Mother's Day Adventures: Tortilla Snacks

I registered Thatkid and I for the Minions race, not even realizing that it was Mother's Day weekend.  Which meant I got to spend my Mother's Day away from home.

We headed up to Universal Studios on Friday night and after picking up our bibs at Universal City Walk, we stayed for dinner.

After the race, Thatkid and I went back to the car to change into regular clothes and met up with Thatboy and Thatbaby, who had taken the shuttle from our hotel to the park.  

We got discounted tickets to the park with our race entry, and they also included an early admission.  So we headed right in to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

This was HUGE for Thatkid, who is reading the series right now.  He loves everything Harry Potter.  And getting early admission meant that we could walk right on to rides and attractions.  Our first stop was Olivander's, to pick out wands.  Or rather, to have wands pick you.  

At Olivander's Wand Shop, you enter in a small group and one person is picked to have a wand fitting with Mr. Olivander.  I researched and found some tips on how to get picked and passed them along to Thatkid.  It worked!

Getting to have his wand specially picked for him was a really special moment for him, and definitely played into the magic which surrounded the attraction.  He had to try several different wands until finally, he found the right wand. "Aha," said the wizard, "I think this wand was waiting for you."

After the show, we moved into the general store so Thatbaby could pick out a wand too.  All day he kept whispering to me - "Mom, I think this wand was waiting for me."

They tested out their wands all over Hogsmede, and then, as the park opened and it started to get crowded, we grabbed a butterbeer and headed out to explore the rest of the park.

I had talked to a friend before we went about what was kid friendly at Universal Studios, and she told me it was really hard.  They definitely aim at an older audience.  Even cuddled between Thatboy and I, Thatbaby was not a fan of the Studios Tour, with dinosaur attacks, floods, and car chases.  It was too scary for him.

After the tour, I knew he was getting a little tired.  This, friends, is why we bring the stroller with us to theme parks, even though we hate lugging it around.  

Stick him in the stroller and he's out.  Thatkid was the same way.  And this is especially helpful at theme parks, because naptime is the perfect time for Thatkid and Thatboy to tackle the bigger scarier rides.

And when he woke up, I had him already parked and ready to play in the most kid-friendly portion of the park.

After a couple more rides we headed back to Hogsmede to grab dinner at the Three Broomsticks.  We closed the park down and then headed back to the room where Thatkid and I collapsed after our especially long day.

The next morning, we packed up and headed down to Anaheim.

As you can see, Thatkid was in a bit of a mood.

Thatbaby, however, was living it up.

So why the stop in Anaheim?  Well, I decided to take control of Mother's Day a bit.  I decided I wanted to go to the House of Blues Gospel Brunch, and the House of Blues in Anaheim is much closer to Thatmom than the one in San Diego.  And since we were already in Los Angeles, it didn't seem like it would be difficult to stop in Orange County on the way home.

And so we met up with Thatmom so we could celebrate Mother's Day together.

Thatmom was a little wary of what the brunch was going to be like, but it was wonderful and we both really enjoyed the food and the entertainment.  We were up on our feet, dancing.

And then we parted ways and we headed home.  We headed out for Mexican for dinner that night because the best way to top off Mother's Day is with a margarita.  Which my kids have figured out.  When Thatkid had to fill out his "all about mom" sheet at school he wrote that my favorite food is "Mexican."  Which isn't true.  Anyone who knows me, knows that my favorite food is popcorn.   But Mexican food is one of the few cuisines I never tire of.  And I do love margaritas.  And how easy it is to interpret Mexican cuisine in your old home.   Like these little tortilla snacks.  Everything is pre-prepared so it's just a matter of heating and stacking.  They make a great afterschool snack, but they're also filling enough for a dinner if you have a couple.

Tortilla Snacks

small tortillas (around here we get the "street taco" size)

1 can refried beans

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

salsa

1. Heat the tortillas over an open flame until crisp. 
2. Heat refried beans in a saucepan until they're bubbling.
3. Heat shredded chicken until warm.
4. Top each tortilla with refried beans, chicken, and a spoonful of salsa.

Light 'Em Up: Grilled polenta with mushrooms and gorgonzola

When we start the holiday season, we jump right in.  Over the weekend we attended our town's tree lighting.  We went last year and Thatkid had such a great time I knew we had to return again this year.

