We're Pregnant: Baby Hanlon Coming January 2016!!

Surprise!!! J and I are SO excited to finally announce to everyone that we are expecting our first little bundle of joy early next year! We got to see him/her earlier this week and we saw a heartbeat and even got some arm and leg wiggles :) 

Baby H is 9 weeks here and about the size of a grape :)

Here are some of our favorites from the photo session:

We're so excited to have you along on this journey to parenthood with us! Until next time...

with faith, love, & coffee,

kellie ann

♥

Festive Fruit Pizza

It's that time of year when BBQ's, outdoor parties, and all kinds of fun festivities are in full force. Sick of bringing the same boring bag of chips and dip to every party? Surprise your friends and family with this delicious dessert that is so easy to make, oh so yummy, and semi-healthy (I mean it does have fruit in it....). Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookies (I used Pillsbury)

1 package 8oz cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Your fruit of choice! This time I used strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and kiwi

1/4 cup apple jelly

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Layer the pan with the cookie dough using your hands to evenly spread it out across the pan for the crust. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, for about 30 minutes.

2. While you are waiting for your crust to cool, prep your fruit. Cut them into bite size pieces to arrange on the pizza.

3. In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. In a separate bowl, stir the jelly until smooth. Set aside momentarily.

4. Arrange your fruit on top of the cream cheese mixture in whatever pretty pattern your little heart desires (it would be a fun to use a cookie sheet and place fruit in the shape of an American Flag for the 4th of July!). Spoon or brush the jelly on top of the fruit. Refrigerate until chilled, at least one hour. To serve, cut into wedges or squares. 

It almost looks too pretty to eat (not that that's going to stop me...)! Bon appetit!! 

with faith, love, & coffee,

kellie ann

♥

Mexican Stuffed Peppers for 2

Ingredients

One package of tri-colored peppers (I chose red, yellow, and orange)

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion

1 taco seasoning mix packet

1 package of stove-top mexican style rice (I used a fajita flavored kind)

1 small can of refried beans (about 1/2 cup is needed)

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese (plus a handful extra to sprinkle on top)

Desired toppings (sour cream, salsa, etc...)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven for 375*. Prep your peppers by cutting out the stem and seeds, making a whole in the top. Next, you are going to blanch them by putting them into a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Run them under cold water when they are done and set them aside temporarily. While you have your knife out, you can also chop your onion into small pieces and set this aside as well. Cry accordingly (the onions get me every time).

2. Get that rice going! The rice packet I bought took 7 minutes to cook on the stovetop, so follow the directions on the package and let that cook while you continue on with the next step.

3. Brown your meat on the stove. Follow the directions on the taco seasoning packet, draining the meat and adding water and the seasoning packet. At this time, also add in your onions, refried beans, and shredded cheese, mixing everything together until blended well (it looks grosser than it's going to taste, I promise!)

4. Once your meat and rice are both ready, combine them into one pot or bowl. Mix them together.

5. Set your peppers upright in a baking dish. Scoop your meat and rice mixture into each pepper, overflowing if needed (you may have extra filling, if this is the case, feel free to use an additional pepper or just scoop the extra filling into the bottom of the dish to add to your plates). Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan to help add moisture during the baking process. Cover the baking dish with either a lid or aluminum foil. 

6. Cook peppers in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven, take off lid, and sprinkle cheese on top of each pepper. Place back in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

7. Plate up your peps and serve with desired toppings (we used sour cream and salsa with ours!). Delicioso!!

with faith, love, & coffee,

kellie ann

♥