Thirty-one.

 I turned 31 today!

Last night, Sean and I celebrated by going out to dinner and to the movies. We saw It -- and I was so scared! I remembered most of the scenes so I knew exactly when to look away (!) but it was still scary. Today we did a lot of errands but we also had ice cream cake twice, I got to choose what to have for lunch (Outback) and we tried to take a family photo (it was only mildly successful).

Javi thoroughly enjoyed blowing out my candles (again and again and again). You might say he's practicing for his very own birthday celebration -- next Saturday (though his birthday isn't until the 20th). The lucky guy had ice cream three times on his mama's birthday. :)

Life Lately.

Well, it's been a while since I've sat down just to write about life so I thought now is as good a time as any! Sean's back in Florida, spending time with his dad who is having some health issues. He left last Tuesday so Javi and I have spent a lot of time together and with my parents. I've tried to keep his schedule the same, as much as possible, though it's really sad to come home, put him to bed and then have nothing to do and no one to hang out with all evening! Let's just say I've been watching a lot of Friends (and staying away from Criminal Minds which I started to watch on night 1 and then I was like WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?!).

Along with repeats of Friends and How I Met Your Mother (always my go-to's) I've been catching up on Baby Daddy, and The People vs. OJ Simpson. Javi accidentally purchased HBO (and Starz) through our Amazon firestick though I was a bit excited because I got to watch Big Little Lies which I loved! I'm in need of more shows to watch though -- I have a long week ahead of me and after he's in bed I don't have much to do. I've tried so many Netflix shows and can't find one that I can make it past episode 1. 

My summer job is going well. It's not necessarily what I imagined and is definitely a lot different than what I'm used to (philosophy-wise, daily schedule-wise, budget-wise) but at this point there are only 2 weeks left. Since Sean's left I've had to change my hours to make my already really short days -- even shorter. But I'm home most days by 12:20 and two days a week Javi is at his own daycare/summer camp so I get to come home, eat Dairy Queen and watch TV -- but mostly I just nap.

Speaking of naps, I'm really proud of myself for finally getting to a place where Javi naps -- in his crib! I feel like it's a major accomplishment. He doesn't always do it, but for the past week he has and it's amazing how refreshed I feel when he naps in his crib compared to when he naps in the car. Car naps mean I have to drive him around and then I become exhausted! So -- yay for crib naps!

I was a bit overwhelmed this week on Prime Day. There were so many things I wanted but ultimately picked out a scooter, a helmet and a wheelbarrow for Javi. He's gotten to ride his scooter (once) in the house and it was definitely clear I could have just gotten him the helmet because that was his favorite part. In fact, when I took it off he had a full meltdown screaming "mine!" and then tried to convince me he needed to wear it in the car. 

// star wars slippers // star wars pajamas (sold out, similar here)

Did you get any Prime Day purchases?! If so, what?

What we ate: dinner series.

Here's to another week of dinner meals! You can find more recipes here and here. This week we ate chicken tacos, coney island hot dogs and philly cheesesteaks! Javi was really only interested in the tacos -- toddlers! -- am I right?! I really thought he would like his first hot dog but he mostly just ate the ketchup (and the chili). 

- - - - -

Chicken --

You need:

- 3 Chicken Breasts

- 6 Chicken Thighs

- 2 12oz cans of Pickled Jalapeno slices

- Salt to Taste

Pico de Gallo -- (for the best flavor, make it the day before! Store it in the fridge)

You need:

- 3 roma tomatoes (cubed small)

- 1/3 cup red onion (finely chopped)

- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

- 1 jalapeno (finely chopped)

- 1 lime (juiced)

- Salt to taste

Grab your crockpot and put the chicken and the jalapeno slices inside. Set it for 8 hours! 

Make tortillas. (Previous recipe)

After the 8 hours, take the chicken out of the crockpot and shred it in another bowl. Add some of the juices from the leftover jalapenos mix to your desired level of spiciness. Taste as you go and add salt if needed. Serve (you can add a cheese of your choice, too. We like monterey jack, cotija and queso fresco)!

