The Splattered Apron | Making a Mess in the Kitchen

Pregnancy Update!

by Lisa on May 16, 2013

20 weeks! It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through this pregnancy. The first trimester seemed to drag on endlessly from all of the sickness and fatigue but once I settled into the second trimester happy phase, time started to fly by. Before we know it, the baby will be here!

How am I feeling?
I feel great! Only a few minor symptoms—my tailbone really hurts after sitting for even a short period of time, so I’ve been trying to make sure I get up from my desk and walk around more frequently. Some days it feels like this little one is sitting very low in my abdomen, I carried Caroline higher so it’s definitely a different experience. A sign that the baby is a boy or that my abs are just that stretched out from the first time around?? Sleeping has been a big issue in this pregnancy. With Caroline, I slept like a rock, but with this one I toss and turn. It’s annoying but not debilitating.

What am I eating?
Ummmm…everything! Seriously, after the severely limited diet of the first trimester I am trying to pack in as much nutrition {and some treats!} into my diet now. The only problem I’ve come across is that it seems like milk is no longer my friend. I am not a big milk drinker, but I do enjoy a bowl of cereal with nice cold milk. I noticed in the first trimester that I wouldn’t feel very good after eating a bowl of cereal with milk and that has carried on to now and ice cream is definitely a problem. The good news is, over the past few years I have started to incorporate a couple of dairy-free milks into my diet, so dropping cow’s milk for now hasn’t been a big deal. I use an almond/coconut milk blend or almond milk in cereal, cooking, and smoothie making and I use coconut milk creamer in my coffee. I also found a delicious coconut “ice cream” to take the place of my usual bowl of vanilla with chocolate sauce and walnuts {and caramel, if I have some homemade in the fridge!}. Cheese and yogurt are still perfectly fine for me to eat and I really hope it stays that way!

What am I doing?
I’m happy to tell you all that unlike when I was pregnant with Caroline, I am going to the gym! And lifting! And doing yoga! Probably not as consistently as I should but I am making much more of an effort this time and it feels so good. I tried to run again, like I did a couple of weeks ago, and I felt a funny pull in my side so I stopped. Running will have to wait until after the baby is born.

Boy or Girl?
The real reason you’re reading this post. It’s a…..

blueballoon

BOY!!!!

We are thrilled to be welcoming our son into our family. I can’t wait to hold him in my arms and see his sweet face—only 20 weeks to go!

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Little Green Pouch {Product Review and GIVEAWAY!}

by Lisa on May 16, 2013

Okay, so this review and giveaway are way, WAY overdue. Many thanks to Little Green Pouch for their patience!

As you might remember, I made almost all of Caroline’s food when she was a baby—I still do—she rarely ate processed baby food from the store. On rare occasion, she would eat a pouch of processed baby food, especially if we were traveling. I loved the convenience and ease of feeding her from a pouch but what I didn’t like was the price!

I was excited when Little Green Pouch offered to send me their product to test out. Unfortunately, by the time they were in touch with me, Caroline had moved to mainly finger foods. However, we still were able to use them and loved them—I’m excited to have them from the start for the baby!

{Speaking of the baby, I have some fun news to share—check back tomorrow for a pregnancy update!}

We used them for soup, smoothies, yogurt and anything else that would be a bit too messy for Caroline to navigate on her own with a spoon when she was younger. Now, if I know we’re going to be out and about and need something to take with us that’s quick and easy, like apple sauce, I can just put it into the little green pouch, stick it in my bag and go!

At first I wasn’t sure how to effectively clean the pouch, but a thorough rinse followed by a cycle in the dishwasher did the trick. The pouches also have convenient instructions as well as measurements on the back.

My only negative comment is that one of the pouches broke after only using it a couple of times, but three of the four that I received have held up very well. {UPDATE: the company reached out to me about this issue and it turns out that they had heard of it happening to a very small percentage of their pouches. However, they’ve since improved the design and no longer have that issue so the giveaway winner will receive a box of four of the improved pouches!}

{GIVEAWAY}

In case you haven’t noticed, whenever I’m sent a product to review, I like to make sure my readers have the opportunity to try it out too. So, the generous folks at Little Green Pouch sent me two boxes—one for me and one for you!

