Our Family of Four

I have learned from following several photography blogs that it's best to schedule newborn pictures within the first 10 days of life.  The photographer I love is also pregnant and due in the next 2 weeks, so I was a tad anxious and nervous that she'd be out of commission for my little Sawyer but everything worked out just great.  Thankfully since I love her work!

She literally took our pictures one morning and had a sneak peak up on her blog within a matter of hours!  Now that is a seriously quick turn around.  Here are a few from her blog and you can view the rest on her site.  Thanks, Denisha, I think they turned out great!

**I apologize to those of you who've already seen this post.  Something happened to it and it was only up for a minute before it went away.

A Typical Day

Pondering the tough life of a baby.

Please excuse the photo quality but I just used the resources I had with me at the moment, the camera on the Mac.  It's all I can do to make sure I have all the necessary items within reaching distance before we settle in for our long winter's nap.  What am I going to do without my afternoon rest once I go back to work?!

Weekly Recipe: Hodge Podge

Not even a new baby closes this kitchen!  I actually love being at home because I get more time to leisurely cook, as opposed to trying to get a meal on the table in 30 minutes (Rachel Ray lies.  It's not that easy.).  I have, however, failed in the photography department.  I'm generally too busy scarfing the food down before the next feeding to even think about snapping a picture.  However, I have found several winners over the last couple of weeks so I wanted to at least share them with you and include the links where people were more diligent in the photo department than I was.

Continuing the tradition of taking goodies to my OB's office each visit, I made these Frosted Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars that I had seen several times around the web.  If you love sugar cookies and white cake as much as I do, you're sure to love these as well.  I made the icing with almond flavoring instead of vanilla because I love it.  These also keep well, covered, for about a week.  Here's the link and a stolen picture for your visual people.

The next one is a from a Taste of Home magazine that was literally like 5 years old.  I was cleaning out my cookbook stash and decided to give the magazines one last look.  I was somewhat reluctant with this one because I was afraid it would be bland but it was actually very flavorful - amazing what cheese will do!

GARDEN FRITTATA

1 small yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup (4oz) mozzarella cheese

1 medium tomato, sliced (I omitted)

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

4 eggs

1 cup fat-free milk

2 T. minced fresh basil

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the squash, zucchini and onion.  Cover and microwave on high for 7-9 minutes or until the veggies are tender; drain well.

Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray.  Top with the mozzarella, tomato and feta cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, basil, garlic, salt and pepper; pout over the cheese and tomato layer.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I just realized there are several more but I can't find the links to them.  Once I locate them and become better organized, I'll post those as well.  Bon Appetit!

Blame it on the brain

Or lack thereof!  I forgot to announce the winner of the birth day/weight/length guessing game for Sawyer.  I clearly should have thought out the guidelines a little more because trying to find a way to tally the guesses proved a bit challenging.  Ultimately, I decided to give the most weight to the date and then the weight and height.  There was only one person who accurately guessed the date and was pretty darn close on the other 2 criteria as well and that person was Ahh Bear!  Two of you guessed the weight within 4-5 ounces and several of you had the height within 1/2 inch.  You guys are great guessers!

And for the winner, I will be sending you a one-way ticket to my house so that you can babysit my little dumpling nightly, between the hours of 10pm and 7am.  You'll need to find a way to nurse him without waking me up and get him to sleep solely in his crib or bassinet.  Ok?  That's not so much to ask, right?  Afterall, you're an old pro now that you have 2 of your own!  No, in all seriousness, I know how much you heart Target, as do I and most of the rest of the world, so you win a Target gift card!

Compare and Contrast

It's something ingrained in all of us to try to determine who a baby looks like.  From the time they enter this world, they are scrutinized as to whether they look like mommy, daddy, a sibling, or another relative.  I, for one, have never been good at picking these things out.  A baby, is a baby, is a baby to me.  Others, however, feel they have some magic powers to decipher exactly what the child will look like 3, 5, 10 years from now.  So I'll let you decide.  Do you think Sawyer and Colin look much alike?  What about Sawyer and I?  Sawyer and Wes?

Colin, at birth.  My apologies for the baby p*rn.

Sawyer, at birth.

Colin, a few days old.

Sawyer, 1 week old.

And since all babies look alike to me, here are some non-hospital pictures a few day later.

