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It is my sincere belief that teaching children at a young age about where their food originates can instill greater respect for natural process, science and the environment. Because we grow most of our produce, my kids have long known that their vegetables do not grow in Safeway's cool, highly manicured and misted vegetable displays. Unfortunately, they have less knowledge about where the rest of their food comes from. We've raised chickens and ducks so they realize that eggs come from an animal which must be cared for but what of their milk and butter? In light of this disconnect, I've lined up a field trip to a real working farm in San Jose next Saturday. I spoke with the owners who were delighted to know that there are actually "folk out there interested in learning about the origins of their food". They said that they're happy to take a little time out of their schedule to allow the kids to:
1. milk a cow and or goat
2. help feed some of their animals
3. learn about how farm life works
4. pick a few things from the garden
The kids are in orbit over this field trip. It is our hope and goal to someday, in the not too distant future, steward a small family run farm where we can entertain and educate curious little minds about our precious resources, environment and the origins of our planet's precarious sustenance.
Broccoli, Blueberries, Monster Squash & Radish, Kombucha
Here we have a picture of my garden in the process of being cleaned up for Fall/Winter planting. The "grow" sign was given to me by a dear friend who thought it would look good in my garden. The next picture down is of my potatoes in their barrel. As you can see they've topped the rim and I've filled about half the barrel with compost. Potatoes will grow off any portions of the stem which are subterranean. In another few weeks I will fill the barrel to the top with more compost. Once the leaves turn brown in Fall, I will start digging down for potatoes. The next picture is of a volunteer broccoli. There are two that sprung up from broccoli that went to seed in the same bed last year. The there's a picture of blueberries, some massive mutant vegetables (squash and a radish) I pulled from my garden this afternoon, and last but not least, my kombucha fermenting on the counter in a ceramic jug. 
On the Cheese Making Front...
I'm gearing up to begin making more difficult cheeses than I've made in the past. I've made my fair share of fresh and soft aged cheeses which have given me basic knowledge of the principals and processes involved. It's also given me the confidence to move on to some harder, longer aged cheeses. My first endeavor in to the hard, long aged cheese realm will be making Leicester which is a mild, hard cheese with a flavor a akin to cheddar. Leicester hails from Leicester County, England and is made from cow's milk. Typically it's at its' best after being aged for 9 months but can be eaten when it's younger. I will also be making some cheeses that can be enjoyed sooner after being made such as Haloumi from Cypress, Italian Provolone and Derby cheese from Derbyshire, England. Provolone can be eaten as soon as two months in to aging and Derby after three months in to aging. Haloumi is best eaten within 60 days of making it so it will be the first we get to enjoy. I just ordered more mesophilic starter, rennet and cheese wax to dip the Derby in.
My total cost to make these cheeses will be:
2 lbs. Haloumi: $10.98 total ($5.49/pound) vs. store bought price $10.98/pound
2 lbs. Leicester: $11.60 total ($5.80/pound) vs. store bought price: $12.26/pound
2 lbs. Derby: $11.60 total ($5.80/pound) vs. store bought price: $18.95/pound
Average ho-hum store bought cheese is expensive and artisan cheese can be ridiculously expensive. A very small wedge or round of fine cheese can command upwards of $12.00!!! Because of this, we buy our cheese sparingly and cherish it lovingly. Making cheese can be time consuming and requires strict sanitation and adherence to directions, but it is not hard to make and the main cost involved is always the milk. The starters, salt and other types of ingredients are relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, starters can actually be kept alive and nourished so that you don't have to continue buying them every time you make a certain cheese. I'm not quite up for the task of nurturing starters so I simply order a new ones each time I decide to make cheese.
My total cost to make these cheeses will be:
2 lbs. Haloumi: $10.98 total ($5.49/pound) vs. store bought price $10.98/pound
2 lbs. Leicester: $11.60 total ($5.80/pound) vs. store bought price: $12.26/pound
2 lbs. Derby: $11.60 total ($5.80/pound) vs. store bought price: $18.95/pound
Average ho-hum store bought cheese is expensive and artisan cheese can be ridiculously expensive. A very small wedge or round of fine cheese can command upwards of $12.00!!! Because of this, we buy our cheese sparingly and cherish it lovingly. Making cheese can be time consuming and requires strict sanitation and adherence to directions, but it is not hard to make and the main cost involved is always the milk. The starters, salt and other types of ingredients are relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, starters can actually be kept alive and nourished so that you don't have to continue buying them every time you make a certain cheese. I'm not quite up for the task of nurturing starters so I simply order a new ones each time I decide to make cheese.
