Isaiah’s Curious George Themed First Birthday Party

Let’s get some cliché things out of the way:

1. I can’t believe he’s already 1!
2. It seems like yesterday I just gave birth to him.
3. This year has flown by with him.

*He is actually 15 months right now, but this post took a long time.  :)

Cliché and so so true.  When he turned one I got really sad thinking of how much he’s grown.  From a tiny 7 pound baby to a 20+ pound tubby.  With his big hair, eight teeth and personality, he’s really not at all baby and has become a real boy.  And, it’s been quite an adventure with him.  Just when I think I have something figured out or a semblance of a routine, he changes and then we start again.  There is no relaxing with this kid.

As a crazy obsessed mother, I have been planning his first birthday much earlier than I want to admit.  I wanted it to be cozy and filled with family, close friends and things he loves.  What does this one year old love?  Curious George.  Balloons.  Without being too attached to everything Curious George, we kept the essence through the balloons, colors and some Curious George/monkey-themed items strewn about.  

First, for the invitations, we got a Curious George invitation and door sign, which helped kick off the monkey-themed party.  

Similar to the one at my surprise birthday, I wanted to have a photo booth for kids to take pictures.  The photo booth was a hit.  Kids, families and parents really got into it.  The only person that didn’t?  The birthday boy.  He couldn’t sit or stand still to take a picture in front of anything.

My sister, the Pinterest fiend, made a multi-colored balloon garland and decorated corners of the house with bunches of balloons.  This picture doesn’t do it justice.

One of the main reasons I wanted to post this party is because of all the fun I had planning and putting everything into action.  And, with the menu I had, I had little to no work during the actual party.  I really despise having to be running around finalizing anything after guests arrive.  My house was prepped and ready to go on time.

As the party was held from 2-5, I didn’t plan a big meal but offered heavy appetizers and desserts.

Menu

• Chips/pretzels/pita chips
• Veggie platter with my creamy herb dip
• Spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips
• My favorite pasta salad ever – recipe coming soon
• Roasted tomato and basil soup
• Grilled cheese sandwiches for a crowd
• Chicken salad sandwiches on croissant by my MIL
• Chik-Fil-A platter of chicken nuggets
• Chocolate covered banana pops that my amazingly creative friends made
• Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting
• Smash cake (yellow cake with vanilla buttercream frosting)
• Favors: Caramel corn with M&Ms

We had more than enough variety and just the perfect amount of food but still have a little left over for later grazers – mostly me and my sister.

Almost everything I made (except the grilled cheese) was make ahead. So, the day of, I was really just warming or baking, which is a much better project than cooking.  The grilled cheese came together in the last 10 minutes.  I will definitely make it again and I’ll show you the method to make grilled cheese for a party.  It’s a game changer.

The day before, I made a smash cake and didn’t focus too much on making it perfect as I fully expected my rambunctious kid to destroy it.  Well, turns out he had no interest in smashing it and preferred to eat it a bite at a time with a spoon!  If he would only do that with soup or any other meal.

So, because he was so careful with the smash cake, we served it up with the cupcakes.  All of it – gone.  Made me so happy.

Finally, for favors, I wanted a food gift that was quick and easy to make.  Look no further than caramel corn, friends.  I don’t know why I was intimidated at all about trying it.  It was so easy, and a little effort makes a whole bunch of popcorn that really disappear quite fast.  (Recipe coming soon!)  Favors were stacked in Curious George containers to keep the theme of the party even as guests departed.

If you’ve made it this far in the post, I appreciate you and wanted to share this special day with you.  All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better day with family, friends, and a little boy who eats his smash cake with a spoon.  My outfit was eternally grateful for that, kid.

Turning 30 Turned up Rainbows [Cake]

All I wanted for my birthday was to bake my own cake. I picked out and planned my cake for a whole month. Meanwhile, Binks was planning a surprise party right under my nose. As I have been talking his ear off about my cake, he assembled a party planning to build a party around the cake.

