Happy New Year!

I'm still covered with the itchy rash :(  and last night I unknowingly scratched myself raw.  Thankfully it's a small area and it's already starting to scab up.  My New Years' resolution is to not scratch- I really don't want any scars.

We decided to officially announce the pregnancy since it's obvious to anyone who sees me that I have a baby bump (I'm 2 days away from being 16 weeks).

Please excuse the lounge wear (aka our pajamas)

Easy Pasta Salad

Easy Pasta Salad

As a child my mom never made pasta salads, so after entering the adult world I was clueless about them.  When it was my turn to bring a pasta salad I always went to the deli and got something ready-made.  After realizing how popular they were (and how much I liked them) I decided it was time to learn how to make pasta salads.  Although it’s easy it’s a classic that everyone is sure to enjoy.

Ingredients:

8 oz of spiral pasta, cooked and drained

2 1/2 cups of assorted blanched vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, pea pods, cauliflower, onions, etc) 

Tip: I usually just buy a package of frozen vegetables and cook according to the package

1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese

1 to 1 1/4 cup of Italian dressing

1/3 cup pitted olives (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except Italian dressing in a large bowl.

Add dressing and toss well.

Serve chilled or at room temperate

Tip: When serving chilled use 1 1/4 cups of Italian dressing

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes because it really doesn’t taste like chicken.  Like most of my recipes it’s really easy to make and always a hit at pot lucks or get-togethers.  I’m going to give the recipe for the bigger batch, but if you want the smaller one just ask.

Ingredients:

3 lbs of boneless chicken (usually 6-8 chicken breasts)

Tip: Make sure your chicken is completely defrosted.

1 large onion, cut into chunks

1 can (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple, drained

Tip: For a sweet BBQ sauce add no more than ½ cup of pineapple juice

1 bottle (18-20 oz) of your favorite BBQ sauce

*Kaiser rolls, hamburger buns, King's sweet Hawaiian buns, or over white rice 
**I use crock pot liners, which makes clean up a breeze.

Directions:

Place your chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.

Cover the chicken with onions.

Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce in.

Then pour over your crushed pineapple.

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-6.

About an hour before eating shred chicken using 2 forks

Tip: You can take the chicken out of the crock pot if needed

Stir well to combine everything.

*Serve on Kaiser rolls, hamburger buns, King's sweet Hawaiian buns, or over white rice

15 Weeks

How far along? 15 weeks
Baby’s size? About the size of an apple (4 inches long and weighs 2 ½ oz)
Total Weight Gain: 0
Stretch marks? No
Maternity Clothes? Not quite yet…but will be buying a few pieces this week
Sleep: Between restroom awakenings and trying to get comfortable I don’t get much sleep
Miss Anything? Not really
Movement: fluttering
Food cravings: None
Anything making you queasy or sick: Raw meat and seeing blood.
Symptoms: Just the regular….fatigue, ligament pain, and colon issues
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Tired but happy

Last Thursday my arms, stomach, and chest started to itch.  I had just put on a sweater that Hubby washed and thought that maybe he used too much laundry detergent, no big deal.  By the time I went to bed I had a rash.  I thought that if I rewashed the laundry that the itching and rash would go away.  Well it didn’t work and the rash got worse.

At my 15 week check-up I got blood drawn to see if my liver was having problems (which can cause a rash) and 2 prescriptions.  I left the doctor’s office extremely overwhelmed and when I got to my car I burst into tears.  Yet another problem with this pregnancy….

 

Normally I would never complain about getting my prescriptions filled, as my brother-in-law is a pharmacist, but it was completely ridiculous.  After waiting 2 hours I went to pick up my prescription, turns out there had been a miscommunication between my doctor’s office and the pharmacy and my prescription was never received.  I called my doctor’s office and got it taken care of right in front of the tech.  I was told to come back in 30 minutes, no big deal.  I called 2 hours later to see if it was ready and it wasn’t, I was told it would be another 30 minutes.  An hour later I finally went to the pharmacy and had to wait another 20 minutes because it still wasn’t ready.  All I could think was –Seriously!?!?! 

*It should be noted that I live 30 minutes from the pharmacy and all I wanted to do was go home.  I was extremely emotional and wanted nothing more than to just cry*

By the time I got home I was a complete wreck and if I hadn’t had Lovey with me all day I probably would have had a mental breakdown.

So week 15 you suck!

Merry Christmas!

Chicken with caramelized shallots

I hate to admit it but I’m not a fan of chicken.  I’d rather eat pretty much anything else than chicken; however, I know how good chicken is for me so I try to incorporate it into our meals.  This is an easy yet tasty chicken recipe that a beginner cook can master.

Chicken with caramelized shallots (served over basmati rice)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

4-5 large shallows, peeled, chopped up

Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

In a sauté pan melt butter (margarine) add shallots.

Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes over medium heat until shallots start to brown.

Place shallots in a bowl.

In a large bowl (or zip-lock bag) add chicken, olive oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.  Mix until chicken is coated.

In the same sauté pan, cook chicken over medium heat until done.

Tip: Chicken will feel *squishy* when raw, when the squish is gone the chicken is done.  Cooked chicken is white.

When chicken is fully cooked, add shallots and cook together for 2-3 minutes.

Serve over basmati rice.