Wine & Pregnancy? Plus a Pork Chop recipe!
This weekend I had a glass of wine, and it was absolutely divine. Ok, maybe I only had half of it but I cherished every single sip of that delicious Tuscan blend, slightly chilled to the perfect temperature. Heaven. This is a big deal because it was the first time in my 27 weeks of pregnancy that I let myself enjoy my own glass. There have been sips here and there but this was all mine. Maybe that’s why I didn’t finish it (#momguilt). It truly was the highlight of my evening which is saying a lot because that was probably the best meal I have had in Delray Beach. We had a special date night at the Grove, a restaurant we have been dying to check out for a while now. I started out with the ricotta gnudi which literally melted away in my mouth. For a main course I went with the grilled short ribs served with a side of broccolini and gnocchi. The grand finale was their signature monkey bread with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was all of the ooey gooey goodness you can imagine plus some. This place is a foodies dream. If you haven’t been and live locally- DO IT.
This sudden urge to get all “wild” was most likely influenced from the 7 hour Childbirth and Childcare class we took Saturday from 9am – 4pm. Yes, 7 hours of all the nitty gritty details of childbirth. And my husband sat through every grueling minute and diligently took notes on every topic WITH a smile on his face. What a guy huh? We are both so happy we did it though especially him. Needless to say we both were excited to treat ourselves to a relaxing and romantic dinner with good conversation and delicious food. So after hearing about all the pleasant and lovely (hint: heavy sarcasm here) things my body is going to be put through during and after childbirth, wine was calling my name.
The most immediate benefit from the class was that my husband was able to gain a deeper understanding into what I am actually going through on a daily basis both physically and emotionally. In fact the nurse who led the class decided to ask one of the expectant dads to come up to the front, strap on a back pack to their stomachs with about 25 pounds of different fluid to get a sense of what it feels like walking around pregnant. Guess who that lucky dad was?! Jeff, my super sweet husband. Hah.
I was really happy she chose him. Although I haven’t gained 25 pounds (yet) he now fully gets why I have started to waddle among many other things. (ah, I know it happens!) In addition to his baby backpack we went over normal pregnancy symptoms that begin as early as day 1, and it filled up a whole board! I am not trying to get special kudos or praise here because a) I wanted this and b) so many women have done this a billion times, yet there are days where it just gets f***ing hard. It makes it a little easier knowing your partner has a deeper insight into what you go through on a daily basis.
Oh, and now that he knows I get routine foot massages every evening. #pregnancyperk
And here is a delicious recipe for Braised Pork Chops…
Ingredients
2 boneless pork chops
2 tsp sea salt (more if needed)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks removed
yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Prep the fennel: trim the top and bottom of the bulb. Slice in half and cut each half into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan with a lid over medium high heat. While the oil heats up, pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt & pepper.
Once pan is hot, add the pork chops and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
Reduce the heat to medium and add in the fennel, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until fennel begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan bring to a boil.
Return the pork chops to the pan. Turn heat to low, cover and let cook until chops are done, about 8 minutes. Remove the pork and place on a plate covered loosely with foil.
Increase the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer uncovered until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mustard and lemon juice and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top the pork with sauce, fennel and onions and MANGIA!