Happy hump day! As I am nearing my due date the days are long, but short at the exact same time. Luckily though, my pre baby to-do list for home and work seems to be getting smaller. There was a little while there recently that they both just kept getting longer. But, I finally feel somewhat prepared to bring a baby home. Meaning, I have the necessities ready to go. Nick and I will still have no idea what to actually do with her once she is here. We plan to learn as we go 🙂
Many moms out there say to prepare freezer meals in advanced for quick meals when baby is home. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to do this. For one, our weekends are packed full until (and after) baby arrives so when am I going to find the time to do this? I have recipes to develop and bank up for the blog, so again where is the time? And, will it really save that much time? If the meal is frozen, it will need to be thawed and reheated in the oven which seems like it could be a long process. Instead, I have been saving our beef roasts and other meats that take no effort to make for dinners when baby comes. Plus, I love cooking and have many meal ideas that take 30 minutes or less. So, is it really necessary for me to prep freezer meals? Give me your advice! I could just being completely naive, I really have no idea what to expect with a newborn at home.
I keep getting asked if I am ready to have baby out. Even though I haven’t been loving pregnancy, I haven’t been hating it either. I am a bit more uncomfortable at times,like getting up from the couch and bed and attempting to wash dishes. Truthfully though, this pregnancy has been treating me really well. I have been able to live my life pretty close to what it was before. I am able to work out regularly, eat a healthy balanced diet with limited cravings and do the majority of the things I love doing. I am so ready to meet her, see her face and snuggle her, but I also know she still has a couple weeks of important developing to do. So no, I am not hoping for an early arrival or wishing her to just be out already. I am a very impatient person though so if she goes past her due date, then yes, I will most certainly be ready for baby to be out!
You all have to make this recipe! Even if you aren’t a sweet potato fan (like my husband, what a weirdo) you can still enjoy this over a larger bed of greens or with a side of rice or baby red potatoes. I remember when my mom would make BLTs and I loved them because what kid didn’t love a ton of bread and some bacon, which is basically what a BLT is. This version of BLTs gives you much more lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. Sounds like the perfect healthy and balanced meal to me!
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut in half length wise
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 6 pieces of bacon
- 4 handfuls spinach or spring mix
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, cubed
- ¼ cup paleo mayo
- 1-2 tsp Franks Red Hot Sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place the halved sweet potatoes cut side down on a parchment paper lines baking sheet. Once the oven is preheated, place the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
- Add a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium high heat and add 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee. Season the chicken breast to your liking. I used salt, pepper and garlic salt. Once the cast iron skillet is hot add the chicken breasts and let cook 5-6 minutes each side. Place the chicken breast in the oven with the sweet potatoes and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- While the sweet potato and chicken is baking, place a pan on the stove and add the bacon. Cook until done and transfer to a paper towel lined plate and pat the grease with paper towel. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
- Add the bacon, grape tomatoes and avocado to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add the paleo mayo and hot sauce to a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Remove the sweet potatoes and chicken from the oven. Chop the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and add to the large bowl with the other BLTA ingredients. Add the mayo mixture and mix well.
- To build your loaded Sweet Potato Chicken BLTA, add a handful of spinach to a plate and place one half of a sweet potato on top. Add the Chicken BLTA on top of the sweet potato.
- Enjoy!