{ok, ok so I top it with granola and caramel sauce….sue me}

Whatevs…It’s the new ice cream sundae around here and I make it look like one. Okay?

Anyways back to my soapbox story:

I often tell people that Tyler saved my life. And it’s true. I was on a path of destruction and emptiness when the LORD blessed me with my first born. I righted my path and left my party ways in the past. But once again, a child has changed my life for the better. Really, Camden made us all change our lives by changing mine first. It started with me eating healthier to get pregnant but continued through my pregnancy as this kid made me crave fruits and veggies. Compared to my diet of Lucky Charms and Sour Straws when I was pregnant with Tyler and this is truly astounding to me. I gained a measly 17 pounds with Camden {60 with Tyler. Don’t judge.}! His fussing has made me take daily walks which is probably his way of telling me to get up and go outside. And now that he is eating solid foods, I have really rethought the food I buy, the ingredients I use to cook, heck, even the products I put on our skin.

Ahhh…

so now you know what has prompted all of this craziness.

Did you think I had lost it? Hubby definitely did.

So on that note, here’s how to grow your own sprouts!

Did you love that segue?

Okay maybe I should tell you why before how.

Why should you grow your own sprouts?

10 Reasons to Grow Sprouts

1. It’s easy

2. It’s cheap

3. It’s fun

4. They are super good for you {like wheat grass but yummier and doesn’t require juicing}

5. It’s educational. Tyler loves checking the daily progress of the sprouts.

6. Because it will help you gain confidence to grow other food items, mold isn’t food so it doesn’t count. Darn. 

7. You don’t need a lot of space to do it.

8. Fresh grown is always better tasting and healthier than store bought.

9. They are a tasty way to add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sammies and salads. {Roast beef with avocado and sprouts anyone? Yum!}

10. Because 10 reasons sounds better than 9

Okay so that’s the why, now the how…

Supplies needed:

Sprouting Jar {I purchased a different one at Sprouts and it’s not available on Amazon} or Mason Jar {you will need either a piece of screen, like of the window variety, or a clean piece of pantyhose to make a strainer. You can also buy the screen only for use with a Mason jar}

alfalfa seeds

water

Directions:

1. Measure 2-3 teaspoons of seeds in your sprouting jar. Fill with water until seeds are covered plus 2-3 inches and soak for 8 hours {you can do it before bed and soak them overnight}.

2. Rinse with water and pour water out of strainer lid swirling the water around so that the seeds stick to the sides of the jar. Using a dish towel, prop the jar up so that the strainer lid is down at a 45 degree angle to allow for drainage and airflow.

Day 2: after soaking. I balanced it on a mason jar but decided that a wadded up towel works better not to mention absorbs the drainage.

3. Repeat step 2 twice a day for 4-5 days.

4. After 4-5 days the sprouts should have green leaves and be stuck in clusters. On the last day before “harvest”, put in a sunny window for 30 minutes so that the chlorophyll develops.

Day 3

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

5. Soak in a bowl of water to separate the seeds from the sprouts. If some seeds stick to the sprouts, that’s okay.

6. Dry and store in the fridge. Consume in 2-3 days.

The "harvest"

So now how do you eat them?

On sandwiches like this one:

Carved Roast Beef with Avocado, Sprouts, and Cayenne Majestic Garlic. YUM!

I haven’t made it yet but I was planning a hummus, cucumber, and sprout sammie with my next batch because, yeah, I ate them all already. Mostly on salads like this one:

Kumquats and sunflower seeds are my favorite new salad topping. After sprouts. Obviously...

So the big question is: will my kids eat this crap tender, delicious veggie? Of course! Substitute sprouts for lettuce on soft tacos, burgers, sammies….or just hide it in add it to a green salad and douse it with ranch dressing like you normally do.

So no more excuses, are you going to do this or what? Come on…get excited!

“Well, you look like a mom”. {emphasis mine}

Ouch.

Ouch?

Why?

Why did that bother me so?

Or rather why did I take any of this as an insult? I’m convinced it wasn’t meant to be yet for some reason “looking like a mom” is in fact viewed by many as an insult.

