Foodie Wednesday: Turkey Pot Pie

One thing I love about hosting Thanksgiving is that we end up with ALL the leftovers! We had so much turkey and were over eating sandwiches. My husband asked me to find a way to make a pot pie with the rest. I, of course, needed to find a more healthy version than your typical pot pies. I took a bits and pieces from a couple different recipes and changed a few things. I also didn't feel like slaving in the kitchen trying to make this... I am way too exhausted for that! So I cut a few corners. I would usually make the crust from scratch using whole wheat flour and I would also use fresh veggies (so if you're feeling up to that).

This recipe seriously took me 5 minutes to prep. It was easy, healthy, sooooo good and most importantly--husband approved :)

Ingredients:

- Bag of mixed frozen veggies partially thawed (corn/peas/carrots combo)
- 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic 
- 2 cups lean cooked turkey cubed (you can sub chicken) 
- 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- salt & pepper to taste
- pre-packaged pie crust (feel free to make your own)
- 9" pie pan


Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

2) In a bowl, combine all veggies, garlic, turkey, soup, and milk.

3) Season the mixture with a generous amount of pepper and a little salt (optional).

4) Pour the filling mixture in an ungreased pie pan. 

5) Roll out your pie crust to top the filling. be sure to carefully seal the side by pinching dough to pie pan. Cut several slits in the center of the pie for steam to escape.

6) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crust is a light golden color.

ENJOY :) 

35 weeks: 5 to go

Two weeks ago, I was one of those girls that loved being pregnant and didn't want to see my belly go. Well, that came to a quick end recently. I'm done and over being pregnant. Yea, it's a beautiful thing and an amazing experience and blah, blah , blah. But I feel like I have been pregnant for 7 years now. I don't remember what my waist line feels like. I miss being able to put on my shoes without losing my breath. I want to drink beer and eat sushi. I hate having to roll to get out of bed because I can't sit up without my husband assisting me. I miss sleeping on my stomach and I miss running. I want to paint my own toenails and sleep through the night without waking up every hour to pee. But most of all, I'm super anxious to meet my mini :)

How far along? 35 weeks & 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: up 23 lbs

 
Maternity clothes? I wear some maternity, some old clothes, and some of my hubby's. I am actually currently wearing pre-pregnancy jeans at work--- BUTTONED!! holla! I am kind of bummed that I just discovered Gap Maternity. Their clothes are adorable and they don't even look maternity. 

Stretch marks? Nope and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I've been blessed with good genes. 

Sleep: I have been sleeping more than ever... Bleh. 

Best moment this week: This past week was Thanksgiving, our baby shower, my 26th birthday and my sister was in town. Needless to say, it's been an amazing week and I was ridiculously spoiled. 

Movement: This baby never sleeps, I swear. But here's kind of a funny moment- we were laying on the couch last night and we set the remote on my belly. She instantly did some barrel rolls and started kicking it. I think it's so funny how she can't stand anything foreign on my stomach. 

Food cravings: I can barely even fit any food in there!

Labor Signs: just a lot Braxton Hicks

Belly Button in or out? Outtie! 

Wedding rings on or off? On. 

What I miss: I miss ALL THINGS!

What I am looking forward to: Christmas and popping this kid out. 

A few pictures from my shower this past weekend. 

Foodie Friday: Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Not only is this an easy and filling recipe, it is also really healthy! It has a little bit of a spice to it, but not too much. My parents even has a bowl and loved it (rare). After our first attempt at cooking this last night, I would have to say that we would definitely make it again!

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced celery, approximately 2 stalks
• 3 (uncooked) chicken breast fillets (1.5 lbs) cut into bite size pieces 
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeño peppers or 2 fresh jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock, low-sodium, fat-free
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning (see below)
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 6 white corn tortillas, cut into 1/4" wide strips, then cut strips in half

Directions

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except tortillas. Cook on low 7 - 8 hours, or until carrots are tender.

The last 20 minutes of cooking time, cut the tortillas in half, then cut into 1/2" strips, add to slow cooker. Cook an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Or if you would like them crispy, bake in oven until browned. Add to soup when served. 

If desired, add a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt or sour cream and reduced-fat grated cheddar cheese (or veggie cheese). 

No Sodium Taco Seasoning

1 T. chili powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. paprika

1.5 t. ground cumin

1 t. black pepper

* we add a few shakes of cinnamon. Puts an interesting twist on it!

30 weeks. That's 3-0 people!

How far along? 30 weeks & 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: last week it was 17... So if it's still not 17, then 18

 
Maternity clothes? Old Navy maternity leggings are heaven! And I bought more clothes last weekend (not maternity, yay). Just a size bigger than I normally would have. Much cuter! And I can wear them comfortably postpartum. 

Stretch marks? Nooooo. 

Sleep: Now that I learned how to sleep with my snoogle, sleep has been good to me. 

