It has been far too long since I've written anything. Life definitely went into hyper drive these last few months. Our big news (as pretty much anyone who reads this knows) is that we're expecting a baby girl in 6 weeks 5 days. Which is close enough to 7 weeks that I could just say that but every day counts people. Between the aches and pains and my nesting habit that kicks into gear every weekend, we are busy and tired around the clock!
Thankfully I've been able to keep up CrossFit 2-3 times a week. I've discovered it is one of the few times during the day when I feel totally fine. No aches, no pains, super strong, ready to take on the world kind of fine. Baby girl is very active (as she has been since 7 weeks when the ultrasound tech told me I was really in for it), and loves the movement I go through during my workout so she tends to calm down and get into a good position during that hour.
My nesting has become a bit crazy. I'm already OCD and am always on my guys about picking up and putting away (a place for everything and everything in it's place). But these last two weekends I've gone a bit off the deep end. Last weekend I baked and cleaned closets. Today I organized tool shelves, cleaned the garage and our back porch, and I have plans for making a bacon caramelized onion jam tomorrow. The bonus of my nesting is that it makes the husband do things too :) So the house is clean and the baby bassinet and pack n' play are all unboxed, put together, and ready to go.
I'm all about quick and easy meals anyways but when I'm wearing myself out before dinner time it's a necessity. And recently we've become OBSESSED with soba noodles.
Our local World Market is closing and reopening 45 minutes away so we have been stocking up on all the items we love like mango french soda, seaweed cracker mix, sriracha chips, and noodles (soba, udon, chow mein...you name it, we have it). In the last two weeks we have had soba noodles for 3 meals. It cooks in 4 minutes and it goes with almost anything. I typically reach for chicken with a marinade and some veggies to make it simple. All three of us are in love. In love enough to have it on Valentine's Day :) Tonight I varied the sauce for the noodles and veggies a bit and it was a big hit.
We marinated the chicken overnight in an Island Teriyaki sauce and then cooked it on the stove top. In another pan I threw in green beans, broccoli, and onion with olive oil, soy sauce, ginger (I use the kind from a tube to keep things simple) and garlic.
And last but not least, I threw the soba noodles into boiling water for 4 minutes after everything was done. While they cooked we cut up/shredded the chicken and I whisked together the sauce. The last two times I've done (in order of quantity, largest to smallest):
vegetable oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
lime juice
sesame oil
garlic
ginger
sugar (if it turns out too acidic the sugar helps calm it down)
and tonight I added a scoop of peanut butter. YUM!
I wish I could tell you how much I put of each ingredient but I just poured it all in the bowl and hoped for the best. I never put in more than a few drops of sesame oil. And the vegetable oil and soy sauce are by far the largest ingredients. I can tell I have too much vegetable oil in there if it's not whisking together well. Tonight I ran out of soy sauce and it honestly could have used a bit more to even it out.
The noodles were drained and whisked up with enough sauce to coat them followed by the veggies and a bit more sauce. Then we poured the rest of the sauce on the chicken to let it soak in while Elijah set the table.
And ta-da! Dinner was served! And heartily consumed while watching Modern Family with my two favorite men (three if you count my furbaby who watched intently for crumbs coming from Elijah's plate).
Now if only we had chopsticks...
Thankfully I've been able to keep up CrossFit 2-3 times a week. I've discovered it is one of the few times during the day when I feel totally fine. No aches, no pains, super strong, ready to take on the world kind of fine. Baby girl is very active (as she has been since 7 weeks when the ultrasound tech told me I was really in for it), and loves the movement I go through during my workout so she tends to calm down and get into a good position during that hour.
My nesting has become a bit crazy. I'm already OCD and am always on my guys about picking up and putting away (a place for everything and everything in it's place). But these last two weekends I've gone a bit off the deep end. Last weekend I baked and cleaned closets. Today I organized tool shelves, cleaned the garage and our back porch, and I have plans for making a bacon caramelized onion jam tomorrow. The bonus of my nesting is that it makes the husband do things too :) So the house is clean and the baby bassinet and pack n' play are all unboxed, put together, and ready to go.
I'm all about quick and easy meals anyways but when I'm wearing myself out before dinner time it's a necessity. And recently we've become OBSESSED with soba noodles.
Our local World Market is closing and reopening 45 minutes away so we have been stocking up on all the items we love like mango french soda, seaweed cracker mix, sriracha chips, and noodles (soba, udon, chow mein...you name it, we have it). In the last two weeks we have had soba noodles for 3 meals. It cooks in 4 minutes and it goes with almost anything. I typically reach for chicken with a marinade and some veggies to make it simple. All three of us are in love. In love enough to have it on Valentine's Day :) Tonight I varied the sauce for the noodles and veggies a bit and it was a big hit.
We marinated the chicken overnight in an Island Teriyaki sauce and then cooked it on the stove top. In another pan I threw in green beans, broccoli, and onion with olive oil, soy sauce, ginger (I use the kind from a tube to keep things simple) and garlic.
And last but not least, I threw the soba noodles into boiling water for 4 minutes after everything was done. While they cooked we cut up/shredded the chicken and I whisked together the sauce. The last two times I've done (in order of quantity, largest to smallest):
vegetable oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
lime juice
sesame oil
garlic
ginger
sugar (if it turns out too acidic the sugar helps calm it down)
and tonight I added a scoop of peanut butter. YUM!
I wish I could tell you how much I put of each ingredient but I just poured it all in the bowl and hoped for the best. I never put in more than a few drops of sesame oil. And the vegetable oil and soy sauce are by far the largest ingredients. I can tell I have too much vegetable oil in there if it's not whisking together well. Tonight I ran out of soy sauce and it honestly could have used a bit more to even it out.
The noodles were drained and whisked up with enough sauce to coat them followed by the veggies and a bit more sauce. Then we poured the rest of the sauce on the chicken to let it soak in while Elijah set the table.
And ta-da! Dinner was served! And heartily consumed while watching Modern Family with my two favorite men (three if you count my furbaby who watched intently for crumbs coming from Elijah's plate).
Now if only we had chopsticks...
