Passover Fallbacks: Beet Soup with Chive Cream

Last night Thatkid plaintively whined "Soup again?  Why do we always have soup for dinner?"  To which Thatboy informed him that soup is the perfect Passover meal.

And it's true.  With ingredients that make the most of meats and vegetables, it doesn't rely on any of the foods forbidden during Passover.  Not only that, it's very easy to make.  Which is why we have had soup twice this past week.

In my defense, I do try to change it up a bit.  Which is easy to do with soup.  At the beginning of the week it was a broth, teaming with potatoes, carrots, and beef.  Now it's creamy, beety, soup.  Even the colors couldn't be more different.  From brown and boring to bright and vibrant.    The color of beet soup is really incomparable.  And it's the perfect harbinger to the spring weather I keep hoping will stick around.

Beet Soup with Chive Cream

8 medium beets

2 Tbsp butter

2 medium onions, chopped

5 cups hot vegetable broth

1/2 cup milk

4 oz sour cream

finely chopped bunch of chives

1. Gently wash the beets being careful not to damage the skin.  Place them in cold water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered until the skins rub off easily.  This could take from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on size of beets.
2. Remove the beets from the water and remove the top and bottom of each beet.
3. Heat the butter  in a saucepan and add the onions.  Cover and sweat for 15 minutes.
4. Chop the beets and add to the onions.   Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place vegetable broth, beets and onions in a blender and blend until smooth.  
6. Place soup back in saucepan and reheat.  Add milk.
7. Swirl sour cream through the soup and sprinkle with chives.

Crave Wednesday: Beefy Caprese

Have you ever noticed that when you can't have something, it seems to be everywhere?  This happens to me every Passover.  Take yesterday for instance.  Yesterday someone brought fresh, hot, Krispy Kreme doughnuts into work.  No one ever brings doughnuts into work.

We've been surviving anyway though.  And as usual, I've managed to keep our matzah intake low by just choosing meals that don't incorporate flour/corn/beans/pasta.  And we're eating a lot of fruit.

Burgers are a Passover ritual for us.  Whether it's the "protein style" burger at In n Out (a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun) or an at home version, a well dressed burger is just as fantastic without the bun.  Maybe better.  Because in most cases, the bun doesn't hold a lot of flavor, so why take away from the ingredients that do?

This is especially true for this Caprese Burger.  Fresh buffalo mozzarella has the perfect salty bite and melts so nicely atop your patty.  The bold flavors of the basil and tomato which already seem like a peas and carrots type of pairing, only add to the delightfulness of each bite.  This is the salad you already know and love, with a meaty twist.

Beefy Caprese (From Cooking Light)

1 lb lean ground sirloin

4 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella

olive oil

8 heirloom tomato slices

basil leaves

4 whole grain hamburger buns

1. Divide sirloin into 4 patties.  Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
2.  Place mozzarella on burger during the last minute of cooking.
3. Place burger on bun and top with tomato, olive oil, and basil leaves.

Mommy Mondays: Current Favorites

Thatbaby has started pointing at everything and saying "gah" (that?  What's that? look?)  So what are the things we're "gah"ing about?


This is a terrible picture, because Thatbaby is obviously sick.  But I love these shirts from Gymboree.  In general I'm not a fan of the "big brother" "little brother" type shirts, but I love the fact that these shirts include both!

Thatkid is loving being my helper in the kitchen.  He's quick to ask to help if he sees me making something, or equally quick to agree to help if I ask.

He is also, quite obiously into baseball.

Thatbaby is still very entranced by his activity table.

But he is now equally interested in his walker.  Even though his favorite thing about it is crawling into it and having his brother push him around.  He will literally go sit in it and then look around for Thatkid.

Thatbaby will forgo all toys for a banana though.  We have to keep them hidden.

He loves to watch his brother play baseball.  Well, he loves to watch baseball.  His brother and the rest of the team.

He also somehow has decided he loves beer. This one is a little confusing, since he's never actually had beer, but somehow he decided that it's something that he MUST have.  And he is always trying to get his hands on it.  Like the little hamburgler of beer.  We've gotten to the point where Thatboy will give him an unopened can of beer to play with while he drinks his own.

Thatbaby also is a huge fan of the outdoors.  As soon as he figured out how to crawl, he made a beeline for the door.  If he hears a door open he pat-a-pat-pats as fast as he can towards it, then erupts in crying when he doesn't get there before we close it.

When he isn't able to get outside, he goes for the next best thing - the dog bowls. 

