Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Family

Christmas is right around the corner, and Family has been on my mind a lot lately. We're going to be headed to my Sister's house over the coming weekend to see all our Family there and then having lots of Family come to our house over Christmas. And, with a deployment on the horizon, I'm looking forward to both SO much.

It got me thinking; when Amy and I got married almost ten years ago (next month!), I felt full. The love I had in my life felt full. But turns out, I wasn't. Our Family wasn't full yet. It wasn't even close! We still hadn't been introduced to Jackson Porter. To Emma Mae. And most recently, to Hank McKinley.

It is absolutely amazing how your heart, your life, will expand to hold as much love as you let in.

- Matt

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ace up my sleeve


This last underway I had a Sailor ask me "So, you've got an ace up your sleeve?"

I usually walk around with my coverall sleeves rolled up, so you can see my tattoos there, both Amy's and Jack's. Amy's is an Ace of Hearts with her name across it on the inside of my right arm and Jack's is symmetrical on my left as a Jack of Hearts. And so, yeah, I do have an ace up my sleeve.

One thought that's been on my mind a lot the last week or two is the confidence that she gives me.

The genuine love of a strong woman and her belief in her husband gives him the confidence that nothing else can.

- Matt

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Ladies & Gentlemen



I've had a thought kicking around in my head since Church on Sunday; and that's being a Gentleman.

I put up this picture for two reasons: 1) I know Amy is ready to have this baby and is feeling every bit of this third trimester and should see a picture of her how I see her and 2) I love sharing fancy meals with Amy and this was a fun one at Paris in Las Vegas earlier this year.

During service this past Sunday, there was a group of kids that continued to get up and leave the sanctuary and come back in; probably four or five times. Now, if my 37-week pregnant wife can make it through the entire service without getting up to use the bathroom, I feel certain that a healthy, spry 15-year-old can too.

Well, after the third or fourth time, a Gentlemen in the church got up with them and politely, but under no uncertain terms, let them know that what they were doing is rude. It ended there.

Well, that got me thinking.

A lot of young people don't know what right looks like. Whether that's because their parent's don't correct them, or they don't have good role models; there are probably lots of contributing factors.

Quite likely, this doesn't describe my circle of friends. I think we surround our family with like-minded people that aren't afraid to correct their children and let them know what behavior is acceptable. Where I haven't been a gentleman, along with many other public bystanders, is with situations like the one I described in our Church on Sunday. It's a tough line to toe, not over-stepping another parent's role; but, still helping to keep societal norms. To allow everyone to be treated as Ladies and Gentlemen.

When I got back from my last deployment, Amy had a mantra that she felt I lived by made and framed on my dresser. I absolutely love it and it very closely describes how I try to live. It's titled "Rules of a Gentleman". Some of the lines are:

- A Gentleman is always presentable
- Opening the door for a lady in not optional
- A Gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out
- Anything worth having is worth working hard for
- Be gracious in manner, humble in tone, and thankful for what is given
- A Gentleman reads and reflects
- A Gentleman can drive a stick-shift
- A Gentleman knows the difference between courage and stupidity
- A Gentleman is observant, and takes action without delay
- To a lady, a Gentleman will readily offer both his coat and his hand

The world needs more Gentlemen. More importantly, your neighborhood, your home, needs you, needs me, to be a Gentleman.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Music & Motivation


I've started singing in the choir at church. It's been over 10 years since music was a constant part of life, and I didn't realize it, but I missed it. I sing in the car and to put the kids to sleep, but to be reading music, playing the piano, practicing chord progression... it's been a while. I'm rusty, but it's coming back pretty quickly. One of the aspects I've always appreciated about music is that you're always a student. It requires repetition. It's a forcing function that requires attention, skill and motivation.

Having forcing functions like that is a good thing.

Today I went on a run; what I call my Career Motivational Loop. I start off from the ship, run the length of the waterfront, loop back along the Admiral's houses, round off by the marina and finish along the water back to the ship. It ends up being about 5 miles and it's a great run. It's observing 45 years of life work from rising to Command of a ship to selection to Flag to retirement on a sailboat in 45 minutes during lunch.

