Things we did in Missouri:
-watch probably around 20 hours of football. Cried a little when Boise State lost. Cried even more when BYU barely lost the Utah game.
-Play tons of rounds of this awesome game of Time's up. It's like taboo and charades wrapped into one. My favorite moment:
(trying to guess who's on the card)
Ben: Um... oh, I don't know who this is... is he in Pretty Woman? No, I don't think he's in Pretty Woman...
Dad: Alec Baldwin!
Ben: Yes!
-Enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast! And Pie. Lots of pie.
-Showed off my beautiful baby girl.
-Talked and talked and talked. My sister-in-law Kelly, who has a baby girl three weeks younger than Clara, was in the basement with me, and even though we both knew we should sleep when our babies sleep, we couldn't help staying up way too late talking.
-Went Black Friday shopping with Jordan's mom! I wasn't going to go, but then as I was sitting around the house I realized I was a missing a great time, so I decided to go catch up with them!
-Played Dominion a ton.
-More talking.
-Eating DELICIOUS food.
But more important, we were able to spend quality time with our family. I enjoyed spending time with everyone, and I so hate it when I go. *sob*
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
So much to say...
I have struggled for weeks to write something, but every time I sit down I'm overwhelmed with all the changes in our lives since Clara's been born, and all that we've done in the last two months.
Yes, my beautiful baby is growing up fast! She's definately lost that newborn look to her, she's very chubby and filled out. She holds up her head and can look around. I can almost carry her around on my hip, her head control is that strong. She's not very cuddly... which is oh so disappointing to me, because all I want to do is cuddle with her! We finally figured out that she DOES like the Moby, she just has to be facing out, looking at the world. She is SO generous with her smiles, and Jordan swears he got her to laugh the other day. She loves getting her diaper changed by Daddy because he just sits and plays with her. She loves her swing, and sometimes it's the only way I can get things done! While we were in Missouri, she was CRAZY patient with the other kids, especially the little ones who wanted to get in her face and poke her a bit (their mother's and I did our best to protect her, but sometimes things just got crazy!). I'm fairly certain she enjoys being held more by other people than me, probably because she see's me and thinks "food!"
Sleep has been very touch and go recently. But recently things have really started to come together. She has a VERY consistent morning nap: an hour and a half after she gets up, she needs a nap. I'm pretty religious about putting her down after being awake for 2 hours, which is very helpful. Nighttimes are still tough. She goes to sleep easily, but fusses awake after about an hour, and sometimes all I can do is hold her binkie in until she goes to sleep. When she's really upset, she DOES sleep better snuggled up with me, but the truth of the matter is I DON'T get good sleep because she is a very hot and sweaty little baby... anywho, I feel like last night we had a break through, she slept FOREVER in the hotel room. Like, I got a whole 5 hours of uninterrupted to sleep (except when I woke up at 1am freaking out because she hadn't woken up and I had to make sure she was breathing.... but me messing up my own sleep doesn't count here). In general, I've told myself not to worry too much until she's 4 months old, but try to reenforce healthy habits as best I can.
All in all, she's an absolute joy and SOOOOOOOOOO cute! I love her tons and tons!
Yes, my beautiful baby is growing up fast! She's definately lost that newborn look to her, she's very chubby and filled out. She holds up her head and can look around. I can almost carry her around on my hip, her head control is that strong. She's not very cuddly... which is oh so disappointing to me, because all I want to do is cuddle with her! We finally figured out that she DOES like the Moby, she just has to be facing out, looking at the world. She is SO generous with her smiles, and Jordan swears he got her to laugh the other day. She loves getting her diaper changed by Daddy because he just sits and plays with her. She loves her swing, and sometimes it's the only way I can get things done! While we were in Missouri, she was CRAZY patient with the other kids, especially the little ones who wanted to get in her face and poke her a bit (their mother's and I did our best to protect her, but sometimes things just got crazy!). I'm fairly certain she enjoys being held more by other people than me, probably because she see's me and thinks "food!"
