is this thing on?

test test 1, 2, 3

just seeing if this thing still works.

hi gang!

long time no post....and you would think i'd have some things to write about, non? :)

in fact i do. i have the sweetest, most beautiful little princess...she has a proud momma. i stare at her and can't believe i get to keep her. can't believe she is a little of me and a little of her daddy (but more of me!).

but as some of you know, because she was eight weeks early she is still in the nicu and will be until most likely her due date in mid april. i get to see her whenever i want and go twice most days. and even though i know she is mine...i'm pumping and taking her milk...i bought her her own outfits (even though the hospital supplies cute stuff) just so i could do her laundry...i decorate her bulletin board in her nicu room and bring up snacks for the nurses....i do all these things to feel half way normal. something about not having her home makes me feel guilty. i've got my feet up watching reality tv and most new moms are pacing the house with their baby....right? but don't get me wrong. she is getting tremendous care. is thriving in the nicu. is doing just what all the other early babies in the world have to do. and she will be home soon.

i say all his to say....i don't feel normal just yet. my life still seems to be suspended a bit. but when things feel a bit more like they should i'll write again.

but i do feel immensely happy. immensely lucky. i can't wait to tell you all about her.

love.love.

goods juju

hi kids. i'm feeling a little run down. blood pressure is creeping up. aches and pains. feeling nervous but i know everything is going to be okay. i'm 32 weeks pregnant!!!

i have a check up monday. any and all good juju you can send my way is appreciated.

love, love.

belly

my sweet friend jenny has kept up her end of the bargain. she's traveling cross country with her theater company having an amazing experience and seeing amazing places (i'm blown away and jealous anyway). before she left i made her promise to post pics and write a bit in a blog. and she has! my end of the deal was...belly pics. sigh.

it isn't that i'm ashamed or embarrassed just....heavy! 20 pounds to be exact. and that's not something you typically throw a photo shoot about. but oh well. my lil girl is in there (all THREE pounds of her) and jenny won't be back until after she is here. so jen, a little wave from my girl... and a look at her pink PINK pink room thanks to daddy harpie.

before


during

and her final two tone pink room with me. putting furniture together this weekend. gah!

good, bad, ugly---more fat than ugly

yesterday was hard. yesterday was rough. i wouldn't say it sucked. there wasn't anything BAD exactly that happened. i did cry. a lot. alone. on the phone. while text messaging. needless to say, i left my office door shut most of the day.

i haven't written much here and i'm not sure why. i guess in a way i didn't want to complain. or rant or worry. or just write sappy happy stuff. WHY NOT? i dunno. in a way i've just been floating through. trying NOT to think about time. enjoying repeat good news.

my 30 week appointment was monday. and it was fine news. my blood pressures are up a bit. my feet were swollen. my weight was fine (she said) and no proteins were found in my urine samples (TMI but all things they are looking for and mean SICK! STRAIGHT TO HOSPITAL!). the REALLY good news is that the baby is growing perfectly. heart beat was great. the tougher news was....well...reality.

i've been trying to get my doctor to pin down a delivery date. she wants to induce me about 37 or 38 weeks and i need to know a day. she said something like "Well, we can pencil that in but you probably won't make it that far." wha? wha? WHAT? she hadn't talked like that this entire time. i asked her if my BPs made her worry. No. Any other data that suggests i couldn't make it that far. not really. WELL?! it's just facts. the baby can come at any time. on the flip side, the baby could have come at any time up until this point. and she hasn't snug as a bug in my belly. and healthy. and growing. and i'm FINE. no, i'm VERY HEALTHY. so i need to chill.... but when your doctor says something like "tell your in-laws to buy an open ended plane ticket. the baby could be here at any time," you get a little....sensitive.

then of course i had to tell mike this stuff. then my mom. then sit and stew and feel my feet swelling. and worry. about nothing. and everything. i couldn't even send out my little up date email to family yesterday. i kept getting too emotional thinking about her being here earlier. so this morning i thought my best "Pollyanna" thoughts and typed this out:

Hi family!

I think I speak for Mike, too, when I say....WE CAN HEAR THE CLOCK TICKING. This little girl will be here in two short months!

Monday was my 30 week doctors appointment. Next week I do all my pre-registration at the hospital. Starting February 22 I will go once a week until she is born for check ups and ultrasounds. And between now and then we've signed up for many, MANY classes. We're pretty much cramming for the test. Ha! Luckily, we have a lot of good teachers, coaches and cheerleaders in all of you!