I decided on the rainbow cake for my 30th birthday.
While I’m not one for the colorful, for my 30th birthday, the idea of having a plain-white-frosted cake, sliced to reveal bright layers of cake, enhanced further by white frosting, somehow spoke to me as I embark in this new decade of my life. Well, it was a show-stopper.

There were a lot of oohs and aahs once I cut into the cake to remove a slice.

I prepared the cake layers the night before, stored them in the fridge and frosted the next day. The cake layers hold together much nicer and produce less crumbs when I frost this way. I also cut my work time in half so I can focus on one aspect of the cake at a time.Oh and the frostings? It’s white chocolate buttercreams. Yes, I meant frostings. I made two types for this cake. While I love love Swiss meringue buttercream, I wanted something sweeter as well. So, the cake is filled and crumb coated with Swiss meringue and frosted outside with the traditional buttercream. It worked beautifully. the sweetness of traditional buttercream complemented the rich subtle Swiss meringue. The original recipe uses lemon buttercream, but I wanted white chocolate buttercream. A divine choice.

I’m still in love with this cake. Aside from being beautiful, it was delicious, as well. Completely light in flavor and texture, this cake did not feel heavy. Rather, the use of Swiss meringue buttercream throughout the layers made it subtly sweet where you can finish a whole slice without feeling like you might go into a sugar shock. But, just when you think you figured out the cake, the outer layer flavors hit and the sweetness mixes in with the same white chocolate flavors carrying through. I could not have been prouder of a cake – and from my 30-year-old-self, that’s saying a lot!

The whole party was wonderful. My friends and family truly came through and pretty much made a party around my cake.

With rainbow-themed photo booth area and colorful flowers and balloons, I felt a happiness that I remember as a child during birthdays.

The photo booth was a hit with all the guests. We had some younger guests who were having a ball with all the props.

My creative friend made Oreo truffles and packaged them away nicely in these cute little boxes as favors.

*The outside of the cake looks a little wonky because I was rushed out of the house to go run an errand. I thought I would come home to finish it, but walked into a wonderful surprise!

Rainbow Cake

recipe by Whisk Kid

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 2 and 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cup milk, room temperature (just warm for 30 seconds in a microwave)
• Food coloring*

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour six 8-inch pans. I only have two pans so I baked two layers at a time.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg whites gradually. Add the vanilla until fully incorporated into the batter. Then, starting with the flour, alternate between adding the flour and milk, adding in two parts.
4. Divide the batter between six bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl’s batter. Remember, the cake will cook to be the same color as the batter. Add the amount of food coloring you expect to see in the baked cake.
5. Pour into prepared baking pans.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then, turn over onto wire rack to fully cool.
7. I kept them in the fridge overnight but you can frost once fully cooled.

My food coloring: (All of them are Americolor gels)

• Red: Super Red
• Orange: Egg Yellow mixed with a bit of Super Red
• Yellow: Lemon Yellow
• Green: Electric Green
• Blue: Electric Blue
• Purple: Electric Purple

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream - for filling layers and crumb coat
adapted from Whisk Kid

Ingredients:

• 9 egg whites
• 1 and 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 sticks butter,
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Take your butter from the fridge and cut it into cubes and set aside on a plate on your counter – just not in your fridge.
2. Wipe down a large (preferably steel) bowl with lemon juice to ensure that no trace amounts of oil remain. Oil is danger to meringue.
3. Add the egg whites and sugar to the mixing bowl and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), stirring constantly with a whisk. Be gentle but consistent with the stirring. Keep whisking until you get a temperature of 150F for the mixture using your candy thermometer. Another way to check is to dip your hands in the mixture and rub it between your fingers. It should be completely smooth, with no grainy-ness. If there is any grains of sugar, keep stirring/whisking. you want the sugar to be completely dissolved and the egg whites to be hot (and cooked).
4. Once it gets to be 150F, attach the bowl to your electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high heat until the meringue is thick and glossy. You know you are done when the bowl is also room temperature to the touch, and not at all warm. It cannot be warm at all.
5. Once you get stiff thick peaks with your meringue, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment.
6. You are going to start adding the butter, one cube at a time. Your butter should be cool, not cold, at this point.
7. With the mixer on low-speed, mix until you get a smooth rich texture. The mixture will look curdly at some point, just keep mixing. I promise you it will come together.
8. Add vanilla and salt, and continue to mix on low-speed until everything is combined.
9. Add the melted white chocolate until fully incorporated and well blended in the buttercream.