- - - - -

For Chili -- 

You need:

- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

- 2 cups water

- ½ cup diced onion

- 1/3 cup ketchup

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 cloves garlic (minced)

- 2 tablespoons chili powder

- 1 ½ teaspoons salt

- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

- 1 pinch cayenne pepper

For hot dogs --

You need:

- 8 all-beef hot dogs

- 8 hot dog buns

- 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard, or to taste

- 1/4 cup diced onion, or to taste

- Fiesta Blend Cheese

Brown the ground beef in a little bit of olive oil in a pot. Combine ground beef, water, 1/2 cup diced onion, ketchup, butter, garlic, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, celery salt, and cayenne pepper together in a pot. Mix with a potato masher or spatula over medium-high heat until mixture has a finely ground consistency and begins to bubble. It will take about 10 minutes.

Bring beef mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and reduces, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook hot dogs in boiling water until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange hot dog buns on a baking sheet. Cook buns in the preheated oven until soft and warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Place a hot dog in the bun and top with meat sauce and top with cheese. Drizzle yellow mustard and diced onion over the meat sauce. Repeat with remaining hot dogs. Serve!

- - - - -

You need:

- Sub rolls

- 1 lb. of Rib-eye (shaved thinly)

- 1 white onion (sliced thinly)

- 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow bell peppers (sliced thinly)

- 2 garlic cloves

- American cheese

- Extra virgin olive oil for grilling

- Salt and pepper

Heat a griddle of a large saute pan over medium-high hight. When hot, cover the bottom with olive oil. Add onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring until carmelized (6-8 minutes). Add garlic and salt and pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Push the mixture off to one side of the griddle and add the meat onto the griddle (or pan). Cook continuously flipping the meat over and slightly chopping the meat into smaller pieces. Mix the meat, onions and bell peppers together. Divide into 2 portions and top both with cheese to melt. Fill sub rolls and serve!

What we ate: dinner series

I'm back for another installment of what we ate for dinner this week! So far, it's been a fun experience to share this cooking and blogging partnership! So without further adieu...

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This is totally my favorite meal from the week. You can pretty much sell me anything with ranch dressing -- let's be serious. Javi really loved it, too!

You need:

- 1 chicken breast (cut into cubes)

- Ranch Dressing

- 3 slices of bacon (cut into little strips)

- 2 Roma Tomatoes

- 2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese

- Olive Oil

- Parmesan Cheese

- Kosher Salt

- Freshly Grated Pepper

- Pizza Dough (check out last week's post)

Preheat the oven to 450F. Take the dough out of the oven and let it warm up for a bit. Pour a little bit of olive oil in large cast iron skillet (enough to coat it). Place the dough in the skillet and push around the sides. Let rest while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium cast iron skillet on medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside bacon on a plate with paper towels when it's finished. Do not drain skillet! Put the chicken in the same skillet with the bacon oil. Salt and pepper the chicken. Cook until it's done and set aside.

Cut the roma tomatoes into 9 equal sized circles. Set aside.

If the pizza dough has retracted a bit, push it to the sides again. Top the pizza with ranch dressing. Make sure not to use too much (even though I love ranch... I will admit if you're heavy on the ranch it's a bit overwhelming). A thin coat will do just fine. Break up some of the bacon and mix it in with the ranch dressing. Next top with the mozzarella cheese. Spread it evenly all over the dough. Grate a good amount of parmesan on top. Then place the tomatoes, chicken, and bacon on the pizza. Top with some more parmesan cheese. Sprinkle some kosher salt and grate a little bit of pepper over the top of the pizza.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Try not to peak and open the oven. You’ll let the heat out! But make sure the cheese is not burning on the top.

Take the pizza out of the oven when it's done (remember the handle will be BURNING). Slice, grate some parmesan over the top (again) and drizzle some ranch dressing over the top. Serve! 

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So I'll be perfectly honest -- I'm a fan of fast food -- as in the "restaurants". We bought these cute little fast food baskets with the paper inserts from amazon this week. It really helped with the fast food vibe! It's like you're in a fast food joint (but the food is good) and you're in the comfort of your own home!

Sliders -- 

You need:

- 1 Package of King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

- 1 lb Ground Beef (80/20)

- 1 Onion

- 6 slices of bacon

- American Cheese

- Claussen Pickles

- Mustard

- Ketchup

Preheat the oven to 400F. Run a bread knife all the way through the King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls to separate the bottoms from the tops. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the ground beef on the parchment paper, and start creating a rectangle shape. Open the package of King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls and use the cardboard piece to measure out the size you need for the patties. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes draining off the fat once in a while.

