Christmas Details

Above recipe from the "Pioneer Woman" - it was delicious, but the white decorating icing was ridiculous... it took like 10 minutes to decorate one cookie because it was so stiff! I ended up buying storebought cookie icing & it was much better.

This is the first year that I didn't do a lot of things. First, I didn't send Christmas cards. We spent lots of money on professional family photos (to get the CD), and then I lost the CD. I was banking on finding the CD and doing a quick CostCo photo card, but then it never happened. I'm so bummed!!! The whole photo experience was a nightmare, so it'll probably be MANY years before I can convince Kevin to do it again! I have *no* idea what happened to that CD!

It was also the first year that I didn't hang a wreath or a "fake" mistletoe. (I'm usually too paranoid about the poisonous mistletoe seeds, that I just hang a handmade bundle of fresh herbs. I think it looks just as good or better!) At least we decorated our tree, and it didn't fall down this year! When I was pregnant with Jake we had a naked tree because I was working full time & feeling so sick & tired... I almost decorated it on Christmas Eve that year for the photos, but thought better of it!

It feels so funny posting Christmas stuff when now there's not a trace of Christmas in our home! But I can't have a blog with no record of my favorite holiday!

It was a blessed day. We were able to spend time with all of our family, both sides. It was completely relaxing, full of fun & good food, laughter. I was supposed to work and I was so thankful that a good friend of mine offered to work for me. What a sacrificial gesture, it really meant so much to me!

What's for dinner?

Oh, I'm so glad you asked!

Because this website has made me obsessed with my dinner plans lately!

Tonight I made yummy dinner even though Kevin was at work- just for me and the boys! It's so nice to have a healthy, home cooked meal on the nights when I usually don't. (Which are many of them, since Kevin's work has him away during most evenings.) I grew up eating everything fresh & home cooked, never canned or boxed. I am disgusted that I have allowed the "quick-fix" meals to creep into such a prominent place in our routine. (I know! Please don't throw rocks! My poor babies!)

But that's why I love this website. So first, tonight's dinner:

Thai Garlic and Basil Chicken
Green Beans with Lemon & Garlic
(and we had mandarin oranges for dessert)



My sweet friend made a reference to this website on her blog, and I LOVE it! I've only made three meals from it so far, but they have all been delicious. I love sharing recipes so so much! But I'm afraid there may be some sort of copyrights on them since they're from a meal planning website. I'll look into it. So for now, no recipe, just an un-fabulous photo.

Tonight I wasn't crazy about the green beans (probably because they were a little cold when I served them so the olive oil had coated them a little). But the main course- it was delish! And (huge bonus) both my boys liked it! Even my wannabe vegetarian 2-year-old kept asking for "Mo meat pleees"!

So SIX O'CLOCK SCRAMBLE is the coolest! It's a menu planning website that creates a weekly menu for you or you can make your own custom menu. You can search the database by recipe type, preparation specifics, ingredient, etc. Each recipe has the health information on it. But to me, the best part is that it creates your grocery list!!! (AND the list is categorized by food type/grocery aisle, and each ingredient references which recipe it's for in case you change your mind while shopping or eliminate a side dish, you'll know which ingredients you don't need to get.) Anyways, I promise I'm not sharing this info for any other reason, other than that I'm excited about it!
There is a promotion code on my grocery list-- I'm not sure if it's for a discount or what, and I promise you I'm not getting any perks or benefits, this is NOT an advertisement!

I'm just a little busy momma of two who happened upon a website that has made feeding my little family a lot easier, and I'm loving it! They have no idea that I even have a blog. But since I'm rambling about this cool little site, if you do decide to check it out or try it- here's the 'promotion code' that was printed on the top of my grocery list: GLMEG7171 . Please don't get me wrong and think I'm a "promoter"!!! I'm just excited! :)

BTW, the other two meals I made were:

Grilled (or broiled, in my case) Halibut in Soy-Ginger Marinade
and Pan-Fried Polenta with Summer Vegetables

So far the meals have been super easy & tasty.


END COMMERCIAL (joke! joke!)




I found the garden culprit, by the way. Look closely at the pic above. I picked a large sprig of Basil for my recipe. And didn't even see these two little friends until it had been on my counter for 20 minutes! Little brats! But so cute, I can't kill them! What do I do?!?

