Posole Verde

There seem to be areas of life that are best left undiscussed, especially if they happen to be going well. Baby sleep comes to mind. Also weather. Seems that as soon as you say, "The baby has been sleeping so well!" or "Well, it seems like spring has finally arrived," you're in for it. It's almost Memorial Day weekend, and instead of heading to the beach, we're just glad we didn't tuck away all the sweaters quite yet.



My husband has been really busy at work lately, so I've been flying solo at dinner time more often. The bright side of the situation is that I'm able to branch out of the normal rotation and make some delicious meals he might not enjoy. I find a lot of joy in cooking just for myself. Of course I'll be glad to have him back when this busy season is over (so glad!), but I'm enjoying the ritual of cooking, eating, and cleaning up all alone, in a mostly-silent house, after the baby is soundly sleeping. Chopping, stirring, tasting. Predictable, unlike motherhood. A quiet meditation. A sip of wine, a pause... Listening; is the baby awake? No. (sigh of relief.) A little more salt. I set the table (real dishes, real napkins, s'il vous plait), sit down, breathe deeply the delicious aroma. A gift I give myself after pouring myself out for others all day.



This soup came together almost by accident. I've been making several trips a week to the produce market down the street, just for a few things. It's something to do in the time between nap and bed, a time that tends to drag. I grabbed some dandelion greens, and after trying them in a salad (too bitter!) decided to stick them in a soup. The next time I was there I grabbed a can of hominy. The rest of the ingredients were things I had on hand, lucky me! It turned out so magnificently, I had to share. This soup is bright and fresh, in shades of spring green. Enjoy!



Posole Verde

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, membranes and seeds removed, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 29-ounce can white hominy, drained
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups chopped dandelion greens (or kale, spinach, or other dark leafy green)
1 big handful fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
Avocado
Limes

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, celery, and carrots, and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges of some pieces are browning and things are getting softer. Add the hominy and stock and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until everything is heated through. Toss in the greens and cilantro and stir, cooking about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt. Thinly slice half an avocado and place in a soup bowl. Ladle hot soup over, and squeeze half a lime on top. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Serves 3-4

Adventures in Baby Food

We've begun our entry into the wide world of solid foods, and it is every bit as fun as I thought it would be to share new tastes with my daughter. What must it be like to taste a carrot for the very first time? Carrots, to us, are so commonplace. Ho-hum, a carrot. To her, it is an adventure, a new frontier!



We decided to start giving Anne solids because she had started staring us down while we were eating, and grabbing at food or water as we brought it to our mouths. Other great indicators of readiness are the ability to sit up unassisted, and the emergence of teeth (of which our girl has an adorable pair!). We're making our own food for the most part, because it seemed easier, cheaper, safer, and ultimately much more fun. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect, since seasonal eating will be easy as pie in the next few months.



So far, there's nothing she doesn't like. Including a lime (we were looking for a reaction, to no avail). and a spoonful of straight steamed kale (that was so bitter I wouldn't have eaten it). She's won the title of least picky eater in our house.



Here's the stuff that has made it easier for us in the baby food-making department:

1. Immersion blender.


This immersion blender (only $30 at Costco) comes with a tiny food processor attachment. Easy. So easy.

2. Steamer basket.


Perfect for cooking vegetables to puree-able consistency while maintaining their nutrients.

3. Plain ol' ice cube tray (with a lid).


You don't need a special silicone one that's manufactured for babies. The lid is nice, to keep things from getting in the cubes of purees, but I pop them out and store in freezer bags once they're frozen anyway; keeps them fresher (and easier to access).

4. Baby spoons. (Baby bowls? Not so much. I just use the smallest bowls from our normal dishes.)



5. A high chair.



One that clamps directly onto the counter or table is an awesome space-saver. Great for travel, too.

6. Mesh self-feeders for soft foods.



A chunk of frozen banana popped into the mesh part of one of these is food and teething soother all in one. Awesome. I've also put an ice cube made out of chamomile tea (supposed to help teething, too) in there for stroller rides on hot days. Baby popsicle.

I tried to do without buying baby cereal, thinking she could probably just eat the oats I bought for myself. Turns out, it's kind of hard to grind oats finely enough to make a baby cereal out of them, and cooked oats get really pasty when pureed. Easier just to buy a box of the baby oatmeal for now. It's great to thicken up thinner purees, and since it doesn't have to be cooked, I'd say it was worth the $3 I spent on it.



