Island Eats-Part II
Hubby and I are now home in Seattle. Today is a quiet day at the office, so I’m sitting at my desk, looking out at the sunny Seattle sky (yes, surprising!) and wishing we were back in the Aloha State. We flew home Sunday and I have been sleeping poorly ever since we got back. I don’t know what it is about Hawaii-but I sleep like a rock over there, I don’t know if it’s the feeling of total relaxation, the sound of waves at night, or if laying in the sun all day is draining, but it’s magical. I wish I could bottle up that kind of sleep and bring it home with me.
After we left Oahu and arrived on the Big Island, the eating did not stop! In fact, without the conference for Hubby and friends to attend, we had more time for eating and beach time.
For our first night out in the Kona area we went to the Keei Cafe up in Hokukano (up the hillside from Kona), it’s a small place that overlooks the ocean and the food is consistently good.
Ono with Thai green curry sauce
They always have a few fresh fish selections and it is nice because they offer them prepared three ways. I chose the Thai green curry sauce, but it was also offered with a lemon caper sauce or on a bed of greens with green papaya and a peanut miso vinaigrette (what Hubby ordered).
Our first and last day on the Big Island we went to my favorite beach-Kua bay. It’s great because you can drive up to it (many beaches on Hawaii are a little more difficult to access due to the abundance of lava rock on the Big Island) and it has white sand and bathroom accommodations.
Kua Bay
There were even a few “Honu” or sea turtles swimming in Kua bay both days that we went.
For our more fancy dinner out we went to the Beach Tree at Hualalai Four Seasons. The Four Seasons is north from Kona and is located along the Kohala Coast. Beach Tree has offerings with an Italian Twist compared to the fine dining restaurant Pahui’a which has more of an Asian flair. Beach Tree is pricey, but not nearly as overpriced expensive as Pahui’a. And the view is breathtaking….
View from Beach Tree
Seriously…..doesn’t this look like a postcard.
Arugula salad w/ Ali’i mushrooms and crispy goat cheese
Hubby and I shared this salad, it was perfect for mushroom lovers like me and who doesn’t love fried cheese balls?!
For dinner Hubby ordered a pizza and I went with a pasta dish, it was good, but a little heavy for the warmer weather.
Capellini Brushchetta with WOW tomatoes
The tomatoes in my pasta were “WOW” tomatoes, I think it indicated the area they were from and not that they were going to knock my socks off!!
Another day we made our way up the Kohala Coast again and went to Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach is often rated as a “Top Beach” on travel shows, etc. The Prince Hotel sits above it and the water is often calm and warm. Our only complaint for our beach time at Hapuna was the wind…..we had to keep our mouths closed so we didn’t have sand between our teeth.
Hapuna Beach
Hubby’s favorite beach on the Big Island is Makalewena beach. You must drive on a horrible road (I don’t even know if you can call it a road) to access the trailhead. We always make sure we get an SUV rental car just so we can go to this beach, although, I don’t think we are supposed to drive rental cars on this road. Sssh…don’t tell anyone! After driving on this lava rock “road”, you walk another 1-2 miles over a beach and a lava field. The trek is bumpy but is definitely worth it. Makalewena beach has white sands and usually has limited people on the beach because of the difficult access.
Makalewena Beach
We came across one gentleman who was nude amongst ten clothed friends…..weird! Yes, it is a desolate beach, but no one wanted to see his twig and berries, probably not even his nearest and dearest!
Emi and Jeremy flew out on Saturday AM……so Hubby and I had one last night together on the Big Island. Without debate we had to go to Don the Beachcomber at the Royal Kona Resort for Hubby’s favorite Hawaiian dinner-Ahi Fukikake!
Ahi Fukikake
This is a large Ahi tuna steak that has been coated in fukikake (a dry Japanese condiment) and then quickly seared to keep a raw center. It’s served over a bed of coconut mochi rice. This dish never disappoints and is Hawaii on a dinner plate.
Our trip to Hawaii was amazing…..a fun time with friends Emi and Jeremy, lots of sun and beach time, great food and relaxation. I didn’t even post all of our meals, otherwise you would think all we do is eat!!