White Chocolate Buttercream

adapted from my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Sift together the salt and powdered sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer.
2. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl to ensure that there are no unincorporated parts.
3. Whisk in the cream and vanilla extract until well blended.
4. After you get a good buttercream consistency, add the white chocolate and beat on medium-high for another 3-5 minutes.

Stuffed Mushrooms [ & Happy Birthday]

It’s my birthday today.  Not just any birthday.  I’m officially 30.  Big one right?  I find myself not caring.  I would say that it’s because I’m too busy with a baby and business to care, but I don’t think that’s quite it.  I think it’s denial.  As if now that I’m starting my 30s, I feel a sense of filing away my 20s and accepting all that’s happened in the file as the past.  And, that’s a lot of stuff .  Namely, all that revolves around my dad.  It’s hard to file away his passing as something that has happened.  While others around me make a deal about my birthday, the one thing that stands out is that this year, my dad will not call me to say “happy birthday.”  Although seemingly minute, birthdays are the one thing we grew up caring about.  My dad would make it a point – no matter where we were in life – to always call on our birthdays.  He didn’t care much for cards or presents (bummer when we were kids!), but the words were said.  And, genuinely so.  I fully intend on carrying this tradition forward.

These stuffed mushrooms were my dad’s favorite.  People love them, but I loved that my dad loved them.  He did not like cheese or cheese-y dishes.  (One of the many ways we are different.)  However, my stuffed mushrooms were the exception.  Over time, I have perfected these to be a family favorite.  I would venture to say that this recipe is sorta my thang.  I make these mushrooms at all get-togethers where there are a manageable amount of people.  What I mean by that is a feed-able amount of people.  I wanted to make these at my baby shower, but the amount of people (50!) would not have made this dish feasible.  Although the recipe creates 12 mushrooms, I expect everyone to eat at least 3.  Case and point – I made 12 for a group of 4 and we had no left overs.  While I stand behind all the recipes I post, this one is extra special.  It’s out-of-this-world delicious and surrounded by meaningful memories.  And, those kind of memories are not so easily forgotten.

Stuffed Mushrooms

- makes 12 mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 12 whole white mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided in half
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, divided in half (or fresh bread crumbs)

Directions:

1. Wash and remove the stems from the mushrooms.  Finely dice the mushroom stems.  Set aside.
2. Heat pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil and heat.  Add the shallots, garlic and mushroom stems to the pan, and cook until the mixture is generally dry.  You want the moisture from the mushrooms to evaporate.
3. Add black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Mix for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove from the heat.
4. Once removed from the heat, add the cream cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup), and half of the Panko bread crumbs (1/4 cup).  Stir until everything is incorporated and combined.
5. Pipe into the mushrooms.  Arrange mushrooms on a baking tray.  You can refrigerate or freeze the mushrooms at this point for later use at this point.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over mushrooms.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are browned.

Overnight Oats

I’m not a fan of summer.  I really do hate the heat.  I’m not really living in the best city for this.  So, when it comes to food, I do not like to incorporate more heat into my life whenever I can help it.  For instance, I’ll switch from hot coffee to iced coffee.  Soups to salads.  Hot oatmeal to overnight oats.  I’m not one to brag about oatmeal, and Binks definitely won’t brag or say anything nice about oatmeal, but overnight oats is a favorite of mine and tolerated by Binks.  That’s as high a compliment oatmeal can get from my husband.

