A hassle-free, protein-packed snack for on-the-go
We’re on Day 10 of our 21 Day Detox and our group is going strong. I fully disclosed at the start that I would not be doing the complete detox with them since it would be silly and downright unhealthy to try to “detox” while breastfeeding. Right now my body needs all the extra fat, protein and calories to grow another small human!
I would be using the time, however, to come to terms with some of my own vices that have taken hold of me since pregnancy. The big one, as you know if you have been following my blog, has been sugar. As a new mom it’s all to easy to depend on sugary sweets for quick energy or a reward at the end of a long day. Or a glass of wine to unwind.
So along with processed sugar (except for a few bites of dark chocolate here and there), I vowed to cut out processed carbs (“white” foods like flour and rice), alcohol (oh how I miss an occasional glass of red wine!) and gluten (adios whole wheat bread and pasta). I’ll would also be adding in lots of veggies, healthy fats and protein along with daily movement and meditation.
Well we’re half-way there and I’m feeling downright awesome. And disciplined. And strong. We went to a party last weekend and I munched on apples and juice while others had champagne and cake. Chris and I even went to a concert last night and I didn’t have even a sip of beer. I can look at a bottle of wine and move-on, knowing I’ll be having a celebratory glass on Day 21.
I’m in the zone. My sugar cravings are gone.
Instead, I’ve been having fun experimenting with treats made with all-natural ingredients. After all, who wants to give up sweets completely? Let’s be honest. It’s one of our most fundamental desires in terms of taste.
So I came up with these little nut clusters the other day. They’re sugar-free, gluten-free and packed with protein (I discovered the link between sugar cravings and protein some months back). Perfect for when you’re on -the-go and starving after a workout. Throw them in the freezer or fridge and they’ll keep just fine. Have one or two for breakfast or as an after-dinner treat.
And feel proud of yourself for showing sugar who’s boss.
Nut Clusters
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts etc.) chopped
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup nut butter (almond, peanut or cashew)
2 tbsp maple syrup (or agave)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Form into balls and place onto parchment paper. Refrigerate until cool. About 10-12 clusters.
Not Your New Year’s Day Chili
We didn’t make chili for New Year’s Day this year. Or cornbread, or black eyed peas as we like to do in the South. Instead I thought it would be nice to go out to breakfast. Since nothing happens quickly these days (any attempt to leave the house requires dressing all three of us, packing the stroller and making sure little C has been changed and fed) it took us a good 45 minutes just to get to the restaurant which was literally 5 minutes from our house. We waited in line for a table, tried to keep the stroller out of the way and finally sat down to look at the menu. I was starving and just about to order the super deluxe breakfast for 2 when Claire looked up at me with a pained expression on her face.
Well I won’t tell the whole story in all it’s glory but let’s just say our attempt to have breakfast out was trumped by other, more important needs relating to a faulty diaper and no extra clothes. We had to leave. Immediately.
So that’s how the New Year started at this house. As new parents, it was quite fitting and probably just a drop in the bucket of a whole slew of surprises that will so humbly remind us that our lives are no longer about just ourselves, or our stomachs. Parenthood is absolutely amazing, in all it’s dirty, messy, sleep-deprived glory. I could go on and on about that since babies are my favorite subject these days, but I’m really writing to share my chili recipe. That I finally made last weekend. Along with the cornbread. I even snuck some collards in there for good measure. Black eyed peas will have to wait til next year.
It was enough for many meals, and spicy enough that I took a whole Tupperware container to a good friend in hopes of inducing labor (which it didn’t, to my dismay.)
Not Your New Year’s Day Chili
4 cans assorted beans (I used cannelini, navy, black and kidney)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato puree
4 onions, diced
8 garlic cloves, chopped
salt
6 tsp paprika
5 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp pureed chipotle pepper
6 tsp cumin
dash of worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 cups collard greens, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2-3 tbsp grapeseeed oil
Saute onions in large pot with oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and chile powder. Lower heat and cook another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, pureed chipotles, worcestershire and honey and simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn, beans and collards and simmer for an additional 30-60 minutes. Serve with sour cream, or on top of whole wheat penne (pictured above). Makes a batch big enough to freeze half for later. Serves 12.
