Birthday and Beaches: Vanilla Ice Cream

Because Saturday wasn't busy enough with a race, parade, festival, and swim lessons, we thought we should stick something else in there too. Sunday was Thatbrother's birthday, so Saturday we headed up to Laguna Beach to have dinner with him, UDubb, and Baby B.  It was their first dinner out with the baby, and I feel for them!  I remember those days of trying to balance a new baby and regular life.

It's been a while since we've been to Laguna Beach.  We pointed out to Thatbaby the place we got married, and after dinner we went for a family walk on the beach.  The boys watched the waves and kicked sand before Thatbaby found a playground to run amok through.

Hanging out on the beach after dinner was such a summer feeling.  In general, we don't have those warm summer nights I remember from my childhood.  Mostly because it never gets that hot here, and so when it cools down at night, it really cools down.  But these past few weeks have been different.  It's been east coast hot here - this weekend it was 100 degrees where I lived, and humid!  That sticky heat where you wish you were wearing more clothes, just so you can take them off.  The ice cream portion of summer. 

The great thing about ice cream in the summer, is that it doesn't have to be fancy.  Something sweet and simple is very appreciated on a hot evening.  Or hot afternoon.  Heck, who are we kidding- you know you're throwing a scoop in your ice coffee in the morning too.  Some people go gaga for chocolate ice cream.  But for me?  An unadulterated vanilla is the way to go. 

Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 cups hot milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 pint heavy cream

1. Mix the sugar, salt, and egg yolks together in a heavy-bottomed pan.  
2. Slowly stir in the hot milk.
3. Cook, continuing to stir until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and sitr.
4. Strain, then add the cream.
5. Add the vanilla extract.  Chill.  Process in your ice cream maker.

Solo Swimming: Apple Salad

We get worse every year.  Last year we enrolled Thatbaby in swim lessons moments before the last session of the season, rushing out the door in order to make it.  This year we completely missed all the summer sessions.  We didn't want a whole other year to go by without him getting dedicated pool time.  Since Thatboy and I don't really have off for the summers anyway, we decided we might as well enroll him in a fall session of swimming. 

Saturday was the first class.  We went to a later class than the one we enrolled in so we could attend the Grape Day festivities.  The class we went to ended up having no other students enrolled, giving Thatbaby a private lesson.  We were a little nervous about how the lesson was going to go.  Up until now all Thatbaby's lessons had been "parent and me" lessons, with us in the water with him.  This was just him and the instructor.  And although we had talked to him about it, up until Saturday he kept insisting that we be in the pool too.  When Saturday arrived however, he was more than happy to jump into the water and swim with a total stranger.  Letting her hold him, swimming to her, swimming from her, like they were old friends.  I think we're going to keep him in the later class since he does so well in it and he gets some good 1 on 1 attention.

It's funny to me that we're doing swim lessons in September, because that's such a fall month for me.  I associate swimming with summer, and September with things like apple picking.  And we do have that on the horizon!  But apples are the herald of autumn for me.  The same way citrus is my winter fruit.  I've already started using apples in my cooking.  Especially salads.  I've been chopping them up into our green salads, but they make a fantastic salad all on their own.  With the yogurt and dried fruit, it's almost more of a dessert than a side dish!

Apple Salad

4 green apples, cored and chopped

1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1. Combine all ingredients, stirring to coat in yogurt.

Grape Day: Sweet Potato Salad

I love the idea of food festivals.  They celebrate local flavor in the best way possible.  Garlic festivals, chili festivals, cheese festivals - what's not to love?  I've been trying to get to the Vista Strawberry Festival for years, but it never quite works out.  But this year we were able to hit up the Escondido Grape Day Festival.

Grape Day started in 1908 as a way to celebrate the grape harvest.  I knew Temecula, home of our "wine county" was known for grapes, but I didn't realize that Escondido was a grape haven too.  Although 1908 was long before vineyards were a thing in California.  I do have to say, that Escondido grapes are some of the best I've ever had, so maybe they're on to something?

