After talking with a friend last night about something serious, I feel like I need to say a few things here. I use this blog as kind of a journal as well as a helper to myself to keep my commitments to pursue and develop my interests. But even though it's KIND OF a journal, there's no way I'd ever write anything too personal, negative, depressing, angry, etc. This means that if you only knew my blog, my life would be nothing but happy or fun moments, homemade meals, Oscar being cute, entertaining and funny people, blah blah blah. That is not an accurate portrayal of my life. While my life is wonderful, everyone has it worse off than they seem to have it. EVERYONE has some kind of serious nonsense they have to deal with that no one or not too many people know about. So if you're having a hard time in life right now, I just want you to know, I am not just this blog and I can probably relate.
Other people always seem to have it better than you, and that's just not the case. Everyone has a messy life and I am not in my kitchen all day whippin up anything and everything from scratch. In fact, last night, after a night of cleaning men's toilets and urinals, Nate and I sat down at 10pm to a dinner of frozen raviolis and frozen popcorn chicken. Sound gross? It kind of made me sick a little.
But my point is, you're not alone in feeling like you're the only one with a mediocre life, or even a hard life. I think the key is to help someone else out with your experiences and what you've learned from them. I was talking to another friend the other day about some other hardcore life stuff and I was amazed at how she knew exactly where I was and what I felt for having never experienced anything similar. I commented on what an incredible trait that was to have, to be able to put yourself in someone's shoes without really having been there. She said, "I've had my heart broken before; ripped out and stomped on actually. So I know what heartache is. Heartache is heartache."
Those were some of those most teaching words I've heard in a while. Where I'm going with this is trying to let you know that Oscar is hard work, Nate and I have our struggles, I'm not a gourmet chef, and you CAN relate with me because I too know heartache and heartbreak. Love you all.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
domingo delicioso - cherry limeade and pineapple coconut upside down anything
I found an exciting recipe for cherry limeade, and it looked sooo good for the hot summer here. Unless you're entertaining or something and you want fun homemade beverages, don't waste your time. Not that big of a deal. I mean it tasted great and everything, but it was too much work. First I had to hand juice these 21 limes. ( The only good part about this recipe is how pretty all these colors looked.)
Then I had to make a simple syrup with a way overpriced vanilla bean, and a cherry puree from 4 cups of pitted cherries. Which means, I pitted the stinking cherries myself. I thought it wouldn't be hard, but I never nailed a good way to pit them and they were so small. Is there such a thing as a cherry pitter? Even if there is, there's not enough substance on the tiny fruit to make it worth the work for me. So, moral of the story, you probably don't wanna ask me for this recipe unless you're really trying to make some fancy drinks, cause there's plenty of tasty juice at the store for cheaper.
Sticking with the tropical summer cravings, I wanted some pineapple upside down cake. So I spiced it up with some coconut and baked it in small loaves. I didn't want a cupcake and I didn't want a cake, so I made these...
Oven friendly ceramics from Ikea that I lined with wax paper. Just the normal assembly of pineapple on the bottom, then butter and brown sugar, then duncan hines yellow cake batter mixed with sweetened coconut. Bake them, and then flip them. (I know I said I didn't want cupcakes, but with all that extra batter, I had to cupcake the rest of it to give away. They never left our house though, Nate and I just ate them.)
And here's what the yummy loaf looks like. Please notice Nate in the background. He really wanted to be in the pictures so he posed his hands in this picture and in the 3rd picture up from this one.
Then I had to make a simple syrup with a way overpriced vanilla bean, and a cherry puree from 4 cups of pitted cherries. Which means, I pitted the stinking cherries myself. I thought it wouldn't be hard, but I never nailed a good way to pit them and they were so small. Is there such a thing as a cherry pitter? Even if there is, there's not enough substance on the tiny fruit to make it worth the work for me. So, moral of the story, you probably don't wanna ask me for this recipe unless you're really trying to make some fancy drinks, cause there's plenty of tasty juice at the store for cheaper.
