Nellie & Phoeb's

Design, Food, Kids, Laughter, Love...

Five on Friday: A Week in the LIFE

Linking in for 5 on Friday for Some Good Stuff
 
 
 

 1. The Return of the AMP MD System
I have never been so excited to try a new product!!! Rodan + Fields is re-launching their AMP MD System, that was pulled over a year ago, because results were so incredible, it had to undergo FDA testing to insure it was safe for in home use. IF THAT DOESNT SPEAK VOLUMES, I don't know what does!!! This is supposedly the Botox of Rodan + Fields, incredible skin tightening results when paired with the REDEFINE anti aging line. Here is where you can find out more info on the AMP roller which will be available mid October to 'Preferred Customers' only, contact me for additional info! Rodan + Fields AMP MD System




2. The Resolution for Women
I started a new women's Bible study a few weeks ago & am amazed everyday how the lessons apply to my life, even when I feel initially like they have no current weight. My epiphany this week: "I am a woman, what is my purpose when I set aside all of my hats (wife, mother, sister, daughter...)?". I sat through an hour and a half of the class and group discussion before someone said something that really spoke to my soul & I was able to draw this beautiful meaning for my life & purpose. 

We as women have the divine purpose, when we set all our hats aside, & live as the people God intended us to be, to shed light on the world, so that more people know God through us than before. And, that doesn't necessarily mean spreading scripture, but spreading Christ's Light, Peace, Love, & Grace. 

WOW. That's just worthy of a moment of reflection.

To start this study on your own: The Resolution for Women 
 


3. SMILES
My kids have smiles that just melt me! These are my youngest of 3 daughters, & they are the cheeriest, happiest, silliest little darlings EVER!!!

 
 

4. Fav Recipe: Broccoli with Beef
                
 
                
                
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar, ginger, garlic, & soy sauce.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high heat, cook beef 3 minutes, or until browned. Stir in broth mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, add broccoli, stir until sauce thickens & broccoli is cooked.

Serve over brown rice. YUMMMMMM!!!

(Finished beef & broccoli pic courtesy of AllRecipes.Com It was so delicious I got side tracked & forgot to take a pic of the finished product!)




5. Lighting Need
We had our home built almost 4 years ago & we have yet to replace any of the crappy builder light fixtures! It was on the top of our priority list when we moved in, but has sunk far below the realm of importance... But, I know it needs to be done, & I am constantly on the look out for the perfect fixtures! This is one I have my eye on for my entry, the 3 light semi-flush mount from the Sausalito collection from Troy Lighting in sliver/gold troylightingshop.com.

Let's Party: Bridal Shower

A Beautiful Shower for a Lovely Friend

This was honestly, the best bridal shower I have ever been to! I was so happy to help plan it, cook for it & be a part of it! There were 6 of us that helped put it together, which lightened the load for everyone. We had a Pinterest shower idea board, to help collect inspiration, & it worked out fabulously.
 
We had each guest bring one of their favorite photo's with the bride & strung them across Jenny's chalkboard wall, surprisingly everyone remembered to bring a pic or two!
 
 
 We did a mimosa, juice, & water station, complete with a canvas of the happy couple (Canvas photo creds to Jenny Collier.)

The mint striped paper straws with gold flags, were my party fav. They were to cute not to get their own photo!

Fruit & yogurt parfait bar. 

 

  Fruit & donut skewers.
 


 Sticker monogrammed plastic cups & the cutsie straws.

 Champagne for celebrating!


 Monogrammed cupcakes with gold foil wrappers.


Jenny made the table center pieces, they were gold spray painted mason jars with fresh pink hydrangeas.
 
 The main dish was a selection of two breakfast casseroles.
 
Make ahead brunch bake with potato, egg, green chilies, sausage, & cheddar cheese.
 
Recipe
Ingredients:
9 eggs
Hash brown patties, enough to cover bottom of pan
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small can green chilies
1 pound cooked crumbled breakfast sausage
 
Directions:
Add a layer frozen hash brown patties to the bottom of a greased baking dish.
Beat eggs & evaporated milk, stir in green chilies, & pour mixture over the hash browns.
Top with cooked sausage & cheddar cheese. Refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until all the liquid on the top has dissipated.
 



 Make ahead brunch bake with potato, egg, feta, roasted red pepper, & artichokes.
 
Recipe 
Ingredients:
9 eggs
Hash brown patties, enough to cover bottom of pan
1 can evaporated milk
1 small tub crumbled feta
1 diced roasted red pepper
1 can drained chopped artichoke hearts
 
Directions:
Add a layer frozen hash brown patties to the bottom of a greased baking dish.
Beat eggs & evaporated milk, & pour mixture over the hash browns.
Top artichoke hearts, red pepper & feta. Cover & refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until all the liquid on the top has dissipated.
 
I recommend letting the artichokes drain in a strainer for a few minutes before chopping them & adding them to the dish, they hold quite a bit of liquid. Also, letting them sit overnight, helps the potatoes to meld with the egg mixture & become one cohesive dish. The potatoes don't get soggy, like they have when I've tried similar crock pot breakfast casseroles. This is really a delicious brunch, we will be adding it to our holiday food menu every year! Bonus, it reheats beautifully (in the microwave).
 
These recipe inspirations are from Joys Hope.
 

No party is complete without a party favor! Jenny made these adorable sweet tea to-go favors, they were filled with a cold brew tea bag & sugar cubes, & adorned with a paper straw attached with washi tape. CUTE!!!
 


