I'm Not Dead, just Recovering from November

Have you ever picked up a calendar and flipped to your birthday month?  I do, and I am usually disappointed.  After poor February, November has the worst images.  Its always abandoned barns, trees without leaves, wet, sad, faded leaves or really ugly cornucopias.

I really don't hate turning another year older.  Its not the age, its the fact that another year has rolled by, and I am faced with how much I didn't accomplish.  Winter is closing in, and there are only three more paychecks until Christmas.

Thankfully (yes, I still like celebrating Thanksgiving) we are now in December, one of the best months of the year.  Sure, winter is still cold, but it just doesn't seem so bad for a few weeks.  I am also thankful for a patient and supportive husband, a beautiful innocent baby and brain meds.  Life keeps going and funks come and go.

So now that I got that out of my system, on to more exiting news.  I hadn't realized until it was brought up at our Thanksgiving dinner, but I hadn't really announced that baby Daniel finally figured out crawling.  He did this just after his first birthday and has been doing the army crawl and the worm all over the house.

Here is Daniel coming over to ask for a cookie:

Video of the week - Daniel and the Cookie

Well, my brilliant child decided that nibbling on a teething biscuit was much too inefficient, so he shoved the whole thing in at once.

Recipe of the Week - Sweet Potato Hash

I was given this recipe from my friend Kate, and she got it from the April 2010 Better Homes and Gardens.  Using the microwave really helps cut down on the sweet potato cooking time.  I love avocado and cilantro, and because this is meatless, it is pretty inexpensive.

Start by cutting 2-3 sweet potatoes into fourths.  I placed them into a glass dish and microwaved them for 8 minutes.  Once they were cooled enough to handle, I chopped them into bite sized peices and put them in a skillet with some vegetable oil.

Then I cooked until a little crispy.  The original recipe called for canned southwestern style corn, but I thought it was better and stretched further using frozen corn and a can of black beans.  After everything was heated through, I sprinkled in some chili powder.  The amount will vary for each family.

Once served, everyone can choose how to top their plate.  Not everyone likes cilantro or avocado although most will like the salsa mixed in the sour cream.  Baby Daniel even liked eating it, smooshed a little without the toppings.  He is a big fan of sweet potatoes and black beans.

As you can see, I like lots of avocado and sour cream with mine. :-)  Here is the link for anyone who wants the whole recipe for Sweet Potato Hash.

Cake!

As promised, birthday cake:

One Year

Dear Daniel,

One year ago, on October 28, you came into this world. You were surprisingly quiet and calm, considering how much you kicked to get out in the first place. Your Daddy fell in love on the spot, and your Mommy was a little in shock that you were actually here.

We didn't know what to expect, and we were honestly pretty afraid of you before we got to meet you. But once you were in our arms, we knew that we had been given a gift. At first, you didn't do much, but you wouldn't know that listening to your parents. "Look, he blinked!" Look, he's breathing!" "Look how well he moves his arms and legs!" We called it "Baby TV" and we watched for hours on end.

At each stage, we thought you were perfect and couldn't get any better, but then you would learn something new, and we would go crazy. Very early on we found that you are serious about learning new things. Ever object you encounter is studied very carefully by you, using your eyes, hands and mouth.

As you have grown so quickly this year, we have continued to be amazed at every accomplishment. Your smile and laughter delight us, and your tears break our hearts. Your Dad and I feel a little bad for you that you have to break us in as first time parents, but we know that our love for you will make everything OK.

Domestic Goddes

Well, another week of being a homemaker.  I have had hand cramps fun clipping coupons and going to multiple stores to get the best deals and figuring out what meals go best with what we have.  Actually, I lucked out this week and had most ingredients on hand for a couple of meals.

Dinner on Monday was a new recipe, Egg Pie.  I used the eggs from a buy on get one sale last week, and a leftover partial package of frozen hash browns.  It turned out really good and made enough for lunch the next day!

