21 Months

Our life lately with our fun and active 21 month old:

 Blurry, but the best iPhone pic I could get of Jackson, obsessing over the firetrucks that showed up at our church's Fall Festival. He hogged the front seat and thought he was king of the hill up there.

 Jackson and his sweet teacher Miss Amy, MBCC Fall Festival. He followed her around like a little duckling. Absolutely adorable.

 Ready for work! Sporting GiGi's glasses

 First big eye bust. Not sure what he fell on, but this was right afterwards and he was a happy camper.

 Yep, we've been doing a little bit of potty training recently! His MDO asked me if I was potty-training him and said Jackson acted really interested, so off to Target we go to buy a Cars training potty.  Sure enough, with lots and lots of Daddy's help, he's been using it!

 Rare nap with mommy (rare, because he's been boycotting naps lately)

 Surprise visit from Daddy at McWane Center. Loving the choo-choo exhibit.

 Sporting our first Christmas outfit of the season

 Potty time! Yay!!  #1 and #2 (I'll spare you pics of the proof), all while Mommy was at work on Thanksgiving. But Andy was great and made sure to send pictures :)

 Testing out "Baby Sissy's" bouncy seat

 Loving all the gadgets

 Helping with Sissy's car seat

My baking and cooking companion

Turkey and Leftovers

Since I haven't gotten over my revulsion of handling a whole raw bird, my wonderful husband cooked our Thanksgiving turkey this year (and it was delicious! Minus the fact he sliced his finger to the bone and my dad stitched his finger back up..eeek!)

Herb-Roasted Turkey

Recipe here.  It's a Southern Living recipe, contributed by Frank Stitt, and it's easy and delicious.

Picture from myrecipes.com

(I'm long-writing this recipe out for my own benefit, since myrecipes.com tends to not hold onto recipes years down the road for when I need it)

• 1 (14-lb.) whole fresh turkey
• Kitchen string
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped 
• 1 garlic bulb, halved
• 1 cup dry white wine 
• Garnish: fresh sage leaves

Preparation

1. 1. Remove giblets and neck from turkey, and rinse turkey with cold water. Drain cavity well; pat dry. Tie ends of legs together with kitchen string; tuck wingtips under. Place, breast side up, on a lightly greased roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 400°. Stir together thyme, next 2 ingredients, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; rub mixture into cavity of turkey. Rub butter over turkey. Sprinkle remaining salt and pepper over outside of turkey; rub into skin. Arrange onions and next 3 ingredients around base of turkey in roasting pan; add wine and 1 cup water to pan.
3. 3. Place turkey in oven; reduce oven temperature to 325°. Bake at 325° for 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh registers 160°.
4. 4. Remove turkey from oven; increase heat to 425°. Baste turkey with pan juices, and let stand 15 minutes; return to oven. Bake at 425° for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and thermometer registers 165°.
5. 5. Let turkey stand in pan 30 minutes; transfer to a serving platter. Reserve pan drippings for Easy Turkey Gravy, if desired.
6. *Frozen whole turkey, thawed, may be substituted.
7. Recipe brought to the table by chef Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Alabama.

Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Alabama, Southern Living
NOVEMBER 2012

  

Then, I got a rare burst of nesting energy (probably realizing that I'll be 39 weeks in a short 3 weeks!), and so I cooked up the leftover turkey in these 3 soups and 1 casserole, freezing a vast portion for after baby comes.

Turkey and Potato Soup with Bacon

Recipe here 

Photo from myrecipes.com

(Note, I did not mash my potatoes but cut them up into chunks, probably because I was in a hurry and didn't have the stamina to mash, mash, mash. If you want a creamier texture, definitely mash them.  If you're going for a more vegetable turkey soup mix, it's okay to leave them chopped.)

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 1 cup chopped celery $
• 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 ounce Canadian bacon, chopped
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth $
• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/2 cups mashed cooked peeled baking potatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Sage sprigs (optional)

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and bacon; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, turkey, potatoes, and chopped sage, stirring with a whisk until blended; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.

Hearty Bean & Barley Soup (+ Turkey!)

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of baby carrots, diced {I like petite baby carrots}
a couple tablespoons  of oil {for sauteing}
1 package of turkey Kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2  32oz containers of chicken stock
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 C pearled barley 

2 cans of Navy beans {or your favorite white bean}
1 can of diced tomatoes

In large sauce/soup pan, over medium-high heat, saute carrots, onion, garlic, carrots, and kielbasa in oil for a few minutes. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasonings, and barley, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 40-45 minutes {until barley is cooked}. Add beans and tomatoes and let simmer for a few more minutes before serving.

Turkey Jambalaya

Southern Living

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 c chpd onion

1 tsp bottled minced garlic

1 c chpd green bell pepper

1 c chpd red bell pepper

2 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c uncooked long-grain rice

2 c chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can dice tomatoes, undrained

2 c shredded cooked turkey

6 oz chpd andouille sausage (*note, I used one sausage for above recipe, and the other for this)

2 Tbsp sliced green onions

1) Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers and next 5 ingredients (bell peppers through black pepper); saute 1 min.

