Sleep and stupid sayings

I'm sure you have heard this saying "Make sure you get sleep now before the baby comes..." You will hear it more towards the end of pregnancy. Such a stupid saying. You are getting up several times a night for the bathroom. How is that good sleep? And it doesn't matter how much you sleep before baby gets here. It's not like your body stores the sleep away for later when you need it.

Here is another one "Sleep when the baby does." Sure. It works if your baby is a good sleeper. And mine kinda is. But seriously, I feed him at 10 PM. He sleeps 10:30-2. I sleep 11-2 maybe, if I fall asleep quickly. Then another feeding. Then maybe sleep 3-530 (not this morning bc I couldn't fall back asleep. Then another feeding. Then in the day time, he will take 30 minute cat naps. Don't sleep much then. Stupid saying. Ok that's my rant for the day. Lol

Nursing

So we have been adjusting to the new baby and big sister for 2 weeks now. We can only go one day at a time. Jeanne is doing good, wanting to help a little more than she needs to. We have to remind we daily about certain things she can't do. But overall, I think she is doing good with him.

For the last week, Hunter has had the fussy period each evening from ~5-10, varying each night. He is hard to calm, wanting to nurse constantly, and is hard to get to sleep. Last night, he nursed every hour-hour and a half. He would then act like I was out of milk (though it was not), and pull off getting mad. I was at the point of having Shawn fix a bottle of formula when he finally fell asleep. He won't even take a pacifier. I was at my wits end. I was certain we would be switching to formula full time today. 

I had a list of reasons to switch, including the fact that he cracked my nipple already, he fights one breast and prefers the other, I am tired of being the only one to feed him, and I hate the pump. 

But of course, my reasons to continue nursing outweigh those negative reasons. I know that nursing is the best option for us, so I will work through the rough patches. Having my husband by my side encouraging me is very helpful.

Hunter's Birth Story

We are so very excited to announce the birth of our son Hunter James. Here is how he came into the world (fair warning, TMI for some).

Hunter was due on Monday, Septemer 30. I had an OB checkup October 3rd. I wasn't dilated more than 2 cm. We planned a non-stress test for the following Monday, and said if he wasn't here by then, we would set a date for induction (we weren't going past 42 weeks of course). By this point I tried all the wives tails to naturally induce labor (pineapple, spicy food, intimacy with husband, stimulation, etc) and nothing worked.

On Friday, October 4 evening, the mucous passed. My husband and I tried once more to see if we could get things going. The next morning, I woke up with a contraction at 6:24 AM, went to the bathroom and saw the "show." I called my mom and she was on her way up.

By 7:30, the contractions were 30 minutes apart. They stayed that way for about 2 hours. Then they moved to about 20 minutes apart. They were this way about 2 hours. At 11:40, they were hitting 12-15 minutes and were getting stronger. By 1:30 they were 7 minutes apart. When my doula arrived at 2:15, they had been 3-4 minutes apart. She checked and I was 5 cm. Off to the hospital we went!!

At 2:50, the nurse at the hospital checked and I was 7 cm. Time was flying! I got into the labor tub for about 30 minutes and could feel a lot of pressure with the contractions. With that next check,  I was 9.5 cm and got ready for pushing. I was able to push in several positions, and worked hard at that for a little over an hour. At 5:15 PM, Dr. Jones broke my water and Hunter was born at 5:25 PM. As we learned in the class, at the end I felt like nothing I was doing was good and I just kept asking for them to take him out, that I couldn't do it anymore. My husband, who was a wonderful support this whole time, and my doula Amy, as well as the nurses and Dr. Jones kept telling me I was almost done and I was doing great. I did manage to make it through unmedicated. I think I succeeded because my labor went so quickly; I didn't have a choice at the end because it was too late!

Here is our boy Hunter, weighing 8lbs 12 oz!! Our little family is overjoyed! Thank you so much Cora for this class. Without it, I wouldn't have made it through labor as easily. I remembered all the relaxation techniques. I did have a focal point when I started pushing, but I lost it as I allowed the pain to take over. That may be why I got scared at the end. Doesn't matter because he is here!

