Pictures from Katie's Greenville Shower

I finally got the pics off my mama's camera this past weekend and just haven't gotten around to posting them.  These are a few pics from Katie's shower that was held at the City Range restaurant.  Enjoy!

 Katie, Mama, and me before the shower.

 Katie starting to open presents.

 I remember how exciting getting pot holders was! 

Actually, I'd still be excited to get new ones!! 

 Katie's stash of goodies from the shower...
all that new stuff is so fun!  My shower goodies
are much different looking now, haha!  Can
you pick up on the theme of her kitchen?!

Me, JJ, Katie, and Carole

Chicken and Dessert Recipes

I have two new recipes to share, which are both chicken.  We ate these two different weeks though... I try not to have the same meat more than once except when eating leftovers.  Btw... I love leftovers.  Why?!  Because that's a night I don't have to cook a whole lot... I'm really not a huge fan of cooking or cleaning up the mess that comes with it.

The first recipe was a new one to us.  It was very good and says that it will feed 4... know that if your husband likes "man servings" or goes back for 2nds, you'll be tight on having enough for round two!

Ritzy Chicken

Ingredients:
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (crushed in a sandwich bag)
• ½ tsp garlic salt (or more if you like it like we do!)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp paprika (opt)
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)
• 3 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix chicken with the beaten egg until well coated.
3. Drop coated chicken into bag of crushed crackers. Close and shake until well coated.
4. Grease an 8 inch. Square baking dish.
5. Arrange crumbed chicken evenly into dish and top with butter pieces.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes:
• Serves 4
• Great dipped in a salad dressing

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This recipe probably falls under comfort food... it's so good.  You can make it healthier by using fat free ingredients too.

Cheesy Chicken Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ C milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bake chicken breasts until fully cooked at 350 degrees or boil them in water until cooked.
3. Once cooked, cut each breast into 4 strips.
4. Roll each strip into a crescent roll. You should have 8 total.
5. Mix soup, cheese, and milk in separate bowl.
6. Spread a thin amount of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish.
7. Place each rolled chicken in the dish.
8. Spread mixture on top and around chicken rolls.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Notes:
• Makes 4 servings

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This next recipe is one awesome tasting dessert.  My friend Jennie introduced me to this cake and I don't know if I should be mad (b/c I eat too much of it) or happy (b/c it's wonderful)!  I'll go with happy!  I did however make up my own name for it.  :)

Not Your Average Chocolate Cake

Cake:
Ingredients:
• 2 C sugar
• 1 ¾ C all-purpose flour
• ¾ C cocoa or dark cocoa (go with the dark!)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ C vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C boiling water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degress.
2. Grease and flour one 9x13 baking pan or two 9in. round pans.
3. Mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water. The batter will be very thin.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
6. Bake 35-40 minutes for 9x13 pan or 30-35 for 9in. pans. Cool 10 minutes and turn onto wire racks and let cool completely. You can leave in 13x9 if you prefer.
7. Frost cooled cake with the frosting recipe that follows.

Frosting:
Ingredients:
• 1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
• 4 C powdered sugar, divided
• 3-4 Tbsp milk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Large or mini milk chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Beat butter with mixer on med. Speed in larg bowl until creamly.
2. With mixer running, slowly add about 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until well blended.
3. Slowly beat in milk and vanilla.
4. Steadily add remaining powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
5. Add more milk if necessary to get frosting to desired consistency.
6. Frost cake and add chocolate chips as garnish if desired.

**You probably want to refridgerate this cake due to the butter and milk in the frosting.  I personally like it straight out of the fridge!
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The last dessert is one I'm just going to link up.  You've probably had it... at least if you are from the south and love some Paula Deen.  Yes, it's horrible for you, but if you want to take a winner to any function this is it.  It's also great b/c you don't bring much, if any, home with you and get stuck eating it yourself.  You would... every last bit.  Your husband will be scared he won't get much and talk you into "trying" it before you take it and then ppl will comment on the fact that some is missing.  It's worth it though.

