{chicken with tomatoes and goat cheese}

Some of the best recipes I find  Hubby finds in men's magazines.  They tend to be really easy, and relatively healthy.

Think: "Me man. Me need protein. Me no cook."  You get it.

This is one of our favorite Men's Fitness finds...
(don't ask me what issue - I have had the recipe awhile. Circa 2009?)


Chicken with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese (no fancy names here, Rachel Ray!)


Ingredients:


4 chicken breasts, trimmed
1 can diced tomatoes (for an extra kick use the garlic-roasted flavor)
crumbled goat cheese
basil (dried is fine...fresh is divine)
salt + pepper

First, preheat an oven-safe pan on medium heat, spray lightly with cooking spray, and sear the chicken breasts (seasoned with the salt and pepper) about 2 minutes on each side:

Remove the pan from the heat, then spoon heaping spoonfuls of the tomatoes onto each one.  Top with a LOT of goat cheese crumbles.  Oh. So. Good.  Plus, surprisingly low cal, all you cheese lovers out there!  Finish by sprinkling with the basil.

Move the pan to your oven, which has been preheated to 350 degrees.  Finish cooking the chicken all the way through, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve!  So easy!  

Only hard part is not eating all the goat cheese crumbles during prep time...


G

Linking this post up to the sistas at Between 3 Sisters...they are hosting their weekly Midweek Motivation Party!  Click here for more recipes and fun ideas:

{tears and flutters and onesies} oh my!

So we still have no idea if we are having a boy or a girlie...

but Baby got a sweet gift on Sunday...

his/her very first onesie!

{Hubby went to the University of Kentucky and is a passionate Wildcats fan.  I am too, um, sort of.  I get into it on occasion!}

Dear Nana and Papa, 

Thank you for this very cute onesie!

Love, Baby

Speaking of, did I tell you the other day I got teary-eyed while looking at onesies?

{source}

Or while I was watching the movie Juno?  Okay, I was literally sobbing at one part, teary-eyed at five other parts.  Moral: Do not watch the movie Juno while pregnant.


Or do.  If you like sobbing.


The part I was sobbing at was when Juno goes into labor and the whole family is rushing to the car, and her stepmom nearly forgets Liberty Bell, who is still in her cute little ballet uniform.  No freaking clue why that in particular made me start sobbing uncontrollably.

{source}

Hormones, people.  Lots of them.


{ps Not naming my baby Juno.  Or Liberty Bell.}


Other fun pregnancy news:  I think I felt my first "flutters!"  I have felt this several times over the past week.  Either that, or it was just gas bubbles.  Again.


But this felt different...like fun, sweet, fluttery gas bubbles!


I'm not crazy.


Just pregnant.


Which is different.  Sort of.  :)

Happy Monday!


G

10 things to love about pregnancy {plus 1 bonus!}

{source}

1. No more weekend mornings spent hungover. Nauseous 24-7 maybe...but hangovers are worse, right? Riiiiight?!?!

2. When you do something stupid at work, you can always blame "placenta brain!"

3. You have an excuse to buy new clothes. So what if they're maternity? They could also double as next Thanksgiving's post-feast garb.  Plus, at least now you don't need feel awkward browsing around the maternity section of Target, muttering things like "Hmmm these maternity jeans are ca-ute!"

4. When you and your husband are starting to have a fight, all you have to do is look at him with tears welling up, rub your tummy, and sniffle, "Upsetting me will only upset the baby." He will hug you and forget whatever the dumb argument he was about to make was.

5. Baby names become an interesting date conversation. Hint: Let him think he has some control over this decision. Try not to dry heave when he suggests weird names that will get your kid beat up, like "Sly" or "Soothe." 

6. Whenever you hear someone's kids screaming in Target, you can smile, rub your tummy and think, "My kid will never be like that..." as you delusionally browse for cute high heels you'll probably never wear again.

7. People like to feed you. For the first time you do not (and should not!) feel guilty accepting food from anyone. It is for the baby, after all.

8. Whipping out a package of Saltines and hurriedly eating 4 in quick succession mid-conversation with someone is suddenly not rude. Or maybe it is, but you don't really care.

9. You save money on belts.  They have become an irrelevant accessory, as your waist is now a nonexistent body part.

10. Speaking of...now it is considered kosher to spend all day with your pants undone. Sure, this fact is disguised cleverly by the genius invention called a "belly band," but...you know.  Pants.  Undone.  Yep.

11. Suddenly someone kicking you sharply in the uterus is a beautiful moment.  

:o)

G

{there will be books!}

I love books.  

