Phabulous?

We did Sam's Chicken Adobo last night, and while I have no idea if it's super authentic—Adobo is like the mainstay recipe of the Philippines—it was mighty tasty.

Which brings me to my question of the day...why are people from the Philippines Filipino? The ph-f conversion confuses me. Can someone explain this one to me? People from France aren't Phrench. People from Philadelphia aren't, um, Filadelphians.

I'm not stoned, I swear, though I realize that's kind of a stoner thing to get all caught up on. Anyway, just wondering. Doesn't matter. We'll move on.

I also made Filipino eggrolls, called Lumpia, though I know they're supposed to be smaller than what I made...I used egg roll wrappers instead of wonton wrappers, cause that just seemed like that much less work. When you're cooking in half hour increments (AKA "Naptime") 20 big rolls seems far less daunting than 60 small ones. So they probably weren't as crunchy as they should have been, but whatever. I served with two dipping sauces-one I'll give the recipe for, and the other was just 1/4 cup or so of sweet chili sauce with a tbsp of fish sauce added. And then I mixed the leftover sauces together at the end, and that was actually my favorite of the three. (Actually, I preferred the rolls the next day, too, just reheat about 5 minutes a side at 400.)

And I used ground turkey, but ground pork would probably taste better. Also, when you open the eggroll wrapper package, and there are only 10 wrappers, even though the nutritional information clearly states there are 21 in there, relax. They're stuck together. Don't shrug and start rolling anyway.

Again, not stoned. But really not helping my case here.

Simple Chicken Adobo
2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp fresh ground white pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 bay leaves 
Hot rice, to serve

Note: I used boneless/skinless thighs because I think chicken skin is utterly disgusting. It still worked, but was a little drier than it should have been.

In large pot or dutch oven, combine soy, vinegar,  pepper, sugar, garlic and bay leaves over high heat. Add chicken. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn over chicken pieces and leave uncovered to simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Serve over steamed white rice.

Lumpia Eggrolls
1 lb ground lean pork or turkey
1 carrot, (or about 10 baby carrots) grated
1 small white onion, grated
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped fine
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 /2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package eggroll wrappers (about 20)
1 egg white, beaten

Combine meat through pepper (probably easiest to mix with your hands). Coat a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling  on a wrapper and roll up. Dip your finger in the egg white and use as glue to close, and place seam side down on cookie sheet. Repeat til you're out of either wrappers or filling. Obviously.

Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes a side (20-25 minutes total).


Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with the water
1/2 inch piece ginger, grated

Mix. Dip. 

Four—oops, FIVE—month check in.

Cross posted at Salt & Nectar

I'm not going to be cliche and gush on and on about how fast time flies, because I don't really feel that way. I mean, a lot has happened, and E's changed so much, but time seems to be passing at a normal clip. I'm not sitting here clinging to the past/present and "Oh, if only he'd stay like this forever"ing...I'm more excited to see what he'll do next.

I get grief from other moms with toddlers about this a lot..."Don't wish him bigger!," "Once he's walking you're screwed!," "You think he's a lot of work NOW..." And I do think he's a lot of work now. And maybe I'm being totally naive about the whole thing (this is definitely possible), but I'm happy he'll eventually be a little easier to self-entertain. Cause right now I'm going a little nuts.

So, to all you fellow quasi-type-A, 'I can work from home with a baby—how hard can it be? They sleep all the time, and I can multi-task like a mo-fo' future moms out there, lemme break it down a minute here.

E is a 30 minute at a time napper, and although he's up to about 4 naps a day, I spend an additional 40-120 minutes of my day trying to get said naps to even happen. So the "babies sleep all the time" line is total bs. Sure, some babies do. But that doesn't mean yours will.

And unless you have a champion napper, you're not going to get anything done. Because when they aren't sleeping, they need attention. They need to be fed. They need to be changed. They need you to make them laugh. They. Need. You. If you're going to attempt to work from home, prepare for a lot of evening, early morning, and weekend work. The only days I truly get anything done are when my mom comes to visit mid-week. (Note: tears from a stressed out new mom plus a retired grandma are a very effective combination.)

