Cauliflower Breadsticks...Just Like the Real Thing!!

I have been wanting to try these cauliflower breadsticks for a while, but have not gotten around to it till now.  I had half a head of cauliflower left in the fridge and I knew if I didn't use it soon, it was going to go bad.  I couldn't let that happen so it forced me to make something with it and so glad I did :)  I've been trying to come up with some simple healthy lunch alternatives for Eli and myself and this is super easy and amazingly healthy which seems like an oxymoron when you taste it!  I ate these breadsticks with a soup I made a couple nights ago, but you could eat them by themselves with marinara sauce or make a pizza out of it.  I think this week I'm going to try a pesto version of the recipe.  I semi followed this recipe but didn't measure completely and it still came out amazing! You are going to be amazed at this cheesy, chewy goodness!:)

Recipe: (adapted from keyingredient.com)

• 1/4 of a large head of cauliflower "riced" ( I used 1/2)
• 1 tsp of olive oil (I used a little more)
• 2 garlic cloves (I used 2 large cloves and it was plenty with the amount of cauliflower I used.  I think this is a matter of preference)
• 1 egg (white) lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I didn't measure this...I measured with my eye :)
• 1/2 tsp. dried italian herb seasoning (I used basil because I was out of Italian season blend)
• marinara sauce for dipping (optional....I dipped mine in the soup I was eating)   

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.  I used a 9x13 pan for mine and lined it with foil and cooking spray.  I patted down the cauliflower mixture in the center and made it into a rounded/square shape about 8x8 size.

Now you need to "rice" the cauliflower which you do with a cheese grater.  With a 1/4 head of a cauliflower you will get approximately 1.5 cups lightly packed of the riced cauliflower.  I used 1/2 a head so mine was slightly more and I'm sure it will very according to the size of the cauliflower head as well.  The cauliflower will look somewhat like when you grate cheese.  Place it in a microwaveable safe bowl and microwave it till its soft.  I put mine in for about 5 minutes and it was perfect.  You do not need any water in the bowl!

While you are waiting for the cauliflower to soften, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low and add your garlic until softened.  Once the cauliflower is softened, add the garlic/oil mixture, the lightly beaten egg white, Italian seasonings and the mozzarella cheese .  Stir together, mix well and spread it into the pan.

Bake until it starts to turn golden brown.  It was approximately 30 minutes for me.  Remove it from the oven, flip it over (I used a spatula for this and slowly lifted each corner before flipping it entirely.  If its too large to do that, cut it into sections before doing so) and if you like put more cheese on top.  I used some Parmesan, but you could use more mozzarella too if you desired.  Put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so until cheese melts and turns golden brown.

Let cool slightly and cut into pieces.  Enjoy with marinara sauce!

Let me know if any of you end up trying this and how it comes out!  I was completely impressed with how it tasted and even it's appearance.  It looked and tasted like a breadstick in my opinion!  This is a great way to be sneaky and get your kids to eat some veggies as well :)   Enjoy!

Any other cauliflower recipes out there that you have tried?  I'd love to know!!

Getting My Organization On...

So today is another snowy day and I decided not to venture out on the roads.  Eli and I have had a pajama day and I thought it would be a good time to take advantage of doing a little organization in the basement, pantry, refrigerator, and junk drawer.  I reorganized mine and Eli's closet the other night so I think that jump started me on wanting to get more in order elsewhere.   Organization used to be more of a strong suit for me but when life gets busy things often get misplaced and it soon looks like chaos.  If I have a place designated for certain things then when I go to put them away it makes it easier to keep it more in order, otherwise, things just get piled on top of one another and then I'm swamped.  This gives you a good idea that my house is so far from being perfect and it's just like anyone else's.  I do love when my house feels organized though because it makes my life feel so much better in every area.  It's truly amazing how it can effect the mood of your entire life!  With that said, today I got my organization on and hoping to tackle more as the week goes on!

