t3! let's celebrate with some new recipes.

funny story before i share some new recipes with you.  today marks 27 weeks pregnant which means i'm also entering my last trimester, woo hoo!  i had an appointment w/ my ob this morning.  it's been a month since i last saw him.  anyways, i get checked in and they do the standard weight and bp check and make me pee in a cup.  i go wait in the room for the dr.  he comes in and without even saying hi goes,

"did she weigh you right?"
i'm like, "uh oh.  ummmm why do you ask?"
he's like, " did she?"  (take note his tone was not serious or demeaning, more joking-iike). 
i'm all "yes. i've gained a lot in the last month". 
he's like "ok just checking.  you've gained 10 pounds since you were here last (4 weeks)". 
i say,  "am i in trouble?"
he goes, "no no no.  you're only up 16 pounds total, i'm not worried at all."

whats even better is that he then notices my "workout clothes" and says, "are you still working out?"
i straight up laughed at him and he pointed to my clothes and i said "HAHAHHA no, these are because they are comfortable".  bet he felt stupid. lol

the same thing happened when i was pregnant with makena.  my weight gain was slow and then bam! 10 lbs in a month.  my ob in georgia, however, was not impressed.  my mom backed me up saying she used to experience the same thing when pregnant.  guess its just how we do!

the rest of the appointment went well.  strong heartbeat, had my rogham shot (i'm rh negative) and i was on my way.  he again assured me he wouldn't let me have a ten pound baby.  3 months left!

ok so here are a few new recipes.  i got excited about all the yummy meals in the simple & delicious magazine.  first up, makena's birthday cake.  here you have it.


rainbow layer cake:

ingredients-

-1 package white cake mix (regular size)
-3 eggs
-3 tablespoons each, lemon, strawberry and orange gelatin powder
-2 cans (16oz each) lemon frosting

directions-

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line bottoms of 3 greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.

2. prepare cake mix batter according to package directions, substituting three whole eggs for egg whites. divide evenly among three bowls. stir one flavor of gelatin into each bowl until blended. pour each into a prepared pan. bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. cool completely. spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

next up is a tortellini and chicken caesar salad.  also from the simple and delicious magazine.  and it was a total score to come across this because i had just bought a bag of caesar salad mix at costco so it made the recipe even easier.  its super easy and is best served cold so you can make it mid-day (wait to add dressing til you're ready to serve) if you have extra time.  perfect for warm, summer weather.  we ate it outside since it was such a beautiful night.

tortellini and chicken caesar salad:

ingredients-

-1 package (20 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
-1/3 cup finely chopped onion
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1 package (10 oz) hearts of romaine salad mix
-1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes (i chopped them in half)
-3/4 cup creamy casear salad dressing
-3/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese
-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 

directions:

1. cook tortellini according to package directions. drain; rinse with cold water.
2. meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chicken, onion, oil, garlic, salt and pepper; toss to coat. heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. add chicken mixture; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. remove from heat.
3. in a large bowl, combine salad mix, tomatoes, olives, tortellini and chicken mixture. drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. sprinkle with cheese and bacon. serve immediately. yield: 6 servings.

the next one i'll share is a total comfort food.  i'm a sucker for broccoli cheddar soup, but really, who isn't?  i saw this in the s&d mag and it looked so easy with only a few ingredients.  i was really happy with the taste!  i put half in the freezer and half is in the fridge for us to eat tomorrow night.  i'm sure your kids would love it too, and its filling since it has chicken and rice in it.  be careful once the milk, broth and ranch mix start heating up.  i literally turned my back for 30 seconds and it boiled over and made a total mess so i had to add more milk and broth.  i also added a little extra of everything: cheese, rice, and chicken.

broccoli-chicken rice soup:

ingredients-

-4 cups whole milk (i used 2% cause that's what i had)
-2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
-1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
-2 cups fresh broccoli florets
-1/2 lb processed cheese (velveeta), cubed
-3 cups cooked rice
-2 cups cubed cooked chicken

directions-

1.  in a dutch oven, combine milk, broth and dressing mix; bring to a boil. add broccoli; cook, uncovered, 3-5 minutes or until tender. stir in process cheese until melted. add rice and chicken; heat through, stirring occasionally.

woops...

and lastly, i'll leave you with another soup.  this time its from rachael ray.  i had an old episode of hers on in the background last week and she was making this and it looked really yummy so i tried it.  i liked it a lot!  it has a nice kick to it.  and to be honest, i have no idea what chourico is.  i honestly thought it was chorizo until i was making the recipe.  so i dunno if its even the same thing, but i used chorizo, lol, and it was awesome! it would even taste good if you squirt some lime juice in before serving.  enjoy, and goodnight.  

portuguese chourico and kale soup:

ingredients:

-2 tablespoons evoo
-3 medium white, waxy potatoes (like yukon golds), peeled and diced
-2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
-2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
-1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
-coarse salt and pepper
-1 (15 oz) can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 lb diced chourico, casings removed (i used 24 oz)
-1 quart chicken broth
-warm, crusty bread

directions:

1.  heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

add garlic, bay leaves, and kale to the pot. cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. season with salt and pepper. add beans, tomatoes, chourico, and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

serve soup with hunks of crusty bread and butter.

i forgot to take pictures of the process, sorry.