Found this in my drafts, never finished it, but for the sake of not having wasted time, I'm going to go ahead and publish it.
I am not miserable by any means, but very excited to see my little man's face for the first time. So when I say I am ready to have him here anytime starting next week when he will be officially "full term", I mean it- but I'm not complaining- I'm a wonderful mix of anxious/excited! I am a little uncomfortable, but that's to be expected. I felt the baby hiccup in a new way this week- I felt his diaphragm contract and his head react to the hiccup less than half a second later- one hiccup= two movements. It's so cool to experience his development this way! My body is telling me that the baby will be here soon, in just the past two days I have felt the beginning signs of the baby "dropping" and my hips and joints in general are tired feeling as they stretch and loosen so the baby can do his thing. I am fighting acquiring a "waddle" but when I'm tired and forget, it happens. I have put my 4 inch heels away with pride that I made it through my eighth month still able to wear them. I'm way tired and need to make sure I take breaks from doing anything during the day- something that will start on Sunday. The one thing I will say I'm not very fond of is the feeling that happens for several hours throughout the day of my belly feeling so tight and firm that if it grew any more the skin would rip- which of course I know isn't true and somehow there will still be more room.
God has been so good, His timing in when things happen to me has been as close to convenient as possible. The baby is due just after a raise Shaun will get which will replace my paycheck, allowing me to stay at home instead of sending Gabriel off to daycare. I am so grateful to both God and Shaun for giving me this gift in a generation where there is so much pressure financially and mentally to have both adults working outside of the home. My goal for January was to come very close to completely finishing five big weddings I'm working on for the May-June wedding season this year. I have been a little overwhelmed trying to make this happen- but with 11 days left in the month, I am excited to say that this goal has become a reality! It's a reality just as my body is telling me that I can't push myself as far or as long as I do anymore- perfect timing!
I am trying to take advantage of my motivation/nesting during the work day while Shaun isn't here so we can enjoy this last month of "freedom" together. Movie nights, teaching him piano, reading and sitting by the fire (because we keep our house frigid- completely my fault), playing with the dogs- none of these things will go away when the baby is born, but there will be another human to take up our attention who is 100% dependant on us. I'm soaking up the last moments of us being just us until we become empty nesters. I have to admit that I'm looking forward more to date nights being something more special. Now every night is a date night that we don't have homework or real work to do in the evening, but soon it's going to be family night every night, making going out just the two of us that much more meaningful.
I can hardly wait to hold my son for the first time.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
New Summer Recipes!
White Rabbit Salad
This one I proudly made like my great grandmother- nothing measured, just dump items of choice as much as you want. Add, delete and happily eat away! I stole this one from my friend, Shaula- who stole it from a mutual friend, Jef. As a general rule of thumb, if Jef makes it (a chef for a local catering company), and Shaula approves it (a personal trainer), it's going to be delicious and healthy!
Start with cottage cheese and mix in whatever healthy fruits, nuts and seeds you like. Here is what I used- please note that the picture I am going to attach is after two days old. It's still good, but doesn't look as pretty as when freshly made.
Cottage cheese, one diced apple, one diced orange (or can of mandarin oranges not diced), sunflower seeds, grapes (halved), honey, lemon juice, and my friend Shaula (whom I stole the recipe from) puts in poppy seeds.
White Rabbit Salad
Chicken Hawaiian
NO COOKING NEEDED!! Woo-hoo!
1 (12.5oz) can of chunk chicken breast (Kirkland brand, Costco, used acceptable preservatives for me)
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 medium apple, chopped
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 T. plump raisins (I added WAY more to mine cause it was so good)
2 t. toasted sesame seeds (I didn't have any, so I subbed with sunflower seeds)
5 T. mayo (I used Canola)
1/2 t. curry powder
Mix Mayo with curry powder and combine with all other ingredients. Top with extra sesame seeds.
Chicken Hawaiian
Sassy Chicken Salad
NO COOKING NEEDED!!
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained (I diced my own fresh)
1/2 cup mayo (I used canola)
1 T. honey
1 (12.50z) canned chicken breast
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup grapes, halved
1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped (I subbed with sunflower seeds to make more affordable)
Mix and chill
Unfortunately, it didn't didn't last long enough to take a picture of this dish.
