Today I want to share a family favourite recipe. We had friends over tonight and our Lazy Perogy Casserole was a hit with them too, so I thought I'd share for anyone wanting to try something new.
Lazy Perogy Casserole Recipe
This is our version of the one in Company's Coming Casseroles - I just
cut the butter and added bacon. Actually, in our cookbook, it says "Try
with bacon" which is then crossed out and now reads "Don't make without
bacon!"
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Friday, August 15, 2014
Weekend Meal Idea
Looking for something different to do this weekend? Why not have an "Appie Meal?" We do this every now and then and I thought I'd share because it's a fun break from normal healthy food...
An Appie Meal is when you have appetizers for your meal. Simple. We did this last weekend and had chicken nuggets, pot stickers, eggrolls, perogies, dry ribs, and fries. Other times we've had mozza sticks, potato skins, an oriental party pack, and wings. Oh, and an essential side is a big platter of cut up fresh veggies. You know, to try to add something healthy. You'll also need fixings - sour cream, plum sauce, ketchup & veggie dip.
The concept is simple, but the kitchen is pretty non stop for half an hour... Before you start, check all the cooking times and temperatures - you'll have to do some figuring to coordinate the '20 min at 375' with the '28 min at 450.' This is what my list looked like this time:
450 - Dry Ribs - 10 min
turn down to 400 & add fries & egg rolls - 5 min
add nuggets & start stove top stuff - 5 min
flip egg rolls
10 more min then done
This is Nolan's plate - he tried everything! You can see the one bite out of each of his things. And no sauce for this kid. (Except on ribs. He devours ribs.)
If you try it, let me know what your favorite appies are!
An Appie Meal is when you have appetizers for your meal. Simple. We did this last weekend and had chicken nuggets, pot stickers, eggrolls, perogies, dry ribs, and fries. Other times we've had mozza sticks, potato skins, an oriental party pack, and wings. Oh, and an essential side is a big platter of cut up fresh veggies. You know, to try to add something healthy. You'll also need fixings - sour cream, plum sauce, ketchup & veggie dip.
The concept is simple, but the kitchen is pretty non stop for half an hour... Before you start, check all the cooking times and temperatures - you'll have to do some figuring to coordinate the '20 min at 375' with the '28 min at 450.' This is what my list looked like this time:
450 - Dry Ribs - 10 min
turn down to 400 & add fries & egg rolls - 5 min
add nuggets & start stove top stuff - 5 min
flip egg rolls
10 more min then done
This is Nolan's plate - he tried everything! You can see the one bite out of each of his things. And no sauce for this kid. (Except on ribs. He devours ribs.)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
September.
September. Back to school and routine; funny how even though it's only one out of four in our family that is back to school, it still affects us all.
Madeline of course has the biggest changes - new school, having to get up earlier and walk half an hour to get there (which she enjoys, actually), getting to go out at lunch with her friends and get a drink at Starbucks if she wants... Ah, the freedom. I've mentioned soccer - that's a change, too, because now she's playing full field, 11 man, 90 minute games. Youth group is also different; she's in senior youth now at church, and with different connections through camp, is interested in going to groups at other churches. Ours is on Tuesdays, so that frees up her Friday nights to go with friends to theirs - I won't complain about the extra driving for that kind of a social life!
I also got an inhaler for her today. She's had a cough for a while, and since we were at the doctor's anyway, I had him check it out. Sounds like asthma, so she'll puff it up till the snow comes and see how it goes.
Changes for Nolan are coming up. I'm planning to take him to the toddler storytime at the library, and he's registered for his first round of swimming lessons later this fall. He'll be in the 'Duck' class. He was sleeping through the night finally, but now is back to waking some... grr. Will it never end? He's got a cold which made last night really bad; hopefully when that's gone we can all get back to better sleeps. He's learning lots of words and growing - those developmental spurts can be attributed to messing up sleep at this stage, too. Sigh. If you ever wanted to send up a prayer for us, we'd sure appreciate it!!
Changes for me? My days are simpler again, with just Nolan around. Planning for suppers can be challenging having to be flexible around M's soccer schedule, but we're settling into a routine where Sean will pick up subs or something after work and come out and join us at her games, so really I end up cooking less. I do have to make M's lunch the night before, which sometimes is a chore if I forget until I'm ready for bed, but isn't too bad usually, and it makes the mornings way smoother. I used to send leftovers or something that needed heating up lots, though, and now with only two microwaves for the whole cafeteria, I'm sending way more sandwiches. Takes more planning since I can't just send what's on hand. The plus side of that is that it's not a peanut free school, so pb & jelly, honey or banana are back in rotation!
I also am planning to do another craft sale later in November. Part of me wonders why, since I have done really poorly at most sales I've ever been in, and there are other outlets to sell my stuff, but this is just a one day event close by, so it won't be a huge waste if nothing sells. Six hours is more manageable than a whole weekend to be away from my family, too.
Sean is probably the least affected by September's back to routine. The biggie is that instead of M coming up from her room after Dad leaves, she is now eating her breakfast when we come down and then playing piano while he's still home. I'll admit that I like the togetherness before everyone goes their own way.
I hope your September is full of joy and stress free.
Madeline of course has the biggest changes - new school, having to get up earlier and walk half an hour to get there (which she enjoys, actually), getting to go out at lunch with her friends and get a drink at Starbucks if she wants... Ah, the freedom. I've mentioned soccer - that's a change, too, because now she's playing full field, 11 man, 90 minute games. Youth group is also different; she's in senior youth now at church, and with different connections through camp, is interested in going to groups at other churches. Ours is on Tuesdays, so that frees up her Friday nights to go with friends to theirs - I won't complain about the extra driving for that kind of a social life!
