tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62437903236923199372023-11-16T01:09:15.236-05:00Eat, Think, and Be MarriedRandom musings on life, love, and food.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.comBlogger276125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-81817415657320259002014-07-20T15:20:00.000-04:002014-07-20T15:20:00.559-04:00Super Simple LearningOver the last 6 months or so Aimee has become increasingly interested in our phones-- particularly in looking at pictures (mainly of herself!) and in watching the short videos that we allow her to see on occasion. Although we still try to limit "screen time" as much we can, she does get a kick out of some of these silly videos and songs and they can be really helpful when you need her to sit still for 5 minutes while you put something in the oven, for example. They are, unfortunately, also my main negotiating tool for when I want to get Aimee to do certain things (note that I did not use the word "bribe"-- until just now oops!).<br />
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I've made it easy to organize her favorite videos by following <a href="http://literallyorganized.blogspot.com/2013/12/natalie-sings-creating-toddler-youtube_13.html">my friend Stephanie's advice for setting up a youtube channel just for Aimee</a>-- it's so much easier that way! At various times, Aimee will have a certain set of videos that she will frequently request to watch (and would probably watch on an endless loop if we let her!). Right now she is a big fan of the videos by <a href="http://supersimplelearning.com/">Super Simple Learning</a>. SSL has a pretty large library of little videos featuring your favorite nursery rhymes/preschooler songs. And the animation is pretty cute too. Here are some of Aimee's favorites (note you may have trouble with the links if you are reading on an RSS feed):<br />
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<b>Bingo</b><br />
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<b>If You're Happy</b> (which Aimee refers to as "The Happy Song")<br />
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<b>Old MacDonald</b><br />
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<b>Walking in the Jungle</b> (the current favorite!)<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-57186221205493385872014-07-07T09:01:00.002-04:002014-07-07T09:01:25.500-04:00Super Simple SupperI have long been on a quest to find easy, tasty meals that I can make on weeknights. Bonus points if they are healthy and delicious enough to make on the weekend because, as work outside the home parents, we cram a lot of activity into the weekends so I am not always up for spending a lot of time in the kitchen even when I technically have more time to devote to cooking. <br /><br />One meal we’ve been enjoying recently that fits these criteria perfectly is five-spice chicken and roasted ratatouille. With the ample hands-off cooking time, it is incredibly easy to make and is flavorful and healthy to boot. Jason is a big fan of the chicken, in particular, and I find the roasted ratatouille to be pretty versatile—as a side dish, as a filling for frittata or quiche, mixed with couscous, etc. It’s delicious in any form.<br />
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<br /><b>Five Spiced Chicken and Roasted Ratatouille</b><br />(The <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/08/05/five-spice-happy-monday-chicken/">chicken recipe</a> is from <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/">Hellobee</a> and is the original recipe that I used to make the <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/08/05/five-spice-happy-monday-chicken/">BBQ chicken recipe</a> from the Memorial Day post—only adaptations are to quantity)<br /><br /><u>Ingredients</u>:<br />4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs<br />1.5 teaspoons paprika (I used smoked paprika)<br />¾ teaspoon ground ginger<br />¾ teaspoon garlic powder<br />¾ teaspoon white pepper<br />3 teaspoons coarse salt<br />¼ cup chicken stock or water<br />2 medium zucchini<br />2 small or 1 large eggplant<br />1 red pepper<br />1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes<br />1 TBL olive oil<br /><br />To make the chicken: mix together the ginger, garlic powder, white pepper, paprika and salt until well combined. Divide in half (save one half in an airtight container for the next time you want to make this dish!). Preheat the oven to 375. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish. Loosen skin from meat with your fingers. Sprinkle some the spice mixture under the skin of each thigh; sprinkle remaining on top of the skin. Add water or chicken stock to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil (try and cover loosely otherwise the skin will stick to the foil). Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.<br /><br />To make the ratatouille: Chop the zucchini, eggplant and red pepper into 1 inch pieces and place onto a sheet pan. Add the pint of tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent the veggies from sticking to the pan (you can skip this step if you line your pan with parchment!)<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-5747138965945729422014-06-15T21:06:00.002-04:002014-06-15T21:06:50.075-04:00Speaking of Birthday Cakes....Aimee turned one in August which means its been almost an entire year and I haven't shared her first birthday cake (it also means that she is almost two which totally boggles my mind! Of course when I ask Jason if he can believe she is almost two, he quickly say "yes"....typical!). When trying to decide what to do for Aimee's first birthday, we decided to keep it small. Our house is not terribly spacious and I knew I wasn't really ready to rent space somewhere-- the latter just seemed way too overwhelming given everything else going on in our lives. So we ended up mostly with family and a few of Aimee's "friends" (aka babies/kids of similar age that she saw on a semi-regular basis). Even that number of people filled our house and was somewhat overwhelming for Aimee so I think anything else might have been too much. I tried to keep things simple in general, but of course I had to make Aimee's birthday cake.<br />
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We decided on a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting since we wanted Aimee to be able to try her birthday cake and we had not yet introduced her to chocolate (in fact we still haven't-- Jason's brother has a severe nut allergy and we've been holding off on letting her try any kind of nuts. Since most chocolate is manufactured in facilities that also process nuts, we have held off on chocolate too). I found a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/">vanilla cake recipe from my fave Smitten Kitchen</a> that seemed like a winner and ended up using a variation of a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/09/monkey-cake/">buttercream recipe from her website</a> as well. I decided to make a two layer cake for the celebration (which was the day after Aimee's actual birthday) and a few cupcakes since I wanted Aimee (and Jason and I) to be able to celebrate on the day of her birthday as well. It worked out well as I was able to "test" the recipe by making the cupcakes on her birthday and then the full cake the day of the "party."<br />
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I am not very confident in my cake decorating skills so I wanted to to do something fun and festive but that was also really easy. I got a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/102034747778947287/">great idea from pinterest</a>--- using rainbow sprinkles to top the cake AND identify the birthday girl's age. I have to say it turned out pretty great (thanks to Jason who did the sprinkling while I was busy getting a few other things done right before our family and friends arrived).<br />
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All in all I was really happy with how Aimee's first birthday cake
turned out. Aimee seemed to enjoy the cake too-- although she was much
more interested in playing with it than eating it :)<br />
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<br /><b>Vanilla Birthday Cake with Buttercream Frosting</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted (barely) from Smitten Kitchen</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: The recipe below makes one 9-inch layer cake (two layers) and 12 cupcakes. See <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/">Smitten Kitchen</a> for the cake only amounts.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>For the cake:</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">6 cups plus 3 TBL cake flour (not self-rising)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 1/4 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp table slat</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3 sticks unsalted butter </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><b> </b><br />