P.S. If you were interested in my previous Organic Gardening dilemma, I ended up using Blood Meal (contains cows blood) around the perimeter to repel the squirrels from my plants. It worked!!! BUT, my entire garden is now basically infested with little brown ants. They don't hurt anything, but I absolutely hate them. A million-gazillion of them come pouring out every time I water, and they're totally a nuisance when Austin decides to take a mouthful of dirt. haha just kidding, that only happened once!

My husband laughs at me when I take pics of inanimate objects, like my garden or food, for example. But I'm going to post two more photos of things that made me happy today.

1) Look at how nicely these green beans fit into this Tupperware! Yay for oblong Tupperware!!

It's the little things.

And 2) Making fun of myself tonight by taking the next photo. The photos became more & more quirky, culminating with this one: a specimen from this morning's batch of blueberry muffins posing with my plant.

Isn't that SO much more entertaining than just a tray of muffins?

P.S. I know. Who does this?

Extra-bored & procrastinating wives to working husbands with a new early bedtime for the kids. (1 1/2 extra hours, baby!!!)

On to more productive things... Bon Soir!

A new recipe

Would you *ever* put fresh grated Parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce on fish!?!?

That's what THIS recipe called for, and the reviews were all very positive. So I tried it. It's a recipe called "Can't Miss Red Snapper" by Paula Deen on FoodNetwork.com. It does not sound like it would "go", but I'm glad I tried it. It was delicious. And sooo easy! (As fish usually is.) My only alterations were that I sauteed the onions & bell peppers with some fresh minced garlic before baking and I cut the amount of butter in half. (We only had 2 fillets instead of 4. And I still had plenty 'juice' to baste the fish with before broiling.) Ours also took 15 minutes instead of 12. I {might} have put a little more salt than most... I love my new sea salt grinder. I love salt too. Bad! And Goooood!!!

I know this also sounds strange, but I served it with roasted potatoes with onions & peppers. I thought this was a bazaar choice but went with it because I needed something fast & rice was going to take too long. One of the critiques said to serve it with something starchy. Anyways, it ended up going together quite well and was delicious.

I had to share this recipe. I haven't ruined many dishes, but unless I'm breading and frying, FISH is one of my trouble dishes. I always try for gourmet- fresh herbs, seasonings, citrus, I've tried a lot of different flavors. It's usually edible, sometimes enjoyable, but hardly ever 'delicious.' YAY for another fish standby recipe to add to the repertoire!

That was a lot of rambling!

Oh NO I Dit-int!!!

Oh No I DIT-INT bring a store-bought dish to a potluck!!!

Actually, I did.

A 2-minute trip to Pasta Pronto, to pick up a $29 Quiche Lorraine for my sister's International Party... worth every penny on a day when I was authentically pooped!

(whatever that means!)

Just had to update y'all, since I promised you the specatcular recipe for my international dish. Now you have it. It's called Pasta Pronto

Our Wednesday

THESE THINGS MADE ME SMILE TODAY...

*~ A large Zebra Mocha (from the drive-through cafe) and Quiet Time while in the beach parking lot with two well-behaving kids in the back seat... ahh! Good start to a day!

*~ Watching Jake run back and forth at the beach with GLEE, laughing. This made me smile ALL OVER!

*~ Smothering Austin with kisses, and noticing that no matter what he is doing, every time I kiss him, he smiles. Even when he's entranced by a toy, and I just kiss the back of his head, I notice a quiet little smile come over his face... that is the sweetest thing!!!

*~ Our new book, especially the last line, which has made me tear-up every single night for the last week: "I love you through and through... Yesterday, today, and tomorrow too."

*~ A quick straightening-up of the house, where I only did 50% of the work. Did you hear that?!? I only did HALF of it! My hubby did the other half!!!

*~ Two kids taking two long naps at the same time!

*~ Having lunch ready when my husband came home from running errands, and sitting together as a family to eat.

*~ Sneaking a big, fat, inappropriate kiss (from my hubby) when our visitor was in the bathroom. Then acting like nothing happened when he came out!

*~ Watching Jake follow Kevin around the yard as he was mowing the lawn, back and forth, Jake follows him-- every strip of the lawn!

*~ (ETA) For the FIRST time since his birth (7 months ago), Austin had a day completely free of reflux! Oh momentous day! (I'm adding this one on Thurs, didn't want to speak too soon.)