Sometimes you have to just suck it up and eat it
While visiting my family for the holidays, my dad offered to bring in lunch. We decided on Chinese. I hadn’t gotten in a lot of vegetables when traveling the day before and thought I could make up for it at least with Asian cuisine- one of my favorites. I ordered Hunan Chicken, what I thought was a fairly straightforward Chinese dish (chicken and mixed vegetables in a spicy brown sauce).
Apparently I was wrong.
What I got was something more like a soggy General Tso’s–breaded, fried and not a vegetable in sight (unless you count the unedible chiles). Bleh.
And to make it even unhealthier, it came with a big fat eggroll and fried rice-one giant monochromatic plate of grease. Double bleh.
In a situation like this do you:
a) Turn up your nose in disdain and go hungry.
b) Say what the hell and eat it, along with the eggroll and fried rice.
c) Suck it up and do the best you can with what you have.
I chose “c”-to suck it up and eat it. The chicken part, that is. I did however skip the fried rice and eggroll that came with it (does one really need 3 fried foods in one meal? I don’t think so.) Instead I had some soup and called it a meal.
Life is full of these situations. How many times have you gone over to someones house and had to eat the X (fill in the blank) in order not to be rude? Or been on the road with only one lousy fast food option? Or been in a foreign country where broccoli and kale don’t exist?
In situations like these, I try to do the best with what I’ve got. Sometimes I find myself eating things I wouldn’t exactly choose.
During times like these, all is not lost. I ask myself these questions:
- How can I do the best I can with what I have? (at a Mexican restaurant, go for soup over cheesy quesadillas)
- What can I give up from this meal that I don’t really need to eat? (skip the fries)
- How can I add more of what is healthy and available to my meal (double up on salad and sub a sweet potato for mashed)
- How can I eat better at the next meal? (plan ahead!)
The holidays can be a good time to test out some of these ideas. After all, we are surrounded by festive party food we wouldn’t normally eat on a day to day basis (and how many holiday parties have you been to already? How many left to go?).
Ps-if you missed the call with me, Tara and Tanya last week, you can listen to it here. We have more healthy holiday tips for you as well as info on our upcoming 21 Day Detox!
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Still have a leftover can of pumpkin puree in your cabinet after Thanksgiving? If you’ve overdone it on the pumpkin pie, then give this quick and easy recipe a whirl. I stumbled upon a version of this recipe using fresh pumpkin, so this is the quick and dirty version. I can’t take credit for the original recipe myself, but honestly don’t recall where I found it. In any case it’s a good one, and sure to warm your bones after a long days at the office, or when you are in the mood for something simple. Toast a piece of your favorite bread and savor this rich, creamy, delightful soup!
Thai Pumpkin Soup
1 can pumpkin puree
1 15 oz can lite coconut milk
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 cup water
salt to taste
Combine coconut milk and curry paste in medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer, stirring until curry paste is dissolved. Add pumpkin and stir until smooth. Add water (more or less depending on the consistency you prefer) and salt. Serves 2-3.
Chris’ Birthday Surprise
It isn’t often that you’ll see Milk Duds and Mike and Ike on my blog. But there’s a reason. Let me explain. It all goes back to Chris’ birthday, which was a few weeks ago (I meant to get this blog post up earlier, but things are on “mommy time” these days.) I was racking my brain for something to do to celebrate. In years past we’ve gone to concerts, out to a favorite restaurant or to a winery with friends. All fun, and all much harder to do with a 2 month old.
But just because we have a baby doesn’t mean our life stops altogether, I kept telling myself. There has to be something we can do that’s special and baby friendly.
So I got creative. One of Chris’ favorite things to do is go to the movies, and it’s something we tried to do several times over the summer in anticipation of the little ones arrival. Going to the movies now is not possible–Claire gets fussy in the early evening, and is usually in bed by 8. So, I thought, why not bring the movies to us?
We had a DVD from Netflix, which happened to be The Backup Plan. I don’t recommend it, but it did the job. We had something to watch. I made this sign and taped it to our front door before he got home from work.
I also turned our little TV into a “theater” using a red jacket and shirt, and made little lights with yellow cardboard paper. A trip to Target yielded some popcorn containers and movie candy. I made the popcorn from scratch with some kernels we picked up at a local farm and seasoned with olive oil and parmesan cheese.
Lastly, I ordered pizza from Mellow Mushroom which just opened in our neighborhood, and made his favorite cake: carrot with cream cheese frosting. I’m not sure where I got the recipe for the cake, I had the ingredients scribbled on a piece of paper in my recipe box. In any case, it was delicious, and even a little healthier than some versions I have seen. Nothing says “I love you” like something baked from scratch.