And now the fun stuff. Here's what's happening in new-mommy land.

I am shedding everywhere. We have two cats who like to make their presence known—I regularly find cat hair in my car, on dishes, in the bathtub and other once-sanitary cleanish places like that…and now I'm joining the pack. I hadn't lost a hair in 9 months, and then, boom. Three months post-partum on and I'm finding it in drains, on clothes, in diapers, in my lunch… it's like living with sasquatch. Add the fact that E has a grip like a bulldog-and his favorite handle is my hair-and I have a bit of a situation happening here. My sister presented me with some salon-quality hair thickener/growth inducer yesterday that's a favorite amongst her new mommy clients. Fingers crossed. (But so far, so good. I love having a product-rep/stylist sister.)

Not everything can be steam sanitized. Teething rings and the microwave don't mix. Unless melted plastic was your goal.

Speaking of, sticking a refrigerated ring or cold water in your baby's mouth for the first time is quite fun…I can't lie, I love the 'WTF, mom?!' face he's been perfecting lately. I can't wait for food. And I don't think he can either. Right now everything goes in his mouth. Everything.

Cloth diapers are gross. Even with a fantastic diaper service like I had. Because while the service does the super gross part and cleans them, I still have to change them. And they bunch. And twist. And soak through. And as cute as the covers are on the outside, the inside can get downright disgusting. And that part I have to clean. I lasted three months. And then it was time for some Honest Company diapers. They're as close to earth friendly as I can find while still being cute and well reviewed. And cute they are.

His toes are his favorite snack.

I believe whoever came up with the term "cat nap" must have also had a mini-horse sized cat like my Ramona. And that cat thought that the best time to tromps through the nursery—knocking over frames and whatever else happened to be in her path, hopping on and off changing tables, and climbing up and then perching upon the back of the rocking chair—was exactly 4 minutes after the baby drifted off at nap time.

We've learned that hitting thing against surfaces make awesomely fun noises. It's especially fun to hit things against his own forehead with alarming strength. Sophie, water cups, teething rings…And all good parents know that the best thing to do when your child is in self-inflicted potential harm is to point and giggle. We try and tell ourselves he won't actually dent his perfect little forehead, but we're usually laughing so hard we can't stop him anyway.

We're finally sleeping through the night (He won't go to bed before 9pm, but he'll sleep til 7am, so whatever.) And if that's not good enough, in the morning I generally get the world's best smile; it's like the kid is about to break his face. It's generally accompanied with some form of "agadabowiehaha(wookie noises)ba!" Which obviously translates to "Hi my indentured servant Mama! I missed you doting over me and now I'd like to hang out and have you change this soggy diaper and feed me. Now!

Suddenly the cats are very interesting.

The cute dude in the mirror is one of his best buddies.

I'm not sure this is supposed to be happening yet.

So all in all, this kid is a definite handful, but he is the happiest baby ever. Seriously. He smiles at everything, laughs at nothing, and is generally in a good mood most of the time. His mama is extremely grateful for that. Even if she gets nothing done during the day.

I'd like to also note that the post partum has all but passed...I really was struck by the outpouring of support online and in person, so I'd like to thank everyone for the concern and kind words.

Aiming for a six month check in next...
xoxo,
Pammy

I should ask the people at In N Out for some pointers.

What is it that I'm doing wrong with burgers? If I've learned anything from the Food Network, it's that pressing down your burgers on the broiler/grill makes them dry. And so I make them all pretty and flat and big, thinking they'll stay that way, and then as soon as they hit the heat, it's like a cotton sweater in the dryer type situation.

Or maybe I just need smaller buns.

Anyway, doing some Sam recipes this week, cause fast and easy prevails. I love that he cooks like I do, with super unspecific measurements, but I know that drives some people crazy, so I try my best to accommodate y'all when I do his recipes. He says to use 1/2 cup of any type of fresh herb combination (thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro etc.) here, so just know that you don't have to use what I used if you like other herbs. And all I had was dried thyme, so, you know. Use whatcha got.

*Is it gross that my photo was post-bite(s)? Sorry. My bun was dwarfing my dainty little patty, so it was the only way I could show layers.

