It is now November 5th, 2011. Summer has come and gone. Halloween was a blur. Thanksgiving will soon be here.
Things have changed drastically in my world over the past few months. The month of August was an emotional roller coaster. I had a job opportunity in New Jersey. I intended to use the job as the catalyst to get my family to move to New Jersey, having insisted for years that we would move there before Emma started kindergarten. However, when the opportunity suddenly presented itself, there were too many significant concerns for it to feel like the responsible choice. After a month of indecision and perpetual unease, the decision was made to let the opportunity pass and to deliberately stay here in AZ and continue to work towards creating a better life and future for ourselves. We own 2 homes here, and the economy and real estate market were completely against us as far as being able to walk smoothly away from either of them. Renting seemed to be our only possible option, but it was not a reassuringly good one. Essentially, the only piece of the puzzle missing to make our Arizona life flow more smoothly was me finding a job. Whereas, the only piece of the puzzle that we solidly had for the New Jersey scenario was that I did have a job... but that's it.
We decided it would be more wise to stay here and hope that I'd be able to find employment. And, fortunately, I did! I had been saying for at least a year that I was pretty sure that the only people finding jobs these days are people with connections. If you have a friend at a company that is hiring, your chances for getting that job are far higher than if you're just an anonymous applicant. In my case, this was exactly how it went down. A friend with whom I had worked several years ago told me that her company was looking for part time help. She gave my resume to her supervisor, and he gave me the job. I worked part time for about a month before mentioning that I would like more hours. The next day, I got a full-time schedule. My life insurance, health insurance, and 401K are all now in full-swing and I am feeling so justified in the decision to persevere here in AZ.
Life is certainly different now that I am a full-time employed mom! I'm still working at getting better organized as far as keeping up with household responsibilities. It is definitely not easy, but I'm getting into a groove and Paul is extremely helpful. Life is good.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
W.F.D. 6/15/2011
What's for Dinner? Last night, it was a Middle Eastern inspired meal, and I quite enjoyed it. I'm honestly not certain whether Paul liked it or not... his first reaction (just looking at his plate) was not good. After he ate, though, he said "So, what inspired that healthy and delicious meal?"... Was he being facetious or did he think it was delicious? I don't know, but I liked it so I guess that's worthy of blogging. That and the fact that it's been several weeks since my last post. And I don't want to talk about weight-loss today. I'd rather talk about food.
First, I made the eggplant salad (because it is meant to be served cold or room-temperature). I followed a recipe (I hardly ever use recipes!) from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. The dish turned out deliciously, I couldn't stop nibbling on it while I prepared the rest of the meal! To make the salad, you cube the eggplant, toss it with 1/2tsp salt, and then set it aside.
Cook 1 1/2 cups minced onions in 2T olive oil for 5 minutes, then add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook 5 minutes more.
Add the eggplant and another 1/2 tsp salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary to prevent sticking (I didn't have to add any water). After 20 minutes you stir in 1-2T red wine vinegar and black pepper to taste. I didn't have red wine vinegar so I did 3/4t of each white balsamic and apple cider vinegar... it worked out!
The stuffed zucchini was pretty easy although I didn't follow any recipe. I simply halved the globe-shaped squash and used a spoon to scoop a small amount of the flesh away, leaving a cavity for stuffing.
I placed cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted them at 425 until they started to brown (I didn't keep track of how long it was, keep an eye on them... 10 minutes or so?).
While the zucchini roasted, I cooked a box of "Nutted Rice Pilaf" that I picked up at Whole Foods, according to package directions. Zucchini is a very watery veggie, so before stuffing them with the rice I picked up each roasted half and squeezed it gently over the sink, allowing excess moisture to drain out. Then, I stuffed each one with a good spoonful of pilaf and topped each with a small amount of the world's most delicious cheese... it's an aged Gouda, I believe, and it has little crystallized bits in it which give it a sort of crunchy yet rich and smooth texture. It's divine. So, once each zucchini had been stuffed and topped with Unie Kaas, I put them into a 450 toaster oven for just a few minutes until the cheese began to bubble, keeping an eye (and nose) on them as they finished up.
The finished meal was, to me, quite satisfying. A glass of Newmans Own Cabernet Sauvignon for me, a big frosty draft beer for Paul, and a spread of pitas, hummus, eggplant dip, and stuffed zucchini made for a nice weekday summer meal. I love letting my produce drawer dictate what's for dinner, and that's exactly what happened last night.
The Menu:
Nutty-Pilaf Stuffed Round Zucchini with Unie Kaas Reserve
Israeli Eggplant Salad
Hummus
Mini Pita Bread
First, I made the eggplant salad (because it is meant to be served cold or room-temperature). I followed a recipe (I hardly ever use recipes!) from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. The dish turned out deliciously, I couldn't stop nibbling on it while I prepared the rest of the meal! To make the salad, you cube the eggplant, toss it with 1/2tsp salt, and then set it aside.
Cook 1 1/2 cups minced onions in 2T olive oil for 5 minutes, then add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook 5 minutes more.
Add the eggplant and another 1/2 tsp salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary to prevent sticking (I didn't have to add any water). After 20 minutes you stir in 1-2T red wine vinegar and black pepper to taste. I didn't have red wine vinegar so I did 3/4t of each white balsamic and apple cider vinegar... it worked out!
The stuffed zucchini was pretty easy although I didn't follow any recipe. I simply halved the globe-shaped squash and used a spoon to scoop a small amount of the flesh away, leaving a cavity for stuffing.
I placed cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted them at 425 until they started to brown (I didn't keep track of how long it was, keep an eye on them... 10 minutes or so?).
While the zucchini roasted, I cooked a box of "Nutted Rice Pilaf" that I picked up at Whole Foods, according to package directions. Zucchini is a very watery veggie, so before stuffing them with the rice I picked up each roasted half and squeezed it gently over the sink, allowing excess moisture to drain out. Then, I stuffed each one with a good spoonful of pilaf and topped each with a small amount of the world's most delicious cheese... it's an aged Gouda, I believe, and it has little crystallized bits in it which give it a sort of crunchy yet rich and smooth texture. It's divine. So, once each zucchini had been stuffed and topped with Unie Kaas, I put them into a 450 toaster oven for just a few minutes until the cheese began to bubble, keeping an eye (and nose) on them as they finished up.
The finished meal was, to me, quite satisfying. A glass of Newmans Own Cabernet Sauvignon for me, a big frosty draft beer for Paul, and a spread of pitas, hummus, eggplant dip, and stuffed zucchini made for a nice weekday summer meal. I love letting my produce drawer dictate what's for dinner, and that's exactly what happened last night.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Bringing Sexy Back
I am on a mission. I am determined to get myself into shape and to get my body back. I have reached an all time low... well, an all time high, really. I had noticed that my jeans (which were supposed to be just temporary "big" jeans until I lost allllll the baby weight from my 2nd pregnancy) were starting to be uncomfortably tight. I realized that I was gaining weight. I kept telling myself I'd start getting more serious about getting some exercise every day and that my body was just desperate to lose the weight, so a small change like 30 minutes of walking every day was all it would take. I was continuing to eat whatever I wanted and not actually doing the walking that I knew I needed if I was to lose weight, let alone stop gaining it.
A few weeks ago a Groupon-like site featured a deal for a place called MedShape Weight Loss Clinic, and I bought it. For $30 I am to receive 5 weekly injections of "metabolic uplift" vitamins. At my first visit, I was weighed. I'm having a hard time even typing the number that came up on that scale. I was shocked and spent the rest of the day feeling utterly depressed. That evening, when I had a bit of time all to myself, I sobbed.
Waaahhhhh...... sad.... poor fat me...... but then I got motivated as hell.
In my first week on the "metabolic uplift" I logged everything I was consuming. I cut out alcohol (waaaahhhhh.... sad....), cut out tortillas (oh how I love tortillas!), and ate a lot of protein and very little fat or carbs. At the next week's appointment I got on the scale eagerly, hoping that my week of being hungry had me headed in the right direction. I was absolutely thrilled to see that I had lost SEVEN POUNDS! Talk about motivating!