Unconditional

So, I am getting closer to the end!! I still have 2 weeks until my due date, so I am doing my best not to be impatient or complain about being “ready” to go. I am having the end of pregnancy pains and aches, but I know each one is my body working to prepare for the big day. We are all getting very excited for our little one’s arrival. Jeanne thinks she is ready, but I don’t think she fully understands what it means to have a baby in the house. All the babies we have over all go home at some point. LOL

So I have been continuing my prayers and focusing on our marriage since I completed the Wife After God devotional. I feel like I am doing a great job of opening my heart completely to my husband more. Of course I still catch myself falling back sometimes. Then today, someone posted on my Facebook wall a list Five Deadly Terms Used By A Woman. That person told me I should show it to my husband. I deleted it pretty quickly, so I can’t remember what all it said. I think one was “Wow. This is not a compliment. She’s amazed that one person could be so stupid.” I deleted it because I don’t think it’s funny, and I do not need to share it with my husband. After all the soul searching I have done to help myself be a better person, wife, mother, the last thing I want is for someone to see that and comment to my husband about it.

I try to not let issues get to me and then be bitter towards him because I don’t think he deserves my love, like I used to. I do my best to mean what I say in conversations to him, and love unconditionally.This is a very hard concept to take on if you truly think about it. I think it is even harder to like unconditionally. I have always heard people say “I love you, but I don’t like you right now.” It is very easy to fall into that, thinking that your husband doesn’t deserve your full affection right now because he _______ (fill in the blank). Through the bible passages, readings, and continuous blog posts by others, I have realized that train of thought is ridiculous. Would I want God to say, “Ada doesn’t deserve my love and attention today because she did ________”? NO!! If I had a conversation with Jesus admitting my sins, would I want him to say “That’s ok,” and him mean “I am thinking long and hard on how and when you will pay for your mistake”?? NO!! We are told in Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?'  Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” So how is it ok for me to hold things against my husband when I am hoping that Jesus forgives me for my fallouts, forgetfulness, negativity, and sins?

So I challenge you to not “like” or even comment on such postings, pictures, shares, etc. that have women talking down on men/husbands. If someone ever posts such things on your wall (if you have social media), please delete them. This is not a good representation of how women should act.

Fun Times

First, I wanted to share some of my maternity photos that my great friend took. We met at War Memorial Park last Saturday morning. We got a bunch of poses and she did a great job for being an amateur.

While Shawn was away this weekend, we had some much needed Jeanne and Mommy time. I took her to get a haircut, and she cried the entire time. It was a bit overwhelming for me because I kept telling her she needed to calm down or she was going to get a time out. I could feel other parents staring at me. What did they want? Me to rip her out the chair and leave? She needs to overcome whatever fear she had. The lady only trimmed her hair. No biggie. Jeanne calmed down of course as soon as the lady was finished. Ugh. I wanted her to get her nails painted, but she lost out on that due to her crabbiness.

Next we went to the mall. I had planned previously on taking her to Build a Bear to make a new friend. She had recently found a special stuffed animal I bought for Hunter and decided it was hers. I let her play with it a few days, thinking she would get over it as she does all the other toys she has accumulated from family, but no. So I thought if she made her own animal that she got to pick out, it would help. She really enjoyed making it and loved her new friend. She did try to find Hunter's animal a few times, and I had to keep telling her she had her own friend and she could no longer play with Hunter's. I am hoping she will forget about the giraffe after a few days.


We ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A and I was planning on taking her to see a movie yesterday afternoon. Well, once we got home, I was exhausted. We did a lot of walking at the mall. Then, she didn't take a nap (meaning neither did I), so the movie was out. I took her grocery shopping (more exercise for me) and she enjoyed that just as much. She has only been to a movie theater once, so she really wasn't bummed about not going. We made homemade cinnamon rolls for dinner, and they were fantastic!!

We planned on going to a splash pad at the park this morning with one of her classmates, but she woke up with a cough. Shawn is on his way back now, and we are both looking forward to his return. Check out this shirt I got from unveiledwife.com and am so excited to wear! It will have to wait a few more months though. Get yours now! Oh and that is the infamous giraffe. Isn't he cute!!

