More bread, please?

Cooper had been asking to spend the night at grandma and grandpa's house, and we obviously thought Camp was thinking the same thing (and would have said it if he could).  So we took advantage of the opportunity for a night out sans kids.

(When was the last time we had a picture of the two of us!?)

The latest Food and Wine magazine showcases steakhouses around the country and helped remind us that one of the nicest steakhouses around is a mere 70 miles away (and somehow we had never been there before).  We tossed the idea out to my brother (who was on board before we could even finish our sentence) and before we knew it, we had a reservation for 8:30 on Saturday night at St. Elmo Steakhouse.  We spent the early part of the night at the bar/lounge above the restaurant (1933 Lounge) before being led down to the basement for dinner.  My review?

• The bread at the table was amazing.  These little onion rolls, filled with sautéed onions inside?  Delicious.  Crispy, cheesy flatbread crackers?  Even more delicious.  It's not a slam on the restaurant when I say these were some of my favorite things of the night.
• The shrimp cocktail (perhaps the thing I heard most about prior to Saturday night) did not disappoint.  That sauce is amazing (and can be used to clear your sinuses if you're feeling a little stuffy) and I would have liked to have piled a few more spoonfuls on top of my shrimp!  
• The wedge salad was delicious - amazing blue cheese dressing.
• The steak was decent.  Mine was well prepared (always bonus points - nothing makes me more angry than going to a restaurant and having your steak served not as ordered).  I partook in the Devour Downtown menu, which was a steal of a deal ($35 for shrimp cocktail, filet with mashed potatoes and green beans, and creme brûlée).  That being said, there was nothing about the steak that made it stand out among other steakhouses I have eaten at.  And when you make these delicious steaks in the comfort of your own home, it sets your expectations pretty high for dining out.  Where was the savory herb butter to top off my filet??

Overall, I'm so glad we went.  I'm thankful the Devour Downtown festivities were going on and we were able to enjoy a delicious meal at a very decent price (mental note: Do this again next January).  If I went again, I would want to try something different (other than filet) and also some other sides (King Crab Mac 'n Cheese??  Not sure how that slipped through my fingers.  I'll blame the ridiculously priced dinner option).  

The best part of the night, though?  The company for sure!

Cold days, hot meals

So I'm obviously not very good at the whole working, being a mother, doing housework, and keeping up with the blog thing.  It took an unexpected day off work (due to the extreme temperatures we're experiencing here) for me to get a new post out.  I think about my posts often, but only about 1/5 of my ideas actual make it to the publish button.  Bear with me; I'm hoping to become more efficient with all of my roles/responsibilities and maybe (eventually) I'll be able to find the balance needed to keep up.

We like to eat seasonally around here.  Which means grilled meats and fresh fruits/vegetables in the summer and lots of hearty soups, stews, roasts, and slow-cooked meals in the winter.  When we lived in Chicago, we started acquiring a collection of Williams-Sonoma cookbooks that really elevated our culinary skills.  They discontinued these books sometime ago, but not before we acquired 17 of them.  I have never been disappointed by a single dish from this collection and some of my favorite meals of all time come from them.  My husband will tell you his favorite dish I ever made was from the Mexican book, and for some reason I only made it one time.  When the weather turns particularly cold (as it has for the entire month of January), I like to resort to this gem.

The best Beef Stew recipe of all time can be found in here (what's not to like about a stew that has over a cup (I'm heavy handed) of red wine in it!?).  On the menu this week was the White Bean and Sausage Stew.  This dish (also containing a good amount of wine) will not disappoint the stew lover in you.  I used a garlic and asiago chicken sausage, which tasted pretty good; a nice spicy sausage would be a great alternative as well.  Serve up with a glass of white wine and some tasty bread and butter (I sent Ryan to Jimmy John's for a day old baguette loaf) and you've got a taste of our week-night winter meals.  Enjoy!

In other culinary news, we have a resi at St. Elmo's in Indianapolis on Saturday night and I could not be more excited!  

White Bean and Sausage Stew

2 c. dried white beans (Great Northern), picked over, rinsed, and drained

2 T. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. chicken stock

1 c. dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc - my favorite and what's usually in my fridge)

1 c. drained canned diced tomatoes

1 lb. cooked sausage (chicken, lamb, garlic, etc.), cut into 1/2 inch slices

3 T. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1/4 c. parmesan (freshly grated)

1/4 c. toasted bread crumbs

1 T. finely chopped Italian parsley

Place beans in a bowl with cold water to cover and soak for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.  Drain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and saute until softened, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer.  Add the stock, wine, tomatoes, and drained beans.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender and beginning to fall apart, about 1.5 hours (I say closer to 2 hours+).  Mash some of the beans with a back of a spoon to create a creamy consistency.  Add the sausage, return to a simmer, and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 3 minutes longer to mellow vinegar flavor.

