"I'm Not Drinking" Decoy #4

I'm/We're trying to be more fiscally responsible.

Of course, this decoy doesn't work if either you or your significant other is, well, loaded. But for Darrell and I, pulling this one off was an easy sell. Of course, it required participation from Darrell as well, because by using this excuse he was also barred from ordering a drink. And it also isn't a good idea to pull this strategy out if the sole purpose for getting together with the group of people is to drink. But since we were getting together with friends to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, it was perfectly believable that we weren't ordering beer to go with our wings because we were trying to cut back a little bit. And really, if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, chances are you are legitimately trying to be more fiscally responsible, so it really isn't even like you are lying!

Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

I know what you are thinking. Homemade cinnamon rolls? That sounds time consuming. That sounds like I have to do lots of planning ahead. I know that you are probably thinking that because that's what I thought every time I saw a recipe for homemade rolls. The recipes always seemed unreasonable--if I wanted to make them in the morning for breakfast, I'd have to get up at the crack of dawn to make sure the dough would have enough time to rise. Most recipes do have the option of pre-making the dough and then storing it in the fridge so that it is ready to use in the morning, but that requires planning ahead. What about those mornings when you wake up and just decide--I want cinnamon rolls? What's a person to do--especially if you don't have a container of the Pillsbury ones waiting patiently in your fridge?

Well, this is the recipe for you. It isn't exactly super speedy--especially compared to those ready-to-use refrigerator varieties--but it's certainly speedier than most yeast recipes. And I dare say that when (because there will be another go at these rolls. You can bet on it) I make these rolls again, the process will go even smoothly than it did the first time. In fact, the person I found this recipe from claimed she could go from ingredients to finished product in an hour. I wasn't quite that efficient with my first attempt at them--but practice makes perfect.

We may have drowned the middle one in a little too much frosting. Whoops :)

Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
(recipe found here--check the link out for lots of pictures of the process)

For the Dough:
3 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, just mix 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup milk and let sit for 10 minutes)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and divided
1/3 cup maple syrup

For the Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the Icing:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 to 2 tsp milk
1 cup powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the buttermilk, maple syrup, and 2 tbsp of the melted butter. Stir until just combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth (it will still be very soft and a little sticky, but will be smoother and less lumpy). Place in a lightly floured bowl, cover, and chill for 20 minutes. To make the filling, combine all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture looks like wet sand. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan for the rolls by brushing with 1 tbsp melted butter and preheat the oven to 425*.

Once chilled, flatten the dough into a rectangle about 12x8 inches (flour work surface lightly if dough is still a little sticky). Pour 2 tbsp of the melted butter on to the dough and spread around. Pour the filling over the dough and spread it evenly over the top, leaving about a 1/2 border around the outside edge. Press the filling down slightly to pack it on top of the dough. Starting on the long side of the dough, roll the side up, pressing as you go, to create a tightly rolled log (work slowly in case the dough sticks to the work surface slightly). Pinch the seam closed and cut into eight even pieces. Transfer each roll to the prepared pan and brush with the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the icing, cream the butter in a medium bowl and then add the sugar. Mix until the sugar and butter start to come together. Add the syrup and whisk well, until the mixture is smooth. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of milk. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for about five minutes before topping with the icing.

I will warn you--these suckers are sweet. Darrell and I could each only eat one at a sitting. So prepare to have leftovers of these (don't worry--they taste just as good reheated the next morning), or serve them to some friends (and, you know, impress them with your mad skills).

Wedding Wednesday: Picking the Bridal Party

As I mentioned right off the bat, one of the biggest factors that can increase the cost of a wedding is the size of the guest list. But many brides also forget that the size of the bridal party can be a huge cost factor as well. Let's look at a few things to keep in mind when determining who--and how many--to ask to stand up with you on your big day.

Bigger isn't always better
This is may be just a personal preference, but I think large bridal parties are overwhelming. I know that some people just have that many close family members and friends, but when there is a whole entourage of people at the front of the church, it can get easy to lose the bride and groom. And I find this to be especially true when looking at photographs of large bridal parties--it gets to be hard to "see" everyone because you are trying to cram so many people into the frame.

Images from Style Me Pretty

And there are obviously the financial considerations of having a large bridal party--more people in the bridal party means more people to pay for at the rehearsal dinner, more bridal party gifts to buy, a larger limo/vehicle to transport everyone from the wedding to reception (if you are planning to do that)--the list goes on.

Choose people who will make you wedding day better--not more stressful
The people in your bridal party will be around you the entire day of your wedding. So if you have a friend who is only tolerable in small doses, it is probably not wise to ask her to be in your bridal party. And that cousin who is more critical than helpful? Probably not a good idea to ask her either. Stick with people who make you smile, who make you feel relaxed, and who won't try to steal the limelight from you on your big day. Don't let yourself feel guilted into asking people to be in your bridal party--if they truly get offended that you didn't include them and subsequently hold it against you, then they probably weren't truly your friend in the first place--or at least weren't friends with you for the right reasons. But if they are truly your friend, they will understand and respect your decision, and probably still offer to help in whatever way they can. (And in fact, some might even be relieved not to be asked to be a bridesmaid because being a bridesmaid can be somewhat of a financial burden. Which brings me to point three....)

