Sweet Little Niece

Recently we had the joy of taking portraits of my precious little niece, Abigail. Though 8 months of pregnancy can make a person feel a little awkward and grouchy, I was still able to get some pretty good shots.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I thought I would update my list of favorite things during pregnancy.

Smoothies

I heart smoothies, especially ones made by my beloved husband!  For some reason, when I get a hold of that blender it just doesn’t come out right. But Nguyen has a magic touch when I comes to smoothies. So, whenever he offers I accept. I also place special orders from time to time. The blended goodness of fresh fruit, yogurt, maybe some cream… and whatever else Nguyen puts in it is just delightful! Extra delightful on very warm days like today when I have a fan blowing in my face and I am still not cooling off.

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies

So, not too long ago I was at Nguyen’s office and found in his mini-fridge a secret stash of Girl Scout cookies. I was dismayed that he would keep such a treasure from me! He said he was waiting to tell me about them until after I had my gestational diabetes test. (Sure) So, since I passed my test and my sugar is good, he released a box to me. Ahhh, the goodness of Thin Mints! I have to use every bit of self-control not to down an entire sleeve in one sitting. I usually do a very good job of portioning out one serving and putting the box away. But every once in a while, the self-control wanes and before I know it I’m blaming imaginary creatures for stealing the rest of the box! Thanks husband for helping to limit my temptations! You know me so well!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Nguyen made some of the best chicken salad the other day and now I can’t get enough. I usually pass on trying this dish in Asian restaurants because it sometimes contains items that are foreign to me. (Hehe!) Jelly fish and lotus stems are not my favorite.  But he made a really simple salad with just fresh boiled pulled chicken, slivered onions, cilantro and green onions with a lime sauce. Other ingredients typically found in Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Gio Ga) are mung bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, spearmint, and Vietnamese coriander leaves. It is so good! I think I might have some again tonight.

Hand-me-down Maternity Clothes

My sister had a baby a few months ago and passed along all of her maternity clothes to me. She is a wonderfully generous person. When I first got them and tried them on, I thought to myself “There is no way I will EVER fit into these. They swallow me!” Well, I am eating those words now. I am SO thankful she shared her stash because I definitely fit into them. That’s right, 9 inches (and counting) of extra belly can fill up quite a bit of fabric. Now I know.

Sonograms

I truly cherish the days when we are able to see our little baby’s face! Well, I haven’t seen that much of his face… He’s a little camera shy. But just seeing him in his squished and contorted positions brings a tear to me eye.

Baby Blankets

We have had a couple of baby showers now, and I have realized that I have an obsessive love of baby blankets! I love how soft and cute and small they are. I can just imagine swaddling my little baby in them. We have received quite a few as gifts and I really love them. I’m trying to pick out the one I want him to come home from the hospital in!

Measuring Tape

This might sound strange, but I have a measuring tape specifically for measuring body parts. It has a snap on it so that it will stay in place. Since I have been pregnant I have measured from time to time to see how much my baby belly has grown. Well, now that I am growing so fast, it has become a game we play several times a week. We see how much I have grown. Most recently, 1/2 inch in about 3 days! And we have a month and a half left!

Belly Waves

Similar to the above mentioned game Nguyen and I play, we also love to watch my belly move. Yes, we are now the point where my belly will do the wave! I have even found myself starring at my belly and watching it move while company was over. So, it might not be the greatest party game, but it sure does keep me entertained! I can’t wait til he’s big enough that we can see his footprint stick out!

It’s All In A Name

In anticipation for the arrival of little Ethan, I have planned out many crafty baby projects. I have not accomplished as much as I would have liked, but I have recently completed one that I am really excited about. Nguyen and I have discussed many different ideas for how to display Ethan’s name above his crib. Nguyen came up with a unique idea that I really liked. It seemed easy enough, so I picked out the paper and cut it all out. I was really pleased with the final result. And then Nguyen photographed the event and made it look even better!

A Growing Baby!

As you can probably tell by the countdown at the top of the blog, we are getting REALLY close to having a baby! Well, I guess its the closest we have ever been! We had another sonogram and our little baby is growing! (So is his mommy!) He is appr. 3 pounds and 9 ounces which puts him right on schedule for his due date. In less than 2 months, we will have a cute little bundle of joy with a head full of hair!

Mommy’s First Baby Shower

YAY! My first baby shower! It was a morning filled with lovely people and lovely baby things! The lovely hostesses had beautiful decorations and WONDERFUL food. Brunch-slash-breakfast food is one of my favorites! Our friends and family have been SO generous with helping us get ready for little Ethan. We are truly blessed to have the love and support of so many!

Ethan Letter Frames

Daddy’s First Baby Shower

Ethan had his first big party. It was a surprise baby shower at Nguyen’s work! The sad part is that Ethan and I couldn’t make it. To get us there but keep the surprise, one of Nguyen’s co-workers invited us out to lunch. Well, I just started a new job and couldn’t make lunch, but the party must go on. So, Daddy Nguyen got to enjoy the goodness of his son’s first baby shower and opened all the gifts himself!

Thank you Nicole, for taking so many pictures! I was sad at first as I scrolled through the photos and thought of all the fun I missed. But about the third or forth time through, I just got so giggly watching Nguyen open gift after gift and show off the new toy. I could just imagine him asking “What is this thing?” or “What are you supposed to do with this?” How many guys get their very own baby shower!? I would think not many. But he was surrounded by many baby experts! What a treat for him to experience and I know it pleased his co-workers to give such a gift as the first ever baby shower!

Thank you to ALL who planned and participated! You were so generous in helping us to get ready for little Ethan!