Thatbaby's favorite place to be?  Why on top of something, of course.

But toys, bananas, and misbehavior aside, it is clear that his favorite thing ever is his big brother.

Padres and Pancakes: Pancakes with Pancetta and Maple SyrupP

Baseball has taken over our lives right now.  Thatkid has a baseball game twice a week, once during the week, and every Saturday.  He loves it.  He loves seeing his friends and he loves the game.  Earlier this week after work he and I were tossing the ball around in the back yard.  He told me we were professional baseball players.  I informed him that until someone started paying us, we couldn't really be considered professional.

Professional baseball is on his mind a lot this week, because he went to his first professional baseball game this past weekend.

Sunday was "Pony League Day" at Petco Park.  Which meant all the little league teams were invited to the field for a parade and a game.    Each team paraded around the field.

After we saw Thatkid, we headed up to the nosebleeds to our seats.

We were pretty high up, but we had an amazing view of the field.

Eventually the rest of the rugrats joined us.  There was a lot more horseplay and eating junk food than game-watching.  But Thatkid said it was the highlight of his weekend.

This weekend has more baseball, but also marks the beginning of Passover, so we've got a couple of seders on top.  Which means I've spent this week trying to load up on my favorite flour-y foods.  Breakfast for the next week is going to be mostly yogurt, so this week is all about waffles and pancakes.

Pancakes with bacon are a pretty well known thing.  But what do you think about pancakes with pancetta?  Brilliant idea right?  Pancetta is like fancy bacon anyway.  These pancakes are dense and thick, which pairs well with the salty meat.  And the salty meat is perfectly complemented by the sweet maple syrup.  While normally I'm not a huge fan of maple syrup on pancakes, I really like the combination of these flavors together.  I'm going to miss it next week!

Pancakes with Pancetta and Maple Syrup

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

3 eggs

1 tsp melted butter

2/3 cup milk

12 slices pancetta

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
2. Whisk in the eggs, butter, and milk.
3. Preheat a broiler and broil the pancetta until crisp.
4. Heat a skillet and when hot, wipe it down with vegetable oil.  Drop dollops of the pancake into the pan so they make 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  
5. Cook about 2 minutes per side, then flip and cook another minute.
6. Divided between 4 plates.  Top with pancetta and pour maple syrup over.

Gym Rats: Zesty Pesto & Tomato Burger

We had one heck of a weekend.  April is less busy workwise but our weekends are full.  Birthday season is in full swing. 

Saturday we went to K3's birthday party.  Which was held in one of those kid-gym places.  The boys had a fantastic time.

Thatkid  ran, jumped, and rode whatever that thing is.

And he even got a chance to fly.

I wasn't sure how Thatbaby would do.  It was his first experience with something like this.  I should have known better.  He loved being able to crawl, climb and explore.  We had tried him on a small slide a little bit ago, but he did not love it.  Now that he's older and wiser he loved the slide!

The gym employees set up a couple of these swings for the little siblings of the birthday boy's friends.

He even had his first corn dog.  Which was the perfect food for him.  He could easily hold it and bite off chunks.  Plus, this kid loves hot dogs.

We all filled up on corn dogs and weren't very hungry when we got home.   But of course, that meant that I didn't make dinner until late, and then I didn't want to spend a lot of time on it.  This was a fantastic and easy use of the pesto my neighbor had brought over late this summer.  We keep it in the freezer for just such an occasion.  Thatkid loves pesto, or "green sauce" as he calls it.  He also loves feta.  And tomato.  Really this is the perfect burger for him.  Thatbaby loves hamburger and although he seems to really enjoy tomato, the red splotches on his face after eating it has made us hold off for giving him any tomato for the past few months.  One of the nice things about baby led weaning is that it's easy to modify his meals.  It's fairly easy to serve this without the tomato.  In fact, for the next few weeks it might be preferable - but just you wait until the end of the summer!  Fresh pesto and juicy tomatoes will make this the perfect burger for all your cookouts.

Zesty Pesto & Tomato Burger (From Cooking Light)

1 lb lean ground sirloin

4 Tbsp pesto

2 heirloom tomato slices

1 Tbsp crumbled feta

4 whole grain hamburger buns

1. Divide sirloin into 4 patties.  Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
2. Place burger on bun and tom with pesto, tomato, and feta.

Sunday Monday: Boston

Tomorrow is a huge day for runners.  The Boston Marathon. 

So this seems like a good time to talk about the race.  It's a bucket list race for many runners.  A goal.  Something they strive for.

