Ingredients

Crust: I used this  recipe for my crust, but I cut it in half since I did a crumb topping and only needed one crust! Or you can buy the pre-made Pillsbury ‘unroll and fill’ pie crusts if you’re not in the mood to make your own (and sometimes when you have twins you’re just not in the mood).

Filling:

1 whole pineapple- peeled & cored, chopped & slightly mashed

3/4 c. coconut

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Crumb Topping:

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. flour

1/4 c. cold butter, diced

1/2 c. coconut

1/4 c. chopped macadamia nuts

1. If you’re making your own crust, do it now! Roll in a ball, wrap in plastic, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 
2. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Chop up and mash your pineapple. I just used my pastry blender. Drain out the excess juice, then combine all filling ingredients (except coconut) in a large bowl. Set aside. 
3. Make your crumb topping- Whisk sugar, flour, coconut, and nuts together in a medium bowl. Then add diced butter and use your pastry blender or a fork or your fingers to incorporate together until crumbly (want butter to be pea-size or smaller and all coated in the floury-sugar mixture). Stick this in the fridge.
4. Roll out your dough (there is a pretty slick tutorial on how to do that here) Remember to put it in an UNGREASED pie dish. Add coconut evenly to the bottom of the pie, then top with pineapple filling. Bake in oven for 15 min.
5. Take pie out of the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add crumb topping evenly over pineapple, then return to the oven for another 25 min. Cool on wire rack. Eat with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or BOTH! 

There was just too much rain for a run on Monday though. It was by no means a deluge–just some nice happy rain–but too much to run around in without eventually getting me and the girls soaked. So we opted for some laps around Target instead. When we got there, I hefted out my limo of a stroller (AKA Graco Duoglider) while a gentle drizzle tickled my nose. I’m serious people, it was like practically a mist–you couldn’t even categorize it as rain I don’t think. As I started unbuckling Dru from her carseat it happened. The nice happy rain turned into BIG mean rain! I ended up squeezing into the car and shutting the door before I could get too soaked, and me and the girls watched as our poor Ole Strolly was drowned to death We sat there a few minutes while I debated what my next move would be…would the rain let up? If it did, would I be able to salvage that stroller into something shop-able?? If it didn’t, how in the world was I going to get it back in the car without looking like a complete moron and getting completely soaked myself???

I decided to abort mission. Fall back, go home, and regroup. Ready Melinda? Three…two…one…Retreat!!!!!!! Door open. Out in the storm. Push-rotate-collapse stroller. Open tailgate. Lift stroller. Close door. Back in car. MISSION SAVE STROLLER: ACCOMPLISHED. The bad news is my stroller is so saturated that even the cupholders are full to the brim. The good news is that I no longer need to shower–mother nature has taken the liberty

This is a delicious meat-free and fall friendly meal I cooked to beat my stroller-soaked blues.

Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (I didn’t have this and used 1 celery stalk chopped, plus some fennel seed from my spice cabinet)

1 cup long grain rice

1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

salt and pepper

1/2 c. heavy cream

4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees. Place bell peppers skin side down in a 9 inch casserole dish. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the dish, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, fennel (or celery, whatev’s) and rice and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables just start to get tender (about 8 min). Add the squash, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is almost tender (about 15 min). Stir in the heavy cream.
3. Spoon some of your rice mixture to cover the bottom of your 9in dish, add peppers and nestle them into the rice, dishing up more rice on top of them. Finally, use a spoon to make an indentation in the center of each stuffed pepper. Crack an egg into each indent, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bake until the eggs are just set, about 15 min.

Original recipe found here

Today my twins are 9 months old. How long they were IN my belly, they have now been OUT of my belly. And I must say that I’ve enjoyed them much more out than in! I love you Mae & Dru, my beautiful girls!

So when my friend Amber called me up and said, “What can I do to make your day better?” I said “COCONUT!” I wanted to make coconut macaroons all week, but so far all my efforts had been thwarted by a combination of lack of ingredients and fussy babies. So yesterday Amber arrived with coconut in hand, and she helped preserve my sanity by playing with some teething monsters and helping me make macaroons. Luckily this is a super easy recipe, so we were able to make/bake ‘em without the aid of a super nap.

Coconut Macaroon Ingredients:

14 oz sweetened shredded coconut (we ended up using 7oz sweetened, 7oz unsweetened, which i recommend)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large egg whites, room temp

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees (or 300 if you have a super powerful oven. Don’t want to burn your coconut!)
2. Mix coconut, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt together on high using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer until it forms medium stiff peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
3. Drop the batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper using an ice cream scoop or two spoons. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve. (OR dip them in chocolate like we did! I’m telling you, it was THAT kind of week)

Original recipe found here 

And when the girls actually DID go down for a nap (PRAISE JESUS!), we had time to make these super rad headbands out of an old t-shirt.