*~ This: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

*~ Experimental baking ... Putting Oatmeal Cookie Dough into MINI-CUPCAKE trays! Yummy!! Oatmeal cookie cupcakes! (And then eating about 4 of them while they're still hot and gooey, oh so good!)

*~ Sneaking a peek at my husband outside when he's not looking, and seeing that he is emptying the ashes out of the fire pit with JAKES TINY YELLOW SAND SHOVEL!

*~ Being humbled by these blessings, these lives that are such a part of mine.

I love days like these...

Disclaimer: they're not all like this!

Playdates & Mommydates

Jake and his sweet friend, Julia, playing at the park. They are both so cute and at such a fun age!




Jake was giggling so much, all scrunched up in the swing

And Austin, just chillin'

Julia and Jake had so much fun playing at his new sand & water table. Jake could sit there playing for hours on end- what a cool toy.

What's NOT pictured are the two mommies relaxing outside, camera's ready, enjoying some time catching up and just hanging out. It was so good to hang out with my friend, Bri, who is a wonderful mommy & person. It's amazing to think that we met probably over ten years ago, at one of my first 'real' jobs (I was ~18). {{P.S. Bri, was the lastname Dean?}}

(Here we are last February at storytime)

Tomorrow my sister is having an International Party, where everybody brings a dish from another country. I'm still unsure what I'm bringing, but if it's any good I'll post the recipe. I made Tabouli Salad the other night and it didn't turn out great. Although now I have a new challenge... NOW I have to find a recipe that uses ingredients that I already have on-hand because we are finally home from a long day & I can't take the kids out again, I just can't!

I'm pooped!!!

Maybe one of these days I'll think of something worthwhile to write! Until then, I'm just going to post random pictures. They make me happy.

Austin's 2nd tooth is coming in. He got his 1st one about a week ago. Lastnight we were *all* feeling his pain.

Gina's Authentic Bolognese Sauce

For my recipe buddies, and anybody else who is tired of the same-'ol, same-'ol.

It's oh-so-delicious!!!!! This is absolutely a family favorite here in our household! We had it lastnight. Yummmmm!!!! (Bonus, Jake loves it!)

I had it at a friend's friend's house for dinner many years ago. They were an Italian family, and everything about the meal reminded me of completely authentic Italian cuisine, as far as I know... for example, the order of courses, the cool cheese grater (grates in bulk!), the large spoon served with fork to twirl the Spaghetti into. (Which explains why I named it "Gina's Authentic") The meal was soooo wonderful, that I couldn't stop thinking about it for the next 4 months. I finally saw her at a housewarming party (at said mutual friend's home), where I finally had my chance to exchange emails and get the recipe. YES!

What's funny is that it's so different from the "traditional" (Americanized?) Spaghetti sauce, that I didn't even recognize what I was eating. It was so fresh and light and flavorful. So when I asked her about it, I was trying to describe it... "you know that meal you made, with pasta and it had meat and carrots and tomatoes, and this really good flavor?" She must've thought I was from a different planet!!! LOL

So here is the recipe. There are a few "optionals" in there. I do them ALL because I want it to taste exactly like hers. I also DOUBLE the recipe. Because we like a lot more sauce with our pasta, and we LOVE leftovers.

1 lb. ground meat (She uses half ground pork and half ground beef... it's a good flavor, I don't want to try it any other way!)
2 carrots, chopped into small pieces
2 stalks of celery, chopped into small pieces
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
about 3 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 peeled tomatoes, chopped (may use the ones in the can)
salt and pepper to taste
(optional: pinch nutmeg)
(optional: 2 Tbsp butter)

In a frying pan, put olive oil & start to saute' the meat. Brown without burning. Add carrots, celery & onion and saute' a little longer. Add tomatoes & saute' a few more minutes. Add about 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until all of the water dries. Add salt & pepper. (Add optional ingredients at this point: the nutmeg & butter)

Boil spaghetti (or any kind of short fat pasta, like rigatoni, penne or ziti.) Put salt into the pasta. When it's cooked, take out 1 cup of the water & set aside. Drain all water & pour the Bolognese Sauce on top. Stir and sprinkle with cheese. If it's too dry, you can add a little of the reserved water from the cooked pasta. (P.S. I've never had to do this step because I'm never patient enough to simmer it until all the water has dried. I've actually started decreasing the quantity of water added to sauce so I don't have to wait as long... it takes a while for 3 cups to evaporate! I use about 1 1/2 cups. We also serve noodles & sauce separately, personal preference.)

