Mexican Quinoa

Spring is officially here and although the weather is not here yet for us New Englanders, I am craving lighter dishes. Plus this baby weight is NO joke guys, NO joke!!! Weight does not come off easily for me, especially while nursing/not sleeping so in come the easy healthy meals that everyone in the family will eat.

And since I have been asked for more easy weeknight or make ahead meals I thought I'd start with this easy dish.

I make a version of this every week. Usually swapping out the veggies for whatever we buy that week or have in the cabinet. Think peas, asparagus and topped with goat cheese.... ooohh that may be next weeks dinner.

Ingredients

1 can organic no salt added black beans

8 oz of crushed tomatoes, drained (i love to use the ones with jalapeńos)

1/2 cup roasted corn (love Trader Joes frozen)

1 cup of chopped peppers (use any color combo you'd like)

1 1/2 cups quinoa

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 red onion

1 tbsp of oil of your choice, ours has been coconut lately.

1tbs minced garlic

1 packet sazon Goya

1 tsp chili powder (more or less)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried cilantro

juice of one lime

*toppings*

I kept it light and did not add cheese to mine but O did and it melts so nicely.

Slice up an avocado,

add a tbsp of salsa and you have yourself a one pot dinner.

I'm also a fan of adding some shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is a MUST have for meal planning), ground turkey or keep it vegetarian with some stir fried tofu for meatless Mondays.

Again, soooo many way to take this.

Recipe

Heat oil in a medium sized pot, medium heat

Add onions (careful not to burn) and cook until clear

Add garlic stirring frequently so you don't burn.

Stir in all seasonings and packet of sazon Goya

Stir well and cook 2-3 minutes

Stir in drained beans and rinsed quinoa and stir until completely mixed in.

Cook for 3 or 4 minutes

Stir in peppers, corn and drained tomatoes

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

Uncover, fluff + stir in lime juice

Add any toppings before serving.

Allow to cool completely before refrigerating, leave toppings for when you are serving.

It is sooo yummy heated up, so make it ahead for lunches or dinner!

Happy Thursday my loves and let's hope spring shows up soon, because this mama is OVER the cold!

xo

Natalie

#dishes

{Mamas Diaries: Mama's Milk}

Hello my darlings,

Man oh man the last month has been a whirlwind. Between my mom having a major emergency surgery (she is recovering slowly but surely at home), a newborn and partnering with our local family yoga studio all while the hubby was away for a chunk of the time, I have honestly been swamped. But I have missed this littles space and figured I would come back with a personal story and a recipe I make a couple times a week.

Breastfeeding a preemie (Zoe was almost 2 months early) was rough. I was anxious, like anyone may be when trying something so new (and so important with a whole lot of pressure). And having to start this journey with a NICU stay, a hospital grade pump and formula supplementation just about broke me.

But man did I stick through it. Pumping after every newborn feed for 3 months, and then switching to on-demand feedings, mainly because I hated pumping soooo much but also because I was able to work from home and stay at home with her. We stuck out our amazing journey for 18 months. And man the end was so bittersweet. Actually the whole thing was bittersweet. You don't ever feel like the old you after having a babe, in a great and sometimes not so great way; hello boobs why do you look like that?! But more than that you don't feel completely you until after you stop breast feeding, at least that is how it went for me.

Now fast forward to the second time around, a little less new and a lot less "judgy" + open to the fact that every journey is different, I had have a very different story with Miss Amani Isa.

My milk took about two weeks to come in (hello power pumping and some supplements which I'll share in another post) partnered with a lot of patience, made breastfeeding very different and might I say that even with mastitis/clogged ducts and all, much more enjoyable this time. Not saying it has been easier, cause this GF could care less about sleeping without a boob in her mouth but much more about just her and I.