The Festival started with a race- just a little 5k.  There'll be a review forthcoming this weekend.  The whole family attended, even Thatdog.  After the race we walked over to grab some breakfast and a seat for the upcoming parade.

This was Thatbaby's first parade, and his favorite part of the weekend.  He loved the horses, the bands, the cheerleaders and the classic cars.

 After the parade, it was time to head over to Grape Day Park, which is where the actual festival was taking place. 

There were vendor booths and carnival rides.  Thatbaby is at the age where he loves rides and wanted to ride them all.

Grape Day Park is also the location of the original train station in Escondido, which has been restored to its former glory and houses a little train-station museum inside.  

 Outside is a restored mail car.  The interior holds a miniature train which retraces the route from Oceanside to Escondido.

Grape Day Park is also home to a grape-themed playground.  Which Thatbaby was thrilled to explore.

And of course, it wouldn't be a grape festival without grapes!

The Grape Day Festival was a lot of fun, but it was really hot out!  Like swelteringly hot. We are experiencing the hottest part of our summer right now.  Which is funny, because it's September.  Which is when it usually starts cooling down. We're in a weird place between summer and fall.  Like this potato salad.  Potato salads are a quintessential summer food, perfect for picnics and barbecues.  But sweet potatoes?  Sweet potatoes are for fall.  Does anything seem more autumnal than roasted sweet potatoes? So combine the two and you have a dish that's perfect for late summer/early fall.  It's perfect for bridging the gap between the two seasons.

Sweet Potato Salad

 2 sweet potatoes, diced

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 red onion, diced

1/3 cup finely diced celery
2 tsps freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

 

1. Place potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Soak the raisins in hot water for 15 minutes and then drain. 
3. Combine sweet potatoes, raisins, and remaining ingredients.  Mix gently.  Refrigerate overnight.

Veggie Stromboli

 

You guys, this weekend was crazy.  So crazy in fact that it blended into Monday.  And I have so much to share from this weekend, but right now I am exhausted, and as usual still days behind where I'd like to be.  So instead of sharing all the crazy adventures we got ourselves into, I will just leave you with what we had for dinner tonight.  It's the ultimate cliff hanger, right?  Stay tuned for the rest of the week and hopefully I'll have the energy to entertain.  In the meantime - delicious food.

It was hot this weekend.  Really, really, hot.  Sticky, summer hot.  And as much as I complain, it's nice that summer is sticking around a little.  Even though it's killing everything in our yard, summer heat also means lots of summer produce.  Which means dinners loaded with fresh, juicy, vegetables.

Both Thatboy and I tried to describe a stromboli to Thatbaby in the same way.  It's like a pizza.  With the crust on the outside and the toppings on the inside.  I don't always prefer stromboli to pizza, but this time I did.  The ooey-gooey cheese, the bite of the olives and capers, and of course, the star - vegetables!

 Veggie Stromboli

2 zucchini, sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 packed cups spinach leaves

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

2 Tbsps capers

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

pizza dough

1 cup shredded Gouda

1 egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water 

 

1. Place zucchini in a colander and toss with 1 tsp salt.  Let sit for 1 hour.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion and green pepper until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 
3. Season  with salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, saute until fragrant, about 30 minutes. 
4. Add roasted and crushed red pepper, saute 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a large bowl.
5. Drain zucchini and pat dry, add to skillet with pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook, turning often until zucchini are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. 
6. Add to the bowl with the onion/pepper mixture along with the spinach, olives and capers. Mix well.
7. Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking pan with silpat mat or parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Roll or press out dough with your hands to a rectangle about 16x12. 
8. Evenly spread vegetable mixture over top, leaving a 1-2 inch border around all the edges. 
9. Sprinkle Gouda evenly over top. 
10. Brush egg wash over the border. Carefully roll up, lengthwise.  Press edges together to seal and fold the ends.The seam should be on the bottom. 
11. Brush with egg wash.  Bake 22-24 minutes until golden brown. Allow to set 5 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.

