Now that it's officially out there I can say.... WE ARE EXPECTING!!!!

Because you wanted to see my pee sticks

You read that correctly....we are expecting! We decided to wait until we knew what our baby was gender wise before we announced the pregnancy. So now that we know...

Matt and I would like to officially announce that:

We are both very excited and are looking forward to this journey! Ready or not, right???? I thought it would be fun to do a weekly questionnaire for you guys...and also for this week I found this cute questionnaire and decided to fill it out...because it fills you in on all the pregnancy details of the past months!!! :) So have at it!


About the Mommy!
Name: Jennifer (duh)
Age: 27
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
First Child: Yes

About the Daddy!
Name: Matthew
Age: 37
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel (although sometimes they look yellow! like a cat's! ooooo)
First Child: No, Matt has two boys :) and this one makes three!!!! Man...he's on a roll!

Finding Out!!
What day did you find out?: April 24, 2013
How did you feel when you found out?: Scared, nervous, excited...disbelief.."well that happened fast!" haha! We only started trying in March and then April...boom!
Who was with you?: No one--Matt was at work still and I took the test at around 6:00pm after feeling funny in Body Pump...
Who was the first person you told?: Matt of course! :)
How did they react?: He was excited ...maybe shocked...??

Telling the Grandparents!!!
How did your parents react?: I Skyped with my mom, dad, and aunt after we had had the 8 week ultrasound...I wanted to make sure there was a heartbeat, etc. I told them I wanted to introduce them to someone and they were all very excited when I showed them the ultrasound.
How did his parents react?: They were excited for us
Are they helping with baby names?: I've bounced names off of them for feedback...so sort of! :)
Have they bought anything for the baby yet?: Are you kidding me?? This child will be well clothed and read too! :)
How often do they call to check on you?: My mom calls me every night...Matt's deployed so she calls to check up on me to make sure I haven't gotten kidnapped ;-) don't worry! I'm still here! I've got a gun....

About the Pregnancy!!!
When was your first appointment?: May 28, 2013 @ 9:10am...Matt was able to come to it with me! It was so cool...the ultrasound was more detailed then I had expected...I'm almost positive I saw it's nose and hands...
When is your due date?: January 4, 2014 (I thought that was cool with the 01-04-2014 look) If it was 10 days later, it would have fallen on my maternal grandfather's 100th birthday! 
How far along are you?: 25 weeks, 5 days
Have you had any ultrasounds?: Three total (one at 8weeks, one at 12wks, and one at 20 weeks)
Have you heard the heartbeat?: Yes! I recorded it on my phone too so Matt could listen to it later over video chat :) The baby was moving quite a bit!
What was the heartbeat?: @12wks it was 170, @20wks it was??? I don't remember, but this last appt it was at 158
Sex of the baby: A BOY!!! YAY!!!!!

About the birth!!
Do you know what you are taking with you?: In true Jeni fashion, I have lists saved of what to take :) the internet is great for that! No need to take more than what you truly need...
Who is going to be with you?: My parents will be in town so they will be at the hospital, but in the delivery room, just my Matthew and the doctor/nurse.
Are you going to videotape it?: Absolutely not..no one is allowed down there unless they are supposed to be!! :) That's just me...I'm a private person.
Natural or Medicated?: Medicated please!
Do you think you will need a c-section?: I am hoping no, but knowing my entrance into the world--things happen! Sometimes baby needs to come out a little differently then what was planned... :) I was under a lot of stress so I was taken by c-section--hmmm kind of how I stress out now...should have known, mom!
Will you cry when you hold your baby for the first time?: Most likely...but who knows!
Do you think Daddy will cry?: That I can't answer...but maybe? The manly answer would be no... ;)
Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold him/her?: Not really...but maybe commenting on some physical feature that might be a reminder of Matt or I...which should be interesting! We both have very dominating genes! :) maybe "I'm glad you're here...let's celebrate!" :)

Names!!
Do you have a name picked out?: Yep!
Is your baby going to be named after someone?: First name, no...but middle name yes!

