Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

When we were in Seattle, almost every restaurant we ate at had some kind of Rhubarb dessert.  We never ordered any of them but as soon as I got home, I wanted to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  I never was one who really enjoyed Rhubarb, but maybe because of the pregnancy, the sweet tartness sounded too good.

Our neighbor in the back of us has two large Rhubarb plants in her backyard.  When I was little, Mrs. Moore, a sweet old lady lived there and would always give us some of her Rhubarb.  The lady, who lives there now, just doesn’t keep up her yard at all and it is overgrown.  I’m not even sure if she knows she has Rhubarb.  Anyways, Mike cut me some of that Rhubarb one morning and I made this crisp the next day. 

So here is what you need:

Rhubarb Filling:

2-3 cups of diced Rhubarb

1 pint of strawberries

¾ cup of sugar

dash of vanilla

3-4 heaping tsp of flour

Crisp

¾ cup of Old-fashioned Oats

¾ cup Flour

½ cup Brown sugar

4 Tbs Melted Butter

Dash of salt

Mix your diced Rhubarb and Hulled and quartered strawberries.  

Add sugar, vanilla, and flour and mix well.  Let sit for 15 minutes

Meanwhile, melt butter.  Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. 

Add melted butter and mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Put your rhubarb and strawberry mixture into a baking dish.  I used a round dish but an 8x8 baking dish should do well too.  Cover your fruit mixture with the crisp topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crisp is browned and sauce is bubbling.  

Let cool and serve with Ice Cream!

Weeks 22 and 23 of Pregnancy

So… I kind of slacked off on my 22 week pregnancy update, mostly because we left for Seattle last Friday and the fact that I have been extremely exhausted ever since we got back.  So I am going to link weeks 22 and 23 together in this post.

Seattle really took a lot out of me with the walking and traveling aspect.  This week I have been really emotional and frankly worn out.  I even had to sell our tickets to one of our favorite band’s concert, Postal Service.  Wild guess, but I believe this won’t be the last time we cancel plans because of our little jelly belly.

Our Baby

Last week the baby was the size of a Spaghetti Squash (crazy) and weighed in at about 15oz.  This week, the little one is the size of a Papaya and is now 11 inches long and weighs in at about 1.1-1.2 pounds!  We have reached the poundage mark, people!  Over the next few weeks the baby will double in size again!

In Seattle, the baby was not moving much.  Maybe it was just as tired as I was or it was the different altitude or who knows.  I kept trying to make it move throughout the day because I started getting worried.  But as soon as I got on the plane… Mr/Ms. Jelly belly started moving all over the place again and hasn’t stopped much since.  I joked that we have a little homebody on our hands.

 Physical Changes

Of course my belly has gotten bigger and people now can see that I am pregnant.  Not many have pointed it out until either Mike or I say something about it.  Last week I gained 1.5 pounds making it a total of +11 pounds pre-pregnancy.  This week, I am up another 1.2 pounds making my total weight gain to date, +12.2 pounds.  Those spandex-y maternity pants/shorts are now all I want to wear.

How I am feeling

During week 22, I was very energetic and was able to get a lot of stuff done around the house.  This week, however, Mike has picked up a lot of my slack… plus he has been working almost everyday since we got back.  While I was still waking up yesterday, Mike had mowed the lawn, did the dishes, and started the mound of laundry we have collected.  And all without me even asking.  I have to give him a lot of credit here and kind of brag about what a great husband I have.

Here is my view of the belly!

The Round Ligament pain I was feeling a few weeks back, well that was nothing.  I now can’t get comfortable in any position without something twinging or aching.  I’m hoping I either get used to it in the weeks to come or it goes away for a little while before the 3^rd trimester woes start (which is only another 5 weeks away).

