A Vintage Peter Rabbit Nursery

You know what I realized the other day...

I haven't shared with you pictures of Tessa's Nursery.

To be honest I have actually been putting it off because I felt the Nursery wasn't "ready".

If you remember, Tessa decided to arrive three weeks earlier than her due date,
so the Nursery wasn't quite finished when she was born.

So I kept saying to myself... "I finish her nursery soon".

Well, "soon" has come and gone and I have come to the realization

that the room will never be perfectly finished.

The walls won't get painted, pictures won't be hung,

the mobile over her crib will probably never get straightened,
and the knobs on her dresser are still broken.

But you know what...

I LOVE her Nursery anyways!

I feel so blessed by how many people came together to help contribute to Tessa's Nursery.
Once friends and family found out that we wanted a Peter Rabbit Themed Nursery,
we were receiving items left and right to decorate her Nursery with.
A gorgeous handmade Baby Quilt.
Vintage Baby Books.
Tessa's first Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit Series.
A Peter Rabbit Blackberry Game.
A Beswick Jemima Puddleduck figurine.
 And those are just to name a few.
We were truly blesses.

Here are a few pictures of her Vintage Inspired Peter Rabbit Nursery...

 

Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

I think it's pretty safe to say that were officially a soup family.

Okay, maybe it's just me forcing my family to eat soup,

but seriously, we have it at least twice a week.

And I'll make enough so that were eating the leftovers for lunch

for the following two or three days.

It all started when I begin to try and find ways

to get more nutrient dense food into our daily diets.

And knowing that homemade chicken stock was SUPER good for you,

I made it a point to make a batch of the stuff every other week or so.

Then came the task of finding recipes to use the stock in.

Soup has been my go to meal for using it each time.

(I also use the stock when I make rice and quinoa.

And I mix it with water and give it to Tessa in a sippy bottle.)

 From what I hear this soup is kinda a knock-off

of the Chicken and Gnocchi Soup from the Olive Garden.

I wouldn't really know because I have never had that soup from there.

Nevertheless, this soup is amazing and I will be making it again and again and again.
I'm pretty sure you should go make it right now too. ;)

Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups half and half
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 package gnocchi, cooked according to package directions
1 cup of fresh kale, coarsely chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and coarse pepper to taste (at least a 1/2 tsp of each)

1. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. 

2. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 3 quarts of half and half.

3. Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Keep warm on the burner and let the soup thicken while you cook the gnocchi.

4. Cook gnocchi according to the package directions. 

5. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. 

6. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through.

7. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings according to your liking. Sometimes if I feel a soup needs more flavor, I will add a 1/2 tsp at a time of Organic Better than Bouillon Chicken flavor.

 

This is Tessa's "Hey Mom, can I have some more avocado please" face...

and then her being distracted by something far more important in the living room.

52 Weeks in a Year Series - Week One

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

So, I'm kinda jumping on the blogging bandwagon with this new series.
I've been following a few bloggers who have been documenting their children's lives
by posting a picture of them every week for a year.
I just love that idea so much, and seeing that it's the new year and all,
I figured it was a great time for me to join in on the fun too.
I hope you enjoy seeing my little Tessa Anne grow up each week!

Week One:
We arrived back home after spending the holidays in Washington
to find a package sent from my sister and her family.
Inside was the cutest Christmas present for Tessa...
A plush little stuffed animal/teething/developmental toy made by Skip Hop.
I seriously love that brand of baby toys!
Unknown to my sister, I had actually been eying this toy for awhile now and wanting it for Tess.
So it was such a wonderful surprise for both mama and baby.
My sis knows me so well. :)

Tessa - 6 Months

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday.
Can you believe that this year is almost over?!
Micah, Tessa, and I are still vacationing with family in Washington
(hence the reason why this post is a bit overdue).
Nevertheless, here is our little Tessa's 6 month update...
can you believe that she is already 6 months!
She needs to stop growing up right now!

