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I first had elotes (Mexican street corn) a few years ago from a food truck in Dallas post brewery tour with friends. I remember a friend telling me that they were the best thing on the menu and had to be ordered no matter what else I was eating. Not one to pass up a stellar recommendation like that, I ordered them immediately and that was the day that I experienced love at first bite.

I have since attempted recreating this magical mix of flavors and creamy goodness in my own kitchen but have always come up short or have the forethought to actually write down my recipe. Until, now! About a month ago we had a friend come and stay with us while in town for a job interview. I decided to make tacos one night and was coming up with nothing for a side except chips + salsa + guac and then it dawned on me…why not try my hand at elotes again? This particular friend actually has quite a few food allergies so I needed to get more creative than usual in the kitchen. It ended up working in my favor because his allergies challenged me to avoid certain ingredients and depend on others I would never have thought of…in the end? The perfect balance of flavor + creaminess + quick cooking that I so desired in an at home version of Mexican street corn.

Cowboy Corn (Mexican Street Corn/Elotes) 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans whole kernel corn – drained
• 6 strips cooked and crumbled bacon + leftover bacon grease
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• half yellow onion chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• few shakes of chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Cook bacon over medium heat in cast iron skillet until crispy. Remove once completely cooked, pat excess grease off with a paper towel, crumble/chop and set aside.
2. Lower heat just a bit and add flour to bacon grease. Use a whisk to combine the two ingredients – and let it cook for a bit to thicken up (like a quick roux).
3. Add chopped onion to skillet and cook until clear.
4. Add corn to skillet, spread into a thin layer in pan so that you can crisp up each little kernel. What you’re looking for are some darker little charred marks on your kernels of corn.
5. Add garlic to skillet – continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes and then add olive oil.
6. Add seasonings, set heat to low and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes – stirring occasionally.
7.  Spoon out servings and top with cilantro, queso fresco, or more chili powder to your liking!

Happy eating!

I started drafting a really great recipe post for a Mexican street corn (aka: Elotes) recipe I conjured up about a month ago and then time got away with me as it has been so apt to do lately with the crazy, rainy weather Dallas has been experiencing this week (this week which just so happens to be spring break). Not to mention this crazy third trimester sleep regression I seem to be experiencing currently (can adults have sleep regression!? I think yes) combined with new levels of crazy toddler behavior throwing me for a parenting loop. I feel like we are barely surviving around here. So instead of a new yummy recipe to share (seriously, it’s the best) I thought I would share some links/blogs that I have found lately that have been doing a much better job of keeping their shiitake mushrooms together and getting actual content up!

So if you too are experiencing a week that is truly throwing you for the biggest loop ever. Make yourself that second (or third… or fourth – no judgement!!) cup of coffee and snuggle under a blanket while you cross your fingers for a lengthy nap time. Also, how gorgeous are those tulips? If you are in need of a little pretty in your life I highly suggest checking out Susana’s Etsy shop for some seriously gorgeous images.

This tomato soup recipe might need to make an appearance at our house this weekend. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it paired with a melty grilled cheese.

Feeling really encouraged to have a good Holy Week around here after reading Haley’s blog post about Holy Week with little kids. It been a funny transition the past couple of years with a baby around so I’m planning on trying a few things out per her recommendation!

We had this blueberry french toast bake last weekend (and at the beginning of the week…) and it was AMAZING. I haven’t been able to perfect a good french toast casserole (always too soggy) but using a sour dough bread + cutting it into little squares rather than using the full slices really helped!

Much needed mama inspiration from good ol’ CS Lewis. I need this blown up + framed for a wall in my house to be a daily reminder.

Almond butter in pesto!? Something that wouldn’t have even entered into my brain parts but now I feel like I need to try it! Maybe tomorrow for our meatless Friday pizza night?

I’m currently experiencing some really beautiful hormonal pregnancy acne that is reminding me of some pretty painful junior high/high school days. I’m kind of at my wits end when it comes to my skin and I’m wondering if either switching to an oil cleanser or doing a skin detox might do the trick?

