Crave Wednesday: Grilled Gruyere and Olive Tapenade Sandwiches

 

• There are so many parts of San Diego that we've never had a chance to explore. Some parts we don't get to, and other parts we just don't know about.   Before the boys were born, Thatboy and I made it a point to find and explore our surroundings, but now it's not as easy.
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• So we jumped at the chance to do "The Seven Bridges Walk" with my running group and their families.   
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• One of the things I love about San Diego is that it doesn't feel like a city, despite the fact it most certainly is.  It doesn't have the same oppressive feeling that some big cities have with their towering skyscrapers and buildings pressed against each other, blocking the view of the sky.  

The seven bridges walk, a 5.5 mile loop featuring truss and suspension bridges, highlights how unique the city is.  The first bridge is a pedestrian bridge crossing over Park Avenue, linking sections of Balboa Park together.  The second bridge, which caters to automobile traffic has views of canyons and the ocean.

The third, wooden bridge, stretches between homes, over a river which had taken advantage of the recent rains.

And that's where the photographic documentation ends.  Because the fourth bridge was  a suspension bridge.  And I was not going to stop on that for one minute.  I was too concerned with getting over it while carrying Thatbaby.  I'm not a fan of suspension bridges.  After that the kids in the group were getting tired, so all the adults decided that 4 out of 7 bridges is pretty good, and we headed back.

Thatbaby fell asleep on the walk back to the car, so Thatboy and Thatkid killed some time skateboarding before we headed home for lunch, grilled cheese!  Have you ever noticed that grilled cheese makes everyone happy?  It's the ultimate comfort food.  And while the boys are thrilled with American cheese on bread, I personally like my grilled cheese a little fancier.  Like this version with a sundried tomato and olive tapenade.  And gruyere in place of American cheese (which really shouldn't even be called cheese at all.)  The mild cheese mellows out the bite of the olive, while the tapenade spices up what might otherwise be a boring sandwich.  The original recipe calls for sundried tomatoes in oil, which you are welcome to use.  Personally, I find sundried tomatoes in oil to be a bit too early, preferring to control the oil content myself.  But use what makes you happiness.  If you use sundried tomatoes in oil, reserve 2 Tbsp of the oil and use that in place of the olive oil.

Grilled Gruyere and Olive Tapenade Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

4 sundried tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

12 pitted kalamata olives

2 garlic cloves

8 slices multigrain bread

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

8 slices tomato

2 oz Gruyere cheese, shaved

1.  Combine tomatoes, 1 Tbsp olive oil, olives, and garlic in food processor until smooth.
2. Brush one side of each bread slice with 1 Tbsp olive oil.  
3. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp olive mixture on each of 4 bread slices, oil side down.  
4. Top each bread slice with 1 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tomato slices nad 1/2 oz Gruyere.
5. Top with remaining 4 bread slices, oil side up.
6. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sandwiches to pan.  Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches, pressing gently to flatten sandwiches.  Cook 2 minutes on each side.

Mommy Mondays: Milkin' It

Today was TSIL's first day back from maternity leave.  Coincidentally, one of my coworkers also returned from maternity leave today.

And really, this doesn't mean much to you, except it reminded me that I never shared my pumping at work/milk storage process.  I feel like pumping in general is really not covered well.  The whole process of how and when seemed like such a mystery to me.  And after doing it twice, I'm far from an expert, but I definitely found a workable system.

In the mornings I would pack everything I needed for the day.  In my wet bag I'd pack flanges and bottles.  The great thing about a wet bag is that you can throw everything in it after you pump, put the whole bag in a refrigerator, and then not have to wash any of the pump parts.  A wet bag is not necessary.  With Thatkid I used a ziplock.  But I personally prefer the wet bag because I could throw it in the wash and reuse it.  I'm sure my coworkers also appreciated a cute little bag instead of seeing all my girl things too.

I also brought a little cooler with ice pack to store the milk after it was pumped.  Really, this was most important for bringing them home, since I stored the pump milk in the cooler in the fridge.

Whenever I needed to pump at work, I'd grab my wet bag and cooler from the fridge and hook up.

After a pump session, I would combine the two bottles I pumped into one of the bottles.

The empty bottle and flanges would go back in the wet bag, and the full bottle would go into the cooler.

At the end of the day I'd take home a cooler full of milk.  Monday through Thursday night I would use those bottles to fill up Thatbaby's bottles for the next day at daycare.

On Friday nights, I froze all the milk.  This is where my milk trays came in handy!  Each stick is 1 ounce.

And then the tray went in the freezer.  Along with anything I pumped on Saturday and Sunday.

Once the sticks were frozen, I could turn the tray over and pop out each 1 ounce stick.

Then they'd get bagged, dated, and placed back in the freezer. I put 4 oz in each bag, because that's how much milk went in each of Thatbaby's bottles.

