Note: I wrote this a couple days ago, but forgot to hit "publish".  So here's what I was thinking about a couple days ago...

I'm still going back and forth between feeling okay-not-great-but-okay and sick, sick, sick.  For the most part, the Zofran is at least allowing me to eat, even if it's not getting me to feeling fine.  Thank G-D for Uncle Ben's 90-second rice pouches. Love 'em!

I'm now throwing up about every other day.  Quick gross tip: don't use a toilet for your vomiting needs.  Use a trash bag.  I've been able to avoid (knock on wood) blowing any blood vessels in my eyes this time around, and I credit it to avoiding the porcelain.

And now for something completely different...LM has officially started swim lessons at the local JCC.  This isn't so much as a swim lesson as a Let's All Get Used to Being in the Water By Singing Songs lesson, but I'll use "swim lesson" for short.  JD went in the water with LM (each child goes in with a parent), and I sat on the sideline with some very pregnant mamas.  I'm so glad JD was there because there is no way I would have been able to stomach all the bouncing in the water.

LM went in the pool a number of times this summer, so we both thought he'd do pretty well.  LM did fine, but got upset a couple times when he saw me and wanted to be with me.  I think that I will skip the lessons from now on, so that LM just stays with Daddy.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Best Wishes for the New Year

After taking a realistic look (brought on by a vent of crazy) at the list of what I was going to make for the holidays and the list of what I would be able to make for the holidays, I severely pared down my cooking to-do list.  (Let us not mention that I now have ingredients for the former list sitting in my pantry -- maybe I'll cook some more next week).  Thank goodness that both my mother and MIL are understanding women whose price is beyond rubies.

Just wanted to take a moment before tonight to wish everyone a sweet and happy new year.  The poem below always moves me, so I like to include it each year in my new year greetings.

In the new year which now begins, these are my wishes for you:


May you experience no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no floods, and no dinnertime phone solicitations.
And if they come, may you have a flashlight, a radio, a cell phone, water, food, and a siddur [prayer book] ready, just in case.

May you see a good play, hear a great opera, and see no flashing police lights behind you.

May strangers greet you with smiles, and little children with sticky kisses.

May you have enough wealth to be able to give to tzedakah [charity], and enough left over to provide you with necessities:

May you have bread to eat and cake as well,

May you have a roof over your head and clothing to wear,
And may you help provide them for the hungry, the homeless and the ragged.

May your stocks come back,
And may your bank stay open,
And may your interest rate fall,
And may the IRS leave you a full 30% of what you earn to call your own.

May you banish all thoughts and conversations about the coming elections
For these next ten days,
So that you avoid fights with members of your family and your friends,
And may you remember that, no matter who is elected,
According to Hebrew National,
They all have to answer to a Higher Authority.

May you forgive the candidates for what they say about each other,
And may you remember that no one is as perfect as he claims to be,
And no one is as terrible as his opponent claims he is,
And forget the promises that they all make -- because they will, as soon as they are elected.

May you be able to decipher your electric bill, your telephone bills, your credit card bill, and your income tax forms,
And the tiny, tiny print at the bottom of all these documents,
Which says in essence that they don't mean what is written above in big print.


May you live long enough to be able to drive automobiles which do not run on fossil fuels.
And may this happen before you become an old fossil yourself.


May those of us who drive SUVs be blessed with enough wealth
To be able to fill them with gasoline enough,
To get to the corner store and back,
And may we not have to choose between having enough money with which to buy gas with which to get to the grocery store,
And having enough money with which to buy groceries when we get there.
And may our children, for the sake of whom we bought these vehicles in the first place
Never yell or fight but sit quietly buckled up, with their hands folded,
And never once ask us: Are we there yet?


May you learn how to control your television set,
And may you learn to cope with all the new buttons on the controls,
And may there be something worth watching when you finally figure out how to start your TV.

May neither you, nor your computer, ever be infected by a virus.

May peace reign over Israel,
And may its children not have to sleep in bomb shelters any longer,
And may all of its leaders, like Natan Sharansky, be people who have gone to prison BEFORE they ascended to high office, and not afterwards.

