68 - Freezer Meal Prep Postpartum

Join Amanda for a solo episode where she shares one of our most requested topics: Postpartum frozen prepped meals. Amanda shares how she home cooked over 52 meals for Jodine and her little growing family before they welcomed their newest family member at the beginning of January. We’ve missed you! Welcome back to Blame It on Mom Brain! All show notes and recipes / meal prep instructions can be found below.

If you would like to chat, or have a topic you'd like us to discuss, send us a message!

instagram: @blameitonmombrain

email: blameitonmombrain@gmail.com

Thanks for tuning into BLAME IT ON MOM BRAIN.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother. Written by Heng Ou. https://amzn.to/3HKcLds

Carrot Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter

1 onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

3 cups sliced carrots (1 cup= 2 medium sliced)

2 potatoes peeled and diced

Approx. 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Approx. 1 1/2 cups of water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 bay leaf (discard when ready to serve )

1 cup milk or cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sautée onion and garlic in butter for 5 min.
2. Add carrots and potatoes, stir to coat with butter.
3. Add chicken broth water, salt, tarragon, pepper, coriander, and bay leaf.
4. Simmer, covered, over med. heat 15 mins., until veggies are well cooked.
5. Remove bay leaf.
6. Pour soup in batches, in blender or food processor until smooth.
7. Pour back in saucepan.
8. Stir in milk
9. Heat.
10. Add teaspoon of sour cream in centre (or swirl) and serve with crackers or bread stick.

You can adjust as you go along. Add more carrots, or potatoes if you want it thicker. Or more chicken broth to thin it out. You may have to adjust salt if you add more veggies.

Potato Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsps butter

4 large leeks (5 cups)

3 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed)

7 cups broth

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs thyme

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cụp cream

Chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter
2. Add leeks + garlic, stir regularly x 10 min
3. Add potatoes + stock + bay leaves + thyme + salt and pepper
4. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat down x 15 mins
5. Remove thyme + bay leaves
6. Purée soup
7. Add cream
8. Simmer

Thanksgiving Warm: Chicken + cranberry + mash + beans 

1. Season chicken breasts with dried or fresh herbs: Thyme, parsley, oregano, garlic + onion powder, salt, pepper 
2. Bake @ 400F for 20-25 mins
3. Boil chopped potatoes. Once fork-tender, add in butter, salt, pepper, chopped chives + garlic powder. 
4. Sautee green beans
5. Plate and top with canned or homemade cranberry sauce

Broccoli + pasta + ground Italian sausage

1. Combine boiled broccoli, cooked pasta, and cooked sausage together in a pot. 
2. Add butter, EVOO, and grated parmiggiano reggiano + pecorino romano cheeses. 

Stir fry and Dumplings 

1. Sautee vegetables: Onion, garlic, red pepper, brocoli, cabbage, carrots, Pork + leek dumplings
2. Add sauce: Sesame oil, fish oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, powdered ginger, salt. 
3. Add cooked Asian Noodles (I used frozen Udon noodles, boiled for 2 minutes)
4. Meanwhile, cook dumplings based on package instructions (I used pork + leek frozen dumplings)

Stuffed peppers with quinoa + roasted sweet potatoes (side dish)

1. Chop 4-5 bell peppers in half
2. Par-boil for 10 minutes then set aside to cool off. 
3. Meanwhile, sautée: Ground meat (beef + sausage), garlic, onion, mushrooms, carrots, spinach. 
4. Mix in cooked quinoa
5. Seasoning: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper. 
6. Add some grated cheddar cheese (optional)
7. Fill pepper halves with the quinoa + meat filling
8. Top with parmiggiano or cheddar (optional)
9. Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes 
10. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies by Giada Dilaurentiis: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-ricotta-cookies-with-lemon-glaze-recipe-1950241