For one thing, this gave me a chance to introduce Thatbaby to snow!

Which he loved!  Thatkid got cold relatively quickly but Heaty McHotlegs didn't seem to mind it at all. We couldn't get him out of there.

I ended up taking Thatkid to decorate cookies while his brother played in the snow.

After the cookie decorating, both boys sat for a little face painting.

I'm always surprised at how well Thatbaby sits for face painting.  Thatkid decided they both needed snowmen.

And then it was off to watch hula dancers, carolers, and the main event - the tree lighting!

Thatbaby sat transfixed by it all.  He has a thing for both Christmas trees and Christmas lights, so he was as happy as an be.

After the trees were lit, Thatkid decided he wanted to see Santa.  This was a huge deal because Thatkid has been Santa-shy for the past 4 years.  He likes the idea of Santa, but never wanted to be anywhere near the man in red.  In fact, he had specifically told me that he did NOT want to see Santa at the tree lighting.  

I thought Thatbaby might be equally as interested.  He loves looking at pictures of himself with Santa from last year.  And he went right up to this guy and happily took a candy cane.  But when the time came for lap sitting?  Well he was having none of that.  

But hey, one out of two is better odds than I usually get for Santa pictures!

We made one final stop to visit with the reindeer before heading home for the night.

I'm also starting to get ready for holiday get togethers.  Planning appetizers and desserts that please a crowd.  There's something about cheese that really works for appetizers.  You find it on cheese plates, baked brie, or even a great cheesy dip.   This combines two of my favorite appetizer tricks, cheese and polenta.  I love making polenta ahead of time.  You can cut it into rounds or squares and then top with all sorts of goodies - chutney, salsa, salad, or cheese!  This season I'm topping it with gorgonzola and mushrooms which gives it a warm, tangy, earthy flavor.

 Grilled polenta with Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

1 lb polenta

4 Tbsp olive oil

6 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

10 oz mixed wild mushrooms, sliced

2 sprigs of thyme, chopped

1 cup white wine

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

1 1/2 cups Parmesan, grated

juice of 1 lemon

1. Prepare polenta according to package directions.  Pour into a greased pie pan and refrigerate 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Cut polenta into triangles and and place on hot grill pan for 3-5 minutes, until lightly charred.
3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook 5 minutes, until translucent.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms.  Cook 4-5 minutes.  
5. Add the thyme and cook for another minute.
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add the wine and reduce cook until it's reduced by two thirds.
8. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce is reduced by one third.
9. Turn the heat down to low.  Add the gorgonzola, Parmesan, and lemon juice, stirring constantly until the cheeses have melted.  Pour over grilled polenta.

From the Archives: Toasted Ravioli

Before Thatbaby was born, Thatboy and I used to have "appetizer night" where we would make a dish traditionally served as an appetizer, open a bottle of wine, and make a meal of it.

Because sometimes all you want is something snacky and unhealthy.  Something fried and cheesy.  Something warm and gooey.

The nice thing about toasted ravioli is that it works now, even with Thatbaby (who doesn't do nachoes as well).  It's very baby-friendly (ravioli used to be something I always kept on hand for him when he first started solids) as long as your baby isn't eating these every meal. But really, you shouldn't be eating them every meal either.  But as an every now and then treat?  These are exactly what you want.  Crispy, chewy, cheesy!  Completely decadent - even moreso since they're so easy to make!  It's almost impossible to stop eating them once you start.

If you're not prone to eating appetizers for dinner, these work really well as...wait for it...appetizers!  Put them out for your next party and they will disappear as quickly as you can make them. 

Toasted Ravioli with Marinara Sauce (From What's Cookin' Chicago?)

2 Tbsp milk

1 egg

3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

1 package cheese ravioli (I used fresh)

2 cups canola oil

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Warm Marinara sauce for dipping

1. Combine milk and egg in a shallow bowl. 
2. Combine breadcrumbs and seasonings in a second shallow bowl. 
3. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and then dip in the breadcrumbs to coat.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Fry ravioli in batches, 1 minute per side, or until golden.  Drain on paper towels.
5. Sprinkle with parmesean and serve with the warmed marinara.

