Thursday, July 29, 2010

Miss Kate is here and she is perfect!


On Tuesday at 4 am Lyndsey's water broke and she headed to Highland Hospital! Little did she know it would be a while before Kate would actually arrive....one could say Kate is a little on the stubborn side (still cant figure out where she would get such a trait ha). Lyndsey endured  16.5 hours of labor before being taken in for a c-section and Kate was born at 9:06 pm and was 7lbs 10oz and 20 perfect inches long! Lyndsey and Jeremy did wonderful despite their extremely loooong day! I got there around 6:30. I had to pack b/c we were leaving at midnight to head to Knoxville and I did not have a babysitter. Here are some pictures of the waiting room.

Highland was so full there was no waiting room....and the Grandparents and Aunts (me included) were NOT waiting outside of the maternity ward...yeah right! so we made our home on the steps in front of her room !  
The Harris' room
The wait continues...We were listening for news...really waiting to hear the baby cry!


And more waiting

I tell Kathy to smile and this is what I get... (This is both grandmothers)


I realized I was not in any of the pictures...so I snapped one


After Lyndsey was sent to the OR for a section we had to leave. So we wait (The grandmothers stayed behind at the stairs for the big arrival)



Cody whooping Chase at cards...I think he was cheating

KATE IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is one proud daddy!




Proud Grandparents and Aunt!

It was love at first sight


basically perfect!

Isn't she just beautiful

first time we saw her cry... it was so sweet looking

Lyndsey leaving the OR to go back to her room

Lyndsey seeing her for the first time since delivery. SO SWEET!


Oh sweet baby...

She was always sticking her tongue out at us...haha




Her stats...
s
Going to see her Mommy to be held for the first time (sorry bad picture the nurse would not stop!)
Basically after a LONG labor the most perfect baby was born! She is so gorgeous! I HATED to leave the hospital b/c I knew I would not be back until Sunday! And I wanted to be there for them and of course Kate...she needs me! Oh well guess I will have to wait.... However I do request pictures hourly! :) Love yall!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sweet Potato Pancakes updated recipe!



As I told you before... I am playing with the recipe and I am getting closer! They were fluffy today! YAY!!! So excited. Here is the updated recipe from the post earlier this week:


1 cup pancake mix
3/4 cup of water (1 cup water)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin spice (I use cinnamon)
1/2 sweet potato puree
My additions not in book:
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 table spoon milled flaxseed (this is a rough estimate...I used my hands b/c I forgot I was measuring for you...)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder  (I may add more next time...this maybe the reason it was gummy)
1/4 cup of flour

Mix everything together EXCEPT the pancake mix and flour then add them. It should be lumpy. Then cook as you would any pancake! Add maple syrup if that is your thing (I do not do this for John). The trick this time was the flower and baking powder (I used soda last time)


Here are some pictures 


For more information on this recipe visit my earlier post.
Here is the pancake mix I used this time! I liked it and with this and the flax seed you are getting a lot of you daily fiber! BONUS!!!

All of the pancakes minus one (Jeffrey ate one and loved it!)

The pancake on the right is before I added the flour...notice the difference     
Hope y'all enjoy!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

A Healthy Grilled Cheese??? Really!

So as you know I am trying to make healthy foods for John to eat! Well I went to the farmer's market yesterday for a few things and HOPING to find red bell peppers b/c they are so dang expensive at the stores and I was in luck! A guy sold me like 7 (small but descent) for $2!!! I used most off them, I think I only had to throw out 1! I steamed them this morning and blended them! I decided to make John a grilled cheese with bell pepper! Red bell pepper is super high in Vitamin C!!! Keeps us healthy and if you know John at all if he so much as breaths in the wrong direction--> Ear infection!!! And seeing that he found a random bottle the other day at the store and decided to pick up the old habit, I have been doing EVERYTHING to keep him from getting sick! Cauliflower and red bell peppers here we come!!! 

Anyways, Lately John has been eating Ezechiel bread. For those that are unfamiliar check it out it is AWESOME (I am not a fan b/c I do not like grainy breads...really I am not even a fan of wheat), and this bread is FULL of beans and sprouts and everything that is good for you. My neighbor turned me on this and John LOVES it! grilled cheese, toast and jelly you name it and he eats it! The bread breaks down like a protein and is so good for your digestive system!If you go and buy it they have different types but if you are wanting the best results make sure it has beans in the bread. I also bought a sesame loaf and it has soybeans in it. I am not sure what they others have. I know 7 sprouted grains does not have beans in it so you do not get the same effects. The best place to get it in Shreveport is Drug Emporium it is around $3 a loaf and at Kroger it is $5 a loaf. Please note you have to keep it in the freezer. There are not preservatives so if you leave it out it will spoil FAST! I take a few slices out at a time and keep it in the fridge and restock as needed.

Anyways I made a grilled cheese and spread red bell pepper on both sides of the bread and put a piece of provolone in the middle and grilled it! He LOVED it! Tip: cut up the sandwich with a pizza slicer... much easier! the Bread can be a little hard so I sometimes cut off the crust depending on out hard it gets.

