kid friendly

#CampRoemer Week 1

It was a short week but I still needed to keep the kids busy. For me, I’m a better mom when I take the kids out of the house. When we stay in the house, I try to actually get things done…you know, like cook dinner, do the laundry and so on. At the stage the kids are in now, those are impossible to do in a timely fashion. I make it a goal to plan an outing everyday. They aren’t all fun and games because we do need to do some chores like food shopping, doctor appointments and taking the car in for maintenance visits.

Here’s how our first week went:

Wednesday…

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Oh how we have missed #CampBentley!! Our kids go to different schools and have different schedules which makes it a bit more challenging to meet up during the school year. My girlfriend and I LOVE the summer time because we get to spend most of the week days together. For the most part, our kids all get along great and we can actually have adult conversation. It’s a win win for all of us!

Thursday…

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Since we’ve moved to the other side of town, we don’t get to visit one of our favorite libraries all that often. The girls were ecstatic to hear that we were on our way to Maitland Library for story time! Granted, it was a story time for the babies but the kids didn’t even notice. It felt great to be back!

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Our first stop on Thursday was at The Fresh Market. They have Little Big Meals on Thursdays for $20 and it feeds the whole family and then some! A fresh, delicious and most importantly, easy-to-make meal. This month is Summer Salad and there are many different combinations you can make each week.

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Friday…

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Elizabeth’s 2nd birthday was on Friday and we celebrated with our dear friends, donuts and a play date at Grammy’s Indoor Playground. All five of the kids had a blast! I wasn’t sure if Madeline would love it because of her age but she did and has already asked to go back again.

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The girls even got a little reading in!

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The Roemer Girls give Grammy’s a 2 thumbs up!

#CampRoemer Week 1 complete!

What did you do with the kids on their first week of summer break?

Friday I’m In Love

Today marks the first full week of summer break and the girls and I are FINALLY starting to settle into our summer routine. Over the last week and a half, I’ve found a few things that we are in LOVE with and I’m so excited to share them with you!

So…let’s get this LOVE going!

~one~

Legos!

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These only come out only when the baby is sleeping. And these are the real deal, not the chunky toddler ones that we have had for years. My oldest loves them! She got her first set for her birthday last week and I LOVE watching her play with them. I can actually see her think when she puts them together. She does this cute little thing with her lip when she’s thinking hard and the whole process of following directions, figuring out which pieces go where and actually creating a finished project has her mesmerized.

~two~

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I stumbled upon these dry erase boards on one of our Saturday morning trips to Lakeshore Learning for their FREE weekly craft. My almost 4 year old would rather run, jump and twirl than sit down and practice her letters but…she is in LOVE with these boards! She actually sits down and does them all. And I happened to get them on sale for 1/2 price! #momwin!

~three~

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I didn’t expect to add this one to my list but here it is… Grammy’s Indoor Playground. The girls went nuts! I actually wished I had brought my book to read because I was just sitting there. All by myself! Best money I ever spent! And we were there for FOUR hours!  If you go, make sure to look for a coupon or get some friends together for a group discount.

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The girls even read a few books!

~four~

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Trotwood Park Splash Pad was my back up plan yesterday because we missed story time at the library. I surprised the girls with this outing and even hid their bathing suits and towels in the car. It’s a great splash pad! Completely fenced in and small enough for you to stay seated and still be able to see them at all times but big enough that they can run and have fun. Oh and it’s FREE for Winter Springs residents! $3 per kid if you’re not. As you can see, the girl LOVED it!

~five~

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All the libraries! I cannot stress enough how wonderful the libraries are. It’s air conditioned and they have programs for every age…even the parents. From Lego Building to Mother Goose Stories, it’s the best place for families to hang out and it’s educational too!

Seminole County Libraries

Maitland Public Library

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What are you in LOVE with this week?

 

 

Friday I’m in Love

Happy Friday!

Two things…I totally forgot it was time for ‘Friday I’m in Love’ and I had no clue it was the last one of the month! Thank you Kendra for reminding me!

Now…on to all the LOVE!

~one~

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We bought a sewing machine over the weekend and the girls and I have been itching to use it. I found this simple pattern for a reversible headband and stitched one up while the baby napped. Come to find out, it actually is pretty easy. My sewing skills need a bit more practice but the kids LOVED them! I’m looking for some blogs to follow that include easy and kid friendly sewing projects. If you come across any, send me a link!

~two~

I cannot believe I’ve admitted this in my latest post with Orlando Moms Blog but I did. Click here to read all about what I do in car line. So embarrassing…but it’s the truth. Ha!

