Weekend Round-up

We have officially survived Lil Z-Bear’s first cold.  Our little cub is doing much better now, he had a stuffy nose and a cough.  Thankfully he did not have a fever, and even despite his misery, Z-Bear was such a trooper and had smiles for us even when he was struggling.  I got to use a lot of the stuff that new mommies buy in hopes of never having to actually need.  Little Noses Saline spray was a lifesaver in keeping Lil Z’s nose clear, as were the grape scented Boogie Wipes.  And I was loving the lavender scented Vicks baby rub and lavender and rosemary Vicks Vapopads.  They did wonders in creating an environment of comfort for the Bear, and for us as well…

Because in addition to spreading overall love and cheer to us, Z-Bear also passed along his cold to us.  The weather this weekend was perfect actually for staying in jammies all weekend, drinking lots of chicken soup, and napping when the little guy napped.  Lil Z, lovable bear that he is, was a sweetheart and didn’t bother mama and papa too much. I think he sensed that we were sick and needed some time to recuperate. 

Sunday I felt a little better, so I did a quick grocery run, and got this gorgeous organic butternut squash to prepare for Z-Bear.  Can’t you tell he is ready to dig in?

And later in the evening, as a treat, my sister and I prepared some yummy chocolate hazelnut cupcakes (recipe from a fellow mommy blogger).

Hubby and I still haven’t gotten rid of the sniffles, but nothing some extra cuddles from Z-Bear won’t fix…

Read Full Post »

Happy Turkey Day!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I am super excited that at Z-Bear’s 5 month doctor’s appointment, we got the green light to start introducing some more solid foods.  What is also great is that Thanksgiving allows for so many baby friendly foods.  So, in addition to the menu I am preparing for our first Thanksgiving dinner with Lil Z, I am thinking of what to feed him that day.  The result: his first veggie is going to be sweet potatoes! But not just any ordinary sweet potatoes, but farm fresh sweet potatoes that we picked together with him at Johnson’s Farm. 

Our bird is 16 lbs, because Lil Z was exactly 16 lbs the day we purchased the turkey.  Yay!  Can’t wait to dig in!

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Read Full Post »

What’s Cooking Good Looking

I love to cook.  If I could make a living by cooking, I’d do it.  But two snags : I am not that great a cook (but I do alright), and the repertoire of things I know how to make isn’t that expansive.  When I step into the kitchen to make something, I either just envision the final dish and add stuff as I go, or I meticulously follow a recipe to make the final product.  I want to share a few of my sources for tried and true recipes:

 101 Cookbooks

I love this website because it compiles Heidi Swanson’s own recipes with those of so many other cookbooks (hence the name). I am willing to go to the mat for this: Heidi is a food genius!  I don’t know how she churns out recipe after delicious recipe without an ounce of meat, fish, or poultry. (And I am by no means a vegetarian!)  Her compilation of recipes focus on ‘natural, whole foods and ingredients’.  I have yet to try something from her website that doesn’t turn out scrumdiddlyumptious.  Her featured desserts make you do a double take with some of the ingredients she uses, but they always come out fabulous!  And her website is not just about food, but also her travels and her photography.  Awesome + Awesome + Awesome = Crazy Awesome! 

Savoring India

Part of the popular Williams-Sonoma Savoring series, you will fall in love with this book even before you make a single recipe.  The book is worthy based on its lush and vibrant photographs and mouth-watering descriptions alone.  Julia Sahini writes about food the only way it should be done: with unrestrained passion and reminiscence of fond childhood memories.  The recipes are easy to understand and easy to follow.   The book is peppered with personal experiences and fun facts.  Every recipe I’ve followed has turned out picture perfect and delicious.  And for those who are curry shy, fear not: the spices give a mélange of flavors, yet are never overpowering. 

Curry, Kabab, and More

This book of Pakistani recipes includes classics such as mattar pulao (rice and peas), shalgam gosht (meat with turnips), and yakhni (meat broth).  All the yummy offerings are the ultimate comfort food for this Pakistani girl: pulao with raita followed by zarda are the equivalent of pot roast, mashed potatoes and apple pie.  The recipes are well thought out and easy to make.  But what I love most: it’s a labor of love, the wife wrote the recipes, and the husband took the pictures in their house on their dining table, complete with white plastic doilies and silk flowers in the backdrop.

Alton Brown’s Recipes

This quirky man’s recipes are fun and flavorful.  His classic American dishes always hit the mark, and don’t be daunted by his rapid-fire pace and gizmos and gadgets, the recipes are quite easy.  Plus, I like the fact that he proves that cooking doesn’t have to be all Martha Stewart-y (no disrespect, I like Martha) and still be really tasty.

Happy eating!

Read Full Post »