Treat Tradition & Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! We enjoyed a wonderfully low-key weekend (as is becoming the norm around here, and you'll hear no complaints from this pregnant mama), and I am finally getting around to sharing some photos and happenings from recently. 

This week I will hit 34 weeks, well on our way to meeting our newest addition. Marshall still isn't super into feeling the baby kick or anything, but he'll show some interest and give a kiss if we suggest it. It's a little hard to believe he'll be a big brother in just a few short weeks, but I think he'll fill the role wonderfully.

(That photo was probably around 32 weeks)

I've had some meal planning hits and misses lately. For the most part, I'm planning away as usual, with two caveats: I'm incorporating one night out per week (order in, take out, eat out, whatever) to give us a break from dishes and cooking; and I'm mostly using meals that require very little prep. Plus, I'm enlisting the help of my little sidekick! Last weekend, Marshall sat with me while I wrote out my grocery list and "wrote" a list of his own with crayons! Then we folded up his list, put it in his pocket, and pulled it out at the store to remind me of what we needed. Two-year-olds are too fun!

Of late, we've started a new weekly tradition of going out for a treat! We've hit up various ice cream shops and last weekend chose a new-to-us donut place, Sidecar. It was incredible. We tried the cinnamon crumble, butter & salt, vanilla with chocolate, and buttermilk "drops" and loved every bite.

This weekend's treat was a trip to Beverly Hills to Bouchon Bakery, where we tried an almond croissant, a chocolate chip cookie, and a beignet. Marshall's face when I tried to steal a bite of his beignet--I will never forget it. Anger, confusion, panic. I put it back down (without taking a bite) and he instead shoved the small bite of cookie he was holding toward me. But I was already laughing so hard I told him he could keep the cookie. Such a sweet boy who loves food so much.

Then we spent some time checking out the fountain (getting super soaked) and walking around the block before heading home. These quick trips for treats are becoming my favorite part of the week, and I'm glad it's something we can easily continue once baby is here.

Random photo: Marshall helped Daddy build our new shoe rack. He hasn't stopped talking about it since.

Also last weekend, Jenn and I took a cooking class together! We have a new Sur La Table in Westwood with cooking classes, and Terry booked a class for me for my birthday. The class, Global Gourmet Burgers, was fun and unique, but I think next time I'd go with a multiple-course class to incorporate more techniques and variety. Still, we had a great time, and it was awesome to be out doing something new and different!

More in food: We recently tried out Smitten Kitchen's summer squash pizza, which was delicious and a great way to throw in vegetables, but took more time than I expected for a weeknight meal. Next time I would do some steps ahead, but it was tasty. Marshall loved helping me throw the squash into the food processor to grate it!

Last week we made nachos at home. They turned out to be more of a treat and less veggie-filled than I had planned, but still, a fun, easy meal.

Breakfast casserole has become my favorite way to throw lots of vegetables into my diet. My stomach is not handling raw veggies well lately, so leafy greens are tough to incorporate. Luckily I can easily eat a whole serving each morning with this casserole. I just throw a bunch of frozen chopped greens all over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then a bunch of sauteed vegetables (onion, bell peppers, squash, etc.) and then cheese on top of all that. Then I whisk up a dozen eggs with salt and pepper and pour them over the vegetables. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. It lasts us three or four days of breakfasts!

Other highlights of the last week or so:

Hanging out with my favorite little guy

A photo of Marshall wearing an outfit my dad would totally wear

(Also, Marshall recently learned how to "smile for the camera," which is adorable and so sweet!)

Terry and I took M to a playground yesterday and let him do his thing. We love watching him explore his abilities and have been deliberately hanging back more to see what he'll get up to without us nearby. Yesterday he explored the entire playground set and was so proud of himself for going down both slides. It truly makes me so proud, too, to see him figuring out his limits and becoming more independent and coordinated.