Never take things for granted

As I sit here in bed, sipping a good cup of Community Coffee, I'm listening to my little girl snoring softly next to me. Her daddy went visit friends for the weekend, so I let her climb into my bed last night. My little boy is already kicking away in my tummy. Oh, how I have enjoyed this pregnancy, even through the sickness and aches. I look forward to meeting him

In a few weeks. 

As I look at my beautiful daughter, my heart fills with sadness and joy. Sadness because she has grown so much in three short years. Joy because I look forward to being a part of her journey as she continues to grow and discover new things. I remember her being so little and wanting her to learn to walk, talk, and be more independent. Now there are times I wish she would sit still, not be so loud, and need me a little more. Ha!

With my husband out of town, I realize how much I have depended on him these last few weeks. How much I miss him. How much I love him. And this makes me realize I need to show him how I feel when he is here. My husband is a wonderful man who works hard each and every day to help our family. And he is such an awesome father. 

It's funny how once they leave for a few days you realize how much they mean to you. At least I know he will return at the end of the weekend. I have someone close to me who lost her husband very suddenly 2 years ago. Everyday she goes through the sadness of him not being there. I don't think she ever took him for granted. She knew how amazing he was and his children knew he was a awesome father. But as I am reminded of her loss, I realize I need to take the time every day to appreciate my husband, and tell him how much I love him. Because you never know when God will call your loved ones home. 

Nearing the end!

So with about 6 weeks left, I am trying to finish all my lists and get everything ready. We already have his bed set up and his part of the room decorated. I have his clothes washed and saved as well as his cloth diapers. My coworkers decided they have to throw me a shower because this is my first pregnancy with them. So I did the painful task of making a registry at Babies R Us. Painful you ask? Yes. It was terrible trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to put on my registry while looking up and down the aisles at the store. At least it wasn't as hard as the first pregnancy when I had no idea what I needed.

I have entered the "end of pregnancy fatigue" stage. It hit me like a ton of bricks this go round. Probably because I am chasing a toddler around after a full day at work. But, I find myself laughing a lot these last few days at work and I feel extremely happy. So, I think I am doing well.



I have completed the devotional Wife After God, and am so happy I bought the book. See my review here. Whether he sees it or not, I feel closer to my husband. Being a little more worn out lately, it is harder for me to be as excited as I should be when I see him, but I am trying. It is the little things that count. Starting with hugs when he (or I if I am later) gets in from work, praying deeper for him and our marriage at night, telling and showing him that I love him are all things that are working to make our marriage closer.

I have found a new website to follow, the Happy Wives Club. Today's article is titled "The Husband Gratitude List." After reading it, I think I will start one in my journal that I did the devotional in. So to start my list, 1.) My husband is a wonderful father! Have you started your list yet?

Wife After God book review

So for the 24 days, I have been reading a devotional titled Wife After God: Drawing Closer to God & Your Husband by Jennifer Smith. It is a 30 day devotional that encourages women to pray for themselves, their husbands, and their marriages. By praying and becoming closer to God, you can potentially strengthen your marriage. Each day starts off with bible passages to focus on. Then Jennifer shares the message for the day. She offers a prayer, then issues a challenge for the day, as well as give a few questions for you to answer. She also has a Facebook page where she encourages daily participation with more questions.

I have prayed for my husband since we were married 3.5 years ago. I would simply thank God for my husband and ask Him to watch over my husband. But since starting this devotional, I have really been praying for him more passionately. I thank Him for the special gifts my husband and I each offer to our marriage and ask Him to continue to allow us to have our hearts open to each other, for example. I feel there has been a result with my deeper prayers. I am starting to see my husband respond more to me. Maybe his heart is opening to God and to me as I have prayed. And it could be because of my prayer, my heart has been opened more also, and by learning to be a better wife, I am learning to take the time to see his responses. Either way, I'm glad I found this book!

If you have been looking for a way to get closer to God and you husband, I encourage you to pick up this book. Her website is http://unveiledwife.com/wife-after-god/. You can purchase the book from her site through Amazon or for your kindle. I don't think you will be disappointed in this decision! 

cheers y'all: Wife After God Thoughts and Reflections {Link-Up}

Some people

So I wrote this rant last week on Facebook about what not to say to a pregnant woman. It really just amazes me the audacity some people have. Or lack of filter. Or common sense...