This post has been a week in the making. Things have been crazy busy around here and we have been recovering this week from a super hectic schedule lately + getting sick over the weekend. Hopefully things calm down for a bit before the real excitement happens during the month of April when we celebrate a 2 year old at the beginning of the month and a fresh new babe at the end of the month! Making: lots of meals lately for new mamas! I feel like I have made an extra meal every weekend for the past month or so to be delivered to a sweet family with a new baby. This was a gesture that was totally lost on me as a person without children. Now anytime I see a care calendar pop up in my email inbox I sign up right away. Those first few months with new tiny humans are tough and cooking is the last thing you want to do/can do with any free time you have.

Enjoying: the last couple of months being pregnant with this babe, afternoons spent outside in the sweet spring sunshine, thinking about the crazy that this summer will bring, playdates with sweet little friends.

Loving: introverting at-home date nights with my husband and my toddler’s huge word spurt in language development recently. The conversations we have been having during the day have been a constant source of humor and I’m loving this personality she is developing (although sometimes her attitude can get in the way;).

Hoping: for a smooth labor + easy delivery + healthy baby at the end of April.

Feeling: tired, stretched, and a bit anxious. At the beginning of the day I’m still feeling pretty great but post putting my toddler to bed and I’m pretty much done for the day. My body says it’s time to throw in the towel and set up shop on the couch and my belly says there’s no more room to stretch anymore. I’ve also been feeling a bit anxious lately about labor and delivery lately. Just thinking back to our previous experience and the pain gets to me sometimes, but I’m sure I’m not alone in these thoughts and that plenty of other moms pregnant with their second child have felt the same way.

Wearing: pretty much all maternity clothes all the time. I have a few tunic tops that can pass for bump-friendly clothes but other than that this belly has taken over and the majority of my pre-pregnancy clothes have been stored away for the time being. Noticing: small things I want to change about our house. I’ve been watching entirely too much Fixer Upper lately and while there is a part of me that wants to knock down a couple of walls and embark on a total kitchen reno, I realize that’s just not realistic at the moment. But there are a few things I wouldn’t mind changing up – hanging up a few things that have been on my honey-do list, shelves for the bathroom, making our laundry room more efficient, a book shelf for the office/study/guest room.

Bookmarking: pretty much anything and everything that Nell writes, some unexpected fashion inspiration, and meatless Friday meal inspiration because, Lent. 

We are officially one week into Lent and I feel like for once I am doing ok with maintaining the upkeep of my 40-day promises. This is usually a time where I am so excited about the start of a new year – new exercise plans! new diets! getting sleep! – that I tend to pile my Lenten goals on top of my New Years goals to make myself one overwhelmed, over committed, over tired person and to be honest I usually give up on everything about half-way through Lent because I just can’t handle it all anymore.

This year I took a new perspective. I took a long time to mull over my intentions for this new year and after doing so I felt like I should try and focus on some of those goals rather than pile on MORE to do and work on. Sometimes I forget that my faith life and my daily life are the same thing. I prioritize my to-do lists and commitments over my connection with God more often than I should and then my prayer life and vocations tend to be compartmentalized into this tiny little box that is only opened up at night in the form of a five minute prayer before ultimately passing out on my pillow (sometimes before I even finish my prayer). Looking at this Lenten season as a way to focus on certain aspects of my overall plan for the year was more motivating than in years past. I already have an entire list of things I want to accomplish in my spiritual life this year – why not take these next 40 days as a way to improve upon those habits as well as integrate my spiritual life and daily life together, because they really should be identified as one cohesive unit anyway.

I thought I would go ahead and share exactly what my Lenten goals are for this year to keep myself accountable and who knows, maybe even provide some inspiration for someone else. I really enjoy reading about other people and their plans and goals (especially the planning process itself).  I know that Lent has already begun but it’s never too late to reevaluate your plan and make some new commitments if you’re feeling called to do so.

ALMSGIVING | Giving my whole, present self to my friends and family. I have developed a terrible habit of checking text messages and notifications around people and it needs to stop. When there is a lull in conversation I don’t want to be known as the person that automatically whips out her phone for entertainment. I want to enjoy the learning moments with my daughter during the day and really enjoy the quality time and conversations I have with my husband at night. I also want to focus more on serving my friends and family in any way that I can. Whether that be spending the day snuggling a sick toddler, making sure my husband is content and relaxed at home, or helping a friend in need with a meal or something else they need provided. I realize these aren’t necessarily the traditional ways to give alms but it’s what I can personally do in this season of life.