I'm feeling round as a house but the doctor says my weight gain looks fine. All tests on me came back clear and good. My blood pressure is starting to get a bit higher but nothing that the doctor is concerned about. Just usual third trimester stuff and I'll be watching it at home. Putting my feet up a little more and trying, as Mike tells me often, to "take it easy." She said the baby's heartbeat was great and her growth is spot on. There was good news all around.

I did try to nail down what my delivery date might be. As I mentioned in past emails, my doctor thinks the safe thing to do is go ahead and induce me about 38 weeks. She's starting to get pretty frank as we get closer to the end and she let me know that truly the baby could come any time. I guess that's true for other pregnancies, too, but certainly with my medical history this is just fact. They're watching us both closely and still are looking towards that 37/38 week mark (looking at April 1, 2, or 5)----but don't be surprised if you have to hop a plane or a train sooner to see us.

Until then, please keep up the warm papoose thoughts for Natalie Claire. We want her to stay inside and cook as long as possible!

We love you all!
-Leah

And this is all true. And I believe it. and I'm feeling much better today mentally. I do however, worry about my extremities. Excuse my while I prop my feet on a trash can.

besos.

treat yourself

work has been crazy busy with, no joke, four major projects launching in march and april which means tons of pre-work between now and then. (i have a human due to arrive in april. no pressure.) that is on top of my normal day-to-day work of managing media requests, pitching stories and opportunities my boss and others come up with that i need to pursue. let's not mention the two non-profit boards i'm serving on that have a bit of maintenance. on one hand, i'm glad for the responsibilities. i'd rather be busy than bored. needed than taking up an office. on the other, some days i need a little...reward. for what? doing my JOB? i know...i know...i rationalize with myself all the time.

why do we think we deserve a treat? a reward? a little something to distract us or take the edge off. a drink out with a friend. dinner out with my husband. maybe a pedicure. go shopping for a new little something. but those treats add up. a dinner out with drinks can near $100. and then wishing you had that $100 later is stressful. is a treat really ever stress free? am i a total weirdo for thinking this way?

and then there are "treats" and the things you can justify as "needs." i can't paint my toes as well as the little asian ladies. and i NEED my toes to look good to wear with work shoes. it's PROFESSIONAL to have well kept hands and feet. and a $30 pedicure at some strip mall is a better value than a $50 at a spa. so i'm actually SAVING money, right?

a $4 latte is mostly milk. dairy. calcium that is healthy for me. GOOD for the baby. and i can get decaf. i can't get decaf coffee at work. and they make me happy. so $4 a few times a week to be happy and healthy is good, right? i'll throw in a slice lemon pound cake for good measure.

see what i mean. you do all these things you've justified as needed. and add "treats" on top of that. it's a bad cycle. especially financially.

i don't know where i'm going with this. mainly that i'm paranoid. really worried about money. i have everything i need and can get anything i want. even deal with unexpected house improvements or car maintenance....within reason. do i know how we're going to pay for day care and health insurance for the baby. i don't. i mean we will. but take THAT money out of the balance i'm already stressing about. and i stress more. it will all be fine.

so i guess the way lately (without alcohol) i've been coping with stress is treating myself with food. not like "YES! a gallon of ice cream all for me!" but selecting something thoughtfully to prepare. not an average weeknight meal, but something more special or unusual. something a bit more time consuming. something that tells the person i'm making it for (me, and hubs i guess) that i care. ingredients that are simple but wonderful.

this friday, for instance, i made a delicious homemade tomato sauce and pasta. not rocket science or life changing but really, really delicious. the kind of sauce where you see the hunks of tomatoes and the fresh herbs. no unpronounceable ingredients. no sugar. (WHY do all canned sauces taste like candy!?) simple, cheap ingredients. this recipe called for some arugula, almost like a spicy spinach, and an ingredient i never buy. you wilt it in with the pasta and sauce at the end and it made such a notable, special 'kick.' at whole foods i browsed their little sample sized "try me" cheese bins and was able to get a small, affordable hunk of pecorino cheese with black truffle. sliced over the hot pasta....wow.

to that a great loaf of bread sliced, sprinkled with olive oil, chunky salt, pepper and oregano. pantry items that elevated a slice of white bread to deliciousness times ten.

