What Gobles Gobble... It will be mine... someday...

So I'm inspired one of the foodie blogs I frequent (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/) is having a giveaway and not just any giveaway oh no a giveaway for the the #1 culinary desire of my heart... Behold a Kitchen-aid stand mixer! (sadly not in this gorgeous boysenberry color but for free who cares what color it is!) Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus?? I know the chances of me actually winning it are slim but all that's required is that I post an itty bitty blog about my favorite holiday food which I've been meaning to do anyways because I haven't posted a recipe in forever and the potential thrill of that beauty sitting on my counter top whipping egg whites or kneading cinnamon rolls... or making pasta with a spiffy add on or shredding cheese *sigh* it makes my little heart pitter patter. Now that you all know what I'm dreaming of... on to business that recipe thing...

Broccoli Bake... As long as I can remember my mom has made this for Christmas, Thanksgiving or both its ridiculously simple ridiculously easy and ridiculously horrible, fattening and bad for you to eat... but on holidays we're supposed to indulge right? :) I craved this non-stop for a week before Thanksgiving and pregnancy had nothing to do with it. I wanted the cheesy gooey crunchy broccoli goodness baked up and spooned on my plate. Broccoli is very very good for you afterall hehehe! Steve who's previous favorite holiday food was always Green Bean Casserole will now willingly confess the Broccoli Bake is #1 since he met me! Now onto the recipe:

Broccoli Bake
4 pkg frozen chopped Broccoli (about 40 oz)
1 lb loaf Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
40-50 Ritz crackers, crushed ( sometimes I'll put crushed in the casserole and whole cracker on top to be pretty and don't feel limited with 40-50)
1 stick (1/2 c.)Butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) In a saucepan cook Broccoli until hot, then stir in Velveeta and stir to coat its not necessary that all the cheese melts just so that that Broccoli is coated and saucy. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in half of the crushed Ritz Crackers. Spread into a greased baking dish (13"x9") and top with remaining crackers then pour melted butter over top. Bake for 30 min until hot and bubbly.

I hope someone will try it and love it as much as we do... Oh and if anyone sees a blog giveaway for a Le Creuset Dutch oven... let me know as that would resolve Culinary desire #2 tee hee!

Lessons Learned...

Being pregnant is definitely an interesting experience certainly a foreign one for the first timer like myself. There's nothing to compare too! I've read about other people's experience and people tend to share them with me but the only certainty seemingly is that normal means there is no normal...
• My body feels like my body but also like someone else's. It listens to me and feels like mine but it does all these weird new things. There are new weird twinges new weird feelings new weird responses.
• I wish I had known I'd want a bra made of sand paper so I could've started crafting one together a few months back.
• I've learned green is not just a color it's also a way of describing how I physically feel...
• I've hated egg nog my entire life... but I think I just might have to drink some this Christmas season... thick creamy sweet milky stuff what could possibly be gross about that? WHAT AM I SAYING???
• My pre-pregnancy breakfast was a couple good gulps of water then I could get up get dressed and have a snack before I started work. I learned after about 3 mornings that if the first thing in my stomach isn't food I'll be late for work.
• At 14 weeks pregnant I have officially thrown up 3 times. I have felt like I was going to throw up every day for the last month.
• No amount of ginger candy, ginger tea, ginger ale or food in general seems to make the oogy green feelings go away. Sleeping and eating seem to be the only reprieves.
• Sleep... I didn't think I could love sleep any more than I already did. I wish I could get more, it seems like I never get enough and it's getting harder to sleep. I think my bladder has an alarm that goes off every 2 hours...
• Water, How do I love thee fair water! My water bottle has never been far out of reach my whole adult life but it has never tasted so sweet so satisfying I feel like I'm learning wonderful new things about water...
• I've rediscovered the joy of tea... (Thank you Daelynn) All tea... mint tea ginger tea fruity tea... Tea is for Dea!!!
• This one is quite shocking... I Deaira Lynn Goble have almost entirely lost any desire to cook... I still love cooking mentally I still love food but actually cooking eh... I hope this is only temporary... Thanksgiving is coming soon and that's my favorite day all year!
• Weirdest cravings to date... Fish sticks, frozen nasty crunchy salty little fish sticks you feed to 5 yr olds the epitome of garbage to this foodie girl and yet I craved those... I've never voluntarily eaten a fish stick in my life! Thankfully this craving went unfulfilled and passed! I have also craved fast food like never before Taco Bell and McDonalds. The fast food you eat out of desperation I wanted it I needed it Steve reluctantly took me to McD's but he jumped at the chance to have Taco Bell.
• My favorite foods since becoming pregnant: Salad crunchy wet fresh luscious salad with salty dressing! I have also craved anything salty and meaty... Hot Dogs ( I can eat them I'm so excited!) and pepperoni... French fries and potatoes also to a lesser degree.
• I have almost completely lost my sweet tooth which is unusual for me. I will see desserts or candy but I can pass it by with little interest unless I take a bite then it's as delicious as ever.
• So far as of my last Dr. appointment I have lost 5lbs. The way I see it if I have to gain 15-20 better to start out having lost 5 :)
• I don't think I'm showing yet at all... I ditched my regular jeans a month or more ago not because they didn't fit they just weren't comfy anymore... and all of my dress slacks and other pants still fit. Steve however thinks my tummy looks rounder and cute. I have looked at myself in the mirror and thought hey wow I look good I look like I've lost weight!
• We officially don't care if it's a boy or a girl... The only time I ever have any sort of opinion about what I have is when I'm looking at baby clothes... saw the most adorable sweater dress in hot pink red orange and brown I would've snatched it up if I was willing to spend $40 on an article of clothing my child would outgrow in less than a month... I'm also far too talented with a crochet hook to put up with that nonsense.
• I've been going to CafeMom.com trying to figure out what my tagline should say... By the provision of God a stay at home mommy that believes in natural childbirth breast feeding cloth diapering baby wearing home schooling spanking giver??? that's a lot of various qualifications to give oneself... and that's not even half of it. People identify themselves on Cafe Mom like they do in personal ads!
• A shout out to my mommy who in true mommy fashion has mothered me by helping me clean my house from time to time when all I wanna do is cuddle up on the couch and feel green.

