Heather's Dish

Body After Baby: Part 1

by Heather on May 1, 2012

It’s the day every pregnant woman dreams about (besides the day that she gets to hold her sweet baby for the first time): the day that she finally has her body back. And by that I mean the day that she feels normal in her skin again, where her clothes fit like normal, where she feels strong and fit and sexy again.

: If I had to pick a “happy” look, this would be it!

The thing is that day comes at different time for every woman; for me it’s turning out to be a work in progress. Since I didn’t gain that much weight with my pregnancy it was easy for me to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight and, coincidentally, my pre-pregnancy size. That being said, after a couple months of emotional eating due to our miscarriage my pre-pregnancy weight and size were not really my happy place with my body. I had just started to get back into shape when I found out we were pregnant again and the horrors of first trimester sickness wrecked any chance of eating well and working out. And while I would not give up a second of my pregnancy I have found that it’s time for me to get to that happy place in my body.

(P.S. I don’t know why but my fingers keep wanting to spell the word body like “boday.” Just had to share.)

I can’t promise that I’ll have any before and after shots on the blog in regards to my progress because I don’t really know yet what the “after” part holds. I know that I need to continue to eat better and really reign in on my heavy-handed simple carb intake (I love bread. OMG DO I LOVE BREAD!). I have enjoyed working out every day lately, although I’m hoping that soon those workouts will become more intense and results-oriented as I recover from my C-section. But my “after” doesn’t include a certain weight or numerical size; it’s more of a feeling of strength, a feeling of confidence, and a feeling of comfort in my skin.

So here it is: my body after baby plan. I’m hoping to have a weekly update (maybe on the weekends…?) about progress and how I’m feeling, mainly to have the accountability of writing it down and having to share. I am by no means a dietitian, although I do have dietary schooling under my belt. I’m no longer a personal trainer, although I have been one and understand how the body works and responds to exercise. So while I am happy to share what I’m doing please know that I’m not recommending my workouts or eating habits to anyone – it’s purely me sharing my experiences as I go!

New shoes are always inspiring!

As far as food goes, I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing and eat lots of lean protein, as many fruits and veggies as possible, whole grains and complex carbs, and still indulge a little bit to keep me sane. It’s all about balance and I’ve found that if I monitor what I eat too closely it becomes unhealthily obsessive, so having unspecific and open-ended goals is the best thing for me.

As for workouts, I’m trying to switch it up and am in hopes of being able to run sometime this summer. I have had a history with knee pain the past couple of years and I blame a lot of that on not doing enough to strengthen the surrounding muscles, not doing enough flexibility training, and putting on too much weight to comfortably run. I don’t have any aspirations of running races, but miss running and would love to be able to just go out for a run for cardio from time to time.

In the meantime I’ll be going on a lot of walks and hikes with my family as well as doing workouts from WillPower & Grace (LOVE), Amanda Russell, Best Body Fitness, Beat Your Best Fitness, and pull from my own history in personal training. As for flexibility I love yoga and will be taking a day to just do that, but have also committed to warming up and cooling down properly and stretching after every single workout.

I’m excited to see what changes my body will continue to make over the coming months and more than anything am excited to set an example of a strong woman for my little boy. Now if only I could get that sleep thing down!

{ 10 comments }

Bacon and Chive Croissant Pinwheels

by Heather on May 1, 2012

I love breakfast and sadly it’s one of the most neglected meals of the day.

Wait, did you think I meant I didn’t eat it? No sirree…I eat breakfast every day. Woe to the person who ever has to know me without breakfast. It’s bad. BAD I TELL YOU!

Sorry, I haven’t had breakfast yet. See what I mean?

Anyway, what I mean by neglected is that rarely put as much thought and effort into breakfast as I do any other meal of the day. I blame it on the fact that I’ve come up with an intoxicating blend of oatmeal that I actually like and the fact that I am breastfeeding heretofore leading me to eat oatmeal until it comes out of my ears to keep my milk supply up. As much oatmeal as I am consuming, though, will never compete with my love of savory breakfasts. It’s all about the eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, veggies and maybe a side of pancakes. If I’m hungry.

But the weekends? Oh yes, the weekends are a time of redemption on the breakfast front. I still eat my oatmeal nowadays, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make a little something for Nate to enjoy. Or even skip the oatmeal just this once and indulge in yummy savory goodness. And by yummy savory goodness I mean bacon. And cream cheese. And chives. And BREAD.

