Heather's Dish

Week 11: Full-Fledged Baby

by Heather on May 25, 2012

It’s official – I am the mommy of an 11-week-old full-fledged baby. I can hardly believe it! And like I said last week, I find myself loving mommyhood more and more every day.

We have finally settled into a great little routine (and I know that by saying that I’m totally jinxing it…) and he’s SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! Like a full 8-10 hours. I can hardly believe it, but I have to say I’m so thankful. I can handle the lack of sleep just fine, but I sure do love getting some rest!

One of my newest, most favorite things in the entire world is at bedtime, after we’ve fed him, we’ll strip him down and let him play around naked for a little bit. It’s clearly his favorite part of the day – he kicks and moves and smiles more during his nudie-time (my phrase) than any other time of the day! It’s only the cutest thing in the world.

Earlier this week Wes had his first laugh and it scared him! I was dying laughing – he got so excited that he let out this little screech and the biggest smile EVER and then he jumped out of his skin and started crying. Too funny I can’t wait to hear his little belly laughs (or big belly laughs!) soon! Honestly when he smiles I just feel like my heart is going to explode…when he laughs it might just actually blow up.

As you can see the hands are still the newest latest and greatest, only now they’re covered in relentless drool. I have considered just leaving a bib on him at all times (well, all times that he’s awake and I’m there with him) to mop it up, but have just resorted to keeping burp clothes in every room of the house to help with it. I never thought about washing an infant’s hands, but with all the drooling and the chewing of the hands he gets stuff stuck in between his fingers. Oh, the things that you learn when you become a mom!

We are still working constantly on tummy time and have yet to really have him hold his head up while on his stomach. He can do it easily, but usually he finds a hand and just sucks on his fist instead of focusing on the task at hand. Is this something that will just go away? We let him sit up while we support him and he holds his head just fine, turning it with control in all directions. He just doesn’t like being on his stomach – but I’m hoping that passes soon. I’m always worrying about whether he’s developing the way he needs to, but I think that’s probably normal for new moms.

Right?

P.S. The photo above is him with a pair of shorts on his head…pretty immediately after the photo was taken there was a massive meltdown that ensued. Oops

Another new-ish thing is the amount of hair that he has growing in! I mentioned before his faux-hawk is a natural look and the hair that’s coming in around it is SUPER blond, and he has a LOT of it. Makes sense because Nate and I both have a lot of hair, but it’s just insane to actually see it growing in like it is. At some point he’ll have hair all over that’s all the same length and I can’t even imagine what that’s going to look like. My little baby boy will be all grown up!

(Just in case you’re wondering that’s a photo of me about to nibble the heck out of his cheeks. Baby cheeks are the answer to world peace, promise).

Things are going well for Nate and I postpartum still, although we’re always working on figuring out our new life as parents. I swear, the sleeping thing has helped so much in this! The only change for me is that my hair is starting to fall out, which I expected, but my skin is finally not sandpaper-dry anymore! Hurray As much fun as being a mommy is, the times that I feel really attractive are few and far between. I’m sure the lack of showering has something to do with that, but it’s nice to finally have my face back!

I can’t wait to see how Wes keeps growing and changing. He’s more and more fun every day and we are so blessed!

{ 9 comments }

Pineapple Coconut Pepper-Studded Rice and a Tropical Pineapple Hot Fudge Sundae

by Heather on May 24, 2012

Last Friday I had a lifelong dream come true: ice cream. Delivered. Right to my doorstep.

At 10am.

I’m living the life, y’all. You don’t even know!

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program I was lucky enough to get to try the Häagen-Dazs® Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream. OMG.

OH.

EM.

GEE.

Let me take this quick moment though to remind you guys not to let dry ice touch your skin. Oh, I wore gloves to get the ice cream out of the box, but a small piece fell on the floor and I totally stepped on it. OUCH. Don’t do that…

I couldn’t decide what I wanted to make with the ice cream though! I mean, obviously a dessert-y type thing would be in the cards (adoy – just wait til the end of the post!) but I couldn’t just stop there. I felt like something savory would be a fabulous change-up with such a great product. SOOOOOOOOOOOO…I made a delicious coconut-pineapple rice studded with jalapenos and red peppers.

Trust me, you want this.

But wait! There’s more! You can’t just have an ice cream party without ice cream dessert. It’s not possible, nor should it be attempted.

I couldn’t decide what to do dessert-wise but finally decided to stick with a tropical spin on the classic sundae. You guys know how obsessed we are with Hawaii and all things tropical…really, would you expect anything different?