I mean, mom jeans and mom hair don’t exactly conjure up images of the latest styles or good taste in general. So it’s not like I alone invented this schematic of what a mom looks like.

But we can’t blame society without taking a hard look at ourselves. Because we are society and we both create and buy into these images as a mom being something less than glamorous or beautiful. And that is just plain wrong.

Yeah, I have a little extra weight around my middle and yes, I have stretch marks, separate sets from both pregnancies but I got those things from carrying my two precious boys. Those stretch marks are battle wounds, beauty marks. And the weight? Well, they call them love handles for a reason. I should carry my tummy with pride not shame. Look at what it represents.

Yeah, I have lines around my eyes and furrows over my brows, but that’s from smiling at my babies, making funny faces at them, worrying about their health and safety and whether I’m doing a good enough job raising them, from squinting in the am sun at my big boy’s soccer games. And yes, my mom was right, if you make those faces enough, your face will stay that way. And that’s okay. My face is a document of my life. Do I really need a $50 cream to erase the lines that come from so many memories? I’m going to keep making those faces anyway.

And yeah, my breasts are not as firm as they once were and I need a good support bra, nevermind a “miracle” bra, to help them resist gravity and give them a socially acceptable shape. But you know what, these breasts have fed and nourished and have been a soft place to rest and a place of comfort for two amazing boys. So they aren’t so nice to look at.They have done what GOD intended them to do and for that I am so grateful. Not every woman will have that option. And some will have to chose life over their breasts. I should be proud of mine. And damn grateful that they are healthy and intact.

It’s time to take the insult out of “looking like a mom” but it has to start with us first. Hold your heads up with pride, ladies! Let your child-bearing hips sway, stick out your life giving breasts, and don’t waste your money on memory erasing creams.

You don’t need to be ashamed of your mom-ness.

You are one of the most beautiful creatures in the world.

You are someone’s mom.

Happy Mother’s Day to the most beautiful women I know.

Love,

Natalie

1. It’s more yogurt than Cam can eat in one sitting.

2. I already buy plain yogurt and YoKids for Tyler. How many freaking different kinds of yogurts are we going to have cluttering up my fridge?!

3. And they are pricey! Over $2 for 4 which isn’t ridiculous but can add up fast.

4. They have added sugar. Boo!

So one night when I made my banana, plain yogurt, caramel sauce, and granola concoction and Camden was angling for a bite, I gave him some. {Without the granola of course}. Let’s just say it was Camden’s yogurt after that.

After a few nights of “sharing” mommy’s yogurt I got to thinking that caramel sauce wasn’t the best way to sweeten his yogurt. So I pureed some bananas and mixed that with the plain yogurt and whadayaknow, it tasted just like YoBaby banana yogurt minus the added sweeteners {yup, they’re in there!}.

Here’s what you need:

Can I just say that I am in LOVE with Straus Creamery Plain Yogurt?! OMG so creamy!

Okay so you don’t need the carrot tops. Sorry just got back from the Farmers’ Market {yeah I go Wednesday too. I’m obsessed…}.

You also don’t need the flour on the counter…I was making bread…mmmkay?!

What you do need is a banana {not a bunch, that was just lazy staging}, a blender, a little water, yogurt, and some containers {We all know I recommend Wean Green!}.

1. Puree the banana with enough water to give it an on the thicker side soupy consistency.

2. Divide into four servings. Freeze the ones you aren’t using. {Note: Bananas will brown when exposed to air, even in the freezer. It’s just oxidation, they are still delicious!}

3. When ready to serve, defrost {no nuking!} at room temp or in the fridge. When defrosted stir in 3-4 baby spoons {yeah, baby spoons. It’s how we measure stuff here, okay?} of plain yogurt. Stir and Serve!

Yummy, cheap, and fresh. No added sugar either. Take that Stonyfield!

When feeding to baby, it helps to take a bite or two so they know it’s good….

Yogurt Face! {reaching for my iPhone...obviously...}

Gift Idea #1: Chips and Homemade Salsa. "Thank you for "spicing" up my education".

I told you it was cheesy.

