Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Friday, September 6, 2013
Menu Planning Challenge
So the Italian and I don't eat out or get take out very often (#toocheap)...we eat out or get take out maybe once a month and for the first time today I decide to menu plan our breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week. While doing so, I realized that I am totally stuck in a cooking rut. I love to cook but have gotten stuck cooking the same 5 or 6 dinners every, single week. I don't mind eating the same breakfasts and lunches over and over again but I'd really like to mix up our dinners so I'm challenging myself...at least 1 new recipe per week. I'm going to TRY (no promises) to document our journey in order to hold myself accountable and I'd love to get ideas on recipes to try from any of you! Looking for yummy, not too complicated, not 100 ingredient recipes and as little to no dairy as possible to try each week so please, please, please feel free to post your recipe in the comments section and I hope to give it a try soon!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
My Favorite Things (MSPI edition)
So I've been faithfully soy and dairy free for over 2 weeks now and as I mentioned in my last post (view it here) it is DEFINITELY helping alleviate Nicolette's upset tummy and night waking! Eating soy and dairy free is not for the faint of heart (or for the picky eater). I used to live on edamame for quick and easy meals or would grab some of the Fried Tofu from Whole Foods (sigh....I really do miss that tofu!). I was surprised to learn that nearly every convenience food that you buy contains soy in some form. Luckily I have researched and learned that soy lecithin and soybean oil do not irritate many of the babies with MSPI (Milk & Soy Protein Intolerance) so you don't have to be as careful with those items which does open the doors quite a bit.
Sidenote: it was enlightening (and frightening) to learn how much of our food contains soy in some shape or form. I was reviewing the allergen list for the Olive Garden since we were planning to go there for lunch one day and EVERY ITEM ON THE MENU contained SOY! This is particularly frightening because something like 99% of the soy in America is Genetically Modified (a GMO) - it's not even naturally growing soybeans - it's something some kook worked up in a lab...sheesh! And we wonder why cancer rates, asthma, allergies and everything else are on the rise...we're not eating REAL foods anymore. But that's a post for another day.
Here are a few of my favorite Soy & Dairy Free foods:
So Delicious Soy & Dairy Free "Ice Cream"
Chocolate Brownie Almond and No Sugar Added Mint Chocolate Chip are my favorites so far. I can't wait to try the ice cream sandwiches and some of the other flavors. And the best thing is that the Italian (who usually eats any and all snack foods and sweets as soon as they enter the house) won't touch this stuff because it says coconut on it and he swears that he doesn't like coconut (even though I make his toast with coconut oil every morning) :)
Trader Joe's Coconut Oil
I use this stuff as a straight up replacement for butter in nearly everything...cookies, brownies, as cooking oil, on toast, etc. It's delicious and crazy good for you. Trader Joe's has by far the best pricing on Coconut Oil ($5.99 per 16oz jar). I also use Coconut Oil for a myriad of other purposes (diaper rash, dry skin, chapped lips - you can view a list of 101 Benefits of Coconut Oil HERE)
Snap Pea Crisps
I LOVE snacking on these! Probably a little too much! They're light and crispy and a yummy, easy to grab snack!
Pacific Organic Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
This is my new favorite dinner along with a slice of organic wheat bread toasted with my organic coconut oil on it! mmmmmmm, tasty!
I'm sorting through some new recipes from my friend Toby who just finished nearly an entire year Soy and Dairy free in order to breastfeed her son through his first birthday! Looking forward to getting creative in the kitchen and hopefully loving some yummy soy and dairy free meals! I'll share any fantastic recipes that I test!
Here is my Soy & Dairy Free Brownie Recipe to get you started:
Brownies
Yields 9-16 servings
1/2 c. Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Oil, melted
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. All Purpose Flour (I've also done a combo of 1/2 AP Flour and 1/2 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1/3 c. Trader Joe's Cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Sidenote: it was enlightening (and frightening) to learn how much of our food contains soy in some shape or form. I was reviewing the allergen list for the Olive Garden since we were planning to go there for lunch one day and EVERY ITEM ON THE MENU contained SOY! This is particularly frightening because something like 99% of the soy in America is Genetically Modified (a GMO) - it's not even naturally growing soybeans - it's something some kook worked up in a lab...sheesh! And we wonder why cancer rates, asthma, allergies and everything else are on the rise...we're not eating REAL foods anymore. But that's a post for another day.
