2017 Baby Book Facts - The Year You Were Born...

World Leaders:
Donald Trump, President of the United States
Rex W. Tillerson, United States Secretary of State
Xi Jinping, President of China
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
François Hollande, President of France
Bernard Cazeneuve, Prime Minister of France
Michel Temer, President of Brazil
Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico
Pope Francis XVI of Vatican City

Cost of things (U.S. Average):
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) - $3.22
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) - $2.32
Eggs (regular) (12) - $2.49
Water (1.5 liter bottle) - $1.78
Gasoline (1 gallon) - $2.38
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) - $3,269.75
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) - $41.52
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat - $11

Top Sporting Events:
Super Bowl: New England Patriots won 34-28 against the Atlanta Falcons
Major League Baseball World Series: Astros defeated the Dodgers
Tennis US Open: Rafael Nadal defeated Kevin Anderson (Men's), Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys (Women's)
National Hockey League Stanley Cup: Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators

Top Songs:
Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
That's What I Like - Bruno Mars
Despacito - Luis Fonsi
Something Just Like This - Chainsmokers and Coldplay

Top Television Shows:
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead
Pretty Little Liars
Prison Break
Vikings
The Big Bang Theory
The Flash

Top Movies:
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES ($750 million)
WONDER WOMAN ($775 million)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME TWO ($820 million)
JUSTICE LEAGUE ($850 million)
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ($900 million)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ($950 million)
DESPICABLE ME 3 ($1 billion)

Top Books:
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
Turtle All the Way Down by John Greene
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza

World Population:
7.6 billion and counting...

Zucchini Lasagna (Low Carb & Diabetes Friendly)

Will's grandmother gave us a plethora ofcucumbers and zucchinis. And the zucchini -- it was a baseball bat! And I was hankering for lasagna, so I thought a healthy alternative would be perfect!

Ingredients:

• Zucchini, sliced thin
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound italian sausage
• 2 jars marinara sauce
• Ricotta
• Cottage cheese
• Chopped spinach
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
• Parmesan

Preparation:

• Slice the zucchini
• Mix the ricotta, cottage cheese, and spinach (thaw & drain). I did a 2:1 ratio of ricotta:cottage cheese.
• Brown the beef and sausage, crumbling into small pieces. Add the jars of marinara and bring to a simmer.
• Layer the bottom of a 9x13 pan with some marinara. Put a layer of zucchini, mozzarella, then a layer of cheese mix. Repeat until the pan is full. I ended with a layer of marinara sauce and then I sprinkled the top with grated parmesan cheese.
• Bake in a 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

My mother-in-law makes THE most wonderful, decadent, fresh pesto I've ever had. She has a simple recipe that we adore. And I knew I wanted to make chicken tonight, so I whipped up a quick filling and it was an instant family hit! The kids loved the chicken and the creamy, cheesy filling! And the sun-dried tomatoes added a tangy, almost sweet, bite. 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1-2 tbsp. Pesto
• 3 pieces of sun-dried tomato, minced
• 2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 chicken breasts
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Other: toothpicks or twine

I sliced the chicken down the center to create a pocket for the filling. I topped the filling with two basil leaves.

Then, I placed the stuffed chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I used 3-4 toothpicks to secure the opening on each breast. Or if you don't have toothpicks, you could also use kitchen twine.

Lastly, I drizzled some olive oil on each chicken breast and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. If you want, you could even skip the toothpicks and wrap each chicken breast with 2-3 pieces of bacon.

I baked the chicken in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Use your discretion, as each oven cooks a different speeds. 

I served the chicken with broccoli, but mashed potatoes would also be a wonderful side to this dish.

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

DIY Guest Bathroom

Boy, oh boy, was this bathroom ugly. The walls were mustard yellow and the medicine cabinet had a missing mirror. And it took me four years of living here to turn the worst room in the house to one of my favorites!

Before:

During:

After:

What I did:

• I used Frog Tape (a brand of painter's tape) before painting and it worked so well!
• Behind the old medicine cabinet there were holes in the wall, so I used spackle and sanded it down. And for a big hole, I used a wall patch kit.
• Painted the walls a light grey color (the same I used in the master bedroom)
• Installed daylight light bulbs to get rid of the yellow glow (Check out the before pictures and how YELLOW the room looked!).
• Painted the vanity. I took off the cabinet doors, cleaned the vanity and doors. Did two coats of Kilz primer. And then painted it a dark grey/blue, using Valspar paint with a matte finish. 
• Added hardware to the vanity
• Hung a new mirror
• Added a new shower curtain, soap dispenser, and shelves.

Chicken Gyro

I'm a sucker for a good gyro. And this recipe for chicken gyros is crazy easy and tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

• Tsatziki sauce ( homemade or store bought)
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 6 pieces of pita bread (I used naan bread)

Optional toppings:

• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Iceberg lettuce, shredded
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Kalamata olives
• Tomato, sliced or diced

I started by slicing the chicken into thin, small pieces. Then, I added all of the marinade ingredients into a glass bowl. 

I mixed the marinade, added the chicken, and coated the chicken in the marinade. I covered it and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.

When I was ready to cook the chicken, I poured it onto a small baking pan and spread it out -- creating one thin layer.

I heated the frozen naan bread (you might use pita) in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I put the broiler in my oven on high and set the rack to be about 6 inches under the broiler. Then, I put the chicken under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Each oven is different, so keep an eye on the chicken. You might want to take it out every few minutes and toss the chicken so that you get even browning.

Today was a snowy day, so I didn't want to leave the house and get more toppings... therefore, I only had tzatziki sauce, yellow onion, and feta. I would have liked to have some tomato as well, but next time!

I like to spread a thin layer of tzatziki sauce on the bread, but you can always put it on top. The chicken was delicious and even the kiddos ate a bunch!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Baby Girl Lily Grace

I've been in baby heaven. That is, I got to ogle my cousin Mike and Tania's newest addition to their family. Her name is Lily, and she is so sweet. She fusses only when she needs to be changed or is hungry. And, today she put up with three toddlers poking and kissing her all over. She's a trooper.

Here are some pictures of Lily Grace and her family!

Baby Girl Scarlett Aneska

I am in love. My brother and sister-in-law had their baby girl, Scarlett. And she's perfect! Already, Scarlett has proven to be the sweetest baby ever. Her temperment in amazing, she is sleeping six hours through the night, and is eating like a champ! I'm already so proud of her. 

Okay... I'll stop now. 

Yesterday, we celebrated my father's 70th birthday at Chris and Katie's house, where I took the opportunity to take pictures of my niece. And I definitely swooned the entire time!

Bow from Posh Pelican

Bow from Posh Pelican