He Is Here!!!

Cashew is here! He was born 3 weeks ago via scheduled c-section at 39 weeks.. Early in the morning too, 7:39 AM! He is a happy, healthy baby, and surprisingly my littlest baby, weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and 19.5 inches long. he is gaining weight fast though and has grown 1.5 inches in 3 weeks. Breastfeeding is doing very well and he a pretty easy baby for the most part.

I stayed 3 days at the hospital before I was discharged to go home. It was a pretty nice hospital stay overall. Thank you Dr. Bossert and thank you Bergan Mercy Hospital here in Omaha! Here are some pics.

Right out of the womb

With his proud Daddy

Dada with all of our kids

Mommy and Cashew doing skin to skin

Adorable little man at 3 weeks old

Final Weeks

I am 36 weeks pregnant now. Cashew is going to be here pretty soon! C-Section has been scheduled on July 9th, at 39 weeks. You know what? I feel like it all flew by so fast. Way too fast. So sorry I haven't updated in a little while, we moved homes and were busy unpacking. We love it here. It's the second story of a lovely house built in 1906. It's a multi dwelling home and we have just the right room for our family. I've been nesting and getting everything done lol. Got Cashew's things in the dresser, got his blankets and swaddlers, his rocker, my cousin sent me an awesome baby bathtub. All we need is a carseat and we are getting that within the next week. I need to pack a hospital bag. My husband is taking a couple weeks off to be with me at home and be Mr. Homemaker. I cannot believe the time is here, he is going to be here!

 3D pic of Cashew at 32 weeks!

Myself at 36 weeks!

Easy Five Ingredient Crockpot Cheese Beef Stronganoff

This is what we are having for dinner tonight. I just put everything in the crockpot and let it cook on low all day. Serve over noodles of your choice, or rice. Even potatoes if you wish! My family loves it and it is very easy to prepare, for busy moms like us! Serves 6.

1.5 pounds beef stew meat (I used sirloin tips)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4-oz can mushrooms, undrained
1 8-oz block cream cheese
1 packet ranch dip mix

Spray the crock with nonstick spray. In the crock, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, undrained mushrooms and packet of ranch dip mix. Add the beef and mix everything well. Place the block of cream cheese on top.

Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5-6 hours. During the last 20 minutes, smoosh down the cream cheese and mix well till the meal has a creamy consistency. Replace lid and finish cooking.

That is all! Like I have always said, I love crockpots, a real lifesaver for busy moms (and non-parents alike!). You simply add the food in it, turn it on and it cooks itself! It's awesome for tenderizing meat, even tough cuts. Makes it fall-off -the-bone tender! About 10 points per serving.

Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Peach Glaze

This is easy and quick. I like to serve this with a side of veggies and some rice, noodles or potatoes of your choice. Serves 4-6.

1 pack thin sliced (or your choice) pork chops (1.5 pounds about)
1 can peaches in water or light syrup, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsbp minced garlic
seasoned salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil on high heat in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute till lightly golden. Add the peach slices and simmer for a couple minutes.

Sprinkle seasoned salt and black pepper on both sides of the chops. Place on top of the peach slices and fry on medium.

Turn when side is golden. When both sides are done, simmer on low for about 3 minutes, covered.

Only about 7 points per serving! Family pleaser! I know my family loved it.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I have been making this for the family quite a few times the past few weeks, and they love it! I serve it with some mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Makes a good, healthy meal. Serves 6.

For the patties:

1 pound lean ground beef
4 slices of bread
1/2 cup milk (or a bit more)
1 egg, beaten
1 pouch ranch dressing mix
1 tsp black pepper

For the gravy:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4-oz can mushrooms
1 cup milk
1 pouch onion soup/dip mix

Spray a deep skillet with nonstick spray. On medium heat, add the cream of mushroom soup. can of mushrooms including the liquid, milk and pouch of onion soup/dip mix. Stir well. Cover and simmer on low.

In a mixing bowl, soak the bread in the milk. If 1/2 cup is not enough to completely soak the bread, add a little more. Add the egg, ground beef, ranch dressing mix and black pepper. Mix well using your hands.

Head a griddle sprayed with nonstick spray. Using a serving spoon (like pictured above), scoop some of the meat mixture and form a patty in your palm, and lay it on the griddle. Make as many as would fit in the griddle.