Sunday nights I'd grab a couple of bags and use them to fill Thatbaby's Monday bottles.  I'd put the bottles in the fridge to defrost overnight.  And Monday morning they were ready to go for daycare!

Like I said, it may not be a perfect system, but it was easy for me.  It kept me from washing bottles and pump parts a million times a day.  And it kept my freezer stash from getting too old, since they were rotated in every Monday.  But of all the aspects of motherhood, pumping and making bottles was my least favorite part so far!

Sunday Runday: Hip Hop 10k

As I mentioned, my goal for the year is to run a sub 1hour 10k. So I thought that maybe I should figure out what my base is. After all, it's been a bit since I've run a 10k. 

When I saw a  Groupon for the Hip Hop Run, and that there was a 10k component, I was intrigued.  The timing was good too, January - giving me 11 months to improve!

This was the second year the Hip Hop Run has...run, but it's first time in San Diego.  And it definitely had some kinks to work out.

The race was downtown San Diego, which should have been my first clue.  Because downtown San Diego is pretty much "The City of Hills." 

I got there bright and early to pick up my bib.  Parking was great, there was lots of it, and close to the start/finish. I was able to pick up my shirt and run it to the car before the race started.  Although part of the reason I had plenty of time was because the 7:00 start for the 10k  got moved to 7:30. 

Pre-race warmups have become a big thing.  And this one had hip hop moves and music to get everyone in the mood.

Finally they had us line up for the 10k. 

And we were off!

The course wasn't terribly exciting.  We basically ran down B Street and back up, around the stadium, and then...we did it all again! 

And like I alluded to before, lots and lots of really steep hills.

There were a couple of DJs on the course, playing some really great music, but I'm glad that I brought my own music because they were few and far between.

And after all that I now have a "time to beat."  I finished in 1:04:48, so I've got to shave 5 minutes off my time between now and December.  Wish me luck!

Crave Wednesday: Grilled Farmers' Market Sandwiches

New Years Eve is usually fairly stressful for me.  We're traveling, or trying to go out, or trying to figure out what to do.  There's so much pressure. 

This year we managed to get the best of both worlds, time with friends and mellow time at home.  It was the perfect New Year's Eve.

We started off the evening at the Pirates' house.  As usual she had the place completely ready for the kids.   Complete with photo props.

And ice cream sundaes.

And at 7pm, we did our own ball drop...with a balloon drop!

After that we got the kids in pajamas and let them wind down a little before heading home. 

Once we did get home, we tucked Thatbaby into bed and told Thatkid he could stay up until midnight, if he could make it that long.  We cuddled up on the couch together watching movies.  He and I both barely made it midnight, but we did it!

With the New Year comes a push for cleaner  eating.  More vegetables, less Doritos.  And this sandwich capitalizes on that desire.  Loaded with just about every vegetable you might already have in your produce drawer.  It is perfect for this early part of the year, but also would be phenomenal for this weekend's Superbowl.  The amount of vegetables makes it feel "meaty" and substantial, even without the meat.

Grilled Farmers' Market Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 slices eggplant

2 slices red onion

1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces

2 tsp chopped rosemary

1 Tbsp white balsalmic vinegar

4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half horizonally

4 slices provolone cheese

8 slices tomato

8 basil leaves

1.  Preheat grill to medium high heat.  Brush 1 Tbsp olive oil evenly over both sides of eggplant, onion, and zucchini.
2. Sprinkle with rosmary, salt, and pepper.
3. Combine 1 Tbsp oil and vinegar in a bowl.  
4. Brush vinegar mixture over cut sides of bread.
5. Place onion on grill rack coated with cooing spray and grill 6 minutes on each side, or until tender.  Remove from grill adn separate into rings.
6. Grill eggplant and zucchini 4 minutes on each side or until tender.  Cut zucchini pieces in half crosswise.
7. Place bread, cut sides down on grill rack and grill 2 minutes.  Remove from grill.  
8. Place 1 piece of cheese on bottom half of each bread portion.
   Top each serving with 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato slice, 1 basil leaf, 2 pieces zucchini, one fourth of the onion rings, 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato slice, 1 basil leaf, 1 piece of cheese, and the top half of the bread.
9. Place sandwiches on grill rack.  Grill 2 minutes, covered, or until cheese melts.

Mommy Mondays: Gearing Up for Valentine's Day

I love the fact that Thatkid is as gung ho about holidays as I am.

As soon as one holiday ends, he's ready to start prepping for the next.  The only problem is, they don't really have the same selection for boys in holiday wear that they do for girls.  It's always a search trying to find appropriate holiday shirts.

This year I have the added issue of the holiday pajamas Thatkid requested.

