Cooking For Kids + Black Tee Dress

For all you non-moms, sorry this post might be boring:)  I have had several people email me asking ideas for kids week night meals.  Wondering if Sterling always eats the recipes I post.  The reality is, no.  My husband works most nights til 7:30 so he and I usually don't eat til 8 or 9.   Sterling eats dinner around 6 so I usually prepare him something different from what Matt and I are eating for dinner.  I know you are probably thinking wow, that is alot of effort to cook two meals every night.   But it really is not, I have a few go-to, easy meals for Sterling that I keep on rotation.   I definitely buy frozen food that is easy to heat up at night- but I am picky about what frozen foods I buy him. 

When I first got pregnant with Sterling I immediately thought I am going to make all his baby food.  My friends even gifted me with the Beba Baby Food maker- which don't get me wrong is awesome- but then life set and I realized s*$t I don't have time to be making homemade food all day.  And I still don't and that is why I rely on some premade things to help me out.  I do always try to serve fresh fruit and one veggie in addition to the premade items.  While pregnant I also went to a Midwife and thought I was going to have a natural birth sans epidural- I was clearly on crazy pills while pregnant (For those of you who delivered without an epidural more power to you, I realized early on I needed one, quickly!).  That is another story for another time.....

Last week I took pictures of the meals I cooked Sterling each night to give you guys an idea of what I feed him.   I did not picture Friday because usually it is a wild card.  We either order pizza or I fed him
Spaghetti-os.  Here is a week of my little man's meals:

MONDAY

{Panko Breaded Tilapia, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Strawberries.}

I highly recommend this frozen fish, Trident Panko Breaded Tilapia.

 I am weirded out by all the fish sticks and fish where it says it is made with "minced white fish", I mean what kind of fish is even in there?  I always think would I eat this when I am feeding Sterling.  I have tasted this fish and it is good and not terribly processed.  I usually serve it with ketchup for him to dip it in and he loves it.  As for the sweet potatoes I slice them in round circles and roast them in Olive Oil, I tell Sterling they are "chips" and he eats them:)  It is all about deception sometimes.

TUESDAY

{Spanakopita, peaches, and Greek Yogurt drizzled with honey}

My little man has some serious vegetarian tendencies, probably because I do too!  Anyways he loves Spanakopita and I feel like at least he is getting a green vegetable because normally he won't eat one.  I buy the Spanakopita in the frozen section at Costco.  It is super easy to just pop in the oven and cook.  He adores Greek yogurt which I feel at least gives him some protein.

WEDNESDAY

{Chicken Nuggets, Strawberries + Peaches, and Roasted Carrots.}

This day we ate lunch at Chick-fila and had leftover nuggets so I just reheated them for dinner.  If I am buying chicken nuggets I like the Morining Star brand- yes I know they are not real chicken but after watching Food Inc you better believe I am not buying Tyson nuggets. 

I will sometimes buy the organic brands of chicken nuggets as well.  The carrots I cut to look like french fries in an attempt to trick Sterling into eating them, and it worked.   I just slice them into strips and roast in olive oil until tender.  I always save extra sauce when we eat at Chick-fila to use at home:)  My man is sauce lover like his momma.

THURSDAY

{Grilled cheese, sliced Bananas, and sauteed Zucchini and Squash}
So I feel like I should tell you Sterling hated the Zucchini.  He put it in his mouth spit it out and said "Sterling no eat."  I keep trying to sneak in green veggies but my little man ain't buying it.  Grilled cheese and bananas are always a hit though.

Now on to some fashion!  Several of you wanted to know about my black tee shirt dress in this picture.  The brand is Velvet by Graham and Spencer and I bought it at TJMaxx years ago.  So no dice on finding the exact same dress...

But I did find these similar versions

C&C Tee-shirt dress, $68

It doesn't come in black but it comes in six different colors.  I love the brown.  Honestly thinking about ordering one of these, they look super cute.

Velvet Gianna Dress, $93
This is the same brand as my dress little different style.

Hope that helps!

What I Eat | 3 Day Food Diary

I shared a food diary last January and I had a request to share one again.  

A few things to note:

This took place during the week on a Tuesday-Thursday.  Let's be real I don't always eat this healthy  but my A game is on since I gained 5+ lbs over the Holidays.  I do however still eat a lot of veggies and very little meat in my regular diet , I just usually snack more often.  During the week I really try to be mindful of what I am eating with little processed foods,  little sugar and not many snacks.   On the weekends I definitely indulge more and don't restrict myself. Also if I am eating out, I order what I want and don't restrict myself. 

