Category Archives: yum yum eat good

pregnancy eats

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pregnancy eats this week consists of spicy chorizo tacos because you’ve heard that spicy things kick-start labor, right?

it was worth a shot.

so this taco dinner was in celebration of two things: my due date and my momma sending us taco funds.

see….

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^^^ look at how cute she is labeling it and all ^^^

well, the due date came and went and baby and i are still a We. but i’m ok with that. i’ve chilled out a little bit about getting this person here. the smudging session helped change my energy towards the process both emotionally and mentally. plus, once it became apparent that little one wasn’t going to make an entrance on July 7th, the most sacred day of the year, then i kinda relaxed.

you see, July 7th is Fred Savage’s birthday. i have to confess i did not treat fred’s birthday with the respect it deserves this year. i was so caught up in my own disappointment of having a non-savage baby that i didn’t feel like celebrating the greatest american that has ever lived. and that was selfish and wrong.

dear fred,
i’m sorry i missed your birthday this year. fred fest WILL happen for 2015. promises, promises. and i’m sorry my jerk-baby wouldn’t come out of me on your birthday. 
love,
elaine

so since we rolled on past the 7th it didn’t seem like such a big deal to keep on going past the 8th. but mike and i decided it was nice to celebrate the due date anyway, just because. it’s an accomplishment to grow a human for this long, friends.  my hope is more ladies will start seeing it that way instead of an affliction to carry your little person past dates.  even though, i get it. i’m much more physically miserable with this pregnancy than my previous, and i’m one of the lucky ones with very little complications. so i understand the ladies that have 9 mos of misery and are ready to be done. but the hardships of an older body kinda make me even more proud to carry this person onwards until the universe sees fit to bring him/her this side of my pelvis. it just felt like something to be celebrated instead of bemoaning.

plus, these dates are so fluid. it’s a window. and honestly, i am NOT a charter so my dates for calculating were ballpark figures anyway. so this person will truly be here when they are supposed to. i’m relaxed. i’m cool. i burn incense and wear fringe shirts now so i can handle this…

and also, it was an excuse for tacos.

BUT i would like to make an announcement that two things will be happening from now on:

1}  i will be watching episodes of the wonder years nightly until this babe arrives in repentance for my treatment of fred’s day.

2}  i will not be answering any questions/texts/emails/fb messages about whether or not i’ve had this baby. this blog revolves almost completely around my over sharing and need for attention. once i have this baby, trust me, you’ll all know about it!!!

pregnancy eats

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

pregnancy eats

i’m in my final weeks {days?} of pregnancy. i think i’ve earned to eat fatty foods in secrecy!

the fruits ripening and coming to harvest in central ohio at the end of my pregnancy is one of the most generous blessings the universe has ever bestowed on me. i didn’t think it possible, but black raspberries taste even better when you’re 9 months pregnant.

so this is me as of late. fresh fruits over ice cream paired with ginger ale + homemade strawberry syrup. and yeah, there were some jalapeno stuffed olives in the mix too. because, pregnancy cravings. yes.

gawd i love food while pregnant.

raspberry picking

Posted in advantageous adventures, it's cool to school, pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

purple raspberries

momma portrait

berry fields forever

darla picking berries

pregnant in the berry patch

bump and berries

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berry goodness

when i was a young girl it was my job to pick the berry bushes outside the back of our house. i find it rather funny that i pay people now to let me do it at their house, when i acted like it was SUCH A HARD CHORE back in my youth. but still, it does take me back to that time in my life and i hope darla will look back fondly at going to the berry fields with me since we don’t own our yard to plant berry bushes and give her the chore of berry picking.

well, she didn’t look on it very fondly today, that’s for sure. last year it was a novelty. this year it was one of those things her ol’ pregnant mom dragged her along for. so, i eventually just handed her my phone and told her she could just take pictures if she wasn’t interested in picking and i’m glad i did because she had a few good ones in there amongst the hundred or so she snapped away. it’s nice to have some pics of the big bump amongst the berries.  i especially love the second photo, which isn’t that flattering of an angle for me or facial expression but it accurately depicts how it was out there: hot, sticky and pretty uncomfortable but incredibly gorgeous and so worth it.

worth it because i got my first taste of black raspberries. i’m 100% telling the truth when i say that i’ve been having anxiety that this baby will come during black raspberry season and i’ll miss out entirely. this was still pretty early for my black beauties but we got enough to wet my whistle for the taste and leave me satisfied should this human come before we can get back to the ripe patches next week. i will type it in all caps again because i’m serious that BLACK RASPBERRIES ARE MY CHILDHOOD ENCAPSULATED IN FOOD FORM AND I LOVE THEM.