Weight:

14.6 lbs

Clothing Size:

Were Still in size 3-6 month...

but quickly outgrowing some of them.

Eye Color:

Blue

Hair:

Auburn/Bond/Red
(it really depends on the light)

Teeth:
I've added a new section this month because...
Tessa got her first tooth!!!
(bottom, left, front tooth)
She was such a champ too.
She never really ran a fever and there was only a handful of times
where she was fussy from the pain.
I like to think it was due to the Baltic Amber Teething Necklace.

Movement:

Were a sitting baby now!!!

And still squirmy as ever...

Talking:

Tessa can definitely be a chatty one at times.

She's really into her "dadadadada" and "mamamamama" repetitions,

and she has a great time making razzing and growling noises

accompanied by TONS of spit that she loves to blow out of her mouth.

Playtime:

I feel like since she hit 6 months she has found a whole new love for all of her toys.

She interacts with them so intently

and sometimes she wants 2 or 3 toys to play with at the same time.

And if you cut playtime off to quickly, she lets you know it by her protests.

Some of her favorites are still her Sofie the Giraffe , her activity gym, and her jumperoo,

but we also bought this musical toy for her stocking at Christmas and she seems fascinated by it.

Sleeptime:

Well, we had a few good nights in a row where we were getting 5 hour stretches.

But then a growth spurt hit sometime around Christmas and that all went to pot.

Now she is still waking up about every 3 hours (or less) to nurse.

Surprisingly though, I'm not too worried about it.

I keep reminding myself that she's getting as much breastmilk that she can get

and, in my opinion, that's never a bad thing.

Tessa's Favorites:

People!

Tessa is at that magical age where, if you smile at her,

she will give you the biggest smile you have ever seen back. 

Mommy's favorites:

There are times, early in the morning, when I will bring Tessa into bed with me

so we can enjoy some mommy-daughter snuggle-time.

I'll nurse her, then we both will fall back to sleep for another hour or two.

My favorite part is when Tessa will wake me up after a few hours of sleeping...

I'll open my eyes to find her staring at me,

talking in her cute baby babble, and stretching out to play with my face.

I just melt every time.

Tis the Season for a Christmas Party.

I find it slightly humorous that I'm blogging about an event I had the privilege to decorate for

 right after I blogged about the "Normal Days" of a mom's life. 

Slightly ironic, after talking about the everyday routine that me and Tessa have.

But this past Sunday I was able to put my creative hat on

and transform a local Camp Lodge into an atmosphere suitable for a formal sit down dinner.

The night was filled with music from a grand piano

and beautiful rustic Christmas decorations

(aka pine branches, logs wrapped in flowers, Christmas sheet music table runners)...

 

It wouldn't be a Christmas Party without Christmas Karaoke... right?!

Micah even joined in on the Karaoke fun.

And, of course, my beautiful Tessa put on her Christmas Dress and joined us for the evening.

I don't even know what's going on in the picture above.

The things that happens when Daddy has the baby right? :/

Thank you YWAM Montana Creative Media Department for the gorgeous pictures.

The Normal Days

Micah asked me the other day
if I get tired of my same old daily routine.
You know, the mom routine...
Wake up when Tessa wakes up, nurse, breakfast, play, nurse, nap,
me-time (aka get stuff done around the house or anything else that is pressing),
Tessa wakes up, play, lunch, nurse, nap... you get the point.
Some days we get "crazy" and go to Target,
but for most of the week our days look pretty routine.
So when Micah asked me if I ever got tired of this daily routine
I had to stop and think about it for a second.
I never realized how my "normal days" looked very much alike.
In my "normal days" I don't really get much done.
My normal days are not like they use to be, filled with an immaculate clean house,
sweet treats baking in the oven, or time spent on some crafty project.
Those are the "crazy days" when I get to do something a little extra.
My "normal days" are filled with diaper changes,
10 minutes of "peek-a-boo", rocking my little one to sleep,
and kissing her as much as I can.
And you know what, I can honestly say
that I would not change those days for the world.
I would not trade one of those normal days for a day spent "getting things done".
That's why I love this poem by Mary Jean Irion so much.
It reminds me that these days will not last forever.
And one day, when Tessa is grown, I'll wish that she were little just once more,
so we can have a "normal day" again.

