Anticipation

Hey All, still preggers over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm remaining calm, relaxed and TRYING to be patient. I have a doctors appointment today, so we will see how that goes. Every morning I wake up, turn to T and say "Am I really STILL pregnant?" to which T replies, "I have a feeling TODAY is the day!!" This has been going on for over a week now, lol! I still have over a week until my due date, so I shouldn't complain. I am just soooo excited to have my baby girl in my arms! Plus, my house couldn't be any cleaner right now. It's sterile! HA HA!


Anyway, on Monday I made a big pot of Pasta Fagioli. Mmm.. this soup is so good! My only complaint was I forgot to buy fresh basil so I had to use dried herbs and that "freshness" was missing.


Here is my recipe:

Pasta Fagioli 

I saute 5 cloves of garlic in a big pot in olive oil until fragrant. Then I add about a tablespoon of tomato paste, some dried Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper and let it cook until it turns an orange color. Then I add whole tomatoes or jarred crushed (depending on the season). I let that cook down (if using whole) until it makes a sauce. I add a bay-leaf now. In a separate pot I boil enough water for however much pasta I am using (I use gluten-free). I let that cook and put to the side. I go back to my original pot and add 4 cups of white beans (or 2 cans, if using cans I only use Eden since they are BPA free and have lining inside). I stir them in and add some more Italian seasoning, pepper. Then I add a whole box of vegetable broth (I use low sodium). I let that boil then bring it to low and add in the pasta and any other seasonings it needs (taste to see). I also add a scoop of soy-free miso at this time and fresh Italian herbs (basil, oregano).

Over the weekend, T made Multi-grain Pancakes and Tempeh bacon for dinner. I am not a big breakfast person (I don't like to feel weighed down during the day so juice, smoothies or oatmeal are my normal choices). But I was having a craving for pancakes, so we had them for dinner! T made them because, As I mentioned, I don't eat many "breakfast type" of foods. This was a rare treat, but really delicious!

We checked out a new wellness boutique that opened in our town. I was so pleased to see they carried Gnosis Chocolate! I grabbed the Vanilla Hazelnut. So.amazing. This reminded me of Nutella a little, the hazelnut and chocolate together = the perfect combo!

I was also pleasantly surprised to see some other great items, like tea, jewelry, toiletries. I picked up some lotion that smells so freakin good!

All vegan and the ingredient list is impressive. No chemicals in this lotion!

Another plus, the girl that works there is a vegan!! It was nice to chat with another vegan since there aren't many in my hoity-toity town.

I know everyone was excited when I showed you all the seasonal Theo Bar I got at Whole Foods last week, well this week this had another seasonal vegan bar! Peppermint Stick! I am not a big fan of Candy Canes, but this taste more like chocolate with a slight mint flavor. There is tiny little pieces of candy cane throughout the chocolate. So rich and refreshing!

I also made gnocchi over the weekend. I bought them from Whole Foods and made my own sauce with soy-free Earth Balance, garlic and parsley. These hit the spot!

Have a great day everyone!