It has been awhile since I've posted anything and this summer has flown by! I always comment to my husband that it's a cruel rule of nature that the older you get, the faster time goes by. Don't you think it should be the other way around?
Anyway, this summer has been fun as we prepare for baby #2. Right now I'm 18 weeks along and certainly feeling it. The fatigue, the hunger, and the getting winded every time I get up to do anything? Yep, good times. We just recently found out that we're having another girl! I'm so excited because I feel like every girl should have a sister. And little girls are just so fun! So we'll be welcoming baby Noel in February. Although, I'm trying to decide if we should spell it the traditional way or Noelle. I just worry that some people who live under a rock and have never seen or heard of the word Noel would pronounce it like Joel but with an N. What do you all think?
Here are a few recent pics of Siena at about 17 months old. I can't believe how fast she's growing and how fast she's running! It is NOT easy chasing around a toddler when you're pregnant—that's for sure! But I am amazed every day at how smart she is and how much she's learning. She's at such a fun age.
When I was pregnant, I always wanted pasta. I've always loved it, but I especially wanted it then. Ever since, I still crave it often. And I love, love, love pesto and am always looking for new dishes to make with it. So I bought some of the yummy pre-made stuff at Costco for a recipe I have been wanting to try. I am still trying to perfect that one and will post it later, but since I had so much left over, I thought I would make a yummy pasta dish with it. This recipe was easy to throw together and so worth it. It's the perfect weeknight meal. It's also 14-month-old approved!
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups pasta of your choice (I used elbow noodles for this since they were all we had. But I would prefer bowtie or penne)
16-oz. package frozen veggie blend (I did Western Family's Normandy Blend)
4 oz. Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
2/3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup pesto
Garlic powder, to taste
1. Put chicken and flour in a large ziploc and shake to coat chicken.
2. In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked and brown on all sides, flipping occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
3. In large saucepan, cook veggies according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook Neufchatel until melted, stirring constantly. Whisk in broth and pesto and sprinkle in garlic powder; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened slightly.
4. Drain veggies and pour back into saucepan. Add chicken and pour sauce over and combine. Serve over noodles and enjoy!
I absolutely LOVE Asian food and especially Chinese chicken salads. I love to add lots of crunchy veggies and goodies to those that I make at home. I recently came across a Betty Crocker recipe for a Crunchy Asian Salad and added more veggies to it than it called for. What I liked most about the recipe, though, was the dressing. Now, I don't usually use a lot of mayo in anything I make—I actually go without on my burgers and sandwiches—but the mayo in the dressing made it really creamy. You could probably make the dressing lighter by going with a lowfat mayo, but I have never liked the lowfat variety cuz I think it has a funky taste.
My yummy salad included: Romaine lettuce Coleslaw mix Shredded carrots Chopped red onion Edamame (I just get the Steamables kind, cook it in the microwave, and cool it under cold water) Grilled chicken strips (I just got the precooked, frozen kind and zapped it in the microwave) Chopped red bell pepper Toasted almonds (I use Almond Accents, Honey Roasted flavor) Chopped celery Sliced cucumber Sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
And, of course, the yummy dressing. Here is the super-easy recipe:
Chinese Chicken Salad dressing: 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup Asian dressing (I used Cardini's Roasted Asian Sesame) 1 tbsp. honey
The minute the weather here in Utah starts to get warmer, the hubs and I get excited to fire up the grill. I came across this recipe in a Pillsbury Healthy Cooking magazine and what I love about it is that not only is it low fat and way yummy, but all the ingredients are things that I already had on hand. The chicken came out moist and the BBQ sauce was sweet with a hint of smokiness. YUM!
Saucy BBQ Chicken Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup ketchup 2 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar 1 to 2 tsp. chili powder (we used 1 1/2 tsp.) 1/2 tsp. paprika 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1. Heat grill. In 12x8-inch glass baking dish, combine all ingredients except chicken; blend well. Place chicken in sauce mixture; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to marinate.
2. When ready to grill, place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning occasionally and brushing frequently with sauce. Discard any remaining sauce.
Yesterday I was looking through my board of "Recipes to Try" on pinterest. Of the hundreds I have pinned and have yet to try, most are desserts. What can I say? My sweet tooth tends to take over most of the time.
One of the recipes I pinned was for Betty Crocker's Toasted Marshmallow S'mores bars and, since I really had a hankering for something sweet, I thought I would give it a whirl. But looking through the ingredient list, I got an idea. Those who know me well know that I am completely obsessed with Biscoff cookies—the ones you get on Delta flights and (for any of you who have been to France) taste very similar to Bastogne cookies. In fact, when I found out from another blogger that Biscoff had a SPREAD very similar in consistency to peanut butter, I had to run out and buy a tub right away. Since then, I've been trying to come up with ways to incorporate the cookies or the spread into other recipes. So much that my husband made fun of me and asked if I was going to try to make Biscoff gravy. Hmm, I wonder how I could make that work... :)
But all joking aside, I found a way to incorporate Biscoff into the S'mores bar recipe and it was a great success. I dunno if you can really, truly call my concoction "S'mores" bars, since they don't contain one of the main 3 s'mores ingredients—graham crackers. Those I decided to replace with Biscoff crumbs. The result was amazing! If you like S'mores and Biscoff, this recipe will not disappoint. I'd recommend enjoying these with a glass of milk.
S'mores Cookie Bars with Biscoff Cookie Crust
Ingredients: 1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix 1 cup Biscoff cookie crumbs (I pulsed mine in my food processor) 1 cup butter, melted 3 cups (18 oz) milk chocolate chips 4 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and Biscoff crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
3. Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over chocolate. Broil with top 4 to 5 inches from heat for 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely as marshmallows will brown VERY quickly ). Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.* Serve warm and store remaining in an airtight container.
*I would recommend putting the pan in the fridge for a bit after cutting them, as the marshmallow tends to be very gooey and it will help it harden enough to separate the bars.
Where have I been?? I have to admit that my mommy brain has had me going in all different directions and sometimes it's hard to remember my name! This motherhood stuff is not for the weak, impatient, or faint of heart. You can read thousands of books and talk to millions of people to get more parenthood advice than you can ever imagine. But the experience for every first-time parent is, no doubt, completely different and unique from any other. I was talking to a coworker the other day whose wife is pregnant and I told him that people can tell you how it will change your life and how it's hard, but you really don't know until you experience it for yourself. Sometimes I feel like I'm going completely insane. But it's an adventure, no doubt. And SO worth it. I look at my little girl and everything is right in the world. I love to see her learning new things. She is brilliant and beautiful and wonderful.
Hello, and welcome to Cupcakes, Kisses, and Little Misses! I'm Erin, marketing writer by profession, wife to the sweetest man in the universe, and mom to two amazing little misses! Here at CKLM I share my favorite tried-and-true recipes, as well as tidbits and thoughts about this fun and crazy adventure we call life. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your visit!
