Maternity Leave, day 26 (barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen)

June 23, 2011

In honor of my second of three due dates that is today, I wanted to share my homemade butterfinger ice cream recipe with you all!

2 cups whipping cream
3 cups whole milk
2 cups of sugar
1 t. salt
can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 bag of chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla
6 egg yolks

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Put everything but the vanilla and egg yolks in a large saucepan and whisk over medium heat until it is warm. Then add a few Tbsp. of the mixture in with the egg yolks to temper them and stir that together in a small bowl. Dump it in with the vanilla and everything else and whisk constantly over medium heat until it reaches 160 degrees. 

Take off the stove and put in an ice bath to stop the cooking process(or in a bowl in the sink, fill the sink with cold water to surround it). Then move to the freezer until it is chilled. 

Put it into your ice cream machine and churn until it's frozen.

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Chop 2 sleeves of mini Butterfingers and mix in with a spoon before moving the entire batch into the refrigerator freezer to harden.

This is the best ice cream and once it is frozen in the freezer, it scoops out like store bought ice cream!

P.S. I made the recipe up and am quite proud of it. I might even enter it into a competition someday.


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Carrie Keenan:

YUM!!! just might give this a whirl this weekend :)

(06.23.11 @ 01:41 PM)
Jennifer:

WOWZA! This sounds heavenly! I must make it soon. I'm pregnant too (20 weeks along) and I could use a large bowl of homemade ice cream. Thanks for sharing!! Enjoy these last few days before Solomon arrives. I'm on my 3rd baby and I still remember the last few weeks before our first was born.... seems like a dream, I can hardly remember what it was like before children. And it was only 3 1/2 years ago!! And you are a beautiful beautiful pregnant lady!

(06.23.11 @ 04:48 PM)
ashley o:

I don't know why, but I get excited for every maternity leave post (I guess some of it is the anticipation of it being a birth announcement!)! Thanks for keeping us updated, and providing yummy recipies

 (06.23.11 @ 08:35 PM)
Sharon:

Yum! I love Butterfinger ice cream! Except I am lazy and just bought the Blue Bell version. :X

 (06.24.11 @ 12:37 AM)
meg duerksen:

hi.
i found your blog through pinterest! love it! i am now 6 or 7 pages back and smiling all the way!
it's lovely and so is that new baby!
:)
and now i am so happy because even though my favorite candy is butterfinger i have never though to chop it up for our homemade ice cream and i will do it soon! YAY!
nice to meet you! happy summer.

 (08.06.11 @ 12:33 AM)
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Maternity leave, day 23 (warning, my big bare belly ahead)

June 20, 2011

My future 7 day forecast: hot with a 100% chance of more swimming.

This morning was so much fun! I met up with my pregnant friends, Steph and Andrea, and we went to the Berry Creek swimming pool and soaked up some Vitamin D for three hours! We met some really fun people and I think we made 3 new friends in Cate, Elizabeth and Shelby! I am looking forward to all of the play dates with fun moms that I have met in the last few months (thanks to Steph, my socialite rep.), and can't wait to take little Solomon swimming! He had better like it, because he's spent the better half of his last trimester in the pool with me.

Sorry if my belly pic offends or grosses out anyone:) It will be my last... promise. I think that I only have women followers on here now anyway:)

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Carrie Keenan:

Love these images! You...all of you ladies look phenomenal!!! Good luck to each of you!! Can't wait to see pics of baby Solomon!!

 (06.20.11 @ 03:12 PM)
Shannon:

YOU LOOK GORGEOUS!!! And I'm not just saying that! Bring on the belly pictures girl, its you, its your life, thats what we come to your blog for! Yeah the professional photos are great, love em, but we want to see personal stuff too and I think this is great! You look absolutley amazing!!! Gosh I hope I look half as pretty as you once I'm pregnant. I'm not sure I would have the guts to wear that NOT pregnant and there you are rockin it out with a preggo belly!!! GOR-GEEE-OUS!!!!! Honestly just beautiful!!! :) Love these posts about you and Sol :) So excited for you and your family!!! xoxoxo

 (06.20.11 @ 03:42 PM)
Hannah Kinley:

Stunning!! There is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant mama with a smile!

 (06.20.11 @ 04:02 PM)
Amanda Watson:

You make me want to be pregnant again ;)

 (06.20.11 @ 04:11 PM)
Cristy Cross:

Adorable

 (06.20.11 @ 04:19 PM)
Ashley Hlavaty:

So cute! I've been spending this summer tanning my baby belly too!!!

 (06.20.11 @ 05:18 PM)
sarah shalley:

I lovvvvve the bare belly! Gorgeous!

(06.20.11 @ 08:21 PM)
Jason Reeves:

Not so fast, I'll speak up for the few men out there that follow your blog (I'm Ashley's brother, she just posted here as well). Keep up the good work, congratulations on your upcoming bundle if joy!

 (06.20.11 @ 11:59 PM)
Kat Stevens:

You rock that pregnant belly girl! I love a bare preggo belly. I did it myself all 3 pregnancies. You really do look like you are enjoying all the best parts of pregnancy. Believe it or not, you might miss that belly after the baby comes. You are 3 girls look great. :)

 (06.21.11 @ 12:09 AM)
Lindsay Nicholls:

I say rock the belly!!! You look great and it is a very great thing to be proud of.

