On Packing

Our upcoming move is quickly becoming a reality. Walls are bare, boxes are stacked in corners, donation piles are piling up. On one hand it feels cathartic to go through belongings, sort them, think about them and make the ultimate decision: keep or toss. On another hand, it's taxing and due to the milestones experienced in this tiny apartment - marriage, parenthood and dog-ownership - we have a lot to go through.

You know that feeling when you flip through an old photo album? You're happy to have the photos to cherish the memories but thankful that hairstyles and clothing choices have evolved. It's like that, but with stuff.

Tonight, we tackled the pantry. Mason jars of wheat germ and powered sugar were discarded. Then, I went through the cookbooks and the forgotten "meal planning" binder I once religiously maintained. Back before Pinterest, I loved going through recipes, testing them out and tucking away favorites. It sounds simple on the surface, but going through Valentine's Day menus and birthday dinners gave a little window into the countless memories built in our little apartment. Back when creating a several course meal was reasonable - I had the time to invest in such celebrations. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm no master in the kitchen - I just like the idea of researching recipes and have managed to come up with a few "wow" moments in kitchen. Even if I'm the only one enjoying the results.

I had a few baking blunder this month so stumbling upon these tried and true recipes make me remember that good things do come out of our outdated kitchen. By the way, is there anything more disappointing than burnt coconut macaroons or carrot cupcakes that don't rise? Of course there are - but dumping a tray of baked goods into the trash is a bummer.

Here are some of my favorite recipes that have been made countless times in our little home. Enjoy!

1 Cranberry Bread
2 Curried Couscous Salad
3 30-Minute Chili
4 Coriander-Chile Pinto Bean Dip

Weekend Recap: St. Patrick's Day

Happy Monday! Spring might be technically beginning this week but right now, we're seeing snow. That's what you get in Wisconsin. This weekend we had a great time celebrating my girlfriend's 30th birthday, visiting The Waxwing - a little shop that's featuring Dan's artwork this week and toasting Irish coffees in honor of St. Patrick.

Here are some of my favorite moments:

Dancing along to the live band at The Waxwing:

And here's part two:

Dancing can't compete with shiny rings.

Ingrid went from a dancing fool on Sunday morning: 

 

To a sad, sick little patient in the evening:

 

She watched movies while I folded laundry and enjoyed the New Glarus sampler pack (I love this mix of light and dark brews!).

Seriously, I'm a little obsessed with the site SkinnyTaste. I made the Corned Beef and Cabage soup and Skinny(er) Shamrock Shakes yesterday. Dan couldn't stop talking about how good the soup smelled - and tasted - while Ingrid sipped her little shake happily.

I'm not sure if Ingrid's not feeling well or if, like the rest of us, the gloomy weather is finally getting to her. We haven't been able to play outside very long and on Saturday morning she cried during our walk when I told we couldn't go to the park because it was too cold (and too long of a walk). I'm with you Ingrid - bring on the sun!

Weekday Breakfast Ideas

During my pregnancy and maternity leave, I was spoiled with frequent home-cooked breakfasts. My husband started cooking breakfast because:

1. He works out of the home and doesn't have to rush around in the morning.
2. I was starving and bowl of cereal simply didn't cut it anymore.
3. I had zero energy to cook and pleaded with him to learn a few go-to meals before Ingrid arrived.

Two plus years later and he's still making breakfast regularly. With odd work and school schedules, breakfast is one meal that we eat as a family, most mornings.

Dan typically whips up eggs with spinach or whatever else is in the fridge. Beyond eggs, here are some family favoritess:

1. Healthy Morning Glory Muffins

2. Carrot, Mango and Herb Smoothie 

3. Brown Rice Breakfast 

4. Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal

Muffins, smoothies and oatmeal are pretty standard breakfast affair but, brown rice? I was skeptical too - but Bethenny Frankel delivers. Treat it like oatmeal, doctor it up with almond milk, dried fruit (and maybe...chocolate chips). Just eyeball the ingredients for a few minutes over the stove on medium heat and enjoy.

