Here is my new favorite blog. Because I tend to obsess.
http://tacojournalism.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 15, 2010
Three tacos a day keeps the doctor away
I mentioned my triple taco dinner from the other night...what I haven't mentioned until now is I've kept the triple threat going for three days now. Yup, tenia tres tacos para el almuerzo para las dos ultimas dias. Okay I admit - I leaned pretty heavily on the google translator for that one.
I feel vaguely guilty about this mini binge, but not really. Husband and I resolved to kick our Taco Bell habit for New Years, so my taco intake is at substandard levels anyway. Plus I figure nine homemade tacos is probably better than ANY number of Taco Bell tacos - and by better I mean mine are made of real, human grade food and not chemicals and dog food byproducts.
Plus, I make my tacos with turkey breast - the theory being that if they're lighter, you can eat more. And I do not waste my time with iceberg lettuce, oh no - I use green cabbage for my crunchy topper. I will not discuss the proportions of sour cream and cheese involved, however.
I am a lady, after all.
I feel vaguely guilty about this mini binge, but not really. Husband and I resolved to kick our Taco Bell habit for New Years, so my taco intake is at substandard levels anyway. Plus I figure nine homemade tacos is probably better than ANY number of Taco Bell tacos - and by better I mean mine are made of real, human grade food and not chemicals and dog food byproducts.
Plus, I make my tacos with turkey breast - the theory being that if they're lighter, you can eat more. And I do not waste my time with iceberg lettuce, oh no - I use green cabbage for my crunchy topper. I will not discuss the proportions of sour cream and cheese involved, however.
I am a lady, after all.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
21 Weeks
Today marks 21 weeks down. 19 to go. It's always nice to be on the downhill side of things.
I'm starting to look and feel more pregnant. That may be due to the fact that I no longer wear anything but elastic pants, but had you seen the size of me by the end of the day yesterday, you would probably agree that my girth really has increased.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am eating INCREDIBLE amounts of food. Husband and I had the following exchange during dinner the other night:
Me: Hey, have you noticed that I can put away an exceptional amount of food lately?
Him: Um, yeah, you can eat.
See? What did I tell you. Last night I had three tacos (while watching The Biggest Loser, no less) and would have totally had a fourth if only I'd had the foresight to fry an extra shell. The three tacos thing in itself is not really too crazy, except for the fact that Husband also had three and I was done and eyeing the kitchen before he had finished taco numero dos. Oh well, I tell myself it's a good thing to try and stretch my belly as full as possible at each and every meal, so as to avoid stretch marks later. So far, so good.
Speaking of belly stretching - with the weather being as dull and mopey as it's been, I have had the urge to bake. So far I've been too lazy to actually go through with it, but there is a recipe in this month's Cook's Country for imitation Hostess cupcakes that might just force me into the kitchen. Or I may wait to make those until after next week's Amazon Fresh delivery (so I don't have to actually leave the house for groceries) and make some brownies from a box instead.
I'm starting to look and feel more pregnant. That may be due to the fact that I no longer wear anything but elastic pants, but had you seen the size of me by the end of the day yesterday, you would probably agree that my girth really has increased.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am eating INCREDIBLE amounts of food. Husband and I had the following exchange during dinner the other night:
Me: Hey, have you noticed that I can put away an exceptional amount of food lately?
Him: Um, yeah, you can eat.
See? What did I tell you. Last night I had three tacos (while watching The Biggest Loser, no less) and would have totally had a fourth if only I'd had the foresight to fry an extra shell. The three tacos thing in itself is not really too crazy, except for the fact that Husband also had three and I was done and eyeing the kitchen before he had finished taco numero dos. Oh well, I tell myself it's a good thing to try and stretch my belly as full as possible at each and every meal, so as to avoid stretch marks later. So far, so good.
