mmmm

So, pregnancy is apparently making me not update this very often.

Truth be told, I don't think it's the pregnancy, I think it's the impending Christmas.

You see, I'm hosting Christmas dinner, and I thought this was fantastic, until it started getting close. And I remembered that I had a 17 month old. And then I got pregnant, which made me tired. Always. Tired.

So, I'm starting to get quite panicked about Christmas dinner, and every time I go to post here, I think "I should probably finalize that menu and work out a timeline so I know what I can make ahead of time".

Then, instead of doing that, I stalk other blogs, stare off into space, and dream of what food I'm going to go out and buy for lunch.

Speaking of, does anyone know where I could buy some Welsh Rarebit.

Anyone?

All I want is some toast with cheese sauce.

Anyone?

Damn.

Quick update

God I've been tired.

So, so, so, so, so, so tired.

Sorry.

I've just been REALLY tired.

That's why there's been no updates.

Who updates blogs nowadays anyway?

Sigh.

So, updates to come tomorrow, including a crying Oliver is a snow suit, a crying Oliver with Santa, a crying Oliver with a cookie...

Wait, I'm starting to see a trend here. I'll break it up with a ridiculously happy and cute Oliver at home with me for a snow day. I've got some yeasted waffles too.

You must make/eat yeasted waffles.

You'll never go back.

Especially to eggos. Unless you're, like, in a rush.

I'll admit it.

I still stock eggos in the freezer.

But I really shouldn't.

I think I made something else too, there's a vague recollection of something cheesy and pasta-ish...manacotti maybe? With spinach I believe. Sounds about right. I didn't take a picture of it though. Because I suck. And I was stupid hungry and just slapped it on my plate and devoured it. The recipe is really great though, so I'll get it up too.

Back to why I'm even posting right now.

I'm nervous. Really ridiculously nervous for no reason in particular. Well, except that I'm a little bit nuts in a few different respects and that tends to allow me the headspace to worry for no reason in particular.

C'est la vie.

Today, at 12pm, in 1 hour and 51 minutes exactly, I'm having an ultrasound to check on our little baby number 2. Bo's meeting me there. I've had nothing out of the ordinary happen for the last two weeks, but even still, I'm so nervous. I just feel like something's going to be wrong.

I'm pretty sure I did this to myself the first time around with Oliver.

But I can't really remember.

So I keep telling myself that it's instinct, that there is something wrong.

Then I eat another au caramel.

Which isn't helping because I'm pregnant and should be eating only fruit, salad, and vegetables. And cheese, because a person can't not eat cheese.

I'll go back to doing that as soon as I get this ultrasound taken care of.

Besides, I'm only eating the au caramel's because Oliver's daycare lady mentioned them last night, which made me make Bo go and buy me some, which I now can't stop eating.

So it's all her fault.

I'm going to give my OB her number and let her deal with it.

I wonder if that will work.

I wonder if this is what they meant by "stream of consciousness" writing.

I'm pretty sure it is.

Fascinating being in my brain, isn't it?

Ok, anyway, after the ultrasound I have my first appointment with my OB at 1:30. I'm not worried about that though, more curious because I can't remember all the details of the last time around and I'm hoping she'll be able to jog my memory.

Fingers crossed.

Why... WHY

Why can't I stunt his growth?

Why does my boy insist on growing up so quickly, and doing such "kid" things?

What happened to my baby?

I miss my baby.

A couple of weeks ago he decided to start drinking from a straw. Now it's juice boxes, all on his own, without spilling a drop anywhere.

I can't take this.

It's too much.

*running off to google growth stunting*

One last thing... please ignore how exhausted he looks. My child does not sleep, not at day-care, not at home. He wakes up at 7, goes to bed at 11 and we can't break it. Lord how we'd love to, but we can. Bo and I literally do a happy dance when he finally crashes on night at 9 because we get to go to bed early.

Breakfast in the K house

Nov. 9, 2010

These are old. But they're great, so I had to play catch-up. I meant to post them a while ago but they just got lost on my computer, the abyss the it is.

Here's my guy, getting my other guy some much wanted milk.

And here's my guy yelling at me for taking the picture.

I think I'll just try licking the strawberry jam...

Aww man, it's getting in my nose... must try just the jam though.