May the world become safe to live in for all of G-D's children,
And may some parents learn that it is not necessary to strap explosives onto the bodies of their children in order to attain paradise,
But that instead paradise can be found here on earth, if people will only learn to live together in peace.


May you stop rushing long enough to realize
How blessed we are
To be able to enjoy this amazing planet on which we live,
And may we try hard not to spoil it.


And whether you pray in the words of the machzor [a Hebrew prayer book],
Or in your own words,
May you feel the presence of G-D around you,
And may you love your G-D, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might,
And may you know that G-D loves you too,
And may G-D give you a shana tova u'metukah,
A good and a sweet new year.


Amen.
--Rabbi Jacob Pressman

50/50

Dizziness and nausea started last night and continued all through most of the day today.  Blech.  I'll mention it to my OB when I see her tomorrow, but she had told me that it was possible that the nausea might come back, so I'm not sure there's much to do beyond taking some Zofran if I need to.  (Also, her office called me today to let me know that the copy of my files was ready for pickup.  Yay!)

On the good side though, I was able to start cooking for the High Holidays.  Yay me!  I mixed together two batches of MyMahtha's Honey Walnut Coin Cookies and put them in the freezer.  I'll defrost the dough and bake off the cookies next week.

Heart Cake

In honor of the 300th (well, really 200th) edition of the Friday Roundup, Mel has asked everyone to post a cake photo and talk about what the ALI community means to you.

I consider myself truly blessed to have found this community and to have you in my life, and to share in your lives.  Blogging has served as a needed outlet for my stress, anxieties and depression related to our IF struggles, and it has been my readers and bloggy friends who have helped me to weather the storms and who have celebrated with me during happy times.

I fell in love with this heart cake by Amanda at I Am Baker when I first saw it, and hope one day to have the mad skillz to bake it.  (For anyone interested in doing so, Amanda has a tutorial on how to do so here).

Please join the party at Mel's by posting your own cake and/or commenting on one of the blogs in the Roundup!

Overachiever

This week, my doc sent me in for an estimated fetal weight scan.  (Acause of the two bellays, fundal height measurements aren't exactly accurate).  The result?  This kid is in the 91st percentile for weight, at an estimated 3 lbs., 6 oz. at 28 weeks.  My mom said her grandchild is an overachiever.

If the baby maintains this rate of growth, we're looking at about a 9 lb. baby.  Yes, I am growing the next Alex Ovechkin.

This large size (assuming that these estimates are accurate, many times they are not) doesn't bother me and I was not all that surprised.  I'm large and was a bigger baby (over 8 lbs.) and my siblings were both bigger babes as well (sis was the same as me; brother was over 9 lbs).  My only concern here is that I not be pushed into an unnecessary induction or c-section just because of my weight or the weight of the baby.  I'd greatly prefer to have labor start on its own and have an unmedicated birth.  Obviously, if me or the baby is in danger, we do what's necessary, even if that includes meds and/or a c-section.  I plan to sit down with my doc when I see her in 2 weeks, to discuss our preferences and how that will work with her practices and that of the hospital.

The good news is I've really been trying to do all that I can do to help us have that unmedicated birth that we want.  I've been walking every day and doing my Bradley-recommended exercises most days.  I've been pretty good at getting the right amount of sleep.  I'm drinking lots of water.  I'm doing really well at controlling my portions and making sure I'm eating good foods (ex: I'm having yogurt almost every day which has really helped with the heartburn).  I passed the 1-hour glucose test, yay!  I successfully limited my weight gain to 3 lbs. this month, yay!

This month, I'd like to keep my exercise up and work on doing the Bradley exercises every day.  I'm going to work on making sure I include a 20-minute nap at lunchtime, so I'm not worried about falling asleep on the drive home from work.  I'm also going to try and get back to meal planning, to make sure that I'm eating a good variety of proteins and fruits and veggies.  (Yeah, including grains has never been a problem for me).

Last, and definitely not least...JD got a job!  He started this week and is feeling very positive about what he'll be doing and the people with whom he'll be working.  We're both hoping that this job will be a good fit for him -- something that will be more of a longer-term situation.