Having forcing functions that cause us to be introspective, to consciously rededicate our efforts is a good thing.

Here's to more runs and more music.

- Matt

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Anchors Aweigh!!

Luckily, the Navy vs. Air Force football game is still happening today. It's on CBS and gives me something to do while I'm on duty today onboard the GEORGE H. W. BUSH. With the government shutdown ongoing, it was one of those pawns being used to show the repercussions of Congressional indecision...

One of my favorite parts of any aired Navy game is seeing the opening segment of the Midshipmen pre-game march-on. We're all over the place. It's really cool to see the juxtaposition during the Army vs. Navy game. They take it much more seriously than we do. But, at the heart of it, I like seeing the Midshipmen's faces. After doing a tour as a Company Officer, I know that each one of those faces has an incredibly compelling story.

11 years ago, I was one of those stories as a Senior at USNA. At the time, I didn't know if I'd be allowed to graduate and earn a Commission due to breaking my back and the resulting ongoing condition because of it called degenerative disk disease. I was able to seen and treated by some great doctors at Bethesda that made it possible to graduate and move forward.

This week I was honored to be a part of a former shipmate's Commissioning ceremony onboard NICHOLAS. He asked me to send him a biography for the program, so I had to crank one out for the first time in a while:

"A native of Christiansburg, VA, LCDR Phillips graduated with merit from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 with a degree in Computer Science. After being selected to the Immediate Graduate Education Program (IGEP), he graduated with honors from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2004 with a Master’s in Computer Science.

His first assignment was as Communications Officer in CLEVELAND (LPD 7). While serving onboard he completed a deployment in support of IRAQI FREEDOM. Subsequently, he successfully completed the Navy’s nuclear training pipeline and served as Reactor Mechanical Division Officer in DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and completed a deployment in support of ENDURING FREEDOM.

Following his initial sea tours, he returned to serve as a Company Officer at the United States Naval Academy and taught Leadership and Seamanship & Navigation. After being selected as a distinguished graduate from Department Head School, LCDR Phillips served as Operations Officer in NICHOLAS (FFG 47), completing a Central American counter-narcotic deployment and interdicted over half a billion dollars of cocaine traffic.

Currently, LCDR Phillips is serving as the Chemistry and Radiological Assistant in GEORGE H. W. BUSH (CVN 77). His personal awards include the Navy Commendation Medal (two) and the Navy Achievement Medal (two). He and his wife Amy have two children, Jack (4) and Emma (3) and are expecting their third child later this year."

After writing it, I couldn't believe it's me. 11 years ago, that Senior at USNA couldn't have guessed that's where he'd be today. 

I'm excited for that newly Commissioned Ensign to see where he'll be in 11 years; where we'll both be in another 11 years.

- Matt

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Hold them close.



Today we had a ceremony onboard the ship to remember the life of a Sailor in my department that tragically took their own life. During the ceremony, a slide show was playing pictures of his life. Pictures like the one above. In his pictures, all I could see is Jack and Emma.

The first time I switched roles, so to speak, was at Brendan Looney's funeral. Jack was almost a year and a half old and Emma had just been born. At the time, I was a Company Officer at USNA and attended his funeral with several friends. Sitting in an aisle seat, I watched as his Father, Kevin, made a long, heart-wrenching walk down the nave of the National Cathedral. I felt the pain of a lost Shipmate. Harder though, I felt the pain of a grieving Father who had lost his Son.

That same pain resonated within the steel of the ship on the foc'sle today. I saw the hope of a Mother and Father cut painfully short. I saw the devastation and guilt felt by his parents and those he loved. I saw Jack. I saw Emma. I saw our unborn child.

I want Jack's last check he ever writes to bounce. I want Emma to leave this earth skydiving on her 100th birthday. I want our unborn child to know the anticipation of having their own unborn child. Grandchild. Great-grandchild.

I want the parents of my Sailors to know that in their children, I see their Jack. I see their Emma. I know their children represent their hope for good in the world. I know their children represent their life's work.

