"Mom's" Chicken Enchiladas

Mmmm!

Wondering about that title? Hehe. :)

Being 38 weeks pregnant, I've not really had a lot of cravings throughout this entire pregnancy. Tonight, I decided I really wanted chicken enchiladas. I always like the ones my mom makes, but I also like the ones Robert's mom makes. We texted both moms for their recipes, and when we compared them, they were nearly identical!

We did have to make a quick trip to the grocery store to get a few things for the enchiladas, as some of our usual stock in the pantry is low (green chiles, tortillas, etc.)

Anyway, here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup
• 1/2 c. sour cream (you can add more if you want)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (any variety of onion, we used a yellow one)
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 2 c. diced cooked chicken (we shredded ours, because I won't eat it otherwise!)
• 1 can chopped green chiles, drained
• tortillas (flour is best)
• shredded cheese (we used about 2 heaping cups)

  

  Monterrey Jack + medium cheddar

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small bowl, stir together soup & sour cream until smooth. 
  
• In 2 qt. saucepan, melt butter. Cook onion & chili powder in that until the onion is tender.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Add chicken, drained can chiles, 1/4 c. soup mixture. 
  
  
  
  
• Put mixture inside tortillas, roll up, pour rest of filling over top. 
  
• Bake for 20-25 mins. covered w/ foil.
• Take foil off, sprinkle cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

  

  "Why you taste so good on e'ryting?!" Hehe

  
  

  

  Simple dinner! Delicious! 

  
  

  
  

Thanks, moms, for contributing to our dinner tonight! We love you!

Why I Quit Supporting Kraft Dressing

*Disclaimer* This blog post includes my own personal opinion. It is not my goal or intention to recruit anyone else to follow my thinking.

I've been thinking about this for several weeks, since Kraft Dressing rolled out their latest form of advertising for their products - sex.

This picture was posted on 4/25/2013 on the Kraft Dressing Facebook page, just to give you an example of what I'm referencing. (The TV ads are no less raunchy than this picture, and are more graphic). 

Picture: Kraft Dressing.

Basically, here is my opinion on this:

• For our home, we will not be purchasing any Kraft Dressing products ever again. 
• We will not support "sex sells" advertising - whether it's directed at men or women. 
• We prefer to support businesses whose products are sold based on the integrity of the actual product, and we will do that.

I did post the following on the Facebook wall of Kraft Dressing today:

"Because I don't believe that sex should sell products - to women OR men - I am "unliking" this page. I will not be purchasing Kraft brand dressings anymore. I'd rather support businesses who are interested in selling their products based on the satisfaction customers get from the products; not a company that relies on selling based on sex."

I was also completely disgusted to see women actually post the following on the Facebook page for Kraft Dressing:

"Thank you, Kraft, for giving us that yummy guy on your commercials! It's about time us women get to have some eye candy!!!!"

"Thank you for finally realizing men aren't the only people who watch TV and read ads. I'm sick of marketing being only geared towards men with half naked women. I'm going on a Kraft buying crusade! Kudos to you!"

"As far as people saying that this ad campaign is suggestive and inappropriate...I say "Lighten up, will ya'...". As women, we are subject to a barrage of advertisements that are full of scantily clad women and sexual innuendos that are targeted to men. I say "kudos to Kraft" for giving US someone hot and something sexy to look at. I love, love, love the ads. P.S....Is he available for private parties???!!! :-)"

I feel like passive-aggression (i.e., boycotting the purchase of Kraft Dressing products, "unliking" the Facebook page of Kraft Dressing, etc.) without letting them know, it defeats the purpose of my intention - to prove that I can either make or purchase other wholesome food (salad dressing) products that are just as good, if not; better, than Kraft Dressing - and I don't have to buy into sexy advertising to do that.

Furthermore, we're expecting the arrival of our daughter any day, and I would be embarrassed to show her this advertising when she is old enough to understand it. I'd prefer for my daughter to make wise decisions regarding purchases based on products and quality; not sex.

The bottom line for me is this: I'm done supporting Kraft Dressing.

Cheesy Goodness Veggie Noodle Dinner

I claim no healthy dinner for this post. But it is delicious, has lots of yummy vegetables, and it will fill you up quickly! You can really use any veggies you have on-hand for this, too!

