Counting My Blessings!

Such happy news came today!  We will be the proud parents of a cloth diapered child thanks to the kind folks over at Cottonbabies.com!!  (As well as any future children to come.)

They have a program set up for missionaries as a practical way to share their support through the giving of free diapers!  And we were approved!  How cool is that!?
I'm so grateful to our friends Bill and Anna, who had their little guy over a year ago while they were in South Korea, for telling us about such a wonderful opportunity.
We feel pretty strongly about cloth diapering and want to be good stewards of our time, money, and family and feel like this is a wonderful way to do it.  I don't have anything against other people and the decisions they make, this is just what we feel will work for us and I could not be more thrilled.  Who knew diapers could make you so happy?

In other news.  I also picked out some fabric for Desmond's room for some curtains!  YAY!  Things are starting to move along.  Here's a little preview of what I picked up:

Good report at the doctor today.  I'm still steadily progressing along.  Can't believe it's already August.  This month has some exciting things in store for us!  It just might be our last full month as a couple.  We're getting ready for you Desmond.  

Hungry Man Meals

Remember when I said I've been an emotional wreck and I have the best husband in the world who loves me despite it??  Well I felt like I had some making up to do.  And the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach right!?

That would be the result of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  A recipe for copy-cat Chick-fil-A Sandwiches.

Before we moved here Jordan stocked up on all of the sauces he could get his hands on through our many stops at Chick-fil-A.  He's been waiting to use them, not wanting to let a single packet go to waste or be spoiled on something undeserving.  And then I came across the recipe, and he couldn't wait to try it.  To see if it held up to all the glory that is his favorite chicken sandwich.  We followed each step (minus the fact that I only had seeded buns) and the creation was assembled in sheer perfection.  He was in heaven.  Maybe it's because it's been more than 7 months since he had the sandwich, but he said it was a magnificent substitute.  We've all had to give up things living in a foreign country, but I was pretty pleased to know I could pull this recipe out when Jordan needed an extra pick me up and a taste of home.

But the spoiling wasn't done yet.  Currently it's rainy season here in the Philippines.  As typhoons rip across the ocean, we've seen quite the downpour and felt some pretty dramatic winds.  Today was a day for canceling classes and hunkering down inside to avoid the chaos we currently find ourselves in.  It was quite reminiscent of a snow day back home and I welcomed the company as Jordan worked from home.  I figured a special lunch was in store, so I got busy in the kitchen and made quite possibly the best pizza I have ever made in my life!  I kid you not.

I can't lay claim to everything that makes up this pizza.  The crust was from a pizza magazine we picked up a while back and I just followed their recipe for a deep dish pizza crust, but varied the assemblage of it.

When my dough was ready I preheated my oven at 500 for 25 minutes with the pizza stone on the bottom rack.  I then rolled out my dough to over-lap my cast iron skillet and set it in place.  I layed down mozzarella on Jordan's side and some vegan mozzarella on my side.  Packed in a generous helping of spinach leaves, and then dotted his side with pepperoni.  Next I rolled out a thin circle of dough to lay on top of our toppings to protect it from being over saturated by the sauce.  I pinched the edges together with my former dough and poked some holes in it to allow steam to pass through.  Then rolled the edges over and down.  And lastly came the sauce.  We laid it on thick.  I turned the oven down to 450 and it was time to go in.  I placed the skillet directly on the stone and baked it for 35 minutes.

Man was it tough to wait for it to cool down.  It smelled so intoxicating!  We were both ready for lunch!  We hit the couch and popped in some Lost as the perfect side dish to chowin down on pizza.

The perfect spinach pie!  I'm usually a "give me all the vegetables you can" kind of gal, but when we experienced Giordano's (twice) in Chicago...I came to love the simplicity of this dish.  Just spinach, cheese, sauce, and crust!  YUM!
       
So here's the recipes I did tweak:

Quick Stir Chunky Tomato Sauce : (adapted from here)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 jar tomato paste
1/4 cup vegan parmesan
2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. oregano
a handful of fresh basil, shredded
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. minced garlic

In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients until well incorporated.

Vegan Mozzarella : (adapted from here)
1/2 cup soft tofu
1/2 cup soy milk
1 package soft tofu
1/2 TBS. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp rice vinegar
4 tsp agar powder

Place 1/2 cup tofu + soy milk in food processor and blend until rich and creamy.  Next add the rest of your ingredients except for the agar and blend for several minutes, scrapping down the sides, until well blended and smooth.  Place the contents in a medium saucepan and stir in the agar powder and let sit for 5 minutes.  Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Cook on stovetop for about 5 minutes.  Pour into a baking dish and set in the refrigerator to firm up.  At least 1 hour.

That pizza never stood a chance.  We killed it.  I can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow.  I guess I should admit this one was just as much for me as it was for him...

What's your favorite style of pizza?

30-What!?

While time seemed to go ever so slowly at first, I can't believe how close we're getting to the end.  It's a bit shocking really.

