Ginger Fried Rice with Shrimp and Mango

Who said eating healthy has to be boring? Not only is this meal so good for you, it's soooo yummy!!! Even my pregnant-get-sick-from-everything-self was able to eat it and LOVED it.  Extra perk for pregnant women: the ginger helps with nausea! 

What's not to love?

Ginger Fried Rice with Shrimp and Mango

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound fresh, medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (can also substitute chicken)
• 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1.5 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ounces (1 cup) fresh snow peas, cut in half
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small bite size pieces
• 3 cups brown rice (cooked)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 medium ripe mangoes, cut into slices

Cooking Directions

1. Cook brown rice according to package's directions to yield 3 cups.
2. In a small bowl, toss shrimp with Chinese 5 spice and set aside.
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium/high heat. Once hot, add in oil, ginger, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add in shrimp and cook for about 1 minute--until they begin to turn pink.
5. Add snow peas, carrots, and broccoli--stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil--stir to combine and continue to cook until warmed through.
7. Serve warm with mango slices.        

Makes 4 servings.

Halfway folks..

Yummy Caprese Panini

Can you believe it?! We're officially halfway. 20 weeks down and 20 more to go.
To celebrate, I relaxed with a pregnancy massage yesterday. Something about getting your back rubbed during pregnancy is extra amazing. Then today, Ben and I walked downtown for a picnic by the water.
I've been feeling a lot better as far as pregnancy symptoms go these last few weeks. I am able to eat a lot more than just bread and cereal, so that's good.  And I haven't had any more meltdowns...ok so that's not true, but at least they weren't as bad as that one. There was one that comes to mind that maybe came close, but in my defense, it involved a cross-country flight and not being allowed off the plane during our layover.
Oh yea, and one concerning whether or not our cats would go to heaven.  But anyways.
...................
We had a great weekend and I hope you did too!

We're having a ...

BOY.

There were a few things that were said/thought in the ultra-sound room right after the sweet lady  pointed to the *thing* sticking out between the two little legs on the screen:

• (I thought) Ben is going to be such an amazing dad...
• (I thought) That *thing* is going to try to pee all over me when changing diapers.
• (Ben said) Can you measure it?

On that note, I would like to report that I have a growing little man in my belly and it is so hard to believe that we are half way there. The time is flying by and it's hard to imagine what our lives will be like in 4 1/2 months.  We are so busy.  Always so busy.  Looking at my schedule, we had places to be 4 nights this week and have something Fri night and Saturday afternoon. We go from work to class to bible studies to dinners to meetings to church events to club events...and the list goes on. Soon, so soon, our schedules will be: feed, change diaper, feed, change diaper, sleep (?), feed, go on family walks (?), change diaper.....

In college I never would have said that being a mom was something I would want in my 20s.  A husband? I would wait until at least my late 20s.  Didn't want anyone hindering my independence before then.  Being a mom was to come later--maybe my early 30s.  It's amazing, though, how God prepares you for His plan. 

Who is this person that is actually looking forward to a schedule change and for things to slow down--dare I say the latter part? As the days quickly pass and our due date nears--I am filled with excitement as I think about "The Shea's" and what our family will look like.  

Great times lie ahead, my friends.