Wordless Wednesday

Impromptu Four Generation Pic (AKA:  why I'm in my pajamas)

Menu Monday

Monday:  Orange Chicken

This was that straight up out of a box frozen meal from Costco that has been on repeat for months.  It comes with two packages so this was package number 2.  It's yummy, easy, but very high in points and not something I'm into every week.  It makes the day seem so long when I've used the rest of my points up by 11:30 and have to wait until 7:30 to eat this.  Bring on the fruit.

WW Points:  19 points (1 3/4 cups) + 4 points for a serving of brown rice


Tuesday:  Velveeta Italian Sausage Bake

New meal this week using the feature of plugging your ingredients into the search boxes and seeing what comes up.  Mine?  Sausage and penne pasta.  This meal was super delicious!  If you're into Velveeta of course.  The thought of Velveeta kinda grosses me out, but in finished dishes I cannot deny its awesomeness.

I omitted the zucchini in this recipe so it probably could've used a little more pasta in my version, but if you follow the recipe the amount should be adequate. 

WW Points:  17 points/serving
4 servings


Wednesday:  Leftovers


Thursday:  Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up

For some reason I picked two meals with Velveeta this week.  Not really on purpose but it worked out well because I already had some in the fridge.  This meal kind of reminds me of this yummy cheese dip my mom makes but all rolled up into a pizza dough.  It's good, but I feel as if the dough is a little thick for my taste and leaves me wanting more meat.  That's what she said.  But nonetheless, yums.

Next time I would cook the bacon separately and then add it in later.  I don't feel like it gets crispy cooking it with the beef and I'm a crispy bacon kind of girl.

WW Points:  17 points/serving
4 servings


Friday:  B-Spot & Leftovers

It was Girls' Night Out Friday at B-Spot, a new restaurant in town by Michael Symon.  I ended up getting a salad because I saved the rest of my points for wine.  Yep.  That's how I roll.  Matt ate up the leftovers from the previous evening.


Saturday:  Hamburgers & Grilled Corn

This was a last minute throw together meal as my plans for the evening fell through at the last minute.  Matt was in charge as I do not grill so I just kind of made up the points for this one.  AKA: a night of not caring.  Followed by ice cream.  With peanut butter smeared on top.



Sunday:  Steak and Chicken Kabobs, Potato Casserole, Caramel Brownies

We had a cookout at a friend's house and I was of course in charge of bringing dessert.  The brownies were so yummy, but they were incredibly rich and very gooey.  Practically impossible to get out of the pan.  They were so gooey you had to eat them with a fork.  I'm not sure I would make them again because of the messiness factor but they were soooo good. 


Clearly I lost no weight this week because of my weekend crazies.  But some weeks, maintaining is succeeding my my book.  And so is sending the leftover brownies to work with your husband.

Thursday Randoms

• It has been a long time since I wrote a bulleted post.

• I kinda miss it.

• I reminds me of when I used to blog at work.  Good times.

• Do y'all watch Big Brother?  I'm pretty much obsessed with the show.  I follow some spoiler feeds on Twitter and I try to talk to Matt about it all the time.  He could care less.

• What kind of toys to you buy for 7 month olds?  I feel like Natalie is still playing with her baby toys and some stuffed animals and she is beyond bored.  

• I'm borrowing my FIL's car for a while whilst we continue to look for a new car for me.  My Taurus is dying a slow death and is no longer safe.  So now I'm sporting around town in a serious old man car.  With two doors.  Have you ever tried to get an infant carrier out of the middle seat in the back of a two door car?  HELL.

• Because of this, I think I'm going to switch Natalie to the convertible car seat this weekend.  She's almost to the weight and height limit on her carrier anyways.  Guess this was just the push I needed.

• I got Natalie her first sippy cup yesterday and she looks so big using it.  But seriously, there are a lot of different sippy cups out there.  How the heck are you supposed to know which one to get?  

• My new favorite snack is the Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie.  So good and only 2 points!

