Winter Wonderland: Strawberry Preserves

On Sunday we awoke to find Winter Storm Neptune upon us.

This was not Thatkid's first experience with snow, but it was his first experience like this.  For that matter, it was Thatboy's first experience like this too!  Between the temperatures being below 10 degrees, and the fresh snow piled on the ground, we just don't get weather like this in California.  Even at our ski resorts.

So of course, we had to go play in the snow.

Thatkid alternated between crying about how cold he was and having the best time of his life.  I tried to explain the snow was a little too soft for making a snowman, even our snowballs wouldn't stick, so we resorted to throwing handfuls of snow at each other.

But you can't play in the snow forever, so we took our little bundled up boy out to breakfast.

Growing up on the East Coast I have fond memories of Friendly's.  Not that it is any sort of quality food, but I warmly recall family celebrations over their ice cream sundaes.  And hot chocolate.  And the pancakes with a chocolate chip and whip cream smile.  When I saw there were a Friendly's a couple blocks from our hotel, I texted Thatboy that we needed to take Thatkid.  After I hyped him up on chocolate chip pancakes, we found that in the past 20something years they had a new addition to their menu - M&M pancakes.  (Served with bacon...of course)

By the time we finished up with breakfast, Nana was just getting up, so we packed up and headed back to her house.  Thatkid kept the family entertained with his antics.  Especially his new-found best four legged friend.

Overall it was a very successful trip, because even when it's cold outside, family always makes the insides warm and bright.

We did a lot of good eating while we were in New Jersey - fabulous pizza, amazing Chinese food, and of course, Dunkin' Donuts.  But now that we're back in California and I can take advantage of what we have - other than warm weather.  We've got strawberries in February, and of course, my favorite cheese in the world - burrata.

I like to combine the two, and the best way to do so is with strawberry preserves.  Strawberries cooked down makes them easy to eat atop cheese.  And the burrata is only enhanced by the complementary sweetness of the berries.

Strawberry Preserves

3 cups sugar

1 cup strawberries

1. Cook the sugar and 1 cup water together until the mixture reaches 238 on a candy thermometer.  
2. Wash and hull the strawberries and add to the syrup.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 10 minutes.
3. Remove the berries and set aside.  Cook the syrup to 238 again.
4. Add the berries and let stand over low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the berries and reheat again to 238. 
6. Add the berries and cook until the syrup is thick.  Let stand 24 hours before putting into sterilized jars and refrigerating.

Coast to Coast: Candied Grapefruit Peels

Friday night after work and school we headed to the airport.  There aren't many long weekends between now and the baby's arrival, and less when I'm not in trial, so we decided to take advantage of this one for a last minute trip to visit my grandmother.

Thatkid hasn't seen her since his first birthday, so we were well overdue.  Before Thatkid, Thatboy and I often jetted to the East Coast on redeyes to make the most of the weekend and not lose a full day in travel.  This was our first time doing it with a small child.  And it actually went surprisingly well.  He slept on both flights (although he was up and crazy from 2am to 4am). 

We arrived in New Jersey around 9am and headed over to our hotel for a quick shower and change before heading over to Nana's.

It was a different Valentine's Day for us, but perfect in that we got to spend it with the ones we love.

Thatkid had a great time with his Nana,  She spoiled him rotten, but his favorite part of the visit was playing games with her.

One of my big tricks with traveling with a toddler is bringing snacks with us.  This is especially important when you have no idea when you're going to be doing breakfast or lunch.  Dried fruit makes a very easy, very packable snack.  Coated in sugar makes it one of those treats you just mindlessly snack.  I made these with grapefruit, but any citrus will do.  I think we are just about at harvesting time for our orange tree, so I'm looking forward to the orange version of this very soon!

Candied Grapefruit Peels

1 grapefruit

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1. Peel the grapefruit in large strips.  Put in a pan, cover with cold water, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Drain, cover with cold water, and simmer until tender.
3. Drain and cut the peel into small strips, about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long.
4. Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar with the corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a heavy saucepan and stir over low heat until dissolved.
5. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.
6. Add the peel and cook gently over low heat until most of the syrup has been absorbed.  Cover and let stand overnight.
7. Reheat and bring to a simmer again, then cool and drain.
8. Spread remaining sugar over paper towels and roll the peel in it.  Let them stand until they are dry enough to handle.