The following week was Emma's 5th birthday. I was wrapped up in planning, cleaning, prepping, shopping, etc. I ate cupcakes. I ate cake. I ate tortillas and cheese (we made amazingly delicious enchiladas with home-made verde sauce) and hash brown casserole (sour cream, condensed soup, cheese, potatoes... deliciously fattening). I drank beer. And at the following weigh-in at MedShape I almost started sobbing again... I went from dropping 7lbs in week 1 to gaining a pound in week 2. So, my total 2 week weight loss was less than my 1st week... 6lbs down in 2 weeks. Not something to cry about, still motivating, but disappointed with myself at how quickly I took steps backwards. If I had only lost 1 pound that week I'd have been satisfied, but gaining is the opposite of what I need to be doing.
Back to motivated as hell. On to week 3. I'm back to logging my food. I'm eating Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal for breakfast, bran flakes or Special K with fat free milk for lunch, a protein bar for a snack, an apple for another snack, tons of water, coffee/green tea/diet cola for caffeine-needs (which are aplenty), and a satisfying protein-and-vegetable based dinner. Minimal carbs, minimal fat (in the form of avocado, olive oil, and light cheese), and minimal sugar.
Yesterday at nap time I finally got some exercise and it felt so good! I've had a yucky cold all week and have been feeling rather wiped out, so my morning walks haven't been happening. It's also gotten to be quite extremely hot out, so if the walk hasn't happened by 9ish a.m., it's not happening. I recently discovered that Netflix has a bunch of work-out movies available in their Watch Instantly library and added a bunch of them to my queue. I'm looking forward to naptime today so I can do the Crunch Slimdown pilates/yoga video again, it was great! I'm sore all over today, hungry, and feeling back on track.
Eyes on the prize. I'm bringing sexy back, dammit, and that's all there is to it. I've decided that blogging about my progress might help me stay the course. I feel more accountable for my actions when I announce them to the world, even if the world is oblivious to this l'il blog of mine. I'm expressing my intention. I'm putting it out there. I am determined, world!
A few weeks ago a Groupon-like site featured a deal for a place called MedShape Weight Loss Clinic, and I bought it. For $30 I am to receive 5 weekly injections of "metabolic uplift" vitamins. At my first visit, I was weighed. I'm having a hard time even typing the number that came up on that scale. I was shocked and spent the rest of the day feeling utterly depressed. That evening, when I had a bit of time all to myself, I sobbed.
Waaahhhhh...... sad.... poor fat me...... but then I got motivated as hell.
In my first week on the "metabolic uplift" I logged everything I was consuming. I cut out alcohol (waaaahhhhh.... sad....), cut out tortillas (oh how I love tortillas!), and ate a lot of protein and very little fat or carbs. At the next week's appointment I got on the scale eagerly, hoping that my week of being hungry had me headed in the right direction. I was absolutely thrilled to see that I had lost SEVEN POUNDS! Talk about motivating!
The following week was Emma's 5th birthday. I was wrapped up in planning, cleaning, prepping, shopping, etc. I ate cupcakes. I ate cake. I ate tortillas and cheese (we made amazingly delicious enchiladas with home-made verde sauce) and hash brown casserole (sour cream, condensed soup, cheese, potatoes... deliciously fattening). I drank beer. And at the following weigh-in at MedShape I almost started sobbing again... I went from dropping 7lbs in week 1 to gaining a pound in week 2. So, my total 2 week weight loss was less than my 1st week... 6lbs down in 2 weeks. Not something to cry about, still motivating, but disappointed with myself at how quickly I took steps backwards. If I had only lost 1 pound that week I'd have been satisfied, but gaining is the opposite of what I need to be doing.
Back to motivated as hell. On to week 3. I'm back to logging my food. I'm eating Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal for breakfast, bran flakes or Special K with fat free milk for lunch, a protein bar for a snack, an apple for another snack, tons of water, coffee/green tea/diet cola for caffeine-needs (which are aplenty), and a satisfying protein-and-vegetable based dinner. Minimal carbs, minimal fat (in the form of avocado, olive oil, and light cheese), and minimal sugar.
Yesterday at nap time I finally got some exercise and it felt so good! I've had a yucky cold all week and have been feeling rather wiped out, so my morning walks haven't been happening. It's also gotten to be quite extremely hot out, so if the walk hasn't happened by 9ish a.m., it's not happening. I recently discovered that Netflix has a bunch of work-out movies available in their Watch Instantly library and added a bunch of them to my queue. I'm looking forward to naptime today so I can do the Crunch Slimdown pilates/yoga video again, it was great! I'm sore all over today, hungry, and feeling back on track.
Eyes on the prize. I'm bringing sexy back, dammit, and that's all there is to it. I've decided that blogging about my progress might help me stay the course. I feel more accountable for my actions when I announce them to the world, even if the world is oblivious to this l'il blog of mine. I'm expressing my intention. I'm putting it out there. I am determined, world!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I Love Chiles.
I love Chiles! They are so diverse and yummy and fun to cook with. My number one favorite chile is the poblano, and I have several poblano plants growing in my little backyard "salsa garden".
To roast chiles, I just put them in my toaster oven with the heat as high as it can be (450F for my model). I keep an eye on them as the skin begins to blister, and turn them occasionally to make sure they roast evenly. Once they're thoroughly blistered up, I put them into a big tupperware container and put the lid on for 5 minutes or so. This gives them an opportunity to release a lot of heat and steam, which loosens the skin, which makes it easier to peel them. Once you have a lovely pile of roasted, peeled (and stemmed and seeded!) chiles the possibilities are endless. Chop them up and add them to just about anything- Mac N Cheese, casseroles, soups, salads, paninis, pastas.....
My two most recent roasted chile recipes were rajas and green chile salsa.
For rajas, I roasted poblanos and red bell peppers, cut them into strips and then added them to sauteed onions and garlic (I cut the onions into long thin strips to match the size and shape of the peppers). Then I made a creamy, cheesy sauce and combined it with the chile mixture, which resulted in a delicious dish for dipping tortillas in or for spooning over rice and beans or adding to burritos... it was spectacular!
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| Rajas (the photo definitely doesn't do it justice!) |
The green chile was an attempt at re-creating Paul's Grandma Emma's chile, which we have tried to do several times. This time wasn't *just* like Grandma's, but was our closest yet and absolutely delish. For Grandma's green chile (the vegetarian version), you need a combination of 6 jalapenos, 6 green chiles, and 6 yellow chiles. I added 2 poblanos to the mix, because.... well... I wanted to. So, we roasted the chiles in the toaster oven, set them aside in a covered container to steam, and then de-stemmed, de-seeded, and peeled each one (without running them under water!). We diced the roasted chiles and combined them with 3 cloves of diced garlic (this makes a very garlicky chile, 1 clove would suffice if you're not big on the raw-garlic flavor), 2 chopped scallions, and 1 chopped yellow tomato (that was a random addition, simply because I had the tomato and it needed to be eaten.). This chile wasn't nearly as liquidy as Grandma's is for some reason, so it's more like a chile salad than a salsa. We have been sprinkling it onto everything for the past several days, and it is addictive. It's quite spicy, but not painful to eat. I'm totally pleased with how it turned out this time but am still looking forward to playing around with the recipe a bit more, too.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Springy Lasagna
A couple of days ago I spent over an hour prepping a lovely spring lasagna.... I think that merits a blog post. Also, I just don't post enough on here so it seems like a good excuse to add another post to my poor, lonely, neglected bloggy-blog.
So, here we go.
I bought a bunch of super skinny asparagus, which was the inspiration for the dish. I also got a nice yellow squash, a zucchini, and a shallot to add to the Springtime vibe I was going for.
First, I boiled the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. I sliced the zucchini and yellow squash on an angle to get nice big oval shaped discs, and sauteed them with olive oil and a couple of cloves of chopped fresh garlic. Once they were nearly cooked through, I transferred them to a bowl and then used the same garlicky-oily pan to briefly sautee the asparagus (just for a couple of minutes to get them started before they hit the oven). I transferred them to a separate plate and then got to work on the sauce.
At some point here the noodles finished cooking (cooked to al dente so they could finish in the oven), so I drained them and separated them from each other a bit so they wouldn't form a big noodle clump while I was still working on the other components.
