Giada's Macaroni & Cheese

One of my favorite Food Network chefs is Giada De Laurentiis.  I found this recipe for her "Venetian" Mac & Cheese when looking for a mac recipe for my husband.  It is definitely not traditional mac & cheese, but boy is it delicious!  It's more like an Alfredo dish, and it's packed with whole milk, cream, and three kinds of cheese - not exactly low fat.

The recipe is super easy, and the hardest part is shredding the cheese, so for a quicker prep time I recommend buying the cheese already shredded - at least the Parmesan and Mozzarella.  This dish is sure to please any family or guest!

Easy Cheap Yummy Enchiladas!

I like easy food.  I like delicious food.  And, my family likes dinner that will taste good and fill their bellies.  We love almost all kinds of cuisine, and Mexican is a favorite at our house.  However, with very little experience in Mexican cooking, I am often hesitant to do much more than nachos or tacos.  I had tried the Old El Paso Enchilada Bake before, and they came out good, but this time I decided to try them myself without the kit.

So, I purchased two cans Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, and went by the recipe right on the can.  Basically, the recipe was for beef but I used chicken instead.  Additional ingredients needed are: chicken, cheddar cheese, and flour tortillas.  The hardest part is dicing the chicken.  The rest is super easy and straight-forward, and most importantly, very tasty!  Muy Bueno!

My enchiladas made with whole wheat tortillas!  

(Regular flour tortillas taste better, but I'm always trying the healthy route.)

Encouragement for Mommy

For all you wives/mothers out there. Hope this encourages you, as it does me.

Proverbs 31, NIV

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Preggo Clothes

There's a lot that goes along with being pregnant.  Probably the biggest change for most women is the big belly!  While it can be a little annoying when you can't button your pants anymore, or when your tummy starts peeking out of the bottom of some of your more slim fitting shirts, pregnancy can also give you a chance to be creative and come up with some really cute preggo clothes!

While I think we are fortunate in this generation to have so many stylish maternity options, we also have the benefit of long and loose tops being in style!  When I was pregnant with my first child, I went to Urban Outfitters and bought a whole bunch of clothes that were not "maternity" but they worked for most of my pregnancy.  With this pregnancy, I got a lot bigger a lot quicker.  My pants already do not fit, and I am already obviously pregnant.  I took out all my maternity clothes pretty much right away.

But at the same time, I have been able to put together some really cute outfits from my normal wardrobe.  I think my favorite article of clothing that is totally in style and super cute with a preggo belly is the maxi dress!  A lot of stores are selling them right now, and most of them are available in an empire waist style and stretchy jersey fabrics, that fit just right.  Maxi dresses are comfortable ad effortless, and should really only be worn with flats, so there's no concern with high heels during pregnancy.  They also can go from day to night, and if it's cooler you can pair your dress with a jean jacket and give your look that effortless-coolness you want - even when you're pregnant!

I also love drapey cardigans, and anything that fits above my belly.  If you buy a couple pairs of maternity pants (skinny jeans!) - and don't forget the pairs of stretchy leggings you already have - and layer long and loose tops with drapey cardigans, you'll look totally in style, and not like you're wearing maternity clothes!  If a loose top doesn't give you much shape, just tie a ribbon or belt above your belly, and voila!  Instant empire waist!  I'm one of those people who likes to accentuate my belly so it's obvious that I'm pregnant.  And, don't forget that you can wear as many accessories as you want!

If you're creative, you can have some really cute preggo clothes that will not only look great for everyday, but also will be awesome in any pictures you take!  After all, don't you want to look back and have some of those cute preggo pics you see on Pinterest??

I'm only 20 weeks pregnant, and look how huge I am this time!

This outfit is actually put together with items I bought even before I was having kids.  

The dress is an empire-waisted dress from J.Crew, and the wrap cardigan is from Target.  

The only thing that is somewhat new is the hat (J.Crew Factory Store, Men's)!

