Teatopia

Gross

My 5th period class is a nut house. Most of them could be committed. Yesterday a boy peed his pants because "he didn't realize he had to go" and then today he was eating food off the cafeteria floor. It's a mystery why I haven't barfed at school with all that I see and smell. While a whiff of dog food has sent me hurling over the kitchen sink, I have yet to lose my cookies at school.

*note: Shokufeh asked a good question. My 5th period is my only class with special ed students and although this student is actally quite bright, he is in this program. It's never a dull day.

Tea Slippers

Dreaming about Nurseries

My sister thinks I'm weird. Last night we went to see "The Constant Gardener", which I loved because it took place in Africa. Rachel Weiss was pregnant in the movie and these cute, little African children made her a mobile out of bottle caps for her nursery. She had many African things in there, which I thought was cool since we are thinking about a safari-themed nursery for our Africa-conceived baby, and also because Africa is very special to us. I feel like I lived out a dream there, just before settling down to be a real adult with a family. Anyway, I loved the mobile and my sister said she thought it was odd I'd hang trash above my baby's bed. OK, granted, she has a point, but I suppose this further proves that I have some bizarre, cultural tastes. I have been asking myself why I didn't pick up something special for our nursery when we were in Africa, trying to conceive. I suspected I could be pregnant. Darn.

Ok, so tell me, do you like the African safari theme? We're not talking like Noah's Ark animals, I am thinking more of a safari theme with some enlarged, framed photographs from our trip that mean a lot to me (I can't take credit for this idea, I believe it was the brilliant idea of Pink Sun Drops and Lisanne). In fact, here are some of the ones we are considering. Thoughts?

Bizcocho Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)

I have seen Three Milks Cake on menus and even on the Food Network, but I've never actually tasted it. So, after seeing it on Stef's blog a few weeks ago, and because it sounded so similar to my coconut cake, I decided it was time to try it. I actually went with a recipe on this blog. When I followed this link left by a commenter on Stef's blog, I saw that it was a homemade recipe for this cake. I figured since I have been majorly lacking in the culinary department lately, I was up for the challenge of making this from scratch. Making it from scratch somehow made me feel like the culinary diva I wish I was again.

This is the recipe I followed:

Cake Mix
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Grease and flour a 13" x 9" baking pan.
- Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy.
- Add in granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks are formed (about 5 - 7 minutes on medium speed).

- Continue mixing and add in one egg yolk at a time until incorporated.
- Add in flour/baking powder mixture and milk. Alternate by starting and ending with flour/baking powder mixture.
- Add vanilla.
- Pour into a greased and floured 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 375° F for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE FROM PAN.
- Poke holes all over the cake using a thin spoon handle. Set aside.

Three Milks Mixture
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 cups heavy cream

- Add tres leches to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Place half the milk mixutre in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil. Be careful not to scorch, you don't want the sugar in the condensed milk to carmelize or burn.
- Add in the rest of the milk mixture and remove from heat.
- Pour slowly over cake until all absorbed
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Whipped Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
juice of 1 lime, strained to remove pulp

- Combine heavy cream, sugar and lime juice in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks are formed.
- Spread over top of cake and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Ta Da! This cake is so moist and yummy!

I Love Georgia

"MCSD will be closed on Monday, September 26, and Tuesday, September 27, for all students and employees. Governor Perdue and State School Superintendent Kathy Cox have requested that all school systems in Georgia be closed because of the fuel shortages after Hurricane Katrina and the anticipated effects on the fuel supply because of Hurricane Rita. A number of refineries in Texas have been shut down during the evacuation of the Gulf Coast. These "Emergency Release Days" will conserve hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel for buses and allow for cooling energy conservation. School will resume on Wednesday, September, 28."

I have 2 more days off! And boy do I need them. The puking has returned. :-(

I Told Ya

My very good gay friend said this to me today: "Not that I've been looking, and you know that I haven't, but your boobs are huge!" If any other guy said this to me, James would probably kill him! :-)

I told ya they've grown! That was one of my first symptoms!