Keep on medium heat and flip when browned on the side. Repeat till all of mixture is used. When all cooked,  place patties in the skillet with the simmering gravy. Cover the patties with gravy, cover the skillet and simmer on low for about 7-10 minutes.

Then serve. Only about 8 points per serving. Really yummy, a family mainstay for us, that's for sure! Kids always ask for thirds!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Acorn!

My baby isn't a baby anymore! How fast it all goes. Cherish every moment with your kids, they will never be this way again! They truly change from day to day, and it really is an adventure. Little Acorn was born 2 years ago and was a wonderful, very interactive baby. Now she is a very active, inquisitive toddler with a sense of humor. And so smart! She loves to dress up and loves makeup too. Getting into everything, and adores her 2 older sisters. Our smart, beautiful, fearless girl. We love you so much, Acorn! We love being your mommy and daddy!

She's a little lady!

Her 2nd Birthday Cake

Moved to Omaha, Nebraska! Family Update!

I haven't blogged in a couple of months. I have been pretty busy. We have moved from Oklahoma City to Omaha, Nebraska in the later part of February. We were deciding between Omaha and Denver, Colorado, but we have decided that Omaha was the place to go. So far everything is doing good. Husband likes his new job - actually within the same company, just a different state. Plus it is triple the pay and has less work hours. He is a plumber by trade. So, it's a no brainer. We like Omaha, it's a nice city. Not a lot of traffic, got a lot to do, lots of places to eat and shop. Don't regret it. Thinking of settling here for good, and buying a home by the end of the year. The huge plus is the 3% unemployment rate. Pretty awesome, if you ask me. It's April and still snows some. That's how it is around here, but not complaining. I prefer the cold to heat actually.

Our family at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City on the way up to Omaha

Kids are doing great too. Boy, they are getting big. Thriving and just wonderful kids. Peanut and Pecan have been into video games lately, their daddy bought them new ones recently. And Acorn is starting to talk in sentences and is real smart. Getting to be a little lady! She seems to want to do everything her two older sisters do, so sometimes she gets frustrated, but it comes with the territory. She just turned 2! They can be a handful at times, but that's just normal for kids their age. Overall, they are sweet little girls, could not ask for anything more. We love them to bits.

Now for Baby Cashew. He sure is getting bigger in there. I have a  harder time moving around. Lots of bathroom trips. LOL! Backache, Braxton-Hicks, the works. And yes, i still have constant nausea and throw up a lot still. Not surprising to me anymore, this is the third pregnancy it has happened. I am almost 28 weeks along now. So I have about 11 weeks more to go before my C-Section. Yes I have asked if it is possible for me to VBAC but unfortunately, I am not a good candidate. The combination of my history of previous shoulder dystocia and consistent macrosomic babies (aka babies weighing more than 9 pounds! and all of mine have.) prevents me from being a good candidate. He is moving a lot, especially at night. I could see my belly moving sometimes.

Cashew at 23 weeks. Look at that little face! Looks like Daddy.

27.5 weeks

We are having a...

I saw the doctor last Thursday and heard the baby's heartbeat. It was strong and steady, 158 beats per minute. My doctor is kind of on the very cautious side and informed me that my Penta test results were negative for Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18 but positive for Neural Tube Defect. Well usually I opt out of those tests because they have a really high false positive rate, but I don't know what happened this time. I think they just went ahead and did it. The doctor wants me to go to the University Hospital for a level II ultrasound. Of course all that sounded horrible to me. I went home and asked my husband to take me to a diagnostic ultrasound clinic, which he did the next day. I just could not wait for my 20-week ultrasound in a couple weeks.

Well, lo and behold, my instincts were right. Baby is perfectly formed and very active. And...... we are having a BOY! Our first son! We are very happy baby Cashew is doing great and is healthy, we could not ask for anything more. He kicks frequently and I can totally feel him kicking now going on 18 weeks. Always very reassuring. i am thinking of buying one of those dopplers on ebay...LOL! No, really.

Here he is at 17 weeks:

You can see his profile a little clearer

We all cannot wait to meet you, little man!

And for fun...

Sitting around waiting for the doctor in his office, 17 weeks pregnant

Happy Birthday to our firstborn child Peanut!

