When A Craving Goes Bad!

On the IPOD "Please Speak Well Of Me" By: The Weepies

So yesterday I was watching a little "Everybody loves Raymond" and in walks Marie with a two layer cross cake...well that got me thinking about a two layer white cake with buttercream frosting for dinner and to tell you the truth the one I wanted was the said cross cake. Unfortunately a Jewish girl doesn't really know where to by a cross cake! So let's just say it ended with me driving to the store and buying a white cake with buttercream frosting and eating it with a plastic fork from the deli in the store parking lot. (And yes I wish I'd worn my "I'm Pregnant" t-shirt so that I didn't feel so bad walking out of the store with a cake and a plastic fork!) My thought was that I would buy just one piece so that I could take care of the craving and then I wouldn't have any leftovers but as you can see from the picture above the smallest one they had was a single layer 8x8 and yes I did bring it home and yes I just recently took a couple more bites. So yes that is two days worth of cake eating... (Notice the scraped off icing that I thought was saving me some calories!)

Although I don't want to make this a habit... So far weight gain has not been an issue, I actually lost weight over the weekend which nobody is really thrilled about. I think it is due to the fact that I just keep getting sick for one, second is that I'm really trying to eat every two hours which I'm starting to think really could help me lose weight after the pregnancy and that maybe at 5 months pregnant I just don't have the room to consume enough calories to gain weight. I'm not complaining, although I do feel like at some point I'm sure it will catch up with me. Besides the cake other current favorites are watered down apple juice with lots and lots of crushed ice and thin spaghetti with turkey meatballs and arrabbiata sauce.

Work has been good and bad this week. I love being extra busy but the baby doesn't love it so much... The baby is ready for a nap at 2 in the afternoon and lately that's been impossible. With school starting and everybody getting back into the swing of things...and my need to please everyone...Baby and I have been working 12 hour days everyday this week and we are so ready for the weekend!

So I hope my honest portrayal of a pregnancy craving gone bad at least made you laugh because when I was sitting in the car in the grocery store parking lot with an entire cake on my lap and a black plastic fork, I even started to laugh!

xoxo chef a

And then there were two of us

On the IPOD "Turn on the Radio" By: Reba McEntire



I have reached the point where I finally feel like there is someone else with me all of the time. What works for me is no longer what's important... my diet has turned into what works for you know who, because it really only takes that first night when you have downed a half a bottle of tums and you still feel like your chest is going to explode before you realize that whatever it was is just not worth it!

I have gained about a pound so far which my doctor seems pleased about. Although that is less than most at this stage it makes sense for me since I went into pregnancy still overweight. I'm still fighting with my normal response to stress which includes heading to the closest processed food available... While shopping at Buy Buy Baby yesterday I suddenly felt a tad bit overwhelmed and tore open a box of100 calorie bags of M&Ms devouring 2 bags within 15 minutes. Oddly enough it did make me feel better!

Lately my cravings have included broccoli salad, spaghetti and turkey meatballs with arrabbiata sauce, fruit of all kinds, and I keep having dreams about eating some amazing piece of cake but when I try to nail down the flavor I'm hoping for my mind just goes blank so I guess I will just have to keep dreaming about it...

The other weird thing is that the baby is now able to hear our voices and music so I definitely think more about the music I play in the car. You all know how important music is to me and was to my dad so I feel like it is my duty to expose this kid to the best of the best at the very youngest age. I also make Mike talk to my stomach because since he is at work so much I want the baby to get to know his voice as often as possible. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm crazy...

And now on Saturday morning I'm watching "Raise Your Voice" in tears (gotta love hormones) before I head to my redo birthday Nia Class (power went out last week.) I'm really looking forward to getting back into the swing of Nia and working out in general, I have really been missing it. I never thought it would be such a challenge to get my body ready to work out again but 3 months of throwing up can really take a toll.

Broccoli Salad Recipe (This recipe is not low fat but it's southern and really good and you can add extra veggies and substitute light mayo to make it a better choice)

•5 cups fresh broccoli florets
•1/2 cup craisins
•1/2 cup sunflower seeds
•1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (Optional, don't use if you want it to be lower calorie)
•1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
•Dressing:
•1 cup mayonnaise (you can easily use light mayo and use a tad less sugar)
•2 tablespoons vinegar
•1/2 cup sugar
Preparation:
Combine broccoli florets, craisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well; chill thoroughly before serving.
I sometimes add cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, carrot slices, and/or celery

xoxo chef a

Hungry...