Mommy Mondays: Tantrums

Babies, those little non-mobile, non-talking lumps of cuteness are a little on the boring side.  But the plus side of this is that they don't argue with you, they have no opinions, and really, they only open their mouth to let you know they're hungry or something's wrong.

As they get older, kids develop "feelings" and "opinions."  Unfortunately, what they don't develop as quickly is communication - both verbal and emotional.  And that results in tantrums!

Obviously, it's different for every family based on the child's development, but for us, tantrums started at 13 months.  The screaming.  The crying.  The hitting.  He had needs and wants, fears and frustrations, and he didn't know have the ability to express himself.  So we dealt with him with the two main tools for toddler tantrums - distraction and redirection.

Distraction and redirection are fantastic - and we still use them today.  Because sometimes that's all it takes.  A quick mention of a lizard in the driveway may be enough to get the focus shifted elsewhere.  Or moving him away from the object that continues to cause the frustration (for you or the child).

Eventually, Thatbaby's verbal vocabulary grew, and he was able to express to us things he wanted.  And that made things a lot easier.  Of course, as Thatdad used to tell me, you can't always get what you want.  Which doesn't play all that well with the toddler set.  It's hard and it's frustrating to have someone always telling you what you can and can't do.  Which leads to all sorts of trouble as he tests his limits to see how far he can go.  And then the inevitable tantrum when he hits that limit.  (Right now that's when he tells us "You not my friend" like last night when I was not his friend because I told him that if he didn't get ready for bath we wouldn't be able to watch television in the evenings.)  So here are some of the tools we use to deal with the tantrums now:

• Pick your battles.  I have never been good at this one - until I had a child.  All of a sudden, I can play chess.  I see the move in front of me, anticipate his move, and can tell which of several actions will play out.  So I ask myself, is it really worth it to have to deal with a tantrum because he is insisting to wear sweat pants in 90 degree weather? Wanna be hot kid?  Have at it.  And I'll just stick this pair of shorts in my bag for when you get sweaty and warm.

• Set yourself up for success - One of the big reasons for toddler meltdowns is when you give them something and they want something else.  Choices are a great way to avoid the inevitable tantrum.  As I said before, you can't always get what you want - but sometimes you can.  And I take advantage of those times.  It gives the toddler a feeling that they do have some control over their world.  So every morning Thatbaby gets to pick out his own cereal bowl.  I give him the choice of 2 shirts to wear.  I never pour him something to drink without asking what type of glass he wants it in.  Sure these are little things, but little things are what toddler tantrums are all about.

• Be a good listener - 90% of the time toddler tantrums are completely irrational.  (We get them all the time when the sun is too sunny)  But I still work on getting to the root of the problem.  Personally, I think it helps with emotional development to help them articulate what they're feeling, and help them to understand why.  And sometimes the answer to the question "why are you feeling upset?"  can very well be "I don't know."  Which serves as a great discussion starter for the fact that it's okay to feel upset, and acceptable behaviors for those feelings.

• Ignore - sometimes.   You'll get a feel for those situations.  Is your child raging because you told them we don't eat chocolate cookies for breakfast?  The sun is too sunny?  Green sounds too loud?  Well buddy, I am very sorry that makes you upset.  When you are done being upset, you know where to find me.  I give great hugs.

• Natural Consequences - If you watched the Parent Trap growing up you might be more familiar with this as "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime."  A reaction to behavior should be quick and responsive.  Throw a toy?  That toy gets taken away.  Can't behave/not listening at the park?  We go home.  You and I are used to natural consequences because we deal with them on a daily basis.  Go to work drunk?  You're going to get sent home or fired.  The decisions we make affect what happens to us, so it's great to get started on that early.  Ball is in your court kid - whatcha gonna do with it?
 