The feel, the look, the smell -- the complete and utter escape you experience when being lost in a good story.   It is only natural that I have a not-so-secret hope that my unborn babe also loves books.  

As I plan the nursery, whether we have a rambunctious little boy or a girlie girl, I dream that baby is surrounded by books placed on pretty shelves, like this one:

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 Or perhaps with books that have adorable polka-dots and flowery patterns on their bindings, like these:

{source}

Maybe there will be old, lovely gems with titles like Dancing Star and Elizabeth Captive Princess {can you even imagine the tales?}, tied with a gorgeous white ribbon, like these: 

{source}

I've been slowly building my "kiddo library" over the years.  My recent additions are these pretties from Anthropologie:

The rest of the books are not as pretty.  Some are old and tattered, and were well-read throughout the childhoods of myself and my three siblings.  I cannot wait to read the same stories my dad would fall asleep reading read to us.

More nursery additions to come...including...

the crib!

Can't wait to share our fabulous Craig's List gem!

Time for me to go fall asleep reading read.

G

meatless monday: margherita pizza!

I can give up meat, for the most part, but I can never, EVER, give up pizza.

{Don't even ask.}

Lately, I have discovered the joy of making my own pizza.  I like the crust to be thick.  I like the cheese to be plentiful.  I like the toppings to be fresh.


One of my favorite pizzas is margherita pizza.  This is my go-to when I am out and have to order something that does not involve meat.  So many restaurants have amazing flatbread versions that are so amazingly delish!


Last night I made my own, simple, thick crust version, using these four ingredients:


can of pizza dough
basil pesto
mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced tomato


I simply rolled out the dough on a pizza stone (seasoned with cornmeal), spread on a layer of basil, sprinkle as much mozzarella as desired, and add my slices of tomato.  Season with salt and pepper...

 Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425F.

Slice and indulge...while watching The Bachelor!  

  {Won't give that one up either.}

G


PS: Do you have a good homemade pizza recipe?  I'd love to hear!

baby bump alert

I will confess...

I have always been pretty obsessive about working out.

I love the gym.  Running is a passion.

I used to do an uncountable amount of crunches per day.

Then I got pregnant.

Now the thought of crunches makes me tired...and a little nauseous.

Now my jeans don't fit.

Now I realize why flowing, loose-fitting shirts are so dang great.

Now I have people staring strangely at my tummy in wonder.

Now I get asked if I'm having twins.

Now I'm lucky if I can muster the required thirty minutes daily of exercise.

Now my stomach growls every two hours.

And reader,

I have never been happier.

(I also used to tan a lot.)  

:o)

G

{anthro dishtowel art!}

I love to wander through the store Anthropologie.

I write "wander through" and not "shop at" because I cannot realistically afford to shop there.  Occasionally I buy a book.  Or a candle.  Or a dishtowel.

I write "dishtowel" because that is what I bought today.  I couldn't resist!  As soon as I saw it I knew what I wanted to do with it.  {No, not dry dishes.  Definitely not.}

I wanted to frame it, and put it in our {future, beautiful, re-done} master bedroom!  

Sounds weird, maybe.  But with a very excited burst of inspiration I plunked down $18 and felt like I was committing robbery!  $18 - expensive for a mere dishtowel, scandalously cheap for art!

Here is the towel, listing the traditional gifts for wedding anniversaries:

I immediately felt it might make a cute little bedroom art piece.  The Tiffany-blue and black on white linen color scheme is chic, the design is pretty, and I found the concept rather romantic.  {Plus...nice reminder for hubby as to what he might shop for each year...}

Now I needed a 16x20 frame.  I envisioned simple and black, to go with our modern bedroom style.  However, frames can be pricey (even at Target I would end up paying $30) so I was off to Goodwill.

Here is what I came out with, for $3:

Yes, this is very ugly, goose print, circa 1986; however,  is a sturdy, simple 16x20 wood frame!  So I removed the horrendous print, washed the glass, wiped down the frame and sanded it...

...painted it black - using paint I already had...

...ironed the dishtowel {shhhh...don't tell my loving hubby I can iron!}...

Even the dog looks amazed I can iron!

...and voila!

um, might have to re-iron 

Lovely little art for only $21!  This will go in our new master bedroom suite (not on the hamper, like in this photograph)...whenever the master suite actually gets done.  The walls will be a pale gray...and can you guess what my accent colors will be?

Well, my creativity is sapped for the day!  

Time for a nap.

:)

Happy Friday, blogosphere!

G