~three~

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My daughter’s kindergarten class was responsible for the school mass this week. And oh my! It was beyond adorable. To hear the kids sing, pray and recite scripture just melted my heart.

~four~

If you have kids, then I know you have a ton of crayons. I’ve always wanted to do this Melted Crayon Heart craft but I was pretty sure it would be a #Pinterestfail. My friend and fellow Orlando Moms Contributor, Heather, tested this craft out for Valentine’s day and it was a #PinterestWIN! Go check it out and put those old, broken crayons to good use.

~five~

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I love these crazy people! Also known as…my siblings! They celebrated Erin’s 23rd birthday last night at one of those fun painting places. Happy Birthday Erin! I LOVE you!

Tell me…what are you in love with today??

Menu Monday {Jan 25, 2016}

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It’s always good to start the week off with a plan but as we all know, life with children and a husband who was traveling for work, it can get a bit unpredictable and crazy. We never had the on Tuesday because we had more than enough left overs of the Chicken Soup. And I used the white meat from the chicken to make several homemade chicken salad sandwiches…my husband’s favorite lunch! I did make the Mustard Chicken but served it with rice instead of spaghetti squash and a potato…much easier! The Little Big Meal from The Fresh Market was DELICIOUS!! I can’t wait to check out what they will have this week! We ended up eating the The Pioneer Woman’s Sloppy Joes (the best recipe ever!) Friday AND Saturday night so we saved the Pork Chops for Sunday night. I didn’t have the kids try it because I needed to feed them earlier and I knew we weren’t going to be eating until later. These pork chops NEED to go on a regular rotation because they were OUT OF THIS WORLD!

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Homemade Whole Chicken & Veggie Soup

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Mustard Chicken, Broccoli & Jasmine Rice

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12642735_10206093072181977_3901682966002475020_nThe Fresh Market’s Big Little Meal

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The Pioneer Woman’s Sloppy Joes

 

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Ruhlman’s Twenty Brined & Fried Pork Chops and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What do you have cooking this week?

 

 

Menu Monday {Jan 18, 2016}

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Pan Seared Salmon, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pasta, Kale & White Bean Soup from my monthly Pampered Chef Cooking Club. Also shown Creamy Chipotle Lime Sauce & Hollandaise Sauce

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Skinnytaste’s Stuffed Pepper Soup

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Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken& Veggies from Damn Delicious

Oops…forgot to take an after picture. Definitely adding this dish to the regular rotation! Husband, kid & babysitter approved!

 

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Skinnytaste’s Baked Pasta with Spinach & Sausage

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Ahhh…Saturday Date Night In! The husband found a great recipe from his new cookbook, Ruhlman’s Tweny, Coq Au Vin. Oh my! Delicious! Even the kids ate it…well just the chicken…no skin & no evidence of any mushrooms or sauce on it. Ok, they just ate the chicken. But still that’s a win!

What do you have cooking this week?

 

 

My New Favorite Kitchen Gadget!

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I had a Pampered Chef party a few weeks back to help my best friend raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is running the Space Coast Half Marathon in a few weeks with Team In Training and when she first told me about this, I volunteered to help her raise some money! I’m all about a good cause, food and a running! The perfect chance to give back since November is all about ‘Giving Thanks’.

I’ve been trying (and I use that word loosely!) to get my eating back on track. My youngest is almost 1.5 years old and I really can’t use the excuse ‘I just had a baby’ anymore. It’s time to combine healthier eating WITH my running. Running alone is not going to get me into better shape.

Breakfast is my most challenging meal. The mornings are CRAZY in this house. Going for a run, showering, and getting myself dressed before the kids wake up is a piece of cake! It’s getting THEM dressed, fed and out the door that is the hard part. Before I know it, we are in the car on the way to school and I haven’t eaten breakfast. Not good. Not good at all.

So…my best friend told me I needed this gadget…aka Microwave Egg Cooker, because everyone has one minute to cook a decent breakfast.

I love my eggs over easy with a runny yolk that is perfect for dipping my toast in. Following the directions for ‘Fried’ Eggs, I added a little butter in each well.

Next up, I melted it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

I cracked one egg into each well and then pierced it once with a fork.

I covered it with a paper towel and put it in the microwave for a total of 55 seconds.

And voila! Two eggs done in under a minute. And they were delicious!!

This gadget is definitely a keeper! Thank you BFF! You always know what I need! xoxo

Happy Cooking!

Weekly Meal Plan for August 3 – August 9

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My mother, sister, nephew and niece were in town visiting this week and I was beyond excited to cook for them. It was a bit trickier than usual because the big kids really didn’t nap but we got it done. It really does take a village to raise a family, doesn’t it?

