My sister-in-law Brittany gave up gluten for Lent, so when she arrived last Saturday, I wanted to make sure she wouldn't starve while she was visiting us. I eat gluten, a lot, but this has been a wonderful challenge and learning experience. Excluding baked goods, it's actually rather easy to eat gluten free. The hard part comes when you go out to eat, or you if you're used to buying a lot of processed foods like Cheezits (one of my all time favorite foods, lol).
When one of my friends delivered us some Rice Krispie Treats, both Brittany and I were like, "Score! We need to make these!" One, they're delicious, two, they're gluten free, three, they're something I would consume with vigor, and four, the cereal we did not eat would be happily eaten by my later, so I didn't feel like I was going out of my way to buy something gluten that would then rot away in the pantry.
On our trip to Safeway, Brittany had the genius decision to pick up chocolate Rice Krispies, which I of course did not turn down. Then, while in the marshmallow section, I came across coconut marshmallows. "Oh goodness, Brittany, if we buy these marshmallows, it will be like eating the Samoa Girl Scout cookies!" And those marshmallows immediately got tossed into the shopping cart.
When we got home, we immediately went to work. We used the basic recipe from the Rice Krispies website: melt butter, stir in marshmallows, then stir in the cereal, then spread in a pan and cool. DELICIOUS. We did note, though, that the coconut marshmallows come in a bag 2 oz smaller than a normal bag of marshmallows, so if you do decide to do this, you'll need to make sure to have about 2 oz of additional marshmallows. Ours turned out a little hard, but they are still scrumptious. Also, next time I will drizzle the treats with caramel, and mix in some coconut, so they mimic Samoas even more. All in all, a great yummy treat, that's still gluten free, but will be enjoyed by everyone.
Happy baking!
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Baby Clothes
Even though my sister-in-law is visiting us right now, clearly I have nothing better to do than blog. In my defense, however, she is currently addicted to The Hunger Games. She's only been here since Saturday, and she has already finished the first one, read the second one in just over 24 hours, and has taken over my Kindle at the present to read the third one. So, since the dog is sleeping after his second walk, I blog.
I'm not even half way through the pregnancy and Baby Darnell (here on out referred to lovingly as BeeDee) already has quite a wardrobe to last for awhile!
My friend Kat, whom I met while at Columbus AFB, has already gone baby crazy. She has this rather not so uncommon obsession with The Big Bang Theory (which I also suffer from) and went a little TBBT onesie crazy. My favorite is the Soft Kitty one :) Best part? She bought 12 month onesies so I won't get bombarded with newborn clothes. Yay, BeeDee already has 4/7 days of the week covered when he/she gets that big! I would also like to mention Kat was generous enough to send a few kid's books, toys, and other baby necessities. Thanks, Kat!
Two of the sleepers that I also wore as a baby. The one on the left is the sleeper I came home from the hospital in! So crazy how that has lasted 25 years! For reasons that I won't get in to now, BeeDee will most likely come home in an outfit both Matt and I have picked out, but if that doesn't happen (again for reasons that will remain silent for now) this is a close contender. Even if it is a girl. Something about babies and teddy bears are so cute! And puppies.
Almost There...
That's right, I've almost gotten to the point where I can't hide from strangers that I'm pregnant :) This is a really awkward stage because you're not showing yet, but you still have gained some weight around the waist, so nothing fits right, but you can't justify spending money on the pregnancy pants quite yet. It's really irritating, but yes, I do know it's for a good. I just don't think anyone really wants to start gaining weight. Once it becomes obvious, though, that it's a baby bump, I think I'll be ok :)
Anyways, I am in desperate need of clothes (even non maternity clothes), but I just can't justify buying non maternity clothes yet, since who knows when I'll actually be able to wear it again. Since my sister-in-law Brittany is currently visiting us on her spring break, it made the perfect excuse to go out and buy clothes. I hate clothes shopping by myself, but I also hate clothes shopping with most everyone I know. Brittany is one of those few exceptions. She's great with fashion (check out her blog, Thoughts of Style here on blogspot) and she shops a lot like me. So she was my perfect partner in spending way too much of Matt's money.
We were on the look out for cute accessories, pregnant appropriate sandals, and any pullover vests that I can wear with a tank top during the summer even when I'm pregnant, but will also be a great layering piece when I'm not pregnant. Score! I like the idea of spending more money on clothes I can wear during both phases of my life, and buy mostly just basic maternity clothes. That way Matt doesn't get his (I should say our) bank account drained :)
We hit up Forever 21, where we checked out the accessory area. I came away with this:
(http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_necklace&ProductID=1084872077&VariantID=)
I bought the gold one, since all of my necklaces are silver. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the gold hues, the charcoal helps round out that palette, and I'm also trying to branch out and bring more of a variety into my wardrobe/accessories. Since this is a gold piece I would actually wear, I bought it. And for only $5, score!
