Chocolate Croissants in Paris

View from the Eiffel Tower.

So sorry, so not a photographer.

A long, long time ago I took a trip to Europe and stopped in Paris. Of course, I went to the Eiffel Tower. After going as high as they would let me go I stopped for a snack. I don't remember how I decided on this but I picked out a chocolate croissant. And, oh my, that was the best thing I've ever had. It was probably made that much better by being at the Eiffel Tower but still- it blew my mind. I found a good substitute at La Madeline when I got home but what about those times when you are at home late at night and need a sweet treat? A few years ago I found a simple recipe online. Not a croissant recipe. If I learned how to make those I would weigh about 1,000 pounds because I can eat those things all day, every day. Here it is:

Ingredients:

1 can of crescent rolls

1 bag of chocolate chips

Simply unroll the dough into triangles, place chocolate chips on top of dough (I also mash them in a little), then roll into a crescent shape. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until dough is golden brown. Bon appétit!

OOTD: Tuesday

Even though I still have a lingering cough I feel better each day- minus the cough and sneeze attacks. Zoe's morning nap was a normal time so I just had enough time to shower and all that. We got to eat lunch together. I called her pediatrician to reschedule her checkup and they had an open appointment an hour after I called. We had some errands to run first so everything worked out perfectly. Of course, baby girl is doing great. She got two shots and screamed at first but perked up when I picked out a Thomas the Train sticker for her. We stayed home the rest of the day because I never know how she will react to her shots even though it has always been good.

While Zoe was taking her afternoon nap and Nick was off getting a haircut I started dinner. I made my tried and true spaghetti and meatballs. Although I have yet to venture into making my own sauce from scratch (I will get there someday!) I make a great meatball. I use a really basic recipe but the possibilities are endless based on your preferences. Here's what I put in my meatballs:

1 lb. organic grass fed beef

1 organic cage free egg

2-3 slices bread (usually Mrs. Baird's)

About 1/4 cup finely chopped organic onion (any color will do)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Um yeah that's it- pretty simple! I bake mine in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. The grass fed beef cooks much faster than corn fed beef.

After dinner Zoe pushed her corn popper around and played with Pixie. We let her stay up a little late to cheer on the Spurs. They are still ahead with one quarter left. Go Spurs Go! (BTW I purposely didn't wear a Spurs shirt today because the last time I wore one they lost. I do have a silver and black Spurs inspired manicure though.)

Zoe likes to take pillows off the couch and then she lays on them on the floor.

Zoe and Pixie (partners in crime). Notice how Zoe is carrying around my hand towels and has the corn popper balanced perfectly in the foreground.

I would apologize for my hair if I didn't take these pictures at the end of the day. But I won't because it has been a long (but good) day. Pixie also wanted to be in the picture with me.

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Vest: Target
Shorts: Nordstrom
Sandals: Old | Similar

OOTD: Memorial Day

Today we had another really relaxing day! We all slept in a bit and had a late breakfast and snacked until an early dinner. I grilled hot dogs (100% beef, organic, nitrate/nitrite free), made French fries, pasta salad, and peanut butter cookies. I left out the granulated sugar and used all dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. I also did not roll the cookies in sugar because I think they are scrumptious on their own. If you make them be sure to keep a close eye on them. I burned the second batch but that is probably for the best because I cannot stop eating them. Now I am watching the game (Go Spurs Go!) while Nick is stargazing. One of his photographs from last night was even featured on the Houston Chronicle blog! Check it out here.

It is almost impossible to get a good picture of the two of us but here we are in our matching Hello Kitty tees. Anyone that knows me well knows I LOVE anything Hello Kitty.

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Jeans: American Eagle

OOTD: Saturday

Today Zoe woke me up at 7:15. Of course, she went back to sleep but I could not. She still woke up earlier than normal though so our schedule today has been a little off. We had breakfast and while Zoe took her morning nap I got ready for the day. Then we both had lunch together and headed off to Starbucks to meet some friends. We caught up with old friends and even met some new ones! I stayed as long as Zoe would let me. As soon as we got home she zoomed off and went to play with Pixie. My husband worked half the day and came home to do yard work so he had a busy day! I did chores around the house while Zoe took her second nap. 