Fully coconut-y, fully sweet and fully delicious. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go eat another gallon of this goodness. Because OMG.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT PEPPER-STUDDED RICE

1 cup white long-grain rice
1 cup defrosted Häagen-Dazs® pineapple coconut ice cream (I defrosted mine in the fridge overnight)
3 cups water, divided
1 tsp salt
1 jalapeno, chopped (remove all seeds if you don’t want a lot of heat)
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp olive oil

In a small saucepan bring the rice, defrosted ice cream, salt and 2 cups of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. NOTE: depending on the humidity and where you live (i.e. I am at a higher altitude) you may need to add a little more water and continue cooking to make sure that the rice is thoroughly cooked. Meanwhile saute the peppers in olive oil until tender. When the rice is done gently fold in the peppers (this keeps the rice nice and white!) and adjust seasonings as needed.

TROPICAL PINEAPPLE COCONUT HOT FUDGE SUNDAE

1 pint Häagen-Dazs® pineapple coconut ice cream
4 slices pound cake
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp coconut oil

In a small saucepan heat the coconut milk and coconut oil together, stirring frequently, until steam starts to form. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate chips until smooth and creamy. In a glass layer the ice cream, pound cake, coconut hot fudge sauce, and repeat. Devour!

(Also pictured: macadamia nut brittle, following this exact recipe but using dry-roasted macadamia nuts in lieu of peanuts).

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend and coupons for free Häagen-Dazs® ice cream

{ 11 comments }

Body After Baby: Part 4

by Heather on May 23, 2012

Well here we are at almost 11 weeks postpartum and I feel like I’m just now starting to get in the swing of things in regards to a fitness routine. I am hoping that it just continues to get easier to fit in great workouts and still be able to do all of the things around the house and on the blog that I’d like to do, but one of the biggest takeaways from mommyhood is to cut myself some slack and have a little grace. I’m not going to have an incredibly flat bounce-a-quarter-off-of-it tummy for a long time, if ever, and that’s OK. Because the little man that I’m watching sleep in the next room is pretty stinking AWESOME and I would gladly forfeit the ability to have flat abs just to have him around.

That being said the exercise part is pretty easy to look forward to and to make sure it happens. The hard part? Eating right. For a while there I was sitting around eating whatever the heck I wanted and shedding pounds because of the fact that I had just had him and was breastfeeding. And while I’m still breastfeeding, it’s important to not just try to rely on that fact as an excuse to eat whatever I want in whatever quantity I want. The hardest thing for me is the portion control aspect – I always feel justified in having more than I need because I worked out or Wes just ate a ton or I’m planning on eating salad for dinner…whatever. I’ve started to measure out my portions a little bit better and am hoping that helps me to get a grip on the reality of what a normal human should eat.

I mean having a baby kind of makes me a superhero and all, but that doesn’t mean I need a gallon of ice cream at a time.

Like I said, workouts have been great so far and I am really enjoying them. Here’s what I did last week:

WEEK OF MAY 14-20

Monday: C25K running plan for 25 minutes/walking (with stroller), 100 lunges

Tuesday: 2-mile hike + Salah Says workout (kills me every time!)

Wednesday: C25K running plan for 30 minutes/walking (with stroller), 100 lunges

Thursday: 2-mile hike + this Pinterest workout

Friday: C25K running plan for 30 minutes/walking (with stroller), 200 full squats

Saturday: rest

Sunday: rest

I’ve also been doing planks every time I’m playing on the floor with Weston, so although I’m not listing out a big formal abdominal training plan I am doing it daily and am working on good form in all of the other workouts, which is really what revs up the abs anyway.

Another thing that I’ve been counting as a workout is doing stuff around the house. I know that’s not really hardcore, but hoisting a 13-15 lb baby around all day works everything, as does carrying laundry baskets up and down stairs, cleaning out cars, washing dogs and pretty much everything else I do. I guess more than anything I’m just celebrating not sitting around all day. And with massive piles of clothes to wash there’s no shortage of stairs to be climbed!

Overall I’m happy to be where I’m at and will just continue to work on the portion control a little more. My main focus and concern is to keep up my milk supply for Wes, but will make sure to focus on good nutrient-rich foods and continually cutting out the things I don’t need. And y’all? Let’s just be clear here: ice cream IS a need. Just not a gallon

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Chewy Chocolate Pecan Cookies

by Heather on May 23, 2012

OK so I feel like I should preface this with a heaping cup of honesty: these totally did not turn out how I meant for them to.

