Things Grandma Taught Me: June 2012

Hi everyone! Okay, so maybe there's only like 2 of you out there to read this, but that's just fine! I had said when I started this blog that it wouldn't just be about crafts and stuff. I want to include recipes and food suggestions, since cooking was the biggest part of who my grandmother was. Everyone knew her cooking. EV-RY-ONE... She was even a lunch lady, so the whole community had eaten something she'd cooked at one point or another. When she passed, the only thing I really wanted was her dining room table. My family still uses it today - ten years later. It's a little wonky, but it's a reminder of some very special memories.

Anyway. So I've been trying to branch out in my cooking and try new things while my older girls were staying with my Mom and Step Dad in North Carolina. We all know how picky a 4 year old and 2 year old can be with food! Heck, my 32 year old husband is just as bad!

I love Pinterest. Let me say that again. I LOVE Pinterest! It's a HUGE time suck, but almost all of my new-found recipes have come from my friends' pins. You are welcome to look me up on there. I'm here - come find me :).

My first forray into the foodie world (well, at least my first one recently enough for you to hear about) was this extra tasty Parmesan crusted chicken breast and roasted Parmesan green beans.

Photo courtesy Kalyn'skitchen.com

Photo courtesy skinnytaste.com

I'm sorry, I neglected to get my own photos for this. Those things happen when you are trying to cook while holding a one-month-old baby! These were really easy to prep and I planned the timer so I could slide the beans in beside the chicken and let them cook together. Start checking the chicken at about 25 minutes for doneness using a meat thermometer (it should read 170). If you cook it just right and let it rest on the counter for about 5 minutes before cutting into it, it will be super juicy and wonderful! With the beans, make sure you put enough Parmesan on them - otherwise I found the "green" flavor a little off-putting. When I nuked them in the microwave the next day for lunch, though, they were soft, the cheese was melted and they were MUCH better. But this is my preference. Try them roasted first and crisp-tender and go from there.

All-in-all, though, this was a very tasty dinner. I added wild rice as a starch to round out the meal, which worked very well. This was simply something chicken flavored from a box. I must add that I'm following a diabetic diet and have been counting carbs. After being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, I am much more likely to develop Type II later on down the road, so I am trying to lose weight, cut my dependence on carbs, watch my portions and reduce my risk. I allow myself 60 carbs for lunch and supper (what I was allowed while pregnant) and this works very well. Sometimes it's actually hard to eat enough, which is important to reduce spikes and lows with your sugar levels, as well as reduce the likelihood of throwing ketones the next morning. I'm not sure why ketones are bad, other than they mean you're not eating enough and your body is "eating" your muscle to process for energy. If you know, feel free to leave a comment!

So that's my first meal I found on Pinterest and actually cooked. My husband really liked it and I think it's something the kids would eat, too. At least the chicken and rice...

Have any ideas for recipes to try next? Please, comment and let me know. I need new things for my repertoire!

Okay, I know I've been MIA for a while, but I have a good reason. Promise!

At 1:23 p.m. the day after my last post, this little bundle of joy came screaming into the world!


Harper Jean born May 24, 2012 at 1:23 p.m. 7 pounds 3 ounces

Isn't she lovely? I kept telling my husband that she would come before Memorial Day and I was right. I woke up at 4:30 Thursday morning with contractions and went to the hospital just knowing I would get sent home to worry yet again. I had dialated some more and they gave me some pain medicine and told me if that stopped the contractions, they would send me home. Well, lo and behold, the medicine wore off and the contractions came back so they broke my water and just a couple hours later I was holding this beautiful little lady!