Today marks 1 week until my due date, where have the last 1o months gone? I am feeling every emotion in the book all at once . . .excitement, love, fear.
Tiffany and Nathan posted a few pics that were taken in January. Mike and I are lucky to have such talented, creative and patient friends. They were so patient with me the day we took the photos . . .I was not very agreeable to showing some skin and putting everything out there!
I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray.com and I thought Mike would like it for two reasons (1) he’s a big fan of the show Heroes (Rachael made the meal with Ali Larter from the show) and he also really likes meatballs. The recipe caught my eye because it seemed healthy and used ground turkey (we just bought a ton at Costco!). The sandwiches turned out really well but I did alter the recipe. I tried to make the sandwiches healthier and did not make the white sauce. The recipe I followed is below, but here’s Rachael’s.
Turkey Florentine Meatball Heroes
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 large egg
3/4 cup (3 handfuls) bread crumbs
1/2 cup (2 palmfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 hero rolls
1 10-ounce sack shredded provolone cheeseWring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Into the well, add the grated onion and garlic, egg, bread crumbs, grated Parmigiano, spinach, salt and pepper. Form into 12 large balls and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Drizzle the meatballs with EVOO, about 1/4 cup, and roast for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Split the rolls in half lengthwise and scoop a little bit of the bread out, so there is more room for the meatballs. Transfer to a baking sheet and put in the oven cut side up, and toast until golden brown.
Place 2-3 balls on each toasted roll, top with the provolone cheese. Place back in the oven or under the broiler to melt the cheese.
If you want to use a sauce, the sandwiches tasted good with a little marinara sauce. The recipe made more than 12 meatballs, so I put some in the freezer for later. I served with easy to make oven fries.
Mike posted a picture of me taken last weekend (February 17). I am feeling huge (!) and impatient. . .so excited to meet this little person and welcome them into our family.
We were joking that we need to start a pool so people can start guessing when this little buckaroo is going to arrive. We certainly have no clue or indication! Any guesses? We’ll have to come up with a good prize for whoever gets the date/time right.
There is going to be a Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. Kate Walsh (Dr. Addison Shepard) will star in the show. Taye Diggs has also signed on. No doubt the pilot will be enjoyable, Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy creator) is writing it. My hope is the show will air on Wednesday nights - there’s typically nothing on . . .I’ve kinda given up on Lost.
Looking forward to Grey’s tonight. . . Mike is convinced they are going to kill-off Meredith. I think not!
Check out thisnext.com . . .Real Recommendations by Real People. Not only are there useful things on the site, some funny ones, too.
On a side note, I made jambalaya for dinner tonight. I forgot how quick and easy this recipe was that I posted a while ago. I added red beans (a gal needs her fiber) and it was good. If you don’t like shrimp, you can use chicken or ham - lots of options. You can also add peppers - saute them with the kielbasa at the start of the recipe.
. . . and welcome to the year of the pig! I was excited to learn this is considered a very favorable year to have a child. . .birth control rates in China are actually down. Pigs are considered: lucky, polite, hardworking, loyal and prosperous. Famous pigs include the Dali Lama, Snoop Dog, Julie Andrews, Hilary Clinton (ick) and Woody Allen.
I was born in the year of the horse (1978) and according to the Chinese culture, people born in the Year of the Horse are cheerful, skillful with money, and perceptive, although they sometimes talk too much. They are wise, talented, good with their hands, and sometimes have a weakness for members of the opposite sex. They are impatient and hot-blooded about everything except their daily work. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are very independent and rarely listen to advice. They are most compatible with Tigers, Dogs, and Sheep.
I forgot about this recipe! I’ve been racking my brain to come up with some good meals to make now and freeze once the baby has arrived. I like this soup because it’s a nice alternative to chili and you’re able to make it in the crock pot or on the stove. I had this at a family friends house and then made it for a party Mike and I hosted. Recipe is orginally from good ol Paula Deen and the Food Network.
Taco Soup
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnishBrown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapeños.
It was a great weeked at the Barron/Cross home. We had guests from out of town including my Mom, Betsy and Hailey. They were all in town for a baby shower in my honor on Saturday in West Lafayette, IN. It was a great event and Mike and I feel truly blessed to have such thoughtful and generous friends and family. Between our 3 showers, we were “showered” with gifts and are well prepared for the baby!
We put my Mom to work while she was here: cooking, cleaning, washing baby clothes, ironing curtains, cribskirts, quilts, and basket liners for the nursery. She and I also went on a major shopping spree on Sunday to pick up the last few things we needed, as well as some things we didn’t need but couldn’t resist (janie and jack is a dangerous place!). We left the house at 10 am on Sunday and didn’t stop until 6 pm; it took me 2 days to recover, but I am not sure what I would have done if she didn’t come visit and help us!
The picture shows the current state of our office; half of the office is desks and computers and the other half is now full of baby goodies! I will post some belly shots and nursery shots in the next few days. . . only 3 weeks to go and I think Mike and I feel “ready”.
Every so often our garbage disposal gets a funky smell. On last Tuesday’s show, Rachael Ray shared some great tips for removing the funk with out chemicals:
(1) Fill an ice cube tray with white distilled vinegar and freeze. Drop a few frozen cubes into the disposal to freshen, unclog and disinfect the disposal.
(2) Pour 1 cup of coarse salt down the drain, followed by 3 cups boiling water.
Happy Homekeeping!
I am due exactly one month from today! I have a Dr appt tomorrow to make sure things are on track and to see if the baby is still breech (I think the baby may have made the big turn last week - keep your fingers crossed). Here’s an update:
You’ve reached an important pregnancy milestone: Your baby is considered full term! That means you could give birth very soon. Put any unnecessary travel plans on hold now in case you go into labor early. Many airlines won’t let pregnant women fly close to their due dates for this reason. It’s also time to start wrapping up projects at work, get an infant car seat if you haven’t already done so (you won’t be allowed to leave the hospital without one), and put finishing touches on the nursery. Your baby - who now weighs about 6 pounds and is almost 19 inches long - will continue to gain about an ounce a day until he makes his debut.