I don't understand how people think certain comments are ok. Especially the ones about a pregnant woman's size. I had someone tell me during my first pregnancy I looked like I would go any day. I was 6 months pregnant! So for the last three months, I thought I was huge and was embarrassed. I WAS NOT HUGE. Not at all. But comments like that towards women at a time when they already feel less attractive because of their changes does not help.

What the commenters fail to understand is they have no idea who this person is. And even if they know them, they may not really "know" them. They may not know that this person is already a mother, with 1, 2, 3, etc. kids running around at home, and she is beyond exhausted and doesn't see the point in dressing up to go to the grocery store. She isn't Kim Kardashian and why the hell would she want to be??

Or they don't know that this woman is struggling with her first (or sequential) pregnancy and the thoughts of "is my husband still attracted to me?" Sometimes, this goes through even the strongest woman's head and heart. Physical appearances are put to the front line entirely too much in this country. I hate to tell ya, but Barbie would look like a whale if she were pregnant! Ok, maybe not, but I like the thought.

They may not know that this woman will be a single mother and is just simply struggling in general.

People don't realize how a simple statement can make someone's day. She doesn't need to hear she is small for this point. That will only make her worry she is not gaining enough weight, and may be hurting her baby. She certainly doesn't need to hear the reverse. The best thing you can say to any pregnant woman is simply "You look great, dear."

And on the same topic, the question of "Are you gonna have another?" and "Don't you think it's time already?" are just as rude. You don't know the couple's story! Maybe this pregnancy was hard enough on the mother and she just wants to focus on having a healthy delivery of this one child before thinking of another. Maybe they have been trying for years to no avail. You don't know if this couple prays every day for a child, and this statement is just a slap in the face. Either way, the couple has probably put their childbearing life in God's hands, and it is up to Him. SO BACK OFF.

Rant over. :-) Yes I feel better now.

My learnings

Have I mentioned that I thoroughly enjoy meeting with my doula monthly? I feel as if I have learned so much through our meetings, my own research, and the books she lets me borrow. 

I am currently reading The Doula Guide to Birth by Ananda Lowe and Rachel Zimmerman. After reading the introductions alone, I wonder why we don't have births like the women did a hundred years ago, with other women by our side to support us. Why have we gotten into the mindset that we don't need help, and can manage this (birth and post partum) on our own? 

I remember times of sadness and feeling alone after my first delivery only have my mother say "You are fine, you need to learn how to deal." Because that is what she was told I guess. 

We need someone supportively saying "You will loose sleep, romance, freedom. It is perfectly ok not to soothe every cry. You don't have to do everything yourself." Just as we need someone to say before we get married "It's ok not to always agree. Don't be afraid to rock the boat. The first few years are HARD, but you will get through them." Especially since most girls grow up with this fantasy idea of the perfect marriage and being a mother. 

I continue to look forward to this delivery after what I have learned and continue to learn. I am so happy that I found a doula who will help me try to obtain the experience I want so that my husband and I can enjoy the birth of our second child. And I looked forward to my daughter to be a big sister. 

Ants and dirt...

So for whatever reason, my child is scared of ants and dirt all of a sudden. She loves to play outside, and will play in the dirt, and asks to hold worms. But if she sees an ant in her bathtub, she freaks out! (On a side note, I'm trying to figure out where the little things are sneaking in at.)

It's the same with dirt. Since my husband has broken his ankle (which is getting better), he takes a bath in her bathtub, since we only have a shower in our room. The next day when he bathes her, if there is dirt in the tub that sneaks around her, she screams and claws her way out of the tub. It is very stressful. I've told him to rinse the tub after he finishes and agin before her bath. It helps. But kids have dirt on them... If she bathes with me, it's not as bad. So we will try that for a while.