There are 2 things that prevent my from qualifying for the Boston Marathon, the first is that I'm slow.  I'm okay with my slowness, and speed is certainly relative, but I'm not making any cutoffs.  The second thing that keeps me from running the Boston Marathon is the whole 26.2 miles.  I love running, but I have no desire to run much more than the 13.1 miles in a half marathon.

But you know what?  Unlike a lot of runners, I'm completely okay without the Boston Marathon goal.  It's just not a desire of mine.  I'm so perfectly content to live vicariously through my friends.  And I have amazing friends.

Like Cate, who ran it while 20 weeks pregnant.

Or Audrey, who ran it while 20 minutes pregnant (hmmm, maybe that's the trick?)

This year I have several friends running tomorrow and I'm so excited for each and every one of them.  We've actually done several events to celebrate their awesomeness.  Like last weekend when we did a Boston Run before they all headed out this weekend.

 

Do you see all those shirts?    Because if you're not fast, you can at least have fast friends.  Good luck to everyone running tomorrow.  Be safe, be fast, have fun!

Pan-fried Wild Mushrooms with Parmesan and Thyme Butter

There are a lot of things I love about mushrooms.  But one of my favorite mushroom stories actually involves Thatbrother. 

I love my brother, but like everyone else in our family he often speaks with authority about things he knows little about.  It's a family trait.  I'm not sure if it's learned or inherited, but there you go.

Like many Thatbrother stories, I don't remember the exact context of this one.  But like many Thatbrother stories what I do remember is the tagline - mushrooms are full of protein.  It's become a running joke in our house when talking about vegetables. 

I can see where he got this idea.  Portobellos are often subbed in for hamburger patties.  But it's not due to their high protein content, it's due to the fact they are so delicious on their own they work as a great meat substitute.

Mushrooms are fantastic like that.  You can make a whole meal out of them!  I mean, I enjoy celery as much as the next person, but when was the last time you made a bowl of celery and just sat and enjoyed?  There is nothing decadent about celery.

But a bowl of mushrooms, sauteed in butter and cream, topped with cheese?  Well that's just about indulgent as a "side dish" can get.

Pan-fried Wild Mushrooms with Parmesan & Thyme Butter
8oz wild mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp thyme leaves
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp chives
4 Tbsp Parmesan shavings

1. Heat the oil in a skillet.  Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and add to skillet.  Saute for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
2. Add the butter and thyme to the skillet. 
3. Once the butter starts to melt, stir in the cream and chives.  Cook for another 203 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally. 
4. Divide the mushroom mixture among warmed wide-rimmed bowls and scatter the Parmesan shavings on top.  Serve immediately with some crusty bread.

Crave Wednesday: The American Standard

In general I tend to overdo.  Go elaborate.  Take it to the limit. 

Things are rarely simple in my house.  I'm working on that.  I mean, if you've read this blog anytime in the past few months you'll see it is rife with complaints about how busy/tired I am.  I'm sure you're tired of reading about it!

So let's take things a step back.  To something simple.  Just a plain old burger simple.  No bells and whistles.  In theory it could be simpler.  You could leave the cheese off.  And in truth, I'm a huge fan of burgers without cheese.  But, baby steps. 

 Thatboy would tell you to use American cheese, I'm going to beg you not to use American cheese.  Because if you're going simple, the ingredients really do matter.  Heirloom tomatoes, a quality cheddar, and mixed baby greens make this simple burger something really special.

The American Standard (From Cooking Light)

1 lb lean ground sirloin

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

12 dill pickle chips

4 heirloom tomato  slices

lettuce

ketchup

4 whole grain hamburger buns

1. Divide sirloin into 4 patties.  Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
2. Place slice of cheese on each burger during last minute of cooking.
3. Place lettuce on bottom bun and top with burger, tomato, pickles, and ketchup.

Mommy Mondays: 10 months

Weight: 20lbs 10 oz (+12bs 6oz) - left over from last month
Height: 30.5 inches (+9.25 inches) - left over from last month
 Head: 18.1 inches - left over from last month

 

Sleep:  OH FRIENDS.  If I thought last month was bad, nothing compares to this month.  Every 2 hours?  HA!  That seemed decadent on those nights he would only sleep in 45 minute intervals.  Luckily he also came through that phase this month and went back to only waking once or twice.  Once he even slept all the way through the night!