Lexi Brown Ballerina Gomez
I just love the names that my kids think of to name their pets. I also find it extremely amusing that the two female animals we've allowed them to name have the word ballerina rolled in. Our female guinea pig's full name is Katrina Ballerina. 
Berries, Kombucha Etc.
My four Sunshine Blueberry plants are going strong and are loaded with blueberries. Each plant has about a cups worth on it. So far they're living up to their reputation as being perfect for our Bay Area climate and extremely productive to boot. When mature, each Sunshine Blueberry plant can produce up to 4 pounds!!!! I expect that by next year when they're fully established, we'll be adding blueberries to the growing list of food that we no longer purchase. Blueberries are stinking expensive, but so is everything else these days.The grape vines are also doing extremely well. Three vines which are well established have loads of baby grapes on them. I planted the other two just this year so they will begin to produce next year. The pomegranate plants are happy but a way from producing. Probably next year we will see our first pomegranates of these plants.
My latest food/health related project is making Kombucha. While I am not one to instantly and readily believe in miracle tonics and such, a good friend of mine told me that his brother is a highly regarded virologist who has been conducting studies with AIDS patients who have a myriad of related health issues ranging from digestive problems to cancer. He's been using Kombucha in his test studies and has found Kombucha to be such an effective pro biotic that it has dramatically alleviated most his patients aliments. Immediately I was intrigued and began reading up on the subject and needless to say was compelled by what I read. In light of this, I've purchased the "starter" necessary and will be producing my own Kombucha within a few weeks. I can't wait to try it. It's interesting how many natural remedies from ancient times are being rediscovered today and are touted as being new and cutting edge.
My latest food/health related project is making Kombucha. While I am not one to instantly and readily believe in miracle tonics and such, a good friend of mine told me that his brother is a highly regarded virologist who has been conducting studies with AIDS patients who have a myriad of related health issues ranging from digestive problems to cancer. He's been using Kombucha in his test studies and has found Kombucha to be such an effective pro biotic that it has dramatically alleviated most his patients aliments. Immediately I was intrigued and began reading up on the subject and needless to say was compelled by what I read. In light of this, I've purchased the "starter" necessary and will be producing my own Kombucha within a few weeks. I can't wait to try it. It's interesting how many natural remedies from ancient times are being rediscovered today and are touted as being new and cutting edge.
With A Heavy Heart...
I will begin demolishing much of my vegetable garden in back. I will leave in place the slower maturing Summer plants such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peppers, peas and permanent perennial herbs such as the lovage and tarragon. Although I am a bit sad to pull a still producing garden, I am excited to begin again. July through August is a whole new planting season which represents a relatively narrow window of time in which cool weather crops can be started. We are still pulling out massive amounts of lettuce and various greens which we eat daily, but these plants will go down hill through July and in to late Summer - bolting is inevitable even with the hardiest of varieties. So, it's time to look forward to the fall and winter crops ahead. In preparation, I will amend the soil around the plants which will remain in place. The soil must be thoroughly and organically re-built so that it will properly nourish the broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, beets, collard greens, spinach, fall variety lettuces, endive, parsnips, turnips, carrots, garlic, onions and shallots that I plan to cultivate. Having such crop overlap is one of the biggest reasons why I am so anxious to pull out our lawn and get raised beds and naturally drought resistant landscape to take its' place. Being able to rotate crops to different beds each year, who's seasons normally overlap is priceless in the world of four season gardening. Furthermore, the amount of gas used to mow & trim along with the petro-chemicals, and water it takes to maintain a well manicured, pretty lawn is just plain expensive and bad for the environment. We've already started to let our grass die. I'm sure the neighbors will be pissed but it won't be long before we have far more interesting and environmentally practical landscaping in place. We are planning to do this at the tail end of Summer just before the rainy season begins so that we will need to expend less water on it.
