BLOG | Life Beyond Birth

Dairy-free Cheese Sauce

Sep 27, 2019
1 min

Dairy-free Cheese Sauce

When clients need a creamy salty treat without the dairy, I turn to this sauce. I use it in my Mexican Casserole, with pasta, or as a sauce for veggies. For me, it is a comfort food that just hits the spot! Ingredients 1/2 c butter 1/2 c flour (for gluten free, use a gluten-free flour mix, or rice flour) 3.5 c boiling water 1.5 t salt 2 T soy sauce or coconut aminos 1 pinch of turmeric 1 c nutritional yeast Optional (if you aren't avoiding alliums): 2 cloves fresh ga

27 views0 comments

Cooling Fruity Chia Pudding

Aug 23, 2019
1 min

Cooling Fruity Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is the perfect breakfast or dessert. It is dense in calories, fiber and nutrition, and cooling for hot summer days...perfect for mamas breastfeeding in this warm season! Ingredients: 1 can full fat coconut milk 1/2 c frozen or fresh berries 1/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t vanilla 1/4 t salt 1/4 c chia seeds Optional: - sweeteners: 2 dates, or a few drops of liquid stevia, 1t honey or maple syrup - replace berries with banana or ripe peaches/nectarines - add 1T c

7 views0 comments

Fermented Carrots

Jul 19, 2019
2 min

Fermented Carrots

Get your ferment on! They are so cheap and easy to make yourself. I know some folks are scared that they might screw up the process, but it really is fool-proof! Many ferments use cabbage, but I don't like to give brassicas to breastfeeding mamas because they tend to make both bellies unhappy. So, CARROTS! My friend here in Spain, Itzel, shared this recipe with me. I am inspired by her because she always has many fermented foods on hand for her family! Original recipe from m

41 views0 comments

Postpartum Tea

Jun 20, 2019
2 min

Postpartum Tea

This is a wonderful combination of nourishing herbs to fortify new mamas! Drink it at room temperature or cold for refreshing summer hydration, or hot for a winter warm-up; add a little honey and milk for a delicious treat! From survivingtoddlerhood.com Ingredients: Red Raspberry Leaf Lemon Balm Chamomile Nettles Dandelion Root Instructions: Put a handful of each of these herbs in a gallon jar. Fill with boiling water and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strai

89 views0 comments

Postpartum Ginger Fried Rice

Feb 27, 2019
2 min

Postpartum Ginger Fried Rice

Every time I make this dish for clients, they sit right down and eat the whole thing! No leftovers... I've put my own spin on this recipe, but it is based on one in The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou. Incorporating Chinese traditions, it is part cookbook, part meditation on how to have a great postpartum experience. The writing and photography are gorgeous. Ou writes, "If a Chinese elder were to visit you immediately after bir

834 views0 comments

Spanish Tortilla de Patata

Jan 30, 2019
2 min

Spanish Tortilla de Patata

Have you ever noticed that the most quintessential foods of any region are super simple, cheap to make, and delicious? Tortilla de Patata is one of these dishes...eggs, onions, potatoes, salt, and oil make a tasty and hearty meal. This dish is more of what we might call a 'frittata' in the US, not the tortilla that we are used to in Mexican food. The word 'tortilla' also means 'omelette,' which this is not either.... I try not to feed new mamas onions as they can make you

40 views0 comments

Simple Nourishing Bone Broth

Nov 28, 2018
2 min

Simple Nourishing Bone Broth

Bone broth is the darling of the health industry, and many food manufacturers are taking advantage of the craze by packaging this amazing stuff for sale. It provides easy-to-absorb, essential and non-essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins); collagen/gelatin, which help form connective tissue; and nutrients that support digestive functions, immunity and brain health. Athletes are all about this stuff, and new moms should be too! It is so simple and cheap to

27 views0 comments

Scrumptious Oatmeal Custard

Oct 22, 2018
1 min

Scrumptious Oatmeal Custard

Oatmeal has a reputation as a boring porridge, but I have come to love it. It is incredibly filling, especially coupled with saturated fats, and is easy to make and digest. The addition of the eggs in this recipe gives it extra protein and creaminess; it is delicious topped with fruit and nuts! OATMEAL CUSTARD 3 c water, milk, or non-dairy milk 1.5 c rolled oats 2 eggs 1/2 c dried fruit (raisins chopped prunes, apricots, dates, etc) toppings: fresh fruit ~ berries, c

