Merry Christmas!

To you…and yours!

Amelia Rose

I have stared at this blank window for 37 minutes. I've written, erased, written, reworded, erased, written, erased. It is just so hard to transcribe my emotions.

You were due on the anniversary of my miscarriage. I was told you probably had Spina Bifida, that you'd be paralyzed and that I should prepare myself for anencephaly. We waited 23 days to see a genetic counselor. We waited 23 days for a diagnostic ultrasound. There was a mass on my placenta that we needed to hope would not become vascular and cause you to go into cardiac arrest. I spent 3 days in neuro ICU after pregnancy hormones triggered a migraine so severe that they thought I had a stroke. 3 CT scans and one MRI. Topped off with a Pitocin induction and an epidural that did not work.

All of that bad news meant nothing.

You are so smart. And seriously, so funny. You have a voice and you don't let people forget it. The three of us are wrapped around your finger and we don't even mind. We miss you when you're sleeping. You are an incredibly special little girl and you have been from the start.

Happy 1st Birthday, baby. Mama loves you.

Balsamic Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. It's quick, easy, pretty healthy and something my family asks for over and over.

Ingredients
3- 4 chicken skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half.
1- 2 pints of cherry tomatoes.
1 small purple onion, diced.
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons.
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar + more to drizzle.
1 tbsp olive oil.
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed.
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and toss them into a medium sized bowl.
Add diced onion, basil ribbons, crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to tomatoes and stir.
Place your chicken into a 9 x 13 glass pan and liberally salt and pepper them.
Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar onto the chicken.
Dump tomato mixture onto chicken.
Bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

The flavors blend so well. The tomatoes become a little sweet after they are roasted and the whole dish is just light and fresh. If I'm hungry, I serve it with Trader Joes jasmine rice. Otherwise, skip it.

It's so easy. Make it!

DIY Christmas gift: Eggnog!

If I'm being honest, the main reason I decided to try my hand at eggnog was our abundance of eggs. When I say abundance, what I really mean is that they are coming out of my ass. Our chickens deserve some kind of an award.

I love eggnog but I can only tolerate 3 sips of the stuff you buy from the store. This version? I cannot stop. The flavor is great without being too sweet. The consistency is perfect, as well. PLUS! It's super easy.

Ingredients
2 cups of milk (I use whole)
1 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp of nutmeg
3+ oz of whiskey (I use Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey)

Directions
- In a stand mixer, beat the yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the yolks have lightened in color.
- Meanwhile, combine the milk, cream and nutmeg in a sauce pan, over medium to high heat. Stirring occasionally, heat this mixture until it almost boils.
- Remove from the heat and gradually temper the yolks and sugar with the cream mixture.
- Put the whole bowl into the refrigerator to cool.
- Whip the egg whites and the tbsp of sugar in the mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk the chilled mix into the egg whites.
- Add whiskey and stir.
- Pour into mason jars and share or pour into a glass and ENJOY!

I have a batch in the refrigerator, ready to go to a few guys that work with my husband. Next batch will go with us to a friend's Christmas party. No gifts, just food and booze. This eggnog with be the perfect addition. Original recipe from Alton Brown.

Salut!

Santa Spy Cam

Last year, it was Reindeer Cam. We still use the Reindeer app but this year, it's all about Santa Spy Cam.

I found it after my son insisted that our Elf of the Shelf was not real. He was not real because no one ever saw him move.

Excuse me? You're 3 and a half.

Anyway, my husband and I "set up the phone" to "spy on the elf while we were sleeping" and this is what we saw!



FREAKING AWESOME.

That's our hallway. The app lets you add an elf (or two) into real scenes from your house or wherever you need to add a little magic. My skeptical son is now psyched about Shelfie again. Whew. I asked him if he thinks Santa is real and he said yes. Which is good, because I told him that the presents stop when you stop believing in Santa!

The app is free and there are a couple of free elves. Others will cost you but are totally worth the price!


Merry Christmas!! This is not an ad!

Holiday Gift Guide: Wine Lover's Edition

It seems as if everyone has a gift guide for Christmas and I did not want to be left out. I don't know a lot about wine other than that I enjoy drinking it. The holidays can be a stressful time of year so I'm hoping that this helps. Here are my top picks for the oenophile in your life.

The Ultimate Wine Bottle Glass - $14
Hysterical. I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a joke. Well, my friends, it is a reality. It's inexpensive enough to buy as a gag gift. Perfect for the woman who limits herself to one glass of wine a night. Who cares if that one glass is 750 ml?

Vino2Go Wine Tumbler- $16
A wine sippy cup! My life is complete now that I have one of these. Perfect for Merlot Moms that would love to sip their wine at the soccer game. If drinking during school functions is not your thing, this is a great cup to take camping. No spills! No bugs! BPA free!

The Corkcicle - $22
I bought this for a friend of mine a couple of years ago and she loves it. She uses it when she's enjoying her wine on the front porch with her best friend. It keeps your wine perfectly chilled. Personally, I would use it while I stumble around the backyard during the summer. Prevents spills when drinking from the bottle!

Wine Barrel Cork Cage - $24
This cork cage is a great way to keep track of your accomplishments while providing cute decor for the kitchen or dining room. I enjoy pinning cork crafts on Pinterest and this cork cage gets me one step closer to actually doing those projects. Bonus? Have friends and family add their corks so no one can comment on how many wine bottles you go through.

Wine Cork Coaster Kit - $20
Speaking of cork crafts! I was given a cork trivet kit and I enjoyed making it! This is great for the creative and crafty wino friend. You could even open the box, complete the coasters with all of your corks and wrap them up like that. No one would ever know that you bought a kit!

GoVino Wine Glass - $13
This glass is for the environmental enthusiast! It's flexible, shatterproof and most importantly, recyclable. These are unbreakable! I've put my glass down on an invisible table way too many times. This gift would eliminate the shards of glass that you miss while cleaning up the mess! They are great for parties, camping, the pool, the tub, Thursday night, whenever!

The Wine Rack - $30
Last but certainly not least, the WINE RACK! Drink your wine where you want, whenever you want to! The bra holds 25 ounces of liquid. When you're empty, avoid the awkward boob size questions by blowing some air into it. This is the perfect gift for the concert go-er or the woman who truly hates her job.

And there you have it. I hope you were able to cross at least one person off your gift list. Cheers!