Sometimes a Picnic is More Than a Picnic

Yesterday was a great day.  My husband took the day off to hang out with me and Laela.  Kyle let me sleep until 9:00AM (hooray!!!), we had a nice family breakfast, played with my parents' dog Memphis, and finally had a picnic at the park since it was such a gorgeous day.

Growing up, my brother and I didn't have a whole lot.  My Dad was raising us on his own, and he had to work multiple jobs to keep us afloat, so when he wasn't working (or dead tired from working three shifts in a  row), he would take us out to play.  Let me tell you, I was one wild monkey of a little kid.  I loved to climb trees and invent games with the neighborhood kids.  We'd play "stuck in the mud" and "spaceship" (I was always captain of the ship!), and we'd build amazing forts.  All of that playtime with my friends was awesome, but nothing was better than hanging out with my Dad.  We'd throw the football around in the park, search for rocks and stones, play on the playground, and pig out on hoagies and Tastycakes..it's not necessarily what we were doing, it was just that those were the times when everything really felt like a family.  Not missing something because I didn't have a Mom, and not weird because my Dad was the one taking me to Girl Scouts.  I don't ever remember feeling sorry for myself because she wasn't there, because my Dad was always enough.

I don't think parents realize the impact of little things like going to the park will have on their children.  It's these little moments that help them form who they are.  The moments that help them learn to trust and feel safe.  I watched my daughter run down a hill for the first time yesterday.  My baby ran!  And when she started to stumble she reached up and said "Mama!"  As I grabbed her hand, I couldn't help but think that this is everything I've ever wanted.  I have the most wonderful life.  Our baby girl knows Mommy and Daddy are always there.  We're doing it right.  And that's all that matters.

Even if you don't have kids, remember that it's the little things in all of your relationships that  matter.  I feel like everyone's always forgetting the "relate" part of the word "relationship".  Get on the people in your life's level, whether they are children or people that are older than you.  The understanding you'll find may surprise you.  And remember, food is a universal language..so if you have nothing to say to one another, try a new food experience and see where the conversation takes you.

I know this was a little bit off-topic for the blog, but yesterday was just such an amazing family day that I wanted to share it, you know?  And I'll be back with your regularly scheduled delicious recipes and food tips next week, so don't worry!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with their family!!

Teething ISN'T Terrible..

No matter what your friends say. 

You know the drill.  You read all the baby books.  You heard the horror stories.  And then you wake up one day and you see it.  The little tiny white pearl in your baby's mouth.  "When did that happen?"  "Am I a horrible person because I didn't notice my baby was in pain?"

First of all, no, you are not terrible.  You didn't notice because not all babies make a big fuss out of teething.  Laela had two teeth before we noticed!  I was still nursing, she wasn't biting me, and she was her happy, playful self, so how was I to know?  Sure, she was a little drooly, but she was barely even five months old!  She was always drooly!  When I had thought she was teething, our doctor said she thought it was a little early and not to worry about it, so we didn't. 

Anyway, I did what any parent would do.  I went shopping!  I bought every teething ring on the planet.  The thing was, she was more interested in my wooden spoons and rubber spatulas.  So of course, I went shopping again for more teethers.  Then her cheeks got all red and I got convinced there was poison in the teethers, and that my daughter is a wild monkey chewer, so I gave up.  And then we found the keys.

I have no idea who made those suckers, but they were the best.  They had a stop light on them that she could push buttons and make lights, and gave her the option of hard and soft chewing.  We didn't give her teething tablets, and when she seemed like she had a low grade fever before bed, we gave her some infant tylenol.  Don't waste your money on teething tablets, herbal teething medicine, or gum numbing gel, none of it works, and if it does, it's not in the way you want it to.  Your baby might get a numb throat and mouth from the gum numbing stuff, and that can be dangerous.  Of course, now that my friends' babies are starting to teethe, I can't find those amazing teething keys anywhere!  Argh.  I guess I'll just buy them some spatulas and wooden spoons.

