baby name game

April 20, 2011May 27, 20116 Comments

The most common question I am asked while pregnant is “do you have any names picked out?” In response, I tend to (attempt to) stare at my feet and mumble something along the lines of “we are going to name him when we meet him.” But that is not exactly true. We do have names picked out. I even have a favorite. I just don’t want to share it with anyone. You see, ever since I got pregnant, lots of “advice” is being thrown in my direction. And add in the fact that I am hormonal and extra sensitive, the reaction I get when I tell people the name is usually ends with me in tears. So, I stopped sharing.

Yesterday I broke my rule and shared our top names with someone and their reaction was pretty typical- very obvious distaste. And that was only after sharing one name! I wanted to cry. In that moment I decided to stop caring what other people think about the name. Not everyone is going to like every decision we make with our son. And we still will not finalize the name until he is born just to be sure it fits him but I do know one thing. I will stop the whiny, sensitive, dramatic reaction I have when people don’t love the name we picked. He is our son and whatever name we pick will be perfect for him. Because we picked it and because we love how it belongs to this amazing little man that we created. I can’t wait to meet him.

just what i needed

April 18, 2011May 27, 20113 Comments

Having Melissa and her boyfriend Nate visit this past weekend was truly just what I needed. We spent the weekend shopping, eating, exploring San Francisco, celebrating Melissa’s birthday and laughing. So. much. laughing. In fact I woke up after our first night with a sore throat from laughing so much. I loved every minute of it.

Truth is, I haven’t made that many friends while living up here. Since I found out I was pregnant almost immediately after moving here, making friends was not very easy. I am not partaking in the bar scene like most people my age and I am not working. On one hand, I couldn’t be happier that I get to just relax and focus on my pregnancy but, on the other hand, not having close friends up here can be lonely. I LOVE hanging out with my husband but I think having balance in life is healthy. So having Melissa here was perfect timing!

Just as planned, I took her to Pizzeria Delfina, Tartine, and Fremont Diner. We also enjoyed playing tourist and watching the sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf, strolling around Union Square, and taking copious pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. The whole experience made me really appreciate my time here in Northern California but also look forward to moving closer to my friends and family in October.

How was your weekend?

return of the lobster

April 15, 2011May 27, 2011Leave a comment

I am happy to report that Crosby is currently on his best (for him) behavior due to a very special guest here for the weekend…

My lobster, Melissa!

My college roommate is here visiting for the weekend with her super fun boyfriend (and apparent dog whisperer) Nate. We have been plotting this surprise visit for almost 2 months and I have pretty much been avoiding her the whole time because I was so afraid I would tell. I am not suspicious or anything…

Anyway, I am so excited to be reunited with my bestie and I plan on taking her to all of my favorites and exploring some new places as well.

Current San Francisco/Bay Area Favorites

Pizzeria Delfina

Fremont Diner

Tartine

I hope you have a great weekend!

my problem child

April 14, 2011May 27, 20114 Comments

I would like to start this post by saying that I love my dog very much. I would also like to say that I hope to never become one of those bloggers who only shows the rainbows and sunshine parts of their life because that is not realistic. While I am the happiest I have ever been, things in my life are not perfect and some days are better than others. In that spirit, yesterday was a complete disaster. You see, my pug appears to be going through the terrible twos. Lately, our day goes a little something like this: wake up, eat, walk, come home, run circles around me while barking and stopping only to chew my furniture, jump on my (sizable) pregnant belly, chew my hair (wtf?!), pass out, REPEAT.

I have tried everything to stop this behavior. I ignore him when he acts like a complete psychopath. I play with him! I use every command and strategy seen on “It’s Me or the Dog.” and nothing works. I end up waddle-running around my apartment all day trying to control him. But yesterday I just cried. Yup, cried. I am almost 7 months pregnant and very hormonal so I cried. Most dogs will notice you are upset and comfort you, right? Not my dog. He ran faster, chewed harder, and barked louder. I wonder if he knows I am pregnant and that another person will be coming into our life. That is probably impossible. Maybe he is just bored. Or maybe it is just leftover puppy energy. Maybe it is because he is a rescue.

I realize there are bigger problems in the world but when you are about to have your first child come into your home and your dog acts like a raving lunatic, it is difficult not to worry because the last thing I want to do is get rid of my dog. I just will not do that. I love him! I am determined to find a solution. I should add that my husband is a huge help when he is home from work so I am really lucky. Overall, I am trying not to stress because I know that it is not good for the baby but I can’t help but wonder how he is going to act when the baby arrives.

Any advice?

quick turkey parmesan burgers

April 13, 2011May 27, 2011Leave a comment

These days, I rarely make anything that takes longer than 30 minutes anymore. Maybe that sounds a bit ridiculous but after moving around all day, the last thing I want to do is cook something that requires lots of prep and more time on my feet. At almost 7 months pregnant and carrying more weight than ever, my feet hurt! So I was excited when I saw a recipe this month in Cooking Light for Chicken Parmesan Burgers. Looks quick and easy! The only problem is, there was no parmesan in the recipe. Anyone see a problem there?