Typically, I'll use left over rice for this dish, as I don't have 40 minutes to wait for brown rice to cook. Recently, I was asked to try Minute Ready to Serve Rice: portable, portion-controlled, fully cooked rice. I'll be honest with you - I wasn't too excited to try this dish as I had sampled "fully cooked" brown rice a few years earlier. Back then, the rice was really oily and the consistency was off. This rice cooked quickly and was close to the consistency of real brown rice - chewy and filling. I whipped this up in about 5 minutes - perfect for weekday mornings.

Even though Dan is the breakfast cook in the house - I plan on serving these healthy breakfasts on weekdays.

This is (obviously) a sponsored post but my opinions are legit. Find more recipe ideas here. 


Minute® Ready to Serve Rice is an ideal portable solution for lunch or breakfast because you can eat it on the go, straight from the cup. In just 60 seconds, you have fully cooked rice for any meal or snack. You’ll never get bored with your lunch since there are 10 flavorful and wholesome varieties. If you’re looking for a healthy option, Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides easy portion control since it’s conveniently packaged in two individual single-serve cups.
 
Visit http://www.minuterice.com/ for recipes, including Minute® Ready to Serve Stir it Up recipe ideas and more information about the Minute® Rice family of products.
 
 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.

Five Things

After a long weekend in Minneapolis and a long week involving travel for work - I'm thrilled to spend the weekend in Milwaukee with family and friends. Tonight we'll enjoy a couple's dinner at Odd Duck. Then a weekend full of toddler swimming lessons, house hunting and relaxing!

Here are Five Things that brought a smile to my face this week. 

Cheers and Happy Friday to you! 

1. Bed Head
Since day one, people have commented on Ingrid's rather large head. As you'd expect, I don't really  notice but, there are photos like these where I think, "Geez girl, that's one monsterous head." Ingrid's head, bed-head hair and love for faux food continues to grow.

2. Pickled Red Onions
Last weekend our friend made amazing tacos for a pre-Beer Dabbler meal. The tacos were wonderful, but for me, the pickled red onions stole the show. This Brie Grilled Cheese with pickled red onions is welcomed in my kitchen any day.

via

3. Pictures from Daycare 
Every month the staff at Ingrid's daycare snaps candid shots of the kids around the room. They compile these monthly photos, add captions and save them for whatever reason. Then, we the child leaves the room the parents are handed a massive stack of photos, drawings and paintings from the past year.

I completely forgot about this awesome memento until a large file folder spilled out on me from Ingrid's locker. I spent the better part of the night looking through the photos.  In complete awe over her tininess, cuteness and overall babyness. I'll get real with you - I cried. Like a sap. But come on, that paint mustache? Seriously. 

4. Valentine's Day 

Last year, I had a great time planning, crafting, baking and overall celebrating the day of love. This year, I'm looking forward to making Valentine's for Ingrid's class, the grandparents. This little Valentine idea is pretty cute (and by cute I mean, I can reasonably make a dozen of these in one afternoon).

via

5. Good Reads 
Currently reading and loving Gretchen Rubin's second book, Happier at Home, because we can all afford to focus on our happiness!

Five Cranberry Recipes

Growing up we were a Cranberry From The Can family. You know, the cranberry blog with can ridges? My sister swears that this is the one and only way to eat cranberries on Thanksgiving and will bring her own can, if needed.

Although the cranberry can-shaped blob invokes nostalgic memories - I've graduated to real Cranberry Sauce made with fresh cranberries. Considering Wisconsin is the number one producer of cranberries, I don't view this as snobbish but rather, I'm now better supporting my state.

1. Classic Cranberry Sauce 
from allrecipes.com

Every fall, I attempt to recreate our local coffee roaster's famous Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins. Every fall I get a little closer and I'm confident that if you haven't had Alterra's Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins, you'll love these. If you have, you'll know that I'm an impostor. A good impostor, but still, an impostor.

If for any reason you don't like them, please send your leftovers to Ingrid. She will happily shove them in her mouth two at a time.

2. Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins 
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole grain flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ - 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp molasses
1 cup fresh cranberries
Optional: pepitas seeds and turbanino sugar

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with muffin papers.
2. Whisk flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a small bowl.
3. Mix pumpkin, milk, oil, and molasses in a larger bowl.
4. Mix dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture in batches. Fold in cranberries.
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and top with pepitas seeds and turbanino sugar.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

In addition to muffins and the traditional cranberry sauce another favorite of mine is Cranberry Bread from Martha herself (of at least, from her website). I love making a double or triple batch of this quick bread to freeze and gift around the holiday season.

