Recipe help

We have officially hit 30 weeks of pregnancy! So far, it has been a blessing, an emotional roller coaster, painFUL, painLEss, but most of all the biggest delight of my life. I don't blog for Andy but I believe I can speak for him and say that he agrees (I'm sure he's waiting for the emotional part to be done!)

Although, I have (hopefully) 10 weeks to go I realized today that the end is near and felt a twinge of sadness. Don't get me wrong, I am excited beyond excited for her to get her, but I have LOVED being pregnant. I knock on wood when I speak like this because, after all, I do have 10 weeks left!

Here is where I need help. As you all know, I'm a planner. A serious planner. I don't like the phrase "on a whim" that's how much of an organized, control freak I am. However, the one thing I do not plan well is dinner. I start thinking about dinner at about 3:00 pm every day. And 98% of the time what I want is in the freezer and I'm not home until after 6 and am extremely hungry. Like 30 weeks pregnant hungry! I realize I need help in this department.

Here is my plea for help. I need recipes. Recipes that I can make now, freeze, and enjoy after we have this bambina. Here are the rules:
1. I can cook so I'm up for a challenge. Don't take it easy on me!
2. It must be yummy!
3. It must be able to be frozen.
4. That's it.

Either email me the recipe or better yet, post it in the comments below so we can all enjoy. My plan is to start cooking this weekend so I will be able to post the process along the way.

Also, if you are not a "follower" of my blog please join in on the fun! On the right hand side of this page there will be a "follow" button. Go ahead and click it and follow the directions. It's easy and, honestly, I want to see my numbers rise!

Thanks in advance! Here's a pic to satisfy all of you bump watchers! Please forgive my "mirror" pictures. I always remember to take them when Andy isn't home!

Oh yeah one final laugh. Here is a belly shot I took this weekend while I was fighting off a bug in Door County. I wasn't feeling pretty but I was definitely feeling pregnant so it's the last belly shot for today!

Life is a Highway

I always felt that by the time the 4th of July passed that summer was almost over! I don't know if I agree with that thought anymore but if that's the case I better get moving! This baby will be here before we know it and we have a ton of projects to accomplish.

Honestly, I've barely been in the kitchen this summer. We have eaten out quite a bit (shame) but it feels so good at the time! We have been traveling (FL, MN, and Door County) and getting small projects done around the house. 

Enjoy some pics from our tiny adventures from the summer of 2011.

Here is one of the first shots of Baby Girl Bohacek's nursery. I made curtains and the crib skirt.

DeGroot Wedding in Florida

New gallery wall in my office

Hall wedding in MN

Hogan wedding in Madison

Door County Weekend

Productivity!

Our minds have been racing a mile a minute since we found out that Baby Bo was Baby Girl Bo! Now that she is a she my To Do list has expanded. This was the first full weekend in a very long time that we had no plans and thank goodness because we kicked this weekends butt! Let me preface this post with a disclaimer....I did absolutely no baking. But I did cook...kind of.

Normally we save our big meal of the week for Sundays but this weekend Saturday held the main meal of the week. We started the day off by going to the Farmers Market early Saturday morning. Maybe not the warmest day ever but definitely a good time of year to go. Less crowds, BEAUTIFUL tulips, and huge onions! Of course we came away with a bag full of goodies: spicy hot cheese bread from Stella's Bakery, bushel of green onions, locally made Gouda cheese, one Sweet BBQ meat stick (which I ate while walking), one Cranberry Oatmeal scone (which I ate while walking), and Jalapeno popper bread.

There is a little German Sausage Haus on the way home that Andy has been dying to go into since the day we moved into our house....3 years ago. Every time he thinks about going they are closed. The poor guy had the worst luck, until yesterday. We finally made it in only to buy Red Beer Brats and Garlic Summer Sausage. I think Andy was so overwhelmed he had no idea what to get!

So our menu for dinner created itself:

German Red Beer Brats
Summer Sausage Bow Tie Pasta
Sauteed Zucchini

Summer Sausage Bow Tie Pasta


My measurements don't quite exist with this recipe but if you want/need them I can dig up the exact recipe for you. But just eye ball it and it will be delicious I promise!

