Well, another weekend has sidled past me. I can't believe it is already Monday. I am currently spending my lunch here at the Starbuck's by work, listening to “Zip-e-do-dah” on their sound system with hardly even a tiny bit of irony. Peanut's birthday is Thursday and I can hardly believe that she is going to be actually one year old. It is truly amazing. Can I say this? It is weird writing with so many people trying to look over your shoulder to see what you are up to. Oh, internet, can you believe how nosy people are? (I know!).
I think I need to get myself a novel to read. I am quite bereft. Has anyone read Ann Patchett's new novel, "Run"? I am not sure if I should get it or if I should get the newish Jhumpa Lahiri ( I may have spelled that wrong). Anyone read anything good lately?
My little one found a new friend at Toysrus this weekend. R took her down the stuffed animal aisle and her eyes went buggy and she said “oh” quietly as her little eyes tried to take in all the stuffed animals. R handed her a little stuffed kitty, colored to look like a Siamese and she took it and SNUGGLED as hard as she could. She looked up at R and said “Cat” very distinctly. I am just so proud. Oh yeah, she also says “Mamamamama” for me and “Hi Dah” to R. She can also say “No” and “Butch” (our boy Siamese's name), which is apparently what her stuffed kitty is named. Right after we left, in the car, R asked her what her kitty's name was and she answered very firmly, “Butch”. AWWWW.
Granted, “Butch” sometimes sounds like “Batch”, but really, Butch should be flattered- “Mama” is much less clear. But I am not a kitty, so there is that.
We hit the farmer's market at the marina yesterday, and got a bevy of lovely produce. Today alone I have eaten an apple, an orange, and a banana. Hooray produce! Yesterday I made a modified Shepherd's Pie with some of our bounty:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chopped onions
3 chopped carrots
1 lb ground turkey
1 c. peas
1 tblsp. tomato paste
2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. rolled oats
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped (enough so they cook relatively quickly)
2 tblsp. butter (unsalted, always)
1/2 c. milk
Cook the onion and garlic in a 6 qt. saucepan until translucent. Add the turkey and carrots and cook until the turkey is cooked through. Add the peas and tomato paste, oats, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, boil water and then add the potatoes and smidge of kosher salt. Cook potatoes and then drain, returning to the cooking pot. Mash, adding the butter and milk slowly. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the meat/veg mixture into a largish baking dish or individual ramekins. Place ramekins or baking dish onto a cookie sheet and spoon mashed potatoes to cover completely. Cook at about 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (until the points of the mashed potatoes begin to brown slightly. Allow to cool slightly then serve. Enjoy! I suck at portions but I ended up with a largish casserole and 8 ramekins filled well.
Peanut seemed to like it. I am so over baby food, and so is she... Hooray real food! Tonight we're probably having a rutabega/parsnip soup or Peanut's favorite Wagon Wheel Cheesy Pasta with Vegetables, based on a recipe we got from a kid's cookbook. Although it has been very helpful at getting ideas, I am beginning to feel like there isn't actually a lot of variation in the food in that cookbook- it is all vegetables slathered with cheese. Or fried foods. Of course some kids are pickier than others, but I hate the idea of only serving vegetables with cheese as a sauce. Oh, yes. Peanut's other favorite is Orzo with Mixed Veg and Cheese- I cooked some orzo with chopped zuchinni, yellow squash, onions, carrots, broccoli and peas, and tossed it with salt and pepper and a little bit of Parmesan Reggianno cheese. She thought that was super.
I am actually having a lot of fun coming up with new things to make using vegetables for her. She also really liked steamed Edamame and carrots, too. If anyone actually reads this and has any ideas, I would love suggestions on healthy and simple vegetable recipes. Also, how do you incorporate meat or bean/lentil protein in your child's diet? Thanks for the suggestions, if you have some.
I am very sleepy and must put myself to sleep, now that Peanut has fallen asleep almost on her own with her kitty stuffed toy- Butch. Awww.
I have been thinking of changing the name of my blog from “Musings and Meanderings” to “I Have No Idea Where I Am Going With This”, any thoughts?
Happy César Chávez Day, btw.
29 March, 2008
The Epic Saga of The Toy Kitchen....
Easter was a success. 
Peanut was a happy kid, had an absolute blast with the eggs and toys and stuff. You can tell she's going to be funny:
Her birthday is this week, so we are all in a tizzy, trying to prepare for her party. Oh, and did I happen to mention a plastic toy kitchen? I was reading Suburban Turmoil a couple days ago and Lindsay brought up classic kid toys. One of the items she mentioned was a toy kitchen. I remember coveting a toy kitchen (I never had one) and a play house in the back yard.
Peanut is a bit small for a play house (hello next year!), but I thought that this year she would be able to appreciate a play kitchen. I originally thought that I would easily be able to find one on Craigslist, but it was simply not to be. In researching the ones available, I found that most of them are WAY too expensive - click here for a toy kitchen that WAY outdoes MY kitchen. Most of them seem overly complex- where's the room for imagination? Target has one that is made of wood, but after a year of scraping various bodily fluids off of toys and walls and the world in general? I want a plastic toy kitchen. So, I broke down and bought one directly from the Little Tike's website- check it out by clicking here. It is the "Cookin' Sounds Gourmet Kitchen".
I liked it because even with shipping and tax it was cheaper than any of the other toy kitchens I found, except a Chicco one that I didn't like. And I know that I can probably sell it on Craigslist after our kid (and future kids) are done with it.
We decided that this was the one for us after visiting a Target, two ToysRUs stores and a Walmart (they didn't even have ANY toy kitchens). I mean I actually set foot in a WALMART. (The universe was obviously chastising me for even thinking of visiting a Walmart. Remind me to blog about the telescope/Walmart-ruined-Christmas-and-then-their-customer-service-hung-up-on-me-debacle sometime).