Daddy was happy. Baby was tired after all that cake making!
He was completely surprised. I was proud of myself for pulling it off, and Claire was a champion letting mommy get everything done and falling asleep without a fuss. All in all it was a great night “out.” Here’s the recipe for the cake. Great for fall, or anytime really!
Chris’ Carrot Cake
Note: this recipe interestingly enough calls for breadcrumbs. When I checked my pantry, all I had were Italian breadcrumbs, so I substituted granola. It turned out great and extra healthy!
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup milk
3/4 cup molasses
1 cup granola
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries or raisins
2 tsp orange rind
1 1/2 cup grated carrots
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp clove
1 tsp nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
lemon zest
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 8″ cake pans with butter or oil. In large bowl combine sugar, oil, eggs, milk, molasses and spices. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a standing mixer, gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture. Do not overmix. Fold in carrots and raisins/cranberries. Pour into cake pans and place in roasting pan with 1 inch of hot water in it. Cover entire pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.
While cake is baking prepare frosting by combining all ingredients in standing mixer. Once cake is cool, remove from tins, frost and enjoy!
What makes you smile?
I’ve been watching too much news lately. In fact I’m starting to think about going on a news detox. The economy, Conrad Murray, and now Penn State. It’s not the kind of stuff that brightens up your day, or what you want to hear at the end of a long one. Not that I want to be out of touch, it’s just that sometimes it’s too much.
Why is our media addicted to drama? Especially the negative kind. I will credit NBC for their Making a Difference Report, that always makes me smile-but what about the rest (and why so many CSI, Dateline type shows? I know they aren’t real “news” but what’s up with the fascination with criminals?) It’s good to be informed but the media these days can really get a girl down.
And why is this getting to me? I guess it’s just one of the many things I’m looking at differently since becoming a mom.
As a new mom, my days are filled with a million joyous moments:
Playing with my daughter, watching her smile, taking walks, getting coffee with friends.
They’re also filled with not so joyous moments:
Explosive diapers, leaky boobs, exhaustion and fussiness that seems to come out of nowhere.
At the end of the day, all I want is to cuddle up with my hubby, gaze into my daughters eyes, have a glass of wine and imagine the world as a glorious and wonderful place.
The news is mostly just one big downer.
It makes me want to go back to being a kid, full of ignorant bliss, scabby knees and endless optimism.
I want my rose-tinted glasses back.
So what can I do?
I can choose what I listen to.
And I can choose what to focus my energy on.
Like the gorgeous leaves all around us this time of year, the sound of rain, a good nap.
And this peanut butter banana boat. The peanut butter’s organic, the banana isn’t, and the chocolate chips are just plain decadent.
It made me feel like a kid again.
And that made me smile.
What little piece of goodness makes you smile during the day? How do you deal with media overload?
Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
The baby’s taking a quick nap so I don’t have time to write much now, but I did want to share with you this great recipe for Pumpkin Shrimp Curry that I made last week. It was super quick and easy to make, and tasted great! We served it over jasmine rice and Chris added some sriracha to his for extra kick. If you have an extra can of pumpkin in your pantry, give this one a whirl!
Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2011
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 chopped plum tomato
One 15 0z can pureed pumpkin
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1.5 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup diced squash or zucchini
1 lb peeled deveined shrimp
1/5 tsp fresh lime juice
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger, saute until soft about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato and pumpkin. Cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add broth, coconut milk, curry and cayenne. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add squash and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add shrimp and lime juice. Simmer until shrimp are cooked. Serve over steamed rice.
When Breast Isn’t Best
Warning: If you are not pregnant, nursing or a female this post will likely not interest you. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while and think is important to share, so I am. If you know someone struggling to breastfeed, please pass along! We’re all in this crazy journey called motherhood together.
*****
We’ve all heard the saying “Breast is Best.”
When thinking about motherhood, there were a lot of unknowns but there were a few thing I was sure about: I knew I wanted to stay home as much as I could for the first year, I knew I wanted a natural childbirth, and I knew I was going to breastfeed.
My mom breastfed me and my brother and it never really crossed my mind to do anything else. I had heard friends had trouble with it, but I was fairly confident I wouldn’t have a problem. It can’t possibly be that hard if women have been doing it for hundreds of years, right? And if my mom could do it, why couldn’t I?