3. Cranberry Bread 

from marthastewart.com

Every year my employer gifts us a few boxes of cranberries. If you're like me and find yourself with a few extra pounds of cranberries, the good news is you can refrigerate them for a month or freeze for up to a year. Or, find a local church or community center that is in need of food and donate your extras.

Have you had enough cranberry talk for one day? Good, me either. Finally, I can't wait to try these two new recipes this fall. Cocktails and carbs? What's not to like.

4. Cranberry Ginger Cocktail
from pixelatedcrumb.com

5. Fresh Cranberry Scone

from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Enjoy! 

Salad with Pasta?

Have you ever noticed when people hear an odd flavor combination, they just repeat the ingredients with an inflection in their voice?

Peas in mac-n-cheese?
Raisins with cottage cheese?
Lemon tart with caramel sauce?
Hummus on pizza?

Never: "I would have never thought to replace red sauce with hummus on a pizza. Very interesting." You get my point.

I recently ate The Med Salad at Noodles and created my own version at home:

The Med Salad 

• Salad greens - Organic Girl's Fresh Herbs and Greens is my go-to mix
• Tomatoes 
• Cucumbers 
• Red Onions
• Olives - whatever you have on-hand  
• Cavatappi pasta (corkscrew shaped) 
• Feta cheese 
• Spicy Yogurt Dressing

Chop veggies while the pasta cooks and you're all set. Adding chicken or steak would be great - but the pasta makes this salad feel like a meal. A delicious light yet carby meal.

This salad was the best when the noodles were slightly warm and I'll be honest with you - I think that dressing looks wonderful, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of making my own dressing. Instead of pulling out the food processor, I mixed equal parts Caesar dressing with a light balsamic vinaigrette (a great SkinnyGirl tip) and added a little sriracha for some kick.

It's a great salad to mix up in the fall when a salad feels too summery and you've yet to jump on the casserole bandwagon. 

via

On Election Night: Yoga and Muffins

Tonight, like most of America, I'm on the edge of my seat hoping my chosen candidate and party wins.

Dan, Ingrid, Harper and I walked to the polls first thing this morning where I voted and Dan stood outside corralling the toddler and dog as they waited patiently roamed around aimlessly.

With a hectic workload, I didn't think much about the election until I hit the yoga mat after work and started to have anxious thoughts.

The rest of the class must have felt the same because we were unbalanced, unfocused and a little nuts. About halfway through, the instructor had us pause with namaste hands and let out a sigh.

Instead of an appropriate, normal exhale, all of us let out a dramatic, audible "AHHHHHHH." In response, the instructor and students laughed. And not a little "class laugh" - no, this was a full-on real laugh, that finally broke the tension. From then on, we were able to concentrate, breathe and as cliche as it sounds, get centered.

On the drive home I turned off the radio in hope to continue some version of peace throughout the night. Even if things don't turn out how I'd like - the back-to-back ads, emails and not-stop speculation will all be done tomorrow. I hope the banter on social media doesn't get out control and everyone embraces a sense of civility and humanity with each other.

If that's too much to ask - feel free to whip up a batch of these Cinnamon Donut Muffins.

They'll be sweet in victory or defeat!

Family-Friendly Recipes (sorry nuggets, you're not invited.)

The term "family-friendly" recipe typically involves veggies covered cheese sauce or something in a nugget shape. Now, I'm not turning my nose up at nuggets or cheese. I live in Wisconsin and would never frown at something fried or cheesy. Never.

But, kid-food isn't that satisfying to make or eat. Lately, I haven't been itching for veggies masked in cheese or to putz around in the kitchen to make chickeny-nugget things.

Simply put - I'm not in the mood to create additional meals for Ingrid. And thankfully, she's not picky (yet!). Although, when she pushes tofu around her plate, I tell her that it is meat and she happily shoves it in her mouth.

Like you, I attempt to cook what's in season and give my family a variety of options - some meatless, some meaty (haha) and try to incorporate lots of vegetables and flavor into everything. Then, when I break out the baked goods, I tell myself that everyone's had their veggies and isn't that what balance is all about?

