Lemon Twist Orzo

It has been approximately FOREVER since I have been in the kitchen experimenting with fun food. So, last week when I took on dinner, we were reunited and it felt so good! Here is what I came up with:

Lemon Twist Orzo

Orzo (2 cups uncooked should be just enough!)
2-3 lemons
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of capers
A few stalks of green onions (chopped)
A leafy green (loosely chopped)
Tofu (cubed)
Dried Thyme









Start by cooking your orzo according to the manufacturer's directions. Now, this was the first time I had ever cooked with orzo (shocking, I know) and let me tell you...a little goes a long way! I should have cooked only 2 cups for just Chris and I...would have been just fine!

Now, heat approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan and toss in your minced garlic to start the party. Next, add your tofu and let cook for a few minutes. When I saw the edges of my tofu starting to brown, I moved on to the next step.

Toss in your green onions, capers and a few shakes of dried thyme. After a few seconds, add the juice of your two lemons.

Now, toss in your leafy green to wilt. I used parsley here and it was pretty tasty. This was the first time I had cooked with parsley, other than to garnish so, like a dummy, I tossed in the stems. If you use parsley for this dish, don't do that! Next time, I'll use spinach.



Remove from heat and add to your orzo. Toss with another tablespoon of olive oil and more lemon juice. I really, really like the lemon tang, so I added the juice of an entire lemon. I also added some salt/pepper to taste. Yum!

Although we ate this as a main dish, this could be an excellent addition to any meal! Enjoy!

Right before I left the table to clean the kitchen, Chris surprised me with this:

I think he was just super pumped that I cooked dinner!

Just call me Daisy!

Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful and rewarding things I've ever done. However, for something so natural, you would think it would come naturally. Unfortunately, that isn't the case for most...including little Lily and myself.

Instead of throwing in the towel when we hit our road blocks in the beginning, we powered through and after several appointments with our pediatrician, a lactation consultant, an ENT snipping Lily's tongue and one lofty purchase...we are well on our way to successful feedings!

Lily started life tongue-tied...yes, it's an actual thing. I had no idea! It isn't anything serious but it was making it difficult for her to latch when nursing. When Lily wasn't gaining weight as quickly as we liked, we decided to get help. The lactation consultant informed us that since Lily wasn't demanding enough milk during her feedings, my supply was decreasing and we needed to fix this ASAP.

So, off we went to do just that with the help of these tips and tricks...

Fenugreek

A funny name but a serious herb!  Used for medicinal and culinary purposes by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, this herb has been known to reduce fever, flavor curry, make lip balm, treat skin infections, curb menstrual cramps,  treat bronchitis and other respiratory or sinus problems, etc. Thanks to the hormone precursors in the seeds, this magic little herb can also increase milk supply in nursing moms.

I've been taking the pill form of fenugreek, found at Whole Foods, for a couple weeks now. I take 2-3 after each meal with a full glass of water. Now, this herb does affect everyone differently and it isn't guaranteed to increase supply for every woman. But, it has been known to have some results within 24-72 hours. Once your supply is stabilized, you can stop taking the pills.

With the increased milk supply comes some unfortunate and weird side effects. The worst is the upset tummy and increased sweating. Some scientists believe that fenugreek increases milk supply because it stimulates sweat production and breasts are simply modified sweat glands. I'll leave the reasoning to the smart guys!

The most bizarre side effect I've encountered is the maple syrup smell to both mine and Lily's urine. Yep, I told you that it was bizarre! But hey, if I have to spend a little time being a sweaty mess with sweet smellin' tickle to improve Lily's feedings...worth it!

Organic Mother's Milk Tea

This herbal tea contains bitter fennel, aniseed, coriander, fenugreek, blessed thistle and a blend of spearmint, lemongrass, lemon verbena and marshmallow root...all of which are organic ingredients! According to the packaging and my lactation consultant, the combination of anise, fennel and coriander has been used for centuries by European women to promote healthy lactation and to increase production.

It is suggested that you drink one cup 3-5 times a day the entire time you are nursing. Unfortunately, my stomach just can't handle it so I only drink 1-2 cups a day...one in the morning and the other before bed. Some think the tea is rather bitter, but I actually like it and find it almost sweet. To each their own!

Also, you can print a $1.50 off coupon after signing up for their newsletter here. Every little bit helps!

Lifestyle Changes

I say "changes" but most of these things are common sense...just be healthy! Tips include resting as much as you can, drinking tons of water, and eating a well-balanced diet. Also, cutting out smoking, caffeine, alcohol and unnecessary medications.

Remember,  breastfeeding burns calories (approximately 600 a day...depending on what study you look at), so make sure you are eating enough and eating enough of the right things! My lactation consultant encouraged lots of raspberries, blueberries, oatmeal, whole grains and leafy greens.

