homemade teething biscuits!

I can't take any credit for this recipe, and technically i could just copy and paste the link and make it easier but its more fun for me to type it out and put my own pictures of the end result.  I saw this on a post in my babycenter birth club yesterday and had to try them out.  I didn't have any baby food prunes so I used pureed apples instead.  Teething or not, your baby 6-8 months will probably enjoy these!  Makena is just now learning to pick up food and feed herself so she had fun with these.  She's not quite eating table food so these (semi-tastless aka super baby friendly) biscuits are a real treat! Super easy to make too :)

Ingredients:

1 128 ml/4.5 fl oz jar of strained prunes baby food (or 1/2 a cup of homemade fruit puree)

1 egg

2 tbsp canola oil

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

While my oven preheated to 375 degrees (F), I emptied the jar of prunes into a large mixing bowl and added the egg and canola oil, mixing well. In a separate small mixing bowl, I mixed the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. The dry ingredients were gradually added to the wet ingredients, mixing well to form a ball of dough.

 

Using a floured rolling pin, I rolled out the dough on a floured surface to a 1/2-inch thickness. I had some cute cut-outs so I decided to use those.  They were pretty big so after I used the cut-out, I cut them in half.  Next, dot the center of the biscuit with a fork.  

 

I put the baby cakes on a parchment lined cookie sheet, about an inch apart, and popped them in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and puffy. They cooled on a wire rack.

 

She has to study everything first...

Success!!!

recipe taken from family feedbag blog: http://www.familyfeedbag.com/2011/10/baby-cakes.html

more food. i like to eat.

Here's a few more recipes for you.  A few healthy, a few....not so much.  Hey, it was the weekend. And on the weekend we cheat.

Prosciutto and Cucumber Crackers

Hardly a "recipe", but a delicious snack or lunch nonetheless.  Basically just start with some Club crackers, spread a thin layer of whipped cream cheese, place a piece of cucumber and then top with a small slice of prosciutto. Bam, you're done.



Chicken and Rice Casserole

 A classic casserole that I'm sure most of you ate when you were younger.  I make a few small changes to make it even tastier.  Bake some veggies and you have your starch, your protein, your dairy and your veggies.  Hardly healthy, but tasty. 'TIS TASTY!!

Ingredients:
-3-4 chicken breasts
-1 can cream of mushroom condensed soup
-3/4 cup uncooked rice
-1 cup chicken broth
-a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese
-1/4 t paprika
-1/4 t black pepper

Directions:
1. Stir the soup, broth, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Top with the chicken.  Season with additional paprika and black pepper.  Cover the baking dish.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.



Fettucine w/ Prosciutto and Sage Cream

This is one of those Publix Apron's Simple Meals that Jon picked up.  Publix is our grocery store and every weekday they have a stand in the store where they make a certain meal and provide recipes and samples.  He thought this sounded good, and he was right! I altered it a lot because of the ingredients that I did and did not have.  I'll put the Publix recipe and also my changes next to it.

Ingredients:
-4 slices prosciutto (about 2 oz), thinly sliced
-10 sage leaves (I had dried sage so I just sprinkled some of that on)
-2/3 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped (I used a green bell pepper)
-8 oz fettuccine pasta (I used about 1/2 to 2/3 of a box of thin spaghetti.....or maybe regular spaghetti, I can't remember now.)
-2 T olive oil
-12 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used about 6 oz because that's all I had and Jon doesn't like mushrooms)
-4 spears asparagus, chopped (Didn't call for this but I added it)
-2 cups fully cooked chicken strips (I just cooked my own beforehand)
-1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
-1 cup Alfredo sauce
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese blend (I used shredded Parm)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta following package instructions.
2. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Place oil in pan, then add mushrooms (and bell peppers and asparagus); cook 2-3 minutes or until browned.  Add chicken strips; cook 1-2 minutes to heat.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Stir in broth and Alfredo sauce; simmer 3-4 minutes or until mixture has thickened.  Stir in pasta, prosciutto, sage, and pepper.  Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.



Mediterranean Flounder 

I figured I would give flounder another shot, mostly because I still have some in my freezer because we bought a Costco sized bag.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first recipe.  It was a little bland and had too much basil.  Apparently I've also been on a Mediterranean kick lately too.  Who doesn't love capers and tomatoes?  This one was MUCH better and I would definitely make it again.  Jon also loved it. This is another allrecipes.com gem.