Sticking with the tropical summer cravings, I wanted some pineapple upside down cake. So I spiced it up with some coconut and baked it in small loaves. I didn't want a cupcake and I didn't want a cake, so I made these...
Oven friendly ceramics from Ikea that I lined with wax paper. Just the normal assembly of pineapple on the bottom, then butter and brown sugar, then duncan hines yellow cake batter mixed with sweetened coconut. Bake them, and then flip them. (I know I said I didn't want cupcakes, but with all that extra batter, I had to cupcake the rest of it to give away. They never left our house though, Nate and I just ate them.)
And here's what the yummy loaf looks like. Please notice Nate in the background. He really wanted to be in the pictures so he posed his hands in this picture and in the 3rd picture up from this one.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mom stuff- good and bad
(THIS POST WILL ONLY BE INTERESTING TO FEMALES)
GOOD...
I LOVE this stuff. It's an organic and natural line of products called California Baby. Oscar lately has just been dealt one sad thing after another. First he had what I think was a cold while simultaneously hitting a growth spurt, now I think he might be teething, and he's also dealing with his pesky cradle cap. I've been using this California Baby aromatherapy shampoo/body wash on him when he doesn't feel well because it has lavender in it and it seems to calm him down a lot. He needs all the help he can get as far as sleeping goes, so I've also been rubbing their Calming diaper rash cream on his chest and privates at night before I put his pajamas on. In addition to lanolin, vitamin E and other good stuff, it also has lavender which I think just makes him feel nice and relaxed before bed. (He's been waking up crying a million times at night and during naps, which I think has to do with his possible teething and gas.) With his cradle cap, I've been putting their Calendula cream on his head and it seems to be working wonderfully. I think the aromatherapy aspect of their products is what works so well. All of their products are based around essential oils versus synthetic fragrances which I guess can lead to yeast infections in little girls. Now I know why Mr. Bubbles stung me so bad when I was a little girl! You can find all this California Baby stuff at Sprouts of course.
GOOD...
Remember how I complained about stretch marks? Before I could even pick this stuff up at Sprouts, Nate's mom was there to hand it over as a mother of five's favorite remedy. It's called "C-Mama Healing Salve" from Earth Mama Angel Baby, my favorite brand that Sprouts carries. They have all kinds of cool products like "New Mama Bottom Spray" for post labor pain and soreness, "Booby Tubes" which are gel-free packs stuffed with flax that you heat or freeze then put in your bra for discomfort while breastfeeding, and a TON of other cool products. I love this stretch mark salve because it is really working. Granted, the stretch marks won't be completely gone for months or years if ever,(I can't be too hopeful, I did have a 9lb 9oz baby that scarred me up)but, this C-Mama stuff is working little by little.
BAD...
When I looked for a picture of these bumps and realized their purpose, I immediately became nervous to talk negatively about them. But, as much as I understand that blind people need to be warned about where a crosswalk is, I still can't help but dislike these bumps and wish they weren't in front of every grocery store, Walmart, or Target entrance. I NEVER noticed these bumps before Oscar. On the rare occasions that Oscar falls asleep in his car seat and stays asleep after the car door exit and after we've put his car seat in a shopping cart, these CRAZY bumps wake him up. They are SO BUMPY in a shopping cart! I know people need them, I just don't like them.
GOOD...
I know the host John Quinones is pretty cheesy, but I like this show "What Would You Do." They document a lot of situations a mom would really be affected by and I think those are the episodes that really get me. I have to share this episode because I just LOVED LOVED LOVED this sweet grocery clerk with Down Syndrome, Josh, who also happens to be a pretty good actor.
GOOD...
