Hearty Beef Stew

Hey there!

Even though it's the end of June, today was a nasty, ugly day. It's cold and rainy and just plain sad looking outside. Jake worked a full day outside in this weather and I thought, what better dish to come home to and enjoy other than a nice piping hot bowl of some hearty beef stew? Nothing! It's the perfect weather for it! So I trenched out in the rain to the grocery store and picked up some stuff that I needed. Then I came home and got to work. Here ya go!

Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:

- 3/4 Beef Sirloin Steaks (depending on how much stew you're making. Make sure it has a lot of fat marbling through out it).

- 2 large yellow onions

- Celery

- Baby carrots

- Petite yellow potatoes

- McCormicks hearty beef stew seasoning packing

- Minced Garlic

- Worcestershire sauce 

- Beef Stock

- Salt

- Pepper

- Garlic powder

- Steak seasoning

- Flour

- Canola Oil / Olive Oil / Extra Virgin Olive Oil (whichever you prefer). 

Steps:

First thing I always do if I'm cooking with veggies is to prep them. I wash them (if needed) and dry them. Then I cut them up. The onions I cut into good sized slices, the baby carrots I cut in half, I sliced celery and only used a little since I'm the only one in our family that likes celery, and I quarter the potatoes. 

Next, I cut up the beef into good one inch or bite sized pieces. Be sure to have a sharp filet knife! 

Now I got my dry mixture together in a seperate bowl. I used flour, garlic powder, steak seasoning, salt, and pepper together and made sure it was mixed together well.

This mixture is what you use to coat your meat. You want every piece of your meat coated. It will give it good flavoring and the flour will work as a natural thickener later on. 

Next, your going to get a pretty big pot (I use my extra large pot from my stainless steel Tupperware cookware series). If you have non-stick then perfect! Mine isn't non-stick but I never have any issues with food sticking too bad. Now you're going to want to coat the bottom of the pan with oil. You want a good level of oil in the bottom, around 1/3 of an inch. And turn your heat up, mine was set to around 6, so that the oil heats through and you start to see little oil bubbles form. You really want your oil good and heated and ready before you put your meat in. I usually sprinkle a few drops of water in to see if it sizzles. Once it sizzles, you're ready. 

Once your oil is ready, carefully use tongs to scatter the meat in the pan. Be sure not to over-fill the pan! It might take you a couple batches. This time, it took me four different batches. Patience is a virtue at this point! 

Let it brown for a couple minutes then flip over. 

The meat should be browned. It will not be fully cooked through but that's okay because it will continue to cook later on. Remove pieces to a separate bowl when they're done and continue on with the same technique until all of your meat is browned and in a separate bowl. Now you should be left with a pot that has lots of little brown bits in the bottom. Don't wash them out! That's the best part! Those little bits are full of flavor! Now pour all but one cup of the beef stock into the pot, leaving the heat on, and use a good wooden spoon to scrap the pieces off of the bottom of the pan. Be sure to use some "elbow grease" and really get those seasonings off the bottom! 

Now take that one cup of stock and put it into a bowl with the McCormicks packet. Mix it up really well and set aside. 

Now pour your veggies into the pot. 

Add a good scoop of minced garlic and a couple good splashes of the Worcestershire sauce. 

Mix that up well. Add your beef and the sauce mixture to the pot and turn it on high heat, stirring until it comes to a bowl. 

Once the pot is at a roaring boil, put a lid on it and turn it down to medium heat. Cook for an hour, checking it and stirring it every ten minutes to make sure things are sticking to the bottom. You will notice the sauce start to thicken to make a nice gravy. After an hour, turn it down to low and let it cook for another half hour to an hour, stirring frequently. 

This stew is packed with everything you need; meat, potatoes, veggies! You can certainly eat it all on its own. I personally like to serve mine with a starch and some good bread. Sometimes I serve it over egg noodles, but today I went with white rice. Yes, I use Minute rice. It's quick and easy and almost impossible to mess up. I also browned some Hawaiian Sweet Rolls in the oven and served those with it. I wanted to get a picture but I completely forgot. 

Hope you guys enjoy!

- Christine 

Hospital bag.... Check!

I may just be the worst procrastinator when it comes to certain things. Back in high school, I never put off a paper or homework but I dreaded folding a load of laundry (who am I kidding? I STILL dread folding laundry). I will scrub the kitchen and play room from top to bottom three times a day, but leave my closet a disaster for a good week. Some things I jump on the ball with and others, not so much. My hospital bag happens to be one of those things. 

