Nesting . . .

I've already been delinquent in my regular postings. I have no real excuse, but it does seem like time flies by at ridiculous speeds. We have a lot going on in the next few weeks, so I am trying to save up my energy for it all. I thought my energy would return after my first trimester ended, but I've found I'm still pretty exhausted. Hopefully I'll get some bursts soon. Other than that, I have been feeling pretty well. To my relief, both my appetite and my penchant for cooking has returned. For a while, the idea of cooking anything was pretty unappealing. And as many of you know, I LOVE to cook. I love to try new recipes, and I find that cooking is a good outlet, along with running, for keeping me sane. I was lucky enough to be raised in a household of good cooks. My dad is exceptionally creative, and loves to see how things work together in a pan. He rarely replicates a dish exactly as before, because he doesn't follow too many recipes, and he cooks by smell and feel. It is always delicious. My mom is hands down the most excellent baker I have ever met. Her cookies are always perfect looking and heavenly tasting. She makes delectable pies, amazing pizza dough, and some of the best spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted. Though I did not get the best of my mother (I rarely bake--it requires far too much measuring for someone who likes to not measure anything), I aspire to the adventuresome nature of both of my parents and am constantly looking for new recipes to add to my repertoire. Thankfully, Philip is an honest and willing guinea pig.

The point to this long description is that I am happy to have regained my sense of curiosity in the kitchen. In the spirit of that, I thought, in addition to posting updates and pictures of baby #1, I would also share some recipes I have tried and liked. There are a couple of reasons for this--one is to talk about food :), and the other is to share recipes. Though I could spend hours sifting through sites for the best recipes, realistically, I don't have time for that, so I cook what I know, and that gets BORING!

So far this week, I've tried three recipes that have been successful, but don't worry, I'll only share one at a time. Most of my recipes come from the BEST website --Epicurious.com. What I love most about this site is that people like me rate and review the recipes and make suggestions on how to improve the recipe. I spend hours on the website reading recipes and their reviews, and I have never been disappointed in what I've tried. But, the first recipe I will share is one I actually found on the Food Network, and it goes against my nature, because it is for cupcakes! The recipe is courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis, and is divine. These Raspberry Cream Cupcakes are light and fluffy thanks to the egg whites beat into the cake mix. The frosting (which is always my favorite part) is also so light and fluffy, comprised of only powdered sugar, whipping cream and fresh mashed raspberries (YUM!) Philip licked the frosting bowl, and as of yet, has had three cupcakes, so you know they were a hit. Here is the link to the recipe. I HIGHLY recommend it. Not only delicious, but also pretty light and figure friendly (always a plus with cupcakes!) Just a cook's note--I only used one pint of raspberries (they weren't on sale at the grocery store today) which was plenty for the frosting. I also just spread the frosting on top (easier to eat), and I found that it made MORE than enough frosting to amply frost 18 cupcakes. Next time, I will do the same, but buy extra raspberries for the top of the cupcakes (for presentation).

Happy Eating!