Breakfast Buddies: Chorizo Hash

This weekend, Thatboy made me breakfast.  Better than that, he let me sleep in for a little bit and THEN he made me breakfast.

It reminded me I might have been slacking a bit in the breakfast department.  You see, I rarely make Thatboy breakfast.  During the week, I eat with Thatbaby and Thatboy usually skips breakfast.  On the weekends, we all eat together, but Thatboy usually makes himself a bowl of cereal and I go with yogurt.

This is a grown up, manly man kind of breakfast.  It's got meat and heat - both from the chorizo.  Thatboy finds it incredibly satisfying to pop his yolk and watch it run all over his potatoes.  I have to admit in taking the same pleasure.  Thatbaby gets his own version of this - scrambled eggs with potatoes and squash.  It's not as spicy, but then I deal with less tears.

Chorizo Hash

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped

olive oil

4 oz chorizo

1/2 onion, chopped

4oz canned diced green chiles

2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Toss potato and squash with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
2.  Cook chorizo in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until onions are soft.
4. Add green chiles, potato, and squash.  Cook for another 5 minutes and remove from the pan.
5. In the same pan, fry the eggs.  
6. Divide the hash between two plates and top each with a fried egg.

Summer Styles: Almond Cookies

I used to love going back to school shopping.  The new clothes always made me feel like a fun new year was about to begin.

There is no "school year" for me any more.  One month really blends into the next.  But that means I need a little pick me up now more than ever.  Since I don't have a summer vacation to look forward to, at least I can have a little summer wardrobe fun?  I've officially declared this summer to be the summer of Orange and Blue.  Here's a peak at my summer wardrobe:

 A chambray top is the perfect alternative to a cardigan.   Although a bright and colorful cardigan is nice too.

I love a light tunic for a bit of a beach feel.

Last fall I picked up a couple of Old Navy t-shirts and loved the thinness of them, so I grabbed a couple more this summer.

And I grew to appreciate Target tank tops when I was pregnant.  Even now I'm a big fan of their length.

I'm always looking for a maxi dress that doesn't drag on the floor since I'm a little height challenged.  This one is PERFECT.  I love it and it just hits my ankles!

Every summer I go through the "I have nothing to wear on my bottom" phase.  This year I tried to nip that in the bud by picking up some truly summery picks.  Like white jeans and colorful orange capris

I jokingly call these denim shorts my "mom shorts" but really, everyone should have a pair of denim shorts.  And my spicy red shorts are anything but "mom shorts" so really it evens out.

I've been a fan of J.Crew bathing suits for years.  I have a long torso and practically no legs, and the J. Crew suits accommodate that perfectly. This tank doesn't ride up, and the bottoms offer great coverage, even when I'm chasing around a toddler.  The low-cut of the neckline is certainly a little revealing, but also makes it a sexy suit.

I practically live in sandals year round - one of the benefits of living in Southern California.  So summer is a great time to stock up.  I'm very into the one-strap sandals this year.  Thatboy has been equating them to thong underwear.  Barely there, shows a lot of skin, and ever so sexy.  

My summer cookie of choice is the Almond Cookie.  Thatmom is a fan of cookies made with almond paste, and I can't say that I blame her.  They are the staple of any Jewish bakery.  Almond paste rainbow cookies, sandwiched with jelly and dipped in chocolate.  Almond S cookies sprinkled with almonds.  Almond horns dipped in chocolate.  The sticky, chewiness of almond cookies mirrors the humidity we've been having here lately.  And like summer, their sweetness lingers on.

Almond Cookies

7 oz almond paste

1 cup sugar

3 egg whites

1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1/8 tsp salt

1. In an electric mixer combine almond paste, sugar, and egg whites until well blended.
2. Add confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt and beat until well combined.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 300.  Bake for 25 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before removing from parchment paper.

Beach Party: Slow Cooker Chicken and Hominy Chili Bowl

It's hard being a grown-up.  And it's even harder growing up.  Because there is very little fanfare associated with your birthday once you're out of school.  So not only are you getting older, but no one cares.

