My little man in all his hand-sucking glory.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
My Valentine
My little man in all his hand-sucking glory.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Becoming a mama (belly butter recipe)
gracefully.... :)
Some pregnancy tips and thoughts to share today. I am nearly 22 weeks (more than halfway done. yay!) and no stretch marks yet. What my body is lacking in physical appearance I am certainly making up for in symptoms! D: Morning sickness has plagued me from week 2 or 3 and hasn't let up since week 9 full-blast. I take a prescription medication now multiple times daily if I need it, just to keep food and liquids down. It's been a real treat! Thankfully I'm still gaining weight and keeping hydrated enough not to be hospitalized. Some days are worse than others. I can't imagine going through this again, thankfully both DH and I are okay with an only child or maybe adopting later on. The whole pregnancy has been really hard on us both and has handicapped me for months now.
All the freaky symptoms I have too, even ones that are not so common. Pregnancy is not glamorous. I never thought it would be but that truth needs to be circulated a bit more than it is right now with all the baby and pregnancy hype that is the becoming a mom industry in America. Now parents can have ultrasound parties where the focus is literally to watch a sonogram screen for hours- not to mention exposing your baby to the rays of the sonogram without anyone really knowing how good/bad for the baby this over-exposure may be. Gender reveal parties are another craze. Moms now ask for push gifts- gifts (often expensive ones) that they demand from their significant others just because they are having the baby(diamonds, rings, etc). Things my mom would only scoff at and think ridiculous as just 20-something years ago when she was pregnant, it was common for a doctor never to schedule an ultrasound if the pregnancy were progressing normally. Not even to find out the gender. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with mamas who choose to do these parties. It's just not me. I don't like a lot of attention and feel for me personally, pregnancy is one of those things left more special if it's between me and my husband and my doctor who will be there at the birth.
We're finding out the gender today! I decided on only telling my best girl friend (my baby's adopted aunt) when we find out and keeping it a secret for a while. I'm worried I'll be saddened if it's a boy because of my desire for a girl. I pray I'll be happy no matter what and DH's excitement will rub off on me even if I'm less than thrilled to put my dreams of shopping for little dresses aside.
Apart from my best friend who lives away, my husband is really the only person who has been there for me from day one (and rightly so!). Outside the three of us I feel the special-ness of the baby is just faked. Apart from my parents that is. Another reason I'm not so eager to tell the world what we find out today. I like the idea of relishing the secret for a little longer. I may post here but for my personal life- probably not so much.
_________________________________________________________________________
One thing about me: I love going natural. No, not nude haha. But whole foods and chemical-free things all the way. To me, there's nothing better than whole organic items to replace even the most expensive beauty treatments. Having a husband who works in the beauty business (chemically) has given me insight into just how to recreate some of the super expensive treatments at home for next to nothing without all the chemicals involved. I'm planning on breastfeeding only, making my own baby food and lotions, etc. I recently recreated my own chemical-free version of a super expensive belly butter that has done wonders for my stretched, dry skin! I don't have a recipe exactly but I can tell you what concoction I use to rival one of the best's version of body butter for moms at $45 a pop!
It all start with a base. I used:
Coconut oil
raw shea butter
both in equal parts. I mash this together in an empty jar or container, or an empty body butter jar if you have one on hand.
then I add:
vitamin E oil (at least a few drops, tsp?)
sweet almond oil
I mix these all together until it really is a mixture. All unscented and nothing extra added. The mixture melts together at body heat so no worries if it's lumpy or imperfect. I use a big handful all over right after my morning shower and then again at night. It doesn't stain clothing but I'm still careful to wear old pj's or undershirts as it takes a while to soak into the skin. Best applied after a warm bath or shower!
That's all. Paraben-free, Phthalate-free and petroleum-free body butter. All natural- no fillers or additives. The ingredients are VERY close to the body butter I mentioned at $45 a pop that's supposedly the best on the market right now.
Gotta love being a thrifty mama! Now grease that belly up and shine like the sun! This also makes for an especially good lotion for dry winter skin and rough places like heels and knees. Exfoliate in the shower and put on to be summer-ready in no time.