Laela with her keys:

When Laela's back teeth started to come in, she was gnawing on everything like a dog, so I decided to get some Sassy Teething Feeders with mesh bags, freeze up some sweet potatoe puree in ice cube trays, some bananas (I just peeled some bananas, cut them up, and popped them into freezer bags until I was ready for them), strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt, and filled the teething feeders whenever Laela seemed like she needed something cold to gnaw on.  She really loved them, and when she seems like she's teething again (drooly, a little rashy around the chin, maybe a little more sleepy than usual- kind of like a growth spurt), I make these for her and she goes to town.  (This is also a great way to get them to learn to eat on their own, and to get them to eat when they're sleepy/fussy/not feeling well.)

At the end of the day, teething is a natural process, and like anything else, if you freak out, your kid will freak out too.  It's parental instinct to want to soothe every pain and discomfort, but the reality is that sometimes even little people have to figure out a way to deal with it...because in a few years all those little teeth are going to fall out and new ones are going to shove their way through.

Moral of the story?  Make lots of comforting food for your little one (if they're old enough), pour yourself a glass of wine, offer up a lot of cuddling, distract them by playing and reading some fun stories, and just roll with it.  Oh, and get a crib guard.  They are chewing on it when you aren't looking.  Yes, even your little angel will chew on the walls if you let her/him.

For other tips on how to deal with teething, I highly recommend Baby and Toddler 411 by Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields.  Their books offer great advice on pretty much all things baby and toddler (and are especially awesome when you have a fact checker like my husband!)

A Mac Attack!

Holy Moly.  As I type this my daughter is eating cinnamon toast while making Frankenstein noises, so if this post seems to abruptly end, it's because she's started chasing me and I had to run.

Okay, put down the pitch forks and torches, I'm half kidding.  A while back, I promised some good old fashioned macaroni and cheese, so put down the box of Kraft, bust out a 1-quart casserole dish, and let's do this thing!

You will need:

3 Tbs butter (it doesn't matter if it is salted or not.)
1 small onion (if you hate onions, just use a few good shakes of some onion powder)
2 Tb all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (reg, low-fat, non-fat)
2/3 cup shredded cheddar (about 5 ounces)
1 tsp dry mustard (if you don't have this, use a Tb of any kind of mustard)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or more if you like your mac with a little kick!)
6 ounces dry elbow macaroni cooked according to package instructions
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 ounce)

1.  Position the rack in the center of the overn and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter your casserole dish, and set aside.

2.  Melt 3 Tbs of the butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat.  reduce the heat to very low, stir in the onion, and cook for five minutes, until soft and golden, stirring frequently.  Don't let the onion brown.  Whisk in the flour and cook for 15 seconds, just so that the flour loses its raw taste.  Do not brown the flour.  Whisk in the milk in a steady, slow stream.  raise the heat to medium and continue cooking and whisking for about 1 minute, or until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens.

3.  Reduce the heat to low and stir inthe Cheddar, dry mustard, pepper, salt and Tabasco sauce.  Continue cooking for 2 more minutes, or until the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly.  Finally, stir in the cooked macaroni and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.

4.  Place the casserole dish into the oven and bake it for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Now if you're like me, and like some extra crunch to your mac and cheese, about five to ten minutes before the casserole is done, mix 1/3 dried bread crumbs (any will do- even panko!) with 1Tbs butter.  Crumble it over the top of the casserole and Wala!  Crunchy topped mac and cheese.

Once you get comfortable with this recipe, get adventurous!  Try it with some fabulous cheese like Gruyere, Gorgonzola, Brie, Camembert, or Asiago!

Happy eating!

Super Simple Chicken and Pasta

One of my most favorite meals growing up was chicken parmesan and spaghetti.  There's something comforting about the smell of homemade spaghetti sauce filling the house.  Since it's summertime, I decided to play with my childhood favorite and keep it light with a yummy grilled garlic chicken, rather than fried breaded chicken, and I paired it with homemade spaghetti sauce and thin spaghetti.