First up on the agenda was the basement.  It was in total disarray and I wanted to tackle the storage section of the basement where all our totes and boxes are stored.  There were totes opened and off the shelves everywhere from trying to find things.  I had miscellaneous items laying around waiting to be either stored in a tote or put in a Goodwill box.  The basement still needs more functional shelving and I need more totes to make it feel more "orderly", but for now I'm feeling so much better after what I accomplished this morning. In the future here soon, Nate has plans to build wood shelving down there and buy more totes and label everything so it feels more uniformed and easy to find everything.  Post to follow once we get to that step!

Before...

 After...

 Before...

 After...

Next up on the agenda was my small little pantry.  I would LOVE a walk in pantry closet someday but for now I am thankful for what I have.  This too needs some revamping in the future as well.  We have wire shelving which is started to warp in the middle because of the weight of the goods that are stocked on the shelves through the years.  Hoping to remove those and replace with real wood shelves to make it once again more functional.  I went to the dollar store recently and found small plastic totes with the chevron pattern on them.  They had other ones with different geometric shapes as well that were very cool and modern looking.  I knew immediately that I wanted them for some sort of organization in the house.  When I was glancing at the pantry this week I realized that's where they belong. I spent a total of $5 on these plastic boxes and it gave the pantry a nice face lift.  I also found some other containers laying around (2 from Ikea) and a glass jar that wasn't being used as well as some canning jars to help organize the food and give it a more aesthetic appeal :)  The bottom of the closet is where we put our recyclables which should be picked up tomorrow. Here is before and afters...

Before...

 After...

 Close-up of the boxes and containers I used.

 Very top shelf is where we store water pitchers, popcorn maker and things that we don't use that frequently since it is hard to reach.  Second shelf down is this one below.  To the left we have extra pantry items on hand in the back in case we run out.  We often buy in bulk at Sam's so we store some of the extra here or in our jelly cabinet.  The plastic box is our treat box with something for the sweet tooth and gum.  I have some of my canned tomatoes (that I canned this summer) sitting on the shelf along with my rice and pasta that I have stored in canning jars as well.  I usually keep my oil over by my baking area but the bottle is too tall for my cupboards so it stays in the closet.  I need to get a smaller glass bottle to transfer the oil over and keep it with the rest of my baking items.

 Third shelf down is home to some of our snacks and cereal.  We always have cheeze-itz and animal crackers on hand.  The other tall container has cereal in it and it's great for that.  I purchased those at Ikea this past year.  In the box is granola and rice krispies that I use for making granola bars.

 Bottom shelf is our snack area.  Eli likes to help pick out a snack so I put this one at his level.  One of the boxes has nuts/dried fruit, one has chips (we always have tortilla chips in our house since chips, salsa and avocado is a favorite here) and the other box houses miscellaneous snacks.

Next up was our junk drawer.  I had bought an organizer at Ikea this past year as well as another dollar store bin so this drawer looked neat and orderly months and months ago, but again it became mass confusion after a while.  The plastic bin that I used in this drawer has several compartments which is nice to split things up.  One compartment houses tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, measuring tape and flashlight that we like to have accessible.  Another compartment has cords to our computers and phones in it.  Some of the smaller compartments have extra batteries, paint swatches, sticky notes, etc.  In the bin to the right I have pens, extra paper, coupons and menus to local restaurants that we like to have available.  In the back in my address book and stamps.  Everyone needs a junk drawer for those small miscellaneous things that need a home...I just like to have one that has some sort of order to it so when I'm looking for something I know where it is at a quick glance.  Here is the drawer...

Before...

 After...

 Lastly, the refrigerator got some love but I didn't document it with pictures.  Nothing too exciting happened here, but it does feel clean and more organized. I like to do this every time before I go grocery shopping so when I come home with groceries I can put them right away without fighting for a place to put them.  Anyone else have any handy tips on organization?  Or have recommendations for organizational tools.  I find that the dollar store has an abundant of tools for smaller spaces/closets.  Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by!

Dear Eli...Nemo Came to Visit Us This Week!

