Good nights meal.... Meatloaf and chicken and dumplings,

Tonight I wanted a good down home southern cooked meal! So into the kitchen I went! I wanted meatloaf and chicken and dumplings. I knew that the meatloaf would take the longest. Now disclaimer..... 

I Am not a cook nor do I act like one or even think people want to eat my food ha! 

But it's always nice to have some food ideas for when we get into food ruts. 

Meatloaf:

I start off by preheating the over to 350. 

I then chop up one whole onion and set it aside. (I like onion so feel free to use how much your comfortable with.) 

Next I put meat in a bowl.

(I get a small lean meat log from Walmart cost about 4 bucks. )

Add 1 egg

Add 1 cup milk

Add 1 to 2 cups crushed crackers depending on if you want you loaf a little dry or a little wet.

1/2 cup ketchup 

Salt and pepper. And I add seasoning salt because I love it! Mix all ingredients together until blender thoroughly. Put into loaf pan or casserole dish whatever you have handy and put in oven for about 50 mins.

I don't put my ketchup on top until the very end. After 50 mins take out of the oven and put ketchup on top. Put back in for 10 more minutes. And wha la meatloaf should be done but always check with a meat thermometer to be on the safe side if you like.

Next up stove top chicken and dumplings: 

First I boil 2 whole organic chicken breast. It doesn't take very long at all. I always add a pinch of salt to the water. When thats done I shred the chicken (I put that in my handy dandy mixer and let it do the job) 

I then pour half the water out but keep enough to cover the bottom of the pot. I then 

Add 1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken 

2 cans cream of mushroom (it's my fav)

1can green beans because my granny did.

1 can mushrooms (sometimes because my husband doesn't really like them)

Then add the shredded chicken.

I let that cook together for about 20 mins stirring occasionally.

After the 20 mins I add the biscuits. I just use a can of grand biscuits. I know shameful. I cut one biscuit into 4 equal squares and drop them in one at a time. After all biscuits have been dropped I let them cook for 15 mins stirring occasionally.  It's stupid simple.

Meatloaf got a tad browner on the bottom than usual but I kinda like it like that. Lol.

Easy chicken and dumplings. 

A nice meal of comfort foods that cured my pregnancy cravings. And I have dumplings left over for me and Jack to eat again. 

Like I said I just enjoy cooking now weather I'm good at it is up for debate but my family eats it with no complaints so that's all that matters right lol!!!! 

Hope you enjoy and feel free to share your favorite recipes. 

Until we meet again-ASH 

Memphis turned one!!!

My sweet little doll face turned one! Holy crap lol! I had so much fun planning her birthday with it being so close to Halloween. We decided to go with a pumpkin patch/ trick or treat party. We had all her little friends dress up and we had a blast. I think she really enjoyed her first birthday and her cake! 

Here's a little bit about our girl from her first year of living. 

Memphis:

Nickname is flash. I'm 

Or ma'am grabby hands.

Loves Anything pumpkin.

Hates shoes.

Has a high pitched Mariah Carey scream she loves to do mostly at the most inappropriate times.

Loves to be in the water more than anything else.

Likes to scream "ack ack ack ack ack ack ack" at her brother when he's sleeping in the car then when he wakes up she laughs. 

Loves to dance.

Likes to pull her daddys beard when he wont give her Cheetos.

Likes to pull her daddy's chest hair when he puts her to sleep just to remind him who's boss. 

Has never slept past 9 in her whole year of living. 

Really enjoys having her picture taken. 

Likes to sit on her brothers toys when he makes her mad. 

Loves to cuddle with her momma when Jack isn't around, she can't let him know she's a softy.

Jack likes to call her his "m&m girl because those are his favorite and so is she."

She sometimes falls over on her back and immediately becomes a turtle and forgets how to move. 

Prefers her Papa and pop pop over everyone. 

Can play a mean instrument using only the back of her hand. 

Hates her car seat.

Eats:

Cheetos like they are the last thing on the planet!

Pumpkin 

Strawberries

Can say: 

Momma 

Dada 

Ack (Jack)

Party:

We spent allllooottttt of money of Jacks first birthday from the smash cake to the decorations and all that jazz. What I realized in the end was that was such a waste. We could have set that money aside and bought Jack the things he really needed. So this time around I wanted Memphis to have the best birthday but not spend a ton like we did before. We where able to get her the things we felt like she really needed and still made out with an incredibly fun birthday! Me and my mom ended up making her a pumpkin cake! It was delicious! I also hit up my favorite store for decorations.... The dollar tree. I spent about 30 bucks all together and all the sweet babes got their own  pumpkins to decorate and take home. Plus we got lots of great decor that we can use again for next year. Not to mention we got Skelton hand salad tongs that are in my kitchen for year round use lol.

Me and my mom made Memphis cake and it did not disappoint! It was delicious. 

•we used a bunt cake pan and cooked two yellow cakes.

•we let them cool and the cut the bottom half of the cake in half so they would lay even.

•we then put a layer of icing in the middle.

•we iced the cake with store bought icing even though it wasn't as orange as we hoped.

•I'm not a chocolate fan or like letting my kids eat chocolate so I mixed a little white icing with brown food coloring to make the brown for the stem. 

•then we coated an ice cream cone with the brown icing and wha la!!! 

She was ready!

Memphis pumpkin patch. 

Pumpkin decorating station 

Pumpkin decorating station

She enjoyed that cake

I also skipped out on paying a fortune for her first year pictures and did them myself. I really enjoy the editing process of photo taking as I have mentioned previously before. 

Now I do not fancy myself a photographer. When it comes to our treasured family photos I leave that up to the best (Mikasha clark photography) 

But I do see why they enjoy it as much as they do. The capturing of the moment the editing all that is so much fun to me. I really love it and I hope it comes through in my pictures like it does the professionals :) 

We really did have a blast and I still can't believe my little bug is a year old. She has changed all of our lives and we just adore her and her crazy antics.

Until we meet again-ASH