Good morning lovelies :D I woke up extra early today because I'm sooooo excited for Vegas!! Jens gets off work at 3pm, and we're leaving soon after. Did I mention that we're driving ;) We didn't want to put my anxiety and fear of flying on the lil potater, so we're gettin' er done on the blacktop :) It's about an 18 hour drive! We'll stay in a hotel in Montana tonight, and then drive the rest of the way tomorrow! YAY! I'm so looking forward to this trip with my Jensie bear... we've decided it's going to be our honeymoon, since we haven't taken one yet.
I went to planet organic yesterday and picked up a bunch of yummy/healthy snacks for the road. I'm going to make vegan bologna samiches, PB&J's, and I got some pears, apples, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and peppers to cut up :) We didn't want to eat yucky food this time, as we all know it's so easy to fall into that trap when you're traveling! But lets be real, I definitely bought some "healthy junk food". The company that made our vegan wedding cake "Sweets From The Earth", also makes a wide variety of baked goods and treats. They sell them at planet organic, so I got a big ol' box of chocolate chip cookies NOM NOM NOM!!! I was tempted to get their blueberry cheesecake too, but I thought it might get a lil messy :)
I'm really going to miss my dog Bailey for six whole nights! She's one of my best friends in the world! Last night, I smashed my knee really hard on the corner of our wooden bed! It made me cry, and it was obvious that Bailey knew I hurt myself. She was panicked, and was rubbing her head into my legs. Such a sweet girl Xoxo Jens and I are so fortunate to have her! She's going to stay at doggy daycare while we're away. Every time we leave her, it hurts my heart and I cry. Big ol' sap... I know :)
I hope you all have a sunshiney week ahead!! I know I'll be the happiest girl in my flip flops and shorts :)))) Apparently, it's going to be 30 degrees and sunny, pretty much the entire time we're there! I hope the forecast stays that way :D VEGAS HERE WE COME!!!!!!
Sweet Love,
MLO
17 weeks and I can't wait to feel baby's movement any day now :D So far, my second trimester has been great!! I have way more energy now than in my first trimester. I've had a few yucky tension headaches and a constant stuffy nose, but other than that it's smooth sailin'.
I'm getting really excited for Vegas with only five more sleeps to go! YAY! Jens and I went to the mall today and I picked out a pretty hot pink bikini for the trip :) I figure I might as well squeeze my hiney into a two piece while I still can ;) I'm sure I'll be rockin' the one piece in a few short months hehehe!!
Sweet love to you all XoXoXo
MLO
My sister and I made SCRUMPTIOUS cupcakes this afternoon!!! I tried a recipe from "The Sweetest Vegan" (Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes) , and I used "Pamela's all natural vanilla frosting mix" I'm not even kidding, these are the yummiest baked goods I've ever made :D YAY!!! I recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice, as it makes the orange flavour BURST!!! I had a really nice day hangin' with my sister and sweet nephew. The little guy had pureed green beans for lunch, and his face said "Seriously mom, you and Aunty Misty get to mow down on delicious cupcakes and you're trying to feed me this green slime" LOL he reallllllly didn't like the green beans hahahahahha!!
I hope you all had a happy and peaceful day Xo
Sweet Love,
MLO
RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a cupcake tine with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together raw sugar, almond milk, orange juice, canola oil, orange zest, and vinegar.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to together to combine.
Use an ice cream scooper to evenly distribute the cupcake batter through out the line cupcake tin.
Bake
for 15 - 18 minutes. When a toothpick can be inserted into the center
of a cupcake and removed with few to no crumbs, they are done.
Allow them to cool before frosting.
This morning I woke up and told myself "Today is baby's four month b-day, so I'm going to make him/her a special breakfast" :) I ended up making blueberry banana buckwheat pancakes, drizzled with maple syrup. They turned out really delicious!! All organic ingredients!! I also made a spinach and berry smoothie with vanilla pea protein powder. YUM! Happy baby, and happy mama for sure!!
I've attached a picture of the prenatal vitamins and other supplements I take everyday. Fabulously vegan of course :D Unfortunately, I'm a big wuss and can't swallow the prenatal pills, so I have to open the capsules, pour the powder on a spoon, and wash it down with orange juice three times a day lol. No big deal :) The DHA/Omega oil has a nice citrus flavour, and the B12 has a yummy berry flavour.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend :D Mine will get so
much better tomorrow morning... that's when I pick up my Jensie bear
from the airport YAY!!!
Sweet Love,
MLO
Insert drum roll here.....................bang bang........................bang.......................bang...........................bang....................bang............bang...................................
JENS AND I ARE GOING TO LAS VEGAS!!! YIPPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!! We're leaving at the end of March, and staying for five nights! I'm really excited, as I've never been to Vegas, and I've heard so many great things!!! This will be our last trip together before baby arrives, and only a couple of days after we return, we find out if we're having a boy or girl!!! EEEEEXCITING TIMES!!! :D
Anyhoo, my midwife appointment went really well yesterday. My blood work all came back great, and my protein and iron levels are perfect! We heard sweet potater's heart beat again, and of course I was smiling from ear to ear :D On the way to our appointment we stopped at "The Big Cheese Poutinerie" on 17th Ave, and I ordered a large sloppy vegan poutine! It was SOOOOOO DELISH in my belly! Although, next time I treat myself to poutine, I will eat it at a slower pace so it doesn't hurt my tummy ;) LOL! I can be a serious food monster at times!!