As much as I had wanted to move right into our IVF process earlier this year, I’m so glad that we kept this vacation on our calendar, it was the perfect way to unwind before all of the craziness takes place.
Island Eats-Part I
Aloha from the Big Island! Hubby and I have been here with dear friends, Emi and Jeremy, until today. E and J left on a flight this AM to be home in time for their twin boys’ birthday party. Hubby and I have one last day/night here in Kona before heading back to Seattle. Although, I’m pretty excited to return to the Emerald City, as I hear we’ve been having some pretty spectacular weather back home.
Favorite things to do while in Hawaii………….eat. lay in the sun. drink Kona coffee. snorkel. oh and did I mention…..eat!
Like I said in my last post, Hubby had his annual conference in Honolulu. We arrived at the Moana Surfrider last Friday and stayed there until Monday afternoon. The hotel is gorgeous!
“The First Lady of Waikiki”
Upon arrival after a super early flight and lunch with my Uncle, we unloaded in our room, took a much-needed nap and later headed poolside/beachside for an afternoon delight.
My Lilikoi Coconut Mojito…..looks refreshing, huh?!
This was our view of Waikiki Beach while we sipped our drinks. Luckily we could see the water as it wasn’t too crowded at this time of day.
I like to consider myself somewhat of a Foodie and am always taking restaurant recommendations, for places in Seattle, but especially when traveling domestic or abroad. A friend and colleague of mine always has great recommendations, him and his wife travel to Hawaii often, so he has a list of great places on the islands. One recommendation he has for Honolulu is the Side Street Inn. The Side Street Inn has two locations-one near Ala Moana Shopping Center (where we went) and another off Kapahulu Avenue. This place gets tons of great Yelp and Travelzoo recommendations and my friend and the sites all recommended the kim chee fried rice. My Uncle and Mom (my Mom is originally from Hawaii and came with Hubby and I to visit her brother and family) came to pick Hubby and I up at our hotel and we headed to the Side Street Inn for dinner. We arrived around 7:15 PM and were told it would be a 45 minute wait, the place was packed!!
We finally got seated after drooling at all of the plates coming by and had the tough decision of what to order. We were starving and everything sounded amazing.
The furikake encrusted Ahi…..the sauce was a wasabi sauce and OMG….this was so good!
The kim chee fried rice, this was huge, plenty of rice for a rice lover like myself to share with 3 other people and still be happy. If I were to go back, I would probably order the Side Street Inn signature fried rice. I love kim chee, but it was a little overpowering.
And lastly, we ordered the teriyaki beef (or as islanders say “teri beef”). The beef was sliced really thin and had a nice sugary crispness to it.
We were thoroughly full and happy after dinner and retreated back to the hotel to bed, Hubby had to be up early to attend conferences in the AM.
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On our second night in Honolulu we met up with former co-residents of Hubby’s from Boston University. One is living in Virginia and the other back in her home country of Saudi Arabia (she traveled VERY far to be in Hawaii for the conference). We made reservations for Alan Wong’s back in January, we ate here when we visited Honolulu in February and knew we wanted to come back during the conference. Alan Wong’s is very unassuming from the outside. You enter a plain white building, get into an elevator and go up to the 3rd floor. But once the elevator doors open, it’s a beautiful restaurant that has no ocean view, but rather a view of the beautiful, lush green mountainside and an open kitchen that is buzzing with chefs.
Once seated, the server brings over an iPad which has their drink menu on it…..pretty high tech! The dinner menu is fairly condensed, and pretty much anything you choose will be tasty.
Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Salsa Stack
Hubby and I shared this appetizer of ahi sashimi with avocado on a bed of crispy wontons. This was by far my favorite part of our meal. So light and refreshing, and who can’t pass up fresh Ahi tuna when in Hawaii?!
Richard Ha’s Whole Tomato Salad
Hubby and I shared this salad, it is one of Alan Wong’s signature salads, the dressing is a Li Hing Mui Ume vinagrette. The salad was light, but the dressing was very sweet and not my most favorite. Hawaiians love Li Hing Mui, which is a very sweet powder that they put on almost everything from gummy bears to dried mangos to shaved ice.
