Solid foods & A Sweet Ride

Today we fed Noah solid food for the first time. We went with oatmeal even though the doctors recommend rice because it is less allergenic. The oatmeal is supposed to not constipate as much, so we went with oatmeal. Ahh poop, the story of a baby's butt...er life.

It was quite messy and he doesn't reallyunderstand the concept of eating, because he was sucking down the food. We'll keep trying. We are supposed to stick with oatmeal for a week and then we can move on to the more colorful stuff like peas and carrots. Yum, yummmmmy!!!!

We also pimped Noah's ride out, (he looks very confused) and put together his deluxe stroller. That thing is soo cool. I can hook my mp3 player up to it and there are speakers so that Noah can hear the music too. The only down side is that the stroller people recommend the baby be able to sit up before we use it. He can't quite do that yet, but soon enough though.

Food and a Bev

Wednesday meal was nothing special: Frozen veggies, left over rice noodles (which aren't half bad after if they are baked after they are boiled), possible freeze burned chicken and the fabulous Mr. Tieu special sauce. Mr. Tieu is very yummy- kind of spicy. He has an inspirasian effect on us.

With our new blender....(strike up that little mermaid song) ahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

We made these tasty little drinks.
Frozen Cloud

2 cups light ice cream (not sure what that means, we used Bluebell)
1/3 cup vodka
1/4 cup creme de cacao
6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender jar. Cover and blend at Liquiefy, pulsing 4-5 times, about 10 seconds, each time, until slushy.

Yield: 4 (about 1/2 cup) servings
Source: Kitchenaid blender book

Tonight I adapted a recipe from Poco-Cocoa.It was okay, not to die for. I feel like it was missing something. I have some leftovers that I am planning to add a ton of mozzerella too. We'll see if that's the missing link. Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts
(we deveganed this recipe-sorry chicken)

12 ounces thin asparagus, bottoms trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces (we used broccoli instead)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup oil-packed or rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound whole wheat penne
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1lb. of chicken breast (we added this to the recipe)
a few pinches of parmesean to top it all off

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet (lined with foil for easy cleanup). Roast just until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-wide strips and set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the roasted asparagus, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

Drain the pasta and place in a large, shallow serving bowl. Add the asparagus mixture, basil, and pine nuts. Toss to combine.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson.

Reading

We finally put Noah's high chair together. So now he can sit at the table with us when we eat. Heck, we finally started eating at the table instead of on the couch in front of the table. Looks like he's reading to his bunny.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

This recipe was kind of strange. We liked the beef, noodles, radish and the sauce, but did not feel that the papaya fit into the dish. I personally was expecting the papaya to taste like mango, so maybe that's why I was so disappointed in their flavor. Maybe next time when we try it, we'll add mango instead. Also, I don't believe we got the right noodles. We ended up having to bake /fry those to fully cook them.

We'll probably try it again, we are beef fans. Now we have a ton of papaya to eat, and I'm not really looking forward to that. Any ideas for how to make papaya more pleasant?


Vietnamese Beef Salad 1 flank steak (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4 ounces thin rice noodles
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (optional)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 papaya, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Place the steak and soy sauce in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

Heat grill to medium or place a grill pan over medium heat. Cook the steak to the desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Rinse the noodles under cold water and drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger (if using), lime juice, brown sugar, salt, and sesame and peanut oils.

Thinly slice the steak across the grain. Divide the steak and noodles among individual plates. Top with the radishes and papaya, drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle with the cilantro (if using).

Tip: Look for a papaya that has a smooth, dark green skin with a touch of yellow. It should give slightly when squeezed. If you can find only firm papaya, place the fruit in a paper bag and leave it on a counter for a couple of days. Yield: Makes 4 servings

Source: Real Simple July 2006

Marinated Tomatoes

Tonight's dinner: Pasta w/pesto, marinated tomatoes, and cheesy toast

Pasta with pesto is just something that can be bought at pretty much any grocery store.

The marinated tomatoes were awesome. I'm not normally a tomato person. I find them to watery and tasteless for the most part. Now these marinated tomato are da bomb!
Marinated Tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 to 3 green onions, chopped
4 to 6 large tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges

Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Whisk well. Place tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over. Marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Food Network - Paula Deen

***Mean people suck. Some dumbass commented on my you tube and was rude. What a jerk- I could kick his dumbass all over the internet.***

Little Monkey

Little Monkey Noah went in the swimming pool for the first time yesterday. He enjoyed floating around on his water cruiser.

Not only does the camera add 10 pounds, but so does the water -eee gads!
And today we did a photo shoot, cuz I think that little monkey outfit is cute and I'd like to scrapbook it using that as a theme. Gosh he's so darn cute!

Vivo

Go to Vivo - they give all the women roses at the end of the meal. And check out the ladies restrooms:And the foods not that bad either. They have an item called a puffy taco, which is a fried corn tortilla made into a taco. Pretty darn good. If you want to go there, I'll be happy to accompany you!

