Eastertime Touches

After a wintertime outdoor color palette of drab grays and whites, it's always so refreshing to welcome the bright and hopeful shades of spring. Since the full bloom of color is still a few weeks away here in Midcoast Maine, we've had to boost the springtime color palette indoors instead.

Here are a few of my favorite Eastertime touches:

Thanks, as always, for making time in your day to visit. It's always a treat to have you here.

Our Birthday Boy and Babies

::: Baby Connor peeking out from his NICU isolette :::


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CONNOR!

Every year, half a million babies are born prematurely here in the United States. Nine years ago today, Connor was one of them. He arrived seven weeks early, under emergent and unexpected circumstances, weighing a mere 3 pounds 14 ounces and measuring just a bit over 17 inches in length. There was no baby fat to be found and his skin was still downy soft and baggy. He was a soulful little fighter and though we were completely overwhelmed by his early arrival, we were also immensely blessed.

Connor is one of the lucky ones. Though he was small and early, he was healthy and strong. Apart from a few minor preemie setbacks in those early NICU days, he required very little specialized care and he has been thriving, growing, and blossoming ever since.

::: You may read more about his story here if you'd like :::

We have much to be thankful for and so every year as we celebrate Connor's birthday we also begin preparing for the March For Babies. We have supported this invaluable organization for years and it's become a family tradition that Todd and Connor walk together here in Brunswick each spring. It's our small thank you for the gift that we were given and our humble contribution to an organization that continually strives for the health and well-being of moms-to-be and babies everywhere. So that "one day, all babies will be born healthy."

If you'd like to learn more or if you feel called to donate, you may click here.




Thanks so much for visiting and for sharing in our family story.

Happy Birthday, Michaela!

I can't believe that this little cutie is turning six today!

She is a sweet, optimistic, and bubbly little soul. Always ready for fun, friends, and family. And the next big (or little) adventure. A real "glass is half full" kind of girl with an extra big heart, a passion for pink, and a completely endearing smile and personality. She's everything we hoped for and more. Our little peanut.

Happy Birthday, Michaela!

a springtime salt dough bouquet

What do you do when real springtime blooms are still weeks away?

You make some out of salt dough using the Valentine Picks tutorial as your guide. With a little patience and creativity, you can have your own springtime bouquet in no time. Which makes waiting for the real deal just a bit easier.

If you give these a try, I'd love to see them! Happy springtime crafting, everyone!

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

It's another birthday week here in Midcoast Maine. And the excitement is building! We've returned to our standard cool and damp March weather (after a lovely taste of summertime last week) and so our menu definitely reflects the shift back to some cooler weather favorites. At least for now.

Thanks for checking in! Have a wonderful week....

Breakfast Staples:

• Cran-Blueberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread (recipe coming soon!)

• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, yogurt, and fruit
• PB Oatmeal Muffins (freezer)
• Yogurt parfaits with homemade granola

• Wheat bagels with strawberry cream cheese
• Low-Fat Breakfast Cookies (new recipe!)


Dinnertime:

• Crabbies and Caesar Salad
• Italian Sausage and Penne Pasta Bake (freezer), salad, and bread
• Roasted Chicken Dinner
• Cheese steak sandwiches, chips, and veggies and dip
• No Fuss Night
• Shredded Chicken Taco Night
• Crock Pot Creamy Chicken, wheat noodles, and veggies (:: Michaela's birthday request ::)


Extra Baking:

• Brownie Shortcake (new recipe/Michaela's birthday)
• Pumpkin-Butterscotch Muffins (Michaela's birthday snack for K class)

::: For more menu planning inspiration, click here :::

Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap

Welcome friends, newbies, followers, and readers! It's time for more weekly recipe swapping fun. Feel free to share any and all family favorites here until 11 PM Sunday evening (EST).

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If you'd like to participate, simply write up your post and leave the link here with MckLinky. Please remember to mention my name and link to my blog within your posts as well. And feel free to grab the Colleen's Kitchen button above for your posts and/or sidebar. Thanks for joining in! It's been such fun pouring over the weekly entries...

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Spring has sprung here in Maine! We've been outside more than in this week and we've most definitely enjoyed this gift of gorgeous (and rather unseasonable) weather. We've also brought the grill out of hibernation. (Did you hear the cheering?) And with it aspirations for more easy-to-fix warm weather favorites. This week's recipe is a grill season standby (think chicken and pork) and it's always a hit, especially with the kiddos.

