Up Up and Away: Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but I am so thankful for L&O.  I'm thankful that she got pregnant right before me, so I always knew what to expect and had some awesome advice on what to expect as the big day neared.  And I'm thankful that Little LO is a couple months older than Thatbaby so she can give me lots of good recommendations for my guy.  Like when she told me about the Palm Springs Air Museum and how much Little LO loved it.

We'd never been before, and frankly, I didn't know it existed!  But when we were planning our trip, I suggested it to Thatboy and he agreed Thatbaby would enjoy it.

Almost as soon as we entered the parking lot, Thatbaby gasped and pointed, calling out "planes! planes!"  He wanted to run up and see each one.  But once we got inside there was even more in store.

Like the ability to actually go inside the planes!

And Thatbaby loved the cockpit.  All those buttons!

And he got a chance to radio the tower.

Of course, once he realized he could go in one plane, he wanted to go in all of them. 

Luckily there were plenty of opportunities for him to do just that.

The museum is staffed by veterans, one of whom told us there was a great fire engine for Thatbaby to play in.  Thatbaby went running around the museum looking for a fire engine.  And he found it!

And he also got to try his hand at the flight control tower.

Thatboy got to tour "The Flying Fortress" and claims he might have had a better time than Thatbaby!  I have  a feeling this museum will probably become a new regular stopping place on our future Palm Springs trips.

The museum, with its WWII airplanes, brings back memories of a different era.  And so does this soup. Chicken Pot Pie makes you think of a Norman Rockwell painting, diners, or automats.  It was a staple. This is a modern take on the dish, and a lighter version.  Because instead of baking the entire thing in a pie crust. you just sprinkle some pie crust on top.  The crust was definitely Thatbaby's favorite part, and I found him sneaking in the kitchen to scoop some off the tray whenever I wasn't looking.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1 pie dough

4 potatoes, peeled and diced

8 cups chicken broth

1 chicken breast

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 bag of frozen veggies

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven the 425.  Roll out pie dough and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.
2. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.
3. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove chicken from broth and let cool, then dice or shred.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and celery and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the flour over and stir until paste forms.
6. Add the oregano, thyme, and a sprinkle of pepper and cook for another couple of minutes.
7. Whisk the onion and celery mixture into the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce to a simmer and add the chicken, potatoes, and frozen veggies.  Cover and cook 15 minutes.
9. Stir in the milk and cook for another 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Break the pie crust into pieces.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with pie crust pieces.

Lions and Zebras and Trains, Oh My!: Easiest Crispiest Chicken

We arrived at night, in the dark.  So I was pleasantly surprised in the morning when Thatbaby announced there were duckies right outside.

It was our first animal sighting of the day.  But it wouldn't be our last!  We were spending the day at The Living Desert.  Based on how much Thatbaby enjoyed it the last time we were out there, we figured it would be a hit.  It was.  But really, with trains, animals, and a carousel, what's not to love?

Our first stop of the morning were the trains.  Thatbaby didn't want to leave.  Even with the promise of animals.  When we finally managed to drag him away, he made us promise to bring him back before we left.

He did love the animals though.  The giraffes, the antelope, the zebras.

Although he claimed his favorite was the wolf.  I think a combination of the fact that we've been working on wolf howls from his Halloween books, and the wolf he met over the summer in Yosemite. 

And of course, there were nice goats to brush and pet.

And there were loads of statues and activities to climb on and play in.

To get to see the wolf, we got to experience the gardens - which we haven't gotten the opportunity to do for years.  Thatbaby was especially impressed with the giant cacti.  He let out a big gasp, pointed, and then said "OH MY!"  When we asked where he picked up this phrase, he informed us that BA says Oh My.  So now I'm a little concerned that BA lied about being 2.  He is quite obviously 62.

We also stopped in the butterfly garden on the way home.  It was neat to see so many butterflies flying all around us.

Following the cardinal rule of "never wake a sleeping toddler" we all ended up taking a nap in the car when Thatbaby fell asleep on the way back to the hotel.  When he awoke, we headed to the pool.

Thatbaby loved the big pool, but the highlight was probably the slide.  I thought he would get scared going down, but he didn't.  As soon as they hit the bottom, he was screaming "MORE!"