Crave Wednesday: Manchego and Chorizo Pizza

While you were all cuddling up with your loved ones, Thatfamily was jetting off to be part of Winter Storm Neptune.  I'll update you on our adventures tomorrow, but today I want to start at the end our journey.  On Monday we flew home from the northeast and everything was smooth sailing.

We managed to get on our flight out of Newark before the worst of the storm hit, which meant no delays.  They announced the connecting gate as we prepared our decent into Dallas, and it was just down from the arrival gate!  And we had about an hour until boarding! That's where our luck ended.  Right when we landed they announced we had our gate changed, to a completely different terminal.  And we were running about 20 minutes late.

Nevertheless, we managed to make it to our gate with 15 minutes to spare.  We boarded, taxied to the runway, and were about to take off - when the pilot came over the loudspeaker to announce the toilets wouldn't flush and we had to go back to the gate.  He promised it was an easy fix, usually caused by someone not properly closing some lavatory lock, so maintenance would have us on our way in no time.  Except we ran into a small problem - there were no open gates.  So we drove around the airport until one finally opened up.  And then came the next problem - the maintenance crew was undergoing a shift change.  We sat on the plane for an hour and 10 minutes until they finally fixed the issue and we were on our way.

Of course this meant we got in a lot later than when we planning.  So I resorted to an old standby.  I remember when I was a kid and Boboli pizza crusts were first introduced.  They became the go-to for every slumber party.  There was nothing more exciting for a kid than getting to top their own pizzas.  And what's nice is they make dinner so very quick, because they're already cooked, you really just need to heat the pizzas until the cheese melts.  Which means the most time consuming portion of this meal is boiling the water for the broccoli rabe.  And as usual, I always appreciate veggies after traveling, when I don't get them the way I do at home.  So fresh broccoli, tomatoes, and onions make a welcome homecoming meal.

 Manchego and Chorizo Pizza

1/2 lb broccoli rabe, trimmed

1/8 tsp salt

1 prebaked pizza crust

1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese

2/3 cup chipped plum tomato

1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion

1 link chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Cook broccoli for 4 minutes or until tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain.  Squeeze excess moisture from broccoli rabe and pat dry with paper towels.  Coarsely chop.
2. Sprinkle broccoli rabe with salt.
3. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle evenly with Manchego cheese.
4. Top with broccoli rabe, plum tomatoes, red onion, and chorizo.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Cut into 8 wedges.

Mommy Mondays: 24 weeks

Sharing the secret -  I'm not the kind of person who announces their pregnancy as soon as a second line shows up on the test.  Last time around we waited until the second trimester to share the good news, even with our parents.  It goes back to those miscarriage numbers I was talking about earlier.  Once you tell someone, even a parent, you have to be prepared they are going to share it with everyone they know.  And while good news travels fast, bad news often doesn't.  If anything had happened I wouldn't want to be in the grocery store when a friend of a parent came up, rubbed my empty belly, and asked how the pregnancy was treating me.

The risk of miscarriage drops after the heartbeat is heard, so we decided to share the news with family after that first appointment.  Thatboy called his family and told them over the phone.  They were disappointing.  He was expecting them to be enthused, but they acted as though he told them we were getting a new couch.

I got a different reaction from Thatbrother.  I wanted to let him know first, before anyone else.  I don't know if I had a real reason for that, just that I was sending things out to family and I wanted him to know before the cousins and aunts.  Thatbrother was excited, although he expressed disappointment that we wouldn't be having our second kids at the same time.  Given that he had a 3 month old at the time, I told him our schedules probably wouldn't match up.