When I was pregnant with Easton, I shopped and packed my hospital all on a Sunday; and good thing I did because I went to the hospital that Tuesday. This time around I am slacking. My doctor told me two weeks ago that I should start getting prepared. I have done a ton - moved Easton's car seat over and loaded our infant seat and base into my car, put together the new dressers and crib, pack and play is set up, swing is in the box in the living room ready to go (I would have put it together already except I have a curious yet wild toddler and the swing was a pretty penny), clothes are all washed and put away, diapers and wipes are purchased and stocked up, and rhen some. I really have a lot done. But every.single.day Jake comes home and asks me "did you pack the bags yet?" And every.single.time I say "I will tomorrow". I know, I know, horrible. I did go to the store this past weekend though and I bought everything I needed. Packing the time around is so much easier since this isn't our first time at the rodeo. The first time, I didn't use half of my stuff and ended up calling my mother in law to bring me certain stuff from our house. This time - we will be ready. 

Here's what I have in our bags and some major necessities that we've learned to make sure not to forget! I also just want to say that some of this stuff (certain outfits or makeup and what not) you might not want or need which is totally okay! We are hiring a photographer to capture our birthing story, and while I completely understand that I shouldn't care what I look like during labor or birth, I do care. So I do have some extra things that I wouldn't necessarily need if we weren't having pictures taken non-stop. But here ya go!

My bag:

- Socks / slippers : Even though hospitals are sanitized non stop, germs are everywhere. Cover those toes!

- A comfy outfit (sweats/shorts/zip up/sweatshirt) : I labored a long time before I got my epidural which means I didn't have to stay in one spot. Stay in comfy clothes until you HAVE to be in that ugly hospital gown. 

- Comfy undies for after delivery : I personally like the brand Gilligan & O'Malley from target. They're super soft and stretchy so they especially work during the madness of "post-delivery".

- Robe : my mom bought be a super comfy short knee-length robe from Kohls from Sonoma and it was a savor for me in the hospital; especially when I would nurse. This time around I really wanted to order a silk hospital gown but I waited to long and it takes 6-8 weeks to be made and shipped so that will have to be for next time. But if you have the time then I would definitely do that.

- Two outfits (1. "everyone's going to show up at the hospital to see the little bundle of joy so I should probably look somewhat decent" outfit and 2. "I have to now drive 35 minutes home from the hospital after giving birth so I need to be comfy" outfit.)

- Nursing bras or tanks. No explanation needed.

- Nursing pads : I have disposable ones and cloth ones. I usually use the disposable ones until we get our nursing schedule down, then once I'm home I switch to cloth for convenience. 

- Shampoo / conditioner / body wash / shaving cream / face wash / razor / lotion / tooth brush / tooth paste / deodorant : Even  though the hospital will offer you all of this stuff, it's best to have your own. It's like a little luxury once your in that tiny room for awhile. I use Clinique face products so I picked up my duo in a nice travel size kit so I don't have to bring all my big bottles from home. 

- Extra bathroom goodies (Qtips, toilet paper, nail clippers/file, hair brush, hair ties, hair products, make up, make up remover clothes, Chapstick) : these are just things that are nice to have. 

 * I personally didn't pack any feminine products this time because I packed a ton last time and didn't use any of them because the hospital sends you home with a bunch of stuff and that stuff is free!

* I will also have my regular necessities that are kept on me all the time; my phone, glasses, wallet with my insurance and license and what not. But that is stuff that I'll obviously need before hand so I can't pack it away just yet. 

* I used a Vera Bradley overnight bag and packed my stuff along with the babies stuff in it, and we still have room to spare in there! 

Jakes bag:

- Comfy sweats

- A good pair of tennis shoes (he's a pacer and likes to walk laps)

- A nice outfit for when people come to visit 

- Bathroom goodies : shampoo, body wash, face wash, shaving cream, razor, after shave, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste. 

- Back up phone charger

- Socks / flip flops / crocs

- Laptop with charger : When I was in labor with Easton, we watched 4 different movies on Jakes laptop. This time we will for sure be taking it again. 

- Coffeemate 2 Go : our hospital has a super nice "family" room located in the delivery wing that is specifically for family members to use who are there supporting loved ones in labor. It's basically unlimited coffee. But Jake likes flavored coffee creamer so we picked this up since it's great and you don't have to keep it refrigerated. 