Considering that this dish is both nutritious and easy to assemble, overnight oats is hands-down a go-to breakfast in this house.  It’s easy to grab in the morning, while taking care of a busy baby.  While I have made overnight oats without yogurt and just milk, I highly recommend using yogurt as it brings the oats to a higher level of richness and flavor.  I like my oatmeal just a little thicker than drinkable yogurt, but not so set like a custard.  Add and layer with your favorite toppings.  Bananas are a must for me for sweetness.  What are your favorite toppings?

Overnight Oats

- adapted from Katheats
- Yields about 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup milk (any type of milk you want)
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt)*
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp sweetener (honey, sugar, brown sugar, Stevia, etc.)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Serve cold the next morning.  Top with your desired garnishes.

*If you use unsweetened yogurt, feel free to add more sweetener with a tsp of vanilla extract.

Sugar Cookie Revisited

A few weeks before my father passed, new neighbors moved in next to their home.  Specifically, a family associated with a motorcycle group.  I remember seeing them and thinking that it would be bad for the neighborhood based on nothing but my own stereotypes.  After my dad passed, seeing them angered me more.  To me, it was bad enough my mom had to deal with the loss in the house, but to add the added noise and raucous of the neighbors made me frustrated.  In hindsight, I just wanted to be mad at anyone else to avoid dealing with the loss.

So, imagine the humble pie I was served when my sister called to inform me that the new neighbors mowed my mom’s entire lawn after learning of my dad’s passing.  Imagine the shame I felt when my sister called me the following month to say they did it again.  Feeling both embarrassed at how much I had judged a family for nothing and simultaneously thankful at their graciousness, I cried that day.  After crying, I baked.  I baked to thank.  And, I have decided to bake them something once a month to show that their gesture does not go unnoticed.

These cookies seemed appropriate for February.  I used a different recipe from my usual to try something new.

I loved these cookies.  If you can believe it, one sugar cookie doesn’t necessarily taste like the other.  My usual sugar cookie tastes rich, buttery and very chewy – almost dense with sugar.  These taste wonderfully in a completely different way.  It’s light, perfectly sweet and fluffy.  These cookies puff up when baking and almost melt in your mouth when you bite down.

My sister stole a couple and said these were the best sugar cookies she has eaten.  I have to agree they are great.  I would definitely make them again depending on my mood/preference.  I’ve learned not to be so rigid.

Sugar Cookies
barely adapted from here

Yields approximately 48 medium-sized cookies

Ingredients:

• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened (I usually leave my butter sticks out overnight)
• 1-1/2  cups white granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Additional sugar for rolling.  (I used colored sugar)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and well blended.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Mix until incorporated.
5. Add the flour mixture in three batches and mix in between each addition.
6. Using a cookie scoop, roll each scoop into the sugar.
7. Place each cookie onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake for 8-9 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.
9. Once you remove the sheet from the oven, cool on the sheet for about 2 minutes and then move to wire racks to completely cool.
10. Store in an airtight container.

The Birth Story

I was contemplating whether I should even write a birth story.  However, after reading countless stories myself, it only seems fair to share my own.  Don’t read if you care about TMI. 

My due date was December 2, 2011.  I had a ‘feeling’ that I was going to deliver earlier than my due date.  My behavior was just different the week before.  Mood swings about everything – namely, nesting actions.  But, the Monday before my due date (November 28, 2011), I started receiving the expected calls and texts on “how I’m feeling.”  I felt fine.  So, while I really knew that I might be in labor earlier than later, I suppressed that thought and just resigned myself to thinking that I would probably be late, like most first-time moms.

