A Homemaker's Habitat

Adventures in Baby Food Making

2012-01-30T16:19:00.002-06:00

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...

2012-01-27T19:51:00.004-06:00

Hi Lilly!

Slow Cooker Thai Pork Stew

2012-01-22T12:08:00.002-06:00

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...

2012-01-21T16:08:00.001-06:00

This makes it worth every frozen flake...

My life in reality

2012-01-20T16:37:00.002-06:00

This is a post I've been turning over in my head for weeks now. Probably longer. I've been struggling with how to say it...if I should even say it at all. Beyond being a record of my life and my recipes, Homemaker's Habitat has always been an aspirational place for me. It's a reflection of who I want to be. The way I write it, the way I write JiT...we've always been characters. And for a very long time, the food was a character too. It was beautiful and complicated and it made me really happy.

But lately I haven't felt like saying much. Not the way I used to at least. When I named this blog, being a homemaker was the ultimate fantasy. I thought it meant spending your days making complicated baked goods and ironing the bed sheets and handcrafting vintage thank you cards out of felt and glue. In reality, that's called The Martha Stewart Show.

Now that I am a homemaker, I barely have time time to craft a blog post let alone and actual craft project. I still cook but its not the way I used to. It turns out that being a homemaker involves a lot more diaper cream than buttercream. Not that I'm complaining. I love what I do and I feel blessed that I get to do it. Its just....not what I expected.

And therein lies the problem. This blog...the name...the food...the way I've always portrayed our family...its not who I am anymore. Its exactly what I always wanted but not at all what I thought it would be. But I wouldn't change any of it. Come to think of it, thats probably a great description of motherhood in general.

What I'm trying to say is...I don't know how to write the way I used to anymore. Or if you'll want to read it if I write it the way it is. Right now my life is trying to raise a child and cook dinner one-handed with said child on my hip and get spit up stains out of everything and apologize to my husband for snapping at him (again) and balancing a freelance career and attempting to sleep at some point. Its hard. And its not perfect. We're not perfect. I'm not perfect. The food definitely isn't perfect. I use the slow cooker a lot. I'm not above frozen chopped onions and store bought croutons. The baby doesn't sleep very well. JiT and I don't always agree on parenting choices. The dog just wants someone to play....

I fear this is coming off as whiney and ungrateful. "Poor Rebecca got everything she ever wanted and she's still unhappy." Not my intention in the slightest. I realize how lucky I am to get to stay home with my child and have a wonderful, kind loving husband who provides for us. That I'm able to have just enough of a career to feel like I'm contributing. That Lillian is a happy, healthy, sweet adorable baby with a laugh that could make the devil himself smile. I am humbled by this job everyday. I just thought there would be more time to bake. And perfectly julienne vegetables. And use hot glue. There is no hot glue.

Honestly I think I lost track of where I was heading with this. And now Lillian is up from her nap so I have to wrap this up or the entire post is destined to stay in my "drafts" folder until the end of time. So, I think my point is....

BREAKING NEWS: Until further notice this blog will be about motherhood and cleaning products and baby food and truly awful food photography. Because now that I'm a homemaker, Homemaker's Habitat is getting a reality check. The end.

I was gone for six hours...

2012-01-17T17:15:00.001-06:00

So I had my first meeting downtown today for a new freelance gig. Had to dig out some professional clothes and leave Lilly home with my mom for the morning. It was the longest I've ever left her (about 6 hours) and she did amazing (so did Nana). They had so much fun and she napped well and didn't cry at all. And I did so great....it was awesome to flat iron my hair!! and get a morning coffee and sit in a conference room and talk strategy!!! and generally feel like a grown up!!But I SWEAR Lillian literally mutated into a big girl baby while I was gone. Shes been hitting all sorts of milestones lately but today was something else. She must have spent the entire six hours practicing. I came home and she's sitting up completely unassisted. Like all..."oh I've GOT this. You just go about your biz lady."

And the random sippy cup we've been handing her occasionally? Yeah she's all "I'll take that thanks...to toss back while i munch these here pieces of real, not-a-purée apple. Because, you know, I'm advanced. Someone notify Harvard."

In March I'm supposed to work a trade show at McCormick Place for a few days. At this rate she'll be completing her thesis by the end of the conference. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Snow Day Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-12T20:33:00.001-06:00

Why do snowy afternoons seem incomplete without fresh baked cookies? I'm partial chewy oatmeal cookies dotted with tangy cranberries and pecans. Perhaps because they seem hearty even while being slightly decadent. Not to mention how quick and easy these are to make...quick enough to get them prepped and into the oven during one of Lillian's shorter naps.

Between these chewy, yummy cookies in the oven and my enchilada lasagna in the slow cooker, the house was bursting with warm hearty smells by the time JiT walked in from the snow tonight.

It's days like this that make me especially thankful to be at home with Lillian and able to do a little cooking along with a little freelance work (and housework). Hope you guys enjoyed the snow today too!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
2 dozen

1 stick butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer combine the butter and sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.Add dry ingredients to the the sugar mixture and beat well. Stir in oats, cranberries and nuts.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets and bake for 10 minted or until cookies are slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before moving to racks. Seal in an airtight container.

The best 8 square feet in my house

2012-01-03T22:10:00.001-06:00

The girls and I spend three quarters of our day snuggled into an 8'x8 room. We have everything we need here:
- A fluffy shag rug
- A comfy kid-safe couch
- Fireplace heater for warmth and ambiance
- TV for morning news
- A dedicated Boppy pillow (extremely important)
- LOTS of baby and doggie toys
-Easy access to the kitchen, which is adjacent

- My desk, computer, freelance files, mail, and wall calendar

This room is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with this house. The minute I saw the layout I knew I could pack this space with a ridiculous amount of function.

I love having everything I need at my fingertips. I love that I can make coffee, play with Lilly, pump breast milk and do freelance work all within 10 footsteps. And everything has a spot so it doesn't look too chaotic. Everyone should have a room like this in their like. Just ask my girls:

Last Minute Holiday Bark and Christmas Babies

2011-12-22T15:18:00.001-06:00

Some of the Moms from the Oak Park/River Forest Baby & Toddler Meetup Group got together for a little holiday fun this week. (i.e. Dress your baby in adorable Christmas attire and sit around stuffing yourself with Christmas treats). Everyone was supposed to bring a sweet treat to pass and I'd been planning to bring my peppermint meringues but, of course, realized the night before the party that we didn't have any eggs. So organized.

On the morning of the party (which started at 9:30....keep in mind this was a party for mothers of infants so we'd all been up for awhile), I threw together this festive holiday bark. Using little more than a microwave, a cookie sheet and a cutting board, this bark was ready to go in about 30 minutes time and that includes cooling time. Its nothing more than white chocolate sprinkled with chopped pistachios, dried cranberries and kosher salt but the festive colors and unique combination of sweet, salty crunchy and chewy makes this a total standout treat. In fact, Lilly and I received several compliments from some of the other moms (Lilly totally helped make it).

The party was so much fun...between us there were NINE babies in attendance from 3 months to 1 year old. They were quite the wild bunch -- Lots of rolling on the floor, squealing & screaming and one even took off her onesie. In all seriousness though, this is a really nice bunch of moms and babies. I feel so grateful to have found a group of moms to hang out with so quickly here in Oak Park. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and many of them live within just a few blocks of our house. Its just one more thing I love about Oak Park.

Tomorrow we head out to Rockford to celebrate Christmas with my parents, Grandma and sister. It should be a laid-back holiday with lots of good food....including another batch of this holiday bark.

Do you have a go-to last-minute holiday treat recipe? What are you doing for Christmas? Big plans or keeping it low-key? Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas.

Last Minute Holiday Bark

1.5 lbs white chocolate/almond bark (either chips or chunks)
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper and spray lightly with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter. Follow package instructions to melt the white chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler. As soon as the chocolate is melted and smooth pour onto the wax paper. Smooth chocolate to the edges of the pan in one even sheet using a rubber spatulate.

Immediately dot the surface of the white chocolate evenly with the pistachios and cranberries. Sprinkle salt evenly over all. Slap jelly roll pan against the counter several times to help the berries and nuts to settle into the chocolate. Let the chocolate cool and harden completely (you can place the pan in the fridge or freezer to speed the process). Once cool, remove from wax paper and break the bark into bite size pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Some days are for snuggling

2011-12-15T15:11:00.001-06:00

Today Lillian woke with a mild fever and a runny nose.

Needless to say, she hasnt been in the best mood. And most certainly wasn't going to nap in her crib...

So I wrapped her up in my
Moby (current favorite baby wearing contraption), wandered around the house til she fell asleep and now here we are on the couch. The laundry isn't getting done. The grocery store will have to wait. Today we're just gonna snuggle...

Our Holiday Housewarming & Peppermint Meringue Cookies

2011-12-12T10:12:00.000-06:00

We've been in our house for nearly a month now and finally starting to feel settled. So with the holidays in full swing, it was time to have a housewarming party. And did we ever!

Although our new home in Oak Park is only about 15 minutes from downtown Chicago, we hadn't yet seen most of our friends. So we invited just about everyone we know to pop out to our place on Sunday for some holiday cheer. We packed the house with around 60 of our favorite people -- including 12 kids!

As for the spread, I tried to keep it very simple, since I'm never sure how much time I'll get to spend in the kitchen before Lilly needs me. We served a 20 pound spiral sliced ham with potato rolls and a variety of spicy mustards. I asked my Grandma to bring miniature versions of her famous meatballs. I made some super simple puff pastry/spinach/sundried tomato appetizers. I set out an assortment of simple cheeses and some store-bought spinach artichoke dip (which was really tasty, btw). My parents had a fruit display delivered from Edible Arrangements.

And of course there were some delightful desserts. We had a beautiful assortment of holiday cookies. I also tried my hand at cake pops, which made for a fun favor for folks to take home. But my favorites (and one of the few items from our buffet that were approved for my dairy-free diet) were the peppermint meringue cookies. Pulled from the December issue of Bon Appetit, these cookies are beautiful, feather-light and surprisingly addictive. Good thing their incredibly easy to make!

Of course both of my girls were in their holiday finest for the party. Despite all the extra cuddles and lack of naps, Lillian was a pretty good hostess for most of the party. She did insist on an early bedtime, but that was okay with her Momma. I was also relieved to see what a trooper Zoey can be. Many of the children in attendance were fascinated by our cute little furball and she was happy to play and hand out kisses, despite the occasional ear-pull.

So, now we're eagerly awaiting visits with family in the coming weeks. Plus, JiT is taking two weeks off for Christmas...and THAT is a wonderful present indeed!

So, here is the cookie recipe:

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (very important to avoid lumps)

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

12 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 200° F. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper. Place egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until white and foamy, about 1 minute. With mixer running, gradually add sugar in 3 additions beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Beat a minute or 2 longer, until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract and beat to blend, about 1 minute.

Dot food coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form swirls when piped). Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip, drip one more drop of food coloring into the bottom of the bag before adding the coloring (this will help ensure that the swirls start with the first cookies out of the bag) Spoon meringue into the pastry bag. Twist top; pipe 1" rounds onto prepared sheet, spacing 1" apart.

Bake meringues for 2 1/2 hours until dry. Remove baking sheets from oven and let cool and crisp for another hour before moving. Store at room temperature in an airtight container with layers of cookies between sheets of parchment. Cookies can be stored for up to 2 days.

Going Dairy and Soy Free

2011-11-26T09:21:00.001-06:00

In addition to acid reflux Lillian is also suspected to have an allergy to dairy and soy protein. She's also allergic to the fancy "allergenic" formulas. Soooo...that means I'm still breastfeeding and cutting all dairy and soy products from my diet. As you might imagine, for someone who was trained in French cooking I wasn't thrilled about the idea of giving up butter. But for this face I'll do it:

I'm looking at this as a challenge. And if it means that Lillian will be more comfortable and might eventually start sleeping better I'll do anything (she doesn't normally nap and wakes almost hourly most night).

I've had lots of encouragement and tips from other mom friends who've been through this. A couple if things I've discovered:

- soy is in EVERYTHING so label reading is key
- Earth Balance soy and dairy free buttery spread is surprisingly tasty. I'm now using it on and on everything.
- Blue Diamond almond milk is way tastier than Silk
- Avocado and bacon go a long way in making up for cheese
- sushi is about the safest takeout option but be sure to skip the SOY sauce (totally spaced in this the first day of the diet)

Thanksgiving was interesting. We had 15 people at our house 10 days after moving in and I could only eat about 1/3 of the menu. But by reserving some of the cooked potatoes to mash with chicken broth and having a baked sweet potato alongside my turkey and cranberries, I still felt pretty satisfied. I did miss the pies though.

Today's challenge: a tasty dairy free breakfast. Ended up making French toast using Artisan whole wheat bread (most processed breads have milk or soy), almond milk, eggs, cinnamon and sugar. And fried in Earth Balance. Pretty darned good.

To be honest I've been kind of overwhelmed the past couple of weeks with all the changes in our lives but I think things are getting back on track. Can't wait to see what's next.

First meal prepared in the new house

2011-11-14T17:42:00.001-06:00

We're home in Oak Park!! Just left the closing and got to the house.

Already have the kitchen broken in. First meal prepared: Organic Brown Rice Baby Rice Cereal (we've got a fan).

My how life has changed!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Highland Ave,Oak Park,United States

Fun with fall leftovers

2011-11-02T13:02:00.001-05:00

This is about as close as I've come to cooking lately-- mainly because I'm still staying at my parents house while we complete our move and I'm getting spoiled with my mom's home cooking. As much as I love having a break, since cooking is how I like to relax and my favorite creative outlet, I miss it. Lucky for me, I'm usually on my own for lunches and this family always has a fridge stocked with leftovers.

Today's creation: slices of grilled spiced pork chop, fresh apple, arugula and cilantro pesto on toasted Pumpkin Sweet Corn Bread (a seasonal special from the excellent Red Hen Bread....one of the many reasons I'm moving to Oak Park). With a side of homemade toasted pumpkin seeds from our jack-o-lantern. Yum. Yum and yum.

Not exactly a culinary coup, I know, but hopefully I'll be in our fab new kitchen and able to really challenge myself again soon. Actually -- sooner than I'd imagined. As it turns out, my in-laws would really like to see the house and asked if we would mind hosting a very impromptu Thanksgiving dinner at our place. For 14 people. Nine days after we move in.

I enthusiastically said yes although once I looked at the calendar and realized Thanksgiving is to when we're hoping to close on the house I started to panic a little. Especially since we sold a ton of our furniture in Florida and probably won't even have a couch by then. But my parents are amazing people and they are planning to come/cook/bring most of the meal and a bunch of chairs so hopefully it will all work out. If not, I'm putting Heavenly Ham on speed dial and telling everyone to sit on the floor.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the fall weather with my girls and counting the SECONDS until JiT arrives from Miami once and for all (the Florida house is getting packed AS WE SPEAK). I have high hopes that life might start to resemble normal again around Christmas.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-29T21:09:00.001-05:00

I'm still staying at my parents house. Havent cooked in weeks. Not a Halloween cupcake in sight. But I did manage this:

And this:

And this:

If we manage to toast the seeds out of that pumpkin you'll be the first to know.

Our New House

2011-10-23T14:30:00.001-05:00

We made an offer on this little bungalow in Oak Park yesterday and it was accepted. Pending the inspection and close it should be ours in about a month.

It's a 3 BR, 1.5 bath with tons of original charm. I'll be sharing plenty more in coming months but at this point in most excited about this:

Yesterday was a big day for another reason. Look who has a new trick:

Home. Sort of.

2011-10-11T15:17:00.001-05:00

Can you hear my giant sigh of relief? After a brief stop in Charleston to see my sister JiT drove us 16 hours straight through to Rockford on Sunday. Our heads are still spinning a bit...Lillian is totally out of her element and not sleeping through the night right now...but we're getting our bags settled for a bit at my parents house.

Life is upside down and the baby is out of sorts but it feels so good to be here. Even though I was awake all night with the baby, my mom was here to take her for a bit this afternoon while I napped. That is a luxury I am grateful for. Family. And Fall leaves. And scarves.

JiT will be heading back to Miami next week to close things out down there but I'm getting the rest of us settled here for awhile. We'll be house hunting in Chicago (wish us luck) and coordinating move details but beyond that we're just enjoying Family, Friends and Fall.

Sweet Home Chicago

2011-09-30T14:03:00.001-05:00

That's right...we're moving back home! We've had some fun adventures (and some not so fun ones) here in Miami but it never really felt like home and we've really missed our friends and family. I guess we're just Midwesterners at heart. Lucky for us, JiTs company has been wanting to move his account to their Chicago office. When they approached him with the opportunity we jumped at the chance. They'd like us to move back to Illinois by November (!!) so things are suddenly moving very fast. We're planning to buy a house somewhere in Chicagoland (we've been renting here in FL but we're eager to finally put down roots) so we need to get the househunting process started as soon as possible. Lilly, Zoey and I will be leaving Miami at the end of next week heading to my parents' house in Rockford. Meanwhile JiT will be driving us up, then commuting back and forth between Miami/Chicago/Detroit until the move is final. We're hoping to be fully moved and settled in by Christmas. We shall see. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind but we're excited to get back. It took moving a thousand miles away for us to realize it, but Chicago is truly our Sweet Home.

For those of you in Illinois -- Lillian can't WAIT to meet you!

A much better weekend

2011-09-25T20:41:00.001-05:00

Not sure what changed but it was a much better weekend around here. All if us -- dog and baby included -- were in better moods.

I got to sleep in til 8:30 on Sunday and was awakened by a warm cup of coffee in bed. JiT got to watch the Browns beat the Dolphins uninterrupted while I took Lilly to run errands. We worked together to clean the house, do laundry and fix dinner. We took turns hanging out with Miss Lillian.

It's nice to be back on the same page.

Pasta Salad

2011-09-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

The last few weekends have been a little bit testy around here. JiT has been traveling quite a bit for work so when he finally gets home for the weekend he just wants to relax. Instead he's greeted by an over-excited dog, a fussy infant and a wife whose been cooped up in the house all week avoiding the stifling heat. It's not exactly a great recipe for peace and quiet. Add to it the fact that football season has started and none of his games are shown here and Things get downright ugly.

I try to give him a break but to be honest, since I never get a break from the baby and the dog when he's here sometimes I can't resist the urge to hand them over long enough to throw in a load of laundry and grab a shower in peace. I guess I dont give him enough time to chill and I guess I don't get much either. Its made for some intense moments.

Don't get me wrong.... I adore Lillian and Zoey. I am so grateful that I can be home with them. I am so grateful to JiT for making all of it possible. He's working so hard. He really does deserve some time to relax. I think we're just still adjusting to the total life swap that is parenthood.

I guess sometimes I just feel like I've completely lost my individual identity. I never ever get any time alone with myself so it's starting to feel like whoever that person was so longer exists.

So anyway, Pasta salad. It's still hotter than hell in Florida so when we get sick of green salad or potato salad this is a nice easy switch. And it's something I can easily put together in stages over the course of the day whenever Lillian is napping or happy to watch me cook in her Bumbo chair (my latest favorite thing). And it goes well with grilled meats or BLTs or meatball subs, all of which are in our regular weekend rotation right now.

This recipe is completely adaptable based on whatever veggies you have in the house. Actually, it's probably easier to just describe the directions versus provide a prescriptive recipe. So here goes:

Weekend Pasta Salad
Serves four

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and toss in a box of rotini or bowtie pasta. About three minutes before the pasta is cooked, toss in 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets (the bagged kind available in the produce section are a timesaver here). Drain the pasta/broccoli and run under cold water. When thoroughly drained, dump into a large serving bowl. Now add handfuls of your favorite diced fresh veggies. I typically add half of a cucumber and a few diced plum tomatoes. Add in a small can of sliced black olives (very important). Now add about 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning, .about 1/4 cup grated parmesan, a couple healthy sprinkles of Kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Just before serving drizzle on about a Tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of rice wine vinegar and toss until the salad is well mixed. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Fresh chopped basil is a nice touch if you've got it. And there you have it. Makes a great lunch the next day.

PS So, when did blogger change their post interface? Probably ages ago but I just got the memo. Much easier. Maybe it will inspire to post more often. Or not. We'll see

The absurdity of motherhood

2011-09-17T17:03:00.001-05:00

Just attempted to put dinner in the slow cooker using one hand while keeping my nursing baby from suffocating in the moby with the other hand and using my toes to play tug with the dog.