The next people we told were the matriarchs of my family.  My mother, cousin, and great aunt were all heading east to visit my grandmother.  I wanted to share the information with them at the same time, kind of as a pick-me-up for my grandmother.  We recorded the heartbeat at the appointment and I texted it to my mom, telling her it was a special message from Thatkid to my grandmother, and she should play it when they got there.  She couldn't get it to work.  And given that she didn't think it was a big deal, didn't bother trying to make it work, despite my pleas with her to keep trying as I sent it through as many avenues as possible.  When she finally got it to work, and read the accompanying message, she was ecstatic.  Everyone was.  It was the reaction Thatboy had been looking for.

As for the rest of the family, we sent them a special message on Halloween:

As for our friends, we sent them a little Thanksgiving message from all of us, including the little turkey coming this spring.


Well, we're at 24 weeks my friend.  And I feel like I am exponentially bigger than last month.  Currently Oppo-baby is the length of an ear of corn!

Total weight gain/loss: +15

Next Appointment: March 2.
Maternity clothes? Mostly non-maternity this week, with the exception of a couple maternity dresses.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: I'm having a hard time sleeping in the early morning.  That really obnoxious light sleep where you're aware of everything around you.

Best moment this week: Seeing movement! (see below) 

Movement: Yep. And I've been saying for a while Thatboy would be able to feel them if he had any patience, this week not only did he feel them, but we both watched something move across my stomach. It's that very cool and creepy alien looking thing I never had with Thatkid, possibly due to the anterior placenta.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Cured meats (pepperoni, proscuitto) just aren't appealing this week
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss:I could so go for a glass of something alcoholic.  Or two or three.

What I am looking forward to:  Nothing big this week.

Contractions: Not this week

 Milestones:

-Viability.
- Skeleton is hardening
- Brown fat is forming on the neck, chest, and back to be used after birth to produce heat and energy.
- Baby is yawning!
- Baby can breathe in and out through each nostril.

Sunday Runday: What's Wrong with Walking?

The title of this post is an exact quote from my doctor when I was complaining to her about how I was starting to get pelvic pressure when running.

I was expressing my frustration based on the fact that I never had even a moment of discomfort when running through my first pregnancy all the way up until the day I was induced.  And yet, at 22 weeks, I was worried I was going to have to throw in the towel this time around (Thanks Oppo-baby). 

"Well do you have to run?" my doctor asked.  "What's wrong with walking?"

To be fair, there is nothing wrong with walking.  Walking is fantastic.  It serves the same purpose of getting out of my office and breathing in some fresh air.  It's still cardiovascular, although obviously less intense than running.  But you know what my problem with walking is?  It takes too long!

One of the reasons I run is because I like being done sooner rather than later.  I get bored doing anything for too long.  I love the fact that (prepregnancy) I can sneak out of my office and get 3 miles in and only be gone half an hour. 

I have such admiration for people who walk half marathons, marathons, or the Breast Cancer 3-day.  I think they have so much more dedication than speedier runners because they devote way more time to the same distance.  Heck, I don't even want to run a marathon because the idea of running over 4 hours doesn't appeal to me!

So my plan is to just keep a better eye on my pace.  Slow it down a bit.  I actually ended up taking a couple weeks off from my daily runs, more due to the craziness of my work schedule than anything else.  When I started up again last week it was back to being comfortable, with no pelvic pressure.  So I'm going to keep going for as long as I can before I have to....walk.

More Valentine's Day Treats: Walnut Stuffed Dates

Valentine's Day is tomorrow people - are you ready?  It's not even a beginning of the month holiday, but it always sneaks up on me.  I put it out of my mind until February 1st, and then before I know it, it's the week of Valentine's Day and I haven't picked up any gifts or cards.

This year I was a little better.  I think because I had Thatkid's party to plan.  So when I picked up decorations and activities I also threw some cards and other treats in the cart.  Like supplies for Thatkid and I to make Valentines for his class party today.

For some reason, it's really important to me that he plays an active role in things "from him."  He picks out the gifts for all the birthday parties he goes to, made the Christmas gifts for his teachers, and I wanted him to make the Valentines for his classmates.  Because he can't write yet, the boxed kind can't really have his personal touch, so we went for something homemade.  I printed out the fishbowl and he stuffed each bag with fish. 