This post is not about what works, doesn't work, or even about breast feeding being better (fed is best in my mind) but mainly as a reminder: we are creating, nurturing and raising different humans, so E-V-E-R-Y journey will be different. Be patient, kind and graceful with yourself and your boobies!! No matter how you decide to feed your babe, ignore the judgy wudgies and find yourself a strong village that you can lean on/cry to/celebrate with. Mine (some via social media / my family & husband / and dear friends) are the only reason I've survived the "barely keeping above water 4th trimester with two" days.

Now onto my favorite - nursing/craving chocolate ice cream at 2am /feed my toddler something healthy - snack.

Ingredients

3 old fashioned oats (use gluten free oats if you'd like!)

1/2 sun butter

1/4 c milk chocolate + 1/4 c dark chocolate chips

(I just bought these for my yogurt and will try in a batch next week!)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 shredded unsalted almonds

1/3 cup agave

1/3 cup flaxseed meal

1/3 cup chia seed

*I linked some of my favorite Amazon Prime ingredients because Amazon Prime is LIFE)

Simplest RECIPE ever

mix all ingredients in the mixer

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Use this as a guideline but feel free too add chopped up dried fruit or nuts or skip an ingredient, no agave, use honey, or no sweetener, you can also use your favorite nut butter (we have allergies over here so we stick to and love sun butter).

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if it's too dry just add a few tablespoons of water as it's mixing to help bind. Just add them in one at a time while it's mixing to make sure the consistency is just right.

But if you add to much just balance with more oats. You honestly can't go wrong. We like them cold but sometimes can't help but snack on the mix while we roll them.

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*makes about 24-30 balls, will depend on the size.

*keep to a bit smaller than a golf ball and they are about 3.5 Weight Watchers smart points each

Thanks so much for baring with me as I get back into the whole living life not on bedrest but with two kids thing. I am finally feeling like I am keeping my head above water more than not... lol At least until another sleep regression and in that case please send wine.

xo

Natalie

Other Recipes you may like here.

#mamadiaries #breastmilk #breastfeeding #dishes

{ The Super Hot Chocolate}

I miss coffee. soooo dang much. Actually what I miss is being able to drink a big cup of coffee and not have to chase it with a bottle of tums. That is what I miss, like enjoying the yumminess of coffee without feeling like death for hours after. ha! I am not kidding, if that old wives tale is right this baby will have a FULL head of hair!

What I have been indulging in on some cold mornings (or sometimes as an evening treat) is a yummy creamy hot chocolate. It started with just a few envelopes of the good old Swiss Miss and then it hit me that the ingredients weren't that great so I needed to create a little something I didn't feel guilty about without losing out on the flavor.

This right here is mission accomplished and I have my SAHM-Wifey (and cousin) Kelly to thank for this! Hoping to her her to contribute on some stuff in the new year...

She taught me to take a can of coconut milk + 3 cans of water into the blender and blend before heating. I've also mixed everything in the blender but had a nice explosion of chocolate so be CAREFUL!!!

Ingredients

4 cups non-dairy milk of choice (I used coconut but hemp or almond are great and heck if you are into whole milk go for that too!)

4 T raw cacao (or cocoa powder)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

2 T organic agave (or more to taste)

2 T coconut oil

(top with marshmallows, shaved peppermint candy, cinnamon stick or gosh darn it some chocolate chips because it's the holidays!)

Recipe

Add milk of choice to a medium-sized sauce pot and bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer and add cacao powder and stir.

Add in turmeric and cinnamon and continue to stir.

Stir in agave until well combined.

Add coconut oil and whip in until all chunks are melted and mixture becomes thick.

(I used this little hot chocolate maker)

Love these Cups // Hot Chocolate Maker // Cacao Powder // Coconut Oil

Makes about 2 large mugs of yumminiess.

Send some prayers that Z and I survive a whole week of bed-rest before Christmas. And today we get our house cleaned so I've piled up some busy boxes and her Peppa Pig doll house all in our master and praying she doesn't ask if we can go down again... #longestdayever

Happy Tuesday my loves

xoxo

Natalie

#dishes #hotchocolate