Pregnancy snacks - 1

Yes, I know I've dropped off the face of the earth, but happy news is I'm 5 1/2 months in now and we're in the middle of buying a house.

Anyway, here's a snack idea that sounds odd, but even my husband's curiosity got the best of him and he said it was good so I know it's not just crazy pregnant tastebuds talking here.

Take 1 wedge of plain Vache qui rit (Laughing Cow) cheese. Split and spread on 2 Lifestyle cranberry citrus oat crunch cookies. It's healthier than some sugar fixes and tastes like some sort of fruity cheesecake and it's portion controlled for those "I need sweet" moments.

Blogging Trials

In starting this blog, I finally got up the courage to follow a couple other blogs I enjoy. This way, I could just check my reading list instead of randomly checking in to see if there were any new post. Nothing new there, right?

Sadly, once I started following these blogs, the name that came up was not Miriah, but information I don't want revealed at this time. So I found a way to change it. Yay! Then I went onto one of the blogs I follow and clicked my little box in their followers section. Well the name was Miriah, but the "so-and-so joined at this and this time and date" was the TMI again. How incredibly frustrating!

So now, I've had to stop following these dear sweet blogs for no fault of their own but to protect my own privacy. How sucky is that? If anyone knows how to fix this once and for all, I would appreciate it since the info that was showing up is not info that I want to see anywhere.

Alas, the joys of learning to navigate the blogosphere. Sigh.

The sunny side of the plate

So, I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant and starting to wonder if the diclectin my doctor gave me isn't a placebo. I've been scrambling to find nibbles that stay down well and finally hit on some goodies that seem to do the task. As I'm sure there are/will be others in a similar situation, scouring the web for ideas as I've been doing, I thought I'd post what's working for me.

-plain oatmeal prepared with water and just a tiny sprinkle of salt.
-unsweetened vanilla flavoured almond milk (I love Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze because they're peanut free.)
-plain brown rice cooked with some corn
-canned corn, straight out of the can (a remnant taste from childhood, maybe?)
-plain scrambled eggs, with or without milk - a relatively bland source of protein
-whole wheat english muffins, though I am trying to move away from wheat/bread to see if things digest more easily.
-plain boiled perogies, just the cheese filled kind you can get at the grocery store, with a touch of sour cream on the side (this is a dish I've *never* enjoyed before though it was made often when I was young. Tonight, it was delicious and about as much flavour as I could handle!)
-sliced apples with some cinnamon on the side (though this sometimes gives me heartburn, but it's so yummy and has so many good things to offer.)

Another upside to these simple meals is just that: they're simple, quick, and easy to prepare. They don't cause much in the way of dishes which is extra appreciated by my DH, who is doing all the cooking and cleaning these days since the slightest smell in the kitchen sends me running to the bathroom. I'd like to add as little trouble as possible.

Honestly, a nutrient IV is getting to sound appealing - just the thought of getting the nutrients I need without facing heartburn or the inability to move for an hour afterwards for fear of throwing up would be so nice. I will, however, take all the misery in the world if only I get to keep this one! In that sense, the nausea and discomfort is reassuring. I'm due to start the second trimester just before Christmas, so hopefully we'll be having a happy holiday.

Good luck to anyone out there in a similar situation. Hang in there!

Food aversions

So my last post ended up being a lie. I couldn`t have planned that.

Here`s the twist - seems right after my miscarriage, I got pregnant again. Major morning sickness, major food aversions, and major fears. Somehow this one has lasted longer than either of the other two and if I can last until morning, I`ll be 9 weeks.
I've had aversions to everything. I lost four pounds in two weeks. Even when I was exercising an hour a day and counting calories, I couldn`t lose weight that fast. The last time I weighed this little, I was 13! Thank God my doctor gave me diclectin, so I can somewhat think about food without getting sick.

Ah, food, how I miss thee. I`ve completely lost my sweet tooth, but I still like fruit. I can barely stomach garlic, or any other spices, really. Tomato sauce gives me horrible heartburn. And bacon. Ohhhh, I can`t stand the smell of cooking bacon - it`s like rancid b/o to me - and the smell of frying steak isn't much better. Now, the family joke is that bacon is the food I've loved since I was in utero. It's always been delicious. I never dreamed it could smell so bad! So, so, so so bad!!!

I'm living on lots of eggs, cheese, cucumber, avocado, apples, (with just a touch of cinnamon on the side - delish!) honeydew, chicken, and bagels. I wish I could have fish more than twice a week as it sounds so yummy, but I'm trying to make sure I don't overindulge until I get to see the specialist. The occasional tv dinner (mmm, swedish meatballs) gives some variety when it sounds palatable.

DH has been an absolute saint, taking over cooking and cleaning and dishes as I'm on self-imposed bed rest as much as possible. I don't care if doctors say it can't fix anything. When I lie down, the warning signs from the first time go away, so I'm lying down.