and on these nights when i want to do something...more...i like to make dessert. we weren't a dessert every night house growing up so i've always thought dessert to be something really special. i'd been eying this apple galette recipe at bonappetite.com for a while BECAUSE of its simplicity. butter, flour, water and you have crust. a bit of jelly, some apples covered in sugar and you're done! seriously, the only thing i had to buy was the apples. and yet this glorious looking pastry comes out of the oven. i planned to serve a slice warm with a dollop of ice cream (a new pregnancy freezer staple) but it never made it that far. hubs and i ate it off the sheet pan all night.

i'm not saying all this to say "i'm so badass"---NO. rather, i NEED to be distracted. i NEED to reward myself sometimes for what i consider a week of work well done. of dealing with life. i'm sure this summer i'll be back to rewarding myself with half a bottle of wine. when i can see my feet again, a new pair of shoes might be a treat. i'll keep getting pedicures. but the most affordable, and i'll even say the most rewarding "treat" i've been giving myself lately....and hopefully my husband enjoys the benefits to...is thinking about and enjoying a lovingly prepared dish. not caviar. noodles with sauce. not creme brulee (though i'm not opposed). apples in dough.

you should probably tell me...how do you treat yourself affordably? do you have someone that gives you a foot rub (jealous)....does taking a run alone sooth you? or does a big bowl of chips and queso make your day? i'm looking for ways to make myself feel special and rewarded....and preferable spending very little money.

thanks for reading my brainwaves. besos.

the final countdown

It's hard to believe today was our -26 week- checkup! Yes, you heard me. We're basically in third trimesterland, folks.

The funny thing is I've been saying that I'm 26 weeks along for about four weeks now....a LITTLE too excited. It just feels like April will be here any day...and my tum gets bigger and bigger. I remember I once had feet....I hope they're still down there.

All my vitals looked great today and the baby's heartbeat was perfect. In two weeks we'll do another ultrasound (get to see her, yeah!) and some standard 28 week tests like checking for diabetes and a few others. No reason to think everything shouldn't be a-ok. I know it sounds silly just to tell you "good appointment," but EVERY good appointment is SUCH a relief. Even my doctor today said, "You're at 26 weeks! This is great! The baby is viable and anything that happens after now will have such a good chance at a healthy outcome." It was nice of her to say that because I've been thinking it. Had to get past 25 weeks. And we did it! And I feel so good. Seriously, the best back rub ever.....the best tasting food...the best hug....nothing feels like this kind of good.

As many of you can tell, I've been a bit more chatty about the pregnancy on Facebook (oops) because of the confidence and health I feel. It feels nice, NORMAL, to be excited. To be okay with people giving me baby gifts. Making plans. Thinking about names and nurseries. I also mean this will all sensitivity.....I have such brave, beautiful friends and family members who are struggling with trying to get pregnant or health issues and I in no way mean to be insensitive in my joy. In fact, I hope my tentative and new found excitedness is in some way a little glimmer of something good for them to see. You CAN go through hard times, be miserable, be mad, no, ANGRY, at your circumstances. And you can come back and have a perfectly normal situation that in no way crosses out the past experiences...but shows you just how strong, brave, loved and thankful you can be. I hope that made sense....

The most exciting news of the day was that my doctor suggested I plan to deliver at about 38 weeks. The little girl will be to term and fully cooked and this will help avoid any complications that could pop up due to my health history. I, for one, am great with this. I know many people have thoughts on inducing labor. But in a weird way, it's something I feel a little more familiar with. They did it last time and I know what the process is like and what those contractions feel like. What I don't know is if it puts stress on the baby---I guess not too much or they wouldn't suggest it? I like the idea of so much attention. I like the idea of no 2 a.m. rush to the hospital and not wondering if it's time to go or not. I know this may seem to take some of the "magic" out of childbirth....but ya know what? I like to plan. I like to have a bit of control and know what to expect. And I think this will take HUGE relief off Mike who does not care for stressful situations or surprises. What is more stressful or surprise-ful than your wife's water breaking at Lowes or something? :)

So, we're looking at this kiddo coming sometime the week of April 5. WOW. I know that's only two weeks earlier but it seems SO SOON. Also in the middle of about three work projects. Also the same week as our anniversary. Also still trying to find daycare and fit in childbirth classes and, ya know, decorating a room for this kid and naming it. But I couldn't be more excited.

Thank you, friends, for your sweet words and thoughts.

