A "Bucket List" of Sorts

I hit the beginning of my third trimester last week.  How can that be?!?!  It seems like only yesterday that we received the shock of our lives when we found out I was pregnant and then a month later had it confirmed by the doctor and got to see an image of the little one for the first time. 

The last 28 weeks have been filled with so many exciting moments.  All tests have come back with good results for both the baby and me so far and I have managed to stay very healthy (no swelling, high blood pressure, morning sickness or even a cold).  About 2 months ago we learned our baby is a girl!  I was so happy that I started crying right there on the ultrasound table.  Little C is growing like a weed and makes her presence known on a very regular basis.  I've been feeling kicks for almost 3 months and finally about 3 weeks ago The Hubs was able to feel her move too.  I'm amazed by how strong my love for her is already and I haven't even met her yet.

Little C grabbing and playing with her toes

I know that our lives are about to change forever.  Our time will no longer be completely ours, but will instead be largely spent taking care of and enjoying Little C.  If I'm completely honest, in some ways that makes me a little sad.  For the past 6 years it's been just the two of us (wedding anniversary was this month) and we've really enjoyed that season of our lives.  Although we feel incredibly blessed and cannot wait to bring Little C home, change can be tough.  I know there will be an adjustment period for all of us and yes, things will never be the same, but I'm also expecting these to be really good changes. I cannot wait to see what our little family of 3 is like. 

The Hubs and I

However, I am determined to make the most of these last 10 pre-baby weeks so I've come up with a Pre-Baby Bucket List.  These are things I've always wanted to try/do and if I'm realistic about it, probably won't have the time or energy to try them for awhile once Little C arrives.

1. Attempt a souffle
2. Make a salted caramel sauce that will make my sister drool
3. Cook a meal that includes duck breast for the Hubs (he's been asking for years).  Ideas anyone?
4. Make a batch of these Frappacino Cupcakes
5. Make homemade pasta

My goal is to do a post about each of these as I attempt them, whether I succeed or fail!  Wish me luck. 

Thankful

Thanksgiving is my sister's favorite holiday.  She loves the Thanksgiving meal - the sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy and turkey.  It's a meal she looks forward to all year long.  Seriously.  She's hard-core.  Me, I like Thanksgiving, but surprisingly it's not the food part as much as the whole spending time with family and friends thing.  I think the big reason why is because I'm not really a turkey fan.  It's okay, but I've never had one that blows me away.  And I don't like that jellied cranberry stuff either.  Do those two statements make me un-American?!?!



GROSS!

We did Thanksgiving with my extended family this past Sunday and it was wonderful.  Despite the 80+ degree temps, everyone had a wonderful time stuffing their faces and catching up on life.  Mom and Sis are both nurses so we've become quite creative over the past 5 years as to when we actually celebrate the holidays.  We're going to my in-laws' a little later today for a small family meal.  It's quite nice - two Thanksgiving celebrations, but they aren't squeezed into the same day! 



How we entertained ourselves at our early Thanksgiving dinner

 I'm struck this year by how many things I have to be thankful for.  I'm thankful that even though last year was one of the toughest of my life (personally and professionally), I was able to learn so many valuable lessons from it.  I'm thankful for my family, I no longer take their health for granted.  I'm thankful for my job, I no longer just assume that because I'm a teacher I will always have one.  I'm thankful for the friendships we have, they truly have become our extended family.  I'm thankful for the Hubs who keeps me sane and supported me through last year.  I'm also thankful for his incredible talents and how he is able to use them to bless so many other people.  Finally, I am thankful for Little C.  This unexpected blessing has already changed our lives so much and she's still just cooking!  God definitely knew what our little family was missing. 

Little C @ 20 weeks (she's a LOT bigger now)

One last thing I'm thankful for: non-traditional Thanksgiving desserts.  We don't have these often (Dad loves and insists on the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies), but occasionally I try to sneak one in.  One of my favorites is Pumpkin Creme' Brulee.  Super simple and super delicious!  A great make ahead dessert that pairs perfectly with those Thanksgiving leftovers everyone nibbles on all weekend.

PB & C

I think I've blogged about making these before. 

 I cheated this time though. I used a box mix for the cupcakes and only made the frosting myself. That's my Lazy Girl short cut for when I'm in a time crunch. My theory: If you use delicious frosting nobody will notice that the cupcakes are just "okay".

Chocolatey Stacks of Goodness

Our PTO held a luncheon for us the other day.  The dessert table is always my favorite part of the event.  Good stuff.  Always.  Yesterday however, there was something new.  Reese's stuffed Oreos.  No, that is not a typo.  It's a Double Stuff Oreo with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup stuck in the middle and then dipped in chocolate.  I didn't have one (I'm a slow eater and they were all gone by the time I got to dessert), but all of my friends around me did get one and said they were amazing. 

They looked pretty simple to make so this morning I purchased some supplies at HEB and get to work.  Turns out they are even easier to make than I thought!  The dipping was incredibly easy because the Oreo filling acts like a glue that holds everything together.  Hardest/most time consuming part was untwisting the Oreos.

For each 10.5 oz bag of snack size PB cups you will need one 15.35 oz package of Double Stuff Oreos and a 1/2 pound of melting chocolate.  Simply sandwich a PB cup between 2 Oreo halves and then dip the stack in melted chocolate, put it on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and allow it to chill for about 15 minutes.  That's it. 

I'm thinking these are going to be my "Go-To-Dessert" this holiday season.  So easy.  So rich.  So yummy.