(I really need to find someone who can make a print of this poem to hang on my wall!)



 

Christmas Gifts

Happy December 1st!
Have you started thinking about Christmas gifts for your loved ones yet?

After reminding myself in my previous blog post
not to go too overboard with the Christmas gifts for Tessa,
I feel like Micah and I did a pretty good job
at keeping the gift level perfect and not too extravagant.
With that said, I still wanted to make sure
we bought good quality toys for her that would last for years.
For that we turned to one of my all time favorite stores... 

The Land of Nod

I love the feel, look, and quality of good old fashioned wooden toys.
There is just something about knowing that these toys will stand the test of time (hopefully)
and that I'll be able to pull them out for my grandchildren to play with one day.

So this year we got Tessa a few different items ...

1. Can't Spell ABC Abacus
2. Baby First Christmas Ornament
3. Classic Baby Beads
4. Nesting Xylophone

 I know the Xylophone is a bit too "old" for Tessa
(she will only be 6 months a Christmas)
but I figured I would start racking up the toys for the next few years now,
while she does not know what Christmas is.

Oeuf

I ordered Tessa's Christmas gift yesterday from Land of Nod
and I just can't wait to share what I found with you!
Who knew how fun it would be to shop for a 5 month old.
Finding all those little special items that you just hope she will love.
It's hard not to go overboard on the gifts.
I just try to remind myself that she's young and she will
probably enjoy the cardboard box the gift comes in as much as the gift itself.
I'm sure all you moms out there understand.

Speaking of great gifts...
I am in love with these knit costume tails and snouts!

I can just imagine Tessa in 4 years running around the house dressed up like a fox.

Created by Oeuf, the shop is packed with amazingly beautiful items.

And with a great mission too!

 

 

Where's the Paci?

Please tell me that I'm not the only one with this problem.

I know for a fact that I have 6 pacifiers.

But the moment that I actually need one for Tessa, they all seem to disappear.

It's like there is this invisible pacifier vortex somewhere in my home

that sucks them all away at the exact moment I begin to search for one.

And it's always a moment where, if I don't have a paci in her mouth in 10 seconds, it's gonna get ugly.

The only time Tessa really needs a pacifier is when she is sleeping.

She's perfectly fine throughout the day without one.

But when it comes to making the "sleeping baby transfer to the crib" move,

if there is not a paci ready and waiting for her if she begins to wake up,

naptime (or I should say attempted naptime) is over. 

Because if she wakes up to find that I'm trying to put her in her crib, one of two things will happen...

1. Sad/Angry baby face appears, followed by crying until I reach down to pick her up and rock her.

2. Shocked baby face appears, followed by the biggest toothless grin I have ever seen,

as if she is saying: "Hello! I'm so happy to see you. Pick me up please."
(and of course I can't resist that face)

Either way there will be no nap for another 4 hours.

Anyone else have the "pacifier vortex" in their homes?

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
I'm off to start preparing dinner.
It might be 11am, but were having friends over for dinner,
and with baby girl, I need to use every spare second to get things done.
My To-Do list before our friends arrive...
1. Cook dinner: Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Broccoli.
2. Vacuum the house (one day of not sweeping and the dog hair is out of control).
3. Bake something sweet for dessert. I'm thinking of making Cranberry Bliss Bars.

Happy Friday!

Tessa - 5 Months

This little wiggle worm just won't stay still for photos anymore.

I think I took over 100 photos just to get one

where she wasn't moving and where she was smiling.

My energetic little girl!

Weight:

12.5 lbs

Clothing Size:

3-6 month

Eye Color:

Blue. I did notice they are turning a bit more grey-blue!

Hair:

Her hair has started coming in thicker on the top of her head

and its getting lighter!