Around 9:30 p.m., while Binks was on his ladder painting the living room and I’m sitting on the couch arranging pictures, I thought I was peeing myself.  I quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom.  I leaked everywhere except the couch (yay!).  I told you TMI.  The liquid that leaked on the white bathroom tile was odorless and slightly pink – aka normal waters breaking.

The contractions started immediately after.  Ten minutes apart for the first 30 minutes.  Then, the contractions seemed like they were coming every 5 minutes.  For the next 30 minutes.  Then, the contractions seemed like they were coming every 1 minute.  This went for another hour.  I was 90% sure that I was measuring the contractions incorrectly.  During this time, I tried every breathing and positioning exercise possible.  I got in the shower, I got on my knees, I got on my back.  I sat on the toilet.  (It felt like I had to you know constantly.)  I had Binks push on my back because I thought it may be back labor.  Nothing and I mean nothing helped!

Note:  Poor Binks.  When my water broke and through my contractions, Binks was running around, putting up the ladder, packing the car with the suitcase, car seat, helping me squeeze my back, entering the contractions into my iPhone, bringing me my pregnancy book (because I thought I would have time to read about labor – I’m not the brightest), etc.  He literally was running around the whole house with 10 different things.  

After I thought the contractions were about 1 minute apart of varying lengths apart – with no pattern, I was sure I was measuring wrong and I was ready to go to the hospital – whether or not I met the time.  The pain by this time was excruciating.  I have no words.  I couldn’t even sit still anywhere.  No breathing exercises helped – I was in so much pain I was jumping off my seat.  After 2 hours, I was crying for an epidural.  Binks made sure to tell me he had none.  At this time, I’m trying my best to weigh the options of going to the hospital to get an epidural and also going to the hospital earlier than I should with more chances of being given interventions.

But, after two hours of this torturous pain, I forced Binks to go to the hospital.

At this point, Binks is also thinking that I’m not going to be admitted.  So, Binks is moving kinda slow.  How slow?  Well, I’m in the car, and he hasn’t even called the doctor yet.  Also, he’s going 65 mph.  We have been late to appointments where he has charged at 90 mph.

Person No. 1 who doesn’t take me seriously.  Ass face.

I cursed him mentally as my talking was reserved for screaming for an epidural and whatever breathing techniques I could pull out of my head.  Including the hee hee hoo which is a bunch of hoo ha.  I’m moaning like my doula class taught and again – nothing.  The car’s vibration is perfect for non-contraction times, but for contractions, it is horrible.

We finally get to the hospital parking lot and Binks FINALLY decides to call the doctor.  The doctor said to come into the hospital and he would be on the way.

Note:  If you don’t know, what this means is that the doctor is going to wait for the nurses to check you before making a determination as to whether he should come.  

Person No. 2.  F*cktard.

Did I mention it was 12:30 a.m. by this time?

We pull up to the valet and I rush myself up the elevator to the Women’s Center.  I didn’t have time for a wheel chair.

The wheel chair was there waiting on the second floor to wheel me into a room.  A contraction hit and I got into the kneeling fetal position on a chair.  The nurse with the wheelchair says, “Come on ma’am.  It’s not that bad.  Let’s go.  We need to go.”

Person No. 3.  B*tch.

On the wheelchair, I started my breathing techniques – by which I mean breathing every which way possible.  The same nurse says, “Why are you breathing like that?  You want to throw up?  That’s what’s going to happen.”

(Insert whatever and as many expletives as possible.)

We finally got to the room.  The labor and delivery nurse handed me a hospital gown.

Note:  I only let a few people see me naked in any way.  Binks, my OB/GYN.  That’s it.  Not my mom.  No one.   But, when you’re hurting this bad, I started taking off my clothes and told the nurse “Excuse me, I have to pee.”  And I just started sitting on the toilet right in front of her.  My non-labor self would have been ashamed.  My labor-self couldn’t have cared less.

Binks had gone downstairs to move the car to a parking spot instead of the middle of the road.

