35 Weeks....

Wow...I can't believe I am 35 weeks pregnant today! Time just seems to by flying by which is a bit alarming since we still have so much left to do before our sweet little girl gets here!! It seems like just yesterday Pat and I were talking about starting a family and then wham, I was pregnant!

And then came the pregnancy roller coaster for the next, oh, 8 months! First they thought I was having an ectopic pregnancy, then that got cleared up. Then there were a few more scares here and there throughout the pregnancy including a fun trip to Labor and Delivery at 25 weeks! But thankfully everything has always turned out perfectly!

And now, our little bean is about 5 pounds and just about fully cooked!

I have been pretty tired again most evenings and so I come home and nap or lie on the couch for awhile. I am waiting for our final shower this weekend before I really start organizing the baby room....and because it seems like such a daunting task. I am not a very organized person to begin with....then add it all these teeny, tiny baby clothes and I am lost.

I actually spent my lunch break googling how to fold and organize baby clothes.

The last few weeks have been a mix of utter excitement and bittersweet moments. I keep looking at my wonderful husband knowing that very soon it will no longer be just the two of us. At night while we watch TV I think to myself how different everything will be in a matter of a few mere weeks. It almost makes me want to tear up a bit. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that Little Miss will be here and I know we will love her more than anything....but it's just knowing that this stage of our lives is coming to an end very, very soon.

We have another Dr. appointment set for November 22nd where we will hopefully schedule my c-section. That was a very difficult decision to make, but due to my previous surgeries, Pat and I felt that was the safest route to go for delivery. I'm not thrilled about having another surgery, but as Pat puts it, that is just temporary and my health that we are preserving is long term. So...c-section it is. I can't wait for our next appointment as I am anxious to know if I am making any progress towards going into labor and also to know when we will meet our little girl!!

She did give Pat quite a show the other night wiggling and moving away in my tummy! Pat kept calling her a Wiggle Worm and his eyes kept bugging out of his head at how much she was moving. I know I will miss feeling her movements inside me all day long once she is here. She is my constant buddy, always hanging out with me and encouraging me to eat lots of chocolate and ice cream!

Anyways, as you may have guessed, my cooking habits have slowed down considerably. I don't even have a picture to include in this blog as I left my flash drive at home, but soon I will update with a beautiful picture my mom took this past week of my baby belly and me!

So, while there may not be many recipes in the next few weeks/months, there will be plenty of baby updates...if that is the sort of thing you are into! :)

Baby Showers!!

Yes...the time has finally come for baby showers! My mom threw a wonderful family shower a few weekends ago and then last night my Girl's Night girls put on a beautiful shower too!!! I have some pictures from my mom's shower that I will share, but unfortunately didn't take 1 single picture from last nights shower...so I will have to get some from my friends and then share with you!

For the shower on my mom's side, we had a bakery in town make the cookies....seriously...how cute are these?!?!

Also it was great because my cousin Heidi was there and she is due 2 days before me! Can you believe it? She is having her third child and this one is a little guy....I am sure he will be a cutie like his brother and sister!!

Here is a picture of my wonderful mamma and me!!

The whole gang!

All of the wonderful gifts for our wonderful little girl!!

I just can't believe all the wonderful things we are getting for the baby girl!!! And, I can't believe how close she is to getting here. I wobble between total excitement, and total fear! But I think I lean more towards the excited side!

Pat and I are continuing to clean out our old work-out room and transform it into the perfect room for our little sweet pea! It has been a S-L-O-W work in progress....but we are getting there! Pat has been a huge help with organizing and moving stuff too. Hopefully this "nesting" thing all the baby books talk about kicks in soon....until then I would much rather take a nap! Haha!

For both showers I made a delicious Jalapeno Popper dip....and for both showers I failed to take a picture of it! So sorry! But I promise...it is REALLY, REALLY good. And, super simple to toss together!

Here is the recipe:

Jalapeno Popper Dip

from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

2- 8oz packages softened cream cheese

1 cup mayo

1-4oz can chopped green chiles, drained

1-4oz can diced jalapeno peppers, drained

1/2 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, green chiles, jalapenos, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approx 9x9 inches).

3. Sprinkle both the Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top of mixture.

4. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and topping is golden. Serve warm with baguette slices.