I also really like this baby food cookbook I was given at a shower last summer. It has a lot of good ideas and suggestions for what to introduce when (especially for allergy-prone kids). Mostly, though, I haven't been using recipes. I just take a little bit of whatever I'm cooking and mash it up before I season it. My favorite so far has been asparagus and roasted chicken. It was seriously good.



Baby Food: Carrots
(12 1-ounce servings)

6-8 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

Set a steamer basket over a pan of simmering water (or if you don't have a steamer, place the carrots directly in the water). Cover and steam for 20-25 minutes, or until very tender. Puree in a food processor or blender, adding some of the cooking liquid as needed to thin the mixture. Allow to cool before feeding or freezing.

Garden Update!

Things are happening fast around here. A lot has changed in the two weeks since my last garden update. The weather was crazy, and in the process of trying to harden off my tomatoes and peppers, I killed them. All. Apparently I overwatered them, then put them outside for too long too fast, and then my feelings got hurt, my pride got wounded, and I forgot to water the survivors. So they died too. It was a pretty sad and desperate few days, and here's what I have decided: for now, I'm going to buy starter plants of the ones that need a long head start indoors, and start from seed the ones that can be directly sown outside. The outside plants are doing fabulously! And I adopted a couple of new plants from the amazing garden center in our neighborhood! Let me show you:

Poor guys. *sob*


The first arugula harvest!


Peas climbing.


A stowaway! Carrot seed must have gotten blown by the wind.


A newcomer: Black Beauty Zucchini


Empress Green Beans and Nasturtiums


Arugula, just before I dug it up in favor of a tomato, and sugar snaps


Carrots


Better Bush Tomato (hybrid, supposed to be great for containers), with basil seeds sown all around.


From left: Cherry Cascade tomato seedling and Thai Hot Chile seedling (in the cardboard box); Latham Raspberry bush in the black pot (my Mother's Day gift!); Thai Hot Chile in the blue pot (with cilantro seeds sown in the strawberry pods on the sides), and a Mini Red Bell pepper in the green ceramic pot.

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to take a moment today to honor all the women for whom Mother's Day can be so difficult and painful. For those whose mothers are no longer with them; who are pregnant and wish they weren't; who aren't pregnant and wish they were.  For mothers who have experienced the pain of miscarriage or child loss, especially. I am praying for you all today.

A giant thank you to the woman who taught me what it means to be a good mother; I could not do this without your example or your support. And to the tiny girl who made me a mother: you bring joy to my life every day.

Carrot Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's been a week of firsts: Anne's first time on a plane, first time attending a wedding (congrats, James and Julia!!), first visit to the farmers' market. Yesterday she turned six months old, and it was as if she thought, "I am six months old now, and it is high time I started sitting up unassisted like a big girl." You'd think I would get used to the overlapping and constant milestones, but I just can't seem to catch my breath! Every new thing she does is amazing.



Last night, we had friends over for pizza and half-birthday cake. Sadly, the guest of honor is still working on her purees, and won't be eating any cake for another six months, but we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating on her behalf. (I have the burned finger and shattered pizza stone to prove it; did you know you're not supposed to put a pizza stone under the broiler?)



I've started Weight Watchers again. Five years ago, I lost about 20 pounds on the program, and have since gained it all back (oh hey, baby weight). I thought that since I'm still nursing, and I've been working out with Jillian a few times a week (and trying to get to yoga once a week), that the weight would just continue to fall off. But I had reached a plateau, and I wanted to be more intentional. I share this here only because it's the only way I've ever been successful at losing weight, because I can enjoy the above-mentioned pizza, cake, and beer (oh, I didn't mention that?) without any adverse effects by balancing those choices throughout the day. It just helps to have a portion-control guide. Anyway, in case you're wondering, this cake is 15 points per slice, and I enjoyed every little bite.



Carrot Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Great Cakes

This is a half-cake for a half-birthday. For a regular two-layer cake, double everything, and fill and frost as usual.

For the cake:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple (about 1/4 pineapple), or well-drained canned crushed pineapple
1.5 cups grated carrot (about 3 medium-large carrots)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the frosting:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pecan halves, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat liberally with coconut oil cooking spray one 9-inch round cake pan. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl, and toss together. Set aside. Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, and using the whip attachment, beat on medium-high for about two minutes, until light yellow, thick, and smooth. Slowly add the sugar, beating for about 5-6 minutes until well blended and fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon zest, and stir. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil, and then beat for one minute.