In any case, I will take some pics of the Peanut party (this Saturday- I am SO excited!). I am trying to be a little more crafty. I made a polka-dot garland to hang on my grandpa's patio. I used a one-inch craft punch (Martha Stewart's craft punch, from Michael's) to cut out a bunch of different colored paper dots, which I then stuck together on thread, to use as a garland. Check out the Martha Stewart dot garland. MS's garland is for Christmas, but you get the idea.
Oh dear it is getting late and I have a cold, so I need to get my rest. Farmer's market tomorrow, yay! Broccoli! Squash! Leeks! Apples! Yippee!
Oh, I am so very old. I am spending my Saturday night blogging about a toy kitchen and broccoli. Oh deary me.
Peanut was a happy kid, had an absolute blast with the eggs and toys and stuff. You can tell she's going to be funny:
Her birthday is this week, so we are all in a tizzy, trying to prepare for her party. Oh, and did I happen to mention a plastic toy kitchen? I was reading Suburban Turmoil a couple days ago and Lindsay brought up classic kid toys. One of the items she mentioned was a toy kitchen. I remember coveting a toy kitchen (I never had one) and a play house in the back yard.
Peanut is a bit small for a play house (hello next year!), but I thought that this year she would be able to appreciate a play kitchen. I originally thought that I would easily be able to find one on Craigslist, but it was simply not to be. In researching the ones available, I found that most of them are WAY too expensive - click here for a toy kitchen that WAY outdoes MY kitchen. Most of them seem overly complex- where's the room for imagination? Target has one that is made of wood, but after a year of scraping various bodily fluids off of toys and walls and the world in general? I want a plastic toy kitchen. So, I broke down and bought one directly from the Little Tike's website- check it out by clicking here. It is the "Cookin' Sounds Gourmet Kitchen".
I liked it because even with shipping and tax it was cheaper than any of the other toy kitchens I found, except a Chicco one that I didn't like. And I know that I can probably sell it on Craigslist after our kid (and future kids) are done with it.
We decided that this was the one for us after visiting a Target, two ToysRUs stores and a Walmart (they didn't even have ANY toy kitchens). I mean I actually set foot in a WALMART. (The universe was obviously chastising me for even thinking of visiting a Walmart. Remind me to blog about the telescope/Walmart-ruined-Christmas-and-then-their-customer-service-hung-up-on-me-debacle sometime).
In any case, I will take some pics of the Peanut party (this Saturday- I am SO excited!). I am trying to be a little more crafty. I made a polka-dot garland to hang on my grandpa's patio. I used a one-inch craft punch (Martha Stewart's craft punch, from Michael's) to cut out a bunch of different colored paper dots, which I then stuck together on thread, to use as a garland. Check out the Martha Stewart dot garland. MS's garland is for Christmas, but you get the idea.
Oh dear it is getting late and I have a cold, so I need to get my rest. Farmer's market tomorrow, yay! Broccoli! Squash! Leeks! Apples! Yippee!
Oh, I am so very old. I am spending my Saturday night blogging about a toy kitchen and broccoli. Oh deary me.
27 March, 2008
I'm Back, Baby.
Just in time for Easter, my MacBook Pro has been resurrected. Thanks to the super team at the Brea Apple Store, who found the problem with my computer extremely quickly and pointed out (as the South Coast Apple Store had not) that it was due to a known issue. They promptly managed to send the computer off for repair (which Apple covered DESPITE my computer being well out of warranty) and saved EVERYTHING on my hard drive. WOW!!! I have loved Apple for a long time now and I think that I will now NEVER buy a PC after this great experience. It cost me a mere $50 to back up my information on my hard drive. It was truly amazing. I am so lucky. I really could have lost just about everything. So, thank you Matt at the Brea Apple store- you totally ROCK.
In any case, I am back! My poor blog has been suffering a large amount of inattention lately (R's “U” key sticks and I hate typing on it.) So I really am back. I have been trying to keep a running tally in my mind of things that I need to blog about, but I also have a thirty second attention span, so oh well.
M's 1st birthday is on April 3, and I can hardly believe it has been a year. More about that later....
I am just so stuck on looking at my computer- I really can't believe I have it back. I will try not to take it for granted in the future.
So, while I am still here:
I love my girl.
I wish I knew how to make Nutella Ice Cream, or was simply awesome and French..
I will be posting a lot more now, as I have really felt the absence of this outlet. I missed you, internet!!!
In any case, I am back! My poor blog has been suffering a large amount of inattention lately (R's “U” key sticks and I hate typing on it.) So I really am back. I have been trying to keep a running tally in my mind of things that I need to blog about, but I also have a thirty second attention span, so oh well.
M's 1st birthday is on April 3, and I can hardly believe it has been a year. More about that later....
I am just so stuck on looking at my computer- I really can't believe I have it back. I will try not to take it for granted in the future.
So, while I am still here:
I love my girl.
I wish I knew how to make Nutella Ice Cream, or was simply awesome and French.
I will be posting a lot more now, as I have really felt the absence of this outlet. I missed you, internet!!!
07 March, 2008
Oh the badness...
Well I know it has been a long time since I posted last, but R's computer drives me crazy. My MacBook Pro is now late and highly lamented, so I am hoping that the kind folks at Apple will be able to replace it this weekend.
I haven't really been online that much in the past month as a result. (And R's computer's "U" key sticks which is just so MADDENING!)
I promise (hopefully truthfully) that I'll have a computer again soon and shall return.
Yep.
I haven't really been online that much in the past month as a result. (And R's computer's "U" key sticks which is just so MADDENING!)
I promise (hopefully truthfully) that I'll have a computer again soon and shall return.
Yep.
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