Moving Forward
Yesterday I went in for a Day 10 ultrasound and blood draw. The follicles had grown since Wednesday and there were a few more that popped up on my left ovary (my ovary that tends to have less follicles overall). This time they didn’t show me the list of how many and their sizes, but I think 10-12 were of good measurable size.
We triggered last night, Hubby always does a good job giving me the hCG intramuscular shot and my pregnancy test was positive this morning. We will check in tomorrow at 8 AM for our egg retrieval surgery. Last time I was very lucky to have my regular RE do both my egg retrieval surgery and embryo transfer, this time I don’t know what RE will be performing my surgery. We are lucky that it landed on a Sunday, so both Hubby and I don’t have to worry about our work schedules. Tomorrow will be a lazy day at home, taking it easy and resting.
I’m still continuing on with my neutral mindset and so far it’s been less stressful to think this way. Last time around the toughest part was the wait between embryo transfer and beta. I’m hoping to stick with my easy going mindset and hoping to be pleasantly surprised this time around.
Tonight we are going over to a friends place for a BBQ and to watch some college football. It will be a pleasant evening before tomorrow.
Have a great Saturday!!!
Gluten-free and Dairy-free On-the-Go Foods
I started my gluten-free and dairy-free regimen three weeks ago today. And to my surprise, it’s gone better than I was anticipating. I’ve had my little cheats here and there (like when my mother-in-law put parmesan cheese in a baked delicata squash-yum), but overall, I’ve been pretty good. The gluten-free has been much easier than the dairy-free because 1. I heart cheese, especially stinky cheese, really really love it. 2. I use to eat greek yogurt at least 4 times a week for breakfast and 3. Did I tell you how much I love ice cream, gelato, and fro-yo?!
But, since I’m making a concerted effort to reduce inflammation by way of my diet, I’m giving it the old college try and the foods below have made it easier.
I love protein bars and have an addiction to finding new ones and buying them. Seriously…..my pantry has 6 boxes of protein bars (this is after I cleared out a few random boxes, possibly expired ones) and Hubby and I have a huge glass jar that sits on our kitchen counter with an array of protein bars. I’ve been staying away from soy, so many of the bars we had on hand had whey protein in them. Well, that’s a dairy product, so I had to look for new bars minus the whey protein.
Here are two that I found and LOVE! Bestie Alex shared the keen-wah decadence bars with me and I’ve been digging the Zing bars for quite so time (and love that Zing is a local company here in Seattle).
Keen-Wah Decadence bars
Zing bars-Gluten, Soy and Dairy Free
Both Zing and the Keen-Wah Decadence bars are really tasty, have good texture and have good natural ingredients. They are perfect for breakfast on-the-go or for a midafternoon snack.
Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that tortilla chips and salsa are my vice. Once I start eating, I cannot stop! It’s embarrassing. And as much as I love tortilla chips, I wanted to have other options. Then I found Beanitos and now I might have another vice.
Chipotle BBQ Beanitos
Hubby loves BBQ chips, so he is a fan of these as well. It’s nice that they are corn-free also, just to mix things up.
Recently we were at my in-laws for dinner and my mother-in-law had these beans in her crock pot. OMG….they are so good, I bought 4 jars today at Trader Joe’s just in case they stop carrying them. Sometimes that happens there with my favorite products. These giant beans are good all on their own, but I think they might be good mashed up like a hummus.
Giant White Beans
Another salty snack that is great for on-the-go are roasted seaweed strips. It’s funny because I’m half Japanese and my maternal grandmother use to always have this as a snack in her house, long before it was a trendy snack and came in cool packaging. But, as a warning….don’t take these to the movies, your seatmate might get annoyed at the crinkle noises as you try to fit an entire strip into your mouth. My Hubby seriously was giving me the stink eye when we went to see the Bourne Legacy.
Roasted Seaweed Snack
And if I haven’t promoted Trader Joe’s enough, here is their coconut milk ice cream. I actually prefer Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss ice cream products, but the Trader Joe’s ice cream is much more economical. But, what’s even more economical than Trader Joe’s is making your own coconut milk ice cream at home. Which I’ve been doing on an almost daily basis since I found a great coconut milk on Amazon. I’ll be posting a recipe soon!!!