Last Bite: Well....this dip was super easy and super yummy! It has enough of a bite to really taste great, but not too much to feel like your mouth is on fire! And....baby showers with friends and family are just the best! One more baby shower to go...can't wait!!!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ahh...October! My favorite month of the year! I love how fall comes in during this month. Some days are chilly....others are quite warm like it is today! Fall also means Football season which I LOVE! I am a huge Colts fan...and for my husband...also a U of M fan. I so look forward to Saturday and Sunday afternoon, where all I have to do is cheer my team on...and eat!

These sliders are perfect for this time of year! They are quick to put together and very tasty. As I was making these this past weekend I was smiling to myself thinking about our little baby growing away in my belly. The recipe calls for you to sprinkle poppy seeds on the tops of the sliders and I was amazed to realize that at one point our baby was only the size of a poppy seed. Now she is just about 3 pounds and full of kicks and jabs all day long! I am more amazed that we will meet her in just 2 short months! Wow!

Anyways...back to the sliders! I hope you enjoy them!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

For sliders:

1 pack of Hawaiian Snack Rolls (there are 4 to a pack)

4 slices of ham

4 slices of provolone cheese

Mayo

For sauce:

3 Tbs melted butter

1/2 Tbs yellow mustard

1/2 tsp dried onion

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Poppy seeds for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. To assemble sliders, put mayo on each side of slider roll. Place 1 piece of ham and 1 piece of cheese on one side and put the slider together. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

3. To make the sauce combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the sliders. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Serve warm.

Last Bite: Super easy and super fast. Feel free to experiment with these as well...I am sure there are some great flavor combos out there! Enjoy!

One Year Anniversary

Disclaimer: There is no recipe and no food photos in this post....just the wandering thoughts of a happy, pregnant lady!

I can't believe that Pat and I have been married for a whole year already! The time really seemed to fly by! We celebrated our one year anniversary over the weekend by going to Captains Cabin for dinner on Saturday night. I got the lobster tail, which I NEVER get but I figured, hey, since I can't celebrate with any wine, I might as well have an awesome meal! And trust me, it was! Pat dined on the prime rib and we both left in a food coma. On Sunday, our actual anniversary, we headed to Fort Wayne to register for Little Baby Knox.

Let me just tell you, Babies R Us does an incredible job of making an overwhelming task seem very manageable. They are very good at what they do and we were really happy that we chose to register there. But 2 hours later we were tired and hungry so we headed to Granite City for brunch. And again, stuffed ourselves silly. Their caramel cinnamon rolls....amazing!

On our way home from Fort Wayne I was thinking in the car about just how much can happen in a year. Here we are, one year later and expecting a wonderful baby girl in three months! Wow. I was also thinking that if someone would have told Pat and I on our wedding day that we would have a different dog a year later, neither of us would have believed it. And yet, our sweet Hershey is no longer with us, but we have a lovable and very funny Roxy now, who we love dearly.

I just feel very blessed that Pat and I found each other. He makes me laugh every day and has taught me so much in the time we have known one another. Sure, we have our differences like any couple, but he truly is the right person for me and I am happy to be his wife.

Late last week Pat sent me an email telling me to listen to a song he had found that would be his new theme song. It was Rodney Atkins 'Cleaning This Gun'. If you haven't heard it, hit it up on YouTube. It's about a dad meeting his daughters date for the night, while cleaning his gun. Pretty cute song. And it just makes me smile because I know he will be the best dad in the world! I wasn't sure how he would do at first after learning we were having a girl, but he has fully embraced the role of her protector, and she isn't even here yet. I so look forward to our future together and as a family.

I look back at pictures taken on our wedding day and smile every time. I think to myself how lucky I am that I was so happy on my wedding day...and still so happy today! Sure, I may be laughing like an idiot in every single picture, but that is what makes me love them even more. I wasn't concerned with looking perfect in every shot because I knew deep down we were getting the perfect shot. Our photographer captured our joy on our wedding day and I feel it every time I look at our pictures.

I have a great husband and feel so happy to have celebrated an entire year together as husband and wife. I look forward to many, many more years together. I love him very much!

Updates!

Let me just tell you....pregnancy + MBA homework + working + puppy = one tired girl! But things really are going well here! Getting ready to start my 24th week and take a quick trip out of town with Pat. We have been told by just about anyone who has ever had a kid to take a trip now while we can...because once our little girl arrives this December....life will never be the same. So, Chicago....here we come!

