Chicken Divan

I am not lying when I tell you Chicken Divan is my favorite meal of all time. I seriously make this once a week in my house and it has become one of Chris' favorites too! I made this tonight for dinner and decided to share this gem with you all! 

Please make this. I'm serious. You won't be sorry ( unless you are on a diet ;) ) 

Here is what you need..besides 1 pound of chicken breast( I forgot to add that to the picture) and salt & pepper of course.

First you want to cut up/cube 1 pound chicken breast and sauté on skillet in some olive oil until paper bag brown.

Meanwhile, cook up your bag of frozen broccoli and layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish.

Once chicken is done cooking, add that as your second layer on top of broccoli.

Take entire can of cream chicken soup and mix with about 1/3 cup mayo

Spread soup/mayo mixture over top of chicken/broccoli as your third layer

Sprinkle 1 bag  shredded sharp cheddar on top of soup/mayo mixture

( You can use 3/4 of the bag or less depending on your liking..we like ours really cheesy so we just use the entire bag )

Melt 1-2 tbsp. butter in microwave and mix with 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs ( Again you can add more or less bread crumbs depending on your preference....we like ours really crispy!) 

Bake at 350 for 30 mins. Broil on High for last 2 minutes to get the top crispy and brown :)

While casserole is baking, cook up some white rice ( we like jasmine sticky rice! ) 

Cut up, season with salt and pepper and serve over rice. 

ENJOY!

SO delicious!! 

Nursery Updates !

As early as it is, yes the nursery is already painted! I know. I can't believe it either. I am such a procrastinator that if it were up to me ( luckily I am not able to paint ;-)) I would have ended up probably getting around to it a few days weeks before baby was born. I am super lucky to have Chris who is a tad OCD when it comes to house projects and wants to get things done! He recruited his Dad and they painted the entire room over the weekend while I was working. I am a lucky gal! 
Anyway, We already decided on the color of the nursery before we even knew what we were having.. GRAY. Duh. Problem was, finding the perfect shade of gray, because a lot of gray paint may look gray.. but once you get it onto the wall,  it looks more like a blue/green or another color you had not intended on! I wanted a gray that actually stayed gray when you put it on the wall and after searching ( pinterest of course ) and reading what others thought of particular shades, we decided on Benjamin Moore Gray Owl and couldn't be happier with the outcome! It really is the perfect shade. Although major paint retailers like Lowe's and Home Depot do not sell this brand of paint and we had to search/travel for it, plus the $60 price tag on ONE can, we are still super happy! 

Here is a before picture of the room. (Pardon the poor lighting and accumulation of baby things piled up people have given us and we have acquired :-) ) This was the guest bedroom for when our family from Maryland would come stay ( which has now been moved to the tiniest bedroom downstairs ( sorry Dan and Nicki! haha) 

After picture. ( Again pardon the ladder and poor lighting) 

I will try to get better pics once we install ceiling lighting :)

Loving it so far!

Can't wait to add some cozy carpet and lighting in here soon!

Here is what I am thinking for a light fixture. I am obsessed with that quatrefoil design!! 

Will post more once we keep updating!! :-)

16 Weeks!

How far along: 16 weeks 4 days 

Gender Prediction?: GIRL! 

Weight gain: Do I have to answer this?! 8 lbs according to Dr's visit on Tuesday!

Maternity clothes: Yes. love them..the long/stretchy shirts are most comfortable on my ever-growing belly!

Stretch marks: None so far

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleep is good this week! 

Best moment this week: Easter with the family on Sunday and all the yummy food! , sad I had to miss Easter with Chris' family :( Also we went to Babies R Us and bought a few things which is my new favorite thing to do ! ( I know its early and I should wait but I just can't help myself! its addicting! ) have heard so many good reviews on the 4moms MamaRoo so we decided what the heck! cashier even gave us 15% off because we forgot our coupons. sahweet!

Miss anything: Not really. Would LOVE  a VENTI iced caramel latte right about now ;)

Movement: None yet :( I hope within the next couple of weeks I get to feel those first little kicks! I can't wait for that!

Cravings: Nothing specific as of right now..trying to be better about my eating habits lately. I know I have been a jerk and eating terrible :( yogurt, english muffins, cheese and crackers have been on my love list the past week :)

Queasy or sick: Neither! Although I'm not sure why I keep getting these AWFUL tension headaches/migraines but they are the worst ever! Past 2 days has been rough. Who has a cure since this chick can't take any meds!?

Looking forward to: Taking spare bed and furniture out of baby girls room and slowly getting started on that!

I am in love with the old school Jenny Lind cribs that I have seen all over pinterest!  I have read awesome reviews and for that price you really can't go wrong!

7 Layer Salad

Just got done making my most favorite salad to bring to Easter dinner tomorrow and figured I would share the recipe ! This salad is a family favorite of ours, we have it at so many get togethers and everyone looooves it.Its a pain in the ass to make, and when you add the homemade dressing, along with the bacon and cheese its really not that healthy...but it is totally worth it ;) promise. Here is the recipe..

