Lovely Meals Lately: May 2023

Hi pals! How are you? I'm 33 weeks pregnant and can't wait to have this little guy!

We've been enjoying lots of quality family time in this gorgeous weather in our last couple months as family of three. Onto the eats!

Have you made these no bake chocolate chip cookies yet? YUM.

I've been making these double chocolate banana muffins every week (bake in a muffin tin for 26 minutes) and the whole family is obsessed. I like that they have more fat and protein than your average muffin, especially for Max.

I've got the cutest kitchen helper!

We waited in line for two hours for pastries at Bakery Four on Mother's Day (thank God there was a playground across the street) and I must say it was worth it! (It helped that I left an hour in to get a massage.)

Truly the best chocolate croissant of my life. And the morning bun was cinnamon heaven!

Breakfast sandwiches on everything bagel spiced ciabatta with arugula and the best zesty cashew sauce! Simply blend ½ cup raw cashews with ¼ cup Frank's hot sauce and ⅓ cup water until smooth and creamy. It's amazing on everything!

We just got a new Weber grill and we've been grilling up a storm. I started eating a bit of meat again around this time last year and burgers have surprisingly been something I crave. Listening to those cravings without judgement has been beyond freeing.

I'd never made burgers before, LOL. I made a double batch of these burgers (added a a spoonful of yogurt and ketchup, used half the onion and finely chopped it versus grated). They turned out amazing!

We served them with grilled corn, broccoli salad, watermelon, and Trader Joe's fries.

S'mores with burnt marshmallows and dark chocolate peanut butter cups for dessert!

Jeff and I love these zucchini "meatballs" with brown rice penne from TJ's! We also just tried Victoria marinara from Costco for the first time and it was fab.

A very inspired Dave's Killer Bread cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese snack. The toasted bagel and smear cravings came back strong in the third trimester!

Strawberry overnight oats for breakfast are seriously the best. I'm gonna make a huge batch for postpartum.

Blueberry pancakes (swapped the sugar for honey and used half whole wheat flour) with maple syrup, almond butter, and scrambled eggs before a Saturday morning well spent in the sandbox.

This beet and green bean salad with Dijon dressing is such a throwback. It's a great easy lunch with feta!

I stocked up on salad dressings for Trader Joe's and it's been super helpful to pull lunches together. I love the creamy dill and green goddess. This was roasted tofu, coleslaw mix, roasted sweet potatoes, arugula, and cucumber with the dill dressing.

I always have a batch of roasted sweet potatoes in the fridge for easy meal additions (thinly slice, toss with olive oil, lots of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, bake at 400 for 30 minutes).

I've been craving a chocolate blueberry smoothie every day. So satisfying! I usually make smoothie bags with 1 cup frozen blueberries, a couple frozen strawberries, a small handful of frozen spinach, 1 tbsp each hemp seeds and cacao, and 1-2 scoops chocolate collagen.

When I'm ready to blend, I dump the bag in the Nutribullet and add ¼ an avocado, a splash of vanilla extract, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk to cover.

If I don't have protein, I also add a big medjool date for sweetness. It legit tastes like a creamy chocolate milkshake and I'm obsessed! Top with salty peanut butter and crunchy cacao nibs.

Chocolate covered banana bites dipped in PB...so good.

We make this tikka masala regularly and it's delish. The sauce usually makes enough for two rounds so I always freeze half.

I make it as written except I add a can of chickpeas and a bag of microwaved frozen cauliflower with everything else. Then when I serve, Jeff enjoys the chicken part.

Things I'm Loving Lately

1. We just started the new season of Queer Eye and it's so good! These raging pregnancy hormones mean I'm definitely going to cry every episode.
2. Olga Dies Dreaming has been a true joy to read. I appreciate the author's witty writing style and the depth of the storyline. I've learned so much about Puerto Rico, a topic I was super ignorant about prior to this book. I love when that happens! I also adored The Perfect Couple. I'm making my way through all of Elin's books, which I especially love to listen to.
3. I got Max this bubble machine (and this massive amount of bubbles) for summer fun.
4. Larken's sleep shirt is the dreamiest material and since it's made with bamboo, it helps combat night sweats which I'm super excited about postpartum! I'm gonna bring this to the hospital as a nice cozy treat. I fell in love with Larken when I discovered their buttery soft pumping bras (after failing with so many other uncomfy ones). I wear them now just because they're comfy--I love how versatile they are. Use code HUMMUSAPIEN10 for 10% off!
5. These chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars are my favorite packaged bar right now. They taste delish, they have great ingredients, are low in sugar, and pack a protein punch!
6. These bamboo-melamine plates are amazing for entertaining outside this summer!
7. I can't stop drinking LimonCello LaCroix. That's all.

Have the best May, my friends!