Ingredients:

• 5 roma (plum) tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Spanish onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 24 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (I left them out and it was still awesome)
• 4 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound flounder fillets
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn (didn't add these on top)

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Plunge tomatoes into the boiling water, and immediately remove to a medium bowl of ice water. Drain, and remove skins. Chop, and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion until tender. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir in tomatoes, and cook until tender. Mix in wine, olives, capers, lemon juice, and 1/2 the basil. Reduce heat, blend in Parmesan cheese, and cook until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce, about 15 minutes.
4. Place flounder in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the sauce, and top with remaining basil leaves.
5. Bake 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

a week of (healthy) recipes.

things are changing in this household.  for a little while anyway.  i've been feeling really crappy when it comes to my health and my appearance lately so its about time to make some changes.  as of last week, we decided that weeknight dinners are going to be healthy (for the most part....anything is better than the cheese, butter and carbs that i normally make).  also, no drinking on week nights unless its a special occasion. ie: charger game, friends over for dinner, etc.  weekends are fair game however :)

anyway, here's my first week of healthy recipes so i thought i'd share.  i got all but one of them from allrecipes.com, my favorite food website.  enjoy!

let me start with the least "healthy" of all.  Slow cooker Chicken Taco Soup.  It's actually not bad until it comes to the toppings :) And who doesn't love an easy and delicious slow cooker recipe?  Especially a hearty soup for the upcoming cool weather.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I just used Coors Light)
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 4)
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional).....necessary in my opinion
• sour cream (optional)......again, crucial! gives soup a great creaminess
• crushed tortilla chips (optional) -I didn't use these, instead i threw some slices of avocado on top

Directions

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours. (Mine only took about 3 hours to cook the chicken)
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.  

Mediterranean Quinoa

This is by far my favorite recipe of the week.  I made some adjustments so take note of that in the ingredients section.  As you noticed I've been copying the original recipe and noting my changes next to them.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
•  
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
• 1 large red onion, diced (I used 1/2 of a sweet onion because that's all i had, which was plenty)
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (i just eyeballed the herbs)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I probably wouldn't put this in next time, it was salty enough with the olives, and i LOVE salty.  Maybe just use half the recommended)
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (WAY too much, I juiced one lemon and used that)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used about 2 tablespoons)

Directions

1. Bring the water, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.  (I personally enjoyed it more cold!)

 

 

Italian Style Flounder

Ingredients

• 2 pounds flounder fillets
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup diced fresh tomato (i would suggest using a little more)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (too much, lessen to 1 or 1.5 tsps)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange flounder in a medium baking dish. Dot with butter, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with tomato, basil, and garlic powder.
3. Cover, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork. 

Now, this flounder recipe wasn't my favorite.  I probably wouldn't make it again.  Its my first time cooking with flounder so I'm not sure if its the fish that just doesn't wow me or the other ingredients. Paired with wild rice-a-roni and salad it wasn't bad though.

 

 

Mabo Tofu

 

This one isn't from allrecipes.com.  The sauce for the tofu comes in a box (picture below) and all you do is add the tofu and a ground meat of your choice.  I used ground beef, and basically quadruple the amount of it to give it a little more substance.  I also used two bags of the liquid.  Put it over some brown rice and serve with a veggie of your choice and call it a day.  Super easy!

 

Shrimp Quinoa

Terrible picture, can you tell I forgot to take it until the very end?

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
•  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 8 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used about 10)
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I only used about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste (I also added some garlic and onion powder)

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the remaining liquid absorb into the quinoa.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, and red bell pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, raisins, and ginger; continue cooking until the asparagus is tender. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until the shrimp have turned pink and are no longer translucent in the center.
3. Stir the lemon juice into the quinoa, then toss the quinoa with the shrimp and vegetable mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. 

Ok, so I kinda messed this one up.  First off, can you tell we are on a quinoa kick? We are both obsessed! Anyway,I was trying to consider Jon's tastes and liking so I left out the ginger, lemon (didn't have any) and raisins.  Well it turns out that he said he wouldn't have minded the ginger and raisins.  Dangit! It sounded good to me. Next time I will definitely add those ingredients.  It was really bland without them.  My plain paleted husband thought it was delicious, however!

 

bullets.

a quick bullet point update!