Here are a few of my favorite Soy & Dairy Free foods:
So Delicious Soy & Dairy Free "Ice Cream"
Chocolate Brownie Almond and No Sugar Added Mint Chocolate Chip are my favorites so far. I can't wait to try the ice cream sandwiches and some of the other flavors. And the best thing is that the Italian (who usually eats any and all snack foods and sweets as soon as they enter the house) won't touch this stuff because it says coconut on it and he swears that he doesn't like coconut (even though I make his toast with coconut oil every morning) :)
Trader Joe's Coconut Oil
I use this stuff as a straight up replacement for butter in nearly everything...cookies, brownies, as cooking oil, on toast, etc. It's delicious and crazy good for you. Trader Joe's has by far the best pricing on Coconut Oil ($5.99 per 16oz jar). I also use Coconut Oil for a myriad of other purposes (diaper rash, dry skin, chapped lips - you can view a list of 101 Benefits of Coconut Oil HERE)
Snap Pea Crisps
I LOVE snacking on these! Probably a little too much! They're light and crispy and a yummy, easy to grab snack!
Pacific Organic Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
This is my new favorite dinner along with a slice of organic wheat bread toasted with my organic coconut oil on it! mmmmmmm, tasty!
I'm sorting through some new recipes from my friend Toby who just finished nearly an entire year Soy and Dairy free in order to breastfeed her son through his first birthday! Looking forward to getting creative in the kitchen and hopefully loving some yummy soy and dairy free meals! I'll share any fantastic recipes that I test!
Here is my Soy & Dairy Free Brownie Recipe to get you started:
Brownies
Yields 9-16 servings
1/2 c. Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Oil, melted
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. All Purpose Flour (I've also done a combo of 1/2 AP Flour and 1/2 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1/3 c. Trader Joe's Cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease a 9"X9" Square pan (or line with parchment
- Stir together Coconut Oil, Sugar & Vanilla in a large mixing bowl
- Add eggs, beat well with spatula
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, beating well until blended
- Spread batter into a prepared pan (I grease my pan with coconut oil)
- Bake 25 minutes until sides pull away from the pan
- Cool COMPLETELY in pan or on wire rack
- Cut into 9 or 16 squares and ENJOY!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Baby Led Weaning-ish
In my last post (about a million years ago...I'm such a bad blog updater) I touched briefly on Baby Led Weaning. Die Hard Baby Led Weaners would say that true Baby Led Weaning (or BLW for short) is when your baby eats exactly what mommy and daddy eat at meal time. So if mommy and daddy are having Mexican, then baby gets a little mexican (and maybe some indigestion). If mommy and daddy are having steak (almost never happens in this house) then baby gets a little steak. You just give them small-ish pieces of your food and let them eat as much or as little as they would like. The point is not for them to eat a complete meal, your baby should still be getting the majority of his or her nutrition and calories from breastmilk (or formula) up until he or she is a year old.
So that's why I say that we're Baby Led Weaning-ish. I have not introduced any purees and don't really plan to unless we're totally pinched for time and I have to dig out one of my emergency organic baby food pouches that I have stored in the pantry. I do prepare special meals for Nicolette each night and actually now I just eat whatever she's eating for dinner...Nicolette has sweet potatoes, mommy has sweet potatoes, Nicolette has kale, mommy has kale. It has made life easier for me.
In the 3 weeks that Nicolette has been eating "solids" she's already enjoyed a pretty wide variety of foods. I've stuck mostly to vegetables, but do plan to introduce fruits soon! Nicolette eats "solids" twice a day (breakfast and dinner - at the same time that I eat my breakfast and dinner) and I think that she is really eating a good amount of food. I say think because it's hard to tell between what is mashed up on the tray, on the floor, in her hair and in her chunky little hands how much she has actually ingested.
Here are a few things that have been helpful to us:
Here are a few pictures (and recipes) from our Baby Led Weaning adventure, so far we haven't stumbled across anything that she doesn't like...
STEAMED BROCCOLI
2-3 Organice Broccoli Florets
Wash Broccoli
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place florets in basket, cover and steam until you reach your desired tenderness.
*DO NOT MAKE IT TOO MUSHY...counter to what you might think, it is best if the veggies are cooked just a tad past al dente. If it is too mushy it will fall apart and/or slip in their little hands and they'll quickly lose interest in feeding themselves.
