Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday and I wanted to wish him a Very Happy Birthday, he is by far the best dad a girl could ever ask for and I can't thank God enough for making him my daddy!

                                 

                                Daddy, 

You've always been there for me

And I know you always will be

You're the one who taught me everything

And you've helped me to see

That you're the one who made me

who I am today

By being that special person,

you know no other way

You taught me life's lessons,

About how to be a good friend,

About being honest

And playing till the end

Whenever I had a problem

You were always there

To walk me through it

Or to just tell me that you care

You were always my protector

Around you I felt so safe

No one could harm me

While I could see your face

I've always trusted you

You're the first man to hold my heart

Cause you are my father

And we will never part

I'm writing this to say

Thank you for being you

For always being there

For always being true

I love you dad

And today's your special day

So face your future,

I'm behind you all the way!

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

Saturday we took JD to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live and we all had a really great time!  When JD would see Plex on stage he would point at his own shirt and say "Pex", it was just so cute. The show was very entertaining and I have to admit even I sang and danced along too!

JD's 1st Haircut

On Saturday we finally took JD to get his very first haircut! We paid a visit to daddy's barber Ed and after JD watched a few other kids get haircuts he was eager to get "buzz, buzz" himself. We were a little worried that he wasn't going to actually sit through a haircut but he did and he seemed to like it; JD even got a First Haircut Certificate to prove it!

Our Thanksgiving

This year like every other year since the hubby and I have been married, our families celebrated Thanksgiving together; as always there was plenty of food, wine, laughter and the usual discussion of the latest trends; this year we spent the entire night trying to explain Twitter to my dad! This was JD's second Thanksgiving and he was definitely able to enjoy dinner to the fullest and even got a whole turkey leg to himself! Here are a few pictures of our Thanksgiving dinner at my in laws, I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for togetherness; it’s an occasion to be spent in the warm and loving company of family, loved ones and friends. Thanksgiving is also an opportunity to renew the ties that bind us with the ones we love; it is a time for remembering, cherishing and being thankful for all the good things you have been blessed with. I am so thankful for everyone and everything in my life, the Lord has blessed me with so much more than I could ever need or deserve and for this I am truly grateful. I wish everyone a very Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!

Sausage Stuffing

Every year for the last 5 years I've made stuffed bell peppers for Thanksgiving and this year is no exception. I've tried a few different stuffing recipes, but this one always seems to get the most compliments, so I've decided to share it with you. Enjoy!

Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound sweet or hot pork sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups (1/2-inch cubes) cornbread (about 3/4 pound)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl and set aside.

Add celery, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until translucent. Add sage and thyme and cook about 1 minute more. Stir in broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add cornbread to bowl with sausage. Pour broth mixture over the top and mix until well combined. Transfer to a (9-inch) casserole dish and bake until hot throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. If you would like to make stuffed bell peppers using this stuffing, you can find the stuffed bell pepper recipe here.

Classic Cranberry Sauce

Due to some wonderful timing and the fact that my mother in law is cooking a huge turkey (that I doubt she wants to lug all the way to our place) for Thanksgiving dinner, I'm not going to be hosting Thanksgiving this year (but I have been tagged for Christmas dinner). I will still be making a few side dishes and desserts but other than that, I get to relax and eat cranberry sauce to my hearts content this Thanksgiving! Here is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe. Enjoy!

Classic Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 (12-ounce)package fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Preparation:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 12 minutes or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat; stir in rind. Cool completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Winter Wonderland Compartment Treat Box

On one of my recent trips to Michaels I came across these Winter Wonderland Compartment Treat Boxes by Martha Stewart, aren't they cute! I thought these boxes would be perfect for some yummy treats I want to give my coworkers for Christmas. You can find these boxes in different sizes and colors at Michaels or click here to purchase them online.

$14.99 at Michaels

(I paid $9.00 with 40% off coupon)

Each of these decorative window boxes are divided into four neat compartments, perfect for arranging and protecting all your homemade holiday treats. Our ribbons and labels add the perfect finishing touch. Includes six boxes.

Dimension: 6.25" 6.25" x 2"

Keeping JD busy...

JD has already hit his terrible two's (6 months early), he is definitely testing boundaries and throwing tantrums, especially when he get's bored. So how do we keep him from getting bored when playtime is over and it's time to clean, cook or wash; we ask JD to help! Including JD in all of our household chores not only keeps him busy, it helps him learn how to clean up after himself and he gets a ton of high fives and bravos, which makes him feel proud too.

 JD bringing me clothes from daddy's hamper

 He knows the importance of fabric softener

 We can't forget the Downy balls

JD throws away his own diapers (well, only the pee-pee ones)