Lately I have been craving veggie burgers and last week I finally incorporated them into my meal plan for the week. I had actually intended to make black bean burgers but I forgot to soak and cook my dried black beans so I swapped out the black beans for a can of brown lentils that I had in the pantry.
To help make perfect patties I used our Cuisinart Patty Maker, which was actually on our wedding registry because we love homemade veggie burgers so much. Two tips I have to make these really tasty burgers are to make sure to preheat your oven and line your baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Now these burgers are a little messy but they are delicious!
Mexican Lentil Burgers
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red onion, deiced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
5 button mushrooms, halved and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-15 oz can brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Serve With:
Sriracha Mayo: Vegan Mayo + Sriracha
Avocado
Tomato
Whole Wheat English Muffin
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium- high heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and carrots; cook for 5-7 minutes until soft.
Stir in the garlic.
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process just until combined.
Form into patties and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve on an English Muffin (or bun or on a plate of greens) with sriracha mayo, tomato and avocado.
Directions:
Heat heat the oil in a 4-quart heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook 5-7 minutes until soft.
Stir in the potatoes and carrots and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Stir in the turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon.
Stir in the broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and reduce to low and cook for 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in the chickpeas and dates and season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the harissa and almonds. Garnish with cilantro and a slivered almonds. Serve with Lemon-Herb Couscous.
How big is the baby: About the size of an cantaloupe!
Baby’s Gender: See Below.
Baby’s Name: Status is still the same- 5 boy names and 5 girls
Weight Gained: 10-12 lbs.
Clothes: I picked up two new tops for our upcoming vacation but I really need to get myself a dress or some capris as well so I’m hoping that when we are in Boston I’ll find a few things to take on our trip.
How are you feeling: I’m feeling good. I have been a little tired out at nights and have been going to bed early which isn’t always fun since Neil has been working late; when I go to bed early that means we hardly see each other during the week. I finally took a real nap yesterday and I ended up staying up until 10pm and getting a bunch of things done, so I think more frequent naps might be in order.
What do you miss: Wearing normal clothes. Wine. Running.
Symptoms: Sore legs in the morning. Heartburn. Shortness of Breath <– I feel so embarrassed about this however it’s a normal symptom because as your uterus expands, it pushes against your lungs.
How are you sleeping: I have actual been sleeping better, I found a position that is somewhat comfortable and I allow myself to sleep on my right side for short periods-about 15 minutes.
Other: We go in for our anatomical ultrasound on March 2nd and I am nervous, this is normal right? We still won’t be finding out what we are having but the anatomical ultrasound but it will check:
baby’s growing and developing properly. This generally includes taking baby’s heartbeat, checking for physical abnormalities, confirming any suspicions of twins or other multiples, measuring the amount of amniotic fluid (to much or too little could signal a problem), checking the location of your placenta to be sure it isn’t covering the cervix, and taking lots of measurements to make sure baby is the right size for his gestational age. (If your babe measures very large or very small, you may be given a new due date! (source)
Neil and I have decided that we want to keep the sex of our baby a surprise until the birth. This doesn’t mean we aren’t curious as to what we are having so this week I decided to look at some of the ways people attempt to predict the sex of their baby without the use of an ultrasound. I was inspired by these two blogs: here and here.
The Predictions Based on Gender Prediction Charts and Old Wives Tales:
Time of Conception: GIRL I think we conceived on the day before I ovulated. I have read that male sperm swim faster but die out sooner and girl sperm swim slower but hang out longer, so if we didn’t conceive on the day of ovulation I guess girl? All of this is a bit confusing.
Cravings: GIRL It is said that if you crave sweet it’s a girl and if you crave salt you’re having a boy. I have been craving lots of fruit and coconut ice cream lately which is really abnormal for me. I honestly have had more coconut ice cream in the last 20 weeks than I have had in the last few years. Dreams: ?? I haven’t had any dreams (that I remember) that have been about the baby- I feel like this is really weird.
Sleeping Preference: GIRL I have read that you prefer sleeping on your left side, you’ll have a boy and if you prefer your right side a girl. Well if you have been following my past pregnancy updates I really can’t stop talking about how much I hate sleeping on my left side.
Morning Sickness Severity: GIRL Apparently extreme nausea or nausea that lingers all day means you are having a girl. Well I had 12 weeks of all-day sickness.
