Elmo Cupcakes

My baby is turning one!  The birthday boy really loves Elmo, so we made these cupcakes.  They looked really cute!

The cupcakes are white cake with marshmallow frosting.  We colored the icing red (actually pink because I ran out of food coloring) and then sprinkled red sugar on top.  For the eyes, cut a big marshmallow in half and then add a dot of black icing for the pupil.  An orange gum drop makes the nose, and the mouth is drawn on with black icing.

Of the batch of cupcakes, we only made about a third look like Elmo- others had a dusting of red sugar or M&M's.  

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!  

I LOVE this time of year, but sometimes all the cooking and baking that goes along with it is exhausting!  I made these pancakes last night as a simple supper, and they were super fast, very tasty, and made the kitchen smell wonderful, too!  

They'd also be great for breakfast : )

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1 1/2 cups pancake mix 

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup milk

The batter has this pretty orange color.  Sometimes I use recipes that don't call for a whole can of pumpkin, and this is a great way to use up the rest.  This recipe makes 12 medium pancakes.  Next time I'll double it and eat them for breakfast all week!  

my serious little man

Lately I have been struck by how grown up my baby is getting.  Yesterday at “cuddle-ups” (baby story-time @ the library) was one of those moments.  Most of the babies that could walk or crawl were moving around the room, but baby G just sat on my lap and watched the librarian.  This from the child who usually only stops moving to eat and sleep.  He was very attentive, mouth slightly ajar, eyes fixed on this little old lady singing a song with a duck puppet on her hand.  Okay, I’ll admit he got antsy eventually, and tried to crawl out the room, eat the wheels on some other lady’s stroller, and pull the frizzy hair of the mommy sitting next to us.  But he sat still for a very long time.

It kind of reminded me of when he was just a few months old- he was kind of a serious baby.  He always had this furrowed-brow, pensive expression; we used to joke that he was saying “are you people really equipped to be parents?”  He smiles and laughs often now, but he still kind of has a serious personality, I think.

Serious is maybe not the right word.  He is focused.  He often surprises me by how focused he can be.  The perfect example- the TV remote control.  He loves that thing.  It must be because we are always keeping it away from him (the forbidden fruit).  Also, maybe because it has buttons to push.  And some of them light up when you push them.  Anyway, the remote control is always on his radar, and he is constantly watching and waiting for the moment when we leave it within his reach.  Then he’ll pounce.  Sometimes we’ll put it where he can’t reach it or see it, like under a pillow.  But he doesn’t forget.  He’ll be happily playing, then all of the sudden crawl over and try to push the pillow out of the way.  Or he’ll reach up to be held, but as soon as we sit him next to us on the couch, he’s reaching for the remote.

It will be interesting to see how this  character trait manifests itself as G get older.  Isn’t it fascinating the way babies are born with distinct personalities right from the start?

On challenging the media's portrayal of childbirth...

This morning I was watching the “Rachel Ray” show, and she had a segment featuring the birth experience of one of the show’s style contributors, Greta. After a doctor’s visit, Greta was admitted to the hospital to be induced (they didn’t say why). She labored for a few hours, and while they didn’t explicitly mention that she got an epidural, she is shown putting a little mask over her eyes and taking a nap after 8 hours, so I am guessing she did. Some hours later, she had not made enough progress, and so her doctor performed a c-section.

Now I am certainly not suggesting that the actions of this woman’s doctor were influenced by what would make her birth better for television. But there are so many similar stories out there portrayed on shows like "A Baby Story." Forget about births on sitcoms, which are almost always completely ridiculous. It made me think- what impressions of childbirth you would have if the only information you were going on was what you saw in the media. This would actually be a really fascinating research project. Maybe someday I’ll do the research and write a book on it! (just kidding… mostly)

I began reading about childbirth before I even got pregnant, because I felt a need to really educate myself, and not to accept the portrayal of giving birth that you see on television shows, or merely trust my doctor to tell me what to do. And I was really inspired by my mother, who had four natural, unmedicated births. I came to believe that giving birth should not be treated like a physical ailment, sickness, or disease.

Expectations are such a powerful thing. If you view childbirth as something to be feared, that causes pain, that is riddled with dangerous complications which are likely to come up, and that needs to be managed with drugs, then those expectations are likely to play out. Think about the difference it can make if you understand what is happening with your body, accept the pain as having a wonderful purpose, and expect that you will be able to find the strength to get through one contraction at a time, just as generations of women have.

I am not one of those people who suggest that giving birth in a baby pool in your living room, or even in a birthing center with a midwife, is the only way to go. I went to the hospital to have my baby, and saw an Ob-Gyn for all my prenatal visits. There are certainly occasions when medical intervention is necessary, and I appreciate having those things accessible if really needed. And being induced or getting an epidural does not always equal additional complications.

But I am personally in favor of natural, unmedicated childbirth. This is in large part because I think that there is truth to the theory of the “spiraling cascade of interventions.” Greta’s story was the classic example of this- they use drugs to induce you before your body is really ready, then the pain from the contractions in this unnatural state is so severe that you get an epidural, which results in your movement being more restricted, and your labor stalls, and eventually a c-section is needed.

But I also support unmedicated childbirth because giving birth naturally was one of, if not the most empowering and exciting experience of my life.

