Dear Coffee, I Miss You.

My body has officially rejected coffee. Such a weird phenomenon. Days before I found out I was preggers, I picked up my regular order at Starbucks and was repulsed by the flavor. I blamed and cursed the barista (in my head, of course) for ruining my life. I tried yet again on another  day  and... nope.... Pregnant Joanna says nope.



Good Bye, old friend.

After I found out I was preggers, I did some research on this and it turns out that Momma noses and tastebuds are strong and in charge! We have heightened senses to protect our babies. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a Superpower to me. This is awesome news, guys! I have superpowers!

Also, before I became a Superwoman, my Superman of a husband bought me one of the coolest gifts known to man. A self-heating coffee can. Sounds dangerous, doesn't it?

I went to work a little bit early that day so I can test out this bad boy. I figured I needed extra time to make subplans just in case this can blows off my arms or something.

Step One: Turn over can  and push the button to activate heating device. This is where I said a prayer and waited for the button to activate some kind of bomb.

Notice how it says 1.5 cm? Because any less wouldn't work and any more...who knows what might happen.

Step 2: Shake for 20 seconds. Don't worry, I did follow directions and turned it upright.

Step 3: MIND BLOWN. Drink.

Verdict? It got hot, but it didn't burn my lips or anything. The flavor was ok. It was a little bitter for my liking and it could probably use a few pumps of caramel and whipped cream on top. It wasn't Starbucks, but it does the job. Although this is cool beans, I wouldn't purchase this again.

I guess not having coffee for a few months will be ok. I KNOW I can have some if I really wanted to because everything in moderation wouldn't harm baby, but in my case, it is the flavor that gets me. I just can't seem to taste it like I did before. The smell on the other hand... OoooHhhhhhHH.... so good.

So next time you have some Starbucks, drink one for the homie and her baby. Thanks!

Wandom Wednesday: It's Magic, Baby!

1. I am almost done with my first trimester. Holy Guacamole. Sooner than you know it, I'll be telling you I'm planning my baby's 18th birthday. Where does the time go?

2. On that note, my nausea, food aversions, and moodiness are starting to go away. Yip Yip Yipeee! This is amazing news and this week I loaded up on some good ol' fashion veggies. Atta girl, Joanna!

Homemade Portabella Mushroom burger and Sweet Potato Fries

3. This week is the last week of state testing for my students. I loathe testing as the ONLY way to track these students' progress. I for one am horrible with standardize tests. Let's not bring up my SAT scores...ever. I am not ashamed anymore because I went on to college, got my masters, and became a teacher. Take THAT SATs.

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4. My dog wont leave me alone. I think he knows there is a baby in my belly. I hope he knows it's a friend and not a cookie.

5. Tomorrow I'm going to The Magic Castle in Hollywood. What is this "Magic" Castle, you say? It's an exclusive and private club where magicians gather to do their thang.I feel special because only special members of society can enter....or people that KNOW special members can go. Luck for me, I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone that is one of those members. That makes me special enough, I think.

It's also a place where you can get lessons on the art of magic, dinner and a show, and your mind blown. Well, not so sure about the last one since this will be my first time going. I hope I get to see something MAGICAL!

Baby Sunshine

As you may have noticed, I stopped blogging for a good month or two.
I have been busy....growing a baby in my belly. I'm PREGNANT!

Hubby and I are VERY EXCITED and for the past three months I have been on cloud 9 dreaming about this little nugget in my belly. Words cannot even explain this joy.


Baby Sunshine at 10 weeks and 4 days

Do you see our Baby Sunshine? Baby is sleeping on it's left side facing us. You can see the head, a bit of the torso, and the little legs all the way to the left. We were able to see the little flicker of the heartbeating and we saw our baby wiggle around a lot.  I can't stop staring at my beautiful baby.

 

How far along? 11 weeks

Total weight gain: 3 pounds since the start. Not to shabby for someone eating all this junk.

Maternity clothes? I have already worn the heck out of my Belly Bands. This bloat is no joke. I've also purchased two pairs of maternity jeans because my old jeans don't like to cooperate with me. Buttons are impossible. Plus, I wanted to get the most wear out of them. They are AMAZING! I may never go back to regular jeans again.

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: It varies but I'm sleeping pretty well on most days.

Best moment this week: Seeing our baby on the ultrasound and FINALLY getting to tell everyone.

