lazy or amazing?

There is a short list of things I hate doing.  Here they are...in order.
1) Working out - this is because I have an exercise allergy called Cholinergic urticaria. It is the rise in body temperature that produces the itching, swelling, and small hives that some people experience. People who have this may also experience the same reaction in hot tubs (not me), saunas (nope), and see that they are more likely to get it on hot days (perhaps, but it happens on cold days, too).
Treatment of Cholinergic urticaria:

• Antihistamines
• Avoid exercising on warm or humid days
• Reduce the intensity of your work-out
• Stop exercising at the first sign of flushing, itchy skin or hives (this would be all the time...so it makes it hard to work out) 

that's me when I exercise

2) Grocery shopping - I don't know how this one started, but it is definitely something I dread.  If I absolutely have to go, I like to go to my local Safeway because I know the layout with my eyes closed.  I make a list at home starting with the 1st aisle so I can easily get everything in 10 minutes or less without backtracking.  I hate backtracking.  If I forgot something back in aisle 6 it's my fault and I'll just need to live without it...there is no going back.  Recently, however, The Husband suggested we get our groceries delivered.  Genius!  I feel pretty lazy and a little bad about spending $6.00 to have them delivered in a 2 hour window, but if it saves me from people who can't park, the Real Change guy who always looks so sad, those indecisive people who just stand in the aisle, parents who are yelling at their children and the temptation to buy 2 gallons of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream because it's on sale...I'm OK with it.  So is it lazy or amazing that you can grocery shop online and someone will deliver it right to your door?    

That's it...I only hate doing 2 things.  I don't hate going to the dentist or paying bills...I don't hate cleaning (although The Husband may disagree with the current state of our home) or doing laundry.  Just working out and grocery shopping. 

What do you hate doing?

one more new thing

So after what seems like a lifetime I'm happy to announce that The Husband and I are expecting our first baby in September!

We found out the day after Christmas, which was the best present ever.  With this news comes more home improvement...shocking, right?  Well, our third bedroom is perfect for a nursery, as it has a half bath.  Well, I'm not sure that a bathroom makes a great nursery, but it makes it nice for handwashing after changing poo-filled diapers.  I know you're thinking a little paint does not a home improvement project make (I'm tipping my hat to Laura on that sentence).  Well, you're right, but this room needed more than just paint.  This room had a floor that had been raised 4 inches for no apparent reason and a weird shelf around the upper portion of 3/4 of the room...not to mention paneling over the sheet-rock.  The Husband immediately ripped out the floor and everything that made it 4 inches taller and ripped out 2 walls of sheet-rock (including the weird shelving) so he could insulate.  It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the floor is redone, the walls are insulated and have new sheet-rock AND the room is painted a nice, soothing green.  And in case you're wondering, yes, we will be finding out the sex so we can plan the rest of the room.  = )  The bathroom needs to be redone, too, but we'll do that a little later.


Here are some before photos:

Notice the "step down"

We'll wait to show you the final results when it's all done, but here are some work in progress photos and the finished floor.  Notice the original bathroom door reinstalled...it will show you how high the floor was.

Before

After

Wait, did you want to see Baby Beals, too?  = )

Yay!!

cooking makes me happy

I'm officially back!  Took a short break because I wasn't feeling well for a while. 

So, I'm not a huge cook, but I definitely love to eat...so I figured I should practice cooking so the eating would be easier.  ; )

I'm pretty good with brunch, but I dabble in other things, too.  It helps that our kitchen was fabulously updated when we bought our house (which by the way is under construction...AGAIN).  My dad has always raved about gas ranges and how you really can't cook on anything else, but none of my rentals nor my condo had gas so I didn't know what he was talking about until now.  I would never go back to electric, but don't worry electric friends...I'm not snobby about it. 

One thing I made recently was Tortilla Soup...I even made the tortilla strips that went on top.  In addition to the strips, I made chips.  I bought the salsa.  It was simple, easy and delicious.  For some reason I had it in my head that it took hours and could easily be ruined, but neither of those things are true.  Not sure anyone could mess this one up.  The Husband liked it, but he would eat a baked shoe so I guess that isn't really a good measure.

One thing I do exceptionally well is Aebleskiver, it's like a sweet, yummy Danish pancake ball.  My grandma taught me, my sister and our cousins how to make these.  If you haven't had them I highly recommend it.  I'm more than happy to share the recipe.  Williams-Sonoma sells an Aebleskiver pan which I think it great, but they also sell a mix (don't ever tell me you used the mix...I will judge you).  My grandma puts apple sauce in them after about 1 minute in the pan, but I think that makes them too mushy.  I think my sister puts in small pieces of apple, which sounds much better.  Sister, is that right?

A staple dinner in our home is lettuce wraps with ground turkey because it's healthier.  I think The Husband only likes this dish because it's easy AND he can make a pile of "slop" when he's done with the wrappers and use tortilla chips to scoop up the "slop".  He makes me smile.   With the salsa, light sour cream, iceburg lettuce, lean ground turkey and low fat cheese...it's pretty darn healthy.

I love gnocchi!  Period.  I thought it would be cool to make it at home, but I was terribly wrong.  It is a long process and can end up inedible in a matter of seconds.  First of all, I made way too much dough, which I guess ended up being a good thing because I could try a million variations.  The final product, paired with a homemade creamy red sauce was actually really good.  I will not do this again.

Overnight Baked French Toast.  Enough said.

Man, I love food.  I also love bacon, who doesn't?  So, I think if you wrap anything in bacon it just makes it better.  I think asparagus is delicious, not super psyched that it makes your pee smell weird, but it tastes great!  So why not wrap it in bacon?  Have it as a side dish with lighted breaded, baked chicken...DONE!

Cheers and happy cooking (eating)!