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The Latest and Greatest

What I'm Digging
I am looking forward to summer!!! I get a catalog from Athleta or Title 9 on a weekly basis (or so it seems) and I'm drooling over the cute/sporty sundresses. The clothing aisles at Target are drool-worth too.

I am also perusing the Seed Savers catalog. I really doubt I'll have time to grow my own seedlings from seeds and will probably hit the nursery again for starters, but a girl can dream, right? Looks like it's time to pull out Animal Vegetable Miracle again!

What I'm Watching
We finished up Big Love Season 2 before it was due back at the library (w00t!). I really enjoyed the family dramas and the intrigue with the fundamentalists. The one thing that I think is pretty odd though is their secrecy within the family. Honestly, I would do a doubletake if I met someone with two wives (or husbands), but I wouldn't stop shopping at their stores or ostracize them. I think it would fascinate me. Am I in the minority on this? Polygamy itself doesn't offend me, it's the other terrible things that tend to go hand-in-hand with it (abuse and neglect, welfare fraud, etc.). Just sayin …

We also just picked up Samantha Who from the library and have watched about 4 episodes. It is cute and entertaining, though I am a bit skeptical that it can hold my interest long-term. Also got Season 2 of Chuck … as I have not yet watched Season 1, this is less useful that it might otherwise be.

My new favorite show for running is Biggest Loser. It's very motivating. If the 300+ lb. people on there can do these challenges, then surely I can finish my 6 mi. run without too much whining, right? But every time I watch it I am grateful for my Tivo. 2 hours long, tons of commercials and also break downs and interminable weigh-ins and discussions on who's getting kicked off. I can whittle the whole thing down to around 80 minutes. God Bless you, Tivo. Continue reading “The Latest and Greatest”

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What’s Cooking: Volume 6

Well I did not update you on the goings-on in the kitchen last week for the same reason it feels bizarre to post this week. We have not been cooking very much.

As you might have noticed from yesterday’s post, we’ve been a little busy. I’m afraid we’ve been struggling with eating good healthy meals at home a bit as a result. Ideally, I’d like to have a few meals in the freezer ready to go when we get busy, but we’re not quite there with variety yet, and it is quite difficult sometimes to get the family onboard with “lentil soup again!?!?”

So what have we been eating? Well glossing over the calling out for pizza and the barely edible Mexican consumed @ Casa Bonita, we’ve done OK. Matt made up the delectable (and reasonably healthy) Turkey Bean Chili last week. We still have a bunch in the freezer (yay!). It goes great on left over tortilla chips from a party too, let me tell you. We also had Chicken Cheese Steaks, which are terribly terribly yummy and pretty natural, though not especially GOOD for you. Holly introduced me to them and I am a BIG BIG fan, even though I’m not especially keen on chicken.

This week we’re on the manic track getting ready to leave for the weekend and I’ve got another big push on my freelance project. So we’re going easy. As aforementioned, nachos on Sunday night, stirfry last night and spaghetti with veggies and meat sauce tonight. Tomorrow we’ve got to run errands before the trip, so we’ll go to Sweet Tomatoes for some soup and salads or if I get crazy, I’ll make something up tonight that we can just reheat tomorrow. Doubtful.

I, sadly, did not do a ton of cooking for Tabby’s party. Honestly, I’m glad I can say that. I picked up some tasty appetizers from Costco (sushi tray!) and made up fruit and veggie plates myself (all good stuff, no anemic cantaloupe). I did bake the cupcakes. I used this cupcake recipe, which created a strange, but tasty batter. Then I piped in some strawberry preserves and then we topped them with this frosting, tinted pink, and loads of sprinkles.

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Party Like You’re 3

Tabby had a college-style weekend. The partying started on Thursday (her actual b’day) and didn’t stop until late on Saturday. By Sunday she was wrecked. Hopefully today will go OK. On “the day” we took her and her entourage (Matt’s brother, my family and her best buddy) to Casa Bonita. It is, according to the linked survival guide, “Like Disney and Tijuana had sex and left the ugly little bastard in a random strip mall on Colfax to fend for itself.” The food is bad. There’s skee-ball and the prizes are cheap and tacky. Basically, it’s every kid’s fantasy. She had a great time and even ate her chicken fingers (quite possibly the best thing on the menu) and some sopapillas. The mariachis sang her Happy Birthday and she got to stomp spiders for tickets. Joy!

Friday we had a lunch date with Grammy. We went once again to Lil Monkey Bizness and then to Red Robin (her choice) before she had to go home for her nap and Grammy and I took a cranky Ben to Costco. That evening we made cupcakes that she got to decorate. More=Better seems to be her cupcake decorating philosophy.

Saturday the SPOILING continued with a mani-pedi session at Lollilocks. Pink on the toes, yellow on the fingernails. Stars in the eyes. She loved it. After lunch at home, she went down for her nap and fell asleep so late we wondered if she’d wake up in time for her party (you do not want to wake this kid up!). She did, but just barely. She had a fab time running around with her friends and showing people her “new playroom.” Cupcakes and singing were grand. She finally got overwhelmed when there was a bit too much help opening her presents. I talked her into opening one more present from a party guest and then she and the friends trooped down to the playroom for some boisterous fun.