I also got an inhaler for her today. She's had a cough for a while, and since we were at the doctor's anyway, I had him check it out. Sounds like asthma, so she'll puff it up till the snow comes and see how it goes.
Changes for Nolan are coming up. I'm planning to take him to the toddler storytime at the library, and he's registered for his first round of swimming lessons later this fall. He'll be in the 'Duck' class. He was sleeping through the night finally, but now is back to waking some... grr. Will it never end? He's got a cold which made last night really bad; hopefully when that's gone we can all get back to better sleeps. He's learning lots of words and growing - those developmental spurts can be attributed to messing up sleep at this stage, too. Sigh. If you ever wanted to send up a prayer for us, we'd sure appreciate it!!
Changes for me? My days are simpler again, with just Nolan around. Planning for suppers can be challenging having to be flexible around M's soccer schedule, but we're settling into a routine where Sean will pick up subs or something after work and come out and join us at her games, so really I end up cooking less. I do have to make M's lunch the night before, which sometimes is a chore if I forget until I'm ready for bed, but isn't too bad usually, and it makes the mornings way smoother. I used to send leftovers or something that needed heating up lots, though, and now with only two microwaves for the whole cafeteria, I'm sending way more sandwiches. Takes more planning since I can't just send what's on hand. The plus side of that is that it's not a peanut free school, so pb & jelly, honey or banana are back in rotation!
I also am planning to do another craft sale later in November. Part of me wonders why, since I have done really poorly at most sales I've ever been in, and there are other outlets to sell my stuff, but this is just a one day event close by, so it won't be a huge waste if nothing sells. Six hours is more manageable than a whole weekend to be away from my family, too.
Sean is probably the least affected by September's back to routine. The biggie is that instead of M coming up from her room after Dad leaves, she is now eating her breakfast when we come down and then playing piano while he's still home. I'll admit that I like the togetherness before everyone goes their own way.
I hope your September is full of joy and stress free.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Recipes for Nicole
A while ago I posted about making these two cookie recipes from my childhood; today I'm sharing the recipes! Go bake and enjoy, and be warned: there is nothing healthy about these. Just yummy goodness.
Butter Cookies
(Grandma Schneider's specialty - she puts two together with icing in between.)
2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
vanilla (1 tsp)
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Beat together margarine, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Bake at 350 (until edges brown).
(Make small balls! 1/2 batch made 58 cookies or 29 sandwiches.)
Pecan Puffs
(Aunty Joan's recipe - she usually puts a bit of icing on the top.)
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Mix all ingredients
Roll into balls
Bake 1 hour at 250 F.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Skor Cake
I was asked this morning for this recipe, and since I had to type it out to email it to my Mother-in-law, I figured I'd share it here with you. It really is not too hard, and the results are so good.
The recipe comes from a 'Robin Hood Festival of Baking' booklet from 1998... Wow - I've had it since before M was born. It's called an Easy Creamy Chocolate Torte, but we just call it 'That Skor Layer Cake'. Put whatever title you want on it when you copy this; here's the recipe for the goodness:
1 pkg Devil's Food cake mix
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 Skor bars, crushed
Prepare cake mix in two 9" round cake pans accornding to package directions. Cool. Cut each layer in half. (I do that by wrapping a piece of dental floss around it and tightening it right through. Works like a charm.)
Combine whipping cream, sugar and cocoa. Chill 15 minutes. Whip until stiff. Fold in 3 crushed Skor bars. Spread cream mixture between layers and on top of cake. Sprinkle remaining Skor bar on top. Chill until serving.
Enjoy!
The recipe comes from a 'Robin Hood Festival of Baking' booklet from 1998... Wow - I've had it since before M was born. It's called an Easy Creamy Chocolate Torte, but we just call it 'That Skor Layer Cake'. Put whatever title you want on it when you copy this; here's the recipe for the goodness:
1 pkg Devil's Food cake mix
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 Skor bars, crushed
Prepare cake mix in two 9" round cake pans accornding to package directions. Cool. Cut each layer in half. (I do that by wrapping a piece of dental floss around it and tightening it right through. Works like a charm.)
Combine whipping cream, sugar and cocoa. Chill 15 minutes. Whip until stiff. Fold in 3 crushed Skor bars. Spread cream mixture between layers and on top of cake. Sprinkle remaining Skor bar on top. Chill until serving.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
What to do with Buttermilk
I made a batch of raisin bran muffins the other day, and the recipe called for buttermilk. I had 1/2 the carton left over and figured I'd go online to find a recipe that called for buttermilk... Before I got around to doing that, though, I was flipping through a magazine, and saw a recipe for buttermilk pancakes. Perfect! I made them up for Nolan and I for lunch and threw the rest in the freezer to enjoy for later breakfasts.
I did see online that you can freeze buttermilk. Use an ice cube tray to freeze 2 tablespoon portions, then throw them into a freezer bag. This is great, because I rarely use the whole carton when I do get one, and then the rest doesn't go to waste, and I don't have to buy a whole new carton for another recipe.
The same article also had two loaf recipes that call for buttermilk... I don't need lots of baking around the house, so I'm looking for opportunities to try both of them, too!
I did see online that you can freeze buttermilk. Use an ice cube tray to freeze 2 tablespoon portions, then throw them into a freezer bag. This is great, because I rarely use the whole carton when I do get one, and then the rest doesn't go to waste, and I don't have to buy a whole new carton for another recipe.
The same article also had two loaf recipes that call for buttermilk... I don't need lots of baking around the house, so I'm looking for opportunities to try both of them, too!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The Bake Sale
"Mom, it's our bake sale tomorrow. I meant to tell you before but I forgot."
I made Strawberries & Cream Pudding Cookies (found on pinterest) that afternoon, got mini cupcakes & sugar cookies baked in the evening, then iced the cupcakes & sugar cookies in the morning, and got them all to school for 10:15 in the morning.