Key Lime Truffles

On my quest to use all of the Key limes I bought, I tried another recipe for Key Lime Truffles, found here: http://thesugarpixie.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/key-lime-truffles/.  My husband and I have enjoyed confections by the same name from See's Candies, so I thought it was something worth trying. These are a little more time consuming then I was really prepared for, and I think it would be fun to do with kids or a group, because it takes time to dip each truffle so they are completely covered in the white chocolate.  However, as I got tired I put the melted chocolate in a baggie with the corner cut off and drizzled my truffles.  They won't have a complete outer shell as they should, but they're pretty!  These are really yummy, and the recipe will make a lot of truffles, so they are great for parties or gifts.  I think this might be one of those things that you get better at with practice.  Next time, I plan to make sure the balls of filling are fully set in the freezer, and then have each one completely covered.  They are definitely best this way, and will keep better with a full candy shell.

Scenes of Vacaville

I love when I have my camera with me on outings around town.  There is so much inspiration, from patterns and textures, to colors and culture.  Here are a few photos from our family's Saturday morning stroll through downtown Vacaville.

"Easy" Key Lime Pie

Northern Cali is great for a lot of things, and one of those things is fresh produce.  We often go to Larry's Produce in Suisun Valley.  It's great because you can get tons of fresh produce for cheap, and we are support local business!  Anyway, Larry's has Key limes, and even though they're actually imported from Mexico instead of the Florida Keys, I still had to pick up a bag and make some "real" Key lime treats!

My first attempt was a Key lime "cheesecake".  I found a super simple recipe online, and went to work!  I knew the reason most people don't use real Key limes in their dishes is because they're sooo tiny and labor-intensive, so I was prepared.  I bought a little hand-juicer (that's really cute, too!) and readied myself to cut and juice a lot of little limes.  It actually went pretty easy, but it took me 23 limes to get the 3/4 Cup of juice I needed for the recipe.  Anyway, the recipe turned out less like a "cheesecake" and more like what I know to be a Key lime pie.  And, besides the juicing the recipe was super simple, and the pie ended up being delicious!

Here's the recipe I used ->

Ingredients:
1 prepared graham cracker crust (or make your own - might make it that much better)
1 Pkg Softened Philadelphia (I think any brand is better than Philadelphia) cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2-3/4 cup key lime juice (I prefer closer to 3/4 for tartness)
*You could just use regular lime juice of course, if you want this to be super easy and fast.

Directions:

Blend in food processor until smooth.

Pour in pie shell and refrigerate.

*And you may want to serve it with whipped cream!

Enjoy!

Easy Delicious Chicken Sausage Herb Pizza

I have been trying to increase my cooking repertoire, as I am not a natural housewife, but I'm trying to have dinner on the table for my family every night.  I like recipes that are easy and tasty, and hopefully lower in fat and calories.  I adapted this pizza recipe from a Pampered Chef recipe called: Chicken Sausage & Herb Wheat Pizza.  Their recipe has you make your own dough, but I opted to use the pre-made stuff to save a little bit of time and effort.   I started with the regular old Pillsbury Pizza Dough and rolled it out on my baking stone, which does happen to be by Pampered Chef, but you can use a cookie sheet too.  Then I made a little mistake, and brushed the dough with the honey & oil mixture instead of the oil & garlic.  Hoping that it would still taste good, I just added garlic to the top of the dough and proceeded.  And there was success!  In fact, I think the honey gave it a sweet flavor that was better than if I had done it right!  My husband and 18 month old loved it too!  Overall it probably took 30 minutes from start to finish, and had simple ingredients, and was delicious while not being overloaded with fat and calories.

Easy Food - Broccoli Instead of Meatballs

So I LOVE easy recipes and tips and tricks in the kitchen.  I also love healthy food!  My maiden name is DiSabatino, and even though I'm really only 1/4 Italian, the food from that country is definitely my favorite.  I make spaghetti A LOT.  I make it for lunch, for dinner, I eat it hot and cold.  I could just eat noodles and sauce, but my husband loves meatballs.  I am also partial to having chunks in my spaghetti, but not really a fan of meatballs on a regular basis.  Usually, I buy frozen broccoli, cook it in the microwave, and then throw it in instead of meatballs.  But, I just found a super-easy way to do the same thing!  I cook my pasta and then when there's 2 minutes left on the timer, I throw fresh broccoli florets in the boiling water.  This blanches the broccoli to exactly the right tenderness, and then all you have to do is add sauce, and voila!  Spaghetti with broccoli instead of meatballs!  