On the IPOD "Fix You" By: Coldplay

Although I had a great time with chef friends in Denver, I'm so glad to be in my own bed at my own house. I was hoping to post while I was there but I just ran out of time...

I cant wait to tell you all about the conference, but right now I am busy writing menus for clients this week. My menu for tomorrow is:

Turkey Meatballs with Homemade Marinara
Spinach Souffle
Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with Rojo Sauce
Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprout Medley
Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
Hummus, Tabouli, and Fresh Pita
Shrimp Fried Rice with Stir-fried Vegetables
Egg Salad
Roasted Chicken
Mashed Ruby Sweet Potatoes
Spaghetti Bolognese

Other than cooking...The baby has definitely gained an appetite over the weekend so I'm trying to learn how to control it slightly so I don't go overboard. I guess the good thing is that my eyes are much bigger than my stomach so even when I think I can eat, it sometimes ends with just a bite. I'm giving myself a full day to recoup before I step on the dreaded scale until then I'm hoping for the best! Two of my younger cousins are coming to spend the week with me, Alexis(16) and Lindsay(almost 5), we are going to have lots of fun and some much needed girl time!

I promise to check in later with a full update from the conference...

xoxo chef a

The Off Switch

On the IPOD "This Is The Thing" By: Fink

Are you kidding 3am??? I am so over you! I tried to just lay there but after about an hour I gave up and decided to make myself some oatmeal, so here I am again at 4 o'clock in the morning starring at the computer screen... So since I'm not about to throw up at the moment let's discuss food! I actually pulled over to the grocery last night in the rain because I just had to have raisins, who knows why...raisins are not even my thing, I'm more of a dried apricot or pear kind of girl, but on Tuesday night the only thing I wanted was a small box of raisins, unfortunately the craving didn't last too long by about the second raisin I was kind of over it!

Another funny thing that I've noticed while pregnant is that I actually have an off switch. For the natural skinnies out there let me explain... I have never in my life had an off switch and by off switch I mean that thing inside you that tells you that you're full...Yeah! never had it...I mean I have never uttered the phrase "Oh I just can't even taste that I'm so full!" And I've also never participated in the four M&M grab...really all you need is four??? On the other hand, I have always been able to eat when I'm hungry, tired, sad, happy, and even when there is no way my stomach could possibly have any room left. The first time the off switch came on was about 3 weeks ago and I was shocked. We were eating lunch somewhere and all of the sudden half way through I just stopped and realized that I couldn't put another thing into my mouth. It wasn't a nauseous feeling, it was just a you're done kind of feeling... I'm hoping that for the rest of my life I can feel the you're done feeling but who am I kidding...

xoxo chef a

Dream a Little Dream...

On the IPOD "Dream a Little Dream " By: The Glee Cast

Even though there are lots of tell all books about pregnancy, most of them leave out a couple of things to expect starting in your first trimester.

Number 1: they all say you are going to be tired the first 2 months after you find out that your expecting but they don't really tell you that it in actuality it is more than just tired...you might as well tell your friends and family that you are going on vacation because it is like your body wont move. I had big plans to finish my blog post yesterday but unfortunately my mind and body weren't on board. They were both in a distant far away land called "passed out!"

Number 2: About two weeks ago I started having the craziest vivid dreams. I wouldn't call them good necessarily...They are more like an episode of CSI. I'll give you an example because we live in superstitious land at this house, where you are not supposed to give all of the details of a bad dream:

The dream takes place in a bar in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. I am sitting at the bar with a girl I went to elementary school with, who haven't seen in 15 years. I happen to be nine months pregnant! We are discussing the missing person case of another friend of ours who we both suspect was murdered! dun dun dunnnnnn! Then somewhere out of the blue I go into labor and within 10 minutes give birth to a small litter of kittens...who I then go on to try and nurse in the middle of the bar!

This is honestly what the dreams are like...so weird. When I was talking to a friend of mine the next day who has two little boys, I said, "Do you remember having weird dreams while you were preggers? Her response was, "Yeah those were the best dreams I've ever had, mine were xxx rated!"

Wow, where the hell are my xxx rated dreams, cause I'm over giving birth to kittens, Thank you very much! I'm hoping that this is just the beginning and my xxx rated dreams will come. I mean I don't want to miss out on the joys of being pregnant!