• Cool down time - We don't do timeouts.  I'm not against them by any means, I just don't think they'd be effective with my kid.  If I sent him to go sit somewhere, chances are he's not going to.  And then it becomes a battle of will as I hold him down.  Which is not what I'm interested in.  When he gets really out of control, I'll tell him he needs to calm down.  I'll suggest he sits in his comfy chair, and will even fetch his favorite stuffed dog for him to hold. Then I ask if he would like to be alone, or if he would like me to sit with him while he calms down.  Usually he wants me to sit with him.  So we sit together, him in his chair with his dog, me beside him.  Once he calms himself, we can talk about what caused the hysteria, what he did, and what appropriate behaviors are in that situation. 

• Consistency - This is the key to all forms of parenting and discipline.  Tantrums can not be effective.  They just can't.  Cave and you reinforce that fact that screaming, yelling, and crying will get you what you want - eventually.  Just have to wear mom/dad enough.  So if you said that was the last cracker, or 1 more slide down before you go, or they chose the red cup, then that's it, end of story.  And if a tantrum occurs, scroll back up the list to find a way to handle it, or use your very own problem-solving solution.  Because there are dozens more ways to handle a temper tantrum, and all have varying degrees of success depending on the child.  So find what works for you and hang in there!

Sunday Runday: Disneyland 10k

We're rolling hot and heavy into racing season people!  Which means that for the foreseeable future Sunday Rundays are going to be made up of race reports.  Starting with this one - a race report for the Disneyland 10k.

Oh the Disney Races.  They have their definite downsides - they are, pure and simple, a cash cow for Disney.  They are not races for those that love to run.  They are some of the most expensive races out there, and very little is included in the cost of the race - not even parking.  Now, that being said, I do love the Disney races.  They are well organized, it's fun to run through the empty parks, and the courses for the shorter races (5ks and 10ks) are some of the best out there.  The half marathons are fine, but you can't run 13 miles through the parks, so there's a lot of running through the streets of Anaheim.

On Friday Thatbaby and I headed up to Anaheim to hit up the expo before the race.  My kid is such a good sport - after sitting in the car (okay sleeping) he hung tight for 30 minutes for us to find parking, and then waded through the expo with me.  So of course I had to give him some kind of reward.  Like a trip to the Lego Store.

 The original plan involved the entire family waking up and going to the race with me.  But when I realized the race started at 5:30am, I suggested that I go it alone.  I figured traffic and parking would be a nightmare, meaning I needed to leave the house at 3:30am, waking earlier than that.  It would be cruel to insist anyone else do the same.

But Thatmom insisted she wanted to come with me.  So we set our alarms for 3am and headed out shortly thereafter.

Thatmom ended up having a blast waiting with me for the race to start.  She loved all the costumes and decided that next year, she wanted to do it to as her first 10k!

I was appropriately outfited up - not in a very elaborate costume, but I think people could get what I was going for.

 At 4:15, they hearded us into our corrals.  Since I was corral C, I had quite a bit of time on my hands, since they did a wave start, meaning we wouldn't actually start till somewhere around 5:40.  There was entertainment in the form of Elvis impersonators and "characters."  This year's theme was Lilo and Stich (okay, really Stitch.  There wasn't a sign of Lilo to be found)  So Hawaiian garb and Elvis abounded.  In fact, in the areas where there was piped in music, it was The King serenading us as we ran through the parks.

 Eventually it was our turn!  Yay!  As soon as we got the sign, Corral C was off and running.  The girls beside me remarked "Why is everyone going so fast?"  (Told you it wasn't a runner's race!)  The first 2 miles were on the quiet, dark, streets of Anaheim.  I kind of liked getting that part out of the way first, and finishing in the parks.  The half marathons start in the parks, and finish outside, but it's nice to get the boringer part done first.  Shortly after Mile 2, we headed in to California Adventure.  The sun was just beginning to come up, giving that pretty dawn glow to everything.