Currently if you tried to walk thru my kitchen you'd need to navigate:
1 bouncer seat

7 dog toys of various size and level of disrepair

1 travel size baby swing

1 charging robot vacuum

1 dirty dishtowel I haven't attempted to squat to pick up (since bending at the waist is not possible while baby wearing)

1 puddle of semi dry baby spit up (see previous note about bending)

Well at least I made dinner...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Early Morning Banana Oat Muffins

2011-09-10T06:46:00.011-05:00

Lillian has been sleeping through the night for the past few days. Unfortunately, my boobs and my dog did not get the memo. So, at 5:25 am, while my baby slumbered peacefully in her crib, I found myself cuddling a puppy on the couch while attached to a whirring breast pump. Not cool.

In Zoey's defense, she is still coping with a recent eviction from our bed because she has ringworm (apparently another common issue in Miami beach because of the high humidity and numerous stray cats. Florida has not been kind to Zoey.).

For those not "in the know," ringworm is a misnomer. It has nothing to do with worms or rings but is actually a fungus similar to athletes foot. Gross. Its also quite contagious, especially to babies, thus requiring yet another round of laundry and psychotic house cleaning. I swear we wash our sheets more often than a hotel these days. As for Zoey, the poor girl will require twice-daily treatment with an anti-fungal spray for at least four to six weeks until things clear up. Hence the banning from our bed. She seems quite insulted...I think she considered her spot in bed as her last exclusive privilege now that Lillian gets so much of our time and attention. With that gone, our early-morning cuddle sessions must now take place out on the couch. Which is exactly where I found myself at 5:25 this morning (it took a while but I got back to it).

In my irritation with the situation, I may have been just a tad bit snippy to JiT while getting out of bed. Not sure if he felt sorry for me or if he was just too awake to stay in bed but before I knew it, the coffee was made and he'd joined us on the couch (along with his work laptop, yuck). Lillian, ever the social butterfly, rose to the occasion shortly thereafter. And there we all sat. At 6 am on a Saturday. Wide awake. With the breast pump buzzing away. Welcome to our life.

Of course, as soon as the parents were thoroughly caffeinated, both the baby and the dog fell back to sleep again. At this point, I figured it was a good excuse to bake (it only took five paragraphs but I got to the muffins!). I had an overripe banana in the freezer and figured that was a good place to start. Ever fearful of the dreaded Mid-Recipe Baby Meltdown (MRBM??), I chose a quick and easy muffin recipe: Banana Oatmeal. The banana makes them moist and flavorful, the oatmeal gives them a heartiness. Hints of cinnamon add spice while pecans contribute a nice crunch. I made them with almond milk (dairy free for those that care!) because I had it in the house. It added some nice flavor but they'd probably also be delish with regular milk.

These came together in about 10 minutes and were out of the oven in 20 more. The dog and the baby were still asleep. Later today I may regret my decision to bake through a perfect nap-portunity when, inevitably, one is crying and the other is bringing me every toy she owns and all I want to do is sleep, but lucky for them they're so cute its pathetic.

If you happen to have an unexpectedly early morning coming your way I hope you'll consider these muffins. Even if you need to get out of the house in a jiffy, you can throw the ingredients together then grab a shower while they bake. Walk out the door with a hot, hearty muffin and a sense of accomplishment (all before 7 am if you're me).

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 6 regular size muffins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg white

1/3 cup vanilla flavored almond milk (or regular milk)

5 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed banana (about one medium banana)

1/4 cup chopped pecans plus 6 whole pecans for garnish (if desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a six-well muffin tin with cooking spray (or line with paper liners).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, milk, oil, vanilla and mashed banana until will blended. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is well combined. Add the pecans stirring just enough to distribute evenly through the batter.

Using a trigger ice cream scoop, divide batter into muffin cups. If desired, top each muffin with one whole pecan. Place muffin tin in center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from tins. Serve warm or room temperature (with lots and lots of coffee).

If at first you don't succeed...

2011-09-08T14:55:00.001-05:00

All of the breastfeeding experts recommend waiting to introduce a bottle until your baby is at least three or four weeks old if possible so the baby has plenty of time to figure out the boob before trying something else. What they don't tell you is that if you wait too long or don't use bottles regularly once introduced, your baby may not take one at all. That's where we'd found ourselves. Since I'm home with Lillian all the time it wasn't the end of the world but it would still be nice for JiT to have a chance to feed her occasionally (or maybe even for us to go on a date and get a sitter at some point). So I kept trying. And trying. And then I gave up. But today Lilly was suddenly trying to put anything and everything in her mouth so I figured we should try it again and guess what? Success!!

She still way prefers the boob but at least we've got another option now. It's the little things these days.

Apple Cherry Galette and a Baby Photo Shoot

2011-09-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

Labor Day poses a very interesting conundrum: it signifies the end of summer but fall hasn't quite arrived either. We're living in the in-between. That seems to be a perfect definition of how I've been feeling lately. Lilly and I are getting into a rythym but I know it will continue to improve over time...I've finally made some friends here in Florida but still miss home in Chicago terribly. We're pretty settled into our rental house but already know we won't be staying here a second year. My whole life feels like a deep breathe held in anticipation. This pie has similar qualities. Sweet cherries represent the best of summer. Crisp tart apples hint at autumn's promise.

The crust is from scratch and the best one I've made outside the culinary school bakeshop. The recipe is a half-batch of smitten kitchen's recipe, found here. Her tutorial is spot on by the way. Although I'd continue to stress the importance of not overhandling your dough. In my opinion, the key to a flaky crust is to pile your dough into plastic while it's still crumbly, press it together once it's wrapped and let it firm up in the fridge (versus creating a cohesive dough ball before wrapping). Handle it even less than you think you should and you'll get good results. Oh and leave a few sizable hunks of butter floating around in the dough. Butter hunks melt as they bake and make flakes in the dough. Butter hunks = very good things (don't they always??).

As a new mom I had no idea how much time I would have to make this dessert so instead of a traditional two crust pie I did a rustic gallette that came together lickety split. Simply roll the single crust, pile the fruit inside and gather the edges to create a border. Brush with milk and a sprinkle of sugar then bake. The result is a delicious way to embrace the fleeting moment.

Speaking of fleeting moments, after what we both considered an excruciatingly long five day business trip, JiT came home alarmed by how much Lillian had grown in his absence. This prompted a photo shoot to capture her cuteness. Unlike cherries and apples, we can't encase her in pastry crust to preserve her loveliness...instead photos will have to suffice:

Cherry Apple Galette
Serves 4

One single crust pate brisee (I recommend a half batch of this recipe)

Filling:
3 cups halved, pitted fresh sweet cherries
1 cup granny smith apple (about
1 apple), peeled, cores and diced to about the same size as the cherries
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Let rest while you roll out your pastry dough.

On a lightly floured surface Roll dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use your rolling pin to gently transfer dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. If desired, trim dough edges to form a clean circular shape. Pile filling in the center or the crust leaving about a 1.5 inch border of dough around the edge of the filling.

Gather crust over top of the filling to create the outer crust. Pinch dough to seal edges and brush crust lightly with milk. Sprinkle entire top of the galette with sugar.

Bake galette in the center rack of the oven for 45 minutes until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notice Any Resemblance?

2011-08-31T14:12:00.005-05:00

Thats me in the first one.

Notice Any Resemblance?

2011-08-31T14:12:00.004-05:00

Thats me on the left.

31 in review

2011-08-27T18:11:00.001-05:00

Today is my last day being 31. Here are a few things I've accomplished this year:
- graduated from culinary school
- got pregnant
- quit my job
- became a freelancer and actually got some work
- moved to Florida
- gained 30 pounds
- had a BABY (with no epidural mind you)
- became much better friends with my sister
- lost 25 pounds
- realized how precious friends and family are
- got really homesick and cried alot
- started couponing and (sadly) gave up some of my foodie proclivities in favor of economics and convenience
- kinda failed at blogging
- made some hard earned and much appreciated new friends
- learned how to be a mom (that's a work in progress)
- became even more grateful for my incredible husband , loyal adorable dog and beautiful healthy baby

We'll see what 32 holds. Should be an adventure.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tropical Depression

2011-08-14T09:33:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a week that was so awful you cant really figure out how to explain it? Well, I'll give it a shot: We've got fleas. There. I said it.

When you think of Miami Beach you probably envision a tropical paradise with sun overhead and sand underfoot. Problem is, when it's always sunny (except for those afternoon downpours) nothing ever dies. And all that sand is the perfect breeding ground for all sorts if critters. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. According to everyone we've met down here: if you have a dog and you have a yard, you're gonna get fleas.

We tried so hard to avoid it. Zoey is on every possible flea preventative. We bathe her weekly. We limit her outdoor time.

The house and yard are treated regularly by exterminators (even though I hate the idea of all these chemicals). I literally vacuum the house top to bottom, including the furniture, at LEAST twice a week (imagine doing that while nine months pregnant)! We launder our bedding, Zoeys bedding, the baby's bedding, the living room throw pillows...everything, at least weekly. Usually more.

Even so, this past week, while JiT was on a business trip, I walked into our guest bath and discovered countless fleas jumping all over the place. They were everywhere. Biting me, biting the dog. It was awful. It was overwhelming and I was so worried about the baby.

There was no way I could deal with this on my own while caring for Lilly and Z so our only choice was to leave the house. I still don't really have any friends down here, certainly not anyone who would let me, my baby and my flea covered dog stay at their house, so we ended up at a hotel for the next two nights. I've never felt so overwhelmed and isolated. It was terrible. I didn't even want to come back to the house. Wanted to just get in the Jeep and drive all the way home to Chicago.

Instead I counted the seconds until JiT returned and we tackled it to together. The house has been fumigated and we moved back in yesterday. The problem with fleas though is once you have them they're extremely hard to get rid of. They lay eggs that can lie dormant for months or years and then hatch a brand new round of critters when you least expect it. So the only remedy is to vacuum and wash everything over and over again forever (or for as long as you live in Florida which if you ask me hopefully won't be for very long).

Enter my newest ally:

The Roomba robot vacuum (we've named her Alice after the Brady Bunch maid). We're still using our big Dyson once a day to get the big areas and the furniture but this little lady is so, so helpful for daily maintenance. Just set her down, hit the button and let her go. Even gets under furniture and places i cant normally reach. This thing is such a lifesaver (I'd highly recommend it as a great gift for any busy mom, pest problem or no).

So far our strategy seems to be working, exhausting as it is. We'll keep at it and keep our fingers crossed for a better week.

Mini Burgers with Hummus, Cucumber & Avocado

2011-08-05T20:00:00.010-05:00

One of the greatest ironies of being a breastfeeding mother is that your body and your baby require a ton of calories and nutrition but you barely have any time to eat let alone cook healthful meals. In the last month, I've quickly learned to rely on foods that I can grab from the fridge and eat with one had while holding a baby or breastfeeding. Around lunchtime this usually means hummus. On a good day, I might be able to slice some vegetables or spread it onto a sandwich with arugula and leftover flank steak. On a not-so-good-day, I'm usually eating pita chips straight out of the bag, dipping them directly in the hummus tub. Either way, lately it seems like a day doesn't go by when I'm not shoveling hummus into my mouth. So I was thrilled when Foodbuzz and Sabra offered me a coupon to try a free sample of one of their dips. The reality is, I didn't really need the coupon to be convinced...we're already loyal fans of Sabra's hummus. We always, always have a tub of the Supremely Spicy variety in our fridge for lunches and snacks. JiT often forgets to eat at work so he usually comes home ravenous and almost always goes straight for the Sabra.

Beyond snacks and lunches, I'm always finding other ways to incorporate hummus into meals. One of our most recent discoveries is how good this stuff is on a burger. We've been eating a lot of burgers around here lately (they're easy and good and JiT can grill them up while I'm feeding the baby) but I get tired of the typical condiments. So to change things up, we've been spreading on a layer of Sabra Supremely Spicy Hummus along with thin slices of cucumber, sweet onion and avocado. The result is a crunchy, creamy, refreshing and spicy burger. Satisfyingly different. Although this is fairly easy to reproduce, I've included a recipe below. Feel free to swap the Supremely Spicy hummus for whatever flavor you prefer.

In other news, the last few weeks have been quite an adventure in parenthood and patience. When Lillian was about three weeks old she suddenly became incredibly tearful and fussy. She was having trouble eating, seemed unhappy between meals and every night she was crying hysterically and inconsolably for several hours straight. Already sleep deprived and overwhelmed with motherhood, this development was utterly maddening. There were a few days where I was left seriously questioning my ability to be a parent at all. After a few weeks of this our little Lilly was diagnosed with cholic and acid reflux.

Luckily the pediatrician was able to provide some new feeding techniques to help keep her comfortable. She also suggested I try eliminating from my diet any foods that might exacerbate the problem (dairy foods are apparently a common culprit). As a final resort, the doctor prescribed baby Zantac. I was pretty hesitant to medicate Lillian at such a young age but we've been amazed at the difference its made. Where she'd previously been hungry almost hourly but unable to eat much before she became inconsolably uncomfortable, she's now able to eat until she's satisfied without pain. During the day she's happy and alert and at night she's gradually starting to sleep for longer periods (last night we got 4 full hours of sleep between feedings!!). She's a completely different baby. As a family, we finally feel like we're starting to get into the swing of things.

Speaking of family, we can't forget another key member: Miss Zoey has been such a trooper and might actually be the best dog on the planet. Proving to be ever-adaptable, she doesn't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with the baby. She'll often hop up on the couch and lick Lillian's feet or bring her a favorite toy in hopes Lilly will play with her. Just wait Zoey!

Now for the recipe...quick before the baby wakes up!

Mini Burgers with Hummus, Cucumber & Avocado

Makes 8 small burgers

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 tsp. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

8 miniature hamburger buns (or 4 regular size buns)

1 container Sabra Supremely Spicy Hummus (0r the flavor of your choice)

1 avocado, sliced

1 small cucumber, sliced

1 small yellow onion, sliced into very thin rings

In a small bowl combine beef with onion, cream, salt and pepper. Divide meat into 8 golf-ball sized pieces and form into patties. Cook burgers to medium well in a skillet or on a grill. Lightly toast the buns on the grill or in the oven, if desired.

Spread 1 teaspoon of hummus on each bun. Place burgers on buns and top with avocado, cucumber and onion slices. Serve immediately.

Note: As a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, I received a coupon from Sabra for one free container of hummus or dip. However, the opinions shared within this post are entirely my own.

Baby Gear Essentials (so far)

2011-07-25T15:45:00.009-05:00

We're only 6 weeks in but I've already discovered a number of baby items (and momma items) that we can't live without. Most of these are items I received as gifts or suggestions from moms-in-the-know and all of them are fantasticly helpful, so I thought I'd pass on the information. In no particular order:

Baby Essentials:
Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets: Lilly lives in these...literally! Its SO hot in Florida that most days we don't even bother dressing Lilly in actual clothes. Instead we keep her in her diaper and wrap her loosely in one of these blankets. Plus we use them to swaddle Lilly for bed each night. They are really large compared to other blankets and so lightweight...made of muslin...they're unlike any other blankets we've received. We have five of these blankets already and we go through them so quickly I'm seriously considering buying a few more. If you're having a baby (especially in warmer months) or know someone having a baby these blankets are a must-have.

Summer Inf ant Ultimate Crib Sheet: We received two of these from my sister-in-law and I thank her every single time Lilly spits up when she's in her crib. These sheets are completely flat and attach to the crib via a series of snaps, so you don't have to fumble with the mattress at all. You can keep your "decorative" crib sheet on the mattress and just lay this one on top of the mattress. Its also got a waterproof back, so if your baby spits up or has a leaky diaper it won't leak through to the mattress. This is such a handy item for quick changes. At this point, Lilly only sleeps in her crib for daytime naps and we already have to change the sheet out a couple of times a week. I'm certain that once we transition her to the crib for night sleeping and we end up having to change the sheet in the middle of the night someday I'm really going to be thankful for these.

Mei Tai Wrap Carrier: I got turned on to these types of wrap carriers after following The Maiden Metallurgist. She has several styles of baby carriers but the Mei Tai ones always looked so comfortable that I immediately knew I wanted one. Sadly, if you buy one of these from a major brand they often run upwards of $100...way out of my price range. So I did some poking around on Etsy and found a seller that makes custom Mei Tais in all sorts of great fabrics for just $30. I love, love, love my carrier. I can tuck Lilly into the carrier and she snuggles in and usually falls right to sleep. I can get housework done and its my preferred choice for taking her to the grocery store (even if I wander away from my cart, she's still safely with me and shielded from strangers and germs). Its really easy on my back too (and super cute).

Best Bottom Cloth Diapers: Yeah, if you've read this blog before you probably know I've had a mild obsession with cloth diapering. I'm happy to report that we love the diapers we chose. They are easy to change, easy to wash every other day, they dry quickly in the sun on our back deck and they look absolutely adorable on Lilly. They also seem to have cured Lilly of diaper rash. Even better, we're not shelling out $20 to $30 a week for disposables. I did a ton of research before choosing this particular diaper and I truly think all the research paid off. Even JiT loves the diapers and doesn't mind the extra steps to clean them at all. And did I mention how cute they are?

Momma must-haves:

One piece, strapless rompers: This probably strikes you as an odd suggestion and it

obviously only applies if your baby is born in the summer months, but I absolutely LIVE in these. As a breastfeeding mom, it seems like I'm constantly pulling out a boob and its just so much easier to do in something strapless (clearly, I'm not leaving the house much these days). Also, I don't have much time to worry about putting together an outfit. Somehow, the continuity of a romper makes me feel instantly more polished and fashionable. If I'm able to throw on some ballet flats and earrings, all the better.

Strawberries, Kashi Bars and Emerald Nuts: When you're breastfeeding you're always, always hungry but rarely have more than one hand available to dedicate to feeding yourself. On top of that, you need to be eating nutritious foods. Anything that can provide me with a serving of fruit, whole grains or protein without turning on the stove or using a knife is a win-win in my book (p.s. Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds may be the greatest food ever invented)

Short, Easy Haircut: I can count on one hand the number of times I managed to blow dry my hair since Lillian arrived. There is a reason that almost all moms I know suddenly cut their hair post-baby. They get sick of wearing a ponytail. Its a big change but I am so, so, so happy to ditch the ponytail holder in favor of a cut that looks sort of decent straight out of the shower. Rebecca 2.0: The Mom Edition has arrived.

Easy Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole & Finding the "New Normal"

2011-07-19T14:35:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday was a big day for us. It marked Lillian's third week on planet Earth. It was also the day that my Momma and G-ma headed back home to the Midwest. My Momma had arrived literally within hours of Lilly's birth and, along with help from my G-ma, Dad and sister, they had ensured that I didn't have to lift a finger during their visit. No cooking, no laundry, no cleaning...nada. I was so grateful for all of their help but also a little bit freaked out about how we would function after they left.

Sunday was our first test and with JiT home, I think we passed with flying colors. I'm pleased to say that in addition to feeding/burping and generally caring for Lilly we also managed to get three loads of laundry done and fix ourselves a decent dinner (more on that later).

Monday was my first full day ALONE with Lilly and that went well too. After a long morning of marathon feeding/crying/burping, we were both able to get a nap around noon and I also managed to get a shower for myself, a bath for the baby, eat lunch, do some laundry and fix dinner before my in-laws arrived that evening. They'll be here for the rest of the week, so we have another round of helping hands right now. But starting next Monday I'll be working "without a net" for the long haul. As one of my mom friends suggested, I guess I need to learn to adjust to "a new normal," where the bed doesn't always get made, the laundry may go undone and dinners are a whole lot simpler and (obviously) food styling and photography are taking a back seat to actual eating. But as long as we're getting clothes on our backs and dinner on our plates and the baby isn't crying (too much), I guess we'll survive for now.

I'm still amazed that someone so small can create so much chaos...but then I see this face and I don't care:

I have discovered one true ally in all of this: My Slow Cooker. I love any recipe that I can assemble in a few minutes time while Lilly sleeps, then be rewarded with a hot, bubbly meal hours later. Living in Miami in July, I'm also a huge fan of anything that means I don't have to turn on the oven.

For our first meal alone as a family this past Sunday, the choice of what to make was pretty simple: Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole. Since our move to Florida this meal has become a staple for a couple of reasons....its cheap and easy to make, it goes in the slow cooker so we don't have to turn on the oven and its pretty darn tasty ( even if we're not going to win any awards for culinary greatness). For all of those reasons, I figured it would be a good choice for my return to the kitchen as a new mom.

A simple combo of black beans, corn, jar salsa, cheddar cheese and corn tortillas, this is one of those dishes that definitely outweighs the sum of its parts. After a few hours in the slow cooker, this stuff turns into a melty, spicy, hearty dish. With JiT's help, we even managed to top the finished product with fresh cilantro, avocado, salsa and Greek Yogurt for a complete meal.

Of course, you don't have to be a new mom to appreciate the virtues of a cheap/easy/tasty/insanely simple dinner. Do you have a favorite easy meal or a favorite slow cooker meal? Please share!

