Sorry... I was in the mood for alliteration and I just couldn't resist.

So a fellow Birth Boot Camp instructor, Alexa Gumm, made a pumpkin muffin that the other BBCI's were raving about. She posted the recipe and it looked awesome... but it was missing one thing... protein! So I decided to play with the recipe and I'm really happy with the outcome. The muffins are moist and rich, eating more than one would certainly be a challenge. I would even give moms with gestational diabetes the green light to go ahead and try this one! One muffin comes out to 7 grams of protein!

What you'll need:
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate chunks)

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and yogurt until smooth.

Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

I love green smoothies. Sometime I need to feel like I'm really getting a treat though. Enter the pumpkin protein smoothie. Let's just get straight to the recipe so you can drink this thing:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, look for 23g protein per serving! (vanilla is better than plain here)
2 Tbs milled flax seed (you can leave it out if you don't like the texture)
1 cup of pumpkin puree
Medium banana
Handful of ice

Put in blender... and blend. Drink while you make another because this is what you live off of now.

You are welcome.

But if I'm really honest with myself I will probably never cook anything on any of those shows. Even watching Rachael Ray I'll be like "Oh maybe that IS what's for dinner tonight!" but it never is, I mean who keeps pancetta on hand?

But the recipes on The Chew I really use! There's one in particular that totally blew my mind: Daphne Oz's Easy Pizza Crust AKA Daphne Oz's Greek Yogurt Pizza Crust! No more kneading or waiting for dough to rise! ...or less waiting at least.

The best part of this recipe is that it's made with Greek yogurt. I prepare something for my students every week and really my class may as well be titled: "Ways to Use Greek Yogurt." When you are pregnant you should be shooting for 80 grams of protein a day and 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt packs in 23 grams of protein! I use it in muffins, in dip, with fruit, as a substitute for sour cream... and now I use it in pizza! Daphne Oz's pizza crust is 2 ingredients: 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt and 1 cup of self rising flour. Mix, let it rest for 30 or so minutes, then press out and top. So simple. However I don't keep self rising flour on hand, so here is my recipe

Lately this has been our favorite meal. The filling for these stuffed sweet potatoes is so versatile, it's also great in tortillas, over rice, or on a bed of lettuce! 


Vegan Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Have you ever had the southwestern egg rolls at Chili's? Imagine those, stuffed in a sweet potato. This is a vegan recipe, but it's also delicious topped with cheese and sour cream. I usually serve this with avocado and a big salad. Protein: 17g with cheese.

You'll need:
Extra virgin olive oil, enough for a couple turns around the pan |
4 sweet potatoes, medium to large
1 medium bell pepper, any color
1 medium onion, I like yellow
Minced garlic, I add about a tablespoon. I like garlic
1 can of black beans or pinto beans
1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can of corn
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Black pepper

Above is the basic recipe, but I often add to it. Kale or diced zucchini are favorites here.

Start your sweet potatoes. Bake them either in the oven, or microwave them. The oven will take at least 30-40 minutes, microwave usually 5 minutes each (microwave them one at a time. Add a couple turns of evoo to your pan over medium. Add minced garlic, onions and bell pepper. Cook til onions and peppers begin to get tender. Rinse and drain your beans. Add beans, tomatoes, and corn to pan. I never measure my spices. I sprinkle a light layer of ground cumin over the whole mixture and chili powder over half. Sometimes I'll add dried cilantro or chili flake. Cook mixture through, it wont take long. When your potatoes and stuffing are done, just open the potatoes and stuff them. You can pop them in the oven for a bit longer, especially if you'd like to melt cheese over the top.

Stuffing is also great in butternut or acorn squash!

I love bruschetta. It's what I always offer to bring to parties and potlucks... mostly because I want an excuse to make and eat it. After making a platter of bruschetta for our Birth Boot Camp sip & see I had a bowl of topping left over so I decided to top my hummus with it. It was amazing. Protein: 16g.

