Barbell in the Kitchen: October 2016

Trick or Treat

10:05 AM

Baby Foods | Blend it or Buy it

9:15 PM

I got so excited for Emerson to finally start trying food. There's something about watching her face and reaction to new flavors, letting her make a complete mess and the satisfaction that comes from feeling her eating the whole serving. I am not a baby food making pro by any means, but we do have a couple favorites recipes. On the other side of things, I am a huge fan of an easy to carry pouch of baby food. Seriously, no spoon, jar, and rarely a bib required.

I initially thought making baby food would be time consuming, but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Often times I'll take something I already have easily available, such as avocado, sweet potatoes, bananas - items that don't have to be cooked, and blend them with something that I'm already cooking for the rest of us to eat, like sweet potatoes or zucchini.

Always peel, remove seeds & chop your selected ingredients into smaller pieces to make everything easier. Many items can be blended without cooking, but to soften something firm like carrots, apples, greens, just steam in a small saucepan or place in boiling water for 8-10 minutes before adding to the blender.

Our Top Four Blends:

Avocado & Kiwi: I have left the seeds a few times, and also used a spoon to remove them. Emerson isn't the biggest fan of avocado, adding some fruit seemed to help. If you make a bigger batch and have leftovers, you can freeze them to slow the oxidation/browning process. The flavor doesnt't change, it just turns brown, so you can store it in the refridgerator a few days if you prefer.

Sweet Potato & Apple: Both our girls love sweet potatoes, and I tend to have some on hand since I bake 10-12 at a time. Peel, core, and chop the apple and simmer on the stove for 10 mins before pureeing makes it super easy. I also like to add cinnamon to this one.

Zucchini & Pear: Peel & seed the zucchini like you would a cucumber, slice it up and steam for 12-15 mins until its soft. Blend with a ripe pear and even some oats for a perfect breakfast blend.

Pumpkin & Banana: I've been making this one frequently since I seem to be using pumpkin in everything (it's fall ya'll), somehow I keep ending up with half an unused can after baking up pumpkin bread or this pumpkin pie creamer so I throw what is left in the blender with a banana then portion it out into trays in the freezer to keep the banana from browning too fast.

I also love the convenience of pre-made baby food. I keep these pouches everywhere; in the car, in my purse, diaper bag, etc. These are backup for Aria if I'm stranded without a snack and as Emi gets older and relies on more and more food, they make life so much easier. Sometimes I don't have pre-homemade baby food available, don't want to deal with a bib & spoon, or just don't have the time, and that's okay. I choose organic when I can, and stick with fruit & veggie blends. We love Plum Organics & Sprout, the quality is awesome (have you ever tasted them, they make an awesome preworkout too;) and they offer flavor combinations that other brand's don't.

4 Pre-made Favorites:

Sprout:

Plum, berry, brown rice & quinoa

Blueberry banana oatmeal

Plum:

Orange: peach, pumpkin, carrot & cinnamon

Purple: plum, eggplant, blueberry & sorghum

No matter your preference, homemade or pre-made the most important things is offering a variety of whole fruits, veggies and grains, and as they get older, including a source of protein, will set the stage for healthy choices as they get older as well as offer the best nutritional profile for happy, healthy kids.

Below are some of our favorite items and a few new ones available that I can't wait to scope out. I've had my eye on those reusable pouches for a long time, I'm finally going to get them.

The Baby bullet is a tried and true favorite for all of my homemade baby food blends. I love the stackable glass storage cubes as well as the freezable mold. Munchkin as my heart with their suction bowls, I don't know how many messes those have prevented!

I had a serious #momfail when Aria was first trying solids - I didn't want to give her cold baby food, so I microwaved it a few seconds, but apparently didn't stir it together enough and gave a spoonful of food that was too hot, I felt awful! (If you've been around her, you know she still has a hangup with food that is warm.) I since discovered Munchkin's safety spoons and use those every time.