Movement:

We hit some major milestones this month...

1. Rolling over! What an exciting day that was.

Now i can barely keep her in one spot without her trying to flip over.

2. Standing (well, not really, but she wants to!)

She will push up against anything and everything that you put under her feet.

And she just loves when you help her stand up.

3. Sitting up (again, not really, but she is trying).

She is all about sitting up in your lap.

No longer are the days when she will just recline and let you snuggle her.

Nope, she want to sit up and check out the world!

4. Head stability.

She can now hold her head steady

while being pulled from the laying position to sitting upright. 

5. And of course, the wiggling.

Here are a few pics from our photo shoot to prove it... 

Talking:

Tess is definitely "finding her voice".

She has begun to... oh how should I put this... protest vocally. 

When she is mad, you know it.

And it's not the mad cries of an infant, it's the yells and and high pitched screams
of someone who wants to let you know that she's not happy. 

I am beginning to wonder what might be in store for us in a few years.

Playtime:

One of the cutest moments in my day

is when I take Tessa to look at her reflection in the mirror.

She will instantly start to move her arms and legs, smile real big,

and I'll even get a laugh out of her!

 It's also wonderful to see her start to actually play with toys.
Micah put together her Jumperoo this week.
I initially thought she would be to small for it,
but with a few modifications (blanket under her feet and a small pillow at her back)
she will happily jump and play with her toys for about 10 minutes at a time.

Sleeptime:

I feel like were at a stand still with our sleep situation.

Daytime naps are a bit tough.

She will take around 3-4 quick cat-nap for about 20 minutes max a day.

Which, unfortunately leaves Mama with not much time to get anything done.

And then our nighttime sleep hasn't really improved much.

She will go to bed around 8pm and have a good long stretch of sleep till about 1:30am,

but then after that who knows when or how many times she will wake.

Some nights she will wake up twice and other nights I feel like I am up every hour.

I have had a bunch of wonderful advise and we have tried some of it.

So if you have any tricks of the mommy-trade to offer me, I'm all ears!

Tessa's Favorites:

Tessa loves to stare out the window of the car when we are out on a drive.

Micah and I will catch her wide eyed, mouth agape, just watching the trees pass by.

Tessa, being a baby in this technological age, is also fascinated with our phones.

I can't tell you how many times I have been browsing Instagram on my phone while nursing her,

only to have it come to my attention that she stopped nursing and is enjoying all the photos too.

I guess this is something I'm going to need to get use to. 

Mommy's favorites:

Her pudgy cheeked sleeping face right after I've nursed her to sleep.

Tessa's Favorites - Sleep

Sleep is kinda important... right?

Sometimes I feel like Tessa does not realize this.

So I now understand why moms take drastic measures in helping their babies sleep.

Because a sleepy baby = a cranky baby.

Here are a few items that were life savers for us in these early days.

Lamb Sound Soother

I'm pretty sure it was by night three of Tessa being home,

that we realized the beauty of the sound soother.

Soothes you baby to sleep and keeps your baby asleep!

Plus, when they come in such a cute package like a plush lamb...

Who wouldn't want one of those, right?

Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets

I love these Muslin Swaddling Blankets for two very different reasons.

1. The obvious reason... swaddling.

These blankets are super big, super light weight,

and perfect when it comes to getting a tight swaddle.

Which is important when you have a super squirmy baby

who does not necessarily like to be swaddled at first.

But with these blankets, I was able to get a perfect swaddle

which would keep Tessa from flailing her arms around and waking herself up.

Tessa was also a summer baby and the muslin material was perfect

for keeping her warm but not overheated.

2. Nursing Cover.

I bought a cute "official" nursing cover before Tessa was born

and I was super excited to start using it.

But after a week of trying to get the hang of it,

I tossed it in the corner of the nursery and haven't used it since.

Maybe it was because it didn't have one of those wire liners that help you see your baby.

Or maybe I'm was just to lazy at trying to put the thing on.

