Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino Recipe

Heaven.  It's what a Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino tastes like to me on a warm summer day.  I've been trying to recreate this drink at home for years and I've finally found what tastes close enough to their legendary favorite of mine.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk (nonfat, whole, half & half, whatever you choose)

1 tablespoon honey

1 cap full vanilla

2-3 tablespoons caramel

1 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee crystals

1/2 cup ice

Place ingredients into blender in the order above and blend on high until smooth (approximately 45 seconds).    Drizzle caramel down side of glass, add whipped cream & drizzle of caramel to top if desired.

-stephanie

Tasty Thursday: Italian Chicken

This may be one of my favorite recipe finds ever.  It's really simple, makes a lot of food, and takes little time. This Italian chicken pasta meal is something I plan to make for an upcoming dinner party at our house.

3-4 chicken breast (2 large sized breasts will do)
1 packet Zesty Italian seasoning (dry dressing packet)
1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used 1 can)
water/milk to thin if needed
box of cooked pasta

Place your thawed chicken breasts in crock-pot and cover with Zesty Italian seasoning.  Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Once fully cooked, shred chicken to your desired consistency.  Toss in cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken back in crock-pot on high until warm.  You may want to add another can of cream of chicken soup or some milk/water to thin out the sauce.

While the mix is heating back up, boil your box of pasta, strain.  You can plate this with the pasta down first and then top with chicken & sauce mix or do what I did and toss that pasta into the crock-pot with the chicken & sauce.

Want to take it one step further?  Once the pasta, chicken & sauce are all cooked and tossed together, pour into a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.  Throw it in the over and bake it off for 10 minutes on 375 for a crunching topping.

-stephanie

Product Love: Japonesque Review

I recently had the opportunity to review a new baby care product Japonesque.  I'm so in love with how cute the product line is.  All of the new products are compact enough to toss in a diaper bag, each tool comes in a protective case for added safety.  We received the pink hippo brush and the yellow ducky nail clippers.  

Addie loves the duck, every time we get out the nail clippers she "quacks" at us.  The safety nail clippers were designed to trim baby’s fingernails tear-free, so you can clip away confidently with ease and precision.  This miniature clipper fits little fingernail and toenails perfectly, and features a comfortable grip and thumb lever for easy maneuvering.  It also contains a nail file to gently shape and smooth sharp nail edges after clipping. 

We let her play with the duck when we brush her hair with the pink hippo.  Features super soft bristles that help tame hair without pulling or scratching.  Gentle on baby’s scalp, the bristles encourage growth and shine.  

You can order both the hippo and the duck as well as their entire line of baby care products through HQHair.

-stephanie

Addie's Favorite Fall Snack

This is a repost of previous post from September of last year, I can't believe we're less than a week away from September again this year.  It's one of my favorite months as it signifies the start of fall for me.  Apple picking, gorgeous weather, Ohio State football, Pumpkin Spiced Latte's from Starbucks, etc.  It's one of the best times of the year hands down for me.  As I mentioned, one of our favorite things to do in September is go apple picking.  You can read about last years posts and another apple recipe I included here (check out her hair!). Today's post is specifically about Addie's favorite fall snack, Applesauce!

Applesauce
4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
Cinnamon to your preference

Toss diced apples into crock-pot.  Add desired cinnamon and cook for 2 hours on high in crock-pot.  Stir periodically.

The recipe is really that easy.  When you purchase an apple with amazing flavor, you don't need to add sugar or any other ingredients because the flavor in the apple stands out by itself.  This is also really great for little ones who are just starting to eat solids!  I packaged some of the apple sauce up last year in old baby food jars we had lying around.

What are some of your little ones favorite recipes?  I'm always looking for a new recipe/food to introduce to Addie.  Come tell us about it at Toddle Alone Tuesday.

-stephanie

Adalyn Month Nineteen

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Okay, so I suck.  Addie turned nineteen months last Tuesday.  I promised an update last week and I was super lame and didn't write one.  So without further adieu, here's what I should have done last week.

Stats:  No official measurements but I think you've made it to 25 pounds.  My arms are really starting to hurt from holding you.  You do seem taller than last month but I could just be imagining things.  You're still in a size 4 shoe though I imagine you'll be in size 5 by the end of the year.  Still wearing 12-18 month size clothing.



Sleep Schedule:  Just when you think you can predict a sleeping pattern it all changes.  You have started waking earlier and earlier every morning.  Oftentimes waking at 5:30 with no desire to go back to sleep.  It's tiring me out big time.  I've tried pushing your bedtime back to 9 or later and it just doesn't seem to work.  I'm debating eliminating nap but I think that could end up being a terrible idea.  Your naps range from 2-3 hours.



Foods:  Finally, you've started accepting some meat. In fact you nearly ate an entire chicken breast off of a rotisserie  chicken we bought a couple weeks ago.  You couldn't get enough of it.  Then you shocked us even more by eating part of a bratwurst.  You still prefer fruit to any other food.  You love graham crackers, animal cookies, and raisins.  You're still drinking 16-20 ounces of milk a day.

Firsts:  This month you experienced a lot of firsts.  Your first amusement park ride at the Ohio State fair.  your first trip on a ferry boat when we made an impromptu trip to Lake Erie.  Your first trip to put in bay & middle bass island.  Your first overnight stay at someone's house where mama & dada weren't there.  Your first time sleeping in a tent.  Your first car ride forward facing.  This has been a big month of firsts for you!



Favorite Toys:  Your baby dolls.  You love to feed doll (Elmo, babies, etc) with your sippy cup.  You love your play-doh, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and plastic dinosaurs.

Month nineteen has been a month full of firsts and some changes.  You are becoming more and more cranky which terrifies me for what's around the corner when the terrible two's strike.  Either way, we're excited to watch you grow and learn and experience new things everyday!

-stephanie