I have a surprise I've been keeping!

(If you can't read the lettering it says "I'm Pregnant")

Joseph and I are expecting! I'm due February 26th and just passed the 14 week mark.

I know that some of you have noticed the lack of posts, and then the lack of WW posts. I felt so bad because I didn't want to disappoint any avid readers (if there are any out there...) and really love cooking but this first trimester was pretty tough!

I will still be blogging and will try to keep it somewhat healthy however when cravings kick in... they kick in (hence the previous post with full fat cheese galore!). I haven't had any access to my WW points calculator because I had to call and cancel my WW membership so any posts from here on out will be pointless... haha. You know what I mean.

I hope you will still come to visit as I post more even if they aren't all WW friendly. After the baby I am planning on going right back onto WW to loose the baby weight so I'll definitely need to try out some good recipes then. Over the next few weeks, however, I will be in Europe so I plan on blogging about my food adventures in Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Stay tuned!

Comfort Food

I can't really say much about this meal. It is so simple and always hits the spot for me. Joseph doesn't mind it either :) Sometimes I use a loaf pan and other times I use a pie pan to shake things up...

Source: My head and my mom :)



Sheppard's Pie ala Danielle

Ground beef (or chicken and turkey like I did for this meal)
Salt & Pepper
1 can tomato sauce
Green beans
Mashed potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese

Boil some potatoes for mashing. Once the potatoes are done (fork tender) mash them, add some milk and butter and season them with salt and pepper. Season and brown the ground beef. Drain and place in the bottom of a loaf pan. Cover meat with tomato sauce.

Add green beans to the top of the meat and sauce (they can be frozen, canned or fresh) and top with mashed potatoes. Spread the potatoes over everything so that you can't see any green beans or meat. Cover with a layer of cheddar (I love extra cheese so I really layer it) and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbling.

Since everything has already been cooked (except the green beans and cheese) the dish really just needs to get warmed thoroughly. I love to make this meal with left overs from other dinners. Sometimes I use left over taco meat for a different flavor. YUM! Look at that cheesy goodness...

Juicy & Delicious

I needed something simple for the crock pot for dinner so I decided to go to my favorite food message board, What's Cooking on TheNest. The gals had some great ideas and I finally chose what I was going to make. But I didn't quite make what the recipe said... I made it my own :)

I was very pleased with the results. The chicken was moist and fork tender. I am going to use the other chicken breast in a meal later this week by shredding it and refrigerating it until needed. I'm thinking either some sort of casserole with potatoes and cheese (yum!!!) or some chicken enchiladas. What do you think?

Source: Reservations Not Required



Pull Apart Crock Pot Chicken (as named by Joseph)

• 2 skinned and boneless chicken breasts (I used frozen)
• 2 garlic cloves, whole
• 1 14 oz can of chicken broth
• 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & Pepper

Sprinkle all herbs and seasonings on top of chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour tomatoes and chicken broth over chicken. Place 1 garlic clove on top of each breast and place bay leaf in between them. Set to cook on low for 6-8 hours.

My first Meme...

I've been tagged by my friend Alanna! Who wants to hear stuff about me? Yeah, I know... you just want the recipes :)

Meme #1

Yep, gotta list the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let your tagger know when you have posted your answers.

Six random things about me—
1. I was born on the birth and the death of the zodiac (March 20th)
2. One of my close friends just moved out of state
3. I love to hang out at the beach with my dogs and my husband
4. I love to cook but have been so lazy lately that I either take pictures and forget to blog them or make my husband cook instead :)
5. Our house is almost coming together. We have drywall in the garage and next is remodeling the kitchen!
6. I am craving chocolate chip cookies right now.

Next at bat: Miranda, Pilar, Marilea, Jolie, Melissa, Amanda

Meme #2

R is for rules—
1. Take a random picture of something around your house. Then post it with no explanation.
2. Write a haiku using your initals as the start of each line.
3. The haiku is not an option.
4. Is something currently baking in your kitchen? If so, what?
5. Tag 3 people to repost this MeMe, including a link back to who tagged you. Let your tagger know that you have posted.

1.

2. Darkness fades away

Crumbling night sky below

Sunshine glows with hope

3. Ok :)

4. No baking... just cooking some marinara sauce for dinner

5. Miranda, Pilar, Marilea