Hooray for Babies, and Nobabies

Let's divide the day into 2. First will be "pro baby" then we'll get into "I'm so glad I don't have a baby." Before we begin I should preface (oh come on, you knew this was coming). I do want kids some day. I love babies. I absolutely melt when I see this:
However, I want to wait till things are settled with us first. 2 jobs, a home, some time for the two of us, travel, before we get burdened with a life that can't take care of itself and is totally dependent and can't be crated during the day. I'm also not to keen on the idea of childbirth. I'm waiting for the day when an epidural can be given without needles.


Onto part 1:

My friend Lucy is due next month. NEXT MONTH! It's hard to believe that in a few short weeks she'll be one of those women with a stroller and bags under her eyes. She's so vibrant and full of love and life I know having a baby won't slow her down, but its still weird to think about. I mean it's always weird for me when my friends have babies because I really don't think of any of us as old enough to be "moms." I doubt I ever will.

Kim and I headed to her shower yesterday which was so beautifully done. Think "shabby chic" meets "baby shower." Lucy's having a boy so everything was blue - but in subtle ways so you didn't feel like you were underwater.
Linens dotted with blue country flowers, flower arrangements dotted with subtle blue accents - almost reminiscent of the most beautiful wedding centerpieces in the world.
Baby clothes were strung on the wall - both cute AND practical. I don't think these were props - they're the real thing.
The food was great, but the highlight, as always was the Sprinkle's cupcakes. They always make any party.


If you don't believe me. Ask Kim.

Lucy scored an amazing amount of great stuff. It almost makes me want to have a baby, except for the fact all the great stuff is for the baby - and I like it better when its for me.

Kim and I went in on the gift together, trying to add a personal touch in addition to some ridiculously cute baby gear we picked up. We used the tools available to us. Kim used her brain and fine motor skills to create this adorable diaper cake:
I used Jon's mad artistic skills to create some art for the baby's room. This picture:
along with one of Lucy's maternity pictures became this:

Fitting for a baby we've nicknamed "Nemo."


Part 2:

As much as I love/want a baby, there are times when I'm so glad its just the two of us. Last night was one of those nights. To celebrate the new job, Jon and I went out to La Fondue. It was dark, it was late, and there wasn't a crying/whining/screaming sound to be heard. Tucked away in a corner booth we were able to talk about things in our lives, where we were, where we are, and where we will be. We enjoyed salad, cheese fondue, and an exotic arrangement of meats which included buffalo, alligator, and ostrich. I'm so thankful Jon is open to trying new things, and he's equally lucky with me (although I recommended both the buffalo and ostrich since I'd had them before and really enjoy them). For dessert we had dark chocolate fondue with Baily's Irish Creme - a little different than the cookies and milk most children enjoy. Nights like this with the two of us remind me why I'm not in a hurry to add third (or a fourth if you count Ringo).

Appleicious

A to the P to the P-L-E.....well you get it. I always associate apples with fall, but during the winter, I start craving fruits. Perhaps its the cold weather because its surely not the lack of fruit which is plentiful year round in California. Perhaps it is my primative self, buried within who remembers long frozen winters. Whatever the reason, I need a daily dose of fruit in the winter, moreso than in the summer (although in the summer I eat enough fruit to feed a small country). Lately I've been buying strawberries, making smoothies, and even my own sorbet. Apple sorbet sounded good and easy - like frozen apple pie filling or applesauce. This actually tasted like frozen applesauce, which may be a good substitute if you're looking for something quick and easy.Apple Sorbet

4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1) Combine apples and lemon juice. Heat on stove in medium saucepan over medium heat with sugar for 10 minutes, until apples are soft.
2) Puree in food processor until smooth.
3) Place in ice cream maker and follow instructions for ice cream maker.

Serves 2.
Each serving has:

Calories		362.2
Total Fat		1.0 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		0.2 mg
Potassium		347.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate		94.1 g
Protein		0.6 g

More chili?

