Birthday Twins

Tomorrow is a very special day around here.  It's the anniversary of the two best days of my life - the day my kids were born.  And we spent the weekend celebrating with our wonderful family and friends.

Since the kids share a birthday, we had to come up with a theme/scheme that appealed to both genders.  Which basically means we didn't have to steer Cooper away from a cheesy theme like Disney Princesses or Doc McStuffins.  We went with a bright colored, general party theme with multi-colored balloons and sprinkle cupcakes.  

I spent the day making 40 cupcakes, of which we still have 20 left.  Good thing we are on spring break this week.

And of course Camp had to have yellow cake with chocolate icing, as Wilson men typically do.  And he really had no interest in eating it. Just putting his hands in it and squishing it around in his fingers and wiping it on his clothes.  I'm not sure he took even one bite.

This girl, on the other hand, was eager to lick the icing off the top of her cupcake and dig in to some strawberry ice cream.  She never turns down a sweet treat.  

Now that the big shindig is over, it's time to prepare to celebrate their actual birthday.  We are on spring break this week, which means we get to celebrate by sleeping in, staying home, and playing with all of our new toys.  It's like Christmas vacation all over again here.  We have some serious spring cleaning to do to make room for all of our new fun things.  

Apparently, we didn't check with mother nature, though, before investing in several serious outdoor toys.  Despite the cold weather, we plan to bundle up at least once a day to venture outside and test out our new things.  Near the top of the list is this gator, which you can see both kids are equally skilled at operating.  Can your one year old walk?  Not yet, but he's figured out how to operate this power wheel.

Don't worry - Cooper's favorite new toy, her jump rope, rides along in the back of the gator so it's never out of sight.  Who would have thought?  A jump rope?  She sure is old school.  Sorry, Aunt Mimi and Uncle D, apparently Aunt Juju won the best gift award this year.

Now can we get rid of this frigid weather so we can spend more than 10 minutes outside at a time!?

Same favorite place, new favorite lunch

 What up?  I've been rather MIA for awhile.  And it's because we were gearing up for a trip south to one of my favorite place ever.  And then we came back to the eternal winter.....so I had to get over my depression.  But I'm back.

Sanibel is my happy place.  In my childbirth class, they told us to think about a place that makes you happy and relaxed, and for me, that's Sanibel.  I love every minute of being on that island.  I love the lack of stoplights and commercialism.  I love that it is perfectly acceptable, normal, and in fact expected that you eat dinner at 5:00 pm and go to bed by 8:30.  I love that you can get around fastest on bike.  And I love that we have already had the fortune to introduce our children to this happy place.

And they thought it was pretty rad too.

But every once in awhile we had to drag them ourselves away from the salt and sand to nourish our bodies.  And we put together a tasty little dish, which has become my new favorite go to for lunch.

Even though it was best the first time we made it in Sanibel (#everythingtastesbetterinsanibel), I am loving this dish (and closing my eyes and picturing myself returning to the beach as soon as my plate is clear).  

Avocado Egg Salad (measurements are approximations; I don't like to measure)

6 hardboiled eggs (diced)

1 avocado (diced)

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped celery

1 T. relish (or chopped pickles)

2 T. dijon mustard

2 T. mayo

salt

pepper

dill

any other herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, etc.)

Mix all ingredients together; serve on a bed of arugula (or on a sandwich topped with arugula).

Then return to the beach for more fun in the sun.

Just a dad and his little mermaid.

Gone.

We have had enough of this winter and decided to jump ship.

Yesterday, this happened...

...and we were champions.  Morning flights and the last row of the plane are the way to go with kids.

Yay for us!

The rest of the afternoon looked like this...

and this...

and we are loving it.  

We are so happy to introduce Camp to our favorite place!!!

Weeknight Done Right

I've already mentioned how obsessed we are with this collection of cookbooks, but really we think any Williams-Sonoma cookbook is well worth the investment.  The majority of our favorite recipes come from said cookbooks, and from them we've learned so much about cooking techniques and unique ingredients that elevate our culinary skills in other recipes as well.  Some time ago we scooped up this gem, since we are a fan of tasty food and even more so meals that are quick and easy.

By the way, this book is $1.99 via Barnes and Noble right now.  You should do yourself a favor and add it to your bag.  The recipe I'm sharing tonight is worth ten times that (and there are some other good recipes in there as well!).  

But back to the good stuff.  We made this deliciousness for dinner last week; it was our second go around with this meal and I think we were even more in love with this dish the second time.

Lucky for me, this recipe is also found on Williams-Sonoma's website, so I don't even have to type it out for you.  Seriously, it's good stuff.  We used a spicy turkey sausage (we have been trying to return to our no-mamal week nights; we haven't totally eliminated beef and pork from our week night meals but I would say we have poultry, fish, or vegetarian dishes 75% of the time) and it was great.  This meal is super easy and is full of flavor.  I always love dishes that call for wine in the cooking process because it validates my urge to have a glass the rest of the bottle with dinner.  The first time we made this, we were fortunate to find some arugula to go on the side (and scoop up with bites of sausage and beans), but this time we weren't so lucky.  The arugula I had purchased earlier in the week went bad before we could make this, and despite my best effort at sending Ryan all over town, we were unable to find any.  He came home with a leafy blend (spinach, radicchio, etc.) that we used instead.  Since they don't tend to have as much flavor in themselves as arugula, we lightly dressed it with one of my new favorite dressings.  

Ever try this?  It's delicious!  Light and flavorful it is the perfect dressing for a simple salad.  The lemon flavor was a great addition to the rest of the dish.  We ended up scooping up bites of salad, beans, and sausage all together.  It was divine!  

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.