Do-Over

I need to start 2012 over again. Mine got all messed up. Not horrible or anything, just out of whack. Since I was trying to Start As You Mean To Go On, I need to re-do the last week so that it is not replicated down the line.

There was a great trip to the aquarium:

Which somehow ended with Lily Ruth's first big skinned knee. Thank goodness for impulse-buy bandages with unicorns on them that came in a tin sturdy enough to leave in the diaper bag!

This was followed by a decent day with friends marred by a full-on face-plant and a rushing to the pediatrician's office in case of loosened teeth. Don't worry - we left without being seen as she was obviously fine after waiting for an hour... *sigh*... and now I've made my first public appearance as The Crazy Lady (in a stretched out T-shirt, old maternity yoga pants and my SLIPPERS) since we were preparing to nap when the incident occurred. In case you're worried about her reputation as a fashionista, Lily Ruth was styling in a blood-stained T-shirt/droopy diaper combo. Together, we were a pathetic sight.

The following morning (read: 3 a.m.) saw a bout of the stomach flu for my beleaguered angel. She apparently hates throwing up even more than I do. Before each round was even done, she was wriggling to get down and proclaiming "I o.k. I fine. I feel better." She's a trooper, that one. Oi.

The NEXT day, she knocked the scab off her knee, and made the sore bigger.

The next day, I had the stomach flu.

- Can you see why I ask for the do-over? We're two days out from our Five Days of Trial and Tribulation, and I just got us back in order. All of the pukey laundry is clean. All of the accumulated dishes are washed. The dog hair tumbleweeds are in the trash. Everybody is sleeping on fresh sheets (pets included - damn them).

Here's what I'll do. Since you obviously don't have the authority to grant my simple, easy request, I'll go you one better. Let's just start from here. My house is clean. My body is cleaned out (eww.). The bills are paid current. Let's just use this as the jumping off point for 2012.

Here are my guidelines:
- No more than one alcoholic beverage on a weeknight (and I must choose either Friday or Sunday as weekend nights, but not both).
- Portion control. Just slow down and pay attention.
- Keep moving. The kid and I are on a very active kick - let's keep it up.
- No beating yourself up for flubs or backsliding. Just be present and aware and move forward.

What say you?

Recipe Catch Up

Today's Recipes: Zucchini & Bacon Pasta, Spinach, Pea & Ricotta Fritters, Lovely Lavender Cake

Wait, before I talk about food I have to show you my new haircut! I luuuuuuuuv it! I haven't had a cut since the end of February because (due to a lack of communication and an abundance of distractions) she cut it waaaaayyyyyy too short, and I was afraid to go back. Well, the hair situation had gotten a bit pathetic, so I freaked out, calmed down, then made an appointment. Same hairdresser, much different result :-)


I've been doing quite a bit of cooking lately, but not all of it was worth discussing. Some of it was, so I'll share it with you here :-)

Zuccini & Bacon Pasta
I threw this together on a weekday night when I couldn't bear to go to the grocery store. It turned out so well that I have to document it :-)

2 zucchini - sliced
1/4 Lb crimini mushrooms - sliced
1 Anaheim pepper - sliced
4 (or more) slices bacon - cooked and chopped
your favorite cheese - shredded (or a few frozen cubes of cheese sauce)
your favorite pasta - cooked

Sautee the mushrooms and peppers. Add the zucchini and a small amount of water. Simmer until the zucchini is tender & the water is gone. Add in the bacon and warm.



Combine with pasta and cheese/sauce & ENJOY!

- this next recipe is from my new favorite cookbook - it's a 'cooking with and for your toddler' book, and it is doing a fantastic job of inspiring me!

