{In My Kitchen} Apple-Oat Muffins with Crumb Topping

Y'all. These muffins. These muffins may be the best thing I've baked in, like, a year.

The crazy thing is, I came upon this recipe by chance when I was digging through my recipe box last night for last minute supper ideas. I'm still trying to get my feet back under me from being gone for a whole week, and I haven't made it to the grocery store yet. I know you're thinking, "Muffins for supper?" But it was about the only thing I had the ingredients to make! Real life.

The good fantastic thing about it is that I discovered a Fall recipe that I will make every year for the rest of my life. Yes. They are that good. Moist, warm, cinnamon-y goodness with soft apples throughout and a crumbly topping to boot. If you're looking for ways to savor September this recipe is definitely a must. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, after-school snack, evening coffee, dessert, or yes, even for supper. ;)

Apple Oat Muffins with Crumb Topping (adapted slightly from The Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, divided
• 1 1/4 cup quick rolled oats, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp flaxseed (perfect way to get that flaxseed in your diet!)
• 7 tbsp organic butter, melted, divided
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped apple* (about 1 medium, or 2 small apples)
• 1 cup organic whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Get Cookin'

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease with butter.
2. For crumb topping, combine 1/4 cup each of flour, oats, flaxseed, and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add 3 tbsp melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
3. Place remaining flour, oats, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
4. Stir in chopped apple.* Add milk, egg, and remaining butter. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Divide batter among muffin tin. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over batter, pressing down gently.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

*I didn't peel my apples and the muffins turned out completely fine. Apples were soft with no chewy skin. I'm sure it will be fine if you want to peel your apples just to be sure though. I was just short on time.

As I was typing this post I realized that these muffins would also be good with added walnuts or pecans, to give them just a little extra crunch. Or some raisins for extra sweetness. If you decide to try them, let me know! I'd love to read your comments!

{Baby Style} Maximizing Cost Per Wear

I love baby clothes. Like, really love them.

This is rather surprising to me because before I had a baby of my own I never gave baby clothes a second thought. At baby showers {before I was pregnant} everyone would ooh and ahh over all the sweet, tiny clothes, and I would kinda sit back sipping my punch and think, "What's the big deal? They're clothes."

Oh how differently I feel now.

Shopping for Maylin has become one of my favorite things to do. In fact, I rather like to think that I'm curating her wardrobe, one carefully selected piece at a time. When I shop, I first scour the entire store to see all my options. Then I go back and hand pick those items that are especially unique, or cute, or versatile, or that "look like Maylin." I really evaluate my purchases, thinking about what she already has in her closet, what spaces need to be filled, and what she can wear with each article. Then I purchase the clothing that make the final cut. Thank goodness baby clothes are {usually} less expensive than my clothes! This, of course, may or may not contribute to the amount of clothing I buy for her. ;)

It is not an exaggeration when I say Maylin owns more clothes than I do {ask my sister, she's seen the inside of my closet}. But even though she has so many clothing options, I still want her to get more than one wear out of her clothes. It makes me kind of sick to my stomach to think that she could only wear her clothes one time before they're outgrown. You see, I'm trying not to be overtaken by consumerism and materialism. It makes me feel a little better if she wears her clothes several times over. {It also gives me a chance to mix and match.} This led me to today's outfit.

This sweet little top Maylin's wearing is actually a newborn dress. That's right people. A newborn size dress turned five month old top. I paired it with printed striped leggings in a contrasting color to make the turquoise really pop. This particular dress/top has stretchy elastic around the neck and arm holes, which makes it super easy to slip over her larger-than-newborn head. Of course, Maylin is small for her age anyway, so this works quite well for us. I used the same trick here.

So, I encourage you, if you have small children and want to get the most cost per wear from their clothing, try out this easy idea and use a small dress for a cute top. Too bad it doesn't work that well for adult size clothing.

Oh, and don't let anyone tell you dressing a baby is like dressing a doll. It's better.

Way better.

Dress: Target

Leggings: Target

Headband: Carter's

{Recap} Our Week at the Beach

I've been absent around here for the past week because we've been at the beach with my family enjoying one last summer vacation. It was just what we needed, 7 days to relax, soak up the sun rays, play in the waves, and watch the sun come up with steaming cups of coffee. M and I took a couple of early evening beach walks, Maylin learned that the sand wasn't really her favorite, and we ate some delicious seafood and burgers at local restaurants.  And of course, it was refreshing to have some quality family time with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law. One great thing about going to the beach in in mid-September is there are hardly any crowds, yet the sun and water is still warm. And most of the people there were my parents' age and older, which I secretly loved. I can do without the crazy college crowd. It was just lovely. Here are a few (okay, a whole lot of) snapshots of our trip.

