Errant Soprano Studios

As a 9-month pregnant mom of a toddler who often works late afternoons and evenings, I don’t love meals that take forever to cook or prep.
I used to love spending eons in the kitchen coming up with fabulous meals, but I just don’t have the energy or the time to enjoy that at this point in my life!

So the current favorite meals are ones that I can prep quickly in advance and throw in the oven or throw together quickly. The current favorite with the little mister (as in, food he will eat) is my made up Polenta bake. It’s happy for me too because it’s adaptable, Gluten Free and Dairy Free!

Easy Polenta Bake

1 tube prepared polenta (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)

1 jar preferred Marinara Sauce (I love the Trader Joe’s brand)

1 lb Ground Turkey

Italian seasoning to taste

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Powder to taste

Directions:

Set oven to Broil on High

First grease the pyrex dish, then slice the polenta into about 1/4 inch rounds and arrange at the bottom of the pan, lightly brush with olive oil, season to taste (salt, garlic powder, and italian seasoning) and place under the broiler.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey and season to taste with your favorite Italian herbs and seasonings.

Time to layer!  Dump the meat on top of the polenta and spread it around, thus:

Then pour the Marinara sauce on top and pop it in the oven at 350*F.

bake for 1/2 hour or until the sauce is boiling and people can’t wait to eat any longer!

YUMMMM!

Hope your family likes this as much as mine does!  My picky toddler gobbles this up!

~E.S.

This is from our last date night a couple weeks ago – we went to see H.M.S. Pianafore, put on by a local Theatre Company that I’ve performed with in the past.  It was a fun production and enjoyable date night!  Plus, I got to break out this dress!

I did not realize how very very pregnant I look in it!  I can’t wait to break it out at least once more this pregnancy – probably this weekend for a little baby ‘sprinkle’!

P.S.  have to share about this amazing waterbottle – It’s the new camelbak Chute water bottle.  I am LOVING it and how there is no straw or bite valve to get moldy, but it’s still easy to drink out of!

~E.S.

If I was really on top of things, this post would have happened a week ago!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures too, so I’ve been on a mission to steal some from hubby… whatever ones I can!

We had a busy Easter, just like all of our Sunday’s!  We were lucky that Monkey decided to sleep in until 7am!  Woo!  Then we got our normal round of ‘Mommy.  Mommy! Daddy.  Daaaddy.  Mommy! Daddy!”

Mommy had made a little basket and hidden a couple eggs around the house for him to find, so we did that right after getting up.

(this is the dress I wore on Easter, but not from Easter Sunday…)

Then I decided it was pancake sunday, so I made a huge batch of Gluten Free pancakes (thank you Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix) and we had pancakes and tea.

Then came church for me and park date for daddy and son.  Those two LOVE their Sunday morning ritual!

Naptime for the boy and lunch for mommy and daddy before heading to a family Easter thing with Captain Awesome’s family.

Finally, we went and enjoyed a low-key family dinner with my family.  Overall a rather painless and pleasurable Easter Sunday!

How was your Easter?  Do you have any family traditions you follow?

~E.S.

I’m 36 weeks pregnant! Monkey was born at about 38 weeks, so I figure I have 2-5 weeks to go.  I’ve told this baby, and am praying heartily, that I won’t see his little face until May 5th at the ABSOLUTE EARLIEST!  I don’t want to see him until May 14th if I can help it!  May 7th is 38 weeks and May 4th is my last for sure engagement of this pregnancy… everything after that is gravy. 

That being said, I definitely don’t feel ready for this one!  I’ve re-washed his clothes that were packed away after big brother outgrew them, washed the carseat cover, pulled out the arm’s reach co-sleeper…

His room still needs a new floor and we need to start transferring furniture!  Because our house is itty bitty (888 sq ft) we are hoping/planning on using most of the same furniture and only getting a few new things that will actually be for our big boy!

I still have to finish packing my hospital bag and make sure I have lots of copies of my birth plan and take copies to my doctor this week.  I also need to pre-register at the hospital!

All that being said, as far as the blog goes, it’ll be winging it as usual.  I’m planning on taking 4-6 weeks off of my normal singing/teaching/voice things, but will probably be in and out here after baby arrives.  I’ll be writing a birth plan and posting birth announcement of course!  :)

Here’s to an exciting month to come!

