Keeping Full

With this new stage I have entered, the mommy-to-be stage, have come certain challenges I have had to overcome. The greatest has been the challenge of eating. What should I eat that is good for the little baby growing in me and what can my appetite handle without igniting a case of the heaves? I suffered with atrocious morning sickness for a couple of months, and while the worst is over, I am still battling the nuisance of random bouts of nausea. Okay, they are not really random because they occur at regular intervals if my belly is not kept at full capacity, so I am still battling the nuisance of regular, anticipated, bouts of nausea. My newest concern, then, is: How do I cope with hunger nausea when I am at work?

I have recently acquired an amazing job that I cannot wait to begin, but with the position will come stretches of time away from my trusty microwave and refrigerator. Lately, I have combated the onset of nausea by eating frequently, and most of what I have eaten has been left overs such as mom's gumbo, a dish my husband coined "Pasta FaJulie," and other foods my mom or I whip up in bulk, which I can easily reheat just when my stomach starts yelling at me. This, however, will shortly become an impossibility. What to do?

My solution: concoct cold dishes that I can travel with in a chilled insulated lunch box, and then, I can nibble all day long, hopefully allaying the emergence of the queasies.

Here is what I have come up with:

#1: Pasta Salad


This is a delightful recipe from the Summer section of


#2: Ambrosia Fruit Salad


and

#3: Strawberry Bread-not a cold dish, per se, but one that doesn't need to be heated



The Ambrosia recipe and Strawberry Bread both come from my absolute favorite cookbook in the entire world...
and, so, there you have it. Beginning tomorrow, I have three long days of orientation for the Cabarrus County School System. Three days away from my microwave, but that is A-OK. My pasta salad, ambrosia, and strawberry bread will keep my belly full in between the breakfast and lunch my fabulous new school district will be providing to me. Yay! I can beat pregnancy nausea, after all!