August Recipes

I am going to start this month out with a cookie recipe that came from my favorite cookbook. I actually have 2 favorite cookbooks and they are both a compilation of recipes from 2 different churches. One is the church I went to as child and the other is my Nana’s church. I love finding a recipe in these by someone I know and then letting that person know how much I love it. My Aunt Julie is one of the best cooks I have ever met. She could give Gordon Ramsay a run for his money. So many recipes we use on a daily basis are from her and from this cookbook. This recipe came from a friend of the family and I found it in “Feeding the Flock” from New Hope Community Church.

121) Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies by Marcie Heerten

1 c. Shortening                                                                       2 c. Flour

1 c. Sugar                                                                                1 c. Oatmeal

2/3 c. Brown Sugar                                                               2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 c. Peanut Butter                                                                 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Vanilla                                                                           1 pkg. Chocolate Chips

2 Eggs

Cream Shortening, sugars, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, oats, soda and salt. Mix well and add chocolate chips. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 at 350 degrees.

Thanks Marcie!

 

122) This was really good and simple. I think it would be a great dish served over a salad.

http://diethood.com/hawaiian-baked-chicken-100-target-gift-card-giveaway/

 

123) I had to bake this cake for 95 minutes because it was so dense. The recipe says 75-85 but that was not near long enough. Also, I used a cheap bundt pan from Walmart that worked fine but it apparently wasn’t deep enough. The cake kind of bloomed over the side but I caught it in time and put a cookie sheet under it just in case. It was great but the topping was too sweet!

http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/brown-sugar-pound-cake/

 

124) This was very yummy and so easy! I used Southwest Ranch dressing because I had a bottle that needed used and it was scrumptious!

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/10/baked-crispy-ranch-chicken/

 

125) This was a quick and easy prep meal. It came out of the crock pot really moist and tender but I can’t actually tell you how it tasted because baby made it impossible for Mommy to eat meat that day. Hubby and kids ate it in tacos and loved it. I froze the leftovers for a quick freezer meal after baby comes.

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-carnitas/

 

126) Pork chops, we did not love these. They were easy and fast but not scrumptious.

 http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/25/b2/f6/25b2f674235dc77a181d8287065a53c8.jpg

 

127) I actually really liked this one. It was filling and heated up really well.

http://completerecipes.com/Cheesy-ground-beef-and-rice-.html

 

128) Mmmmmm….this was sooo good! I used frozen blackberries and blueberries so the kids hated it because of the seeds but I loved it!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blackberry-crisp

 

129) I didn’t love this banana muffin recipe however I love the method! Mash the bananas in a gallon bag and then add all the other ingredients?! Brilliant! No dishes!

http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2013/10/the-best-banana-bread-muffins-ever.html

 

130) We are trying to figure out a way to use up our tomatoes. We don’t really have enough to bother with making sauce and I don’t can so we have been experimenting. This recipe was easy and good and it looks pretty. It had a distinct pizza flavor and who doesn’t love pizza?

http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/vegeterian/baked-parmesan-tomatoes/

 

131) This was a BBQ chicken recipe that I had seen floating around for years. I have to admit, I do not understand the point of the soda. I didn’t love it. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as good as the recipe I usually use, (1 package frozen thighs or drums, cook on low for 6 hours with 1 cup water then drain and add your favorite bbq sauce.) And….because it was chicken breast, it was not nearly as “frugal” as what I usually do.

http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/10/crockpot-dr-pepper-bbq-chicken.html

 

132) I made this casserole for supper and an extra for the freezer for when baby comes. I like this casserole but hubby complains that it isn’t really filling enough. I got it from my Once A Month Cooking cookbook so I had to do some searching to find the same recipe online. Most that I have found, do not have the rice but I think without the rice, it would not be filling at all. I froze the chicken and cream mixture in a gallon bag and attached the poppyseed, crushed crackers and stick of butter in a separate bag, to the outside of the gallon bag.

http://abearinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/poppy-seed-chicken-freezer-meal.html

 

133) My attempt at making homemade apple butter went slightly awry. The crock pot burned it a bit and the apples were a touch green so it isn’t the best apple butter…but…when life gives you sour apple butter, make cake!

 http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/apple_butter_spice_cake.html

 