I also attempted (I say attempt because the consistency didn't turn out right) to make a Hamburger Helper meal from scratch. Yes, I love Hamburger Helper. It's my dirty little secret. I haven't made it in a while but I really wanted the cheesy hash brown version so I used what I had on hand. First, I peeled four small potatoes (they were organic russet so they are very small). After I got the skin off I just continued peeling to get something close to a hash brown. The I browned some ground turkey and added onion, water, milk, and butter to the cooked meat. I simmered it all until the potatoes were cooked. Then I turned the heat almost all the way up to brown the mixture. When I had browned both sides I added grated cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Like I said, they tasted great but the consistency was too mushy. Next time I will use less water/milk and I will sauté the onions with the meat. I may even buy the frozen organic hash browns to get that consistency right!

After dinner my husband and I played with Zoe and we are now watching the Spurs game. Go Spurs go!

What do we have here?

Partners in crime.

Today I went more casual with my Spurs shirt. I knew I would be wrangling Zoe at Starbucks so I opted for flats. I got these sandals quite some time ago (like five years ago) so I was surprised to find them on Amazon.
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Jeans: Old | Similar
Sandals: Sam Edelman
Earrings: Nordstrom

OOTD: Story Time

Today Zoe and I just went to story time at the library but I wanted to share the few pics I got of her (of course I forgot my phone when we went to the library) and this meatloaf recipe. I love this version instead of the ketchup one. I tried to find one that resembled the one I make and this was the closest I could find. I don't use veal or pork, no hot sauce, and no heavy cream. I also add regular mustard. I use bacon bits instead of real bacon and I use bread slices instead of bread crumbs. This recipe can also be made with ground turkey. If you use grass fed beef make sure to adjust the cooking time as it cooks much faster than other kinds of meat. This is always a hit in our house!

So sorry but this is the only shot I could get of my outfit. My husband (who normally takes my pictures) was at happy hour and I put on my pj's before he got home. The shoes I wore are below. And, for the record, they were not comfortable for story time because the little buckles were uncomfortable to sit on.

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Pants: Nordstrom

Sandals: Save | Spend

OOTD: Monday

Today I woke to hearing Zoe play in her crib. I was thankful that she slept great and woke up in a good mood. I called the pediatrician and they were able to fit me in at her nap time. My husband fed her breakfast and watched her while I got ready. The pediatrician said they appeared to be hives and recommended to keep using the hydrocortisone cream and to also give her some baby Benadryl. I stopped by CVS on the way home and, of course, she fell asleep in the car. Thankfully she fell back asleep after a while. After she woke up I fed her lunch and gave her a dose of Benadryl. We needed groceries for dinner so we went to Kroger after lunch. (Side note- I am really excited to try the Nature's Gate Glow Lotion I picked up!) I put Zoe down for her second nap while I got dinner started. I used this chicken recipe (Nick loved it) and had rice and green beans as sides. When I picked Zoe up from her nap all of her hives were gone! They haven't shown up again but I plan on keeping a close eye on her.

I have a new video of Zoe up on my YouTube channel for those of you that subscribe!

Poor little baby was so tired she fell asleep with her toy in her hand.

Picking out coffee at the grocery store.

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Shorts: Nordstrom

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Earrings: Nordstrom

Nail polish: Zoya PixieDust in Godiva

OOTD: Monday

Today Zoe and slept in a bit. We were tired from our fun weekend with my mom! 

I got ready for the day, ate a late breakfast (my husband's leftover migas), and finally watched the finale of Project Runway while Zoe took an almost three hour nap. That girl can sleep. After her nap I sat her down for lunch and some milk. We desperately needed to get some groceries so we were off to Kroger. I stopped by Starbucks first, natch. By the time we got back Zoe played for a bit and I put her down for her second nap while I made dinner. I didn't expect her to sleep again but I knew she would play in her crib. 

I have been trying really hard to stick to my budget so I am coming up with creative ways to make cheap food taste better. Like canned green beans for instance. I LOVE fresh green beans but my grocery store never has organic ones. Lately I have been using frozen but today I tried out canned. A quick search on Google had lots of suggestions but I ended up trying this one. Zoe and I loved them but my husband didn't like them so much. I also baked some wild Norweigan salmon (no frankenfish here!) and boiled some potatoes. 

I had dinner ready by the time my husband got home and we ate before I went to get Zoe. My husband mowed the lawn (and whatever else the lawn needs) while I fed Zoe dinner and played with her. He got done just in time to play and send Zoe off to bed. And even though I was exhausted from the day I whipped up my favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies. :)

The Princess having breakfast.

Using both steering wheels! She was also dangling her feet out the side as we were checking out.

Zoe with the organic chocolate milk she picked out!

Top: Old Navy

Shorts: Nordstrom

Sandals: Target

Earrings: Nordstrom | Save | Splurge