FASTING | I feel like I just need to come out and say that I am the worst as fasting. I was so excited when I was pregnant with Madeline because I learned that I was not expected to fast in the traditional sense of the word. (My hanger is a very real problem.) Because I’m pregnant once again I’ve decided to give up a habit that has formed this pregnancy…sugar. I was having a hard time gaining weight in my first and second trimesters so I took it upon myself to delve into a nightly bowl of ice cream or other sweet indulgences throughout the day. I just recently started participating in a health and fitness challenge for a bootcamp ( I. Heart. Goals.) and realized how bad my sugar intake has gotten! Because my weight gain is  back on track I am limiting myself to one dessert/sweet treat a week. This has already proven itself to be one of the harder goals I’ve set this Lent, offering up ice cream and chocolate is no joke for a pregnant lady!

PRAYER | I have always loved journaling as my main form of daily prayer but after getting married and having a kiddo I have found myself lacking in energy at the end of the day to actually open up my journal and write. But I am not lacking in time. I thought I was but I just wasn’t looking hard enough. I am going to take the first 30 minutes of nap time everyday to journal, pray, reflect, and sit. I’m really hoping this is a habit that sticks after Lent because I have struggled with making any sort of daily habit like this in my prayer life for so long. After a week of doing this I’ve also found that it makes me use the rest of nap time more effectively and more eager to get things done.

I also thought I would share a few resources I’m using this Lenten season. I know that I have mentioned to friends and family before my love of the Blessed is She ministry.  I have loved connecting in an online ministry that I can access anywhere. They have also provided spiritual resources to use during Advent and Lent that I have so adored using to guide my prayer life. I am using their Lenten workbook and stations of the cross cards as daily motivators during this time. I know both of those resources aren’t available anymore but I have also been using their daily devotional emails alongside these resources and you can sign up for them at anytime – subscribe here! I am also participating in a bible study with my moms group at church and have loved it so far. We are using the book Mary: Virgin, Mother, and Queen by Fr. Mitch Pacwa and while it’s a great study to discuss with other people, it’s also one I could envision using on my own. For some blog inspiration: I loved reading Haley’s Lenten Liturgical resources post as well as Britt’s list of resources that she is going to use with her family.

I hope your Lent is off to a great start and pray that this season brings you a much needed time of spiritual reflection and inspiration. If you have any resources for spiritual development or goal-setting I’d love to hear about them! .

With Valentine’s Day coming up I know there will be plenty of opinions floating around the internet regarding who is pro “Hallmark Holiday” and who is so against even recognizing that the day exists on the calendar. I understand where people are coming from, it is really hard to justify celebrating a holiday that has been overly glorified by every aspect of consumerism. But then again, the romantic in me really doesn’t mind taking one day out of the year to focus on the person I get the privilege of loving and caring for the rest of my life.

I know that quality time, date nights, and the general freedom to celebrate each other whenever and however we wanted is something that my husband and I completely took for granted in our pre-children life. Looking back on those much simpler (and quieter;) days I want to scold the girl who would spend countless late nights and hours stressing out expending energy into endeavors aside from her new marriage. But then again, having kids has made us cherish our date nights all the more. It does make the time out together that much more intentional because there are usually babysitters involved and planning ahead in our calendars.

  
While date nights out are all well and good, we are really trying to reign in our budget this year. With a new little one on the way and lists being made for the future, one of my goals for this year was to be more premeditated in planning at-home date nights. It’s so easy for us to get caught in this rut of scrolling through Netflix and just vegging out together. Sometimes that’s needed, but sometimes it can also get way too cyclical and becomes not nearly as special.  Something we always loved doing together while we were dating was cooking a good, fun, exciting meal together, cracking open a bottle of wine and watching a movie. That’s a routine that has unfortunately gone by the wayside in the past couple of years and I’m hoping with this newfound outlook on the at-home date night I can revive our old ritual and make it a regular habit once again.