He also loved the baby pool.  This was his first experience with a pool his size, where he didn't need us to support him.  And he was in heaven.  Thatboy kept trying to get him to go back in the bigger, warmer pool, but Thatbaby kept insisting he wanted to stay in the "little pool."

I'll cover the food we ate later, but tonight I share with you one of my all time easiest, so-you-just-got-back-from-vacation meals.  The secret?  Chicken thighs.  Chicken thighs with skin.  Something that I rarely make.  I'm a white meat kind of girl.  But chicken thighs, with their darker meat, maintain moisture in a way chicken breasts don't.  And although we usually go skinless for health reasons, if you want something easy, leaving the skin on provides all the flavor you need.  Crank up the oven, season with salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a crispy skinned, moist and easy dinner.

Easiest Crispiest Chicken

4 bone-in chicken thighs with skin

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Fun in the Desert Week! Pasta Primavera

As I mentioned, September starts a non-stop busy time in Thathouse.  So I decided to plan a little weekend away for the three of us.  Something close and convenient - Palm Springs!  (or Palm Desert to be more exact)

This was the first trip we've done as a family!  We've taken other vacations, but they've been with Thatmom, TMIL, or all of Thatboy's family.  We decided to really tailor this trip to Thatbaby - because we could.  Because there was no one else to complain about doing something else, or to whine over naptime breaks, or to hurry to get ready to eat dinner at a toddler friendly time.

We began with working with Thatbaby's innate ability to sleep in the car and make travel convenient for all of us.  We came home from work/school on Friday and ate a lovely dinner together as a family.  Something that used up a lot of the produce in our fridge - since I hate leaving produce when we go out of town.  Or rather, I hate coming home to wilty, drippy, produce.  

Then I packed our bags while Thatboy gave Thatbaby a bath and got him in pajamas.  What does one pack for a weekend in the desert in November?

Boots - Button Down Shirt - Pajamas - Running Clothes

Undergarments - Shorts - Pool Coverup

Bathing Suit - Scarf - Dresses

Once we were packed and pajamaed, we piled into the car.  A few short hours later, we were there!

Pasta Primavera

1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped

8 oz of penne pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Parmesan

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add the onions and cook until transluscent, about 3 minutes.  
3. Add the bell pepper and broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes and cook for another minute.  Remove from pan.
5. Add the butter to the skillet and melt.  
6. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking until a thick, bubbly paste forms.
7. Whisk in the milk and continue to cook until thick.
8. Stir in the parmesan.
9. Add the chicken, veggies, and cooked pasta, tossing to coat.

Mommy Mondays: Honor Thy...

I never got a chance to meet my paternal grandparents.  Thatdad's father died when Thatdad was 7 years old.  His mother died a month after my parents were married.  I never got to know them, and they never got to watch me grow, compare how similar I was/am to Thatdad.  Remark at how I would carry on the family lineage.

My grandmother was a remarkable person, or so the stories go.  Widowed with two small children, she managed to be one of the first women in our family to pursue secondary higher education.  She was a full time nurse, a full time mother, and had to manage with one person what many struggle to do with two.

Which is why I am so proud to share a part of her.  My middle name is her first name.  And so I carry a part of this strong matriarch with me wherever I go.

In the Jewish tradition, we don't name after the living.  It's superstition that if two people share the same name, the angel of death might accidentally take the wrong one, and by naming your child after a living relative, you are almost inviting such an occurrence to happen.   In order to honor a relative, Jewish families often use the first initial of the deceased loved one, and pick a new name starting with that letter.  My family has obviously taken that a step farther, by using the exact name.

When I was pregnant with Thatbaby, we knew that we would continue this tradition started by my parents.  And it was very clear what middle name we would use if Thatbaby ended up being a boy.  My father yearned to be a grandfather.  At our rehearsal dinner, the night before our wedding, he took me aside and told me that Thatboy and I had the night off, but after we were married we should start trying for a child right away, so he could have a grandchild.  We didn't.  One of my few regrets in life is not giving my dad that small wish - to be a grandfather.

