bump day - week 14

14 weeks... no big changes to report.
i went through my shirts this weekend and packed away any of the shirts that are not fitting like they used to or that look less than flattering now that i've grown a little. they are now residing under my bed in bins.
next i will go through the dresses. i'm going to need some bigger rubbermaid tubs for those. i have a lot of poofy dresses with netting so they are a bit more of a space eater than the shirts. this is a great reason to go through my ENTIRE closet and clear out the things that i will never wear again. so far one big clear bag is ready to go. i'm sure that there will be at least a few more in the next couple weeks.
here are the pictures for this week!

tasty tuesday

Pink Lemon Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

3/4 cups (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- You will need confectioner’s sugar for dusting, later in the assembly

Pink Lemon frosting:
4 cupc confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter – softened
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons milk
pink gel tint

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and prep a cupcake pan with liners. I prefer using fresh lemon juice in all my baking. The best way to get juice from a lemon is to press and roll it on a counter. Then the pulp is all mushy and you have plenty of juice. Two lemons oughta do you.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating after each one.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Here’s a tip, always end with the milk. It makes for a smoother batter.Now mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Fill the cupcake liners TO THE TOP. This will insure that your cup runneth over, with is what you want so that you can cut off the tops!!! (You should have filled about 20 cups.) Bake for 17-20 minutes depending on your oven, test with a toothpick, and cool on a wire rack.


While the cupcakes are cooling – make the frosting:


With an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter. Add the lemon juice, and the zest until combined. THen add the milk – speed it way up until it becomes light and fluffy, then add two squeezes of the tint and mix til the color settles in.

Now with the cupcakes cooled, take a serrated knife and gently cut off the fluffy tops, right at the paper. Using a small heart, or any tiny shaped cookie cutter, cut out the center of the tops. Put them aside or put them in your mouth. Dust the tops with confectioner’s sugar.


Take your pink frosting and frost the top of the now flat cupcake that you just cut. Then place the nicely dusted open top, right on the top of the frosting. There you go. A simple yet pretty cupcake. And oh so lemon-y too.

found this great recipe here
more step by step pictures there if you need them.

14 weeks...

the sea monkey is now about the size of a lemon!


i'm feeling pretty much the same, no big changes this past week.
always hungry (more than usual) and constantly snacking. latest snack of choice.... crackers with cream cheese on them. i never really bought crackers much... there are SO many different kinds of crackers! so far my favorites are the black pepper and olive oil triscuits, sesame rice crackers and ritz. also loving the snackables. they are perfect for cheese and crackers!

a few other things i've noticed...

• my hair is growing like CRAZY! i've had to trim my bangs a LOT.
• little things like running up the stairs make me tired. i used to be able to run up and down the stairs no problem.
• i'm finally able to sleep for more than 5 or 6 hours a day.
• i eat more in the morning and afternoon, not so much at night any more.
• i NEED my afternoon nap. if i don't get one you'd better look out. i'm not going to be a happy camper!

that's all for now.

foto friday- easter edition

they're just so happy!

faux friday!!!

i love long weekends. even though it is always super stressful to get ready for a long weekend and having one less work day never seems to mean one less day of work to do... the satisfaction of knowing all day friday that you could be at work and you're NOT... is totally worth it!
i have no special plans for the long wekeend but the usual plans for a busy weekend. friday i will try and catch up on things that have gotten away from me at the house. a small start to spring cleaning. saturday i have tap competition late afternoon then dinner plans with friends. sunday is easter dinner at my parent's house and i'm looking forward to turkey and stuffing. and lots of left overs! at this point i'm not totally sure if i'll have to work on monday. my fingers are crossed for no work. monday will be my relax day.

happy long weekend everyone!

bump day- week 13

wednesday has always been known as hump day... well, on my blog it's now going to become bump day.

i can't promise that i will post pictures every single week.... but i'm going to try!

here is the first edition!

but first...
this was the first picture that really mattered...

and these are a bit more current.
early morning self portraits of the sea monkey.

click here to see what size the sea monkey is now.

tasty tuesday

Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

2.Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut shortening in until mixture has a fine crumb texture. Stir in milk with a fork to make a soft dough. Knead 8 to 10 times, and then roll out to a thickness of at least 1/2 inch. Cut into rounds with a cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet, and allow to rest for a few minutes.
3.Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

My Modifications:
 
* i like these even more when i add cheese to them. they are even more super delicious if you add cheese and dill!
 
* i am also too lazy to roll these out sometimes. you can just drop blobs of dough onto the cookie sheet. they are equally delicious as blobs!
 
* these work well with margerine instead of shortening. i don't always keep shortening on hand.... so i tried with margerine and they turned out great!
 

