He is for us.

As we are approaching Christmas and hearing the story of Christ’s birth more and more, I think of my own child. Adeline. My own perfect angel who God sent to answer my prayer. Now that she is here, other wants and desires have filled my heart. Why is it that when God answers one prayer, suddenly I’m onto asking for the next. It makes me feel guilty. So I can’t help but take time this Christmas to reflect on this answered prayer and give him praise, rather than ask for something more. God has already given me the greatest gift of all by allowing me to become a mother to the most beautiful, happy baby I have ever seen.

I wanted a baby so badly. So, so badly. For several months, I prayed and longed for a pregnancy. I never lost faith my time would come, but I did lose patience. Is that possible to be faithful, yet impatient? It was for me, but maybe that just means I wasn’t faithful enough. I was selfish and wanted to be pregnant the instant Greg and I decided it was time. But instead, God had us wait. What felt like an extremely long eight months of trying, quickly felt like it wasn’t so bad after all when I saw those two pink lines. The waiting was worth every minute of those eight months. As amazing as it was to bring Adeline into this world on April 26th, 2016, I am not afraid to admit that the morning I found out I was pregnant, August 15th, 2015, was probably just as amazing.

(Side note: I know so many people wait far longer for a pregnancy than a measly eight months, and my heart and prayers go out to them.)

God taught me patience. He brought Greg and me closer together. He showed me how to be joyful (or at least how to try really hard to be joyful) for others, including close friends of mine, who became pregnant in the midst of my longing for my own pregnancy.

Most importantly, I learned that God is for us. He is not against us. 

God wanted me to become a mother, as I knew all along. He was by my side the entire way, allowing me to cry; accepting me despite my frustration, impatience, and selfishness; and giving me hope to be faithful through it all. God was never punishing me or making me wait out of spite. He was (and is) always for me. He supports me like any father would do for his daughter, times infinity.

When I take a moment to remind myself of this, I instantly feel God’s grace upon me. We have the King of Kings on our side! How could it get any better than that? He is the most patient, forgiving, and loving father we could ever dream. We make mistakes and lose faith, yet he continues to answer our prayers.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 37:4. “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If we turn to God every day, asking for his will to be done and for his desires to be placed in our hearts, he will give us those desires and guide our lives down the right path. Sure, there will be struggles along the way, but we can be sure he is right there to fight for us. It may be a quick answer or it may require us to be more patient than we knew we could be. Ultimately, he will bring us out on top.

 

Pregnancy Streams of Thought

Having the day off work today for MLK Day has been such a blessing. Why can’t every weekend be a three-day weekend? With lots of thoughts running through my head and not much else on the agenda for the day, I figured it was the perfect timing for another post.

This morning I’m especially grateful for the hot cup of coffee Greg prepared and brought to me in bed. We often do this on weekends – slowly wake up, one of us asks the other to go make coffee, and we proceed to sip on it in bed while watching the news or videos on our phones for a while. The only thing missing was a doughnut. A chocolate-iced, cream-filled doughnut (my all-time favorite). You see, last weekend we picked up doughnuts for breakfast on Saturday to enjoy with our coffee. Are coffee and doughnuts not the most perfect combination in the world? I think so. But I also think it’s best not to make that a weekly habit, especially for the sake of the baby girl growing inside of me. So maybe a bi-weekly habit instead 😉

In all seriousness, now that I’m well past the nausea phase of pregnancy, I’m trying to keep my diet in check and actually eat vegetables and other whole foods as much as I can. To clarify, I am using the word “diet” in terms of my general food intake, not saying I am on a restrictive “diet” of ANY kind. While I wanted nothing to do with any vegetables and most fruits for a while, I do find them tasting at least somewhat enjoyable these days. Even if it means feeling like Kevin when Michael tried to force feed him broccoli.

Homemade salads still don’t do it for me, so Verde has been my favorite way to fit it lots of greens while satisfying my taste buds at the same time. What perfect timing since they recently opened a location about a mile from my office.

I am just about to the third trimester of this pregnancy and can’t believe how quickly it’s going. While I am so excited to have my baby here, the reality of bringing another human life into the world has hit me hard this week. One of my best friends had a baby girl about two weeks ago and visiting with them so close to my own due date has really caused me to pause and soak in these last couple months of just Greg and me.

I’ve also struggled with sudden fear of, “Oh my gosh how am I going to protect this child from all of the bad, evil, scary things in this world?!” How do I make sure she’s a good kid, stays safe from physical harm, or makes friends? I’m trusting my own parents’ influence on my life, combined with God’s will and direction, will lead the way Greg and I raise our daughter.

