We are now 22ish weeks along which means baby is over 10-11 inches long and weighs over a pound. In vegetable terms, she is the length of a spaghetti squash. Woo-hoo! :)
Baby girl has been kicking since Thanksgiving, but tonight was different. After a long day of being on-the-go, I finally collapsed on the couch which seemed to communicate that it was her turn to move around. Being as small as she is, there is quite a bit of room for her to hide. Tonight she must have decided to get as close to the outer reaches of her galaxy as possible because when she kicked, I noticed my belly jerk! At first I thought I might have exhaled or moved, but watched as she continued to jar the walls of her little home. I'm told that at some point in the near future, her kicks will be strong enough to hurt, but for now, her little motions are sweet and exciting to me. What an incredible thing the Lord does with each little baby's development! David's words about being knit together in his mother's womb and being known by the Lord before his birth have such awesome meaning if you really stop to consider the miracle of life. God certainly outdoes Himself with the intricacies of His creation!!!
December 29, 2010
December 27, 2010
"E" is for EGG
For Christmas, my sweet mother-in-law got me a now highly prized cookbook entitled "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. I remember growing up and seeing it on Mom's shelf and when our pastor's wife recommended it to me, I put it on my wish list.
While I've only begun to crack the binding, my thinking has already been challenged with what kind of foods the hubs, (mini-me) and I are consuming. (*Previous sentence was written with a gummy worm in my mouth...I need help!) The book has wonderful whole-food recipes and explains the benefit and properties of different foods. One section that caught my eye is on eggs. A lot of us have heard how dreadful eggs can be as a high-cholesterol food, BUT, I'm determined to give them a chance. So far, just a couple things I've learned about these oval wonders is that they are full of vitamins A & D and possess proteins that are crucial to healthy cell-membranes. The yolk has lots of vitamin B.
Our town has a farmer's market and I decided to browse around today on my way home from running errands. To my delight, I discovered that they sell farm-fresh eggs. I purchased 24 eggs for $3.50 and felt good to know that I: 1) Am supporting the market of home grown produce/local farmers, 2) Bought healthier-than-the-grocery-store-eggs for a fair price, and 3) Now have locally farmed eggs to feed my family!
As a little Mommy wanting to make sure mini-me gets what good things she needs to grow, I am delighted to know each time I have a hard boiled eggs, she's getting essential fatty acids (EFAs), and some staple vitamins crucial to her development. Three cheers for farm fresh eggs and their health benefits!
While I've only begun to crack the binding, my thinking has already been challenged with what kind of foods the hubs, (mini-me) and I are consuming. (*Previous sentence was written with a gummy worm in my mouth...I need help!) The book has wonderful whole-food recipes and explains the benefit and properties of different foods. One section that caught my eye is on eggs. A lot of us have heard how dreadful eggs can be as a high-cholesterol food, BUT, I'm determined to give them a chance. So far, just a couple things I've learned about these oval wonders is that they are full of vitamins A & D and possess proteins that are crucial to healthy cell-membranes. The yolk has lots of vitamin B.
Our town has a farmer's market and I decided to browse around today on my way home from running errands. To my delight, I discovered that they sell farm-fresh eggs. I purchased 24 eggs for $3.50 and felt good to know that I: 1) Am supporting the market of home grown produce/local farmers, 2) Bought healthier-than-the-grocery-store-eggs for a fair price, and 3) Now have locally farmed eggs to feed my family!
As a little Mommy wanting to make sure mini-me gets what good things she needs to grow, I am delighted to know each time I have a hard boiled eggs, she's getting essential fatty acids (EFAs), and some staple vitamins crucial to her development. Three cheers for farm fresh eggs and their health benefits!
December 21, 2010
(Fool's) Toffee
Having my own kitchen this year meant I had to determine what Christmas baking/cooking traditions I want to carry on with our family. One calorie-laden staple is something called "Fool's Toffee". Whether this means it's easy enough for a fool to make, or has ingredients that fool one into thinking it's a difficult recipe, I do not know, but prefer the latter. ;)
What you'll need:
1 jelly roll pan covered in tin foil (shiny side up), sprayed with Pam
1 package Saltine crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 - 2 sticks butter*
12-16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
What to do:
1. Prepare jelly roll pan by covering it with foil and spraying it generously with Pam.
2. Remove the saltines from their package and lay on the pan in rows, side by side, with edges touching, until the pan is entirely covered.
