Weekly eats

Here's what we are eating this week:

Monday - Chicken pot pie (never got around to making it last week)
Tuesday - Quinoa salad with acorn squash and roasted broccoli
Wednesday - Chicken tacos
Thursday - Crockpot spaghetti sauce with ground turkey and rice noodles
Friday - eat out in Seattle with Sharon!
Saturday - Mandarin Orange chicken and rice - Trader Joe's

I have been trying to find simpler things to make these past few weeks as my energy for cooking has gone down quite a bit. I'll be posting recipes for a few of our meals later in the week!

Chelsea's visit

Chelsea flew out to see us last Thursday and we had such a great time! It was pretty rainy and cold while she was here but that didn't stop us from seeing some of the sights. The pictures look so much better than normal because I didn't take them! Enjoy

Amazing pedicure

Classic Seattle street performer

Gum wall

The first ever Starbucks

Space Needle

Pike Place

Pork Green Chili Stew

This amazing recipe is from my sweet sister-in-law Jess. I think of her every time I make it, which is often because it is so delicious! Definitely one of my favorite meals (it also happens to be extremely easy to throw together which is an added bonus!)

Ingredients:

• 2lb pork
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flower
• 2-3 cups roasted green chilies ( I use pablano)
• 1- 7oz can diced green chilies or 2 -4oz cans 
• 1-14oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 fresh jalapeno, diced (seed for a less spicy soup)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• cumin (to taste, probably a few teaspoons)
• salt and pepper
• 3-4 cups chicken broth

method:

• Heat 2Tbs oil in large soup pot
• Add and brown cubed pork
• Add and saute chopped yellow onion and minced garlic
• Sprinkle flour over the top and stir for 2 minutes
• Add: roasted and chopped green chilies, diced green chilies, diced tomatoes, jalapeno, sugar salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir and add the chicken broth
• Let simmer for about an hour
• Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired

Jess suggests serving with warm tortillas and fruit, yum!

We usually eat it with seeded sourdough which is also delicious!

37 Week update: Full Term baby!

Whew, finally made it to the 37 week mark. It feels so nice to be past the point of worrying about a complication arising and the baby needing to come early. At this point we are all cleared to have an out of hospital birth at the birth center like we have been planning. Of course we could always be transfered to the hospital if necessary but hopefully everything will go smoothly when labor kicks in. From here on out I will be seeing the midwives every week so that they can make sure everything is going smoothly.

disclaimer: I ran 10 miles before this picture was taken...

I have been feeling pretty good but my energy levels have definitely taken a nose dive in the past week or so. I workout every other day now so that I won't get too tired. Mostly I just ride the bike and walk, not very intense. I was getting so tired after workouts and then realized that it probably wouldn't be too awesome if I went into labor exhausted. I have been drinking red raspberry leaf tea which helps to prepare the body  for labor. That is probably the only thing (besides staying active) that I will do to encourage labor. I have a feeling everything is going to happen in its own time (haha, in 3 weeks I'll probably be singing a different tune). Im pretty sure that every first time mom thinks or at least wishes that her baby would come early. Its hard not to have thoughts like that when contractions start getting stronger, walking becomes more painful, mood swings become more frequent (and a little scary...). I have found that it is best to just try not to think about it at all and just focus on enjoying each day before he gets here.

Pregnancy is and has been so fun even though I am more exhausted then ever and pretty uncomfortable. Here are some things I am looking forward to being able to do after the baby is born!

• Sleeping on my back
• Spicy crunchy tuna rolls
• An alcoholic beverage with Jeff
• Tying my shoes without putting my foot on a chair
• Wearing jeans every day

I can think of a million little things that I need to do before the baby is born. Everything seems like a top priority and extremely urgent but I know that I probably won't get around to doing everything (making 50 meals to freeze). Here are the things I need to focus on getting done in the next few weeks/days:

• Find pediatrician
• Put car seat in car
• Pack birth center bag
• Borrow bassinet for the first few weeks

Meals for this week

We loved all of the meals from last week! Over the next month or so I will be posting the recipes the meals that I didn't adapt from other food blogs. The crispy tofu and rice noodle bowls were delicious. I have never cooked tofu that way and we (Jeff, Chelsea, and I) were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Definitely one of my new favorite ways to cook tofu!

