E had fantasies of plating perfectly packed runny egg with a side of caviar for his foodie child, who then would turn to him saying, “what, no smoked salmon??? ” He was eager to introduce her to truffle butter scrambled eggs with a side of caviar and organic French loaf. And duck fat. Glorious duck fat. All before she could hold a knife and fork.

But as soon as we found foods that worked well, everything changed. A tooth would come in, and her ability to chew food would wane because her gums would be too sore. Then she got a cold, which meant sticking to more liquid type fruit purees or broths. Or–our favorite–constipation. Which meant no avocado. Or chicken. Or meatballs. Or anything except for fiber rich prunes and pears, sprinkled with flax seeds. While other kids may have skipped gleefully from veggies purees to chicken and rice to solid finger foods, our process was a long, slow experimentation. Which made me feel even more insecure about my mommying.

Enter again: Little Spoon.

As I experimented with different flavors and foods, Little Spoon’s flavors evolve to match a baby’s age and tastes. I could order pear, or kale carrots and pear, or pear pea mint, depending on how Q was feeling or what she was in the mood for.  With each order, Little Spoon sends you information on your child’s development each time they send you a shipment.

To help guide me towards foods that are great for Q at particular ages, Little Spoon also has this thing called Blueprint, which selects foods that  match with developmental milestones as your baby grows. Good thing, because you might think your kid is ready for spinach at six months, like I did, but then you realize you’re supposed to wait until your kid is 8 months because of concerns over nitrates and you realize YOU’RE DOING EVERYTHING WRONG AND YOU’RE A HORRIBLE MOTHER AND THIS CHILD WILL NOT SURVIVE IN YOUR CARE…..do you see how easy it is to slide down that slippery slope of mom guilt??? Thank you, Little Spoon, for keeping me sane. My child and husband thank you, too.

Now, at 15 months, my child eats everything. Scrambled eggs became a quick favorite, as did ground or shredded chicken, broccoli (to Eric’s disappointment), collard greens, beans, lentils and tofu. And salmon. And this chili. And oatmeal. Yogurt. Dahl. Soup. And yes, Little Spoon.

Sometimes I use Little Spoon as a side dish to a protein because their sweet potato, apple, red pepper and turmeric blend is amazeballs with chicken. Or maybe, yet again, when Q is having stomach trouble, and I need a simple blend to help her soothe her tummy. Despite Q now eating table food, I’m still able to use their purees to supplement meals when needed.

Little Spoon also has some yummy finger food varieties for older kids, too.

So, if I were to give a few tips on how to introduce solids to your kid, I would say:

• Be patient, and be ready for your kid’s tastes and needs to change on a dime.
• Start with easy-to-digest fruits and vegetables, then gradually mix and match veggies as your kid gets more and more familiar. Cut up veggies into bite-sized pieces and steam or boil until soft enough to mash with a finger.
• Try a food more than once before you decide your kid doesn’t like them. You never know when or what your child will fall in love with at a given moment.
• Try Little Spoon. Go to their site and use the code 300SANDWICHES for a discount. Mix and match your flavors and have fun. And I highly recommend you pack the chia seed mango coconut milk blend in your purse for a midday snack, cuz that it the bomb diggity!!!!

Oh, and don’t forget to stock up on vinyl bibs. Unlike fabric ones, they wipe off easy and can be quickly run under water to clean.

The post Feeding Q, A Love Story Volume 2: Solids appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

Feeding Q has always been a challenge. When she was first born, I breastfed for the most part, supplementing on occasion with formula only in the first few days. But at 2 months, when were in the Dominican Republic for our maternity-moon, she grew so quickly that she was outpacing my milk production. This meant she cried extensively as she got hungrier, particularly around dinnertime. I had to find a healthy formula for her while in DR. The choice was agonizing. I thought I would start her on the organic, hormone-free, imported formula from Germany my friends were raving about when she was ready. I couldn’t find that in DR. I had to settle for Similac. Or Gerber. Or whatever the local grocery store had. What if I made the wrong choice? What if Q got sick from Dominican formula? What If I hurt her? OH.GOD!

“Child, there are hundreds of thousands of other healthy kids running around that island and all of them were raised on formula!!!” my mom told me via many a FaceTime chats.  “You better get that child some formula before she starves to death!” I chose Enfamil after a day of research. Then it took me another two days to get confident enough to boil water and make a bottle. I was scared I’d “get it wrong.” Yes, I was scared of getting wrong adding hot water to a bottle. Everything about parenting is about the fear of doing it wrong. More calls to mom. “Child, if you don’t make that baby a bottle I”m going to fly down there and bring that child back to Michigan myself!”

You know who gave the baby her first bottles? E, because I was too nervous  (#newmommy). It went fine. Q loved the formula (Enfamil, by the way. Bought at the local grocery store in Cabarate). Her tummy was finally full. We supplemented two feedings with bottles per day, and those evening cryfests ended immediately. The baby was just hungry.

We mastered formula feeds for a few months. Around 5 months, it was time to introduce soft purees.

I started Q first on sweet potatoes. We were at friend’s house whose baby is a month older than Q, which is a godsend for me because my friend could experiment with baby-rearing techniques and gear with her little one and report back to me on what works and what doesn’t. For food, she told me her little one was into sweet potatoes and corn, and offered Q a bit of each. We sat little Q down on E’s knee and put a bit of sweet potato on her tongue. The funniest thing in the world is watching little baby taste food of the first time their minds turning as they search for familiarity but have nothing to compare to except for breast milk and formula. She gobbled it down.

Next was avocado–which is as you may know is on E’s Forbidden Foods list. Q ate it, but wasn’t in love with it. It was the first thing I noticed caused her tummy to slow down. Binding foods like avocado and bananas back things up in little babies. For Q, they backed WAY up—she would get very constipated after eating them, which then made her not want to go at all, which meant a lot of screaming and tears when she would finally push a hard stool out.

What seemed to agree with her best were  pears, apple, mangoes, prunes and carrots. Easy on the tummy, easy to blend and serve. I had this dream that each night I would steam fruit and vegetable each night and puree them in my Cuisinart, filling tiny tupperware containers with colorful foods and labeling them for display on the top shelf of the refrigerator. NOPE. Didn’t happen. Ain’t nobody–well, this working mom who barely had time to feed herself—got time for that!!!

So, back to the store I went. Until another option found me. Little Spoon.

Little Spoon is this amazing food service that delivers organic, pure, freshly-made baby food to your home. To. your. home. The food is packed in little containers that include a small spoon in the actual container! It was genius. The food is organic,  completely fresh and free of additives (look at the ingredients list. For mangoes it’s “organic mango”. For pears, it’s “organic pears.”) And I could still feed my baby fresh food without feeling guilty, and also knowing what exactly I was putting into my baby’s mouth.