Ginger crusted Onaga-long-tail red snapper
This was my main course, the Onaga was served with a miso sesame vinaigrette and hamakua mushrooms and corn. The fish was very delicate and had a thin panko breading, the sauce again was a little on the sweet side, but overall it was tasty. Last time we ate here I had the Opakapaka and enjoyed the preparation much better.
I couldn’t believe it, but after our entrees, I was so full that we skipped dessert, so unlike me!!
With all of this eating, it was a good thing our hotel had morning yoga. I love yoga, so it was nice to be able to do it while traveling. Plus, we got to do it outside with an oceanview. If only I could have this view everyday during my yoga practice.
View from my yoga mat!
These were the highlights from our time on Oahu, I’ll be posting again to highlight the food from the Big Island and the beautiful beaches here. Hubby and I are heading down to Don the Beachcomber at the Royal Kona Resort soon (the place that has Hubby’s absolute favorite dinner on the Big Island, which I mentioned in my first post).
A Hui Hou-“until we meet again”!!!!
Aloha-Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider
Aloha….greetings from Honolulu, Hawaii! Hubby and I are in Honolulu for Hubby’s annual conference. We are here on Oahu until late this afternoon (arrived last Friday) and will be flying over to the Big Island of Hawaii for another six nights. I can’t complain! Dear friends are joining us on the Big Island for an add-on vacation after the conference. Our friends left their almost 2-year-old twin boys at home, so they are basking in the luxury of a kid-free getaway.
Hubby’s conference is at the Hawaii Convention Center and we are staying at the Moana Surfrider hotel. The hotel was built in 1901 and was called the “First Lady of Waikiki”. It was built long before the urbanization of the Waikiki area. The hotel has a plantation style design and is beautiful both inside and out. Hubby and I are staying in the original part of the hotel, our room has been nicely updated and renovated, but the windows may still be dated as we hear constant traffic and street noise from the Waikiki strip. The hotel also has an added Tower Wing which is not part of the original hotel.
The Moana Surfrider offers Afternoon Tea at The Veranda restaurant located on the main floor of the hotel. The Veranda restaurant is outdoors on the wrap around porch that faces the pool and Waikiki beach. The Veranda has a definite Southern feel and is beautiful. My Mom flew down with us from Seattle. She is originally from Honolulu and is here visiting family. My Uncle, Aunt and Mom came over to our hotel to enjoy Afternoon Tea with Hubby and I on Saturday afternoon.
The server brought over an assortment of dried teas for us to smell as he explained what type of tea each was and what flavors were infused into the teas. I chose the Jasmine Phoenix Pearl tea, it was delicious but since I don’t drink much caffeine, it was quite the afternoon kicker. Hubby had White Tea Serenade, Mom had the same Jasmine tea as I chose, and my Aunt and Uncle both had the Moana Sunset tea-a black tea with fruit infusions.
My Jasmine tea, isn’t the china and silver beautiful?!
After we enjoyed our teas for a bit, they brought out a Pumpkin Bisque, I just loved the small teacup and spoon. Reminded me of tea parties from when I was little. The soup was thick and really delicious. My Mom commented on how temperature hot it was, we agreed that soup is best served hot-even in Hawaii!
Next came a plate of dainty tea sandwiches. Salmon lox and egg salad in the upper left; cucumber, tomato and olive tapenade with cream cheese on a baguette in the upper right; and a roast beef and watercress on rosemary focaccia on the bottom. The baguette with cucumber, tomato and olive tapenade was my favorite.
Oh….what did we have next?! A tower of treats…..yes, that’s right!!! Don’t worry, I took close-ups of each plate so you can get a closer look. And that is my Auntie June in the background, isn’t she cute?!
The top plate of goodies-green tea French macaroons and coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate. The green tea macaroons were so light and fluffy and the coconut macaroons dense and moist. Hubby loves coconut macaroons, so he was in heaven. I think my Aunt even let him have hers…..how sweet!
Raisin scones with clotted cream and lemon curd. Wow…..these scones were so light and delicate in flavor and the clotted cream and lemon curd were the perfect accompaniments. Anything spread with thick heavy cream is divine!!