One of the best parts of the Disney races are the character interactions.  The characters are out for photo ops with Disney staff standing by to take your pictures for you.  I decided before the race that I would only stop for characters Thatbaby would know, in an attempt to impress him.  Unfortunately Thatbaby doesn't watch many movies, and tends to be more Dreamworks than Disney, which left my list at "Lightening McQueen, Ariel, Mickey, Minnie, and Mr. Incredible."  Even more unfortunately, there were very very few character opportunities at this race.  Less than any I had run before.  Which means I only took one picture with a celebrity.  Mr. Lightening McQueen.

 And yes, Thatbaby was very impressed.  Although he did ask why McQueen wasn't talking in my picture.  We wove through California Adventure for the next mile and a half, before heading into Disneyland itself.  Bringing us to my favorite part of any Disney race - running down Mainstreet toward Sleeping Beauty's castle.

The course took us through Tomorrowland, Toontown and Fantasyland before sending us back towards Sleeping Beauty's castle, this time to run through.

Then we went through Adventureland and Frontierland before heading back out to Downtown Disney.

At that point, there was just half a mile to go until the Finish Line!

Even with stopping to wait in line to take pictures, and stopping along the route to take pictures, I only ended up 4 minutes shy of my 10k personal record.  Not too shabby! 

Summer Soba Noodles

You probably didn't know that noodles were seasonal, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.  You don't want a heavy bolognese in the heat of summer.  And somehow a bowl of spaghetti dressed with fresh tomatoes and olive oil just doesn't seem to fit a cold winter night.

I really like soba noodles in the spring and summer.  The buckwheat flavor seems lighter than the typical noodle, and carries so much flavor that a heavy sauce would not do it justice.  So instead, I load it with meats and veggies, letting the flavors of each ingredient speak for itself.  Each one expertly blending with the others as though their only goal in life was this moment, this bite. 

Soba noodles don't give you that heavy feeling that some noodle dishes do.  Instead you feel satiated.  Full, but not uncomfortable.  Ready to enjoy these last few days of summer.

Summer Soba Noodles

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb thinly sliced pork
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced

 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1 cup green beans, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
  12 oz shiitake mushrooms
1 pkg soba noodles
4 green onions, sliced

1. Heat oil over medium high heat in wok. Saute garlic and onions until tender. 
2. Add pork, chicken and shrimp, and cook until browned. 
3. Stir in soy sauce. 
4. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. 
5. Add cabbage, green beans, carrots and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender crisp, about 5 minutes. 
6. Add noodles, mixing gently to prevent them from breaking. Cook until liquid is absorbed and noodles are done, about 10 minutes. 
7. Garnish with green onions.

Babies and Bowls: Carnitas Bowl

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.  As usual it marks the descent into madness around these parts, starting early Saturday morning and continuing into November.  I'll update about the race portion of the weekend on Sunday, but the other highlight of the long weekend was getting to spend time with Baby B.

Thatbaby and I made several visits to our cutest little family member.  I had completely forgotten what it feels like to hold a baby that actually fits in your arm, as opposed to Thatbaby who wants to be held all the time, but takes two arms and a forklift to carry around.  At one point I was holding Baby B and balancing Thatbaby on a knee as we sat around the table talking to Thatbrother and UDubb.

And Thatbaby is adorably smitten with his new cousin.  He wanted to watch her, to touch her, to hug her, and he spent a great deal of time singing her his new favorite song.

We came home on Monday and swept right back into the swing of things, a birthday party Monday night and a very eventful weekend on the horizon - I think we have at least 6 events planned for those 2 days!  The fall rush means easy dinners abound around these parts.  Because there's just no time for anything else.  And repurposing leftovers is a big help.  This is especially helpful when you make a big crockpot full of carnitas - of which there is always leftover.  For nights like that, it doesn't get easier than throwing some carnitas over some rice and beans.  This also makes an excellent "next day lunch" which is one of my favorite things to do with leftovers.