This weekend also marked another attempt at watching a movie. Marshall has shown very little interest in movies and television, which of course is fine, but we also don't want him to be that weird kid who doesn't know what a movie is. So we tried again, this time with How to Train Your Dragon, and he was actually into it! But he does have a strange quirk: He fixates on small, random details within some books and, apparently, movies, where he obsesses over something really minor. In Lady and the Tramp (book version), his favorite part was the rat(? I completely forgot a rat is even in that story!). In Pinocchio, he loved the whale (a little more understandable). And now, in How to Train Your Dragon, he was absolutely fixated on...the boats??? There are approximately two scenes that feature boats, and not even prominently.

So anyway, we had to watch the movie over three different attempts, but we made it through. He was genuinely into the dragons by the end, and he kept saying, "It's funny!" so I guess he liked it well enough. I can tell movies and TV will be a rare activity around here, but at least we can say we tried!

Meanwhile, yoga is apparently much more entertaining.

Today was pretty close to a perfect day. Marshall slept in, so we all slept in until 7. We took it slow this morning, ate breakfast at home, helped our neighbors jump their car, and made a quick trip to the store. We finished the movie, hung out around the house, and had Marshall help me with making a breakfast casserole. During M's nap, I went out for a massage(!), and then this afternoon we took a family walk around the neighborhood before dinner. Nothing too big or exciting, but a truly great day with my boys. I am so grateful for my little family and am finding myself more and more eager to meet the little one on the way!

Okay, that was pretty long. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, so maybe I'll post a pregnancy update this week, since I'm running out of time to post those!

As for meal planning this week:

- Veggie spring rolls as snacks (hoping my stomach will tolerate the raw vegetables)

- Pasta with pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes, and shrimp

- Bruschetta and broccoli melts (not sure if we'll do these all on one night or just split them between two nights)

- zucchini corn chowder (Marshall gobbled this up tonight! I like to puree the soup before adding the corn for a smoother texture)

- sweet potato fries (tossed in olive oil and salt and roasted at 425 for about 20-25 minutes) with a chipotle hummus from our farmer's market

- breakfast casserole, as mentioned above

And now we're heading into a short week! I'm already looking forward to another wonderful weekend in just a few days. Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Loving Lately

Mid-week post! Hello! I'm here to share some fun finds I've come across lately, as well as some family adventures. Here's what's making me happy lately...

Online shopping! I’ve had way too much fun finding things we need (and “need”) lately, and I’ve been randomly scoring some great deals! Following companies on Facebook really helps, and stocking up when there’s a good sale has been a huge time and money saver. The other day, for example, Jet posted 25% off Honest Company products, and I walked away with tons of bubble bath for about half off (thanks to a first-time-user discount)! I also checked out thredUP (an online consignment store where you can buy and sell clothes) for the first time, because I’ve heard great things about their deals for kids’ clothes. Before I checked out, I asked (via the little “Chat with us!” feature) if there is a first-time-user discount, and sure enough I got an additional 40% off (I bought two maternity dresses for a fancy night we have coming up, but neither one worked out unfortunately, and I also bought Marshall a pair of overalls!).

Amazon Prime Day wasn’t as huge a hit for me, but I did buy a new diaper bag, and I’m so excited to start using it. It’s a big upgrade from my last one and will transition easily to a weekender bag when we no longer need diapers.

New recipes

Terry and I have really stepped outside our comfort zone lately with some awesome new recipes. I love browsing Cup of Jo, 100 Days of Real Food, and Smitten Kitchen <--I love the “Surprise Me!” button!) for inspiration, and sometimes I’ll put my own spin on dishes. Here are some we’ve tried lately:

Orange Creamsicles--perfect for hot nights!

Strawberry-coconut water popsicles (I just threw a bunch of strawberries and some coconut water in a blender and then poured the resulting mixture into our popsicle molds--they were so sweet and delicious! And perfect for me to get some healthy coconut water in, because I’m not a huge fan of drinking it straight)

Mango Chia Pudding--again, I’m not a huge fan of chia seeds and so far haven’t found a good way to incorporate them into my diet, but this recipe is DELICIOUS. So easy and quick, too! Marshall kept asking for more, also, which is a great bonus lately, as he’s hitting the infamous two-year picky phase!

