The Mommy Games

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Jan102013

Casseroles get a bad rap. It’s such a shame, because they are a great meal option for the whole family. Most are easy to prepare, freeze and reheat well, and are pretty portable. This recipe is one of our all-time favorites. I’ve seriously made this more times than I can count. It’s so simple and yummy. The kind of meal that gets addicting and you end up craving on random Tuesday nights. If you made a resolution to cook more at home this year, I would definitely recommend adding this one to your repertoire. It’s cheesy and homey without being too heavy. It’s also a one-stop-shop for veggie, protein, and carb. Win for mom and fam!

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: casserole, cheese, chicken, dinner, recipe

Rylan 10 Month Summary

Jan82013

I’m sure this past month has flown by for everyone, but seriously, where did 2012 go?! I’m still humming Christmas carols around the house! Somewhere in all this mayhem, Rylan made some huge leaps beyond the baby stage. Christmas was a lot of fun. We visited both mine and Brad’s family, so the boys had like 4 Christmases total. Can you say spoiled! Santa brought both boys trains, with Rylan’s being this larger Disney one with little characters in it. So far, I seem to like it way more than him. Maybe it was being around lots of family members over the holidays, or maybe it was just his time, but he’s seeming less and less like a baby everyday.

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Baby Summaries, Our Family · Tagged With: 10 months, Baby, schedule

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Jan42013

Happy New Year friends! I hope you all got in some much deserved R&R over the holidays. We had a great time with our families, but are happy to be home and back in the swing of things. A good handful of my friends seemed to have come down with a cold in recent days (no doubt all that holiday travel and stress has left us all a little susceptible to the cold and germs), so I thought I would share my recipe for chicken noodle soup. I’m not the biggest fan of chicken broth, so my version combines vegetable and chicken stock to give it a slightly different flavor. It’s really delicious, and super easy. If you have an extra Parmesan rind lying around (I freeze mine) be sure to throw it in, it does amazing things flavor wise! I have a lot of fun new things to share with you all for 2013, so stay tuned!

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Soup · Tagged With: chicken, dinner, noodles, recipe, soup, vegetables

The Wifesaver

Dec212012

Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

Need the perfect dish to serve Christmas morning? Look no further than the Wifesaver! This recipe is courtesy of my lovely mother-in-law, Terri. It is aptly named the Wifesaver because it can be conveniently prepared the night before, then baked up in the morning. It takes about an hour to bake – just enough time to open a few presents before you dig in. The casserole is hearty but not overly heavy. It has almost a quiche-like texture, combined with salty ham, sharp cheddar cheese and a crunchy cereal topping (the Special-K topping, though weird sounding, is awesome). Really delicious, and it makes Christmas morning a snap. Hope your family enjoys this as much as ours!

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes · Tagged With: breakfast, casserole, cheese, christmas, eggs, ham, make ahead

The Best Board Books for Baby

Dec182012

A board book would be the perfect last minute gift for the baby in your life. Even the smallest baby will like to see the colors and will eventually enjoy exploring the book on their own. They are safe, small, and durable. With the holidays right around the corner, I thought this list of our favorites would be helpful if you are looking to pick up something small and special to put in a stocking or give to a friend who recently had a baby.

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Must Haves · Tagged With: Baby, board books, books, books for baby, gifts

National Blogging Day of Remembrance

Dec172012

· Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: national blogging day of remembrance

Iced Molasses Cookies

Dec142012

Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

I have felt totally overwhelmed by the amount of holiday goodies floating around this apartment in recent weeks. My sweet mother bakes like a fiend this time of year, and always sends us a huge care package (or 2) so that we get to sample everything before we arrive down south. This is one of her classic Christmas cookie recipes (although she tends to make them whenever the urge strikes, not just at Christmas). The cookie is moist and lightly spiced, with a delicious and pretty icing glaze on top. And they are super easy – no rolling or cutting required. Perfect to give away to your friends and spread some holiday cheer!

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Recipes, Sweets · Tagged With: christmas, cookies, dessert, icing, molasses

Rylan 9 Month Summary

Dec122012

This past month has been all about movement for Rylan. Long gone are the days where he will contentedly sit in our arms. Now he’s rearing to go and will wiggle and squirm until he’s down on the ground where he wants to be. He’s still only crawling about half the time, as he seems to get really excited and realizes that he actually moves faster pulling himself on his belly. Poor kid’s gonna give himself rug burn. Even bottle feedings have become a bit of a challenge since he doesn’t want to sit still the whole time.

[Read more…]

· Filed Under: Baby Summaries, Our Family · Tagged With: 9 months, Baby, crawling, schedule