I'm not sure I feel like strawberry jam after all.

If only there was a way to try another type of jam? Wait, there is!

Mom...

MOM...

Thanks for the black currant jam Mom, much better!

I think I'm getting a little too sleep to eat anything else Dad.

Mom, why doesn't Dad listen to me?

What do you mean he doesn't have to? He's the adult? He's DAD.

You're so silly Mommy.

I had to include this one too, it's from a few days before, late at night, when our little guy was quite tired but just would not go to sleep. Have I mentioned that I love this kid!

Have I mentioned that we REALLY need to get some sort of picture up above that cough. Groan.

Freaked out

Ok, so I'm a little freaked out.

I just noticed one of those weird things that you notice in life that just kinda confound you.

Yesterday I posted my dang it post about the brown butter fried gnocchi at 9:13am.

Today I posted the actual recipe for brown butter fried gnocchi at

9:13am

I hate this kind of weird stuff.

It always make me feel like someone's screwing with me just to see if I notice.

I do.

So stop.

Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Apple Bread

I'm asking a favor today: Don't just me because I give this to Oliver for breakfast, and snack, and just whenever he wants it. Ignore the chocolate and focus on the fact that it's full of zucchini and applesauce. And it's delicious. So, so delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Makes: 2 (9" x 5") loafs

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 c white sugar
½ c vegetable oil
½ c apple sauce
3½ - 4 c grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (hello Pam) two 9" x 5" loaf pans.

2. In a small dish, mix together the melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla, cocoa powder and the cocoa powder butter mixture.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips so that the chips are well coated in flour. Stir the flour mixture in the zucchini mixture until well combined, then pour into the prepared loaf tins.

5. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes:


1 - You can also pour this into 4 of the smaller aluminum loaf pans you buy in the foil aisle at the grocery store, then freeze the cooked loafs. These smaller loafs take 40 minutes to bake.

2 - You can substitute the 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder for 2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1 oz each), melted. I just find it easier to use the cocoa powder and butter.

Tips & Tricks: By adding the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and giving it a good stir to make sure they're well coated in flour, you stop them from sinking in the batter as the loafs bake!

I think

I think...

That today I would much rather be in bed then at work.

With Oliver perhaps.

Watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

And maybe we could go downstairs at some point and make a mess of something (you'd hardly notice with the state my house is currently in).

I think that we would make cookies, so that Bo could snack on them in the car one his way to and from London (not England) today.

Then I think Oliver would take a four hour nap.

And so would I.

And that's why I think this day would never actually be possible.

Gnocchi

Brown Butter Fried Gnocchi

Absolutely my new favorite side dish. Absolutely!

Prep Time: 5 minutes to get water boiling
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side

Ingredients:


1 pkg gnocchi (just buy the shelf stable kind, it's great!)
3 - 4 tbsp butter
fleur de sel (or fresh ground sea salt)

Directions:


1. Get a pot of water boiling and add half the package of gnocchi. Cook according to directions (boil for about 3 minutes, until they start to float). Be careful not to over cook of they'll be too mushy. Remove the cooked gnocchi and repeat with the second batch.

2. While the first batch of gnocchi is boiling: In a frying pan over med-high heat melt the butter until starting to brown. First it will foam, then when the foam goes it'll start to brown and you'll see lots of little tiny brown bits form. Yumm.

3. Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, until the outside is golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with the slightly bit of salt. Enjoy!

Dang it.

I keep forgetting my pictures of brown butter fried gnocchi at home. This truly is a crime. Because they are delicious. So delicious I'm now making them as a side for Christmas dinner, even though to my ridiculously Canadian family that is the last thing you would see.

We're (meaning historically, before this year, my first year cooking) a Christmas dinner consisting of:

Turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts with a cream sauce, cauliflower with a cheese sauce, and Pillsbury crescent rolls. Oh yeah, the obligatory pickle tray too, can't forget that, Bo loves his pickled beats!

This year though, well, things are a changing. And they're starting with brown butter fried gnocchi.

Did I mention how fantastic they are? Crisp and nutty tasting on the outside, soft little pillows on the inside.

Bo's actually requested that I make them in lieu of potato chips on the weekend.

I'm totally down with this.

Tomorrow, I swear, tomorrow.