Ranch Taco Salad

I love for the most part the delicious choices in my Paleo lifestyle, but there are some days when I miss something. Really miss it. Ranch dressing is one of those. Blame it on my Southern roots and my Aunt Polly, but there just aren't too many things that can't be enhanced by this creamy condiment. I've tried a meriod of different Paleo versions, but as it is with a few tasty "bad" choices, I came to the conclusion there just was no substitute for the real thing and resigned myself to a life of oil and vinegar. That is until I discovered this recipe. After getting over the shock of the first ingredient, I put the rest on my grocery list and made us up a big Ranch taco salad a few days later. It was delish, and the dressing liken to the discovery of rubber (or at the least post-it notes). Now this isn't the exact flavor of Hidden Valley, but I would describe it as Ranch with a touch of butter crackers...and really, what's bad about that?! I wouldn't call it super low carb with the nuts either, but it's chemical and veggie oil free unlike it's grocery store equivalent. Feast your eyes! Then go make some;)

Ranch Taco Salad

Cooked and shredded chicken or browned ground beef
Taco seasoning to taste(recipe below)
Shredded lettuce
Toppings of choice (black olives, tomatoes, red onions, avocados, sweet peppers)
Nonnegotiable topping: crushed sweet potato chips!
Ranch dressing

Ranch Dressing
1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked for 2 hrs)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp honey or agave
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp powdered onion
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp dry dill
1 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients in blender or food processor then add 1 tsp dry parsley and refrigerate until thickened.

Taco Seasoning
4 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano

Baby Clifton's Shower

I have been so fortunate to not only have this experience of pregnancy but also to share it with my sweet cousin Candyce.  She and her sister are near and dear to my heart and we have been even closer since the year she lived with us before Rylin was born.  Unfortunately, her road has been a little more rocky than mine as she has struggled with hyperemisis from the begining.  After multiple hospital stays, emergency room scares, and fear no pregnant woman should face, she is celebrating reaching 31 weeks and her baby boy, Clifton still growing strong.  A few weeks ago, we took the chance to shower her with a few essentials and some extras.  Her sister, Crystal and I had fun planning the theme around teddy bears and little boy stuff.

Conquering Spring Break & Carby Cravings

We've been plugging along this last month with our weekly routine which includes two days of Mother's Day Out for Rylin, BSF on Tuesdays, and Mr. D's visits on Thursdays. Then last week, we hit spring break. I didn't think it would mean much to our young little family until I discovered no MDO, BSF, and then D's visit was cancelled. We gladly took the opportunity to head with some friends downtown for a mid-week distraction.

This little guy was excited to finally be riding the train!

Rylin with his buddies (all girls btw!)

First stop was the DMA

 making their own art

 story time at the museum

After leaving the museum we headed over to the new park above Woodall Rogers.  It was packed with other spring breakers, but the weather was amazing.

 Rylin & I waited in line for over an hour for some food truck goodness.  Luckily Mr. D was asleep in the stroller at this point.

This was devoured in about twenty minutes by a hungry pregnant lady and two starving toddlers!  Braised Beef quesadillas, and three sliders: Fried Chicken-Mashed Potatoes-Gravy, Brisket-Mac&Cheese-BBQ sauce, and Nutella-Peanut Butter-Bacon.  Not pictured were lime tator tots.  (got to live a little once in a while!)

We let the kids cool off at the splash park before heading back on the train for some late afternoon naps.

The yummy food on our day off has not been my only indulgence as of recently.  I have found myself with an intense dairy craving (among a few others) that has culminated into a once weekly trip to Sonic for cheese fries.  It's really gotten out of control, and though I don't cheat with my Paleo diet often, pregnancy has made it an easy excuse.  I should preface by saying that dairy is a debated subject in the Paleo world, but as for me, it has not been a problem of digestion so I have continued to eat it in moderation even before I was pregnant.  It's just that at some point I added the fried battered kind, which is a no-no for sure.  So yesterday I had had enough!  Surely there must be a good alternative to this carb laden fried cheese.  I scanned Pinterest with searches of "low carb cheese sticks", "paleo cheese sticks", and "healthy cheese stick alternatives".  I found some interesting recipes and taking what I liked best from a few, think I have discovered the perfect low carb fried cheese stick.  You might want to sit down for this one.