Besos.

happy day

it has seemed like far longer than two weeks since i last saw my doctor and even longer than the four since i saw my little girlie. so today was a huge relief--got to do both! finally i have a good profile of her and not just an alien-ish-but-i-love-her-anyway shot. very cute if i do say so. (the bright white dot is my camera flash.)

she is measuring right on schedule at almost 25 weeks and weighs just over about 1.5 pounds. i feel so, so, SO lucky to have a good report back from the doctor saying all her ultrasound pics look good (they checked her heart, kidneys and brain closer today and were looking for a good profile pic). also, my vitals were perfect. good blood pressure, zero protein in urine. she didn't mention any problems with my weight but i seem to be gaining about a pound a so a week. nothing to worry about. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. such a relief.

i have so many good friends and wonderful family rooting for us and our little baby. it really makes all the difference to have that kind of support through good times and hard times. i'm hoping i am the kind of friend, daughter, sister and wife that give back the same.

dreaming of a full house

Each year i dream of hosting elaborate holiday parties. last year was maybe the closest. Not elaborate, but fun and festive and fairly well attended nonetheless. And one day I'd love to hold a New Years Eve dinner party. Eat at about 9 p.m. with a table full of friends reminiscing about the year. Countdown together at midnight. Or maybe a New Years day brunch. I blame my excessive magazine and blog reading on this compulsion to entertain. I guess it's in my genes a bit, too. My mom catered when I was younger, even had a little sandwich shop in the town where I grew up for a few years. So I saw a lot of the details and planning that went in to good food and happy people. And that's all I want. Not to be told "so delicious" but that people have a good time and know they can expect that when coming to see me. High expectations for myself, non?

Anyway, knowing the holiday season is jam packed and with budgets a bit tighter the hubs and I decided having a few people over to just hang out would be a better use of time than planning a big bash...and fighting for a weekend to host it. Holiday parties are competitive....and people are having annual parties now. Yowza.

I decided to go easy and comforting and serve soup as the main dish. I made a pasta soup that I love more than most things and a potato, that I sort of came up with, and wasn't as pleased with. The pasta soup was a hit (and SOOO easy). The recipe is here.

I always feel the need to have nibbles. I was pleased with the sugar and spiced nuts I made but more so with the candied nuts. I made some puff pastry cheese twists that were new and I won't be making again. Wish I would have gone with these gems instead. Olives were more for my benefit (obsessed!) and some summer sausage cut up. Wish I would have gone with prosciutto ham instead as really I was the only nibbler. I swear I could exist on appetisers.

Dessert also seemed to be a success. Chocolate peppermint cake balls (I use THIS philosophy and make up new balls when I feel creative) and salted carmel cheesecake which I can not say enough good things about. It was my first attempt at cheesecake and came out without a hitch.

We played board games, laughed, shut things down after midnight. It was the best night I've had in a long time. Goes to show sometimes you just need the right people there (even a handful) to make it a good night.

But I'm still holding on to my dream of hosting a massive backyard Mexican fiesta... :)

Please take a moment and look how GORGEOUS the new Banana Republic holiday dresses are (I think you can click on the photo below). Seriously people, I have reverse body dismorphia. In my head I'm always a size 8 instead of a size 18 (not really, but ya know, feels like it) and WISH so HARD I had one of these to rock this season. I know there are cute(ish) maternity stuffs out there but who wants to invest in that. Not I.

So please, let me live vicariously through you. Go buy something adorable and short with some tall ass heels and tell me all about it. In the meantime, I'll keep wearing the tall ass heels.....with stretchy jeans....and I'll buy something red. Or glittery...for good measure.

werd.

yikes

i'm lucky to know a nurse practitioner who has a background in all things prenatal because today, well, starting last night, i was concerned for my well being.

i was feeling thudding in my lower abdomen. was it the baby kicking? was it trying to get out? was my body rejecting it? was i gassy? it's continued today. and it's distracting. and it makes me want to giggle.

i described all this to my smart friend in an email and she said i was quickening which sounds gross to me but really means the baby is just grooving around. it's so small still it isn't like i feel a bow to the kidney. but it's little stretches and punches are now registering on my uterine muscles. weird.

so i'm glad i'm not a) imaging this or b)having a system failure.

the truth is, from this point on i'm in uncharted waters. i got very sick very quick at about 21 weeks with the last pregnancy. i never felt the baby move. at least nothing like this. i never found out the gender as the baby was under developed. and now i KNOW i'm having a girl. my brain still can't really process this. and even though i had to deliver the baby it was a little tiny thing so while the drugs and hubbub will be familiar the actuality of anything after 5 months, of delivering a full sized kiddo, or then TAKING IT HOME and parenting it is beyond me.

so i'm learning each day now. i'm scared. i'm excited. i'm lucky to have friends who listen, give suggestions, and calm my worries.

besos lovies!

