boo-boo's, crock pot crap & pouts!

Hello blog-o-sphere!
Oy vey…
Ever have one-of-those-days?
Well yesterday was one-of-those-days…
It wasn’t a bad day – I refuse to have bad days anymore. It was just an off day!

It started off really good…
Coolness in the air so Skylar got to wear some new *fall-ish* duds – love this little outfit – from Target and wicked cheap! She looks so Parisian, no? Just missing the beret.

(this is me channeling my daughter into my inner carrie bradshaw – shhh!)

All was going well and whilst preparing the crock pot dish from hell for my ROCK OUT with your CROCK OUT feature on that other blog I write.
No really it is the worst recipe ever and was a disaster… ugh!
But I digress…

Anywho… I am in the kitchen preparing the crock pot dish from hell and I hear a cry out and then major tears. I go walking into the living room and Skylar has clocked herself on the stair bannister…
It ultimately resulted in this…

(yeah she is pretty pissed & distraught as you can see – this is her infamous pouty face too.)

Her first major boo-boo and the center of our universe for the remainder of the day. If the subject was even breeched she would cry – so obviously traumatized. I felt so bad for her.
She has a nice lump – even a little worse today. It’s weird to look at her – she looks different even. Kinda freaks me out – but it could have been SO much worse!
Needless to say we are getting padding for the bottom of that bannister as this is the second (and worst) time she has gotten hurt on that flippin’ thing!

The good news is that the day ended on a high note!
Skylar got a new Jasmine dress-up costume.
My mom spoils her rotten but oh my gosh this thing is cute huh?

(she loves dress-up, as do most little girls)

And she has been doing PHENOMENAL with the potty-training! It is amazing what stickers can do… heh! She only wears a pull-up at night and when she is out (shopping, etc.) for emergencies. I worry that she will be in the car and *hafta go*.
The only pitfall of potty-training is this…

(miss thang has no diaper to hold her pants up and well, she has been dropping trou all week!)


Also good…
I had Goddess Group last night and it was great. We have just been chatting about this and that – there are so many diversified ladies in the group with all different beliefs and such – so the conversations are always just awesome. Especially if you are open-minded for the paranormal and metaphysical.
Which I so am.
Maybe one day I will write about the ghost in my house.
Oh yes – we have a ghost – I have seen him!

AND… I am a weiner & got my prizes yesterday in the mail!
Thank you Sensual Ride!

(check out her amazing blog of all things sexy, erotic, and cool!)

My goodies…

(that’s right – bow.chicka.wow.wow!!)

So my off day ended with a bang!
(groannnn – bad joke I know!)

But today is a new day – and thus far no boo-boo’s, crock pot crap, or pouts!
♥cyn♥

Stickers, Tattoos, & Tap Dancing...

Hello blog-o-sphere!
**I apologize in advance to all the non-parents (and I am not talking just human babies – if you have a pet who you treat better than some peeps treat their kids – you are a parent!) for what follows and I will fully understand if ya choose not to read the “My Kid Peeped in the Potty” post.***

So…
I feel like I haven’t written on here in forever – if three days is forever? Heh!
I wanted to post this last night but by the time I got home from Goddess Group and the gym and then I wrote a crockpot recipe feature on my other blog on top of downloading and editing pics. I just didn’t have it in me. But all you bloggers out there know how it is…

And on top of that and the daily grind we (re)started…

Yup… potty training!
Yeah, I am THAT Mom who takes potty pics – but no worries; I didn’t pull a Kate Gosselin (she is so vile) and take a pic of what was in the potty. No need to document that – seen one, seen ‘em all.

And being half Brian’s child – this kid could look at herself all day in the mirror – seriously – look at the admiration in her eyes… lol! She gets this from him!
Whatever works right? Oh and please don’t mind the mess/laundry basket shot – we actually live in our home and it totally reflects that!
Miss Skylar may kill me in about 10 years but other than that – these photos are relatively harmless.
Well maybe not this one…

We obviously need to work on the not-flashing-your-panties-thing.
That she gets from me – heh!

So obviously we are back to full-on potty training and thankfully it has been going great so far. Only day three but I am sure with with perseverance we will have the potty issue licked in a week or so!

I cannot lie – I totally bribed my daughter into doing her biz in the potty. And my tools of bribery are endless!
I gotta buttload of Yo Gabba Gabba (I go for the jugular) stickers for *rewards* along with these beauties that Brian brought home from work the other day (he works in retail).

Yeah I tatted my kid in the name of being diaper-free – don’t judge! I have come to realize that my daughter would do just about ANYTHING for a sticker and/or tattoo!

Then we added the crème de la crème – the promise of tap and ballet class! Saying that was like waving a magic wand (wouldn’t that be nice) because girlfriend did poops in the pot within an hour after that bribe.

Yeah… my bribery knows no shame.
Don’t hate the player – hate the game!

But wait it gets better.
Not only has she done her biz in the potty for the past two days (including this morning as I type feverously trying to bang this post out) with only two minor accidents and one was because we didn’t get the panties down in time – but she also did her biz THREE times in the PUBLIC RESTROOM at TJMaxx!
She also gets that from me – nothing will hender her shopping experience especially at The Maxx!

And yeah she has pull-ups (which sorry I think totally suck and are such a ploy to spend money) for nighttime and emergency situations – but other than that – its big girl panty time for Miss Sky!

*woots*

In all seriousness – I am wicked proud but a little sad. First it’s the potty, then dance class, then it’s school, and then the next thing you know you are making plans to attend *Class Ring Breakfast* for your 15 year old high school sophmore.
True story – Peyton is getting ordering his class ring soon.
*sigh*

So yeah a little bittersweet – my baby is becoming a little girl and while this time is just sooooo much fun and amazing – I want this stage to take it’s sweet time!