It’s true, I’ve posted a kitchen fail on here and am going to tell you to go make it. Because sometimes failure tastes like a rich, chewy chocolatey cookie and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Originally these were supposed to be a shortbread, hence the lack of eggs. They were going to be dunked wholeheartedly into large cups of decaf coffee and I was surely going to have to send some to work with Nate because Lord knows I have no self control when it comes to shortbread and hot beverages. So I made the cookie dough, refrigerated it, sliced it and placed it on the cookie sheet. I baked them in the oven for 10-ish minutes and then gasped in surprise when they came out not like shortbread at all. But surely they would shortbread up (totally a real phrase) after cooling, right?

WRONG. And y’all, wrong never tasted so darn right. So yes, make this kitchen fail – oh, and if you’re thinking you’ll make the batch and stick ‘em in the freezer to decrease the number you eat? Yeah, doesn’t work. They’re even better cold.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIES

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips

In a bowl beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and mix until just combined, then fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 30-60 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325. When the dough is done chilling scoop by the tablespoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat (I know I said I sliced the dough before, but since that was part of the shortbread idea and these didn’t turn out like shortbread it’s not necessary). Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely before serving or else you’ll have a doughy sticky mess to contend with!

A yes, the sweet chocolate taste of failure. Never tasted so good!

{ 8 comments }

Mediterranean Lentil Quinoa Salad

by Heather on May 22, 2012

I don’t think I’ve ever told y’all this: I have a crazy undying love called kalamata olives. It’s basically out of control, and I love it.

With that in mind, I now dedicate this totally classy and (albeit silent) well-performed cover of “My Endless Love” to kalamata olives. In all of their briny salty deliciousness:

My love, there’s only you in my life,
The only thing that’s right.
My first love, you’re every breath that I take,
You’re every step I make.
And I, I want to share, all my love with you,
No one else will do.
And your eyes, they tell me how much you care.
Oh yes, you will always be, my endless love.

Two hearts, two hearts that beat as one.
Our lives have just begun.
Forever, I’ll hold you close in my arms,
I can’t resist your charm.
My love, I’ll be a fool, for you I’m sure,
You know I don’t mind.
Cause you, you mean the world to me.
Oh, I know I’ve found in you, my endless love.

And love, I’ll be that fool, for you, I’m sure.
You know I don’t mind.
And yes, you’ll be the only one.
Cause no one can deny,
This love I have its fine.
I’ll give it all to you,
My love, my love, my endless love.

Let’s just say that it’s a good thing y’all haven’t heard me singing that. Wes likes it; I’m not so sure I’d have any readers left if anyone else laid ears on that rendition!

MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL QUINOA SALAD

1 1/2 cups lentils, cooked
1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (you know, if you’re feelin’ feisty)

For the dressing:

juice of 1 lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Once all of the lentils and quinoa are cooked toss everything together in a large bowl. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and pour over the lentil/quinoa mixture. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve either at room temperature or cold.

This grain salad is delicious and filling and has TONS of flavor! Not to mention when you’re an addict like me and you kind of, well, add more olives. Because soon enough I might as well just brine myself and call it a day

{ 10 comments }

Beer Marinated Grilled Chicken

by Heather on May 21, 2012

Did you guys know that it’s summertime? And that things like grilling are sooooooo in right now? Grilling is the little black dress of summer.

To me, though, grilling is so much more than just food. It’s an experience that encompasses all of the senses. You obviously have taste – I mean, we are grilling food after all. But the smell of the grill heating up, the heat from the coals or grate, and the site of the heat in the summer sunshine – those are all pretty big indicators of fun and big flavor to come.

Plus, like, the chicken is really totally awesome. Make it now

BEER MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

2 whole chicken legs and thighs, skin on
1 can beer of choice (we used Bud Light Lime since it was in the fridge)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Lay the chicken thighs in a large baking dish and cover with beer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then drizzle with olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, turning once halfway through. To cook heat a grill to about 400 and rub the grate down with a bit of oil. Lay the chicken skin-side-down on the hot grill. Cook the chicken for around 30 minutes, turning every 7-10 minutes until the juices run clear. Serve with a side salad, grilled corn, or a big hunk of watermelon!

Share what it is you love about grilling in the summer and why grilling is your happiness!

These are just some of the reasons why Grilling is my Happiness. Besides all of the tasty food, tell me what you love about grilling. One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

{ 20 comments }

Back in the Game

by Heather on May 20, 2012

I don’t know if y’all remember back when I was in healthy living blogger mode (over a year and a half ago) but I ate oatmeal almost every day. This in and of itself is not a bad thing…except for the fact that I hated oatmeal and loathed having it for breakfast all the time. But that’s what healthy living bloggers did back then, and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right! After a while I learned that it’s about what I want to eat and moved on to smoothies, but I was pretty sure I was never going to eat oatmeal again.