Regardless, I love experimenting with different kinds of burgers so I put together my own version. I used ground turkey to still keep them light (and also because Trader Joe’s did not have ground chicken). If you can find ground chicken at your own grocery store though, feel free to substitute! Also, I wanted to add an extra punch of vegetables and lightly sauteed mushrooms were be the perfect addition. We really enjoyed these and I will definitely be making them again!

Turkey Parmesan Burgers

Serves 2

1/2 lb. ground turkey or chicken

1 (heaping) Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1 (heaping) Tablespoon panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup marinara sauce, plus 2 Tablespoons set aside

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced

1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 teaspoon olive oil

Good quality rolls–I used Trader Joe’s Parm-iago Rosemary Rolls and they were fantastic!

1. Combine turkey (or chicken), parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, 1/3 cup marinara sauce, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Divide into 2 portions, shaping patties about 1/4″ thick.

2. Meanwhile, place olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms (and salt and pepper to taste). Cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. In the same pan as the mushrooms, place the burgers. Still at medium heat, cook 6 minutes on each side. Add mozzarella and cook for an additional minute until the cheese is melted.

4. Layer the burgers, mushrooms, and additional marinara sauce on each sliced roll. Serve immediately. Preferably with oven-baked sweet potato fries!

Enjoy!

hello, i love…Dottie’s True Blue Cafe

April 12, 2011May 27, 2011Leave a comment

As you know, each Friday Reg and I venture into the city for our special lunch. This past Friday, though, we had to drop off my grandmother at the airport early in the morning so we decided to turn our usual afternoon date into a breakfast. And I am so glad we did!

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. I was never the child that you had to pry out of bed and force feed a pop tart before school. I usually woke up with plenty of time to make myself oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, or french toast. Early in my pregnancy when I was really sick, the only foods that sounded remotely appealing were typical breakfast foods. Luckily, my husband never objects to eating pancakes for dinner. So my point is, when I got to pick out a breakfast place I was really excited. Let’s face it though– I get excited every time I try out a new restaurant but this one was extra special.

After a quick search, I decided on Dottie’s True Blue Cafe. With almost 1400 reviews on yelp, I figured I could not go wrong. When we arrived, the 10 people waiting in line down the block had the same idea. Luckily, the line moved fast and we were seated with hot coffee before we knew it.

I ordered the Whiskey-Fennel Sausage Scramble with Mushrooms and Spinach. This was ah-mazing! The whiskey flavor was subtle and unique. The vegetables were fresh and the eggs were scrambled to perfection, not overdone which I find to be a common problem with similar dishes. The breakfast potatoes were also excellent but it was the homemade, grilled cornbread that was the starchy standout. I slathered my slice with their homemade raspberry preserves. I love how the bread (and many other items) are made in house–makes the food a little extra special, right?

Reg ordered a combination of crispy bacon, fried eggs, potatoes and my favorite plate of the day–ginger, cinnamon buttermilk pancakes. These were unreal, probably the best pancakes I have ever had! They were fluffy with just a hint of spice. I kept offering Reg bites of my plate to get more of these. Luckily, I am carrying his son so he happily shared. Good man! 😉

Overall, Dottie’s was incredible. From the service to the food, I was very impressed. I have since learned that there is always a wait so grab a cup of coffee, bring a couple chatty friends and get ready for a fantastic breakfast.

nursery update

April 11, 2011May 27, 20111 Comment

I realize that I did not blog at all last week but my grandmother was in town visiting for the week. Since she lives in Southern California, I rarely get to see her and I really wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. While she was here we had a great time catching up and exploring the area. Other than just spending time with her, what I was most excited about was picking out fabric for a unique antique chair that was actually in my mother’s nursery.

This chair was given to my grandmother from a family friend for my mother’s nursery. It was considered vintage at the time, given that it was already over twenty years old when she received it. Now it is over seventy years old! I love that my mom kept it all these years and was even more thrilled when she said I could have it for baby boy’s nursery. The cushions that were on the fabric are long gone so my grandmother offered to make new ones. She is very crafty!

I was determined to find the perfect fabric while she was here so we drove to a couple different fabric stores in town but nothing felt right. I knew I wanted something modern, that would grow with him as opposed to being overly babyish. So, I went back to etsy for some inspiration and in my favorites I found a beautiful green and white chevron fabric. Since, I am adding pops of that exact green in the nursery, I knew that I had to find that fabric. A couple google searches later, the fabric was mine! I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Since we cannot paint the walls of our apartment, I have decided to do a wall of colorful prints and photographs. I intend on using a couple baby pictures of me, the hubs, and Crosby the pug for the photographs. Then, I am planning on using my (very limited) Illustrator skills to design one large print. I turned to etsy for the rest!

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First I picked these unique alphabet signs. My mom has called me blueberry for as long as I can remember so that one is a no brainer. The zeppelin print was an easy pick as well. We thought it was a fun, youthful tribute to one of our favorite bands.