We also visited the local Ross. I managed to talk myself out of buying anything baby since this was "focus on Sara's wardrobe" day. Once we know the gender, then we can do some selecting :) Anyways, I found a charcoal sleeveless vest/cardigan that will work great with basic tees, and won't be too hot for the summer. I also focused a lot of time on shoes. I'm using my pregnancy as an excuse to invest in some ballet flat and sandals, since those will one, be cooler in the summer, two, they're not heels, and three, I will be able to actually put them on even if Matt's not here to help me. I managed to find some basic black flips flops with a purple strap, some adorable "gladiator" style silver sandals with flowers (don't worry, they look like flowers for adults), and some flips flops with a silver and bronze rope detail. I unfortunately could not find any pictures of them online, super lame! Guess you'll just have to come visit me to see my awesome rockin' shoes :)
Anyways, I am in desperate need of clothes (even non maternity clothes), but I just can't justify buying non maternity clothes yet, since who knows when I'll actually be able to wear it again. Since my sister-in-law Brittany is currently visiting us on her spring break, it made the perfect excuse to go out and buy clothes. I hate clothes shopping by myself, but I also hate clothes shopping with most everyone I know. Brittany is one of those few exceptions. She's great with fashion (check out her blog, Thoughts of Style here on blogspot) and she shops a lot like me. So she was my perfect partner in spending way too much of Matt's money.
We were on the look out for cute accessories, pregnant appropriate sandals, and any pullover vests that I can wear with a tank top during the summer even when I'm pregnant, but will also be a great layering piece when I'm not pregnant. Score! I like the idea of spending more money on clothes I can wear during both phases of my life, and buy mostly just basic maternity clothes. That way Matt doesn't get his (I should say our) bank account drained :)
We hit up Forever 21, where we checked out the accessory area. I came away with this:
(http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_necklace&ProductID=1084872077&VariantID=)
I bought the gold one, since all of my necklaces are silver. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the gold hues, the charcoal helps round out that palette, and I'm also trying to branch out and bring more of a variety into my wardrobe/accessories. Since this is a gold piece I would actually wear, I bought it. And for only $5, score!
We also visited the local Ross. I managed to talk myself out of buying anything baby since this was "focus on Sara's wardrobe" day. Once we know the gender, then we can do some selecting :) Anyways, I found a charcoal sleeveless vest/cardigan that will work great with basic tees, and won't be too hot for the summer. I also focused a lot of time on shoes. I'm using my pregnancy as an excuse to invest in some ballet flat and sandals, since those will one, be cooler in the summer, two, they're not heels, and three, I will be able to actually put them on even if Matt's not here to help me. I managed to find some basic black flips flops with a purple strap, some adorable "gladiator" style silver sandals with flowers (don't worry, they look like flowers for adults), and some flips flops with a silver and bronze rope detail. I unfortunately could not find any pictures of them online, super lame! Guess you'll just have to come visit me to see my awesome rockin' shoes :)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Feeling Good
It feels SO GOOD to finally have my appetite back. Seriously, 3 months of nausea, food aversion, morning sickness, and fatigue, even if they're not all happening at the same time, is rather annoying. It's hard to go from no appetite one day, sick the next day, totally fine the next, and complete and utter starvation, yet nothing looks appetizing the next day.
If you're anything like me, the main reason cooking is so fun is that I get to feed other people, but I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, also. However, if you have no desire to eat at all, it's really hard to cook for yourself or anybody else. Plus, you don't have the energy to do the dishes, either.
Tonight, I made chicken Caesar salad and baked potatoes. Admittedly not very fancy, but hey, it was still very delicious. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, spread on a mixture of Caesar and Italian dressing and baked it. I made the salad with croutons, the chicken, tomato, and avocado. The baked potatoes were served with bacon (duh), cheese, and sour cream. I still can't eat as much as I used to in one sitting, but that's ok, this dinner tasted so good. I'm not sure if that's because it actually was really good, or if it was just because I finally like food again, but still. And it was somewhat healthy, so score :)
If you're anything like me, the main reason cooking is so fun is that I get to feed other people, but I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, also. However, if you have no desire to eat at all, it's really hard to cook for yourself or anybody else. Plus, you don't have the energy to do the dishes, either.
Tonight, I made chicken Caesar salad and baked potatoes. Admittedly not very fancy, but hey, it was still very delicious. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, spread on a mixture of Caesar and Italian dressing and baked it. I made the salad with croutons, the chicken, tomato, and avocado. The baked potatoes were served with bacon (duh), cheese, and sour cream. I still can't eat as much as I used to in one sitting, but that's ok, this dinner tasted so good. I'm not sure if that's because it actually was really good, or if it was just because I finally like food again, but still. And it was somewhat healthy, so score :)
Sunday, March 3, 2013
It's Baby Time :)
It's finally been made public, whoot! Baby Darnell will be here late August/early September! I'm personally hoping for earlier, because let's face it, I would like to decrease the amount of time I'm pregnant in the dead heat of California's summer. Because if you remember, I'm more of a subzero winter person. :)
I'm going to be putting the majority of our baby updates here on the blog, since I realize not everyone wants to be bombarded with all things baby in their Facebook feed. So I'll try to limit my updates to this here blog :)
Here are some things I have been asked about in the recent weeks, or I have decided to take note for your sake:
-Morning sickness is most likely (and hopefully) over. I didn't have it TOO bad, just mostly extreme nausea and lack of appetite, or an appetite that could not be tamed on a few rare occasions.
