Tomato, Pesto, Mozzarella Sandwiches

Last week I was very ambitious with my cooking.  Ambitious meaning we ate something other than salads and pasta salad. :)  This week we are back to the same, but I wanted to share some of the recipes I made last week!

You already know about the Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies.  Which are to die for and if you have not made them already, I want to ask you, "What the heck have you been doing?"  They are so easy to make and really good.  And rich enough that you can't eat the entire pan in one sitting (much like I could to a 9x13 pan of brownies, especially with frosting.  But I had my 24 week prenatal appointment this week and that scale just keeps going up, but no more brownies for me... for now).

Ok, no more brownie talk because I'll just go out to Target and get another box and be mixing them up in no time.  I also made some really tasty tomato, pesto and mozzarella sandwiches.  We have an abundance of basil in our garden this year, so we have been making a lot of pesto.  In fact, I'm about to make a batch to freeze.  And it's super easy to make!  And once the pesto is done, you just have to assemble the sandwiches and cook or grill.  Easy peezy lemon squeezy as we used to say in Ms. L's kindergarten class (Ms. L being me).

Tomato Pesto Mozzarella Sandwich

 

Pesto

Ingredients
2-3 cups of packed basil
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of pine nuts (or one of those little packets which is about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil (to top for freezing or mix in for immediate use)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor, pulse basil leaves, garlic and pine nuts.  

Turn processor on and slowly add 1/2 cup oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are going to use the pesto immediately, add the extra 1/4 cup oil.  Mix in Parmesan cheese. 

  If you want to freeze or refrigerate, put the pesto in a jar or container and put the 1/4 cup oil on top.

 Now on to the yummy sandwiches!
We had just one ripe tomato from the garden (soon we'll be swimming in them) and I bought some mozzarella from Whole Foods.

 Slice both up.

 And I had to test the pesto out!  I may have done this one or two or three times.

 Slice two ciabatta baguettes in half.  Spread the pesto on both halves.  Top with tomatoes and mozzarella. 

 Put the tops on.

 Grill or cook in pan over medium to high heat.  I used a cast iron skillet to weight them and cook them evenly.

 Cut in half.

 Enjoy with a fresh salad :)

DIY Nursery Art

Since finding out we are pregnant (and even before), I have been pinning pictures on Pinterest about her nursery.  Here is my Nursery Pinterest Board.  As you can see, we like the gray over here :)  I have spent a lot of time thinking about someone's room who will not even appreciate it, but I'll have to spend a lot of time in there, so I want it to be pretty.

We have always wanted to do a neutral nursery.  We settled on gray very early on because when the little lady gets a little sibling, we won't have to repaint.  Andrew really likes the navy and yellow combo (also good for a little boy if she gets a little brother someday).  There are tons of great paintings on Etsy and even super cute subway art, but I just looked at them and thought, "I can totally do that!"  So I did.  And spent under $30 for 5 great pieces for the little lady's new room.

In true form, I started each project forgetting to take step by step pictures.  Just like when Andrew and I go out to dinner somewhere and I want to take a picture of the meal (every meal on our Disney World trip) and I start eating it then half way through remember, OOPS!

I started off by going to JoAnn's and getting some acrylic paint in the colors of her room, some round foam brushes, and three 12x12in canvases (50% off!!).  In total, I spent about $17 on this little art project and it only took me a couple hours to complete.

The first one is two dot canvases. It was seriously the easiest painting I have ever done and finished in about an hour (which is amazing for me since it will usually take me up to a week to finish a painting).

I began by painting a few navy blue dots in different sizes over the canvas (I did not prep the canvas prior, meaning I didn't paint it white).  I also did a little swirl action with the dots as I went so they would be more circular. 

I waited a few minutes in between and then started with a dark gray doing the same swirling motion with few dots.  Then the same with a lighter gray.  And this is where I remembered to take a picture. :)

And remember, less is more.  I tried to keep this mantra in my head as I went because I tend to overdo it.  You can always add more but you can't take away.