PINK!

We had a second ultrasound today and the resounding agreement is....IT'S A GIRL!

I see many, many pedicures in our future. And shopping trips....

take backs

so i realized my last post probably sounded pretty self indulgent. and alcoholic :) i blame the post thanksgiving funk and the impending frenzy that is december.

sometimes i feel like i need a break, ya know? have you ever just turned off the tv, the car radio or whatever just to hear nothing? i don't do it often, but now and then i have to. i feel overloaded with information. sound. stimulation. my brain gets tired. i think and plan and deliberate and worry. a lot. so even when i'm home, in sweat pants, enjoying a five day weekend i still feel like i need to get away or get out and do nothing. i love my family. my husband. my little house. but all that love doesn't clean it. it doesn't make the cat hair go away, the laundry done. it doesn't buy groceries or cook meals. organize. straighten. i have to do those. on vacation days or not.

so...take a day off you say. yeah, i do that. but then i get ten times as frustrated when i wake up the next day to dishes piled even higher in the sink.

i need to look for new ways to relax. new simple pleasures. i, of course, enjoy cooking. but frankly, i'm full and i have dishpan hands from the never ending eating / dish washing cycle. i used to take great pleasure in inhaling a pizza and a bottle of wine while watching a girly movie on the couch. why removing the wine takes away from that experience....i can't say. maybe i do have a problem. then again, maybe i just need to identify those things that feel AS good. AS distracting. AS relaxing.

for those not pregnant people, think about how often you enjoy a drink. is it at dinner. after a long day of work. over a nice meal. out with friends. as young adult types we sort of forget how many activities, usually pleasurable, revolve around alcohol. and food.

today i plan to take a drive. window shop. maybe go to the book store. my head feels heavy. full of noise.

this entry didn't get much better, did it? i'll snap out of it.

besos.

cheers

back from thanksgiving with the fam. on to thinking about holidays, entertaining, gift giving, COOKING and all else that comes with the holidays.

i hate to say this, but being pregnant is strange. i mean also wonderful and magical and all that. don't get me wrong. it's just a very...unique experience. you know how they say "once you have a kid, everything changes. you're responsible for this person for the rest of it's life..." blah blah. well, i know things will change. i'm excited about it. i know i have to keep the little human alive. but one day, i'll also be able to aim for a flat stomach again. have wine again. and so on.

it's funny how, for a temporary amount of time, things also change.

for instance, i can eat as well as i'd like, get exercise. i'm still going to keep growing (hi belly!). no control. no choice. while my husband spikes his eggnog i'll enjoy a glass of the straight slimy stuff. no champagne toasts for my birthday or new years eve. no adorable sparkly skirt from urban outfitters for holiday gatherings. and i don't have a choice. well, i do. but you get it. this is my lot for a while. i'm not sad or down about having a baby. far from it. but i feel like the kid left on the bench. i hope that makes sense. i feel a little out of control. i've never been very good at spontaneity. wait and see and all that.

no choice.

off to make a TASTY ginger ale cranberry "cocktail." :)

the psycho hostess

Hi gang.

As I checked my email this morning and got my THIRD invitation to a holiday party on December 8, it made me realize it’s that time when all of us are invited to get togethers or throwing them ourselves. There is so much to consider when attending or hosting such an event. Isn’t there? Sometimes I think it’s just me. Read THIS ARTICLE and form your own thoughts. It has really put a bee in my bonnet.

EDIT---someone (cough, husband, cough) thought my blog was too rude. So I've boiled it down to this:


So here is where I need your help. Several questions about being a good host---I’m wondering what YOU do in these instances.

THE question: When people ask you very politely “Can I bring anything?” what is your typical reply? How can I be a little more easy going about this? WHAT WOULD GP DO!?

Food timing: Let’s take the for instance of a big holiday party. I try to have my food spread out and ready at the time I say the party will start. Inevitably, a handful of guests show up on the dot. And for some reason these guests tend to literally sit around the food table and dig in---some not bothering to get a plate of food, just grazing from one item to the next. When the “late-ies” show up an hour later my spread is down to crumbs. Is it best to put out food in stages? Make back up platters? Do you run in to this problem? Why am I so obsessive!?

