Christmas Chandelier

After spending countless hours looking at Pinterest, I was finally inspired to actually try and create one of the many things that I found.

So here it is:

I went to AC Moore and bought a 18 inch wreath for 2.99 and a roll of garland for 2.99. I went to the Dollar Tree and bought 3 packs of ornaments on a string and 2 rolls of ribbon. So, I was able to create this masterpiece for under $12. I originally bought all of my supplies at the Dollar Tree but the garland and wreath were not full enough to give me the Holiday Cheer I was looking for!

So there it is my first Pinterest holiday decoration. What do you think?

Pregnancy Week 26

Black Friday! This is the beginning of the best time of the year! Holiday movies, shopping, gift giving, cookies, family, Santa, and the list goes on and on! I was out at 3:30 a.m. to kick-off my holiday shopping! I got some great deals and then met Jason, Joe, and his mom for lunch!  What a great day! In addition I have two appointments this week so I will get to see and her my new baby boy! I have my glucose test and an ultra sound!

Pregnancy Week 26

Who: Me and my cucumber

What: This is the beginning of holiday sweater season! Red Snowflakes this week!

Where: Week 26

When: Nov 23, 2012

Why: Who doesn't love looking at a pregnant women in a holiday sweater?

Pregnancy Week 25

I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving! This year is going so quick, not to mention how fast this pregnancy is going. We are celebrating my nephew Declan's 1st birthday this weekend, and going to Dutch Wonderland to ride the rides and look at the holiday lights. On Thanksgiving day Jason, Joe, Larry (my father in law), and I ran/walked the Turkey Trot in New Cumberland. My goal was to run at least 1 mile but I made it almost 2 miles:) My time was 41:38 with a mile pace of 13:26, not bad for 25 week pregnant! After that I was able to enjoy a fabulous turkey dinner and lots of pie, with no guilt! 

Pregnancy Week 25

Who: Me and my little rutabaga- one of my favorite on Thanksgiving! 

What: Just about Turkey Time!

Where: Week 25

When: When Nov 16, 2012

Why: Beautiful day, what will I do when it gets cold?

Light Cheesy Broccoli-Pasta Bake

This is one of the recipes I found when I first started weight watchers. It is one of my favorite, easy to make and delicious.


Ingredients:
1/2 lb. medium pasta (ziti) I use whole wheat
8 c. fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 2/3 c. fat free milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Ready to add cheese and bake

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally  until the pasta and broccoli are tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain; return to pasta and broccoli to the pot.
3- While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mustard; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and salt. Increase the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens, 3-4 minutes.
4- Add the sauce to the pasta and broccoli; stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes.

After Baking!

Let me know what you think of the recipe!

Pregnancy Week 24

I hate to even type this but this week was ruff  I have been nursing a cold all week:( With no relief after a week, I went to the doctors and I have a sinus infection. The good news is I got some medicine so I hope to start feeling better in the next few days, but it was a long week. Especially  as I try to organize the basement and get our spare room ready for Joe, as it will become his big boy room soon after Christmas. If only I had a maid , nanny, and another few hours a day!

Pregnancy Week 24

Who: Me and my little ear of corn! My how good some sweet corn on the cob would taste!
What: Beautiful Fall day, it is almost 60 degrees out here!
Where: Week 24
When: Nov 9, 2012
Why: I started this picture taking project and I want to finish it! Only 16  more pictures to take!

Pregnancy Week 23

IT'S A BOY! Finally, we know our newest addition will be a baby boy! I am so excited to have two little boys so close in age, or at least I think it will be fun! I might be crazy in a few years. We had our gender reveal party on Oct, 28 and it was a blast. I will soon create a post with all of the pictures and games from the party! I can finally say I was right and Jason was wrong, he really thought we would be welcoming a baby girl this Spring! Mother's intuition is always right:) Having a great week celebrating our new baby boy!

It's a boy!

Joe loves the blue balloon!

Who: Me and my TWO boys! One is 19 months and one is the size of a mango this week.

What: Gender Reveal

Where: Week 23

When: Nov 2, 2012

Why: We all wanted to know the new baby's gender! And see how big my belly is getting:)

Light Pizza Dish! Touchdown Casserole!

I found this recipe when I first started Weight Watchers, and it has been a favorite in our house since we first tried it. I think your family will also enjoy this recipe!

Touchdown Casserole

Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour 10 minutes


Ingredients:
Bag of Whole-Wheat Egg Noodles ( I use whatever noodles I have on hand)
1 (10oz) package of mushrooms, sliced ( I buy a small pre-sliced can)
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into slices
1 onion chopped
1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
11/2 cups reduced fate spaghetti sauce
1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 (3 1/2 oz) package of turkey pepperoni
1/4 lb. olives, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-qt baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook noodles as directed. Rinse and drain.

2-Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Cook the next 3 ingredients over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add the spaghetti sauce, soup, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and the noodles. Spoon into the baking dish.

3-Bake until hot, about 40 minutes. Top with remaining cheddar and remaining ingredient. Bake for 5 minutes longer.

Serving Size 1 cup

Touchdown Casserole

Pregnancy Week 22

This is the week we have all been waiting for! I had my ultra sound and baby looked great. Jason and I decided to wait until our gender reveal party to find out the sex of the baby, so we just had the nurse write the sex in a sealed envelop! The baby was really shy, kept their arm over their face for most of the ultra sound. I had my OBGYN appointment later in the week and the Doctor thought the baby looked great. There is small concern about how low my placenta is, so I will go back for another ultra sound at the end of November. The baby heartbeat was 146, this week.

I have been feeling great and can't believe how quickly this pregnancy is going!

Week 22

Who: Me (Zookeeper), Joe (Monkey), and new baby (Spaghetti Squash)!

What: Happy Halloween!

Where: Week 22

When: Oct 26, 2012

Why: It's Halloween, don't you want to see our costumes! Although, not one person guessed what I was!