Recipe: Pumpkin Pasta

This is our hands down favorite everything-free dinner. My husband did the shopping last week, and when he recognized the ingredients for Pumpkin Pasta, he bought two of everything so I could make it twice. That's love.

Yum

 This is another great dairy- and tomato-free pasta sauce. The pumpkin is very creamy and flavorful; I actually like it with a lot of salt and pepper.

Poo: 1, Parents: 0; and Other Things I Didn't Expect About Parenthood

Aside from the allergies and whatnots, these are the things that surprised me most about becoming a mom:

Breastfeeding is very challenging. It took me months to be halfway decent at it, and if it hadn't been for my husband's support, I definitely would have quit ages ago. So I'm kind of amazed the human race has survived this long because as natural as breastfeeding is, it does not come naturally. At all.

I can spend five hours trying to put my little feister to bed.

If you listen to Frere Jacques enough times, it becomes judgmental.

Quick Meal: Eggs 'n Turkey

Another quick supper night. Ever heard of a fried egg on a burger? I've always been equal parts grossed out and intrigued.

The Verdict: Yeah, I'd do it again, sure.

Broiled turkey burgers, cheddar for the husband's, and fried eggs. Oh and baby spinach for posterity. I'd have killed for a slice of tomato, but really, this was pretty darn good! John went crazy for it - an even better sign.

Kid Logic.

I wrote this last year right before Julia was born.

To prepare for our first child's birth, my husband and I have been doing lots of research – the safest car seats, convertible cribs, folding strollers – you name it and one of us has googled it. But I've found that as I prepare for the physical arrival of our little bundle of joy, I've started remembering long lost thoughts, conclusions and memories from my own childhood, perhaps in anticipation of understanding kid-logic again.

Way back when, my older brother was held back in preschool a year, and my parents explained to him that he'd be repeating the year, and that it was nothing to feel ashamed about. My brother listened and believed them – and whenever he met somebody, the first words out of his mouth were, “I'm in kindergarten now, but I was held back a year in preschool.”

Sometimes I fail: Chicken and Quinoa Sort of Salad

Ok this one was weird. The quinoa was tasty and the chicken was good, and the bed of baby spinach wasn't too out there...but the raw carrots and celery were what pushed it over the edge.

I had based it on a dinner that my husband and I both love, and I may try it again later on, but this version...no.

Recipe: Everything-Free Applesauce Muffins

Very delicious muffins here. I'd even wager than most people wouldn't be able to tell they were gluten free, let alone everything free.Or it's been so long since I've had wheat that these seem good. Whichever. 

I think a variation with pumpkin would also be fantastic. Will definitely try something like that in the not too distant future.

You could probably make this into a cake. I usually prefer muffins because you can just grab one and go, especially while holding a baby. Also, no dishes required. Cake demands a dish and fork, and who has time to wash those anymore?

I lied; I used a plate. No fork though.

AWAK: As we all know

I used to teach, in my pre-baby life. It was funny as heck, and my students and I laughed on a daily basis. Here's an essay I wrote after a particularly funny day.

For anyone who has ever had students from China, you know that any good essay, project, presentation, or -heck- paragraph, begins with that beloved, ingrained phrase, “as we all know.” The best part is that most of the time, we don't all know it. I've gotten such beauties as, “As we all know, Chairman Mao founded America during the Qing Dynasty,” and, “As we all know, flossing makes your teeth loose and fall out.” So for me anyway, this little phrase is usually a red flag to announce that something wrong this way comes.

My first year teaching, I co-taught a listening and speaking class with a 40-year veteran teacher. He was in his late sixties, and was a veritable walking textbook of lesson plans. He'd truly seen and done it all. We made a great team, and the students loved our overly-enthusiastic-20-something-VS-the-crotchety-grandpa shtick. I have never had so much fun teaching a class since.

Early on in the year, we assigned a presentation project for which the students had to research something about American culture or history and teach what they learned to the class. The subject was pretty open and simple, but students liked it because it allowed them to pursue whatever genuinely interested them and had drawn them to this country in the first place. We had a presentation on how American high schools work, how Americans go shopping, and another on basketball. It was going really well, and my co-teacher and I sat across from each other with the class in the middle as we watched and assessed.