Miss Anything? COFFEE and Sushi! I also missed out on Coachella this year. Boo.

Movement: We got to see our baby move but I don't feel anything yet.

Food cravings: Everything that's bad for me. Burgers, fries, red meat, and cake. I also enjoy fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Noddle soup, veggies, and certain smells. Disgusting.
Gender predictions: I've had dreams about having a boy.

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Nausea in the morning and evening. Tender Ta-Ta's.

Belly Button in or out? In but belly button ring is out.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm pretty happy but I am a slave to moodiness a lot of the time.
Looking forward to: EVERYTHING! I am very excited for my nausea to go away and my belly to start showing!

More details to come for the next 6 months and boy oh boy (or girl oh girl) do I have a TON of things to tell you. Get ready for weekly updates, symptoms galore, and my journey through all this excitement!

Teacher Talk Tuesday: Yoga is Necessary for Survival

Teaching is a stressful job. I would go out on a limb and say it's the most stressful job in the world. However, I've never been, say, a doctor, or a nurse, or a stripper, so I guess you can call me a little biased. I'm sure sliding down a pole and whipping your hair to and fro can be hard on the spinal cord.

Let me just give you a taste of some of the most stressful times that has happened during my 7 year teaching career...that qualifies as a legit time frame, by the way.

1. Once while I was teaching first grade, a student broke his fall by hitting his desk.....with his mouth. Imagine if you will, a 6 year old with blood gushing out of his mouth because his teeth were rammed into his gums. Too graphic for ya? Yeah, me too. Did I mention that was during my first year of teaching?

2. First grader throws up all over the carpet. That's not the start of a joke. This happens at least once a year and if you're lucky five times!

3. High Schoolers...'nuff said.

4. Learning the hard truth about your students. I had a student who was neglected at home, one who was slapped and beaten, one who was left to their own devices, one who was arrested for drug possession and grand theft auto, and one who slept on the floor of a garage with their brothers and sisters. I take these stories home with me and worry myself to sleep.

5. Oh, and I have to create and teach lessons, prepare students for state tests, get all my students proficient in all subjects, deal with backlash from parents, administrators, and the public, and make sure no child is left behind.

Holy. Crap.

Can you see why I need Yoga in my life? More importantly, I think the KIDS really need yoga. They go through some SHIZ!

Here are some of my favorite stress relieving poses:
1. Child's pose- Once that forehead hits the mat, shit gets real. Real good.


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2. Happy Baby pose- This one makes me feel all kinds of open and vulnerable. I feel unsexy in this pose because I'm pretty much spread eagle. But I feel happy, and that's all that matters.

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3. Pigeon pose- My yoga instructor says you hold all of your stress in your hips. This pose will rip that right out of you. Hips, don't, lie. Right Shakira?

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4. Airplane pose- Nothing clears your mind like thinking you're going to face plant. You're so busy concentrating on not falling, that the stresses of your life takes a back seat.

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5. Savasana- They should just call this pose "Go to sleep now." It's minutes of just lying there, clearing your mind, and relaxing every particle of your being. If memory serves me right, I'm pretty sure that's called sleeping, but TomAto, Tomato.

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This is exactly what I look like, tongue out and all. 
In all seriousness, school is a stressful environment for all parties involved. Yoga is just something to ease the blow of all the craziness that ensues. Yoga keeps me sane for a few hours a week. Take a chance and try it out. Namaste, my friends.

Happy Leap Year! Make it Count.

I want to do something CRAZY FUN today, but I don't know what! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, or you know me in real life, then you know that I am far from crazy fun. I am a homebody at heart and rarely like to party it up with or be a part of the hip LA crowd. I am uncool by nature.

So, I opted to join NIKE + for their #makeitcount campaign and do something good for my body. This is an extra day to run and that's pretty much all you do! Done and Done. See how uncrazy fun I am?



If I read it correctly, their website says to run one mile. I think I might tack on a few more and make it really count. My thighs will thank me later. 

What other crazy shenanigans can I get myself into today?

Homemade Flour Tortillas

This recipe blows my mind. I can't believe how easy it is! For some reason, I thought tortillas were made from  magical ingredients that only Abuelas (grandmas) knew how to get. Sorry to break it to you Mija, but the secret is out! Vamanos!

First off, I need to give a shoutout to one of my new favorite bloggers. She is the reason for this post because her blog is where I pretty much jacked this rad recipe from. Thank you, FearlessHomemaker for being a source of so many great recipes. And BONUS, she is super down to earth and writes in a way that makes you want to be her friend. Go check her blog out. You can thank me later.