Don't make being a member of the bridal party a huge financial--or time--burden.
This is a huge one for me. By asking someone to be in your bridal party, you are pretty much acknowledging the special role he or she plays in your life. So don't turn around and take advantage of those special people in your life by asking them to shell out tons of money--or dedicate hours of their time--to be a part of your big day. Obviously there are some financial commitments; I pretty much expect that when someone asks me to be a bridesmaid that I'll be expected to pay for a dress (and possibly matching shoes and jewelry--more on bridesmaid dresses later though). But as the bride, you can make this burden a little bit easier by selecting items that are reasonably priced, or even paying for an element of their wedding day attire (make the jewelry their bridesmaid gift, for example). Also, be understanding when planing the bridal shower and/or bachelorette party. If you have your heart set on going to Vegas, understand that some of your bridal party might not be able to afford the trip (or at least make sure they are aware of--and okay with--this "obligation" from the start).

And even though you may have lots of wonderful DIY elements that you want to add to your wedding, don't expect your bridal party to help you put those elements together. Sure, you may have friends that are as DIY-minded as you are and would subsequently love to help out, but you may have other friends who are not comfortable with those kind of projects--or who might not have the time to spend four hours on a Saturday to help you put together invitations. Be understanding of these things--remember, you asked them to be in your bridal party because they have a meaningful relationship with you; a wedding is not a good excuse to take advantage of that relationship.

Belly Pictures: Weeks 17-20

Halfway there! Although I suspect that I am significantly less than halfway done in terms of my growth--considering baby is only in the ballpark of seven ounces right now and will likely be over six pounds by the time he/she is born (or--knowing the way things work in my family--over eight pounds), it's safe to say I've only seen the tip of the iceberg on the growth scale. And that's also evident a little bit from these pictures--over the span of four weeks there really hasn't been much significant growth (although there is definitely a difference looking back to some of the earlier weeks). I have had co-workers tell me that I've definitely started the pop in the past few weeks (which had lead to an increase in the number of hands that touch my belly), but I still feel like I'm at that stage where I kind of just look a little fat instead of pregnant. But that's probably just the hormones talking.

Quick disclaimer--I know that I definitely look bigger in Week 17 than I do in Week 18 (and even Week 19); prior to taking the Week 17 picture Darrell and I had a turkey dinner at my grandpa's church, which was, well, quite filling. So my week 17 belly is half-baby half-turkey, which is why it is somewhat disproportionally sized compared to the other weeks.

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 20

Other fun things to note: I've definitely been feeling the baby move for a week or two now. Usually it's just small little rolls and turns that I can feel from inside my belly (which is a little weird, for the record), but every now and then I feel a swift kick or punch. In fact, Darrell even got to feel one of those kicks on Saturday, so that was exciting. We have our ultrasound scheduled for December 10th (thirteen more days! Not that I'm counting....)--no plans to find out the gender, but excited to get a peek at this little bugger!

The Power of Pregnancy

(written August 30th)

Well, I'm currently 7.5 weeks pregnant, and have so far been blessedly free of any major symptoms. In fact, if it weren't for the sticks I've peed on and the preliminary OB/GYN visit, I'd consider questioning the fact that I was indeed pregnant. Because while I've had a few bouts of nausea, most have been directly connected to some sort of foul smell (which--apparently--my sense of smell might also be heightened). And yes, I've been feeling some fatigue, but even without the pregnancy I think that my crazy schedule of full-time job, soccer coaching, and part-time job would be enough to make me fatigued. 

Recently, though, a dairy aversion has started to set in. Not all dairy, just, well, chunky dairy. Like yogurt (but not the frozen stuff) and cottage cheese (and that's the last time you'll hear me mention those items until this aversion is long gone. *Shudder*). And, naturally, according to one of those fancy week-by-week pregnancy updaters, I find out that around eight weeks my dear parasite (call it what you want--the darn thing is a parasite. I love it to death--but it's still a parasite) begins the ossification of it's bones. Excellent. Just the time to get a dairy aversion (as Darrell pointed out, the whole vomiting and food aversion thing all seem very counter-intuitive to what a pregnant woman's body is trying to do). So, I casually send Darrell an email letting him know that we'll need to make a conscious effort to get dairy-rich foods into my diet (like broccoli and spinach), as well as plenty of the actual dairy items that I can still tolerate (which, thankfully, still includes milk and cheese). And oh, speaking of cheese--cheese and crackers sounds delicious. And that was it for the email. Just a casual mentioning of cheese and crackers. Well, I get home that night to find a platter with not one, but two different types of cheeses all sliced up and ready to eat, and a box of Triscuits. Ah-mazing. 

