Weekly Recipe: Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

Here's a quick side dish for you.  Even though it's Asian-esque, it can accompany any number of meals as a vegetable side.  I think I paired it with hamburgers, for example.  It was really tasty for the amount of work (none) but I will say it lost some of it's flavor the second day.  Rarely does a salad not become better after letting the flavors meld together, but this one did.  Nonetheless, it's a great simple side that we will keep in our my arsenal.

Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad
Source:  My Kitchen Addiction, adapted from Sweet Savory Life

• 2 cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into thin strips on a diagonal
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic paste (more or less, depending on the amount of heat you want)

Use a mandolin (or just a chef’s knife) to slice the cucumbers and carrots into matchsticks.  Slice the sugar snap peas and combine them with the cucumbers and carrots in a large bowl.
In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the brown sugar and vinegar.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds, and then whisk to dissolve the brown sugar in the vinegar.  Stir in the chili garlic paste.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables in the bowl and stir to toss the salad in the dressing.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Serve chilled.

 

Thankful Thursday

I have no idea where this idea originated but it's a great one.  I always enjoy reading other people's posts because it reminds me that I have a lot to be thankful for as well.  Sometimes it's hard in our face paced lives to stop and give thanks but sometimes something just hits you and you realize all the little things you've been blessed with.

I had one of these moments one night as I was feeding Sawyer.  It was a rare occurrence for me to not think about all that I have to do, didn't do, want to do, can't do, don't have time to do, and just let my mind absorb the innocence of the little being I'm nurturing.

That brings me to #1 - I am so amazed and grateful that I am able to be the sole source of nourishment for my child.  I have this special ability that I'm able to calm, satisfy, and comfort him by feeding him.  No one else can do that and no one can take that away.  And for that, I am thankful.

#2 - Sleep - one of the most underrated things in the world!  As the song goes, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."  Those words certainly rang true this week with our bout of illnesses.  Sawyer is not the best sleeper in the world but he's no where near the worst either.  We had just graduated from the sleep training and he was sleeping like a champ.  It's amazing how one little cold (turned pneumonia) can unravel all of that so quickly.  As I watched him fall asleep in my arms tonight as he ate, I knew he was feeling better.  He actually was able to lay calmly instead of flailing his arm about.  He was out like a light and willingly stayed down without being coddled.  Ah, relief!

#3 - End of the "no" phase.  It wasn't until a friend mentioned that her son was going through the "no," "I don't want to," "I can't" phase that I realized Colin has gotten much better in this regard.  It was a long battle and I guess where we fought it for so long, we didn't notice that he had actually stopped.  Don't get me wrong, we still hear all of them but not with the same frequency as before.

#4 - My loving husband.  I think this is the biggest one I take for granted.  He's been around longer though (:  He listens to my endless chatter about things he couldn't care less about.  He supports me and is my true parenting partner.  It makes parenting so much easier and smoother when both parents are on the same page.  He rarely complains about the things I do, the food I put in front of him, the money I spend, etc.  I could go on and on, but suffice to say he's really special and I'm thankful for him!

Just taking the time to write this short list has made me realize the importance of stopping to give thanks. I could easily go on and on but these are the things on the forefront of my mind tonight.  Maybe next week I'll have another moment of solidarity while feeding Sawyer where I can stop and smell the roses again.

The Infirmary

My apologies for the delay in posts but I've been running an infirmary around here.  It started with the boys and then it hit Wes late last week.  After Sawyer started wheezing this weekend, I took him in to the doctor today to make sure he didn't have pneumonia.  Whether he did or not, he got, not 1, but 2 breathing treatments.  He looked so pitiful with this oxygen-like mask covering his little nose and mouth.  Talk about feeling helpless.  I just wanted to suck all the germs out and take them all myself.  He didn't seem to mind though, as he fell asleep during both treatments.  He looked like he was getting high with the smokey-mist vapors coming out and his eyes rolling back in his head as he breathed them in.  All I know is that it cleared up his lungs and hopefully he's on the road to recovery.  Now if I can just get more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep tonight, we'll be in business and perhaps I can even blog later in the week!  