{ people of central ohio, if i could send you anywhere for your raspberry needs it would mitchell’s berries. they are simply lovely, affordable and delicious. tell them we sent you on your next visit! }

pregnancy eats

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

postpartum planning and fresh produce availability are converging at one time to make my pregnancy eats focus directed a little more towards the post-pregnancy period. the garden is starting to yield and so are the farms in central ohio. i’ve been gradually putting away freezer items and have gotten into some canning with our lovely neighbor. i still have quite a bit to put away before i will feel satisfactorily prepared but any progress is good progress, right?

so, we’ve put away some

cilantro lime rice

 ^^^ cilantro lime rice ^^^

taco pickels

^^^ taco pickles ^^^

 lentil tacos

salsa chicken

and

vegetable marinara

cilantro tea

^^^ d has been doing her own preserving, making teas and drying bunches from bolted cilantro ^^^

but that’s all i’ve got so far. this is where i need help. i have some ideas like making some crockpot pulled chicken and more taco meat but i need ideas. pinterest is chock full of them but it’s hard to know if a recipe is going to be a bust or not based on the internet so, i am asking you to leave a comment with your tried and true pinterest link for your favorite freezer meals {or any recipe link will do} so i can add it to my board and get some more variety going in our freezer.  healthy and cheap options are always good.

and please someone ease my guilt and tell me that i get a zero waste free pass since this is the first time i’ve bought plastic storage bags in at least 3 years? i tried to figure out a way to zero waste this process but there is only so much one mama mind can take on at one time…

thanks in advance for your help!

pregnancy eats: strawberry honey butter

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

strawberrybutter

since we went strawberry picking last week i bet you know coulda guessed that this week’s pregnancy eats would be about strawberries. this blog has well documented my love of butter over the years. so when i came across this recipe on a regular blog read recently i knew i was 100% going to do this. and i did it. and it is amazing. pancakes are never going to be the same. i made a fresh batch of these biscuits today and if i were edmund in the lion, the witch and the wardrobe i would be saying “to hell with turkish delight. give me strawberry honey butter on a fresh biscuit, ye white witch devil!”

if you have designs of heading out to the fields for the last of the berries this week, set aside some for this project.

i also wanted to mention a little side project you can take on simultaneously with this one involving the strawberry tops.

first, don’t discard those strawberry tops!

you can boil them, green parts included, with some lemon juice, honey and about 1/4 cup of water to make a strawberry syrup for adding to lemonade or drizzling over ice cream and angel food cake.

but if you can only focus your energy on one of these…the butter wins. butter always wins.

{ps. above picture is not mine and was swiped from the original post which contains the recipe. i was too lazy and it was too overcast for me to snap pics of my own. nobody sue me.}

pregnancy eats

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

beans during pregnancy

beans! i love beans!

a pregnant lady’s gotta eat beans!

here, try these recipes if you’re looking to fart your way through pregnancy. yeah!:

i’m prepping chickpeas right now for this chickpea, advocado & lime cilantro salad,  we made these lentil sloppy joes last week but repurposed the leftovers over rice and all agreed that went over better, and i’ve got my eyes on these lentil tacos. we enjoyed this pumpkin chili with extra beans during cold months and there’s always easy crockpot refried beans.

so many options! i’ve been thinking about trying my hand at making my own veggie burgers so if any of you out there have a favorite recipe let me know.

beanz!

pregnancy eats

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

coffee during pregnancy

coffee. coffee during pregnancy. yes, i know…

coffee is usually on that long list of things women are supposed to give up during their pregnancy. like most other things in life, the only way to be sure of no ill effects is to completely abstain. but human nature leaves very few of us willing to completely abstain from lots of things. i guess i’m one of those people.

that old “moderation” trick works quite well for me, thank you.

the funny thing is that i didn’t really even like or drink coffee until i was pregnant with darla. during pregnancy the smell and taste of coffee is something i crave. i think it has to do with the earthy qualities some roasts possess. at any rate, i have found it hard to get through a pregnancy without it. fortunately this means that i don’t head into my pregnancies with a coffee habit or dependency. so i may have it easier than some or most women out there making it through long hours and days in need of a little help.

in truth, coffee is one of my excuses, a vehicle if you will, for fatty, yummy goodness to go down into my belly during pregnancy.  

i have about a half cup to a full cup of coffee maybe 4-5 days a week. i don’t have soda very much so that bit of caffeine accounts for my intake. the other days i just enjoy my pregnancy tea. i feel that’s pretty good on the grand scheme of the caffeination nation.

and as mentioned earlier it’s not really about the coffee, it’s about what i PUT IN the coffee. here’s a short list of things I add to coffee in various combinations, most of which contain some good fats and happiness:

coconut oil, almond milk, grass-grazed half & half, maple syrup, coconut milk and/or grass-grazed butter, whipped cream, and/or BUTTER. {yes, you can put butter in coffee now people!!!} 

so, while i continue to take in my tea, i’m keeping this bit of coffee in my life and i’m feeling completely unclenched about it.

pregnancy eats

Posted in pregnancy, yum yum eat good by

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these first two photos are just to show how fruit crazy i have been this past week. i am so excited for farmer’s market season to be starting up and for fresh, local fruits to flood our life. i’m hoping i can get this pregnant belly out to the strawberry fields before the babe joins us earthside.

my real pregnancy eats post is really a pregnancy drinks post. i’ve been having this drink for my heartburn lately and thought i would share. apple cider vinegar is rumored to help with digestion and stomach acid. i find this to be a healthier alternative than over the counter antacids.

  • mix 2 Tbsp of 100% cranberry juice with 1 Tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
  • fill the rest of the glass up with water and top it off with pure maple syrup to taste.

i tend to fall on the salt & vinegar side of cravings so i don’t mind mine a little tart but adding a little extra maple syrup will sweeten it.

it’s really refreshing and i’ll be counting on this drink to get me through this final trimester. plus, it might just keep me from making late night runs for salt & vinegar chips.