I'm hoping to post more often than I have been, not only about the baby and how we're doing with cleaning out what will be the baby's room, but also with regard to how we're doing with routines, meals and exercise.  Thank you all for sticking with me through these lean-posting times.

The House That Nausea Built

Please don't read if you are in a bad mental space, since this will mainly be bitching.  But, don't worry, I tell myself "eff off, you're pregnant, you arsehole" on a regular basis.

Have been laid up with the nausea since my last post, as in flat on my back, except for the retching, can't do anything, no, really, anything, except for listen to C-SPAN on the radio because I don't have a working TV in my bedroom, nausea.  Got in to see an OB earlier this week, who recommended we try a subcutaneous pump with anti-nausea meds as I'm spilling ketones and they are worried I'm becoming dehydrated.  Waiting for the insurance approval to come through.  Hope this comes through soon, because I haven't had my happy pills in quite a while and I started to cry while listening to President Obama speak about health care.  He's inspirational, he ain't that inspirational.  I need the happy pills.  Going to try grating them onto my toast.

If I never drink ginger ale again, it'll be too soon.  I'm currently subsisting on water mixed with apple juice, cinnamon toast (regular bread toasted with a little butter, cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on it) once a day and white rice once a day.  There are some other things to try in my fridge (popsicles, Jello, Kozy Shack (rice pudding)), but something smells in there (or at least, I smell something in there, no one else does, so when I open the fridge I feel sick and then don't eat anything).

Too dizzy to shower.  The last time I showered, JD had to hold me up and I vomited anyway.  I am gross.  Going to see if I can get my mom to wash my hair in the sink.

My day is divided amongst four main segments:

1.) Moaning/Vomiting/Writhing while listening to C-SPAN Radio (not because of the C-SPAN, just cause I need a soundtrack)
2.) Rereading all of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series
3.) Thinking about what food I'd like to eat if I wasn't too nauseated and could actually eat something (hint: everything)
4.) Sleeping

Will now call doctor to see if they can encourage the insurance company to approve the dang pump.  Am concerned that the insurance company is just trying to wait out the first trimester, thinking that I'll stop being sick at week 12, so they've only got to stall another month.

Have not read blogs in many a moon, but I think about all of you and pray that you are doing OK.

Support

Thank you so much for all of the support you've given me over the last few days.  This negative was tremendously disappointing, given all of the symptoms I had been experiencing and the fact that I was not on Prometrium to give me false hope.

When I got my period on Friday, it was the full flow, there was no mistaking this for implantation spotting, and that has continued over the past few days.  It's obviously the real deal.

My nurse was wonderful and suggested that I have a follow-up appointment with my RE, in order to decide what's next.  In the meantime, we'll do another natural cycle.  I'm concerned about what the next step might be.  If it's IVF, I've got a ton of weight to lose in order to get down to my clinic's limits.  My nurse suggested we might do stimulated IUIs though, and I'm at the right weight for that.

Inspired by Mel and some of the other bloggers, I went and ordered the Wii and the Wii Fit Plus on Amazon.  The Wii came last week, and I'm hoping to receive the Fit part today (right in time for me to go away on a business trip early tomorrow).

I'm hoping to increase my activity (from zero to something) and I'm working with a fertility nutritionist on my food plan.  More on that soon.
_________________________
This weekend, I went out with family and BFF, got my hair done, and laughed myself silly at a TOOTPU brunch.  I also prepared to send out almost over $9,000 in claims to my insurance for stuff for which I paid out-of-pocket.  Here's hoping!

Bless the Brown Cows of the Desert That Give Us Hot Chocolate Milk

I had a Venti (read: horse trough) Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream from Starbucks.


It was the best fucking hot chocolate that ever was.


Amen.
______________

No ill effects from that part of Un-detox (Retox?) Day #1, but then I ate cheese and it was like the Yokohama Bullet Train.(*)(**) So, I'll be continuing the good decision made a year ago to only partake of cheese in rare circumstances.


For lunch, I had chicken and mashed potatoes and creamed spinach (I heart Boston Market). The mashed potatoes were OK, but the creamed spinach was an explosion of love and joy that I haven't experienced since the last episode of Glee.