Mea Cuppa

I've been doing stupid things all day.  Like when I drove Thatbaby RIGHT past his school and had to turn around to drop him off.

Or when I locked the bathroom key in the bathroom.

Or when I went to make a phone call and realized I didn't have the phone number with me.

Or when I went to make a roast chicken tonight and looked at the recipe and realized it was supposed to marinade 6-8 hours.  Which would mean we'd be having dinner somewhere around midnight.

So it's time for another quick and easy (and foolproof) dinner.  (Because if there's a way to mess it up, I'd find it.) This makes use of stuff that we always have on hand - sausage, wonton wrappers, and cheese. Bite sized little goodies that are as easy to eat as they are to make.  And making them makes you feel much much smarter.

 Spicy Sausage Ranch Cups

wonton wrappers
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
1/4 cup Ranch dressing

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook sausage over medium high heat until browned.
2. Mix sausage, cheese, and ranch together.
3. Place won ton wrappers into mini muffin tins.  Fill with the sausage mixture.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Defying Expectations

Like many places, San Diego has different areas where certain ethnicities are more prevalent than other areas. Last week on our Farmer's Market exploration Thatbaby and I headed to a part of the town that I usually consider to be very Mexican.

So you can imagine my surprise when we pulled into the parking lot of a large Asian market. It started to make a little more sense to me when I thought about it, after all, my favorite Thai restaurant was almost literally across the street.

This farmer's market was different than the typical markets I've been too. Of course they had the usual suspects - oranges, apples, eggs, etc. But there were also stands and stands of atypical farmer's market finds like bitter melon, daikon radishes, and lots of Asian greens. Not that you would know that by looking at my haul.

My $16 haul included:

• 1 ginormous bag of oranges (which is still in the trunk of my car. Hey - you try lugging around a baby and bags of groceries!)
• strawberries
• figs - totally wasn't expecting these! It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen them in the markets, but they're impossible to resist.
• eggplants
• onions
• corn
• cucumber
• string beans

Given the amount of produce I brought home, you would expect to see some of it featured in the recipe I'm posting. But there you'd be wrong. Because aside from the strawberries and fruit, most of the produce is actually sitting around waiting for Thanksgiving to be over. For when I've eaten my fill of mashed potatoes and heavy starchy sides. Instead I'll give you one of those impossibly quick and easy meals that is perfect for when your kitchen has become overrun with all the Thanksgiving prep. It's equally fabulous for when you too are sick and tired of turkey and stuffing.

Thatboy and I made a meal of these little taco bites - ground beef cooked with my own personal "taco seasoning". The kick of the ground chipotle powder and the extra kick from the salsa over go over well in Thathouse. But these little finger-friendly treats work well as appetizers for guests or snacks for kids. And, between you and I, they're the perfect way to use up leftover wonton wrappers you may have hanging around your home.

Taco Bites
20 won ton wrappers
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350. Press won ton wrappers into a muffin tin so that they form little cups.
2. Brown ground beef in pan over medium heat.
   
3. Add cumin, onion powder, chipotle chili powder, and garlic powder to ground beef and continue to cook until cooked through.
4. Divide ground beef between muffin tins.
5. Top each with scant Tbsp of salsa. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle each taco bite with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
   

Been a While Since Bruschetta

When we went out for Thatmom's birthday, we were all starving by the time we sat down at the table. We decided to get some bruschetta to begin, but had to decide between something classic - tomato and basil, or something a little different - white bean. We stuck with the classic. Why mess with something you like?

Well, I'm here to tell you, that messing with bruschetta can give you some glorious outcomes. I have a bad habit of forgetting things I have in the pantry. Things like olives. Which I seem to buy every time I go to the store, despite the fact that I always have a jar on the shelf. Which means olives get put into a lot of my dishes. Mostly things like pasta and salads, but as I sit here waiting for roast chicken that feels like it will never be done, I decided it would be excellent in an bruschetta type appetizer.

Kalamata olives scream "Greek" to me, so I added some feta to my mixture of tomatoes, basil, and olives. And as easy as that "Greek Bruschetta" was born. Similar enough to the original that you're bound to love it, but different enough to spice it up every now and again.

