And I guess Mac & Cheese is now out.

Mister man has been monumentally fussy lately, so I'm thinking it may be something he's eating...which means something I'm eating. Which means, again, I have to alter my diet. About 50% of babies with food issues are sensitive to dairy, so that's where I'm starting. (Full disclosure: I'm an idiot and couldn't figure out what "dairy" consisted of other than milk, cheese, and yogurt. Um, as it turns out, butter. Duh.) So buh-bye, Italian and Mexican (and cookies!!!), and hello Asian.

I'm fine with this, really. You know I'm a big fan of food with an Asian kick, but most of my favorites are also spicy, and I figure spice can't be helping E's stomach much either, so somehow I'm going to have to get used to bland(er) versions. I broke out this recipe for that reason-I started making this stir-fry in my pre-spice (AKA pre-Hubby) days, but haven't in a long time. Cause yeah, it's a little bland. Add some sriracha and it's much better. But that's just my chile-loving bias talking.

I served it with potstickers, so I also made a sauce for those...it is kind of spicy, but so good.

Sesame Chicken Stir-fry
sunflower, peanut or canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
4 small portabellas, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, cleaned, tops trimmed and sliced thickly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, cleaned, halved and thinly sliced
8oz Asian noodles (your choice), softened according to package directions.
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Heat small amount of oil in hot wok. Add chicken and stir-fry until white. Add garlic, green onion, bell pepper and mushroom, stir-fry about 5 minutes or until mushroom is soft. Add noodles, combine well, then add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss all to coat. Heat through another minute or two.

Potsticker Sauce
Combine:
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Sweet chili sauce to taste (a few tablespoons)

Someone explain Pintrest to me. And also, my cookie obsession.

I don't really get this whole Pintrest thing. Maybe I'm using it wrong? It just seems to me like a glorified version of Delicious, which saves bookmarks online rather than locally on your computer. But everyone can see and comment on them. Am I wrong? A lot of you are already following me, but I'm mainly just using it as a place to bookmark recipes so it makes it easier to use my phone as a reference in the kitchen, so don't expect too much from me. You will, however, probably find a lot of my tweaked recipes in their original forms, so you know...whatever that means.

As a designer, I totally understand the need to catalog inspiration. It's the public part I don't get. It makes me feel old and crotchety to say this, but unless you're asking me to buy it for your birthday, I don't give a shit what yellow sweater you like. YOU should care, and I appreciate your using one location to organize links to them should you decide to actually buy one, but I certainly don't need to follow as you pin sixteen of them.

That said, feel free to pin any of my posts. It'll do wonders for my self esteem, I imagine.

The original recipe for this Mexican-esque White Chili (which, yes, is on my Pintrest) calls for 5 cups of chicken broth, which is insane—I cut it to 3 cups and it was still far too soupy. So I'm recommending you start with 2 cups and add more as needed. Also, I was out of garlic (AKA hadn't used any in so long it was rotten) and used about a teaspoon of garlic powder instead, and it was fine. I also happen to love cinnamon in chili, but you may not, so maybe start with half the amount if you aren't sure.

Oh, and what are those baked goods in the background, you ask? I'm not supposed to be baking anymore, but they're the best oatmeal cookies pretty much eva, so I'll spill (recipe at bottom...I think it's the almond extract, so don't skip that part unless you have to).

White Bean Chili
Package ground turkey
One small onion, chopped
Couple cloves garlic, minced
7 oz can green chiles, chopped (or two 4 oz cans of pre-chopped)
About 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Chicken broth (up to 3 cups)
3 cans cannelloni beans
about 2 cups jack or cheddar cheese ( I used two kinds of cheddar)
Cilantro to serve
Tortillas to serve

In a stock pot or Dutch oven, sauté turkey, onion and garlic over medium high heat until turkey is completely cooked, about 8-10 minutes.

Add cinnamon, cumin, pepper, cayenne and chiles and continue sauteeing another few minutes.

Stir in about 2 cups of broth. Drain two of the cans of beans, and add to meat. Drain about half the liquid from the third can, and then empty contents into a blender or food processor and blend til smooth. Again, here's an example of when it's awesome to have an immersion blender-just stick it right in the can. Add bean "paste" and about 1 1/2 cups cheese to the pot and stir. Let mixture simmer about 15 minutes, adding more broth if desired.

Serve with warm tortillas and top with remaining cheese and chopped cilantro. And sour cream, if it's too spicy for you...


Ridiculous Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
2/3 cup sugar (softened)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Handful chocolate and/or butterscotch chips (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
1 1/3 cup ready-to-cook oats (Quaker, etc.)

Heat oven to 350. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In large bowl, mix butter, sugar and molasses with a hand blender until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond. Mix in flour mixture.

When well combined, stir in oats and chips-it will be really thick. Drop smallish globs onto a cookie sheet (12 per sheet) and cook about 12 minutes or until beginning to brown. Let cool a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen. I can't stop eating them.

Ok, I'm done. The oven needs a time out.