Cheesy Cauliflower Rice Stuffed Peppers - I made this recipe once with a few minor tweaks and loved it, so we tried it again with an enchilada flair. I just added some cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder, and used pepper jack and cheddar instead of the other cheeses. It was delicious, and a perfect side dish or main entree.

Sloppy Joe’s! I can’t remember the last time I had sloppy Joe’s, but I thought it would be a fun recipe to try. SUPER easy, totally delicious, and we all gobbled it down. Terry even convinced me to try making homemade hamburger buns, which are tasty but not quite fluffy enough for me, so I’ll keep working on it.

Egg (white) pizza bake--like a frittata, but bigger, and cooked entirely in the oven. I used kale and collard greens for some variety, and we portioned them out to bring as snacks at work all week. Honestly, chopping all the greens and sauteeing all the vegetables was a LOT of work (luckily I had some cooked sausage and ground turkey in the freezer, so I just threw those in, but that would have added even more work), so I’m not sure we’ll make this one super often, but the idea of it--lots of veggies + cheese + eggs--is definitely one to repeat. Next time I’ll just double the batch and freeze half so I get even more out of it. Delicious, though, and a great way to eat tons of greens, which has been a real struggle this entire pregnancy. (By the way, I used 12 whole eggs instead of the recommended egg whites.)

(Making bread with Daddy)

(Recent haul from the farmer's market)

Sticky Toffee Pudding! For our five-year anniversary, Terry and I celebrated a few times to spread out the magic. First, we spent a night in San Francisco while my parents watched Marshall. Then for our actual anniversary, we gave a nod to our honeymoon (Italy and London) with a dinner out (with Marshall!) at an Italian restaurant

and homemade sticky toffee pudding. It was such a fun night!

Movie nights at home the last two weekends have been a perfect way to unwind after a long week. We watched Spy, which was hilarious, and The Big Short, which was fantastic (but definitely required a few pauses on my part to make sure I understood everything). Watching new movies and shows together has always been a favorite pastime of ours, but it is easy to get into a routine of watching our old standbys instead of diving into something new. Silly, because the new stuff is so fun!

And speaking of which, another new favorite: Catastrophe on Amazon Prime! We started watching a few weeks ago on recommendation of our friend Amanda, and we savored every episode. Hilarious, extremely vulgar, British humor...what could be better? I highly recommend it for anyone, but especially if you have kids, because it gets REAL about life with babies.

Watching Marshall and Scout interact has become a real joy around here. Scout is still terrified of the kid, but Marshall is really interested in the cat. He'll grab a toy for Scout and then walk around the house chanting, "Scooooout! Where are you? Come play, Scout!" Meanwhile the cat finds ways to hide.

Finding a healthy (and sustainable) balance during this pregnancy. A few weeks ago, our former birth teacher came over for an exercise consultation, where she took me through a full pregnancy-safe workout and showed me tons of exercises that are perfectly healthy for me to do up through my delivery date. We also talked a lot about nutrition, changes I can make in my diet to optimize baby's health, and ideas for reducing my stress. While the consultation was extremely helpful, it also gave me some anxiety about "doing everything right" and ended up making me feel like I was actually doing everything wrong.

So over the last two weeks or so, I've been working on finding a healthy balance between what our teacher suggested and what is realistic and sustainable for me. I certainly agree with eating healthy, for example, and adding nutritious foods and reducing sugar. But I also think there's something to be said for enjoying the act of eating, indulging in occasional treats, and fully embracing the experiences of eating out or taking Marshall out for a treat!

(After going out for ice cream recently!)

I have added lots of greens and vegetables to my diet and reduced my sugar intake, but I am still having tea on occasion and enjoying dessert when I want (a few times a week). It's a happy medium for me that keeps the experience of eating fun.