I'm planning to refrain from dairy the rest of the day, though, so that I can sort of act like I was un-detoxing with moderation whatever that is.
__________________________________

*Is there a bullet train to/from Yokohama?


**Please excuse my nastiness. I was born in a barn -- New Jersey.(***)


***Again, please excuse my insulting demeanor. I'm sure New Jersey is fine, really. No, really. They've got Bon Jovi doing their ad campaign, it can't be all bad.(****)


****Does my state even have an ad campaign? I mean, my real state, not the Shmomonwealth of Shmurshminia. I'm going with the absolutely no-evidence-basis, uneducated guess answer of: No - my state doesn't have an ad campaign. We don't need one. People know how awesome we are without Bon Jovi or Arnold. We have our own state cake! We have many malling options. Goldie Hawn is from here. Plus, our most well-known state song is about our lottery.(*****) Deal with it, people. You wish your state was that awesome. "It could be." If you lived here.


*****Five bucks says that Mel and Lindsay are currently humming our song.
________________________________

Um, I think the sugar (or the manic chapter of the depressive episode, take your pick) kicked in somewhere around Bon Jovi.

Made a Menu

Monday means I'm down to the last week of the 2ww and the last week of my detox. Yay!

Since we're currently out of Dream Dinners till our next session, I had to make our meal plan the old-fashioned way, aka stare at food blogs till I find something that a) fits with my detox, b) looks good, and c) doesn't look too complicated.

This week, I'll be borrowing heavily from A Year of Slow Cooking. I highly recommend this site for anyone looking for slow cooker ("CrockPot") recipes.

Here's the plan:

Monday: Angelhair rice pasta with meat sauce (ground turkey, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce)
Tuesday: Applesauce Chicken (CrockPot) w/ steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Hoisin Drumsticks (CrockPot) w/ brown rice and stir-fried veggies
Thursday: Indian Chicken Curry (CrockPot) w/ quinoa
Friday: Holiday Party at our building
Saturday: Dinner Out OR Fish w/ spiced quinoa mix & steamed veggies
Sunday: Salsa Chicken (CrockPot) w/ brown rice

Food, Folks, Fun, Fearsome Anger, Fehr Scores, Furniture Care

I hope that everyone in the US had a happy Thanksgiving, or at the very least, you've survived the long weekend. To everyone else around the globe, hope you had a nice weekend!

Our Thanksgiving was pretty good. We spend odd years with my family, so of course, that's always great. I successfully stayed on detox diet, but it really sucked to not eat stuffing or the four million desserts that were served.

For Thanksgiving, I had:
-Turkey (expertly made by my mom)
-Salad
-Butternut Squash Soup (also made by my mom, which I thought was awesome and everyone else thought demonstrated how long it's been since I had good food)
-Quinoa with Dried Fruits & Nuts (made by me)
-Butternut Squash Brown Rice Pasta Bake (made by me, not successful, will not be repeating)
-Baked Apples with Oats & Almonds (made by BFF, so I had my own dessert, yay!)

I did prevail upon my mom to give my containers of stuffing, green bean casserole and the pumpkin bread made by the Princess (my brother's wife), all of which are residing in my freezer awaiting post-detox feasting.
___________________
On Friday, BFF and I finally made it to the tailor's, to get a bunch of stuff altered (hems, zippers, what have you). We then got lunch and braved the mob at DSW to get some shoes. Then, we just hung out at her house. We always have such a great time together and it was nice to just chill.
___________________
Saturday, SIL and her family came over to use our pool. Then, we all met up with JD's parents to have lunch and celebrate SIL's birthday. My in-laws have now successfully ruined another one of my favorite restaurants. All they do is bitch, bitch, bitch. Nothing is ever right. I love them, but sometimes they really suck. Then, we had to sit at the mall's play area with them and four million little kids and babies to watch my nephews frolic in the chaos. It was not fun.

