Tea and Peppers: Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

 

Last Thursday Thatbaby's daycare held their annual Mother's Day Tea.  Thatbaby's class made our welcome sign.

Thatbaby was in rare form.  Mostly because there was a table of food.  And where there's a table of food, you will find my guy standing beside it asking for more.  He did take a break to give me a flower.

But then he took it back and gave it to one of his classmates.  I eventually got it back because his friend was totally confused by the gift and handed it over to me.  After several meltdowns involving all the crackers being gone and my refusal to let him walk around with a hand of melty chocolate pastry, we headed home, where I opened the gift he made me this year.

There are very few things moms like better than a handmade gift (At least at this age.  I'm not sure how I'd feel about a handprint once Thatbaby is 25), but an easy dinner ranks right up there.  This goes along with my favorite "dump in a pan and bake" cooking I've been doing lately.  Especially because lately I've been cooking after dinner for the next day, so it's ready to go when we get home and I can go for a run later.   Casseroles are perfect for this, because they don't take a lot of time in the kitchen and they reheat really well.

Bell Pepper Casserole (From Branny Boils Over)

 1 lb ground beef

 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 large bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp worcester sauce
pepper
1 cup brown rice
2 cups chicken broth, heated
2 cups shredded cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and brown beef.
2. Combine beef with the remaining ingredients (except for the cheese) in a casserole dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
3. Uncover (but reserve the foil!) and add cheese. Bake for additional 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, put the foil back on and let stand for 15 minutes or until rice has absorbed all broth.  Serve.

Mommy Mondays: Nap-ercise

Once you become a mom, you become obsessed with sleep in all forms.  How much, how long, how often.  Today we're going to talk about naps.

As I've said before, in the beginning, sleep is about survival.  You do what works.   For us, that meant for the first 3 months, naps required a human mattress. 

Thatbaby wasn't particular about who he slept on, or what they were doing.  He was just as happy in the carrier or in arms.  But try to move him anywhere else? No go.  Sleep in a carrier or swing?  Never happened.

And for a while, this worked out fine for us.  But eventually I figured he'd be starting daycare.  And I didn't see them letting him sleep on them.  So at 3 months I decided to start working on getting him in the crib.  I know I'm not the only one who has gone through this situation, so I thought I'd share how I did it.  It was a long process - about 5 weeks.

Week 1:  I've told you guys how much I love The Boppy, it's so much more than just a nursing tool.  For us, it was a sleep aid also.  I laid it right beside me on the couch and let Thatbaby fall asleep on me.  Then I, ever so slowly, rolled him onto the boppy, its arms supporting him the way mine would.

Week 2: After a week of this, Thatbaby appeared to be alright staying asleep on something other than a warm body.  Now it was time to get him to fall asleep on something other than a warm body.  So at nap time, I would lay him in the boppy, lying beside it, holding both his little hands in mine.  And I would sing him a lullaby.  I still had to lie beside him, but by the end of the week, he was falling asleep and staying asleep - not on me!


Week 3: We started the move into the crib.  We swaddled Thatbaby at night, when he had no problem sleeping in his crib.  With a very strong morro reflex, moving him into the crib without swaddling guaranteed a wake-up.  So when moving him into the crib for naps, we introduced a daytime swaddle.  I would swaddle him, turn on his white noise Sleep Sheep, and sit in the glider with him, singing a lullaby.  He'd be asleep by the end of the song, and I'd transfer him into the crib.

Weeks 4-5: This was the hardest part of the transition, getting Thatbaby to fall asleep on his own in his crib.  Mine was never a "drowsy but awake" kid.  At least for the first 4 months.  But over the course of 2 weeks, he turned into a kid who could go from wide awake to asleep on his own.  First I'd swaddle, then turn on the sleep sheep and lay him in the crib.  Then I'd turn on his Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse.  It plays music for 7 minutes, and Thatbaby would watch the tummy light up, listen to the music, and fall fast asleep.

*Disclaimer 1:  This process, as I stated, took 5 weeks.  Which meant Thatbaby started napping in his crib right around 4 months.  JUST in time for the "4 month wakeful" to kick in - a period marked by a disturbance in infant sleep.  So right as I got Thatbaby into the crib for naps, his naps shortened from 90 minutes to (wait for it....) 20 minutes!  They built back up over the next few weeks and at 5 months he was back to his regular napping.

