PALEO INSPIRED: Thai Salmon Fillet!

Since Jeff has started Crossfit he has seriously wanted to change the way he's eating.

He's been wanting to cut out the late night milk shakes and a lot of the carbs!

Specifically he's been researching the PALEO diet which is also known as the cavemen diet!

I did a modified version of this diet during the summer before I got pregnant and now we strive to eat 'paleo inspired'.

Jeff is trying the PALEO challenge which consists of only eating meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts...pretty much anything that can be killed or harvested/planted.

My philosophy is not necessarily paleo but more just 'healthy eating' since I need the dairy and grains during pregnancy.

Since Jeff has been working on his diet...he has also been wanting to help in the kitchen!!

AMAZING!

He called me yesterday and told me to take some salmon out of the freezer and that he was going to make some Paleo inspired salmon! 

Once we got to cooking he showed me the recipe he wanted to use...

 I noticed that we didn't have half of the ingredients needed...

he decided to wing it and make his own creation!!

JEFF'S SALMON THAI CREATION!

2 Salmon fillets

1/2 can coconut milk

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1tsp pepper

1/2 cup slivered almonds

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the de-boned, thawed fillets on 2 separate pieces of tin foil that have been sprayed with cooking spray.

Next mix your coconut milk, cumin and coriander together and place the sauce on top of the salmon...dividing it evenly between the 2 fillets.

Sprinkle remaining ingredients over sauce.

 Wrap the tin foil like you would for a tin foil dinner and place on a cookie sheet.

 Let bake for about 20 minutes for your salmon to be completely done.

(I like my salmon almost dry)

Jeff started cooking noodles before I could remind him that noodles weren't paleo...BUT the meal would have been perfect if not better with a side of broccoli instead of noodles!! 

 I sprinkled some lemon juice on my salmon to finish it off and it was PERFECT!!

A light but filling dinner that was full of flavor yet super healthy!

I think Jeff needs to wing it in the kitchen more often!!

XOXO

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Sunday outfits and love notes!!

This weekend was seriously the best...

complete with a great dinner with friends that started out by me BACKING Jeff's work pick-up into the babysitters car! 

Her PARENTS CAR!

Which was quickly followed by a complete breakdown on my part!

Good thing Jeff was a phone call away and he's the complete sane one in this marriage!

SO of course he told me it was OK and that cars can be fixed with a BUNCH of money that was suppose to be put towards our new bun in the oven...BUT crap happens right!?!

Cars will be fixed...money can be re-saved...and life will go on!

Really...I am glad nothing happened that was major

After like 30 minutes I was fine and had a great night!

 mine: dress: DownEast, undershirt: DownEast, tights: Target, shoes: Thrifted

hers: dress: Old Navy, tights: Target, shoes: Vintage 

I was a little worried about how my luck was panning out for the week coming up! 

and then I opened the cupboard and found this pretty note this morning...

...and I thought...it's going to be a great week!

Here's to a great week for all of us!

XOXO

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FRIDAY NIGHT!

uhhh...I look like a creeper...but wanted to get a belly shot!

Hope you're enjoying it as much as we are!

XOXO

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Look what mommy did!

 FINALLY figured out what to do with the ginormous wall behind my little TV!

 It's never too late to print off family pictures from last summer...especially when I'm pregnant!!

BUT I digress...ALTHOUGH these pictures may need to be updated in a few months...I can't help but LOVE THEM!

 With some birthday money in hand and a few old emails with discounted goodness from CANVASPEOPLE.COM these beauties cost practically nothing to hang on my wall!

 The middle one is my FAVORITE!

I think I have changed what is on that stupid wall like a million times!

But every time I see it...I like it...

so that's a good sign!

Until I decide to change it...again!

XOXO

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A craving...

UGH...

let's not kid ourselves...I get a lot of them but I usually push them out of my head and pretend like I was craving carrots instead...

WELL not with CINNAMON ROLLS!

If those words come into my head I am pretty much a goner!

Anything made with bread dough is intimidating to me...but I decided to put my big girl panties on and make them!

 I even brushed the dust off my brand new bread maker that I've used ONCE!

Jeff got it for me forever ago and I never use it cause I have a kitchen aid...

and frankly the only time I used it...I got a big nasty brick of crumbled bread...

 When I put the ingredients in for the dough I was stressin'...it mixed the dough for literally 30 minutes.

I figured it would be a bust and I would have to quench my craving some other day...UNTIL I opened up the bread making and felt the most heavenly dough between my fingers!!

 There were a few things I probably didn't do quite right...but man they were delicious! 

 CINNAMON ROLLS

{recipe from allrecipes.com}

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
•  
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
2. When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.
3. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

 I rolled the dough out too thin but I actually liked all the layers!!

 I used the frosting recipe and...didn't like it...so I scraped it off and made my own.

 I just threw some powdered sugar, vanilla, butter and milk together.

After eating my...ummm 2nd or 3rd I started feeling REALLY guilty...

so I gave the rest away today!

Everyone wins when there's cinnamon rolls involved...

AS long as the gym is involved afterwards!

XOXO

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My PREGNANCY fitness journey!!

Well...I'm 21 weeks people...

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!  

This pregnancy has been SO different...not only cause it's a BOY this time, and I'm eating healthier and I'm chasing a toddler around...but because I have been doing some serious CROSSFITTING. 

My first trimester I was still really sick...but even if my morning started with a dash to the bathroom...I literally FORCED myself to go to the gym that night.

It was quite the journey for a while but has so far PAID OFF!

Even now that I feel GREAT I have to force myself to go to the gym...

it's amazing what excuses your mind comes up with!

