Sunday, December 2, 2012

Shrimp Scampi and Pasta--Recipe

I have been craving citrus flavors and carbs. I think the carbs help to settle my tummy a bit although the only time my tummy is truly settled is when I am a sleep and that 30 second period when I first open my eyes in the morning. When trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight I remember I had some frozen shrimp in my freezer. I went to Pinterest and did a quick search for shrimp scampi. I have a recipe I love but didn't have any Parmesan cheese or cream so I needed something a little different. I found two easy-ish recipes (a key for a tired pregnant momma with two kiddos under foot) and thought I would try to combine them. I don't have any pictures...but here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi and Pasta!
recipe adapted from Taste of Home
and Parents

Shrimp Scampi
12 oz Medium Shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
1 stick butter (1/2 c)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbls lemon juice
2 tbls bread crumbs

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb pasta (we used spaghetti but would be great with angel hair or linguine too)
3 tbls + 1 tbls butter, divided
1/2 of an onion peeled and diced
3 tbls flour
2 cups chicken broth 
4 oz cream cheese
1 tbls lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Start the water for your pasta. Melt the stick of butter and pour into a 9x13 pan. Place shrimp in pan and add garlic and juice, stir to combine. Add bread crumbs. When water for pasta is boiling place pan of shrimp in oven and then add the pasta to water. (I will add a bit of oil and salt to my pasta at this time) Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan and add the onion. Cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add 3 tbls of butter to the onions and stir in flour. Once butter and flour are combined whisk in the chicken broth. Continue to stir sauce until it comes to a slight boil and begins to thicken. Add cream cheese, stir till combined and melted. Add lemon juice. Once pasta has reached it's desired tenderness, drain water reserving 1/2 cup. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to combine. Add pasta water as desired (I used the full 1/2 cup). Remove shrimp from oven (shrimp should be pink and no longer translucent). Serve shrimp over pasta. 
 
This fed our family of four with plenty of pasta left over for tomorrow lunch for all of us! 

Honestly, I prefer my favorite shrimp scampi over this one but it was very good and satisfied my craving! If you give it a try let me know what you think. 

Oh, you'll notice I didn't add any salt while cooking except for the salt I added to my pasta water. I am watching my salt intact during pregnancy. You will need to salt and pepper if that is your thing...we all ended up passing the salt and pepper shakers around the table at least once ;)



Saturday, December 1, 2012

Hello, December!

I love this time of year! The lights on the Christmas tree make me so happy!

We had a great Thanksgiving. Being away from family is always hard but I love creating my own traditions and not feeling the pull from everyone. In years past we have tried to see everyone on a holiday...we'd do dinner one place and dessert at another and go visit someone else. It's exhausting. It was so nice to sit and relax with my little family.

Here's a quick wrap up of fall...

Cameron received his first report card. I am so happy and pleased with how well he's doing. Kindergarten report cards are boring and pointless...as long as you are doing as you are supposed to and progressing you get a 3! We did however receive a print out of his benchmark (the first week of school each child was evaluated and then again the week of report cards). The improvement was crazy! I can't remember exact number and I'm too tired to pull it out of the filing cabinet but they were something along the lines of recognizing 13 of 52 letters (uppercase and lowercase) during the first week of school and recognizing 36/52 letters with a goal of recognizing 30/56 by the end of the first quarter. His benchmarks for sound recognition as well as number recognition were just as impressive. Cameron's teacher has been out due to a family emergency so we've had a temporary sub for a couple of months now...We both LOVE her, but do to this we didn't have the opportunity to have a conference with his teacher. I did have the chance to talk with the sub for a few minutes and she had nothing but great things to say. To say I am proud would give you the wrong impression...as long as my children are happy and doing their best I am happy....What I am is blessed. I was truly frightened that moving Cameron from family was a mistake and that he would never settle in. I was scared that this would scar him for life. I feel as if I am being shown that this wasn't detrimental and that we did make the right choice by placing him in public school. Cameron is a special little spirit just as every child is. I've said from day one that he is my easy kid!

And then theirs Joshua! Mr J has started talking, He talks and talks and talks. I swear he says five new words a day and puts different words into sentences all day long! His little brain is working overtime. The crazy kid is regressing in the potty trained department. We are working on that. He stopped sleeping a few weeks ago but I think we've fixed that. There was a couple of weeks where I was convinced that there was something wrong with him but now I believe the flip was switched for terrible twos and he was working double time to make my life heck...things have gotten much better on that front too! He'll tell anyone who listens that there's a baby in his belly...not mommy's! He is still the best eater in the house and I swear he's grown two inches in two months. We've finally out grown out 12 month clothes and have had to move on to 18 month/24 month and 2Ts as the 12 month are too short. My bet is if there was a way to lengthen them he could have stayed in the 12 month pants for another 6 months or so...I am constantly rolling up the waist band on his 18/24 month clothes to keep them on his waist!

Cole's work schedule has finally slowed down. Thank goodness. He's been so supportive while I've been resting and avoiding anything that makes me sick. Super Husband goes to Cole for the month of November!

As for me, I am 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I see the doctor in just over a week and I am so excited to hear this little ones heartbeat. I'm still super nauseated and the fatigue set in over Thanksgiving. I also feel "foggy" quite often and I believe pregnancy brain gets worse with each one!

Enjoy the holidays and I will update as I can!

Hugs and Love to all!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Weeks, symptoms, up-to-date-ness

First things first...I am 7 wks 5 days! Yes, we were trying. I took us 4 cycles to conceive. For those of you who don't know I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS. My cycles are typical long, heavy and pretty painful. Luckily, my body responds well to hormonal birth control and I believe we had an easy time conceiving thanks to the mirena I had for almost two years which was removed in July. Because I was tracking my cycles I know exactly when I ovulated (Happy Anniversary to me ;)) and I got my positive pregnancy test on Friday October 26th exactly 30 days after my last period!