I did my own Valentine's Day stuffing.  I think most people jump straight to chocolate for this holiday.  I know Thatboy does.  But he jumps to chocolate for every holiday.  Personally, I don't go ga ga over chocolate.  Dates aren't really a chocolate substitute.  Try to pass one off to a chocolate lover and they won't be fooled.  So don't misinterpret me when I say that dates are a great alternative to chocolate.  Sweet, rich, and dense, they always seem very decadent to me.  Cheese stuffed dates are probably familiar to most people, combining the savory and sweet.  These are all sweet, no savory.  And the nut meat makes them that much richer.

Walnut Stuffed Dates

Equal number of dates and walnut halves

1/2 cup sugar

1. Place dates in a strainer, cover, and place over boiling water for 10-15 minutes until soft.
2. Cool until you can handle them, then place a walnut half in each date.
3. Sprinkle a clean work surface with sugar and roll the dates until they are coated in sugar. 

A Toddler Valentine Extravganza: Shortbread Cookies

Happy Early Valentine's Day!  We started celebrating early last weekend with a little get together with Thatkid's friends.  I've mentioned before that we try to get together every month with Thatkid's friends from his old school, and this month I thought it would be fun to have everyone over for some Valentine crafting.

I kind of went all out in setting the scene.  Just for fun.  With lots of pink, red, and hearts.

And of course, I loaded up the table with loads of sweet treats.  Because of BA's allergies, I made allergy-friendly recipes.  Like rice krispie treats (or as Thatkid says, rice krispie hearts).

 

And shortbread cookies.

I made a ton of short bread cookies.  Enough to package them up for the kids to take home.  And enough for Thatboy to take into work with him.  As I said, I made them because they're egg free, and BA has an egg allergy, but they're also incredibly easy and addictive.  So I laughed when Thatboy texted me asking for the recipe for his boss.  A recipe for shortbread cookies?  Coming right up.

Shortbread Cookies

3 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixture.
2. Add flour and sugar and mix until dough comes together.  Shape into a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters.  Place on baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes.

For the adults, there was doughnuts, fritatta, and Swedish braided bread.

I set up a bunch of different projects for the kids to do.  Mostly involving stickers.  Lots and lots of stickers.

I made heart stamps out of toilet paper rolls.  This is how you know Thatkid loves me, because he thought these were so cool - and really?  toilet paper rolls.

Thatkid was most excited about making tissue paper stained glass hearts.

I cut out construction paper heart outlines and placed them on contact paper.  Then I let the kids loose with a bowl of cut up tissue paper.

 Once they had completed their masterpieces, another piece of contact paper went over top to seal the goodness inside, and the grownups cut the heart out.  The other big hit project wise was making their own Valentine mailboxes.

Did I mention I had lots and lots of stickers?

 After they tired of art, they ran around the house.  Then they ran around outside.  Before we knew it, it was lunch time.

 And after lunch there was more playing.  Eventually the inevitable toddler meltdowns began, and everyone packed up for home and naps.

Thatkid had such a good time playing with his friends and Valentining it up.  It's always fun to get together with these kids, and I especially enjoyed watching them celebrate the holidays.

Crave Wednesday: Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza

I've never really been into BLTs.  To begin with, I don't like mayonnaise, and without, a BLT is a little dry.  My second issue with BLTs is that they always seem...sparse.  Bacon is such a flat meat, that it doesn't take up much room on the sandwich the way other meats do. 

The answer to both of these issues is a BLT pizza.  No mayonnaise is necessary when you have marinara sauce to prevent drying out.  And rather than an anemic sandwich, the bacon serves as an accompaniment rather than the main event.  A thick whole wheat crust make even a slice of this pizza a filling meal.  And of course, cheese never hurts.

Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza

4 applewood smoked bacon sliced

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp cornmeal

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup marinara sauce

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup arugula

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from pan, crumble and set aside.
2. Add tomatoes and red pepper to pan, cook 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.  Roll dough into a 12 inch circle and place on baking sheet.  Spread sauce over dough.
4. Top with tomato mixture.
5. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over tomato mixture.
6. Bake on bottom rack for 17 minutes.
7. Combine arugula, oil, and vinegar.  
8. Top pizza with arugula mixture.  Cut into 6 wedges.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 1/4 tsp dry yeast

1/4 tsp sugar

2/3 cup warm water

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

5.6 oz flour

3.2 oz whole wheat flour 

1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 2/3 cup warm water in a small bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes.  
2. Stir in olive oil and honey.
3. Combine flours and salt in the bowl of a stand mixture, stirring with a whisk.
4. Gradually add yeast mixture, beating at low speed until smooth.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic.
6. Placed dough in a large bowl coated with cooking  spray, turning to coat top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Mommy Mondays: 23 weeks

My 22 week appointment went really well.  Everything is going swimmingly with this pregnancy, and although I complained about the incredible back pain and sciatica I'm having, my doctor apologized and told me it's normal and it's going to get worse.  Thanks doc.  I'm gaining weight like someone was paying me to do so, but my doctor doesn't seem concerned.  It's hard to see the numbers jump on the scale each month, but given how vigilant my doctor was last time about keeping track, the fact that she's isn't concerned is a relief. 

I bought replacement maternity jeans and tried them on for the first time last night.  Which made me feel a little better.  On the one hand, I look skinnier than even pre-pregnancy when I wear them, because it's quite obvious that any weight in my midsection is BABY.  I look hugely pregnant.  (And trust me, it only looks like the weight is baby.  There is still a lot of "me" in there too!)On the other hand, I look hugely pregnant.  Like much farther along that 23 weeks.  Maternity clothes will do that to you.  Especially maternity jeans.  I'll do a little review of maternity wear in a later post, but in general, the fit of maternity clothes emphasizes the bump.  Jeans push everything up and out.  Wearing maternity clothes makes me look at least a month farther along than I do when wearing my regular clothes, even just jeans with a bella band.

Which could be why I'm still trying to get wear out of my regular clothes for as long as possible.  I don't know how I lucked out this pregnancy, but I have had no bloat.  Around 8 or 9 weeks last time I had to stop buttoning my pants.  This time I lasted until second trimester.  And since my pants and skirts fit everywhere but that button part, I'm still making use of the bella band instead of buying a million maternity pants and skirts. 

Total weight gain/loss: +15

Next Appointment: March 2.
Maternity clothes? I made a lot of use of my maternity dresses this week, which are perfect for work.  Lots of unbuttoned shirts and tanks, and my regular pants with the bella band.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: Pretty good this week!  Still having the back pain, but it doesn't seem to interfere with me staying asleep once I get there.

Best moment this week: I love hearing the heartbeat at doctor's appointments.  I also think we honed in on the crib skirt for the nursery.
Movement: All the time.  In fact, Thatkid woke up on Saturday morning and started calling for us.  Oppobaby took that as a sign to wake up too and started kicking/punching me from the inside.
Food cravings: Cake

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: Being able to bend over or move without being in pain.

What I am looking forward to: Viability next week!  Not that I'm ready for this baby to show up, it's just another good milestone.

Contractions: I think maybe!?!  Since I never had, I'm not sure if that's what it was, but it was an especially long and stressful day, it was late, I was tired, and probably dehydrated.  Washing dishes when I felt this pressure going across my lower abdomen.  I'm still not 100% sure it was a Braxton Hicks contraction or just the spine of the baby pressing against and across my stomach, but it went away once I sat down, put my feet up, and grabbed a glass of water.

 Milestones:

-Keratization of the skin.

-finger and toenails are beginning to make an appearance.

- Baby is making regular deep breathing movements.  Cells are lining the branches within the lungs and producing surfactant which assists lung functions. 

Sunday Runday: Carb Loading

If you run, or know someone who runs, chances are you're familiar with carb loading - eating a lot of carbohydrates the night before a race.

