on life lately.
So.
I barely cooked dinner for four months. For four months, I scraped together whatever I could for dinner that required no participation in dinner. This means that twice a week I made two things for Eddie: ground turkey with pasta and sauce and then ground turkey tacos. Every.single.week. It was so simple and took ten minutes or so. Luckily for me, it was a throwback to his bachelor days where all he ate was ground turkey anyway. He never even got sick of it. We were eating out more than ever before.
Finally though, in the last few weeks I found some creativity again and a slight appetite or at least a desire to make a dinner than took time and patience. We’ve eaten a ton of caprese salad, like multiple times per week. We grilled pizza. I made a spicy garlic shrimp and have been roasting some local potatoes once or twice a week. We’ve grilled a boatloat of corn.
We went to the zoo! It was so fun and hot and crowded and made us realize that if we ever try to take kids to the zoo, we must sacrifice a workday and not attempt to go on one of the prettiest days of the year. We’ve eaten tacos from edgar’s in the strip… a couple times. Eddie wants to go every weekend.
He has ordered an astronomical amount of pizza. We’ve been going to some childbirth classes and always finish off with pizza or froyo – every though I’ve made us dinner each week before.
We went to noodlehead where Eddie proceeded to order every single thing off the snack menu and then the Thai fried chicken street noodles. I had the pad Thai which was delicious. I’m having a difficult time ordering complicated dishes with lots of flavors and components which is quite depressing and I hope disappears eventually. That’s when I had Rita’s for the first time in probably seven years. After that we went and looked at couches where Eddie’s eyes immediately glazed over prompting him to remind me that I can pretty much pick out whatever furniture I want as long as he doesn’t have to be involved. Excellent.
I made the chocolate chip cookies above from seriously delish last week (which is also in my precious hands at the moment!!!) which made it impossible to not have cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I had a mini meltdown on sunday morning because I knew I wanted to share a pregnancy update, but I didn’t know where to start. I sat down and just started writing and had six pages full of words and then almost pitched the entire thing because I had a heart attack about how personal and long it was. After a few more hours of comparing and stressing I realized that my gut instinct was to sit down and write a complete word dump and so that’s what I decided to share. The totally unedited story. I’m so glad I did. Over and over again I am reminded here in this space to always GO WITH MY GUT! I’ve never ever ever regretted it.
I’ve read a crap ton of books lately. I only read at night when I get into bed, but since I’ve had trouble sleeping I usually end up reading for an hour… or two… or three. Eeek. Sometimes I’m still reading at 2AM and can magically wake up around 6 because apparently I’ve skipped turning into my parents and just turned into my grandparents. Last night I finished the girls from corona del mar. It wasn’t a tough read, but some of it was tough to read, if that makes sense.  I’m still trying to determine my thoughts on it. Before that I read Nantucket Sisters, which was cute but a little nutty. But it takes place on nantucket so of course I want to live inside the story. I think it was the first book I’d read by that author.
I read Landline, which I ended up loving unexpectedly. All of Rainbow Rowell’s books get me. Before that was Friendship, which I just couldn’t get into it. It never felt like a complete story.
I read One Plus One, which I also enjoyed so, so much. And before that, Save The Date, which was super cute and fun and a quick summer read. I’ve miraculously kept up with goodreads and written a few probably-not-helpful reviews.
And that’s that! Super boring but good life over the last two weeks.
35 Comments on “on life lately.”
Congratulations on your bun in the oven! In one of your posts, you mentioned not finding a prenatal yoga that you liked, but I wanted to mention one place, since it sounds like you are in and around the city pretty often. We went to Shining Light Prenatal Education in Lawrenceville (http://shininglightprenatal.com/) for all of our birth classes, including a baby care class and breastfeeding and meditation for labor (ha! I should have paid more attention in that one), and prenatal yoga. I go there for mommy and me yoga now with my kiddo. Also good food in the vicinity!