Laela really enjoyed her first chicken and spaghetti dinner...

After Kyle called me on his way home from work to tell me it'd been a really long day, I topped his pasta with a ton of shredded parmesan cheese.  I thought this was the perfect time to utilize my brulee torch (yay!), so I lit that sucker up to amp up the "goo factor" of the cheese.  I tried to catch a picture of Kyle eating it, but he ate it so fast I didn't get a chance.  Luckily I snapped a pic before he walked in the door!

I have a feeling spaghetti is going to be one of Laela's favorites too...she didn't seem to get as much of her dinner on her as she normally does! She scarfed it right up!

For the chicken:

1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tsp chopped garlic (or 2 chopped cloves of garlic)

1/2 tsp onion salt

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tb olive oil

Slice the chicken into 1/4 inch strips.  This will help the chicken cook quickly and evenly, and will also help to keep the portions of the chicken more even.  If you aren't kitchen knife friendly, the absolute easiest way to butcher boneless chicken is to get a pair of really clean, sharp scissors and just cut the chicken into even strips.  Scissors make it easier to trim fat without losing any of the good meat.  In a medium skillet (I prefer cast iron, as it distributes heat more evenly), heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic to the skillet.  Dry the chicken and sprinkle the seasoning on each side.  The typical rule of thumb for chicken strips is three minutes per side, but if they seem to be cooking quicker (the chicken will start turnign a white "cooked color" up the sides), flip them and when you can touch it and it's firm to the touch or bounces back at you, it's done.

I like to make my own pasta sauce, but if you don't feel up to it, that's more of a personal choice.  This recipe yields quite a bit, and is extremely easy to freeze.  I love to put it in individual containers in the freezer, so I always have extra on hand!

Super Easy Tomato Sauce

(1) 29 can tomato puree

(1) 29 oz can tomato sauce

(1) 6 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp garlic, finely chopped (4 cloves)

1 Tb olive oil

2 Tb Italian seasoning (if you like it very seasoned, feel free to add more)

1 Tb sugar

2 Tb onion powder

Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place a medium sized pot on medium-low heat, and add the oil and garlic.  When you can see that the pot is beginning to heat up, stir in the italian seasoning, onion powder, and tomato paste with the garlic and oil.  Next add the sauce and puree.  After they have been added, fill each can with water and add to the pot.  Stir all of the remaining ingredients in the pot.  If you have any fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, italian parsley, or rosemary, add them to taste.  This is one of those things that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes, but it still tastes pretty great if you only cook it for ten-twenty minutes.

I've got to be honest, this is the SUPER easy version.  The version I make for my family is a bit of a secret that a girlfriend of mine gave me, and I'm pretty sure Carly would chop off my head if I gave it to the general public.  So all of my Italian friends out there, stop slapping me with your culinary dirty looks, this version is still a heck of a lot better than jarred sauce (and let's be honest, a lot easier than Grandma's recipe)!

All you need now is some pasta.  I'm a sucker for angel hair and thin spaghetti, but you can use just about any kind of pasta you can think of.  It's not even bad with rice, but I'm one of those people that would eat just about anything with rice.

Lastly, if you're feeling cheesy, slap some on top of your chicken and pasta and bust out the blow torch!  (or pop it in the microwave until the cheese melts).

Happy eating!  And as usual, if you have any questions, just ask!  I promise this recipe is easy enough for ANYONE  to make!!

Memorial Day Party...and one cruiiiisin' baby!