3 cups sugar<br />
3 tsp vanilla<br />
6 large eggs, room temperature<br />
3 cups buttermilk<br />
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<i>For the frosting (should make enough for the cake and the cupcakes):</i><br />
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar<br />
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
6 TBL half-and-half or whole milk<br />
1 TBL vanilla extract (note: next time I might use 1/2 TBL in order to have whiter frosting)<br />
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Rainbow sprinkles (optional) <br />
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<i>Make the cake:</i><br />
1.Preheat the oven to 350. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circle of parchment paper (I like to buy mine precut from here), then butter parchment. Line a muffin tin with festive liners or butter them as well.<br />
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.<br />
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla. Then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well/scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, add in buttermilk until just combined (batter will look lumpy).<br />
4. Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated (you don't want to overmix!)<br />
5. Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Spread remaining batter in the two cake pans. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will be 20-22 minutes for the cupcakes and 35-40 minutes for the cake pans. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of cake pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, cool completely (about 1 hour).<br />
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<i>Make the frosting</i>:<br />
1. Whirl all the frosting ingredients in a food processor until smooth.<br />
2. If the frosting gets too melty/soft while you are working with it, put in the fridge to let it firm up and then resume.<br />
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To make the decorations, simply cut out the number you 'd like from parchment paper (use the cake pan as a template so you know how big to make it). Place the number in the center of the cake. Pour sprinkles all over the top of the cake. Carefully remove the paper and voila!<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-66291725523662156232014-06-10T17:00:00.000-04:002014-06-10T17:00:08.732-04:00Mother's Little Helper<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Parents of young children (and here, I am specifically referring
to the toddler variety) sometimes need a little something at the end of the day
to help them decompress/relieve the stress that comes from living with a three
foot, 28 pound volcano (the comparison is apt--even when they are “dormant,”
you are constantly waiting for the next eruption).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good cocktail (or two) is often just the
thing that us moms and dads need to forget the drama of the day. Here is one
that Jason and I are enjoying thus far, this summer! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Blueberry Gin Cocktail</strong></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">From the Culinary Enthusiast</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>makes one cocktail</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 blueberries<br />
4 tablespoons good quality gin<br />
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />
6 tablespoons gingerale<br />
Ice cubes<br />
1-2 mint sprigs & blueberries to garnish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.Place the blueberries, gin and lemon juice in a glass. Muddle everything
together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Fill a glass with ice cubes. Pour over the gingerale, stir, and garnish with
mint leaves and additional blueberries.</span><br />
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-6556752961914182692014-06-07T21:51:00.000-04:002014-06-07T21:51:45.839-04:00Jason's Birthday CakeEvery year for Jason’s birthday I make him a tiramisu cake. Every. Single. Year. Don’t get me wrong, I love that cake—I made it a couple of different ways before finally settling on <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2010/06/jasons-birthday-fiesta-saving-best-for.html">my favorite version</a>. And back when I was cooking/baking new things on a regular basis, I had no problem making a tried and true favorite on an annual basis—especially since it was always what was requested. But now that my culinary adventures are fewer and farther between (and my free time is limited), I tend to want to try new and different things when it comes to special occasion treats. So this year, I convinced Jason to let me try something different for his birthday. Enter Ina Garten’s Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake. This is a recipe that I’ve been eyeing since receiving her cookbook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-How-Easy-That/dp/0307238768/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1402168797&sr=8-1"><i>How Easy Is that?</i></a> as a gift way back in 2010 (what took me so long?!). It seemed like a good “replacement” for Jason’s usual tiramisu cake since it has a lot of the same flavors—chocolate and coffee—and the same type of decadent mascarpone/whipped cream/espresso frosting. And true to the cookbook’s name, it was incredibly easy to make (only 30 minutes of actual prep time). Basically you layer chocolate chip cookies with the aforementioned mascarpone/whipped cream/espresso concoction and then let it sit overnight. The whipped cream mixture soaks into the cookies making them soft and cake like. It is an incredibly rich, creamy and delicious treat. And although it wasn’t THE tiramisu cake, I am pretty sure Jason enjoyed it this year.<br />
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<b><br />Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Adapted ever so slightly from Ina Garten</i></span><br /><br />Note: I’m including the recipe below pretty much verbatim as the only change I made was to use semi-sweet chocolate chips as a garnish instead of chocolate shavings. And I did that only because I could not find a chocolate bar sizable enough for decent shavings at either of the two grocery stores I went to. <br /><br /><u>Ingredients</u>:<br />2 cups cold heavy cream<br />12 oz mascarpone cheese<br />½ cup sugar<br />¼ coffee liqueur<br />2 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon espresso powder<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /> Approximately 3 dozen thin and crisp chocolate chip cookies (Ina’s recipe suggests Tate’s Bake Shop cookies which can be ordered online—I was going to use a chocolate chip cookie I had seen at whole foods when I happened to see the actual Tate’s cookies at The Fresh Market the weekend before Jason’s birthday—so I did actually use the brand she recommended but any thin and crisp cookie should work).<br />Semi-sweet chocolate—in bar (from which to make shavings) or chip form<br /><br />1. Combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.<br /><br />2. To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan*, covering the bottom as much as possible. (Break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. (*My springform pan is 9 inches—I got 4 layers instead of 5 out of the cookies with a little of the cream mixture left over.)<br /><br />Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips or shavings, cut in wedges, and serve cold.<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-51581096553308554442014-05-26T21:50:00.000-04:002014-05-26T21:50:15.005-04:00{Tap tap}...Is this thing on?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s been so long since I’ve showed my face here that I’ve
almost forgotten how this works. I guess that’s ok since I doubt anyone even
checks for new posts anymore (except my friend Susannah, who reminds me she is still
a loyal reader whenever I see her).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
try to explain away my year long (gulp) absence but there is not much to say—young
child + full time job+ trying to maintain some semblance of personal /free time
(ha!)= little time for cooking period, let alone anything worth writing about.
That said, I did enjoy this old blog of mine back in its heyday so thought I’d
dip a toe back in the water and see what happens. Posts may be scattered and
may not always involve cooking really amazing things (hey, remember when I did
<a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunday-dinner-vegetable-torta-edition.html">this</a>??) but, you know, baby steps.