I was lucky enough to meet the founders Michelle and Lisa right when they were launching, and right when Q was starting on the purees. I signed up with a few of their basic flavors , and have been hooked ever since.  In fact, I love them so much, I became a “mom advisor” to the company. I’m not usually one to endorse a bunch of products, I usually only write about what I love, without anyone giving me anything in return. So you know if I’m telling you I’m personally connected  to someone or something, I really have love for them.

Listen, feeding a child is an adventure, one that is unique to each parent and each child. I’m sharing what worked for me: patience, my mother’s advice,  tons of trial and Little Spoon. Mommies, I think your kid will love Little Spoon, so please try some out by clicking  here. Use the promo code 300SANDWICHES for a trial on me. And, if you have any great advice on recipes that your baby are addicted to, I’d love to hear.

Oh, and this was just what I learned from the first few months of feeding Q. In the next posts, I’ll share what happened when we moved to solid foods, and how Little Spoon’s Blueprint plan has helped guide me in crafting Q’s diet as she grows. And, I’ll share some of the recipes that Q has eaten most.

The post Feeding Q, A Love Story Volume 1: The First Bites appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

I know a few things about first birthday parties, having hosted one and gone to a bunch more. A few weeks ago, we hosted Q’s first birthday in our apartment. It was better than I could have ever planned. We kept the guest list small, made our own cake and kept the munchies minimal. We sang happy birthday and brought out the cake before the kids got cranky, so the pictures of Q surrounded by her friends and family looked amazing. I had enough toys on hand that the munchkins stayed entertained, and invited enough adults that each child had at least 2 pairs of eyes on them, but not too many adults that the babies felt intimidated. Q had a great time–so much so, she passed out in her party dress afterwards.

I’ve learned a lot from hosting and attending first birthdays, and while every parent will do whatever they feel will make their child happy, here are the things I did to ensure my baby had her best party ever:

1. Pick the date early. I started planning Q’s birthday party 6 months in advance. I have several friends who’ve all had babies around the same time, so their children’s first birthdays all fell around Q’s big day. I knew I would be going to their parties, and I wanted my friends to come to Q’s. So we parents started nailing down dates early, to make sure no birthday coincided with another. It worked.
2. Consider the pros and cons of the desired venue, and compare those to the desired outcome of the event. Early on in my planning, I became obsessed about renting out a magical venue, like Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn, located right under the Brooklyn Bridge. I thought it would be a great meeting place for all of my friends and their kids, and would provide a breathtaking backdrop for photos. Then I considered renting out a kid’s play space to throw the party. Most included about two hours of activities, staff to help with setup and cleanup, and some even threw in a cake. But that option cost much more than I planned to spend for this party. And much more than E wanted to spend. He made it clear that because Q would still be too young to remember her party, he didn’t want to spend a fortune. He ended up being right.
3. The smaller, the better. We hosted the party in our apartment with four of Q’s 1-year-old friends. We had a large area in the living room set up for the kids to play and crawl around in, they had tons of toys, and the parents had plenty of space to sit around them and keep watch. It was low stress for all. Everyone was super relaxed and had a fantastic time. I’ve been to some parties where there are a wider range of kids and adults, and sometimes the young guest of honor gets a bit stressed out at all of the varied levels of interaction–bigger kids may jump or lunge while playing, scaring smaller kids. And babies may get worn out after dozens of cheek squeezes and cuddles by older relatives.
4. Don’t go overboard on the decor. I quickly filled up a Pinterest board of ideas I wanted to bring to life at Q’s party. The photo booth. The teepeee. The high chair tulle skirt. In the end, I only obtained the teepee, because it was a birthday gift from Grandma. Between the cake, the toys, the random ball or shoe or piece of gift wrap strewn across the floor, the kids were well entertained. I didn’t need to fill the room with high end decor for a party that they won’t remember by the end of the day.
5. Make the smash cake. Even if you don’t bake, even if you’re scared to bake, try and make your own smash cake for your child on their birthday. E made a delicious version of this beautiful smash cake for Q, but we bought another cake for the adults from a local high end bakery. E’s cake looked just as beautiful as the store bought version, and tasted as delicious. And, it made me feel warm and tingly inside watching Q eat a cake handmade by her own father. I guarantee you’d feel the same.

The post 5 Tips to Throwing a Low-Stress, Kick-Ass First Birthday Party appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

My first year as a mother has been the most enlightening year of my life. I never thought I could laugh and cry so hard and so long at the same time. I never thought my heart could grow as big as it has from loving Q. I never thought I could function so well on such little REM sleep.

Many have wondered why I haven’t been blogging as much the past couple of months. For one, I couldn’t seem to find the time, and if I did, I wanted to spend it gazing into the eyes of my baby, not at a computer screen. I knew this time between us was fleeting, so I needed to live in the moment as best I could.

I also didn’t feel confident enough to share the struggles I’ve had during motherhood with the world. For example, the way I had a breakdown when Q had a bad fall. I cried more when Q had a cold over the summer and another one in September than she did. I was not as strong or as knowledgeable about motherhood as I wanted to pretend, so I didn’t pretend. Instead, I lived out the lessons my baby taught me every day in private, and got some perspective.  Now after a year, I have more context on everything I’ve experienced. Thus, whatever tips or advice I share will be even better informed.

Aside from the challenges, I’ve had so many joys, way more than I can remember. But a lot of our happiest moments with Q just aren’t share-worthy. For example, the best part of the day is when Q wakes up in the morning and gives me that gummy grin. Then we pull her into bed with us, and she crawls around and giggles and smacks our faces with that delicate but heavy baby hands. Those moments are not styled. The lighting isn’t perfect. And the last thing I want to do in that moment is grab a camera. I just want to keep squeezing my baby.

The years are running by. Each day of dirty diapers and meltdowns over naps and bumps and bruises seem longer than the next. But the years are flying by so quickly that it seems like I gave birth 15 minutes ago. Before I know it, Q will be walking, then running, then driving. And I will look back and think did I have enough time? Did we cherish all of our moments together? Was I present enough?

I don’t want to second guess. I want to know. That may mean at times sharing fewer moments with the world to share more time with my baby. Or it may mean sharing more—baby pictures are why Instagram and Facebook were invented, right?

Whatever I can do to make my moments with her last a bit longer, I will do.

The post One Year Into Motherhood appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

Aside from the travels, we’ve also hit other milestones—she’s now eating baby food, and even eating some solids. She’s got 8 teeth. She’s babbling on with dadadaddada and babbbabba and bththhhththth and geeeeee! E and I celebrated our second anniversary, and we lived through a small remodel project in our apartment.