Thatbaby shares his middle name with my father, because in a small way, I hope that he will carry that piece of his heritage with him, the way I carry my grandmother with me.  He is already developing my father's sense of humor and ability to charm his way out of tight situations.  And I hope that he will share other attributes, like my father's strength and determination.  I hope he grows to feel proud of this legacy he maintains, and feels a connection to a man he will never get the chance to know.  A man who will never throw him in the air, or take him to the movies, or fill him in on the intricacies of comic book lore.  Because sometimes, a name is more than just a combinations of pleasant sounding syllables.

Roll Me: Shrimp Tempura Rolls

We haven't been out for sushi in a very long time.  In fact, the last time I went out for sushi, I think Thatbaby was about 8 months old.  Sometimes I'll make sushi at home, but given that I don't like fish, we usually have California rolls.  Which isn't too exciting for Thatboy. 

I decided to give him a little treat and jazz up our at home sushi.   I'm still not bringing raw fish into the house, but cooked shellfish?  I can definitely get behind that!  Crab and shrimp rolls are another standard of mine when we go out for sushi, and tempura shrimp is relatively easy to find in the freezer case of the grocery store.  Which makes this just as easy as a California roll.  

I added my favorite sushi accompaniments - avocado and cucumber.  I pretty much love avocado with everything, and cucumber adds a nice crunch.  And I make my sushi with brown rice.  Because that's the kind of rice we keep on hand.

This isn't an especially toddler friendly meal - unless your toddler likes sushi.  My guy wanted me to unwrap his first.  Then he picked out and ate the avocado.  Then we convinced him the shrimp was the way to go and he had a couple bites of that too.  Then he discovered you could dip the whole thing in soy sauce and he was sold.

Shrimp Tempura Rolls

1 cup brown rice

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

8 squares of nori

1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1 avocado, cut into thin strips

8 shrimp tempura.  (I like the frozen ones from Trader Joes.)

1. Cook rice using your preferred method (I like the rice cooker).
2. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.  Heat in a microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Stir the vinegar mixture into the cooked rice.  Let cool.
4. Cook the shrimp according to package directions.
5. Take a square of nori.  Place a spoonful of rice in the middle.
6. Top with a shrimp, some cucumber, and some avocado. Roll!

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!: Roasted Duck with Ginger Blueberry Chutney

Growing up, I was a spoiled child.  Not in the sense that I got whatever I wanted, but in the sense that seemingly exotic foods were relatively commonplace in my house.  I was shocked to learn that not every child was privy to lobster several times of year.  And duck?  Well duck also made a fairly regular appearance in our home.

But duck was always prepared in the Chinese style - Peking Duck was one of Thatdad's specialties.  I'm a little more simple, if one can call duck a simple dish.  I like mine roasted.  So roast duck is one of my "special treat" dinners.

Roast duck on it's own is phenomenal.  The fatty skin imparts such great flavor into the rich duck meat - a flavor I always feel is a mix between chicken and steak.  Topping it with a sweet and savory chutney that also has a bit of spice only plays off of these rich flavors.

And Thatbaby is certainly on his way to becoming just as spoiled as his mother.  He gobbled down this duck (gobble?  duck?  you don't quack down a duck, right?) as fast as he could get his little hands on it.  In fact, he completely ignored his rice, which is something that never happens.

Roasted Duck with Ginger Blueberry Chutney (From Bean's Bistro)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup onion, finely chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup blueberries

2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 duck, organs removed, rinsed, and patted dry

2-4 cloves of garlic, partially crushed

1. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and spices.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the onions are soft.
3. Stir in the lemon juice, berries, raisins, pear, and sugar.  Bring back to a boil.  Cook until it thickens.  
4. Add red pepper to taste.
5. Preheat the oven to 400.  Place the duck in a large roasting pan.  Pierce the skin all over.
6. Insert garlic cloves in the cavity.
7. Drizzle the chutney over the skin and put 2 Tbsp in the cavity.
8. Roast until internal temperature of the thigh is 180 degrees.  (For me this was 1.5 hours)

Never Disappointed: Crockpot Corn and Potato Chowder

We don't go to the Children's Museum nearly enough.  I realize this every time we visit.  It's the perfect place to let Thatbaby run wild.  Every exhibit captures his attention and imagination.  It's so hard getting him to leave.  He would live there if he could.  

One of the perks of being members of the Model Railroad Museum is that we have free entry to the Children's Museum this month.  On Saturday we went to check out their current exhibit:  Feast, The Art of Playing With Your Food.