Dear Eli,

What a fun filled week we had!  Blizzard "Nemo came through and stayed for 2 days.  I didn't mind though because daddy was home and we were able to spend some quality time together as a family.  We finished your "Big Boy" room with your help of course and you are enjoying it very much!  You ask to go play in there and you actually look forward to going to bed in your new bunk beds.  I think it feels so cozy and fort like under there that its fun and exciting now :)

 

We went and played out in the snow during the storm and you loved it!  There was about 2 1/2 feet of snow fall and with snow drifts it was way over 3 feet.  The piles of snow out front of the house are at least 5 feet and even higher out in the middle of the cul-de-sac.  You had fun climbing the hills and digging in the snow.  Some of the older boys in the neighborhood made a fort with a tunnel and you thought it was "so cool"  in your own words:)   Your friends Quaid and Aubrie came out to play with us (something you requested that morning).  The snow was whipping and blowing and was so very cold, but you loved it nonetheless.  You are an outdoorsy boy and I hope it stays that way!

Lately I have noticed you mimic a lot of what I say in your daily conversation...some of which I didn't realize I even say!  You often say "what the heck is that doing there" or "why the heck can't I figure that out."  You have come up with your own word instead of saying "bummer" or "oh shoot", you say "Oh bammers," ahaha! You tell me everyday, "I don't feel better...I really need some vitamins."  We buy the gummy ones from Trader Joe's and you love them.  I think you think they taste like candy:)  You keep me laughing and I never know what is going to come out of that little mouth of yours.

Some of your favorite things right now include:

• Building with your legos.  You use a hammer to pound every block together like you are really building with wood. 
• Using your hockey stick and hitting the puck or ball around the house.
• Playing with play-doh from Great Grampy and Grammy.  This activity keeps you busy for a while.  You love creating and making food for all of us to eat, but you get mad if we pretend to eat it and it goes missing.  You holler at us and say "noooo....you can't eat that.  It's not real, it's plastic."
• Painting or coloring.  We do this at least once a day!
• Cooking in the kitchen with mommy.  You are my little shadow and are right there to pitch in ALL the time. We make smoothies every morning.  They are your favorite and you look forward to being able to push the button when we blend everything together:)
• Playing games on the Kindle or watching Dora on there.  You know how to work it and find all the Apps.   From the beginning I said that you couldn't use it, however, I find that it keeps you focused for a period of time so when I need to get something done and I need you out from under my feet, the Kindle is our go to buddy!
• Anything tool related.  You bring your tools everywhere and try to fix everything :)
• Playing with your trains, trucks and cars.  You have quite the imagination now and it's so fun to watch you playing with them.

You love to sing and I catch you singing throughout the day.  If we catch eye contact however, you get this shy look and fall over on the floor with a big smile on your face.  Mommy loves to sing so it's not a surprise cause we sing together all the time.  When the little Eli comes to visit during the week we always do sing song time and you love doing all the motions to the songs.  It's so fun and you boys love dancing around the house to the music.

You are our little narrator.  No matter where we go in the car, you talk the whole way and you tell us everything you see.  You tell us when there is a red light and we need to stop or if its green and we need to go or if it's yellow and we need to slow down, ha!  You are very observant and you see the littlest details that I sometimes don't even see.  You also are an amazing GPS.  You have a keen sense of your surroundings and  often times know what direction we are going in and what turns to take.  Mimi says I used to tell her where to go when I was your age so I guess it runs in the genes :)

I love your giggle and sometimes I catch you laughing at something on tv or while playing in your playroom by yourself and it's the BEST sound in the world.  I want to bottle it up and hold it with me forever.  It is so genuine and pure.  It's contagious and once you get going sometimes there is no stopping!  You laugh at things that you probably shouldn't, like when mommy falls or trips or I drop something on the floor.  That brings out a gut giggle in you and I can totally relate.  It must be a nervous thing in us because if someone were to fall down the stairs my immediate reaction would be to laugh as terrible as that is.  I know you have a heart of compassion though so I don't take offense to your laughing at me, haha!  If we pretend to cry or be upset you get such a concerned look on your face and you come over and hold right on.  You say to whomever it is, "love you so much...its ok...I sorry."  I think you are catching on to our faking it thought because recently you have said "stop pretending...your ok."  You are so with it and nothing gets by you!