3. Preheat your over to 350*
4. In a medium sized sauce pot, cook butter and brown sugar until it begins to bubble. Boil and stir continuously for 4 minutes. *Make sure to stir constantly or else it will burn!
5. Carefully pour the boiled frothy-looking butter and brown sugar mixture over the saltine crackers, evenly covering every cracker. A high-temperature proof spatula will help spread the mixture nicely.
6. Place jelly roll pan in the oven for 5 minutes (at 350*).
7. After 5 minutes, remove the pan - the mixture should have baked/soaked into the crackers and look bubbly. In some cases you may need to rearrange the crackers if they moved too much (or if you are a type A, need-nice-lines person like me). :)
8. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers and place back in the oven for 1 minutes.
9. Remove pan from the oven and with a spatula, spread the now soft and melted chocolate chips over the entire cracker surface.
10. Before the chocolate can completely cool, sprinkle chocolate surface with chopped walnuts (or your choice of nut).
11. Once the jelly roll pan cools down enough to handle, place it in the freezer for a few minutes to help the chocolate harden.
12. Remove pan from the freezer, pull your hardened toffee away from the foil and break it into pieces.
*Tip: If you want crunchier toffee, only use 1 to 1.5 sticks of butter. If softer toffee is your preference, make this recipe with 2 sticks of butter. I've made this recipe both ways and (alas), like the 2 stick of butter better b/c it holds together nicely and isn't as crumbly.
What you'll need:
1 jelly roll pan covered in tin foil (shiny side up), sprayed with Pam
1 package Saltine crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 - 2 sticks butter*
12-16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
What to do:
1. Prepare jelly roll pan by covering it with foil and spraying it generously with Pam.
2. Remove the saltines from their package and lay on the pan in rows, side by side, with edges touching, until the pan is entirely covered.
3. Preheat your over to 350*
4. In a medium sized sauce pot, cook butter and brown sugar until it begins to bubble. Boil and stir continuously for 4 minutes. *Make sure to stir constantly or else it will burn!
5. Carefully pour the boiled frothy-looking butter and brown sugar mixture over the saltine crackers, evenly covering every cracker. A high-temperature proof spatula will help spread the mixture nicely.
6. Place jelly roll pan in the oven for 5 minutes (at 350*).
7. After 5 minutes, remove the pan - the mixture should have baked/soaked into the crackers and look bubbly. In some cases you may need to rearrange the crackers if they moved too much (or if you are a type A, need-nice-lines person like me). :)
8. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers and place back in the oven for 1 minutes.
9. Remove pan from the oven and with a spatula, spread the now soft and melted chocolate chips over the entire cracker surface.
10. Before the chocolate can completely cool, sprinkle chocolate surface with chopped walnuts (or your choice of nut).
11. Once the jelly roll pan cools down enough to handle, place it in the freezer for a few minutes to help the chocolate harden.
12. Remove pan from the freezer, pull your hardened toffee away from the foil and break it into pieces.
*Tip: If you want crunchier toffee, only use 1 to 1.5 sticks of butter. If softer toffee is your preference, make this recipe with 2 sticks of butter. I've made this recipe both ways and (alas), like the 2 stick of butter better b/c it holds together nicely and isn't as crumbly.
Pregnancy Update
Since we moved in October, I haven't looked much different until the past 2 weeks when my belly decided to pop out. I finally feel legitimately pregnant and it's nice to be beyond the "fat" stage where other people can now tell that I'm pregnant, too.
Two weeks ago we went in for a sonogram and saw our baby GIRL(!) for the first time! It was amazing. She had her hands up near her face, was kicking her little feet around, and we even got to see her yawn. Remarkable things go on in the womb that I'm completely oblivious to on a day to day basis, so it was incredible to see what was going on inside for those few fleeting moments. Although Andrew has been predicting a boy since the day we found out we were pregnant, we're both super excited to await our little girl around the beginning of May. By the way - she is around 7-8 inches from the crown of her head to her bottom and weights 12-14oz. This may sound tiny to most people, but as I've been tracking her growth since she was the size of a bean, at least to me, she seems a great size!