A lil special side note.... today is Jens and my three year anniversary from the day we met! I dropped him off at the airport early this morning for his New Orleans business trip, and I miss him already! Honey, if you're reading this ~ I love you beyond measure, and you make me the happiest girl in the world! These past three years have been the best of my life so far XoXoXo
That's it for tonight, I'm going to watch "Look Who's Talking" Part 2 , anddddd I'm pretty sure there's a yumbly coconut fudge bar calling my name from the freezer ;) Nighters xoxoxo
Sweet Love,
MLO
Jens and I went to see "The great and powerful Oz" last night, and holy guacamole... it was visually SPECTACULAR!!! I can't believe how far cinematography has come! Seeing this kind of magic in front of my eyes makes me feel lucky to be living in such an advanced time. Though, I know I would have equally loved to live in the older days, in a slower pace of peace and simplicity. I recommend this movie, but there are some frightening parts that might be too much for the little ones. I found myself gripping on to Jens' arm a few times throughout :).
On a different note, I have a midwives appt this afternoon for a full physical. I'm looking forward to it, and hope that I get to hear the babies heartbeat again :) Such a beautiful sound!! Tonight will be Jens and my last night together until Sunday. He's going to New Orleans for a business trip, and I will surely miss him. I love how much I enjoy his company! My very best friend :) Tear*
Well, I think it's time to roll myself outta bed now (lol), I have like five loads of laundry to fold that I let build up, and baby is waiting for his/her green smoothie and vitamins :) Check back tomorrow, as I'm going to share some exciting news! Xo
Sweet Love,
MLO
I'm excited to tell you the Fetticini Alfredo recipe I tried for dinner last night was DELICIOUS!! Definitely in the top ten vegan dishes I've prepared :D I love how there's hardly any ingredients in the sauce, yet the flavour is bursting!! I'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch today, and will certainly be making this dish again and again. My husband rates it an 8/10 , and I rate it a 9/10! A little side note - I used a food processor to grind the nuts, instead of a blender. I find it works much better!
Enjoy the recipe below :D
Recipe by Alisson Rivers Samson
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
Directions:
1.
In a blender, grind cashews and pine nuts into a fine powder. Add
water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until completely
smooth.
2. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat and
whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7
minutes, whisking regularly. Stir in black pepper.
3. Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Happy Saturday everyone!!! :) Today marks my 15 Weeks being pregnant! YaY! I'm happy to say that for the first time in four months, I EXERCISED this morning. I did a prenatal yoga dvd, and it felt amazing! So much so, that at the end of the routine I teared up a little :) I really missed it!
Over the last three days, I've had a terrible tension headache, and I think the yoga and sweet shoulder massage my hubby gave me this morning, really did help! He also made me breakfast (I'm one lucky girl)! We had TLT'S (Tempeh, lettuce and tomater sandwiches) With veganaise(mayo), and salt and pepper! Yumbly in my tumbly! I just love food so much!! It brings me pure joy!! Tonight I'm going to try a new recipe I saw on Alicia Silverstone's website. It's fetticini alfredo... I'll let ya know if it's delish :D
I wish you all a happy and peaceful Saturday :) The suns' shinin' bright today in Calgary!! XoXo
Sweet Love,
MLO
This day was sooo special for Jens and I. Baby kept springing his/her little feet off my uterus to bounce up and down. It was adorable, and I was smiling so big it made my face hurt :D The screening came back as negative (which means a healthy baby), and the heart rate was at 163. We have our next scheduled ultrasound on April 5th, and that's when we'll find out if we're having a boy or girl! EEEEE!!! Exciting!!!
Sweet Love,
MLO
I'm a little late in starting this blog, as I've had absolutely no energy these first few months!! Now that I'm into my second trimester I'm feeling somewhat better! ... And as Uncle Jessie from Full House would say "Havvve Mercy" ;) I'm exactly 14 weeks and 6 days today, and before I get into discussing the present, I'm going to back track a little into my first trimester.
I found out the wonderful news on the morning of December 27th, 2012. I was five days late for my period, and couldn't go another day without taking a pregnancy test. The night before, my dog Bailey was snuggling right up to my belly, and she fell asleep there. I just knew that something magical was happening! I woke up the next morning at 6am, and flew out the door to the nearest 24 hour grocery store. I rushed home, took the test and nearly fell off the potty when I saw those two pink lines!!! "MOMMMMMMMM" I screamed! "COME HERE QUICK"!!! (Mom was visiting us from Ontario for Christmas), and I was sooo happy to have her share that moment with me! We jumped for joy and cried and hugged and freaked out together!! It was amazing!! Then I called my husband, and told him the news through a shwack of tears. He knew I was taking the test that morning, so I couldn't wait for him to get home from work to tell him. We cried together on the phone, and he came home a little early from work so we could be together :)
A couple days later we took a trip to the doctor, and found out we were five weeks along. Our next step was stocking up on Vegan prenatal vitamins, and applying for a midwife. Thankfully, we got approved, and we're so happy with the team of ladies we have looking after us. My sister in law recommended this team, as she had them for her pregnancy :)
Here are some descriptive words on how I felt in my first trimester.... Exhausted, Bloated, Nauseous, Emotional, Nervous, Excited.... but mostly EXHAUSTED! LOL! I was not expecting to feel THAT tired! I didn't have the energy to exercise, cook, clean, style my hair, pluck my eyebrows or even shave my legs... it was crazy! I felt like a completely different person! Oh and on top of that, my face broke out in zits, my boobies hurt like a son of a gun, and my pants stopped fitting comfortably! What a delightful, walk in the park ;).
Beyond all of that yuckyness, I still felt really excited and was just hoping that I would feel somewhat normal again, soon. My sister in law assured me that I would start feeling better once my second trimester came, and I thank my lucky stars that she was right! :D That's it for my quickie 1st trimester update! Check back soon xoxoxo
Sweet Love,
MLO