Note:  Binks and I were never together this whole labor time.  All my classes said to lean on the spouse, use the spouse, breathe together, etc.  Other than massaging my back, I wanted Binks to stay as far away as possible.  The last thing I wanted to do was breathe with him or lean on him.  And after the pressure on the back wasn’t helping, I just deemed him as useless. 

As I was seated on the toilet, I noticed I was bleeding.  I got scared.  I pulled the emergency latch.  The nurse hurried in there and asked what the matter was.  I told her of the bleeding and she said, “That latch is for a real emergency.  Don’t pull it again.”

Eff.  

I changed into my hospital gown and got into bed.  I was telling the nurse how badly it hurt.  She said, “Yeah, duh it’s labor.”

Person No. 4.  I could have killed her if I had the strength.  I planned a method to sh*t on her during labor if I could.

She asked if I wanted an epidural.  Luckily I had enough sense to say, “It depends on how much I’m dilated.”

She finally gets down to checking my dilation.

Her eyes widened.  She pushed the nursing call button and said, “Call the doctor to come immediately.  She is 9 cm dilated – pretty much there.  If he doesn’t come in 20 minutes, I’m going to have deliver the baby.”  At that point, Binks and the nurse looked at me – I like to think apologetically.

Suck it sh*t eaters.

I screamed, “No epidural.”  I had to make sure everyone heard.

So, I continued to breathe to the best of my ability.  And after 5 minutes, turns out, I’m just waiting for the doctor and really was ready to deliver.  I kept just breathing away the contractions as best as possible, but it was very apparent that it was time to push.  I could absolutely feel it.

I breathed for 30 minutes just waiting for the doctor.  The doctor finally arrived and I was asking random questions: “Will the pain increase or decrease?” “How many pushes do you estimate I will have to go through?”  It’s times like these that answers to these questions matter.  And, also times like these that you don’t remember anything that people say to you.

And they told me to push.  I pushed.  What a relieving feeling.  And, I should have pushed slower and at my own pace (rather than the doctor’s), but 5 pushes later, he was here.  I teared up.  Not because I was having a mushy moment.  But, I actually thought, “OMG What am I supposed to do with you now?”

And with my obsession with grades, hearing an APGAR score of 9/10, I was very happy.

My labor and delivery went much better than I could have ever asked for.  From water breaking to delivering lasted 4 hours.  And my OB said that my future deliveries may go the same way.  I hope so!

And did I mention how great he is?

Isaiah has been a blessing in every way.  He is a great sleeper, eater and son.  Now, that he is here, I still have the panicked feeling of “What am I supposed to do with you?” but now, after 2 weeks, I know one day at a time is the plan we intend to follow.  Trial and error is really the answer.

And, he seems to be pretty forgiving.

Baby Shower Goods

I have been in a work-related whirlwind for the past three weeks.  The end of this whole mess was marked by the most fantabulous baby shower I have ever received.  Well, I’m not one for surprises and I wanted to be involved.  I donated my baking abilities.  Remember the smorgasbord?

After a grueling three weeks of response writing, which at the end included a grand total of 600 complied documents, 60 of which were my written product, I went on a baking spree.

Meet the results.  (Lemon Blossoms from here; Goat Cheese Terrine from here; Mexican Wedding Cookies from here.)

And, some additional items.  (Pumpkin bread and chocolate cookies – recipes to come)

My mom made Southwestern Egg Rolls – yep, she’s that awesome, and my MIL made her famous chicken salad sandwiches on croissant.

It was foodie heaven.

And presents and decorations heaven.

I must say that this really did mark the beginning of nesting and preparing for the new baby’s arrival.  I have had baby on the brain night and day.  I plan on balancing that out with more baking.  :)

How do you unwind?  Do you cook your stress away?

My Favorite {Pregnancy} Things

Baby Binks is now approximately 32 weeks and now seemed like the best time to share with you my favorite pregnancy things up to date.  These aren’t baby-related – but just pregnancy-related (aka – all about me)!

