Friday, May 25, 2012
Complete guide to baby care...
I recently came across the best and most comprehensive guide to baby care and wanted to share it with all the blog followers out there! :)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Preparation...AKA Freezer Meals
This morning I went over to my friend Amber's house and we made freezer meals to start prepping for bed rest and general feeling of blah in terms of making dinner. In about an hour we made 6 dinners and 16 burritos for lunches. It was so fast and easy, especially since we did it together! Here are the recipes we made (didn't get to the twice baked potatoes yet):
Twice Baked Potatoes
Bake potatoes at 350 for an hour. Once your potatoes are done cooking and cooled enough to handle. Just slice them right down the middle and make some double-stuffed potatoes! Scoop the insides out into a bowl and add some butter, softened cream cheese, milk, chives and whatever else you like. Sometimes we add crumpled bacon, shredded cheese, ranch dressing... whatever we're in the mood for. Use a potato masher until it's all mixed in and then spoon the filling into your potato shells. I wrap these individually in plastic wrap and then put in a bag. On serving day you thaw and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Brown Bag Burritos
2 lb. ground beef
2 cans refried beans
1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion (I use dried)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)
Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I added the cheese on top of the filling rather than cooking it in!)
Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time. Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla.
Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil.
Refrigerate or freeze. When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil. Then heat burritos in the oven with foil. For a sit down meal they are nice topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. If you’re eating on the run, though, just grab and go!
Teriyaki Chicken
Medium – Large bag of carrots (optional)
Red Onion into Large Chunks
2 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 Garlic Cloves
4 Chicken Breasts
1 cup teriyaki sauce
Follow directions above, and split everything into two gallon freezer bags. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Bag: Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to crock pot, Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serve over hot rice
Lazy Day Stew
4lb cubed stewing beef
4 cups baby carrots
4 cups baby red potatoes (cut in half)
2 medium onions, chopped
10 oz package dried lima beans (optional)
2 cups celery, chopped
4 tsp quick-cooking tapioca
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (1/2 in each bag)
2 cup water
2 Tbs brown sugar
Follow directions above, and put everything into two one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Bag: Cook on low 8 hours, Eat as a soup, or serve over hot noodles or rice.
World’s Easiest Make-Ahead Marinated Chicken Recipe
One bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Put the chicken in a freezer bag. Pour the Italian dressing over the chicken. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it up. Freeze.
To thaw and bake:
Quick Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.
Longer Marinating Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer, stick the bag in a bowl and let it thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.
Crock Pot Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, until thoroughly cooked through.
This is delicious served over rice with steamed vegetables on the side.
Hope you enjoy! :P
Katie
Twice Baked Potatoes
Bake potatoes at 350 for an hour. Once your potatoes are done cooking and cooled enough to handle. Just slice them right down the middle and make some double-stuffed potatoes! Scoop the insides out into a bowl and add some butter, softened cream cheese, milk, chives and whatever else you like. Sometimes we add crumpled bacon, shredded cheese, ranch dressing... whatever we're in the mood for. Use a potato masher until it's all mixed in and then spoon the filling into your potato shells. I wrap these individually in plastic wrap and then put in a bag. On serving day you thaw and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Brown Bag Burritos
2 lb. ground beef
2 cans refried beans
1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion (I use dried)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)
Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I added the cheese on top of the filling rather than cooking it in!)
Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time. Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla.
Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil.
Refrigerate or freeze. When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil. Then heat burritos in the oven with foil. For a sit down meal they are nice topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. If you’re eating on the run, though, just grab and go!
Teriyaki Chicken
Medium – Large bag of carrots (optional)
Red Onion into Large Chunks
2 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 Garlic Cloves
4 Chicken Breasts
1 cup teriyaki sauce
Follow directions above, and split everything into two gallon freezer bags. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Bag: Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to crock pot, Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serve over hot rice
Lazy Day Stew
4lb cubed stewing beef
4 cups baby carrots
4 cups baby red potatoes (cut in half)
2 medium onions, chopped
10 oz package dried lima beans (optional)
2 cups celery, chopped
4 tsp quick-cooking tapioca
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (1/2 in each bag)
2 cup water
2 Tbs brown sugar
Follow directions above, and put everything into two one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Bag: Cook on low 8 hours, Eat as a soup, or serve over hot noodles or rice.
