The Food Sabbatical

Hello, to all my friends and family- those who were supportive in following my blog for the majority of 2010. Long time, no write. Well, I have good reason. I swear.

The new year of 2011 brought many wonderful things. I found out in January that I was pregnant! My husband and I are so very excited. As I enter the last week of my first trimester, I can't believe how quickly it has gone. However, my ever-changing physical state coupled with exhaustion leads me to my entire point of this blog post.

For someone who prides herself on her love of foods of all kinds and a passion for wine, my tastes have proven quite opposite for the last three months. Although I continue to eat the best foods that I can, my menus have been scaled down quite a bit. I feel like a six year old in the way that I need to "hide" my veggies with other flavors in creative ways in order to eat them. Also, for some reason, chicken has left my weekly menu planning as I simply cannot bear it. And wine, well for obvious reasons I am not drinking it. Even though my doctor has given me the green light on tasting and a glass once in a while, I cannot even smell wine without feeling sick.

While the past month has found me returning to my station in the kitchen, the first two were a challenge. My appetite was a bit less than normal but I absolutely could not cook. The woes of morning sickness would only hit me hard when I tried to prepare meals. Who'd have thought it?

The repertoire of the Country Hollow Kitchen has certainly changed but it will slowly return. I can feel it. For now, I will continue to cook whatever my hormones (and the baby) tell me to create. I look forward to our garden once again and the joys of warm weather grilling.

Unfortunately, my writing energy and focus are needed in many other places throughout my life at the moment. So, the Blog Sabbatical must continue but I will share anything interesting along the way.

Thank you for your support! For now, please have my share of food and wine.
All of the best to you,
Melissa