Zucchini Boats - Oh My YES!!

Ok, so I have been looking for some good, quick recipes to use up some excess stuff without buying a lot of extra ingredients.  Just simple, 1-2 servings, something I can bring with my on quick trips back to Harrisburg to stop into work and visit my horse.

I found this wonderful recipe for zucchini (I believe it was paleo) but now - I'm so sorry author! - I lost it.  If I do find it again I will make sure to link to it here.  I did adapt it for what I had, so here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 zucchini
1/2 cup leftover ground turkey
small chunk of leftover cream cheese
hefty teaspoon of minced garlic
large handful of chopped kale
coconut oil
cayenne pepper

Directions: Scoop out the meat of the zucchini, set aside the shell to use for "boat".  Chop up meat, saute with kale in small amount of coconut oil.  Add ground turkey, cayenne pepper, cream cheese and maybe a little salt to taste.  DO NOT taste test at this point. Trust me... it'll be hard to stop.  Fill your zucchini boats with the mixture.  NOW you can eat the rest of the filling ;)

Place these in the freezer to flash freeze, then move into a container for long term freezing and when you're ready to eat, pop into the microwave.  If you wanted to eat right away, I would suggest baking at 350 for about 15-20 min.  Here is my finished product:

Enjoy yours!!

It's Time For The Ball

Another year, another ball on my wonderful husband's arm.  And can I just say that the wives of Truck Co rocked it with classy, stylish gowns this year?

Joel and I weren't planning to go this year because he was supposed to be at school.  But with the government shutdown, his school got canceled and we were free!  So I got a last minute rental with Rent The Runway and off we went.  Last night we were on a boat, and it was a good time!

I do have to say, as I do every year, that I am just shocked at the quality of "ball gowns" out there.  If you are at a ball on the arm of a Marine, then I'm really not understanding why the total loss of dignity takes place.  Why showcase every possible part of your body?  Why not highlight your natural beauty and enjoy the evening with the one you're with?  Don't get me wrong, I know everyone wants to look great, but leave a little to the imagination ladies!  Colors should complement the uniform, not draw attention to you.  You are an accessory to a US Marine who is there as part of his JOB.  (Sorry, I know there are women in the Marines, but usually your date isn't flashing everyone while dancing so this doesn't really apply!)  Sit politely, make conversation, eat your food, and dance in such a way that you wouldn't be embarrassed to see the video the next day!

Ok, rant is over.

Testing.... Testing.... 1 2 3

Update on being a test cook for Once A Month Meals!

Hubby and I got it all done in about 7 hours, in our tiny little kitchen, with the baby and Izzy!  Woo hoo!  If you've never tried this, you should!  For your sanity I suggest enlisting help wherever possible.  Whether it's an extra set of hands actually in the kitchen or wrangling the kiddos outside the kitchen, it definitely helps!
Que photo of my handy husband... now:

 And here I am all aproned out, staging for prep.  FYI, kids bowls work great for once a month cooking!

 We had a lot going on, and I definitely should have taken the "night before" prep advice.  7 hours straight trying to cook with 2 kids leads to this:

And after a few hours of this, you start searching for other options.  I really needed to do a back carry, but the only wrap we have is a stretchy moby.  So, necessity is the mother of invention, and I came up with this quickie wrap using a sheet!  You might also notice my strategically placed ipad on a stand to my left and waste bag attached to the cabinet on the right.

And here is the outcome of all that prep work, ready to start assembly and cooking:

I wish I could share with you the recipes I'm in charge of, but that is locked down for now!  How about this preview pic of the bags going down to the freezer?

And after all that hard work, taste testing and lining up the menu, this is what we were left with - YIKES!

It was totally worth it!  Every recipe was delicious, and we always save tons of money when we do this!  Check it out, feel free to ask questions!  I'm happy to answer!

Me! They picked me!