Meals for this week:

• Monday - Tofu/Chicken Thai Pizza
• Tuesday - Green Chili Pork Stew (from Jessica:) + Seeded sourdough from TJ's
• Wednesday - Chipotle Turkey burgers + Beets and greens
• Thursday - Honey Sesame Chicken + Veggies
• Friday - Chicken/Turkey pot pie
• Saturday - Mac and Cheese with Spicy chicken sausage

Meals for this week

Little late on this post but oh well! I had the HARDEST time planning meals for this week. I had high hopes of cooking a ton of food to freeze for meals after the baby but the thought of actually making that much food was just too much. I still have a few soups and some biscuits/scones frozen but I probably won't be making double of anything else.
The triple lentil recover soup and Jalapeno cheddar scones from last week were amazing. Make them now, at least the scones. I wasn't a big fan of the chicken and artichoke dish. The flavors were just not that great. Some of the recipes for this week are recipes that I didn't find online and that I have been making for a while so if you would like the recipes let me know!

This week:

Monday - Meatloaf with twice baked sweet potatoes and veggies
Tuesday - Chili blanco with chicken, jalapeno cheddar scones, and for dessert chocolate dipped cheesecake stuffed strawberries
Wednesday - Pesto noodles with ground turkey and veggies
Thursday - Slow cooker chicken tikki masala with brown rice and veggies
Friday - Rice noodle bowls with crispy tofu and veggies

I also made a double batch of granola bars this week. They are so easy and delicious. They make a great healthy and quick snack! Here is the recipe

granola bars:

• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 T sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter/almond butter
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup oat bran (blend oats in the blender and add 1/8th - 1/4th cup flax as its blending)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or carob chips
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup nut mix (e.g - walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds, sunflower, pumpkin)
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (e.g - cherries, raisins, cranberries, dates, apples, apricots)

Combine honey, vanilla, salt, sugar, and peanut butter in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally

In a large bowl combine all other ingredients except chocolate chips

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and toss well. Allow to cool for a few minutes

Add chocolate chips and fold together

Press mixture into a greased 9 inch pan and pat down. Chill for 1 hour or until firm

store in the freezer or the refrigerator 

36 Week update

36 weeks yesterday!

The baby feels so heavy. This week he is just about 6 pounds and around 18.5 inches long. Its hard to believe all of that can fit in such a small space...

How Im feeling:

• Tired
• Hip and pelvic pain
• More contractions
• Forgetful
• Heavy

I have been SO tired these past couple of weeks. Yesterday I made myself take a nap and felt much better afterwards. Maybe naps are something that I should take advantage of...

My midwife appointment isn't until tomorrow so I don't know for sure but I think that the baby has dropped a little bit. I have much more pain in my pelvis which is making it harder to walk/get out of bed/get dressed, etc.

I have been having contractions for quite a while now but during the past week they have become more frequent and uncomfortable. Exciting for sure!

I have been so forgetful lately its not even funny. Frustrating actually. It feels like my head is so full of...well, of something, that I just don't have the ability to think or plan anymore (hence the late posting of this weeks meals). This has made life seem a tad bit overwhelming. Small things like going grocery shopping and doing laundry seem almost impossible. 

Definitely feeling the extra poundage, especially during the climb to our 3rd floor apartment. Going down is great, its the coming back up that I don't like. I've slowed down a lot this past week with my exercise routine so going up and down the stairs a few times a day is probably a good thing. I figure that if I tire myself out with a workout every day I might not be in the best condition going into labor. 

Despite all of these things I actually am still loving pregnancy. All of these aches and pains just feel normal to me, like I've always been 8 months pregnant. It will be so strange to not feel little kicks and punches in a few weeks. 

1 day until Chelsea gets here

1 week until Im full term

2 weeks until Sharon comes

4 weeks until due date

Baby Meals

Over the  past couple of months I have been compiling a list of meals to make that can be easily frozen and defrosted after we bring the baby home. It is so fun coming up with different ideas! I'll be making a few meals each week and hopefully by the time the little guy arrives we will have plenty of healthy yummy food stored away :) Please feel free to comment with your favorite freezer meal recipes!