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Serves 2-4

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced (completely optional)

1 teaspoon chile powder (or to taste)

1 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)

1 cup of your favorite salsa

1 jar taco sauce (we use Ortega medium but any will do)

1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 corn tortillas, cut in half

Optional garnish: fresh chopped cilantro, diced avocado, salsa, sour cream

In a large bowl, combine corn, beans, chicken (if using), chile powder, cumin and 1 cup of the salsa. Set aside.

Spray the stoneware sleeve of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray then pour in a small amount of taco sauce and stir to coat the bottom. Place 4 tortilla halves over the taco sauce to create an even layer. Spoon some of the corn/bean mixture over the tortillas in an even layer. Top with a hand full of cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, then taco sauce, then bean mixture then cheese. Continue layering until all of the bean mixture has been used. End with a layer of tortillas, then taco sauce and a layer of cheese.

Place lid on the slow cooker and turn to "High" setting for 3 to 4 hours (alternately, you can use the "Low" setting for a longer time frame but the tortillas may get soggy in the center). Casserole is ready to serve when the top layer of cheese is evenly melted and bubbly and the edges are golden and slightly crunchy. To serve, scoop into individual bowls and top with garnishes. Also wonderful reheated the next day.

Motherhood: Week One

2011-07-05T13:57:00.004-05:00

As of today, Lillian has been home for exactly one week, and what a week it has been! I feel like I've lived a lifetime in the last seven days. Here's where I should probably say something profound about motherhood but the only words that come to mind are terrible cliches like "roller coaster ride," "life changing," and "incredibly rewarding, exhausting challenge."

Really, its all of those things but its also none of them. I'm sitting here with this tiny person asleep in my lap. This little, wiggly creature with big blue eyes and a mop of dark hair and a tiny body and I think to myself...."this is mine?" Somewhere around Day Four it occurred to me that I could kiss this baby right on her cherubic lips or on her sweet button nose....places you might not normally kiss a friend's baby. But this is MY baby and I can snuggle her and kiss her and hold her and dress her however I choose. Strange that it took a while for this to dawn on me.

In fact, the whole idea that this IS my baby took some getting used to. Maybe because she looks so much like JiT, or maybe because Lilly's birth was just so utterly overwhelming or maybe just because I've never been someone's mom before...but that fact that she's mine and that I made her was a strangely difficult concept to grasp.

Not that I don't love her utterly and completely. That is already a given. How could you not love something so insanely beautiful and cherubic and perfect. Everyone warns you that you're going to be in pain and that you're going to be sleep deprived and that you're going to be covered in poop and pee and spit up and breast milk and god only knows what else. But no one ever really points out the footnote to all of this hardship: you absolutely don't care. Don't even notice most of it.

So far, I've been extremely spoiled because my momma arrived just shortly after Lilly was born and she's staying with us, handling things like laundry and cooking and (at this moment) scrubbing the toilets. Plus, JiT took an entire week of paternity time to spend home with us too. So, up until now, I've hardly had to lift a finger other than to care for Lilly. Of course, that in itself is a full-time job.

So far, here are some of the top things I've learned:

Clothes are Overrated; Diapers are Not: Yes we live in South Florida in July, but I don't think Lilly has worn clothes yet more than twice. We mainly keep her swaddled or loosely wrapped in a blanket during the day. Its all she seems to need and the easiest thing given part two of this revelation. My goodness thats a LOT of diapers. Its not uncommon for a diaper change to require two or three diapers because as soon as we set a fresh one down, she pees on it. So far, we've found this rather comical but the number of diapers we've gone through is already staggering. For those that are curious, we're still using disposables right now because Lilly is so tiny but as soon as we start experimenting with cloth, I'll be sure to post an update.

Babies Hiccup and Burp A LOT: I mean...all the time. The burping is pretty easy to deal with: Feed her for a bit, burp her for a bit, never go anywhere in the house without a burp cloth. But the hiccuping can be really, really trying. Especially when she's got them at 3am and they just don't want to go away. But then they do and we all go back to bed.

Baby Trackers Could Make You Crazy: we started the week diligently recording Lilly's every move on a little chart provided by the hospital. Then we upgraded to an iPhone app. Every poop, every pee, every feeding, nap. It seemed like every breath. But then we quickly realized that Lillian is a bit of a gourmet when it comes to meals. She sips, contemplates, ponders and waits. Feedings often last a mere five minutes then she's ready for another sip-fest twenty minutes later. That's fine with me since I'm currently at her beck and call anyway but trying to keep track of it all was becoming ridiculous. Then there were the diapers...does it count as one diaper or two if she pees in the muddle of a changing? What about if she poops and pees??? Like I said, maddening. Now I figure, if she's gaining weight, eating every few hours, not screaming her head off, and producing as many diapers as she has been, I can relax a bit. After all, plenty of people managed to feed their babies-effectively even- before there was an app for that.

Sleep is Overrated, but only to a Point: This is the one that everyone warns you about: "Say goodbye to sleep," "Hope you got in all your rest while you were pregnant!" Okay...its true. You're not going to get an uninterrupted night of sleep anytime soon. When that alarm goes off at 3 am and you know you're going to be up for at least the next forty minutes, it sucks. But you do get to go back to bed. So far, most nights I've been able to get at least 6 or 7 hours. Its all in 2 hour increments, but we get there. Any less than that and I'm not functional though, so I try to take a nap during the day too. Lilly sleeps, I sleep, everyone wins.

Make time for the Dog: We're lucky that Zoey is such an easy-going pup. After a few hours of confusion, Zoey warmed right up to Lilly. She loves to hop up on the couch while I feed her to check on us. She sniffs Lilly's hair and kisses her feet. She's become much more alert and protective if someone comes to the door. Generally she's the perfect dog to have around a baby. But I can tell she feels a bit slighted in all of this. So I make sure to take a few minutes now and then to shower her with attention. Its not always easy, but she deserves it...and I know in the end it will help to ensure that Lilly and Zoey can coexist happily.

Mommy Moments are Necessary: Right now I'm lucky enough to have my mom here to hold Lilly while I take a shower but I'm already recognizing the value of carving out a few moments for myself each day. JiT is awesome about rocking Lilly before work in the morning, changing her diaper and holding her whenever he's home (and eventually once we introduce a bottle hopefully he can help with feeding too). We've also discovered that Lilly loves her swing, so I suspect I'll also be getting a lot of use out of that. I'm trying to take advantage of these things by grabbing a hot shower, fitting in a few minutes to snuggle with Zoey, actually getting to COOK something, maybe even styling my hair. Its incredible how important these little moments become.

Lilly is a Miracle: She has JiT's mouth and chin. She has my weird, shriveled ears. We aren't sure where she got those long, elegant fingers and perfect nails. The verdict is still out on her eyes and hair but every part of her is perfect. Whether its the funny cooing sound she makes in her sleep, or the little gnome face she does when she's getting burped, this child is the most fascinating, adorable, beautiful creature I've ever known. I can't wait to get to know her more.

Introducing Lillian Rose

2011-06-29T11:06:00.004-05:00

Baby Lillian Rose was born at just after 1pm on Sunday, June 26th. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 3.8 oz. and 20 inches in length. Beautiful, healthy and had a 9.9 APGAR score. Many of you have probably already seen the photos that JiT updated to Facebook, he's always adding to them.

We're getting settled in here at home. Once we've gotten into a bit of a routine I'm looking forward to sharing more pictures and background about the birth (it was a wild ride but Lillian and I are both healthy and well).

Thanks to all for your prayers and blessings. They are greatly, greatly appreciated!

Cherry Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

2011-06-24T09:31:00.004-05:00

We're getting down to the wire on baby-watch and I'll admit that my culinary motivation is waning. In fact, the other night since JiT wasn't starving I vetoed dinner completely and had a bowl of cereal (probably haven't done that since college). Even so, I can always find the energy to make frozen yogurt...especially if its easy (which this is!).

I'd picked up a big bag of fresh cherries at the grocery store last week. They were so sweet and delicious fresh out of the bag but at the first bite I immediately started dreaming about a creamy, tangy frozen dessert. This stuff is the perfect blend of tangy yogurt, sweet cherries and chunks of rich, super-dark chocolate. Yum!

Before we get to the recipe, thought I'd share a recent photo of my great big belly. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you've probably already seen this, but if not, figured you'd get a kick out of my roundness. I'm starting to feel some "practice contractions" this week and my mother is absolutely convinced I'm going to go early, so by my next post, you might be getting a glimpse of Baby A. While I'm intensely excited I'm also pretty intimidated. Do you SEE that car seat?? I've counted no less than TWELVE warning labels on that thing. Is it made out of plutonium???

Being completely honest, I don't think I've changed a diaper since high school babysitting jobs. Now I'm going to have my very own little person to take care of 24/7. But with family coming to stay with us and JiT taking a couple weeks of paternity time it will be a group effort for the first few weeks at least. That car seat still scares me though.

But if I can make my own ice cream, I guess I can figure out parenthood, right? With that...on to the recipe:

Fresh Cherry & Dark Chocolate Chunk Frozen Yogurt

Makes 1 quart

3 cups fresh, pitted cherries

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup cream or half & half

1 1/2 cups lowfat greek yogurt

1/2 bar of fine quality dark chocolate (I used a bar of Ghirardelli Twilight), roughly chopped into chunks

Place cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Once sugar has dissolved completely, remove mixture from heat and allow to cool.

Place mixture in a blender and add cream and yogurt. Pulse until well blended and the mixture reaches your desired consistency (depending on if you want chunks of cherries or a smoother consistency). Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Place in your ice cream maker and churn based on manufacturer instructions. As soon as the mixture begins to become firm, add the chocolate chunks for even distribution throughout the yogurt. Mixture should reach proper consistency after about 25 minutes.

Mixed Berry Crumble Pie

2011-06-19T15:13:00.011-05:00

Last night was presumably the last Saturday night that JiT and I will spend alone as a couple before we become parents (my momma comes next weekend). So, did we paint the town red, exploring Miami's best restaurants and clubs? Of course not. We went to Publix, picked up $60 worth of goodies and got to work making dinner. We even broke out our fancy wedding china and crystal for the first time ever. We split a strip steak, grilled pink shrimp (a Florida specialty), baked potatoes, corn, and a tomato basil salad. All were delicious but far and away the absolute highlight of the night was the PIE.

It was sweet, it was juicy, it was crumbly. It tasted like SUMMER. Actually, it tasted like summer back home in the midwest, on a night when you can hear the crickets and see the lightning bugs flashing and hear a little rumble of thunder off in the distance and smell the rain coming and know that everything is right in the world (okay....we might still be a tad bit homesick).

But back to the pie. It was warm and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting in perfect contrast alongside the sweet, slightly tart berry goodness. It was so good we each had two slices -- no shame, no apologies.

I'd pulled the recipe from the new July issue of Bon Appetit, but we ended up making some changes. First off, that's a store-bought frozen pie shell because...well, because I'm 9 months pregnant and I didn't feel like making pastry. So sue me, okay?

Second, the original recipe called for a TON of fresh blueberries....nearly two pounds of them. Even though blueberries were on super-sale at Publix, I couldn't bring myself to dump the entire stash into one pie. Plus, raspberries were also on super-special at Publix, so we figured it would be nice to mix the two together. It turned out to be a genius stroke! We used a ratio of about 2/3 blueberries, 1/3 raspberries. Since our blueberries were incredibly sweet they set the perfect rich, sweet, yummy tone. But our raspberries were relatively tart so every now and then you get this little pop of tanginess mixed in. Utterly delicious.

Then there's the crumb crust -- insanely easy to make and the perfect, crunchy, spicy accent to the berries.

But perhaps the true beauty of this pie is how insanely easy it is to prepare. The filling takes just minutes to mix. The crumb crust even less time and the store bought shell...well...you get the idea. But it just tastes like...well, it tastes like the perfect way to end the last Saturday night you'll ever spend with your husband before your first child arrives. That's how it tastes. And that's pretty damned good.

Mixed Berry Crumble Pie

8 servings

1 frozen deep dish pie crust, thawed and unbaked

Filling:

2/3 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

2 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

Crumb crust:

3 Tablespoons white sugar

3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Set berries aside to macerate for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until berries have released their juices.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt for the crumb crust. Stir in the melted butter and use fingers to blend to a crumbly consistency.

To assemble the pie, pour the berry mixture into the pie shell. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the pie. Place pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet (the bottom of your oven will thank you, trust me) and place in the center of your oven. Bake for an hour and 10 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Pie can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. Preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Ultra Creamy Scrambled Eggs

2011-06-15T10:51:00.007-05:00

Life's simplest pleasures can sometimes be the most rewarding....and in the food world, I've found they can often be the most vexing to perfect.

And so it is with scrambled eggs. When done right, they're creamy, rich and satisfying way to start the morning. When done wrong, they can be dry, lumpy and tasteless. Luckily JiT and I have found a fool-proof method for avoiding such tragedies. Well, really this is mostly JiT. As I've mentioned before he's usually in charge of weekend breakfast around here and this is something he's been tinkering with for awhile.

Turns out that the key to amazing scrambled eggs is to basically avoid the whole notion of "

scrambling." When I think of "scrambling," I think of something cooked fast and sloppy. It turns out thats the worst think you can do to your eggs. Instead, you want to baby the eggs, cooking them over low heat and very, very slowly. Its incredibly simple but it takes patience...about 20 minutes worth! During that time, your eggs will slowly move from a liquid to a thick, custard-like consistency and finally, to creamy, fluffy perfection.

Beyond the technique, the "recipe" itself is incredibly straightforward: eggs, some half & half and salt & pepper. We usually throw in some shredded sharp cheddar too, but its not necessary. For this batch, its worth noting that we used Eggland's Best Eggs. As a foodbuzz featured publisher, I'd received a coupon for a free dozen eggs from Eggland's Best along with some interesting information about their eggs. According to Eggland's Best, their eggs have 25% less fat, 34% more lutein and more Vitamins E, B12, D, Omega 3s and folic acid than ordinary eggs. Plus, each egg has that cute little red "EB" stamped on it. Interestingly, Eggland's Best also notes that their eggs are typically delivered to supermarkets from local farms, within 3 days of laying to ensure freshness.

No matter where you get your eggs, fresh is definitely best. Back in Chicago, we used to get our eggs directly from our CSA, so we knew the farmers and we knew they'd been laid within days or sometimes hours of us picking them up. As you can imagine, they were amazing (or, dare I say..."egg-cellent"), but if you're buying at the supermarket (the only choice I've found so far down in Miami), be sure to check the sell-buy date and look for the freshest ones possible.

Anyway, I know this is a lot to write about the humble scrambled egg, but they really are quite delicious. Ideally, I like to pair my eggs with freshly squeezed OJ (Florida oranges of course), whole wheat toast and, the Sunday newspaper (COUPONS...but more on that in another post) and CBS Sunday Morning for the perfect start to Sunday.

JiT's Creamy Scrambled Eggs

2-4 servings

6 large eggs

1 Tablespoon half & half or milk

1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Beat eggs and half & half in a medium bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, coat a small, non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and place over low/medium heat.

Add egg mixture and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 - 20 minutes. Egg mixture will gradually change from liquid to custard to creamy/scrambled over time. Continue stirring until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt & pepper to taste and fold in cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

Note: As a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, I received a coupon from Eggland's Best Eggs for one free dozen eggs. However, the opinions shared within this post are entirely my own.

Crispy Weekend Waffles

2011-06-11T09:34:00.007-05:00

Blueberries are in season right now in Florida and I am addicted. I've been putting them in my cereal, eating them straight out of the container, making muffins... But the one thing I really, truly love is a good blueberry waffle. So, this morning, JiT declared that HE would be making waffles for ME. Yum.

Of course, once he realized he didn't have a recipe or know where the waffle maker lives in our kitchen, I figured I could probably provide a little bit of assistance. So, it became a team effort. We were having such fun, I figured it might be a good time to take some photos and the whole thing became an impromptu culinary and photography lesson. I showed him how to properly fold an egg white into a heavy batter. He showed me how to set the F-stop on our Nikon (hence all the random "action" shots here).

It turned out to be a really fun Saturday morning, ending with a heaping pile of delicious blueberry waffles. These turned out amazingly crispy on the outside, feather light and moist on the inside with the perfect amount of sweetness, a touch of malty tang and delicious blueberry bursts throughout. We even had enough to freeze....which I'm sure we'll be excited about in a month or two when we get hungry after a 5 am baby feeding.

A couple of tips to keep in mind when making waffles -- this recipe (and most really good ones) instruct you to separate your eggs and beat the whites. I know it sounds like a pain in the butt but don't skip this step. Its absolutely the key to a good, light, crispy waffle. Second...instead of piling the baked waffles on a plate when they come out of the waffle iron, I always place mine on a baking rack and then stick them in the oven on "warm." This way steam won't build up around the hot waffles and make them soggy while you finish the batch. They'll be just as warm and crispy when you plate them as when you pulled them off the iron.

We added blueberries to this batch (obviously), but they would be just as delicious with pecans, another kind of berry or even straight up. Make these for someone you love (perhaps for Dad next weekend??) and they will definitely thank you (I sure was thanking JiT)!

Crispy Weekend Waffles

Makes 12-14 waffles

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 Tablespoons malt powder

2 teaspoons corn meal

4 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), melted

1 3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 pint of fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the dry ingredient mixture.

Place the egg whites in a separate mixing bowl and beat until just stiff enough to form very soft peaks. Set bowl aside.

Add milk, melted butter and vanilla to the dry ingredient mixture and stir just until a smooth batter forms. Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the batter and mix the batter to lighten in. Fold in the remaining egg whites just until the batter is light and smooth. Fold in berries or other mix-ins if using.

Ladle mixture onto hot waffle iron and bake according the appliance instructions. Place baked waffles on a baking rack in an oven set at 225 degrees F to keep warm and crisp while you finish the batch. Serve immediately with butter, powdered sugar and syrup.

Note to Jessi/TKTC: If you're reading this, you've likely noticed your blue tea towel making an appearance in the first photo. I SHOULD have given that back to you before we moved, but I never got the chance. So sorry, but its become my favorite towel and I think of you every time I use it. I owe you a new tea towel ; )

Ch-ch-ch-changes: Setting up the Diaper Station

2011-06-10T11:11:00.001-05:00

Besides the crib, the main area of focus in our nursery has been the changing table and dresser. And from what I understand, we'll probably be spending a great deal of time in front of this thing. Did you know (I didn't) that newborns require 8 to 12 diaper changes a DAY? Thats a diaper for every two hours! I'm just a tad bit intimidated. This is probably why the diaper situation has been such a major area of fascination for me (glamorous, I know)...as documented in this previous post about diapering options.

The way our nursery is set up, the changing table is the only true "work station" for dressing, brushing, washing and, of course, changing baby, so I wanted to make sure everything we need is at an easy reach. The bottom drawers contain all of the baby's clothes -- since we don't know the baby's sex, right now the baby's wardrobe consists mostly of white kimono t-shirts, various unisex onesies, teensy socks, bibs with sassy sayings and a few nightgowns. Hopefully the collection will grow once the baby arrives (bring on the pink or blue!). Above the drawers, the little 1, 2, 3 baskets contain things that we'll probably need to grab in a hurry, such as swaddle blankets, burp rags and (even more) extra diapers.

Space on the top counter is at a premium and everything needs to be easy to access, so we've got an ares for wipes (we went with disposable), cotton balls & rubbing alcohol (for the umbilical cord), lotions, powders, diaper creams, etc, right next to the changing pad. I'm sure the list of necessities will grow once the baby arrives, so hopefully we'll be able to keep this area manageable!

Complicating the matter, we've decided to give several types of diapers a try: initially, we anticipate that we'll probably need to use traditional disposables while the umbilical cord heals and the baby is ultra-tiny. But once the baby is big enough and the belly button is healed, we're also planning to try cloth and "hybrid" diapers. So, my diaper "stash" includes a selection of each type: traditional Huggies Pure & Natural newborn diapers (chosen because we had coupons), Best Bottoms cloth diapers and inserts (from Nicki's Diapers), and g diapers flushable/biodegradable diaper liners. My hope is that even after the baby arrives, we'll be able to keep this little crate of diaper options well stocked and organized at all times so that no matter what time of day or night there is at least one diaper option available. Since cloth and hybrid diapers are a bit of an oddity for many people, I'm also planning to create some small "instruction cards" to post on the station to guide helpful friends and relatives (not to mention JiT) if they end up changing the baby (a girl can dream, right?).

I know our decision to give cloth diapers a shot has been a head-scratcher for many. Its certainly a gamble in terms of up-front cost investment as well as labor hours for washing and restocking the diapers. But my hope is that since I'm home (and clearly have no friends or anything else to distract me), once we get into a system, the economic benefits of not having to constantly buy disposables will outweigh any inconvenience. And while I know the environmental benefits of cloth and flushable diapers is still a source of debate, if there's a chance that it could be better, its worth it to me to at least give it a shot. Plus...I know I'm talking about a baby diaper here, but you can't tell me that this thing isn't stinkin' cute (pun intended). I can't wait to see one of these on slapped on a cute little baby hiney.