**Nicolette mostly sucks the florets off of the stem/stalk. She gnaws on the stalk part and mushes it up some but doesn't eat much of it.
STEAMED KALE
Organic Kale
Wash Kale
Remove ribs from kale and coarsely chop.
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place kale in basket, cover and steam until wilted but still bright green
So that's why I say that we're Baby Led Weaning-ish. I have not introduced any purees and don't really plan to unless we're totally pinched for time and I have to dig out one of my emergency organic baby food pouches that I have stored in the pantry. I do prepare special meals for Nicolette each night and actually now I just eat whatever she's eating for dinner...Nicolette has sweet potatoes, mommy has sweet potatoes, Nicolette has kale, mommy has kale. It has made life easier for me.
***Now you might ask what does the Italian eat for dinner? Because those who know my husband and his appetite know that he isn't living off of kale and butternut squash :-) He's now on the Body for Life diet so I make his meals a few days in advance (roast off a ton of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs and prepare individual containers of a starch and green vegetable for him to eat...he eats 5-6 times a day now so he's on his own little schedule). It's working for him...he's already lost almost 3 inches off of his midsection.***
In the 3 weeks that Nicolette has been eating "solids" she's already enjoyed a pretty wide variety of foods. I've stuck mostly to vegetables, but do plan to introduce fruits soon! Nicolette eats "solids" twice a day (breakfast and dinner - at the same time that I eat my breakfast and dinner) and I think that she is really eating a good amount of food. I say think because it's hard to tell between what is mashed up on the tray, on the floor, in her hair and in her chunky little hands how much she has actually ingested.
Here are a few things that have been helpful to us:
- Cut/slice food into "finger" shapes or wedges. Babies like to have a "handle" to pick up their foods
- If you're cooking food, be careful not to let the food get too mushy...I've noticed that if Nicolette has too much trouble picking it up then she loses interest
- If your food is slimy or slippery you can roll it in some ground flaxseed meal to make it easier for little fingers to pick up
- Babies can snack on raw veggies too (Nicolette has liked gnawing on celery, red bell peppers and cucumbers...she takes after her mama). She doesn't actually "eat" that much yet, but once her little teeth come in that will all change I'm sure!
- Don't be afraid of seasonings! I use a tiny bit of sea salt on all of her roasted veggies(you can read about the benefits of sea salt here). I've also introduced pepper and cinnamon and plan to introduce some cumin, chili powder and garlic in the next couple of weeks. This is the prime time to get baby used to eating different flavors. I've read that they are most open to flavors and textures between 6 and 8 months.
Here are a few pictures (and recipes) from our Baby Led Weaning adventure, so far we haven't stumbled across anything that she doesn't like...
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| Oatmeal "Fingers" & Scrambled Egg Yolks |
OATMEAL FINGERS
1/2 c. Organic Old Fashioned Oats
1 1/4 c. Water (or breast milk*)
Dash Cinnamon
2 T. Ground Flaxseed Meal
2 T. Chia Seeds
Preheat oven to 350
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for appx. 5 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed (you don't want this to be too wet).
Remove from heat and stir in flax and chia
Spread mixture into a loaf pan and bake 10-15 minutes until firm and dry on top. Let cool.
Remove with a spatula and cut crosswise into "finger" shapes. (I get 8 sliced out of my loaf pan)
Store in an airtight container in the fridge and serve cold, room temp or heated slightly in the oven.
*If you use breast milk, do not bring to a rapid boil and watch it carefully as you don't want your liquid gold to scorch. It will take longer to cook this way.
**I have also made this and added an organic egg yolk into the mixture along with the flax and chia (let the oatmeal mixture cool slightly and stir immediately or else the yolk will scramble instantly)
 |
| Scrambled Egg Yolk |
SCRAMBLED EGG YOLK
1 Organic Large Egg
1 tsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Heat 1 tsp of extra virgin coconut oil in a pan over med-low heat.
Crack egg (duh).
Separate white and yolk.
Scramble lightly
Cool and serve to yo little one
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| Roasted Sweet Potatoes |
 |
| Roasted Sweet Potatoes |
 |
| Roasted Sweet Potatoes |
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
1 Sweet Potato
1 Tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Dash Cinnamon, Sea Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 375
Scrub Sweet Potato
Peel both pieces with a potato peeler
Cut in half
Slice into "finger" or wedge shapes
Put Coconut Oil on a baking sheet and toss in the oven for a minute to melt it
Place squash on baking tray and lightly season with Cinnamon, Sea Salt and Pepper
Toss to coat
Roast 15 minutes, then turn the potatoes then roast for about 10 more minutes.
