MM - Prosperous Pregnancy

Good Morning Everybody!

I hope that your mother's day weekend went great! I know mine did!! I feel like the luckiest mama around! My little one took his first SOLO steps yesterday!! SO fun to watch!

 

My post today is part of the Prosperous Pregnancy Series, and is geared towards all those pregnant mamas who want to have a fit and healthy pregnancy, and maybe control the weight gain a little. What's that you say? All pregnant mamas want to do this? Well then you are in luck! Read on!

First off, let me just say that I am not a nutritionist, so please take everything I post with a grain of salt....or maybe not, we don't want you to swell!! :) I am just a normal mama that loves to eat healthy food and during my first pregnancy I had to do a lot of research. I found out so many things that we should and should not be doing during pregnancy. Let's try and get rid of some of those should-not notions today! Here goes:

I am eating for 2....that means double the food!
WRONG! What this actually means is that EVERYTHING that you put in your mouth, you are putting in your gorwing babies body. That means that everytime you choose that big slice of cake or large milkshake, your little one is getting a taste of all that sugar!! YUM! Now don't get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth the sixe of Texas, but you have to think about what you are putting in the both of your bodies. Allow yourself to enjoy these things every once in a while, but do it smart! Instead of that large slice of cake, try and smaller slice with lots of water! Or try substituting something a little healthier like fruit and honey. One general rule is to make sure that when you eat, you need to make sure that you have a good balance of foods. Anytime you eat you need to accompany your food with a serving of fruit/veggie and a protein. This allows your body to send good nutrients to the baby and have enough left over to take care of your body as well. Especially while you are pregnant, your pancreas is working over time trying to make sure that you are processing the foods you are eating and getting as much out of them as possible. You can help it out a little by eating the right combo of foods. Just remember lots of water, tons of fruit and veggies, and moderation!!!

Fats are not good for me or the baby.
WRONG AGAIN!!! Good natural fats are great for a developing baby! Now I am not saying that you should go out and eat a stick of butter, but don't exclude these from your diet in an effort to keep the pounds away. Fats help the baby develop their brains and they help keep your body running. The key is again to use them in moderation. Pay attention to serving size and pick good fats. Things like avocado, coconut oil, real butter, nuts, these help your body!

Meats and Eggs are the only sources of good protein.
DOUBLE WRONG! Nuts are wonderful sources of protein to pair with snacks or in salads. Cheese can also be a great pairing for snack time. My personal favorite of an awesome source of unexpected protein is Greek yogurt! I will substitute this for sour cream or in salad dressing for a little extra protein in a kinda sneaky way! Beans are another excellent way to get in lots of protein. I know what you are thinking....what about all the gas? Well, mustard seed and mint helped me alot during pregnancy. I just added the in whenever I could.

Excercise is dangerous during pregnancy.
This is a trick question. depending on your pregnancy, this can be dangerous. Please always consult with your OB/GYN. However, most pregnancies are fine with light exercise. Walking is a great way to do this as well as help get you some stress relief. Housework also counts, bonus right?! Another thing that I really loved while I was pregnant, was yoga specifically formatted for pregnancy. This was a great way to help me stretch and release some stress. It also seemed to make my little one really chill, so I would do some before bed time and that helped us both get a little more sleep.

As long as I am drinking lots of liquids, I am good.
This is my most favorite WRONG! I LOVE water. I probably love it more than I should. Something that I have noticed with several pregnant women, is that they think that as long as they are getting plenty of liquids, they are covered. I cannot stress enough the importance of getting WATER. Once you add something into water, such as a flavoring, like mio or flavor packets, your body can no longer process it as water. Your body and your growing baby needs plenty of pure water in order to maintain a healthy balance. This is what makes your babies home for 9 months, why not make it as great as possible right?

The most important thing that you can do during pregancy is to enjoy it. Don't stress too much about what to do or not to do. Just keep it simple and remember to follow the basics. Once that little one comes you will realize that pregnancy actually goes by very fast...so slow down and enjoy it!!!

MM - Baby Days! Snackage.....

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I don't know about all of you, but snacks make the world go 'round in our household. Once Noah could eat solids, snacks were gold, in fact, this is still the case! My little guy is a super eater and loves meal time. Most of the time we are super busy and snacks fill the gaps for us. So today I thought that I would give you some "food for thought"!

Has anyone tried those yogurt bites that they have in the baby isle? Either the gerber brand or the store brand, to me they taste so weird. Now, have you tried the THRIVE yogurt bites? AMAZING!!!! In my humble opinion, the THRIVE yogurt bites melt easier in the little ones mouth, taste WAY better, and kiddos love them!! Not to mention that they are a ton cheaper! Noah's fav is Strawberry!