• vacation is hard work with a 6 month old
• spending time with both mine and jon's family over the last two weeks was amazing
• makena has a tooth! her bottom middle with the second one popping through now as well
• she is also almost mobile.  as of this morning, she started scooting......backwards, lol!
• i need to work out
• fall is here which means my house will smell like cinnamon and cloves for the next two months
• the weather is perfect, and perfect weather makes me happy
• makena has discovered she has a voice and now says mama, dada, baba, pap-pap, and nana
•  i have hundreds of pictures from the last two weeks that i need to upload
• my baby will be 7 months old in a week, whoa
• after makena was a terrible sleeper and napper on vacation, we cracked down when we got home and she now only fusses for 10ish minutes before falling asleep on her own
• we lessened makena's medicine to once a day and then completely stopped it today, but after puking 3 times i'm thinking she still needs to be on it
• its hard to think of updates on anything but makena
• my arms and legs got tan for the first time this whole summer!
• the leaves are about to change colors and i am reminded that the east coast really is the best place to live during the fall
• i'm really itching to get crafty. stay tuned.
• ellen is on again so all is right in the world
• sodastream energy is the best
• ok, im running out of interesting things to say. goodbye.

linguini and clams.

On the menu the other night was one of my favorite meals, linguini and clams.  Luckily Jon likes it a lot too so we make it pretty often.  I usually add garlic bread but we didn't have any and its still delicious without it.  This recipe makes 4 "jon and Kristen-sized" portions. enjoy!

• 4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
• 1 stick butter
•  3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• juice of half a lemon 
• 1/2 onion, diced 
  
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 (16 ounce) package linguini pasta

Ingredients, minus the butter which Jon was picking up at the store :)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
   
2. Meanwhile, saute the onions in a little bit of oil for a few minutes  
3. Finally, prepare the sauce. Combine clams with juice, butter or margarine, vegetable oil, minced garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat until boiling. Serve warm over pasta. 

nothing clever, just a long overdue update!

i've been really putting off this update simply because it has been so long and i feel like there is just too much to write about to catch the world up.  lol, i act like you people are all just sitting on the edges of your seats anxiously awaiting updates and info on my family.  i'm not dumb, i know that's not the case.  i really have missed jotting down life's newest joys and challenges. 

i can honestly say that i have FINALLY reached a point where i can thoroughly enjoy every single second of makena.  that doesn't mean that she is a perfect baby, but i think i've really figured out this whole mom thing.  bluntly put, february-july was the hardest few months of my life.  between the reflux and colic and homesickness, it was a lot.  my sweet girl has done a complete 180 and is the happiest baby in the world!  her "cry" is more like a ma-ma-ma-ma whine....a much welcome change from the screaming i once knew.  my absolute favorite moments are walking into her room and the morning and seeing her beaming smile the second she spot jon and/or i.  my heart never fails to melt and they are moments i will have engrained in my memory forever.

its absolutely insane to me that she is almost 6 months old.  i swear that every day she is learning something new.  she can now almost sit up straight on her own.  she still sort-of does the gorilla sit but shes very close! i am also proud to say that she is now formula-fed.  if you know anything about my struggles that came with breastfeeding, you'll know how much of a relief it is for me to be done.  i really struggled with the decision to wean but i realized i needed to do it for my own sanity.  she has mommy milk for 5.5 months, which i know was a great start.  between the dairy allergy, lipase overproduction, lazy baby, bi-weekly clogged ducts and other challenges....it was time.  luckily it has been a very smooth transition.  even more so for makena than me! she is on a soy-based formula but couldn't care less that it tasted different. phew! sadly, i'm probably gonna gain a good 10 lbs back now that i have re-introduced dairy.  i can say that i am definitely still lactose intolerant but that doesn't stop me! cheeeeeeeeese yuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!!!!

chunky legs. :)

 in less than two weeks jon, makena and i will be leaving for an amazing vacation!  we will be spending a week in the outer banks with the gideon/litwin family at a gorgeous beach 3 story beach house, right on the water (with an elevator!).  we then get to explore charleston for a couple days and then we head to south carolina for another week of beaches with the smith/daniels family.  i'm 10% stressed and 90% excited.  makena isn't a huge fan of the car and hasn't been on a drive more than 1.5 hours so our 10+ hour car rides could be interesting.  i cannot wait to make so many wonderful memories with ALL of our family.  so blessed to get this opportunity.

sadly, my brother justin and his family won't make it to the beach because they just welcomed the birth of their precious twin babies!  i am so proud to say that i now have SIX nephews and my FIRST niece! Adelyn Patricia and Owen Francesco were born July 16 (2 days after my bday!) and both are home, happy and healthy.  it was a very long road for laura, spending an entire month in the hospital before they arrived but she is such a trooper and they are so adorable! i cannot wait to meet them hopefully soon. 