On a side note, here are some recipes I've tried lately:


For breakfast today, we had these breakfast ham cups. Talk about good!! I served them with cheese grits. Yes the instant kind. It's what we have. I really enjoyed them and the recipe is so simple. I didn't put onions in ours because I'm not big on onions in my breakfast. Also served with a cup of Community Coffee, because there is nothing better! ;)







For lunch, I made these Southwestern Chicken Crispy Rolls. I had done chicken tacos the other night, and used a cup of this with the recipe.




For dinner, we had shrimp and steal kabobs. I made this spicy and sweet maranade for the shrimp. We also had roasted asparagus and baked sweet potatoes.






For dessert, since it was Shawn's birthday, I made this cheesecake. It stayed in the fridge overnight. Soo good!

Chicken tacos

So I made chicken tacos tonight and they are so good!!! I am sure there are recipes somewhere online. I know I pinned one that is similar, and only calls for chicken and salsa. I didn't have salsa, so I used what was in my pantry:

3 chicken breast fillets
1/2 packet taco seasoning
3/4 jar taco sauce
1/4 cup pureed tomatoes in sauce
tortillas

Add all ingredients to crock pot and stir. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken once done and serve. Top with your toppings. I like cheese on mine. Sorry I don't have a picture. This went so quickly! Plus I ate mine like a burrito, so you wouldn't really have seen the chicken anyway.

I am using the leftovers to make southwestern chicken rolls tomorrow. I'll post that recipe then!

Preparing

So, I have been feeling better the last few days. Thank goodness! The nausea has subsided and I have more energy. I got my husband to watch "The Business of Being Born" this past weekend. Now I want to watch "Pregnant in America." They both show women who choose home births and natural births. Although my husband is not for us having a home birth, after watching the movie, I feel he has more understanding of why I want to do a natural birth with no meds this time, and have a doula. Not that there is anything wrong with medical interventions when necessary. I just want a different delivery this time.

Speaking of doulas, here is mine's website. She also works with Birth Works in Little Rock as well as being a midwife in her own business. I have met with her once and am already so pleased! I am currently reading The Birth Partner, which is really good information about the doula and the woman's birth partner (husband, lover, friend, etc) role in the delivery.

I know that even with all the planning, something can change that day do to unforeseen issues. I pray not.

Second trimester

So I am now in my second trimester! I'm still dealing with "morning" sickness. Last week, I ran out of my medicine on Thursday and my insurance wouldn't refill it till the 1st. So I had to deal with a terrible weekend of nausea and throwing up every day. My in-laws were up and I did my best to entertain.





Let's see about some things I've cooked lately. I cooked skillet buttermilk biscuits for breakfast last weekend. They were good. I didn't take the time to roll out the dough and cut biscuits, and I think next time I will. May help to assure the flavor is even.









On Easter, we also celebrated Jeanne's birthday early. I didn't want to have a cake because I didn't want to have the leftovers. So I made the jello parfaits, which was a great treat for Easter! Everyone loved them.

The other night, Jeanne helped me make goldfish pizza. It was so fun having her help me. The pizzas went fast! So next time I will make more.

Last night , we had lemon chicken. I made Knorr chicken rice side and steamed broccoli to go with it. I only did three chicken breasts and there were no leftovers!






Lastly, I made spasgana. It's a combination of spaghetti and lasagna. I made it tonight because I already had homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer. I didn't have to make some tonight, otherwise we would have just had spaghetti. I'm not a fan of cooking two separate things and then putting them together to bake. Took many dishes and waste of time in my opinion.

This week

So this week has gone by fast. I have done some cooking recently, but this past weekend we went to Bossier City to visit friends and eat boiled crawfish. It was really good!








Last night, I fried some chicken tenders. They came out good, but were not as spicy as I wanted. Probably because I only had 1/2c hot sauce in my fridge. So I put more Tony Chachere's on the chicken as it fried. As a side dish, I made a box of Zatatarain's Red Beans and Rice. I added some smoked sausage to that. We all enjoyed it. The fried food (oil) made me a but queasy as the night rolled on, but it was good!




Last week, we had this "Drunkin Pork chops" with mashed potatoes. They were excellent. And yes all of the alcohol cooked out before I ate it. I cooked it a bit longer just to make sure.

