Reveal Day...

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Last Monday we were invited to our daughter's ultrasound... to (hopefully) find out what the baby would be.  We were so excited to go! Unfortunately her husband was unable to attend due to his work schedule.  First, the plan was for Kristina to find out then tell Benj when he got home, then it was going to be the tech would write it down and put it in an envelope for them to both open but then I had the idea of making them a 'reveal' cake.  I had seen some similar ideas on Pinterest.  Both Kristina and Benj really liked this idea so the morning before we went, I made 2 cakes with tinted batter, frosted them white with colored sprinkles, boxed them up, coded them and we went on our way.

The ultrasound was so amazing to watch.... at one point the face came into clear view and we could even see "it" yawn and their fuzzy hair.   Then it came to the point where the tech was going to look so Kristina turned her head and we watched while the tech typed the sex on the photo...

In the parking lot I handed the box to Kristina and she went home to wait for Benj....

 

All morning I had a strong feeling what it was going to be and I was right

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It's a Girl!!

We are excited and can't til summer until we can meet our granddaughter!

P.S.  The DIY Guy and I ate the blue cake for dessert that night :-)





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Spinach Lasagna

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Friday, May 17, 2013

>Printable Recipe Here

I've been on a kick lately to try and lighten up some of the meals we're eating and at the same time, eat more veggies!  This meal fits both of those requirements.  It makes a 9x13 pan and each serving (1/8) is about 330 calories. 

In a typical lasagna, one of the ingredients is usually ricotta cheese - this uses cottage cheese that is processed until smooth with an egg.  Very similar texture to ricotta but fewer calories.  Don't worry though - there is still some yummy cheese - romano (or parmesan) and fontina.  A creamy sauce is also made with 1% milk and spinach.  Are you a fan of no-boil noodles?  Yep, those are in this too.  It is a bit time-consuming to make but the results were fantastic.  It even reheats well.

I think next time I might add some cooked chicken...I know the DIY Guy would appreciate that!

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Spiked Challenge-Strawberry Margarita Shortcake

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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

>Printable Recipe Here
    {Original}

Happy Wednesday!  Today is the Spiked Challenge reveal day with tequila.  I really had to think about this one (rules state it can't be a drink--that would be too easy).  So I wasn't sure if I should go sweet or savory (I had ideas of a grilled chicken or maybe a cheesecake).  Then one day I was walking through Trader Joe's and they had the most beautiful looking strawberries that seemed to call out -- eat me!  So I bought myself a 2 pound box and went on my way.  At home I made a margarita and instead of drinking it, I mixed it with sliced strawberries and marinaded them for about an hour.  While that was happening, I made the biscuits.  So far so good but wait - it gets even better with a whipped topping made with heavy cream and Grand Marnier.

I served these to my family last Saturday (minus tequila for one family member) and they were a hit. The strawberries took on a nice flavor with the mix and the orange flavor of the Grand Marnier really came through in the whipped topping.  I made ours with the strawberries drained and yes, we did drink the juice - very strawberry-ish!

To make a non-alcoholic version, just use the margarita mix (minus alcohol) and orange juice for the Grand Marnier.

Be sure to head over to Julie's or Carrie's to see what everyone links up.

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Tomato and Basil Quiche

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

>Recipe Link Here
   
As the weekend comes to an end, I wanted to share this delicious breakfast that was prepared by my older daughter and her husband.  They are both fantastic cooks and I felt very spoiled.  I woke up to hustling and bustling in the kitchen - the DIY Guy had the coffee ready (yay), the "kids" were preparing this meal, and I was just able to relax and read the paper. In addition to the quiche, we had monkey bread and a nice, fresh bowl of fruit.  I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated all they did for me!

Later in the day, daughter #2 came.  While guys worked outside on our landscaping project and us girls visited and before everyone left, I made some fried ice cream (more on that another day).  I'm excited too because next year I won't be the only mom in our immediate family... we will have a little one to spoil in about 3 months.... will it be a boy or girl?  We are supposed to find out this week!  Stay tuned.







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Chicken Parmesan

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

>Printable Recipe Here


Today I have for you a Chicken Parm recipe that is easier on the calories but still provides great flavor!  I love chicken parm and it tends to be my go-to order when we hit up our favorite Italian restaurant.  All that gooey cheese melted all over a seasoned crispy chicken breast served over pasta...yum!

This version has all those elements.  The main difference is baked chicken coated with toasted panko crumbs.  I just discovered panko crumbs a couple years ago and have substituted regular bread crumbs for these in some of my recipes.  They are much crisper.  Also, as you can see there is not a lot of that gooey cheese on top but I really don't think you'll miss it (or add more to your heart's delight).

This dinner came together in 30 minutes and it looks like you slaved all day.  The DIY Guy went back for seconds too! 

Mangia!





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Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

>Printable Recipe Here
    {adapted from America's Test Kitchen}    

Do you ever get Chinese take-out?  Do you wish you could make a lighter version at home in under 30 minutes?  Then I think you are really going to like this recipe.  I came across this in an America's Test Kitchen Comfort Food Makeovers cookbook and was anxious to give it a try.

A couple things make it lighter.... the veggies are steamed and the chicken is only cooked in 1 T of veg oil.  I liked that the veggies retained their color and had a crispness to them that normally won't happen if you stir fried them in oil.  Do you like spicy?  This calls for a bit a red pepper flakes but you could kick it up a notch by adding a bit more... we tend to like our dishes spicier.  The cashews and water chestnuts also provide a nice texture.  Of course, because you know I like my Uncle Ben's 90 second rice, I served it over that.

One more thing I want to mention is that since the chicken is marinaded for a bit, it was so tender.  Get your chopsticks out and dig in (though I must confess I used a fork!)

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Pizza Night

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Tuesday, May 7, 2013

>Recipe Below
    {Original}    

What's your favorite pizza and toppings?  I'm always on the lookout for new pizzas to try that are out of the ordinary.  This past weekend, I was going through my refrigerator and remembered that I had some leftover alfredo sauce.  I got to thinking what I could do with that and had a vision of a white-type pizza with the following ingredients:

• Diced cooked chicken
• Roasted bell peppers (jarred, drained on paper towels and sliced)
• Fresh Mozzarella cheese (grated or sliced thin)
• Fresh basil
• Balsamic Glaze (from Traders Joe's... this is the best stuff!)

(My original dough recipe can be found here and for assembly/cooking method click here for a tutorial).

On top of the dough I placed about 3 oz of the alfredo sauce, spreading it out near the edge, leaving about an inch.  Next I placed the diced chicken (about 1 cup), roasted red peppers and topped with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese.  Baking time was about 13 minutes and after it was removed and cooled down for about 3 minutes, I added fresh basil and drizzled the balsamic glaze.

Wow - the flavors really hit the spot.  I really liked the glaze and sweetness it provided.  I'll be keeping this one in the rotation!







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