Easiest "Recipe" Recipe

I call these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins/Cakes a "recipe" recipe because it's the easiest darn thing ever.  I originally tried this recipe when I was doing Weight Watchers, but it's just so good (and did I mention easy?) I've made it while on WW or not.  I'm sharing it today as the Chocolate Chocolate Chip variety, but there's so much you can do with it, just by changing out the cake mix.  Anyway... recipe and pictures!

All you need is a box of Devil's Food cake mix, a can of pumpkin, chocolate chips, and water.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, drop cupcake liners in your muffin tin and spray with no-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix dry cake mix and can of pumpkin.  I add at least a 1/4 cup of water to this mixture, because it makes it easier to mix and makes the batter go a little further.

No need to beat the batter to death.  It's going to be lumpy.  Once combined, add 1/2 cup mini chips (for WW friendly) or 1 cup regular size chips.  Or add chocolate chunks... depends on how much gooey chocolate you like.

These cake-muffins don't rise a lot, if any, so I usually aim to fill each cup 3/4 full.  This batch made 22 muffins.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean-ish.  I say clean-ish, because these are gooey muffins by nature, thanks to those chocolate chips.

Here you can see the melty chocolate chips and how rich these little cakes are.

Once cooled, I store these in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long.  They taste great out of the fridge but go over-the-top when put in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

But my super favorite way to eat them?  Watch.

While still warm from the oven, or nuked in micro, crumble one (or two!) cakes in a bowl. 

And top with whipped cream.  This is diet friendly if you use fat free Cool Whip.  The cream closest to the cake melts like warm icing and adds to the gooey goodness.  Bonus points if you have fresh sliced strawberries or other berries to add to it.  Heck, it doesn't even have to be fresh berries!  I've had this for breakfast before (not nuking the muffins) with defrosted frozen mixed berries and fat free Cool Whip for the most decadent diet breakfast EVER.

I mentioned before the cakes can be switched up by changing out the dry cake mix and add ins.  You don't even need add ins, really.  One of my favorites and perfect for fall is spice cake mix and no add ins.  Once the cakes have cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.  I find the spice cakes are best served fresh... with coffee of course. 

Enjoy this "recipe" recipe!

He's already a mover and a shaker.

I felt little 'this isn't gas' flutters since I was about 14 weeks from the wee baby.  By 18 weeks the movements were stronger and continued to get stronger as the weeks went by.  They started out low and infrequently, now I can practically set a watch by his movements. 

When I was 24 weeks, we went to see our friends' daughter perform at cheerleading regionals.  J was talking with the girl's dad after they'd performed and baby boy was on the move.  I was just standing around watching other teams compete with my hand on my upper stomach and BAM! he kicked hard enough I saw my hand move.  He did it again and again.  I was shocked!  This was the first time I'd noticed that.  I waited til his did he two more times before interrupting J's convo and asking for his hand.  As soon as I put his hand on my belly.... the kid quit kicking.  This was the second or third time he'd done that.  He goes crazy town on me, but as soon as I get someone to feel it (mostly his dad) he quits.  He's a turd already!

By 26 weeks, when he was moving around (mostly in the afternoons) I could sit back in my chair and watch my stomach ripple with his movements.  I tried to catch it on my iPhone video, by naturally, as soon as I press record... he stops.  Every time.

Somewhere around 28 weeks, he kicked hard enough it pushed me back from the counter I was standing against at work.  It wasn't enough force for anyone else to really notice, but apparently he felt crowded and I definitely noticed.  At my last doctor's appointment (30 weeks), they wanted to see how he was positioned and he was head down, butt up by my ribs and back turned.  I've since started paying a lot of attention to what feels harder and more full in my belly to see where he's positioned himself.

I also really enjoy feeling his little hiccups and loved being able to explain them to J over the weekend. Baby boy is very active while I eat, especially during dinner. And not too long after I eat sometimes, he'll get the hiccups. Low down, in the same spot, and rhythmic...

On Monday of this week, I was sitting at the computer at work and he was on the move.  I felt something a little more painful and well, weird, at the very top of my belly and looked down and there was a large bulge sticking out.  I was amazed.  I pushed back on what I believe was his little foot and he left his foot pushed out for awhile, and then slowly pulled it away.  I could not believe it!  I told him he did a good job... now he just needs to show that move to his dad.  He moved so much Monday I was sore that night from him karate chopping the same general area all day.

He's already a mover and a shaker... and ornery as can be.

32 Weeks: ZOMG.

I'm 32 weeks today and the whole idea that this baby will be here sometime in the next 8 weeks is freaking me out.  His room isn't done, I haven't had a baby shower yet, I don't have any diapers, I don't have a bag packed, we haven't had our child birth class yet... I got my weekly e-mail giving me the "what's happening with you and baby" low down and panic has absolutely set in.  I'm now googling what to pack and have set a goal to have the bag packed this weekend, or at least as best as possible.  I think we should also go ahead and install the car seat base, which I'm sure the hubs will love since it will prob go in his car that he drives for work.

I've had a pretty easy pregnancy looking back.  Although the 1st trimester sickness sucked terribly, now that it's over it doesn't seem so bad.  Up until this past week or two, I've not had indigestion, heartburn, or trouble sleeping.  I've had some 'growing' pains, but I've definitely noticed a waddle in my walk now and sleep is fitful at best.  We've joked a few times that we should've bought stock in Charmin toilet paper because I've gone through boatloads, thanks to the frequent pee breaks (that are only getting more frequent).  Since the pregnancy has been pretty easy, I'm starting to worry now that the labor will be. a. nightmare. 