Other Random Questions!!
Have you felt the baby move?: Yes!!!! Crazy kid in there if the moving around is any indication...we may have a night owl on our hands
What was your first symptom?: I was in Body Pump and noticed my heart rate was CRAZY high on my HR monitor--that was the first thing I had noticed when I was pregnant in September 2012 before miscarrying--I found this odd and kind of thought to myself "hmmmm I wonder if I'm pregnant...." so I finished the class and went straight to Walmart to get a pregnancy test...then I went home and BOOM...sure enough. I remember thinking that the line that popped up was so much darker than what I had been seeing in September...I felt like that was a good sign...
Will your baby have God-Parents?: No
What is the baby’s room theme?: We are going for a monkey elephanty giraffey....type theme :) focusing on chocolate and sage green colors. I decided this before knowing what the sex was...because it can go either way really! It'll be perfect for him though.
What was the first thing you bought for the baby?: Hmmm...I actually haven't bought ANYTHING for the baby...I'm a bad parent already! :-/ But clothing has been bought by my mom and aunt :)
Will you cloth diaper?: Nope
Breastfeeding or Formula?: Both...with my crazy schedule I would like to pump enough to be able to bottle feed if I'm somewhere public (I'm ubber private about stuff and really don't want to breastfeed in public)...or if I don't have breast milk with me--formula...and depending on what's going on during the day, I may have to supplement with formula. I have a plan in my head...in any case, the child will be well fed! :) It just may not be what some people agree with...but I have to do what I have to do.
What is your favorite pregnancy book?: I have What to Expect When You're Expecting..."the pregnancy bible" so I enjoy looking at that...BUT my favorite is actually a book that my mom gave me that she had when she was pregnant with me...it has pictures of what the baby looks like inside of you. If you can get past the 1960s look of the lady and the wording in the book--it's quite informative!
What do you look forward to doing again once you are no longer pregnant?: Running!! And working out like I used to...I've been working out, but I can't do it like I did pre-pregnancy...it's just soooo tiring. And slightly depressing...I haven't been able to get used to that yet honestly...I've had to go down in weights in Body Pump and I still get so breathless...ugh. And half way through the hour I feel so sluggish and ready for it to be over with. Sometimes I feel like I am going to pass out and honestly, I don't look pregnant. I have enough of a pooch to look like maybe I ate too much Mexican food the night before :-/...I also am looking forward to (and please don't think I'm an alcoholic..) WINE! I miss having a glass of wine...when I want! 
What physical features do you hope baby will get from Daddy?: His smile :) and nice eyes
What physical features do you hope baby will get from you?: My hair maybe my eyes too...I don't know!
Is he ready to be a Daddy?: Maybe? We still have some time yet...I guess he should get ready if he's not!
Are you ready to be a Mommy?: I have to get there...I'm ready, but I am also very anxious about it (we go back to the whole schedule thing...I just want to make sure I can handle everything and then I'll be fine and not so worried) <---I'm a worrier and I stress...school + baby + commitments=STRESS! But I can do it! :)

Weekly Questionnaire<---this one I'm going to try to update each week!!! :)
This week, Baby is the size of a: Zucchini
How far along? 25 weeks, 5 days
Due date: January 4, 2014
Total weight gain/loss: gain of 6 lbs from my 8 week appt, gain of 10 lbs from after losing some weight the first trimester
Maternity clothes? I have a maternity skirt I'm wearing because it's comfy and then I've been using a rubber band on my shorts, that's about it! I have a whole GREAT bin of clothes that I was given and can't wait to dive into those once I need them!! :) *Thanks April!*
Sleep: I'm having bits of insomnia :-/ I can never fall asleep until around 3 in the morning...although it may be because Matthew is not there :(
Best moment this week: Feeling him move so much I guess! Sometimes it's kind of scary...haha!
Movement: I definitely feel him...I try to feel the exact place where he will kick, but it's always the opposite...sneaky kid. He likes to "swim away" as Matt and I say...he avoids stuff such as when the Doctor uses the Doppler to listen to his heart beat, he literally moved away...not joking.
Food cravings: No real cravings honestly. Nothing like I HAVE TO HAVE (fill in the blank)...the other day I thought a Twinkie sounded nice...but I didn't go after it. So it must not have been a true craving....
Symptoms: My back hurts. My lower back to be exact...it's really annoying.
Gender: It's a BOY!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Feeling toward Pregnancy: I'm kind of bored with it...I know that's a harsh thing to say, but I really am...maybe it's the waiting that's boring? I don't know...I'm not really enjoying it like people say you are supposed to...I don't think that's a bad thing and I don't think it makes me a bad mother to be, I just don't enjoy it and I think it has a lot to do with feeling awkward and not being able to just get up and go do things like I'm used to.
What I miss: I miss my Matthew...a lot. And I miss wine :) Matt and wine...hehe!
What I am looking forward to: getting the pregnancy over with/having that baby in my arms and figuring out a good schedule....I'm all about the schedule. Once I figure that out for the first bit...I'll be good to go and not as stressed.
Milestones: Ummmm I'm not really sure...we found out the gender but that was 5 weeks ago. It was still fun though! :)