~E.S.

I knew this was likely to happen (and it’s already happened a couple of times this pregnancy), but I miss my harder workouts – or having the energy to workout at all!  That’s one thing I am SO looking forward to in a couple of months – starting my workouts up again!  I’ve also become aware of the fact that I’m definitely a summer warrior with working out!  Winters have me wanting to cozy up and not really think about working out, but summers… the heat inspires me!  I think it has a lot to do with my Vata constitution. On that note, if you haven’t played around with Dosha (doshi?) it’s intriguing and I feel like it really resonates in my life – I can see it play out daily!

Of Course, the weather here REALLY doesn’t hurt!  It’s been sunny, warm, and  beautiful.  

Reflection in the car window – BEAUTIFUL weather!

So, If I could work out right now (bad idea at this point in my pregnancy!) I would:

Do a Hiit Workout, probably something a little like this one

(using my gymboss timer)

10 seconds x 30 seconds, 24 rounds:

1) Rear Lunge, jump up – Right Leg:  lunge back with Right leg, bring right knee up and launch off of left (standing) leg.

2) Burpee: from standing position, put hands by feet, jump feet back, pushup, jump feet in, jump up.

3) Rear Lunge, jump up – Left Leg: same thing as #1, but the other leg.

4) Captain’s Chairs:  From a balanced sitting position, straighten legs, lean back and pull knees back into chest.

5) alternating leg, 3-legged pushups:  pushup with one leg off the ground, at the top of the plank, switch legs.

6) prisoner squats:  Hands behind head, toes turned slightly out, squat down low, stand up.

7) dive bombers:  From a pike position (downward facing dog), lower through arms, slide back up into upward facing dog then reverse the movement.

8) ‘climbing rope’:  Lay on back, legs in the air.  mimic climbing rope, alternating arms and reaching towards your toes.

I’d wake up early and do yoga tomorrow – which I could do anyway!

and Monday, I’d break out the Zumba dvds and dance my heart out!

As it is, I chased Declan around the park this morning and am doing my ‘sit on the couch’ workout right now!  ;-)

Monkey did his couch climbers this morning, love that boy!  

What are your fitness plans for the weekend?  let me live vicariously!  What’s your favorite workout?  

I’ve never done an outfit of the day post!  I’m really not a fashionable lady, so I don’t feel like i’m someone to look at for cute clothes!  I did manage to put something spring-y together on Thursday (and remembered to take pictures) so I could share.  I feel like I’m far more fashionable whilst pregnant than at any other point of my life!  I am SO going to miss my maternity clothes… might have to get pregnant again at some point  [remind me of that next time I'm pregnant and complaining about morning sickness, yeah?  haha]

Without further ado – my cute, spring-y outfit to match the weather!

Hi all,

It has been quite a week over here – nothing specific, just life as a mommy and singer leading up to Easter!  Some highlights of the week:

• Overnight out of town with my hubby (and no toddler, my mom took him overnight for the first time) for our anniversary.  We’ve been married for 3 years now and they are some of the most eventful and exciting years of my life!  Love you, Captain Awesome!
• Warm weather!  It’s been in the upper 70s/low 80s here all week! My little monkey is a fan because it means we’ve been going to the park a lot!  
• This article on risky play that a friend shared.  It really got me thinking about my helicopter parent tendencies
• The time I took Monkey to the park and knew I had chosen that park so that we could stop at Target on the way home and I completely forgot what I was going to get there, so we didn’t stop.  (I remembered a couple hours later… EASTER EGGS and candy. hah!)
• Picking a toy for ‘baby brother’ with my big boy.  Now I need to make a solo trip to get a present for big brother!
• 34 weeks!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, This pregnancy has been going by SO FAST!

• Baby’s First Haircut – He was NOT thrilled!

The cut is so cute though, and he looks so grown up now.  <3

• A Date night before baby comes!  We’re going to see H.M.S. Pinafore tomorrow night at a local company that I’ve sung with before.  I (obviously) couldn’t be in it this year (so didn’t even audition), but I’m really looking forward to seeing friends shine onstage!
• Palm Sunday!  It feels like Easter has snuck up on me this year, even thought it’s later in the year than usual!

