Drew is Two

Drew is two. Well he has been, for a couple of months. Our little two-year-old is a chatter box. And as much as he likes to repeat what we tell him...he likes us to repeat him, too...on command: Mommy say it! Daddy say it! His vocabulary has exploded. It seems to expand exponentially by the day. And while he used to make repeated requests with just one word--Outside? Outside? Outside? Outside? x 100 until the request was met, he now makes suggestions in sentences: Go ride big truck with daddy? Go ride big truck wih daddy? x 100.

At his two-year-old doctor appointment, the pediatrician noted that while Drew had enough command of the language to begin potty-training, we don't really have to start thinking about it until he turns two-and-a-half to three. Lucky for me, Mike had already been working with Drew a few months before Brayden was born. Drew had already peed and pooed on the potty before he turned two. Yippee! And now he goes pee at least once a day, sometimes more, on his potty. "I did it! I did it!" His treat is that he gets to flush the toilet. I hope this continues to be his reward of choice. I would prefer not to resort to unhealthy treats, but hey...whatever works if I get to stop changing stinky, poopy diapers. "P.U. Gross," Drew says each time we change his daiper. I agree.

One of Drew's favorite foods right now is pizza "izza" and whenever I ask him what he ate for lunch at school (daycare), he always says "izza day!" I doubt that Carrie serves pizza every day, but lucky for Drew that she must sometimes. He also loves macaroni and cheese "OH-cheese." Maybe not the healthiest version, but certainly the easiest are the Kraft Mac-n-Cheese bowls that we can make in just 3 1/2 minutes in the microwave. Drew loves to eat oatmeal "EATmeal" and "cereal and Nilk" for breakfast. Other favorites include "toast and jam" and maybe a sip of
Daddy's "offee." Of course, he's always up for "treat" whether that's a cookie, cake or a Flintstones vitamin. If we bring out any sort of cake, he will sing "Happy Birthday" to himself which sounds a little like "hOppy to Do."

Little Pookie loves to be outside and enjoys entertaining himself independently while Daddy works in the yard. All boy, he constantly plays in any dirt or sand he can find. Luckily he also loves playing in the bathtub, so even though he will throw a huge tantrm on his way back inside, he is happy to hop in the tub or shower. Each evening one of us reads him a bedtime story. His number one request: "read big tractor book."

Petite Vanilla Scones

I have been searching for a good scone recipe. Actually, I’ve come across many recipes, have even ripped them out of cooking magazines or printed them from the web, but have never tried any of them. Thank God the first one I tried was the perfect scone recipe. I do not think I will EVER EVER EVER try another. Luckily, I didn’t even have to search for this one. It found me because I subscribe to this blog. And you should, too. I want the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook. But I want a lot of things. Mostly these scones.

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Long before I found this recipe I had already developed my Starbucks' Petite Vanilla Scone addiction. I introduced them to my mom. She's addicted, too, but doesn't live by Starbucks. Too bad for her (but good for her waistline). We think they taste like the best sugar cookie ever--except in the form of a thick, soft biscuit and covered with vanilla-bean-flecked glazed yumminess.

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And then I found the recipe. Or it found me. And I gathered all the ingredients and let the magic in my kitchen happen. My husband, trying to make me feel good, commented that my scones would probably be better than Starbucks’ version. Surely you’re kidding, I told him. How could that possibly be? Oh, it BE!

So you can go to the Pioneer Woman’s blog and see fantastic pictures of the recipe in progress. I don’t have an SLR camera (yet), haven’t taken a photography class (yet), and therefore am not very good at taking food pictures (yet). I want to do all of the above, but I want a lot of things. Mostly these scones.

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A few hints before you get to the recipe:

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VANILLA BEANS: You can purchase the McCormick version of vanilla beans at Meijer. You only get two beans and they cost $11.99. They’re all folded up and really quite sad looking. This recipe calls for three beans, so rather than take out a small loan just to make these scones, you could go to Penzey’s Spices if you’re so lucky to have one nearby and purchase the cutest little tube of THREE vanilla beans, all stretched out in their glory for a mere $7.25. There’s also a discount if you buy 5 tubes. Believe me, after you taste these scones, you’ll see that five tubes of vanilla beans won’t last you all that long.