The Fam: 1st Day of PreK

My Oldest Daughter is Officially in School!

Her first backpack selection was Hello Kitty, her first folder selection was Avengers, with that in tow, she has officially begun a quarter century worth of education.
 
She is going half days, which is only 2 hours & 4o minutes a day, but it still counts. I still have to get her up, try to talk her into the wearing the outfit I selected, get her teeth & hair brushed, get her fed, & out the door! The first week went surprisingly well, no hiccups. After the 1st day jitters were over, she was excited to go back.

 Her daddy took the morning off work, so he could walk her to her first day of class with me. She was hesitant to enter the classroom, she actually may have been the last one to go in.

She greeted her teacher, Mrs. Price, sat down to color, & we snuck out.
 Troy & I both had watery eyes as we pulled out of the parking lot... the reality that our little babies won't be little for long, is finally setting in.
 
When we picked her up, her teacher said she did great until the last few minutes & then she asked when she was going to get to see her mommy, & asked if they were going to get a snack. Mommy & food are her favorite things! She was too nervous to eat breakfast, so she was starving.
 
The night before school started a friend told me she couldn't wait to see pics of her with her cute little first day of school sign, I said "I don't have one", she said "print one off", I said "I'm out of ink"... Out of guilt, I made due last minute & pulled my chalkboard off the wall & made a quickie sign... keeping up with the suburban housewives;)
 
These are the answers I got as I asked her about her first day & week:
She played hopscotch
Her class has a sand table
She made a friend, his name is Eli, she's taking him a snack tomorrow
She didn't do anything
She went outside
She colored a smiley face
 
I am sure the answers will stay this vague for the next 14 or so years!

Five on Friday

This Week: Via Instagram

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

 
 Linking in for Five on Friday!!!
My phone is almost always full of pictures, so it won't let me take any more, I have discovered that if I open Instagram & take a pic, even if I don't post the pic to Instagram, it saves it in my camera roll. I've been doing this for a really long time, it saves the pics & my phone has yet to crash!

This is my top 5 favorite Instagram photos this week:

1.  Triple threat dentist app: All 3 girls had dentist appointments, it really went better than I expected. No cavities, but the baby did knock a front tooth loose, so we go back next week to see if it's still loose...
 

2. My FIRST raised garden harvest!!!! I planted my garden several weeks before our last freeze & it took about six weeks for my seeds to sprout, I now finally have some fruit. We planted a garden so our girls could sow & reap, & watch something grow, it's been a fun little journey.

3. The big girls love to walk & ride their bikes around our neighborhood pond by themselves, I think it makes them feel like big kids, cute.
 
4. They always have to try to bother each other just a little bit, sibling nature.
 
 5. Our friends own a skating rink, so we went to our first Roller Derby bout Sunday night, it was fun! This was the regional championship ,& Tulsa beat Chicago in the final round for the win. Nationals will be held in Tulsa this year, we plan on attending!
 

Five on Friday



Design I'm Diggin': Back to School


 I'm linking in for Five on Friday!
Here are 5 things I purchased this week:

My oldest child is starting PreK in 11 days! That calls for some back to school shopping!
It was tax free weekend in Oklahoma, so I snagged some Carter's deals with a 20% off coupon code & no sales tax. This is a stretch knit, yellow & grey, Ikat print dress. I would totally wear this if it came in my size! 
Get it here.
 

This so sweet. I thought it would be perfect to transition into Fall by adding a cardigan. She LOVES sweaters, so I'm hoping she will wear this!
Get it here.
 
This adorable dress speaks for itself (and she helped pick it out!).
Get it here.
 

 
 This reminds me of something I would have worn when I was little. She is going to rock the short sleeved sweatshirt!
Get it here.


This has nothing to with Back to School, it's just awesome! I ordered a 24"x32" from Image Kind. Planning on framing it & putting it above my mantel for the holiday's. This is one of my husbands all time favorite movies. 

Nellie & Phoeb's in the Kitchen: Chicken Gnocchi Soup

One of My Favorite Soup Recipes


This tastes exactly like the Olive Garden's chicken gnocchi soup. I made it several times this past year, & it is hands down my favorite! Quite possibly, the best soup I've ever had. If the word gnocchi scares you, don't be scared, it's just harmless little potato dumplings. This is a cream based soup, but it is a thinner cream, not too heavy. If you are going to make a cream based soup when it's 100 degrees outside, this one is acceptable (to me anyways). Find the recipe here (it's from allrecipes.com).
While your chicken is boiling, grate your carrots, mince your garlic, and chop your onions & celery (I was out of celery.)
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot, add mirepoix & garlic (mirepoix is a mixture of chopped celery, onions, & carrots). Saute until translucent.

 Nothing beats real fresh chicken stock, but I think this is a better alternative than canned broth or the pressed powder cubes. You use one teaspoon for every cup of water.
Add the cooked cubed chicken & stock to the sauteed vegetables. Let it come to a simmer.

Drop in the gnocchi & let them simmer for about 3 minutes.
You can substitute a whole wheat gnocchi, which is a mixture of potatoes & wheat flour, if it will make you feel healthier.
Add in the water & corn starch mixture to thicken the broth. Then dump in the pre-washed fresh spinach. It seems like a lot, but it wilts down quickly.
Let the spinach wilt down for about 3 minutes.

Add the half & half.

Add salt & pepper, then make yourself & giant bowl & enjoy!

YUM!!!


Even the 18 month old likes it!
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