Spinach and Shrimp Penne Pasta

I made this recipe Saturday night for dinner. It was yummy!!

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 large plum tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 6 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Ladle 1 cup pasta cooking liquid into small bowl and reserve. Drain pasta. Return pasta to pot; cover to keep hot.Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and garlic to skillet and saute 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, 4 tablespoons basil, lemon juice and lemon peel and saute until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until sauce is reduced.Add spinach leaves to hot pasta; toss until spinach wilts. Add shrimp mixture and toss to blend. Add enough of reserved pasta cooking liquid to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Garnish with red pepper flakes for those that like a little zip and fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional).

Per Serving: 278 Calories; 5g Fat (16.4% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 9g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 30mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

Getting So Big!

Update, let's see: Sophie has been battling a cash of thrush this past week. I'm no longer breastfeeding so I'm not sure how in the world she got it. From what I've read and from what the nurse said, it's common and it just happens. Well, we thought it was cleared up later last week and then we think it returned with a vengeance. Not so much in the mouth, but she has a HORRIBLE yeast diaper rash. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow for another look. Poor thing, it looks as bad as it feels. On a good note, she's been in pretty decent spirits, until it's time for a diaper change. She got to meet her Great Granny and Great Papa on Friday. I think everyone enjoyed the visit.

I witnessed Sophie roll over today (from front to back). She's starting to be able to lift herself in a sitting position and is completely aware of toys. Everything goes into the mouth and she's grabbing for things left and right. So proud of her!

Weekend in Charlotte

This past weekend Sophie and I were in Charlotte/Stanley to visit my family and celebrate my birthday. Sophie is such a good little traveler and she's going to be a future shopper. We (the girls: Amy, Sarah, Mom, Me, and Sophie) went to South Park Mall Saturday (I miss a good mall! Charleston DOES NOT have good malls) and Sophie was in the best mood! I think she liked the hustle and bustle of the mall, so much to look at.
Mom made dinner while we watched Huskers vs. Hookies. Then we spent the night at Amy's house up in Stanley. Sophie slept pretty good in the pack and play but woke up kind of early. We played a little bit, Garrett let Sophie be Thomas the Train (he never lets anyone be Thomas, so he must really like his cousin).

So where are the pictures? Well, my camera was in the car the whole time. I know, bad Jennifer. We will be back in Charlotte for Halloween. Sophie is going trick-or-treating with Garrett (she's going to be a Bumble Bee, can't wait!!). I think we're going to go to a pumpkin patch and maybe a hayride too. I will make sure I take some pictures this week. She's growing and getting cuter and cuter every day!

More Sophie

This little girl was happier than a pig in poop, sitting up in her boppy playing.

PS - To hear the video, scroll down and pause the mini ipod under "Jen's Favorite Tunes."

3 Months old!

As of yesterday Sophie is 3 months old! We found out from daycare Friday that she rolled over for the first time. I have yet to see this for myself, but I have seen her try really, really hard. Here are some pictures!

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Wanted to share a chicken recipe that we made a few months ago. If you like grilled chicken and honey mustard then you've got to give this a try (the best thing is it's healthy and low fat)!

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon steak sauce

Preheat the grill for medium heat. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
Lightly oil the grill. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. (Do not allow to burn) Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes.

Servings: 4

Per Serving: 227 Calories; 4g Fat (15.0% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 28g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 71mg Cholesterol; 383mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Pictures As Promised

Here are some pictures of Sophie. She's now 12 weeks old, can't believe how fast 12 weeks has gone. She's doing so great, holding her head up really well, sleeping through the night (for the most part), and oh yeah.....she's starting to teeth!!! Fingers in mouth and drooling like crazy. Obviously this is just the beginning of the teething process so we'll see when she actually cuts her first tooth. I'm so not ready for these milestones. It seems like I just had her yesterday!

Snoozing

I cut my hair

Going for a stroll

Sophie and Lucky Lulu

Tummy time with Lucky Lulu

Happy baby in her crib just a talking and smiling!

Gemini girl

Cool New Blog

Wow! Look at all the cool new stuff on the blog! I've been very busy during my lunch break all week working on this. I've really learned a lot about GIMP (it's a free photo manipulation program) and even messed with the html code some (the Internet is a wonderful resource). And to top it all off, I love doing this kind of stuff!! I could sit for hours and hours and design this crap. I think I missed my calling. I should have gone into graphic design instead of painting. Oh well.

So no, I did not make the header myself. I downloaded a digital scrap booking kit from www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com. The header was pre-made (I plan on designing my own when I have time) but I did add the text on the header myself. I also know how to merge my photos with the picture frames and create my own stuff. The ideas are going crazy in my head I can hardly contain myself (yes, I'm a nerd). So as always, don't be surprised if you see something new or different. My blog will be a work in progress for a while.

I'm just happy that I found a "theme" that fits who we are. We live near the beach and I am a beach bum at heart (and one day Sophie will be too). I will have time this weekend to get some pictures of Sophie up so be sure to check back!