::: Click here for more recipe swapping fun :::

Cranberry Salad

1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large box raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water

Empty cranberry sauce into a medium sized bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add crushed pineapple and jello. Stir to combine. Add boiling water and stir well. Cover and let set in the fridge for a few hours. Enjoy!

(click here for printable recipe)

I hope you'll all have a wonderful springtime weekend. Soak up the sunshine and enjoy it! We sure plan to ...

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

::: Click here for more menu-planning inspiration :::

We're all looking forward to a little St. Patty's Day fare this week, along with a few basics and other favorites. Maybe a little catch-up baking too. We'll just have to see how the week plays out ...


Here's the plan:

Breakfast Staples:

• Gingerbread Muffins (freezer)
• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, English muffins, and fruit
• PB Oatmeal Muffins
• Yogurt parfaits with homemade granola

• Morning Glory Muffins
• Wheat bagels with strawberry cream cheese



Dinnertime:

• Broccoli Ham Ring with veggies and dip
• No Fuss Night
• Boiled Dinner (St. Patty's Day)
• Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup with Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
• Roasted Chicken Dinner
• Homemade Pizza Night
• Soup and Paninis

Thanks for checking in. Enjoy your week and come back soon!

Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap

Welcome friends, newbies, followers, and readers! It's time for more weekly recipe swapping fun. Feel free to share any and all family favorites here until 11 PM Sunday evening (EST).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

If you'd like to participate, simply write up your post and leave the link here with MckLinky. Please remember to mention my name and link to my blog within your posts as well. And feel free to grab the Colleen's Kitchen button above for your posts and/or sidebar. Thanks for joining in!

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This soup most definitely rivals the restaurant version. It's quick, simple to prepare, and delicious too. A real winner at our house this week. Big time. I hope you'll enjoy it too!


• Check out the Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipe swapping goodness •

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken stock/broth
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. pkg. potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water (optional)

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Saute onion, celery, garlic, and carrot in oil over medium heat for about five minutes. Add chicken, chicken stock, salt and pepper, and thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add half and half. Simmer for 10 minutes and add Parmesan and cornstarch for a thicker soup. Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes before serving.

(click here for printable recipe)

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks, as always, for joining in the food-related fun!

Happy Birthday, Todd!

Springtime Sweetness

Well, friends ... we are most certainly soaking up some early springtime goodness here in Midcoast Maine this week. The weather has been unseasonably mild and bright and we are loving it. Of course, Mother Nature can be a fickle lady so we're not counting our chickens just yet. Tomorrow could easily see us back in the clutches of winter. So we're playing as much as we can today. I hope you are too!

Part of my playing has also involved the giving and receiving of some lovely springtime swaps. I have a couple of packages yet to mail and I must admit that it feels just a little bit like Christmas. Which is a fun little boost this time of year when everything is looking brown and messy. We all need a little something to look forward to, don't we?




Becky (a new blog buddy) and I recently decided to trade. I sent her some bowl fillers and she sent me the sweet little goodies pictured above. Oh, what fun! Now I need to find these wonderful new treasures a new springtime home. And get the rest of my seasonal decorations in place as well. I can't wait. Thanks again, Becky! You made my day.

And now that March is here, we're also gearing up for Todd's birthday celebration tomorrow. Complete with a little taste of summertime. Not to mention a morning tour of the 3rd grade Space Fair. And yet more family birthdays to come. Busy days, I tell you. But good days all. So if I'm not here for a bit, you'll know why.

I so hope you're all enjoying a little springtime sweetness too. Thanks again, as always, for stopping by ...

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

::: Click here for more menu-planning inspiration :::

Spring was most definitely in the air here this weekend in Maine ... leaving me with visions of grilling, making summer salads, and enjoying all the seasonal favorites that make their way back into the menu rotation once the weather warms up again. We're not there quite yet, but that seasonal shift is coming. I can feel it!

In the meantime, we'll enjoy some cool weather favorites as we continue with our many March birthday celebrations this week. Of the five of us, three have birthdays this month. Which makes for lots of crazy fun and a few special birthday meals as well.