I have some serious self-conscious issues while I'm pregnant...and going to the gym bouncing up and down while I try to jump rope and lift my ever growing belly up for a pull-up doesn't make things much better!

but then I noticed something...the minute I stepped into that gym I felt empowered as a pregnant women!

OK that sounds really cheesy but it's amazing how great I feel after such an intense workout!
What I'm trying to say is I KNOW how hard it is to get out there and workout when you feel like a whale!!!...but I promise it's worth it!
AND plus if people are looking at you and your big belly...their just thinking how AWESOME you are for working out with 20 extra pounds on board!

If your pregnant out there in blog land and find yourself having a rough pregnancy...with emotional ups and downs...it's AMAZING what getting your heart racing will do for you!

I'm NOT saying you should jump in your car and start Crossfit today...but even just a walk outside, or a simple water aerobics class would do WONDERS for you, your family and the people around you.

Remember that exercise releases endorphins...happy feeling endorphins!

AND us pregnant ladies need as many happy feeling endorphins as we can get!

If you live in the frozen tundra and you don't want to spend money for a gym membership...

try simple workouts in your home like...

doing a lifting circuit with cans of food...

OR (one of my favorite home workouts) steal your husbands phone and have a fun chasing party with him! (actually this JUST happened last night with us...except it involved cookie dough and one selfish momma!)

Not only are you totally worn out after but you just laughed your heart out...which last time I checked was really good for you too!

Some other things...

Get all bundled up and walk to your mailbox!

Have a dance party!

Vacuum!

Clean your baseboards!

Push ups and leg raises while watching Ellen!

AND some other things that involve your husband...

WHATEVER you do...do it with a smile on your face and a positive attitude in your heart!

I promise your days will get better!

Since I have been doing Crossfit throughout this pregnancy...I am 10 pounds less than when I was 21 weeks along with Reagan!

I feel great and often forget that I'm pregnant!

Thank you crossfit for doing that!

XOXO 

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MUD ROOM LOCKERS!

Jeff and I have been wanting to add a few extra touches to our home since we bought it last December!

After we painted every flippin' square inch of that place (with some MAJOR help from our family) we took a little break.

Or at least Jeff did...I continued to dress the house with little pieces of discounted goodness and still continue to change and decorate! 

(I blame that on my amazing mother...she is always changing the decorations in her house around!)

ANYWAYS...we decided that since we have a new baby on the way we better got on the DIY furniture bandwagon!

SO...we started with the LOCKERS for our mudroom!!!

We have quite a few things on our to-do list...but my husband put this baby together over the weekend!!

We LOVE the ANA-WHITE.COM website and I made sure to show Jeff!

Before we started this furniture making journey I will admit...I was skeptical...I knew Jeff had talent but I really wanted the stuff to look LEGIT!...because I am a little controlling and high maintenance! 

I just wanted to make sure he used the plans for the projects so everything would come out the way it was suppose to...WELL he BLEW me out of the water!! 

OF COURSE...like always.

While he was making it I sat with him in the garage and specifically asked...

"Are you using plans for that website?"

"No!" He said with a smile on his face...I am making a 'custom' design for our mudroom.

Yeah...I got nervous again...

especially when I found THIS piece of paper on the work table...

THIS is what he was going off of...

I was totally confused but decided to let him do his thing!

 So he continued to cut the wood and work hard in our freezing garage with his intense hat!

Starting to look pretty good!

COMING TOGETHER!

Everything in placed and nailed and glued...

now for my job!

The PAINTING...

and after 2 thick coats...

and after Jeff HEAVED it over to the corner...

...with the help of Reagan...

oh and me cleaning and organizing and putting everything together...

IT WAS DONE!

BEFORE

AFTER!!

I absolutely LOVE it!
It makes our mudroom feel SO MUCH more organized and clean!

It's still not 'officially' done.

Jeff is making a big drawer for the bottom...right where Reagan is standing.

BUT to say the least I am VERY impressed with my husband and his 'custom made' design! 

I asked if he could write up officially plans for my blog so I could post them for you all to copy and use in your homes but he said he didn't have a program for it on the computer...so maybe you can interpret his chicken scratch...maybe!

Thanks again baby for making this for our humble home!

MORE projects coming soon...

stay tuned!!

XOXO

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MIDNIGHT MADNESS!!

ATTENTION ALL YOU LADIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO AREA

(MAINLY REXBURG AREA)

You all need to get your hot little buns to the liquidation sale event set up at a temporary location (separate from the permanent DownEast store location in the area) at 162 West Main Street in Rexburg, Idaho (next to JBs, and next to Broulim’s Shopping Center).

Midnight madness in Rexburg TOMORROW night! 

Super style liquidation sale event - 

DownEast Basics, Modbe apparel, and off-price national retail brands - everything $15. See you at 8PM (goes until midnight) tomorrow night! Sales runs through late February. Click below for details:

http://www.facebook.com/events/175503102550155/

XOXO

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HOLY SKOOKIES!

My husband is one of those that LOVES his treats...

including milk shakes, hamburgers and COOKIES!!

...and whose kidding...I love them too...just the other kind...like sugar and stuff...

When we got married we got this sweet gift called a Skookie maker!

It's pretty much an intense huge cookie with ice cream on top!

Jeff had all the priests (16 to 18 year old boys) over to our house tonight to talk about his 2 year mission for our church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)...mainly about nutrition on the mission.

AND because I thought it would be sweet to make something sweet I made like fifty GINORMOUS skookies for the boys after their talk.

 YES I used my cake pan and my pie pan!

IT WORKED GREAT!

OUTRAGEOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

(found on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

AND was devoured in SECONDS!!

SO fast even I didn't have one single bite...

you go prego

YOU GO!

XOXO

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