On Thanksgiving I felt her kick for the very first time. This was really special because it came while I was praying for her health. I have felt her kicking around ever since that day and can tell she gets really active after I'm active/excited (mooching off Mom's adrenaline?) or eat something sweet.
This year the passages about Mary being with child, and her conversations with Elizabeth have taken on a whole new meaning to me as I carry our baby. Until now, I'd never given much thought to Mary having morning sickness, being nauseous, constipated, sleepless, or emotional etc. Nor had it crossed my mind what she must have thought the first time she felt Jesus kicking around inside of her. Pregnancy isn't always fun or pretty (it can be rather embarrassing), but the humble means in which our Christ came to this earth are just astounding. He truly is our sympathetic High Priest - he came into this world from his mother's womb and experienced growing up like we've had to do. He is no stranger to our experiences. His humanity has taken on a new meaning to me through this pregnancy and Christmas season.
Two weeks ago we went in for a sonogram and saw our baby GIRL(!) for the first time! It was amazing. She had her hands up near her face, was kicking her little feet around, and we even got to see her yawn. Remarkable things go on in the womb that I'm completely oblivious to on a day to day basis, so it was incredible to see what was going on inside for those few fleeting moments. Although Andrew has been predicting a boy since the day we found out we were pregnant, we're both super excited to await our little girl around the beginning of May. By the way - she is around 7-8 inches from the crown of her head to her bottom and weights 12-14oz. This may sound tiny to most people, but as I've been tracking her growth since she was the size of a bean, at least to me, she seems a great size!
On Thanksgiving I felt her kick for the very first time. This was really special because it came while I was praying for her health. I have felt her kicking around ever since that day and can tell she gets really active after I'm active/excited (mooching off Mom's adrenaline?) or eat something sweet.
This year the passages about Mary being with child, and her conversations with Elizabeth have taken on a whole new meaning to me as I carry our baby. Until now, I'd never given much thought to Mary having morning sickness, being nauseous, constipated, sleepless, or emotional etc. Nor had it crossed my mind what she must have thought the first time she felt Jesus kicking around inside of her. Pregnancy isn't always fun or pretty (it can be rather embarrassing), but the humble means in which our Christ came to this earth are just astounding. He truly is our sympathetic High Priest - he came into this world from his mother's womb and experienced growing up like we've had to do. He is no stranger to our experiences. His humanity has taken on a new meaning to me through this pregnancy and Christmas season.
October 27, 2010
Revised
Well...this started as a food blog. It would seem that my eagerness to blog about the dishes I was making happened to be when morning sickness left me wanting nothing to do with food! How's that for ironic? As it stands now, I have returned to better health and cooking, but have had other things demanding my time. My revised hope is to post about life, the journies God takes me/my new family on, my rounding baby belly, life in a small town, and yes, the occasional recipe.
August 30, 2010
Tomato Panzanella with Ricotta
This recipe is from Martha Stewart's July/August edition of Everyday Food (with a few of my own revisions).
What you'll need:
2 1/2 slices of crusty (or well toasted) bread
1 lb. ripe tomatoes (I used Roma) cut into 1 inch slices
4 oz. thickly sliced mushrooms
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons EVOO, plus extra for drizzling
1 cup fresh basil leaves, (torn if large)
8 oz. of ricotta cheese
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Toast or bake bread until dry then lightly crumble. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, vinegar, and oil with a dusting of salt and pepper. Add crumbled bread and basil leaves to above mixture and stir together. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes for the bread crumbs to fully soak up the liquids. When you are ready to serve, place in bowls and top each with a hearty spoonful of ricotta cheese, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper.
This is an easy side dish that has a wonderfully fresh flavor! Enjoy!
What you'll need:
2 1/2 slices of crusty (or well toasted) bread
1 lb. ripe tomatoes (I used Roma) cut into 1 inch slices
4 oz. thickly sliced mushrooms
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons EVOO, plus extra for drizzling
1 cup fresh basil leaves, (torn if large)
8 oz. of ricotta cheese
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Toast or bake bread until dry then lightly crumble. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, vinegar, and oil with a dusting of salt and pepper. Add crumbled bread and basil leaves to above mixture and stir together. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes for the bread crumbs to fully soak up the liquids. When you are ready to serve, place in bowls and top each with a hearty spoonful of ricotta cheese, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper.
This is an easy side dish that has a wonderfully fresh flavor! Enjoy!