I'd love to hear from all you moms on this - What do you prefer? Making your own, pre-made or both? I'd love to hear your favorite blends!

Paleo

Pumpkin Pie Creamer

2:05 PM

I'll take my coffee almost any way. I enjoy it black, with milk, add in some stevia, creamer or make a full on latte, I'm not picky. My only hang up when it comes to coffee is if there is a bunch of processed junk in there; I'm looking at you artificially-flavored coffee creamer.

It's delicious, but does not benefit your health. I love to enjoy treats this time of year, but I don't want corn syrups, carrageenan or preservatives. So I tend to make my own.

I also am looking like I'm back in my adolescent years with more breakouts recently, so I'm steering clear of dairy for a few weeks.

With all that said, I originally found a simple recipe on Pinterest and it with dairy, it turned out great! So I decided to play around and make up a dairy-free/paleo friendly version. I could chug this stuff, it's that good. Seth, who loves pumpkin pie, but nothing "pumpkin spice", even liked this stuff. ;) I secretly think he's just hung up on the term & all the yoga-wearing-mom-life associations with psl that happens this time of year.

Anyway, you can bust this out in less than 10 minutes - thats including getting all your supplies out.

Go grab your blender and you can enjoy this in your next cup!

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Creamer

makes about 2 cups

You will need:

3 tbsp pumpkin puree

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

1 can condensed coconut milk

1 cup canned coconut milk or cashew milk* (your preference)

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, store in an airtight container and enjoy within a 7 days.

Whats your favorite coffee flavor? Are you more of a "coffee with my creamer" or "just a splash of sweetener" kind? Scroll to the bottom, I'd love to hear!

I found this at our local Albertsons!

*I prefer using canned coconut milk or cashew milk as they are creamier than almond or rice milk.

Note: If you don't have to worry about dairy, you can sub the cup of coconut or cashew milk for 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream.

Oils

No-Cook - 5 Minute - Calming Playdough

11:01 AM

Paleo

Crockpot Love: Paleo Pineapple Chili

10:00 PM

I have a crush on my crockpot. I love putting a bunch of ingredients together and letting the flavors meld together for a bowl of soul-warming goodness. One of my favorite dishes is this Paleo Pineapple Chili. I'm not the creator, but I've adopted it as my own, haha. Each time I make it I tweak something depending on how spicy I want it, what I have on hand.. etc. It's one of those dishes that I love to make every couple months, therefore I have to share it with you.

You can find my original post here, but I thought I'd share a little update :)

Paleo Pineapple Chili

Prep Time: 15 Mins

Serves: 6-8 (Feel free to double the recipe – it’s generally eaten way too fast!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon*, cut into thin strips

• 1 medium onions, diced

• 2 bell peppers, diced

• 1 jalapeño, diced (seeds optional)

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 1.5-2 pounds, grass fed ground beef

• 1/4 cup chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• sea salt to taste

• black pepper to taste

• 1 (20-ounce) can of diced pineapple & juice

• 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce

• 1 (14-ounce) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

Instructions

1. Preheat a large pan to medium-high heat and brown the strips of bacon, remove, set aside. You can choose to use the bacon fat or drain it off.

2. Using the same pan, brown the ground beef, breaking into small chunks.

3. Once your bacon has cooled, cut the strips into 1" pieces. Place cooked beef and bacon in crockpot.

4. Add all other ingredients, stir to combine.

5. Cook on low for 4-8 hours. Since the beef and bacon are cooked, you are simply letting the flavors come together.

6. Serve with delicious toppings: Cilantro, Avocado, Fresh Pineapple..Salsa. All the toppings.

If not strict Paleo, this is also delicious with Shredded Cheese and a dollop of Sour Cream. You can also serve the chili over rice or sweet potato to add some carbs.

*depending on the bacon you use, this recipe is Whole30 Approved.

Whats your favorite crockpot recipe? I'd love to hear!

