Nursing Clothes - the good, the bad, the ugly

Hi! So baby's here and I have less time than I did before. And I thought I was busy before baby... ha!! I have a million things I want to write about, but it's going to take too long to start at the beginning. Instead I'm going to start with right now. My current concern is dressing myself in breastfeeding and pumping-friendly clothing. And from reading the Facebook mama groups I'm in, I see that it's a common concern. Let me show you a few options that work:

• Target Gilligan & O'Malley Nursing Tank
• Pros: a nursing basic must-have. Nice comfortable straps, not too tight but not loose either. Buy a bunch of these! I lived in these day and night for the first few months
• Cons: I could use a little more coverage

 

• KOHL'S Oh Baby by Motherhood Nursing Tanks and Nursing Tees

• Pros: stretchy neckline makes it very easy to pull down and breastfeed/pump
• Cons: not the best quality. The tees are already pilling a bit. Very few color options. You expose your whole breast when breastfeeding - not great if you're trying to be discreet (not that you should have to be)

• Old Navy Tulip Hem Tee
• Pros: you're barely exposing any skin in this shirt. Just slide the top layer to the side and you've got easy access to the goods. Cute style
• Cons: the shirt is transparent in the lighter colors. Go for dark in this style. Too warm in the summer

• Amazon BellyMoms Empire Waist Top
• Pros: love this style! It has the panel that stays up top so you get maximum coverage with maximum access. Supposedly also works as maternity shirt.
• Cons: maybe because I wore it so much, but the fabric started degrading. Clean it in the gentle cycle and consider air-drying so it lasts longer

• Target Zipper Top
• Pros: cute, comfortable, and zipper is just the right length to give baby access to the breast
• Cons: very flowy and may show some bumps

• Old Navy Cap-Sleeved Wrap Dress
• Pros: YES! Soft, comfortable, perfect. I love this dress. So much so that I bought two and I don't even dress up very often. Tip: you're going to need a tank top underneath - may I suggest the Target tank I listed above?
• Cons: Make sure you don't pull the fabric too much or you might stretch it out, but really, I have no cons yet

And a few I didn't like:

• KOHL'S Oh Baby by Motherhood Surplice Top
• Yikes, I hated this one. SO. MUCH. FABRIC. 
• Old Navy Cross-Front Jersey Tee
• It was too tight around the stomach and too bulky up top
• Amazon Bearsland Women's Sleeveless Floral Breastfeeding and Nursing Dress
• I wanted to love this because the patterns are so fun, but it was way too short and tight. If you still want to try it, size up and be prepared to show some leg! 
• Old Navy Striped Sleeveless Linen-Blend Tunics
• Scratchy fabric and huge
• Old Navy Dobby-Stripe Pullovers
• Huge, long, and too see-through
• GAP Nursing Top
• Fit terribly

And new ones I haven't tried yet but that look promising:

• GAP Scoop Neck Nursing Top
• Athleta Heathered Wrap It Up Dress
• Looks like it might work, but I do worry I'd stretch out the fabric... TBD. Also, must wait for sale.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Souffle Cake

You know I'm very picky about chocolate cake, right? It's a chocoholic's duty. In our family there is a recipe for chocolate cake that is so delicious and loved by everyone who tries it, that my aunt has decided she is no longer sharing the recipe. It's a family secret, so to say. So imagine my surprise when I made a chocolate cake that my mom declared as good as the secret family chocolate cake! That's the ultimate compliment! And this one is definitely not a secret so I'm sharing it with you.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Souffle Cake by bake or break
And here is my pin with comments: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/264727284318018499/ as usual, found in my Food - Sweet Tried and Tasted Recipes board.

I didn't take pictures of the whole process, nor did I take pictures of the final product, but just check out the link and you'll see the deliciousness there.

I omitted the bourbon and used walnuts instead of pecans, but neither affected the excellent outcome. It didn't look very pretty but the caramel on top helped cover some of that. One thing to note is that the caramel instructions in the recipe are completely wrong. Luckily I have a sister who is highly-skilled and professionally-trained in making caramel, so I called her to the rescue after my first failed attempt. Here is how you do it: (my changes are in bold and italics or crossed out text)

Combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until sugar has dissolved and starts to change color. Increase heat to high. Boil mixture 4-5 minutes, or until it turns a deep amber color. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
Remove pan from heat and stir in pecans, cream, and salt. Be very careful when you add the cream as it will steam and bubble up. Place pan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes, or until caramel thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon. Set aside and keep warm if not using immediately.

The cake was also very messy to cut, but it was so delicious that it didn't matter. I highly recommend this recipe! 

Final result: (photo from bake or break)

Enjoy!

Lots of recipes, including one of my own

There's been a whole lot of cooking but not a whole lot of picture-taking lately. First I'll share my own recipe from a few nights ago that was super easy and super delicious. To be filed under meals to make after the baby comes! Below that you'll find recipes from various sources with which I have found success. Check them out!

My very own recipe!
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Neuman's Own sausage and peppers)
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 chicken breasts

Method:
Put everything in the crock pot and set on low for 6-7 hours. Stir at some point to combine the ingredients into the sauce.

The spaghetti sauce and homemade chicken broth brought enough flavoring that I didn't need to add any spices, but make sure you taste it to see if you need any. I'd recommend basil, thyme, oregano, and anything else you think might taste good. Serve with rice to soak up the delicious creamy sauce! I ate the leftovers with pasta and that was also good, so I don't think you can go wrong here.

Recipes from around the web...
Chicken Parmesan Bundles from allrecipes.com - delicious and versatile. Also surprisingly easy. I used half the cream cheese, way less cheese, bread crumbs instead of crackers, and added sun-dried tomatoes.

Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta from skinnytaste.com - definitely does not taste like a lighter recipe. Again, I made some adjustments based on what we had: ham instead of bacon and regular pasta instead of whole wheat. I did take a picture of the final product:

Sweet Potato Basil Soup from paleomg.com - perfect way to use up the remaining leaves of my basil plant and yet another crock pot recipe. This is a simple recipe and it was delicious. No changes needed.

Creamy Lentil Soup from skinnytaste.com - hearty and very tasty. I made a few little changes to this recipe based on what we had in stock and my taste preferences: no scallions, cumin, or cilantro but instead, lots of thyme and oregano.

Keep in mind that you can always see the recipes I have tried along with my comments on Pinterest. For savory recipes, go to this board: http://www.pinterest.com/francocaro/food-savory-tried-and-tasted-recipes/. My comments are after the double slashes (//).