I'm sure I could think of additional observations and lessons but this is a pretty long list for now Maybe I can reference it next time I'm pregnant.... Except none of this will be normal next time and I still have to convince Steve that we'll want to do this a 2nd... 3rd.... etc time. Its also possible after reading this he'll claim it as his manifesto against baby # 2... 3... etc

Grandma's advice... not taken...

Do you ever hear the wisdom of old friends or family in your head when you do something... I've been feeling pukey and pregnant for about 2 weeks now. I still have not thrown up (Praise God!) but I have certainly felt like I could in addition to those waves of nausea and clamping my hand over my mouth so as to hold in anything that may be trying to come out. I have heard my Grandma in my head repeatedly.
Now, I'd give anything to hear my grandma's voice again I miss her nearly every day and I can only imagine what she'd have to say about the possibility of a new baby for her to love. She loved babies she loved being a Grandma! My grandma made me feel like I was her favorite grand kid. I'm sure she didn't have favorites but she really made me feel like I was it. I was always Grandma's girl. She told me this, she'd hold me and hug me when I cried and say "Be Grandma's big girl Deaira." When I was with Grandma I didn't feel like a little kid I felt like her buddy.
Grandma had other wisdom too... She was around quite often when I was growing up. I'm thankful for that! The wisdom I've heard repeatedly in my head the last 2 weeks... "Just throw it all up Deaira you'll feel better" Now really what kind of advice is that? Who likes throwing up ever... Grandma was generally right tho I'd throw up after hearing her encouragement 100 times and then she'd bring me 7 up and tuck a sniffling sick little me into bed and it would all be better when I woke up :) Somehow I don't think that applies to pregnancy. I fear if I were to listen to Grandma's voice inside my head it would start a horrific cycle of toilet hugging I'd really like to avoid... FOREVER!
I think I've decided the best thing for me to do is just remain horizontal as much as possible which is convenient cuz napping seems to be my new favorite pass time...

CRASH!!!

Do you ever walk up to your bed and just free fall face down into it and let your body relax into it melt into it like a pool of wax and your brain kind of goes AAAAAHHHHH!

I just had one of those moments... and after my brain went AAAAAHHHHH! I started thinking to myself Wow what a productive day... I woke up and ate breakfast like a good pregnant mommy and I got myself ready and everything I needed together to go to My sisters shower... At the shower I did what I seemingly do in those situations and lent my hands where I could... It was fun I love the fellowship of my church family! I bought my husband a surpise to make him happy... I didn't cook him dinner lol but I did let him pick where he'd like to eat out ( a gracious feat when pregnant) and we came home and ate it and watched TV. OK so I did still have to "clean up" dinner. I cleaned my poor kitchen which had been neglected for several days... I made my dish for potluck... And then.... as I thought about all of these things I had accomplished the list of the things I didn't accomplish started scrolling in my head and I had to peel my body up off the delicious bed and do one or 2 more things....

Write a Blog... Check

To wrap My Baby Bunting in....

I cannot even begin to recount the thousands of blanket patterns I have looked at in the last year since I took up hook and yarn again! I had good reason to every one I know seemingly had a baby in the last year! Ok not everyone but a whole lot of someones! Since Steve and I got married (Can you believe its almost been a year) I have made at least 8 baby blankets along with other assorted booties, hats, sweaters, stuffed turtles and elephants... (I owe Izaiah a toy) I'm in a bit of a quandary here... I have to make our baby something and a blankie is the most obvious answer for me a sweet soft manifestation of my love that I can wrap my little Sugar Bean up in...

