Monday, November 21, 2011

Leftover Ham Casserole- The Best!!!

So I made a super delicious ham and had plenty of leftovers. I decided to find some new recipes to use up leftover ham. While the most common uses tend to be ham and pea soup, ham and bean soup, scalloped potatoes and ham, eggs and ham I wanted to learn more about how to use leftover ham in casseroles. 

I have been really interested in using casseroles since they are typically a one-dish easy to make meal for the entire family! Plus with it being winterish now casseroles are an easy comfort food.

I found two recipes and combined them into my own and it turned out AMAZING!!!

~Leftover Ham Casserole~
2 cups ham
1/3 bag of egg noodles
1 can mixed vegetables
2 cups milk
2 Tbl flour
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
1 tsp mustard (NOT dried mustard, but the kind you put on your hotdogs, haha)
1 cup shredded cheese
toasted slivered almonds OR corn flakes for topping

Cook noodles until al dente, drain and rinse with cool water. In a small casserole dish mix noodles, ham, vegetables together. Slowly heat up the milk, flour, salt, pepper and mustard together and bring to a boil until thickened. Stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour over noodle ham mixture and sprinkle your topping of choice on then I put on some aluminum foil over the top and heat thoroughly at 350F. Took mine about 20 minutes.

I used a can of mixed vegetables because that is what I had on hand. You could really use any vegetable you have on hand. If it's canned great, otherwise you could pre cook the vegetables (depending on what kind you choose to use) and add to the noodle ham mixture otherwise maybe it would work just fine if you threw them in raw to make them more crunchy? 

That is what I am loving about casseroles, the recipes are so flexible you can really personalize them!

Happy Cooking!!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Baby Days

So far so good with three kids under the age of. . . almost 2 1/2!!!! 

Ivana is doing well, gaining weight and nursing has been going fabulous!!! I'm so thankful for all the reading and encouragement from friends this time around with breastfeeding and nursing :) Nursing in public has been super easy thus far and I don't look around at other people even if they look at me. I just ignore them. Seriously, if they have a problem with it that is just fine with me - just don't say anything about it to me. . . Haha, they would be risking getting a lecture :D haha

The other kids just love having a baby sister and I'm so proud that our little family has bonded so well! I'm so thankful, praise the Lord!!!

This week I have been itching to get my Christmas decor out but I must hold off another week and a half about since I don't want to jump the gun and decorate earlier than our tradition of decorating on Thanksgiving weekend. I don't want to take the joy out of decorating that weekend! We are also getting our tree that weekend too.

I'm still keeping an eye out for a menorah for Hanukkah, I like lighting the candles but otherwise we don't celebrate it in the traditional sense. Maybe I will find one at Goodwill when I go shopping later this week. You never know what you might find in those thrifty stores! 

I'm slowly working on getting our Christmas letter list put together as well as picking out the right card and writing our yearly family update. We are waiting to get our family picture taken until we get our Christmas tree up since we couldn't get a family picture earlier as we wanted to include the newest member of our family in the Christmas picture!!! Being in my tummy didn't count :)

I've also been planning our Christmas gifts for family this year. It's just a matter of putting the gifts together now. That is the nice thing about having a baby and the other kids having nap time in the afternoon- I get time to think! Just have to make sure I have a notebook and pen when I get my ideas! 

Well, time to sign off and feed baby! Hope to continue to post little updates every once in a while as time (and baby and kids) allow me!

~KT~

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Baby Finally Here!!!


Ivana Lea was finally born 11-2-11 and was 7 pounds 15 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long!!! Lots of nice dark hair!!!

Nursing is going fabulous and after weighing myself this morning (11-9) I'm only 2 pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight with her! (Still 10 pounds from my pre-pre pregnancy weight before my first but I will worry about that later!).

I will post the birth story later but soo thankful God gave us a safe birthing experience and Ivana and I are both healthy with no complications. Praise the Lord!!! 

This Thanksgiving is so special, we have 3 blessings to be thankful for!

I will catch up later as time allows.

Lovin' being a mommy ~KT~

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November!


Today I was watching the local tv morning cooking show and they showcased this neat little coffee shop and they had this latte they make called "November Nirvana". It had vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon in it. I thought it sounded so yummy I decided to try out that  flavor combination myself here at home!

I made my espresso, heated and foamed my milk. I used 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, a nice heaping teaspoon (probably closer to a 1/2 tablespoon!) of non-packed brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. When everything was ready I mixed it all together and sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon on top.

It was heavenly! If I ever get time and money to go to that coffee shop that show cased this flavor combo for a latte I sure will visit!!!

Today I am thankful for the family God is blessing my husband and I with. Since it's November and Thanksgiving is coming up I tend to think more of the blessings I have - although I should be doing that year round- and today that is my "thankful for". 

Still waiting to meet baby #3. I think today will be the day despite contractions being 20 minutes apart. I am hoping and praying to meet baby soon and today would be a great day to have a baby! 

I saw on the radar today that there was actually some purple! Meaning snow and rain/snow mix!!! Then I looked at our specific forecast and there is snow forecast for either tonight or tomorrow night. I can't remember. How exciting! Fall is quickly coming to an end and winter is knockin' on our doors. While I can't say I am totally ready for the bone chilling temps I revel in the changing seasons. I have a few more weeks to start figuring out how to decorate for Christmas! One thing is for sure, I must get some more cinnamon scented pine cones. 

Well I have to continue doing little chores to stay busy before baby comes, maybe the activity will help these contractions turn into active labor! 

~Happy November~
KT