We have lived our best life this summer. And we don’t want it to end. Labor Day may signal a back to school type feeling for some, but as long as the weather is warm, we will be wearing flip-flops and white pants, drinking rose and enjoying every last drop of summer.  Here’s our plan for keeping that seasonal glow right on through September:

—Keep drinking rose. Not making the switch to red wine until the temperature hits 60 degrees.

—Make cobblers. I haven’t made one yet this year, and August is the best time to find peaches, plums and stone fruit in season. I’m going to stock up,  and freeze what I can for a few cobblers and tarts in the next few weeks.

—Beach trips. The beaches will be packed the next few weeks, but after Labor Day, many will retreat back to the city. For many, September means hurricane season. For E, it’s also prime kite season. So we’ll be making a few trips out to the beach so he can get some time on the water.

—Morning coffee dates. When the weather turned nice, we would take Q for a walk together by the Brooklyn waterfront, and grab coffee and a treat and sit with her in the sun. That tradition will continue well into the fall, even if our coffee order switched from iced to hot.

The post Crafting an Endless Summer appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

The gift of travel is the best thing you can give a person of any age. For a baby, it’s even more special. Little ones are never too little to start learning about the world, and the adventures they have observing life outside of their pack n’ plays are memories they’ll have for a lifetime, not matter how young they are.

My husband planned our daughter’s first international vacation as soon as she entered this world. We spent the last month of my maternity leave abroad, a somewhat growing trend as The New York Post wrote about this weekend.  As such, out little girl needed a passport. The process was as tedious as expected, but E and I got one for our baby within two weeks. Rules for getting a child a passport are printed on the State Department’s website, but a number of my friends have recently asked me about my experience.

Below, I’m sharing some tips to getting a passport for a baby and how to make the process less hectic. The big surprise: the hard part was not the paperwork, it was getting an appropriate photograph of a squirmy, wiggly, confused newborn. Tips on getting that elusive photo are below.

• Go in person to the post office or passport agency to apply. If there’s an issue with your paperwork or photo, it will be easier to correct on site or within arm’s reach than waiting for the agency to receive your documents and mail them back. And, if applicable, both parents should go together with the child to apply. Passport offices need consent from both parents to issue the passport, and both parent’s attendance at the application site automatically conveys that.
• You’ll need your passport and original birth certificate for the child. We also brought her social security card as a backup form of ID.
• It can take up to eight weeks to get a passport. Pay extra to have it expedited. E and I got ours within two weeks. It’s worth every penny to shave off processing time.
• GETTING THE APPROPRIATE PHOTO IS CRUCIAL. I can’t stress how important this is. E and I had to go back to the passport office several times because we could not get an approved photo for Q. According to the website, the child needed to be photographed on a white or off-white plain background and face the camera with their eyes wide open, ears and neck showing, and dressed in street clothing, all in a 2X2 photo. Do you know how hard it is to get an 8 week old to sit still long enough to get a photo that hits those qualifications? Damn near impossible. I took nearly 300 shots on my iPhone trying to get the right image! Here’s how you can get the photo in much less time:
  • Dress your baby in clothes visible from the chest up. If your child appears naked, the passport office will not accept it (E and I were sent home the first time because of this). A regular white onesie is fine so long as it’s visible in the 2×2 photo.
  • Place your baby on her back on a white fitted sheet in her crib or on a flat surface. Fitted sheets will stay smooth and prevent shadows from forming on the background or on the baby’s face.
  • Some people also recommend placing a sheet over a car seat and taking a photo of your baby while sitting in the seat. I found it cast too many shadows on the photo, but it could be worth a shot.
  • Make sure the child’s neck is visible in the photo, even if this means shooting from slightly above their sight line so their gaze goes upward. But remember, the child must be looking directly forward, and both ears must be showing in the photo. This is harder to capture for a newborn whose head can be larger than their body than you think.
  • Take more than one photo with you to the passport office and let them give you guidance on which photo to use. After two unsuccessful attempts, E and I took a dozen options with us to the third meeting and showed them all to the passport agent. Finally, we found an image that would suffice.

The post How to Get a Passport for a Baby appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

I’m excited! I’m excited to wake up early and squeeze my baby and husband and eat pancakes and drink mimosas for breakfast and dance around the house in my pajamas… and then climb back into bed and sleep the rest of the day.

Because the only thing a new mom, or any mom, really wants for Mother’s Day, is sleep.

Nevertheless, I’ve got three of the best gifts a mommy could receive for the holiday.

First, this story in the NY Post about me and other new moms that took mini breaks away from home with their newborns during maternity leave. Thanks to my old stomping grounds for including me. And to those who think being a mom abroad with a newborn is a vacation—puh-lease. Just because there’s palm trees in your view from the bedroom window doesn’t mean you’re not up multiple times a night, getting peed and pooped on, and leaking milk from engorged boobs. Doing all of that while trying to recover from childbirth is no vacation, no matter how nice the weather. Read more about all of the drama and delight I endured on my trip to the Dominican Republic with a two month old  here, here and here.

Second, my mother gave me an early Mother’s Day gift. She came to visit me and little Q for a whole week earlier this month. We spent most of our time either on the couch with the baby or walking behind the stroller around the neighborhood. Mom watched me in my new mom element, which was a bit surreal knowing she did all of the same childrearing for me 30 years ago. I understood everything about my mother once I had Q. I wish I would have known sooner. I also wish, like many other grown women close to their moms, I wasn’t such a jerk between the ages of 12 and 14, and would like to publicly apologize to her for all of the strife I put her through. You truly did deserve to utter those infamous words, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out.”

Anyway, mom, I love you. Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for showing me the way.

Oh, my third gift? Do I really have to say it?

That is all.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies.

The post Thoughts on Mother’s Day appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

To love your feet. Q stares at her feet for hours. She puts them in her mouth, she caresses them, she treasures them as if they hold the key to magical infant powers. You’ll never spend so much time looking at a human’s feet as you do the hours you spend watching your child discover theirs.

To dance. Q’s legs never stop moving. Whether she’s on her back in the crib on in my lap, those legs are always moving. I should always keep moving. It will be key to burning off these pregnancy pounds.

To smile at the smallest things. I think she smiles because she discovered she has a mouth. She loves smiling because she can. And that is reason enough to smile as much as possible.

To make noise even when you don’t know how to perfectly express yourself.  Gaaaaahhhh, ahh boooo, haaa! are the extent of Q’s vocabulary, yet she yells these illegible words loudly, with pride. As a writer I should put this into practice–even when I have no idea what I want to say, or don’t know how to say it perfectly, I should say it anyway. The words will eventually catch up with my thoughts.