*Disclaimer 2: This system worked fantastically until we had to stop swaddling.  At which time, I could no longer just put Thatbaby in his crib and he'd fall asleep.  So we returned to the third step, rocking and then lying him in his crib.  Which is still the way we do things at home.  At daycare, he has no problem putting himself to sleep, but at home he likes the cuddling.

Trying something new: Black Bean Burger

Can I tell you something? I'm not a huge fan of the frozen "meatless burgers."  I've tried a bunch of different varieties, but they all are a little...cardboardy.  So for the past few weeks I've been trying the make my own veggie patties at home.

We're not vegetarian, but I do like to incorporate vegetarian meals, and meatless burgers are such an easy way to go.

I started out with black bean burgers, since that is a fairly common substitute.  These tasted delicious.  No cardboard, but they didn't hold together all that well.  Thatbaby loved it, since they became more like refried beans.  Next time I think more breadcrumbs are in order.  I'll keep you updated.

Black Bean Burgers

2 cans black beans
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregan
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

3 Tbsp canola oil

hamburger buns

1. Mash one can of the beans with breadcrumbs, cumin, oregano, and caynenne.  
2. Stir in cilantro and remaining beans.  Form into 4 patties. 
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook burgers, 5 minutes per side or until crisp.  Serve on buns.

Sunday Runday: Mexican Chili

You guys - this running with friends thing is quickly turning into a habit.  Sunday found me hitting the coast again, this time with Jurisslave.  And this time she was the one saying how quickly the five miles passed.  And we both talked about how we take living by the water for granted as we looked out over a very calm ocean.

This time Thatboy and Thatbaby hung out on the beach, playing with balls and bubbles - still Thatbaby's favorites.  And when I joined them we did a little tide-pooling.  I'm glad we got out Sunday morning, because my Sunday afternoon, it started raining.  Blech.

Luckily, our Cinco de Mayo feast was something warm for the tummy - chili!  I know, chili doesn't strike you as something particularly Mexican.  But add some guajillo chiles and corona and voila!

Thatbaby agrees.  Delicious chili.  I would say he inherited my chili love, but we all know it's really the beans.  Which is still his favorite.

Thatboy and I also enjoyed some homemade margaritas.  I added some raspberry lemonade to them and Thatboy thought it was one of the smartest ideas ever.  He started calling them "Pink Ladies."  Yes, a real man drinks pink beverages.

Mexican Chili

2 allspice berries

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 lb stewing beef

salt and pepper

2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup coffee

1 bottle of corona

1 Tbsp cornmeal

1 Tbsp molasses

1 can kidney beans

1. In a small skillet, toast allspice, coriander, cumin, and chiles until fragrant.
2. Grind in a coffee grinder until finely ground.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown.  Set beef aside.
4. Add onion and garlic Dutch oven and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
5. Add tomato paste and chili powder mixture.  Cook until fragrant.
6. Place onion mixture with coffee, corona, cornmeal, molasses, kidney beans, beef, and 2 cups of water in a slow cooker.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shopping Scores: Bolognese Lasagna

Today is Thatniece's 13th birthday.  13!  I remember the day she was born.  Thatboy and I had just started dating.  He didn't have a computer so he asked if he could borrow mine to look at pictures of his new niece.  I remember her little pink cheeks and her dark head of hair.

In the Jewish religion, 13 is a pretty big birthday.  I know it's not as big a deal for Catholics, but I still wanted to get Thatniece something REALLY special for her 13th birthday.  Something to mark her transition from child to young woman.  Something that she would have for years to come, the way I still have some special gifts from my 13th birthday.

So on Saturday, Thatboy and I went and picked her up her very first designer purse!  Something every woman should have.

Even though I'm a bit of a Kate Spade addict, we went with a classic Coach purse.  In leather, since I still have some leather coach purses from when I was young, and Thatmom still has leather coach purses from when she was young.  So I know they'll stand the test of time.

We also swung by Banana Republic to pick up some more polos for Thatboy who wears them on casual Fridays in his office.  And while there, I couldn't resist picking up some summer bottoms for me.  After all - they were on sale.

Like a pair of bright pink shorts for $5.99.

And linen sailor pants for $8.99.  I love linen pants in the summer.

These cropped pants were a little more expensive at $24.99, but I live in these during the summer.  I think I get a new pair every year because I wear them so much.