Before we need to worry more about that, Greg and I will be taking one last getaway, just the two of us…plus Zoey. For my Christmas/birthday gift, we’re going to Asheville, NC! We will be there the last weekend in January and hoping to see at least a little snow. Zoey is ready to brave the cold in her new “boyfriend sweater” she opened on Christmas.

I always thought dogs dressed in clothes was ridiculous, but having a dog who is cold all the time just makes me want to help her be comfortable.

We have a list of restaurants to try and I’ll be getting a facial at the Grove Park Inn. I’m sure we’ll spend time at the Biltmore, but otherwise I would love to get recommendations. Please share!

Thai Chicken & Broccoli Noodles

I haven’t had any  weird cravings since becoming pregnant, but have been LOVING international foods – Italian, Asian, and Mexican foods have been my favorite. I also haven’t had much desire to cook, leading to more frequent stops for take-out.

After browsing my Pinterest boards and rediscovering this recipe for Thai noodles Jessica posted last spring, I was convinced to get back in the kitchen for myself…and pray Greg would help clean up the mess that comes with it since I definitely don’t have the energy to deal with dishes anymore.

It turned out just as I hoped and satiated all my cravings. The best part about dishes like this is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Bell peppers, zucchini and carrots would be other good additions. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Thai Chicken & Broccoli Noodles
Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats
Makes 3-4 large servings

Ingredients:
For the chicken-
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce

For the noodles & veggies-
8 oz lo mein noodles
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1/3 cup canned light coconut milk
1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Prep the chicken for 2-4 hours prior to cooking. Season chicken with the salt and pepper, then prepare the marinade by whisking together the olive oil, chili sauce, garlic, brown sugar and soy sauce. Pour mixture over the chicken and let sit in fridge for 2-4 hours.
2. Cook the noodles according to package directions (mine said to cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.
3. In a large wok or skillet, cook the chicken breasts over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes each side. Remove from pan and slice or cut into chunks.
4. In the same skillet, add broccoli and onion. Turn up heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Turn the heat to low.
5. Again in the same skillet, add the coconut milk, chili sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Whisk for 3-4 minutes until sauce becomes slightly thickened. Add noodles, broccoli/onion mixture, and the chicken. Stir to combine. Add red pepper flakes and stir again. Serve immediately.

Weekend in Orlando, Afternoon in Beaufort

It turns out publishing my first blog post after several months away did not instantly bring back the blogging bug inside of me. With one of our biggest events of the year coming up at work next Saturday, my head has been in other places. Not to mention “baby brain” starting to take effect. I swear it’s a real thing. Just get me through this week and it’s all down hill from here. Thanksgiving! Christmas! Birthday month!

Until then, let’s recap. Last weekend, Greg and I ventured further south to Orlando to visit Brooke and Austin.

Yay for sibling time! (we missed you, Ryan!) The main reason for the trip was because Brooke and I had tickets to the Taylor Swift concert in Tampa. To sum it up: Amazing. I have never considered myself a huge T-Swift fan, but have enjoyed her music and have listened to her 1989 album on-and-off in my car for the past year. I know every word to every song (well, sometimes I make up my own words, but you know what I mean) and had the best time singing along with her live. After being to her concert, I have even more respect for her and everything she does. She is so talented.

We also saw Brooke steal the show (okay, I’m a little biased) at SeaWorld’s Shamu show. She recently switched jobs from working at Discovery Cove leading dolphin encounters to now taking center stage with the orcas. Watching her live her dream brought tears to my eyes. #ProudSister

On the drive home, when we would normally have lunch at Chipotle or another fast-food chain restaurant, Greg suggested stopping in Beaufort for something different. We took a slight detour off our route and found Lowcountry Produce Market and Cafe in downtown Beaufort. Greg even treated me to dessert at Common Ground Coffee.

Perk of being pregnant #1.

We enjoyed a short walk along the water before heading back home feeling happy, grateful and well-rested.

A New Chapter

I’m baaacckkkk.

• Same blog name.
• Same blogger.
• Slightly different web address (wordpress, not blogger…it was surprisingly super easy to transfer the old posts!).
• Different approach and topics.

Looking back at my old posts, a part of me wanted to wipe the blog clean and start completely new. Some of those pictures were sooo bad, weren’t they? But I don’t want to forget or lose those 3+ years of documented memories. The original Counting My Cupcakes saw me through my engagement, bringing home our first puppy, moving, marriage, moving again, job changes, and many, many delicious recipes. Plus, it took me long enough to come up with my blog name the first time, I didn’t want to go through that process again. So Counting My Cupcakes stands.