Increasing Demand

This has been the biggest challenge! Mastering the art of supply and demand is the key to successful milk production. So...pumping has been a necessity. Lily tends to satisfy herself after approximately 15 minutes on each breast but she doesn't necessarily empty either one each feeding. So, to make sure their is a sufficient demand, I pump for an additional 10-15 minutes. With her feeding every 2-3 hours, you might as well call me "Daisy the Dairy Cow"!

I didn't notice a big change when adding the pumping until I added the night sessions. Lily is an excellent sleeper so we thought we hit the jackpot when she started sleeping through the night. Everyone says "sleep when the baby sleeps" so that is exactly what I did! Well, sleeping 6-8 hours at night means missing feeding sessions...which decreases demand and ultimately decreases supply. So, as much as I hate waking up at 3am, I'm loving having the extra milk around!

Now that it is time to return our rented breast pump back to the hospital, I researched and researched various pumps to purchase. Finally, I decided on the Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced. Although this is a lofty purchase, I used a coupon code and saved over $70 at Target.com! I should receive the pump tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to having the battery-operated option and the ability to easily travel with it! I'll let you know how it goes!


Now, all of these things have been a huge help and we have seen GREAT progress. BUT, the biggest thing that has led to Lily's successful weight gain and happy feeding sessions is...wait for it...patience. Remaining calm and as stress-free as possible is key to a happy mommy and a chunky baby!

Fleur de Lis Pizza

To kick off our Local Pizza Challenge, we headed over to Fleur de Lis Pizza.

Although embarrassing to admit, this was my first visit to the infamous BR pizza joint. I had heard so many fabulous things about this pizza that my expectations were super high and, admittedly, almost impossible to meet. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that I left wanting more...

Taste

Rachel- 3 slices

Was this pizza tasty? Yes. Did it rock my world? No.

I ordered the Large Vegetarian Pizza with no substitutions. Onions, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Hot Peppers, and Black Olives topped the thin crust pizza. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of black olives and there was TONS on this pizza. But, I didn't let this cloud my judgement.

This pizza was quite enjoyable... The crust had a really nice crunch, the sauce was yummy and the veggies were plentiful! It just wasn't as great, grand and wonderful as I had been told...

Chris- 5 slices

You could say we differ a bit! Chris is a huge fan of thin crust pizza and hasn't stopped raving about Fleur De Lis since we left. To each their own!

Affordability

Rachel-  4 slices

For $10.50, I left full and even had some leftover for later. Not too shabby!

Chris- 4 slices

Atmosphere

Rachel- 2 slices

I hate to be this negative...but...the atmosphere was really lacking. It was super dark, we had to move tables because the air conditioner was leaking onto our table, the tables were shaky and questionably clean...it just wasn't my style. I love hole-in-the-walls just as much as the next person but this was a little too shady for me.

To be positive, I will say that I LOVED that the drinks were served in the classic glass bottles!

Chris- 3 slices

Overall Experience

Rachel- 3 slices (average of other categories)

Overall, I just wasn't impressed. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The server was nice but not super attentive. The pizza was good but not life-changing. The venue was neat but just not "best of BR" quality.

If you are planning on visiting FDL keep in mind that they do not accept credit cards! Only slightly inconvenient but if you are prepared, it's no big deal.

Chris- 4 slices

Total:  7 slices

Lily slept the entire time!

The Local Pizza Challenge

Maternity leave is starting to take its toll on me! I love being at home with my precious little princess...but I'd love some opportunities to take her out into the world! So...this weekend we went out for lunch (which is my next post!) and I had a thought...

I love pizza and any excuse to eat it. So, over this summer, we will be enjoying all of the local pizza joints for the...wait for it...Local Pizza Challenge!

At each venue, Chris and I will order their vegetarian pizza option, no substitutions. We will then rank the pizza and venue on taste, affordability, atmosphere and overall experience. Each venue can get up to 5 slices and the venue with the most slices at the end wins! Wins what you may ask? Well, nothing really...just the Local Pizza Challenge...which they should be pumped about...clearly!

Since we don't agree on everything, Chris is going to guest blog on this challenge! Should be interesting!

Make sure we hit all the local places but commenting with your favorite!

Happy 1st Month Lily!

This past weekend we celebrated Lily's first month of life! I can't believe she is already one month old...time really flies! We have had one exciting month of firsts...

first day of life...



first day out and about...

first real bath...

first lunch out at Zippys...

first trip to Leesville...

among others!

What a blast we have had...but there is much more fun to come!

Happy 1st Month Lily!