I knew I’d have a good supply of milk. I started leaking colostrum the last 3 months of my pregnancy, waking up with big wet circles on my shirt every morning. Little did I know this was just the beginning of leaky boob!
During pregnancy on recommendation from others, I went to the local breastfeeding center to attend the breastfeeding basics class, and was given a Bebe au Lait nursing cover. I was set, right? All I needed now was a hungry baby.
Upon birth, Claire latched on right away and began nursing happily. I was relieved that we didn’t have any initial issue with “the latch” as I’d heard so much about latch on problems and the such. I worked with the lactation consultant on staff at the hospital on positioning and by the time we left the hospital I had no concerns about feeding. Claire seemed happy and I was just waiting for my real milk to come in.
What ensued after those initial days was beyond anything I could ever imagine. Hands down the biggest challenge to my early motherhood, nursing proved to be a lot harder than I anticipated and nearly left me wallowing in post-partum depression.
A few days after Claire was born, my milk came in. And boy did it come in. I watched my breasts swell like footballs and become hard as rocks. We bought a pump from the pediatrician, but I had no idea how to use it. A few days later our doula showed us how it all worked, and I was told to pump to release pressure as needed 1-2 times a day.
The next morning I woke up with a fever of 102, chilled and with uncontrollable shaking. I had mastitis. Oh joy. Given a 10-day dose of antibiotics and several homeopathic remedies, I was told to pump one side at a time to give my breasts a chance to rest. The cuts on my nipples were increasingly deep and nursing was getting really painful. I layered on the lanolin cream. Everyone hurts in the beginning, I was told.
I continued to nurse faithfully throughout that next week despite terrible pain, raw skin, and even bleeding. At my 2 week checkup I was told to nurse with a nipple shield, a plastic devise that helps the latch-on (my mom had encouraged me to use one the week before but everything I read and others said to avoid them to prevent “nipple confusion”).
At that point, my nips were so sore even a bra or shirt hurt. I had to wear these plastic cups in my bra when I had to wear a shirt. The rest of the time I tried to “air it out.” Day after day, I tried everything to heal the cuts so nursing wouldn’t feel like such torture. I tried vinegar water, salt water, heat, ice, sun, blow drying, lanolin, Jack Newman’s all purpose nipple cream, I studied latch-on positioning down to the degree, you name it. Nothing worked. The cuts were not healing and the relentless nursing and pain was starting to take its toll on me not only physically but emotionally. I would run to the mirror each morning to see if they had healed at all and my heart would sink when I saw no progress.
Unable to think about anything else, the worst part was I didn’t feel like I was bonding with Claire. In constant pain, I was in survival mode. I dreaded each feeding and began to fear my child. I sobbed and sobbed feeling completely defeated. There must be something wrong with me. I felt like a complete failure at my inability to feed my child easily. I absolutely hated breastfeeding. My midwife told me I was on the verge of post-partum depression and ordered my mom to stay with me for another week and that we see another lactation consultant. Thank goodness for moms and good advice!
Finally after over 2 weeks of torture and on the verge of thrush, I made a bold decision to stop nursing. Despite what everyone else said and despite risks of “nipple confusion” I trusted my own intuition and I took her off the breast completely. I made the decision to pump and give her a bottle until I healed. I couldn’t go on the way things were and I certainly wasn’t going to risk getting depression and fearing my child to breastfeed. As soon as I made the decision, I immediately felt a sense of relief. I could finally breathe.
Pumping full-time was a major production but I was committed to it as to not lose my supply. At that point I was nursing at least 10 times a day and throughout the night. With the help of my mom and Chris, we boiled all the bottles and pump parts to avoid risks of thrush. At each feeding I would give Claire the bottle, burp her, and set her down while I assembled the pump, and pumped each side for another 10 minutes. A visit to the lactation consultant showed me how to let Claire self-feed with a bottle by lying on her side and recommended I buy a pumping bra that would allow me to pump both sides at once while she feeds.
