Eating well

Salmon miso soup
Originally uploaded by ghetto of our mind

As we waddle happily along into the third trimester, I’m trying even harder to make sure I eat well since Baby’s really needing that boost of nutrients and vitamins more than ever right now: Omega-3 for her brain, calcium for her bones and muscle development, iron for heart and nervous system, and a whole bunch of other stuff I’m getting from my prenatal vitamins. Finding time to cook has been a little tricky though, what with teaching through the whole month of June. It’s an intense class and by the time I’m home in the evening, coupled with an increasing level of exhaustion that’s apparently part-and-parcel of the third trimester, I’m too pooped to even walk upstairs to our room, lest of all bustle around the kitchen to put something together. On the other hand, to make things easier, we’ve been getting such fabulously fresh and tasty veggies from our farmshare that I’m constantly inspired to try new things with produce I’ve either never cooked with before like radishes or with more spinach than I’ve ever encountered in a 3 week period…

And so last night, in the midst of a slightly chilly June evening, I decided to try making a salmon miso soup. We’ve been getting really good salmon from Costco and since it’s a great source of Omega-3, I’m frequently trying to integrate it into our meals. Using a dashi stock base and some miso paste, I threw in carrots and potatoes, and the radishes and a bunch of spinach from the farmshare. Just before serving, I added the salmon and some rice vermicelli to make it heartier so that we wouldn’t need to have it with rice. It was warm, comforting, flavorful, and I’m hoping really nourishing for Baby too. More than shopping for onesies, clearing out our wardrobe, or reading to her, eating well is probably one of the best things I can do for our little girl right now. She’s been moving about (and kicking & punching) more vigorously these days and according to our OB, activity is a sign of good health. Yup, it would seem that our little girl’s a feisty one... :)