Double digits

Winnie will never ever be in single digit [months] again... Isn't that crazy? Our growing baby is 10 months old today!

Hey Mom, I'm a big girl now. 

Winnie has continued to surprise us over the past month. Her biggest achievement is WALKING. Yup. This child of ours is busy. She no longer uses her little walker, no longer holds on to the couch, no longer needs our assistance. [sad face] She mastered walking while we were in Delaware visiting my family. And once we got back home she started pivoting. [Pivot. Pivot.] Some of you will know. She taught herself how to do it and then, just one morning decided it was time. She's so smart and determined! Now to try and find shoes that fit. ;)

Makes her Daddy so proud! 

Carries her Coleman everywhere

She loves loves loves her Xylophone and books. She will rarely sit still long enough for me to read her a book, but you can find her squatting flipping through the pages pointing at pictures and babbling away.

Your turn Mama!!

Speaking of pointing, that has got to be her new favorite thing. She points all the time, either at pictures, toys, or people across the room [mostly me or Taylor]. It's adorable and it makes me laugh.

Squatting & flipping pages in her book

Winnie pointing and walking [fast] to me <3

She is also fascinated with dogs, truly loves them. She loves to look at them in books and chase after them in real life [mostly Mocha, which is the only dog I let her play with]. She even points to our neighbors dog and says, "doh doh doh" and then kicks her little legs in excitement.

Winnie eats almost anything we give her, and is learning "all done" and "more please" in sign language. I love seeing her little brain process what we try to teach her.

She has 4 teefers 

And for all of you who may not be counting... Winnie is TWO months from turning 1.
I just can't even.

Our Delaware Visit

A couple weeks ago we went up to Delaware to spend some time with my family. As usual we had a blast and wished we were there longer. But the time we had together was sweet and cherished. The next time we are all together will be for Winnie's first birthday!

Here are some photos from our trip. 

Winnie & Joey playing their Xylophones 

Aunt Christina & Winnie 

Joey getting his treatment. They are wonderful parents!! 

Cami helping wash Johnny's car

Gianna's getting so big. xoxo

At the park:

She LOVES the swings!

He's the best big cousin. He was always so sweet to Winnie :)

I adore this cutie-pa-tootie <3

The younger cousins [Jilek-side]

Johnny tried to take Winnie down the slide...
he couldn't fit, but eventually this was the result.
Winnie was not a fan. haha.

Always watching the doggie

Bumpa & Gianna sharing some laughs

She does it all. 

We played a game where Christina had to
dress up like this and stay that way
the whole game. It was hilarious. 

Dinner @ Johnny & Trish's house.
Me being weird about raw chicken... 

...Johnny making fun of me. 

Daddy/Daughter love

a little blurry.. but a good one.
Winnie loves her Grandma!

Cooking Bacon

Let me get right to the point. Bacon is amazing! I don't know anyone on this beautiful green Earth that doesn't agree. But one thing is certain, bacon can be a mess to cook. I have tried numerous ways to cook bacon and have officially found the best way. It's probably the easiest clean up too.

No longer do you need to cook bacon in the microwave in 3 minutes increments or make a greasy mess all over your stove trying to cook it in a pan.... from now on, cook your bacon in.the.oven. 

Here's how:

Line your bacon on an aluminum lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven then turn your oven to 400 degrees. Let the bacon and oven do their thing for about 15-20 minutes. Remove and place on a plate with paper towels to catch any extra grease.
DONE. ENJOY. YOUR WELCOME. :-)

I start the timer for 10 minutes and check it. Then I go to 7 minutes. Then 3 minutes. You do not have to do that.. Check it at 15 minutes and depending on how crispy or rare you want it remove them or keep cooking. I time mine like that depending on what I'm using the bacon for and because I want to make sure it's the perfect crispiness.

Note: These bacon pieces aren't very crispy..
that's because I was using it for another recipe the next day.

If you save your bacon grease just take one corner of the aluminum, open and pour it into your cup. Easy.  [I highly recommend saving it, especially to cook eggs. Mmm] And clean up is a breeze.

I hope this is helpful and makes your bacon experience that much better than before.

Irish Beef Stew

In honor of St. Patrick's Day here is my post on Irish Beef Stew. It was so good!! But just a heads up, it takes about 3 hours to cook, so give yourself time. We ended up eating at 8:00pm because I didn't time things well...but it was worth it. Also, please enjoy the amazing smells that come from this dish that will fill your home... It's wonderful!!

Though traditionally Corned Beef and Cabbage is what we eat [and will eat] for St. Patrick's Day, this is a great dish and serves many. So if you are looking for a meal tonight to celebrate this green holiday, try this and let me know what you think. :)

Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients
Stew beef
3-4 Carrots- cut 1/4 thick slices
1 Yellow Onion- 1 inch cut
3 Garlic cloves- diced
3 Celery- chopped
4 Red Potatoes- 1 inch cut
Cabbage- 1 - 1 1/2 cup chopped
Beef Stock- 2 cups [or more]
Tomato paste- 1/3 cup
Stout beer- 1 1/2 cup [I ended up pouring the whole thing in just because though]
Dried Thyme- 2 tsp
Red pepper flakes- dash
Bay leaf- 2
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil- 2 Tbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then heat a dutch oven or large oven-safe pot with olive oil, add the beef chunks in one layer. Brown the beef on both sides, about 5-6 minutes, set aside.

2. Once the beef is all browned, toss it back in the pot with garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir about 1 minute.

3. Add stock, beer, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves, making sure the stock covers the beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir and bring to a boil, then let simmer and cover. Then place the covered pot in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour, then remove and add the carrots, onion, potatoes, and celery. Return pot to the oven for 2 more hours.

4. Add the chopped cabbage about 15 minutes before you need to remove it. Cabbage cooks quickly so you don't want it to wilt.

5. Spoon into a large bowl and enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!