The House That Love Built

We're really trying hard to include Thatbaby in our annual traditions.  Which means he got to help us build our gingerbread house this year!

It took him a little bit to figure out what was going on.

But he eventually got the hang of it.

 Until he realized those colorful things were candy, and the house and people were cookies.  Then it became all about wearing and eating the gingerbread house.  

And we decided completion would occur after Thatbaby's bedtime.  Notice the half-eaten gingerbread man in the front which Thatboy tried to camouflage with frosting and candy.

For Thatbaby, the evening was a rousing success.  I mean, it is rare that mom and dad let him have candy and cookies.  And we had one of his favorite dinners too!  Thatbaby loves beans.  I mean, he really LOVES beans.  So chili is a no-brainer when it comes to food favorites. 

Thatbaby finished his entire bowl of chili.  So he obviously takes after me!  I'm so glad, because it's wonderful to have a partner in crime in my chili-love.  This version is a quick and dirty mixed meat version.  With both turkey and ground beef, it's got a little something for everyone.  Like mixed meat meatloaves, the ground beef adds a little extra fat which makes the end result a bit silkier, but the ground turkey (go for the leanest you can find) makes you feel a little less guilty.

Turkey and Beef Chili

3/4 lb extra lean ground turkey

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1 clove minced garlic

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

salt and pepper

1 can tomato paste

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans

1. In a medium skillet, brown turkey and ground beef.
2. Add in peppers, onion, and tomatoes.  Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Add in chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add in tomato paste and stir till everything is coated.
6. Add in tomato sauce, beans, and one can of water.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Oh Fudge!

Last week both Thatbaby and I had a very full social calendar.  While I had party after party racked up, Thatbaby was meeting up with a friend for coffee.

Well, Thatbaby and Superbaby didn't have any coffee, but Superwoman and I sure did!  We met up at Javamama - a combo playgym/coffee house for a little boys day out. 

The boys had a great time.  There was so much to do and play with.  Every toy imaginable with separate areas for the play kitchen, dress up, tables, and lots of things to climb.

Most of the kids were around Thatbaby's age, but when a gang of older boys showed up, Thatbaby and Superbaby wanted to be like one of the in-crowd.  They started following the older kids around, doing their best to include themselves.  Especially Superbaby, who took to petting the older kids.

And I realized how thankful I was for daycare when I saw Thatbaby going down the slide by himself.  We don't do a lot of slide time, but he has slides both inside and outside at daycare.  When he got to the top of the slide, I offered my hands to help him down, but he promptly turned himself around and slid down on his belly.  I love the independence!  It means I can sit back and let him do his thing.

When we got home from our playdate, I got myself all dolled up for my girls' dessert exchange!  I'd been to cookie exchanges before, but this was my first dessert exchange.  It's a brilliant idea  Each person brings a dessert and we all get to take home delicious holiday goodies.  After we sat around eating them first.

There were cookies, brownies, tea-cakes, and golden graham smore treats.

I used it as an opportunity to start my holiday fudge-making.  I decided to be smart this year.  No cake balls.  No truffles.  No sugar cookies.  Nothing labor intensive that was going to make me pull my hair out as I made dozens of treats for our friends, family, and coworkers.

I made chocolate for the party - some with peppermint and some plain.

White chocolate for Thatboy's coworkers (my coworkers got Chiffon cake, since there aren't as many of them).

And peanut butter fudge for Thatboy's family.

 

Fudge couldn't be easier to make - it takes less than 10 minutes for the hands on part, and the rest is just a time thing.  And one recipe can be adapted to hundreds of different types of fudge between the various types of chips and toppings out there.

Thatgirl's Easy Holiday Fudge

4 Tbsp butter

1 bag of mini-marshmallows

1 cup cream

2 cups sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 cups of chips (chocolate, white chocolate, peanut, chocolate peanut butter...)

1 cup toppings (crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, m&ms, crushed oreo cookies...) 

1. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil.  Melt butter, marshmallows, cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.  Simmer, stirring until the butter and marshmallows have melted (about 5 minutes.)
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chips.  Stir until the chips are melted and the fudge is smooth.
3. Pour the fudge into the pan.  Sprinkle topping over the still hot fudge.  Refrigerate until hard.  Cut into squares before serving.

Re-visit

It's fun to revisit things we love.  Like the picture of Thatbaby at Channukah last year compared with a picture of Channukah this year.

 

It's crazy the difference a year makes.  Last year he was barely able to hold his head up, this year he's like a real little person.

And speaking of Channukah, I'll do a real quick Channukah wrap-up.  The last two nights Thatbaby got a new towel, 2 pairs of pajamas (I love baby pajamas - they're so cute),

and a train set.

 

As for me, I got a Sephora gift card and another set of earbuds since Thatboy decided the last pair he got me weren't really for runners.

But back to the original topic at hand - revisiting with the familiar. Last week I headed for a Girls' Night Out with my friends at a wine bar. And I realized it had been far too long since I had used wine in one of my cooking adventures.  I love cooking with wine and the richness it entails, so I knew it was something I needed to revisit.  And along the vein of killing 2 birds with one stone, I thought I would revisit an old favorite recipe.

The first time I ever made risotto I made Giada's Dirty Risotto.  It was so delicious, and so easy, that I was hooked on risotto. I've had risotto failures in the past, but never with this recipe.  It was time for it to make another reappearance on our table.  I caution you not to change a thing about it - it's absolutely perfect as is.  Thatbaby loved every bite, and Thatboy went back for seconds.

 Dirty Risotto (from Giada De Laurentiis)
5 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
2 oz pancetta, chopped
6 oz spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 oz button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup chopped fresh spinach 

 

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

5. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total.

6. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan and spinach.

7. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

Mommy Mondays: First Favorites (0-6 months)

With Channukah over, and Christmas just days away, I'm realizing that this post might have been more helpful last month, but better late than never!

I figured I'd use the next 2 weeks to share some of Thatbaby's favorite toys over the past year, broken into "before he really played with toys" and "after he started getting in to toys."

Hopefully this either gives you some last minute ideas, or some thoughts on what you want to get when you exchange that 9th copy of Goodnight Moon.

So without further ado:

Thatbaby's favorite toys from 0-6 months:

Tiny Love Gymini Activity Mat 

There's a lot of lying around in those early days.  Because babies?  They can't sit, they can't crawl, they can't walk.  All they can do is a fairly good imitation of a rock.  But that doesn't mean they want to stare at a blank ceiling.  Since one of the first things that develops is being able to focus on things and track objects, the playmat got a lot of use at first.  And Thatbaby loved this one.  He loved the different toys, and his first real "playing" with toys involved batting these guys around, or trying to eat them.

 Lamaze Toys

 Thatboy's favorite was Mortimer the Moose (pictured above) although we also had a Jacques the Peacock.  And I'm sure he would have loved the many other characters in the Lamaze lineup.  Even now he pulls it out every now and again, but he's not as interested in it as he was during his first few months when it came with us everywhere.  He loved to chew on the antlers (far more than the ever popular Sophie toy) and play with the feet which rattled and crinkled.  And he LOVED that it squeaked.  Each toy is a little different.  Jacques has mirrors and big tactile feathers, but Mortimer's antlers made him the favorite.

Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse

 I've mentioned before how indispensible the Seahorse was for us.  It pretty much WAS our naptime routine and what made us able to put Thatbaby down "drowsy but awake" until we had to break the swaddle.  It also was fabulous for long car rides.

Glow worm

The Glow worm was great for outings.  Because it has a "lights only" mode.  Which meant we could bring it and Thatbaby would be entertained by the light without disturbing everyone around us.  He loves it even more now, because it was one of the first toys he was able to push and have it light up/make noise all by himself.

Baby Einsten Take Along Tunes

 This was actually the first toy Thatbaby was able to work by himself.  And when we first started having him "eat" with us (Around 3-4 months we started putting him in his highchair during meal times, so he would get used to the social aspect of mealtimes) it kept him entertained while we ate.  I called him my little dj as he would keep the music spinning.  He likes it even more now that he's older, carrying it around and dancing to his own music.

