I Wuf These

From a visit to my favorite coffee shop, Thanks a Latte, to a wedding in downtown Raleigh, this weekend was brimming with a few of my faves. My mom came to visit too, and after church on Sunday, I said mom, we HAVE to swing by the Waggin' Tails pop up in Raleigh. She was so down. The owner, Caroline, and I met last year through our Carolina roots. She actually (!!!) covered my maternity leave and by covered I mean she gave me the best. gift. ever. (i.e. uninterrupted time getting to know Leighton). And!? We became friends. Oh life, you are too sweet.

Waggin' Tails radiates happy - ask Bentley (Hey, B!). It's really nicely made bandanas and bowties. I love supporting fellow entrepreneurs, local delights and Carolina alumni - Waggin' Tails is all of that. You know it's a good thing when you have some of something and love it so much, you're still wanting more. Bentley ohhhs and ahhhs over his Stars, Stripes and Shades (pictured above), Donut Worry, Bark Happy, Pinata Pawty and Beggin' for Brunch bandanas (pictured below).

He's still begging for Sprinkled With Love (pictured above), In My Mind and all of them really. How cute are the names, too!? Go get lost on the Waggin' Tails site for a bit because you (and your pup!) won't regret it.

Recipe: Chicken in the Garden

Someone made a rendition of this casserole during our first few weeks of life with Leighton. It was memorable and easy enough to make again so here we are. We switched up the recipe a bit and made it our own. This can easily be made vegetarian if that's your thing, too. It's a weekday goodie and is leftover worthy if you're in need of some next-day lunch.

Ingredients 

2 yellow squash, sliced (no need to peel)
2 bunches broccoli (cut off and use the florets, minimal stems)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 rotisserie chicken, cleaned and chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar
20 ritz crackers, crushed (about 3/4 cup)

Directions

In a small skillet, add one tablespoon of butter over medium heat until melted. Add the chopped sweet onion. Saute for 10 minutes or so until slightly browned and soft - caramelized onions are the goal. In a separate large skillet, add the squash, broccoli and carrots. Fill the pan a quarter of the way with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender (stab with a fork test). Drain well. Remove skillet from heat. Add the caramelized onions to this large skillet of garden vegetables. Chicken too. Stir in cheese and next three ingredients. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11 x 7 baking dish. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a separate bowl. Stir together melted butter and crushed crackers. Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

... And time keeps flying.

Sweet long story short, we had Leighton Hope on July 30, 2016. Now she's a month and a week shy from turning one. That's a crazy reality to type. She's everything we prayed for and every joy we never knew existed. If you're in a season of waiting, the wait is worth it. Catch up with Leighton on my Instagram, @sayecheese, or via #LeightonSaye to see all the adventures in between this post and the last one, as it has surely been awhile.

Seven Months

Whew! It's been awhile. Seven months to be exact. It's crazy how quickly time has flown - the fastest in my life. I guess it's because every minute of every day is filled with taking care of this little babe or thinking of taking care of this little babe. Leighton Hope was born at 12:07 a.m. on Saturday, July 30. She weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. It was quite the journey to have her and quite the journey to welcome her to the world. Our birth story isn't what I thought it would be, but I went into it not being set on a certain path. I was open to whatever our birth story would entail as long as we all survived. Our due date was July 20 and that day passed and some more days passed and so we set an induction date of July 29. My last day of work prior to maternity leave was July 28. I worked right up to the date, because I felt great, and it made the days fly by instead of it being a waiting game from sun up to sun down. On July 29 we got our games faces on, packed our bags, of which we needed hardly any of it.