Pasta Carbonara
4-6 servings
3/4 lb penne
8 bacon slices, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch strips (I used real bacon bits)
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
3/4 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I hate grating this stuff by hand, so I used packaged)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of paprika
fresh thyme leaves and sprigs for garnish (haha, totally didn't purchase this)
1) Cook penne in salted water according to package. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and drain, returning to cooking pot- cover to keep warm.
2) Cook, drain and prep bacon. Add cream to bacon and simmer for three minutes until slightly thickened.
3) Whisk eggs and Parmesan together, add to cream stirring well. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and generously season with salt and pepper.
4) Toss sauce with penne. Reheat gently if needed. If sauce is too thick, add some cooking water reserved earlier. Serve on preheated plates; sprinkled with paprika and garnish with thyme.
Pasta Carbonara
Chicken and Tequila Fettuccine
4 servings
2-3 cans of chunk chicken breast
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. butter
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T. fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (it actually calls for 1/2 a pepper, but I made an awesome mistake and will continue making it with 1/2 a cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 T. amber tequila
juice of 1 lime
1 red onion, thinly sliced (I am allergic to red onions, so I didn't use this)
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips (I subbed with a green pepper, and I thought it tasted better)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb spinach fettuccine, freshly cooked and drained
1) mix chicken and soy sauce; set aside. Melt butter over med heat. Saute cilantro, garlic and jalapeno for 5 minutes. Add brother, tequila and lime juice; simmer until a thick paste. Remove and set aside. (Mine was still on the runny side)
2) Add chicken mix, red onions and peppers to pan. Lower heat, cover and cook, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are crisp-tender.
3) Add cream and cilantro paste to pan, Bring to a simmer, stirring. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Add fettuccine to sauce and mix well. Serve on hot plates.
Chicken and Tequila Fettuccine
"One of the best things I have ever eaten!" - My husband, Shaun
This one I proudly made like my great grandmother- nothing measured, just dump items of choice as much as you want. Add, delete and happily eat away! I stole this one from my friend, Shaula- who stole it from a mutual friend, Jef. As a general rule of thumb, if Jef makes it (a chef for a local catering company), and Shaula approves it (a personal trainer), it's going to be delicious and healthy!
Start with cottage cheese and mix in whatever healthy fruits, nuts and seeds you like. Here is what I used- please note that the picture I am going to attach is after two days old. It's still good, but doesn't look as pretty as when freshly made.
Cottage cheese, one diced apple, one diced orange (or can of mandarin oranges not diced), sunflower seeds, grapes (halved), honey, lemon juice, and my friend Shaula (whom I stole the recipe from) puts in poppy seeds.
Chicken Hawaiian
NO COOKING NEEDED!! Woo-hoo!
1 (12.5oz) can of chunk chicken breast (Kirkland brand, Costco, used acceptable preservatives for me)
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 medium apple, chopped
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 T. plump raisins (I added WAY more to mine cause it was so good)
2 t. toasted sesame seeds (I didn't have any, so I subbed with sunflower seeds)
5 T. mayo (I used Canola)
1/2 t. curry powder
Mix Mayo with curry powder and combine with all other ingredients. Top with extra sesame seeds.
Sassy Chicken Salad
NO COOKING NEEDED!!
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained (I diced my own fresh)
1/2 cup mayo (I used canola)
1 T. honey
1 (12.50z) canned chicken breast
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup grapes, halved
1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped (I subbed with sunflower seeds to make more affordable)
Mix and chill
Unfortunately, it didn't didn't last long enough to take a picture of this dish.
Pasta Carbonara
4-6 servings
3/4 lb penne
8 bacon slices, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch strips (I used real bacon bits)
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
3/4 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I hate grating this stuff by hand, so I used packaged)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of paprika
fresh thyme leaves and sprigs for garnish (haha, totally didn't purchase this)
1) Cook penne in salted water according to package. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and drain, returning to cooking pot- cover to keep warm.
2) Cook, drain and prep bacon. Add cream to bacon and simmer for three minutes until slightly thickened.
3) Whisk eggs and Parmesan together, add to cream stirring well. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and generously season with salt and pepper.
4) Toss sauce with penne. Reheat gently if needed. If sauce is too thick, add some cooking water reserved earlier. Serve on preheated plates; sprinkled with paprika and garnish with thyme.