Foam ball

Thatbaby loves balls.  Loves, loves, loves.  (You'll see a fair amount of balls in the next installment too.)  This was his first ball.  And he loved holding it, and then tossing it toward us, and eventually playing the baby version of "catch." 

Stacking Cups

If you are only going to buy one toy for your 0-6 month old, this is it.  They still haven't lost their appeal and have been really popular from about 4 months onward.  They great both in and out of water, at home or at the beach.  They stack, the build towers, and they travel easily. Best of all, they make no noise, have no lights, and generally have no annoying aspects.  It's my go-to holiday gift for all children under the age of one.

 Sesame Street Foam Board Books

We picked these up at Target in the dollar spot.  I think I bought every one.  We had one in each car, one in my diaper bag, and several at home.  Thatbaby loved the feel of them - both in hand, and in mouth.  And he loved to have them read to him over and over again.

I Scream, You Scream...

Last weekend, Myrtle's daughter Tres turned 3.  And tradition in that family is that your third birthday is spent at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in Mission Viejo.  We were invited to enjoy in the festivities, so of course we made the trek up.

And enjoy in the festivities we did.  I was a little worried how Thatbaby would handle being in a restaurant for hours, but he had a fantastic time from the moment we entered.  There were so many bright colors and things to look at.  And he got his first encounter with a balloon artist.

The noise level in Farrell's was...high.  About every 3 minutes the serves would come through, banging drums, stamping feet, singing songs. Thatbaby loved every second.  Each time they would come around, he would start dancing with his feet and waving his arms in the air.  It never got old.

Tres was equally excited about the singing and dancing, especially when they came to sing her happy birthday and present her with her sundae.  She stood right on her chair and danced along.

The last card in this winning deck of balloons and loud noises was the ice cream itself.  Thatbaby was so excited to share a sundae with me.  He only got the vanilla ice cream part, but I don't think he really missed the fudge.  Looks like someone takes after his dad in the loving ice cream department!

 

I'm sure both Thatbaby and Thatboy would love to have ice cream every night for dinner,  but I'm not so interested.  Especially given that it's been super cold out lately.  And I'm the crazy person who doesn't like to eat ice cream when it's cold.  I'd much prefer something warm and creamy instead of cold and creamy.  Which is why I turn to pasta in the winter months.  We eat pasta in the summer, dressed with ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil.  But in the winter, a baked pasta in a creamy sauce seems much more appropriate. 

Baked Fettuccine Alfredo

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 crown of broccoli, trimmed and chopped

1/2 lb fettuccine
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1.   Preheat oven to 450.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add broccoli and blanch for 2 minutes.
2. While broccoli is blanching, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet.  Add the scallions and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add the blanched broccoli to the scallions, while returning the broccoli water to a boil.  Saute the broccoli and scallions for about a minute.  
4. Remove broccoli and scallions to a small bowl and season with thyme, salt, and pepper.
5. When the water has returned to a boil, cook the fettuccine according to the directions on the box.
6. While fettuccine is cooking, add the butter to the now-empty skillet and melt.
7. Add flour, whisking until smooth.  Cook for 1 more minute, until a nice paste forms.
8. Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and cook until thick and bubbly.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the mascarpone and 1/4 cup of parmesan, stirring until the mascarpone is melted into the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.
10. Combine the fettuccine, the broccoli, and the sauce and toss well to combine.  Pour into prepared baking dish.
11. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the pasta.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until the pasta is bubbling and browned.

While we waited for the pasta to cook, we did our nightly Channukah celebration.  Kind of.  I actually got my Christmas gift early.  Typically Thatboy and I do small gifts for each night of Channukah, with our big gift exchange on Christmas morning.  But last night I got my big gift!