Pictures from Jason's Birthday Today
First off, for those of you who came, thank you. I'm completely exhausted. The party was a success but it took everything out of me. I baked two Tres Leches cakes as per Jason's request, last night while our house was still around 80 degrees. Then I stayed up well past midnight cleaning and getting ready for today. We have a ferocious ant problem which is why I had to meticulously clean every single surface in our home. Anyhow, here are a few pictures of the party and magic show. I've also included a picture of my garden taken at 6:00 p.m. this evening. For those of you who saw it when it was 85 degrees this afternoon, you'll notice that it's almost completely recovered a mere 3 hours worth of shade later. This is a hallmark of heat tolerant plant varieties. They may wilt but will rebound and keep on chugging even after the most dire of heat waves.
WOO HOO!
As of today, I've officially lost 22 pounds! I'm well on the road to losing the 80+ pounds I gained in two back to back pregnancies. I am so flippin' happy and feel healthier than I have in a long time. Belly dance costume, here I come!
Chicken Reincarnated
Last night I took leftovers from the roasted chicken we had two nights ago and reincarnated it in the form of a chicken pot pie. I gathered vegetables from my garden including carrots, peas, onions and squash - everything except for the potatoes (mine) aren't quite ready yet. Then I headed over to the herb garden and picked thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and lovage.
I started off by sauteing onions, carrots and finely diced potatoes in butter. I added flour to the butter and vegetable mixture to make a roux. I added milk to the roux which turned it in to a creamy bechamel. I flavored the bechamel and vegetable mixture with the finely chopped herbs from my garden. I allowed the mixture to cook for a few minutes to thicken and tenderize the vegetables. I then added in the diced chicken, peas and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I buttered a casserole and dumped the pot pie filling inside and proceeded to preheat the oven and make the cheddar biscuit crust.
Rae's Pot Pie Filling
1 pound cooked diced chicken
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup peas - fresh or frozen
1/2 cup diced carrots
two waxy skin potatoes diced fine
4 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh lovage
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
salt & pepper
For the biscuits, blend all the dry ingredients together including the cheese and then cut the butter in to the flour mix. Add the wet ingredients and mix until cohesive but not pasty. Flour a board and roll the dough to 1/2" thickness. Re-roll scraps and make enough biscuits to cover the top of the casserole. Brush the tops of the biscuits with little milk and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the biscuits are golden and risen.
Rae's Golden Cheddar Biscuit Crust
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
I started off by sauteing onions, carrots and finely diced potatoes in butter. I added flour to the butter and vegetable mixture to make a roux. I added milk to the roux which turned it in to a creamy bechamel. I flavored the bechamel and vegetable mixture with the finely chopped herbs from my garden. I allowed the mixture to cook for a few minutes to thicken and tenderize the vegetables. I then added in the diced chicken, peas and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I buttered a casserole and dumped the pot pie filling inside and proceeded to preheat the oven and make the cheddar biscuit crust.
Rae's Pot Pie Filling
1 pound cooked diced chicken
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup peas - fresh or frozen
1/2 cup diced carrots
two waxy skin potatoes diced fine
4 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh lovage
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
salt & pepper
For the biscuits, blend all the dry ingredients together including the cheese and then cut the butter in to the flour mix. Add the wet ingredients and mix until cohesive but not pasty. Flour a board and roll the dough to 1/2" thickness. Re-roll scraps and make enough biscuits to cover the top of the casserole. Brush the tops of the biscuits with little milk and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the biscuits are golden and risen.
Rae's Golden Cheddar Biscuit Crust
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Garden Pictures & Miscellaneous Tid Bits
We're really getting inundated with everything from squash to carrots and lettuce. Our schedules are also becoming more inundated. I took these pictures last weekend and meant to post them here on Saturday but could find no time to do so. We attended THREE kid's parties last weekend and one last night!!! Holy cow!!! sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Furthermore, we have a number of invitations still hanging on the fridge for parties that we have yet to attend. The kids have only been out of school for a week but are already showing signs of boredom. It's a good thing they both start day camp next week.
Coming up soon there will be soccer and I'll probably end up coaching. We're also in the midst of planning a vacation up the coast to Mendocino in August. I'm currently looking for a beach front house to rent. We'll go kayaking, rock fishing, riding on the Skunk Train, tripping through the redwoods and swimming in the myriad of rivers in that area. I absolutely love that part of Northern California and think it has one of the most beautiful coast lines in the state.
