Ratatouille by Julia Child

Yay! It is summertime! This expectant momma is actually craving VEGGIES! While searching for a yummy summertime recipe this popped up! Ratatouille! It literally uses everything you can grow in a summer garden! Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic. This is chalk full of veggies and perfect while on the 21 Day Fix! I would use this as a side dish and pair it with a red container of Herbes de Provence seasoned roasted chicken breast sticking with the French flair! (a goal of mine is to have a garden big enough to grow all of these items in it one day! Right now I only have the bell peppers and tomatoes.)

Ratatouille
by Julia Child
8 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. eggplant
1 lb. zucchini or summer squash
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 lb. (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 sliced green peppers (about 1 cup) 
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (about 1 1/2 cups; could use canned tomatoes)
3 Tbsp. minced parlsey

Directions:
Peel and cut the eggplant. Make sure you cut eggplant into lengthwise slices that are about 1-inch wide, 3-inch long, and 3/8-inch thick. Scrub the summer squash and cut into piece the same size as eggplant. Take a bowl and put the vegetables into it. Toss the vegetables with one teaspoon salt. Set them aside for 30 minutes. Drain every slice and dry with a towel.

Take a skillet and put four tablespoons of olive oil into it. Sauté the summer squash and eggplant, one layer at a time, for about one minute until they vegetables are slightly browned. Take them out into a dish.

Cook pepper and onions in the same skillet. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil if needed. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes until they are tender. Add the garlic and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Take the tomatoes and slice its pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Layer the tomatoes over pepper and onions, and season them with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes on a low heat until the tomatoes start to render their juice. Check the seasoning and raise the heat. Boil the vegetables in the tomato juice until the juice evaporates entirely.

Take a casserole, about 2½-inch deep, and put 1/3 of the tomato mixture into it. Sprinkle the freshly minced parsley over tomatoes. Next, arrange half of the summer squash and eggplant on top. Layer the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put the remaining summer squash and eggplant, and finish off with the rest of tomatoes and parsley.

Cover the casserole and put it on a low heat. Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. Check it after 10 minutes, and season it if necessary. Raise the heat a little and cook everything for 15 minutes uncovered. Cook until all the juices evaporate. Be very careful about the heat. Avoid the vegetables getting scorch at the bottom of casserole.

Take it out, and serve!

21 Day Fix Containers: 2-3 greens. 1 tsp. 1 red if paired with roasted chicken.

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Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Growing up in Arizona we were no stranger to really great Mexican foods. And honestly my husband could survive on beans and chips. He loves them so much. They are easy, and inexpensive. I am always looking for new recipes to try on him of his favorites and add in a slow cooker, I'm game! Check out this recipe!

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Yield: 12 servings, about ½ cup each

Ingredients:
1 lb. dry pinto beans (about 5 cups), rinsed, sorted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt), divided use
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 sprig fresh fresh oregano
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
6 cups hot water, divided use
1 tsp. olive oil or lard (hey this is what they really use back home!) 

Splash of milk or almond milk

Preparation:
1. Place beans, onion, garlic, ¾ tsp. salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper, and 4 cups water in a 3-quart slow cooker; cover. Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours, or until beans are soft. Add additional water, if necessary, so that beans do not become dry.
2. Remove and discard oregano sprig. Strain beans, reserving liquid.
3. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add strained beans and ¼ cup of reserved liquid and a splash of milk; cook, mashing with a potato masher, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they form a rough purée. Add more water if necessary to keep the fried beans from getting too dried out.

5. Season with remaining ¼ tsp. salt; mix well.

21 Day Fix Containers: 1.5 yellow per serving

Modified from Teambeachbodyblog.com

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Embrace Every Body: Body Image Movement

I just saw the trailer for this documentary today and I am so excited for it. For years I have struggled with body image, and self shaming. It wasn't until I was in my adult years, and married for a few years that I finally started to love my body. This is one thing I am going to work so hard with to teach my daughter and sons to love their body for how it is. How amazing it is and to not self shame. Be proud of themselves and honor their bodies.