So excited to take on something pretty new and be a part of Once A Month Meals.  I've been chosen to be a test cook!  Very cool!  Shortly before I had Olivia and once in a while thereafter, I'd do once a month freezer cooking.  Sometimes I don't have the time to do a whole month's worth of shopping and cooking, so I'll spend an hour or so getting together meals for the week.  And now that I'm working from home and cramming in a busy home and volunteer schedule, it's becoming harder and harder to keep homemade meals a priority.  I constantly chicken out and wind up going out to eat instead.  And of course the family has no problem with that! Not against my cooking, just that they'd rather have pizza and other goodies I don't often make at home.  But, I need to watch my calorie intake, spend less money, and have more time with family (think about the last time you went out to eat, when did you leave and get home?  I bet it didn't "save" you any time at all!) - so, I'm happy to be testing this menu out and get back into it!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Rosemary Bread

I'm starting this one while the bread's baking, and man - if it tastes as good as it smells right now.....

Here's the recipe as I made it:

Romanos Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

1 packet yeast (1 tbsp)
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 cups flour (plus more)

Water, sugar and yeast went into mixer bowl, let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly.  Added rest of ingredients, except flour, and mixed with dough hook attachment.  Added flour in 1/2 cup increments until I reached 2 cups, then, because dough was so wet, put mixer on low and added by the tbsp until dough pulled from the edges.  Dough was still pretty wet, so I probably added 3 more tbsp after that.

Put dough into oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour on top of oven after I made dinner.  Then punched dough down, split in half, oiled cookie sheet and rounded the loaves.  Let rise again, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Cook in oven 15-20 minutes at 375.  A lot of reviews said to brush butter over top, egg wash, etc.  but for this run I'm not putting anything on top to see how it comes out.

Verdict is - delicious!  Did not need wash in any form.  Was light and fluffy and have to go because now I am officially designated "bread cutter" by the family as they beg for more!

Christina

First Try Cooking with Pinterest!

This entry marks another journey - not that of working or nursing mother - but chef!  Using Pinterest, I'll try some recipes and - down to the littlest of substitutions (I almost always make one or skip a step) - record what I found.  You can see the original pinned recipes I try under Cooking with Pinterest (Mostly) Board on my Pinterest account.  Please note that these recipes are "Christina Style" which means they aren't always exactly measured.  Also, I add what type of pan or whatever I used to cook it in since usually I don't have what the recipe calls for.  Today I actually tried 5 recipes - but I've only got pictures of one - so here goes:

Upside Down Potato & Onion Tart  - Mostly

Ingredients:
2 T salted butter
"sprinkle" of italian seasoning
1/2 a giant Costco onion, fairly thinly sliced
3 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
1.5 cups Kirkland shredded mexican cheese
a "swirl" of veggi oil
Pie plate

Turn oven on to 400.  Melt butter, "sprinkle" with italian seasoning, layer slivers of onion over that.  Mix remaining ingredients in bowl while onion and italian seasoning cooks until you start to smell onion cooking :) - that's about 5 minutes.  Take the bowl ingredients and put on top of onions, put in oven for 45 minutes (suggest 1 hr after this trial run if using harder potatoes like russet).

Here it is:

Do your best to flip:

Ok, so it's not as pretty, and russet potatoes definitely need an extra 15 minutes to soften all the way.  45 minutes had them soft but still a bit starchy.  Still were great with the steaks - see you next time!

Funny thing I named this blog "Please Don't Puke On Me".....

I actually narrowly avoiding getting puke IN MY MOUTH.  So yes, I was puked on - my daughter doesn't read this blog, obviously.  I sat there for a good minute going "MMM, MMM!!!! MMMMMMM!!!" to my husband who had no clue what happened.  So here's a note to nursing mothers - don't play airplane with your baby after you feed her.  I would give yourself a good hour before doing it.  Will you listen to this advice?  No.  Because our babies are so cute and loveable and squeezable and we want to play with them all the time, conveniently forgetting that we just fed them.  So don't come crying to me when they puke on you.  Just know we're all laughing at you.  I mean, WITH YOU.  By the way, husband was definitely laughing at me, while wandering around "trying" to find something to wipe the puke off my face.  Awesome.   PS - I'm "Cooking with Pinterest" where I try all these pinterest recipes, complete with not following them to the T because I'm not Suzie Homemaker who has every spice, meat, and pan available to make them with but who is still very hungry when roaming through the food section of pinterest and wants to make it all.  Lots of love! - C

I'm back!