For a kid that loves cars and trucks, their "Design Your Own Food Truck" exhibit is sure to be a hit.  Thatbaby wasn't too interested in designing his truck, but he loved driving it around.

As usual, there is always something gigantic for painting.  Because of the current exhibit, this time it was a farm scene.  Complete with a tractor.  It's so much fun to let Thatbaby play with paint in a big way without worrying about my house getting destroyed.

At the clay station we got a chance to get someone else's tables covered in sticky stuff.  Thatbaby liked making balls and airplanes. 

There was a giant bounce house, which Thatbaby loved (surprise surprise).

Except he didn't quite understand how it worked.  Usually he loves to bounce in a bounce house, but perhaps because this one had an entrance on both sides, he spent the entire time crawling through it, then throwing himself out of it.  

And then running around to do it again.

The indoor playground was full of fun things to climb on and through.  There was a melon rocker, a watermelon boat, a giant faucet, a celery stalk tunnel, a slice of swiss cheese.  But because my child is nothing if not predictable, he managed to occupy himself with one of the many balls that were floating around.  In a "wow, maybe he's smarter than I thought" move, he figured out that if he sat on the ball in the giant orange slice, he would be tall enough to look out, instead of spending his time staring at the walls.

When we got to the music room, a room filled with instruments made from kitchen objects, Thatbaby honed in on the drum set.  We had to wait around until it wasn't being used, but as soon as the seat was open, Thatbaby made a run to play on the pots.

It was a long day for Thatbaby, but a lot of fun.  And the weather ended up being very cooperative.  Bright and sunny while we were at the museum (which was especially good after Thatbaby doused himself with the soap from the bubble station).  As we left, it started getting cold and dark.  Which was fine with me since I had planned soup for dinner.  I feel like it's a fitting fall soup since it's filled with root veggies like potatoes and carrots.  And I liked that I could leave it in the crockpot while we were at the museum and just add the creamy part of it once we got home.

Crockpot Corn and Potato Chowder

3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

4 oz pancetta

1 carrot, diced

1 cup corn kernels

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

5 Tbsp butter

5 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, pancetta, carrot, corn, garlic, and chicken broth in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  
3. Whisk in the flour and cook for another couple of minutes until thick and bubbly.  
4. Slowly stir in the milk.  Cook until thickened.
5. Stir into the soup and cook on low for another 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

A big first: Steak Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

Friday was Thatbaby's first day of preschool.

I know.  Right?

I've got to admit, as usual, I was more broken up about this than Thatbaby was.  He just seems so much younger than most of the kids in his new class.  On Thursday I dropped off a little gift to thank his wonderful daycare teachers.  

On Friday, when I dropped him off, his new teacher went to show us his new cubby, but he didn't want to join us.  He waved me off, wanting to stay outside and play with the "big kids toys."   When I was done putting his stuff away, I saw him sitting on a bike and trying to pedal unsuccessfully.   He wasn't even interested in me.  Instead, he was yelling for his friend "Hannibal" to come join him on the bike.  

When I went to pick him up, he was playing with BA on the playground.  I got the same big hug I always do and a great report from his teachers.  The transition appears to have gone better than I anticipated!

Also better than I anticipated?  This steak salad.  This is one of those dishes that is so wrong for this time of year.  As the weather cools and the clouds fill the sky, the idea of a nice steak is appetizing.  Served with some root veggies, or even roasted greens.  Something warm and filling.   Certainly not cool, crisp greens. 

But this takes those steakhouse elements and translates them so well.  Instead of a nice steak with blue cheese topping,  blue cheese and steak in a salad!  Paired with pears (hahaha) make it feel more autumnal.  

Steak Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

1 ribeye steak

1 clove garlic, cut in half

mixed baby greens

4 oz blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pear, thinly sliced

lemon olive oil (or lemon juice mixed with olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Rub the halved garlic on the steak and season with salt and pepper.  Roast steak for one hour.
2. Thinly slice the steak and lay it atop the mixed greens.
3. Add the crumbled blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, and pear.
4. Drizzle lemon olive oil over the salad and serve.

Mommy Mondays: The Pacifier

I'm going to stop doing monthly updates, because really, they could go on indefinitely and 2 seems like as good a time to stop as any.

But that means I can use this as a time to update you on our big accomplishment this month - the dropping of the pacifier!