Jason's 6th birthday party is next weekend. Mauricio intends to B-B-Q and I hired a really good magician that will supposedly saw a kid in half. I'm really looking forward to volunteering one of my kids for that trick, ha-ha! Contrary Colleen and Seamstrix, you guys are invited. It's from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. this Saturday. I apologize for forgetting to mention it before now.
And finally, I now know for a fact that I am going to be heading to Australia for business before Fall. It's been written in stone that I must go. I'm just not sure when but I'll need to somehow squeeze that in to the ever growing list of things I must do this Summer.
A Cornucopia From The Yard
We stopped buying vegetables months ago, with the exception of onions and potatoes, although we're about to stop buying those as well. We do still buy some organic fruit from the farmers market once a week but I figure on average, we are saving around $40.00/week on the produce which we used to buy but now grow ourselves. That's an savings of $160-$180 per month for our family of four. With the skyrocketing price of everything these days especially with regard to food and produce, I imagine that the dollar amount we'll be saving will increase over time. Which brings me to my next point. We cannot possibly eat the amount we currently grow and are looking to further expand our garden beds by another 150 sq. ft. or so. With the existing 350 sq. ft. of beds that we're currently cultivating, we can supply enough produce for at least 8-9 people year round. Once four new beds go in where the lawn used to be, I'd estimate that we'll produce enough for 10-12 people per year. A while ago the kids came up with the idea to set up a weekend produce stand in our neighborhood. I absolutely love this idea for many reasons. First off it will allow us to sell all of the excess organic produce to our neighbors for pennies on the dollar, well below what they could buy it for at any market. It will give the kids a chance to learn firsthand about how commerce can work and I will feel good about giving them a allowance from a portion of the proceeds. My neighbors constantly comment on how nice it would be to have home grown produce on demand like we do, so I think this concept will be a hit.
Introducing Lexi Brown
She came from the Fairmont Animal Shelter as all of our animals have, sans our two doggies. She's extremely sweet, affectionate and outgoing. The boys are gentle with her and taking full responsibility for giving her trips to the litter box, feeding her and making sure her whereabouts are known at all times.
I'm Elated To Report
that Michael, who has been in special education since entering preschool because of learning disorders including Auditory Processing Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder & Dyslexia, has now been placed in to regular education for 3rd grade and beyond!!!!! His father and I are so proud of him and amazed at the resilience he's shone as well as the adversity he's had to endure. His situation is an example of overcoming extreme odds as many children with just one learning disability are for one reason or another, left in the "academic dust". We also must give credit to our amazing new school district that is proving to be everything we had hoped it would be.
Mauricio and I met with his teacher and principal this morning, the last day of school and as a group decided that he is ready for and will excel in a main stream education setting. They also let us know that they see Michael as an extremely bright child who's overall academic performance is blossoming despite a myriad of learning disorders. They also made it a point to mention that his math skills and grasp of scientific principals are well beyond his years. Michael has always wanted to be a scientist who works on problems relating to the environment and animals. I'd like to think that his hard work and will to succeed has put him on the path to realizing this dream.
Mauricio and I met with his teacher and principal this morning, the last day of school and as a group decided that he is ready for and will excel in a main stream education setting. They also let us know that they see Michael as an extremely bright child who's overall academic performance is blossoming despite a myriad of learning disorders. They also made it a point to mention that his math skills and grasp of scientific principals are well beyond his years. Michael has always wanted to be a scientist who works on problems relating to the environment and animals. I'd like to think that his hard work and will to succeed has put him on the path to realizing this dream.
New Kitty!
We are still extremely sad at the disappearance of Buffy, our beloved kitty of seven years, but decided to make a trip up to the shelter to take a look. It is "kitten season" after all. We looked sadly upon the MANY animals who sat neglected in their cages and choose to adopt a super cute black and white kitty which we will be picking up on Thursday. I will post pictures of her when we comes home. The kids are stoked and both Mauricio and I happen to be cat people so we're stoked too. We're leaning towards the name Lola.
Woo - Busy!
