Birth Plans: Then and Now

When I was pregnant with K, I was swimming in birth plan information. Between our prenatal classes, meetings with my doula, and appointments with the midwives, I didn’t know where to start. I knew it was important to advocate for myself, but I didn’t want to be pushy. According to message boards and books, nurses and hospital staff either loved birth plans or hated them. It should be either formally typed and laminated, or mentioned casually at hospital check in. I should make preferences well known to everyone, or just voice my opinions to my doula. I wrote pages and pages of plans; bullet point lists, full essays, and everything in between. I was confused, overwhelmed and completely unprepared (despite all of my preparations).

So, gathering all of the information I could, and armed with a checklist much like either of these (Baby Center checklist, Healthy Baby Network checklist), I sat down and drafted an outline of what I hoped for on the birth front.

1. As few interventions as possible: I hoped to go epidural-free, but I also hoped that I wouldn’t need my water broken, wouldn’t need antibiotics or Pitocin, and wouldn’t wind up with a cascade of interventions that led to an unnecessary c-section (something presented as a very real possibility in my prenatal classes).

2. The ability to move around in labour: I was hoping to labour at home for as long as possible, walk around and use my exercise ball once I checked in, and spend time in the labour tub and the shower. The idea of being confined to a bed when I was in pain wasn’t appealing at all.

3. Support personnel: I wanted my midwife, doula, and husband present, and that was all. No family popping in to say hi, no unnecessary visits from anyone.

4. Comfort: I wanted to bring my own music, labour in my own clothes for as long as possible, fetal monitoring only as long as it was necessary, cervical checks only when needed.

5. Other: I was also hoping for delayed cord clamping, immediate skin-to-skin contact (for at least an hour), no supplementing with formula or a pacifier, and discharge from the hospital as soon as was possible (with the midwives, this meant 4 hours after birth as long as all went well).

How it went:

I was in early labour for about 36 hours; I certainly got my wish to labour at home and move around. By the time I called my midwives and doula to come to the house, I was dilated to about a 7. My hospital bag was chock full of all the comforts of home to make my hospital room more homey, but since I was in full-on active labour by the time I was checked in, everything stayed in the car. My wishes for support personnel were granted, though my whole family popped in for a quick hi when they arrived at the hospital. Thankfully, everything was such a blur that I didn’t have time to get annoyed.

By the time I hit 40 hours of labour, I was completely worn out, and really didn’t care about the dreaded ‘cascade of interventions’.  I’d been eating and drinking to keep my energy up, but I hadn’t slept in days. My  doula was applying counterpressure to my back to help with the back labour, but it was fairly useless. I received nitrous oxide through a mask to help with the pain, but when my blood pressure dropped rapidly because I was inhaling too much, they put a stop to it. I even had sterile water injections (more on those in another post) to see if it would help. But by that point, my pain was so intense, and I was so exhausted, that I begged for an epidural. Forty minutes after the epidural was placed, K was born. They delayed the cord clamping, gave me almost-immediate skin to skin (after the respiratory therapist checked her airways to make sure she hadn’t breathed in meconium), didn’t supplement or give a pacifier, and I was discharged within about 10 hours.

So that was no to item 1, yes to 2, sort of to 3, maybe to 4, and yes to 5. Not too bad, for the first time.

The Second Birth Plan:

This time around, we aren’t hiring a doula (I don’t think), and we’re not taking prenatal classes. I’m feeling less and less confident about what I do and don’t remember about birth. I was sure that I wouldn’t need a birth plan this time around; didn’t things happen the way they wanted to anyhow? The checklists made me laugh in the first few months postpartum, but I found myself searching for them anyhow in the last couple of days. Birth is unpredictable, and my birth plans might not get read, but I need to at least think about these things in order to ease my mind. So, with 12 weeks left (give or take) until the arrival of Baby 2, here’s what I’m thinking:

I’d like to labour at home again; it was relaxing to be in my own space, though my water bill from the hot shower was pretty high that month. I’d like to bring my music to the hospital again, but will leave basically everything else at home. The hospital gown was practical, so I don’t care about wearing my own clothes. I’m comfortable with family coming in to visit, and I’ll stay in the hospital as long as they’ll keep me (home isn’t as relaxing with a toddler underfoot). My plan is to not really have a plan, and see how things go.

Did you have a birth plan? Were you surprised by how it played out?