When Mrs. Pirate sent us an email saying Mr. Pirate was turning another year older and feeling a little blue, there was no way we could say no to an invitation to join them on the beach to celebrate.  A casual affair with friends, just hanging out and enjoying the surf and sand.

The guys headed out to play in the water while the moms splashed with the kids.  It was hard to keep Thatbaby out of the water.  Every time I put him down he went running into the surf.  We took some breaks for him to dry off and warm up a bit, but before too long he was running down the beach again.

Thatboy took him out for his first surf lesson in water.  They'd been playing on a surfboard on the bed for months now, but I think it's a little different when there are actual waves.

The kids also found a big sand pit, which they took endless joy in playing in.  Little HW and Thatbaby jumped, slid, and rolled in the sand.  Little Pirate was a little more cautious, preferring to stay on his 

feet.

After a day at the beach, a hearty dinner is in order.  Playing in the ocean, being out in the sun - it really whets the appetite.  And the only thing that's better than a hearty meal is one that's ready when you get home.  (Especially with an impatient toddler).  This recipe initially peaked my interest because CHILI!  I love chili.  But this isn't really chile.  Instead, it's more similar to a soup.  Or a Mexican stew.  It's something that I could easily see being made with pork, but this version calls for chicken.  The chicken thighs pull apart in a magnificent fashion and the hominy adds just the right amount of oomph.

 Slow Cooker Chicken and Hominy Chili Bowl (From One Perfect Bite)

6 chicken thighs 

1 tsp salt, divide

1 tsp ground cumin, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided 

1/2 tsp dried oregano,divided 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1) Spray slow-cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and season with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and cumin and 1/4 teaspoon each of the black pepper and oregano.
2) Scatter onion, garlic, jalapeno and green pepper over chicken. 
3) Pour broth over top. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
4) Stir in hominy, cornmeal and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and cumin and 1/4 teaspoon each black pepper and oregano. Cook on high for 15 minutes.

More Trains: BBQ Chip Chicken Strips

Y'all have figured out that Thatbaby likes trains right?  Likes might be an understatement.  Thatbbay is obsessed with choo choo trains.

This past weekend we decided to explore the train-culture of Balboa Park.

I adore Balboa Park.  It is one of my all time favorite areas of San Diego and on my MUST DO for anyone visiting.

There is a mini-railroad in the park that runs beside the zoo.  Knowing how much Thatbaby loves trains, I knew he would love to ride this one.

And I was right.  He did!

Except for the tunnel.  Which he was NOT a fan of.  He got very scared every time Thatboy mentioned the tunnel.  And he wanted to sit on my lap and have me hold him close when we went through.

Afterwards we took him to the Model Railroad Museum so he could see "more choo choo trains."  He loved every minute of it.

We followed up the day with a very kid-friendly meal.  Chicken tenders and potatoes.  And not just any chicken tenders.  When I saw chicken tenders coated with bbq chips on Joelen's blog, I knew they would be something that I HAD to make.   All kids love chicken tenders.  All kids love potato chips.  So the thought of combining the two seems like a sure fire winner.  And it was.  To an extent.  This is a recipe that is totally dependent on the chips you use.  So go for broke.  Get the best, most flavorful chips you can.  The ones I used (Trader Joes) weren't all that BBQ-y, so it left us with chicken that was a little bland.  Thatbaby still loved it, but Thatboy wasn't as impressed.  So learn from our mistake!

BBQ Chip Chicken Strips  (From What's Cooking Chicago)

1 lb chicken tenders

 1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground pepper 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 egg 

1 Tbsp water 

2 Tbsp butter, melted 

1 cup crushed BBQ potato chips 

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Put chicken tenders in a  shallow pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 
2. Whisk egg and water together in another shallow pan.  
3. Combine potato chips, melted butter and parsley in a gallon sized storage bag. 
4. Dip seasoned chicken in egg wash and then place in storage bag with potato chips. Seal bag and shake to coat the chicken. Transfer coated chicken to a baking pan and repeat with all chicken tenders.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through; 

Mommy Mondays: Fitting In Fitness

I have long had the philosophy that if something is important to you, you make time for it.

Which is why there were periods of my life when I woke up at 4:45am so I could work out before work.