Some pregnancy tips and thoughts to share today. I am nearly 22 weeks (more than halfway done. yay!) and no stretch marks yet. What my body is lacking in physical appearance I am certainly making up for in symptoms! D: Morning sickness has plagued me from week 2 or 3 and hasn't let up since week 9 full-blast. I take a prescription medication now multiple times daily if I need it, just to keep food and liquids down. It's been a real treat! Thankfully I'm still gaining weight and keeping hydrated enough not to be hospitalized. Some days are worse than others. I can't imagine going through this again, thankfully both DH and I are okay with an only child or maybe adopting later on. The whole pregnancy has been really hard on us both and has handicapped me for months now.
All the freaky symptoms I have too, even ones that are not so common. Pregnancy is not glamorous. I never thought it would be but that truth needs to be circulated a bit more than it is right now with all the baby and pregnancy hype that is the becoming a mom industry in America. Now parents can have ultrasound parties where the focus is literally to watch a sonogram screen for hours- not to mention exposing your baby to the rays of the sonogram without anyone really knowing how good/bad for the baby this over-exposure may be. Gender reveal parties are another craze. Moms now ask for push gifts- gifts (often expensive ones) that they demand from their significant others just because they are having the baby(diamonds, rings, etc). Things my mom would only scoff at and think ridiculous as just 20-something years ago when she was pregnant, it was common for a doctor never to schedule an ultrasound if the pregnancy were progressing normally. Not even to find out the gender. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with mamas who choose to do these parties. It's just not me. I don't like a lot of attention and feel for me personally, pregnancy is one of those things left more special if it's between me and my husband and my doctor who will be there at the birth.
We're finding out the gender today! I decided on only telling my best girl friend (my baby's adopted aunt) when we find out and keeping it a secret for a while. I'm worried I'll be saddened if it's a boy because of my desire for a girl. I pray I'll be happy no matter what and DH's excitement will rub off on me even if I'm less than thrilled to put my dreams of shopping for little dresses aside.
Apart from my best friend who lives away, my husband is really the only person who has been there for me from day one (and rightly so!). Outside the three of us I feel the special-ness of the baby is just faked. Apart from my parents that is. Another reason I'm not so eager to tell the world what we find out today. I like the idea of relishing the secret for a little longer. I may post here but for my personal life- probably not so much.
_________________________________________________________________________
One thing about me: I love going natural. No, not nude haha. But whole foods and chemical-free things all the way. To me, there's nothing better than whole organic items to replace even the most expensive beauty treatments. Having a husband who works in the beauty business (chemically) has given me insight into just how to recreate some of the super expensive treatments at home for next to nothing without all the chemicals involved. I'm planning on breastfeeding only, making my own baby food and lotions, etc. I recently recreated my own chemical-free version of a super expensive belly butter that has done wonders for my stretched, dry skin! I don't have a recipe exactly but I can tell you what concoction I use to rival one of the best's version of body butter for moms at $45 a pop!
It all start with a base. I used:
Coconut oil
raw shea butter
both in equal parts. I mash this together in an empty jar or container, or an empty body butter jar if you have one on hand.
then I add:
vitamin E oil (at least a few drops, tsp?)
sweet almond oil
I mix these all together until it really is a mixture. All unscented and nothing extra added. The mixture melts together at body heat so no worries if it's lumpy or imperfect. I use a big handful all over right after my morning shower and then again at night. It doesn't stain clothing but I'm still careful to wear old pj's or undershirts as it takes a while to soak into the skin. Best applied after a warm bath or shower!
That's all. Paraben-free, Phthalate-free and petroleum-free body butter. All natural- no fillers or additives. The ingredients are VERY close to the body butter I mentioned at $45 a pop that's supposedly the best on the market right now.
Gotta love being a thrifty mama! Now grease that belly up and shine like the sun! This also makes for an especially good lotion for dry winter skin and rough places like heels and knees. Exfoliate in the shower and put on to be summer-ready in no time.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Peruvian Tacos
Peruvian Tacos
Makes: 4 servings (12 tacos)
1 lb. uncooked ground chicken ( I use turkey and it was amazing)
1/2 c. chopped white onion
2 tsp. ground coriander (opt)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 c. snipped pitted dried plums (also optional, this gives the dish a bit of a sweet bite so I prefer to leave it out)
1/4 c. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
12 6- to 7-inch corn or flour tortillas
4 to 6 oz. Cotija or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
chopped cilantro for topping
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, cook chicken and onion until chicken is no longer pink; stir to break up pieces. Drain off fat, if necessary. Add coriander, cumin, and 1 tsp. salt; cook and stir for 1 to 2 min. Add undrained tomatoes, potato, plums, and olives. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; cook 5 minutes more or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
2. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; bake for 15 minutes or until heated.