Preheat the broiler; place in flameproof baking dish (I kept mine in my trusty Le Creuset).

In a small bowl, combine parmesan, bread crumbs, and parsley.  Sprinkle evenly over the stew.  Slip under the broiler until the bread crumbs and cheese are browned but not burned (3-4 minutes).  Serve in warmed soup bowls.

Confessions of a working mother

I'm walking into work with one less bag these days...

..which is significant when I still have three bags to take in to work some days.

Peace out pump; don't let the door hit you on the way out.  Its been real (a real pain, headache, bore, etc.).

My Christmas gift to myself was the gift of no longer pumping at work.  I set out on my nursing journey with baby #2 with no long-term goal or expectation, and things just happened very easily with Camp.  By the time I returned to work (when he was five months old), I had exclusively nursed, had successfully introduced cereal, and had a whole freezer full of milk.  Tomorrow, we will use up the last of my frozen milk and transition to formula for daytime feeds.  I am so thankful for the 9+ months we have had to share in this experience together.  Although as the months passed, I'll admit I started to think (and hope) I could make it through the entire first year nursing.  But in recent weeks, it seems Camp and I have both lost interest in this time together.  He is entirely too busy and interested in everything else around him to successfully nurse when any noise, movement, etc. is nearby.  And ultimately, it's not worth pushing if it becomes a forced experience for both of us.  So for now, I'm treading a little lighter on my walk into work.  I'm more productive throughout the day, not worrying about having to sneak away to pump.  And I think we both value our morning and evening nursing sessions even more.  We'll continue this for as long as it works (which may not be as long as I would like given the laws of supply and demand).  It's all very bittersweet for me.  I am so grateful I don't have to clean, organize, and pack pump parts and bottles on a daily basis, or worry about what clothes to wear to work that will make me easily accessible.  But I am devastated to think my little man is growing up so fast, that he now eats more table food than milk, and that he will soon be one year old.  How did this even happen already?

In other news, don't mind that mess of folders in the corner of my desk.  That's organized chaos right there.

Need inspiration to start or continue your journey as a nursing mother?  Visit The Breastfeeding Diaries.

Meatless ?day

Two years ago I made some New Year's resolutions related to our cooking/eating habits, one of which was Meatless Mondays.  In an effort to reduce grocery bills (since meats tend to be the more costly items) as well as increase our healthy eating habits, we decided on Mondays we would prepare a vegetarian dish for dinner.  It resulted in us finding some really fantastic vegetarian dishes that we would find ourselves choosing over other meaty options.  We kept it up for a good six months, and then I got pregnant again and we I kind of threw that baby out with the bathwater.  We would still make an occasional vegetarian dish, resorting to our favorite Meatless Monday recipes, but were not religious about seeking out said option on a weekly basis.  We have resolved to return to this way, though slightly altered.  We do our grocery shopping for the week on the weekend (it takes us 1 hour at the store with all of us working together so it is a weekend must for us!).  Since we are purchasing several meat/protein options for the week, I prefer to use those up as quickly as possible to prevent spoiling/waste.  Therefore, our meatless option may not be confined to Mondays, but rather will happen later in the week (or whatever day makes sense given our activities for the week).  Last week was a crazy week with all of the weather related issues that kept us confined to the house for the early part of the week, but we rounded out the week with two delicious, meatless options.

The first was Quinoa, Black Bean, and Corn Tacos (above).  This was a Pinterest find, and since we eat Mexican at least  once twice a week, I couldn't pass this option up.  This is a moderately easy dish to make and tastes great!  The recipe makes a ton, resulting in enough for our dinner, lunches the next day, and extra to make a Quesadilla for Cooper the following day.  There is so much flavor and substance to this dish that you won't even miss the meat!

The next was Eggs in Purgatory (above).  This dish was shared by Ryan's cousin, Ali; her husband is a vegetarian, so she is always on the prowl for good meatless dishes (try the quinoa tacos Ali!).  Ryan and I both enjoyed this dish immensely (though we weren't so honestly vegetarian with this dish since we left in the pancetta).  This dish has a ton of flavor and some heat (we used diced tomatoes with habenros which were oh so spicy!).  We served over warm corn tortillas with avocado slices since we're half Mexican (Ok, not really, but rumor has it my brother is Chilean...).

Happy Sunday everyone!  Hope you enjoy some delicious food while you take in all of this football action.  Only a few more football Sundays this season!!

I'm here too!

I've realized I've shared lots of photos, quotes, and activities about Cooper, but not too much about my happy Camper.  I often use his nap time as an opportunity to do fun activities with Cooper (not because I have a favorite child but because he is still too young to experience/enjoy many of the things Cooper is into).  But rest assured this little fellow holds a special place in my heart.