And just because I know you want to see him, here's our baby! Matt and I kiiiiind of think that he looks like he's flipping us off...naughty child. But seriously...it looks like he is. Right? haha! 

Guess who's back....back again!! Jeni's back....tell a friend....(a little Eminem for ya) :-D

This picture has no purpose

*sigh* Seriously folks...I looked at the last time I posted and it was in March. I know my thousands of readers have missed me...riiiiiiiiight. I know I always have excuses, but honestly this time they are legit. I'll take this opportunity to catch up with you all because MAN have I been busy.

First of all (and it's big one)....Matt deployed. :( I know...I'm really sad too. A king sized bed is just too big without him in there at night. And of course, this also means that I have not been cooking...so unfortunately, I can't share any new recipes with you guys, but I can always chat--share what I've been up to during the week...at least until he gets back and maybe put up some recipes I've done, but never shared. My cooking has consisted of putting stuff in the microwave and making small salads for myself...whoo hoo! :) Fancy. Only the best. I have said it before and I will say it again though, I feel so blessed to have had the time that I did with Matt. It was so great to have him back here on rear detachment for a bit and to spend that time with him. I felt very lucky.

So what have I been doing? Let's break it down by month I guess....

APRIL

The Ditchley Portrait

April was crazy!!! With the weird snowy weather (that happened all the way up until May by the way!--this is not a complaint!! I love the snow) my class got cancelled quite a bit during the semester. So there was always a paper due at some point...but then it was moved to another date...and then it caused another paper to get moved. So basically the last two months of school I was typing my little behind off with postponed papers. I did a research paper on Elizabeth I and one of her portraits. The research for this was amazing! I always knew, from my own random research, that she always had messages within her portraits. Political usually. But I didn't realize HOW MUCH! I examined the Ditchley Portrait and really enjoyed writing it. Which may or may not be a nerdy thing to say! :) April was also my birthday month! Whoo hoo! I had a GREAT birthday with my bff Stephanie coming into town to surprise me! We had so much fun catching up. On my birthday we went to lunch, got pedicures, went wine tasting at a place in Manitou Springs called D'Vine Wine, saw an elk...yes, just sitting there...a random elk, and went to dinner with Matt. It was a great day and weekend with her. Made me miss Leavenworth and being able to see her everyday! :)

MAY

Maggilicious is not outdoorsy

More paper writing...and Matt's brother, Mark came into town. He's in the Navy and had been deployed. So he decided to come see us while on some leave. It snowed the day before he got here which was crazy. But it melted which was good for landing in a plane and driving to Denver to go get him! We played a lot of disc golf, which I've missed! We also took him to play pool at our local pool haunt. I'm not 100% sure who won most of the time, but I know I beat Matt at some point...maybe. :) May was also the end of the semester of course and I honestly was sad it was over. I loved my class!!!! It was so interesting and exactly the subject I love: Tudor history. I could literally sit and listen to our professor for HOURS. Our last day of class was so awesome. Being in a more concentrated subject, you obviously have smaller classes which I like...you get to know people better and the professor gets to know you better too. We had a class discussion over Leviathan (this was our last graded assignment) and as a class gave her cards and a gift while eating pizza. She is a really neat lady and I look forward to picking her brain sometime :) May also brought the end to an era...in this case I'm mean my poor Kia Optima. It had to be retired. My poor little car made it so far, yet wasn't performing to the best of it's abilities anymore--meaning it was stalling and doing weird things. We were sinking money into it and it was just time. Especially with Matt deploying. I know enough people to call if my car stalled on the side of the road, but it was just getting to be slightly dangerous and Matt felt uncomfortable leaving me like that. His Avalanche is also having some problems--so it was a decision that had to be made....to get a new car for Jeni. We put it off as long as we could since I didn't have any car payments, but with Matt's car about to be paid off (yippee!!), we decided it would be an easy transition. We went with a GMC Acadia and I love it! It's a great car...rides wonderful and it's up high! Which I have been so used to being low in a car...ahhhh to have an SUV and be up high...so nice! :) We also went to Matt's family cabin in New Mexico! We took Maggie and left the kitties. It was so peaceful. We went hiking and exploring. We went to White Sands and the space museum there. I also had fun laughing at the hummingbirds coming to the feeder at the cabin. One would always wait for another to come to feed and it was chase it off! Meany! It was cute to watch though. During May I was also officially elected into the Mountain Post Spouses Club as their 1st Vice President. I'm super excited about it as my "big jobs" are a holiday bazaar in November and a super fun casino night in March!!! This group of ladies are AMAZING and I'm so looking forward to getting to know them better and having a wonderful year!!

