January Recipes

In keeping up with my goals for 2011, I vowed to try one new recipe a month...true to form, I overdid it.

First up:
Ginger-Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken (5 out of 5 stars, delicious and I will be adding it to our regular rotation)
I got the recipe from here but I modified it slightly when I realized I didn't have all the ingredients. It was cold and snowy and there was just no way I was bundling up the girls to go to the store!
2/3 honey
1/3 soy sauce
1/3 red wine vinegar
1 tbsp of crushed garlic
1 tbsp of grated ginger
Directions

1. Combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until the mixture reduces by half. Let cool
   
   
2. Spray the grill grate with non-stick spray (or oil it well) and preheat the grill to medium-high
   
   
3. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper
   
   
4. Grill the chicken on each side until it is cooked through, about 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Brush them on both sides with the honey mixture, then grill 2 to 3 minutes more on each side
   
   
5. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining honey mixture and serve

Next a little dessert action:
Chocolate cupcakes. (4 out of 5 stars...delicious but SO moist that it was almost hard to peel the wrapper off the cupcakes)
If you want quite possibly the most moist cupcake ever, this recipe is for you. They didn't last much longer than 2 days but even at the end of day 2 they were still super moist.

Something for breakfast?
Steel cut oats. (2 out of 5 stars)
Now this recipe was easy because it's made in the slow cooker overnight. I didn't like it...but Shawn and Samara did. I think the recipe calls for it to cook too long as the texture is overly mushy. I'm going to try the steel cut oats on the stovetop to see what I think.

Cookie fan?
Honey Peanut Butter Cookies (3 out of 5 stars)
I followed some of the modifications suggested in the comments...added an extra egg, substituted brown sugar for white and added a splash of vanilla. They were super delicious and chewy...but I find I like my peanut butter cookies to have a bit more crunch to them. Also, they weren't overall very peanut buttery for my liking.

And finally, what we had for dinner last week. LOVED this and I'm not a huge fan of pasta. It was really fast and easy. I prepped all the ingredients during the girls' naptime so when it came time to actually cook supper, it was so easy.
Red curry peanut noodles. (5 out of 5 stars)

Friday Leftovers

• 
• Does anyone else have a kid that's obsessed with Dora? Some days the begging for "Do Do Doo-rah" starts as soon as breakfast is over. The random "swipah no swiping" throughout the day is kind of funny though.

• At playgroup this week, a lady came over to check out Presley in her car seat. She commented on what a beautiful baby she was (TOTALLY true!). Then, she said, "it IS a girl, right?" Right...despite the red dress and the pink car seat cover, it's really a boy and I'm trying to trick everyone.

• When I went for my run this week, my knee started hurting. So I did what any smart person would do. I pushed through until I couldn't run anymore. Then I walked until it stopped hurting. Then resumed running. I repeated until my knee was so sore that I could hardly make it down the stairs all week. Nice work, hey?!

• I really need to work on eating meals slower. I feel so pressed for time that I inhale my meals without tasting a single thing or realizing when I should be full. I've eaten, cleaned up my dishes and am almost on the 2nd side of feeding Presley before the rest of the family is thinking about finishing. GROSS.

• We had 2 month vaccines this week. It wasn't fun but not nearly as bad as living through it the first time with Samara.
  

• I had a meltdown yesterday. It wasn't pretty. Being a mom is HARD. I thought I knew what I was in for having done the newborn thing already and yet I feel completely unprepared for how difficult it can be at times. As a reward for making me almost lose my mind yesterday, Presley slept from 745pm until 345am and then 415am until 9am. Now if I could cure my *momsomnia, I'd be golden!

• Momsomnia - the inability to sleep even when your children FINALLY are. Symptoms include extreme fatigue every waking moment of the day when your kid(s) are awake and needing you followed by extreme energy the second they go to sleep. Other symptoms can include any or all of the following: tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling for hours on end, glaring at your husband for sleeping peacefully, getting thirsty at odd hours of the night, having to go to the bathroom at random times of the night and falling asleep seconds before your kid(s) wake up.

• Wanna play Friday Leftovers? Check out the host here!
  

Sock Hands Strikes Again

Remember Samara's phase as Sock Hands...here and here and here and here?

Well, apparently it's contagious. Look at poor Ralph!

Nana Love

My mom (AKA Nana) was here for the past 4 days. It was SO nice. We got lots of good chats, Presley got lots of good cuddles, Samara found her new favorite playmate, I got caught up on some errands and went for a long run, Shawn went snowboarding in the mountains and Shawn and I were able to sneak away on a little date. It was great. When we dropped Nana off at the airport, Samara actually cried on the way home. This morning when she came downstairs, she was asking and looking for her. Talk about break your heart. We miss you, Nana! Wish you lived closer...