Ok, sauce. I diced the shallots, plopped them into the same pan I used for the veg, and added about 2T butter. When the shallots were translucent, I added 2T of flour and cooked while stirring continuously for a couple of minutes. Then, I poured in some whole milk (didn't measure, just added as much as I thought seemed right.... hopefully you can do the same.) and whisked to combine everything. Once it hit a simmer I reduced the heat, added salt and pepper, and let it sit on med-low heat for a few minutes to thicken up.
Once all of the components were cooked and ready, I assembled my masterpiece. The first thing into my lightly sprayed lasagna pan was a ladle-full of the bechamel sauce. Next, 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping, and then another one (torn to fit) along the top because the noodles aren't as long as the pan. The first veggie layer was the squash. Even though it wasn't visible, I got all shmancy and alternated rows of zucchini and yellow squash to form that layer. Then I sprinkled on some chopped fresh Italian parsley and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (from a bag, not soaked in oil but not crispy... kind of like raisins).
After that I added the cheese layer. I mixed 1 whole egg with 1/2 a small container of ricotta and added dollops of that all over the top of the veggies. Then, I sprinkled grated mozzerella on top.
Next another layer of noodles, then more sauce, then the asparagus. I trimmed it so it was shorter than I would have if I was serving it on it's own, and then arranged it so that there were asparagus tips on both of the outer sides and the stem sides all met in the middle.
I added another ladle full of sauce on top of the asparagus, then a bit more mozzarella and another layer of cheese. Last layer was just noodles, sauce, mozzarella. I baked it at 350 covered for about 25 minutes, then took off the cover and baked another 20. It was delicious!
So, here we go.
I bought a bunch of super skinny asparagus, which was the inspiration for the dish. I also got a nice yellow squash, a zucchini, and a shallot to add to the Springtime vibe I was going for.
First, I boiled the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. I sliced the zucchini and yellow squash on an angle to get nice big oval shaped discs, and sauteed them with olive oil and a couple of cloves of chopped fresh garlic. Once they were nearly cooked through, I transferred them to a bowl and then used the same garlicky-oily pan to briefly sautee the asparagus (just for a couple of minutes to get them started before they hit the oven). I transferred them to a separate plate and then got to work on the sauce.
At some point here the noodles finished cooking (cooked to al dente so they could finish in the oven), so I drained them and separated them from each other a bit so they wouldn't form a big noodle clump while I was still working on the other components.
Ok, sauce. I diced the shallots, plopped them into the same pan I used for the veg, and added about 2T butter. When the shallots were translucent, I added 2T of flour and cooked while stirring continuously for a couple of minutes. Then, I poured in some whole milk (didn't measure, just added as much as I thought seemed right.... hopefully you can do the same.) and whisked to combine everything. Once it hit a simmer I reduced the heat, added salt and pepper, and let it sit on med-low heat for a few minutes to thicken up.
Once all of the components were cooked and ready, I assembled my masterpiece. The first thing into my lightly sprayed lasagna pan was a ladle-full of the bechamel sauce. Next, 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping, and then another one (torn to fit) along the top because the noodles aren't as long as the pan. The first veggie layer was the squash. Even though it wasn't visible, I got all shmancy and alternated rows of zucchini and yellow squash to form that layer. Then I sprinkled on some chopped fresh Italian parsley and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (from a bag, not soaked in oil but not crispy... kind of like raisins).
After that I added the cheese layer. I mixed 1 whole egg with 1/2 a small container of ricotta and added dollops of that all over the top of the veggies. Then, I sprinkled grated mozzerella on top.
Next another layer of noodles, then more sauce, then the asparagus. I trimmed it so it was shorter than I would have if I was serving it on it's own, and then arranged it so that there were asparagus tips on both of the outer sides and the stem sides all met in the middle.
I added another ladle full of sauce on top of the asparagus, then a bit more mozzarella and another layer of cheese. Last layer was just noodles, sauce, mozzarella. I baked it at 350 covered for about 25 minutes, then took off the cover and baked another 20. It was delicious!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Valentines
Last week we celebrated that most controversial of Hallmark holidays- Valentines day. While I tend to agree that it is over-commercialized and pretty much ruined by the giant pink and red plastic heart-shaped everything, I refuse to refuse to participate. I like to be crafty. To me, Valentines day is an opportunity to do something fun, sparkly, girly, and love-filled with my little girls. My four year old is in preschool, and we had fun making home-made valentines for her to give to all of her classmates. My daughter was literally the only child in her class who gave something hand-made, rather than a perforated-edged store-bought card on which a parent had (presumably) hastily filled in the "to" and "from" section and affixed a new pencil or a bag of mini m&ms. Unfortunately, this left me feeling slightly embarrassed for having put so much effort into this little preschool exchange. Oh well, we had fun and despite feeling a bit like we overdid it, I know that I stayed true to my anti-commercialism perspective while also taking advantage of a chance to get crafty and break out my glitter collection.
First, we made heart shaped crayons. This was seriously an exciting project for us both. We searched through the crayon bin to find all of the broken bits as well as the undesirable very used crayons to be sacrificed for the hearts. The most tedious part was peeling the paper off of each crayon, but after they were all de-papered the creative part began. We used a silicone heart-shaped mini muffin pan, filling each little heart with broken crayon bits of assorted colors. I tried to do hearts with colors that would contrast nicely- pink/orange/yellow or blue/purple/gray or green/yellow/blue, for example. Once each heart was filled, I let my daughter sprinkle glitter over the whole thing and then placed the silicone tray onto a cookie sheet and popped it into a 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until the crayons had melted completely. As soon as they were melted, I carefully carried the cookie sheet outside and left it out there to cool off. The melted crayons definitely gave our whole house a very waxy smell, so letting them cool outside also helped keep the aroma from being overpowering. Once completely cooled, the heart-shaped crayons popped right out of the silicone pan with ease. The melted wax creates a beautiful swirling effect, sort of like marbles. We were both very pleased with the end result!
For the valentines for the class, we went to Michaels and bought several sheets of scrap book paper in all sorts of neat prints. During my daughter's quiet time, I used a package of plain-white heart shaped cardstock to trace hearts from the scrap book paper and then cut out an assortment of patterned hearts. My daughter then used a glue-stick to affix the colorful hearts onto the cardstock, and then decorated each one with glitter and rhinestones. She wrote the name of each of her classmates on the plain white side and signed her name on each one (this was the most time-consuming part for a four year old!). We used little circles of double-sided sticky foam to affix a heart crayon onto each, as well. The finished valentines were unique and very representative of my daughter's personality, and I think that she was proud to give them to her friends. It was fun to see her select which heart would be for which classmate (only one special little boy got a heart that looked like a waffle, and with a cupcake sticker on it.... cute!). Here are her finished valentines, with crayon hearts affixed. See the waffle, in the middle of the bottom row? Her best buddy got the butterfly. Happy Valentines Day- no perforated edges here! :)
First, we made heart shaped crayons. This was seriously an exciting project for us both. We searched through the crayon bin to find all of the broken bits as well as the undesirable very used crayons to be sacrificed for the hearts. The most tedious part was peeling the paper off of each crayon, but after they were all de-papered the creative part began. We used a silicone heart-shaped mini muffin pan, filling each little heart with broken crayon bits of assorted colors. I tried to do hearts with colors that would contrast nicely- pink/orange/yellow or blue/purple/gray or green/yellow/blue, for example. Once each heart was filled, I let my daughter sprinkle glitter over the whole thing and then placed the silicone tray onto a cookie sheet and popped it into a 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until the crayons had melted completely. As soon as they were melted, I carefully carried the cookie sheet outside and left it out there to cool off. The melted crayons definitely gave our whole house a very waxy smell, so letting them cool outside also helped keep the aroma from being overpowering. Once completely cooled, the heart-shaped crayons popped right out of the silicone pan with ease. The melted wax creates a beautiful swirling effect, sort of like marbles. We were both very pleased with the end result!
For the valentines for the class, we went to Michaels and bought several sheets of scrap book paper in all sorts of neat prints. During my daughter's quiet time, I used a package of plain-white heart shaped cardstock to trace hearts from the scrap book paper and then cut out an assortment of patterned hearts. My daughter then used a glue-stick to affix the colorful hearts onto the cardstock, and then decorated each one with glitter and rhinestones. She wrote the name of each of her classmates on the plain white side and signed her name on each one (this was the most time-consuming part for a four year old!). We used little circles of double-sided sticky foam to affix a heart crayon onto each, as well. The finished valentines were unique and very representative of my daughter's personality, and I think that she was proud to give them to her friends. It was fun to see her select which heart would be for which classmate (only one special little boy got a heart that looked like a waffle, and with a cupcake sticker on it.... cute!). Here are her finished valentines, with crayon hearts affixed. See the waffle, in the middle of the bottom row? Her best buddy got the butterfly. Happy Valentines Day- no perforated edges here! :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Oatmeal Trifecta.