This guy is the type of baby everyone dreams about when they are first pregnant.  He was born knowing how to nurse (and was always a quick eater), started sleeping through the night (12-13 hours) at 10 weeks, and has generally been Mr. Content throughout the first 9 months of his life.  In the last few months, he has learned how to crawl, and he cannot get anywhere fast enough.  He is starting to show some stranger danger ("I don't know you, don't touch me, where's mom," etc.) and can have a mean temper when you take something away from him (particularly small toys, stickers, crayons, and paper for which his sister has an affinity for leaving lying around).  But overall, I could not love this kid more.

                        

What a charmer!  He's sure to be a heartbreaker in 15 20 years.  One thing is for sure, right now, there is only one girl who has his heart....

Just look at the way they look at one another.....could they love each other more??

Alright, enough of me swooning over my own kids.  Back to some good recipes tomorrow!

Cabin Fever

We haven't left the house since Saturday night.  Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying being able to stay inside (in my pajamas) all day every day, but it is getting difficult to keep the kids  Cooper occupied.  We have resorted to trying a variety of things as seen on the internet.

When Cooper gets bored, she resorts to her standby, "I want a snack."  She has difficulty narrowing it down when given choices, which usually leads to her toddler table covered in a variety of different food and drink options (as well as several bowls and plates for us to wash later).  I saw this on IG (or Pinterest or somewhere) and thought it was an ingenious idea to give her healthy snacks while meeting her need for options/variety.  She absolutely loves it!  I can leave it on her table all day and she constantly has healthy snack choices on demand.  Plus it drastically reduces the number of dishes I will later do, as well as the number of times I hear, "I want a snack," throughout the day.  

We also decided to give Snow Cream a try, since we seem to have a healthy supply of snow at our doorstep.  I was out of vanilla from our holiday baking sessions, so I substituted almond extract instead.  I love almond extract, but I think I was a little heavy handed (I don't usually have the patience for measuring).  Snow Cream was....interesting.  It was very cold (colder than ice cream) and had a bit of an outdoor taste that couldn't be masked by the milk/sugar/almond flavors.  But Cooper loved making it topping it with sprinkles.

We have also logged some serious teepee time this week.  It seems like we are constantly bouncing from room to room, trying to keep ourselves occupied with different toys and activities; the teepee serves as another room (within a room) to keep us busy!

On the menu for tonight, one of our favorite all time meals - Chicken Pot Roast.  Ryan actually texted me today (at 10:30 AM) that he was already looking forward to it - good to know I am not the only one constantly thinking about my next meal (or the one after it).  A family friend made this for us our first week home from the hospital after Cooper was born, and I absolutely loved it!  It really hit the spot for me when I was needing lots of good food to support my nursing habit.  I asked for the recipe several months later and now make it at least once a month.  We all love it (even Cooper and Campbell), it is relatively easy, and requires very few ingredients (most things we already have on hand/in the pantry).  If you are struggling for dinner ideas, do yourself (and your family) a favor and give this a try!

Chicken Pot Roast 

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs (bone-in)

Salt

Pepper

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

2 c. carrots

1 large onion (sliced)

2 T. minced garlic

Egg noodles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Combine oil and butter in dutch oven and brown chicken over medium-high heat (8 min/batch).  Remove chicken.

Add carrots, onion, and garlic and stir over low heat - 5 minutes.

Return chicken and juices to pot.  Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Serve over cooked egg noodles.

So easy and oh so delicious!!!  I always make lots so we can have leftovers for lunches and the kids.  I even puree excess into baby food for Camp.  I'm already salivating.

Back to....nothing?

Today was supposed to be a sad, disappointing day.  I always dread returning to work after a long break.  I get into the routine of staying home with my kids, playing all day, getting housework done thinking I am going to accomplish so much throughout the day, etc.  But since our backyard looks like Elsa came and turned our world Frozen, I get one two extra days home with my kiddos.  Yay!

This is what we've been dealing with here.  Cooper is obsessed with the snow, and wanted to spend all day outside yesterday walking around, making snow angels, attempting to build a snowman, etc.  It is difficult to explain to a two year old why she can't go outside and play when the air temperature is -10 F and wind chills make it feel like -30 to -40 F.

                                                 

Dad even built her a snow slide to enjoy the fun.  Camp and I have been perfectly content holed up indoors the last few days.  Neither of us complains about spending the day in our pajamas.  I only wish I could partake in his two naps per day routine.

