Once I can gather my thoughts, blogging will resume, but for now, I just want to say that this world has lost one of the kindest and gentlest people I ever had the privilege of knowing. My heart breaks hourly for my friend and her two children (4 years old and 5 months old) and I pray that she can one day find peace with this senseless tragedy.

Any who, back to the gift giving. Don’t worry, I gave him plenty of warning about the entire gift giving thing so that he didn’t feel bad for showing up empty handed. Even though I’m totally okay with that, I knew he would have felt reeeeallly bad about it. In classic Irishman fashion, he stepped up and bought be a fancy SD card for my camera as well as a lens cleaning kit (he knows me well and wouldn’t have wasted money on flowers or cards). We actually got to exchange presents this morning and spend some quality time with our munchkins because nature complied and gave us a present too.

Yup, that’s right. We got a Valentine’s Snow Day! So, I pulled out all the stops and made store bought cinnamon rolls. Popping that can open and dyeing the frosting pink was hard work! Here are the cinnamon rolls cooling off on our window buffet.

While I felt slightly guilty by cutting a few corners this morning, I don’t think that Parker minded one bit.

My fervent wish in life is that this sweet boy always remains this easy to please. Happy Sugar Day everyone!

No matter how much I hate feeling like poo, it’s a good reminder that no matter what life throws your way, you can always pick back up where you left off. I seem to be learning and re-learning that lesson a lot lately. To leave you on a positive note, here are some pictures of the lovely weather we’ve been having lately. I took these around 9:30am, which was precisely the time when the morning fog was dissipating to give way to a gorgeous, cool day.

Wish me luck on my run tomorrow, I’m going to need it!

That meant that the light could only be coming from the moon. I had a moment’s hesitation before going to investigate further. I mean, my bed was warm, the complicated relationships of Seattle Grace Hospital were beckoning and I was really freakin’ tired (did I already mention that?). But, a full moon this bright can only mean a clear night and I can’t remember the last full moon that I was awake to see.

So, I grabbed my camera, dragged my lazy self out of my warm, cozy bed and stepped out into the cold night to see what nature had in store.

The cold toes were worth it.

In a recent issue of Cooking Light, they had a contest to determine the best chocolate recipe they ever tried. These brownies took home top honors. Naturally, I had to try them immediately. Let me assure you, they did not disappoint. I’ve made them 3 times now (much to the detriment of my hips) and each time, we polished off the pan in less than a day. De-licious!

Ingredients:
3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk
6 Tbs. melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Combine 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and milk and microwave for 1 minute. Add milk mixture to melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Next, add in the remaining chocolate and the walnuts.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with “moist crumbs clinging.”

These are seriously good! You can mix it up and add in cherries or skip the nuts if that’s not your thing. For Valentine’s Day next week, these are definitely on the menu as dessert. Now, just to figure out what’s on the rest of the menu…

While there are moments every day where my heart is elated beyond measure at the joy my children bring me, I now know that what my roller coaster analogy missed was the part where all of those happy people were just minutes before swearing on the top of their lungs, hanging on for dear life and questioning their sanity for making such a crazy decision in the first place. So last night, between the hours of 1:42am and 3:15am (when I was awake with my sweet, darling teething daughter), I thought up a battery of sadistic tests that people considering parenting should take before embarking on this lovely thing called parenting. Consider the following exercises a crash course called “Parenting 101: S$%! Just Got Real.”

Test #1: Preparing for an Infant
The only thing I recall learning from the childbirth and parenting class that I took before my first pregnancy was how to change a diaper and how to bathe a newborn. Was that important information? Sure. What I was grossly unprepared for, however, was the massive sleep deprivation that comes with the territory, which in our case, lasted until shortly before Parker’s 4th birthday. Seriously, the child would not sleep. The following exercise would have been a helpful preparatory exercise to give me a more realistic idea of what I’d be up against.

All you need for the sleep deprivation test is a partner in crime to assist you in the experiment. This is how the experiment works: get comfortable and ready for bed. As soon as it looks like you’ve fallen asleep, instruct your helper to nudge you awake. Repeat this pattern for the next 45 minutes. After the 45 minutes are up, your helper is to allow you a two hour block of sleep, after which point you are to be woken up with an air horn. Repeat this process from beginning to end until you need to wake up in the morning. I suggest at least two weeks of this exercise in order to make the experiment seem real because that, my friends, is a solid beginning to sleep deprivation, which is every new mother’s constant companion.

