Bathing Beauty

Tonight was session #2 of swim class. Tabby really enjoys being in the water, but I'm not so sure she enjoys the idea of swimming. She doesn't want to put her face in the water. She doesn't want to float on her back or front. She was keen, however, on falling into my arms from the pool's side. She looooved that. She also really loves when we go to the “family spa” which is a hot tub sort of thing with fairly warm but not hot water so the babies can get in.

The hardest part about the class is that it's from 6:00-6:25 which means that we're closely skirting her bedtime. We have to rush home, get dinner into everyone, hop into the car and rush over to the rec center. She's so tired by the time we get home though that all she wants is a bottle of milk and her bed. These are the nights where you hold her and she points to her bed as if to say “I'm wiped. Time to hit the hay.”

And for no paticular reason …. a blast from the past: Ladybug Picnic and the Alligator King aaannd the Fairy Alphabet

The Goings-on

I am revelling in a few moments of quiet time here while I wait on “musical” hold for the pharmacy to figure out if they can fax me a transaction record so my cafeteria plan debit card doesn't get taken away (guys – I LOST A RECEIPT. The HORROR!). It has been mad around here lately. What's been going on?

* We started swim lessons yesterday. Tabby really enjoyed being in the water … but she didn't appreciate the freezing cold locker rooms. We have another session on Wednesday … I am planning on making Matt join us so we can get a few photos.
* Matt is in the final stages of Tabby's bookshelf. It is looking great.
* My project for Tabby is completely at a standstill. There have just not been enough hours in the day to get it all done. I'm vaguely upset about this, but maintaining my sanity seems more important.
* Sometime between now and Saturday, I need to concoct approximately 3 dozen cupcakes: yellow cake with chocolate pudding centers and chocolate frosting … nicely decorated (I have purchased a cupcake courier for transport). Anyone know a faerie I can call to assist? No boxes or cans of frosting need apply.
* The CSA situation has been sorted out. We went with Abbondonza Organics. Hopefully it will be a great summer.
* I couldn't have picked a better time to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. If this book can't inspire and convince you to buy local organics, I don't know what can. Required reading for anyone who eats.
* Laundry is a never-ending circular beast. I hate him and his minions, folding and putting away (I have permanently banished ironing in this kingdom).

9 Years of Us

9 Years ago today in a dorm at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, this guy stole my heart. We've had lots of laughs … a few tears … and more good times than I can count. We've lived in three states together. We've been married 5 years. We've taken dozens of trips and shared even more adventures. We agree a good deal of the time and like to disagree a bit. We complete each others sentences and get the same tune stuck in our heads. We drive each other mildly insane. We still make each other happy. And we love our newest and possibly greatest venture together … being parents. It's been a joy and a thrill.

9 years is roughly 1/3 of our lives. How sweet it's been to spend it with you … an amazing man, an amazing father and my best friend. Here's to many many more years.

Life's better because I get to share it with you. Happy anniversary.

Full Weekend

We had such a busy weekend. Friday night my mom came over and we made up a huuuuge lasagna for Tabby's party next week. That took pretty much the entire evening. Saturday, we made some breakfast and headed off to run errands. We went to Cook's Fresh Market in search of a paticular variety of dried fruit (don't ask) which they didn't have. They did, however, have amazing cookies which we had to sample. My favorite were the inside-out oreos (not much like Oreos in reality, they were meringues with chocolate creme in the middle). After that we went to my new favorite store, Lucy, in search of an outfit for Tabby's party. I got a couple of great sale deals and two new tops that I loooove. A stop at Super Target for the week's groceries, and then we spent the rest of the evening at home.

Today was a ski day. Tabby got to spend the day with her grandma and we got to enjoy a few inches of fresh powder and fairly good conditions … other than the white out at the top of the mountain. Really, skiing is a strange sport.

Fresh Veg

Spring is just around the corner. I swear … I can feel it. Nevermind that March is our snowiest month, usually. I'm confident. OK, so I'm not, but I am happy. I think I found us a couple of options for CSA! For those of you not familiar with CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically a local farm (or farms) offers up shares to people in the area. You pay them a set amount up front and they use it to grow lovely fresh veg and you pick up your share of it on a weekly basis.

I'd looked into this a bit back in early Jan but I hadn't found anything reasonable for us (mostly waaay too long of a drive for pickup) … I don't know if I wasn't looking properly or if I was just too early, but now I've found two places for us to buy CSA shares from: Abbondonza Organics and Red Wagon Organic Farm, both out of Boulder which, while not just around the corner, isn't that far of a drive.

I already really enjoy most veggies, but I'm hoping that this will help all of us expand our repertoire and branch out a bit. Plus, you've gotta love the idea of organic, locally grown veg.

ETA: If you're looking for CSA in your area, check out Local Harvest.