But that was before I had a baby.  Now the thought of waking up at 4:45am might bring me to tears.

And yet, it's still important for my own sanity to have some sort of physical exercise.   Well, my sanity and my ability to fit into my jeans.

It was actually very easy for me to find time to workout during maternity leave.  Thatboy would put Thatbaby to bed, I'd hit the gym, and then we'd have dinner and go to bed.  It wasn't until Thatbaby started solids and started eating dinner with us that it became difficult to find the time to go for a run or a trip to the gym.  Plus, this also coincided with me returning to work.  And so the things I used to do during the day had to fit into a small window in the evening between putting the baby to bed and putting me to bed.

In the winter, with short days, I would wake up early to get a run in.  I'm not going to lie - I hated that.  I hate waking up early these days, compounded by the fact that there are no more "sleep in" days on the weekend.  Every day is a wake up early day.  Plus, my runs were always shorter than I'd like, due to time constraints and a running partner who likes to pee on every third bush we pass.

I really got into a groove in the spring/summer.  I love my usual routine of coming home, making dinner, and then going for a run.  Sure it's not the healthiest thing to eat dinner and then head out, but the weather is good, I can take as much time as I like before the sun sets, and it's a great way to unwind from daily stressors.

Of course, this is dependent on Thatboy being available to occupy our child while I'm pounding the pavement.  As you may have picked up over the past few months, this hasn't been the case as of late.  Between his father's illness and death, and Thatboy's recent surf trip to Nicaragua, I've been on my own a lot since May.  Which means I can't really just jaunt off for a run with baby and dog in tow.  Instead, I've been making great use of workout videos.  I absolutely love my "Exercise On Demand" through my cable provider which gives me loads of workouts to choose from, at my fingertips.  Likewise, I'm a pretty big fan of Jillian Michaels videos.  Which means that after I put Thatbaby to bed, I spend about 30 minutes or so getting my sweat on.  Because no matter how tired I am, or how rough a day it's been, it's hard to make excuses for why you don't have half an hour to devote to your health.

TGIF: Massaged Kale Greek Chicken Salad

I am always thankful for Fridays.  Except for the past few weeks I've been working weekends so Friday hasn't meant all that much.

But this week, this Friday, Thatboy is home!  Trial is wrapping up enough that I think I only have to work a little on Saturday morning.   In fact, as I type this, we're watching SYTYCD.  That's right, I get to sit down in front of the television for the first time in ages. (To give you an idea on how long it's been, the SYTYCD episode we're watching features the top 20)

We're celebrating this weekend  with salad.  And I know that's a silly thing to celebrate with, but there is nothing better than a big salad in the summer.  And it's a nice change for Thatboy who's been eating some heavy meals in Nicaragua and came home with a little intestinal distress.  He also came home with some nice presents for Thatbaby and I:

On top of that, when I came home from work today, Thatboy had just finished picking up Thatbaby from daycare.  And the boys had another surprise for me:

Some "just cause" flowers.  My favorite kind.

Kale is one of those foods that Thatbaby is avoiding right now, and Thatboy thinks he doesn't like.  But he does.  Massaged kale almost takes on a different taste/texture.  Softened and flavored by the oil, it loses some of its edge, but retains that greeny-flavor that makes me love it.  When I saw a massaged kale salad on Valli's blog, I thought it would be a good compromise.  Especially since I've been craving a Greek salad lately.  I love Greek Salads, filled with salty cheese and olives.  Even Thatbaby was happy picking out the cucumbers, tomatoes, and cheese, making his own version  of a "salad."

Massaged Kale Greek Salad (From More That Burnt Toast)

1 lemon, juiced (divided)

2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)

1 tsp dried oregano (divided)

salt and pepper

1 chicken breast

1 bunch of curly kale, ribbed and torn

1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta.

1. Combine the 1/2 of the lemon juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper in a ziplock bag.
2. Add the chicken and let marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Let cool slightly and cut into strips.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the kale, remaining olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, red wine vinegar and remaining lemon juice.  Massage kale for 5 minutes.
5. Add remaining oregano and pepper to taste.
6. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, olives, fennel, and olives.  Divided between bowls.
7. Place chicken and feta over the veggies.

