Flutterings (& Chocolatey Mug Cakes)

It was a lazy Tuesday morning (my only "lazy" morning)
and I laid awake in my bed.

Just laying there.
Breathing in and out, in and out.
Trying to picture that little, growing baby inside me.

I laid my hands on my belly and continued to breath.
In and out, in and out.
And there it was!

I gentle poke from the inside.

I laid perfectly still...Another poke!
Gah, I love this! My favorite part of pregnancy is being able
to feel a baby wriggling and stretching inside me...

Me! Just another human being who happens to be housing
another, growing human being, who will grow up to be a big
girl or boy who can laugh, cry, dance, think, believe, and achieve.

The thought is beautiful and almost unfathomable in some ways.

Hah! I think I can feel my little peanut squirming around as we speak!
It's miraculous.

While pregnancy brings the joys of feeling a human-being inside,
it also brings the feeling of some random cravings...
Which is where the "chocolatey mug cakes" part of my post comes in!

Remember this post from a while back?

Well, I have another chocolatey mug cake recipe to share with you!
Because I want everyone to know the joys of mug cakes. ;)
And so I don't feel alone in my random chocolate cravings

Healthy Chocolatey Mug Cake
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 mug cake
Nutrition at a glance (more detailed nutrition at end of post):
Calories (337), Fat (20.4g), Carbs (40.3g), Fiber (7.6g), Sugars (18.6g), Protein (5.9g)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (or white flour)
• 2 Tbsp. dutch processed cocoa (regular cocoa works fine, but dutch is more rich!)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar (regular sugar works, or 1 Tbsp. of honey or agave nectar)
• 1 flax egg (1/2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed + 1 Tbsp. water) -- a regular egg, well beaten, also works!
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. dark chocolate almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. applesauce
• 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (you could also just use 2 Tbsp. canola oil in place of the 1 Tbsp. applesauce/ 1 Tbsp. coconut oil--I just like to use applesauce for half of it because it's healthier ;) )
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips--they're the best!

Directions:

1. (If using the flax egg) In a small bowl, prepare the flax egg by combining the flaxseed with water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes until it has a viscous, egg-like texture. 
2. In a large mug, stir together the flour, cocoa, and sugar (if not using agave or honey).
3. Add to the mug the egg (if not using flax egg), almond milk, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and agave or honey (if not using sugar). Mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips. 
5. Microwave somewhere between 50 and 60 seconds. The time really depends on the strength of your microwave. It may take a bit of experimentation to get it just right.
6. Enjoy! And keep a glass of milk nearby. :)  

Note: The flax egg makes the mug cake slightly grainy, which I don't mind because I'm not sensitive to different textures. However, if you are not so much a fan of different textures, I would use a regular egg for a more fluffy texture. :)

                                                                                          

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 337

Calories from Fat 184

Total Fat 20.4g31%

Saturated Fat 14.7g74%

Sodium 14mg1%

Carbohydrates 40.3g13%

Dietary Fiber 7.6g30%

Sugars 18.6g

Protein 5.9g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 5% · Iron 29%

*Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Lemony Ricotta Pancakes

So, I've been experimenting with recipes lately and decided
to try making some lemon ricotta pancakes! I had never used ricotta in
pancakes before but heard they were super good!

Naturally, I had to try them, and since I've been on a lemony kick recently
(I made lemon poppyseed pancakes earlier this week),
I thought lemon ricotta pancakes would be perfect!

I have to admit I was a little nervous to experiment and create my own
recipe but these pancakes turned out amazing!

My pictures do them no justice.

They had a delicious, light, lemony flavor
and were thick, fluffy, and very filling!

You must try these. I promise you won't regret it!
They are a definite winner in my book.
And there are 20g of protein packed into the entire batch!
(Thanks to the ricotta cheese).

