Sausage Ratataouille

I was given fresh beautiful vegetables and decided that it would go perfect with ratatouille.! However, a dish full of veggies doesn't fly in our home so I added Italian sausage . It came out beautifully.  The house smelled divine with the roasting vegetables. I wish I had a garden of my own, but that's for another day...soon :)

Ingredients:

1. 1 tablespoon garlic
2. 3 yellow squashes
3. 1 large eggplant 
4. 1 medium onion 
5. 1 lb Italian Sausage
6. 1 can tomato paste
7. 1 can sauce
8. 1 can crushed tomatoes
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. In a medium sauce pan, brown Italian sausage, drain and set aside.
   
   
   
   
3. In the same pan saute garlic and onions until lucid. 
   
4. Mix in tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and seasonings ( add in 1 can of water) 
   
5. Stir mixture and add in sausage bring to a simmer. 
   
6. While the sauce is simmering ( lightly) slice the eggplants, zucchini and yellow squash. * you can use a mandolin for this too. 
   
7. In a circular casserole dish layer the bottom with the sauce mixture. 
   
8. On top of the sauce, alternate layering the veggies around the dish. You can overlap the veggies so that you can see the beautiful colors of all of the veggies. 
   
9. Drizzle olive oil and S&P
10. Once all the veggies are in this dish layer on some more sauce. 
    
11. Cut parchment paper to the size of your dish and cover with foil, making a tent out of the foil. 
    
12. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes covered and an extra 10 minutes uncovered to add in mascarpone cheese or Parmesan cheese or both! 
    

Week in Pictures: Labor Day Weekend

We had such a good time this weekend spending it with family.  We spent Sunday afternoon at the  Rib Cook-Off. The weekend we all wait for here in Reno. I don't think there is anything more American than making an event out of eating ribs all weekend long. Every year we go at least one day out of the weekend to just eat BBQ and not complain about how much money we're spending or how many calories we're actually consuming.

We showed Haidyn how the Wells' get down at the Cook-Off opening night. I wasn't too sure about taking her due to the crowds and usual smoke, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. It wasn't as hot as it usually is everywhere. It was comfortable and enjoyable to be outside that night. Haidyn loved people watching. I don't think she's ever seen that many people in one setting before. 

Sunday came to hang out with Mom and Dad. There was so much more to do Sunday than there was Wednesday night. More music, more people, more margaritas and more vendors. Haidyn skipped her naps all weekend because she didn't want to miss out on anything. She giggled while we walked through the crowds of mesmerized by the ribs. 

She was thrilled to see Grandma & Grandpa. She knew exactly who they were when she saw them and was not shy in showing her love for the both of them. 

 Haidyn rocked her new hat from Grandma and Grandpa!

Haidyn and Waymon left the group to dance on the lawn to the tunes of the wacky band that was playing at the time. I will admit that this might have been the cutest thing I've seen. There is no denying that she is a complete Daddy's girl. 

At the end of the day, we were all full and ready for a nap. It doesn't get better than a day full of food and good company to end the weekend. I can't wait to continue this tradition with Haidyn every year from here on out.  Next year she'll be able to enjoy the food ! 

Honoring Family

 Last Sunday, we came together as a family to honor a very missed Uncle Harold. We gathered to take a beautiful early morning hike at Mount Rose for him .  The winds brushed by us gently. The sun kissed our cheeks as we rose through the mountain. The air grew thin around us as we climbed, but we felt relief the higher we hiked. The higher we were, the farther away we were from all the nonsense we left behind in the city.

 We were all in awe of how beautiful and peaceful it was up in the mountains. We hiked to the perfect spot that overlooked Lake Tahoe. Everyone shared stories of the late Harold. Auntie Paula sang a moving song for him against the sun that you could feel in your bones. You could feel the love from everyone pouring out with every beat of her drum. I never got to meet him, but listening to everyone's stories about him brought him back to life. Everyone was uplifted to hear his stories again and to know that he will always be missed
but never forgotten.