  
Last Saturday we did just that and made one of the first “fancy” meals we ever made together. Years ago I found a recipe for Gorgonzola Crusted Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon in a cooking magazine while in the waiting room at the dentists office (actually, I think it may have been Southern Living…not entirely sure and don’t want to mis-reference). Since finding that recipe we have really honed in our method for searing steak to our liking that has made it such an indulgence to eat. We paired that nice chunk of meat with some classic garlic butter sauteed string beans and oregano dusted garlic bread. We even busted out a little cheese tray for a pre-dinner snack while we kept our little one company during her (early) dinner and for dessert I made dark chocolate + coconut oil dipped strawberries with whipped coconut cream. Then we watched The Intern and aside from not being able to share a bottle of wine together…it really was a pretty perfect date night!

Happy Valentine’s Day! No matter how you plan to celebrate or not – I hope the day is special and you can find love throughout the little moments.  
 

For the past two years I have chosen a word that would ultimately act as a theme or motivator in this next new year of life. In 2014, I chose the word trust. Which turned out to be pretty apt for that year since we welcomed our first daughter into the world and I completely changed my current career path from being a full time public school teacher, to stay at home mom, to part time teacher. Then in 2015, I decided to simplify. With the purchase of our house this past January I felt the need to purge (and still do) and start fresh. I also really wanted to focus on saying no to every single social event (even though I still want to do this all of the time;) and really figuring out how our family unit could thrive in our new community.

So, continuing on with tradition I wanted to pick a word for this bright and shiny 2016. I kept bouncing back and forth between two words and decided that both might come in handy over the next 366 days. I also decided to set some actual goals for this year! I’ve never been one to make resolutions because I hate not crossing things off my to-do list and would rather not feel like I’ve let myself down at the end of the year in the case that I don’t fulfill a certain resolution. But goals and intentions I can do. Hopefully this will all help me to be better organized in my thinking over the course of this year and keep me motivated to continue the journey of bettering myself for my family and friends.

Without further ado, the two words I have chosen for this year are: create + cultivate. I think I should also throw in the word survive because this year we will be welcome our SECOND daughter into the world and I think that there will probably be a good few months that are solely dependent on copious amounts of coffee and a hefty dose of prayer. But anyway, I landed on these two words because last year I felt like even though we did simplify in a lot of ways – I didn’t really get a chance to dig deep into creative endeavors and relationships I wanted to see grow. I let this blog go by the wayside in so many ways and it really is a space I enjoy. I feel like I would enjoy it even more if I actually dedicated regular time to it, rather than just ignoring it for months on end only to pop up every once in a while with an apology for an unintentional hiatus. I also really love cooking and sewing and both of those hobbies haven’t really been cultivated in the ways I have been hoping for lately. Again, time and dedication are going to have to be something I implement in my calendar in order to achieve the goals I want but I think that’s doable. There have also been some new friendships made over the past couple years that deserve time and attention, and again the cultivation poured into them that I just haven’t been lately.

Now as for goals, after deciding on these words I was able to sit down after the start of the new year and break down certain areas of my life I really want to see improve. My planner has a nice little space right in the front that I was able to brainstorm in and write down all of these lofty ideas. I hope to refer to them monthly and make smaller more attainable goals from there. I think a problem I have had in the past with resolutions/yearly planning is that I have always had these huge ideas in my head and then haven’t taken the smaller steps monthly, weekly, and daily to achieve them. Some of these goals are things I’ve just needed to write down to keep myself more accountable, for example: I want to make going to confession a monthly event. In college I was so eager to get to confession as often as I could. I was a part of a very involved student ministry and felt so supported and encouraged all the time to go. Then I started working and became a real deal grown up. I got bogged down in the day to day of going to work, fostering friendships with coworkers, and helping my students in anyway that I could that I forgot to help myself. Then I became a mom which blew any sort of regularity out of the water. Some of the other goals I have are a bit more practical like really taking the time to meal plan every week, making the most out of our Costco membership, and buy smarter when it comes to clothes and accessories. Then there are the fun/silly goals (which I think the Costco membership one could be filed under this as well;) like creating more at-home date nights with my husband, making more constructive activities for my toddler and I to do together, and reading at least one book a month.

I’m so excited to fill this year up. I already know it’s going to be a full one but I think it’s going to be even more so just knowing all I want to achieve.

Happy 2016 y’all!

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it has been almost three months since my last blog post. I have always admitted to being an inconsistent blogger but this is bad, even for me. So what’s been up lately? A lot and not so much all at the same time.