So I've already mentioned that I have found "the perfect chili" and therefore, you're probably surprised that I tried a different recipe. However, some recipes aren't suited for every purpose. We're getting ready to head up to Mammoth which means we'll need some hearty breakfasts and dinner. Jon's mom always makes black bean enchiladas when we go camping and the next morning repurposes the leftovers into a black bean omelette. Quick, easy, and filling. However, its not the most flavorful thing. Black bean chili however would make an excellent filling for enchiladas and omelettes. And chili freezes so beautifully!

This is sure to keep us warm as we're hitting the slopes.

Black Bean Chili

1 tsp EVOO
1 cup onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp adobo sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 cans black beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chopped green chiles

1) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute 3 minutes.
2) Add chili powder and next 6 ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Serves 4.
Each serving has:

285 Calories
3 grams fat
16.4 grams protein
53.2 grams carbohydrates
10.2 grams fiber
0 mg cholesterol
5 mg iron
643 mg sodium
139 mg Calcium

Chocolove

I rarely have chocolate cravings, so when I do - I give in. Totally and completely. The chocolaty-er the better. However, in comparison with others, I'm still a chocolate wuss. Take these brownies for instance. Others who go on a chocolate binge may eat an entire pan. Or half a pan. Me? I can't eat more than one. That's right. My chocolaty indulgence is one singular brownie. But when they're as rich and fudgy as these are, one is all it takes. I'm totally loving that dutch chocolate I bought at Sur La Table, its not sweet, but adds a wonderful depth of flavor. I don't think I can go back to my old cocoa ever again.

Chocolate Chocolate Brownies

5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup dutch cocoa
3 egg whites
1 egg
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder

1) Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter and chocolate in medium skillet over medium heat.
2) Add cocoa and mix well.
3) In medium bowl combine eggs and whisk. Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture.
4) Combine flour and baking powder. Mix into chocolate batter.
5) Pour batter into greased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake for 27 minutes.

Serves 16.
Each serving has:

Calories		146.4
Total Fat		5.1 g
Cholesterol		23.0 mg
Sodium		46.4 mg
Potassium		81.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate		25.0 g
Protein		2.8 g

So decadent

I wanted to make a really nice dinner on Friday night. It'd been a long week and I deserved something nice, something rich, something fancy, something that didn't take very long. Lamb cooks so quickly and is one of those "special night" meats. I usually save it for special occasions like Valentine's Day. It's always a crap shoot as to whether Jon will like it, because, as I've noted before, he always compares it to his dad's.

I saw this really cool recipe where the "crust" for the lamb was made ahead of time and refrigerated in sheet form and then draped over the lamb. This seemed so much easier than the usual breading method and I thought I could apply it here. Scientifically, the soft butter mixes with the bread crumbs and seasoning and then hardens in the fridge to give a great "sheet" which then "attaches" to the lamb as it cooks.

This lamb was just sinfully rich and delicate. And it took hardly any time at all to make, so I could sit back, relax and really enjoy a great meal. It even passed Jon's seal of approval which means this one's a keeper.

Tomato-Olive Crusted Lamb

1/2 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 Tbsp chopped lemon zest
1/8 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp green olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 Tbsp chopped basil leaves
pinch of cayenne pepper
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 rack of lamb, trimmed
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

1) In medium bowl combine sundried tomatotes, lemon zest, sugar, salt, olives, basil, and cayenne.
2) Add 2 Tbsp butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, and mix with electric mixer
3) Place mixture between 2 long pieces of plastic wrap and press into rectangle, big enough to cover rack of lamb. Refrigerate overnight.
4) Heat oven to 350. Heat oil in large roasting pan over high heat on stovetop. Season lamb with salt and pepper and place in pans. Sear 3 minutes on each side.
5) Transfer pans to oven, roast 5 minutes. Flip lamb; add 2 Tbsp butter, garlic, and thyme to pan. Roast 8 minutes.
6) Remove from oven, transfer lamb to broiling rack. Heat broiler. Remove crust from refrigerator and place over meaty portion of lamb, pressing down to fit. Broil pan 4 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let lamb rest 15 minutes, then cut into individual chops.
7) Place roasting pan over medium high heat ad add 1/2 cup wine. Simmer until most liquid has evaporated scraping bits to bottom of pans.
8) Add broth and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, stirring.
9) Place fine mesh strainer over medium saucepan; strain contents of both roasting pans into saucepan. Discard solids.
10) Add 1 Tbsp butter. Warm over low heat, stirring until butter melts. Serve gravy over lamb.