To let E drive more so you can catch a cat nap in the car. I used to be a horrible back seat driver. Now, nothing better than stealing some much needed shuteye while daddy drives.

To reach above your head for objects that might be out of your reach. Keep going, for one day, after many attempts, grunts and failures, you just might reach that Wubbanub pacifier.

To eat every three hours or else risk turning into a cranky, crying, whining, poopie pants that drives everyone around you crazy.

To adapt to change. Feeding patterns, sleeping patterns, toys they like, toys they don’t like. Noises they make. Looks they give. Diapers they fit into. Poops they poop. Everything changes day to day. That’s why….

There are no rules of parenting. None. Don’t listen to anyone who claims they have any. Sleep with your baby or don’t sleep with your baby. Breast feed or don’t breast feed. Go to the beach, or not. Do you. Do her. Do whatever you need to do to keep that baby happy. That is all.

The post This Is What a 5 Month Old Can Teach You appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

During mealtime, E often puts Q on his lap and sits at the kitchen counter with her (at a safe distance away from any splattering pans or sharp knives). She watches intently as veggies get chopped and tossed into bowls. She’s enthralled by the shapes and the colors, and sometimes she smacks her lips (not sure if that’s an involuntary response or a voluntary, approving gesture or her telling us she’s hungry, but it’s cute and it’s worth reporting). She’s still a few weeks away from trying her first solid foods. But she knows it’s coming. And she’s excited that they’re coming.

Time in the kitchen with Q is  about entertaining a little human being who’s only been on this earth for four months and is bewildered by every new thing she sees. It’s about introducing this little person to vegetables, to fruits, to meats. It’s teaching her about colors, shapes, sounds, and eventually tastes through cooking. When I see her look intently at every move I make while I’m in the kitchen, my heart flutters. I must admit, it’s a better feeling that when E reacted to the first time I made a sandwich.

When Q watches, I slowly narrate everything I’m doing (“I’m going to toss the tomatoes into the pan and sautéed them”; “I’m chopping peppers for the chili because it’s delicious.”). It’s like being on a cooking show but with a much smaller, pickier, audience with a less developed palate.

Right now, the only thing I make for Q is formula, but I can’t wait to make her first meals—she’s going to start on pureed vegetables in a few weeks. E and I are already debating which veggie to start with first ( I vote carrots–bright in color, neutral in taste).  It will be fun to test out different fruits and veggies every day and watch her reaction. Will she love sweet potatoes as we do? Will she despise parsnips (E will be so disappointed–he loves them). Either way, I can’t wait to help her discover her palate.

Until then, Q, enjoy this hand crafted bottle of formula I spend all day slaving over.

The post This is What Cooking For Two Is Like appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

I was living in a basement floor studio on the Upper East Side. E lived in the East Village in a well-lit third floor studio.
I was single and had several bad breakups in a row. So had E.
I had hair that was 6 inches longer. So did E.
I spent most of my time in nightclubs and at parties working for this place. E spent most of his time traveling, or planning to travel.
I didn’t cook dinner for myself more than once a month. E cooked for himself every night.
I had a dog. I did not have a child. E had neither.
I had both parents. So did E.

This month, we celebrated 6 year together. Six years of laughs, of travels, of eating, of love and tears and books and movies and life.And sandwiches.
We moved in together. We cooked. We had parties. We ate out and dined in. We started a blog about our relationship and I learned to cook. We got engaged. We got married. We had a beautiful, healthy daughter. We traveled around the world. We’ve lived a lot of life in 6 years.

To celebrate…. well.

Um….

I’d love to say we went to our favorite restaurant to eat the dishes we always order, feeding each other over glasses of chardonnay and kissing in between courses. I’d love to say that was followed by a night of dancing at our favorite club, followed by a marathon baby making session until the early morning, followed by heart shaped homemade whole wheat waffles.

But it’s nearly three weeks after our official anniversary date, and we’ve only managed to go out to lunch in the neighborhood with the baby. Which was just as loving and just as memorable, even if we had a third wheel with us.

I didn’t make a celebratory batch of heart-shaped anything for E. I did give him a kiss open mouthed on the lips.

But when I did kiss him, and every kiss thereafter, I kissed him as if it were our anniversary. I send a prayer of gratitude to this life we’ve created together. I enjoy every cup of coffee, every meal, every kernel of popcorn during another night of Netflix and Parenting as if it were a special occasion. I celebrate our lives every day. Because my god we’ve worked hard for it. And I’m grateful for each new day and adventure with E (and Q).

Here’s to what our lives together will hold for the next 6, 16 and  60 years. May it be full of more love, laughs, travels and food. And wine. And heart-shaped homemade waffles.

photo by K. Hadavi

The post Six Years Ago… appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

My mom and I are extremely close. She’s caring, loving, funny and protective. She taught me to be strong but cautious, to love your family and friends but always put yourself first. She wanted me to explore the world, have a career, experience life, but she was always there to hold me when I was hurt, physically or emotionally. She was here for a month when Q was first born, taking care of me as much as she took care of the baby. My favorite memories of that time are her and I and Q cuddled in my bed watching tv, looking for holiday gifts and giggling about the local news and celebrity gossip and Q’s funny faces while the baby slept in her Boppy in front of us.

Of course there were things mom did and said that I didn’t understand when I was younger. I rolled my eyes when she said to always keep a “diddy bag” or to always repay a good deed right away, but I did it because she said so. I thought it was a bit overzealous that she never let her car have less than a half a tank of gas, or the fact that she never went to sleep until I got home at night—even after I had moved out on my own and lived hundreds of miles away. But now, as a mother myself, I understand everything. And I love her even more.

Mom and I still talk almost every day, and I try to make sure we Facetime with the baby for most of those conversations. On Sundays, though we miss each other dearly, it tends to be the day that we’re both either so busy with errands or so exhausted from running errands all weekend that we’re least likely to chat. For some reason, I was craving chicken cacciatore for dinner, and with this winter weather I have been in a soup mood. So I threw chicken, tomatoes, peppers, onions and a bunch of herbs into a Crock-Pot and let it cook for a few hours to make chicken cacciatore soup. While it stewed, I cuddled with the baby and texted photos of Q to my mom.

Though we’re far away, thankfully technology can bring mom and I into the same kitchen as if I were a kid again. If I want to cook with mom, all we have to do is call. Guess this is how family dinners are done in the generation of Snapchat and Facebook.

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E and I started meal prepping on Sundays because we needed to find a way to cook efficiently after going back to work after our parental leaves.  Coming home and cooking during the week would take away our precious few moments with our baby Q, so meal prep helped save time. We also wanted to make sure we ate healthy, and wanted to save some money since we now had more bills around the baby.

