I am living the 9-months-pregnant Sunday afternoon of my dreams over here. We've learned that any car ride lasting longer than half an hour gives me intense, painful cramps/contractions, so when Jared and Jack drove down to Woodinville today for Jared's brother's priesthood ordination I opted to stay home (especially since there will be many other long drives this week for appointments). Having a quiet house to myself is already heaven after a summer of no preschool and Jared working until nearly 7:00 most nights. Add in a fireplace and the smells of authentic Italian bolognese slow-cooking in the oven all afternoon . . . it's a dream over here right now. A painful, uncomfortable, but still oh-so lovely 9-months-pregnant dream.
This week instead of dragging you through the rest of the drudgery that is an inventory all my new aches and pains now that I've reached THAT point in my pregnancy, I'll just share some of my cooking successes this past week with you. Yer welcome.
1. These Sheet Pan Pineapple Shrimp Tacos. Half Baked Harvest recipes are hit or miss for me. I truly think the reason she's basically the #1 food blogger in the country is because she does gorgeous styling and food photography. That said, these shrimp tacos were pretty dern easy to make and were restaurant quality. I used canned pineapple for the salsa instead of fresh because I can not be bothered to cut up a pineapple at this time.
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/jalapeno-pineapple-shrimp-tacos/
2. This Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas. Another Half Baked Harvest success! I'm not usually a salad for dinner type of gal. Except for when I'm pregnant and only in the mood for meat about 20% of the time these days. This salad, and the dressing, smacks. It was too much work to be just a side salad--next time I will double it and have it for a few days of lunches. (If you hate kale, maybe try different greens. I'm the girl who weirdly loves kale tho.)
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/kale-caesar-salad/
3. This Homemade Eggnog. Too soon? Not for Jack. The word "eggnog" somehow came up in conversation and he didn't know what it was. Long story short I became required to make eggnog immediately (Jack insisted and I was too pregnant to put up a fight). I did some quick research to try and find the best eggnog recipe on the entire internet (this is how I do almost all my meal planning by the way lol--if it's not guaranteed to be the very best recipe the internet has to offer I don't want it). Coming from someone who can generally take or leave eggnog, I don't know if I'll ever have eggnog a different way again. This was SO good hot off the stove, and also after it had chilled. Another recipe I'll be doubling or tripling next time.
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-eggnog/
4. Not going to link these recipes until I've tinkered a bit more. But. The bolognese currently cooking up for tonight, and the focaccia bread I made for a bbq last week. LIFE CHANGING. The focaccia mostly just because I'd never made it before and now I can, not because it's the best I've ever had. Usually cooking has my heart and I don't love baking, but this pregnancy I am in my carbs era so I intend to master the focaccia before I get into pasta making. Exclusively so I can have some life-changing homemade pasta to go along with the life-changing 4-hr bolognese currently simmering in the kitchen. I've been sneaking tastes and I can already tell my life will never be the same. Next time you come to my house I will be feeding you bolognese. I could cry I'm so happy about being able to cook right now. Never ever got to this point last pregnancy. Blessings!
Ok that's all! Here's an *aesthetic* picture from last fall so there can be a thumbnail for this post. Happy September!