Speaking of belly stretching - with the weather being as dull and mopey as it's been, I have had the urge to bake. So far I've been too lazy to actually go through with it, but there is a recipe in this month's Cook's Country for imitation Hostess cupcakes that might just force me into the kitchen. Or I may wait to make those until after next week's Amazon Fresh delivery (so I don't have to actually leave the house for groceries) and make some brownies from a box instead.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
I love it when a plan comes together
Yesterday was a productive day on the Prep for Pork Chop front: I found a childbirth class.
I have been dragging my feet about signing up for such nonsense ever since the December appointment where my doctor said we should get signed up for classes. The problem was that I read some sort of "things I wish I knew about having a baby before I had a baby" list where someone's wish was that they knew that the best childbirth classes are not the ones offered at the hospital. That really stuck in my head, and I was having trouble seeing any of the classes offered by the hospital as anything but a part of their overall money making scheme. Yes, I am very cynical - blame it on the fact that I have both seen documentary The Business of Being Born and read the book Pushed. If you know of a book called "Proof that Doctors are Your Very Best Friends and Hospitals Only Exist to Make You Happy" or something to that effect, please point me in the right direction and I'd be happy to read that as well.
My outlook changed for the better yesterday when I was directed to this website. It is a good resource for anyone in the Seattle area looking to find a roundup of pregnancy and childbirth related services. DEFINITELY easier than trying to self-navigate the hospital class listings that all seem to have the same monkey for a webmaster. There is a childbirth class summary page which links you to all the various classes offered by different organizations and yes, hospitals. After a couple of hours of internet research, I decided to sign up for classes here.
These classes are crunchy. They are offered by a woman who has given birth in her home bathtub. She is a big believer in learning to let your body do what it's meant to do. Yes kids, you are hearing me correctly - I'm signed up to learn how to do this thing naturally. Why? Why would I want to do that? That's far too long a story to add to this already long post. But the short answer is: because it can't hurt to learn it.
I have been dragging my feet about signing up for such nonsense ever since the December appointment where my doctor said we should get signed up for classes. The problem was that I read some sort of "things I wish I knew about having a baby before I had a baby" list where someone's wish was that they knew that the best childbirth classes are not the ones offered at the hospital. That really stuck in my head, and I was having trouble seeing any of the classes offered by the hospital as anything but a part of their overall money making scheme. Yes, I am very cynical - blame it on the fact that I have both seen documentary The Business of Being Born and read the book Pushed. If you know of a book called "Proof that Doctors are Your Very Best Friends and Hospitals Only Exist to Make You Happy" or something to that effect, please point me in the right direction and I'd be happy to read that as well.
My outlook changed for the better yesterday when I was directed to this website. It is a good resource for anyone in the Seattle area looking to find a roundup of pregnancy and childbirth related services. DEFINITELY easier than trying to self-navigate the hospital class listings that all seem to have the same monkey for a webmaster. There is a childbirth class summary page which links you to all the various classes offered by different organizations and yes, hospitals. After a couple of hours of internet research, I decided to sign up for classes here.
These classes are crunchy. They are offered by a woman who has given birth in her home bathtub. She is a big believer in learning to let your body do what it's meant to do. Yes kids, you are hearing me correctly - I'm signed up to learn how to do this thing naturally. Why? Why would I want to do that? That's far too long a story to add to this already long post. But the short answer is: because it can't hurt to learn it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Obsess Much?
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but I am rather obsessed with coffee cake lately. And by lately I mean pretty much the whole time I have been knocked up.
I want to make one at home, but then again, I don't. I want to because it will be here at home with me and then I won't be forced to put on outside pants and drive to get some. I don't want to because then it will be here at home with me and I will eat the whole pan by myself before anyone can stop me, I swear I will.
For now Starbucks provides me with my fix. I love the reduced fat cinnamon swirl version...that and my grande half caff nonfat caramel macchiato and I'm in heaven. Luckily, I have an obscenely high balanced Sbux gift card, so that I am not spending $6.50 a day of my own money on my little habit.