Settling In

Well it's hard to believe but Sawyer has almost been in this world an entire week.  In some regards it seems like it's been every minute of a week but in most ways, it's hard to believe an entire week has passed since that fateful morning.  There are many things associated with giving birth and the subsequent first weeks that are somehow erased from a mother's memory (God's way of ensuring we don't just stop with 1 child I suppose) but I honestly hope I don't ever forget the story of Sawyer's birth.

As I sit here listening to him grunting and groaning, I do recall many similarities with Colin.  Wes and I aren't sure if all babies make the same noises and faces but both of our boys sure have.  Thankfully, those memories weren't permanently erased, just pushed to the cob-webbed corners of my mind.

Colin seems to love his little brother and is very gentle and concerned with his every cry and movement.  Their first meeting was very sweet.  Colin wanted to see his parts - specifically his elbow and his feet.  Meanwhile Sawyer jerked his head towards Colin's voice the minute he heard him speak.  I guess he's been hearing it for several months now and just recognized the voice.  It almost seemed as if he smiled when he heard it.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you.  Colin is shirtless and we're not even at Walmart!  He spilled some water on his shirt and refuses to wear wet or soiled clothing - totally gets that from his mother.

Back at the homeplace, Colin has become a great little helper and loves to fetch clean diapers and put the dirty diapers in the diaper pail.  He loves to kiss "Pete" on the forehead and touch his nose.  He got excited when Wes told him Sawyer was almost a week old because he thought that meant he could now teach him to walk.  We clearly have our work cut out for us trying to teach the concept of time.

Wes and I are doing ok on the sleep front.  We knew this was coming so somehow we feel like we've prepared ourselves - even though that's totally not possible.  I will say with him being the second, he seems somewhat easier in general.  We've come to the conclusion it's because we have a better idea what to expect and we're just more relaxed.  We've already taken him out a couple of times and I'm pretty sure we had not done that with Colin at this stage.  We'll see how we're feeling this time next week (:

Au Naturel, Part 2

We get to the doctor's office and I literally run in.  I bypass the front desk, the waiting room, and everyone in between to find my sister.  She has the NST hooked up and I immediately have a contraction.  She says that was a "good one" and I want to hit her because no contraction should ever be classified as a "good one".  After looking everywhere, she couldn't find any doctors or any nurse practitioners to check my cervix but the office manager, my doctor's wife, had seen me and said to take me on over to the hospital (right across the way).

After the bumpiest ride of my life, I get to the hospital and am quickly reminded how lucky I am that my sister works in the capacity that she does.  I bypass registration and go straight to Labor and Delivery.  They immediately get me into a room and I get undressed.

The first nurse checks me and tells me "she doesn't feel my cervix" but wants to get another opinion.  At this point I thought she meant I was still like 1-2 cm dilated and I was not happy.  A second nurse comes in and agrees, adding that she feels a bulging bag of water.  I look up at Megan, my sister, to ask what that means.  She says, "Um, like you're a 10 and you're going to have this baby soon!"

All I could think was, "NO EPIDURAL?"  I began to cry, saying that I couldn't do this.

Megan said, "Yes you can!" and that was just the motivation I needed.  I knew I could, I just also knew I would have never chosen this method.  One of the nurses asked me if I'd like an epidural and I said "YES".  She never answered and I'm sure that's because the only thing she could have replied with would have been, "nanny-nanny, boo-boo, you don't get one!"  I'm sure it was the bitty.  As a matter of fact, she said that she wasn't even going to do an I.V. because there was just no time.  Now that didn't bother this needle-a-phob too much.  I was going to get to have a baby with no needles?  Fantastic.  Of course they took blood right about that same time.  So much for my needle-free birth.

As I was still waiting for the doctor (and Wes for that matter) I look over and see my mom facing the wall.  I ask one of the nurses to ask her to leave.  My sister overhears and asks my mom to wait outside.  I later apologized to my mom and she said she understood and that mothers shouldn't watch their daughters give birth - she and I are a little ore sensitive and emotional than others though.

My doctor finally arrives and begins suiting up.  Each contraction is getting more intense but I know I just have to keep my eye on the prize.  I had 2 nurses that couldn't have been more different.  One was younger and a great coach, supporter, teacher.  The other was older, told me I was doing everything wrong, and was not a good encourager.  The younger girl doesn't even have any children but she could teach the old bitty a thing or two about catching more bees with honey than vinegar!

