Pickles & Ice Cream

Since the day I found out I was pregnant it seems like people began asking me about my cravings. Did I have any cravings for anything weird? Pickles? Ice Cream? Meat? Being that I am a vegetarian (for the most part) everyone was convinced I would suddenly turn back into the carnivore I once was. Sorry folks...Hasn't happened yet. To be honest I actually kind of thought cravings were a bit of a joke. Something women swore they had while pregnant when really it was just an excuse to eat whatever they wanted...whenever they wanted without having to endure any real harassment or shocked stares from loved ones and friends as you proceed to take down an entire appetizer, dinner and desert. I am writing this today however to say...I take it all back.

In the beginning I didn't really have many cravings especially with all the nausea and barfing. But through it all I tended to feel a little better when I ate anything especially moist and juicy...specifically fruit. It began with Granny Smith apples and moved onto Lil Cuties and then on to green grapes. I didn't really crave them per se but they did taste real good and I managed to keep them down :-)After the night sickness went away around week 13 my desire for fruit went into overdrive and I can now say I am a full fledged believer in cravings. I have always loved fruit and enjoyed eating it but I have never had such intense desire for this food group. I am eating it all the time. Three square meals a day pretty much. It is pretty funny actually and Paul is getting lots of chuckles over it. He says when I give birth a little fruit bat is going to come flying out. I guess it could be way worse though. I used to have a friend who craved Mc Donald's Sausage McMuffins and vanilla shakes with french fries dipped in it. She had to have them everyday for like a month. So, in the grand scheme of things it could be way worse I suppose.

Today I went grocery shopping at Nugget which has the best fruit around bar none. I hit the fruit and veggie section first of course and they had tons of fruit available. I love this time of year because it starts to get a little bit warmer and all the real good stuff comes into season. I grabbed a pineapple first, then a Tuscan melon, some tangerines, a box of strawberries, a carton of raspberries and a bag of grapes. Then I realized at home I had kiwis, bananas and blueberries. That's right folks I could open my own roadside fruit stand with all the stuff I had in the fridge. So how to eat it all you ask? I made fruit salad for dinner. I made a special yogurt sauce for the top and proceeded to down a HUGE bowl of fruit. It was one of the most satisfying meals I have had in a while. So whether it is pickles, ice cream or...fruit...I can honestly say there is such a thing as pregnancy cravings and they are alive and well here in the Ueckert household!