JUNE

June was spent going places and doing things. Matt deployed towards the end of the month and we wanted to spend as much time together as possible. We even got to stay in the Stanley Hotel!! Spooky!!! It was really neat to stay there...even if I was scared and didn't go to sleep until 4am. :)

We also went to Estes Park...fed some chippymunks...went hiking! 

We went to the Renaissance Festival and watched a really neat cat show (like big cats...not domestic cats!)...of course we people watched! :) That's the king and queen by the way! ;-)

And then of course Matt deployed...which was sad. I was lucky enough, though, to have my mom fly up here so we could drive down with the fur children to San Antonio. That was at the end of June...

JULY

Back in San Antonio! Yay!! I miss San Antonio so much sometimes. It's a lot of fun to go back...plus I was able to spend about 3 weeks there so I got to see a lot of friends and family. My oldest brother, Greg, was actually there for a bit when I first arrived and it was so great to see him after many years. I really enjoyed catching up with him and it was an extra treat for my trip that he was there. My family and I had a lovely 4th of July with fireworks courtesy of Six Flags from the side of the road. We ate my dad's spectacular macaroni salad and had hamburgers/hotdogs! I got some Taco Cabana--which Colorado doesn't have (grrrrrr) and went on my mom and aunt's weekly grocery shopping trips to HEB (I miss HEB). I was able to see some volleyball teammates (yay Begging for It!) and watched them play one night. I really wanted to jump in!!! I miss playing and I especially miss playing with them and the whole group that we knew through the Sports and Social club. I was able to see my cousin April and her little boy, who is too cute! :) I just really enjoyed my time there. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. Going on walks with my aunt and mom, spending time with my dad as we went to the radio station that he takes care of in Seguin. And of course Miss Maggie Moo had a wonderful time being loved on by her grandpa :) Funny story though about my Millie kittie...well funny now...not at the time people! So, I go off to bed around 12:45/1:00 in the morning and I make sure Tiggie and Maggie and Millie are all in the room...however...no Millie! Where is she I wonder??? I look in the closet, under the bed, behind the dresser...in the bathroom, in the other bedroom...in the living room...kitchen...dining room...you get the point. My mom ends up coming out...sees me in a panic and we spend about 45 minutes actually looking for her. Maybe it was more...maybe it was less...I don't know. We look outside...we look inside...we shine flashlights on the roof...we look in the garage (this whole time we are yelling her name and I'm banging on things to see if she'll come out). No Millie....you see that day was grocery shopping day and we thought maybe she got out when we were bringing the groceries in. So of course I'm in tears...how could I lose her...I'm a horrible pet parent. She's mostly black with little white paws...how am I going to find her at NIGHT!?! So we are standing outside in front of the garage calling for her...suddenly...I hear it. A meow...her meow. Is she on the roof? No...is she on the side of the house? No...where is she??? I run into the house and into the garage...I call her name again....*meow* I call her again and I see her come out of her little hiding place...what the heck Millie. Apparently since we brought the groceries in through the garage she had decided to explore when no one was looking. Poor cat was out there from about 2:00pm until way past 1:00 in the morning...in the heat. What she did out there all day, I have no idea. But at the time I really didn't care...I gave her the biggest hug and took her into get water and some food. I'm 100% sure she won't be going exploring anymore. And I'm also very happy we found her because it could have gotten dangerous with that San Antonio heat :( so like I said...scary/sad at the time...but now slightly funny because all I can picture is her exploring all day and then being like "Alright! I'm done!....how do I get out of here??!?!" Silly Millie. Anyway...I came back to Colorado around the 25th of July. I needed to get back to get going on some spouses club stuff and school things as well. My mom drove back with me and I ended up  taking her up to Estes Park. She got to experience the joys of chipmunk feeding and I showed her the Stanley Hotel and drove her around trying to find the sheep and elk, but alas they made a liar out of me...probably payback from calling Matt a liar when he took me there the first time! :) She enjoyed herself and that's what matters!




