Snack time!

John's working.  I already had leftover Southwest Egg Rolls for lunch...I didn't dare risk certain heartburn by eating them again for dinner.  So I made myself an easy, yummy snack!

(Modified from http://www.allrecipes.com/)

I stacked 3 flour tortillas and cut them into 8 triangles each.  Use a pizza cutter!

Arrange the triangles on a cookie sheet. 

In a small bowl, combine 1 t. EVOO and 3 t. lime juice.  Spread onto tortilla pieces.

In another small bowl, combine 1 t. each of cumin, chili powder and salt.  Sprinkle onto tortilla pieces.

Pop those babies into the oven (350 degrees) for 7 minutes.  Rotate the pan and bake another 7 minutes.  (Or so...just watch them!)

When the edges start to turn up and they brown a little bit, they're done!

Enjoy with some yummy dip.  These are quite spicy and you'll need something to go with 'em!

A few notes:

Next time I would spread all the ingredients on the tortillas before I cut them.  Would definitely save on time.

These would be yummy with just olive oil and kosher salt on them!

I'll post the recipe for the dip soon!

You can double, triple, whatever the recipe if you're making a bigger batch!

baby update

Who knew that eating tons of Cadbury Eggs, exercising never, sitting my butt on the couch every night and chowing down on Spicy Nacho Doritos could cause me to gain no weight in 3 weeks?!  Unreal!  So at my appointment today, my unchanged weight meant I'm still up 15 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I gained 3 cm. in my stomach, as I should.  My blood pressure was nice and low, and JJ's heartbeat was pounding away at 141 bpm.

Have I mentioned how much I love being pregnant?!  I do!!!

Bagels again!

Last Saturday I made another batch of bagels.  We ate them (again, fresh and hot, right out of the oven) for lunch.  That's all we ate for lunch.  And it was perfect.  John had plain and I had cinnamon & sugar.

They were really good.  Really, really good.

Tomorrow's a doctor's appointment.  I'm really hoping I haven't gained as much weight as last time!  I'm due in 7 weeks, and sometimes I feel like my due date should be further away, while sometimes I feel like there's NO WAY I'll make in until then.  Seriously, he's running out of room!!



BH

I spent a little time with my nephews and Dad last night.

On the way home (at about 10pm or so) I decided I was hungry.  So of course I stopped at Taco Bell!  A crunchwrap and hard taco was exactly what I wanted needed.

After getting home, letting the dog out and turning on the kerosene heater, I sat down to enjoy.  It was yummy.

Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, horrible pain!  I thought it might be gas pain.  Or regular old "Taco Bell Pain", but it most certainly was not.  Noticing how tight and stiff my belly was, I realized I was most likely having braxton hicks contractions...something I had not experienced before!

So I did what I'd heard to do...I got up, walked around and drank a glass of water.  Sure enough, the pain subsided and I went about enjoying my Cadbury Egg.  I mean, a girl's gotta have dessert, right?!

.bagel time.

Don't mind me.  I'm just sitting here munching on a fresh-out-of-the-oven bagel.  And I think I'll be eating another one very shortly.

After Jen posted about her bread machine bagels a couple days ago, I've been craving them.  Luckily, she went through all the hard work of finding an easy recipe and test-driving it!  I took advantage of her research and hindsight tips today when I made my very first batch of bagels.  Ever.  But definitely not the last!

My bread machine acted up a bit on me, but here's how it went. 

1 cup of warm water, 3 cups of flour, 2 T. of sugar, 1 t. of salt and 2 and a 1/4 t. of yeast.  Let the bread machine do the work!  Seriously, my bread machine didn't do well during the kneading process, I think maybe because it was a small amount of dough?  But it wasn't that small...so I'm not sure.  We got through it though, with no kneading on my part!

Dump out that lovely dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Split it up into 8 pieces, roll each into a 1-inch rope and press the ends together to make a circle.  Pinch those ends good!  (Thanks Jen!)

Next, I put them in a warm place for 30 minutes (covered) to rise.  Voila!

Now, time for a hot bath.  I put them, 2 at a time, into boiling water, 30 seconds on each side.  I let them dry for a few seconds on paper towels, then put them back on the parchment-lined tray.

Next, I brushed them with egg white.  Here's where you can go crazy with the toppings! 

I didn't go crazy.  I left 4 plain and did 4 salt.  I love salt bagels.

Now into a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes (anywhere in the 20-30 minute range...).  Are you ready for this???



Even though I wasn't going to put anything on the bagel, I had to cut it open anyway.

Yum!  Soooo good.

And I just finished my second one.  Don't think these are going to last too long...

:realization:

I've come to realize why I can't get anything done.  Or, at least part of the reason.  It's because when I sit down at night, JJ starts his acrobatics, and it's just too much fun watching my belly to do anything else!

Okay, that was just a little sneak peek.  He's actually not doing much in the video compared to his normal antics...but of course, once I pull out the video camera he slows down!  Little stinker!

Tonight I feel like I just might be shaking off this bug.  I've still been very tired, with on-again off-again nausea, but I feel like I'm progressing.  I have a little more energy, and I was even able to do some work in JJ's room tonight.  I have to get it cleaned out so John can paint it before the shower!

Part of the reason I'm feeling better may be because I took a Zofran today.  I couldn't stand it anymore.  Don't know if it helped or not, we'll see what tomorrow brings.  Maybe it'll bring a snow day....

dinner!

