Spaghetti Carbonara

     I am definitely a pasta lover and I always love a quick, light meal.  I have become obsessed with this dish and make it all the time now.  It's perfect for a side dish, a "just me" lunch, or a light weeknight dinner.  It's super easy and uses ingredients I always have on hand.  Feel free to add different veggies or meats.  Chicken would be yummy for some extra protein.  You could also go meatless for a vegetarian supper.  Instead of, or in addition to, use frozen carrots.  Be creative and enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara (yields 2 servings)
Ingredients:
Canola oil cooking spray
4 slices of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
4 ounces of thin spaghetti (can substitute any pasta here; use what you like and have)
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth, room temperature
1/4 cup of reduced fat grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup of frozen peas

Directions:
Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions.  Save some of the cooking liquid, just in case.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon pieces in a little cooking spray.  When the bacon is completely cooked, remove with a slotted spoon.  Drain excess grease on a paper towel.  Leave a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan.  If you're skipping the meat, you will need a tablespoon of butter to substitute the fat.

Whisk in the flour.  Allow this to cook for a minute.  You don't want the raw flour taste in your delicious pasta sauce.  Slowly, whisk in the broth and bring to a simmer.  Continue whisking as you add the Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Start with a little salt and add as you taste.  You can add more but you can't take out!

Reduce the heat and gently stir in peas.  Give them a minute to heat through.  If your sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and combine thoroughly.  Serve warm, topped with bacon and extra Parmesan.

Oh, Baby! Tales from the First Trimester

We have some exciting news!!!!  But SHHHHHH!  It's a little bit of a secret!

                                                                                     WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

     Since we are waiting until a few doctor appointments to announce this news to the world, I'm writing and postponing the publishing.  You'll notice a date next to each blurb.  That's the date I'm blogging.  This is going to be my pregnancy journal to track this super exciting time in our lives.  I am, by no means, an expert so this is a learning experience.  I'm excited to learn and share the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Tuesday March 24, 2015 (5 weeks)

     My husband and I have been trying since August to start our family.  It's very exciting and scary that it happened so fast!  I really don't think I was prepared for this.  I was honestly expecting pregnancy to take closer to a year, but here we are!  I haven't felt much of the infamous "morning sickness."  I have been nauseous and light headed, but nothing like I've read about.  I do get nightly indigestion, no matter what food I eat for dinner.  I can deal with that.  I hope this stays the same through out my journey...knock on wood!

     After the positive EPT, the next decision was when to announce our news to family and then the world.  I did some research (link posted at bottom).  We have decided to share with our families after the first doctor's appointment and then with everyone else at the end of the first trimester.  We are really excited and keeping this secret for even a few weeks is super difficult.  The agreement ended up being about what was best in the long run.  It's important, especially with such a huge life event, that we don't get ahead of ourselves.  We really want to make sure that little Baby T was doing it's baby things before getting everyone involved.  We will be announcing our new family member on Easter weekend, a couple of days after my first appointment at about seven weeks.  I decided to do an Easter themed announcement for family since it happened to be that weekend.

     I also have started taking my prenatal vitamins.  I was pretty nervous taking a vitamin since my multivitamins in the past usually upset my stomach.  I have been taking Nature Made Prenatal Multi +DHA and I haven't felt any discomfort.  I highly recommend them!

Monday April 27, 2015 (10 weeks)

     OK....we are moving right along.  Sadly, morning sickness (actually, all day sickness) has arrived.  :(  On the bright side, I feel the fatigue dissipating and the bump growing.  I'm not showing yet but I'm excited about that stage which is right around the corner!
     Nausea and vomiting have become a daily thing and each day is completely different.  It keeps me on my toes!  I have learned and researched a few things though that seem to help (links posted at bottom).   I have found bananas, ginger ale, peppermint tea, and eating bland breads and broths to be most helpful.  Also, I've started taking my vitamin at night after dinner.  The morning part of pregnancy sickness is much lighter this way.

     In brighter news, we visited the nurse and learned lots of exciting and overwhelming details of pregnancy and delivery.  Lots of things to plan for and get ready!  Some of the tools I've found the most helpful are the BabyCenter pregnancy app and the Publix baby club.  The app is a great way to keep track of what my body and what Baby T is doing.  It also has tools like a bumpie gallery, contraction timer, and registry wish list.  The Publix baby club is a free service from Publix that gives you access to coupons, specials, record, and a mommy blog.  You also get a free book!  I've only read the first chapter and have already gotten some great information.  It goes all the way from pregnancy to five years old.  It's like the manual for new humans... and it's free!  Nothing better than that.

Wednesday May 20, 2015 (13 weeks)
     I have successfully completed the first trimester!  We are super excited to see the first pictures of our little one :)  He or she is already perfect!   With confirmation from the doctor, we could officially announce the news to the world.  It's amazing how much love a little human can get!  Next month, we will find out the sex...we both hoping for a boy for our first time around.  We will see though!
     I also have some good news and some not so good news.  My fatigue is definitely getting better, but the ability to sleep soundly is slowly going.  Some nights are better than others, but I can see why everyone says to sleep whenever you can!  The "all day sickness" has pretty much stopped.  I still have an occasion day of sickness and have had to take some time off from work.  Headaches, stomach aches, and nausea are the usual suspects.  Gladly, when I called the doctor, I was told not to worried.  These things are normal...as long as they don't last too long or over consecutive days.  I feel good for the most part.  Baby T is growing and I'm really looking forward to our  next ultrasound date!

Smoke It Up BBQ (food truck)

     Being from the south, BBQ is a common cuisine and is found on every street corner.  If you're anything like us, you don't want to eat at the chain restaurant every time you're craving BBQ.  That's what we love about this food truck!  Smoke It Up is a great alternative to the run-of-the-mill Sonny's or Bono's.  They specialize in dry rubbed wood smoked BBQ.  We have eaten there several times and it's always delicious; consistency is key to becoming a food fave.
     Smoke It Up always has a variety of smoked meats; chicken, pork, sausage, ribs, burgers, and hot dogs.  All are dry rubbed and smoked on hickory, cherry, and pecan woods.  They also have amazing real BBQ sides like smoked baked beans, mac n' cheese, and cole slaw.  And, last but definitely not least, they make their own pickles!  It's the perfect BBQ meal!

Check them out on Facebook or Smoke It Up BBQ Kitchen!

BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches and Baked Beans at Aardwolf Brewing Company.