So sorry to keep everyone waiting. A lot has happened in the last few months, and I have to say, my fashion journey has gone out the window while I work on myself first. I'm nearly 30 days into Power 90, and I feel great. That's actually why I'm up this morning - although feeling great isn't happening because I've been pretty sick for 3 days. I'm also super addicted to Pinterest now, and that's the other reason I'm up right now. I'm about to whip up a blueberry breakfast cake, do my workout while it's baking, and then sit back with some hot cocoa an enjoy the snow. Weather is calling for 3-6 inches and my older daughter is thrilled! I am secretly too - this is the reason we moved back east!
So I'm going to see if this pinterest pin is worthy - talk to you soon!

Sky High!

So today, as with every Sunday, I stare at my closet of "Sunday's Best" and reminisce about the days when I didn't have to figure out how to pull my boobs out of a dress.  In my case, it my be easier than those of you with smaller ones, since anything low cut I'm pretty much falling out of it anyway.  Yes, I know.  I'm a size 6 on a 5'1'' frame with a "nice rack".  That I hate because my arms are shorter than most people and all the stuff I want to do my boobs get in the way.  Ok, rant over. Here's what I finally went with:

I actually spent time on my hair and makeup today, so didn't really have time to accessorize.  This dress has a cowl neck and it's stretchy so I can pull it down to feed.  Dress is White House Black Market (on sale for $40 from $160 - SCORE), sky-high pumps are BCBG.  Yes, I wore 4" heels to meeting because it's only a few hours long and I don't stand a lot.  Word to the wise: if you have a fussy  baby, don't wear sky-high heels!  Remember that you will be up and walking around to settle them.  Oh yeah, I definitely regret all the walking I did while pregnant, it is definitely my baby's preferred method of soothing!  Do you also see that I managed to style my baby today too?  All pink and frilly!  Here is my hair:

I saw an actress with her hair like this and I really like it because it solves the issue of having to wear an entire thing of bobby pins in the back of your head when trying to pull off a side 'do.  Must look pretty nice, as several people came up giving me compliments on it!  Talk to you later in the week!

Ahhh! Made a mistake!

Ok, so don't laugh at me.  I told you in the beginning I am not a fashion expert, and the title even says this is a JOURNEY!  Here I am today:

After having my trusty photographer (brother) take like 6 pictures of me, I realized it wasn't the background, lighting or angle that was making this outfit look bad.... IT WAS THE OUTFIT!  I've wished for so long that I could pull off the leggings and tunic look.  Now I'm pretty sure I will just retire that idea.  Maybe I need more accessories?  Maybe just no hat?  Maybe just no boobs?  I got it - no FAT!  I've always had this pouch on my thighs and boy do I hate it!

I do have an excuse though, after having the flu since last week, I'm not thinking straight!  Today was my first day back to work since being laid out after my glucose test last Friday - no call from Dr means I'm good right? - so I just kind of grabbed "comfy" from my closet and tried to make it look good.  Oh well.  This is what happens when I'm lazy!

The Ultimate Mama Accessory!

Hello all! So excited today because I remembered what I was going to tell you!  If you can't figure out what top is going to work for you - put on your ultimate accessory - YOUR BABY!  :)  Feeling casual today so I just put on my boyfriend jeans, an Old Navy nursing top and embellished tank.  Complete with my fav Nikes and I was ready to go!

This opens up another topic of discussion for me - my Moby wrap.  LOVE IT!  I had a Bjorn with my first daughter and I barely ever used it.  But the Moby?  I wear it all the time.  Really.  All the time.  It's so easy to just wrap it around and put baby in it.  I especially like that I got this gray one with the owl, a lot of people compliment me on it.  I was pretty confused on the wrap technique at first, but now I pretty much use the hug hold pictured, Olivia didn't like the newborn one for very long (she likes her legs free).  I've tried the front facing one, but she's still a little young and she winds up with her head down sucking on the fabric.  I'll probably get her in that one when she can hold her head up all the time.  Anyone else out there take advantage of their baby as a fashion accessory?

Monday Funday!

It's another Monday and back to work I go!  I went sans make-up today but I did do my hair!  I read an article yesterday that random funky braids are in, and you can't see it here, but on the right side I've got a braid that goes into a low bun.