Big Girl Panty High-Fives!
♥cyn♥

♥crock-pot-lovin♥

Being a Southerner by birth (and in heart) along with a new Vegan – I HAD to make some black eye peas.
And how extra sa-weet that they actually cook AMAZINGLY in a crock-pot! Ya’ll know I SUPER DUPER L♥VE my crock-pot. So here is my recipe – although there are many variations out there for you carnivores. Honestly (and even Brian agreed) they tasted so *meaty* and delish like this and Brian swore I used some salt pork – but oh-no! No animals were harmed or consummed by making this crock-pot piece of heaven!

Vegetarian Black Eye Peas
1 lb dried black eye peas
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 large onion chopped

Follow directions on black eye peas packaging for overnight soaking. Drain and place in crock pot and add broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook on low for nine hours. Add chopped onion and cook on low for one more hour. Serve over rice with the garnish (hot sauce, fresh chopped parsley, green onion) of your choice.

Y-U-M-M-O!

I will be making this again and often – easy, healthy (155 calories & 1 gram of fat per cup), and delish – YES! YES! YES!!!!


Eat up!
♥cyn♥

♥crock-pot-lovin♥

As it is well documented in my blog – I am a new vegan and a lover of my crock-pot. If I can combine the two – I am a HAPPY HAPPY gal! And especially for lentils; (link takes you to a site for the amazing nutrional values of lentils) which I fell in love with at the Indian restaurant that Brian I had dinner at a few weeks back for our *anniversary*.
So imagine my glee when I found some vegetarian (okay they were technically from the *meatless* section) recipes via Fix-It and Forget-It magazine – The Quick & Easy Slow-Cooker Meals Edition. (pg. 73)
Now I did have to adjust a few things to make this recipe truly vegetarian but I will post the recipe as is with my noted changes. (There are other variations of this same recipe if you were to Google it of course.)

Lentil Tacos
Makes 6 servings
Ideal slow cooker: 4-quart
(I doubled this recipe)

¾ cup chopped onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I used fresh garlic – 4 cloves chopped)
1 tsp canola oil
8 ozs. Dried lentils, washed
1 Tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable stock of course)
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
Toppings for tacos

1. Sprinkle onion with garlic powder and saute in oil in a skillet until tender. Add lentils and spices and stir 1 minutes.
2. Place lentil mixture and stock in slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low 3 hours for crunchy lentils or on low for 6 hours for soft lentils.
4. Add salsa.
5. Spoon aout ¼ cup mixture into each taco shell. Serve with desired toppings.

Now – I did not serve this dish in tacos. I served it over some basmati rice (just like I had it at the restaurant) and while it wasn’t exactly the same as the dish I fell in love with – it was really flavorful, YUMMY, and super filling!
I did add a bit of water at the end – so I might up the stock a bit. And I felt it needed a wee bit of salt and we also added red crushed pepper fakes (about a tsp or so) to give it some ZING as we l♥ve ZING!

I will definitely make it again and it made a GINORMOUS ammount of food that I will be enjoying throughout the week for lunch! (YaY for not having to cook or worry about lunch for a week!)

Oh and for the record – the green stuff on the side is frozen chopped spinach, red onion, canned mushrooms, red crushed pepper flakes (told ya we like ZING) sauteed in some canola oil. A family side dish standby and sooooo YUMM-o!

Happy crock-pottin’!
♥cyn♥

♥crock-pot-lovin♥

It’s no secret that I love my slow cooker!
Here is my latest crock-pot adventure!

This is a simple chili recipe I use all the time – it’s my own recipe -- your basic chili concoction with a healthier twist!

Cyn’s Healthy Crockpot Chili
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 15.5 oz. can of red kidney beans
• 15.5 oz. can of black beans
• 29 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 29 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 2 pkgs. of chili seasoning (your favorite brand and potency)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tbsp. red crushed pepper

Preparation:
Brown ground turkey with red crushed pepper, drain.
Combine with all the remaining ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serves 6-8.
Serve with rice and garnish with cheese, green onion, and/or fat free sour cream.

EASY, healthy, delicious, and oh-so-filling!
I personally think the leftovers the next day for lunch are better!
♥cyn♥

♥crock-pot-lovin♥

It’s no secret that I love my slow cooker!
Here is my latest crock-pot adventure in something new I hope to feature here on a regular/semi-regular basis!
♥crock-pot-lovin♥


I found the following recipe here -- they have tons of really great and EASY slow cooker recipes!
Gotta ♥ that!





Easy Pepper Jack Chicken
Easy cheesy chicken with pepper jack cheese soup and a little salsa, along with pepper strips.
Ingredients:
•4 to 6 chicken breasts, boneless, without skin
•bell pepper strips
•1 can Fiesta Nacho Soup
•1/2 cup chunky salsa
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, until chicken is tender. Serves 4 to 6.
Serve with Mexican style rice, macaroni and cheese, or plain hot cooked rice.






This recipe is so easy it should be a sin!
And it’s super delish – especially if you love Mexican like we do. And wicked filling – a MAJOR plus when trying to feed my brood! We all agreed that it is very reminiscent of chicken enchiladas. As someone who usually makes the enchiladas – this technique is SO much easier.
I served it with white minute rice and chopped green onions and some finely shredded cheddar cheese for a garnish.



The only changes I made to the recipe was that I doubled the sauce ingredients to compensate for using eight boneless breasts. I also added a can of black beans and thickened the sauce (it was a bit too soupy for my taste) with a slurry mixture of cold water and flour.
We had more than enough to eat and I am betting this dish is better the next day as leftovers than freshly made – we shall find out tomorrow!


♥cyn♥