Of course as an almost-but-not-quite mom, I am VERY interested in tips and ideas from experienced parents. How is your diaper station set up. Am I missing anything important?

Great BIG Hugs and a BBQ Rub

2011-06-09T12:16:00.003-05:00

First and foremost, I truly and deeply want to thank everyone who has checked in with me since yesterday's post. It really wasn't my intention to be debbie downer when I started writing, but I'm actually glad that I was honest about feeling a little lost lately. I think these feelings have had a lot to do with the infrequency of my posts....I've always tried to keep content on this blog fairly light and focused on fun things like food and parties and cupcakes and lately there haven't been any parties or cupcakes to speak of.

Anyway, I'm truly moved by all the sweet comments and emails and words of encouragement and parenting wisdom you've been sending my way. You've made me feel so much more hopeful and so much less disconnected. And you've also made me realize that this blog doesn't always have to be sunshine and cupcakes. It doesn't have to have gorgeous photos (though wouldn't that be nice?) or Martha-Stewart-like perfection. It can be about reality and about staying connected with people that I love and respect....and THAT is definitely something I could use right now.

You're encouragement has really lifted my spirits. It may even be changing my luck a bit. In the last week I've met a few friendly moms-to-be at some of my classes (yoga, childbirth) who've expressed interest in getting together for lunches or post-baby stroller walks. I'm trying to walk that fine line of making new friends without displaying crazy-stalker enthusiasm, but hopefully something will stick soon. I've also been investigating local mom's groups. My neighborhood (Miami Beach) seems to be a bit of a mommy group desert, but I'm holding out hope! If you have any leads (local or even on the interweb) definitely send my way!

And thanks again for helping me get my mind right again. Sending every one of you a great BIG belly HUG.

And now on to the RUB. This is an incredibly simple recipe. Hardly a recipe at all really, just something I threw together last night but it turned out surprisingly well. JiT loves barbecue chicken. As in boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled and slathered in BBQ sauce. Easy enough, but I find it kind of boring. So before we grilled, I thought it might be helpful to coat the chicken in a flavorful rub of spices and seasonings. I mixed all of the following items together in a small bowl, then smeared the mixture on the chicken. Measurements are all estimates, so feel free to tweak based on your tastes. Voila!

The result was so flavorful-- sweet, spicy and a little bit smokey -- you could probably skip the BBQ sauce altogether (though we still used some). Next time, I'm curious to try this on baby back ribs. MMmmmm.

Easy Sweet & Smokey BBQ Rub

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or baggie. Sprinkle an even coating on chicken breasts or other meat prior to grilling. Unused rub can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator indefinitely.

36 weeks Pregnant and Cilantro Lime Chicken Soup

2011-06-08T15:24:00.009-05:00

Well, that isn't very pretty, is it? Geh. I've officially given up on the pretty photos thing. JiT doesn't even offer to help anymore. Oh well.

Frankly, there's a lot I've given up on lately. Adjusting to life in Miami has been harder than we'd anticipated. Our budget is much tighter than we thought it would be (everything here costs more than we expect). Many of the things we used to feel passionately about seem non-existent here (things like local food and good farmer's markets for one, Chicago sports for another). Its been more difficult to fit in and make friends. The local climate poses all sorts of interesting challenges -- its too hot to spend much time outside (I know....June in Miami, DUH) and there are pests everywhere (mosquitos, fleas, millipeeds, roaches...eeew!).

I know its not nice to complain....there are plenty of amazing things about this place too. We have our very own pool, we're just a few blocks from the beach, I've been able to be at home with relatively little stress throughout most of my pregnancy. All good things. But the more pregnant I get, the more homesick I seem to get too.

JiT has been incredibly patient with me....helping get the baby's room finished (see pic...yay!!!),

helping me clean the house til it glimmers, floating me around in the pool when my back hurts. Even helping me in the kitchen. And its a good thing he's willing to help because lately I've been so tired that my culinary inspiration is zapped. I'm still cooking, but its usually something fairly simple and budget-friendly.

Even so, every now and then its still nice to make something truly delicious to remind JiT that I really do appreciate him. So this past Sunday, instead of ordering a pizza (my first instinct), I pulled out the little Bon Appetit "Tastes of the World" cookbook I received in the mail for subscribing to the magazine and asked JiT to thumb through and pick something that sounded good. He chose their recipe for cilantro-lime soup....and boy am I glad he did!

As it turns out, this soup is more than a little bit reminiscent of the chicken tortilla soup from Frontera Grill in Chicago. JiT and I spent many a night sitting at the Frontera bar scraping bowls of that soup absolutely clean, so this version definitely helped to soothe my homesickness. We took some major liberties with the recipe: we used chicken that we already had grilled and ready to go. This would be super easy to pull together using leftover chicken or even some meat from one of those roasted chickens available at many grocery store deli counters. The other adaption we made was with the garnishes and the additional of avocado was especially important (definitely not optional!).

The soup is spicy and savory but the fresh lime juice and cilantro balance it with a zesty, refreshing zip thats light enough for even a Miami-in-June kind of night. I suggest topping your bowl with a handful of crushed tortilla chips and (if you're not pregnant) pouring a JiT-Arita to complete the meal.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Soup

4 Servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 cup pre-cooked chicken, shredded or diced (about 2 chicken breast halves)

5 cups chicken stock or broth

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 of a bunch of fresh cilantro sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

4-5 drops Tabasco sauce (depending on taste)

Salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

flesh from one medium avocado, diced

sour cream or greek yogurt

tortilla chips, crushed

Heat olive oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add chili powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken, broth, corn, tomatoes and cilantro bunch. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 - 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Remove and discard cilantro bunch. Add lime juice, Tabasco, salt & pepper to taste. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

6 Weeks Left!

2011-05-20T11:51:00.004-05:00

Time really seems to be flying now...just six weeks left until Baby A's big due date. JiT and I visiting the doctor yesterday for our third trimester sononogram and he said that if the baby keeps growing at its current rate, he/she will be 7.5 to 8 pounds at delivery! He also said that after this Sunday, if I go into labor they aren't going to stop me. So, technically speaking we could literally have a baby any day now.

At this point, several thoughts have begun running through my head on a pretty constant basis. In no particular order, they are:

- How did this go so fast? How am I going to care for a baby? By myself? In Florida?!

- I can't WAIT to meet this little person!

- We have GOT to get the car seat. Now!!!

That last one is just a matter of logistics. JiT and I were home in Illinois over Mother's Day weekend and our families threw us a really lovely baby shower (that's where I'm heading, along with Momma, my sis Lo and my G-ma in the pic). People were so generous and we received a ton of adorable and very necessary baby items as well as a bunch of gift cards to get the larger items we need.

So I've been in serious nesting mode for the last week, as things like strollers and bottles and breast pumps arrive at the house. But for some reason, two of the most vital items are still looming on our giant baby to-do list: we still need to visit Target for the car seat. And I still haven't ordered our cloth diapers. For anyone following that dilemma, I ultimately decided on Best Bottom diapers along with some G Diapers just for kicks. We even received a few gift cards to help offset the cost (thank you Momma and Sis!). For some reason, I think my ability to remain calm over the next month is going to hinge on having the car seat installed and the cloth diapers washed and ready.

This weekend, we take our Childbirth Class at the hospital. I'm extremely excited to see what thats all about and tour the hospital maternity ward.

From there, I guess its just a matter of getting the baby's room finished, washing all the little clothes and continuing to stock the chest freezer. I've been baking bread and making some favorite casseroles and other dishes that we'll be grateful for in a few months (though none have been picture worthy as casseroles go).

So its mainly just a waiting game. Tick tock, tick tock.

Banana souffle with dark chocolate ice cream

2011-05-01T22:17:00.001-05:00

If you're afraid of souffles don't be. Just be gentle and fearless. This one took less than 30 minutes to prepare and that's with 15 minutes of bake time. The flavor is like the most delicate banana bread with the texture of a warm cloud. Add a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream for a warm/cold rich dessert dream.

While the ice cream is insanely rich the souffle is light...and nearly fat free. So if you skip the ice cream the souffle is a relatively guilt free dessert.

Sorry to be lazy but both of these recipes were developed by noted chefs and I didn't make any significant changes so ill refer you elsewhere for the recipes. The ice cream is from my favorite book: David Leibovitz's Perfect Scoop. If you don't own it... Get it! The souffle is an Eric Ripert recipe available through the following link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/banana-souffles

Put em together and your mind will be blown (also since the ice cream calls for egg yolks and the souffle calls for whites they're a good balance in that respect too).

Enjoy!

Gratuitous Baby Belly Pics: 28 Weeks

2011-04-14T09:19:00.001-05:00

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

2011-04-13T08:37:00.003-05:00

So, before we even get into the yummy cookie recipe, lets address the fact that my food photography has gone to h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

Here's the deal: JiT used to take all my photos but these days he just doesn't have the time to do it (or finish the redesign for this site or pretty much do anything else blog-related). The man has a very busy job, a crazy puppy and a pregnant wife. I'm cutting him some slack. He's promised to show me how to use the Nikon and give me a crash course in photography basics, but again, time has been a problem. Basically any spare time we have is spent working on the nursery, working on the house...working on something. You get the idea. So, for now, I'm left to take crappy pics with my iPhone camera. Its not pretty but it will have to do. Don't plan to see me on Tastespotting anytime soon folks (though the existence of Tastestopping does take some of the sting out of rejection).

Anyway, enough of my moaning about crappy photography. This blog is going to heck in a handbasket and will probably only get worse once the baby arrives, but thats okay. I'm giving it what I can, so there.

Let's console ourselves with cookies, shall we?

Oh and what cookies they are! Since around the start of my second trimester (just started my third this week, woot woot!), I've been fighting with a major craving for sweets...to the point that I almost require dessert each and every night. I try to keep things in check by making homemade sorbet or having a glass of chocolate milk, but sometimes I need something more. This week, I needed a cookie.

These are a little bit different from your average oatmeal cookie. The coconut adds some additional texture and chewiness and the spices are just divine. Plus the Kosher salt adds just a hint of saltiness here and there that's quite yummy. You could probably add all sorts of things -- nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate chunks -- but I really enjoyed them straight up. I really like my cookies chewy so to get the texture just right I kept the baking time pretty short. The result is chewy and moist and spicy all at once. I made these on Saturday and the few that are left are still super soft and fresh tasting today.

They taste great paired with vanilla ice cream, tropical sorbet and, surprisingly, fresh mango! Mango and cookies has become my new favorite snack. I'm actually thinking about making a mango sorbet and perhaps creating some coconut oatmeal cookie/mango sorbet sandwiches....but that might require another batch of cookies. A slippery slope indeed.

One other note -- something we learned in my baking class back in culinary school -- if you don't want your cookies to spread too much (i.e. become too thin on the cookie sheet) do not over beat the butter/sugar mixture. Even when recipes say to "beat til fluffy," I wouldn't take that too seriously. The more air you beat into the mix the further they'll spread. Just something to keep in mind.

What's your favorite cookie recipe? Please share....I'm ready to bake up another batch!

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen small cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 sticks salted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until the mixture just starts to become fluffy. Do not over beat. Add egg and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until the flour just starts to become incorporated with the wet ingredients. Add the oats and coconut and stir using a wooden spoon or spatula just until the mixture is evenly incorporated. The batter will be relatively dry. Do not over mix.

Drop cookies by tablespoons onto baking sheets, spacing cookies a few inches apart. Bake in hot oven for 10 - 11 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are just golden. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days (or as long as they last).

READER GIVEAWAY & COUPON CODE: Shabby Apple Dress Boutique

2011-04-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

Recently, the super-cute online dress boutique Shabby Apple (www.shabbyapple.com) approached me about doing a giveaway with my readers. If you're not familiar, they're an online-only boutique that specializes in vintage inspired dresses and accessories for women.

I was already familiar with Shabby Apple, having purchased one of my bridal shower dresses from their line a few years back. That dress ended up being a go-to favorite whenever I wanted to feel ladylike and slightly elegant.

Of course, these days, I'm much more likely to be found in a pair of yoga pants with a generous waistline, so I'd sort of been ignoring their online offers until they contacted me....and reminded me that they offer a MATERNITY LINE!

If you follow me of Facebook, you've probably noticed that my belly is starting to give my clothes a pretty good workout, so maternity clothes are fast becoming my new best friend. Unfortunately, people must not get pregnant in Miami Beach because there aren't many stores in the area that carry maternity clothes. So I was thrilled to page through the Shabby Apple Maternity Collection and find a variety of lovely, elegant dresses that would be great for special occasions and for everyday.

The first one to catch my eye was the "Finding Out" dress, which I've already decided I'm going to order to wear at my upcoming baby shower. I'll be at 32 weeks by then and this dress looks like it will accommodate a big belly in a way that's both comfortable and flattering. Plus its so pretty! I can't wait to pair it with a pair of colorful kitten heel pumps.

Of course these days, since I'm not working, comfort is usually the name of the game, so the second dress to catch my eye was the "Two's Company" dress.

With a drop waist, jersey fabric and a front pocket reminiscent of a hoodie, this is just TOO CUTE. I could see myself wearing this everywhere I go these days from running errands to walking along the beach. I'm going to start dropping hints to my momma to see if she'll get this for me, but for one lucky reader this dress can be yours now!

Yep...Shabby Apple will be giving the "Two's Company" dress to one of you!

What's that you say? You're not pregnant? Well, you're in luck because the "Two's Company" dress is also available in a non-maternity (i.e. regular person) version as the "Da Vinci" dress.

So, whether you're pregnant or not, you're welcome to enter this contest for a chance to win either version of this dress.

To Enter the Giveaway:

- Post a comment noting which Shabby Apple dress is your favorite and why. I'll choose one winner at random using random.org (please only one comment per reader).

- If you'd like to enter a second time, Tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to mention me (@Rebecca_C) and include a link to this post and a link to Shabby Apple.

Contest will officially close at midnight on Thursday, April 14th and I'll announce the winner on Friday, April 15th.

Coupon Code:

Even if you're not the winner of this contest, Shabby Apple has generously offered my readers 10 percent off on any purchases you make at their site.

Just enter the coupon code: homemakershabitat10off upon checkout to receive the 10 percent discount.

And to keep the great offers coming, I encourage you to "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook so that you can keep up to date on their offers and discounts.

Disclosure info:

Shabby Apple has invited me to participate in their affiliate program, providing me with a 5% commission from any sales that result from visitors referred to Shabby Apple from my site. Like my readers, I have also been provided with a 10% discount on my next Shabby Apple purchase. However, all opinions shared here are mine and not those of Shabby Apple.

UPDATE: congratulations to our winner, LOHS Photo-Annie, as chosen by Random.org. You will receive your choice of either the Da Vinci or Twos Company dress courtesy of Shabby Apple. I'd like to thank all of you for participating and hope you'll stop back by the blog often. And don't forget to take advantage of the 10% off coupon code for your next Shabby Apple purchase.

2011-04-02T11:14:00.002-05:00

Our dining area was one place in the house I worried would remain bare for a very long time. Coming from a 1-bedroom loft, we'd never had room for more than a tiny breakfast table and we didn't really have the budget for an expensive new dining table & chairs.

Much to my surprise however, with a little luck and a few inexpensive purchases, we've been able to make this area functional -- and even quite decent looking -- in just a few short weeks.

When the previous tenants moved, they offered to sell us a few of their items, including the lovely West Elm chandelier that hangs over the table. The chandelier is so elegant in this space and the perfect counterpoint to the dark wood floors in the room. I love that the translucent white disks move with the breeze of the air conditioning and even tinkle like a wind chime. This item alone gave the room a polished look before we added any furniture.

As for the table and chairs...we were again very lucky. The table is actually a very large desk that the previous tenants left behind when they moved (free!). The desk is just a long, black table with clean lines....it really does look like a table (no drawers or any telltale "desk" finishes), so we just moved it into the dining room and discovered it was a perfect fit for the space.

From there, we took a trip to Ikea and found these clean-lined white chairs for $40. We picked up six of them, which has given us enough room to gather when we have family and friends visit us and its too hot or cold to eat out on the deck. The chairs were also available in black and brown, but we thought the white ones did a great job pulling in the chandelier and the white pocket doors that lead to the office area behind the room. We were thrilled that they fit perfectly with our new "table".

At this point we're still working to fill out the rest of the room -- we'd like to get a dining hutch or bar cart to place along the far wall, and like much of the rest of the house, we're still lacking in art for the walls, but we've made a good start so far.

Eventually, I'm hoping to set out some of my china on the table to display but for now I've simply strewn a white pashmina across the top (an idea my mother suggested) as a runner and I've been changing out fresh flowers in the middle.

Typically, I just have some cheap florals from the grocery store or farmers market shoved in a vase, but this gorgeous bouquet was an anniversary gift from JiT last week. He had to travel out of town for work on our actual anniversary, so these made for a lovely consolation prize. I love the way the morning sunlight streams in through the back windows and brightens the table. And the way the chandelier glows and brightens the entire room after dark. Its like the heart of the house and it makes my heart happy that we've been able to fill it so quickly and inexpensively so far. As we add more to the room...I'll be sure to share additional updates.

What about you? Any rooms in your house that came together in a seemingly serendipitous or inexpensive way?

Sumptuous Strawberry Sorbet

2011-03-30T10:12:00.001-05:00

I realize that strawberry season is still a few months off in most of the country but they're at their peak in Florida right now. For the rest of you... You'll want to bookmark this one. Trust me!

Typically I'm an ice cream fan...heavy emphasis on cream. Bring on the dairy. JiT however, prefers something lighter and more refreshing. So as a special pre-wedding anniversary treat, last week I whipped up a batch of strawberry sorbet.

I used a recipe from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop... a book that every ice cream lover should own. He's a genius when it comes to exotic flavors as well as tried and true staples.

Anyway, his strawberry sorbet recipe couldn't be easier so I'll share it here:

Toss 1 pound of fresh, hulled strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar. Cover the bowl and let them sit at room temp for an hour. Dump them in a blender, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a tiny pinch of salt, cover and give it a whir. Stick the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour. Then churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Done!

The result?

This ruby red deliciousness. It's like biting into the sweetest, ripest, coldest strawberry on the planet. Amazing alone or paired with a buddy (like David's Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream, shown here...but for that I encourage you to buy the book). My latest discovery: pair this sorbet with fresh mango and chopped mint. Guilt-free amazingness.

Finding Serenity in our Bedroom

2011-03-25T16:34:00.005-05:00

Hmm... just realized that title might attract people looking for sex advice or something. Totally unintentional. As a matter of fact, I'm the one who's hoping to get some advice....specifically, for some interior design advice for our bedroom.

This room is already one of my favorite places in the house. Like much of the rest of the place, the room has gorgeous dark wood floors. To offset them, we chose a serene, spa-like color scheme of white, sage, slate blue and mustard yellow. Since this is where we sleep every night, we made the decision to invest in very good quality bedding including the quilt and duvet, both from West Elm. The sheets and pillows are from Target, but we went ahead and splurged on the highest thread count they offered.

We were thrilled that the tenants who lived in our house previously sold us the curtains for a song and they're a perfect match for the room. We were also able to find the lampshades ($5 each) and rug ($35 and another perfect match) at Ikea while we were picking up the furniture (all from the Hemnes collection).

So, the foundation of the room came together pretty quickly and everything really looks great, but then we got stuck. We've still got some empty corners that could use a chair or a plant and the main problem is the WALLS. We have a serious artwork deficit going on right now (I guess that's what happens when you move from a 1 br loft to a 4 br house).

With such busy bedding, I'm not entirely sure what to do with the giant blank space behind the bed. A collection of personal photos in various sized frames? A big piece of not-too-pricey artwork, perhaps?

One idea I'm toying with is playing off a clock that I already own similar to this one, by purchasing a few more in various styles from the Etsy shop I got it from. I was thinking a cluster of these guys might look nifty and we could set them to the time zones of the various places that are meaningful to us (Miami, Chicago, etc). I'm just not sure if it would come together.

Another wrench in the whole system: One of my favorite features in the room is the gigantic purple bouganvilla bush that fills the entire window. Its so pretty...I've been debating if we could/should try to pull it in with some purple accents???

Would love thoughts and ideas so bring em on!

Oh and, if I didn't make it totally clear, we're on a pretty tight budget so the cheaper the better!

Thanks and happy Friday!

Happy Birthday JiT: Tropical Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-03-21T09:44:00.007-05:00

My husband in rather particular about cake. There are only certain flavors that he likes and even then it needs to be really, really good cake before he'll even consider it. This makes his birthday rather challenging each year. He's a hard man to please!