Talk to Me: Baby Classes

I'm about 1/3 of the way through The Baby Whisperer: The Toddler Years (thanks again, BookMooch!). I like her style and this book has presented me with some ideas and techniques I hadn't thought of before. But one thing keeps cropping up … mommy support/baby socialization groups. This is one of those things on my to-do list that just lingers there … I know I need to do it, but it is complicated and hard for me. I've really tried to find the right group, but our schedule is difficult to say the least. But now I've thought of a new tactic: classes. I like the idea of classes because theoretically they're enriching (though my skeptical side wonders how much a 1 year old can be enriched) and also, they seem to understand that a lot of moms work and aren't available on Tuesday at 9 AM. I've signed us up for parent-child swimming classes at the local rec center. It's only a 4-week commitment and only set me back $28, so I feel pretty good about that. But I'd like to enroll in at least one more. I'm thinking Gymboree or Kindermusik. Do any of you have any experience with these? Positive? Negative? Caveats? Is there anything else you would recommend?

What else? Been incredibly busy… work, friends, etc. I put myself to bed early last night (forgoing blog reading and such) so I wouldn't feel like road kill again today. We'll see how that goes. Alright. Back to your regularly scheduled lives.

Links, et al

Interesting day. Long day. Meant to get out the camera like 5x, but no dice. I did make dinner, run 3 miles and do two loads of laundry … oh yea, and watched 3 kids for 10 hours. And I'm going to post links. Yay me.

Miscellaneous
Can't pay your library fines? Dance them away.
* Not happy? Yahoo will teach you the secrets of happiness.
* At work, I strive to get rid of as much paper as possible … Unclutterer discusses doing this at home too (why didn't I think of this?!?).
* Better advice than “Wear Sunscreen”
* Great. Now I'm hungry!
* Email is a thing of the past … the future is Official Communications
* Tips for natural looking portraits

Kids
* Toddler Toolbox
* Make Your Own Fingerpaint
* Like Netflix, but for toys!! I love how the internet has made a business out of our short attention spans.
* Yea … better bring the Britax
* This would be great in a playroom!

Recipes
* Easy Popovers
* Kiss truffle things (with Oreos)
* Peep Pops
* Dulce du leche Cheesecake Squares
* DIY French Bread

Hope you find something interesting! Good night.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Gah. Sunday night. Again. How does Friday @ 4 PM to Sunday @ 10 PM go more quickly than any other stretch of equal hours alll week? Oh yea, cuz I'm having fun.

We had a nice weekend … not very eventful, but nice. Tabby was mostly over whatever bug she had late last week by Saturday morning (minus a bit of congestion) and we ran errands in the AM. We went downtown to a toy store I remembered fondly from my youth (looking for a b'day gift or two) and I sadly wasn't as impressed some 15+ years later. It seemed run-down and badly managed. But while we were in that section of town, we stopped in at my new favorite kiddo store, Babystyle, and picked up some amaaaazing bargains, including two coats for Tabby for next winter marked down like 75%. They have way cute maternity clothes too. I will be heading there the next time the stick turns pink (not for a while yet, folks!). We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home and made a great dinner (which I didn't take photos of, silly me).

Today Matt took off skiing with my dad and I spent a really nice morning with Tabby who was exceedingly charming … and besides that was very willing to play on her own while I reorganized my dresser and did laundry and then take a nap while I went running (on the treadmill, don't call social services). Later we met up with my mom, sis and grandma to go to a shower for a family friend who's getting married in April. Tabby was very social and extremely thrilled with all the attention she got. And after that we had dinner with the guys.

Despite being pretty productive around the house all weekend, I'm behind on all manner of computer things … especially email. Not to mention that pesky scrapbook. Yikes. 13 days left.

Mexican Beef over Polenta

from: Parenting

Ingredients
4 mini­whole-wheat pitas, split
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (such as Perdue)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place split pitas on a baking sheet. Put chicken, carrot, corn, and barbecue sauce in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spoon 2 tablespoons chicken mixture onto each pita. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of cheese on top of each, and bake until cheese is bubbly, about 8 minutes.

Nutritional Info (1/4 recipe(
238 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 523 mg sodium, 38 mg cholesterol

from: Parenting

Ingredients
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs canola oil
1 tbs honey
1 tbs peeled, grated ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

4 small flounder fillets, 4 to 6 ounces each
4 cups snow peas (about 3/4 pound)
Lemon wedges

Directions
Whisk the first 7 ingredients (OJ through S&P) together to create the dressing.

Place each fish fillet on a large square of foil and turn of the edges of the foil. Top each fillet with 1 cup of snow peas and 2 tablespoons of dressing. Fold the foil around the fish to form a pouch, and crimp so it is sealed.

Put the foil pouches on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Service with rice and garnish with lemon.

Nutritional Info (1 packet(
273 calories, 11 g fat, 118 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol

from: Parenting

Ingredients
2 1/2 lb beef brisket
1/2 tsp pepper
1 package dried onion-soup mix
2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup water
12 baby carrots

Directions
Brown the brisket on all sides in a large skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with pepper. Place in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup mix, mustard, and water. Stir well. Pour over brisket. Add carrots to pot and stir. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours — meat will be soft and tender, almost falling apart.