Let's see, we finally got around to assembling the trampoline. What a frickin' nightmare that was. Actually let me extrapolate on the nightmare it was - FOUR hours of pure hell. Well, maybe not that bad but I woke up sore this morning. That should tell you something right there. The kids of course were delighted and had no idea about the suffering that their father and I had to endure to bring such smiles and bouncing in to their lives. I don't remember having such luxuries when I was their age. I hope the appreciate it - yeah right!
Then, we went to the first of two parties this weekend which took place at a park Saturday Morning. Then we hosted a party for my sister and as per her request, I cooked her favorite dish of authentic fettuccine carbonara. I also made bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes I got at the farmer's market and basil from my garden along with fresh green beans and salad also fresh from my garden. It was a nice feast.
Finally, last night after assembling the trampoline, I dredge up just enough strength to make grilled rosemary lamb brochettes, collards from the garden with bacon, caramelized onion focaccia and roasted garlic fingerling potatoes. For dessert I made a Babcock peach cobbler with peaches I picked up at Saturday's farmer's market.
Belly Dancing 101
I've signed up to take belly dancing again. I took this class many years ago and really loved it but since I'm rusty AND losing all this weight, I've decided to give it another go. Also, I love the traditional attire that goes along with belly dancing. I can't wait to look at costuming!
Nine Years
Yes folks, it has indeed been nine years today since Mauricio and I said "I do". The exact date of the occasion was June 6th, 1999. In total, we've been with each other for over 11 years but nine of them we've spent as husband and wife. And, I'm happy to report that we are more in love and appreciate each other more today than we did even way back when. Time has taught us to be better friends, lovers, spouses and parents.
To commemorate the occasion, we will be going out to one of our favorite restaurants in Oakland tonight, Luka's Taproom & Lounge . Luka's has a D.J. spinning most nights in to the wee hours and a 1,200 dance floor above their pool hall. After enjoying a plate of fromage and fresh shucked oysters on the half, we intend to adjourn to the dance floor to enjoy the groove and each other.
To commemorate the occasion, we will be going out to one of our favorite restaurants in Oakland tonight, Luka's Taproom & Lounge . Luka's has a D.J. spinning most nights in to the wee hours and a 1,200 dance floor above their pool hall. After enjoying a plate of fromage and fresh shucked oysters on the half, we intend to adjourn to the dance floor to enjoy the groove and each other.
Starring in Tonight's Salad We Have...
chive blossoms, lovage leaves, nasturtium blossoms, Chinese rose radish, breakfast radish, garlic chives, red oak leaf lettuce, lolla rossa lettuce and key lime lettuce.
Cowboy Fence?
For those of you wondering what my neanderthal
neighbor was referring to when he said cowboy fence. Here for your viewing enjoyment is a picture of my neighbor and what he described as a "cowboy" fence:
Ass Smacking Intervention Part I
So last night we sat down as a family and held an intervention for Jason. Jason has many issues. Most are just par for the course and others are not. The issue we felt compelled to intervene on was Jason's incessant ass smacking. We became fed up to our eyeballs with Jason smacking us in the ass and apparently, to our mortification, we learned that he's been smacking girls in the ass at school as well... This simply pushed us over the edge. In an effort to connect the dots we reflected on our own actions. In reflecting we realized that Mauricio smacks me in the ass a good deal, but that's o.k., it's different... but how do you explain how it's different to a 5 year old on a ass smacking rampage? Anyhow, we did out best and I think it went pretty well. We all told Jason that our respective butts' were sore and fed up and he got a good cry out of all the pressure and attention that was so intently focused on him. We hugged him and told him we love him and daddy promised that he wasn't going to smack my butt (in front of him) ;) again. So why does my title say Part 1 you may ask? Because. I've got a little knuckle head for a son and even though I sensed sincerity in his words last night, I know he'll be back... which is why I'm already in the process of titling the next post on this subject.
Lawn Obliteration Day!