Here are my meals / cooking schedule

Feb 6th - 10th

*Triple Lentil Recovery Soup + Jalapeno Cheddar Scones

*Spicy Black Bean Chili + Buttermilk Biscuits

Feb 13th - 17th

*Turkey Meatloaf

*Chili Blanco with Chicken

*Slow Cooker Chicken Tikki Masala

*Granola Bars

Feb 20th - 24th

*Honey Sesame Chicken 

*Green Chili Pork Stew + seeded sourdough from Trader Joes

*Turkey Pot Pie

Meals for this week

Last week's stir fry was insane! We had our friends Karin and Ian over for dinner and I am so glad we did because we had so much food. I ended up putting more veggies in than the recipe calls for and it turned out great.

This week I am starting to make some of the meals that I have on  my list to freeze for when the baby comes. From now until his arrival I will be doubling some meals to save for later.

This week:

Monday - a double batch of Triple Lentil Recover Soup + our favorite Jalapeno cheddar scones
Tuesday - Chicken and Artichokes with brown rice and roasted veggies
Wednesday - Steak for Jeff, turkey burger for me with mashed potatoes and beet salad
Thursday - a double batch of Spicy Black Bean Chili with ground turkey + the best Buttermilk Biscuits
Friday - Stir Fry with tofu and veggies

Project Nursery: Nursery!

Over the past few weeks we have been able to put together the baby's nursery! It has been such a joy to set up the crib (well...watch Jeff set it up), wash sheets, and fold tiny baby clothes. Every time I look into his nursery I dream of cuddling him in his softest blankie, washing him in his little baby tub, reading him his baby books, and dressing him in his sweet clothes!

We have extra sheets on top, books, and a toy basket

Changing table + Stuffed animals
Amazing mobile! Which we will be putting over the crib :)

Diapers, bath basket, burp & swaddling cloths

Clothes box, socks and hats, towels and wash cloths 

Chimichangas

Here is the chimichanga recipe that I used for dinner the other night. They reheat really well so we ended up having them for dinner two nights in a row!

Chimichangas
oven - 375
makes - 10

Ingredients:

• Tortillas
• Sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
• 1 medium new potato, diced and boiled
• 1 pablano pepper, roasted (skin removed) and diced
• 1/2 red or yellow onion, diced and sauteed
• 1 chicken breast
• 1/4 lb ground turkey 
• 1 can black beans
• avocado, salsa/hot sauce, and sour cream

Assembly:

• simply place the desired combination of ingredients in the middle of each tortilla and top with cheese
• fold the sides and ends of tortillas in, forming a secure pocket
• place each tortilla pocket face down on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops and sides with melted butter
• bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tortillas begin to brown and become a little crunchy at the edges
• serve with avocado, salsa, and sour cream

A family visit!

Jeff's parents came to visit us last Friday. For some reason this is the only picture I took the entire time...on the day of their departure... I blame it on pregnancy

It was so nice to see them and to spend time with them. Friday afternoon Jeff was able to get off work a little early and we drove west with Chris and Molly to Wenatchee to visit some extended family. The drive is quite long which was good because we were able to catch up and enjoy each other. We stayed the night on Friday and after a delicious lunch at Uncle Dennis and Aunt Phyllis's house we packed up and headed back to Mill Creek. 

Saturday night we were all pretty tired and so we ended up grabbing a quick bite from our beloved Central Market. 

Sunday we went to church and then split up in the afternoon. The boys went to play a round of frisbee golf while Molly and I stocked up on groceries at Trader Joe's, QFC, and Central Market. It was so nice to have company! We got the ingredients to make sausage, kale, and white bean soup and rosemary and white cheddar biscuits for dinner and cocoa chewies for dessert. It was my first time making the biscuits and they were really really good. I ended up doubling the recipe and freezing half so that we can have some when the baby is born. That night we headed out into the rain to see The Grey. It was just so so in my opinion. I was kind of hoping for a man vs. wild movie but it ended up being more about one man's struggle with faith. Too artistic. 

Monday was a relaxing day. We met up with Jeff for lunch at a yummy thai restaurant near his work. After that Molly and I got to go shopping for the baby! We got him a couple more crib sheets, mattress pads, and some sweet books, all of which are in his nursery as we speak! We ended the night with cookies and games. 

It was so nice to have them visit and its hard to believe that the next time we see them the baby will be here!