I cannot decide what to call these cookies. They are sweet oatmeal heaven. They are divine. They are, quite possibly, the most delicious cookies I have ever made.
It started with a hankering for a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. I did a recipe search on allrecipes.com and decided to give the recipe 'Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies III' posted by Janie Mai a try.
The recipe was interesting. First of all, it doesn't call for any eggs. I was tempted to find another recipe, fearing that there had been a mis-type that would result in a failed batch (it's happened before using recipes found online!). The author made a point of saying that this is an egg-free batter, so I went with it. I didn't have enough chocolate chips, so I had to improvise... which is what led to the trifecta of deliciousness that made them so crazy good. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and an optional 1/2 cup of raisins. My four year old is vehemently opposed to raisins, so I couldn't add them unless this was meant to be a way to torture her... which it wasn't. So, I used 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 a cup each of butterscotch and white chocolate chips. The combination is very sweet, and the result is a sweet-tooth's dream. I found that they took longer to cook than the 10-12 minutes the recipe called for, more like 14-15. You really have to pull them out when they have *just* finished cooking through, before they become overcooked. They're kind of delicate and wanted to fall apart when I transferred them to cooling racks, but most of them turned out perfectly.
I will definitely be making these again, and plan to use the batter to make a batch of oatmeal trifecta cookie dough ice cream, too (I think it'll be perfect because it's eggless!)!
Here's the recipe..... try it, and then tell me what you'd name them. I don't think oatmeal-chocolate-chip-butterscotch-white-chocolate cookies sounds very good......
It started with a hankering for a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. I did a recipe search on allrecipes.com and decided to give the recipe 'Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies III' posted by Janie Mai a try.
The recipe was interesting. First of all, it doesn't call for any eggs. I was tempted to find another recipe, fearing that there had been a mis-type that would result in a failed batch (it's happened before using recipes found online!). The author made a point of saying that this is an egg-free batter, so I went with it. I didn't have enough chocolate chips, so I had to improvise... which is what led to the trifecta of deliciousness that made them so crazy good. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and an optional 1/2 cup of raisins. My four year old is vehemently opposed to raisins, so I couldn't add them unless this was meant to be a way to torture her... which it wasn't. So, I used 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 a cup each of butterscotch and white chocolate chips. The combination is very sweet, and the result is a sweet-tooth's dream. I found that they took longer to cook than the 10-12 minutes the recipe called for, more like 14-15. You really have to pull them out when they have *just* finished cooking through, before they become overcooked. They're kind of delicate and wanted to fall apart when I transferred them to cooling racks, but most of them turned out perfectly.
I will definitely be making these again, and plan to use the batter to make a batch of oatmeal trifecta cookie dough ice cream, too (I think it'll be perfect because it's eggless!)!
Here's the recipe..... try it, and then tell me what you'd name them. I don't think oatmeal-chocolate-chip-butterscotch-white-chocolate cookies sounds very good......
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies III a la Maryanne:
Ingredients:
* 1 cup butter
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup boiling water
* 2 cups quick cooking oats
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
1. Beat butter or margarine, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mix well.
2. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Stir in rolled oats, and the 3 kinds of chips.
3. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes. Don't over cook.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Kickin' Salad!
That's what Paul said when I fed him last night. I always feel a bit guilty when dinner is either a)ethnic or b)healthy.... and this salad was both. He's a hamburger helper loving, American cheese worshiping, crispy-fried kind of guy.... he recently told me that if I'm planning on making Indian food I should give him several days of forewarning so that he can mentally prepare himself to walk into our curry-scented house thinking 'Mmm... Indian food!' instead of 'Crap. Indian food.'. Being vegetarian, it can be challenging to come up with a good variety of meals which provide us with our daily nutritional needs while also making us feel satisfied. I try to balance out the mac n'cheese and burritos with things like roasted vegetables and cheese-less ethnic items. Last night I made an Asian salad and was pretty thrilled when Paul scarfed it down saying, "This salad is kickin'!".
Here's what I did:
In a calm moment during afternoon nap, I sliced half a zucchini, half a red pepper, and half a cucumber into long thin strips. Meanwhile, I cooked some 'smart' spaghetti (the kind that looks like white pasta but is really full of protein & stuff), and made an Asian sauce/marinade. For the sauce I mixed together a splash of apple cider vinegar, plenty of ginger-soy sauce (Kikomans... it's hard to find, but SO good!), a good glug (don't you love the exactness of my measurements?) of sweet chili sauce (bottled, in the Asian food aisle), a splash of toasted sesame oil, and some sesame seeds. Once the noodles were cooked & cooled I put them into a bowl, added the slivered veggies, and poured on the sauce. I gave everything a good "jooj" (as Rachel Ray would say), and put it in the fridge until dinner time.
When Paul got home I assembled our salads. First, I sliced up some scallions and some fresh cilantro, then diced an avocado. I put a bed of baby spinach leaves onto a large plate, topped the spinach with a mound of the marinated noodles & veggies, topped that with the diced avocado and sliced scallions and cilantro. For some crunch I sprinkled toasted slivered almonds on top, and then drizzled some of the sauce on top.
Voila. Kickin' salad! I suppose I should have taken a picture to include here.... oh well, I'm sure you can imagine it in all of it's glistening soy-noodle-avocadoey goodness. Try it, let me know what you think.... and go ahead and throw some chicken or shrimp on top if that's your thing.
Here's what I did:
In a calm moment during afternoon nap, I sliced half a zucchini, half a red pepper, and half a cucumber into long thin strips. Meanwhile, I cooked some 'smart' spaghetti (the kind that looks like white pasta but is really full of protein & stuff), and made an Asian sauce/marinade. For the sauce I mixed together a splash of apple cider vinegar, plenty of ginger-soy sauce (Kikomans... it's hard to find, but SO good!), a good glug (don't you love the exactness of my measurements?) of sweet chili sauce (bottled, in the Asian food aisle), a splash of toasted sesame oil, and some sesame seeds. Once the noodles were cooked & cooled I put them into a bowl, added the slivered veggies, and poured on the sauce. I gave everything a good "jooj" (as Rachel Ray would say), and put it in the fridge until dinner time.
When Paul got home I assembled our salads. First, I sliced up some scallions and some fresh cilantro, then diced an avocado. I put a bed of baby spinach leaves onto a large plate, topped the spinach with a mound of the marinated noodles & veggies, topped that with the diced avocado and sliced scallions and cilantro. For some crunch I sprinkled toasted slivered almonds on top, and then drizzled some of the sauce on top.
Voila. Kickin' salad! I suppose I should have taken a picture to include here.... oh well, I'm sure you can imagine it in all of it's glistening soy-noodle-avocadoey goodness. Try it, let me know what you think.... and go ahead and throw some chicken or shrimp on top if that's your thing.
Drowning in Life.
Life feels so up in the air lately. I find my mind racing all the time, trying to shuffle through the 'to-dos' and the 'what ifs' and the 'if onlys'.... trying to make sense of this crazy thing that is life. Time really does keep ticking, ticking, ticking into the future and if I'm not actively managing every little aspect of life, I tend to feel like like I'm just being dragged along by it, constantly trying to catch up, get organized, get it together.
The biggest problem at the moment is one that Mama Berenstain Bear would put under the heading of 'too much stuff'. We are 7 living creatures living under the roof of this two bedroom house, and we are at max-capacity. I feel like I'm in a perpetual state of disarray and that no matter how often or how hard I try to get organized and find a proper place for everything, nothing is where it should be most of the time. I'm also in a perpetual state of clutter-clearing. I've got bags labeled 'give', bags labeled 'Craigslist', bags labeled '2T Winter', '3T summer', etc. I haven't seen my kitchen table for a few weeks now. It, too, has fallen victim to the 'too-much-stuff' syndrome which I am currently losing the battle against. Try as I might to develop systems for organizational storage, everything seems to find a place in the wrong place.