Chicken and Tequila Fettuccine
4 servings
2-3 cans of chunk chicken breast
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. butter
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T. fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (it actually calls for 1/2 a pepper, but I made an awesome mistake and will continue making it with 1/2 a cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 T. amber tequila
juice of 1 lime
1 red onion, thinly sliced (I am allergic to red onions, so I didn't use this)
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips (I subbed with a green pepper, and I thought it tasted better)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb spinach fettuccine, freshly cooked and drained
1) mix chicken and soy sauce; set aside. Melt butter over med heat. Saute cilantro, garlic and jalapeno for 5 minutes. Add brother, tequila and lime juice; simmer until a thick paste. Remove and set aside. (Mine was still on the runny side)
2) Add chicken mix, red onions and peppers to pan. Lower heat, cover and cook, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are crisp-tender.
3) Add cream and cilantro paste to pan, Bring to a simmer, stirring. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Add fettuccine to sauce and mix well. Serve on hot plates.
"One of the best things I have ever eaten!" - My husband, Shaun
Cooking - the art or practice of preparing foods
"Cooking" defined by dictionary.com as, "the art or practice of preparing foods." Indeed, I do consider it an art- more and more each day.
My dad loves to make breakfast, to the point where he has said many times that if he could open a diner that would only be open for breakfast and brunch that he would do it. My mom loves to bake with little helpers, the younger the helpers are (and the bigger the mess) the more fun my mom has- especially with Christmas goodies. This she inherited from my great grandmother, who was the ultimate grandma any kid could have ever hoped for.
The first memory I have of cooking was in Germany, in a little cottage my parents rented while my dad was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base. I was about three years old, still in my nightgown, and found my daddy getting ready to make scrambled eggs. To my delight he pulled up a chair to the counter and offered to teach me how to crack eggs. I had to work with two hands because my hands weren't coordinated or large enough to handle an egg. I concentrated so hard, and was so proud of myself. I dropped at least one, and I remember my mom had to pick a piece of shell out of the cooked product later.
Christmas memories of licking off beaters and helping my mom dump ingredients into the bowl belong largely to my mom. She always had Christmas music in the background and we would actually "dress up" in our nightgowns (my sister and I, not my mom) and dance around with our nutcracker dolls pretending we were in the ballet while we waited for the goodies to bake.
My grandma was the first one to trust me with an electric mixer- and flour ended up everywhere! I remember her laughing while she cleaned us up. My grandmother was an amazing cook- the way to win a place in her heart was to simply ask for seconds of anything she made. She loved cooking and baking! She made chicken and rice once and my cousin and I couldn't figure out what it was- couldn't have been chicken and rice, and she was tickled pink at the looks on our faces when she told us. When I was in high school I was frustrated that I couldn't make things as good as she did, and she told me not to worry, "After 87 years of cooking, you will cook just as good as I can." She was about 90 years old at the time. My mom found a reprint of the same cookbook she learned how to bake with my great grandmother and taught us to bake from and bought them for us one Christmas. My sister and I both cried when we opened them- which lead to open weeping from my mom that it meant so much to us (mom is the type who will cry at Campbell's soup commercials, poor thing gets teased mercilessly by her kids for it).
When I got married, I thought I knew my way around the kitchen as I was in the kitchen for a least a few minutes every night growing up. I was horrified when I realized the truth- my list of things I knew how to make well was minuscule, and consisted mostly of deserts. Add to this the fact that our tiny apartment stove top and oven couldn't hold a temperature, and you have a lot hopes dashed in the life of a young bride. One of my best friends sent me all of her favorite recipes in a word document, and another gave me one of our favorite cookbooks still, almost four years later. We lived off of these and the microwave. Because of a tiny budget and a deep freezer, we bought mostly pre-ready meals until a little over a year ago. By then my cooking had gotten quite a lot better.
Now I am finally at the point where cooking is fun- even by myself (I used to loath the kitchen unless I had a partner chef). My grandmothers influence is beginning to take root as cooking is one of the things that instantly comes to mind when I hear someone needs help or is hurting. Last summer I was soooo excited to start trying some great spicy new recipes, and then had to change plans to things that were bland and healthy as morning sickness came along with the pregnancy of my handsome son. So this summer, I am taking full advantage!