Then, Barney stood up. “Barney” was his chosen American name, and despite cautions of forever being identified as a large and loving purple dinosaur, he insisted on “Barney.” I've had weirder names over the years, including: Mavis, Mildred, Cherry, Machine, Felix, Rainbow, Berry, Azure, Daisy, Paolo, Hazmat, Deshandra, and variations of classics brought on by misspellings, such as “Cholé” for Chloe and “Bard” for Brad (who unfortunately didn't care for poetry or for being asked if he did). And there were always a dozen Jacks. Big name over there, apparently. Did I mention that all of these students were from China? I thought Chinese Paolo took the cake until a coworker of mine who had taught in China once had a student who went by “President Ronald Reagan.” No no – not just “Ronald,” or even a familiar “Reagan,” but the fully titled “President Ronald Reagan.”

Turkey burgers, no recipe

This post brought to you by Baby Advil. You know why? Teething.

I don't even have a photo for you tonight. Know why? Teething.

So it's just a dinner idea for tonight, folks. We keep frozen turkey burger patties on hand for just such occasions as today - when you need to throw dinner together in minutes. I microwaved a frozen veg (we'd be lost without those) and sliced up some red potatoes into wedges with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for 40 or so minutes of crying. Burgers went in too at some point.

My husband wrestled Julia while I ate, and then I returned the favor. I had avocado on mine; it was safe and lovely.

Two notes: I used red potatoes because nobody minds when you don't peel them (less work and time!), and the turkey burgers we buy are Jennie-O brand. Nope, not organic, but the ingredient list meets with my approval - and so does the price.

And we used Rudi's multigrain bread as buns. Cheaper than buying buns and they work just the same!

I had hoped to make the shepherd's pie tonight, but it just wasn't in the cards. Leftovers for tomorrow, and maybe the pie on Tuesday! If Miss J isn't too feisty.

Next Week's Dinner Plan

Whenever I plan out our dinners for the coming week, I always bank on leftovers. This way we've got less cleanup and more time for diapers. Actually, with teething in full swing, it's been pretty loud around here lately. So more time for soothing!

Next week, I'm doing something bold. I'm attempting an allergy-friendly shepherd's pie with a sweet potato top. And hopefully it won't even suck. Then it's two simpler dinners after that. 

Recipe: Pasta with turkey, spinach and beans

When my husband walked in the door tonight, the first thing he said was, "Oh, that smells so good - give food now please!" I love when he gets excited about dinner! 

This one was a big hit. And even better, it came together in the time it took to boil the pasta. Definitely keeping it in the repertoire!

Sorry about the fork - I was so hungry that I almost forgot to take a photo!

An Elimination Diet How-To

Welcome to the elimination diet!

Ok, it's not that exciting. But what is exciting is the knowledge that you and your baby are on your way to sleeping at night. Say it with me now: you will sleep at night!!

It works. Yes, it really and truly works. Unless you have an overactive letdown, a situation in which your baby isn't getting enough hind milk, it will work. Sidebar: I thought I had one (two?), but it turned out I was still drinking coconut water because clearly that couldn't irritate her (it was the coconut water).

I went on an elimination diet the week of Thanksgiving. It was tough. I wanted green bean casserole and I wanted pie. But I also wanted a happy baby who didn't poo blood. I decided to try the diet because I couldn't figure out what was bothering her. I had already cut out dairy and at the end of the two-week waiting period, she was still awake all night screaming. I had also randomly tried cutting corn, wheat, soy, nuts... But when individual eliminations didn't work I went back to eating those foods again, thinking something else was the cause. I was completely lost.

Recipe: Risotto and turkey cutlets

It's what's for dinner. A simple (read: plain) risotto with turkey cutlets. This is a staple in our home. Julia is happy when I eat it, and my husband John even likes it (doctored up with parmesan).

The Feisty Muffin

As of writing this, my baby girl is seven months old. She's a feisty one, but she's also my sweet little muffin, so that's where the name comes from. My husband says it sounds like a bad pub or a whorehouse; we'll go with the former. Anyway, my girl's breastfed, and this has led to some challenges, to say the least. I miss food.

Recipe: Uglyummy Blueberry Muffins, everything-free and Julia-safe!

A new milestone: the feisty one and I baked together yesterday! I truly never thought this day would come. It was fantastic. She happily sat in her new highchair while I mixed the batter up next to her and taught her about baking. With a name like Julia, she's got to know a thing or two about cooking!