Coconut Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
I love that coconut milk ice cream is dairy-free and tastes as good as ice cream (maybe not gelato-to be honest!). It does have a noticeable amount of fat, but it’s made up of medium-chain triglycerides which are known to have germ-fighting and heart-protective properties.
I’m still trying to get most of my gluten-free and dairy-free foods from cooking real food in my kitchen, but these are some great products when you don’t have all the time in the world and want something quick and tasty. I’m sure I’ll be on the lookout for even more GF and DF products.
What are your favorite gluten-free and/or dairy-free on-the-go foods???
****Disclaimer: I was not paid to promote any of the featured items. Disclaimer #2: I wish I was paid to promote the featured items.****
Tomorrow is my Day 8 ultrasound and blood draw, hoping for a good number of measureable follicles! Fingers crossed!
Here We Go Again……..
I completely have White Snake’s “Here I go again on my own” in my head now. Today I’m openly declaring my new mindset (I’ve had it since a couple of weeks after IVF #1 came back with a BFN). My new mindset is to not expect or hope for anything. I know that sounds negative and might not be the best outlook to have, but it’s the outlook I need so that I am not set up for the heartache I experienced with our first round of IVF. The day after my last post, AF arrived and I emailed my nurse to let her know. She told me to go ahead and schedule another ultrasound for Thursday and that we would go from there and to keep up with the 10 units of Lupron. Later yesterday afternoon she called back and said that my RE wanted to perform my ultrasound herself (which I was happy about) and that they would have me in this morning and would determine if we could proceed with IVF #2 given that I only had 7 follicles on Monday.
With my new mindset I went into the clinic completely prepared to hear that this round would be cancelled and we would be back to the protocol we used for IVF #1, but surprisingly I had 10 follicles today. Still not a great number and significantly less than the 16 follicles we started with for IVF #1, but still it was good news that we could proceed. My RE hopes that the long Lupron protocol will give us higher quality eggs and therefore, embryos. Hey….I’ll take the “quality over quantity” approach this time. Instead of focusing on “we only have 10 follicles to start”, I’m thinking “at least we get to start!”
I will continue the Lupron tonight but will drop from 10 units to 5 units and will add 375 units of Follistim and 75 units of Menopur. Last time we did 300 units of Follistim, so my RE is raising my dose up.
Here’s the tentative schedule (and I’m keeping in mind that it still may get cancelled if we don’t get good follicle developement):
Day 3-Blood work
Day 5-Blood work and ultrasound
Day 8-Blood work and ultrasound
Possible retrieval October 5th-October 8th
Possible transfer October 10th-October 12th
I’ll let you know how things progress and I’ll keep you posted on my new mindset. So far it feels liberating to not expect anything. (Of course in the back of my mind I’m thinking “Please, please, please let this time work!) But, I’m going to ignore that little voice in my head and take each day as it comes.
Happy Fall-Keep reading for a recipe!
Where do I even begin???! This past week was a rollercoaster of a week. I’ve been hopeful one minute and in despair the next…..let me bring you up to speed.
Last week I was reading this article that was posted on a fellow blogger’s site. The article includes a list of reasons why one may be at risk for having natural killer cells in the uterine tissue; the article alarmed me (as there were several that fit my profile) and I decided to get in touch with my RE.
My RE does not regularly test her patients for natural killer (NK) cells but agreed to do a blood test for me. We opted not to take a swab of my uterine tissue as I would have to cancel my potential upcoming IVF #2 cycle. I went for my blood draw last Wednesday (thank goodness I only had to be poked once this time!) and she said it would likely take 1 week for the results since it would have to be sent out of office for testing. She said “hopefully the results will be normal and we can move ahead and you can have some peace of mind”. I kept thinking it would be normal and life would go on. Friday morning the nurse called and said that the results were in (I was surprised as it had only been 2 days) and that my NK levels were elevated. She said my RE would be calling in the afternoon to discuss it further.
My RE called later on Friday and said she would have to do some research as this is not a circumstance that she deals with often and would get back to me on Sunday. Ok……cue the despair!!!! I felt so low on Friday….just one more thing that is wrong with my body. I started to think about gestational carriers, adoption and even the thought of not having children at all.