I recognize that pain management in labor is a personal choice, and I completely respect whatever decision a woman makes. But I would encourage women to examine the assumptions they have about childbirth, and think about where they come from.

Creamy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Creamy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I love soup in fall and winter.  To celebrate the beginning of my favorite season, I decided to make some split pea soup.  I never made it before, so I read a bunch of recipes online, combining elements that sounded good to create this recipe.  Most recipes include ham, but this one is a vegetarian version.  I adapted the recipe at the end to make a yummy dinner for my baby- and he LOVED this!  Even my carnivorous husband enjoyed this soup!  It was gone before I got around to taking a picture of it : )

Ingredients: 

1 lb (dried) split peas

1 large carrot, diced

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled & chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 dried bay leaves

1-2 cups milk or cream* 

*I used half and half.  You should adjust the amount added at the end depending on the thickness of the soup and whether you are reserving some for baby.

Put all vegetables in a large pot, cover with 2 ½ quarts (10 cups) water, add bay leaves.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 and a half to 2 hours, until soup thickens and peas disintegrate.  Remove the bay leaves.  Puree soup (with an immersion blender if you have one).  Reserve 1 cup for baby, if applicable.  Stir in milk or cream, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Split Pea and Barley Soup For Baby:

Combine 1 cup soup (without the milk), 1 cup water, and ¾ cup barley cereal for babies.  Adjust thickness by adding more or less water.  This makes about 8 baby portions.  I froze what baby didn’t eat right away in portion-sized containers.

Banana Chocolate Marble Bread

I love banana bread, I love marble cake, and I love altering recipes to make them a little bit healthier- and I got all three with this recipe!  I stated with the basic banana bread recipe from my Better Homes cookbook, then added more bananas, spices, and a chocolate swirl, and reduced the amount of sugar and white flour.

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup rolled oats

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

2 extra large eggs, beaten

6 medium bananas, defrosted and mashed*

½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Swirl:

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon sugar

*I love doing the bananas this way.  When your bananas get brown spots, toss them in the freezer.  Then when you are ready to make your bread, simply pop them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until soft but not hot.  Take kitchen scissors and snip one end of the banana, then lightly squeeze from the other end.  The banana will slide out easily and be super easy to mash.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour the banana mixture into the large bowl with the flour mixture, and stir until combined.  Pour about 1/3 of the batter back into the medium bowl; stir in cocoa powder and sugar.

Spray a 9X5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Spoon batter into the pan, alternating between the plain and chocolate mixtures.  When all the batter is in the pan, take a table knife and swirl by doing two “figure eights” through the loaf.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 60 minutes.  If the top begins to get too dark, cover with some foil.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.  

I'll be eating this for breakfast all week : )

My Kitchen Renaissance

Becoming a mother has made me want to eat healthier. It didn’t start right away. The first several months I mostly ate cereal or who knows what, I was so exhausted from being up half the night. But now that he is sleeping (kind of) better at night (most days) I find that I have (slightly) more energy. And I am also getting to the point that I want some type of project to focus my attention on during the week that does not relate only to child care. So I am trying to revitalize my kitchen.

When we were newlyweds I made dinner every night. Watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks were my two favorite pastimes. This began to change when I started taking grad classes… then I got pregnant.. had a baby… which brings us to the present day.

This kitchen renaissance began when baby started solids, and I began to dabble in the preparation of fruit and vegetables purees. I found that I was having fun doing it. There is something so satisfying about serving those you love foods that are fresh and that you have made from scratch yourself. And it’s a fun little challenge to make homemade versions of things that are commonly bought ready to eat from the grocery store.

So I am challenging myself to change the way I cook, shop, and eat. I am trying to stick with “whole foods” like fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat in their most un-tampered-with forms. When you think about it, foods that can sit on a shelf for months and months and not change at all are not so appealing. It has also resulted in less money spent at the grocery store, which is great!

It’s not like I’m baking all my own bread, but I am trying to cook meals more often, and make a homemade dessert once a week. It’s fun to experiment and create my own recipes with less fat and sugar, and more whole grains. And I’m trying things I’ve never made before. I’ll share some good recipes soon!

My Locket

As a little girl my favorite movie was Annie. I loved that “Daddy Warbuck’s house,” the place they actually filmed the movie, was in my home town (http://www.monmouth.edu/wilson_hall/default.asp), and I of course loved all the singing and dancing. But there were also certain elements that I found to be particularly romantic and fun. I loved the camaraderie between the girls in the orphanage. I loved the way Annie found her own quiet place by climbing a bunch of boxes to sit and look out an upper window at night (a feat I often tried to reenact, but never got quite right- we didn’t have the right windows for it at home).

One of the most precious things in the story to me was Annie’s broken locket. I found it striking that her most prized possession was this item that was old and cracked, but treasured because of what it signified (her parents’ promise that they would present the other half when they came back to claim her). From then on I hoped that someday I would have a special locket of my own.

When I was eleven years old all the girls in my family received gold, heart-shaped lockets for Christmas from my grandparents. My Grandmother was sick, and she died a month later. I got my own precious locket, and even though I haven’t worn it in many years, it remains a treasured item to me because of what it signifies.

The image of a locket represents something loved, cherished, and valued. On these “pages” I’d like to share things that are valuable to me- thoughts on family and faith, and my experiences as a new mother. Even though I expect my readership to be small (hi Mommy), I hope that anyone who does read enjoys it.