Here's the plan:


Breakfast Staples:

• Gingerbread Muffins (freezer)
• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, English muffins, and fruit
• PB Oatmeal Muffins
• Yogurt parfaits with homemade granola
• Mini Frittatas


Dinnertime:

• Homemade Pizza Night
• Breakfast Dinner: Golden Delight Pancakes
• Soup and Sandwiches
• No Fuss Night
• Broccoli Ham Ring with veggies and dip
• Olive Garden Style Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (new recipe!), salad, and homemade bread
• Seafood Lasagna, Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread, garden salad, and Summertime Strawberry Pie (:: Todd's birthday requests ::)

Enjoy your week and come back soon!

Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap

Welcome friends, newbies, followers, and readers! It's time for more weekly recipe swapping fun. Feel free to share any and all family favorites here until 11 PM Sunday evening (EST).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

If you'd like to participate, simply write up your post and leave the link here with MckLinky. Please remember to mention my name and link to my blog within your posts as well. And feel free to grab the Colleen's Kitchen button above for your posts and/or sidebar. Thanks for joining in!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I don't know about you, but I'm always on the lookout for a tasty, colorful, and easy pasta bake recipe. Especially one that yields enough to bake one and freeze one for later. This new little recipe was a huge hit at our house recently ... and there's another one on deck in the freezer. Perfect for one of those inevitable "I don't feel like cooking" nights. Enjoy!

• Check out the Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipe swapping goodness •

Italian Sausage and Penne Pasta Bake
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

1 1/2 lbs. Hot Italian sausage
olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red pepper, coarsely chopped
24 oz. jar meatless pasta sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
5 cups penne pasta (I used mini penne)
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage from casings and brown over medium-high heat. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off any fat from pan. Add onions, garlic and red pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage to pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout. Preheat oven to 375º.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Drain well and return to pot. Add sausage mixture, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine well. Transfer to two greased 8-inch square baking dishes or one 13 x 9 dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 375º for 30 minutes.

***If you have frozen a pasta bake, thaw in the fridge and bake for one hour at 375º.***


(click here for printable recipe)

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends! Thanks, as always, for joining in the recipe swapping fun. I hope you've found something new to sample in your kitchen ...

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Oh, how I wish there were just a few more hours in the day! I have so many projects I'd like to complete (or at least work on), but these late winter days seem to be slipping right away from me ...

The usual routine is keeping me hopping ... especially now that our big family birthday month is here. Thankfully, the weather has actually been mild enough these last few days to get out and enjoy some long walks and playing with the kids, which always helps. But I'm starting to feel like I'm just spinning my wheels here. I'm long on ideas and short on time. Is that true for anyone else as well?


Even so ... I have managed to get a few things accomplished this week:



We found some new (prettier) light bulbs for the upstairs bathroom -- a project that is still very much in-progress thanks to our lost weekend cleaning up our flooded basement.





I found this little wooden shelf at GW and I immediately knew it would look just right hanging in our bathroom. All it needs is a little prim painting magic.





And lastly ... lots of swap goodies to finish up and send out on Friday. It's been such fun to create in preparation for springtime! So many pretty colors and plans ...


I hope you're all having a pleasant and productive week. Don't forget to check in with Leslie for more crafty inspiration. I'll see you all again on Friday for more recipe swapping goodness.

Thanks, as always, for making time to visit. It's such a treat having you all here!

::: Menu Plan Monday :::

Last week's torrential downpours, high winds and power outages (not to mention an unexpectedly flooded basement!) wreaked a bit of havoc with our menu plan. So ... now that everything is once again back to rights, we'll be enjoying a few carry-over dinners, along with some familiar additions.

Hopefully March will be a kinder, gentler month for everyone. And perhaps we'll even get to enjoy a few early signs of spring. Ah, dare to dream!


Thanks, as always, for stopping by. Don't forget to check here for more menu planning inspiration.



Here's our plan for the week:


Breakfast Staples:

• Gingerbread Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Bread
• Autumn Oatmeal
• Cereal, breakfast bars, and fruit
• Pumpkin-Butterscotch Muffins (freezer)
• Yogurt Parfaits
• Homemade Granola Bars



Dinnertime:

• Chicken Potato Bake and Squash-Apple Bake
• Broccoli Ham Ring
• Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup with Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
• Homemade Spinach & Prosciutto Ravioli (freezer), salad, and garlic bread
• Breakfast Dinner
• No Fuss Night
• Quesadillas with Shredded Chicken (freezer)