wkend update

well, i wish this weekend had been more eventful (hint hint, baby), but it was pretty mellow. jan had to work parts of sat & sunday to help with military events, and his cousin (whom i've known since kindergarten) came into town and stayed with us and helped pass the time. saturday we finally got to the annenburg photography exhibit and it was amazing. absolutely incredible modern space, photography, video presentations, everything. so many moving photos. if you are in los angeles, go. it's free. it's so worth it. we all left touched & inspired. they are going to have new work every year, so we'll definitely be back.

ps. a primary girl looked at me on sun. and said, you're still pregnant? yeah, tell me about it.

pregnancy update

went to the dr. yesterday, and found out i was already 3-4 centimeters dialated! so, the news is that the baby could come any day, or i can stay this way for a couple weeks. she didn't tell me how much i was effaced, and i forgot to ask, so that part isn't available to help. the good news is that she said i've already gone through my pre something labor so as soon as i have any regular contractions, i can go right to the hospital and get on with things! my vt came over last night to help me clean the house & finish packing my hospital bag, and noz and scoshi came by with vanilla cream puffs for no reason, except that they are really, really good and she wanted to share. pregnancy really has it's perks sometimes. we'll keep you all posted!

los angeles zoo

i have been wanting to go to the zoo for almost 3 years. any zoo, really. we finally went, and while we were so grateful for the free passes our friends gave us, i don't think we'll be buying the yearly pass when mango arrives. we'll stick with the san diego zoo. some of the attractions were great, (gorillas & sea otters) while others looked just sad - the hippo, black bears, and lions. smaller roaming areas, fake rocks for the hippo..while the gorillas lived with custom caves, a waterfall and real trees galore. sorry about cutting off my face. that's me 37 weeks pregnant, and after walking in 85 deg. weather for over 2 hrs, i just looked really tired pregnant, not happy pregnant. next time we'll shoot us at the beginning, not the end.

sunday activity

defrost self-picked blackberries. make cobbler. eat.

i like to think if i don't add as much sugar or butter as the recipe states, it will allow me to have 2 servings, which i did. luckily it didn't interfere with the taste one bit. i also added a dash of cinnamon. this is really easy, and so very good. we only had light cool whip in the fridge, but i would have loved some vanilla ice cream. and i made mine in a pie dish as you can see. j had to leave for sacramento to work for the week, and he commented that he liked that i made this just as he was leaving, so i'd be the only one finishing it. um, yes? he had 2 large servings before he left to help take care of his share.

(this cobbler won the grand prize in the “Betty Crocker Recipes from the Soul” recipe contest)

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained)
• blackberries
• 1 cup sugar (i used 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted (i used 3/4 of a stick)
• Cream, whipped cream or ice cream, if desired (love how they say 'if'- of course it's desired!)
  
1. In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.
3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with cream.

la shower pics

rach posted some pics from my la shower here, held at her lovely little blue house. i am making some weird faces and apparantly, my showers was hilarious. we made our own sushi, had chinese chicken salad, jap che, dim sum, orange and blueberry soda and harold (aunty carole) picked up some amazing dots cupcakes. the perfect amount of frosting, and unique flavors. my people go top notch when it comes to food and for this, i love them.

santa monica

j & i are trying to take more advantage of our surroundings, so we went to santa monica last night. after 6pm, you can park for $3, which actually turned out to be free because the lot was under construction. we split a tuna sandwich from bay cities deli (amazing bread) and walked along the pier, watching the performers, sculpters, fishermen and trapeze school. next up is the Annenberg Space for Photography, international photos of the year, all in one spot. free admission. free parking (my work). i'm very excited to see this - it runs through november. photo via my iphone.

baby room (closet)

people that know me know i love home decor, and have been asking me all about the babies room. well, we currently live in a one bedroom sooo, the baby is going in a walk in closet surrounded by our clothes for his first few months. things will be more normal once we move to a 2 bedroom. people that know me also know i research like crazy to find the best deal, so i'll include those as well as much as i can.

for now, this is what we do have:

