by Alexis -

Gina’s Cranberry Muffins

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These muffins always make an appearance on our Thanksgiving table. They are quick, super easy and always comes out amazing. I think my mom created this recipe so I will give all credit to her. (you’re AMAZING mom!)

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Pretty straight forward and simple to make. Without any butter or shortening too! I substituted soy milk and it turned out great.

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1 Egg

1/2C Milk

1/4 C Oil

1 1/2 C Flour

1/2 C Sugar & 1 t Cinnamon

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t salt

1 C Blueberries or Cranberries 

Beat egg. Stir in milk and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Add berries. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400’F for 20-25 min. Muffins will ave gently rounded and pebbled tops. Serve warm.

by Alexis -

Grilled Cheese/Bacon/Tomato

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Pretty straight forward and simple. Pretty amazing and fresh on a warm day. You could use anything you’d like instead of the ranch spread I put on before grilling…OH! Chipotle sauce….Mmmmmm.

(and yes, for you detailed people who noticed my sandwich is a bit on the dark side- I love my grilled sandwiches a bit burned. Love the flavor)

We brought these with us on our picnic to a park. Along with sweet tea, apples and fruit cake.

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Hope you’re enjoying the last few days of summer!

by Alexis -

Fruit Cake

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This cake is pretty simple and really tasty. I served this a couple times and at both times it was praised. I prefer it cold but it can be served luke warm/warm.

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You can add any fruit you like, I happen to have strawberries. Top with powdered sugar and you’re good to go!

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It takes maybe 10 min to put together and 40-45 min to cook. Did I mention it’s an easy cake? 🙂

Makes 1 9×13 cake | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line 9×13 pan with foil and cover with bake spray.

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 1 box of yellow cake mix
  • 4 ounces butter, melted
  • 1 egg

Berry Custard Filling

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cups sour cream
  • 1/2 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons
  • 12 oz strawberries
  • 4 oz berries

Instructions:

To make crust

  1. Place the dry cake mix, butter, 1 egg  in a bowl and mix until well blended. Press mixture into parchment-lined 9×13 inch pan. Set aside.

To make berry custard filling

  1. Place eggs in a bowl and beat eggs until well combined. Add in sugar and beat and until foamy. Add in sour cream, flour and mix to combine. Fold in strawberries and other berries.
  2. Pour mixture on top of crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40-55 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown, and the center slightly jiggles when pan is tapped.
  3. Cool completely in pan. Turn out onto a cutting board and cut into squares.

by Alexis -

And…I’m back!

I haven’t really been in the mood to blog in a while but couple that with having a hard time editing pictures and I dropped this blog for the summer. But thanks to Travis who encouraged me to blog more and gave me a way to edit/post pictures I’m going to try and get back into it. The format might look different but that’s OK.

Here is a small group of some summer pictures to keep you up to date. 🙂

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I prayed for a bit of attitude in her, love it. I really want to print, blow up and frame in our living room.

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Ballet class. She is amazing and LOVES it. 🙂

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*loved Austin. Great time with family.

by Alexis -

Respecting daddy

I was lying in bed last night and got to thinking about our wedding vows. ‘To love and cherish’…in the short 6 years we’ve been married, I would now want to go back and rewrite them to say, ‘to love and respect from this day forth’. 

I’ve come to learn how important respect is for a marriage and what really hit me while I was thinking, is being a mom and my responsibility in showing Emma and our new baby girl, what ‘respecting your husband’ looks like in a marriage.

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It’s not like we females really have to work at loving. We’re born loving. It’s in our DNA. But when it comes to showing respect for the opposite sex, it’s sometimes a bit of a foreign language. We go into our natural loving ways and think we’re showing respect. I’ve meant so well and missed the mark many times. But it requires an open dialog between each other.

So I suppose I just have a desire to show our girls not just how to love their husbands but respect them. Yes, it’ll look differently depending on the guy they marry, but over all I don’t want them going into their relationship without tools, memories or experiences of what it looked like to respect daddy.

That’s it. 🙂 

by Alexis -

Playing with some editing…

This was taken during a photo session last spring. Wonderful people with amazing hearts. I thought I’d play around with some editing, needing to get bacck into the groove for a couple sessions coming up with some families. 

And if you want to see more pictures of the Wardens go HERE.

She is an AMAZING baker and has quite the reputation for her cookies. Thought it was so appropriate that they chose a baking book. 🙂

**If you’re interested in scheduling a photo session please let me know. We don’t have a price but only ask that you would donate to our REACH POLSKA fund. Thank you!**

by Alexis -

Grand Canyon

A few weeks back we had the amazing opportunity to take a drive over to the Grand Canyon while we were visiting Phoenix. Here are some over due pictures. 🙂

(thinking about enlarging and framing the above picture, such beautiful bright colors. And they sounded beautiful when she walked)

and a pregnant picture. way overdue on those too…

by Alexis -

Some baby thoughts

Some randoom thoughts:

Listening to Michael Buble singing ‘Feeling Good’ and firmly believe it’s impossible to hear it and not smile.

We have some big news: We found out that we are having a….GIRL!!! So excited 🙂

Already feeling ‘huge’ but know that I am only half way done! Yikes! I’m know I’m going to pack on a whole lot more but feeling kinda nervous about that. 🙂

There are some things that we are garage selling for this summer. Slings, floor play things, baby toys (not tons), baby tub, etc. 

Our baby shower is going to be big, fabulous, fun and family friendly! For Emma’s I just asked for practical things, and no clothes. How unfun! Well this time bring on the new baby dresses, girly leg warmers and ruffles! 

I’m starting to try and figure out the room they’ll be sharing. How it will work, the organizing, etc. Have any ideas or advice for sharing rooms? 

My condition is getting better but not gone. Hopfully in late July it will be gone and I can be normal again. 

NOTHING is better than feeling her kick, poke and squirm inside. Those secret touches from her makes every moment worth it.

Apparently she already likes to suck her thumb, not that I can blame her, I did too. 🙂 I’ve got pictures of her to prove it- love. her.

Thankful to start calling her ‘HER’ and not ‘IT’. 🙂

So thankful for her and the miracle she is. Emma CAN. NOT. WAIT. to dress her and feed her. I think she will need her own new baby, baby carrier and stroller. (it will be a present from her little sister hehe)

Hope you all have a great week- I will! I’m half way to hearing her coos, smelling that beautiful baby smell and unfolding her incredibly teeny diapers. *sigh, I can’t wait either. 🙂

by Alexis -

Hair cut

Thinking about getting my hair cut after the baby is born…if I can hold out that long. 🙂 I was thinking of something like this. What do you think?