Bacon and Swiss Quiche Plus Baby Pictures

 

Quiche Receipe
INGREDIENTS

 *   1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell
 *   2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
 *   1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
 *   3 eggs
 *   1 cup milk

 *   1/4 teaspoon salt
 *   8 slices of bacon

DIRECTIONS

 1.  Fry Bacon in pan. Spread bacon in pastry shell. Toss Swiss cheese with flour; sprinkle over bacon. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and salt. Pour evenly over cheese.
 2.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F; bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

 

 

My mom has made this recipe for years. It is an easy go to, and Daniel (my brother), Matt, and I love it. The leftovers are amazing. It saves well and provides a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner the next  day. We ate it with fruit and cornbread last night. The cornbread was just so we would have an extra side, and Matt wouldn't eat the whole quiche (which he has done before). It worked. :)

 

You might ask your self why I am posting recipes. I have three answers to your question.

 

1) I love to eat. I have always loved food, but I feel like the pregnancy has even brought more joy in eating.

 

2) I love to browse the internet in my spare time, look through cookbooks, talk to my mom, etc. about recipes. I know that sounds silly, but I like when people suggest recipes that actually work and are ALMOST fail proof. When you find one off the internet, it's hard to know if the person has actually really tried it. They mike just "like" the recipe because it sounds good. When a friend suggests it and makes it all the time, you know it could quite possibly be delicious. Just a thought.

 

3) We are on a pretty tight budget, so I have to try to make good meals out of the ingredients that are common to man. I figure most people who are my age are in the same position. They can't buy all the really expensive premade stuff from yummy Whole Foods or Central Market. They are sticking to the frozen meals/easy to make meals. When you buy the ingredients for the recipe above, it will actually make two meals. The premade crusts come in a box of two and you don't need a full package of bacon. That's why we love this meal.

 

Yesterday was wayback Wednesday for Matt's pictures. Today, I'm positng some of mine. Now, I should probably post some of Daniel's baby pictures because he is my twin in male form. If Noah takes after me, he will probably look like Daniel as a baby. I'm so excited to see what my wild baby Noah is going to look like. All I know is that I'm sure Noah's looking pretty cute these days....

 

23 Weeks: Confession and Dimples

Along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: Noah is the size of a large mango. Noah has now developed the ability to swallow and his little pink taste buds are developed. His ears are also registering sounds from the outside world. Boy, do I know it. I have felt movement with him when there are certain loud sounds. It is amazing!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:   I’m guessing 7. I haven’t weighed myself today. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow, so I will have the full count for sure.   

Maternity Clothes:   Mostly just loose stuff that I’ve owned in the past. I’m down to about two pairs of pants. My co-worker lent me some (like I’ve said in the past), this is probably the weekend where I need to go through and see what will fit. Tops aren’t a problem; pants are becoming limited.

Gender:   A boy! Noah Walker Clem.

Movement:  Yes. Best news of all: Matt felt him last night. It’s still hard for Matt to distinguish between my breathing and stomach movement versus his kicking and stomach movement, but he felt the “thump.” We both got really excited.

Sleep:  It’s rough- I’m not going to lie. I’ve been grumpy because of it (poor Matt, I know). I’m having trouble sleeping soundly and really falling asleep. I know it’s because he is growing and my body is adjusting. I also always wake up famished. My body must be on overload mode when I sleep and use all my stored energy from food. I feel like I haven’t eaten for days when I wake up.  

What I miss:    Sound sleep

Cravings:  G2 Gatorade (Raspberry Melon to be specific), Ice water, Chocolate, Fruit, Chicken

Symptoms: Heartburn and fatigue are probably the two biggest symptoms

Best Moment This Week: Matt and I took my Dad and brother on in tennis doubles Sunday night. We lost, but it was a lot of fun. Matt just started playing and can already beat me. He is now obsessed and would probably play every day if I let him. We are taking on the Baker’s on Friday night. Let’s hope we bring our A game!

Confession: Today I ate two cookies, a cupcake, and some peanut m&m's. My co-worker says I'm going to have a chunky monkey. I think he might have a chunky monkey as a mother. Oh well. Tomorrow, I'll eat better-maybe. We are going to the Saltlick, so I can't make any big promises. Okay, so FRIDAY, I will cut back on the sweets.

Sidenote: Here is Matt as a little nugget. I'm hoping Noah gets his looks (especially the dimples).

Week 22



Along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: Noah is the size of a head of cabbage. Noah is about 7 ½ to 8 inches long head to rear and weighs about 1 pound.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:   I’m down 1-2 pounds. I think a lot of it has to do with water weight. We shall see. I have another appointment next Thursday.  

Maternity Clothes:   Mixture of both. I took a picture today of the work clothes attire. I think I might actually look pregnant and not look a cookie monster.

