Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Perfect Timing, Max


So, we are 2 months in, and our schedule is getting a tad more back to normal. Yes, it's super hard to believe Max has been with us for over 8 weeks now, and we fall in love with him a little more each day.

Anybody that has ever had a baby will tell you, your schedule is not your own. Your schedule becomes the baby's schedule. When he/she wants to nap, the house is quiet, no matter how badly you should be vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher or rearranging closets. When it is time to eat, the world stops, and revolves around a bottle or breast. So, when Max was eating right around supper time every night, things were a  little hectic around here. I mean, how was I supposed to cook and sit down to feed him at the same time?

But luckily, his schedule has shifted a tiny bit and he has started to around supper time, making it easier for me to not only cook, but try some new recipes I've been wanting to. Or, at least it seems easier!

This was our Mexican night treat a few weeks ago. It comes together in almost no time, can even be made ahead if that helps you out, and tastes great. Oh, I will put this disclaimer on it. You might look at it and say "Why isn't the cheese melted all the way?" Well, that's easy. It had 5 minutes left to cook when Max decided he was starving. So I had to decide to pull it early, or let it burn...obviously I chose the first.

Things are beginning to feel a little more "old school" around here, and I would tell you more about that, but I hear my little chipmunk from the next room...must be time to eat again!

Green Chile Mexican Pie
10 small corn tortillas
1 lb. ground beef
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste 
Dried Parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch pie plate. In a large skillet brown beef until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl whisk together soup and green chilies. In the bottom of pie plate layer half of the tortillas, overlapping them. Add half the soup mixture. Top with half the meat and then cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with dried parsley. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese begins to melt. 




Monday, October 17, 2016

Uh-Mazing Fall Fun!

 Autumn is in full swing here in Indiana, and we've been having some absolutely gorgeous weather. Some days it still feels like summer, but with the sights and smells of fall! 

One of our favorite annual traditions is heading about 20 minutes north of Fort Wayne to the little town of Waterloo where our friends at Amazing Fall Fun Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch are always nice enough to have us out for an afternoon of fun.  



With their 17 acre corn maze, and super fun activity area, there is always so much to do for kids young to not so young! Of course, for us, it was even more exciting this year because Alex was able to share in the fun with Baby Max, not to mention how special it was for mommy too.


One of the things we love about the incredible event they put on is every year they try to add some new things to keep it fresh. This year was no exception. Right away Alex was quick to point out the baseball throw and bouncy ball area...both of which he found to be great entertainment.




After some time playing around, it was time for him and I to hit the corn maze. Since we had Max in the stroller, we decided Daddy would stay behind with him and the 12 year old and I would conquer the maze on our own. 

It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon to get a little lost, and have some fun trying to find our way out. It wasn't long before Alex was very "corn fused" deciding which way to turn, but pretty sure we found our favorite spot, the lookout, and knew we were on the right path.



I am proud to say we had complete success. We did phase 2, the bigger side, which is supposed to take approximately 40 minutes, and we were out in about 30! Victory!

Oh, that's another thing I love about this corn maze. They split it into two parts, one smaller for little legs that can't maybe last as long in the bigger side. That way the whole family, all ages, can enjoy the fun!

I am so blessed when these work days can be family days as well. If you are looking for a fun fall day for your family, and you live anywhere Waterloo, Amazing Fall Fun Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch is the place for you! 

For more info, be sure to check them out online and Facebook.