Spicing things up...

Please don't let the crappy picture deter you from listening to me when I say...you need to make this recipe!!

We've had a jar of curry powder hanging around for months. We use just a little bit of it each time we make jamaican beef patties (which certainly warrant a post all to themselves, so I'm mentally adding that to the list). But we had a BIG bottle and it was getting used up slowly. I was watching Barefoot Contessa the other day and saw her make this curry chicken salad. We were feeling adventerous and decided to try it. Yes, I know it's sad that curry = adventerous...but it's true :)

Here's the link to Ina's recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-chicken-wraps-recipe/index.html

I've made a few changes though which work well for us...

1 whole rotisserie chicken
2/3 c. light mayo
1/2 c. light sour cream
1/3 c. dry white wine (I used vermouth last time and it worked just fine. This time I had a bottle of reisling so I used that. did you know that when Erin stops drinking, wine lasts more than 1 day in the fridge? amazing)
1/4 c. mango chutney
only ONE tb. curry powder (one was definitely more than enough, 3 to me is overkill!)
1 c. diced celery
1/4 c. chopped scallions
I omit the raisins, just a personal preference
1 c. cashews (I like to toast them in a dry pan before adding them)

You NEED the cashews. that's a must. This salad is so delicious. So what if you stink of curry for a whole day after?!? :)

On a related note...we're finally ready to buy a new camera. So hopefully one day in the near future, the pictures I post won't look like garbage. New baby definitely means new camera. VERY excited about this!

25 weeks!

So suddenly, this isn't a little baby bump anymore! That's a big fat belly :) I swear, I left for Florida with a little bump and overnight it turned into this!

Time really seems to be flying...this picture is a stark reminder that things are moving along! 25 weeks!! crazy.

Love Is All You Need

Designing the nursery has definitely been one of the most fun experiences of the entire pregnancy so far! I started on it right away. I knew I wanted to do something a bit different and spent a lot of time on the internet searching for fun ideas. I came across this website early on...

http://homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/12/unique_nursery_decoratingideas.php

(no worries, folks. We will not be naming the baby Abbey Rhode :)

I loved this idea. I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate The Beatles into the nursery. I spent a lot of time as a kid listening to The Beatles. To this day, they are one of Scott and my favorite bands. Plus, my dad is a huge (HUGE!) Beatles fan and I knew I could count on him to find us some unique stuff for the nursery.

After some time searching on the internet I found the perfect nursery bedding! Seriously perfect. Of course, also not being made anymore. Just for shits and giggles, I sent a desperate plea to the manufacturer and wouldn't you know, they had ONE more in the warehouse and it was all mine! To top it all off, I managed to get it for free :)

Next up, scouring Ebay for Beatles albums. I had a lot of luck, I'm happy to report. So baby will have some pretty sweet Beatles albums up on the wall. That is if I don't steal them for other parts of the apartment first! Plus, my wonderful coworker, Merridy, hooked me up with a bunch of albums from her personal collection and my dad bought us a great lithograph of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band. If I had known how wonderful and generous people were when it comes to a new baby, I would have done this years ago! I kid...I kid...

I am still on the hunt for a few more, but I found the most important ones, so I'm a happy camper. We really want to focus on the most colorful album covers - Sgt. Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine. If nothing else, baby is going to have a damn good taste in music!


Last, but not least, I scored some fantastic fabric! I know that I'm going to make a tablecloth for a round table I have, but beyond that I have 2 yards to play around with. This is where you good folks out there in the "intertubes" come in! I need ideas! Keep in mind, my sewing skills are, well, mediocre at best. I like to sew in straight lines :) I'm getting better but I'm far from good. So, probably a few pillows for the rocking chair...but what else?!? help me out!

I'll post updates later in the spring as we start to get the nursery together! The crib arrived a few weeks and we have a great storage unit...so things are really starting to come together :) I'm thinking it's about time to start putting everything together. Well, we'll wait on the crib for now in order to keep the guest bed. But I can get started on everything else! can't wait.