In theory, this makes sense.  Complex carbohydrates, that take some time to break down (as opposed to something like fruit or candy which burns quickly) help to give you energy through the race.

But have you ever had a really big, carb heavy meal?  Right after you feel sluggish and tired.  Which is NOT helpful for race day.

So how do you balance those two opposing forces?  Like I said, carb loading makes sense, but not that giant never-ending pasta bowl the night before a race.

Instead, smart runners increase their carb intake over days in the week before a race.  (Slow and steady, just like the tortoise!)  And they continue their carb-loading the morning of the race, with something like toast or oatmeal. 

Personally, I like my night before a race meals to include a mix of proteins and carbs - pizza is a big plus for me with the crust and some meaty topics.   One of my friends likes Chinese food, which also combines protein and carbs.   Because life can get so crazy, sometimes my pre-race meals seem to lack carbs completely, but because I've upped them over the week before, missing out on the night of doesn't seem to have a detrimental effect.  Of course, it probably helps that the half-marathon is my longest distance!

So eat up my friends, just make sure you don't do all your eating the night before!

The Big Bowl: Coconut Balls

We started planning our Superbowl snacks early on.  I mentioned to Thatkid that Thatboy used the Superbowl as an excuse to indulge in some of his favorite snacks - Doritos and Mug rootbeer.

Thatkid decided he wanted his own special snacks for the "Big Bowl" as he continued to call it.  He picked out some of the Trader Joes brand cheetos and some guava coconut water.

As for me, I went with fruit.   Tropical fruit to be exact.  I cut up some pineapple and papaya and filled a bowl.  Then I rolled some coconut with eggwhites for an easy to snack on treat which has some protein, which makes me feel like it's a healthy snack.

The only problem with my little coconut balls is that everyone else wanted to eat them too.  They barely made it to halftime. 

Coconut Balls

2 cups grated, unsweetened coconut

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

egg white

1/4 tsp coconut extract

1.  Mix the coconut, corn syrup, sugar, and salt together in a pot.  Stir over medium heat about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the egg white and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut extract and remove from heat.  Spread the mixture into a pie pan.  Place damp paper towels on top to avoid the coconut mixture from drying out and refrigerate until chilled.
4. Preheat oven to 300.  Shape the coconut mixture into small balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Botany and Butterflies: Apple Jam

Back when Thatboy and I were young and carefree we spent a lot of time at Balboa Park.  Even though it's the perfect atmosphere for families, we really haven't taken advantage of it with Thatkid.  When we visited the Botanical Building in San Francisco, I realized we should really head over to our local version.  Especially since Thatkid loved looking at all the plants and flowers.

Last weekend, we packed another picnic lunch and headed over to our Botanical Building. 

The setting is one of the most picturesque in the park, with a reflecting pool leading to the building.  Filled with ducks, fish, and while we were there, an egret.

After taking in the wildlife we headed in to the view the foliage.

As I said, it's been years since we've visited, so I don't know if it's permanent or just a temporary exhibit, but right now there is an amazing display of orchids.  More varieties and more orchids than I have ever seen outside of an orchard farm in Hawaii.

 Thatkid delighted in pointing each one out - "Look at THIS flower! Look at THIS flower!  I like this pink flower."  He led us on a tour through the building.   We spent some time at the "stop and smell" exhibit, filled with fragrant herbs and plants.  A sign invited us to rub the leaves between our fingers and smell.  So we did.

When we had our fill of plants, we headed outside.  There are trees on other side of the building with notes about not disturbing the caterpillars and butterflies.  I noticed this on our way in, but we didn't stop to examine.  On the way out, we did.  And I am so glad we did.

We were able to see the entire cycle of the monarch butterfly on the trees.  There were the caterpillars:

All sorts of chrysalis (chrysali?) ranging from the bright green new cocoons to ones who looked like they were just about to burst open with new life.

 And of course, the butterflies themselves.  Some which appeared to have just emerged from their chrysalis (chrysali?) and others flitting through the leaves.