Slice the bacon into small pieces and fry on the stove top until your desired texture. Line a plate with paper towels and let the bacon dry. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until sweated out and set aside when done.

The beef should be done now so take it out of the oven and set it aside. Place the dinner rolls on another baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes at 400F. 

Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice the beef into 12 individual patties and place patties on the rolls. Top the patties with cheese and put back in the oven until cheese is melted. Once the cheese is melted get your toppings (we like onions, pickles, bacon, mustard, and ketchup). Put the top of the dinner rolls on the patty and serve!

Deep Fried Garlic Parmesan French Fries --

You need:

 - 6-8 Idaho Potatoes

- Canola Oil (for frying)

-  Salt (to taste)

- Parmesan Cheese

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2-3 cloves of garlic

- Corn Starch

Heat fryer to 300F. Mince garlic. In a pan, heat up the olive oil and sweat out the garlic on medium-high heat until it has softened a bit (about 1-3 minutes). Set aside.

Cut potatoes into desired fry size. Place in a bowl of water. After 30 minutes, put potatoes on baking sheet with paper towels and pat dry. Transfer to a dry bowl and coat with enough corn starch that each slice of potato is lightly dredged.

Put the fries in the oil for about 4-6 minutes. Pull them out and turn the heat up to 350F. Once it has heated up, drop the fries back in until they’re golden brown. Once done, let drain and transfer to a bowl. Salt immediately! Add the garlic. Toss. Grate some fresh Parmesan over the top and serve.

- - - - -

I cannot tell you how much I love fajitas! I mean... I love them from the Old El Paso box :) but I'll admit there is something about fresh and homemade, too!

You need:

 - 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped

- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon cumin

- 1 teaspoon chili powder

- ½ teaspoon onion powder

- Kosher salt

- Freshly ground pepper

- 4 tablespoons canola oil

- 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into small strips

- 1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

- 1 green bell pepper, cut into small strips

- 1 red onion, cut into small strips

- 10 corn tortillas (check out last week's post!)

- 1/4 lb Monterey jack cheese, shredded

So you could do this part the night before! In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss it. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

In a large cast iron skillet, bring to high heat. Once the pan is smoking, add oil and quickly toss in the chicken. Cook all the way through while stirring occasionally. Toss the bell peppers and onion with salt and pepper. Toss in with the chicken and stir frequently until the vegetables are a texture you like. Some like it crunchier and some like them soft. Bring to the table while still sizzling like at the restaurant! Put in corn tortillas and top with cheese.

- - - - -

You need:

- 1 chicken (broken down -- 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings and 2 thighs)

- 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

- 2 tbsp. kosher salt plus 2 tsp.

- 4 large eggs

- 4 cups of buttermilk or whole milk

- 2 tbsp. vinegar-based hot sauce like Tabasco

- 4 cups all-purpose flour

- canola oil (for frying)

- 1 1/2 tbsp. cayenne pepper (more or less depending on the desired level of spice)

-  2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

- 1 tsp. chili powder

- 1 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 tsp. paprika

- white bread and sliced pickles for serving

You should do this part the night before! Toss chicken with black pepper and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups of buttermilk and mix all together. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. 

Whisk flour and remaining 4 teaspoons of salt in another large bowl. Whisk eggs, 2 cups of buttermilk, and hot sauce in a large bowl. 

Choose a Dutch oven or a deeper fryer (we used a deep fryer), pour in oil to measure 2". Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 325°. Pat chicken dry. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess, and then dip in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture and place on a baking sheet.

Fry chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a piece should register at 160° for white meat and 165° for dark, 15-18 minutes. (We've had some mishaps with uncooked chicken! Don't fall into this!) Transfer to a clean wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Let oil cool slightly.

Whisk cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a medium bowl; carefully whisk in 1 cup frying oil. Brush fried chicken with spicy oil. Serve with fries (recipe up above!) bread and pickles!

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That concludes "what we ate" this week! Hope you enjoyed the recipes and try some at home! Be sure to follow us on instagram!

Our weekend.