The teacher he has this week likes sour candy so today we sent some Market Pantry Sour Bears {like sour patch kids} with a sticker that said “It’s “SWEET” that your s”OUR” teacher”. Yep. SUPER DUPER CHEESY. But inexpensive and fun. These cost $2. The salsa was about the same if you include the cost of the mason jar.

So gift idea #2: the teacher’s favorite candy with the cheesiest relevant tag line you can come up with. Relevance is key here or cheesy becomes just plain weird. Don’t be weird.

Gift Idea #3: Homemade Granola. With a Thoreau quote about "grains" of wisdom...Getting less cheesy here but don't worry, I'm staying true to the cheesy theme in the next gifts.

His other teacher {who isn’t working this week but will get all of her goodies on Open House next week} likes granola and greek yogurt. Just so happens I make granola! That turned out to be convenient! {In the interest of keeping things simple I decided to just give them both the same thing and change up the candy.} The cost here was negligible because I just made a batch for my granola loving 9 year old. If I had to put a price on it, maybe $0.50?

Gift Idea #4: Fresh baked whole wheat bread {or any bread you like}.

Cheesy Tag line: "Thanks for making me "loaf" learning!" Bahahaha! I know, I know...

Who doesn’t like fresh baked bread? Unless you are watching your carbs but I think anyone dealing with 30 third graders needs some yummy carbs every once and awhile. Preferably with butter. What’s awesome about this gift for me is that my whole wheat bread recipe makes 2 loaves! If your kiddo doesn’t have two teachers, give it to the other kiddo’s teacher or eat it yourself. {I like option 2…just sayin’…}

Finally, 5 days of 30 kids is just plain crazy {they don’t pay these people enough…seriously} so for Friday I’m sure my son’s teacher(s) would appreciate a Starbucks gift card because everyone on the planet loves Starbucks. Lucky for me, I got a questionnaire from the PTA detailing my son’s teachers’ favorite things and they are both confirmed Starbucks lovers. Of course they are!

Gift idea #5 Starbuck Gift Card with some “aromatherapy” {any amount in your budget. $5 buys a Venti Frapp and who doesn’t appreciate free coffee??!}

Gift card in a cello sack with whole bean aromatherapy to make 2:00 pm not come quick enough

Cheesy Tagline: “You “mocha” me love to learn!

Oh yeah! {Have you gagged a little yet?}

Hey, gotta make it fun. Notice I didn’t say funny.

Finally…

A PSA about using coffee as a decoration….

whole beans=cute and decorative

ground coffee= messy

Just sayin’….

I also put in a couple of VIA packets in case they can’t make it to 2:00. They do teach my son afterall….

So there you have it, a little effort with a little budget and you can honor your child’s parent away from home {because your kiddo’s teacher may just be the most important adult in their life after you.} And my boy is so blessed to have two amazing teachers!

Coconut Granola 

{Borrowed from The Frugal Girl who borrowed it from Liberal Simplicity…who may have borrowed it from someone else. Just want to give proper credit. }

{Note: I halved her recipe.}

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup nuts {I used Trader Joe’s raw sunflower seeds}

1/2 cup dried fruit {You already know I used cranberries!}

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar {she calls for dark but I used golden}

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Heat honey, brown sugar, and coconut oil over low heat. Once melted, stir in vanilla.

4. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine.

5. Spread in a thin layer onto a baking sheet. {I highly recommend one with sides if you have one!}

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake in 5 minute intervals stirring between each until golden brown. {I did 3 intervals of 5 minutes}

I cannot even express how good this granola is! The boxed stuff seriously blows in comparison. And it was super easy to make. Except the stirring part.

So this recipe is a keeper…

but…

I need  a) baking sheets with sides

and

b) to not half the recipe next time {which is probably tomorrow because we are already out!}.

So going meatless or just meat less is pretty dang hard. We are a meat eating culture. We are a meat eating species. Before agriculture, it was the only way humans could survive the winter. Even after agriculture, you could only can and preserve so much. In modern times we no longer have that problem yet meat has increasingly become a part of our diet. Amino acids are essential to life and animal products are an efficient {in the dietary, not ecological sense} way to get the amino acids we need. So we are a meat culture. But other cultures, not so much, and they are healthier for it. That’s great and all but the problem remains: what the heck am I going to eat? I’m going to have to figure that out over time but I did have an old bag of quinoa in the cupboard that I never made again because it was a pain in the rear to wash. It’s still a pain in the rear to wash but now I’m motivated.