This year, to give myself a helping hand, I decided to interview him about preferred cake flavors well in advance, to ensure I was tapping into whatever would most tickle his fancy. Surprisingly, carrot cake ranked right near the top of his list. So, I got to work.

Instead of a traditional carrot cake, I decided to do something with a tropical twist, incorporating coconut and pineapple. Working off of a wonderful recipe from Epicurious, I made a few tweaks and make these into cupcakes. The results were moist, flavorful, delicious morsels. Hearty enough to be a muffin, but moist, light and distinctly cake-like. I can't get enough of these little beauties and neither could JiT (good thing the recipe makes two dozen!).

Then there's the frosting: Coconut. Cream Cheese. What more do I need to say? For the frosting, I'll direct you to the original recipe since I didn't make any adjustments there. But be warned...this makes a TON of frosting (you may want to halve the recipe or risk the consequences).

I'll leave you with a picture of my amazing, too-handsome-to-really-be-38, husband. Happy Birthday once again JiT!

Tropical Carrot Cupcakes

Makes 24 regular size cupcakes

Adapted from Epicurious.com

2 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl combine flour and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk gently until blended.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour-spice mixture, then gently stir in carrots and crushed pineapple just until well combined.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3rds full. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for about 1 hour. Turn cupcakes out onto racks to finish cooling completely. Frost with coconut cream cheese frosting.

A Quick Kitchen Tour: Everything in its Place

2011-03-04T07:35:00.003-06:00

The kitchen in our new place is even better than I remembered. I'd forgotten that we actually have not one, but TWO sinks, plus in addition to the electric stove (most common in Miami) there is also an optional 2-burner gas range that we may end up having connected to the gas line. I was also pleasantly surprised to realize the microwave is also a convection oven. Looking forward to experimenting with that.

But the best part is definitely the way we've organized it. For the first time in my life, my kitchen makes sense. As we started unpacking the boxes I decided life would be much more simpler if the kitchen was organized in the same manner as a professional kitchen. So I've divided the whole thing into stations. Lets go for a quick tour, shall we?

Sink 1: Hand washing and prep

This sink is specifically designated as my hand washing and prep work station. You can see we have hand soap and disposable paper towels for sanitary washing. Tucked in the tiny drawer under the sink is a fingernail brush for deep scrubbing. Directly next to the sink, is a knife prep area. My favorite cutting board and my knives live here. In the drawer underneath, we've got additional cutting boards and other supplies such as vegetable peelers, knife sharpeners, etc. As an additional tip, I've placed a piece of rubber drawer lining beneath the cutting board -- a wonderful chef safety trick (you can also use a wet paper towel as a less permanent solution).

Next to that, we have a bar area. Up top, all of our liquors, I've stored a selection of glasses and barware supplies such as a shaker and citrus juicer. In the drawer below, we've got wine stoppers, wine charms, bottle openers and other small items. Below that I've stored small appliances, including the blender and handheld immersion blender.

Central island: Stovetop cooking

The center island houses all of my pots and pans in easy reach of the stovetop. The drawers closest to the stove contain pot holders and side towels (chef speak for dish towels). The countertop tends to be our serving station, so as our meals come together, this area converts to a buffet.

Stove area: Everything handy

The cabinets directly adjacent to the stove hold items I need at arms reach: oils and acids, my most-used spices, etc. The lazy susan below contains bowls and other prep items of every size.

Sink 2: Clean-up, dishwashing and service item storage

This sink is designated for cleanup. The sink caddy contains scrubbers, sponges and dish soap. The dishwasher is close at hand. And, since the majority of the items coming through the dishwasher will be our everyday china and glassware, those items are housed in the cabinets all around the sink.

Pantry:

The food pantry is organized by food type, with spices in the top section (along with a chip clip bucket), beverages are on the next shelf, then canned goods then chips and snacks. Cereals and grains are in the upper shelf.

Recipe Laptop:

JT knows I love to try out new recipes from other folks' blogs, so we set up our old laptop here in the kitchen so that I can refer to recipes at any moment.

So thats the tour. There are still plenty of other nooks and crannies I've not pointed out, but the general theme is that everything has its place and every place is set up to make life easier. So far, its worked out great and it was really easy to do with a little thoughtful planning.

If you have a quiet afternoon some weekend, I would recommend conducting a similar makeover in your own kitchen. You'll be amazed and how much faster prep and cleanup go once you have a system in place!

Does anyone else have ideas for organizing the kitchen?

Pan Seared Salmon Salad

2011-03-04T07:24:00.004-06:00

We've finally settled into a bit of a routine at the new house enough to really cook. Yesterday, JiT requested something "light and maybe with farro," (can you tell he's married to a foodie?). We'd already had beef and chicken this week and since moving to Florida I've really been craving seafood. I decided to check out the small Kosher market a few blocks from our house to see what their fish looked like. Though Kastner's selection was small, I could tell it was packaged in-store and looked quite fresh, so I picked up some gorgeous salmon filets.

I knew I had some other ingredients in the house I wanted to use up (arugula, fresh basil, lemons, baguette and, of course, that farro JiT wanted). So, a salad was born.

I probably don't even need to mention how healthy this is....packed with whole grains from the farro, gorgeous green arugula, and the salmon...an omega 3 and protein treasure chest. In truth, JiT isn't usually much of a salmon fan so I was concerned he would turn up his nose but he have this a shot and almost licked the bowl clean.

The sharp, bright flavor of arugula, combined with slivers of onion, cucumber and lemon juice, compliment the rich, almost buttery flavor of the salmon. The farro adds a nutty complexity that rounds out the dish and turns it into a hearty meal. For an extra hit of interest, I drizzled the tiniest bit of white truffle oil on the fish before serving and I think it was absolutely key.

The best part -- this was SO simple to prepare! The entire meal was ready in about 30 minutes, making it an ideal weeknight meal, but its also quite elegant and would certainly hold its own when entertaining.

Pan Seared Salmon Salad with Arugula & Farro

Serves 2

Fish

2 fresh salmon filets, about 6 ounces each, skin on

juice from half of a lemon

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Salad

1 cup pearled farro, cooked and drained according to package directions, chill in the refrigerator to room temp or lower (1/2 cup uncooked)

3 cups loosely packed baby arugula (about half of a standard package)

1/2 of a large cucumber, thinly sliced and quartered

1/2 of a small yellow onion, sliced paper thin

4 or 5 leaves of fresh basil, torn to bite size pieces

Dressing

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil, or to taste

juice from about 1/4 of a lemon

Place salmon filets in a shallow dish and cover with marinade ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine marinade ingredients and set aside.

In a large, oven-safe, non-stick pan, heat a healthy drizzle (about 2 teaspoons) of canola oil over high heat (I prefer canola for this use since olive oil can burn at high temps). Heat to almost smoking and place salmon filets, flesh side down in the pan. Bring the temperature down to medium. Cook the fish, without moving for 1 to 2 minutes until the flesh has developed a golden brown crust. Carefully flip the fish and continue cooking on the stovetop for another 2 to 3 minutes until skin is crispy. Then move pan to the hot oven and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes or until fish is flaky and evenly cooked through (Since I'm preggers and JiT prefers his salmon cooked all the way through, our cook time is a little longer so be sure to check doneness regularly to ensure you pull your fish the way you like it).

Remove fish from pan and place on a plate, drizzle with additional lemon juice and truffle oil. Meanwhile, toss salad with dressing and season with additional salt & pepper as needed.

To serve, place a portion of the arugula mixture on serving plates and top with salmon. Serve immediately with toasted slices of baguette if desired.

Big changes, bigger belly

2011-03-02T21:52:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy few weeks here! We finally got the keys to our house last Thursday and spent the next three days unpacking almost nonstop. The result: only seven boxes left to unpack. Not bad considering we started with more than 100!

We're finally getting settled into a routine and I hope to get back to some innovative cooking posts soon.

Meanwhile one thing I AM cooking is a baby. 22 weeks...check out that belly!!!

Kicks for Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T08:34:00.002-06:00

The baby wished us Happy Valentine's Day! Up until today I've been feeling faint flutters in my belly but, frustratingly, they would come and go so quickly I wasn't sure what it was. Then this morning as I was laying in bed, I felt a very distinct thump...and then another and another. I wasn't sure it was strong enough for JiT to feel but I called him over anyway and sure enough...he could feel them too!

That's probably the extent of our celebrating today...we decided that in lieu of all the other stuff we've got going on right now, there's no need to go nuts for V-day. But I am planning to make a nice dinner (filets mignon, something chocolately for dessert).

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine's Day!

Cleaning Out the Pantry: Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

2011-02-11T16:19:00.005-06:00

Tell me if this sounds familiar?

You have a half-full box of quinoa sitting in your pantry right now and, presently, you have no idea what you're going to do with it (if you're me, its a box of red quinoa...fancy). You bought the quinoa to use in a delicious recipe, and it was quite good. But since then you haven't added many more quinoa recipes to your repertoire.

And there sits the half-full box.

Problem is, because of its high protein content (after all, we're talking about one of the only plant-based sources of complete protein), quinoa doesn't have a very long shelf-life.

Lets find a new way to use this super grain, shall we?

Breakfast cereal. Yep, you heard me right. So simple! So easy! So nutritious!

So, here's what you're gonna do: Tonight, or this weekend, or whenever you can spare 15 minutes to boil that quinoa, follow the directions on your half-full box and cook it up.

Once cooked, dump the quinoa into a plastic storage container with a lid and stick it in the fridge. Come Monday (or whenever you next plan to eat some breakfast cereal), instead of reaching for the corn flakes, pull out your quinoa. Dump some in your cereal bowl, add some fresh fruit, a sprinkle of sugar (or honey) and a splash of milk and enjoy. If you live someplace where its cold and nasty outside right now, all the better! Give your breakfast a quick spin in the microwave for a delicious hot cereal.

Quinoa's uniquely crunchy texture holds up well in milk and its slightly nutty flavor is the perfect balance for sweet berries and creamy milk. Get really wild and add a dash of cinnamon if thats your persuasion.

Finally, its got way more nutrition than those corn flakes. Quinoa is a whole grain, a good source of iron and fiber and and a complete source of protein. And did I mention it tastes pretty good with milk?

Happy weekend!

Baby Stuff is Confusing: The Diaper Dilemma

2011-02-09T11:49:00.003-06:00

Now that I have the time to do it, I've been trying to prepare for our new arrival. Afterall, the time keeps slipping by -- I'm already 19 weeks (that's almost 5 months in non-prego language) along....that's more than half-way baked!! So in addition to reading pregnancy books, I picked up a copy of Dr. Spock to start preparing for how I might actually care for this child. So far I've learned that babies need a lot of help to figure out how and when to sleep. They also need a lot of help figuring out how and when to eat....once the parents decide how and what to feed them. There seem to be a lot of variables!

Speaking of variables....I've also started a registry. There isn't much on it right now because each item seems to require an endless amount of research. We started with the stroller -- several friends have models from Baby Jogger that seem to get high marks, so we went with one of those. Then on to a car seat....I won't even go into the details on the research THAT entailed!

Now I'm on to diapering, which seems to be causing the biggest headache of all so far. Since I'm planning to stay at home with the baby for at least the first year, I've been thinking reusable cloth diapers might be a worthwhile endeavor. Afterall, they're better for the environment and after the initial up-front investment, you don't have to spend nearly as much. So, with that decision made, I thought the rest would be easy. NOT SO!

It turns out there are an endless array of reusable cloth diapers available. Different brands, different models, different sizes. Incidentally, all of them have insanely cute names that further complicate any rational decision-making: Fuzzibunz, bumGenius, Bumkins. Then there are hybrid diapers with throw-away inserts but reusable outer covers. Further complicating matters, most of the "big box" and national baby retailers only carry a few types of these reusable diapers, and some of the best-rated ones are only available through obscure boutique stores, so it would be difficult to add them to a registry. So, at this point I'm a little bit stumped on how to proceed. I guess that's why God gives us 9 months to prepare.

Would love advice from experienced parents out there. Do you use reusable diapers or disposables? How did you decide which brand, no matter what type you use?

Yummy, easy budget lunch: tuna w/whit beans & spinach

2011-02-07T11:00:00.002-06:00

This is such a great, easy and CHEAP weekday lunch. Even better: it's packed with protein, fiber, omega3s and other super-yummy nutrition. How do you create this culinary wonder you ask?

- Arrange a handful of fresh, washed baby spinach leaves on your plate

- Open a can of tuna (water packed) drain it, and flake half of it onto your plate over the spinach.

- Open a can of white beans (cannelini), drain it, and dump about 1/4 of them on your plate.

- Add a few pine nuts (toasted if you want) for crunch.

- Add some fresh herbs (I had marjoram) if you desire

- Add a drizzle of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice.

- Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and Kosher salt to taste.

Gobble the goodness!

Tightening the Budget While Feeding the Belly

2011-02-03T11:16:00.006-06:00

Now that we're getting settled in Miami and I have a little more time on my hands (like, all day, 5 days a week), I'd like to start sharing some additional posts about what's going on in my life, challenges and ideas for addressing common problems, in addition to the usual recipe stuff.

As it happens, our recent lifestyle changes have presented a few little challenges I'm noodling with:

Tighter Food Budget. We're now a 1-income family so its suddenly a little more important to stick to a food budget each month. Add to this the fact that we're in temporary housing this month and its suddenly very important that I use what we have in the house before flitting out to the grocery store for a bunch of additional ingredients.
I'm pregnant. Not only am I ALWAYS hungry, but I'm also (usually) trying to feed the belly with nutritious stuff to help the baby (and the momma) stay healthy and strong. This means I'm not willing to compromise on ingredient quality....I'm still eating a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables, choosing organic ingredients whenever possible and generally trying to get plenty of variety. When you're prego, you also never want to be TOO full or TOO hungry (both are notorious for causing nausea), so I try to take in a steady stream of little bites throughout the day.
I'm home all day now. This means I feel extra pressure to munch on leftovers, graze from whatever is in the fridge and generally try to avoid running out to the grocery store or a quick-serve restaurant every 30 minutes just because I have time time (b/c we don't necessarily have the money!). But as a food freak, I'm easily bored by leftovers and the idea of eating the exact same thing over and over again. If thats my only choice, I'm often tempted just to skip eating altogether which is not currently an option (see #2).

My strategy for addressing all of these items:

- Menu Planning: Yes I know, nothing terribly revolutionary here. But for me this required a major shift in logic. Instead of thinking..."Hmmm, what will I be craving on Tuesday that I can make in 30 minutes after I get home from that long client meeting?" I find myself thinking..."Hmm, what can I make on Tuesday that will use up those leftover chicken breasts I got on sale, plus the rest of that quinoa I bought last week AND that remaining 1/2 a mango in the fridge?"

To accomplish this, instead of turning to cookbooks, recipe sites and blogs for menu inspiration, I've found its easiest to start by taking an inventory of the pantry (by which I mean both the dry pantry and the fridge/freezer), either literally or mentally, and using that as the launch pad for creating your menu for the week. Once you know what you've got, its sort of like putting together a puzzle. So for example, so far this week has looked like this:

Sunday: Grain salad with chicken, green beans, and corn
Monday: Saigon Salad w/cabbage, green beans, red peppers & shrimp, w/pita bread on the side (already had the green beans, herbs and spices in the house. bought the shrimp (sale), cabbage and red pepper)
Tuesday: Shrimp & spinach quesadillas w/black bean & corn salad (used leftover Monday shrimp, leftover Sunday corn, had the black beans and tortillas in the pantry)
Wednesday: Quinoa, red pepper & mushroom veggie burgers in pita pockets with Asian coleslaw & baked sweet potatoes (had the quinoa and most of the other ingreds for the veggie burgers on-hand, also had the cabbage & other slaw ingredients on-hand; bought the sweet potatoes and burger toppings)

- Lunch Planning: In addition to working in all of the puzzle pieces for our dinner menus, I also try to think ahead about how I can "recycle" any leftovers into a creative lunch for me the following day. So, for example, that Saigon salad became a very delicious sandwich when I stuffed it INSIDE the pita bread (hence the photo for this post). And its just different enough from what I had the night before to trick my brain into thinking its new (sneaky).

- Snacks, snacks and more snacks: In the event that we don't have any leftovers or (just as likely) I become hungry between actual mealtimes, I keep myself stocked with a variety of other items like Kashi granola bars (my lifesaver on so many occasions), yogurt, fresh fruit and mixed nuts (I really like Planters Nut-Trition mixes). Luckily, living in Miami, I'm also always within walking distance of a good smoothie.

So, those are my tips so far. We'll see if I can keep it up in the long-term. What about you....do you have any tricks for healthful and creative menu planning on a budget?

New Experiences and Papaya & Avocado Salad

2011-02-01T14:08:00.008-06:00

Its my second week in Miami and its starting to feel like home. We had a weird first week -- JiT attended a training out of town, so I was on my own for five days -- so it sort of felt like I was on a solo vacation. But now that he's back, we're starting to settle into a normal pattern again.

Even so, there are some new "normals" I'm still getting used to. My favorite things about Miami so far:

- The PRODUCE! I visited Whole Foods and purchased oranges, strawberries, raspberries, papaya, avocado and mangoes....and nearly all of it was grown right here in my new home state. I even saw a TV commercial for a u-pick strawberry farm thats open right now. I'm still trying to wrap my cold, midwestern brain around the possibilities here.

- The weather has been fantastic....in the mid-seventies and sunny nearly everyday since we arrived. And this week we're supposed to rise into the 80s. Its almost surreal considering where we came from.

- Smoothies! I know this sounds random but I've just entered the "seriously hungry ALL THE TIME" phase of pregnancy. I've also acquired a bit of a sweet tooth, which is so not like me. To keep it all in check, I've been trying to load up on lots of fresh fruit and dairy instead of candy and milkshakes (OH milkshakes!!!). Luckily, Miami Beach is like one big smoothie shop. They're everywhere. If I'm out running errands a bit longer than anticipated, no worries....I just wander for a block or two until I find someplace to whir me up a smoothie. Ahhh. Delicious.

- The wildlife here is completely different than the Midwest and full of surprises. In fact, we saw this gigantic manatee swimming in the bay just a few blocks from our apartment last weekend. This was right in the downtown area and we just happened to look over the edge of the retaining wall at just the right moment. Its sort of a magical feeling to see a creature this large and gentle, floating around in a big city!

As you can imagine, its been fun exploring the area, taking in our new city, meeting new people and trying different restaurants (so far, lots of Cuban food). Honestly though, JiT and I are still the same Midwesterners at heart and the most comforting nights have been the ones where we cooked a nice meal in our temporary apartment (we've given the little kitchen here a real workout!) and watched a movie on the couch....THAT feels like home to us.

Even so, Miami weather doesn't jive with our typical January comfort food of roasts, soups and stews so instead I've been experimenting with more summery, tropical fare. The best dishes so far have been fish tacos, Saigon cabbage salad with cilantro-lime shrimp, and our new favorite starter: Papaya & Avocado Salad.

I know it sounds like a really weird combination but its actually quite refreshing. The creamy avocado provides the perfect balance for the sweetness of the papaya. For a final kick, tear some fresh basil leaves on top (mint would probably be good too), sprinkle on some kosher salt and give it a squirt of lime. The flavor is bright, refreshing, sweet and salty and the colors are absolutely brilliant on the plate. I got the idea from the February issue of Martha Stewart Living, but we adapted this slightly to suit our tastes. And its so easy to make that we seem to be putting a plate together almost every night.

I know most of you are experiencing a deep freeze right now and this might not sound too appealing, but if you're looking for a way to bring some sunshine to your world (and your mouth), this is an easy way to do it. Not to mention the great nutritional benefits: avocados are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium and other nutrients, while papaya is rich in Vitamin C, folate and potassium. And lets not forget they're delicious.

Papaya & Avocado Salad

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Serves 4

1 large, ripe papaya

2 ripe haas avocados

3 - 4 fresh basil leaves, torn to bite size

Fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon

Kosher salt to taste

Cut papaya in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice each half of the papaya widthwise into 1/2 inch wide half-moon shaped pieces. Use a paring knife to cut the skin from each slice.

Next, slice each avocado in half lengthwise; remove and discard the pit. Using a paring knife, score slices 1/2 inch lengthwise slices all the way through the flesh of the avocado, but do not pierce the outer skin. Use a large spoon to carefully scoop the avocado flesh from the skin and separate the individual slices.

Divide papaya and avocado slices into four portions and arrange on four individual plates. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each plate, sprinkle with salt to taste and dot with basil pieces. Serve immediately.

First Miami Meal: Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions & Jalapenos

2011-01-22T16:23:00.001-06:00

We made it to Miami...and just in time, too. It sounds like Chicago went into a deep freeze just days after we left!