I like to think that all we need is more space, but my logical mind tells me that if I had more space I would probably just acquire more stuff with which to overload the spaciousness. What we really need is LESS STUFF. I have to remind myself multiple times a day- I must value space more than I value stuff if I am ever to feel organized and in control of my external surroundings. I resent this consumer-driven world and the tendency to be brainwashed by billions of ads- they're everywhere- constantly trying to make us feel like we'll be better/happier/more fulfilled if only we have this thing or that product or whatever.
Even my four year old daughter is already falling for it- every supermarket display and television commercial geared towards her demographic causes her to feel absolutely, wistfully, desperately void of whatever that particular sparkly-sneaker or battery-operated hamster could do to improve her sense of self.
At least I am aware of the situation (and knowing is half the battle, right G.I. Joe?), and am determined to get things under control. I like to re-read Karen Kingston's book 'Clear Your Clutter with Feng-Shui' to boost my motivation. Watching the occasional episode of 'Hoarders: Buried Alive' doesn't hurt, either! Note to self: if I ever come up with a logical reason why I need to save a dead kitten in the freezer I have lost this battle (seriously saw a hoarder explaining that she just kept ONE of the dead kittens from her cat's litter... no big deal, just one.). I resolve to not let that happen, hah! :)
The biggest problem at the moment is one that Mama Berenstain Bear would put under the heading of 'too much stuff'. We are 7 living creatures living under the roof of this two bedroom house, and we are at max-capacity. I feel like I'm in a perpetual state of disarray and that no matter how often or how hard I try to get organized and find a proper place for everything, nothing is where it should be most of the time. I'm also in a perpetual state of clutter-clearing. I've got bags labeled 'give', bags labeled 'Craigslist', bags labeled '2T Winter', '3T summer', etc. I haven't seen my kitchen table for a few weeks now. It, too, has fallen victim to the 'too-much-stuff' syndrome which I am currently losing the battle against. Try as I might to develop systems for organizational storage, everything seems to find a place in the wrong place.
I like to think that all we need is more space, but my logical mind tells me that if I had more space I would probably just acquire more stuff with which to overload the spaciousness. What we really need is LESS STUFF. I have to remind myself multiple times a day- I must value space more than I value stuff if I am ever to feel organized and in control of my external surroundings. I resent this consumer-driven world and the tendency to be brainwashed by billions of ads- they're everywhere- constantly trying to make us feel like we'll be better/happier/more fulfilled if only we have this thing or that product or whatever.
Even my four year old daughter is already falling for it- every supermarket display and television commercial geared towards her demographic causes her to feel absolutely, wistfully, desperately void of whatever that particular sparkly-sneaker or battery-operated hamster could do to improve her sense of self.
At least I am aware of the situation (and knowing is half the battle, right G.I. Joe?), and am determined to get things under control. I like to re-read Karen Kingston's book 'Clear Your Clutter with Feng-Shui' to boost my motivation. Watching the occasional episode of 'Hoarders: Buried Alive' doesn't hurt, either! Note to self: if I ever come up with a logical reason why I need to save a dead kitten in the freezer I have lost this battle (seriously saw a hoarder explaining that she just kept ONE of the dead kittens from her cat's litter... no big deal, just one.). I resolve to not let that happen, hah! :)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
I did it.
I think I'm still adjusting. I'm still absorbing the reality that I have actually, finally completed my bachelors degree. It is insane to consider how many years ago I began my first college courses. The years that encompass my undergraduate education have been a journey, to say the least. I am so proud of myself. I think it is hard to compare anything in life to the amazing sense of pride, joy, happiness, awe, etc. that motherhood has afforded me, but knowing that extreme of positive emotion helps to put perspective on everything else, I guess. I can say in all honesty that I am so proud of myself. I went through a long phase of feeling ashamed of the academic aspect of myself and my life, I really bottomed-out and had a hard time knowing what to do about it or where to begin or how.... fortunately, time puts space between the hardships and confusing phases in life and takes us to the places where we can see things from a clearer perspective. Fortunately, I wound up in the right place. My journey brought me to the Liberal Studies program, and my degree turned out to suit me perfectly. I am finally a college graduate. I went back to school while I was pregnant with Eila. I began my fall semester when she was two days old, and I completed my spring semester- and my degree- when she was almost nine months old. I went from pre-motherhood grades that put me on academic probation, to post-motherhood grades that earned me invitations to student teach and offers from my professors to be of assistance in my future endeavors. I am thoroughly enjoying the feeling of lightness that has come with the attainment of my degree. I feel happier, more relaxed, more present. I am so proud of myself! I did it!
Monday, May 17, 2010
My mouth is en fuego!
Today I harvested 8 large jalapenos, 4 tiny green chili peppers (still trying to determine what they are), and tons of "sweet million" cherry tomatoes. I decided to pickle the jalapenos for using on nachos or as a condiment. I found Guy Fierri's recipe for pickled jalapenos & carrots on foodnetwork.com (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guys-big-bite-/pickled-jalapenos-and-carrots-recipe/index.html) and since it seemed simple and got great reviews, I used that as the basis but jazzed it up a bit. I added a bunch of whole garlic cloves, a generous amount of black pepper, a dash of salt, and a Tbs or so of honey. It made enough to fill a large Clausen pickle jar, and is now sitting in my refrigerator looking quite tasty.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Creative Writing Assignment
I just finished an assignment (well, part of it...) which required me to compose a creative writing piece inspired by a survey I created for a previous assignment. The survey was about television influencing American values, and it inspired this poem/monologue.
This isn’t South Park. I’m living in The Real World and there’s not enough room in The Hills for everyone. I’m all about the High Society and I’m making my own True Hollywood Story. I’m Keeping Up with the Kardashians and I think I need a Nip/Tuck, somebody call Dr.90210. I’ve only got One Life to Live....there’s got to be 1,000 Ways to Die and the last place I want to be is Six Feet Under. Make Me a Supermodel! I want to be America’s Next Top Model! I want to be on top and I’ve got No Reservations when it comes to What Not to Wear. If I’m not picked to be one of The Models of the Runway, I’ll feel like The Biggest Loser. But I’ll make it, I know I will.... they’ll send me to The City and I’ll bring my Entourage, all my Fly Girls and we’ll show them we know How to Make it in America. And when I’m ready to settle down, I’m gonna be one of the Real Housewives of Orange County, I don’t belong in The Office, I’m no Ugly Betty. I’ll spend my summers at the Jersey Shore and if that falls through, I’ve heard It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Most people think I’m just a regular Girl Next Door but sometimes things can get Pretty Wild.... I hope I don’t wind up Sixteen and Pregnant. Can you just imagine the Gossip, Girl?
This isn’t South Park. I’m living in The Real World and there’s not enough room in The Hills for everyone. I’m all about the High Society and I’m making my own True Hollywood Story. I’m Keeping Up with the Kardashians and I think I need a Nip/Tuck, somebody call Dr.90210. I’ve only got One Life to Live....there’s got to be 1,000 Ways to Die and the last place I want to be is Six Feet Under. Make Me a Supermodel! I want to be America’s Next Top Model! I want to be on top and I’ve got No Reservations when it comes to What Not to Wear. If I’m not picked to be one of The Models of the Runway, I’ll feel like The Biggest Loser. But I’ll make it, I know I will.... they’ll send me to The City and I’ll bring my Entourage, all my Fly Girls and we’ll show them we know How to Make it in America. And when I’m ready to settle down, I’m gonna be one of the Real Housewives of Orange County, I don’t belong in The Office, I’m no Ugly Betty. I’ll spend my summers at the Jersey Shore and if that falls through, I’ve heard It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Most people think I’m just a regular Girl Next Door but sometimes things can get Pretty Wild.... I hope I don’t wind up Sixteen and Pregnant. Can you just imagine the Gossip, Girl?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mall Endurance Test: FAIL
Today I decided to boldly go where this mom has not gone for several months..... the mall. I desperately need new jeans and also have recently had the nagging suspician that I am completely devoid of style. I decided that I owe it to myself to update the wardrobe a bit and got motivated to go try on some clothes and come home with some cute stuff.