perfect babies.  adelyn and owen!

 as my life has finally "calmed down" when it comes to baby, and now that dairy is once again a part of my life :), i have an itch to get my creative juices flowing again.  i have been wanting to start some projects around the house, and i decided to start with a photo wall in our foyer.  pictures to follow once its done.  also on my list are a menu chalkboard for the kitchen and jon and i want to team up and build/finish/decorate a homemade hutch that we will use as a liquor cabinet.  we want to incorporate an old window as the counter and install wine glass holders and cabinets for glasses.  that probably won't happen for a while but its on our list! i also would really like to start a scrapbook for makena.  i know if i don't start soon i'll get so behind that i will never start it.  i've been bad about documenting all of her milestones, which is another reason i wanted to update my blog so i can refer back.  i will also be adding new recipes and meals here as well. 

as far as san diego goes, my heart will always be there.  i still want to get back there, as soon as possible.  it doesn't look like the chances of that happening anytime soon are very great but i've been learning lately to appreciate what i have.  i've really been connecting with some of the girls here, i live in a great house and i'm a stay at home mom! what could i really complain about? yes, i miss family and friends (and san diego food) terribly, but i'm trying to enjoy this time here because i know it won't be forever. 

 i think i'll leave it at that for now.  its good to be back :)

First Father's Day. (3rd if you ask Kona.)

It was a great first Father's Day.  I know I already blew up the news feed posting pictures of Facebook, but I thought I'd re-post and add a few more so that I can have them on my blog.  Here's our day, in pictures.  And I'll finish it with a recipe for Ahi Poke.  If you've ever been to Hawaii and had this fresh, you'll know how amazing it is.  It actually became a nostalgic thing for Jon and I, and a great memory so I tried to re-create it.  I'm shocked at how well it turned out and how close to the actual thing it tasted like! A must try for sushi lovers. 

Breakfast and gifts are fun to wake up to

At Sope Creek letting Kona play in the lake (notice her in the background)

Lunch on the driveway since the weather was perfect and baby girl was napping

Mojitos for Dad

Pool Time! Kena was trying to decide how she felt about the cold water and floatie

Kisses for baby

Splashing in the water

Ahi Poke over a bed of Seaweed Salad.....heaven!!!

The best part of my day.  Watching him being super surprised and so excited for this treat!

And a nice juicy steak to follow.

I wish that I would have been able to spend the day with my Daddio as well.  I'm such a lucky girl to have him as such an active, loving and selfless role model in my life.  I am also lucky to have gained such a teddy bear, happy, smiley, always loving Father in law, Smitty!  Makena, Jon and I have amazing fathers and we are all so incredibly blessed!!!!


Ahi Poke Recipe

• 2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, cubed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (I only used a dash, I didn't remember the real stuff being spicy)

1. In a medium size non-reactive bowl, combine Ahi, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper; mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Best over seaweed salad

A Year Ago Today...

It amazes me how a year can both drag on and on but also fly by at the exact same time.  That's what this last year has been for me.  On June 14th, 2011 I was standing on a chair, holding up a pregnancy test against the light bulb and swearing my eyes were playing tricks on me.  Any "normal" person would have viewed the test as negative, but i was convinced i saw the faintest line.  I was right! Every day after that the line just got darker and darker and....

Here we are, a year later.  My 4 month old baby is fast asleep in her swing and I am constantly shocked at how quickly she is growing.  I can honestly say this has been the hardest year of my life.  Between living in a new place, feeling pretty lonely and isolated, learning how to adjust to Jon's new job, being (very) pregnant, figuring out how to deal with a difficult newborn/infant, coping with a lot of my own personal struggles and maintaining my sanity (somewhat), I can say its been quite a year. 

There's nothing that I want more than to be in San Diego, near my friends and family and have Jon continue working at Intuitive, but right now its just not in the cards.  I constantly find myself questioning God and wondering why we are here in Georgia, but I have complete faith that he has a plan for us.  I pray every single day that that plan includes us moving back home, and soon, but only He knows if that will happen. 

When it comes to being a mom, I also constantly question whether or not I'm doing a "good enough" job.  I know I'm doing the best I can, but holy cow this is the hardest job in the world.  I love my sweet baby in a way that I never imagined possible, and i just want whats best for her.  Watching her big gummy smile when she sees me and seeing her giggle at her Daddy makes everything worth it.  Every day it gets a LITTLE bit easier and I am truly blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby girl. 