We WILL Cook

Since we will be on a very strict budget next year (meaning 2 months - a teacher year), we at Chez Freak will need to cook more often and eat out less. As I am lazy and enjoy eating out a lot, I am challenging myself to cook more. It's been kind of difficult with the move and dishes everywhere, but here begins our attempt to have good food. I would like to make food memorable for Noah. I want him to describe his favorite meal Mom and Dad make, not his favorite happy meal. I have fond memories of my parents gumbo, cheesy mash potatoes, delicatable brisket...mmmm. I still try to play sick to get my mom to make me gumbo. I'd also like to learn how to make enchiladas.

I battle with wanting to make easy food during the week because we are so busy, and Kyle enjoying the really complicated recipes. I like the complicated recipes when there is time. Now that we have a new kitchen aid, I'd like to try some of those complicated recipes.

Anyhoo, we love food. And apparently our chubby baby will follow our path.

The Sunday menu included:
Lunch: Subherban Renewal (adapted from Cosmic Cafe's Herban Renewal)
Dinner: Chicken and Peaches Platter (Real Simple - July 2006)

Subherban Renewal

2 slices of favorite bread
cream cheese
spinach (buying the bagged washed spinach will make it easier, we just bought a new salad spinner, so that make it a little easier and cheaper.)
mushroom
Mozzerella (shredded)
avocado slices
2-3 tbls. white wine
1-2 tbls. olive oil

Alot of the above ingredients are to ones tasting and can be made larger or smaller based on taste and hunger level.

Preheat oven to 350.

Recommend toasting the bread. Spread cream cheese to desired amount on both slices of bread. Add the avocado slices. Tell bread and avocado to wait patiently while you sautee mushrooms and spinach.

Sautee mushrooms in olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine. Continue sauteeing another 2-4 minutes or until soft, allowing some of the white wine to evaporate. Add spinach. Wilt spinach (1-2 mins.)

Drain some of the white wine after wilting the spinach. Scoop spinach and mushrooms on top of the cream cheese bread. Place some on both sides. Sprinkle lots of mozzerella cheese on top of both bread pieces. Place open face sandwich in the oven for 3-4 minutes - keep an eye on the cheese meltage. When the cheese is melt, take the sandwich halves out oven place on plate, slap those slices together and enjoy.

Chicken and Peaches Platter

2 heads romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
1 store-bought rotissere chicken, meat thickly sliced
2 ripe peaches (peeled if desired)
3 ounces (1/4 cup) blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup (2 ounces) almonds roughly chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Arrange the lettuce, chicken, peaches, cheese, and almonds on a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the vinagrette over the salad and toss.

Serves 6
Hand-on time: 20 min/Total Time: 20 mins.
Source: Real Simple, July 2006


Like the Wardrobe Refashion, there should be some challenge to not eat out as much and cook at home. That's just as challenging as not buying new clothes. Cheers to Chez Freak - we only went out for coffee and dessert - pretty good for us!

4 Months old

And 4 months old, means another doctor's appointment and more shots - ewww! But he did a good job, and is now weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds, 13 ounces. Which means he's above the hundred percentile. But he's also 26 inches long, with a head circumference of 17 inches so that makes him mostly proportional.

Aww tiping the scale again.

While we waited, he did some deep sea exploring, I'm glad he was appropriately dressed.
Our little boy is getting so big!!! More shots at 6 months, he is not going to be a fan of the doctor's office. He was very suspicious today of the lady who was checking him out. Here's some of what out little guy can and can't do yet.

What is it like to be 4 months old?

How I grow

• I turn my head in all directions.
• I lift my head forward when I'm on my back and grab my feet with my hands. ( not real good at this one)
• I sit up for about 15 minutes with my head and back straight if you support my body.
• I prefer sitting instead of lying down. It's more interesting. (yeah, he's a couch potato, perhaps my fault, I watch too much Dr. Phil and Oprah)
• I roll from my back to my side, but sometimes, I get my hand caught under my stomach. (Noah's not really doing this one yet, we figure it's because his body is so big and he has more weight to try to manage)
• I stretch my legs out straight when I'm on my back or my stomach.
• I can reach for and grab a toy if it is close enough.
• I put things in my mouth.
• I splash and kick with my hands and feet in the bath.

How I Talk

• I babble and imitate sounds like coughing and clicking my tongue for long periods of time.
• I coo, grin, or squeal with joy when you talk to me.

How I respond

• I love to see myself in the mirror.
• I'm fascinated with my hands.
• I like some people and am shy or scared of others. (he's a real people person, and quite a flirt)
• I may have one favorite toy or blanket. (yup that would be Bluebonnet the dog or any of his frog stuffed animals. We got a new one that talks about feelings)
  
• Our guy is also becoming facinated with his feet and toes, can't quite make them to his mouth though. He likes to stare at them, perhaps posing a plan in his head to lift them up.
  

How I Understand

• I can remember things for about 5 seconds.
• I know if something is near or far.
• I'm aware of depth and distance.