I made this with Newman's Own sauce, and I added some Hunt's Diced Tomatoes w/ Garlic, Basil, & Oregano for extra chunkiness.  You can also add chicken, sausage, cheese, and if you're still hankering for beef, meatballs will still go very well!

Love

In light of the recent events concerning Chick-Fil-A and their owner's remarks about gay marriage, I thought I'd post a poem I wrote a while back.  Regardless of our point of views, we need to remember to love one another.  I personally went to support the fast food restaurant today, and it was too busy for me to wait at lunch time, and they were closed due to selling out of food at dinner time.  I am proud that we will still stand for what we believe in this country.

So many colors and shapes

and sounds, full of life

Look around and see it

such a beautiful world

full of people

to love

not to judge

to accept

not to hate

to care for

not to ignore 

to support

We can't look down our noses anymore

We can't stand above

Think of Jesus

our God

who dined 

with the less of these

remained strong in Him

but loved all

A perfect example of Him

and His love

Handwritten Poetry

When I'm at my lowest, I write.  When I'm at my highest, I write.  When I'm dead inside I can't seem to find the words, but when I can, I write.  I was looking through my computer and found some of these that I wrote when I had the words.

The redundancies of life

make things so slow

so quiet

so normal

I forget how real these colors are

how strong these feelings are

Just stop and just be

just be who we were meant to be

and you'll remember

the butterflies, the goosebumps

all the tingles that tickle your spine

Take a little trip to a new place

just to remind me of how much love means

between you and me

I was an artsy little hippie chick

with dreams and chipped nail polish

you were the popular frat boy

with a huge education

and we wanted more than just

a white picket fence

So we remember to dream

we remember to laugh and touch

little kisses here and there

like every day we are new lovers

once again

young again

fresh again

and I am not going to be 

redundant

at least not with you.

-----

My eyes are wet

my hands are cold

I know the salt I taste

so familiar

So is this hole

the same one

I've climbed out of

so many times

My passion is stifled

my heart is still beating

but I feel less alive

I can't daydream the same

The sheets and pillows

look so inviting

the mattress calls my name

sleep is my escape

But I lie awake

every night

it's like I'm all confused

mind, body, and soul

Cloudy, shaken, lost

A shell of who I really am

looking for my insides

that have left me behind

Dropping to my knees

wanting to feel

wanting to dream in rich colors

taste the life I should be living

I give it up to you

I give it all away

I give the control

I give you my fear

So empty

wanting to receive

what you have

just for me

One day at a time

ready for what's there

from you

just for me

I trust you 

I know you love me so

your plan is all I need

and I need it

I need you.

I want to throw it all away

Be just you and me

nothing but nothing

simplicity

------

All I want to do

is feel alive

so alive

that I can't stop dancing

I can't stop singing

I can't be kept silent

I don't want to be held down

and it is in my power

to not let that happen

so I will always be up

stay up

let God lift me up

let God hold me up

-----

I don't always know

who I am

or where I am

supposed to go

I want honesty

with myself

I want honesty 

with you

I don't always know

what is true

to even be able

to tell you

I feel so different

but the same

and I don't want to be

the same

as everybody else

I want to be

the individual

you made me to be

Gel Manicure

So, I'm not really a "nail" person.  Mostly I go to the nail salon every so many months and I usually make a pedicure my first priority, since my feet tend to get so dry and cracked.  This time I opted for the manicure too, since it had been so long since I had gotten my nails done.  Of course, the nail technician talked me into a gel manicure, and I was thinking how I was going to pay all this money and end up with a normal manicure, but I have to say I was very impressed!  For a stay-at-home wife and mom like me, manicures usually last about 2 days (and that's if I make it out of the salon without smudging or chipping my polish).  This manicure was different!  I didn't have to pay until the end of my services because the manicure dries COMPLETELY when it's done, so you can't mess it up!  This was relief to me, because I usually smudge my nails before I make it home.  It's been 4 days and my manicure still looks great!  No smudges, no chips, and still very shiny!  Although it cost me $30, I think it's worth it to spend a little more for something that will stay nice longer.  The picture may not look like much, but my nails look great!  Next time, I'm going for a darker color, but I like pale pinks for everyday.