{Note: no judgments if you love eating meat. I never really have loved it. Plus, it’s really expensive and I am all about cutting costs right now.}

Quinoa and Spinach Salad

{serves 2}

2/3 cup prepared quinoa

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, torn

Toppings:

cranberries and walnuts

or strawberries and sliced almonds

or use your imagination

Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey or agave nectar {agave blends easier}

1/4 tsp dijon or hot mustard {I found a use for my fail mustard! woot!}

TJ’s Everyday Seasoning {optional}

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the quinoa: wash and rinse in a mesh strainer {see? pain in the rear…}. The quinoa to water ratio is like rice, 1:2. I made a larger serving than I needed so I did 1 cup of quinoa and I needed 2 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and then add washed quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the seeds “pop and curl”. Chill.

2. Toss spinach and chilled quinoa with prepared vinaigrette. Top with fruit and nuts and enjoy!

On the morning hubby came home from working Stagecoach, I made these baked eggs, inspired by my bag of spinach that needed to get eaten before farmers’ market day and the delicious baked eggs I had at my cousin’s baby shower {OMG!}. Hubby and I liked them so much, it was no big deal to eat them again a day later for dinner. They reheat well and you could very well make this for Sunday brunch {or dinner} and have leftovers for a hearty Monday breakfast. I like the idea of using biscuit cutters to make perfect biscuit sliders. Yum!

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomato, and Feta

{makes 8 servings}

10 eggs

3 tbsp milk

2 handfuls of spinach, coarsely chopped

1 cup of cherry tomatos, quartered

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup feta

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish.

2. Beat eggs with milk until fluffy. Add cheddar and whisk together.

3. Put spinach and tomatoes in the baking dish then cover with the egg and cheese mixture. Sprinkle feta evenly over the top.

4. Bake for 10-15  minutes or until eggs are set.

This is my first attempt. The feta was an afterthought then. I liked it so much I added it the second time.

Here are some less healthy versions of the biscuit sliders. Biscuit cutters make perfect egg and cheese circles.... We heart breakfast here!

Ok well the baby has expired so that’s all for now! Happy Sunday!

Allow me to backtrack. First off, as you know, I have been reading my fair share of frugal blogs. Some couponing, some not. But the exposure has been there. Insidiously entering my thoughts. And I’ve learned some things here and there that have demystified the process for me. So I started out looking at the weekly grocery ads and made an effort to only buy sale items {except staples like dairy and stuff that is cheaper at Costco}. If a meat item was on sale, I bought a bunch and I would plan my meals around this bounty and freeze the rest. I discovered this site called southerncalisaver.com that featured weekly “matchups”, that is, a list of sale items for various stores and any coupons that exist for those items. If the coupon was an internet coupon, there would be a link to that coupon. Handy. I told hubby about it and he started bringing me the discarded coupons from the papers at work. At first I was discouraged because most of the stuff was non-food and the food coupons were for stuff I wouldn’t buy {soy milk?…no thanks, we do cow and human in this house }. Until I discovered Rite Aid.

Rite Aid must design its weekly ads for couponers because nearly every non-food coupon that I had, had a “matchup” {sale item}. On top of that, Rite Aid has this program called Wellness + and, with your free Wellness + card, when you buy certain dollar amounts of certain items you get an instant “+UP” coupon, like a register reward, a dollar amount off a future purchase.

Instant rewards, future purchases, hmmmm….

A light bulb went off in my head that I could do multiple transactions and use the +UP coupons on another transaction of items that generate an +UP coupons! Savvy??

Of course this epiphany happened later, after, coupons in hand, I made my first purchase. Camden was screaming in the car and the traffic was bumper to bumper on the way home from taking Tyler to school. So I made a pit stop at Rite Aid to take advantage of my Johnson’s & Johnson’s coupons and calm the little pookie.