This is the bottom plate from the tower of sugary delights. A mango layer cake and mini fruit tarts. I was getting so full at this point that I only had a small bite of the mango layer cake and I love mango and cake (so you know I must have been truly full!) and the fruit tart was good, but probably my least favorite dessert item.
I thought we were done…..I was on the edge of a food coma following my sugar rush. Nope……one more item was brought to our table.
We finished our Afternoon Tea with a kaffir-lime and lemon grass green tea sorbet. As full as I was, this was the perfect palate cleanser and a refreshing way to end the meal.
If you are ever in the Honolulu/Waikiki area, I would highly recommend partaking in Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider hotel in the heart of Waikiki. It’s a fun and unique experience!!!
I’ll be posting later again this week, you will likely wonder if I have done anything but eat on this vacation.
Any recommendations for restaurants/sites/beaches on the Big Island?!?!
More prep work for IVF-Uterine Sounding appointment
Yesterday I returned to SRM for a Sonohystogram/Uterine Sounding appointment. I met Dr. Dudley, another RE at SRM, he was very nice and explained the procedure in detail.
He first started by doing a transvaginal ultrasound, pointing out that my endometriomas are quite large (yes, I know!) and that they will have to circumvent them as much as possible for my egg retrieval.
Dr. Dudley then tried to pass a catheter through my cervix to mimic what will be done for my embryo transfer, he had some difficulty passing through and had to try several different types before finding one that would work.
The last part of the appointment entailed Dr. Dudley passing a small camera through my cervix into my uterus to visualize my uterus and to make sure it will be ready for embryo implantation. He used saline while doing the procedure. I have to admit, I felt a little queasy seeing my insides on a TV screen, but was happy to see that my uterus was clear of any issues and that it looks good for implantation. He did detect some adhesions passing through from my cervix to my uterus, but said that they will bypass those as much as possible to guide the embryos into the uterus.
Overall the appointment wasn’t too bad, it was slightly uncomfortable but I didn’t have much cramping later in the day.
Acupuncture
Yesterday afternoon after my appointment at SRM, I had an acupuncture appointment. My acupuncturist is trying to help minimize my cysts and is also doing some prep work for my upcoming IVF cycle.
I was pretty tired yesterday afternoon, so thought I would take the 25 minutes after pin placement to take a little nap. Eeek! This was not the case, after my pins were placed and I was left to rest, I was getting waves of stabbing discomfort in my midsection. I was trying to imagine my cysts breaking apart and was trying to let my breath give me comfort. When my acupuncturist returned to the room she said it was normal for the meridians that she was stimulating. I have a high pain tolerance and will do what needs to be done to help shrink my cysts and have my body be ready for the IVF, but I’m not looking forward to my next appointment like I usually do. It was intense!!!
For the record-I actually enjoy my acupuncture appointments, I find them to be relaxing, this particular appointment is not the norm. 🙂
April Foodie Pen Pals
I’m so excited, I have been participating in Foodie Pen Pals for a few months now, but haven’t had my blog until very recent…..so this will be my first time posting on my own blog! I have enjoyed doing guest posts for those I’ve exchanged with, but it’s nice to be able to do a post on hopefulandhungry!
Foodie Pen Pals was created and is organized by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean.
Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:
-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
– Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!
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This month I was paired with Amber at Hungry 4 A Healthy Life, she sent me a box full of yummy goodies. She must have had a sense for some of my favorite things in life…..coconut, mint, tea, etc.
Amber packed in a dried fruit mix (apples, cherry and raisin)-perfect for a midday work snack. Tortilla soup-I LOVE tortilla soup, I can’t wait for a cozy night at home to make this; tea-a variety of coconut flavored teas (very flavorful) and a couple of mint teas , I have tea every morning….so now I can mix it up a bit.
She also sent honey toasted sunflower nuts, I haven’t tried them yet, but can’t wait. Sounds like sweet, crunchy goodness! And Amber sent a coconut almond Kind bar and a chocolate coconut chew Larabar as well.
Thanks again to Amber for sending a great box for April Foodie Pen Pals! I’ll enjoy all of my goodies!
I sent a box over to Courtney at The Little Food Court, so check out her blog to see what I sent her way.
