Without a Recipe

This week I attempted to make chili. Being pregnant I find that I have cravings but not the pickle ice cream kind. When I was pregnant with my first I craved lemonade to the point that if it wasn't the flavour I was looking for then my craving didn't stop until the taste was just right. I drank a lot of lemonade, in fact, I made a lot of lemonade!

Because I had made rib BBQ sauce the week before I went straight back to the same spices. Chipotle chili powder, paprika, Cayenne, pepper, cumin and garlic. I was headed in the right direction. Being a typical driver personality i didn't waste time measuring so I poured a bunch of black beans, navy beans, haricot beans and white kidney beans into a pot and started boiling... I then realized that I had a lot of beans so I split them into 2 pots to boil. An hour or so later I got my biggest (12 quart) pot out and mixed the beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, veggie stock, chicken stock, beef and onions and spices into this giant pot. It didn't take me too long to realize that if I kept this `on the stove it would be burnt on the bottom. Much like with any stew the longer it simmers the more flavorful it is so I stuck it in the oven and let it stew away for a long time.

I think part of my craving for chili was, in part, due to the fact that we're such a busy family. I work a full time professional job in sales and marketing and my husband is going to school full time. Not only that but he's a very detailed person that likes to make everything he does shine. So, he spends a lot of time on his readings and assignments. Because of this we end up eating a lot of prepared foods that are less than best. We are on a tight budget and have little time together so we try to make the most out of what time and money resources we have. Chili really filled the void.

I found that when I was on my mat leave it was important to find meals that were super charged with healthy ingredients and I wanted a freezer full of it so I could prioritize my time appropriately. I was really happy to have spent my pre-mommy time cooking so that I had that freezer full of healthy meals. I had about a month and a half worth. I suppose that's the point of this rant. Healing from child birth, managing this incredibly life changing event and trying to keep you head is all a girl can do. Cooking is way down on the list. It is one of the most important things to help you get back to your old self again as well as give your newborn baby the essential for the beginning of theirs. If your not such a good cook or don't know a whole bunch about how food can bring a wealth of health than ask for help. It's the best thing you can do for the whole growing family. They will all appreciate it and your body will benefit, inside and out.

Last Night's Dinner

I feel so grown up. I had a dinner party last night with 3 other couples. Our tiny house was a buzz.with 2 little boys and a great vibe. The house eventually got so warm we opened the patio window for the cold November breeze to cool us down. I had so much fun. The conversation was grown up as well. We spoke as if we knew anything about the world economy and a few good laughs of people who feel entitled to drive in the fast lane. The former was more heated which lead us to believe there are 3 things never to talk about at a dinner party. Religion, politics and driving in the fast lane.

Myself and another girl (not sure what to call us. I don't feel like a lady, so grandmotherly, and woman seems so formal. Maybe by using, most comfortably, girl I am not so grown up after all.) well, we're both pregnant with our second baby. My other 2 girlfriends I know would love to be expecting a newborn baby but their husbands are on the fence. Waiting for the perfect time that never comes around. I was lucky, we had a whoopsy. Now with one why not have 2!

So, dinner was amazing. My girlfriend made her healthy, delicious Thai salad with cabbage and carrots with noodles and sweet balsamic dressing, which I loved. She delivered it in a simple clear bowl so the colours of the salad complimented the rest of the spread. My expecting girlfriend's husband went to Global Cheese and must have spent a fortune on 4 different and delicious cheeses. I arrayed them nicely on a glass tray with my cheese knives I never use. We ate them with fresh bread that tasted homemade it was so good. The main meal and dessert I made. I decided on a really informal feast of ribs with homemade rib sauce and dry rubbed steak. I also made my own dry rub, it was goooood. One of my girlfriends is Celiac so I had to make a few adjustments with the rib sauce and dessert but it turned out for the better, especially the dessert. I made apple crumble but instead of the traditional oats, flour and butter I used nuts and it was spectacular. It was very healthy, not heavy feeling.

Since becoming a mom  I have become really food conscious. My husband teases that our kids are going to be food snobs but, I'm OK with that. So long as they value their bodies, and look at the food they eat without the word commodity. Yes, food is a necessity but it isn't disposable. My grandmother used to say, which my mother and I say now, waste not want not, which is a value I hold true today.

Overall, I think I'll do more grown up dinner parties from now on. The memories make it worth the effort and it's nice to have contributions to the meal that I didn't have to prepare myself.

Becoming a Mom

Its a right of passage into adulthood. Its like finally, I'm 30, no one can again call me kiddo . Then a baby comes and all of a sudden you're nieve and don't know any form of reality until this baby comes and once again, you arrive. No one can lessen what you have accomplished. Sleepless nights, prefering someone so fragile over yourself. You're your own hero and it feels good.

No author can tell you what is going to work or not work to soothe, comfort or bond with the little person that has arrived in your home, your world will never be the same again. There isn't a book or manual out there that is going to show you exactly how you do it. I do however reccomend askdrsears.com and while pregnant Dr. Oz's You Having a Baby. Both very practical, helpful and informative.

Take heart, pace yourself and ask for help. It take a village to raise a kid and you only have 5 years to do it.