Tasty Tuesday - Vegetti

This is a play on one of my very favorite dishes my mother used to make with all that leftover Thanksgiving Turkey. There were two things I loved about holiday leftovers, one was Turketti, the other was Potatoes, Ham, and Cheese which always came around after new year's ham. Well, I've taken the main ingredients in Turketti, got rid of the Turkey and added spinach. The result - Vegetti! At least it has all the classic flavors of Turketti.

For my fowl eating friends - Give this a shot next time you have leftover turkey. You'll just need to chop up your cooked turkey and probably use chicken broth instead of veggie broth.

Vegetti
1 package of whole wheat spaghetti
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and extremely well squeezed and drained
1 2oz jar of diced pimentos, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt (or powdered Garlic is fine)
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup veggie broth

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, be sure to leave them al dente; drain and set aside. Combine corn, pimentos, seasonings, and 1 cup of cheese (or more!). Stir in the noodles and then the veggie broth a little at a time. You really might only need a splash of veggie broth. It is extremely important to get your spinach as dry as possible or you will end up with vegetti soup. So eyeball the broth and don't overdo it. If you are using Turkey instead of spinach, you will need to add much more broth (near 2 cups) Spoon into a lightly greased 12 x 8 inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake until cheese is bubbly, another 10 minutes or so. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

A Bun and the Sea

We went on our much needed babymoon this past weekend. Patrick planned the whole thing, I had only told him "I don't care where we go, as long as its to the beach!" We went to Seagrove Beach in Santa Rosa, FL. It was absolutely lovely. On the shore between Destin and Panama City, it was much less touristy than either of those locations. No giant hotels, no chains, just beach life. Lots of adorable million dollar beach houses and condos. We stayed in a condo right on the water.

We left on Thursday and came back Sunday, so it was a way-too-quick trip. I would have loved to have spent a whole week. We got two full days on the beach (except for having to retreat inside from the hour long deluge on the second day). Patrick managed to get a little burned, but I hid tucked under the umbrella most of the time. I had a great prenatal massage on Friday, and I certainly didn't want to be burned for that.

We keep saying we need to move to Santa Rosa because I slept better there than I have anywhere in weeks. I was able to go straight(ish) to sleep and go back to sleep after nighttime bathroom trips, which I have a very hard time doing at home. Fresh air and plenty of activity definitely does the body good. So does the ocean. I say the ocean will cure anything that ails you.

Both of our beach days were red flag days, which I found out the hard way really kills my hips. Fighting currents and waves are not so great for the pelvic area, so I was really sore most of the time. I didn't go in the water much after that.

I have a very hard time coming home from vacations. I get quite a bit bummed and pretty moody. This vacation was no exception. But, this time I have so much to look forward to coming home for. I felt like our babymoon was the marker to the final countdown. So now, it is getting so close to birthing and parenthood, there's nothing else on the calendar!

Oliver is convinced he is the baby.

Book Review - Back Labor No More

Back Labor No More:
What every woman should know before labor
by Janie McCoy King

From Ms. King's website:
"With a warm, humorous, and personal approach, this book explains what back labor is, how to recognize it, and what physical characteristics are likely to cause it. Using cartoons, illustrations of everyday occurrences, and her background as a mathematician, the author offers a unique method to relieve the pain of back labor and facilitate the baby's birth.

Additionally, the book explains why other natural childbirth techniques work. Finally, it relates the personal experiences of women who have used the technique and their astounding results! In short, this light-hearted, insightful look at labor reveals the causes of and solutions for the serious discomfort of back labor. Rooted in scientific principle, yet explained through common daily experiences, it is accessible to anyone- even between contractions!"

This book was a recommended reading in my home study course. I read the whole thing in one sitting - about an hour. It is easy to understand, easy to remember, completely revolutionary, but totally intuitive. I think Ms. King did a wonderful job writing a very enjoyable book that you can easily read through, while using examples that you WILL remember. I'm pretty confident I can remember the "technique" even during my birthing time. The technique is actually quite simple.. but you must read it! I can't explain it here, and provide a good outcome.

