Juice junkie pt. 3

My poor, little vitamix. Now, we do not own one of those fancy ones that heat stuff and make ice cream or whatever. Ours is old. Old and yet, still very much a coveted item in my kitchen. People get a little jelly when you tell them you have one! I feel cool. Sorta. Anyways, this vitamix has been put through the ringer. I made sunflower seed butter in that old thing. And it took forever and I will never do that again. It sort of made some weird noises and I could tell it wasn't happy with me so I put her in the corner and there she sat for what I believe was a much needed rest. Moving on. I have been lacking in the juice/smoothie making department as of late. Why? Because I'm lazy. "It's so easy though!", you say. I know. But I am lazy, like I said. This past week though I had an epiphany. It went a little something like, "Stop eating bread for breakfast or you'll gain __lbs during this pregnancy like the last." Hit me hard. So I decided some yummy juices and smoothies would be a better choice than say, sourdough with a bunch of avocado spread on it and siracha delicately displayed on top. Here's what I've been making...

My rule: Keep it simple. It's tempting to throw about 100 things into a smoothie. I choose to not do that. Sometimes I add omega-3 + DHA oil into them, especially if Silas is going to have some. I no longer use maca since becoming pregnant, but I miss it's energy boosting effects and I recommend it for sure!

1) Kale. Chard. Lemon. Blueberries. Banana. Maca. Filtered H2O.

2) Kale. Lemon. Strawberries. Ginger. Coconut H2O.

3) Watermelon. Grapefruit. Ginger. Carrots.

Happy Juicing! xo

52 week project / 10.11

"A portrait of my child, once a week, for a year."

Silas: It has been unreal to watch you grow in the last 2 weeks. Your understanding of what I am saying to you is through the roof. "Go get us a book to read." You do it. "Go lay down so I can change your diaper." Done. I am sure every mama says this about their babes, but you are a very smart little boy. And fearless. I caught you climbing the cat tower the other day. I love you little bebe, you sure do make my days amazing.

Baby #2: Is that you I feel? I can't be sure, since it's pretty early on. I swear I can feel a few tumbles though. I'm trying not to "wish" this pregnancy would go faster, but I'm just so excited. Really trying to cherish the moments that your big brother is my one and only because when you get here, it's going to get crazy! I love you little one.

survival mode

This was taken on a rather awful day. A small break in the storm.

Always being naughty. And laughing about it. I guess my taking a picture of it doesn't exactly say, "Stop doing that!".

I very much look forward to nap time. But, sometime's I miss him when he's asleep. And nothing is better than when he wakes up smiling and wanting some snuggles.

Whenever people ask me how I'm doing lately, I simply respond with, "i'm surviving". That's where I'm at. This pregnancy is dragging its feet. I mean, they pushed my due date up  (back? I don't know...) 2 whole frickin' weeks so I pretty much feel as though the first trimester is a never ending black hole. And then there is my darling little 14 month old. Silas has been jumping in between horrific and the sweetest boy you'll ever meet. It's dizzying. We have started time out with the hopes that he will really  understand what we mean when we say "No". Because at the moment, he laughs. And then it makes me laugh. And then my chance to parent him is shot and I feel like a bad mama. I can only imagine how much crazier life is going to get in the next few months so I'm trying to get a grip and go with the flow. Not let every little thing bother me and trying to not give in to the exhaustion. Although, this pregnancy is just a total 180 from Silas. The morning sickness has been minimal and the headaches have been few and far between. Very grateful for that because that is what I was most worried about. I still can't wait to get a move on with it though. I want to feel some kicks and flips and actually look pregnant instead of the +5lb chub that is currently residing on my midsection so nicely. Anyways, Happy Humpday. Go get em'. xo

Red curry lentils

Wow. That is what I have to say about this dish. My mind was blown. So easy. So delicious. I made a slight change to the recipe which I noted. It can totally be made vegan, although I went the non-vegan route. This is a must make recipe. You will not regret it!

Ingredients

• 4 cups regular brown lentils (I used 2 cups green, 2 cups brown)
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (I grated mine)
• 4 tablespoons butter (optional)
• 5 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoon sugar (I used 2 tablespoons of an apple chutney; amazing!)
• a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
• 2 cans tomato puree (29 ounces each) ---> (I used only 30 oz and then water)
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• ½ cup coconut milk or cream
• cilantro for garnishing
• rice for serving

Directions

Rinse your lentils and put in crockpot. Dice onion, garlic and add to pot. Throw in spices and then add your tomato puree. Stir and then set it on high for 6hrs (I turned it off around 5). Throughout the cooking process, check back and add more water if needed. Around 4 hrs check for doneness. You don't want it to turn to mush! The lentils should still have texture, but definitely not crunchy or raw. Cook up some rice to serve with. I added a dollop of yogurt and cilantro on top and served with warm naan. Delicious and easy!

*original recipe can be found here. Changes have been noted

52 week project / 09

"A portrait of my child, once a week, for a year."

Silas: What I wouldn't give for a full nights sleep. Especially this week. Not quite sure when it will happen,  but I am hoping soon! This week you really turned it up on the charm and comedy. You are just so silly and love making me and your papa laugh with your "ninja kicks" and dance moves. Love you baby boy!