So the deal was this:

Johnson’s & Johnson’s Baby Wash, Lotion , or Shampoo $2.99 each

I had 2 Sunday paper coupons for $0.50 off and one internet printable for $1. You can “stack” coupons, or use 2 on the same item, if the coupons are different so I would have to buy 2 items and I would get $1.50 off one and $0.50 off the other.

The transaction looked like this:

Baby wash                 $2.99

Baby lotion                 $2.99

less Coupons           -$2.00

——————————————

Total Cost                 $3.98

Any mama who has purchased J&J knows this stuff is pricey so I was pleased to get 2 items for less than the regular price of one. And this wasn’t like getting 20 bags of Doritos, I will use these and if I were to run out when I didn’t have a coupon and they weren’t on sale, I’d be paying full price or buying generic {which I have tried and do not like, especially the lotion}. So this, to me, was a rational purchase.

I also had a coupon for $2 off Aveeno shampoo and $1 off an Aveeno baby item. Since Rite Aid was running a BOGO 50% off promo, I bought one shampoo and another baby wash. These items, being Aveeno, were pricier but with my coupons I still got a deal on stuff I could use {I was actually one shampooing away from using Tyler’s shampoo…}.

Here’s the breakdown:

Aveeno Shampoo                         $7.49

Aveeno Calming Comfort Bath    $2.99  ($5.99/2…..$5.99!!! Gasp! I price checked this on my iPhone and that is the “regular” price at Target and on Amazon too!!)

Less Coupons                             -$3.00

———————————————————

Total Cost                                     $7.48

Not a totally killer deal but less than I would normally pay for fancy shampoo and this new Aveeno shampoo was sulfate free which made me want to try it.

Here was my take:

Dipping a toe in the coupon waters.

So all together I paid $12.74 with tax for 2 J&J Bedtime products, an Aveeno shampoo, and an Aveeno Calming Comfort Bath. I went home with my goodies and I was a happy camper until I looked at the ad I had picked up and I had my epiphany. Once I realized how cheap I could get EVERYTHING that I had a coupon for with the +UP coupons for stuff that I could actually use, I got a pen and paper out to write out my plan because it was a little complicated.

So there was a deal if you buy $30 worth of Aveeno or Neutrogena products, you get a $10 +UP coupon. I had already bought $10 {they don’t count manufacturers coupons against you!} and it was accounted for with my Wellness + card account. So if I bought $20 more I would get $10 off my next purchase so essentially I would get $30 worth of products for less than $20 (remember, I had manufacturer coupons.) And remember, I get the bogo 50% deal too. But I needed something to spend that $10 on, well it turned out that by doing multiple transaction with a combination of manufacturer coupons and +UPs I could get everything on my list for about $30.

Here’s how I did it:

The Deal: Nivea Body Wash on sale for $4.99 with a $1.50 Up+. I had 2 coupons for $2 off so I bought the first one for $2.99 then bought the second on for $1.49! 

Transaction 1:

Nivea Body Wash             $4.99

less MC                             -$2.00

————————————————-

Total                                  $2.99

Transaction 2:

Nivea  BW                        $4.99

Less MC                          -$2.00

less +Up                          -$1.50

———————————————-

Total Cost                         $1.50

I received another $1.50 +Up from the second transaction so I took advantage of another deal.

The Deal: Softsoap products, Irish Springs products or Colgate toothpaste, 2 for $5, spend $20 and get a $10 +Up! So basically you could get 4 toothpastes and 4 Softsoap body washes for $10. But I had coupons…. 4 $1.00 off Colgate Total and 3 $0.75 off Softsoap body wash. They were low on inventory of the Softsoap so I was only able to use 2 so this is what the transaction looked like:

Transaction 3:

4 Colgate Toothpastes            $10.00

2 Softsoap Bodywashes         $5.00

1 Irish Springs Body Wash     $2.50

1 Softsoap Hand Soap Refill   $2.50

less Colgate MC                      -$4.00

less Softsoap MC                    -$1.50

less +Up (tran #2)                    -$1.50

——————————————————————-

Total Cost                                 $13.00 

This is where I completed my $30 Aveeno/ Neutrogena deal. Remember I had already spent $10, really $7 after coupons. So I only needed to buy $20 more and I had the $10 +UP from my Colgate/Soapsoft transaction. And there was a BOGO 50% off. {no more Manufacturer coupons though }