Honey Mustard Burgers
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup total of basil leaves, finely chopped (a good handful of leaves) and mint leaves, finely chopped
About 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Good pinch each of salt (sea) and fresh ground pepper (white)
Romaine or other lettuce leaves
Tomatoes, sliced
Buns (I used Hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls)
Horseradish mayo (optional)

In small bowl, combine honey and mustard. (Voila—Honey Mustard. I know.)

In large bowl, combine meat, herbs, S&P, and 1/4 cup of the honey mustard mixture. Mix well with your (clean) hands. Divide into four clumps and shape into patties. Hopefully you're better at this than I am.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, and spray with just a bit of cooking spray. When hot, add in patties, and cook 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. They may get a little burned looking on top, but that's ok.

Toast buns, and spread honey mustard on each. I also spread a little bit of horseradish mayo on one side. Top with lettuce, tomato and patty.

Served with a mix of really unfortunate looking (read:burned) sweet potato fries and steak fries, so I avoided getting those in the pic.

I made muffins.

Two things. Only two, because it is early and I am tired. Also, Mister Man is asleep in the swing next to me, so my time is not only precious, it is fleeting.

One.

Fiber One muffin mix is legit. The blueberries are pretty fake, but I only really like blueberries when they're fresh and not baked, so that's fine with me. Plus, it's 5g fiber per muffin. I want to eat two, but am afraid. 10g fiber in one go (um, no pun intended) is a potentially scary thing.

Which brings me to two. I am not cleaning out the catbox today, and I am not telling Hubby why.

I swear, I can't leave this cat alone with human food for 30 seconds. 

The return of the pantry meal

My fridge is pretty bare...we were going out of town for a couple days, so I didn't want to over do it with the shopping or with the cooking (aka with the leftovers).

I bought these mushroom ravioli things at the store last week, and have been trying to think of a non-cheese, non-tomato based sauce to serve with them. We had garlic and we had shallots, so i figured that was a good start...the rest I winged.

I love/hate reductions. They taste so good, but I generally get caught up doing dishes/checking email/watching whatever game Hubby's watching, and end up burning the shit out of it half of the time.

Ok, most of the time. But I watched this one like a hawk, expecting disaster, and this time it worked (yay me!). Sweet and sour and savory...it was a good mix.

Mushroom Ravioli with Garlic Balsamic Reduction
1 package mushroom ravioli (any brand)
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
Olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 broth (I used beef)
Salt and pepper
Honey

Heat a splash of oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and broth. Let come to a boil, and reduce heat slightly to simmer.

(at this point, get your pasta cooking. Drain and set aside once it's done. )

Watch the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has started thickening and has reduced to about half the amount. Squeeze in a little honey (the better quality the vinegar, the less you'll need. I have organic but cheap vinegar and used maybe a tsp of honey), and sprinkle in a pinch of pepper and salt.

Add in drained pasta and toss gently.

Happy Baby Daddy Day!

Everyone have a nice weekend? I hope you got to spend some QT with your daddies, baby daddies, or by blissfully ignoring the holiday altogether. My dad's in Costa Rica right now (I know, his life is hard), so I didn't get to call him, but I'm taking Lil' E to visit on Thursday, so I'm thinking I'll be forgiven.

We don't really do much for holidays around here—flowers and a card are pretty much the hubby's MO, which is fine with me. But this new mama was still pretty annoyed when he totally blew off Mother's Day altogether last month. So instead of ignoring Father's Day, I decided to buck up and make him feel guilty celebrate my man.

Whatever, I made him a dinner I knew he'd like and got him a card. It's not like I bought him a gift or anything, come on.