Though this year has been a roller coaster, I wouldn't change it for anything.  If we weren't here, we wouldn't have gotten pregnant when we did.  And if we didn't get pregnant, Makena Rylie wouldn't be here.  My family is my world and she brings such joy to us.  Thank you Lord for bringing her to us.  I love you my sweet girl. 

Kristen's Kitchen: A Week of Recipes, Thursday

Yesterday I decided to go with a crock pot recipe, one of my favorite things to do.  It is so easy to just throw a bunch of stuff in, flip it on low and forget about it for hours.  My go-to is always shredded beef sandwiches so that's what I'm gonna post.  I chose a recipe that is slightly different than my usual but I liked it a LOT! It might become the new norm.  I simply put the meat on a kasier roll (fresh from Publix bakery, they are the BEST) and get a bowl of the au jus sauce its been soaking it to dip.  You can spice up the sandwich by adding whatever you want (melted swiss cheese, coleslaw, pickles, etc.) but I like mine simple.  Add some chips and a soda and you have yourself and easy and yummy summer time dinner. 

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients:
-3lb beef rump roast or bottom round roast
-2 cups water
-1 envelope zesty italian salad dressing mix
-1 envelope au jus gravy mix
-1 medium onion, thinly sliced
-Italian or kaiser rolls

Steps:
1.  Cut roast in half.  Place in a 4-qt. slow cooker.  Combine water, italian mix and au jus mix; pour over meat.  Top with onion.  Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours (only took 6-7 hours for me).
2.  Remove meat.  Shred meat when cool enough to handle.  Skim fat from cooking juices.  Return meat to slow cooker; heat through.  Serve on italian rolls.  

what the meat looked like after it was fully cooked

easily shreds with a fork when its tender

adding a bowl of au jus sauce is a MUST!

Kristen's Kitchen: A Week of Recipes, Wednesday

Ok this post is a little bit of a lie.  I didn't really make this meal on Wednesday.  It's actually a recipe for how to use leftover flat iron steak and turn it into a whole new meal.  I bought the steak purposely for this though.  So what I did was marinated the steak in my own flavors (a combo of A1, Worcestershire, garlic salt, flavor booster, cayenne and chili powder) on Wednesday and then cooked it on a grill pan a few hours later.  I sliced it into thin pieces and threw them in a ziploc and made the rest of the meal today (Thursday). Anyway, here's the recipe. It's really good! It reminded me one of those lean cuisine type tv dinner meals, but much more delicious and fresh!

Orange Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry Recipe

Ingredients:
-4 tsp cornstarch
-3/4 cup orange juice
-4 green onions, thinly sliced (i used 2)
-3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
-3 Tbsp honey
-2 tsp grated fresh gingerroot
-1 garlic clove, minced
-2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1 inch pieces)
-1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
-1 cup julienned carrots
-1 Tbsp canola oil
-3/4 lb. leftover grilled steaks, thinly sliced
-1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts
-hot cooked rice (i used brown rice. 1 cup rice, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup water)

Steps:
1.  Whisk cornstarch, orange juice, onions, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until blended; set aside.
2. Stir-fry asparagus, pepper and carrots in oil in a large skillet or wok for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add steak; heat through.  Sprinkle with peanuts.  Serve over rice.

And there you have it!

Kristen's Kitchen: A Week of Recipes, Tuesday

Last night's menu included Balsamic Broiled Asparagus and a Shrimp Piccata.  I decided to 1.5 times the recipe because we have some neighbors who just had a baby so I decided to make extra to bring a meal over to them.  The reason I didn't double it was because the bag of shrimp I had was 1.5 lbs and not 2 :)

Balsamic Broiled Asparagus Recipe

Ingredients:
-1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed
-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper

Steps:
1.  Place asparagus i a 15-in. x 10. in x 1. in baking pan.  Combine the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.  Brush half of the mixture over asparagus.
2.  Broil 4 in. from the heat for 8-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally (i didn't).  Brush with remaining sauce.

Shrimp Piccata Recipe

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb. uncooked angel hair pasta
-2 shallots, finely chopped (i used green onion)
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/8 tsp salt
-1 cup chicken broth
-1 cup white wine
-4 tsp cornstarch
-1/3 cup lemon juice
-1/4 cup capers, drained
-3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Steps:
1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Saute shallots and garlic in oil in a large skillet for 1 minute.  Add shrimp, oregano and salt; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink.   Combine broth, wine and cornstarch in a small bowl; gradually stir into pan.  Bring to a boil' cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.
2.  Drain pasta. Stir pasta, lemon juice, capers and parsley into skillet.

