Mommy Blog

A quick update for any of you who read my mommy blog as well as this food blog.  I moved "Becoming Mom" to a wordpress site.  It is now a private blog because, frankly, I had some creepy followers and since that blog is about my kid it just weirded me out.

So, if you read that blog you can comment here with your email address and I'll send you the info on how to access the new site.

"Burnt Toast" will be moving to a wordpress site soon too.  I discovered it is just too much work to update on 2 different hosts.  You will still be able to follow the blog, you'll just have to update the web address.  Or you can just use google reader which is what I'm doing now and it's so much easier.

There will be a new post soon.  I'm making pickles. ;)

100!!!!

I don't have a recipe for you, I just wanted to cheer about having 100 posts! (Does it count if the 100th post isn't even a real post??) I'm not sure when I'll be posting again with all the holiday craziness, so in advance: Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Shameless Plug :)

I've started a new blog.  It's not a food blog, so if that's the only type of blog you enjoy, you can stop reading now.  It is all about my life as a new mom.  Those of you who've been visiting my blog for a while know that I recently had my first child.  Becoming Mom is all about the wonderful and insane experiences I've had and will have.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

A New Look and A New Year

I decided it was time for a new look for the Burnt Toast Blog.  At the end of this month, I will have been blogging for a year.  WOW!  I have learned to branch out and try new things and I hope my food photography has gotten better in the last year.  Of course I still have a ways to go compared to many of my other food blogging friends.  (Check out some of the blogs listed on the left and you'll see what I mean!)  Hopefully I will participate is some more blogging events soon now that I am getting the hang of being a stay at home mom.  Happy Burnt Toast New Year!

Blog Block

I've been experiencing a little blogger's block lately. I guess one major contributing factor is lack of time. I used to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about what I was going to make for dinner and then writing about it here. Now, we usually look in the fridge and make a last minute decision. And if we are lucky Logan might sit in his swing long enough for Taylor and I to get to eat at the same time. So blogging has taken a back seat. I don't have time to take pictures of my food or even think about typing out a recipe while taking care of an 8 week old.

Maybe when he's older I'll have more time. In the meantime, I'm trying to make mor figure friendly meals to get off this baby weight since I am in a wedding in less than 2 months and I ordered my pre-pregnancy size. Yes, I am crazy! ;)

Even more than blogging, I've missed reading my favorite blogs and trying out all their recipes. Maybe one day I'll get a little more time for those things, but at the moment my life revolves around making bottles, washing clothes, and changing diapers. Maybe I'll write again when he's 5????

I've been MIA, but I have a good excuse!!!

I haven't been cooking because our little boy decided to FINALLY arrive June 27. So I haven't been cooking at all since then. Just trying to get the whole mommy thing down. He is adorable and perfect and we are completely in love with him. In a few weeks hopefully I'll have more of a routine and have something blogworthy to post.

Alabama is Hot Hot Hot!!!

But my impatients are thriving! As long as they get their daily dose of water. Thank goodness this is the one the flowers I can keep alive. :)

I'm it!! ;)

I was tagged for a meme by Celeste at Sugar & Spice! These are always a lot of fun and you get to learn more about the people whose blogs you read regularly. If you haven't checked out Sugar & Spice, you need to do so, if only for her amazing photos of the food she has made. She is an awesome photographer!


The rules:Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing ten years ago?

10 years ago, I was 16 and it was the summer before my senior year in high school. WOW! I can't believe it is almost time for my 10 year reunion. Now I don't know if I like this meme. It makes me feel old! LOL! I think I was working at a daycare over the summer and probably just hanging out with friends. I'm sure I was very excited to start my last year of high school!

2. What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?

1. Empty the dishwasher
2. Wash clothes
3. Figure out something for dinner tonight
4. Water the flowers...it's been 90 degrees or more this week in Alabama! Not fun at 8 months pregnant!!!
5. Oh yeah, and I'm supposed to be resting before the baby gets here. So I plan to lay down with a good book!

3. Five snacks I enjoy:

1. Doritos, especially the spicy varieties
2. Cornflake Clusters (get the recipe here)
3. Ice Cream Sandwiches
4. Strawberry smoothies
5. Cereal (these days the choice is Lucky Charms)

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Finish my back yard: a pool, landscaping the whole deal!
2. Finish my basement and garage like we would really like
3. Buy a condo at the beach
4. Pave the roads of my subdivision!!
5. Pay off my house and the houses of family members

5. Places I've lived:

1. Grayson Valley (Birmingham), AL
2. Auburn, AL
3. Southside (downtown Birmingham), AL
4. Trussville, AL
5. Odenville, AL

6. Jobs I've had:

1. Daycare worker
2. Office Assistant at Land Title Company
3. March of Dimes - Public Relations Intern
4. Gymnastics Coach
5. Public Relations at Land Title Company
6. Post Closing Assistant at Land Title Company

Here we go! TAG, you're it...

Jen at Look Out Bobby Flay!

