Frenemy

So who knew that pregnancy was going to bring a new enemy/best friend into my life? And that frenemy is...food.

Let me preface by saying that food was never really something that I gave much thought to in my life before that second line appeared. I'm not trying to say that I didn't have my body image issues like any All-American Girl, but "food" was just not really something that I dwelled on throughout the day. Kind of like "House" on Fox. It's not really a T.V. series that I give much thought to, but if I'm in the mood to watch a show and I'm flipping through the channels when it's on, I'll stop and watch it.

I've gone through periods of my life where I feel guilt about not eating healthy foods, and I try to remedy the situation. But again, when it's not something that you particularly think about all that much, such intent focus tends to fall by the wayside rather rapidly.

Well, enter Lil' Pea stage left (a.k.a. the world's most beloved, adorable and efficient parasite). All of a sudden, food is an obsession. Am I eating the right amounts of protein? Too much fat? Too little fat? The right vitamins? Did I remember my prenatal vitamin? Am I gaining too much? Too little? When was the last time I ate? Do I need to have a little snack?

But here's what has contributed to the "frenemy" label: at any given moment, I feel simultaneously (to quote my mother) "stuffed to the gills" and "starved off the pockets". Like right now, my tummy is saying, "Oooh...I could go for some Sun Chips", but there's this other part of my tummy (the part that is pushing acid into my throat 24/7) that is saying "Hmmmm...if you eat one more bite, you will either explode or dissolve into a pool of stomach acid."

Adventures in Budgeting

I remember my mom and dad telling me stories growing up of when Dad was in med school and they were newlyweds and so poor that they had to take a clicker counter with them to the grocery store. Once they had clicked their quota of dollars, either stuff had to start going back on the shelves or they had to just stop shopping. It made an impression on me, and even though Bill and I have a more substantial budget than they did back in 1970, I felt the call of the clicker. I just felt like every time I went to Wal-Mart, I was playing Russian roulette at the checkout line...how much would it be? Would I hear the "click" of $57 or the "bang" of $190. And I've gotta tell you, when you get to choose between 2 clicks for Green Giant corn and 1 click for Great Value, it makes you really stop and think, "Hmmm...how many places can corn come from? Iowa or Iowa?"

Bill and I have read several personal finance books lately, and (a) it makes me want to write my own personal finance book and (b) it truly makes you stop and think about that can of corn. That 1 click in the IRA could be worth 100's in 30 years.

On a completely separate note, I give you...

Top 5 Reasons Why Rachel Ray Annoys the Snot out of Me:
5. That laugh...that laugh

4. The fact that her show is called "30 Minute Meals" and I have yet to see one recipe that I could prepare in less than an hour

3. The way that she squeezes lemons and tells you how to squeeze them. every. single. time.

2. The fact that she assumes that people have things like roasted red peppers, porcini mushrooms, and capers sitting around in their pantry

1. The number of times in any given episode that she refers to extra virgin olive oil as "EVOO" and the sheer number of recipes that she puts it in (i.e. everything)

And yet for some masochistic reason, I still watch her show occasionally. Well, I know the reason--her recipes aren't all horrible. Some are quite delish.


OH, and Lil' Pea update: It's a boy! And he's kicking up a storm. I felt it on the outside the other day. It was a like a scene from Star Trek.