I was feeling a bit nauseas a few days before my positive test... honestly that was the only symptom I had. A couple of days after my positive my boobs started hurting! I started bloating almost immediately and as of today my jeans won't button. I am more comfortable in stretchy yoga pants, sweats and if I have to leave the house maternity jeans! My skin seems super sensitive so anything too tight on my belly hurt and irritates it. The morning sickness has been in full throttle for 2 weeks now! I haven't vomited but I am always sick to my stomach and I have spent several mornings gagging and dry heaving before breakfast. my morning sickness it much worse with this pregnancy than with my two previous pregnancies. I always forget how sore your breasts get but I'm quickly reminded daily each time a child hugs me or I brush up against something.

I won't have my first OB appt till December 11th with an ultrasound to follow on the 12th. I will 10 weeks and 5/6days. I am hopeful that I will like this OB. I've heard great things about him with a couple of mixed reviews thrown in too.

Anything else?

As for the rest of the family....

We are looking forward to a very long weekend. Cole has Wednesday thru Sunday off!!! YAY!

Cameron has a classroom play tomorrow...I am going to try to get a video but a the very least I will have pictures to share.

Josh has started talking like a champ. He's always talked more than Cameron did at this age but it seems like everyday he has several new words.

I will be back soon!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Guess What!?!?!?!?!?

We are expecting.....

Due July 4, 2013!

Just for the record pregnancies don't get easier the more you have. In my experience they get just a little harder.

Never the less, we are so excited to welcome this next little one into our family.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Happy 6th Birthday, Big Guy!


 It's crazy to me that my oldest child is 6 today! I have such mixed feelings about this birthday....I don't want him to get any older, yet I have to much fun watching him grow. Here's a few pictures..kind of like a then/now!

Cameron 11/2/2006
May 2012

May 2012
July 2012

May 2012

First Day of Kindergarten
Aug. 23rd, 2012

October 28, 2012
August 31st, 2012
October 2012
Happy Birthday!
Cameron, I want you to know that the sky is the limit. You are so incredibly smart and talented. I know that you will grow to do amazing things. A few months ago you told me you wanted to be an architect and then just a couple weeks ago you decided you were going to be a vet. Cameron, you can be whatever you want to be as long as you are happy! Even though you are growing you will always be my baby. I am blessed each and every day by you and the things you make me learn and the love that you offer. I am so proud of you. You are such a great big brother and you are doing so great in school. I want you to now that you are a leader and each time you make a good choice your classmates and friends see that. By being a good example you are helping your friends to make good choices. I love that you want to learn and that you enjoy reading and writing. I wish we lived closer to your Grandmas and Papas so they could see how you are developing. I know that living in Alaska is hard for you sometimes because you miss your friends (cousins) but we have grown closer as a family and that is blessing you. Cameron you are such an amazing little man. I love our morning cuddles and listening to you read after school. I am so glad I get to spend time in your classroom with you...it gives me a chance to see how you interact with your friends and teacher...you have settled into school so well. I hope that you will always be able to see the beauty all around us. You are so observant...I would hate for you to miss any of it. Thank You, Cameron, for trying your very best and for being so helpful. I hope that your 6th birthday is memorable and that you see how much Daddy and I love you. 
Love, Mommy!


Sunday, October 21, 2012

Cloth Diaper giveaway

No, I am not announcing anything by posting this :)

I have been researching cloth diapers...

Joshua has been potty trained for a little over 2 months now. He is doing great! We have plans of adding one more little one to our family some day and I have a pretty strong inkling that it will be our last little one. I'd love to cloth diaper our next little one. Think of it as it's my last chance to do some of these things I've thought about doing :)

While researching and reading about cloth diapers I came across this awesome giveaway. If I win it's be a free and easy way to start my stash...even though it will be quite some time before we add that next little one to our family :)

http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/blog/thirsties-thursday-giveaway-70/

Thirsties brand diapers come with some great recommendations. Lots of people love them. I'd love to try them some day!

We'll talk soon!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

missing my family this weekend

Who would have thought that this weekend, a weekend of uplifting words delivered from mouths of Apostles and Prophets, that I would be so lonely. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to General Conference and I look forward to the day that I can take my family to watch Conference live. I've enjoyed watching the light of recognition come into Cameron's eyes as he hears and listens to the words that have been spoken and to the songs that have been sung. I love the feeling of peace that wraps around me as I listen to our Prophet speak. I have a desire to do better and to do more while continuing to do those righteous things I strive to do each day. I know that my best is good enough and that by serving my children I am serving our God. With all of that though, I miss my family.

The boys and I were able to Skype with my mom yesterday. It's been four months since I've seen her. Since I've been able to have a hug from my mom. Although we talk daily, if was nice to see her and for her to have the chance to see the boys...to see how much they've grown and for them to share their things with her. Cameron was able to read a book to her and Joshua showed her his new nightlight. You wouldn't believe it but they've both changed so much in the last four months and it's wonderful that we have the technology we do today..it sure helps for us to feel closer when we are so far away.

In the past, Conference weekends have been spent with Cole's family. We would all gather and share meals and insight before, during and after each session. I miss that, the special gathering that would bring us closer as a family.

I know that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing....that we are living far from family for a reason and a purpose. Day to day it isn't so hard...but on these special occasions it's pure torture! Day to day I can see the blessing right before me...I can see how we are being changed and strengthened. Even thought this weekend has been hard, I have answers to prayers before me. I have been uplifted and have the strength to continue on. As I type Cameron is filling out his Conference Listening Card. He is listening to an Apostle speak and recognizing words that are being said. I am truly blessed.