Culture Shock

It's December now, and the leaves are just starting to turn in the trees, and there's a slight chill to the evening air... Wait wait wait. It's December, and I'm wearing a t-shirt and flip flops. The tree in our backyard is just starting to turn yellowy gold, and on some evenings/early mornings, one does need a light sweater, but aside from that, it is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Guys, I saw my first tumbleweed yesterday. It was in a CVS parking lot.
And it turns out they're huge!

Arizona: Land of Sunshine and Mountains

I've never moved before. Well, ok, I did move twenty minutes away from where I grew up, and that's where John and I lived for eight years. Good lord, eight years. We had only planned on two in that dumpy condo, but when the market crashed in 08, we were officially stuck.

And now here we are on the other side of the country, all the way from New England to Arizona. To say it's different is a gross understatement. When told where we were moving, most folks back east would ask if we were moving here on purpose. No, this was not an accidental move. Yes, we know it's hot in the summer. And yes, we know about the scorpions. We're more familiar with the scorpions than we'd like to be.

We live near this now!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Every time October rolls around, we end up asking ourselves if a pumpkin recipe is going too far. Pumpkin pancakes? Great. Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies? I don't see a problem. Pumpkin tacos? That's where things get weird. And with that in mind, I present Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.

Polenta with Sausages and Mushrooms

Big changes coming. Like milk. Lactose-free milk, to be specific. And sometimes cheese! It's crazy.

So we're revisiting recipes I used to make and we used to love. I tried this one a few months back with coconut milk (vanilla coconut milk, actually) and it was not good. I blame the vanilla. And polenta without parm is a tad blasphemous.  

Black Bean Chili

John's coming home tonight! And in his honor, let there be chili!

That'd be pumpkin cider on the left. And baby food to the right...

The Best Lentil Stew I Ever Made

Guys, this is it. This is the most delicious lentil stew I've ever made.

And if it's lentil stew season, then it can only mean one thing - John's away on business.

Took this one with my phone because I was too hungry to go get the real camera.
It looked better in person.

Welcome Back to Soy!

So, soy. I'd written it off as something we'd never touch again. We missed soy sauce on occasion, like when having sushi or wanting to build flavor in a sauce or marinade, and just figured that was the end of that. Then, earlier this or last month, we took the feisty one to the pediatric allergist, where she was tested for all the usual suspects. The testing itself was horrible. The doctor did skin tests of about a dozen foods, and Julia was completely inconsolable. It was awful, and I wish we had never put her through that. Another part of me is glad to have the information that the testing provided us, which is that Julia is not allergic to anything. Soy, dairy, nuts, wheat... you name it and she passed the test. Amazing!

Weeknight Cassoulet

We're still here!

Sorry it's been so long. As I've said before, moving is a ton of work. And kind of a pain.

Anyone remember this one? No? I see bacon!

Strawberries!

I have some pretty big news.

Yeah, I didn't take this. But it's cute.

Braised Pork Ribs

This is a new favorite. I decided to step up my game and make something that was not chicken or sweet potatoes. Ok, that and pork ribs were on sale.

An Improved Meatloaf

Guys, meatloaf without tomatoes is a real challenge. I had to think pretty hard about how to add flavor to this one. All I want to do is slather it in ketchup...

But we had a major success -- MUSHROOMS! Mushrooms have passed the Julia test! So into the meatloaf they went, and they added some real flavor. For moisture and nutritional benefit, so did two zucchini. But lovely mushrooms - they're going to go in a lot more dinners now. It even means we could do chicken marsala again!

The Original Feisty Lady

Before Julia Marie was even a ball of cells, I knew that I wanted my daughter to be strong and confident. So when it came time to pick a name, I thought of the strongest, most confident, and feistiest women I knew - my grandma and her mother, my great grandma. In retrospect, I probably should have chosen a name more along the lines of "Obedient" or "LovesToSleep." Or maybe "NotAllergic." That one would have been great. 

The Feisty Girl Turns 1!

We celebrated Julia's first birthday this past weekend along with the 4th of July. It is completely unbelievable that it's been an entire year, but I guess that's just what happens. Somehow our little feister became an even bigger and sweeter feister.