She adds (though I haven't tried it): You may also put the pasta into a baking pan after you put the sauce on it, with the cheese. Add about a cup of chopped up mozzarella cheese and put in oven until mozzarella melts.

Enjoy!!

P.S. Sorry no pictures lately. The camera is around somewhere... it moves from bag to purse to diaperbag to car... but it's never where I want it to be when I actually want to use it!

Random- Baby Updates and Squash Recipes

Quick little baby update!

Austin's 6-week check-up was Friday... He weighs a whopping 12 pounds, 11 ounces!! (95th percentile). That's one healthy boy! (Length was 22 1/4 inches, 74th percentile.) I didn't get any real good information about reflux & colic from the pediatrician, except that his medication dosage needed to be tripled to be appropriate for his new weight. And that if the Zantac doesn't work, he could start on Reglan (NO WAY!)- and that colic usually improves at 3 months as the system matures, so their plan of action is to (passively) WAIT IT OUT. (another "no way!")


The exciting thing is that I had a really good meeting with the chiropracter! Austin has started his treatments and we've started probiotics. I'm so excited to see how this works!


I'll probably be meeting with Dr. Sears. I'm so unsure! Our pediatrician, Dr. "A", is one of my colleagues at Hoag, and we *love* him! I have watched him practice over my last 4 years working there and have been extremely impressed by his knowledge, bedside manner, and the thorough-ness of his assessment and care. I really liked how conservative he is in his practice, because he does 'catch' things that others may have missed. Being that I tend to gravitate towards the more natural, I felt that I could educate myself and choose my course of action accordingly, regardless of their usual 'plan of care'. We've been very happy there thus far.

Anyways, now that we have an issue with our little guy, I'm realizing that my own researching isn't enough. Number one, I don't have time anymore to read-up on every little thing. And number two, when I do find something (i.e.: probiotics, chiropracter), I want the doctor to actually know about it and the research supporting/negating it and the academy of pediatrics' stance on it. That's all I was asking, and all the pediatrician could tell me was to 'go with my gut'... which I thought was very impressive for a traditional ped to say, but I wanted some more info. We saw a different member of the practice b/c our ped was on vacation- I do think our guy would have had a bit more to say! But Dr. Sears is very knowledgable about (and endorses) natural health, and for him, "colic" is not the end but just the beginning of a quest to find ways to make the "hurting baby" not hurt anymore. I like that. I can't sit around another 6 weeks and watch my baby struggle without trying everything in my power to help him!


So on to happier things... Here is a cute picture of my better halves (!)






Three of my favorite guys on the planet!!! (A pic we took on a quick little beach-run we made... we just ran around on the grass and let Jake see the "choo choo" go by a few times.)




And my silly boy- his new thing (which is killing me, since I'm a picture and scrapbooking fanatic) is that he anticipates the flash (because of the few little 'warning' red-eye flashes that proceed the real one) and so ALL my photos have either closed eyes, or a face that looks sleepy. He does have bright eyes, but it's been impossible to capture them!
And my other little guy looks even chubbier than he actually is! Look at that double chin and those cheeks!!! He's a cutie. This was my attempt at one last picture of them in their brother shirts, as Austin is growing out of his quickly. Oh well!

And, last, for my recipe peeps--
I have two good ones! If you don't like squash, try these anyways! (I didn't, and have been converted!)

Spaghetti Squash -- I think oven was at 350. Cut in half, scoop out seeds, and place face-down in a baking dish with 1/4-inch of water. Bake 30 minutes, turn over and add lotsa butter and brown sugar, and bake another 30 minutes. Then scoop out the squash and eat it- SOO YUMMY!!! (P.S. it 'scoops' out like strands of spaghetti, in case you've never had it. very fun! Also good topped with butter & cheese instead, or plain butter & served with spaghetti sauce.)

Butternut Squash --{{MY FAVORITE!}} I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe, but I didn't puree it after mashing it. (To save time and and dishes... one taste and I realized it was perfect how it was). I have been eating this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And dessert! For dessert I warmed it up, drizzled it with a bit of maple syrup, and served it alongside a slice of Grandma's Pumpkin Bread with butter, mmmm!!!!

Well, I'll keep you all posted on Austin's progress with the new treatments. We're majorly splurging, but feeling very hopeful- I think this is a really good route for us and have heard so many success stories. {fingers crossed!}

Eggs Benedict ... AMAZING!!!