And to Jack, Emma and our newest one on the way (Hank, Cora, Hadley...) your Mother and I love you unconditionally. Our love for you will never stop, no matter what path life takes you down. I will walk a road through hell by your side, holding your hand the entire way. 

-Matt

Saturday, September 21, 2013

These are a few of my favorite things...

Yorgo's for breakfast after a day on the ship...


Kids playing soccer...



Backyard chickens that lay eggs...


Because of my career, unfortunately I miss a lot. But I was here. Today. And it was great.

-Matt

Monday, August 26, 2013

Thankful

Happiness vs. Satisfaction.

Seeing the picture below that Amy sent me yesterday gives me mixed emotions. Obviously, I'd love to be there with Jack, Emma and Amy and have an undoubtedly fun week at the beach. However, more than that, I'm THANKFUL that we're in a position where they can do these trips, have these life experiences, and enjoy their summer. I miss them, but I'm thankful for the good time they're having.




Wherever you are, BE there.

- Matt

Friday, August 23, 2013

Leaning forward

One of the principles that has stuck with me for a long time is one from a cross-country coach I had. The ability to succeed in cross-country in Southwestern Virginia relied greatly on how well you planned for and dealt with the hills. Races are won and lost on the hills. He taught us to lean forward and aggressively attack the uphill and don't coast and relax on the downhill, take long strides.


This next week is the last push up the hill. 

Lean forward and don't forget to take long strides on the downhill.

-Matt

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

AP Chemistry

So, I never took AP Chemistry in High School and, quiet honestly, it was the course at USNA that I really struggled with. So, it's definitely odd that here I am 14 years after Plebe Chemistry, as the Chemistry-Radiological Assistant (CRA). One of the aspects of the job that I didn't REALLY appreciate until I had to do it, was the check chemistry program. Basically, we watch and critique others on how they perform their analysis. Well, the Reactor Officer has to watch the CRA perform ALL the analysis. So, the past week has felt like an AP Chemistry final practical without taking the class. After most of our analysis sessions I feel like Emma here:





This position has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone. And that's okay. 

I'm not the technical expert of the division, nor do I need or want to be. I know enough to ask the right questions and to recognize when something doesn't look right. 

I do know what great divisions and departments look like and a pretty good idea of how to get there.

Here's to more getting dirty...

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

There's a couple things that I miss about Sunday while I'm underway. Obviously, I miss going to church with Amy and the kids. But, there's something else, a little more subtle that I miss. I miss the "free hours" before church. I call them "free hours" because you'll never have anything scheduled then, there will never be an expectation to do yard work or anything else in those couple hours. The only thing you can really do is either go out to Yorgo's Bageldashery and enjoy the atmosphere of mostly people just waking up, dotted with the firemen and policemen who are just ending their shift; or enjoy homemade pancakes or waffles curled up on the couch with Amy, Jack and Emma. The kids will usually let me watch CBS Sunday Morning or Meet the Press for about 5 minutes, until it's too much for their toddler bodies to handle and then we watch something much more exciting like Toy Story 3, Brave, or Cars 2. Regardless of what we're watching, it's one of my favorite times of the week. No expectations to do, be, see or make. Just being there with them.

Until we realize that we only have 20 minutes until church and the kids aren't dressed yet and have dried syrup on their face... :)

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

My boy

One of the things that sticks out to me from my Plebe year experience from the Naval Academy, is the "extreme" patriotism that runs rampant. It ran through me too. It makes you think of lofty ideals in giving your life, if required, in the service of your Country. Over the years, I've come to know and respect a different kind of patriotism. The one, similar to a marriage, that is a constant choice every day; deliberate in action and intent. Every day I wake up on the ship, I strive to make it a conscious decision, to be where I am, and what I'm doing. The most difficult part, is making that decision every day over the last four and a half years after I met my boy:


Obviously, no slight on Emma; she has me wrapped around her little finger. But, I see so much of myself in Jack. And, he just got an awesome haircut today and Amy sent me a great picture of it, so he's been on my mind. Being away from Jack, Emma and Amy is harder than I ever could've imagined when I decided to stay in before the kids were born. But...

