Cole Thomas at 29 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com. Only 11 weeks to go, folks!

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Cole Thomas at 28 Weeks

I figure I'll squeeze this one in before Monday (which marks 29 weeks).

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Emeril's New Orleans Pasta

Everyone knows that my favorite restaurant food is Sweetwater Tavern's jambalaya pasta. Anyway, I've been attempting to recreate their recipe. Here's the best copycat so far!

1/2 cup boned, skinned and julienned chicken breasts (about 4 ounces)
2 1/2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces chopped andouille or chorizo sausage
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese, in all
1/2 pound fettuccine

Toss the chicken strips with 1 teaspoon of the Essence.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, for about 1 minute. Add the andouille and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring, for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the green onions, garlic, and cream and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, salt, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and simmer for 3 minutes.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Add the cooked fettuccine and toss until the pasta is heated through and thoroughly blended with the sauce, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Makes about 5 cups.

To serve, allow 1 1/4 cups per portion in pasta bowls. Sprinkle each portion with the remaining Parmesan, 1 tablespoon per serving.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Tasty Onion Chicken

So - a while back Syd and I were at Costco, and they were passing out their samples. Usually, I skip the samples, but this time, they were offering mashed potatoes, so I went for it. The mashed potatoes were great, and they topped them with French's fried onions. Anyway, they totally got me. I bought the mashed potatoes and the fried onions. So - now - I have an enormous bag of fried onions, which I've never really used before in recipes (it could take years to go through the bag if I only use them to top mashed potatoes). I was looking for something to do with them and came across this recipe. It was delicious! Definitely a new addition to our regular rotation.

1/2 cup butter melted
1 tbls. Worcestershire
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 large can french fried onions
1 1/2 pds. chicken tenders

Combine butter, Worcestershire, and ground mustard. Place french fried onions in a large zip loc and crush. Place in a separate bowl. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then coat with onions. Place in a pam sprayed casserole dish and drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Bake uncovered at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

Spicy Verde Chicken & Bean Chili

Our very favorite chicken chili... really good on a day when you're expecting oh - like 30 inches of snow!

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can (about 15 ounces) small white beans, undrained

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon jalapeño hot pepper sauce

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic powder. Cook and stir until the onion is tender.

Stir the flour into the skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.

Stir in the chicken, beans, chiles, cumin and hot sauce. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with cheese and cilantro, if desired.

Sydney's Going to School!

Well, today was the big day. After visiting several schools, finally deciding on one, and waiting in the parking lot on application day, Sydney is enrolled in preschool! She'll begin school twice a week for almost three hours each day in September! I am so incredibly thankful that we got her in the school that was our first choice and on the days we wanted. I think she'll really enjoy the new opportunity for socialization and learning. We'll keep you posted!

Cole Thomas at 27 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.