The trouble is - and my fellow addicts out there can back me up on this - now that I allow myself to purchase something from the pastry case, my eye is beginning to wander. Coffee cake is a gateway drug that is going to lead me first to those little mini sparkle donuts and then probably on to cupcakes. Oh well.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Cheesy Pie
Remember earlier this week, when I was worried about the size of my eggplant? Well, it turns out I didn't worry for nothing. My "Eggplant Lasagna" turned into more of a "Cheese Pie with Eggplant." Not that I'm complaining.
How do you make such wonders in your own kitchen? I thought you'd never ask.
First, you must Lorena Bobbit your eggplant. Sorry, couldn't resist, done now, I promise.
Preheat your oven to 450. Cut the eggplant (or aubergine, if you want to pretend you are British and fancy) into 1/4" slices and spray or brush lightly with some olive oil. Roast for 5-10 minutes or until they smell eggplant-y and are soft and slightly brown.
Assemble the same ingredients you would for regular lasagna sans the noodles. In my case it was 1/2 a tub of ricotta mixed with one beaten egg, a jar of sauce and a buttload of mozz. Oh yeah, and the eggplant.
Assemble in layers like normal lasagna (I'm really not going to hold your hand, if you don't know, go look it up on some cooking website), cover and bake at 375 for about 1/2 an hour. Then uncover it and bake for another 15.
Put it under the broiler if you have to to get the top cheese all crusty and wonderful.
You're going to want to let it sit for at least 15 minutes when it comes out of the oven, or else the cheese will just ooze like molten lava and it will be impossible to cut, let alone eat. If you want to end up with something that resembles lasagna and not just a big dish of saucy melted cheese, you are probably going to want to use two eggplants instead of just one.
Serve with a nice little green salad, so you don't feel so guilty about all the cheese.
How do you make such wonders in your own kitchen? I thought you'd never ask.
First, you must Lorena Bobbit your eggplant. Sorry, couldn't resist, done now, I promise.
Preheat your oven to 450. Cut the eggplant (or aubergine, if you want to pretend you are British and fancy) into 1/4" slices and spray or brush lightly with some olive oil. Roast for 5-10 minutes or until they smell eggplant-y and are soft and slightly brown.
Assemble the same ingredients you would for regular lasagna sans the noodles. In my case it was 1/2 a tub of ricotta mixed with one beaten egg, a jar of sauce and a buttload of mozz. Oh yeah, and the eggplant.
Assemble in layers like normal lasagna (I'm really not going to hold your hand, if you don't know, go look it up on some cooking website), cover and bake at 375 for about 1/2 an hour. Then uncover it and bake for another 15.
Put it under the broiler if you have to to get the top cheese all crusty and wonderful.
You're going to want to let it sit for at least 15 minutes when it comes out of the oven, or else the cheese will just ooze like molten lava and it will be impossible to cut, let alone eat. If you want to end up with something that resembles lasagna and not just a big dish of saucy melted cheese, you are probably going to want to use two eggplants instead of just one.
Serve with a nice little green salad, so you don't feel so guilty about all the cheese.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Over the Hump
Today marks 20 weeks down, 20 to go. Halfway there! As you can see from the photo above, Chopita is starting to make herself known to the outside world. Maybe one of these days I'll get the Husband to take the belly picture instead of doing it self-portrait style.
Here's the take from my big foray into maternity clothes shopping today. Next time I'm a brat complaining about my mom driving me crazy, please feel free to slap me across the face with the Citizens of Humanity jeans she bought me.I'm glad to have a couple of pairs of mom jeans and to be done with the whole rubber band/bella band nonsense. I never really cared much for the bella band, and my contempt only grew as I needed to pee more and more frequently. It seemed like I was spending half my life trying to re-establish all my jimmy-rigged undergarments. Now I can just wear my elastic waistband pants without accoutrement.
P.S. - the things on the right that look like prom gloves - those are leggings.
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