Easing Back and Joint Pain in Pregnancy

Pregnancy has proven to be hard on my back and hips. With K, I had severe SI joint pain. Any time I switched positions (sitting to standing, laying down to getting up), my back felt like it popped out of place. I could put no weight on my right leg for at least 5 minutes after getting up; it was ridiculous. Chiropractic helped a little bit, but there wasn’t a cure-all (except giving birth).

This time, I’ve been dealing with SPD (symphysis pubic dysfunction) and awful round ligament pain. My hips click in and out, turning over in bed is painful, and I feel like I’ve been kicked in the groin pretty much constantly.

So, how have I been dealing with this pain? As much as I’d like to say I’ve been sitting on the couch relaxing and letting everything settle, reality is that with a full-time job and a toddler, I needed to find some coping strategies. Fast.

Here are some tips I’ve gathered from friends, midwives, and general experience:

1. An exercise ball. Rather than sitting back on the couch which compresses your spine and misaligns everything, sitting on an exercise ball helps. It keeps everything straight and in place, it absorbs the weight on your hips and pelvis, and it honestly was my best friend during my pregnancy with K. Just make sure that you buy one that’s the proper height for you; most boxes have a chart for height on them. I’m 5’7 and I believe my ball is 65″ round.

2. Chiropractic: Seeing a chiropractor freaks me out, to be perfectly honest. I hate the cracking and crunching so often associated with visits, and I’m so nervous that it will hurt or go wrong. That being said, when I’ve visited while pregnant, the actual popping/ adjusting isn’t something that he did. Instead, he focused on stretching and moving my body to open up hips and back, and alleviating pressure put on my joints. I haven’t been yet for the SPD, but I’ve heard fantastic things from others who have dealt with it. Make sure you find a chiropractor comfortable with pregnant women, however. The wrong types of adjustments can be harmful.

3. Swimming. The great thing about having two summer babies is the opportunity to spend the worst, hottest, most uncomfortable months in the pool. Swimming has been the most recommended form of exercise and relief offered to me by my midwives and chiropractor. Because you’re significantly lighter in the water, pressure is taken off of your hips, back, and joints. Whether you actually swim, take Aquafit, or just float around (my preference), being in the water allows you to stretch out sore joints and get some exercise when you might otherwise be in too much pain.

4. Hot water: On the water front, I’ve found that hot showers are excellent at alleviating pain. I can’t handle super hot water, so the concern about raising body temperature isn’t really there. If you’re someone who can tolerate really hot showers, just be careful how long you’re spending in the water; my  midwives’ rule of thumb is to get out when your skin is turning pink/red. Hot tubs are a pregnancy no-no, but if you can handle sitting, a warm bath will also help with the pain.

5. Yoga: the stretching, bending and strengthening of yoga is fantastic for helping with joint pain. Even on your sorest days, stretching can really help. Don’t overdo it; stay away from intense classes and hot yoga. Any prenatal yoga classes or videos should be good, though!

6. Support belts: This is something I used for my SI joint problems, but not yet for SPD. Pregnancy support belts are designed in a few different ways. Some of them are just for your hips and pelvis: they tighten right at hip level, and keep everything locked into place. This is great if your hips and pelvis are slipping out of place; sometimes, the extra stability is all you need. Other belts are designed to support your belly, keeping the extra weight from pulling too much. These are more helpful for lower back pain and round ligament pain.

.  .  .  .  .

Have you dealt with any serious back, hip, or joint pain while pregnant? What did you do to ease the pain?

The Bedtime Battle

For the last few weeks, bedtime has been a complete and total disaster.

While K didn’t start sleeping through the night until about 15 months or so, she has been remarkably good at going to bed on her own since about 7 or 8 months. We have the same bedtime routine (stories, singing, prayers, and bed), and she usually snuggles up with her buddies, then falls asleep on her own within about 15 minutes. It’s a wonderful trait, and I didn’t realize how much I relied on my ‘me’ time after 7:30pm until this phase hit. The sleep monster phase.

On Sundays, I have K to myself while J works. One Sunday night, as we were winding down our evening, I asked K which pyjamas she wanted to wear. And instead of choosing some, and lying down for me to put them on her, she started screaming. “No Mama, I don’t WANT that jammas.” The fighting, flailing and general tantrum-ing didn’t stop until I relented, and decided it was warm enough in her room to go to bed in just a diaper. So we chose a few books to read, and I went to sit down in the rocking chair. “No Mama, MY chair! I sit there!” The screaming began again, and once again, I gave in and let her sit down in the rocking chair. We read three books, said our prayers, and I lifted her into her crib.