Ingredients
1 Summer Sausage (I like garlic) cut up into chunks
1 pound of Bow Tie pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Green Onions
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Cook the entire box of Bow Tie pasta. Meanwhile, cut up the summer sausage and green onions. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a big bowl. Combine the summer sausage and the pasta. This is where the eye balling takes place. Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in with the pasta, green onions, and summer sausage. Stir. Then add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir again. Right before serving, mix in the Parmesan Cheese.  Put in the refrigerator and try to not eat the entire bowl!

Substitute ideas: instead of summer sausage you can use salami. I used green onions this time because we bought them at the farmer's market but I usually use yellow/white onions.

One more thing! I have to show off the new console table we purchased from Target. I have been searching for an end table for months now to go next to our couch. Every one I find is either too low or not wide enough. Until we found it at Super Target! Of course when I said I wanted it Andy said, "you don't need it." I knew he would cave and sure enough the next morning he volunteers to go get it for me as long as I put it together! I did and it's amazing! It's the right color, height, width, and gives me more storage!

Strawberry Jello Trifle

I have this fantastic trifle dish that I haven't used. I got it at my bridal shower and have used it more of a display item. I've been wanting to make something in it for years but never found anything that caught my eye. Anyway, I was in charge of bringing "something with jello" to Auntie Susie's for Easter. So, I scoured the internet for Jello recipes and finally came across something I thought looked yummy.....and easy. I found it on www.allrecipes.com and the only difference I made was that I added more fresh strawberries. And yes I bought the pound cake. We were limited for time this weekend!


Now I'm not a Jello or Cool Whip fan so this dessert was definitely not for me (I actually didn't have any). However, I did bring home an empty (but still pretty) dish! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 package frozen pound cake, thawed, cubed
• 1 tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 
  
• Directions

1. Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
2. Cut gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in 3-1/2-quart serving bowl. Cover with layers of cake cubes, 1/2 of the whipped topping and strawberries. Top with remaining whipped topping.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Easter Chex Mix

There are a few things in life that I am 100% positive about and one of them is that my husband makes the best, absolute BEST, Chex Mix I have ever tasted. Why is he so good? I have no idea because he won't tell me the "recipe." He won't even start making it until I am out of the kitchen. His Chex Mix only makes an appearance a few times a year and it's usually about Thanksgiving and Christmas so when he started talking about making it for Easter at his Auntie Susie's I knew he had to make it. But he likes to tease me with it and then says "I'm retired from making it." This doesn't fly with a 18 week pregnant wife who now has a craving for his signature recipe. So, what would any wife do? I gave him an ultimatum. He had 2 choices. To make the Chex Mix or to write me an apology letter (handwritten) for even mentioning the idea. Because he is a wise husband he immediately went to the store and stocked up on what he needed. A few hours later (yes hours, he makes me wait while it settles before I can eat it) it was done and I could begin to stuff my face. 

Unfortunately, I have no recipe to share. I can't even share the ingredients because he always adds something new to it. This time he added sesame sticks (I'm not a fan but I would never dare complain about this to him.) All I have to share is a picture of the goodness that I am enjoying. And yes, Auntie Susie we are bringing some to your house. We are just keeping the bigger bowl at our house! 

And YES I would have made him write me a letter! I believe he has learned his lesson but he has especially proven that he is the BEST Chex Mix Maker in the world and the BEST Husband ever as well! 

Nutella Cookies

Yum yum! I love Nutella! In the beginning of my pregnancy the only thing I could eat for breakfast was a bagel with Nutella and crunchy peanut butter.  


Now that I have enough energy to bake again (yay!) I wanted to start with a comfort food and Nutella won out. I wanted a new recipe and found this one on www.allrecipes.com. 


I also have to point out that my hubby, Andy, enjoyed these cookies but requested powdered sugar on top! 

Ingredients
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, and Nutella and mix by hand until well blended. 

4. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy on the outside, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to rest on cookie sheet a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Baking v Pregnancy

I can't believe how long it's been since I baked anything! No seriously, I haven't baked ANYTHING! I have barely even cooked anything besides mac and cheese and grilled cheese let alone whip up a batch of cookies.

The first trimester really kicked my butt. Now, I am safely into my second trimester (18 weeks tomorrow) and anxious to get baking and cooking again. So, thank you for your patience. I have received a few emails from you-not-so-patient people but I'll be back on track soon!

In the meantime, here is a pic of the bump to tide you over!