We also had this Chicken Tikka Masala. I've made this before, but it is easy and a favorite. This time, I cooked plain white rice and then added 1/2 tsp Tumeric to the rice to give it the yellow color. It added the perfect flavor to the masala. I cooked some peas as a side dish, and mixed it all together. So good!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Being tired in the evening and still chasing around my almost 3 year old. Then Shawn broke bones in his foot this weekend, do now I am truly exhausted. He still does his fair share, but I don't have someone waiting on me when I'm nauseated. But I'm sure millions of other women manage just fine, so will I.

My secret...

Is that I am pregnant :-) I am currently 10 weeks along. It was so hard to keep a secret, especially since I found out when I was 8 dpo. But because of the miscarriage last time, I just wanted to hold on to my secret until I got an ultrasound. But, there he/she is!! I am elated!

This is a reason that I haven't posted lately about food, because I have had severe food aversions. I have been really nauseated since week 4, and then last week, I began throwing up every day. It was terrible. I didn't have that trouble with Jeanne, so I didn't know how to handle it. I could cook some days, but couldn't eat it. And whatever was in the fridge looked terrible when I packed my lunch the next day. So for a while, I mostly ate Ramen noodles and Chef Boyardee! This past week was better, then today was not a good day. I could tell as soon as I woke up if it would be good or bad.

I can't stop looking at the ultrasound. It is so amazing!! It makes it even harder to understand how someone could choose to end the life of a baby. So the fact that the government here in Arkansas has passed a law banning abortions after 12 weeks is definitely a step in the right direction (see report here).

I have tried to explain it to Jeanne, but I think it's too early too expect her to understand. Just the other day, she told a complete stranger, "I have a baby in my butt!" I was mortified!!!! I had to explain that Jeanne calls her belly button her butt, and no there is not a baby there... Ugh! Anyway, as I have been told, things happen a lot faster the second go round. At 10 weeks now, I measure the same as I did at 17 weeks with Jeanne. I was not ready to pull out maternity pants this fast! And bigger bras... Ouch!
Yes this picture is from the bathroom at work. Classy, I know.

Food, food, food!!

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I have had nights of leftovers. But here are some recipes we have tried:

One night I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat. So I made these fish cakes, fried rice, and a baked potato. I doubled the fish cake recipe so that I have 20 fish cakes in the freezer for later. The fish cakes will be a great meal for Lent Fridays! I was able to use the wok I received for Christmas for the fried rice. I have used this same recipe and added mixed veggies before. I believe I warmed some mixed frozen veggies in the microwave to soften them, then put them with the rice. The baked potato is the kind you toss in the microwave. It speaks for itself!

Another night, I made chicken tenders. I didn't think to take a picture before we ate them all. I served them with steamed broccoli. Very yummy! It does take a while to prep the tenders, which is a slight downfall. But if you have someone to help dip, it goes faster. And the mustard sauce is awesome!

I made this taco lasagna the night before last. It is Shawn's favorite meals, and he would have it every week, even every night of the week, if he could. I very much enjoy it, but I don't think we need it that often!! Again, no picture of mine sorry. (picture courtesy of tasteofhome.com)

Tonight I made hamburgers. I used 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground deer meat, added an egg, 1/4 cup worchestershire, onions and bell peppers, garlic, bread crumbs, and seasonings. It was enough for 6 patties tonight and 6 for the freezer.

For dessert I made this easy king cake. It is so good! Being in Arkansas, I do miss good king cakes from south Louisiana, and I'm not willing to pay $50 to get one shipped up here. So I found this recipe last year and enjoyed it then. This is my first of the year, and I guarantee it's not the last! And no, the baby is not in the cake. ;-)

Secrets...

I have a secret. But I'm not ready to tell. I'm sure you will figure it out soon enough. But hush now! No one knows. :)

Biscuit treat and "Chocolate Chubbies"

So Saturday morning, I woke up at 6 to go to the grocery store. I like going that early because 1. No one else is there and 2. I can get back and not have missed Jeanne's morning. And, like predicted, as I am walking up the stairs with the groceries, I hear her coming out of her room saying, "Mommy I hungry."