Otherwise, I was pretty simplistic today.  Jeggings are still the reigning pant in my life (I keep trying on my old jeans but my hips just are not wanting to be contained!).  I paired them with this great nursing top from Motherhood Maternity.  I love this top because you can lift the top panel up and separate the fabric underneath so that my entire belly and/or entire boob doesn't show when I feed my baby.  Sadly I only have one of these tops because they are just too expensive to justify multiple colors - which is why I created this blog BTW.  I don't feel you should be pressured into believe you only need nursing tops to be able to feed baby in public.  Threw on my brown flats and ran out the door!

Happy baby today - isn't she just so cute?

Branching out....

I did it!  I branched out today!  Mind you, I usually shy away from the trends that involve rolling or cuffing jeans, anything that makes a capri out of them.  Mainly because I am petite and I've always been told it makes me look shorter.  However, I decided to buck that thought I try it out.  And I get compliments!  How much more affirmation do you need?

Tip of today - check the weather for tomorrow and set your clothes out that night.  I'm glad I did because it's been rainy and chilly, but today it's rainy and warm!

So today I decided on my jeggings, cuffed with nude pumps.  I layered my camis since I'm still stuck with the black bra, and completed the look with another NY&Co necklace that I felt brought out the nude accents in the rest of the outfit.  What do you think?  Not bad huh?

I apologize for the very unhappy baby.  We tried to get a smile but she wasn't having it.

Rolled Jeans? No way!

Yep - that's what I used to say, but here's how I found myself today:

I decided to be a little rocker-chic today - see the studded belt?  I told you I'd try to do better!  That's right, I wore snakeskin Steve Madden heels, rolled my boyfriend jeans (AE again) AND wore a studded, tooled belt (Ariat).  I even got 2 compliments today.  One on my shoes and the other on my jeans and the rolled look.  Pretty awesome!  Sorry about Olivia, she's a little camera shy today.  Oh - I forgot the top.  You can't really tell, but it's one of those that sort of puddles - what's that called?  Anyway, it's awesome because I could just pull the fabric down to nurse!  Moral of today?  Don't be afraid!  You can do it!  

Pre-pregnancy jeans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some very exciting news to share.  Almost 2 months to the day, and with lots of hard work, I finally fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans!  I've also lost 14 lbs in the last 2 weeks.  Plenty of motivation to keep up with my workouts, protein shakes and breastfeeding!  If you're interested in my routine, let me know!  Here's today's outfit:

I do still have a little bit of belly over these, so I did my pre-pregnancy, bloated on my period trick, which is to wear a belt one hold loser than what actually holds my pants up and evens out the bulge.  Did it work?  I went black and white today with a pop of blue in my necklace.  Have I mentioned that, although I hate the logistics of a tank under a nursing/wrap top, I do really like that if I pull the tank up underneath the shirt and pull the wrap over, I still get a decent amount of coverage above and below?

Shirt - Target, Cami - Old Navy, Necklace/Bracelet - NY & Co, Jeans - American Eagle, Belt/Shoes - Ariat

Manic Monday

Ok - back to work and fashion.  Here's my latest attempt at looking decent despite nursing AND being fashion clueless:

I hope you read the last post because I'll be referencing that research material!  I was a little limited this morning because the only fabulous nursing bra they had in stock was black and animal print.  So stuck in the dark top section of the closet.  I did have to work today so I wanted one of my easy access tops that I can quickly feed Olivia when I need to.  In comes the black Banana Republic wrap top.  It's sleeveless so it was a great match with this argyle sweater.  Also, I'm still rocking the earrings I told you about and a NY&Co necklace.  I'm also loving those jeggings I mentioned in the last post (American Eagle - I don't really "shop" here anymore, but I just love the fit of their jeans).  Oh yeah - loving the stretch!  And then I've got my trusty BCBG black flats.  They are due for a good conditioning.  I'm still working on branching out with belts and such, but without expanding my closet further, those choices will have to wait because I fit into only about a quarter of my closet.

I'll get better, I promise!

I have a secret......

