Dill Pickle Dip + News!

Well... I've got some news. I've been baking something other than cookies for a little while now.

Some of you might have even suspected from my Instagram {Tummy troubles? Ginger ale? Where are all the weekend cocktails?} & lack of posting that something's been going on. So, I'm here to confirm that there is indeed some "Baby Prep" on the horizon for our little family!

Tomorrow will mark 14 weeks of baking for this little {stud} muffin and I'm still in a bit of disbelief! {We totally cheated and took a special blood test at 10 weeks that revealed the sex of the baby... a BOY!} I imagine this growing belly will help make it a bit more real soon enough.

I've always been extremely honest about the fact that, while children have been part of what I've imagined for my family in the future, having a baby has been a more difficult idea to wrap my brain around. It's one of those things that was VERY distant hope for my life. As in, "One day, I hope to start a family." When "one day" actually arrives, it can be somewhat unnerving! {Plus, we all know how I well I deal with change.}

As a result, as much as I am beyond thrilled and grateful to be able to experience this very precious and life- changing event, I'm also still "me." I'm telling you this because I don't ever want anyone to misinterpret my frankness and think that I don't realize how much of a blessing it is to be in this position.

But, at the same time, some people are born to be mommies in all their glowing, expectant glory, craving tiny belongings and diaper bags and nighttime feedings right along with their pickles and ice cream. And some people {hi.} realize that in order to get to the desired result {i.e. a child who will one day be old enough to wipe his or her own tush and have a conversation with} there must be swollen ankles and sleep deprivation and so.very.much.poop. Where some might think of all the warm fuzzy things that come with motherhood, I've always generally given the most thought to the reality of the situation -- the things that must be passed through and survived.

Does that sound terrible? I hope not. I love a tiny, squishy baby as much as the next gal, I really do. When my dear friend gave birth to her son a few years ago, I would visit her and put that sweet baby on my chest while he snoozed peacefully, breathing in his baby smell thinking, "This feeling should be bottled and sold." And he didn't even belong to me.

I am excited about being able to sniff my own baby boy. No, wait. That probably doesn't sound right. But you know what I mean.

Pregnancy has been an interesting new experience in my life which -- as you know--  mostly revolves around food. As I've watched many of my favorite bloggers navigate the ups and downs of expecting, I always secretly prayed that I would be spared of the tummy troubles that often come as part of the package deal in the event that I should ever become pregnant. Because it's difficult to make, write about and photograph food when you can barely entertain the idea of a grilled cheese sandwich.

And so... around the 5 week mark, the struggle began with balancing my desire to continue to cook and post with the complete disgust I was feeling for food in general. Hence my disappearing act from blogging and social media for a while.

Oddly, the things I couldn't stand to look at were the things I couldn't get enough of in the first few weeks. I went from intense cravings for healthy things like chickpeas, broccoli rabe and greens of all kinds to hardly mustering enough appetite to nibble on some dry toast. Nausea 24/7 is a plight I do not wish upon my worst enemy. I am so very grateful that this only lasted a few weeks, and that the nausea never progressed into full blown sickness because that would have rendered me completely useless {as opposed to only partially useless}.

Because Mother Nature is a wise and benevolent soul, I'm happy to report that my appetite has fully returned and that I hope to keep up the posting for the remainder of my pregnancy. That doesn't mean you won't see some weird combinations at some point, but I'll do my best to keep it fun for all around here.

I also vow not to go full-on Mama Mode on you now that there's a bun in the oven. When there's an update or a preggo-heavy post happening, I'll label it with "Baby Prep" so that those of you who aren't interested in hearing about heartburn, cravings and nurseries will have a red flag to skip directly to the recipe. Sound fair?

Anyway, I'm glad the news is finally out because I'm terrible at keeping secrets! I'm so thankful to have you on this journey with me and can't wait to introduce you to my little sous-chef come November!

Until then... here's to healthy appetites, nights of uninterrupted slumber {minus all the bathroom breaks} and great expectations for the future. xo

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I had to do it. Something totally cliche as far as pregnancy goes: Pickles.

To be completely honest, I have ALWAYS been a fan of pickles. I could easily eat them by the jar. So I can't blame the pickle love on the baby. 

But I have found that tart and vinegary things have become even more appealing now that I'm pregnant. Tart grapes, pepperoncini, grapefruit, lemonade... there's just something about that lip-puckering taste that makes my tummy happy.

Here's something I discovered quickly: Many pickles and pickled peppers contain yellow #5 to give them that traditional green color. Yuck. If I'm not going to indulge in sushi, wine or imported cheese, then I'm certainly not going to purposely eat boatloads of artificial coloring. 

Luckily, Claussen knows what's up. They're the pickles you can find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, and I am forever grateful to them for not buckling under the pressure of keeping pickles Kermit green. They're crunchy, flavorful and delicious. Though I'm still eating them sparingly, I really enjoy them as a salty, vinegary treat! 

So, why not turn them into a dip? 

If you're not pregnant and/or you're not pickle-lover {i.e. my little sister, who gags at the mere mention}, you may have stopped reading at the first mention of pickles. But if you're among my pickle-loving friends, rejoice. This is the stuff that dilly dreams are made of. :)

Dill Pickle Dip 

Ever-so-slightly adapted from Barefeet in the Kitchen, originally from Foodie with Family

1 package {8 oz.} cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups dill pickles, finely chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
2 -3 tablespoons pickle juice from jar {more for thinner dip, less for thicker}
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of pepper

1. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients. {I used a hand held mixer to make sure everything was well combined. This will break up the pickles a little more, but I didn't mind that. If you'd like to put some muscle into it, mix with a spoon.}

2. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for an hour or more for flavors to marry. Serve with crackers, crudites or whatever you're craving! ;)