Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Pregnancy Books

The first thing I did when I found out I was pregnant was buy a pregnancy book. I never bought a bride magazine before I was engaged and followed suit with the pregnancy as well. So many people say that the books are worthless but I like to know what is going on and what to expect. I also take everything I read with a grain of salt because one book may say one thing and the other may contradict it. I have been very fortunate to have been gifted several books so far and each one is special to me because of whom it came from. Here's my take on them:

1. Your Pregnancy Week by Week. This was given to me by my sister. What I love about this book is that there is a small drawing of your baby each week to show you how it is progressing and then it shows the same image drawn to scale of how big your baby is. Pretty neat! This book is written by a doctor so it is quite credible. It talks a lot about potential complications and how to detect them.

2. What to Expect When You're Expecting. I bought this one for myself :) Most people talk bad about this book but I like it. There are lots of questions that I ask myself that are answered here. Like "I just don't feel pregnant, is that ok?" and "Is it normal to drool more at night while you are pregnant?" (It actually is! Weird, I know.) It is written from a very casual perspective and quite funny at times. It has helped me to know that others have the same concerns I do and that most of the time it's not anything to worry about.

3. The Pregnancy Journal. My sister-in-law, Matty, gave this one to me. This is a day-to-day guide of your pregnancy and leaves room to journal as well. I haven't actually journaled anything yet but I should start. It is a good book because not only does it tell you about your babies growth but is also addresses the mother's changing body and interesting facts about pregnancy around the world and over the years.

4. A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. My longest and dearest friend, Erika, sent this to me. This one by far is the funnniest. It focuses on how to still be cute while pregnant, how to maintain your sex life, how it is normal to flirt with your doctor ... About halfway through the book, I read the bio of the author and it turns out she was a former Playboy Playmate. The book is a little outdated because it was written in the 90s and recommends wearing a vest with stirup pants and a man's sports jacket during the first months of pregnancy. Too funny! I enjoyed reading this book, though, because it makes you laugh.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Ps 20:4

"May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
Oscar and I are so blessed to be expecting our first baby! Since we don't know if our baby is a boy or a girl yet, we refer to him/her as "London". (A pretty generic name, don't you think?!) We are happy to let you know that "London" is healthy and tentatively due April 8, 2010. We are overjoyed.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Tribute to Supper Club 2007

When Oscar and I lived in Dallas, I decided to start a Supper Club with "the kids". Everyone always goes over to my parents house, which I love, but we never spend much time at eachother's houses.

Don't get me wrong, I love being at my parents and the fact that someone is always stopping by. Chris always comes by when he is running errands. (I don't think it is ever on the way but he likes to make a quick stop to say hi ... or have a sandwich.) Angela is great about coming over, especially since she lives so close. (She is so good to check up on my parents and make sure they are ok.) And, Brian, religiously comes over on Sundays and special occasions.

My brothers and sister have beautiful homes and I thought Supper Club would be a great way to get us over more often. The rules were simple:

1. Supper Club happened once every two months (since there are six kids).
2. The host/hostess had to provide dinner and adult beverages.
3. Someone had to bring a game.

We had so much fun! Even though not everyone could make it every time, we managed to have a blast. I am bummed that the tradition died when Oscar and I moved but, secretly, I am not too upset because I would be so jealous if I couldn't be there.

Here are some pics of the great times we had. I don't have any pics of Angela's or David and Matty's nights. But we will never forget the awesome taco salads and Rootbeer floats Angela made. And, the trip to Houston - and Chris getting homesick in a day - is one for the books.


Chris and Kellie were the first hosts. I always love going to their house because it is different everytime. This is where the Taboo madness started. (Wasn't Oscar cute with a beard?)
Brian was host #2. Risky's BBQ was a hit. The best memory by far of this night was David and Chris reading eachother's minds playing Taboo. Let's just leave it at Indians and Spelling Bees.

Oscar and I were up next. We sent my parents out for the night since it was just for the kids. It was an Italian feast with great wine. (You can tell it was over the summer because Angela is about 10 shades darker than the rest of us.)

An entire group shot from our night. I love you guys!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Matthew 6: 19-34

"I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more imortant than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ... Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fabulous Fall

I always love how my mom decorates for the seasons at home. It is so nice to come home and see little pumpkins around the house this time of year. I decided that our flat needed a visit from the Fall Fairy. I am in a phase where "less is more" so I just wanted a little something to make the house feel more like Fall. Also, Oscar comes back from Madrid tonight so I thought it would be nice surprise to come home to a little Fall table decoration that smells absolutely delicious ... Pumpkin Spice! This is just what I was looking for :)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Eggs in Pepperoni Purgatory

There are lots of Eggs in Purgatory recipes out there. Almost all have a tomato sauce base and eggs. After that, you will see all sorts of variations with the addition of eggplant, zucchini, olives ... you name it! The eggs can be cooked differently, too. Some are fried others are poached ... the options are endless.

I didn't have a recipe for Eggs in Prugatory and wasn't really looking for one either. I was just being creative with what I had on hand. I had some pepperoni hanging out in the fridge - (Don't you always have pepperoni in your fridge or is it just me?!) - so I used it as a starting point. Then, I took a more rustic approach to the dish, coarsely chopping the vegetables and making sure there was a lot of really good sauce as a base. And, I cooked the eggs in the oven. If you haven't ever had an oven egg, you should try it. They are delicious and a healthful alternative to frying.


Eggs in Pepperoni Purgatory
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 medium onion
6 oz pepperoni
2 tblsp olive oil
5 tsp sugar
2 eggs
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400

Coarsely chop the red pepper, onion, and pepperoni. Heat the olive oil in a pan over med-high heat and then add the chopped ingredients. Cook them for about 10 minutes until the onions just start to brown. Then, add the can of chopped tomatoes witht the juice and the sugar. Stir well to combine and cover slightly. You can turn down the heat a bit but keep a nice bubbling simmer going. Cook for about 10-15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has a nice consistency. If needed, you can add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce into an oven safe baking dish. Crack the eggs on top of the sauce, being careful not to break the yolks (or drop any bits of eggshell). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the eggs solidify.


I recommend having some really good bread with this dish because you won't want to waste one drop of the sauce. We sure didn't! I guess we liked it!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Focaccia Sandwich


We have a really nice Farmer's Market on Sundays in Marylebone. Our favorites are the cherry tomatoes and fresh vegetables. One day we picked up a really nice piece of focaccia from the bread stand and decided to make it into a sandwich. On our way home, we stopped by the local cheese shop for some good cheese, mortadella, and salami to go in our sandwich. Then, we topped it with the fresh lettuces, tomatoes and red onion from the market. It ended up being enough food to feed my whole family but it was delicious.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Brian in London

My brother, Brian, came to visit us over an extended Labor Day holiday. We had so much fun showing him around London and lucked out with beautiful Fall weather. I couldn't believe how much we were able to see in just four full days. I even got to see parts of the city that I had never seen before, go on the London Eye, and try out some new restaurants. I absolutely loved the company. Brian, you are welcome back anytime!


A classic picture of London.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Tired after a long day touring the city.

View from the London Eye.


Parliament.