Creamy Chicken Taquitos

(Not my picture, from ourbestbites.com)

I made these for dinner tonight. They were sooo good. A little time consuming if you have to cook the chicken first. But, they were worth it. Definitely doable for a weeknight meal if you already have the chicken cooked.  I did not make the sauce to go with it. I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and regular pepper jack. When I put it into WW recipe builder, they were only 3 points each! I also made black beans (a can with some of the green salsa) and brown rice (with lime zest,  juice of 1/2 lime, chopped cilantro and salt). The hubby LOVED them. The cub just ate some cooked chicken I left out for him and the rice and beans.  Here is the link to the recipe: baked creamy chicken taquitos.

Tip Top Thursday

Somehow I did really great this week. I lost 2 pounds! I’m now past my halfway mark! Yay! I’m still not tracking everything like I should be. I think I just am making better choices, not constantly snacking like I used too and eating lots of fruit when I do snack.

Last week I tried a new breakfast idea.  At the meeting last week they talked about Hungry Girl egg mugs. You just spray a mug with cooking spray add 1/2 cup of egg beaters and whatever add ins you want and microwave for 1 minute, stir and cook 30 sec to 1 minute more. So easy and tastes just like real scrambled eggs. I usually don’t have eggs in the house because of Jackson, but I found the egg beaters to be less messy. I just make sure not to spill them or get it on any of his stuff. For my egg mug I chopped up some onion, red bell peppers and tomatoes and put it in a container in the fridge. Then I just have to put a spoonful in my mug with the egg beaters and cook. And it’s just 1 point! I’m trying to be dairy free, but cheese would be really yummy. I also bought some Applegate turkey bacon. It’s all natural, hormone, antibiotic free, so it’s a little more expensive. But, it tastes just like real bacon. I sometimes don’t like the regular turkey bacon. It tastes too healthy to me. This turkey bacon is 1 point a slice. I add some to my egg cup and can still eat another slice or 2.  One more thing about the egg cup then I’m done :).  I mixed it up the night before I worked in a old glass jar. Then I just had to put it in my lunch bag and throw it in the microwave at work and had a yummy breakfast.

This week I will focus on trying to not make excuses and exercise more.

Jimmy Buffet and a box

Back in March I bought Matt tickets to Jimmy Buffet for his birthday. The concert was last night. It was the perfect way to kick off the summer! We had so much fun! I love the rare occasions that Matt and I get to go out together.

We made a deal that Matt could drink for Jimmy Buffet and I could drink on my birthday in a few weeks. We stopped and had Mexican on our way to the concert.

Matthew had most of a half pitcher of margaritas.

Here Matthew is looking at the marlin’s they had on the walls in the restaurant.  After a few margaritas they were freaking him out. Haha!

This is the only horrible picture I got of us at the concert using Matt’s phone. I brought my camera, but they wouldn’t let me bring it in. I had to bring it back out to the car and pray no one would steal it. So stupid.

I bought a new, smaller stroller for us to use when we are out and about. The jogging stroller is just to big and heavy for everyday. It came yesterday and Jackson has been having lots of fun with the box. I really should stop buying him toys and just get him big boxes. Haha!

Give the boy a box and a car and he is good to go. His cars or trucks are constant fixtures in his hands these days. He is definitely all boy!

He also thinks Mommy is a jungle gym anytime I am on the floor.

I love my sweet boy!

We are anxiously awaiting the results of American Idol tonight! We are not usually fans of American Idol, but Lauren is from Matt’s home town of Rossville, GA.  She goes to his old high school, Lakeview/Fort Oglethorpe High School. The same one his dad teaches at. Her brother is in his class. Lauren is in Brigitte’s (Matt’s dad’s wife) class. Mimi knows Lauren from when she was in the middle school that she works at. If you watch the show you will remember last week when she went home and gave a concert at the high school stadium. The stadium is Tommy Cash Stadium, named after Matt’s granddad. We hope you win Lauren!!!!

Soux Chef

Tonight I finally got around to making these healthy chicken nuggets that Emily and even Alison made. ( Grammy even you could make them :) )They were super easy and super yummy.