I think that's a gold star for this mom this week.
I made Strawberries & Cream Pudding Cookies (found on pinterest) that afternoon, got mini cupcakes & sugar cookies baked in the evening, then iced the cupcakes & sugar cookies in the morning, and got them all to school for 10:15 in the morning.
I think that's a gold star for this mom this week.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Nostalgic Bites
I hosted book club last week, and while the hostess is the one who looks after beverages, while everyone else brings snacks (yes, EVERYONE else brings snacks; one more reason book club night is one of the best nights of the month!), I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to make some cookies I had pulled from the recipe book Mom made me.
So Thursday was a baking day, and I made my Grandma's Butter Cookies, and Auntie Joan's Pecan Puffs. Mmmm. So good. I think I may have gained a few pounds since then. And the fact that they remind me of my childhood is just as good, I think. That part is thankfully calorie free.
So Thursday was a baking day, and I made my Grandma's Butter Cookies, and Auntie Joan's Pecan Puffs. Mmmm. So good. I think I may have gained a few pounds since then. And the fact that they remind me of my childhood is just as good, I think. That part is thankfully calorie free.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Overcompensating...
I was perhaps feeling a little guilty about how many sweets I consumed the other day, so yesterday I reminded myself of a few key things:
Mmmm... a yummy green smoothie! It's the first time I've tried something like this, and was pleasantly surprised. I used frozen mixed berries, thawed just a bit, strawberry yogurt, 2/3 of a banana (keeping the rest for N's lunch) and a whole bunch of spinach. I used the 1/3 spinach, 2/3 other stuff ratio. I blended it, then tasted it, and because I couldn't taste the spinach AT ALL, I added more. Not because I wanted to taste it, but because if I couldn't taste it, I should add more for the healthy factor. Then a touch of milk to get it to the perfect consistency and voila! Paired with leftover carrot salad and leftover asparagus, it was a slightly veggie heavy meal. And really tasty.
Of course N wanted to try - he liked the first taste, so I poured a little into a bowl and spoon fed it like soup to go along with his banana.
Speaking of healthy, I sent an extra snack in M's lunch because she had a basketball game after school; when I asked what she'd like, she requested a bran muffin. Yep, this recipe's a keeper! I had one at my friend Suzanne's last week, requested the recipe and made it the next day. I copied it from her fb message and popped it into Plan to Eat, and recipes there come with a share on blog button... how handy! So here it is, click, done!:
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- when you're snacky, try a glass of water first
- eat at 6 SET times a day, don't graze all day long
- try more veggies as snacks, and less baking.
Mmmm... a yummy green smoothie! It's the first time I've tried something like this, and was pleasantly surprised. I used frozen mixed berries, thawed just a bit, strawberry yogurt, 2/3 of a banana (keeping the rest for N's lunch) and a whole bunch of spinach. I used the 1/3 spinach, 2/3 other stuff ratio. I blended it, then tasted it, and because I couldn't taste the spinach AT ALL, I added more. Not because I wanted to taste it, but because if I couldn't taste it, I should add more for the healthy factor. Then a touch of milk to get it to the perfect consistency and voila! Paired with leftover carrot salad and leftover asparagus, it was a slightly veggie heavy meal. And really tasty.
Of course N wanted to try - he liked the first taste, so I poured a little into a bowl and spoon fed it like soup to go along with his banana.
Speaking of healthy, I sent an extra snack in M's lunch because she had a basketball game after school; when I asked what she'd like, she requested a bran muffin. Yep, this recipe's a keeper! I had one at my friend Suzanne's last week, requested the recipe and made it the next day. I copied it from her fb message and popped it into Plan to Eat, and recipes there come with a share on blog button... how handy! So here it is, click, done!:
Apple Bran Muffins
Source: Suzanne Beckel
Course: Snacks and Sandwiches
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 6 Tbsp margarine melted
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- 1 1/2 cups wheat bran
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup finely chopped peeled apple
- 3/4 cup raisins
Directions
- Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine second five ingredients then stir into liquid ingredients. Mix well.
- Stir apples and raisins into other mixture.
- Spoon into 12 greased or lined muffin cups.
- Bake at 400 for 17-23 minutes or until set. Cool & enjoy!
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Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Our Favorite Muffins
According to the date stamp on this well used recipe, this has been a staple in our family since 2002. Originally from this recipe on allrecipes.com, I only modified to add chocolate chips. I wanted to print out another copy of the recipe both to get a cleaner copy and to lay it out exactly the way I do it, so I thought I'd share it here with you!
Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
In a medium bowl, mix together the first four ingredients.
Preheat oven to 375 and spray the muffin tin (or line with papers)
In a large bowl, mix together the second bunch of ingredients.
Mix dry and wet ingredients together and add chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into the muffin cups.
Prep topping by mixing the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl, then cutting in butter till crumbly. Sprinkle topping on muffin batter.
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Enjoy!!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Meatloaf & Liver
A few months ago we were sitting around the dinner table, talking about food and why we never eat certain things, and we decided that we would find some well-ranked recipes and try out a couple of things that we never make. How adventurous of us, hey?
I made a meatloaf last month, and for a funny twist, we just happened to have company over. The supper was already in the works, and since Holly was dropping off M around 5, I invited her and David to join us - giving them fair warning of what I was making, of course! They were happy to be guinea pigs with us, and we all decided that it wasn't too bad. It wasn't going to make it onto our monthly menu, but it could be an every-six-months kind of a meal.
Tonight was our liver night. We put it on the menu and knew it was coming; the onions were sauteed and smothering the lightly breaded meat, and we all took the first bite together... and for both M and Sean, the first bite was also the last. I ate my whole piece, but it may be my last for a very long time, since it won't be made in this house for another, oh, say, decade or so...
