Baby Prep: Things I've Learned So Far | Part 2

Remember a few months ago I shared my list of things I've learned so far during pregnancy? Now that I'm well into my 3rd trimester {home stretch!}, I thought I'd share some more tidbits that have been useful for me.

{Couldn't care any less about bump talk? Scroll down to the bottom for the recipe!}

1. There are some things you'll think you want and some you'll find you need. I held off on buying maternity clothes for quite some time. Mostly because I think it's a ripoff, but also because I can't bring myself to spend money on items so ugly.

Want to know what was my saving grace? A belly band. You know, one of those stretchy pieces of fabric you can wear over the top of unbuttoned shorts or pants so you can extend the life of your pre-pregnancy wardrobe. I bought mine for $16.99 on Target.com. I didn't see the big deal about it at first, but at 6 and 7 months pregnant was still able to wear the majority of my shorts and jeans with this miraculous contraption. I now understand why it's an investment worth making.

The BeBand.

On another note: Pregnancy underwear. Undergarments never really crossed my mind before I got pregnant. And then I wandered into Destination Maternity one day and saw these maternity undies on sale, so I picked up a pack just 'cause. Oh.My.Word. I love them. I may never go back to regular undies again. {They have cute ones, girls. Thongs, even. Don't think I've gone all granny panty just because I'm growing a bump.} They are so comfy and have an added band around the top for extra belly support, which you will need one day. Just trust me on this. Get them. You'll never look back.

Maternity underwear. So comfy.

Aside from these two life-changing purchases, I vowed to keep the maternity shopping to a minimum & did stick to my guns. I broke down and bought a pair of maternity shorts, because summer. And when I started stressing about exposing my unzipped jeans crotch to strangers, I finally gave in a bought a pair of maternity jeans. {I think I thanked God for Jessica Simpson that night. My, are they comfy.}

Jessica Simpson maternity jeans.

My dear friend passed on a bag of clothes for me to borrow. Stretchy Old Navy tanks have been a staple. {I love the tamis, I'm just buying them one size up from my normal to accommodate the belly.} Maxi dresses and casual, loose sundresses are everywhere and work perfectly for slipping on over the growing bump. I will not wear a circus tent and you shouldn't either. The end.

2. Exercise helps. Had anyone told me that I would enjoy getting up and going to the gym at 6:30 a.m. -- during pregnancy -- I would have heartily cackled in their face.

I'm going to be frank: I have never been a fan of exercise. I do not like to sweat. I do not like to pant. If I'm doing either of those things, whatever is causing them to happen better be good. {i.e. Running after an ice cream truck. What did you think I was talking about??}

Because I know better, I realize the importance of regular exercise...it doesn't mean I have to like it. But you know what happened around the end of my first trimester? I started hurting. My poor belly muscles felt like they were being stretched to their limit. I was sore and uncomfortable. {And freaking out a little bit because the baby was only the size of a chicken nugget at this point. Eek.}

Yes, there are feet under there.

So I decided to walk it out. On the treadmill, in the gym downstairs from where I live. {Convenience. No cost. Air conditioning. I'm there.} Within the week, my stretching pains magically disappeared. Since then, I've consistently been doing 30-40 minutes of cardio every morning. I roll out of bed and slip on my workout clothes before my eyes are even open and get it done. I hope to be able to continue this as long as possible! I don't love it per se, but I love starting off the day doing something healthy for me and the baby. Which brings me to my next point...

3. Weight gain -- it's a hurdle. Sigh. There are certain things that go hand-in-hand with pregnancy. Weight gain is {obviously} one of them. I'll be sharing a post soon that goes in depth on this topic, but just know that you're not alone, girlfriend. Just keep doing your best and remember that your body knows what it's doing.

4. The peeing never stops. I hope, for others' sake, that there are some people who don't have to experience this, but the incessant urge to pee is not a myth. I wish it were. I can go to the bathroom and then have to go again by the time I wash my hands and walk out. It has nothing to with the baby being on my bladder or any of the things that matter when the baby is bigger -- it is simply nature's cruel joke because we aren't already going through enough.