So I would say they are healthy... ;)

Plus, my husband and 18-month-old gobbled them up like
there was no tomorrow! Double thumbs up. :)

Lemony Ricotta Pancakes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8-10 pancakes
Nutrition at a glance (per pancake):
Calories (156), Fat (5.3g), Carbs (20.9g), Fiber (1.5g), Sugars (4.4g), Protein (7.1g)
Inspired by: Two Peas and Their Pod & A Hint of Honey

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. flour (1/2 white all-purpose, 1/2 whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated into two small bowls
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or regular, white sugar)
• 1 c. ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c. lemon juice (freshly squeezed is awesome!)
• 1/2 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• Optional toppings: maple syrup, fruit syrup (strawberry is my favorite!), fresh berries, greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and/or any other toppings you desire!

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and coconut oil. Add to flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be very thick! Don't worry, it'll all work out in the end.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar to form soft peaks. I used a electric hand mixer to do this and it took about 3-5 minutes of beating. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined. The batter will be a little more pancake-like, but it will still be thick. 
4. Heat a large, non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
5. Drop about 1/4 cup batter onto hot skillet or griddle and use the measuring cup or a spoon to help shape the pancakes into a thinner, more circular form (since the batter is so thick, it will go on in a glob and won't cook as well unless it is patted down a bit). 
6. Cook pancakes until browned on bottom (See picture below) and slightly bubbly on top, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on other side for about 2 more minutes. 
   
7. Repeat with remaining batter and serve with the optional toppings! Enjoy these fluffy, filling pancakes! 

If you try 'em out, let me know how you liked them! :)

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 156

Calories from Fat 48

Total Fat 5.3g8%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Cholesterol 50mg17%

Sodium 175mg7%

Carbohydrates 20.9g7%

Dietary Fiber 1.5g6%

Sugars 4.4g

Protein 7.1g

Vitamin A 3% · Vitamin C 8%

Calcium 9% · Iron 5%

*Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pregnancy Numero Dos!

If you hadn't heard already, I am expecting a BABY!
Yes, baby #2...in July...due one day before Kaiya's birthday!

Hopefully I'm not in the hospital for Kaiya's 2nd birthday...
We may have to celebrate a little earlier...or later :D

Anyways, I just wanted to share a bit about how this pregnancy has been.

Pregnancy #2 = Pregnancy #1 = Wonderful!

I know there are hundreds and thousands of women who have very difficult
pregnancies, and I have no idea how they get through it all! That would be so difficult!
Especially for those pregnant mommas who already have one or two (or three) little ones.

For me, however, the first trimester of pregnancy is a little rough,
filled with nausea and exhaustion,
but starting the second trimester is heaven!
I have much more energy and I just feel good--like my body enjoys 
housing and nourishing a little baby. 

And I truly feel blessed to experience pregnancy like that!
because pregnancy for a lot of women is really difficult.
And I have so much respect for those whose bodies have a
difficult time with pregnancy (my mom had terrible, hospitalizing pregnancies!)

Anyways, despite the very similar pregnancy experience with Kaiya and Baby McG #2,
this pregnancy is also very different in some ways.

Why is this pregnancy different?

Reason #1: I already have one little munchkin to take care of (plus a big, handsome one ;) )
As my belly grows, it gets a little more difficult (and exhasuting!) to carry Kaiya around with me all the time! And I do tend to need at least one nap a day, but that often doesn't happen because Kaiya can't be up and about while I snooze. :D That would lead to disastrous consequences...

Reason #2: I am doing pregnancy yoga and working out daily
When I was pregnant with Kaiya, I was taking like 17 or 18 credits of classes and working, so I didn't have much time, or energy, for physical activity outside of walking to and from campus. This pregnancy is much different. Every day I do some sort of physical activity, whether Joshua
does some personal training with me or I YouTube some pregnancy pilates or yoga. I find
that as I stay fit and active during my pregnancy, I have a lot more energy and I feel much stronger
and confident about what my body is capable of during pregnancy. It is also extremely beneficial for labor and birth!

Reason #3: I am prepping for a natural delivery
This is also why I am working out a lot more during this pregnancy that I did with Kaiya. I want to have a strong, capable mind and body for a natural delivery. That's right. Completely natural. No pain meds. With Kaiya, I went into the whole labor thing with the thought, "I'd like to have a natural birth but I might have the epidural. I don't know. I guess I'll decide when it comes to the big day." BAD IDEA!!! That is the wrong thought process to have going into labor, because you DO want the pain meds if you haven't prepped for a natural birth. So, I ended up having the epidural with Kaiya (which I do not regret!).

