{My Recipes} Broccoli Rabe Pasta

This recipe took me 20 minutes to make, got the husband's seal of approval and came from Rachael Ray's magazine—I just adapted it to suit my needs. If you're looking for a quick, simple dinner and you like both broccoli and pasta, then definitely give this one a try.

The recipe and cooking instructions are below, just click the photo to view and print!

I also absolutely love garlic, so I tend to use a little more than three cloves as called for, or you can use marinated garlic cloves (like from your favorite grocer's olive bar!) that are even more delicious.

For my pasta, I had mini cheese ravioli on hand so that's what I used.

Best served with wine!!

Tiny Baby Belly Laughs

Sometimes you just have to smile and laugh for no reason. Or for every reason. Or for just a little reason, like mommy making funny faces and weird noses. Trystan hasn't giggled loudly or talked much like the others have come to over the past couple months, but she's beginning to now. She has this teeny, adorable little voice that talks very quietly, like she's making absolutely sure you're paying attention to what she has to say. And I just had to share these adorable little belly laughs she belted out the other day.

T-Bird Getting Her Laugh On from Texas Take on Vimeo.

Now you can have a great weekend. ;)

{Weekend Recap} A Super (Bowl) Time!

For the Super Bowl, the husband and I didn't exactly plan to galavant off to the nearest bar and slosh back brewskies all afternoon. Hanging out with our quad squad sounded a little more ideal and we ended up having a great weekend, four babies and all. My BFF, Lisa, graciously spent her weekend helping us out (I'm still pretty limited on physical activity after surgery) and her sweet husband took care of their baby boy so she could be away overnight. He was born only 16 days before my own crew—we had always planned to have kids together and I'd say we timed it pretty darn close!

A photo from last year: Lisa (left) at 26 weeks with her little boy and myself (right) at 14 weeks with the quads.

First thing we did after feeding the babies their 8am bottle on Saturday was to run off to Target for a little shopping. I'd really been wanting to go but needed a buddy to push the cart for me and load all my purchases onto the checkout counter...and carry my bags. Ha. Lisa was all too willing so we split a bag of popcorn (yes, at 9 in the morning) and proceeded to browse nearly each and every aisle in that store. I stocked up on my new favorite face mask packets for 87 cents apiece, my one indulgence! I also loaded up on clothes for the kiddos at 70% off, selecting items sized 9 to 18 months. I love buying ahead because it means I can shop clearance racks without pressure and when they size up, I have a whole tub or more of apparel ready to go.

New threads for the crew.

When we got back, we spent time outside in the front yard with the babies. A few quilts on the ground and a couple beers for the adults and we were in business. We even did their afternoon bottle feed outside as well, and thankfully it was a slow day in the neighborhood so we didn't attract any extra attention.

On Super Bowl Sunday, we dressed the babies in red to support the 49ers—even though our good faith didn't really work and they lost the game. It was fun to be festive and those babies of mine looked pretty darn adorable.

We also took our new-to-us quad stroller out for its inaugural venture. The babies were so patient while we adjusted the eight million straps and within 15 minutes of rolling out of the driveway, they were all asleep!

After that we played with the babies and watched Kailey learn how to sit up in Kailey-like fashion...

Aunt Lisa and two of the girls.

Kailey learning how to sit up...or do the splits.

...and we fed babies stuff like carrots and apples. They are good eaters!

Then Lisa baked cookies and brownies and I grilled fajitas and we pulled together all the extras like queso, Lisa's guacamole, salsa and more. The husband's brother joined us for dinner and the first half of the football game.

All in all, it was a great weekend that went smooth as silk and the babies were so well-behaved and well-tempered the whole time. It was nice to kick back and have a friend around, plus my mom and step-dad got to hang out at their RV home and relax. Because they showed up Monday morning with smiles and ready to work! And I'm grateful every time... ;)

My 5-Minute Beauty Treats!

Time is fleeting. Every day. I have about a combined two full hours each day to do anything I want that does not involve feeding babies, playing with or comforting babies, moving babies around, washing bottles, making bottles, restocking diapers (or diaper cream, rice cereal, formula and more) or...well, you get the point.

But I never want to forget about myself. In all the craziness, a quiet five minutes can be the means to a quick and easy rejuvenating treatment. So I thought I'd share the mini treats I've been enjoying lately. I can squeeze one or more of these in a day!