Foodie Pen Pals is a fun program to get involved with if 1) You love receiving packages in the mail 2) You love food, fun snacks and goodies and 3) You ever remember having a pen pal and how much fun it was to connect to someone via mail! Check out Lindsay’s blog to sign up at get involved. The program is now in Canada and the UK!!!!
Asian Noodle, Mushroom and Cabbage Salad
I love noodles, almost as much as I love rice (yumsandloves Hubby and I have an ongoing contest of who can consume more rice….seriously!). Throw some sesame oil into the noodles and I’m in heaven.
A girlfriend of mine had originally made this salad for our book club several years ago and we all fell in love with it then. She is no longer in the book club, but I was reminded of it since my book club was meeting this week. Book club met this past Sunday and it was a gorgeous sunny Seattle day (some of us even got a little sunburn). I wish I had taken a photo of the clear blue sky! Our book club is 20% book discussion, 45% food and indulgence and 35% gossip. That’s a good balance, right?!
This Asian noodle salad is light, refreshing, easy and flavorful…..a great summer dish. Great alone as a light meal or as a side to your favorite grilled fish, flank steak, etc.
Asian Noodle, Mushroom and Cabbage Salad-originally in the July 2002 issue of Bon Appetit
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
12 large dried shiitake mushrooms (I used ones that were presliced)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
14 green onions; 12 halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths, 2 chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1-pound package fresh thin Chinese egg noodles or one 12-oz package of dried Chinese egg noodles (I used dried and thought it turned out well)
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
3 hard-boiled eggs; 2 thinly sliced, 1 chopped for garnish
1 cup chopped cilantro
Dried shiitake mushrooms are great to have on hand. Since mine were already cut, I poured about 3/4 cup into a bowl, covered with boiling water and let sit for about 30 min. to soften.
Drain the mushrooms after they have thoroughly softened, if using whole mushrooms, trim stems and discard; thinly slice caps.
Heat peanut oil in heavy large wok or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, ginger, garlic and mushrooms. Stir-fry until cabbage wilts, add green onion pieces, toss until green onions wilt. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well, place in large bowl.
Whisk sesame oil, , lemon juice, rice vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Add to noodles. Add sliced eggs, 3/4 cup of cilantro (save 1/4 cup for garnish) and add warm cabbage mixture, toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper (I didn’t think it needed any additional salt and pepper).
Sprinkle salad with 2 chopped green onions, chopped egg and remaining cilantro and serve.
Can be made a day in advance, wait to place garnish on before serving.
I think the salad was well received at book club and Hubby and I will be eating the leftovers tonight for dinner. No cooking tonight after work….yay!
What’s your favorite noodle recipe? I’d love to try them out!
Homemade Cat Food
Homemade Cat Food
Check out our Fur Babies….Maya is our older, female cat that I’ve had since not long after I moved to Seattle. She is a petite little thing and has had stomach issues for the last few years. Friends and I joke that she has an eating disorder because she is so tiny and often would be throwing-up after eating her food. But, seriously, she does have some sort of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has had to be on a prescription, hypoallergenic diet for several years now. I’ve asked repeatedly that she get a job to help pay for her food, but being the princess that she is, she doesn’t want to lift a finger (or paw!).
Bode, our new, younger male cat is very attached to Hubby and I. He follows us around wherever we go in the house (we think he may have abandonment issues because the first people to adopt him took him back to the Animal Rescue place after they found out they were moving out of town). Last time we went on vacation, we came home and I left my half-unpacked suitcase out. Next thing I know, Bode is in there taking care of business. When I wiped up the urine it was pink and he wet on our bed that evening as well. After a day at the vet and a bacterial culture, it came back clear and it was determined that his bladder infection was due to stress and that he may need to be on anti-anxiety meds one day! Before the culture came back the vet put him on a prescription food for a few days and when I read the ingredients I was mortified-the first ingredient was pork by-products!
We really do feel that we might just have the most high maintenance cats around. But, after spending a small fortune on prescription food and vet bills, Hubby had the wonderful suggestion of making our own cat food. I bought the book Lapping It Up for Cats on Amazon. The book explains how big name cat food companies don’t care about what you are feeding your pets and that they’ll pretty much put any type of protein source it in (bad quality meat, tumors, even euthanized cats!). And at the end of the book it’s filled with several different recipes, most contain a protein, carb, fat and then you add the essential powders that your cat will need.