- Teavana traveling tea kit : this isn't necessary for most but for us it is. We are both big tea drinkers. We've had this for a couple years now and it wasn't cheap but it's great! It carries your loose tea and has a tea steeper in it, all in a nice little pouch. 

- Pillows, one for each of us. 

- Phone chargers. 

- Snacks : our hospital has a cafeteria and vending machines and the family room, but sometimes you just need your own snacks. 

* I packed all of Jakes stuff into his North Face backpack since that's what he prefers to use. 

Extras: 

- Easton's gift : I am very nervous and worried about the initial transition from one-to-two. My current little man is a complete Mamas boy and I don't want his feelings hurt at all! So I went shopping and spent a pretty penny on some gifts for him. A couple toys, some books, chocolate and cookies that he's usually not aloud to have, and a custom made new blankey. I also "helped" his little brother out by writing him a sweet card and signing all the gifts from him. Hopefully this will help with any jealousy we might run into while we're at the hospital when they meet each other for the first time. 

- Our photographers gift : A very close friend of mine just so happens to be branching off into her own photography department seperate from her husbands, and she will be doing our birthing shoot. Since life is crazy and hectic (and she has two little ones of her own), I know how much of a commitment this is for her and I wanted to do something nice. Plus, I know how crazy it's going to be getting a random phone call who knows when and just having to pick up and go to a hospital to sit around and wait. Not too much fun for her. So I made her a nice little gift bag filled with snacks and treats and what not to help pass the time and so she knows how thankful I am that she's doing this. 

Baby Necessities:

- 2 white receiving swaddle blankets

- 2 extra swaddling blankets

- 6 outfits : let me explain. Two outfits for the following sizes; premie, newborn, 0-3 month. This is because you never know the size of your baby. I only packed newborn stuff the first time and my mother in law had to go shopping for premie outfits and bring them to us since Easton was so tiny. This time, we have lots of options just to be safe. 

- Pacifier : I knew from the start that I didn't want Easton to have one of those hospital pacifiers and that's because they're impossible to find once you leave the hospital. We bought Easton the Tommee Tippee brand that matched his bottles and it's still the only pacifiers he will use. He's used it since day one. I sanitized it out of the package at home and packed it in bag. We're going the same route with this baby. 

- Pump with a bottle : I use a Tommee Tippee electric breast pump along with the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles. I sanitize everything at home so I know it's clean, then we can use them at the hospital if need be.

- Hats, mittens, socks.

- Bath soap and lotion : We use Aveeno Baby Calming Lavendar Vanilla bath soap and lotion. The hospital will also give you a bottle of soap if you would like. 

- Towel and washcloth: I just like baby to be comfy with his own stuff so I bring a nice, fluffy, washed towel for him to use after his first bath!

- Burp clothes / Bibs

* Our hospital gives you tons of Pampers diapers and wipes in the size you need while you're there and when you head home so I don't worry about bringing that stuff since that's the brand we use. 

* I washed everything in Dreft baby detergent and then organized and labeled outfits and stuff in ziplock bags. I sanitized our bottles and pacifiers. Tommee Tippee names "formula" pods that are suppose to fit one serving of formula in it for easy on-the-go traveling. Well they came in a gift set I got awhile back and I quickly learned that pacifiers fit in them perfectly! 

We do have a couple things that aren't packed (pillows, Jakes computer, and a couple other things) that we can't really pack away just yet. They are things we will grab when we're headed out. Hopefully this is a good guide to any new moms out there who might be worried or stressed about packing their bags! I know I was, but not anymore!

Xoxo,

Christine 

JuJuBe Diaper Bag Review!

Hey!

I promised a review of our new diaper bag and here's the post! I'm so excited! When we were expecting with Easton, I didn't really care (more or less, I didn't really know how important my diaper bag would be) so I basically told Jake he could pick it out. I wanted a bag that he would be comfortable carrying and using even when I wasn't with him. So he picked out a very nice Oakley bag that we used as our diaper bag. Now don't get me wrong, it did the job, but it wasn't made to be a diaper bag. Therefore, it didn't have all of the nice features that a diaper bag has. Plus it was bag and inconvenient so I always ended up leaving it in the car and just shoving what I needed out of it into my purse.

If you know me, you know I have a problem when it comes to bag. Purses, wallets, over night bags, hand bags, you name it. I have seriously way too many. So my Michael Kors purse that Jake bought for me almost three years ago was my baby before Easton came along. But, with a baby, I quickly learned that my prized possession bag would take one hell of a beating. So when we found out we were expecting baby number two, I knew that a good diaper bag was a MUST! Especially having two in diapers and with how much stuff I will have to drag around with a toddler and a newborn.

