Sauteed Chicken with Asparagus

The other night I tried a new recipe from Everyday Food. I was worried it would not have much flavor, so at the end I mixed in some soy sauce and ginger-garlic sauce. It was a hit! The only thing I left out was the mushrooms, because....ick. Oh I also only used 1 pound of asparagus. 2 pounds seemed like a lot. But it would be a good way to stretch out the meal for more people. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4.

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6), cut into 2-inch pieces
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
* 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch lengths
* Cooked noodles or rice (optional)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in two batches, turning occasionally, until browned and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. To skillet, add mushrooms, asparagus, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing once and scraping up browned bits, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook, tossing, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve on top of noodles or rice, if desired.

Ultrasound #2

We went in for our second ultrasound this morning. She wasn't able to see anything on the outside which freaked me out a little. But I think I didn't drink enough water. So, inside she went. The baby was wiggling around with a heartbeat of 185 bpm. The dr. says that around this time is when it peaks, so it's not too high. The baby measures perfectly for dates. All is good!

I will still feel better one we hit 12 weeks. Jimi jokes that I'll feel better when the baby is born. I just don't have that pregnancy innocence. I know that it is a fragile thing. But I am really feeling like this one is going to stick. That makes me happy and freaks me out! Hopefully at my 12 week appt. I'll get to hear the hb with the doppler. :)

A little update and some ramblings

First off, for those not in the know, we are pregnant...again. We are hoping this pregnancy sticks. But for now, we are just enjoying each day as it comes. Our new doctor seems way more on the ball than my last one, so that is good. We would love to switch over to a midwife but still have to discuss that. We have time to figure it all out.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but we are here in Eugene for at least another year. I have been traveling to Portland less and less to visit too. It costs a lot for us to do, and I would like to have Jimi come with us more. I can't believe I have been in Eugene for 16 months. Wow. I made some great friends in Portland in only 6 months. I have one friend here in Eugene. Hmmm..... So I have decided that I really need to be a bit more outgoing and make some friends. We go to a weekly playdate at a local gymnastics place and that is nice. But I haven't met up with any of the moms outside of that day. It's one of my main goals this year. We need some friends. :)

Eleanor is taking karate through the Parks and Rec. She loves it. She starts Clay Play tomorrow too. It's "school" to her. I am thinking that once business picks up for Jimi, I may sign her up for a preschool co-op here in town. It's $100-$150 a month, which isn't bad. But we would need to budget for it. Since it's a co-op, I would get to volunteer there a few times a month. I'm not set on it yet, just thinking about it. I love the Waldorf school, but it is way too spendy for us.

Surrender Box

My Daily Om for today:

Surrender Box
A Place For Worries and Fears

There are times when our minds become too full. Our to-do lists, worries, plans, and dreams may be so crowded together in our heads that we don’t have room to think. We may believe that we are somehow taking care of our desires and concerns by keeping them at the forefront of our minds. In maintaining our mental hold on every detail, however, we may actually delay the realization of our dreams and the resolution of our worries because we won’t let them go. At times such as these, we may want to use a surrender box.

A surrender box allows us to let go of our worries and desires so the universe can take care of them for us. We write down what we want or need to happen and then place the note into a box. By writing and placing our thoughts in the box, we are taking action and letting the universe know we need help and are willing to surrender our feelings. We give ourselves permission to not concern ourselves with that problem any longer and trust that the universe is taking care of it. You may even want to decorate your box and place it in a special place. Your surrender box is a sacred container for your worries. Not only do you free up space in your mind by letting go of our worries and desires and dropping them into your surrender box, but you are giving your burden over to a higher power. Once we drop our worries and desires into the surrender box, we free our minds so we can be fully present in each moment.

Surrendering our worries and concerns and placing them in the hands of the universe doesn’t mean that we’ve given up or have been defeated. Instead, we are releasing the realization of our desires and the resolution of our worries and no longer concerning ourselves with their outcomes. It’s always fun to go back and pull the slips of paper out of the box once your requests have been granted. And it’s amazing how quickly problems go away and dreams come true when we finally let go and allow a higher power to help us.