Mathematical Formula: GIRL You add your age (2 + 6) to your due date month (7) to your conception month (1+0). Odd equals boy, even equals girl. Mine adds up to 16.
Chinese Gender Predictor: BOY I used the chart on The Bump.
Mayan Table: BOY Seems to be basically the same as the Chinese Gender Predictor.
Wedding Ring: BOY Hang your wedding ring from a strand of the father’s hair over your belly. If the ring circles, it’s girl; if it swings back and forth, it’s a boy. (source) We didn’t use a strand of Neil’s hair (that is too precious to remove and it’s not long enough) instead I used a string.
Hands- Soft or Dry?: BOY If your hands are dry-boy. If your hands soft-girl. Well my hands have been dry lately…however we are having a cold dry winter in Vermont so I blame it on the weather.
Citrus: GIRL Apparently if you’re craving citrus, you’re having a girl. Well let me tell you for the first 16 weeks of my pregnancy I couldn’t get enough citrus and although my cravings have calmed down I still love me some citrus.
Skin: GIRL Apparently if your skin breaks out, expect a girl and my skin has been awful!
High or Low?: BOY If baby is low, expect a boy. High, it’s a girl.–Well I am carrying low. However I have also read that where you carry is based on your body type and whether you have a good set of abs before conception.
Nature’s language: GIRL It is believed that nature communicates with humans through forms. In this case, if the mother’s womb is round, it is a girl. If it is pointed, it is a boy (source). I am feeling like I look pretty round so I guess girl?
Heart Beat: GIRL Is Baby’s heart beat faster than 140 beats per minute (bpm)? It’s a girl. Less than 130 bpm? It’s a boy (source). At our 12 week appointment the heart rate was high 160’s and at our 16 week appointment the heart rate was in the 150’s.
Gut Feeling: BOY er GIRL….um BOY?
For a most of the pregnancy I have thought boy but now after all these predictors I don’t know maybe girl? I guess we’ll find out in 20 or so weeks!
Directions:
Bring the water to a boil in the small sauce pot.
Stir in the couscous. Cover and turn off the heat.
Let stand 5-10 minutes until the water has been absorbed.
Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon zest and juice, scallions, cilantro, and olive oil, as well as, salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork to combine. Serve.
Other Options:
Serve this couscous as a cold salad.
Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes and/or parsley to make a new dish.
We all are living busy and stressful lives and for many food is a big part of this stress. Finding time for healthy cooking and eating just adds to the already too long “to do” list causing more stress to our mind and body. Although food can cause a lot of stress in our lives it can also energize our body and help us to make the most of our busy days.
A small change in diet can improve energy levels and how your body responds to stress. So boost your mood and increase your energy, while decreasing your stress, by increasing fresh veggies, seasonal fruits, whole grains and lean protein. It is important to remember to start small this could be as simple as making your Mondays Meatless or upgrading your snacks to include more fruits and veggies.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
• 1 (8oz) package of tempeh,large dice
• 8-10 button or cremini mushrooms
• 8 Rosemary Stalks; remove all but the top leaves, reserve 1 Tbsp of leaves and finely chop
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 400F
1. Using the rosemary stalks, skewer the tempeh and mushrooms. Place in one layer in a shallow baking dish.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the tablespoon of rosemary, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper; evenly pour over the skewers.
3. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced; flip and baste after 20 minutes.
How big is the baby: About the size of mango or a large heirloom tomato
Suspicion of Baby’s Gender: Yesterday I said I can feel her kicking…so girl?
Baby’s Name: Still 5 and 5. No new ones.
Weight Gained: No idea.
Clothes: Blargh. My clothes are getting tighter around the middle but I finally got myself a pair of Old Navy Skinny Jean Maternity Pants and I love them. I also got a cute coat type thing as well which I love. Now I just need to figure out a few new items for our upcoming babymoon.
How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good. Right now I am exhausted and irritable after an extra long work day which involved me driving to and from Sugarbush (about an hour and fifteen minutes from our home).
What do you miss: I miss wine.
Cravings:
shortly after posting this Neil and I went out to pick up coconut ice cream:
Symptoms: Sleeping is still not going well, some days it’s fine and others it’s awful. SO THIRSTY- today being up on the mountain I gulped back 9 pints of water and half a bottle of orange juice over the 6.5 hours I was there….and now I’m having more. I don’t know if you call it a symptom but I feel the baby more and more.
Workouts this week: one 60-minute walk, one 20-minute leg and arm workout and one stair stepping session