Another year has passed! How FAST! You are quickly growing and getting oh-so cheeky and smart! We are so thankful for another year for you and happily looking forward to what this year will bring to you! I still remember the first time I saw you and held you in my arms, how little you seemed. You aren't so little anymore! Thank you for giving us the privilege of being your parents! Your siblings are very happy to have you as their older sister too! Happy 5th birthday my big girl, we love you so!

Crockpot Cranberry Chicken

Made this on a whim and it wasn't bad at all! In fact, husband loved it and said it was a keeper! Kids too!
Serves 6.

1 pound chicken breasts, diced
1 can whole cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 envelope onion dip mix
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce

Spray crockpot with nonstick spray. Combine cranberries, sugar, black pepper, half of the onion dip mix, onion, garlic and soy sauce. Mix well together.

In a bowl, mix together the diced chicken and the rest of the onion dip mix. Make sure to coat chicken evenly. Place chicken in the crockpot and give a final stir so everything would be incorporated. Set crockpot on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

And done! Only 4 points per serving! I like to serve it with rice. Enjoy!

Quick Pregnancy Pics

This is my pre-pregnancy pic...

Here I am at 13 weeks (I am 14 weeks and some change now). Still haven't gained weight due to my constant nausea...

And here is the little bubba residing in that little baby bump.

We are super excited! We find out the gender in a few weeks! Will update!

Crockpot Mexican Style Chicken with Beans

This is easy to throw together and is delicious and healthy. Our kids ate it all up and my husband loved it. Serve with rice and veggies of your choice on the side. Serves 6.

1 pound chicken breasts, sliced
1 can beans of your choice, drained (I used red beans)
1 can tomatoes with green chiles
1 can sweet corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups frozen)
1 tsp chili powder

Spray crock with nonstick spray. Add the beans, tomatoes and sweet corn, mixing everything together. In a bowl, sprinkle the chicken with the chili powder and coat well. Add the chicken into the crock, and mix everything well together. Set on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Just done!

Serve! It's very tasty and good for you. Only 5 points per serving! Dig in!

Shown here served with buttered rice and steamed mixed veggies, and a scoop of sour cream!

Banana French Toast

This is one of my family's favorite breakfasts, hands down! Nothing like this meal served with bacon and fried eggs on the side on a Saturday morning! Easy to make too! serves 6.

12 slices of bread, your choice
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter
Your choice of syrup

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and vanilla. Whisk well till eggs are well blended with the other ingredients. Set aside.

In a pan, melt little bits of the butter till melted and just coating the bottom. Heat on high. Dip one slice of bread into the milk mixture and lay into the pan. Repeat with however many slices of bread will fit. Turn heat down a little bit, to medium high.

Flip onto the other side when bottom is lightly golden. Place onto a plate. Before you cook a new batch of bread, melt a little bit of the butter on the bottom of the pan. Repeat till all the bread is cooked.

Top with banana slices and serve with 2 tbsps of your choice of syrup. Only 8 points per serving! Heaven!

Egg Salad Sandwich

This is a simple sandwich I make for a lunch, and it is one of my favorites. I love having it with sweet gherkin pickles! Serves 6.

6 hard boiled eggs, shelled and sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup french fried onions
12 slices of bread

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika, curry powder, black pepper, celery salt and french fried onions. Mix well. Throw in your sliced eggs and mash well into the mayonnaise mixture till it breaks up some. It should look like this:

Then simply spoon onto a slice of bread and spread evenly. Serve with the side of your choice. About 11 points per sandwich. It's delicious!

Been A While! Family Update.

2013! Happy New Year! I haven't updated my blog in a month! Sorry folks, we have been busy.

We moved from Del City to Midwest City. It isn't as far as it sounds, it's really only a few blocks away! But as you all know, moving is a lot of work and we tried to settle in.

Kids are doing great! Growing, growing, growing. It's all they do. That, and make messes of course! LOL!  But all in all they are doing quite well.


Baby #4 is doing splendidly too! Baby is growing as he/she should be, measuring now at just over 14 weeks, right on target! My nausea isn't going away either. I have a feeling this is going to go on till I give birth. Honestly I am still on the fence on whether or not I should VBAC, or maybe just schedule a repeat c-section. I am leaning towards repeat c-section, but I tend to flip flop a lot on that. Only time will tell. I got till July to decide! Of course I will do whatever will be best for my baby and my body, and what the doctor recommends.

So, here are some pics!