Best moment this week: My little sister came home from Nashville and I got to talk to my brother on the phone! 

Movement: So much that it makes me nervous for what I am in store for!

Food cravings: Meh. 

Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks! 

Belly Button in or out? Outtie! Please tell me it goes back to normal?!

Wedding rings on or off? On. 

What I miss: My waistline. Walking up stairs without losing my breath. Sleeping on my belly. Staying up past 9pm. My balance. Sushi. 

What I am looking forward to: Diaper Party this weekend (thanks Trev and Kat)! Nashville next weekend. Oh, and Christmas time!!! Yes, I just said that. 

Weekly Wisdom: I got nothing. 

Milestones: I made it to 30 weeks and I can still shave my own legs! Barely. 

From a Halloween Party last weekend :)

The hubs and I. Pregnant housewife and milkman. Ha. 

Foodie Tuesday: Butternut Squash Soup

This is a new recipe we tried and I absolutely fell in love with it. There is nothing better than a good bowl of warm, healthy soup on a chilly fall day! I plan on making more within the next few today to have a freezer stash for later!

I found this recipe after searching in Google for a healthy butternut squash soup recipe (pregnancy craving). We decided to give this one a whirl. I liked the ingredients the best and it seemed simple and fast-- and it was!

Stolen from wellnessmama.com

We used coconut oil (I HATE using butter)  and the freshest ingredients. We also only pulsed the soup in the blender so it stayed a little bit chunky. SO GOOD!

Butternut Squash Soup

 

Print

A creamy and rich butternut squash soup with savory hints of nutmeg and garlic!

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup (plus more to thin) homemade chicken broth or stock
• 1 sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
• ½ tsp garlic (or to taste)
• sprinkle of thyme (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut top and bottom off of butternut squash and use knife to carefully cut remaining skin off.
2. Cut in half and scoop out seeds (they are great roasted!)
3. Chop squash into small cubes and dice onion.
4. In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add diced onion.
5. Saute 3 minutes until starting to soften and add squash.
6. Saute an additional 5 minutes until squash starts to brown.
7. Add coconut milk, stock, and spices and bring to simmer.
8. Simmer about 20 minutes until soft.
9. Use a blender or hand blender to puree until smooth.
10. Serve warm or make ahead to reheat for a fast meal addition.

29 week bump on a Monday morning

Sweet baby girl, I really suck at keeping up with this blog. There is so much going on and your arrival is getting closer and closer. There is so much to do. There is so much I want done before you get here. Nesting is not a joke, baby girl. Daddy really loves that I want 5 projects done all at once (joke). He just refinished all, well almost all, the cabinets in the kitchen and they look beautiful. Daddy is definitely a DIYer, and he is good at what he does. After they are completely finished, we will be able to move on to your nursery and finish it. 

This pregnancy has flown by, sweet baby girl. 29 weeks. 11 weeks I have left of you in my belly. All to myself. I know the next couple months are going to fly by and I'm not ready for that... along with the chaos of the holiday season. Until then, there will be lots of belly rubs. 

Today makes me excited. We get to see you, again, for another appointment. Last week at the doctors appointment, you kept kicking the monitors. You kick anything that touches my stomach. Hotel belly must be getting cramped, so I can't blame you. Oh baby girl, you already have such a sassy personality and I like it!

We also get to tour the hospital today where we get to meet you for the first time. I was super confident about birth until about 2 days ago. I started thinking too much. Like always. I'm starting to get nervous. And scared. I know I can do it (naturally), it's just going to be extremely hard. I'm trying to prepare myself for the worst. I'm so lucky to have your daddy. He is going to be my full support system and I don't think I would be able to do it without him. Oh baby girl, when the time is right, feel free to make a quick entrance into this crazy, beautiful world :)

Foodie Wednesday: Low Carb Mushroom Pizzas

Yes, I was suppose to do this post yesterday, but there wasn't a chance that was going to happen. Between work being crazy, our Bradley Birth Class, squeezing in excercise and hangin out with my husband, there wasn't any time left. 

Today I'm going to share with you one of my favorite, easiest dinners! 

Low Carb Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients:

-large portebella mushroom caps (you could even do small for bite size)

-pizza sauce ( we make our own from marinara sauce by adding in herbs and spices- we aren't the biggest fan of the ingredients in most pizza sauce)

-shredded mozzarella (we buy veggie cheese, which is dairy free)

-your favorite veggie toppings

-turkey pepperoni's

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F

2. Lightly spray cookie sheet with extra virgin olive oil or put down parchment paper. Remove stems from mushrooms, wash, pat dry and put on the cookie sheet upside down

3. Fill a thin layer of pizza sauce in cap. Top with cheese and preferred toppings.

4. Bake for 10-13 minutes (oven may vary)

EASY PEASY & delicious!