Gender:   A super cute, little boy named Noah Walker. (Ok, I’m bias)

Movement:  Yes. Yes. Yes. I love it. It’s such an amazing gift to be able to feel him. The best is when Matt and I are talking about him, and I feel Noah start to move. I know he doesn’t know his name or know we are talking about him, but it always makes me smile. I usually tell Matt that Noah agreed; he gave me belly confirmation.

Sleep:  Blah. It’s not the best. I have been waking up a lot. I then have trouble falling back asleep. Let’s just say, I know God is preparing us from some sleepless nights to come when Noah enters the world.

What I miss:    Sleeping soundly, summer vacation (oh wait, that doesn’t have anything to do with being pregnant) and being able to fit into my pants.

Cravings: Ice water, Sweets, Fruit, Salad, Teacher’s Casserole (one of my mom’s specialties)

Symptoms: foot cramps, tail bone pain, heartburn, fatigue

Best Moment This Week: Matt and I found the new apartment complex/townhomes we hope to move into around August. We are first on the waiting list, and I think are chances are really good. We both love it and feel very safe. It will be nice being only 3.3 miles away from work. There also are a lot of nice places to run/walk. It has a very small, quiet, community atmosphere. I have never been a north Austin girl, but I’m willing to give it a shot for a year or two.



The pictures this week were rough. Long week. This is the best we got. Humidity=frizz.

 

Car Trouble

Matt and I have the worst luck with cars. Maybe it's just I have the worst luck with cars. I will post the 22 week post later tonight. Let's just say one flat tire, one missing torque wrench, 7 lug nuts that wouldn't budge, one trip to sears, two car jacks, a broken car jack, two calls to tow truck companies and five hours later, I finally made it home. Sorry for the delay on the belly update. Matt did treat me to Chick-fil-a after the long day! I couldn't have survived without him.

I am grateful that when my tire blew out, I was not injured. I am safe and sound. God protected both me and Noah, and we are singing His praises this morning.

P.S.- I can't find my phone. Foggy Brain Syndrome strikes again.

Noah's First Monogram

We received this precious monogrammed blanket from Matt's sister Judi and brother-in-law Jimmy in the mail. Let's just say we are obsessed. :)

Two Quick Fix Meals

SWISS STUFFING CHICKEN

Ingredients:
4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
6 oz. Mozzarella or Swiss cheese slices
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup herb-flavored crushed up Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place uncooked chicken in shallow buttered casserole dish. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 1 hour.

NO NOODLE LASAGNA

Ingredients:
 1.25 pound package of Jenny O lean turkey 93/7
 one jar of Bertolli organic spaghetti sauce
 1 cup reduced fat Italian style grated cheese
small container of low fat ricotta cheese
Fresh basil shredded
 Your choice of veggies (I like fresh spinach boiled and sautéed mushrooms)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook ground turkey thoroughly in pan. Drain. Put half of cooked ground turkey in a glass baking dish. Put entire container of ricotta cheese over turkey. Then put half of jar of spaghetti sauce over cheese. Put veggies over this and sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese. Put remaining ground turkey and sauce. Then cover with the rest of cheese. Sprinkle with desired amount of basil. Put in oven for 25 min.

I wanted to share two recipes that the Clem’s have recently tried out and found to be VERY successful and VERY easy.  With the busy work week, I am always looking for quick fix meals that can bake in the oven for a bit while Matt and I get to enjoy some quality time together. These two main dishes require very little prep (always a plus). I also love these two meals because you can add vegetables and bread with them to enjoy a complete meal (semi-healthy). Of course, Bluebell ice cream is really needed to make a complete meal but that real probably only applies to the Clem household.  (un-healthy)

 Hope you had a wonderful weekend full of friends, family, fellowship, and food!

Natalie

Why Noah?

Let me be honest in saying that it is tough to name children. I never imagined we would have such a difficult time (especially with girl names) coming to an agreement. Matt had mentioned Noah in the very beginning of our pregnancy. I of course LOVE the name, but for whatever reason, I didn’t think much about it. I kept thinking we’d go more with a family name. As the gender reveal became closer, Matt and I decided we wouldn’t talk names until we knew whether we were having a boy or a girl-there were way too many hurt feelings on my part when he didn’t like my “unusual” names. Not talking about baby names wasn’t really possible for me though. I always want to talk baby names. I have been naming rocks, dogs, cats, trees, computers and cars my whole life. I used to distract myself while running with thinking about scenarios such as if I have sextuplets, what will I name all of the babies?  Yes. I might have a slight obsession with naming things.

Anyways, about 5 weeks ago, Matt and I were cooking dinner and I decided it was time to bring up names again. I asked him if he’d thought anymore about it and he said not really. I then said, remember in the beginning how we talked about Noah, what about NOAH? Matt lit up with a HUGE smile and quickly replied yes-Noah. As we talked more about it, it made perfect sense. Noah means comforter and peaceful. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Noah has brought both comfort and peace to our apartment YET, but I would go as far as to say that God has. He has been nothing but faithful throughout this whole process.  We are just daily reminded that this is HIS child and not our own. We just get the privilege of raising him in a Godly home, encouraging and instructing Noah with the love of Christ

In the Bible, Noah “walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9) What more could parents want but a child that daily walks with the Lord? We pray that Noah will be remembered for his “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 1:2)  We cannot wait to welcome this little blessing into our lives at the end of October.  We cannot wait to see what God has in store for our family.

