Lucky Charms

Dear Blog,

It has been 2 weeks since we have seen each other. I know that you have felt neglected and for that I am sorry. But I've been so busy! Busy dreading work, busy being exhausted and busy eating Lucky Charms.

Things have been seriously busy over here in the land of preparation. We stripped wallpaper, got new carpet, put up primer, picked out bedding, ordered a piece of the bedding to match paint to, got refunded for said bedding piece because the company was a pain in the ass, picked out and settled on new bedding that may be just right, picked out paint and put two coats of paint up. We have also been semi successful in getting Rex to not jump and almost completely successful in getting Penny to not bark at inanimate objects. (They will be great a big brother and sister!) We've been busy reading up on car seats and high chairs and strollers and onesies and monitors and and and.

I have also been busy having a love affair with Lucky Charms.

Obsession of the week~ Grilled Cheese

Everyday this week, I have had grilled cheese for lunch. Well, every day but Wednesday because my niece came to visit and I took her out for sushi. *Score*

Growing up, my mom made grilled cheese on the stove top, in a pan. She'd coat the pan in melted butter and the bread would get a beautiful golden brown and the cheese would be perfectly melty. When I've ever tried to make grilled cheese on the stove top, plop on the same butter, but somehow the bread would get burnt and the cheese would still be cold. Very disappointing. This frustration in my lack of culinary grilled cheese-ness, left me grilled cheese-less for many years.

Until recently. The invention of the George Foreman grill brought grilled cheese back into my life. But the George Foreman is made for meat, and it presses down and my grilled cheese would be flat as a pancake. Tasty, but deflated.

Then last year I bought Gordo a panini press for his birthday. It must have been our obsession with Panera Bread that made him want a panini press. Oh, and his obsession with the Cuban sandwich he gets every year in Miami. He quickly dubbed the panini press the greatest thing I ever did for him. No, not declaring my love for him, or saying "I do" or "Yes I'll bare your children". My $29.99 Target purchase of a panini press was my greatest accomplishment of our relationship, but it still flattened my grilled cheese.

Then one day, a month or so ago, the panini press died. It was a sad, sad day. But being the wonderful, caring, considerate and resourceful wife that I am, I remembered the gift card to Crate and Barrel we still had from our wedding over 2 years ago. And because I love my husband so, and wanted to keep his sandwich needs at the top of our relationship priorities, off to Crate and Barrel I went. $69.99 was the price tag on their only panini press. Thank goodness for whoever got us that gift card.

This is no ordinary panini press and that's where the grilled cheese comes in. This panini press has settings! You can melt! Or toast! Or press! This topped my first panini press purchase, and Gordo's love for me was once again restored! And my grilled cheese dilemma has been solved!

See how it's toasting, but not pressing down on the bread? It grills the bottom, then flip, then it grilled the other side. And by having the top down keeps everything warm and melty.

Look at the golden brown-ness. Its perfect. Golden on the outside, perfectly warm and melty on the inside. Yum.

And there you have it. The perfect lunch. My grilled cheese, my Parents magazine and my Snapple.

Yes, I like my grilled cheese with ketchup. I think that started years ago when I worked in a diner. It's tasty, try it! I mean, you'd have marinara with a mozzarella stick, right?

By the way, we are completely out of sliced cheese now. I have no idea what to have for lunch.

At some point I will try and post about something other than food, but really, that's where my mind's at. But really this was about the panini press, wasn't it?

Of burgers and onion rings

Today's ridiculous meal is brought to you by Bobby Flay, owner of (among other things) Bobby's Burger Palace at Mohegan Sun casino.

On the left is the Bobby Blue Burger. I know, I know, I'm not suppose to have blue cheese. I haven't had it in over 3 months. But I love me some blue cheese, and I am confident that one burger drowning in the aged loveliness isn't going to hurt the Bean. And yes, that is bacon you see on that burger as well. When I tell you that every single bite of that burger melted in my mouth like butter, it is an understatement. Best burger I've ever had? It's certainly up there. Way up there.

In the center is iced tea that Gordo told me I didn't need because we could have shared one drink and it would have saved us 3 dollars. Fair enough, but I wanted ice tea.

To the right is what I might call "the deal breaker". These onion rings were of epic proportion. Enormous doesn't quite do it justice. They were at least an inch or more wide and the biggest one was probably 4 or 5 inches across. They were, without a doubt, the best onion rings I've ever had. Hands down. Ever. Ev-er.

Before we went, my uncle's wife (no, she's not my aunt) told us we had to get the milkshakes, they are fantastic. Well after the burger soaked in blue cheese and the mammoth o-rings, the Bean said, not right now. So we walked and Gordo lost some money, and then I lost some money. Conveniently the restaurant is right next to the escalator to leave the casino and the milkshake taunted me. I consulted with the Bean and we decided, why not. Dark chocolate milkshake it was. It was tasty, I won't lie.

But those onion rings, I just couldn't stop thinking about the onion rings.

So, I wouldn't say I've had cravings exactly, but let me tell you I think about food constantly. All I watch is Food Network and Travel Channel. Not any one food in particular, just food. This week, apparently the Bean wanted burgers and ice cream. We'll see what happens next week.

Food

Since coming out of the pregnancy closet, by far the question I have been most asked is "How are you feeling?" My answer is usually "Pretty good, thanks!" In the last week I have learned that by answering "Good" "Great" or "Not too shabby" means that I will inevitably have my head in the toilet within the next few hours. As if The Bean is saying "You think you feel good? I'll show you!" Nice, kid. Real nice.

(To be fair, The Bean has been pretty good to me and my morning sickness has been fairly non-existent. Majority of the time I was more sick from the indigestion and heartburn than from any nausea. However it was always an awesome coincidence between the asking and the hacking.)

On Sunday I officially entered my SECOND TRIMESTER. The honeymoon. The golden months. I can't wait to get a big ole belly. I can't wait for The Bean to kick me in ribs. I. Can't. Wait.

(It also means my head should no longer be anywhere near the toilet. Score.)

And to celebrate, the hubby and I had lunch at 5 Guys ~ The Bean and I had a "little" cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, ketchup and mayo and loads of fries. And in an awesome twist of fate, there was a Ben & Jerry's down the street where The Bean and I had a *huge* scoop of chocolate peanut butter swirl on a sugar cone.

The Bean and I are feeling pretty good about all that. (So far.)