 After the grays dried for a few minutes, I moved on to yellow.  I mixed the yellow with a little white as I went to get different shades.  Once I finished with the yellow, it just didn't look right to me, so I added a few white dots over top and am thrilled with what I got!

Project #2: variation on the dot pieces

This still used dots, but made them into flowers.  Of course, all of my paint brushes are at my parents' house or who knows where, so I had to make do with a foam brush and toothpicks.  I thought that this one would be just as easy, but painting stems with toothpicks is super time consuming!

I started by prepping the canvas with yellow.  I wanted it to be gradient, so I started with just yellow on the bottom and continued to add white as I went.

 And this is what I got!

 Next I started with navy dots in three sizes and continued to add dark gray, light gray, and white.  This was unlike the first paintings I did when I could put dots every where and overlap.  I had to think about what it would look like as flowers.
LESS IS MORE

  Then came time to add those stems.  This was the most time consuming part.  I'm not sure if it would have been any easier with brushes because I wanted the lines very thin, but it did take a little extra time.

Finally, I wanted to do some subway art which is very trendy right now.  
When we started dating in high school, Andrew gave me the lyrics to "Your Song" by Elton John in a card.  Since then, it has always been our song.  It was our first dance at our weeding.  The song means so much to us and the chorus perfectly sums up how we feel about our little girl.

I found a DIY tutorial online from The Ginger Penny Pincher on how to create your own subway art.  In concept, it's pretty easy, but you need the time to sit down and do it.  It took me a couple of hours to do the two prints, but it was worth it.

I used PicMonkey to create both.  It's a free photo editing site which I love.  I also used it to great the banner at the top of the blog!
I then sent the prints over to Staples Copy Center to print them out.  And for a total of $2, I had some awesome prints!

(If you would like to create your own subway art, follow The Ginger Penny Pincher's tutorial because she does a great job of explaining it and why reinvent the wheel?)

And put them in some Target frames and there you go!  Subway art!
This little project cost me $10 with the prints and frames.

Now the artwork is done, but not near ready for hanging up since we still don't have furniture.  But we're getting there!

24 Weeks

Despite my wardrobe, it is in fact the end of July.  Just an unseasonably cool weekend that felt like October.

Baby Girl is the size of a cantaloupe!  She is about 11.8 inches and weighs anywhere from a pound to 20oz!
Her skin is more opaque and pink.

How far along? 24 weeks!

Maternity clothes? I was so tempted to buy another long skirt at Target today (it was on clearance!) but refrained because I don't need an abundance of maternity clothes that I will only wear for another 3 months.  But I might cave and go back and get it.

Stretch marks? not yet

Sleep: My hips haven't been hurting too bad this week, but I'm still tossing and turning, which is a feat considering I sleep with two pillows between my legs and under my belly.  So that means with every turn the pillows needs to come with too.  SOMEONE has decided that she is a night owl and has enjoyed keeping me up from 2-3am kicking and bouncing.

Best moment this week: made some artwork for the nursery.  My friend found out she is also having a little girl (now we can have girly play dates! Well we would have had play dates regardless, but so excited for her!)
I got to have breakfast with Team Trio this past weekend and it was so good to catch up with Katie and Nicole.  I really miss our days at the Pi Phi house and being on exec together.
Then I got to have dinner with my bestest friends from elementary school, Katie and Liz!  And the little lady got to "meet" her future husband, John (Liz's little man).

Miss Anything? sleeping and not having back pain

Movement:Last weekend she was pretty active.  She gave me a couple of good slugs that made me jump while having breakfast with Katie and Nicole.  Then she was pretty quiet this week until Friday morning when she was up in the wee morning hours for a good hour between 2-3am.

Food cravings: no big cravings, but I got some delicious red grapes from Aldi and they did not disappoint.

Exercise:
Walking: the girls and I got in some good long walks this week.  Thankfully it has really cooled off so we can go on a 4-5 mile walk every morning.
Moms Into Fitness 2nd trimester:  cardio a few times.  I'm starting to get bored of this.
Pregnancy Bar Method DVD: 2x this week

Anything making you queasy or sick: been a little nauseous this week, probably because of something I ate.  It usually happens mid morning.