 (06.21.11 @ 07:09 AM)
Melissa - from South Florida:

Cute, Cute....love your hair color!

 (06.21.11 @ 09:51 AM)
Jenny Beck:

I can't wait to see photos of baby Solomon! You all are beautiful pregnant!

 (06.21.11 @ 10:36 AM)
Whitney Owen:

Adorable!

 (06.22.11 @ 12:52 AM)
Luke:

Catherine and I still stalk your blog! We are anxiously awaiting the little man's arrival! He is going to have a pretty cool mom and dad! And, an awesome room!

(06.22.11 @ 12:05 PM)
Courtney:

Your belly pic is BEAUTIFUL!

(06.23.11 @ 02:16 PM)
AARON HENDRICKSON:

I am a male photographer that follows your blog. I went to college with Sarah Davis (now Huffman). Congratulations on the little one. Can't wait to see pictures!

 (06.25.11 @ 11:20 AM)
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UNO SALE!

June 18, 2011

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In celebration of Solomon's soon coming birth I wanted to run a HUGE sale on UNO!

What is the UNO DVD? For all of you who don't know what the UNO DVD is, it is a 1 hour (uno) photoshop tutorial where I teach you how to use photoshop for your photography! You can read more about it on the UNO WEBSITE HERE.

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jae lindsay:

Awesome!
Does UNO work with photoshop elements?

 (06.19.11 @ 06:09 PM)
Angela:

Thanks for meeting up with me!

 (06.22.11 @ 11:07 AM)
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38 weeks, 2 days

June 17, 2011

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My nose is finally starting to "spread" and I'm looking more and more like a pumpkin! I'm ready to have my baby boy and return to normal! 13 more days...
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Georgia:

Spreading nose? Oh no! I hadn't even considered that. I've become oblivious to all of the "spreads" going on...

(06.17.11 @ 08:15 PM)
Leah valenzuela :

You are looking beautiful. So exciting that your so close!! Enjoy your maternity leave!!!

 (06.17.11 @ 08:23 PM)
Jill :

Lauren you are beautiful and you will be a wonderful mother!

(06.17.11 @ 08:25 PM)
Jillian Cutter:

You look so beautiful, Lauren!!

 (06.17.11 @ 08:58 PM)
Jennie:

You look beautiful!!! Congrats and God Bless!

(06.17.11 @ 10:46 PM)
Amy C:

Oh gosh, be happy! I looked like that at 5 mo and Lord I hate that damn nose spread! LOL!! Seriously though, enjoy every minute of the time he's all yours. Because soon enough, he won't be and everyone else will be holding him ;) I'm so happy for you and I know you will be a fabulous mom (the key is to not stress over every little thing ;) You look beautiful :)

 (06.18.11 @ 12:05 AM)
Robyn Lee:

You look BEAUTIFUL!

 (06.18.11 @ 12:49 AM)
Kimberly Chau:

Lauren, you look gorgeous! Can't wait to see Solomon and the photos you'll take of him!

 (06.20.11 @ 11:56 AM)
angela shields:

awww....Lauren you look beautiful!! You are going to be the best mommy!!
I can't wait to see pics of Soloman :)

 (06.20.11 @ 05:39 PM)
angela shields:

awww....Lauren you look beautiful!! You are going to be the best mommy!!
I can't wait to see pics of Soloman :)

 (06.20.11 @ 05:40 PM)
Rosaura:

Lauren! You look amazing! You are going to be a beautiful mother inside and out. Wishing and praying for the best for you Josh and Sol! :)

 (06.23.11 @ 05:14 PM)
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Today is my first due date

June 16, 2011

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Well I have sent most of my cameras and lenses off to the cleaners (CPS) so that I can have nice, clean glass once Solomon arrives and I have discovered the Instagram on my IPAD2 that I got two days ago! I love it!

I'm a little obsessed with the IPAD2 right now. It will go away I'm sure, but it has been so nice to have such an awesome device that plays music out LOUD without an ipod dock, that stays charged for 6 hours while surfing the web, watching movies and piddling. It will come in handy when Solomon arrives and I am nursing for hours each day. 

Last night we watered the garden and I noticed that my first black tomato was ripe! I took a bite out of it and it tasted rather gummy, almost like an over ripened plum. I'm sure that it would be a little better in salsa:) 

Today is one of my three due dates! This was the first one given according to my LMP. I have two others... June 30th is what my 7 week sonogram determined and June 24th is one that my 20 week sonogram determined. Either way, I'm being induced on June 30th if he doesn't wonder out on his own! That means 2 weeks people. I have two weeks left before I become a PARENT.... F O R E V E R (spaced out to show drama of course).

When my cameras get back tomorrow I hope to have more photos for you.
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Cassie:

I am so obsessed with Instagram!! What's your ID so I can find you and follow you! :)
Love all your pics... so beautiful! Good luck with the little man, hope he makes an appearance soon!
xoxo, Cas

 (06.17.11 @ 08:04 PM)
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