I'd still make the same decision. I'm proud of the work that I and the Sailors I lead do. A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.

Keep calm and sail on.

Saturday, August 10, 2013


So, this is Matt. I know it's normally Amy on here, but since I don't have Facebook on the ship, I thought this would be a good way to get some of my thoughts out there. :)

The picture there doesn't have much to do with my day-to-day... other than powering the ship through the water. Media, rightfully so, doesn't take too many pictures of what we in Reactor Department do. National secrets and all. But, this is the result of what we do. And that's all that people are able to see and able to judge. Which brings me to my topic...

Things I never thought I'd say:

   1) Hi, I'm Matt Phillips, I'm the Chemistry-Radiological Assistant!

It was a very unexpected turn of events for me to fill this position for the last month and likely for the next two months until my relief comes. I didn't study that portion of the nuke world particularly much since I was slated to be the Main Propulsion Assistant and think about pipes, pumps and valves. People don't see that though. People see results, just like the picture I put up. As you look at the picture, you're not able to see all the work, both mechanically and personally, that goes in to pushing 95,000 tons through the water. Most people see the wake and wonder why it's not perfectly straight. That's one of the things that's always irked me about the nuke community. Everybody's looking at how straight your wake is, so to speak. 

The wake of my division is pretty ugly. I guess that's why I unexpectedly became the CRA. What the wake doesn't tell you is where your rudder is. 

Our rudder is over and is under firm grasp, headed for open ocean.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013


Garlic Scallops
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with candied nuts and dried cherries
*both my own recipes*

Scallops Ingredients - serves 2
Sea Scallops - 1lb (don't use bay scallops, they are cheaper but they are so small, you will over cook them almost 100% of the time, and who wants tough scallops?)
Garlic - 4 big cloves
Butter - ~2 TBSP, but maybe more

Mince your garlic and set aside.  Take a plate, place several paper towels down on it and set it next to the sink.  Open your scallops (buy fresh, from the sea food counter or market, not frozen, there is a difference....more than to your wallet).  Wash each individual scallop.  Some people will advise against this.  Scallops will absorb water, so be quick and never soak them.  Gently rub them under cold water to get any sand off.  Gritty scallops are the grossest.  Place them on the paper towels.  Once you are done washing them, put more paper towels on top and pat them down, firmly.  You want to get as much liquid out as possible - you have to do this even if you don't rinse them.  Scallops hold a lot of water, and if you don't get them out, they will steam, not sear.  Still taste ok, but it's not the texture we are going for here.  Change out the paper towels and do it again till no more water is coming out on the towels.  Heat a nice, heavy pan over medium heat.  Place your butter in it to melt.  I said 2 TBSP, but you might need more.  You want a think layer of butter on the bottom of the pan.  Rub your minced garlic on top of the scallops.  Place each scallop, garlic side up, in the pan.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, and flip.  Sprinkle with salt.  Be careful your pan isn't too hot, you don't want to burn your garlic.  Cook another few minutes until each scallop feels completely firm.  Watch them closely, you don't want to over cook them.  Cooking scallops takes some practice, so don't be discouraged the first time.  Also, have a trial scallop.  If you think they are done, take one out and cut it open to try it.  See if it is done and you will know about the rest!

To lighten this up, use just enough olive oil, instead of butter, to cover the bottom of the pan and prevent the scallops from sticking.  It won't taste as decadent, but it will be friendlier to the diet too!

Brussels Sprouts Ingredients - serves 2 with a generous portion
Brussels Sprouts - 4 cups after being trimmed and cleaned
Olive Oil
Dried Cranberries - 1/2 cup
Candied Walnuts - 1/2 cup

Trim and clean your sprouts.  Cut them in half.  Lay them flat on a baking sheet and lightly spray with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to coat.  Bake them at 350 F until they reach your desired tenderness.  About 20 minutes for small sprouts that are crispy.  About 45 mins for large sprouts that are soft.  Mix them up with a spatula a few times while cooking.  I like mine a little crisper, so I normally cook them about 20-25 mins.  Let them cool for about 5 minutes and add the cherries and nuts to the baking sheet.  Mix with a spatula.