Spring Roll Madness

As some of you know, Vietnamese spring rolls are one of my most favorite dishes. They are super simple and so much fun to eat with other people. It’s what I – and most other people – call a communal (or family) meal, one where everyone shares from the main pot. Nguyen introduced this type of eating to me long ago. It is a part of his family’s culture and I love sharing it with our friends and family. Communal meals are generally slow-paced, cook as you eat type meals. They are designed for fellowship and conversation. Nguyen says their is even a specific Vietnamese word for this type of meal because it is such an integral part of the culture.

Spring rolls can vary greatly from beef or pork to fish or other seafood. Pretty much anything. Among our favorites is a very simple beef and shrimp roll. The flavors are simple and not masked by any sort of marinade or spice. It is accompanied by fresh herbs, cucumber and green apple. Traditionally spring rolls are eaten with a lemon sauce (actually lime, but called lemon). However, we make a peanut/hoisin dipping sauce to go with it. All this goodness is wrapped in a sheet of rice paper, which is not actually made from rice but mostly tapioca.  The table is set with all the raw ingredients around hot cooking surface such as an electric skillet, hot plate, or portable electric burner with a skillet. Cook, wrap, eat, share, repeat, enjoy!

The basic recipe for two is as follows:

1/2 lb raw shrimp

1/2 lb beef (anything that is not too fatty and that can be sliced very thinly)

1 green apple sliced thinly(or another tart fruit like starfruit)

1 cucumber sliced thinly

1 head green leaf lettuce

1 onion sliced

cilantro

rice paper

butter

optional: fresh pepper, fresh mint, other herbs

Sauce

1 part peanut butter to 2-3 parts hoisin sauce

sprinkle of garlic powder

dash of chili garlic sauce or sambal

add warm water 1 tb at a time until a nice dipping consistency (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

adjust peanut butter and hoisin sauce to taste

-I just play with the ratios until I like the taste and its not too thick. Start off with about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter then expand as needed.

To Cook:

1. Add onions and tab of butter to hot cooking surface – medium to low heat – adjust temperature to suit your eating pace (it takes a few minutes for the onions to get nice and caramelized… that’s the way I like them to best. I put them on first so that by my second or so roll they are nice and cooked)

2. Add meat and shrimp

3. Add more butter when the surface looks a little dry

To Roll Rice Paper:

Rolling techniques vary from person to person. You have to find something that works for you and it does take a little practice. The end result should look similar to a tightly rolled egg roll or mini burrito. Wet the rice paper in a bowl of water. It takes just a few moments for the paper to soften enough to begin to roll. You can lay it on a plate or just roll it in your hand.

My method – Fold moistened rice paper almost in half. Lay it in right hand (I’m a lefty). Add lettuce, cucumber, apple and cilantro perpendicular to fingers. Add 2-3 slices of beef and two shrimp on top of veggies. Fold rice paper from bottom of hand over and under part of the filling. Then I roll up my hand towards my fingers. I pull the paper tightly around the filling so that it doesn’t fall out as I dip in the sauce.

Nguyen’s Method - This is Nguyen here guest authoring this section of the post. Please skip this section if you’re not a visual/spacial learner. I’ll likely over explain this process. I hold my rice paper with the rough side up. Like Emily, I valley fold my sheet of spring roll wrapper not quite in half… leaving about 1-2 inches of the rough side exposed. I drape the folded wrapper lengthwise along my left hand. With my hand in front of me, palm up, and my fingers pointing right, the folded edge of the paper is away from me. I layer my ingredients off centered to the right and perpendicular to my fingers. If I visually divided the paper surface into 4 sections, left to right, the ingredients would be cradled in the curls of my fingers at section 3 with the short flap to the right. Generally I’d layer with lettuce at the bottom, other veggies and fruits, onions, and then meat(s). The veggies at the bottom is to prevent the hot meat from burning my hands. I like to leave fold or tear my lettuce in large enough pieces that it extends well into section 2… that is, covering 50-70% of the rice paper and making sure to leave a couple of inches of the rice paper on the left exposed. The flat slices of meat on top will help sandwich the thinner, and sometimes more slippery, ingredients in the center. At this point I will occasionally add a leafy something atop the meat slices… maybe a few leaves of basil. Then I would use my right hand to fold the short finger-side flap of rice paper over the filling.  Here’s the hard part. With the ingredients pinched by my right hand, I would rotate the whole thing clockwise 90 degrees. At this point, the entire thing would be cradled in my fingers of both hands and my thumbs would be pressing down the short flap that is securing the filling. The ingredients would now be sideways and parallel to my fingers. The larger flap of rice paper would be draped over my index fingers. I use my thumbs and index fingers to tighten as I roll upward and away from me. Sometimes, I would free my index fingers from below the wrapper to aid in tightening my roll. The end result would have filling in the middle and lettuce somewhat uniformly distributed all around. This way the wetter ingredients like the meat and cucumbers won’t make parts of the rice paper too soggy, the sharper ingredients like the apple or starfruit wont tear the rice paper, and each bite is more consistent in texture. The roll also comes out more uniform. That’s it. Was that confusing?  OK, now back to Emily.

This meal is so much fun! You can find all of these ingredients at a local super market (Wal-Mart even carries this stuff).

I hope I have inspired someone to be brave and try something new. Hopefully Nguyen and I will be able to share this experience with more of you soon!

Cousin Togetherness

We were recently able to share a delightful dining experience of spring rolls with my darling cousin Allison. It was her first time and she did a phenomenal job! Nguyen and I were both impressed.

YAY for sharing spring rolls!