Our Sundays are now centered around shopping and cooking. Which really is no different than Sundays before Q, but now our day is better organized. We don’t wander the grocery store aisles aimlessly. We don’t toss overpriced and unnecessary grocery items into our cart, or spend a half hour debating whether to get fish or streak for dinner. We don’t stop off at the gourmet shop down the street for artisanal cheese and half dozen other things we forgot at the grocery store just a few minutes earlier because we have a list and a plan.We go in focused, leave within an hour, and spend at least $50 to $100 less than we would have if we were shopping without a list. We have more time at home together to cook on Sundays, and more time during the week to just eat, play with baby, and cuddle—I think I just outlined the meaning of life right there.

Many of our sandwiches are super easy to meal prep for the week. Anything made in a slow cooker, like our #254, the pulled pork pita gyro sandwich, our pulled chicken sliders, or our slow cooker brisket sandwich, are amazing meal prep options.

Our meatballs are also fantastic. I do love sandwich #138, our lamb meatball sandwiches with creamy yogurt sauce served up in pitas. Or sandwich #188, an Italian meatball served on a sub roll that makes a seriously hearty lunch, or a lighter version of #188 in these turkey meatballs.  We also tried this recipe from William-Sonoma, which we loved because broiling the meatballs gave them a fun charred texture. We paired them with brown rice and roasted carrots, and had two days’ worth of meals from one batch. That left me hours freed up to snuggle with my little girl. And do laundry. And clean her room. And shop for clothes and toys… okay, it left me more minutes to snuggle with Q. A mommy’s work is never done.

Interested in meal prepping? Here’s some tips to get you started.

• Buy a uniform set of Tupperware or Glad plasticware. It’s easier to organize six of the same containers than those disparate takeout containers you’ve saved from regular Seamless orders.
• Pick two days to cook each week. It’s ideal to dedicate, say Sunday to cooking all meals for the week, but meat based meals only last 3-4 days, and you’ll be bored of eating what you cooked on Sunday by Tuesday anyway. If you pick, say Sunday and Wednesday to meal prep,  you’ll have enough food and variety to keep you satisfied.
• Go vegetarian. Vegetarian dishes keep longer than meat based ones. Soups, grain bowls, even veggie wraps are great meal prep dishes.
• If you’re meal prepping our sandwiches, pack the bread separate from the meat and fillings, and assemble when you’re ready to eat. This prevents against soggy bread and will help the sandwich toppings warm up evenly and fast.
• You can meal prep breakfast, too. Overnight oats are a great option, as are frozen breakfast sandwiches you can reheat and eat. I like making steel cut oats for the week on Monday morning, and reheating what I need for each serving during the week.

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Overall, traveling with a newborn was easier than I teed it up for. The baby loved her time by the beach—she went in the ocean for the first time, and the sun has given her skin a hint of color (but not too much, as we still kept her covered or in the shade, and put a bit of zinc oxide on the exposed parts). She’s eating well. Her baby acne has cleared up. And not only is she smiling every day, she gave me her first laugh the other day, to which I teared up with happiness.

Traveling with a newborn is so doable, so long as you plan ahead and know how to handle any emergencies. But it’s also about going with the flow, and giving yourself room to adjust to change. Its hard to do that as a new parent, and extremely hard to do it as a new parent in a foreign country. But it’s possible. And so rewarding.

Here’s what I learned in the last few weeks of the trip:

Panicking does nothing. Duh, right? But I did it anyway.  “The baby’s breathing weird!”–I thought she had pneumonia (she wasn’t, and she didn’t). “There’s a bump on her foot, what is that?” (nothing). I got bit by three mosquitos– “I must have dengue fever!” (nope.) I didn’t stop relaxing until E’s mom joined us for the third week of the trip. It was as if having parental supervision for not only the baby but myself gave me permission to chill. With someone around to confirm that I was doing a good job of parenting,  I had exponentially more fun. I got exponentially fewer mosquito bites, too.

A&D ointment saves everything. The combination of Caribbean heat and newborn drool created moist skin folds around Q’s neck and diaper area. Common, but  those red, shiny marks made me cringe. I had used A&D regularly to her bum to avoid diaper rashes and on any sore skin patches of my own, but I applied some to her irritated neck and leg folds, and it cleared the rash up within hours. I went through two tubes of A&D in two weeks. Other parents also swear by Aquaphor as the same cure all for such skin issues.  We also used Desitin on the rough patches towards the end of the trip, which also worked like a charm. It glides on a bit chalky and stays on the body for at least two days, but it does successful dry out those moist folds so the rashes clear up. Cornstarch is also helpful.

Harry Belafonte does, too. We sang songs from his “The Essential Harry Belafonte album“–“Jamaica Farewell,” “Angelina,” “Hold ’em Joe,”–to Q in the morning, during diaper changes, feedings and just to dance around the apartment. If you want to soothe a crying baby, this album surely does the trick. Island inspired tunes about love and travel make for great singalongs.

The most obvious tricks for parenting are not obvious at all to new parents. When E’s mom came to visit us halfway through the trip, she not only talked us off of the ledge from thinking our child had pneumonia, but also helped us navigate beach life with Q easier. For example, we brought our car seat down to Cabarete, but only used it in transport from the airport to the apartment. “Why don’t you put Q in the car seat to sit next to you at the beach?” suggested the wise grandmother. Made total sense–Q happily took several beach naps in that car seat, which was more comfortable than a towel draped across our laps. She also relaxed next to us during dinner in the seat while I rocked her back and forth with my foot. It lulled her to sleep before we cleared the dishes. Grandmothers know everything.

You never know who you’re inspiring with your presence. While I was panicking over feedings, bugs, mosquitos and other challenges, there were women looking longingly at E and I , smiling politely. There was one woman who was staying in our apartment complex, a beautiful blonde women with perfect hair and an athletic build, who looked like she had fully acclimated to her expat Dominican lifestyle. She always had a beach chair and sliced up pineapple out in front of our complex each day. A few days before we left, she introduced herself when E and I were taking pictures of the baby.  “I really admire you two for taking this time with your baby in such a beautiful place. I wish I would have done the same with my three kids, who are all in university now. You all are doing parenting right.” If only she would have seen me panicking about pneumonia a week or two earlier.

This is the best idea my husband ever had. I spent the last month of my maternity leave on the beach in a sunny locale instead of in cold, snowy New York. I had uninterrupted quality time with the most important people in my life. I got a tan. I ran on the beach. I made jerk chicken. And I stared at my baby for hours in bed while listening to the ocean and not police sirens or construction workers. I am so glad E convinced me to do this trip. We’re already planning our next family adventure—Q’s passport needs more stamps, you know.