Headband DIY instructions found here

Today during my morning super nap time, I made one of our favorite ceviche recipes. When people ask me what ceviche is, I usually say “It’s kind of like a fish salsa,” which usually gets a response of “Oh. Gross.” But really people if you think about it, it is pretty much just salsa, with fish or scallops or any other sea creature you want to add to it, and it isn’t gross at all but TASTY! We usually eat ours with tortilla chips. Anyways, this recipe is a little bit “fancier” and takes a little more time, so I would like to give a shout out to Mae & Dru for taking their super nap today and giving me a chance to make it. Thanks girls, I love you!!

Ceviche with Candied Citrus Ingredients:

1 lb raw bay scallops OR fish cut into small chunks (we are using fish this time around)

3 oranges

8-10 limes

2 ribs celery, diced

1/2 c. diced red onion

1 yellow tomato, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 c. chopped scallions

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

salt

tortilla chips or toasted bread slices

1. Spread scallops or fish in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Remove long strips of peel from 1 orange and 3 limes with a paring knife (try not to get any of the white pith) set peels aside. Juice the peeled fruit and remaining oranges and limes to make 1 cup of juice each, pour into a bowl. Add the celery, onion, tomatoes, scallions, olive oil, 1/2 c. ice water, and pepper to taste; pour over the scallops/fish. Cover and refrigerate 4-6 hours. This is what cooks the fish, so make sure it LOOKS cooked. Scallops take less time than fish.
2. Meanwhile, make the candied citrus. Place the orange and lime peels in a saucepan of water; bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then drain. Boil in fresh water 2 more times; drain and set aside. Combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in the saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and return the citrus peels to the pan; simmer for 45 min. Transfer peels with a slotted spoon to a rack, reserving the syrup.
3. Drain the excess marinade from the ceviche. Add the cilantro and candied citrus peels, season with salt and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle with some of the reserved orange-lime syrup. Serve with chips or toasted bread.

image by http://krystlekphotography.blogspot.com/

Today’s lunch for the girls was yogurt with peaches. They LOVE yogurt. I just buy the giant tub of plain whole milk yogurt, and mix fruit in it, and they go nuts for it. I puree my fruit using this handy machine called the Kidco. My mom found it at a thrift store, but it’s available to buy online here (complete with carrying case!) for $14.75. If I’m going to puree a big batch of baby food, I usually use the food processor so that I can freeze some for later. But for a single serving, the Kidco is perfect.

The girls are just now starting to feed themselves, so alas, I believe the Kidco’s days are numbered. Today’s lunch included an appetizer of blueberries sliced in half. It is hilarious watching the girls eat these. Mae first chooses her blueberry by pointing at it, then her thumb sneaks in out of nowhere and helps her pinch the blueberry, which usually makes a hole in one into her mouth (or falls on the floor). Dru on the other hand prefers to manhandle her food, and rakes her whole hand across the table, hoping a blueberry finds its way into her palm. Then she opens her hand–to her delight she sees a blueberry, which she she carelessly tosses in her mouth (these make it about 50% of the time).

Mama’s lunch was a smoothie. I used the leftover peach and added banana, pecans, almond milk, and yogurt (fat free yogurt, not the baby kind!) and blended it up for a refreshing summer treat. Not exactly Sunni Bunni, but it works

While twins provide lots of entertainment for our family, they also keep us quite busy. Between feeding, diapers, playtime, naps, laundry, errands, and everything in between, meals have become more of a quick and practical affair, rather than gourmet. With the girls starting solids, we have also made the decision to make our own baby food, which adds one more chore to the list. This recipe is easy for summer, and the veggies can also be pureed for the twins to enjoy as well!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich Ingredients:

1 loaf ciabatta bread

1/2 jar basil pesto (you can make your own if you don’t have twins; i buy Classico in the pasta aisle)

1 yellow squash (or 2 if you plan on using some for baby food)

1 zucchini (or 2 if you plan on using some for baby food)

1 red pepper

1 red onion

fresh mozzarella

olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Chop up your veggies (I do this during naptime) squash should be done longways (think dollar bills, not coins) and onion in thick rings. Toss with olive oil and S & P. Slice mozzarella. Cut ciabatta loaf in half, brush each side with olive oil.
2. Fire up your grill! if you’ve got a nifty grill basket like this, use it for the veggies. If not, just throw your veggies straight on the grill.
3. Once your veggies are nearly done (soft, but not mushy), throw your ciabatta loaf on the grill with the inside down. After you’ve got it toasted, flip your loaf over and spread pesto on both sides (usually takes about 1/4 to 1/2 of an 8oz jar, depending on how much you like). Then pile on your grilled veggies! Just try and make ‘em fit as best you can on one side of the loaf. If planning to make baby food, reserve some yellow squash and zucchini. Finally, cover veggies with mozzarella slices, and top with the other ciabatta half. And now my friends you have the most delicious (and GIANT) summer sandwich for the party in your tummy

If planning to make baby food, put reserved squash and zucchini in a food processor and blend to desired smoothness! May need to add water if too thick.

