I'm having an affair

Confession time: I am in love with my slow cooker.  I was unaware of just how awesome they are until a year ago when I received one as a Christmas gift.  Slow cookers are great for lazy (read: busy) chefs who prefer preparing large quantities of healthy food with minimal effort.  Some of my favorite things I have made:

Split Pea Soup
Ham and Lentil Stew
BBQ Pulled Pork
Beef Tamale Filling
Veggie Barley Stew
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Bolognese Sauce
Chili
Chicken Posole

Preparing meals in a slow cooker is incredibly cheap when you take into account how many servings you can get out of one dish...I can usually get at least 10 tupperwares full.  I highly recommend splitting up the leftovers in individual servings (cause there's always leftovers with slow cooked meals) and then freezing them.  It's almost like homemade Stouffers except waaay less calories and salt.  I also recommend letting the dishes sit in the fridge for a few days before freezing.  I've found that the flavors really seem to develop on days 2 and 3.  Other highlights include: as the name suggests, slow cookers take awhile so the entire time they are simmering, the house is filled with tantalizing aromas of the meal to come.  Also, when I said that slow cookers were made for lazy chefs, I wasn't joking.  It is recommended to lift the lid as little as possible as it lets a bunch of heat out.  No stirring needed.  Feel free to leave them unattended.  The slow cooker keeps meat moist and it negates the need for using any cooking oil.  One other tip, another friend of mine turned me on to using Reynold's Slow Cooker liners.  Highly recommended for any dishes challenged folks.


I am sure you are now thinking, "Why don't I have a slow cooker?"

Now go get one.  You can thank me later.

Babies, Babies Everywhere

Anyone who knows anything about me probably knows about my obsession with pregnancy, babies and being a mom.  A blog post on this topic was inevitable, as this is something I think about on a daily basis.  I have fantasized about pregnancy and babies for at least a decade, realistically probably longer than that.  Some women dream about their weddings; I dream about my future family.  Every time I get the news that another friend or acquaintance of mine is expecting, I get this twinge of sadness.  Yes of course I am happy for them.  Yes I know parenting is the hardest job there is and arguably the most unglamorous.  A parent is solely responsible for another human life for the better part of 2 decades. 

What I cannot wait for and what I fantasize about is:

trying to conceive
those anxious days of knowing I could be pregnant 
the day I find out I am finally pregnant 
sharing the exciting baby news with my husband
my growing pregnant belly
feeling my baby move inside me
my husband feeling my baby inside me
painting and decorating my baby's nursery
wearing cute clothes that show off my belly
giving birth to another human life
breastfeeding
the first smiles
the first laughs
the way my baby will sound when he or she says "mama" and "dada".
a diapered baby butt crawling fiercy across the floor
those first wobbly steps
the discovery of my world all over again through my baby's eyes

And then... I snap out of it.

I force myself to rationalize and quit being selfish.  Now is not the time for me.  I have to think about my future child and the life I want for that child.  I want to give them the best life possible and that includes a mom with a stable career... house... oh and most importantly husband... One step at a time.

ps. One last fantasy...I cannot wait to look like this...