Below is the Tabby’s Chicken Hash Dinner
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. chicken (I use dark meat, it’s cheaper and a little fattier-which the cats need)
1 cup brown rice
1 cup cottage cheese (in the pictures below, I subsituted greek yogurt, I didn’t have the cottage cheese on hand)
1 hard-boiled egg
6 tablespoons alfalfa sprouts
100 mg. Taurine (Taurine is an amino acid that is essential for feline health, we buy the powder form from Amazon)
Directions: Boil chicken in a large pot until meat falls off bone, cut chicken into small bites. Cook rice to package directions and set aside. In a food processor combine chicken, rice, cottage cheese, egg, alfalfa sprouts and taurine.
We usually double or triple the recipes in the book because we are feeding two cats and then you don’t have to make it as often. We change up the recipe everytime. Maya mostly likes the ground turkey recipe.
We give each cat about 1/3 cup in the AM and PM. Maya has gone from 5 to 7 lbs since the food change up, has not had as many vomiting issues and both cats seem bright-eyed and spunky. I will admit, it’s one more thing to add to the To-Do list each week, but the time outweighs the cost of expensive prescription food filled with questionable ingredients and we have happy, healthy cats!
Pie, The IVF Update and Date Night Friday
PIE
Last night I met up with my girlfriend for dinner and to go with her to her final dress fitting for her upcoming May wedding. We went to Ocho in Ballard and had an array of delicious tapas. I’m sorry, I’m a total loser and didn’t take photos of our food. But here is a picture of the chalkboard that you order from-kind of makes you go cross-eyed if you stare too long.
And here is a brief list of what we savored:
- Tortilla Espanola-egg, potato, onion, brava sauce, artichoke aioli (so yummy, but a little on the greasy side)
- Setas de Jerez-sherried mushrooms, olive oil toast, arugula (a little on the sweet side and the arugula gave it a clean finish)
- Brocoli-escarole, garlic, pinenuts (I love broccoli sautéed with garlic, I could have eaten only a plate of this and still been happy)
- La Carolina-pancetta wrapped bleu cheese stuffed dates with balsamic reduction (almost dessert like)
- And we finished with a Mexican chocolate/cayenne homemade ice cream (it was the perfect balance of salty and sweet)
Being the girls that we are, the ice cream at Ocho just didn’t satisfy our sweet tooth, so we trekked up the hill to Phinney Ridge to A La Mode Pies.
We went inside and oogled all of the pies in the case-it was a tough decision seeing all of the deliciousness going on….
If you look closely, there was only one piece of the Lemon Macaroon, so we decided it was the way to go. Here is A La Mode’s description of the Lemon Macaroon.
“A la Mode’s homage to the classic French cookie starts with a shortbread crust and a rich lemon, coconut and almond-infused cheesecake batter, topped with lemon curd and toasted coconut. This sweet and tart dessert is the perfect palate pleaser. ”
It definitely pleased our palates AND our stomachs, now that our sweet teeth had been satisfied, we headed to her dress fitting. She tried on the dress and looked absolutely gorgeous, she will be a beautiful bride!!!
THE IVF UPDATE
Today we went back to SRM to meet with our RE. At my last meeting she told me my endometriomas were a problem and that IVF is going to be what is needed to help us to conceive. The last couple of months we’ve taken a break from things (my waking up at the crack of dawn to take my temperature, my hubby being annoyed with the beeping at dawn of my thermometer, and feeling like I can’t drink wine, go for a run, or spontaneous rather than timed moments). Today we were getting the go ahead to start the IVF process as soon as we are done traveling for the year this coming June. We knew the first step will be to do my Day 2/3/or 4 Labs (FSH, Estradiol, Prolactin), but were unsure when I would start birth control (birth control is recommended to quiet one’s system and so that the fertility team can control the stimulation of follicles). Hubby and I were thinking we’d start in mid-May, hoping that by a miracle we still might conceive naturally. Today our RE said that it depends on what is going on with my endometrioma cysts and whether one vs. two months of birth control would be preferable (1 month makes it easier to stimulate the ovaries for egg retrieval but 2 months gives my cysts a chance to be unaffected by hormone changes and hopefully stabilize). Hubby was leaning toward 1 month, but RE recommended that we do an ultrasound today and see what’s going on.