I most likely won't be making a meal tonight or tomorrow cause Jon has class tonight and work ALL day tomorrow, but we will see.  I might get bored :)  More to come later!

Kristen's Kitchen: A Week of Recipes, Monday

I've found that the best way to be successful at following through with cooking meals on a daily(ish) basis is to sit down one day a week and come up with the menu for the rest of the week.  I've found about 5 or 6 recipes and will share them with you over the next few days with some pictures and feedback. 

Tonight I made Mushroom Pork Tenderloin and Bruschetta Fresca with a Blackberry Beer Cocktail.  Enjoy!

Mushroom Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients:
-2 pork tenderloins (about 2 lbs)
-1/4 cup mayonnaise
-1 (1 oz) packet onion soup mix
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-8 oz pre-sliced baby portabellas
-1 tablespoon quick-mixing flour
-1/2 cup milk

PREP:
-Slice tenderloins diagonally into about twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices

STEPS:
1. Combine mayo, dry soup mix, and garlic in large bowl
2. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high heat 2-3 minutes.  Stir pork slices and mushrooms into soup mixture; plan in pan.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned.
3. Stir in flour; cook 1-2 more minutes.  Stir in milk and reduce heat to low; cook 4-6 minutes or until sauce thickens and pork is 160 degrees F (for medium).  Serve.

Super quick and easy.  If I were to do this again, I would serve the pork over a bed of angel hair pasta or rice.  I'd also maybe add a salad or corn or baked potato. 

Doesn't look too great but it was really tasty.

Bruschetta Fresca Recipe
Ingredients:
-1 bakery baguette
-8 oz fresh mozzarella (no cheese in above pictures because i can't have it)
-4-6 fresh basil leaves
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-1 1/2 cups pre-diced fresh tomatoes
-1 teaspoon seasoned salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper

PREP:
-Place oven rack 6 inches from heat source; then preheat on broil.
-Slice bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on baking sheet.
-Cut cheese into small, bite-size pieces.
-Slice basil into thin strips.

STEPS:
1. Combine in medium bowl, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil.  Stir in cheese, tomatoes, seasoned salt, and pepper.
2. Broil bread 1 minute on each side until lightly toasted. (Watch closely to prevent over-browning.) Top with tomato mixture; sprinkle with basil and serve.


Blackberry Beer Cocktail (YUM)

Some may know this drink as a "Pink Panty Dropper" but it's a tad bit different.

Ingredients:
-4 bottles (12 oz each) beer, chilled (I used Coors Light)
-1 can (12 oz) frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed (store didn't have this, so we used pink lemonade)
-3/4 cup fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed
-1/2 cup vodka
-Ice cubes
-Lemon slices

STEPS:
-Combine beer, lemonade concentrate, blackberries and vodka in a large pitcher.  Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices.

SOOOOO good and doesn't taste like beer or vodka at all.  Has the perfect carbonation and sweetness.  Perfect summer drink.

And there you have it. Monday's meal.  Just in time for me to prep and start dinner for tonight.  Back to update tomorrow!

Nap Nanny to Crib Transition Journal

Now that Makena is 3 months old, and I have a few trips coming up, I've decided its time to get her out of her Nap Nanny.  A NN is an inclined sleeper that has a 30 degree angled tilt so baby can sleep in an upright position, especially important for babes who have reflux.  It has been a GODSEND.  My aunt actually sent us this as a gift the day Kena was born and we had no idea how much use it would get.  Well, all good things must come to an end.  Since her reflux meds are working and she is getting bigger, its time.  I can't cart the NN on the airplane and I don't want to have to rent one every time I go on vacation.  I've also noticed that it seems like she can't really get comfortable as easily, always trying to roll onto her side.  The problem is, she has NEVER slept on her back.  Ugh, this is not going to be easy.

She loves to be on her back when she's awake, playing on her activity mat.  But I think to her, back lying and sleep have zero association.  The times I have tried to lay her in her crib, its almost as if she has too much freedom, flailing her arms and legs.  The simple solution would be to swaddle her, but I'm choosing not to for 2 reasons.  For one, its just another habit that we will have to break eventually, plus I just think shes too old to start swaddling now.  And two, she hates being strapped down so I'm positive it wouldn't fly.  Luckily we have a swaddle sleep sack that you can keep the arms out so that's my plan.