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleanser/Mask: This product is great, because it has that grainy consistency to help gently exfoliate when you use it as a regular cleanser, but it's also thick enough to be a mask for a once-a-week shine control treatment for skin. I love how fresh, clean and tingly my skin feels after I use the mask treatment and it really does help with breakouts. I can put it on when I'm getting in the shower and then rinse off after a couple minutes.

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Coconut lotion: It's no secret that I LOVE coconut. Coconut-scented, coconut-flavored, I love it all. My favorite scent (and thing to do!) is to slather tanning oil all over and sizzle out in the sun and work on my tan. Before I was on hospital bedrest and then house arrest with quadruplets, I maintained a pretty rockin' tan every summer. Brown as a bear. But while I can't tan at the moment, I'll settle for the smell of summer time to brighten up my days. I use this lotion daily, especially at night before bed. (PS - If you want a great self-tanner lotion, I religiously use Jergens Natural Glow Express in the medium/dark shade. You have to rub it in really good but you'll have a very nice, bronze tan in three days.)

Revlon Stainless Tweezers: A good, solid pair of tweezers is a must in my life. I pluck my own eyebrows and have a high natural arch, so I have to do it at least twice a week to keep my brown line nice and clean. These tweezers have lasted years and the sharp, slanted edge makes it easy to use. I get asked all the time where I get my eyebrows waxed. Just five minutes in front of the mirror each week gets me the results I want in minimal time.

Sally Hansen Nail & Cuticle Oil: This oil is a great way to moisturize my cuticles, and my hands, before I go to bed at night. I use it a couple times a week and sparingly, since a little goes a long way. I don't really get manicures anymore, since I chew my cuticles anyway and they don't last long. This helps repair the damage I cause and also heals cracked and dry fingertips, since I'm washing my hands and using hand sanitizer every other second with the babies at home. 

True Blue Spa Paraffin Super Softening Hand Lotion: This stuff is like the Holy Grail of hand lotions. I'm very picky about lotions that don't leave your hands feeling slimy and greasy after you use it, plus I need stuff to help my cracked knuckles and tired hands. I use this stuff frequently throughout the day and also on my feet at night now and then before I go to bed. I mean, c'mon, this takes less than five minutes! (This product is from Bath & Body Works.)

Willa Naturals Fresh Face: This is my newest find and I love it. I get these little cucumber face mask packets at Target. They're normally like $1.75 apiece and I just got several on sale for 87 cents. It's a thick, bright green mask and I always apply it before I get in the shower, washing my face last. It leaves my skin clear, soft and refreshed. I use these maybe twice a month.

Rewined candles: These aren't exactly a beauty item but they are very relaxing and can be a great addition to a hot bath, while reading a magazine or, if you're like me, to smell while you're making 16 bottles for the next day! Just flick a match and light. Made from natural soy wax, they are each hand poured into recycled wine bottle bottoms and come in scents like Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Champagne. The company is family-owned and based in South Carolina and date and initial every candle that goes out. I've got the Pinot Noir burning now and it smells divine...

Birchbox: A few months ago, I signed up to receive Birchbox's monthly box of goodies for $10/month. They send new sample-sized wares from hair treatments and fragrance to bronzer and face lotions. It's a great way to try out the latest beauty products without going crazy or getting stuck with a full-sized bottle of something you may or may not love. And it's definitely introduced me to some things I've really enjoyed, like a luxe Australian-made lip gloss and super conditioning hair masques. I look forward to getting my box every month and make five minutes to sit down and rummage through my loot. You can customize your box when you sign up online as well. (For your own box, click here.)

My other five-minute beauty treats? Read on...

• I have started taking skin moisturizing more seriously, and now use a Neutrogena eye cream, serum and night cream on my skin before bed. It takes, you guessed it, five minutes to apply and I've noticed a positive change in the brightness, smoothness and clarity of my skin. No more dry patches! Glowing skin also makes you look less tired, even when that's not necessarily true. ;)

• Hot chocolate has been a go-to drink for me in the evenings lately. Especially when it's cold outside. It takes a couple minutes to make and I add a big splash of milk for a richer, creamier taste. I sip on it in bed or curled up in the recliner with a blanket while the husband and I watch a TV show once the babies have gone to sleep.