This recipe (click it!) also came from the Pioneer Woman. TRY IT! It's soooo good! It's actually super easy & fast too! But I NEVER knew how fattening this dish is!!!! Holy moly- two sticks of butter!?!?! I was nervous about poaching the eggs, but they turned out okay! It's not that hard! (See pic below)

It's not the same as my *favorite* eggs benedict, at The Cottage Restaurant in Laguna Beach... yummy! My Hollandaise sauce was a little lemony and I only used the juice from one lemon, but still delicious! About the Cottage, there's nothing spectacular about that restaurant... it's quaint and has quite an ordinary menu... but their eggs benedict arnold (has added avocado) are to die for! Love the outdoor patio atmosphere. If you live in the area, they have a great brunch menu, have some eggs benedict with some OJ or a Mimosa, mmm... When I was pregnant with Jake, we went there for brunch after doctor appts to celebrate. I remember crying (tears of JOY and AWE!) at the table over my plate of eggs benedict because I couldn't stop re-living the amazing little life we had just witnessed on ultrasound, finally seeing the tiny little heartbeat. (After being told a week prior that the baby wasn't viable.) ~*~*~*~*

And look at him, he's *perfect*! Can you believe they were trying to prepare me for a D&C?!? Perfect, and perfectly kooky and crazy like his mama & dada! This morning he was sitting in his highchair with a baby wipe on his head. (I had given it to him to "help" mama wipe up his breakfast mess.) He sat there with it on his head for like 5 minutes while I swept up the floor mess, almost like he had forgotten it was even there.

But he hadn't, because as soon as he saw me looking at him with camera in hands, he pointed up to it and said "AT!?!" (Hat)

So cute! He makes me smile all over!

*~FAMILY PICS~*

Here are a few pictures from yesterday's San Diego trip.

Christine (sis), Jake & I, Pete (bro), Grandma, Jarlath & Finn

My mom & grandma making "spider" cream puffs for my sister's Halloween party. (Licorice leggs & gummy worm eyeballs, with a chocolate spider webb for presentation... sooo cute!) Needless to say, we got caught up with the cream puff project, and didn't get much sewing done. I completed one diaper, and my mom cut one out. We had fun just hanging out! Sadly, we didn't make it to the Halloween Party. I was excited to go, she worked so hard transforming her home into a festive, spooky party place! I know they had fun, though. And even so, I didn't get home until midnight because I always have too much fun with family!

Cute pic of Jake & Uncle Pete hugs

Happy Sunday!

Sweet Babies!
So, these are *NOT* cute pictures of my belly!!! But soooo cute of Jake snuggling it! He's been sick for almost a week now with a little stomach bug, on top of cutting his 3rd & maybe 4th molar, on top of yesterdays vaccines (YUCK!) So he hasn't slept on mommy's lap in ages, but he woke up from his nap yesterday and was so snuggly! He just wanted to sit on my lap while I checked my e-mail and he fell right back to sleep. He doesn't know it, but he's hugging his baby brother~* I just couldn't resist the photo op.

A quick cooking blurb-- this was dinner lastnight.

Another of the Pioneer Woman's recipes, it's called: Chicken Spaghetti, or The Only Casserole Marlboro Man Will Eat. (Click link for recipe.) It was pretty good, but not amazing. It's something I will definitely make again, especially (ESPECIALLY!) since Jake liked it. And it had CHICKEN! (I have a hard time getting Jake to eat meat!) I only wish I wasn't so starving when I was making it, because I got impatient and took it out of the oven 17 minutes early, thus the onions weren't cooked all the way! Kevin hasn't tried it yet... he got home late lastnight, and today he's at a football game. I know for a fact that he'll like it. He likes everything. (Lucky me!)

He's only dissed one of my homecooked meals, he actually couldn't eat it, and that's because I had put Vodka in my Spaghetti Sauce... we were still newleyweds and I was experimenting, thinking that it would be gourmet (you know, like cooking with wine)... it was NOT good! LOL We had a good laugh about it. Back to the Chicken Spaghetti... if you make the recipe, and if you're a wimp like me, even the 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper is *almost* too much for me. I don't want to taste ANY spicyness! I also substituted red peppers for the pimentos, couldn't find any at the store. So I can't speak for the pimento part. Best part of this is that it's SUPER EASY, and it's a casserole that can be frozen & baked later! Oh, AND there was tons of left over Chicken to make another meal with (chicken salad, tacos, whatever!)-- love that!

