I got this recipe from my sister-in-law when we visited her in Florida last week.  It’s so good, you could really believe you bought it from a restaurant.  This is my favorite soup of all time so I was really excited to find an easy, fast recipe that tastes authentic.

If you don’t have an Asian market near you, you probably won’t find lemongrass.  I used to have some of this dried version, but I haven’t been able to find it recently.  If you know where it can be purchased, please post in the comments!  As a substitute I put in one tsp of lemon juice.   The rest of the ingredients are easy to come by.

You can customize this soup per your preferences.  Use more red curry paste for a spicier flavor, or add some Sriracha sauce to individual bowls, if some like it spicy and some don’t.  I like to add sliced onions and bamboo shoots, and I tend to go heavy on the cilantro.  My sister-in-law also adds tomatoes to hers.  I like to slice the mushrooms very thinly.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
1 TB vegetable oil
2 TB grated ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, minced
2 TB red curry paste
3 TB fish sauce
1 TB brown sugar
3 cans coconut milk
½ lb button mushrooms
1 lb chicken and/or shrimp
2 TB lime juice
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
Cook and stir ginger, lemongrass, and curry in oil one minute.
Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring continually.
Stir in fish sauce and brown sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes
Add coconut milk and mushrooms.
Add chicken & simmer until cooked.
Stir in lime juice.
Garnish with cilantro.

Tags: coconut soup, thai, tom kah gai
Filed under: Nutrition, Pregnancy and Birth, recipes

Michelle Frank over on the ICAN of Atlanta message board posted this cauliflower recipe awhile back.  I finally got around to trying it the other night, and it was a huge hit!  I think my 4 year old ate about half of it all by herself.  This is definitely going to be a regular dish at our house.  I’m copying over her recipe, including her tips and tricks, and a picture from another ICAN mom, Baby Steps teacher Christine Strain.

This is the sauce:

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon tumeric (this is where it gets the orangey look)
6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil

I use this per head of cauliflower. I just throw all the ingredients in a small dish and shake vigoriously so that it is mixed well. Then I usually place the washed cauliflower florets (don’t cut them too small!) into a plastic bag, pour the dressing, seal the bag, and shake it all together. I roasted it at 450 for as long as it needs, which for me is about an hour because the more burned it is the better it tastes!

A few hints: line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper, or grease a piece of aluminum foil and place the cauliflower on the foil on the baking sheet. Don’t put it directly on the baking sheet, unless of course you love your Brillo pads so much that you want to use a few of them after it’s done cooking  Also, mix it around in the oven ever 20 minutes or so. As it cooks longer, I find that I mix it more often than that just to even out the ‘burning’ processing.

I find that one head serves about 4 to 6 people, but I always  make this with at least two heads because I literally eat one on my own!

Tags: popcorn cauliflower
Filed under: Health, recipes

I don’t like oatmeal, really.  But it is a simple and fast breakfast that sticks with you all the way to lunch time.  I was exploring a website about the Paleo diet and I found this recipe.  I tried it, and I actually liked it.  I’d rather eat this than oatmeal, and it has more protein.

Here’s the recipe (click here for the website):

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
• 4 Tbs raw, chunky almond butter
• 2-3 Tbs raw, unsweetened coconut milk  (I used almond milk because I had some on hand)
• cinnamon to taste
• dash of fresh grated nutmeg (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small pan over medium heat, stirring often. Or, microwave for 1 minute and stir.

Tags: almond butter, apple sauce, oatmeal, paleo
Filed under: Nutrition, recipes

At 8 weeks pregnant, I spend way more time horizontal than I’d like. The nausea is really getting to me! So to pass the time I turn to the internet. I came across this blog a few days ago and thought I’d share. Maternity clothes can get expensive. If you enjoy sewing, you’ll love this blog. I’m at the point where my favorite jeans don’t fit and I find myself needing one of these:

http://diymaternity.com/pants-skirts/how-to-sew-a-belly-band/

Love it!

Did you sew clothes for yourself while you were pregnant? Did/do you sew clothes, diapers, etc. for your children? Share your favorite patterns and websites!

Baby Steps offers natural and prepared childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes and support, and doula services in the metro Atlanta area.  Current locations include Alpharetta, Buckhead, Douglasville, Marietta,  Midtown, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, and Decatur.  If these locations are not convenient for you we also offer private, in-home classes on your schedule and virtual classes from the comfort of your own home.  Contact us for more information.  babysteps@babystepsonline.net

Tags: belly band, maternity clothes
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Pregnancy and Birth

I went to a Pampered Chef event recently and this was the main dish the consultant made (I know I talk about Pampered Chef a lot – I’m not a consultant, really.  I just have lots of their stuff).  It’s a three-cheese garden veggie pizza and it is so good! Click here for the recipe as-is.

To make this recipe healthier, use a whole wheat pizza crust instead of the prepackaged white crust.  The nuttier flavor of whole wheat goes really well with veggie pizzas.  This link will take you to a 5-star whole wheat pizza crust recipe.  To make things even easier, I use my bread machine to make dough.  Toss the ingredients in, liquid to solids with yeast going in last, and turn it on the dough setting.  It really doesn’t get any easier than that.