Keep an eye on it in the oven, you don't want it to burn on the edges. A little caramelization on the tops and edges is good, golden brown is good, charred and black is bad.
 |
| Steamed Broccoli |
2-3 Organice Broccoli Florets
Wash Broccoli
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place florets in basket, cover and steam until you reach your desired tenderness.
*DO NOT MAKE IT TOO MUSHY...counter to what you might think, it is best if the veggies are cooked just a tad past al dente. If it is too mushy it will fall apart and/or slip in their little hands and they'll quickly lose interest in feeding themselves.
**Nicolette mostly sucks the florets off of the stem/stalk. She gnaws on the stalk part and mushes it up some but doesn't eat much of it.
 |
| Steamed Kale |
 |
| Steamed Kale |
Organic Kale
Wash Kale
Remove ribs from kale and coarsely chop.
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place kale in basket, cover and steam until wilted but still bright green
 |
| Butternut Squash and Avocado |
 |
| Butternut Squash |
 |
| Butternut Squash |
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
STEAMED GREEN BEANS
Organic Green Beans
Wash & trim beans
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place a few green beans in basket, cover and steam until softened slightly but still bright green
*Nicolette couldn't get through the actual bean part but she did suck the seeds out of the inside and mushed the beans up quite a bit with her little gums.
1 Butternut Squash
1 Tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Dash Sea Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 375
Cut top and bottom off of squash. Cut the long, thinner end from the base/bulb (just makes it easier to peel and cut.
Peel both pieces with a knife
Cut both pieces in half
Scoop out the seeds (I use a melon baller, gets them right out!)
Slice into "finger" or "fry" shapes
Put Coconut Oil on a baking sheet and toss in the oven for a minute to melt it
Place squash on baking tray and lightly season with Sea Salt and Pepper
Toss to coat
Roast 15 minutes, then turn your squash pieces then roast for about 10 more minutes.
Keep an eye on it in the oven, you don't want it to burn on the edges. A little caramelization on the tops and edges is good. You want your baby to enjoy different textures.
 |
| Green Beans |
STEAMED GREEN BEANS
Organic Green Beans
Wash & trim beans
Using a steamer basket and saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with water just below the bottom of the steamer basket.
Bring to a boil, place a few green beans in basket, cover and steam until softened slightly but still bright green
*Nicolette couldn't get through the actual bean part but she did suck the seeds out of the inside and mushed the beans up quite a bit with her little gums.
Bon Apetit to you and your tiny culinarians!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Future's so bright I've gotta wear shades...
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| Her future's so bright she's gotta wear shades! |
With that said - today was a great day. My parents came over to help with some housekeeping which was VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! I get stressed out living in what I call "chaos" - which in my warped mind is leaving the bed unmade and having dirty dishes in the sink (neurotic, I know)!. Thankfully my parents understand this about me and were willing to help out!
Nicolette and I had a good day with feedings too. I still had to supplement with the SNS with expressed breast milk but not nearly as much as the past few days. She is also currently spending more "active time" nursing - so I think we're on an upswing. Also my expressed milk production has nearly doubled so hopefully all of the herbs, pumping and nursing are doing their job and helping to give my body a jump start! I'm exhausted but this is only temporary and will be worth it whether it works or not. If it works - HOORAY! Mission Accomplished! If it doesn't at least I can rest assured that I did everything I knew to do to be able to accomplish my goal of exclusively breastfeeding my daughter.
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| Afternoon naptime is our favorite! |
My favorite "treatment" for this low milk supply issue has to be a recipe from my dear friend and fellow Domestic Goddess Mrs. Tiffany Sayegh. They're called "Lactation Cookies - how cool is that? Medicine in the form of a tasty little treat! I whipped up a batch this evening (again thank you mom and dad for going to the grocery store to pick up some of the ingredients for me) and I must say they were DELICIOUS! I've included the recipe below. Please note the yield is HUGE - 3 dozen cookies! So what I did was scoop out two to bake tonight and then rolled the remainder of the batter into to "logs" wrapped in saran wrap and stored them in the freezer, that way I can just pull a log out and slice off one or two to bake at a time and I don't find myself one night eating 1-2 dozen cookies after a 3am feeding just because I'm bored.