Indian Spiced Pork Salad
1 pork tenderloin (about a lb-or you can use boneless chops)
1 8oz container greek yogurt
About 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (I used white)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 piece ginger (about 3/4 inch long) peeled and minced
Good shake red chile flakes (1/2 tsp?)
3 celery stalks, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
About a cup of grapes, halved (I used green)
1/2 cup mango chutney
About 1/3 cup light mayo
Juice from half a lemon
Romaine, to serve
Naan bread (I like garlic Naan-check Trader Joes or Fresh & Easy)

In large ziplock, combine yogurt, S&P, garlic, ginger and chile flakes. Seal, and mush together until well combined. Add pork, reseal, and mush around some more until it's well coated. Stick in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

When marinated, heat grill (indoor or outdoor) to medium high. Remove pork from bag and throw away the rest. Cook tenderloin about 6 minutes, roll over, and cook another 6 minutes on each additional side (4 sides total), or until done. Let sit about 10 minutes, then slice. Let cool some more, then pull apart into bite sized pieces and place in large bowl. Add in remaining ingredients (through lemon), and toss gently. Stick back in the fridge for a half hour or more to chill.

Serve over romaine leaves with warm bread. I also served with pilau, which rarely works out well for me, so I guess I should give yesterday's recipe, too:

Pilau
Olive Oil
Half an onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
5 cardamon pods
About 1/4 of a cinnamon stick
2 tsp curry powder
1 heaping tsp cumin
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed well and drained
2 cups chicken broth

Heat a swirl of olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, and saute a few minutes until onion has softened. Stir in bay leaves, cardamon, cinnamon, curry and cumin. Saute another minutes, then stir in rice. Saute one minute more, then add broth. When it comes to aboil, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes, and leave covered until ready to eat. Remove pods, cinnamon, and leaves before serving.

I don't always plan ahead, but when I do, I prefer something tasty.

For the negative three of you who don't know...I had a baby in February. And I don't know how many times I can use E as an excuse for not cooking/posting, but I'm going to milk it for as long as humanly possible. Because when I DO cook, it's more likely than not of the of the "Holy shit, how is Jeopardy already on? WTF are we going to eat?" variety.

What I need to do is plan ahead and make weekly meal plans. When I do, it works out, but it's so much easier said than done. This is from one of those magical days where I planned ahead—we had a cold greek pasta salad from somewhere I honestly can't recall (Costco, maybe??), so I thought I'd try and recreate it as a hot main entree. A list was made, E and I went shopping (he's great as long I narrate the shopping trip to him as we go...once we hit the check out line, however, he loses it and turns into Mr. Crankypants. The second I pay and wheel the cart out, however, he's his usual sweet, babbling, giggly self. He loves the "let's make strangers think my mom mistreats me" act. He thinks it's hilarious.)

Anyway, the plan worked. I'm still not eating much dairy, so I went without the feta and I didn't miss it at all. Hubby was a fan of it both ways.

Greek Pasta
One jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
2 small chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
Half a small red onion, halved and sliced
Olive oil
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Balsamic vinegar
Pasta
Herbed feta (optional)

Heat oven to 425. Combine tomatoes and onion in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a splash of balsamic. Toss to coat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

While the tomatoes roast, cook the pasta. Drain and return to pan with a bit of olive oil or cooking spray.

Sprinkle chicken with thyme, basil, oregano and salt. Heat a tbsp or so of olive oil on medium high, add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Add artichoke hearts and tomato mixture, cook another couple of minutes til hot. Pour into pasta and combine gently.
Top with herbed feta to serve.

The three month check-in.

Cross posted at Salt and Nectar
Well, three months in, and everyone is still alive.

And I could say that the reason I haven't been writing about it more frequently is because I'm busy (I am), that I'm exhausted (oh, my god), that when I have a moment of free time all I want to do is sit on the couch and veg out (with wine). But really, I think the real reason I've had such a hard time finding the words to share the past 12 weeks is because I've had more postpartum than I'd like to admit. And certainly more than I want documented online for my son to one day potentially read. While I know the kind thing to do would be share it with you in the case that you have or will one day feel the same and know you aren't alone, I just can't.

But I've struggled. A lot. With emotions and feelings that I didn't want to have or share or be judged by, no matter how common this 'side-effect' may be. The bottom line, however, is that my son is perfect, and beautiful, and awesome, and all I want to do is make sure he knows that his father and I will do—and always have done—anything and everything needed to make sure he knows that we're in his corner. Cause, seriously, look at this guy.

So. That said. Moving on.

Looking back at all the research and judgmental observation of other parents we did while I was pregnant, no one just came out and told me what we really needed to hear. And so I'll say it.