Transaction #4

Neutrogena Naturals Facial Cleanser    $7.99

Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo           $3.74 ($7.49/2)

Another Shampoo                                  $7.49

Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser            $ 3.49 ($6.99/2)

less +UP                                                  -$10

———————————————————————————-

Total Cost                                              $12.71

Okay so that is a crazy good deal on 4 Neutrogena and Aveeno products! That’s an average price of $3.18 each! And I just earned ANOTHER $10 +UP!!! No worries, I have more coupons…

The Deal: BOGO 50% off Physicians Formula cosmetics plus a $5 +UP when you buy $20. I also had two $1 off Manufacturer’s coupons. I always need mascara and they have one of the few organic makeup lines.

{I totally messed up this deal though because I was in a hurry and I forgot the BOGO. Boo! I had 2 organic mascaras for $9.95 each and the second one was only $4.97 after the BOGO 50%. Whammy. I still got a killer deal after my coupons and the $10 +UP and since  cosmetics have a short shelf life, I decided not to complete the deal for the $5 +UP later.}

Transaction #5

Physicians Formula Organic Mascara   $9.95

Same thing                                                $4.97 ($9.95/2)

less MC                                                     -$2.00

less +UP                                                   -$10.00

——————————————————————————-

Total cost                                                     $2.92

Ha!!!! For 2 organic mascaras! You can’t even buy Wet ‘n Wild at that price!

So because I messed up I didn’t get the $5 +UP which would’ve made my next transaction a total of $0.98 for 2 razors and 12 cartridges! Since $5.98 was still a good deal for 12 razor cartridges and the transaction would generate the last +UP I needed to get a $0.99 Infusium23 shampoo, I proceeded on.

The Deal: Buy 2 BIC Flex 3, 4 or Hybrid razors at $5.99 each and get a $2 +UP. And I had 2 $3 off manufacturer’s coupons!

Transaction #6

2 BIC Hybrid razors            $11.98

less MC                                 -$6.00

——————————————————-

Total Cost                            $5.98

I usually buy Gillette Fusion razors at $15 for 4 cartridges so this was a killer deal for me. BIC is no Gillette but since I usually shave with a dull razor since they are so expensive, I figured what the heck! 

Finally I used my last +UP on a bottle of Infusium23 shampoo that was on sale for $3.99. I had a $1 off MC and my $2 +UP. Total cost was $0.99.

Whew! 7 total transactions (not including my earlier visit!) resulted in 5 body washes, 4 toothpastes, 3 shampoos, 2 mascaras, 2 razors (with a total of 12 cartridges), 2 face washes, and 1 hand soap refill {and a partridge in a pear treeeeee!!!} for a total of (before tax) $38.84! That’s about $2 per item! Extreme couponers may scoff at this figure but I challenge you to get all of that from Costco or Sam’s Club at that price. The best part is it is all stuff we will use.

The Take

So here I am, all happy with my loot, feeling mighty satisfied when I notice at the end of one of my receipts…..

…..another +UP I didn’t know about for $8 worth of Neutrogena!!!

Say whaaaaaaaatttt???!!

It must’ve been an old promotion or something because it wasn’t in the ad. Anyhoo can’t beat FREE! So I went back and got more of those Neutrogena Naturals cleansers since I really liked them. I didn’t want to pass on the BOGO either so I got both for $3.98 after the $8 +UP and BOGO 50%.

So the final tally for EVERYTHING was $54.56 before tax for the following:

5 body washes

4 toothpastes

4 shampoos

4 face washes

2 mascaras

2 razors (12 cartridges)

2 baby washes

1 baby lotion

1 hand soap refill

————————————–

25 items

average price= $2.18

All name brand reputable stuff at dollar store prices.

All stuff I will use and that won’t go bad.

All stuff that would cost a lot more if I bought them “as needed”.

Crazy.

So these coupon people are onto something here. I think I can make this part of my money saving routine….