High Five for Friday

1. I blogged yesterday about taking time to savor September and enjoying the little moments leading up to Fall. One thing Maylin and I did this week was sit out on the front porch. The temperature here is still in the 90s, but that's better than 100 degrees, so sitting in the shade on the porch was actually bearable. I think she rather liked finding all the little "outside treasures" that were around her little space.

2. Michael and I taught ourselves how to play a new card game this week- gin rummy. Have any of you ever played? It's a two-person card game and was pretty fun! I inwardly enjoyed laying down my cards and saying "gin" in a sweet little voice when I won. (Ahem, Game 1: M= 67 points; J=251 points) We had kinda gotten in a rut in the evening where we did the same things over and over, especially after having Maylin. This game spiced things up a bit this week, in a friendly, competitive way.

3. I picked up a few new beauty products this week at Target. (I despise the term "beauty product." So cliche.) I picked up a few different-for-me items to update my morning routine. I'm trying to grow out my hair and bangs, and it's taking for.ev.er. So, in order to give myself a little change from my straight brown locks, I grabbed some Velcro rollers, a new brand of shampoo and conditioner, and a curling iron. I've been working real hard this week on trying to get some volume into this hair of mine. Also, inspired by my sister, I tried out the E.L.F. line of makeup. So inexpensive (which M loves!) yet works pretty well too. I'll definitely be going back for the concealer and blush, but can do without the mascara. I'll stick to my $10 tube of that.

4. How cute are these tiny swimsuits and sun hats??!! And I'm not even going to mention the yellow sunnies. I know I said I'll be saving September, and I will be, but this coming week I'll be doing it from the beach. We're taking a late summer beach trip with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law. Considering I haven't been to a beach since I graduated college four years ago, I am very much looking forward to it. I can't wait to feel the sand between my toes, listen to the waves, and relax beneath an umbrella. So, as soon as I finish this post, I'm back to packing.

5. My furry firstborn and constant companion. He follows me around the house all day and I love him for it.

I hope your week was wonderful, too! Linking up with Lauren for H54F. Have a fabulous weekend.

{Savoring September} A Fall Book

One of the things I am most excited about in regards to having a daughter is I get to share with her several of my loves. One of which is Fall. {Another is Anne of Green Gables, but that's for another day.}

Fall has always been my favorite season, ever since I was a little girl. I love the crunchy leaves, the golden sunlight, the warmth of a cardigan. And let's not forget the blessedly cooler weather. I do live in the very Southern part of the US, however, so our cooler weather won't hit until mid-November. I try to live vicariously through other people who live in places with 4 actual seasons.

I'm being inspired by Sarah Mae and savoring September despite my frustration over the heat. Even though the temperature here is currently 93 degrees, I can still celebrate the beginning of Fall.

I took Maylin to the library and gathered up several books about apples and autumn. This one was a favorite for both of us. How could I not love a book that shaped like an actual autumn leaf, right? And it's a board book, which makes it so easy for Maylin to wrap her little fingers around the edges. 

The illustrations are a bit juvenile for my taste, although I'm sure Maylin liked the colors. For me, the part of this book that hooked me was the words. This was my favorite page. 

All the highlights of Fall, right there on one page. Now if that doesn't get you excited about September, I don't know what will. I hope you're enjoying this new season as much as I am!

{In My Kitchen} Louisiana Shrimp Pasta

My sister has been raving about this dish she makes called Louisiana Chicken Pasta. I think she got it off Pinterest. Because, let's be honest, we hardly ever find new recipes in cookbooks anymore. 

I feel I've been in a recipe-rut, cooking the same dishes over and over. Lately it's been chicken burgers (will have to do a blog post soon) and Mexican stack-ups. When I mentioned to Christy that I wanted something different, she persuaded me to try this recipe. She even wrote it on a cute little recipe card. That's how committed she is to this recipe. I mean, ya don't give someone a handwritten recipe card for a so-so dish.

I tried it last night, and y'all, it was DELISH. Really and truly, down to your core DELICIOUS.

I had to share the recipe right away. I did make a few minor changes to her recipe, so I'll include both versions. Be prepared to drool.

