Food!!!

Have I mentioned that I have this raging appetite lately?  Couldn't be because I'm 25 1/2 weeks pregnant or anything… ;)  I feel like I could eat everything in the house and still not feel full!  Unfortunately, I also rarely have the motivation to cook, which makes this hungry feeling not so much fun…but I have whipped up a couple of winning recipes in the kitchen in the past week, so I thought I'd share them on here.  :)

I love going to www.kraftrecipes.com because they have a lot of original ideas mixed in with the classic go-to recipes.  Both of the recipes I'm going to share today are from that site, but I added my own twists to them.

The first one was a delicious breakfast: Strawberry Pancakes

I had splurged and bought Nicole a pound of strawberries (even though they're out-of-season, and ridiculously expensive this time of year), and we didn't want them to go to waste, so we used the last half of the carton on these pancakes.  Nicole loved slicing the strawberries herself, and I loved that she actually ate (and enjoyed) pancakes -- because usually she isn't a fan of them.  I also loved that it made a bunch, so I was able to freeze the extras and now I can pull out a couple, pop them in the toaster, and have pancakes whenever, without all the mess of mixing the batter and pulling out the skillet!

How my creation varied from the original recipe:

• We didn't have as many strawberries as called for, but still put the whole tablespoon of jello on them, and they turned out fine.
• We didn't have strawberry jello on-hand, so we used watermelon jello instead -- very tasty! :)  (Next time I think we'll try strawberry-banana jello and top them with strawberries & bananas!)
• I used fresh-ground Wonder Flour, instead of regular white flour, which made them healthier and, in my opinion, tastier.  (The Wonder Flour recipe is one I got from my husband's cousin's wife's blog, Healthy Family Cookin', which is a GREAT blog full of amazing ideas!)
• We didn't have any Cool Whip, but topping the pancakes with peanut butter & fruit was fabulous!  Maple syrup kind of over-powers the fruity flavor in the pancakes, but is also not a bad option.

The second one is what we had for dinner tonight: Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

I was a little nervous about trying this one, but Ryan, Nicole, and I all LOVED it!!!  I mean, it was GOOD!!! ;)  Nicole actually asked for seconds (as did Ryan and I), and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't taste like your usual chicken-with-cream-of-chicken-soup dish.

How my creation varied from the original recipe:

• Instead of six chicken breasts, I used 3, but I cut them up into 3-4 pieces each in order to cut back on the cooking time a little and make sure they cooked more evenly.  I also used a 8x11 dish, instead of a 9x13, and I salted & peppered the chicken after putting it in the dish and before adding the rest of the ingredients.
• I used a different kind of ham and a different kind of swiss cheese, and just used enough to cover the chicken, instead of counting out slices, etc., so it really was more of a casserole-type dish.
• I didn't have the honey mustard to mix in with the cream of chicken soup, so I just added a little over 1/2 Tbsp of dijon mustard and a little over 1/2 Tbsp of honey, and I think those flavors really made this dish!

So, if you decide to give these recipes a try, or if you come across a different recipe that you think I might like, let me know!!! :)

Oh, before I go, here are a few pics from my phone:

 These three girlies are finally getting along…sometimes…if we keep the house cool enough that they need the extra warmth from snuggling up together… ;)  But this seems to be Silly & Cheeto's new favorite thing, and we see them snuggled up like this almost every day.  :)

 Coley and Kyler watching TV together at Grandma's house.  She LOVES playing with her new cousins!  :)  :)  :)

The totally awesome popcorn bowl that Tom & Kimberly made us for Christmas - isn't it fabulous?!  :) Love it!!!

And here are a few shots of Coley painting her new Tinker Bell canvas, using her new easel.  She really enjoys art projects, and it's so fun to watch her work. :)







We are very blessed!!!