Pinterest Challenge & Pregnancy Update

We're in the home stretch of the six-week Pinterest challenge and not quite done with everything yet. (See my original post here.)

That is not entirely my fault, on account of the pom pom fringe I originally ordered was the wrong color, otherwise those curtains would've been done ages ago.

Still, I haven't been a total slacker.

A better color (still not exactly what I wanted but it'll do because I'm tired of looking) fringe came in the mail two days ago, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll be whipping out the glue gun and getting down to business tonight.

Pom pom trim curtains: Almost check.


I recopied my Flaming Lips lyrics "art" and am much happier with it now. I just need to find a suitable frame and hang it up...but since I think I'm putting it in either Mila's room or the hall bathroom, and neither of those rooms is ready for finishing touches like that, I'm not in a rush to make that happen either.

Music lyrics wall art: Check.

Most of the squares for my quilt have been sewn and pressed, so really all I have to do is arrange them to my liking and stitch them together. I'm going to feel really good about myself if I can just get the quilt top finished before the kiddo makes her debut; batting and backing and binding and quilting can come later for all I care.

HST quilt: Almost check.

Finally, I made naan. It was delicious. My rolling out and cooking techniques could use some fine-tuning, but the recipe was great and I was pleased with my first attempt results. We ate it with a traditional Indian dish that my sister-in-law Emily shared with me and which I will now share with you. Even Mila liked it, as the turmeric stains on my tablecloth will testify. Next time, though, I'll use a more liberal hand when adding the spices. I was worried it'd be too much, but we could definitely have handled more than I used. (The recipe she gave me is at the end of this post, by the way, if you want it.)

Homemade naan: Check.

So here I am, with 4 of my 6 things finished, and I'll be honest: I really hope I don't get to finish them all. I mean, the curtains will be done tonight, but those "unforeseen circumstances" I mentioned? If those turn out to be "labor" I would not mind even a little bit.

Technically my due date is April 6th, but I'm hoping for this weekend. Things are progressing well (so says my midwife) but you just never know. With that in mind, I figured I'd let you know what to expect next week.

1) A svithe on Sunday. It is Easter, after all, and it would be a shame if I didn't meet my monthly svithing goal by not posting on such a special day.

2) Mila Monday. No sense breaking that weekly cycle.

3) Guest posts after that. I've asked several friends and acquaintances to each write something for you, so they'll be entertaining you every weekday for the next couple weeks. Consider it blogging maternity leave...and be excited, because there's some good stuff in queue that I'm excited to share.

4) Any breaking baby news. Yes, I have things scheduled out in advance for a while, but I'll interrupt myself if anything noteworthy happens. I promise.

*big breath*

(This is the longest post EVER. Gotta love blog housekeeping.)

If you made it this far, or even if you scrolled down to get to it early because you don't care about the state of my uterus (I'm not offended, I swear), here's a treat for you:

Cauliflower Tomato Curry

Emily's note: This recipe is really vague so just use as much cauliflower and tomato as you think you can eat and increase the spices based on that. This is what I normally use, but keep in mind we usually have a little left over.

My note: We had leftovers as well, which is great because I ate them for lunch (as seen below).

1/3 to 1/2 a cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small purple onion, chopped (more or less depending on how much you like)

1-2 tablespoons oil

Garlic

Salt

Turmeric

Chili Powder

Boil the cauliflower until it is tender and drain. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil. When hot add the chopped onion and a few finely chopped cloves of garlic (use about 3). Once the onion seems cooked add the drained cauliflower to the onions and garlic. Cook for a minute or two so the cauliflower can absorb the flavor. Then add the turmeric, salt, and chili powder. We like ours hotter so I use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 to 1 tsp of turmeric and 1/2 to 1 tsp of chili powder. Let that cook for a minute or two until it is mixed well and the cauliflower has had a chance to absorb the flavor. Then add the chopped tomatoes. Keep the heat at medium low and cook it until the tomatoes are tender and kind of mushed; there shouldn't really be any big tomato chunks by the end, it should look like a stew. Serve over rice--we had jasmine.

(Incidentally, this meal counts as another vegetarian recipe in my arsenal. In your face, list!)