You will need:

-1 medium head lettuce, torn ( I cheat and get a bag of romaine ;))
-1 cup minced fresh parsley 
-4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
-2 large tomatoes, chopped
-1 package (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed and patted dry
-6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled ( but if you want to add more I won't tell) 
-1 cup ( 4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
-1 small red onion, chopped

Dressing:

-1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1 teaspoon dill weed ( I use WAY more..just keep adding until you like the taste)
-3/4 teaspoon dried basil ( again.. I don't measure I just eyeball until I like the taste)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon pepper


1) In a large glass salad bowl ( you'll want to see the pretty layers!) , layer the lettuce, parsley, eggs, tomatoes, peas, bacon, cheese, and onion in the order listed.

2) In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, basil, salt and pepper. Carefully spread on top of salad ( try to start around the edges so the dressing can seep down )

3) Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

Yield: 12 servings

Nursery Ideas

If you know me at all, you know I have a problem. A problem that involves making decisions. I know women change their minds like crazy all the time, but for me this is a huge issue. I'm much worse than your average gal..like spend 15 minutes smelling body wash at the grocery store bad. 

So you can imagine how difficult deciding on anything baby related is for me.  torture! I love everything! 
Probably one of the most exciting parts about finding out we are having a girl is being able to decorate the nursery in all of the cute girly decor I just love. There are a few things we have definitely decided on for baby girl's room...I know that for her room, I don't want anything to be too "babyish" if you know what I mean. I want it to be something she can grow into that we won't have to make drastic changes to every year. Gray walls are a must. I absolutely love the color gray. its neutral and calming, and it will match pretty much all accent pieces we choose. ( One decision down....a million to go aren't you proud??) If Chris would let me, I'd paint every wall in the house gray and just accent with pops of color in each room. 
Here are a few inspiration ideas I found on pinterest for baby girls room..
 *pinterest is evil..it makes my indecisiveness 10x worse. SO many cute nursery ideas. 

How cute is the tissue paper

garland above the changing

table? I must have one!

I love the mix of pink/gold

in these photos. That gold

ottoman poof is adorable!

Must have floating shelves in the room. With cute

photos and books!

I love the zinc letters from anthropologie

to hang above crib for baby girls name

(which is probably the hardest decision

of them all! ugh)

My obsession with mirrors will not stop

at the nursery. Must have cute mirror !

Those are just a few out of the million ideas that I just love. So far sensing an ombre pink/metallic gold color scheme that I keep leaning towards. I'm sure I will change my mind ten thousand times until we actually start re-doing nursery.. but for now this is what I am loving :-) 

15 Weeks and Gender Reveal!

How far along: 15 weeks 4 days

Gender Prediction?: BABY GIRL!! 

Weight gain: 7-8 lbs

Maternity clothes: mostly yes. getting bigger by the minute it seems! 

Stretch marks: None..yet

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: so-so. still up every few hours going to the bathroom. Also the heartburn lately is out of control. 

Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a baby GIRL !! we are both so excited!

Miss anything: Nothing too much. Energy is slowly returning but still it would be nice to be able to stay up later than 7pm and watch a movie with Chris. haha

Movement: none yet! saw her waving and moving around yesterday at the ultrasound but still can't feel anything. I can't wait to be able to feel her kicks!!

Cravings: Still on a buffalo sauce kick..Pregnancy hunger/cravings are no joke! I am like an animal when I haven't had food in a few hours. haha!

Queasy or sick: neither. just headaches on and off.

Looking forward to: Being able to feel baby girl move around and kick...also finally being able to get started on nursery !

15 week bump. 

baby girl at yesterdays ultrasound.

baby girl 3D ultrasound pic. So cute to 

see her hands curled by her face all

snuggled up!

Chris and I so excited to find out we are having

a Daughter! I think she is going to have him

wrapped around her finger ;)

14 Weeks!

a little over 14 weeks but figured I would also do a weekly update post too, to see how much things change from week to week :-) 

How far along: 14 weeks 2 days ( if you want to get technical)

Gender Prediction?: I honestly have NOT a clue....not even a hunch :( but will find out next Wednesday!!

Weight gain: about 7 pounds 

Maternity clothes: Somewhat. Loving the stretchy pants/tees.You know your getting big when your scrubs for work are getting tight ( wah :( ) 

Stretch marks: None. yet

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Not so great as of lately. I am having the worst time getting comfortable, heartburn,  and I am up to pee every few hours. Also thinking I need to invest in a humidifier for our bedroom. Not sure what is going on but I keep waking up with the driest nose/mouth/lips and need to chug water and put chapstick on each time. ugh!

Best moment this week: Chris took me for a couples massage on saturday, out to lunch and then shopping! we had fun but I am definitely starting to get winded more easily.. and walking around the mall all day was killer. I can only imagine how much worse its about to be! yikes.