The doc checks me and says the baby is facing the wrong way and that's why I've been having so much back labor.  He breaks my water and then tries to flip the baby.  He wasn't successful and said he'd do it once I started pushing (He later told me it was probably a good thing that he was turned around or I probably would have delivered the baby in the car on the way to the hospital!).  Once my water was broken I was told to push when I felt the urge.

For a while, all I could think about was how that big baby was going to come out of me and how was I going to live to tell about it.  I reassured myself that plenty had done it before me and I wouldn't be the last either.  Several pushes later one of the nurses asked me if I had had a lot of heartburn.  I said no.  She said, "Well wait until you see this hair!"

A few more pushes and I heard the most beautiful cry.  Next I saw the most beautiful face and knew all my hard work was worth it.  Suddenly the pain disappeared and all I could feel was sheer joy and love.  My reward was to get to hold him immediately on my chest, cheese and all.  My doctor handed me the scissors and said I got to cut the umbilical cord.

Where was Wes you ask?  Well he didn't make it in time to see any of the delivery.  He had Colin and they had to park on the roof of the parking garage.  Unlike my doctor, who had literally thrown his car in park in the emergency lane, with his flashers on, Wes doesn't break any rules.  There would be no way he'd park anywhere like a fire lane, a handicap space, make up a space, etc.  Gotta love his honesty.  He got there about 1 minute after Sawyer was born.  He felt bad, I know.  And now that just adds to our story!

So that's it.  I labor alone at home, get to my doctor's office about 8:20 the next morning, get wheeled to the hospital about 8:30, start pushing about 8:45, and have the baby at 9:06.  All in a mornings work.  Now that's the way to do it!  I'm not sure I'd advise anyone cutting it quite as close as I did but it all worked out in the end.  I never would have thought I'd be able to pull off an au naturel delivery but I'm super proud that I did and have little to no recovery because of it.

For those of you who have stuck with this incredibly long post, here's your reward - another picture.  I thought I'd post one with Wes since he got dogged a bit in this story.  There's nothing sweeter than seeing such a wonderful daddy getting to hold his son for the first time!

Au Naturel, Part 1

As promised, here's the birth story of precious little Sawyer.  It's a good thing he's so handsome because there were definitely some questionable moments on that fateful Tuesday morning.  Back to the story...

My actual due date was Monday, July 12th.  I had an appointment that morning and was hooked up to the NST monitor to make sure we were getting good movements.  All was well on that front.  Then I went for an ultrasound to check the fluid levels and again, everything was just fine.  We briefly talked about induction and I was told to call on Wednesday if I wanted to schedule for Thursday or Friday.  My sister looked at me and told me there was no way I could wait until Wednesday and expect to get on his schedule the next day.  So after much debate back and forth between Thursday and Friday, Wes and I ultimately decided Thursday would be the big day.

Off I go to work.  I joked with everyone that I was still there and as I left for the day, I said I would see them all tomorrow.  Fast forward to Monday night around 9:30pm.  I had my first contraction.  I didn't think anything of it.  If anything, I was excited because my sister had been asking me for weeks whether or not I had experienced any yet and I always had to reply "no".  As a side note, I never experienced the first contraction with Colin until I was induced so I really didn't know what I was waiting to feel.  So I continued to have sporadic contractions about every 30-45 minutes for the next couple of hours.  I kept hoping in my mind that I didn't go into labor in the middle of the night because I didn't want to have to wake my mom, my sister, or my doctor.  Then I began to wonder if any of them would even hear the phone ring if I did call.  I think I must have drifted off to sleep dreaming of all the possibilities because I don't think I woke up again until 1ish.  I recall getting up like every 30 minutes to go to the bathroom but that wasn't that far off track from any other night.  Every time I woke up it seemed I was having another contraction but they weren't bad enough for me to want to do anything about them.

About 4:30am I woke up and tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position.  I began talking to myself again (apparently I do this a lot) and told myself that I would wait until 5am and then go make Colin's lunch for school that day.  I had forgotten to make it the night before and I guess I didn't think anyone was competent enough to make it in my absence.  

So at 5am, I trek downstairs and realize standing up actually felt better and eased some of the discomfort.  Now would be a good time to mention that I felt every contraction primarily in my back and then it would round around to the front - I later learned this was because he was facing the wrong way.  I make Colin's lunch and decide to spend the next hour on the couch watching the morning news.  Did you know they tell the weather about a dozen times over the course of an hour?  Maybe it was just a slow news day but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to recite the forecast for July 13th for the rest of my life!  