I LOVE this stuff. It's an organic and natural line of products called California Baby. Oscar lately has just been dealt one sad thing after another. First he had what I think was a cold while simultaneously hitting a growth spurt, now I think he might be teething, and he's also dealing with his pesky cradle cap. I've been using this California Baby aromatherapy shampoo/body wash on him when he doesn't feel well because it has lavender in it and it seems to calm him down a lot. He needs all the help he can get as far as sleeping goes, so I've also been rubbing their Calming diaper rash cream on his chest and privates at night before I put his pajamas on. In addition to lanolin, vitamin E and other good stuff, it also has lavender which I think just makes him feel nice and relaxed before bed. (He's been waking up crying a million times at night and during naps, which I think has to do with his possible teething and gas.) With his cradle cap, I've been putting their Calendula cream on his head and it seems to be working wonderfully. I think the aromatherapy aspect of their products is what works so well. All of their products are based around essential oils versus synthetic fragrances which I guess can lead to yeast infections in little girls. Now I know why Mr. Bubbles stung me so bad when I was a little girl! You can find all this California Baby stuff at Sprouts of course.
GOOD...
Remember how I complained about stretch marks? Before I could even pick this stuff up at Sprouts, Nate's mom was there to hand it over as a mother of five's favorite remedy. It's called "C-Mama Healing Salve" from Earth Mama Angel Baby, my favorite brand that Sprouts carries. They have all kinds of cool products like "New Mama Bottom Spray" for post labor pain and soreness, "Booby Tubes" which are gel-free packs stuffed with flax that you heat or freeze then put in your bra for discomfort while breastfeeding, and a TON of other cool products. I love this stretch mark salve because it is really working. Granted, the stretch marks won't be completely gone for months or years if ever,(I can't be too hopeful, I did have a 9lb 9oz baby that scarred me up)but, this C-Mama stuff is working little by little.
BAD...
When I looked for a picture of these bumps and realized their purpose, I immediately became nervous to talk negatively about them. But, as much as I understand that blind people need to be warned about where a crosswalk is, I still can't help but dislike these bumps and wish they weren't in front of every grocery store, Walmart, or Target entrance. I NEVER noticed these bumps before Oscar. On the rare occasions that Oscar falls asleep in his car seat and stays asleep after the car door exit and after we've put his car seat in a shopping cart, these CRAZY bumps wake him up. They are SO BUMPY in a shopping cart! I know people need them, I just don't like them.
GOOD...
I know the host John Quinones is pretty cheesy, but I like this show "What Would You Do." They document a lot of situations a mom would really be affected by and I think those are the episodes that really get me. I have to share this episode because I just LOVED LOVED LOVED this sweet grocery clerk with Down Syndrome, Josh, who also happens to be a pretty good actor.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
domingo delicioso - banana pudding balloons
Every day this past week it was in the 110's here in AZ and I don't think we will hit under 100 degrees until October either. I want to make the most of this long summer by incorporating lots of seasonal treats and so I've been thinking about banana pudding and Nilla wafers. Thanks to a fun idea I saw on the Bakerella website, (thanks Lez) I revamped the summer treat to my chocolatey liking. On the Bakerella website she showed how to make some edible bowls out of chocolate and I was so excited to try them out. If you have kids, please try this recipe, the process will be as fun as the dessert is tasty.
You need:
small balloons
Dolci Frutti chocolate dip (or not if you find a dipping recipe)
wax paper
bananas
pudding (homemade or instant)
Nilla wafers
whipped cream
sprinkles (optional).
First make the chocolate bowls. Blow a bunch of the balloons up first and wash them a little bit. They didn't give the chocolate dip recipe away on the Bakerella website because they were promoting someone else's book where you could find the recipe. So, I just went and bought the Dolci Frutti hard chocolate shell stuff. You know, for dipping strawberries? It worked just fine. If you want to do it from scratch I'm sure you could find a similar recipe. Melt chocolate and spoon onto wax paper. SPRAY BALLOONS WITH PAM! It's essential. Roll the balloons in the chocolate and set upright. Put them in the fridge about 10 minutes. Here they are cold and set....
Then, get a needle and pop the balloons. Spoon in homemade or instant pudding. I did vanilla and banana instant pudding because I didn't have THAT much time. Slice bananas, throw those Nilla Wafers in there, and top with whipped cream of course. If you're making with kids, you NEED sprinkles, it's way more fun that way. And you can eat the bowl!