And in celebration of Thatniece's birthday, a truly celebratory dish - lasagna!  This is one of those labor intensive types of lasagna - maybe more than I'm used to, but it is totally worth it. I rarely make lasagna with bechamel, even though I think it's the more traditional route, but every time I do I'm reminded how much I love it.  I went with Val's suggestion to include spinach, which is a brilliant idea.  I love the extra green and it always helps to get some extra veggies in.  I made this with the chicken meat sauce I had, but any bolognese should work.

 Bolognese Lasagna (From A Canadian Foodie)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

2 cups cream

salt and pepper

nutmeg

olive oil

Fresh pasta sheets

3 cups Bolognese

1 bunch of spinach, sliced

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Add the flour and butter to a sauce pan on medium high heat; stir to combine, and keep stirring until it becomes paste-like and bubbly.
2. Slowly add in portions of the milk, stirring constantly while adding and between adding liquid
3. Once all milk has been added, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Cover the bottom of a casserole pan with a thin layer of olive oil
5. Cover the bottom of the pan with pasta sheets.
6. Arrange 1/2 cup of the bolognese over the pasta; repeat until there are 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of the bolognese
7.  Place the spinach on top of the last pasta layer and top with 1/2 cup of the bechamel sauce.
8. Continue layering the pasta and bolognese for another 3 layers of pasta and 2 layers of bolognese.
9. Top with remaining béchamel sauce, cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes.
10. Uncover and sprinkle top with the shredded mozzarella.  Return to oven and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.  Let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Drive in Night: Bulgar with Apples

As you may or may not have heard, Iron Man 3 came out on Friday.  We had a brilliant plan to go see it at the drive-in.   Except Friday morning, when I checked out the lineup, I saw that Iron Man 3 was being paired with Oz the Great and Powerful.  Which we had already seen.

I texted Thatboy to see if he was still interested in going, or if he wanted to wait till next weekend to see what the pairing would be.  He still wanted to go - he was looking forward to a movie night.  But he thought we should see the other options - Pain & Gain, paired with Oblivion.

I thought Pain & Gain would be fun, but wasn't really interested in Oblivion, but he wanted to go, so Friday night, off we went.

Truth time:  This was not as much fun as our last drive-in adventure.  I was exhausted from my week at work, with Friday being especially rough.  And neither of the movies ended up being my cup of tea.  So for me, it was a long night for no reason.  Especially since Thatbaby doesn't sleep in on the weekends. Which means we don't sleep in on the weekends.

Being tired means you look for easy meals.  Things that don't require a lot of brain power.  This dish certainly fits that description.  Whole grains and fruit - bulgar and apples.  This could work just as well with rice, couscous, barley, or wheat berries.

Bulgar with Apples (From Branny Boils Over)

1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup bulgur

2 cups stock

salt and pepper

1. Spray a pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Add apple and cook until tender and browned.  Set apples aside.
2. Add the bulgur to the pan.
3. Pour the egg over the grain and stir 3 minutes, until egg is absorbed by the bulgar, giving it a crumbly appearance.
4. Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat.
5. Cook 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
6. Stir in the apple and cook until heated through.

Mommy Mondays: 19 months

 

 

 

Weight: 26lbs 9oz (+ 19 lbs, 2 oz)

Height: 32" (+ 12")
Head: 19" (+ 5.65")

Sleep: This month Thatbaby has thrown us for a loop and decided that sleeping in is for losers.  So he's been getting up between 5 and 5:30, instead of his usual 6:45-7.  So of course, that makes us a little on the tired side.  All.the.time.  And since moving into the toddler room at daycare his naps have shortened from 2 hours to about 90 minutes on a good day. Between the early wakeups, and short naps, sometimes the evenings here are less than...fun.

Eating: We've started the weaning process.  It is not going as easily as I anticipated.  In fact, it's been downright hard.  Combined with the early wakeups, mornings have been less enjoyable.  The original plan was to drop a nursing session a week.  So week 1 - morning session, week 2 - evening session.  Welp, it's been over 2 weeks and we're still trying to get him comfortable with the lack of morning nursing.

Best Moment: Legoland!  For real, it was so much fun to see his face light up and the success of the rides.  In some ways it was all I anticipated, in other ways it was better. 