We are going to Florida next week and we made the mistake of telling you that we are going on a plane and going to see Mickey (Your favorite!)  Now that's all you talk about every day and have no concept of time frame.   You and I made a calendar this week so that we could count down the days to when we leave.  We cross out the day and count how many days we have left.  You put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stickers on the week we are gone.  You are so excited and you said you can't wait to hug him!  I can't wait to see your face when you meet him in person...it's going to be priceless!

We have been working on saying "May I" when you ask a question.  You are getting really good at it and you have been asking me before you go get things out or try to do certain things now.  I like that you ask because it keeps me from getting frustrated and you understand more if you can't have it because I have a chance to talk to you first.  I can tell it makes you feel proud!  I forget that you are only 2 a lot because of your level of understanding and comprehension.  I can tell you to do something and you actually know what to do and can complete it semi-well.  Even though you are only 2, you actually get excited about helping out and I think it's a good thing to start a foundation of understanding responsibility and being a good steward of your things.

Last night before bed you were laying there looking through books and you said to me "mommy, Jesus is sitting right here next to me under the blanket, but I can't see him. There is nothing to be afraid of though because He is here with me."   And then this morning when I put my robe on before coming downstairs, you said, "you look just like Jesus.  He wears a robe you know." ahahaha....that gave me a good laugh! Whether you have seen it in a book or you truly have seen Him, I am amazed at your level of understanding.  You love Jesus and it fills my heart to the fullest!

You are the essence of joy and so full of life!  You bless me more than you will ever know and I thank God for the gift that you are every single day.  You are so special to me!

Love you so much!
Mommy

The Full Reveal Has Come...Boy's Room Is Done!

I love room transformations...and this one is by far my favorite in our home!

I am so excited for this one to be done so Eli can now enjoy it!  Thank you "Nemo" for giving us the time and incentive to finish it this week! Having a couple snow days in a row has pushed me to get the room back in order.  It is pretty much complete except for some decorative elements I still want to implement such as a curtain on the closet, new bedspread/pillows and additional art work.  I bought very little decorative items for the room...a lot of stuff I already had on hand throughout the house so I did a little shopping in my own home and tried to use Eli's things as decor:)  That's how I like to roll around here....move things around now and again and makes it feel like new!  Eli is so excited to have his new big boy room complete that he didn't even give us a problem last night before bed or before nap today.  It has such a cozy feel...I'm actually kind of jealous that he has one of the nicest rooms in the house now :)  He is one special little boy and I love that this room will grow with him and his siblings in the future.  Without further a do....welcome to Elias's room!

Side table- already owned and matches bed perfectly. Lamp- already owned.  This was in his nursery, I switched the shade out from a different lamp in the house so it would match the burlap/natural fiber in the room.

This is a copy of a second draft of the Gettysburg Address given by Abraham Lincoln.  We visited Lexington, Mass a couple years ago while my brother lived nearby in Waltham.  We went to the grounds where the battle of Lexington took place.  They had a shop with memorabilia and we bought a set of copies of the Decleration of Independence, Gettysburg address and a couple others.  We were thinking of putting them up in an office, but when I came across them recently (while cleaning out a closet) I thought they would be perfect in his room.  I love how it is copied on old vintage looking paper and the words are quite powerful.

 Recent purchase at Homegoods: Metal basket for $15.  Eli wanted it to be for his stuffed animals.  He is a stuffed animal lover!

 Below is a painting that Eli did recently.  I framed it in a frame that I already had on hand with white matting.  The shelf is one that we had that I painted blue to match the walls.  On the top (to the right) is Eli's fish, Nemo.  In the middle is a white ceramic globe on an axis and to the left is a jar full of his legos.  He has a set in his playroom but I like having something for him to play with when I'm upstairs doing things.  Plus, it's great color for decor as well :)  On first shelf is a globe he can play with that is sitting on top of his bibles, the white wicker basket is the home of some of his favorite things...tools and his camera, and to the far right is a mason jar full of his "monies" that he is saving.  On the second shelf is two wooden trucks (crane and mixer) that Nate and I painted for him before he was born.  They were part of the decor in his nursery because he had a "digger" themed room.  It was definitely appropriate since Nate works in construction with "diggers" everyday and Gampy (Nate's dad) owns Central Maine Crane.  In the middle of the second shelf is a hand painted bowl from Kenya, Africa that a friend bought me when I was young and inside the bowl are rocks from Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon in Arizona/Nevada (very first trip Eli went on when he was 7 weeks old in my belly :). The bottom shelf is home to some of his books and a few games that he likes to play.

