Baby Quilt

I just finished this quilt on Sunday in time for my friend's baby shower. I had the greatest of intentions of getting several done this summer but time just slipped away. Allison's theme is "under the sea" so you can see the water world in the main square. Underneath is an "up-close" pic of the fabrics. My mom is also working on this same pattern for a quilt for baby Mourreale. I can't wait to see what ours will look like. As for me, I think my sewing days will be few and far between in the next few months. Some day.....(when I can leave my sewing stuff up and out of the way, when my children aren't needy 24/7, when....)

Snow on the first day of autumn!

Ah!  The first day of autumn.   Usually I think of pumpkins, leaves turning beautiful colors, picking apples, thanksgiving, but today made me think of Christmas.  I almost turned on Christmas music; it felt so festive.   The temperature dropped through the day and by afternoon was snowing.  Since Monday, we've had snow every day and right now, it is snowing once again.  Beautiful and cold!!!  Abby loved being outside and tromping through the snow.

Paul's truck with a good dusting and then also our stairs.  A bit precarious when a preggo lady is carrying a 16-month old down them.

Random Moments

Last night we had a birthday party for a friend. I made a cake that had chocolate and coffee in it and of course, Abby had some. Well, time for night-night and guess who could not go to sleep? I was actually lying in bed about to go to sleep when I heard her chatting away. I looked over at her side of the room and she had pulled the curtain back and was peeking out - why do they always have to be so cute at times like this?
Paul has a theory that we all have some OCD tendencies - some fewer than others, but anyway, Abby has a few. Like shutting doors, drawers and pushing the chairs in. So earlier in the evening with our friends, she shut the bathroom door. Only problem was that their little 4 year old girl was in the bathroom and the lights were not on. There are no windows in our tiny bathroom and so the little girl was very scared. The lights are on the outside of the room too! Thankfully all was well with a bit of cake :)

This outfit was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Mourreale. So cute!!!! I had Abby wear it on Wednesday when Paul had to preach in chapel. It made him smile! You can't really see it in the picture, but I had Abby's hair back in a red ponytail. I think she looks older when her hair is back. Also, she is wearing real shoes. Normally she wears her robeez (like moccasins) all the time. She was pretty funny trying to clump around in them.

Abby loves to mimic whatever we are doing including brushing her teeth. She was constantly on the move last night so this pic is a bit blurry.

Sherried Mushroom and Chicken Filled Crepes

This recipe is easy yet very elegant!  It's even easier if your husband makes the crepes for you.   Make sure to eat these slowly as they will hit your stomach with a thud - they are incredibly rich but oh so very yummy.

1 (6-8 oz.) can sliced mushrooms
4 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. finely chopped onions
4 tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
3 tbsp. dry sherry
2 c. boned, cooked chicken, cut in chunks
3 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, divided
12 crepes

Rinse, pat dry and slice fresh mushrooms or drain canned mushrooms. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add mushrooms and onions; saute 5 minutes. Blend in flour, cook and stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Add milk, bouillon cubes, salt and white pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture is thickened. Stir in sour cream and sherry. Remove 1 cup of the sauce; keep warm. To remaining sauce add chicken and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Heat just until hot. Heat crepes, tightly covered, in a preheated moderate oven, 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Place about 1/4 cup mushroom-chicken mixture on each crepe; roll up. Place two filled crepes on each plate. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce over each portion. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve immediately. Makes 12 crepes, 6 servings.

25 Weeks!

Pregnancy pictures were so much more fun the first time around. But here I am at 25 weeks!

It's kind of funny to try and teach Abby that there is a baby inside Mommy's stomach. I think it confuses her when I say baby and rub my belly and then also when we play with her baby doll and call it "baby". Last night Abby did kiss my belly but I don't think she really understood :)

Autumn Sausage Casserole

This dish was absolutely delicious! I was a little leery of some of the combinations but it turned out fantastic - even Paul liked it.






The Ingredients.




--1 pound sausage (I used chicken with artichoke and garlic)

--1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)

– 1 can black beans

--1 yellow onion, chopped

--1/2 cup chopped carrots

--3 cups already cooked long-grain rice (I had white basmati leftovers)

--1/2 cup raisins

--1 T dried parsley flakes

--1 T brown sugar

--1/2 tsp allspice

--1/2 tsp cinnamon

--1/4 tsp black pepper (start with 1/8 if your kids don't tolerate a touch of spice)

--1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)




The Directions.

The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I'd say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It's a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs.




If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I'd recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot.




Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.




Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You're really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.




This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.




Thanks Crockpot lady for the recipe. www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

New Chair

Abby's chair came while we were gone on vacation. Paul quickly put it together for her and Abby was SO delighted! She loves having something just her very own. It was a bit smaller than the pictures on the website made it appear but I think it'll last her awhile anyway.

Swimming

This summer Abby was able to do some swimming. Her favorite time was when we just held her and let her splash around. If she was in her little boat, she was actually quite mellow and just watched what everyone else was doing.