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: Back pain, stomach aches, hip pain, no sleep

Belly Button in or out? in, but not for long :(

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I've just been indifferent this week.  Andrew finally came home after a long work weekend in Florida, so it has been nice to have him around again.  We found out that Burlington Coat Factory couldn't, in fact, order our crib, so Monday was spent SOBBING.  But we soon found a new crib that is currently being shipped (from Walmart of all places).  I'm just happy to start checking things off of the very long list of everything we still need to get done.
I started to have a mini freak out session this week as reality is setting in that I will not be going back to school in a month.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to stay home and care for our family, but I'm nervous for the day when I will want/need to go back to work and getting back into it.  I HATE interviewing and am already dreading that even though it is at least 6-7 years down the road.  And I don't even know if I will go back to teaching, but what would I do then?  I'm just worrying to worry.

Looking forward to: Getting our crib and setting it up.  Little Lady and I have our 24 week appointment on Monday (which isn't an exciting one, just heartbeat and Q&A with doctor)
Next week we will be in Lutsen, MN for my mom's family reunion.  I'm not looking forward to the drive, but it will be nice to see my aunts and uncles.



Dear Little Lady,

Or Miss Sassy Pants, as I like to call you, because you like to slug me but then immediately stop when I tell your daddy to come feel.  You also like to keep me up at all hours of the night.  And you even decided you wanted to join in on prenatal yoga this weekend and started punching me as soon as class started.

We had a little drama this week.  We thought we had your crib all ordered and were thrilled to check that off of the long list of things we need to get done.  But then the store called to tell me that they couldn't order the crib after all and mommy had a bit of a meltdown.  Thankfully we found another one pretty quickly online from a brand that has wonderful reviews and ordered it right away.  It should be here next week!

I also spent some time painting some artwork for your room and making some posters.  Of course, I don't know how these posters will print up and it will probably be another source of tears, but it's the lyrics to "Your Song" by Elton John which is the song your daddy and I danced to at our wedding and perfectly sums up how we feel about you.  It will look so good in your room if I can pull it off.

Your sisters and I have been going on some pretty long walks this week and you tend to enjoy it.  You usually start moving about when we get back.  I can tell you're getting big and strong in there!  Of course you getting bigger means that mama gets bigger and mama feels like a house these days, especially when I see other pregnant women who are just itty bitty.  We won't even talk about prenatal yoga and the fact that I was the largest person there.

We're getting ready to go up to Lutsen, MN this next week for the Orman family reunion on my mom's side (your Gma Marcia).  I'm gearing up for the name question and no, you do not have a name yet and no, we have not discussed it.  You will not have a name until you decide to make your big debut.  And even if we come up with a list of a few names that we like for you, we'll just give people dummy names if they ask because I don't want to hear people's opinions (and everyone has one).  We'll find a name for you that will be just perfect, but we have some time to decide.

On Saturday, your daddy and I took you to Cave of the Mounds (pictures below).  It's a good thing we went now because soon I don't think I'll be able to fit through those narrow passageways with this belly.  It was a tight squeeze in some spots.  We do have our season passes until next February, so maybe we'll pop you in the ErgoBaby and take you on a little field trip.

It's hard to believe that you'll be here in just over 3 months.  We're so excited, but so not ready.  So just keep taking your time and growing in there; we're in no hurry out here :)

Love you,

Your mama


Pictures of our Cave of the Mounds trip

 

Going for a short hike after our cave tour

 Andrew was determined to find all the sink holes.

 And there was even a BABY sink hole :)

Mmmm I love chocolate!

I've always had a sweet tooth.  I blame it on my mother who probably passed it on to me in the womb.  She also has a sweet tooth.  Before I got pregnant I always thought to myself, "Maybe I'll be one of those people who craves healthy things and candy, baked goods, etc will be yucky!"  Wishful thinking.  This little lady is, unfortunately, going to inherit my sweet tooth.  I eat healthy, but I like my cookies, brownies, and candy too!

