There's always something on my mind...

Like food for example. (and a couple other things that I will address below) I do love a good recipe! Tonight I thought about making Scalloped Potatoes for dinner. I LOVE Scalloped Potatoes! My mommy made them when they came over for Spring Break. We had an Easter dinner together and then made Scalloped potatoes the next night.

2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 c milk
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon butter

Peel and thinly slice potatoes to make about 4 cups. Heat 3 T butter in saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove form heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2 quart casserole dish in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion and 1/3 of the white sauce. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Dot with 1 Tbs butter. Cover and cook in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until potatoes are tender, 60-70 minutes longer. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. 6 servings.

We add granulated garlic to this recipe and it tastes awesome! Also, if you have left over ham from dinner or want to buy some to put into the potatoes... that tastes awesome too. Use powdered milk when making this recipe. You can't taste the difference and it will make it cheaper.

I think this recipe sounds so good! I haven't tried it yet, but I will be soon. It's called Very Berry-licious Smoothies and comes from tasteofhome.com
Ingredients:
2 cups cranberry juice
4 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 cups frozen unsweetened raspberries
2 cartons (6 ounces each) blackberry yogurt
Directions: In a blender, combine half of the ingredients; cover and process until blended. Pour into chilled glasses. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.


You could easily cut this recipe in half so it would only make 3 servings. Since I know the nutrition facts I will give them to you. 1 cup is 148 calories 1 gram of fat 3 mg cholesterol 34 mg sodium 34 g carbohydrates 3 g fiber and 4 g protein.

Also... my doctors appointment went well yesterday. I gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks! I don't know what the heck I did! I haven't been eating a lot (I've been forgetting ironically enough). It must be water weight. My blood pressure was 112/68 which made me happy. I'm glad I don't have to worry about it. I've now gained 23 pounds which is such a big number compared to Emma. I guess I'll be in the "normal" weight gain for this one.

The baby is head down and my cervix is softening! My cervix was rock hard on my due date with Emma so this news is encouraging. I knew something different was happening with this pregnancy because I actually feel hip pain. My hips are definitely widening this time. They never did with Emma so she never dropped and my cervix never softened. I'm crossing my fingers hoping this means I will get to experience a "normal" labor. There really isn't a normal labor though I've realized.

For now I'm just relaxing trying to keep my house clean in case I go into labor and need someone to come over and stay with Emma. My goals for the rest of this week and up until I have the baby are:

• to organize the cupboards so someone coming into my house can see where the food is


• clean all the bedding


• pack my hospital bag


• get all the rest of the crap out of Linnea's room


• plant my flowers in the flower garden


• clean out the fridge

I keep thinking I have to get all these things done because I won't be able to get them done as fast after having this little baby. If I start out having a natural delivery and end up having a C-Section like I did with Emma... I'm going to be on bed rest for 2 weeks and not able to lift more than 20 pounds for 6 weeks. I wasn't a good girl after I had Emma and was lifting heavy stuff, doing deep cleaning and pretty much not being on bed rest. Let's just say I was grateful for 800 mg Ibuprofen and Oxycontin!

SO... to avoid that situation I have to get all this stuff done so there isn't any heavy lifting to do after I have Linnea.

I found this picture and just love it! I think it describes mine and Emma's relationship from the very beginning. She's my buddy. I'm looking forward to having another buddy.

My fat 36 week belly

I've had a few requests to post my pregnant belly so here you go. I just want to point out that I have been feeling like crap for the last week. My allergies are kicking up.

A funny thing happened last night. I got into bed with Jacob and was sound asleep. All of a sudden I wake up because I'm falling out of bed. I tried to compensate and stay on the bed but ended up falling off and landing on my feet (thankfully). Jacob was in a really good sleep and didn't realize he was taking up THE WHOLE BED. He slept right through the whole thing. I told him about it this morning and he didn't believe me. I'm glad someone got some good sleep last night!

I've gained 19 pounds so far. With Emma I gained 12 total so 19 pounds is looking like a lot to me. I know that most women gain in upwards of 20-40 pounds but apparently my body reacts differently to pregnancy. My grandmother (dad's mom) only gained 15 pounds with all 3 of her kids. My mom on the other hand gained 50 with me, 60 with Tyler and 40 with Kaleb... poor lady!