I've been feeling a little better today.  So I decided to make dinner.  Actually, I made dinner last night too, but then only ate about 3 bites.  Being sick sucks.  But tonight I enjoyed dinner.  We had beef stew (crockpot!) and (semi)homemade rolls.

For the beef stew:

In the crockpot, mix together cream of chicken and cheddar cheese soup.  (Original recipe called for cream of mushroom, which I don't like.  So I changed it.)  Add to that one envelope of beef and onion dry soup mix. 

Add the stew meat.  I'm lazy and buy mine pre-chopped.  About 2.5 pounds.

Now add in the carrots and potatoes you've already chopped.  I used 5 potatoes, and 3 MONSTER carrots.  For real, I have never seen carrots so big.  A bag of baby carrots would work just as well, but I needed regular carrots for another meal, so that's what I used.

I almost forgot!  I love onions.  John hates them.  So I add some big chunks that are easy to detect later.  About 1/2 a big onion.

Cook on low, 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  And presto!



I also made some rolls from a box of hot roll mix.  Just follow the directions on the box and you'll have some delicious homemade rolls!

Nothing like some comfort food on a freezing cold night!

days off

Days off pretty much stink when you're sick.  And yes, I've been sick.  On top of a wicked sore throat and headache, I've also succumbed to the stomach bug.  I guess that's what happens when I spend only one day in a classroom.  I'm too used to being away from the yucky germs!

I thought I was feeling better today, but now I'm not so sure.  Blah...I have so much I want to do, too!  The house is a mess and I really want to do more in the baby's room today!  Not to mention, I promised John I'd make dinner tonight.  It's been...quite awhile since I've actually cooked dinner for us.  I mean, something besides pancakes or enchiladas out of a box.

Anyway.  I'm going to try and get some things done in small increments today, so as not to wear myself out too much.  I think I'm going to start by making a list.  I'm such a good list-maker.  :)

Happy Saturday all!

...movement...

So I love feeling my baby move.  It is, honestly, the most amazing, best feeling ever.

I still want to catch some of it on video, but he doesn't cooperate very well.

The only thing that's annoying is almost every time he moves, it makes me have to pee so bad.  I think I've been in the bathroom 20 times today.  And tomorrow I'm stuck in a classroom at work all day.  That is not going to be fun!

confusion

I fear our poor child will be confused his whole life...



paper towels

We have this bulk pack of paper towels.  And lately it's been making me think.

Obviously, the days are dwindling down to when we will (finally!!!) meet our little man.  But we still have quite awhile.  Sixty-seven days till my due date.  But who's counting?

Anyway, a few days ago I glanced at that large package sitting on the floor in our laundry room, and I realized something: We are still going to have that pack of paper towels when we bring our baby boy home.

Whoa.

Maybe that doesn't mean anything to you, but it really made me realize how close our baby's birth is.  No doubt we'll be buying a new tube of Aquafresh before the baby arrives.  My half gallon of skim milk is gonna be long gone by March.  Even the hand soap on the bathroom sink will have to be refilled before labor begins.  But those paper towels are for sure going to last well past our baby's entrance into this cold, snowy world!  We have 4 weeks till the shower.  Translation: 4 weeks to get the room and rest of the house in order.  Then it won't be long!  I can't wait to hold him!!!

Did you just call me fat?

Don't worry.  No one is calling me fat except me.

In the past 4 weeks I have more than doubled my pregnancy weight gain.  Whoops.  Today I had a weight gain of 8 pounds.  (That's a lot of Christmas cookies.)  If you're keeping track, that's a total weight gain of 15 pounds.  Not horrible...but wow.  I was shocked.

Blood pressure, good.  Baby's heartrate, 153.  Stomach measurement, right on track with another 4 inches, making 29.

And, oh yeah, no gestational diabetes!  If you follow me on facebook you know how horrible the 3-hour glucose test was.  One of the worst procedures I've ever been through!  And the doctor told me there was a reason I felt soooo crappy: apparently by the final blood draw my sugar level had dropped drastically.  She told me I need to eat every 2 hours, all day long.  I said, ok!

I guess that's about it on the baby front.  Still feeling pretty good, besides the heartburn/reflux.  Feeling him move a ton, which is just the best thing ever.  I went and updated my registry at Babies R Us today.  Can't wait for his room to be ready!!  Can't wait for him to be here!!

recipe time!

What a bad way to start the day...

But a warm piece of Mom's coffee cake sure makes up for it...

That picture really doesn't do it justice.

It has 2 layers of streusel.

The top is so crunchy and sweet.

One of my favorite breakfasts!

And oh-so-easy to make!

Mom's Streusel Coffee Cake

Batter                                                         Streusel

1 egg                                                          1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. sugar                                                 2 T. butter, softened 

1/3 c. butter, melted                                     2 T. flour

1/2 c. milk                                                   1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

1 & 1/2 c. flour

2 & 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Beat the egg, add sugar and melted butter and beat well.  Add milk and vanilla.  With a spoon beat in flour, baking powder and salt.  Turn 1/2 the batter into a greased 8x8 pan.  Mix together streusel ingredients with a fork.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the streusel on batter.  Add second 1/2 of batter and then the rest of the streusel.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

(With a hot cup of coffee.  Or a cold glass of milk!)



:the view from here:

Thanks for the new pj's, Mom!