baking.. both in the oven and in the belly..

I have to admit, 

I do love baking, but normally when I bake in my oven

I don't get as many low blood sugars as baking this baby. 

Yes, I talk about baking this baby..

oh well. 

That's pretty much what I do. 

Feed it, allow it to rise in time, 

keep the door closed ( i guess, that's odd, sorry)

allow it to do it's thing.

wait until the timer is done

and the BING, bakin's done. 

Just mine takes 10 months not 

20 minutes. 

Oh wouldn't that be worth it. HA

Anyway, before I talk about baby stuff, here is my post 

about the recipe from yesterday

the RED VELVET CAKE

which i cut into butterflies..

it made, 14 of these with tons of

leftover pieces. 

This is what they look like when I was almost

finished decorating

So I have made one pretty similar to this, but I used

the Red Velvet Sheet cake from Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond is lovely.

So First here are the ingredients you need:

2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour(I've used all purpose many times too)

1 1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Shortning

1 3/4 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 1/2 teaspoon White Vinegar

1.5 bottles of Red Food Coloring

(it is 1 1/2oz, you can also use different colors than Red. )

1 1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder

( I used 2 whole teaspoons)

And you need a 350 Degree Oven. Also make sure whatever pan you are using, 

make sure it is super greased up. I use

Wilton's Cake Release which is upside down in the photo

but you can spray or butter the pan(s) too

Okay so first you sift the Flour and Salt together

Then mix Buttermilk, Eggs, Vanilla, baking soda and Vinegar in a bowl

and mix well. 

I would put this my mixer but realized I didn't want that and moved it. 

lol

Then mix Cocoa Powder and Food Coloring

Then cream shortening and sugar together

Then alternate putting the buttermilk mixture

and flour mixture in to the 

creamed shortening and sugar.

oh yeah, I use bakers sugar, it is super fine

and is only a little more expensive than 

regular sugar

and in case you are wondering, I am not using splenda in

my cooking or drinks now, to 

1. help keep my bs's up

and 2. I'm trying to limit the amount I have of it as it isn't good for 

little growing baby. 

so real sugar it is. 

okay back to baking

When it's mixed

then put in the food coloring and cocoa

and side note, don't spill this on the WHITE TILE COUNTERTOP

you have.Bad bad. 

I had to move everything and quickly bleach it. 

Aweosme. 

okay so then put it in your pan

and smooth it out so it is level and even

then bake at 350 for 20 minutes

If you use a bigger pan or make it thicker

I would go for 30 minutes and check on it every 5 

until done. 

Also, while I cook/bake I always try to find something

where i put my scraps or pieces in. 

So I don't have to keep running to the garbage. 

Smart! 

Okay for the frosting, 

I've used this many times, 

it's super fluffy and smooth and

not super heavy. LOVE IT.

OKay it starts like this,

5 Tablespoons of flour and 1 cup of milk. 

You can use half and half or whipping cream too

then whisk that until it is thick

like a pudding. 

Don't worry, it'll be lumpy and goopy 

and weird looking. PROMISE

You're doing everything right. When all of it is like that

put it into a bowl from room temp until your cake it done, 

by then it is cooled off enough.

Only use it when it is cooled. If your in a hurry you can cover it and put it in the fridge 

of in another bowl in a ice bath

in your mixer mix 1cup of butter, softened, 

and 1 cup of GRANULATED sugar NOT powdered

Add Vanilla to the cooled flour mixture.

Then beat the living daylights out of this, no joke

sometimes it takes 7-8 minutes. 

Just keep going

then it will just fluff. 

White, fluffy, smooth, creamy, light 

PUFFED WHITE FROSTING! 

Perfect. 

I piped mine, but you can spread it too.

This makes enough for 12 cupcakes or

a small cake. 

I piped it on my 14 butterflies with about a cup extra. 

ENJOY!!!

Okay baby news. 

Seriously, I thought these low days were over

I have consistently been in the 50's

and it is super annoying. 

this baby is working me out. 

I get not one single sign. 

NOTHING.
I have no idea what my blood sugar is doing. 

It's so frustrating. 

The CGM doesn't tell me exactly what is going on 

and I just have to think,

well, it's been _____ long since i've 

tested, I'll test again. 

BAM

58 

or 51

or

53 and falling with two arrows down. 

AWESOME. 

HATRED. 

While making this cake, I had two lows,

one 51 and one 53.

How terrible. 

I ate over 8 whole glucose tabs

chugged juice from the container

and even ate cake and fruit

NOTHING.

Then I get all tired and feel like i've hit a truck or something. 

It's good, better than being high

but I am so scared of not knowing when it's coming. 

I feel like my fingers are being so abused it's not funny. 

I am just telling myself

and baby

that if this is him (or her) 

telling me their hungry or growing, 

i'll try and eat more. 

It's just not as easy as the movies tell you. 

Maybe being diabetic I have to drink and eat when i'm not hungry 

because of the numbers

so when I do get to eat, i'm not starving

or craving anything. 

Which also is affecting my weight.

 I lost the 4lbs I gained a couple of weeks ago, 

which I felt it was just the growing I felt I was going through.

I felt it. 

But now they are worried that I am not eating enough and pushing for those 2500 calories. 

ugghhh

I'm trying. 

I never knew how hard it would be to 

try and gain weight for a baby. 

I'm already (and sad to admit)

getting to where it takes a breath away to get off the couch,

walk up and down the stairs a few times 

especially while carrying something. 

I feel helpless. 

Like carrying laundry downstairs is NOT hard, 

or hardly a stupid workout. 

I can walk and i'm okay, 

but anything physical, 

I just feel like my baby and everything that goes with it

just stops me from moving around comfortably.
and it's only

going to get worse. 

Awesome!

When I can get Austin to upload a photo I will post

photos of the belly!!

hard to believe we are 18 weeks and 3 days now. Time flies

I don't know if enough will comment but

we find out the sex either the 23rd or 27th. 

Anyone wanna guess what it is?

Anyways, thanks for reading! 

Stay tuned!

-C-