I started this post earlier today and was about to check out, but my day took a little interesting turn and I'm feeling like exposing the major pregnant moment/ordeal that I just had. I'm risking being laughed AT, but that's okay. {I'm also risking BORING y'all to death with a super long post, but oh well- I'm a bit chatty & wanted to share my drama with my sister but she didn't pick-up, so you get it. You can check out at any time and I won't be mad at you!}

Tonight's dinner wasn't such a success from Jake's standpoint. Just mac&cheese with pureed carrots mixed in... a quickie because I had a major headache & didn't have time to make anything special-- our routine is all out-of-whack today. He took a few bites & wasn't interested-- possibly because he's not feeling up to par, or maybe he didn't like it. But I had been craving ice cream SOOOO BADLY for DAYS, plus had a prescription to pick up. So I thought to myself... Jake's not acting starving, maybe we could make a QUICK (like 10-minute) run to the pharmacy to pick up ice cream & the Rx, before I try to figure out what else to make him. So we did. A bit longer than 10-min (more like 50) because Rx wasn't ready (like they said it was), so we browsed & picked up some things I'll need for birth/postpartum. Whatever-- here's where it starts to get interesting.

I get home, open garage door, load groceries onto stroller (less to carry!), haul diaperbag & purse onto shoulder, unhook Jake & heave him onto opposite hip while tossing his sippy cup into purse, hit door-lock and shut doors. Might I mention that now I have TWO babies sitting on my bladder, which is about to explode. As I step into garage, my (not-so)free hand is digging through my purse, and I'm wondering where my keys are. Why did I put them away? DID I put them away? And then, wham, I distinctly remember setting them down on the seat protector alongside the carseat as I unhooked Jake. My heart sank! I have ICE CREAM in my bag, and it's cold out and we're wearing tank top/t-shirt and skirt/shorts, my baby hasn't (really) eaten and it's almost his bedtime, and my bladder is literally about to burst! And of course my hide-a-key is not hidden, but is sitting nicely in the kitchen drawer, doing nobody any good! By this time it's probably past 7pm.

Long story (kinda) short, after trying all the doors/windows, calling hubby (who is still in parking lot of UCLA football game), and trying to make a plan... my neighbors pulled up and allowed me to use their restroom and then I accompanied her husband as he tried to get in the house for me. After giving up those attempts, I called AAA-- they're of course so busy that a normal wait time will be an hour- but I'm told they'll put a rush on it since I have my 15-month-old son out in the dark, cold night. By this time it's 8pm, so I have an ETA of 9pm at the LATEST! I'm reassured, though, that they will definitely put a rush for me & my baby.

If you think any of that is even a wee bit funny, you haven't heard anything yet. I forbade Kevin from telling anybody this, but what the heck! Everyone has an embarassing lock-keys-in-car story, but this next part brings embarassment to a different level. My ice cream is melting, and like I said, I had been craving it for EVER! I'll be here a while-- So after searching everywhere for a spoon (or the like), to no avail, I decided to make one. (hi, I'm PREGNANT!) I tore apart the cardboard box that Jake's infant tylenol came in, and proceeded to eat ice cream with this "spoon" (even taking the time to pour the chocolate syrup I bought over it!). Mind you, we are sitting at the patio table in.pitch.darkness... (I didn't turn on outdoor lights for a 10-minute errand- it was supposed to still be light out!) So, anyways, I went through two cardboard spoons, but after both got soggy I had to call it quits. {Meanwhile, Jake is munching on the Oyster Crackers & Goldfish that happened to be in his diaperbag.} Aren't we a healthy little family tonight!?!?

Anyways, we sat outside for over an hour! (1hr15min to be exact.) An hour into our waiting, another neighbor saw me changing Jake's diaper on my lap in the garage and putting his pants on, and it peaked her curiosity. She brought us some blankets (I refused offers to hang out at her house because I had just called AAA and they said they'd be there in a few minutes.) I love my neighbors! (Wish they had come an hour prior! Wait, then I wouldn't have gotten to eat any ice cream! LOL) So, needless to say, we got in the house, Jake had a quick little dinner (at 9:25pm!!!!!!!! WAY past bedtime! and even MORE past dinnertime!!!) He still only took 4-5 bites. He's sound asleep & we're warm and safe. Woo-ie!