• I've lost 35 lbs. since starting WW after Natalie was born.  I'm less than 5 lbs. away from my pre-Natalie weight!  Funny how nothing seems to look the way it did before I got pregnant though.  

• That really sucks.

• But everyday I get to spend with my sweet girl makes it totally worth it.  Plus, I'm still working on another 40 lbs. so maybe it will look better when those are gone :)

Speedway Sparkplugs are the Best!

Last weekend we ventured back to Indianapolis for my big 10 year high school reunion.  I honestly wasn't super pumped about going but it turned out to be an incredibly fun day.  It was fantastic to see all of my high school buddies again and it made me miss them terribly when I left.  I really need to keep in better touch with these people because I remembered just how fabulous they all are.

The weekend started off with a picnic lunch where we could bring our families.  We took some pics before we left my parents' house that afternoon.

Natalie napped through almost the whole picnic so I had a chance to chat and catch up with some friends.  But when she woke up, she got to go in the swing at the park for the first time and she LOVED it.  It was pretty much the cutest thing ever.  She got this huge smile on her face when she was flying through the air.  Priceless.

We spent the rest of the day with Matt's parents and then the two of us headed out to the main event.

It was a little awkward at first seeing everyone and going through the whole...where do you work, how old are your kids, what's new in your life...sort of conversation.  Plus, Matt and I both completely suck at making small talk.  So we started playing a game where he would pick out someone in the class and then try to guess the type of person they were in high school.  You know, jock, band geek, smarty pants?  And you know what?  He guessed it right every time.  Ha!

But as you might expect, once the booze got to flowing, we were all best friends again!  Funny how that works, huh?  But it was so great because it was as if all of the cliques just faded away and we were all friends just dancing and having a great time.  I wish high school would've been like that all the time.

Let's just ignore the fact that you can see my bra in practically every picture, shall we?  

Here's a pic of our whole class.  There were only 88 of us so I think we had a pretty good turn out.  

And no party would be complete without a picture of me doing this.

And scene.

Nataile's 6 Month Photo Shoot

all photos taken by Matthew Connors

Menu Monday

Monday:  Leftovers

These Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes are just as delicious the second time around.  I do wait until right before we are ready to eat to make the bread each time, though.  Reheated bread = sucktastic.


Tuesday:  Chicken Tortilla Casserole

I LOVE this dish.  I did a lot of prep work throughout the day so it wouldn't take as long to prepare that evening (chopping the veggies, prepping the chicken, crushing the tortilla chips) and it was super delicious.  Matt thinks it's only okay as he's not much of a tomato eater and the chopped tomatoes are not hidden in the slightest.  His plate was full of picked out tomatoes bits.  But I'm not a tomato fan myself and I think the other flavors masked it quite well.  Well enough for me to eat them without spitting them out.

I used red onion instead of a shallot as I had some leftover.  Also, I used 1 Tbsp. of the chipolte peppers in adobo sauce and that was plenty.  Perhaps even too much.  It was very spicy.  Matt and I are both lovers of the heat but these peppers are my nemesis for sure.  So be careful.  Also, I used 5 oz. of tortillas chips and about 26 oz. of chicken.  The points reflect these amounts.  Oh, and no cilantro.  Matt thinks it tastes like soap.  I know.  He's a strange, strange man.

WW Points:  14 points/serving
4 servings


Wednesday:  Leftovers


Thursday:  Burritos

Nothing fancy here folks.  I browned 12 oz. of lean ground beef, threw in some taco seasoning...and ta da!  Done.  We're more of a burrito family rather than a taco family so I served the meat up in soft shells.  Easy peasy!

WW Points: 8 points for 6 oz. taco meat, 3 points for 1/3 cup Mexican cheese, 6 points for 2 tortilla shells
Total meal:  17 points


Friday-Sunday

We were out of town for the weekend so no cooking for this mama!

Hope y'all are having a great Monday!!

Class of 2001 Baby!

