Fattening Up

Dave loves to see me eat.
He loves my pregnant belly, and he loves to see it grow.
I've always loved food, so I am enjoying the opportunity to eat to my heart's delight.
I'm eating my third meal of the day at 2:41 PM.
Mushroom ravioli in olive oil with grated cheddar cheese on top... yum.
I don't care how bad white flour is supposed to be for you; everyone in Italy can't possibly be wrong!
These ravioli can't possibly be bad for me.
There's a theory that if you eat blander, simpler foods that are easier to digest, your digestive system will have a much longer lifespan.
The thing is, what's the point of living more years if I can't enjoy any of those years eating things like ravioli, burritos, chocolate and ice cream?
Think about it.

My mom used to make this casserole when I was little, and it was probably the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.
One day I am going to have to make it for us, even if it has very little actual nutritional value.
Something must be said for the nutritional SOUL-feeding value of delicious food.
This marvelous casserole was actually a "gratin" - penne pasta (the kind with the diagonal edges and ridged surface), bechamel sauce (made of milk, butter, flour and salt), butter, salt, and a ton of grated Swiss or other white cheese throughout and on top.
Put it in the oven and you get the most glutonously delicious dish ever.
Thanks Mom...
(Maybe if I add broccoli and carrots to it, I can even call it nutritious!)

My mom was smart, though.
She'd make this very dark green blended vegetable soup all week.
Before we could have gratin or steak or fried filet of sole or any other incredibly palatable food, we'd have to eat a bowl of vegetable soup - Sharon, Dad and me.
That way the vegetables got into our bodies daily, and she didn't have to fight us to eat whatever vegetable was on our plate, accompanying better tasting items.
We may not have enjoyed the soup - it had too many celery hairs in it; to this day, Sharon and I can't stand celery - but we ate it because we knew what was coming next.
Me, I prefer making soups that taste really good, and hopefully Dahlia and Baby will grow up to enjoy them.

I'm still not very big, although everything is clearly going just fine.
I started off with more weight on me before I got pregnant with Dahlia, so I have more to catch up on now.
But my uterus is rising every day, and my appetite clearly tells me that Baby needs me to keep eating!
I'm not worried about what I'm eating because I know I'm a healthy eater.
I love vegetables and fruits and I'm not a sugar fiend (except for my daily piece of chocolate).
And even though I really really love Haagen Dasz Belgian Chocolate ice cream, I know it doesn't count as one of the food groups (it sure is good, though, all those tiny pieces of chocolate mixed in to the creamy ice cream).
I promise I won't write exclusively about food on this blog.
Right now, though, I sure am enjoying fattening up.