There's so many things to ponder... obviously I'm eager to start this new blankie! Crochet time is not as plentiful as it once was but I have to find the pattern and what colors. Since we don't know what we're having and I'm still not sure if I wanna know what were having it makes it trickier still. Even if we knew I know I wouldn't want traditional baby pink or baby blue... If it's a girl I wanna use colors like dark purple, lime green and white, or Orange hot pink and green. For a boy I'm thinking brown and white with turquoise and red or orange green and brown... Its so hard to choose... I know I want bright vibrant colors that a 4 yr old could drag around behind them...

Right now my main dilemma is should I go with something simple and classic.... in a solid color like buttery yellow or minty green....

Or... Should I indulge my inner artist and play with color shapes and pattern should I stretch and push my crochet creativity and try something unique and fancy...

The most beautiful blanket I think I've seen so far is that one at the very top. I found it around the time we found out we were expecting... I love the simplicity of it I love the colors ( safe for either sex) to me its just the most beautiful simple thing but so colorful and fun. Still i don't quite know if its special enough to be the blankie from mommy! :)

I'M GONNA BE A MOMMY!!! wheee hehee

cruelty to pregnant Mommies

First and foremost I'd just like to say.....
Praise God I have not puked once yet...and Praise God even if I do... but I really don't want to! He is creating a wondrous work inside my body!

I'm in a complaining mood lol... like how is it fair that all I wanna do is sleep like sleeping 10 hours a night seems to be the greatest thing ever and then that buys me about 6 hours of energy before I want a 2 hour nap. This is not conducive to a business environment or a normal work week! Ya know what else isn't working with work... eating 6 small meals a day! First off I'm having a hard time adjusting to eating more than like 2 meals a day add in the fact that my breaks at work are only 10 min long which is barely enough time to pee refill my water bottle and text my husband to tell him I love him let alone eat a banana or something... so I've been eating about 3 meals a day with a reasonable sized snack in the evening. I'm really wondering how I'm going to keep this up. Every day I get home from work and want to go to bed but I still need to cook dinner, spend time with my darling husband, read all this info and books about pregnancy and stuff, finish my Christmas crocheting, keep my house clean, pack lunches, do laundry and feed my neighbors cats while she's away... Its so true that a woman's work is never done. I'll take being tired and the PAIN that comes from my body preparing to feed my little Sugar Bean (when I say it that way it sounds much better than describing how I yelp if I lean against something the wrong way...) over vomit and dizziness any day. I shouldn't complain too much I should be grateful I can still work, grateful I can still function and restructure my day even more to allow for 10 hours of sleep and a nap in the middle of work while trying to squeeze in another 2-3 small meals... LOL

Haha in truth I really can't complain about being pregnant so far... compared to some... My sister is anxiously waiting to hear that I've spent some Quality time hugging the toilet ( she'll be hopping mad if I make it thru 9 months of pregnancy without puking)... and Steve's co-workers have him so afraid that I haven't been sick he wishes I would vomit at least once a week just to re-assure him and them that everything is fine... LOL

7 weeks tomorrow... and counting... I love my little Sugar Bean already tho... but we have a journey ahead of us still yet..

I'll miss you.... my sweet food sins...

Dearest Pepsi, its probably you I'll miss most of all. Your zingy bubbles of sweet corn syrup laden goodness bursting in my mouth. You're so bad for me but you're my dearest guilty pleasure... Maybe its best we separate for a time so I can seek out additional forms of refreshment. I'll come back from time to time you're not completely off limits but we can't be as close as we've been no more 1 liter in 2 hours... I'm sorry Pepsi... I'll miss you!

How do I love thee fair sushi roll... sweet nigiri perfectly balanced on a ball of rice... Succulent fatty tuna and albacore I'll miss the way you melt in my mouth sliding of chopsticks... I know you're not completely off limits. I know tempura rolls and such are still available to me but dearest sushi you know the way to my taste buds is ruby red slices of raw tuna...

My dear sweet coffee fix... I miss you already every morning when I wake up and realize my wake up drink is a juice box... I miss your rich warmth. The nutty roasted flavor that fills my whole mouth. I'll miss my first sip of a caramel macchiato how its rich bitter coffee mixes with thick buttery caramel... Oh yes it may be awhile dear coffee before we're reacquainted again but I will always love you.... (don't worry I want no part of your evil cousin de-caf) there's a winter full of hot cider, tea and cocoa for me!

My all American treat... Hot dogs... salty garlicky tubes of meaty goodness in a soft bun with mustard. The perfect grab and eat lunch. I have so many sweet feelings about you dear hot dogs, like before I got married when I was living with Daddy and he'd make hot dogs at midnight... ah yes... supposedly you're safe piping steaming hot and maybe if I buy the all natural kosher beef I can eat one or 2 of you now and again.. Know you'll be missed. I'm putting my Dad on high alert to eat my share of hot dogs.