Whoa what a day!  Busy busy.  I was running late this morning, so I barely got to take advantage of my "alone" time in front of the mirror to practice putting on my make-up.  I agonized over what to wear, despite picking it out the night before.  I second-guessed my choice until the last possible second when - I decided to wear what I picked out!

However - I was a bad blogger and did not take a picture.  So!  Let me clue you in to some nursing mama truths I have recently become reacquainted with:

A. You can nurse in pretty much anything, just remember that if you aren't able to access from the top, you will have to lift up.  Despite the great nursing covers they have out there, you will have a nice triangle of back (fat) showing to the world.  Stay tuned for my new invention - a nursing CAPE!  :)

B.  The grip of a 6 week old baby is STRONG.  See my baby's grip over to the right.  It can rip, grip and take apart.  Be wary of the flailing hands that grab onto necklaces, earrings, hair, etc.  That would be why I insisted previously on non-danglely earrings and am now informing you of this wonderful thing I just found out.  Lean in....closer....CLOSER......  At New York & Co, they will exchange broken jewelry!!  So they have great stuff AND it doesn't matter if that little sweet baby of yours rips it apart - you can take it back!

C.  When jeggings were invented I hated them.  Now that only my pre-pregnancy boyfriend jeans fit, and not a single other pair of jeans does....jeggings are my new best friend.  Buy yourself a pair.  A well-fitting pair, it may be a size up from what you were before, but do it.  Just one pair - bring yourself out of the sweatpants.... embrace the jegging.

And I'll leave you with that... embrace the jegging..... embrace the jegging.....  Have you got a pair yet?  Talk to you soon!

Casual Friday

I'm still working into full-time status at work post-maternity, so I had today off.  Yay!  I meant to go through my closet and get some stuff together but instead spent my day with a variety of other tasks.

1 - I read my Mom's blog Over Forty Style and found she had discovered a better way to put on foundation.  I'd already decided to do some shopping later today and thought why not look nice doing it?  And then I discovered a brilliant idea for those short on time - TAKE ADVANTAGE!  :)  My husband is home today as well, so he sat with the kids watching Disney Jr while I spent time upstairs perfecting my makeup application techniques.  As mentioned in my first post, I've never really been into clothes or makeup, so I have to practice at it.  I think I did an okay job.  My mom liked it, which means I must have!  So my plan is to take advantage of my husband's time at home, which will mostly be weekends, and do my hair (not today) and makeup.  I figure if I have some time to perfect and practice the task, I will get better and faster at it and then I will be able to do it at 5 am before the kids wake up (ok, ok - 7am which is the latest possible time for me to wake up and be out the door almost on time - but the GOAL is 5am so I don't have to rush).

2 - Take a look at my picture again.  See the earrings?  I usually hate non-dangly earrings.  But, as with most nursing moms, I've got a baby grabbing at anything close to her, so... not so much.  But do you know how hard it is to find non-dangly earrings that aren't hearts, butterflies, words, etc?  I just wanted something understated that will go with anything and weren't pearls.  I like these because they are not covered in crystals, not obviously flowers, and silver so they'll go with most of my jewelry.  Oh yeah, they also will work for dress up or dress down.  Here's the close-up from Target:

3 - Since Harrisburg, PA is void of a Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack, I had to find a specialty lingere store to find nursing bras (or even regular bras) in my size.  I drove all the way to Camp Hill and was AMAZED at the service offered by Kim at Underneath It All.  She was just fantastic!  Two seconds to measure me and about the same to pull down a nursing bra that fit and separated the girls!  How fantastic!  She ordered a few more for me too since I intend to breastfeed until at least next year.  Please please please get a fitting ladies!  Even if you have no special considerations like my small ribcage, large boob situation.  I thought I knew my size, but that was after being measured 2 years ago.  Alas - they have grown even more. 

I should also add that because I was out only a little bit, I rocked the ponytail and yoga pants today - compression style does wonders for the pooch left by Baby Olivia.  I will definitely need to amp it up tomorrow because I've got service in the morning, a couple's date and then a baby shower to attend!  Till tomorrow! 