So I began my hunt for a diaper bag. It was not a quick and easy hunt, might I add. I did a ton of research, read a zillion reviews, and spent countless nights scrolling through other mom blogs and reading their opinions. I went to a couple different stores and checked out a bunch in person. I finally had my heart set on a JuJuBe bag. The company JuJuBe is a company that makes mom-friendly bags I'm beautiful styles and prints. They pride themselves for being "the bag designed by a mom - for a mom". They are wonderful! I will warn you, before you go any further, they are a tad but pricey - but completely WORTH it! 

I originally purchased my first JuJuBe bag in the "First Lady" print. When I did my research, I immediately knew I wanted a bag in the "First Lady" print. It's black and white stripes, very clean and neutral, and I knew it would go with everything. At the time, I decided on the JuJuBe "BFF" bag. Here's a picture of it:

The bag was beautiful! The kind of bag that you wanted to set on your night stand at night to admire when you first wake up the next morning. It comes with a shoulder strap and two backpack straps, which is nice to use when you have your hands full. It has two separate insulated bottle holders on each side and another two on the inside. All JuJuBe bags come with their own matching diaper changing pad that's made of memory foam, and is super soft and comfy. It also has a "mommy pocket" which is one of the BIG things that steered me to JuJuBe bags. The "mommy pocket" is a double zip down pocket in the front with tons of great compartments for all of your "mom" stuff and it is meant to "eliminate" your everyday purse - so now you only have to carry one bag! Knowing that I was going to have two kids, this was very important to me.

Back to the bag! I loved it! But after having it for a couple of weeks, I knew it wasn't meant for us. It wasn't going to be big enough to hold everything I was going to need for two babies and my whole reasoning of needed a new bag was initionally needed more room. So, with a very big sad face, I returned my bag. But don't worry, the sad face only lasted a very short couple of minutes. We did an upgrade - with another JuJuBe bag! 

Say hello to the JuJuBe "Be Prepared"! This bag was specifically designed for a "mom-of-2" which exactly what we need needed! It has a HUGE center pocket that zips all the way down for easy access, bottle spots on the inside, two seperate insulated bottle compartments on the outside, a nice, big diaper changing pad (that will even hold my big, crazy toddler) and a huge "mommy" pocket. It has tons of zippered pockets on the inside for all my little needs. It's great! The only downfall I've come across is that this bag does not have the backpack strap option. I completely understand why; it's a big bag and would just be too bulky and heavy to be used as a backpack and I don't think the top part of the bag could support it enough to be used as a backpack. But I don't mind it! It fits into our stroller nicely (that review will be up shortly) and it's so stylish. I did choose a different print though. I know, I know, I swore by the "First Lady". But here me out. The black and white stripes are thick stripes (as the picture shows above). The white looked "dirty" after a short amount of time. And even though most of it came out clean with a Magic Eraser and some elbow grease, it's not my first choice anymore. I love my bags, like I've said before, and I take excellent care of them. But with two babies, I can't spend an hour a week scrubbing a bag - that's just not realistic. This time, we went with the "Queen Of The Nile" print - which is equally as beautiful. It's fine print stripes, so it's more of a "grey" shade, which hides the dirt so much more! (And in mommy world, that means less time cleaning it and more time enjoying it). I love it! Here's a picture:

JuJuBe also makes TONS of great accessories for their diaper bags too. I got sucked into that portal. I purchased one of the "Paci-Pods" which is a cute little zippered pouch that holds two separate pacifiers for safe keeping. I bought mine in the "First Lady" print when I initially bought my first bag, and I chose to keep it even when I returned my BFF First Lady print. I also have a key fob in the First Lady print that I love too! There's tons of other little zippered bags and compartments for things, and I'm sure I will end up buying more, but for now, this is what we have - and I swear by it all! 

I wanted to do a video review of what is packed in our bag, but being this far along and we have so much going on, especially with a busy toddler, it's just not going to happen anytime soon. But eventually I will I promise! 

Also, be sure to check lots of stores for your JuJuBe bag before ordering from them direct. Our nearest Buy Buy Baby carries them and they have weekly coupons, and they also take competitors coupons. I used a "20% off one item" coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond and that saved me a ton! So remember to check for deals mamas! 

Xoxo,

Christine 

Back in action!