Here are some old classics and new favorites:

Loaded Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Ingrid says "These taste just like meat!" 

photo and recipe via

Mexican Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingrid says "Can I just have the filling? Those skins are too tough." 

photo and recipe via

Turkey Chili

Ingrid says "Is this meat? Ok, then I'll have more. I mean, more please." 

photo and recipe via 

Giada's Turkey, Brown Rice and Kale Soup

Ingrid says "I like to pick out the green leaves and place them next to my bowl." 

photo and recipe via

Giada's Tomato Soup 

Ingrid says "This soup is absolutely delicious with a grilled cheese." 

photo and recipe via 

When the days are long and cooking feels impossible, and take-out from Noodles sounds amazing - Ingrid (and the rest of us) will happily eat:

• Baked acorn squash 
• Edamame 
• PB&J 
• As much yogurt as you'll allow her to have
• And Ingrid's favorite: Hummus on Whole Grain Bread. Or as Ingrid calls it, "Hummy!" 

"Family-friendly" or not, what are your go-to-dinners? 

Weekend Recap and Thoughts

At least mentally, my weekend started on Thursday. Dan and I laughed along to Louis CK at The Riverside and then joined friends at Boone and Crockett for a whiskey-ginger beer (me) and White Russian (Dan).

I could say that it was nice to be out of the house in heels, or that the drinks or Louis were extraordinary, but in reality - it was really, really nice to sit next to Dan for a few hours and just drink and laugh. 

He's been working on his business, internship and schoolwork non-stop since September and it was nice not to have a conversation about schedules or bills. 

This weekend was rainy and dreary, perfect weather for getting stuff done around the house. 

Perfect setting, sure.

But, that's not what I did. 

On Saturday, Ingrid and I ran painless, mildly-annoying, errands. On the way home we drove by Purple Door Ice Cream and Clock Shadow Creamery. After an awkward and abrupt U-turn, it was decided that a hearty dose of dairy in the form of Salted Caramel Ice Cream and seriously squeaky cheese curds was in order. 

A truly delightful little shop. 

That night I went to The Smoke Shack for dinner with one of my oldest and dearest friends on her way back home to Chicago. There's something truly therapeutic about spending time with an old friend. We don't talk that frequently, but when we get together, it's as if we saw each other yesterday. Instead of rehashing relationship woes or talking about our careers, we discussed skin care for about 45 minutes and then laughed about the fact that we talked about skin care for about 7 minutes. 

Today, we went for family walk and then I attempted to muster up the energy to do more.

"More" for me, meant doing laundry, going grocery shopping with Ingrid, roasting veggies, making this fantastic Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup while munching on these wonderful Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: 

recipe and photo via

And, I randomly had left-over cream cheese frosting in the freezer just waiting for this merry occasion.

In hindsight, this sounds like a perfectly enjoyable weekend. It was a perfectly enjoyable weekend. Yet this afternoon, I was "shoulding" all over myself (current or not, one of the best Sex and the City quotes). 

I should go running. 

I should change the laundry. 

I should do something with our budget. 

I should work on Ingrid's Halloween costume. 

I should make a meal/work-out plan for the week. 

I should remove my nail polish. 

I should really go change the laundry. 

And even though "life goes on" with chipped nails, I was annoyed with myself for not having the energy or motivation to get out nail polish remover. 

As we sat down to watch the Packer game (with our cheese curds, natch), I realized that I had a full, wonderful day with my family and reminded myself to get over whatever weird expectations I had for myself. 

I was able to relax with Ingrid. Laugh with Dan. There's a fridge stocked meals for the week and my running shoes, chipped nails and laundry will all be there tomorrow.

Pumpkin Spice Without the Guilt

We get it pumpkin spice - you've managed to get yourself into bars, breads, cookies, pastas, coffee and even Rice Krispie Treats.

Like you, I'm a fan of the pumpkin spice and have managed to whip up a few pumpkiny treats to celebrate the season. Is it a celebration if there isn't sugar?

Last month I needed a mid-day pick-me-up so I walked to Starbucks with high hopes that the Tall, Extra-Hot, Non-Fat, Pumpkin Spice Latte would be all that it promised - and of course - it was. But, shelling out four-something for a coffee felt indulgent and a little silly.

