Valentine's Day Fun (with 16 babies)

 Happy Valentine's Day from Lillian and all of her friends. We had a very special holiday play group at our house this morning.....and had 16 babies join us! Babies from 8 weeks to 18 months...walkers, crawlers, snugglers. It was BabyPaLooza around here! But what fun.

Since we scheduled the party between naps we served a light lunch of homemade tomato soup and heart-shaped toasted cheese sandwiches (a big favorite with the "first foods" crowd).

We rounded it out with homemade whoopie pies (made using my client Cuisipro's mini ice cream sandwich maker), and chocolate marshmallow cake pops. Someone brought heart shaped donuts, which were another festive addition and I also made a super simple snack mix that I found absolutely addictive.

It was a really fun group and everyone seemed thoroughly tuckered out for afternoon naps (Lilly didn't even make it to the end of the party). Sadly, I didn't get a chance to snap many pics of the action and the ones I got were pretty dreadful, but the babies were SO, SO cute! They're really the best Valentine anyone could ask for.  : )

That said, if you're looking for an extremely simple, last-minute addition to a Valentine's Day party, I recommend this addictive snack mix:

Sweet & Savory Valentine Snack Mix

1 bag pretzel sticks or rounds
1 bag chocolate Teddy Grahams
1 bag yogurt covered dried cherries
1 bag Valentine's M & Ms

Combine all ingredients in a large, zip-top bag and toss to combine. Pour into a festive bowl and try to control yourself.

Buttermilk Orange Popsicles -- Easy. Low-fat. Yummy.

I can't tell you how often JiT and I turn to each other, long after dinner is done, sometime around 9 pm, usually while we're watching Pawn Stars or some other such mid-week time-waster, and declare: "I'm hungry for something sweet." This isn't the type of craving that needs to be met with decadence. Nothing like chocolate cake or a grand souffle. Just a little something.

Well, if you're anything like us....here's that perfect something. These popsicles are low-fat, insanely easy to prepare and just the perfect sweet, tangy something to close out your day.

I'd originally planned to make these into an ice cream or a granita, simply because we had some extra buttermilk on hand. But then I remembered these adorable little popsicle molds that a new freelance client recently sent to me (to make that clear, Cuisipro is a client). They make a variety of extremely well-designed kitchen products and these popsicle molds are among my favorite. They come in a set that can be linked together in the freezer. So you can use as many of them as you like, in whatever configuration you like. Super smart. And that concludes my pitch for the pops. Seriously though...they're really handy.

So the next time you have 5 minutes in the kitchen and a carton of buttermilk on hand, mix up a batch of these pops. When that 9 pm craving rolls around you'll be VERY glad you did.

Buttermilk Orange Popsicles
Makes 6 popsicles

2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (if possible, one with a pour spout). Stir to dissolve sugar. Pour into popsicle molds and place in freezer for at least 3 hours or until pops are firm.

Enjoy.

From Scratch German Chocolate Cake w/Chocolate Drizzle

German Chocolate Cake

My Brother-in-Law, Chris, was with us for his 40th birthday, so JiT asked that I bake his brother's favorite cake -- German Chocolate (coincidentally its also JiT's favorite cake). I was a tad bit intimidated. I'm not sure I've ever eaten  German Chocolate cake let alone baked one. And I haven't made a cake from scratch since before Lilly arrived. I was feeling rusty to say the least.

But I decided to buck up, buy some cake flour and coconut and get to it. Of course, the entire baking and decorating process had to be timed around bedtimes and naps, so that was exciting. Luckily, the cake batter came together pretty quickly between Lilly's bedtime and our dinnertime. Then Lilly took a monster nap today which gave me enough time to do the coconut/pecan topping as well as a chocolate drizzle to pour over the top.

According to JiT, this is a bit different than the German chocolate cake he had in his head. Not sure where I went astray....he kept referencing some sort of chocolate frosting...but regardless its quite good. The cakes are only slightly chocolatey, which I like versus a super-rich cake. They also have a nice, light crumb. The coconut/pecan filling is sweet and full of rich texture and crunch. The chocolate topping added just a little something extra. All in all, a birthday hit if I say so myself.

And it felt good to bake again....perhaps this will inspire me to pull out my piping tips and get my buttercream on one of these days.

What about you guys...any recent cooking or baking accomplishments that have made you feel a little braver in the kitchen? Any great cake recipes you can recommend I try next?