With the mixer off, add the flour mixture all at once, and then mix on low just until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold in the carrots and pineapple. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake about 30-35 minutes, until the sides pull away from the pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Remove the cake from the pan and cut in right down the middle. Wrap the halves in plastic and place them in the freezer for at least an hour or two, or up to a few weeks (see Deb for awesome tips on fancy cakes). This step is optional, but since you are applying frosting to the inside of the cake (the cut side), freezing will help the frosting stay crumb-free. Make sure that you leave enough time for the frozen cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese. Use a wooden spoon to cream until very smooth. Mix in the lemon zest. Add half the powdered sugar, then the sour cream, then the other half of the powdered sugar, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Fill and frost the stacked halves just as you would a whole cake, and garnish with a half-circle of pecans; now you have an adorable half-cake!

Yield: 8 slices

Garden Update!

Every step of this gardening project feels scary, and yet every time I do something it seems to turn out OK, so onward I go! I find myself constantly amazed; amazed that when I open the seed packets, the seeds look (duh) just like the seeds on the inside of vegetables I've eaten my entire life. Amazed that anything germinates, that they sprout more leaves, survive transplants, and un-wither themselves when I forget to water. I think constantly of analogies between parenting and gardening, and I'm sure I'm not the first. Plants and kids: resilient.

My tomato seedlings are completely out of control, having lost all their baby fat and grown into unruly teenagers. I keep looking nervously at the calendar and the ten-day forecast, wondering when they should move out to the roof. I know they will more than likely be fine, but I known them since they were seeds, you know? Anyway, even as I type this, they are enjoying their first field trip (in the front yard, where I can keep my eye on them). They'll having increasingly long outdoor play times for the next week or two, and by mid-may, they'll move to their forever homes on the roof!

The cool-weather crops are all doing great! I planted sugar snap peas, arugula, and carrots in pots on the roof (the same big pots that will soon house the tomatoes, although I'm not sure how the timing will work out) on March 30. Hopefully I can harvest the arugula before the tomatoes need to go in, and maybe I'll get a few baby carrots. I'm toying with the idea of growing the sugar snaps and tomatoes together for a few weeks, and then direct-sowing some basil when the peas are done. The tomatoes are my real priority, though.

And now, a photo tour!

From left to right, just after planting: arugula, sugar snap peas (x2), and carrots.


Pea seeds: just... peas!


Planting:



LIFE!


Hey, wow, I'm growing a salad! Also, germination in the cold harsh world takes FOREVER compared to germination inside.


Oh hey, guys, you're looking mighty viney today! Good work! (Peas)


Arugula! Looking more and more like the stuff at the grocery.


Tomatoes, from left to right: Mexico Midget, Martino's Roma, Evergreen, and Moonglow


Sweet peppers, left to right: Bull Nose Bell, and Tequila Sunrise.


Are you doing any gardening this year? Starting from seeds, or purchasing plants from a nursery? What kinds? Please share, I'm all ears!

Lovely Links (April 2013)

1. Peas sprouting!
2. Arugula sprouting!
3. Warm enough for naps in the stroller. Hand on her favorite toy.
4-5. Peas and arugula at the end of the month; amazing what a few weeks will do! They are really picking up steam now that temps are warmer.
6. Flowering trees. Yes yes yes.

We've had our share of showers last month, and May flowers and warm temperatures are here just in time! Here's some of the best I saw online during April:

Shot over a period of 18 months, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s project Toy Stories compiles photos of children from around the world with their prized possesions—their toys.

I'm so ready to break out the ice cream maker again, and this malt ice cream is the first on my to-try list.

Why the iPhone culture of the 21st century would make a modern-day Breakfast Club impossible.

If you're still sold on the idea of low- or non-fat dairy, this is a must-read. Why it isn't good, in a nutshell: it leads to weight gain, not loss, doesn't protect against heart disease, and is basically just a byproduct that's leftover after dairy farmers make the more valuable full-fat products, like cream and butter.

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling.

I am all over this Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad.

This letter from a mother of nine to a mother of one made me cry.

How to eat a falafel in Lebanon. When is someone going to invent teleportation so I can do this for lunch?

In honor of Earth Day, Jenny wrote an awesome, awesome post about greening up your bedroom (i.e. your family planning choices). Did I mention awesome?

I made a whole batch of the Pioneer Woman's mango margaritas (thanks to Sarah for making them for me first!!), and stuck them in a plastic container in the freezer for the hot days ahead.