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Summertime Pasta

Monday, June 21, 2010

After last weeks pedicure fiasco, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again.  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, well I went to pamper myself last week with a mani/pedi.  As I was sitting in the pedicure chair, relaxing, the manicurist just got finished painting my fingernails, and it hit-NAUSEA.  I threw up all in the tub where my feet were; I had no time to move my feet, because it hit so fast.  The ladies were so nice and offered me crackers and water, but nothing will take away the embarrassment.  Now I can laugh about it, but I feel so bad for the little girl that had to clean up my mess.  I offered to clean it up, but they insisted that they would.

So anyways, I'm feeling better, about a week into my second trimester, and I'm back in the kitchen cooking!  The Mr. is so happy to come home to a homemade meal.  Today, I wanted to make something easy & light for dinner, so I decided on my mom's pasta salad.  With anything my mom cooks, it's anything but light.  You'd think she would weigh 300 lbs by the way she cooks, but she's not. Her pasta salad consists of pasta, chicken, crumbled bacon, dill, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing.  Not really as light as I was thinking.  So as I was cooking the pasta I rummaged through my pantry and came up with a little twist to her recipe, and it is so much lighter!! :)


Ingredients
2 chicken breast
pasta of your choice
olive oil
shredded Parmesan cheese
sun-dried tomatoes
bacon pieces
dill
garlic powder
onion powder
dill weed
salt & pepper

Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dill weed. Boil pasta.  While pasta is boiling cook chicken on the stove top in a little olive oil and lemon juice-about 2 tbs. of lemon juice.  Once pasta is cooked drained and place into a bowl.  Once chicken is completely cooked chop into small pieces.  Add chicken to pasta.  Next take about 5 sun-dried tomatoes and slice into small pieces.  Add to pasta.  Add fresh dill to pasta, as much or as little as you like. ( I like a lot).  Add bacon pieces, again, as much or as little as you like.  (My husband wouldn't like this recipe without the bacon.) Toss the salad, then add olive oil, and toss.  Lastly add the shredded Parmesan cheese and toss again.  You can either eat warm or chill and serve at room temperature.  

There are many other things that would be great with this salad, but I have to please the Mr. and he's pretty picky.  Play with the recipe and see what great combos you come up with!  Enjoy!!! :)

Chicken Spaghetti....YUM!!!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Today was my first day back in the kitchen in 3 months, and I have enjoyed it so much.  Being pregnant has made food smell and taste awful.  I've been so picky these past 3 months & going into the kitchen was not an option. My husband will be so glad to walk into a house today that smells of a home cooked meal.  

We are having friends over tonight for dinner, and I pulled out my favorite recipe- my momma's chicken spaghetti.  Oh me oh my....either I'm at the stage during pregnancy where everything taste wonderful or this chicken spaghetti really is just that good-I say it's a little of both.  I've posted this recipe before and if you haven't tried it yet, shame on you!!! You are missing out on one of the easiest & BEST meals you will ever put in your mouth. Now it's not the healthiest, but it would make Paula Dean very proud!  Thank you Momma for being such a wonderful cook and coming up with this recipe.  

Now what are you waiting for?  Get into the kitchen and start making this; I promise your taste buds will thank you later! 



Momma's Chicken Spaghetti

1 roasted chicken taken off bone
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 chopped onion
4T olive oil
2T buttler
salt & pepper to taste
2T Italian seasoning
2 large cans of mushroom soup
chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese
1 small block of Velvetta
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
cooked spaghetti

Sautee onions in olive oil & butter until translucent; add garlic & let cook for 8 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  Add soup, cream cheese, and Velvetta. Thin with broth.  Stir together until all has melted.  Once your spaghetti is cooked add it to the sauce and thin out with broth if needed.  But into baking dish & top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 400 until cheese melts.

Left overs?  That's okay-it freezes perfectly!  Just reheat & add a little chicken broth to thin out the sauce!  

Baby Names...HELP!!!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

In 4 weeks we will find out if Baby Moore is a boy or girl!!! I don't know how my parents or any parents wait until the birth to find out the sex of a child.  We have been talking about this since the day we found out.  I can't wait to start buying for a little girl or boy.  Matt wants a boy, nothing against girls, but he wants our other children to have a big brother.  Me, I don't really care.  I was a big sister, and I think I did one heck of a job at that, but ask my brother he may tell you otherwise.  Whatever it is, we just want to to be healthy!  

We are now working on the name game.  We have three names that we have been thinking about theses past 12 weeks. I have to say that I am very jealous of those ladies who have great maiden names.  You know the ones that they can use as their child's first or middle name? Cousins, well their isn't much you can do with that!  