I will try to post more, but really don't know what I'll be able to post about.

P.S.: Before I lost my sweet tooth, there was one delicious creation, though everyone gave me funny looks. Take a slice of toast, spread strawberry jam on thinly, then top with sliced breakfast sausage. It was so sweet-and-savory good.

I'm back

Alright, I've finally caught up on my classes and even done a few things worth blogging about. I'll be fixing up some entries to post over the next week or so.

On a side note: Sometimes it's not just the other shoe that drops. Sometimes God just starts chucking shoes, but life does go on if you'll let it.

Neti Pots, jala neti, nasal/sinus irrigation, nasal lavage, whatever you want to call it. They sound weird, look gross, and work freaking wonders. I understand it's hit more of the mainstream because Oprah hyped it on her show or something, though I heard about it from my doctor.

Note: I'm not a doctor. I'm not a yoga pro, heck I don't know a single pose. I'm just recounting my experience. Any other necessary blather to free me from any liability is here implied.

If you don't know what a neti pot is, it's this little pot with a spout that has a tip about the size of a nostril. Into this pot you mix a saline solution at around body temperature. Then you bend over your sink (or something to catch the water,) tip your head to the side, and let the water run in one side of the nose and out the other. If you have allergies or stuffiness from a cold or whatever, do not say you just can't do this. Talk to your doctor or do your research or whatever, but don't just write this off.

My experience:
I have major issues with getting water up my nose. If I'm swimming and try to hold my breath to go under, water still makes its way up my nose and down my throat. When I was a kid/teen, the only way I could go underwater with both arms free was to wear nose plugs. Even in the shower I have to be very careful with the way I tilt my head. It's like I can't block it and boy does it burn.

Well, everybody has a breaking point, and I reached it with regards to my sinuses a couple years ago. Fine. I'll try it.

It took some getting used to, but once I angled my head just right, the water didn't go down my throat at all. It stayed right where it was supposed to. The saline level was perfect and didn't burn at all. When the temperature was right I could hardly feel a thing. After I was done it was like some tiny little creature had crawled up my nose, hauled out the gunk, and given my sinuses a nice little massage to boot. A gross simile, but anyone who's been there will know how nice that sounds once things get bad enough. About as nice as a personal vacuum for the sinuses, but gentler.

Unfortunately, my nose used to drip water all day afterward until I found out I had to *dry* the nose thanks to this site I stumbled upon a few months back. Hey, I'm not always the sharpest knife in the drawer, and I'm lucky I didn't make things worse. Now, I dry my nose thoroughly after doing a neti pot. It makes a significant difference. It also makes me incredibly light-headed. If you try it, take your time standing up.

I have tried the next step up, called Vyutkrama Kapalbhati (don't ask me how to pronounce it. It's also called sinus bellowing.) They don't recommend trying it without professional advice/supervision but I was desperate. Well, the clog cleared up, I swallowed most of the salt water, and my throat was raw for about a week. So yeah, I'm with the professionals on this - don't try it on your own if you can help it. It might work but it's not easy and the aftermath can hurt.

And for the record: I still have to hold my nose if I go underwater.

The Art of Brownies

After my happy success with the honey fudge, I decided to challenge myself by adapting a brownie recipe. I have a little cookbook called Cooking for Two and it has a nice little brownie recipe that only needs an 8x4 loaf pan. Sadly it's too cake-y and not chocolate-y enough for my tastes.

Then a few months back I was watching Chef at Home on the Food Network. The host (Michael Smith for anyone who doesn't know) has a very non-threatening approach to cooking that encourages the home chef to play with the recipes without fear of the kitchen crumbling down around them. It's great. So he starts talking about brownies and how there are different types and what makes them different. I search online hoping the clip is on youtube, but alas, it wasn't. So I look at the brownie recipe on his site, but it makes a huge 8x12 pan full. It's way too much for just the two of us but I make a mental note of how much flour he uses. Then I remember another great site. baking911.com I search on brownies there and get enough information to feel I can make an educated guess or two.

Back into the kitchen and my main recipe. I turn this baby on its head. I double the chocolate and reduce the flour from 1/3c to 1/4c. I tweak the mixing process by beating together the eggs and sugar and then temper them instead of just dumping everything into the chocolate. Finally, I lay down about half the batter and drop blobs of leftover raspberry pie filling on top before finishing with the rest of the brownie batter and then swirl the whole thing through.

Into the oven!

I think I added too much raspberry pie filling and it kept the centre from setting like it needed to. Consequently, the edges were a little bit overcooked and the brownies were a little messy with raspberry generously marbled throughout. They weren't very elegant and maybe not quite the thing to serve at a dinner party, but boy oh boy were they scrummy! I'll try it again (soon, hopefully) without the raspberry for just a plain, tasty fudgy brownie. It's so cool to have a recipe that I really made my own.