Emotionally, I am a wreck.  My tears can be switched “on” in a matter of seconds if something makes me upset… that has usually always been the case but it is much worse now.  I can’t even remember some of the things that have made me tear-up/cry in the past week but I know most of them were pretty stupid.  For instance, I couldn’t get a good shot for my pregnancy picture so I gave up after about 5 tries and went inside and cried a little.  That is why this post is late… I had to wait for Mike to take a picture of me.

What I am craving

I am still on a nectarine kick but cherries have now been added to my summer fruit cravings.  I am really starting to hate cooking, especially dinner, because I just can’t come up with good dishes.  As you could see in my Seattle post, I still love sweets and have to keep them out of the house or else I’ll eat way too much sugar.  I always thought that a pregnant woman in her 2^nd trimester was supposed to want to eat everything in sight… not this pregnant lady. 

What I am missing

I started missing my flat tummy this week.  I know I am not huge but I still feel like I am.  I also miss being able to walk long distances without taking a break every 5 minutes to catch my breath.  And wine… I could have gone for many glasses of wine while in Seattle and now that I’m back home, sangria on the porch sounds amazing.  

That’s all for now! 

Weekend Update: Pancakes, Farmer's Markets, and 13th Birthday Parties

Mike only had this Saturday off but it was a very full Saturday.  He has this Monday and Tuesday off but we are planning on finally finishing those garden boxes and finally planting.

Early Saturday, I really felt like some pancakes.  We didn’t have any eggs so I looked up a no-egg pancake recipe… tried it and threw away the two pancakes I made and the batter.  YUK!  

Instead of going to the store to buy eggs or even some pancake mix (like most normal people), we decided (since it was the 1^st and all… our monthiversary!) to go out to breakfast.  

We were also planning on going to the farmer’s market to walk around a bit, so Mike called up his mom and sister to join us. 

I had exclaimed earlier in the day that I wanted some rhubarb for a rhubarb crisp and that the neighbors behind us had a whole bunch that they never use.  While I was drying my hair, Mike had gone over and “borrowed” some of the “never-used-was-going-to-waste” rhubarb.  Recipe to follow…

We went to Jelly’s U Café by DU. It was pretty packed but we were able to be seated early over by the “window bar” because I was starting to get pretty hungry by that point.  I ordered the Buttermilk pancakes and Mike got The Wisco Scramble with Bacon, cheddar, Brie, and Swiss cheeses.  Yummy!

We finished breakfast and headed over to the Cherry Creek Saturday Farmer’s Market to meet his mom, sister, and adorable niece.  We couldn’t stay too long because we had my niece’s 13^th birthday party to go to.  His mom bought us two huge artichokes and we got some baby/people/dog watching in.

We hurried home, took quick showers, and were out the door to my niece’s birthday.  Let me just tell you how I feel about this birthday.  I remember her 1^st birthday party like it was yesterday (the chubby little cheeks eating cake and all)… but the fact is, I was just a couple years older than she is now at her 1^st birthday.  It made me realize just how fast kids grow up without even realizing it.  And, it almost made me a little sad because it is going to go so much quicker with my own.  

Side Note:

Here is a fun fact about our family:

                                                  My biological mom was 15 years old when my sister was born.

My sister was 12 years old when I was born

I was 14 years old when my niece was born

… and my niece will be 13 years old when my baby is born

12, 13, 14, 15.  So my niece is going to have to have a baby when this little one is either 11 or 16 (ugh… I don’t even want to think about those ages yet).  Just kidding!

Another fun fact:

             My mom was 27 when she had me, my sister was 27 when she had my niece, and I will be 27 when I have this baby. 

Anyways, my sisters gave my niece a great 13^th birthday party full of teenage fun… karaoke, dancing, and of course lots of presents!  I had never seen my niece the way she acted yesterday… so grown up and really funny!  She is usually pretty reserved when she is around the family but get her friends into the mix... and she becomes so outgoing and talkative (well, she is always talkative though :)). 

Today is her actual birthday so… Happy 13^th Birthday, A! I love you!

Here’s to a full Saturday of pancake cravings, farmer’s markets, and 13^th birthdays!