Miss anything: Energy. I don't feel half as tired as I did in the beginning but still not totally 100%. 

Movement: Haven't felt any movement yet. I can't wait until I do though!

Cravings: Haven't really had one specific food I "crave" more like something comes into my head and I'm like, I gotta have that. And it lasts for a few days. This week is buffalo wings/sauce flavored anything! yum. 

Queasy or sick: No. Although we had steak for dinner tonight and I don't know what it was but everything about it turned me off.  not cool.

Looking forward to: Finding out baby's gender in a week !!! Super excited to have Chris' mom Cindy and my Mom tag along for that too ! 

We're Having a Baby!

I always told myself that as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was going to start a blog and document each and every week as soon as I found out... well after about 14 weeks into this pregnancy and lots of procrastination later I am FINALLY getting around to it! 

This first trimester was anything BUT what I had envisioned it would be like.  I had dreamt that when I found out Chris and I were expecting, I would be blissfully happy and gloating from that moment until baby was here and in our arms. Don't get me wrong, I was ECSTATIC for the first few days and felt GREAT ( and I still am so very excited!!).. until extreme fatigue, morning  all day sickness, and crankiness took over and all I wanted to do was sit on the couch/in bed and eat.... and cry..and puke. You know, the usual first trimester awfulness that nobody warned me about! Not a pretty sight! Now that the first trimester is over, the meltdowns have subsided ( for now ;) ) and I am not such a hot mess, I figure its about time to start tracking the pregnancy and documenting its progression. I know I will want to look back one day and reminisce with my little one! So lets rewind to the day I found out.... 

January 28 2014- That time of month was about 4 days come and gone... I debated all day if I should take a test ( ok maybe for like an hour )  I just couldn't take it any longer and went and bought the damn tests. I was home alone, and Chris had no idea what I was up to ;-) ....  and much to my surprise....

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!

I could have fallen over right then and there. I immediately shrieked with excitement and I think I even ran into the living room and shouted it to the dogs.

I collected myself and decided I had to wait to tell Chris in person when he got home from work...talk  about the LONGEST wait of my life. I wanted to shout this information from the rooftops. I went to the baby store and bought a cute onesie that said " I Love My Daddy" and wrapped it up for him to open when he got home. 

I told him I went shopping that day and saw something I knew he would love. He opened it and just looked at me and said " no way! " about fifteen thousand times. He said he couldn't believe his child would fit into that outfit. Best day ever!

I went to the Doctor the very next day where they performed and early ultrasound ( although  I wasn't able to see anything on the screen just yet) and did some tests confirming that I was indeed about 4 weeks pregnant. Due October 5, 2014!!!

We knew we couldn't keep this crucial information from our families for long so we decided to let it sink in for a few weeks days ourselves then tell a few close family members. We took my Mom out to dinner that Friday night and told her afterwards with a cake that said " The only thing better than having you as a Mom is our children having you as a Grandma!" she cried and was super excited! Chris' Brother Dan came up to visit from Maryland for work and we told him over some drinks...this is when I handed my drink back to him and said your gonna be an Uncle! 

He was super happy for us! but unfortunately Nicki (his wife) and kids Mikayla and Jax weren't here to share in the excitement so we immediately got on FaceTime with them and told them the news! I really hate that they live so far away and we couldn't also tell them in person. Their parents came over the next day and we also FaceTimed with Nicki and the kids...we let the kids tell Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Mike with a picture Mikayla drew of her, her little brother Jax and a little baby cousin. It took a few minutes for them to register what exactly was going on but I think Cindy's reaction was my favorite so far! she threw the phone, jumped up, screamed, maybe let a few swear words out and immediately ran over to us and hugged us with excitement. She was SO excited. I immediately started crying. I did get her reaction on tape but I will spare her. I know how much she loves being on camera ;-)!

Fast forward now two more weeks. I actually went back to the Doctor and was lucky enough to get  another ultrasound... I could seriously get one once a week. I LOVE seeing my little peanut on that screen! I got to see the heart beating at this ultrasound and it was so amazing! although it didn't look much like a baby at this point, more like a little bean. Oh well, I LOVED it already!!

6 weeks

So much has happened since then.  We've had a few more Doctor's appointments and also got some announcement pictures done with our dogs. Which I am SO glad we decided to do. We had to put our sweet 6 year old pup Jax down last week. He was very sick and we knew he was suffering. I miss him so much already. I wish he was able to be here for when we do bring home baby but I know he will be here in spirit and our baby's little guardian angel pup. 

A few of my favorites from our announcement session! 

I will leave you with the latest ultrasound pic ...baby at 12 weeks! it looks like an actual baby now ! it was so awesome being able to watch it move around and kick! I can't wait to be able to actually feel those movements!! soon enough :-) CANNOT WAIT to find out the sex in a little over a week! then the real fun and planning can begin!!