Keeping up with life

At an event last week, I got to speak with several other moms of young kids and the conversation turned to food. The other ladies all agreed that keeping up with the family meals is difficult in the best of times. Where are the sales this week? Where is the best produce? Can I fit a grocery run in on my lunch break? Does cereal for dinner more than one day a week mean I'm a bad mother? It's so interesting to learn about other families' situations and how other moms deal with challenges. And it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who freaks out a little at meal times.

I like to think I have my life together most of the time. But this week has been a doosey. And what has suffered the most (aside from my mental fortitude)? Our family lunches. I usually do the job of planning, preparing and packing lunches. Which I love to do and have a natural inclination for...plus my partner in parenting does almost ALL the cleaning. I know, I've got it good!

Anyway, the food planning has been an increasingly important job as we budget our time and money. The morning rush is tough on us and our almost-fifteen-month-old tike. Thankfully, she stays with my mother for the day so even when I'm not on my food game, Nanny has it covered. She loves our little gremlin like her own (or perhaps even more) and she has duplicates of everything: diapers, cereal, treats, sippy cups, etc. It means I can be lazy about packing a bag for the day if I want or need to. Be that as it may, I still like to have things planned and assert some initiative in the healthy diet of our family.

I make at least one big-batch recipe a week which is used for several meals. I roast or steam vegetables and have those on hand in the fridge. And I often have fruit and some snacks packaged up on stand-by (like already-cut-up strawberries, Nutrios or other cereal, or yogurt). Processed foods are limited and we offer drinks like water, milk and only real fruit/veg juice like this one. I make smoothies with yogurt, fruit and vegetables. It can take up to an hour each night to get things in order for the following day for the baby...not to mention the two adults in the house.

All that prep really helps with the mornings and the short half hour evening window between getting home and getting baby to bed before she explodes in screaming tantrums of tiredness. It's a challenge every day. We do splurge with a treat out but usually on the weekends for time's sake.

Sometimes, though, even the best intentions fail and this mama slips up. This week, vegetables have been overcooked and even burnt, chickpeas have been used as a protein several times despite baby not really liking them, and I even sent a frozen salmon fillet in the lunch bag with cooking instructions. One night, I was very thankful for pierogies I had pre-made and frozen the other week...and even more thankful that the kiddo ate it up like it was the best food she'd ever eaten.

So I try to remember my Girl Guide days and the motto Be Prepared. But sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow. Even if that means cereal for dinner.

Getting ready

So we're all back to work, and the baby is away from home and us full time for the first time. To try and make things easier, I'm getting into the habit of making food ahead of time. I have always been a fan of making lunches the night before and Sundays have often been my time to cook something big with leftovers in mind. Now, I'm cooking for three and need to be more mindful about nutrition than ever before. Things have to be yummy, simple and portable. This past week, I made a rice casserole with whole grain rice, broccoli, peas and white kidney beans. It was a little bland but did the trick. The baby didn't like it too much but she ate leftover beans the next day and I enjoyed the dish with salsa.

Today, I took about 20 minutes and made macaroni and cheese with peas, whole milk and squash. One pot is enough for a few adult lunches and several kid-sized portions - plus it will freeze well. I also chopped up a carrot and some broccoli, and boiled it until tender, which the baby will love as finger food. I'll also send along in baby's lunch bag some yogurt (baby's favorite!), chickpeas (soaking as I type), fruit (like applesauce, banana or avocado), and cereal. And that's a week of meals. Done.

I just hope I can keep this up because it's inspiring to be on the ball and ready to face the week with one less thing to worry about.

1st Birthday

A self-indulgent post about my little one-year-old.

The past year has seemed to simultaneously take forever to pass and also whiz by in a blink of an eye. Today is our little Monkey's first birthday and I just am in awe of the developments in her and in our lives over the past year. The main lesson I have learned is: "It will all work out in the wash" (my dad's saying). The most-said phrase for me this year: "I don't know."

This past year can be summed up in to several major categories:
1) Sleep/naps/lack-of-sleep
2) Food
3) Diapers and what's in them
4) Trying to figure out how to live in between Number 1 & 2 (ie. between our and baby's sleeping and eating)
5) Going with the flow (ie. Number 4)

If you think about how much a baby processes, learns and grows in just its first year of life it is amazing. I sometimes can't remember what happened from one year to another when I look back on my life. I'll always remember 2012 though.

