What's For Dinner Monday: 26 Weeks Pregnant

Over the weekend I was given a large bag full of green tomatillos! (Squee!!)  We love tomatillos but usually have to resort to the grocery store variety.  Luckily for us, the recent hard freeze in the area made many gardeners have to harvest early and I benefit from that!

A good friend, N, is an older lady with a beautiful garden in her backyard.  She gave some space over to a mutual Hispanic friend who wanted to grow tomatillos.  L had more in her harvest than she could use, so N offered them to me, after I strategically angled after them some months ago.  I never thought there was a hope of getting any, but God is very good.

So tonight is a family favorite for dinner: Chicken Tomatillo Soup.  It's just chilly enough outside to make it feel like soup weather.  Here's the recipe:




Ingredients

8 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. chili powder, to taste
1 tsp cumin, to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper (a little bit of spiciness)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cups finely chopped tomatillos (about 8, remove husks, wash, chop)
4 cups cooked diced chicken
2 cans pinto beans, drained
4 cloves garlic pressed
Optional:
freshly squeezed lime
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In large pot, combine chicken broth, canned tomatoes with juice, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, chopped onion, oregano, green chiles, and chopped tomatillos. Simmer about 30 minutes, until onions and tomatillos are tender and flavors are blended. Add cilantro and lime juice now.

Add diced chicken, pinto beans, garlic and lime and simmer about 45 minutes.

Serve immediately. Add shredded cheese and sour cream.  Garnish with more chopped cilantro if desired.

My kids beg for this recipe even in the middle of high hot summer.


In the meantime, I'm 26 weeks along now and the baby weighs 2 pounds!!  She's an active one, when I'm resting.  I think this baby will really enjoy the baby carrier I plan on using.  Her ears are more developed now than ever and her eyes are starting to open!! I've noticed her hiccuping now, too.  I tried to explain to the kids today why this happens (to practice breathing) but the 15 year old asked how they can hiccup without air.  Diaphragm spasms, I suppose.

It's hitting me that we are so much closer now to her arrival than ever before.  14 short weeks.

My back is hurting, my umbilical hernia is ramping up and I'm dealing with PPD before the baby even arrives.  It's a laundry list of "bad" but I know that it's all worth it and God has his hands upon each and every ache.

Join me at the linky above to answer this discussion question for yourself:

Discussion Question:  Will you find out the gender of the baby before birth?  Or have you already?   

I knew from the beginning that this baby is a girl.  The morning sickness is as bad or worse than when I was pregnant when with my first.  At the 20 week ultrasound, the tech couldn't tell for sure if it was a girl, but my iridologist read my eyeballs and tells me that it is.  I already knew.

I wish I could share the beautiful name we've picked, but I don't want to potentially expose my kids to the bad of the internet, so I keep that quiet.  This is Baby Bean, a sweet lovely we can't wait to welcome.  14 short weeks.