Louisiana Chicken {Shrimp} Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces {I used a bag of Gulf caught peeled & deveined shrimp}
• 8 oz bowtie pasta {1 cup Hodgson Mills whole wheat pasta spirals}
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil {3 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil in place of butter & olive oil}
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup half and half {1/2 cup organic half and half}
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream {1 cup heavy whipping cream}
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder {1/4 tsp organic minced garlic}
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning*
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper*
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water
• 3 scallions, chopped

* We both used more Cajun seasoning and Cayenne than suggested.

Get Cookin'

1. Cook chicken {or shrimp} in small amount of butter/olive oil {coconut oil} in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season with salt and Cajun spices. Cook until lightly brown {or pink if using shrimp} and is thoroughly cooked. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. 
3. Sautee peppers and onions in the same skillet the chicken {shrimp} was cooked in. Season with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and Cayenne. Cook until veggies are tender, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the half and half and heavy cream to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until dissolved. Add to skillet once the cream mixture has started to bubble. Allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.*
6. When the sauce has thickened, add cooked pasta and chicken pieces {shrimp} to the skillet. Cook until chicken {shrimp} is warmed through. 
7. Stir in scallions.
8. Serve immediately and top with addition Cajun seasoning, if desired. Which we did.

Christy's Note: Makes about 6 servings. This would be good for company. {I completely agree!}

*I skipped step 5, choosing not to add cornstarch as a thickening agent. Instead I allowed my sauce to simmer a bit longer. It thickened up on its own.

Even Michael, who doesn't generally like pasta dishes for supper, gave this one two thumbs up. I'll leave you with one final picture to drive home the point. Now, go get in the kitchen!

{Real Mom Life} Swaddling

6:45 AM lighting, thus a grainy picture

There are times when it hits me with full force that Maylin will not be a baby forever. I remember these times with electric clarity: the night Maylin was 3 days old, when she outgrew her first newborn outfit, when she outgrew size newborn diapers, the first time she sat up independently, when she learned to put her passy in her mouth by herself.

And last night when, for the first time in Maylin's 5 month life, I chose not to swaddle her before putting her to bed. 

I know, right? Like, so not a big deal.

Except it is. To this mama it is.

Swaddling is one of the trademarks of being a baby-baby. A newborn. So, to not wrap her in a tightly woven baby-blanket-bundle was like saying good-bye to that phase of her life. A phase we will never return to. I will never again be the mother of a first born newborn baby.

Teeny, tiny, two week old Maylin, swaddled to the max.

Sometimes that knowledge is crippling and frightening, because having the sentimental, hoarder-type personality that I have, I want to clench with white-knuckle ferocity to whatever phase we're living in at the time. Other times, I am joyful that Maylin will not be in a certain phase anymore, like when she finally began consistently sleeping through the night. I was totally okay with waving goodbye to middle of the night feedings. There are times that I can hardly wait for her to grow to a toddler, to see her totting around on wobbly legs, for her to grow even a smidgen of hair for me to put a bow in, for her to babble in sweet toddler-talk, for her to grab my face and plant a slobbery kiss on my cheek, to hear her 4 year old voice.

Yet I know that I will trade these baby moments for those toddler moments, and the baby moments will be over. Then I'll trade toddler moments for school-girl moments. School-girl moments will be swapped for teenage moments. Then she'll be gone. And our moments together will be fewer and farther between. 

All of this because she is growing out of her swaddling blankets. 

I've been grappling with this decision in my mind for a while. I realize that 5 months is a little old for a baby to still be bound at night, but I've always convinced myself that she liked it, that it made her feel safe and secure, kind of like she was still in my womb. Until she convinced me otherwise. And she has probably been trying to tell me that for a couple weeks now, but I've been too stubborn to listen. After consistently sleeping through the night with no problem, Maylin has recently been waking up mid-night, or has been fighting being put down to bed. It's frankly been exhausting. Soon, after talking to a friend at church whose children are a little older, I concluded that Maylin's sleeping habit disruptions are probably two-fold.

1) It's time to lose the swaddle.

2) It's time to start her on some sort of solid food.

I am (albeit selfishly) so not ready to give up exclusive breastfeeding, so the only option left was to give up swaddling.

So I did.

She slept peacefully through the night. She did not scream when I tried to put her to bed, and she did not wake screaming during the night. 

Then this morning she greeted me with this face.

"Thanks, Mom."

I suppose I should've listened sooner.

One small step for Maylin, one giant leap for mama. Thus is motherhood, I suppose.