Monday, January 9, 2012

You Are What You Eat. I Guess That Makes Me Sweet.

Here's the goss: prior to becoming pregnant, I was not much of a dessert eater, much to the chagrin of my sweet-toothed husband. Not much as in one square of dark chocolate was enough dessert to last me a week. Or two.

Then this baby girl came to town. And now I am a sugar-craving machine. I do what I can to control myself, but seriously, I fantasize about cookies and cake and pie and scones and french toast and sea salted chocolate - the list is frighteningly lengthy, so I will just stop there - all day long. 

I also used to prefer desserts that were barely sweet at all (see: dark chocolate squares). Yet, last night I found myself unable to quit eating homemade salted caramel sauce straight from the pan. Ah, pregnancy. Totally awesome. And totally bizarre. Safe to say, Hugh loves this new side of me. If only because it means that there is always something sweet to eat at our house right now.

On that note, I feel like by January 9th you have been virtuous enough in the new year to deserve a little prize. So here are some sweet treats that have been showing up in our kitchen these days:




Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Curd, Strawberries, and Cream Cheese Icing - If a best friend comes to visit you and her birthday was the day before, what do you do? Why, you bake her a birthday cake, of course. You also blow up some balloons. And while you are doing these things, you quietly feel sentimental about how this is the nineteenth of her birthdays you have celebrated together and about how very lucky that makes you. Note: this is our go to vanilla cake at the White Hot house.



Hello Dolly Bars - The birthday girl brought her sweet husband with her to visit. While Lofton and I were chatting, he mentioned this was his favorite dessert. Lucky for him, it's almost identical to Hugh's favorite dessert - Magic Bars. Also lucky for him, I am highly suggestible right now when it comes to what I eat (see: I am no longer allowed to watch Food Network around dinnertime, lest we abandon our home-cooked dinner plans for a date night of thin crust pizza and Greek salad again) and once I looked at the recipe, I was in the car in less than ten minutes driving to the grocery to buy the ingredients. The four of us ate all but one tiny square of these before the night was done.



Cranberry Lemon Scones - Hugh and I made these for Christmas morning. They were delicious. I would recommend popping them back in the fridge for thirty minutes prior to baking to ensure the butter is extra cold and they don't spread all over the pan (but if they do, they will still be delicious). Also, I used regular lemons. Because there is no way I am paying $2 for one lemon at Publix.



Rolo Pretzel Delights - After we mashed the pecans onto these, we also sprinkled them with sea salt. And then we ate them all. And then we died and went to heaven, because seriously, they are addictively good. And they take less than ten minutes to make from start to finish. This is my number one sweet treat recommendation from this list. But don't make them if you are low on the self control for sweet and salty snacks (are you listening, self?).



Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce - Holy cow, this is so good. In my previous life, I was not a big proponent of Cooking Light desserts. I figured I was eating dessert once in a blue moon, so when I did, I would eat whatever I wanted. Well, now I am eating dessert twice a week, so I am singing a different tune. Also, this bread pudding was just how bread pudding should be, and the sauce is a total revelation. If you don't like bread pudding, just make the sauce and eat it with a spoon.



Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies - What might just be the perfect chewy gingersnap cookie recipe. Lucky for me, the other members of my family are not huge gingersnap fans, so I got these all to myself.




Grapefruit Creamsicle - I already told you all about this. Now I'm just being pushy. Make it already, okay?

Well, that about covers the sweets we've consumed. In the last three weeks. Anything we're missing? Please, just tell me. I can be at the grocery in less than ten minutes...

2 comments:

  1. I also fall into the Would WAY Rather Have Savory Items Until I Became Knocked Up & Now... OMG PASS THE ICECREAM.

    I think I've eaten a half gallon of icecream a week since about Week 15. I'm hoping I got back to my normal tastes postpartum b/c otherwise, it's going to be really hard to change that post-work habit.

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  2. I was the exact same way - never had a sweet tooth in my life before I got pregnant. And I have some bad news...it never entirely went away after I had the baby. A year & a half later, I still can't say no to dessert :(

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