So, at the end of this crazy year, here's what Monkey has been up to:

-  Laughs with a big belly laugh and giggles when her dad throws her up in the air (while I tend to cringe and say things like "careful" and "watch her head!"...I hope she gets some of my trepidation and half of his 'leap before looking' carefree manner.

- Eats everything in sight...except cake. From her first bites of avocado and rice cereal, to most of turkey dinner, she has always had a good appetite. I've known to keep trying foods over and over if she didn't like them and it's worked out...she even likes sweet potato now. Interesting fact though, because she has never had anything sweet (except fruit) she just didn't know what to do with a little birthday cupcake we gave her. After she stared at it for a few minutes in scared awe, I put her hand right in the icing. She cried. She licked her finger, tasted the icing and screwed up her face in horror. Except that she looks like a perfect mix of me and her dad, I'd question if she was switched at birth.

- Has finally leaned to crawl. Well, she crawl/squats but can cross a room, no problem. I secretly worried about this milestone since she was slow to roll over and would just sit there in playgroups while 7-month-olds crawled right over her. But once she figured it out it was easy peasy. The only thing is that she tries to stand up, so while on all fours she throws one leg out like a tripod and then squats before starting this process all over again. She's surprisingly fast at this process and it is unbelievably cute. I'm also envious of her apparent skill at yoga poses I still haven't mastered.

- Can say many more words than I through she would at this point. It started with "Mom" about two months ago and she's steadily added about half a dozen more words in there since then. For a while, she said "Aunt" non-stop and it drove me crazy, but then she went on to saying other things that weren't "Aunt", like "Dad", "cat", "Nan", and "baby." Ahm, "Mom" is still her favourite.

- Claps. This is just too adorable for words. And she claps on demand, as in you can ask her to clap and she does. Great party trick.

- Points at things, especially the light (and then she says "'ight") and pictures (``picu``). She also points at the cat and at people. I should maybe try to get her to stop that because it may seem rude if we're out in public and she starts pointing at strangers.

- Waves with her little pudgy hand - though mostly at her own reflection in the mirror.

- Is starting to get more snuggly. She has been independent since day one and will push me away, even if she's just bumped her head and starts to cry. Instead of getting cuddly when she's tired, she just gets cranky or zones out. But lately, she will rest her head on my chest when she's tired and up in my arms. And if her dad has her up then just forget about it. She's become daddy's little girl, and has her first bout of separation anxiety since he has gone back to work from four months of parental leave. Also, every dad should take parental leave if they can swing it!

She's just amazing and being a mom is unbelievable. Here's to the next year!

Year one

It's a new year and what better time to revisit the blog and focus myself. Christmas was wonderful and we're still reading and watching tv in the glow of our tree and decorations. Things don't return back to normal around here until Jan. 6, Old Christmas Day. Coincidentally, that was my due date last year but baby decided to hold on a few more days. In about a week, I'll mark a whole year of being a mom. That's my New Year.

I usually write up a list of accomplishments at the end of one year and think about what to improve upon in the next. This year, Charlotte was the major accomplishment. Next, it was showers. Making food, eating food and feeding other people are also top on that list. I had some difficulty in the early days with baby's introduction to solid food. Luckily, she always liked food and had a big appetite. But she didn't always like my food. These days, she's all about it and she's just as happy gobbling up chickpeas and sweet potato (yes!) with us as she is having a treat of homemade banana bread or pumpkin pancakes. She even ate most of the same items as us at Christmas turkey dinner. The progress we've made makes me very excited for her birthday preparations!

There's one more food update for me as I enter the new year. I successfully made it back to pre-pregnancy weight right around the same time I returned to work in September. The last twenty pounds (I gained close to 50 over the nine months!) were all due to hard work and the help of SparkPeople. I tracked everything I ate for about 4 months straight, whether it was good or bad. Tracking really helped me focus on my intake and what I needed to do exercise-wise. After a break for the holidays, it's time to go back to that routine. Thankfully, I didn't indulge too much recently but I still miss the discipline and what it means to track my food and be healthier.

So here's to 2013 and all the new things it will bring. Happy eating!

