Whirlwind!

Wow, the big Italy trip is here already. By the time we get back, October will be practically behind us. Where has the time gone? Some people say that pregnancy drags on and on, but I have to say that it seems to be flying. I'm 18 weeks today. We will find out 'officially' what we're having in about two weeks, but we have pretty strong suspicions.

I have been a very bad blog-mama lately, neglecting my poor little site. Put that on the must-do list that seems to be growing exponentially. As soon as I'm back I will post lots of photos of the trip and hopefully get back into my blog routine. Wish me luck on my very long flight, and I hope everyone enjoys the lovely weather that fall brings. Ciao!

What's going on?

Every day for the past week I've thought, 'I really need to write on my blog.' Guess I've been busy. I am making progress (slowly but surely) on the Alchemy mohair project - size 1 needles, remember? But now I have realized that because of how long it has taken me to get on track with it, by the time it's finished I will have to find another model for it. I'm not showing yet to other people, but by then, I don't know. And my shape is definitely starting to change even though I haven't gained any weight yet. So I will have to enlist a friend to do the photos so that I can go ahead and publish. I am still thinking that this will be my first self-published pattern, unless something comes up before then and I decide to publish elsewhere instead. I am also working on another project that I can't say much about right now because it's going to be a gift.

We find out in one month whether we will be having a boy or a girl. I have my suspicions, but surprisingly, I don't have a preference either way. We plan on having more than one child, so with the first, there's no pressure! Of course we'd like to have both. The other big thing coming up between now and then is that we're taking a family trip to Italy! We're going with my sister and parents, who have never been, and we'll be there for about a week. I'm starting to get really excited. The main concern right now is what I'm going to pack. I've already had to split up my closet into clothes that still fit and clothes that must be retired for now. My jeans all still fit because they are really low-rise and they don't interfere with my mid-section. However, I don't think jeans are particularly comfortable to travel in, so I'm going to have to come up with another solution. I guess I need to buy a pair of maternity pants, although it still seems early for that. I tried on a cheap pair at Target and they were HUGE. The weather should be really nice, like 60s and 70s, so maybe I'll just stick to easy day dresses, which would travel well anyway.

Tonight my family is coming over for dinner and I'm making my lentils again. It probably seems like I make that more often than I actually do, because I've mentioned it the past few times I've made it. Actually it's been a while, and the dish is back by popular demand (Mom). One of my very favorite things to make recently has been apple-cheddar sandwiches. They are delicious, and so simple. I use sourdough bread, lightly toasted. Then, layer shavings or slices of x-sharp cheddar cheese and the crispest, best apples you can get. Honeycrisp are great. Granny Smiths will work, but are a tiny bit too tart for this. Fujis are good if you can find decent ones (not from New Zealand, unless you live there!). It's crucial that the apples be very crunchy and not too soft or mealy. Anyway, I use a good kitchen slicer to shave the apple into fine slices, and layer that with the cheese. Then, for a 'dressing' I spread a mustard sauce on one of the slices of bread. To make this, mix plum jam, whole-grain mustard, a little salt, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. This is a truly great, casual sandwich. You can pop it in a warm oven to bring the cheese to room-temp or a little warmer, but you really don't want to melt it. It's great alone or with a cup of soup or a little salad. Now is the perfect time for them too, because once the apples go out of season, it's just not nearly as good.