The Definitive Ranking of Non-Cow's Milk

Ok, it turns out this actually isn't going to be a ranking -- more of a list and reviews. So henceforth, this shall be known as The Definitive Review of Non-Cow's Milk.

There are a lot of milks out there, my friend. And a lot of reasons for drinking them. So whether you're in it for the fun or an allergy, I hope I can save you some time, money and frustration along the way!

Beer & Pineapple Pork Chops

Things have been above average crazy around here. It's been hard to find the time to write up some of these recipes! It turns out moving is kind of a pain. Go figure, right?

These pork chops were awesome. The inspiration for them came from looking at a Sam Adam's recipe for beer popsicles. Which I also really want to make.  

It's pork chops marinated in beer and other lovelies, and let's just say there's a reason that there aren't many pictures of them after they were cooked.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

This was a test run of a cake I plan to bring to a family event next month. And the verdict was yes. Yes, yes, yes. And no. No gluten, dairy, soy, corn, nuts... and the option for no eggs.

Eliminationeers, behold. This beauty is elimination diet friendly.

Chicken Sausages!

Chicken sausages! Julia can tolerate when I eat chicken sausages! This is huge.

These are Italian chicken sausages, and the ingredients couldn't be simpler - chicken, spices, and pork casing. Mmm, casing. The store also carries chicken and apple sausages - we'll be buying those in the future too. Yum!

All About Sorghum!

Have you ever wondered why people with allergies are ok with things like psyllum husks and sorghum, but not, oh, I dunno...milk and bell peppers?

Full disclosure: I still don't know what psyllum husks are. Yes, I have access to Google, but I guess I'm drawing the allergenic line somewhere, and that's at psyllum husks. Don't ask me to explain it because I don't think I can - they've just become a symbol of allergenic absurdity I've irrationally decided to channel my food frustration at. At which I've decided to channel.

So I saw this thing on Pinterest...

So I saw this neat idea on Pinterest. It's a way to repurpose used coffee grounds as a skin exfoliant and also as a hair treatment. Sounded simple enough, so after John brewed up a pot, I swiped the spent grounds and let them cool. 

Oh how I miss coffee. The scent, the taste, the feeling of a warm, full mug in my hands, and the focused, clear mind that follows cup after delicious cup. So I figured using coffee in the shower might be a fun way to work it back in my routine, and better yet, I wouldn't even have to buy more of the stuff - I was going to use something I normally throw out.

Coming Home

We've been back in New England for a few days now, and getting Julia back on east coast time has not been easy. I have hopes for tonight though. Just like the hopes I had for last night. And the one before that.

Baby on Board

Traveling with Julia has not been easy. I wasn't expecting it to be simple, but I was hoping it wouldn't be quite so, how shall I put this, deathwishy? 

Updates and Mango Chicken

First, some updates: tomatoes have failed the Julia test. This one was hard, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't see it coming.

On the bright side, we also ventured out to a restaurant with Julia for the first time! She did very well, only getting feisty near the end. She loved looking around and watching the other people and children, and then even the waitress commented on what a great job she did! We were proud muffin parents.

Cutting Baby's Hair

Guys, I'm really bad at cutting Julia's hair. I've had to trim her bangs three times now, and let' just say thank goodness this girl can work a bad 'do. Every time I look at her, I see Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber.

Babydactyl. And lemon chicken.

The babydactyl was in full force last week. I tested hummus, and it was a no go. I suspect it was the sesame tahini though, and not the actual chickpeas. So I bought a can of chickpeas and I'll try my hand at tahini-free hummus. We also tried another kind of baby cereal last week; that was when the babydactyl really came out to play. Not so much "play," as "poo, scream, shriek, and not sleep."

We also celebrated our first Mother's Day with the muffin. Pink champagne was on hand (thank goodness grapes passed!), and that made the day feel even more special. Julia refused to nap though, despite my insistence that she HAD to because it was Mother's Day. It reminded me of when I was a kid and used to ask my mom when kid's day was. "Every day is kid's day," she'd always say, and though at the time I didn't think so, she was right.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

You know you're on an elimination diet when:

I tried out a new framing effect.
I don't think I like it.

