Thanksgiving Yummies

Something I am SO thankful for this year, is good food. While living in Palau, I had the best, and most fresh sea food you could imagine. I miss eating coconut crab, parrot fish, and sashimi. It's just not the same back in the states. However, EVERYTHING else here is fantastic!!! Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday by far, and in Dave's family they have thanksgiving dinner three- to four times in November! Did I marry into the right family or what?!?

My assignment this year is to make a desert. I have recently learned how to make this scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Cake. My sister in law invited my to one her ward's cooking nights, and this lady demonstrated how to make it and of course had samples. It's a cake, that "pulls apart" so that its more like an easy finger food dessert. I've never seen one like this before, and think its really fun. Here's how you do it:

Ingredients:

1 pkg Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix (I had never heard of it before, but I found it the bottom shelf near the cake mixes)

1 yeast pkg.

3 C white sugar

1 C canned pumpkin

1 C chopped nuts

1 C melted butter

1/2 C water

1 egg

6 T cinnamon

2 T sugar

2 T oil

2 1/2 t nutmeg (the recipe calls for 4 and 1/2 t but I don't like the way it tastes with that much)

1 t ground giner

1 t ground cloves

In a small bowl combine, and then set aside: the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & cloves

In a separate mixer combine: Hot Roll mix & yeast pkg, 1 T spice mix(from bowl that you set aside), and 2 T sugar

In a small sauce pan heat: canned pumpkin, oil, and water

Then add the egg(already lightly beaten) and the ingredients from sauce pan to the flour mixture; stirring dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto floured surface and shape into dough ball and knead for 5 min until smooth. Cover and let sit for 5 min.

Add 3 C sugar to remaining spice mix. Sprinkle 1/2 the chopped nuts in bottom of greases bunt pan. Divide gough into 40 pieces. Dip each piece in melted butter and in spice mix. Arrange 20 dough pieces over nuts in bunt pan. Repeat with remaining nuts and dough pieces. Sprinkle any remaining spice mix over top. Cover loosley with plastic wrap and cloth. Let rise until doubled in size (about 30 min). Remove plastic wrap and back at 350 for 30-40 mins. Immediately flip over onto serving plate. Serve warm.

VERY YUMMY!!!

This recipe is NOT hard! This is an especially good family dessert. Enjoy!!!

Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse

WARNING: The following contains commentary that may seem blasphemous to Stephanie Meyer literary cult followers

So when I was in Palau I kept reading about Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. It was on everyone's blogs and it seemed to be the "new Harry Potter." All my sister-in-laws were reading them, and people at church and down the street, these books were everywhere. When i would ask readers (all of which were women) there always seemed to be a sigh of hope and longing that followed the emphatic urges to read this series of books. EVERYONE was reading them and reccomending them, so of course, I was curious. I like many other Harry Potter fans was going through that rebound stage after having finished the last and final Rowling book and was looking for a good rebound/quickie novel to lift my spirits. Having an insane amount of time on my hands, being practically bed ridden with morning sickness I did alot of reading. After having read all three-I've come to the conclusion that while I think the story line and plot have been fantastic, I was terribly dissapointed with the character development. I think in the second and especially the third novels, the main characted Bella becomes incredibly annoying and I could care less what happens to her. Book two was such a waste of time, it took over three hundred pages to develop what was painfully obvious when hints were revealed in the first novel. (I'm trying to be broad so as not to ruin the experience for someone who is determined to find out for themselves the emptiness that is left with the reader after reading these books.)

Now tell me-does anyone feel the same as I do? Is there anyone out there who is tired of saying they see the emperor's clothing when we all know he's naked??? Or am I alone on this one?

While I'm addressing literature-I would like to thank my friend Susie who so thoughtfully sent me a thought provoking, and emotionally stirring novel while I was in Palau. That was a well told story with well developed characters.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts and or feelings on the Stephanie Meyer's series. Post away.

How did you afford to give your baby a place to sleep?

I have seen so many of my friends blogs with pictures of cute baby rooms, and I want to know-where in the world do you find your baby furniture-ie: crib, changing table, dresser? I've been looking around in stores and on line and I'm feeling so frustrated about trying to find some of these things with out breaking the bank. HELP!?! I feel like companies are descending on vulnerable, unstable pregnant women who are in the pregnancy fog, and it's just not right. Especially to take advantage of the first time mothers who don't know how this all works. If anyone can make recommendations or if you have any good advice on what you either did or wish you had, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm just amazed at how much expenses are incurred before the baby even blinks. Thanks everyone!