Ultrasound showed that my endometrioma in my left ovary shrank slightly-from approximately 55 mm to 51 mm. Okay-good news. But……looks like the number of follicles for that ovary have gone down since my last count……not good news. She moves over to the right ovary and sees that I have a new cyst on that side, so basically a cyst next to my existing cyst that is filled with new blood and tissue (sorry for the weak stomachs out there) and is most likely from my ovulation this month…..again, not good news. She says birth control for 2 months is her recommendation to try to help the cysts quiet down before we start stimulation medications.
I feel deflated, worried, anxious-my usual set of emotions whenever we get less than ideal news. Hubby is optimistic and hopeful-thank goodness one of us is. But, really…..I know that I need to keep an optimistic mindset and still enjoy our upcoming vacations and know that we are doing everything that we can to bring a baby into the world.
Just waiting for AF to appear, then off to do bloodwork and start birth control. Birth control seems so ironic when you are trying your darndest to get pregnant!
Date Night Friday
Hubby and I try to get out on a date night at least once a week, we both have very busy schedules and eat out a lot for work and with friends, but we like to get out just the two of us weekly.
We lucked out here in Seattle on Friday and had beautiful weather. So, for this date night we were able to walk to our dinner destination. But, first we had a glass of Vinho Verde wine at home. I am a lightweight, so hubby gets a fuller glass than I do.
After having our glass of wine we walked up the street to Kasbah Moroccan restaurant. When you enter, it feels like you’ve escaped to Morocco. I’ve never been, but what I would imagine it would feel like.
We started our dinner with the Lamb Bastilla-a rice and lamb filled phyllo pastry.
For our entrees we had the Chicken and Vegetable Brochettes with Saffron Rice and the Vegetarian Couscous.
Since we had our meeting with our RE earlier in the day, we had that on our minds and were able to talk about things. Both hubby and I would be thrilled beyond belief to have healthy twins, but we would be so blessed to have a single healthy child from this whole IVF process.
The evening ended with me coercing hubby into watching Twilight-Breaking Dawn Part I. He didn’t even complain….at least not out loud.
Natural Remedies
As we await our appointment with our RE to see if we can start our IVF process in the next few months, I figure I might as well try some natural remedies to help alleviate inflammation and hopefully prevent my endometriomas from growing larger. Unfortunately, I won’t know how effective these home remedies are until I have another ultrasound so that they can be measured again. My MIL is very into natural health and recently gave me a bag with squares of cotton fabric and a bottle of Castor Oil. The only thing that comes to mind when I think of Castor Oil is the movie Stand By Me (if you’ve seen it, I do not need to elaborate-thus ruining any thoughts of a delicious dinner).
I followed this website Castor Oil Therapy for Infertility, but I’m not doing the actual packs. Instead, I’m rubbing a generous amount of the oil on my lower abdomen, applying the fabric (which I’ve used multiple times, so that it is somewhat soaked with the oil) and then placing a piece of plastic wrap over that to prevent my PJs from getting oily. Then I’m placing a heated rice bag on top and leaving it on until it cools. My cat has been finding the rice bag and plopping down on top. (Thank goodness she only weights 6 lbs!) I’ve only been using this method for a couple of weeks, it’s messy, but the heat on the lower abdomen does feel comforting.
The second natural remedy that I’ve been trying is a drink that was posted by another person on BabyCenter-Community-this is a great site for anyone who is thinking of conceiving, is currently pregnant, or has kids. The reader posted a drink that is used often in the Dominican Republic to treat endometriosis. The recipe calls for 1 small beet (steamed or roasted), a tablespoon of molasses and a cup of aloe vera juice.
I started off using a raw beet and had a hard time drinking the woody pulp, but once I started using the steamed beets and blending for a long time in my Magic Bullet, it became easier to swallow.
It’s definitely not a yummy, creamsicle type smoothie, but the molasses makes it a little sweet and tolerable. I’d much rather be eating a beet and goat cheese salad, but hopefully this drink will help my ovaries more than a salad.