It's really different this last month this time around. With Emma I exercised the whole way through my pregnancy and this time I haven't done hardly any. My hips never hurt with Emma. In fact, I'm convinced that they never softened and seperated (a likely reason why she got stuck and wouldn't fit through the birth canal). This time my hips hurt like crazy! Emma has been wanting to go on walks lately which I've decided is a good thing for me even though I'm in tears by the end.

I felt so pretty when I was pregnant with Emma at 9 months and this time I totally don't. I just feel fat. (Maybe it's because I've gained more weight with this one?).

I'm already retaining water which I didn't do until I was overdue with Emma. It sucks! I've cut back on the salty foods and increased my water intake but it hasn't worked.

I'm nervous about labor. I went through 20 hours of labor with Emma and ended up having a C-Section. I'm attempting labor again if Linnea is positioned correctly but I'm so scared that I could end up having another C Section. Surgery is just a freaky thing for me. I have a major phobia of it.

I REALLY want this baby out! I found out I was pregnant before I skipped my first period and consequently feel like I've been pregnant for forever! I wish I were one of those women who finds out after two skipped periods! I knew before I took the test that I was pregnant. It was kinda weird... I really knew.

I've sucked at taking my multi vitamins this pregnancy. The last 2 months I've taken them probably 4 times. That makes me nervous about the development of my baby. I'm not a healthy eater this time around. With Emma I ate no sweets, and no meat. This time I crave meat and sweets unhealthily.

Anyway, as you can see I'm also an emotional/mental mess which I wasn't with Emma. I've got all these fears and just want the baby to come right now so they will disappear. For those of you who've made it this far... I'm sorry for all my ranting.

My daddy and a couple delish recipes!!!

This last weekend we did end up going to my home town for one of my friends wedding open houses. It was a nice drive over and the weather was perfect (aka not rainy!). My dad just had back surgery and was couped up in the house on the couch. My poor mom gets to deal with him being totally down for 3 months and then only on light duty for another 3 months after that. For those of you who know my dad know that he has never sat a day in his life. I feel confident in saying that NO ONE works harder than my dad. So, 3 months of not being able to do anything is pretty much going to kill him (if my mother doesn't get there first!).

I decided to take the opportunity and talk to my dad just about stuff. I never got to do that growing up because my dad is such a hard worker. I love my dad! He's an amazing man with so much insight and love. I'm glad we got to go over. The best part was hearing him tell me he was proud of me and that I had a cute little family. That meant a lot coming from him.

It's only Tuesday and I'm already burned out this week!!! The weather over here has been incredible! It was 85 yesterday and 87 today. Emma and I went to the library and read books and then went to the park. When we got home she helped me wash the outside of the car which ended up getting pollen all over it after we were done.

Jacob is working 14 hours/day for a while... probably up until I have Linnea. I am just so thankful for all these hours. We've already paid $1200 to the doctor which is everything that I have had done to me (check ups, ultrasounds, blood draws...). $300 more and we will have met our deductible! We need these extra hours!!!

I just had to relay this recipe to you. I love these little cinnamon rolls. I love that they are small and yummy and super easy! I got this recipe from Taste Of Home and they are called "Mini Maple Cinnamon Rolls". I have a dinner recipe too! It's listed below..

Ingredients:
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
TOPPING:
1/2 cup Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons bread flour
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold butter

MAPLE ICING:
1 cup Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Directions: In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or bread flour if needed). When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into two 12-in. x 7-in. rectangles. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half over each rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Place cut side down in one greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, syrup and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Spread over warm rolls. Yield: 2 dozen.

This recipe is called "Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast" It's a recipe from campbellskitchen.com. I love to cook crock pot when it's hot outside and love a simple meat recipe.

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 pouch dry onion soup mix

6 small red potatoes, halved

6 medium carrots cut into 2" pieces

3-3 1/2 pounds boneless beef bottom rount roast or chuck pot roast

Stir soup, onion soup mix, potatoes and carrots in 4 1/2 quart slow cooker. Add beef and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or until beef is fork tender. Or on high for 4-5 hours.

WHAT!!?? A New Recipe!!!?? No way!

So it's pretty much been forever since I last posted a recipe. I'm sorry. The last 4 weekends we have had road trips and so consequently the last 4 weeks I have been recovering from said road trips. I'm happy to say that we aren't taking the road trip we were going to take this weekend and next weekend we aren't going anywhere either! That doesn't mean we don't have A LOT of crap to do though. The irrigation water is now turned on but since the dog ruined 3 sprinkler heads and the spicket... we can't use it. So we are fixing that this weekend since it's going to be in the upper 70s to low 80s! My grass is going to need a drink! Then we get to paint the shed, fix my front flower beds (or lack there of), cut the grass, plant the garden, finish Linnea's room, pre register for the hospital, pack my hospital bag, and find someone to watch Emma just in case my mom isn't coming over when I have the baby.

