What I ate Wednesday– May 10th, 2017

Good morning!

I am not sure if it’s the pregnancy or just my mood, but for the life of me, I can’t bring myself to finish a few posts I have half way done that require some concentration and hard work to get through. Last night, I fully planned to spend my evening at my computer, working on one of the posts that is about a recent partnership, but instead, I relaxed with a manicure and pedicure and then watched a movie on the couch. After doing some reading, it seems that it is pretty common for expecting moms to experience some attention deficit disorder or absentmindness during the third trimester. It’s interesting as I feel like I’m on my game during the work day but bringing myself to focus on something after hours is difficult. Or, maybe it’s all my friends and followers telling me to be lazy while I can.

Regardless, the partnership post that I had planned for today will hopefully go live tomorrow and instead, I’m sharing another What I Ate Wednesday with you guys. I’ve received some questions on Instagram and Instastories lately about the food I’m eating during third trimester so giving you guys a sneak into a day of eats will help address some of these questions.

Pre-Breakfast – 6:15 AM

When Bo and I go to the 6:45 AM Orangetheory class, we typically have coffee and either a piece of toast with almond butter or a handful of Purely Elizabeth granola. Yesterday morning I opted for a handful of granola, some NUUN and coffee before heading to the workout.

Breakfast – 8:15 AM

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This week I’ve been craving yogurt bowls filled with lots of fruit. Yesterday’s bowl included Fage 0%, ground flaxseed, 1/2 banana, a few strawberries, 1/4 cup of Purely Elizabeth granola and a drizzle of Justin’s Almond Butter. I microwaved one tablespoon of Justin’s almond butter so I could drizzle it versus putting a glob in my bowl. I tend to eat breakfast at my desk while catching up on emails and reading industry articles.

Lunch – 1:00 PM

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On Saturday, I suddenly had a craving for a sandwich after weeks of having salads or leftovers for lunch. While I’ve avoided lunch meat most of my pregnancy, after doing some research I realized that as long as I buy fresh, high quality meat that is nitrate free and hasn’t been sitting out very long, I can answer this craving. The harm in eating deli meat comes from the risk of listeria as well as the nitrates often found in lunch meat. We are lucky that there are a few places within walking distance of our apartment who slice their lunch meat fresh from meat they’ve roasted in house. After talking with them, I feel very comfortable about eating this meat.  Since Saturday, I’ve been enjoying the same sandwich and lunch on repeat.

Two pieces of whole wheat bread, one slice of Muenster cheese, 1/4 pound of roasted chicken, romaine lettuce, tomato, Sir Kensington’s mayonaise, dijon mustard and a dash of salt and pepper. I round out the plate with mini sweet peppers, hummus and a pickle.

Afternoon Snack – 4:30 PM

Yesterday I made a snack bowl which included one serving of these delicious, chocolate almonds mixed with 3 cups of popcorn. I enjoyed that with a La Croix during an afternoon conference call and loved the mix of salty and sweet!

Dinner – 8 PM

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Bo and I are still loving Hello Fresh and in fact, are currently on our third week of meals. Last night’s dinner was the Blackened Catfish served atop green beans, baby potatoes, peppers and onions. Many people have asked me what we like about the service and I think last night’s dinner is a perfect example.  We love that the meals take the exact amount of time the recipe card says (30 minutes), features a mix of proteins options including fish, and combines flavors that we would rarely use and therefore don’t typically have on hand such as blackening spices.  You are able to look at the meal cards in advance when you choose your meals for the weeks and each card provides you with the ingredients, time required, difficulty level as well as the nutrition values. I love that we’re able to make informed decisions together in advance of receiving our delivery. You can even customize your plan to Fit, Quick or Variety preferences and yes, they do offer vegetarian options!  If you haven’t tried it, you can get $40 off your first box by clicking here. For perspective, the Classic Plan which includes 3 meals for 2 people is $59 per week, which means you’d get 3 meals for 2 people for just $19 using the code!

Dessert – 9 PM

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As I mentioned, last night I found myself relaxing on the couch for two hours instead of being productive. The couch time was made even better with a bowl of delicious ice cream. A few weeks ago the team at Halo Top sent me five golden tickets, aka coupons, to try their ice cream.  I picked up chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies & cream this week at the grocery store and had a double date with each of them last night. While I know they advertise being able to eat the entire pint, I preferred to enjoy one scoop from each. Based on Instagram, it seems like the fan favorites are birthday cake, cookie dough, chocolate almond and peanut butter cup.  For those of you who haven’t tried it yet, Halo Top is a low-calorie, high protein and low sugar ice cream that uses all natural, wholesome ingredients. The ice cream is sweetened with organic stevia and Erthritol which is an all-natural sweetener which doesn’t cause the bloating and negative blood glucose side effects that the typical articifical sweetners cause. While I wouldn’t say that Halo Top can replace my beloved Ample Hills or other fresh, local ice cream it is definitely a good alternative to enjoy a few nights a week.  In Brooklyn it can be found at Fairway, Whole Foods, and Stop & Shop while nationally it’s now carried in many large grocery stores such as Kroger and Publix!

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Healthy Egg Salad Recipe

 

Hey friends! I hope you guys had a great weekend. I have so much to share with you all but lately, as Bo and I have had more on our plate as we prepare for Baby Girl Diamond, I’m really trying to disconnect on the weekends which is when I used to draft a lot of my posts. So, until I have time to dedicate to some lengthy posts, this week’s posts may be a bit shorter than normal. However, I’m doing my best to ensure the posts I do share will be relevant, not solely pregnancy focused and helpful.

Today’s post is a tasty one that was inspired by my friend and fellow blogger, Anne. On Friday, after seeing an egg salad sandwich on her blog earlier that morning, I found myself dreaming of egg salad when it was time to make lunch. Since I was working from home, I had the ability to go into the kitchen and whip up lunch from scratch. Luckily, with a quick glance in the refrigerator, I realized that I had all the ingredients necessary to make a healthy, egg salad sandwich.

This egg salad recipe is not the traditional recipe my mother, grandmother and mother-in-law make that includes Duke’s Mayonaisse. Instead, it’s a healthier version that gets creaminess and extra protein from Greek yogurt and a kick of flavor from roasted red pepper hummus. There are still a few traditional ingredients like celery, since I always like the crunch it provides.

If you haven’t hard-boiled eggs recently or have a hard time peeling your eggs, I highly recommend this blog post as the directions are super clear and worked perfectly.

Healthy Egg Salad Recipe

Healthy Egg Salad

This healthy egg salad recipe uses hummus and Greek yogurt instead of mayonaise, resulting in a protein-packed and flavorful combination. Perfect to enjoy on a sandwich or salad, this will keep you fueled all afternoon.

Yield: Serves 1 or 2 smaller portions

Ingredients:

  • 2 peeled, hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 1/2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon pickle relish
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Any of your favorite herbs for flavor or kick – red pepper flakes, fresh or dried parsley or oregano, etc.

Directions:

  • Place two, peeled hard boiled eggs in a medium bowl.
  • Cut them or smash/slice with a fork so that they are in tiny, diced pieces.
  • Add celery, Greek yogurt, hummus, mustard, relish, salt, pepper and herbs/spices.
  • Stir until well combined.
  • Serve egg salad on top of salad, your favorite toast or as a sandwich. If you go the sandwich route, a few sliced tomatoes, lettuce and an extra smear of hummus make perfect toppings.
  • Enjoy!
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An Afternoon in Bratislava

For years, Bo and his friends have laughed about the movie EuroTrip. It’s a completely ridiculous, National Lampoon’s style movie from 2004 that is a play on the many stereotypes that come along with an American teenager trip to Europe. At one point in the movie, the characters accidently end up in Bratislava with only $5 in their pocket.

Today, while on the road from Prague to Vienna, when we saw a sign for Bratislava we knew we had to cross the border for an afternoon adventure. Not only did it serve as a perfect lunch stop but it also allowed us to visit Slovakia, a country none of us had ever visited. IMG_5284

When we arrived in Bratislava we went straight to Church of St. Elisabeth, more commonly known as the Blue Church. Located in Old Town, it’s light blue color and mosaics gave it the nickname, the Blue Church. Built in 1907, it is the newest of the churches we’ve seen thus far on our adventures. Unfortunately we could only peer through the gate as the church wasn’t open for visitors, but the inside looked gorgeous and decorated with similar blue hues as the outside. 114 IMG_5288 After lunch we headed to Cafe Verne which was highly recommended by Yelp, Four Square and Trip Advisor for the inexpensive yet delicious hearty local cuisine. The cafe features seating both indoor and outdoor on a small terrace overlooking the square. 126 Unfortunately it was a bit chilly to sit outside so we opted for a seat inside the cafe surrounded by locals enjoying lunch and talking across tables.

124 119We ordered the items most often recommended on Yelp which included the goulash, gnocchi and fresh lemonade. The lemonade, was refreshing and a perfect afternoon drink, made with very little sweetener and sparkling water which gave it an extra kick. The goulash was hearty and made with pork pieces instead of the traditional beef we’ve had in the past. The gnocchi while delicious was far too rich for my taste due to the heavy cream sauce and the bacon topping. 123 122 45 minutes later we found ourselves leaving Bratislava full of delicious food and ready to continue our adventure towards Vienna. 131 If you find yourself driving between Prague, Vienna, Budapest or any of the other nearby cities I highly recommend a stop in Bratislava as it is a perfect afternoon spot rich in history and featuring multiple restaurants and cafe in the Old Town. In fact, if we’d had more time we would have explored Devin Castle and Michael’s Gate.

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