So I fixed her some oatmeal, or "oatmilk" as she calls it, while I made this biscuit breakfast, otherwise called "Christmas Morning Treat." I very much enjoyed explaining to Jeanne the directions and measurements. As I was measuring 1/2 cup of syrup, I explained the 1 over 2. I then had a flashback to a morning when I was young and was at a good friend's house. We were trying to make blueberry muffins, but I misunderstood the fraction. We put WAY to much milk in the batter and did not get muffins. It was terrible!! That is such a great memory and story. I look forward to Jeanne having her own friend stories like that. My only change from the recipe is that I used Grands Jr. biscuits because they were cheaper. I used the brand name because I had a coupon that made them cheaper than the store brand. (I remembered to take a picture after I served my plate. Better late than never!"

Saturday afternoon, I made these "Chocolate Chubbies." As I read through some of the comments at the bottom, I was appalled at some peoples' nerve! This blogger was nice enough to share a recipe on her blog, and commenters were so rude. I didn't feel like making an account just to share my opinion of the commenters. I figured it was best I hold my tongue anyway. I burnt the bottoms of the first batch. Boo!

That night we ate at Copelands and I had the King Cake Cheesecake. It was fantabulous!! Of course we did eat the Spinach Artichoke Dip as an appetizer first. Then I ate the Crab Cake Shrimp Alfredo. So good! I then asked for the cheesecake and our waitress said she didn't think they had it yet. I said, "No, no. I called yesterday and was told y'all did have them. That's why we came." Sure enough, they had it. And it was a happy day!

Spaghetti!

So last night (Sunday night) I made a pot of spaghetti sauce for tonight (Monday). I made a double recipe so we could put some in the freezer. I don't have a written down recipe for this, but I can tell you how I did it.

I browned 1 lb of deer ground meat and 1 lb of ground beef. I seasoned the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil. I can't tell you how much I put. I just added the seasonings. I then added 1 cup of sliced mushrooms and a 14.5 can of Italian diced tomatoes to the meat and cooked them down. After the mushrooms were tender, I added 2 cans of 29 oz tomato sauce and a small can of tomato paste. Again this was to make a double recipe. I cooked that on medium low for an hour. I added more of each of the seasonings and at least a tablespoon of sugar. The sugar helps to cut the acidity taste of the tomato sauce. I also threw in a sprinkle of paprika, parsley, and cracked peppercorn till I was pleased with it.

And it was good!! We ate it with a good mixed salad.  Shawn ate seconds, as  did I. Jeanne loves pasta, so of course she ate it up!

Oatmeal bake

Jeanne loves oatmeal. So on Sunday, I made this oatmeal bake. It was really good! I think I will add more sugar next time. I like oatmeal sweeter. Of course, I didn't add the chocolate chips because I used them all in the cookies yesterday. That may have helped with the sweetness. I did add some maple syrup for the second piece I tried.

Then that evening, we had a mule deer rice and gravy. I wish I could give you a recipe, but this is Shawn's from scratch cooking, with "a little of this" and "a lot of that." Basically, you brown whatever seasoned meat you want. When you think it is brown enough, brown it longer. This makes for a dark, more flavorful gravy. We usually brown any meat for almost an hour. Don't have the heat too high, or it will burn your meat.

After the meat is browned, remove it and add onions and bell peppers (we used the frozen seasoning blend).  Cook these this translucent. Stir often so they don't burn. Next is the tricky part. We have just recently started adding a little bit of flour and stirring it well till golden. This can go bad fast, so you can't leave the room. The flour helps to make the gravy thicker. Don't add too much, then you will have a stew. Then you add water to make the gravy. Put the meat back in and add enough meat to almost cover it. Cover the pot and let it cook. Check it every 30 minutes to turn the meat over and make sure the water isn't gone. Add seasonings to the gravy. Cook it for a few hours, until the meat is fork tender. Meaning, a fork will easily pull it apart. If the gravy isn't thick enough for you, at this point you can leave the cover off and boil off the water.  Add more seasoning to taste. It was quite wonderful. I made potato salad and green beans for side dishes. Sorry I don't have a picture for you!


