Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God
I dont know but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dogs, no smog
And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog


....ahem..I mean, today was a good day for me and my Scout. She did wake up at 4:30 in the morning because she had pooped and then couldn't go back to sleep after I changed her (I wish that would quit happening). But then she went back to sleep at 7:00 and so did I and we both got up at 10:00 nice and refreshed. We played until she tuckered out at around 1:30 in the afternoon and she slept until 4:00! That was very convenient for me because the kitchen was a wreck and I needed to make some dinner preparations for the company we had over later on. I made a chicken casserole, like my mom always made when we had leftover roasted chicken to use up:

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing (one of the only brands of stuffing mix you can find that does not have MSG)
1/2 roasted chicken, de-boned and pulled into small bite-size pieces
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained well
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup (one of the only cream soups that does not contain MSG)
1 soup can full of skim milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9" x 13" glass baking dish w/ cooking spray or grease lightly with olive oil. Prepare the stuffing mix as directed on package and spread a layer over the bottom of the baking dish, pressing it up onto the sides with a spoon. This forms the crust. Spread the chicken evenly on top of the stuffing. Then, spread the chopped broccoli evenly over the chicken. Spread the rest of the stuffing on top. Mix the condensed soup with one can of milk and pour evenly over the entire casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes (or 45 minutes to an hour if the casserole had been refrigerated prior to baking). Cut into 8 servings. This dish is really yummy served with cranberry sauce and corn on the side. An 8th of the casserole is 9 points, in case any of you WW peeps were wondering.

After I whipped up the casserole, I put it in the fridge for later and made a salad. I cleaned up my mess in the kitchen and straightened up around the house.

Scout finally woke up and we played some more and I got dressed. I popped the casserole in the oven around 4:15. Company arrived at 5:30. DH's ex-coworker and his wife and baby came over so DH could work on some computer stuff for him. I have gotten to hang out with his wife several times before and I think she is super nice. Their little boy is almost exactly the same age as Scout, so we all had fun playing in the floor and chasing our mobile little creatures. Scout was so content the whole time and seemed to have tons of fun.

After company left, Scout got her nightly bath and went right to bed. Aaahh.

I have found that I really enjoy entertaining and it's been refreshing to cook more often lately.

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot the icing on the cake: I found the missing piece to my bluetooth earpiece. I thought I had lost it, but after putting Scout to bed, I cozied up in my favorite hoodie and stuck my hand in the pocket. Lo and behold, there it was. I thought it was gone for good. Without it, my bluetooth earpiece is not functional. I had gotten so used to using it because Scout always tries to grab my phone when I am holding it to my ear, so it was a big inconvenience not to have that luxury anymore.

Here are a few pics of Scout from this morning. I don't know why I didn't think to get the camera out when she was having fun with her little playmate.

Aawwww....mommy lets Scout play with plastic packing material (supervised, of course)



Good thing our dog doesn't mind being used as a jungle gym.





Scout entertained herself for about a half hour by pulling a bunch of books and CD's off the shelf. She was playing so intently and having a grand time.

Labels: food, pics of scout, playing, recipes

I think I am going to make this tonight:

Jalapeno Corn Bread

2 cups cream corn
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 4oz can of jalapenos or green chilies, seeded and chopped
2 cups corn bread mix
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9x2 inch pan. Combine corn, corn bread mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, cheese, onion, and jalapenos. Pour into pan. Bake about 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Recipe can easily be halved.

I got this recipe from Cooks.com, but I'm pretty sure it's the exact same recipe that my friend used to make this delicious cornbread that you can almost make a meal out of. I will have to leave out the sour cream, because my husband HATES sour cream with a passion. And trust me - he will be able to tell that I used sour cream. He can sense it, even if he can't quite taste it. I have some brown & red beans simmering in the crock pot right now. Maybe I'll have a few friends over to help us eat all of it, since I made WAY too many beans.

****ETA****
Oops - I had originally typed "2 CANS of cream corn", when it should've been CUPS. Doh! Well, good thing I realized that before I made it....but then I actually did end up using 2 cans, because I needed to substitute for the sour cream I left out.

Labels: food, recipes

So, it's the end of June and we're going to start trying to have a baby in August. Assuming that we get pregnant right away, I have a little more than a good solid month of trying to eat right, taking my vitamins, and exercizing before actually being pregnant.

Sadly, the last week or so I've been eating pretty unhealthily. At a recent church function I brought some lime Jell-o concoction I made with pineapples, marachino cherries, cream cheese, whipped cream, colored marshmallows, and walnuts. I know it sounds like something out of a 60's cookbook, sharing a page with the weird tuna aspic and radio active-looking swedish meatballs, but I love it for some reason. I usually make something similar for every potluck I go to. Most of it got eaten, but I ended up bringing the last 4-5 servings home and ate it all by myself within 2 days! Guess DH is not a big fan of green Jell-o chock full o' sweet junk.

Every Friday, our church has a barbeque on the new church property to celebrate the beginning of its construction. And every Friday it's hamburgers and hotdogs.....deliciously burnt with smoky grill lines. Yum. How can I turn that down? I think I've gained 5 lbs in the last couple weeks. Not good.

The midwife that I would like to have for my prenatal care as well as the birth is an expert in nutrition and told me that she is very strict and pushy when it comes to making sure the women she works with are eating a natural and healthy diet. UUuughh. Maybe I won't tell her about this little binge I've been on. She is a vegan herself, but I don't think she necessarily forces that lifestyle choice on her clients. She does encourage a diet full of unprocessed foods free of pork and red meat - lots of fruits, veggies, natural grains, and herbal supplements.

Okay, just one more weekend of this junk and then I'll eat healthy from then on....I promise.

Back to the weird retro gelatin salads....here's one for you:

EGGS IN ASPIC





HERE'S ANOTHER ONE I DON'T HAVE A PIC FOR:

Heavenly Cheese Mold

INGREDIENTS:
13 oz. can crushed pineapple
3 oz. pkg. lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
PREPARATION:
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add enough water to pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup, if necessary. In large bowl, place jello and add boiling water. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add pineapple liquid and stir. Chill in refrigerator until slightly thickened. Fold in pineapple and shredded cheese.
Whip cream in medium bowl until stiff. Fold into gelatin mixture. Pour into 1-1/2 quart mold, cover, and chill until firm. 8 servings

Recipe from busycooks.about.com

Somehow, I never imagined lemon Jell-o paired with cheddar cheese.....but what do I know?

Labels: food, health, recipes, ttc