When I was pregnant, the breastfeeding class we took cautioned us to wait before starting with the pacifier.  The hospital where I gave birth reinforced this idea.  For the first 3 weeks, we were advised to instead offer a clean pinky for him to suck.  And so we did.

At 3 weeks, we introduced the pacifier.  I'd like to say he took to it like a fish to water, but it took several attempts at different pacifier brands before our picky little guy found the one he liked.  

We wanted to introduce the pacifier to curtail any attempt at thumbsucking.  Both Thatboy and I sucked our thumbs.  We both sucked our thumbs for a very very long time.  And we both had ill effects.  Thatboy describes his teeth as "jacked."  As for me, when they finally got me to stop sucking my thumb, I had to have both an expander to widen my jaw as well as braces to correct the overbite caused by thumbsucking.  So a pacifier it was!

At first, Thatbaby used the pacifier a lot.  Especially when he was anxious or sleepy.  Eventually it got relegated to just the carseat and sleeping times.  He just didn't need it during the day.  And then one day I forgot to bring it with us in the car, and we stopped using it in the carseat.  Before he was a year old he was only using the pacifier at naps and bedtimes.

Once Thatbaby turned two, we thought maybe we should start the weaning process with the pacifier.  Because it worked so well with breastfeeding, we thought we would drop each "session" separately, starting with the nap.

It did not go well.  Thatbaby completely agreed he was a big boy and didn't need his pacifier.  Until it was actually time for nap.  Then there was mass hysteria as he cried for his pacifier, cried for whichever parent wasn't in the room, refused to sleep.  We thought it was wise to try this on the weekend, so that his teachers didn't have to deal with him not sleeping and disrupting the entire class.  But after 2 weekends of minimal napping, I sought the advice of the experts - his daycare teachers.

I told them the problem and they promised to help.  When I worried that he would ruin everyone else's nap, they said if he threw a fit they would give him his pacifier.  I got an email from then in the afternoon saying that they had no problems with nap time.  They pointed out he was a big boy, and pointed to his other friends who don't use pacifiers.  She mentioned it would be easier at daycare than at home, because we couldn't point out other people not using pacifiers.

She was wrong.  Just a few days after he stopped using the pacifier at daycare he announced to Thatboy at bedtime that he was a "big boy" and "no pashow" (his version of pacifier).  We haven't gone back since.  

It's funny, it's so similar to stopping breastfeeding.  At first there were tears and bru-ha-ha, and then like magic, he was just fine with it. 

Trick Or Treat: Monster Fingers

We started off Halloween morning with a BOO!  This was a last minute brainstorm of mine, make a themey Halloween breakfast.  At the store, I picked up a ghost sippy cup, and we went from there.

There were spider biscuits, ghost eggs, tombstone hash browns, and mummified sausage.  Thatbaby's favorite was the spider.

After work/daycare we rushed home and got changed so we could head over to the Jurisslaves for a little trick-or-treating.

The boys had so much fun going door-to-door.  Thatbaby was pro at the "TRICK OR TREAT" yelling.  Jurisbaby was on top of the "Thank Yous."  They made an excellent pair.

As an aside, we've been prompting Thatbaby so often, that he now believes the appropriate response to being given candy is "Thank you so loud."

After we'd been to a fair amount of houses, we headed back to the Jurishouse, where Jurisbaby led everyone in an impromptu dance party.

And the boys happily ate candy and played with cars until it was time to go home.

And because I can't go anywhere empty handed, I thought I would bring over something seasonal and fun.  I was planning on making "lady finger" ladyfingers, but when I asked Thatboy if I should make them finger colored or green monster colored Thatbaby chimed in that they should be blue.  So blue they were.

Monster Finger Lady Fingers

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

blue food coloring

3 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

red food coloring

sliced blanched almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350. Beat the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and a couple drops of blue food coloring until thick.
2. In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
3. Beat the sugar into the egg whites.
4. Fold the egg whites until the yolks until blended.
5. Fold in the flour.
6. Spoon the mixture into a ziplock bag.  Snip off a corner and pipe the batter into 4 inch "fingers" on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
7. Place a drop of red food coloring at the end of each "finger."
8. Top each food coloring drop with an almond slice.  Bake for 10 minutes.