…..so long as I don’t do this every week….

……and I stay away from the Doritos.

Celebrating my big coupon win with some Thrifty's Ice Cream. This was my favorite part.

2. Camden is for real teething. His top two teeth have already popped through and he’s working on a few more. I had a dream last night that he had 4 on top and 4 on the bottom so when he grinned at me this morning I fully expected a mouth full of teeth. Anyone ever dream something and fully believe it really happened until proven otherwise? No? Me either…just wondering….Speaking of freaky, anyone else’s baby get their top teeth first? I wonder if this means he will lose his top teeth first…???

3. Camden is going to be 8 months tomorrow! I can’t believe how time has flown yet I can hardly remember being pregnant or life before him. Time is a funny thing sometimes.

4. More about babies: I love baby hair! His hair is getting so long and he’s getting these little curls at the nape of his neck. Seriously on my short list of cute things. He’s so hairy too. Not gross hairy but cute peach fuzz hairy. He has a peach fuzz mustache {although the weird long hair mysteriously disappeared…sigh…}, peach fuzzy legs….he even has a peach fuzzy butt and….well you get the picture. He’s a delicious, peach fuzzy boy. If you’ve seen his daddy, it’s no surprise he’s getting a head start in the body hair department.

5. I’m having an identity crisis. I know that I definitely am hip with this frugal thing and I am totally embracing the simple living thing. {Check out Organized Simplicity, awesome read!} But reading all of these frugal and deal blogs has me confused on how to go about it. Do I coupon and shop the ads or buy organic, natural foods {coupons are primarily processed foods, let’s be honest} and cut expenses elsewhere? I bought some Method Dish Soap for $0.69 by “stacking” coupons yesterday so maybe there is a happy medium. I don’t know yet. I just want to do what’s best for my family and I need to figure out what that is.

That’s all. Just needed to share my thoughts with somebody and this was too long for a Facebook status.

So I made pulled pork sliders for dinner, nothing special, I make them all of the time. But I had a serious brain fart as to what I make to go with them. Seriously. I can’t remember. Maybe I don’t make anything and that’s why I can’t remember. But anyhow I am getting something of a reputation at hubby’s work as a good little cook and housewife {ha! and double ha! on so many levels…ha!} so I couldn’t send him sliders for dinner without a side dish. The only acceptable side dish for pulled pork sliders in my culinary world is either fries or mac and cheese and I just made mac and cheese for Easter {the pan is a nightmare to clean so I would never make it twice in the same month let alone week. Yep, I need to forget about the cleaning before I make it again….}. So I decided to make fries because I remember pinning this but I didn’t have any stinking marjoram {seriously, does anyone??} so I made my own version. I like the garlic parm fries that Red Robin used to have {or maybe still has…??} so I made mine with garlic and parm and no stinking marjoram.

Baked Parmesan Garlic Fries 

Potatoes {1 per person for medium potatoes like Yukon gold or 1/2 per person for large Russet}

2-3 tbsp olive oil per potato

1-2 heaping tbsp parmesan cheese per potato

1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder per potato {or 1/2-1 tsp diced garlic per potato}

kosher or sea salt {to taste}

{Note:measurements are not exact because potato size will vary, you will just have to use your judgment}

De-structions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a bowl of cold, salty water.

2. Cut potatoes into fry shapes by cutting lengthwise in several north-south direction cuts and then again in several east-west direction cuts. Soak in the cold salt water for about 10 minutes.

3. Drain fries and pat dry with a towel. Put into a plastic bag with the rest of the ingredients and shake and massage bag until fries are covered completely with the oil, salt, parm, and garlic.

4. Lay in a single layer on a greased cooking sheet {just use cooking spray or a Misto} and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Yeah….they were alright…

I shoveled them in my mouth ate them plain but Tyler dipped his in my homemade ranch dressing.

It looks like I need to make more….

Oh and here are the sliders.

Yes, he is eating dinner in his robe. Outside.

It’s just pork roast that has been braised in Sprite in a crock pot on a King’s Hawaiian roll topped with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce {the best IMO} and cheese. It’s just whatever….

But yeah…baked fries rock!