Carnitas Bowl

3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon orange zest (lemon or lime works too, but as I've said before, having an orange tree in the backyard means using lots of oranges)
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups pico de gallo
2 cups carnitas
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, chopped

1. Combine rice with cilantro and orange zest.  
2. Place rice in bowls and top with black beans and half of the pico de gallo.
3. Top the beans with carnitas and remaining pico de gallo.
4. Top with cheese, sour cream, and green onions. 

Breakfast and a Boat: French Fry and Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Where I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, summers meant lots of time spent on the lake.  Fishing, boating, tubing.  It was a great place to spend those long, hot, summer days.

This past week has been a strange one here.  The humidity has been intense - unusual for Southern California.  Combined with the thunderstorms, it felt a little like Hawaii.  And with the heat, it felt like those summers I grew up with. 

So over the weekend, we decided to head to the lake.  Or "a lake" to be more precise, because there are several in San Diego County.  But on Saturday I picked up a magazine that spoke of Dixon Lake and the historic stories of old San Diegoans heading to camp there in the summer.  So we went to check it out.

 

The lake itself is picturesque, and in many way reminded me of the lakes I grew up with. With the exception of those mountains!  The lake sits in a basin, surrounded by mountains and trees.  You can't swim in the water, but you can boat.  And so boat we did.

 

We rented a peddle boat for the four of us.  It was Thatbaby's first time on one of these and he had a blast.  He was so quiet, sitting there and taking it all in.  But everytime we asked if he was having a good time he would nod his head very seriously.

Thatboy remarked to TMIL that she probably didn't think she'd be "camping" while they were here.  For him, being on the lake reminded him of his summers camping with his family.  With that in mind, I wanted to indulge him in a "camping" type breakfast.  Camping is in quotes here because I always tease Thatboy that his family, who proclaimed themselves to be avid campers, never actually camped.  They camped in lodges or campers, always with a working stove and oven.  So while my camping experiences involved cooking over an open flame, they ate the same foods they would have at home.  This is that kind of breakfast.  Filling, a great use of last night's leftovers, and there's something about breakfast casseroles that make you think about sleeping in a tent.  Maybe that's just me.  Since we know Thatboy has very little tent experience!

Bacon and Potato Breakfast Casserole

4 slices thick bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8  eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups french fries

1. Heat the oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with baking spray.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp.
3. Add the onion, yellow bell pepper, garlic, and salt to taste, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
5. Whisk in the milk. 
6. Whisk in some salt and pepper. 
7. Stir in the cheese, french fries, bacon and vegetables.   Pour the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes.

Whines, Wines, and Cake: Charlotte Russe

TMIL heads back home today.  Just in time.  I honestly don't know how much more I could take.  You know what they say about fish and house guests?  Well we definitely passed the three day mark. 

It's really hard to share space.  TMIL is so critical that she will literally look for anything she can sink her negative hooks on to, which means I spend the entire time she's here playing cheerleader.  Everything's great!  Everything's perfect!  It's exhausting. 

Since TMIL loves her wine (in a rather unhealthy way given that her doctors have told her she needs to cut it out) we thought she would enjoy a trip to wine country.  We spent the afternoon sitting at a table enjoying wine and cheese while she complained that she only liked whites and they didn't have enough whites for her to drink (as she continued to steal sips of our reds and declare how good they were even though she doesn't like reds).  Then we came home and she refused to eat dinner because she already had cheese.  Good times.

I'm celebrating her departure, and celebrations mean cake.  Or something cake-like.  This was actually inspired by the purchase of a charlotte mold.  I love getting old baking tools - there's something so nostalgic about it.  And now I actually have the space to house them in my kitchen.  It's a dangerous place to be.