AUGUST

And suddenly we were in August...how did that happen!?!? Not too much went on except meetings and such for the spouse's club. Maggie's AND Tiggie's birthdays were both on August 5th. I know Maggie is for real on the 5th, but Tiggie was so close to the 5th that that's what we decided on so we could remember it. Millie's is actually close to Matt's so we put it on the 29th of June with his. I bought some cupcakes for Maggie and me and I also bought her a new toy as well as the kitties some new toys.  I ordered my books for school--22 of them by the way. Yea. If you just said something like "oh my gosh!" or "you have to be kidding me" ...that's EXACTLY what I said. I did have a potluck to go to to meet people within the history department since all I had met last semester was the Director of Graduate Studies, my professor for my class obviously, and the admin assistant for the department. It was nice to meet new people--and meet students within the program as well. I also was able to meet one of my professors for this semester. We also had Super Sign Up for the Spouse's Club and Destination Fort Carson...all fun events to hang out with my fellow spouses and show what we have to offer!!!

SEPTEMBER

Ah...September. And here we are almost at the end of it too! Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE the fall. And right now the weather couldn't be more perfectly fall!! September has been pretty much the same as August, except with reading and papers due every week. I am learning a lot in my classes and enjoying them for the most part. I am making great headway in the preparation for the Holiday Bazaar in November. We have 64 vendors and counting. My last push for vendors will be tomorrow at a craft fair on post and then there's a craft fair at a church over near where I live on the 5th of October that I'm going to go to as well. Both events I will have applications in hand. Once those two are done, I think it'll be time to stop pushing. That doesn't mean I won't accept any more of course! But I'm just really excited that we are at 64 right now. It's been such a fun experience so far working with these vendors and seeing all of the different products they are selling. I am definitely doing some Christmas shopping at the event! :) I put my fall decorations up this past weekend. I am still looking for something to go on the porch. It needs something. I'll figure it out! :) The end of September means the start of October, which means that Matt should be coming home soon. I'm really excited and looking forward to giving him the biggest hug ever. I know it'll be here before I know it since I've been so busy. But being busy is good thing! :) Anyway...that's been my past 5 months or so. I apologize it's taken me this long to get everything written out, but now that we are caught up...I can attempt to get back to a regular basis of posting. It may or may not be boring considering I'm not doing a lot of NEW things...but I can still keep you up to date with stuff!

Well I hope you enjoyed my posting...come back for more!! In fact, I'm about to post another one too! hehe! You're so lucky. :) Alright...onto the next!

I didn't make it across the Royal Gorge...because I thought I was going to die......

Matt and I decided to go to the Royal Gorge again a couple of weekends ago! And yes...it was windy! They actually were calling for 50mph winds that day. I had never been across the bridge so Matt wanted me to experience it! I got about 1/3 of the way down and was terrified that I could not even turn around to walk back. It was just really windy and when my purse flew off my shoulder--I got freaked out. But I didn't want to NOT go across, so we agreed to drive across!!

Which was still pretty freaky, but honestly it was a lot of fun! The rolling of the bridge was absolutely crazy! Plus Matt failed to tell me that there were animals on the other side, which I would have walked my little booty across that bridge to see them ;-) so it made getting to the other side even better! Driving was fun though.

We also got to go on the Incline Railway! There was a family in front of us, but this picture shows the best view on the way down. It was a great little trip down there and the view we had while down in the actual gorge was awesome!

The bridge from below!

Old piping that took water into Canon City

All in all, besides thinking I was going to die, I had so much fun! I definitely want to walk across the whole bridge one day. I did, though, walk from the other side to the Texas sign...I had to! :)







The other weekend Matt and I also went hiking! It's this 4 mile trail that once into the actual trail, you would have no clue you were near anything populated. It was gorgeous. There were a lot of birds and apparently different wildlife--which we did not encounter, thank goodness (bears...mountain lions...). But the scenery was great! Here's a few more pictures:

We thought the rock looked like a potty :)

We are trying to go hiking more and see the different scenery. This past weekend we wanted to go, but it snowed! :) So we couldn't...well I guess we could  have, but I don't have that kind of clothing! Besides my Puff Daddy gold jacket...oh well! :) Onto some yummy dishes!!