I switched my post to the updated version and now I can figure out how to rearranged the photos so they are majorly out of order and may even be duplicates... sorry! I will try to narrate as best as I can without getting to confusing... sorry! Next time I hope to get it right...


The Bread that rocks!
Thanks Mom I love this healthy food!!!
Blended red bell pepper (I stored the rest in ice cube trays. B/c that would be enough to make a grilled cheese! make sure it is cooled before you pour it in the trays so now BPA is released!
Loving the sandwhich
Look at that cheesy goodness! T
Grilled Cheese with Bell Pepper

Friday, July 23, 2010

Show Us Your Life- Favorite Grilling Recipes

Every Friday Kelly's Korner hosts Show Us Your Life Fridays, and today it is show us your favorite or best grilling recipe. Sometimes I am too busy to participate, but when I saw this topic I knew just what I would post!

When I was pregnant with John I was craving Fajitas. Because most fajita recipes have MSG in them and the hubs is allergic we had to find a recipe online.  So, Jeff and I set out on a hunt for the best recipe for fajitas and we found it!!! After living in El Paso for a year we got spoiled with the best Mexican food and tortillas a pregnant girl could ask for!! There is nothing better than fresh, homemade tortillas! So here is the recipe, it is a little work but if you are willing you will LOVE it!

  • 2lbs of skirt steak, chicken breast (deboned), or pork tenderloin (I think it works best with poultry)- slice your meat up first
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/3 c lime juice (freshly squeezed for better flavor and fell free to put more- lime never hurts)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c vinegar
  • 1/2 c chopped onion
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 can beer
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • bell pepper (as much as you'd like-this was not included we added it)
  • flour tortillas- freshly made are the best!
  • Lime wedges- as many as you want
  • whatever garnishes you want.... toppings are endless
Let this marinate for several hours- overnight for best results!

Heat up your grill. (For best results) You will need iron skillets to cook the meat and veggies. Bring your olive oil (and even lime juice to squeeze on the meat as you cook) outside with you to put on the skillet so the meat and veggies do not stick to the pan. The skillets will make the meat and veggies caramelize- YUMMY!!!

Tips:  
Assemble your fajita and squeeze lime juice on it- I learned this trick in El Paso- we won't eat fajitas without fresh lime! Yes I LOVE LIME!!! El Paso changed me.... I even prefer it in my water to lemon! I hope y'all enjoy the fajitas as much as we do... I wish I had a picture for you so John will have to do...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Sweet Potato Pancakes....


Many of you may know that I have been struggling trying to get John to eat ANYTHING other than bread and fried goods... (he will eat fruit though!)... So a few of my friends on facebook were using this book and so I decided to try it out! It does require some extra work. I have steam/ baked and blended Cauliflower, spinach, sweet potatoes and I have green beans waiting to be blended and beets waiting to be baked and blended! i store them in breastmilk bags b/c they are bpa free and easy to store! I package most in 1/2 portions but some in 1/4 and 1 cup portions depending on what recipes I think I will cook call for. Once that is all done the job is simple. I use this book for inspiration too! So today I am going to share with you one of John's favs (one of many now!!!) Sweet Potato pancakes. I used the recipe in here and added a few things last time and the pancakes were gummy as a result (I added milled flax seed for the benefits~ it is high in fiber and Omega-3... make sure you get milled flaxseed not flax seed meal b/c the milled is high in the omega 3 etc... check this link for some more information). The one thing this book uses a lot is flax seed meal and I substitute milled flaxseed and sometimes it does not work right but the meal is not as high in vitamins as the milled is...

Anyways back to the subject matter... here is a copy of the book. I really like it b/c it tells you how to cook and blend the fruits and veggies and what benefits each has for your body!

So this time I added an egg, baking soda and less water to try and fix the gumminess... It was WAY better but still not perfect...

The recipe I half-followed :)

What I added: milled flaxseed (once opened must remain in the refrigerator), egg, baking soda and vanilla
the pancake mix

I laid them out so they could cool and not get soggy....
John LOVES them when he saw them on the plate he freaked out!!!

SO HAPPY!!!

After two pancakes he wanted MORE!!! Here he is pointing to the pancake in my hand...

Here he is telling me to put it on his tray...haha bossy little man!
He loves them and I put the rest in the freezer separating each pancake with a paper towel or wax paper. I will give y'all the recipe but it is not perfect yet... I am still playing with it to get it right. I am not a huge fan of the pancakes yet but all that matters is John devours them!!!

I will give you my recipe if you want to use it and not use flax seed b/c if using flax you have to add more b/c the flax makes it gummy....which is why I am still playing around with it...So this is the recipe I used today and when I perfect it I will post again! GO HERE FOR THE NEW RECIPE!

1 cup pancake mix
3/4 cup of water (1 cup water)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin spice (I use cinnamon)
1/2 sweet potato puree
My additions not in book:
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon milled flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (I may add more next time...this maybe the reason it was gummy)

Mix everything together EXCEPT the pancake mix then add pancake mix. It should be lumpy. Then cook as you would any pancake! Add maple syrup if that is your thing (I do not do this for John)

Hope your little one enjoys!! I love creating foods that are good for my little biscuit!