March, 2010

Pregnancy has been a time of massive self-discovery for me. Let’s face it – when you’ve been poked, prodded, and nudged by complete strangers on several unique occasions, you can’t help but give your Self a little more thought than usual.

Hence, the revelations abound.

For example, I pass out when blood is removed from my body (shout-out to the nurses who keep cool cloths on my neck).

Corned beef and cabbage are smelling up the households of many an Irish family tonight, but not mine. No, we are wafting in the aromas of fine chicken stew with jalapeno dumplings. Stew is Irish, nothing like putting everything into a pot and letting it simmer all day, OK, I didn't have all day so this is a little quicker version of stew.

Harrison can officially hear now. I remember reading about this a few months ago and thinking how great it would be…I would sit in a big rocking chair with a book, or sing off-key lullabies, or maybe just talk so he would become accustomed to my voice.

But it snuck up on me.

There’s no rocking chair in the house, I don’t really know a single lullaby, and my voice…that’s where the real problem lies.

I’ll admit it. I was thinking pink for a while. I had a pink nursery all picked out, complete with an over-the-top, pricey crib and designer sheets. I just knew I’d be dressing this child in ruffles and lace.

But about two days prior to my ultrasound, I started panicking. I still loved the idea of a girl, but I got just a bit freaked out when I thought about how difficult it must have been to raise me – let’s face it…sometimes we girls just aren’t easy to deal with. And Lord knows I deserve whatever payback I get.

Roasted vegetables are a staple in our house. They are so easy and so versatile. I'm never without root veggies, onions, and carrots so the base is always there. Last night I tossed a bunch of fresh asparagus on top of potatoes, onions, carrots, and red pepper to roast along with smoked sausage at the last minute (last 8 minutes to be exact) and it turned out scrumptious. I tossed all the vegetables with a little peanut oil for a simple change and used a Cajun seasoning for spicy interest.

I can honestly say I love to cook but more than cooking I like to talk about cooking. I love it when someone says they used one of my recipes from Lee Magazine and enjoyed making and eating the dish. Even better is when I suggest a recipe to a young lady and she can't wait to try it then raves about how good it was. I think I'll try sharing some recipes on these blogs that are delicious and simple. Salsa chicken is amazing and so simple you won't believe it could be as good as it is. It's great served with Spanish rice, or just over a nice green salad. Try it you'll be surprised.