Has anyone else noticed that when you make bacon it’s impossible to not eat a piece or 5 before actually going ahead with the recipe you were making in the first place? I think that must be some sort of natural law or something. I’m convinced bacon will one day rule the world.

Anyway. These pinwheels are so good, so simple, and so fast you’ll probably want to make a double batch. Especially a double batch of the bacon.

BACON AND CHIVE CROISSANT PINWHEELS

1 tube refrigerated croissant dough
4 oz. chive and onion cream cheese, softened to room temperature
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 375. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and set aside (you can bake these on a normal sheet pan too, but I like how the muffin pan helps the dough keep its shape). Take the dough out of the can and pinch together all of the seams, then roll out lightly with a rolling pin. The rolling part isn’t to make the dough thinner, but rather to seal the seams together. Gently spread the cream cheese evenly across the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch at the top. Sprinkle the cream cheese with the salt and pepper, then evenly sprinkle the chopped bacon. Starting at the bottom, roll it tightly into a log and seal the dough together at the top. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 even slices and place each slice cut side up in the muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 13-17 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before digging in.

OK so I just finished my oatmeal and I’m now craving these pinwheels, extra bacon please. Lord help me…

{ 8 comments }

Toasted Coconut Tres Leches Cake

by Heather on April 30, 2012

So. Next weekend. What do y’all have planned?

For me the obvious choice (besides hanging out with my girls at the Blend Retreat) is celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Sure, it’s not an American holiday but holy goodness is it fun! AAAAAAND it’s Keira‘s birthday, which if you ask me is even more of a reason to celebrate. Hey, I may even get crazy and have a margarita! Who knows…I’m a wild one

In all seriousness though, Cinco de Mayo is one of my all-time favorite holidays because for me it kind of symbolizes the beginning of summer. It’s about grilling out, drinking margs (regular or virgin), chips and salsa, and spending time laughing with the ones you love. I love the Mexican cuisine and the excuse to down more than my weight’s worth of guac in one sitting. And dessert?

OH.

EM.

GEE.

I’ve always enjoyed tres leches cake but have never actually tried to make it. For anyone who doesn’t know, tres leches is a simple white cake that’s baked off and then doused in three different milk (hence the ‘tres leches’ title). And if that’s not enough decadence, because it’s not, it’s then topped with a thick and creamy sweet frosting. And then you die of happiness. You know, traditionally anyway.

This year I decided that it was about time for me to put my money where my mouth is and try to make a tres leches cake myself. But since I can’t leave well enough alone I used coconut milk in lieu of half and half for one of the milks, then topped it with a coconut-scented cream cheese frosting and mounds of freshly toasted coconut. Suffice to say I face-planted in the 9×13 pan of goodness and then didn’t come up for air until just now.

TOASTED COCONUT TRES LECHES CAKE

2 sticks (16 Tbsp) butter, at room temperature and divided
1 cup sugar
5 whole eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 can (15 oz) coconut milk (I used light although full-fat would be fine too)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1-2 Tbsp half and half or milk
1 cup coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 cake pan. In a large bowl cream together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until completely combined. Add the vanilla and mix until everything is well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated. Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before adding the milks and frosting.

Meanwhile make the cream cheese frosting by creaming together the other stick of butter and the cream cheese. Add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and coconut extract and mix until combined. The frosting needs to be slightly softer to spread on the milk-soaked cake, so thin it out as needed with the half and half or milk. Set aside.

When the cake has cooled completely poke holes all over the top of it with a fork; it doesn’t have to be pretty since you’re covering it with frosting. Whisk together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in a large bowl and then pour evenly over the cake (yes, all of it). Let it soak in completely. Frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting and then top with the toasted coconut. Serve cold or at room temperature!

Y’all, seriously. I’m just bummed I forgot to buy more coconut milk at the store yesterday; otherwise I think we know what today’s breakfast would be!

{ 10 comments }

Week 7: I Wish Time Would Stand Still

by Heather on April 27, 2012

Yesterday I was on a walk with Wes and the pups at the dog park when all of a sudden it hit me: 7 weeks ago I had just started the induction process to get this little man out of my belly and into our arms:

It’s funny, it feels like the even-numbered weeks are so much harder to swallow than the odd-numbered ones. 2 weeks? Holy moly. 3 weeks? No big deal. Last week felt like a huge milestone, but 7 weeks just feels like a big fat extension of week 6. Not that I mind though; anything I can do to get time to slooooooow it on down is fine with me. I just can’t believe how big Wes has gotten, how much personality he has, and how much I fall more and more in love with him every day.