We're heading back to Indy, my hometown, this weekend for a very special event. 


My 10 year high school reunion.


Dun, dun, dun.


How the heck has it been 10 years?  That seems like such a long time.  I feel like I've been out of high school forever...but still, 10 years sounds like forever. 


I'm not super jazzed up about this reunion...in fact I probably wouldn't be going if it weren't for the fact I had to help plan the event.  Yep.  You're reading the blog of a former class president here.  Impressed?  Yes?  Want to learn a little bit more about "high school Jenny?"

I was a huge nerd.  Surprising, I know!  I wouldn't say I was dorky, but my grades were extremely important to me and undoubtedly my top priority.  I was number one in my class from 7th grade on.  Yeppers.  Valedictorian.  Woot, woot! 

But although I was very much the academic type, I also played sports.  I played volleyball, basketball, and ran track.  Now when I say 'ran track,' that really means I threw shot put and discus and then hid with my friends in the bathroom whilst everyone else ran their laps.  And I also lounged on the high jump pit.  Oh track.  Good times. 

But I was a legit basketball player.  In fact, I still hold almost all of the rebounding records at Speedway.  If I could go back to high school to do anything again it would be to play basketball.  Those were probably some of the most meaningful and memorable times of my life.  I remember so many conversations my dad and I would have about my games.  Such a bonding experience it was for us.  I miss those.  Very much.

My best friends from high school, the two I still talk to, weren't in my class.  So although I think it will be a good time, I'm not dying to go back.  But at least I'll get to show off my little cutie pies and have a little wine.  Not a bad weekend in my book!

Hope y'all have a great weekend and I'll let you know how it goes when we get back.

Loves! 

How is My Child 7 Months Old?

Sweet girl,

You are 7 months old!  I just cannot believe you have been with us for that long.  Your first birthday is creeping closer and closer and it makes Mama so sad how quickly time is passing.  But I am so incredibly thankful I get to spend every single day with your sweet face.  You're my world, little girl, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

You are still in size 3 diapers and are wearing 9-12 month clothes.  Your length gets you every time big girl.  We're still going strong with nursing and we've got ourselves on a consistent schedule for the first time!

• 6-7 a.m.  First nursing session followed by at least 1 more hour of sleep

• 9:30 a.m.  First solids consisting of 4 Tbsp. oatmeal mixed with apples, pears, and sweet potatoes

• 11:30-12:30 p.m.  Nap

• 12:30 p.m.  Nurse

• 3-3:45 p.m.  Nap

• 4:00 p.m.  Nurse

• 5:15 p.m.  Second solids consisting of usually two vegetables

• 6:30 p.m.  Nurse 

 

Mommy has started making your solid foods for you and you are loving all of the new flavors.  You always make a really funny face after your first bite...like, "Whoa!  What the heck is that, Mom?"  But then you eat it up.  You've eaten apples, pears, avocados, bananas, green beans, summer squash, and your favorites of sweet potatoes and oatmeal.   You had quite the bad reaction to bananas but you have handled everything else with no problems at all.

We've finally made the transition to napping in your crib!  You usually fuss for a few minutes but then fall fast asleep.  I'm so glad you have finally learned to do this as taking you out in your car seat or stroller just to fall sleep was getting super inconvenient.  But now you're an old pro.

Speaking of sleep, you have been sleeping mostly on your tummy these days.  At the beginning of the month you weren't able to flip yourself back onto your back and you would wake up very angry in the middle of the night insisting to be rolled over.  But you've now learned to roll any which way you choose and do so in your crib all the time.  For a little girl who can't crawl yet, you sure are mobile.

 

Probably the most exciting milestone of the month, you have teeth!  Both of your bottom teeth have made their appearance and you are using them!  Ouch.  You had one dose of Tylenol during your first tooth but they really haven't bothered you since.  You're an incredibly easy going little booger and teething has not changed your personality one bit.  Yet.