Eating: When he was feeling under the weather in the early part of the month he pretty much stopped eating solids completely, and would only nurse - no bottles.  But after that passed he was back to eating and drinking his normal amount.  This month we learned that he absolutely loves lamb and coucous.  And chili (but really, who doesn't like chili?)

Best Moment: Playing in the pool with the boys in Arizona.

Monthly Wisdom: This month I'm going with "trust your mom instinct."  Everyone kept telling me Thatbaby was sick and/or had an ear infection.  Neither Thatboy nor I thought he was sick, in fact he was sleeping better than he had in weeks.  But we brought him in to Urgent Care....aaannndd he got a clean bill of health.  This works the other way too - if you feel like your kid is sick, bring them to the doctor, even if everyone tells you you're crazy.  No one knows your child like you do.

Goals for the Upcoming Month:
- Start working on Thatbaby's birthday party
- Survive another long cartrip
- Survive our first family camping trip.
- Get some more sleep.

Things Thatbaby is doing:
- kissing
- blowing kisses
- throwing his hands up in the air when we say "Raise your hands if you're happy"
- climbing on top of tables, boxes, pretty much anything he can climb on top of
- pointing where he wants to go
- holding his hands up to indicate he wants to be picked up

Sunday Runday: Zombies Run Virtual 5k

About 2 weeks ago I got a brown envelope in the mail.  I gleefully opened it to find a bib, operative report, and a top secret envelope.

It was my race packet for the Zombies Run Virtual race!

This virtual was unlike any other virtual race I've heard of done, in the best way possible.  To begin with, this was a virtual race with a community.  Once you signed up for the race, you were able to log on to a forum for the runners.  There other Runner 5s from all over the world talked about their experiences with the game/app, running, races, and of course, the training and running of the virtual race.

You could choose between a 10k or 5k.   The race worked like the app does, with the storyline coming in at certain intervals.  Both distances had the same storyline, but longer intervals between the breaking in.

Signing up for the race meant you also had access to 2 "training runs" - two storylines that were also 5ks and gave you background for the race story.

There was a range of a week in which to complete the virtual race.  Last weekend I needed to get in 9 miles, so I decided it was the perfect time to get in my 5k.

Since I had to do 9 miles,  I decided to do the 2 training runs and the 5k.  I also decided to head to the coast for my run.  It was the perfect setting, because the entire coast was robed in fog.  Giving it an eerie vibe as I ran.

I started in Del Mar and ran up through Solana Beach, which isn't the most scenic part of the run, but I love the wide sidewalks.

Shortly past the Cardiff Kook, I hit the half-way point and turned around.

When I got back to my car, I had my fun little prize waiting for me.

Inside I found a little pin, a commendation, and of course, the medal!

This was a really great virtual race.  One of my favorite aspects of races is the adrenaline and camaraderie, and you don't usually get that with virtual races.  I already love the Zombies Run! app, so this only solidified my adoration. 

And really, it doesn't hurt to get a medal after a random training run, right?

Spring Showers: Chicken Salad with Avocado

One of the things I love about chicken is how one bird can create so many different meals.  I love making a roast chicken on the weekend and using it for various dishes throughout the week.  That is, when we're home during the weekend.

But when we're out of town on the weekend I feel no shame in admitting I take shortcuts.  Like picking up a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking one myself.  I can still make a couple meals out of it, without having to actually be home to make it!

This is one of those quintessential leftover meals.  Or easy weeknight meals.  Or "hey I've got a chicken!" meals.  We always have a bag of Trader Joe's herb salad mix on hand, and I'm always a fan of salad with chicken. 

I eat salad year-round, but I do think it's fair to call this one a "spring" salad.  It's just so green.  I know - unlike other salads, which are also...green.  But the fresh herbs and leafy greens make me feel like winter is almost over.

This is especially important because the weather right now is very winter-y.  It's raining, it's pouring, Thatkid's baseball game last night was cancelled.  And the grey skies are fine during the week, in fact they're almost fitting with my mood as of late.  But they better clear up by this weekend when I've got a long run to squeeze in between the droplets.

Chicken Salad with Avocado

1 rotisserie chicken

juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup mayonnaise 

3 avocados

1/2 cup hazelnut oil

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Trader Joe's herb salad

1.  Remove the meat from the chicken and dice. Place in a bowl.
2. Add lemon juice and mayonnaise.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Halve the avocados and slice.  Arrange each half on its own plate.
4. Top the avocado halves with the chicken.
5. Whisk together the oil and vinegar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  
6. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat and place on top of chicken.