A New Addition in September :)

If you follow me on Instagram or know me in person, you probably already know that Michael and I are expecting baby #2 in September! If not, surprise! We are both thrilled to become a family of four and giving Lydia a sibling. I'm 13 weeks pregnant and am finally starting to feel a little less exhausted. Much like my first pregnancy, I only experienced a little nausea in the morning and mostly because my stomach was empty. I am also experiencing the same aversions and cravings, nothing too sweet but lots of fruit, everything salty, spicy and sour. So far I am beginning to think much like my mom and sister that I am one who bypasses morning sickness, however, I seem to get a double dose of fatigue. I did exercise most mornings and it worked as a pick me up but still felt drained after lunch. Nap time became my best friend!

We found out I was pregnant pretty much the same way as last time. My period wasn't due for a few days but I was feeling off and sluggish. I just had a feeling I was pregnant. I told Michael to pick up a test, I took it that night and we waited for the results. I asked him if he could read it and he reacted the same as last time. "Oh boy" HAHA. I just laughed. We were both elated and a little nervous. In my previous post I talked about how we traveled to Puerto Rico in November, and there was an outbreak of the Zika virus back in the spring/summertime. We actually wanted to get tested for the virus before trying for a baby but God had other plans for us! So we quickly made an appointment that following Monday with our doctor to get a script for blood work. At this point we already told my sister and our parents so they could keep us in prayer as we prepared to test for Zika.

After we went to the doctor's office we learned that it was only necessary for me to get tested, and we got a stack of papers about the Zika virus and how the test worked. I actually googled up a storm prior to the doctor's appointment and learned about the horrors of the Zika virus to those who are pregnant. I prayed a lot prior to getting the blood work done and after while I was waiting for the results. I waited about a week until we fond out that I tested negative for the test. I felt incredibly relieved and thanked the Lord for answering our prayers! 

The three of us got to hear the baby's heartbeat a couple weeks ago, and last week we were able to see the baby for the first time via ultrasound! Lydia is still not sure what the heck is going on, but I am sure she'll fall in love once the baby is born. We are planning to find out the sex of the baby sometime in April, and would be happy with either a boy or another little girl. I already have a list of names! :) I may or not share the name on here once we've settled on one.  Now that I have finally posted something, I'm going to do my best by keeping you guys updated as I go through my pregnancy!

Friday Love! {6.10.16}

one // These pictures of Lydia eating corn last weekend. She was all about that corn and wasn't about to share with anyone either!

two // Buying 10 plantains for $1.99 and yucca for $0.69 a pound in New Jersey… It made part of me miss living in Jersey. We used a few of the plantains for tostones on Tuesday and now that the rest of them are ripening I'm going to make a pastelon tomorrow! And instead of making yucca fries, I'm going to boil chunks and serve them with mojo because it's been a while!

three // This blog post on protecting your marriage. Such encouraging list of things I know and have heard in different ways but always need reminded of. IE: raying for Michael, doing more of those little things, making time for him, etc. Life gets hectic being a mom, and unfortunately I haven't been making my most important relationship top priority. The list reminded me that I need to spend more time praying for Michael and being present for him. Fortunately we are going on a date tonight by ourselves to catch and spend much needed alone time with one another!

fresh out of the oven; feelin' confident with my results!

the next day after being transferred, prayin' ice cream will cover this up!

four // I learned a little lesson in pie baking. I baked a cherry pie with frozen cherries and it resulted in an extremely loose/watery filling, and then I transferred it all the way to New Jersey. Unfortunately when I took the pie out of the foil it was covered in the cherry filling and the once flaky crust became soggy. While I did have a mini meltdown, the pie was still 100% edible and was an excellent base for ice cream. I learned that next time I will be using fresh cherries in my next pie : )

five // Our CSA begins this Wednesday and I am so excited! It'll be our third year subscribing and I feel much more confident with knowing what to do with all the produce. I got a spiralizer attachment for my Kitchen-Aid on Christmas so I'm seeing a lot of zucchini pasta in the future, and possibly use my juicer to make fresh juices. (Confession: I've had my juicer for 4 years and only used it twice in my life!) Though I might need to do more research on kohlrabi and what the heck to do with it. That vegetable befuddles me. Any suggestions? 

source

six // I made these mini oatmeal cream pies and they were really quite good! I didn't get a chance to take my own picture but I found them to have the perfect balance of sweet & salty, the cream filling was delightful and not too sweet, the cookies had a nice kick from the cinnamon and were exceptionally soft as any oatmeal cookie should be!

Hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

My Method of Meal Planning and What We Ate Last Week

I thought it would a fun post to share how I plan out my dinners for the week. Menu planning is essential in our family because I don't like the feeling of not knowing what's for dinner and I feel more at ease when I have everything decided for the week; that way when I go grocery shopping I avoid buying unnecessary ingredients and not wasting food is such a rewarding feeling! However, if I'm being honest I don't always have a clear idea what to cook on the weekends, those days are either leftover central or something really simple like a grilled cheese or BLT sandwiches or if my in-laws are free we use it as an opportunity to go on a date!

So here's how my planning usually goes.

• On a Saturday I’ll take out a notepad and pen, write down: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Sometimes we eat leftovers in between days, so I usually cook 3-4 dinners a week. Leftovers are wonderful and should not be underestimated because as much as I love to cook, life gets busy!!

•  I seek some inspiration. If I’m having a hard time choosing meals for the week I’ll pick up an issue of Bon Appetit, Every day with Rachael Ray, or Real Simple and check out their recipes. Or I’ll just go onto Pinterest or The Kitchn blog. Sometimes I don’t even use the recipe’s I find but get inspired by the ingredients and flavor profiles.

• I use meal templates. A meal template is like a formula for a meal. For example: fish or chicken + grain or starchy vegetable + roasted vegetable, homemade pizza + salad, tofu/beans stir fry + grains, etc. I like cooking at least one meatless meal a week to save a little money and because sometimes I need a break from eating meat. I like to use meal templates because they help me stay focused, adapt a well-balanced meal and at the same time be changed based on what we're in the mood for. 

• and sometimes I’ll ask Michael if he has any requests! :)

• We typically go grocery shopping on a Sunday afternoon. Most of the time it’s just Whole Foods, sometimes we go to Costco and Whole Foods! My husband is such a trooper and helps keep Lydia entertained while I do my thang. I don’t know where I would be without him;)

• On Sunday evening I schedule the meals for each day of the week and because I’m a silly girl who thinks I own a café I write down the first dinner on our chalkboard wall. 

And that’s it! Hope I can inspire you by sharing what we ate last week based off of my own little method:

Monday:

Turkey Meatloaf with Batata Fries and Roasted Asparagus

Tuesday and Wednesday:

Pork Chops with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Tostones

Thursday: 

Black Bean Burgers with Smoked Gouda Cheese and Sauteed Baby Broccoli with Spinach

Friday:

Grilled Coconut Lime Honey Shrimp, Mango Salsa, Coconut Rice and Blackberry Margaritas to drink. (A rare Friday that I cooked)

I was feeling ambitious last weekend and actually cooked Saturday evening too, the thing is I didn't photograph any of it. My bad it was a late dinner!! We had roasted Korean glazed chicken wings, leftover coconut rice and mango salsa. And on Sunday we ate leftover wings, only I had to make more rice so I made ginger brown rice and huge kale salad. Deeelish!

How do you plan your meals for the week?

A Recap of 2014 and Goals for 2015

This blogpost is somewhat overdue since most people usually share their previous year and/or New Year’s resolutions in the beginning of January and not in the end of January. While I have been loving pregnancy, it has taken a toll on not only my body but my mind and that being said I’ve been having a hard time writing a decent set of sentences. Anyway… last year was a challenging but good year for both Michael and I; and I know this year will without a doubt have its own joys, challenges and adjustments.

Here’s a little recap from last year:

-We moved from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania in early March which was a huge adjustment for me. The first couple of months were especially challenging due to the fact that I was so far from my family and church. I really missed seeing familiar faces and places; my homesickness was painful and hard to shake off. My in-laws really helped by making me feel comfortable and loved in their home, and for encouraging me through this difficult time; which I’m so grateful for.

-My car Lady Azul stopped working and I became accustomed to driving Michael’s Subaru Forester Jorge. I don't know where these Spanish names came from but they stuck for good.

-Zoe the Frenchie became a part of our lives in March and now she’s officially the queen of our house! Since I haven’t been working outside of the home she’s been such a joy in my life and of course a pain in my rear but I wouldn't change her spunky and stubborn bulldog personality for the world. She’s family!

