Caught red handed

. . . or red-faced, as it were.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before I would have to buy new underwear while living in Greenville. And of course, since I run into students everywhere else I go in town, it should come as no surprise that I would run into one of the lil' buggers on this particular shopping trip as well.

"Oh, hey Mrs. Barden, good to see you out and about, and while purchasing your maternity-sized cotton skivvies no less. Well, take care now. See you at school on Monday."

Great Expectations

I don't want to set too many pie-in-the-sky goals for my unborn child, but given her current level of in-utero activity - she definitely has a bright (and sparkly) future ahead of her.

Not for a long time . . .

Today I had 6 students and a faculty member ask me when I was going on maternity leave. Not sure whether that is a commentary on how big I got over the break or how much my absence would be a welcome relief for some of these kids. Regardless, it's not for a long time . . .

Nesting (and a bit of bragging)

We are doing some major nesting this holiday. Husband was fortunate to have New Years off from work - so he has been home for the past 2 days and has the weekend off, too! The plan was to paint the baby's room - but Husband, having a Y-chromosome and all, had other plans in mind. He wanted to install beadboard in the nursery as well. We are mid-way through the project and I'll post before, during, and after pictures on the other side of the weekend. So far, it looks incredible.

Yesterday was a big painting day (the walls of the room as well as the beadboard and trim), which meant that, due to fumes, I couldn't be helpful in any way - so I told Husband to pick any cookie out of my new Martha Stewart Cookie Book (thanks, Grammy!) and I would bake it for him. He chose Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, complete with fresh ground spices, multiple steps, and hand-broken chocolate chunks. The recipe took hours (it has become clear what Martha did to pass the time on house arrest), but the cookies turned out fantastic. Pat self on back.

In addition to the cookies, I also took the free day as a chance to finally attempt the infamous Houston's Chicago-style Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe. While I can't say that it tasted exactly like Houston's. . . it was definitely good and definitely provided a huge sense of accomplishment on a day in which I was otherwise feeling a bit helpless.

For now we are back to work! Pictures to come soon.

29 Weeks and a Soup Recipe

Two important differences between my baby and a butternut squash:

1. I've never been repeatedly kicked from the inside by a butternut squash.

2. Only butternut squash makes a delicious soup (see below)

Babette's Winter Squash Soup

6 tbsp. butter

5 lbs. butternut squash

1/2 small onion, sliced thin

1 crushed garlic clove

2 qts. chicken stock

kosher salt to taste

fresh ground black peppercorn to taste

1/2 cup of water (I think . . . the recipe I was given didn't have an amount - so I've guessed)

1. Cut squash in half, scoop out and discard seeds, place on a sheet pan

2. Brush squash halves with 2 tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake in convection oven at 350 degrees for 20-40 minutes or until tender and golden, removed and cool slightly

4. When ok to touch (but still warm), remove pulp and discard skins.

5. In small stock pot, melt 2 tbsp. of butter over medium heat and add onions and garlic; sweat until onions are translucent and tender; stir in chicken stock

6. Add water and squash pulp; bring to a simmer and lower heat; cook gently for 20 minutes

7. Add kosher salt and pepper. Blend soup until smooth; do not strain.

(please be careful blending the soup - I've had problems with this in the past)

8. Brown the last 2 tbsp. of butter in a saute pan and carefully pour it into the soup; stir and adjust seasonings. (Yields 8 servings)

28 Weeks

I missed the 27 week posting . . . it was a head of cauliflower. At least some people have seen cauliflower and can identify with its general size, as opposed to this week - in which the baby is as big as a chinese cabbage - which (spoiler alert) is 2 weeks smaller than a typical cabbage.
Either way, you're gonna get gas.

Stats 101

There is a direct correlation between the number of nights that Husband is on call in a week and the amount of meals that I eat consisting solely of macaroni and cheese.