Pumpkin pancakes

Fall is in the air as we near October and I picked up some pumpkin to celebrate. There was a lot of puree so I was hoping our baby would love it. She ate it, but it didn't seem to thrill her. There were no reactions to the pumpkin, though, so I was determined to make good use of it on the whole family.

I've also just discovered Pinterest...and although I know I'm late to the game, it has consumed my before-bed Internet browsing and given me a lot of inspiration for some DIY home projects, as well as cooking and baking ideas. There is a flood of fall pins lately and the Food and Drink board is full of pumpkin recipes. I saw pumpkin pancakes and was smitten. Though I wanted to try a lower calorie and lower fat version which preferably didn't have eggs, since we haven't yet tried eggs with our daughter. I found this recipe through SparkPeople and tried it this morning. It was a hit! We ate it up and so did Charlotte. She has been loving feeding herself, putting bite-sized pieces of food in her mouth and chewing them. This is the first "recipe" food she's had and I'm thrilled to say she ate it (and it was something I made!).

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try this seasonal breakfast:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy (or regular cow's) milk
 2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white if that's what you have on hand)


In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Wait about 5 mins until it curdles which is "like" buttermilk.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, spices and extract with the milk mixture mixture. Add in the other ingredients and mix until it is just combined (don't over-mix). Let rest about 5 mins, which is about the amount of time it will take to warm up your pan or skillet. Then stir the mixture again and you can start ladling out your pancakes. Wait until their bubbly on top (like regular pancakes) and then flip.

These tasted pretty good for vegan pancakes, though next time I think I will add more pumpkin, more spices and some brown sugar for sweetness. Some reviewers on the original post suggested the same and also to add agave nectar, walnuts or banana for different flavours and textures.

The recipe also yields quite a few pancakes so there were enough left over to freeze for baby's (and Daddy's) breakfasts later this week.

Fuel to be back at it

I am now officially a working mom since I returned to work last week. It's a busy time as my partner is splitting parental leave and staying home with our little gal. There are a lot of firsts - baby's, daddy's and mamma's. Thankfully, I have found an energy-filled recipe for homemade granola bars that works as a quick breakfast or snack. Granola mix is something we usually have on had in one form or another. Sometimes it has different seeds, chocolate chips, different nuts, raisins, oats, etc. I have tried making bars before but they never seem to hold together or be suitable for taking to work or on-the-go. This one inspired by a Today's Parent magazine "picky eaters" insert actually works! It suggests putting the granola mixture in the bottom of muffin tins for baking so you end up with granola coins. Plus, the recipe calls for an egg which helps bind it all together. Brilliant!

Here's the recipe (but feel free to substitute items you have on hand or love (like instead of dried cranberries, use raisins or another dried fruit). I had coconut in the cupboard so I used that this time and it was yummy!

Egg, fresh, 1 large
Maple Syrup, .25 cup
Canola Oil, 1 tbs
Oats (large flake), 1 cup
Sunflower Seeds, without salt, 2 tbs
Cranberries, dried, sweetened (craisins), 0.25 cup
Almonds, 2 tbs
Cooking spray or oil for pan

In a medium bowl, whisk egg with maple syrup and oil. Stir in all the other ingredients. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (or oil the bottoms of each part of the tin). Spoon the granola mixture into the muffin tin, separating the mixture into 12 portions and patting it down with the back of a spoon.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 mins until golden around the edges. When done. let cool a few minutes then run a knife around the edge of each one to release them. Let the coins cool on a rack.

If you want to make granola, or want to cut out the oats or egg in this recipe, simply toss all the dry ingredients together in a baggie. Sealed, it should last a while or you can portion out 1/4 or 1/2 cup portions into containers or baggies for lunches and snacks.

Today's lunch was brought to you by the letters A & B

Today's lunch for baby was avocado and banana. She ate it up!

Guess the secret for now is raw food so mama doesn't have to cook :)

 The happy camper! (She's learned to pose for the camera)

And then Mom made lunch with the leftovers! Fresh spring rolls with avocado, cabbage, carrot and lettuce (from the garden). Just roll it all up in rice paper rolls and dip in some soy sauce. Like a salad all rolled up. Dessert was banana!

Sweet potato or bust

A face full of carrot and a dessert of peach in her net feeder.

Our little girl started solid foods two months ago and she's never looked back. She started with a few bites of avocado and now will eat an entire half fruit in one sitting. In the mornings, she usually has about a third a cup of cereal and sometimes a few tablespoons of applesauce. I don't think she's ever been full!