The post Things I Learned While Traveling with a Newborn, Part 3 appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

• Look around for other children. If they can survive where you are, so will your child.
  “Is where you’re going good for children?” some asked. Cabarete, located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, is a family mecca. Aside from local kids that seemed quite happy here, other fair skinned families have relocated from other countries. It’s a big kite surf destination, and since I last visited, there have been several large resorts and condominium development constructed on the beach, all occupied with families of all ages. I watched kids frolic on the beach daily and run in and out of surf shops and beach side restaurants. It reminded me that if these young’ns can survive down there with smiles on their face and not even a sunburn to complain about, then my little Q would be just fine.
• Locals have just as much unsolicited parenting advice as your neighbors back at home.
  In New York, I took Q out almost every day after she was 6 weeks old for short walks around our neighborhood. Since it was winter, I bundled her up in her Bundle Me inside her stroller and she was warmer than I was in my J. Crew wool jacket. But often in Cabarete, people looked at me in panic about having my 2 month old outside. Apparently there’s a thing here where most people don’t take their kids out for the first 40 days of life. Q arrived here on day 58. “Is that okay?” they’d ask. “Should she be out like that?” “So small.” Maybe they thought Q was smaller than she was. Our housekeeper told us most people keep them inside because there’s a lot of wind and sun, which can bother little babies. Makes sense. But we kept her covered under hats, sunscreen, lightweight blankets or wraps while outside. The only thing harming my child was your fear of the outdoors, mis amigos.
• Call the local doctors at your location, just for peace of mind.
  We SHOULD have done this on day one. We forgot—until that scary choking incident. We knew there was a brand new medical center located ten minutes from where we were staying, and an urgent care clinic a 6 minute walk away. But when Q started screaming bloody murder, a cry so loud and strong that she actually stopped breathing and turned red for longer than a millisecond, we panicked. My mind went blank as I smacked Q on her back until her airway cleared and she returned to her normal shade. “SHALL I CALL A DOCTOR!?!?” E frantically offered. But we realized then that we didn’t have the medic’s number in our phones, and we didn’t know exactly where the urgent care clinic was on the main road. We rectified both issues immediately: we put the number of the main medical center, urgent care and a pediatrician in the next town in our Favorites list in our phones to access quickly, and figured out how to dial 911 in Cabarete (ahem, you dial 9-1-1, just like at home). The next morning, we walked to the urgent care center and introduced ourselves and Q to the staff. We felt relieved that medical staff knew exactly who we were should we need to call for help.
• Book an apartment with the amenities of home, versus a sleek luxury hotel (or at least ask ahead to verify the room’s amenities).
  E and I had all of the fixings of home–microwave, full sized stove, refrigerator, pots, pans, sharp knives–by renting an apartment. It felt just like our Brooklyn place, except with a better view.  But there was a luxury hotel in the middle of the bay that we would go to to have lunch and sit by the pool. Thinking the amenities must be just as great inside the hotel, we booked a room for a few nights. But when we saw the room only had a small kitchenette and did not include a microwave or mini stovetop to heat or sterilize bottles, we ended up staying back at our apartment. There’s $300 we won’t see again. Lesson learned–call ahead to check the hotel amenities before you book.
• Your child will adapt much faster than you will. They like routine, but they don’t care what that routine is, so long as it’s consistent. You want to change formula? Change the place she sleeps from her crib at home to a pack n play on the road? Fine. Just keep feeding and nap time at the same time each day.

The post Things I Learned While Traveling With a Newborn, Part 2 appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

I had the same reservations as the naysayers. I didn’t want to go on an extended Caribbean vacation while Q was so young either. For me, there was no place I’d rather be besides cuddled up with my baby girl in my cozy bed at home. But E could not bear a dreary cold January in New York, “ordering Seamless every day, or going to the grocery store, cooking food and passing out.”

“You could spend the last month of your maternity leave on the beach in the warm sun, and Q could see the ocean for the first time, ” E argued. We’d rent a condo on the beach with all of the amenities of home, cook fresh seafood dinners on our patio, go surfing (E), and do yoga (me). We’d watch sunsets over the ocean and lull Q to sleep to the sound of the waves. It sounded idyllic. But I foresaw catastrophe.

My biggest fear about traveling with a newborn was how the baby would do. Would she scream the entire flight, upsetting our fellow frequent fliers, or would I be using the airplane bathroom, a known cess pool of germs, as my private changing room, locking out other passengers? Would she be bitten by a mosquito, or a spider, or worse? Would she get sick while down there, and how would we find a doctor if so?

I consulted no less than 6 American pediatricians and nurses at my hospital about the trip, and all of them said it was fine to go. Q got her first round of shots and a clean bill of health to travel. Despite the medical approval, the new parent in me was still nervous.  Finally after weeks of terse discussions, several trips to the post office to get the baby’s passport and booking tickets at midnight in a huff, we took off.

I’ve realized most of my fears, while justified, have not come to fruition. We’ve enjoyed quality time together with the baby on the beach. We wake up every morning with her smiling at us as the ocean laps at the sand underneath our balcony. We drink freshly squeezed fruit juices at the local crepe place next door or at the FreshFresh cafe up the road. We take late afternoon walks on the beach with Q in a baby sling, her head and body covered in UV protective gear. I admit, it’s better than being snowed in in Brooklyn.

Preparation of our beach condo with all of the baby goods we had at home and taking precautions when going outside have helped. But there have been other challenges beyond my scariest, new parent dreams. It’s these challenges and fears that may keep some new parents close to home during a newborn’s first months in the world. But if you want to travel, there’s no reason not to with a baby.

Here’s what I learned from planning our trip to the Caribbean with my darling Q:

• Don’t listen to other people’s fear:
  People will tell you not to do anything that they’re not already doing. I caught grief from many of my mommy friends who thought I was nuts to agree to this trip, and I told myself I shouldn’t go because of the backlash. But what am I going to do, stay home forever? In the end, I prepared as much as I could, got on the plane, and prayed Q would stay healthy during the trip (or at least the flight down).
• Flying on planes with baby is easier than pitched. The baby slept most of the way, only waking once for a bottle. Her ears bothered her only enough to flinch quietly during takeoff and landing, but never waking her from her nap. She needed a change, but I could only do that after we landed since the captain had the seatbelt sign on most of the 3 hour flight because of slight turbulence. No one even knew she was even on the flight!
• Getting a passport for a newborn is challenging.
  It will take three weeks, most of that eaten up by actually getting the photo right, since the Passport Control center is very specific about how babies are photographed. It took three different visits to the post office to complete her application, but we got the thing within 10 days. More on that in a separate post.
• Don’t bring everything…
  You don’t need five baby carriers, a stroller, and every single onesie that baby owns. We brought one baby sling, and then fashioned another out of a large piece of fabric we bought in town. We left the stroller behind since we would be on the beach most of the time, but brought a car seat (had to get her to the airport somehow). And for clothes, I brought a stack of white onesies and anything that was for babies 0-3 months, since she’d outgrow anything smaller by the time we got home. I left the fancy dresses and frilly outfits behind, which are just a pain to clean and dress the baby in on the beach.
• But these Dr. Brown’s sterilization bags are a godsend, so bring ’em. 
  I have the Dr. Brown sterilizer on my kitchen countertop, but for travel, the disposable sterilizer bags are awesome. You stuff bottles, breast pump parts and pacifiers into these microwaveable bags with a little water, and they come out germ free. You can also reuse each bag up to 20 times. One box of 5 get you 100 uses.