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So without further ado…..Susannah, this one’s for you!</div>
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Three day weekends are the best. And I actually spent this
one doing some cooking. First up—<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/05/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp-bars/">Smitten Kitchen’s Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp Bars</a>. I’m not posting the recipe since I followed it pretty much to the
letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely worth the (minimal)
effort—delicious and does not make me feel too guilty for indulging, which is
great since I had to buy A TON of rhubarb from the one grocery store I could
find that sold it—so we may be eating a lot of these bars over the next week or
so. </div>
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Next, a Memorial Day bbq “feast.” We were lucky enough to
enjoy delicious cookout fare (e.g., burgers, sausages, grilled veggies,etc.) at a friend’s house on Saturday but I still felt
the need to cook up something barbeque-y to celebrate the start of summer. I
did a little BBQ chicken in the oven using a combo of a<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/07/slow-and-low-dry-rub-oven-chicken/"> Smitten Kitchen’s dryrub oven barbeque chicken</a> and <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/08/05/five-spice-happy-monday-chicken/">another blogger’s baked chicken recipe</a> (which we
are also big fans of here). It turned out well. Although it definitely did not
have any kind of crispiness to the skin (if that is something that is important
to you). I don’t really go for chicken skin in general (one reason I am not a
big fan of fried chicken) so this was fine with me. Moist, flavorful and pretty
smoky for not coming within spitting distance of a grill. I served it with corn
on the cob and <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunday-dinner-potato-salad-edition.html">this potato salad</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSjBX4eh4vSJbNAt_YNY8FB-pNhfSRq0Fzax6VREIYAwSfJndu6P4RqfXr5BfpA_8dbVMaXYANaSx-l6urZ9qgAXMita0jV2NCDxfory1xsX8N9wigdEfnKM8C8U57vOSWkF8Hag_xXlz/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSjBX4eh4vSJbNAt_YNY8FB-pNhfSRq0Fzax6VREIYAwSfJndu6P4RqfXr5BfpA_8dbVMaXYANaSx-l6urZ9qgAXMita0jV2NCDxfory1xsX8N9wigdEfnKM8C8U57vOSWkF8Hag_xXlz/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hope you too spent some quality time with good friends, family and food this weekend. See you back here again...(dare I say) soon??!?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnJk0W-e3yoEXFtn-atsKwL_y62sf1Nn-OEqRK193_anjISBMygmX5kqzlj61R5wpmW7OzqY86VPofuI3Z2SoQGzloTBBuSVVXmXD6_KPEEensFyEKka1OPDc8Ucbu4jg1edh6m-4j6ZS/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnJk0W-e3yoEXFtn-atsKwL_y62sf1Nn-OEqRK193_anjISBMygmX5kqzlj61R5wpmW7OzqY86VPofuI3Z2SoQGzloTBBuSVVXmXD6_KPEEensFyEKka1OPDc8Ucbu4jg1edh6m-4j6ZS/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gratuitous photo of child-- nothing to do with the rest of the post!</span></i></div>
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<b>BBQ Chicken (Minus the Grill)</b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Hellobee</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
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3 TBL brown sugar</div>
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2 TBL smoked paprika</div>
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1 teaspoon garlic powder</div>
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½ teaspoon cumin</div>
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¾ teaspoon salt</div>
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1 teaspoon white pepper</div>
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4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (any bone-in/skin-on
chicken will do)</div>
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BBQ sauce of your choosing</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Make the dry rub by mixing together the first 6
ingredients. This is enough for two recipes if you are using 4 chicken thighs
so I poured half into a small bowl and put the rest in an airtight container
for another use.</div>
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2. Preheat the oven to 350. Place chicken in a baking dish.
Rub the chicken—under the skin and on-top of the skin—with the spice mixture.
Be generous!</div>
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3. Pour a little water in the bottom of the baking dish—up to
½ inch or so. This time, I just put enough in to make sure the bottom was wet.
Cover with aluminum foil.</div>
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4. Bake for about 50 minutes until chicken is cooked
through. Remove foil and pour a TBL or so of BBQ sauce onto each chicken thigh.
Up the oven temperature to 400 degrees—put the chicken back in for 10 minutes
or so until the BBQ sauce gets a little caramelized. Serve with additional BBQ
on the side (if desired).</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-20987471904942018362013-04-07T20:06:00.000-04:002013-04-07T20:06:00.075-04:00!Aimee's nursery is famous! Well, sort of. The delightful folks at <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/">Hellobee</a> (my favorite parenting/baby/kid website/blog/community) posted a write-up of Aimee's nursery as part of their "Real Nurseries" series. Pretty cool.<br />
<br />
Check it out: <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/04/05/aimees-gender-neutral-nursery/">http://www.hellobee.com/2013/04/05/aimees-gender-neutral-nursery/ </a><br />
<br />
And for real, I am a big fan of Hellobee...so helpful to have so much real life tips and tricks at your finger tips (and to know that you are not alone in experiencing the many trials and triumphs of parenting).Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-7929293275654459522013-04-07T17:01:00.000-04:002013-04-07T17:01:18.617-04:00Spring Quiche<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Spring is in the air—finally! Despite the lack of snow (I
guess Aimee’s official “first snow” pic will have to wait until next year),
winter seemed to linger later than usual this year. But the temperatures
finally seem to be rising (for good this time?) and I am ready for spring produce.
One great way to use it is in a quiche. Quiche is a great weeknight meal, it
doesn’t take that long to put together (particularly if you use a pre-made
dough for the crust) and it always seems fresh. It is also open to endless
flavor possibilities. Just mix in some sautéed veggies and a little cheese and
you are good to go. I like to get it ready and stick it in the oven right before
I start Aimee’s bedtime routine so it is ready to go once she is down for the
night. Easy and delicious (and if you happen to use a tart pan, pretty to look
at too!).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GmpefAj5t8SLWApJKUkn1y6o8ZQBxCRIjsnqEpsaieKEvL3j8ZuP_5wc_0-AZtLE5xDdWLQ4tdQzMNXHldeOnupxWcEh1JuwcW2CUgtzbHKNE818q3nk7vDgv-BlksFNWOcI_XPTKg5g/s1600/IMG_0614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GmpefAj5t8SLWApJKUkn1y6o8ZQBxCRIjsnqEpsaieKEvL3j8ZuP_5wc_0-AZtLE5xDdWLQ4tdQzMNXHldeOnupxWcEh1JuwcW2CUgtzbHKNE818q3nk7vDgv-BlksFNWOcI_XPTKg5g/s1600/IMG_0614.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YEeuSyeSQ_WNOvPRa0Kir5zSN8va8rd0aUX3X_vvPC1SSaIiDkiD-DRfTGcWIWdmoEowNI8QIno7ZPR7tE3JZplfygrLseXo7oPj6TWCn05xLRhOWsj9KbvK4i08jYkudUYqs6A-wU7N/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YEeuSyeSQ_WNOvPRa0Kir5zSN8va8rd0aUX3X_vvPC1SSaIiDkiD-DRfTGcWIWdmoEowNI8QIno7ZPR7tE3JZplfygrLseXo7oPj6TWCn05xLRhOWsj9KbvK4i08jYkudUYqs6A-wU7N/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted slightly from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/09/spinach-quiche-revisited/">Smitten Kitchen</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 prepared pie dough (Trader Joe’s has the best but any
frozen/refrigerated pie dough will work)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 bag of baby spinach</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ yellow or white onion, diced</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 whole roasted red pepper, cut into strips</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ cup of shredded cheese (I am partial to swiss or gruyere)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4 eggs</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/3 cup half and half</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Preheat oven to 425. Press pie dough into 9-inch tart pan
(or pie plate). Sautee onion in 2 TBL olive oil until translucent, about 5-6
minutes. Add in spinach, tossing until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Meanwhile beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in half and
half and eggs until well mixed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Spread onion/spinach mixture onto bottom of the dough.
Top with roasted red peppers and cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set.
Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-59443234746629032942013-03-24T13:51:00.000-04:002013-03-24T13:51:18.338-04:00Catching Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Wow—that was one long (unintended) hiatus! Somehow I thought
that maternity leave would mean having more time to devote to the ol’ blog—you
know, while my angelic baby slept for hours at a time during the day and I,
well-rested and organized, would have plenty of time to read, cook and post
thoughts about life and my newfound motherhood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Ha!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In reality, my four months of maternity leave went by in the
blink of an eye and my baby, while sweet and adorable, was not the world’s best
sleeper during the day or at night which meant that a large part of my daily
schedule consisted of trying to get her to sleep, thinking about how to get her
to sleep, reading about how to get her to sleep and/or trying to get some sleep
myself. Add in the busy holiday season plus some additional worries about
finding loving and reliable child care (for when I went back to work) and
weight gain issues and that was that. Now I am back at work and things seem to
be going well. As Aimee gets older, all the things I worried incessantly about
while on maternity leave seem to be finally falling into place—while not the
world’s greatest sleeper she is sleeping most, if not all, of the night now,
she’s gaining weight (thanks to a combo of breast milk and formula) and at
seven months (!) is so active and fun to be around. </div>
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I have lots of stories to share about all of it—and
hopefully, I’ll be able to do that on a somewhat more regular basis now (famous last words....).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be honest—there’s not a whole lot of
interesting cooking going on these days but when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and if I find that secret to cooking dinner
during the week while working full time and spending quality time with my baby
and husband…I’ll be sure to post about it <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span>
In the meantime, I hope the two of you who still check this blog on a regular
basis will find the baby related stuff of interest (or at least enjoy the
pictures) and you’ll stick around for the rare occasions where I try a new
recipe, like the results, and actually remember to take a picture of it to
share !</div>
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-6338362921826300172012-10-26T14:16:00.000-04:002012-10-26T14:16:00.561-04:00Nursery RevealI talked a little bit about my vision for Aimee's nursery<a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2012/07/curtains-for-nursery-mission-impossible.html"> back in the summer when I shared the trials and tribulations associated with the curtains I made </a>(white furniture, gender neutral wall color, fun fabric,
etc.), but I never got around to showing off the final product. So
without further ado....the big reveal! We are pretty pleased with how it all turned out--sweet and girly without being over the top. And I especially like that both Jason and I contributed to Aimee's room (me with the curtains, Jason with the painted walls and refinished white cabinet). Although she doesn't spend that much time in there right now, I hope Aimee will enjoy it for years to come! Just like her, it was a labor of love.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(All pics except the last one are thanks to the fabulous <a href="http://leighdameron.com/">Leigh Dameron</a>)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are the details:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Wall color: Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue (lattice pattern courtesy of Jason's awesome/meticulous taping skills)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Curtains: Wavery Pom Pom Play Spa (fabric from Fabric.com, sewn by me)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Crib: Baby Mod Olivia from WalMart </span> </span></div>
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-White cabinet: something we already owned and refinished</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Crib skirt: Etsy (seller BabyLove)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Chair: our biggest splurge....Little Castle, ordered from Belfort Furniture</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Letter A: Craft Cuts</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Knit blocks: Dwell Studio (from Amazon)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Dresser/nightstand: Ikea</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Somewhere over the rainbow picture: Etsy (seller sugarfresh, colors selected by me)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Whale picture: Society 6</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-89927791593387581652012-10-25T08:32:00.000-04:002012-10-25T08:32:38.593-04:00Two MonthsI can't believe my baby is two months old already! And what a difference another month makes. Aimee is becoming a little person who does more than just eat, sleep, cry and poop....okay, those things still make up the bulk of her daily activities but now she smiles and coos and is beginning to really notice the world around her. It's pretty exciting to watch...I can't wait to see what the next month brings.<br />
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2 Month Stats: 8 lbs 6 ounces (staying strong on the 4th percentile growth curve) and 22.5 inches. </div>
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Holy moly! She's grown 3 inches in the last two months-- newborn sized footie pjs are no longer possible and, as you can tell from the pic, even newborn size onesies are getting a little tight....which means we are officially into the 0-3 month clothes (or 3M in Carter's) although they are definitely a little big on her still.</div>
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She had her first round of vaccinations this week and did pretty well-- there was some intense crying but thankfully the nurse was really fast and had all three injections done in less than a minute. One of the keys to calming her down-- I nursed her for a few minutes before we got her dressed and headed home. She slept pretty much the entire afternoon but was pretty much back to normal by the next day.<br />
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<a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2012/09/one-month.html">Aimee at 1 month</a>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-16288577926621592622012-10-16T10:41:00.000-04:002012-10-16T10:41:20.586-04:00From the Slow Cooker: Ratatouille and OrzoI know I am overdue for a post on life with a newborn, but, in keeping with my blog's original theme, I thought I would first share one of the things I've learned about trying to cook dinner with a baby on hand so far. <br /><br />I am on maternity leave until after the holidays, and aside from taking care of Aimee during the day, I try to make dinner most nights. Early on, I focused on <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2012/08/mission-accomplished.html">frozen meals</a> but we quickly got tired of our <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2012/10/from-freezer-chicken-tamale-casserole.html">Trader Joe favorites and the baked pastas and casseroles</a> that I had made prior to Aimee's birth. So I started trying to think about quick and easy dinners that I could get on the table with relative ease. <br /><br />So far, I have found that the trick to cooking with an infant (for us anyway) is to either a) cook something all day (in a slow cooker/crock pot) or b) cook something really quickly right before you are going to eat (when Jason is home to keep an eye on the baby). Cooking all day has actually been the easier thing for me--I can get things ready to go during Aimee's morning snooze in her swing and then pretty much "set it and forget it" until Jason is home from work and we are ready to eat. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aimee snoozing in her swing the day we brought her home from the hospital!</span></div>
<br />Unfortunately, I am short on<i><b> good</b></i> slow cooker recipes that aren't soups, stews or pot roasts. I have tried a few in the last 6 weeks but was only really happy with one of them -- ratatouille and orzo. This was insanely easy-- chop up some vegetables and throw them into the slow cooker with some olive oil and a can of diced tomatoes. Cook on low all day and add some orzo in at the end. Top with fresh basil, goat cheese, and a little balsamic vinegar and you've got a delicious and healthy meal. It's also easy to eat with one hand if you need to hold/calm a crying infant with the other!<br /><br />Do you have any suggestions for good slow cooker recipes?<br />
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<br /><b>Ratatouille and Orzo</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Need-Eat-Too-Nap-Friendly/dp/0062005944">Parents Need to Eat Too</a></i></span><br /><br /><u>Ingredients</u>:<br />1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces<br />1 medium onion, roughly chopped<br />1 red peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces<br />1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes<br />3 large garlic cloves, minced<br />1/3 cup olive oil<br />3 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds<br />3 TBL chopped fresh basil<br />1/2 cup orzo<br />Goat cheese<br />Balsamic vinegar<br /><br />1. Combine eggplant, onion, pepper, tomatoes and half of garlic in the slow cooker. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.<br /><br />2. Stir in zucchini. Cover and continue to cook on low for another 2-2.5 hours.<br /><br />3. During the last hour, add remaining garlic, 2 TBL of basil and salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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4. In the last 15-20 minutes, add orzo. Before serving, top with crumbled goat cheese and remaining basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-84785449086836910612012-10-03T12:12:00.000-04:002012-10-03T12:12:10.175-04:00From the Freezer: Chicken Tamale Casserole<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my third trimester goals was to fill our freezer full
of delicious homemade meals that we could easily reheat once Aimee
arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had initially planned to
make a few dishes each weekend in August until our little girl was born, but
that did not end up working out exactly as planned thanks to the fact that
Aimee decided to cozy up to my sciatic nerve and I was left with pretty
terrible back pain when standing or walking the last few weeks of my pregnancy.