That helped a lot but it was still a production. The fastest I could get through a feeding was 30 minutes, and usually it was around 45 to an hour. I would have to warm up the pre-prepared bottle, set up Claire on the couch or bed, prop up the bottle and make sure she was feeding ok, then I would undress, put on the nursing bra, assemble the pump and pump while she ate. I’d then hurridly prepare the next bottles, put them in the fridge, while keeping an eye on Claire in case the bottle fell or she needed to burp, run back to the couch and watch her finish the rest of the bottle. Then there was the cleaning of the bottle, and the pump parts. And 2-3 hours later we did it again, and again, all day and night. I felt like a milk cow. The utopian image of holding my baby to my breast as I smiled peacefully seemed far far away, an experience meant for others, but not for me.
If I had to do this for another 10 months, I would, I thought. Or would I? Maybe I’d have to just switch to formula.
I pumped like this for 3 straight weeks. It was exhausting but at least it wasn’t painful.
In the meantime, our visits to the lactation consultant were major breakthroughs. The biggest one was that we learned it wasn’t my lack of know-how or that I had some inherent inability to breastfeed my child (I was convinced at that point I was just bad at it or unskilled). It turns out that Claire was tongue-tied! Poor baby’s tongue could only extend to her lower lip and her upper lip was completely connected to her gum. Anatomically unable to get a deep latch or suck correctly, she was doing the best she could and just munching away at my nips. No wonder I was in such pain! Finally something made sense. We were advised to get her frenulum’s clipped. (My husband had actually asked them to check this at the hospital, and we were told she was fine. It amazes me that she was misdiagnosed by not only one person but two during those early days. Oh the pain we could have avoided.)
4 weeks after Claire’s birth, I drove for the first time, alone, in the rain, to the specialist for the procedure. I had to hold my baby while the doctor took scissors and clipped the skin under her tongue and under her upper lip without any pain medicine. She cried, and I cried too. It was rough. But it was over in the blink of an eye and healed surprisingly quickly. Claire slept the rest of the entire day and that night I tried for the first time in 3 weeks to breastfeed her.
To my dismay, she completely rejected the breast. I tried again with the nipple shield and she took to it but only briefly. She wanted the bottle and I wanted to give her the bottle. My mom stood by my side and told me to try again. “I can’t do it!” I pleaded “she’s going to starve!” Terrified that my baby wasn’t going to get enough milk, I kept trying. Mom and I worked with her for 4 hours to feed. Finally around midnight, we got her on and sucking away. I exhaled. She was finally able to such efficiently and I was able to nurse without pain! I felt like it was a miracle after so much struggle.
Claire is now almost 9 weeks old and we’ve been nursing for almost a month now. It’s still not totally easy. It’s messy, sometimes she chokes and gets fussy and I still wake up with leaky boob. We’re not so good at nursing outside the house yet. However, despite my fear I’d be pumping or using a nipple shield for the rest of the year, just this week she took to the breast without it.
To see my baby latch on to my bare breast so naturally and without pain after weeks and weeks of failure and frustration, brought tears of joy to my eyes. I never felt more connected to my baby or more fulfilled as a mama.
Something supposed to be so natural, instinctive and primal was so elusive to me for the first 2 months of Claire’s life. My midwife told me that if I’m still breastfeeding at 3 months, then that is a success. Well, we’ve just started to get the hang of it at 2 months and I feel we are well on the path towards meeting that goal. I am so glad that I had the support of my mom, our excellent lactation consultant, Pat at The Breastfeeding Center, and an amazing baby that did her best despite some seriously trying circumstances.
Mommy's smiling again, and baby is healthy and happy!
I know my story is extreme, but I want to share it so that others struggling with breastfeeding don’t lose hope. I almost quit a hundred times and I was so sure in those first 6 weeks that I wasn’t going to be able to hang in there until I “got it right.”
If breastfeeding’s not for you, I completely understand. But if you do want to breastfeed and are deterred by the pain, please don’t give up. Breastfeeding wasn’t meant to be painful. A good lactation consultant should be able to diagnose the problem. Just please don’t subject yourself to long lasting pain like I did. I don’t think anyone should have to go through that. The biggest lessons I learned from this experience I suppose are to trust my intuition, keep getting support, and if something doesn’t work, keep trying other things.
So if you want to breastfeed your child, chances are you can do it. It may not be easy, but it is possible. I hope this story gives you hope and the encouragement to stick with it, even if you have to pump, supplement with formula or use a shield. There is no embarrassment or “failure.” Even if it takes months and months to get there, stick with it. You have the support of me and a thousand other mom’s out there cheering you on.
