Smart girl

Now that I have a daughter, I have become more aware of the words used to describe girls vs boys. It is hard to find baby girl clothing that is not pink, let alone a message that does not contain "cute" "pretty," or "sweet."

Not that I do not want my daughter to be beautiful, but I DO want her to be recognized for other traits, like intelligence, leadership and ability to problem solve. 

It is really hard not to tell a baby that she/he is cute, male or female, but I am trying to supplement that with other compliments too. "What a smart girl."  "Great coordination with that rattle."  "Excellent perseverance trying to roll over."

As she grows, I hope I am able to continue to focus on her skills and accomplishments and override all the pretty, pretty princess messages. 

Quick meal review (1/18/14)

(Note this was posted late, but still relevant as I struggle for quick meals).

As I count down the weeks until I return to work (3 weeks), I am getting more concerned about getting healthy dinners prepared for my family at night. Even now, it is hard to get ready. The baby wants to feed at about the same time my toddler and husband get home. I am frantically giving final cooking instructions while balancing the baby and as the toddler hovers around us. 

So I am doggedly searching for recipes that I can either make quickly, make ahead or use the crockpot. 

Here are one weeks results:

Sunday - Ravioli (frozen) with bottled pasta sauce - this is a quick one and I can saute any vegetables that may be on hand (broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini).

Monday - Quick and easy mac and cheese with broccoli, from Cooking Light magazine - this is the best and quickest Mac and cheese recipe I have found so far. Will definitely be moving it into weekly rotation.  Note:  I did not include the 1 slice cooked bacon in the milk mixture, which probably makes it even richer. 

Cook pasta (8 oz) and add broccoli (2c) during last 1 minute. Heat a mixture of 1.5c 1% milk, 2Tbl flour, 1tsp fresh thyme (I used dried), 2tsp Dijon mustard, 2tsp Worcestershire, 1/8tsp salt and crumbled cooked bacon slice.  Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in 1cup shredded cheddar cheese. Add cheese sauce to drained pasta and broccoli. 

Tuesday - One pot veggie curry rice - this is one of my go to meals I learned in the Peace Corps. I use any vegetables lying around, frozen peas, tablespoon curry powder and 2 cups rice. Add water according to rice directions and simmer for 30-45 minutes. This is better if I am working from home and can start the simmering before everyone else gets home.  Will need salt and pepper to taste. My husband adds hot sauce.

Wednesday - Broccoli beef with bottled Teriyaki sauce - I am not usually a big beef fan, but it ads protein to a veggie stir fry. I buy the stir fry beef packet and a branded teriyaki sauce that has extra seasonings included. Serve over Quinoa and the prep and cook is less than 30 minutes.

Thursday - chicken fajitas

This is one of our go to meals, as long as you have some defrosted chicken. Diced chicken can be cooked rather quickly. Then heat up beans and tortillas and you are ready to go. Sautéed onions and peppers are a nice touch and avocados, if you have them around. 

Friday - leftovers

Return to work - success

This week I returned to work full time after being off for 4 months on maternity leave. (Note:  I actually posted this late.  It has been a busy couple weeks since I started back to work).

Hardest parts:

Getting ready in the morning. 

Picking my kids up and realizing how much I miss their sweet faces. 

Cooking anything with nutritional value (I at least got salad and steamed broccoli out for most meals, but the mains were mostly boxed or frozen). 

Not having a nap.

Highlights:

Getting back into a routine and realizing I can do this. 

Having the freedom at work to eat and use the bathroom whenever I want.
Using my brain for something other than toddler games and meal prep.

Getting some exercise without pushing a stroller (walks or using the gym at lunch).

So now it is 3 weeks back to work and my family and I are surviving.  I have to admit, I am already ready for a vacation...with babysitters.  But I am not ready to quit.  I am a working mom for now.