However, with this baby, I want to try a natural birth AND I am going to prepare for it. Have you heard of Hypnobirthing? It's a natural birthing technique that emphasizes relaxation, meditation, and breathing throughout labor and understanding your body's strength and capability. I've done some research on Hypnobirthing and really want to try it out! So, I am going to buy this book and CD to prepare for my natural delivery. (I will have to do another post after the delivery to let you all know
if hypnobirthing worked for me!)

Reason #4: I won't be in school after the birth!!!! (my favorite reason this pregnancy is different)
Self-explanatory. I couldn't be more excited to be a mommy at home with my favorite people and not have to run off to school or work every day.

By the way...I'm 15 weeks along now! Almost 4 months. 5 more to go!

Family: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em

Family is super duper important to me and always has been.

Being raised in the LDS faith and having such an awesome family

has given me a love for family that is unconditional and eternal.

Yes, families can sometimes be crazy, overwhelming, and hard work,

but they are so worth it!

When my family was able to be together for Christmas, we had family 

pictures taken all together for the first time in 2 years!

What a great bunch of people! I love them. :)

My older brother and his gorgeous wife and daughter

were able to join us as well! Oh how I love my little niece!

My parents kind of enjoy being grandparents...if you can't tell. Haha!

Seriously, they look SO happy!

Our sweet Chinese sister was able to take pictures with us too!

Oh and how could all us siblings get together without being silly

and sitting on Tessa? (apparently it's tradition?)

Finally, our little McGlothin family got some pictures together.

Can I just say it is really, really difficult to get an 18-month-old 

to cooperate for pictures?

The entire time we were taking pictures, all she wanted to do

was press "muttons" (buttons) on the elevator!

Anyways...here are some pictures of my adorable little family!

I love this :)

Oh, and did I mention our little family is growing? ;)

Here comes baby #2!!!

We love that little peanut already. <3

By the way, all of these pictures were taken by this dear friend of mine...

I've known her forever it seems and it had been so long since we

had seen each other! So, I was so happy to have her take our pictures.

How to Speak "Kaiya"

So, I have kept forgetting to write this down (type this up?)
for a while and I just need to do it while I have a spare moment
and Kaiya is sleeping!

Kaiya is almost 18 months old!!! Which means that she is
starting to talk...a lot! Super exciting, right?!
And the best part is that she pronounces everything in the cutest way possible.

Oh, I can't get enough of her cute baby talk!
She says a lot of other things too, but these are my favorite!

What cute things do your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids, etc. say?

Race to the End

Well hello everyone!

I've kind of been M.I.A. for the last few months (or more).

Life was seriously so crazy this last semester.

I was taking 15 credit hours of class, working 20 hours a week, 

and being a wife and mom on top of that. 

It nearly killed me. And I nearly gave up.

But then I decided I was too close to the end of my schooling to give up.

I made it through the semester after many agonizing days (weeks, months, etc.) of

not enough sleep, time, or energy to get everything done.

Some days I thought I was losing my mind.

(Some days I really think I did).

Some days I cried.

The only reason I made it through was because Heavenly Father is all-knowing 

and all-loving and put people in my life to get me through.

These angels:

*my husband

*my sweet Kaiya (believe it or not)

And...

*countless selfless and kind babysitters who also have busy lives of their own

I could never do anything I have accomplished without them.

And for one more semester (just one more!),

I will be relying on them again.

For just one more semester, my life will be unbelievably busy with

15 hours of work, 15 hours of internship, and a 3 credit class every week.

But I can do this! And it will be so worth it!

When things get tough this semester, I think I will just ponder about

how amazing it will feel to walk across the stage at graduation and say,

"I did it. I got married, had a baby, and graduated from college--all within 3 years."

Was it crazy? You bet your bottom dollar.

Was it worth it? Wait 'til you see my smile at graduation. :)