Test #2: Preparing for a “High Needs” Baby
I would like to first say that I am not a fan of the term “high needs” as a categorization for infants. I mean, all babies are high needs to some degree, some just need a bit more touch time to feel secure. By calling some of them high needs, the world is implying that some parents are going to get off easy. I think this is a very bad idea because even if you have a lower needs baby, all babies teethe, get sick or go through different phases where they just need more of your time. Lexi, for example, has just entered a serious mommy phase. If she can not see me, she screams. If she wants to be held by me and I put her down, she screams. If I’m holding her, however, she is sunshine and roses and cuter than a 2 day old fuzzy bunny.

To help prepare future parents for such a scenario, I created the following drill based on that example. Okay, go out and buy a 20 lb. sack of rice. From sun up to sun down, do all of your work and chores while holding that sack of rice on your hip. In the event that you need to put the rice down to pee (for example), rig your house so that the smoke detector goes off at full volume the entire time the sack of flour is on the floor. Ah, what fun.

Test #2: Preparing for a Toddler
I must admit that my toddler skills are a bit rusty since Parker graduated from that phase years ago, but from what I remember, the following should give you a small peek into toddlerhood.

First, go and buy (or borrow) a parrot. The next step is to train the parrot to say the following words: “No!” “Mine!” and my personal favorite, “Why?” The parrot is to respond to any question you ask it with one of the aforementioned words. The only deviation from this exercise is that the parrot should be instructed to recognize any curse words that you might say and to repeat those at the most inopportune times like in church, at the pediatrician’s office or at the dinner table when your in-laws are visiting.

Test #3: Preparing for a Pre-Schooler/Kindergartner
Pre-schoolers are smart, funny and have the attention span of a squirrel. This makes giving basic instructions and having them followed quite challenging. The following exercise is a two-parter and also involves an animal, but the type depends on what kind you can get your hands on. I should also mention in advance that this test is a timed exercise.

You have 20 minutes to complete the following drill. First, stand in front of a brick wall for 10 minutes and give it basic directions like, “Please finish your breakfast,” “Please put on your shoes,” and “Please brush your teeth.” Yes, I think future parents should speak to brick walls. It’s great practice. Now, for the next phase of this exercise you need a large animal of some sort. If you have access to a greased pig, I think it would be best, but a rambunctious 50 lb. puppy would also work. Now, to complete the following exercise, simple release either the greased pig or the puppy into your living room and with a 10 minute time limit, clothe said pig or puppy in pants, a shirt, socks, shoes, a hat and mittens.

Conclusion
While the above tests won’t give someone the full idea of what everyday life is like with a small child,  it is a lot closer than someone handing you a baby doll and a disposable diaper and telling you that you are acquiring parenting skills. Now that I’m thinking about it, what they should do instead is hand you a screaming eel to diaper if they want you to have a more realistic experience, but I digress. In all seriousness, having children has been the greatest joy of my life. It’s also the hardest and craziest thing I’ve ever done. I’m sure that when the children are grown, I will look back on these years wistfully and with great nostalgia, but for now, I’m holding on for dear life, praying for more sleep, more patience and more wine. Amen.

Roasted veggies are a beautiful thing. I don’t care if it’s brussel sprouts or broccoli, potatoes or kale – it’s all delicious. The last couple of weeks, I’ve been on a winter veggie kick. My favorite three vegetable combination for roasting has been butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Prior to last week, I had never prepped a butternut squash for roasting. First, you peel it the outside with a vegetable peeler. Then, split it with a very sharp  knife and scoop out the seeds. Using a heavy chef’s knife, cube the squash and add it to a foil-lined pan. Peel and cube the sweet potato and the carrot, too, and add it to the pan.

Just drizzle your veggies with olive oil, add a bit of salt and pepper and roast your veggies in a 375 degree oven until they are fork tender and have turned golden. Roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies and the combination of the carrots, sweet potatoes and squash are perfect together. In fact, I usually stuff myself silly eating the whole pan of these myself, but hey, they’re healthy right?