Put the pile of books down. Stop worrying about what kind of schedule you're going to put a tiny, helpless human who has been in the world for mere days or weeks on. Stop judging other parents because they are doing it "wrong," because they're doing what they have to do to survive. Seriously. And stop listening to what worked for your best friend/aunt/mom/grandma/neighbor/stranger at the grocery store. Because what you think will happen is not going to happen.

You hear me? It's. Not. Going. To. Happen. You are not in control of this situation. You will never be in control of this situation. I thought I'd be relinquishing some control, sure. And then the boss showed up and let me know I was just a fool for having any preconceived notions at all.

My child was not going to use a pacifier. 
And then, on the second night of nonstop crying unless he was being nursed, the nurse informed me he was likely using me as a pacifier. If I wanted to get any sleep at all, she recommended the real thing. I refused, because the book* said not to introduce them before 4 weeks. About 4 days and numerous crying fits (mine, not his) later, I realized I couldn't act as a human pacifier if I wanted to function in the world, and I caved. Nipple confusion, my ass...he still nurses just fine, thank you.

*"The book" refers to any number of books. No need to be specific, because this was always my answer: "But the book says to..."

My child was not going to sleep in our room. He has his own room and a monitor for a reason. Sleep in our bed? Not a chance.
And then, when every peep he made the first night home had me in his room, peering at this tiny little thing in his giant crib wondering if he was ok, it was quickly clear that he needed to be in our room. But as we had no bassinet, we had to fashion a makeshift bed for him (and found a second use for his changing table pad), which we placed between our heads. And then we all slept.

When we bought him a bassinet the next day, after five minutes of sleep he promptly decided that was enough, and the screaming began. And the only way I could get him back out was in the crook of my arm in my bed. Which is precisely where he stayed the next 11 weeks until he decided the Rock and Play next to the bed would suffice. His crib is the next stop...one step at a time.

I didn't need my mom the first week. 
But she came anyway. And then one night she wordlessly took the crying child from me as I paced the house, sat up with him from 2-5 am, and I remembered what it was like to sleep during those hours. The next day, she cleaned my house and went grocery shopping. Again. My mom is awesome.

I'd just sleep when he sleeps.
Ha. Hahahahahahaha. Right. This has got to be the single Worst. Piece of Advice. Ever. This child didn't sleep during the day for the first 10 weeks (note: no, this does not mean he slept better during the night), and if he did, it wasn't more than half hour at a time. (It's still only half hour at a time, but at least now we're up to 4 or five naps a day). So how exactly does that give me time to sleep? You at some point have to feed yourself. A non-toasted plain bagel is not exactly the type of meal I was used to. It's no wonder I lost 17 pounds the first week.

And a shower is nice. Shampooed hair is nicer. Blow-dried clean hair totally wins. And since our moms can only visit for a day or so at a time, I've been pretty much on my own to do basic house stuff the rest of the time. Laundry has to get done. (Mine can wait, but this kid knows how to crap his way through multiple outfits a day.) Dishes need to be washed (not optional. We don't have a dishwasher.) Anything that isn't baby centric needs to happen. Cause hello, if I have a half hour to myself, I'm not about to sleep through it.

So what have I learned the past 3 months? Basically, that this is hard. Like, hard in ways I didn't know were possible. Breastfeeding alone is an 8+ hour day (at least the first couple of months—by now we're down to 5 to 6 hours a day. I know because I have an app that times it. Obviously.) Every moment of the day is consumed by the need to care for someone else. And sure, some babies sleep through the night by the second week, nap constantly, or only eat for 10 minutes a side. Some babies only poop once a day—or every three days—by six weeks. Some babies are, well, boring. But E is so, so not that baby.

He is, however, a champion at the toothless grin. He's crazy strong and frustrates himself by constantly trying to sit up by himself. He thinks it's hilarious when I sing Jack Johnson songs to him. He talks constantly. He loves bath time. His favorite thing to cuddle with is whatever t shirt I slept in the night before. He knows that the best time to ruin a diaper is the minute I've put on a clean one. Or, even better, when I hand him to Daddy.