The first dish I want to share is:

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Serves 4

Ingredients: 


1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
5 teaspoons butter, melted 
1 large garlic clove, minced*
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 
1 teaspoon paprika 
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves*
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces) 
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese  
Cooking spray

*Notes: Of course I used more than 1 clove...I think it was 2 or 3 :) and with the chicken breasts, the pack came in three's. So it was good for leftovers, since I only eat half of the breast! I put it over salad during the weekend!

First, preheat yo  your yo (accidentally typed yo...decided to keep it) oven to 350 degrees (or should I say degeeeeezzzzz like Matt says it sometimes haha!)....

Put your chicken broth in a microwave safe dish and heat it until warm. Stir in your garlic and butter into the broth and then set aside. Then combine the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and paprika in another dish.Set both aside.

Next, if you have any frustrations for the day this is a great activity! Pounding the chicken breast with a rolling pin! I used a zip lock bag since I find it easier to throw away. You want the chicken about 1/4 inch thick.

Once they are pounded out, you will need to sprinkle both sides of chicken with the salt, oregano, and pepper. Then lay a piece of prosciutto and one tablespoon of the mozzarella per chicken breast. 






Now for the messy part! Make sure you spray a square baking dish with cooking spray before you do the rollin'! You'll want to roll a chicken breast, then dip it in the chicken broth mixture, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Lay the chicken seam side down. Obviously I don't have any pictures of the process, but I do have one of the end! :) Yay!

Pour your remaining chicken broth mixture over the chicken and bake at 350 for 28 minutes.

I served this with mashed potatoes which I added left over mushrooms to! It was pretty tasty. Definitely less calories than a usual Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe. It ran 297 calories (7 WW pts for those following that) and I served it also with a salad. Dur.

Here's the link:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

And here's some random interlude pictures: Maggie trying to escape (not really though), me and the infinity scarf I made, and Tiggie being a kitty (ie string=play toy)

Alright! Here's another recipe I wanted to share!! This one has a TON of veggies which was awesome! I love recipes that pack on the veggies :)

HONEY CASHEW CHICKEN WITH RICE
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup instant rice*
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes* 
2 tablespoons cornstarch 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon canola oil 
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil 
2 cups broccoli florets 
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 
1 red bell pepper, sliced 
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted 
1 tablespoon rice vinegar 
3 tablespoons honey 
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 
1 tablespoon Sriracha*

*Notes: I used jasmine rice (boil in a bag), I also couldn't find chicken tenderloins like I had originally wanted since they are easier to cube, so I used the pack of three as usual! And the Sriracha doesn't add any spice to it at all, but can be taken out.

First you want to chop all of your veggies! Preparation is key! :) Things always go faster.

Next, I cubed my chicken. It's important to do this second if you are using the same cutting board...say no to cross contamination!

I put the chicken into my measuring cup because it was there :) and mixed in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated!

Now it's time to cook!

Heat your skillet with the canola and sesame oils on medium high heat. Add your chicken and cook until lightly browned.



Remove your chicken and then add all your veggies and cook until tender (I did this because I realized too late that my skillet was too small for all of this). Then return your chicken and any juices back into the skillet. Cook until the chicken is done, if it's not done already!

Stir in your cashews, then whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Pour it over the chicken and veggies and make sure to toss to coat! 

Serve over rice! Super tasty and better than take out. If Matt and I ordered take out ever, but it was really good! :) And pretty easy to throw together. 

With the rice, the calorie count came to 470 (12 WW pts) which seems like a lot to me, but it's a very well rounded meal--plus, remember portion control! I didn't eat hardly any rice with the recommended serving of a cup of the chicken/veggies. What did I serve it with? Salad. Yep. :) Go figure. 

Here's the link: 

Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice

Here are some more yummies from my menus: 

Adobo Chicken
Spaghetti alla Carbonara *Matt LOVED this a lot!
Tomato Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto
Easy Meatless Manicotti 
I have a picture of the manicotti for you :) yummy and only 328 calories for 2!