Similarly, the exercises I learned have been awesome for making adjustments to my strength workouts. But our teacher wanted me to follow a very specific type of power walking for cardio workouts, and I just wasn't feeling it. We like going for longer walks, and we like letting Marshall out of his stroller to explore now and then. So now I'm incorporating all her suggestions for strength exercises (modified push ups, dips, upper body exercises with very light weights, bodyweight squats, stationary lunges, pelvic rocking, planks, calf raises, etc.), but we're enjoying our normal family walks for cardio. I also walk at work (20-30 minutes at lunch) at least three times a week (which might go down as it gets hotter in LA). I'm so much happier just relaxing and enjoying workouts instead of stressing about doing it "right"! I'm a pretty active person, so I'm not worried about each individual workout so much as maintaining a generally active and healthy lifestyle.

Some photos from a recent walk to campus with our baby Bruin...

(We counted the chimes when the clock struck 10.)

Overall, this pregnancy has been far less stressful than my first, and finding this healthy balance for nutrition and exercise feels like a wonderful way to head into the home stretch. (I'll have a pregnancy update soon...true to second kid form, we're way behind on sharing those updates. But I'm 27 weeks today, officially entering the third trimester!)

So that's what's going on around here! I'll be back sooner than later this time, but have a great rest of the week!

Healthier at Work and Meal Prep

Happy weekend! Or end of the weekend. Which I guess is universally known to be less happy than the beginning. So...sorry about that.

A big focus this weekend was stuffing myself full of nutritious foods. I’m only two weeks in, but I can already tell that one of the biggest challenges I’ll face (health-wise) as a full-time employee is controlling my sugar intake. I’ve never been one to shy away from sweets, but I can usually keep it in check at home. I mostly eat what I make, and I mostly limit my desserts to one treat at night time.

But now I’m suddenly in an environment where generous strangers offer me cupcakes and cookies and donuts at random intervals throughout the day. I work in a fairly large department, so it’s always someone’s birthday or first day. Or there’s a staff event and we’re offered leftovers. Or there’s a student awards ceremony and we attend to congratulate the students and enjoy a refreshment. (No joke, EVERY ONE of those things happened in my first eight days of work.)

I need to rein it in. I bring healthy, satisfying lunches, so there’s no reason to have multiple sweets on top of that. And if I do have sweets during the day, I should omit my evening dessert and have something healthy (or nothing, if I’m not hungry--hahaha). But apparently I have zero willpower. So I’ll keep you updated on how I solve that problem.

For now, my boss and I agreed to bring in a bunch of fruit, carrots, celery, and other healthy snacks next week. If we need to munch on something, we can grab those instead of sweets. And I may stick to some more nutritious desserts at night for a while, too, just to get my sweet tooth in check.

We also spent a lot of time at home this weekend, just relaxing. We took long walks to the park, played with new objects (I gave this kid a small bowl of dried chickpeas and he was busy pouring them back and forth between bowls for almost an hour), caught up on a few TV shows, and cooked a whole bunch of food for the week (more below).

Saturday night, I wanted to try a new recipe that I actually discovered last year and never made. It's a bit more time-intensive, so I decided a weekend night would be best. The dish was amazing, and now the problem is that we're going to want to make it a whole lot more often! Terry already plans to bring it to his office potluck this week, and I want to make it for Thanksgiving. Good thing it's got a lot of healthy ingredients! (Here's the recipe!) We ate the sweet potato casserole with salmon (cooked in the cast iron skillet a la Ina) and sauteed green beans.

(By the way, at first, Marshall was not into the salmon, but once he devoured his first serving of the sweet potatoes and asked for more, we stirred some of the salmon into the sweet potatoes and he gobbled up TWO more servings, which is kind of cheating but still healthy, so we rolled with it.)

This morning we played a game of "find the corks" where we hid wine corks in plain sight and Marshall had to find them all. He thought this game was awesome, and it took very little effort from us to have a blast!

Later we walked to the park for some climbing, swings, and running through the grass (Marshall is now entering the age where he seems open lawns and just RUNS and I think it's adorable).