With the storm of the century approaching, we decided to test out a new recipe from one of my new cookbooks.  I really have been looking towards healthier eating habits with the turn of the new year, but we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a winter weather favorite, BBQ pork and beans, (this recipe from a previous version of his book).  Since the store was out of just about everything, we had to use black-eyed peas instead of the usual great northern or navy beans; Ryan and I agreed the black-eyed peas were ideal in this recipe (since they seemed to hold up to slow/all day cooking).  We also used a combination of three different sample size barbecue sauces, since we received some in a gift set for the holidays.  We cooked it in a dutch oven in a low oven all afternoon, rather than in the slow cooker as the recipe calls for, because everything tastes better in a Le Creuset.

On the docket for tonight, turkey tacos and the national championship game!

Hope you are all enjoying the weather as much as Coop is!

Blessed.

My husband and I always talk about how blessed we really are.  I am sure many people feel the same way, but we truly ask ourselves day in and day out how we have managed to be so fortunate (blessed, lucky, etc.) in our lives.  We started dating in the middle of high school and haven't looked back.  We attended college together, moved out on our own and started first jobs together, got married, and in recent years were blessed with the two most amazing children we could have ever asked for.  Different, unique, and awesome in their own ways, our children really have been the icing on our blessed cake.  We remain extremely close with our parents and siblings, who share a bond with not only us, but our kids too, richer than we imagined possible.  Though we might not always feel we have the most money in the world, in terms of our family, friends, and our relationships, we consider ourselves among the wealthiest.

That being said, I'm looking forward to making 2014 count by reveling in each blessed moment, and taking the extra time to document these blessings through words and pictures.  I read several blogs (I am inspired most by Little Baby Garvin) and love to admire the awesome photography skills of others, but I rarely take a moment to document how blessed my life really is.  With this blog and perhaps some extra effort to advance my photography skills (advice is surely welcomed!), I hope I can begin to make a permanent mark by which I can remember these blessings.

Here's to a great year, full of fabulous (and documented) quotes, pictures, and memories!

Virgin Blogger

A gift to myself as this new year begins; a resolution to give myself some regular, quality "me" time - my goal is to document all of my memories of motherhood (including my quotable kids) and my successes (and failures) in the kitchen.  I hope this may humor and inspire others in their endeavors in the kitchen and in motherhood.

My first thoughts - a reflection back on the most wonderful time of the year and all of the goodness that came this year.  We had such a blessed holiday season; here are the top 10 highlights to remember:

10.  Taking Cooper to her first movie at the theatre - Frozen.  She later received a Frozen dress as a Christmas gift and she now likes to dress up like Elsa, walk around the house and sing Let it Go while watching the You Tube clip.

9.  All of the wonderful gifts we received from family and friends; near the top of my list is my personalized copy of Girl in the Kitchen signed by Stephanie Izard herself.  We are obviously best friends now and I can't wait to start trying out some of her dishes!

8.  Watching our family and friends open their gifts from us.  More than receiving gifts, I always look forward to seeing how everyone enjoys the gifts we picked out for them.  Following #9, I gave a dear friend a signed/personalized copy of Girl in the Kitchen too and watched as it nearly brought tears to her eyes as she opened it.  Best feeling ever!

7.  Having two friends from college visit to ring in the New Year with us.  Our fellow Hoosiers helped us cheer on our team at the game and stayed for a few days to visit too.

6.  Hosting a fantastic New Year's Eve party with some wonderful friends, complete with a day adventure to the Illinois/Indiana basketball game (unfortunately resulting in a loss for my Hoosiers), a fabulous meal with the most delicious steaks ever, and an impromptu visit to my parent's house (our fantastic babysitters for the night) to examine a split lip and soothe my rambunctious Cooper; thankfully one of our party guests was a PNP who didn't mind doing a little off duty consultation.  Fortunately her lip seems to be healing (without the need for stitches); all's well that ends well!

5.  Cooper finally deciding she was brave enough to sit on Santa's lap.  Two days before Christmas, she asked to go visit Santa and sit on his lap.  She's not afraid anymore.....did you hear me, she's not afraid anymore!

4.  Watching the kids open presents and enjoy playing with all of their new toys (and boxes, paper and bows).

3.  Two weeks off work - of course time for holidays/celebrations but also several days of nothing but snuggles and fun with Cooper and Camp!

2. Quality family time, complete with visits from Uncle D, Mimi, and Gah!

1.  We made a concerted effort to keep Christ in Christmas this year, since it is the first year Cooper was really able to understand Christmas and all of the wonderful anticipation.  We constantly talked about it being Jesus' birthday and planned to make a birthday cake for Baby Jesus to help remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas (in the eyes of a toddler).  I think our preparation paid off because when I showed Cooper the outfit she would be wearing to Church on Christmas Eve, she said, "Oooohhhh, Baby Jesus is going to love it!"

Cheers to 2014 and sharing a year full of fun, grace, and happiness!