Now, I’m far from an expert on parenting. And I’m still navigating traveling with a newborn–I haven’t yet driven alone with the baby in the backseat further than 20 minutes! So, I’d love to hear from you parents on your best tips while traveling with a baby. What parenting hacks must we know when away from home with child? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. And please, just leave tips that have worked for you. No judgements, no lectures.  We parents have enough fraying our nerves already.

The post Things I Learned While Traveling With a Newborn, Part 1 appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

This baby is the most scrumptious, funniest little being I have ever met. She’s the perfect blend of E and I with a personality that keeps us both on our toes. I’m beyond happy. I’m filled with more love than I every thought possible. I haven’t stopped smiling since I heard her cry for the first time. E and I now have our own little family. See what good can come out of making someone a sandwich?

Yes, I have felt all of the feelings described in those mushy Hallmark cards and Instagram posts from new moms– “I have never felt love like this before.” “She’s touched my life in so many ways.”  What I don’t feel like is eating.  I should be taking this time to enjoy whatever foods I want because dammit I brought a life into this world and I deserve to treat thyself, but I simply have not found the time to cook what I really want. The baby needs my constant attention, and when she’s not in my arms I’m cleaning up the debris trail of burp cloths, clothes, toys, bottles, blankets and other baby goods my little tornado has left in her path.

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are about as advanced cooking I’ve pulled off in recent weeks. Oatmeal if I have an extra 20 minutes. Greek yogurt, fruit and nuts are enough fuel to last me until until Q’s next feeding.

Some foods have become staples (Nutella…our bond became strong during pregnancy and has only strengthened postpartum. I’ll never let go, Nu. Never let go). Others have been reintroduced into my diet (oh coffee… how I missed you so. Now that I’m not pregnant, we can tango once again). Some I still pine for but can’t quite yet invest (wine….how I want to engulf you with open arms and mouth, but yet we’re still at arms length as I’m nursing. In due time, old pal). And some days, I honestly forget to eat. Hours will go by where I have provided several feedings for the kid, but not for myself.

Now that it’s the holidays, I am going to force myself to cook. Nothing says merry merry like baked goods or something roasting in the oven. Gingerbread and shortbread cookies are top priority. E has already put in his request for sugar cookies.  I’m hungry just thinking about all of this. Let’s hope Q stays asleep long enough for me to make a batch of each.

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Our refrigerator and pantry looked a bit bare this weekend, so I decided to bake up a few things that would make easy grab-and-go breakfasts this week in case I have to grab my bag and go the hospital to deliver this kid.

Pumpkin bread and pumpkin waffles were two things I was craving. Blame fall or the baby, but I want all of the pumpkin spice things I can eat—I already had a pumpkin pie in the refrigerator I had baked up earlier in the week. I don’t expect the pumpkin bread to last long—I’m not planning to freeze it, though I could have if I wanted to. I did freeze all of the waffles. We can always have those for an easy breakfast on mornings after the baby comes.

I love Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for pumpkin bread. It’s everything it promises to be. Most people would use pure canned pumpkin. In fact, I would have used pure canned pumpkin. But when I looked in the cupboard I realized I only had two large cans of pumpkin pie mix, which is already seasoned and has added sugar and salt. Knowing this, I omitted the recommended sugar and spices from a recipe since the mix was already sweet, but added a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for good measure.  The results were still delicious. My easy version of the SK recipe is below.

The post Prepping for Baby’s Arrival with Easy Pumpkin Bread appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

The general rule of thumb is that the second trimester is the best trimester for traveling while pregnant. It’s the magical time between 14 weeks and 28 weeks pregnant that you feel the best— morning sickness has generally subsided, you get a rush of energy after your body adjusts to the hormonal changes going on inside, and your belly isn’t too big at that point to be uncomfortable, so your mobility is still pretty good.

During my second trimester, E and I took a babymoon to the south of Spain. We drove from Seville to Tarifa to Malaga to Gibraltar, and enjoyed plates of tapas, beach time, and walks around museums. I felt great throughout the entire trip—the only thing that plagued me was ravenous hunger. I was a regular at this little crepe place in old Tarifa every morning because I woke up every morning starving!

This summer, we took some weekend trips here and there to see friends by the beach. All were relaxing and none too strenuous, so long as we stopped for the restroom every two hours or so and had snacks in the car. Our glove compartment stays stocked with trail mix, Starbursts, fig bars and M&Ms.

After 28 weeks, it’s not impossible to travel, but it’s certainly different. Your belly is bigger, so you need more space when sitting. Your back hurts, so it’s hard to get comfortable in a plane or car seat. You’re still hungry and thirsty, so you need to stop and eat frequently. And, of course, you need to use the bathroom more frequently because you have a baby pushing on your uterus. For the SF trip, I had to endure a nearly 6 hour flight in economy (not even economy plus as I was flying leading up to a holiday weekend and there were NO SEATS!) while carrying 25 extra pounds. It wasn’t the most comfortable trip, but I made it.

No matter if flying or driving while traveling and pregnant, there were a few key things that kept me sane and happy. Here’s some survival tips about traveling while pregnant:

—BOOK AN AISLE SEAT: A must for flying, no matter if in business class or coach. You will have to get up and walk around every hour or so, not only to use the restroom, but to keep the circulation going in your legs. Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of blood clots, and walking around helps reduce that risk.

—DRINK TONS OF WATER, BUT NOT ON THE PLANE: What I mean is, buy a liter of water in the terminal, and sip that during your flight. Water on planes is known to have higher levels of bacteria, according to some insiders. When the flight attendants come around with the beverage cart, order juice—but get it without the ice, as that’s probably made from the same recycled water.

—BUY FOOD AND SNACKS AHEAD OF TIME: There likely won’t be a filling enough—or tasty enough— meal on the plane, so plan ahead. I bought nuts, chips, bars and sandwiches on all of my flights, though when flying to SF I only ate half of my chicken sandwich (and threw the entire sandwich away on my way back. See, told you I’ve been weird about sandwiches during this pregnancy). But at least I had food—on my flight to SF, the stewardesses didn’t even offer me nuts! If you’re driving, always keep snacks in your glove compartment. Hunger inevitably strikes when you’re stuck in traffic and miles away from the next rest stop.