Boy Names
Brady Allen Moore-I've had this name picked out forever.  Brady really has no significance, but Allen was Poppy's, my dad, and my brother's middle name.  I loved this name up until the moment that Matt pointed out that his initials would be BAM, and Matt would call him BAM BAM.  Oh NO!!!!  I will not have a child who everyone calls BAM BAM.  So I have now been turned away from this name but only for this reason.  Thank you, Matt. 

Hayes Morgan Moore-This is my favorite! Hayes is a very old name, not very common, and it sounds good.  It comes from one of my best friends, David Hayes.  David & I were best friends from 6th grade all the way through college.  He is practically my other little brother.  Our families consider each other as part of each other's extended family.  Morgan is Matt's middle name, so it's very special! Hayes Moore-sounds like a country singer right? Well maybe he'll take after his father & be musically inclined.  

HELP-what is your opinion??!?!?!

Girl Names
We only have one girl name picked out, and now I'm questioning it, but hear me out.

Emma Grace Moore-BEAUTIFUL!  I have loved the name Emma forever!  My great aunt's name was Emma, so it is a family name.  However, Emma has been the most popular name for the past 3 years.  In 1983, the most popular name was Ashley.  Yep, you guessed it, I graduated with 5 Ashley's in my class.  At one time growing up, I went by my middle name.  I don't want to have to do that to my child, but then again I think, it's a family name, which makes it okay.  Grace is my sister in law's name, and whether we go with Emma or another first name Grace will be the middle name of our little girl.  

What are your thoughts?!?! Help us pick out a name for our little one! 


UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I began working on the baby's crib this past week.  It's my baby crib & now I'm refinishing it for Baby Moore.  It's been very HOT & HUMID in Houston, so I've gotten up at 6:30 for 3 days to work on this before it is too unbearable outside.  Matt & I finally finished sanding the crib yesterday & got it all put together.  Next step-PAINT!  Don't worry, I will not be painting it, but my wonderful sister in law has volunteered!  So here are some before & after pics!

Before



After





Cheddar Bacon Chipotle Potato Salad

I promised to get this recipe posted last week, and I failed.  Last week Matt smoked a brisket for the first time & I tried to make a new version of potato salad.  It's inspired from the fantastic potato salad that they serve at Reliant Stadium.

NOTE: I don't measure, so if there is a measurement on here it's a guess of what I put included.

Ingredients
6-8 Red potatoes
2 T mayo
About 1 & 1/2 cup of sour cream
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
3-5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce depending on how spicy you want it.
Real bacon pieces (as much or as little as you want)
cheddar cheese ( as much or as little as you want)

Dice & boil potatoes.  While potatoes are cooking mince garlic & shallots and add to a medium sized bowl.  Rough chop 3 chipotle peppers and add to bowl.  Add mayo, sour cream, bacon & cheddar cheese to bowl & mix together.  Once potatoes are tender, drain, and put in fridge to cool (about room temp).  Once potatoes have cooled add them to the mixture and fully coat potatoes.  Add salt to taste, and feel free to add more bacon, cheese or sour cream if needed.

Serves around 12-16 people

ENJOY!

Summer Projects

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

With summer freedom only 2 days away, I'm making a list of things that I need to accomplish.  First on my list is getting ready for Baby Moore!!  Project #1-refinishing my crib.  My parents came down this weekend & they brought with them my baby crib.  It's beautiful, but outdated, so this summer I plan on sanding it down & giving it a fresh coat of paint.  Project #2-refinish dresser & changing table.  After I finish the crib, I'll be moving on and working on the dresser & changing table.  Hopefully after a little TLC all of these pieces will have a new vintage look to them.  I will be sure to post pictures! :) Project # 3-nursery! Once I get the furniture finished, I plan on working on the nursery.  We won't know the sex of Baby Moore until late July, early August, so I have plenty of time to figure how I want to decorate.

Check out these cute shoes that my dad bought for the baby. 

And I couldn't pass these up....

 Once I get everything finished for the baby, I have my list of things to get done for myself.....
#1 T-Shirt Quilt-Aunt Janet is going to teach me how to quilt this summer & I plan on making myself a t-shirt quilt out of all of my t-shirts from my time at A&M!
#2-Read-my summer reading list grows daily
               -Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
               -Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
               -Fearless by Max Lucado
               -Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyers
               -The Yellow Rose by Gilbert Morris
               -The Eyes of Texas by Gilbert Morris

The Mr. & I are also going to try to fit in a vacation to Tahoe sometime this summer.  What are your summer plans?!?!
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