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TRIANGLES: The Pioneer Woman divides up her dough into triangles, most likely because (a) Starbucks does and (b) that is the typical shape of a scone. The first time I made this recipe, I did, too. Starbucks Petite Vanilla Scones are much smaller than the triangles that come out here. So the second time, I used a small biscuit cutter so the scones would be petite—hence the name of the recipe.

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VANILLA GLAZE: I added more powdered sugar than the recipe call for because I wanted the glaze to resemble Starbucks’ glaze, which is nice and thick. I also triple-dipped the scones (allowing them to dry in between dips) for a nice, thick coating.

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The recipe is so valuable I will post it below, that way if the link ever messes up, it still lives here. Otherwise get on over to the Pioneer Woman’s blog. She’s much more witty than I am, so don’t forget to come back and visit me once in awhile!

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Ingredients

SCONES

3 cups All-purpose Flour

⅔ cups Sugar

5 teaspoons Baking Powder (yep, it's FIVE...not a typo)

½ teaspoons Salt

2 sticks (1/2 Pound) UNSALTED Butter, Chilled

1 whole Large Egg

¾ cups Heavy Cream (more if needed--I didn't need any more)

2 whole Vanilla Beans

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GLAZE

3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

½ cups Whole Milk

1 whole Vanilla Bean

Dash Of Salt

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Preparation Instructions

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla “caviar” inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

• Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs. This can take awhile, so be patient. It really does help to have a pastry cutter--I would buy one even if this were the only recipe you would ever need it. (I haven't tried yet, but you could probably get the same results in a food processor also--just a few pulses until the mixture looks crumbly.)

• Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.

• Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.

• Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles. (Or make whatever shape you want, like how I used a biscuit cutter.)

• Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes (I think my time was more like 15 minutes...will depend on how your oven works), removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

• To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.

• One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

On The Lighter Side - Southwest Apricot Chicken

I have posted a lot of recipes that would be considered waistline splurges rather than waistline helpers. However, when I was searching for a chicken recipe, I came across this oldie-but-goodie and it's very much on the lighter side--and also VERY easy!

Southwest Apricot Chicken

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
10 oz. jar apricot preserves
10 oz. jar mild salsa
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in bottom of pan, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve over rice.

Note: For smaller families, prepare in two 8 x 8 square pans and freeze one before cooking.

Three Ingredients + Almost No Prep = Winning Recipe

I found the following recipe in the Kraft Food & Family magazine. It is so easy it’s scary. Prep time is 10 minutes at the most. Cook time is 45 minutes. I made it for the first time two weeks ago and we liked it so much I made it last week, too. Both times my husband raved about how this recipe is a “keeper.” We’re not big pork eaters, but this can be our exception. The first time I made it, I only had four pork chops, and they were a little thinner than the ¾” called for in the recipe. We didn’t have any leftovers. The second time, the chops were thicker, and turned out a little juicier. I also used six chops so it served our family of three (2 adults and 22 mos. old son) for a dinner and then my husband and I were able to make one more dinner for ourselves from the leftovers.

1 can (21 oz.) Apple Pie Filling
1 package (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing (chicken flavor)
6 boneless porkchops (¾” thickness)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare stuffing as directed on box (only involves boiling water & butter or margarine and stirring into stuffing). Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the apple pie filling over the bottom. Place pork chops in single layer on top of filling. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing evenly over chops. Cover with foil. Cook for 35 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 10 more minutes. Done!

Matching Christmas PJs

Matching PJs 2009

Matching PJs 2008

A new Christmas tradition--matching PJs for Drew and Mommy. Last year I purchased some matching PJs for Drew and me to wear Christmas morning. Thus, when this year rolled around and I was able to make the matching-PJ-purchase, despite much procrastination, it officially became tradition. Repeat. Ritual. They make the adult PJs pretty big, but I didn't force hubby into the mix. Next year there will be three of us with matching PJs. Now, if I were really on-the-ball, I would check out the Children's Place website or outlet store and buy next year's sets! However, with a big move coming, I'm not sure that I'll be able to keep up with all our stuff, let alone something that I'm not supposed to use for an entire year :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year!

When You Are A Mother

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

The Second Time Around

So we are a few months away from bringing another member of our family into this world. Pregnancy has treated me well so far (knock on wood), with the exception of feeling much bigger the second time around--and from the get-go. Positive pregnancy stick = immediate baby bump. I told a friend of mine recently that I didn't think it was emotionally healthy for me to check myself out in the mirror too hard--most especially the rear view, after a shower, for example. YIKES. As I was lamenting the other day, a colleague reminded me that it would be a problem if I were NOT getting bigger. Always nice to put everything in perspective. That's right. It's not all about me. It's about the peanut--who seems to be growing juuuuuust fine.