How will things be different? 

Dad and me on Folly Beach this weekend

Might as well get right to it. I’m pregnant! Greg and I are expecting our first bundle of love in April 2016 and we couldn’t be more excited. I have always known God made me to be a mother. It’s one of the few things in life I’ve been certain of. After what felt like the longest several months of trying unsuccessfully, God surprised us when we least expected it…isn’t that how it always happens? I grew so much in faith these past several months. At times when some may have turned away from God, I felt closer than ever. And it’s not because of anything I did on my own, but solely the grace and love of God. Instead of centering the blog on food, I want to this be a place centered on truly life-giving stories, thoughts and experiences.

I do still intend to share the occasional recipe, restaurant review, or other food-related topic. Despite my extreme lack of appetite these past few weeks thanks to the baby on board, my tastes are coming back slowly but surely. You guys, I wasn’t even at all interested in ice cream, chocolate (!!!), or essentially any dessert until recently. It has been the strangest thing.

Anyway. My main reason for bringing back the blog is to have documentation of this new phase in my life. Posts will likely be very inconsistent in terms of timing. Maybe I’ll post once a week, maybe more, maybe less.

That all being said, if anyone is paying any attention at this point, here’s to the next chapter of Counting My Cupcakes!

~Brittany

Bye, Bye 2014

We still have a good week and a half of 2014 left, so no need to say goodbye quite yet. But seeing as I’ll be out of the country most of this week I wanted to get a head start. Is it ironic I haven’t blogged in more than two months, yet I’m popping in to say my goodbyes to 2014 early? Shrug.

Greg and I will be going on a cruise with his family to Cozumel and Belize, leaving on Christmas Eve. I don’t really want to think about putting on a bathing suit right now (eek!), but otherwise I’m looking forward to celebrating the holiday with family, enjoying some warmth since mid-40s is entirely too cold for me, and relaxing without any real obligations.

I wanted to reminisce on some highlights of 2014, one of which being that pretty cupcake up there. It wouldn’t be Christmas without an overload of sweet treats. Cookies, cupcakes, chocolate…bring it on. After all…

I can focus on healthy eating the rest of the year, but around Christmas I can’t ever resist. Hence not wanting to be a bathing suit this week, but life goes on!

Now that I’ve been sufficiently sidetracked, let’s get to it.

Highlights of 2014:
-Left my old job, giving myself about two weeks of time off before the new venture.
-Visited my sister Brooke in Orlando and played with beluga whales at SeaWorld.

–Skied in Breckenridge, CO with Greg. 
-Started a new job.
-Greg and I celebrated our 1st anniversary with our defrosted funfetti wedding cake and an amazing dinner at Peninsula Grill. (A new tradition??)
-Zoey finally learned to enjoy the beach.
-Visited my brother Ryan in Washington D.C.
-Celebrated lots of friends’ weddings.
-Ran my first half marathon (Kiawah Island).

I’m sure I’ve forgotten other things, but Christmas is taking over my brain today. After seeing the Charleston Christmas Special on Friday night, I am in full Christmas mode. Not to mention it’s three days away! By the way, I highly recommend the musical show to locals or anyone visiting Charleston this time of year. To describe it in one word: awesome.

I may be back soon, I may not. Only time will tell.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hello Again.

More than two months have passed since I’ve last typed a single word onto CMC. A proper “hello” is in order to any of you who may still be reading out there. So, HELLO! It feels good to be back. Many things have happened that I could tell you about (like celebrating Greg and my first wedding anniversary in May, woohoo!), but at the same time it feels like it’s only been “life as usual.” I won’t bore you with wordy details, but I do have some pictures.

Coffee

Beach time with a very nervous pup

Lots of family time 

Oh look, more coffee 

New-to-me restaurants

It was a great Spring to say the least. Now that Summer is officially here, I’m looking forward to even more weekend visitors and road trips (Orlando coming up first next weekend!), weddings, cookouts, beach days and margaritas. 

I’ll be back to chat sooner rather than later next time. Until then, have a great rest of the weekend!

A Refreshing Break from the Blog

In case you were worried about me during my almost two-week blogging hiatus, fear not. I’m alive and well. 

Work has been busy, busy, busy…but in a good way. I’m loving my new job and having fun taking on new responsibilities as I’ve gotten in the swing of things. I’ve been getting a lot of exercise now that the true Charleston springtime weather is here. Between a regular routine of Body Pump and running, not to mention almost daily walks with Zoey, I’ve felt great. It never fails to amaze me no matter how tired I feel, a good workout can bring me as much energy as a cup of coffee. Almost. 