Saturday morning came and I wasn’t feeling much better. I asked Hubby if he would do some research (Hubby is super smart-he started researching PubMed and thinking things through intellectually. He is very level-headed, unlike me who makes emotionally charged decisions and has frequent freak-outs). Hubby found this article and our RE emailed me this one. (Let me know if these links don’t work.)
To summarize, the articles state that peripheral natural killer (NK) cell levels are not necessarily a direct correlation to uterine NK levels. Treatments for elevated NK levels include steroid therapy, heparin, and/or intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. However, these treatments have not been well documented to solve infertility for many women. My RE did call yesterday afternoon and we have decided to proceed as planned with my IVF #2 (she said I could add a daily dose of baby aspirin, but she thought even that could cause some unnecessary risks, therefore we opted not to do the baby aspirin). I know there are going to be opinions regarding our decision, but for now I am happy with the decision we made and hope and pray that this time around the IVF will work.
I’m on CD 37 and AF still has not showed up. I had an ultrasound this AM to check out the situation and it looks like I still need to wait for AF to show up before starting my stimulation medications. I have done 12 doses of Lupron (10 units/dose) and will continue on for now. I only had 7 follicles today, so I’m worried about being oversuppressed again but I’m trying to go with a more relaxed attitude than last time because the devastation of cancelling was tough. I’ll keep you posted….
Vegetable Tangine
Ok…..now onto more fun stuff. Since it’s officially fall now, I thought I could finally share a recipe including sweet potatoes. This is one of Hubby and I’s favorite fall dishes. It is warm, comforting and is perfect to enjoy on a cool fall evening.
Vegetable Tangine (serves 2 with leftovers)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium leek, washed and chopped, or 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon peel and minced fresh ginger (I used prepared minced ginger, it’s actually pretty good and nice to have on hand)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I use 1/2 for more heat)
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 cups cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch florets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups veggie broth (I use chicken because we have it on hand and we aren’t vegetarian)
- 2/3 cup brine-cured green olives, pitted and chopped (I leave these out because Hubby doesn’t like olives)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Handful of chopped cilantro
- 1 cup couscous, cooked according to package instructions (I used quinoa since I’m gluten-free right now)
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a pot. When hot, add leeks, ginger, garlic and jalapeno, and saute until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add potatoes and cauliflower, followed by salt, and coat with tomato mixture.
3. Add broth, olives and cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove cinnamon stick, garnish with cilantro and serve on couscous (quinoa).
Prepared ginger, leek, garlic and jalapeno
Cauliflower
Peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
sauteing leeks, ginger, garlic and jalapeno
Addition of potatoes and cauliflower, simmering
Vegetable Tangine over quinoa
I’m so glad that this dish is both gluten and dairy-free; although, I was enjoying it long before I was avoiding both gluten and dairy. It definitely warms the tummy and the soul and was a nice way to transition into fall. I had a tough few days and cozying up with Hubby and a bowl of this tangine made things better for a while, even though we still have a long road ahead of us.
Quinoa Salad 2.0
I’m back with another quinoa salad recipe. I love quinoa, it’s so versatile and I’ve been finding myself using it a lot in my kitchen lately. One way I’ve yet to try is for breakfast in an oatmeal type preparation. I’d love a good recipe if any of you have one!!!
Fall is approaching and soon I’ll be making soups, pumpkin bread, roasted root vegetables, sweet potatoes and roasts. But right now it’s hard to think about those dishes yet. Seriously…..check out our forecast! This is unbelievable for Seattle, we have only had 1 day of rain in over 50 days! Summer is truly beautiful in the Pacific Northwest.
Sun, Sun and More Sun
Like I said before, I love fall and even though these mornings have felt like fall with the crispness in the air, the afternoons have been nothing but summer. So I’m continuing to gather up summer veggies and delighting in a refreshing bright salad.