She got to have a sleepover with her best buddy (don’t even ask me how late they were up) and minus a nap on Sunday spent most of the day playing with her new toys. I think it was a pink-letter weekend. Continue reading “Party Like You’re 3”

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Chicken Cheese Steaks

from: Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients
1 lb chicken
2 bell peppers, whatever color you like (I say red and orange – pretty and tasty!), cut into strips
1 large onion, cut into strips
2-6 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz of provolone cheese, shredded
olive oil
salz und pfeffer
sandwich rolls of your choice

Directions
Heat the broiler. Smack that chicken down flat with a mallet so it cooks evenly, then brush olive oil and salt and pepper both sides. Broil it, 5-7 minutes a side (you have to do both sides). It may still be a teeny bit pink in the center, but that is AOK. You’ll cook it a bit more later.

While the chicken is cooking, toss peppers, onions and garlic with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. When the chicken comes out, swap the peppers for the chicken and put them in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Cut up the chicken. When the peppers are starting to get done, add the chicken back in and cook for a minute or two. Then sprinkle with that cheese and cook a couple more minutes until it gets all melty.

Serve on rolls (toasted or un, your choice).

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My Baby Turns 3

 

3 years ago, at 4:20 AM, my sweet Tabby made her grand entrance. Even completely blitzed from a very long labor and C-section, I was elated to finally meet the little lady who had been bee-bopping inside me for over 9 months. There is a lot I don’t remember about that day, but I do remember how tiny and warm she was, and how amazing and beautiful I beheld her to be. It was without a doubt, one of the greatest days of my life.

 

In 1095 days, we’ve seen her change from a sweet, smiley baby into our sweet, firecracker of a preschooler. The teeny changes along the way, a fraction of an inch, a new word, were hardly perceptible on a daily basis, but suddenly we’d glance up and there she was – smiling, walking, kissing, talking, running, reasoning, singing, loving, helping! I am so dang proud of her it practically makes me teary to think about. Every day she belongs a little less to just us and a bit more to the world. She goes to school. She interacts with people I don’t. I feel like she’s gotten an excellent start in her young life and I will be there to help her as best I can to continue to be sweet, smart, inquisitive and confident.

Everyday she makes me smile and amazes me with her humor and ingenuity and kindness. She’s some of Matt, some of me, some of the various amazing people she interacts with, but she is all Tabby and she is incredible! Continue reading “My Baby Turns 3”

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Some Links to Share

As usual, the full compliment of crap I’ve amassed is here.

• a online journal for your eyes only: check out Penzu
• Too many passwords? Might want to try Last Pass
• Cute fabric photo mat from a pizza box – so clever!
• a very fun thing to do with your children’s artwork
• new default save locations for Firefox
• love this great photo experiment
• a nice post on giving kids rich cultural experiences (that don’t require springing for plane tix)
• I will have to try making taffy with the kids
• I bought mine, but here’s how you can make a great kitchen platform stool
• got a maple tree? tap that bad boy
• I think it would be fun to mail a frisbee
• hilarious infographic on DVD pirating – film companies, take notice
• this story made me a little nauseous
• 100 skills you should have
• these photorealistic paintings are incredible!
• way cute Valentine sticky notes – a bit late for this year, but the method is genius!

xoxo

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13.1 Miles!?!? Crap.

Kristi, author of one of my favorite blogs, Interrupted Wanderlust, asked me to post something about how my half marathon training is going. I had one thought … “Oy …”

After Tabby was born, I was pretty lucky. First, I only had one kid, second she slept through the night from about 2.5 months onward. I worked out, I ate right and I lost my baby weight (and some more). It was … well maybe not easy, but predictable anyhow. At some point in time, I decided it would be a good idea to run a 9K. I signed up, I trained, and I did it, with little problem and even a decent time.

This go around, nothing has been predictable. Ben still does not routinely sleep through the night. There are two kids to handle. We have done a basement remodel. Matt has traveled a lot. I have had a huge freelance project in addition to my regular job. I have been busier since Ben was born than ever before in my life.

Bottom line, weight is coming off, but so slowly I could scream some days. This, as you might guess, does not make me a particularly gifted runner or extremely motivated. But I do have one thing: stubbornness. I am very stubborn and pretty hard working as well. So I am keeping at it and I fully expect to make it all 13.1 miles on April 24 (Ben's first b'day!!!). I may not do it at a gallop or a jog, but I will do it. Continue reading “13.1 Miles!?!? Crap.”

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Chick Trip

This weekend, I abandoned my family. But it was just temporarily. Swear. Friday at 4 PM I picked up one of my besties (Holly) and we (after a short pitstop to buy me new mittens) headed for the hills. A relatively easy 1.5 hours later, we arrived in Vail, home of gorgeous alpine views, ski slopes to die for and excellent girl time.

Two other friends (L&J) arrived a couple of hours later and we had dinner — the kind where you don't pick up things off the ground, don't cut up food for anyone and all of the drinking vessels are actually made of glass (no lids, either!). Then we talked. And talked. In fact, talking was our primary leisure activity of the weekend.