You'll need:
A roma tomato, chopped
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese
Minced garlic... like... about a teaspoon I guess
Extra virgin olive oil, enough to drizzle
1/2 cup of hummus
A couple whole wheat pitas cut into wedges
Small squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper... to taste

This is super easy to toss together. Chop up your tomato and basil. Sprinkle some parm over the top. Stir in garlic and a little evoo and a small squeeze of lemon juice. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Toss. Pour over hummus and drizzle a bit more evoo. Enjoy with pita, but also great with veggies!

We are almost 41 weeks pregnant and while we are eating out a little more since I really don't feel like cooking, I'm still trying to put together simple healthy meals for the family. This has been a big go-to the last couple weeks!

This fajita, taco thing was inspired but Chipotle's vegetarian burritos... only I like mine better! I highly recommend making your own tortilla's for this, it really makes a difference and it's not that hard, I like this recipe at Bran Appetit! Hold the cheese for a vegan option, though I'd add a little more beans to make up for the lost protein. Protein: 22g for two (will be slightly less with vegan tortillas).

Serves 4 or so people, I'm not sure how many fajitas exactly.

You'll need:
Extra virgin olive oil, enough for a couple turns around the pan
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 can of black beans or pinto beans
1 can of corn
Shredded cheese
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Black pepper
Cilantro
Lime juice from one lime
Whole wheat tortillas

Get rice started, cook rice as directed.

Heat evoo over medium and add sliced onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle some ground cumin and chili powder lightly over the top, more cumin than chili powder. Cook til tender.

Rinse and drain black beans and corn and in a separate pot heat through.

When the rice is done sprinkle in a generous amount of cilantro and squeeze a lime over top. If you have fresh cilantro feel free to chop add that instead of dried, just watch how much, it can be overpowering.

Serve in warm tortillas with cheese. Sour cream, avocado, and diced tomatoes are great toppers as well.

First time I heard of stirring eggs into oatmeal I was at Birth Boot Camp instructor training, and I was mostly horrified, but Sarah at MamaBirth suggested it and I trust her judgement. It has taken me a few months to risk ruining a batch of oatmeal by stirring in raw eggs, but I decided to finally gave it a shot

Oatmeal is not a breakfast I usually choose, as delicious as it is, it just doesn't have enough protein to justify the calories and carbs. Protein is essential in any pregnancy, but having gestational diabetes I can't deny the inevitable post oatmeal blood sugar spike that comes from eating a meal that is not high enough in fat and protein to balance the carbs. Adding eggs is a perfect solution, especially if you are sick of eating your eggs fried or scrambled. I added lots of other yummy ingredients, and ended up with a very filling, nutrient packed breakfast that totaled almost 20 grams of protein. As my tummy space shrinks, nutrient dense meals that don't take up too much space are essential!

Protein Rich Apple Raisin Oatmeal... With Eggs!

You'll need:
1 cup of old fashioned oats
A little Celtic sea salt to sprinkle into the water
2 Eggs
1 large apple
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
Cinnamon
Rasins
Walnuts
Maple sugar (optional)

I boiled my water and Celtic sea salt, poured in a cup of old fashioned oats (2 servings, me and the kids) and immediately broke two egg in and stirred, stirred, stirred... a little freaked out. It completely disappeared! I added some cut apple and let it cook for a bit. Stirred in 2 tablespoons of milled flax seeds (bonus omega 3's), cinnamon (lowers/stabilizes blood sugar), and a little maple sugar, though you can leave that out if you are worried about sugar. Topped with more apples, some raisins and walnuts!

Everyone cleaned their bowls!

I don't know about you, but when I'm pregnant I could live off of ice cream. While half a cup of full fat natural ice cream is a fine nightly treat, it's not the best idea for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (if only!). My way around that? Smoothies! This is my favorite protein packed smoothie that I enjoy during... and between... my pregnancies!

Green Protein Smoothie

Green smoothies are packed with nutrients, and if you include Greek yogurt, with protein too. The recipes are very forgiving and you can add all kinds of stuff to change up the flavors. Protein: 15g.

You'll need:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, look for 23g protein per serving!
2 Tbs milled flax seed (you can leave it out if you don't like the texture)
Spinach, a big handful
Stawberries, a handful
Medium Banana
Handful of ice

Put in blender... and blend.

Tip: I freeze my bananas and strawberries in premeasured baggies.

Enjoy!