His newest favorite thing is being held facing out so that he can see the world around him (obviously his head is always being supported). I was holding him like that after changing his diaper the other day and just happened to see him in the mirror and the reality of how big he’s getting just slapped me across the face. His little cheeks are bigger (I think that’s where he gains all of his weight!), and his body is so long! I just can’t even remember him being a teeny tiny newborn anymore, which is so sad, but it makes me so happy to know that he’s growing well. I guess I just never expected it to happen so quickly.

One thing that’s a pretty big and new development is the fact that tummy time doesn’t always involve him screaming into the floor. Now he is starting to be able to lift his head up and realize that he can still see what’s going on around him, which I think has become a huge motivator for him. He loves seeing the action around him so much that he does whatever he can to look in that direction, including the long-awaited head lift. Again, I kind of want to slow down time and make it so he’s 7 pounds again, but watching him learn and grow is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Can you imagine a day where literally everything is new and wonderful and different? It’s such a huge blessing to be able to experience that through our little guy!

He’s still smiling a TON (even though not for the camera just yet) and has now started to really coo and make lots of “conversational” noises when we play – again, SO much fun. I love making the noises he makes back to him and watching his big blue eyes light up when he realizes that we’re kind of “talking.” Seriously, it’s one of the cutest things in the entire world. That and when he anticipates play time and you can see him just wiggling from excitement and anticipation. Not that I’m all that fun, but since I’m still pretty new I think it makes him pretty excited. We read books, look at colors, go on walks, lay on the ground on his play mat, and just chat all day long. Oh, and sing. I sing to him a LOT, and he’s probably the only person in the world who gets excited when I do. What’s not to love about that?

I know I mentioned last week that we were looking into maybe starting a bedtime routine for him and, well, we totally failed at that. I say failed loosely though because we have been TRYING to get him in bed around the same time every night and always doing the last feeding in his room (I usually feed him downstairs during the day because it’s cooler). Last night was the first time I put him down wide awake and let him cry a little bit before dozing off, and he ended up sleeping about 6.5 hours straight! I’m not going to go into bedtime with the expectation that will always happen, but we believe he’s starting to get to the age when he has the capability to sleep longer lengths of time at night between feedings. Obviously we’ll adjust things as needed for his health and well-being, but it was nice to know that I didn’t totally destroy him by putting him to bed awake. And you know what? He was so much happier this morning!

Nate and I are doing well 7 weeks in, although a bit sleepy. We are constantly in a state of evaluating things that we can do to make our life with our little man easier and more productive. It’s hard without family out here to help, but I think more than anything it’s helped our marriage and our friendship in general. I love the weekends because that’s when I get to see Nate and Weston together the most, and it makes my heart melt with how cute it is. Although I have to say that last night they were watching the NFL Draft together and I almost keeled over from the cuteness. This little guy and his dad are going to be some major troublemakers in the very near future!As for me, things have been going well with finally being cleared for exercise from the doctor. I’m taking it very slowly still, relying on walks (that are getting longer and longer) for my main form of cardio at the moment. I haven’t really started to incorporate a lot of weight training into the schedule, but I have been slowly building up my upper body and core with tons of push-ups, planks, and lower abdominal crunches while I’m playing on the floor with Wes. This next week I’m hoping to really get in there and detail a workout plan of sorts and figure out a good workout schedule that works for me and Wes during the day. Obviously naptimes are the ideal times for weight training, and I’m hoping that the bedtime routine might make his daily schedule slightly more predictable.

All that to say it just feels really GOOD to finally get in there and get sweaty, to move around and to feel the soreness from muscles that are getting stronger!

OH! And one more thing with Wes – I’ve started actually dressing him in his clothes now! Before we were really only having him wear his pajamas all the time because they are SO much easier to work with when changing a million diapers a day. But now that he’s not going through as many diapers (still a ton, but it’s more consistent now) we can finally put him in his little clothes. Earlier this week I put him in this little green Ralph Lauren polo outfit and just about died. I may or may not have popped his collar a little too

This past week has been incredible, and even at my tiredest and crankiest moments I wouldn’t give any of it up. Last night we were sitting on the couch after putting him to bed and I started crying because I just never knew that I would love being a mom this much. It has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but has yielded the most incredible reward in the love that I have for our little man. We have been so blessed and I’m so glad that you guys are on this journey with us!