This weekend consisted of:

- GOING OUT TO DINNER: Usually on Friday nights we're so exhausted (and never want to do anything to mess up Javi's 7PM bedtime) that we order in but we decided to go out! It was a lot of fun and Javi missed bedtime by 20 minutes (not too bad) and slept in until 8:30 on Saturday morning. (so many smiles here)

// toddler adidas sneakers // converse //

- EASTER EGG HUNT: On Saturday morning/afternoon our town held an easter egg hunt for children ages 1-8. Javi didn't really get the whole egg hunt thing so he ended up giving all his eggs away to other children. He finally ended up with 4 eggs (because other children gave them to him). Unfortunately for us, the timing of the hunt messed up nap time (I curse whoever thought a 1PM egg hunt for toddlers was a good idea) so he didn't nap. 

// leather jacket (on clearance!) //

- PHOTO SHOOT: This is our town "beach" and I say that very loosely because I could never bring myself to swim there -- but Sean says it's fine! Javi has no fear of the water and just walked right in! It made for cute pictures. :)

- BUILDING A GARDEN: We've finally committed to doing something with our yard. I've been pinterest-ing layouts and gardens and have so many ideas. But we're starting with leveling some areas and getting rid of huge rocks that shouldn't be in the space. I would love to put a patio down and paint the concrete foundation of the house... and add some mulch and flowers and paint the deck and the list goes on. But we're starting with a raised-garden bed. We tried to buy vegetables but apparently we're way too early! 

We're almost caught up with The Path. It's so good and I don't want it to end. Are you watching it?!

Three things on a Friday.

1. Javi found his shadow this week on the one day the sun came out. Which was pretty great. But this video of him sliding down the slide makes my whole week:

2. We have a busy and exciting weekend planned! We're starting our garden AND our town has an annual easter egg hunt plus the easter bunny to take pictures with on Saturday. Check out our updates on social media!

3. Stephen Curry on James Cordon is everything I love. And now I'm fully obsessed with "How far I'll go" and need to see Moana. Maybe this weekend?

Have a great weekend! :)

What we ate: dinner series.

I've decided to partner up with Sean for a new blog series -- What We Ate: Dinner Series. It makes sense because we can finally team up and have a shared hobby! Usually, we like different things but this is an area that we will allow us to meet in the middle. He'll cook (for fun) and I'll blog about it (for fun). You can read last week's recipes here and I'll dive right into what we ate this week. :)

As I've said before, most meals take under an hour to prepare. I don't help necessarily, unless you consider occupying Javi by singing disney tunes at the top of my lungs, helping. And he makes most things from scratch. I know -- I'm so lucky.

- - - - -

Tortillas:  

- water

- masa

- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

- pinch of salt

- parchment paper

- tortilla press

Knead the ingredients on a floured surface for at least 4-5 minutes. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Roll into inch size balls. Line your tortilla press with parchment paper and press each ball. Heat cast iron skillet to medium-high. Drop tortilla in pan -- if you hear a sizzle you know it's the right heat. Flip after 15-30 seconds, flip again and again every 30 seconds. As you finish each one, wrap them in a towel and keep warm in a tortilla holder.

Meat:

- 1 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying

- 2 cloves minced garlic

- 1 lb. of ground beef

- 2 tsp. ground cumin

- 1 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

- 3 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese

Warm the 1 tbsp. of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and saute just until soft (like a minute). Add the ground beef and cook (stir occasionally). Cook through (around 10 minutes) and then get rid of the fat. Add cumin and salt and cook for a minute. Transfer the mix to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the chipotle chile and then the monterey jack. 

Avocado crema:

- 1 avocado

- lime

- mexican crema

- salsa

Scoop the flesh from 1 avocado, halved and pitted, into a small bowl and mash with a fork until creamy and smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup of mexican crema and 1 tbsp. of fresh lime juice. Season with salt and mix in as much salsa as you like (the more you add, the spicier).

Assembling the taquitos:

Pour oil into a frying pan, you need enough to reach halfway up the taquitos. Heat the oil at 350.

Fill each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the meat filling. Roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick. Add the taquitos to the hot oil, a few at a time so there's room, seam side down until they are golden-brown like a minute and a half. Use tongs to turn them around and cook them another minute and a half. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to dry a bit. Serve the taquitos with the avocado crema on the side! 