• portable hotel crib from hilton (free - thanks noz!), white bedding, infant stim mobile
• porthole mirror from my favorite antique shop in indianapolis (similar to this)
• an ikea poang chair (after tons of research, this was the best mix of affordability, comfort and modern style) with this pillow
• netto cub crib still boxed from overstock for $500 less than retail & $2.50 shipping(sold out)
• 2 square green and white storage containers that fold flat for his books and toys (gc's + discount)
• basket w/liner for diapers (i got a navy and white stripped liner, again 40% off + gc)
• wood changing table top made by our friend
• oeuf bouncer ($20 at consignment shop)
• diaper dude herringbone bag ($25 clearance at marshalls)
• vintage abc calligraphy print in an orange garage sale frame (ripped out of a goodwill book, $1 frame)

update: feeling large

i haven't been blogging, i know. i am in my last few weeks of pregnancy. i feel huge. last night i was writing thank you notes and i looked down and my feet and ankles had plumped up like sausages, only a few hours after church where some girl commented on how i wasn't even swollen. can you get jinxed at church? as the night cooled off, so did the pudge, but man, it was not pretty. i've had wonderful showers the last few weeks but am waiting to get the images from people in order to post. i am ordering last minute things on amazon.

i have
sheets washed
diapers ready
car seat bases installed in both of our cars.
most of my hospital bag packed
health insurance papers ready to fax
clothes washed in free & clear detergent

i am very ready to meet this little boy and not at all ready for the 3 am feedings, or the contractions. i have a few more weeks of work before i get a break. only a few more weeks of just jan and i! the good news is, that people have shown us an outpouring of love. we have been so blessed w/family and friends ready to celebrate with us and help in any way they can.

ps. thanks for all your prayers regarding jan's work. he received an offer and started today. it's a gov job and there is a lot of red tape, so we will know in about a month if everything goes well and it becomes permanant. thank you, thank you.

ice cream cake

i haven't even posted about my shower yet, but here i am posting about food. can you tell i'm pregnant? oh wait, i love food even when i'm not. :) anyways, i saw this cake on design sponge, and now i must make it next week. it. looks. amazing.

Please note: This recipe contains raw egg.

Meringue and Raspberry Ice Cream Cake
1 2/3 cups whipped cream (400ml)
2/3 cups Greek yogurt (200ml)
1 egg yolk
3 tbl spoons powdered sugar
1 vanilla pod
zest of 1 lemon
1 bag of small ready made meringues (try trader joe's)
4,5 tbl spoons crushed dark chocolate - alternatively chocolate sauce
raspberries (I’ve used fresh, but frozen ones are OK too for inside the cake)

Whisk the cream. Mix yogurt, egg yolk, powdered sugar, the content of the vanilla pod and the lemon zest (only the yellow, not the white). Turn the yogurt mix into the whipped cream. Spread 1/3 of the mix in a springform, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cover with a layer of meringue and sprinkle over raspberries and crushed chocolate. Repeat with another layer of yogurt mix, raspberries and chocolate. End with a layer of yogurt mix. Cover with plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours. Place the cake in room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with raspberries.

i know talented people

i know people with skills, and they share those with me in the form of gifts. i thought it only proper that i recognize them and give them mad props.

first my friend mandy, who made me this car seat cover to help keep mango in the dark to sleep longer or stay out of the cold when la hits the 50's. (or when we visit utah and indiana) note the brown wooden button that disguises the easy velcro underneath. i love this! she is so talented. then my sister-in-law katie who spent months hand sewing this rad bear with a shark tale. he may look angry, but it's only a trick.
note all his different moves already. i'll have him changing mango's diapers in no time.
and finally my sister-in-law holly who blew me away with all this craftiness. some people put a strip of fabric down the center of cloth diapers, holly took it up a notch and quilted mine. and then hand embroidered a B on each one. for Bender. so nobody steals his spit up. don't worry, i'll have my eye on you if you are considering this.
and then, as if that wasn't enough, put together this bomb quilt. i couldn't have asked for a better pattern or colors. i love, love this and sort of want to keep it for myself but then i would be a bad mother. check out the pattern on the right, like a sun's rays blasting out of the center of the quilt.
anyways, i have had these for some time and kept meaning to post pictures because otherwise, it's just me at home admiring them on a daily basis. they are reminders of people's love towards mango and our little family, and i love that!

honey-chicken enchiladas

we made marisa's enchiladas yesterday for dinner w/friends and they were amazing. we ate them at her house before but hadn't tried them on our own yet. we changed it a little and used steamed corn tortillas, putting 10-12 in one pan and having enough chicken (with 4 breasts) for another pan of 7-8. yeah, it makes a lot. i love the addition of honey and lime. sauteeing and then marinating the chicken makes a big flavor difference. i made a quick corn and bean salad to go along with it. yellow corn, black beans, (less than the corn) lime juice and cumin. (photo via marisa - i was too busy eating to shoot ours)