Lactation Cookies
Yield 3 doz cookies
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour (I used 1c. all purpose & 1c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp brewer's yeast
1 tsp salt
3 c. old fashioned oats
1 bag "chips" of your choice (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, white chocolate, or a combo)
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix the flaxseed meal & water and let sit 3-5 minutes
- In a mixer cream the sugars & butter together
- Add eggs and mix well
- Add flaxseed meal & vanilla and mix well
- In a separate bowl sift togethrt flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda & salt
- Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture
- Stir in oats & chips
- Scoop onto a baking sheet
- Bake 10-12 minutes (I like my cookies gooey so I baked 10 minutes and they were perfect!)
- Let sit on the baking sheet 2-3 minutes afterwards to firm up then transfer to a wire rack to cool
Bon Apetit! Next time I'm going to add walnuts - yummy!!!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Transfer day...
Today was our day 5 blastocyst transfer. As I mentioned yesterday there was a chance that we were going to need to postpone til tomorrow but I got the email from Nurse A around 8am saying that we were definitely set for transfer today! Hooray! When we got there we talked with Dr. K to debate 1 embryo transfer vs. 2. We decided on 2 which does have an increased risk for multiples, but also gives us a 60-80% chance of safely conceiving one sweet baby. If we transferred only one, the success rate would have been between 30 & 40%. The procedure took less than 20 minutes. They took me back to the procedure room. There were two tv screens - on my left I got to watch the embryologist draw the embryos up into the catheter and then on the right I could see the catheter insert the embries into my uterus. SO wild to see it all happen like that. After that I had to rest laying down for 30 minutes and they brought us a picture of our two embryos....WILD! Dr. K and the embryologist both said that the little buggers had developed substantially this morning which is good and hopefully they'll continue to grow and implant today, tomorrow or Wednesday. We still have 7 at the lab that are still developing. They'll call us tomorrow to let us know how many have progressed to the blastocyst phase and will be eligible to be frozen. Probably 1-3 if we're lucky. Again, I'll be grateful for whatever God chooses to bless us with.
I had spent most of yesterday cleaning and cooking to prepare for my bed rest. If meals were left to the Italian's discretion, I'd be fed take out pizza, Chinese and Chick-fil-a for 3 days. Now there's nothing wrong with that, in fact I enjoy pizza and Chick-fil-a chicken strips A LOT. However, I do want to make sure that I'm eating healthy for the potential little one(s). So I made some healthy goodies so all he Italian has to do is pop in the oven and reheat. Tonight's delicacy was Quinoa and Black Bean Enchiladas and OMG they were DELICIOUS! I kind of made up my own recipe so I don't have exact measurements for spices, I just adjusted along the way to get it where I wanted it.
QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS
Corn Tortillas (I used a whole pack of Trader Joe's corn tortillas)
2/3 c quinoa (uncooked)
1 1/4 c water
1can organic black beans
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 28oz. can organic chunky tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)
1tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
2Tbsp. Cumin
2Tbsp. Chili powder
1tsp. Garlic powder
1/4tsp. Onion powder
1tsp. Cayenne pepper
1Tbsp. Paprika
1-1 1/2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. Nutritional yeast flakes
Salsa, Guacamole, Greek Yogurt (I sub Greek yogurt for sour cream...but whatever you want.)
Rinse and drain quinoa. Add to saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 10-15 minutes. While that cooks, sautéed green pepper and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add all spices to vegetables and stir to toast the spices slightly. Add 1 can of chunky tomato sauce and simmer. Taste occasionally to adjust seasonings. Drain and rinse black beans and add to quinoa. Stir gently and add maybe a cup of the tomato sauce mixture Just watch to make sure that it's not too wet). Taste for seasoning. Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave under a damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes to soften. Now it's time to assemble. Spray a 9" x 12" glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Take one corn tortilla, place some cheese in the center, top with a few spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture, roll carefully and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat and nestle each enchilada tightly next to one another. I had quinoa mixture left over (which you could reheat and eat on it's own). Top the entire dish with the tomato sauce mixture. I tried to get a little down the sides to keep them moist. Make sure the tops are definitely covered. Top with cheese and nutritional yeast*. Bake At 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes. Finish by broiling 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Serve with salsa, guacamole, whatever your little heart desires.