I'm hoping this is it for the baking for awhile..I'm out of flour, and besides, my ass definitely does not need any more cookies. Breastfeeding or not, I need to cool it on the junk and get back into shape.

But that's next week. I'm not supposed to work out until I get the doc's go ahead, so let's pretend that's a carte blanc for fatkid atrocities in the meantime.

Chocolate and Butterscotch Chip Cookies
1 cup and 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 375.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. In large bowl, mix butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg. Add in flour mixture a bit at a time until well combined. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch.

Drop small mounds of dough onto cookie sheet with spoons or your fingers. You should fit a dozen on each tray (makes two dozen). Cook at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown at edges. Let cool on a wire rack.

It's getting out of hand here.

Two more bake sale options for you this week...I volunteered to take some cookies to a picnic this weekend (and I don't buy things for potlucks unless I'm forced to) plus I have a very pregnant girlfriend who has moved past her ice cream addiction and onto cookies in her last few weeks, so I figured I'd kill two birds and bake enough for both.

You can substitute regular chocolate chips for the butterscotch if you want, and use whatever granola you like (including with fruit/nuts). Just keep the pieces small.

Granola Butterscotch Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granola, small pieces (I used Quaker natural granola with almonds)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

In small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

In large bowl, combine sugar, butter and vanilla, and mix well until creamy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture a bit at a time until combined. Stir in granola and chips.

Drop by small spoonful (or fingers) onto cookie sheet. Should make about two dozen.

Bake at 350 for about 12 min or just turning golden. Cool a bit and move to wire rack. Store in Tupperware or ziplock.

Sleep when he sleeps, my ass. I've got shit to do.

I so hate to brag, but I'm writing this with one hand. Because you know what's hard to do while holding/feeding a four week old?

Everything.

So you know what else is amazing? In the past 36 hours I've:

• Done three loads of laundry (and even folded/put away one of them...so far)
• Taken two showers (one with shampoo and a blow-dry)
• Put make-up on (once)
• Gone to the post office
• Bought coffee at 7-11
• Gotten Lil' E in the Bjorn all by myself*

• Gotten five freelance jobs prepped and ordered
• Bought cereal and wine at Fresh & Easy
• Picked up my paycheck (my 'leave'check, I should say)
• Eaten one meal while it was still hot
• Kept the bear cub fed, alive, bathed and mostly** dry
• Oh, and most importantly***, I baked Snickerdoodles

Normally, I could probably do all of these things during, like, an episode of Desperate Housewives. Which, that reminds me, I actually watched while feeding the cub one of his 13 meals yesterday.

*Photo actually taken 2 weeks ago on our first outing, but my mom says I look rested and pretty. I call that "sunglasses." This is actually today. How is he that much bigger in 2 weeks??

**I cloth diaper part-time. They do not keep him dry. I imagine it's like sleeping in a warm, wet towel. Nasty.
***Ok, maybe this shouldn't take precedence over my child's well-being. But you don't know how badly I wanted a cookie. Also, it's baking. It's gross how much I've been doing this lately.

Did everyone but me realize that Snickerdoodles are just butter cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar? I've always loved them, but never thought to make them. I thought they'd be more of a hassle than they were worth. I was wrong.

Snickerdoodles
1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour (I mixed white and wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
! cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp or so of vanilla
1 tsp or so of cinnamon
1/4 cup or so sugar

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a larger bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating until creamy. I used a hand mixer and it was a pain in the ass. I imagine you could also do it by hand or in a stand up mixer. Whatever gets it done.

Add egg and mix in completely. Beat in vanilla, then add flour mixture a bit at a time until dough is combined. It should be really thick and fairly hard. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for an hour of so.

Heat oven to 375.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon on a plate or shallow dish. Pull off small pieces of dough and roll into small balls (an inch or so across) with your hands. Roll each ball in the sugar mixture and place on cookie sheet. A dozen should fit on each sheet-recipe makes 2 dozen.

Using your hand, the bottom of a glass or a spatula, press each ball down to flatten out a bit. Cook at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool a few minutes before transferring to wire rack. Or just eat them all hot, either way.

Oh god, I'm a mother who bakes.

To be honest, I mostly decided to make banana bread because when I mentioned it would be a good use of some old bananas, my mom snorted a little and claimed I wouldn't do it. Don't dare me, Ma. I'll do it.

The rest of the reason was that my man Lil' E (his gangsta name) was sound asleep and I was dying to get off the couch and do something different. Plus, I have a gorgeous new oven and hadn't gotten to use it yet.


This is pretty much the easiest banana bread ever, by the way. Throw it all in at once, mix, and cook. Which, as we know, is really the only way to do it in my book.


Banana Bread
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1.5 cups flour
1/4tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Heat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until just mixed. Pour into greased bread pan and cook for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Let cool before removing from pan and slicing.

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

A public thank you to my husband.

Since the only meals I've been making lately are of the milk variety, the Hubs has totally taken over the kitchen.