Really though, he's really fun lately.  Singing, dancing, skipping, laughing.  There's probably a favorite moment every day.  Like today when I wiggled my eyebrows at him and he started blinking furiously back at me. Or when he turned the stepstool into a seat/table combo by sticking his feet through and sitting on the bottom step and putting his bowl of grapes on the top step.

Monthly Wisdom: I enjoy having a toddler SO much more than an infant.  Don't get me wrong, when I visited M and her new baby I cooed over him.  He's so tiny and adorable.  But he's not really...fun.  And Thatbaby is fun.  Toddlers are a mess of trouble.  They start having a will of their own and they want to express it.  They have tantrums.  They're difficult.  They're perverse on purpose.  But they also are so entertaining, and that really makes up for it. 

Goals for the Upcoming Month:
- Still the babysitter. One day... one day.

-  Better naps/ morning sleeps.

- Dropping that last nursing session.

Things Thatbaby is doing:
-  Lots of words.  We've lost track.  He's getting very into repeating everything you say, as well as using words you ask him to repeat.  He also has his own language with words he repeats that we have no idea what they mean.

-  Skipping.  Kind of.  His own version which looks a little like a canter - with bouncing from one foot to another.  But it's definitely his attempt at skipping, because he responds when you start singing "Skip to my Loo" while he does it.
-  Swing regression.  Thatbaby is OBSESSED with his old swing.  He likes to sit in it, but moreso he uses it as a radio.  He goes and turns on the music button and starts dancing.
- Yeah!  Last month he was all about "NO."  This month he likes to say "yeah" to everything.  A-dorable.

- Singing.  He actually sings along with songs like "10 in a bed,"  "5 little monkeys,"  "Slippery Fish" and "Rock the Casbah."

- Bubbles.  Thatbaby has been into bubbles for a while, but now he's actually able to blow them!  Sometimes.  Still hit or miss.

- He gets his own shoes and socks to put on each day, although still needs help doing it.  He also gets his lunch box out of his cubby every day when I pick him up from daycare.

- Chores - Thatbaby likes to help unload the dishwasher and walk Thatdog.

Jr. Hikers: Penne Alla Vodka

When the weather gets nice, kids want to be outside.  And it's hard to blame them.  Our little escape artist has figured out how to open doors, so if we don't keep the front door locked, he's trying to explore the great outdoors.

He's not the only one, so we got the gang together last weekend to go on a little hike.  My mommy group has expanded a bit.  In 2 directions.  The obvious direction is the newest little members, two so far and one on the way.  The other direction is outward.  Since we've been hanging out, our husbands have gotten involved and become friends.  So on Sunday we had moms, babies, and daddies!

And M even showed up with her older adorable son, leaving the baby at home.

We went on a hike, stopping to watch the ducks, lizards, and egrets on the lagoon.  And then we headed to the Nature Center - or rather the observatory up top.  The kids found a table and all wanted to sit together.  I call this the Breakfast Club picture.  You have the smart kid, the princess, the jock, the rebel, and the weirdo.  My kid is the weirdo.

After the were done sitting, there was lots of running around.  And then we headed inside of the Nature Center.  Most of the kids were way into the snakes and frogs.  But my kid (the weirdo) just wanted to hang out on the beanbag.  And Little HorseWhisperer thought that sounded like a good idea too.  But Thatbaby didn't want to share.  Which began what HorseWhisperer called "The Battle of the Bean Bag."

The rest of Sunday was spent getting ready for the week.  And trying a new pasta.  When I was studying for The Bar, one of BarBri instructors claimed her father invented vodka sauce.  I have no idea if this is true.  But I do know I had never made a vodka sauce before.  And it was time to remedy that.  You probably already know I love Elly's blog for pasta dishes, and since she has a vodka sauce recipe posted, I knew I could trust it.  Thatboy was a little worried about the alcohol, but I assured him it would burn off.  I hope I was right, because Thatbaby inhaled this dish.  Thatboy liked it too.  So it's possible that there was enough vodka left over to make it addicting.

Penne Alla Vodka (From Cooks Illustrated as seen on Elly Says Opa)

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
salt
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese , for serving

1. Puree half of tomatoes in food processor until smooth. 

2. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine pureed and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup.  

3. Add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

4. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. 

5. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

7. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous. 

8. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

9. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 -1/2 cup cooking water,

10. Combine sauce and pasta in the pot and toss.  Heat 1-2 minutes until pasta absorbs some of sauce, adding reserved pasta water as necessary. 

11. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt. Divide among pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

With A Little Help From My Friends: Sausage and bow ties

I usually think of running as a solitary activity.  I like my solo runs because it's 100% me time.  A time alone with my thoughts, to listen to music and unwind. This is especially true of my long runs, without Thatdog.

I'm also a little intimidated by the thought of running with others.  I love running, but I'm not exactly queen of the speedsters.  And most of my running friends are faster than I am.  Which is fine, but I certainly don't want to hold them back! 

But I took a chance this weekend when Mrs. Pirate mentioned she was going for a run and wondered if anyone wanted to join her.  Both HorseWhisperer and I took her up on it.

We planned on 5 miles, but I parked a little far from the meeting point.  So Mrs. Pirate and I ended up doing a little more than that.  When we met up with HorseWhisper, we headed out.   We ran along the coast - the same route I had taken the week before.  And while we enjoyed the scenery, we enjoyed the company more.  With all the chatting it seemed like no time before Mrs. Pirate told us it was time to turn around and head back.  We discussed movies, television, our kids and their craziness and lack of sleep.  We talked about our husbands and school and general life.  And before long, we were back where we started.  5 miles?  Easy peasy.  I can't wait for our next run!

I feel like I'm fairly predictable.  Which is my way of saying - "Hey!  A running post!  That means pasta!"  I made a roasted tomato sauce and wanted to use it when it was fresh.  So I combined it with some goat cheese, sausage, and pasta and voila!  Dinner was served.  Everyone loved this creamy, tangy, tomatoey dish.

Bowties with Sausage and Goat Cheese

8oz bowtie pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

12 oz chicken sausage, sliced

2 cups of your favorite marinara

4 oz goat cheese

Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook until browned.
3. Add the marinara and continue to cook until heated through.
4. Add pasta to saucepan, tossing to coat.
5. Stir in goat cheese and serve, topped generously with Parmesan. 

Lego Mania: Molasses Cookies

Earlier this month, I was looking through a local paper when I saw and article about $20 tickets to Legoland.  We've been putting off a lot of amusement parks, but it's hard to say what Thatbaby will get out of it, and for $80 a ticket, it's not something I want to gamble on. 

But for $20?  We were THERE!

Mrs. Pirate had told us how much Little Pirate loved the train, so it was the first place we headed once we got in.  Thatbaby is totally and completely obsessed with the choo choo.

Given our strikeout with the carousel, I wasn't sure how the train would go over.  But as soon as it started moving, he was the happiest kid you've ever known.

Until the ride ended of course.  At which point toddler tears broke out.  As he begged for "more more" and tried to put his seatbelt back on.

Luckily there was plenty of other fun stuff in Duplo Village to keep his attention.

Jurisbaby who is a Legoland pro, joined us around this time.  He showed Thatbaby all about the musical fountain.  And Thatbaby showed Jurisbaby a little of his almost jumping.

Then they both took down some of the evil lego animals.  Jurisbaby takes his water shooting pretty seriously.

We walked around enjoying the rest of Legoland.

The boys especially enjoyed the Star Wars exhibit.  Even though I'd be willing to bet neither of them have seen Star Wars.  But Thatbaby enjoyed roaring at Chewbacca.

Thatboy's favorite part of the park is the lego depections of all the cities.  Thatbaby didn't seem to remember San Francisco, even though we reminded him he'd been there.

The San Diego Symphony came to his daycare last week, so we thought Thatbaby would enjoy seeing the symphony at the Lego Hollywood Bowl.  He didn't.

And of course, we had to swing by New York.

And Vegas.

And we had time for one more ride before leaving.  Jurisslave recommended the Fairy Tale Brook, which has a short line, but lasts a nice long time.  It was the perfect suggestion.  Thatbaby LOVED riding in the "But! But!"

It was a completely successful trip.  And we were really glad he enjoyed it.  I think he'll enjoy it even more when he's taller and can go on more rides.

And even though it's not a typical playground, it still is a child's play land.  Which means....

COOKIES!  This time molasses cookies.  These are similar to gingerbread in terms of spiciness.  But less cakey.  They're a crisp bite.  I really love baking with molasses.  It's got a darkness to it and seems so grown up. Like something you would have with your afternoon tea.

Molasses Cookies

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup dark-brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Beat together molasses, shortening, brown sugar, and egg in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and blend thoroughly.  Arrange by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp.