Cold Fudge

I read recently that the foods you eat while pregnant can impact your baby's tastes once he or she is born. That means, of course, that I should be filling up on antioxidant-rich berries, fiber-filled zucchini, and salmon chock-full of omega-3 fats.

Do you want to know what I ate all weekend? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches (with honey, of course), and hot fudge sundaes. Heavy emphasis on the hot fudge sundaes because I made homemade hot fudge, which is life-changing.

In between sundae time, I did this:

I ate leftover hot fudge straight from the fridge with a spoon.

You can't see this, but I'm hanging my head in shame right now. And in that spirit, I offer up a note to my yet-unborn child:

Dear Baby,

When you refuse to eat pureed squash in 9 months or so, I promise to remember that it's my fault for not eating enough vegetables while you were still a bun in the oven. I will not have a hissy fit when you throw said squash onto the kitchen floor. I will only cry a few tears of frustration when you follow-up by flinging it at my face instead. And I apologize for that sweet tooth. Maybe you can try applesauce instead of chocolate chip cookies? Be better than me.

Love,
Your Mom

Peanut Butter and Stuff

I'll try not to go on and on about my pregnancy, but there is one thing I need to share with you...

It's about peanut butter and jelly.

Since I've been pregnant, by appetite has been strange. I can't handle onions or garlic, even if they're cooked. It's like I'd need to scrub my tongue with sand paper to get rid of the taste. It just lingers. Ick. And all I want to eat is carbohydrates. I could eat sandwiches and cereal every single day. Happily. And my favorite, my absolute favorite, is peanut butter and jelly. Preferably on a bagel. Oh, so help me. I eat PB&J sandwiches for dinner at least twice a week.

So you can imagine my delight when a dear friend introduced me to the Peanut Butter and Stuff sandwich at Specialty's Cafe & Bakery when I was in San Francisco for work recently. Get this:

On freshly-baked whole wheat bread, the good folks at Specialty's layer peanut butter, whole cranberry sauce, freshly sliced bananas, and thin slivers of Granny Smith apples. Good heavens. It was perhaps the best thing I've eaten in my life.

So obviously I had to replicate it at home. In case you aren't lucky enough to live near Specialty's (sigh), you can have the next best thing.

Peanut Butter and Stuff
Serves: 1

2 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I like using natural peanut butter for this sandwich.)
2 teaspoons jam (I used strawberry.)
About 1/4 of an apple, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons whole cranberry sauce (I just used the canned stuff.)
About 1/4 of a banana, thinly sliced

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and jam on the other.

Layer apple, cranberry sauce, and banana on top of the peanut butter and then close up your sandwich with the jammy bread.

Slice in half so it's a bit more manageable to eat, and stuff your face.

Cravings

I need some help, folks. Answer a few questions for me...

Why would a girl snack on pretzels dipped in mustard?

Why would she eat frosted strawberry Pop Tarts for breakfast every morning for three months straight?

Why would a girl need to have pickles for lunch every day?

Why would she put coleslaw on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g?

Why would a girl insist on peanut butter and jelly (preferably on a lightly toasted plain bagel, but accepted on white bread) for dinner at least three nights a week?

Why would a girl send her husband to the grocery store for asiago ciabatta rolls (not dinner rolls, not pretzel rolls, only asiago ciabatta rolls) and two boxes (yes, two boxes) of V8 butternut squash soup for dinner?

And most of all, why in the world would I (did I say "I"?) eat a tuna sandwich for lunch...

...that was piled with pickles...

...and potato chips?

Well I can only think of one good answer...

That girl is most certainly pregnant.

And I am most certainly that girl.

The husband and I are thrilled to announce that a little baby will be joining our family this September. We couldn't be happier.

Now for some frozen yogurt...