I decide to try to tough it out on the couch until 6am, at which time I decide to go back upstairs to bed.  I prop my pillows up and again begin talking to myself.  I convince myself that I'll wait until 6:30 to wake Wes up to tell him about my contractions.  Yes, you read that right, he knew nothing of what was happening up until this point.  I figured if I really was in labor a) there was nothing he could do and b) we would both be sleep deprived in a matter of hours and so I thought I'd let at least one of us sleep through it.  

At almost 6:30 on the dot, I had another contraction.  This one was a little more intense and he woke to me breathing through it.  He asked if that was me having a contraction or if it was "him"?  I said it's a contraction and he asked if I thought today might be the day.  I said I didn't know and he rolled back over and went to sleep.  Apparently that wasn't how I should have answered that question!  I laid there a little longer and then decided to get up to get ready.  

I was pretty sure I wasn't going in to work, at least right away, but I wanted to at least be presentable in case I did end up going to the hospital or perhaps work later.  I washed my hair, put my makeup on, and dried my hair, all while Wes was still in bed.  I think I finally came out and told him I was pretty sure we were going to have this baby today.  That got him out of bed but Wes doesn't exactly move stealthily - EVER!  Actually while I was getting ready, the contractions had slowed down and I thought maybe I would go to work and just see how the day went.  I came out and took Colin downstairs to fix his breakfast.  I'm pretty sure this was the point where I knew there was no turning back.  

I called my sister at 7:30am and she didn't answer.  She called back in a matter of minutes and I told her I was having contractions.  She asked how far apart they were and I said they were sporadic and some were 2-3 minutes and some were more like 5.  She told me to come on into her office and they'd check me and hook me up to the NST again to monitor the contractions.  I then called my mom and told her that I needed her to come on.  

Unlike Wes, my mom is fast.  I swear I no more than got back upstairs and she was already here, wet hair and all.  She immediately took over tending to Colin, who was a tad nervous at the way Mommy was acting, but being a very good boy nonetheless.  I went to try to light a fire under Wes and pack some kind of bag for myself.  He casually asks me if there's anything else I can think of for the bag and I mutter something about not caring and hurry up.  Finally I had had enough and right in the middle of a contraction yelled for him to HURRY UP!  He knew I meant business after that.

He calls down to my mom and asks if she will take me on to the doctor and he'll stay behind and get his bag packed and finish getting Colin ready for school.  Mom says, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do."  So she pulls her car up in our driveway and I attempt to get in.  I had a little difficulty actually sitting down but I finally managed (my sister said later this was probably because it was Sawyer's head!).  I could tell she was a nervous wreck but I didn't have time to worry about that.  I had a couple of contractions on the way but was talking lucidly to her (I think) in between.  I was trying to calm her down as much as I was myself.

To be continued...

Introducing...

Sawyer Chase

7 lbs, 9oz

20 1/2 inches 

July 13, 2010

9:06 a.m.

There will be more details to come related to the birth story, his demeanor, and his luscious locks of hair!  I promise you won't want to miss them.  In the meantime, enjoy the baby toupee on that handsome little guy.  I'll also announce the winner of the contest soon.  I know 1 person guessed the date right but I'm not sure on the other details.  I'm off to smell that wonderful baby smell and touch that super soft skin (!

9 Years!

It's hard to believe Colin is already 3 years old but it's even harder to believe that Wes and I are celebrating our 9-year wedding anniversary today!  These have been the best 9 years a girl could ask for.  Sure we've had our ups and downs but the good times definitely outweigh the bad.  We've moved into a new house, Wes took and passed the Bar, we travelled (and ate) a lot, we had our first child, and now we're about to welcome our second addition to the family.  I am so thankful that I have such an awesome mate to have shared all of these wonderful things with.  I love him more each and every day because of his character, honesty, and love.  He is the best father in the entire world and our family is blessed to get to spend each and every day with him.  He is my rock, my sanity, and my best friend.  I love you, babe!

We celebrated our anniversary a bit early this past weekend for obvious reasons.  Colin got to play with Miss Kayla while we went out for a lovely dinner alone.  We realized it may be a while before we get another opportunity.  Our dinner was great but the company was better.  Our fancy dessert ended up being hot fudge cake from Frisches.  When we go out, we go all out!!

