Kicking A$$ and Taking Names

D-Day, January 31st or some random day prior.... That has been our end goal for the never ending list of things that had to get completed including multiple kid's birthdays, mountains of baby/kid's clothes, etc before the baby comes. I'm feeling good about the status of the list. For the anxious post regarding the "list" see the post linked here.

The original list expanded a bit from when it was drafted. Things we couldn't anticipate to include on the list were: Kid with broken leg, found more mold left over from 2014's polar vortex, and the million things I forgot to add to the list to begin with!!

Initial Draft

Hot damn... it's almost done!

I have to say there is one elusive item on the list... pack hospital bag. For some reason I just can't get to this. I think I may be in denial still that we are having a third child although there isn't a second of the day that the agony doesn't remind me. I think we are getting to the point where I may be jinxing a due date baby by not packing it!! It would be nice to wait a few more weeks. Cole will be getting a short cast on the 23rd. That would be nice. I have a few more things to wrap up at school. That would be nice.  A little more space after Coletyn's birthday. That would be nice. We shall see. Cecelia was two weeks early and Coletyn was induced 5 days late!! Your guess is as good as ours!!

Overall, we are in quite good shape I think. Unless I am forgetting something huge!!! 

Two cuddle bugs today!

Dutch Oven... love!

There's a new love in Jason's life... our new dutch oven! I've wanted one for a while and my uncle hit up the Chantal warehouse sale in Houston and scored me a red one!! 

I want to say it's my mad cooking skills at play but for real, this dutch oven is the cat's pajamas. For some reason (maybe the even heat distribution) or another (scraping all the good bits back into the food from the bottom of the pot) my old recipes have new life.

Turkey and wild rice soup in the pic above. This one induced groans and grunts while being consumed. I've tried to make a bunch of stuff that will freeze well and be tasty after we are locked in the house with the newborn. I can't wait to thaw this one!!

In the last few weeks we've done these recipes and they've been amazing in the dutch oven, if you need something new to try as winter officially sets in!!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup (used Thanksgiving's left over turkey)

Pepper Steak

Cheese Broccoli Soup

Beef Stew

Baked Potato Soup

Chicken Pot Pie (the guts)

I have a few recipes that I want to try in the dutch oven. Hopefully I can get to them before this baby drops. My grandmother's steak rolls, beef & broccoli and french onion soup!!

Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!!