Since this can't become a habit, let's make a delicious pumpkin spice latte at home, shall we?

No espresso maker? No problem, brew up some strong coffee and grab a mason jar for the milk.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons sugar or simple syrup 
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• espresso or strong coffee

1. Combine milk, pumpkin and sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until steamed.
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar and shake until the mixture has doubled in size. Or, transfer the mixture into a blender and process for 10 seconds or until foamy. Or, you can simply whisk the mixture until foam appears. There are a lot of options here people.


Pour into your favorite mug, add espresso/coffee and enjoy. Enjoy the pumpkiny goodness without the buyer's remorse.


adapted from here

Summer Essentials

This summer has been full of celebrations, camping trips and festivals. Last weekend, we stayed close to home and took it easy all weekend long. It was wonderful and it was needed. A weekend where watching the Olympics while folding the laundry is an event. A sweet, simple and relaxing event.

During the hectic months that are June and July, don't you feel like you spin around going here and there? As wonderful as all of that is - August is for relaxing. I'm ready to do just that, thanks to these summer essentials:


Songza - It's the best music site (and app) ever. I know, it's borderline pathetic to have a website as a "must have" for the summer but, just click on over, navigate through the Music Concierge and try telling me you don't love it too. Currently, I'm enjoying the playlist "Songs to Raise Your Kids to." Cute, without being annoying, right?

Wagon - I'll clue you in on a little secret, wagons are bulky and hard to pull around. These are perfect for short walks to the park or circles around the backyard. Ingrid thinks her "wag" is pretty awesome, even though her expression would suggest otherwise.

Zoo Pass - My Grandma Zache took me to the zoo so many times during my childhood, my sisters and I could draw you a fairly accurate map on the fly. Dan and I have both visited the zoo with Ingrid and our moms - and I'm looking forward to visiting the elephants with Dan and Ingrid this weekend. 

Purple Door Ice Cream  - I'm a frozen yogurt gal but this local ice cream is perfect for hot summer nights. I'm excited to try Walnut or Salted Caramel or..mmm anything, next! 

Weekend Staples (aka Old Navy cheap finds) - My pre-Ingrid weekend wear consisted of yoga gear during the day and some sort of jeans-with-heels-combo at night. With Ingrid, I'm all about keeping it comfortable and simple. I've lived in these sandals and this sweatshirt this summer. Add a topknot and some lipstick and this doubles as an acceptable outfit to grab dinner and drinks. "Acceptable" is probably stretching it, but so is the idea that I step out to "grab dinner and drinks."

Old Navy sandals



Old Navy sweater in blue

Homemade Iced Coffees - Don't get my wrong, I love me some Starbuck or Alterra coffee, but I love coffee brewed in my kitchen more. Almost more. Granted, I make the worst coffee ever so this task falls onto Dan but I make a mean Vanilla Simple Syrup - so together we're about half of a barista. 

Oh, you'd like to know about this famous Vanilla Simple Syrup? Well, let me tell you about it: 

• Boil one cup of water 
• While waiting for water to boil, split open a vanilla bean 
• Once water boils, add one cup of sugar 
• Add vanilla bean. Use a butter knife to get all of the vanillay-goodness 
• Stir to dissolve sugar 
• Cool mixture and use in hot and iced coffees. Take your coffee to go in this: 

That's it. 

A random list from me to you. 

Now, it's your turn - what are your must-haves this summer? 

Giada.

Earlier this month my girlfriends and I went to the Riverside Theater to see Giada De Laurentiis (that beautiful Italian woman with a large head on the Food Network).

I love Giada for her clean, impeccable style. Her food is accessible and real. It's healthy but the girl likes to indulge. You (that would be you, Ticketmaster) had me at "ticket comes with a signed cookbook."

Although I dig Giada, her show isn't too personal, so I settled in for a night of food tips, how-to-be-more-Giaday tips and of course, some friendship-love time with my ladies.

Giada was great. The interviewer was so-so. She wouldn't let the conversation run naturally. One minute they were discussing her personal chef gig for Ron Howard and the next question would focus around her love of chocolate ('Scuse me, I'd like to hear some embarrassing celebrity stories please!).