Happy Friday all!

any fun plans for the weekend?  How many spring anniversaries are there out there?  How do you feel about risky play/helicopter parenting?

~E.S.

So, I haven’t been doing yoga as much as I’d like, nor as much as I should, but I generally bust out a couple poses a day – particularly the ones that feel good and help with various pregnancy complaints.

Out of curiousity, I had hubby take some photos so I could see what my belly bump looks like in the yoga poses!  What a fun experiment!  I also tried out one of my favorite challenge-balance poses that I was able to do last pregnancy – Crow Pose!  It’s a little more awkward while pregnant since you have to work around the belly, but the belly creates a nice counter-balance.

I was surprised (but probably shouldn’t have been) at how belly heavy I looked in the photos, but it’s fun to have proof that I do sometimes get to my yoga and explore my ‘new’ body for a bit.

*If you are pregnant and doing the yoga/exercise thing, remember to talk to your doctor and honor YOUR body.  Keep in mind that it’s like having a new body every day because things change daily.

So, lets look at some of my favorite yoga poses this pregnancy:

Bound Angle pose (aka; cobbler pose, baddha konasana)

Warrior 2 pose (aka; Virabhadrasana II)

*obviously, not ideal having the tv on, but hubby was watching Top Gear and this is the only space in my house big enough for me to break out some yoga!

Low yoga squat (aka Malasana)

This one feels so good on my lower back and is commonly known/accepted as one of the best yoga poses for pregnant women. (or so I’ve been told by every prenatal yoga teacher I’ve ever had the honor of studying/talking with!)

Downward Facing Dog (aka Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This one pulls so much pressure off my pelvis and helps me feel more open overall.  It’s a different animal doing this while pregnant.  I need a wider stance, my hamstrings are WAY tighter when I’m pregnant, and, of course, there’s all that change in weight distribution, but it has helped so much with my lower back and pelvic pain.

It also cracked me up how big my belly looked here

And, Finally… My show-off pose!

Bakasana (aka, crow* pose)

*I guess it’s actually crane pose, but I always knew it as crow pose.

and a second view, attempting to get the belly in and totally failing…

Something to keep in mind (especially regarding bakasana) is that I’ve been doing yoga for most of my life.  Bakasana has been in my ‘repertoire’ for over 2o years.   Please don’t try this pose for the first time while if you have never done yoga and don’t have guidance.  If you are familiar with the pose, please do it with care and with a spotter to watch your back.  NO FALLING Preggy ladies!

Happy Monday, Part deux!

~E.S.

This time, far more than last time, I’m getting into wearing cute maternity clothes. I guess it’s overdue and I’m loving feeling somewhat fashionable! The downside is that part of me mourns losing my groove when baby comes – and I KNOW I will! What little groove I have goes kaput for a while after having a baby!

So here I thought I’d share some selfies of some recent, favorite Pregnancy looks!  My favorite kind of pregnancy clothes are ones that are cute and functional and COMFY all at once!

One word – Maxi skirt!  I feel so cute in this and it’s super comfy.  Bonus is that I can move and deal with Dec without flashing anyone!  Low squats are totally possible in this baby! ALSO  I’m rocking food stains on my belly (which you can’t see in this picture)! Skirt: Old Navy, Top: Target Maternity (bought second hand, so who knows how many years ago).

Double double on the maxi skirt.  This was one of the first times I wore this skirt and I felt super cute.  Skirt: Old Navy, Top: old hand me down, so who knows, Cardigan: Macy’s Lounge Department.

It’s all about dresses this time around.  That and yoga pants.  But mostly dresses and skirts.  They are so much more comfortable and I feel Cute, like I put in an effort. Dress: Gap Maternity (I bought second hand, so i’m not sure what year!)

I don’t even remember what this dress is, but I feel cute and purdy all at once!    Please don’t mind the brown shoes – they are my only ‘dressy’ flats right now.  I wish I had seen them in black AND brown (and gotten both)!

The Next couple are more every single day type outfits!

 Yoga pants and a Long-sleeved T-Shirt!

Self-dyed many-year-old Old Navy maxi skirt and tank top!

OOTD:

I don’t remember the tag on this (and not exorcist enough to look whilst wearing it!), so I don’t know the brand, but this one is SUPER duper comfy.  Soft, soft cotton and I still feel kind of put together :).