Her favorites also include apple, banana, carrot and oatmeal cereal. We have tried lots of fruits, vegetables and cereals and she's eaten all of them without much protest...except sweet potato. I first tried making the vegetable for her myself by roasting it and then pureeing it in the food processor. It was her first cooked (ie. not raw) food. She took one bite and actually gagged. I've since tried it boiled, in chunks and mixed with apple but no luck so far.

This has been a trend in our little girlie's solid food forays. I had thought I'd be making yummy food for her from scratch. I would spend one or two days a week making food so our freezer would be well stocked with homemade and healthy offerings. I wanted to use what we were eating to cut down on work and to encourage baby to eat like mom & dad in preparation for eating with us. Unfortunately, no matter the recipe or method I use she refuses to eat my food with as much gusto as store-bought baby food. That first sweet potato experiment has set a standard and I'm sad to say I've wasted some food in the name of experimentation.

I know we're lucky to have such a good eater. I consider myself to be a pretty good cook & have tried all sorts of methods. Believe me, though, the irony is not lost on me that my own kid hates my cooking!

I decided to buy jar and pouch food just to try. Then if there were no reactions (thankfully, none yet!) and she liked the food, then I would go ahead and make a batch of homemade food.This has backfired as she's a stubborn little girl. She's now eating a mix of homemade food and store bought. I'm not giving up, though. Everyone, including my doctor, tells me it takes up to fifteen tries before a child may like a food. So sweet potato is still on the menu...as is homemade carrots, peaches, green beans, etc. If baby likes it from a jar she might eventually like it from mom's freezer. I'm just going to keep trying! 

I'm also encouraging her to try finger foods in small bites and foods such as apples, peaches, watermelon and cantaloupe (all favorites!) in a handy net feeder (like this one) she likes to suck and bite on. Hopefully all the food trials will be helped by our little gummy-grinned little girl finally getting teeth. Her first one showed up yesterday!

                                                           

 

 Cantaloupe cut up for use in the net feeder.

Carrot cooked, pureed in a baby Wean Machine and ready for storage. 

The beginnings of a freezer full of baby food to try. Hey, it's all pretty yummy so if she won't, eat it we will!

What I'm doing on maternity leave

I have about a half dozen food posts waiting to be written with related photos sitting idly on my camera. Though I'm on maternity leave, I just don't seem to find enough time to think up and type out posts. I got to thinking, what am I doing with my time (other than looking after a helpless little new life, of course) and what changes should I make in the last few months of my leave.

I had thought I would be cooking and baking lots of new and interesting things - and perfecting some favorites - as I became more used to motherhood and the baby became more sturdy. Of course, I was blessed with a child who NEVER naps. Thankfully, she sleeps well in the nights so we're not zombies. But in the day, she craves attention and is a social butterfly. Perhaps I created a monster. See, to stave off my own craziness and loneliness, I enrolled us in a bunch of activities and made sure we got out of the house at least once every day. I'm a scheduler and doing this made me feel ten times better in a short-lived postpartum blues bout. We go to Mother Goose, library story time, a baby playgroup, playdates, walks in the park and around our neighbourhood (and when its not so nice outside, the mall). And of course there's grocery day and stops to the second-hand store and other favorite shops to see whats new. Oh, and I can't wait to take her swimming!

My child will smile a gummy grin when strangers poke their head into her stroller and she has never fussed when someone else holds her. For this, I'm thankful...but I hate the stubborn fights she puts up every day when she refuses (with bags under her eyes!) to nap. How many times have I said to DH, Sorry, honey, dinner wasn't cooked again tonight because I was dealing with a cranky mess. And the baby is tired, too.

For example, tonight's dinner was a frozen chicken burger and a half-hearted homemade coleslaw (though, to my credit I threw in sunflower seeds and raisins & it was delish,). But I can do better! At least on the weekends. 'Common!

So, in my last few remaining months of leave from work I vow to not let this Amazing Awake Baby get to me. I will find time to have fun with food, to cook and bake, and I will write about these attempts here. I've also enlisted some family help to plant an edible garden and look forward to sharing that experience with our daughter. It's time to un-schedule some of my time and bond with baby in the garden and kitchen. Who knows, maybe it will even help with her first bites of solid food? Mamma's going to make a sauce...yes, a béchamel. Can you say bech-a-mel? Good!