So we're learning. Every day is different, and every day is a challenge. But we're hanging in there.
Happy three months, Mister Man.

I will chop and you will like it.

When I hear the phrase 'primary caregiver', I can't help but think it sounds like 'only' caregiver. Obviously I know what primary means—and as the parent who is home all day with Lil'E, I am the one who does the bulk of the job. But there are two of us, so I hate having the "primary" title. I'm not sure what my point is here...I guess I find it unfair to hubby when he does his (almost) fair share. And when hubby is home, it's definitely nice to have someone there to pass the baby to.

Basically, I need a break by 5pm, so I'm glad Hubby's hands-on. He comes home for lunch most days, but it's usually when E is eating, so I still only get a few minutes of baby-free time before he has to head back. So when he gave me a hard time about spending 'too long' making a couple of new recipes for dinner, I was a bit put-off, I gotta be honest. An hour by myself in the kitchen is like an hour in my own private little oasis. I'm sorry if the baby is fussy for you for an hour, honey. He's been fussy/attached to me for the past 4 hours straight. You can handle it. Me? I'm gonna go get lost in some chopping.

These are great Indian recipes for if you want something different and crazy flavorful but without a whole lot of work (no matter what your spouse thinks)—they have lots of ingredients, but most are spices.

Indian Tomato Chicken (Tamatar Murghi)
Half a large brown onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
About a 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
Olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 inch of a cinnamon stick, crushed (or a good dash of ground)
1/2 tsp all spice
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8, less if you have a small pan)
1 can diced tomatoes
Water

In a blender or food processor, combine onion, garlic and ginger, and pulse/process til smooth. (Or you can dice everything if you don't have a processor) Heat about a tbsp of oil in large saute pan (the biggest you have) over medium high. Add onion paste and saute about 10 minutes. Add all the spices and cook another couple of minutes.

Add chicken and turn it over/move around until each piece is coated in spice mixture. Try to have them touching but not overlapping in the pan. Pour in the can of tomatoes (with juice) and about a 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low and cover. Cook 45 minutes, then remove lid and cook another 45 minutes. The sauce should be really thick-only add a tiny bit of water if it looks like it may burn.

Potatoes and Cauliflower (Gobi Aloo) 
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small piece ginger (1/2 inch), peeled and minced
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
About 1 pound cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Big pinch chopped fresh cilantro (plus more to serve)

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sautee garlic and ginger about a minute, then add the potatoes. Stir in turmeric, paprika, cumin, garam masala, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cauliflower and cilantro into the saucepan and toss everything to get the cauliflower as coated as you can. Reduce heat to low and cover. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking 10 minutes, or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Add salt to taste.

I love deceptively simple dinners.

As my entire life revolves around what time Lil E needs to be fed (every two hours during the day. Still.) I either have to plan dinners that I can prep in advance or that take next to no time to throw together.

This pork roast looked and tasted far more involved than it was-I just whisked together the glaze ingredients and salad dressing, boiled and drained potatoes, then got the meat in the oven before I sat down with him. By the time the Worlds Longest Eater was done, so was everything else-I put Hubby in charge of checking the meat, and it came out perfectly.

All I had to do was mash potatoes, slice the pork, and chop an apple, and dinner was on the table. You can use lamb for this, or substitute plain apricot or other preserves if you prefer.

Apricot-Pineapple Pork Roast
2 lb pork roast (or bigger. Or smaller. Whatever.)
Cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup pineapple/apricot preserves
Good squirt brown mustard (less than a tbsp)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine preserves, garlic, mustard, soy and Worcestershire. Sprinkle roast well with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook at 350 for approx 30 min, then brush with glaze. Cook another 10-20 minutes or until 145 inside (Approx. 20 min a pound. Or be lazy like me and buy a roast with one of those magic pop-out things in it). Remove, brush with more glaze, and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with more glaze on top. I placed on a simple sweet potato mash (sweet potatoes cooked in salted water and then mashed with margarine) and a salad with apples, cranberries, goat cheese and homemade apricot-pineapple vinaigrette (equal parts preserves, olive oil and apple cider vinegar plus some fresh pepper and a dash of mustard.)