Weekly Recipe: Vegetable Salad with Yogurt Cucumber Dressing

Vegetable Salad with Yogurt Cucumber Dressing
by:  Art Smith

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, preferably white balsamic
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated and squeezed to remove excess moisture
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (I subbed dried dill)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the vegetables (or olive oil in a spray bottle)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices (I only used one)
1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 medium globe eggplant or 2 medium Japanese eggplants, cut lengthwise into 3/4 inch thick slices (I omitted)
2 medium red bell peppers (or use 1 red and 1 yellow pepper), tops and bottoms trimmed, flesh opened into one long strip, ribs and seeds removed (I only used one)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups assorted greens (preferably a combination of baby spinach, stemmed watercress, Bibb lettuce and Belgian endive leaves)
1 pint grape tomatoes (I only used about 1 cup)
chopped fresh chives, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Process the yogurt, buttermilk, mustard, vinegar and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Add the cucumber and chives and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate. (The dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.)

Build a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ashes. For a gas grill, preheat on high. Lightly oil the grill grate.

Brush the asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant with the oil (or spray with oil in a spray bottle). In batches, grill the vegetables, removing them from the grill as they are cooked. Place the asparagus on the grill across the grill grate, so they don't fall through. Grill, rolling the asparagus on the grill to turn, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, depending on the size of the spears. Grill the zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant, turning once, until tender, about 8 minutes. Grill the peppers until the skin is charred and blistered, about 10 minutes. Cool, then peel.

Cool the vegetables. Chop into bite-size pieces and season to taste with salt and pepper. You may keep the vegetables separate, or mix them together.

Arrange the greens on a large platter. Arrange the vegetables in separate mounds on the greens (or mound the mixed greens in the center). Surround with the tomatoes and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately, with the dressing passed on the side.

Today, or not today?

That is the question.  Well I'm sorry to report to 90% of you but Little Boy Blue did not make his appearance this weekend.  There are only 4 of you still in the running for the correct delivery date but I must admit I'm not too surprised - that he hasn't come, not that you were wrong.  Since I had to be induced with Colin and even that was a week later, I just think my children like to bake a little longer.  I actually think it's so tight in there that they are stuck and just can't find their way out.

I did find out at my last appointment that I am 1-2 cm dilated, thinning, and he's head down.  I'm pretty sure they tell any pregnant woman that she's at least 1 cm just to give them hope, so I wasn't too excited with that report.  My sister was pulling for 4-5 cm but she didn't get them.  I go back again tomorrow to get checked again.  At that point we will also set the date for the induction.  Wes and I both have a feeling Thursday or Friday will be the day but we shall see.

I also found out that he's now measuring 6 lbs 14oz but she admitted a) it's hard to get an accurate reading from someone of my stature and b) his femur measurement was the one of the holy trinity that was making him small.  So my child is going to have stubby legs, that doesn't mean he's a midget.  We soon will see.

Until next time, I'll still be here blogging away!

Sleep, Precious Sleep

No, that's not an announcement that Little Boy Blue has arrived.  Rather it's a chance for me to remember the good old days when Colin was on a good sleep schedule and actually took good 2-3 hour naps and went right to sleep somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30 at night.  Ah, those were the days.  For a while I thought those days were only temporarily gone but now I'm beginning to realize they might be gone for good.  It's not because he doesn't require as much sleep because his actions (laying on the floor, rubbing his eyes, and yawning) and behavior (whining, disobedience, and hitting) indicate otherwise.  There are some days we are blessed with a good, long nap but those days we can also count on a delayed bedtime - no bueno for this gal who loves a little alone time before her early bedtime.

This week has been particularly interesting in the sleep department.  First the blessed fireworks.  Wes, nor I, are big fans of fireworks in general.  We're just getting old and crotchety I suppose but does one really need to set off fireworks for the entire week prior to and after the 4th?  Does that make you a better American?  Deep breath.  Back on track.  So on the actual 4th, Colin wouldn't stay in his bed for love nor money!  Nothing I said, threatened, or did was changing his mind on going to sleep.  Finally, at 10, Wes decided to take him downstairs to watch the fireworks out the window.  Somehow seeing the annoying explosives through the eyes of a child made them a little more tolerable and less annoying.  After watching them for an hour, I could barely keep my eyes open and declared it time to go to bed.  At that point I knew the only way to get him to sleep was to lay down with him.  It worked.  Thank goodness.

