Toddler Friendly Meal

     Like many moms I know, it's hard to find a good meal that your toddler will eat. Toddlers struggle with new tastes and textures, and some of the time parents end up having to make a separate meal for their toddler. I remember Charlotte struggled with textures for quite awhile and I was constantly making her a different meal from what us adults were eating.

     I started trying new meals out with her a couple months ago to add a little excitement to her diet. Frankly, I was getting tired of making grilled cheese, mac n' cheese, and quesadillas. The one thing I have to say about Charlotte is that she LOVES her fruit!

      Since it's summer and it's hot, I tend to do alot of crockpot meals to keep the kitchen and house cool. Not to mention the crockpot is really convenient when you have little ones and not alot of time to cook. The crockpot book at the bottom of the page has been invaluable and has lots of great recipes in it!

     So here is the recipe that Charlotte woofed down and had seconds!  It's called Shipwreck.

   Ingredients
   1 lb. ground beef (browned)
   4-5 sliced potatoes (I substituted with         tater tots, enough to cover ground beef)
   1/2 onion chopped
   1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
   1/4 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
   1 can tomato soup
   butter

   Directions
   1. Brown ground beef, you can do this the night before to save time.
   2. Layer ground beef, tater tots, onion, beans, cheese, soup, and 4 pats of butter last, all in the crockpot.
   3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
   4. Sprinkle parmesean cheese on top at the table.

     Hope you and your littles enjoy this yummy dish! Please let me know how you like it or if you make any yummy changes, in the comments below.
  

    

Welcome!

     Hello and welcome to my blog Encouragement for Today. Over the last couple of years I have found encouragement and lots of great ideas through other people's blogs. That's why I have created this blog, to share with you things that have brought encouragement to me and have helped me out in some way. You will find all kinds of topics on this blog from marriage & spirituality, to parenting & children, to cooking, cleaning, & crafting. 

     Now to tell you a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Upland, CA. My parents are amazing and were always involved with whatever my brother and I were doing at the time; baseball, swimming, marching band, etc. My brother and I are only 16 months a part and are really close. Looking back, I had a great childhood and my parents worked hard to make sure we were able to participate in extracurricular activities.

     Noel and I had been acquaintances for a long time. When we were in our early college years we reconnected and officially started dating in May 2007. That year he graduated from La Verne University with a business degree and started his own business. Three years later, in June 2010, I graduated from Cal State San Bernardino with a BA in History. Two days after graduation, he popped the question at Doheny State Beach. We then decided to set our wedding date for after I graduated with my teaching credentials. I completed a rigorous credential program at CSUSB and graduated in April 2012 with my teaching credential in History. One month later, on May 19, 2012, I married the man of my dreams. 

     Since then I have been substitute teacher for Claremont Unified School District, where I have held numerous long term positions at the high school. I have also coached varsity swim there for 6 seasons, and plan on returning next year for my 7th season. I was also a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for almost 3 years and still try to find time to enjoy stamping and making personalized cards for family and friends.

     Now on to our beautiful babies. In the summer of 2013, we decide it was time to start a family. After having some issues and seeing a doctor, I was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is a whole other topic for later. It took us a year and a half before we finally got pregnant with our 1st child, Charlotte Grace. When Charlotte turned 4 months I saw my doctor again for a check up and he told us with my condition to not wait too long if we wanted another baby. Well a month later we were pregnant again with our 2nd child, Sawyer Noel. Yes, you read that correctly, my children are 12 months and 25 days a part. Needless to say the last two years have been a whirlwind, but our babies have been the biggest blessing.

     Our life is not perfect and has been very crazy lately, but we find encouragement every day in the Lord, our children, and each other. I hope you find encouragement in this blog.