Don't start cooking the scallops until your sprouts are out of the oven!!

Plate and enjoy!

OK, pre-preggo girl recipe.  No butter on the scallops, just a minimal spray of olive oil.  For the sprouts, I'd either nix the cherries and nuts totally or use 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of cherries and nuts - and I'd definitely swap the candied nuts for plain.  Pecans are a great substitution too!

Calories -
Scallops - 358/serving
Sprouts - 491/serving

Pre-preggo Calories -
Scallops - 286/serving
Sprouts - 106 (no nuts and cherries) or 236 (1 TBSP cherries and 1/8 cup plain, raw walnuts)

Pizza Night!

I make pizza a lot, like once a week a lot.  Pre-preggo girl made herself cauliflower crust pizza, but I'm enjoying this flour crust as much as I can right now!!!  Please excuse the burnt crust on the bottom pizza.  It's not picture worthy, for sure, but I think I was putting someone in a time out when my timer went off and this was the result.  At least it's a realistic expectation for those of you with kids!

I snagged my crust recipe from a magazine years ago.  It's on a tattered, thin piece of magazine paper and I pretty much know it by heart now...and it's the best.  If I could remember the magazine, I would plug it, but I can't.  I "think" it was Everyday Food, which isn't even published anymore, but not 100% sure.

My top pizza is the kid pizza...cause my picky eaters like cheese....that's it.  Ok, Jack will do pepperoni, but if one speck of pepperoni touches Emma's slice, it's all over....so we do cheese so the girl will consume more than 100 calories a day.  The bottom pizza is the adult pizza....I pretty much do a new combo every time we have pizza. I will list some topping combos that we love at the bottom for you!

Crust -
Pour 1 cup of warm (like really warm) water into a large bowl.  Add 1 tsp of sugar and whisk to dissolve the sugar.  Sprinkle 1 packet of yeast on the top (I like the special Pizza Yeast packets, but any yeast will work).  Let it sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.  Add 1 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of olive oil.  Whisk it all together.  Add 2 1/4 cups of flour (bread flour or all purpose will work, white or wheat or a mix, your choice - wheat will make a denser, tougher crust, be warned) and mix with a wooden spoon until combines and dough forms a ball.  Now, I don't like lots of dirty dishes, so I knead it in the bowl.  Sprinkle some flour on top and on your hands and knead it (in the bowl or not) for about 2 minutes, but basically until it's all together in a nice, elastic-y ball.  Pick up your dough and spray the entire bowl with cooking spray or olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and spray the top with spray/oil.  Cover tightly with saran wrap and place in a warm area to rise.  Either outside on a hot day/85+ degrees (out of direct sunlight) or on your stove, with the oven  turned on.  If you are using your stove, be sure the burners don't get too hot from the oven below or else you might cook the dough.  Let it rise until it's doubled in size, about 45 mins.  Punch it down and let it rise another 30 mins.  Divide the dough into two balls and stretch out onto your pizza stones.  If you don't have stones, and you make pizza, you need them.  THEY ARE THE BEST!  You can use a metal pizza pan or a pizza grill pan too, but you will get the best crust from a stone.  Ok, stretch the dough, don't roll it.  It takes some time and finesse to get it to the edges.  If it rips, that's fine, just smoosh some more dough over the rip.  No one sees that part any way.  Preheat your oven to 500 F and sprinkle your crusts with salt and pepper.  Grate some parmesan over the edges of the crust and bake until the crust is totally cooked, about 5 minutes....but it's best if you touch it to see if it's firm and crisp.  Cook the pizzas one at a time or you will end up with a pizza with a cooked top and raw bottom and one with a raw top and cooked bottom.  Ok, turn the oven to broil and start to top your pizzas!