Going to the mall with a three year old is no easy task. Well, sure, I can GO to the mall- but actually accomplishing any shopping is no easy task at all. In all fairness, I have to give my little girl due credit for being a trooper for the boring trip over to Macy's for a return and then the boring watching Mommy choose and try on jeans... and then the extraordinarily boring paying for said jeans and then (here is where things took a turn for the worst) hopping over to Baby Gap to return some stuff that was bought online....That return process was timely, since a couple of the items were missing their packing slips and were beyond the allowed return period. I try so hard to maintain my composure, to have limitless patience (because the alternative is to lose my patience, which I avoid doing in public!), and to find ways to keep Emma happy and entertained while we are doing things that she finds boring. Eila began to fuss while I stood at the Baby Gap counter, which added to my stress level. Emma kept running to hide from me in the little nooks and crannies of the store, and then decided to hold onto a display rack and spin around it in circles and circles and circles and circles.... until she made me completely dizzy just watching her. I felt tense. We had been to several stores and I had been actively exercising my patience. I am a quiet person who prefers to be anonymous while out and about, but she makes that completely impossible.
After the task of shopping was completed, we went to the mall playground. Eila was asleep in her stroller, so I needed to go and sit with her just outside of the playground at the parent seating area. I briefed Emma on the rules, which included not climbing up the slide- totally standard, a normal rule that she knows she is to follow. The first thing Emma did when she ran into the play area was start to climb up the slide. Several little ones crashed into her. I leaned over the wall and yelled to her several times, and when I finally got her attention I motioned for her to come to me. When she looked right at me and then ignored me and began to climb back up the slide, I reacted. I went into the play area, scooped her up, and we left. She had an absolute freak out. I was mortified, but also completely fed up. I can't take her defiance sometimes! I should not have to repeat myself 10 times in order for her to listen to me. It's unacceptable, and I had to react. I feel disappointed that she didn't get to have a fun time playing. I feel so frustrated, like where has my sweet little Emma gone? She is constantly defiant, argumentative, and just generally unpleasant to be around these days. I really hope this phase is a quick one. She has always been such a good girl, I hardly know how to react when she is deliberately naughty.
Going to the mall with a three year old is no easy task. Well, sure, I can GO to the mall- but actually accomplishing any shopping is no easy task at all. In all fairness, I have to give my little girl due credit for being a trooper for the boring trip over to Macy's for a return and then the boring watching Mommy choose and try on jeans... and then the extraordinarily boring paying for said jeans and then (here is where things took a turn for the worst) hopping over to Baby Gap to return some stuff that was bought online....That return process was timely, since a couple of the items were missing their packing slips and were beyond the allowed return period. I try so hard to maintain my composure, to have limitless patience (because the alternative is to lose my patience, which I avoid doing in public!), and to find ways to keep Emma happy and entertained while we are doing things that she finds boring. Eila began to fuss while I stood at the Baby Gap counter, which added to my stress level. Emma kept running to hide from me in the little nooks and crannies of the store, and then decided to hold onto a display rack and spin around it in circles and circles and circles and circles.... until she made me completely dizzy just watching her. I felt tense. We had been to several stores and I had been actively exercising my patience. I am a quiet person who prefers to be anonymous while out and about, but she makes that completely impossible.
After the task of shopping was completed, we went to the mall playground. Eila was asleep in her stroller, so I needed to go and sit with her just outside of the playground at the parent seating area. I briefed Emma on the rules, which included not climbing up the slide- totally standard, a normal rule that she knows she is to follow. The first thing Emma did when she ran into the play area was start to climb up the slide. Several little ones crashed into her. I leaned over the wall and yelled to her several times, and when I finally got her attention I motioned for her to come to me. When she looked right at me and then ignored me and began to climb back up the slide, I reacted. I went into the play area, scooped her up, and we left. She had an absolute freak out. I was mortified, but also completely fed up. I can't take her defiance sometimes! I should not have to repeat myself 10 times in order for her to listen to me. It's unacceptable, and I had to react. I feel disappointed that she didn't get to have a fun time playing. I feel so frustrated, like where has my sweet little Emma gone? She is constantly defiant, argumentative, and just generally unpleasant to be around these days. I really hope this phase is a quick one. She has always been such a good girl, I hardly know how to react when she is deliberately naughty.
Friday, March 5, 2010
When I Grow Up....
What am I going to be when I grow up? It bewilders me that I am already nearly 30 years old. I can hardly accept it, like there must be some sort of an error. How did this happen? Where did my twenties go? Here I am 29 years old, mother of two, nearly a college graduate, and completely clueless as to how to progress in an intentional way to build my life so that my family lives comfortably and as happily as possible. I want to be able to provide for my girls, not just things but also opportunities. I want to travel and expose them to different parts of the world, different people and places and ways of being. I don't want to struggle or be unhappy as a result of financial strain. I want to have a job that I enjoy and feel gratified by, and I want that job to be as lucrative as possible!
So, what will it be? I find that all I really envision when I am thinking about ways to make money are entrepreneurial in nature. I want to write childrens books or make silly music for children. I want to open a baby boutique, a toy store, a restaurant. I guess that's it, those are the things a fantasize about. And, obviously, I want it to be extremely successful. So, how do I do it? Or DO I do it? Should I try to focus on something "safer", like becoming a manager of an existing baby boutique/toy store/restaurant?
There's also the question of WHERE do I do it (whatever IT is)? If I am going to accept Arizona as my home and feel happy about this being the place where I live my life and raise my girls I will have to make intentional changes. I have been toying with the idea of becoming a teacher so that the girls and I can spend summers in New Jersey. But, does that even make sense? Would we enjoy being away from "home" for such a long stretch? As far as climate, it makes complete sense. There is always a point in mid-summer Arizona that I find myself loathing this God-forsaken place and questioning why it is that I live in this oven. I can barely cope with Arizona summers, let alone enjoy them! If we stay here, I will want to relocate to an area of the Valley that feels more rich in a)character b)community and c)nature. Perhaps closer to the mountains, on the outskirts somewhere. Perhaps some funky area of Phoenix that I don't know about. But not here, in the middle of Mesa, with walls for a view out of every window in my house! I need less walls, more trees.
I guess I just need to keep thinking about it. Keep figuring it all out. I hope that with some planning and some time my life will begin to fall into place a bit better. I look forward to having a bit of a clear idea of what my future will entail and what I need to be doing to create a life for my children to grow up feeling happy and content in. I'm optimistic. And in the meantime, I am happy. Despite my confusion and looking for more of a path or a plan, my life is good!
So, what will it be? I find that all I really envision when I am thinking about ways to make money are entrepreneurial in nature. I want to write childrens books or make silly music for children. I want to open a baby boutique, a toy store, a restaurant. I guess that's it, those are the things a fantasize about. And, obviously, I want it to be extremely successful. So, how do I do it? Or DO I do it? Should I try to focus on something "safer", like becoming a manager of an existing baby boutique/toy store/restaurant?
There's also the question of WHERE do I do it (whatever IT is)? If I am going to accept Arizona as my home and feel happy about this being the place where I live my life and raise my girls I will have to make intentional changes. I have been toying with the idea of becoming a teacher so that the girls and I can spend summers in New Jersey. But, does that even make sense? Would we enjoy being away from "home" for such a long stretch? As far as climate, it makes complete sense. There is always a point in mid-summer Arizona that I find myself loathing this God-forsaken place and questioning why it is that I live in this oven. I can barely cope with Arizona summers, let alone enjoy them! If we stay here, I will want to relocate to an area of the Valley that feels more rich in a)character b)community and c)nature. Perhaps closer to the mountains, on the outskirts somewhere. Perhaps some funky area of Phoenix that I don't know about. But not here, in the middle of Mesa, with walls for a view out of every window in my house! I need less walls, more trees.
I guess I just need to keep thinking about it. Keep figuring it all out. I hope that with some planning and some time my life will begin to fall into place a bit better. I look forward to having a bit of a clear idea of what my future will entail and what I need to be doing to create a life for my children to grow up feeling happy and content in. I'm optimistic. And in the meantime, I am happy. Despite my confusion and looking for more of a path or a plan, my life is good!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
WFD 03.02.10
Whats For Dinner?
Tacos!