You are sitting up like a big girl now and are getting steadier every single day.  I feel confident leaving the room with you sitting and know you probably won't topple over.  You can sit in the highchairs at restaurants now and look like such a big girl doing so.  Mommy got you some shape sorting blocks this month so you sit up and play with those quite a bit.

 

We've spent a lot of time out and about this month looking for a new car for Mommy.  You have been so well behaved each and every outing.  Your Daddy and I could not be more proud of you.  We are so lucky we have such a happy, laid back little girl.  You've also enjoyed several play dates involving a pool.  You are definitely a water baby and want to be sitting in the pool at all times.  You splish and splash all over and the fact that the water is freezing doesn't bother you one bit.  You did take one face plant into the pool and were very sad for 15 seconds or so...but then you wanted right back in. 

You have figured out how to get your feet into your mouth and do it all the time.  It's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen.

We participated in a Baby Thanksgiving at church where we got up on stage as a family and the whole congregation prayed for you.  It was an amazing experience and I'm so happy we were able to do it.  You were the cutest baby there, if I do say so myself.

You're everything to us, Natty Poo, and we love every single second we get to spend with you.  Your smile lights up the room and one look at your sweet little face and all my troubles disappear.  I love you more than words, my girl.  

Menu Monday

Monday:  Three Cheese Chicken and Pasta Skillet

This was a new recipe for the week and boy was it good!  I had to use up some leftover rotisserie chicken and this fit the bill.  It came together very quickly for a weeknight meal (a necessity in our house) and was quite reasonable points wise.  I left out the Kraft Singles because they are disgusting and a sorry excuse for cheese.  In my opinion of course :)  The points reflect this.

I wasn't super impressed with this dish as a leftover meal, but Matt thought it was quite good both days.  Take that for what you will.

WW Points:  10 points/serving
5 servings

Tuesday:  Leftovers

Wednesday:  Lasagna Soup

Dude.  I mean, DUDE.  This soup is G.O.O.D.  I insist you make this immediately.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate for a cold winter month but I'm not one to get caught up in all of that garbage.  Good food is good every month of the year.  And this, boy is it good.  I mean, the topping is called "cheesy yum."  Enough said, yes?

I used chicken broth instead of stock as I already had that.  I didn't notice any loss in flavor because of this substitution.  I also used the leftover rotini from Monday evening as I couldn't find either of the suggested pastas at the store.  I also didn't use as much basil as mine withered to grossness a little quicker than expected.

WW Points: 16 points/serving
6 servings

This could definitely be an 8 serving dish.  The amount I ate was quite a large bowl but I didn't mind as it was incredibly delicious.  But it made a ton.  Judging by the fact I forced Matt to have two days of leftovers.  But unlike the earlier dish, the taste was of the same high quality as the first night.


Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday:  Leftovers

Saturday:  Pizza

Menu plan fail.  Do you ever have nights where you just need to have pizza?  I mean, deep down in your soul need it?  Well, I do.  And it was Saturday.   It was also too many points to count.  Ahem.


Sunday:  Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

This is a repeat dish for us.  We LOVE it.  I mean, whenever a recipe calls for Texas toast we are all over it.  I could not recommend making this dish more.  Easy, tasty, Texas toasty.  Yum.  Just do it.

WW Points: 21 points/serving
4 servings

FYI it's major high in points.  You could totally make this into an 8 serving meal and only eat one piece of Texas toast.  But you know me by now, right.  That ain't my style.

Menu Monday

Monday:  BBQ Chicken Pizza

This pizza is really, really good.  It's super easy to throw together on a weeknight and it completely holds up to my high standards of what I consider an awesome pizza.  And that means a lot considering I exclusively eat sausage and cheese.

I did decide to use a 'just add water' pizza crust for this pizza instead of making my own crust.  Forgive me.  It was a Monday.  And also, I only had two slices of bacon leftover from our Sunday breakfast.  A travesty in my book.  So the points include my changes. 