1.  Old Navy

Here’s my math.  Pregnancy lasts 9 months.  And, for at least the first three months, you can fit into everything you had before.  So, I just have to shop for 6 months.  I refuse to spend a lot of money or redo my wardrobe for such a short period of time.  Call me crazy – or call me cheap – I can admit to both.  Enter Old Navy.

a.  Leggings

[Source]

I have lived in these leggings for longer than I want to remember.  I wear it under almost every dress and T-shirt I own.  I cannot attest to a more comfortable pair of leggings.  Mostly b/c I don’t own any others.  Thank God for maternity leggings.

b.  Jeans

Jeans are always tough.  I usually buy Gap jeans but the price and the fit of these maternity jeans sold me.  I got flare-legged jeans the day that I started noticing my thighs were widening.  I’m not a fashionista, but I think it helps.

 

[Source]

After experiencing maternity jeans, I’m not sure how I can ever go back to a button again.  You feel me?

2.  Gap

a.  The Dress

After finding out that my cousin’s rehearsal dinner required American dressy-casual clothes, I had to go look for a dress.  Luckily I found this:

[Source]

I really am pleased with it.  It’s plain.  It’s black.  It fits and hugs in all the right places.  I’m happy.

b.  The Cardigan

I can’t find the exact one but it’s similar to this, except it’s black (of course).

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3.  Burt’s Bees Body Butter

I found this on sale and randomly picked it up as a belly butter rub, and I am extremely glad I did.

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I use it every other day on my stomach and some dry areas (elbows, feet, etc.) and it’s perfect.  It’s not greasy and absorbs fairly quickly.  Either that or my skin is so dry it sucks up any moisture it can get.  I hope it’s not that.  It has a great smell and the one tub should last me until the very end!

4.  Babycenter

Yep, there’s an app for it.  And, I have it.  And, it’s free.

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I usually rely on my apps to get me through the day.  Facebook, Twitter, Words with Friends, Yelp, INRIX, TV Guide, Pandora, and now…Babycenter’s pregnancy app.  I use it often to find out what the update is on the BittyBinks.  It gives you a check list of things you should be doing at certain times so that you don’t run behind (e.g. Kegels, signing up for birthing classes, finding a pediatrician, etc.).

5.  Flats

I was never a flats wearer before, but when the heels were getting too much, I went and bit the bullet.

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Are they most attractive pair of shoes I own?  No.  But, I love them.  I wear them everywhere.  I can’t imagine a better pair to accompany me through the pregnancy.  Side note:  Do you know it’s not safe/good for your feet to be completely flat?  So, I made sure to get some ‘flats’ that had a slight heel to help keep my feet in good condition.

6.  An extra pillow…or two.

I didn’t buy a special maternity pillow.  I refused to.  No other reason than I’d rather spend the money on something else.  Instead, I just added an extra pillow to my sleeping schedule.  I keep it between my legs.  (TWSS!)  Sometimes when I feel the need to be especially cozy, I put an extra (extra) pillow behind my back.  It keeps me in place.  Think of Ethel and Fred preparing for bed in that cheap motel.  No one said I was trying to win the sexy pregnancy award.

7.  Other Bloggers

You cannot imagine how thrilled I am to have at least 5 pregnant bloggers – all around my same due date.  It’s like having a pregnancy club where you are reassured that what you are going through is normal.  And by club, I mean one where I’m in it and no one else knows they are in my club.  :)

My favorites:  Rhodeygirl Tests, The Daily Garnish, Legally Fit, and The Fitnessista.

At a time where none of my friends and/or family are pregnant or have been pregnant (in the past 2 years), reading about their experiences really has helped tremendously.

8.  My Binks

I will avoid being mushy.  I have been very fortunate – nay – blessed to have a super supportive partner/teammate who puts up with the good, the bad and the hormonal.  I couldn’t have come this far so well without him.  :)

So, whether it be your partner, friend, family, etc., the support of a loved one goes a long way.