Familiar or new dishes: I get all excited planning a party and want to make all these yums I’ve read about on my favorite blogs and magazines. However, what if that salmon dip is a flop? Those cheesecake bites overdone? Is it better to prepare things for your guests you know are tried and true or use it as a chance to try some new dishes? Let’s be honest, I’m probably NOT going to try them all out before the big day. Who has the time / money / calorie allotment for that?

Okay, so now that you hate me and are paranoid to ever come over to my house….what are some of your other BEST entertaining tips? Questions of your own? Am I missing the mark on these? Seriously, I love the feedback even if it is “Yes, Leah, you are a crazy mean hostess.”

Besos.

how to make a pregnant lady smile

compliment her! anything! from her hair looks nice to she looks like she's feeling well. don't lie...but even something like "what a cute top" or "great necklace" will make her day. and fellas, you may feel strange complimenting a pregnant lady but of all times to be able to get away with a compliment! what? you're hotass wife or girlfriend is going to get MAD if you say something nice to a frazzled, frumpy, fat preggo lady? if she's gone through it hopefully she'll understand. and if not...well, hopefully someone she knows has and she'll get it.

this pregnant lady has started expanding as of late. it's like some alarm went off two or three weeks back and each morning i'm not sure what will fit today. it's so strange not going in to your favorite stores, especially with all the cute holiday outfits, because things just won't close around your expanding body. and the thing is, even if you try on a large or extra large it doesn't matter. they aren't made for your rotund belly. they aren't long enough, don't lay right. and yet at this early time of expansion some maternity clothes, especially dresses, hang all wrong. you aren't big ENOUGH. what!?

i say all this to say i've had several nice compliments lately from co-workers, friends, my darling husband (who reminded me Heidi Klum has done this several times----there's nothing to be ashamed of!). and simple little things "you look nice today" or "how have you been? you look great!" go SO far.

we recall those nice things when we're standing in a pile of unsexy stretchy pants in a poorly lit dressing room while the teenager in the room next to us is telling a friend "the small feels too big. will you grab me an extra small?" bitch. i hope you get an STD, er, i mean...all the happiness in the world. :)

besos.

best compliment

today i got the best compliment. i popped into a co-workers office to ask a question and as i was leaving she said "I can see your baby." EEEE!! i've spent so many weeks trying to not look pregnant, not talk about being pregnant, not worry about being pregnant, not NOT worry about being pregnant that to finally feel good about wearing tighter stuff that shows off the belly makes me feel so relieved. and happy. so for someone to say with a smile "i see your baby" and ask to touch my belly....well, it was a little (tiny) celebration.

pretty good, ya know, for a monday.

hi there

i've decided for personal reasons, NONE of them dramatic or difficult, that i won't be posting on the "pretty girls use knives" blog any longer. they are GREAT gals and i hope you keep checking in on them, as will i. i do still want to talk about food and i will still be cooking. i just have no idea when i'll be able to do it. i wasn't good at sticking to a regular schedule, etc.

so i remember what i made i moved my favorite posts over to this blog. if you ever want more info let me know.

i'll also be writing a bit more about me and my life. and i'll be trying to keep this to friendies and loved ones instead of promoting the hell out of it. so leave me a comment...or don't...but i sure hope you do. and we'll get to now each other again.

besos.

Hey mambo! Italiano without garlic? - 10/09

Long time no cook! I just wrapped a huge project at work which has meant many long nights and many frozen pizzas. In the last few weeks of processed food, fast food, and quick fix meals the hubs has seen a pattern…onions and garlic make him have terrible heartburn.

I’ve tried to deny his discomfort because frankly, other than salt, garlic and onions add the best flavor to a variety of dishes. Just look at the back of a package of, oh, anything. Garlic powder. Onion Powder. Flip through your favorite recipes. Two cloves garlic. One onion chopped. EVERYTHING. But I’m doing research and looking for ways to meet in the middle. Naturally he is a bit nervous to, say, try red onion instead of white. How about green onion? Shallot? Baby steps. Until then, a lot of Prilosec.

So when this gorgeous and EASY lasagna recipe showed up on the homepage of Chow.com I cringed. Garlic! Onion! I was sure of it. But with only slight tweaking and research the finished product was delectable. And the hubs feels fine!

