I'm due in about two weeks and my head is spinning. In between tying up loose ends with work and making the apartment baby-ready, I consider all the things I won’t be able to do for a while, wondering if I should be doing them—movies, flea market, making elaborate dinners. Or instead, should I be getting my fill of lazy mornings and long naps?
Adding to my discombobulation and general difficulty prioritizing, I laugh and cry at the drop of a hat now. Bouncing back and forth between euphoria and anxiety is not, as it turns out, particularly conducive to efficiency. I’ve pretty much given up hope on crossing off one item from the absurd to-do list: stocking our freezer with homemade dinners to see us through the first few weeks postpartum. It’s hot, I’m giant and tired, and have a million other things to do—cooking up a storm just isn’t going to happen now. But if I did have it in me, I’d make Deborah Madison’s lasagna with eggplant and chard, my favorite of all her recipes.
The rare chance I do muster the energy and time, I’d love to hear what you would cook to freeze if you were a very pregnant me. I’m always looking for new ideas. In the meantime, here is Madison's eggplant and chard—if I ever get around to it—and a couple other ideas from favorite blogs.
The Wednesday Chef started a very interesting conversation last month about what to cook for new parents. And last year, I loved reading about the meal delivery service that Angry Chicken’s friends set up for her when she had her third child, in lieu of a baby shower. It’s hard for me to imagine New Yorkers showing up at each others’ doors with hot dishes—isn’t that what takeout is for?—but it’s a charming idea for those who live in cities where ovens are used for baking, not storage.
About the author: Robin Bellinger recently escaped a career in book publishing, which was cutting into her cooking time. Now she's a freelance editor and can bake bread on Tuesday afternoon if she feels like it. She lives in Midtown Manhattan with her husband and blogs about cooking and crafting at home*economics.
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