Project Wifey Wife: The Savory
Homemade Flour Tortillas
from The Fearless Homemaker

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of vegetable shortening
2 tsp of salt
1 cup of lukewarm water

1. In a large bowl, blend the flour and shortening together so that it resembles fine meal.

2. In another bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. I used my mixer with the dough hook attachment to incorporate the salt water with the flour mixture.

3. The Fearless Homemaker suggests dividing the dough into 12 equally sized pieces and then rolling them into a ball. Because I am so impatient, I just ripped chunks, flattened with my hand, and used a rolling pin for extra flattening powers. My way worked fine. Just make sure you get them as thin as you can.

4. Again, the patient Fearless Homemaker made hers into circles by using a plate as a cookie cutter and trimming off the access. I, on the other hand, just threw it in the pan. Both works. I should try to be more patient.

5. Cook each tortilla in a nonstick pan for about 2-4 minutes on each side on a medium-high heat. They will brown and puff, you will flip, then you will see the magic that is tortilla making. It's really that simple.

Then use this carne asada recipe and prepare to be transported to Meh-heeko.

My hubby absolutely loves these tacos and begs me each week to make them. I tell him "What do I look like? An Abuela?" Then he says Yes and we argue and thumb wrestle or tickle fight until it's ok again. That's what normal married couples do, right? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Asian Supermarket Sweep

Did anyone else watch that show, Supermarket Sweep? (Not Asian Supermarket Sweep) Seriously, the best show ever! Don't act like you don't remember those gold wrapped hams.

A few weeks ago, my parents went on vacation to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea. I was very jealous. They went to the Philippines because that's their homeland, Vietnam because my Uncle works there, and Korea because that's where my brother was born and they haven't been back since. Ahh, the life of an Army family. Even though I couldn't go, my mom and dad promised to bring me lots of goodies! They DID NOT disappoint!

First up in my bag o' goodies were some real deal chopsticks from Vietnam, these adorable chocolate lollipops, and the coolest toolsknown to man! I will be showing this off in a future post. You won't want to miss it! It makes something that is awesome!

And of course, my parents couldn't forget all the cooking presents!

My mom couldn't find a Korean cookbook that was in English, so she brought me these recipe cards she found at the market. Now all I need is a Korean friend who will traslate. Anyone?

She did find a Filipino and Vietnamese cookbook. I will be making and eating lots of Vietnamese spring rolls this year.

And last but not least, they bought me this BEAUTIFUL apron from Korea to add to my apron collection. It is made to look like a Traditional Korean Wedding Dress. Isn't it gorgeous? I don't even want to cook in it.

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My parents also took a massive amount of food pictures for me! I will be posting those soon,  so we can all take an imaginary trip to Asia.

In the meantime, you can take your own trip to Asia by visiting your local Asian market. Now, don't be shy or bashful. I know it can be quite intimidating to roam around a market that is literally quite foreign to some you, but be brave and see what's in there!

There are aisles and aisles of new and exciting things to try...

Dumplings and tofu? CHECK.

Delicious sweets? CHECK.

Tea choices galore? CHECK.

Instant Curry for when you're in a hurry? Yuppers!

Loads of cute snacks? HELLOOOOO Kitty!

But take heed because there are some unusual items that you might not see at your local Trader Joe's.

But, other than the hanging ducks and rather unique butcher and seafood section, you're good to go! And if all else fails, ask one of your asian friends to take you! I will gladly go with anyone who asks, but only if you buy me some Hello Kitty Crackers.

On my last trip, I loaded up with all these goodies for under $40. That's a steal if you ask me!

Delicious Filipino bakery items.

Some sauces, seaweed snack, ramen, falafel mix, and a $5 steamer!

Dried mango, green tea, and macadamia nuts.

If you ever go to an Asian market, you wont regret it. You will find lots of yummy treats and interesting knicknacks. And for all your girly girls out there, their makeup is top notch! Take a chance and go to one. Trust me, I'm Asian.

Some of my Asian recipes

Pad Thai and Pineapple Fried Rice

In a hurry Chicken Curry

Lemon Herbed Chicken Curry

Soy Glazed Salmon

Dim Sum Dumplings

Filipino Lumpia (Eggrolls) and Pancit (chow mein)