Recipes

5 Minute Caramel Sauce

9:00 AM

Holidays

Fall Bucket List

7:17 AM

Family

Confessions

8:45 AM

It's been a little while since we've done one of these, so let's dive right in to a few mom confessions, shall we? :)

1. Lack of sleep is totally catching up with me, I find myself waking up already grumpy with the kids instead of in a good mood. Emi's sleep is better for the most part, but she still wakes two, sometimes three times a night. I am so looking forward to her sleeping through the night. The past week I have been getting up at 5am with Seth before he leaves for work; even though I'm tired, a cup of coffee in a quiet house before everyone is bouncing off the walls does wonders!

2. We set up a little fort for Aria over the weekend with our dining table & blankets - however we moved the table into the corner of the living room. The chairs are still in the dining room (covered in Halloween decorations). All bets say they will still be where they are on Friday.

3. I already bought some Christmas decorations. Fa la la la la!

4. I made some pumpkin pie bars but didn't have whip cream, so I made a quick batch of caramel instead, which was probably the worst thing I could have done, haha! 80% of the caramel made it into a jar stored in the fridge- the remaining 20% was moved spoonful by spoonful into my belly. Maybe too literal of a interpretation of the 80/20 diet rule. I ended up with a stomach ache, but it was SO GOOD. #worthit I'll definitely share the recipe later this week.

5. Aria has started repeating everything we say. I didn't realize until now, that I have a bad habit of saying shit every time I spill something. Daycare is going to love me.

6. And lastly, I've lost track of how many onsies, sleepers & pants have ended up in the garbage because there is simply too much poop to wash out from Emerson's daily blow-out. Seriously, this girl has butt-crack-poop-shooting abilities. I've gave up. At this current moment, she has pooped once in the past three days. When the next one happens, I pray the bathtub is close.

Here's to Monday, a new week, a fresh start. May your laundry pile be small and coffee cup empty because you got to finish your cup before it got cold. ;)

Have a confession? Do tell!

Friday Favorites

7:37 AM

Pic via Pinterest

I haven't done a Friday Favorites in awhile, so here's everything I'm loving right now. I can't get enough of this little pumpkin carriage, I need one stat! This Fall weather also makes me want to bake like a mad woman and eat ALL the cake, cookies & brownies I can get my hands on.

So these pumpkin bars will probably happen this weekend. And these cookies - I mean butterscotch, chocolate, sea salt & pretzel cookies sound heavenly.

I realized recently that will all the baking I do, I don't own 3 things which seem like a baking staple; I don't have a pie dish, cooling racks - I always end up using parchment paper, and I don't have "cookie jar". Someday I will finally just order this pie dish, and I will then make this crust. And you can never have enough mixing bowls. :)

Also, in regard to baking, have you seen these gorgeous gold measuring spoons. I have 10 sets of spoons, but I had to get one more.

I don't buy lattes much, mainly because I can't get out the door early enough, and I can't wait past 7am to have a cup of coffee, but have you tried Starbucks White Chocolate Salted Caramel Latte..??! all the heart emojis. I drank that faster than a little kid with strawberry milk.

I keep going back and forth, but I'm loving the idea of matching pj's for the whole family. These are my favorite!

If matching adult pj's aren't your thing, these are the best for little ones. Super soft and durable, and you can mix & match the tops and bottoms. I don't know how many times I've considered these their OOTD.. ;) And if you have boys, how cute are these?!

Our family photos aren't until the end of the month, but I'm already drooling over these holiday cards. They are all so pretty and seem to get me more in the holiday spirit than anything else. I love the simple design of these and these, but the colors on these, they are all SO pretty!

Confession: I haven't pulled out any Halloween decorations yet. I picked up a few a month ago and those are up, but I just haven't felt ready for Halloween this year. So my goal for the weekend is to put a few more things up. Part of this may be due to the fact that Aria is scared of all the Halloween decor in stores, she literally starts shaking. And, she calls ghosts "spookys" which is the best.