Lack of interview skills aside, I walked away with a few nuggets of wisdom - most of them non-food related:

• Her cookbooks are snapshots into her life. In the beginning of her career, it was just her and her husband (her Anthropologie designer husband). She had the luxury of time to shop at specialty stores and cook elaborate dinners. Now, after a long work day, she's whipping up quick meals her whole family will enjoy.
  
  I know I'm not alone when I say that I related to this - big time. Although, at this point, Ingrid pretty much eats anything. As I listened to her discuss the differences pre and post baby - I longed for those days of creating elaborate dinners. To cook loudly in the kitchen. Run to the store if I forgot anything. And linger at the farmer's market instead of just barreling through and hoping for the best.
  
  That said, I'm incredibly excited to invite Ingrid into the kitchen and can't wait to teach her the joys of cooking and baking. I'm also not excited about the finicky toddler years (does every kid go through this?).This inspired me to cook a real meal on Saturday. A real meal that wasn't a pain, but did require time and effort - Ricotta Gnocchi (yum!) and Orange-Glazed Pork (great if you have purees on hand - if not, not worth the extra effort).
• I was using extra virgin olive oil incorrectly. Turns out, you're not supposed to heat extra virgin olive oil. Like ever. I knew about saving the "good stuff" for salads and dressings - but you're not actually supposed to heat it. Huh. So, I bought good ol' regular olive oil for cooking (and keep it away from the light and heat!). See, some tips were food related.
• Getting out of your bubble is a good thing. In an indirect way, most of the conversation centered around the successes of stretching yourself and get comfortable with getting uncomfortable. Small stretch: ordering something you normally wouldn't off of the menu. Big stretch: Moving to Paris for culinary school. She recalled her major turning point was attending culinary school in Paris. Being under the watchful eye of her Italian family, she was able to explore the city and really "make it" on her own.
  
  Like everyone else, I have a few items on my mental bucket list that I'd really like to check off - or better yet, experience. They include: becoming a yoga instructor, moving out of Wisconsin, owning some sort of coffee shop/art studio/yoga class space, travel (and then travel some more) and finally - to be a barista.
• She is also the voice of "Paulette," a character on the animated children's show Handy Manny. Hey, it's on her Wikipedia page - so, that's something. 

But seriously, it was a good first-hand account and reminder to get out of the cozy, comfortable bubble - whether it be with your family, location, career or your staple grocery list. I'm not going to make any dramatic declarations and promise something insane - but I do hope to keep working toward some of these "must-do" items.

Because if a beautiful, talented, well-connected Italian woman can be a celebrity chef - I'm betting that I can one day work at Starbucks.  

Graham Crackers.

Ingrid loves black beans. Ingrid finds graham crackers to be hilarious.

Pasta? That's pretty funny and yummy too. 

I (that would be mom) am also pretty funny. 

One afternoon, Ingrid got a wild hair up her ass and came up with a genius and hilarious idea... 

She shared her graham cracker.

After much hesitation.

And I shared with Harper. 

To recap - graham crackers, pasta, mom, and sharing are funny. 

Black beans are not funny. Black beans are black beans. 

Mad Men.

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I'm twirling around in excitement for the Mad Men premier tonight. I'm secretly hoping that Betty and Don get back together. And that Sally turns into a bra-burnin' hippie.

Yesterday, as I pulled myself out of mid-afternoon funk I searched for fun recipes for tonight. Actually, Ingrid did this modified downward-facing dog move and upside-down waved at Dan and I for about 3 minutes. That will pull you out of a funk.

This isn't a real traditional 60s-Mad-Menny menu, but it's what I'd like to make on a Sunday night. Here's what's on the menu:

Mini Wedge Salads

Giada's Caprese Burgers

And perhaps - Skinnygirl Brownies.

Get out your apron, mix up an Old Fashioned and get excited for more Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce:

Valentine's Day

A holiday full of red, pink, sugar and love. What's not to love? Pun intended. 

This year, I got a little homemade-happy for Valentine's Day:

Spent way too long crafting this wreath. Mine looks like a sloppy-weird version of this. 

