bk_cooks1

Holidays here we come...

bk_cooks1 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:15:24 GMT

I'm feeling pretty lucky to have a nice long break from work over the holidays! Too bad that break wasn't before the holidays...maybe I would have gotten Christmas cards out, baked cookies and made some treats to share with family and friends over the holidays.

Oh well. At least being pregnant gives me a good excuse for not being able to do it all.

My family is doing something new this year - a $30 gift exchange of which up to $5 needs to be homemade. When it comes time to exchange, we pick numbers from a deck of cards and do kind of a "lottery" for the gifts. We've done the exchange part before, but the homemade portion is new.

It's fun to see what the "hot" gifts are some years! One year, I fought hard for a plastic gas can (needed it for the lawn mower, doncha know, eh?!) Another year was a case of tp - always handy! DH's family exchanged names at Thanksgiving and we each got lists at that time. That was nice, too, and made shopping a bit easier.

As for our parents, we decided to get a 3D image of the baby and have them come along. Since my mom had her last child almost 30 years ago and MIL's was 15 years ago, we figured it's something they probably haven't experienced. Plus, it's for me, too! I'm curious to see what our little guy will look like and may help lessen the pain and discomfort of this last 6 weeks before he arrives!

My OB said the 3D should be fine, it's just not something that's routinely done. The facility wants to ensure you're under a MDs care and not using their service as "prenatal care" or a diagnostic. I really can't wait to get a better look at DS #1 : )

Have a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year, too!

Sneaky plumbing ploy

bk_cooks1 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:54:02 GMT

A while back, we purchased a new faucet to replace our drippy, older, too-low kitchen faucet. That was probably 6 months, maybe even 10 months, ago. I've tried subtle hints to get that thing installed by DH since then, but yesterday it was finally done! Woohoo!

Here's how my latest ploy worked...I picked up a "handyman-guide" plumbing book at the library with the page flagged that showed how to replace a faucet in easy steps and color photos.

This has been on the coffee table in front of the TV for about a week, and I think the point got made. Or maybe it's the holiday spirit, maybe it's the "helpless pregnant wife" image I've developed, or maybe it was just time to tackle the task. No matter the reason, I'm happy to say we've got a new, leak-free faucet!

DH's only comment was the book said "the project can be done by a novice in about an hour." His day-long project may have gone a bit over that alloted time, but it's done!

Great neighbors still exist

bk_cooks1 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:45:18 GMT

While yesterday may have not been the storm of the century around southeastern WI, we did get maybe 6 inches of snow. DH had to go into work early and then worked late, so he wasn't able to get out and shovel. And, being about 8 months pregnant, I wasn't too keen on shoveling when I got home...but, hey, whatcha gonna do?

So I pulled out the shovel and started with the easy stuff - back door to the garage - taking my time and not "overdoing" it. Within minutes, my neighbor AND his wife came from next door with shovels in hand. "Pregnant women shouldn't shovel," is all they said.

I was sooo grateful! Especially when it came to cleaning up where the plow went through and piled it up at the end of the driveway. My neighbor on the other side had also cleared part of the front sidewalk for us.

It's really the small things (like neighbors) that we have to be grateful for! I always felt lucky that my neighbors, in general, all seemed pretty nice and friendly. But the unexpected helpfulness and kindnesses really give you warmth on a cold and snowy winter day...

Pregnancy classes

bk_cooks1 — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:42:27 GMT

So this weekend, DH and I went to a preparing for birth class (we're expecting in 02/08). As part of the class, the husbands/support persons had to wear a backback (on the front) that contained about 35 pounds to help them "empathize."

Most hubbies got away with just sitting their 10 minutes. Not my DH. I made him pick up a pen and book from the floor, try to tie his shoes, lay flat on the floor and get up from that position and stay standing...he said his back was getting a little sore.

Point made.

It was a pretty interesting experience to be in a room with about 20 other pregnant women. Our instructor had us line up according to our due dates, so we could see "where we've been" and "where we'll be" in a few more weeks!

Despite having classes, reading books and talking with other moms, the question remains...are you ever really ready for parenthood?

My dear served deer

bk_cooks1 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:26:11 GMT

OK, so growing up, we sometimes had venison or deer meat after my dad/grandpa were hunting in northern WI. Usually, because my older siblings made a fuss, I didn't want to have much to do with eating venison. Whether my mom tried to say it was just "ground beef" in her lasagna, spaghettis sauce, etc. In the end, we could always "tell" it was venison.

My DH began deer hunting about the time we started dating (imagine that) and this past season got two deer. His family helps cut up the meat and then divides amongst the brothers, uncles, etc. So he brought home a few tender cuts (not much room in our freezer for much more).

I was ready to turn it down when he decided to cook some up this week, but I thought I should give it another try. I mean, I've learned to like mashed potatoes, almonds, etc. that were formerly "yuckies" throughout my youth.

And I was surprised to find that it wasn't bad...in fact, it was pretty good! He marinated the meat (in his own secret "whatever's-in-the-fridge" ingredients) pan-seared the tenderloin medallions in a cast-iron skillet and baked until done. Wow!

Now, the prospect of having more venison in the freezer seems like a good thing...Maybe I'll even experiment with a recipe or two on my own. I found several tempting recipes shared in the Taste of Home Recipe Finder:

Until next time! Happy cooking!

Blogger newbie

bk_cooks1 — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:17:00 GMT

So, I've decided to "get hip" and see what blogging is all about. If you're looking for something to read that follows my mind around, you'll be in for a ride on a scrambler. My mind wanders and rambles, but I'll eventually have a point.

This past weekend, I walked by a display of pomegranates at the grocery store and decided they would be fun to try. Let me tell you, you'll need about 30 minutes of time set aside to get these things cut and seeded. First you have to cut off the ends, then score the fruit into quartered sections. When you're ready to seed the fruit, put it all in a big bowl of water (they're very likely to spray and stain). Then it's like popping little red kernels of corn off the cob, but under water. At least each one yields about a cup of seeds.

But then the question is, "what do you do with pomegranate seeds?" Recipes were somewhat limited, so I've just been dropping them into yogurt, topping bowls of cereal and trying to get other people to try them. They taste like a combination of raspberries and cranberries (not sure how ripe the fruit I bought was). So, my next attempt will be to add them to some muffins or bars that would call for those berries and see how they fare. They're also kind of seedy like raspberries (more like one bigger seed per "seed", I guess - since they are called pomegranate seeds, duh!)

Anyway, I think they're worth a try. But I have a new-found appreciation for the slightly more-expensive drinks featuring pomegranate juice. I think it'll be worth the cost to enjoy the juice without the work!