I'm so excited!  My little bug had her first Cheerios with Mommy and Daddy this morning!  It's so amazing how quickly she's growing up.  I remember when she was this cute little wiggly cuddlebug, then when she started sitting up, then crawling around like a little speed demon.  Now my little girl is almost half my size (yep my eight month old is 32 inches tall folks), is cruising around the house, and is eating all the big girl food she can handle.  Sometimes I wish we could slow down time a bit, so that she enjoyed Mommy feeding her mush just a little longer, but I guess this is one of those times where you have to let go a little bit as a parent and say, "here ya go kid, eat the Cheerios...and don't choke or I'll have a heart attack."

I'll do a post next week with all of the fun party food I'm making today for our Memorial Day barbeque tomorrow- including some great treats for the little ones.  Have a great holiday weekend everyone!!

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Cauliflower Mash

So Laela is over mushed food and is on to big girl goodies!  Since I don't want her to grow up a picky eater, or a Fatty McFatterson, I'm trying to feed her a wide variety of healthy, nutritious, natural, flavor-packed meals as possible.

The tricky thing with feeding an 8 month old is that I have to make sure it's easy for someone with only four teeth to chew.  Thankfully, she's really good at understanding that she needs to chew her food, and doesn't try to stuff her mouth and just swallow her food.

Kyle and Laela both LOVED this chicken recipe that I snagged from my Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook:

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

This crumbing technique is so versatile—you can cook pork or even cod in exactly the same way. As there is butter in the crumb mixture, you can grill, fry, roast or bake the meat dry in the oven and it will turn lovely and golden.

Servings: Serves 2 (plus a peanut)

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic

1 lemon

6 cream or plain crackers , such as Jacob's

2 Tbsp. butter
4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 large egg , preferably free-range or organic
2 skinless chicken breast fillets , preferably free-range or organic
Olive oil

Directions:

To prepare your chicken: Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs on to the chicken breasts so they stick—you want the meat to be totally coated.

To cook your chicken: You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475°), place your chicken on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden and crisp.

To serve your chicken: Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

For a deliciously healthy side, try a cauliflower mash..if you're a little nervous, toss a potato in so that it has more of that yummy potato flavor that everyone loves!

Cauliflower Mash

1/2 head of cauliflower

salt and pepper (to taste)

2 Tb shaker parmesan cheese

butter (taste)

1 potato (optional- I prefer Yukon Gold)

Steam or boil cauliflower head until fork tender (it'll mush like a potato when ready).  If you want a potato in it as well, boil the potato until mashing soft.  Toss all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend it all together. 

Laela really enjoyed "dipping" her chicken pieces in her mash!  (so did I!)  This is really great paired with some peas or broccoli.

Laela's first favorite food!

Last week was a doozy..my daughter woke up with a tooth..and then another tooth. We didn't realize that she was teething until the first one popped up. It kind of explained why her usually robust appetite had kind of waned.

Now my kiddo is back to being a hungry hungry girl, and let me tell you, when I made her some baby brown rice cereal with a teaspoon of applesauce, a half teaspoon of cinnamon, a quarter cup of mashed sweet potatoes, and a little water to make it creamier...she loved it! She got so worked up with every bite that she was reaching for the spoon for more, even when it was all gone! And trust me, I scraped that bowl clean!

The thing I love most about making mashed sweet potatoes for Laela, is that I get some! Mash some up for yourself, toss a little brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in and yum! When I'm craving something extra sweet, or am just missing my old Girlscouting days, I like to add some marshmallows and just torch them for a minute with my trusty mini torch (they come in most creme brulee kits).

I love this age. She's so curious, and everything is so new to her, that the excitement that comes with something that she's never done or had (flipping upside down, trying fish tacos off of Mommy's plate) is just priceless. There's something to be said for the fearlessness that comes with being a child- the ability to try new things without being grossed out at the prospect, or afraid because you know all of the scary possible results/consequences. Well, at least until she makes friends who will tell her things are gross, or stupid, or weird, and then she doesn't want to do it because they say it's not cool.

If you have a little one like I do, enjoy this time. Relish all those little moments that they'll never remember and you'll never forget...and don't be afraid to share your funky dish with your little one, because you never know, you might have a mini chef or foodie on your hands. : )

Happy Birthday Emma!