Andrew had been out of town this past weekend, so I decided to make some special things for when he got home.  First up, some yummy chocolate cheesecake brownies!  That is what this post will be devoted to.  And next up: Tomato, pesto, mozzarella sandwiches and Crab risotto.  But let's get back to these brownies.

I am the type of girl who loves a good boxed brownie (and Little Lady loves them too!  They make her do back flips and slug me).  They are delicious.  In fact, I made some last week.  With frosting.  Everything is better with frosting.  What's better?  Dark chocolate brownies.  Seriously, amazing.  But back to these brownies.

I adapted them from this recipe that I found on none other than, wait for it, Pinterest.  Shocked?  Yeah, me neither.  Go ahead, click on the link.  Deliciousness, right?  I can assure, DELICIOUS.  And I even remember to take pictures as I was making them which is a win in my book.

See the original recipe from Amanda's Cookin' here

See below for my adapted recipe (with pics!)

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Recipe

Brownie layer:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cheesecake layer:
3/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips
8 ounces very soft cream cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cocoa.

 Add 2 eggs and vanilla, combine.

 I added 1/4 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips to the mixture.

 Add flour, salt, and baking powder.  Stir to combine.

 Mmmmm

 Spread the brownie batter in greased pan.  I used a 7x11 metal pan.  Set aside while you make the cheesecake layer.

 In a food processor, add 8oz soften cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and 1 egg.

 Pulse to combine.

 Melt ___ cup semi sweet chocolate chips.  Add to the cream cheese mixture.  Pulse to combine.

 Continue to pulse until smooth.

 Pour over brownie batter.

 Bake for 40-45 minutes.  A toothpick should come out with few crumbs.
Cool completely then chill for 1-2 hours before cutting.

 Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or just eat.
Trust me, DELICIOUS.

23 weeks

 OMG we won't even talk about how awful these pictures are!  But Andrew was going to Florida and I wanted to get the picture before he left for work, so you get a post-early morning dog walk pic.

Baby Girl is the size of a grapefruit!  She is about 11.5 inches and weighs a little over a pound pound!
Baby's cute little face is fully formed, just needs a little more fat to fill it out.

How far along? 23 weeks!

Maternity clothes? regular clothes are nearly non-existent at this point.  Surprisingly, I can still fit into some non-maternity tank tops for working out and walking, and thankfully, I mainly wore dresses before baby bump, so most still fit.

Stretch marks? not yet

Sleep: ugh, I dread going to sleep now.  Isn't that sad?  I used to love sleep, but I wake up every 1.5 to 2 hours to flip over because my hips start to hurt so much.  Poor Andrew is suffering too.  I think I may have to move to a guest bedroom soon so he can get some sleep.

Best moment this week: My mom and I painted the nursery!  (And I cleaned the carpets, woohoo!) 

Miss Anything? sleeping and being able to sit or stand for longer than a few minutes at a time.  Back pain is getting worse and worse.  Andrew was nice enough to take me to Walgreens this week to get a heating pad in hopes that it would help.  So now I constantly have either an ice pack or heating pad on my back.

Movement:She's been a mover and a shaker this week.  She likes to move at night after dinner and in the morning after going on a long walk or eating breakfast.  Andrew has been able to feel her a few times now and she's getting strong enough to make my belly move.  It's so bizarre to see my stomach bounce up and down, but I giggle every time.

Food cravings: not necessarily a craving, but I've eaten quite a bit of Culver's custard this past week and it has been delicious!

