Monday, July 26, 2010

Weekly menu 7/26-7/31

I have found a new crockpot blog and I am loving it! She has some wonderful recipes on there and I will be trying a couple of them this week!

Mon: BBQ Beef Sandwiches and fries
Tues: Tuna Noodle Casserole
Wed: Alfredo Tomato Chicken
Thurs: Leftovers
Friday:Pizza
Sat: We will be in hubby's hometown for the weekend

Monday, July 19, 2010

Weekly menu 7/18-7/23

I have been so busy with my little girl but the last few weeks I have gotten back in the kitchen! I can't believe she is already 2 months old...time is really flying!

Sun: Chicken wrapped in bacon, mac-n-cheese, corn on the cob
Mon: Something with ground beef and mashed potatoes
Tues: BBQ chicken on the grill, homemade fries, green beans
Wed:
Thurs: Leftovers
Fri: Calzones for my hubby
Sat: Hubby is taking me out to eat

Monday, June 21, 2010

Weekly Menu 6/21-6/26

Mon: Salmon patties, mac n cheese, green beans
Tues: Pasta with meat sauce
Wed: Crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes
Thurs:Leftover night
Fri: Hamburgers on the grill, chips
Sat: Out, maybe depends on when my hubby gets home from 4 wheeling

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

My med free birth

Hello Everyone! Well the last almost 48 hours have been crazy! I'm gonna do in a timeline.

8:45 went for an ultrasound and was told my fluids were good at an 8 but Julia would not move to save her soul. I had ate some yogurt and drank some OJ which had made her move but it had been about 45 mins at this point.

9:45 saw my OB and she was like well it looks like we are having a baby today and sent me to L&D!

11:00 I'm now hooked up to everything including pitocin and am measuring at a 3 still.

12:00 OB comes in and checks me and I'm up to a 4cm and breaks my water.

2:00 Nurse checks me and I'm at a 5

at around 5:30 the doc who was gonna deliver me came in and I was at a 6 and she pushed on things to get them moving. we talk about pain med options but I really didn't think I needed them and didn't want them

at 8:00 I was finally at a 7after several checks

at 10:00 I was at an 8 and this is when things really started moving.

at 10:30 I was a 9 and I was really starting to hurt!!!

at 11:00 I was a 10 and they were getting everything set up for delivery

at 11:30 I was ready to push, and when I say ready, I was beyond ready, I had so much pressure down there I actually got sick and my contractions were off the chart. I wouldn't have made it without Kevin, he really was my rock! I was sitting on the edge of the bed and would put my face in his chest and he would remind me to breath.

after 20 mins of pushing we had our little girl! She is the most gorgeous child I have ever seen (I'm not prejudiced at all), and has just the right mix of her dad and me!

Some say I am crazy but I wouldn't of changed a thing! Plus it's only been like 40 hours and I am home now and feel great!


Monday, May 10, 2010

weekly menu 5/10-5/15

Tonight: pork chops in apple juice in the crock pot w/ asparagus and mashed potatoes

Tomorrow: Lazy lasagna w/garlic bread

Wed: 3 year Anni, we are going out!

Thurs: leftovers

Fri: Pizza night!

Sat: No clue, maybe doing steaks on the grill!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Slow Cooker Steak Tacos

I was on the hunt for a slow cooker recipe for steak tacos for Cinco De Mayo. So I turned to my girls on the What's Cooking board and once again they didn't fail me! This recipe made my steak so tender, it was literally falling apart as I tried to cut it! We used some sour cream, cheese, and rice in the taco's, oh man it was so tasty!


Adapted from Jaime Cooks

About 3 pounds of Charcoal Steak
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
2 Tbl minced garlic
1 cup water

Monday, May 3, 2010

And an A+ from me


I love tomatoes and I am so glad summer is here! I have planted some in my yard, but stumbled across this recipe tonight on Hyvee.com. Man am I happy I did. I had these for my side while hubby had green beans.

Ingredients
1 firm medium tomatoes
2 tbsp mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves (so excited that I got to use fresh)
1 tsp Dijon mustard (did not use)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese124931

Preparation1. Heat oven to 350°.

2. Core tomatoes. Cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices. Place in single layer on rack in broiler pan. (I just place these on a baking sheet)

3. Mix mayonnaise, 1 tbsp cheese, the basil and mustard. Spread about 1 teaspoon mixture over each tomato slice. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cheese over tomatoes. Bake about 8 minutes or until hot.

4. Set oven control to Broil. Broil tomatoes with tops 6 inches from heat 2 to 4 minutes or until topping is golden and bubbly.

An A+ from my hubby!


Our local store, Hy-Vee, had a recipe for Sour Cream Chicken last week, but when I got home the paper was already taken to the recycler. So I googled it and this is what I came up with! This was seriously simple and oh so good, I would recomend serving it with noodles to sop up some of the delicious sauce!