Some readers have asked me what I'm craving at the moment: I would have to say that the main thing is fruit, I just can't seem to get enough. My favorites include strawberries, peaches, pears, watermelon, cantaloupe and really good blackberries and cherries. The only other thing that I can think of that I want is a really good chocolate chip cookie. I am definitely over crackers at the moment and most proteins and I are in a fight...

Here's to hoping we all have some xxx rated dreams....
xoxo chef a

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream...

On the IPOD "Little House" by: Amanda Seyfried

First item of business...I have a few clients who are going out of town for the summer and although normally I take a break, this year because of our impending baby I would love to pick up a couple of clients. I thought I would offer it up to my readers before the general public. If you are interested in having some delicious nutritious meals that I prepare right in your house using the freshest and best ingredients let me know. You can reach me through email AmandaM037@aol.com or on the phone 214-460-6579.

So with that out of the way, Yesterday I broke down and had an ice cream cone for lunch. It was really the only thing that sounded edible as the thought of real food is really making my stomach turn these days. I have to say it was fantastic...a single scoop of peppermint ice cream on a sugar cone. To be honest I can not remember how long it's been since I stepped foot in an ice cream store... I have to admit that while walking in I did think, "Oh god, these people are probably thinking, poor little chubby girl who cant stop eating ice cream."

And I did feel like I needed to scream from the roof top, "I'm pregnant and the baby wants the ice cream it's not me!" When I got home I of course did the math just to see what I had gotten myself into. Hmmmmm 230 calories 7.5 grams of fat. Actually I'm ok with that...it's not the best choice ever and I'm sure carb wise it's a horrible choice but while I'm tossing my cookies it works and I could always drop the cone from the mix and it would bring the calories down to about 150. At least if I go to the store I can control the amount and I'm not waking up at 2 am eating ice cream. Bonus I got it at Braums and it cost me a whopping $1.35! Pretty good deal!

Now that I've been up since 4am, I'm tired again, imagine that... Time for a power nap! Have a great day today!

xoxo chef a

The Other Side Effects...

On the IPOD "Paperweight" by: Joshua Radin

When you are a young girl you are told about the dreaded morning sickness when you get pregnant, I mean it's in every movie, book, and t.v. show. But I ask you very calmly why doesn't anybody discuss the other unfortunate side effects. They don't tell you that in fact morning sickness can last all day or that your boobs will feel like they are on fire. They also forget about the pulling and cramping that you'll feel as a nice little room is built inside you. Of course nobody discusses the bathroom issues or the fact that I could give a heavy beer drinker a run for his money with all the belching going on (for the record I don't think in the almost 13 years that Mike and I have been together I have ever burped in front of him...until now.) Soooo attractive!

I do know that this is just the beginning of this fun yet embarrassing roller coaster ride that I am on and I haven't forgotten the prize at the end. But if I have to see another disgusting public bathroom, I'm going to throw up literally! :)

Let me give you a little low down of the restrooms that I've visit:

Walmart and Target- Pretty much always a good choice, they keep them decently clean.
CVS and Walgreens- This is a toss up can be good and can be really bad
Dicks sporting goods- This has possibilities unfortunately I had a horrible experience
Tom Thumb- I'll give it a thumbs up
Albertsons and Kroger- Not good experiences for me, but it might depend on how new the store is
7-11- Run far away, still giving me nightmares
Starbucks- downtown- public bathroom not a good choice, suburbs- not bad
Central Market/Whole Foods- always very clean and usually has nice smelling soap
Lucky Brand Store- actually very nice, although I'm pretty sure the girl working there could hear me getting sick since she asked if she could get me a chair to sit down in.

That is all that I can remember at this time but I will update you when I deem it necessary.

The only cravings I'm having at the moment are popsicles and lolly pops and I've been trying to eat at least a little peanut butter everyday so that I get some amount of protein since I'm off any other sources of it. Weight wise I'm doing perfect I have had some weight loss that the doctor said is totally normal and good for the moment. And I actually feel pretty in control of my food choices. To tell you the truth I have been a little scared about losing that control but as of today it's there and in full force.

Mike got me into the pool this weekend and it was really nice and relaxing. It is completely ridiculous that it is already 102* the first week of June in Dallas. It should make for an interesting summer...

xoxo chef a