Our wild week started with the movers arriving to pack last Monday morning.

By Tuesday night we were on the road, stopping in Ohio that night, then down to South Carolina on Wed night and finally arrived here in FL Thursday evening. Zoey did surprisingly well in the car (and so did my pregnant bladder) but we were still happy to arrive. We're in corporate housing for the first month but the view of the bay from our balcony is amazing and the place is pretty comfy.

Yesterday we made it to the grocery store and fixed our first supper. We wanted to make use of the amazing Latin produce selection and fresh seafood so we decided on fish tacos. We bought some excellent whole red snapper, which gave me some practice with my filet knife. We marinated the fish in milk, lime juice, Tabasco and cumin, then sauteed in olive oil for for tender, flaky bites.

We topped them with fresh made pico de gallo, lime crema (Greek yogurt, mayo, lime juice and cilantro), store bought salsa verde, and Dominican avocado (bigger, more flavorful but slightly less creamy than the haas variety). But the surprising star ingredient was the pickled onion & jalapeño mixture we made. This is SO easy but will bring unbelievable tanginess and heat to a meal. It worked perfectly with our fresh fish tacos but would also be great on nachos, roast meats or other items with a Latin flair. And it's literally about five minutes work. With this recipe you'll have enough for 4 to 6 people or refrigerate the leftovers like any other pickled condiment. Enjoy!!

Pickled Onions & Jalapeños
Serves 4-6

1/2 of a large red onion halved and thinly sliced into half moons
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, halved, seeds removed and sliced into half moons
1 cup rice wine vinegar
Juice from half a lime
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine onions and peppers in a heat proof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan combine vinegar, lime juice and salt. Set over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour mixture over the onions and peppers, stirring to soak . Let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least one and up to 8 hours. Serve with fish tacos or other Latin meals. Refrigerate leftovers and use as a condiment.

The Miami house

2011-01-12T13:45:00.001-06:00

We were in Florida this past weekend for three grueling days of house hunting. I'd thought that since we're renting that this would be a relatively simple task but it was crazy. First we had yo figure out which neighborhood we liked then find an affordable place suitable for us, visitors and a newborn. No small feat!

We ended up finding an amazing house in a quiet neighborhood just a few miles from JiTs office. It's absolutely perfect but we weren't the only folks who thought so! Another couple tried to steal it out from under us so it's been a roller coaster ride waiting for the deal to go thru. But I think things are finally smoothed out and I can start getting excited! The house has a fireplace, a backyard with a small pool, three bedrooms and a fabulous kitchen! It's going to be great for entertaining!

I guess now we just need to make some new friends. Do you know anyone in Miami? Bloggers? Foodies? Moms? Please share names, blogs, etc!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's A New Year; It's A New Life...

2011-01-01T12:18:00.012-06:00

Welcome to 2011! As I sat here this morning munching on my traditional New Years Day mish mosh bagel with homemade veggie cream cheese, my intention was to share all we've been up to these past few months, perhaps throwing in a quick recipe idea.

But as I began looking back at the year that has past, then forward at the year that lays ahead, the sheer enormity overwhelmed me. There's just too much. I don't know how to write it eloquently so, instead I'll get straight to the point:

1. In October, we received the happy news that we're expecting a baby.

2. Last month, I finished school, earning my culinary/personal chef certification.

3. Two weeks ago, JiT accepted an incredible job offer as Creative Director with an advertising agency based on Miami, which means we're moving to Florida later this month.

4. In preparation for the move and the baby on the way, I've resigned from my full-time public relations job. My final day will be this Wednesday. Once we move to Miami, I'm planning to spend a lot more time working on this blog (and JiT has been helping me with a new logo and complete site redesign). I may also pursue part-time work in the culinary field but my main job will be preparing to be a mom.

There. That just about sums it up. I feel better now. Though I suppose a few details are in order.

First up: The Baby

We are SO excited! The news was a bit of a surprise at first. We weren't aggressively "trying" at the time and had only been "not trying not to" for about a month and with my crazy school scheduled we'd assumed it would take a lot longer. Even so, we're absolutely thrilled with the news.

The first few months were incredibly exhausting. Working a very demanding job by day, then attending culinary school until almost midnight three nights in a row each week left me absolutely dragging. Most weekends this fall were spent recovering and naps became my new best friend. By Thanksgiving, I was pretty much counting the days until I finished school, just so I'd be able to rest. Luckily though, beyond the exhaustion, I never experienced too many other pregnancy symptoms. A little bit of queaziness but I never had full-on morning sickness or anything else of much concern.

Most importantly, Sweet Pea (thats what we call him or her), seems to be thriving. Here's a pic of our little one at 11 weeks:

On top of that, now that I've started my second trimester, most of my early symptoms have

diminished. I still get tired, but not nearly as bad as before and I'm rarely queazy. Even better, we're finally making the news public, which has been such a joy to share. We told our families and a few close friends early on of course, but decided to hold off on sharing the news with our jobs, extended family and friends until we hit the 12 week mark, which also happened to be Christmas week.

Today I'm almost 14 weeks pregnant, with a due date of July 3rd. At this point, I've only gained a few pounds but I'm starting to get the slightest bit of a bump. We're looking forward to all the changes that the next six months are going to bring (not to mentioned the 18 or so years beyond!).

Here's a glimpse at my growing belly (though for now at least, my other assets seem to be the ones doing the most expansion...oi):

And now for our other news: Moving to Miami

So far, this one's still pretty fresh and the details haven't quit

e come together, but what we know is: JiT has a new job that he is VERY excited about and it makes me excited to see him so happy. I also have a new job that I'm excited about -- preparing to be a mom as well as being a more regular blogger.

The plan so far is that we'll be making an initial visit to Miami next week to look for a house to rent. Then we'll pack up and move for good by around mid-January. The prospect of what we're about to do still hasn't quite sunk in yet, but I'm more excited than nervous. I know it will be an adjustment. I've only been to Miami a few times (though JiT lived there in college and a few years there after), and I don't have any friends or family there. But JiT and I both feel ready for a clean start in a new place. I'm sure we'll have plenty of visitors (at least in the winter months). I'm also hoping that a baby bump and a very excited little puppy will provide lots of help as I'm trying to make new friends.

I'm so looking forward to sharing the adventure ahead with all of you. There are so many exciting details ahead: a new home to find and feather; a nursery to prepare, a new routine to develop, healthy meals to prepare and a belly to grow and a blog to rebuild (including that new logo and redesign I'm hoping to unveil in the next month or so). 2011 is already shaping up to be an interesting year for us and I hope for you too.

Does anyone else have exciting plans for the year ahead?

Halloween Highlights

2010-11-03T21:40:00.001-05:00

Halloween may be over but we're just taking a peek at the spooky fun we had that night. JiT and I hosted a low key Halloween party last Saturday.

While the party itself was lots of fun I think we enjoyed the setup almost as much. We collected glass bottles all month and decorated them with spooky labels. I baked cayenne spiced chocolate cupcakes with 'blood splatters' on top.

We also served witch finger breadsticks, eye of newt dip, evil empanadas with awful salsa, boo chips with gack-a-moldy and homemade toasted pumpkin seeds.

We had a great time decorating too. I didn't want to spend a ton of money buying pre-made decorations so we got creative.
I made this mobile out of bats cut from scrapbook paper. We covered the furniture with old white sheets; made 'science experiments' by submerging cauliflower in green water and we place candles everywhere.

Of course our favorite thing to decorate was Zoey, who spent the entire weekend in her bat wings (I think she liked all the attention).

Things have been pretty crazy lately with work and school and other surprises so it was really nice to take a few days to get creative, celebrate the season and see good friends.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween. With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner hopefully we'll a have time for more fun, creative and tasty celebrations.

Easy Fall Pizza: Roasted Butternut Squash, Chard & Sage

2010-10-11T10:52:00.009-05:00

As you might have noticed, my ability to blog on a regular basis is waning again...mostly because the new fall quarter at school has started. And also because the last post I'd attempted was about homemade ravioli stuffed with roasted pumpkin and goat cheese in a brown butter sauce. While the meal was absolutely delicious, there were a ton of steps involved and the post was so long and convoluted...and then Blogger LOST HALF OF MY WORK. I decided I needed a few days to cool down after that. So, I'm currently ignoring that half-finished post and instead moving on to something EASY. Thank God.

Easy, but GOOD: Pizza with butternut squash, goat cheese, swiss chard and sage. Yum. I usually make my own crust, but recently discovered that the Whole Foods near us carries pizza dough (in the area where you can also buy fresh, unbaked pizzas to take home). In addition to white dough they have a multigrain wheat one that is truly delicious. And EASY. So we used that.

I realize that butternut squash doesn't really scream "pizza topping" but for fall, its a delicious and unexpected choice. I also sprinkled on a few slices of finely sliced swiss chard leaves, for color and antioxidants, some roasted sweet onion slices, and a mosaic of cheeses (a sprinkle of goat, and bit of parmesesan and a handful of mozzarella). After we pulled this from the oven, I drizzle a touch of aged balsalmic vinegar, which added the perfect tang. With a cold pint of a nutty autumnal brown ale, this is a delicious meal. Especially when eaten while watching a classic old scary movie on a Saturday night, which is how we enjoyed it (if you're in the Chicagoland area, I recommend checking out Svengoolie on WCIU...awesomely kitchy).

Incidentally, while we were eating this, JiT made a passing remark that toasted pine nuts would be a realy good addition to this pizza. While we didn't try it, I would imagine that they'd add a fantastic extra "crunch," if you're into that sort of thing. I'm off to start "Intro to Baking" tonight at school...wish me luck!!!

Butternut Squash, Chard and Sage Pizza
Makes 1 large pizza

Dough or prepared crust for one pizza (preferably whole grain, which works amazingly with the squash)

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into half-inch cubes
1 small sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt & pepper to taste

3 leaves of swiss chard, center ribs removed
2 Tablespoons cup crumbled goat cheese
2 Tablespoons parmesean cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
pinch of ground nutmeg

1 Tablespoon fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon aged balsalmic vinegar (optional)

Prehead oven to 450 degrees F. Combine butternut squash, onion, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste in a bowl and toss until the oil is evenly distributed. Spread squash and onions on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20- 25 minutes, until the squash is tender and golden and onions are soft (stir occassionally for even browning). Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Raise oven temperature to 500 degrees F and insert pizza stone into the oven if using one.

Meanwhile if using fresh pizza dough, roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick round on parchment paper. Brush pizza dough with remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to evenly coat crust. Sprinkle squash and onions, chard, cheeses and nutmeg evenly over the crust. Transfer pizza (still on parchment paper, if using fresh dough) to the oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes until crust is crisp and the cheeses are golden and bubbly.

While the pizza cooks, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a small pan over medium heat until very hot. Add sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds, until leaves are beginning to crisp. Be careful not to burn them. Remove leaves from oil and drain on paper towels until pizza is ready to serve.

Just before cutting the pizza for service, sprinkle sage leaves over the top and (optionally) drizzle with aged balsalmic vinegar.

Z's Puppy Paws: Homemade Doggie Treats

2010-09-22T11:58:00.003-05:00

I'll pause while you fully appreciate the cuteness going on here....

Okay. So, the secret to all this well-behaved, gratuitous adoreableness is the puppy paw cookies! We consider Zoey to be our psuedo-child and as such, we try to feed her just as well as we feed ourselves. In addition to her regular food, she enjoys a steady stream of healthy, puppy-appropriate edibles: apple pieces, baby carrots, greek yogurt, frozen peas, peanut butter, plain, baked chicken, and cooked egg whites are among her favorites.

But none of those options are very portable or shelf-stable and we love having something at the ready for a quick performance of sit/stay/down or to take along on neighborhood walks. I read pet food labels pretty closely because we try to avoid wheat products (her parents both had wheat allergies, so we just don't want to go there). Unfortunately, after reviewing the labels on most of the treats available at the pet store, I didn't like what I was reading. In addition to containing wheat, many of the treats available list ingredients like "animal parts" and other things that sound less than appealing. There are some good natural/premium treats out there but they're pricey and some of the ones we've brought home had about as much appeal for Z as a piece of cardboard.

So, after doing some research, I started making my own puppy cookies. This recipe has just seven ingredients, cost next to nothing to make and, best of all, Zoey goes absolutely bonkers for them. Seriously. Whenever I pull out my rolling pin and open the salmon can she seems to figure out whats going on. She'll then stand right next to me in the kitchen the entire time I'm kneading, rolling and decorating, waiting expectantly. Occasionally, she'll let out an almost-imperceptable, impatient little "wuf." Once they go into the oven, she shifts her attention to the oven door...standing there with her nose on the window, watching them bake (seriously....she watches them...its hilarious).

They're a rollout cookie so you can shape them any way you want. Since they're made with salmon, a fish cookie cutter might be cute (or a bone shape). But I saw a suggestion on MarthaStewart.com for cutting puppy treats out as circles, then using your thumb and pinky finger to make a "pawprint" decoration. It's so easy to do and I think they're really adorable...so thats what I do. Not that Z cares. I could shape them as rocks for all she cares...just give them to her please!

And as you can see from the pictures above, Zoey will do just about anything for one of these treats. Above, she's performing her well-mastered "shake," but now we're trying to work on "high-five." Hopefully the treats will help with this process.

Z's Puppy Paws Doggie Treats
Makes about 3 dozen 1-inch rounds

1 can salmon, undrained
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon parsley flakes (natural breathe freshener)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup water

1 egg, beaten with about 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until a smooth dough forms (about 1 minute). Then dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is nice and smooth (another minute or so).

Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness (but no thinner or the paw prints won't be deep enough to show). Cut cookies out as desired. To make the paw print decoration, use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of the cookie, then use your pinky to make for "toe" indents around the top.

Glaze each cookie with a bit of the egg mixture then place on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper. I find that the paw prints sometimes make the edges of the cookies curl in during baking so I place the cookies with the paw print decoration facing DOWN on the cookie sheet, them flip them over halfway through baking.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the treats are golden and crisp. Cool on a cookie rack then store in an airtight container. The cookies should last about a week.

Our Unconventional Life

2010-09-22T09:22:00.004-05:00

Life has been running at a different pace the last few months. Still really hectic with work and school, but with JiT working as a freelancer he's home far more often than he used to be. At first I was a little worried that we'd be tripping over one another since I work from home one day a week and normally have Thursdays off from work to do my homework. We've had our moments of course, but in general, its been fantastic. Each of us presides over our own little corner -- he's at the desk or his "spot" on the couch, I'm (naturally) at the kitchen counter. And Miss Zoey spends the day trotting back and forth from one to the other...snoozing our our feet or pulling on our socks to get us to play with her.

JiT has kept pretty busy so far working on freelance design projects but he's also had more free time, which is excellent. He helps me with errands and keeping the house in order. He's had time to learn some new programming software and start sketching again (something he's not had time to do in years) and he's even working on a completely new logo, layout and branding for this blog (I'm really anxious to unveil the results!). Plus he's wonderful with Zoey...he never seems to tire of chasing her around, tickling her or giving her snacks.

And even though my free time seems to be limited, since his schedule is a little more flexible we've been able to find more time to hang out together. Like last Friday night -- I needed to shop for groceries since my book club was coming by the next day. Rather than saying "see ya later" he came along for the ride. We went to Whole Foods, since they also have a great little bar with local brews, and each grabbed a beer. Then wandered around the grocery store together tasting samples and checking out nifty stuff. It was honestly one of the most fun dates we've had recently (and I wasn't spending the whole time thinking about my To Do list).

I guess our life isn't quite conventional right now (neither of us quite has a 40 hour a week job, I'm in school, he's at home). There are still days where I worry about what we're spending versus saving, how we're going to make this...or any lifestyle...work for us in the long-term, if we'll ever be able to buy a house... But most days I'm just happy with the things we're doing and the fact that we're doing them together.

Are we the only ones or are there others out there who are still figuring out what (and how, and where) they want to be when they grow up?

Salsa Verde

2010-09-19T16:56:00.001-05:00

We received a few tomatillos in our CSA this week. I've never worked with them before and found myself slightly intimidated. I am an idiot.

I quickly searched my epicurious app for a salsa verde recipe, bracing myself for a complicated endeavor. I found a recipe and got ready to begin. Incidentally this was just as JiT was hopping in the shower.

I preheated the broiler and pulled out my four tomatillos. I peeled the sticky leaves from the fruit then rinsed them under water. Set them on a broiler pan. Next to them I added 1 clove of garlic and 1 Serrano chile. Into the oven they went on the top rack about an inch or two from the heat. While they charred I pulled the leaves off a handful of cilantro (maybe a quarter cup loosely packed). Threw the leaves in the food processor and added about a 1/4 of a small purple onion. At this point I turned over the tomatillos and chili in the broiler to get a little bit of char on both sides. Then stuck them back in. After a total of seven minutes in the oven I pulled out the veggies and added them to the food processor (take the top and most of the seeds out if your chile to control the heat). I hit the button and let the mix blend until it reached salsa consistency; added a squeeze of lemon juice from a small lemon wedge as well as about a half teaspoon of kosher salt. Process for a few seconds more and you've got salsa. Awesome, amazing delicious ten minute salsa! Seriously...as I was dipping a test chip JiT had just finished his shower.

Probably the hardest thing about this will be finding the tomatillos-- check out farmers markets, Mexican groceries or Whole Foods. Enjoy!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Recipe Development Project

2010-09-16T09:55:00.006-05:00

This is an out-take from a recipe development project that I'm working on for one of our clients at work. Since the recipes are going to be shared with media, I can't share them here but I was so excited about this project that I couldn't not mention it.

Recipe development and testing is something I've been interested in since before I started culinary school and I was so excited when this opportunity came up at work. I've been having such a great time brainstorming ways to use different ingredients to create something completely new and different! Hopefully I'll be doing more of this in the future and can share other out-takes.

As a side note, the client is Bossa Nova Superfruit Juice. They make a variety of truly delicous juices made from superfruits like acai berries. The juices are delicious on their own and also extremely versatile in recipes (hence all the culinary fun I've been having!). They're available in the chilled juice section at Whole Foods if you'd like to check them out.

Chicken Paillards with Roasted Corn & Tomato Relish

2010-09-01T17:34:00.007-05:00

Tomatoes and sweet corn may be the culinary highlights of every summer for me. Sure....berries are amazing, peaches are luscious....but its the tomatoes and the corn that I really truly miss around about January. A grocery store tomato just can't give you the same joy as one straight out of your CSA box...or your garden, if you're so lucky as to have one.

Of course, its during this time of year that we're all scratching our heads trying to figure out what ELSE we could possibly do with the bounty in our fridge. If, after the BLTs and the salsas and the corn on the cob and the corn chowders, you're still staring at a pile of yumminess, thats when one must get creative. Especially on weeknights, when you don't have time to make sweet corn ice cream (which I SOOOOO want to make sometime).

Anyway, we made this recipe last week on one of those nights where we just HAD to use some produce and quickly. And this was so perfectly delcious and satisfying and healthy! The tangy, fresh relish is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken paillards. For those that may be envisioning some sort of strange chicken parts in this dish, I should note that chicken "paillard" is just a fancy way of saying "pounded chicken breast dredged in flour and pan fried." There now. Heave that sigh of releif.

The only other word of caution I would offer -- watch your sweet corn closely as it roasts. Mine wasn't browning as quickly as it should have so I left it in the oven longer than I should have and it got a bit chewy. The flavor was wonderful though and once mixed with the other relish ingredients, it wasn't noticeable. But if you can get it browned more quicky you can probably avoid the unwanted crunch factor.

Despite that minor hiccup, the meal got two very BIG JiT thumbs up, which incidentally, have been harder to come by lately....now that I'm in culinary school he's become a bit of a critic. It doesn't help my case that he seems to be just as good a cook as I am....without culinary school. Now that he's working from home he's been in charge of meals a few nights a week and, much to my chagrin, every single one has been delicious. The man can't seem to do wrong. Irriating.
Enjoy the produce while you can! It won't be around forever.

Chicken Paillards with Roasted Corn & Tomato Relish

Adapted from Bon Appetit; serves 2

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, cut fresh from the cob (or use frozen corn)
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (about 8 tomatoes)
2 tablespoons cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh basil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves, tenderloins removed
All purpose flour

Lawry's Season Salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss corn with 1 teaspoon olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet until the corn is evenly coated with oil. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast until the corn is starting to brown, about 15 minutes (watch it closely to make sure it doesn't get chewy).

Once the corn is browned, remove baking sheet from oven and dump corn into a medium size bowl. Add the tomatoes, green onions, basil, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper and set aside.

Meanwhile, place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and use the smooth end of a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy skillet) to pound the breasts to a 1/2 inch thickness. Sprinkle each chicken breast with season salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour to lightly coat.