Trains and Tacos: Summer Lentil Salad

I haven't been spending a ton of time with Thatbaby lately.  Thatmom spent last week picking him up from daycare and entertaining him since I was buried in trial.  I wanted to make it up to him this weekend.  Especially because I was going to be ditching him again on Sunday.  So on Saturday I planned a day of fun for us.

I had found a park in Poway with a real, honest to goodness, steam engine!  So Saturday morning we headed to check it out.

Thatboy fell asleep in the car on the way there.  When he woke up, he could hear the train and he chimed in with "choo choo" before he even fully opened his eyes.

He was so excited to see the train.  He kept pointing and saying choo choo.  When I asked if he wanted to ride it, he nodded emphatically.  He played with the train table while I bought our tickets, and sat nicely in line with me while we waited for our turn.  Once we got on the train he got very serious about it.  I asked if he wanted to kneel or stand on the bench so he could see out the window better, but he just wanted to sit in the choo choo.

Once we got started, he loosened up a bit and enjoyed the view out the window as the train went around the park.

I was worried he'd throw a fit when the train stopped and we had to get off, but he actually filed out, just like everyone else.  We headed for our next date - lunch with Horse Whisperer and Little HW.  Mr. HW was out of town, so Horse Whisperer suggested that we "single moms" get together for lunch (and margaritas) with our children (neither of which partook in the margaritas).  Instead, Thatbaby and Little HW had tacos, beans, and chips.

All in all it was a beautiful summer days - filled with parks and margaritas, as all summer days should be filled. It was too lovely to use the oven for dinner, so a salad was in order.  Thatbaby's not a huge fan of the green kind of salads, but he loves both lentils and rice, so I used that as a base.  For Thatbaby, I made a mild version, which just included the lentils, rice and cucumbers tossed with balsamic vinegar and oil.  I like spicy in the summer, so my version included some chorizo (one of my favorite ways to spice up a meal).

Summer Lentil Salad

1/3 cup canola oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1 chipotle in adobo

2/3 cup lentil

1/2 cup brown rice

4 oz chorizo

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 pasilla chile, roasted, peeled, and diced

1. Combine the oil, vinegar and chile in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Fill a saucepan with 8 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils and rice and cook for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.  Drain and set aside.
3. In the same pan, cook the chorizo until cooked through.  Remove from heat.
4. Combine the chorizo, lentils, rice, red onion, cucumber, poblano, and dressing.  Tossing to combine.

Fishy Hands: Southwestern Shrimp

"Have you ever noticed our son has fishy hands?"  Thatboy asked me a few weeks ago.

"Fishy hands?  What are fishy hands?"

"No matter what he's doing, his hands are always reaching, touching, grabbing for something - like they're fishing for something.  Like even when he falls down, his hands are wandering over the ground.  And when you hold him, he starts fishing his hands into your shirt, your armpits, or tickling your arms."

I actually hadn't ever noticed it, but as soon as Thatboy brought it up, I realized he was 100% correct.  His hands seem to have a mind of their own.  He'll be looking one way, while he little hands start meandering off somewhere else, searching for a shell, a toy, a ball - really, who knows what they're looking for.   My son is afflicted with "Fishy Hands."

I don't have fishy hands.  And in general, I'm not a huge fan of fish.  Except as pets.  I do love my fishy handed son.  And I do love shellfish.  I think my love for shrimp in the summer is fairly well documented.  So it should come as no surprise to find another summer shrimp recipe here.  I really like how quickly this one comes together.  Although, that could be why I like shrimp to begin with.  Anything that takes less than 5 minutes to cook is a pretty good protein in my book!  Which means when you add this shrimp to a simple tomato sauce, you end up with a meal that takes less than 15 minutes to throw together.  Which is perfect, because in the summer, the last thing you want is to spend hours huddled over a hot stove.

Southwestern Shrimp

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 chipotles in adobo

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 garlic cloves 

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Combine tomatoes and chipotles in food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Heat canola oil in a skillet.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and chipotle and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and and cook 4 minutes until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.