Alright, last week I promised you some chocolate, and if you're gonna eat your placenta, you might as well do it in style, right? So close your eyes and imagine yourself a few days postpartum: unwashed hair tied up in a messy bun, lounging in a stained nursing top & PJ pants... and snacking on chocolate bonbons. Not too bad, eh?⠀
Okay, maybe it sounds a little weird to eat your placenta in dessert form, but you won't taste it this way, thanks to the bittersweet flavor of the chocolate! And... if you don't plan on consuming your placenta at all, no problem- you can still enjoy these delicious treats, sans birth organ.⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
8 oz dark chocolate⠀
1/2 cup heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk)⠀
1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup⠀
1/2 tsp vanilla extract⠀
1/4 cup crushed almonds (or any nut/seeds)⠀
1 Tbsp dried placenta powder (just take it right out of the capsules) (OPTIONAL)⠀
1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder (optional)⠀
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)⠀
HOWTO:⠀
In a double boiler (over low heat) melt dark chocolate and cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then add honey, vanilla, crushed almonds and dried placenta powder. Mixx well & pour into bowl; cover & chill for 2 hours.⠀
Scoop individual truffles. Roll in shredded coconut, cocoa powder, or crushed almonds. Chill for 30 more minutes, then store in airtight container in fridge. 1 or 2 truffles a day postpartum should help balance your mood & give you a breast milk boost. Also, this may be the one time in your life that no one else wants to eat your chocolate! Yay!⠀
Zucchini Crusted Pizza
NOM OF THE WEEK: Zucchini - Crusted Pizza!⠀
To satisfy all those pregnancy cravings, I'm making sure to include recipes featuring chocolate, chips, and fudge for Nom of the weeks. But I would be remiss if I didn't include a recipe for the ultimate comfort food: PIZZA! Instead of a typical white flower crust, this version uses zucchini, a humble veggie that's high in vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants.⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
Crust: 3 cups grated zucchini⠀
3 tbls coconut flour⠀
4 eggs⠀
2 cloves minced garlic⠀
1 heaping tsp oregano⠀
pinch of sea salt.⠀
Toppings: 1 small jar pizza sauce⠀
2 cups grates mozzarella⠀
Veggies of your choice.⠀
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees (if you have a pizza stone, slide that in the oven so it can heat up, too.) Add crust ingredients to a food process and pulse until the mixture comes together. On a circle pan or pizza stone lined with parchment paper, form the dough into a pie shape, piling up extra along the perimeter to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Cover your crust with a thin layer of pizza sauce, add mozzarella and additional toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted!⠀
Enjoy with a big green salad (or chocolate)
Morning Sickness Smoothie!
NOM OF THE WEEK: MORNING SICKNESS SMOOTHIE!⠀
When nothing sounds good to eat (or worse, nothing will stay down), it may be time to try some liquid nutrition. Broth, natural ginger ale, and pureed soups are all good options. Smoothies, however, can be especially great, since the blender does some pre-digesting for you, which may ease your tummy troubles. (Some mamas also find that cold or frozen foods are easier going-and staying-down.) This calming smoothie is specifically designed to keep your blood sugar stable and replenish some of the nutrients lost during vomiting. ADDED BONUS: It's great even when you're not pregnant! Your partner will probably think it's pretty tasty too!⠀
In a blender, combine:⠀
1 frozen banana (mmm potassium!)⠀
3/4 cup coconut water (super high in electrolytes, including potassium and magnesium)⠀
1/2 cup cooked, chilled oats (fiber & complex carbs to steady blood sugar)⠀
1-2 tablespoons almond butter (high in protein & healthy fats)⠀
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder or 1 inch peeled ginger root (instant cure for nausea)⠀
1 tablespoon honey (for taste)⠀
Ice (optional)⠀
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For added minerals and protein, add a dash of sea salt & a scoop or 2 of protein powder. You can also empty a probiotic capsule into your smoothie to boost gut flora.⠀
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recipe from: Howland, Genevieve. The mama natural week-by-Week guide to pregnancy & childbirth. New York, North Star Way, 2017.
(Non-Alcoholic) Hot Toddy
Baby's chompers start developing around week 10, so make sure you're getting plenty of calcium every day, from several food sources. Of course, whole-fat dairy products are a great option. But so are bone broth, canned salmon and sardines, almonds, white beans, and -bet you weren't expecting this one- blackstrap molasses (which also happens to be rich in iron, potassium and magnesium).