I call this dessert "Baked Butter", better known as "Ooey Gooey Bars".  If you notice this recipe has 5 spoons, aka stars, based on 580 reviews.  It is that good.

Our First Shower

This past Sunday Abby Ruth and I got to have our first shower and it was so fun!  This shower was hosted by my church and Bible study friends and held at my friend Natalie's house.  Natalie went WAY over and beyond on decorating and it looked wonderful.  This shower was a true example of how the Lord intends for Christians to love other Christians and grow with them.  William and I love our church family and know that we are def. growing there.  I hope that if you are reading this, you too have a great church family and if you don't, you will start looking for one.  I know that it took a lot of visiting and praying for us to find Taylor's and then to find the class we were suppose to get involved with.  Soooo glad we did!

My mom and sister, as well as my mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, and sis-in-law were all able to come to this shower too.  It was nice of them to all travel to Greenville and I was glad for them to meet the people who I see each week and who will play a bit part in Abby Ruth's life.  However, they didn't get to meet a few people who were greatly missed at my shower.

We got lots and lots of neat things and very useful items. I can't wait to use them all and dress Abby Ruth up in all her new outfits. I know she appreciates some new clothes seeing that her mama buys her used clothing ;).

Here are just a few of the pics from the shower:

 My mama and me

 A bath tub and some goodies so we will have a clean baby now!

 Ellen C. made this beautiful canvas to hang in Abby Ruth's room.  I love it!

 

A bow holder from Lisa... so cute!

 Me and Mollie comparing bellies... pretty sure I'm bigger!

 Natalie and me

This beautiful quilt is being made by Lisa, she still has a little
left to complete.  I absolutely LOVE it!

The beautiful table at Natalie's house w/ all the delicious food.

 The Trammell Family

William also got the crib assembled and we put the bedding on it Sat. morning. 

Once again I don't have a before picture.  The crib was a pretty oak

color, but it just didn't fit the theme of the room.  William has been

working so hard on all the painting and I know this was one of the

more difficult tasks... it turned out beautifully.  I don't think you'd ever

think about the blue being a boy color either... though it may be one day!

Then Mollie, Chad, and Grayson came to visit and we went downtown Greenville to have a picnic.  There we also ran into Katie, Elliott, and Riley.  It was so nice seeing them and catching up with them.  Elliott is a childhood friend of Williams and was in our wedding. 

William and Riley

William and Grayson.

Can you tell that he's ready to be a daddy!?  :)

Just A Glidin'

The glider is finally d-o-n-e!  This was the first thing that I bought after finding out we were pregnant.  I kept searching on craigslist for one and was determined not to spend over $50 on it.  I found this one for $20!  Then I tried washing the cushions in my washer which ruint them, but now I'm kinda glad b/c it looks so much better.  I don't have any good before pics, some that have the coloring of the wood and cushions beforehand though.  I owe so much of the credit to William for painting and Mollie for sewing the slipcovers... I did decide on the colors, if that counts!  I figure we put about $60 total into the chair, which is a tad higher than I wanted, but not bad at all.  It will sit in the living room for now b/c I don't want to be stuck in her room all the time.  I have a temp. rocking chair for her room.

The picture above was taken so that when Mollie

and I were working on the slipcovers, we'd know how

they attached w/out having to have the chair with us.

Also... I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seat for a new belly pic... haha, yea right.  I did however finally take one.  I've been meaning to take one since 25 weeks and just now got one at 29 weeks and about 4 days.  Whenever I think to take it, I'm already in my sweats and a t-shirt... which now usually means one of William's tshirts or my belly starts to poke out.  I still have on my slippers in this pic though... you won't find me in the house in anything but though!

29 weeks and 4 days along

This past weekend my sister got to have her 2nd shower at City Range restuarant and it was so very nice.  My mom's college friends threw it and we all had a great time.  I forgot my camera and therefore have to wait to get pics from my mom... that could be a while.  I will post when I get some though!