Remember Old Man Winter, I asked you nicely to leave?  Now I'm not asking, I'm telling you.  GO AWAY!  This is the longest.winter.ever!  Charleston never looked so good (:

Peas Porridge Hot

To continue the tradition, I wanted to give Sawyer peas as his first savory solid food.  Apparently the guidelines changed somewhere during the last 3 years because now our pediatrician advised us to start him with fruits at 4 months.  With Colin, it was rice only.  Why would that change?  I have no idea.  Nonetheless, peas it was after month 6.

It should be noted that Sawyer has not been overly joyed with any of the fruit selections I've given him thus far.  First up was prunes.  I guess it's not surprising he turned his nose up to those but when the pipes get clogged, you do what you have to do.  For inquiring minds, it didn't really work.  We still have 3 containers of prunes that stuff that will probably never be used.  Maybe I can bake with them.  I've definitely done that with sweet potatoes.

Next up was applesauce.  I decided I was going to make the baby food for him this go round.  Honestly, I didn't do it with Colin because I thought it'd be hard.  I'm not sure why that stopped me but it did.  Being more educated on nutrition and such, I decided this was a no-brainer.  My mom got me this book:

and I quickly saw just how easy making baby food could be.  Plus, I had a few friends who reassured me from their own experiences.  Back to the applesauce, I used Braeburns because we like those and that's what Wes bought at the store.  I'm not sure if they were too tart or what but Sawyer made a terrible face when he tried them.  I tried them again and again with not much improvement.  Oh no!  Do we have a picky eater?

Fast forward 2 months or so to this past weekend.  Somewhere in between there I tried bananas and he tolerated those more than the previous selections but still wasn't gung ho about them.  I set about to make the peas and it literally took all of about 10 minutes.  Easy peasy!  Sorry, that was terrible.  I should be ashamed of my kindergarten humor.  Well I do live with essentially 3 children, so please forgive me.  When I start resorting to flatulence humor, then you can reprimand me to get me back on track.

Back to the story.  Geez, I'm getting off subject a lot in this post.  I was very anxious to feed Sawyer this beautiful lime green delicacy I had slaved over.  His response?  Well see for yourself.

Hi, Daddy!  Hey what are you doing with that black thing and what is Mommy trying to shove in my mouth?

I don't know but I'll sure try it.  I love nothing more than putting random objects in my mouth!

I guess I better quit staring at Daddy and focus on what's going on here.  This is not like my favorite milky treat.

Um, I'm not so sure about this.  As a matter of fact, this is my last bite.  Try again.

Well I have tried again and I've found what seems to be the temporary solution.  I have to mix in rice cereal and some milk and that provides enough of a familiar taste to him that he eats it.  It's still not a lot and it's not very willingly but at least he doesn't make the horrible face as if I've just fed him rat poop.  And on that note, Happy Friday!

Weekly Recipe: Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs with Spicy Onions

Nothing like coming back to the weekly recipe roundup with something like a hot dog.  Not too glamorous but oh so tasty!  Not every meal can be perfectly healthy, right?  Wes and Colin love hot dogs.  Period.  Wes loves Chicago-style and chili dogs but declared these as his new all-time favorite.  That's quite a statement from such a hot dog lover.  By the way, it's impossible for me to not hear Harry Caray say "hawt dawg" when I write the words.  Nonetheless, this is a super yummy, not very healthy recipe that I think you should try.  Even if you want to skip the dog, the onions would be great on hamburgers or any sandwich. 

CHEESE STUFFED HOT DOGS WITH SPICY ONIONS

Source:  Rachel Ray Magazine March 2009

 

4 franks

2 T. grill seasoning

2 deli slices sharp cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch strips

2 T. olive oil

2 small onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Salt

2 T. butter, melted (I omitted)

4 hot dog buns

Preheat broiler.  Make a slit in dog, being careful not to cut all the way through.  Place the grill seasoning and franks in a plastic bad; shake to coat.  Place the dogs on a baking sheet and stuff each with 2 or 3 strips of cheese.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook until softened and golden, 12-15 minutes.  Add the brown sugar, chipotle, adobo sauce and ½ tsp salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Butter the insides of the buns and place face up on the baking sheet with the franks.  Broil until the cheese melts and the buns are toasted, 3-5 minutes.  Assemble the dogs and top with caramelized onions.

Biggest Bottle Ever!