Night One: Epic Fail

The first problem here was that I decided to start the process spontaneously.  As in, she started fussing at 4am so after I fed her, I took the Nap Nanny, crib bumpers, loose blankets and stuffed animal out of her crib and gave it a go.  Bad idea.  She wasn't in her sleep sack, and I wasn't able to put towels under the mattress to prop her up.  I opened up the jack and jill door and laid down in the guest bed while I spied on her on the video monitor.  She tried so hard to get comfortable but I think she just had too much freedom.  It broke my heart, because I know she just wanted to sleep.  She didn't cry, she actually tried and tried to sleep for over an hour.  When I think she finally fell asleep, I dozed off only to be woken up from her crying what seemed like a few minutes later.  It was random.  I think what happened was she scratched herself in the face and woke herself up, hence the tears.  It was 6am at this point and I was exhausted so I considered that my trial for the first night.  I threw the nap nanny back in and we all slept peacefully for the next 3 hours.

Tonight I will dress her properly and prop up her mattress.  I'm torn between starting this at bedtime, or in the middle of the night.  I'm tempted to try the middle of the night again because that's when shes the most tired and will probably sleep a little better.  The other part of me just wants to go cold turkey and try it at 9pm, bedtime.  AHH I don't know.  I hope tonight goes a little smoother.  I don't expect a miracle, but if she can stay peacefully asleep even for just a few hours, I'll feel like we are getting somewhere. 


Day One: VERY Slowly Making Progress

Well, I'm back.  I signed off earlier debating whether or not I wanted to start the transition at bedtime or in the middle of the night.  I decided, screw it, I'm just gonna start it now.  I laid her down for a nap at 1:45 and she whined with very little seriousness for a good 30 minutes before I think she fell asleep.  We have a video monitor but it was aimed at where she was in the Nap Nanny so I couldn't tell.  She only slept for 25 minutes but hey, I'll take it.  Because her nap was so short (they rarely exceed an hour during the day) she was tired again an hour later.  I laid her down at 3:45 and she was quiet! I checked the video and she basically just laid there quietly for AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES! She then fell asleep for a whole 15 minutes.  Oy.  Next attempt was at 6:30 pm, she was surprisingly asleep about 10 minutes later.  She slept for a record-breaking 30 minutes, lol!


Night Two: Getting There

Not too bad considering we cut her off cold turkey! She was out by 9pm, shuffled at 10 and 11 but put herself back to sleep, fussed at 1 but put her self back down, ate at 2, cried at 6:30 cause she wiggled down in the crib and was all awkward. I repositioned her and she went back down til 8. Cried so I got her up but she was still so tired so she was only up for 25 minutes. Ate and passed back out from 9-11:30. We usually don't let her sleep that late in fear of it messing up her bedtime but since her sleep was so broken last night I feel like she needed it. Also, she must have been going through a growth spurt.  She usually drinks roughly 24-25 oz per day.  This night she took 7 oz at 8:30pm, 7 oz at 2am, and almost 7 more oz at 8:30am which is almost 20 oz in a 12 hour period. Growing girl!! Making progress!!

Day Two: Almost!

We were out for two of her naps so she slept in the carseat.  The other two naps at home were pretty successful.  The one at 4:30pm was a complete success.  I must have put her down at the perfect time, because not only did she not make a peep, but she passed right out in less than 5 minutes.  Slept for 30-40 minutes.  The last nap of the day wasn't as flawless.  I put her down at 7:10 and she cried/whined until 7:30.

zonked.

 Night Three: Officially a Crib Sleeper!!

After our walk, bath, book and bottle, I set her down at 9:15 and she whined/cried for about 25 minutes.  We resisted the urge to go in there and by 9:45 she was zonked out and did not move or make any noise until 4:50am. WOOO HOO!!!!! She power ate 7 oz and went right back down until we woke her up at 9:15.  And there you have it.  Our baby now sleeps in her crib.

SO GLAD I stuck to it, even when I was completely exhausted after the first night.  Now I can stress and worry so much less when it comes to traveling.  One point for Mom (and Dad!)!!

Makena's Milestones. 3 Months.

I would have posted this yesterday, but apparently Makena was very excited about her "birthday" the night before that she was up drinking all night.  Lush. 

I consider this blog to sort of be her virtual baby book.  A place I can look back and reference things she started doing and when.  So this post is dedicated to all of Makena's firsts up to this point.