We have been living our life pretty normally. We have been tackling small home projects and living the day to day normal that we have always wanted. It’s fun and exciting and slow all at the same time. Toddler life has really been throwing me for a loop lately. The new world that is discipline and consistency is tough, but of course well worth it. Our biggest news in the life department is that we are expecting baby #2 in April! This baby is already behind in bumpdate posts and all of the chronicling that I made sure to do with it’s older sibling. Poor second child! Hopefully we can catch up on some of that soon enough. In the pregnancy department I’ve actually been feeling relatively good as of late. My first pregnancy I was lucky enough that between anti-nausea medication and good luck I didn’t suffer from morning sickness too much. This time I was not so lucky. But in the past couple of weeks I have seemed to turn a long awaited corner in this pregnancy and am not so dependent on my anti-nausea meds to make it through the day. I am currently 15-16ish weeks – and there isn’t much of a bump to show yet (sorry!). At my first sonogram the baby was on the smaller side and so my OB said that I was probably on the later side of things in terms of due date. But next month we will get a better measurement at our anatomy scan, where we will definitely (little person permitting) find out the gender! (Gender reveal party decision still up in the air.)

Since I last posted I also started a new school year. I don’t think I ever formally posted about my decision to work part time last year (I wasn’t sure it would be something that would stick with our new lifestyle). But I was able to start working one day a week at a preschool that my mom has been working at for years. It really helped fill the void I was feeling after leaving my elementary school when I decided to be a stay at home mom. Last year I was primarily in the nursery and this year I am working with 2-2.5 year old’s which is a whole new can of worms! It’s been a fun and much desired change. I feel like I get to put my degree to use a bit more this year and challenge myself. With this change has also come  a new teaching partner and some new expectations. Which has left me planning/prepping more and working creatively on my own (aka: blogging) less.

I also decided to co-lead the relatively new moms group at our parish this year! Which I have to admit has been my most exciting and fulfilling venture as of late. It has been a lot of work and honestly if I were not supported by both my co-leader (who is incredible) and my husband (also incredible) I would be losing my mind right about now. We have had such a successful year in membership and have reached out to so many new mamas in our parish. We’ve been complimented multiple times over about how needed this group is in our parish and I really couldn’t agree more. We are hosting our first (hopefully annual) moms retreat in early December and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Along with teaching, pregnancy, moms group, and regular social life commitments – I was also leading a book study the past six weeks (for our parish moms group) and have joined up with some other friends from college to start another book club! Needless to say, things have been a bit B U S Y. But very, very fulfilling.

So I suppose that I could blame my blogging break on the fact that life has been happening and it’s been great and leaving me with little time to pursue any other creative efforts. But I feel like that would only be giving you half the story. I have also been lacking in creative inspiration. While I definitely think that life has been contributing to that (like I said, b u s y) I was feeling this drain in ideas far before I took my break. I just felt like I needed to be living a bit more, and stressing out about blogging pursuits less. I read so many blogs and gather so many amazing ideas from other people it can be a bit intimidating when I look at my own “work” and think I’m not really producing much here.

Another thing that has been holding me back from writing lately is safety. I have been seeing more and more bloggers leave their spaces on the internet due to safety reasons and this is something that has always been on my mind – especially since having a child. I want to share and be a part of a creative community, but at what cost? I know that so many mothers and families post their lives so confidently on the internet and I guess I have just always had a hard time finding the balance of  1) how much information is too much? and 2) how to authentically share my life without putting my safety or the safety of my family at risk? I know this might sound overly dramatic but if I want this to be an honest life updating post – I feel that those things need to be included.

Whew! So that’s a lot. Anyways, I have been thinking about my little corner of the internet a lot lately and I have a few things that I would like to share in upcoming posts. Thanks to those of you who actually read my words and care about what is posted here. I know that I may not post every day or inspire millions but I do hope that in someway this blog might bring a smile to your face or a new yummy recipe to your belly. (:

Happy Wednesday!