First I made a egg bath of one well mixed of the urban chicken variety and a separate bowl of powdered Parmesan cheese (because what kind of batter really could be better than more cheese!) and some left over ranch seasoning I had on hand.  I read that it is essential to use the powdered cheese (though not as preferable paleo-wise to the shredded) for sticking purposes.

Then I sliced my premade cheese sticks in half lengthwise and dredged them in the egg then parm mixture two times until they were well coated.

I heated up a tablespoon of refined coconut oil in a small saute pan and dropped them in.  Only a couple minutes on each side and these puppies were good to go.

My cheese sticks were pretty cold beforehand (suggested freezing) so they didn't ooze too much in cooking.  They had the texture of a battered and fried stick and were a lot tastier then with a bread coating.

Me and the kids consumed them in approximately 2 minutes and they were asking for more.  I'm sure this will be my new weekly snack and I feel a lot better about sending these down the hatch to the third hungry kiddo than some fast food guilt trip.

Pinterest Projects

I really feel like I should be posting about all these crazy Pinterest projects I've been doing lately, but that would mean committing to blogging more than once a month!  Seriously though, you could say that I've joined the masses in this online addiction.  I'm not a crazy pinner per se, but I do LOVE to spend some time browsing.  I try to pin things I think I'll actually do not just forever dream of doing.  I've had this Valentine's pin for awhile now and finally got to take advantage of it this month for Rylin's Mother's Day Out class.  He actually did quite well sitting and posing for me and I think it turned out pretty cute!  I uploaded his picture into PSE and added the script, then printed on card stock, cut two slits, and wove a heart sucker in between.

Most of what I tend to pin is food (who doesn't), and we've already found more than a few of our new favorite recipes.  There are tons of ideas for Paleo eating so it works out nicely that I don't have to buy a bunch of cookbooks for new ideas.  I LOVE to cook, but only when it's new and creative things or really scrumptious favorites.  This is on the menu for tonight.  Except I like to tweak things a bit.

Salmon Chowder (Paleotized)

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
3 cups HOMEMADE! chicken broth
1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup whole milk
1 can (14-ounce) salmon
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, for garnish


1.Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat and cook onion, celery, and bell pepper, stirring. Add garlic after vegetables start to get soft, 3 to 5 minutes, and cook 1 minute. Add carrots, broth, dill, salt, and black pepper. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until carrots are fork tender, about 10 minutes.

2.Add milk, and salmon. Heat 5 more minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with a little grated cheese on top.

My whole family loves this one...even the kiddos.  A good savory meal for a cool night like tonight.

I'll be honest that I've seen a lot of pins for activities for kids and SAHM's and I really have felt a little overwhelmed.  "Who has time for those things?"...I ponder and just skim over.  I think I do a pretty good job entertaining my boys but I often find it's because we are out and about so much.  When we're home, I tend to be a slacker when it comes to finding fun things to do besides the usual.  And let's be real, Play Doh can only last so long and playing "restaurant" gets boring after a while too.  So this week I set out to find some easy things I could put together to help entertain them.  This was my first project and it turned out to be a huge success.  I spent about ten minutes rummaging through our junk drawer, my craft closet, and bedside table to find tiny objects that were pretty recognizable to a three year old.  Then I put them in a jar with some sand I had left over from another project and secured the lid with duct tape in case someone got the notion to free his finds when I wasn't looking.  I used some blank 4x6 card stock to draw my best renditions of each item and write it's description underneath (even though he can't read I figured it would be some good word recognition or something).  Then I punched a whole in the top of the cards and held them together with a metal ring.  Rylin loved finding all the hidden treasures and he was occupied for a good fifteen minutes...a least!

