Picture Recipe Wednesday Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Another fly by the seat of my pants recipe!

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out one of the Pillsbury seamless dough sheets.

Then take your favorite Alfredo sauce, for us it is Bertolli's and then spread it on the dough.

Like so, typically I a little more than half the jar for this part.

When I have no leftover chicken I used canned.  I have found the kind from Costco is the only kind I can stand the taste of.

Then drain the can, shred the chicken and place it on top of your pizza.  I never use all of the chicken in the can, but to each their own.

Then I cover it with the sauce that is left over.

Then I sprinkle parmesan cheese over top of it.

Like so.

Now I typically cook this anywhere between 20-30 minutes, just checking on it frequently so that it does not burn.

Enjoy!

Trust Me Tuesday's Christmas Edition

Christmas Edition

My favorite time of the year is by far Christmas!  I just feel it brings everyone together and puts them in an overall happy mood in spite of the gloomy weather.  

Now most people go all out at Christmas time, between the decorations and gifts, they devote everything to Christmas.

I must admit I do go all out with decorating.  I have scaled back a little this year in order to get a "theme" under way.  But here is my thought on gifting.

TRUST ME!

Every year I sit down and make a list of the people we would like to get gifts for.  It seems that each year the list gets longer and longer and the money in the back is less and less.

I have become more and more aware that for most adults, it means so much more to them if you make it!  Kids on the other hand are more about quantity.  So for them I try to wrap each individual gift so it looks like a lot.  

This year I handmade or added my own personal touches to 75% of the gifts under our tree.  

I believe all in all I have spent roughly $100 thus far.  Now I have yet to purchase anything for Chris but we have agreed to wait until after Christmas when we have some of our bills caught up before we buy our gifts for eachother. 

And as far as Alex goes, when I make something or buy something for him I typically just give it to him.  A couple of months ago we joined the Disney Movie Club and just purchase movies for him as time goes along and we said then that would be his Christmas gift.  But I have purchased two things and put them under the tree and a few movies and day to day needs in his stocking.  

I just can't justify saving the things I have purchased for him at this point when a.) he won't remember it (other than the photos I will take) and b.)  so many other people have bought him such great gifts and he will be thoroughly overwhelmed with toys and such.  

So this year as guilty as it makes me I will be that mom that gave her child everything she bought him before Christmas.  **Apart from a few things.** 

But through this jumble of words all I am trying to get across it that you do not need to blow your budget on Christmas and then when you take the time to think things through and hand make something it will mean that much more.

Show & Tell Monday's Christmas Talk

First let me start by giving you my excuse/reason for my absence.

We have been incredibly busy here, between issues at our own home and my mother falling and breaking her leg this week.  We have just barely had time to spend as a family so that was my goal for when we had 5 minutes.

SO tonight I will be working on getting all of my posts scheduled for the week so I do not even have to think about them.

1. Tell us what your favorite thing about Christmas is.

I would have to say my favorite thing about Christmas is being with ALL of my family.  It is one of the very few times of the year that we are all together, or the majority of us anyway.  It is so nice to watch each family open gifts, tell funny jokes and reminiscing about growing up and my grandpa.  It is also fun now that the kids are all growing up to share a drink with one another.  

2.  Tell us what your plans are for Christmas is this year. 

Well as of now Chris and I are both working on Christmas Day.  So for Alex Santa will be coming the morning of Christmas Eve.  Then after the Disney Parade on TV and breakfast, we will get ready, go to visit my Grandpa and Cousin's graves (they are right next to each other), then head to Chris's parents house.  They typically celebrate on Christmas Day but since we have to work we will miss it yet again!  Chris and I both worked Christmas Day last year as well.   After we finish up there we will be heading to my Mom's side of the family's celebration.  

And since Chris and I are both working Alex will spend Christmas Day with my parents and brother and sister while they spend the day at my dad's parents house with his family who have a few people who have yet to meet Alex.

3.  Show us a picture of Christmas in the past or present.

This is our Christmas card this year.  And the best part is I took it!

4.  Do you wrap all of the presents in one big box or do you like to wrap each present separately?

I prefer to wrap each present individually at Christmas, especially for little kiddos.  No matter how small it makes them think they are getting more!  Plus it makes under the tree look prettier.  

But another thing I like to do is pick a wrapping paper for each side of the family, Alex and Chris, then me.  SO they each have a different paper, making it easier to grab presents before we leave.

5.  Tell us about any traditions you or you and your family like to do.

Well each year all of the girls on my Mom's side of the family get together and do an ornament exchange.  It is kind of like a White Elephant but we stick to Christmas themed gifts.  And my mom, sister and I get together sometime before Christmas Eve and make a ton of cookies and fudge from scratch to take to the Christmas Eve party and lay out for Santa.  