Thank goodness Jake loves being outside-- he was happy the whole time, pointing to the moon and announcing "MOON!" a thousand times over. Watching cars and making car sounds "VVVVvv!" as they drove by. He makes my days so much fun- even times like those!

Okay, my LONGEST (?) post is coming to a close! Sorry for rambling... I hope the visions of a ravenous preggo eating ice cream in the dark with shreds of cardboard made it worth your while- lol! Please, you're allowed to laugh AT me, that's why I shared... just be sure to withhold judgement- pregnancy give us an excuse for almost any type of bazaar behavior, right? So, finally, goodnight my friends!

What have I been doing lately? Nesting & Cooking!


More about food... just skip this post if you aren't into cooking! Don't you love trying new recipes, though? I love baking and cooking-- when I actually make time to do it! After baby is born, there probably won't be much creativity happening in the kitchen, so I'm having so much fun doing it right now! This morning I tried a new recipe for Banana Sour Cream Waffles. Yummy! They were *by-far* the most moist waffles I've ever had. (I made them with a Belgian Waffle maker, so the recipe that was supposed to make 4-6 waffles, only made 3 belgian waffles. That's all we needed, though.)







BANANA SOUR CREAM WAFFLES


1 C flour
1 C sour cream
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 C milk
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 C butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 egg, separated


In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In small bowl, beat the egg white with whisk until light peaks form; set aside. Add eff yolk, sour cream, milk, butter, and banana to the flour mixture & mix well. Fold in the whipped egg white. Follow instructions on your waffle maker. For the Hamilton Beach Waffle Baker (Belgian): pour 3/4 C of batter into waffle waker & cook "6-7 min" until golden brown... but mine only needed 3 minutes on the golden setting. Enjoy!




Jake got yogurt and strawberries on his,





and Mommy & Daddy got BUTTER, strawberries, and POWDERED SUGAR!


{{I'd be so much healthier if I avoided the things I don't feed my babies!}} P.S. This waffle is very moist, but not sugary at all... Jake wasn't totally crazy about it- he ate the toppings off.

Add a little powdered sugar and it's perfect, if you have a sweet tooth like me.


On a quick note, regarding children & eating/health... My sister bought me a book for my bday called "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. Have you heard of it? I actually just started reading it, and it looks REALLY GOOD! I wish I had it when Jake was younger! Check it out.

I also recently saw an Oprah about Jessica Seinfelds, "Deceptively Delicious" and Dr. Oz came on and did a whole show on children and eating. It was really wonderful! If your children (or HUSBANDS, ahem!) don't eat enough veggies, I would strongly recommend the book! Instead of "giving up", you 'hide' pureed veggies in their food... while at the same time serving fresh veggies so they learn that they still have to eat them, but that way you have peace that they're getting enough in the mean time. This book is definitely on my Christmas list. Even though Jake loves eating certain veggies, he's developed a distaste for others. I also want to sneak other yummy foods (fiber- wheat germ, & flax seed) into some of our recipes. Anyways, sorry for the RANDOM spiel!



Here is a sweet picture of my dad and Jake looking at the sunset at one of my favorite restaurants on the pier (The Fisherman's Wharf). My grandma (from NY) and parents came by yesterday- I wish I had more pics but my camera ran out of batteries!) Jake loves his grandpa soooo much!!!!! (He was sleepy and was snuggling with grandpa, so cute!)

Have a great day!!!

A Yummy "Man-Pleasing" Meal

I decided to try this recipe: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. Once again, it's from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" Blog. It was delicious and sooo easy! I loved the crispness of the toasted bread, in contrast with the moistness (and messiness) of that delicious 'gravy' that we spooned over the sandwich right before serving! MMMmmmm, good!

Kevin said it's definitely a keeper... so it's made it into my book. Unfortunately, I was too hungry to bother with taking a picture. (As with the peach crisp mentioned in previous post). So these images were "hi-jacked" from her blog, for your viewing pleasure. I hope that's allowed!!!

P.S. Here's a pic of that amazing Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce... Oooh, looks like a dream! My favorite part of this one (besides the fresh peaches), is the subtle flavor of lemon. And, the heavy whipping cream in the sauce actually sort-of tamed the sweetness of the crumb topping so it wasn't too sugary-sweet. Fab!