I made a meatloaf last month, and for a funny twist, we just happened to have company over. The supper was already in the works, and since Holly was dropping off M around 5, I invited her and David to join us - giving them fair warning of what I was making, of course! They were happy to be guinea pigs with us, and we all decided that it wasn't too bad. It wasn't going to make it onto our monthly menu, but it could be an every-six-months kind of a meal.
Tonight was our liver night. We put it on the menu and knew it was coming; the onions were sauteed and smothering the lightly breaded meat, and we all took the first bite together... and for both M and Sean, the first bite was also the last. I ate my whole piece, but it may be my last for a very long time, since it won't be made in this house for another, oh, say, decade or so...
Saturday, July 14, 2012
We Have a Dessert Winner!
We had a great time with family today, playing and eating and laughing...
My sister-in-law Jen is the Pie Queen, and made a fabulous mixed fruit pie. Delish. Of the ones I brought, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight got the love - definitely a keeper. (Recipe here.)
The Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats tasted good as expected - how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?? They were a tad soft, possibly just because they had been out a while. It will be nice to have a good variation in the cookbook. (Recipe here.)
And, as predicted, the Creamy Snowballs were SWEET. I made them pretty small so they weren't too overwhelming. They formed into balls better than I expected.
Creamy Snowballs
Combine and beat until smooth:
1/2 pkg cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
2/3 cup melted chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla
Fold in 3 cups colored mini marshmallows, mix well, then chill for 30 minutes. (I left it in the fridge until the next day and it worked fine.) Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls (pressing into shape with my fingertips worked better than rolling in my palms). Roll in coconut.
These freeze well. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen. From Company's Coming Cookies.
If you want to browse other recipes and lots more fun stuff to make and do, come check out my boards on Pinterest.
My sister-in-law Jen is the Pie Queen, and made a fabulous mixed fruit pie. Delish. Of the ones I brought, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight got the love - definitely a keeper. (Recipe here.)
The Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats tasted good as expected - how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?? They were a tad soft, possibly just because they had been out a while. It will be nice to have a good variation in the cookbook. (Recipe here.)
And, as predicted, the Creamy Snowballs were SWEET. I made them pretty small so they weren't too overwhelming. They formed into balls better than I expected.
Creamy Snowballs
Combine and beat until smooth:
1/2 pkg cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
2/3 cup melted chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla
Fold in 3 cups colored mini marshmallows, mix well, then chill for 30 minutes. (I left it in the fridge until the next day and it worked fine.) Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls (pressing into shape with my fingertips worked better than rolling in my palms). Roll in coconut.
These freeze well. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen. From Company's Coming Cookies.
*******
May you have enjoyable family times this summer, and may you wow them with some Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight...!If you want to browse other recipes and lots more fun stuff to make and do, come check out my boards on Pinterest.
Friday, July 13, 2012
I'll Bring the Dessert!
My in-laws celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on July 1 (Congratulations, Keith & Mary Ann!) - tomorrow all the 5 boys and their families are getting together for a BBQ to celebrate. Everyone is taking food; I said I'd make a bok choy salad (yum) and a dessert. We got home from our holidays yesterday, so today was pick-the-dessert day.
I ended up making three.
From my new Company's Coming Cookies book that I picked up from the sale table at Safeway, I'm making the Creamy Snowballs (cream cheese, chocolate chips, mini colored marshmallows, rolled into balls and in coconut). I'll roll these tomorrow - they seem like they'll be super sweet.
The other two I think I found on Pinterest, but I also searched online for no-bake desserts (no oven in this heat) and looked at lots. (When I find something on Pinterest that I think I'd like to make, I always click through to their original sites - if the recipe calls for weird ingredients or looks too involved, I won't pin it. No point if I'm not actually going to make it.)
One is Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats, and looks yummy. PB in the mix, and chopped up cups on top with a chocolate drizzle on top...
The other is Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight - cookie layer, cream cheese, icing sugar and cool whip layer, chocolate pudding layer & topped with more cool whip. I'm looking forward to trying this one.
I'll post photos, reviews, and the links if they're worth it, after the tasting.
I ended up making three.
From my new Company's Coming Cookies book that I picked up from the sale table at Safeway, I'm making the Creamy Snowballs (cream cheese, chocolate chips, mini colored marshmallows, rolled into balls and in coconut). I'll roll these tomorrow - they seem like they'll be super sweet.
The other two I think I found on Pinterest, but I also searched online for no-bake desserts (no oven in this heat) and looked at lots. (When I find something on Pinterest that I think I'd like to make, I always click through to their original sites - if the recipe calls for weird ingredients or looks too involved, I won't pin it. No point if I'm not actually going to make it.)
One is Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats, and looks yummy. PB in the mix, and chopped up cups on top with a chocolate drizzle on top...
The other is Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight - cookie layer, cream cheese, icing sugar and cool whip layer, chocolate pudding layer & topped with more cool whip. I'm looking forward to trying this one.
I'll post photos, reviews, and the links if they're worth it, after the tasting.
Monday, May 28, 2012
And He Eats!
The latest in the "What's Nolan Up To Now" saga is this: Food. In the high chair. With a spoon.
At his four month appointment last week, the doctor said he was ready for it, and we thought so too.
At his four month appointment last week, the doctor said he was ready for it, and we thought so too.
 |
| Look what Mom got me! |
 |
| She said I could eat it. |
 |
| This is a fun spot! |
 |
| This was on Saturday. I'm 4 months and 1 week old. |
 |
| Ummm... Not sure what to think of this. |
 |
| I made some funny faces, but kept asking for more. |
 |
| Today - my third day eating and I finished the whole bowl! |
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Growing Boy Needs Food!