I have been fortunate to be able to wear the exact same maternity clothes as last time because (1) it's the same season of pregnancy give or take a month and (2) the clothes are still in style because pregnancy #1 was in 07-08. This has certainly helped the family budget. Plus I wasn't nearly as excited about panel-pants this time around as I was last. Actually I'm not really into panel pants at all--there are very cool pregnancy "belly bands" that allow one to stay in her pre-pregnancy pants for quite awhile because the "bands" cover the unzipped zipper and hold everything in place. Fantastic invention...especially the ones with the cute lace at the bottom to make it seem as if you're wearing a lace cami under your shirt.

While the pregnancy itself seems about the same, I most certainly am NOT the same. Much more laid back, I am enjoying just. being. pregnant. I really like to park in "Expectant Mother Parking." And guess what? Second time around = less guilt using those parking spaces because you show sooner. During my first pregnancy I kept my nose in books such as "What To Expect..." yadda yadda yadda. Embroyo. Got it. Fetus. Got it. Statements like "I will TRY to breastfeed and see how it goes." Try to breastfeed? How silly and naive that sounds now, knowing all that I know. I will breastfeed and we will be successful. This time around I am less concerned with figuring out which day each little cell is being formed and what color to make the nursery. All of that was very fun, exciting, and new. But this time I am more concerned about who this in my tummy, what he/she might be like as a person, what our first moments together will be like, whether or not I'll forget what it feels like to have a human moving around in my body. And maybe, a toddler running around is a little distracting, too. But because this could be my last pregnancy (I'm no spring chicken), I am really trying to enjoy the blessing and miracle that it is and remain calm and focused on the task at hand...grow the peanut safely and for as long as possible. My water broke 2 1/2 weeks before my due date with my first child. We'll see what happens the second time around.

Speaking of the peanut, we decided not to find out the gender. The first time around, in the flurry of nursery decorating and registering for scads of gifts we didn't need, it wasn't even a question. We found out. This time around, we're saving it for just us, in the delivery room--the kind of hold-your-breath excitement that we don't often get to experience in this impatient tell-me-yesterday kind of world we live in. Instant gratification--not the second time around. How about in 40-ish weeks?

Oh and speaking of NOT finding out...this creates all KINDS of responses. A lot of dads offer a high-five "way-to-go" sort of response. Most women don't seem to understand. How can you not find out? Don't you want to know? I couldn't do that. It's actually kind of fun to annoy people in this way. And because I teach high school, the students are very curious about what the name choices might be, when the baby is due and...why are we not finding out!?! Because our home is up for sale, I'm not itching to decorate a new nursery. And even if our home were not up for sale (not sold yet...sigh), I think I would still feel the same way. Like I told another with-child friend of mine, when the baby is born, all he/she needs is me. And of course, daddy--but uh...daddy doesn't provide the meals. And as I recall, not a whole lot of sleeping is done outside of someone's arms the first few weeks, and check! Got those.

A second pregnancy is a great example of the opposite of "If I knew then what I know now..." I actually feel like I get to put some amazing experience and knowledge in to practice. I often say to myself, or husband, or friend "This time I will..." or "This time we should consider..." Like I would prefer our hospital room to not be grand central station. While some people might find this offensive or selfish, I recognize the miracle of the precious, amazing minutes and hours post birth that I would like to be just ours--my husband's and mine--not to mention February germs and a mother's need to recover and rest and the baby's need to learn how to nurse. This time I would like to wear my baby more. I was intimidated and a little frightened of my Peanut Shell sling with Drew, and yet it was one of the most useful parts of early motherhood when I finally learned how to use it. I need to purchase a Mobi Wrap (one of very few "products" I would like to splurge on) because it can be used with such young infants. Already used the Ergo with the first--it's ready and waiting to be strapped on again....see how easy this is the second time around? Actually? Just kidding. Will there be surprises and challenges? Every day, I'm sure. Will bonding with a second child while nurturing #1 be difficult? Absolutely. Will there be tears? Many and probably often (damn post-pregnancy hormones).

Yet...I'm so excited...about the second time around.