• a sweet potato smoothie sounds like a great idea
• you enjoy said sweet potato smoothie
• the scent of fresh tomatoes makes you weep
• driving past your favorite restaurant evokes a Pavlovian response
• you buy a new pair of jeans two sizes smaller than your pre-pregnancy ones

Bongo Pasta

This morning while I emptied the dishwasher, I had a beat in my head and a groove to my plate stacking. There were drums, cymbals, and plenty of bass. As I nodded my head along to the rhythm of putting away coffee mugs, it dawned on me that I was rocking out to Julia's Fisher Price bongos. A gift from grandma last weekend, the bongos are Julia's new obsession. She hasn't gotten remotely tired of them yet; her parents, however, have. She slaps the drums and they light up and provide a bass line. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

But Julia's bongo playing has also led to something good: the time to create a new pasta dish. It's kind of like linguine and clams, but without the clams, if that makes sense. Mmm...clams...

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken: A Hit and a Miss

Martha Stewart has let me down for the last time. "It's so easy," her website boasts, and "dinner will be ready in a flash!" she promises. Well, that broad lied.

I had wanted to welcome John home from his business trip with something I knew he'd love, and since bacon is one of the more direct routes to his heart, bacon-wrapped chicken sounded perfect. So the evening he was due home, I got dinner going, changed into a clean shirt, and brushed the baby's hair.

Recipe: Split Pea Soup

Warning: This made Julia gassy and feisty as all hell. But it sure was delicious.

John was away last week on another business trip. So Julia and I made a soup with the ham bone leftover from Easter Sunday's roast. It was fantastic - until she started feisting up a storm. That part was very sad...such a lovely soup and no one to eat it.

No Almond Joy, Just Almond Screaming

John's away on business again. Things around here are pretty dull. But I'm grateful for things like Skype, Baby Advil, and Mommy Tylenol.

I ate almonds in a test late last week. I was so excited and they were absolutely delicious. If successful, almonds could mean things like almond milk, almond butter, almond yogurt, almond flour... and actual almonds! So many lovelies.

After 24 hours, Julia seemed ok. So I ate almond butter in the afternoon and then almonds in the evening. And then, it began...

Feisty-Free Banana French Toast

I was making some eggs for John last weekend when I had the sudden and insatiable need for French Toast. He wasn't interested (weirdo), so I decided to make it for one.

Recipe: Quinoa Raisin Muffins

When I got up this morning and opened the curtains to let some sunshine in, I saw snow on the ground. Not at all what I was expecting, especially given that yesterday I went out without a jacket. It's a day for muffins.

Mango Kefir Smoothie

Oh yeah, this was good. Definitely going to be making this one again.

Hello, sunshine!

I've been experimenting in kefir making (there is a post underway, just want to be sure I've got the hang of things first!) and decided to try throwing it in the blender as a smoothie base. And the result was fabulous.

A Pesto of Errors

Sometimes I fail. This was one of those times.

I tried to do a Giada recipe, but change enough of it to be Julia friendly. It was safe and all, but really not great. Even worse, I tried to make this pesto in a blender, which I learned doesn't work. My food processor is a mini one, and I thought it'd be too small to handle all the ingredients (it wasn't). The blender whirred and the blades spun, but they couldn't get any traction to process the spinach and basil leaves. I shoved a spatula in to try and pack everything down, but it got stuck on the blades. I tried to pull it out, but the handle popped off. So I reached in to dislodge the spatula head, but the blades cut my fingers. As I pulled my hand out of the blender, lemon juice got on my cut. This was the precise moment Julia woke up screaming bloody murder.

Doesn't it look like it should taste good?

Recipe: Lentil Stew

John's been away on a business trip, which means two things - I clean incessantly because I don't know what else to do with myself, and lentils. Both have turned out to be good things.

Natural Deodorant That Actually Works - It'll Keep You Feisty Fresh!

Guys, this is it. I have been looking for a natural deodorant for years. I've tried several brands (Tom's of Maine, Kiss My Face, Whatever That One From Whole Foods Was Called) and none - absolutely none - has ever done squat to help. I know that natural deodorants don't stop the sweat, just the stink, so I thought I might do an every other day natural/conventional/natural thing, or just wear the conventional stuff on stressful days kind of thing.

