Easy Pizza Dough

Ever since my mom started making homemade pizza, i have never been able to appreciate any other pizza variety quite as much. It took me a while to gain the confidence to attempt to make my own dough, but once i did, i realized how easy it was and how DELICIOUS the end result was!

Easy Pizza Dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (i usually use 1 cup white flour, 1 cup wheat)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 packet Fleischmans instant yeast 
• 1 tbsp Oregano flakes
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2/3 cup warm- hot water

Combine 1 cup flour, oil, yeast, oregano, salt, sugar and water. Stir to combine. A wet dough will form. Place 1/2 cup flour on counter top, add wet dough mixture to it and begin to knead remaining flour in. Once flour is combined, add last 1/2 cup flour and knead until well combined. Roll dough into desired shape. Allow to rise in warm oven for 20 minutes.

Top with your favorite ingredients. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

Sweet breads and pancakes have been one of my biggest cravings over the past couple of weeks. Luckily, I am in an office with five other dietitians who all share the same passion as me...FOOD! I have been spoiled with homemade baked goods most days of the week. Some of the recent treats include: pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, chocolate sugar cookies, bread pudding, cranberry orange scones and cake batter cookies. Last night i decided it was time for me to get into the kitchen and whip up a treat. After searching Pinterest (because where else would i go to find delicious recipes), i found this recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Bread. I adapted it a little bit, mostly based on the ingredients i had on hand.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
adapted from The Lemon Bowl

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 oz yogurt (i used one 6 oz plain Chobani and one 6 oz blueberry Chobani)
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup blueberries (i used a mix of fresh and frozen)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread pan with non-stick spray or butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. Using an electric stand mixer, beat together yogurt, oil, vanilla and eggs over medium speed. Slowly add dry ingredients until just combined then remove from mixer.
4. Carefully fold in the blueberries then pour batter into the bread pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.  

Pregnancy Workouts

Fitness has always been important to me, but as my body continues to change with the passing weeks, i find it harder and harder to enjoy the same activities i was prepregnancy. My goal is to stay active throughout my pregnancy, but my idea of "active" has been evolving over the last few weeks. Now, a 30 minute walk after work gives me the same sense of acheivement and accomplishment i used to get from a one hour high intensity cardio class at the gym. I have traded in most of my favorite gym classes for incline walks and short weight circuits. I wanted to share a few workouts that have left me feeling like i got a workout, but are within my current physical limitations.  Here is one to get started.

Legs, Chest and Back: 
Repeat circuit 3 times. I used 12 lb dumbbells for all exercises.

• Warm Up: 20 minute incline walk (3.7 mph and 5 incline)
• 20 deadlifts 
• 20 one legged squats on Bosu ball (each leg)
•  One leg on Bosu, one leg off, squat. Switch legs and repeat.

• 20 lunges
• 20 one legged dead lifts (each leg)
• 20 bosu push ups (flat side up)
• 20 back flys
• 20 alternating arm bosu push ups (flat side down)
• One arm on ball, one arm off, push up. Walk arms over ball to switch. Repeat. 
• 20 double rows with resistance band
• Hook to pole or peg so both sides are even. Pull back both arms at the same time until you feel back muscles pinch.

18 weeks

Sorry for the hiatus, its been a busy few weeks. We have had family visits, work, and a new roommate! Yep, the new roommate also happens to be my sister. Its been great having some company around when i get home from work and someone to help think of dinner ideas :)

On the preggo front, things have been good. The bump has officially popped, cant button any of my pre pregnancy pants anymore, though i have been continuing to wear my work pants unbuttoned with a tightfitting cami to hold the flaps closed. I bought one pair of maternity pants and they just dont fit right. I thought i would eventually fill them out, but they still look baggy in the front. I bought a couple pairs of maternity jeans from GAP a couple weeks ago and im officially in love! I may never go back to regular jeans :) Im still able to wear most of my flowy shirts, they just fit a little different thanks to the growing girls and growing belly.

Food wise things have improved. My appetite is pretty much back to normal, just larger portions and more frequent snacks. I have never been one to keep snacks in my desk at work, but i have officially adopted this strategy after a few too many days of not packing enough snacks for the day! Currently i have some trail mix and a jar of peanut butter to snack on. I have gotten back into veggie smoothies in the morning, now with almond milk as i think cows milk was upsetting my stomach. Lunches have been either leftovers from dinner, or sandwiches. I have really been loving buffalo anything lately, so buffalo chicken salad has been a staple! Just mix some canned chicken breast with mayo and franks hot sauce and voila!

Energy wise i have been feeling better too, though i still have days where im dragging (im pretty sure i had these days pre-pregnancy too though). Workouts have been inconsistent with all the visitors and wacky work schedule, though i feel like this week ill be able to get back on track. I have really had to cut back on the classes at the gym that i love, Total conditioning, Yoga, Barbell Strength to name a few. I just found there was too many exercises that i couldnt do, weather it be too high of intensity, laying on my back/stomach etc. I dont like feeling like a slacker in my classes, so i have been doing my own workouts in the free weights section. Its a little foreign as i have been on the group fitness bandwagon for about 2 years now, but i know its what i need to do for my body right now. I have luckily been able to continue with STRIKE (my absolute fav), but i can see when my belly gets a little bigger ill have to stop.

I had my last doctors appointment last week. It was for the blood test that screens for chromosomal diseases such as Down's syndrome. Since we opted out of the scan at 12 weeks, we were both eager for this test. We both know its not the most accurate test, but if there is a need for further testing, we know we have that option. I was getting worried about my weight gain, or lack there of. I read a few other blogs where the girls are pregnant or have recently had babies. I kept comparing my bump to their bumps at the same stage, and wound up feeling like i wasnt getting big enough. (Never thought there would be a time when i was frusterated or worried i wasnt gaining enough weight lol). So far im up 6 pounds from my first prenatal appt, which i was about 5 weeks pregnant at. I think this is on the low end of normal, but im gonna keep listening to my body, eating when/what i feel like and accept that everyones body is different!

March 21st is the big anatomy scan where we will find out if we are buying pink or blue!

Some overdue updated belly pictures...

13 Weeks

14 Weeks

15 Weeks

16 weeks

18 Weeks

18 Weeks