This coming weekend I have my first shower with my Sunday School and Bible study from church.  I'm super excited about it.  We'll also get to hangout with Mollie, Chad, and Grayson some this weekend, which doesn't happen near enough.  Can't wait until our two little girls are among the group though!

And lastly a little game for you... "Can you find Tucker's Favorite Toy?"

Happy Valentine's Day

Just want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

This day, 5 years ago, William and I became an "official" couple... yes, facebook status change and everything!  As of today we have been married almost 2 1/2 years and are expecting our first child this Spring.  Somedays it seems as though I can't remember not knowing him and I mean that in a good way... at the same time 5 years can seem like it has gone by so quickly!  The Lord totally blessed me with William... he's so good to me but I know I could do so much more for him.

Here's some pics of us over the past 5 years!

Our first Vday... actually this is like the day before. 

Made him a Carhartt cake in Valentine colors!



Summer of 2006

 Fall of 2006 at a Clemson Football game 

 Engagement Pic from Spring of 2008

Sept. 13, 2008 

Honeymoon at Outerbanks Sept. 2008

Mtn. Trip October 2010 (About 12 weeks pregnant I think)

Little Bit of This and That

Well this week hasn't been too eventful, but that can be rather nice.  My main accomplishment for the week was a pillow to go with the glider.  I found this fabric and fell in love with it and thought about using it for the slipcover, but decided since it would sit in the living room for a while, it didn't really go.  Colorwise, yes, but pattern, not so much.

Isn't the pattern just precious!



I also decided I wanted to try to add cording to this pillow, which was a first for me.  I watched a couple Youtube videos on how to do it and went for it.  I came to a point where I almost gave up but then decided to keep chuggin' along.  I'm actually quite pleased with myself.  As long as you don't get really close and study it hard, it looks pretty good.  I will be doing more with cording and maybe some piping down the road for sure. 

 

 I apologize for putting it against a brown background when

the cording it brown, but hopefully you can still see it!

Other than the pillow, I have been doing some appliqueing on some onsies and making matching burp clothes.  I will post them, but have to wait b/c they are gifts and though I doubt either of the moms read this, I don't want them to see it yet.  I really enjoy making these and with all the babies coming I know I will be doing quite a few.

Since we don't have a child yet, well at least not outside of the womb, I'll leave you with some Tucker pics.  The first is him after standing in the rain... before you think we're bad dog parents, he has a dog house and was in it, but got out.  It's his own fault.  The next pic is what I find when the dog bed is in a place he likes... he's picky about where he lays.

A Few New Recipes

I have three new recipes to share... a few from last week and this were total flops and I won't be making them again.  The ones I am sharing though, we will be eating again and will go into my recipe portfolio.  Enjoy!

This first recipe I found in a magazine and have seen it several times since then.  It was very good and my sis helped me make it.  She even went and bought the ingredients the next day to make it again soon.  I only used 3 chicken breasts and it was plenty.  The Cannellini beans were the hardest to come by but we finally found them at Walmart.

Southwest White Chicken Chili 

Ingredients: 

• 1 T Veg. oil
• 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
• 4 t. chili powder
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 med. Chopped green pepper (I didn’t use)
• 1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of chicken soup
• ¾ C of water
• 1 ½ C of frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 cans (about 15 oz. ea) white kidney beans (Cannellini), rinsed and drained
• 2 T shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions:
1. Heat oil in 4-qt saucepan over med-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, onion, and pepper and then cook until chicken is cooked completely through. Vegetables should be tender. Be sure to stir often.
2. Stir soup, water, corn, and beans in saucepan and heat to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 5 min. Be sure to stir occasionally.
3. Top with cheese.