-After a long and stressful house hunting experience, Michael and I bought our first home in May! House hunting was a challenge but after investing time into looking for homes we were able to pinpoint what we truly wanted in a home. After a couple of letdowns we found what we were looking for and our offer was accepted! We moved in the first weekend of June and have been slowly growing into our two-story house just north of Pittsburgh. It’s been really fun actually!

-We joined a C.S.A, (Community Shared/Supported/Sourced Agriculture) with a local organic farm in Butler that started in spring and ended in late autumn. Subscribing to a C.S.A. not only helped us eat more seasonally but it was a wonderful opportunity to support a local business and familiarize us to vegetables we’ve never used before such as garlic scapes and kohlrabi. Each Thursday was exciting because we would receive a new bag of produce and we’re looking forward to start again this upcoming spring!

-We began attending Harvest Bible Chapel in Wexford and soon became involved with serving and going to small group regularly. HBC has been a huge blessing for both of us and we’re so happy to be a part of it.

-I got to make and consume a lot of homemade dairy-free ice cream all summer long! My favorite flavors were roasted strawberry and mint chocolate chip. Just take a look at that melting shot above. Mmm!

-One day in July, I wasn't feeling myself while I was exercising and began to feel cramps in my pelvis. Because I make an effort to always listen to my body, I decided to take a pregnancy test at the end of the week. The test responded with two faint lines and not being too certain I decided to wait it out because my period wasn't due for another week. I told Michael and he was leaning more towards me being pregnant than not, but I was still in denial. I took more tests periodically and they were all positive. I still wasn't 100% convinced until I missed my period! Both of our initial shock has been replaced with overwhelming joy and excitement. I learned from this experience that just because a pregnancy isn't planned doesn't make it any short of a blessing or a miracle for that matter!

-I became a Titi to the sweetest and most adorable little boy ever! My sister gave birth to her son DJ on August 11th. I am not over exaggerating when I say that I love that little monkey with a great portion of my heart! It amazes me how much love people can have for each other and I can't even imagine how much love I'll have for Lydia when she's here. (I already love her!) Sometimes it makes me sad that Aria and I live such a great distance and that Lydia won't be able to see DJ as often as we'd both like. But we will work it out!

-Michael and I celebrated our first year of marriage! On our anniversary we went on a cruise to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Marteens. It was relaxing and fun people watching experience. The highlight of the trip was the hidden self-serve frozen yogurt station by the pool!

-We hosted our first Thanksgiving in our new home! It was a lot of work but thankfully my parents stayed the week, and were able to help us prepare for the holiday and everything came out delicious too. : )

-Michael resurrected my car after nine long months of trial and error. I reunited with Lady Azul just in time for Christmas!

-Speaking of Christmas, 2014 was the first year I broke traditions by spending the holidays in Western Pennsylvania with Michael’s side of the family. Next year we plan on going to Jersey and hope to take turns each year.

Now that we’re in the thick of January here are some goals I’m hoping to fulfill this year:

-Read, study and learn more; whether it’s biblical studying, novel reading or even short stories, I hope this year I’ll fill my head with knowledge, wisdom and information that is most important to me. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in my phone and neglect my brain from getting the nourishment and fulfillment it desires!

-Photograph and share successful recipes that I've been developing on the blog; such as cookies, pierogis, soups and even Puerto Rican inspired dishes. Last year I truly fell short of this goal but I really, really want to make an effort in documenting recipes and capturing them through my camera rather than my cellphone.  I know the more recipes I share; the more inspired I’ll be to write more!

-Go on more small but lovely adventures with Michael before Lydia is born. I know her arrival will be anything but the end of the world, but at the same time she will require much if not all of our attention in the early stages and I want to use these next couple of months to spend lots of quality time with him. I mean he is my favorite person after all… I think going on day trips, finishing up some house project, going to the gym and indulging in cuddling would do just the trick!

-Make an effort to be a friend. I believe myself to be a nice person and all but I've been so reserved for so long that I haven’t allowed myself to make any friends. I know this is something that not only affects me but also affects Michael. He wants me be able to hang out with other women and to freely share passions, interests and ideas with. As much as I love being alone, I still crave long lasting friendships. Don’t we all though? As an introvert this is my goal EVERY year. But I hope that this year will be different for me, and that I can be more outgoing and willing to be a friend to others.