We Laugh to Keep from Crying

This is a commonly said phrase at my school, and today, it held true.

This morning shouts could be heard from the teacher's room who I did my student teaching with 2 years ago. She was yelling for someone to come and help. Turns out there was a HUGE, brutal fight that broke out in her room . . . over a hair brush.

We were supposed to have Spirit Week this week-- 5 themed days of dressing up, leading to our first pep rally Friday. I always enjoyed this in school and as a teacher, I still get excited. Due to horrible behavior school-wide on Monday, our principal had to cancel spirit week after just the first day. I guess dressing up in costumes and such led to goofing off and HORRIBLE behavior. Wouldn't be surprised if you could still smell the stink bombs. Anyway, our principal announced to the students that although Spirit Week was cancelled, he would consider still having the pep rally if the behavior improved. Or, if it was only some kids acting out, the teachers could turn in a list of people who would not be attending the pep rally. We get so sick of the behavior. There is a criminal element at my school and they can't seem to handle anything out of the norm. So, a list was made of people who would NOT be attending. The names on it? The teachers'.

At least we can find some humor in this profession.

Restless and Boring

Lately I feel so restless and bored. I can barely find the time to lay down and relax, but when I finally do, I just feel frustrated. I think it's because everything I do lately is for work (meeting, classes for additional certification, etc) and I just don't seem to have the energy to do the things I used to love in my free time: cooking (but I did make homemade spaghetti and meat sauce tonight), reading, crafting, going for coffee (which I can't have) and other things I'm too tired to think of. I feel like I've already lost a part of myself. All my lazy ass does it watch tv, and I am having difficulty finding shows that interest me. I'm just so picky lately. I am trying to relax, but I just get bored and I'm mad at myself for not doing the things I loved just 3 months ago. I haven't even started scrapbooking our trip to Africa. I am too worn out to enjoy looking at baby stuff, which I obsessively did the first few weeks I was pregnant.

I am even having trouble thinking of what to blog, which has NEVER happened before. Am I getting boring? Am I boring you kind internet folks? I have like 1 comment on the last entry (thanks, Lisanne). I mean seriously, who wants to hear about my breast feeding dreams? I am even boring myself.

Oh, and would you nice people like to contribute to my spa fund??? Pretty please? I'm kidding, but I really am thinking of splurging on a massage and pedicure. I know it'd make me feel better! I've never had a real massage.

A Strange Dream

I had a dream last night about breast feeding. It felt really real. I was in the middle of doing something, when I felt my boobs start to leak. The next thing I knew, there was milk all over my shirt (I know this happens) and then I knew it was time to feed my baby, who by the way, was really unattractive, but I'm sure I loved it anyway.

As weird as this sounds, when I woke up, I was confused for a minute as to whether or not I really had a baby. I saw it so vividly in my dream and I felt my shirt get wet. Then I remembered-- I still have 6 1/2 months to go!!! Ever since I got pregnant, I have some funky dreams.

Aniticipation

For some odd reason, I have been completely excited about Chistmas today. I know, it's a bit early, but after catching the second half of "Elf" last night, I have been thinking about things like cookie-baking, our annual Christmas Eve party at my parents' and fun traditions like the Christmas in the South craft fair we attend each year (it's only 6 weeks away!) and the big lights show my family sees. It is my favorite time of year and I am just so excited. It's not too far away really. Actually, there are a number of things that have me dreaming of Christmas a bit early this year: a great recipe for sausage balls I saw on the Food Network the other day that would be just perfect for the Christmas Eve party, the release of the dates for the craft fair, making plans with James's family for us to come up the 26th. See? I'm not completely nuts. :-)

And what got me the most excited? James's comment about how much more pregnant I'll look by Christmas. :-)

Do I Really Have to go Back???