I'm back! 

I know it's been forever, and I'm sorry but life has been complete madness. And now that I finally have a grip on things, my blog game will be back on point. Since I've been away, here's some things you guys should know (be prepared, this will be a long, catch up post)

1. We're having another BOY! We are so completely and utterly thrilled about this and couldn't be more blessed! We're so happy that Easton will have a built in best bud and partner in crime! 

2. This pregnancy has been complete and utter madness. As most of you know, my pregnancy with Easton was a walk in the park, that is, until I hit 33 weeks and Preclampsia hit me right smack dab in the face. I ended up getting admitted to the hospital indefinitely due to extremely high traces of protein in my urine, uncontrollable high blood pressure, and lots of swelling. I ended up getting induced early, and after three days and over 60 hours later, we welcomed Easton into the world. After I delivered though, we discovered that my placenta had detached and began to deteriorate during labor, and that when easton made his (very early) grand appearance, he had very little blood left in his cord. Therefore, we couldn't bank his cord blood like we had planned. All of this has caused lots of caution with my current pregnancy. It's proven that if you are diagnosed with Preclampsia during your first pregnancy, you are naturally predisposed to get it again, and earlier on. Right now, I'm seven months (exactly 29 weeks as of yesterday) and the signs are already showing. I failed two seperate one-hour glucose tests and had to fast for three days and took a three-hour glucose tolerance test yesterday. I now have to check my blood pressure daily at home, and the past week it has slowly started creeping up. I saw my doctor this past Tuesday, and will see him again next week for weekly appointments from here on out. My urine tests are beginning to show traces of protein and my feet are starting to swell. I am now in the beginning stages of Preclampsia. Although my original due date isn't until August 22nd, my doctor has confidently reassured me that he will be shocked if I make it to the end of July. People might think I'm crazy but I pray to get induced again. The thought of going into labor naturally, at home (or anywhere for that matter) scares me. Sign me up for an induction time and let's do it! With how bad my Preclampsia got in the middle of January, I could only imagine how it will be in Michigan in the middle of the summer. The heat does crazy things to your body. But we will see. This pregnancy is giving me a run for my money, but it's a beautiful thing! 

3. My dad is doing much better! He is still on dialysis three days a week but I can tell he is feeling much better. His vision is getting better (thankfully) after all of his surgeries, and he now has glasses. It's not back to 100% and he can't read small print, but it's getting better and we are taking it day by day. 

4. Easton is getting so big! He's now 16 months, and wild! He's over the charts for his height, but he's still my tiny guy weighing in at only 20.6 pounds. He now says "mama, dada, youse (juice), puff (for puff snacks), baba, ilk (milk), up, hi, and oggie (doggie)". He is almost at a full-blown run but sometimes his legs are quicker than the rest of his body. He can now crawl up the stairs, so baby gates are in full force. He gets up and down on the couch and chairs all by himself, and sometimes he tests my patience by running from one end of the sectional to the other. He loves food! Especially steak, ham, sausage, yogurt, cookies, tomatoes, animal crackers, pasta, pickles, pancakes, and so much more! He eats so well! He loves playing with any kind of truck or car, and he recently got a new ball pit that he's obsessed with! He also got a power wheels four wheeler and he loves that too! He likes playing outside and loves going for walks! He still loves Mickey Mouse, and lately he's been obsessed with 101 Dalmations. As much as I would like to say a dog isn't in our near future, I have a feeling that won't be the case because this kid LOVES dogs! He sleeps through the night in his crib (one side is down and is pushed against our bed - so "technically" he's still co-sleeping but he goes down in his crib and sleeps on his side the whole night) and he takes two naps a day. He's "talking" and learning and growing so much; we're so proud! 

5. This upcoming Monday will be our last day of Easton's first swimming class! He loves it! He does so great and has made so many new friends! We won't be able to take the next series of class's because of my current pregnancy state, but we will be starting back up again in September. 

There's probably so much more to fill you guys in on but pregnancy brain is getting the best of me! Hopefully tomorrow and early next week, I will be doing some video reviews of our new double stroller, our new double diaper bag, our new baby swing, and some other things! So keep an eye out for that! Surprisingly, I just wrote this whole post while we're driving to run errands so as you guys can tell, I am finding creative ways to write in my crazy, everyday life! Family pictures and maternity pictures will be an upcoming post too! We have a wedding tonight but tomorrow I'll be posting more! 

Tune in! 

Xoxo

Christine :)