Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Yes, here I go with my avocado obsession again! I wanted to share another go-to recipe that is healthy and super easy to make and this one just kept coming back to my mind.  Stella loves pasta and so does Adam.  I was looking for a summer pasta recipe when I came across this one at my friend Barbara’s barbecue. It is easy to make and so incredibly delicious!

Photo courtesy of Dairy Made Easy

You will need:

8 ounces bow-tie pasta or quinoa penne pasta

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 medium avocados, diced  2 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped      
2 garlic cloves, crushed                            
¼ Tbsp kosher salt & pinch coarse black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on the package

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic s&p.

3. Add hot pasta to bowl, stir to combine;

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve right away or at room temperature

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!!!

Quality Time with My Daughter

As a working mom I am always looking for ways to spend time with my kids, especially Stella. She has been feeling the effects of me going back to work the most. There have been a lot of changes in Stella's life in the last 8 months. In September she welcomed home a new sister. Mommy went back to work shortly thereafter and we have been traveling non-stop ever since. Her life does not have the consistent rhythm it once had of going to pre-school, napping and going to the playground in the afternoon with mommy. But she has been a trooper throughout all of these changes.

So, when we arrived in Charlotte last week ahead of the Symetra Classic, I wanted to play nine holes to see the course. Stella was upset I was going to play golf again so I decided to take her with me. On the Symetra Tour we play our practice rounds in a golf cart so I thought it might be fun. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!  I borrowed a set of kids’ clubs from the pro shop and put them in the back of the cart. She loved every minute of it (still kicking myself that my phone died and I did not take any pictures). She felt so special and had a big smile on her face. She ran so much that after five holes she was passed out on the cart.

The experience was such an incredible step for her, and for me. It shows me that I can carve out time with my kids even when I am playing golf. I loved sharing my passion with her and having her by my side on the course. It was such a special afternoon and I can't wait to have many more late afternoon sessions with my kids. It has been, by far, my favorite memory of this process and I can't wait to have many more!!!  

This week is also another big week on the course. I am playing my first LPGA event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Can't wait to share the experience with you guys! 

Avocado Toast, My New Obsession

Photo courtesy of seedsnsmiles.com

Avocado has become my best friend in the last few months.  Adam and I started incorporating it into a variety of dishes, especially at breakfast.  It has many health benefits including healthy, natural fats and antioxidants and I have fallen in love with it.  One of our favorite recipes is avocado toast in the morning!!!

I love having a piece of toast in the morning.  I used to put a little butter on it or add olive oil, but when Stella and Luiza were born I had to give up dairy because they both had trouble digesting the protein in dairy products.  So when I saw this recipe for avocado toast I decided to give it a try and I totally fell in love with it!!!

Here is how I make my avocado toast:

1/2 an avocado

1 piece of toast

Pinch of salt

1/8 of a lemon juiced

Olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

I toast my bread and drizzle olive oil on top of it. Then, I take half the avocado and mash it in a small bowl.  I squeeze the lemon into the avocado and mash it a little more, adding the salt.  Then, spread the mashed avocado onto your toast and sprinkle with some red pepper flakes. If you don’t like spicy food you can leave the red pepper flakes out.

It is so delicious and this has become one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast with my eggs or if I am hungry mid afternoon.  There are also a lot of other ways you can make avocado toast.  Would love to hear how you make yours!!!

The Art of Putting… Wait, Pumping

When I started this journey I tried to think about all of the challenges that I would have to go through. Pumping, however, took a lot more time and energy than expected.

I have always been a big believer in breastfeeding my children. I breastfed Stella for a year and I want to do the same with Luiza. I feel that it is not only incredibly healthy, but for me it has also been an amazing way to bond with my kids.  

When I decided to go back to playing I knew I would have to master the art of pumping. During the past four months here are the places that have become common for me to pump at:

• Golf course clubhouse
• Driving from and to golf course
• Airplane
• Airport
• Public Bathroom
• Tournament locker room

I pump before and after every round. I get a lot of looks from the girls and they don't quite know what to make of it. Some start talking to me and they don't know whether to look at me, my boobs, or the pump! It is quite funny. But I am getting used to it and I have gotten a lot of compliments for making the effort to keep breastfeeding.

Well, you get the picture… no place is safe from my pump and me. And here is what I have learned:

• Always keep a breastfeeding cover with your pump.
• Invest in a great hands free bra.
• When pumping on a plane ask the person next to you if they mind if you pump.  I have yet to have anyone say they would mind and it totally breaks the ice!
• You are giving your child a wonderful gift.
• Be proud of pumping.… I AM!!!

Traveling With Two Kids

I have always loved traveling.  As a family we traveled a lot when I was younger. I took my first solo plane ride from Brazil to Germany when I was 8 years old; what were my parents thinking?  So it is no surprise that I chose a career that has taken me all over the world.

Well... traveling with two kids is a whole different story. Words can't express how hard it is to travel with two kids to a golf tournament. The amount of stuff necessary to travel with them is insane. It takes so much organizing and planning ahead and I am not the best at organizing or at planning ahead so maybe that is the problem! I am not the only mother that does this and many parents travel with a lot more kids than I do, but I don't know how they do it. Hats off to them!

There has never been a dull moment when traveling with the girls. On our way back from Orlando recently, I accidentally threw my wallet in the trash together with the bag of food I bought for Stella. It was only in Boston that I realized what had happened - total panic!   And there was the other time when I took Luiza in the airplane bathroom to change her diaper and she peed all over me. I started to crack up because I knew I did not have another shirt. Result: I smelled of pee the rest of the trip. Lesson learned. Now I never travel without an extra set of clothes.

I am sure I will accumulate a lot more little stories along the way and it will not be the last time I get that panicked feeling. This is our life on the road and I have learned to expect the unexpected and to adjust and adapt. Progress!

I would love to hear your stories about traveling with your kids and any advice you might have!