Welcome to Wednesday! Yesterday I found it hard to believe it was only Tuesday. Today, I dread the fact that tomorrow is already Thursday. Why? Because we will be leaving around 10 pm to drive overnight to the Philadelphia area. If you can, go ahead and add safe travels for us to your prayers. I really don’t want M to grow up without parents. Okay, that may be a bit melodramatic, but I have to admit to freaking out. Remember one of my three fears is the gut feeling that one day I will be in some sort of terrible car-wreck? Driving overnight for 12 hours stokes the fire. I might conveniently forget about the pesky “no or limited caffeine during pregnancy” rule. Then again, maybe not. Adrenaline is more powerful than coffee.

Enough of that discussion. Today I managed to turn my day around for the better, so I can turn my fear into reason as well. When I saw today’s 30 Days of Insight topic for the blog, something powerful hit me. The topic = what is your vision of paradise? My answer = what you make of your current life. I don’t know where that answer came from. Directly from the heavens? Who knows. One thing I do know is I am not nearly that profound at 6:30 am. Wherever it came from, I’ll take it. I greatly needed that message today because the day was not starting out on the best of feet.

I awoke still feeling wrong. I don’t know if I would classify myself as sick. I don’t have a fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, or anything of that nature. My body simply aches. Something fierce at that. I do occasionally feel some stomach ache symptoms, but nothing really happens. I started getting down in the dumps, knowing I would not push attempting a workout in this state, even though I could really use one to help with traveling stress. Then, I thought about Paradise. I could take the easy route and picture paradise as lying on a tropical beach with a magical margarita (that somehow was safe for fetuses). Or I could imagine standing in line at a CVS with some pain medicine safe for pregnancy that actually works. Sorry, Tylenol. You just don’t cut it for me. However, neither of those played out in my mind. Instead, I pictured my day, my current situation, and what I wanted to make of it. I say it turned out pretty good.

I took the extra time I had from not working out to play with little M. We even cleaned up the living room and playroom. I utilized the “pick up some yellow/red/pink things” game. I’m so sneaky. Hehehe.

I scheduled in some productivity on the computer by preparing for tomorrow’s Examine article, catching up on emails, visiting bloggers to return the love and support I receive, brainstorming more on my September plan for the blog, and other random tidbits.

I conquered the laundry and dishes that battle me on a daily basis. And tossed in some toilet bowl cleaning for good measure. I ran errands to the store, bank, and library. Shockingly, I left the library empty handed. I’m finding less time to read and only want to read books I am thoroughly interested in. Other things need my focus right now.

I devoured a delicious lunch. Mushroom burger with tomato, pickles, and laughing cow on a sandwich thin, Grapes and raspberries (my current fruit obsessions) on the side. That right there is paradise.

I even managed to finish the teensy weensy invites I shared on Sunday for my friend’s lingerie shower AND pick up the wedding present for the wedding we are attending this weekend. So what if I procrastinated and had to get something off the registry?

Lastly, I remembered to share my Hawaiin Tofu recipe and Tofu Xpress review with you all. The gist of my review = If you make tofu at home, buy the Tofu Xpress NOW. It really does such a great job at pressing all the water out.

The texture of the tofu surpassed any other time I have prepared it. It was also much easier not having to press the ‘fu using bowls, paper towels, and other homemade contraptions. I’m so thankful the kind people at Tofu Xpress sent this to me for review. Please note that I am not compensated for the review and was given the press for free solely for reviewing purposes.

Now, the “recipe”. It’s not really a recipe. More a marinade. I mixed up the following to create a Hawaiin flavored marinade.