Greek Bruschetta

1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 Tbsp basil, chiffonade

1. Combine all ingredients!

Say Hello To My Little Friends

See those things? Those are my shiny almost-new Vibrams! Thatboy really sucked it up with Channukah this year, but threw in some amazing redemption at Christmas! I really wanted a pair, but pretty much thought they were going to be one of those unnecessary expenditures.

Why did I want a pair of Vibrams? Mostly because of my injuries over the past year. First the knee, then the SI joint. I had read that because Vibrams didn't have the typical support system of regular running shoes, they forced your form to change, and to use different muscles. I thought they might help me hurt myself less.

The thing with Vibrams is, from everything I've read, you really need to break them in slowly - because they change your form, and work those different muscles. So I obviously couldn't break them in when I was training for the half.

During the half marathon, my left IT Band started bothering me. I know some people stop and stretch out soreness, but I'm a talker. So I just gave my IT Band a stern lecture about how it had many more miles to go and it should stop being such a girl. It worked. Except later that night, my right IT Band started pulling the whole "BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?" routine. And this was long after the race had finished, so it really had nothing to complain about. But it was tight and painful and made walking very painful. So I was a little hesitant about trying out the Vibrams.

But I forged ahead, I mean, I was only going for .5 miles. And you know what? NO PAIN! No IT band pain! And no other pain either. Which was surprising for me. I ran 6 miles over the weekend in my regular sneakers, and voila - that same niggling IT band. Back in the vibrams this week? No pain again. So far, so good.

My only concern - and maybe if you've run in Vibrams you can give me some words of advice - is that I don't really feel like I need to break this suckers in. I've run .5 miles, 1 mile, 1.5 miles, and even 2 miles this morning and I'm noticing no soreness, no difference between running in them and in my regular shoes. Am I doing something wrong?

Okay, that was a lot longer post on Vibrams than I was expecting. And if you're still here and reading you DESERVE this treat. Just in time for the Superbowl! Because tater skins make an excellent Superbowl snacker. I roasted my first goose, and stuffed it with potato stuffing. Which uses a lot of the inside of potatoes and not so much of the outside. But you can easily turn those leftover "scraps" into something delicious by topping them with cheese, bacon and sour cream (and really, isn't anything better topped with cheese, bacon, and sour cream?)

Double Cheese Potato Skins

6 russet potatoes

olive oil

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 tsp garlic salt

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425. Was the potatoes and rub with olive oil. Place on rack in oven (with some aluminum foil on the rack underneath) and bake for 45 minutes. Cool until cool enough to handle.

2. Cut in half and scoop out almost all the insides (use this to make your own potato stuffing). Brush outside and inside of skins with melted butter.

3. Sprinkle potato skins with garlic salt and bake 8 minutes.

4. Fill the skins with the 2 cheeses and bacon and bake an additional 5 minutes.

5. Top with sour cream.

How I spent my Thanksgiving Vacation

Most of us grownups work year-round. There are no Christmas vacations. There are no summer vacations. There are no "ski weeks." So Thanksgiving is truly a treat because we get not one, but two days off work in which to accomplish everything that has been piling up for weeks. And it couldn't come at a better time, since the holiday season is running at us full force this year. We're already on the fifth night of Chanukkah!

Wednesday: Inspired by a post on Hostess with the Mostess, I made pumpkin mojito cupcakes to bring in to our coworkers.

Both Thatboy and I got off work early so we could sit in horrendous traffic earlier in the day instead of late at night.

Thursday: Thursday was all about tradition. I got up and watched the Macy's Day Parade in my pajamas. Am I the only one who felt it wasn't as good as it usually was? Even the Broadway numbers, which I usually love, were uninspiring. And I honestly didn't recognize about 90% of the singers, which makes me feel incredibly old. After the parade, Thatdad and I would usually hit up the movies, but since he's no longer here to go with I went on a nice long run instead. Then the whole family showed up for drinking, eating, and general good times.

Friday: One of those days with way too many plans. It began with a "high school reunion" brunch. The quotes are because the only person there I went to high school with was the one throwing the brunch. The rest of the people were just his friends. Then Thatboy and I began our holiday shopping. As usual. We don't hit up black Friday like crazy people at dawn. Instead we go in the afternoon, when there are still sales, and the stores are practically empty. I got some new pj bottoms, a coat, and a new camera. You're going to love seeing the fancy new pictures!