Sleep has been very touch and go recently. But recently things have really started to come together. She has a VERY consistent morning nap: an hour and a half after she gets up, she needs a nap. I'm pretty religious about putting her down after being awake for 2 hours, which is very helpful. Nighttimes are still tough. She goes to sleep easily, but fusses awake after about an hour, and sometimes all I can do is hold her binkie in until she goes to sleep. When she's really upset, she DOES sleep better snuggled up with me, but the truth of the matter is I DON'T get good sleep because she is a very hot and sweaty little baby... anywho, I feel like last night we had a break through, she slept FOREVER in the hotel room. Like, I got a whole 5 hours of uninterrupted to sleep (except when I woke up at 1am freaking out because she hadn't woken up and I had to make sure she was breathing.... but me messing up my own sleep doesn't count here). In general, I've told myself not to worry too much until she's 4 months old, but try to reenforce healthy habits as best I can.
All in all, she's an absolute joy and SOOOOOOOOOO cute! I love her tons and tons!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ok, I have a history with chocolate chip cookies. I started to bake chocolate chip cookies when I was 7 years old. I got really good at making them. I figured out how to make it so they were the perfect texture and oh so tasty. I had... "the magic cookie touch."
And then I moved to Utah. And something happened. I lost the touch. They always turn out flat and lame texture. They taste alright, I guess, but... they just aren't super great.
By far the BEST cookies I've ever had are my sister-in-law Anna's: ah, so perfect. Good volume (not cake-y, but not flat), a nice lovely color, perfect size... and just utterly delicious. Anna has mad skills... "the magic cookie touch." :) Sadly, I do not have such skills (it MIGHT be Utah's altitude, I'm not sure). I've tried to replicate her recipe with not such good results (it is better then mine from my childhood, but I still can't do it as well as she can.)
So, that being said, I have discovered a "dummy proof" chocolate chip cookie recipe! Basically, all you do is replace 1/2 cup of sugar for a package of vanilla pudding mix. Here's the recipe:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
I cut the recipe in half because this makes a LOT of cookies. I am curious as to what different flavored pudding (like white chocolate) would taste like. So, if you have lost the "magic cookie touch" like me, you can make these!
And then I moved to Utah. And something happened. I lost the touch. They always turn out flat and lame texture. They taste alright, I guess, but... they just aren't super great.
By far the BEST cookies I've ever had are my sister-in-law Anna's: ah, so perfect. Good volume (not cake-y, but not flat), a nice lovely color, perfect size... and just utterly delicious. Anna has mad skills... "the magic cookie touch." :) Sadly, I do not have such skills (it MIGHT be Utah's altitude, I'm not sure). I've tried to replicate her recipe with not such good results (it is better then mine from my childhood, but I still can't do it as well as she can.)
So, that being said, I have discovered a "dummy proof" chocolate chip cookie recipe! Basically, all you do is replace 1/2 cup of sugar for a package of vanilla pudding mix. Here's the recipe:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.
I cut the recipe in half because this makes a LOT of cookies. I am curious as to what different flavored pudding (like white chocolate) would taste like. So, if you have lost the "magic cookie touch" like me, you can make these!
My new favorie recipe!
Pumpkin-Spiced With Chicken Chili!
I have already made this twice, and I only discovered the recipe a week ago. SO GOOD. Jordan and I don't even LIKE chili that much... but this recipe is AMAZING. And pretty healthy! And fairly cheap! It's basically the perfect recipe.
About 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, roughly chopped into bite-size chunks
3 15-oz cans of Cannellini beans (or Great Northerns), drained and rinsed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 4-oz cans of chopped green chiles
2 heaping Tablespoons of canned 100% pumpkin
2 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 2 cob’s worth)
1 ¾ cup low-salt chicken stock
1 12-oz can of low-fat evaporated milk
4 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
¾ cup sharp cheddar, grated (optional)
I have already made this twice, and I only discovered the recipe a week ago. SO GOOD. Jordan and I don't even LIKE chili that much... but this recipe is AMAZING. And pretty healthy! And fairly cheap! It's basically the perfect recipe.