Quinoa, Corn and Tomatillo Salad (serves 4-6 people) Recipe adapted from Full Circle Farms (our organic produce delivery company)
Ingredients:
For Salad:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (prepare according to package instructions, I use my rice cooker), cooled
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots or red onion
- 2 ears corn, steamed 7 minutes and cut from cobs, cooled
- 2 medium tomatillos, removed from husks, washed and chopped into a 1/4″ dice
- 4 medium-sized ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium ripe avocado, large dice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, lemon balm, arugula, or Thai basil (I used cilantro)
For Dressing:
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (I used powdered cumin)
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 2 1/2 tablespoons light vinegar, champagne or rice wine
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
In a small ungreased skillet, roast unpeeled garlic cloves over medium heat, turning regularly, until soft and browning, add cumin and roast for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Cool, remove garlic from skin and add both to food processor with cilantro, vinegar, and oil. Process until smooth and taste, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine shallots, corn, tomatillos, tomatoes and quinoa. Toss lightly with a fork. Just prior to serving toss with dressing, chopped herbs and avocado.
Heirloom tomatoes from our garden
Roasting garlic
Mixing dressing in the trusty Magic Bullet
Quinoa Salad
Served with a fresh salmon filet
Hubby LOVED this salad! I think with the cilantro and cumin, it had a Mexican flavor that reminded Hubby of a good tomatillo salsa. We ate it up quickly and with tomatillos coming in our next Full Circle delivery, I will probably make it again this coming weekend. Also, it is gluten-free, which works for my current dietary agenda.
As far as our fertility stuff goes. I’m going on Day 6 of my Lupron injections (10 units subcutaneous). We are undergoing the long Lupron protocol this time around. I’m waiting for AF to arrive and will go in for my suppression check on Day 2 of my next cycle. Funny how when it comes to fertility treatments, sometimes you are hoping to get AF! Stay tuned…..
Good Thing I Don’t Do Heroin
I just need to rant…..
I had blood draws both yesterday and today and I hate my veins and don’t appreciate phlebotomists/medical assistants who aren’t super skilled at their jobs. (Ok, maybe I’m being a little harsh here, but my arms hurt like crazy right now!)
Yesterday I had my annual physical and my doctor had me do a metabolic panel, lipid panel and check my thyroid level. Today I went to our fertility clinic to have my progesterone rechecked to see if I’ve ovulated. This will determine when we can move ahead with IVF #2.
Yesterday I had to get stuck three times (2nd phlebotomist finally got a vein on my right arm, but had to use a syringe to literally pull the blood from my vein). Today I got stuck four times!!!! And it was painful, the medical assistant kept digging and digging saying my “veins are tricky”. She finally got a vein in my hand after aggressively flicking it with her finger, ouch, that hurt also!
I actually got all of my blood work results from yesterdays physical late last night and was a little surprised at my numbers.
Thyroid stimulating hormone: 1.470 (same as April 2012, but up from 2011 and 2010)
Fasting glucose: 89 (pretty high considering I was fasting)
Total cholesterol: 200 (I was shocked, in 2009 my value was 149)
HDL: 89 (good that it’s high, was 78 in 2009)
Triglycerides: 63 (was 82 in 2009, so glad it’s gone down)
LDL: 99 (eeek! this is up from 55 in 2009)
The results made me feel like I’m not nearly as healthy as I was three years ago. Is it just age? Is it hereditary (high cholesterol runs on my maternal side)? Is it the fact that Hubby and I eat out at least 3-4 times per week? Is it all of the baking I’ve been doing? Using real butter!!! Or maybe it’s the Americanos I’ve been drinking with steamed breve (aka steamed half and half, often times the top 1/4 of the cup at Starbucks!)
After my last post I went back and did a little reading in both of my infertility books, Making Babies and The Infertility Cure and have decided to give the whole gluten-free and dairy-free thing a fair try. IVF #2 is coming up soon and I want to try to decrease any inflammation and issues with my endometriomas as much as possible to help make this time around successful. I’m not thrilled about giving up both gluten and dairy (both are daily staples in my diet), but I figure it’s a small sacrifice to make to have my body be a better environment for the IVF. Also, seeing my cholesterol increase over 50 points in just three years is making me take a closer look at my overall diet. I have a terrible sweet tooth and both my glucose level and cholesterol are taking a toll. Therefore, decreasing my sugar intake is also on the agenda.
