Menu Monday (on Wednesday!)

I got so busy on monday uploading and doing the 9 month post that I totally forgot about Menu Monday!!! I was going to let it slide until next week but then made a delicious meal tonight and just had to share it! :) It was my first time making it and it was very simple. Also, most of the cook time is done in the oven, so that makes it even better :) I paired it with green beans as a side and within 30 mins we were eating dinner...

Chicken Crescent Bundles
8 Servings Prep 10 min Bake 20-25 min

2 pckg (3oz each) cream cheese, softnened
4 tlbs butter, melted, divided
2 tlbs minced chives
2 tbls milk
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tubes (8oz each) refridge. crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing

IN a small bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 tbls butter, chives, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken.
UNROLL the crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about a 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down.
TRANSFER to two ungreased baking sheets. ***Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; trans squares to a covered freezer container. May be frozen for up to 2 months.*** Bake remaining squares at 350 for 20-25 min or until golden brown.
***This is optional if the amount is great than you want to make..

Tips:
*If you are not a big fan of chives like me, you can subsitute with any of your favorite spices. I used an italian blend of spices that I make when preparing spaghetti
*You can add garlic to your mixture bowl to give it a kick of flavor.
*At the end, use spray butter to substitute for melted. Spray crescent roll, sprinkle with bread crumbs, spray again so they don't burn.
*Use a seasoned bread crumb (like herb) to give it extra flavor on top!

ENJOY!

~**~Nicole~**~

Swing Video

Finally got it to upload for me :)

9 Months

Another month has come and gone... and way too fast. Hailey amazes us everyday with all that she can do and is learning. She is getting so good at crawling... and esp. crawling away! She is a little speed demon now and is out of sight in no time. Her favorite thing to do is try and chase the dogs. She will start after one of them and then of course they are too fast for her, so she turns around and looks at me like where did they go?? It is too funny. She also thinks the stairs are the coolest thing and we have to keep a doggie door in front of them. She has been giving all kinds of lovin lately. She will wrap her arms around you and give the biggest hug that a little 9 month old could give. And it is something that can just melt your heart :) She also gives plenty of slobbery kisses... which sometimes can feel more like she is about to eat your face for a snack!
Everyday she wants to be a bigger girl than she is. She wants big girl food, off of a big girl plate, and wants to stand up like a big girl to eat it! She will crawl over to me on the floor while we are eating dinner (yes in front of the tv!) and pulls up on my knee to a standing position and then looks at me like ok I am ready to eat now!
Two days before she turned 9 months, she finally broke her 3rd tooth thru. It was the top right and gave us a heck of a Saturday. She was sick to her stomach on both accounts and was very fussy. It is still making its grand appearance... but can def. hurt you if you stick you finger any where near it!! The past 9 months have been such a blessing for us and we are so thankful that God gave us such a miracle in Hailey :)

9 Months

Park weather

I can swing !

It was such good weather this weekend that we took HB to the park after church on Sunday :) She absolutely LOVED the swings! She was laughing and kicking her legs the whole time. We got such a kick out of it... she was hilarious. She also loved watching all the other kids play on the playground. We stayed for about 45 mins and she wore herself out. She slept hard while mommy and daddy did some shopping afterwards! ;)

(video to come soon.. couldnt get youtube to upload)

Almost Walking

Even tho she is just shy of 9 months and mom and dad def. don't want her walking yet... she is trying so hard! She wants to walk so bad that she can't stand it. She pulls up on EVERYTHING and will let go and try to start walking. She even lets go of her walker and then starts walking again. We also have a climber on our hands. She loves to try and climb on her walker and get on the couch... such a ham!
The video is a bit shaky.. but you get the point ;)

Big Girl Bath

Hailey is now in the "big girl bath". She was getting to big for the infant one, even tho she like to relax while mom got her clean! Now she loves to splash, crawl, and swim. She takes a dip right in the end... but thought it was funny when I turned off the camera :)

Menu Monday

This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes :)

Makeover Nacho Beef Bake
prep 25 min Bake 20 min 12 servings

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef/turk
1 can (15oz) blck beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
2 tubes (8oz each) refridgerated reduced fat crescent rolls
1 cup (8oz) reduced fat sour cream
1 cup(4oz.) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
4 oz. baked nacho tortilla chips (about 2 cups) crushed
3 cups shredded lettuce
3 md tomatoes chopped (or one can diced tomatoes)

IN a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. add the beans, water and taco seasoning, mash slightly. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until heated through; set aside
UNROLL crescent dough and press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray; seal seams and perforations. Spoon beef mixture over dough. Spread sour cream over beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese and chips.
BAKE, uncovered, at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pc = 357 calories. 15g fat (6g sat. fat) 41 mg cholesterol, 728mg sodium, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 20g protein.

Very simple and very easy... it is a lot of servings, but it is so good that I usualy make the whole thing, just divide in half when moving to a baking dish and put one in a throw away freezer dish :)

ENJOY!

~**~Nicole~**~