I didn't include all my drinks below, so FYI I gave up caffeine after I had Frances and I only drink decaf coffee now.  The caffeine was making me anxious and I feel so much better now without it.   I don't miss it one bit.  But I do still like a cup of coffee in the morning, I usually either make a decaf black coffee with my Nespresso or pick up a decaf latte  or cappuccino at Starbucks.  Otherwise during the day I only drink water, seltzer, or unsweetened green tea (the tea is the only caffeine I have and it doesn't seem to affect me like coffee did), and of course wine a few nights a week. 

I just recently got back into juicing and I have to say my energy has been so much better.  Sometimes it is easier to just pick up a green juice but it saves so much money if you make it at home.   I have this Breville Juicer and love it. I bought it 4 years ago after Christmas and it still works like a charm.  The parts are also dishwasher safe which is always a plus.    I hand wash it for the most part but run it through the dishwasher once a week. 

Now sometimes I am lazy and don't feel like juicing, on those days I drink one of these 8 greens tablets dissolved in water.  It is a superfood supplement and contains 8 different greens pressed into one little tablet.  They are kind of like Airborne but filled with nutrients and greens instead. These green tablets are amazing.  On Sunday I felt so tired and wanted to take a nap but I drank one and then ran 2 miles and felt so good.  I had so much more energy.  Btw this is by no means an ad or sponsored post, I paid for them and truly love them.

DAY ONE

Lemon Water.  I start each day with hot lemon water and often end with it as well.

I squeeze half a lemon into a coffee mug with water and microwave 1 minute.  You can do this on the stove as well.

Next Green Juice.  My go-to Green Juice is : 2 apples, 1 lemon, 2 celery stalks, 1 baby cucumber, 1 jalapeño seeds removed, 1 inch piece peeled ginger, 1 bunch kale, and handful spinach.  This makes enough juice for Matt and I both to have a glass.

Breakfast

 Yogurt with Strawberries and Pistachio Crumble.  

This recipe came out of the Bon Appetit Food Lovers Cleanse cookbook and Matt and I are both loving it.  It is super simple all you do is dry roast 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds on medium heat about 1minute.  Then add in 2 tablespoons honey and cook 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and let nuts cool and harden into chunks.  Serve over greek yogurt with fresh strawberries.

Lunch 

Greek Salad + Hummus + Naan Bread + Pepperoncini

I frequently make this chopped Greek salad.  It is just chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, kalmata olives and feta cheese if you have it.  Add salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Dinner

Panko Crusted Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Mustard and Parsley (recipe below)

The cauliflower + chickpea recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook and we all love it.  My kids will even eat the cauliflower this way.  It is so delicious.

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon seeded mustard (i.e., grainy mustard)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together mustards, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I was still hungry before bed and I ate 1/2 an orange. 

Then I had hot lemon water with ginger.

DAY TWO

Hot Lemon Water.

Starbucks Decaf Latte

Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled with cheese, spinach and avocado, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch

Chopped Detox Salad + Leftover Roasted Cauliflower + Naan + Hummus

I had 1/2 a vegan cookie from Earthfare for a snack.

Dinner

Shrimp Nachos

DAY THREE

Hot Lemon Water

Green juice

I save my old Starbucks cup so I can use them as to-go cups and take my juice with me.

Breakfast

Starbucks Oatmeal + Decaf Latte

If I am on the go and need a quick easy breakfast I frequently get the oatmeal at Starbucks.  It is surprisingly good and filling.

Lunch

I ate lunch out at Xao Bao Biscuit and had the Cabbage pancake + fried egg

I had a few pretzels left over from the kid's snack before dinner.

Dinner

Skinny Taste's California Sushi Stacks (we used tuna and crab instead of shrimp) + Edamame.

This meal is super easy and my kids actually loved the edamame, added bonus.

Lemon Ginger water before bed.

When I eat clean like this and exercise I usually notice results quickly.   I lost about 2 lbs last week just from cutting out most of my snacks and processed foods.  I am not the type of person who can totally give up carbs, so I still enjoy them in moderation.   If you have any go-to healthy recipes I would love you to share them! 

NYC Recap

Happy Monday!  I got back in town yesterday from such a fun girl's trip to NYC.  My dad was so sweet and booked a trip for me, my mom, my sister and sister in law.  We actually flew back in Saturday but I was not breathing well and had to go to Urgent Care in Charlotte after we landed.   One steriod shot, a new inhaler and steriod pills and I am on the mend. 

 I was so happy to see these loves yesterday.  They always request that I bring them back NYC tee shirts.

Wednesday morning we flew out bright and early to NYC.  This tote is my favorite carry on.  It fits so much and can fit under the airplane seat.