The night improved though, because we had Chinese food and I watched Eric Fehr (whom I met at Hockey 'n' Heels) score a goal 10 seconds before the end of the third period, helping the Caps win in an overtime shootout against Montreal. Yay!
____________________
Sunday was spent in lounging around, picking price stickers off our china, washing our china, putting away our china (one day my house will be clean and organized; I hope) and watching TV. Oh, and we had Thai for dinner.

Four's On Board

We went for dIUI 4.1 yesterday and 4.2 will be on board today. My acupuncturist wasn't available this week, so I'll be seeing a different acupuncturist today after the procedure. I hope that I get the same peaceful feeling even though the acupuncturist is different.

Last night, JD and I met my parents to go see The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock. It was a really fun and heartwarming movie -- perfect for the holiday season.

I'm taking the day off work today. With the scheduling of the dIUI, it wouldn't make sense to go into work afterwards. I'll probably do some housework, watch a movie or two and read blogs.

Ooh, I also need to cook for Thanksgiving, since I did a total of zero work this weekend.

Comme Ci, Comme Ca

Nothing much going on here. Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still here and doing OK.

JD is also doing OK. A month into his new job, he's concerned that he doesn't really know what he's doing (the code is something that he's not familiar with), but he does think it's cool that he got paid to watch Mission Control launch Atlantis.

Yesterday, my friend, BB, and I went to Hockey 'n' Heels, a Caps event for women. It was awesome! We got to go out on the Caps' practice ice with some players and try to score a goal, win a faceoff, and learn stickhandling. Then, we got to try on some equipment (pads and gloves and helmets, oh my), we spoke to 2 TV analysts, then we got time with Bruuuuce "Gabby" Boudreau, the head coach, who taught us about prescouting teams with game films. Will show pics as soon as BB sends them to me.

I'll be cooking and freezing some detox-allowed food for Thanksgiving this weekend. I'm planning to make: quinoa with dried fruits and nuts, whipped/mashed sweet potatoes with pumpkin and a butternut squash-brown rice pasta bake. I'll let you know how those turn out and provide recipes after the weekend.

In TTC news, I'm just waiting around for the ovulation thang, so we can get going with IUI #4, also known as There's No Place Like Nausea-town for the Holidays.

Day of Detox

To follow up on yesterday's post, I thought I'd give an example of a typical day on my detox diet.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with rice milk and berries

Mid-Morning: Detox shake; Clementine

Lunch: Quinoa-Vegetable Soup & rice crackers and Superfruit shake

Teatime: Detox shake; Apple

Dinner: Pecan-crusted chicken breast with brown rice mix and broccoli

It is entirely do-able, but requires planning. The only problem I've had has been in getting off caffeine. I had some bad migraines the first two days, but only had a light headache yesterday afternoon.

It's also hard thinking about having to do this over Thanksgiving. Yet, there will always be a reason not to do this, so I've just gotta do it now. For Thanksgiving, I will be making a quinoa and dried fruits dish to have in place of stuffing (my favorite food, waa!) and my mom is going to give me some stuffing to freeze that I can have once I'm off the detox. I'm also going to try and see about making some mashed potatoes, dessert and maybe, bread that I can eat as well.

In Which I Drink Chalky Liquids

For the past couple of months, my weight has been yo-yo'ing up and down -- I gain a lot during the 2WW and then have to lose it all before the next cycle. In order to get past that, I'm going to try something new. Well, I've done it before, but this time it's sort of different.

Anyways, remember how I started seeing a nutritionist for fertility and did a detox diet and lost about 25 pounds earlier of this year? Well, my nutritionist moved and I had completed the detox and then I started cycling, so I was just eating like normal (normal for me, not normal for average humans). Guess what? I gained weight. duh. Then, we got pregnant, had a miscarriage, waited to cycle again, yada, yada, yada. I went low carb for the few weeks before the next IUI, then would gain the wait back, then lose, etc., etc.

So, I'm trying to get off that train. There's a new nutritionist in town (read: my integrative care for fertility place) and I'm starting a new and improved, fertility-friendly detox with her. "Fertility-friendly" in that you can be on this while cycling, even while pregnant.

It's a lot of cutting out of bad foods and incorporating good foods and drinking supplements and downing vitamins.