Are you familiar with the concept of 'cluster feeding'? Some things I've read say that a baby should be on a three hour schedule - eating, awake time, then nap. (Secrets of the Baby Whisperer says it's EASY - Eat, Active, Sleep, You). I agree that idea makes sense, and even though Nolan will often fall asleep while nursing, sitting him up to burp and changing him will usually keep him awake and happy for a while - he doesn't need to stay sleeping. (At night, though, I will usually just put him right back down; I don't know that he even really wakes up at all.) The three hour thing, though - that fits throughout the night and day for the most part, but the evenings around here... not so much. And tonight was one for the books - Nolan was so fussy he sent Sean off to google cluster feeding! Cluster feeding is when the eat more often for a time, like every hour instead of every three. You can't raise any baby exactly by the book, but it sure is helpful to be able to have things explained - I'd likely have gone crazy trying to figure out what was wrong with the kid, knowing 'he can't be hungry - I just fed him!' No, nothing wrong with him, and yes, he is just hungry again. Even though yes, he just ate. Sometimes it can seem like they eat non stop from 5 till 10... oh, great. I hope the next two months aren't all like this. It won't be too bad when it's expected, though.
There, that's a snapshot into my life at the moment. Nolan is great, even when he is saying he wants more food - when he does get hungry, he wants it NOW. I should take him to get weighed soon - according to our scale (me, then me with him), he's 13 lbs. I measured his length tonight and he's 24 inches. (Just like one of my nephews when he was born!!!) Long guy - we can almost see him growing. At 3 weeks he was into 3 month clothes; at 5 weeks now we have to move him up to the next size again! Guess I'll be shopping for sleepers tomorrow.
We went to Winnipeg this past weekend, and he got to meet the rest of the family. It was good to see everyone, as usual. I think the funniest part was seeing Zach haul out his book and crawl up on Sean's lap to read it, over and over.
Madeline has this week off school, so we get another couple of days with her home with us. That's a treat. I don't think we have anything we have to go out for tomorrow, so maybe I'll get some pictures up... Thanks for checking in with us.
There, that's a snapshot into my life at the moment. Nolan is great, even when he is saying he wants more food - when he does get hungry, he wants it NOW. I should take him to get weighed soon - according to our scale (me, then me with him), he's 13 lbs. I measured his length tonight and he's 24 inches. (Just like one of my nephews when he was born!!!) Long guy - we can almost see him growing. At 3 weeks he was into 3 month clothes; at 5 weeks now we have to move him up to the next size again! Guess I'll be shopping for sleepers tomorrow.
We went to Winnipeg this past weekend, and he got to meet the rest of the family. It was good to see everyone, as usual. I think the funniest part was seeing Zach haul out his book and crawl up on Sean's lap to read it, over and over.
Madeline has this week off school, so we get another couple of days with her home with us. That's a treat. I don't think we have anything we have to go out for tomorrow, so maybe I'll get some pictures up... Thanks for checking in with us.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Happiness
The boy no longer fits newborn clothes. The one I managed to zip up this morning would not cooperate this afternoon after his bath. My one week old is in 3 month old clothes, and fills them out just fine. In other Nolan news, when I undressed him for his bath I discovered that his cord had fallen off - it was rather like a loose tooth before, hanging on by a thread.
We are looking forward to the weekend & having Daddy home to enjoy him with me. M has the day off school today, so got to start her weekend with him a bit early.
I am so thankful for the friends and family who have helped out, brought meals & muffins (what a perfect snack food!), and gave little (and big!) gifts. Right down to the 475 people who checked out the "Introducing Nolan" post - we are so thankful to have all of you in our lives.
Not every post from here on in will be a Nolan post, but he sure is the majority of my world right now. With friends bringing suppers all this week, I feel like it's a 'freebie' week - next week I will have to start to figure out what our new normal is. We won't have a regular routine, but I still need to wrap my head around what I want my priorities to be, and how I will plan to accomplish those things and the things that need doing around the house. Next week. I'm looking forward to that thought process, and find it interesting that our book club read for this month is The Happiness Project; it's full of ideas that are worth some thought and possibly habits to implement in my life.
Wishing you the happiness and contentment I am experiencing right now. I would love to hear what is bringing you joy today - leave a comment and let me know!
We are looking forward to the weekend & having Daddy home to enjoy him with me. M has the day off school today, so got to start her weekend with him a bit early.
I am so thankful for the friends and family who have helped out, brought meals & muffins (what a perfect snack food!), and gave little (and big!) gifts. Right down to the 475 people who checked out the "Introducing Nolan" post - we are so thankful to have all of you in our lives.
Not every post from here on in will be a Nolan post, but he sure is the majority of my world right now. With friends bringing suppers all this week, I feel like it's a 'freebie' week - next week I will have to start to figure out what our new normal is. We won't have a regular routine, but I still need to wrap my head around what I want my priorities to be, and how I will plan to accomplish those things and the things that need doing around the house. Next week. I'm looking forward to that thought process, and find it interesting that our book club read for this month is The Happiness Project; it's full of ideas that are worth some thought and possibly habits to implement in my life.
Wishing you the happiness and contentment I am experiencing right now. I would love to hear what is bringing you joy today - leave a comment and let me know!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A Baking Fail, A Mom Win and A Bunny Named Josiah
It was more of a mom fail, really, if you saw my attitude and impatience during the whole thing.
