I have been having contractions for about 24 hours.  Some strong and some not.  I am getting VERY anxious.  So much so that I tried to take a brief nap today and my heart just kept racing, my contractions were strong, and I was feeling that this baby would be making it’s appearance sometime in the NEAR future!  Probably not tonight, but I just can’t imagine it being much longer.

AGHHHHHHH!

I know this is my fourth, but still I have all the questions, nerves, anxiety…

Am I ready for this?

What am I going to do with a BABY?!?!

Is the baby okay?

What will I do if it’s not?

Will my kids have a hard time adjusting?

Will this baby sleep?

Will I ever sleep again?

Will this be like starting OVER?

THE LABOR!!!!  Do I try to do it without an epidural this time?  We pay cash for the stinkin’ thing, and I went all the way to a 10 without an epidural with AnnaLeigh (accidentally).  I know many woman have birthed babies with no drugs…but do I want to be one of them?!?!

Is it a boy or a girl?

Is it 6 pounds or 11?  It feels like it’s 11, but I know it’s not!

Will it be wearing a name tag when it arrives?  “HELLO my name is…” :)

Anyway, I am nervous, to say the least.  I decided that as I contract, I’ll post a recipe that I intended to post in AUGUST.  Better late than never…that’s kind of my motto in life!

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I’ve mentioned my precious and wonderful MamaSara before.

MamaSara is my Italian grandmother, whom I adore and would give anything if I could see more often.  She lives in Mississippi and her health has not been good lately.  We have not stopped thinking about her and praying for her.  She has always catered to everyone has always welcomed our huge family with open arms and a feast of delicious food!

Stuffed Artichokes are one of MamaSara’s specialties, and my family literally fights over them!

If you are feeling adventurous, give them a try!  You may find a new food that your family will love!

Now, just like any good grandmother, she does not have actual recipes for anything!  She just uses “a little of this and a little of that.” I’ve done my best to make them taste like hers, but MamaSara’s artichokes will always taste better to me!

Stuffed Artichokes

What you will need:

Fresh Artichokes, Italian Style Breadcrumbs, Chopped Olives, Parmesan Cheese, Olive Oil

Cut the stems off the bottom of the artichokes.  Make them as level as possible, because they need to be able to stand upright.

Next trim the artichokes to look like the one below.

Clip the points off the leaves, being careful not to stick yourself.  They can be sharp little boogers!  LK wanted to cut them off, and so she helped with this process.

Start near the bottom first and work your way around and to the top.

When you get to the top, just take a sharp knife and cut the whole top off.

After you cut the top off, open the top leaves up a bit and use your scissors to trim some of the inner pointy leaves.  It just allows you to stuff more breadcrumb goodness into your artichoke.

After that I think it is important to clean them as well as you can.  Run them under warm water, spreading the leaves apart trying to get any clippings or critters out.  Then sprinkle them with salt and turn them upside down in a pot of water for about 30 minutes.  If they won’t stay upside down, you can put a plate on top of them to hold them in place.

As they soak, mix your stuffing.  In a large bowl, combine Breadcrumbs, Chopped Olives, Parmesan Cheese, and Olive Oil.

Mix well.  The consistency should be crumbly but able to hold together a little.  If you feel it’s too dry, add a little olive oil.

Remove the artichokes from the water and shake excess water from them.

This will be a little messy, so place the artichoke on a plate to stuff the little guy.  Spread the leaves out one at a time, starting at the bottom, and just drop a little of your stuffing into each leaf.  This step is not hard and does not take very long.  Lilly Katherine did it by herself and did a great job!

Make sure all the leaves are stuffed.  I like mine full.  Preston likes less stuffing.  Do whatever floats your boat!

Make sure you stuff the top, too.  Lightly drizzle the tops with olive oil just to add a little moisture.

Place the artichokes in a pot that will allow them to stand up supported.  If there is too much room they will turn over, making them soggy.  If there is not enough room they don’t steam evenly.

Fill the pot with about half an inch of water.  Just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and a little of the artichokes.  If you have too much water the bottom leaves and stuffing will get soggy.

Remember to check them as they cook.  You need to maintain the water level and not let it get so low that the pan burns.

Cover and bring it to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow it them to cook at a very low boil for about an hour to an hour an a half.  Make sure to add water periodically.  If they are really large artichokes, they can take up to 2 hours to completely steam.

They are ready when the leaves are a little curled, and you can gently tug on a leaf and it comes out with ease.  If it takes force to remove a leaf, then cover them and steam longer.  YUMMY!

Serve your stuffed artichoke with your most favorite Italian meal.

Of course, it’s best to serve them with MamaSara’s homemade spaghetti sauce and homemade meatballs, and MamaSara’s Salad.  Oh, what I would give to have a bite of this meal right now!

To eat the artichokes, scrape the leaf with your teeth removing the stuffing and the soft bottom part (the “meat”) from the artichoke leaf.  I prefer to turn each leaf upside down and scrape with my bottom teeth.  Of course, Preston uses his top teeth.  I’m not sure how that child came from me!

When you have eaten all of the outer leaves and stuffing, the heart of the artichoke is absolutely delicious with a little bit of salt and lemon juice.  Sorry no pics to show you how to get to it.

I would call this a bowl full of SUCCESS!

Recipe for MamaSara’s Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Artichokes
• 1 3/4 Cups Italian Breadcrumbs
• 3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• Small can Chopped Olives
• 3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Cut the stems off of the artichokes, making them as even as possible so they will stand up in a stock pot.  Trim the leaves by clipping the sharp points off with kitchen scissors.  Use a knife to cut the top of the artichoke off, and then trim the inner leaves with scissors.  Run the artichokes under water, spreading the leaves to remove any excess clippings or critters.  Sprinkle with salt and put upside down in a pot full of water for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the Breadcrumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Olives, and Olive Oil.  Mix well, adding extra olive oil if needed.

Remove artichokes from water and shake to remove excess water.  Start at the bottom and stuff each leaf individually with the desired amount of stuffing.  Stuff the top well, also.

Place the artichokes in a large stock pot, making sure that they can stand without falling or being overcrowding.  Add about 1/2 an inch of water to the bottom of the pot, covering the bottom of the pot and a small portion of the artichokes.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and keep them at a very low boil for 1-1.5 hours.  Check water often and add water when necessary.  The artichokes are ready when you can remove leaves with ease.

To eat, scrape the stuffing and the “meat” or bottom soft part of the artichoke leaf with your teeth.

Enjoy!

-kate

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