Birth to 3 Months

I have failed miserably at trying to keep my blog up to date but I completely blame having a newborn. It feels like the past 3 months have flown by and I cannot believe that it is nearing the end of March. So much has happend in the last 3 months, I won't even try to catch up except that...

Lucy was born on December 18th

She is the most amazing little thing in the whole world. I love her more than I ever thought I could and my love just grows larger for her every day. She had a rough first couple of months due to colic but we are slowly growing out of that and into a much happier baby. Also, it turns out naps help EVERYONE have a better day. The milestones she has reached include smiling at us, rolling from tummy to back (not very consistantly though), grabbing at toys on the bouncy seat, giggling on the rare occasion and babbling at us. She turned 3 months a week ago and we cannot believe how big she is! She is currently 12 pounds, 14.5 ounces and gaining quickly!

MIA

I realize that this is a common thing among bloggers...to pretty much drop off the face of the earth with no warning or explanation. Well, I feel I should get a little break...because I am pregnant! That's right, watch out world, Mark and I have created a new life! We are so excited and have felt so blessed but it has not been without hardships. I was sick up until about 25 weeks which was very tough. Mix that with Mark's crazy rotation schedules and it has been a whirlwind for the past 7 months. That being said, we cannot wait to meet our sweet little girl!

This amazing little miracle will slightly alter the goal of my blog. Before I pretty much stuck to recipes and food but moving forward I would like to include craft projects and general cuteness that occurs as I learn what it truely means to be a mom. I can't wait!

Oh, and I had to leave on this note....because little tiny baby feet are just so darn cute!!!

Nutella Turnovers

There are few things in this world that taste better than Nutella. I can't believe I didn't know about this wonderfulness until college...I feel like I missed out for years! But, I have had no problem making up for lost time; I eat it whenever I can now! Most of my friends know this about me so they tend to suggest recipes that use Nutella. This latest one is SO good; like so sinfully good that Mark and I ate the whole batch in one sitting. They are super easy and I highly suggest they be on your dessert menu this week!


Nutella Turnovers
Ingredients:
1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry
1 Banana, sliced into 9 pieces
Nutella
36 Mini Marshmellows
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove puff pastry from freezer and let thaw on the counter for about 40 minutes. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and cut into 9 equal squares. Place a dollop of Nutella, about 1/2-1 teaspoon, on each square. Top the Nutella with 1 slice of banana and 4 mini marshmallows. Fold one corner over to make little triangles. Use a fork to press the edges together to form a good seal. Move the triangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg and brush over the tops of the triangles (this helps get that wonderful golden color). Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops are very golden brown. Be careful consumming these, they are HOT when they come out of the oven...but oh so wonderful...

Note: The marshmallows are not a necessity. They make these very sweet. If you are not as huge of a fan of extremely sweet desserts, feel free to leave them out. You will still have an amazingly yummy snack/dessert!

Chili Rellenos with a Twist

Vegetarian. This is not a term used frequently in our household. Both Mark and I enjoy having meat in our meals and rarely are willing to give it up. That being said, one of Mark's favorite meals is actually vegetarian. This is a spin off of a Rachel Ray recipe for a healthy chili rellenos. My favorite part is all the cheese!!! I served it with Mexican Rice and Tortillas.

Healthy Chili Rellenos

Ingredients

4 large poblano peppers

6 ears corn on the cob or 3 cups frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatos, drained well

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, eyeball it in your palm

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions

Preheat broiler to high.

Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char evenly all over, 15 minutes.

While peppers are working, scrape the corn off the cobs or defrost frozen corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tablespoons light oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, fire roasted tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another minute or 2 then turn pan off.

Once the peppers have cooled a bit, chop them into inch size pieces and toss with the corn mixture and pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish. Cover with the Monterey Jack Cheese and broil until top is bubbly and cheese slightly browns.

Enjoy with Mexican Rice and warm tortillas :-)

Poblano Chicken Corn Chowder

Mmmm, soup :-) That phrase makes me think of Joey of Friends when he is trying out with Ben, Ross's son, for a tomato soup ad. Oh how I miss the days of sitting around my college apartment, watching Friends with my wonderful roommates....

Anyways, back to cooking. This soup/chowder is perfect for a chilly day when all you want is some hearty soup. Or, a gross Houston day when you are trying your best to convince the weather that it is time to become cold. Oh Winter, where are you??

Poblano Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/8 cup minced garlic
• 2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 can corn
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 5 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and corn, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.

When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

Picture to come at a later time :-)

Pretzel Bites

Mark is obsessed with pretzels. Whether they are the really hard kind in a 1 lb bag from the grocery store or the soft, buttery awesomeness found only at Auntie Anne's, he loves them all. This being said, I tried to make some pretzel rolls about a year ago and they were ehh. Nothing that was so good that I have made the since then. This being said, we were invited to a small Halloween gathering and I thought it was a great opportunity to try making pretzels again. I thought it would be cute to make little bite size ones, so that is what I did.
They came out REALLY good. I bought some queso to dip them in and it was just ridiculously tasty. I currently can't find the recipe but I will update when I can!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

It is amazing how easy it is to go to the grocery store and buy tomato sauce in a jar. There it is, all ready to come home with you and be poured on pasta. I'm not going to lie, sometimes I miss how simple that was. The problem...once you have had homemade sauce, the stuff in the jar will just not do. The absence of preservatives and unnecessary fat are just too good to not put the effort in. But, just because it is homemade doesn't mean it has to be difficult. And yes, there are still canned products involved but I think it is so much better than the Prego I was fed as a child. So here goes, my homemade tomato sauce recipe.

Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 28oz can Petite Diced Tomatos
3 6oz cans Tomato Paste
22oz water
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 package of sliced mushrooms
parsley
oregano
basil
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

Directions:
In a large pot saute the onion and garlic until extremely fragrant. Add mushrooms and saute for about 3 mintues. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir until a smooth consistency. Add all remaining spices. I forgot to measure so try your best! Let this simmer for about an hour. Enjoy!

Note: All tomato products used were Hunt's brand. Also, this freezes really well! Here are mine about to go into the freezer!