I was able to suck it up long enough to <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2012/08/mission-accomplished.html">make a few items the weekend before she was born</a> and supplemented with some of our favorite frozen items from the
neighborhood Trader Joe’s*. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tried a couple of new recipes including one for a chicken
tamale casserole that we really enjoyed. The recipe comes from one of my
favorite “lifestyle” bloggers— Kate from <a href="http://elefantitasalegres.blogspot.com/">Elefantitas Alegres</a>. The original
recipe includes making homemade enchilada sauce and roasting up fresh chiles—no
doubt these extra steps would make the dish even more amazing, however I
decided to go with her time-saving suggestions (since I was also trying to bang
out a few other freezable meals the same day) and went with canned instead. It
was a cinch to make and froze/reheated beautifully. I made it in two batches—we
ate one on our first night home from the hospital and the second a few weeks
later with chips and guacamole (from Trader Joe’s of course).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would highly recommend this dish—whether you are making it
ahead for yourself, for a friend, or simply planning to eat it the same day.
Yum.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*In case you are interested, here are some of our favorite Trader Joe's frozen foods: meat lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, chicken tikka masala and naan, tamales (cheese and green chile and the chicken ones), and Mandarin chicken).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxTCZN-lK7vL42G48QgtqxPnOYP9ptXZq2_-dkpFuuuNfmXE1KSWv3olMVY4OlEfWQSk18v6R8jZyK-VP87Vr1VYIOA2DRktqbVomfohNwQDSPk9jadKyzLtQ5BrvhMSQJ58tJZP8oPTI/s1600/tamale+casserole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxTCZN-lK7vL42G48QgtqxPnOYP9ptXZq2_-dkpFuuuNfmXE1KSWv3olMVY4OlEfWQSk18v6R8jZyK-VP87Vr1VYIOA2DRktqbVomfohNwQDSPk9jadKyzLtQ5BrvhMSQJ58tJZP8oPTI/s320/tamale+casserole.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Chicken Tamale Casserole</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adapted (barely) from <a href="http://theculinarycouple.com/2011/09/27/guest-post-chicken-tamale-casserole-from-elefantitas-alegres/">Kate at Elefantitas Alegres</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.5 c. of corn muffin mix</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 eggs, beaten</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
kernels scrapped from 2 small ears of corn</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ c. milk</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 4oz. cans of chopped green chiles, drained</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 ½ c. cheese, grated (Kate suggests pepper jack-- I used a
"mexican cheese" blend from the grocery store)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ T. chili powder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ T. cumin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 10oz can of your favorite red enchilada sauce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meat from one natural rotisserie chicken, skin removed and
shredded</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Fold eggs, corn kernels and milk into corn muffin mix.
Add green chiles, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, chili powder and cumin and combine.
Pour into a greased one 9×13 or two 8×8 inch baking dishes. Bake for 30
minutes, or until the middle of the mix is firm. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Pierce tamale base all over with a fork. Pour the
majority of the enchilada sauce over the tamale base, then top with shredded
chicken and remaining cheese. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the whole thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Casserole can either be baked immediately for 20 minutes
at 400 degrees or wrapped and frozen. If you decide to freeze it, simply bake
at 400 for 40 minutes or until hot.</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-24375684280518702072012-09-23T10:00:00.000-04:002012-09-23T10:00:00.874-04:00One Month<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s hard to believe that Aimee is one month old already! In
many ways, it feels like barely a week has gone by since we brought her home
from the hospital. And although we don’t tend to accomplish much in a given day
(eat, sleep, cry, diaper change…repeat), somehow they pass rather quickly. The
first few weeks were a little rough as we (Jason, me and Aimee) began to adjust
to our new way of life, but I think we are starting to get into the swing of
things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hopeful that in the next
month, I’ll be able to spend a little more time on the ol’ blog; in the
meantime, however, I’m hoping you’ll enjoy a retrospective of Aimee’s little
life thus far <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span>
It’s amazing how much she’s changed in such a short amount of time!</div>
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Happy One Month Birthday Aimee! </div>
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-49887888851916014282012-08-30T20:59:00.000-04:002012-08-30T20:59:34.998-04:00What a Week!A week ago today, our lives changed....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjKJ1rPbChPOL4daCBdJtOHAVD3UDh5cX4Nvy_I1gj61mL_C0nYqw1kcmsnzx8I6Z65kf9QlKm-RCdSHq1u0Qk_KfJMB0ZbCDfG4V8ZaFPj1RFnn_FX_VXkzhrzZTfILahQSEK5f2grvu/s1600/AKB+5+days+old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjKJ1rPbChPOL4daCBdJtOHAVD3UDh5cX4Nvy_I1gj61mL_C0nYqw1kcmsnzx8I6Z65kf9QlKm-RCdSHq1u0Qk_KfJMB0ZbCDfG4V8ZaFPj1RFnn_FX_VXkzhrzZTfILahQSEK5f2grvu/s320/AKB+5+days+old.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Welcome to the world, Aimee Katherine!<br />
<br />
<br />
More to come :)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-38851226542245526212012-08-19T20:39:00.001-04:002012-08-19T20:39:33.582-04:00Mission Accomplished!Now that is what I can a stocked freezer.....<br />
<br />
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<br />
In addition to the normal freezer fare we already had (bread, ice cream, chicken breasts, etc.) and the vast quantities of Omaha steaks that were given to Jason as a congratulatory gift when he got a promotion recently (which you can see on the top and third shelves) we now have <br />
<br />
-Homemade baked ziti<br />
-Homemade chicken tamale casseroles<br />
-Homemade vegetable strombolis<br />
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(Recipes coming once we've had a chance to sample them.)<br />
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As well as a variety of our favorite frozen selections from Trader Joe's. <br />
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Sadly, I know this won't last all that long but at least it will be there when we need it! Good thing to, since Baby's estimated due date is T-minus 3 days and counting!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-43089395566283633862012-08-12T16:21:00.000-04:002012-08-12T16:21:19.310-04:00The Final CountdownSorry I have been a little MIA lately. Between work and getting things ready for the arrival of the baby, I haven't had much time or motivation for things like trying new recipes or even blogging. The good news is that I think we're about as ready as we're going to be. And good thing too, since Baby Watch 2012 is officially on: at 38 and a half weeks, this baby could make her debut at any time!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">38 weeks and counting! Notice the pack and play set up in our bedroom too.</span></div>
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We have accomplished a lot in the last month or so. The nursery is pretty much done (although we are still waiting the delivery of a chair we ordered a couple of months ago-- I'm keeping my fingers crossed it finally comes in this week; once it does, I will do a nursery reveal :) ), car seats are installed, many loads of baby laundry have been done, an initial supply of diapers has been purchased, and, as Jason likes to say, we now have "baby-holding devices" on every floor of our multi-story townhome. We even took a childbirth class at the hospital where we will be delivering. The one thing I still have on my list to do is to stock the freezer with some homemade food so we can continue to eat well after the little one arrives. That will likely have to wait until next weekend, assuming the baby doesn't arrive before then. I had hoped to get to that today but I've been trying to stay off my feet given that I have been dealing with some pretty intense lower back pain. Apparently the baby has decided it's more comfortable to lean against my sciatic nerve which has made walking pretty fun the last few days. I keep hoping that she will move again, but am starting to prepare myself for the fact that his may last until she makes her debut.<br />
