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{Katie’s Baby Blog} Lily is 18 Months Old!

18 Months is a BIG half birthday! Celebrating my baby halfway to two years old is a crazy thought!

Time really does fly…the days are long and the years SO short.

So, i’ll tell you about Lily at 18 months… she talks non-stop! She’s a big talker! I’m thinking it might have something to do with her Mom talking for a living…just a guess 😉

She repeats everything we say. She understands what we’re saying and she can pretty much tell me what she wants and when.

At her 18 Month doctor appointment on Monday, the doctor said he was “very impressed” with her speaking! Yay!

She is running, which means my husband and I are running FASTER just to keep up with her. Her favorite thing to do is “go outside” and run around our house, climb the big hills and find the “tractors.” She is obsessed with tractors or lawn mowers. She is so funny…I think we made a big deal about my husband mowing the lawn one day and watching him, so now she loves watching all of our neighbors mow their lawns, too (they probably wonder why we’re watching them, but oh well!).

Also…if you can’t tell from the pictures I post on my Instagram or Facebook, she is tall!!! This girl has LONG legs and is growing out of her clothes so fast! Speaking of clothes…she is also a serious shoe lover (also probably gets that from me….oops!!), we have to try on each pair of her shoes everyday. She even likes to put on her snow boots and walk around the house in them!

She is the sweetest baby in the whole world, too. She gives out kisses all day long and tells us “I love you, Mama or Daddy!”

I just can’t get enough of her!!! <3

 

 

{Katie’s Kitchen} Chicken and Broccoli

Brought to you by Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

I have been trying this recipe for years and haven’t gotten it right….until NOW!

My favorite recipe blogger helped me to achieve the deliciousness of this chicken and broccoli.

This recipe moves fast, so make sure that you have everything prepared prior to cooking. Start by chopping the broccoli.

I used one pound of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (you could use thighs or tenders,too)  and cut into small pieces no bigger than 3/4″ thick; salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine your sauce ingredients and whisk to dissolve sugar and corn starch. Set sauce aside.

This is a great time to start cooking your rice, if serving with the dish.

In a large skillet, add about a tablespoon of oil and your chicken in a single layer and stir fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the skillet on medium-high, add another tbsp. of oil and your chopped broccoli florets, onions and mushrooms. Cook until tender and crisp for 5-7 minutes.

Stir your sauce, then add it to the skillet over the vegetables. Simmer 3-4 minutes or until sauce is thickened. To thin the sauce, add a tbsp of water at a time.

Return chicken to the pan and stir and until cooked through. Add more soy sauce to taste if you want!

Serve over white rice!

Chicken and Broccoli: I got the recipe here! 

  • 1 lb chicken breast (boneless skinless), cut into 3/4″ pieces
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil (I used extra light olive oil), divided
  • 1 lb broccoli cut into florets (about 5 cups)
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced into strips
  • 1/2 lb white button mushrooms thickly sliced

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free), or added to taste
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar packed (or honey to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated (lightly packed)
  • 1 tsp garlic (2 small cloves) grated1/4 tsp black pepper plus more to season chicken

 

Tim McGraw Thanks Front-line Workers

Tim McGraw was a musical guest Tuesday night on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, but dedicated his performance to all front-line workers.

“I just want to say thank-you from myself and my family to all the front-line workers, all the public-facing workers out there doing so much for keep the heartbeat of this country going,” he said. “We appreciate it, we love you. Thank you again so much.”

Here’s his new song, “I Called Mama.”

Toddler Temptation Challenge

I simply cannot handle the cuteness! Here’s how it works…you tell your little one that you have a snack for them and set them up to eat it. Then you walk away for a few moments and tell them not to eat it until you come back. While secretly filming them to see how patient they can be! See Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins daughter Ada James and Jason and Brittany Aldean’s son Memphis attempt the challenge below.

 

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After pool hair, ballet outfit & #toddlerchallenge ?? #soBERYpatient

A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on

 

 

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KEITH URBAN: Plays Pop-Up Show at Drive-In in Nashville

Keith Urban played a special live pop-up concert for healthcare workers at a drive-in movie theater near Nashville last night.

The unannounced concert at the Stardust Drive-In in Watertown, Tennessee, was a special treat for the doctors, nurses and staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. An estimated 125 cars parked at the theater and people stayed at their cars and watched the hour-long show. Keith said he wanted to put on the show to “say thanks to the healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line for us every day.”

He added, “performing in this environment, with everyone in their cars at a safe distance from one another, seems like an amazing opportunity for everybody to just let go and have fun. And I’m a musician, I have to play.”

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{Katie’s Baby Blog} Mother’s Day

It was my second Mother’s Day this year and it was just as special as my first.

This year my little girl is almost a year and a half and is so busy, talking and running around, playing in the yard and the best part…she tells me “I love you, Mama” all of the time.

My favorite words in the whole world from my favorite little girl <3

We spent the day playing outside- she loves to play on the Step 2 Roller coaster and ride the car down the hill. She also loves throwing balls and then running after them and riding around in little cars.

Looking back at the picture of her last year on Mother’s Day being so little, it made me excited for the future…knowing how much she has changed in a year, how much she has grown and even a new little thing like hearing her saying “I love you” is so special. I can’t wait for more!

We filled our bellies with delicious snacks and food and then Lily took a loooong nap, so during that nap, Mom had a cocktail 😉

I had the best Mother’s Day…relaxing and spending the day with family and my sweet girl.

 

{Katie’s Kitchen} Campfire Cones!

Brought to you by Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

Looking for a fun new treat or activity for the kids this weekend?! Campfire Cones are perfect and delicious!

Don’t let the name deceive you…no need for an actual campfire (but of course you can), you can make these in the oven!

Start our with an ice cream cone. We used waffle cones- take peanut butter and spread it around the inside of the cone, then stuff your cone with marshmallows (the mini marshmallows seem to work best so you can fit other ingredients), chocolate and literally any other topping you might want to add.

The fun part about this s’more treat is it doesn’t have to just be chocolate and marshmallow…you can add Reese’s cups, butterscotch chips, m&m’s, strawberries, banana slices..whatever you want!

Then gently wrap your cone in foil, covering the top first, then the bottom and rolling in the sides.

To bake: pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 5-7 minutes.

Campfire: heat over the fire for 5 minutes.

Enjoy…and then make another!!!!

Ingredients:

-Waffle or cake cones

-Peanut butter

– Chocolate (chocolate chips, or Hershey bars)

-Mini Marshamallows

-Other: strawberries, banana slices, butterscotch chips, etc.

Dustin Lynch Turned 35 Today! Here’s a Throwback Favorite

Happy birthday wishes go out to Dustin Lynch! The Tennessee native celebrates his 35th birthday today.

To celebrate, watch this throwback music video for “Cowboys and Angels.” This song was his first single from his self-titled debut album.

Lady Antebellum on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Lady Antebellum gave an at-home performance of their new song, “Champagne Night,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night. The song was released as a single in April after they made a guest appearance on the Season 2 premiere of NBC’s show Songland.

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