My 12 year old came home yesterday with, "Oh, yeah, it's our potluck tomorrow - I have to take something from New Zealand." What? Sean & I had to go out to our hospital tour, so I had an hour that I could help, but no time to shop if we didn't already have the ingredients... She found a traditional meringue cake called Pavlova that I was skeptical about - to my mind, it looked not quite simple enough for her to pull off on a first try. But I told her to pull out all the ingredients and after supper we'd give it a shot. I just coached - she did it all herself. It may have been the bit of yolk in the egg whites, it may have been the blended too fine sugar, it may have been the imprecise measuring, but it ended up a nice flat meringue layer instead of a big glorious puff. This morning she broke it up into cookie size pieces and took the cool whip and kiwis to top it with... If worse comes to worse, she'll just cut up and serve the kiwis solo.
Part of what made this a stress was that she also asked if we could make something for her friend, J, who's mom was catering a wedding and would be busy in their kitchen and not able to help her make something for the potluck. They each did a report on a different country and had to bring food from that country for their potluck today. I didn't promise anything, but we found and printed out a recipe for Icelandic Pepper Cookies - "a recipe made in every home in Iceland at Christmas!" M's recipe used all the eggs, but on the way home from our outing, we stopped and I got some eggs and I made the dough - here's where the mom win comes in. I don't even know for sure if her friend ended up coming up with something, but on the chance that J would have to miss out on the potluck, I baked the pepper cookies. I was glad they had to be in the fridge overnight - I had more energy for baking this morning than I did last night. So this morning I baked them all up, and M got her stuff for plan A and plan B packed, and everyone's happy. We also had apologized to each other last night for our attitude fails, which was a good thing.
Out my window at work this fall I've noticed a fair sized divot in the grass. Then I began to see a rabbit lying in it sporadically. This week, with the snow, he's been there quite a bit. I told Peggy (our secretary) on Tuesday that if he was back tomorrow, he was getting a name. And so yesterday, my friendly neighborhood bunny was christened Josiah. I chose that because I am currently reading through 2 Kings, and had just got to the end of a long list of king fails and up comes Josiah, a boy who became king at age 8. He was good and led his people in God's ways - even though he was small, he made a big difference. I thought Josiah would be a great name for my little bunny friend. I wonder if I'll see him today?
Now I'm off to do a third trimester workout video before I head to work. Have a great day!
My 12 year old came home yesterday with, "Oh, yeah, it's our potluck tomorrow - I have to take something from New Zealand." What? Sean & I had to go out to our hospital tour, so I had an hour that I could help, but no time to shop if we didn't already have the ingredients... She found a traditional meringue cake called Pavlova that I was skeptical about - to my mind, it looked not quite simple enough for her to pull off on a first try. But I told her to pull out all the ingredients and after supper we'd give it a shot. I just coached - she did it all herself. It may have been the bit of yolk in the egg whites, it may have been the blended too fine sugar, it may have been the imprecise measuring, but it ended up a nice flat meringue layer instead of a big glorious puff. This morning she broke it up into cookie size pieces and took the cool whip and kiwis to top it with... If worse comes to worse, she'll just cut up and serve the kiwis solo.
Part of what made this a stress was that she also asked if we could make something for her friend, J, who's mom was catering a wedding and would be busy in their kitchen and not able to help her make something for the potluck. They each did a report on a different country and had to bring food from that country for their potluck today. I didn't promise anything, but we found and printed out a recipe for Icelandic Pepper Cookies - "a recipe made in every home in Iceland at Christmas!" M's recipe used all the eggs, but on the way home from our outing, we stopped and I got some eggs and I made the dough - here's where the mom win comes in. I don't even know for sure if her friend ended up coming up with something, but on the chance that J would have to miss out on the potluck, I baked the pepper cookies. I was glad they had to be in the fridge overnight - I had more energy for baking this morning than I did last night. So this morning I baked them all up, and M got her stuff for plan A and plan B packed, and everyone's happy. We also had apologized to each other last night for our attitude fails, which was a good thing.
*****
Out my window at work this fall I've noticed a fair sized divot in the grass. Then I began to see a rabbit lying in it sporadically. This week, with the snow, he's been there quite a bit. I told Peggy (our secretary) on Tuesday that if he was back tomorrow, he was getting a name. And so yesterday, my friendly neighborhood bunny was christened Josiah. I chose that because I am currently reading through 2 Kings, and had just got to the end of a long list of king fails and up comes Josiah, a boy who became king at age 8. He was good and led his people in God's ways - even though he was small, he made a big difference. I thought Josiah would be a great name for my little bunny friend. I wonder if I'll see him today?
Now I'm off to do a third trimester workout video before I head to work. Have a great day!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Saturday at the Shops
The only thing on the agenda today was to buy M a new pair of dress shoes before church tomorrow.
We had a good sleep in, I made homemade corn chowder for lunch, which we had with ciabatta bread and spinach dip, then we hit the shops. No luck at the first one, but Payless was having a buy one, get one half off, so she ended up with new runners as well as the new dress shoes. Her runners were trashed, but not as crucial as the dress shoes. So, mission accomplished, and not too long into the afternoon, either. Paderno, the kitchen store was in the same building, so we had a look there for dishes to go with our brown set that we can't add to. They had a very limited selection of those, but lots of other fun stuff.
Since Thyme Maternity was in the same area, we popped in there to see if there were any decent sweaters on the clearance racks (no) and if there were any maternity winter jackets that I liked and were a decent price (no and no). Home Outfitters was in the same shopping complex as well, so we stopped there too, to check out new shower curtain options and price out curved rods... and walked out with the works, including a new soap dispenser and toothbrush holder.
Then, Sean had an "idea" and we ended up at La Macaron for drinks and treats. Mmm... And just down the strip from there was a mother and baby store. We just looked, but had fun looking! And no coats there, either - well, there were, and I tried them on, and even liked one, but it was way too pricy.