This weekend has been nice. We had some GREAT Korean food on Friday from one of our favorite restaurants. The food tastes just like it did in Korea. Then, we went home and watched Crash. I'd recommend it. Saturday, I had lunch at a Thai restaurant and then went to a house warming party with my sister. It was for a friend of hers (but I was invited too) who just got married and his wife just found out she's newly pregnant. She's only 19! He's 24. I can't imagine having gotten pregnant any sooner than I did. That's so young these days. I am so thankful for the experiences I was able to have before deciding to have children. For some people, doing it sooner is ok for them, but I knew I wanted to travel first and I'm so glad to have those memories. :-) Anyway, today, after church, I came home and crashed for a while. Then, I dragged my butt to the store (James had to go into work this afternoon) and bought a big frozen pizza for tonight (yum!) and stuff to make chocolate chip cookies. :-)

I am not looking forward to going to work tomorrow, but I guess the sooner I do, the closer I'll get to another weekend. I live for them.

What did you do this weekend?

Who Needs Ketchup Anyway?

My friend Stef introduced me to this wonderful hot sauce back when she lived here in the south. I have enjoyed it since then-- adding it to soup, using it as a dipping sauce for everything from potstickers to pizza crusts, and even squirting pretty designs on my plate for my fried eggs.

When I received this month's Saveur yesterday, I was delighted to find 2 pages dedicated my my favorite hot sauce: Huy Fong Food's Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Saveur recognizes its growing popularity in both homes and restaurants. It even said that the body was designed to look like a chili pepper, complete with a red top, or stem. I learned that the rooster on the bottle respresents Tran's (the creator) astrological sign and that it is named after a port in Thailand where it was supposedly created.

You may have seen this sauce in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, or Thai restaurants, but it can be used for more than just Asian food. Here are some of my favorite suggestions offered by Saveur:

*Put it on top of cooked eggs (this is really good!)
*Use it in place of ketchup, like on a hotdog for example
*Sprinkle it on top of pizza instead of red pepper flakes (or dip the pizza in it like I do!)
*Add it to a stir-fry, fried rice, or pho (Vietnamese soup)
*Use in combination with mayo as a dipping sauce

And my suggestion:
*use it for anything you can think of!

It's Quiz Time!

I know we won't know what we're having for several weeks, but I thought it'd be fun to see what you think I'm having! I'll of course announce the answer as soon as I know. The quiz is on my sidebar.

Feel free to share what you voted! I'm curious! :-)

A Solitary Penguin

I have been pretty tired (pregnancy stuff and "Back to School night 'til 9:00 last night), so I don't have a lot to say. So, I leave you with this picture I took in South Africa.

The Mysteries of North Korea

I am completely addicted to the Discovery Times Channel. I love the culture and politics of the various shows. Tonight we watched a special on North Korea, with footage filmed by a child working under cover. Ever since we got all the way to the North Korean border last summer, I have been particularly interested in what is going on there, because few really know. We found South Korea to be westernized in many ways and for the most part, at least in the major cities, Korea is extremely industrialized and technology-oriented. I loved it there, but it was strange to me that as we slept in James's dad's house in Seoul, North Korea was just minutes away.

The day we visited the border, we were fascinated to learn that the houses we were seeing in the distance were actually part of a fake town-- a town purposely built to project North Korea's wealth when in reality it has anything but. The people are so poor, but no one can really get in to help them because North Korea is so closed off. The show we watched tonight showed that human flesh was being sold as pork in many markets. It's awful.

I guess it was weird thinking how close we were to all this. How can people live like that?