Mindful cooking means mindful prep

I'm cooking Easter dinner tomorrow for my family and we're having turkey with all the fixings. I've cooked turkey dinner for a crowd before but this will be the first time in our new(ish) house and with a baby in our lives. And what did I do? Forget to take the turkey out of the freezer in time to let it thaw in the refrigerator.

So it's now being carefully watched in a sink of water while it speed-thaws. You can thaw a turkey this way if you check it every 1/2 hr and replace the water so it stays cold (40 degrees F or colder). If done this way, it should take about 1/2 hr per pound to thaw safely.

I plan on putting the bird in a brine solution overnight and popping it in the oven around 9am so it'll be ready and well rested by our dinnertime of 2pm. For turkey novices, it takes about 4-4.5 hrs in a 325 F oven for an 8-12 lb turkey and you want it to rest at least 1/2 hour afterwards to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat. The internal temperature of the bird should reach 165 F with a food thermometer for safety.

Or you can do what this lady suggests! (warning: language)

Happy Easter all!

Make it now, eat it later

One of the many pieces of advice I got while pregnant was to make big batches of food in advance and put them in the freezer for when baby arrived. I understood that I wouldn`t have much time after baby arrived to cook (or eat!) but I also didn`t have much energy before baby arrived to cook. I tried but only managed to make a cake...which is still in our downstairs freezer. Thankfully, when Charlotte came to live with us we had the help of family and friends (and take-out) when it came to meals. During the first week, my partner in parenting made a big batch of vegetarian chili and we did manage to freeze some of it for later use.

This week, after a particularly hectic day, we broke out that chili and re-heated it. It turned into a nice snack-like late dinner. We put the chili over nachos chips with whatever veggies were in our crisper (chopped up), shredded cheese and pickled jalapenos from the condiment shelf in the fridge.

 Before: frozen veggie chili 

 After: Nachos!

I will definitely be making more batches of food for freezing in the coming days and weeks - like pastas, sauces, lasagna, meatloaf and probably more chili because it was such a big hit. I encourage anyone with a child on the way, a young one at home, or a busy schedule to do this too. It does take a little planning and effort to make food but you can cook it once and eat it many times. Just make sure to seal up the food tight and label it if you`re prone to forgetting items in the deep dark corners of your freezer. A little prep now can save you time, money and headaches later on...and it can be quite delicious.  

Here are some quick links to recipes you can make and freeze for your future starving self:

Baby Center`s 10 Frozen Assets

Canadian Living`s Deep Freeze

The Kitchn - Recipes that Freeze Well

Food traditions

With Pancake Day around the corner, I'm reminded there are a lot of traditions and holidays centered around food. I haven't always followed these traditions due to being busy or just plain lazy. But now that I'm a mom, it's up to me to introduce traditions to my family and make these days special. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without gingerbread cookies, after all. Think about all the traditions and holidays we use food to commemorate. And even if it's not as simple as a cake on one's birthday (though that's a pretty important food-related tradition!) you have to admit we tend to use food as a way to celebrate almost everything. So I'm going to make a commitment to pay more attention to these foodways traditions in the future and give Charlotte special moments. I have visions of presenting homemade goodies to her and family on special days and even of her helping me prepare meals and treats when she gets older.


Thankfully, I have a good few months before she is able to eat solid food. It will give me time to reflect on my own family's traditions and food moments as well as my cooking/baking repertoire . Though she will be just old enough to try a few bites of these reindeer gingerbread cookies (with pretzel ears, chocolate chip eyes and a Smartie nose) come Christmas time. I made these for the first time this past December so maybe it will be our first food tradition!

Keep it simple

I have always been the kind of person who enjoys simple but beautiful things. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive to be good and this translate to food. Sure I love an amazing modena balsamic vinegar and pink Himalayan sea salt (both of which are regulars in my pantry) But I'm equally as happy with a tin of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. And I have to agree with Nigella when she says there's nothing more perfect than a boiled egg.

