Pages

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Stock Up on Freezer Prep Meals

I love the idea that freezer prep meals has become such a big thing for expecting moms. It sounds so easy and convineint and so worth the hassle of preparing them ahead of time so when your busy with your new little one, you don't have to worry about making dinner. I included only two of my favorite recipes I've come across so far. Of course there's only a billion different recipes online and on Pinterest so if these don't sound interesting, you have many more options. 

CREAMY CHICKEN TORTILLA CASSEROLE
 
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 (8 ounce) tub sour cream
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
  • half of a small onion, finely chopped (about half a cup)
  • 1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 (8 ounce) can chilli beans, drained
  • 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas, cut into strips
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook in the pan until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Using a fork and knife, shred or cut the chicken into small pieces.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Combine sour cream, salsa, onion, cream of chicken soup and chilli beans. Layer the bottom of a 9x9 inch glass baking dish with ¼ of the tortilla strips. Top with ⅓ of the chicken, ⅓ of the sour cream mixture and then ¼ of the cheese. Repeat the layers with remaining ingredients, ending with a few tortilla strips on top. Reserve the final ¼ of cheese to sprinkle over the top near the end of baking. (The layers of ingredients will likely reach the very top of the baking dish.)
  4. Cover the top of the baking dish with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover the dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Continue baking until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are bubbling, 5-10 minutes more. Serve immediately.
NOTES
The casserole can be assembled up to a day in advance and refrigerated before baking. Just remember to remove it from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before putting it in the oven so that it is not too chilly when baked. Vegetarian variation: Make a vegetarian variety of this dish by substituting 4 cups of sliced white mushrooms sauteed in a bit of oil for the chicken and using condensed cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken.




CrockPot French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 2-3 lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) beef consomme (it is right next to the soups and beef broth)
  • 6-8 hoagie buns
Instructions
  1. Place roast in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag and pour beef consomme on top.
  2. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours.
  3. Cook on LOW for 8-11 hours (or HIGH for 5-7 hours).
  4. Remove roast from slow cooker and save extra juice for dipping!
  5. With 2 forks, shred roast and serve meat on buns.


*Also, a great website with tons of yummy recipes
   http://www.passionforsavings.com/30-freezer-meal-ideas-busy-moms/

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

How to Prepare for a Maternity Shoot

With fall right around the corner, it's the perfect time to get maternity pictures done. I've been trying for weeks to try and put together the perfect outfit and poses for pictures and I finally stumbled across these two articles. The first article is from Buzzfeed and has a great collection of 38 different poses and props to use. The second article is from Life As Mama's blog and deals with insanely cute outfits and tips to show off your cute not-so-little bump.


Poses
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/adorable-maternity-photoshoot-ideas#.hqNBBL0Lyo


*Any animal lover will absolutely love #25




Outfits and Tips For The Shoot

http://lifeasmama.com/7-simple-suggestions-for-what-to-wear-to-your-maternity-shoot/

*Don't forget about #7… I would recommend even more!

Monday, September 14, 2015

100 Little Things About Pregnancy, Birth, and Being a First Time Mom

Today as I was looking around at different articles and looking at different blogs, I came across Adriel Booker's blog called I Still Belong. It's been a while since she's posted anything but the last post she did was called, 100 Little Things About Pregnancy, Birth, and Being a First Time Mom. I read it and absolutely loved it. She realistically pointed out the things that first time moms needs to know like not having to follow a strict schedule and that every baby is different in a variety of ways. Everyone loves coming up and telling you what you need to be doing instead of what you actually are doing and Adriel does a fantastic job of explaining how you need to go with your gut feeling instead of by the book.