Craving Confessions

Do you know anybody who is pregnant? Are you or have you been pregnant? Then you most likely know what I mean when I include in the title of this post, craving confessions. I have no doubt had my fair share of cravings in my first pregnancy. I would even say that as the weeks go by, the cravings have become stronger, more intense, give me what I want right this second! Like the time I bought chocolate milk while grocery shopping and was so impatient to get home and pour a glass that as soon as I got to my car I sat in the trunk and chugged a bunch right there in the parking lot! Things really hit the fan at the 32 week mark. The exact day I graduated to 32 weeks Mike and I were on the way home from my doctors appointment and I demanded a McDonald's chocolate dipped cone. This was my first official pregnancy demand. Later that night I found myself experiencing a bout of insomnia. This insomnia led to another first in my pregnancy... middle of the night snacking. The peanut butter cheerios that I had discovered at the store earlier that week were calling my name. It was 2am. I was tossing and turning and those darn cheerios kept calling my name. So I did it. I got up and ate a big bowl of peanut butter cheerios. I almost look forward to waking up in the night again to eat a bowl of those cheerios. Food tastes so much better at 2am.

32 week picture, also modeling my awesome new snow boots :-)

Did you have any crazy or weird cravings while pregnant?? Here are mine!

First Trimester:
Coconut, Scooby Doo Snacks and fruit.

Coconut: I don't know what it was about coconut, but it was one of my sister's cravings too! I wanted coconut yogurt, coconut ice cream and popsicles, almond joys and coconut sweetener in my latte. It even got to the point where I was putting coconut extract in anything I could imagine.

Scooby Doo Snacks: they look like dog bones and I felt slightly salty eating them in public. However! They are basically graham crackers in the shape of dog bones only 100 times better than graham crackers. I carried the whole box in my purse for like 15 weeks!

hey look, they're whole grain!

Fruit: no fun stories here. I just wanted fruit all the time. Especially coconut ;-)

Second Trimester:
Chocolate Malts, Jalapeno Poppers, Almond Milk shakes, anything sweet!

Chocolate Malts: On any normal day of my life, I usually can't eat ice cream. I have some tummy issues and frozen yogurt will have to suffice for the rest of my life. BUT for whatever reason, while pregnant, my tummy struggles have ceased and I have been able to indulge in some of the foods that I can never normally eat. (ie, ice cream!) I come from a malt kind of family. Forget the milkshakes, we do malts. Chocolate malts to be exact. This summer Mike and I were in Atlanta for his work and I think on two different occasions I made the couples we went to dinner with drive us around to look for chocolate malts. Y'all, they are hard to find in the south! When I decided that I should stop consuming chocolate malts on a regular basis I went to the store and bought malt powder. I tried to make a healthier version of a chocolate malt using frozen greek yogurt but Mike requested I never make it again. Just as I did with the Scooby Doo Snacks, I also carried the malt powder around in my purse. I would order vanilla bean frappuccinos from Starbucks and have them add malt powder. Major props to Starbucks for being so accommodating!

thanks ebay, for the picture!

Jalapeno Poppers: To be clear, cheddar jalapeno poppers. Might as well throw cheddar cheese curds in the mix too. Another type of food I normally cannot consume, so I have been thoroughly enjoying the downing of jalapeno poppers with no stomach ache end game. Normally I am a sharer. If I really like something I order I want everyone to try it. I do not share my jalapeno poppers!

Almond Milk shakes: Often times my friends and I share food ideas with each other, especially when we start to feel like we're cooking/eating the same recipes all the time. My friend Rachel recently shared this recipe and I have been making this shake at least 4 times a week!

1 cup almond milk
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter, or whatever kind of ....butter you use)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
a handful of ice cubes

That's it. Blend it up and you have yourself a yummy, protein packed lunch! I have seriously been obsessed!!

Third Trimester:
Entenmann's Cheese Danish.

No need to crave anything other than this sinful treat. It takes every ounce of self control not to eat the whole thing, honestly. Who needs homemade baked goods when you can find the most delicious tasting food in the world at almost any grocery store or gas station?

Just so nobody thinks I am neglecting the health of my baby, I should probably include that in addition to these cravings I eat a well balanced diet almost every day! I can't get enough roasted broccoli these days!

With Love,
L