But I stank anytime I tried anything without aluminum in it. After an hour or two, I'd feel and smell nasty, and have to accept my stinky defeat as I reached for the "real" stuff. Not wanting to waste my money, I just gave up on such a thing as natural deodorant and went on my merry, powder fresh way.

Homemade Pedialyte

When Julia was throwing up half the night a few weeks ago (the oat incident), our pediatrician told us to give her Pedialyte to help her regain her fluids and feel better. Being new parents who'd never bought it before, we didn't have any on hand so I bolted out to the store that night to pick some up. I saw the strawberry one and turned it around to see what was inside: food coloring, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and artificial fruit flavor. Great. How could our pediatrician's office actually recommend this garbage?

Photo from: 100 Days of Real Food

But if there's one thing a new, puke-stained parent of a sick infant is, it is not level headed. I chose the least of all evils, unflavored Pedialyte. No colors, artificial sweeteners or flavors, at least. And the stuff worked - Julia REALLY perked up after a few ounces.

New Milestones and Butternut Squash Risotto

John and I reached a new milestone over the weekend: we watched a movie. The first movie since Julia was born. We were only interrupted once or twice - it was fantastic. We'd had The Help towards the top of our queue pretty much since it came out (which wasn't last year, as we had thought). Never having heard of it, John asked what it was about and all I could offer was that I heard it was good and had won some awards, maybe those Oscars (yep, living under a big ol' rock). I picked up the DVD and read the summary on the sleeve: "somebody writes a book about race relations in Mississippi in the 60s." John was not enthused and asked if this was "another one of [my] dork-umentaries."

We loved it, the both of us. And while that DVD summary is accurate, let's just say there's a bit more to to movie than that. I had also tried out a new idea for dinner - butternut squash risotto.

Yum

Recipe: OMG Donut Muffins with SCIENCE!

Guys, these are really, really good. But I have plans to make them better. They reminded me of.... dare I invoke the name.... cider donuts. Cider donuts that were missing the cider. SO -- next time, I'm going to use cider instead of milk and possibly add in apple chunks or bits or slices. What do you think?

But in the meantime - these are mighty tasty. And I learned a thing or two while making them to boot! Here's the educational part of your post:

Recipe: Very Easy Baked Chicken and Rice

This was modeled after that can of soup recipe. But since cream of whatever soup is out (and kinda gross), it's wine to the rescue!

Well, wine, seasonings, and good chicken broth. It was simple and not a bonanza of flavor, but we liked it. I'd do it again, and maybe with chicken breasts next time. Variety, right?

Variations on a theme: Pumpkin Pasta Another Way

I love Pumpkin Pasta. But I wanted to try punching the flavor up a little. What do you think of fresh ginger?

GUYS! My camera has a food setting. Get ready.

I actually added the baby spinach in by mistake because I thought I was making this pasta dish but whatever. The more nutrition, the merrier!

Recipe: A Chicken Stew of Sorts

Ok this wasn't a hit with everyone (meaning John), but I liked it! This was our belated St. Paddy's Day supper - an alternative to the much loathed boiled dinner that most people eat, but not quite as good as bangers and colcannon. Mmm, colcannon. 

Inspired by Dublin Coddle, this stew has bacon! But no sausages or onions, sadly. But it's got potatoes and chicken and other delights. It could also go in the slow cooker - just toss everything in the crock after browning the chicken.

Recipe: Everything-Free Soda Bread!

Guys, I love soda bread. I used to make it any time of year, pre-allergies. Not to brag or anything, but I actually have the world's best recipe (ok, I guess I do want to brag a little here; message me for the recipe!). But it has wheat and dairy and eggs in it.

BEHOLD! Rice has never tasted so good.

So the muffin and I held an experiment using Gluten-Free Bisquick. Just look at that lovely bread. Fellow Eliminationeers, it was fantastic. Make it.

Recipe: Kale Chips!

This one deserves a big ol' DUH. How could I have forgotten about kale chips!

All that was left. Almost forgot to save a few for a picture!

I only remembered because kale was on sale this week. Good a reason as any to make them.

I turned down a vaccine

Let me explain. Usually, I consider a person's belief for or against vaccines as a kind of crazy litmus test. Yep, I will judge you big time if you tell me your kid's better off without vaccinations. 

