Biscuits, Gravy and Morels

We were feeling a bit lazy so please forgive the "pop-can" biscuits, but we made home made gravy 

so I feel it made up for it. So here they are! Wild morels with biscuits and gravy!

Random Miraculous Morel Post

Above is a 3 headed, (mutant) early Spring morel! 

These 3 pictures are of TRUE morels. Their stem and cap are not separated unlike 

a false or early morel, however they are both edible if well cooked. 

Morels can be found under Cottonwood trees from Spring to Autumn. 

These 2 pictures are a unique looking black mushroom I found today in a little hole as we were on our way out. We were rushing back to the road since we heard "who knows what" in the woods, but I had to stop to grab this! Neither of us have any idea of what this mushroom is, or what the scary sounds in the woods were but I'll be sure to find out... what the mushroom is at least.  

These are all morels, all shapes and colors...

...and these are their massive stems! 

I would not recommend eating these to ANYONE, since there are so many poisonous mushrooms out there. 

However if you are lucky as myself to be married to a mycologist, and you FULLY UNDERSTAND what you are doing, these guys make some good grub! My next post will be how we cooked these guys up!

My 10 Pregnancy "Must-Have's!"

Okay, honest Saturday time. I have something to admit. Eating well and working out during pregnancy, has been right in between extremely difficult and impossible. All of April the only food that has consistently sounded appealing has been Tim's Jalapeno Chips. Now don't get me wrong, Tim's chips just might be the food of the gods, but they are lacking just an itee-bitte bit in nutrients. Plus if the food aversions weren't enough the morning sickness ought to bring me right down to the ground. 

On a more positive note, next week I will be in my second trimester and I hear for most women, these bummer side effects should slow or stop. *Whew!* Part one is almost over! The thing is, I am not complaining about being pregnant in itself. My complaint is that it is taking so long! (And so fast! Time has been a strange recently!) I just keep imagining those chubby little legs doing the "mid-air baby march" and how sweet baby will be when it's napping with me. :) 'Til then I suppose these are my top 10 things keeping me going!...

1. New Pants
I actually had the hardest time finding decent look maternity pants. They either looked like jammy-pants or they had no butt pockets. Do you know what pants look like without butt pockets!? Pajama jeans! I bought my extra stretchy pants at Bosswear.

2. Saltines
When you feel sick, Saltines help a ton! (Okay, Gramma was right.)

3. Orange Juice
Gallons and gallons and gallons....

4. Belly Rub
Technically speaking, if you are in it to prevent stretch marks, bad news... Belly rub can not penetrate the skin layers far enough to combat those vibrant red lines, for the most part it's all in your genetics. However, if you are itchy or stretchy and any other weird thing you didn't realize happened during pregnancy, it's pretty nice to get a tummy rub, especially if it smells as good as mama mio's. :)

5. New boots

I haven't been super energetic lately and (Yes, I actually feel this lethargic) lacing up shoes seems way, way, way too tiring. Lucky for me, I got a new pair of boots, and those bad boys just slide on. No messing with laces. 

6. Maps

You might think I am crazy, but any time I am really feeling down in the dumps, who jumps onto me with eyes full of love? Little Maps. She is going to just love this kid.

7. Subway
Like orange juice, there will NEVER be enough!

8. At Home Doppler
Thank you to my sister in law for lending me her Doppler. I can hear babies heart any time of day instead of just doctors visits. Thu-thump! Thu-thump!

9. Tim's Potato Chips

I would just feel too embarrassed to tell you how many party sized bags I have eaten to myself.

Also I wouldn't know because I am going through them so fast. I think I may write "Tim" a letter,

"Dear Tim, 

Due to my massive consumption of your tasty jalapeno chips, my unborn child 

now has the heat tolerance of someone who could handle 5 star spiciness in a Thai restaurant. Thank you very much, this could make an interesting future.

- Chip Lovin' Challice."

10. Jared

And lastly Jared, who I have snapped at, cried with, laughed with and begged to get me a gas station hot dog with sauerkraut. You dear, are the best.

Life Lately

Here I am starting vegetable seeds indoors in their little growing tray. 

I've been spending most of my time outdoors lately since it's so nice out,
and when it is raining I feel like the kids from "The Cat in The Hat"...

Being pregnant and jobless has it's benefits, that is for sure. 

At this rate I probably would have called in sick so many times, I surely would have been let go.
But with that as a huge plus, comes a huge amount of boredom. That is why I am spending all this time gardening.
After all, once baby is here who knows how much time I will have in the next upcoming summers to garden? Plus, how many times in life are you jobless and financially stable? Yup. I am soaking it up.
 This is going to be the best garden ever! :D

I have probably watched 999 gardening videos,
read 999 gardening pages,
and I still cant get enough!

Aren't these cool purple beans?! My father in law is a wizard, I told him I had purple beans and he knew exactly what I was talking about. They are called "Scarlet Runners" and produce red flowers as well as tasty beans! 

Warm days in the back yard...

When it is sunny, I put all the plants outside...
and sing to them... and tell them how big they are going to get! Hehe.
I suppose I am as obsessed with plants as Jared is about mushrooms. 

Baby starts!

My tummy (and face and everything else it seems!) is getting bigger everyday!

I am so thankful I have Jared. He is the best!

Spring Flowers

Happy Spring everyone! 
-Love Challice, Jared and baby!

Epic Easter

 Easter morning was so beautiful. 

 I went to church and got my little Sunday school class all set up... and by "set up" I mostly mean divided out candy as I prepared for the kid's Easter lesson. We actually learned A LOT about the holiday itself! 

I am always impressed with how smart those kids are.

 This was the example I used to show Jesus's tomb... Okay, you might have to use some imagination. One of my kids of course didn't, flipped the rock out and asked where I hid all the Easter eggs. Oh boys!

 Haha, I didn't realize my belly was taking up the bottom of this picture until Jared pointed it out. :)

 I love that little classroom.

 A project from a couple weeks ago, actually I should say lack of a project. The project I picked out for the kids was a no-go. So they asked to paint instead. I agreed and talked to them about their friends and how friendships are really important. What can ya do, ya know?

 My curly haired boy all "glammed up" in Easter wears. 

 After church, the egg hunt at my in-law's house went well. My 2 year old niece really wasn't getting the whole "searching" element of the hunt, so the eggs were tossed all over the lawn. It was so nice out!

 My mother in law always knows how to decorate! 

The big backyard egg hunt...!

Dad in law's neat old Ford truck.

 And lastly the day was finished off with my brother and sister in law's new bike and eating Easter lunch left overs. What a good day :)