11 views0 comments

Healing Sweet Potato Stew

Oct 14, 2018
1 min

Healing Sweet Potato Stew

This recipe has been a favorite of many clients since I started making it 2 years ago. It started with an old friend passing along a recipe and me tweaking it into my own. Like all recipes I share, this one is simple to follow and doesn't include many ingredients. As the autumn days shorten, I hope this brings warmth to your belly and a smile to your face. Healing Sweet Potato Stew 4 large garnet yams, or white Japanese sweet potatoes, chopped into 1" cubes 3T ghee, butter,

95 views0 comments

Butter Chicken Masala

Oct 14, 2018
1 min

Butter Chicken Masala

Let the crock pot do the cooking. Mamas still need cooked, warm, nutrient-dense food, even when it is hot out. Butter chicken has great fat (butter, coconut milk), and warming digestive spices too! Mamas, papas, and older siblings will all enjoy this dish. This recipe is based on one I've used for years in one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks, Make it Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Day. Butter Chicken Masala 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 onion, sli

121 views0 comments

Oh, Congee, Congee...

Molly Levin Rouse

Jul 11, 2018
2 min

Oh, Congee, Congee...

Congee is a traditional porridge in many parts of Asia, made of rice and water. It can be sweet or savory, thick or smooth, but it is always comforting. I like to serve this and a mug of warm bone broth to mamas as their first meal after birth. The rice is totally broken down, so there is little effort required from the digestive system, and the molasses adds iron as well as a rich sweetness. The spices and ghee add to the perfection of this dish! Start cooking when labor

127 views0 comments

Zoodles, Vegetti, Yum!

Jul 11, 2018
2 min

Zoodles, Vegetti, Yum!

After all the contortions and effort the body goes through in pregnancy and birth, new mama digestion is weak. As summer begins (this one seems particularly hot!) it is often tempting to eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables, or cold treats. However, these foods require the digestive system to warm up them up in order to break them down. Warming up food uses energy that could be going to healing and breastmilk production. So, if YOU have recently given birth, do yourself a fa

15 views0 comments

Pot pie for New Mama

Jul 11, 2018
2 min

Pot pie for New Mama

Pot Pie is a wonderful southern comfort food. It is warm and creamy, salty with a slight sweetness in the crust, and satisfyingly filling. When we were first married, my husband used to joke about wanting a chicken pot pie at the end of a long day of work...like making one was my wifely duty! It sounded hard to make, but one day I decided to go for it, and found it surprisingly easy and delicious. I’m constantly searching for recipes that are familiar to the American p

11 views0 comments

New Mother's Kitchari!

Jul 11, 2018
1 min

New Mother's Kitchari!

This dish is a wonderful food for mamas anytime! It is grounding, warm, nourishing, easy to digest, and fills the house with a wonderful aroma. All my clients ask for more! New Mother's Kitchari 1 c red lentils 3T ghee 1t black mustard seeds 1t cumin seeds 1t garam masala 1 pinch hing (asafetida) 1c basmati rice 5-6 c water or broth ½ - 1 c of any mixed vegetables, finely chopped (I like to use a combination of carrots, chard, green beans, and/or zucchini) 1 inch pi

22 views0 comments

Coconut Milk Stew: A Hug in a Bowl!

Apr 13, 2018
1 min

Coconut Milk Stew: A Hug in a Bowl!

This recipe evolved from my first experience of postpartum. It has served me well in nurturing all the mamas I have worked with since. For a more filling variation, try serving it over quinoa or rice. My friend (and amazing birth doula) Rachel calls this dish, "a hug in a bowl." It is comfort food at its best: warm, mushy, creamy, salty, slightly sweet, and simple. May you feel the hugs in each spoonful! COCONUT MILK STEW 3-4 small or medi

139 views0 comments

Molly's Lactation Cookies!