This is probably a girl only post. So, if you're a male, uh, you may feel uncomfortable. I hope I don't know you personally.
So, as most of you know I am pregnant and now I am within 2 weeks of delivery. (Praise God!) Seriously, I am pretty done. Of course the reality is that 2 weeks from now I will have a newborn to care for. Yikes.
I haven't been blogging for real for some time. It's like I have way too much to say and most of it is probably inflammatory, so I haven't wanted to post. You know, like Obama-care will be a disaster for the country. And if you really want health-care REFORM the Congress will vote to allow insurance companies to compete across state lines-thus doing away with all the unnecessary state mandates which govern health insurance currently. Think Progressive, only for health insurance. And not Government run. Yeah, government-run health insurance will work. When hell freezes over.
See, inflammatory.
Anyways, there are other things on my mind. Like the fact that my daughter has taken Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches to school for the last (at least) two weeks straight. I have justified this with organic, sugar-free peanut butter, all-fruit jelly, whole wheat bread, and a sprinkling of flax seed meal mixed into the peanut butter.
And then there's the dessert. I am one of those moms who lets her kids eat dessert. Like almost every night. I don't have the energy to say no, or have some healthier alternative. So, we have dinner and then they can pick whatever dessert we have in the house. I feel guilty. Am I a bad mom because I let my kids have sugar?
I totally let them have fruit snacks, the gelatinous kind which come in all different sorts of shapes, mainly princess shapes. Additionally, I totally give them pop tarts and toaster strudels for breakfast. I know! How bad! At least I try and serve an egg along side it.
And also, I have almost forgotten to serve two different veggies with meals. I sometimes can barely get in one... And I feel bad about that, too. Yeesh, I should get over that. My family probably loves that I've backed off...
And most significantly, instead of my breasts growing with pregnancy, they are growing more lopsided. WHAT in the WORLD, right? Who has ever heard of boobs not growing, only growing worse. Ugh. I hate it. I watch the Victoria's Secret commercials and think, "Yeah, the Bio Fit is exactly what I need to perk these puppies up." But it's not worth the $50 because who knows how the boob situation is going to look in about 6-9 months. I'm thinking I am going to need a more permanent solution...
Barely anything fits right now. My shirts don't even cover my belly fully. This kid better come out at least 8 pounds. But I don't know because of how not-healthy I've been eating. I'll probably end up with a 5 pounder. Oh, I really hope not. I've gained enough weight, I really want a big baby boy.
Well, thanks for hanging with me. I know that eventually I'll be back to actual postings. :)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Lettuce Wraps
Last night I made lettuce wraps for dinner. I got the idea from the Good Deal Gal. But her recipe was a little intimidating. I don't have a bunch of those ingredients and I really hate going to the grocery store for individual items. So I decided to look for a similar recipe on my favorite recipe site, Recipe Zaar. And I found one that is similar to the P.F. Chang's recipe, only with ketchup. :)
Here's the recipe. P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps
It was delicious. I got a head of ice berg lettuce from the co-op this weekend. I personally despise ice berg; I'm not sure if that's a pregnancy thing or my tastes are more refined. So, using ice berg as a means of transporting the delicious mixture of minced chicken and yummy sauce is the way to not waste it, in my opinion.
Erik and I loved dinner last night. I served it with veggie fried rice. That was good too. I think the girls liked it too, especially the sauce. Reagan especially enjoyed eating the lettuce cups with rice and chicken in there.
I was a tad nervous about how this recipe was going to turn out. The special sauce has ketchup and granulated sugar in it. I spiced it up with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Red Pepper flakes, minced garlic, spicy brown mustard, and a bit of Hoisin sauce. Tasting the sauce on its own was underwhelming and disappointing. The sauce, however, once allowed to sit for a while and then over the chicken mixture was delicious! Next time I will reduce the amount of sugar and ketchup. I prefer things more spicy with a touch of sweet.
All of this brings to mind a potential issue. Is it wrong to create a recipe based on a well-known one and then mass distribute it? I love to recreate restaurant dishes at home. I love the taste and hate to spend all that money eating the dishes I go back for again and again-like lettuce wraps. Do you think it's wrong in some way to publish a recreation of a well-known dish? Is it like selling knock-off paintings?
Here's the recipe. P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps
It was delicious. I got a head of ice berg lettuce from the co-op this weekend. I personally despise ice berg; I'm not sure if that's a pregnancy thing or my tastes are more refined. So, using ice berg as a means of transporting the delicious mixture of minced chicken and yummy sauce is the way to not waste it, in my opinion.
Erik and I loved dinner last night. I served it with veggie fried rice. That was good too. I think the girls liked it too, especially the sauce. Reagan especially enjoyed eating the lettuce cups with rice and chicken in there.
I was a tad nervous about how this recipe was going to turn out. The special sauce has ketchup and granulated sugar in it. I spiced it up with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Red Pepper flakes, minced garlic, spicy brown mustard, and a bit of Hoisin sauce. Tasting the sauce on its own was underwhelming and disappointing. The sauce, however, once allowed to sit for a while and then over the chicken mixture was delicious! Next time I will reduce the amount of sugar and ketchup. I prefer things more spicy with a touch of sweet.