Once the twins are out of my body, and my placenta is also out of my body, my gestational diabetes should disappear–leaving me free to eat sugar and carbs once again! And just in time for Christmas, too. I am so pumped!!

I decided to end my low sugar diet with a post about one staple that has helped me survive these weeks and weeks without sugar: homemade peanut butter. After visiting Whole Foods and seeing their peanut butter grinder machine, Benji was inspired to make his own peanut butter, which turned out AMAZING. I’ve eaten it on everything- whole grain toast, whole grain waffles, bananas, apples, celery, and even by itself! It is that good, I swear. Not to mention way healthier for you than JIF.

Ingredients:

Peanuts (dry roasted, or honey roasted if you have no sugar issues)

a touch of honey

1. Fill a small food processor halfway with peanuts.
2. Alternate between “CHOP” and “GRIND” button. Peanuts will become a crumby mixture. Eventually, starting at the bottom and working up, the crumbs will begin to cream.
3. Scrape down sides of food processor, then continue processing until smooth. Taste peanut butter, then add honey to taste.
4. Spread on ANYTHING and eat!! Yum.

For the time being, I’ve been dutifully following my gestational diabetes menu plan. At a time of year when I’d usually be scarfing tons of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin pancakes, and pumpkin cream pie, I’ve had to go to other means to get my pumpkin fix. My first course of action has been saving Einstein pumpkin bagels. Usually after Thanksgiving, Einstein’s chucks away this delicious fall treat for some really stupid candy-cane shaped bagel. So I’ve been like a squirrel–hoarding pumpkin bagels in the freezer for a time post-pregnancy when I’ll finally be able to enjoy them! My second strategy has been modifying normal pumpkin recipes. This one in particular is quite tasty and glucose friendly! So I’ll take this–for now. 14 more days til I can have the sugar-filled real thing!!

Pumpkin Custard Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 c. pumpkin

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch salt

2 eggs

2 and 1/2 Tbsp raw sugar

1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. coconut milk

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine pumpkin and spices in medium bowl
3. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and coconut milk. Whisk egg mixture into pumpkin mixture until well combined.
4. Pour custard into 4 ramekins. Place ramekins in glass baking dish, then fill baking dish with water until 2 in. high around ramekins.
5. Bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Top with chopped nuts and a dab of whipped cream. Yum!

In search of a new breakfast carb that wouldn’t spike my blood sugar, we stumbled upon steel cut oats. They were kind of a pain to make, not to mention more expensive (we later discovered if you buy them in bulk at Whole Foods you can save a TON versus buying at a normal grocery store like Publix), but I was willing to try anything that would bring me a little variety in the morning. So there I was at the stove, stirring away at my oats in my bathrobe. 30 minutes later I was chowing down. Hm, nuttier and crunchier than your typical Quaker. But still tasty! After an hour of waiting and wondering, I checked my sugar levels and voila! 115! (I’m supposed to stay below 130) Steel cut oats are GOOOOOO!!!

Steel cut oats differ from normal oatmeal because the grain is cut, rather than steamed and rolled. This lesser amount of alteration and processing allows for a slower digestion and absorption into the bloodstream, and hence a more stable blood sugar.

So I wondered, could I use this new superfood to create a tasty treat lacking harmful blood-sugar-spiking effects?? YES and here it is, a diabetic friendly and guilt-free cookie. Enjoy!

Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients

1/2 c. raw sugar

2 eggs

1 c. applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 and 1/2 c. whole grain flour

2 c. steel cut oats

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 heaping tsp cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (or other nuts)

3/4 c. chocolate chips (I used these because they had less sugar than dried fruit like cranberries or dates)

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a big bowl, combine applesauce, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to big bowl of wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips (or dried fruit). Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Now remember, these cookies are “healthy” and therefore have more of a granola bar or muffin-y kind of texture. What they really remind me of are those Quaker breakfast cookies you see in the grocery store. What I mean to say is–they satisfy this pregnant and diabetic woman’s cravings now, but if you’re in the mood for a cookie, this probably isn’t it.