I'm really excited about the recipe I'm making on Thursday because I've been wanting to make it for a while, but every recipe I came across was crazy calorie loaded...until now! I can't wait to share...hint: it has butternut squash in it, which I've never worked with before! :) 

Until then I hope you have enjoyed my pictures and if you try anything, let me know what you think!!

It's March already????

I love this picture of Tiggie

I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for not keeping up more with this blog. I've been so busy lately with so many different (FUN!) things... it's crazy!

About mid-January I took over the Brigade FRG Leader position. I have not had the opportunity yet to be an FRG leader and I was excited to experience this. So far it's been wonderful! Lots of meetings. Lots of learning. But seriously lots of fun! I have a wonderful co-leader and together we are changing the world! :) Well...maybe just the FRG. But that's still a great accomplishment! I've loved meeting new people during my short time as leader already and I know it's only going to get better.

It's been snowing a lot here lately which I was excited about. Last year in Leavenworth, we kept hearing about how much snow they had gotten the year before and how they were snowed in for days, etc. So when we had...oh, maybe two okay snows, I was slightly disappointed. And then this year, of course, they have gotten a ton of snow. I was beginning to think it was because of me. I like the snow here though because it melts fairly quickly. But the absolute best is when it's snowy and you look out towards the mountains, it's just breathtaking. 

So I was super excited to share a craft that I did for my BFF Steph Steph for her birthday/Valentine's Day...but I couldn't share until she got it! It would ruin the surprise! Now I can though! Yay! Ready? Boom. BFF Mugs. Yea. Pretty snazzy, right? I initially was going to do Texas and Georgia (since Colorado is a really boring looking state...sorry..and GA is her home state! So I thought I'd do my home state), but Matt talked me into doing the states that she and I were in at the moment. I did feel bad sending her a square state mug, but it's not totally square. Only slightly.

This was a pretty easy project. I printed out the states and made sure they fit nicely onto the mugs. I then located the cities where we were located for the hearts (yay for being a Geography minor haha)!

I used double sided tape to tape the image down to the mug. I initially used eyeliner to trace around the image, so I could smudge it away if I made a mistake. But I don't think I'd do that again. It clumped in some areas which caused frustration. :)

After the image was traced, I removed the paper and filled it in thicker with my Sharpie.

...and drew the line a little thicker. Then my OCD kicked in and I had to make myself stop and put the Sharpie down. But I had to pick up the red Sharpie and draw the hearts...where I proceeded to make sure that they were as dark as possible. :) It never ends.

And even though they are not geographically correct, I drew some connecting lines to our cities! We will just say the line went westward across the Pacific and all the way through Asia then Europe then back across the pond (and down a bit) to Georgia. It was a long trip, but worth it! :)




The back looked sad, so I wrote this cute little saying on it. Then I wrote our names on the handle. And finally it was time for the oven!






Don't stare too hard in case my oven is dirty. The house is about to get a huge spring cleaning (and yes Matthew, I am asking for your help). Just focus on the mugs...sitting pretty in the oven. I baked them for about 45 minutes in a 325/350 degree oven to seal in the Sharpie. Of course they need to be hand washed, but if they happen to make it into the dish washer, the process is so easy I can do it over again! Pretty neat, huh? I like the white, but I am also curious about doing colored mugs!!

Want a recipe that's awesome?? Good. I'm about to tell you. I was SO EXCITED to share this recipe that I forgot to put it on my blog. Haha...just kidding. I got busy. But better late than never!!! On Tuesday nights now, since I have class, I've been trying to make sure that I choose either a crock pot recipe or a casserole. Something easy for Matt to just heat up and eat. He works so hard during the day and I think he deserves to come home and not have to deal with making anything. That way he can get to his Call of Duty game faster! ;-) So in my quest to make one meatless dinner a week, I came across this little gem....

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
Serves 6 (hello leftovers)

Ingredients:  

2 cups marinara *
Cooking spray 
2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese 
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 
1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 
1 large egg yolk 
1 garlic clove, minced  
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells *

Notes: I used our favorite store bought pasta sauce instead of the marinara sauce suggested. I also did not count out 24 pasta shells. I used the box. Maybe there were 24...maybe not? :) 

Preheat that oven to 350. 

Cook your pasta shells! And beware the shell. Some of them were hiding within each other from me. I'm not scary. So I don't see the problem. 

