Easy Breakfast... and Snow on the Way... Maybe?

Happy Sunday! 

This morning, I made some Breakfast Cups.  These are so easy to make.  I made a new variety today: Spinach and Cheddar Breakfast Cups.

I love making anything that is individually portioned and easy to eat on-the-go.  This morning I was not on the go, but tomorrow I will be.  (Well, maybe... depending on the weather...)  These reheat nicely, too, so you can make several and then keep them in the fridge.

Recipe (makes 6 cups)

Spray 6 muffin cups VERY WELL with nonstick spray.  (Use more or less spray depending on how nonstick your pan is.)  DO NOT use cupcake liners.  The eggs will totally stick.  Preheat oven to 375.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 slices of wheat bread
4 eggs
1/8 cup skim milk
6 tbsp cheddar (2%)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed (so that the liquid is mostly gone)
salt, pepper, and parsley to taste

Cut bread slices into fourths. (You should have 6 fourths.)  Press each square into the bottom of the sprayed muffin cup.  Then, equally divide the spinach among the 6 cups.  Top with 1 Tbsp of cheddar in each cup.  Mix well in a bowl with a spout: 4 eggs, 1/8 cup of milk, salt and pepper.  Carefully pour the egg mixture over the spinach and cheese until muffin cups are almost full.  Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden. 

Brrrr!  It is chilly here in South Carolina!!!  This morning it was 15 degrees here!  And even though right now I see blue skies...

there is winter weather moving in.  We're preparing to be stuck indoors the next few days... I am hoping to go for a walk/run later today and maybe Yoga.  But first, we're going to hubby's parents' for lunch.  We are celebrating Ryan's and his sister Melanie's birthdays that were on Tuesday.  (They are twins, in case you didn't know!)  I told Sadie we were going to celebrate their birthdays and she said, "Do you think there might be cake?"  LOL.

The Park, Comfort Food, and "Black Swan"

Today was our first official day of the vacation where we were home with no plans whatsoever.  It was so nice to be able to plan out the day as we went!  We started with a little trip to the park, so Sadie could practice riding her bike.  As it turns out, she was more interested in the slides and playground equipment!  LOL!  Next time we'll have to take her somewhere to JUST ride.

I was able to go to Zumba with Katie, which I have been missing basically the entire month of December!  She was actually subbing for another teacher tonight.  Before I left, I halfway prepared "Old Fashioned Beef Pot Pie."  While I was at Zumba, Ryan finished it up for me and had it ready when I got home. 

This recipe is from my favorite cookbook, The One Dish Bible.  If you are into casseroles and one-pot dishes, then you would love this book.  Usually I have cookbooks that I have made 3-4 things out of, and then I set it aside.  This is the cookbook I come back to over and over again for simple weeknight (and sometimes weekend) dinners.  There are a TON of slow-cooker meals in this book!

The Pot Pie turned out great!  Perfect for a winter day!

Here's the recipe if you are interested (Sorry... was too lazy to type it up tonight!)

Then, I headed to the movie theater to meet my friend Kati.  We saw Black Swan.  Have you seen it?  The trailers really intrigued me.  Here's a peek at the trailer:



It was pretty intense and twisted, but very cool.  It reminded me SO much of The Flowers in the Attic series.  Did you read those books when you were in junior high?  I was so into anything V.C. Andrews wrote back then.  Everything was always really twisted and dark, sort of like this movie.

Have you seen any good movies lately?  What should I see next?

Waffles to Order and Fun in the Snow!

This morning, Poppy gave us a special treat… homemade waffles!  One of my dad’s Christmas gifts was a new waffle maker.  He was excited to try it out for the fam this morning.  He had a bag of Waffle House waffle mix.  I didn’t know that you could buy the waffle batter at Waffle House restaurants!  I have been to Waffle House several times but have never ordered a waffle!  These waffles were absolutely delicious—very fluffy!

 

Zoe and Baylee enjoyed playing in the snow, too!

 

Sister Pic

 

Family pic

 

 

 

 

Adrienne’s mini-snowman

 

Leenie and Poppy

 

 

 

Meredith was playing with Sadie in the playhouse!

 

Christmasville Fun

What did you do today?  This morning, Ryan and I ran in the Reindeer Romp 5K!  (Notice the antlers and the Rudolph noses…)

Can you find us in this picture?

This race was so much fun.  First of all, it wasn’t a “race,” in that there were no timing chips and no awards given.  The goal was just to finish and have fun.  Lots of the local “Girls on the Run” groups were there running.  Everyone wore festive holiday colors, reindeer antlers, bells… it was so much fun.  It was chilly (in the 30s) when we got started, but we warmed up quickly. 

Then we picked up our little munchkin from her Nanny and Papa’s and headed to Glencairn Garden…

Sadie made a bird feeder and we also got to see someone very special…

Santa was there to read us a story about Rudolph!

Sadie had a quick little visit with him.

She had to remind him about the Unicorn Pillow Pet she wants for Christmas.   Next we headed downtown for more Christmasville fun.  (Christmasville is a local holiday festival in Rock Hill, SC, where we live.  This festival is so much fun.)

 

Sadie enjoyed her time in the winter village.  Then we headed inside to warm up and see some really cool gingerbread houses.

 

This one was my favorite.  It was full of details.  Look at Santa coming down the chimney!

 

I also really liked this one.

 

We got to hear the Dickens Carolers.

 

And then tasted some soups and chilis!  Every year there is a soup and chili cook-off.  Each sample is 25 cents.  You can sample as many as you want and then vote for your favorites.  I sampled four…

 

White Bean Chicken Chili

 

Upside-Down Skillet Chili

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

 

And one more chili sample.

 

We ran into one of the gnomes.  This festival features Vernon Grant’s gnomes.  (You know Vernon Grant, right?  Hint: Snap, Crackle, Pop… Rice Krispies!)  Vernon Grant lived here in Rock Hill later in his life and was an active member of the community.)

 

We had fun watching the ice skaters by City Hall.

 

And Mrs. Claus helped Sadie make a phone call to her husband.

 

 

 

We had such an enjoyable day.  We think we may go back for more Christmasville tomorrow.  We have to thaw out tonight.  It sure was chilly today and it’s supposed to stay that way!!!  (But I love it!  I love having a change in season… bundling up in blankets and wearing warm fuzzy sweaters…)

If you are nearby and would like more information on Christmasville and the events, click here to check out the website!

What’s your favorite thing about winter?