Back to work

December 6, 2013December 5, 2013 Organic Glory1 Comment

Well. I went back to work this week. The parts I thought would be difficult were a piece of cake; conversely, I was blindsided by things I hadn’t anticipated.

She's usually asleep at drop-off AND pick-up :( — She’s usually asleep at drop-off AND pick-up 😦

I thought I would cry when Mark dropped me off at the train. I was actually fine, and getting back to the office felt like I’d just been on vacation for a couple weeks. But finding clothes that fit and are flattering every morning has been difficult, and Georgia has been waking up at different times every day — anywhere from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. — which makes it hard to figure out when to shower, blow dry, do my makeup, etc. I know it’s been hard on Mark to get up and play with her while I’m getting ready, since he’s used to sleeping in after working late at night. I know we will figure it out in time.

How I prepped

Getting lunches, dinners, snacks and breakfasts ready ahead of time was essential. Thankfully my Mom came over the Sunday before I went back (since Mark works weekends, often until very late at night) to help me prep. She did my laundry, helped me clean my house and do the dishes, and just generally served as a second brain so I wouldn’t forget to pack anything. Even better, she played with Georgia when she wasn’t napping, so that I could focus a little bit on getting one thing done without any interruptions.

My friends at work offered to bring me breakfast that first day, which I thought was very sweet 🙂 And I had a couple presents waiting for me when I got back to my desk — check them out in my office! Pretty, right?

Two colleagues treated me to welcome back plants on Monday-- a Christmas tree and a bunch of blooms! — Two colleagues treated me to welcome back plants on Monday — a Christmas tree and a beautiful bunch of blooms!

My dad & stepmom also helped out by dropping off some pre-made dinners the day I went back, and by subtly checking in on my husband during his first day home at what he calls “Daddy Day Care.” He did great, actually. I left him detailed instructions and prepped all the bottles, bibs and toys he would need that first day, and he took it from there. I’m so blessed to say they they are getting on great together every day, which makes it easier for me to be back at work even though I miss her so much while I’m gone. In fact, I stayed home on Thursday, and found to my dismay that she already prefers his style of eating and going down for naps. I was nothing but a huge disruption!

I’ll be posting the recipes for what I made myself to eat for breakfast for the week very soon.

Since I’m pumping midday, to facilitate better nursing success and to help keep my milk supply up, I did the following:

Brought instant oatmeal, which helps maintain milk supply
Carried a reusable water bottle everywhere, for the same reason
Packed clementines, cheddar cheese, yogurt, granola bars and dark chocolate to snack on, since breastfeeding makes you famished (and you need the extra calories to produce enough milk).

I made myself my favorite Tropical Smoothie also, and I pre-made some Risotto for Mark to have around the house for lunches and early dinners before work every night. I know how hard it is to make yourself lunch at home when the baby is there. When it’s just me, I eat these awesome Campbell’s Go Soups — you heat them right in the bag and can pour them into a bowl one-handed — and for this upcoming week I am going to make Mark a Shepherd’s Pie. All he’ll have to do is reheat it, and it’s nice and filling. You can make it meat-free, too. (The soups are great for me because they help keep up your milk supply).

Pumping at work

This has been a challenge. Between remembering the ice pack and the Pump, to figuring out when to charge it and how to clean it, I’ve been juggling a lot of logistics. And that’s before having to beat people away from my desk with a stick in order to get to the privacy room in our office! I feel lucky that we have a dedicated lactation room, and so far I’ve been able to get there every day by 1 p.m. to pump. My yield has, unfortunately, been going down a little bit every day, so I may have to go twice a day or just make sure I’m eating and drinking (and minimizing stress) enough, as all those things can affect supply.

This breastfeeding thing is no joke.

Georgia at 16 weeks

She is amazing. Still so sweet, so fun to be with, and a pretty good sleeper (though not every night is a breeze to be sure). These shots were taken on Thanksgiving Day at Mark’s grandfather’s house in New Bedford. We also got some great pictures with her two cousins! My sister-in-law is due with their third baby in early January, so by the New Year Georgia will have three little cousins to grow up with. To think that less than three years ago there were no babies in the family! Life is amazing sometimes.

Meat-free Shepherd’s Pie

October 7, 2011October 7, 2011 Organic Glory4 Comments

This one truly was a triumph. I actually – wait for it – fooled the husband. I let him eat three helpings before I told him it wasn’t beef.

shepherdspie3 — Looks like beef, doesn't it? It's portobello mushroom.

The weather just turned crisp and cool in New England, so I got a hankering for Shepherd’s Pie. My mom makes the absolute best — simple sauteed beef & onions, creamed corn, mashed potatoes — and I wanted to re-create the taste and texture of it while designing a meat-free, yet still hearty and delicious, version. Here’s what I did.

Ingredients

4 frozen portobello burger patties, thawed in refrigerator (or, about 2 cups of chopped and de-gilled fresh portobello mushroom caps. 2 cups chopped = roughly 2 whole mushroom caps.)
1 onion, chopped
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
2-3 carrots,cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 or 5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed for boiling
Butter/ butter substitute (for skillet and potatoes)
Cream/milk/soy cream/dairy sub of your choice (for mashing potatoes)
Worcestershire sauce, to give the mushrooms a meaty flavor. (*Worcestershire sauce traditionally contains anchovies, but you can find varieties that do not. You could also substitute Henderson’s Relish, which has a similar flavor but is 100% vegan*).

Beautiful organic carrots from Sparrow Arc Farm in Maine.

Directions

Set the potatoes on to boil while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Heat butter in a good-sized skillet over medium and add the onions, sauteeing until translucent. Add the portobello mushrooms and brown them, adding a dab of butter as necessary to keep the pan from sticking.

Add the carrots, cover and reduce to low-medium, stirring occasionally until carrots are tender.

Add worcestershire sauce (eyeball it) and other seasonings to your personal preference. (You know me — my favorite is the Trader Joe’s 21-seasoning salute).

Take off heat and spread the “meat” mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish or two 8×8 square glass baking dishes (I did this because I was making one for us and one for my husband’s grandfather, who is almost 90. Hi Granddad!)

Top the “meat” mixture with the canned corn, spreading out evenly over the dish, and then with the creamed corn, doing the same.

Finally, drain and mash your potatoes, adding butter and cream (substituting non-dairy as per your diet) and salt if you prefer. I use a hand-masher to keep things quick and simple.

Spread the potatoes evenly atop the corn.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 35 minutes, uncovering for the last 5 minutes to brown the potatoes. I actually set mine under the broiler for the final 5 minutes of cooking time because I like a crisp shell of potato to dig into.

Cool briefly and serve.

You can also assemble and cook the next day / at someone else’s house like I did. In my opinion, Shepherd’s Pie, traditional and otherwise, is a dish that improves when it is reheated as leftovers.