Remove from cooker and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing thin. Serve on sandwich buns, with ketchup or mustard.

Nutritional Info (1/8 recipe(
237 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 385 mg sodium, 83 mg cholesterol

from: Parenting

Ingredients
Cooking spray
6 oz-package stuffing mix
4 cups broccoli florets
4 chicken cutlets (approximately 4 oz each)
1/2 cup jarred chicken gravy
Pepper

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spritz center of 4 sheets of foil with cooking spray. Prepare stuffing according to package directions, excluding butter. Place 1/4 stuffing in center of each foil sheet. Top with 1 cup broccoli and a chicken cutlet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons gravy over each cutlet; sprinkle with pepper.

Seal packages and place on foil-covered baking pan. Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (to 170 degrees). Reheat remaining gravy and serve on the side.

Nutritional Info (1 packet(
318 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 880 mg sodium, 66 mg cholesterol

from: Parenting

Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 Tbs butter
½ small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
10-oz package frozen peas
Pinch salt
¼ cup chicken broth or prepared bouillon
30 basil leaves (about 1 cup loosely packed)
cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until quite soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the peas and a pinch of salt, stir thoroughly with the garlic and onion mixture, then add the chicken broth. Cover pan and bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes (not more, or the peas will be overdone).

Remove from heat and transfer contents to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil leaves. Process for about 15 seconds, until the peas are beginning to be mashed and the basil is chopped but there are still many whole pieces of pea in the mixture. Combine thoroughly with the cooked rice and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

from: Weight Watchers Shortcuts Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 C plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1 T lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh mint
12 oz packaged fully-cooked turkey meatballs
4 6-inch multi-grain pitas
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

Directions
Combine yogurt, lemon juice & mint in a bowl and set aside. Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Add meatballs and cook, covered, turning frequently until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Cut a pocket in each pita. Fill with 3 meatballs, tomatoes, cucumber and about 3 T of the yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info (1 pocket(
353 cals, 9 g fat, 787 mg sodium, 43 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 26 g protein, 144 mg calcium

from: adapted from Rachael Ray's Recipe

Ingredients
grilled or roasted chicken breast, cut into small chunks or strips
buffalo sauce (we like Frank's best)
scallions
monterey jack cheese
bleu cheese crumbles
finely chopped scallions
pizza crust of your choice

Directions
Toss the chicken in the sauce and assemble the pizza as you would any pizza. This seems to work paticularly well if you put the jack cheese on last since it contains the bleu cheese crumbles.

Bake it up … and enjoy (possibly with celery and carrot sticks and a beer?)!

from:

Ingredients
1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1 small onion(s), chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles, drained, reserve 1 Tbsp of liquid
1 cup canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels
10 items olive(s), Kalamata, sliced
2 Tbsp canned jalapeno peppers, pickled, chopped (optional)
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking
3 cup canned chicken broth
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
2 Tbsp cilantro, or scallion, fresh, chopped (optional)

Directions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain off any liquid. Stir in tomatoes and reserved liquid, corn, olives, jalapenos (if using), 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cumin and pepper; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine cornmeal, broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is thick, about 5 minutes.

Spoon polenta onto a large serving plate and top with beef mixture. Top with salsa, cheese and cilantro (or scallion). Divide into 6 portions and serve.

My Funny Valentines

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day with the special people in your life.

I ended up spending the day at home with Tabby. She came down with a fever on Wednesday night and couldn't go to daycare. And anyway, she was all pathetic and clingy and in need of attention and snuggles. Wait. I should be more specific. Mama snuggles. We went to the doctor just to be certain it wasn't anything more serious (her fever was over 102) and they said that they had seen loads of kids coming in with fevers and they tend to last around 3 days. Joy. Tabby for the most part is doing OK, all doped up on baby acetametaphin and baby ibuprofen, but she is on the cranky side and seems to only want Mommy (when she wants anyone at all). She's constantly tired, but only sleeping in spurts, so I am a bit tired myself.

Despite all of this, we contrived to have a nice Valentine's day anyhow. I made Matt one of his favorite dishes, an adaptation of Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Pizza. In the original recipe, she makes her own (atrociously bad for you) buffalo sauce. We'd tried store-bought Hooter's sauce, which wasn't very good, the last time we made the pizza, but this time I got Frank's buffalo sauce and it was great. Tabby had BBQ chicken pizza since it's a bit less spicy (that's right, people, the sickies haven't hurt her appetite one bit!) and we all had brownies for dessert. After dinner we had to make a run to the ATM to deposit a couple of checks and we picked up a new Baby Einstein for Tabby. When we got home we all watched that while I took my new game (a Valentine's day gift from Matt) for a spin.

I am way behind on blog reading, and email and I have a lot of links collected to share. Hopefully I can play catch-up tonight. Happy happy Friday!!