Babies, however, have a way of making you take it one day at a time regardless of how much you’d rather think ahead to next week. On any given day, I never know how much sleep I’m going to get at night, what Lexi’s naps are going to be like or if Parker is going to need to stay home from school. To quote Shrek, most days, I feel like “A donkey on the edge!” It’s…an adjustment.

Last year at this time, my focus was on getting three grant proposals out. This year, my biggest concern at the moment is focusing on getting dinner on the table (and to be honest, I don’t even know what I’m making). Sweet little Lexi, who is currently in the apex of a mommy phase, forces me to take things in 15-minute increments. Make no mistake about it, she is a force to be reckoned with. Beneath that sweet, laid-back exterior is a peanut who knows her own mind and sometimes that mind tells her that she must be carried everywhere. Truth be told, I don’t mind it that much.

I’m tired, but happy; behind at work, but feeling fulfilled at home. Having been to this rodeo before, I know that this pocket of time is temporary. So for now, I’m okay living in the schizophrenic world of baby bliss and sleepiness knowing that in the next couple of years, I’ll be back to schedules and lists and functionality.

PS – It took me two hours to write this. Oy.

I’m not going to lie folks, sometimes all I’m shooting for is “good enough.” There are days when I’m inspired to make a complicated and delicious meal…and then there are days when I just need to slap something on the table that may not win any prizes, but that won’t elicit complaint either. I’ve been having those kinds of days A LOT lately.

Last night, I made a Rachel Ray recipe called “Pasta, Cheese and Trees.” It’s quick, kid-friendly and fills the stomach. Here’s what you need:

Pasta (I use penne, but any pasta would do)
1 lb. broccoli florets
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup reserved pasta water

Boil your pasta water and cook your pasta based on the box directions. While the water boils, put the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water and microwave it for 4-5 minutes. Once the pasta is done, reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta back to your pot, add in the ricotta, parm, pasta water and broccoli. Add salt and paper to taste.

And you’re done! Enjoy!

The inspiration for this recipe came from the latest issue of my trusty Cooking Light. Since I’ve been trying to get Parker to eat new foods(and since he’ll eat anything that looks remotely Mexican in nature), I decided to modify the original recipe and give it a go. It was easy, tasty and there were no leftovers. In other words, it was a total success.

I should also mention that I decided (without asking the boys for input) to stop cooking meat entirely. It wasn’t really intentional. I just didn’t add any meat-only dishes to the menu and I didn’t buy any meat at the grocery store last weekend. Frankly, I’m sleepy and my poor, little brain couldn’t be taxed with thinking up 2 different recipes for dinner each night (since I usually cook them a separate meal than I cook myself). I’m curious as to how many days/weeks will pass before either one of them has noticed that they’ve kind of sort of turned into vegetarians.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup diced onion
1 pound ground beef or the equivalent of meat-alternative (I like Quorn brand crumbles)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1.5 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef, chicken or veggie broth
2 tablespoons Taco Mix (store bought or homemade)
1 eight-ounce can tomato sauce
4 eight-inch tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (plus extra for the top)

Add a touch of olive oil to the pan and saute your onions for a couple of minutes. Add ground beef or meat-alternative and brown. (Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.)

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add in the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.  Add broth, taco seasoning and tomato sauce to the saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Once it comes up to a boil, cook it for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all but 1/2 cup of the sauce to the meat/onion mixture and stir to combine.

Put a tortilla in a 9-inch pie plate. Add 1/3 of the beef mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat this 3 times and end with a tortilla on top. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the tortilla and top with a handful of cheese.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let it cool off for about 5 minutes before you cut into it, otherwise, the meat and cheese will spill out of the tortilla like a molten lava explosion and you’ll be left with Mexican soup instead of a Mexican casserole. Trust me on this one, don’t be like me.

This casserole was seriously yummy. It was a nice change of pace from our usual soft taco or burrito and the tomato sauce gave it an enchilada flavor rather than a standard taco taste. The best part was that no one even commented on the fact that I skipped the beef in favor of the Quorn crumbles and trust me, Parker would normally have been the first one to pitch a fit if it didn’t meet his picky-eater standards (which I need to stop talking about since it makes my eye twitch). Next time, I think I’ll serve this with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole just to dress it up a bit.