Don’t worry friends, this isn’t a lifelong change, just a temporary one. As hard and daunting as this change seems, the thought of not getting pregnant is much worse. I’m not saying that this will guarantee pregnancy, but if it helps, I’m willing to make the sacrifices.
What are you doing dietary/lifestyle wise to help with infertility??? Any suggestions for going gluten-fee and/or dairy-free?!
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Don’t worry, I’m not joining the gluten-free revolution. But I am reading the book Wheat Belly by William Davis. The author is a cardiologist who seems to be backing much of his information with research and science, but at this point I’m only half-way through the book. However, I get a sense that he is telling his readers to not only give up wheat for better health, but other carbohydrates as well, such as rice, potatoes and corn. A few reviews I’ve read have mentioned that he later talks about really following an Atkins-type diet. Of course, by eliminating all or most carbohydrates one can definitely lose weight and reduce or eliminate health issues such as Type II diabetes.
I’m not trying to lose weight, but a few infertility books I’ve read (The Infertility Cure and Making Babies) and some other websites do recommend going gluten-free to help with infertility. Many recommend staying away from alcohol, dairy, and soy as well. I do avoid soy, but when not actively doing an IVF cycle I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine, cup of yogurt/ice cream or turkey sandwich. A girls gotta live a little!
I have been finding some good gluten-free cookie recipes online. I made these oatmeal peanut butter bites from How Sweet It Is last week and both Hubby and I really enjoyed them. The bites were no bake and to contrast, I wanted to find a gluten-free cookie recipe that would be a little more like a traditional oatmeal cookie.
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from a Trader Joe’s recipe) Yields approximately 48 cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free variety)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used a dark chocolate chip)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pecans (or other variety of nut)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter and beat until creamy.
Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix.
Stir in oats, chocolate chips and pecans. Place teaspoon full of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet (I used a Silpat sheet) about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.
The dough is very sticky without the flour, so using the spoon is helpful.
Dark chocolate “big” chips
Ready for the oven
Gluten-free oatmeal cookies
Whether you follow a gluten-free diet or not, these cookies are pretty tasty. The pecans and dark chocolate give some depth to these chewy oatmeal cookies. Like I said, I’m not totally gluten-free, but it’s nice to have some options to at least lower gluten intake. If it helps in the slightest, I’m willing to try.
I’ll see my RE again this coming Wednesday to check my progesterone and hopefully I’ve ovulated for this cycle so we can move ahead.
Upcoming IVF #2 and Quinoa Vegetable Salad
I finally walked through the doors of our fertility clinic today, I was last there for my HCG blood draw on August 18th (which ended with a negative result from our first cycle of IVF). My appointment today was for a follow-up consult with my RE. She said she doesn’t know exactly why the first round didn’t work, but gave two plausible reasons: 1. That the embryos were genetically abnormal even though they appeared “perfect” or 2. that my uterine lining/environment wasn’t ideal for implantation. She said everything went as best as it could have, but that obviously it wasn’t perfect or otherwise, I would be pregnant right now.
I’m currently on cycle day 18 of my first cycle coming off IVF. While at SRM today, my RE did perform an ultrasound , she said my lining looks thin and that I may not have ovulated yet. There is a larger simple cyst on my right ovary that could be the dominant follicle for this current cycle. She would like to go back to the Luteal Lupron protocol for IVF #2 minus the birth control pills (which caused oversuppression last time). For IVF #1-I did a natural cycle start, with Ganerelix rather than Lupron. She thinks a small change could help and that it might allow my follicles to grow at a more even rate. I also had my blood drawn today to measure my progesterone (which will determine if I’ve ovulated this cycle). I am nervous about oversuppression happening again, but also willing to make changes if it means a successful cycle. I’m in a state of “whatever” right now, but knowing my Type-A personality, I’m sure that will be changing, as much as I think it would be better if it didn’t.
I’m waiting to hear from my nurse at SRM, but tentatively we are looking at egg retrieval in late September and embryo transfer in early October. I really really love Fall, so maybe this is a good time-I will try as hard as I can to actually enjoy the turning of the leaves, the crisp morning air, pumpkin spice lattes, and football Sundays-rather than obsessing about every thing I feel or don’t feel.
