A brief update...

What's Kara cookin'?

Not much these days, obviously.

I have actually cooked a few times this week, but nothing new that hasn't already been blogged about. And, with the pretty weather and longer days, I've had Patrick manning the grill a couple nights this week. I love when I can turn the cooking reins (or at least half of them) over to him!

And for the two weeks before, I stayed with my parents (who live just an hour away) and got treated to my mom's cooking. Patrick was working/taking tests/studying his tail off in Atlanta for 16 days, so I took that opportunity to get some good mom and dad time in. And not cook. Or clean. Or do my own laundry. They definitely took good care of me!

Although it doesn't sound like it, I have been busy, though! I'm 32 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow, and the nesting has set in full force. We have eight weeks to go until we welcome sweet Nora into the world, and I have been working hard to get her nursery ready and organized. And cleaning took on a whole new meaning on Saturday when I cleaned from 10 a.m. until Patrick got home from Atlanta at 2:30 a.m. I did take a little break to run errands, but I was a cleaning machine. And, holy moly, I paid for it on Sunday. (Sadly, though, in all that time, I wasn't able to clean the entire house. I think I got distracted by organizational projects, etc.)

And I must say - these 32 weeks have flown by for me. I can't believe that in eight weeks or less we will be parents. It's exciting, thrilling, nerve wracking and scary. But I can't wait. I can't wait till I can see my toes again. Till I can tie my shoes without hyperventilating. Till I can sit still for more than five minutes at a time (she has invaded my lung/rib space and I have a constant stitch on my right side). Till I can fit into my normal clothes again. Till I can drink five Diet Cokes (in one day) again. Till I can sleep on my stomach again.

But most of all, I can't wait to meet Nora, see Patrick become a dad, and become a mom. The nursery may not be ready quite yet, and I may not be ready to change 82 diapers a day, but I am so ready to be her mom and see who she is and will become.

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti

Last Wednesday, my mom and I enjoyed a wonderful day of mother-daughter shopping at St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville. Being pregnant, I was hungry pretty much the moment we got there. We both love Italian food, so we made a beeline for Maggiano's. Mom had a delicious dish of veal marsala while I had a tasty meal of chicken and spinach manicotti. I enjoyed it so much that the next day I got online to look for the recipe. Although it isn't exactly like Maggiano's (I actually had to cook this myself, but Patrick did serve me AND clean up the mess I made), it's a really good version, and a nice change from my typical plain cheese manicotti. We had it for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it; hope you do, too!

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti
Recipe courtesy www.recipezaar.com
Filling
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 manicotti noodles, cooked until al dente

Sauce
16 ounces Alfredo sauce
16 ounces marinara sauce
Approximately 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Dice the chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly. Arrange precooked pasta sheets on waxed paper and fill with filling mixture. Combine Alfredo sauce and marinara in bowl and mix until well incorporated. Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 ovenproof baking dish. Place the cannelloni, side by side, into baking dish. Pour remainder of sauce over cannelloni, covering completely. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for approximately 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Click here for the original recipe.