Day One

I spent yesterday trying to think of what essential pieces a nursing mom must have to create some semblance of a fashionable wardrobe.  If you're anything like me, you've been wearing yoga pants since the day your baby was born.  You may or may not be like me and lost all the baby weight and then some without even trying (don't hate me yet, did you read my first post and how it took 2 years to lose all the weight from my first baby?)!  But now that we've hit 5 weeks, I find myself in public more than ever, and yoga pants just aren't cutting it.

So I spent all day yesterday perusing multiple malls for essentials.  My goal: skinny jeans in my new post-partum size, a nice-looking cardigan, a nursing bra with underwire and whatever other nice nursing-friendly tops I could find.  The take?  Jeans - check.  Cardigan - check (although a little expensive for what I've been spending, I wore today and it is comfy and good quality).  Others - 2 colorful necklaces, 1 chunky bracelet, a black pencil skirt and a pair of earrings.  No go on the bra (they had a nice selection at Target, but not even close to my full-of-milk cup size).  These are the things I feel will get me through this transition period until I get back to my old clothes.  What, you say?  You can't fit into your old clothes despite being lighter than pre-pregnancy?  That's right, gained all the weight in my thighs, and my hips apparently spread to the ends of the earth!  :)

As part of my post-baby transformation, I've begun Power 90, a Beachbody program, and I've started to get my life together in the form of preparation and accountability.  Part of this is getting together everything I need for the next day ahead of time (usually the night before).  So I laid out everything I wanted to wear and managed to leave like this:

Cardigan, Nursing Tank, Earrings - Old Navy, Jeans - American Eagle, Flats - BCBG, Bracelet - New York & Co

Of course, I spent the day looking like this:

And even worse, most of the time I had my Moby wrap with baby inside, to make me look even more frazzled!

My intention was to have time to do my make-up, hair and experiment with tucking my tank in, leaving it out, putting a skinny belt around my waist or a wide belt in belt loops on jeans.  I also wanted to wear my oh-so-cute Steve Madden nude pumps, but in my rush out the door, ALL of the above was forgotten.... oops.  Oh well - Baby Olivia had everything she needed and my big girl Isabel was fed and ready for preschool.  Priorities people!

Oh - before I leave, I wanted to point out a few things.  1 - I apologize for the droopy uniboob the nursing top creates.  I'm placing my faith in Zappo's to get my new nursing bras in asap.  Unless you are tiny in the chest area, I suggest getting at least one underwire nursing bra, it helps the silhouette.  2 - Can you even see the bracelet I'm wearing?  It's stretchy, which I love because I have small wrists and I can't stand the sliding of a bangle.  It also doubles as a marker for which breast is next for the baby, I just switch it every feeding to remind myself.  Looks a little better than the hair tie I've been using, eh?  Alright - baby's crying - got to go!  See you tomorrow when I discuss the rest of my "essentials".

To Breastfeed or Not to Breastfeed?

What a question!  I bet if this is a current debate for you, you haven't even considered your wardrobe.  Well, I'm here to tell you to start preparing now - because I'm 5 weeks postpartum today and I find my closet lacking!

First of all, I am not a style maven.  I love fashion and have started to read some style-yourself type blogs, but I am not a very creative person.  I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and always have been.  Maybe it's because I spent my teen years riding horses in faded jeans, riding dirtbikes in dirty boots and gear or at the beach in a swimsuit; not much time for developing style there.  Then there's my body type.  Although as a young woman I still felt like I had the biggest boobs and hips you could fit on a petite frame, I appreciate the figure I had then as a 27 year old mother of two now.  Either way, the pairing of patterned pants with a certain top, belt, hat, shoes and hairstyle still elude me.  Don't even ask me about makeup!

However, having spent the first 2 years post baby #1 trying to get my body back, only to decide to try for baby #2 once I did, made me realize that a change is due.  Not only do I need to get back in shape, but I want to feel pretty in the clothes I wear, something I've never really felt in an everyday outfit.

I looked around online for some help, and found some great blogs and tips.  But not a single one was of a petite, nursing mom.  There are lots of unique challenges for the nursing mother that have not been addressed, and I intend to find a solution to every one. This blog will be a tell all of my journey into a more fashionable future.  I'll take you through the ups and downs, successes and failures of my nursing mama fashion efforts.

So here goes......