*nutritional yeast flakes are used by vegans to supplement Vitamin B. It has a nutty, cheesy flavor so if you wanted to make this dish vegan, you could eliminate the cheese entirely and just use the nutritional yeast. I've only been able to find nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Earth Fare.
I'm on bed rest until Thursday...today wasn't so bad. Kelly + 1 Valium = 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I promise to be a perfect patient and follow the Dr's orders EXCTLY!
If anyone has success stories to share, PLEASE do so! I'm trying to focus 100% on the positive at this point. Look forward to hearing from you.
I had spent most of yesterday cleaning and cooking to prepare for my bed rest. If meals were left to the Italian's discretion, I'd be fed take out pizza, Chinese and Chick-fil-a for 3 days. Now there's nothing wrong with that, in fact I enjoy pizza and Chick-fil-a chicken strips A LOT. However, I do want to make sure that I'm eating healthy for the potential little one(s). So I made some healthy goodies so all he Italian has to do is pop in the oven and reheat. Tonight's delicacy was Quinoa and Black Bean Enchiladas and OMG they were DELICIOUS! I kind of made up my own recipe so I don't have exact measurements for spices, I just adjusted along the way to get it where I wanted it.
QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS
Corn Tortillas (I used a whole pack of Trader Joe's corn tortillas)
2/3 c quinoa (uncooked)
1 1/4 c water
1can organic black beans
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 28oz. can organic chunky tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)
1tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
2Tbsp. Cumin
2Tbsp. Chili powder
1tsp. Garlic powder
1/4tsp. Onion powder
1tsp. Cayenne pepper
1Tbsp. Paprika
1-1 1/2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. Nutritional yeast flakes
Salsa, Guacamole, Greek Yogurt (I sub Greek yogurt for sour cream...but whatever you want.)
Rinse and drain quinoa. Add to saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 10-15 minutes. While that cooks, sautéed green pepper and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add all spices to vegetables and stir to toast the spices slightly. Add 1 can of chunky tomato sauce and simmer. Taste occasionally to adjust seasonings. Drain and rinse black beans and add to quinoa. Stir gently and add maybe a cup of the tomato sauce mixture Just watch to make sure that it's not too wet). Taste for seasoning. Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave under a damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes to soften. Now it's time to assemble. Spray a 9" x 12" glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Take one corn tortilla, place some cheese in the center, top with a few spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture, roll carefully and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat and nestle each enchilada tightly next to one another. I had quinoa mixture left over (which you could reheat and eat on it's own). Top the entire dish with the tomato sauce mixture. I tried to get a little down the sides to keep them moist. Make sure the tops are definitely covered. Top with cheese and nutritional yeast*. Bake At 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes. Finish by broiling 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Serve with salsa, guacamole, whatever your little heart desires.
*nutritional yeast flakes are used by vegans to supplement Vitamin B. It has a nutty, cheesy flavor so if you wanted to make this dish vegan, you could eliminate the cheese entirely and just use the nutritional yeast. I've only been able to find nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Earth Fare.
I'm on bed rest until Thursday...today wasn't so bad. Kelly + 1 Valium = 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I promise to be a perfect patient and follow the Dr's orders EXCTLY!
If anyone has success stories to share, PLEASE do so! I'm trying to focus 100% on the positive at this point. Look forward to hearing from you.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
And so it begins
So my labs and ultrasound all looked GREAT on Friday and more importantly, the Italian was able to make it back early from his sales trip so that we could have our consent forms notarized so we are officially (and legally) ready to proceed with our IVF protocol. Nurse Alice emailed late Friday afternoon with instructions to start injections on Sunday (i.e. TODAY), then I head back for more bloodwork and another ultrasound.
I'm on an antagonist protocol (In this treatment, a medication other than Lupron is used to supress the pituitary gland and prevent ovulation. This newer type of medication is called a GNRH antagonist. These medications do not have a flare effect. In fact, the supression of the pituitary gland is almost immediate. This is a big advantage since the IVF specialist can start the medication after the ovaries have been stimulated instead of a two week pre-treatment period as is seen with the Lupron. This makes the antagonist IVF protocol much shorter than the Lupron protocol.) so I start with my stimulation meds tonight. Two injections a day until Thursday and then more monitoring. Then there will be more meds depending on how my follies are responding. Nurse A thinks we'll be scheduled for retrieval sometime between October 18th and 22nd.