I have been meaning to gather and share a list of my current favorite podcasts for a WHILE! But alas, life with a toddler is busy busy and time seems to slip away each and every day. By the time I sit down at night to have a moment to myself I usually end up falling asleep within 10 minutes (unless we are watching Parks and Rec – our current Netflix binge #marriage). Also, in reference to the title of this post – in no way do I think I am not a nerdy person/think there is anything wrong with being a nerd…I have a blog.

But anyway, podcasts! They sure seem to be all the rage right now, huh? I honestly feel like for once in my life I was ahead of the curve and into something trendy before it was trendy! How cool am I!? (As for pleather pants and jellies, I wore those two trends far past their trendy phase. Can’t win ’em all.) But if I am being completely honest, my husband was the first person to introduce me to podcasts. A little tangent to appease your curiosity: we started listening to podcasts almost three years ago. Like I said, Eric was into them far before I was and he would find really interesting science/history podcasts for us to listen to when we would make the 8 hour drive down to New Orleans when visiting family. I really thought that, that was what podcasts were – little interesting lessons to listen to while trying to stay awake in the car and I never really pursued them beyond our Texas-Louisiana jaunts. Well fast forward a year (two years ago) and Eric started telling me about a few newer podcasts that he was listening to, some comedy, some informational, but a bit different than what I was used to; so we added these shows into our road trip mix. Then we started taking our birthing classes and found ourselves in the car for about 20-30 minutes each week, driving back and forth to the hospital – we decided to listen to one of my now favorite podcasts (Sawbones – medical history podcast, listed below) in the car to spark our conversation and take our minds off of life’s current stresses, while always making a stop to get ice cream on the way home.

Now here we are today, while I still listen to some of my husband’s podcast recommendations I have been venturing out more on my own and discovering this new beautiful world of people who are wanting to share a little bit of themselves for all to hear in the hopes that it will bring someone some help in someway, or at least a good laugh.

Here is my current favorite list of podcasts – I separated them by a general category in case you are looking for something in particular to listen too! I’m always finding new podcasts to listen to as well and if I find anything I’ll be sure to share!

Personal Journal

• The Girl Next Door Podcast – two next door neighbors sit down and chat about a particular topic pertaining to their lives every other week. They also enjoy a good cocktail and share the recipe as well as their local neighborhood news. I always love listening to these girls, it always feels like a coffee date between friends and leaves me feeling refreshed, inspired, and positive!
• Real Simple Podcasts – My favorite magazine meets my favorite form of listening media. It really couldn’t get much better.

Kids & Family

• Edit Your Life Show – a podcast about simplification and editing what is unnecessary from your life
• One Bad Mother – this is technically categorized under Comedy – but it is a parenting podcast done by two hilarious ladies. They always have great topics + fantastic guests (there is profanity used in this podcast just a warning:)
• Mom and Dad are Fighting – the editors of Slate magazine discuss the latest parenting topics
• Messy Parenting – Catholic marriage and parenting podcast hosted by a wonderfully funny and entertaining married couple with an abundance of parenting wealth and knowledge to share

Marriage

• Totally Married – a very real couple discusses the ups and downs of their marriage as well as answer relationship advice questions
• Matrimoney – one of the girls from The Girl Nextdoor Podcast has a show with her husband in which they talk about their marriage/relationship as well as discuss their personal finances very openly. I honestly hate talking about money, and they both are so positive and upbeat about finances that I can’t help but keep listening!
• Sexy Marriage Radio – sex and marriage, etc (pretty self explanatory from the title;)

Popculture

• NPR Popculture Happy Hour – a weekly roundup from NPR about books, movies, music, television, comics and culture. For a mom who feels out of the loop pretty much all of the time – this podcast helps me stay somewhat relevant
• The Nerdist – really solid interviews
• The Gilmore Guys – two hilarious guys talking about Gilmore Girls. One of the guys is a die hard fan and is introducing the show to his friend for the first time. They have also had some of the former cast on so the fangirl in me has just been dying.
• My Brother, My Brother and Me – comedy/advice show put on by three brothers
• Bachelor(ette) Reality TV RHAP Ups – because I have no shame and am addicted to the Bachelor and it’s plethora of reality tv goodness. Two girls chat about the weekly episodes and say everything you were thinking while you watched on Monday night.

