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Monday, February 17, 2014

Mediterranean Chicken Pizza

Oh man, this is a good one! My apologies for the blurry pic! Why does it only have cheese on half? The fun half was Hubby's. Unfortunately I'm watching the dairy consumption (I've since started cheating a bit here and there). We make a lot of pizza in our house. I love the endless possibilities. This particular creation was too good not to share with you all. We've made it a second time as a flat bread (just split the dough in half, roll it out thin and cook for less time). Both ways were delicious...I didn't even miss the cheese, no joke!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 red onion - sliced
3 cups of fresh spinach (could also use a package of frozen)
1/2 cup of roasted red peppers - sliced
1 cup of marinated artichoke hearts - chopped
1/4 cup of kalamata olives - halved
Pizza dough
1-2 cups of pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat up olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, stir often until cooked throughout. Lower heat to medium, add red onion and garlic - cook for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add spinach, stir often until wilted, then add roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives. Stir thoroughly so veggies are all combined - add salt and pepper to taste. Turn down heat. 
3. Roll out pizza dough, add desired amount of sauce, top with chicken/veggie mixture and then as much mozzarella and parmesan cheese as you wish! Cook pizza according the the directions for the dough. 
Mmmmmm, so tasty!
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Sunday, February 16, 2014

What's cooking this week?

How is it Sunday again already?! Here I am, planning another yummy week of dinners!  
Tonight: Chicken Parmesan
Monday: Crock Pot Lentil Soup
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches
Wednesday: Pulled Pork
Thursday: Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Chicken

Reunited and it feels so goooooood....
I started introducing a little bit of dairy back into my diet this past week. So far, it's going well! I may just have to have it for dinner tonight. What good is "parmless" chicken parm?! Ella seems to be doing fine with the small amounts I've had here and there. Regardless, I'm being careful not to go overboard with it.

So far it's been a fabulous weekend. We took Ella for her first visit to a local park, then met up with some friends in Orlando for a yummy dinner at Yellow Dog Eats. If you are in Orlando, you MUST check this place out! Their pulled pork is unbelievable! I had the pulled pork tacos (shocking, I know)...they were "phenom". I might have to try to recreate them at home somehow. Today we are doing the Sunday usual - including but not limited to the following exciting activities:
-Making more homemade babyfood (squash)
-Putting Ella's clothes that don't fit in a storage bin (sad face)
-Going to the store to finish shopping for Hubby's 30th (might put this off until next week)
-Cleaning and rearranging some furniture (need to free up space for our little roller)

Hope you're all having a great weekend!
Don't forget to enter to win a pretty "Little Headband"!
 
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Friday, February 14, 2014

The Sweetest Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!
Hubby and I are very excited about celebrating with our little sweetie! I'll be counting down the minutes until I can come home tonight (after I chaperone the Valentine's Day dance) and kiss those chunky cheeks. It won't be unlike every other night, but still! These photos from our quick Valentine's photo sesh yesterday were just too cute not to share!
Ella even brought some Valentines in for her friends at "school" today!
(I just had to!)
Hope it's a great day with the ones you love!
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Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Little Headband Shop - Review & Giveaway

Brace yourself for the cuteness! I've got a fun little giveaway today brought to us by my girl Amy! Is it obvious that I have an obsession with headbands for my little lady? Duh! I'd love to share with you all a new favorite shop of mine called The Little Headband Shop. Not only are these headbands "totes adorbs", but Amy is the sweetest! She sent me this gorgeous vintage floral shabby headband for Ella, I'm in love with it. Not only is it pretty, it fits her so well too. I know sizing sometimes can be an issue but it was spot on for her age. It stays on all day yet doesn't leave indents in her head...score! Ella certainly attracts some extra attention when she rocks this headband. 
Aren't these the prettiest?! Drool....I'm pretty sure Ella NEEDS them all! They would be oh so perfect for a photo "sesh"! Use the code "BEMINE" for free shipping on all orders placed before midnight on Valentines Day!
Make sure you enter to win the giveaway below! Amy is giving away this teal and grey floral beauty to a lucky winner! Be sure to check out Amy's shop and Facebook page and send some love her way! 
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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Ella's Five Month Update

Here we are again already! It's time for another update on Miss Ella Rose! Just like last month, I'm late on this by a little over a week. Where do I begin? Things in the "Sko" home have been downright FUN! This kid is amazing...I'm only slightly biased. Seems like each month is more exciting than the last, and this past month brought a lot of new developments!
I know I said last month she had finally become a happy smiley baby...but somehow she has gotten even happier and smilier! What a JOY! No joke, she lights up the room with her big huge smile and beautiful eyes. My heart could explode I am so full of love for this girl! 
Ella is growing to be so strong and it's happening so fast. She is constantly exploring the world around her, feeling different textures and of course putting anything and everything in her mouth. I love how playful she is now! She has the kung-fu grip and she will grab your hair...or her newest thing is to grab at your cheeks. Now she rolls from front to back and back to front. Even though she has been doing it for a bit now it shocks me how quickly she flips herself over. Her jumparoo is becoming her new favorite activity. I'm not sure who is more entertained by it (it's probably me). She is also making new sounds, lately it's been sounding like she is saying "Bob". Again...I'm very entertained!

Teething is about as fun as (insert extremely "un-fun" example here) and we hate it. We have tried the Hyland's Teething Tablets and they seem to help a bit. Like I said, everything seems to make their way into her mouth so we keep Sophie the giraffe, and Coco the monkey close by - along with several other teethers! 

She eats solids now once a day around dinnertime! We started with a week of just oatmeal, then we introduced sweet potatoes for a week, followed by apples and then pears. She seems to like the sweet potatoes and pears best. The apples are a little tart and takes her a while to adjust to the taste. Overall, she seems to LOVE sitting and eating with us at the table. Such a big girl!
In addition to introducing her to solids, the biggest change this past month has been to her sleep routine. I'm not a fan of using the word "routine" because it will probably change again tomorrow. It's different in the sense that I no longer nurse her to sleep. Up until about 4 and a half months I was nursing her in our room and then transferring her to her room once she fell asleep. Now she gets a bottle (half breast milk, half formula) around 9 and we put her down right after. It's been working beautifully for about three weeks now. I've been afraid to admit it, hopefully I don't jinx it now! She has been sleeping through the night about 90% of the time! Because of the fact that I am missing out on nursing her one (or more) times in the middle of the night, my milk supply seems to be decreasing. I've been drinking my Milkmaid Tea and I heard that eating oatmeal helps. Any other tips? As far as naps go, she still takes her longest nap in the morning (about 3 hours) and then another one (about an hour) right before dinner. She loves snoozing in her glider with Kermie...


I think I covered all of the basics. Everyday has been incredible watching her grow and discover the world around her! It's already apparent that this next month is going to be another good one!
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