The next night was more of the same.  More blasted fireworks coupled with a very inquisitive 3-year old, equals no sleep.  I wasn't willing to fight and thought perhaps if I went to sleep he would give up and follow suit.  Well again sometime after 10, I hear him in the hallway foyer watching the fireworks out the window.  I must have dozed off because Wes later informed me that he heard something upstairs around 11.  He was in the basement and got up to see what it was.  It was Colin sitting at the top of the stairs, holding a pair of scissors.  There was a tag in his shorts that was "bothering him" and wanted it cut out immediately.  Are you seriously as anal as your mother at the ripe age of 3?!  Wes took him to bed and he slept until 4am when he decided to get out of bed again and cry in our doorway for no apparent reason.  I ask you, will this fun ever end?

There was a glimmer of hope later in the week.  Wes and Colin had gone out to run an errand and Colin fell asleep on the way home.  Wes got him out, accidentally bumped his head on the car door, and laid him on the couch, all without him even budging.  When I got home Wes told me to feel free to make as much noise as possible to try to wake him up.  We had visions of dealing with a wide-awake child at midnight and that was not a pleasant thought.  So I banged pots and pans, cooked dinner, talked to Wes, yet Colin didn't budge.  Wes went over to try to physically wake him and he sat up for a minute, mumbled some mumbo jumbo about Captain Underpants and fell face forward the other way.  We proceeded to have a nice, peaceful dinner alone, while Colin continued to sleep.  Afterwards, I tried to rouse him again by rubbing his back, talking to him, etc but he wasn't moving.  Wes went ahead and carried him to his bed, where he slept for 13 hours!  He still woke up at 6:!5am but for once I thought he might actually be rested.  I'm not sure if that was too much sleep or if he still didn't get enough but he woke up whiney and grumpy again.  

This is just a phase.  This is just a phase.  This too shall pass.  Patience, Danielle.  Patience.  These are all things that have played over and over in my head over the last little bit. And the timing couldn't be better, right?  With Pete's arrival any day now!  I guess we don't get to pick the timing.  Advice would be great but I'll settle for a prayer at this point!!

Weekly Recipe: Pulled Pork on Polenta Cakes

Even in the dead of summer I love finding recipes that utilize my crockpot.  I mean what is better than coming home to a wonderful aroma and a meal that is already cooked?!  The only thing better would be if someone else fixed it for you.  When I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it.  We love barbeque but I hate finding chunks of fat at some bbq joints.  Making it at home allows me to cut it all off first or scrutinize each morsel as I'm shredding it.  Anal?  Yes, I am.  I also love pairing cornbread with bbq, so this was right up my alley as well.  And of course coleslaw just goes hand in hand.

I really liked the way this recipe came together.  Wes prefers traditional corn cakes but I liked the heartiness of the polenta cakes.  I used a grass-fed beef roast because it was the right size and also less fatty.  It worked just perfect - almost too perfect because we both wanted more!  I halved the recipe but next time I would do a little more, more like 2 lbs.  For the rub, I just added some spices that I had in the cabinet - some chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion flakes, salt and pepper.  For the finishing bbq sauce, I used a combination of Montgomery Inn BBQ Sauce and a local bbq sauce, Le Bayou Gourmet BBQ Sauce.

Gluten-free Pulled Pork on Polenta Cakes
Adapted from Simply Gluten-Free
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients

3 pounds pork butt 
3 tablespoon dry rub seasoning
Water
2 cups gluten-free barbeque sauce, either bottled or homemade – use divided

Directions:

Place pork butt in a large freezer bag, add the dry rub and rub it all over the meat. Close up the bag and let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Place pork butt in slow cooker and pour in enough water to come two thirds of the way up the meat. Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours or on high for 4 -5 hours.

Remove pork from slow cooker, and pour out the liquid. Keep the slow cooker on.

Shred the meat using two forks. Discard any skin, bones and chunks of fat. Return the meat to the slow cooker, add 1½ cups of barbeque sauce and heat until the sauce is hot. You can turn the slow cooker up to high to make this go faster.

Heat the remaining ½ cup barbeque sauce in a small pan if desired to serve along side.

While meat is heating make the polenta cakes and coleslaw.