Her little legs clamped around my waist, and she started wailing. “No Mama, I don’t WANT bed. Not bed!” I had to peel her off of me, lay her down in her crib with her buddies, and rub her back until she calmed down. I sang another few songs, and left, hoping that this was a one-off and she would fall asleep soon.

Over an hour and a half later, she was still chatting in her crib. She demanded a banana, more songs, another book, all of her buddies (she’d thrown them on the floor), and a new diaper. I’d given in to all of the above (especially after she removed her diaper), and she still wouldn’t fall asleep. Finally, I lay down beside her on the floor and held her hand until, magically, she drifted off to sleep.

I texted J at work to rant about the awful bedtime we’d had, never thinking it would be more than just a one-off.

That was three weeks ago.

J, lying beside her crib, trying to get her to sleep.

One of a thousand bedtime stories (she’s ditched the Zippy now)

Sorting her bedtime snack, tucking them in; another stall tactic

Since then, we’ve been dealing with similar iterations of the same thing. Demands for snacks, diaper changes, more water, more books, fewer books, and many, many more songs. We gave in at first, attributing some of it to the springtime cold we had all caught. Then we started getting stricter, capping the books at 4 and the songs at 9 (three renditions each of Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells and Jesus Loves Me, her nightly requests). We’ve tried moving bedtime later, and then earlier, both to no avail.

As I sit here writing, she has been in her crib, talking to herself, for over an hour. She’s not upset (though getting her pyjamas on was a nightmare), but she just won’t fall asleep. She woke up from nap at a reasonable hour, had plenty of time outside and activity to tire her out. She hasn’t had any sugar close to bedtime. And yet, she still won’t sleep.

I’m at a bit of a loss at this point in time. With a baby on the way, I’m a little terrified about what this prolonged bedtime might do to me. On the other hand, I know that this is just a phase, and that eventually it will pass.

What has your experience been like? Please don’t tell me its time to drop a nap (she’s 22 months…I can’t handle that!). Any tips for this weary mama?

Choosing a Midwife: The Second Time Around

When I was discharged from midwife care after having K, they jokingly told me that the next time I got pregnant, I should call them before I called my husband. That was their way of saying that midwife care, especially in my small city, books up FAST – as soon as there was a chance I might be pregnant, I should get my name on the list.

I had a wonderful experience with midwives the first time around. The care I received was incredible; they spent an average of 40 minutes per appointment with me, discussing all of my options, everything there was to know, answering questions, and providing me with the information to make informed decisions. I weighed the pros and cons of twelve week screening, of receiving tests for group B strep and other things, all the way down to being given the option of a hospital birth or a home birth. I appreciated the care and time they took, and, as a first time mom, I loved that they answered all of my questions without making me fee l like, well, a first time mom. Post-partum, they came to my house six or seven times, to check up on Little Oats, to check in on me, to help me with everything from breastfeeding to establishing a routine, to getting me into the emergency room with no wait time when my stitches wound up infected. When I was discharged from care at six weeks postpartum, I was honestly sad to say goodbye to my friends and primary caretakers.

And yet, when I got pregnant with Baby #2, there was still a question in my mind. Should I go with my family doctor, who has been delivering babies for ages, and has provided excellent care? Or should I stick with the midwives, who were wonderful and whom I know? There was really one reason that I was debating, and one reason only:

The epidural.

After 40 hours of labour with K, I asked for an epidural, which resulted in my care being transferred, last minute, to the OB on call. I had never met him and I couldn’t tell you his name; he never even introduced himself. The midwives in my province don’t have license to oversee the care of someone with an epidural, so instantly, their hands were tied. They could care for my baby, but as far as my care was concerned, the OB was in control. I hated this aspect of my care; after 41 weeks of being carefully watched by the midwives, I was now left to the mercies of an on-call OB (who didn’t know my name) to deliver my baby. It ended up working out all right, because the OB was in an emergency surgery when K was actually born, so he didn’t have anything to do with her birth, but on all of my birth records, it still states his name as being the attending doctor.

To avoid this the second time around, I could be under the care of my family doctor. I would see him until 26 weeks, when my care would be transferred to an OB that I would actually get to meet several times. This OB would be able to prepare me for an epidural, should I want one, and would (hopefully) be the one on call to deliver Baby #2. There would be no transfer of care during labour, no real uncertainty, and no chance that the drugs wouldn’t be available when I wanted them.