We have made an appointment with our garden Man, Abel, to remove our lawn promptly and to replace it with raised beds and xerescape. This will be taking place within the next two weeks. We've also drawn up plans for the raised beds and drip irrigation system that will be installed. There is however one major sticking point in our plans... well, actually two. First off we have three gorgeous birch trees which form an off-center birch circle in our front yard. The tree's well being is of the utmost priority to me so they will not be adversely affected by our plans. The problem is that they create a shady spot from sunrise until around 10:30 a.m. on a portion of the lawn where we intend to build our raised beds. This still gives this area a good 6 hours of solid sun but it needs to be taken in to account, nonetheless. Secondly, we intend to fence the area tastefully to achieve some amount of privacy but also to use the fence in a practical manner to support vines which will bare edibles such as grapes or kiwis. Unfortunately, our gun toting, SUV driving next door neighbor is an ass. He says on the portion of yard that borders his, he wants us to build a "cowboy fence". WTF!? A cowboy fence. He then proceeds to apologize that he has no money to contribute to building said "cowboy fence". He boldly states that any sort of "picket style" fence is out of the question. This lack of class and etiquette takes a serious set of cow balls,. Anyhow, these issues will be surmounted one way or another and soon we will have over 700 sq. ft. of new garden space devoted solely to growing our own organic, sustainable food.
Dessert Du Jour
Tonight I decided to make use of a bunch of bananas that up and went spotty on me. I wanted to do something a little different so I modified my favorite banana bread recipe by doubling it, adding a fudge swirl and baking it in an Italian pound cake pan. We all had a slice along with a glass of milk while it was still warm.
And there's ma' Butcher Man licking batter straight from the bowl! He's my biggest fan, what can I say?
Sorry... More Garden Pics.
Can you tell that I like my garden? It has really taken off. The sprouts in the wine barrel are my potatoes. As the leaves sprout through the soil, they are buried with more soil so that only a few leaves are peeking through. When all is said and done, this barrel will be filled to the top with soil. The actual potatoes will grow off the portions of the stem that are buried. I planted five potatoes slips here which should yield around 25 pounds of red and white potatoes. The last picture below is of my Lovage. Lovage is a cousin of celery and one of my favorite herbs to grow. It's a hardy perennial with lovely flowers and leaves that taste like celery. Beyond that, it's a very healthy addition to the diet. I use lovage leaves minced and added anywhere celery flavor is desired, especially in soups, stews and salads. As a fringe benefit, lovage contains Quercetin which is a powerful anti-oxidant.
Bits-N-Pieces
My latest and greatest accomplishment has been losing a total of 16 pounds and dropping two sizes in the process, YAY! I've been steadily working on getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight and although I recognize that I'll never be a size 5 again, I'll happily settle for something in between then and now. I've also adopted a fitness schedule that my family and I can live with which has proven to be very effective. One thing is for sure, you'll never find me on a diet. My experiences in this department have proven that I can simply work out furiously and still enjoy the pleasure of eating a little sinfully now and then.
In the mean time, I hope to lose another 20-30 pounds which should put me at a good weight for my height and hopefully allow me to don... *gulp*... a swimsuit for the first time since giving birth to Michael over 7 years ago. This will all be a pipe dream of course, if it turns out that I'm pregnant *bites finger nails nervously*. I missed my last period and that hasn't happened since, well, since my last pregnancy. And yes, I am taking a pill although I just switched to a "mini pill" which means that it's a very low dosage. I haven't had time to get to a pharmacy or make an appointment to see my doc. yet. If it were the case, it wouldn't be the end of the world as Mauricio and I have always dreamed about having a little girl... although *really bites fingernails* we'd probably end up having another boy *faints*.
In the mean time, I hope to lose another 20-30 pounds which should put me at a good weight for my height and hopefully allow me to don... *gulp*... a swimsuit for the first time since giving birth to Michael over 7 years ago. This will all be a pipe dream of course, if it turns out that I'm pregnant *bites finger nails nervously*. I missed my last period and that hasn't happened since, well, since my last pregnancy. And yes, I am taking a pill although I just switched to a "mini pill" which means that it's a very low dosage. I haven't had time to get to a pharmacy or make an appointment to see my doc. yet. If it were the case, it wouldn't be the end of the world as Mauricio and I have always dreamed about having a little girl... although *really bites fingernails* we'd probably end up having another boy *faints*.
Cream Stuffed Devil's Food Cake Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Phew! What a mouthful, literally. I made these for dessert tonight. First I started off with a decadent devil's food cake recipe. I gave these cupcakes a twist once they were cooled by pipping cream in to the center and topping them with a chocolate ganache. I love my cupcake tower - it just seems to add something to the presentation. Anyhow, they were yummy and not unlike a Hostess Cupcake just infinitely better. Recipe to follow...