Pomegranates... Emma's favorite food

So during my pregnancy I haven't really had any "cravings" besides one insatiable need for pomegranates... My first few attempts at enjoying this strange fruit were less than classy, causing stains on my clothing and a frustrating desire to have more than just a few seeds in my mouth at one time... So in my quest to find the perfect way to peel it I came across a wonderful method that I am now prepared to share with you.

First step is cut the crown off. I like to give myself a little under half an inch under the crown, just into the seeds. You will know you are deep enough if you start seeing the deep burgundy juice drip out. I like to give myself a little extra sometimes so I have some seeds to munch while its soaking (that part is coming). Prepare a medium to large sized mixing bowl with water three quarters to the way full.

So once you get the crown cut off, make slits down the side of the pomegranate every half inch or so, just about a quarter of an inch in. You just want to cut the skin, not get into the seeds.

Turn the Pom cut side down into the water and let soak for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes the fun begins!! Place your hands on either side of the Pom and start breaking the thing apart using the slits as a guide. I like to tear each section off and work on a section one by one. Make sure you are doing this under the water... This is key.

Using your thumb and a little pressure, start popping the seeds off. Make sure you are doing all your work under the water. This keeps the juices from splattering out and staining your clothing and counter tops.

I like to remove the empty membranes and put them off to the side, but you can keep them in the bowl if you wish. You will start to notice that the seeds sink and the membranes float.

Sometimes you will come across a clutch of seeds covered in a layer of skin. Just peel it off! I really like to admire the Pom, it really is a beautiful fruit!! (I know I'm a weirdo)

Once you remove all the seeds from the membranes take a slotted spoon and scoop the floating membranes away.

Sometimes some membrane will still remain attached to the seeds. I just eat it the way it is, but if I'm particularly picky or if I'm using the seeds in a salad for presentation purposes I will pick through the seeds during the rinsing.

So get a straining colander ready and gently begin pouring the water out of the bowl. If there is still a little bit of membrane left, pour this water into the sink instead of the colander... If you do it carefully enough the membranes will fall out with the water and the seeds will stay put at the bottom of the bowl. Dump the rest into the colander, rinse, and then move to a clean bowl and you're done!!

I enjoy mine with a spoon.

Yummy!!!

Something growing...

So here is my growing belly so far! Obviously we have several more weeks left but I thought it would be fun for you to see the progress so far. We were slow to start but that little girl is growing like a weed in there now!

Once upon a time...

My husband and I were the best of friends in high school. I remember when I met Adam, I was a freshman in high school and out of no where, another one of my friends brings this goofy, thick necked, hillbilly to our group. His name was Adam. I remember he had very, very short hair, a shirt that seemed one size too small that left no imagination to his bulging arms and chest muscles, a strange [and by strange I mean a LARGE] amount of body hair for a 15 year old, and dirty... As if he had spent his whole existence, including his GESTATION, under a car with a constant oil leak. And guess what, he was staring.... RIGHT. AT. ME. With the goofiest grin on his face. And I wouldn't say he wasn't good looking, but he just wasn't my type. Haha. And the hair! He was the hairiest high school student I had EVER SEEN! I probably teased him more than I should have about it... But this boy had a body of a Greek God. He was a poor fan of school work, but a big fan of working out [for free] in the school's gym. My girlfriends and I would trade quips back and forth about how we would date Adam if he would put a bag over his head. I know, ouch! What was wrong with us?

So four years of high school later and Adam wasn't any closer to winning my affections. Not for his lack of trying though! This kid was persistent. He stood by my side through all my boyfriend dramas. Even after high school and I had a different boyfriend, he knew how to stay in my life by befriending the guys I was dating.

It wasn't until 2 years after graduation that I was finally DONE with men. (I have to pause to tell you I'm giggling as I write those last words.) I was freshly out of a long term relationship and confessed to my best pal Adam that I was done with men and wanted to be single for a long, long time. Ha! Right. I felt Adam was a safe friend for me.... Safe, predictable, non-intimidating Adam. So we started hanging out almost constantly. 

One cold winter night in December Adam decides to take me up to the mountains for some midnight jeeping in the fresh snow. You already know how this ends. We get stuck, of course... And come to find out the genius didn't pack anything, not even a shovel or a flashlight, to aide in our escape. After a few failed attempts to drive out of our ice tomb, the Jeep decided it was done with the fun and completely died... So not only were we stuck in snow, our source of heat was dead. We decided to start our trip down the mountain side, cell phones in hand to light the way.

It took us THREE HOURS to walk down the road to where we could get cell phone reception. So how do you fill three long, freezing hours of time? Talking of course. About EVERYTHING under the moon. The past, the future, politics, parents, hopes, dreams.... You name it we talked about it. This dumb redneck was melting my heart with every step. By the time we got down and I could call my parents to come get us, I was hooked. I couldn't admit it at the time though.. Oh no. Mom and dad teased us the whole way home, dropping Adam off at his house, and then we talked on the phone for a while. He came over every single day that week after work and we played video games like little kids. He stayed late into the night and we just laughed and played games, watched movies.... Finally my mom asked us if we were "exclusive" and we both shot her down in disgust (as if we were siblings)............ Moms always know best.

It was New Years eve when we finally could admit to each other (okay ME) that we were meant to be and made it official.... I couldn't believe it. ADAM! ADAM!?!? He was right in front of me the whole time! How could I have missed this perfectly incredible, extremely sweet and loving guy that was right in front of my eyes practically BEGGING me for a date for the past 6 years. What the heck was wrong with me? 

I had found my soul mate. My best friend. My other half. What everyone always talks about, that special bond that you only feel with the ONE person you were meant to be with. I thought it was a made up feeling. But it is TOTALLY REAL. And who would have thought, it was with this kid that I had grown up with. But wait, it gets even more shocking...

One year later we were engaged. During our wedding preparations we found a box in Adam's mom's garage containing his school things. We found a folder of pictures from when he was in Pre-Kindergarten. Guess who was in that folder.... A tiny little ME!! We were in the same class! Of course we don't remember each other but we remembered the same things we liked about that teacher's class and the toys. How insane is that? It just solidified our belief even more that we were truly, truly meant to be..

I married my best friend August 28, 2010... Less than 2 years after that day on the mountain side. It was the most magical day of my life. I am so incredibly blessed with my husband. He is the truest, sweetest, most amazingly supportive and loving man I could have ever dreamed of having as my husband. I feel like the luckiest woman alive.

Fast forward to now... We are expecting our first child in a couple months. A little girl! Her name is going to be EmmaGrace Michelle and we are just over the moon excited. It seems completely natural to add another person to this happy family, we have so much love between us... Too much for just two people :) 

So I would say our happily ever after is a work in progress... And that is what this blog is for! I hope you enjoy reading about our fabulous journey. I want to share as I experience all the tears, the laughs, the good times and bad... but most of all I want to remember. So here we go!

Happy reading!!

xoxoKay