About 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, roughly chopped into bite-size chunks
3 15-oz cans of Cannellini beans (or Great Northerns), drained and rinsed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 4-oz cans of chopped green chiles
2 heaping Tablespoons of canned 100% pumpkin
2 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 2 cob’s worth)
1 ¾ cup low-salt chicken stock
1 12-oz can of low-fat evaporated milk
4 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
¾ cup sharp cheddar, grated (optional)
Directions:
1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Chop into bite-size chunks. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and a pinch of chili powder.
2. In a large heavy skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat. Saute the chicken until starting to brown on all sides and cooked through (no longer pink inside). About 5 minutes.
3. In a large stock pot, saute the onion in two tablespoons of olive oil until soft and tender (about 8 minutes). Stir frequently to avoid burning. Add the garlic, green chiles and all the dry spices – stir another 5 minutes.
4. Add the cooked chicken, beans, corn, stock, milk and pumpkin. Combine well and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste from time to time and adjust seasonings as desired.
5. Garnish with cilantro and cheddar (if desired) and serve hot.
Pumpkin Bread
Ok, I can't take credit for this recipe, it's really my aunt Renee's. She eats it like a moderately healthy muffin. I, being the brilliant baker that I am (with no consideration for my arteries), basically turned it into cake by adding chocolate chips and frosting it with cream cheese frosting. I love it because it's really easy and basic, and really nice and pumpkin-y tasting. And I really love the cream cheese frosting. A lot. It tastes like cheese cake on steroids.
Pumpkin Bread
3 1/3 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin
Mix all together and pour into 2 or 3 large loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour. You can also do mini loaves or muffins (the time is a little bit questionable, just check regularly). I like to add 1 cup and a half of semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate is a little too sweet...). Then, after it's cooled, I frost with cream cheese frosting:
1 package of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, mixing one cup at a time. Add vanilla.
I frost pretty generously, but I pretty much LOVE frosting, so that's not very surprising. This makes for a pretty rich dessert, so if you like something lighter, just try the bread part. That's also delicious.
Pumpkin Bread
3 1/3 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin
Mix all together and pour into 2 or 3 large loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour. You can also do mini loaves or muffins (the time is a little bit questionable, just check regularly). I like to add 1 cup and a half of semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate is a little too sweet...). Then, after it's cooled, I frost with cream cheese frosting:
1 package of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, mixing one cup at a time. Add vanilla.
I frost pretty generously, but I pretty much LOVE frosting, so that's not very surprising. This makes for a pretty rich dessert, so if you like something lighter, just try the bread part. That's also delicious.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fall Cooking!
It's fall! And that means my favorite time of year to cook! I love the spices, pumpkin, the warm, cozy feeling that all food this time year brings. Of course, it's a little insane for me to be cooking like I have with a new baby like this... I spend a lot of time stopping half-way through recipes to go feed her, which can frustrate some recipes, and instead of sleeping when she sleeps I've been cooking, which is probably pretty silly... but I can't help it!
So, here's a few of my favorite recipes. The first is a beef stew that Jordan LOVES! Well, I love it too. It can be done as a slow cooker recipe, but I like the texture of the different foods and I feel it all gets too mushy in a slow cooker.
Beef Stew
1. Mix flour, seasoned salt and pepper. Put in gallon size bag, and add beef, shaking until beef is coated in flour mixture. Sauté coated beef in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until browned. Add chopped onion to beef to sauté and soften.
2. Put diced potatoes and carrots in the pot. Pour water over potatoes and carrots until just covered, boil to soften. Discard the water.
3. Mix beef broth with Worcestershire and ½ cup red wine. Add beef, broth, Worcestershire sauce and red wine to potatoes and carrots. (I like my beef a little bit more liquid, so I might add a little more broth to make it the consistency I like).