World’s Easiest Make-Ahead Marinated Chicken Recipe
One bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Put the chicken in a freezer bag. Pour the Italian dressing over the chicken. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it up. Freeze.
To thaw and bake:
Quick Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.
Longer Marinating Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer, stick the bag in a bowl and let it thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.
Crock Pot Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, until thoroughly cooked through.
This is delicious served over rice with steamed vegetables on the side.
Hope you enjoy! :P
Katie
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Specialist
Well, yesterday we went to see the maternal fetal medicine doctor. We got to see the babies again, a lot more clearly than before. They are still growing on schedule and looking good.
The doctor came in and after the U/S he took some time to talk with us. He said that we have lots of things to watch out for: anemia, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, bedrest, and constipation to name a few. Even before he got to that part, he gave us the "reduction" speech, but of course we won't even consider "reducing" one or two of the babies.
So, we have a lot of "fun" coming our way, but we are ready to deal with it. We go back in a few weeks and have a NT scan to check the babies for Down's Syndrome and if we are really lucky, we might be able to find out the gender of a couple of them, maybe... :P
Katie
The doctor came in and after the U/S he took some time to talk with us. He said that we have lots of things to watch out for: anemia, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, bedrest, and constipation to name a few. Even before he got to that part, he gave us the "reduction" speech, but of course we won't even consider "reducing" one or two of the babies.
So, we have a lot of "fun" coming our way, but we are ready to deal with it. We go back in a few weeks and have a NT scan to check the babies for Down's Syndrome and if we are really lucky, we might be able to find out the gender of a couple of them, maybe... :P
Katie
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Shock and Awe
Well, as you all well know, we had our first of MANY OB appointments yesterday. I'm gonna cut to the chase because we received a HUGE shock! We were sure there would be one baby, knew it was likely there were two, accepted the possibility that there would be three, but when the doctor said there are FOUR we didn't really know how to react.
So there you have it...we are having QUADRUPLETS! They are all measuring right on at 8weeks and 3 days. All have heartbeats and are in their own sacks. We are excited, but scared and a little bit overwhelmed...or maybe underwhelmed at this point since it hasn't had much time to sink in. :P
Katie
So there you have it...we are having QUADRUPLETS! They are all measuring right on at 8weeks and 3 days. All have heartbeats and are in their own sacks. We are excited, but scared and a little bit overwhelmed...or maybe underwhelmed at this point since it hasn't had much time to sink in. :P
Katie
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day
Hey Happy Readers! It is Mother's Day yet again! Yay for mothers!
We returned from our vacation to Florida late last night. We enjoyed lots of R&R and did a few fun things as well. I am SO glad to be home, though!
Also this past week, my little sister had her second baby girl. She is a sweet little baby girl named Ainslie Jayde. We are so excited to have her in our family!
Aside from all of that, we are (not so) patiently waiting for our first OB appointment on Tuesday! I am getting a little freaked out, to be quite honest. The ultrasound will make this real, finally. I feel like I'm pregnant, I know I'm pregnant, but I can't truly believe I'm pregnant until I see that baby on the screen. So here's to hoping for a healthy, active, little baby on the screen in 2 days!
Happy Mother's Day to you all! :P
Katie
We returned from our vacation to Florida late last night. We enjoyed lots of R&R and did a few fun things as well. I am SO glad to be home, though!
Also this past week, my little sister had her second baby girl. She is a sweet little baby girl named Ainslie Jayde. We are so excited to have her in our family!
Aside from all of that, we are (not so) patiently waiting for our first OB appointment on Tuesday! I am getting a little freaked out, to be quite honest. The ultrasound will make this real, finally. I feel like I'm pregnant, I know I'm pregnant, but I can't truly believe I'm pregnant until I see that baby on the screen. So here's to hoping for a healthy, active, little baby on the screen in 2 days!
Happy Mother's Day to you all! :P
Katie
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