Here are some of my goals:
- Keep things 80% healthy as one of my friends (a chef in the gourmet cooking world) says
- Keep things in budget (my husband openly laughs because we both are huge foodies and often decide to break that rule taking $ from somewhere else to indulge)
- Use fresh produce and try to limit processed foods- except ones where I approve of the preservatives
- Stay away from using the oven too often, using the grill more
- Spend limited time on preparation as wedding season is on and I booked 12 weddings for a three month period of time
Sharing food was a gift of all my grandmothers, so I will share the recipes that don't flop for everyone to enjoy! I got a little crazy this past week and tried six new recipes- of which only one was a flop (whole wheat bread sticks).
My dad loves to make breakfast, to the point where he has said many times that if he could open a diner that would only be open for breakfast and brunch that he would do it. My mom loves to bake with little helpers, the younger the helpers are (and the bigger the mess) the more fun my mom has- especially with Christmas goodies. This she inherited from my great grandmother, who was the ultimate grandma any kid could have ever hoped for.
The first memory I have of cooking was in Germany, in a little cottage my parents rented while my dad was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base. I was about three years old, still in my nightgown, and found my daddy getting ready to make scrambled eggs. To my delight he pulled up a chair to the counter and offered to teach me how to crack eggs. I had to work with two hands because my hands weren't coordinated or large enough to handle an egg. I concentrated so hard, and was so proud of myself. I dropped at least one, and I remember my mom had to pick a piece of shell out of the cooked product later.
Christmas memories of licking off beaters and helping my mom dump ingredients into the bowl belong largely to my mom. She always had Christmas music in the background and we would actually "dress up" in our nightgowns (my sister and I, not my mom) and dance around with our nutcracker dolls pretending we were in the ballet while we waited for the goodies to bake.
My grandma was the first one to trust me with an electric mixer- and flour ended up everywhere! I remember her laughing while she cleaned us up. My grandmother was an amazing cook- the way to win a place in her heart was to simply ask for seconds of anything she made. She loved cooking and baking! She made chicken and rice once and my cousin and I couldn't figure out what it was- couldn't have been chicken and rice, and she was tickled pink at the looks on our faces when she told us. When I was in high school I was frustrated that I couldn't make things as good as she did, and she told me not to worry, "After 87 years of cooking, you will cook just as good as I can." She was about 90 years old at the time. My mom found a reprint of the same cookbook she learned how to bake with my great grandmother and taught us to bake from and bought them for us one Christmas. My sister and I both cried when we opened them- which lead to open weeping from my mom that it meant so much to us (mom is the type who will cry at Campbell's soup commercials, poor thing gets teased mercilessly by her kids for it).
When I got married, I thought I knew my way around the kitchen as I was in the kitchen for a least a few minutes every night growing up. I was horrified when I realized the truth- my list of things I knew how to make well was minuscule, and consisted mostly of deserts. Add to this the fact that our tiny apartment stove top and oven couldn't hold a temperature, and you have a lot hopes dashed in the life of a young bride. One of my best friends sent me all of her favorite recipes in a word document, and another gave me one of our favorite cookbooks still, almost four years later. We lived off of these and the microwave. Because of a tiny budget and a deep freezer, we bought mostly pre-ready meals until a little over a year ago. By then my cooking had gotten quite a lot better.
Now I am finally at the point where cooking is fun- even by myself (I used to loath the kitchen unless I had a partner chef). My grandmothers influence is beginning to take root as cooking is one of the things that instantly comes to mind when I hear someone needs help or is hurting. Last summer I was soooo excited to start trying some great spicy new recipes, and then had to change plans to things that were bland and healthy as morning sickness came along with the pregnancy of my handsome son. So this summer, I am taking full advantage!
Here are some of my goals:
- Keep things 80% healthy as one of my friends (a chef in the gourmet cooking world) says
- Keep things in budget (my husband openly laughs because we both are huge foodies and often decide to break that rule taking $ from somewhere else to indulge)
- Use fresh produce and try to limit processed foods- except ones where I approve of the preservatives
- Stay away from using the oven too often, using the grill more
- Spend limited time on preparation as wedding season is on and I booked 12 weddings for a three month period of time
Sharing food was a gift of all my grandmothers, so I will share the recipes that don't flop for everyone to enjoy! I got a little crazy this past week and tried six new recipes- of which only one was a flop (whole wheat bread sticks).
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