From there, we popped over to Visions where Sean dealt with some return issues he's been having - they promised to have it all cleared up this week, so that was a good stop. While they were there, I went next door to Fabricland. I didn't buy anything, but got some ideas. Then we all went next door the other way to a carpet place and got some samples and prices for carpet for the basement. Carpet for the basement was not in the immediate plans, but that may change. It would be amazing to have the whole basement renewed.
Then we came home. Sean installed our new shower rod and got the bathroom style cranked up a notch or 4, Madeline chucked her old shoes, and I made banana bread, inspired by the loaf pans at Paderno. A good outing all around, and some good satisfaction at home because of it.
Now we'll heat up some leftovers for supper and have a family movie night watching Star Wars. Good times. I hope your Saturday was as satisfying as ours has been!
We had a good sleep in, I made homemade corn chowder for lunch, which we had with ciabatta bread and spinach dip, then we hit the shops. No luck at the first one, but Payless was having a buy one, get one half off, so she ended up with new runners as well as the new dress shoes. Her runners were trashed, but not as crucial as the dress shoes. So, mission accomplished, and not too long into the afternoon, either. Paderno, the kitchen store was in the same building, so we had a look there for dishes to go with our brown set that we can't add to. They had a very limited selection of those, but lots of other fun stuff.
Since Thyme Maternity was in the same area, we popped in there to see if there were any decent sweaters on the clearance racks (no) and if there were any maternity winter jackets that I liked and were a decent price (no and no). Home Outfitters was in the same shopping complex as well, so we stopped there too, to check out new shower curtain options and price out curved rods... and walked out with the works, including a new soap dispenser and toothbrush holder.
Then, Sean had an "idea" and we ended up at La Macaron for drinks and treats. Mmm... And just down the strip from there was a mother and baby store. We just looked, but had fun looking! And no coats there, either - well, there were, and I tried them on, and even liked one, but it was way too pricy.
From there, we popped over to Visions where Sean dealt with some return issues he's been having - they promised to have it all cleared up this week, so that was a good stop. While they were there, I went next door to Fabricland. I didn't buy anything, but got some ideas. Then we all went next door the other way to a carpet place and got some samples and prices for carpet for the basement. Carpet for the basement was not in the immediate plans, but that may change. It would be amazing to have the whole basement renewed.
Then we came home. Sean installed our new shower rod and got the bathroom style cranked up a notch or 4, Madeline chucked her old shoes, and I made banana bread, inspired by the loaf pans at Paderno. A good outing all around, and some good satisfaction at home because of it.
Now we'll heat up some leftovers for supper and have a family movie night watching Star Wars. Good times. I hope your Saturday was as satisfying as ours has been!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The Ultimate Feast... Polished Off!
... and now I look like I'm six months pregnant! Oh, wait, maybe that's because I AM six months pregnant. Twenty six and a half weeks, to be precise. I remember the first weeks of being pregnant - how every week seemed like a major milestone; now they run together and I don't remember exactly how far along I am. We're due January 18, so I'm going to call October 18 six months, November 18 (our 5th anniversary!) seven months, December 18 eight months, and January 18... don't know what I'll call January 18. Baby's birthday, maybe? That works.
The ultimate feast was at Red Lobster. We were heading for the Keg when Sean mentioned crab, so we turned the car around and ended up with an ultimate feast for each of us - lobster, snow crab legs and two kinds of shrimp. Plus Caesar salad and yummy buns to start. So good. And I ate so much. So happy. The reason, if we need one, was that I wanted to take Sean out to thank him for all the good work and hard work he puts in around the house. It might get done quicker if he wasn't such a perfectionist, but then he wouldn't get down to the studs and see the bad wiring that needs fixing... I feel safer now! Notice all the new outlets right at my counter top level... :) My next job is picking stain and paint colors.
Another reason to treat him to a great dinner was that this week I tried not to shop and just use up stuff in the freezer - it worked great, but there were a few not so inspiring meals in there. I was ready for something delicious, so I guessed he might feel the same way. Plus, M is out at the lake for a youth retreat this weekend, so we were child-free and date ready! (The little one I'm carrying got in the way physically - not much stomach space in there! - but doesn't really cramp our dates just yet.)
I raked the yard today - half the yard. I like raking - being outside & doing something physical... I'm kinda glad it started to rain, though, because it gave me another excuse to go in. I was at my limit after half the front yard, sad to say. Can't quite do all that I used to. Guess M will have to finish the job tomorrow when she gets home.
Congrats to Jess and Dave on 16 years of marriage - my sister and her husband have a great marriage and a great family and are a fantastic example to all who know them. Thanks, you guys!! Love you all.
The ultimate feast was at Red Lobster. We were heading for the Keg when Sean mentioned crab, so we turned the car around and ended up with an ultimate feast for each of us - lobster, snow crab legs and two kinds of shrimp. Plus Caesar salad and yummy buns to start. So good. And I ate so much. So happy. The reason, if we need one, was that I wanted to take Sean out to thank him for all the good work and hard work he puts in around the house. It might get done quicker if he wasn't such a perfectionist, but then he wouldn't get down to the studs and see the bad wiring that needs fixing... I feel safer now! Notice all the new outlets right at my counter top level... :) My next job is picking stain and paint colors.
Another reason to treat him to a great dinner was that this week I tried not to shop and just use up stuff in the freezer - it worked great, but there were a few not so inspiring meals in there. I was ready for something delicious, so I guessed he might feel the same way. Plus, M is out at the lake for a youth retreat this weekend, so we were child-free and date ready! (The little one I'm carrying got in the way physically - not much stomach space in there! - but doesn't really cramp our dates just yet.)
**********
I raked the yard today - half the yard. I like raking - being outside & doing something physical... I'm kinda glad it started to rain, though, because it gave me another excuse to go in. I was at my limit after half the front yard, sad to say. Can't quite do all that I used to. Guess M will have to finish the job tomorrow when she gets home.