What type of natural remedies have you tried? Have they been successful?
Hello world!
I’ve been dreaming of starting a blog for quite some time now, my bestie at yumsandloves has been blogging about food, life, cooking, traveling-all which I enjoy along with her and she has been encouraging me to start my blog.
I do love everything food (I’m the girl at the restaurant with her iPhone out, posting to Facebook my latest dinner choice or scrolling Food Gawker all day long) and originally wanted to do a food blog (even though there are a zillion out there). I enjoy reading about new recipes, ogling the photos of food and seeing people’s creativity when it comes to cooking. When hubby and I travel, 90% of our vacation time is planned around what, when and where will we be eating our next meal. We travel to Hawaii often and it’s usually fresh fish that speaks out to us. His favorite being the seared Ahi tuna at Don the Beachcomber in Kona.
However, it doesn’t feel right to only talk about food, travel, cooking, friends, etc. when there is something that has been a huge part of our lives right now. Hubby and I have been trying to conceive (TTC) for over a year and a half and it is part of our daily lives. We have wanted a child for so long and it has yet to happen that the vision seems to get harder to see. We were married in September of 2009 and wanted to wait one year before we started trying for a baby. In hindsight, I wish I would have gone off birth control when we first started dating because now I realize I don’t even need to be on it. Like the saying goes…..hindsight is 20/20.
Here is a condensed timeline of our journey thus far, some of it seems a blur, so I’m sure there are a few details I’m overlooking:
-May 2010-go off birth control, still using back-up method
-August 2010-stop using back-up method (leaving for Europe in Sept. 2010 and am slightly nervous that I’ll be pregnant and not feeling well for the trip)
-October 2010-Start using OPKs (ovulation predictor kits) to time intercourse
-November 2010-Actually timing intercourse right with my ovulation (read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility-it’s everything they didn’t teach you in middle school)
-December 2010-Start seeing an acupuncturist weekly-she has me taking Chinese herbs as well as seeing her for acupuncture (I love acupuncture-to me, it is relaxing, once the pins are placed, it’s 30 minutes of meditation and quiet)
-February 2011-Start seeing a Naturopath on a referral from my acupuncturist. ND starts me on vitamins and Vitex, later diagnoses me with a hypothyroid, start taking Armor thyroid medication, thinks I might be underweight (exercising too much)-my cycles get more irregular than they have already been
-May 2011-HSG (hysterosalpingogram)-right fallopian tube clears immediately, left side has a delayed clearing. Hubby has a SA (semen analysis) and results are great, he has great swimmers!
-May-September 2011-Continue to see my ND, finally she calls and says she is stumped. Thought my case would be easy, but is literally dumbfounded on what is causing my infertility
-September-October 2011-Go back to my OB-GYN, starts me on 50 mg Clomid (still don’t ovulate), Oct-up to 100 mg Clomid with IUI (interuterine insemination)–>BFN (big fat negative)
-December 2011-Finally go to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist at Seattle Reproductive Medicine (SRM). Doctor does some labs (my ovarian reserve isn’t good for a female at age 32) and recommends 3 rounds of letrozole (brand name-Femara) with IUI. I ovulate earlier with letrozole and we do 2 IUIs (I’m very hopeful)–>BFNs both times. During this time I discover I have endometrioma cysts in both ovaries. Not sure if I actually have endometriosis (never have had the classic symptoms). They seem to be growing with each cycle of meds that we do. I’m getting scared….
-Present March 2011-Taking time off from all of the fertility treatments. Trying to be nice to myself-drinking wine, not taking my temperature every morning, trying to be spontaneous with hubby and going on some already planned vacations (Hubby thinks it is important to make some time for US-why I married this man).
-Will be meeting again with my RE next week to lay out our finals plans for our upcoming IVF.
So….here we go. We have our last hurrah vacation planned for May to Hawaii. Hubby has a conference there and then we will be spending time with some dear friends. Then to NYC for a friend’s wedding. Hoping to feel refreshed and excited to start our IVF this summer. Stay tuned……..
Blogs I Follow
Liebster Blog
Bakin’ Friends
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hopefulandhungry 