I didn’t love all of their yoga instructors, but Deena, the owner, is awesome (so is Jenn, the weekend mommy & me instructor). I loved going to her classes, and she is so knowledgeable and supportive! Good luck, and enjoy every second!!
Those cookies are mouth watering! I’m not pregnant but I feel ya on making the same thing week after week. It’s just so easy to get into a routine and the meals I make I pretty healthy so it’s hard to find time/energy to break out and do something different!
Can’t wait to get my hands on that cookie recipe! What are those two little sandwich lookin’ things up there? They look super yummy.
Those cookies remind of my favorite soft batch cookies that I used to gobble up as a kid. I can’t remember the brand, but they come in a red package. YUM! I’ve been wondering if Save the Date was worth reading. I’ll have to pick it up.
Hi from Nantucket again!
My mother and a couple of my sisers have read all of Nancy Thayer’s books and have loved them. Nancy seems like a wonderfully, nice woman. Give her other books a try. I am more into non-fiction myself so have not read them. Love hearing your pegnancy stories!
Can we talk about those little sandwiches with the meat and cucumber that needs to be in my belly, like, yesterday? what are they? i NEED!!!
Sounds like your beginning to enjoy the pregnancy, it’s a very “stop and smell the roses” time.
I make the best butterscotch chocolate chip cookie ever! I remember covering every counter in my mother s kitchen making huge batches for Christmas gifts and giving them in coffee tins.When it cools down i think I have Charlotte help me make some……after I get her to practice her violin……if i can get her off her Nintendo for a bit!
Congratulations for the new baby on the way!! I am at 30 weeks with my first and boy is it a journey…write it all down because each day is different from the one before.
You should read Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent, a “modern midwife.” I was hooked.
I totally know what you mean about the pregnancy-induced decline in motivation when it comes to food prep. I haven’t had the same nausea that you have had, but I am SO EXHAUSTED all the time that cooking food is the last thing I want to do (despite it being one of my most fav things ever). We have been eating out/ordering in more than we ever have before. I just hope it shifts after the baby comes! Now is the “easy part”…eek! I just want to say: THANK YOU for going with your gut and sharing your pregnancy story. So many of us are so happy for you, and those are the types of details everyone wants to know :) Also love anything by Rainbow Rowell….Landline is next on my reading list!
I do not start reading a book before I check your Goodreads profile first!
I’ve read your blog for your recipes and humor for ever it seems and when I saw your pregnancy announcement I was so excited to read along! I too just found out I was pregnant. Reading your words is keeping me sane because I feel SO similar (like how did I get so lucky to have this happen so quickly when everyone around me is struggling??) I haven’t taken one baby bump picture because I’m so afraid constantly (hoping that fear subsides soon). My husband and I have been eating out SO much which we did maybe once a week before. I’m so nauseous and exhausted I can barely find the energy to do anything but read, which I haven’t done in the longest time. I wish you the best for the rest of your pregnancy and thank you for being so honest and relate-able :)
Those cookies look SO GOOD. And I love all your book mentions – I have a growing list and just start a book club with friends! Currently starting: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters. :)
I made Sean go couch shopping with me and he basically glazed over and called me “boss lady” and was generally unhelpful. So, I am confident in just buying what I want.
Also, gimme those cookies.
I’m craving a caprese salad and pizza right now :) Hope you have a really easy and healthy pregnancy!
I’m so so SO happy for you and your alien growing inside of you! That’s so awesome! Is it inappropriate for babies to wear neon-bedazzled denim vests? Let’s make that a thing.
Ohhh man.. I’m about 8 weeks behind you on this whole pregnancy thing. You’ve summed up so well exact how I’m feeling.
And those cookies, oh man.. No cookie aversion here ;-) Please send some over.
Big congrats to you!
Love Rainbow Rowell. So friggin amazing. So I need to read Landline then.
Love that you did the word dump. It was totally perfect.
And I want cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner…but I’m not pregnant yet so I don’t think that’s gonna fly for me. Darn it.