Strawberry cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and more butter = Two for us and give the rest to Ingrid's daycare teachers.

Free printable vintage valentines for the grandparents.

The best part of my day was coming home to this homemade card. For a 10 month-old, she's a great speller. 

We enjoyed a simple meal of mussels and crusty bread. For dessert, donuts. Or doughnuts. Spell it however you wish - they are cakey, sweet, cheap and amazing. 

Now, Dan is watching a movie on his computer and I'm watching It's a Brad, Brad World. Ahh, wedded bliss. 

Happy Valentine's Day to you! 

Puree Genius

During my pregnancy, my girlfriend hooked me up with a pretty decent gig. We take weekly surveys for a major diaper company and in turn, they give us gift cards for Amazon.

Not a major time commitment or reward - but we have managed to purchase some baby supplies, workout DVDs, mushroom logs and one of my all-time favorite things - cookbooks.

Is there anything better than flipping through cookbooks and drooling over gorgeous food photography.

There are probably a million things better, but lets agree that this is, in fact, an enjoyable moment.

A few weeks ago, Amazon recommended Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Like most of the recommendations, I thought "No, no Amazon. You're only thinking that because I bought X, but that's not right." But then, I started to question my quick judgement and remembered really liking her on that one random Oprah episode.

Her deal is purees. She purees lots of veggies and throws them in food to bulk them up nutritionally and I'm assuming to cut down on cheese, or something. First, I didn't like the idea of "hiding" vegetables in foods, but I haven't revealed one major thing with you - until now.

I liked pureeing Ingrid's baby food.

Not "vodka-grapefruit-on-a-hot-summer-day" like, but in the same way you like to stretch after a good night of sleep.

It just feels good.

I knew exactly what she was eating (and don't get me wrong, she had her share of those baby food packets). I liked chopping, steaming, pureeing and portioning her food into cute little baby-food ice cube trays.

But now that she was onto finger foods, our knock-off Magic Bullet was reserved for smoothies. And smoothies are great in the morning. And babies are scared of loud noises. And I'd rather start the day with a happy Ingrid and a bowl of oatmeal verses a screaming-flailing-armed Ingrid and a smoothie.

See you later knock-off Magic Bullet.

But not so fast.

I gave in and ordered Mrs. Seinfeld's book and stopped wondering why she bothered to work when she's married to Jerry Seinfeld - and started to cook.

Now, rather than making some wholesome vegetable goodness, I went straight for the desserts (and was pleasantly surprised with the long dessert section - with pictures!) and made these yummy dark chocolate chip cookies with carrot puree. Amazing. Granted, each cookie probably has about 1/4 teaspoons of carrot, but honestly, who cares.

Maybe in some weird way, I wanted to hold onto purees because, at times, it feels like Ingrid is in a constant state of transition.

One month she's still. The next, she's rolling over. Then, she's crawling. She's pulling herself up. Now she wants to walk with us holding her hands.

It's like you finally have some sort of grasp on her development and *pouf* she off to the next.

So while she has moved onto finger foods, I'll happily keep making purees and try to remember the time, just a few short months ago, when that's all she ate.

Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies. Yes please.

This Month I'm Thankful For...

I'm not ready. I'm digging my heels into the fall season and refusing to budge. I'm not ready for the red Starbucks cups. I'm not ready to think about the holiday shopping. I'm still enjoying All That is Fall - the leaves still need to be raked to the curb, there are still pumpkin treats to be made - there's more fall to savor.

November is sort-of the the unsung hero of fall. Thanksgiving is the focus but in reality, it's one wonderful day followed by another day of lounging around in elastic pants. Let's celebrate the rest of November - and leave out the gelatinous cranberry stuff.

This month is all about reflection and tradition - I'll be sharing what I'm Thankful for This Month - alphabetical style. Check-in throughout the month and share your fall favorites too!

I'm Thankful For Apples

Too easy right? But in all seriousness, they are hands down my favorite food. 

As I kid, my mom created my all-time favorite snack - apple slices, chunks of cheese and Ritz crackers - carefully arranged on a little plate. To this day I can't recreate her apple cuts or plating arrangements.

Later, as a 26-year-old with braces, I counted down the days until I could bite into a juicy apple instead of coring, slicing and dicing. Driving away from the orthodontist (forever!) and biting into a Granny Smith was the ultimate bliss. 