Valentine's Day is especially troublesome, because most of the shirts say things like "Ladies Man" or "Heart Breaker."  Neither of which I really want my sons wearings.  Because 5 year olds are not "ladies men" and I don't really want to encourage my boys to break hearts.

Here's my round up of what I did dig up for the boys.  This is the second year in a row we've gone with a bacon themed Valentine's Day shirt.  Thatkid picked out the shirt for him and his brother.

I also usually give the boys Valentine's Day gifts - books.  Last years are pictured above, I haven't picked out the ones for this year yet, I should probably get on that.

I also saw this great idea on Hostess with the Mostess, tying 10 notes on 10 balloons with 10 things you love about the balloon recipient.  The boys love balloons, so I think they'll get a big kick out of this. 

Sunday Runday: Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend

Let me take it back to January of 2016.  When Thatkid ran the Legoland kid's race.  That was it fr him.  He was hooked.  He started asking me to sign him up for races, and he specifically asked to do a Star Wars race.

Luckily for him, Disneyland just happens to have a Star Wars race...for kids!  And so I signed him up.  But since I figured that I might as well get something from the weekend too, I signed myself up for the half marathon.  It was going to be a mother/son running weekend!

Thatkid was up first on Saturday morning.

 He was so excited about his Darth Vader outfit.  Darth Vader is his favorite bad guy.  He even had a light saber and mask, but decided while we were waiting for the race to start that he didn't want to run with them.  Good thing he brought along his own personal sherpa to lug his stuff around for him.

 I think he was a little intimidated by the amount of people there, because normally he runs and I run beside him, but this time he wanted to hold my hand.

 The 4-6 year old division was 200 meters.  And he held my hand until he crossed the finish.

Of course, once we crossed, he was fine dropping my hand and running on his own to get his medal.

 After he got his medal we went and got his snacks and met up with the rest of the family.

 Thatkid  loved the race and is already talking about doing it again next year.  Although I'm sure the day at Disney after didn't hurt.

The next morning it was my turn.  At an obscene hour, Thatmom was kind enough to drop me off at the race so the boys could stay asleep.  I found my way over to my corral.

While Thatkid had donned his favorite baddie outfit, I scrapped my original plans and decided to run in tribute of our lost Disney Princess, Carrie Fisher.

 Being in corral E, meant there was a lot of waiting around, although the race does a great job of keeping you entertained on the big screen above the start line.  Eventually we finally made it up to the front.

And we were off!  The race starts by running out of Downtown Disney and behind the parks, entering through the back of California Adventure.  Our first glimpse of the park was the "sunrise in Cars Land.  "Sunrise" in quotes, because the sun wasn't going to be up for a couple of miles.

 I don't worry about my time for Disney races, since there are great photo opportunities that take up time.  With that in mind, I hopped into the first restroom I saw inside the park.  I wanted to take advantage of the actual restrooms instead of porta potties!

Soon after that I was at the iconic portion of the park.  Disneyland has the castle, California Adventure has the Ferris Wheel and jumping fountains.

We ran around the back and across the front into Hollywood Studios, where there was a Jedi Training Session in Progress.

 And then we were out of California Adventure, heading into Disneyland through Toon Town and into Tomorrowland.  Tomorrowland has really been transformed into Star Wars Central at Disney.  So we were greeted at the entrance with a row of light saber wielding park employees.

 While storm troopers kept an eye on the situation.

And then we were running through the castle.  My timing couldn't have been more perfect, as the sun was just rising.  And so was I!

 I had told myself at the beginning of the race I was only going to wait in character lines for Thatkid's favorite characters.  Darth Vader was nowhere to be found in the park, but Thatkid's favorite "good guy" was!  It was Wookie Time with Chewbacca!

 Chewie was stationed right at the front of the park, so as I bid him adieu, I also headed out of the fun portion.  Under this bridge and right out into the streets of Anaheim.

 The Disney Half Marathon is my least favorite course.  There are 4 miles of race within the parks.  If you do the math, that means 9 miles are on the city streets.  Which isn't nearly as much fun.

I will say, the people of Anaheim really do turn out and this year, due to the renovations and course route, there were more than I remember.  There are cheerleaders from a million different high schools, and a couple of groups who dressed up in characters and lined up to cheer us on.


Even R2D2 made an appearance!

 And since I couldn't get a picture of Darth Vader in the park, I settled for snapping this as I ran by.

I was seriously undertrained, underfueled, underhydrated, and I'd ran around Disneyland the day before.  I was not expecting the race to go well.  I had pretty much resigned to the fact I was going to hit a wall around mile 11, and joked about getting swept.  But in actuality, I never hit a wall.  And I maintained a really good pace!  Not my fastest, but with a couple picture stops, and a couple restroom stops, it was still faster than my last half marathon.

I collected my medal and gave my family a call for them to come pick me up.

Now that Thatkid is getting into them, I foresee a lot more Disney races in my future!