She hasn't been weighed or measured since she was 10 weeks but if I were to guess, I would say she's close to 13 pounds and around 23 1/2 inches long. 

She hasn't rolled over yet, but shes pretty close.  Once a big fan of tummy time, she has decided that being on her stomach is now frustrating and gets worked up after a few minutes.  She has a super strong neck and can hold it all the way up and prop up on her 2 hands to see in front of her.  Little Super Baby!
I'd guess she will roll over within the next few weeks or month. 

She eats about 24 ounces a day on average, give or take a few.  She kinda stinks when it comes to naps.  Its almost as if she has newborn tendencies for sleeping during the day.  She can only stay awake for an hour to 1.5 hrs tops, but then will only nap for 45 minutes.  I think she may be "behind" in her nap patterns for her age because she never got consistent naps when experiencing bad reflux, so its like shes catching up now.

As for bedtime, we usually go for a family walk around the neighborhood at 8ish, bath around 8:30 and pjs and bottle right after that.  She falls asleep around 9:15-9:30.  Her internal clock is still telling her that this is a nap, even though shes bedtime tired.  When she wakes up around 10, I usually top her off with a light feeding or just rock her back to sleep.  She then sleeps til 3-4, eats and then goes back to bed til we wake her up between 9-9:30am.  Can't complain!

She's in 3-6 month clothes, its crazy how fast she is growing and how quickly she outgrows things!  All these outfits we bought for the summer and gonna be too small halfway through!

Her cry has gone from a newborn cry to a baby cry.  She can definitely belt it if shes upset.  The nice thing is she already knows how to self soothe.  Sometimes we will miss her tired window by a few minutes and she'll cry when we put her down, but it only takes her 5-10 minutes to calm down and put herself to sleep.

She DEFINITELY knows who her parents are.  It is so precious.  Whenever we walk into her room to get her up from a nap, she hears our voice and lights up.  She giggles, belly laughs and smiles non-stop.  So fun!

No sign of any teeth popping through yet, but I still think she is starting to teethe.  She drools a ton and is always chewing on her hand.  We shall see!

I guess that's it for now!  She's officially off the Zantac and so far so good! WOO!  I love that baby girl SO much!

My HEART!

 

One Handed

I just have to start out by saying that since I've become a mom, I've gotten really good at doing things one-handed.  Like typing this post for example, while I pump (sorry for the visual).  It's been an amazing week.  I'm scared to say (type) this out loud, but I think we have FINALLY figured out exactly how to treat Makena's reflux.  We are even weaning her off of the Zantac starting today so wish us luck!  There has even been consistency in a schedule around here....PRAISE THE LORD!

Snuggle Bug.

 We have officially established a bedtime routine that starts at 8:45 and includes a bath, a lotion rub-down (for her, not me unfortunately) and a bedtime bottle in her dark room.  The last 3 nights she has been down by 9:15 and asleep around 9:30. WOO HOO!  Now if only I could sleep at night....I keep having jacked up dreams :(

We had a great weekend and weren't doomed to our house for once!  We spent all day Saturday lying by the pool with our friends Ashley and Josh at Ashley's parents house.  The weather was perfect, Makena was happy and we even got some sun.  Don't worry, baby wasn't in any direct sunlight ;)  She even took a nap upstairs happily while we enjoyed the pool.  Kena was the cutest beach babe in the whole world, however she did NOT like the pool.  In her defense, it was WAY colder than her typical bath water temp.  Can't wait til the beach houses this summer when she's a little older and can really enjoy the pool!

We are going on 2 hours for this morning's nap and it feels so good to be able to get some housework done.

Clean House!

 I'm even able to prep dinner.  Tonight is one of our easy go-to meals, here's the recipe if you're interested...

Sausage and Potato Skillet

1-1 1/2 lbs hot breakfast sausage
6ish potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2-1 onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth
spices of your choice, i use paprika, flavor booster (lawry's would work too) and garlic salt

1.  Brown the sausage in a skillet, remove to plate.  If you wanna be healthy clean the grease out, if you're gross like me leave it for extra flavor.
2.  Sautee onions with a little bit of olive oil
3.  Add sausage back in, potatoes, broth and all of your spices.
4. Cover and let cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender

Obviously its not a very exact recipe, I just eyeball it and adjust the flavors to my liking.  Its nothing fancy but its easy, quick and yummy. 

 I thought I had a picture from making this before, but I guess I don't.  I'll add one later. Enjoy!