By the time I got home from work today, my pants no longer fit! I can’t believe I’m showing you this picture, but I feel like it’s important I accurately represent myself when I say I feel expanded. I’m not talking about: Oh, I’m so bad. I ate two cookies today. (P.S. If you’ve been reading along, you know I would never say that anyway!) I’m talking about: Ohhh, I really enjoyed my food today … but maybe too much because now I feel decidedly uncomfortable!
The day began with another bowl of black and white protein porridge since it was such a hit on Wednesday:
I can’t get over the contrast:
Now, I want the real deal!
Once at work, I opened up the next flavor of Newman’s Own Organics breath fresheners. I think I ate four of these peppermints over the course of the day.
Today was another brown bag staff lunch. I ate the collard greens, vegetarian baked beans, and cornbread that I packed:
Plus 1/2 cup cooked spiced apples with 1/2 cup healthy cream cheese icing and a sprinkling of golean crunch:
And then it was time for communal treats: fruit salad and pecan pie!!!
Obviously, I had seconds:
I took that picture of plate #2 in the elevator, and a woman in there asked, Oh, are you documenting your lunch? I said, Yes, I am … and every other meal, too!
After lunch, Mildred, Jessica, and I got to work decorating the nursery room for Heather’s surprise baby shower.
As I filled the goodie bags, some of the candy that was supposed to go into the bag went into my belly:
And then it was time for the shower! Myrna finally managed to get Heather down into the room sometime around 3:30. We surprised her … but not enough to make her go into labor (phew):
Here’s the “snack” spread with Maria’s green salad and pasta, Mildred and Myrna’s chicken and cheese empanadas, tamales, myrna’s flan pudding, Inginia’s guacamole, tortilla chips, Deborah’s fruit salad, mini-quiches and jalapeno poppers:
More:
My plate — a big one this time — with (clockwise from top) pasta salad, fruit salad, empanada with green sauce, tortilla chips, guacamole, 1/2 tamale, and flan pudding:
I had another plate just like it.
Plus two bowls of salad like this:
And Myrna’s homemade pina coladas made a repeat appearance, yum!
Beryl led us in some games — I won a bar of soap because I remembered all my nursery rhymes! — and then it was time for dessert 😀
Look at the magnificence:
I had a bowl with one slice of chocolate mousse cake:
And one slice of custard fruit tart (my favorite dessert!):
I had another slice of fruit tart after that 😀
After we packed up all the leftovers, I somehow wound up coming home with a ton of food, including 11 empanadas (now in my freezer), 4 tamale halves, 4 cups of green salad, 2 cups of pasta salad, 1/2 cup fruit salad, 1/2 cup guacamole, and 1 cup of flan pudding. How did that happen?? 😛
I turned the flan pudding into my Friday night project. When I got home, I mixed the pudding with two cups of healthy cream cheese icing and two eggs. I put the mix to the side and then pressed a bunch of crumbled graham sticks (that have been in my freezer since some time in January) into the bottom of a pie plate with a bit of millet (for crunch) and canola (for glue and nonstick-ness). I baked the crust for 10 minutes at 450. Before and after:
Next, I poured the batter on top:
I baked for one hour at 375 and then turned the oven off, cracked the door, and let it sit in there for another hour:
(That dark spot is a raisin from the cream cheese icing. It’s not an ant. In case you were wondering.)
And now I have a beautiful and healthy(er) cheesecake. I sliced it into 12 pieces and put it in a container for the freezer (because I do not need any more dessert right now)!
There were crumbs left in the pie plate. I obviously ate them:
And now I really wish my leg would let me run!! The weather was beautiful earlier this evening (before the flood started), and I was so jealous of all the runners out for their dusky jogs. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’m at least elliptical-ready by Monday!
I’m also not sure if I’ll ever be hungry again (I know, I say that all the time), but I guess we’ll find out about that soon enough.
When will YOU be hungry again?
And if you haven’t entered the giveaway yet, hurry up because there are just two days left!
Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition 
Holy expansion! Wow! Such amazing food though, I wanna work where you do JUST for the food!
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Your job sounds super fun 😀 Not only are your co-workers amazing women and COOKS- but you guys are helping so many families, and are doing a really great service to society.
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wow! what a fiesta! such amazing eats!
I am in LOVE with your black-and-white protein porridge. I checked the recipe out, and am excited to see how easy it is! definitely gonna trythat out sometime!
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I agree with above – your black and white protein porridge looks wonderful! So does the cheesecake… wow.
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Sarah-
You crack me up! I’ve done that same pose before and asked Jason “Do you think I’ll be cute when I’m pregnant” he just rolls his eyes 🙂
I need to make some of the black-white porridge, looks so good! Also, I want your job! It looks like you have such a fun time with your co-workers!
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TOO MUCH DELICIOUSNESS!! Enjoy 🙂
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Are you sure you don’t work with a bunch of secret chefs?? That spread is incredible!! I can see how that would have resulted in some serious expansion 😉
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Such amazing food! Enjoy your weekend 🙂
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Hehe–I always enjoy the process of expanding much more than the aftermath 😉 You’re not the only one! It all looks like very worthy food though!
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i am always SO JEALOUS of the food you get at work!! what a fun baby shower 🙂
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what a feast! and that cake looks wonderful!
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Um….can I come live with you? Because all your food is incredible. And I LOVE that picture of you! ahahahah
I JUST had a huge bowl of goodness, so I won’t be hungry for another, oh…an hour maybe? 😉
I hope your legs are feeling better too!
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Haha you are too CUTE in that picture! 😀
I can’t get over that black and white protein porridge. Not only does it look incredibly tasty, but also very pretty with the contrast of colors. I agree.. now I could go for the real thing 😉
I’m loving that entire table filled with delicious eats! My goodness.. I’m jealous! Your plate looks mighty delicious.
I love, love, LOVE fruit tarts! Mmm
Lucky you getting to bring home all that food!! I want some 🙂
I am hungry right now actually. Thinking about lunch already…
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SO much good food! I want a tamale!!!
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hee hee. I like this post. 😀
That happens to me too!
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such a fun pic of you and your expanded belly~ how cute! 😀 but I’m sure everything you put in it was yummy~~~
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Sarah, this food looks amazing and I’m glad you don’t beat yourself up over indulgence!! I hope I get to the point someday where I can indulge without guilt. I guess I just need to take that project one cookie at a time 🙂
I am hungry now! Chocolate soymilk here I come!
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i love days when I have to get in my sweatpants 🙂 the shower looked so fun!
good job on all the free food, once again- you’re a pro!
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oh man, i was nursing a maaaaaaaajor food baby last night but i don’t have any pics to prove it! haha.
thank GOODNESS for sweatpants : )
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So jealous of all that food from the shower, esp the chocolate mousse cake of course! I ate lots at Liz and Mike’s wedding last night and took 2 pics for you, but they’re not that exciting. One is a slice of the wedding cake (they had vanilla and chocolate so of course I had chocolate-1 1/2 slices) and a plate of fruit. I should have taken pics of my buffet plate…I had chicken, roasted peppers and portabellos, asparagus, salad, some other mixed cold veggies and a couple of mozzerella balls. And the cocktail hour food was awesome…I was full before dinner was served after following around all the servers! You would have been proud!
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I will not be hungry again for some time. Last night, my birthday celebration was filled with much food and way too much drink. Today I commenced eating total junk food beginning at 11AM when I finally rolled out of bed. It went something like this:
Pizza for breakfast
Chips and salsa for snack
An entire pyrex dish of homemade mac and cheese for dinner, with grilled squash…just to pretend that I was being healthy
Ugh…so full!
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