I have no solutions for this {except go, and then go again before you leave the house}, I just wanted to complain about it for a second because I haven't had a whole lot of other stuff to complain about.

5. People can be mean. For some reason, seeing you in a vulnerable position makes some people feel the need to tell you all kinds of horror stories about pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and beyond. They like to remind you that your life as you know it is over, as if perhaps that wasn't something you've stopped to consider. They like to tell you about terrible things like how many hours a person can go without sleep before losing their mind and brushing their teeth with a tube of caulking or laundering a small pet. They like to regale you with stories of how many degrees they tore or how miserable they were before, during and after giving birth.

I am fully aware that my body will be doing some things that I don't even want to admit could happen to a human being. I am beyond cognizant of the fact that I will no longer be clubbing every night {because I haven't been since Nineteen-Ninety Never} or be able to hop on a plane on a whim and fly to the Greek Isles {because I'm still waiting for the day when this is possible}. I am painfully realistic and nothing that I've been told during these "friendly chats" has been a shocking revelation to me... but if you're easily frightened or have made it habit of wearing your rose colored glasses, then here's my advice: Tune out the noise. Focus on whatever gets you through. Think about the dingbats that have survived this crazy thing called parenthood. You'll be just fine.

{I say this with no actual proof that it will be the case. I just have confidence in you. And in me. Let's go with it.}

.....................................................

I imagined that pregnancy would bring major changes to my eating habits. That I would be averse to many foods or hungrier or constantly craving weird things... something. But honestly, my eating habits haven't changed that much. 

I mean, I'm a little more careful about what I ingest because I've got a little nugget in there who is depending on me to feed him the right kinds of things. I can also eat less in one sitting -- less room, I suppose. 

A few weeks ago I went through a little scare because my doctor suggested I could potentially have gestational diabetes. Once it was confirmed that I didn't and that everything was fine I wanted to eat my way out of a tub of marshmallow fluff, I was relieved. Aside from that, I feel that I've maintained a healthy relationship with food; eating {mostly} right, splurging on occasion.

Quick but nutritious meals like these Black Bean Burgers with Roasted Poblano Salsa are my favorite types of things to eat to keep energized, full and satisfied. The baby hasn't had any issues with spicy foods and I haven't had any trouble with heartburn, so the nice kick of spice and flavor in these is welcome.

The best part about black bean burgers is that you can add or omit things easily to suit your tastes! I kept these pretty simple with some sauteed onions, spices and a dash of cornmeal for some texture and binding. They're even great without a bun!

Give these a try next time you need a tasty bite.

Black Bean Burgers with Roasted Poblano Salsa
Makes 3-4 burgers

1 can black beans, drained {I don't rinse them, just drain the excess liquid}
1/2 an onion, sauteed until soft
1 teaspoon your favorite spice mix {I use McCormick Salt Free Fiesta Citrus}
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal
Dash of salt
Optional: Chipotle Mayo

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on a baking pan and lightly oil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients. Mash the beans lightly -- my favorite method is using a potato masher. I like some bean pieces to remain, but you can make it as mashed as you'd like. Note: You may have to add extra cornmeal if you mash too much.

3. Form burgers into patties - I usually make 4. Sliders are always fun, too.

4. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until set. {They'll set up some more as they cool off.}

Optional: For Chipotle Mayo - Combine your favorite mayonnaise with a few drops of adobo sauce from a can of chipotles, and a squeeze of lime. Stir well.

Serve on buns {or not!} with your favorite toppings - cheese, lettuce, salsa, chipotle mayo, etc. See below for Roasted Poblano Salsa recipe.


Roasted Poblano Salsa

1 poblano pepper, seeded, roasted & skin removed*, roughly chopped
1/2 an onion
1-2 small plum tomatoes
Squeeze of lime
Pinch of salt

1. In a food processor or blender, lightly pulse onion & tomato until just chunky.
2. Mix in poblano pepper. Add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt and stir together.