Back at home, I continued meal prep that I had started yesterday. Here's our meal plan for the week:

Monday: Overnight oats // Frittata and fruit // Zucchini soup and leftover sweet potato casserole

Tuesday: Frittata // Leftover soup // Fish - Quinoa - Brussels Sprouts

Wednesday: Oatmeal // Frittata (sandwich for Marshall) // Leftovers from Tuesday

Thursday: Eggs // Sandwiches or quinoa + veggies // BBQ Pulled Pork salads or sandwiches

Friday: Eggs // Leftover BBQ pulled pork // Shop the fridge!

Saturday: That's too far away to plan!


Here's what we did this weekend for prep:

- grocery shopped for the week (and forgot a whole bunch of stuff, so we had to go back to the store TWO more times)

- roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes to reheat throughout the week (and also to use in the frittata

- made the frittata--onion, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, cheese

- cooked the quinoa

- made the zucchini soup

-packed up lunches for Monday and made overnight oats for Monday morning

Truth be told, I love spending time in the kitchen during Marshall's naps on the weekend, so all this prep work is fun for me. With less time (or if we ever actually have weekend plans...), I won't be able to do as much, so our menu plan will change accordingly. I'm also trying to use these free weekends to prep ahead; for example, this weekend when I made the zucchini soup, I doubled the recipe and froze half for another time. We're working a LOT harder on weekends and evenings than we used to, but so far it feels like a good balance between productivity and play. We'll see how it goes on busy weekends or--heaven help us--weekends when we travel (like in two weeks for Thanksgiving). 

I was a little under the weather at the end of last week through this weekend, so we've been taking it easy on the workouts, in case you're wondering about that. We're trying to walk a lot, and tonight I threw in a few upper body exercises, but hopefully I'll be back to 100% soon to kick the workouts back up.

Hope you have a wonderful start to the week! 

Technically Two Weeks Down

We're almost through week two of our new routine, except that I've had a day off each week. The real test will be next week when we actually attack a full work week. 

Anyway, to get through the week we've been doing our best to prep as much as possible on the weekends and to get organized for the next day each night. For example, on Sunday Terry chopped the leeks and onion for this soup, and then on Monday night I did the cooking in about 20-25 minutes. Here's the recipe.

And my boys hung out with me.

Wednesday I had the day off for Veteran's Day. Marshall's day care was closed, so we got a bonus mommy-Marshall day! We went for a walk with Jenn, then I let Marshall walk around the block while I tagged along on his adventure.

Later I let him try hot chocolate (recipe from 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook), but since I had to wait for it to be way cooled down, it kind of turned into chocolate milk. Still, he seemed to enjoy it.

And to get some more fresh air, we stopped at the park to pick up leaves, point at dogs, and RUN!

I did have to break it to Marshall that I'll likely never bring him to the park in a Rolls Royce.

Last night's dinner: pizza (dough was made on Halloween and frozen for later) and salad.

As for fitness, we're working through another monthly workout calendar, which we dubbed "Cardio and Corevember" because we're super creative. So every other night we do some core work, and then approximately three times a week we try to do some moderate to intense cardio, like jogging, walk-jog intervals, and maybe a HIIT thrown in here and there. We definitely missed a few last week when Marshall was sick, and the early dark is making it tough to jog after work, but we're doing our best. 

Some other notes on the new situation: 

- I'm walking to work and so far I love it. I feel like the walk energizes me for the morning and then for the evening when I get home. Of course, the last two weeks have been lovely, cool weather. Talk to me again when it's sweltering 10 months out of the year.

- They say half of loving your job is who you work with, and I've been so happy to meet such great people in my department.

- Terry has to do drop off and pick up for Marshall's day care, and I am so grateful to him for already being awesome about talking to the teachers when needed, making sure he has all Marshall's belongings for home, and creating a good routine for saying goodbye to Marshall for the day.

So anyway, we're doing alright over here. There are easier days and tough days, and we're only two weeks in. I am starting to get a sense of what this new life is going to be like, but we still have a lot to learn about being working parents.

Hope your week has been a good one! Happy Friday to you!