Science

• Sawbones – a medical history/comedy podcast put on by a husband and wife (who is a doctor) – the husband is actually one of the brothers from the above podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me
• RadioLab – interesting popculture and science investigations (if you were a fan of Serial I feel like you would be a fan of this podcast)
• InterBrews – craft beer/brewing podcast (brewing is a science which is why I put it under this category;)

Religious/Inspirational

• Caritas – a new podcast being produced by two blogger friends! They are discussing living life and loving in the every day. I just recently had the privilege of being interviewed for their show! Check them out!
• Fountains of Carrots – two of my favorite Catholic bloggers have joined forces to create a show in which they discuss faith, books, culture, etc. This is another show that always leaves me feeling inspired and positive and like I just had a good, long, inspirational chat with a friend!
• Building Bridges – podcast about staying connected and inspired in every day life.
• This Inspired Life – Catholic motherhood/parenting show
• The Lively Show – podcast about finding and creating an intentional life. This show covers a lot of ground – from personal habits to parenting to relationships and careers.

Happy Listening! What podcasts are you currently listening to? I would love to hear any and all recommendations!

Oh this week. How full and crazy and unpredictable you were.

At the beginning of every week – usually Sunday or Monday – I sit down with my beloved planner and think about how we are going to fill our days. Usually with most of the same old routine, but with a few small adventures here and there to keep things exciting. I was really ready to get back to our normal grind after taking last week to volunteer for our parish VBS + tend to a sick babe later on in the week. On the agenda for the coming 7-day spread were bootcamp classes, swim lessons, and a couple of cousin play dates. Busy, but simple…or at least I thought it would be. Little did I know that our bout with Roseola would leave me with an overtired and irritable toddler (even though we were way past our feverish days and the rash was starting to disappear), a surprise (slow) leak from our air conditioning unit that resulted in a long night on Tuesday and floors being ripped up in the morning on Wednesday, and our toddler having to sleep in the office for the time being. Top all of that off with the regularly scheduled stresses of daily life and this week was more than a doozy. This week was by far an exception when it comes to crazy in our home but it’s weeks like this that make me fall back on my most trusted recipes. The ones that I can replicate without missing a beat. The recipes that always bring a smile to the faces of my husband and my sweet girl no matter how exhausted we may all be at the end of the day.

One of my favorite treats to make during an unexpectedly crazy, hectic week is my banana bread. I found a pretty solid recipe a couple of years ago while browsing through Pinterest and combined it with a recipe I had been using from a hand-me-down cookbook. I’ve honestly gone to the store to get bananas only so they could sit on our kitchen counter a few days and I can make this bread. Lately I have been making muffins because they are the perfect size for our little miss to eat for breakfast and an easy afternoon snack for the both of us. They freeze well and will last us for a solid two weeks and we never really tire of them. This recipe is also easy to tweak to your hearts content. I’ve added (more often than not) mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and dried blueberries. I have also tried different flavors of greek yogurt in the mix like banana, vanilla, and honey but our favorite is still plain.

I hope you are as bananas for these muffins/bread as we are at our house! (Sorry I just really couldn’t help myself #parentjokes.)

Recipe: Back Pocket Banana Bread

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 c flour (I use all purpose white but have used whole wheat and they are just as good)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c steel cut oats/rolled oats (I usually use whatever oatmeal we have on hand)
• 1/2 c mix-ins of your choosing (chocolate chips are our go to)
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg white lightly beaten
• 1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium bananas)
• 1 container of plain greek yogurt (I prefer 2% Fage, but I have also used Honey flavored Chobani and Vanilla bean Siggis)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions: 

1. Mash bananas using a fork or a potato masher – you want to make sure that there are as few chunks as possible and that it is relatively smooth.
2. Add in your liquid ingredients: coconut oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk together with bananas.
3. Once all liquid ingredients are completely combined whisk in sugar.
4. Once sugar is completely combined whisk in salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
5. Once the previous dry ingredients are completely combined whisk in flour 1/4 of a cup at a time. I find that by adding in smaller amounts of the flour at a time I end up having a more consistent batter.
6. Fold in oats + chocolate chips into batter with a spatula.
7. Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin or loaf pan.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   1. Muffin cook time: 30 minutes
   2. Bread loaf cook time: 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes

Like I said before, this recipe is so simple and never lets me down in the wake of craziness! I hope you enjoy.

Happy eating!