  

And my husband and I turned one of these down. Willingly. Here's what happened...

Recipe: Risotto Cakes

So remember that not-so-hot red wine risotto from the other night? We needed a way to use up the last of the lackluster leftovers, and when I noticed that we had eggs in the fridge, well, I knew it was time to make risotto cakes.

Traditionally, a chunk of mozzarella is stuffed inside; the patties are then dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs, and then all fried up til lovely. So why not without the cheese! The verdict: we destroyed them.

Everything-Free Banana Ice Cream: You're Welcome.

Friend to the muffin and supporter of eating Emily pointed me to a recipe for One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream. It's actual banana alchemy. Anyone reading this owes her a big ol' THANK YOU!

You have to make this. Today. If I didn't know otherwise, I'd have sworn there was dairy in it because it is that creamy and rich. The texture even made me think there were whipped egg whites in it too.

Like Water for Chocolate, because that's all we'll be having

Guys, I have some bad news.

Yesterday I tested chocolate. It did not go well.

I bought everything-free Enjoy Life chocolate chips and just stared at the package for two weeks. Two weeks of fantasizing. These chocolate chips are lovingly and thoughtfully made without dairy, soy, corn, wheat, eggs...all of that nonsense. Isn't that awesome?

But none of that mattered to Julia. I controlled my urge to devour handful after handful of chocolatey goodness and ate five or six chips. And then I waited.

Recipe: Red Wine Risotto

Learned an important lesson today - if the baby wakes up from a nap while you've got a mouth full of raw carrots, you probably won't be able to soothe her back to sleep. Just a little tip from me to you.

This one was just ok. I'll admit though - we were starving and it was late, so I cut a few corners. The leftovers tasted better, and Julia approved of everything to boot. But no, I will not be trying this one again anytime soon.

mmm, beige

The sauteed celery was weird. I think it reminded me of licorice. (is that weird? Maybe it wasn't licorice) Really, I just wanted a caramelized onion. Celery is totally the same thing, right?

Lost in Translation

I used to teach ESL at a large university in a nearby city. It was a lot of fun, but it did not get the bills paid. Here's another pre-baby teaching story.

One semester, I taught Reading 1. Reading 1 is the “fresh off the boat” class for students who can barely put full sentences together. I don't know how they ever expected to survive the next semester or even the next year in actual college classes, but I always did my best to help them muddle through paragraphs and strengthen their practical skills for surviving their new lives in this foreign, English-speaking country.

Restaurants and food was always a great unit to cover. One thing I have learned as a teacher of international students is that everyone loves to talk about food; it doesn't matter where you're from. So one day, I started class off with a question. I always like to compare their home cultures to American culture, so I ask away and we discuss what you can and can't do here. I began by asking the class, “Do you ever go to a restaurant by yourself?”

They were totally silent, and visibly uncomfortable. Maybe they didn't quite catch what I said. I restated the question: “Have you ever gone to a restaurant alone?”

Recipe: Blueberry Quinoa Smoothie

It broke freezing today! Did you get to go outside? Sure, there's still well over a foot of snow on the ground and more due next week, but that doesn't matter because daylight savings is this weekend, which means more sunshine! You know it's been a long winter when 34°F and sunny feels gorgeous. 

 

In honor of both the warm weather and the sun staying out past 5pm, I made a smoothie today. Really though, there was just a long period between lunch and dinner - too many errands and appointments, too much teething and feisting. Mommy needed a little pick me up.

Dairy-, Tomato-, Soy-, and Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf

This was one delicious meatloaf. However, it bothered Julia. Urgh. My husband was crazy about it, which is good because he's got a lot of leftovers to work through on his own now!

That's a maple apricot glaze on top. Oh yeah.

Recipe: Addictive Potato Wedges

There was some chicken and a vegetable of some kind... blah blah let's get to the important part -- the roasted potatoes.

Yep, this one's a keeper.

Cookies and Milk, or Rice and Rice

Is there a better way to end the day than by tucking in your little one and then tearing into some rice cookies and rice milk with your spouse?

Pull up a chair! Guys, I need to work on my backgrounds.