Exercise:
I officially hung up my jogging shoes last week.  Between the heat, humidity, and extra weight, it's just too much for me. 
Moms Into Fitness 2nd trimester:  Strength and cardio every other day
Pregnancy Bar Method DVD: 2x this week
Walking: Andrew, the girls, and I walk about 3 miles every morning before he heads off to work.  It's been unbearably hot this week, so the pups only get one long walk every morning because then it's just too hot for them (and me)

Anything making you queasy or sick: been feeling pretty ok this week

Have you started to show yet: this is the last week for this question.  I've got quite the belly so it's pretty obvious that I've got a baby belly

Gender: Pretty little lady!  We've been enjoying buying cute little dresses :)

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: Back pain, stomach aches, hip pain

Belly Button in or out? in, but not for long :(

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: both. This week started out pretty rough.  I get overwhelmed pretty easily with everything that we still have to do before she gets here, so Sunday I was a crying hot mess.  Andrew was so sweet to put up with me in the car driving back from IL and sitting with me the rest of the day.  My mom came up the next day to help paint the nursery then we did a little baby shopping.  It was really great to have her here and to not have to be all by myself during the day.

Looking forward to:  heading back to Geneva this week to be with my family and see some friends.  I'm not a fan of Andrew traveling, so I'd rather go stay with my parents than sit by myself at home.
Baby girl and I are having brunch with Team Trio (aka Katie and Nicole) on Saturday and I can't wait to see them.  Katie came to our baby party a few weeks back, but I haven't seen Nicole since I was 6 weeks pregnant.


Dearest baby girl,

Your room is slowly coming together!  Your daddy put up your closet organizer last week.  And this week your Gma Marcia and I painted it a really pretty gray (and it has a tint of blue).  Unfortunately, we haven't had as much luck with finding curtains or bedding.  But I guess we should find a crib first, right?  I think your daddy and I might have found one, but I'm going to look this weekend before we bite the bullet and order it online. (***Update: I went in and ordered your crib this morning (Friday), so you officially have a place to sleep!)

Your Gma bought you some very cute outfits this past week.  I can't wait for you to wear all the cute little dresses!  Although it is really difficult to shop for you.  Your uncle Sam and I weren't very big babies, but your daddy and your uncles Chris and Ben were bigger.  I feel like you might be a big baby, but I also have a feeling you'll throw us for another loop and be a little peanut.  You're good at keeping us on our toes.

You have also been quite the mover this week!  You've been in there doing back flips and working on your kicking and punching.  I look forward to sitting after dinner and watching you punch and kick my belly.  You are getting so strong!  Strong enough to kick/punch through that placenta and make my belly jump.  I'm thankful because now Daddy can feel you too and I know how much he loves it.

This pregnancy thing is still so surreal to me.  I've wanted it for so long and I know you're in there.  I mean, I've seen you on the ultrasounds, heard your little heartbeat, felt you punch and kick, and even seen you move my belly up and down, but it's still just surreal.  Some days I can't believe it.  We're getting ready for you and buying you things and tiny little clothes, but some days I just can't believe that in 4 short months, you will be here.  But just remember, you still have FOUR months of growing to do.  You do not have to be an early bird like your daddy and get here in three months.  You just take your time and do all the growing you need to do.

Love you, little one.

Love,
your mama

22 weeks

Baby is the size of a papaya! (Although your daddy says he's never seen a papaya that small)  She is 11.5 inches and weighs just about a pound!
Baby can perceive light and dark. She is also listening to mama's heartbeat, the gurgle of her stomach, and the sound of her voice.

