I like it hot and spicy....

Food that is. I think with every pregnancy, there is a different craving that drives the expectant mother to insanity. I can say that I have never personally had the desire to eat pickles with ice cream or dirt, but I have had my distinct tastes for things with each of my pregnancies.

With Ashlynn, it was chinese food--chicken with broccoli to be exact. I could have eaten that everyday if it had been financially feasible to do so. I also popped Spree candy like there was no tomorrow. Towards the end, it turned to ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches as food commercials alone eventually gave me heartburn. With Alec, it was all about red meat (medium cooked) with salad and bread. I remember insisting on McDonald's fries and a Burger King Whopper--thankfully they were across the street from one another. My friend (Liz) and I, both pregnant at the time, would make the occassional splurge and head off to a Tex-Mex restaurant in Tyler and fill up until I felt we were nearly to the point where they had to wheel us out of the place. I have fond memories of watching them make the flour tortillas in an oven contraption in the lobby area when you walked in. They'd bring them out once you were seated and I'd load it with honey, roll it up and savor every last bite of it. I can't remember how the rest of the meal there rated. I ate like a pig, gained little weight and hardly had issues with heartburn.

With this one, I believe this baby has inherited the Olson/Stuepfert vegetable & fruit consumption gene. It certainly did not come from my family as we were raised on the rare can of vegetables and fruit was nearly non-existent in my home. (Matt, we will have to wait to see if s/he has also inherited the Lutefisk gene, since I won't be eating that for Christmas this year). Right now, I am finding myself craving vegetables that I would have normally never wanted to eat--asparagus, zuccini, garbanzo beans, onions, white (mashed) potatoes and peppers to name a few. I find myself ordering things off the menu that I have not tried before or just because they are supposed to be spicy. I also find myself buying frozen ethnic meals in the organic grocery section because I have to have something different and loaded with vegetables--meat has not been very appealling to me. Surprisingly, these things don't give me any heart burn, but orange juice which was once my favorite beverage is starting to give me some problems. Lately, I find myself thinking about Joost's Peanut butter-chicken-banana dish over rice he made for us while he was here two-and-a-half years ago. Hopefully, Joost will see this and send me the recipe before it turns into the obsession that is likely to occur over the next few weeks. Currently, I have no problem eating, but the desire to cook is starting to disappear. That could pose a dilemna, as Mike's cooking selection is very limited and my palate is not.