I’ve been winning in the kitchen with some of our regular favorites like veggie quinoa bowls, black bean burgers, roasted brussels sprouts, and even DiGornios 😉 We had friends in town last weekend and discovered my new favorite breakfast restaurant – Sea Biscuit Cafe on Isle of Palms (those pancakes…SO fluffy!!). I can’t wait to go back. 

While everything else is going well, the blog has obviously taken the backseat. I have a confession. It’s taken more than the backseat (so, would that be the trunk?). I told Greg the other night, “I think I’m over my blog.” 

As I sit here typing this, I am seriously contemplating whether or not I should be admitting that. But, I suppose it would be lying by omission if I didn’t. It’s been a strange feeling and I’ve been denying it to myself. By avoiding the blog completely for a couple of weeks, I was surprised to find I didn’t even miss it. I realized how refreshing it was to cook a meal and not worry about plating it and getting the proper lighting for decent pictures to post. It’s also been refreshing to not sit on my computer every single night after dinner. The time I spend blogging, sucked into the digital world, is lost time with my husband and puppy dog who are often sitting right next to me getting no attention. 

I’ve started Counting My Cupcakes about two and a half years ago, and don’t regret a second of it. I appreciate the opportunity it gives me to write about my life, food and faith. I value the connections and friendships I’ve made. 

I don’t plan to stop, but I guess what I’m realizing is that at this time in my life I can’t continue to post regularly. If you’ve been reading for awhile, you know I’ve said this before. This isn’t the first time I’ve taken a break or changed my posting routine. I just felt like I had to acknowledge the lack of posts and express my thoughts on the current state of CMC. 

Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts and I hope you stick around for my occasional posts from here on out. Trust me, there will be many more recipes, thoughts on faith, and random life stories to come. 

Have a great weekend!

Blog Talk – Creating a Schedule

As I’m analyzing my survey responses, I’m finding that many of you want to see more recipes and more posts in general. I know. I’ve slacked. Posts have become less frequent, resulting in less recipes as well. However that is going to change very soon. One of the benefits of my new job is that I will have a little more flexibility than I’ve been used to ever since I started this blog. I’m working on a schedule of post topics to follow each week, more or less. I’m hoping the schedule will help keep me on track as I develop the blog. 

This is what I’m thinking so far:

Sunday – Sunday Blessings

Monday – Recipe

Wednesday – Recipe

Friday – List day! Let me explain this one. Everyone loves lists, right? They’re fun and easy to write (relative to regular posts) and fun and easy to read. Win, win. The only requirement for this day is that the post will be a list of some kind. Some days may be a list of real life happenings, a list of foods I’m loving that week, or a list of workouts for the week.

I’m 110% certain I am not going to stick to this every single week, but that’s why it’s my blog. If I need to adjust I will, but I wanted to give you an overview of what you can expect in the future.

As always, thanks for your continued support. Speaking of, have you filled out the survey yet? (I promise I’ll stop asking soon).

Fall Bucket List Update

Now that we’re a good halfway into fall (totally just a guess, but that seems right, doesn’t it?) I wanted to highlight what I can cross off my Fall Bucket List.

#1. Go to the pumpkin patch, then buy and carve pumpkins. >>> This one is a little complicated. We went to the pumpkin patch, yes. 

…for all of about two minutes. After quickly realizing how much they were selling them for – $10-20 for a pretty average size pumpkin (!!!) – we said no thanks. Granted, it was a church fundraiser, but I still couldn’t justify that purchase. We took a few obligatory pictures to prove we were there and left. 

I ended up buying pumpkins at Publix, something I had originally laughed at the idea of, but humbled myself and was happy with them in the end. However, we never did get around to carving them. They are still sitting whole on our front porch. But you know what, I like them that way. 

#3. Bake an apple pie. >>> Greg can attest to this one. I baked the most delicious apple pie with an oatmeal crumble. Mmm, mmm. I might be doing that one again. 

#6. Make (and eat) a lot of soup. >>> I have made white cheddar cauliflower soup and I have eaten more butternut squash soup than ever before. I also have several cans and cartons of soup in the kitchen cabinet waiting to be heated up for a quick lunch or dinner some day very soon. More to come!

(Recycled picture: Roasted Carrot, Squash and Sweet Potato Soup)

Okay, so I have crossed off three of the ten on the list. I’m looking forward to crossing off a couple more this week.

I LOVE FALL!