Ingredients:
1/2 package fettuccine noodles 
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 yellow onion (white would be fine, too)
2/3 cup milk (we used 2%)
1/4 cup water
6oz.Neufchâtel cheese (cream cheese would be fine; this is just what we had on-hand)
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup broccoli 
1/2 cup carrots (cut any way you prefer)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
salt & pepper to taste (we used Sea Salt & freshly ground black pepper)
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup Beecher's Flagship Cheese (found at Costco or Pike Place Market)

Directions:

• Bring approx. 6 cups water to a boil in a pot large enough to cook pasta. Be sure to salt the water; this is your only opportunity to add flavor to your noodles!
• Chop up all vegetables and basil. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, add yellow onion and sauté until just tender. 
  
• Add noodles to boiling water, and bring to a rolling boil. Drain (do not rinse) and set aside.
• Add milk, water and Neufchâtel cheese to the skillet. Simmer until just hot over medium heat.
  
• Add red pepper, green pepper, broccoli, carrots and basil to the skillet. Cook until vegetables are al dente (you can turn up the heat a little bit for this step, depending on your range).
• Add Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper to the skillet. 
• Add cheese to the skillet. Simmer just until the cheese melts over medium heat. 
  
• You can either toss the noodles with the cheese sauce, or serve the noodles with the cheese sauce poured on top. Enjoy!  
  

 © 2013 Kimi Crombie/ www.crombiechronicles.com

Please do not copy this recipe and post it. Feel free to Pin it, re-post it or share it, but please link back to this post when you do. Thanks!

Busted With Assigning Double-Duty to the Cradle

....I may or may not be guilty of being busted using the (currently empty) cradle to transport ironing and supplies to and from the various ends of the house....

Don't judge. I'm 8 months pregnant, and I have stuff to do, lol! I do what I can. Of course, Robert snapped this picture when he was turning around in the kitchen and heard the rolling wheels. His reaction? "You realize you have a husband at home who can help you with that, don't you?" The only thing I could think to respond was, "Well....in hotels, they have stuff like laundry on rolling carts!"

Sigh.

Soon enough, Ellie Jo will be here, and the cradle will have a purpose. Can't wait to see what Grandma & Auntie Ashley are planning for the linens for it! :) (BTW, since a couple people have asked me about it, I don't expect that the cradle match her nursery theme - which is chocolate brown and pink. I just want it to be functional and comfy for our little sweetheart!)

I'll try to snap some pictures of the cradle in our room (since that's where it will be primarily). I did test it out today, and it does fit on both sides of our bed - score!

And yes, I did totally forget to take pictures of the consignment sale deals that Mom C. and I got when we were there. Sorry! I'll try to get some pics and post this week .

36 Weeks, Nursery Progress, and Other Updates

Here I am at 36 weeks pregnant with Elizabeth! (sorry it's a little fuzzy; I moved right before the picture snapped!)

Within the past four weeks, I've started to feel like the baby is really crowding me. I'm very, very uncomfortable, and I can no longer bend over without pain. It feels like Elizabeth is sitting towards my front now, so when I bend over, it forces her back, which forces all my organs and muscles back. And that is painful. Sometimes, I end up light-headed and out of breath. I'm ending up very tired very quickly. I barely made the walk across campus at work a few weeks ago - and I stopped 3 times on the way! Just too much.

Don't get me wrong; I want her to stay an inside baby as long as she needs to! But I wouldn't mind so much if Elizabeth decided she was ready to come a little early. :) We're eager to meet her, and ready to welcome her into our family any time.

I've been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions every day. Nothing rhythmic, though. But boy, those BH contractions are very, very uncomfortable. I also spoke to my doctor's office today, and the nurse told me that I've been having REAL contractions occasionally (based on what I described to her). Like when we went to the Mariners game last Thursday and the entire 4th inning was one long contraction, sigh. I am actually trying to drive as little as possible right now, because the best way I can describe it is that it's the worst cramping I've ever experienced in my entire life, from my belly button to my spine. It's not easy to operate a vehicle when I'm dealing with that kind of discomfort. In fact, it's nearly all I can do to breathe comfortably when I'm dealing with those contractions.