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Lately

by Heather on April 26, 2012

Lately I’ve been eating too much Nutella.

Pffffffffffffft…like there is such a thing.

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Baked Chipotle Chicken Eggrolls

by Heather on April 26, 2012

When I was a kid we had fried rice for dinner once a week, and when I say fried rice I mean the good stuff with lots of bacon, soy sauce, and only my favorite veggies. Let me just state that to this day, try as I might, I still can’t replicate whatever kind of voodoo my mom would do to that pot of goodness. But we’re not here to talk about my lack of fried rice skills because it’s just depressing and these eggrolls are not even Asian in the first place.

Sometimes I ramble. It happens.

Back to the eggrolls though: we would always have them with our fried rice and I would purposefully bite off the top and then use a fork to ever so carefully dig the filling out and eat it first.

But then…

I would use the fork to then re-stuff the eggrolls with the delectable bacony goodness of the fried rice, douse it in more soy sauce (MMMMMMMM) and eat it with sweet and sour sauce. Y’all, I have no shame. My parents would always try to get me to stop, but once you try it you can’t go back. Bacon-and-carb-stuffed carbs…that’s where life is my friends.

However, as I told my sister this morning when we were talking about the days when she and I would demolish a pan of lemon bars for breakfast: I’m no longer running 6 miles a day, nor do I still have the metabolism of an 18-year-old. So I make do with what I have, find a healthier alternative, or just don’t eat the whole pan all at once. These eggrolls are spicy, savory, cheesy, and actually healthy. So, you know, if you *accidentally* taste-test like 5 of them before dinner, you’re in the clear.

You know. Just in case.

BAKED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN EGGROLLS

1 lb ground chicken (you can also use turkey if you can’t find the chicken)
1 package eggroll wrappers (I used Nasoya brand)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 package broccoli slaw
1 Tbsp chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder will work great, but you won’t get the chipotle smokiness)
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp instant coffee (you’ll thank me later)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 400. In a large pan heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Once heat through, brown the ground chicken and broccoli slaw until the chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the spices and the water to the pan and stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all of the liquid is cooked out. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese.

To make the eggrolls, take one eggroll wrapper and place on a cutting board or plate. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of the filling into the middle on a diagonal (step-by-step photo is at the top of the post). Fold one corner over the filling tightly. Then take the side corners and wrap tightly from the side. Using your finger brush a bit of water on the remaining corner and roll the eggroll tightly, sealing with the final corner. Place seam side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a Silpat; repeat until all of the filling is gone. Lightly brush the eggrolls with the remaining olive oil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Serve hot with avocado and salsa (or you can make your own weird sauce like me, mixing together equal parts of Greek yogurt and salsa. YUM).

Devour!

{ 20 comments }

Blog Love: Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole

by Heather on April 25, 2012

Lately when it comes to dinner I’ve been pretty proud of myself. I’ve actually been cooking pretty much every night except for Fridays because we always have pizza for dinner on Fridays.

Have I mentioned that I kind of live for Fridays?

Anyway, when it comes to cooking lately I’ve been leaning toward recipes that encompass two things:

Inexpensive ingredients. Maternity leave, although incredible and wonderful and all things amazing, does not pay much. Therefore a big fat budget has been established and now we try to eat out only once a week and eat everything else at home. And the things we do eat at home? I’m kind of getting a kick out of seeing how low we can make our grocery bill each week and still have a wide variety of foods. It’s sort of a game for me now!
Things that are easy to make. This should come as no surprise since I don’t really want to take time out of my busy snuggling, face-making and diaper-changing schedule to cook a full meal. Not to mention it’s about a billion degrees in our house these days thanks to a crazy-warm Colorado spring and the inefficiency of tri-level houses. I’ll take easy dinners any day of the week!

That being said, this is exactly one of those one-dish wonders that makes me stoked to eat the leftovers and allows room to sneak in lots of veggies. Cover it all in a cheesy blanket and you’ve got a dinner that’s great on its own, or can be served with beans or a side salad. Now that I’m writing about it I’m kind of craving it again!