This fall, we took Ingrid to Barthel's Fruit Farm for an unseasonably warm apple/pumpkin picking experience. 

I can't wait to continue this tradition with her next year - any many more to come. 

Now here's the part I'm truly thankful for - uninterrupted hours in front of the stove. I turned on my iPod, tied my favorite apron and got down to business. There's something so therapeutic about literally picking food from the earth and then transforming it into something wholesome (or a little indulgent). 

The seemingly simple fruit holds an oddly special place in my heart - from childhood to motherhood, it's one of those comfort foods that never goes out of style. Sliced, dipped, baked, or sauced - I'll take it! Here are some of the simplistic and seasonal dishes we love: 

• Maple Apple Crisp
• Apple, Leek and Butternut Squash Gratin
• Gouda and Apple Tarts 
• Caramel Apple Cider Floats
• Apple-Butternut Squash Soup

What about you? What are your favorite apple dishes? 

In the Kitch: Baby Shower Treats

My sister-in-law will be expecting new little baby boy in November. I am so thrilled for Ingrid to have a little cousin the same age. I'm already anticipating them giggling at family functions and teaming up around the holidays.

For her baby shower, we served up a baseball-inspired menu - and it turned out cute - not silly. At one point in the shower, I sat their with a sassy Ingrid and felt a twinge of envy. Envy for the personal freedom she doesn't even know she enjoys. You know those annoying cliches people spout at you while you're pregnant...

Enjoy your freedom! Get plenty of sleep now! You're body will be gross! Let me tell you about my horrific birth story! 

Please, go on...

Well, some of these eye-roll-inducing phrases are true. You don't enjoy the same sort of grab-my-keys-and-go freedom. Now I carry the contents of her nursery on my shoulders. Formula/breastmilk? Check. Diapers? Check. Wipes? Check. Changing pad? Check. Burp cloths? Check. Another outfit? Check. Nuk? Check. You get it.

The whole 24/7 thing really doesn't hit home until you literally go home and this person is with you 24/7.

But instead of spewing new-mom-word-vomiting on my lovely sister-in-law - I just threw together some Texas Caviar (a crowd pleaser!) and these delicious, decadent little treats:

Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies




And prego's favorite - Rice Krispie Treats!

These little glittering cookies were awesomely addicting! I didn't do the neon-pink version, but for the holidays, why not?

In just a few months I hope to be cuddling with my new nephew while noshing on this little yummy sugary bites!

In the Kitch: After School (or Work) Snacks.

We spent a few hours in the kitchen this weekend - sipping coffee, listening to old favorites on the iPod and cooking freezeable meals. It was great having Ingrid in her little Bumbo chair watching us cook, laugh and play. We made soups, pastas and ice-cube trays of baby food.

As I was searching for good lunch ideas, I came across this post from TheKitchn and started thinking of my favorite snacks growing up - apple slices, cheese slices and good ol' Ritz crackers - carefully arranged on a plate my my mom. As I was searching the site, I noticed that a lot of people listed some sort of "cheese" as their snack of choice. I whole-heartily agree with this snack.

Then, just as I started to think of some different items to try, Ingrid jumped on the fussy-train. What were your favorite childhood treats? Adult-figure-friendly snacks that aren't totally boring?

Dust off your Apron: Grown-Up Grilled Cheese...and a Treat

Pregnancy definitely changed my palette. I can no longer tolerate spicy foods, greek yogurt or onions. I just prefer, simple, comfort foods for now - and the star of the pregnancy-menu has been the classic grilled cheese. As a good Wisconsin girl - I don't discriminate against cheese - but come on, nothing beats sharp cheddar on a hearty, grainy (and buttery) wheat. As winter wears on and the same-old go-to winter dishes wear thin, I'm stepping out of my grilled-cheese comfort zone and will give these puppies a whirl.

Gruyere, Apple and Sage on Rye

Cheddar, Dijon Mustard, Bacon, Tomatoes, Avocado and Pepper on Sourdough

And, no surprise, my love for baked sweets has rapidly increased over the weeks. Last night, these chewy cookies hit the spot.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - so good out of the oven.