All of this brings to mind a potential issue. Is it wrong to create a recipe based on a well-known one and then mass distribute it? I love to recreate restaurant dishes at home. I love the taste and hate to spend all that money eating the dishes I go back for again and again-like lettuce wraps. Do you think it's wrong in some way to publish a recreation of a well-known dish? Is it like selling knock-off paintings?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Things I Didn't Miss...
With the start of the regular football season, there is a lot of anticipation in the Wilhelmsen home. We love our football. It's our favorite season. Anyways, while I am watching the Cardinals first home game, I'm reminded that there are certain things about watching the Cards that I absolutely didn't miss.
1. The endless string of penalties by the Cards. I mean, really, how many times do we have to stop play to get them to settle down and play the darn game?
2. The racing at the end of the game/half to get into scoring position. How is it that the Cardinals don't decide to play the game until the last two minutes? It drives my blood pressure way up!
3. When the Cards are winning the game, how do they manage to let leads slip away? I am not looking forward to the feeling of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory this year. Hopefully it won't happen too often.
Well, that's it. At least I have two teams: The Cardinals, and The Cowboys. One of them is bound to do well this year.
1. The endless string of penalties by the Cards. I mean, really, how many times do we have to stop play to get them to settle down and play the darn game?
2. The racing at the end of the game/half to get into scoring position. How is it that the Cardinals don't decide to play the game until the last two minutes? It drives my blood pressure way up!
3. When the Cards are winning the game, how do they manage to let leads slip away? I am not looking forward to the feeling of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory this year. Hopefully it won't happen too often.
Well, that's it. At least I have two teams: The Cardinals, and The Cowboys. One of them is bound to do well this year.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Family Stone
Monday night I watched The Family Stone on television. It stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Diane Keaton. And my girl Rachel McAdams is in it. I love her. I think she's fabulous.
Well, when I first saw this movie I was a bit ambivalent about it. There are so many different stories, not a lot of focus. At first glance it's a great ensemble movie-movies that get together a bunch of great actors and since everyone is just as great as the next the story doesn't really go anywhere.
Anyways, the other night I watched it for the second time. There was nothing else on. The Rachel Zoe Project was already over... :) The movie is okay. My main problem with it is that the family only works in Hollywood. There is way too much dysfunction for this family to be in the real world. Not that dysfunction does not exist-it does. But there is no way a family where two of the brothers basically switch lovers does not affect future family gatherings. And then there's the line from the mother character (played by Keaton) who says to Meredith (played by Parker) that she prayed for a homosexual son. In fact would have loved all of her three sons to be gay. Uptight Parker of course does not understand.
Personally, neither can I. I understand that our children will be subject to some ridicule because of their faith. Maybe I have that in common with the Keaton character, however misguided she is. (Or perhaps she would say that I am misguided...)
The Family Stone is evidence that there is a new style of Hollywood ending. Whereas the movies prior to the 1960's specialized in a super fantastic endings, with the leads falling in love, family's pulling together, good virtue being exhibited and praised, nowadays Hollywood endings are not just unrealistic but also extremely far-fetched. Gay couples do not have the blessings of families a lot of the time. A brother falling in love with and stealing another brother's lover is not cool. And if the leads do fall in love, they very rarely get married. Instead the ending will stop at sleeping with each other after one has confessed to loving the other. As if that's enough to sustain a commitment. And we're supposed to buy it!
Hollywood has been marketing dysfunction as normalcy for way too long and I for one am sick of buying into it.
Well, when I first saw this movie I was a bit ambivalent about it. There are so many different stories, not a lot of focus. At first glance it's a great ensemble movie-movies that get together a bunch of great actors and since everyone is just as great as the next the story doesn't really go anywhere.
Anyways, the other night I watched it for the second time. There was nothing else on. The Rachel Zoe Project was already over... :) The movie is okay. My main problem with it is that the family only works in Hollywood. There is way too much dysfunction for this family to be in the real world. Not that dysfunction does not exist-it does. But there is no way a family where two of the brothers basically switch lovers does not affect future family gatherings. And then there's the line from the mother character (played by Keaton) who says to Meredith (played by Parker) that she prayed for a homosexual son. In fact would have loved all of her three sons to be gay. Uptight Parker of course does not understand.
Personally, neither can I. I understand that our children will be subject to some ridicule because of their faith. Maybe I have that in common with the Keaton character, however misguided she is. (Or perhaps she would say that I am misguided...)
The Family Stone is evidence that there is a new style of Hollywood ending. Whereas the movies prior to the 1960's specialized in a super fantastic endings, with the leads falling in love, family's pulling together, good virtue being exhibited and praised, nowadays Hollywood endings are not just unrealistic but also extremely far-fetched. Gay couples do not have the blessings of families a lot of the time. A brother falling in love with and stealing another brother's lover is not cool. And if the leads do fall in love, they very rarely get married. Instead the ending will stop at sleeping with each other after one has confessed to loving the other. As if that's enough to sustain a commitment. And we're supposed to buy it!
Hollywood has been marketing dysfunction as normalcy for way too long and I for one am sick of buying into it.
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