I’m currently reading One Plus One. I fell in love with Jojo Moyes’ writing after reading Me Before You. So far so good!
I’m so glad that you shared the pregnancy update! That is how I felt when I wrote about culinary school (well, actually, it took me like months and months to even dump out the words), and it felt so good when I did. Listening to your gut is SO IMPORTANT! I’ve learned that so much over the last few years (but still struggle), but you always are a good reminder as well! xo
Seems like you’ve been busy. Pizza looks good, but those cookies look exceptionally good. :)
Are those also the cookies the same cookies from your gram’s recipe? I seriously just looked that up yesterday because I’ve been dying to make SOMETHING! Ugh. Moving is the worst.
Lisa | c/oMKE
I’m not sure if anyone has told you this, but your body isn’t yours anymore. It belongs to that hungry beast inside of you! So, forgive yourself for not cooking, cleaning, putting on makeup, blah blah. You’ll get back into the groove of things eventually. Plus, you can totally enjoy being LAZY and NOT FEEL GUILTY. Post baby, there is no lazy time. Soak it up now.
Just went over to Amazon to check out your book again and saw that Elin Hildebrand wrote a review and that pretty much just made my day. I can’t imagine how it made you feel! So proud of you and happy for you. xo
That pizza is making me hungry!! Not that I want insomnia, but I do wish I could stay up late and read!. Kind of sort of a pregnancy perk? At the same time, try and get some rest!!!
Those are some perfect looking cookies! Sounds like youve been eating well, despite not feeling inspired!
I have been reading more than usual, which is nice. I can’t remember which Rainbow Rowell book I read, but I remember loving it. I will have to look up the rest of her books.
How do you have time to read a book? Let alone several? Let alone go to the zoo? Gurl, you amaze me! :)
If you haven’t already, you need to go to Rolands on the strip and order the MARGHERITA pizza. It is some serious sort of delish. I crave it all the time. Sadly I’m in Morgantown so its only a few times a year I get to stuff my face with it. It is the first place we got to when we get there, its that perfect. I looked for Edgars but didn’t see it. Plus on a side note, I just stuffed my face for breakfast with the last of Prantl’s burnt almond torte that we brought home with us.
you bring back memories of the days when I was having my 7 sons – my baby is now 43! How can that be????
The taco picture is driving me nuts, they looks so good. Is that Indian Fry Bread? I love that stuff!
Enjoy your pregnancy and the baby to come. Just remember, even on the tough days, they will be remembered as the best days of your life. I now have 17 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter to enjoy to!
I’ll be interested to hear if you keep reading throughout your pregnancy! I read like a fiend for the first few months, when all I wanted to do was lay on the couch, but for the past 3 months I’ve had trouble focusing on many books. I’ve still read several books a month but it has to really really pull me in, or I just put it down. It’s so weird the things that pregnancy affects!
Pre-ordered your book and I can’t wait to make those cookies! The pasta sauce with ground turkey is my go-to for my husband. Just.so.easy. And he loves it!… with jarred sauce. I tell him all the time I am the lucky one in this relationship haha. Best wishes!
I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews!! Especially the ones about Weezie and BeBE. I feel like I know them personally. I read my first Nancy Thayer book a few months ago (A Nantucket Christmas). My mother gave it to me for Christmas, so I read it at first because I figured I should, but I got into it. I liked it. A quick easy read. Those Christmas ones that a lot of authors write are always shorter than their others. Landline sounds interesting. I’m ready for a new book – I think I’ll look for that one.
And PS, I love all your words. Whatever the topic…whatever you’re feeling. New book, new baby…I ‘m happy for you1 And you look adorable! :)
I walk past noodle head four times a day and have never stopped in, that is definitely changing tomorrow. Those pork buns look incredible!
I just found out I am pregnant. Sweets mean nothing to me right now. I finished Landline. It wasn’t my favorite of her books but I liked it the more and more I read.
A Rita’sjust opened up close to our house. I had never heard of them before, but my husband being from the East coast was super excited. He went on their opening day. HA!