We were up late, and then even up pretty early since we didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to make bottles or calm fears. Holly, L and I went skiing while J (who is pregnant) went to the spa. After glorious days at our selected pursuits, we had a very happy happy hour and then went out to dinner (on top of a mountain) like grown ups, even if most of us ate burgers and fries. But we all smiled wistfully when we spied a sweet little boy asleep on his daddy's shoulder.

After dinner there was, of course, more talking. We're all moms with two (or almost two) kids. We all have husbands that we love to pieces and yet find completely irritating at times. Most of us have day jobs. We talked for hours. We could have talked all night.

Morning came quickly and after a leisurely breakfast and some more talking, we packed up our things (in about 5 minutes) and headed for home. It was a wonderful trip. I enjoyed everyone's company immensely and it was a break I desperately needed — I was notably less irritable and stressed when I got home. I can't speak for everyone, but as much as I enjoyed my time away, I missed my family hugely and I was so so glad to see them.

PS – I'd show you pictures, but we were having way too much fun to take any.

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Ben @ 10 Months! (Hard Hat Required)

So …. 2 months until Ben’s first birthday (and, incidentally, 2 months until I have committed to run 13.1 miles – but that’s another post). I am trying to not write the same thing over again … how fast it’s gone and how much he’s changed, but man, it has to be said. It went by in a blink. And he HAS changed so much!

A short month ago he was crawling like a champ and pulling up. He now stands in the middle of the room, unassisted, just biding his time until taking those first steps. He kneels, squats down and goes up the stairs and other objects very well. Down, is a different matter, and he pretty much goes head-first off whatever. The boy doesn’t seem to have a bit of fear and I swear, he’s the one that will end up with stitches!! He’s already fallen down stairs and chomped his lip open (twice) on his very sharp teeth. He constantly looks like he’s been in a fight, with scratches and bruises all over himself. He is very different from Tabby and not cautious at all … he just goes for it, consequences not even a consideration.

I also cannot believe how communicative he has become, clapping, responding to “How big is Ben?” by raising his arms and now pointing to things he wants and places he wants to go. He seems very keen to talk and I feel certain in asserting that he is trying to mimic words that we say for him. He says Mama and Dada, though not consistently and without necessarily correct associations. I think I may try to teach him sign language more since he picked up “How big is Ben?” and “How old are you?” and the corresponding response gestures very easily.

Sleep-wise … what to say? He is still generally up at least once a night for some milk. I have been so dead tired due to overwork this past bit that I have really not registered it all or even tried to correct it. This will be a fight for later, when I’m not up to my eyeballs in it.

He is eating like a champ and at least some of his gag-reflex issues seem to be gone. I am still being more cautious with him, though and cut up his food more often than not. He still loves his bottle, but will now steal Tabby’s sippy and have a drink from that. I look forward to weaning him off the bottle before too long.

Size: Who knows … still 4 in diapers, though I think we’ll be done with them soon, averaging 24 mos in clothes, need to buy him new shoes, so not sure on that
Likes: being read to, his toy piano, FOOD, dogs, music, the vacuum, climbing
Dislikes: not getting his way

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What's Cooking: Volume 5

So I really have no idea where the heck the past week went. I worked on that project a lot, that's for sure. And when it was done, I slept quite a bit. I worked out pretty much not at all.

The weekend, like all others, was gone in a flash. We did make the loaded potato soup (meh.) and fried rice (what's not to love??) and on Thursday when I went to Bunco, I roasted the sweet potatoes and just tossed the salmon in the oven with some seasoning on top. I understand it was all palatable. The kids devoured the sweet potatoes and out of 4 pieces of salmon I made, only 1 and a half were left.

Over the weekend, well I can't remember what we did on Friday. We went to the mall, so maybe we ate out, but I don't recall that … I think we just ate leftovers. Sunday was the only day we cooked. We made Ricotta Gnocchi when we had my uncle, aunt and cousins over for dinner. It did not go as well as planned, chiefly because Tabby woke up cranky from her nap and demanded held the ENTIRE TIME we were making the gnocchi. This slowed the entire process down and it was not piping hot when served. We also have to remember to do TWO pots of boiling water when we're doing that for a crowd. They cook fast, but not THAT fast.

This week is a helter-skelter week. Last night we had to run an errand and ended up eating at the food court. I sent Matt to get what I imagined to be lovely healthy lean meats, vegetables and rice from the “Japanese” vendor and he came back with the greasiest, grossest mess of junk (not his fault … that's what they had and we didn't really realize how bad it was until we'd tasted it). I ate just enough so as not to gnaw my own arm off and then stared longingly at our neighbors salads and soup from Paradise Bakery. Lesson learned.

I've still got Broccoli Cheese soup to make from last week and Matt made Chicken Tagine after we got home last night so we can get to gymnastics on time this evening. Wednesday we have a dinner invite and I'm (supposed to be) heading out of town on Friday, so Matt and the kids will probably order some pizza up or go visit my parents.

Luckily the freezer is stocked up with a few things and I have some good sandwich and salad makings. We will definitely not starve. Still trying to find that camera …