Tote | Suitcase

Tee | Jeans | Similar Scarf under $20

Chilling with my sister on the airplane.

We landed,  checked in our hotel and headed to lunch.  I had a mile long list of restaurants I wanted to eat at while we were in NYC.  First stop was Jack's Wife Frieda.  We all loved it.

The breakfast bowl + Greek Salad.  The breakfast bowl was insane and it came with this avocado jalapeno dressing that was out of this world.  

Grilled Halloumi cheese.  I loved the addition of grapes with the cheese.

That afternoon we shopped and then headed back to shower for dinner.

Dress | Shoes | Purse

We had dinner that night at Buddakan.  Matt and I ate there last year when we visited and loved it.  I seriously dream about these edamame dumplings.

This was a cauliflower pop- filled with cheese and wrapped in breadcrumbs.  

The next morning we were up bright and early for Live with Kelly.  My dad won VIP tickets at a silent auction.  

Waiting for the show outside the studio.

I have to say I watch Live with Kelly most days so it was so cool to see it filmed LIVE.

 The guest host was John Leguizamo.  I loved him he was so funny.

We had awesome seats on the third row and during commercials Kelly would walk over and talk to us.  She is even cuter in person and so tiny!!

The two guests were Matt Leblanc and Dakota Fanning.

The girls. 

What I wore:

I bought this sweater during the shopbop sale and it was my favorite purchase.  I am wearing a size small.

Sweater | Necklace | Jeans (on sale) | Booties

After the show we headed to Magnolia Bakery for a small nibble.  I had the sugar cinnamon muffin and it was incredible.

My mom had the caramel cake and it was legit.

We strolled through Central Park.  It is so gorgeous in the Fall.

Then we headed to Fred's at Barney's for lunch.

I loved the atmosphere here.  I had the chopped chicken salad.  This was however probably my least favorite place we ate at.  The food wasn't bad it was just not as good as some of the other places we dined at and pretty pricey.

We shopped a little more and then headed home to change for Happy Hour.  My blouse has the cutest split back.  It runs on the large side, I am wearing a size 2. 

What I wore:

Blouse | Jeans | Sandals | Purse | Necklace

We had happy hour at the Crosby Street Hotel and loved it.  Fun atmosphere and great drinks!

Dinner that night was at Mario Batali's new restaurant La Sirena.  This may have been our favorite dinner.  We loved the decor, atmosphere and the food was incredible.

I loved the tile floors.

We shared four dishes.  The pesto lasagna, ravioli, gnocchi and meat pasta. 

All 4 of us ladies.

Friday it was a rainy day but we ventured out anyways.

I had a meeting at the Baublebar Showroom and got to preview some of the new Holiday collection and trust me it's good!

I especially loved these earrings that are now online.

After that we headed to ABC Kitchen for lunch.  I had heard great things about ABC kitchen and it did not disappoint.  It is all farm to table and I wanted to sample everything on the menu.

We all shared the Squash Toast for appetizer and it was so good! I have plans to recreate this at home!

Then mom and I split the burger and carrot/avocado salad.

 I don't eat burgers often but this one was really good.   It had jalapenos and a delish herb mayo.

My outfit that day:

I ended up not packing my blush Joie sneakers after several people commented the NYC streets would ruin them.  I bought this Ugg pair after seeing my sister's and I think I like them even better than the Joie pair.  I walked miles in them and they were so comfortable.

Sweater | Tee | Jeans | Sneakers | Necklace

That night we grabbed drink at The Highline hotel.  Kind of a gothic vibe and super chill.

The bartender made us a tasty drink with vodka, grapefruit, and mint.  

What I wore:

I love this blouse because of the length!  You can even wear it with leggings because it covers your bottom.  I am wearing a XS.

Blouse | Earrings | Jeans | Sandals

We then headed to dinner at Cookshop. 

 I had the Mezze Platter and it was so good.  It had roasted beets, cauliflower, broccoli rabe, eggplant, and farro.  

These three items were favorites that I packed and I got so much use out of:

This clutch is super flat and easy to pack.  I love the size and the fact that it can hold so much stuff.  This driftwood color is new for Fall and the perfect neutral.  It comes in 10 other color options.

Uber Clutch

Ugg Sneakers

These are so comfortable and the color went with so many of my outfits.  I am now addicted to the casual sneaker.  They are also water resistant which worked out great since I had to wear them in the rain one day.  I went up a 1/2 size in these.  I am normally a 9 and did a 9.5.  They are under $100 too!

I didn't walk miles in these heels but I walked several blocks and they didn't hurt my feet.  The caramel color went with all my outfits. They run TTS. 

Heels