The thing I love most about THRIVE foods is that they make the perfect snack right out of the can! The fruits and veggies are awesome for when your little one starts to feed themselves! Try the peas, corn, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangos, and pears! They are great starter foods and they love the crunch! Noah absolutlely loves the fruits and veggies especially while he is teethin!! The applesauce is also amazing!



What about when they get a little older and goldfish are the bomb.com? Well, I was perusing the THRIVE cookbook the other day and I found this little gem! AMAZING!!! We made a batch this weekend and they were devoured!!!

***I have to add a disclaimer. I don't have an actual picture of the ones that we made this weekend. They were gobbled up rather quickly and I forgot to take a picture in the craziness that happened this weekend. Me and Noah got some burns on saturday as i was cooking. Some hot oil splashed on the both of us. Things have been just a little out of whack ever since then. ***


Photo courtesy of THRIVE Cookbook

Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 Cups TRIVE Flour (Whole wheat or white)
1/2 Cup THRIVE Cheese Blend
1/8 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Salt
3 Tablespoons Oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all your dry ingredients. Slowly add oil until the mixture is crumbly. SLOWLY add water until you form a tight dough.
Roll out you dough very thin (they will puff up when they bake) about 1/8 of an inch. Cut into squares or your favorite shape. Poke a hole in the top of them and transfer onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Happy Snackin!

Mama Mondays! Quick Dinner!

Happy Monday Mamas!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I did....My only complaint was that it went too darn fast!!!

Anyways, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, (which for those that know me best know that this is dangerous!), but I "think" I have come up with a good idea....

Who wants a great, healthy, almost sinful dinner that you can put together for the family in record time? Yeah! Me too!!! Well hold on to your spatulas.....here it comes!!!

 

Amazing Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

 

THRIVE Chopped Chicken

THRIVE Broccoli

THRIVE Pasta of your choice (egg noodle pasta rocks!)

THRIVE Bechamel White Sauce

 

 

 

THAT'S ALL!!! I KNOW!! AMAZING!!!!

 

This is the most simple and crazy delicious meal!!! MY whole family loves it!!! What did my 14 month old think of it you ask? Well he ate just about as much of this as mom and dad did!!! He went to bed last night with a super full tummy!!!

 

Just cook your pasta as usual, and in the last minute or two, add in your chicken and broccoli! Strain and prepare your sauce (Which is insanely easy BTW) and toss everything together!! Ta-Da!!! 15 minutes and you have an amazing dinner that everyone will love!

 

Happy Eating!!!

 

Mama Mondays - Prosperous Pregnancy

Happy Mondays Mamas!!!

I am hoping that we will all love the 4th Monday of the month as much as the others! Why you ask? Because every 4th Monday will be prosperous pregnancy Monday! YAY!!!

Ok so I realize that you may not be jumping for joy right now (especially if your baby belly is gettin bigger ;) these days!), but this is something that is very near and dear to my heart....so get excited!!!

While I was pregnant with my little one, I was also highly stressed and overworked, a plight not unlike most of you! What did I do to combat this? Well, I have already mentioned my top 5 tips, and those helped alot!!! I quickly learned that the way that I ate really affected my day. The days that I tried really hard to follow my eating plan, I felt so much better and had much more energy. The days when I "cheated" and ate differently, I felt crummy. So I decided to get some awesome go-to meals that packed a big punch! I usually make them in big batches and stick some in the freezer, that way I could just pop em in the toaster oven as I rushed out the door to work! 

Something that is important to remember while you are pregnant is that huge shifts in sugar affect your growing baby. You want to try and eat consistently and make sure that you have a great protein source when you eat.

My all time favorite breakfast is Ricotta Pancakes with fruit. (I love them with blueberries, but you can add anything to them!!) These are like a super food!! They pack in only 17 carbs per serving with a huge 12 g of protein!! YES!!! I KNOW!!! And they are so yummy!! Here is what you need:

Makes 2 Servings
3 Tablespoons THRIVE Flour
2 teaspoons THRIVE Sugar (or Stevia)
1 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder (or 1 egg)
2 Tablespoons Water
1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Raspberries, Blackberries, or whatever else you like! (You can rehydrate these or leave them freeze dried)

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in egg powder, water and ricotta cheese until well blended. Gently fold in blueberries or other fruit.
Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other side.