Serve over Black Bean Burgers or with tortilla chips.

* To roast poblanos, set them on a foil lined pan and broil {500 degrees} for about 7-10 minutes or until skins are blistered. Cool slightly, then peel off charred skin and discard.

Strawberry-Lime Mojitos & Cuban Black Bean Dip

Tell me you're not ready to muddle up one of these pretty cocktails...

{And guess what? I've healthied it up a little for you, too! Well... all except for the rum, of course. I'm making cocktails, not miracles.}

Strawberry Lime Mojitos & Cuban Black Bean Dip... a little taste of a sultry Havana night!

Hop on over to my guest post on Palm Beach Lately -- where fashion meets fabulous with a twist of Palm Beach style! -- for the recipes! And make sure to click around while you're there... you'll find tons of inspiration for your summer soiree. :)

A big thanks to the girls of Palm Beach Lately for inviting me over! xo

Coming Clean: Quinoa "Burrito Bowl"

Things have been busy, busy, busy lately.

I started a new job, have had an event in or out of town every weekend for weeks on end, have been planning our anniversary getaway {which is happening next week... I have no idea how it got here so fast}, and have been working on a handful of other projects {With deadlines. Not the "clean the closet" kind}. Not to mention, you know, life and stuff.

What happens when you're constantly on the move?

You get hungry. {Well, I do, at least.}

And what happens when you're hungry but you don't have much time to dedicate to cooking?

You make baaaad decisions. Drive-thru decisions. Ice cream for dinner decisions.

{For the record, I am a strong supporter of ICFD [Ice Cream For Dinner] nights once every so often. And no, "every so often" shouldn't be happening every week.}

Anyway, it's good to have quick and easy meal ideas in your back pocket for days when you barely have enough time to breathe, let alone cook a decent meal.

In my world, quick and easy often equals Quinoa.

Why?

  - It's fast-cooking.
  - It's hard to mess up, even when you can barely think straight.
  - It's a blank canvas for flavor.
  - It's chock-full of nutrition.
  - It fills up my bottomless-pit-of-a-husband.
  - It makes for good leftovers, hot or cold.

Thinking back, I have no idea what I used to do before I discovered quinoa. I'm guessing I probably ate things that I shouldn't have.

Yesterday was one of those days I mentioned above. I left work at 5:30, ran home and photographed a recipe before the light started to fade, and stood in front of the pantry wondering what the heck I'd make for dinner so hubs and I could eat together {though I was tempted to eat an avocado right out of its skin}.

Within half an hour, I had this:

As we talked over dinner, Steve mentioned that it tasted a lot like a burrito bowl. And I have to say, I agree.

We love burrito bowls from Chipotle, and they're actually a pretty healthy option on the run. If you choose brown rice. And you avoid the cheese. And you skip the sour cream. But really... how often do you do that when you're standing in front of that assembly line?

This "Burrito Bowl" Quinoa is dairy free, gluten free, and nutrition-full. {That's not a word, but you know what I mean.} And just like your favorite meal on the run, it's totally customizable! You can even set up an assembly line for your family and they can mix their own creations if they'd like to get in on the cooking action.

It's time you turn your ICFD nights into QFD {Quinoa For Dinner} nights. And this recipe is a good start.

Quinoa "Burrito Bowl"

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime {or half of a very juicy lime}
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 medium tomatoes, diced {I use roma or plum when I can}
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced

1. Cook Quinoa: In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring rinsed quinoa and water to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer, covered, until most of the water is evaporated. Stir and cover, cooking on low heat until the quinoa is cooked {you'll be able to see the little strands that have separated from the seed}, about 8-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil,  lime juice, salt, oregano, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder until well combined.

3. In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, black beans, and cilantro with cooked quinoa. Carefully fold in avocado.

4. Pour oil mixture over the quinoa and gently mix to coat.

5. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold!

{Note: This would also be delicious with an added protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, etc.}