Finish This #13

Wednesday, April 2, 2014 by Nicole 12 Comments

It’s Week 13 of Finish This! If you’re new here, welcome. This link-up is hosted by LISA (COASTLINED), JEN (The Arizona Russums), BECKY (The Java Mama) and I.  If you’ve joined us before, thanks for returning and be sure you add your post to the link-up. If you don’t have a blog, don’t fret. Answer the prompts in a comment. Next week’s prompts are at the bottom of this post.

1. I don’t get enough
water, but I’m working hard, every single day, to remedy this. As a breastfeeding/pumping mama, my milk supply depends on my water intake. I keep a 20-oz water bottle with me at all times and refill it throughout the day. When I drink adequate amounts of water, my supply is great. However, when I don’t, my supply drops significantly. Last Saturday, when we went to Husband’s parent’s house for the day, I got distracted by the hustle-and-bustle of a long road trip and visiting with family that I didn’t drink enough water or pump as I normally do either. As a result, my supply plummeted. I was 12 ounces below normal for the day. Fortunately, I’ve built up quite the ‘stash’ in the freezer. A typical day yields 48 ounces, enough to fill six 6oz bottles and two 6oz bags to put in the freezer.

2. My favorite indulgence
is eating at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. The manager and chef always – ALWAYS – take great care in preparing my meal with great attention to my milk allergy. It’s also a treat to eat here when my mom and aunts are in town. In fact, when they were visiting last month, we ate at Pappadeaux’s FIVE times in two weeks. Does that classify as an addiction?!

3. I made a major change in my life when
I was pregnant. If you’ve been around these blog parts for a while, you’ve read my pregnancy posts about how we found out I was pregnant, how we announced to our families we were expecting, and Kamden’s birth story. It’s been quite the year, to say the least! Yesterday, April 1, I renewed my gym membership and began the #1800minutechallange, committing to 30 minutes of exercise every day for 60 days (during the months of April and May).

4. You should read
Room by Emma Donoghue. It’s the kind of book that you can’t put down but it stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. I don’t want to give anything away, because it’s truly a book every person should read. To five-year-old Jack, Room is his entire world. In light of recent news stories, Room takes on the realities of the unseen lives some people lead and proves, once again, that you cannot judge a book by its cover! Go, right now, and READ THIS BOOK.

5. ____ is my secret ingredient in

Hellman’s mayonnaise is my secret ingredient in cornbread. I think my cornbread is the best. It’s a tiny bit sweet, a tiny bit spicy, crispy on the edges, and soft and chewy on the inside. It will melt in your mouth.

To make the best cornbread, an iron skillet is a must. If you don’t have an iron skillet, get one. I have my great-grandmother’s iron skillet and several from Le Creuset. If you need an iron skillet, go to Le Creuset and tell them I sent you. Thanks to Husband’s generosity, I’m a VIP customer.

He doesn’t want to hear this, but Le Creuset just came out with a new ‘matte’ collection and I’m in love. Don’t you think I need some new cookware?!

The answer is yes. Now, back to the cornbread recipe …

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place your iron skillet inside while you prepare the batter. I start with a boxed mix (Jif) and add one egg, about a 1/4 cup of milk, two ‘heaping’ tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise, a tablespoon (or two) of my parent’s homemade corn relish and pepper relish, a teaspoon of freshly chopped jalapeno, and a pinch of salt. Stir until just combined then LET IT REST. Don’t touch it, don’t stir it, just leave it alone! Preheat the oven at least 30 minutes to allow the iron skillet to get SCREAMING HOT. Carefully remove skillet and add a teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil to the bottom, then slowly pour the batter into skillet. It makes the most amazing sizzle sound!

**REDUCE OVEN TEMP TO 350**

Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let it rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Now it’s your turn. Answer these prompts in a post on your own blog or, if you do not have a blog, simply add your responses in a comment. Join us next Wednesday for another round of Finish This where we’ll answer the prompts below!

Prompts for WEEK #14 (April 9) are:
On Saturday morning, I usually
I feel beautiful when
I wake up every morning
A happy home
When I have down time, I