Last weekend, my old day bed went to my dad's house. Robert officially finished painting the baby's furniture - YES! The old lamps came down off the wall in the guest room. The walls were repaired, patched and painted where necessary. The guest room was officially empty - with everything that was removed is now in a NEW place. It was taking a little while longer because of that, but I was determined to not just move piles around as much as I could help it. Admittedly, my fabrics and sewing stuff is in desperate need of a new, official place to reside. We're going to have to spend some money on that, which I'm not looking forward to. But it needs to happen. In the mean time, we've got some plastic drawers and tubs that I'll have to utilize for a temporary solution. But the nursery is officially a nursery! YAY!

Robert is getting settled into his new job at the bank. This new career has been such a great decision, and such a blessing for us. He sincerely misses his "family" at the restaurant, and the relationships built there. But we're so glad he's working "banker's" hours (hahaha), and that I have him home every evening and all weekend! The bummer is that he's been commuting 25 miles to and from work every day for all of last week, and he'll have to do it all of this week, too. So he's really out of the house about 10-12 hours a day. He's adjusting to his new schedule, and it's definitely weird for me to be the last one out of the house in the morning, but we're getting the hang of things. I'm sure as soon as we get all adjusted to this new schedule, we'll have to shake it up like crazy with the new baby. :)

Speaking of which, I forgot to mention.... we decided not to take birthing classes. I won't really go into too much detail, but it was a personal decision, and we feel fine with it. (If you're curious, feel free to send us an email). 

Last Tuesday, I had a HUGE baby shower at church! My friends, Tiffany and Kristin, put the whole thing together for me. It was amazing to have 52 women come out to show love to our sweet Elizabeth Johannah and me! We are still needing some essentials (a little grooming kit, one more carseat base for one of the carseats we have, the breast pump - which we have to pick up after she's born - some more pacifiers, high chair, monitors, rocking chair or glider, bottles, etc.) There are some things we'd really like to have, but we're not necessarily going to buy them just yet. We're more concerned with immediate needs. :)

At my doctor's appointment 2 weeks ago on Friday, I asked about the registration paperwork for the hospital for when I go into labor. Guess what? It's already done. That's right! The hospital already has everything! They just need a phone call ahead of time that we're on our way, and they'll be all ready for us when we arrive. Super exciting!

On Sunday night, Robert's mom said I looked like I had "dropped." At work, everyone said the same thing. And I can tell, because I didn't have to stop 3 times walking into my office from the car to catch my breath, lol! We're just in the homestretch now!

This week, I'm finishing up the birth plan, and also getting things together for my "hospital bag." So far, my bag is nearly ready to go! I'm just waiting for my new camera cord to come in the mail. (Of course, eye glasses and makeup, hair brush, and other such items cannot be packed until the last minute. Thus, we'll have two lists posted of "last-minute items" to grab - one posted on the garage door, and one on the bathroom door or mirror so we're not running around like crazy when I go into labor. (This is, of course, assuming that we're home when I go into labor!) In the event that I go into labor at work, I'm 5 minutes from the hospital, and one of my co-workers will be driving me. This would probably mean Robert would be at work also, so he'd just have to meet me there. Someone will have to go to our house to get him a change of clothes and my hospital bag.

As soon as I have my hospital bag completely packed, I'll try to document what we decided to take. After the baby is here, I'll definitely document what we actually needed versus what we took (I'm sure there will be a difference!) A lot of what I've decided to pack is stuff I have to double-check, anyway to see if I really want/ need it. The bag isn't very big, and I don't think it needs to be. Less is more.

Since the nursery is done, here are some pictures for you to enjoy! :)

Here's daddy, putting Elizabeth's crib together. :) 

I stayed out of the way, since he went through so much work to make the crib perfect for his baby girl. :)

Lining everything up!

Making sure it fits just right. :)

I hung up some of her tiny clothes while I waited for the crib to be set up. :)

Looking into the nursery from the doorway. 

 

Almost ready for the last piece!

Setting it up...

Making sure everything is sturdy before he puts it all together!

 

Looks good, daddy!

Putting in the base. I actually had to put down the camera and go help with that part. :)

This is what it looks like all set-up!

Another look at the crib :) (That quilt is just ONE of 5 that have been beautifully hand-crafted by some wonderful ladies for our sweet baby girl!)

That crib looks so cozy!

