Some delicious food, good reads and more

Hi, friends! How are you? I promised you a non-baby post today, so that’s what you’re getting. Well, there will be some talk about babies, of course.

This week has been a good one, and it has completely flown by. My Mom is still here (she’s leaving over the weekend — sob, sob, sob — we will miss her dearly), and Dave went back to work, with the NBA season officially beginning for the Warriors, and we did all sorts of things on the home-front — you know, kept Baby Brady alive, showered every single day, ate some delicious food, went on our first couple of slow walks with Brady in the stroller, etc.. 

Fun fact, I had started a “Friday Favorites” blog post for Friday, September 29 and never got a chance to finish it or publish it, because I went to the hospital unexpectedly from my doctor’s appointment on Thursday, September 28 (ultimately, having Baby Brady in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 30). I opened up that original post out of the drafts, and it felt so strange to read the introduction, in which I told you readers that I was still pregnant and could be that way for another week or maybe even three. I had no idea what I was about to get into!

Okay, moving on, let’s talk about the faves, and there’s not a lot going on in my life right now outside of the baby, food and TV, so you’ll see a pattern here …

All the delicious food

Meal-times are life these days. Okay, when is food NOT my life … When I was still in the hospital after having Brady, Dave went out to get us sushi, and it was magical. I missed and craved sushi my entire pregnancy, and I’ve had it like five times in the past three weeks. I’ve also been eating other things that were off limits during pregnancy. For instance, this take-out salad with smoked salmon salad from Lettuce was absolutely delicious, as was this medium rare grass-fed steak salad from Urban Plates. I’ve had both of these meals a couple of times each in the past week. 

And finally, another delicious meal happened during a lunch date to True Food Kitchen with my Mom! I was excited to take my Mom to TFK, as she hadn’t been there before. We shared two awesome dishes, and of course, my Mom was a huge fan. We’ll probably go again this weekend before she leaves. Yay for being able to eat almost anything I want now! Soft cheeses, raw fish, rare meat, sauerkraut, oh yes! And wine too! I’ve had a couple nice cold glasses of chardonnay, and they were as good as I remember. Joy!

Pumpkin smoothie amazing-ness

I guess this could fall into the food category, but I want it to have its own entry. True story: I was scrolling Facebook while laying around with Brady and saw an advertisement for Jamba Juice’s Pumpkin Protein smoothie, and I knew I wanted it right away — oh the power of marketing. Of course, I immediately sent Dave out to get one for me. And this is one pumpkin-y delicious smoothie. Now, because it has protein powder in it, you have to ask for extra ice, so it ends up thick enough, but even if it comes out a little watery, the flavor profile is worth every sip.

I’ve had this smoothie three times in the last three weeks and will likely have it again soon. I can’t describe the fall tastiness with the right words, but if you like sweet pumpkin flavors and smoothies, give this one a try. Yay for all things pumpkin!

Seasonal kombucha

I swear I’ve been invited to so many cool events in the past couple of months and have basically said no to all of them — not knowing when the little babe would arrive. One of the events I was really disappointed to miss was a cocktail and kombucha educational session hosted by Brew Dr. Kombucha at a nice restaurant in San Francisco — which is actually taking place next week, but is just not in the cards for me to attend. Anyway, the nice folks at Brew Dr. sent me a little care package instead …

The highlight of the package was the seasonal Vanilla Oak flavored kombucha shown above, which tastes like a holiday in kombucha form. Some brands of kombucha almost hurt to drink, because the flavor and tang are so strong, but this particular brand has very easy-to-drink flavor profiles. I LOVED the Vanilla Oak. Kombucha has natural fermentation and probiotics and is good for the gut. A win win. Thanks, Brew Dr.!

Best reads from around the web

Here are a few things I’ve enjoyed reading or listening to …

• The week before I gave birth to little Brady, I started listening to a few episodes of the Almost 30 podcast on some long walks. It’s hosted by two ladies who keep it pretty real. These two episodes are SO good and all about hormones and wellness rituals from the ancient world. Crazy Sexy Hormones and Wellness with Ayurvedic Practices.
• I want to read almost ALL of these health books, and I already have one of them on my night-stand in the queue. Have you read any non-fiction books lately? I’m totally into them these days. Well, let’s be honest, I haven’t read since Brady arrived, but I hope to get back to it soon.
• This workout looks awesome! I love the combination of ballet/barre style moves and have saved it to try in a few weeks when I’m exercising again.
• Food for thought: Scrunchies. I posted this one in the A Lady Goes West Friends Facebook group, and the verdict was mixed. I do know that these babies are safer for your hair than elastics, but I’m not 100 percent sure I love the look. What do you think? 

And from A Lady Goes West lately …

• What I’ve learned from five years of living in the San Francisco Bay Area
• Five things you should know about fitness
• A Baby Goes West is here
• Brady’s birth story — Part 1
• Brady’s birth story — Part 2
• What the first 14 days of life with a newborn have been like for us
• Brady’s newborn photos

I hope you have a great weekend, friends! I’ll see you over on Instagram!

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Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend?

Do you listen to podcasts? What’s your current fave?