13 Weeks...

i have started noticing a few more changes now... all gradual, but definitely happening.

i retired my first pair of jeans yesterday. up to the shelf in my closet that i'm hoping will fit again some day. they were the only non stretchy pair of jeans i owned and if i really wanted to i could have worn them, but they're not comfortable any more. so banished to the shelf they are! there are a couple more pairs of what i call me "skinny day jeans" that i'm sure will be on their way to that shelf shortly. my favorite, most frequently worn jeans are all still fitting so i'm hoping thats the case for a while! most are really low rise and stretchy so i have my fingers crossed that i'll be able to stay in them until its warm enough to switch to dresses and skirts (my summer staple).

i have also had to retire almost all of my favorite bras and i'm at a loss... i have been barely and A cup my entire life. i was amazed when by 6-7 weeks i was a B! yesterday i bought my first C. tried on the B and much to my surprise... "the cup overfloweth" i was shocked. no wonder some of my shirts don't fit so well!  i've also switched from major push up bras to more sporty bras... just to keep it PG.

i think its time to start bump pictures. i'm just barely starting to show so i'm going to take the first one tonight so i will have the progression right from the beginning.

it's starting....

even though i haven't gained much weight yet this morning i tried to zip up my favorite leather bomber...
not happening.
i could squish it shut, but its not the most flattering look. it fit like a glove 2 weeks ago.
i can still wear it for a while unzipped, but sadly i will have to retire it for a while. i LOVE that jacket!
so far my jeans all still fit and i've only outgrown a few shirts... wonder what won't fit next....

another thing i've noticed... my hair is growing like crazy! out of pure laziness i tried out a ponytail this morning... it is long enough already! a month ago there was no chance of getting it in a ponytail.

i'm sure that there will be a lot of things i'll start noticing the next little while.

tasty tuesday

this is the easiest cookie recipe ever.
it is easier than scheduling my tuesday blog post apparently. i wrote it up and didn't actually post it. just saved it as a draft. oops!

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2.In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and oil until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


**my modifications**
of course i never follow recipes word for word... so here's what i changed.
1/2 cup is waaaaay too much oil. i use 1/4 cup.
i use mint chocolate chips.
i do not roll the dough. i just drop it onto the pan with a spoon.
any chocolate cake mix is fine. it doesn't have to be devil's food.
 
i am interested to try different cake mix flavors... i think i might try lemon cake mix with white chocolate chips.

Brind pouting about the snow.

Brind pouting about the snow., a photo by Kabukikreations on Flickr.

unhappy face!

things i miss already...

brewing a sea monkey has meant a few changes for me...



rare steak - oh how i miss you. going to be at the top of the list for after this pregnancy!!



and blue cheese... so good in salads, on rare steaks... see you next fall.

margaritas on the rocks.
sigh.
not that i'm a big drinker... but i miss my margaritas. even if i only ever drank them about once a month.

sushi... for some reason the smell of it makes me not want to put it anywhere near my mouth.
i'm hoping that will pass. i know i won't be able to eat sashimi but anything thats cooked would be ok... just can't get past the smell... its the nori. i can't stand the smell of nori.

i am sure that this list will grow, but for now thats all.

One + One = THREE!!!

Our vacation this year was a vacation with a mission... well MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

foto friday - the happy birthday fernando edition!

update on tasty tuesday...

the Cilantro Slaw turned out really well... or so i thought!
i would give my onion free version a 4.5 out of 5.

turns out fernando is a stick in the mud when it comes to coleslaw.
he does not like this one because it is not sweet. i think its a super refreshing salad and nice and light. the combination of the lime with the cilantro is one of my favorite flavor combos... add a little kick from the chilis and i think its perfection. now i'm working my way through an entire dish of coleslaw. good thing i didn't make a big batch!
looks like if i want him to help me eat it i'll have to make boring old normal coleslaw next time.
oh well... can't make everyone happy i guess.

Mmmmmm.... Meatloaf.

Mmmmmm.... Meatloaf., a photo by Kabukikreations on Flickr.

my work takes such good care of me.
this was my super delicious lunch today.
i'm so spoiled!

tasty tuesday

In preparation for summer.... well ok i'm DREAMING of summer.... this would be a great variation of traditional coleslaw. i'm going to the grocery store on my way home to pick up a head of cabbage so i can make this and pretend its summer. i may even have a picnic on my floor. practice for a real picnic.

Cilantro Cabage Slaw

Ingredients:
• 1/4-1/3 head green cabbage

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 green onion, sliced or minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped jalapenos or 1 teaspoon serrano chili, to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
• Shred or chop the cabbage.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage with all the ingredients.

my Mods:
i used miracle whip instead of mayonaise
i add more cilantro (i don't measure it... just add lots!)
if i don't have jalapenos in the house i just use chili flakes. delicious.
i use half a juicy lime or a whole lime if it doesn't seem super juicy. to get the most juice out of your lime make sure you take it out of the fridge so its not cold when you squeeze it. if its an especially difficult lime i will pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
i don't use the cumin in the recipe.

Just chillin'

Just chillin', a photo by Kabukikreations on Flickr.

instagram has provided me with tons of entertainment. what a fun app!
if you're on there you can find me @kabukikreations
i warn you.... my pets are my main targets so far.