Grilled Polenta Cakes:

Ingredients

2 cups corn meal
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup milk 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Mix the cornmeal and cheese. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan just until the butter melts. Pour the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Form the cornmeal mixture into 8 equal patties about 3 inches across. Fry the polenta cakes in batches until golden brown, 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Coleslaw:

Ingredients

1 head of cabbage or 1 – 16 ounce bag coleslaw mix
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar or sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

If using whole cabbage, finely shred with a sharp knife and place in a large mixing bowl. Otherwise pour the bagged coleslaw mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Can be made several hours or even a day ahead. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

To assemble the whole dish, top polenta cakes with pulled pork and coleslaw. Pass extra sauce to be added as desired.

Makes 8.

One Week From Today...

Is my actual due date!  Holy moly!  Where has the last 9 (really 10) months gone?  There's this little critter named Colin that has done a pretty good job keeping my mind off the baby growing inside my belly and focused on him instead - that's probably not a bad thing.

I'm starting to have sort of mixed feelings regarding the finale of this whole process.  You see, more than likely this is our last child.  That in itself is bittersweet to me.  While I'm ready to not have to experience morning (all day) sickness, a bulging waistline, unflattering clothes, swelling feet, and general discomfort of toting an extra 20-30 pounds, it all seems so trivial when you think of the miracle that transpires from it all in the end.  There will be no more kicks or jabs, no more Wes putting his hand on my belly to feel the baby move or getting down and talking to my belly.  No more looks and comments from random strangers telling me I look great or congratulations.  There will be no more first time ultrasounds to see that precious little heartbeat or the subsequent one to determine the sex.  I won't get to smell that baby fresh smell, hold that tiny being while thanking God for yet another miracle, or seeing that precious face for the first time.  There will be no more anxiety as to when the baby will come, where I will be, or how I will handle it.  I won't get another 8-week hiatus from work to get to snuggle, comfort, and nourish a little one.  No, all of these things are about to come to an end.

I now know why women keep having children.  The precious moments just don't last long enough.  Sure we enjoy and celebrate every day we're with Colin but there's something special and innocent with a newborn babe.  Sometimes I wish I was cut out for more but I honestly believe 2 is all I'm meant to have.  And I'm at peace with that.  I will miss the high points but I can always live vicariously through friends - and then I get to give the babies back when they cry (:

Childbirth is an amazing feat that God has bestowed upon women.  I am forever thankful that I have been blessed with 2 miracles, for whom I will cherish always.  My boys are so special to me!

Now on to some fun, less serious talk.  Does anyone want to play a guessing game?  That sounds eerily familiar like it might be from Sesame Street - please disregard the reference if it is!  Okay, so I thought it would be fun to have you guys guess my actual delivery date, weight, and height.  I have my last regular appointment on Wednesday, so I'll know then if an induction date is scheduled then.  So to be fair, everyone give me your best guess before Wednesday morning.  There will be a little prize for the person that comes the closest to all 3 things (I'll do some type of averaging).  To give you some background, with Colin I was 5 days over my initial due date, he weighed 8lbs 15oz and I think he was 20 or 21 inches long.  Good luck and may the best guesser win!!

Weekly Recipe: Vanilla Funfetti Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream Icing

As you might have guessed, I was anxious to dig in and see what kind of cake I could find for Colin's birthday.  I knew I could control the size of his sugar overload by choosing cupcakes, so I was on the hunt.  None of the flavors I found really struck my fancy because I wanted to be sure it was something he'd like.  I wanted to do something a little different though and remembered a bookmarked recipe for homemade funfetti cupcakes.  I had 2 recipes that I was deciding between and went with a reliable source, Annie.

I added sprinkles to the batter to give the funfetti look but otherwise kept the recipe as written.  I wasn't overly pleased with the consistency (crumb) of the cupcake but the flavor was really good and the icing was the best part.  I can tell you the last step of beating the icing for 5 minutes does make some incredibly light and fluffy icing.  I substituted almond flavoring for the vanilla and it was a great change.  Colin loved them, so I guess that's all that matters!

Wes thought the CDR on the little tags I made stood for Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis b-ball player).  Um no, that'd be your son's initials!

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon (optional)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup milk

1-1 ½ recipes easy vanilla buttercream frosting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.  Set pan aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, if using.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan 5 minutes.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Prepare frosting.  Decorate cooled cupcakes as desired.

Easy Vanilla ButtercreamIngredients:20 tbsp. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I only used about 5 T. for 12 cupcakes)2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I used about 1 cup)1/8 tsp. salt2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used 1 tsp almond extract)2 tbsp. heavy cream  (I used 2% milk)

Directions:In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds.  Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.  Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.