What's for Dinner?

Does anyone else struggle with answering this question? For awhile there, I was doing really good. I had my staple recipes, and was also trying 1-2 new recipes a week. Then, I got pregnant. I know it's different for everyone, but my first trimester was rough. I never threw up (ok, once or twice) but I was nauseated all day long. Certain foods sounded disgusting to me. The thought of meat? Vomit. Which is totally bizarre considering I love bacon! Oh, and smells? Same reaction. I actually hid my husband's cologne from him for about 6 weeks. But, I digress. I have to give my husband some mad props. He was/is very accommodating in making sure my cravings are met. He also never complained when he'd come home and all I'd want for dinner was a bowl of cereal to be followed by going to bed at 7. Poor guy, I'm pretty sure he had Spaghettio's and Ramen on several occasions for dinner. This was only because I was either too nauseated or too tired to cook. Bless him!




Now that I'm well into my second trimester (heck, I'm almost into my third), I have more energy and very little nausea. I still have cravings so dinner is still subjective to what I want (I promise, honey once he's out you can decide what we eat). Because of this I haven't really been venturing out and trying new recipes. Until the other night. The weather has finally gotten warm (praise the Lord!) and warm weather makes me want salads for dinner. Something about it being hot out, makes me want a lighter dinner. Also, I've been craving salads throughout the whole pregnancy. There were a few weeks where I went to Panera every day to get the Thai Chicken salad. I ran across this recipe on fellow blogger, Leslie's blog and it sounded so yummy I had to try it. It did not disappoint!




Really Good Salad:
spring mix lettuce
rotisserie chicken, shredded
sliced strawberries
sliced Granny Smith apples
feta cheese - I do not care for feta, so I used goat cheese. Yum!
golden raisins (optional)  - left these out
slivered almonds (optional) - love almonds, so there was no option.
poppyseed dressing - Per Leslie's suggestion, I used Newman's Own.

After a day of painting the nursery (husband) and lots of nesting (me) - more on that later, this was a perfect dinner. Easy to make, yet so delicious and filling! It was a huge hit. Will definitely be making it again, and if you come over for dinner one night, this quite possibly be on the menu. After all that hard work, we relaxed by eating our dinner and cheering on our beloved Grizzlies. Which is why we had to eat on coordinating blue and gold dishes. Hey, they won! So we will be eating on these dishes every night they play. It's only crazy if it doesn't work, right?

Woah, baby!

In case you haven't heard, the Wilsons will be a family of three this summer. We are expecting a bouncing baby boy August 4th. Obviously, we are beyond thrilled. We absolutely cannot wait to meet him. I won't give you all the nitty gritty details (I've decided if I don't want to hear all that from other people. why would they want to hear it from me?) But we found out the week before Thanksgiving and told our families at Christmas. This is the first grandchild on both sides, so needless to say the grandparents are ecstatic.




People always ask me how I'm feeling. I'm the kind of person where you shouldn't ask how I am unless you really want to know. The first trimester was rough. I never really got sick, but I felt nauseated all. day. long. What is this morning sickness they speak of? It doesn't go away at noon!
However, second trimester I feel really good. A lot more energy, don't feel sick anymore and aside from heartburn (shout out to my friend Carey who shared with me the best heartburn remedy ever: apple juice mixed with 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar. Cures it instantly!) I feel good.




The only thing that I don't think ever goes away throughout pregnancy is irritability. It is amazing what people will say to you pregnant. Here is a sampling of things you should NEVER say to a pregnant woman:


- "Wow! You've gotten so big."
Yes, I know this. I am reminded of this every time I get in the shower and see myself naked. I am reminded of this every time I put on my underwear and realize it does not fit right anymore and I need to succumb to maternity undies. I am reminded of this every time I put on my jeans, albeit they're maternity, and huff and puff to pull them on.




- "You don't even look pregnant!"
Seriously?! I mean, I realize it's supposed to be a compliment but are you saying I always look like this?!




- "I was never sick during my pregnancy."
Good for you. Everyone handles pregnancy differently. But as someone who just told you how nauseated they are/were, why the hell would you tell me that? That does not make me feel better. That makes me want to kick you in the shins.