If you want to do a big batch to have some on hand, you will need:
Makes 14 servings
1 and 1/4 Cups THRIVE Flour
1/4 Cup THRIVE Sugar (or Stevia)
2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Powder
7 Tablespoons THRIVE Whole Egg Powder 14 Tablespoons Water
3 and 1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Raspberries, Blackberries, or whatever else you like!

I hope you love them!

Mama Mondays - Flourishing Family

Ok....So I know that I promised everyone an amazing STIR FRY recipe today....but I changed my mind. Here is why. I got to visit with my family this weekend and it reminded me what I LOVE about being a part of a flourishing family! I am gonna start a series every 3rd Monday of the month all about good family recipes! What I remember the most about growing up in my family, is that we homemade most of our food. All of my friends were jealous every time they came over and mom was making homemade bread!!! MMMMMM!!!!!! The whole neighborhood smelled good!

It got me thinking, bread is something that as kids we really depended on for a staple in our diets. No matter how many times my mom made it....and she made it pretty often, we were always excited to eat it!!! I remember that my mom could get us to try anything new, as long as it was accompanied by her yummy bread!!!

Now that I am grown and have my own little family, I love getting to provide the same thing for my family. We love making our own bread! We know exactly what is in it and that it is healthy! So today I am gonna show you just how easy it is to make your own delicious bread! You are excited right?!

Here is what you will need:

4 Tablespoons THRIVE White Sugar

4 Tablespoons Yeast

4 C. Warm Water

4 C. Warm THRIVE Milk

2/3 C. Oil (I love coconut oil!)

3 Tablespoons THRIVE Salt

18 C THRIVE Flour (I use a mixture of

whole wheat and white flour, but you can

 use any type of flour that you like...this is

easily adapted to gluten free with THRIVE rice flour)

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine Sugar, yeast and warm water. Let sit for 15 minutes covered with a towel.

Combine milk, oil, salt, and 8 cups of your flour in a separate bowl. Add yeast mixture. Reserve 2 cups of flour to knead with. Slowly add the remainder of your flour.

Grease your pans and set aside.  

Pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead only a few times. (I usually only knead until I can handle the dough quickly without is being sticky) Form into loaves that are roughly ½ the height of your pan.

Put your dough into your pans and sit them on top of the stove. Cover with a towel and allow them to rise to double their size.

Bake @ 425 degrees for 10 minutes

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pull them out of the oven and rub them with butter right away. Let them cool then enjoy!!!

Simple Right!!! It will be a big hit...Promise!!!

 

Anytime we make homemade bread....we have to mix up some of this little gem!

THRIVE Butter

THRIVE Honey crystals

Cinnamon

It tastes like the stuff you get at Texas Roadhouse or Chuck-A-Rama!!! I LOVE it!!!

Happy Monday!!!

 

Mama Mondays - Healthy Mama Series

Good Morning Mamas!

I am so glad that you are joining us again this Monday! Today is an exciting one because I will be introducing another series as a part of Mama Mondays! This is something that I am really passionate about and something I have personally struggled with. Being a Healthy Mama!!!

I will be adding great tips, tricks, and recipes to help you throughout your pregnancy and again while breastfeeding! Tune in every 2nd Monday of the month!

Perhaps a little back story would help you understand why I care so much about healthy mamas!!!

When I was pregnant with Noah (He was a pleasant surprise FYI), I was waist deep in a very intensive Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree. It required that I work 40 hr week at my clinical internship site (which was 45 minutes from home), and put in about 30 more hours of study, assignment time, just to stay afloat!! I was not an overachiever my any means! I was highly stressed and worn out! This did not make ideal conditions for a pregnancy. Once I started thinking about it, most moms now have to deal with less than ideal conditions while pregnant these days. So what can we do to make sure that we stay as healthy as possible? Let me tell you what I did.....

#1 Drink TONS of water!!!

While pregnant or nursing water is vital! You need plenty of water to keep you babies amniotic fluid at a good level as well as to clean the fluid. It is also very important for your own body. You are giving up so much to help that little one grow, your body needs the water to maintain its cells and critical functions, like the kidneys.

#2 Take some time for exercise!

I really loved to stretch while I was pregnant. You can find prenatal yoga and mediation videos everywhere!! This really helps to relieve some stress and help many fluids in your body to circulate much better!! Deep breaths and pamper those muscles!!! This can also help blood circulation and prevent varicose veins if done regularly.

#3 Plan to succeed!!! Plan Snacks & Meals!!!!