Pizza Toppings (for the two I made)-

Cheese pizza - easy.  Spread a thin layer (or thick if you like-a the sauce) of jarred pasta sauce (I always use a garlic red sauce) onto the crust, leaving an edge to hold.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.  Make sure you only use LOW MOISTURE shredded mozzarella.  Costco has the best low moisture, but you also get a 100 lb bag of cheese.  If you don't get low moisture, you will have little pools of cheese water on your pizza.  Doesn't ruin it, but it's a little gross to look at.  Shred a little parm on top.  Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted - about 2 minutes.

Pesto Chicken Pizza - Spread a thin layer of jarred or fresh pesto on the crust, leaving a spot to hold.  If it's not summer and I do not have my own basil to make pesto, I use Bertoli's in a plastic container.  Top with grilled chicken cut into strips (just grill it on the grill pan with salt and pepper, or buy the pre-cooked strips to save time), grape tomatoes cut in half (or sliced tomatoes, whatever you have), slices of fresh mozzarella (no shred for this, you want fresh), and a little shredded parm.  Word to the wise for the fresh mozzarella on pizza.  Take the mozzarella out of the container, cut it into slices and press it between paper towels for several minutes before putting it on the pizza.  Remember the cheese water?  Yeah, it's about 100x worse with fresh mozzarella.  Tomatoes will do the same thing...so be careful!  Put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted...preferably not when a toddler is going into a time out.

So, other combo's we like -
*Pesto, tomato, fresh mozzarella
*Feta (as the bottom layer - no sauce), grilled flank steak strips, strawberries, drizzled with balsamic - sounds weird, tastes A-MAZING
*BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, grilled pineapple, shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar

For you working peeps - the crust is a little hard to make ahead...but it can be done.  Mix the ingredients, knead it, let it rise twice and spread it onto your pans.  Then, put it in the fridge.  It will shrink, like a lot.  Pull it out when you get home and set it in a warm place (like the top of the stove with the oven on) while you change clothes, walk the dog, get your other ingredients out, etc.  Try to let it sit at least 30-45 mins if you can.  It will start to puff up and "rise" a bit.  Once it's warm, you can re-stretch it out.  Then you can bake it.  There is always a chance, with yeasty dough, that this won't work, but it should most of the time.

I didn't enter calories for this one because there are no exact measurements and you can vary the toppings a lot.  I use myfitnesspal.com to get calorie counts, so head on over there and you can do your own pizza!

Monday, July 8, 2013


Grilled Mahi with Strawberry Mango Salsa served with Sautéed Garlic Green Beans - my own creation

Ingredients-
*This will give you 3 adult servings for the fish/salsa and 2 servings for the green beans.  My kids do fish, but will beg me for broccoli over other veggies....I could probably force Jack into green beans, but when I'm begged for broccoli, I normally cave.

Mahi filets (about 6 oz each) - 3
Strawberries - 1 cup, chopped
Mango - entire mango, peeled and chopped
Red Onion - 1/4 cup or less, chopped SUPER fine
Mint - 6 leaves, chopped
Lime Juice - juice of one lime
Olive Oil
Green Beans - 4 handfuls, washed and trimmed
Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
Parmesan Cheese

Make the salsa first....as early as you want.  I normally make it in the morning (or early afternoon) when my kids are most calm.  Combine the chopped strawberries, mango, red onion, mint and lime juice.  Stir it up and set aside.

Steam the green beans until they are crisp tender.  Heat about 2 TBSP of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium low heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (be careful your pan isn't too hot, you do not want to burn your garlic...it will be yucky and bitter).  Add the green beans and sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes. 

Heat the grill pan over medium heat.  Spray the pan with olive oil.  Add the fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until bottom half has turned white.  Flip fish carefully with a spatula, and sprinkle other side with salt and pepper.  Cook until fish is done and easily falls apart with a fork.  Fish is tricky....over cook and it's dry and gross.  Under cook and...well, you are re-cooking it in the middle of the meal.  Here is my trick (works best if you have kids that split a filet), after you have cooked it and the outside is totally white, wait about 2-3 minutes and then cut one filet (the kid's filet) in half.  If it's done, cool, remove them all.  If not, keep cooking till that one looks done and add 2 minutes more to cook the entire inside.  If you don't have kids, you can cut your own filet and try to make it look put back together when it's plated.  Cooking time will completely depend on the thickness of your filet.  Mine took about 10 minutes total....5 per side.