Erin at Mommy Meals

Dela at Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking

Patsy at Friends, Family and Food

Emiline at Sugar Plum

Look What I Made!

Nicole at Art & Aioli tagged me with the "Look What I Made" game! I love trying out recipes I find out in the blogging world, so this tag was perfect for me. Thanks Nicole! I am going to tag Dela, Kate and Amber with this game.

HERE ARE THE RULES to LOOK WHAT I MADE!

1. List the names of 2-5 recipes you tried from other blogs. Provide a direct link to the recipe. If not available, give the blog link and let the reader search for the recipe by name.

2. Shortly describe your experience with the recipe.

3. Tag 3-5 other bloggers or the authors of the recipes you listed to post the links to the recipes they have tried from other bloggers. Note: If you are new to the blogging world and haven’t had a chance to try any recipes from your fellow foodies, just pass the tag on to someone else.

4. Notify the tagged bloggers about the tag either by leaving a comment on their blogs or by emailing them.

Here are some recipes from other bloggers I’ve made since the inception of my blog 8 months ago (the links are to the original recipes, but you can search my blog for my versions):

1. Southern Apple Cobbler. The recipe was originally a peach cobbler from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. I don’t like peaches though, so I made mine apple. It was the perfect cobbler and is now my go-to recipe.

2. Chocolate Chip Cooke Dough Dip. Lots of people have blogged about this recipe, but I got it from Michelle at Sugar & Spice. If you’ve somehow missed making this, you should try it. I’ve made it several times since and it is ALWAYS a hit!!

3. Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. This recipe came from Amber’s Delectable Delights. I’ve been meaning to make it again because I really enjoyed it and it was inhaled at the party where it made its debut. I am making myself a note right now.

4. Spicy Thai Shrimp. Thanks goes to Kate at Paved with Good Intentions for this one. I love all things spicy and this recipe did not disappoint!

5. PW’s Perfect Risotto. The Pioneer Woman knows a thing or two about risotto. It truly was perfect and I didn’t even use the right kind of rice. (Read: I’m lazy and didn’t want to go to the store when I had another kind of rice already in my pantry)

How Does My Garden Grow?

With the addition of peppers! (They are in the yellow pots on the sides) I have been talking about getting peppers to plant since my herbs are doing pretty well at this point. I love the idea of being able to walk outside and get ingredients rather than having to run to the grocery store. Also the fact that it saves money doesn't hurt my feelings any either. My sister and brother-in-law got me some pepper plants for my first mother's day, serrano peppers and cayenne peppers.

I can't wait until I can add these to some dishes and spice things up! :)

12 months makes a big difference...

I was looking through my wedding pics and this just happened to make me laugh. I thought I'd share...













Me on my wedding day, 12 months ago:




















Me yesterday, a little over 7 months pregnant:










My how things change! LOL! I sure wish I had that tan right about now! I didn't realize how white I am until it was staring me in the face.

Happy Anniversary to me!!

One year ago today I changed my last name and promised to put someone else above myself for the rest of my life. I can not believe it has already been a year! And if you will please do the math, our baby is not due until NEXT month...that's right, we were married a whole 4 months before getting pregnant! ;)

Anyway, we are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. We aren't doing big gifts since the baby is coming soon and that is pretty much the biggest gift ever!

So, I leave you with some pics of that perfect day 12 months ago...

Bragging Rights

I usually use this term when talking about football. More specifically SEC football. And even more specifically Auburn vs. Alabama football. WAR EAGLE baby! Anyway, this post is not about tossing around the pigskin and who gets bragging rights for the year. It is about me bragging about my sister. My baby shower was this weekend and she did an amazing job of coordinating it. She made several of the hors devours and she made the cake. It was her first time, as far as I know, to make a cake for an event like this and I think she did a WONDERFUL job! You all know my experience with baking so there is no way I could have pulled this off. Plus she has my 20 month old nephew to chase around and another little boy she keeps during the week. Anyway, this is simply a post to brag on her and show off her cake. I forgot to use the flash on my camera so the picture is a little fuzzy. Sorry, I had a lot going on that day. ;)

Treasure Hunting

Saturday I went to Nashville with my mom, and we went to one of the biggest flea markets I have ever seen. It was huge! We weren’t really looking for anything in particular, but I did happen to stumble across a few things. I got a great deal on a shelf for the nursery. It was probably the deal of the day! I also got a few things that will eventually show up in this blog.

I bought a cast iron pan, which my grandmother says is for making corn muffins. I plan to make some mini tarts in it though after also purchasing this tart cookbook. There are some great recipes I plan to try out soon!

I also purchased some Watkin’s Double Strength Vanilla flavoring. This is the next best thing to using actual vanilla beans in my book. My mom bought me the plate because we thought it would be cute displayed in my kitchen.

So there you have it; my trove of treasures. All the walking did me in Saturday and I am still recovering. Therefore the meal plan for last night went out the window. I was just too tired to cook, so we just made do with whatever we found in the fridge. I am going to try to stick to the plan for the rest of the week though. Tune in to see if my good intentions come to fruition.