What I'm On:
-My standard happy pills (1/day)
-Prenatals (6 horse pills/day)
-Vitamin D (2/day)
-Probiotics (1/day)
-Chalky Liquid shake #1 (Nutritional Support for Healthy Body Composition) (2/day)
-Chalky Liquid shake #2 (Organic Superfruits and Greens dietary supplement) (1/day)

Food I Can Eat:
-All fruits and vegetables
-All beans and legumes (except soy)
-Rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth, teff, buckwheat
-Lean proteins (chicken, fish, lamb, turkey, small amounts of lean red meat)
-Healthy oils (olive, flaxseed, sesame, almond, pumpkin, etc.)
-Condiments (vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, tamari, herbs & spices, brown rice syrup, fruit sweetener, stevia, limited amounts of honey)
-Herbal tea, non-caffeinated tea, green tea
-Water, unsweetened juice

Foods I Am Not Eating:
-Caffeine
-Sugar
-Wheat & Gluten
-Dairy
-Eggs
-Beef
-Soy
-Standard Bad Foods (anything fried, processed or fried & processed)

Healthy Fat Giveaway

So, in my quest towards Real Food, otherwise known as SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) food, I've been investigating healthy fats. I have moved almost entirely away from all vegetable oils and margarine. For us, it's cold expeller-pressed olive oil and butter from grass-fed cows all the way, baby.

Something that I have wanted to try though is frying in beef tallow. Did you know that beef tallow (rendered fat from cows) can be a healthy fat? If you get your meat or tallow from happy cows raised in a healthy environment, the fat is good-for-you! Per U.S. Wellness Meats' blog, one of the reasons to switch to grass-fed beef is that it is high in omega 3s (the "essential fatty acid") and CLA (an anti-carcinogen shown, among other things, to increase lean body mass, prevent arteriosclerosis and slow or halt diabetes).

Right now, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, a Real Food blogger, is hosting a giveaway of a tub of healthy beef tallow from U.S. Wellness Meats. The 36-pound tub is normally sold for almost a hundred bucks, but you could get it for free to make all sorts of deliciousness. Go on over, start reading and enter the giveaway today!

WFMW: Fertility Help

I have always been a tea drinker, but never got into herbal teas until we started struggling with infertility. Now, I try to incorporate various blends to help with my overall health and fertility. I use ARTeas (assisted reproductive technology teas) from my integrative care center and I believe you can buy them on their website.

During my current two week wait, I'll be drinking an Implantation blend. Here's what's in it:

Lemon Citrus - for flavor
Wild Yam Root - Supports liver and balances hormones
Skullcap - Supports heart and essence; calms the mind
Chamomile - Calms nervousness; good digestive aid; anti-inflammatory
Red Raspberries - Good uterine tonic
Black Haw - Uterine tonic; may help in preventing miscarriage
_________________

Need ovulation predictor kits or pregnancy tests? You can get 10 for FREE from this website! (Hat tip to Hillary from Making Me Mom for passing on this offer.)

_________________

Want to see more helpful hints and tips? Check out the What Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival this week and every week at We Are THAT Family.

I'm Kreativ!

I just got the Kreativ Blogger award from ma chere Clare of The Pitter-Patter. Thank you very much!

The Rules:

1) Thank the person who gave you this award.

2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4) Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.

5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6) Link to your nominees' blogs.

7) Leave them a comment letting them know they've been nominated.

The Things:

1) I eat sandwiches and Reese's cups in circles -- all the way around the edges, then I eat the middles.

2) A song on the radio that I heard when I was 5 scared me off of listening to the radio for the next 7 years. It was "Muskrat Love" by The Captain & Tenille.

3) I totally beat John Dear's 5 and 6 year old nephews at Disney DDR. I told the family I was keeping my amateur status for the Olympics.

4) I have become an utter Gleek.

5) My shoe obsession: ballet flats.

6) I have six articles of hockey memoribilia in my office (two bobbleheads, one clapper, two posters, one wristband).

7) I'm working towards keeping kosher and have cut out pork and am now working to cut out shellfish.