And to make this even more outstanding--this is all happening during a week where my schedule is straight ridiculous. Monday and Wednesday both I was working at Excel until eight, and today (Thursday) we have soccer in Vermillion, which means I won't be getting home until after nine. And oh, did I mention that it also happens to be Labor Day weekend this weekend, and Darrell and I are supposed to be getting ready to head out to Wisconsin to go camping? And that, because of the drive, we are needing to leave immediately after practice/work Friday afternoon so everything needs to be ready to go before then? Needless to say, Darrell is pretty much taking care of everything. And not just everything that we need for camping, but everything that needs to get done around the house as well. Like making dinners (and cleaning up--every night this week). And doing laundry. And who knows what else. It's safe to say I'm pretty darn lucky.

Side note: I considering typing this up--sans pregnancy references since we haven't officially told anyone yet--and publishing it on the day that it was actually happening, but I was too worried that the ever-intuitive Mama Shirley (and even Darrell's sisters) might start to get a little suspicious because Darrell was being too nice for just normal day-to-day stuff. And since we already have pretty fun ideas in mind for how we want to tell our families (with surprise being a key element), I couldn't risk publishing this and raising any red flags. So, off to sit in my "Drafts" folder it goes. 

11/26 Update: You know that dairy aversion I mentioned? Hasn't really gone away. Although it has gotten a little better--I can actually say the word "yogurt" without gagging and a few weeks ago I had a (small) spoonful of cottage cheese. And I don't have to banish Darrell to a different room of the house if he wants to eat yogurt. Thank goodness milk and cheese are still a-okay though. Oh, and this post is also the last time you'll hear me refer to the baby as a "parasite"; despite my very accurate reasonings for calling the baby such, Darrell was none too thrilled with that moniker. Instead, we coined the name BOB (Baby On Board) to refer to the baby. So if you hear us use that name, that's why. We have no idea if baby is a boy or not--and no intent of using the name BOB even if it is a boy.  

Giving Thanks

Since I plan to take the rest of the week off blogging so that I can focus on family time over the holiday, I figured I would put my normal "Wedding Wednesday" on hold and spend a moment giving thanks instead.

And while I could rattle off the "standard" list of things I'm thankful for, which really hasn't changed since last year or the year before (except, of course, that I'm thankful this year for the baby growing in my belly), I'm going to focus instead on a specific thing that I'm thankful for--namely, a specific group of people that I'm thankful for, and especially thankful for the fact that I got to spend some quality time with them last night.

I have known these girls (separately and together) for the better part of my life. KWills, on the far left, lived just down the street from the house my family moved into when I was five. She and her mom brought us cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood, and we've been friends ever since. Eddy, to my left, and I have gone to church together since, well, about as long as I can remember. I met Jen (to my right) in seventh grade through the other two. Seventh grade was also the year I joined these three on a club soccer team, and we spent many fun years playing together and traveling to tournaments together. In fact, for most of our years on the team, these girls and I were the defense of the team--I was the keeper, Jen was my sweeper/center back, and Eddy and KWills were my outside backs. So many good times.

Countless years later, we still get together whenever we have the opportunity, and it's like we've never missed a beat. While I could go on about why I love spending time with these girls, the best way I can think of to sum up why I these girls are so important to me is to say that last night while we were hanging out, we (unintentionally) had discussions on all three of the "taboo" conversation topics: sex, religion, and politics. And I don't mean that as a bragging point that we all share the same views and perspectives on those topics and subsequently have no problem discussing those issues; in fact, quite the opposite is true. But these are all girls who will never judge you for having an opinion different from theirs, and are always open to engage in conversation with people of different opinions to widen their own knowledge, not to push their opinion on others. There's no right or wrong, just open-mindedness and acceptance of who you are. And for that, I am thankful.

"I'm Not Drinking" Decoy #3

I promise to have some non-pregnancy related posts later this week/next week (yay for getting to do baking over the holiday!), but for now, here's another useful strategy for hiding your pregnancy at a bar or social event.

Order a beer (or drink of some sort), but don't really drink it. If/When someone asks, claim to not like it very much and pawn it off on a significant other (or friend).

I'll be honest, this was a challenging guise . We were at JL Beers with a friend, and I knowingly ordered a beer that was a little bit more up Darrell's alley than mine so that it would be easy for me to claim that I didn't like it. But let me tell you--it's really hard to sit there and eat a delicious burger with a full beer in front of you and Not. Drink. Any of it. Regardless of the fact that it was a beer I didn't particularly care for anyway.

The ploy worked well, though, because when the guys were ready to order their second round and my friend realized how much beer I still had left I sheepishly admitted that it was a little "too hoppy" for me so I was having to drink it slowly. And he shrugged it off without an issue (actually, he may have called me an amateur, but given the circumstances I suppose I can handle a little bit of an insult).

I will say, though, to "sell" this decoy a little bit, you might want to take occasional "sips" of the beer. If you aren't comfortable taking tiny sips and ingesting even a small amount of alcohol, you might be able to get away with just raising your drink to your lips and tilting it backwards and having it hit your lips a little bit. And then, if there's the opportunity, have your significant other take a swallow out of it to help make it look like something is actually being consumed. And unless you have really astute friends (in which case, maybe make sure they are a few drinks ahead of you by this point), you should be able to slip this decoy under their nose without much issue.