And I'm sure the closer it gets the more I'll be wanting it to go faster.  With the excitement of Desmond entering the world, and things getting more and more uncomfortable.  But we'll see.  Right now I'm still feeling great.  Tired a lot, but I've just been pushing through.  I still don't like naps, unless they're absolutely necessary, and I'll admit, there's been a few days where they were!

I'll spare you the details, cause no one likes for people to see their ugly side, but the worse thing from this week was my emotions.  All I can say is I have a gracious and loving husband.  I don't like the ups and downs that have come this week, but it's helped us to practice our forgiveness and patience with each other.  More so the patience from him, and the asking of forgiveness from me.  So here's to choosing to have better days.

Other than that, I feel like this has been a really fun time in my pregnancy as I can feel Desmond more and more.  No more little jabs.  These are stomach shaking movements we're talking about now.  Even Jordan made comment to how much he can feel him moving.  It's definitely more often and for longer periods of time, and I still love it.

I go in for another doctor's appointment on Thursday and I have a lot of questions that need some answers.  We need to start making sure we're fully ready for what's coming.  Things are gonna start happening soon enough.  

Life in 3D

Well this might be the coolest post yet in all of my pregnancy!  Things just keep getting better and better with each new week.  It was so exciting to find out we were expecting.  Then we got to see Aqua Baby for the first time as a little sprout just starting out.  We found out the identity and named our little boy.  I remember those first few flutters, and then seeing Jordan's face when he got to feel him for the first time.  But today we really got to see him!  3D technology is amazing!!
With each sonogram before I squinted and smiled at the blobs dancing on the screen and marveled at how that was inside me.  I tried to make out as best I could all of the things they were telling me they were seeing, but I mostly just took their word for it.  But this.  This was different.  I could see his little face and I fell in love even more.
I can only imagine what joy and overwhelming delight enters a parent's heart the first time they actually see their baby for the first time, and then to hold it.  I really can't wait for that day to come now!  So without further adieu I introduce you to Little Desmond Nisly:

He was moving around so much when we first got to the place and then we were stuck waiting.  I was beginning to worry we would have another repeat on our hands of our little mister not cooperating.  I was ushered into the awkward room and within seconds we saw his face on the big screen!  He was sleepy but awake, but was getting quite annoyed with our intrusion into his space.

The blob you see by his chin is the umbilical cord, which apparently he was using as a chew toy!  Should I be worried!?  Son...don't you know this is the source of your life!  Jordan assured me he would not chew through it, unless of course he already has teeth!  Terrifying!  Don't tell me stuff like that.  Hopefully he learns to leave well enough alone for a big longer!  You still have a few more weeks in there little boy.

Look at those pouty little lips!  AGH!  So cute.  Ok so now the question again...Who does he look like?  Let's revisit Little Jor-Jor and Little Nikki:

I know he'll be the best mix of both of us!  I can't stop staring at his cute little face.  He's perfect!

Peachy Keen

Though Fall is my favorite season, I think summer is second best.  I seriously hate the heat, but I love everything else that comes with this time of the year.  Lately I've really been missing being outside and all of the activities that once accompanied my summer months.  Bike rides with my family, camping and bonfires, running where there are trees and fresh cut grass, and probably at the top of the list---fresh summer fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market.

I've been craving all things summer.  And what better fruit to celebrate these mid summer months with than peaches!?

I splurged and picked up a couple from the grocery store the other day and knew just what I was going to do with them.  I've never been much of a pie person, but lately flaky crusts and syrupy fruit sound like the perfect combination.  On the 4th I attempted some Apple-Berry Hand Pies, but I didn't think they were quite recipe worthy.  I was still on the search.  And then Pinterest saved my life, again.

That's where this beauty comes in:

Yeah!  See what I mean about that flaky crust and syrupy fruit!?  Perfection!  I adapted it from this recipe, giving it my own personal touch.  There's was a bit more "prim and proper" so along with veganizing this recipe, I also made it more rustic.  Being more rustic gave me liberty to not only adjust the flavors, but make it more natural.  Basically it gave the excuse to not have to be so perfect with it.
Rustic Peach Galette 



Ingredients


Crust:
1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp. raw sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. (1/2 cup, 1 stick, 8 TBS.) vegan butter, cut into small cubes
4-6 TBS. ice water


Filling:
2 large yellow peaches, pitted & sliced into 1/4-1/2 in. slices (which is what they advised, but I only had the white variety)
3 TBS. raw sugar
1 TBS. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of cardamom
dash of nutmeg

Egg Wash for coating crust:
1 TBS. cornstarch
1/2 TBS. water

A Sprinkling of Coarse Sugar


Directions
1.  In a food processor pulse the flour, sugar and salt just a few times to combine it.  Next, add the cubes of butter and pulse 8 times.  You still want to see little specks of butter, but nothing larger than pea size.  Now pour in water 1-2 TBS. at a time pulsing between each one, until the dough just begins to clump.  Remove from work bowl and place on a sheet of wax paper forming into a disk.  The key here is to not handle the dough too much or over work it.  Now wrap it up and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or baking mat, then set aside.  Place peach slices in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar, flour, vanilla & almond extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.  Gently toss around with a fork to ensure everything gets well coated.

