (you can also use the dried bean mixes for bean soup).  From there, add veggies and spices of your choice and you've got a perfect way to use leftover ham.

Ham & Bean Soup

Ingredients:

- 1/2 bag dried bean mix

- 1/2 lb. leftover ham or hambone with some ham left

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 celery stalks, sliced

- 1 green bell pepper, chopped

- 2 T. minced garlic

- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

- 1 t. chili powder

- 1/2 t. black pepper

- 1/2 t. dill weed

- 4-6 cups water (I had to add a couple more cups while simmering because it cooked down so much)

Peanut Post: When Life Gives You Lemons

Being the great parents that we are, we decided to let Annalyn try a lemon after dinner the other night.  Naturally, we assumed she'd make a funny face, want a drink of water, then be done with it.  But not our Peanut.  Oh no, this little lady thought it was awesome.  In fact, she actually screamed when we took it away from her.

 



first taste

 

loving it...

 

obsessing over it...

 

the face we expected her to make,

but is actually just from the flash

Pumpkin Monster Cookie Dough Dip

An unusual take on my pumpkin fluff dip?  Well, yes.  But a slightly healthier, safer-than-raw-egg-version of cookie dough?  Absolutely.  Today Peanut & I are celebrating that I didn't have to report for jury duty on my day off (granted, I'll probably have to go in tomorrow, but at least it's in place of work, not Peanut time).  What better way to celebrate than with cookie dough?!  Funny how girls think, isn't it?  I'm upset... I want cookie dough.  I'm excited... I want cookie dough!  We should celebrate... I want cookie dough!! Sorry, I digress...

Point being, I wanted a fun treat, but call me crazy, wasn't quite ready to feed my baby raw eggs.  Therefore, this creation was born!  Why the pumpkin you might ask?  Basically, it adds a little flavor, great texture, and some hidden nutrition in an otherwise lacking dish.  And it's better for me than butter... Now for the fun part - the MONSTER!  Giving cookies the title of monster pretty much means you can throw anything and everything into them and expect it to be delicious.  My favorites are chocolate chips, M&M's, oatmeal, and raisins.

Now that you feel like you're really getting away with something bad, here's the best part - it makes about 12 servings (about 1/2 c. each) 7 points each!  Feeling extra gutsy today?  Go ahead, eat a whole cup... it's still only 14 points.  Here's how Mama makes it:

Pumpkin Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients:

-  1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin

- 1 (5 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix

- 1/4 c. packed brown sugar

- 1 (16 oz.) container lite whipped topping, thawed

- 1 1/2 c. rolled oats

- 1/3 c. chocolate chips (I like the mini chips)

- 1/2 c. M&M's

- 1/4 c. raisins



Peanut Post: Whipped Banana Avocado Smoothie

Avocado and banana has always been a favorite combination for Annalyn.  As she's gotten older, we've added the yogurt and/or whole milk to make it even creamer.  I must confess that I occasionally steal some of this puree for myself because it's so yummy.  It's actually one of Peanut's and my favorite breakfast treats.   Here's how this mama makes it:

Whipped Banana Avocado Smoothie



Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 ripe avocadoes
- 1 small container plain or vanilla yogurt (try to use whole milk yogurt without a lot of added sugar)
- whole milk, as needed to achieve desired consistency (about 1/4 - 1/2 c.)

Fighting the Urge to Eat Out: Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe came from another one of my random Thai food cravings.  Eager to "make my own take out," I started scouring my pantry and fridge for ingredients and inspiration.  We were actually very pleased with the result!  It tastes very similar to my favorite Thai dish, with the added ease of a slow cooker (my latest obsession if you haven't noticed!).  I gave Annalyn some of the chicken, veggies, and rice, but because the sauce had a little kick to it, I rinsed it first (to make a super mild version, use plain diced tomatoes without the chilis).  Here's how Mama made it happen:

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken



Ingredients:

- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 c. red onion
- 1/2 c. white onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 can pineapple chunks
- 1 c. sliced mushrooms
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes with green chilis
- 1 T. grated fresh ginger
- 2 T. sugar
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- juice of 1 lime
- 3 T. cornstarch
- 3 T. cider vinegar
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 2 T. sweet chili sauce

Peanut Post: Adorable or Kinda Gross? You decide!

I was snapping some silly pictures of Peanut & Gus when this precious moment happened.  My initial thought was "awe, how sweet" but then I pulled the picture up and it changed slightly to "eww, how gross."  I asked Michael to weigh in and he just smiled and said, "why can't it be both?"  I guess I'm too black & white sometimes to appreciate the duality in life, especially life with a baby.  At the very least, it made me smile and hopefully you did, too!

 

 



Cinnamon Twist Bread

Another snow day adventure, here's a Pinterest idea brought to life.  This cinnamon twist bread was a delicious and fairly simple morning treat.  It looks fancy, but the technique is pretty basic (although mine was a little sloppy because we were so hungry!).  I used the same dough as I used for this braided fruit pastry, since I had all the ingredients on hand and it's a quick no-rise recipe.  The result was warm, cinnamony goodness!  The only thing I think I'll add next time is a light glaze.  That is, of course, assuming I can keep from digging into it the minute it comes out of the oven!

Cinnamon Twist Bread

Ingredients:



- 2 1/2 cups bread flour

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (one of the small packets)

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup warm water

- 2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

- 3/4 stick butter or margarine

- 1/2 c. sugar

- 2 - 3 T. cinnamon

Super Easy Nutella Banana Ice Cream - 3 Ingredients & a Blender!

Here is another recipe curtesy of my BFF, Shawna.  I just don't know what I'd do without this lady!  This recipe is so easy with only 3 ingredients and a blender required.  It blends up so creamy and smooth, you will just die at the first taste.  Michael had his doubts, but even he loved it!  It's only 7 pts per serving (makes 8 big servings, would be less points if you just have a single scoop like I did... if it helps, it's about 55 pts for the whole batch!).

Nutella Banana Ice Cream



Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. Nutella (Shawna actually uses 1/4 c. Nutella, 1/4 c. peanut butter)
- 2 ripe bananas (I like to look for the manager special ones that are discounted because they are so ripe)
- 1 (16 oz.) container lite whipped topping (keep the container to store the final product in)