Make sure that you have a great eating plan. If you have a plan and take time to prepare your meals and snacks, you are giving yourself a head start. You are less likely to choose something that will will set you back. Healthy snacks and meals are essential to give your body the right fuel to keep you energized and grow that cute little baby! Here is some of my best advice....

Eat a really good breakfast! Make sure that you have a great protein source and that you add in some veggies!!! This gives you the best head start! MY favorite is to make an egg, veggie, and cheese omelet! Take your THRIVE Scrambled egg mix and create a "bed" for your favorite veggies and cheese. My favorite veggies are THRIVE Green Chile, THRIVE Asparagus, THRIVE Spinach, THRIVE Onions, and THRIVE Red and Green Bell peppers! I usually top it with just a little THRIVE Cheddar Cheese. Add some THRIVE Instant Milk and some THRIVE Quick Oatmeal to boost breast milk production!

Make sure that you plan some healthy snacks! One of my favorite snacks in the morning is an assortment of Yogurt bites and fruit and nuts! This ensures that you get a little protein! Add in any of your favorite THRIVE yogurt bites and favorite THRIVE fruits to some almonds and you are good to go! For a snack towards the afternoon (this is usually when most people begin to crave the sweets!) I love to add in something with a crunch! I LOVE the THRIVE Corn! It is almost like eating popcorn, but a little sweeter to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Make sure that your lunch is packed with good stuff! I love a great chicken salad with some fruit! Combine some of our THRIVE Superstars for a great lunch! Chicken, Onion, Celery, Apples or grapes, and some red or green bell peppers make an amazing chicken salad!

 

At dinner time it is important to pay attention to your balance between the carbs and proteins! You growing baby needs good proteins and veggies to carry you through the night. One of my favorite go to dinners is a stir fry! You get tons of protein and veggies in! Check back next Monday for my THRIVE Sizzle! Stir Fry recipe!!!

Last but not least, make sure that you are treating yourself! One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to be healthy is that they feel like you have to completely cut out all the "Bad" things! NOT!!! If you love ice cream....eat a little ice cream!! The trick is, only eat a true serving size!!

#4 Perhaps the most important, Get good Sleep!

Getting enough sleep is so important when pregnant or nursing and probably the hardest to come by! Try and help yourself by winding down about 30 minutes before bed by doing some stretches and rubbing your feet. Use some lotion and really try to calm yourself down.

 

Try to remember that in order to take care of your growing little ones, you have to take care of yourself! Once you start you will love it!!  

Mama Mondays - Baby Food Series!

Happy Monday Mamas!!!

I am starting a new series for everybody out there how wants to make their own baby food, but just doesn't know where to start.

 I was in your shoes not too long ago, you can do this!! It is so much more simple than it seems!!! Actually let me rephrase that....It is so much more simple with THRIVE!!! I will admit that I tried to make noah his baby food from the foods that we were eating, but it did not always work so well. I was really busy (as most of us are!) and I found myself using the already prepared "back up" baby food way more often than I ever wanted to. It was just so inconvenient!!! Once I started using THRIVE, it was like the heavens opened up and the angels sang a halleluia chorus!! SO SIMPLE!!! Once I started using THRIVE foods to make my baby food....he started eating everything! By this time, he was really loving finger foods and feeding himself, but I figured out something amazing....while he hated baby food peas, he gobbled up THRIVE peas!!! YAY!!! And THRIVE foods are non-GMO and you can even get them in organic now!

So I thought that I would start right where I started. I am a firm believer in starting your kiddos on greens! I believe this for a couple reasons. First, these are the least likely to cause an allergic reaction. Second, I think that if you create a love for veggies first, they will hang on to that! Third, they are easy on the digestive system. So....I started with green beans. He actually really loved them!

 

 I just do a couple simple steps........

1. I rehydrate whatever food I am using (I used THRIVE peas)

 

2. I then cook it just long enough to make it super soft and warm!

 

 

3. I put it in my blender (or baby bullet, food processor, whatever you got!)

Can you see the little man in the background anxiously awaiting his yummy peas? That would have NEVER happend with store bought baby food!

4. For some foods you may need to add a little extra water or maybe something to thicken it, like rice or rice cereal, (depending on your little one and what they prefer, I keep it pretty thin for the beginners!) Enjoy!

 

You can do this for any veggie (or fruit if you want to do that). My THRIVE Veggie Favorites are Sweet Peas, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Tomato, Spinach, Carrots, and Asparagus. Just keep in mind that it takes 7 days for your little on to develop a liking for any food. If after 7 tries they still hate it, then move on. I will post a new tip, trick, or flavor blend every 1st monday of the month....So stay tuned!