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Despite the recent sciatica, I continue to be pretty lucky with this pregnancy. I still feel pretty good although I have started taking more naps again on the weekends; perhaps my body is trying to tell me to rest up while I can! We're pretty excited though-- it'll all be worth it in the end :)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-62764582503919092042012-07-07T11:59:00.000-04:002012-07-07T11:59:20.350-04:00Curtains for the Nursery: Mission Impossible?Not too long after we found out we were having a baby, I did what most moms-to-be do and started planning the nursery. By the time we found out we were having a girl, I had completed countless hours of “research” on the web (mostly on sites like <a href="http://projectnursery.com/">project nursery</a>, <a href="http://etsy.com/">etsy</a> and various blogs) and had a few basic ideas: 1) I wanted the room to pretty and girly without being over the top (i.e. not a ton of pink); 2) I wanted the room color to be something that could potentially be used with a boy in case future baby #2 is a boy; 3) I wanted white furniture; and 4) I wanted some fun curtains to liven up the space but that would also block out all of the early morning light we get given our East-facing house.<br /><br />The first three things were not that difficult to address, but finding pre-made, fun and functional curtains that did not cost an arm and a leg (especially given that I needed four panels for the two windows in the nursery) proved to be a bit of a challenge. <a href="http://potterybarnkids.com/">Pottery Barn Kids</a> seemed to have the greatest variety of blackout curtains but I wasn’t in love with the fabrics and they were definitely not cheap. So I thought about doing something more custom made—I had pretty good luck with my <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2011/10/catching-up.html">no-sew fake roman shades</a> and had seen several other blogs talk about making actual curtain panels using a similar technique. The problem there was that these were generally not lined, and in order to keep out all the light I was going to need some heavy duty blackout lining. <br /><br />It was at this point that I came across a <a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2011/10/12/how-to-make-professional-lined-curtain-panels/">tutorial</a> for making lined curtains on the web and an idea was born—maybe I could actually sew these things myself. The tutorial made it look so easy—it was a lot of ironing, some pining, and sewing a few straight lines. Surely I could figure this out. And it would be really nice to make something for my future child. It was settled –I was going to learn to sew by making curtains. Now it was just a matter of finding a sewing machine. Fortunately, I knew someone who had one—my mom. Granted it was 30 years old and probably hadn’t been operated in 18 years (my mom is not much of a seamstress either), but it was easily accessible. So back in the spring I asked her if I could borrow it and she said ok. She even dug out her old Reader’s Digest sewing manual for me. <br /><br />Cut to last weekend when I finally decided it was time to get to work on my little project. I had found and ordered a fabric that both Jason and I really liked (Waverly’s Pom Pom Play) as well as some inexpensive blackout lining a month or so before and had purchased what seemed like all the necessary sewing supplies—thread, better scissors for cutting the fabric, straight pins, hem gauge, long measuring tape, etc. I was ready to go—feeling so confident, in fact, that I was sure I would get them all done on Saturday and be able to spend Sunday relaxing around the house.<br /><br />Yeah, right. <br /><br />Saturday was perilously close to being a total disaster. Everything just took way longer than I expected—which, in hindsight, isn’t that surprising. I was (and still am) a total novice when it comes to sewing….why I thought I’d be able to whip these things out in an afternoon, I am not sure. But clearly my expectations were way too high. And being 8 months pregnant, it was also a lot more tiring that it would have been for someone not in their third trimester. Seriously, after an hour crawling around the floor measuring and cutting the fabric, and then 2 hours standing on hardwood floors/leaning over an ironing board and/or our dining room table trying to get the first (!) panel pinned, I hurt all over and just wanted to take a nap. And I hadn’t even sewed a stitch!<br /><br />So you can imagine that by the time I finally sat down to the sewing machine, I was already pretty tired and frustrated at how long the process was taking. And when the sewing machine then decided to jam and/or the thread decided to break every 30 seconds (and I’m not exaggerating that much I promise), I was close to my wits end. After almost 2 hours, I was *this close* to having the first panel complete when the thread broke for the 500th time—and I totally lost it. I just started sobbing. So loud, in fact, that Jason heard me from two flights up and came downstairs to see if I was ok (he’d been a great sport about helping me figure the sewing machine out to begin with—he actually had some middle school home ec experience to call upon). I looked up at him and said (between sobs) “I…don’t….think….I….can….do…this.” To which he of course replied “You don’t have to! We can buy curtains. There is no reason that you have to do this.” But there was no turning back at that point. I had the fabric and I had invested a lot of my precious free time on this already—I was GOING to do this. I dried my tears, re-threaded the machine (which I had become quite adept at doing) and finished the curtain which we promptly hung up. <br /><br />Then I did something very smart…. I took a break. A long hot shower helped my aching muscles and dinner out improved my mood. When we got home that evening I decided to see how far I would get on another panel. And miracle of miracles….this one only took half the time! The ironing/pining went a lot faster and I figured out that part of the reason the thread kept breaking was I had the tension set too high (I also probably needed heavier duty thread --despite the fact that the sales person at the local fabric store recommended what I had previously purchased-- but I was able to make it work with the tension adjustments). <br /><br />Sunday went more smoothly as well…the remaining panels took only about an hour and a half each. And I took a long break in between so as not to wear myself out. All in all, despite the rough start, I was pretty pleased with how the curtains turned out. And proud of myself for making something for my child. <br /><br />But if future baby #2 is a boy—he is totally getting store-bought curtains!<br /><br />A few tips on making your own blackout curtains:<br />-This <a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2011/10/12/how-to-make-professional-lined-curtain-panels/">tutorial</a> was really helpful. I pretty much followed her instructions as-is with only a few exceptions: 1) I used blackout fabric instead of a sheet to line the curtains; and 2) rather than hand-stitching the bottom hem once the curtains were hung, I measured the length from the curtain clip to the floor before I cut the fabric so that I could be sure to have exactly the right length I needed.<br />
<br />-Blackout fabric has two sides—a shiny (or vinyl looking) side and a matte (or fabric looking) side. The shiny side is what should go against your curtain fabric—you want the nicer, matte side to be the side showing.<br />
<br />-<a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> is a great site for choosing fabrics (it’s also where I got the fabric for my no-sew shades). They have an amazing variety and you can order swatches if you want to see something in person before you buy. Once you sign up, it seems like they are always running sales. I got all of my fabric (12 yards each of the Waverly fabric and the blackout lining) at 30% off and free shipping during one of their sales which was great. I also really appreciated that they shipped the fabric on large spools rather than folding it up which meant I didn’t have to spend (even more) hours trying to iron the wrinkles out of my 100% cotton fabric! <br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-75799741422625304962012-07-01T07:56:00.001-04:002012-07-01T07:56:22.974-04:00Pancakes for BreakfastAs a child, I was a really big fan of the Tomie dePaola book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pancakes-Breakfast-Tomie-Paola/dp/0881033561">Pancakes for Breakfas</a>t. Do you all know this book? It has no words, just illustrations, and depicts one woman's quest to make.... pancakes for breakfast. Her road to pancake paradise is not easy-- after she collects all of the ingredients (including tapping a maple tree for fresh maple syrup) they are ruined and her dreams are dashed. (Don't worry, though-- she finds a way to get those pancakes she's been dreaming of.) I don't what it is about that book that I loved so much-- maybe it was an early sign of my interest in cooking. Or maybe it's because I just happen to REALLY like pancakes. (And I do-- more on that in a second). Regardless, Pancakes for Breakfast was a must have on our baby registry-- I am really excited about sharing this book with our daughter (sounds so crazy to say)...who incidentally, is "scheduled" (as much as due dates can be considered a schedule) to make her appearance in a little less than 8 weeks. Eek!<br /><br />I always think of this book whenever we make pancakes at home, which is actually pretty often (most weekends in fact). After several years of trying various mixes and recipes, we've found a from scratch recipe that is now our go-to. I am pretty sure I've shown you <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2010/08/breakfast-for-dinner.html">pictures of the fruits of this recipe in the past</a>, but never shared the recipe itself. And I thought this (very hot) Sunday morning would be a good time to let you in on our secret, so that you too can enjoy pancakes for breakfast.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sorry for the repeat picture, I was sure I had taken pictures of pancakes in the past but can't seem to find them this morning!</span> </div>