I found that using one of these swaddling blankets worked perfectly

because I can just drape it over Tessa and call it good.

Snuggle Nest Co-Sleeper

I debated putting this item on the list because I know that Co-Sleeping is not for everyone,

but for our family, it was a very important step in our bonding process.

From the moment I gave birth to Tessa I knew that when it came to sleeping at night,

I would not be comfortable with her anywhere else other than snuggling right next to me.

So Micah and I found that this Co-Sleeper was great for having her in the bed with us

while still knowing that she was safe from any harms way.

The guard rails that come halfway down the sleeper was a perfect barrier

that made me feel safe as she slept between us throughout the night.

For our next baby (yes, I'm already planning)

I really want to invest in an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper.

Snug-A-Bunny Bouncer

I just have to say... Bouncers are amazing.

They are portable, so they can go with you practically everywhere.

They follow you to the kitchen while you make your morning coffee and breakfast.

They travel to the bathroom so you can take a shower.

And they gently keep your baby asleep when you lay her down to take a nap...

Especially when she refuses to take naps in her crib. 

Tessa's Favorties - Toy

 I can't even begin to tell you how blessed we were

with gifts for Tessa from friends and family.

Beyond blessed!

We received so much from people,

that when it came time for me to choose what to add to this "Tessa's Favorties" list,

it was seriously one of the hardest things to narrow down.

 But here is a small list of toys that both Tessa and Mommy love!

 

 Baby Lit

I am a huge reader and lover of classic books.

And I know I want to (try to) raise Tessa with a love and appreciation for reading as well.

So when I discovered these Primary Books based on classic literature,

I knew I would simply fall in love.

We have six of these books for Tessa...

Romeo & Juliet

Jane Eyre

Pride & Prejudice

Wuthering Heights

A Christmas Carol

Moby Dick

And with the brightly illustrated pages, 

Tessa is easily entertained.

The next book I want for her is Anna Karinina

and you'll never believe what kind of primary book it is... A Fashion Primer!

Lamaze Developmental Toys

When looking for developmental toys,

there are so many different kinds out there that it can be overwhelming.

Plus, it's hard not to find toys that are super cheesy.

I fell in love with this brand and their plush set of Stacking Rings.

Obviously Tessa is too young to actually start "stacking" the rings...

but she loves the bright colors and the different textures of each ring.

She will happily play with them (aka put them in her mouth).

We also have the Soft Sorter, which Tessa loves just as much.

She will just grab the box and start squishing it in her arms,

and each sorter makes a different sound.

Some rattle, some jingle, some crinkle.

I'm even debating on buying her the Musical Inchworm.

Sophie the Giraffe

Every baby needs a Sophie right?

Link of Rings 

Again, I loved this brand because they were not super cheesy

and they had a pretty color palette.

Mushroom Rattle

 I have been swooning over these Mushroom Rattles 

from Land Of Nod for quite sometime now.

But with their price + the price of shipping,

I just could not bring myself to justify the purchase.

Then I found these almost identical rattles on Amazon!

Clearly Tessa needed a rattle in the shape of a mushroom

(as if she already did not have a ton of "rattling toys".

Turtle Thermometer

I was totally petrified when we gave Tessa her first bath.

I was worried that...

1. I would drop her.

2. I would get soap in her eyes.

3. The water would be too hot.

So far I haven't dropped her, I only got soap in her eyes once (poor baby),

and this Turtle Thermometer is a life saver.

Now, I always know that the water temp is perfect

and she has a fun toy to play with.

Win Win in my opinion!

 Vulli Teething Rings

I'm pretty sure Tess has started teething.

Massive amounts of drool soak her onsies hourly.

And while she loves her Sophie for teething,

I also noticed that she needed somehting to really grab ahold of.

She can hug Sophie up to her mouth, but she can't grasp her with her tiny hands yet.

So these teething rings, made by the same company that makes Sophie, are just perfect.

They are also Phthalates and BPA free, which is important to me.