I have loved reading everyone's responses to the last post. I have truly had some laugh out moments. I especially loved Mel's deep thoughts, I had never thought of it like that, and once I did I really enjoyed the bonding moment with my little baby. Something I've loved being pregnant is channeling into this other spirit in my body. It's so amazing. I feel like I already have a sense for this little one's personality. I'm so excited to meet them.
I first felt the baby kick-and kick hard too ( I was laying on my stomach, which was my first time doing so since being pregnant) and the baby probably feeling squished was pushing against me for more room. I've then felt the baby kick every few days or so, just once a day until this past week when I feel the baby moving around all the time. It's so fun!!! It's such an amazing experience. It's also amazing how women that have had babies with in the last year can't seem to remember any of their other discomforts. I'll ask my sister in laws about all my discomforts and they can never remember anything.

So about the gender-when Dave knows, I will tell everyone else. I'm trying to convince Dave to let me tell him for Christmas, so hopefully by then, but I can't make any promises. It's fun to hear everyone's guesses, so keep them coming ;)

About "the baby"

What I'm about to say will make some people very unhappy with me, but those people are just going to have to get over it.

I KNOW IF I'M HAVING A BOY OR A GIRL, BUT I'M NOT TELLING!!!

Well, not right now at least. Before Dave and I were pregnant (tangent-I hate using the expression trying because it's so telling of all the sex a couple is having), we had talked about keeping the gender of the baby a surprise. All growing up I had always thought that it would be fun to approach my pregnancy this way. However, 500 vomits, and 25 pounds(gained) later, I decided I really needed that extra umph to get me through the next five months and especially the last 24 hours of those five months. Dave however-who only has had to put up with an easily aggitated-sick-prego lady wanted the gender to be one of the surprises during delivery.
<<>>

So-I KNOW what the gender of the baby is-and I have agreed to not keep it a surprise from him until he's ready. Dave's said I can tell my mom and friends we don't see often, but I won't. There are two reasons for that:
1. It's morally not right as far as I'm concerned for friends and fmaily members to know the gender of the baby before the baby's daddy even does.
2. "The Baby" as "it" has been officially dubbed is something I am ALWAYS thinking about. So it is a secret I am constantly trying to keep. For those interested, they're excited, but it really doesn't effect anyone else, so the secret will not be a constant weight on their mind, and with out practicing daily to not spill the beans...they will undoubtedly fail and our secret will be ruined!
If you ask me it is a boy-I will say no. If you ask me if it is a girl-Iwill say no. So you may ask me anything you want, but until I tell Dave, my lips are sealed.
I am secretly hoping Dave will cave, because I'm super excited and it is SUPER hard to keep a really good secret like this one.

OH-for all you worried about decorating and cute name brand clothes-I'm due March 18-24 (Ultrasound said 18th, my period says the 24th)-so it won't be too cold out to worry about coats and bundling. I'm all for the whitey onesys. Also because we'll probably be in a rental there will be no creative painting or boarding or trim. I'll also be trying to get a bed set that is gender neutral because this baby stuff is spendy and I don't want to have to shop around again in a few years.

That's my baby news, any questions?

I'm still here...

Since moving back to the United States almost two months ago-everything has been such a whilrwind of chaos. We sold Dave's car, so we have one that we share for errands and job hunting. Neither of us have a job yet, and we also don't have a home, so we are mooching off my brother in law and his wife(who is due to deliver a week after me), and in all honesty it really sucks being in this predicament. Poor Dave is feeling the stress and pressure the most because the baby is going to be here faster than we realize, and her wants to be able to provide for his family. I should be more greatful that I have a husband that doesn't like to take it easy. Dave loves to be busy and working. He's a doer. It looks like we will be staying here in Utah for the next three to five years to have a baby, maybe make another baby, and just enjoy the time around family. We have a three to five year plan, because the california snob I am is having a hard time admitting defeat in settling in Utah. So we call it a three to five year plan for my psychy. When "we" (dave) gets a job and we get a place of our own to live, I'll be better about pictures. So for now, this will be a little bit of a boring blog.