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Taco Squares


Ingredients:
 1 – 1 ½ C Bisquick
 1 lb ground bf
 1 C sour cream
 ½ C mayo
 1 C (or a little more) of shredded Mexi cheese (or cheddar)
 Ketchup
 Garlic and onion powder to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. Mix Bisquick with water until you have it the consistency of chewed bubble gum.
3. Spread (with wet hands) over bottom and sides of casserole dish. I used a 2 qt. round, but will probably use a 2 qt. rectangle next time.
4. Season the meat with the garlic and onion powders and then brown and drain.
5. Spread the meat over the Bisquick mix
6. Drizzle ketchup over the meat… can use chopped tomatoes instead
7. Mix sour cream, mayo, and a little shredded cheese together in a bowl
8. Spread sour cream mixture over the meat.
9. Cover the top of the dish with the rest of the cheese.
10. Bake for 30-45 minutes… until crust is brown.
11. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes to cool before serving.



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This next recipe was really good, esp. over mashed potatoes and I'm sure over rice as well.  I only used 4 pork chops and we ate it twice since there it's just two of us.  I had to stack my pork chops in my smallest crock pot, which doesn't have a Low setting and it took about 3 - 3 1/2 hrs to cook.
 
Creamy Pork Chops


Ingredients:
o 10 ¾ oz can of cream of chicken soup
o 1 chopped onion
o 3 T ketchup
o 2 t Worcestershire sauce
o 6 whole pork chops, divided (can be boneless or bone-in)

Directions:
1. Mix soup and onions together in a bowl. Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and pour ½ of the mixture into the slow cooker.
2. Place pork chops in slow cooker. If you have to stack them, spoon a proportionate amt of the remaining sauce over the 1st layer of meat.
3. Add the rest of the meat and top with sauce mixture.
4. Cover and cook on Low 4-5 hours… until meat is tender. You don’t want it to dry out!

Stats:
o Makes 6 servings
o Takes 5-7 minutes to prepare
o 4-5 hrs to cook
o 3 qt. crock pot is ideal, but not necessary


Hope you enjoy these... I have a couple desserts that I would like to share eventually too!

Keepin' Up with the Trammells

I can tell you where you won't be keeping up with the Trammells and that's on cable.  We finally "pulled the plug" and now have a total of about maybe 15 channels we can watch on our tv.  It is nice to know we're saving $60 a month which is $720 a year!  That's less than what most ppl would save b/c we (William) always managed to get our bill down to the lowest possible.  I figure that money will be paying for Abby Ruth's doctor visits, which is good b/c we didn't have that in our budget.  Above is a pic of William with the first antenna... we are on the 3rd and last now that is about 8 ft tall and huge and in the attic!  Yes, the antenna above is on a broom stick... he's so creative!  haha

We also got the crib last week and William has started priming it.  It was a pretty oak color, but that just wasn't going with the theme so I wanted it painted.  My awesome husband is being a good sport about it too, b/c it's going to be rather tedious work.  The crib was another way of God showing up b/c it was free and it's really nice and has a drawer on it!  William has also started spray painting the glidder but has to do it when the weather is decent and you know how it's been lately... hopefully a nice spell is coming and that can be completed!

**Please note that I believe William was a little weary about the world seeing the inside of his "man cave"... he only shows it to a select few.  Guess that means if you are reading this, you are special!

The other day I put our stroller, which I now call "The Red Monster" outside with Tucker hoping he would get used to it.  I don't think it worked, oh well.

On Sunday I helped host my first baby shower for my friend Carly from church.  Carly is due with a baby girl just three weeks before me, so it's been tons of fun being pregnant for the 1st time together.  Below are some pics from the shower.  There were 5 of us there pregnant and we are standing in order of due dates. 

Lastly, I failed the glucose test this past week and had to take the 3 hour one today.  This meant fasting from 12pm until 11:30 today... if you know me at all, you know I don't go more than 3 hrs w/out eating besides when I sleep.  I was really nervous and barely slept at all, making hunger worse.  Then I went in hungry, but the sugar drink actually filled me up pretty well.  My mama was nice enough to come and go with me and stay for 3 hrs in the boring waiting room... I was scared of getting weak and having one of my spells that my family refers to as "Bonnie's".  I didn't and I truely credit this to all those who were praying for me... what a blessing it is to know you have ppl who pray on your behalf!  Now we just have to pray that results come back positive!