Try this velvety delicious take on a hot toddy (non-alcoholic of course.) Since it's full of calcium, it'll lull you right to sleep.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup organic milk (or almond milk)
1 tbls organic blackstrap molasses
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
To make, gently warm your milk on the stove. Add your molasses and mix well. Finish with a pinch of nutmeg and sea salt. If you're feeling fancy, you can even froth the sweetened milk in a blender or with the steam wand of an espresso machine.
Savory Quiche Muffins
Suffering from unsightly swelling? Best way to avoid this? Up your protein intake! Meat, Greek yogurt, pea protein, cheese, legumes, nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, and eggs. ⠀
Speaking of which.... eggs are the super food! They are rich in vit B12, selenium, and leucine. They're inexpensive. But the true star player in eggs is choline. Which is vital for the development of baby's brain & spinal cord! Try mixing up your eggs w/ these savory quiche muffins!⠀
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Ingredients:⠀
6 eggs⠀
2 cu raw spinach, chopped⠀
1/4 cu sundried tomatoes, chopped ⠀
1/2 cu grated cheddar or Colby cheese⠀
Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste⠀
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How-to:⠀
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Beat your eggs, then add remaining ingredients and combine. Into a greased cupcake tin, pour your egg mixture leaving half-inch of space to allow for rising. ⠀
Bake for 25 min or until muffins are slightly browned. Serve warm ⠀
Sauerkraut
(While definitely not most people's favorite dish, it has its benefits, I promise. Read on!)⠀
As baby comes down the birth canal, he'll pick up beneficial bacteria which will help him establish a healthy microbiome. So later in your pregnancy, it's great to give your inner ecosystem a little boost. The easiest (and cheapest) way to support gut health is to eat fermented foods. Unfortunately, most aren't fermented naturally so they don't offer much in the way of beneficial probiotics. Thankfully, you can make your own!⠀
Ingredients:⠀
1 small head organic green cabbage ⠀
1 Tablespoon fine-grain sea salt⠀
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds⠀
Water⠀
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How-to:⠀
Finely chop the cabbage, wash & allow to dry for an hour or so. Place in large bowl. Add salt & caraway & mix. Let marinate for 10-15 min. Next, use your hands or a potato masher to smash cabbage, releasing as much liquid as possible (if you're having trouble getting enough liquid, add 1/4 water to the mix). ⠀
Transport the contents to a large mason jar, the brine (liquid) should cover the cabbage, but leave at least an inch of space at the top for expansion. Cover loosely w/ a plastic lid or cloth, let sit at room temp for at least 3 days. ⠀
Keeps for about a month in the fridge!⠀
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
If you talk to virtually any midwife or doula, you're practically guaranteed to hear about the miracles of red raspberry leaf tea, an herbal tea that's been used for thousands of years to support respiratory and digestive health AND- here's where things get really interesting- to ease and shorten labor!⠀
It is suggested to start drinking red raspberry leaf tea during your second trimester.⠀
How to SPICE it up!⠀
Raspberry leaf tea tastes great on it's own, but it can get a bit boring day in, and day out. Here are two easy ways to jazz it up!⠀
For a warm, creamy treat: steep 1 tea bag in boiling water for 10-15 min. Then add 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon raw honey or another natural sweetener. ⠀
For a refreshing red raspberry orange cooler: steep 4 tea bags in boiling water, add 2 tablespoons raw honey, then chill in fridge. Once cooled, add a bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice (1/4 cu per serving) and garnish with an orange slice!⠀
YUM!!
Healthy Gummy Men
Did you know the collagen molecule is too large to penetrate the skin when applied topically? That's why expensive collagen creams don't hold a candle to edible gelatin. I like whipping up a batch of these healthy gummy men- they are super nutritious, a snap to make and great to eat on-the-go. Bonus... kids love them!⠀
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Ingredients:⠀
3 cups all-natural, chilled juice⠀
1/2 cup grass-fed gelatin protein powder (make sure it's not cold water soluble)⠀
1/4 cup raw honey or 60 drops stevia⠀
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How to:⠀
Combine the juice and gelatin in a small saucepan, and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until the gelatin "blooms" or expands. Then, warm over medium-low heat until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly, then add your honey. Stir until blended and taste for sweetness (the flavors will mellow once set, so it's okay if it tastes too sweet). ⠀
Next, transfer the mixture to a spouted measuring cup then into a silicone mold. Any design will do. Place the mold in the fridge for at least one hour, or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Recipe makes approx. 50 mini gummi men (or small design).⠀