And here's some token pictures of Oscar. He's chowing down on my hand. He was eating my hand while I ate dinner.
His legs are all cramped in his bathtub now.
You need:
small balloons
Dolci Frutti chocolate dip (or not if you find a dipping recipe)
wax paper
bananas
pudding (homemade or instant)
Nilla wafers
whipped cream
sprinkles (optional).
First make the chocolate bowls. Blow a bunch of the balloons up first and wash them a little bit. They didn't give the chocolate dip recipe away on the Bakerella website because they were promoting someone else's book where you could find the recipe. So, I just went and bought the Dolci Frutti hard chocolate shell stuff. You know, for dipping strawberries? It worked just fine. If you want to do it from scratch I'm sure you could find a similar recipe. Melt chocolate and spoon onto wax paper. SPRAY BALLOONS WITH PAM! It's essential. Roll the balloons in the chocolate and set upright. Put them in the fridge about 10 minutes. Here they are cold and set....
Then, get a needle and pop the balloons. Spoon in homemade or instant pudding. I did vanilla and banana instant pudding because I didn't have THAT much time. Slice bananas, throw those Nilla Wafers in there, and top with whipped cream of course. If you're making with kids, you NEED sprinkles, it's way more fun that way. And you can eat the bowl!
And here's some token pictures of Oscar. He's chowing down on my hand. He was eating my hand while I ate dinner.
His legs are all cramped in his bathtub now.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
domingo delicioso - lumpia!
This week it was only right that my delicioso item be dedicated to the sweet Filipino lady, Lolita Maldonado, that has been taking care of my 24 Hour Fitness problems. (They sent me a check that bounced. Long story.) After talking with her all week, lumpia was the only thing on my mind. Lumpia is a Filipino food that is similar to an egg roll but different and way better. The wrappers are way thinner, and tastier in my opinion, and they fry differently than an egg roll. The filling is a little different too. Typically, lumpia are made with ground pork which is what makes them so so tasty. My grandma used to bring batches of them home from her Filipino friends that would make them for special occasions and I used to devour them as a young girl.
I really enjoy attempting recipes where 95% of the ingredients are practical and not expensive. I can't stand a recipe where I need to purchase 5 spices I don't have just to make one dish. When am I ever gonna need something like capers more than once? With lumpia, the only novelty ingredient were the wrappers.
I don't know why I thought I could attempt these once and get them right on the first try. There is clearly an art to wrapping them, and it's a skill I did not master in just one try. The wrappers are crazy hard to work with. But they still tasted pretty darn good. They almost didn't happen with Oscar being sick, Lee Lee's Asian Super Market being such a trek from my house and such a crazy place to navigate, and with the bagger at the grocery store that forgot to bag my cabbage. They finally came together by the time I wasn't even hungry anymore from snacking on so much of the filling. Typical.
My super fat lumpia. I had a real hard time wrapping them any tighter and thinner.
The crazy wrappers I luckily stumbled upon at Lee Lee's after thinking I'd never find them. I've never seen a crazier store in my life. It was an entire huge super market full of products I've NEVER seen before. I didn't recognize one item.
In other news..Oscar is sick and he had a really hard day. It is so sad to have to see your baby sick. I'm gonna try to get him in to see the doctor tomorrow.
I really enjoy attempting recipes where 95% of the ingredients are practical and not expensive. I can't stand a recipe where I need to purchase 5 spices I don't have just to make one dish. When am I ever gonna need something like capers more than once? With lumpia, the only novelty ingredient were the wrappers.
I don't know why I thought I could attempt these once and get them right on the first try. There is clearly an art to wrapping them, and it's a skill I did not master in just one try. The wrappers are crazy hard to work with. But they still tasted pretty darn good. They almost didn't happen with Oscar being sick, Lee Lee's Asian Super Market being such a trek from my house and such a crazy place to navigate, and with the bagger at the grocery store that forgot to bag my cabbage. They finally came together by the time I wasn't even hungry anymore from snacking on so much of the filling. Typical.
My super fat lumpia. I had a real hard time wrapping them any tighter and thinner.