Herein lies the dilemma. Do I go with the midwives, knowing that if I end up with an epidural, my care will be transferred again? Or do I go in with the expectation of an epidural, and see an OB from the start? Do I have faith in myself that this time, I can make it epidural-free? Or do I even bother to try, knowing that I have pain meds available to me whenever I like? My decision making process had really come down to a fight between med-free birth and medicated birth; a decision that’s difficult to make at 5 weeks pregnant.

Though it seems like this debate went on in my head for ages, it was really settled within about a day of my positive pregnancy test. I knew that, despite the confusion my transfer of care caused during my labour with K, the uncertainty of it all was worth the impeccable care I would receive for the majority of my pregnancy, labour, and birth. With any pregnancy, there’s that sense of the unknown; even if I had chosen an OB, there was no guarantee that the same OB would be on call to deliver Baby #2, leaving me in the same boat (but with pain meds). With choosing the midwives, I could be guaranteed that one of my team of 3 midwives would be the one with me at the hospital, and as long as all went well, be the one to deliver Baby #2.

I called my midwives office at 5 weeks pregnant, and sure enough, I was one of the last on the roster for September 2015. On my first visit, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that my primary midwife this time was the same as with K. We spent ages catching up, sharing photos of the baby that she hadn’t seen since our final appointment at 6 weeks postpartum. We chatted about my expectations for this pregnancy, and ultimately, it felt a little like coming home.

I’ve been to see them a handful of times now, and my decision was the right one for us. I’m excited for the rest of this pregnancy, and I’m looking forward to the birth experience I’ll have this time around.

How did you choose your primary care practitioner?

The Stork Conception Aid: A Giveaway!

***CONGRATULATIONS to DANIELLE, winner of the Stork Conception Aid. Thanks to all who entered!***

While we were trying to conceive K, I did more research than I thought possible. I read about every home remedy, every possible tip and trick, every available resource to help me get pregnant faster. I visited a naturopath, talked to everyone at the health food store, read a dozen books about increasing fertility, and tried every possible yoga position to help sperm get where it needed to be. Fertility treatments are expensive. Our initial intake appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist was $250 out of pocket, and every visit, test and procedure after that just added to the bill. The naturopath we saw was partially covered by insurance, but we were still paying about $200/month after insurance for supplements and visits. And we were lucky; had we proceeded with monitored cycles, IUI or IVF, it would have caused even more financial strain on our marriage. Many are willing to accept these costs as part of expanding their families; its often a necessary ‘evil’ to getting where you’d like to be. Though I didn’t try cervical cap insemination (nor did I really know much about it), I’d heard of several friends using a Diva Cup after sex to…hold everything up there. It made perfect sense; it gave sperm and egg a better chance of meeting up. When you’re dealing with low sperm count, motility issues, pH level problems, or issues with timing ovulation, anything that provides assistance is (in my opinion) a great idea. Though I’m currently pregnant with a ‘surprise’ baby, and though it seems as though our struggles with infertility are behind us, there is certainly a place in my heart for those who are still struggling. When I was approached by Influence Canada to write about a new conception aid on the market, The Stork, I jumped at the chance. I know that, had this campaign come around three years ago, I would have given it a try immediately. So what is The Stork? Its a product, based on cervical cap insemination, that was approved by Health Canada in 2013. The technique used makes sure that sperm is placed at the opening of the cervix, exactly where it needs to be to optimize chances of conception. According to the stats issued by the company, using cervical cap insemination has a 20% success rate; a rate comparable to the success rates of IUI. Obviously, the circumstances are a little different, but the results seem to be fairly good. The nice thing about The Stork is that its drug-free, safe, and cost-effective (especially compared to some of the other procedures). Its a great first step before starting assistive reproductive treatments. There’s a video link here that demonstrates how The Stork works, but the concept is fairly straightforward. The ‘cap’ is filled with sperm (however you see fit), and you use a tampon-like applicator to place it as close to the cervix as possible. You leave it in for 4-6 hours, then remove and dispose (like a tampon). Its certainly a better alternative to lying in bed with your hips propped up (which is exactly what I did for ages). That being said, what do you think? Is it something you’d try, or just a little too ‘out-there’ for you? If it sounds like its up your alley, here’s your chance to give it a try! Along with Influence Central, I’m hosting a giveaway! You can enter here! The deadline is April 23, 2015.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