134) I have been wanting to try homemade refried beans for awhile. I love refried beans but my hubby won’t eat them so a can always goes to waste at our house. I was going to do a crock pot version but I am still scrubbing my crock pot up after my apple butter fiasco so I decided to do it on the stovetop instead. It was super easy and man they taste sooo good! Give me some cheddar and chips and I could eat them as a meal! I did leave out the garlic and onion since I will be freezing most of it and I didn’t want those flavors becoming too overwhelming in the freezer. I also omitted the red pepper flakes since we are not really fans of those here.

http://scrumptiousandsumptuous.com/2011/10/08/spicy-refried-beans-stovetop-or-crockpot/

 

135) I made this recipe for dinner and a second for the freezer. I thought it was a little bland but it was still okay. I think I will serve it with pasta and sauce when I cook the freezer one.

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-durango-43139

 

136) I made the Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. It was good but I’m not sure it was really necessary to freeze the ingredients. I made one for the freezer and the other I just added all of the ingredients(frozen chicken and broccoli) directly into the crock pot. It seems like it would be just as easy to have the ingredients on hand and make this fresh each time. It is essentially a “dump” dish, where you just dump in the ingredients. We love chicken broccoli alfredo and this was definitely not as good as what I usually make but it was much easier. I think it would make a great dish for after Church.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

 

137) Oh man these are yummy! They are the perfect chewy cookie! The combination of chocolate chips and cinnamon makes them taste similar to mexican hot cocoa, which is exactly what I will be enjoying mine with for dessert tonight.

http://lemonsandlimabeans.blogspot.co.at/2012/07/laura-bushs-texas-governors-mansion.html

 

138) This was delicious! It was creamy and rich but still incredibly healthy. I used some heavy cream and some milk but it could be made healthier with just milk. I think it would be great with potatoes or rice added in. I served it with biscuits and it was just the thing to sate my craving for soup. There were so many amazing flavors but it was not a difficult recipe at all!

http://www.thecookierookie.com/chicken-soup/

Week 30 Update

Tomorrow I am 30 weeks pregnant! This is incredibly exciting…and terribly nerve wracking! When you have never had a full term baby, your concerns at 30 weeks are a bit different than the average mom. I have been counting down the weeks up until this point. Now each week is an extra point. Each Saturday we reach is a huge blessing and if we can go six more weeks with the baby still resting comfortably where it is supposed to be then I will be the most pregnant I have ever been! We have a friend who is getting married in 6 weeks and I plan on being huge and uncomfortable at the wedding.

My belly now takes up a large majority of my lap. I can’t bend so well. I’ve decided that having painted toenails is just not that important. Molly now empties the dryer for me. Emily picks up things I have dropped. By 9 pm I am exhausted and yet it takes hours to fall asleep. Oh the joy of pregnancy. This baby is definitely a night owl. I can go nearly an entire day without feeling much movement but as soon as I lay down in bed, my belly rolls and jumps for a couple of hours.

We moved dressers around earlier this week and stocked baby clothes in an extra one in our room. The bassinet is laundered and waiting to be moved upstairs. I went shopping this week for the few things I needed. All we have left to get ready is the car seat but we are still debating that purchase. It feels good to be this prepared but I feel like the next couple of months will drag by because of it.

We have 7 shots left and my doctor appointments have moved to a bi-weekly schedule now. I failed my first glucose screening test but passed the 3 hour test so I am in the clear. Doctor says all looks great but because there were absolutely no signs of early labor with the girls either, he is keeping a very close eye on me. I have to come to dread the phrase, “lets get some extra pictures of the baby”. After 6 ultrasounds, they become a tad tedious.

I am definitely not wishing this pregnancy away. I am trying very hard to enjoy each second. We are fairly certain this is our last so each kick is extra special. Some days the demands of pregnancy on my body can be a bit overwhelming but I still love it. I love the way people feel extra motivated to open doors for me. I love the teeny tiny hiccups. I love maternity clothes. I love the excitement in my girls’ eyes. I love that I can eat cookies and not feel guilty. I love that I haven’t had to mow the lawn all summer long! I am really looking forward to meeting this tiny little person but for the next 10(I hope!) weeks, I will be thanking God for the gift of pregnancy, heartburn and all.

Prayer for a full term, healthy baby is still much appreciated. Technically, 37 weeks is full term but we would love to make it to 40!