This is the bow clip holder I made for Elizabeth! I just got an old frame from the Goodwill, painted a few coats of acrylic brown paint, and then used the end of my paintbrush for pink dots after the brown paint had 24 hours to dry! (Thanks for the tip on the dots, Keri!)

Some of the bow clips are handmade by me, some were store-bought. Can you tell the difference?

Looking into the room with everything in place (the swing and bouncy seat will not be staying in her room, but they are there for now while we do other cleaning projects around the house).

Looking straight into the nursery (towards the north).

We decided to leave the entertainment center in her nursery for storage purposes. (More on what we creatively did with it in another post later!)

Looking around the room (towards the west).

Looking back (southeast).

One side of the closet! (We obviously aren't done filling it up, lol)

Left side of the closet.

Stay tuned for more updates. :) I'll be posting more as there's more to post!

April Goals/ March Update

Here is the update on my March goals!

• Get rid of the piano - It's gone! Went to a new home :) BIG thank you to my hubby and Bryce for getting this done for me!
• Get the bookcases out of Elizabeth's nursery and put them in the office - DONE! Again, credit to my hubby!
• Get the closet in the nursery cleaned out - Not yet. This can't get done until the day bed is gone (see next goal).
• Get the day bed in the nursery to my dad's house - Not yet, but it WILL be going this Saturday!
• Find a place for the small entertainment center and TV in the nursery - It's not what I wanted, but the entertainment center will probably move into our room, and replace the small cabinet our TV, cable box and DVD player currently reside on, and the TV will most likely get moved to the garage, office or the shed.
• Start and finish a new Pinterest project for Elizabeth - Yes! I haven't taken any pictures of the two in progress right now (butterfly mobile and bow clip holder), but I did make her a chenille & flannel burp cloth!
• Experiment with a new recipe - TWO, actually!! SUPER awesome and very fun! The first one was for Dip Day, and the second one was done just this past Sunday night (working on uploading pics and the blog post tomorrow!)
• Go to bed before 11:00pm as often as I can - I wouldn't say I did get to bed every single time I could before 11:00pm, but I sure made a solid effort!
• Pick a project off of my "Things I Want To Sew" board on Pinterest and do it! - Um, I kind of forgot about this.... but now that I'm done working at H&R Block for this tax season (as of Sunday night this past weekend), I'll have more time to do it! 
• Find something new to do with Etsy - YEP! We rolled out a new variety of fudge for sale! (Again, credit to Robert)! Check it out:

  

  Marbled Fudge - White Chocolate + Milk Chocolate!

So, for April, we've got a LOT that we have to get accomplished. It's the last 6 weeks before Ellie Jo is here (can you believe it?! I can't!), and we've got quite the to-do list going. Thankfully, we're making excellent progress on everything! Now, if these darn Braxton-Hicks contractions would just lay off, I'd be able to get way more done! Really, I know it's normal. But it's uncomfortable, at times painful, and just another thing to worry about. I can't just shove it aside and tell myself "it's fine," because realistically, it could turn into full-blown contractions - and Elizabeth needs to stay an inside baby a little while longer!

That being said, here's what I've got for April goals:

• Move day bed to dad's/ provide dad with pillows, sheets, dust ruffle and extra sheets (everything is washed, just have to iron and move it!)
• Move TV & entertainment center out of nursery
• Move everything out of nursery
• Remove old lamps from wall, disassemble, move to garage or someone else's house for Boppa 
• Wipe walls (where needed), dust baseboards, vacuum carpet in nursery
• Steam clean carpet in nursery (probably a Robert task)
• Finish painting nursery furniture (crib & changing table are done already, just have to do the dresser - again, this is a Robert project, and he's been working diligently on it!)
• Wash both cars thoroughly inside and out, steam clean seats, vacuum, wipe down vinyl, clean windows, sanitize
• Get all my Pinterest projects for baby's room done (this is a huge task. I probably won't get everything accomplished, but I really need to try).
• Get more seeds/ starts for garden, then plant
• Clean out my armoire
• Construct birth plan & tour hospital birthing suites
• Thank-you cards for showers (2 that I know of so far, and I will need to make sure I have plenty of time for my thank-you cards!)

I know it's a lot. Here's to hoping we can get everything accomplished!

What are your goals for April? How did you do in March?