So click on my Pinterest link on the right side of the page and follow me!  I'll try to post more stuff soon.

Bump Pictures and Other Things I Thought I'd Never Do

I love my bestie, Nicole.  We were roomies in college and she's still one of my favorite people today, even though she picked up and moved to another state when we both were newlyweds.  We still text and call and when we see each other it's like we never were apart.  You know, the kind of friends who just pick up where they left off.  We are quite different but she gets me and I know that she will always be full of encouragement and honesty no matter what I bring to her.  She was the second person I told I was pregnant (after Jordan) and she's constantly checking in on how I'm doing.  She was excited for me before I was ready to be and helped bring me around.  So when she asked me the other day for a baby bump picture, it took me a little off guard.  I hadn't much considered it before, in fact, I kind of detested them.  As if they went against my very nature.  No offense to the pregos out there who have documented your 9 months this way (practically EVERY one of my friends have), but to a girl going through infertility, they were for a long time just a reminder of what I was never going to have.  Babies were easy for me.  They were cute and innocent and I knew we'd have some even if they came through adoption, but the belly was another story.  And don't get me started on those stupid "parking for expectant mothers" signs! 

This pregnancy thing still seems a little awkward to me and half the time I feel like an impostor.  Like I've been to a place where I've seen things I can't forget and now they effect every aspect of this new experience.  No unrestrained bliss or happy ignorance.  I know some girls move on more easily from infertility to pregnancy.  They accept their new blessing whole heartedly and put their past behind them.  I'm not sure why it hasn't been so simple for me.  I feel like I have an allegiance to uphold.  You know, like I've somehow let my "people" down.  In infertility I was a part of a group of women with a shared understanding.  Not pitted against friends who were happily and spontaneously having children but empathizing with our differences.  Now pregnant, I don't feel like I fit in with either group.  What I do know is that God hasn't brought me to this place and down this exact road without a purpose.  Every day I'm reminded to be grateful for what I have, respectful of those around me who don't have it, and appreciative of my journey to get here. 

So at 24 weeks this is me. I am a little proud of my bumpity bump and think I've earned at least one belly shot. You better know that I've taken every opportunity to park in that first space at CVS, Babies R Us, and church! Now just don't go expecting a maternity spread with my hands in the shape of a heart over my navel or anything.

Au Naturale

January has literally flown past me like I was sitting in a Lazy Boy on the side of the interstate!  Our day to day lives have kept this momma busy but, to be honest, their lack of blogosphere worthy excitement has held me back from updating.  This pregnancy gig has been good to me though, and I can honestly say that I've been feeling great...even better than usual.  But really why wouldn't I, with the excitement of what's to come in just five months after thinking it would never happen for almost eight years?!  So for a somewhat quick update on current events of the latest Everhart, you can continue reading. 

As you know, I tend to lean a little to the crunchy side of things, so having a baby for the first time has been no different.  Even before I did any reading and fact finding, I knew that I wanted to go natural.  That is, no induction, epidural, or episiotomy (along with a myriad of other things I've added to the list since).  Because if my Grandmother did it three times and my Mamaw did it eight (once on my current dining room table), why couldn't I?   I have always been amazed at how God made a women's body, with few exceptions, to be able to grow and give birth to another human.  Anatomically, hormonally, and psychologically.  It's one of the frustrations of infertility...thinking that your body has failed you of this one God created function.  So given the opportunity, I knew I didn't want to interfere with nature if I didn't have to. 