My Nominees:

1) Dreaming of Quiet Places

2) On (In)fertile Ground

3) No, I'm Not Pregnant, Just Fat

4) Baby Making Journey

5) Baby OCD

6) Flotsam

7) The Privileged Infertile

Mad IFers' Tea Party (Recipe Inside!)

Today is the Mad IFers' Tea Party, hosted by Clare at The Pitter-Patter. Go over to her site to sit and have a cuppa and some treats with us! (Also, happy 30th birthday to my brother, who never got his wish to be older than me, but did grow much taller than me).

In honor of the party, I'm virtually baking a favorite cookie recipe, Honey Walnut Coins. I bake these cookies for Rosh Hashanah, and they are a perfect cookie for fall and go especially well with a good cup of tea or coffee.

Honey Walnut Coins (as adapted from My Mahtha)
Makes 48 cookies -- Pareve or Dairy

2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup honey, plus 1/4 cup (warmed until liquid) for brushing
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt and 3/4 cup of the toasted walnuts until finely chopped.

In a mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Beat in 1/3 cup honey. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined (dough will begin to come together). Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours (up to 2 days).

After dough has been chilled for proper time, preheat your oven to 325° F. Let the dough stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Pinch off about 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into a 1-inch ball. Repeat, spacing balls about 1 inch apart on greased or lined baking sheets.

Dip the flat bottom of a glass in flour and use to flatten the cookie balls to 1/2 -inch thick discs. Periodically re-flour the bottom of the glass so that it does not stick to the cookie dough. Press one of the remaining toasted walnut pieces into the center of each cookie.

Bake, rotating sheets about halfway through, until edges are pale golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and brush cookies with warm honey.

Let cool and serve. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Note: I first made these cookies using a mixture of half white and half whole-wheat flour. If you choose to do this (meaning, you didn't do it because you didn't check how much white flour you had on hand when you started baking), I'd increase the amount of honey in the batter a little to keep the dough more fluid and less dense.

Carrot-Zucchini Kugel Recipe

I got this recipe online (from who knows where - thank you who knows where, whoever you are!) a couple years ago and it's been a hit whenever I make it.

For those who keep kosher, the recipe can be pareve or dairy depending upon your preference, and can even be made without leavening (that is, pesachdik) for Passover (Pesach).

Carrot-Zucchini Kugel

6 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini (approx. 3-4 medium zucchini)
3 cups finely minced onion (I use a bag of frozen diced onion OR grate 1 onion with the other veggies)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, plus 2-3 Tbsp. of small pieces for the top
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt
3 packed cups coarsely grated carrot (approximately 5 medium carrots)
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup matzo meal OR fine bread crumbs
6 Tbsp. flour OR matzo meal
1 tsp. baking powder (omit for Pesach)
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°. Place the grated zucchini in a colander. Salt it lightly, and let it stand 15 minutes. When time's up, squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

Sauté the onions in 3 Tbsp. butter with 3/4 tsp. salt over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (5-8 minutes). Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, sautéed onions and grated carrot. Beat in the eggs and the matzo meal (or bread crumbs).

Add the flour, baking powder and pepper. Mix well.

Spread the batter into a well-greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Place the thin slices of butter here and there on the top surface. Bake for 1 1/4 hours, uncovered.

Note: This recipe freezes well. After the kugel has completely cooled off (VERY IMPORTANT), I use a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, pressing both wraps gently onto the surface of the kugel to ensure a tighter seal.

Yeah, That's a No

Spotted all day yesterday and started a full flow today. I'm thinkin' this cycle is a Negator Skeletor.

Trying not to think about it and stay busy with work and holiday preparations. Tonight's cooking plan: baking up the My Mahtha Honey-Walnut Coin Cookies (I made the dough yesterday), and baking another of Sugarlaws' Apple-Banana Cakes.

I've been able to stay on the lower-carb diet throughout the past 4 weeks and will be continuing that, (with some allowances made for holiday food) hoping to keep my weight down for the next cycle and avoiding the possibility of gestational diabetes (fingers broken from crossing them for the gestational part).

I'm definitely looking forward to being able to exercise again. I've had to refrain since I started spotting, and, miracle of miracles, I actually miss it!