So what’s your favorite thing right now?  Pregnancy or not.

Catch Up

I’ve been gone for a while – I apologize.  Well, I apologize if you missed me.  If you didn’t, well hello there!

I’ve been busy doing some family stuff and trying to catch up to some semblance of normalcy.  Let me see if we can update each other (me first) on what’s been happening on this end.

1.  I made the most delicious red velvet cupcakes with the most dreamy cream cheese frosting.

The recipe comes from none other than Ms. Deen herself.  I had it once at a chili-cook off and finally made it myself.  I can’t wait to make it again – with a slight twist that I’ll be sure to share.

2.  I’m attempting to be crafty.  

Mind you, I have no creative bone/nerve in my body.  But, when I saw this, I had to try.  Here is my current progress.

I can’t wait for the finished result.  So far it’s been easier than I thought.  Well, I’ll probably eat my words once the felt flowers come into place.

3.  We have been eating out more.  And the spicier the better.

Now that we have been balancing more with my mom/sister and making sure that we have a lot of family interaction to make this transition somewhat easier, I have been ignoring my home-cooking duties.  Therefore, a lot of lunches and dinners taken to go.

I thought my pregnancy spicy-cravings would decrease as time went on but alas – no.  I can handle the heat and the some.  It’s quite pathetic.  When someone asks me what I want to eat, my answer has almost always been ‘something spicy.’

Luckily, I work across from one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Dallas (Thai Soon), and they have an excellent lunch special.

Pictured above is a beef enchilada and puffed taco from Ojedas.  What is not pictured is the pitcher (yes, pitcher) of salsa that I drank with a side of chips.

4.  We have been painting.

What started out as a project just to paint the nursery turned into a whole-house paint project.  Working closely with our favorite Benjamin Moore paint and advice we read online, it’s been a project that’s mainly done by Binks.  Although I work very closely at the end to make sure he knows all the places he missed.  I’m sure he loves that.  :)

I’ll show you finished projects soon!

So tell me, what are you up to?  

Hello.

Hi friends.  I know it’s been a while.  As you can imagine, life here has been a bit turned upside down.  But, our family has been strong and is getting through the loss of my dad one day at a time – there really is no other way.  It’s probably the saddest and strangest thing I have ever been through.  Saddest for obvious reasons.  Strange because you know that one day it will happen, but you never are ever ready for when it does.  And especially when it’s sudden.  You guys have been such a wonderful support and just getting messages and posts with nice words have really helped more than you could ever know – so thank you again!

In my eulogy I talked about how my dad influenced my life and I mentioned how he got me interested in critical thinking, which eventually led me down the attorney career path and the like.  A week ago (I cannot believe it’s going to be three weeks on Friday), I started thinking about one of the biggest influences he had in my life – food.

My dad was in the hospitality and catering business for a long time (pretty much all his life).  When we were little, he would cook for us on occasion.  But when he did – it was marvelous.  I remember him putting so much attention and love into what he cooked and maintained a creativity about it all.  It really did inspire me to be the foodie I am today.  In fact, thinking back far, he would talk to me about food all the time – and what he liked to cook and eat.  Thinking back not so far, the last interaction we had was over family dinner and we were discussing food again – our favorites, what we hated, what we loved to cook, etc.  Don’t get me wrong – my mom is a fabulous cook but it’s my dad that had a real passion for it.

This has really been inspiring me to get back into the kitchen and start creating again, and sharing (with you) again.  

What’s also strange is how life moves on.  It’s as if my world was turned upside down but people kept going.  I’m scared that I’m going to forget what he sounds like, laughs like, looks like, what his hands feel like, smells like, etc.  And I’m sad he won’t ever get to meet Baby Binks.  And, I don’t have any nice words of wisdom because we’re all just figuring it out right now.  All I can say is – one day at a time.