I am sorry I don't have a recent belly pic to share either (they are on Pat's camera which I don't have with me at the moment) but rest assured...it's getting bigger! We did put the crib together this past week and here is a picture! It's crazy how our home is already getting ready for the baby. She is now kicking and punching up a storm too which I love! What an amazing feeling!


Things with our little puppy Roxy are going great too...although she is more like a toddler now than anything. She has endless energy and must sniff and put everything into her mouth! But she is such a joy and makes us laugh each and every day.

Here is one of her latest antics....she likes to climb into the shower! I snapped this picture real quick before she hopped in with Pat. Yes, she is a true water dog!

And she also insists on sitting on our lap during car rides. Here she is snoozing away. I hate to break it to her....but her time on our lap is getting short as she keeps growing.

And finally....a supper yummy summer meal to share! This came together in a snap and if you like salmon and like strawberries...I promise you will love it! I just tossed some potatoes in the oven too and made baked potatoes to go along with this meal...how easy is that???

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

Salsa:

2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup fresh tomatoes from the garden (or store), chopped

2 scallions, white and green portions, sliced thin

1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle of honey

Salt and pepper to taste

4 salmon fillets

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. To make the salsa, combine the strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Mix well to blend, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon.

2. Preheat the broiler.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the salmon fillets on the foil.

4. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over each fillet and season with salt and pepper.

5. Broil about 6-8 inches away from the heat source and cook fro about 10-12 minutes or until done.

6. Transfer salmon to serving plates and top with strawberry salsa. Serve warm.

Last Bite: Even though there is a ton going on right now (probably in your life too) I promise this really doesn't take long to whip up, and it's perfect on a warm summer night! Enjoy!

Major Yum!

So this past weekend I made Muffins That Taste Like Donuts! They. Were. Awesome! :) Plus I have been craving a donut for about two solid weeks so I thought this was the slightly (but not by much I'm sure) healthier version. At any rate, Baby Girl Knox and I both loved them so much we ate roughly 4500. Ok, slight exaggeration, but still...Pat really only got about 2. You snooze, you lose man!

At any rate, they were super easy to throw together and make for a great breakfast. Or snack. Or dinner. You get my point!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts
from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cups white sugar
1 whole egg
3/4 cups milk

For Topping
1/4 cups butter
1/3 cups white sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl
3. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.
4. Spray muffin tin with vegetable spray and fill 1/2 way full with batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.
6. Once muffins are baked, shake onto counter while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool

Last Bite: Seriously, these were really good. You could taste the nutmeg in the muffin and then the sweet crunchy topping of sugar and butter...mmmm....so good! And hey, if you don't like them (because something is wrong with you, not the muffins) then bring them to me...the baby and I could use a few hundred more!

Super Summer Meal

Looks like I have been on quite a Giada kick lately...and it doesn't look like it's gong to stop anytime soon! Today's recipe is also from her collection. I just always love everything she comes up with. So last night for dinner Pat and I had her Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Sauce, sweet corn on the cob and a lovely summer salad. It was a cinch to throw together and the perfect summer meal.

I was a bit worried that the spicy tenders would be too spicy so I cut back pretty drastically on the cayenne and hot sauce. Do NOT make the same mistake. While they were still really good...they had no spice at all. I will follow the recipe exactly the next time I make these.

Also...I am including a picture of the cute baby girl! We had our 18 week ultrasound yesterday and she looks great! She is measuring right on track and weighing in at a whopping 9 ounces. We got a 3D ultrasound and it is amazing how well you can see your baby! I just love looking at that little face and can't wait to meet her and love on her in December!






Ok...recipe time!

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Sauce
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray

Honey-Mustard-
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup whole grain mustard

Breading-
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs salt, plus extra for seasoning
3 large eggs at room temp
3 Tbs hot sauce
1 cup cornmeal
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a heavy baking sheet liberally with cooking spray. Set aside
2. Honey-Mustard: In a small serving bowl, mix together honey and mustard until smooth. Set aside
3. Breading: IN a medium bowl, mix together flower and salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce. In a third medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, chili powder and cayenne pepper.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour and then into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off and coat the chicken in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Arrange the breaded chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Last Bite: I will ALWAYS make my own honey-mustard sauce from now on. It was so easy and tasted WONDERFUL!!! Also...I will kick up the spice next time...but still a great meal!