Husband and I on a date <3

Daddy with his 3 little girls

Hubby and I on his birthday with baby Acorn behind us lol

Peanut

Pecan

Acorn

We Are Expecting #4!

Yes, we sure are! After 4 back to back chemical pregnancies, we were feeling pretty let down. It's hard to go through something like that. I certainly was feeling like something was terribly wrong with me. I went for tests, and everything came up clear. My doctor did every type of test he could. He advised me to wean my then 16 month old Acorn, because he suspected my hormones were out of balance because of it, so I did. Luckily, it did not go too bad. Finally, I was supposed to go through some more intensive tests tracking a complete cycle, and we were supposed to avoid getting pregnant. But lo and behold, here comes baby bean #4, totally unexpected, but very welcome!

I was terrified at first because I was thinking this might end up as another chemical pregnancy, but not so. So glad that this baby is here to stay! Wish us a happy and healthy 9 months! Baby bean #4 is due in July, 2013!

Healthy Baked Potato Strips

This is simple to make and good for you! Serve as a side to any dish you want! It also makes a great healthy snack! Serves 6.

6 large red potatoes, cut into strips
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spray a couple cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Lay out the potatoes on them and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the salt, pepper and paprika as you wish and light coat potatoes with the spices and oil.

Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes till crisp.

And serve to your crowd! Tastes great! So much better than frying. About 8 points per serving.

Authentic Buffalo Wings

This undoubtedly one of my husband's favorites! And mine too. Super easy to make and exactly how they make it in New York! Serves 4.

4 pound bag of chicken wings (more if you wish)
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 stick butter
Celery, sliced (on the side, as much as you wish)
Ranch or Blue Cheese to dip

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line a couple large cookie sheets with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Lay the chicken wings on it, about 1/2 inch apart. Pop in the oven for about an hour. Check if the skin is browned, and if not, leave for an extra few minutes.

Melt the butter and add the Frank's Red Hot Sauce. There can be no substitutions! It has got to be Frank's Red Hot! Mix well.

When wings are done, pour the butter-hot sauce mixture over the chicken and toss. Make sure to coat chicken very well!

Delicious! Great authentic Buffalo taste! Serve with the celery and dip on the side. About 14 points a serving, so go easy (if you can!)

Spaghetti with Browned Butter a'la Spaghetti Factory

This is my take of the famous Spaghetti Factory dish! I loved it so much I just had to figure out how to do it at home. So I did! And tastes fabulous! It is worth a try! Serves 6.

16 oz spaghetti, prepared according to box directions
1 stick butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 cans mushrooms, drained
4 bacon strips, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt, more or less to taste
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used mozzarella and parmesan)

Prepare spaghetti according to box directions and drain. Set aside.

In a small saucepan on high heat, melt butter. When it bubbles, use a wire whisk to stir and turn heat to medium low. Butter should bubble just a little and turn a darker amber color. Stir with whisk occasionally.

Spray a pan with nonstick spray and saute the bacon for about 3-4 minutes, till a little bit crisp. Add the minced garlic and mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes.

Bacon, garlic and mushrooms frying in the bacon's grease!

Add the browned butter and garlic salt, and mix together well. Lastly, add the spaghetti and toss everything

together, making sure to coat all the noodles with the butter sauce. Top with the shredded cheese.

Very tasty and filling. I love love love it! About 11 points per serving. Hope you enjoy it!

Served here with some home made garlic bread!

Mama's Childhood Chili Mac

My kids love this! Actually, Coolio gave me an idea, but this is my spin on a childhood favorite. Nice and filling, kids (and adults!) will love it. Serves 6.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
8 oz elbow macaroni
1 can tomato paste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheese, your choice (I used mozzarella)

Prepare elbow macaroni according to package. Drain and set aside.

Spray a pot with nonstick spray and brown the ground beef over high heat. Add the onion, minced garlic, chili powder and sugar. Saute and mix together well. Sugar will carmelize a bit. Add the kidney beans and stir. Add tomato paste and mushroom soup, and make sure to incorporate everything together well. Let simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the prepared elbow macaroni and coat everything with the sauce.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and pour the chili mac in. Bake in a preheaed 350F oven for about 15 minutes. Take it out and cover the top with the shredded cheese and put it back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes, to melt the cheese.

Fresh out of the oven!

About 12 points per serving! We like to serve this with some garlic bread! Try it for your family at dinnertime!