2) Add rice; saute 1 min. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 min.

3) Add turkey and sausage; cover and cook 5 min.

4) Sprinkle with green onions.

Yields: 8 servings

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti

(but I used turkey instead of chicken)

Recipe here

Acorn Squash & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wild Rice & Goat Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash
from Publix Family Style magazine

2 fresh acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seed removed  (I used one large acorn squash)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
2 oz crumbled goat cheese
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 c chopped pitted dates  (I omitted this)
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash halves on the baking sheet, cut side up; brush with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Roast 25-30 minutes, until squash is tender. Remove from oven.

2) In a bowl, combine the rice, cheese, pecans, dates, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Place some of the mixture in the center of each cooked squash half. Turn oven to broil. Return squash to oven; broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted.

Makes 4 servings.

Easy, delicious, and healthy!


Don't ask me WHY I got on this cooking/baking streak.  Andy is out of town all week, Jackson has decided to cut short his naps while Daddy is away, and wake up super early (which he rarely does).  So, I'm going on about 4 hours of sleep right now, and my prayer throughout the day has been, literally, "Lord, give me energy.  Help me make it through this day."  Ever faithful, God granted my request, and Jackson is down for an early bedtime (and I'm soon to follow!).  But, I thought I'd add on the yummy chocolate chip cookies I made while Jackson watched Disney Junior.  Seriously, Disney has been my lifesaver today in keeping him occupied so I could cook/bake/clean, etc.

Thick, Chewy, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Southern Living

1 cup butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1) In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2) In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

3) Drop dough in 2 Tbsp portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered baking sheets.

4) Bake in a 400 degree oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, around 6-8 minutes.

Memphis

Since I'll be working Thanksgiving this year, and then I'll be town-bound since I'll be 36+ weeks, we went ahead and visited Andy's family in Memphis last weekend.  We had a great time, and got some comical pictures of all 7 cousins pictured together:

 All the cousins, aged 8 to 4 weeks

 Lane and Jackson at John Cal and Tommy's soccer game

Jackson and Lane, about 2 months apart

 Not five minutes into our trip to Memphis :)  School wears him out

Ashley and Les, with an attempted York family photo

We were even able to visit our friends, Matt and Sarah Owen, who live right outside Memphis. Jackson had fun playing with 2 year old Matthew, and we loved getting to meet sweet baby Emma

 Did you know the Cozy Coupe can seat two toddlers??

This was not a posed picture. They just settled in right next to each other. So cute

Baby Sprinkle

Some dear friends of mine threw me a Baby Sprinkle a few weeks ago.  I definitely wanted to keep it small and easy for everyone, so we all ate at a fun local restaurant.  Here are some pictures from the night.

 Me and Mom at Avo

 All the hostesses

My sweet friend Rosemary mailed several fun girl toys for the baby sprinkle! So fun and such a surprise!

Baby shower at work for me and for my friend Amy. We're two weeks apart, and she's having a little boy named Jackson.

Thank you to all of my sweet friends and family who have been excited to celebrate Baby Girl York! (And can I add, all the pink girl things out there are just the cutest. I love it!)

Fresh Vegetable Penne

Probably not freezer-worthy, but delicious nevertheless, and a way to use any extra butternut squash you might have from previous post.

Fresh Vegetable Penne Pasta

Recipe here.

Picture from Southern Living

Easy freezer meals

My one day off in between working the past few days, I got on a mega cooking/freezing kick, preparing for Baby Girl, who will be here in a few short weeks.

Here's some ideas for some good, easy meals that taste delicious now, or freeze and eat later.

Pioneer Woman's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Picture from Pioneer Woman's blog

Butternut Squash Soup

Inspired from this blog post, and the fact my husband brought home a mega butternut squash from the grocery store, I attempted my first official butternut squash soup. However, since I knew I had a lot to do in and around the house today, I opted to try Southern Living's slow cooker recipe, and I was not disappointed. Then, I copied Sarah's recipe and added goat cheese in my bowl of soup, a perfect tang to complement the sweetness.  Recipe found here.

Picture from Southern Living

(pretend that dollop of sour cream is really a heaping helping of goat cheese)

Red Lentil Soup

Picture from Southern Living

Also, my first time cooking with lentils. Easy, hearty, and inexpensive.

Chicken Spinach Lasagna
from Rushton Waltchack

Lasagna:
16 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chpd spinach, thawed & drained well
4 cups diced chicken
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cans cream of mushrooms oup
16 oz sour cream
9 oz jar sliced mushrooms, drained
2/3 cup mayo

Topping:
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp butter
2 cups chpd pecans (or sliced almonds)    *I omitted this and it still tasted great

Combine all ingredients in very large bowl. In a large and deep baking dish, layer chicken mixture, noodles, chicken mixture, noodles, chicken mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Melt butter in skillet on stove. Add chopped pecans to lightly toast and sprinkle pecans over cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Serves: 10-12
 Delicious, easy, and makes a large amount. 

Coca-Cola Cake

No, not freezer worthy, but delicious all the same.

Recipe here.