German Chocolate Cake
Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

3 eggs
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz. milk chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 recipe coconut pecan frosting (see below)
1 recipe chocolate drizzle (see below)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Separate eggs. Allow egg yolks, whites and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare three 8 x 8" cake pans (or you can use round cake pans; if you don't have 3 pans you can bake two cakes, using more batter in one, and spit the thicker one in half). Line the bottom of each pan with parchment, then grease and flour. Set pans aside.

In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set bowl aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the 8 oz of chocolate with 1/3 cup of water. Warm over low heat until chocolate melts. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Allow to cool.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides again and add in the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk in three additions, beating on low speed after each addition.

Using a fresh bowl and wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Spread batter in prepared cake pans.

Bake cakes in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for at least 10 minutes. Gently remove cake layers from pans and allow to continue cooling on wire racks to room temperature.

To finish cake, place one layer of cake on a serving tray. Spread with one third of the coconut frosting mixture. Add another cake layer and another third of the coconut frosting. Add the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top. Pour chocolate drizzle over the top, allowing to drip off the sides. Cool completely before serving.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 egg
1 can evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a small saucepan, beat egg, evaporated milk, sugar and butter. Place over low heat, cooking and stirring constantly for 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add coconut and pecans. Cover and cool thoroughly.

Chocolate Drizzle

8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine chocolate and oil in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, add a bit more vegetable oil until chocolate reaches the right consistency for drizzling. Pour over cake while warm.

Adventures in Baby Food Making

Its probably a surprise to no one that I've been making my own baby food since Lillian started eating solids. I love being able to prepare foods fresh for her. There is a certain peace of mind in knowing exactly what she's eating, that its fresh and that its wholesome. Its also relatively easy to prepare -- I say relatively because if you compare this to popping open a jar, its certainly more involved. But to me its worth the effort.

A couple of tips and considerations that might be helpful for anyone embarking on their own homemade baby food adventure:

• Stock your freezer. Consider purchasing tons of frozen organic (if that's your persuasion) veggies when they're on sale. Since the veggies are already cleaned and chopped, it doesn't take much extra effort to throw some frozen peas or chunks of butternut squash into a pot to steam for a few minutes. Also, those bags of fresh, organic "baby" carrots are a huge time saver. 

• Make it puree-easy. You might want to consider getting a baby food making "system." I have a Baby Bullet food chopper for making purees. I say might because its certainly not vital. There's nothing so special about the Bullet versus other baby food systems or, quite frankly, a blender and some ice cube trays. But I like that I can leave it sitting in one tiny spot on my countertop and have it at my fingertips, plus its super easy to clean. Its very convenient to quickly blend something up without making a total wreck out of the kitchen. Mine didn't come with the "Free Turbo Steamer" advertised on their website. Maybe that would make it even more convenient. Regardless, its nice to be able to puree things quickly and I am partial to the teensy, tiny little food storage jars with smiley faces on them :)

• Consider short-order cooking. Instead of making large batches of food at the start of the week like most of the books suggest, I actually find it easier to make Lilly's food to-order using whatever ingredients I'll be using to make my own dinner. This way, if Lillian isn't a fan of a new food (she's already got a particular palate), I'm not stuck with 6 more containers of green beans in the fridge. The food we eat is healthy enough that its usually pretty easy to bake an extra sweet potato or set aside some steamed carrots or broccoli or bake an extra piece of chicken or whatever, then blend hers up. 

• Don't fear the flavor! Don't be surprised if your baby quickly advances beyond bland, plain steamed veggies.  Lillian found these interesting for about 2 weeks. Then all of a sudden she was like "Meh." I was a little panicked that I was going to have a food diva that would only eat three vegetables for the rest of her life but it turns out I think she was just ready for more flavor. My new rule of thumb is the same one I learned in culinary school: "Taste, Taste, Taste." If it tastes good to me, I feel more confident she might enjoy it too.  Last week I ended up making her some tilapia poached with herbs and spices. I then pureed that with a pat of butter, a few shreds of cheese, a scallion, a steamed potato and some green beans. I tasted it and it was darned good. She agreed and gobbled it right up. 

• Embrace the mess. At first I was very good about spoon feeding her myself and scraping all the stray chunks off of her chin and what not. But after a few weeks, Lillian was done with all that. She literally started ripping the spoon out of my hand and wouldn't allow it in her mouth unless she was in charge. After some trial-and-error we came to a truce. I load the food on the spoon, then hand it to her to place in her mouth. Its a messier process but she's a happier baby so thats fine with me. 