We also saw the new Harry Potter movie. The movie was, in general, all that could be expected, but I do thank that it's difficult splitting the book into two movies. And there was about 30 minutes of "rock sitting" that could have been cut from the movie. Thatboy points out there was a lot of rock sitting in the book too, but I don't think the movie would have lost anything by removing it. Heck, I don't think the book would have lost anything either, and I really liked the book

After the movie I met Prez and Fish for shopping, girl talk, and dinner. Fish had just arrived home from India with loads of good stories. We stayed at the restaurant far past Prez and my bedtimes.

Saturday and Sunday was more shopping - but Thatboy and I have officially finished all our holiday shopping. Which is good, since we exchanged presents for Chanukkah with Thatmom, Thatbrother, and UDubb this weekend. We also set up our tree, which means the holiday season is officially upon us.

In honor of the Holiday season, I thought I would share with you a sure fire party pleaser. Because this is the season of holiday parties and "what do I bring-itis." (Almost as contagious as the flu). Next party you're invited to, bring some of this bean dip and watch how quickly you make it on to everyone's "nice" list. You may even find a few extra presents under the tree.

Bacon Bean Dip
4 slices bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
1 can refried beans
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine beans, cream cheese, and salsa in skillet. Heat until cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour mixture into bowl and top with cheese and bacon.

Andale! Andale!

Thatmom's friends have been very impressed with her running lately. Last year at this time, she was prepping for her first 5k in many many many many many years (yeah, Thatmom is pretty old). This year she's racking up the races right and left!

I think one of her friends, Silver Fox, is excited about the possibility of having a running buddy. See, Silver Fox is a REAL runner. Not like Thatmom and I. Silver Fox has actually run marathons! You know, marathons, those really long races where people run for hours on end for miles and miles (over 26 to be more exact). And so, when Silver Fox found out Thatmom was running races, she suggested they do one together. But a baby one. A 5k - a distance Thatmom knew she could handle.

And Thatmom called me up and asked if I would join them. Since I was going to be in town anyway. I pointed out we were running a race the following weekend, and was she really going to be up for both? And that's when she pointed out to me that she chose this race because "there's a beer garden, and I thought that you'd like that." As a side note, it worries me a bit that my mother, who used to concern herself greatly with the amount of alcohol I consumed in college is now picking out events during which I can voluntarily show off my alcoholism. As a side side note, it worries me a bit more that the suggestion of a beer garden after the race had me readily agreeing to run.

And so on Sunday morning, Silver Fox met us at Casa de Thatmom so we could head out and run the Cinco de Mayo 5k. (I know, I was confused also by the fact that it wasn't actually Cinco de Mayo.) Silver Fox had us laughing and gasping about her last marathon experience which was the OC Marathon, a race which was taking place on the same day. She has horrific memories of running in the rain, as people threw banana peels on the ground, causing her to faceplant in the middle of her race. You can understand why she stopped running after that.

No PRs were set at this race, but as usual, we all accomplished the more important goal of finishing. And we had a great time doing it. And because it was Cinco de Mayo, the expo after was filled with Fiesta type food - actually, it was the most food intensive expo I had ever been at! Thatboy was most excited about the free Taco Bell. I might have enjoyed the free churros more. Free food does taste better.

And now a little confession. The last post I posted the recipe for the buffalo chex mix, but I only made half of it. I know. It's the least juicy confession you've ever read. You were probably expecting something like dead bodies in the basement, or finding out that I'm actually a 90 year old man. Sorry friends. Anyway, the point of the story is that I was left with half a packet of ranch dressing mix. And then Thatboy mentioned that he had accidentally forgotten to tell me that he had to bring in something for a work party....the next day. (He is SO lucky he's cute sometimes). So I decided to use the half packet to make one of my favorite things- spinach artichoke dip. And I put it in a bread bowl, because Thatboy is not fantastic at bringing home my plates and servewear that he brings in to work.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 pkg ranch dressing mix

6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

5 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed)

4 oz water chestnuts, chopped

1. Combine yogurt, sour cream, and ranch dressing in bowl.

2. Add artichoke hearts, spinach, and water chestnuts.

3. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until ready to serve.