It's amazing how quickly babies grow! I remember when Emma, my best friend Xana's daughter, was born. She was gorgeous with her chunky little cheeks and her whispy blonde hair. This weekend was her second birthday. Now, instead of a chubby cheeked, waddly little munchkin, she's evolved into a smart, charming, spunky little girl...who's now obsesssed with Yo Gabba Gabba.

When Xana told me that Emma wanted a Yo Gabba Gabba cake, I had no idea what she was talking about, so of course, I googled. To really get the gist of just how creepy, catchy, and well, mind numbing that Yo Gabba Gabba is, you'll have to check it out for yourself. If you're too afraid, let's just call it baby crack.

Here are some pictures from Emma's first birthday (with the cakes that I made), long before she liked super scary kid shows:

It was so fun making her first birthday cake. The theme was pink pink pink (and cupcakes!). My kitchen was dyed purple and pink for a week. Thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba, it's now a smattering of red, black, pink, yellow and green.

If your child is into a creepy kid show like Barney or Yo Gabba Gabba, I salute you for being a fabulously tolerant parent..and I'll keep my fingers crossed that your brains don't fry (especially since I've only watched a few videos and have had "there's a party in my tummy" stuck in my head for two weeks now. Ugh.) I can only hope that whatever Laela gets obsessed with when we let her watch the tube isn't so damn catchy.

Have a happy, non-mind numbing Monday!

Baby Taco Time!

Ah motherhood. Being a Mommy is something I always wanted to be. I had the dream perfectly laid out..tall, handsome, smart husband (check), adorable pets (check check), beautiful babies (in my dreams there were always three for some reason, but I think I'm all for two)...Anyway, after nannying for three kids for nine years, I figured being a Mom would be cake.

But we don't know what we don't know, right? I didn't know that the major difference between being a Mom and being a nanny is that the nanny is the one giving the break. Mom's don't get a break. I loved the family I nannied for, I loved those children dearly- I still do, but it will never be anything in comparison to the love I have for my child. I can't turn off my feelings for my daughter, I can't shut off the worry, concern or care for my little girl.

So when I transitioned from Cara to wife to Mommy, I had to make some pretty major decisions. Was I going to go back to work? Was I going to nurse or bottle feed? And now that the little peanut is eating solids, to make baby food, or to not make baby food?

Laela is an exceptionally big baby. My husband is 6' 6", so it isn't any surprise that by 4 months, she'd almost quadrupled her weight. Since she's so big, we started her on solids. Now that she's almost 7 months (yikes!) she's ready for the good stuff!

We opted to make her food, and I'd like to say this. I spent less than $3 on making my baby's food for the first two months (with the exception of baby cereal, which was less than $3 for 2 boxes), and you know what? I know what's in her food, and I'm getting her used to my cooking. The best part? It only takes a few short minutes. Steam veggies, puree in blender or food processor for a few seconds, season, serve.

Now my little piggers is on to taco meat with cheese and hot sauce! Tell me I don't have a little food adventurer on the horizon?!


Here's an extra special recipe I whipped up for Laela that she loved:

Baby-Friendly Tacos

1lb ground chicken, turkey or beef
taco seasoning
shredded mexican cheese mix
1 can kidney beans
hot sauce (if your little one is down with the spicy!)

sautee ground meat on medium low heat. (cooking meat on anything higher than medium will often result in a tough, overcooked meat.) add taco seasoning with a 1/4 cup of water. (if using beef, drain the fat before adding the water and taco seasoning.) try to make the meat as small as possible.
drain the water from the kidney beans. heat in pan or microwave. toss in blender on the puree setting.
mix cheese, beans and meat together for a yummy treat!
this will make A LOT of tacos, so freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays or enjoy some yummy tacos with your little one (this mixture is GREAT on nachos or in taco shells for bigger kids and grown-ups!)