Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts

Saturday, October 22, 2011

17 and some change...

I'm 17 weeks and 2 days! Work has been crazy busy so my blogging time has been reduced.. yes, I was blogging at work. My bad.
Michael has been gone 9 days so far... and we have 12 more days to go. Almost halfway there! It's gone fast, but I still miss him like CRAZY. I've been keeping busy at work, working out, cooking, and deep cleaning the house (which is what I usually do when he's gone). So far I've cleaned out the garage, gone through and sorted all my clothes and shoes, cleared out and organized the guest room/craft room that will become baby's room soon, and various other little cleaning things. I sat in the "baby room" today and visualized what it will look like as a nursery..... ah can't wait!

I've remained consistent with my workouts - 6 days a week/45 minutes, alternating between cardio days and circuit training days. My cardio days are purely running (usually 3+ miles) and my circuit training is a mix of cardio on the spin bike or elliptical along with a circuit of upper/lower body strength moves. I'm usually the first one to the gym in the mornings (5:30!) so I have my pick of equipment and have found the back room to be a nice place to set up my circuit with body bars, free weights, bosu balls, and medicine balls. Nice!

What have I been eating to refuel after those calories burned??! Well, my usually healthy meals plus the following new recipes I tried this week...

Oreo Bars- Delicious!!
1 package Oreos, 5 cups of marshmallows, 4 tablespoons of butter - just like rice krispies treats, except Oreos!

Avocado Pasta - Pretty good, a little heavy on the garlic..
Avocado Pasta

Crock Pot Lava Cake- Good, but I have a much better recipe for individual lava cakes.
Crockpot Lava Cake








Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake- AMAZING! Perfect for a Saturday or Sunday morning.
Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Tomato Basil Cream Ravioli - Yummy, but very rich.
Tuscan pasta with tomato-basil cream sauce.

You can find all of these recipes by following me on Pinterest! Sorry, I'm being lazy and don't feel like linking all the recipes to their respective websites.

Anywho... this is what's goin on in Week 17!!

Try not to get freaked out by the numbers on your scale. At 17 weeks, baby’s working on getting stronger, and your body’s working on getting bigger. That means putting on some pounds and -- we hate to break it to you -- getting some stretch marks. Make sure you document your growing bump by taking lots of photos. Sure, you might not always feel so pretty, but one day you’re going to look back at pregnancy and reminisce (really -- we promise). You’ll also want to start figuring out some plans, like whether or not you’re going to find out baby’s gender (you should be able to soon!), and what kind of childbirth class you’d like to take. As you start making these decisions, the pregnancy will feel even more real, which is probably super exciting, but part of you is probably feeling a little nervous. After all, you’re at week 17; that’s almost halfway there and there’s still a lot left to do. Chill! You’ll get it done. Just remember not to try to do it all yourself -- ask for help!

Baby's now the size of an onion!
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.








Baby at 17 Weeks:
  • Her rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone.
  • And she's growing some meat on those bones -- putting on some fat.
  • She's growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.

Pregnancy Symptoms: 
  •  Sweat, mucus and more bodily fluids. They're in full force, because of your increased blood flow.
  • Weird dreams. This might be hormonal, but it might also be the result of your nerves and anticipation.
  • Itchy boobs and bump -- as they're growing, your skin is stretching thinner.
  • Rapid weight gain. You've probably gained about five to 10 pounds by now. (Try 13!)




Thursday, October 13, 2011

Welcome to Your 16th Week of Life, Sweet Baby!

So what's up with Baby Swyers at Week 16? It's news to me, too, so let's find out:

Stay on the lookout for some fluttering sensations in your abdomen. It might not be right at 16 weeks, but pretty soon you’ll start feeling baby moving around in there. At first those moves might feel like gas or a muscle twitch, but over time, as baby gets bigger and stronger, they’ll be unmistakable. Baby’s starting to be able to hear your voice -- and she’ll recognize it at birth -- so feel free to chat her up.

Avocado-Sized!
Now, she's about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces, and she's big enough that your doctor may be able to hear her heartbeat.









Baby at 16 Weeks
  • She's listening to your voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in her ears.
  • She's growing hair, lashes and eyebrows.
  • And she's forming taste buds.






Pregnancy Symptoms
  • You might start feeling baby move!
    • I'm not sure, but I thought so the other day when I was sitting quietly at my desk.... felt like a muscle twitch to me!
  • Back aches, another effect of pregnancy hormones. Make sure you're exercising, that you're sitting and standing up straight and do some stretches.
    • First nasty back ache yesteryday.. I move around enough at work and stretch everyday so hopefully I can minimize this.
  • Shortness of breath, as your lungs continue to get more crowded.
  • Even bigger boobs -- they should be ready for breastfeeding by the end of the second trimester.
    • My balance has been off lately when I bend over to pick things up... 'nuff said :)
  • Forgetfulness (a.k.a. pregnancy brain). No one knows for sure what causes this!
    • I would describe it as my brain feeling like it's in slow-motion...
  • Faster hair and nail growth (a great excuse for a new cut and manicure).
  • Dry, itchy, sensitive eyes. Blame the hormones once again.
  • Glowing skin (finally -- that pregnancy glow that people are always talking about!)

I think it's absolutely amazing that Baby can hear my voice already!! I've been saying funny things to him/her for a while now... like, "Please be like me, please be like me" (kidding, of course) whenever Michael does something ridiculous. The second trimester has been smooth-sailing so far... more energy and able to eat normally again! I can't wait to feel Baby move and know that it was really Baby moving in there. I'm not positive what I felt the other day was movement, but the thought was super exciting!

In other news... Michael is off to El Centro for 3 weeks again. He left this morning and all I could think was that when he comes back he'll probably want to know who this huge woman is in his house... I expect to be showing a bit more in 3 weeks! Here's my bump (or lackthereof) now:



One of the many things I do to keep busy when Michael is gone is to try out new recipes... Here's a few that I plan to whip up on a Saturday or Sunday morning while catching up with all my DVR'd shows that I "can't" watch when he's home (Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Phil, Millionaire Matchmaker, etc):

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake


YUM!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Oatmeal, Cherry, & Almond Cookies

Also known as 'Power Cookies' because they pack just the right amount of protein. If you're like me, you like to know what's actually in your food. So instead of grabbing a box of processed, prepackaged protein or granola bars... take a few minutes to whip these up instead. They can be frozen and popped in the microwave for 30 seconds to be enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day. Take some with you when you travel for an alternative to gas station or airport garbage...

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tablespoons almond paste
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
10 packets of Truvia
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vanilla whey powder
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together applesauce, almond paste, flaxseed oil, Truvia, and agave nectar.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Mix well.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and whey powder. Beat thoroughly.
With a wooden spoon, stir in oats, cherries, and almonds.
Mix well.
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop batter by the spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the back of the spoon.
Bake 12 minutes or until slightly brown.
Remove from oven, let cool, and store in airtight container.

I can get 36 cookies out of one batch, but the recipe says 18. I would personally rather eat 2 smaller cookies than 1 big one - but it's your call! :)

Enjoy!