{Made with Love} Herb Markers

I have a new obsession....chalkboard paint. It is a wondrous thing! You can literally turn anything into a chalkboard. I didn't even know how much I like chalkboards until now...but it's all over...I love 'em!

As I was washing a soup can before tossing it into the recycling, I asked myself...what could I do with this? Re-purposing trash is one of my favorite things to do. So, I thought and thought and thought...

Finally, I came up with an idea...decorative herb markers!

Enjoy!

Materials

Top of Tin Can
Chalkboard Paint
Wooden Dowel (painted, if desired)
Glue Gun
Ribbon or Raffia







1. Paint your top with the chalkboard paint. Its best to do two coats of the paint, one with horizontal strokes and the other with vertical strokes. For best results, wait at least an hour between coats. I also painted my wooden doyle a light blue color.

2. Once dry, glue your wooden dowel to your painted top.

3. Lastly, add your lagniappe...AKA your raffia or ribbon and chalk the name of your herb!

Ta-Da!

My husband recently completed his "23 Pot Challenge". Basically, he found 23 flower pots in our shed and wanted to fill them all with something different. We have various herbs, wildflowers, even trees growing in various pots in our backyard. As much as I love it, this challenge of his makes herb/flower makers a necessity...so, until they are all marked properly...it looks like we'll be enjoying some soup!

DIY Fabric Flowers #1

In an attempt to flex my creative muscles, I searched some of my favorite "Do-It-Yourself" blogs and found a few tutorials for fabric flowers. These are the perfect projects for me because they are simple and I'm currently obsessed with the trendy, hair flowers for Lily...and maybe myself as well...we'll see!

The first tutorial came from Simply Vintagegirl Blog and was super fun! I'll admit, I was a little nervous about this project because it involved fire...but it was easy!

Materials:

Cardstock
Scissors
Fabric (a silky, synthetic fabric)
A tea-light
A bead (or button...really anything you like for the center of the flower)
Glue gun (or needle and thread, if you are more awesome than me!)
Hair Clip

First cut 5-6 circles out of the cardstock. You want the largest circle to be about 1/2 an inch larger than you want the finished flower to be and the remaining decreasing in size slightly each time.

Next, use the cardstock circles as a pattern to trace the circles onto your fabric with a pen before cutting them out.

To create the petals, cut 4-5 slits into each fabric circle. When I did this first one, I didn't cut deep enough into the circle. You want to cut about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way into the circle...this will help with the next step.

This is the "hard" part. You are going to use the tea light flame to crinkle the edges of the petals. Hold each circle approximately an inch away from the flame. Be very, very careful as it is NO fun when you burn yourself! Make sure to rotate the circle so it doesn't catch on fire.

When you have done that will all the fabric circles. You simply need to attach each of the circles together. I "cheated" and used a glue gun!

Lastly, glue your bead or button into the center of the flower, a small piece of cardstock to the bottom to stabilize it a bit and, finally, your hair clip...and BAM, you're done!

Of course, I had to try it out on our little model...but she wasn't too happy about it!

Sorry these photos are so horrible!

This is the last post where the photos come from my phone!
We are moving on up!

My Summer To-Do List

I've been on maternity leave for 3 weeks now and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy. I don't want to over-do it for the next two months, but I have to make some goals to keep me motivated...and sane!

So, this is my to-do list for Summer 2011:

1. Develop a proper schedule for Lily...and us! We are on the right track but we aren't quite there yet.

2. Get back in the kitchen. I've missed getting my hands dirty while experimenting with new foods and recipes...so it's time to jump back in there!

3. Become a better blogger. In my defense, I've been a little distracted lately! =) But... I want to post more interesting things more regularly.

4.  Bye-Bye Baby Weight! Ok...I'm not delusional enough to think that I'll get back to a better ol' me in the next two months...but I can try!

5. Finish some home projects. We have a few things around the house that aren't quite done, including our hall bathroom, our front room, our porch and the trim in almost every room in our house. No time like the present to finish!

6. Get creative! While I'm at home with Lily, I might as well flex my creative muscles! I want to start making little accessories for Lily, like hair bows. Why spend a fortune buying all these fun little girl things, when I can make it!

7. Paint the kitchen. This room is all one color and it needs to be spiced up!

8. Save some cash with coupons! My friend Jennifer is awesome at saving tons with coupons. She has a blast doing it and I'm ready to do the same!

9. Become a Scrapbook Queen! My mother recently brought me a scrapbook my great-grandmother made right after I was born and this got me thinking...I should do this for Lily! So...let the documenting begin!

10. Start creating family memories! Ok, so Lily won't remember anything we do this summer, but that shouldn't stop us from having fun family adventures!

Should be a fun summer!