It only took a few trips to my OBGYN to realize that this birth in a hospital route was probably not for me.  I LOVE my doctor, but it was pretty evident that he and I had some differing opinions on the female body, it's capabilities in childbirth, and what was "healthy" for me and baby.  Not to mention what restrictions hospital protocol would require and the crazy rising rate of cesarean section.  So a few months ago, I started doing my research (and dragging along my poor husband).  The more we learned about actual facts, statistics, and history (not just hearsay and perception) the more confident we became about looking at midwives in our area.  Then we watched that dern Ricki Lake movie about hospitals and midwives and procedures and medical interventions, and the nail was in the coffin so to speak.  At my following appointment, I gave my doctor my "it's not you, it's me" spiel and to my relief he gave me an encouraging "go for it".  So a week later we were stuffed with twelve other couples in the sitting room of a 100+ year old Victorian turned birthing center hearing all about childbirth without medication, birthing tubs, and Dad catching the baby.  Pretty much a one-eighty from the previous week and completely refreshing.  You know when you get that comfortable feeling like you're in the right place at just the right time?  I had prayed for peace in what decisions we needed to make, and I really feel like God answered.  For the first time since October, I was 100% excited and fully trusting in whatever the plan was ahead of us.

Our first appointment at the Birth & Women's Center was yesterday and everything is looking great thus far.  It was a stark contrast from my OB appointments as we arrived and were one of two couples at the center.  The office manager showed me the normal routine of testing my own urine, weighing myself, and having a seat on the comfy sofa in the "exam" room that really looked like a living room with walls dotted by the footprints of babies born before ours.  We heard the heart beat (which Jordan calls a construction site) and visited like old friends with our midwife about our journey to becoming parents, foster care, our boys and the excitement of this new adventure.  At my OB's office, I was preparing for a 20 week sono; routine procedure.  Here we were given the option, which now we have decided to forgo.  We had hoped to know the sex of the baby before, but I really couldn't rationalize for myself having a sonogram for that sole purpose when I am not sold on the other arguments for having one.  So it looks as though we will be surprised...something I'm getting used to these days!  I've been feeling the so called "fluttering" in my stomach for a few weeks, but Sunday while singing at church, I got some hard thuds.  Not sure if baby was dancing along or giving a warning that I was out of key!

So Jordan and I will keep arguing over boy names, we'll start our Bradley birth classes this Saturday, and all that weight I lost will continue to be joyfully reintroduced to my front side (and hopefully it will not venture to any other places).  Will I have the fuzzy, dreamlike birth I envision?  Probably not.  But I can't help but guess that it will be a life changing event no matter the experience! 

Catching Up Before the New Year

Slacking as usual...we've had a busy few months and to be honest, blogging has been the last priority for me.  So once again, here's a quick update in photos of our December.  I hate that I have to leave out so many because of our little Mr. D.  He's a cutie and I'd love to share his chubby little face with you but Rylin will have to do for now.

We started off December with going to the Christmas tree farm to pick out our tree.  It was a cool and cloudy day and perfect weather for our outing.  Rylin was very independent and insisted on sitting by himself on the hayride to the field where the trees were planted.

After we found our "perfect" tree, the boys set to cutting it down.

We celebrated Mr. D's first birthday on the 9th with a "Little Man" party at our house complete with bow ties and mustaches.  This little guy has been such a fun addition to our family and we were excited to get to share this milestone with him.

We headed to my parents the weekend before Christmas for our extended family party and stayed through Wednesday for some great family time.  My Mom always goes all out for the holidays and this year was no exception.

The grand kids made their annual ginger bread houses (and train) with Mimi, we relaxed, we sat by the fire, we drank hot cocoa, we listened to Johnny Mathis, we ate more than we should, the kids opened presents on Christmas eve, we went to Christmas eve service, and on Christmas morning everyone enjoyed all the goodies that Santa brought.  Nothing like seeing the excitement in all of the kids eyes and reminded me of when I was their age.  I love the holidays!

We returned home on Wednesday to snow...and some very cold chickens!

I bundled up the boys and let them have some fun.  Poor Mr. D was less than enthused with my footwear improvisation.  He can blame my Aunt Polly for that idea:)

Rylin loved the snow and didn't want to come inside.  I practically had to drag him while bribing with chocolate and a movie!  The next day when he woke up he ran to the window and yelled "Mommy!  Where's the snow?!"  Poor guy!