A Good Weekend

I am trying to take it easy this weekend, while still getting stuff done. Yesterday, my sweet mom bought me some maternity clothes! The shirts are really cute and since it's un style to have the flowing pretty shirts with the tie in the back, I can wear them now. Then, last night, we went to Cheddar's for dinner. Today, we went to church and then to the grocery store. I am feeling good today, so I hope I will still feel up to cooking the stuff I bought for dinner this week. I haven't been cooking much or doing much meal-planning because I never know when the nausea is coming (it's worse in the evenings). I am hoping I feel good tomorrow night because I'd like to make Pad Thai with tofu. Yummy! For the rest of the afternoon, I am going to get some packages together than need to be mailed tomorrow and just try to take it easy before meeting my family for dinner tonight.

What have you done this weekend?

Scary as Hell

I actually had a good day today, meaning the nausea wasn't too bad and I ate dinner for the first time in a few days! We decided to go see a movie, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and all I can say is freaky! Forget about the good but somewhat cheesey flicks like "The Exorcist" because this one is a bit more believable. It scared me to death.

I have already told James that if I need to get up in the middle of the night, he is coming with me. I told him either he wakes up and keeps me safe, or I am simply going to wet the bed, and it won't be on my side. LOL! Tonight while I did the laundry, I kept looking over my shoulder. When I leave a room, I first turn on all the lights to where I'm going so I'm never in the dark. I am such a baby. I have never mentioned this before, but I am still very much afraid of the dark. Pathetic, I know. One of my fears has always been that my child will be scared and need me and I'll have to get up and listen to a scary dream, which will probably end up scaring me more than my child. Yes, yes, very sad. And I don't fear rational things, it's usually ghosts, aliens, or demons. What a loser I am.

I should know by now NOT to watch these terrifying movies that rob me of hours of sleep night after night. So, just for fun, I ask you, what scares the hell out of you?

Back in Full Swing

Well, I thought I had all this nausea business licked, but as luck would have it, it has returned with a vengence as if to say, "HA HA! You thought I was gone!"

Not only do I feel as nauseous as I did before, but now I am actually throwing up. Last night I honestly thought my baby was going to come out of my mouth at any second. After wretching as hard as I did, how can it still be safely tucked inside my womb-- oblivious to the hell that has been unleashed upon it's mother?

No one ever said pregnancy was easy, but I honestly was in for a shock. I pictured myself as a glowing, feminine beauty, laying on the couch with freshly pedicured feet while my hubby brought me my dinner on a tray. Hello. So not what is happening. I look as bad as a I feel. My back is covered in pimples (can we say ew?) which has never before happened to me and my face doesn't look much better. My husband, although generally sweet and helpful, has tired of my whining and complaining. Let him try being pregnant. One day of pimples, barfing, constipation, exhaustion, and horribly sore breasts would most likely send a man to his grave. Now I've gone and scared you ladies from ever wanting to get pregnant. Don't worry, in seven months I will have forgotten this hell and be quietly rocking my little one to sleep, eager to do the whole thing again. But for now, I am wondering how any woman gets through it, let alone goes to work every day, worrying that her lunch is about to end up on an unsuspecting co-worker. I could use your prayers.

OBGYN Appointment #2

Today James and I went to my 2nd appointment! He said that my uterus has grown and everything looks great! We were hoping to hear the heartbeat, but that won't happen until the next appointment in a few weeks. He also said that I won't have my first ultrasound until somewhere between 14 to 20 weeks. It wasn't a particularly eventful appointment, but it was such a relief to hear that things are going well!

He did say, however, that he thinks I'm bloated (almost 80 ounces of water a day and tons of gas will do that!), but I still am noticing some changes in the way my pants fit and think that's my "pooch" is a mixture of both. I have gained 2 pounds in the last month, which isn't bad, especially if you figure a whole pound can probably be attributed to my growing boobs! And I could probably lose the rest with one good fart. LOL! Ok, so that was uncalled for, but I'm telling you, these hormones have made me much more bold! Think you can hang in there with me for the next 7 months??? Even if I talk about gas a lot? I hope at least I have made you smile! :-)

The Best Marinated Tomatoes EVER

Today I made marinated tomaotes for the Labor Day cook-out we had with my family. They are so flavorful and the fresh herbs really are great in this summery dish!

Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I thought I'd have some sliced mozzarella on the side for anyone who wanted to make it a caprese-style salad.

Tonight, for the first time, it's starting to feel like fall. It may have been in the 90's today, but this is certainly a cool night and I am loving it!

Click below for the recipe. Trust me, this is a great one!

6 ripe tomatoes (home-grown are wonderful!)
You can peel them if you want, but I didn't.

marinade:

1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. fresh thyme
1/4 c. chives, chopped
2/3 cup olive oil (or salad oil)
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 t. sugar

I made the marinade a day ahead and let the herbs infuse the oil and vinegar over night. Then today, I sliced the tomatoes and covered them with the yummy marinade.

Week 8 Belly Pics

I am currently in the beginning of my third month and it's time for my first belly pics! I haven't grown much-- mostly, my stomach has just hardened, but I do notice a teeny difference. See my little pooch? Although my rear end could be smaller, I have always had a rather flat tummy, so this is unusual for me! My pants are not quite as comfy as they used to be . . .

Dua Gan (Korean melon)

When we visited Korean last summer, I found a melon that I really liked a lot. It's called a dua gan and it's similar to a cantaloupe. It's about the size of a papaya with a yellow skin and stripes.

In an effort to try new things, I used to buy a new fruit or veggie each week at the grocery store. I actually became familiar with some things I otherwise never would've tried or even noticed: Australian kiwi, gooseberries (which I had eaten in England but hadn't seen since), kumquats, yellow beets, a canary melon, daikon, etc. I was excited about finding this new melon in Korea, and I was even more thrilled to see one at our local Korean grocers tonight. So, tomorrow morning at breakfast, I will take a trip down memory lane, back to Korea!

What unusual/uncommon produce have you tried and enjoyed?

'Nawlins

I cried and cried tonight as I watched the coverage from New Orleans (or 'Nawlins as my friend Rebecca calls her home). There were dead babies and elderly people in the street. How can this be happening in America-- a mere 5 hours or so from where I sit now, typing on my lap top, watching my flat screen TV, wrapped in blankets on the couch with my hubby and puppies?

I have learned that my initial judgement was wrong and un-called for. Yes, there were some idiots who didn't leave-- like several friends and family members of my good friend Rebecca (she doesn't know if they are alive)-- but many others had no vehicle and lacked the money to go anywhere else. They prayed for a miracle that did not come and now they have no food or water. How can this be? Tonight I felt like my heart was breaking watching these people cry for their homes and loved ones.

I want to help, but what can I do? I sent money to the ASPCA to help the animals and James and I are deciding which relief organization we feel will give the most to the people. James is skeptical about the Red Cross because much of the donations given for 9/11 were kept for "later" and never used for the people in which they were given. Any suggestions?

I would donate blood if I could, but pregnant women are ineligible. I have a rare blood type (o negative) and I am a universal donor, but I can't give any. Actually, this reminds me of something I haven't yet mentioned. Because of my blood type, I have a problem with the Rh factor. If/when my blood mixes with the baby's during labor, it can cause major problems with my next pregnancy, as my body will develop antibodies after it mixes and attack the blood of my next baby. My mom is 0 neg, but I inherited it, so it was never a problem, but the doctor thinks based on James's blood type, it is unlikely our baby will have my blood type, but if it does, we are ok. I have to get Rhogam shots in my hip to prevent any problems. Also, I carry a little card in my wallet that says in case of serious injury, I am pregnant and I need Rhogam for the Rh factor problem.

Anyway, I wish I could donate more than just my money. I'd open up my home if I could. There are about 150 refugees from New Orleans here in a local church, so I may find out if I can help buy bringing food or supplies. I heard they need diapers and clothing.

I am starting to cry again thinking about all this. I heard on the news that some pregnant women have given birth in the streets. My prayers are with them.