And, if you’re interested in winning even more, check out the Social Media contest that Influence Central is hosting! By being engaged with The Stork across different social platforms, you have the chance to win a Night Out (for 2), valued at about $500. I know I’m entering…check it out here. Disclosure: I am part of The Stork at-home conception aid campaign with Influence Central and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Things to Do Before Baby #2

Now that we’ve adjusted to the idea of being parents to two kids, we’re springing into action in the time we’ve got left as a family of three. K is eighteen months, and though she won’t remember her time as an only child, we certainly want to make memories and have a blast before her little world is rocked. We’re also hoping to squeeze in a few last minute day trips and things before we throw a newborn into the mix!

That being said, we’ve come up with a list of things we would love to do before baby comes in September. Here’s what it looks like:

Things to Do Before Baby #2

• spend a weekend away, just J and I
• spend a night in a hotel, alone (just me!) with a stack of books, some junk food, and a huge bathtub
• grow a vegetable garden
• take K to the aquarium
• go to the Toronto Zoo
• sleep in until 10:00 one morning
• go berry picking
• stop watching so much TV (and cancel cable!)
• finish our basement stairs (carpet, trim, etc)
• set up a designated play space for K (not the living room)
• keep a baby journal
• enjoy every moment of a solid night’s sleep
• take some family photos

Did you have a list you wanted to accomplish before baby? Whether it was your first or your fifth, are there things that you wanted to get done? Am I missing anything glaringly obvious on here?

30 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

Family Day is a recently implemented holiday in Ontario, and I’m incredibly grateful for a long weekend smack in the middle of February. J and I have our families close by, and it is the perfect opportunity to get together. Since family gatherings (at least at our house) revolve around food, I was searching for the perfect recipe to make our Family Day breakfast a little more special. Cinnamon rolls were an obvious choice — a great addition to breakfast, totally delicious, and really…who doesn’t need an excuse to eat icing at breakfast?

I’ve got a tried-and-true cinnamon roll recipe that rises overnight, and I had fully planned to bake that up in time for our 9:00 breakfast. Thanks to pregnancy brain and the never-ending all-day nausea, I completely forgot to mix up the dough the night before. So instead, panicked and scrambling on Saturday morning (and not feeling like running to the store for a tube of Pillsbury dough), I searched for an easy, no-rise, half-hour-or-less cinnamon roll recipe. And with some tweaks and adjustments, I came up with the perfect one. If these take you longer than 30 minutes to make AND bake, I’ll buy you a tube of Pillsbury dough just to make up for it.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Icing:
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
milk

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, mix in the butter until the whole mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, lemon juice and egg; pour into the dry ingredients and mix together into a soft dough.

Turn this dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 10-15 times. Roll it into a large rectangle. Spread butter over the rectangle, and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Starting with a long edge facing away from you, roll the whole thing towards yourself until it resembles one long log. Roll tightly; more rolls means more cinnamon-swirls in the middle. Cut this log into 12 equal pieces. Press each of these rolls, swirl-side up, in a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, and butter until smooth. Beat in icing sugar, adding small amounts of milk as needed to thin it out. Icing should be fairly thin, but not thin enough that it will just run off the rolls.

When the rolls come out of the oven, pour icing over the top. Serve warm, or let cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge to reheat another day.

Nineteen Months

Another month has flown by, and I have a 19 month old at home now. She’s smart, funny, and downright adorable most of the time. She also has a fiery temper, and is a bit of a drama queen (especially when something doesn’t go her way). She’s polite, a great eater, and sleeps really well most nights.

Her least favourite activity right now is getting dressed. She hates wearing pants with a passion, and we often have to resort to either pinning her down, or bribing her with an episode of Paw Patrol. Her favourite thing to do is probably either reading books, or standing in the shower spray while I shower. She loves going to daycare, playing with friends, and talking to her family on the phone.

Her vocabulary has skyrocketed, and while we still only understand about 50-75% of what she says, she makes her opinions known. She’s observant; she notices when it’s rainy outside, or when something looks different.

Even though I’ve been totally wiped out with Baby #2 on the way, Little Miss K is a complete joy, and I’m so happy to have her in my life. Happy 19 months, baby girl!



Surprise!

After dealing with the roller coaster that is pregnancy after infertility, I fully expected to wait another several years before trying again for a baby. I knew it would take strength to prepare myself for month after month of disappointment, and I didn’t know how I would handle that with a toddler running around.