**********
Congrats to Jess and Dave on 16 years of marriage - my sister and her husband have a great marriage and a great family and are a fantastic example to all who know them. Thanks, you guys!! Love you all.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
This and That
Highlights from the week:
* Book club was here on Thursday. It was fun to have all the girls together again and make our picks for the next year. Chocolate Zucchini Cake dominated the snack table. Baby Anna made her first book club appearance, which was a nice treat. M got to be down here with us for a while, too, which she loved.
* Going to Briercrest for the alumni basketball weekend. I went out Friday night and got to see a few of the girls I played with - I didn't play myself, but kept them company on the bench and we had a good visit staying up late in the hotel after. When I was pregnant with M, I played the whole time - think the season ended when I was 4 or 5 months. I figured since I am 5 months now and have not been playing the whole time, it would be smart to sit it out. I took a drive around town and a walk through all the buildings, checking out all my old routine places - boy, lots of memories. Lots of people came to mind... I remember so many of you and all the good times we had.
* Played in a golf tournament yesterday - I'm not sure this was a highlight, really, since I had lots of terrible shots, but the people part was good! Sean won the longest drive - 350 yards!
* Went to check out the new Lowe's store & came home with a new vanity / sink for our bathroom reno. Looking forward to redoing that room.
* I won Rider tickets - thanks Conexus Credit Union! There was a link to enter on the site where I do my online banking, and I won. Sweet. They are for the game this Saturday, and I'll be at the Women's Day at church, so Sean and his dad are going to go. It's Sean's birthday next week, so this can be an extra treat for his bday week.
* I started chopping down my Caragana bushes today - it was nice to spend the time outside, but also so nice to tackle that job. We've lived here 11 years and I've never done a thing to them (oh, my poor gardening skills...) They're still leafy up top, but bare and scraggly looking where we have to walk by everyday. I looked into pruning info this summer, and found that this is the time to do it, so I cut a bunch today and tried not to fill too many dumpsters out back - next week I'll finish them up.
* Mmm - Just pulled some cookies out of the oven. Gigantic chocolate chip ones. A treat for our lunches this week. I made amazingly rich peanut butter brownies for book club, too - so good. I will keep the recipe for this one, but will wait a good long time before I make them again. A little too good. Speaking of yum, we went out to Dessart tonight for ice cream. :) On the not sweet side, I'm trying a new crock pot beef stew recipe tomorrow. I have never found a great one, but I've decided this fall I will hunt till I get one that works for me.
* I spent some time this afternoon down in my studio going through stuff - another bunch of went out to the donate pile. I am going to have to put some serious thought into what I am doing with all my stuff. I don't have a crazy amount of scrapbooking or sewing stuff, but it's all in its proper place now, and I am going to have to figure out a new place for it all. My desk and one bookshelf would fit in the new space, but we may leave that bookcase for M - I think we'll have to start moving it all to see how much storage she needs and what I will need to get for my new spot.
What were some highlights of your week? What did you make? Bake? Who did you see?
* Book club was here on Thursday. It was fun to have all the girls together again and make our picks for the next year. Chocolate Zucchini Cake dominated the snack table. Baby Anna made her first book club appearance, which was a nice treat. M got to be down here with us for a while, too, which she loved.
* Going to Briercrest for the alumni basketball weekend. I went out Friday night and got to see a few of the girls I played with - I didn't play myself, but kept them company on the bench and we had a good visit staying up late in the hotel after. When I was pregnant with M, I played the whole time - think the season ended when I was 4 or 5 months. I figured since I am 5 months now and have not been playing the whole time, it would be smart to sit it out. I took a drive around town and a walk through all the buildings, checking out all my old routine places - boy, lots of memories. Lots of people came to mind... I remember so many of you and all the good times we had.
* Played in a golf tournament yesterday - I'm not sure this was a highlight, really, since I had lots of terrible shots, but the people part was good! Sean won the longest drive - 350 yards!
* Went to check out the new Lowe's store & came home with a new vanity / sink for our bathroom reno. Looking forward to redoing that room.
* I won Rider tickets - thanks Conexus Credit Union! There was a link to enter on the site where I do my online banking, and I won. Sweet. They are for the game this Saturday, and I'll be at the Women's Day at church, so Sean and his dad are going to go. It's Sean's birthday next week, so this can be an extra treat for his bday week.
* I started chopping down my Caragana bushes today - it was nice to spend the time outside, but also so nice to tackle that job. We've lived here 11 years and I've never done a thing to them (oh, my poor gardening skills...) They're still leafy up top, but bare and scraggly looking where we have to walk by everyday. I looked into pruning info this summer, and found that this is the time to do it, so I cut a bunch today and tried not to fill too many dumpsters out back - next week I'll finish them up.
* Mmm - Just pulled some cookies out of the oven. Gigantic chocolate chip ones. A treat for our lunches this week. I made amazingly rich peanut butter brownies for book club, too - so good. I will keep the recipe for this one, but will wait a good long time before I make them again. A little too good. Speaking of yum, we went out to Dessart tonight for ice cream. :) On the not sweet side, I'm trying a new crock pot beef stew recipe tomorrow. I have never found a great one, but I've decided this fall I will hunt till I get one that works for me.
* I spent some time this afternoon down in my studio going through stuff - another bunch of went out to the donate pile. I am going to have to put some serious thought into what I am doing with all my stuff. I don't have a crazy amount of scrapbooking or sewing stuff, but it's all in its proper place now, and I am going to have to figure out a new place for it all. My desk and one bookshelf would fit in the new space, but we may leave that bookcase for M - I think we'll have to start moving it all to see how much storage she needs and what I will need to get for my new spot.
What were some highlights of your week? What did you make? Bake? Who did you see?
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