Last nights Creamy Potato Leek Soup dinner was actually made for my lunch while baby Daniel was napping.  I had the cream and bacon from previous meals, and the chicken stock was homemade and in my freezer.  The Yukon gold potatoes and leeks were from my CSA produce box.  I followed the recipe exactly and I also mashed half of the potatoes after they cooked to thicken the soup.  With only 5 ingredients it was simple but really flavorful.

I have also been planning out our Christmas cards for this year, and I am excited for stamping club on Saturday.  Hopefully I will have some good pictures of my projects.

Tooth!

Our little toothless wonder is no longer toothless!  We were shopping today and I found a small stuffed toy for him that he was holding in the shopping cart.  When I noticed that the tag was being rapidly eaten, I fished out what remained from his mouth.  Low and behold, I found a tooth, on the lower right side.  So far, I have not been bitten, but that initiation will be happening soon I am sure.  We took pictures of this momentous event. 

Is there a tooth in there?????

"No mommy, no tooth"

How about a tooth in here?????

 "No mommy, still no tooth to be found"

Baby escapes the camera for now, but mommy will try again another day.

Water park

For Dan's 31st birthday celebration, I surprised him with a day at the local indoor water park.  Our friend Kate and her two children, Evie (almost 4) and Logan (10 months) spent several days with us so we all went together.  The Splasher's water park has enough for the kids and the adults, so we all had fun.

This was a first for Baby Daniel, and I was nervous that he would be scared of all the noise in there.  But he had a blast!  He went down a slide with us and kept trying to grab the water spouts.  He even went on the Lazy River in my lap.  We played until the babies turned blue, then went and blew some money in the arcade.

We wrapped up the day with a feast of Chinese take-out.  Needless to say, we all slept well that night!

The Sound of Leaves

Baby Daniel and I have been really enjoying the weather this last week. We have gotten out for several walks near our house. The trees lining the sidewalks are just letting their leaves go softly as we walk underneath them. Daniel is very active as we walk, looking from side to side and looking down to watch our shadows. He loves the sound of crunching leaves, and he reaches out to touch bushes and low hanging branches. The whole world is exciting to him. As we pass by children playing ball, he turns his head to watch them with fascination.

It hurts to think how we will be closed in with the cold much too soon. If all goes well, this will be our last winter in Grand Forks, and I dread its coming. However, I will enjoy this fall season with all of my might and the holiday season to come. Sharing this time with Daniel is very special as we approach his first birthday.

Growing Up

Well, I've done it.  Baby Daniel has been rolling over on the changing table lately.  This is becoming a safety issue and a big mess issue.  We have tried saying "NO" and holding him back, but that wasn't making an impact.  So this morning I swatted his thigh while saying "NO".   He was mad at me, but this time he really paid attention.

Dan and I have discussed our discipline philosophy a lot since we have been married and we agree that discipline is more than just spanking or time outs.  Its about knowing each child individually, and helping them learn control so that we have a happy home and so that they become healthy adults.

Not all kids need physical discipline, but some do at some times.  We also look forward to using the time out system as seen on Supernanny and with our friends Kate and Jer.  They have really demonstrated to us the power of setting a time out spot, using it, and talking to the child afterward.

Its a complicated issue for a lot of parents, but we are resolved to do our best and to love our children in every way, including discipline.

Weekly Recap

Another busy week has gone by.  Baby and I still have lots of boogers, but we are feeling much better.  We are looking forward to having friends over for dinner on Monday night, so I have focused each day on my routines in order to keep the house in order.

Bathroom wiped down - ☑
Bed made - ☑
Dishwasher unloaded - ☑
Laundry started - ☑
Baby kissed - ☑

I feel quite satisfied with my focus on the bathroom this week.  The tub was draining really slow, so I got this inexpensive tool from Menard's to try.  The Sink Wizard dug up a nasty mess of hair and gunk, so now my tub drains nicely!