-Food aversion is way worse than throwing up, in my opinion. It sucks to have no appetite, or to be hungry and nothing looks even remotely tasty. I also learned that just because something tastes really great doesn't necessarily mean that it will taste equally great in 3 bites. Or, you can be super hungry, but then in 3 bites you feel your stomach is about to explode because you stomach thinks you just ate the equivalent to Thanksgiving dinner.
So we can conclude from that that pregnancy is weird.
-Even just smelling fresh ginger can help curb nausea.
-No, I'm not showing yet. Please allow me to enjoy my normal clothes as long as possible. :)
-No, I don't yet know if it's a girl or boy. I haven't had any weird dreams yet, lol. The ultrasound will probably be able to tell in mid-April.
-It's amazing how much energy growing a baby takes out of you. There was one day where all I did was watch TV and knit and by 6 pm I was exhausted.
-Being pregnant and being a sufferer of chronic migraine really, really sucks. Fortunately I have only had one so far, and I hope my surging hormones manage to keep any future migraines at bay. Since I'm only allowed to take Tylenol, and Tylenol is worthless, I just have to suffer through them.
-No, I don't/didn't have any weird food cravings. During morning sickness I did notice that usually the only food that sounded even remotely good was dairy (mainly cheese) or eggs. Which is really weird, since that's exactly what settled my mom's stomach when she was pregnant with me. That's why she thinks it's a girl.
-No, we're not registered anywhere, and I'm not sure if we will. We are rather independent, and want to be able to provide for our baby ourselves instead of relying on other people to buy our necessities. I will, however, be more than willing to give you an updated list of what we do have it if you would like one. :)
-I plan on using cloth diapers, but haven't completely decided yet. Just call me hippie.
-I'm having a hard time deciding how to decorate the nursery. If it's a boy, the theme will be airplanes. I'll let you guess who decided that one. :)
-I think Jack knows that I'm pregnant.
-The only food item that tastes weird now is raw bell peppers. Something about their smell that just makes them look unappetizing.
-I have successfully been able to decrease my caffeine intake to one normal sized cup of coffee a day. After that I just drink decaf. And yes, you can still drink caffeine when you're pregnant, as long as it's around 200 mg.
I think that's about it for now!
I'm going to be putting the majority of our baby updates here on the blog, since I realize not everyone wants to be bombarded with all things baby in their Facebook feed. So I'll try to limit my updates to this here blog :)
Here are some things I have been asked about in the recent weeks, or I have decided to take note for your sake:
-Morning sickness is most likely (and hopefully) over. I didn't have it TOO bad, just mostly extreme nausea and lack of appetite, or an appetite that could not be tamed on a few rare occasions.
-Food aversion is way worse than throwing up, in my opinion. It sucks to have no appetite, or to be hungry and nothing looks even remotely tasty. I also learned that just because something tastes really great doesn't necessarily mean that it will taste equally great in 3 bites. Or, you can be super hungry, but then in 3 bites you feel your stomach is about to explode because you stomach thinks you just ate the equivalent to Thanksgiving dinner.
So we can conclude from that that pregnancy is weird.
-Even just smelling fresh ginger can help curb nausea.
-No, I'm not showing yet. Please allow me to enjoy my normal clothes as long as possible. :)
-No, I don't yet know if it's a girl or boy. I haven't had any weird dreams yet, lol. The ultrasound will probably be able to tell in mid-April.
-It's amazing how much energy growing a baby takes out of you. There was one day where all I did was watch TV and knit and by 6 pm I was exhausted.
-Being pregnant and being a sufferer of chronic migraine really, really sucks. Fortunately I have only had one so far, and I hope my surging hormones manage to keep any future migraines at bay. Since I'm only allowed to take Tylenol, and Tylenol is worthless, I just have to suffer through them.
-No, I don't/didn't have any weird food cravings. During morning sickness I did notice that usually the only food that sounded even remotely good was dairy (mainly cheese) or eggs. Which is really weird, since that's exactly what settled my mom's stomach when she was pregnant with me. That's why she thinks it's a girl.
-No, we're not registered anywhere, and I'm not sure if we will. We are rather independent, and want to be able to provide for our baby ourselves instead of relying on other people to buy our necessities. I will, however, be more than willing to give you an updated list of what we do have it if you would like one. :)
-I plan on using cloth diapers, but haven't completely decided yet. Just call me hippie.
-I'm having a hard time deciding how to decorate the nursery. If it's a boy, the theme will be airplanes. I'll let you guess who decided that one. :)
-I think Jack knows that I'm pregnant.
-The only food item that tastes weird now is raw bell peppers. Something about their smell that just makes them look unappetizing.
-I have successfully been able to decrease my caffeine intake to one normal sized cup of coffee a day. After that I just drink decaf. And yes, you can still drink caffeine when you're pregnant, as long as it's around 200 mg.
I think that's about it for now!
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