You may or may not remember that my old Olympus died on our Hawaii trip the summer of 2010.  That black friday we got a killer deal on a Nikon.  Which I promptly hated.  I missed my Olympus!  But, since we don't have the money to go buying camera after camera, I sucked it up.  I mean, the Nikon was fine and it's not like I'm exhibiting my photos in any museums.  Last fall, right before Thatbaby was born, the Nikon died.  Just wouldn't power on.  I brought it in, and Nikon sent me a brand new replacement!  So at least they have customer service going for them.  Well on Tuesday, the Nikon died again.  Thatboy, who was sick of my stupid Nikon went out and got me a new camera, while I took the Nikon in to Best Buy where they fixed it within seconds.  Because he wanted me to be able to use the camera for the holidays, and because he didn't know the Nikon was fixed, Thatboy gave me my Christmas present last night.  I feel a little extravagant with 2 working cameras, but I am so excited to have an Olympus again!


Thatbaby was pretty excited about his present too.  He's starting to understand presents, and how to unwrap them, and everytime he unwraps a present he goes "ooooooooooooo" because that's what Thatboy and I do when he unwraps a present.  Last night he got a new pair of shoes, which not only got an "ooooooooooo" but he also wanted to put them on immediately.  Even though he was already wearing shoes.

 By the way, I don't think I've written about shoes on Mommy Mondays, but we adore Pedipeds.  Super cute (he gets complements every time he wears them) and they're soft soled, which is ideal for infants/toddlers up to 18 months!

The Most Expensive Traffic Jam

On Friday night we met up with the Pirates for dinner.  It was a bit of a disaster on our part, since Thatbaby was not in the mood for going out to dinner.  We wanted to get into the holiday mood, so after we all decided to go check out the Del Mar Holiday of Lights.  None of us had ever been, but we'd heard that it's fantastic.  So after a quick stop to pick up tickets, hot chocolate, and a little adult addition for Mrs. Pirate and my drinks we were on our way.

And this is pretty much what we experienced the entire time.  Thatbaby fell asleep before we even made the hot chocolate run.  He got the better end of the deal.  The rest of us spent the evening in a line of cars that didn't even inch forward.  It moved a foot, then stopped for 10 minutes.  Moved a foot, then stopped for 10 minutes.

You know how much you hate sitting in traffic?  Like you would do anything to just move and get where you're going?  Well we willing paid to do exactly that. 

It was disappointing and frustrating.  The lights were lovely, but would have been so much lovelier if we didn't have to stare at each display for 10 minutes.

\
The best part about going to look at lights, is cruising by them and watching one after the other, magically lighting up.

It loses the magic to watch the same display light up over and over.

Even the music was less than ideal.  They instruct you to turn your radio station to a channel playing Christmas music, but it wasn't fun Christmas music.  And it wasn't in sync to the lights or anything.  So we decided to switch it off and use our own Christmas soundtrack.

Needless to say, I don't anticipate us making a return visit next year.

On the plus side, Little Pirate loved the entire thing.  He stayed awake, oohing and ahhing at the lights.

Okay, so now for the non-disappointing part of the post.  First, Channukah presents!  Last night I got the new Train cd.  And I'm so excited because I've been singing 50 Ways to Say Goodbye for over a month now.  Thatbaby was excited too - you can see him trying to steal my present in this picture.

 But Thatbaby got his own present - new pajamas and a fleece sleep sack.  Which will come in handy when we head up to the inlaws for Christmas since their homes are ALWAYS freezing.

Also not disappointing?  This Buffalo Chicken Chowder inspired by the one on Prevention RD.  This is a grown up dish - too spicy for Thatbaby, but perfect for Thatboy and I.  Warm and filling, and I adore anything buffalo-chicken-ized.  I highly recommend it.  It can perk up any evening!

 Buffalo Chicken Chowder (adapted from Prevention RD)
5 red potatoes, roughly chopped
1 chicken breast, chopped
½ onion, roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cups chicken broth
¼ cup flour
1/3 cup Franks hot sauce

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Add  chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until chicken is browned, but not cooked through.
2.  Add in the potatoes, chicken, onion, carrots and celery to the pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, chicken broth, and flour and whisk.
4. Whisk the hot sauce into the milk mixture and add to the chicken and vegetables.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.