Dan is spending the weekend at home doing the heavy lifting for me.  He got to try out our new Hoover WindTunnel vacuum on the stairs.  His verdict: "I like it!"  I personally love the powered hand tool for the stairs and also the washable filter.  So no bags and no filters to buy!

Dinner tonight was just lovely!  Now that I have learned how easy Fettuccine Alfredo is to make, its part of my regular menu.  I just added some chicken breast, steamed some fresh broccoli and doubled the recipe for lunch tomorrow.

Kindle Review

I have finally received my new Kindle Reading device!  Its the 3rd generation of the regular sized Kindle.  I have owned all three, and they just keep getting better.  The price keeps going down, and now this one is available for $139 and $189, with the only difference being how books can be downloaded.  With the cheaper one, you can only use a Wi-Fi connection and with the more expensive one, you get Wi-Fi and 3G Sprint Whispernet.  I will always chose having both options, because I love being able to access my books anywhere at any time. 

Here is the Kindle in its new slate blue cover:

It features an elastic band to keep it closed in my purse and to hold back the cover when I am reading.

Images on this new Kindle are more crisp than ever before:

I love how easy the text is on the eyes.  I can read for hours (and sometimes do) without any eye strain.

The buttons have been revamped to make the whole device smaller, and the 4-way control is very easy to use.

The new Kindle has more options for the text size, font, and orientation.

And the neat thing with the new cover is that it has a built in light, powered by the Kindle when it is attatched.

(I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions and pictures are my own.)

Rough

Words you don't usually hear, "boy am I glad the weekend is over!"  We had a doozy.  Baby Daniel came down with a head cold during the week, and I followed at the end of the week.  Lots of boogers in our house.

I woke up on Saturday and had to call in to work sick.  (If you are a guy or my grandma reading this, now is the time to skip ahead)  Not only was I unable to breath due to my cold, but I was surprised with my first period since getting pregnant.  To top it all off, I also had my first blocked milk duct along with fever and chills.  Lovely.

Ok, safe to read again.  Moving on to happier topics, my home-made spaghetti sauce was a success.  Since I was feeling so bad, Dan made supper by heating up one of the containers of sauce and adding a can of tomato paste to thicken it.  He says it is really good, and it might be, I will find out once I can taste again.

This week, the menu is all about keeping it simple with frozen pizza, mac and cheese with hamburger and Rotel Tomatoes, and crock pot chicken.

PS, Baby and I are starting to feel better, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Back to the Grind

In August, we had a wonderful 2 week vacation in the Black Hills and visiting family in Rapid City and Minnesota.  You can see the pictures on the slide show in the right side of this blog.  While the trip was great, getting home to our own place was pretty nice!

Daniel got his cast off right after we got back, and x-rays show that he is completely healed.  It was so nice being able to put him in the bathtub again.

This last week, I have been getting back into my routines and catching up on housework.  I have also had a surplus of tomatoes to deal with.  Here are the cherry tomatoes that I picked right after coming back:

I have been freezing most of them whole using Ziploc Vacuum Bags and pump to remove the air first.  They will be used in casseroles and roasts this fall.

In the mean time, we enjoyed homemade lasagna with the addition of fresh summer squash and even a purple pepper.  It was almost too beautiful to chop up!

On Wednesday, the weekly produce box was bursting with some awesome items.  We had a small watermelon, green and purple basil, wax beans, cauliflower and tons of heirloom tomatoes in different colors.

I have been wanting to try homemade spaghetti sauce for a long time, so I found a recipe, Stephanie's Freezer Spaghetti Sauce, gave the tomatoes a rough chop, and cooked it all in my crock-pot.  It certainly isn't like your normal sauce, but it sure is tasty!

Update:  My new Kindle is shipping early next week, so I will have pictures soon!

Dan's 2am Dilemma

http://www.phdcomics.

A Night Out

While we were in Rapid City, SD, we went to dinner with my cousin Leah and her husband Josh. The babies AJ and Daniel were left with my sisters. Make sure to watch the last 30 seconds or so to see AJ's new skills at getting over obstacles. . By the way, AJ is 16 months old and Daniel is only 10 months.