How I Feel

• I get excited when I'm having fun. Everything is a game to me. (yup, when it's time to go to bed, he thinks Daddy is playing with him, so he starts laughing and kicking)
• I cry and get upset when you stop paying attention to me or take a toy away (just the other day we tried to take a piece of paper he was playing with away from him and he whined about that till we gave it back)
• Add cranky to the list, because of those teeth that are trying to pop out.
  

Larry's B-Day

Yesterday was Larry's birthday. We all went to Maudie's, plus 16 of Larry's closest friends. Here's Larry, I gave him the gift of 10 hours of babysitting, here's hour number 1.

My other brother Charlie and his wife April. I think we are on basket number 3 of chips and salsa.
And Kyle looking so sad because he has to wait an hour to eat.

And guess who we saw at Maudie's? Mack Brown. He was walking with a cane and he looks so much smaller in person. Below are our ninja shots. We were too chicken to get real photos.

See that green shirt walking by on the left - Mack Brown's back.
Ah local celebrities!

We really enjoy Kimberely's Favorite, which are enchiladas with queso blanco and suiza sauce, but they just don't taste the same at the Lake Austin location. They are much better at the Brodie location. I also discoverd how delicious the chicken fajita quesadillas are, mwah! FABULOUS! Maudie's, for me, tasted the most like Rio Grande Valley mexican food. In my opinion, good Mexican food is hard to come by in Austin. It just lack that certain something something, perhaps it's the grease that's missing.

Happy Birthday Larry!!! He's still single ladies, snag him while you can.

Mono

Isn't this little mono cute? I think that's spanish slang for little doll or something. It's just so ingrained in me I don't know what it means, other than we used to call little dolls mono (moeno), at least I think. My memory is becoming crap. I looked it up in the spanish dictionary and apparently a mono is an ape, boiler suit, jumpsuit, or monkey. Am I wrong on this mono thing? Monitos - anyone? As usually avoiding real work and the baby and I are practicing typing.


***don't know where the mono went, and i don't remember which website i got it from, but dang it was cute! - oh well! 6/21/06

Dancing Baby

HERE!

The name of the song is, "Five Hundred Miles," by The Proclaimers. When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you Chorus But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles To fall down at your door When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you And when the money comes in for the work I'll do I'll pass almost every penny on to you Chorus But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles To fall down at your door When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you Chorus But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles To fall down at your door When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream Dream about the time when I'm with you

How We Move

1. Rent and pay for giant UHaul.
2. Get giant Uhaul wedged between the street and the driveway (make sure we gouge out a hole in the street)
3. Experiment with methods of getting the UHaul unstuck, worry about someone losing a limb or having the giant Uhaul roll over and crush all.
4. Call tow truck, wait 2 hours because we need a super tow truck to lift the Uhaul.
5. Pay tow truck.
6. Finally listen to Abram, and pay for movers.
7. Sit back, eat lunch, watch movers sweat and easily lift our stuff.
7. Ignite and throw away useless UHaul.
8. Vow to always use movers for future moves.

Webby Awards

The Webby Awards are out. They only allow for a 5 word speech. If you go beyond that, suffer the boos.

My five word speech..hmm...this is difficult...for some reason nacho cheese keeps running through my mind...Nacho Cheese is macho cheese.

What's your five word speech?

Goings On

Since there is packing, cleaning, and laundry to do, I thought I'd go ahead and play around on the computer. So with baby on lap and kicking the keyboard in (its on one of those sliding shelves), I thought I'd update on my life.

So in no particular order,
-I'm am now a Mrs.
-we are homeowners
-school's out for the summer!!!!
-the air conditioner broke in our city condo (which I have just spelled corrected from condom, that would have been strange)
-we had to make an emergengy move last night to the new house, or else Kyle would have melted, and perhaps, just perhaps I would have too, I do have a higher tolerance for the heat (many, many thanks to Larry)
-the air has now been fixed yay (something just went bump in the attic though, perhaps broken again, I'll have Kyle deal with that when he comes home)
-I'm wishing I knew how to make my blog fancified.
-Little boy Noah is getting better at lifting his head up, it is quite the hefty head.
-I'm reading the Dark Is Rising (Susan Cooper) and The Girl With the Flammable Red Skirt (Aimee Bender)
-I am desiring to do some crafts and cooking, but I don't feel as if I can at the moment as we are divided between to homes
-I desire to join the Wardrobe Refashion but I pittled around too long and did not send an email. Now they aren't accepting any more pledges until August. Oh well, I'll take the challenge on my own and have begun to refashion a wintery dress into a summery dress.
-I'm really enjoying this site Poco-Cocoa. Reading it makes me want to craft and cook. I have discovered many, many craft blogs out there, I must say I'm excited and inspired.

That's pretty much what's been up. Now some cuteness brought to you by Noah, titled, 1. Boy lifts head, 2. Tuxy Boy, and 3.Gimme some food...or else...