To enter:

Leave a comment and let me know your child’s favorite food!

Entries will close at midnight on Tuesday, May 21. Good luck!

I received one set of Little Green Pouches to review. I was not otherwise compensated. All opinions are my own.

{ 16 comments }

Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

by Lisa on May 13, 2013

For the second year in a row, I served this on Easter. Sure, I could make this at another time of year, but there is something about getting asparagus in the spring, in the season it should be consumed where we live, instead of crops flown in throughout the year from other parts of the world. With few exceptions {like bananas!}, we eat the produce local to our area all year round so it’s a treat when asparagus shows up in the store and at the farmer’s market again! I love that this recipe allows the fresh flavor and texture of the asparagus to shine through. The browned butter sauce is rich but light enough to accentuate the asparagus instead of drown it.

This recipe should serve a crowd of six to eight people, but it’s so good that with four of us eating, we only had a few bites leftover. Having a last minute dinner party? No problem—this recipe comes together in 20 minutes. You guys all know how I love those quick and easy dishes. Plus, the asparagus is roasted, so it has a little bit of a charred flavor and still maintains a crunch. Seriously, you want to make this as soon as possible.

Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: roast side vegetarian asparagus spring

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

2 pounds asparagus, remove woody bottom and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
zest of one lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in one layer on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

While roasting the asparagus, melt the butter in a small skillet. Continue to cook, shaking the pan every now and then for at least 3 minutes, until the butter starts to brown.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Pour the sauce over the asparagus and toss to coat.

To serve, sprinkle with lemon zest. {I forgot to add it before taking pictures, but it makes the dish!}

Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Cooking Light.

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Weekly Meal Plan 5.12.13 {and BAMR Bands WINNERS!}

by Lisa on May 12, 2013

Giveaway winners!!
Using random.org the two winners of BAMR Bands are….Tamar (#6) and Jane (#1). Yaay! Please e-mail me at thesplatteredapron@gmail.com so I can put you in touch with Katie to choose your bands!

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We’ve had a fun, jam-packed weekend, including a first communion, first birthday party, Mother’s Day brunch, shopping with my mom and Sunday night family dinner. I’m wiped. Thank goodness for grocery home delivery! So let’s cut to the good stuff with our meal plan for the week:

Sunday: grilled pizza
Monday: BLT pasta {can’t wait to share this one with you!}
Tuesday: Bulgogi {Korean Sizzling Beef} with roasted broccoli
Wednesday: blackened catfish salad
Thursday: chicken cheesesteak subs
Friday: out
Saturday: neighborhood bbq

What do you have planned for your weekly menu? Have a great week!

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Guacamole Quinoa Salad

by Lisa on May 10, 2013

Lately, I’ve been trying not only to stick closely to our meal plan, but also to shop my pantry before I do any grocery shopping. You’d be amazed at the quantity of quinoa I found in there. And the truth is, we’re not even the biggest fans of quinoa! Occasionally, it does the trick because quinoa is a blank canvas, which is a great thing, a dish with quinoa can go in any number of different directions. For this dish, I wanted to replicate the flavors of guacamole in a protein heavy side dish. Just because I had it on hand, I also added an ear of corn.

Two of my favorite words to associate with a meal are quick and easy. From start to finish, plus the additional elements of this meal, it took me all of 15 minutes to assemble {not counting the 10 minutes that it took to cook the quinoa, I did that while giving Caroline a bath}.

I loved how this salad came together. Creamy avocado, sweet corn, tangy lime juice and zest, and bright cilantro mixed in with tomato, red onion and perfectly cooked quinoa. As is, this is a vegan dish; we ate it along side salmon. With the addition of black beans, it would be a great vegan main dish.