Whether it's been heating leftovers our moms made, or his amazing meatballs, salads, burgers, steak or pizza (thanks to a beautiful new oven-many kisses to my mother in law for that one!), this man has kept me fed and sane the past few weeks.


Taking care of this little man is exhausting. Thanks for helping take care of me, too, babe. Without you, I'd be subsisting solely on cold bagels, pretzels and Diet Coke.

Oh, that reminds me...we're out of Triscuits. Just sayin.'

Xoxo.


-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Extra Schlooppy for you.

So I have a confession...I've eaten Sloppy Joes like, twice in my life. I have no idea what they're supposed to taste like. And I have no idea what the appeal is. I mean, it's ground meat and onion and sauce...just make a burger. That way you can have lettuce and tomato on it and it's somewhat more balanced and tastes like grown up food. I just don't get it.

Me: So? Whaddya think? Are they good?
Hubby: Oh, yeah, they're good.
Me: Huh. (Examines my Joe carefully.)
Hubby:...what about you? Do you like them?
Me: I...I don't know...I'm very confused...

Anyway, he had two. One was plenty for me, but I was all over the Asian slaw I made for the side. So, you know, here are both recipes.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
half an onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
a good squirt mustard (2 tsp or so)
One cup of ketchup
Good pinch each of S&P (1/4 tsp each?)

Spray a pan lightly with cooking spray and sauté onion and bell pepper for a couple of minutes. Add beef, and cook over medium high heat until brown, 5 minutes or so. Place in crock pot and stir in remaining ingredients.

Cook on high for 4 hours (or however long you've got). Serve on lightly toasted buns.

Asian Coleslaw
2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Small piece of ginger (about the size of a garlic clove), minced
1 tbsp peanut or canola oil
About 3 cups of coleslaw mix (cabbage, red cabbage and carrot)
half a bell pepper, thinly sliced and halved
handful of cilantro, chopped

Combine peanut butter through oil and set dressing aside. Mix veggie mix, bell pepper and cilantro, then toss with dressing right before eating. It gets a little soggy for leftovers, so keep that in mind.

If there's an award for looking hot when 40+ weeks pregnant...

I'm not even going to bother entering. Hubby's basically got me on house arrest, so my uniform's been fairly consistent. Oversized yoga pants, a Lakers T-shirt, flip flops and glasses. Showered, yes, because I am well aware that every shower could be my last for awhile. So my saving grace right now is that I am well cleansed, conditioned, scrubbed, and exfoliated.

So how does it feel to have your due date come and go and still find yourself pregnant? It's not awesome. I'm no more uncomfortable than I was last week or the week before, really...it's a little harder to bend over (but I'm still able to lotion my legs and clean the cat box...yoga pays off?) and I've got random pains going on in and around my belly and...other areas, but I'm not miserable.

Bored? Yes. Annoyed? A little. But mostly, I'm tired of my phone going off. Turns out that people really want me to have this baby, and to have it on time. A small sample of texts I've received in the past two days:

Did you have your baby yet or what?!?
Baby news??
Where da baby at?
Update?
What is the latest report?
That baby come yet?
Has baby popped out yet?
Is it time for the baby? Is everyone bugging you about this?

Sigh. I'm trying to be present on facebook so people know I'm around, but there's only so much I can do, and there's only so often I can talk about it, especially when I'm trying not to dwell on it. So please, if I sound at all annoyed when I respond to your text with "buh" or "no." or something equally un-enthused, know that I don't mean it personally. I just don't have anything new to tell you. I don't know when the baby is coming. Yes, we were due on the 19th. But as our wise birthing class nurse pointed out, it's a due-week. Only 5% of babies are born on their due date...and this baby will come when it is ready. (Or I'll be induced on the 29th. These are the only certainties I know right now.)

So basically, when there is something to tell, I will tell. But it may not definitely will not be the second the baby is born. We're not even letting our families in the delivery room, so I'm afraid facebook is banned from there, as well. Give us a few hours, ok?

And now, I'm going to go put some make-up on. Because you just never know...

Olive Cheese Bread

I cannot get enough bread these days. My absolute best friend is currently the Il Fornaio loaf at Fresh & Easy. It's the best heat and serve loaf ever. Ever. And they come in full loaves and little personal sized ones if you're not planning on gorging yourself (right.). Carb heaven, let me tell you.

And what makes fresh bread better? Cheese. And Olives. Obviously. Damn it, Sam.

No joke, these are ridiculous. Maybe you don't need to pile them as high with olives as we did, but if you do, I'm certainly not going to judge...

Olive Cheese Bread
2 to 3 minced garlic cloves
olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Regular or reduced fat crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
Kalamata olives, chopped

Heat over to 425.
Cut bread in half, lengthwise, and lay crust side down. Drizzle olive oil lightly over bread, then sprinkle with garlic, using a knife to spread it out a bit. Arrange shallot in an even layer across bread halves. Top with cheese and olives, then bake about 15 minutes. Serve hot.