My weight has stalled out for the last two weeks and I think I'm just up 16 lbs. from starting weight.  I've forgotten my starting weight without seeing the chart I have on the fridge (go figure).  While the baby is gaining anywhere from 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. a week, the fact that my weight hasn't changed in two weeks might be of concern to some, but not to me.  The pre-preg pants I'm still wearing (thanks to the Belly Band) are looser in the legs and I KNOW this belly is growing, so I'm pretty sure I'm losing in some places while gaining in others.

Cravings-wise, I've still not had the urge to eat anything super strange or at odd hours.  The most pregnant thing I've done was one night last week we were watching tv and suddenly all I could think about was cookies.  Specifically oatmeal cookies.  So I mentioned this to J, but it was almost 9 o'clock and I tried to put it out of my head... but I couldn't.  I felt like Cookie Monster.  So after 30 minutes of trying to forget it, I got up and pulled together the ingredients for white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies... and they were amazing.

I go back to the doctor next Wednesday (day before the 33 week mark) and our child birth class is next Saturday.  I'm nervous about the class because I think I've mentioned before how we sometimes have a hard time with things we should be taking seriously.  I got the postcard reminder in the mail and it said to bring two pillows and a blanket, which made me laugh just thinking of us hee-hee-hooing practice breathing.  Should be entertaining, and hopefully we learn something... or least don't get kicked out.

I also guess I should say we have done something in baby's room.  I finished the touch-up paint last Saturday and Friday night I made this bunting to hang.  That of course is his crib, and the colors are a little off because I took the pic with Instagram.  The walls are more grey the beige, the crib is espresso and not black and the bunting is brown, red, cream and blue. 

My goals for this weekend are to garage sale and find a dresser to have J paint, pick up the crib mattress (brand new freebie from a friend!), wash all the clothes we already have, buy baby sized hangers and possibly the breathable bumper, work on the art for his room, pre-pack a hospital bag and install the car seat base.  We'll see next week how much we actually get done!

Already feeling like a bad mom and he's not even here yet. 29 1/2 week update.

This is from 8/30/11.  It didn't post when it was supposed to.  Whoopsie!


29 weeks.  I last updated at 23 1/2 weeks.  FAIL.

I swore I was going to keep track of everything.  Apparently when I said 'everything' I meant the outpatient bracelets from blood work and ultrasounds, appointment reminder cards and the bills.  But not important stuff like cravings, weird/gross symptoms and weight gain.  Or pictures.  Because I've been taking belly shots (fully clothed thankyouverymuch) but realized my camera doesn't have the date set, so I have no idea how far along I was in each of the pictures.

Anyway.  I'm still pregnant.  Let's see what I can remember...

At 23 1/2 weeks I was +2 on my weight gain chart.  I wasn't even paying attention to what the doc's office was tracking because I was fully clothed and that just doesn't count.  Three weeks ago I had my appointment (27 weeks) and was mildly fearful of the scale.  The baby belly really busted out in that month and my appetite was back.  I got on the scale (fully clothed!) and said, "I don't even want to look."  My nurse says something about how I'm doing fine and I've only gained 15 lbs the entire pregnancy.

I'm sorry.  15 lbs you say???  Perhaps I should have paid attention at all the appointments before that one because that meant I'd gained... a lot... in four weeks.  I went home and weighed and sure enough I'd gained 8 lbs. in a month.  IN A MONTH.  According to my math, that puts me at a gain of 17 lbs since initially losing 7 lbs in the first trimester.  I'm +10.  Or I was.  That's probably not the case now.

Also at my last appointment, the boy's heart rate was in the 140's, I was told I was in my 3rd trimester (mind blowing), and was told to come back in three weeks... so we could start having appointments every two weeks... then every week... which means this baby is coming.  Soon.  I passed my blood glucose test but found out I was anemic, which really just involves taking an extra iron supplement.

I made J go do the registry at Babies R Us a few weeks before we moved and then took a friend to do the registry at Target.  I quickly realized after Target that they had all of 6 things I actually wanted where everything else could be obtained at BRU (that's mom slang for Babies R Us).  The baby shower is set for October 12th and I can't wait to see how huge I look in all the pics, seeing as how I'll be one month from baby arrival. 

I finally scheduled our childbirth class.  The 4 week and 2 week courses were all booked for September and October, so we're taking the accelerated one-day childbirth class.  Justin was concerned about whether we'd be excused for lunch or if they'd be feeding us.  I'm concerned we won't learn anything because we'll be in shock.  Should be interesting.  (However, the hospital is dangerously close to Jimmy Johns.  Here's hoping we're excused for lunch!)

The hot dog need has ceased some, so I'm actually eating things other than hot dogs and corn dogs for breakfast/lunch/dinner/etc.  I developed a thing for Real Fruit Lime Bars... Popsicles that are delightfully delicious and refreshing.  I can still report no strange craving combos.  My belly button is slowly getting flatter and flatter, stretch marks can suck it and die, and sleep is starting to become difficult.  It seems terribly mean that our bodies start to prepare us for the lack of sleep that's coming, when in all honesty, it should be making sleep easier for the hell we're about to endure.

Here's a prego pic for ya:



Psych.  That's a whale.  Still an accurate depiction.