I personally ate half the pizza.  But a normal person could perhaps eat less.  So please take the high point value of this recipe with that in mind.

WW Points:  25 points/half of pizza


Tuesday:  Pasta Alla Vodka

I had this meal out at a restaurant a few months ago for the first time and have been craving it ever since.  Finally, I had a chance to attempt a recreation.  I thought this pasta was pretty good, but a little involved.  I'm not a fan of recipes that involve me using a blender, the stove, and a ton of other dishes.  I also didn't feel like there was enough sauce when the meal was ready.  But it did have a nice kick to it which I appreciate.  In conclusion, I think I'm still on the lookout for the perfect Pasta Alla Vodka recipe.  Have any suggestions?

WW Points:  14 points/serving
5 servings
We served it with a side of Texas Toast (5 points for Cheese variety)


Wednesday:  Leftovers
This wasn't super fab leftover.  The sauce soaked up even more into the pasta so it had even less than the day before.  Not such a fan.


Thursday:  Cheeseburger Pie

This dish was really tasty...and super easy to make.  At first it was a little weird to be eating puff pastry as a crust but the taste trumped the difficulty in getting a perfect bite.  We left off all the toppings as we're not super big veggie people and thought the dressing would be a weird addition so my points reflect that.

The serving size in the recipe is 4 and I think that would've been perfectly acceptable.  I, however, ate half.  Obvs.

WW Points: 28 points/half of pie


Friday:  Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

I was a little weirded out by the fact there was no sauce with this dish, but OMG this was fantastic!!  Probably the best meal we've had in a long time.  The cheesiness was all that was needed with each shell.  And talk about easy to make.  Cook the pasta, stuff them, bake them...good to go!  We will definitely be making it again.

I used 16 jumbo shells so we each got 4 shells per meal.  I thought this serving size was sufficient.  We did have Texas toast with it one night...but ran out the next night and I was no where near starving with just eating the shells.

WW Points:  13 points/serving
4 servings


Saturday:  Leftovers


Sunday:  Orange Chicken

Don't get too excited friends.  This was out of a box.  I had grand plans to make this super awesome sounding Lasagna Soup but we didn't have time to get to the store.  Next week! 

We bought it frozen from Costco and it was really good...and quite yummy.  Not so great for you on the points side of things so I only had a wee little bit.  I've pretty much been stuffing myself full of watermelon lately that I wasn't even really hungry for dinner.  I guess there are worse things to stuff yourself with than watermelon, huh?

WW Points:  11 points/serving
5 servings
If I would've been my normal self, I would've eaten more than this.  Half of the package would've been almost 30 points though...so I doubt I would've done all that.  Perhaps two servings at 22 points would've been perfect.

Natalie's First Tooth!

Well, folks.  We've officially entered the world of teething.

 

Natalie has been leaking some serious drool for several months now and putting anything and everything she can find in her mouth.  We knew it wouldn't be long until those pearly little whites showed themselves.

As she was gnawing away on my finger Saturday evening, I thought I felt something a little pokey.  Sure enough...I could see it!  My sweet little girl had her first tooth!  

So far, she has been handling it very well.  She's been spending a little extra TLC with Sophie and a frozen wash cloth, both of which are helping.  But no trouble sleeping so far, thank goodness.

But listen to her luck...my poor little sweetie...goes and cuts a tooth the same week she tries bananas.  You know what that means.  The worst constipation of all time...that's what.  I have never felt so bad for her in my whole life.  She was in so much pain on and off for over 24 hours because of those stupid bananas.  Never again people.  Never again.  She's on a strict diet of sweet potatoes and avocados which seems to have done the trick.  I've never felt so helpless in my entire life.  Saddest little cries I've ever heard.

But today, we're doing much better.  I'm pretty sure it's because we took a sick day yesterday.  We stayed home from the gym, snuggled on the couch, and watched Friday Night Lights all day.  Perfect cure!  See...

 

Now please don't tell her I wrote a post about her poop, okay?