Sorry I haven't posted lately!!!!! **Updated

I guess I should have posted awhile ago so that I would remember everything I've been wanting to tell you all...don't get your hopes up I don't have anything really exciting to share.

Let's see I had an RE appointment here in Richmond a couple of weeks ago that was pretty interesting. Basically the main thing the doctor told me that is preventing us from conceiving is ENDOMETRIOSIS. O.k. honestly I just feel really sorry for anyone that gets me and DH as a patient because this doctor just had a look on his face as if he had no idea exactly what to say to us. He recommended that Dh gets a SA done again which we have just been putting off doing and also a post coital test done. So, now that it has been awhile after that appointment I went ahead and had the post coital test done on Sunday morning. It really was amazing. The doctor let me look through the microscope to see Dh's sperm and my mc together and they were actually swimming around nice and healthy. The doctor said this is not our problem so that is one more thing to check off of our list. It really made me start thinking though what is our problem? If it is endo that is really causing IF then I need to do something to help heal myself the best I can. On Sunday (Oct.4) I went out and bought tons of food for the endo diet and lots of things that would help me stick with it. I already started winging myself off of coffee a week and a half ago now I am ready for the diet changes.

(To be continued)

O.k. Anyways, I have just finished my first week on the endo diet and now I have to say almost every evening this week I have went to bed incredibly IRRATABLE because I just miss my old eating habits. I didn't realize how addicted I was to SUGAR in all is wonderful forms. HAHA!

Well, I have spent tons of time this week researching what I can eat. I went to these stores:
Whole Foods
Ellwoods Natural Food Market
Trader Joe’s
Fresh Market

And guess what? All of these stores had lists for me to have that say what foods they sale are Gluten free/ wheat free. Isn’t that great? Then all I had to do was check the back of these products to see if they were:
Dairy free
Egg free
Red Meat free
Sugar /honey Free
Soy Free

And I think that was it. I have to admit I did by some things to “cheat on” like wheat free- gluten free ginger snaps. Just so I don’t go crazy and eat a whole candy bar full of junk.

But honestly I have had major with drawls lately…SERIOUSLY I am always thinking about food!!!!!!

Today I had my P+7 blood draw but I couldn’t wait around to collect the blood for mailing so now I have to go back tomorrow to pick it up. I would think my numbers are going to be higher this month just because I took my P+5 HCG injections at 12:30 at night. YIKES I know! Oh, and tomorrow morning DH has his SA to get tested. I can’t wait to hear the results. I am really hoping there super high, etc.

I guess I should end this long post…now that I am done having headaches and I all I can catch up on some blog reading. I have missed you girls!!!!

P.s. If anyone has any recipes you’d like to share for endo diet tips I am all ears. Thanks!!!

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The picture at the top of this post is of the pastry I made for brunch with GIMH ad AYWH.

Here is the recipe if you're interested (it is so not on the endo diet!!!!)
Rich Coffee Cake with Berry Filling
Makes 2 small cakes, each serving 8 to 10.

The finished cakes made from this dough freeze beautifully, so we like to make the full amount of dough, bake two smaller cakes, and freeze one for later. You can use the full quantity of dough to make one large cake if you prefer (increase the baking time to 35 to 40 minutes if you go this route), or the recipe can be halved, as it must be if you opt to mix the dough in a food processor rather than a standing mixer. Between rising, shaping, and proofing, preparing these cakes is time-consuming, though not at all labor-intensive. An early morning start will let you make, rise, shape, proof, and bake the dough all in one day. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the shaped, proofed loaf overnight and bake it the next morning for breakfast. The Lattice Top or Twisted Coil shapes are best for this juicy, berry-filled cake.