Heat butter and tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat until the butter is melted and the oil is hot but not quite smoking. Add chicken to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn chicken over and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden on both sides.

Top each chicken breast with the relish before serving.

To complete the meal, serve with a side of whole grain couscous tossed with crumbled Feta cheese, lemon juice and green onions.

Gluten free cake is really good -- surprise!

2010-08-27T09:45:00.003-05:00

Last night was gluten free night in my nutritional cooking class. I was very skeptical but WoW. This is a gluten free yellow cake with Italian buttercream and it tastes just like a moist perfect normal cake.

The key-- mixing different types of flour together. In this case it was rice, potato and tapioca flours. Crazy but good. Another random fact-- even a single crumb of gluten can affect someone with the disease so you have to cook everything in dedicated equipment in a totally wheat free environment.
-Posted from my iPhone

Addition:
Since there has been a request, here is the recipe we worked from in class:

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Bette Hagman
Serves 10

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ¾ teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup white rice flour
6 tablespoons potato starch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cake round with butter and set aside.

Using an electric mixer and a large mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs on low speed until well blended. Add the grated lemon zest.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, adding in two separate additions of eachal. Mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula top.

Bake the cake for about 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack.

Pan Seared Halibut with Zucchini Salsa Verde -- Surprizingly Easy!

2010-08-24T09:08:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been craving fish. Its so light and delicious and has sooooo many health benefits, but for some reason it doesn't always rise to to the top of my list of quick meal ideas. Last night's dinner changed all that.

I'd seen a similar recipe in August's Bon Appetit and decided to give this a try. The salsa come together in just a few minutes -- its as easy as roughly chopping the veggies and herbs (zucchini, onion, cilantro, lemon juice & zest and jalepeno), tossing them in the food processor and giving it a good whirr.

Next came the fish -- even simpler. I picked up some lovely halibut steaks (with the skin) on sale at the seafood counter. Simply unwrap them, pat dry with a paper towel, season on both sides the drop into a very hot, lightly oiled nonstick pan. About 4 minutes on each side and they're ready to go. Seriously -- EIGHT minutes!

We served the fish over truffle mashed potatoes (JiT helpfully boiled the potatoes while I was still at class, then added some sour cream, milk, a touch of butter and a teaspoon of truffle oil and mashed to creamy perfection). I wasn't entirely sure how the truffle potatoes would blend with the light, bright flavors of the salsa but they were a really great match. In fact, after I finished my fish, I had another tiny helping of just potatoes and salsa.

Seriously, this dinner was ready in far less than 30 minutes and it was pretty darn healthy (okay, the potatoes could probably lighten up, but the fish and salsa?!). A meal like this on a Monday will definitely perk up your week!

Pan Seared Halibut with Zucchini Salsa Verde

Serves 2

1 small zucchini, trimmed and sliced into chunks

1/2 a small red onion, roughly chopped

3 Tablespoons cilantro leaves (leaves from a generous handful of sprigs)

Half of 1 fresh jalepeno, ribs and seeds removed

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice from one large lemon

Kosher salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Fresh ground pepper and salt

2 3-5 ounce halibut steaks

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the salsa, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste and place in the refridgerator to chill.

For the fish, pat each steak dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on both sides with coriander, salt and pepper. Place olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add fish, flesh side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Turn fish over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove from plan and transfer to serving plates. Top with salsa verde and serve immediately.

Baked Farm Eggs in Prosciutto Cups

2010-08-17T10:59:00.005-05:00

As part of our CSA program, we've been recieving a half dozen farm-fresh eggs every week. They are organically farmed by some nice Amish folks just across the Wisconsin border and they're delicious. And when I say farm-fresh, I mean FRESH (sometimes I'll find a stray feather in the carton!). I never thought I'd be able to tell the difference between one egg and another in terms of flavor but these are really, really good.

I know there is some concern right now about egg safety since there is a recall in effect, so I encourage folks to carefully check their egg cartons to ensure what you have in the fridge are okay (and if you're interested in getting your eggs from an area farmer, check for vendors at your local farmers market or visit Local Harvest for sources in your area)

With all of that in mind, the eggs I receive each week are wonderful and since we recieve a steady, weekly stream thats alwasy ready to be eaten, I've taken to eating one for breakfast on the mornings that I'm working from home. Most often its a simple poached egg with a dash of salt & pepper and a slice of whole grain toast, but this week I thought I'd branch out.

After finding some prosciutto in the crisper, I decided a simple baked egg was on the menu. I used 2 thin slices of prosciutto to line the bottom and sides of a muffin cup. I heated the oven to 400 degrees F and tossed the pan in. After about 10 minutes the meat was getting crispy around the edges. I blotted away some of the extra fat and cracked and egg into the center. Back into the oven for another 8 minutes until the egg white was set and the yolk was still soft.

Out of the oven, the egg lifted right out of the pan. A crack of fresh pepper, a side of buttered toast (Seeduction bread from Whole Foods...devine!), and some CSA canteloupe topped with mint and goat cheese rounded out my breakfast.

In all honesty, this smelled so good coming out of the oven I felt really badly. Now that JiT is working from home I'm never sure if I should make breakfast for him or not since he's not much of a breakfast eater and usually declines. But the minute he smelled this come out of the oven, his eyes lit up. Sadly for him, this one was all mine. It was filling, fast and super easy to clean up (always a welcome bonus). And a healthy, yummy breakfast certainly makes answering work emails more fun.

No real recipe for this one-- just follow instructions above. This would be great for a lazy Sunday too. Happy weekend!

Puppy love

2010-08-16T22:18:00.002-05:00

Four legs. Two ears. My heart.

And a pair of big blue eyes to round things out...

Nicoise Salad

2010-08-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

With summer produce at maximum bounty I've been doing my best to enjoy as much of it as possible at each meal. Since school and travel have kept me short on time and with little need for leftovers simplicity reins supreme. Keeping those parameters in mind nothing has made me happier of late than my colorful adaptation of Nicoise Salad.

This plethora of bright, crunchy produce, includes blanched green beans, cooked new potatoes, sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and paper thin slices of red onion. Canned Albacore tuna (a very recent and happy revelation for me, a former tuna hater) the salad is ready to be dressed. A simple mix of fresh tarragon, shallots, herbs de Provence, vinegar, lemon juice and oil finishes things off nicely. Add a loaf of warm French baguette with butter and a glass of chilled white wine and call it a night.

Nicoise Salad

Serves 2

Dressing

1 tsp. fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 small shallot, diced

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. Herbs de Provence

Juice from half of a lemon

1/2 tsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place first six ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Slowly pour in olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Add salt & pepper to taste and set aside.

Salad

4 medium new potatoes

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, ends snapped off

1/2 of a small red onion, sliced paper thin

1/2 of a medium cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds and cut into half moons

12 cherry tomatoes

1 can of albacore tuna packed in water

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and continue boiling until the potatoes just start to turn tender (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and place in the sink. Add green beans and cook for another 7-10 minutes until green beans are just crisp tender. When green beans are cooked, pull them out of the pot with tongs and place them in the ice water to shock them. Then drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle slice the potatoes in quarters.

Arrange all of the vegetables and tuna on two plates (or one large platter). Spoon dressing over the top and enjoy immediately. If planning to save leftovers, reserve the dressing seperate from the vegetables and add the dressing just before serving.

The Lost Month

2010-08-04T16:38:00.004-05:00

July was an intersting month at our house. Things started off nicely enough -- we went to Michigan on vacation for the Fourth. Beautiful weather, great food, lots of relaxing.

The second week in July I started my third quarter of culinary school. This quarter has been more intense than the first two. We're through with the basics now of soups, stocks, sauces and knife skills and this time, the kitchen classes are a little looser in terms of direction. Its much more like Top Chef in some ways -- in my catering class for example, on the very first day we walked into class and Chef had everyone draw the name of a meal out of a bowl. We then had 2 hours to prepare 50 portions...no recipe. I pulled roast rack of lamb. GULP. Talk about high-pressure. Luckily I managed to pull it off and the lamb came out perfectly cooked, as did the red wine reduction sauce we drizzled over it. Even so, classes are a little more stressful this time around.

So just about the time I was starting to adjust to my new class schedule and get back into my routine, something a bit unexpected happened at home. JiT's job was eliminated. In all honesty, it wasn't that big of a deal since he's been pretty unhappy for awhile and had already been seriously considering making a change, but all the same, when its not exactly on your schedule its a little unsettling. JiT is a very talented creative director and graphic designer and he's done freelance and contract work before so, until I finish culinary school thats what he's doing now. Its already been a good thing --he's much more relaxed and can choose when and what he works on -- not to mention he's been able to spend a great deal more time at home with Zoey and I.

Speaking of little Z, she was the source of the next wave of drama last month. Just days after JiT's change of schedule, we noticed that Zoey seemed to have come down with a cold. She started with a runny nose then started snorting and snotting like now tomorrow. We immediately took her in to the vet -- initially they assured us it was probably just allergies but soon called back with lab results that confirmed that she had the Corona virus, Kennel Cough and Distemper! We were absolutely shocked because she's fully vaccinated and had only been to doggie daycare once (the only place she could have been exposed to all of this). She started antibiotics and bounced back almost immediately, but our anxiety was hardly quelled: The distemper diagnosis had me totally freaked because it can to be absolutely deadly in dogs -- espcially puppies. We had to wait an excrutiating second week while they did some additional testing, ultimately reconfirming that she definitely has the virus. But since she's shown absolutely no symptoms (its been almost 4 weeks), they feel very confident she has some immunity from her vaccines and may never show any signs of illness. We're supposed to take her back in another few weeks to be retested, but in the meanwhile its still a bit of a waiting game. As the weeks have passed, I've been able to calm down a bit -- she's acting completely healthy -- zooming around like crazy, eating well, etc, but its still a hard thing to hear.

Things are turning around though -- we spent the last days of the month in Las Vegas with our best friends, and August already "feels" better. Hopefully they will be. ; )

Homemade Granola

2010-06-29T10:49:00.002-05:00

I've always loved granola but it wasn't until Mothers Day this year that it occurred to me to make it myself. That's when I discovered how easy it is to create truly delicious breakfast cereal. It takes about ten minutes prep work and thirty minutes oven time. And the raw ingredients are super much cheaper to buy than store bought granola. And here's a hint of you like your granola chunky-- when you pull it from the oven don't stir it! Instead press it down on the baking sheet and let it cool completely. When you finally put it away it will have a few delicate clusters mixed in.

With fruit and some milk just a sprinkle makes a delicious and satisfying breakfast. Yum!

Homemade Granola
Adapted from epicurious.com
Makes 6-7 cups

3/4 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degres F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet and place in the oven to toast for about 10 minutes or until fragrant and starting to turn golden. Meanwhile, place butter in a large, microwave safe bowl; cover and microwave until butter is melted. Stir in honey and salt.

Once nuts are toasted, remove from the oven and pour oats and sesame seeds in a pile in the middle of the baking sheet. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and use a rubber spatula to stir until oats and nuts are evenly coated in the honey mixture.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F and place baking sheet back in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir mixture halfway through baking time. When granola is lightly browned, place bakign sheet on a cooling rack and use the back of a rubber spatula to press the mixture evenly on the baking sheet. Let it cool completely, then break up the granola and store in an airtight container.

I'm Back - with Margehrita Pizza

2010-06-25T19:41:00.001-05:00

I don't even want to talk about the last month. Let's just say it's been a work and school blur. Anyway I figured it was high time I got back to this little ole blog and what better time to do it than on a Friday night with homemade pizza, a homemade raspberry mojito with local mint and raspberries?

Unlike most of my pizza posts this one is made with a store bought crust from the Farmstand store near my office. It's a super thin whole wheat crust...a delicious timesaver! We topped it with the summers first tomato fro
Our Harvest Moon CSA box, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella from Pastoral cheese shop and a drizzle of aged balsamic. Perfect.

Sorry to dive back in with a quickie - trying out the blogpress app on my new iPhone 4 - hopefully this thing means you'll be hearing much more from me this summer. Feels good to be back!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Waffles

2010-05-16T15:13:00.006-05:00

I've been on something of a quest these last few months to recreate the waffles from the Hollywood Grill on North Avenue here in Chicago. The Hollywood is the quintisential down-and-dirty old-school diner and their waffle recipe (and their pancakes) are unmistakeable and delicious. Nothing fancy about them at all -- they're gigantic and come with a wollop of whipped butter and a sprinkle of powdered sugar but otherwise appear just the same as you'd find at any diner. But they're not the same. They're ethereal. Somehow simultaneously crispy on the outside, spongy in the middle, pleasantly sweet with that malty tang you can only seem to find in diner-style griddle cakes.

I love these waffles in an almost unnatural way. I crave them (who craves waffles?). We live way too close to the Hollywood Grill for this (not to mention its open 24 hours and is priced to be the antithesis of the many "upscale" breakfast places in our neighborhood). This is a problem. So, recently, I've been trying to recreate the recipe. I've tried from-scratch recipes, mixes...all sorts of ideas, but I can't seem to get it quite right. A google search for "diner-style" waffle and pancake recipes yields almost nothing. But I've found a few and have made some progress.

The version pictured here is as close as I've come so far and -- really, they're quite delicious. For anyone who wasn't as completely besotted by the Hollywood version, these will probably pass as a most excellent waffle. They're even more excellent bathed in a generous scoop of berry sauce (berries simmered with a bit of water and sugar for about 15 minutes) and freshly whipped cream. The cream in particular is another issue of late. The kitchens at culinary school are always stocked with fresh cream and whenever the class is working on something sweet, inevitably someone decides to whip some into luscious, uctuous dollops. Once you realize how impossibly easy it is to whip cream into perfect, fluffy dollops using nothing but a bowl and a whisk, its hard to find a reason not to. My waistline is not pleased with all of this. But my tastebuds are.

Anyway, I'll keep on my quest for the "perfect" Hollywood waffle, but in the meantime, these are a very welcome addition to the weekend repitoire. They make a great weekday breakfast too with a little planning -- wrap your leftover weekend waffles in plastic wrap, stick them in the freezer and reheat them in the toaster during the week. Way better than cereal.

"Diner-style" Malted Waffles

Makes 10 -12 waffles

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup malt powder

Combine eggs, milk and vanilla in a blender and blend on medium setting until mixture is well combined and light. Add oil and blend for a few seconds more.

In a large bowl, wisk together dry ingredients, then add the dry mixture into the blender. Cover securely and blend just until combined (I used the "pulse" setting on my blender and only blended for about 4 pulses). Batter should be relatively thick and fluffy with a few lumps remaining. Let batter rest for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions. Grease the heating plates with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Pour waffle batter into the iron and spread evenly across the heat plates, close the waffle iron to cook for the desired amount of time. When waffles are cooked to a golden crisp, remove from iron. To maintain crispness, place finished waffles on a baking rack (instead of a solid plate) and place rack in an oven on the "warm" setting until ready to serve. Repeat process with remaining waffle batter.

Serve waffles warm with butter, syrup, fruit and/or freshly whipped cream as desired.

Lemondrop Golf Cupcakes "Fore" Sale

2010-04-17T16:27:00.005-05:00

This weekend was the National Food Blogger Charity Bakesale, as organized here in Chicago by Maris. It took place at Smash Cake on Lincoln Avenue today, with all proceeds going to Share our Strength. There were a TON of amazing creations available at the sale, from cupcakes to brownies, scones to bars, all of them baked lovingly by talented, gorgeous local foodie bloggers.

As usual, I decided to contribute cupcakes and since the weather in Chicago has been quite lovely for early spring, I thought something spring themed was in order. To me, no other cake flavor has quite the same spring zing as lemon, so I created a lemondrop cupcake with a a homemade lemon curd filling and lemon buttercream frosting. And since I was baking for a bakes sale, I thought I'd go with a golf theme since these cupcakes were "Fore" sale (yes, I know I'm reaching). The golf "balls" are actually white chocolate formed in a chocolate mold shaped like a half golf ball. Very easy to make and, when perched atop a layer of green frosting piped as "grass" they look quite realistic!

The flavor of these cupcakes only lightly lemony -- more like a vanilla cake with a hint of citrus, but the lemon curd adds a real zing to them. Since they're not overly sweet, the sweet, fluffy buttercream adds a nice finish. If you're a lemon lover, these cakes are for you!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the bake sale -- so many talented bloggers out there and such a wonderful cause!

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

Makes 24 regular sizze cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups lite sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well.

In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream (batter will be thick)

Using an ice cream scoop with a 'trigger' handle, fill paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

If desired, fill with lemon curd by using a spoon to cut a smal round piece from the top center of the cake. Fill the hole with about a half teaspoon of lemon curd, then replace the "lid" on the hole.

To frost with a "golf decoration," pipe green buttercream on using a floral decorators tip to create the "grass." Then place a golf ball shaped white chocoate candy on top of the "grass".

Lemon Curd Filling

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 eggs

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon whipping cream

In a small glass or stainless steel bowl, combine egges, lemon juice and sugar and whisk to combine.Place bowl over a pot of simmering water set over medium heat and stir constantly for about 10 minutes, until the mixture takes on the consistency of hollandaise sauce or sour cream. Remove mixture from heat and add the lemon zest and butter, stirring to incorporate evenly. Cover with plastic wrap places on the top of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming and cool in the refridgerator. When ready to serve, stir in the heavy cream to lighten the mixture. Fill cupcakes as instructed above (or serve with fresh berries and freshly baked scones).

For the frosting, I suggest my vanilla buttercream. Simply omit the vanilla and replace with the juice of half a lemon.

Spring Pea Soup with Tarragon

2010-04-10T13:59:00.005-05:00

This soup is the epitome of spring. Sweet, tangy flavor and the color of new green grass. The flavor hits your tongue with an explosion of freshness that almost seems like an enthusiastic greeting. Maybe even hopeful. Or maybe I'm just feeling the affects of the sunny weather today. Even so, this soup is the perfect antidote to a long winter. Like spring cleaning for your mouth.

You've probably had plenty of pea soups in your life but this one has a couple of unique additions: tarragon and buttermilk. Most fresh pea soups call for mint, which I often find rather overpowering. In this one, the tarragon provides just the right amount of interest without overpowering the peas. And the buttermilk adds a tangy zip and a rich texture. If you want to get really fancy, top it with a few pieces of freshly cooked shrimp. I know it sounds weird, but its really good. Trust me....JiT gave it four stars.

Even better, you can make it in fifteen minutes. Start to finish. Seriously. Even with a curious puppy barking like mad underfoot!

Zoey: "Who? Me?"

Rebecca: "Yes, you!" (tickle, tickle, snuggle, snuggle)

I sure hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather as much as we are! Speaking of which, we're off to the dog park soon, so I better share this recipe.

Spring Pea Soup with Tarragon

Adapted from a recipe at epicurious.com

Serves 2

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

3 cups frozen green peas

2 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it)

2 teaspoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves

1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk

Juice from half a small lemon

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Drizzle olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sautee for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add peas and chicken broth and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until peas are softened and soup is evenly heated. Add tarragon.

Remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth. Alternately, use a stick blender to puree directly in the pan. Return soup to the saucepan and place back on the stove over medium heat until evenly warm. Add buttermilk and lemon. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

If desired, serve soup in bowls and drizzle a few drops of buttermilk and a sprinkle of fresh tarragon over the top as garnish. Enjoy with a glass of white wine, toasty french bread and a warm spring breeze.

Roasted Beet Salad

2010-04-06T16:57:00.008-05:00

I'm still here and...occassionally...still cooking. Sometimes. Culinary school is on spring break right now. I'd been looking forward to the break for weeks, thinking I'd use the time off from class to cook all of the dinners and other goodies I've been eyeing in Bon Appetit and other favorite blogs, but just haven't had the time to make.

Alas, break arrived and my motivation started waning. Somehow, between cuddling the puppy, relaxing with my long-neglected husband, roadtripping to visit family, going on business trips and everything else thats come up....cooking (and blogging about it) has again taken the back seat. SIGH.

The good news is, I have one week left of spring break and started it off with a bang -- Easter Dinner. Technically, my mother made the majority of the meal since we were celebrating at my parents' house, but I still got to add a few goodies to the plate: a raw asparagus salad, roasted beet salad, homemade dinner rolls and orange pudding souffle cake. Some were better recieved than others but the one I wanted to share today is the beet salad.

If you're someone who cringes at the very word "beet" you're note alone. I've avoided them for years but sometime in the last six months, JT suggested I try roasting them and slicing them ultra-thin..."carpaccio style." Much to our great surprise, roasted beets are delicious! While hanging out in the oven their sugars truly blossom, creating a sweet, mellow slightly earthy flavor that needs little dressing up. In fact, they're so easy to make, I've taken to buying a bunch of beets each time I visit the grocery. Get them home, lop off the tops, wrap the beets in foil and let them roast for an hour. Then simply cool, peel, slice and top with a dusting of salt and a sprinkle of goat cheese (a squeeze of fresh orange juice would be nice too).