I've been sonervous / scared / anxious / excited that I've been waking up each morning around 3am and unable to go back to sleep. I keep thinking that I've refrigerated the wrong meds and then have to go to check them for the millionth time to confirm that I've followed the directions exactly. So I'm just watching the clock until it's time for my injection (9pm). Time is definitely dragging by. I'm trying not to obsess over things (as I'm supposed to be staying calm) - however if you check my internet history, the spreadsheet that I made notating all of my lab & u/s results and medication dosages per day and/or the binder I put together with all of my infertility invoices, information, or the spreadsheet I made itemizing all of our out of pocket medicat expenses this year (over $30k!!!!) etc., you might think that I have psychotic tendencies. Sorry folks, but that's how this nerd unwinds...I organize things. I feel much better when everything is in it's place and it is good to know that some of this infertility nonsense will be tax deductible.
I've also been doing a lot of research on diet and how that factors into infertility and IVF success. I'm trying to incorporate more plant based protein into my diet and making sure that I'm getting plenty of healthy fats. I came up with a Lentil & Farro Salad recipe that I absolutely love (the Italian digs it too)...
Lentil & Farro Salad
1 c. Farro, uncooked
2 1/2 c. Cooked Lentils
16 oz. Frozen Spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
3 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 T. EVOO
Salt & Pepper, to taste
*Dressing
1/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1 T. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Whole Grain Mustard
3 T. EVOO
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Cook Farro in salted water according to directions (bring to boil in 2c. salted water, simmer 20-30 min). Thaw spinach and squeeze completely dry. Combine Farro, Lentils & thawed spinach in a large boil. Heat 1 T EVOO over med heat and saute onions, carrots & celery until tender, add garlic and cook 1 minute, season with salt & pepper. Add to Lentil mixture. Combine ingredients for dressing, whisk thoroughly and pour over "salad". Strir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 30 min to allow dressing to marinate the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or heat in the microwave (I'm not supposed to be eating cold foods according to Dr. Wang and Chinese Medicine - so I heat mine in the micro for 45 sec - 1 min). It's super tasty and really, really good for you!
If you have any recipes to share, please do so!!!!
Bon Apetit!
I'm on an antagonist protocol (In this treatment, a medication other than Lupron is used to supress the pituitary gland and prevent ovulation. This newer type of medication is called a GNRH antagonist. These medications do not have a flare effect. In fact, the supression of the pituitary gland is almost immediate. This is a big advantage since the IVF specialist can start the medication after the ovaries have been stimulated instead of a two week pre-treatment period as is seen with the Lupron. This makes the antagonist IVF protocol much shorter than the Lupron protocol.) so I start with my stimulation meds tonight. Two injections a day until Thursday and then more monitoring. Then there will be more meds depending on how my follies are responding. Nurse A thinks we'll be scheduled for retrieval sometime between October 18th and 22nd.
I've been so
I've also been doing a lot of research on diet and how that factors into infertility and IVF success. I'm trying to incorporate more plant based protein into my diet and making sure that I'm getting plenty of healthy fats. I came up with a Lentil & Farro Salad recipe that I absolutely love (the Italian digs it too)...
Lentil & Farro Salad
1 c. Farro, uncooked
2 1/2 c. Cooked Lentils
16 oz. Frozen Spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
3 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 T. EVOO
Salt & Pepper, to taste
*Dressing
1/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1 T. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Whole Grain Mustard
3 T. EVOO
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Cook Farro in salted water according to directions (bring to boil in 2c. salted water, simmer 20-30 min). Thaw spinach and squeeze completely dry. Combine Farro, Lentils & thawed spinach in a large boil. Heat 1 T EVOO over med heat and saute onions, carrots & celery until tender, add garlic and cook 1 minute, season with salt & pepper. Add to Lentil mixture. Combine ingredients for dressing, whisk thoroughly and pour over "salad". Strir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 30 min to allow dressing to marinate the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or heat in the microwave (I'm not supposed to be eating cold foods according to Dr. Wang and Chinese Medicine - so I heat mine in the micro for 45 sec - 1 min). It's super tasty and really, really good for you!
If you have any recipes to share, please do so!!!!
Bon Apetit!
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