Experimenting with New Toys

Luke gave me a pasta roller that connects to my Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas this year.  I wasn't really sure about it at first, not because I didn't appreciate the gift.  I just didn't know how it would work.  I remember when my mom would make egg noodles a long time ago, it was almost an all day event and a huge mess.

Today, I finally attempted to make some fettuccine noodles.  The recipe I had called for duram semolina flour....which, I found out was impossible to find around here.  (Thinking about it now, I bet I could have found some at Fresh Market.)  So I used whole wheat flour.  Healthy pasta!  :)  I asked Luke to help me because I was a little intimidated and knew I would not get as frustrated if he was also partly responsible.  With a little modification of the recipe, it turned out great.  (I found out that I really need to invest in a sifter if I am going to be doing projects like this.)  It took us a little while to catch on to the process, and we did make a huge mess, but the noodles looked and tasted good.  And...the batch made enough for 3 more meals.  I froze the extra for another day.

We were starving by the time we were finally done.  A good hearty pasta meal was perfect!

The Jacksonville Zoo

 

Looks like someone I know at home...

 

 

23 weeks

I'm having fun being pregnant.  I'm feeling the baby move around a lot.  Luke has even been able to feel him.  It's so weird to see my belly move around when the baby moves.  It's made the whole thing much more real to me.  I've been anxious to get started on the nursery.  My first step is to clean out the room, which is full of boxes of books right now.  I'm having Luke make me some shelves to put up on the walls to display childrens' books.  I also started a baby registry at Babies R Us.  It's not finished, and there are some things on it that I'm not sure if I really want before we go to Japan.  I thought it would be good to start organizing what the baby is going to need.  My next step is to find a half dresser that I can use as a changing table.  I'm hoping to find something on Craig's List.

A Relaxing Snowy Day

I’m so excited that I got to see snow this year!

Our Christmas adventure continues with driving up to Indiana with Luke’s parents.  We made it a two day trip, which I am very thankful for.  As we arrived, I was disappointed to see that all the snow had melted.  But I got my winter weather fix when it started snowing on Thursday morning.

 Thursday was a beautiful day!  Luke and I met Jenna (an old friend from school) at the local diner for breakfast.  It was a great time catching up with her and eating a hearty (translate: HUGE) Indiana breakfast.  Then, Luke dropped me off at home and went to the high school to eat lunch with a few of his teachers he stays in touch with.  I sat at home and enjoyed a book by the fire and watched all the snow come down.  (I also fit in a long nap!)

 When Luke got home, we went out to a really neat used bookstore and had coffee next door at Java Jack’s.  We got some great books for the baby’s nursery and for both of us to enjoy (2 bags full for ~$30!)

 Later in the day, Luke’s mom brought home a bag of baby boy clothes that one of her employees (another friend from Luke’s school) gave to me.  It was so fun to go through a bunch of unused clothing for the baby.  One outfit matched a sweater Luke got for Christmas.  SO CUTE!

This was an outfit given to us by Luke's grandparents for Christmas.

 It was such a great and relaxing day!