4. Add garlic, bay leaf, paprika, marjoram to stew. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until desired thickness. Then enjoy!
This is a pretty basic beef stew that you can add or remove things based on your preferences. Jordan doesn't like onion, so I usually use a minimum amount. You can play around with the spices, add stuff you like, etc. And it's absolutely delicious for a nice fall evening.
So, here's a few of my favorite recipes. The first is a beef stew that Jordan LOVES! Well, I love it too. It can be done as a slow cooker recipe, but I like the texture of the different foods and I feel it all gets too mushy in a slow cooker.
Beef Stew
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup cooking wine
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 3 potatoes, diced
- 4 carrots, sliced
2. Put diced potatoes and carrots in the pot. Pour water over potatoes and carrots until just covered, boil to soften. Discard the water.
3. Mix beef broth with Worcestershire and ½ cup red wine. Add beef, broth, Worcestershire sauce and red wine to potatoes and carrots. (I like my beef a little bit more liquid, so I might add a little more broth to make it the consistency I like).
4. Add garlic, bay leaf, paprika, marjoram to stew. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until desired thickness. Then enjoy!
This is a pretty basic beef stew that you can add or remove things based on your preferences. Jordan doesn't like onion, so I usually use a minimum amount. You can play around with the spices, add stuff you like, etc. And it's absolutely delicious for a nice fall evening.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
I am alive!
Clara will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. I feel like she's getting bigger right in front of my eyes. It's amazing how different I feel like she looks, even now. She's definitely longer, with chubbier little cheeks and legs. Jordan and I spend a good part of our days just snuggling with her and obsessively discussing how she's the cutest baby ever. She's just lovely.
I'm recovering well. There were some rough days there at the beginning when I was still feeding her obsessively every 2 or 3 hours (like, waking her up to feed her) and she would fall asleep while nursing. I was really worried she wasn't getting enough to eat. She surpassed her birth weight at the 2 week appointment, so no worries! I'm sleeping longer at nights, and she's sorta starting to develop something of a nap schedule... kind of.
I'm also really proud that I haven't let the apartment (in terms of cleaning) get away from me. I knew this would be important to my sanity, and I figured out a way to do just enough so that I don't go crazy, but not so much that I'm obsessive. I'm a much better housekeeper as a mom than I was before, which is strange...
Jordan's been such a blessing to have around. I actually have to be careful I don't use him TOO much, because he really has work and studying to get done. We've been blessed to have tons more work hours avaliable to us this month (and probably for the next few months), which means we finally aren't totally broke! WOOT! Jordan's also working towards taking the third actuarial exam in early November, so he's really busy. But he always have time to change Clara's diaper and cuddle her for a bit so I can grab a shower or a quick nap. I'm SOOO lucky... :)
I'm recovering well. There were some rough days there at the beginning when I was still feeding her obsessively every 2 or 3 hours (like, waking her up to feed her) and she would fall asleep while nursing. I was really worried she wasn't getting enough to eat. She surpassed her birth weight at the 2 week appointment, so no worries! I'm sleeping longer at nights, and she's sorta starting to develop something of a nap schedule... kind of.
I'm also really proud that I haven't let the apartment (in terms of cleaning) get away from me. I knew this would be important to my sanity, and I figured out a way to do just enough so that I don't go crazy, but not so much that I'm obsessive. I'm a much better housekeeper as a mom than I was before, which is strange...
Jordan's been such a blessing to have around. I actually have to be careful I don't use him TOO much, because he really has work and studying to get done. We've been blessed to have tons more work hours avaliable to us this month (and probably for the next few months), which means we finally aren't totally broke! WOOT! Jordan's also working towards taking the third actuarial exam in early November, so he's really busy. But he always have time to change Clara's diaper and cuddle her for a bit so I can grab a shower or a quick nap. I'm SOOO lucky... :)
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