Serves 2.
Each serving has:

Calories		677.6
Total Fat		41.7 g
Cholesterol		161.3 mg
Sodium		1,168.6 mg
Potassium		1,160.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate		19.9 g
Protein		53.3 g

Weekend update

I'll borrow from my favorite bloggers and do a really quick update. Of course, I'll throw in some food info. Stay tuned all the way to the end and you'll get to hear why I've been so MIA lately.

Friday: I don't know why people always start weekend updates with Friday. By the time I get home from work I barely have time to put on pajamas, let alone do anything fun. This Friday was especially bad because there was an accident on the freeway that backed up traffic for about an hour. Which made my normal hour commute into a 2.5 hour commute. I came home, made a FABULOUS dinner - one of my best ever (recipe tomorrow) and went straight to bed.

Saturday: I slept in all the way till 10:15! And I only woke up then because my lovey husband brought be breakfast in bed. He totally redeems himself sometimes. We then headed out to the beach. Jon went to surf for a bit, and I headed for a run with Ringo. I took him on one of my favorite trail runs. He was very impressed. Then it was a quick shower before heading to the movies with my parents. We saw Charlie Wilson's War. Excellent. Really good, but then again, when has Tom Hanks made a bad movie since Joe versus the Volcano....It was a perfect mix of humor and pathos and led to an interesting political conversation after.

Then it was time for shopping! We're heading to Yosemite and Mammoth in 2 weeks and with all this snow we needed new boots! How cute are mine?
After shopping, I headed over to my very first divorce party! It was to celebrate the finalization of R's divorce and the beginning of her new life which is already off to a pretty exciting start. Ahh to be young and single again. But the fun doesn't stop there! It was off to celebrate Bill's birthday. It's always a good time when Liz and Bill have a party. This time was no exception. Lots to drink and great company - the combination for a perfect party every time.

Sunday: Once everyone was up we headed to one of my favorite breakfast places. Original Pancake House. However, there was a long wait and we were all pretty hung over so we headed for the next best thing - El Torito Grill Brunch. The food was excellent, but when did they add the mariachis? Not impressed. Of course it wasn't too long before the superbowl was about to start. I brought a lot of food, and I wasn't the only one - there was so much to eat and it was all delicious.

At this point I would like to RAVE about a new cookbook. It's not really new. I got it as a wedding present and wasn't too impressed. Until I started flipping through it a couple weeks ago. The recipes looked REALLY good! And then I started trying them out. The recipes ARE really good! I used it as my base and everything was a HUGE hit. What's this fantastic book you ask? The Bride and Groom's First and Forever Cookbook. Insanely cheesy, but excellent recipes!!!! I made my own croutons and cesar dressing after finding recipes for them in the book. I had a second thought about bringing salad to a football party, but I'm glad I did. It was devoured almost instantly.

And what superbowl party would be complete without chili? This recipe was so good, Jon declared it his new favorite. I declared it would become our family recipe. It was really easy, and so flavorful. I tweaked the recipe by using 3 cans of diced tomatoes instead of 4 cans of crushed tomatoes, and a little less ground beef.

For snacking, there was herbed buttermilk popcorn. Jessica and Kim discovered this, and as a result, no one else got any. That's definitely a complement.

I also brought chips and dip. This was another recipe I modified by using less salsa - I didn't mix it with the red peppers, just putting the red peppers on themselves. I like using fresh veggies instead of salsa, and think its more visually appealing.

Ringo had such a good time, he passed out. First time ever. Pay close attention, because who knows if you'll ever see this site again.


Monday: So the reason I've been so MIA lately is because I've been doing lots of interviewing. It's really a good thing - because I've gotten a lot of positive responses. So imagine my surprise last week when my current boss pulled me aside to offer me a position at my current firm! I love my job, I love the location, and I love the people I work with. I spent some time thinking about it and calling back the places I was still waiting to hear back from, before accepting it this morning. I now have a job. An honest to goodness, big girl, lawyer job. In the area of law I always wanted to practice in. In the town/city/county I wanted to live/work in. It's a big deal and I feel oh so lucky!!!!