Saturday, September 26, 2015

Homemade Boursin-Style Cheese

I must have accidentally deleted the pictures of this recipe. It was so good, I couldn't not share.




Growing up, we had a lot of parties at our house. My Mom frequently put out a box of fancy-shaped crackers and a tub of Alouette or Boursin cheese. I always loved it. Then, a few weeks ago, I was craving some but my store didn't have any of the Garlic Herb flavor (my favorite)! I was also surprised at how expensive a teeny little tub is. Later that night while I was watching Curious George with son, I decided to see if I could find a recipe for it. I thought it woud be similar to the times I've made my own cream cheese. I was very intrigued when I saw how simple the recipe I found was. I even watched a video of Emeril making a batch.

I decided to work with the herbs I had on hand, but I plan to make this again (and again and again) and try  different herbs and herb combinations. This batch is 2 or three times bigger than the store-bought variety and for a grand total of $2.51, it's pretty easy on the pocket book too. I only  had thyme, basil, and oregano on hand, but there are SO many other herbs that would be amazing in this.

Ingredients:

8 oz block of cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 stick of butter, at room temperature
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane
the leaves form 6 stems of thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
a few minches of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper

I just put everything in my mixer with the whisk attachment and let it go for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula twice. Then I put it in a couple of dishes, covered them with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Then, I devoured it.

And I felt no shame.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Twins Update

Ever since finding out we are having twins, I have been so excited, but I don't think the true reality has quite set in yet. We went in for the anatomy scan on September 4, but they weren't able to get good views of either baby, so I have been referred to a high risk pregnancy doctor for an ultrasound, which is tomorrow. The main reason I have to see the high risk doctor is to determine how many placentas there are. Having two is ideal, as a shared placenta can pose higher risks. I am a little nervous about this, being as I have had two miscarriages in the past. However, I am refusing to let that cause me to worry too much, since I have also had one completely uncomplicated pregnancy which produced an extremely healthy little boy. We continue to pray everyday.
I feel them move quite a bit when I lay down at night. They are still pretty small, so it doesn't interfere with my sleep yet. Aside from me staying awake because I'm trying to feel both of them. One baby has positioned itself under my left ribcage and I can feel it whenever I lay on my left side. The other baby hangs out in the front and up high, much like my son did; so I don't feel that baby as much. Even when I can't feel their movements much myself, my husband can usually put his hands under my stomach when I am laying down and he can usually feel them.
Prayers are appreciated as I am so excited/nervous about tomorrow's appointment.