3.  In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water for egg wash and set aside.

4.  On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about a 12 inch diameter.  Then gently pick it up and place on a prepared cookie sheet.

5.  Now arrange peach slices in an overlapping single layer in the center of the dough leaving a consistent amount of dough.

6.  Fold the outer edges of dough over the filling.  Use a pastry brush to coat the exposed dough with egg wash, and then sprinkle with coarse sugar.

7.  Place in the oven and cook for about 15-25 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet over a rack for about 15 minutes.

This is also a recipe that will make your house smell absolutely delicious.  Inhaling never smelled so good!  As you can see I opted for a spelt crust, which made it a bit earthier.  It also helped to uphold and balance out those spices I added in as well.  And I didn't find that using the white peaches made this recipe any less satisfying.  It was a scrumptious balance of sweet and spicy all at the same time.  And I love how the peaches were enveloped in caramelly goodness.

I let it cool just enough to not scald my tongue on any bubbling goo.  You could pair it with vanilla ice-cream if you wanted, but I thought it stood well alone.  But maybe that's because I wasn't waiting around for any ice-cream...

I could definitely use a few friends around with this whole baking kick I've been on, as my husband is not really a fan of desserts.  When I showed him the pictures of what I was going to make and asked him if he'd eat any, he replied with. "Yeah if it had cheese and sauce on it instead."  Pizza never escapes his mind.  Oh well...to the fridge it will go.

Easy as Apple...Sauce!

Between Pinterest and all of the cookbooks and lose papers flooding my kitchen I have more recipes than I will probably ever get a chance to make.  I love to try new things.  Some are quite successful and should be made over and over again, while others leave me in a disastrous kitchen with a disappointing mess.  Unfortunately I'm not always good at remembering what becomes our family favorites.  I'm trying to get better at it.  And I'm hoping this will be a place to help me do that.  Maybe you'll even find something you enjoy to add to your recipe box.

So here we go.  Let's start with something basic, simple, and easy that has no excuse to ever be store bought again.

I'm a firm believer that everything tastes better homemade.  And while people's lives are really busy and convenience always seems to rule out, I'm trying to embrace the time I have at home and provide the best way I know how and that is through my kitchen.  Maybe things won't always be this way, but I hope to always find a balance in the chaos and business of life to continue to make wholesome, love filled, meals for my family.
Applesauce is one of the easiest things to make.  It just requires a few minutes of your time, but once completed the possibilities of what to do with it are endless.  Let's get to the recipe and then we'll talk about it's many uses.

Applesauce

Ingredients:

4 apples, peeled, cored and cubed

3/4 cup of water 

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine water, prepared apples, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool just a bit and then blend all of the contents of your pot in a blender. 

For thicker applesauce you can vary the amount of water.  If you want your applesauce to have some chunks, simply use a potato masher to reach desired consistency.

And that's it!  See--so easy!  (Makes about 3 1/2 cups)

Now some people add lots of sugar, which I find to be completely unnecessary!  I like to taste what I'm eating and find that the apples are sweet enough without added sugar.  I wanted this batch to be nice and smooth because I have some plans of baking with it.  It can also be used to replace oil, which I did just the other day in a chocolate cake I made.  It's an amazing ingredient to have on hand and it freezes well too.  So double or triple your recipe to ensure you'll always have some on reserve for when you need it.  Your house will also smell amazing!  An added bonus.  

I also like to eat it for a healthy snack, crumbling up a few graham crackers and throwing in some crushed walnuts.  A friendly way to satisfy that sweet tooth with sabotaging your day. 

I think this is also a good way to get me going on that homemade baby food which I plan on doing, obviously a bit further down the road.  I hope to make Desmond a little foodie too.  He better not be picky if he wants to make it in this house! 

So do yourself a favor a spend a few extra minutes whipping up this applesauce.  You won't be sorry you did.  

Wise Up Baby

Up until this point it seems like things have been pretty slow going, but according to my sources, we're heading into a growth spurt.  It's taken a while for Desmond to get to the size he is, and he's always measured small, but from here on out he'll be fattening up.  Let's just hope it's more him than me! =)  

I've been trying my hardest to maintain my weight but it's been difficult.  We're still moving almost everyday, I've missed a few days here and there, but for the most part I've been consistent.  I just wanted to be this super fit Mom since I worked so hard to lose all of my weight before having him, but I've had to readjust my expectations a bit.  And I'm pretty ok with that...well most days.  But I'm pretty set on us being a healthy active family.  No exceptions there!   

I'm still trying to educate myself as well and get mentally prepared for taking care of a new person.  Some friends of ours sent along their copy of Baby Wise in the big box we got from home and I've already started diving into it.  It's been both beneficial and enlightening thus far and I'm excited to keep reading on.  I'll let you know more about my thoughts the deeper I get into it.  But it's definitely time to wise up!  

But as we're heading to the end more fears of actually giving birth are starting to creep in.  Why should I be worried though???  I mean there's nearly 7 billion people on this planet, so it should be pretty easy right?