for the love of july

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

OUR TABLE || favorite fall recipes

ever since the temperatures dropped a bit & fall rolled around, the amount of weekly meal planning and cooking in the kitchen I've been doing has increased so much more. it seems to be that the busyness from summer died down a bit and I now have time for it again :) anddd we aren't spending almost every evening out on the back deck bbqing like we had been.

it feels sooo good to be cooking yummy things!

I've shared a handful of things I've made recently on my insta stories and have gotten lots of questions for the recipes! so I thought I'd just make this post real quick and throw in a few of the ones I've been asked about!
I'll start with the most recent one I made just the night before last for when our weekly bible study friends came over & it's so appropriate for the season... cream cheese pumpkin roll!!

PUMPKIN ROLL || I can't take any credit for the recipe other than a good pinterest/google search. this isn't any secret family recipe... just good ol' allrecipes.com ;) I have this saved to my pinterest board to keep for reference when I need it.
...and here's the direct link to it! :)
Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

SIMPLE APPLE CRISP || a favorite here that my mom started making YEARS ago. and seriously the easiest apple crisp EVER! and the BEST too!
this is a pampered chef recipe. who remember's pampered chef parties!??
my mom held them at our house allll the time when I was growing up and we fell in love with some of their recipes and have made them our 'regulars'. and this apple crisp is certainly one fo them!

Quick Apple Crisp:
ingredients:
5 granny smith apples (though I usually do 6)
1 package yellow cake mix (yep! easy peasy right there!)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 chopped nuts (I always leave this one out)

directions:
:: preheat oven to 350*.
:: peel, core, slice apples, and cut them in half. if you don't have one of these, you NEED one!
:: place apples in a deep 9x13 baking dish
:: combine cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and nuts (if you choose), until crumbly.
:: sprinkle mixture over prepared apples
:: bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender.
:: serve warm + top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you'll be in heaven! :)

HOMEMADE MAC+CHEESE || this is one I kinda just 'toss' together, but I'm gonna attempt to nail it down to an actual(ish) recipe :) my measurements aren't really 'measurements' though so forgive me!
if you've never had homemade mac+cheese, you are missing out! it's nearly just as simple as boxed, and is soooo delish!!

Homemade Mac+Cheese:
ingredients:
1/2 box of elbow macaroni noodles
1 egg
couple tbsp butter
couple splashes of milk
couple handfuls shredded cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
couple tbsp olive oil

directions:
:: cook noodles as directed on package + drain + return to pot on stovetop
:: stir in one whisked egg, the butter, and milk
:: add in shredded cheese. add in what you need to get the amount of cheesy-ness you desire! :)
:: combine + stir until all your cheese is melted (I sometimes will turn the burner on low as I'm doing this)
:: we like ours topped with breadcrumbs, so I combine those with olive oil, and then sprinkle on top after pouring the mac + cheese mixture into a baking dish. crumbled bacon on top would also be sooo good!
:: to brown the top up a little, I put the pan in the oven under broil for just a couple minutes

so yum! and perfect fo accompany dinner or even for a weekend lunch!

BANANA BREAD || this one I have shared before! and HERE is my recipe to the BEST banana bread I've EVER had!
though call me bias! ;)

there ya go, friends!!
any questions on any of them, feel free to ask :)
also would LOVE to know some of your favorite things to make during this time of year!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Friday, October 20, 2017

Tanner Ross || 15 months

ah my TANNER boy!!

goodness gracious how we love you.

we've already had a whole 15 months with you and somehow it feels like you were born just yesterday, and yet as though you've been apart of our little family for always and forever.

you are so dear to us all and have the absolute sweetest little spirit. you've surely got some fire in ya when you get worked up/upset about something (daddy says one day you'll use that on the football field) we shall see!! ;) but along with that you are also the happiest. so calm. love your family. the best cuddle giver. so easy going, just like your daddy.
your dad and I have talked how we just LOVE this stage you're in. this 'toddler boy, looking cute as can be, running around to always explore' stage. it's my favorite. and you somehow keep getting better & better the more you grow.
I love watching you as you become yourself and your personality shows through more and more.

we go in for your 15 month check up in about a week and half and I can't WAIT to see how you've grown and just how much you tip that scale :)
you little stinker, you! we love you so!!

E A T
a little bittersweet to me, but we are all finished with nursing. we stopped around 14.5 months. we were slowly slowing down, and were down to 1-2 times nursing a day (first thing in the morning and/or before bed), then the flu bug hit our house. initially we thought tanner had made it through without it, but the day after harper was done, tanner got hit with it. and with that his appetite was slim to nothing... and i was nervous of milk making his tummy upset... so with that it seemed to be the right time to be done.

this boy eats, and he eats, and he EATS! he's such a big eater and always has been.

i don't even want to think about what he's gonna be like ten years from now! having good eating children is something I am so thankful for yet, I also make sure to follow their cues and trust them on when they decide they're finished. no force feeding!
with my background in nutrition, I've learned how important it is to not overfeed children. as mom it's my job to decide what they are eating, where they are eating, and when they are eating. and it's their job to decide how much. it is also so soooo important to limit distractions during meal times. in our house when we eat the tv is off and toys are not to be played with.
meal time is about meal time. :)
((obviously we are human and there are exceptions to this too))
ok, off my soapbox now!

S L E E P
sleep is top notch right now. and thank heavens for that.

NAPS:: 10:30/11-12:30/1 & 3:30/4-5:30/6
that's been typical and usual, but isn't always quite that structured depending on what we have going that day. BUT we're getting to where that second nap is getting a bit too late for bedtime to still happen on time. so I think we're actually gonna start trying to transition to one nap more seriously and see how that goes.

BED:: 8:00pm-7:30am
no wake ups in there either, hallelujah!!
((for most always at least))

I have found though (and it was the same with harper at this age), the better he sleeps in the day for his naps, the better he sleeps at night. recently there were a couple afternoons where tanner wasn't able to get his late afternoon nap in and both of those nights he woke. it didn't take much to get him back go sleep, but still a mama would rather it didn't happen! ;)

so with that.... I REALLY strive to make sure naps happen. cause we are ALL much happier that way ;) and Lord know he needs it and I need it.

P L A Y
not a whole lot to say here, cause it's just plain + simple.. this boy LOVES.TO.PLAY.
I mean what 15 month old doesn't, BUT gosh he's into everything and has become quite the little friend and companion to his big sister.
it's non stop on the go every second he's awake.
favorite 'toys': the broom, mop, & duster. my spoons & spatulas. books. the stack of dvds in the tv stand. cars. balls. the play kitchen. the computer keyboard. dad's golf clubs.