From Cooks.com

CHICKEN BREASTS IN SOUR CREAM

4 chicken breasts
1 (3 oz.) can sliced mushrooms
1 (10 oz.) can mushroom soup (used cream of chicken)
1/2 soup can sherry (didn't have so I didn't use)
1 c. sour cream
Paprika
Salt & pepper

Arrange chicken in single layer in shallow pan. Salt and pepper. Cover with mushrooms. Mix soup, sherry, and sour cream until blended. Cover chicken with mixture - dust with paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Mother's Day 2010



We are doing Mother's Day a weekend early because my parents will be out-of-town for my sisters graduation from her Masters Program! So this menu was made from things my mom asked for: Giada's Parmesan & Breadcrumb baked mashed potatoes, her recipe for Stuffed Porkchops, Green Bean Casserole and for dessert what I am hoping is a wonderful recipe from Paula Deen, Chocolate Bread Pudding. She did not request but I know this is one of my mom's favorite desserts! I will update after tomorrow with pictures, but for now here is the world's best potatoe recipe from Giada!

Baked bread crumb and parmesan mashed potatoes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.


I also made my Mom's Peachy Stuffed Pork Chops and the good old Green Bean Casserole!


Paula Deen's Chocolate Bread Pudding


Ingredients
1 loaf French or Italian bread, cut into cubes (about 15 cups)
3 cups milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish fill with bread cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur. In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well. Add the cocoa mixture to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture. Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set; a cake tester inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean.

Serve the pudding warm or cold, with Pecan Rum Flambe, dessert sauce.


Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce:
1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup dark rum

In a large skillet, melt the stick butter and add brown sugar, stir together. Add the pecans and cook until sugar has caramelized over medium-high heat. Turn off the stove and pour in the rum. Stand back and carefully light with a long lighter. Be careful; a flame will shoot up above the pan. As the alcohol cooks out, the flame will die down. Serve over chocolate bread pudding.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Weekly menu 4/30-5/6

Tonight: Pizza and a movie

Sat: KC strips, corn on the cob, potatoes all on the grill

Sun: We are doing Mother's Day: Stuffed pork chops, baked mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, chocolate bread pudding!

Mon: Sour cream chicken, asparagus, bread

Tues: Hamburgers on grill, chips

Wed: Mexican night, steak tacos, fiesta rice, chips & salsa

Thurs: Leftover night

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Super Easy Quiche


1 Deep dish frozen pie shell
4 eggs
1/2 c milk (I used 1%)
1/2 c sour cream (this is a Martha tip, makes it thicker)
2 cups cheese (calls for 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup swiss, I used all mexican)
1 box prebaked bacon (recipe calls for 8-10 slices, there are 15 in a box)
2 tbl flour
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cheese and flour together, then add bacon). In another bowl break up eggs, whisk in milk and sour cream and the s&p. Add in the cheese mixture then pour into pie shell! Bake for 40-45 mins.

This recipe came from my momma and there is no tellin where she got it! This is super simple to make and very versatile! I'm going to make it with a seafood combo and try out different veggies!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

DIY Nursery Stuff


My mom and I have been busy crafting for Julia! My mom made some flowers to use on the mobile that was given to me!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Weekly menu 3/7-3/13

Sunday: Steaks on grill, cheesy potatoes, green beans
Monday: Spicy chicken with cornbread
Tuesday: Venison brats, hot dogs, chips
Wednesday: Cannelli bean and cheese tortellini soup w/ garlic bread
Thursday: Leftover night
Friday: pizza night

Monday, March 1, 2010

Picture 26 weeks 2 days, nursery

We had another great weekend! We got to go down and see hubby's family and visit then on Sunday my parents came over and we worked on some finishing touches! My mom came up with a great idea to put some fabric on the backboard on the bookshelf, and it looks AWESOME!!!


She also helped be hang some things on the wall and decide where I want the other things hung! She brought the framed piece with her and it's from her baby blanket, it says "little kittens have lost their mittens" I just love it!


My mom also made me a sign with Julia's name on it, she got the colors perfect!


My mom also brought a shelf she wasn't using to go in the nursery to put things on, which I promptly did placing a little ceramic carriage she brought with her that I remembered my grandma having, it's perfect!


Our friends Kathy and Norman had a few things to let me borrow! One of them is this bassinet, there's a swing (but the cloth is already off of it to be washed) and an outside play area!

Last put not least is a picture hubby took of me tonight!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Menu 2/21-2/27

Sun: Chili-hot dogs
Mon: Stuffed pork chops, green beans, homemade bread
Tues: Goat cheese chicken, mashed potatoes, corn
Wed: Tacos
Thurs:Leftover night
Fri: Friday night pizza night
Sat: More than likely out!