Following much discussion over the holidays, we set our tentative start date for our fifth wedding anniversary, the first of May. We would have the next five months to lose the weight we wanted, save the money we were hoping, and get ourselves into a better mental state for the trying process. My cycles were regular for the first time in years, and I didn’t want to mess that up by going on the pill. So I was tracking my cycles using a few different phone apps, we were avoiding my ‘fertile’ week, and I figured we were good to go.

Did you know that sometimes with PCOS (and other fertility issues), pregnancy can act as a reset button? And did you know that one slight slip up, days after you were SUPPOSED to be ovulating, can result in pregnancy (even though two years of carefully timed sex led to nothing?)

I was assuming that weaning K was the reason that my cycle was a little bit off in January. But when I was a day or two late, I tested. The test was stark white, and I broke down crying. I knew we weren’t ready for a baby, I knew that the timing wasn’t right (we hadn’t saved enough, I was still 10lbs over pre-pregnancy weight), but at the same time, I was heartbroken that this wonky cycle wasn’t due to pregnancy. But then, several days later, when my cycle still hadn’t ended, I took another test. And within two minutes, two blue lines stared back at me.

Despite our plans to wait, God had other ideas for our family.

I’m in shock, completely overwhelmed and absolutely thrilled. While we plan, God laughs (or so the saying goes). I’ve had a little time now to adjust to the idea, and while I’m terrified of what having two kids is going to be like, I’m so excited to see K as a big sister, and I’m excited to see what kind of family dynamic we will have as four instead of three. I’m looking forward to new baby snuggles and tiny clothes and nursing again.

I’m worried about lack of sleep. Forget sleeping while baby sleeps when there’s a toddler running around. What about naps? What about bedtimes? Am I ever going to get time alone? I’m thinking about double the baby laundry, and twice as many diapers, and more STUFF. What if this baby’s a boy? I don’t know what to do with a boy!

And yet, I find that place of calm. I breathe, and know that God has a plan. I was terrified about having one baby, and that turned out wonderfully. I know life with this baby will be just as great. So before I turn to my list-making and Excel-chart planning, I’m just going to relax and enjoy what the next eight months have to bring. I will have to be a lot more intentional when it comes to enjoying this pregnancy, because its so easy to get carried away with the everyday goings-on of life. And seeing as this is most likely our last baby, I want to make every moment count.

Oven-Baked “Moose Ears”

Have you ever heard of Beaver Tails? If you’re not Canadian, the chances of your familiarity with them drops by about 80%.

Picture this: its about -15, sunny, and you’ve just finished skating the kilometre or so of the Rideau Canal that is properly groomed. Your feet are aching, your nose and cheeks are pink and icy, and you’re ready to unlace your skates and have a snack. You might gravitate towards the hot chocolate stand, or bundle into your car to go get poutine. But any real Canadian knows there’s only one appropriate post-skate snack; the Beaver Tail.

A Beaver Tail is simple to describe; a flat, crisp and chewy pastry, fried in oil, and usually topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar. For the more adventurous among you, you can also get varieties topped with Nutella, maple spread, Skor chips, or peanut butter and bananas. Whether you’re a purist or a chocolate fiend, there’s really nothing bad about a Beaver Tail.

When I found out we were hosting a Super Bowl party for a whole bunch of high school kids, I knew that someone would take care of burgers, wings and nachos. My job was dessert, and though I could have created all sorts of football-shaped treats in team colours, I strayed a little. Everyone loves to assemble their own dessert. And what is a better vehicle for chocolate, maple, toffee or peanut butter? The humble (oven-baked) Beaver Tail. Or, because I’m not a licensed Beaver Tail kitchen….the crispy, chewy, lookalike…the Moose Ear.

Moose Ears

1 portion pizza dough (homemade or storebought, approximately 26 ounces)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar, mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon

On a heavily floured surface, divide the pizza dough into golf-ball sized portions. Roll these pieces out flat, until roughly oval (or football) shaped, and quite thin. Lay the rolled dough on a cookie sheet, and let rise for 15 minutes.

Brush melted butter on each unbaked Moose Ear, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

These can be made ahead of time, and reheated in the oven for a few minutes, or served straight off the hot pan. Top it with peanut butter, jam, maple spread, Nutella, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces or any combination of the above. Enjoy!