Plate the filet and top with 1/4 cup of your salsa.  You will end up with extra salsa, but it's yummy for lunch the next day.  Plate the green beans and shave about 1TBSP of parmesan over them.  YUM! And enjoy!

OK, pre-preggo girl...fish, I'd do the same, but I'd only use about 2 TBSP of salsa.  Green beans - steam all the way - no sautéing, no oil, no cheese.

Calories - 220 for fish and salsa, 150 for green beans = 370 total
Pre-preggo Calories -  189 for fish and salsa, 63 for green beans = 252 total


Well, it's been about 100 years since I blogged.  Or at least it feels like it.  In the last post I made, Emma's hair was super short and she was still drinking out of a bottle.  That was definitely 100 years ago!

I have had a lot of people ask for my recipes, so I thought I would post them on here. 
Sometimes I make things off of Pinterest, sometimes I use it as an inspiration to create my own, and sometimes it's just on a whim....whatever my craving for the day happens to be. 

I will give a bit of a disclaimer to those of you who are looking for my uber-healthy meals.....this pregnant girl is taking full advantage of the last time in her life where she can eat anything she wants.  So, I have been using *gasp* cheese and butter and dressings, oh my!  Everything is still pretty "healthy" but not nearly as clean as I ate before.  You won't see the 6 pack from these meals, but I will tell you what I would have done before...if you want to make it more clean.  I'm sure I will go back to the other lifestyle....so stay tuned in 20+ weeks....but for now, it's healthy-ish, but prego-yummy!


Grilled Shrimp Salad - this is my own creation

Can you get more summer than this?  It screams "Eat me on the deck with a chilled glass of wine (or water, if you're pg....which was so blah!)"  And it takes about 15 minutes from start to finish to make it!

Ingredients - serves 2 (cause my kids don't really do salads yet)
-raw baby spinach - 6 cups (or about the size of a small bag)
-frozen corn (thawed), or fresh if you have it - 1/2 cup
-red pepper, chopped (whole pepper)
-green pepper, chopped (whole pepper)
-cucumber, chopped (whole cucumber)
-grape tomatoes, cut in half (half of the pint)
-avocado, chopped (whole avocado)
-raw shrimp, 1 lb (any size you want, I recommend paying extra for shelled and de-veined)
-olive oil
-Old Bay
-dressing of choice, I used a store-bought light Champagne vinaigrette

Plate the spinach (3 cups per plate), top with half of the corn, red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado.  Heat a grill pan over medium heat.  Lightly spray the cold pan with olive oil or rub it on with a paper towel. Key here is only use enough to keep the shrimp from sticking.  De-tail your shrimp if need be and press them between a paper towel to remove any excess moisture....you want to grill the shrimp, not steam them.  Lay the shrimp onto the hot grill pan carefully.  Sprinkle Old Bay onto the shrimp.  When the part of the shrimp that touches the grill turns pink, flip them all individually.  Sprinkle the other side with Old Bay.  Cook until the shrimp are totally pink.  It's going to depend on your stove and pan, but it's about 3-4 minutes per side.  WATCH IT!  Do not over cook the shrimp!  You want them to be light and juicy....not tough and dry!  Put half the shrimp on each plate.  Top with 1-2 TBSP of dressing.

Here's a little tip....most people need a little fat with their salad to make it the complete "dish" they are looking for.  That fat can come from lots of places....bacon, cheese, dressing....but if you are trying to eat clean or lose weight, those are off limits.  Using the avocado will add the "creamy" and the "fat" taste that you crave to make the salad an appetizing meal, even if you skip the dressing.

Pre-preggo girl would have nixed the corn and the dressing and only used half the avocado and shrimp....but added about 1 cup more of spinach.

If you make the salad the way I did, it's about 575 calories/serving.  The serving is super filling though.  I couldn't finish mine and Matt was not hungry at all after he finished.  Pre-preggo girl calorie count - about 330 calories/serving.

Enjoy!