Sawyer may not be sitting up on his own yet.  He may not have tried more than a handful of different foods, but the kid knows a bottle when he sees one.  And when he sees one, he goes after it.  Especially when it's the biggest bottle ever!

Just look at the determination in those eyes.

I've got my hands on it, now let's go in for the kill.

I know what to do now.

ATTACK!  

Recipes, recipes, and more recipes

I promise my kitchen has been seeing a lot of me.  Unfortunately, Old Man Winter covers up the precious sunshine well before I can get dinner on the table and thus, a photograph taken.  I fear until spring comes, there will be more posts like this without my own images.

Pulled Pork - used for both enchiladas and bbq, both of which were superb.  The bbq got a little help from my friend, Montgomery Inn, but the pork was pretty darn tasty by itself.  I just bought 1 pork shoulder and was able to get 2+ meals out it.  Way to go me on the budget-friendly meals!  I made up my own rub but I think the important part is allowing the flavors to soak in overnight.  The enchilada sauce wasn't my favorite of all time but it was good enough.  I actually think the next time I might just use the pork and make more like pork carnitas. 

Mushroom and Bacon Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes - We are lovers of all things breakfast and therefore, we know our breakfast!  This is one of my all-time favorite dishes.  Seriously, Wes said "this is really good" no fewer than 10 times while eating this.  Even though it'd be easy to swap out ingredients, the way it's written is pretty darn near perfect.  It's the perfect blend of flavors, all complimenting each other quite nicely.  Sorry, it was so yummy I couldn't put my fork down long enough to snap a picture.

Sesame Salad - Even though this seems like a good spring/summer dish, I was just in the mood for something lighter.  This fit the bill perfectly.  I will warn you the dressing makes A LOT.  I had read a comment that the dressing was the star, and while it is, you don't have to go crazy like I did and attempt to use it all!  I would halve it next time and add a few veggies, for a more complete meal.  I served it over a bed of lettuce to attempt to get some greens in there. 

Baked Potato Soup - Quick & easy!  You can set your oven to bake the potatoes while you're at work and then come home and finish this soup in about 15 minutes.  If you do this, please make sure to pierce the potatoes a few times before placing them in the oven.  My accidental science project proved that an unpierced baked potato explodes upon touch after being baked for an hour.  Not so fun to clean up said science project.  I only used 3 baking potatoes and that was more than enough for my liking.  I opted to use No-Chicken Chicken Broth and about 1 1/2 cups of half and half.  I forgot the cheese topping but really do you need it with that much cream?  We didn't miss it at all. 

Chicken and Artichokes in a White Wine Sauce - I love Annie.  I really could just end there but I'll give my narrative of the dish since I know you're dying for it.  The slight coating on the chicken kicks it up a bit.  The sauce, while delicious, had all but evaporated by the time I went to plate it.  I would double up on the sauce because it was tasty.  I served it over brown rice and I would have liked to have had some more sauce to jazz it up.  Otherwise, yummy.

Mexican Taco Stew - We love Mexican food but even I get tired of tortilla shells!  There's a ton of ways to jazz up flour/corn tortillas but sometimes it's nice to venture away from the flour.  This soup was warm and hearty on a frigid winter night.  We enjoyed it with cornbread (so I didn't get too far from the flour - cornmeal!) but it wasn't worth repeating.  

Happy 1/2 Birthday Sawyer!

Where did the last 6 months go?  It seems like just yesterday I was gingerly getting myself in my mom's SUV for her to take me to the doctor and subsequently, the hospital.  My precious little Sawyer has been on this earth a full 6 months now.  He has brought so much joy to all of our lives! 

We go for our check-up tomorrow, so I'll be able to post his stats after that (for all you would be suitors out there).  It seems like he's longer and leaner than Colin but we shall see.  I'll also attempt to take a picture of the little guy so he doesn't suffer from the second child syndrome!  I didn't even have a recent one to post today.  Sad.

Happy 1/2 Sawyer!  We'll be celebrating with some delicious homemade applesauce tonight.  Oh yeah, I'm making his food this time around.  You know me, I love to spend time in the kitchen!

Snow Angels

Look at 2 of my boys making snow angels.  Colin declared it to be a "pretty day" so I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Finally the snow came on a weekend when he didn't have a pesky cold.  He and Daddy shoveled the driveway and then treated themselves to a break.  Colin decided he needed more than a rake to shovel the driveway.  He told Buff all he was doing was making "T's" in the snow.