Do you know about charlottes?  They're a French baked dish which are filled sponge cakes.  Like a very fancy twinkie.  The Charlotte Russe is a sponge cake filled with bavarian cream.  It's one of those dishes that looks fancier than it actually is.  And perfect for any form of celebration, big or small.

 

Charlotte Russe

1 envelope gelatin

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1cup heavy cream

sponge cake

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and let it soften for 5 minutes.
2. Mix the sugar and milk in a pan, add the gelatin , and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar and gelatin dissolve.  
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Chill until  thick and syrupy, then beat until fluffy.
4. Whip the cream into soft peaks and fold in the gelatin mixture.  
5. Line a 1 1/2 quart charlotte mold with 1/2 inch thick slices of sponge cake.
6. Spoon in the filling and chill until firm.  Unmold before serving.

Mommy Mondays: Advice for a New Mom

Baby B is my first "real" niece.  Both Thatniece and Thatnephew were born when Thatboy and I were still dating, so I wasn't invested in them from the start the way I am with Baby B.  Add to the fact that my brother is one of my favorite people in the entire world, and the fact that I've already "been there done that" in terms of babies, it's really all I can do not to swoop in and take that baby from them every time they have an issue.

But it's not too hard to call back to those early days myself.  Those days when every person you met had "advice" for how to raise your new baby.  "Let your baby cry to develop its lungs"  "Don't hold the baby too much or you'll spoil it."  "You should fill the bottle with cereal so the baby sleeps through the night."  It's overwhelming.

Really, there is one piece of advice that every new mom should have, and one that I passed along to UDubb:  You are doing a great job.  You have carried this baby for 9 months.  You know her better than anyone does.  Go with your gut, because only you really know what's best for your baby.

You know what?  New parents are going to make mistakes.  It's inevitable.   But what they don't need is people making them feel like things they are doing right are mistakes.  My best advice is to build them up, give them the confidence.  Babies don't break easily (their skeletons aren't even really fully solidified yet!) and new parents are inherently nervous.  So why add to that?

I firmly believe that no matter what difficulty is thrown their way, Thatbrother and UDubb, like every other new parent before them, will figure it out.  And its much easier to do that without a million people telling you that you're doing it wrong, or trying to give you a better way to do it.  So the next time a new mom asks you for advice?  Tell her she's doing a fantastic job.  And the next time you're questioning yourself?  Remember, you're doing it all right.

Sunday Runday: Skirtin' Free

A couple of weeks ago, my friend SD Mom hosted a running event in conjunction with Running Skirts.  It was a running and shopping event.  Seeing as how I'm a fan of both of those things, it was a no-brainer that I would attend.

When I arrived SD Mom had a whole little goody table set up, with MamaChia squeezes, Nutzo, bagels, bananas and more.  She takes such good care of us.  Once everyone got there, we headed out for a run.

We did a short little coastal run, stopping on the way back for a little selfie action.  We went out in different groups.  I picked the latest (sleep-in-est) group.  We all got back to the store at the same time though.

After we rehydrated and refueled, we were turned loose in the store.

I'm already well acquainted with Running Skirts.  Thatboy introduced me years ago when he stumbled in one day while waiting for an oil change.  He came home with a pretty pink bag, filled with a pretty pink skirt.  And he loves spoiling me there around the holidays.  It's his one stop, stocking filling shop.

In general, I'm not a big skirt/short runner.  On long runs, where I turn into a sweaty mess, I do my best to avoid chafing.  But the thing that I like about Running skirts is that they have built in compression-like shorts.  That are fairly long.  Long enough that my thighs don't rub together.  And what's more important is that they don't ride up.  And they're super cute.  (See how good I am?  I put function over fashion!)  And they have a little pocket for keeping little things. 

One of the reasons I attended this shindig was because I wanted to pick up a new skirt for the race I'm running next weekend at Disneyland.  2 guesses as to what my running costume is going to be.

Special thank you to SD Mom for putting this event together.  Isn't she the cutest/best?