Ingredients
Rich Coffee Cake Dough
2 packages dry active yeast (4 1/2 scant teaspoons)
1/4 cup water (warm, 110 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces and slightly softened
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 teaspoon heavy cream (preferably) or whole milk
Streusel Topping (optional)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons butter (cold), cut into 8 pieces
Coffee Cake Icing (optional)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar , sifted
3 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Berry Filling
12 ounces fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, or fresh or frozen blueberries (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
pinch table salt
pinch ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Instructions
1. For the dough: Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle; stir to dissolve. With mixer set on lowest possible speed, mix in sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Add 3 1/4 cups flour and salt, mixing at low speed until flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and add butter pieces one at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition (total mixing time should be about 5 minutes). Replace paddle with dough hook and add remaining 1 cup flour; beat at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer. Increase speed to medium and beat until dough tightens up slightly, about 2 minutes longer.

2. Scrape dough (which will be too soft to pick up with hands) into straight-sided plastic container or bowl using plastic dough scraper. Cover container tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 3 to 4 hours. Punch dough down, replace plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours. Alternatively, for a quick chill, spread dough about 1-inch thick on baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.

3. For the egg wash: Beat egg and cream or milk in small bowl until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. For the streusel topping (optional): Mix brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Pinch butter chunks and dry mixture between fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks).

5. For the icing (optional): Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Thin with a few drops of milk before using, if necessary.)

6. For the filling: Bring berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch mixture to boil, stirring occasionally, in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and shiny, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Scrape mixture into small bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly before using. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.)

7. For the cake: Turn chilled dough, scraping container sides with rubber spatula if necessary, onto lightly floured work surface; divide in half for two cakes. Roll, shape, and top or fill following illustrations for Lattice Top or Twisted Coil cakes, see below.

8. Cover loosely with plastic wrap on parchment-covered baking sheet and let cakes rise until slightly puffed (will not increase in volume as dramatically as a leaner bread dough), about 11/2 to 2 hours. (After this final rise, unbaked cakes can be refrigerated overnight and baked the next morning.)

9. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Working with and baking one coffee cake at a time, brush Egg Wash evenly on exposed dough. Sprinkle evenly with streusel topping, if using. Slide baking sheet onto a second baking sheet to prevent bottom crust from overbrowning and bake until deep golden brown and/or an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of cake registers 190 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Slide parchment with coffee cake onto rack and cool at least 20 minutes. Drizzle icing over cake, if using, and serve.

Here is how to shape it:

1. Working with a half recipe of cold dough at a time, shape dough into a log about 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Using your outstretched hands, roll the log evenly into a 40-inch rope about 1 inch in diameter.

2. With your fingers closed, gently press the log to flatten slightly into a 1 1/2-inch-wide strip.

3. Using both hands, twist the rope.

4. Loosely coil the rope to form a circle, leaving a 1/4-inch space between coils. Tuck the end under and pinch to secure. Place the cake on a parchment paper-lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap.

5. Proof until slightly puffed, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Brush with egg wash and place the filling over the center of the top, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all around the edges. If desired, sprinkle the top with streusel. Bake as directed.

6. After baking, dip a spoon into the white icing and drizzle it over the cooled cake.

or you can:


1. Working with a half recipe of cold dough at a time, shape dough into a 5-by-6-inch rectangle, then roll into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle (dough should be about 1/3-inch thick). Straighten with a pastry scraper to keep the sides even.

2. Place on a prepared pan. Spread a 3-inch-wide strip of filling down the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border at each short end.

3. Using a knife, cut a 1 1/2-inch square out of each corner of the dough.

4. Using scissors, cut a triangle with 1 1/2-inch sides in the center of each long side of the dough. Cut two more triangles (leaving a 1-inch strip of dough between each triangle) to the right and two to the left of the center triangle. Set aside dough scraps. Repeat with second long side.

5. Fold the ends over the filling, pinching the corner edges together to seal.

6. Bring the sections of dough from the long sides together in the center, overlapping the ends and pinching tightly to secure.

7. Cover lightly with plastic and proof until slightly puffed, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle streusel topping down the center, leaving a 1-inch border down each side. Bake as directed.