Adapting a Recipe to Feed 3

Nesting: making a batch of pumpkin granola big as my belly!

It's a funny thing to go from cooking for one to cooking for two (and then cooking for two humans and one four-legged companion), and then to cooking for a family of three. But that's where this year has taken us!

Just as we began our kitchen remodel, we learned we were pregnant with our first baby. And the same week, I started a new job—so it's been a year of growth and excitement in many ways. Sadly, it has left very little time for gardening, cooking and blogging. 

The first trimester was devoted to grilled cheese and baked potatoes; starches and dairy were the only vegetarian-friendly things this mom-to-be could choke down. At some point near the end of those first twelve weeks, we stopped in a burger joint. I ordered the veggie cheeseburger with bacon, and then... things changed. Suddenly the vegetarian pregnancy thing was out the window and I must say, life got a little easier. 

And now that anything goes food-wise (well, anything except that list of pregnant no-no's, which has made me acutely aware of my love of over-easy eggs), the goal in the kitchen has become efficiency. Instead of trying to innovate, I've been trying to change my way of doing things, knowing that as a mother who will be going back to work full-time, I'll need to be able to put a healthy, sustainable dinner on the table in much less time than I'm accustomed to. 

I'm learning the value of casseroles (chicken pot pie with homemade biscuit crust is on the docket tonight) and crock pots. And much to my former self's chagrin, I'm happy to take a few shortcuts here and there. Picking up a rotisserie chicken or can of pre-made enchilada sauce never felt so good!

I have no doubt that we'll find a good rhythm once the baby is here (the countdown is 20 days!) and I am very much looking forward to making homemade baby food in a few months, too. But it's also very liberating to let myself off the hook just a little. 

Do you have any good kitchen tips for a first-time mom?