Twist and Shout, Cry It Out!

As much as I fear I'm jinxing myself by actually writing this down, Sawyer has slept through the night for the past several days!  After putting my foot down (I love you, honey) and starting the cry-it-out routine, Sawyer has proven to be a quick learner. 

I had had enough of the middle of the night feedings and Wes falling asleep in the chair, while rocking him back to sleep.  Everything I read said a 5- or 6-month old baby was more than capable of learning to sleep through the night at this point.  I remember Colin did it at 6 months and with Sawyer's 6-month birthday approaching quickly, I deemed it time to make the transition. 

The first night he only woke up once and after about 3 or 4 visits from us, he finally fell back asleep until about 5am.  I fed him then and he went back to sleep until 8ish.  The next day he even napped in his crib for over an hour (I can count on 1 hand how many times he has actually napped in his crib)! 

The second night wasn't as smooth.  I put him to bed from an awake state and he cried bloody murder for 30-35 minutes.  We went in as Ferber (who Wes is sure never had children of his own) instructed us to do and he finally fell asleep.  He woke once but easily went back to sleep after I went in only 1 time. 

For the past 2 nights, he has slept all the way through!  He goes down about 8 and wakes about 8.  Not too shabby for a beginner!  We're so proud of him, we could just scream.  The first night I had to go in to make sure he was breathing and sighed a big sigh of relief when I saw him sleeping peacefully. 

I'm so glad I listened to my inner voice and decided it was time.  And thanks to Wes for finally listening to me and heeding my request to nip the nighttime wakings/feedings in the bud.

It's amazing what a full night's sleep will do for you!  It's actually tolerable that Colin gets up at 6:15 just so he can proudly dress himself - a new discovery of his in the last few days.  Lots of exciting new things happening at our house these days!  My boys are growing up!

Weekly Recipe: Crab Mac & Cheese

A dish I often crave but rarely make is macaroni and cheese.  There's just something about dumping a pound of cheese (or more), butter, whole milk (or cream), and pasta into a pot that just gets to me.  Healthy it is not and try as I may, it's not possible to cut the calories, while still making it taste like the comfort food we all know and love.  So I decided to suck it up and take care of this craving for at least another month or so.  When I saw this recipe for Crab Mac & Cheese on Closet Cooking, I immediately bookmarked it and knew this would be the recipe I'd try when I caved.  I can tell you this is super!  The cheeses pair perfectly with the crab (fake in my case) and the hint of dried mustard gives that perfect little umph to the dish.

Crab Mac & Cheese
source:  Kevin at Closet Cooking
(Makes 4-6 servings)

 

1 pound pasta
2 tablspoons butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces gruyere (grated)
4 ounces fontina (diced - I would grate next time)
1/2 pound crab meat (cooked)
4 green onions (sliced - I omitted)
3 tablespoons butter - I omitted the topping
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)

Directions:
1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package. (When it is done, drain it and set it aside.)
2. Melt the butter in a pan.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Mix in the flour and cook until it turns a light golden brown in colour.
5. Add the milk and cream and cook until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the old bay seasoning, mayonnaise, mustard and season with salt and pepper.
7. Mix in the gruyere and fontina and cook until it melts.
8. Mix in the pasta, crab and green onions and remove from heat.
9. Melt the butter in a pan.  I omitted the topping.
10. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to coat, remove from heat and mix in the parmigiano reggiano.
11. Pour the mac and cheese into a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs.
12. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on top and bubbling on the sides, about 20-30 minutes.

Super Sleuths

I'm already failing on one of my goals for 2011 and beyond.  You know, the one about not trying to do too much?  Well in typical Danielle fashion, I'm planning a bridal shower for a friend and I won't stop until every detail is perfect.  I woke up this morning at 5 to feed Sawyer and couldn't go back to sleep because my mind was racing with all the possibilities and ideas. 

After going out at lunch today to see if I could find further inspiration (no luck), I had an idea.  What a better way to canvas the world than through my blog.  Who knows which one of you might just happen to be out and about or surfing the web and come across something that would be perfect for my little soiree.  So I thought I'd post my ideas here, sort of like a brainstorming session, and see if any of you had any feedback and also to ask that you put your antennae up so that if you're out and see something that would fit into the color scheme, to let me know.