1/2 small onion, diced
1 bag Morningstar Farms ground crumbles
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 tomato, diced
1 bag shredded lettuce
1 avocado
garlic salt
pepper
grated colby jack cheese
sour cream
taco shells
salsa
-Saute onion until translucent. Add crumbles & cook a few minutes. Add taco seasoning & mix well (you may need to add a small amount of water to loosen up the seasoning).
-Meanwhile, mash avocado with generous amount of garlic salt & pepper to make a quick guacamole. Add a splash of lime juice if you have a lime, but it's not crucial.
-Heat taco shells according to package directions just before serving
-Put out dishes with all of the items- cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, taco "meat, taco shells- and let everyone build their own tacos at the table.
I served this with fruit salad (blueberries, kiwis, apples, and grapes), and it was a yummy dinner!
Tacos!
1/2 small onion, diced
1 bag Morningstar Farms ground crumbles
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 tomato, diced
1 bag shredded lettuce
1 avocado
garlic salt
pepper
grated colby jack cheese
sour cream
taco shells
salsa
-Saute onion until translucent. Add crumbles & cook a few minutes. Add taco seasoning & mix well (you may need to add a small amount of water to loosen up the seasoning).
-Meanwhile, mash avocado with generous amount of garlic salt & pepper to make a quick guacamole. Add a splash of lime juice if you have a lime, but it's not crucial.
-Heat taco shells according to package directions just before serving
-Put out dishes with all of the items- cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, taco "meat, taco shells- and let everyone build their own tacos at the table.
I served this with fruit salad (blueberries, kiwis, apples, and grapes), and it was a yummy dinner!
Monday, March 1, 2010
I Can Make Ice Cream!
It's like a dream come true, really. I can't imagine how many times I have said "I want an ice cream maker" over the years.... for some reason I didn't think I was capable of making something as delicious as Ben & Jerry could... but I am! In our freezer at the moment we have Scharffen-Berger dark chocolate ice cream with green mint chips. It's insane. Before that was peanut butter ice cream with a chocolate swirl and mini peanut butter cups. Yeah. I'm constantly thinking about what flavors I'd like to try.... I have a million ideas. I wish I had more friends nearby to share the love with! Here is a picture of the first batch that Emma and I made: pink vanilla ice cream with mini-chocolate chips!
Eila's Arrival
I thought I'd add what I wrote on August 27th, 2009, 6 days after my second beautiful baby girl was born. I can hardly believe she just turned six months old!
8.27.09 10:27pm
One week ago right now the contractions had not started yet. I had been scheduled for a 5am induction, so I barely slept all night because I was so anxious. At 3am a nurse from Banner Gateway called to tell me that they were extremely busy and I should wait until I get a call that a room has become available before I head in. She told me to have a good breakfast and that they would probably be calling around mid-morning. I got up at 7 to shower, have a good breakfast, and get myself totally ready. And then we waited.... and waited.... and waited. They never called. We went to the mall and walked around for quite a while.... they never called. On the way home I made Paul go to the hospital so I could maybe just maybe be there at the right time and get a room, but the lady laughed when I told her they hadn’t called yet but I thought I’d just stop by. She told me they might call that evening, otherwise I’d be first on the list for the morning. So, we went home and Mom and Margo came over with Emma and we made dinner and enjoyed each other’s company.... but I was anxious the whole time, waiting for my phone to ring.
Finally, at around 8:00, I called the hospital. The nurse told me that I was next on the list and they would be calling within the next couple of hours, but then she told me to hang on a minute & got back on the line saying, “Can you be here at 9:00?” Mom, Margo, and Emma went back to the hotel and I had a shower and got ready.
At 9:00 we were sitting at the registration desk getting checked in, and by 9:30 I was in a delivery room. Our nurse was Michelle. She checked me (I was just about 4cm dilated & 75% effaced & soft), asked me tons of questions about the pregnancy and my medical history and whatnot, then got me hooked up to a million wires and into the bed. It was around 10:30 when she gave me the pitocin. She had told me that it would be about 15 minutes before I felt any contractions and an hour to an hour and a half before they would be painful. She was just about right! By 11:30 I was getting uncomfortable. Paul fell asleep and I just labored quietly, listening to the ‘tranquility’ station on the hospital TV. My lower back was intensely painful. The nurse, Michelle, said I was likely having ‘back-labor-, meaning that the hard part of baby’s head was pressing into my back and spine rather than her facing my back.
Around 2:30am I started to get the shakes like crazy, I felt like I looked like I was being electrocuted. Every muscle in my body twitched out of my control. Eventually, it stopped. I requested an epidural and got it around 3am. I got the shakes as it kicked in, too. The pain was gone, but I suddenly felt nauseated and light headed, and apparently my blood pressure dropped. Michelle kept having me lie on my side but then all the numbing stuff from the epidural would flow to that side (my left) and my left leg was getting TOO numb... had to keep adjusting, and she actually called for some sort of medicine to be brought in and hooked it up to my i.v.- I don’t even know what it was..... Once that all passed I was able to get a bit of rest but not any actual sleep.
By this point I was reeeally tired, having been up most of the night before and seeing as how I’m normally in bed by 10-11pm and it was 3 in the morning.... I didn’t blame Paul for sleeping (although he was awake for the whole shakes & epidural thing), we were tired! I rested until I started to get the shakes again, and I felt some wetness that made me think my water had broken. I called for the nurse and when she checked me she said that it was just “bloody show” but that she could feel my “bag of water” and it was low and tight. At that point I was 8cm and she said that if my water broke the baby would move down rapidly and I would be a)in a lot of pain and b)delivering the baby promptly. She called my doctor.
My contractions were definitely getting intense and felt like I would be pushing soon- tons of pressure and I felt like my water was just going to burst if I pushed even the slightest bit so I tried to resist that urge. When Dr. Mikel arrived he used one of those hook things to manually break my water, and within moments I was pushing. I pushed for 20-25 minutes and had a mirror at the foot of the bed so I could see the baby emerging and then being born, which was incredible.
The baby was born at 6:48am. She had inhaled some fluid as she was born so there were a scary couple of minutes right away when Michelle was rubbing her trying to stimulate her to cry and she wasn’t responding right I guess. Michelle called for help sounding really urgent and saying that she had a “floppy baby”. Some other nurses came in and one of them began suctioning what looked like blood (mine) out of her lungs using long narrow tubing. It was awful and scary, but at one point one of the nurses looked at me and said “she’s fine, Mom....”. She weighed 6lbs 12ozs and was 19 3/4 inches long..... and SO CUTE!!! I kept tearing up and felt a most incredible feeling of joy and relief and amazement. The hospital plays a little lullaby tune whenever a new baby and parents are being escorted from delivery to recovery, and when the song played as I was wheeled through the halls, I teared up again.
We spent the next 30 or so hours at the hospital. It was extremely hard to get any rest there and I was beginning to feel delirious. Our room was right next to the nurses’ station so we could hear them chit-chatting out there the time, and there were just so many people in and out of the room all the time that I could never doze off. Nurses checking the baby’s vitals, other nurses checking my vitals, cookie lady, flowers lady, hospital photos lady, birth certificate lady, discharge class lady, food lady, pediatrician, hearing test lady, Dr. Sodoma, and then there was our family, too.
We did not name the baby until right before we were going to be discharged. It had been months and months of obsessive indecision, and it wasn’t easy to just decide already.... I absolutely love her name, though, and feel like it suits her really well: Eila June.
She will be 1 week old in the morning. We have been to the pediatrician twice this week and to a lab to get her blood tested three times, because she was jaundiced on Monday.
8.028.09 2:35pm
I just spoke with a nurse at the pediatrician’s office- Eila’s billiruben levels have gone down. No more tests are necessary- yay!
8.27.09 10:27pm
One week ago right now the contractions had not started yet. I had been scheduled for a 5am induction, so I barely slept all night because I was so anxious. At 3am a nurse from Banner Gateway called to tell me that they were extremely busy and I should wait until I get a call that a room has become available before I head in. She told me to have a good breakfast and that they would probably be calling around mid-morning. I got up at 7 to shower, have a good breakfast, and get myself totally ready. And then we waited.... and waited.... and waited. They never called. We went to the mall and walked around for quite a while.... they never called. On the way home I made Paul go to the hospital so I could maybe just maybe be there at the right time and get a room, but the lady laughed when I told her they hadn’t called yet but I thought I’d just stop by. She told me they might call that evening, otherwise I’d be first on the list for the morning. So, we went home and Mom and Margo came over with Emma and we made dinner and enjoyed each other’s company.... but I was anxious the whole time, waiting for my phone to ring.