I only made a few changes to the original recipe from Kelli’s blog, Made in Sonoma:

I added a zucchini and a couple of handfuls of spinach to the sauce, mainly because I didn’t feel like making a salad and needed to get some more veggies in that day. Plus the overabundance of zucchini has already struck this household hard…get ready for too many zucchini bread recipes to come your way!
I cut the number of chips in half, although I think it would have tasted better with the full amount. I only had half the amount on hand in our house and zero time to get to the store. Still delicious though!
Rather than use a rotisserie chicken I boiled and cubed some chicken breast meat that we had on hand. All in the name of saving money, although a rotisserie chicken would probably have a tad more flavor.

I’m telling you guys, this bad boy is delicious and is definitely on the dinner rotation at our house now. You can find the original recipe here.

Thanks so much for the amazing and super simple recipe Kelli!

{ 7 comments }

Sunday Sushi

by Heather on April 24, 2012

I just need to say…I FINALLY HAD SUSHI!!!!!

Ever since the moment I found out I was pregnant I have been craving sushi and couldn’t actually have any. Sad story, right?

Well, Sunday the sushi-less spell was broken thanks to my husband’s mad rolling skills. We had fairly basic rolls – salmon, California, and shrimp – but it was heaven.

HEAVEN I TELL YOU!

Nate, thanks for bringing me back from this. It just tastes so good!

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Banana Bread Replay

by Heather on April 24, 2012

I’ve said it before, but I am not really the BIGGEST fan of bananas…unless they’re baked with sugar and butter and all manner of delicious things like that. And you guys? Banana bread, despite my lack of banana love, is one of my favorite things ever. Gimme a warm piece slathered in butter and I’m a happy, happy gal.

I remember every time my mom would make banana bread I’d whine and cry about hating bananas and then sneak extra pieces when no one else was looking. I have a reputation to keep, you know.

But Lord help me if I couldn’t keep my paws off that goodness.

My favorite recipe ever is here, and although I do recommend the walnut glaze it’s divine without it too.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sniff out some black bananas. I have some baking to do!

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Creamy Kale and Leek Lasagna

by Heather on April 23, 2012

I kept a secret from you guys. I’m sorry.

The secret is this: for several weeks I was OBSESSED with kale. And I didn’t tell you. I didn’t tell you that I made kale chips and ate them almost every day. Or that I sauteed it with garlic and olive oil and served an egg on top. Or that I stirred it into soups, processed it into sauces, or any of that.

But I’m hoping that now, with this recipe, you’ll be able to forgive me because I’m about to rock your kale world. Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water, makes me crave burnt-cheese corner pieces of lasagna, and actually makes me look forward to kale all over again.

Not that the leeks are really helping that situation. Have we ever talked about how much I love leeks? They’re oniony, buttery, and oh-so-wonderful. I really prefer them over onions (OK that’s a lie – I love them both equally) in a lot of sauces and dishes. They just have that little something extra that makes me drool.

I also threw in some slices of fresh red tomato because I was actually looking to empty out the contents of my produce bowl, but I think they add the perfect touch to the lasagna. At the very least they add a beautiful burst of color, but coming from a self-proclaimed raw tomato hater I think they must be adding about a zillion times more nutrition. And if that’s not true? Well…we’re just not going to go there.

In all seriousness though, this is a fantastic weeknight dinner for two that packs in a ton of veggies and cheese – two food groups you should always have at dinner. It’s creamy and delicious, and you can even toss in more kale or some spinach to amp up the veggie content even more!

Let’s get cooking…

CREAMY KALE AND LEEK LASAGNA

1 bunch kale, washed with stems removed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large leek, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced very thinly
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups milk (I used nonfat; use whatever you’d like)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
8-10 lasagna sheets (I love this kind from Barilla)

Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray; set aside (you really should use this size; an 8×4 will be too small and you’ll end up either overflowing or having too much sauce). In a saucepan melt the butter and oil together over medium low heat. Saute the leeks in the butter-oil combo for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine; let cook for another 1-2 minutes stirring frequently until the flour has cooked out a bit. Stream in the milk while whisking until everything is combined. Sprinkle in the nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk. Bring mixture to a slight simmer, then add the kale. Cook over medium low heat for about 3-5 minutes until the kale is wilted and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat and get ready to build the lasagna.

To build the lasagna, add some of the sauce to the bottom of the loaf pan. Layer 2 lasagna sheets on top. Place a thin layer of tomatoes on top of that, then a 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Next layer 1/3 of the sauce mixture, 2 more lasagna sheets, another layer of tomatoes and 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Repeat two more times, and sprinkle the very top with parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Devour.

I’m telling you guys, this is the stuff dreams are made of. DREAMS!