Spinach, Pea & Ricotta Fritters
(from Yummy Baby by Jane Clarke)

9 oz (1 bag) fresh baby leaf spinach - washed and well drained (I also sliced it)
4 1/2 oz fresh or frozen (thawed) peas
2 large eggs - beaten
5 Tbsp plain flour - sifted
2 Tbsp porridge oats (I used oatmeal that I chopped in the coffee grinder)
9 oz Ricotta cheese
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil

Heat large frying pan and add spinach, tossing the leaves until they wilt. If using fresh peas, add them now and cook for another two minutes. Drain the spinach and peas well, squeezing to remove any excess water. If you're using frozen (thawed) peas, add them now. Place the spinach and the peas in a mixing bowl and add mix in the eggs then the flour and the oats and finally the ricotta. Mix well & season with plenty of black pepper.

Heat a little vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until set and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven. Chop into small pieces until necessary.

--- I've found that I like more spice than just the pepper. I also add finely chopped or pressed fresh garlic and shredded fresh basil. Also (true story), DO NOT use cottage cheese if you run short on ricotta - even if you drain it first.

Lily Ruth's Birthday Cake


It turned out pretty, but only so-so for quality. Here's what I think happened - ready? - I... am not... a good... baker. There. I said it. It really seems to be true. In addition to the anniversary cake debacle, I've made several cookie recipes lately, and they were as lackluster as the cake. I'm pretty sure that the problem lies in my patience and my 'devil may care' approach to following recipes. I'm fairly certain that successful baking requires patience and accurate measurements :-/

At any rate, I got the recipe here, and I made the 'Lovely Lavender Cake'. I may try it again, and this time I'll 1) beat the egg mixture longer - I'm not convinced that I had achieved 'glossy and thick' and 2) I'm going to start checking for done-ness at 25 minutes. The recipe says to bake it for ONE HOUR... and I fell for it. I didn't check it until 35 minutes in. As you may have deduced (if you're a good baker), my cake was tasty but was too dense, and a bit overdone/dry. I used basic cream cheese frosting to cover the cake and for the writing and that part was supremely tasty. Another lesson here - do not add additional liquid because you think that your frosting is too thick as it begins to come together. It will soften as you go. Additional liquid will leave you will a thinned-out mess that has to be chilled before application. *le sigh*

O.k., I've been trying to pretend that I'm not sick anymore, but I am. I really, really am. The mastitis is not gone (it never really left), and seems to have re-manifested itself in the form of swollen, painful lymph nodes in both armpits and extreme mucus production. If you managed to get the license plate of the truck that ran me over, please let me know... I will be going back to the doctor this week :-(

I can't remember any of the other recipes that I wanted to talk about, so I guess I'll just go lay in bed with my head propped up to facilitate drainage - yes, I know, GLAMOUR GIRL! - and not sleep because I can't breathe. Pooooooor me :-{ (that's me with a quivery bottom lip as I hold back my pity party tears).

I took a few cute Lily Ruth pics today, and I will fabricate a reason to post them soon. Sleep well, Dahlings. Dulce sueños!

aww, MAN!

Here's what was going through my head at 10:30 last night... (to the tune of Foreigner's 'Hot Blooded')

It's Mastitis, check it and see
My stupid fever's one-oh-two point three
C'mon Baby, can't you nurse more than that?
It's Mastitis, Mastitis

Yep. I've got it AGAIN. My last bout with this horrid bacterial infection was last September - before I started blogging. For those who have never had the pleasure, Mastitis is an infection of the breast caused by clogged milk ducts. The infected portion of the breast becomes bright red, hot, hard and PAINFUL. Then, you feel like you got hit by a truck. Joints ache, head hurts, patience runs woefully thin, and the afore-referenced fever sets in.

Last night was particularly miserable as Daddy was out of town on business. Lily is cutting a molar, so she's clingy, whiny and mean-spirited (lots of hitting, spitting, scratching and screaming). The two of us had dinner with my parents and grandparents, and I felt crummy but not miserable. It wasn't until after I got home and got into bed with Angry Lily that my fever spiked. Good times.

As you may have deduced, I survived. My fever broke around midnight. We slept in until TEN O'CLOCK! We made it out of the house for lunch, but I ate too close to my antibiotic dose, so I feel really crappy again. Pity party over here, ya'll :-P