In an effort to make things easy when baby arrives, I pre-planned a bunch of meals that can be thrown in the oven along with some snacks for those 2 am feeding sessions. I am pretty sure that with everything else going on, trying to figure out dinner each night is not something we want to add to our figurative plates. For those that were found on Pinterest or inspired by another recipe found there, I have linked back to the original posts as best as I can. Or if you have a Plan To Eat account, friend me! If you don’t, it’s seriously AMAZING and you can check it out here! Here’s a rundown of what I made:
Snacks:
All of these recipes are “lactation” friendly recipes. Lactogenic foods are those that are said to help increase milk supply. It is very important to me to be able to nurse exclusively for the first 6 months and continue through the first year so I figure I’d do what I could to support the success of my goal. Some of these foods include oats, brewers yeast, and flax seed which go great in baked goods! If nothing else, my sweet tooth will be satisfied! (some people swear by these, others say they don’t work. If nothing else, they are healthy things to add to your diet. Please see a certified lactation consultant for your specific concerns and questions. Kellymom.com is also a resource that was provided by the lactation consultant who taught the breastfeeding class through my hospital.)
Vegan Apple Pie Muffins I just used organic all purpose flour since I already had it instead of gluten free flour the recipe calls for. These are actually my favorite of the ‘snack’ items I made.
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins The first time I made these I used frozen blueberries since I already had them. Fresh blueberries make these muffins so much better.
Dinners:
These are highly carb based so I do plan on sending the hubs out for fresh fruit and veggies, even if it’s just a side salad with each meal. Thankfully it’s the start of farmers market season in my area!
Spicy Italian Sausage Meatloaf-from the cookbook Cravings. Check out my previous post on this recipe here.
Mac N Cheese-Phil made this for me. It’s based on a recipe from Morton’s The Cookbook. He refuses to share his secrets 😉
Enchilada Bake-This is my own recipe that was evolved from a Mexican Lasagna recipe and my love of enchiladas but my dislike of rolling each individual filled tortilla. I pretty much eyeball and taste test to get the right spice ratio. It’s full of flavor and one of our favorites. I made it with corn tortillas but I also love to use thinly sliced sweet potatoes to separate the layers. Basically here’s your list: ground beef, corn, black beans, green onions, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, cheese, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cilantro.
World’s Best Lasagna I made this with zucchini instead of pasta noodles to separate the layers. To keep it from being too liquid-y, I drained the diced tomatoes and dried out the zucchini on the counter between layers of paper towels before assembling the meal.
Breakfast, lunch, and in between:
For breakfast I have been on a cereal kick. Honey Nut Cheerios to be specific, with cashew milk and a sliced banana or blueberries. I also stocked up on oatmeal and omelet supplies are on my “to purchase fresh” list. My plan for lunches is either leftovers or sandwiches. My latest sandwich craving is hummus, tomato, kale, avocado, and a slice of cheese. We also stocked up on some frozen pizza, potstickers, ravioli, and chicken. Costco has these great chicken salad cups that are the perfect size to make sandwiches out of that we have too, along with rice crackers, chips and salsa, string cheese, and fruit snacks. Hopefully we are set to not have to run out to a drive thru too often. Thankfully Safeway delivers and Raleys has e-cart and I am lucky that Phil is also a great cook!
Between what I have planned and those that have offered to bring by meals, I think we are set for at least the first few weeks! My goal was to make good food that was filling and relatively healthy. Did you meal plan pre-baby? What were your favorite meals?
shown above: 2 pans lasagna, 2 pans enchilada bake, 2 loaf pans of meatloaf, 1 batch of brownies, frozen cookie dough, and 1 frozen pizza. Everything else is in the other freezer!
Lovely Pink Glitter 