Human Boppy Pillow

Butter king lettuce, garnet rose lettuce, and nasturtium from the garden.

           It's probably some complex algorithm, but lately things have a tendency to pop up in my Facebook feed right when I need them.  Recently it was a list entitled "19 Reasons Why I Can't Possibly Lose the Baby Weight Right Now" (http://mom.me/baby/30202-reasons-i-cant-possibly-lose-baby-weight-right-now/) 

Another gorgeous salad shot!

           Some were funny, others deeper, but the one that stuck with me was #2 "My spare tire provides a nice cushion for the baby, like a human Boppy pillow".  Much as I hate my fat pouch, it does seem to fit perfectly when Katie and I get our snuggle on.  Which is often.  Insomnia still wreaks havoc on me some nights, and she makes a wonderful human teddy bear.  Anyway, the point is that having the weight on is okay for now, but sooner or later, it'll have to go.

           To that end, I'm cranking out as many veggies and fresh herbs as possible in this year's garden, and I'm proud to say that my first real salad harvest was beautiful AND delicious.  And I didn't even come close to stripping the lettuce plants bare!  Just took a few leaves from each, and before I knew it, I had me a basket full.  The nasturtiums weren't quite established enough for me to pick more than a few leaves, but I couldn't resist their unique peppery taste. 

 

        And what could be better for a fresh, home-grown salad than a homemade dressing to go on it? A few weeks ago, Jon and I stopped at a specialty olive oil and vinegar store in Hot Springs, where they infuse different flavors into the oil.  We bought a little bottle of blood orange oil to try, and I used maybe a teaspoon in a third of a cup of regular EVOO.  A little red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and WHOA NELLY.  It was light, delicious, with a taste of cirtus that blooms on the tongue a half second into a bite.  Forget ranch, forget thousand island, it would be sacrilege to do anything more.

As for the main course, I had a few sirloin pork chops I'd bought that day, and decided to keep it simple.  A little salt and pepper, then I dipped them in egg and breaded them in panko crumbs before frying 'em up in vegetable oil.  When they turned a nice golden brown, I put them on a cookie sheet and finished them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  You could get them cooked through in the skillet, but the breading would be dark, almost burnt.  Hence, the oven.

As for a side, I immediately thought we needed potatoes, but I was sick of the ordinary mash.  Plus, this was supposed to be a slightly healthier meal celebrating my awesome home-grown salad, so sweet potatoes were the key.  Of course, I did put a generous amount of butter and cinnamon in there, but that's beside the point. *wink wink*

Not to tease, but I usually make a cream gravy with fresh sage to go over the chops.  With so much going on, there wasn't a need this time, but I promise to try and include it in the future.  Even without gravy, this turned out to be a delicious Southern-inspired meal that my Texas-born husband and mother-in-law heartily approved of.  Not bad for a Yankee from New Hampshire, am I right?

I suppose I could knuckle down and get on a gluten-free diet kick, or Slimfasts, or Weight Watchers or something like that.  But honestly? I barely remember to brush my teeth and take my medication most days, let alone count carbs and calories.  Besides, it seems kind of silly to diet while breastfeeding.  I mean, come on, I have to feed a BABY with those calories! The baby wants chocolate, not me!  Seriously, we moms are too hard on ourselves when it comes to weight.  But once in awhile, we can still indulge a little without feeling too terribly guilty.  So get yourself a little Southern comfort food, and throw away the bathroom scale.  Life's too short to spend it sucking down diet drinks and nibbling kale. 

Sorry for the lack of a measured recipe, by the way.  This is one of those meals I've done so many times, I don't measure anymore.  But if you have questions or comments, give me a shout on the comments section.  It's been too darn quiet around here anyway.