Baby #2: I swear, I can feel you in there. I mean, it's still a little early on, but I've heard the second go around you can feel them so much sooner. We saw you on the ultrasound last week and you are just a  tiny little thing at the moment. We have another one next week because our midwife wants to be sure just how old you are! I can't wait to find out if you are a boy or a girl :) XO

Father's Day DIY

If you're a last minute gift giver, or just want to kill some time on Father's Day then this little DIY is perfect. Homemade pomade! Once, Nick sent me to the store to grab some for him and I was blown away by how pricey this crap was. $20! No way. So we found a recipe and decided to make a jar for a fraction of the cost and none of the disgusting chemicals.

Ingredients

- quality beeswax (can be found at health food stores, online, or sometimes your local grocer)
- coconut oil
- a few drops of either avocado oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil
- essential oil if you like (although, beeswax smells amazing and we did without)

Directions

Grate your beeswax using a cheese grater. Set up a double boiler using a metal bowl. Load in your beeswax and let melt. Add it coconut oil. The ratio is 1:1. Our melted beeswax looked to be about 4 tablespoons so we added 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add a couple drops of your choice of "other" oil and a few drops of your essential oil. whisk together and then pour into a heat proof jar or tin. Do not use plastic as the mixture is really hot and could potentially melt it. Cool at room temp or in the fridge. Tada! Homemade pomade for your man (and you!).

Breastfeeding while pregnant

Furbaby snuggles + nursing = multitasking.

As most of the people in my life know, I am a huge breastfeeding advocate. So it's no surprise to most that I have decided to still breastfeed Silas during this pregnancy. Last week, if you asked me how it was going I would have immediately replied with "horrible". Because it was. The pain. Wow. I hadn't felt that since the first few days after Silas was born. Now, he definitely doesn't need my breast milk for nutrition, but he does need it for comfort. And who am I to say no to that? We have slowly started the process of weaning, although I doubt that will happen any time soon. I really want it to be on his own terms, but I am trying to encourage it just a bit. So, we are just going with the flow. Some days he feeds a lot and some days he barely does. We consistently nurse for naps and bed times and if I had it my way that would be the only time. I have chosen to let him lead the way though. I listen to him and what he needs from me and if he needs a boob that barely produces any milk at the moment, then that is what he gets. The last week I have seen my milk production increase slightly which was a huge sigh of relief because nothing feels worse than a child nursing on a breast that has nothing coming out. I'm sad that the end is possibly near of our nursing relationship, but I'm also open to continuing it as long as he needs to (hellllllo tandem nursing!).

Pictures from the weekend

 This weekend gets an A+. It felt like we got a lot of family time in even though we only really have 1 full day with each other. Nick is working Saturday afternoons (BOO!) at the moment so we only get to see him in the morning for a few and then before bedtime. We ended up going out to dinner and our little boy was an angel! I can only imagine how hard it is for him to sit still while we eat dinner out, but he did it like a champ. He made some friends with the table behind us and these two 4yr old twins kept him busy so that Nick and I could actually eat and not stuff our faces in a hurry. Made me verrrry excited for his sibling. Everyone keeps telling me how nice it is for them to have a buddy to play with and how nice it is for the parents as well.

He was covered in strawberry juice and dirt after. It was adorable.

Strawberry + Rhubarb deliciousness

Sunday morning we woke up and went strawberry picking! It was so much fun. I love that we live the city life, but that we can head 15 mins out of town and be in the country, surrounded by farms. After an amazing lunch at the farm we picked at, we hauled our 6lbs of berries home and I of course had to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was so damn delicious. I was so sad for the weekend to end. Nothing makes me happier than when my little family is out and about together. We miss Nick like crazy during the week. But this week/weekend is looking just as great...baby #2 appointment with my midwife which is always something to look forward to :)

52 week project / 07. 08

"A portrait of my child, once a week, for a year."

Silas: My baby boy, you are going to be a big brother! I am so excited and yet nervous for you. I know you'll do great, but I'm sad that my attention will have to be divided. You are my everything and I am going to do my best to make sure you feel that everyday.

Baby Boosh #2: Wow. I can't believe this is happening. I mean, we tried for you so obviously I knew it would happen at some point...still in a little disbelief that you will make me a mama of 2 :) We can't wait to meet you and I can't wait for this morning sickness to be gone! Excited for some kicks and movement in the next few weeks!

Surprise!

Here we go again. Baby #2. It's scary, exciting, and overwhelming. The day we found out I cried. I was sad for my baby boy. I kept thinking, "How will I give 2 babies the attention they need?". I love Silas, deeply. It's a bond unlike anything I have ever felt and I cherish the fact that I get to stay home with him and love on him 24/7. He is my baby. I hear that all mama's feel this pain to some sort of degree. How can you love another like your first? Will Silas be jealous? It's no secret that he is extremely attached to me. It wasn't until recently that anyone besides me was even able to hold him. I guess I'm just nervous for him. I know he'll be an amazing big brother though. He is the sweetest boy I've ever met and I have no doubt he'll be that way to his brother or sister. Looking forward to the craziness with 2 though ;)