But now I do – I eat a LOT of oatmeal! You could definitely say it’s back in the game.

These days I eat oatmeal for two reasons: one, it helps in the milk-making department and since Wes is exclusively having breastmilk right now (p.s. if we need to we are 100% OK with giving him formula, but luckily I’m able to produce enough to feed him or pump and bottle feed) and two, I found out that if you put chocolate and peanut butter in oats they are A-OK. My new problem now is that I crave them all the time!

Here’s the thing now though – portion control. And not portion control for the amount of oatmeal I eat – portion control for the amount of chocolate chips (HEAVEN) that I add. I tend to be a little heavy-handed, so I now have to find a way to cut down on those babies and make the oats more oats than chocolate. After reading through this great list of 100-calorie oatmeal toppings from Cooking Light, I finally came up with a blend that I love! Here’s my favorite oatmeal – for now:

MY FAVORITE OATMEAL

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cup nonfat milk
2 Tbsp milled flax
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
stevia to taste

Basically I just cook the oats on the stovetop with the cranberries (so they plump up) and milk until almost done, then I remove from the heat and stir everything else in until combined. I let it sit for a few minutes to cool down and so that the flax has time to thicken the oatmeal the remainder of the way, and then I dig it! It’s chocolatey and peanut buttery and I don’t feel like I just ate an entire chocolate cake in one sitting. Oh, and it means that I can use the chocolate chip for other baking endeavors. YUM!

{ 12 comments }

Week 10: Little Man Alert!

by Heather on May 18, 2012

This week has flown by SO fast and I can’t believe that it’s been a full 10 weeks since Weston was born. It’s crazy!

He’s such a little man now! He’s pretty much wearing all of his clothes now and it’s super fun to have him get dressed in the morning and into his specific PJs at night. Before we pretty much had him wearing pajamas all day long since we didn’t have a ton of newborn clothes, but now he’ll wear “real” clothes during the day…even if his mom is wearing the same thing she slept in.

Speaking of clothes I have to say that one of the things I wasn’t excited about having a boy was that the clothes weren’t as cute as girls’ clothes…but now I’ve completely changed my mind! Little boys’ clothes are the cuuuuuuutest and so much fun! I kind of think I’ll be terrified of dressing a baby girl if we ever have one.

We’ve been working a lot more on tummy time this week and I have to say that he’s making big improvements in holding his sweet little head up. He’s not to the point where he’s trying to roll over yet, but he’ll hold his head up for several minutes before he gets tired and lays it down on his hand. It has made a big difference in his head control everywhere else too!

This little guy is OBSESSED with his hands now too. If he’s not eating or sleeping he’s probably chewing on his hands…and I think he may be teething a little? I can’t tell for sure but it looks like there are some little teeth coming in on the bottom but I don’t really know if I’m just imagining it. Has anyone ever seen a 2.5 month old sprout teeth?

The funniest part about him chewing on his hands is that I don’t totally know whether or not he realizes that they’re his. It’s like he will chew on them or grab at his face and have this expression that just says, “GET UP OFF ME!” Cracks me up!

I’m so thankful that Wes’s schedule is finally starting to come together. I think it really makes it easier for both of us to gauge how our days will go and it makes it so much easier to take him places. Nothing is ever set in stone with it but I’m thankful that we just seem to be getting more and more used to one another. We’re going to a hot air balloon festival this weekend which will be the first time we really have an agenda with him, and I’m excited to see how it goes!

One of the sad things about him being so awake and aware all the time now is that my snuggly little baby is no longer as interested in the snuggling part. He’s always wanting to look around, watch the dogs, watch TV or look and see what I’m doing.

Oh, and suck on his fingers. Of course.

Really though, his feedings are getting shorter and the sweet time that we had to snuggle all the time are getting fewer and further between. It’s so fun to play with him now but I have really been trying to savor the times that I get to just hold him and sniff his sweet head. You guys warned me this time would come!

As much as I miss the snuggling part though it makes me so happy to continue to watch Nate and West together. Wes is totally aware when Nate gets home and loves watching him! Plus when they hang out I get to see just how much my little guy looks like his dad (although yes, Nate, you are more tan than Wes). I keep hearing from all of our friends with little boys that they start to just want to hang out with their dads and I just am so excited to see their relationship continue to develop!

Gah, seriously – cutest baby ever. I can’t even handle it!

In other news I’M GETTING MY HAIR DONE THIS WEEKEND!!! It’s been almost a full year since I had my hair highlighted and the six inches of roots are getting a little old. I don’t mind my natural hair color but it’s going to be nice to have a little change. Not to mention I’m probably going to get it cut a little shorter too and I’m just excited for the feeling of a lighter head of hair. I always wanted really long hair and finally got it when I was pregnant, but now that I’ve been there I think I’ve realized that it’s just a better lifestyle and style fit for my hair to be about shoulder length. Long enough to pull it all back but not to the point that it’s super heavy!