Traditions Chris and I have had are mainly to sleep in, eat a big breakfast and spend as much time together before work.  And at some point we go to the Festival of Lights at the zoo.

But since we have Alex now we are looking to add more to the mix.  Some we have started already.  I plan to do something with his handprint or footprint for each holiday.  We have done Halloween and Thanksgiving, and we have some summer themed ones as well.   Another I plan to do is to take him to see Santa every year, we are going tomorrow morning!  

We will continue to go to the Festival of Lights each year.  

I also plan to take Alex to get a new ornament every year, put a tree in his room and we will decorate it with those ornaments.  

And of course once he is old enough we will start Elf on the Shelf.

Trust Me Tuesday Baby Registry Edition

So today I am going to start a series of Trust Me Tuesday.  Where each week I give my opinion on one topic, be it a broad topic or a specific thing.  

This week I have chosen to blog about Baby Registries.

As Mom's to be we are so excited to make the registry for our baby showers!  It is so exciting to go to the store and pick out all of the things for your future son or daughter.

NOW here is where I will get real with you.  You do not need half of the stuff they have in the store.

TRUST ME!

Coming from a Mommy on a budget, I think I know pretty well.

The less of the unnecessary items you register for the more likely you are to get your important items, and then if you get all of the important items and have extra money or gift cards you can get the luxuries.

Now here are the must haves for your registry.

A crib
Newborn Car Seat and one base for each of your cars
Next size carseat, again one for each car.
Stroller
A baby carrier (I prefer Baby Bjorn over Moby, but get it used,I got my Baby Bjorn for $20 at Once upon a Child))
Jumper
High chair for when they are ready for solids.
Diapers (in all sizes, you will thank me for this in the long run!)
Wipes
Bottles (They will come in handy for the breastfeeding momma's also)
A baby monitor (audio is really all you need, but I will admit I recently splurged on a video monitor and it is fantastic!)
Burp Cloths (the diaper kind)
Bibs with the plastic backs
Backpack
Sheets


Here are the things you DO NOT need.

A wipe warmer
A bottle warmer
Toys (you can pick these up as you go, until they are about 6 months they will only collect dust)
A bouncy seat (You can put them in their car seat and make that bounce)
A walker ( they are not recommended by most doctors, anyway)
Safety items (they are usually so cheap and you don't really need them until closer to 1 year)
A fancy diaper bag.  (You don't need to spend tons of money on a diaper bag that will be filled with poopy diapers and formula or urine or vomit soaked clothes.  Go buy a backpack at Walmart (I think they may be $20, and are very easily replaceable.))
A bed set ( you really just need sheets, bumpers are not recommended and they should not be using the blanket either.)
Changing Table
Receiving Blankets (You will get inundated with these whether you register for them or not)
Clothes (You can stock up at resale shops or consignment events that way you get outfits you like, plus you will get outfits anyway)
Blankets (You will also get inundated with these)




Trust me!  You will thank me if you follow these guidelines

5 Months of Alex

Height: 27 inches

Weight: 16 lbs 8 0z

Diaper Size: Size 3

Feeding: You have done very well with all of the solids!  The only thing we have left for you to try are peaches and pears.  I must say I am a little nervous for peaches since Mommy was allergic when I was your age.

Sleep: Your sleep really has not changed! For which Mommy and Daddy are very thankful and most other new parents are jealous.  

Milestones:  You are a more consistent roller now.  Even rolling more frequently from belly to back.  And you are a pro scooter.  You do circles on the floor in no time flat.  And if those teeth ever come in Mommy would be in heaven.  Lets just say for now you are a pro teether.

Loves:  Your little Woody toy from Grandma B, your binky, and your blanky.

Dislikes:  Sleeping by yourself, and being overly tired. 

Adventures:  Nothing really new.  But we did decorate for your first Christmas and you went to your first Ornament Party with Grandma's S's family.

You got your first true Christmas gift, and you even tore the paper!

OK, I am back!

So we got most of the work done, that needed to be taken care of.  There are still some things to organize and put away, but for the most part things are back in order. 

We were out of the house from about 1pm until 11pm tonight. Alex was with family for most of the day so Chris and I could get stuff done.  

We made a huge grocery run tonight, I mean HUGE!! I don't think we have ever bought so much!

So I will be back tomorrow with Alex's 5 month update and some details on my craft show that I will be doing.

Where I will be.

I will be taking the weekend off of blogging so I can take care of some issues, both personal and familial.  I will do my best to return Monday morning.