Fueling mommy AND baby

As many of you know from our messy mealtime photos, our family has chosen to adopt baby led weaning methods with Ava. She has quite the appetite and I'm so impressed at how well she eats! What some of you may not know; after 6 months, babies begin to require iron from sources other than breast milk. Iron is also important for us busy moms! Lentils are a great plant-based source of iron but are tricky for little fingers to handle. I've had several moms from my fitness challenge groups ask me about how I incorporate lentils into Ava's diet.

So I'm happy to share this great all season recipe that your whole family can enjoy hot on a cold day or warm paired with a fresh salad in your patio!  I'm enjoying it from my patio as Ava naps! (Love working from home!)

Cheese and Lentil Wedges

Great for at home or on the go as their are firm and not too messy!

Serves two adults and one baby, generously. 

1 cup of red lentils
2 cups water
Oil or butter for frying (preferably unsalted for baby
1 Large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3/4 grated cheese
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs (to your liking)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used a half sourdough english muffin leftover from Sunday Brunch)
Freshly ground pepper
I also added some spinach, so you could add kale, asparagus or other greens

Put the lentils into a pan with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the lentils are soft and all the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, heat the oil or butter in a frying pan, add the onion, and fry until soft.

Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan (I used a pie plate). Drain the lentils and the onion and garlic and put them into a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix well.  Press into the prepared pan using the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into wedges. Serve warm or cold!

I hope you and your baby enjoy this as much as Ava and I did!

Source: Modified from The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all you mamas and soon to be mamas had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday! How did you enjoy yourself?

I for one, fully indulged and milked it for all it was worth! Hubby made my favourite breakfast: salmon eggs Benedict with bacon and fruit accompanied by a mimosa!

And then I enjoyed a nice long bath with epsom salts and essential oils.  When Ava woke, we went for an hour long walk in the sunshine to a point over looking Edmonton's gorgeous river valley.  It was a great day!

Eric spoiled me with a photo book of all the cute pics of Ava that I've sent his way over the past 8 months. It was fun to reminisce together and dream out loud about what the future might hold.  A message in the card he selected, from Ava, was particularly touching for me.

I come from strength,

I come from beauty,

I come from love -

because I come from you!

It resonated for me (and brought on the tears) because I want Ava to see me as her strong, beautiful (from the inside out), loving mother.  This whole health journey, isn't about looking cute in a bikini (although I wouldn't mind if that's a perk that comes along lol). More importantly, it's about having energy, feeling strong and confident, and radiating love.

This journey has made me more conscious of my habits (good and bad) and has prompted me to be more intentional about my choices in an effort to foster healthier habits.  Healthy living shouldn't feel like work, or feel like you're hopping on (and often falling off) the bandwagon.  It's a decision to commit to thriving in your life and understanding what it takes to thrive!

Snacking when you're out and about

Now that the weather is FINALLY improving, I'm so excited to get out and about town. My hubby and I just moved back to Edmonton (from Calgary last year before Ava was born) and I'm looking forward to exploring the city like a newbie!

One thing I've learned on this fitness journey is that I'm great at eating healthy when I'm at home. However, when I'm out and about - well the old saying "failing to plan is planning to fail" - that pretty much sums it up. If I don't pack snacks, I'm either starving and binging when I get home or I succumb to Starbucks drive through or some (hopefully healthy?) food court fare.  

What are your "on the go" snacks? I usually take a shakeology for the road and then pack some trail-mix, beef jerky, an apple and a banana for Ava.

Only 43 days left till summer, these healthy choices will be the difference maker. 

Have an awesome Friday!!

Can't wait for cold season to be over!!

I never used to get sick very often, but now with a little one (I attribute it to lack of sleep) our little family seems to have caught this never ending cold that's keeps going around!!  It's really throwing a wrench into my exercise plans!  I'm trying to stay positive through it all. So this morning, knowing I wouldn't have the lung capacity to make it through 25min of Shaun T yelling "the focus is on your core!", I decided to get out for a brisk early morning walk!

With Ava still in her PJs, I wrapped her up close to me and joined daddy for a walk to the train! It was a tad chilly but the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and kids were giggling on their walk to school.  Ava loves kids and kept peeking her head around me to watch them skip along.  

Eric and I grabbed a breakfast panini and  coffee and had a nice visit before we went our separate ways. 

Came across this cute "pick me up"... Even though we were all feeling pretty fatigued and under the weather, it's nice to enjoy the happy moments. 

What storm clouds are rumbling through your day? Can you see the silver lining? You know it's there! Sometimes you have to look around, sometimes you just have to look into your child's eyes, and those clouds magically disappear!

Have a great day, enjoy the dream that is your beautiful life!!