But, until it’s officially Fall, I’m going to enjoy this Indian Summer we are having here in Seattle. Here is a recipe for a Summer salad that is perfect if you have any leftover zucchini or summer squash from your garden.
Quinoa Vegetable Salad-this recipe is really rough, can add or subtract based on taste
Ingredients:
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 summer squash, diced
- 1 cup red quinoa
- 2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sauteing
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1. Cook quinoa in broth according to package directions (I use a rice cooker, it’s always consistent)
2. Saute pepper, zucchini, and squash in olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste
3. Combine quinoa and sautéed veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing and toss (I only used about 1/2 to 1/3 of dressing preparation). Add green onions and lightly toss again, reserve a few for the top for garnish.
Our small but abundant herb garden
Beautiful zucchini and squash
Quinoa Salad
This is a light and refreshing salad and pairs nicely with fish (we have been lucky to have some great wild Alaskan salmon on hand). This recipe is completely adaptable to your taste in veggies, herbs, etc. Let’s enjoy the last few weeks of Summer and not be like Costco with their Holiday decorations out just yet!
Date Bars
I’m back again this week, I told you I would be following up on my Hello Dolly Bars with a healthier “bar”. These are Hubby’s absolute favorite, and it is actually my mother-in-law’s recipe. They are easy to make and like I said before, a nice breakfast bar. I’ve used different types of dried dates, regular dried dates in their original form or the smaller dried dates that are processed (not processed like a Cheeto-“I still love you Cheetos!”) and coated in flour.
Date Bars (family recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup canola oil (I use coconut oil, heated in microwave until liquid)
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup nuts (I use pecans, but you can use whatever you desire)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Date Filling:
- 8 ounces (1 cup) dried dates
- 3/4 cup water (add incrementally, may need less than 3/4 cup)
Place dates and water in a small pot over low to medium heat, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and stir until mixture becomes thick.
Mix the ingredients listed above and spread half on the bottom of a greased 8×8 inch pan (pat down into what will be the bottom crust). Spread with date filling and crumble the rest of the oat mixture on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.
Oat mixture
Date filling on the stove top
Ready for the oven
Date Bars
Hubby, my parents and I are heading up to Whistler, British Columbia for the long Labor Day weekend. Hubby and my Dad will be playing some golf, my Mom and I will be getting facials and doing some shopping. It’s a much-needed getaway that I’m looking forward to.
I will see my RE next Wednesday to figure out our next move on the IVF journey. But, for now, I’ll be enjoying myself and trying to free my mind of all the worrying and heartache.
What are your Labor Day plans???!
Hello Dolly Bars
Some people call them Nanaimo bars, some call them “crack”, and I call them Hello Dolly bars. This week I’m starting off by posting about these deliciously decadent bars, but will follow-up later this week with a healthier bar that I actually like to eat for breakfast.
I’ve really been on a baking kick lately, maybe I’m trying to forget all of my problems in a sugar abyss or better yet-maybe it’s because I think sharing sweet treats is a simple joy in life.
This past weekend I had two gatherings to attend-a Summer BBQ party with all of my work peeps and an outdoor movie night hosted annually by neighbors. For both, I offered to bring something sweet to savor.
Hello Dolly Bars (recipe from family friend, Eve)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup (approximately 15 single) crushed graham crackers (I used my food processor to crumble)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup mixture of chocolate chips (milk and/or semi-sweet) and butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
- 1/2 cup mini-marshmallows
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Place butter in a 9×13 inch pan and melt in 350 degree oven. Once melted mix in graham cracker crumbs and spread evenly on bottom of pan.
Sprinkle with chips, nuts and top with marshmallows.
Drizzle condensed milk over evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
Milk, Semi-sweet and Butterscotch chips with walnuts
Hello Dolly Bars
Outdoor Movie Night at the Neighbors
Our neighbors showed Galaxy Quest for this Summer’s movie. I thought it was quirky and highly entertaining. Hubby and I had a perfect time-a bottle of wine, buttered popcorn, clear skies, stars, a funny movie, and Hello Dolly bars to share with our friends. A perfect way to spend a summer night before Labor Day weekend approaches…….
How are you spending what remains of Summer 2012???!
Blogs I Follow
Liebster Blog
Bakin’ Friends
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hopefulandhungry 