I have a couple more cute dresses/outfits that will be coming out in the next couple of weeks (Palm Sunday, Easter, Date Night!!!) So I’ll probably throw up a couple OOTD posts, just for kicks!

Happy Monday, All!

To christen this new space I’m going to introduce myself with my latest blogspot post… a sort of Catch-all of hot topics and why I won’t talk about them (much)…

I find that while I have strong opinions about many subjects, I tend to be reticent about them, both in person and in this space. I hate alienating people and I hate the fallback.  I much prefer to embrace everyone and their lives and life decisions as theirs – after all, they are the ones who must live with their choices, so why should I force my opinion on them?  Perhaps this is also because that is how I prefer to be treated – my decisions respected no matter the other person’s opinion one way or the other.  So, while I try to write about many things, I often don’t go into deep subjects, preferring to avoid any blow-back or negativity in this space.

However, I DO have strong opinions on many subjects, and, beyond that, I’m a researcher by nature.  I want to know something?  I start digging.  I read books, I use my friend Mr. Google, I do academic searches, watch videos on the subject.  Go to respected research and read it myself.  So, you can guess that, while some of my decisions are ‘gut’ decisions, most of them have been well thought-out, heavily researched, and my decision has been made, one way or the other, by what I’ve found and careful thought on the subject.  If it affects my family, hubster and I discuss it and share opinions and go from there.

Why do I mention this?

Simply because someday, I might be brave enough to not only voice those thoughts, but actually dedicate post space to them.

Because, maybe I’d like to voice some of those opinions in a slap-dash way right now, so that when it pops up in a post later, maybe, just maybe, that fallback will be smaller.

So, in a nutshell, some of my beliefs (and remember, I’m a researcher, so I’ve already done my research on all sides of the arguments):

• LOVE.  love people. All people.  Regardless of Race, Gender, Sexuality, etc, etc.
• RESPECT.  treat all people with respect.  Think before you speak.  Treat others as you would like to be treated.  If you can handle what you dish out, don’t dish it out in the first place.
• LIVE AND LET LIVE.  For all things this applies.  See above.
• GOD/JESUS.  Yes.  I’m a Christian.  I believe Jesus Christ is our savior and all that wonderful lovely stuff.  But I’m not evangelical.  I am a ‘live-and-let-live’ sort.
• CHILDREN.  for me, yes. For other people – that’s their decision.  How many? Their choice.
• ABORTION. Hot hot hot subject.  I’m not pro-abortion.  But I’m not anti-abortion either.  It’s completely circumstantial and by situation.  Too many grey areas for it to be one way or the other.
• CIRCUMCISION.  No.  100x no.  I could never let anyone needlessly (even harmfully) remove a part of my child .  However, it’s not my decision for other people’s children and I won’t force my opinion on them.  (You can check this book out about it, though)
• BREASTFEEDING. Yes. 100x yes.  For as long or as short is appropriate for your family.  There are so many benefits for Mommy and Baby that it’s silly to discredit it.
• BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC. Yes.  Duh.  Baby’s gotta eat when baby’s gotta eat.  It’s legal to breastfeed anywhere the mother is legally allowed to be.  NO cover necessary.  However, if you are more comfortable with a cover or pumping and giving bottles, that’s fine too!
• VACCINATION. Yes.  The diseases that are vaccinated against are nasty nasty thing.  It’s obviously completely up to the parents, but I feel safer having my little ones protected from the nastiness that are covered by those vaccinations and I’d rather have a child with autism than a child struggling or dying from whooping cough.
• GAY MARRIAGE. Some of the most wonderful people I know are gay and are in long-lasting, amazing relationships.  Why would I want to deny them marriage and the corresponding rights?  Why should it be up to me or the state or ANYONE but them? Remember my Live and let Live philosophy?
• POLITICS.  I fall strictly…. nowhere.  I’m Liberal on many subjects, but I’m Conservative on others.  I don’t align with any party and choose to vote on the issues rather than party lines.  I voted for Obama in ’08.  I don’t think he’s all that bad.  I don’t think he’s amazing.  He’s human.  And that is the best thing to be.  Why do we expect people to be superhuman and perfect when they are elected?  They are still human!