• A heated neck wrap is a great way to relax with minimal effort. I have a soft neck wrap with herbs and lavender inside. I microwave it for two minutes then wear it around my neck or shoulders to relieve tension after a long day. It also goes great with hot chocolate... ;)

Don't forget to take a little time for you this week! Have your own arsenal of quick-hit beauty treats? Share them with me in the comments section below!

{Quad Squad} 8 Months + Video!

As I write this, the house is quiet. Two babies are sleeping in swings and the other two are playing happily in their play pen—lovingly referred to as the Quatro Corral. Fitting, I think. Days, or moments rather, like this nearly convince me there's no way I have four babies. If I sit really still, I forget I have a hip-to-hip incision healing on my waist from repairing all the damage after carrying quadruplets. If I close my eyes in the quiet house, I can nearly imagine there's not a living room overflowing with baby toys and play mats and swings. Nearly.

And then a tiny hand finds it's way onto my lap then onto my keyboard (I'm sitting on the floor) and I have to erase and retype this sentence three times before they hit another button. In fact, I've got two sets of eyes mesmerized by how fast I type right now. All these little objects keep appearing on the screen. And then one little mouth protesting that he can't have his way with my laptop or my full and undivided attention. Which means I better get down to business, before this 16 pound little boy gets the better of me!

The quad squad in birth order, left to right.

Babies Playing from Texas Take on Vimeo.

Eight months has arrived quickly. The first few months of the babies' lives dragged by slowly. We were going through extraordinary situations like the NICU and then transitioning home and the days ticked by in slow motion, it seemed. But the past two months or so have really sped up. Especially since we're starting to meet more big milestones, like sitting up, crawling, eating more foods, interacting and so on. These babies are the cutest thing to ever happen to my life!

Typical photo after a few minutes with the camera.

Sweet Logan discovering grass.

Both Logan and Kailey can get themselves into a sitting position, even if sometimes they're a bit cockeyed and Kailey is more in the splits then anything else. We're still working on getting Harrison to belly laugh and we were sure he was going to be the first one to officially crawl, but now he's got good competition from Logan and Kailey. Any minute of any day, one of those three (or all of them!) are ready to take off. Trystan has operated on her own time table, my little redheaded muscle baby. She's solid and stout and has been "planking" versus spending much time on her actual hands and knees. It's adorable and intimidating as I could never hold the plank position that long. Washboard tubby tummy, I tell you. Although she doesn't necessarily need the crawling ability to get around. When a sibling starts tugging on her chubby cheeks or sticking their foot in her mouth, she "seal walks" away using her arms and a swaying motion back and forth from hand to hand to turn herself. It looks just like a seal and I love it. ;)

Trystan "planking."

Everybody still sleeps a solid 12 hours at night. (If you are interested to read the sequence of events and sleep training that led to this, see my post about it here.) They are super happy when they wake up in the morning and typically happy most of the day. Now and then Bam Bam, aka Kailey, screams and hollers enough to make you think she's dying of the plague but she either wants to be coddled or wants a change of scenery. We cooperate as best as the situation allows.

My sweet Kailey, with a typical "Kailey face," and Trystan behind her.

All the babies eat very well. They take four 8-ounce bottles every day, with rice cereal in the last one, and also eat two spoon feedings. They get oatmeal with fruit in the morning and a fruit/veggie mixture at lunch. They eat everything I make for them, like today's lunch of kale, peas and pears! We now feed the babies their bottles in their boppies inside the pack-n-plays then move them to their bumbo chairs for spoon feeds.

We had to lower both the cribs and the pack-n-plays because the babies were beginning to get curious and reach for the edge of the top. Kailey got busted after nap time by Grandma, so down the cribs went that evening!

My own recovery is still going well, I'm nearly four weeks out from surgery with two to three more weeks of recovery time ahead. I can stand up straight, which feels like a miracle in itself, and makes walking around soooo much easier. I can also hold the babies although I'm still limited as to how often I can pick them up, since it leaves me pretty wiped out at day's end. Yesterday we took the babies out on a walk and it felt good to be out in the sun. I can drive short distances and go to the Starbuck's drive-through down the street now and then or Target if I have a buddy to push the cart for me. I'm very, very happy I did the abdominoplasty surgery. I can already tell how much stronger and healthier I'll be for it. The nausea and headaches I previously had on a daily basis are gone, and there's still quite a bit of swelling left so I look forward to loosing that over the coming weeks.

Here's to another year, another month, another week and another day of our wonderful, crazy, baby-filled life!