Salad Please!!!!

So I am really into salads for some reason, all I crave is SALAD ahhhhh! I am going to start trying to find the perfect salad dressing recipe. We don't buy salad dressing as it's full of preservatives and garbage oils etc.... But I am also such a saucy person, I LOVE any dips, dressings, or sauces. I really haven't been feeling like doing much of anything during this pregnancy. I am feeling absolutely exhausted and sick but hey suck it up buttercup life goes on!!!!! If anyone has an amazing salad dressing, or salad recipe that you would like to share that would be awesome! I am not into those fruity types but love pretty much anything else.
Johnny just turned 2, which is so hard to believe. I was just thinking how this was the longest I had gone without being pregnant lol. We are super excited about it but I am already noticing an expanding belly which is far too early for that. I guess my stomach knows where to go ;) Jim is gone for a month so I am hoping to get creative in the kitchen but that may be too much to ask lol. I made Johnny my favorite cake for his birthday and he loved it!!!! He just smiled as we sang, it was the best ever! We got him a melissa and doug puzzle that makes sounds and he loves it.
Well Johnny is up to his usual sneaking into the bathroom to steal the plunger or get into the toilet water so I better run!!!!!!!!!!! Have an awesome weekend!!!
Jill

Chili!!!!!

So I have finally come up with my best chili recipe yet, or I think so anyway. It is made with ground turkey but you could substitute with ground beef too if you want. I have been feeling so crappy with this pregnancy and pretty much want to throw up every second of every day so anything easy is good with me. Here it is, enjoy!!!!

Turkey Chili

2 796ml cans of diced tomatoes (blended into juice)
2lbs cooked ground turkey
1 can dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can regular chili beans (I use pinto)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped pepper (whatever color you wish)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Any veggies you desire (I use celery, cauliflower, mushrooms)

Cook the turkey, drain then put in pot. Add everything else and simmer on stove until veggies are cooked to your desired texture, we prefer them a little crunchy. Veggies are optional so you could also make it without.

I have tried making a lot of chili as my kids love it and this it the combo that they have liked the most. ENJOY!!!!!

jill

Phew!!!

Ok so my creative genius is lacking at the moment, hmmmm I wonder if it's because I found out a couple hours ago that we are having baby #6!!!!!!! Wow what a shocker! I have been feeling HORRIBLE but thought it was due to this cold/flu thing I have had forever. This morning it hit me when I was making eggs for the kids and needed to stop and find a bucket. Hmmm the last time this happened to me with eggs was when I was pregnant. For whatever reason I always had a hard time cooking eggs when pregnant, I also cannot eat them yucky. I guess I am going to have to do a lot more fritatta and baked egg recipes to get me through. Once I feel a bit better I will post an amazing recipe I have made, for now here is a recipe Kristjan my eldest son made up and the kids love!

Kristjan's egg pie.

8 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheese
1/4 cup almond milk or coconut milk

Mix it all together and put it in a greased pan in the oven at 375 until the eggs are set. Enjoy!!!!!

It's the weekend!!!!

Yay it's the weekend!!!! I absolutely love having the whole family home, weekends are the best. I think this will just be a recouping weekend as we have almost all been hit with a nasty cold but are on the mend. John got it the worst of everyone but his fever finally broke this morning so I am so happy!!!! I am actually going out tonight for dinner, my friend Liz is in visiting from BC and so we are going to go out. I love going out to eat, Jim doesn't like it because he doesn't know what they have done to the food but I love not having to do a thing and someone cleaning up after me lol. Other than that we have Church tomorrow then back to the old grind on Monday.
I have been in a rut cooking the same old things over and over again but this week am gonna step it up and find some new things to share. The one ingredient that I have discovered is coconut secret!!!! It is the best thing since soya sauce. I love soya sauce but all the sodium and the fact that it is made from soy we don't use it or like it, even braggs aminos we don't use anymore because it is made with soy. As you can see we are not fans of soy for multiple reasons so we do not use it. Coconut secret is to me an alternative to soya sauce but it tastes even better and a little goes a long way. We substitute coconut secret any place we would use soya sauce or braggs. I bought it online at upapaya naturals and got a gallon jug. I highly recommend it. I have been making a lot of stirfry lately and that is all I use on it.
Well off to do something productive, well maybe not ;). I wish you all an amazing weekend!

Jill

Mmmmmm Crockpot Mexican Chicken Chili

So I am addicted to reading food blogs lol!!! I was looking for an easy chicken recipe and found this one. I changed only a couple things in it, haven't tried it yet but it looks and smells yummy.
http://hobsonhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/12/crockpot-mexican-chicken-chili.html

That is the link to the recipe but here it is below with what changes I made.


Crockpot Mexican Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salsa verde (Insead I used 1 cup of regular salsa I had made since I haven't ever seen salsa verde)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (I used 1 946ml can of organic diced tomatoes)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp chili powder (I doubled this)
• 1 tsp cumin (I doubled this)
• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and halved (I added a couple extra)
• Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chives

1. In crockpot, add salsa verde, celery, Rotel, onion, chili powder and cumin. On a whim, I bough Pace Salsa Verde at the store earlier this week. Sure, I'd love to create my own version, but another trip to the store wasn't worth it to me. Here's a good recipe for Salsa Verde in case you're interested in what's in it.
2. Turn crockpot on high and place chicken breast halves on top of mixture. Be sure to push them down a bit in the mixture so that they're basted with liquid.
3. After 3 or 4 hours, check to make sure chicken is cooked. Then shred halves with a fork and serve.


Sounds soooo yummy!!!!

Have any of my kids been this BUSY!!!!!!

Wow is all I can say, John is the busiest kid EVER!!!! I may have said that about other babies previous lol but I don't remember this. He will get into anything and everything! If you turn around for one second he has climbed into the fireplace and is covered in soot or he has the toilet bowl brush out and scrubbing things with it. His favorite obsession is trying to get into the washer and dryer, so we have to keep that door closed. He loves to play with Cassie our dog, well if that means dumping all her food into her water dish or just plain dumping her water all over his own head, or stepping in it and squishing the water everywhere. Phew I seriously can't look away for one minute, although I love every minute of it because he is so darn cute!!!!! Sometimes I want to get mad at him but then he gives you this little look and says hi mommy and then it's over all I say is awwww. Well I wonder what he is into now so I better run.

Jill

MMMmmm Meatloaf!!!

Ok so I have always been trying to come up with a meatloaf recipe that I liked and I have found one!!!!
Here it is!

Turkey Meatloaf (you can use beef if you want or ground chicken)

1lb ground turkey
1 cup of tomato liquified (I put crushed tomatoes in the magic bullet and turn it into a liquid)
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all together and put in a loaf pan or an 8 X 8 pyrex dish
Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour

Enjoy!!!!