Halfway there!

I am officially at the halfway point in my pregnancy... 20 weeks! The baby is now about 6.5 inches long and almost 11 ounces. I had my doctor's appointment this week and found out that my 18-week ultrasound and blood screenings all came back perfect! So I am thankful for that. I also found out that my placenta is in the front, which is the reason why I haven't felt a lot of movement yet. Apparently an "anterior placenta" acts as a cushion in the front, causing it to take longer to feel the baby move. And here I thought she was just a mellow little girl... nope! She's as active as can be, moving all around.

I'm still feeling great, just starting to grow more! My weight gain is now at 12 lb, thanks to all my holiday indulgences. :) Not too bad, considering. We had a wonderful Christmas, and it was so much fun watching Hudson open his "prensents" and get really into it this year. Next year we will be celebrating with another little person!

A Few Recipes...

Here are a few things I made over the holidays that were crowd-pleasers!

Filet au Poivre, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Potatoes au Gratin, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

(I added a pinch of nutmeg to mine.)

Butter Toffee, courtesy of... yes, the Pioneer Woman

(I topped mine with hazelnuts, sea salt & almonds)

(What are quickly becoming) my "famous" Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

And a Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Tomato & Basil Tart

(from our cooking class earlier this month)

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 Puff Pastry Squares

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 oz. goat cheese

• 8 heirloom tomatoes, halved

• 4 oz. fresh basil

• 2 oz. reduced balsamic vinegar

Filling

• Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.

• Add thinly sliced onions and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• With a fork, dock center of each pastry square. Then top the pastry with caramelized onions, basil

leaves, tomatoes and goat cheese on top.

• Put pastry in oven and bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden

brown around the edges.

• Remove from oven when done and top with chiffonade basil and reduced balsamic.

I would highly recommend any of these recipes!!

Family Photos 2010

Here are some family photos we had taken by my cousin, Jon. You can view his blog here.