Breastfeeding photos are courtesy of Tricia Martin, my dear friend and highly talented photographer. Check out her site at www.studiotriciamartin.com
It Feels Like Fall
Well I’ve survived the first 7+ weeks of motherhood and I’m happy to say that after a crazy first month, October has been a delight. Claire is nearly 11 pounds, happy and healthy, and I’m feeling pretty good myself. Of course we both have the occasional meltdown, but they are much less often than before and we’re starting to really enjoy our little family!
A few weeks ago Claire flashed me her first smile. Although the pediatrician tried to convince me it was gas, I knew otherwise. This was a real, full on awake smile. It was priceless. Now, we can count on a few of them every day to erase any memory of lost sleep, diaper explosions or “arsenic hour” fussiness. It’s all worth it.
Who can be upset about anything when you can look at this?
As a result of things smoothing out around here, I’ve actually been able to get back in the kitchen and cook! After over a month of eating generous donations from friends and family, I was eager to get back to the cutting board. I’m obsessed with the flavors of fall, including anything with pumpkin and squash so I was excited to find a recipe for stuffed butternut squash from The Gluten-Free Vegan.
My secret to getting dinner on the table when my little one isn’t napping is the sling (thanks Jamie!). Thank goodness for the sling! It does require a bit of one handed finesse as I’m constantly supporting her head, but I’ve learned to pretty much prepare anything with it on.
My secret weapon in the kitchen
I deviated from the original recipe a bit to use the ingredients that I had, and it turned out great. It’s healthy, tasty and is sure to impress.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
1 medium-large butternut squash
1 tbs olive oil
1 large leek or onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup eggplant, chopped
1/2 cup red or green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the ends off the squash and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds, then prick outside with a fork. Drizzle a little olive oil on the cut side and place cut side down in a baking dish with low sides. Pour a little water in the dish and roast until tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over med-high heat, add olive oil, onions and saute a few minutes until soft. Add carrot, zucchini, eggplant, and pepper and continue to saute for 4-5 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts and garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add olives, raisins and wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
When squash is soft, remove from oven and let cool. Make lengthwise slit down center and remove flesh, and add to vegetable mixture. Stir in parsley, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff mixture into both halves of the squash and place back on baking sheet. Lower oven temp. to 350 and bake for about 30 minutes. Garnish with leftover parsley.
Balance what…?
Baby Claire! 4 weeks old.
The other day a friend asked a business development group I’m in what “balance” means to us. It got me thinking, since “balance” is one of the cornerstone’s of my business and one of my own favorite life-long goals. It’s something I help client’s with all the time and I think tends to be one of our culture’s biggest struggles.
It’s an interesting time to think about balance, 4 weeks after giving birth, since I’ve barely had time to think beyond nursing and diapers.
After initially feeling like I had sold out my old friend balance for my new friend survival, I realized that I actually haven’t been doing that bad after all. Upon taking a closer look, I realized there are a zillion ways I’ve been reacquainting myself with balance every day, no matter how big or small.
Here are a few examples:
- Realizing I need 8 hours of sleep a day and trying to get it no matter what.
- Asking my husband to watch the baby so I can get a pedicure or go for a walk.
- Pumping breastmilk to avoid formula when nursing was too painful.
- Mixing decaf with regular in my morning coffee.
- Accepting help when others offer without feeling bad about it.
- Running a detox and not feeling guilty for not doing it with them.
- Trusting my intuition, no matter what others say.
- Getting outside every day, even if it’s the only thing I “accomplish.”
- Scheduling a date night with my husband, and letting family take care of the baby.
- Enjoying a caipirinha from our favorite Brazilian restaurant.
- Not getting on a scale to see if I’ve “lost the baby weight” or trying on my old pants.
- Acknowledging that I need to be around people and making an effort to connect with friends and make new ones.
Baby Claire has grown to be a beautiful and healthy 10 pound baby girl, despite mom’s ups and downs, exhaustion and, at times, complete overwhelm. Each day gets better as I continue to remind myself of the importance of balance, even if that means the laundry doesn’t get done, I don’t finish a blog post, or don’t get out of bed until 11am.
In our society of extremes, it’s easy to feel like we aren’t enough: good enough, doing enough, making enough or worthy enough. All of us at times struggle with one of these “not enough’s.” Whenever this comes up, cut yourself some slack and take a closer look. I bet you’re doing more than you think.
As for me, right now I’m Claire’s mom. And that’s definitely good enough for me.