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Malaspine Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli

Now, my mother had this meatloaf the last time she was in town and she LOVED it! So of course I had to make it again for her. This was a huge hit with everyone, kids included! My mother in law, sister in law and her kids stopped by the next day and I fed them the leftovers. They loved it too! Seriously, if you are looking for a great meatloaf recipe, this is the one.

The kids did not love the broccoli because of all the garlic but us grown ups gobbled it up with no problems! Ha!

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Jenn’s Chicken & Veggie Soup

This one was easy to do with the family in town. I chose to make this one on the day that we stayed home. It takes about 2-3 hours in the oven. I have done it in the crock pot as well and it’s good but I really love it in the dutch oven. Best. Comfort. Food. Ever.

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Chicken Mozzerella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ahhh….one of my husband’s favorite meals! There were no leftovers this night. Even the kids ate it! I left out the red pepper flakes for the kids but sprinkled them on ours. The red pepper flakes give it a nice kick!

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Lasagna Soup

My sister is the one that told me I needed to make this so I knew her and her kids would love it. I was a little worried about my mother though. She loves lasagna but I wasn’t sure she would go for it as a soup. But she was living in my house, under my roof for the week so she had to eat it, right?!?! Hahaha! I’ve always wanted to say that!

I used regular sausage instead of the chicken sausage the recipe calls for. I love all the skinnytaste.com recipes but I tend to fatten them up just a bit.  😉

Mother LOVED the soup! I overheard her tell my daughter that I was a great cook. OMG! I learned from one of the best cooks around!

Desserts:

We put a HUGE dent in the #GoBigOrGoHome birthday cake but we still needed something sweet. I had to make my mother’s favorite banana bread and I also wanted to make something new for them. Cannoli Cake was it! My mother and my sister LOVED it! I should have made that at the beginning of the week because now I have a ton left and they flew back to NJ today.

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Cannoli Poke Cake

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Banana Bread

What favorite meals do you like to cook when you have family in town?

Enjoy all the recipes!

Happy Cooking!

and Happy Eating!

Katie 🙂

Hey, Plan To Eat users…look me up and let’s swap recipes!

MrsRoemersNest

Weekly Meal Plan for July 27 – July 31

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Tilapia with Garlic Roasted Tomatoes & Corn

 

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Jenn’s Chicken Veggie Soup

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

(I must remember to get a picture!)

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Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts & Veggies

And here’s a shopping list for this week’s meals, minus the brisket, burgers and hotdogs. We are having the family over to celebrate my daughter’s 3rd birthday and my husband usually does the shopping and the grilling for the cookouts! Love that man!

I would LOVE to connect with some more Plan To Eat users! Look me up… MrsRoemersNest

Happy Cooking!

Katie 🙂

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Meal Plan Week of July 20 – July 24

I’m in the mood to cook this week!!

–Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Veggies

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–Tilapia with Garlic Roasted Tomatoes & Corn

–Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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–Lasagna Soup

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–Chicken In Basil Cream

And a shopping list!

Happy Cooking!!

xoxo

Momma’s Favorite Banana Bread

 

20150508-165631.jpgWe’ve all had bananas ripen way too quickly before and believe it or not, I used to throw them away! I will never, never, never do that again. A few years ago, I stumbled upon this recipe from Simply Recipes for the BEST banana bread I’ve ever eaten. It is soooo easy to make! My four year old can even make it all by herself…well almost all by herself.  😉

20150508-165653.jpgMash 2-3 very ripe bananas with a fork and stir the melted butter in. I melt it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar (I always use a full cup even though the directions say you can use less), egg and vanilla. Next up, mix in the flour. I love to add a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the mix too. Trust me, it makes this bread phenomenal!

20150508-165711.jpgAfter you pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top and cook for about 50 mins at 350 degrees. The directions say 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, but I have found that it is done WAYYYY before that. Set your timer for 50 minutes and check it with a toothpick. I bet you won’t need to cook it for much longer than that.

20150508-165731.jpgThis bread freezes great! Even if you aren’t in the mood to have banana bread in the house (but seriously, who doesn’t want banana bread in the house!), use those old yucky bananas to make some out-of-this-world banana bread. Let it cool completely, wrap it in tin foil and then place it in a labeled freezer bag.

This is one of my mother’s favorite desserts. I always make sure I have a loaf or two in my freezer when she comes down for a visit. I LOVE sitting at the table with my beautiful momma, a cup of coffee and this bread. It’s one of my favorite things to do when she comes to visit. I love you mother. Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo

Hey, Plan To Eat friends…click here to add it to your planner!

Happy Cooking!!

xoxo