My dad had back surgery this morning so he is going to be a lame duck for 3 months and then a semi functional lame duck for 6 months. He's the hardest working man I have ever known and not being able to work and having to sit all day every day is going to drive him nuts. My poor mom is going to have to baby sit him so chances are... I'm on my own with this baby!

ANYWAY... forgive my scattered brain. Back to the original point of this post which is my inability to post a recipe. I cook with chicken... a lot. It's cheap and easy to do stuff with. This recipe is called "Sweet and Spicy Chicken" and I got it from... drum roll please.... Taste of Home! I pretty much get all my recipes from there. It is SUPER QUICK and EASY and TASTY! Emma and Jacob and myself LOVE this recipe. It takes 20 minutes TOTAL to make this recipe! Here it is!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 jar (11 ounces) chunky salsa
1/2 cup peach preserves
Hot cooked rice

Directions: Place taco seasoning in a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken and toss to coat. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil until no longer pink. Combine salsa and preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

I used apricot preserves because I didn't have any peach, nor could I find any at the store! It's not that spicy if you use a mild salsa. Emma eats it so it can't be that spicy.

And here's another recipe from Taste of Home that I love. It's a Strawberry Orange Smoothie. It serves 6 and tastes wonderful. I made it for breakfast the other day for the 3 of us and everyone (but Emma) liked it. I love the flavor. Emma isn't a smoothie fan which is why she didn't like it. Maybe it's the texture?

Ingredients:
3 cups orange juice
1 carton (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt
6 fresh strawberries
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 medium firm banana, cut into chunks
Directions: Place half of each ingredient in a blender; cover and process until blended. Pour into chilled glasses. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

I love that you don't add any actual sugar to this recipe. All the sweetness comes from the fruits/ yogurt. I don't buy the orange juice that's made from concentrate and I always buy my canned fruits packed in their own juices instead of the syrup so I don't have that added sugar.

I hope this helps satisfy your cravings for new recipes! Let me know what you think.

Take me to the Zoo!

So this weekend we all went to Seattle to visit with Jacob's sister, brother in law and our 2 nieces Genevieve and Aubrielle. They came up from San Antonio for a visit. It was lots of fun. On our way over we stopped in North Bend to check out the outlet malls. I'm due next month and needed a couple things for when that happens. Emma had lots of fun running all over the sidewalks and sitting in the coin operated machines. Jacob got some new power tools (his anniversary present) which made him happy.

Then we stopped by the Seattle Temple and let Emma out while I ran in to the distribution center to buy some things. Then it was on to Shoreline where we checked into our hotel and relaxed for a while before heading over to Jacob's parents house.

When we got to his parents we all got ready and went swimming at the community pool. Jacob, Emma, Rachel, Jared, Genevieve, Michael and Jessica all swam while I sat and watched everyones stuff. I don't have a swim suit that fits :( . Emma has only been in the water to swim 4 times and she was having so much fun!

There was a slide the kids could go down so Emma and Genevieve took turns sliding down it into the water. Emma took a little coaxing but soon realized that it was a lot of fun. They swam for about and hour and a half and then we headed back to Jacobs parents house. Jacobs best friend Oscar just happened to be at the house when we got back. We had lost Jacob's phone and I didn't have his number so we were elated to see him!
The next morning we went to the Woodland Park Zoo! The last time Emma went to the zoo was when she was 9 months old with my friend Ashley and her son Christian who is a week younger then Emma. Emma was running all over the zoo! She didn't want to ride in the stroller. We were there for 4 hours and she was high energy the whole time. It was cute to watch her.









I decided that pregnant ladies aren't meant to run all over the zoo trying to keep up with a bunch of in shape people! I was so sore by the end! I could barely walk.

Then Rachel and Jared took us all out to Buca di Beppo by South Lake Union. FANTASTIC FOOD! I highly recommend it! It's a family style Italian Restaurant and the food was AMAZING! It was Genevieve's 3rd birthday and we had fun celebrating with her.

Then it was back home for us. It was a fun weekend! I'll post a new recipe some time this week. I've been slacking really bad!!!!