<b><br />The Best Buttermilk Pancakes</b><br />From <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/">The Kitchn</a><br /><br />Note: The only update I've made to this recipe is to halve the original amount of butter-- from 5 TBL to 2.5-- and salt--from 1 teaspoon to just a half. If you decide you want your pancakes super buttery, add the full amount of salt. Other than that, it is all thanks to the The Kitchn. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute some yogurt per The Kitchn's suggestions; we've tried that to varying degrees of success. Instead, we pretty much buy buttermilk on a weekly basis. It really does make a huge difference! They say this serves 2-3 people. I'd say 2 hungry pancake lovers at best! They are great with blueberries too!<br /><br /><u>Ingredients</u>:<br />2 1/2 TBL butter<br />1 1/4 cups flour<br />1 TBL sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 egg, white and yolk separated<br />1 cup buttermilk<br />1/4 cup milk<br /><br />1. Melt the butter and set aside. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda) in a large bowl.<br />2. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk and regular milk. Add egg yolk and butter, mix until everything is incorporated.<br />3. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until all the dry ingredients are moist. Add egg white and mix until everything is just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX! Seriously-- this is an important secret to making good pancakes; it is ok if the batter is lumpy looking. If you overmix, you will end up with tough pancakes. And nobody wants that!<br />4. Heat a griddle (we like to use an electric griddle for even heating) over medium heat (325 if you are using an electric); coat with cooking spray. Cook pancakes per usual (or have your partner do it; in our house, I make the batter and Jason cooks the actual pancakes!).Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-26075188767026525072012-06-10T17:52:00.000-04:002012-06-10T17:52:37.553-04:00Pregnancy Cravings and Blueberry MuffinsOf all the questions I get asked about my pregnancy, the most frequent (among my friends at least) tend to be around food preferences. People are just fascinated by the cravings for and/or aversions to various foods that often occurs as part of the whole baby-baking process. I have been pretty boring on this front for the most part-- I still eat pretty much everything that I am allowed to eat (with mushrooms the one exception-- my pre-pregnancy love for them has faded to ambivalence bordering on disinterest) and have not really had a strong craving for anything in particular (outside my short-lived pickle obsession in the first trimester). Until this week at least. I spent much of last week thinking about the perfect blueberry muffin, so much so that I actually went up to my cafeteria at work two mornings to see if they had any to offer. But, alas, their muffin selection was restricted to banana nut and chocolate chip. So I made up my mind to make some this weekend instead. <br />
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I decided to try out the classic blueberry muffin recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Arthur-Flour-Bakers-Companion/dp/0881505811">The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion</a>. It was a pretty straightforward and easy recipe to whip up this morning. I was pretty happy with the results-- the blueberries did sink a little bit during the baking process (despite the fairly thick batter which I was hoping would help keep them afloat) but not so much that I would hesitate using this recipe again. Next time I might add a little lemon zest to the batter and perhaps sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on the top for some added crunch. On Jason's suggestion I decided to make these "bakery style" by baking them up in my jumbo muffin pans. And let me tell you, a jumbo muffin and half a grapefruit make a delicious and filling breakfast indeed!<br />
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<b>Classic Blueberry Muffins</b><br />
From The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion<br />
(makes 12 normal size muffins or 6 jumbo muffins) <br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 stick butter<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1 pint fresh blueberries<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners. <br />
2. Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.<br />
3. Mix in baking powder. Alternate flour and milk until everything is well incorporated.<br />
4. Mash up 1/2 cup of the fresh blueberries and mix into the batter. Switch to a spatula or spoon and fold in vanilla and remaining blueberries.<br />
5. Fill muffin tins 3/4 or so of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes (for regular muffins) or 30-35 minutes (for jumbo muffins) until a tester inserted into the middle of the muffin comes back clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then either remove from pan or tip the muffins on their sides (to avoid steaming the muffins). Eat and enjoy.<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-57549849334975464932012-05-28T20:13:00.000-04:002012-05-28T20:13:15.666-04:00It's Time for Ice Cream!Another summer holiday weekend, <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-week-part-3.html">another</a> <a href="http://eatthinkmarried.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-scream-you-scream.html">post</a> about homemade ice cream. It's becoming a little predictable, no?! But, hey...it's a post! I had really good intentions about hitting you (the 5 readers I have left) with a bunch of posts this weekend. Posts with breakfast ideas for the long weekend, our recent trip to Paris (!) and thoughts about pregnancy as I enter my third (!!!!) trimester.<br />
<br />
Well, you know what they say about good intentions.<br />
<br />
The truth is, after the craziness of the last month and the craziness that is to come in the next few months, I really needed a break-- a three day weekend with no feelings of obligation. Just rest, relaxation and doing things that I felt like doing. Things like making homemade ice cream.<br />
<br />
Previous ice cream posts have focused on seasonal fruit, but this time around we decided to do something different. I was having a hard time making up my mind about what kind of ice cream to make, so I let Jason be in the driver's seat. We perused our<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/1580088082"> ice cream bible</a>, and he picked out a recipe for tin roof ice cream, a traditional custard-based vanilla ice cream with fudge ripple and a chocolate-covered peanut mix in. I was in! We ended up foregoing the chocolate-covered peanuts-- our local grocery store is "temporarily closed" (no word on why or when it will be reopening) and we were surprised to discover that the Trader Joe's near our house does not carry such confections. So we ended up with a fudge ripple ice cream which was just as delicious.<br />
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It's going to be a good summer!<br />
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<b>Fudge Ripple Ice Cream</b><br />
Adapted slightly from David Lebovitz<br />
<b> </b><br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
3/4 cup whole milk<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1/2 vanilla bean<br />
4 large egg yolks<br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla<br />
Fudge Ripple (recipe below)<br />
<br />
1. Warm the milk, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup of cream in a medium saucepan. Add vanilla bean to hot milk mixture. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.<br />
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks and set aside. Pour remaining cream in a large bowl; place a metal strainer over top of the large bowl and set aside.<br />
3. Rewarm the vanilla mixture. Once warm, slowly add to egg yolks whisking constantly (so as to avoid scrambled eggs). Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture coats back of the spatula or spoon.<br />
4. Pour through the metal strainer into the cream. Remove vanilla bean from the strainer, wipe off any bits of egg, and add back to mixture. Add vanilla extract. Chill over an ice bath. Refrigerate until cold (I let mine stay in there overnight but a few hours will probably do the trick).<br />
5. Freeze in an ice cream freezer. When transferring to another container, alternate layers of fudge ripple and ice cream (don't stir together). Freeze until hard/ready to eat. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<b>Fudge Ripple</b><br />
From David Lebovitz<br />
<b> </b><br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/3 cup light corn syrup<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
6 TBL cocoa powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium and bring to a low boil, whisking often.<br />
2. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.<br />
3. Let cool. Refrigerate until ready for ice cream. Make sure it is cold when you mix it in to the ice cream.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-44935590635032818952012-04-22T09:16:00.001-04:002012-04-22T09:16:18.498-04:00Shrimp Salad SandwichesThere is something about shrimp salad that says summer to me. Maybe it is because I associate it with the beach. Although we are still in April, yesterday's 80 degree weather (a far cry from the mid-50s we are expecting today) was the only excuse I needed to whip up an easy and delicious dinner: shrimp salad sandwiches.<br />
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Shrimp salad is one of those meals that is both ridiculously easy to make and delicious. It's also perfect for customizing-- want more texture, add more celery (or add in a little red onion). Want less dressing, cut back on the mayo. Next time I might through in some fresh dill for a little bit of extra flavor (although it was pretty good as it was). Seriously, the hardest part is peeling the shrimp.<br />
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<b>Shrimp Salad Sandwiches</b><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 pound shell-on shrimp<br />
1/3 cup diced celery <br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard<br />
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar<br />
Juice from half a lemon<br />
1 tablespoon (or to taste) Old Bay seasoning OR as much of your favorite hot sauce as you'd like<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Sub rolls<br />
lettuce<br />
<br />
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set shrimp aside to cool.<br />
2. Meanwhile, whisk mayo, mustard, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add Old Bay and/or hot sauce until you've got the right amount of kick. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
3. When shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and add to dressing. Add celery and toss until combined. Check one last time for seasonings.<br />
4. Toast sub rolls. Line with lettuce (it helps to keep the dressing from dripping through) and fill with shrimp salad. Serve with veggie chips or your favorite side and enjoy a taste of summer.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-68687404239581257722012-04-14T09:03:00.002-04:002012-04-14T09:03:59.650-04:00Chocolate Yogurt Snack CakesWe interrupt the baby related posts for an actual recipe! Imagine that :)<br />
<br />
I had my eye on a recipe for chocolate yogurt snack cakes from David Lebovitz (by way of <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">SmittenKitchen</a>) for awhile when I decided that last week's book club was the perfect time to try them out. I like chocolate but I am not a huge fan of super chocolatey things, so I was intrigued by these little cakes that promised to be light and airy with just a hint of chocolate.<br />
<br />
They did not disappoint. Moist and delicious with a hint of almond, they were not overwhelmingly chocolatey but had that cocoa depth that was just right. They were also pretty easy to make--no mixer required! I went with mini-muffin sized cakes (you could also use regular sized muffins or even put it into a loaf pan) which was perfect for book club and after dinner treats the rest of the week!<br />
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(Note: I bet these would be amazing with some strawberries and whipped cream for a springy dessert!)<br />
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<br />
<b>Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes</b><br />
Adapted (barely) from David Lebovitz and SmittenKitchen<br />
<b> </b><br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
7 ounces semisweet chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/2 cup plain, whole fat yogurt<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon almond extract<br />
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (if you use regular table salt, cut it down to 1/4 teaspoon)<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini-muffin tin, making sure you also grease the top.<br />
2. Place chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then microwave again in 15 second increments until chocolate is melted and smooth.<br />
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining vegetable oil, yogurt, sugar, eggs, and extracts (vanilla and almond).<br />
4. In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Add yogurt mixture and stir lightly. Add melted chocolate and mix until just combined.<br />
5. Scoop batter into muffin tins (I had a little extra left over and put into a small baking dish for a brownie-like treat). Bake for about 12-15 minutes until just done and toothpick comes out clean.<br />
6. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes or so and then remove from the pan (if you let them cool too long in the pan, they become harder to get out--trust me!)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-23413013836669220782012-04-06T21:05:00.000-04:002012-04-06T21:05:18.774-04:00More Exciting NewsWell, apparently my maternal instincts are still under development because I was 100% wrong about the sex of our child. We are having a girl!<br />
<br />
First, I have to say the 20 week scan was pretty crazy-- heart, brain, kidneys, bones...you get to see it all. So I was already a little overwhelmed when half way through our ultrasound technician said (in a sing song voice) "I know what you're having!" Followed a few seconds later with "it's a girl!"<br />
<br />
My first reaction was "It's a GIRL?! Are you sure??" And then I immediately started crying. Silent, happy tears, but tears nonetheless. I am pretty sure I would have cried regardless- hearing whether the baby was a boy or girl just made it all very real for the first time.<br />
<br />
Jason's first reaction was "you were WRONG!" I think he was more excited about the fact that he was right and I was wrong than the news itself.<br />
<br />
I am still a little in disbelief.<br />
<br />
But we have a picture to prove it. Let's just say our little girl was not at all being modest and our technician printed out a picture with an arrow pointing to her lady parts to prove that she is not, in fact, a he.<br />
<br />
Pretty exciting stuff!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243790323692319937.post-81267934378403582992012-04-05T20:07:00.002-04:002012-04-05T20:07:53.446-04:00Place Your BetsTomorrow is the big day! Time for our 20 week scan and, hopefully, an opportunity to see our little <a href="http://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/slideshow/how-big-is-baby.aspx?page=17">cantaloupe (according to thebump</a> which seems WAY too big...I might have to go with <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-20-weeks_1109.bc">BabyCenter's banana</a> for this week) and find out of it is a he or a she.<br />
<br />
Even since before we started considering whether or not to have a baby, I knew that I wanted to find out ahead of time whether we would be having a boy or girl. It's not hard to understand why. I am a planner by nature and the thought of not knowing something so huge ahead of time is pretty hard for me to fathom. I also get a kick of knowing things as soon as I can. I like spoilers. I have a hard time not skipping ahead to the end of the book so I can see what happens. I was the kid that actively sought out my Christmas presents because I just couldn't wait until Christmas Day to find out what was going to be in those pretty packages. And, for me, knowing ahead of time doesn't ruin the surprise; in some ways it actually increases my enjoyment of them. So not finding out was never really an option....<br />
<br />
Which is why it would be so totally ironic if our little banana-cantaloupe decided to be a little prude and hide his/her goods from us.<br />
<br />
But I am going to spend too much time thinking about that. Instead, I am going to indulge in my need to figure things out ahead of time and make a prediction about whether our future baby is a boy or a girl. Ready?<br />
<br />
I think we are having a boy!<br />
<br />
Here are my mostly unscientific reasons:<br />
1. As everyone knows from biology class, sex is determined by the father's, um, genetic material. And there is a paucity of females born into the paternal side of Jason's family. Jason has a brother. His father has two brothers. His grandfather may have had a sister. But other than that-- no girls. So clearly we are having a boy.<br />
<br />
2. We have pretty much settled on a girl's name that we both like but are having less luck coming up with a boy's name that we like and can agree upon. Obviously that means we are having a boy.<br />
<br />
3. Pretty much everyone I know that has had a baby in the last year or is having one in the next 3-5 months is having a girl. Which means we are definitely having a boy.<br />
<br />
4. The Chinese gender predictor has predicted we are having a boy...need I say more.<br />
<br />
5. And, finally, for reasons I can't explain....I just really and truly think we are having a boy.<br />
<br />
Jason, on the other hand, thinks we are having a girl.<br />
<br />
One of us is right! But who will it be....find out tomorrow :)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08525378856442252701noreply@blogger.com1