-I mentioned my cellphone in 1 & 2. I hope to pick up my phone less and I know this is one of those things that are easier said than done. It’ll actually require self-discipline! I think that naturally Lydia will help me reach less for my phone but I definitely want to make it a priority so that I can keep her and Michael as my main focuses.

-Write more on this blog. Write more on this blog. I’ll type it again, write more on this blog! I need to seriously make a schedule for myself to follow because whatever I’m doing now isn't working. My current content is totally inconsistent and not getting me very far at all.  I hope and pray that by setting a blogging schedule that I will fulfill my blogging goals and potentially establish more viewers that aren't just my parents and husband!

Currently these are all I can muster at the moment but I’m sure more goals will come to mind as this year progresses. In the meantime I won’t be placing too much on my plate since I’ll be a mom in two months! My goal right now is to enjoy life, continue carrying a healthy baby and accepting whatever challenges that will come after our Lydia is born. I’m confident that this year won’t be easy but all my trust will be placed in God. He will equip the both of us with love, patience and everything else new parents so desperately need. I’m not worried just excited and anticipating this next journey in our lives!

xo, Jessica

Lingering thoughts

Hi everyone!

Last post I spoke about my eating habits and how I seemed to be feeling lethargic/meh/bored with my choices. I’ve actually followed the little guidelines I wrote down in my previous post and can honestly say I feel a lot better consuming less sugar, caffeine and wheat. And guess what? I haven’t touched a bowl of cereal before bed in nearly two weeks! BUT,  I will admit I did bake a cake in the middle of the week and had a slice or two :x though, I am not guilty about it! I’m glad I’ve been more conscious of my whole food intake and believe that a delicious piece of peach upside down cake (I didn’t take pictures, sorry guys!) is okay to indulge in once in a while. The cool thing is that the cake I made contained two whole eggs! After eating the cake I did not feel cramps in my stomach at all. It was kind of like a victorious moment considering eggs have been absent in my diet for well over a year. I’m incredibly intrigued to try a whole egg fresh out of the pan with a sprinkle of herbs and salt + pepper. Will it upset me? I won’t know if I try it and that’ll be another story for another day...

Other than eating, this week I’ve been finishing up my premarital homework and have come across some very interesting realizations. The chapters that stood out to me focused on evaluating your prayer life and bible study practice. It helped me realize the areas in my life that I needed to improve and to seek God for strength in those places. I learned that I need to pray more through all areas in my life, for the people I love, the president, our nation and the world's events. I learned that prayer grants us with the spirit of wisdom. (Ephesians 1:17) The wisdom needed to discern false teachings and to comprehend the mystery of the gospel to share with unbelievers. (Ephesians 6:19)  Overall the whole study on prayer and bible reading opened my eyes to be more involved with my relationship with Jesus, and I was so blessed to have received that wakeup call through those chapters. I really look forward to Wednesday when we actually go over our notes as a couple with our counselors, Esperanza and Mike.
Well that’s all I have on my mind today, perhaps I’ll have a recipe of the delicious smoothies now that the weather is finally heating up. Aren’t you glad summer is here? I know I am!!

-Jessica

Hmmm.

Right now I’m feeling a little tired… I woke up earlier than usual so I could make breakfast, eat it, read my bible and then go get blood work done. But unfortunately that didn’t happen because when I went to leave the last person who used my car pushed the emergency break up really far up. I blame having such poor grip in the morning because it was utterly impossible for me to push it down! So the blood work didn’t happen. I did eat breakfast though and I got to read my bible, so that was good! I also read a very old book my mom let me borrow on having a happy Christian marriage. I am finding it refreshing because of its ageless advice! There’s nothing dated about treating your partner with the respect he deserves or being proactive about having proper communication. The author also said that you shouldn’t complain about your partner’s shortcomings and weaknesses with your mom, sister or best friend. But instead share those concerns with Jesus and of course your partner!
Quite honestly I don’t know where Michael and I would be if we didn’t discuss our concerns with one another. I always feel a sense of freedom and relief when we tell each other the truth about how we feel. The next chapter is about spiritual adjustments which should be really good! In other news today Michael and I are going to check out one of the catering places we had our eyes on. We are hoping to make a menu we both love and that goes with our style without compromising our budget. All in all things in wedding land are coming along quite marvelously! I ordered my dress a couple weeks ago, we settled on a venue and I think I’m starting to develop a clearer vision of how I want everything to look. But first I just need to share those visions with my fiancé! ;)
Until next time!
-Jessica