When Jeanne woke up from her nap yesterday, she trudged down the hall pointing to her backside. I thought she had an accident , when she was actually showing me she had put on 6 pairs of pants on top of the pants she already had on! Such a silly goose. Then today, I pulled her hair up in a bun so she could eat breakfast. She then put her hand on her neck and exclaimed, "I lost my tail!!"! She cracks me up!

Black bean soup

My daughter cracks me up. I am amazed at what all she is learning and absorbing. She tells me after school each day, "Momma I played with my Berkley." Berkley is her class mate. We are dealing with temper tantrums. It is harder than I thought not to just give in. But husband and I are working on that. I am quite satisfied in how we are raising her. She is just a doll. 

She is potty trained for day time hours. She wears her "big girl panties" during the day, and hardly ever has an accident. We will shoot for wearing panties at night starting this weekend. Good thing she has extra sheets for her bed. 

Tonight I made this black bean soup. It was delicious! But I like bean soups already. Next time (and tips for you readers) I will only puree 2/3 of the pot to have some substance to the soup. Oh and of course I forgot to take a picture! 

Pepper Jelly Salmon and Spicy Romano Chicken

I didn't get to post yesterday, but here are my recipe plugs:


For breakfast yesterday, I made this blueberry breakfast cake. Shawn and I loved it. Jeanne didn't care for it, but she doesn't like blueberries and old me after she picked them out that the cake was dirty! She is something else! It took a little bit to prep. I used white whole-wheat flour.
(Photo courtesy of www.alexandracooks.com)

For lunch yesterday I made Pepper Jelly Salmon. I love spicy food. This went well with steamed broccoli. I thought I had bought enough salmon, but only had two filets, so I also did two chicken breasts. They came out good, but not as good as the salmon. If I did the chicken again, I would maybe marinate it longer make small slices in the top of the chicken to soak in the marinade.  (Photo courtesy of www.fortmillscliving.com)

For dinner last night we had the Sesame Ginger Chicken in yesterday's post about the monthly meal planner. Shawn like it more than I did. I served that with some fried rice.

Tonight, for dinner I made Spicy Romano Chicken. Did I mention I love spicy food? This came out so good. It is similar to The.Baroness.Von.Korf at Life, Love, and Etouffe's Bowties with Sausage recipe. I thought about adding the Italian sausage to the Romano Chicken after I started, so it was too late to run to the store. Defintely not the healthiest recipe, but I had two bowls and packed some for lunch tomorrow because it was that good. I lost count of how many bowls Shawn had. :-)
(Photo courtesy of www.bosssanders.com)

I am going to try to remember to take pictures of my results before I eat them! Tomorrow is going to be leftovers.

Recipe plug

First off, Merry Christmas and happy New Year! I hope these last few weeks have been special to all of you!


So I thought since I love to try new recipes and ideas I find in magazines, Pinterest, online, etc, I would post them here also. (FYI the pictures come from the websites)

Today I tried several new things. First I made these homemade fruit snacks. They are awesome! I will say that next time, I may try it with orange juice because the lemon juice did make them a little tart. But if Jeanne likes them, they are great in my book. No food coloring, minimal sugar, super easy to make and cheap!
(Picture courtesy of thankyourbody.com)



For myself, I made these cinnamon apples. They tasted so good! I made them to share with my husband, and ate them all! I only added a teaspoon of sugar, and I think I will add more next time. Also, I will slice mine a little smaller than what is shown in the picture so they can be a hint softer. But such a great snack! Especially for someone who isn't the biggest fan of apples.
(Picture courtesy of salad-in-a-jar.com)






I think my biggest plug for today is this monthly meal planner. I spent $250 at the grocery store buying the ingredients for the recipes (I doubled several of the recipes) and made 9 meals for the crock-pot (put the ingredients in a ziploc in the freezer), 2 cassaroles, 2 side dishes, 12 breakfast burritos, and 20 lunch burritos! I didn't have to buy groceries (except for milk, toilet paper, and soda) for a few weeks. It was well worth the 3 hour prep time. Now I have meals in the freezer I can just put in the crock-pot in the morning, and not have to worry about not spending time with Jeanne after work. The burritos are great when I am running behind in the morning or need lunch (if we ate all the leftovers). So check out the sites and gather some ideas for yourself!