The bride is very hip, trendy, and fashionable.  She loves the color red.  I'm having the shower in mid-February so I thought I'd do something heart related.  Some of the themes I had were "Love is in the air", "Rose are red...", and "How Sweet It Is". 

For the colors, I want to do black and white damask with red accents.

I plan to make the invites and hopefully I can find some scrapbook paper that looks something like this.  I want to do the background in black, overlay with the damask, then overlay with a smaller red, and finally the words would be on white cardstock. 

For the food, I thought about doing red velvet cupcakes, cut-out sugar cookies in the shape of hearts, cranberry scones, and mimosas made with cranberry or pomegranate juice (I think they're called poinsettias).  I also thought about mini tea sandwiches and bruschetta but I have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to food!  Imagine that!  It will be around 11am, so I feel like I can keep it fairly light but I want to do more than just desserts. 

I'm not sure about games and/or favors, so I'll just take suggestions.  Have you played any games that aren't just ridiculous?  I saw a cute idea on Martha Stewart that was actually for a wedding reception but it was a 11x14 with various years going in all directions.  There was a small bowl that had push pins with flags on them and you were to write your name on the flag and then stick in the year that you met the bride and/or groom.  I thought that was cute but not too practical. 

What about wording on the invite.  I'd like to do a poem or a rhyme of some kind.  Any ideas in that department? 

Thank you in advance for even reading this far.  I know I'm asking a lot but I appreciate any assistance you can provide!

New Day, New Year

I'm not one to make resolutions because I can't stand the torture I put myself through to make sure each thing gets accomplished.  While I love lists, I don't love the extra pressure a resolution list involves.  So as to not put too much on myself, I choose to look at the following list as changes I'd like to make in my life.  Some of them are ongoing, some of them will take a lot more time (and a miracle) to accomplish, but all of them are things I'd like to strive for.  Goals, if you will.  Without further ado, my list of goals that I'd like to start working on sooner rather than later:

1)  Make an attempt to slow down and enjoy the small things.  If I'm not moving at 100 mph, I feel like I'm not being as efficient as I could be.  Granted this helps me to get things done quickly but I lose the ability to savor things, to just sit back and watch, relish, and enjoy life.  My boys are growing up too quickly and if I don't slow down now, I'm going to blink and they're going to be in college!

2)  In keeping with the boys, I want to work on my patience.  Right now it's with Colin but I know Sawyer won't be far behind.  Colin tests my patience on a daily basis but he's 3.  I need to remember that and try to keep my cool, while still reinforcing the correct behavior.  I'm really trying to discover the source of his anger and mischievous behavior and stop it before it ever happens.  This is a really tough one for me and will require a LOT of self control and soul searching!

3)  Get caught up and stay caught up with the boys scrapbooks.  Even though they will probably never care one thing for these books that I have spent countless hours on, I want to tackle the pile of pictures that I haven't touched since Sawyer was born.  I finally finished a page last night, so I'm making progress already!

4)  Realize there are only 24 hours in a day and therefore, only so many things I can do.  I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew and to also not stop for anything less than perfection.  Both of these put a lot of undue stress on me and I end up beating myself up a lot.  No one will care if their birthday cake isn't 12 layers with 10 different fillings.  No one will remember that every invitation was handmade.  This is probably going to be the hardest one for me but it's an inner battle I'm ready to tackle!

5)  Spend more time with my friends.  I feel a disconnect between myself and my friends - really the rest of the world.  I get in such a routine that I don't allow myself to make time for me.  Thankfully I have great friends who are always willing to pick up wherever we last left off but the time in between visits shouldn't be so long.  I don't want to set any kind of time commitment on myself because some months are busier than others, but I think just a general effort to make time for my friends.  Spending time with my husband, just the 2 of us, fits into this category as well (:

Phew!  That's enough.  I'm starting to feel overwhelmed already.  One day at a time.  One step at a time.  Even baby steps are improvements.  That's what I need to keep reminding myself! 

Sawyer's New Friend

 

Say hello to Sawyer's newest friend, his tongue.  Believe it or not, he will actually stick it out on command.  He loves his latest discovery, as you can tell.

One of my friends said this was a sign of teething - at least for her 2 children.  We shall see.