Maternity Shopping

Shopping for maternity clothes has been a whole new thing for me. I searched online, asked friends, shopped around and have now decided to review the stores I've shopped at. Some places were a success whereas some were less than satisfactory. I hope this helps at least a little for those who are on the hunt for cute, affordable, maternity clothes.

1. Old Navy -  I was referred to Old Navy  by a few friends; I checked it out for myself and was very pleased! I especially like their tees and jeans. Their jeans (pants, capris, shorts) are very simple, but they fit nicely. For those of you who like to shop online, I haven't had a problem with their sizing but I have heard some say that their maternity pants run a little small. Just something to consider.

2. Ross - I was pleasantly surprised by Ross's maternity section. I went in not expecting anything special, but walked out one happy preggo lady! Since it'll mostly be warm/hot throughout my pregnancy, shorts are a must. I desperately searched and searched for shorts that were modest enough and was having no luck until I finally checked out Ross. I found shorts that were modest, stylish, AND freakin cheap. They also have a good variety of maternity tops.

3. Target - The tops I have found at Target have been really great. Not just t-shirts, but tunics and nicer shirts. They also have cute maternity dresses and skirts. When it comes to maternity swimwear, however, I would look elsewhere. They just look too old lady-ish to me.

4. Motherhood Maternity - Obviously, you won't have a hard time finding a good variety of maternity clothing at this maternity-specialized store. Since it does specialize in that one type of clothing, it's a bit pricier. If that's not a problem for you, then perfect! You're bound to find something you like there; they've got plenty of nice clothes.

5. Kohls - maybe I just didn't have good luck when I went, but they hardly had anything to choose from when I shopped there. All that was good were some v-necks that came in different colors and stripes. They do have a lot more available online so check that out!

6. H&M - I love H&M, I really do. But I don't love their maternity section...in the store at least. Again, another place where you'd have more luck finding maternity clothes online because they were seriously lacking in the store. They are inexpensive which is always fantastic. And...they have adorable baby clothes! Just wanted to add that.

I hope this was somewhat useful. Happy shopping!

Dutch Pancakes

Here's a peak into my Dutch heritage. My favorite mornings were when I would wake up to my dad making this crepe-like breakfast mmmmm! They are thicker than crepes and more buttery so...delicious, obviously. I finally got the recipe from my dad. He usually just makes it up, so it's a miracle I got ingredient measurements out of him. Tyler is a big fan of this recipe and I hope you will love it too!

Dutch Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
your favorite fillings

Mix together flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Heat up a medium skillet greased with butter. Pour some batter into skillet (almost a half cup) just enough to spread thinly over entire surface. Flip over when side down is cooked. Once both sides are cooked, slide it onto a plate and fill it with your favorite fillings (fruit, Nutella, peanut butter, jam, etc.). Make sure skillet is still greased well before cooking another pancake. Yields 6.

Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Burritos

The name of this recipe is a mouthful, and the food itself is a mouthful...of yumminess! I love the combination of sweet and spicy and I love using a crockpot so win-win. Throw the stuff into the crockpot, let it cook all day, and then wrap them in tortillas. This is not only good for making burritos, but enchiladas as well. Enjoy!

Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Burritos
1 lb chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
20 oz red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (for a milder taste, use 1/2 teaspoon instead- it's still good!)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Your favorite tortillas (about 8-10)
Shredded cheese

Place chicken and onion in crockpot. Mix the rest of the ingredients (except tortillas and cheese) together in a bowl, and then pour into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Once it's done, use a fork or two to shred the chicken in the crockpot. Scoop chicken into tortillas, add some cheese, and wrap it up!

If you want to make them into enchiladas, you can use all the leftover sauce in the crockpot to pour over the stuffed tortillas and then add cheese on top. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is all melted.

Snickerdoodles

Another classic cookie of which you can find in many different variations is the Snickerdoodle. I just can't get enough of this chewy cinnamon-sweet deliciousness. This recipe has always served me well, and so I am going to share it with you. These cookies are my brother's absolute favorite; he always requests them. Try them out for yourself, you won't be sorry!

Snickerdoodles

½ C butter                                       

1 ¾  C flour                                     ½ tsp. baking soda

1 C sugar                                         ¼ tsp. cream of tartar

1 egg                                               1 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla                                   ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cream butter and add 1 cup of the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Mix well. Beat in remaining 3/4 cup of flour. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.  Roll dough into little balls, then roll into a bowl of the cinnamon and sugar.  Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes.

Rolled and prepped for baking

The finished product. Yum!

Amazing Cookies

"Just another chocolate chip cookie recipe?" you ask? No! These cookies are so deliciously buttery and chocolaty, you can't just have one. This is my go-to recipe when given the dessert assignment. I got the recipe from my mom who got it from her friend who got it from another friend...so who knows where it really came from but it's pretty good. People always ask me for this recipe so it's about time I post it for all to see. My friends named it "Amazing Cookies" so there ya go. Enjoy!

1/2 C butter

3/4 C sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C shortening (Crisco is the best)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ C flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 bag chocolate chips (I usually don't use the entire bag, but it's up to you!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter, sugars, and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until mixed all together - do not overmix! Stir in chocolate chips with a spoon. Roll dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 min.  Yields 24 cookies.