I can’t believe we’re in the double-digits now. I remember when I was pregnant it felt like FOREVER to get from week 9 to 10, and having Weston here in real life it’s just flown by. I can’t wait to spend every day with him, and love being a mom even more every day!

{ 10 comments }

Body After Baby: Part 3

by Heather on May 17, 2012

First of all, I have to say that I LOVE this post from Fitnessista and the way that she sees her body and has been treating it since birth. It’s super inspiring to see women who are moms and aren’t buying into having to have the celebrity-perfect body after baby. Honestly I feel like I’ve started to buy into that a bit and her post was a refreshing reminder about what my priorities really are.

This past week’s worth of exercise was fun and hard but I’m still in the process of figuring out what workouts I’m going to be doing on a consistent basis. I would like to start running a little bit and so I’ve downloaded the Couch to 5-K program on my phone. No plans to race, but I like the idea of having a structured plan that forces me to take it slowly at first. I tend to get a liiiiiiiiiittle competitive, even with myself, so having something that keeps me in check is helpful and I’m hoping it will help me avoid injury.

WEEK OF MAY 7-13

Monday: 3-mile stroller walk with the following strength circuit done 5 times through:

60-second plank
15 full body-weight squats
15 full tuck jumps
15 alternating curtsy lunges (per leg)
30 scissor kicks

Tuesday: 2-mile hike, Fitnessista Ab Burner, and the following strength circuit done 5 times through:

20 push-ups
40 soccer ball touches per leg
15 walking lunges per leg
10 burpees
45-second wall sit

Wednesday: 3-mile walk, Nike Training Club Arm Definer Workout
Thursday: 2-mile hike, 10-minute abs
Friday: Nike Training Club Body Buffer Workout
Saturday: 4-mile walk
Sunday: Rest day!

I keep alternating between really loving the circuit workouts and wanting to do something more low-key, but I like the variation – keeps it interesting! I’ve actually thought about doing P90X but can’t afford it right now, although I would definitely take the time to do it.

So that being said, what are your favorite workouts? Has anyone ever done P90X? Thoughts?

{ 12 comments }

Roasted Garlic Walnut Butter

by Heather on May 17, 2012

Question.

Who here is a little freaked out when people talk about savory oatmeal? I don’t see it all that often around the blogosphere anymore these days, but once upon a time there were tons of bloggers raving about the deliciousness of savory oats. And me? I just couldn’t get on board…it was a little too far out for me.

I’m a wild child at heart, really. But savory oatmeal is just a tad too wild. Which leads me to believe that maybe I should retract the prior sentence.

Anyway.

I feel like I’m totally breaking all the rules with this recipe though. I mean savory nut butter?! For real? Can this even be a good thing?

Like I said y’all, wild child. You can’t stop me…no, you caaaaaaaaannoooooooooooooot stop me! (Someone please tell me that quote didn’t go unnoticed…)

Let me just say this: I really don’t know if I can just go back to regular ol’ peanut butter. It’s good, I like it in my normal sweet oatmeal but it just doesn’t have that wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am wow factor that this savory stuff possesses. The nut butter boat has been rocked and I’m just sorry I’m not sorry.

ROASTED GARLIC WALNUT BUTTER

2 cups toasted walnuts
1 bulb garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

First things first cut the top 1/3 of the garlic bulb off (I like to use a serrated knife, but be careful – I take no responsibility for injuries due to garlic cutting). Place the garlic on a piece of foil and rub the tablespoon of olive oil on the cut ends. Wrap it in the foil so that the steam won’t get out, place on a sheet pan in a cold oven, turn it on to 325 and set the timer for 45 minutes. When the timer goes off you’ll have face-rocking perfect roasted garlic! Wait til it cools to continue – I’m not responsible for burned fingers either!

When the garlic has cooled squeeze the cloves out into a food processor, along with the walnuts and salt and pepper. Pulse about 10 times to get everything minced a bit, and then turn the processor on and leave it. You’ll need to scrape down the sides every couple of minutes or so, but eventually the walnuts and garlic will come together and form a smooth nut butter consistency. If it’s too dry and crumbly add a bit more olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency. Mine was smooth for spreading but appeared a little crumbly, but once you spread it on some warm toasted bread it ain’t no thing. Trust me.

Enjoy!

Moral of the story: being a culinary wild child (sarcasm) can be a good thing!