While the shells were boiling, I threw together the super easy filling! It's the ricotta, Parm, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper, thawed (and drained) chopped spinach {I used the Green Giant one...where you just nuke it for 6 minutes in the microwave and then drain it}, egg yolk, and GARLIC! I'm a little confused because this picture kind of looks like there's parsley in there instead of spinach. I know I used spinach...I can not, however, be certain that I may have added some parsley. Can't hurt! As you can see I used my little hand held mixer to mix everything together! 

Then...the best part. Filling the shells! How can this be fun, you ask? Because look what I used! I know I have pastry bags somewhere, but I couldn't think WHERE so I used a gallon zip lock bag, cut off a bit at the tip there and squeezed the filling into the shells. 

I timed myself, for your benefit of course. Because the directions on the site say to spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixer into each shell. Do you know how long that would take?? I don't either...because I didn't do it. It took me....3 minutes. No joke. I wasn't even rushing. I was taking my time. So, if you make this...the squeezy method is the way to go! :) 


I then poured the sauce over the shells...added some cheese on top. Popped it in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes. 

Finished product. Um...hello. How could you not want to eat that? And at 329 calories a serving (which by the way is 4 stuffed shells and they most certainly fill you up), what could be better?? I did not get to eat them on Tuesday night because of class (I have yet to figure that out as far as dinner on Tuesdays for myself. So far it's been an apple and crackers...), BUT when we had leftovers during the weekend talk about YUM! Definitely saving this recipe and making it again!! 
 
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

What other things have we had for dinner lately? Here's a little list: 

Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon
Quick Pastitsio
Chicken Bruschetta  
Chicken Orzo Skillet Dinner 
Smoked Sausage Cassoulet (this is awesome and HAS BACON!) 


And lastly, because this recipe was amazing and got rave reviews from Matt, I would like to share it with you as well!

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA...ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Serves 6 (it says 5..but I think it could definitely serve 6)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste) *
garlic powder to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced*
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp light cream cheese
fresh cracked pepper
2 scallions, chopped
salt to taste
cooking spray

Notes: I used Creole seasoning. Partly because that's what I had and after hearing Matt go on and on about it, I would use it again. It says to taste. Which means you could have no clue how much you put on the chicken (which is my case) or you can follow the directions. All I know is that it wasn't really spicy. It was kind of a hint of spice after I was done cooking it. And I may or may not have put a pound of the seasoning on there. :) Also, I used a green bell pepper instead of yellow. I don't like bland colors. I wanted to have that pop of color that the green bell pepper could give me. It's preference!

Once the chopping of all the veggies is done, the dish comes together super fast. I know I say that a lot, but it's true. The chopping is time consuming sometimes.  So here are all the veggies chopped! :) I think they look pretty.

The next is to make a "slurry." I'm not sure of this terminology, but basically you take your cream cheese, milk, and flour and using a hand mixer, blend everything together until smooth! Set that aside.

Season your chicken! With however much (or little) you want! I actually used garlic salt and the Creole seasoning since I currently do not have garlic powder. But you need salt anyways! So I just omitted the salt from the seasoning of the chicken.





Start cooking your pasta and while you wait, heat a skillet on medium high heat. Spray with your cooking spray and add your chicken. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until done. When your chicken is done, take it out of the skillet and set it aside. I made it a little cozy tent with foil to keep warm. Then add your olive oil to the skillet and saute your veggies starting with the garlic, bell peppers, and onion...until tender.


Then add your mushrooms and tomatoes and saute everything until tender. Add 1/4 tsp salt (or a few shake of garlic salt in my case), garlic powder (once again...I used garlic salt instead of salt and garlic powder), and your cracked pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and add your chicken broth along with your "slurry" and stir continuously for 2 minutes. It should thicken up! Add your chicken back in and cook together for a few more minutes.

Combine your linguine and veggies/chicken/yummy sauce. I put it in a 13x9 pan because all of it would not fit in my skillet without making a huge mess. Top with the green onions and serve!!! Total calories per serving is 323.8 and you get a cup and a half to eat! Which was quite a bit for me to eat. Super tasty and creamy!! I encourage you to try it for real!!!

Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side


Okay, well I think I've done enough damage on this post for you. I hope you enjoyed yourself and my goal is to have more than one post a month haha!! I expect you to hold me to that! :)