How far along? 22 weeks!
Maternity clothes? Just look at that belly!  Full-on maternity clothes with the exception of workout clothes.  Although I think I may need to start raiding Andrew's old Marquette shirts soon.
Stretch marks? Let's hope not.  I'm getting itchy though so I know we're heading into a growth spurt.
Sleep: sleep feels non-existent.  I wake up numerous times during the night because my hips hurt and I have to switch sides.  I've been known to sleep with an ice pack under my right side for my back and a pillow under my left side so I can sleep slightly on my side since I'm not supposed to sleep on my back anymore.
Best moment this week: our baby party and telling everyone that we're having a little girl!  We had the best time at the gender reveal and we're so lucky and thankful that so many friends and family come celebrate with us.
Miss Anything? life without back pain!  I live with an ice pack attached to my back now.
Movement:Every day or two I feel a few little pops and bubbles.  She's more active after we go for a long walk or at night.  I went to an Arbonne party the other night and she gave me a big jab which felt more like a big POP in my belly.  I can't wait until she's big enough to feel her movements on the outside so Andrew can feel her.
Food cravings: no unusual cravings, just the usual sweet tooth, but I had that before ;)
Exercise:
Only 1 jog this week.  I might have to hang up the running shoes until after baby.  It's getting a lot harder to run and I can feel the extra weight with every stride.  While I love running, it's just getting too hard.
Moms Into Fitness 2nd trimester strength and cardio 2 times this week.
Pregnancy Bar Method DVD: only did this once this week.  Just wasn't feeling it.
We've done a lot of walking this week.  The girls and I (and sometimes Andrew) walk 3 miles every morning.  It's been cooler this week, so we've managed to get out a few times for an extra 2 mile walk later in the morning.
Anything making you queasy or sick: overdoing it.  I walked, then ran, then walked some more on Thursday and then just felt yucky for the rest of the day.
Have you started to show yet: The belly keeps growing, but I hope that just means she's getting big and strong!
Gender: Pretty little lady! We're so excited to have a little girl, although we both thought that she was a little boy.  We're still getting used to everything pink
Labor Signs: nope
Symptoms: Back pain, stomach aches
Belly Button in or out? in, but I can tell it's getting pushed out.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: both.  I'm super excited to have a little girl and to be able to call her "she" and not "it" or "he," but it's been an emotional week.  Lots of crying this week because I'm having a hard time being at home, alone.  I'm starting to really miss IL again and having family close by.  I miss my friends and my family.  While I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom, I'm realizing just how tough it will be, especially without my support system close by.
Looking forward to:  Spending the weekend with Andrew and checking some things off of our before baby bucket list.
Andrew is off to Florida next weekend, so I'm heading back to Geneva for the weekend to see my bestest friends and spend time with my family.  I just can't take another 3 days sitting at home by myself with no Andrew coming back home at night.
Oh and my mom is coming this next week to help me paint the nursery!  And no, there will be no pink in this nursery.



Dearest baby girl,

I'm so happy to not just call you "baby" anymore!  Although we still do.  And much to everyone's surprise, we do not have a name picked out yet and we won't until you arrive.  We haven't discussed names much at all.  Picking out a name is not as easy as buying clothes or picking out a nail polish color, it's a big deal.  And you, my littlest lady, you need the most perfect name because, well, it will be with you for the rest of your life.  So for now, we'll keep calling you "baby" and "baby sister" when we talk to your big sisters.

Well, sweet pea, this past weekend was pretty big for you!  Your grandparents, your great grandparents, your Uncle Chris, your Auntie KTK, your Aunt Katie Miner, our Marquette friends, and our new Madison friends came to our house to celebrate you!  Everyone is so excited to meet you.  Your daddy busted his butt making yummy food for everyone.  And then we light some very fiery red sparklers to let everyone know that you are a sweet little girl!

We finally picked out a paint color for your room, and it's not pink.  It's just a light gray, nothing exciting, but I don't think you'll care.  Your Gma Marcia will be coming up next week to help me paint your new room.  Your daddy put up a closet organizer for you this week too.  Now we have lots of space for all of the little dresses that you will be wearing.  I also bought you a ErgoBaby Performance carrier this week. (It was 50% off on Zulily.com this week!)  So now only do you have a stroller to cruise around in, but soon a carrier.

We are still getting used to calling you "she".  Sorry, but we were pretty convinced that you were going to be a boy.  As much as I wanted a little girl at the beginning of this pregnancy, I convinced myself that we would have a boy first and got used to all things little boy.  So now I have to get used to little girly things again.  In fact, we were so convinced that you were going to be a boy that we had to have the ultrasound tech double check that you are in fact a girl!  But we are super excited that you are a girl!  

Keep growing, little one.

Love,
Your mama