This is the video from the sonogram. I completely understand if you think it is a little strange that we posted it. I never really understood why people were so obsessed with sonograms, but once you have your own, you will be. If you pass on watching it, it will not hurt my feelings. :)

5 Pregnancy Necessities at 21 weeks

1)      Tylenol. With my little Noah man and his growth spurts, pain is something I typically deal with on a daily basis. I don’t take a lot of Tylenol (maybe once-twice a week), but it is a good thing to keep around with a growing baby boy.

2)     Snoogle. This pillow has helped tremendously. If I try sleeping without it, I have an even harder time getting comfortable. It helps provide support for my back/body and keeps me sleeping on my side. I have always been a back sleeper, so I still find myself on my back sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night. This pillow has helped me adjust. A great gift for a pregnant woman if you ask me. Matt says he plans on using it once Noah is born. If he has taken a nap before I come home, you can bet your bottom dollar he is napping with the snoogle. It’s a great investment.

3)   Exercise. When Ashley was gone, I had a lot of trouble with back pain. Since being back to my normal runs with Ashley and a new edition Catherine, I have seen a HUGE difference in my lower back pain. I work at a desk in a cubicle all day, and I think without exercise my back was feeling the weight of sitting and being stationary. Now that running is back in the ball game, I do not have as much lower back pressure. I am going to keep this running up until the third trimester and see what I/my doctor is comfortable with from there. Catherine heads back to New York around the middle of July and Ashley and Luke are moving at the end of the July, so it probably will be perfect timing to slow down the running and hit up the stationary bike or pool.

4)     Ice water. I crave it. I need it. I get a headache without it. Dehydration is a really bad thing for the baby, so this is something that I’m always drinking. I even take a water bottle to church. I know it’s only an hour and a half without water, but I feel terrible if I don’t drink it throughout the day. I do have to pee all the time as a result, but ice water is a must.

5)     Snacks. I have always tried to be a 3 meal a day girl with 2 snacks throughout the day. With Noah, I’m much more of a snacker. I find that I feel so much better if I have a little something every two to three hours. After dinner, I don’t really snack but I’m usually in bed (you know, around 9:30), so I don’t really need it. Some of my favorite snacks are sweets. Surprise. Surprise. I usually eat a Snickers bar a day for one of those snacks, but try to stick with fruit, cheese, and granola bars for the rest. You are only supposed to increase your calorie count by 300 calories while pregnant, so I keep my meals normal size. My mom gained 28 pounds with both Daniel and I, so I’m hoping to stick around 20-30. We shall see. There is a super good chance I will weigh more than Matt at the end of October. Cute. I know.

21 Weeks: Noah's Got A Left Hook

In front of the UT tower

There's my lovely lady bump!

Along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: Noah is the size of a BANANA. Noah is now around three-quarters of a pound and nearly 11 inches long. He has fully formed eyelids and eyebrows. Another growth spurt is about to happen- he is going to start packing on the baby chub.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  7 pounds. I weighed myself today.

Maternity Clothes:   Oma and Opa (Matt’s grandparents) sent me some precious maternity tops. I’ve been wearing those a lot just because they are light and comfortable in this 100 degree weather. I haven’t worn any maternity pants yet. If I need pants, I’m usually rocking the leggings or shorts. I wear a lot of dresses as well that are non-maternity.

Gender:  It is a healthy and active BOY.

Movement:  All the time. He has a great left hook (or at least that’s my theory). I’m looking forward to the day when Matt can feel Noah. I think that will happen around 24 weeks. My mom and Matt’s mom warned me that very soon, I will have random people approach me wanting to touch my belly. I’m not sure how I’ll respond, but if it’s too uncomfortable, maybe Noah will kick their hands off. I know-wishful thinking.

Sleep: I no longer sleep like a rock. I have a hard time falling back asleep when I wake up. This morning I woke up at 5:15 and didn’t fall back asleep. I also have a harder time falling asleep. It takes me a little while longer to get comfortable now. This humidity hasn’t helped either. I’m always a little toasty at night.

What I miss:   I don’t miss much. I said that last week but with a healthy baby, I really can’t complain.

Cravings:  Mangos, Green Apples, Snickers, Peanut butter

Symptoms: Charlie Horses, Hip Pain, Heart burn

Best Moment This Week: The whole weekend with Matt’s mom. There was lots of fellowship, food and laughter. I even ate some of her apple pie tonight after dinner. YUMMMMMY!

Normal Bump Picture

Now with some SASS.......