Most nights when I am making dinner, this is what the cub is doing:

 

He loves taking all the pans and stuff out of the cabinet. Sometimes I give him a bowl and spoon to “help” me make dinner.   All of the cabinets have locks on them, except one that only has stuff he can play with.

Jackson supervised the baking of the nuggets and fries I made tonight. (We had broccoli too.)

The nuggets were cubby and mommy approved!  Daddy’s not home yet, but I’m sure he will approve too. Jackson scooped them in his mouth so fast he got a little choked. That cub loves a good chicken nugget! I’m glad to finally be able to make some that I can feel good about feeding him and us too.

Just because I can’t post without a pic of the cub’s sweet face!

Tip Top Thursday

Just as I suspected, I gained this week. I went back to wearing my usual jeans and I gained 0.4 pounds. Not terrible. And I lost on my scale. So, I’m not too upset about it. I’ll just keep going on and hope for better next week.

I have to tell you my favorite meal I made this week. It was super easy and so yummy.  I made fauxtisserie chicken in the crock pot. Basically you roll up balls of foil and put it in the bottom of the crock pot and put a whole chicken on top and cook it on low. I put it in at 10:30 in the morning and dinner was ready by 6:30.  I also made the roasted vegetable in the WW book. I just spray olive oil on a pan, cut up a red onion, sweet peppers and a zucchini and sprayed them with spray and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Then roast at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. I like it really roasted, so I cook it longer. Then I made a bag of yellow rice. I mixed it all up on my plate and it was super yummy for about 7 points (I think?). Jackson ate it by the handful, so I think he approved too.

We have been eating a ton of watermelon this week. It is so yummy and sweet. I love summer!

15 months

On Sunday Jackson turned 15 months old! Today was his check up at the doctor. After months of getting his weight checked, Jackson decided he had enough. He through a huge tantrum on the scale. They had to weigh me holding him and then me alone to get his weight. He was 20 pounds that way. Not entirely accurate, but we’ll take it. The doctor was pleased with his growth, so we don’t have to go back until his 18 month check up. That means NO MORE monthly weight checks! Yay! He is now in the 3rd % for weight and 1% for height. 

Last night Jackson saw a banana on the counter and said “nana,  nana”. I was so happy because I have been worried that he isn’t saying enough words. He says “momma”, “dadda”, “ess” (yes), “shoe” and now “nana”. The doctor said he is on track for speech. She expects 5 words at 15 months of age. She also said it was good he could see an object and name it. I told her he knows alot of words. I can say “where is your cup?'” and he will get it. He just doesn’t say the word. He knows cup, block, book, car, Tiger, Scout, Sun Dog, train. I’m sure there are more he knows that I can’t think of right now. It’s a good thing I have so many SLP friends if I need help! Any suggestions? (I know I worry too much!)

We are supposed to work on pointing to things and pretend play. He has started some pretend play. He will get my cell phone or his toy phone an put it up to his ear to talk.

Here are some pictures I took of Jackson today in our oh so (NOT)  lovely backyard.

 

This is Jackson’s new scary growl face!

Happy 15 month birthday Jackson!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

Shopping

Today Grammy came to town for her knitting group, so Jackson and I met her for lunch. Then we decided to go to a furniture outlet store nearby. We want new living room furniture, so I wanted to go to this store to look.

Jackson found a couch he liked! (If you can’t tell it’s a GA bulldog couch)

After that we passed an antique store I wanted to stop at. They had LOTS of great things. I didn’t escape without buying a few things.  I have been looking for a little school desk for Jackson. There was a really cute red one I found at another store, but they wouldn’t sell it to me because it didn’t have a price on it. I didn’t find a desk today, but I did find 2 cute little chairs.

I think Jackson likes his new chairs. We just scrubbed them good when we got home. Jackson wanted to try them right away. I’m not sure yet where they will end up.

I also got a pretty white plate. I want to start collecting them to hang on the wall in the dining room.

I got this cute little basket too. It’s wet in this picture because I scrubbed it when we got home too. I want to start putting baskets in our drawers to organize them.  I got the idea after reading this blog.

That was our fun day of shopping with Grammy!