I'm thinking of simplicity lately because being home with a newborn more or less forces me to pare down my choices. A good day comprises of getting a shower, putting on real pants (not just pjs or yoga wear) and actually eating with two hands using a knife and fork. Most days, I have to be satisfied with items I can eat one-handed while holding baby. So appreciating the simple beauty of certain foods is important - especially right now. Today my food of choice was a lovely toasted bagel with a slice of tomato, jarlsberg cheese, and some freshly sliced deli black forest ham. It was glorious. And I was just as in love with my glass of Diet Coke with lots of ice.

It's times when you're really busy that it's important to know yourself and what you like. It may seem like it's about survival but it's also about sanity. I know many would succumb to eating a microwavable meal over the sink in hectic times. But if this is your only option, at least make sure it's semi-nutritious and a meal you will enjoy.

Try not to make things too serious or difficult and accept the situation. A fussy menu is just not in the plans right now so I'm surrendering to re-heating leftovers (like Mom's lasagna which lasted us a week!), easy meals like sandwiches, and lots of snacks which we have stocked in the pantry and fridge (almonds, yogurt, or cheese are my favorites right now). Food is fuel and new moms (and other busy people) surely need their fuel. But it also helps to take pleasure in what you eat. It definitely makes the day's tasks easier to tackle! And if you really need a jolt of gourmet, go ahead and dip those apple or pear slices into some balsamic vinegar. Whatever works!

New year and new inspiration

It's been a while since I've last posted on the blog and life has been busy. We welcomed a lovely baby girl into our world in early January. Charlotte has changed everything and I've come to appreciate food in a different way. I feel a re-commitment to this blog and hope to contribute to it more regularly now that life with a newborn is getting a bit more normal for me.

I plan on writing about family dinners, quick fixes, life as a new mom, special events and experimenting with new food for baby as she transitions into eating solids. Welcome Charlotte and my new inspiration!

M.I.A.

I've been missing in action for the whole summer. BUT I have a good excuse. I'm announcing on the blog some big news: I'm pregnant! Right now, I'm about half way through to my due date of early in the new year. Since finding out I'm with child, there have been so many ups and downs...and surprisingly many of those bumps in the road were food related. I have been more tired than I thought humanly possible. Then there was the nausea and general loss of appetite. And, of course, the weird cravings.

It's been a whole new experience for me. At first I was fine and nothing seemed that different. Then the tiredness kicked in and the food aversions. I was left unable to think about what was for dinner let alone have the energy to actually cook something. And my poor boyfriend hasn't been able to have a fried egg in the house for months. I went from eating mostly healthy, lower-carb foods to high-fat and starchy treats. And I found I couldn't eat many flavour combinations at once or it made me wretch. I remember getting a lovely sandwich as Manna Bakery one Saturday and eating about a quarter of it before having to lie down for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't the sandwich. It was awesome: turkey, cheese, pretzel bread, mustard and lots of olives on the side. Then there was another time at International Flavours with a friend where I barely got through my curry plate. Barely. And then also had to lay down on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. At times like those, I wished I could talk to my food: "Listen, you're awesome. It's not you, it's me. Really."

Fast food was not what I needed but I ate it more than I'd like to admit. There were times I felt so tired and stomach sick, it was like being hungover. And we all know the cure for hangovers: grease. I also had a whole phase (ahm, more like month) where I wanted ice cream every day. How stereotypical! To be fair, more often than not I opted for a popsicle or frozen yogurt.

And for about a three or four week stretch I routinely woke up at four in the morning craving chocolate milk. I ended up buying my own supply of 1 % so I could trot out to the kitchen at all hours and guzzle it right from the carton. In my second month, I traveled to a national conference and I insisted that the hotel give me a mini fridge room so I could keep some fruit and my precious chocolate milk for when I needed it. I've always liked soy milk so I tried substituting that to curb my cravings. Until, about fifteen minutes into drinking a cup of the stuff, I got sick and it all came back up again. I'm officially off the chocolate milk, soy or otherwise. 

Then I found the Babyfit website and have been tracking my food ever since, the good, bad and ugly. The website allows me to see where I've been strong in my nutritional intake and where I'm lacking on a daily basis. It sound tedious but it's worth it to have a healthy me and a healthy baby!

Thankfully, I'm feeling much better these days. My appetite has come back, I'm getting cravings (which is a whole other blog post!), and I'm eating pretty well...and eating a lot! So I'm looking forward to sharing my new cooking and eating adventures here as I go through the second half of my pregnancy and journey towards parenthood.