Archives for September 2016

Apple, Brie, & Arugula Galette

September 28, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

Fall is here, which means it is apple season! My mom tribe and I are sharing 8 apple recipes. Up first, my apple, brie, and arugula galettes. You can find the links to each apple recipe below.

{Ingredients}

Pillsbury pie crust (comes with two round crust/dough sheets)
2 apples
1 block of Brie cheese
1 cup arugula
1 egg
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
balsamic glaze

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Gently roll out the two pie crusts onto a flat space. Place one half of the sliced brie and one half of the arugula in the center of each pie crust. Leave about 1.5 inches along the boarder empty. Top with a dash of sea salt and pepper.

2. Place the apples in a spiral on top of the arugula. Evenly coat each galette with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and another piece of salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pinch and fold the galette boarder to form the crust. Scramble one egg and wash the egg over the galette boarder.

4. Bake for 20 minutes (at 400) or until crust in golden brown. Drizzle balsamic glaze on top.

To kick off fall, I am thrilled to team up with my #momtribe to share all of the delicious apple recipes that you could ever want!!! When I think about fall food, a handful of items come to mind. Apples and pie are at the top of my list, that is why I made this apple, brie, arugula galette. The first time that I had a galette was at my favorite coffee shop in our neighborhood. I remember wondering, what is a galette? This awesome carb is like a cross between a free-spirited pie and a flat bread.

I wanted to create a recipe that would be suited for fall, something warm and savory. To make it easy for this new mama, I cheated and used pre-made Pillsbury pie crust (feel free to make your own from scratch). The box comes with a top and a bottom crust, so I made 2 galettes which is enough to serve 4-8 people. This apple and brie galette would make an awesome breakfast, appetizer, or snack at any fall gathering, think football party! 🙂

Now that you have learned about galettes- be sure to check out my talented friends’ blogs. Each lady shared a tasty apple recipe and from the looks of each photo, you do not want to miss any! Here is a link to each recipe beginning from top left: momtribefoodies-long-text-photo

Kris from Kristeen Michelle Blog made Applesauce Greek Yogurt Parfaits

Heidi from Occasionally Perfect Blog made Tahini Apple and Thyme Toast

Shelby from Honeysuckle Blog & Shop made Apple Dumplings

Danielle from Mom Wife Foodie Blog made Apple Cider Sangria

Joanna from Lazy Moms Blog made 3 Minute Apple Crumble Mug Cake

Dani from Drafts & Crafts Blog made Apple, Brie, and Arugula Galettes

Nikki from Nikki Andal Blog & Photography made Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Gladys from The Mother Overload Blog made Apple Pumpkin Pie Spice Overnight Oats

What seasonal dishes will you be making this fall?

Keep in touch,
Dani

Our Fall Bucket List

Mommy & Misc

September 22, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

I like to create a bucket list at the turn of each new season. A bucket list is an awesome way to check off all of the festive activities.

Happy first day of fall! This fall is going to be the BEST now that we are a family of 3! This year really put into perspective how fast time moves. It is crazy to think, it was this time last year we found out that we were expecting our first child. It was such a magical season for Jason and I, yet it has only gotten better! Our seasonal activities and holidays will have a whole new meaning this year!! I am so excited to spend these times with our friends, family, and greatest blessing, Tanner. Fall is by far my favorite season (like every other basic chick), the weather begins to cool, football season is here, and we get to kick off the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! I wanted to share our fall bucket list with you, in hopes to inspire you to enjoy the beautiful season with some fun events!

photography

Our pregnancy announcement from last year

photo credit: Lacy J Photography

10 Activities On Our Fall Bucket List

Apple picking & making an apple recipe
Pumpkin patch
Hayride
Decorate our front porch
Picnic in the park
Create or decorate something out of a pumpkin
Make some fresh bread for our friends
Have a fall tailgate party where everyone brings their favorite finger food
Drink apple cider and spiked apple cider for the adults
DIY fall/halloween craft

Who else loves fall!? What is on your fall bucket list? Please share, I would love to add some things to our list!

Keep in touch,
Dani

Greek Salad

Kitchen

September 15, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

If you are anything like me, then you may get bored of eating the same salad day after day. Switch it up with a greek salad and some homemade tzatziki.

{Ingredients}

Tzatziki:

2 cups plain greek yogurt
1/2 squeezed lemon juice
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper

Salad:

6 ounces spinach or romaine
1 chopped cucumber
1 chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup banana (or bell) peppers
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup greek olives

{Tzatziki}

Begin by chopping the cucumber into cubes. Place ALL of the ingredients into the blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth. Salt and pepper to taste (I did not skin or de-seed the cucumber, I used the entire cucumber).

Jason and I eat the same-old “side-salad” each evening with dinner: spinach, cucumber, tomato, and carrot. To be honest, I just needed to switch it up so I would be excited about eating leafy greens again. I made homemade tzatziki sauce to use as dressing, which was a fresh spin to our usual balsamic or ranch. The tzatziki recipe makes a generous portion so we used it in some wraps and sandwiches for the next few days- YUM! What is everyone up to this weekend? Our neighborhood, Murray Hill, is celebrating their 100 years anniversary. So cool!! Jason and I are pumped to enjoy a little neighborhood celebration with our friends! Have a wonderful weekend lovelies!

Keep in touch,
Dani

Fall Dress Ready

Closet

September 12, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

It’s not that I dislike summer, but fall and winter are my jam. I am over the hot weather and ready to say what’s up to fall. Here is a super casual look to kick off fall..

{Dress: Target} {Necklace: Momni Jax, similar}
{Booties: Sears}

Tanner: {Tee: Gap} {Jeans: Old Navy}
{Loafers: Janie and Jack}

This lady is ready to welcome fall with open arms. While we won’t get cooler weather in Florida for a while, it is feeling a little less humid and we can get use to it!! As a new mama, I am trying to keep my fall wardrobe casual, comfortable, and affordable. Target is one of my go-to places for trendy and affordable attire. Tar-get has the best clothes, shoes, and jewelry! A selling point to any outfit for me is versatility. I love any dress that can be played up or dressed down. Wear it with booties and a cardigan for the night out- or wear it with flats and a chambray to keep it causal. The dress also comes in black and olive. I apologize, but I could not find the link. My target store had tons of them in stock.

Who else is excited for fall? Last year I had searched forever for affordable, cognac booties. I was surprised to find the perfect pair at Sears.com. I am SO SO happy to share that they are still available online!! They held up great for the price and are actually really comfortable. I may have to get myself another pair. I see myself doing some apple picking in these booties this fall! I plan to share our family’s fall bucket list soon. What is on your fall bucket list? Have an awesome week friends!!

Keep in touch,
Dani

4 Thoughts on the 4th Trimester

Mommy & Misc

September 2, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

Our baby boy is 3.5 months old and the “4th trimester” is coming to an end so I am sharing 4 things that I have learned about being a new mama.

A sweet little family photo taken at the Castillo De San Marcos Fort in St. Augustine, FL

Our darling, Tanner, is almost 4 months old and I think it is safe to say that both Jason and myself have learned a tremendous amount about babies, ourselves, and each other since becoming a family of 3. As a female who has always wanted children, people were constantly telling me about what being a parent is like. I think I had a perfectly painted picture about what being a mom was going to be all about. For the most part, it was all true. Having a child is truly the most amazing experience and there is no greater love in the world than when you lay eyes on your precious baby. I wanted to share 4 things that I learned and some of my own misconceptions that became clear in my 4th trimester.

When it comes to mommy and baby sleeping, do what works for you. I said my entire pregnancy that I would not co-sleep, and while I did not, that is only because I felt our bed was not big enough. Jason and I have a queen size bed, but if we had a king size bed, that baby would have been right in the middle of us. Tanner slept in a rock and play sleeper for 6 weeks and then I moved him to his crib because he made too much noise and I felt like he was getting too big for the sleeper. Do not listen to what other suggest, do what works best for your family.
Be a practical parent. I found myself getting these perfect ideas of motherhood in my head and was stubborn about little things. For instance, for the first few weeks of Tanner’s life, I refused to put him in night gowns. I got the notion in my mind that night gowns look ridiculous on boys and pajamas were cuter. Let me tell you, putting a night gown on Tanner was the best thing we ever did! haha.. middle of the night diaper changes got so much easier.
Try your best to worry less. I know it is easier said than done. Caring for your very own child is such a new feeling. You want to do everything correctly and make sure your little love is happy each second of everyday, but tiny (and big) fits, cries, and issues will come up. I learned it is crucial not worry too much, because each week it will be something new. There was one week we discovered that Tanner had reflux, which we were worried about it how to “fix it” so that he would be comfortable. Then the following week, he did not poop for the entire week. When he was not pooping, I totally forget how worried I was about his reflux. With that being said, everything appears to be just a phase that changes from one week to the next.
Do not hesitate to ask for help. I think everyone can agree that being sleep deprived can make you a delirious. You spend your days getting acquainted with your new baby, feeding, changing, and playing. If you are feeling overwhelmed, there is no shame in asking for help. My parents stayed with us for the 2 weeks when Tanner was born and after that I asked my mother-in-law to come over so I could take a nap.

This is just some food for thought. I wish I would have gotten some of these notions out of my head before month 3 with Tanner! If you are a mama or even a fur mama, can you relate or are there any ideas that you had to overcome as a new mom? I would love to hear your thoughts! Bless long weekends, enjoy!

Keep in touch,
Dani