I've been breaking out of my own cocoon lately.  Since I discovered how easy it was to make jam, I've been a jam making fool.  I don't know that I'll ever buy it again.  I was under the impression it was a time consuming, difficult process, that made a ton of product.  I was wrong on all counts.  Really, it's as easy as applesauce.  And when you use apples, the ingredients are exactly the same - apples and sugar.  Like what you put in pie.  And you've probably heard the phrase easy as pie, right?

Apple Jam (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

2 cups of peeled, cored, and chopped apple

3/4 cup sugar

1. Cook the apple until tender, adding enough water to prevent burning.
2. Add sugar to the fruit, stirring until it dissolves.  Boil rapidly until thick.  Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Crave Wednesday: Bacon, Onion, and Mushroom Pizza

I've mentioned before Thatkid's current love of bacon.  He doesn't just associate the breakfast meat with breakfast, he's happy to have it on sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas.  But, unlike the rest of us who enjoy it as an accompaniment, he looks at the bread, buns, and crust as merely a plate to hold his beloved treat.  He picks the bacon off, and eats it - leaving everything else behind.

But he is also kind, this weekend he took his BLAT and shared it with Thatdog.  The two sat, side by side at the coffee table.  Thatkid eating some bacon and handing off other pieces to Thatdog.  Same with the tomato and avocado.  I sometimes wish Thatdog realized what a great friend he has in Thatkid, right now he looks at him solely as a food delivery system.

Thatboy and I very much enjoyed this pizza.  Thatkid pulled off the bacon and ate that, then nibbled on the crust, leaving the juicy mushrooms, sweet onions, and salty cheese.  He missed out.  The combination of the four is killer, as anyone who's ever had a mushroom bacon cheeseburger will tell you.

Bacon, Onion, and Mushroom Pizza (From Cooking Light)

1 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cups vertically sliced onion

8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms

2 tsp cornmeal

1 can refrigerated french bread dough

3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

6 bacon slices, cooked and coarsely crumbled

1/4 cup finely chipped flat leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat.
2. Add onions, cook, stirring frequently, 6 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.  Place in a bowl.
3. Add 1 tsp oil to pan; add mushrooms.  Cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.  Add to onion mixture and toss well.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal on a large baking sheet.  Gently, unroll dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll to within 1/4 inch of edge.  
5. Sprinkle onion mixture with cheese and bacon.  Place pan on bottom rack in oven.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and cut into 6 pieces.

Mommy Mondays: 22 weeks

Today I have my 22 week appointment.  My first appointment seemed so long ago!  Right now, I have a squirmy, wiggly, little thing that resembles a baby living inside me.  But at that first appointment, there was no way of knowing if there was anything there at all.

First appointments are nerve-wracking.  30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. 10% occur within the first 4 weeks, often known as a "chemical pregnancy" and many women don't even know they were pregnant.  Which means 20% of "known" pregnancies end in miscarriage.  And before that first appointment, there's no way of knowing whether you're a statistic or not.  There's no movement to reassure you, "pregnancy symptoms" mean nothing because your body could still be producing the hormones which cause the symptoms even if they baby has stopped growing.

My doctor waits for the first appointment until somewhere between 8 and 10 weeks.  For both of my kids I've had mine during the 9 week mark.  She's explained to me that before this time period, it's very difficult to see anything, hard to identify structures, and the heartbeat may or may not be present.  But none of these factors indicate a healthy growing baby before 8 weeks, and often if an expectant mother doesn't see these things, it feeds into her anxiety leading to another later appointment anyway.

The first appointment is a breath holding experience.  There's small talk to begin with, a taking of vitals, a social and medical history.  I got the added bonus of a pap smear since I was due for one in January anyway.  But then comes the moment of truth.  The baby is too small to be picked up by an abdominal ultrasound which means the transvaginal ultrasound gets lubed up and ready to go.  If you're lucky, like me, you get to see a little blob.  Nothing quite human looking, but definitely animalistic structures, a head, a rear (maybe even a bit of a tail), and some little arms and legs.  There's a flicker - which is the heartbeat. A flick of the ultrasound machine and that reassuring buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh is heard.  Which makes it all worthwhile.