Start by printing off this easy to follow recipe (with cute illustrations, might I add). It makes a large batch. I’ll give you my half recipe which could easily feed 4-5 people. I prepared it in a smaller baking dish with no problem. You’ll need:

• Something smaller than a 13-by-9-inch baking dish (9x9?)


• one minced garlic cloves (I left this out)


• 8 oz of ricotta cheese


• one box of frozen spinach, thawed with the liquid squeezed out


• 2-3 handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese—about a cup


• one egg


• one jars of tomato sauce (or a batch of the sauce I made, below. HIGHLY recommended)


• a box of no-boil lasagna noodles


• 8 oz of mozzarella cheese, sliced.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


2. Mix together the garlic, ricotta, spinach, half of the Parmesan, and the egg in the bowl until smooth.


3. Spread a fifth of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.


4. Overlap a quarter of the noodles in a layer on top of the sauce. It’s OK if they don’t completely cover the surface area.


5. Spread a fifth of the tomato sauce on top of the noodles.


6. Dollop a third of the ricotta mixture in a few spots over the noodles and flatten the dollops (the ricotta mixture will spread out when it heats up). Lay a quarter of the mozzarella on top.


7. Repeat the process by laying a quarter of the noodles in the opposite direction than you did before, top with a fifth of the tomato sauce, a third of the ricotta mixture, and a quarter of the mozzarella. Repeat once more: a quarter of the noodles in the opposite direction, a fifth of the tomato sauce, the last third of the ricotta, and a quarter of the mozzarella.


8. Cover with the last quarter of the noodles, top with the last fifth of the tomato sauce and last quarter of the mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.


9. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the lasagna is bubbly around the edges, about 35 minutes.


10. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, until the top is bubbly and light golden brown. Let the lasagna rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, or it will be too runny.

As you can see, this is a simple dish. You can add things like mushrooms, hamburger or sausage if you’d like. Season as you wish. Use low fat ricotta and mozzarella. Whatever! But I think what made this dish REALLY special was the sauce I used.

While doing research of an onion and garlic free red sauce I came across a great blog 101cookbooks.com and a gloriously simply and tasty five minute tomato saucerecipe. It has lemon zest which sounds strange but was magical with the tomato. The hubs even mentioned how good it was. Had I had this at a restaurant I'd still be thinking about it. It would be great with MANY other dishes. Enjoy!

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I subbed one large shallot, cut in quarters. After sautéing I removed them)
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
zest of one lemon

Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer just a few minutes. Remove from heat and carefully take a taste if it needs more salt. Stir in the lemon zest.

everybody's talking 'bout---pumpkin! - 10/09

pumpkin lattes. pumpkin creamer. pumpkin flavored pastries. everywhere you turn it's pumpkin-palooza, right? and you LOVE it, non?! now in a week or two, you'll have moved on to peppermint mochas and the like, but for now maybe you're wondering how to save the $8 you just spent at the coffee shop on that latte and pumpkin bread...okay, I AM. (i keep telling myself ONCE A WEEK TREAT...and it ends up being three)

i horded several cans of pumpkin and wanted to know EASY things I could do with it besides pie. and preferably that i had the ingredients for. enter www.verybestbaking.com where there are, no lie, HUNDREDS of recipes using brands like Nestle and Libby's pumpkin. i cruised around until i found some "no shopping required" recipes and loved these results.

First, pumpkin spice quick bread.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 9x5-inch loaf pan.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, eggs, spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often for 1 to 2 minutes until well mixed. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

BAKE for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*Substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground cloves for pumpkin pie spice.

i added about a cup of chocolate chips, added some extra spices (suggested by reviewers on the site) and it was DIVINE. easy peasy!









what to do with the rest of that pumpkin? how about a pumpkin latte?

Ingredients

• 1 cup strong coffee


• 2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk (I'm sure you could use regular milk)


• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin


• 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar


• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Directions

COMBINE coffee, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in 2-cup microwave-safe glass measure or small saucepan. Heat until very hot (if using stove, use medium-low heat and stir occasionally). Carefully pour into mugs. makes 2 servings.

i followed the online tip and transferred the hot mixture into a blender to get that foamy top. be careful and cover the lid with a towel! hot things + blender = messy!

my only complaint was it wans't very sweet. i added a teaspoon of honey for sweetness.

and YOU? any pumpkin cooking these days?

what are the fall favorite treats around your house?