 Chalkboard on the wall is a recent purchase from Christmas Tree Shops: $12.  I thought it would be great to hang his hats on and write little messages to him.  On the dresser is a rope basket that I made with a friend a while back.  We took a tin pot and hot glued thick rope around it.  Inside the basket is a fake plant from Ikea (low maintenance which I need).  In the middle is a picture of Eli when he was 4 months old, a white ceramic bowl with his binoculars in it, and a set of books with a plastic bird sitting on top.  He loves animals!

Crates are from a thrift store in Fairfield Maine.  I thought these would be great for shoes and other miscellaneous things.  Originally I was going to use them as a night stand but with the bunk beds I am unable to.  The sign at the top is one that I had been wanting to buy from Etsy but didn't want to spend the money.  Found this metal one at Christmas Tree Shops for $2.99.

Sign that we bought when we were first married and then we put it in Eli's nursery.  I wanted it to move with him because I want this to always be a part of our bedtime routine no matter how old :)

Natural bamboo blind was already here when we bought the home.  The brushed nickel curtain rod with blue glass globes on the end was given to me from my mom who had it in our home years ago.  It was in Eli's nursery but thought it would work perfectly in here.  White curtains are from Ikea and those were also in the nursery.  Since we were able to put the curtain rod right up to the ceiling, the curtains fit better in here.  I may not have to hem them as much as I thought.  The nursery has a slanted ceiling so we were unable to put the rod as high before.

I reused the white duvet from the full bed for the time being.  I would like to get matching bedding for top and bottom eventually...I just need the price to be right.  The natural linen pillow is one that I already owned and the knit blanket at the bottom is one made by our long time friend Kim who gave it to Eli for our shower.  It goes perfect in this room.  The rug is one that I bought our first year married for in our bedroom.  It's only a 4x6 so it's great for a small room and the price was amazing when I bought it 4 1/2 years ago for only $25 at Target. 

Now for Before and Afters...

 When we first bought the home.

Before (how it has looked the last 2 years) and After when you first walk into the room....

Before and After to the right corner of the room...

Before and After of the closet and small wall by the door...

Thanks for stopping by our room reveal.  Any projects on your agenda this weekend?  Next up is to finish the closet with a curtain, find some organizational bins and make a little reading nook.  Happy weekend :)

It's Breakfast Time: Banana Oatmeal Pancakes!

Goodmorning from the Wrigley household!  All of you in New England are probably stranded in this morning so why not eat something yummy?:)  I decided to try a new recipe and it was quite the hit.  Who doesn't like bananas and peanut butter together?  This household loves it and I got a thumbs up from the little man so we will be making them again soon!  He just said, "Did you just make these mommy....they are really good!"  And to top it off, they are vegan too!

Recipe:
*1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour...(I used a little less)
*2 tsp. baking powder
*1/2 tsp sea salt
*1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (you can use whatever kind of milk you like.  Nate and I drink coconut milk around here now and we love it! I make smoothies for Eli and I every morning and we use the coconut milk...they are amazing!)
*2 ripe bananas

Directions:
*Blend all the ingredients in a blender, except the bananas.  Now add the bananas and blend till they are smooth.  I used our Ninja blender and it works magically plus it has a pour spout that works perfect to pour onto the griddle or frying pan.  

Lightly oil the pan with olive oil or coconut oil and get the pan hot.  Pour mixture onto pan in pancake formation.  Once pancake starts to bubble on one side, flip over.  