—WEAR COMPRESSION SOCKS: They’re good for the circulation. Also helps prevents blood clots.

—LET OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE WHEN POSSIBLE: I got lost so many times driving in San Francisco once I landed (that Waze app just doesn’t work, people. Google Maps works much better). The next day, I had someone else drive my car. It helped me have a stress free commute, plus my hands were now free to reach for snacks along the way.

—ASK FOR EXTRA PILLOWS FROM THE CONCIERGE FOR YOUR HOTEL ROOM: There are never enough pillows on the bed no matter where you’re staying, and when you’re pregnant, you need more pillows to prop between your knees and around your back and belly while you sleep. Ask the front desk to stock extra pillows in your room when you check in. You’ll need as restful a sleep as possible after a day of travel.

The post Tips on Traveling While Pregnant appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

I thought I would inhale sandwiches from the second that little First Response stick showed two pink lines. But I didn’t. During the first trimester, bread was one of the foods that made me nauseous. Weird, as most women will often grab toast as a way to settle their stomach. For me, it just tasted like burnt cardboard.

Here and there, I was able to get down a bagel, or a toasted, plain pita, but traditional slices of whole wheat bread made me gag. So, I avoided eating sandwiches.

After the first trimester, things got little better. I could eat toasted English muffins with jam or peanut butter. So EMPB&Js were possible. Further along, I could get down chicken salad from my work cafeteria on toasted seven grain bread, or a veggie wrap with spinach, Swiss cheese, roasted peppers, avocado and cucumber. But those sandwiches were the occasional meals only scarfed down when I was too exhausted or pressed for time to grab anything else.

What have comprised my go to pregnancy meals include simply cooked chicken or fish over brown rice with vegetables and leafy greens. I’ve eaten some permeation of that during lunch and dinner most nights, without bread. Hummus and pita are an occasional snack, but veggies stuffed into a pita for a sandwich has not been. I haven’t even had a lobster roll all summer! And I cannot remember the last time I had a grilled cheese.

It’s quite interesting to see how your taste buds completely change when you’re pregnant. It will be even funnier to see what I was right after the baby is born. Will grilled cheese reenter my life? Will I ever eat a BLT every again? Time, and cravings, will tell.

The post What, No Sandwiches? appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

29 weeks. That’s third trimester, kids. That’s seven months of weird cravings, topsy-turvy stomachs, midnight snacks, 6 a.m. snacks, 2:15 snacks, 2:45 snacks…you get it. It’s a lot of meals.

Pregnant women have their unique tales of what they ate during their nine months. My mom loves telling me she ate so much lobster when she was pregnant with me that when I was a baby, I would hold my little fingers in a claw shape for months. Some women want pickles (I did, around month three), some women want ice cream (I do, months five – present), some want them both at the same time (um, can’t say the same).

I’ve been eating a lot of chicken, brown rice, kale, broccoli, watermelon, and other healthy balanced meals on a regular to make sure I’m getting the proper vitamins and minerals for the growing belly. But there’s a few things that I must have on a daily basis, along with a water and a prenatal vitamin:

1.) Fortified cereal: I don’t eat cereal often, but it was a godsend when I was starving during my first trimester and I couldn’t go ten paces without eating something. When you are that ravenous for food, you reach for the first thing you can get into your belly (cupcakes, last night’s thai food, etc.). Cereal was the healthy snack I could grab and go and tide me over until I made an actual breakfast. I like Life and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which both surprisingly have less than 10 G of sugar per serving and are packed with vitamins. (oh, and people read your labels. Not all cereal is bad. In fact, there are organic whole wheat, fancy pants cereal you buy from Whole Foods that has more sugar than some General Mills’ staples. Just because it’s organic or healthy doesn’t mean it’s better.)

2.) Oranges: This was my go to fruit of the first trimester. Slices of oranges felt good on my throat and eased my morning sickness. But the major craving for oranges eased up by second trimester.

3.) Yogurt and fruit: My breakfast of champions. I love my yogurt and fruit bowls (see above). Cut up banana, strawberries, blueberries or peaches, 2 percent Fage yogurt, and chopped pecans or walnuts and a small handful of chopped dark chocolate. A drizzle of honey and viola! It’s my trademark breakfast every day. Unless I make waffles, which I would usually reserve for weekend treats.

4.) Seltzer water: I’ve had gallons of seltzer water during this pregnancy. I throw back at least one cold can a day of seltzer water a day. Bubbles also helped with digestion. More interesting to drink than plain ol’ water.

5.) Mint chocolate chip ice cream: You have been outside right? Then you know how oppressive this summer heat has been . and the only thing that can really cool me down is cooling mint chocolate chip ice cream. I always keep a pint in the fridge, but I careful ration out my portions so to not overindulge. I allow myself  a couple spoonfuls per night from the pint, and no more. I don’t get my own bowl, I don’t put anything on it. Just a few tablespoons, and I put it away. A pint can last me at least two weeks this way.

But where are the sandwiches, you say? I shall explain….

The post Five Foods I Could Not Survive Pregnancy Without appeared first on 300 Sandwiches.

photo by Mangue Banzima/Quistyle

Yes, we’ve been quiet for a few months. But we’ve been busy.

Busy cooking up another human, that is.

Yes, E and I are expecting our first child and we are beyond excited! In fact, the little one is due in just three months!

Why in the heck didn’t you say anything earlier? they ask. Well, um, gee, yes, you’re right. I’ve known about this for quite some time. I’ve shared details of our relationship from dating to marriage here for about 4 years. Naturally, I’d want to share the happiest news of all—that we were going to be parents—here as well. Right?

I did. But I was also super superstitious about sharing this vey important, very fragile, very personal news, and well, wanted to wait as long as possible. Perhaps we could have broken the news when we looked back at our wedding photos on our first anniversary, or ate a piece of our (stale) wedding cake. Ah, well. At least you know we’re good at keeping a secret.

We could not be happier and prouder to be expecting a little one. The next few months will be full of baby prepping (anyone want to come with us to childbirth classes? Just kidding!) and anxiety and anticipation about our little one’s arrival, and we look forward to every second of it. I’ve learned a lot of things during the pregnancy too that I will share here, including why I actually have not been eating a lot of sandwiches during this time and what other things we’ve been cooking and eating instead.

Got any great recipes to get a pregnant lady through the last trimester? Leave a comment on our Facebook wall. I don’t just want pickles and ice cream based ideas—my cravings are very much equal opportunity.

Oh, and it’s a girl.

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