Before I get to the recipe though, I thought I'd share a couple of pics from our little Easter weekend. My father is a camera maniac so he's always snapping pics. I emailed for a picture of the beets and got a response with over 70 photos! He usually takes "action shots" that don't always catch everyone in their best light, but I think this one of me with my Momma and G-ma is especially nice...wouldn't you agree?

And, of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share another photo of Miss Zoey being her sweet puppy self -- though I admit the look on her face looks like a cross between a diva and someone who's really tired of being chased by the paparazzi (which migh actually be true considering how many pictures exhist of this little puppy!). I guess we're just trying to capture it all while she's still little....she's already grown so much since we got her! Yep...you guessed it. JT and I are those wierdos who think their dog is a child. (Because she is! To us. In a way....)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a delightful Easter and a pleasant start to spring so far. Now on to the beets!!!

Roasted Beet Carpaccio Salad

Serves 4

1 bunch of medium sized beets (about 5)

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Freshly squeezed orange from one wedge of fresh orange (optional)

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the beets under cool water. Slice the stems and greens off of the beets (reserve for another recipe if you'd like or toss them). Slice the bottom "tail" off of each beet. Place all of the beets in a layer of foil and wrap tightly, then place on a cookie sheet. Place cooking sheet in the oven and bake for about an hour.

When beets are cooked through (you can test by sticking the point of a knife into one, it should go in smoothly), remove from the oven, unwrap the foil and cool until you can handle them with bare hands. With cool tap water running, peel each beet under the faucet with your hands. If the beets are cooked, the skin should peel right off with a little pressure from your hands. Be careful...the beets will stain so be sure to thouroughly rinse your hands and place the peeled beets on a non-pourous surface.

Using a sharp knife, slice each beet width-wise as thinly as possible. Spread the slices on a plate. Top with a sprinke of goat cheese and a squeese of orange juice (if desired). Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve.

Slow Cooker Carrot Ginger Soup

2010-03-23T07:46:00.006-05:00

Well, look at that! FOOD! With a recipe...and a photo! What madness is this?? So sad that doing a blog post has become such a dramatic endeavor. JT FINALLY brought the camera home from work and I FINALLY made something good for dinner instead of just running off to class and leaving him with pizza and a puppy.

Unbelievable, my first quarter of culinary school is complete! I survived...and I got all As (whew!). We start back again in a couple of weeks and I'm super excited to get back at it, but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to getting a manicure (my nails are shot), celebrating my one year wedding anniversary (this weekend, snuggling with Zoey and doing LOTS of cooking at home.

Before we get to all that though, I want to share this soup. This delicious recipe is perfect for early spring -- hearty and refreshing at the same time with a tasty blend of carrots, ginger, orange zest and spices. Even better, it can be thrown together in the morning and simmered all day in the slow cooker. When you're ready to eat, blend it with a stick blender right in the cooker, adjust the seasonings and enjoy. A light spring salad and some warm bread complete the meal perfectly.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the slow return of spring! If you guys have any easy recipes (especially for the slow cooker), I'll be back in school soon and looking for simple ideas! And thanks for hanging in there with me for the past few months....I know I've been a little preoccupied but appreciate the supportive comments and posts from everyone!

Slow Cooker Carrot Ginger Soup
Serves 4

2 small shallots, sliced in half
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
zest of half of an orange, finely minced
juice from one orange
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs half & half
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. siracha hot sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Combine first six ingredients in the insert of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for up to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Use a stick blender to puree the soup directly in the slow cooker, or puree in batches in a regular blender. Add half & half, brown sugar, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add salt & pepper (and, if needed, adjust cumin, hot sauce or brown sugar to taste).

Woof!

2010-03-16T10:33:00.003-05:00

I'm currently the worst food blogger ever! In the last week I've made about a dozen French sauces, a recipe for shrimp bisque, a roasted beet salad, and my first-ever hollandaise sauce but each has either been during class (where I can't whip out my camera) or on a night where I've been sans camera. Boo.

So instead of food, thought I'd try something new with a video post of Zoey being funny. Never tried this before, so hoping it works. As you'll see, the puppy has a strange obsession with her food bowl, even when its empty. Gotta love that someone as food-centric as I am chose a dog who is obsessed with her food bowl.

Introducing Zoey & Our New Puppy Parenthood Adventures

2010-03-03T08:49:00.001-06:00

I'm woefully behind in sharing the recipe for the bread I posted last time...frankly, I can't seem to find my recipe notes right now. But I have a pretty good reason.

I'd like to introduce Zoey, our new French bulldog puppy. She is 9 weeks old, 4.5 pounds and absolutely adorable (if I say so myself).

We've been considering getting a dog for quite a while now and when the opportunity to adopt Zoey came along, she seemed such a perfect fit for us that we decided to take the leap. We're less than a week in (she just came home on Sunday) so we're still adjusting. Puppies are a TON of work...your entire life changes overnight! But she's been worth it.

We're working to get her on a scheduel and she's already made quite a bit of progress, but for awhile at least, the rest of our personal lives (things like eating, let alone cooking) are sort of on the backburner! But we're adjusting and I've already got some easy-to-prepare slow cooker and quick-fix pasta dishes in mind for the coming weeks, so should be back to posting some delicious and fun recipes soon. But in the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy a few precious puppy pictures instead!

Does anyone else there have any good puppy training tips or stories to share? We're eager to learn from others so by all means, let me know!

Picture Preview: Fresh Baked Country Bread

2010-02-24T11:22:00.006-06:00

I'll need to do another post with the recipe for this bread later, because I don't have the original version, found in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living, in front of me to reference, but I couldn't resist sharing this photo now (we got the camera back and I think JiT and I were both a little overzealous to put it to work!).

While I've made french-style loaves before this was my first attempt at a country-style sandwich bread that baked in a loaf pan. It turned out wonderful! Dense and chewing inside with a crunchy crust.

The bread was delicious straight from the oven, smeared with butter and jam, it made great toast for me yesterday morning, and JiT used some to make an open-faced sandwich last night that got a rave revew. That makes me especially happy. Since I have class on Monday and Tuesday nights, I've been trying to make things over the weekend that he can use for easy suppers while I'm out. I've figured out that homemade bread and roast chicken are great on Sunday...and also great for him to recycle into sandwiches and salads on Monday & Tuesday. While my night school situation is probably uncommon, I'm sure the same idea can be applied for anyone else who is too busy to cook much on weeknights. Even quickie leftovers feel more gourmet when made from gourmet dinner remnants!

I'll be sure to share the recipe as soon as I can. Meanwhile...if you have any quickie meal tips, I'd be happy to hear them. Please share!

Hope everyone is enjoying the week so far (despite the snow for you in the Midwest).

Chocolate-dipped Rice Krispies Treats Lollipops

2010-02-19T12:39:00.003-06:00

I realize that I've been sharing an onslaught of sweets posts in the last couple of months....the reason is actually going to sound strange: The Nikon has been broken sine before Christmas and, without it, I can't seem to get a decent picture of any of the savory dishes I've been making. Believe me, a poorly-lit, fuzzy looking snapshot of stew or chili or sandwiches or steaks looks incredibly unappetizing. So I've been self-censoring.

Luckily....the Nikon just came back from the hospital today. So, hopefully she'll be up and ready to snap some sexy dinner pics ASAP.

Meanwhile though, you get one last happy, sort-of-not-terrible-looking, sweet treat photo: Chocolate-Dipped Rice Krispies Treats Lollipops!

This is an idea I've been toying with for awhile and finally go around to trying them out. We took them to a Superbowl party a few weeks ago (yeah, I'm behind) and I brought a few to co-workers. Judging by the reactions these recieved, I think they were a hit.

When I started out, I'd had a grand vision of using homemade marshmallow cream instead of store-bought mallows for this recipe. I actually made them that way too but, frankly, I wouldn't bother doing it again. There wasn't any noticeable added flavor to the end treats and the homemade marshmallow recipe I used made the cereal just the tiniest bit soggy. So, if you do these at home, I suggest sticking to the recipe on the side of the box. From there, follow these instructions to create your lollipops:

Then, instead of dumping the mixture into a pan, I used a trigger ice-cream scoop, which in culinary school we call a parisienne (ooh, la la!), sprayed with cooking spray to form the pops. Just get a heaping scoop of the cereal/marshmallow mixture and use your hand to smash it tightly into the scooper. Use the trigger to plop the treat out onto a sheet of waxed paper. Then insert your lollipop stick. You'll want to pinch the marshmallow mixture to form/adhere to the stick to keep the lollipop secure. Repeat with the rest of your rice krispies mixture. Note: I kept a small bowl of lukewarm water and a clean paper towel nearby to occassionally clean the marshmallow goop off of the scooper. Then just spritz a bit more cooking spray into it and continue.

Once all of your lollipops are formed, leave them to set for about 30 minutes. When the pops are firm, melt your white chocolate (or regular if you prefer) in the microwave following the instructions on the bag. Gently dip the top half of each pop in chocolate, hold it there for about 5 seconds to let the extra chocolate drip off, then return to the wax paper. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Wait for the chocolate to set completely...then enjoy.

P.S. Random side note and shameless self-promotion. JiT and I have put our condo up for sale. If you or anyone you know is looking for a great loft-style 1 br, 1.5 ba with lots of light and convenient access to Wicker Park and Downtown, check it out here. (Commercial over).

Sweet Rolls for Your Sweetheart

2010-02-09T14:34:00.005-06:00

I have a soft (sweet, sticky?) spot for homemade cinnamon rolls and over the years I've shared a couple of recipes, but I've always wanted to find one specifically designed to sit in the fridge overnight. I've tried this with other versions with limited success but knew I had to find a good one...because really, what's better than doing all the hard work on a lazy afternoon, then waking up to fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the morning?

Folks...I think we've found our recipe. Since Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year, what better time for a gooey, cozy breakfast treat. Wake your sweetie with the smell of warm, cinnamony goodnes and you're sure to have a special day. To make mine even more "heartwarming," I shaped the rolls into hearts and baked them in roll-sized heart shaped ramekins. Aren't they cute? (Okay, I was also trying to justify the purchase of said heart shaped ramekins with JiT, who is not amused that our cabinets are already overflowing with kitchen pariphenalia; but thats another matter altogether).

Like all yeast breads, this recipe does take some time to assemble, but its well worth the effort. The rolls bake up tender and pleasantly sweet, with a sticky-gooey cinnamon center. And the cream cheese icing is insanely decadent. What a perfect way to kick off a day of chocolate eating and wine drinking, no?

Happy Valentines Day to you and yours!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 1 dozen large rolls

1 cup milk

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Heat the milk to scalding in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the 1/3 cup butter. Set aside until melted and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs and stir well using the mixer's paddle attachment. Gradually add the remaining flour in 1/2 cup batches unti all additions are incorporated. Once the mixture seems to be pulling together, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for about 8 minutes (or dump dough onto the counter to knead by hand). Dough will be a smooth supple ball when it is ready.

Remove the dough from the bowl and spray the insides of the mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it over to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and set the bowl in a warm, dry place to rise for one hour. Meanwhile combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

After an hour's rise time dough will be about double in size. Punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle. Spread softened 4 Tbs. of butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then spread on an even layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving about 1/2 inch of untouched dough around all the edges. Roll the dough into a log with the cinnamon mixture on the inside and pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 12 equal-sized rolls. If desired, fold each roll in half again, forming each into a heart shape.

Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan (or individual heart-shaped ramekins). Place the rolls in the pan or ramekins and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refridgerator overnight to rise.

When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the refriderator, remove the plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and puffed.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing. Click here for the recipe.

When baked, remove from the oven and spread icing evenly over the hot rolls. Serve immediately. Leftovers should be refridgerated.

Friday Pizza Night (better than delivery)

2010-02-02T12:43:00.004-06:00

Between culinary school, travelling, and other obligations, TGIF is quickly becoming my favorite mantra. When those Friday nights finally arrive, lately I've noticed we've fallen into an irregular routine, one that's probably repeated in households across the country in some form or another: Friday Pizza Night.

While we have some excellent take-out and delivery places in our neighborhood, JiT and I have come to love making homemade pizzas. With a little advance planning, its amazing how delicious, easy and fun making your own can be...even when you're dog-tired. The secret, I've discovered, is in the dough. We like a fairly crisp crust, with just a slight chewiness near the center but a delicious snap on the outer crust. It needs to be flavorful, but not so much that it overpowers your ingredients. And it needs to be easy to put together.

For me, the real secret is taking 10 minutes on Thursday night to toss the ingredients into a bowl, turn on the dough hook and let it do its thing. When the dough is ready, cover it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge overnight to rise.

When I arrive home on Friday night (hopefully still slightly damp from a quick trip to the pool for some laps), I just need to roll out the dough, sprinkle on some toppings and shove it in a blistering hot oven. Meanwhile I throw together a salad, JiT pops open a bottle of wine and picks out a movie on Netflix. Everyone exhale the week and inhale some pizza. All is right with the world.

This dough recipe is based on one from Smitten Kitchen....who I consider the virtual blog authority on pizza. If this is your first foray, I suggest reading her easy pizza making tutorial for lots of great tips. I've doubled the recipe, so you'll end up with 2 sizable, thin-crust pizzas (enough for 4, or 2 with leftovers for Saturday lunch). Also, while the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, I've been using Eagle Mills new "double fiber" flour, which has 2 grams of fiber per serving. Still tastes the same as regular, but you can feel a tiny bit better about it. So there. Is it Friday yet?

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Dough for 2 medium-sized thin-crust pizzas

3 cups all-purpose (or "Double Fiber") flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm (110 degree F) tap water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn mixer on low speed and add water and olive oil. Stir together with the dough hook for about 2-3 minutes, until the dough begins to come together into a ball.

Dump dough ball onto a lightly floured surface knead with hands for just a minute or two more, until dough ball is smooth. Spray the inside of your bowl with an olive oil mister or cooking spray. Dump dough ball back into the bowl, spray the top and cover the dough with plastic wrap, so that the plastic is touching the top of the dough. Place in the refridgerator overnight.

When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you're using a pizza stone, place it in the center of your oven. Pull the dough from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and punch it down. Divide dough into two equal-sized balls and let them rest and come up to room temperature for about 15 - 20 minutes.

For each pizza, lay out a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll one ball of dough to desired thickness (ours is about a 1/4 inch). Add your toppings as desired (keep in mind that the thinner you've rolled your dough the less toppings it can support so don't overload a super-thin crust).

To more your pizza to the oven, slide a pizza peel or a cookie sheet with out any sides under the parchment paper, then slide the parchment paper onto your pizza stone or directly onto your oven rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Enjoy.

Sugar & Spice: Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

2010-01-25T12:50:00.007-06:00

A dear friend of mine is pregnant with her first child, a daughter and our circle of friends held a baby shower in her honor this past Sunday. I was in charge of picking the theme, developing the menu and preparing a few of the dishes.

The future-momma is thrilled to be having a girl -- she has always been a girly-girl (her wedding colors were baby pink and chocolate brown), so we chose "Sugar & Spice" as the theme for the day, incorporating her favorite colors and love of all-things frilly.

As I was brainstorming the theme, I created a collage of inspirational images that really helped us to visualize our theme. I usually have as much fun creating the brainstorm board as I do planning the final event!

The menu included lots of warming comfort food and just a touch of spice throughout, with things like a spicy arugula & fennel salad; baked mac & cheese with a touch of nutmeg and cayenne; spice-glazed baked ham, and a dessert bar featuring chocolate-dipped marshmallows, lemon cookies and chocolate-glazed gingerbread cupcakes.

We also offered hot spiced cider and hot tea, along with cinnamon sticks and pink rock candy stir sticks. Finally, each of the attendees recieved a bottle of cinamon sugar with a custom label as a party favor. All in all, it was a fun party and I think our friend really appreciated our efforts.

It was lots of fun to plan and prep for. I made the cider, salad, mac & cheese, marshmallow pops and the cupcakes. The cupcakes were an interesting experiment because I've never made a glaze frosting before. It was actually super easy to make and apply (just melt, dip and drip!). The gingerbread cake was also a new experiement. I based the recipes off of a version I found on Martha Stewart. The cake was moist and spicy and the frosting was rich and smooth...though its a very rich one-two punch. Next time I might try the cake with a cream cheese frosting. Or do the chocolate glaze with a yellow cupcake. But both recipes really are pretty outstanding.

That said, it was a pretty action packed weekend. In addition to all the cooking, I also had book club Saturday afternoon. My book club is always lots of fun but we usually end up enjoying alot more wine than we do intelligent discusion of the book. Between all the activities, I'm left feeling a little zapped today, but trying to rally as I have two nights of classes and then I'm off on a long-planned business trip for the balance of the week. But, once February arrives I'll be back in a comfortable routine. And hopefully much more blogging!

How about you guys....have you planned any fun parties recently? Did you come up with a theme or make any amazing treats? I'd love to hear about them!

Gingerbread Cupcakes
Adapted from recipes on MartaStewart.com
Makes about 20 regular size cupcakes

2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup tap water
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp. groung ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil and stir in baking soda. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl sift together flours, spices, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and brown sugar for a few minutes, until the mixture us fluffy and light. Beat in molasses until evenly combined. Then, add the flour and baking soda/water mixture in thirds, alternating back and fourth: flour, then water, then flour, then water, then flour, then water, just until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Fill muffin tins two-thirds full with batter (these suckers really rise, so don't overfill!), then place cupcakes in the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle cupcake. Remove cupcakes to a rack to cool before decorating.

For the chocolate glaze icing, I recommend Martha Stewart's chocolate glaze recipe. It comes out beautifully and I didn't change a thing. For something less rich, try my cream cheese frosting.

Fast, easy lunches and other culinary adventures

2010-01-17T13:42:00.006-06:00

The first few weeks of the new year have flown by. So far this year I've been skiing in Utah, started culinary school, and started adjusting to a new work schedule. Its been an interesting ride!

So far I'm absolutely loving culinary school...my chef is French and fabulous. Hilarious and wise. My classmates are diverse...ranging from longtime restaurant industry folks to lawyers, traders and other PR pros. So far, we've been doing knife skills, which means lots of slicing, chopping, and julienning, but not much else yet. Even so...I've absolutely loved every second so far.

In the next five weeks I hope to improve my knife skills (which are surprisingly crappy), learn how to bone and filet poultry and fish, learn sauces and compound butters and much more. And that's just the first half-quarter!

Of course, I big part of what I'm learning is about hygiene and professionalism, so I thought you'd like to see my uniform (you might also get a giggle). Between the outfit and my very serious looking knife kit, I'm already feeling like a real professional! Its all very exciting.

Of course, beyond the classes themselves, starting school has had an affect on the rest of my schedule. My employers and team are supportive and gracious and have allowed me to move to a 4-day work week (Thursdays are my homework days), and also work one additional day from home.

That means I'm spending more time at home during the week -- usually Tuesdays and Thursdays. While I enjoy working from home and I'm amazed how much more I can get done without the typical office interruptions, lunch has posed an interesting challenge. As someone who tends to over-complicate any meal, I've had to exercise restraint during workday lunchtime. Already though I think I've identified a short list of simply, healthful and delicious meal ideas that come together quickly so that I can get back to my laptop.

One of my favorite combinations includes an omelet and a small green salad. Omelets come together in minutes and make use of whatever vegetables and cheese happen to be in the fridge (in this case some leftover sliced mushrooms, goat cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil). To round out my lunch, I try to keep washed baby arugula in the house. This spicy green requires little dressing up to taste good. Generally I throw a handful of greens on my plate, sprinkle on some salt, pepper and cheese then top with a squirt of lemon juice and a spritz of olive oil from a mister. Easy, healthy and delicious.

As my school adventures continue, I'll try to showcase some additional weekday lunch ideas (which also make great quick and satisfying dinners), and I'd be thrilled to hear from you guys if you have any tasty recipes to offer up!

Easy Truffled Mushroom Omelet with Goat Cheese
Serves 1

1 Tbs. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp tap water
2-3 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 tsp. truffle oil for drizzling (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt butter and spread evenly around the pan. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a bowl. Add water and whisk until well mixed. Pour egg mixture into hot skillet and, using a heatproof rubber spatula, evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Use spatula to move the egg mixture around so that the liquid egg fills any holes in the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture set in the pan for about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, sprinkle mushrooms down the center of the omelet. When the egg mixture is set, use spatula to gently loosen the omelet away from the edge of the pan. Fold one side over the center of the omelet, then use spatula to continue folding until omelet is rolled in thirds. Gently dump from pan onto serving plate. Top with goat cheese, a drizzle of truffle oil (optional) and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with a salad and get back to work.