 
Makes about a dozen medium size pancakes.  Put a little peanut butter on it by itself or add some maple for extra flavor.  They are so good and fluffy!  They are a treat and taste like a dessert.  Enjoy and stay safe and warm today!  

Happy Saturday, Blessings to you all!!

Our Busy Snow Day: Bunks & Shelving!

Today was crazy outside.  Snow storm "Nemo" arrived early this morning and didn't let up much all day.  The brunt of the storm has yet to hit and should be striking here in a few hours.  I haven't seen this much snow at once as long as I can remember!  Eli is looking forward to getting out and playing in it.  I have a feeling that it may be a part of our agenda tomorrow :)  Since we were staying in for the day, we decided...why not tackle a couple projects?  And that's exactly what we did.  I re-painted a standing shelf and the hubby and I put Eli's new bed together so we could start putting the finishing touches on the room.  Of course, no project is complete without our little tag along who likes to help with EVERYTHING.  That is no exaggeration.  Whenever we have something to do or work on, he is our little shadow and on our heels the whole time.  He gets his tool box out, or uses Nate's tools and he truly thinks he's working.  The look of seriousness and accomplishment on his face is priceless and our level of patience is tested to the max, haha!  Hopefully this excitement and ambition lasts in the future!

Here is a sneak peak at the shelf I tackled today.  It was a hand me down from my dad who found it on a moving job years ago.  I inherited it when we married and it has moved from room to room throughout the last 4 1/2 years.  It recently has been chilling out in the playroom, but I decided to give it a new life and new home in Eli's room. 

First photo is the new color.  It is the same blue that is in Eli's room on the walls..."Hale Navy" Benjamin Moore.  The picture to the right is what it has looked like for many years...a creamy white color.  The blue color doesn't do justice in the lighting of the basement but will post more pics to come when we do Eli's full room reveal.  It took 3 coats to get the color that I was looking for.  It pops against the white board and batten in the room.  Can't wait to show!

We had a change of plans in the bed department for Eli's room.  We originally had planned on converting Eli's crib into a full size bed.  When we ordered the conversion rails this past week we found out they were on back order (in the color we needed) until end of April.  We didn't want to wait that long but didn't really
have any other choice because we needed the rails specific to this crib.  A while back we had thrown out the idea of bunk beds in that room in the future.  Since the room is small we thought it would make the most use of the space.  Yet, I didn't want to lose the full bed because of when we have guests over.   When we woke up this morning, Nate brought up the idea again and this time it seemed like our best option.  We would actually probably save money in the long haul and if we have a couple staying over we can sleep in Eli's room with him and our room can convert to the guest room.  Plus we will always have an extra twin bed available in Eli's room for family that stays over more often.  Problem solved!  So my crazy husband faced the storm head on and made a trip to Sam's Club this morning.  I had seen the bunk bed there a few months ago and it was almost the exact replica of one I liked at Pottery Barn but for the fraction of the cost.  It's crazy the difference in price for a piece of furniture that looks almost identical! So, he loaded up the box and mattress and
made it home within an hour of leaving our doorstep.  The color is chestnut and it's real wood which is a huge PLUS! I love how you can see the knots in the wood.  It actually matches our crib in the nursery and Eli's dresser that we bought a couple years ago.  I am in love with the dark wood against the white board and batten molding.We were probably more excited than Eli to unpack the box and get it put together.  Here is a snippet of our day putting it together as a family...

 Here is the almost finished product!  Mattresses and ladder rails to be installed!

We are so very happy with our purchase and it gives Eli a lot more room to play in there now.  When he woke up from his nap in the nursery this afternoon he told us he was ready to go back to bed because he was so excited to sleep in his new bed.  He is sleeping in it tonight and he was beyond thrilled! I am working on some finishing touches and will be back with a full room reveal by Monday.  Anyone out there have bunk beds or contemplating them?  I would recommend our purchase highly because of the price!

Enjoy your weekend and anyone in the pathway of "Nemo" stay safe!!  Speaking of "Nemo"....Eli's fish that he named Nemo made his transition into the new room as well.  He was swimming around happily, like he was giving us his stamp of approval :)