• Go beyond "baby food". At seven months, traditional baby food purees are just part of Lillian's diet. Many of my friends and fellow bloggers have embraced Baby Led Weaning (basically, skipping pureed food completely and instead giving babies 6 mo and up finger foods from the very start). Although I'd heard positive things, we didn't end up going that route completely. That said, since Lillian  quickly took an interest in feeding herself we introduced finger foods earlier than is typically recommended. She loves orange segments, well-steamed carrots, broccoli florets, sticks of banana, etc. I watch her very closely because she doesn't have any teeth (but her gums are awfully powerful!) and she does gag occasionally, which completely freaks me out. But she seems to love doing things on her own and I figure she has to learn eventually, so as long as she's well supervised, why not?

• Follow your own path. As you can see, I sort of make up my own rules as I go along. We kind of follow the doctor and kind of follow the books...but I mostly follow Lillian. She's got her opinions. I'm sure thats the same for every baby. ; ) Along those same lines...I know that for allergy reasons you're supposed to wait three days between each and every new food but after the first couple of weeks I gave up on this. I'm probably a bad mom, but she hasn't had a reaction to anything yet so unless its a major allergen risk (nuts, shellfish...stuff that we're not introducing at all yet), I've relaxed a little bit on this rule. She seems fine so far.  

What about you guys? Is anyone else making their own baby food? Any fabulous baby food recipes I should try?? Or are you a jar food person all the way? Do you think I'm crazy? 

Nana taught her to wave...

 Hi Lilly!

 Hi Lilly!

 Hi Lilly!

Hi Lilly!

Slow Cooker Thai Pork Stew

As I've mentioned, since Lillian's arrival the slow cooker has become my dinnertime lifeline. With winter in full-swing we're using it at least a few times a week. From the chicken pot pie featured on the cover of this month's Real Simple to my enchilada lasagna, any meal I can put together during Lilly's morning nap is a winner in my world. That said, this one was actually so easy I managed to get it into the crock pot before her nap, with one hand, while holding her on my hip (you're so impressed, right?).

Anyway, this recipe intrigued me simply because its different. I don't often see Thai flavors (or ethnic flavors of any variety) get the slow cooker treatment. The original version sounded awesome but potentially bland I made a few additions to add some additional depth to the flavor profile. The result was both hearty and exotic. A little bit spicy and slightly sweet but not overly so. Fresh lime juice, cilantro and scallions add just the right amount of freshness and tang in the finish. In fact despite some extreme skepticism on his part (I've had a track record of slow cooker fails), JiT declared this to be a "top five of all time" meal. Not to shabby.

Besides being simple its an insanely inexpensive meal. The original recipe calls for pork loin cut into chunks but while I was at the store I saw a few packs of boneless pork loin ribs on sale. I got over 1.5 lbs for about five bucks and they were already trimmed and portioned so I just had to dump them into the crock pot. If you can find them, its a serious time saver.

Take this as a warning -- with winter in full swing and (dare I even say this, Internet??) Lilly's morning nap schedule taking on some sense of predicability, I've got a whole arsenal of slow cooker recipes lined up. Of course, I'm always looking for more so if you have any recommendations please send them my way.

As a side note, I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback related to my last post about keeping it real. I also want to say thanks to those who inspired me to write it: thanks to Kate, Mandy and JB as well as this excellent article about motherhood that's been gaining a lot of attention recently (excellent read). I guess no matter what situation you might find yourself in, everybody needs a good reality check now and then.

What about you guys. Anybody found a new go-to recipe to make your life easier? Or given yourself permission to accept your reality for what it is?

Slow Cooker Thai Pork with Lime and Rice
Serves 2 generously
(Adapted from Cooking Light)

1.5 lbs. boneless pork loin ribs
2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (I used the jar stuff...one handed cooking has its limits)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 medium red pepper, julienned into thin strips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional, more or less to your taste if you prefer a sweeter dish)
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Tabasco but Sriracha would be awesome)

6 cups hot, cooked basmati rice

Garnishes: Chopped cilantro, scallions, fresh lime wedges

Combine pork and the next six ingredients in your slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Pork should be tender enough to start falling apart when its ready.

30 minutes before serving, add the bell pepper strips peanut butter, brown sugar and Tabasco. Stir to combine evenly, cover and cook until peppers are tender.

To serve, spoon rice into bowls, ladle pork over top and garnish with cilantro, scallions and lime juice.

Complain all you want about the snow...

This makes it worth every frozen flake...