Ms. King explains that back labor has a variety of causes, not just when you have a posterior baby. It can be caused by a short stature, a previous back injury, a sway-back, or a posterior baby. She explains each "problem" and positions to alleviate pains for each.

Not only does Ms. King promote that this will halt back labor in its tracks, but it will also significantly reduce abdominal labor, make contractions more efficient, shorten the time of active labor, help sluggish labors progress, bring on labor when past due, and stop "running legs".

I told a friend that I had ordered this book and she said "Are you really that afraid you will have back labor?" The answer is "No! But if I do have it, its too late to order the book then!"

My book was $13 total with shipping from Amazon, and took an hour of my time to read and learn. I will definitely be re-reading as my birthing time draws closer.
Get it, read it, do it.

Tasty Tuesday - Asian Inspired Bowl

This is one recipe that I actually made up myself. I'll admit its not heavy on protein. I also thought last night that I should really add a sea veggie to it. Wakame would be nice. I couldn't take a picture because Patrick is in Colorado with the camera, so just use your imagination!

Asian Inspired Bowl
This is super easy to construct, especially if you have cooked rice already, that is the only cooking involved. I usually make single servings of this. You probably don't want to make a big batch in a big bowl because the avocado will get weird by the next day. I just make another single serving for lunch the next day.
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 apple, diced
1 avocado, diced
Sesame Oil
Rice Wine Vinegar
Pine Nuts

Cook rice accordingly. I always cook my rice with 1/2 water and 1/2 veggie broth for flavor.
In a small bowl, dish out your rice (~1/2 cup per serving). Drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Stir. Dice on top 1/2 apple and 1/4 an avocado. Top with a sprinkling of pine nuts.

That's it! Its crunchy, buttery, smooth, sweet, and smoky. I think its great! Give it a shot!

Avocados have been shown to have a benefit on cholesterol levels, particularly decreasing LDL and triglycerides. A Japanese study showed they have an antibacterial component. They are great for your skin and hair. Better if eaten than applied externally.

They have also been shown to regulate hormones in both men and women. They are even shaped like a uterus, and the Aztec word for avocado, ahuacatl, means "testicle"!

The Most Tedious of Exercises

We all hate them. They are hard to do, hard to remember to do, and seem to be more of a mind game than anything else. The dreaded Kegel. Yet, its one of the more important pregnancy exercises. This from my Hypnobabies work book:

"This exercise is necessary to keep your internal organs in the proper position before, during and after birth, and to keep the baby's chin on its chest during the 2nd stage of your birthing time, which makes sure the smallest part of the head is presented first. A weak Kegel muscle lets the vaginal wall sag ahead of the baby, and hold the baby back, along with letting its head move about more freely, sometimes allowing it to become wedged in the wrong position. This can lead to internal tears. A strong Kegel muscle pulls the vaginal walls taut and lets the baby "slide" through with its chin on its chest."

The book says to start with 50 a day, and aim for 150 a day. I probably get in my 50, but certainly not 150. However, after reading this, it gives me a little extra incentive, so I wanted to pass that along.

Happy squeezing!



Hypnobabies^TM Home Study Course, 5th edition

Tasty Tuesday - Rice and Black Bean Casserole

Here's a new casserole from Cathe Olson's The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook. It was super easy (requires no chopping of anything!) and darn tasty. If you already have your rice cooked, it will take absolutely no time at all to throw this together. I modified it a bit, and will include my modifications in my recipe.

Rice and Black Bean Casserole
Rice + Beans makes a complete protein. I added spinach because I thought it needed a vegetable (salsa does not count as a vegetable!), cheese, and sour cream (or creme fraiche) in the mixture to give it more of a casserole consistency, and I added a bit of chipotle chili powder. Give this one a try, you'll love it!

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 to 1 cup grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup corn
1 cup baby spinach, or regular spinach chopped
2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9x9 casserole dish. Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup of the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Spoon mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly.