Friday Things
1. Einstein and Duke have had an eventful week… On Saturday evening, we were watching TV on the couch when Duke started chasing his tail behind the couch (not unusual, he does it all the time). All of a sudden, he started crying and we ran back there and wouldn’t put weight on his leg. To make a long story short, we freaked out, drove to the emergency vet, got out, and he was FINE. Took him to our regular vet this week and he appears to be in just fine shape – no damage done. They gave him some anti-inflammatory meds and think he just may have twisted or sprained something.
We brought both of them to the vet appointment this week so we could get Einstein weighed since he was put on a diet a couple of months ago. He’s lost 6 pounds! The vet still said he could stand to lose a few more, but he’s looking slimmer, and we’ve noticed he’s much more playful and spunky since dropping the weight. Ironically, Duke GAINED 6 pounds, so now Einstien is actually only 4 pounds heavier than Duke. It’s crazy since their builds are so different; plus, Einstien has such a curly/fluffy coat that I think it naturally makes him look bigger.
2. Before Duke decided to give us a heart attack on Saturday, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I spent the better part of Friday and Saturday working on our baby registry. It was exhausting, but fun. It was exciting to pick out sheet sets and start to envision a little guy using all of this stuff!
3. Speaking of baby, I’ve started to brainstorm of list of things that I want to get stocked in the freezer before the baby arrives to make meals easier for the first few weeks. For those of you who have been there, what’s most helpful to have in the freezer? Suggestions are definitely welcome!
4. This fall has been awesome when it comes to new cookbooks from food bloggers! If you haven’t checked them out yet, definitely add these to your list: Decorating Cookies Party (Bake at 350), Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence (Joy the Baker), Seriously Delish (How Sweet It Is), and The Skinnytaste Cookbook.
5. A couple of days ago, Harry & David tweeted a picture of this four-pound solid chocolate turkey and I almost died. I would pass up the real turkey at Thanksgiving dinner for that chocolate one any day of the week.
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6. Last Friday, my new iPhone 6 Plus showed up! When I first opened it, I had a split second of “OMG, what did I do? This phone is HUGE!” However, after playing around with it for a little while, I fell absolutely in love with it. Now, to find a great case for it because I’m terrified that I’m going to drop and shatter it… it’s quite a bit thinner than previous models. I’ve been using an Otterbox Defender with my previous phones, but since this one is larger, I’m wondering if it’ll make it too bulky. However, you can’t beat the protection – I’ve dropped my previous phone in parking lots and on ceramic tile, and it survived a Golden Retriever puppy who has a certain affinity for that bright pink Otterbox case!
7. Do any of you ladies subscribe to the Dollar Shave Club? I’ve seen a ton of female friends like it on Facebook, but I’m slightly skeptical! However, I also hate paying for ladies’ razors that only do an adequate job at best.
8. Last night was the start of hockey season here in Pittsburgh, and I was determined to make it to the home opener this year for a few reasons. One, it’s my most favorite game of the year – new beginnings! Two, it might be the only game I actually get to this season given that I’m getting bigger by the day and once January rolls around, we’ll have a newborn. I was also excited to see Pittsburgh native John Gibson as the starting goalie for Anaheim. PLUS, soft pretzel braid. Enough said.
9. In case you missed it, I’m giving away an awesome new Crock-Pot Slow Cooker this week – it has a stovetop-safe cooking insert, which means no more dirtying multiple pots to get a meal ready for the slow cooker! If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to enter the giveaway before midnight tonight!
10. TGIF! I hope you have a relaxing weekend!
I’ve been using Dollar Shave Club for ~3 months now (middle-price option, I think maybe $6/month). I feel like it’s not as great as the Venus Embrace that I’m used to and I end up with more cuts on my legs, but for such a better price it seems like a fair trade-off. I might give the $9 one a try (still a great deal) and see if that helps.
I’m glad you and I are so close as far as weeks go in our pregnancy because I’ve had the same question about freezer meals. I am going to do some Pinterest searches soon and I’ll be following everyone’s comments. : )
Also, my skin has been SO (annoyingly) sensitive since becoming pregnant. All the normal razors I used would give me terrible razor burn so I tried Dollar Shave Club’s $9/month razor. It’s awesome! It’s the best razor I’ve probably ever used. Dollar Shave Club is definitely a company geared towards men, but I don’t care. I can’t vouch for their cheaper razors, but I love the $9 one.
I’ve been subscribed to the dollar shave club for over a year now. Absolutely LOVE it! I get 5 razors sent every other month, and pay only $3 total (I get the $1 razors). They don’t cut you like the cheap disposable razors do and are way less expensive. Sometimes they even add in freebies for you to try out. Can’t recommend them enough!
I agree with others who’ve said not to worry about pre-stocking meals. For me, the changes in our after-work and morning time routines were what took some getting used to. It was more about figuring out who would cook, who would feed baby (I bottle fed), readjusting who does what household chores, and how we’d both fit in time for the gym.
If anything, don’t feed bad about lowering your standards for a month or two. I hate cooking out of boxes and cans but man, jarred spaghetti sauces, microwaveable bags of veggies, and storebought meatballs saved me many times while we were in our period of adjustment.
Don’t worry too much about stocking up, you’ll find that having time to cook and bake is actually easy to find. When my first was on his way, I thought about stocking up – but didn’t. And we were fine! Plenty of awesome meals after he came. Cooking and baking kind of became a way for me to have some time to myself, while dada got some time alone with baby boy. We’re now a week or so out from being a family of four, and I’m still not going to stock up. After all, I’ve got another helper in the kitchen with my toddler. : )
I’m excited about the beginning of hockey season too! Last night my team (the Calgary Flames) beat their biggest rival. I thought it was a great way to start the season.
I can honestly say that I didn’t stock the freezer for any of the babies (3). I did have friends and family bring over food, but when they are infants, it’s actually not that hard to cook – just have to be flexible with timing and such. It’s when they get a bit older when the “witching hour” hits – 5 to 6:30 PM or so, for some reason, babies become inconsolable, need to be held, etc. But, they usually are taking some good 2-3 hour naps when you can get all sorts of stuff done. I just don’t find most dishes freeze well anyway. The exception is my creamy chicken enchiladas and soups. I make soup and freeze it in 1 c servings for lunch. Don’t forget to make some cookies and freeze them to bring with you to the delivery – labor is exhausting, and you’ll need food for energy – or, if you’re not hungry like I, then you can always eat them after labor!
I love chocolate, but I’d never trade Thanksgiving turkey for it.
I have a 3 month old and have to say that things you can eat with one hand are the best! Burritos of all kinds have been a lifesaver – you can get a full meal (protein, veggies, carbs) in each and can even make breakfast ones. Plus you can easily microwave just one at a time and don’t have to worry about planning ahead and pre-heating the oven to heat up a casserole when you’re hungry now!
Casseroles! Or more specifically meals that don’t need sides. Easy husband proof dishes. :)
Always look forward to your Friday posts and pictures of your dogs. Love those dogs!
Before my twins were born in July, I stocked the freezer. Since it was mainly my husband and I eating the meals (we also have a picky 3.5 year old), I would take a recipe that called for a 9×13 and split it into two 8×8 dishes, eat one for dinner and freeze the other. We had a number of pasta dishes, chicken (baked pesto chicken is my fav!!), and turkey/rice dishes. I also made a 20lb turkey and shredded the meat to make freezable casseroles, pot pies, strombolis, etc. It was definitely a lifesaver not having to cook!!
I don’t think you should freak out about having a freezer stocked with food. You think you will never get out again!!! But you do. I was taking my baby with me after two weeks. Just relax and enjoy.
My 2nd is due in 3 weeks and I have to say that I’ve already stocked up on casseroles and chili with meatballs (I LOVE having frozen meatballs on hand!) and more to come. Some of my favorites are zucchini parm, ravioli bake, stuffed shells and mac & cheese. I’m not a huge fan of soup, but that’s also a great option. Another choice is to pre-bag crock pot recipes. I do this with roasts, mostly, and it’s great. Just grab the bag from the freezer, let it defrost (or not!), toss it in the crock pot and let it cook all day. I love my frozen casseroles, but the crock pot bags are my favorite :) Good luck!
I would suggest making some soup to freeze. Many freezer meals are casseroles or other heavy dishes. I would expect that you’ll get tired of them after a while. Make some chili, vegetable soup or chicken tortilla soup to bring some variety to your meals!
And think about breakfast too. Baked oatmeal freezes really well in a muffin tin. There are all kinds of make ahead egg dishes – breakfast burritos, egg bakes, etc. Having a warm, filling breakfast will be very helpful when you are running on low sleep :)
As far as cases, I had an otterbox defender for a while for my galaxy, but I decided I wanted a lighter case. I bought a ballistic case in pink and black (similar in protection to the otterbox commuter series) and added a zagg screen protector. Much more manageable for me!
I think the biggest thing we noticed with our freezer meals when we had our little one was that it was all protein + rice/pasta. We missed veggies so much! So on top of your freezer meals, perhaps work out some meal size veg that you can throw together easily. Perhaps individual portions of parboiled /steamed carrots/beans/corn etc?
Hamburger-Noodle Bake is one of my favorites! Egg noodles, sour cream, cream cheese, green onions, then hamburger cooked through and mixed with plain tomato sauces and some seasonings. Not Italian flavored but a nice mix if flavors. Happy to share if you don’t have a recipe, but I figure you do!
When making dishes for your freezer it is best to consider if you are breast feeding. If you will be, some items are not tolerated well by babies. There are tons of lists on the internet listing such foodstuffs. Good Luck, and have fun with it.
OMG…I checked out that chocolate turkey. I couldn’t believe that at 4 pounds, it is hollow! It is beautiful for sure but too pricy for me. When you mentioned the size of your iPhone 6 , I chuckled. I was watching Kelly & Michael one morning recently and Michael mentioned he had purchased the larger one. He and Kelly then compared how the phone fit in each of their hands. In Kellys’ hand, it looked like she was holding a small tablet but in Michael’s huge football players hand, it actually looked like a normal size phone. It was very funny to see.
Hi Michelle! Plenty of options for the freezer meals like turkey tetrazzini, various soups/chilis, even enchiladas, and sloppy joe mix :) If you’re still looking for a phone case, I have to say I love mine. I used to have an Otterbox and then a LifeProof, but I really wanted to enjoy the thin-ness and sleek design of this new phone. I put a Zagg glass shield on the front and back, and then use the Neo Hybrid case by Spigen. I love it, and everyone in my family has converted to it. Check it out! Glad you made the Pens game last night – how awesome was that???
I found a website that has recipes for frozen crock pot meals – you put everything in a ziploc, and put the frozen contents directly in the crock pot when you’re ready to cook. That being said, one of the meals was not very flavorful (though we subbed light coconut milk for regular), but there were 7 or 8 to choose from.
Definitely ditto on lasagna (fully cooked) and chicken pot pies (pre-made, not baked). We made a ton of pesto this year and have it frozen for quick pasta meals. Another option is meatloaf (fully cooked).
Key for freezer meals: vacuum sealer. Freshness lasts for months.
My son is almost 3 months old now, and having a freezer full of pre-made dinners has been a super life saver!
Can I also recommend a Scandi cookbook by Trine Hahnemann called Scandinavian Baking? I have no professional, personal or commercial association with her- I just adore her book and think you might enjoy it.
My miniature schanuzer will do the same thing- playing as usual then yelp and draw her bag leg in, won’t put weight on it, and cries and cries. But then back to normal almost as quick as it happened. At her check up, the vet gave her a physical “massage” and felt that she had a luxating patella- basically a loose kneecap that pops out then back in. No serious problem. Just annoying and shocking for her when it happens.
I really disliked the razors I got from Dollar Shave Club. I went right back to my Gillette Fusion. The DSC ones are in the medicine cabinet as emergency supply if I ever forget to restock my Fusion blades.
I stocked up on Cottage and Shepherds Pies, Chicken and Mushroom Pies, Quiche, blanched a load of veg so it didn’t take so long muffins, cupcakes big cakes anything that was partly cooked and didn’t take long icecream as well
I had a variety of things in the freezer. Quick heat & eat meals (lasagne is always a hit) for us 2, as well as larger portions for inevitable streams of visitors and family. Breakfast and snack-type items are also good. Muffins and things like that. Quick to take out one and reheat and eat with one hand (as the other will be holding a baby!). I also froze balls of cookie dough for tea-time treats which were very welcome.
Make sure to write out heating/prep instructions clearly. Sleep deprivation is a b*tch and it also makes it easier for your partner/Mom/visitors to help. Disposable pans are a must because seriously noone wants to do dishes when there’s a baby to snuggle.
Seconding “things you can eat with one hand.” This isn’t something to freeze, but I ate a lot of trail mix in the first couple of months. And dry Cheerios.
For the freezer, I made a bunch of chicken taquitos from Annie’s Eats. They were a lifesaver after I had my baby boy in April. Also, homemade pasta sauce and lots of soup! Best wishes and let’s go Pens!!
Glad to hear Duke is fine! They’re such good boys.
Dollar Shave Club is the best! I initially ordered it for my husband, and then used one when myself when I had run out of blades for my razor. We will never go back. It really does save quite a bit of money, and my husband liked their samples of aftershave and shave butter so much he ordered full sizes. They also have good customer service. Hope that helps!
Going totally off of your subjects, I found a cat age conversion calculator, and my cat is now over 100 in cat years. May your dogs live long and prosper :)
Great meals to freeze ahead of time for me were lasagnas, made in disposable loaf pans. They have about 2-3 servings each, and I made a few different versions…a classic Italian, a Greek style, a Mexican style…even a pierogi lasagna (noodles, mashed potatoes, sauteed onions and cheddar cheese). Soups were also a great thing to freeze and pull out. Greens and beans with Italian sausage and chili helped me make it through my first winter with a newborn (ours came to us in early Feb. 2012). For me, putting everything in single serve or small containers made life easier when it came time to quickly pull something out if/when I was too tired to cook.
Great suggestions! Ditto that. Wish I pick your brain a bit more Diane because your ideas are great! Lasagnas freeze really well and I have a baby in Feb 2012 too. Cool. I always high five myself when I could pull something out of the freezer and cook it. This “system” works so well when my husband is out of town or the kids and babies are sick!!!