• 2T honey
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger

After pressing the tofu, I sliced it into long strips about 1/2” thick. I allowed the strips to marinate in the mixture for around 30 minutes. From there, I simply seared the tofu in a medium heat pan for about 3 minutes per side. You could also bake it at 350 for around 30 minutes, turning halfway though. I honestly prefer baked tofu but was using the oven to roast up veggies – sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

My two favorites. You know? I’ve come to realize something. That dinner may well be the source of my “What is paradise?” enlightenment this morning. Nah. I know where my inspiration and answers come from. 😉

• Favorite marinade mix?
• Your paradise? Beach, mountains, with a certain someone, etc?
• Any love you got to give. 🙂

Mark your calendars! August 26th will be here faster than we think. For what? To find out if the baby bean is a boy or a girl. What a great birthday present, since my birthday is the 23rd. I can’t wait. Even though I already know it’s a boy. Okay I don’t really know, but it’s what I think. Mother’s instinct counts for something, right?  Just as the instinct to listen to my body counts for something.

As I mentioned before, I do not feel it is important to know the # on the scale or how much gain I have during pregnancy. I trust that I will gain just what I need to for the baby by listening to my body, eating when hungry, eating what I crave, making healthy food choices most of the time, and being moderately active. I simply want to know if my gain is healthy or if it needs to be adjusted one way or the other.

I told all this to my nurse when she weighed me. She said everything looks perfectly healthy and that I stayed the same. Didn’t I just say don’t tell me anything? I told her I didn’t need to know that and she made a point that the midwife might want to mention it. Okay. Fine. The midwife did mention it. She said everything looks great but there will need to be some gain by the next visit. I had to assure her I’m not afraid to gain weight. Heck no! This whole thing isn’t because I’m afraid of the scale. I just don’t believe in it. I trust my body. My 90/64 blood pressure, strong baby heartbeat, and popping belly tell me all is well. That is what I need to know. Not a number on the scale. Plus, my body went through this same process with baby M. I gained most of my weight then during months 5-7.

She should also know that I do eat. Within 10 minutes of getting home from my appointment I inhaled this large bowl of deliciousness. Quaker Oat Squares + Blueberry Crisp cereal.

I have yet another thing to mark my calendar for. On Monday I am finally getting to the hair salon. My hair seriously demands a trim. I also am wavering with the idea of getting my hair died back to its natural color. I either need to do that or get highlights done again since my roots are B.A.D. I am sick with the upkeep (and cost!) of highlights. How do you think I would look with slightly darker hair? Not dark because my natural color is sort of a dark blonde, very light brown.

Now one last day to open up on your calendars. A day to whip up the Stuffed Bell Peppers I made last night. I will admit something. I learned that I don’t care for cooked peppers. I adore raw peppers, but the cooked wasn’t for me. However, the filling made me quite proud. So, if you like cooked peppers, this is a winner for you! If you don’t like cooked peppers…make a batch of the filling and use it in a wrap or just eat it out of a bowl with some extra veggies. Yum!

1. Take your bell peppers and slice them around the top, pulling out the center, membranes, and seeds.

2. Place them topside down in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic and microwave 2 minutes to soften the peppers.

3. Dice up onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Sautee in a pan with a smidge of olive oil until tender.

4. Add tomato sauce and brown rice to the veggies. Stir evenly. PS – love the No Sugar Added Ragu. Much cheaper than other tomato sauces with recognizable ingredients. This girl’s on a budget!

5. Simmer mixture for an extra 5-10 minutes. Spoon evenly into the four bell peppers. Bake for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven.

6. Let cool and eat! The filling had so much flavor. And would be good with so many different veggies.

Ingredients (Refer above for how to use them)
- 4 bell peppers big enough to hold filling
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 large zucchini
- 10-15 baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 c tomato sauce
- 2 c cooked brown rice

Time for me to wrap up this post. A thought to leave you with…Never forget all the blessings you have in this life. Food to eat, a shelter to live in, a body to move, people to love, and so much more. All we should ask of God is our “daily bread” or our daily needs. Yet he gives us so much more, including his own son. Not because we deserve it or because he has to. Simply because He loves us. Help that thought cheer up your day. And know that I love you and sincerely hope you all have joy in your lives.

• What is a food you thought you would love, but realized you didn’t? I used to adore cooked peppers so I was shocked last night. I still had a great dinner though.
• What things or thoughts help cheer you up and bring you joy?
• Help on the hair decision! Please!

Please CLICK to read my tips on staying cool in the heat. This one goes for anyone! Click click click!