Miss Minty Fresh

I worked on a wonderful small farm in the summer of 2004 and turned into a food snob.  For the first time in my life I had just-picked herbs for every meal; I had five kinds of tomatoes, I had Swiss chard and purslane and nasturtium all for the first time.  I had my first taste of fresh-from-the-ground garlic, onions, and broccoli.  And the greens.  OH THE GREENS.  Mizuna, arugula, oak leaf…it was all new and incredibly delicious.

As a farm apprentice (and in the early days of this farm’s existence) I was paid with vegetables, not money.  I learned so much about gardening, nursery care, and permaculture…and I grew a lot of respect for farm workers….have you ever picked cucumbers for three hours in mid-day Virginia sun?  That shit is hard work.  I also was attacked by a rooster; he hated me.  

Since my farming experience I gravitate towards food that is as seasonal as possible - no citrus in July, no strawberries in November, no apples in May, etc., etc.  During the bleak winter months there’s only so much frozen spinach and squashes a girl can eat so I do of course break down and buy a bunch of fresh greens (for $3 at Whole Foods, ugh) but I do try my best to be conscientious.  Farmers’ markets are of course the ideal place to support small farms and buy something tasty, and when it’s the season I always go there first.

BUT.  I got pregnant.

The strength of my cravings have been so compelling that I have completely and utterly thrown my own principles out the window when it comes to food.

There’s a produce stand in a storefront on Yonge Street, just a few blocks from the office, we go there about twice a week or so.  The prices are great and the produce looks to be of pretty decent quality.  There were tasty yellow tomatoes a few weeks ago and I bought pounds of them.  I bought blackberries and strawberries when it was snowing.  I bought WATERMELON in late March.  I have no shame.  I am…if you will pardon the pun…eating my words.

I suppose I should be grateful that I’ve been craving fruits and veggies instead of salty duck fat-fried tater tots with truffle oil from Prohibition Gastro House on Queen Street….oh wait…

Saltily (& sweetly),

Miss Minty

His birthday was a couple days ago and I think that’s a good reason to post pictures that illustrate his badassness (which he obviously inherited from our dad).

Happy Birthday, Adam!

I thought it would never come.

Seriously….it was just doing this less than a month ago:

I love thawing out for the season!

Miss Minty

Sunday marked the 14th week of gestation, so here we are.  I figured it was time for some pregnancy-dedicated postings.

Most important:  everyone thus far seems to be healthy.  I got an ultrasound at six weeks and the then-embryo had a great heartbeat and was attached in all the right places in my uterus:

I suppose I can say that the first trimester was actually rather kind to me.  Mentally and emotionally, I felt really quite happy and vibrant (which is kind of shocking considering that we didn’t…..plan very well).  My back injury ceased to bother me (for a little while, anyway).  I felt quite nauseous for several weeks but never once actually threw up, and while nausea is never fun, it only rendered me totally useless for a total of about five days between the 5th and 7th week.  Yes, I was quite tired and only felt rested if I had at least nine hours of sleep a night.  In my experience so far, this is rare to achieve at any point in pregnancy because you have to pee ALL THE DAMN TIME.

Interestingly, as of last week, I’m still a few pounds below my pre-pregnancy starting weight (despite a growing belly and two rather obnoxiously voluminous orbs situated just north).  This is due to consuming much less than my normal food intake during weeks five through eleven.  We don’t own a scale, so I don’t know how much I lost, but I’d venture to guess somewhere around ten pounds.  This is not uncommon.  I craved certain foods very strongly and consistently:  freezy pops, apples, and salads were big ones.  I also for some reason wanted salty processed foods like cheap wonton soup, McDonald’s breakfast, Outback Steakhouse, etc.  My usually indomitable sweet tooth all but disappeared, and the thought of bread or crackers made me feel completely ill.  Weird.

So now it’s the second trimester…and thus far it can be summed up as follows:

1. constant hunger
2. constant thirst
3. constant peeing
4. evidence of a baby growing inside me (instead of it looking like I consumed a whole pizza last night)

Observe….#4 in action:

I’ll keep you posted….but right now….I need a snack….

Miss Minty