Meet Me on The Cradle!
If you don’t have my book, but want to get a taste of its advice, check out my pregnancy exercise excerpt on the super cool new pregnancy and new motherhood site The Cradle.
Pregnancy Craving: Chicken, Mango, Avocado and Spiced Pecan Salad
Trust me when I tell you this luxurious one-dish meal, which appears in The Real Deal Guide will become a staple in your entertaining repertoire. It’s simple to make, ridiculously delicious, and relatively healthy. I made it up when I was pregnant and have been craving it ever since. FYI, if spicy isn’t your thing, skip the cayenne and stick with the sugar when preparing the nuts.
Chicken, Mango, and Avocado Salad with Spiced Candied Pecans
Serves 6
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup pecans
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (8 cups) mixed baby greens
1 ripe but firm Hass avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
1 ripe but firm mango, peeled and cut into cubes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish, baste them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 30 minutes or until
thoroughly cooked. - In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the pecans and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the nuts turn a golden brown, around 10 minutes. Sprinkle the nuts with 2 teaspoons of sugar and the cayenne and stir just until the sugar dissolves. Quickly transfer the nuts to a plate or piece of tinfoil to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- In a large salad bowl, toss the salad greens with the dressing, season with sea salt, toss in the avocado, mango, candied pecans, and chicken and serve immediately.
The Best Pregnancy Book for Men
I know a handful of men who were actually as excited as their partners to read about the ins and outs of pregnancy when they found themselves in family ways. But most of the guys I know never got past the front cover when presented with a classic paternity bookHowever, if any of those dads were handed Todd Barrett Lieman’s ABCs for Expectant Dads, they probably would have enjoyed learning the difference between placenta and pre-eclampsia
A dictionary of pregnancy and new-parent terms, it’s not touchy-feely, overwrought, or voluminously imposing. A concise 116-page A to Z resource guide, it’s packed with basic essential information couched in male attitude and wit.
Take the opening lines of the following definitions for example:
“CRYING, WIFE OR PARTNER: Unlike the crying baby, who cries because something is wrong, your wife will cry because everything is right. Or she’ll cry because the stoplight didn’t change fast enough. Or because her food is cold. Or because the baby is cute. Or because the sky is blue….”
“GLIDER: It’s just a freaking chair!…”
“MATERNITY CLOTHES: Repeat this phrase, ‘Honey, you look awesome in that outfit’….”
“NURSING BRA: Where the hell was this when you were dating or first married?…”
I’m not sure there is any amount of humor that can inspire the deadbeat dad-to-be to race to Borders to snatch up the hottest new pregnancy book for beaus. But guys with even the mildest interest will love this fresh, funny, and informative book—and their gals will get a chuckle out of the oh-so-paternal perspective, too. And the cost for all of the wisdom and wisecracks is a measly $12.95.
Also, FYI, you can get more of Todd’s parenting musings by visiting his blog.
Visit Me at TheNest!
This month I’m honored to be a guest expert on the supercool TheNest.com, where readers ask questions and I answer them with my trademark shameless frankness.
Drop in to check out my thoughts on:
Early Maternity Clothes
Gear to Skip
Heightened Sex Drive
Tackling the To-Dos
When to Tell
Welcome to The Real Deal Blog
Pregnancy may be one of the world’s oldest “conditions,” but gestation and everything about it is never old news. New research, fashions, baby baubles, and medical advancements make all things maternity an ongoing hot topic. While my book The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy is a great primer on how to make the most of your three trimesters, the printed word cannot keep up with the advancements of the day. That’s where this blog comes in. Drop by regularly for tidbits that you’ll want to know about while you’re in waiting.
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