Total weight gain/loss: +10

Next Appointment: Today!
Maternity clothes? Same as always - maternity tops, pants with bella band, and regular dresses.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep:I'm having real issues with sleep because I'm just so uncomfortable - back pain, hip pain, sciatica.  I think I figured out the issue which might involve needing an extra pillow.

 Best moment this week: Nothing stands out really.   I definitely enjoyed spending the whole afternoon/evening on the couch yesterday!
Movement: All the time.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: I don't know if this counts, but I was eating a salad at lunch the other day and decided I was over the salami and pepperoni in it.
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: Being able to bend over or move without being in pain.

What I am looking forward to: Appointment this afternoon.

Contractions: Nope.  Last time around I didn't get them until they were induced through medication.  Part of me is kind of hoping to actually have those moments this time.

 Milestones:

- Baby's inner ear is mature enough to hear low sound frequencies. 

- Baby can grasp (still reflexively if something touches the palm of the hand)

- Nervous and muscular systems are mature enough for baby to suck in amniotic fluid.

- Baby is starting to develop the ability to remember things

Sunday Runday: Running Injuries

Let's face it, running puts a lot of stress on your body.  Not that it's the exclusive means to do so.  I've sprained my ankle at least 6 times, and only once was running.  The other 3 times I was merely walking - another very dangerous activity.


I'm not a doctor, and I'm by no means trained to give any sort of medical advice,  but I'm happy to share with you some of my tips and trips for the common running injuries I've experienced.

My first piece of advice?  See a doctor.  Not for everything.  I mean, if you fall in the middle of the intersection and scrape your knee (been there!) you're probably fine.  But pain in your back, hip, knees, go get checked out.  At the very least it will get you some physical therapy - and I swear by physical therapy for runners.  Because PT gives you exercises to help strengthen whatever injured body part you have, so you don't continue to injure it with repetitive movement like running.

Secondly, invest in a foam roller.  Based on absolutely no empirical data I will say a majority of problems from running comes from muscles that are too tight.  These tight muscles, located in places that are difficult to stretch, like your piriformis, in turn affect the surrounding muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments.  Rolling out the muscles (myofascial release) helps to break down the tightness in these muscles.  It hurts.  If it doesn't, you're probably doing it wrong.  But regular rolling helps to prevent future injuries.

My third piece of advice is also preventative.  Get fitted for running shoes.  And then, find the right running shoes for you.  So many issues are caused by bad, old, or ill fitting shoes.  But you need something that's going to support your running, not hinder it.  When I first started running seriously I was fitted and recommended a pair of New Balance.  My first run in them gave me my first ever shin splints.  And knee soreness.  They went right back.  Even though they were the "right shoe" for me based on gait, they didn't work well for me.  I typically wear neutral shoes, and find Nikes to be a good fit for my long narrow feet, but even within the Nike brand, not every model works for me.  So it's a trial and error process, but in the long run, your body will thank you.

Most of my injuries have involved my back - slipped discs and SI Joint dysfunction.  And although running has never been the cause, it certainly can aggravate injuries.  My fourth recommendation, is to be realistic in taking stock of your body.  LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  I was once in the middle of a 10k when I almost broke down crying because I was dumb enough to try running it with a disc problem.  Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.  And a surefire way to ensure you're running shoes are packed away for an even longer time.  Back and knee issues are nothing to mess with.  And sometimes that means you need to rest and treat instead of pushing forward.

My other running injuries have centered around my IT band.  Which is where I discovered the wonder that is KT Tape.

When I discovered KT tape back in 2010, it was hard to find and not so well known.  Now almost every race expo I've been to has professionals there slapping it on the runners the day before the race.  It also works well for back, hip, neck, shoulder, and arm pain from what I've heard  (but again, minor niggling feelings, anything more than that?  See a doctor!)  Personally my IT band issues have seemed to clear up since alternating my runs between sneakers and vibrams, but for minor aches and pains, this stuff is fantastic.