Farmer's Market Haul, Meal Photos, Meal Plans, Baby Bump

My camera battery died and since we moved recently, it took me a while to find the charger. So, I missed out on taking a lot of food and grocery haul pictures and this post is a jumble of things from this week. I went food shopping at Food Lion, Target, and the local organic store with beaucoup couponage, though it didn't help with my effort to grocery shop less often. 

Here is my farmer's market loot from today. We didn't need much because we have most of what we bought last week:

Peaches, canteloupe, black walnuts, and some kind of peppers

Meal Plan for This Week 

Falafel with Edamame Hummus

Quinoa Burgers with Spinach

Paddy Pan Squash (Possibly Pasta?)

Eggplant Parmesan

Leftovers Night

Gardein "Chicken" Tenders and French Fries

Marinated Portabella Burgers

The one and only tomato growing on our balcony garden! So red! And all squishy because it's heirloom.

Vegans, look away! The next two meals are dripping with cheese. It was that kind of week.

I refilled these staples from bulk containers from the local organic store. Yes, vegan chocolate chips are a staple for me.

Baby Bump at 18 weeks, 1 day! Definitely its biggest so far!

Vegan Junk Food: Popcorn

Popcorn is a whole grain! Eat it all the time and have a happy tummy! I make it in large quantities because it stores pretty well and takes a while to go stale. We also buy it in bulk from Amazon.com for pretty cheap, and organic! Seriously, our popcorn stash will last us forever.

You can add whatever you'd like to popcorn, but my go-to is Earth Balance, Nutritional Yeast, and Cajun Seasoning. If you do not use Cajun Seasoning or Old Bay, you should include a little bit of salt. Other yummy toppings are Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder. By the way, that is not Parma, just Nutritional Yeast, though Parma is great. Basically Nutritional Yeast with little bits of walnuts. I cannot imagine ever eating popcorn with Nutritional Yeast ever again. So delicious.

This may look a little scary, we had the burner too high. Pour a bit of oil at the bottom of a pot, a little salt, turn to medium heat and add your popcorn kernels. Stir or shake pot often to prevent sticking and burning. It will cook very quickly! Take off the heat once pops have one second between them and pour into another container immediately, preferably with a bit of Earth Balance to melt it. Mix it up and dig in!  

What is your favorite way to enjoy popcorn?

Pregnancy Update

(from http://maybebabylaf.blogspot.com)

How far along? 18 weeks

Due Date:  December 30 (for now) Based on my LMP and the size of my belly/height of my uterus I think it will be moved up! The sonogram in 2 weeks will decide!

Total weight gain/loss: 4 lbs total gained 
That I know of. My doctor does not want me to check my weight on my own so I only find out once a month.

Maternity clothes? All the way. except for some gym clothes that I am stretching out so probably won't be able to wear once I back to normal size. Oh well.These yoga pants are too comfy to stop wearing. 

Sleep: Only getting worse. Left hip and left shoulder hurt so much from staying on my left side. I am going to start sleeping sitting up with pillows between my back and the wall and my legs extended under blankets. The good thing is that I am getting by just fine on about 8.5 hrs of sleep a night and no naps. In the first trimester, I had to get 11 hrs plus naps! Also, my body is no longer waking me up as much to drink so I wake up dehydrated and terrified about how it's affecting Baby Squiggles.

Best moment this week: This one will reveal me to be a crazy cat person. One morning, I woke up to  one of my cats lifting the blanket off of my belly and licking it all over. That was her first affection toward the baby :o)

Also, got our first fluff mail (cloth diapers!!)

Movement: I think that I definitely have felt movement! Each one has felt different and been in a different location but at least one of them had to be Squiggles. I feel a movement once a night and it's always when hubby is reading/talking/singing. I have to be silent and still. 

Food cravings: Popcorn with nutritional yeast because I was out of nutritional yeast...until today! Mmmmmmmm

Food aversions: None

Symptoms: I'm dealing with the sciatica alright. A little heartburn, a little itchiness. Also, this started at maybe week 13 but I haven't mentioned the 'leaking.' Well, not really leaking, but I get white wet stuff at the tip of the nipples which dries into yellow crustiness. Sounds really gross, but it's exciting because I'm already producing colostrum and getting ready for breastfeeding!

  
Gender: Only two weeks until our anatomy scan when we will hopefully see the genitals! And learn the health of organs and measurements and the pregnancy will be halfway through. Wild!

Labor Signs: No way

Belly Button in or out? The bottom part is practically out, right where the top of the uterus pushes it. Soon soon I will be an outie!

What I miss: Fewer financial worries

What I am looking forward to: Building up fluff (cloth diaper) collection, hubby being able to feel/see movement

  

Milestones: Definitely have felt movement