- "I only gained _____ pounds during my pregnancy."
Again, good for you. Same goes as for not being sick during pregnancy. I don't want to hear that. Why would you tell me that? That makes me feel worse than the never feeling sick comment. Except this one makes me want to punch you in the face.




- "You should/shouldn't do this or that."
This advice has been anything from why I shouldn't eat fish or lunchmeat to why I shouldn't have caffeine to why I should/shouldn't breastfeed and so on. I'm sure you're just trying to be helpful, but guess what? Having a kid does not make you Dr. Spock. I do not want your unsolicited advice. I have a doctor, thank you. I will stick with that she tells me to do. I also find the unsolicited advice really funny, especially from strangers. For some reason it is socially acceptable to go up to a pregnant person and start telling them what you think they need to do. Yet, no one would do this if you weren't pregnant. If I walked up to an overweight person that I don't know and started telling them all about what work out and diet they should have they would not only find me incredibly rude, they'd think I was nuts! Why is it all social graces go out the window for pregnant ladies?




-"Are you going to breastfeed?"
Why, are you hungry? I'm sorry but my breasts are none of your business.




"Were you trying?"
As if the boob question isn't personal enough, let's ask about my sex life! What if I went up to someone not pregnant and said "Do you use condoms or the pill or do you just pull and pray?" Not ok for the non-pregnant, not ok for the pregnant.




And the last thing that you should NEVER do to a pregnant woman...
DO NOT TOUCH HER BELLY!
I mean really, you would never do that to a non-pregnant person so again not ok for anyone. So weird, so intrusive, so rude.

I will say, that all of this can be chalked up to pregnant lady irritability. BUT, I do find it so weird that people think that all social norms and barriers are null and void when it comes to us preggos. I will also say that this doesn't apply to my girlfriends and close (female) family members. But to the strangers and any men out there follow this rule: If you didn't put it in there, it is not yours to touch, comment on or ask about.


On a positive note, here is what my fellow blogger Leslie had to say on what you SHOULD say to pregnant women.

Easter and Christianity What does it mean?

I have felt compelled to write to for awhile, and I figure today is the most appropriate. To all my fellow Christians, Happy Easter! To all of those who aren't Christian, don't know exactly what that means, etc, I'd like to offer you an explanation. Lately in the news, there have been so many negative things about Christianity. With all the talk about the businesses and bakeries, the true meaning of our faith gets skipped over. So let me explain. We celebrate Easter because it is the resurrection if Jesus Christ our savior (He can be yours, too!) We believe that Jesus Christ was born, and at age 33, He was crucified to take on ALL of our (yes, that includes you) sins so we can have life after death. Three days later, he rose again. This fulfilled 33 prophecies that were made throughout history before he was crucified. That's all there is to it. You just have to believe He died for you. That's it. I had a friend tell me once that her boyfriend said he couldn't be a Christian because there were too many rules to follow. That breaks my heart. No matter what you hear, this isn't about rules. It's about a relationship, a relationship with Christ. There is nothing so bad that He will not forgive you!! Isn't that awesome? I normally screw up before my feet ever hit the floor in the morning, and while I try to do my best to be as good of a person I can be, I know I am not perfect. Thankfully, He is and He can forgive me repeatedly. 

So, please. As you ponder Christianity, don't let the things on the news be the representation of what you think our faith is. It is not a faith to breed hate and discrimination. Jesus commands us to love one another and not to judge, less we be judged. Do not think of us as a group of people who follow rules, and think we are better tha everyone because we are all sinners. Everyone in this world, yet because of Him we can be washed clean of these sins. If you have ever considered excepting Jesus in your life, just know all it takes is to believe He died for your sins. You don't have to worry about measuring up to some big list of rules and regulations because that would be impossible. 

If you ever want to talk, ask me more about what I believe, get into the nitty gritty deep conversations about what's going on in the news with bakeries and pizzerias, anything at all. Please contact me. I'd love to talk to you. Jenniferwilson413@yahoo.com

Here's a few videos that might explain a little more:

https://vimeo.com/123981984

https://vimeo.com/123310971