Pretty. Shiny.

I am experimenting with the Amazon Associate code while at work today (I work for Amazon.com) and thought I would leave this widget up because it is for my favorite gadget of all time. So far I have owned the first two versions of the Kindle, and I will shortly be the proud owner of the 3rd generation. We were going to get it anyway for my birthday in November, but a certain person in our house managed to step on the screen and break my current Kindle.

The worst part was that I was still in the middle of a book, but then I remembered that Amazon has reading apps as well. So I downloaded the Kindle app for PCs, found that book in my saved archives (since every purchase is backed up on my Amazon account) and finished it without problem.

The new cover,the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, (in Steel Blue) will be delivered right away, but the Kindle itself is already on back order for a couple of weeks.

Once it has been delivered, I will do a grand unveiling on this blog, so stay tuned!




Disclaimer: I may work in Amazon Customer Service, but the product review is all my decision because I just really, really love books. So I was not asked to do this or compensated in anyway.

Summer Bounty

We have been really enjoying our produce box every week.  Most items we get around to eating, and some have mixed results.  Thankfully, the guinea pigs help us with the some things we don't care for.

Daniel Jr has discovered that sugar snap peas make for really good teethers:

We also had a nice dinner party with a friend from work.  I made more of the Caprese Tartlets and used fresh basil from my garden and locally grown tomatoes.  I also made my favorite Kielbasa with Brussels Sprouts and Cat made brownies for dessert:

The last couple of weeks we have gotten Swiss Chard in our box, and I decided to try it sauteed with olive oil and garlic.  While it looked pretty good,  it was far too bitter for our tastes.  If anyone has any other ideas for using it where it won't be quite so bitter, let me know.  Here is the chard in the skillet:

To round up my domestic attempts, I harvested all of the basil from my garden, combined it with the basil from the farm, and put it in a blender with a little olive oil.  Then I put it in a freezer bag.  Hopefully, as I need basil, I can break off pieces for cooking.  Today, I learned how to blanch and freeze broccoli and summer squash.  This way we won't waste to much and we will have yummy veggies in the future.  Don't get me wrong, I am still addicted to the mushroom and swiss burger from McDonald's, but all of the fresh produce is a lot of fun to learn about and eat.  If you have ever wanted to expand  your palate, signing up for a farm share is a great place to start!

Ode to Robin

Despite all of the samples listed above, I actually have the world's best Mother In Law.  Robin has always been so kind to me and I have learned a lot from her.  Even though I know she doesn't judge, I want to show her my best when she comes to our house.  She came up to Grand Forks last week with two of her close friends, Sharon and Colleen.  They were coming to bring Grandma Lee's ashes to Grafton to be laid to rest with her husband.  All three women are extremely cool and I admire all of them very much.  So it was with great bravery that I invited them for dinner.

Cat and I had watched an episode of Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian the week before, and were planning on making the recipes we learned, so I thought it would be perfect to show off a little.

I made Caprese Tartlets, Parmesan-Crusted Pork Loin Cutlets and Garlic oil Sautéed Pasta with Broccoli.  Everything turned out really well, and the Caprese Tartlets were topped with fresh basil from my garden.  There some small snafus, I didn't have any napkins in the house, so had to use kleenex and Dan threw away half of the fresh mozzarella when he was trying to help in the kitchen!  It was a meal that was really enjoyable with guests around the table, and they even helped clean up afterward!

We had frozen most of the raspberries that we picked and I used some of those to make a Raspberry Cream Pie for dessert.  Using fresh home made whipped cream really put this dessert over the top.

Aren't you all hungry yet!

That evening was a lot of fun visiting with these ladies and it was so nice to entertain in our new place.  I am so thankful that my husband has such a wonderful mother, my son has a cool grandma and that I have a friend in her.

Splish Splash