Also Aria jumped on the Frozen train and has watched it on repeat all. week. long. She discovered a Disney barbie doll that sings "Let it Go" while at Toys R Us last week - game over. So needless to say my dreams of a couple cute mermaids for Halloween this year went out the window, now we have Elsa & Anna. I seriously found the cutest baby Anna costume yesterday, I can't wait to put it on Emi!

On that note, she is into Barbies much sooner than I thought she would be. Even though Frozen happened, she still loves mermaids and suckered me into a mermaid barbie a couple weeks ago - she makes it swim around, carries it everywhere with her, and brushes her hair smooth, then makes it a mess just to brush it again.

Some of you know that I'm working hard on a little self improvement, less judgement, less guilt, trying to be a better wife, mom and friend. I've read a few book recently, but I think the most impact-making thing was watching "I am not your Guru" (on Netflix), a Tony Robbin's documentary of sorts, on his seminars. I've never paid much attention to him and his practices, but I love all of it. It resonates more than anything else, so now I'm onto his book "Awaken the Giant Within". Halfway in, I highly recommend it.

And lastly, this quote is my favorite. I love Today is the Best Day, if you are looking for a mama blog to follow, add hers.

So many fun things to share! If you want more posts like these, let me know! And of course, if you spy something fun, I'd love to hear about it, scroll to the bottom for comments, or email me at barbellinthekitchen@gmail.com

XOXO, McKenzie

Chalkboards

Etsy Shop Open!

3:09 PM

Baby

Postpartum Hernia Repair | My Experience

3:28 PM

Today, Emi is 6 months old and I'm one week recovered from a postpartum hernia repair. The home stretch of my pregnancy with her was tough. She was only 7lbs 5oz when she was born, but my body thought it was going to burst 6 weeks prior. I was stretched to the max.

With Aria, I had went home with a diastasis recti (a separation of the abdominal tissue that is completely normal for pregnant women) of about an inch and a half. With Emerson it was a little more, about two inches. But what I didn't know was that beyond the normal stretching that tightens back up over time, I actually had a small un-ruptured tear, a hernia.

I returned to working out about 6 weeks postpartum, avoiding abdominal exercises until 16 weeks postpartum. I went easy for quite awhile, until I built my strength back up. The beginning of September I came home from a workout and had what looked like a green grape under my skin above my belly button. Sensitive to the touch, I knew immediately what it was. Upon calling my Ob's office they referred me to a specialists for further evaluation.

I did notice within a few days the hernia protrusion lessened and in it's place was an indentation where it had pushed through. I didn't want to aggravate it again so I discontinued my training.

Three weeks later, I met with the specialist who gave me a few options. I could let it be, since it was relatively small, and it may heal up over time, but could take two to three years. But on the flipside, it could worsen, depending on my activity. Or we could go a surgical route with a non-mesh laparoscopic repair.

I didn't love the idea of surgery, but I didn't want to have to worry about my training and possibly having to deal with this in the future, so I opted for a repair.

Two more weeks later, I was in and out of Day Surgery in 4 hours. Heavy sedation and local anethetic took care of the pain, I don't recall anything except wheeling me in to the surgical sweet and waking up in the recovery room. Mild to moderate swelling dissipated after 4-5 days, I'm still sore to the touch, but can move around pretty well.

As for as caring for my girls, I was unable to nurse for 24 hours. I pumped & dumped, which prevented any of the sedatives from affecting Emerson. I took 800mg Ibuprofen for several days, and currently only taking a dose in the evenings when I become more sore. I also have a weight restriction of 10lbs for 3-4 weeks. Since Emerson's chunky self weighs in at 18lbs as of now, Seth has been home helping me, working from home and playing mom while I recover. I love him so.

Really, I've just been sitting on the couch & floor all week, just kicking it with the girls.. snuggles all around.

Prior to surgery I could not find much in the way of other's experiences with this. So I hope this is helpful for anyone facing something similar. Feel free to send any questions my way!

I'll come back to this and post updated pics as I recover.

xoxo, McKenzie

Trick or Treat