I expected my kids not to like this pizza.  It has zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  I actually made it when they weren’t even home, since I just KNEW they wouldn’t eat it.  They came home the next day and I ended up having to share my leftovers!  I was surprised they liked it so much.  Try chopping the veggies up in smaller pieces if they seem resistant, or substitute the veggies for ones they might like better.

Tags: pampered chef, veggie pizza
Filed under: Nutrition, recipes

My awesome sister Valerie (who runs Best Fit Pet Sit in Lawrenceville) saw this recipe and thought I might be interested.  Boy, was she right!  It was incredibly easy and if I’d paid for this at a restaurant, I’d have left full and happy.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup light Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter (I like crunchy)
• 1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
• Juice from 1 Lime (about 1 tbs lime juice)
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
• Pinch of the following:
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne
• Stevia to taste, or your favorite natural sweetener

• 2 pounds Chicken Breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup diced Onion
• a few Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon unrefined Coconut Oil
• 1 cup chopped Asparagus Spears, cut into 1 inch pieces

Optional garnishes - Chopped Cilantro, Peanuts, Green Onion, toasted unsweetenedCoconut Flake

METHOD

Sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sweetener & seasonings to form a sauce. Taste and change anything if you want to. Set aside.

Chicken: Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic cook until softened. Add chicken, cook until golden brown and cooked through about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Stir sauce into chicken. Partially cover and simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add asparagus during the last few minutes of cook time. Serve with spicy Sriracha sauce and garnishes mentioned above.

Tags: coconut chicken, peanut sauce, Thai food
Filed under: Nutrition, recipes

It seems everyone has a different opinion about prenatal vitamins. Are they necessary? Can you get what you need by simply eating a balanced diet? Opinions vary widely. So this week, we’d like you to chime in with your thoughts on prenatal vitamins and supplements. Do/did you use them in your pregnancy? What is/was your regimen? What supplements did you use (ex. red raspberry, alfalfa, fish oil, DHA) and why?

In the past I’ve used everything from prescription vitamins to Rainbow Light, New Chapter (they smell so good!), and Garden of Life Raw.

What are your favorites? Let us know!

Tags: prenatal vitamins
Filed under: Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy and Birth

I love making a whole chicken for my family.  The kids love the drumsticks; my husband likes the dark meat; I like the chicken breast.  Normally I’d just buy boneless, skinless breasts, but a whole chicken is not only more economical, it makes everyone happy.  I’ve baked chickens in stone baking dishes in both the oven and the microwave, with good results. But I don’t really like microwave cooking, and it’s too hot to use the oven if I don’t have to.  So I decided to try it in my crock pot.

I chopped up an onion and placed it in the bottom of the crock pot.  Unwrapped the chicken, removed the giblets, rinsed it off, and coated it with some Jamaican rub.  You could use any seasonings you like for this.  Then I set it in the crock pot, covered it, and cooked it for about 4.5 hours on high.  It was so good!

Crock Pot Chicken

When we were finished with it, I pulled the remaining chicken off the bones, put the bones back in the crock pot, and filled it up with water.  I added some celery, carrots, and parsley, and cooked it on low overnight.  I strained it, tossed the veggies & bones, and froze the stock to make soup when the weather starts to cool off.

This is one seriously economical way to have dinner!  And nobody will know it’s cheap, because it tastes so good.  One 3.5 ounce serving of chicken breasts contains 30 grams of protein!  So if you’re trying to get the 75+ grams a day you need during pregnancy, this is a great way to do it.

Tags: baked chicken, crock pot, rotisserie
Filed under: Nutrition, recipes

A recent meta-analysis of childbirth studies has suggested that the likelihood of having a cesarean can be reduced by the simple act of getting a second opinion.  There are many diagnoses made during pregnancy that may or may not be evidence-based.  Anytime you’re faced with a diagnosis that seems to complicate your pregnancy or require any sort of treatment, it’s in your best interests to seek a second opinion.

Baby Steps offers natural and prepared childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes and support, and doula services in the metro Atlanta area.  Current locations include Alpharetta, Buckhead, Douglasville, Marietta,  Midtown, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, and Decatur.  If these locations are not convenient for you we also offer private, in-home classes on your schedule and virtual classes from the comfort of your own home.  Contact us for more information.  babysteps@babystepsonline.net

Tags: c-section, cesarean, second opinion
Filed under: Education, Pregnancy and Birth

Yes, we’re back with Bon Appetit again!  I can’t wait to make these.  They’re more time-consuming than the past few recipes for frozen treats, but the stripes will make my kids very happy.  They’ll feel like they’re eating one of those awful rainbow pops with all the dyes and corn syrup, but really they’ll be getting fresh fruit.  Gotta love that!

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/06/strawberry-blueberry-pops#ixzz1QTrVTScS

Baby Steps offers natural and prepared childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes and support, and doula services in the metro Atlanta area.  Current locations include Alpharetta, Buckhead, Douglasville, Marietta,  Midtown, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, and Decatur.  If these locations are not convenient for you we also offer private, in-home classes on your schedule and virtual classes from the comfort of your own home.  Contact us for more information.  babysteps@babystepsonline.net

Tags: blueberries, bon appetit, popsicles, strawberries
Filed under: Health, Nutrition, recipes