 Sometimes we take life for granted and everything beautiful it has to offer us. We forget that we have so much to be grateful for in our lives . Getting away from everything and spending the day with the family away from everything we have to deal with in our daily lives gave us such a good feeling. We came home relaxed and at ease. Counting our blessings is a lot more reassuring than counting everything that didn't go right in our day.

Working Mom Essentials

1. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo - This is my favorite dry shampoo right now. It gets the job done and it doesn't break the bank. I use this more often than not because sometimes I just flat out don't have the time to wash my hair everyday. It's a lifesaver for me trying to put myself together for work. 
2. Kleenex- I usually have stuff all over my face or clothes from feeding Haidyn, so I carry the travel size Kleenex everywhere I go. 
3. 12 Benefits Rapid Blowout Argan Oil Blow Dry Spray- A friend of mine gave this to me because she didn't like it on her hair, but it works wonders for me. It speeds up your drying time ( and I have a lot of hair) as well as adds shine to your hair. 
4. Homemade Coffee/Starbucks Iced Coffee-These days, I need my caffine fix due to lack of sleep. Now don't gget me wrong Haidyn has been sleeping throughout the night since she was 2 1/2 months old, but Mama doesn't always get that luxury because I have so much to do with not enough time during the day. 
5. O.P.I Coney Island Cotton Candy Polish- This is my favorite neutral shade of nail polish. I use to love, love, love big and bold colors, but t now with less time for myself I don't have enough tidod my nails when they chip. This color lasts long so that I don't have to polish often and it gives your nails that sleek shine without overdoing it with the top coats. 
6. Flip Flops- I love wearing my work shoes, but at the end of the day I need to change into something comfortable. I also bring these to work if I'm wearing heels. :) I walk to the door with flip flops and do a quick switch before I walk in, just so my feet have a little break. And... HELLO have you tried carrying a car seat with heels? It's very challenging that I should put it on my resume. 
7. Monthly Planner - Everything in our lives now has to be planned and organized. Haidyn has her own schedule and so do we. This is the one thing that helps us get to where we need to be daily. There is also always a sale on these bad boys at Target.
8. Melaluca GC Control Shakes - These shakes work as my breakfast. They're filling and blend right into a smoothie or I mix them into my coffee. It helps  me not over eat throughout the day as well. My favorite is the chocolate. 
9. Goody Hair Ties for Thick Hair- I always have to have a  hair tie with me at all times. Haidyn is really good at grabbing Mommy's hair and pulling on it. Because of that I tie my hair up when I'm with her and she's in her ''let's grab everything" mode. 
10. Water Bottles- I carry one in my purse all the time. I tend to put my needs on the back burner now, but it serves as a constant reminder to drink more fluids throughout the day. 

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Flashback Friday- Baby Wells 2014

I can't tell you how much I love the way Haidyn looks at me. It makes me feel like I am the most important and beautiful person in this world. She sees all the good in me and nothing else. She depends on me and wants nothing more than to spend every minute with me, even if she's sleeping. 

Motherhood has been such an amazing journey for me thus far. I didn't think I would ever be good at being a Mom, but if I must say so myself I'm not doing half bad. When we planned to start our family we had no idea it would change everything we knew about our lives.  We look and do everything differently, always keeping in mind that we have someone looking up to us as her role model even if she is so small. She rocked our world from day one and she is always the best part of our day. Not a day goes by that Waymon and I don't smile and gawk over our little girl.  

This is the first time I've complied all of my weekly pictures from my pregnancy and it brings tears to my eyes. I can't believe how much she's grown. I'm in for a lifetime of crying because I'm the typical Mom that cries at every milestone and every time I reminisce. I'm glad I captured my most precious time with her. I hope that one day she'll see it and love it as much as I do. 

I would never change the timing of her blessing us with her presence. I can't imagine a day without my best friend.