Book Meme

My friend tagged me in this Book Meme. It came at a perfect time because it's been almost a month since my 2011 goal to expand my reading into different genres. Looking at this list, I think it's pretty scattered across the literary board!

Here are the rules:

1. Take a picture of the books you are reading currently and add to your post.
2. Describe the books and if you are enjoying them or not. Why?
3. For every book you are reading you have to tag one person.
4. Leave the person a comment letting them know you tagged them.

Now, I'm not so good at following rules. I never read more than 1 book at a time and almost all my books come from the library and are returned when they're finished. SO...I'm changing this up at bit!

Here are the books I've read so far in January:
Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft4.5 stars out of 5. Super fun, light read. Yes, it's technically a Young Adult book. Don't judge me! I needed something light to read about finishing The Book of Negroes!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson4.5 stars out of 5. This was the 4th time I took this book out from the library. The first time I only made it through a handful of chapters and gave up because I found it so dull. I kept hearing how fabulous it was and how you had to push through the beginning. So, I kept taking it out...but always had it at the bottom of my library stack and it never failed that it would have to be returned before I got to it. Until now...and I have to say I'm glad I pushed through. While the beginning is dry and hard to get through (SO much back information and many characters introduced), it really does it better and becomes really hard to put down. I will definitely be continuing on to the 2nd of the series.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris4 stars out of 5. This was REALLY funny. It made me laugh out loud many, many times. I even had to read parts aloud to my husband. The only downside is that they're short stories/essays which are not my preferred type of reading.

The Atlas of Love by Laurie Frankel3 stars out of 5. It's a heartwarming story of 2 friends who help a 3rd friend raise her baby when her boyfriend deserts her. Most of this book was very sweet and enjoyable. And then I wanted to burn it because one character becomes so despicably hateful that if she were in my kitchen I would bash her with a frying pan. The ending was kind of pathetic. I'm not saying it's not worth reading...mainly because I want someone else I know to read it and sympathize with me on wanting to hit that character with a frying pan.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King4 stars out of 5. This book is comprised of 4 short stories (more like novellas as they were longer than typical short stories). The stories were so dark and disturbing. At the end Stephen King says they are harsh and should be hard to read as they were hard to write. Definitely not bedtime reading material but very good...a return to the quality of his earlier work.

How To Bake A Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal3 stars out of 5. Cute chick lit book...enjoyed the different characters and the descriptions of yummy breads throughout. Made me ALMOST think I could successfully bake bread!

Running Room's Book On Running by John Stanton5 stars out of 5. I'm just getting back into running and this caught my eye at the library. I didn't read the entire thing, just browsed through the sections that were applicable to me (NO, I do NOT have time to train for a marathon!). Super informative.


Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon KrakauerI thought this book was really well written...but I didn't enjoy it that much. I really had to force myself to finish it...mainly because there were so many details about football (couldn't care less) and the war (including weapons, training, etc.). I think it's an important story to be told though...could the US government get any more corrupt?? Wait...I know the answer to that one.

I'm supposed to tag people but this post took me ages to write as it is. SO...if you're a reader and are reading this post and want to join in, feel free! And if you're a reader, you should check out Goodreads, it's great!

Sleep. Or lack of sleep.

Do you know what happens when you post about good sleeps? Karma thinks you're bragging and smacks you down a notch or 5. For the record, I was NOT bragging...I was simply describing what life (including sleep) is like around here.

Last night started with a failed nap in the evening so bedtime started early.
730 - 8 bath, boobs, book
8 - completely out in her crib
845 - insane screaming
9 - 915 more boobs
915 - 1030 lots of failed attempts at sleeping
1030 - 130 sleep
130 - 230 numerous failed attempts with the soother
230 - 245 boobs
3 - 430 whining/silence/screaming/silence/fussing/silence/repeat/repeat
5 - I give up on any possibility of salvaging the night with some sleep and go camp out in her room and "sleep" with her in the chair
5-7 Presley sleeps while I strain/stretch/hurt every muscle in my neck/arms/back trying to sleep while not moving or waking her up
7 - insane screaming
715 - hit the wall repeatedly in frustration (with my hand, not with the baby...success!)
730-830 sleeps in crib

Please let me get some sleep tonight!

2 months!!

Presley is 2 months today. I could cry over how fast this is going...I honestly could.

At 2 months, Presley is getting more interactive. She is smiling and cooing at us and is starting to laugh...it's kind of a happy grunt/half giggle right now. She's getting stronger neck muscles and is hating tummy time a little bit less than before. She loves to sit or stand on our laps and face out, taking in the sights.

Her favorite activities are napping in her swing, going for drives, being snuggled and having warm baths. She really seems to enjoy new places as she almost instantly wakes up and demands out of her car seat. No matter how tired she is, she doesn't fuss at all...she just wants to be part of the action! She also loves starring at our faces and mimicking us.

Presley eats every 3 hours pretty much like clockwork. Since she's breastfed, I'm not positive how much she's eating but the 1 bottle of breastmilk she gets once a week (to make sure she'll take a bottle) is usually 4 ounces at the moment.

Sleep...what everyone wants to know! Even perfect strangers have no qualms in inquiring about this. Well, generally, it's great. She is able to put herself to sleep (usually) with no intervention from us and sleeps the nights in her crib. Naps are still in her swing but I hope to change that in the next couple of weeks. She is sleeping about 11 hours a night with 1 wakeup to eat after 6-8 hours. She is napping fairly well too although being in her swing in the midst of the daily action is proving to be pretty distracting (hence why I'm going to move her to the crib). She usually has several shorter naps a day and 1 really decent 3 hour nap when Samara naps.

At Presley's 2 month vaccinations, she measured 22 inches (50th percentile) and weighed around 11 pounds (50th percentile). I say around 11 pounds because the nurse didn't bother having me undress her before weighing her...duuhhh...so she weighed 11lbs 5oz with all her clothes and a wet diaper on. She's got some good chubby cheeks but is pretty lean everywhere else. She wears mostly 0-3 month clothing with a few items still newborn sized. She is still in size 1 diapers.

Things I never want to forget:
- how happy she is when I go and get her in the morning. Best feeling to see someone SO excited to see you!
- how she gazes up at me for her entire bath...completely mesmerized (both of us!).

Shout!

Samara's (AKA Sock Hands) favorite song to dance to lately...

Friday Leftovers

* My mom is visiting this weekend. That means that 4 people in this house will be spoiled! And possibly 2 cats as well!

* Yesterday the wind was blowing at 70km/hour. Gusts of up to 90km/hour. How ridiculous is that?! We need to move before the kids blow away. I went to the bank today and there was a sign on the door..."please use other door due to wind gusts". So there was actually fear the door would blow away.

* Mom and I took Sammy for a haircut last night. The hairdresser sucked and kept saying, "she needs to keep still and look THIS way"...yeah, you don't say. If you figure out a way to keep a toddler still AND do what you want, let me know. I bet you could patent the method and make millions!

* Needless to say the haircut wasn't a total success. I think I'm going to try and find some really sharp scissors and at least do the bangs myself from now on.

* I took the girls to 2 different things this week by myself. It was loads of work getting everyone ready and out the door on time but we had fun. I'm possibly getting better at it! It no longer makes me break into a cold sweat at any rate.

* I tried a new playgroup this week. Everyone was really nice and Samara was ridiculously happy running around with other kids. Fingers crossed it results in some new mommy friends!

* Someone "un-followed" my blog this week. I was oddly offended. Was I offensive? Boring? Just plain old irritating?!

* To join in with your own leftovers, head over here!

Reading

If there is one thing I could choose to pass on to my kids, it would be a love of reading. I have always been a "reader". I remember going to the library as a kid and being in such wonder of all the books there...choosing my "stash" for the week, coming home and reading the afternoon away. I'm so pleased that when it gets really quiet and Samara has disappeared, I can usually find her in her room, "reading". She chooses a book to take to bed with her as well...we laugh every night when we turn off the light and shut the door, imagining her "reading" her book in the dark!

Wordless Wednesday

Snacks

I need some good snack ideas...something good for Samara and myself. Now that I'm working out fairly hard 5 times a week, having a glass of water and forgetting to eat for 4 hours isn't going to cut it!

What's your favorite snack?

Babywearing!

I started being a huge fan of babywearing back when Samara was a lil' babe. When she was super colicky/fussy, it was the only way to soothe her and manage to get my teeth brushed some days. She basically lived in it from sun up to sun down. We started with the Baby Bjorn.

1 month
2 months
3 months
5 months
7 months
The Bjorn eventually killed my back and is actually not the best carrier (baby isn't supposed to be facing forward due to baby's spine needing to be in a natural rounded position at all times).
We upgraded to the Beco which has been fantastic. It is worth every penny (and it was quite a few pennies!).

9 months
Good for Moms AND Dads!
11 months (a lifesaver when Samara broke her ankle after a couple of weeks of walking!)
12 months (the perfect place for a nap while we were moving and her crib was in pieces)
14 months (great for hiking when strollers just won't do)

Now Presley's turn, although Samara is still easily within the weight limits of the Beco...may have to invest in another one at some point...

Before Samara was born, I was also given a wrap. I tried a number of times with Samara and she was SO NOT A FAN! She made me want to burn the thing but luckily I didn't! After hearing so many mamas from Presley's birth club rave about them, I tried it with Presley and she instantly went to sleep. So glad I didn't burn it after all!

How about you? Do you have a favorite wrap/carrier?