And, as an added bonus, they smell deliciously of vanilla!

 

Roasted Mushrooms

Cooking meals around here has been interesting.
Definitely not like it use to be.
But that's okay, I just have to be creative.
Usually that means being creative in my scheduling.
Many times I find that I have to cook different things at different times during the day,
then just reheat them when dinner time approaches.
That was my plan with these mushrooms.
I was planing on roasting a chicken for dinner and I thought to myself:
"Mmmmm roasted mushrooms would be perfect with the chicken".
But, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to
give both dishes (and Tessa) my attention at the same time,
I would need to roast the mushrooms earlier in the day.
So around 2pm I prepared and roasted the mushrooms.
The house began to smell so good.
After they were done roasting I just had to try one,
you know, to make sure they tasted alright.
And the next thing I noticed, the whole thing was gone!
They were THAT good.

Roasted Mushrooms
Adapted from: reclaiming provencial

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) mushrooms
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch of coarse black pepper
healthy pinch of coarse sea salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
large pinch of parsley
small pinch of thyme

1. Preheat your oven to 450°.

2. Toss mushrooms with the oil, garlic, pepper, and salt in a baking dish or cast iron skillet.

3. Dot with butter cubes then sprinkle the parsley and thyme on top.

4. Roast for 15–20 minutes.

Have a Happy Autumn Weekend

Hello dear readers.

What are your plans for this weekend?

Tessa and I spent the morning and half the afternoon

doing some much needed grocery/essential shopping.

She does great when it comes to shopping

and is definitely becoming my favorite shopping buddy...

as long as I keep her fed and changed. :)

When we finally arrived home, the sun was shining so beautifully

that I quickly grabbed my camera, a blanket, and Tess

and headed out to our backyard for a spontaneous little photo shoot.

All that to say...

Tessa and I will be hanging out

and playing around the house tomorrow.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

This Day is Special

Autumn will always be one of my favorite seasons.
I am pretty sure I've mentioned that before.
But this year, and every year to come,
it will have a very different significant meaning.

It was one year ago today that Tessa was placed inside of me.
That little embryo who was just bursting with life.
I often think back to that time...
Micah and I started the IVF process here in Montana.

Weekly visits to the doctors, which then turned into visits 2 or 3 times a week.

Daily hormone shots (IN MY STOMACH!!) which a friend came over every night to give me.

And all of that was just leading up to the big stuff.

After 4 weeks of doctors appointments and two weeks of daily shots, we headed off to Seattle.

The drive was literally one of the longest drives of our life.

Seattle is only 8 hours away and we have driven it MANY times,

but because of the excitement and anticipation of the reason why we were going,

8 hours literally felt like 800 hours!

We were blessed to be able to stay with a lovely couple

who will always hold a special place in our hearts.

They not only made us feel completely at home as we spent the next two weeks with them,

but they also took such good care of us by giving us the

companionship, prayer, and space that we needed...

they even unexpectedly cooked meals for us!

The day after we arrived in Seattle, we were headed off to our first appointment.

We met our doctor and did a routine check-up, and thankfully everything was looking perfect.

So, they scheduled our first agenda item... the egg retrieval.

You see, in the IVF process, the doctors must first remove the (MANY) eggs

that they have been growing inside of you.

And to do that, you must go through a minor surgery.

I won't go into the details of that here, but lets just say that it's not a pleasant thought

and thankfully they put me to sleep while removing them. ;)

After the surgery, I was able to rest for 5 days.

And believe me, I needed it!

Maybe it was just me and my body, but after the surgery I felt like CRAP!

For the next few days I'm pretty sure I ate minimal food and slept/rested the whole time.

Oh and did I mention that I still had to have shots in my stomach each night...

only this time, Micah (who has a fear of needles) had the honors of administering them.

Talk about being a nervous wreck each night.

After 5 days, as the doctors did their magic,

we were finally able to make our last trip for the final procedure.