Check out the EMBRACE DOCUMENTARY WEBSITE for more info!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Bump Update: 25 Weeks

 25 Weeks, only 15 weeks left! This is going by so quickly at this point. I feel like it was just 20 weeks. I guess having 2 kids to chase after while pregnant makes time speed up quite a bit while pregnant! But I also want to slow this down a little only because I know how life will be like with a newborn, and we don't know if we will have any more kids after this. This could be my last pregnancy. So...I kind of want to stay in it while I can. But time is time and it keeps moving no matter what.

This past week, I survived my first week of Summer Break with both boys home all day. We have had to get creative on what we do to stay busy and not get cabin fever. We weren't as good with the nightly walks as we should have been, but we are finding plenty of things to do at night to keep them entertained. I would love to venture to the pool but Mason still can't swim by himself and I just can't take care of 2 boys by myself. But I really want to go to the pool. Maybe we will get an inflatable one here, but big enough for me to hang out in too!

Total Weight Gain:  12 pounds total weighing in at 249.4 pounds. I lost .4 pounds this week. 

Symptoms: Lack of sleeping well. Having to go to the bathroom more often again. Baby is getting BIG! 

Baby’s Size: Acorn Squash (~9 inches, 1.7 pounds)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts. I am really on the hunt for good pregnancy exercise pants to wear, as I don't have any and I just stretch into my old ones. Oh and a good nursing sports bra. Yeah, I'm on the hunt! 

Stretch Marks: I already have a ton that I got when I gained weight years ago. So nothing new.

Gender: GIRL!!! 

Sleep: HORRIBLE! I have been tossing and turning, and I have restless leg syndrome. I am just kicking like crazy while I sleep. Plus she is starting to move at night more and it wakes me up, or when I flip over it wakes her and she kicks me to tell me to go back to sleep. She is a feisty one! 

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night. 

Cravings: Nope. Not craving anything this week. I have just been trying to make sure I am eating what I am supposed to be eating. Shakeology everyday. Enough veggies, protein, fruits and right kinds of carbs and so forth.

Aversions: nothing yet

Excited About: Matt got to feel her kick for the first time this past week! YAY! I knew it was close! Today I have my monthly check up. After this it will be one more check up in 4 weeks then I go to appointments every 2 weeks. Kind of crazy! Getting closer! 

Workouts: Got in all my workouts 5 days a this past week, which is awesome! We weren't as good on doing the walks every night before bed but we are still trying. My regular workout schedule is: Monday and Wednesday 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates. Tuesday and Thursdays, the Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity 2nd Trimester workouts and Fridays are my FREE PICK day. I can choose to do whatever I want. Lately it has been doing the 21 Day fix yoga routine again. Also I am also trying to get Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts in daily, they are an added bonus on strength training for me.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Great Books To Help Prepare For Labor and Birth

Who is looking for some great books to read on helping you prepare for labor??? As an expectant mom we want to be and feel prepared for something that you really can't imagine or prepare for until you actually go through it. And even when you have already gone through labor the next time can be totally different. So what can you do now to help you prepare mentally as much as possible for the big D-DAY? Check out these books below and how you can get them, to help you get as prepared as possible! 

Ok first book, is Hypno-birthing: Natural Approach to safer easier and more comfortable birthing by Marie Mongan. I am rereading through it right now and even if you don't want to do hypnobirthing I think the approach and mindset to it is great! It helps you look at labor and birthing and trying to take the fear mindset away from you. Great book, CHECK IT OUT!

Next is from Ina May Gaskins: A Guide To Natural Childbirth. Again the this is about learning a different mindset to getting through childbirth naturally. I really do love this book and the approach she takes to getting through childbirth naturally. There are a lot of birth stories in the first half of the book and then it talks about how you can have a natural birth.

The last one is Birthing From Within by Pam England. It is a little Hippy Dippy! Ok it is a lot hippy, granola, crunchy approach to going into childbirth. It has activities for you to draw pictures of your fears, of what you imagine childbirth to be like. And even taking those pictures with you to the hospital to help you mentally with childbirth. It is an interesting read, if you can get over some of the quirkiness of the book. My first childbirth class had us draw pictures and I am horrible at drawing. So I was really self conscience. But mine turned out beautiful and I honestly thought of what I drew as I was laboring with #1! So check it out!

 

What do you think? Do you think you will read any of these books?

Also, since I have a good friend that is an actual librarian, be sure to check your local library first, help save you some money and support your local library letting them know that they are still needed and wanted!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!