The crazy wrappers I luckily stumbled upon at Lee Lee's after thinking I'd never find them. I've never seen a crazier store in my life. It was an entire huge super market full of products I've NEVER seen before. I didn't recognize one item.
In other news..Oscar is sick and he had a really hard day. It is so sad to have to see your baby sick. I'm gonna try to get him in to see the doctor tomorrow.
Monday, August 9, 2010
domingo delicioso
The newness of having little Oscar around has made me slump into a version of myself lacking in interests, likes, hobbies, etc. Don't panic, I love being Oscar's mom and I now know happiness I've never know before-he's our ultimate joy. But Oscar demands so much time from me so far that I've started a bad habit of being a lazy turd when he is not in need of my time and body. So to nip that habit right in the butt, I'm taking baby steps to get the not so dull version of myself back into gear. Baby step #1 is my new weekly blog post called "domingo delicioso" that will feature something delicioso I really enjoy and will serve as my reminder that I do more than just make milk for Oscar. It's not a new idea, many people do weekly blog posts on stuff they like. But, my intention is that domingo delicioso will be many topics of my interest-my likes, time consumers, and hobbies. Sadly though, or not sadly, I have a feeling domingo delicoso will mostly revolve around food and drinks. Domingo delicioso #1......
My favorite refresco right now:
Mr. Diet Canada Dry. I haven't been able to have caffeine for almost a year now and ginger ale has just the right bite that I've been missing from coke products.
Can't wait to discuss all things delicioso with you!
My favorite refresco right now:
Mr. Diet Canada Dry. I haven't been able to have caffeine for almost a year now and ginger ale has just the right bite that I've been missing from coke products.
Can't wait to discuss all things delicioso with you!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Oscar at 2 months
This is what Oscar has been up to at 2 months.
He does better in his car seat now. This is him getting cozy on his first trip to San Diego. He talks a lot now, mostly just vowel sounds, and Nate can get him to laugh and giggle a lot. Dads are funnier than moms. He did talk to me a lot on this car ride to San Diego though and I had lots of fun with him in the backseat.
He is extremely gassy. This is a standard poop. Sally commented that our baby gear is all spit up free but he makes up for it by staining all of our clothes with this stuff. Today at church he got Nate's pants and it soaked all the way to the skin. His gas also wakes him up without fail about 30-40 min into his naps.
This is his new trick, he is strong enough to stand up as long as we are holding his arms for balance. He seems to like it a lot, he talks and smiles as soon as he is up on two legs. He is swimming in the top half of his polarn o. pyret outfit from Alison. The jeans were broken in with some stains today.
Another conditioning session.
This is his new obsession, sucking on his fists. A few weeks ago it took him a couple of punches in the eye before he could get his fist in his mouth. Now he gets it in his mouth in one try and sucks on it the majority of the day. (Sorry about the nudity)
We love our handsome boy and are so entertained by all the new things he does daily.
He does better in his car seat now. This is him getting cozy on his first trip to San Diego. He talks a lot now, mostly just vowel sounds, and Nate can get him to laugh and giggle a lot. Dads are funnier than moms. He did talk to me a lot on this car ride to San Diego though and I had lots of fun with him in the backseat.
He is extremely gassy. This is a standard poop. Sally commented that our baby gear is all spit up free but he makes up for it by staining all of our clothes with this stuff. Today at church he got Nate's pants and it soaked all the way to the skin. His gas also wakes him up without fail about 30-40 min into his naps.
This is his new trick, he is strong enough to stand up as long as we are holding his arms for balance. He seems to like it a lot, he talks and smiles as soon as he is up on two legs. He is swimming in the top half of his polarn o. pyret outfit from Alison. The jeans were broken in with some stains today.
Another conditioning session.
This is his new obsession, sucking on his fists. A few weeks ago it took him a couple of punches in the eye before he could get his fist in his mouth. Now he gets it in his mouth in one try and sucks on it the majority of the day. (Sorry about the nudity)
We love our handsome boy and are so entertained by all the new things he does daily.
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