3. To assemble tacos, place 1/3 c. chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; top with cheese. Sprinkle with additional chopped onion and snipped fresh cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.
Also:
I usually double this recipe because these go so fast!
I sometimes add sour cream to the topping.
The cooking time is usually a bit longer for me but it's still a quick an easy meal for a weeknight. I usually cook 30 minutes or until the potato is soft.
Turkey was amazing in this recipe.
I almost never add the coriander simply because I don't like it.
Yum! Let me know if you try this. :)
Best Banana Bread Ever
As with most of my best recipes, this one started out plan and I added to it. Tried this one over the weekend and LOVE it- it's more of a cake than a bread- but still in-between enough to have it with morning coffee.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan ( used a cooking spray)
1 cup granulated sugar( you can substitute this for 1 C splenda like I did if you can't have sugar or want to cut the calories a bit)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine ( I broke up the bananas by hand instead of mushing them and used an electric blender for this part). Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, I did not use a loaf pan but a smaller glass square dish (8x8?). I baked for 45 minutes instead of an hour- whenever toothpick comes clean and the top is a golden brown- it's ready!
P.S. this has to be some of the best cake/bread batter ever tasted!
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan ( used a cooking spray)
1 cup granulated sugar( you can substitute this for 1 C splenda like I did if you can't have sugar or want to cut the calories a bit)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine ( I broke up the bananas by hand instead of mushing them and used an electric blender for this part). Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, I did not use a loaf pan but a smaller glass square dish (8x8?). I baked for 45 minutes instead of an hour- whenever toothpick comes clean and the top is a golden brown- it's ready!
P.S. this has to be some of the best cake/bread batter ever tasted!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
First post!
I decided to make a non-N-related blog for my personal use as well. Sometimes it's good to not talk about nasties. I hope to post personal updates here as well as things related to everything daily life: favorite recipes, ideas, etc.
A little about me:
I LOVE cooking (and am a pretty darn good cook, too IMO)
I love pink and anything that sparkles
I love music and I love dancing
I love to try new things
I love my privacy. I love my private account and the fact that this isn't my real name, although things I discuss here are real-life events. There's something so liberating to remaining anonymous.
My birthday is coming up! I'll be 23. (baby, I know) D: I certainly don't feel my age with all the stress I've had going on for the past few years. Most of my friends are living with their parents, single and looking for jobs. I'm married, expecting and living my dream as an actor/model in the film/print world. My contract does not allow me to say I'm married in real life- or divulge any personal information like that- so....anonymous here I come!
Hubby is planning many birthday surprises for me this year as I've never really had a great birthday. ( I know, right?) Kind of apprehensive because I always worry whenever someone says 'it's a surprise'. Excited all the same, though.
Here's enough to the blogging world right now. Off I go to make some boba tea. :P I'll try to keep this blog up as much as I can but with a rough pregnancy, work and such taking over my life it may not be every day that I post. <3
Much love to you and happy Saturday (day before the big game if you're in America!)
A little about me:
I LOVE cooking (and am a pretty darn good cook, too IMO)
I love pink and anything that sparkles
I love music and I love dancing
I love to try new things
I love my privacy. I love my private account and the fact that this isn't my real name, although things I discuss here are real-life events. There's something so liberating to remaining anonymous.
My birthday is coming up! I'll be 23. (baby, I know) D: I certainly don't feel my age with all the stress I've had going on for the past few years. Most of my friends are living with their parents, single and looking for jobs. I'm married, expecting and living my dream as an actor/model in the film/print world. My contract does not allow me to say I'm married in real life- or divulge any personal information like that- so....anonymous here I come!
Hubby is planning many birthday surprises for me this year as I've never really had a great birthday. ( I know, right?) Kind of apprehensive because I always worry whenever someone says 'it's a surprise'. Excited all the same, though.
Here's enough to the blogging world right now. Off I go to make some boba tea. :P I'll try to keep this blog up as much as I can but with a rough pregnancy, work and such taking over my life it may not be every day that I post. <3
Much love to you and happy Saturday (day before the big game if you're in America!)
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