This dish was toddler approved :)

- - - - -

Pizza sauce:

- 16 oz. crushed tomatoes

- 1/2 cup tomato puree

- 2 tbsp oregano

- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

- pepper to taste

Sean cooks this in our le creuset for 30-40 minutes. Typically he makes a larger batch and cans it to have on hand when he wants to make pizza. But you can make it and use it right away, too. Honestly... I had no idea. 

Here's another post with a different kind of pizza using the same sauce.

Dough:

- 1 cup of warm water

- 1/2 packet of yeast (let bloom for 10 minutes)

- pinch of salt

- pinch of sugar

- 3 tbsp. olive oil

- 2 1/2 cups of flour 

Knead ingredients together for 10 minutes. Once it's dough and not separate ingredients it's best to put it in an oiled Ziploc bag in the fridge for a few days. So "we" make this on the weekend when we plan to have pizza during the week. This week "we" used a special kind of flour and yeast. 

Assembling the pizza:

- 2 small red bell peppers

- 1 pizza dough

- 1 cup tomato sauce

- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 3 oz. pepperoni

- olive oil

- kosher salt, pepper

- fresh basil

Roasted red pepper:

Roast the red bell peppers over an open flame. We used the grill. Char them on all sides (15 minutes), transfer to a bowl to cool. Once cool, peel, seed and chop the peppers. 

Pizza:

Place a pizza stone in the middle of the oven at 450 degrees. Let the stone heat up for 15-30 minutes and don't open the oven door. Put corn meal over the pizza peel so the dough slides. Stretch the dough onto the peel. Leave an inch border and spread the sauce over the dough and top with cheese, roasted peppers and pepperoni. Brush the outside edge with olive oil and season the whole pizza with salt and pepper. Slide the pizza from the peel to the hot stone and bake for 10-12 minutes. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Let cool and scatter fresh basil on top. Slice and serve.

This meal was totally toddler-approved. 

- - - - -

You need:

- kosher salt

- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

- 12 oz. fusilli

- 3 tbsp. olive oil

- 1 red bell pepper seeded and cut

- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and cut

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

- 1/4 cup fresh basil

Start boiling a large pot of salted water. Heat a frying pan to medium-high. Add the sausage, cook then drain and transfer to paper towels to cool. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the package says. Drain and set aside. Use the same pan as the sausage to sauté the bell peppers (put some olive oil in the pan). Add garlic and continue to cook (this should all take about 5-8 minutes). Add the pasta, sausage, and chicken broth to the pan and cook until the broth boils. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. 

- - - - -

Sometimes we need an even quicker meal... and for that, we love Trader Joe's. These gyozas are the best.

You need:

- a package of gyozas

- rice of your choice

- green veggie (we like green beans but we had peas)

- gyoza suace

Steam gyozas in a dimsum steamer for 7-10 minutes. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat with a good coating of oil. Add the gyozas and flip often so they don't burn. Remove when they have a golden-crispy exterior. Serve with rice, a veggie and gyoza dipping sauce. 

So tell us, what did YOU eat this week?

SCENES FROM THE WEEK

How is it Monday again?! Here are a few snapshots of our week:

// got a new iPhone 7 // Javi's fascinated by tablets // & obsessed with teeth brushing //

// put away lots of his toys in exchange for some Montessori "works" -- we haven't mastered color sorting (ha!) //

// but he LOVES the vacuum //

// shape sorting activity // why did it snow on April 1st? // it's not stopping us from building garden beds //

// went out to lunch for mexican food and this guy choked on a tortilla chip -- like actually choked -- he was fine but has learned to slow down on the salsa, sour cream and gauc // 

// switched out my classroom shelves // why do cats love fresh sheets as much as people? // it's almost Artemis' "gotcha day" // this photo is on the wall in Javi's classroom -- he loves to play dress-up! //

I can't wait for the weather to act like it's spring! I'm excited for florals and to start planting. Excited to start running and move Javi's outdoor toys from inside to outside (his slide, his car, his basketball hoop) -- they are crowding the playroom! I'm also thrilled to begin spring cleaning! I just love getting rid of the old to make room for the new! Oh -- and Easter! Bring on the bunny and the egg hunts! 

I hope this week treats you kindly :)