Pesto Fish

Back when I was a part of Weight Watchers online, I collected a bunch of recipes from the community recipe swap as well as official recipes as part of the program.  Pesto Fish is one of the recipes I tried and it has become a "tried and true" in our house.  It's a very simple recipe that only needs a few ingredients.

You'll need:
1 pound of raw tilapia
1/4 cup lite mayo or miracle whip
2 Tbsp store bought pesto sauce
1/2 cup Contadina Diced Tomatoes with roasted garlic

Preheat the oven to 450.  Place fish in a single layer 13 x 9 baking dish.  Combine pesto and mayo and spread over fish.  Drizzle each piece with a row of tomatoes.  (I sometimes skip the tomatoes--it just depends.  I think it's more for "look" than flavor.)  Bake 15 minutes or until fish is flakey.

It doesn't exactly look too pretty, and it definitely doesn't photograph all that well, but I promise it is very yummy!  In fact, the last time I made it Michael said it was one of his favorite meals.

I make the same things with it every time--couscous and peas.

The fish is only 4 points, in case you are counting.

If you've never made couscous, you should try that out as well.

I've tried a bunch of different kinds, but I've found I like this kind the best

It's quick, easy, and great.  I make it with reduced sodium/fat chicken broth instead of water.

I'm totally not ashamed...

... to tell you that all of my Christmas decorations are still up.  Yep.  That's right.  It's January 12th and I haven't even begun to think about taking them down.  And I don't care.  Let's be honest.  It might be February before it's all down! :)

Pit Stop

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like it's time for a pit stop.  (Can you tell Little Man is into Nascar right now? :)  I've been doing this blog for about 5 months and have gone three straight months with a post every day.  Seems crazy to me that I've had that much to share!  I can honestly say that I am loving blogging more than I ever thought I would.  Like I said when I started, this is not my first blogging attempt. However, this is my first time sharing fun ideas and information instead of just telling my day to day boring-ness.  It is so much fun for me.  I look forward to every single post and am always on the lookout for new post ideas.  I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.  (All ten of you!)

Before I started my own blog, I had been a faithful blog follower of others.  Some blogs I have been following for over two years!!  People kept telling me I should start a blog and share all my information, but I just didn't feel like I had all that much to share.  (Apparently I was wrong.)  I follow three different types of blogs--a) children related blogs, b) cooking blogs, and c) decorating/crafting blogs.  I didn't really feel like I could choose one topic as my main focus.  I don't have my own kid so I didn't want my blog to be all about someone else's child.  I don't really come up with any new recipes on my own.  I follow other people's recipes.  I like to craft and decorate, but not enough to have a blog where that is the main focus.  Sooooooo, I decided to blog about it all.  I didn't want to be confined to one genre, but rather share with you all of the things I love.  (I get claustrophobic like that!)

That brings me to the point of this post.  I want to know what you, my ever faithful readers, like to read about.  Why do you keep coming back?  What posts do you most look forward to?  What is it you'd like to see more of?  So if you'd be so kind, can you leave me a comment and let me know?  It will also help me know how many people are actually reading this thing.

Here are some choices to help you out:

• A) The recipes--I am always in need of a good one and look for your help here. 
• B) The kids information--I have a child or work with a child and like to use the crafts and ideas you share to brighten my child's day.
  
• C) Decorating--I'm no Martha Stewart and like to get an idea or two.
  
• D) The Crafts--Your ideas inspire me to break out my glue gun.
  
• E) Book Reviews--I love to read and add your suggested titles to my library list.
  
• F) A good find--I like all of your product reviews.  It helps me know what to look for at the store.
• G) We are related or a personal friend--  I could care less what you write about.  I know you, so I read.
• H) Gushing on your husband-- Because really, who doesn't want to hear about Michael? :)
• I) Other--I enjoy reading because __________.  I wish you would write about ________.

Any other information you'd like to share is welcome.

Thanks for playing! :)

 

Cork Board Cuteness

If I had a house and unlimited funds, I'm pretty sure I would decorate with things from Ballard Designs.  I don't have a big house (yet) or unlimited funds, but my bosses do!  K LOVES Ballard Designs and I love seeing all the fun things she gets.

One of the things she's gotten in the last year is this:

The really big one!!  I like it.

We do a lot of art work and it use to be taped to the fridge, the garage door and the cabinets.

Now it's neatly arranged on the "gussied up" cork board.

The frame on the cork board makes it so dressed up, as compared to a junky or cluttered look.

Here's the product in use.

It's sort of in the corner of the kitchen.

The doors on the left are the pantry and the door on the left leads to an office.

Just a few weeks ago it was covered with fall art (remember the marble leaves?), and now it's updated to the Christmas look.  Of course, some of the things are just for any time of the year.

(I had to erase the parts that had Little Man's name.)

So if you've already gone to Ballard Designs and looked this up, I know what you are thinking.  "I can't afford to pay $150 for that!"  I'm proposing you could make it.  I'd make one to show you, but I have no kids art work to display, nor do I have the place to hang it.  Think crown molding from the hardware store and a really cheap cork board.  You can do it.  I promise.  Get going........

ABC book

Little Man and I have been making up an ABC for a little while now.  I started it because he wasn't "getting" some of his letters.  We just did one or two every now and then.  We both enjoyed it and have recently just finished it.

First, I got a three ring binder with page covers.  Of course I got green... Little Man's favorite color.

I had bought alphabet stickers and planned on decorating the outside, but the stickers weren't staying.

So... off to plan B

Some of the ideas for the pages came from various other blogs and some were my own idea.

Here are a few...

 

Don't mind the huge smudge on the middle of the E.

Someone used a little too!! much!! glue!!

 

 

 

 

Camera Case

Guess what came in the mail this week?  That's right!  My cute little camera case from one of my etsy orders.

SO CUTE!

I love it.

It has two pockets.  A place for the camera and any extras you may have.

Obviously I'm using my camera, but here is a picture of my phone in it.

 

You could use it as a very small purse if you wanted!

It can carry my money, my phone, my license and debit card.

But...I'll probably just use it as a camera case.

Have you checked out etsy yet?

Lite Brite Review

Remember the good old days of your childhood when you sat and made pictures on your Lite Brite for hours?  Ok, so I never really had one (deprived, I know!), but I imagine that's what you would have done.  I always enjoyed playing with it at friends and families houses.  So while I was perusing the aisles of Meijer shopping for Little Man's Christmas gifts, I came across a toy I thought would be great... The Lite Brite flat screen.  They have a giant Lite Brite at our Science Museum and at the Conservatory and Little Man has enjoyed playing with them.  Sounds good right?  Well, Little Man does love it.  However, I HATE IT!  It is not like the days of old, let me tell you.  Here's what I don't like:

a) It's battery run.  You'd think this would be alright, only the light dims every three minutes and you have to keep pressing the button.  Crappy!
b) The light isn't even that bright and the paper is much thicker than I remember.
c) The clever little tray meant to hold and carry the beads in is a pain in the butt to open.  Then when you do finally get it open, you ended up using so much force that the darn things fly every where.

Oh well.  Little Man loves it and we've almost used up all the papers that come with it.  That means, either mom has to buy replacement pages or I get a break from the dumb thing. 

Moral of the story--if you see this thing while walking down the aisle of the store, go ahead and stop.  Have your nostalgic moment and then MOVE ON.  If you really want a Lite Brite for your child, find one that plugs in.  You'll be happy you did!