Finally, at around 8:00, I called the hospital. The nurse told me that I was next on the list and they would be calling within the next couple of hours, but then she told me to hang on a minute & got back on the line saying, “Can you be here at 9:00?” Mom, Margo, and Emma went back to the hotel and I had a shower and got ready.
At 9:00 we were sitting at the registration desk getting checked in, and by 9:30 I was in a delivery room. Our nurse was Michelle. She checked me (I was just about 4cm dilated & 75% effaced & soft), asked me tons of questions about the pregnancy and my medical history and whatnot, then got me hooked up to a million wires and into the bed. It was around 10:30 when she gave me the pitocin. She had told me that it would be about 15 minutes before I felt any contractions and an hour to an hour and a half before they would be painful. She was just about right! By 11:30 I was getting uncomfortable. Paul fell asleep and I just labored quietly, listening to the ‘tranquility’ station on the hospital TV. My lower back was intensely painful. The nurse, Michelle, said I was likely having ‘back-labor-, meaning that the hard part of baby’s head was pressing into my back and spine rather than her facing my back.
Around 2:30am I started to get the shakes like crazy, I felt like I looked like I was being electrocuted. Every muscle in my body twitched out of my control. Eventually, it stopped. I requested an epidural and got it around 3am. I got the shakes as it kicked in, too. The pain was gone, but I suddenly felt nauseated and light headed, and apparently my blood pressure dropped. Michelle kept having me lie on my side but then all the numbing stuff from the epidural would flow to that side (my left) and my left leg was getting TOO numb... had to keep adjusting, and she actually called for some sort of medicine to be brought in and hooked it up to my i.v.- I don’t even know what it was..... Once that all passed I was able to get a bit of rest but not any actual sleep.
By this point I was reeeally tired, having been up most of the night before and seeing as how I’m normally in bed by 10-11pm and it was 3 in the morning.... I didn’t blame Paul for sleeping (although he was awake for the whole shakes & epidural thing), we were tired! I rested until I started to get the shakes again, and I felt some wetness that made me think my water had broken. I called for the nurse and when she checked me she said that it was just “bloody show” but that she could feel my “bag of water” and it was low and tight. At that point I was 8cm and she said that if my water broke the baby would move down rapidly and I would be a)in a lot of pain and b)delivering the baby promptly. She called my doctor.
My contractions were definitely getting intense and felt like I would be pushing soon- tons of pressure and I felt like my water was just going to burst if I pushed even the slightest bit so I tried to resist that urge. When Dr. Mikel arrived he used one of those hook things to manually break my water, and within moments I was pushing. I pushed for 20-25 minutes and had a mirror at the foot of the bed so I could see the baby emerging and then being born, which was incredible.
The baby was born at 6:48am. She had inhaled some fluid as she was born so there were a scary couple of minutes right away when Michelle was rubbing her trying to stimulate her to cry and she wasn’t responding right I guess. Michelle called for help sounding really urgent and saying that she had a “floppy baby”. Some other nurses came in and one of them began suctioning what looked like blood (mine) out of her lungs using long narrow tubing. It was awful and scary, but at one point one of the nurses looked at me and said “she’s fine, Mom....”. She weighed 6lbs 12ozs and was 19 3/4 inches long..... and SO CUTE!!! I kept tearing up and felt a most incredible feeling of joy and relief and amazement. The hospital plays a little lullaby tune whenever a new baby and parents are being escorted from delivery to recovery, and when the song played as I was wheeled through the halls, I teared up again.
We spent the next 30 or so hours at the hospital. It was extremely hard to get any rest there and I was beginning to feel delirious. Our room was right next to the nurses’ station so we could hear them chit-chatting out there the time, and there were just so many people in and out of the room all the time that I could never doze off. Nurses checking the baby’s vitals, other nurses checking my vitals, cookie lady, flowers lady, hospital photos lady, birth certificate lady, discharge class lady, food lady, pediatrician, hearing test lady, Dr. Sodoma, and then there was our family, too.
We did not name the baby until right before we were going to be discharged. It had been months and months of obsessive indecision, and it wasn’t easy to just decide already.... I absolutely love her name, though, and feel like it suits her really well: Eila June.
She will be 1 week old in the morning. We have been to the pediatrician twice this week and to a lab to get her blood tested three times, because she was jaundiced on Monday.
8.028.09 2:35pm
I just spoke with a nurse at the pediatrician’s office- Eila’s billiruben levels have gone down. No more tests are necessary- yay!
WFD 2.24.10
What's For Dinner?!
I picked up a package of fresh peirogis from Sprouts the other day and have been pondering how I ought to prepare them. Next time I'm thinking I'll do peirogi enchiladas..... but this was our Wednesday night dinner, and I rather enjoyed it! I served this with a simple green salad.
Peirogis & Sausage
1 package peirogis (I used potato & cheddar)
1 package Trader Joe's Italian Sausage with Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper (or whatever color you prefer), thinly sliced
1/2 jar prepared bruschetta topping (or a dollop of tomato sauce or some drained canned diced tomatoes or diced fresh- whatever!)
splash of balsamic vinaigrette
olive oil
salt & pepper
-Saute onion & pepper in a little oil until soft. Add a drizzle of vinaigrette and a dollop of bruschetta topping or tomato product of your choice, stir into peppers and onions.
-Push that mixture to the side of the pan and place sausages in pan. Cook sausages, turning occasionally to let all sides brown.
-On a separate non-stick and lightly oiled pan/skillet, place all of the peirogis so they are laying flat. Cook until crispy golden brown, and then flip to let the front cook.
-Serve peirogis atop a bed of peppers and onions, with sausages on the side.
I picked up a package of fresh peirogis from Sprouts the other day and have been pondering how I ought to prepare them. Next time I'm thinking I'll do peirogi enchiladas..... but this was our Wednesday night dinner, and I rather enjoyed it! I served this with a simple green salad.
Peirogis & Sausage
1 package peirogis (I used potato & cheddar)
1 package Trader Joe's Italian Sausage with Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper (or whatever color you prefer), thinly sliced
1/2 jar prepared bruschetta topping (or a dollop of tomato sauce or some drained canned diced tomatoes or diced fresh- whatever!)
splash of balsamic vinaigrette
olive oil
salt & pepper
-Saute onion & pepper in a little oil until soft. Add a drizzle of vinaigrette and a dollop of bruschetta topping or tomato product of your choice, stir into peppers and onions.
-Push that mixture to the side of the pan and place sausages in pan. Cook sausages, turning occasionally to let all sides brown.
-On a separate non-stick and lightly oiled pan/skillet, place all of the peirogis so they are laying flat. Cook until crispy golden brown, and then flip to let the front cook.
-Serve peirogis atop a bed of peppers and onions, with sausages on the side.
Voila... it's my blog.
Lately I find myself pondering the reality that this is it! This is my life, it is happening NOW, and it's up to me to be as present for it as I can be. I have a tendency towards procrastination... and the creation of this blog has been just one of the things I thought about doing.... and it's happening NOW!
I have always loved to write. I have stacks of journals with pages full of my thoughts, dreams, and day-to-day events. I have noticed, however, that my journal-keeping has become less and less consistent as my life has gotten more and more complicated. My main goal with this blog is to get back into writing. I don't expect that my posts will be riveting or profound, I just hope to get my thoughts out of my head and into words and paragraphs.... I have always felt that the process of writing itself is as significant as the end result of a tangible document. It's about letting thoughts flow, exploring ideas, and being able to reflect upon them in time.
I love to shop, particularly for great deals on quality items. Lately, my shopping focus is primarily on items for my two daughters. I am frequently online searching for new toys, books, and clothes for my girls and am beginning to be a little embarrassed by how often the UPS truck pulls up in front of my home. I love a good deal and am a big fan of not having to pack my girls up and drive someplace to find it! I'll be posting about my latest finds, because I always feel the need to tell people about things I get excited about.
I also love to cook, and spend a good amount of my online time searching for new recipes. I plan on using this blog as a way to share my successes and failures in the kitchen, too! My latest cooking adventures have been making home-made ice cream and baby food.
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