I am pretty sure I prayed every single moment of that day.

From the moment the doctors put Tessa inside of me,

during the 20 minutes I had to lay on the examining table

and wait for the timer to go of indicating when I could move again,

as Micah and I enjoyed our lunch of Mac&Cheese at Pike Street Market,

and throughout the rest of the day as I tried to relax and read, my continual prayer was...

"Lord, please make this work".

And on November 1st, two hours after taking a blood test, we got the call.

I was pregnant.

Best phone call of my life. 

 

So yeah, the Fall will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

 (The first picture of Tessa)

Lessons on Being Sick.

I learned something this week...
it's 100x's worse to be sick with a baby.
Because, no matter how you feel, there are no more:
 "I'm just going to lay in bed and sleep all day" days.

Micah left for Washington last Tuesday morning.
And last Tuesday morning I woke up with the flu.
So my whole day was not only spent taking care of Tessa,
but also taking extreme precautions in not letting Tessa get sick
and trying to get as much rest as I could so that the flu would not last a long time.
Luckily, Tessa decided that it was going to be a day where she took a 3 hour nap mid-afternoon...
something this mama desperately needed too!
So I got some good rest as my body worked to kill the virus.
I loaded my system up with Elderberry Syrup, Thieves Oil, and a homeopathic flu remedy,
and by the next morning I was all better!
A bit weak in the stomach, but for the most part, all better.

Recovery had it's perfect timing too,
since Tessa's Nana decided to make a spur-of-the-moment trip
to keep us company while Micah was gone!

 And of course we threw in a trip to the local market for buy a few pumpkins!

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Did I ever tell you about the time I managed and cooked for a YWAM cafeteria?
Two days after returning from our honeymoon,
Micah and I jumped into the job of managing a cafeteria
that fed over 200+ YWAM students three times a day.
And, here's the kicker... I had never cooked before.
Sure I had learned how to do a few things (like cook rice) before getting married,
but apart from that, I knew nothing.
No joking.
Thank the Lord for places like Allrecipes.com
that will calculate just how much I need to feed 200 people.
I also had a ton of ladies (and a few gents) teach me some essential basics
(like how to make a roux or how to bake bread).
They also taught me a few yummy recipes.
One lady who came in to help me had lived in Thailand for many years,
and one day she taught me this Thai Coconut Curry Soup recipe.
Probably one of the easiest soups to make ever...
and SUPER delicious.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

What you'll need...

2 cans coconut milk (apx 15oz each)

2 cups chicken broth (or bone broth with a few tsp of chicken bouillon added)

2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly minced ginger

2 tbsp freshly minced garlic

apx. 2 tbsp red curry paste (I use the May Ploy brand)

salt and coarse ground pepper

1 onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms 

1/2 cup green peas

1 cup cubed potatoes

2 cups shredded green cabbage leaves

1 cup cooked rice

How it's done...

1. Cook the rice ahead of time, so that it has time to cool before the soup is done. I usually just cook it earlier in the day and leave it on the stove top. Plus, I don't need to worry about cooking one more thing at dinner time.

2. In a large stock pot,  heat the coconut oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken, onion, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Season generally with salt and pepper. And by generally, I mean at least a 1/2 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of coarse ground pepper.

3. When the onions start to soften, add the curry paste and stir until the paste has broken down and is coating the chicken. (Towards the end of making the soup, you might need to add more curry paste. Curry is one of those seasonings that some people like hot and others like mild. So keep in mind you might need more than 2 tbsp. Also, if you use a different brand of curry, like Taste of Thai, you might need to start off with a bit less curry and adjust as you taste the soup towards the end.)

4. Once the curry has coated the chicken add the chicken broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. 

5. Add the peas and potatoes and simmer slowly until the potatoes and chicken have been fully cooked.

6. And lastly, taste to make sure the flavors are to your liking (adjust if needed), then add the shredded cabbage. Cook for another few minutes or until the cabbage has softened.

7. Serve hot topped with white rice.