August 17, 2010
A new favorite: Bruschetta!!!
I was first introduced to bruschetta when my mother-in-law made it for a party last year. My first thought was "WOW! This is incredible!" Bruschetta is a teensy bit time consuming to make, but definitely worth the effort. The ingredients below will yield enough bruschetta for 2 very hungry individuals (we make a meal of it), but would make excellent hor dourves for 4 - 6
Ingredients:
8-10 slices french bread
6 T. EVOO
3 cloves crushed garlic
4-6 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sliced meat (our favorite is turkey breast but you can also use chicken or roast beef)
4 Roma tomatoes sliced to medium thickness
3 chopped green onions
Salt and course ground pepper
Pour olive oil into a small bowl and stir in 1 clove crushed garlic.
Lay bread slices on a tray and brush them with above mixture until well coated.
Place in oven and toast for 5 minutes @ 350. *Toasting can occur before coating with EVOO which would make bread a bit soggier to taste.
Mix softened cream cheese and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. With a knife, generously spread cream cheese mixture over toasted bread. After this, layer sliced meat, 1-2 tomato slices, and chopped green onions. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Sidenote: Regarding the sliced meat, one of the reasons we enjoy turkey so much is not only the taste, but it gives easily when bitten through. The first time I made bruschetta, I use roast beef (as seen in the picture) and it was very difficult to bite and pull apart in a polite way. SO, we've moved onto turkey and never looked back. Plus, it looks more appealing when sparingly piled under the tomatoes.
This is one of our absolute favorites, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! *Thanks Mom and Sis in law for teaching me how to make this and spreading the bruschetta-love!
Quick Italian Pasta
I made this pasta a few weeks ago and it was perfect for a hot summer's day.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. cooked and cooled noodles (I prefer multi-colored curly or bow-tie)
1/2 can black olives
1/4 chopped red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 sm. handful cilantro leaves
1/2 med. sized chopped zucchini
1/2 cup cubed cheese (sharp cheddar or mozz.)
Garlic salt and ground pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together and chill. Drizzle Italian dressing over pasta just before serving.
August 11, 2010
Cabbage Salad
At the request of a friend, I am posting my Grandma's cabbage salad recipe. Instead of using shredded cabbage, a good substitute is shredded broccoli(bagged with slices of carrots and red cabbage).
In a large bowl, mix:
1 sm. head of shredded cabbage (or broccoli)
3 chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1 package crushed *Ramen noodles
In a separate bowl combine:
1/4 c. oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. white sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 pkg. Ramen (*chicken flavor) seasoning
Chill dressing and pour over the cabbage mixture just before serving.
In a large bowl, mix:
1 sm. head of shredded cabbage (or broccoli)
3 chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1 package crushed *Ramen noodles
In a separate bowl combine:
1/4 c. oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. white sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 pkg. Ramen (*chicken flavor) seasoning
Chill dressing and pour over the cabbage mixture just before serving.
August 8, 2010
Confession: Good for the Soul
I am going to be upfront and make a confession. I am not very creative when it comes to making food. Nope. My best approach is if I can watch someone else, or follow a recipe and then do my best to imitate it. In the movie "Little Women", the main-man Laurie tells Amy that his work in the office is like her paintings...an imitation of another man's genius. With this said, I am attaching a disclaimer to many of the posts that will follow. Most of what I cook is primarily inspired by my new favorite, Martha Stewart. I have fallen into the pages of her "Everyday Food" magazine with sighs of delight (and moans of hunger) over the simple and delicious recipes found there.
While I'm still confessing, I must own up to the fact that I still struggle with accurately spelling the word recepie...urr...recipie....uhhh....RECIPE!!!
While I'm still confessing, I must own up to the fact that I still struggle with accurately spelling the word recepie...urr...recipie....uhhh....RECIPE!!!
August 7, 2010
My first entry
Greeting readers!
Since my husband and I married in June, I have had a lot of fun making lists, going on grocery runs, and trying my hand at lots of (mostly new to me) recipes. My dear husband has been encouraging me to start this blog about my adventures in the kitchen. My suspicion is that he either genuinely enjoys what I've been cooking, OR he's hoping this record will assist the ER in pinpointing what food I accidentally poisoned him with. I'm hoping it's not the latter. ;)
Pictures and recipes to come...
~ JB
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