Happy 1 Month Birthday, Charlotte Rose!

Dear Nugget,

I can't believe you're a month old already!! Where has the time gone?? It feels like just yesterday that Daddy raced me to the hospital (hitting every pothole, I swear) so we could welcome you to this world. It has been amazing and surreal to watch you grow so much already. I am so thankful that you are a part of our little family, and I can't imagine life without you.

I hope you always want to snuggle with me as much as you do now :o)

Love,
Mommy

p.s. Can you stop growing now and stay tiny forever??? K, thanks.

What a difference a month makes...

Stats

At birth                                                                          1 month

5lb 10 oz                                                                         7lb 0oz 

18 inches long                                                    19.5 inches long

How we survived the first month of babyhood...

Well, today marks Charlotte's ONE MONTH birthday! I can't believe how fast she is growing up already! [insert emotional mommy tears here]  Speaking of emotional Mommy tears... Carter's has a new commercial, and it is a tear-jerker, folks. I cry every.single.time I see it. Then Andy makes fun of me for crying every.single.time. I just blame the post-pregnancy hormones. That's a legit excuse, right??

Anyways... I can't believe my little Nugget is one month old already. What's even more difficult to believe is that Andy and I survived the first 4 weeks as first-time parents! I realized very early on that while I had spent months researching pregnancy symptoms, indicators of labor, birth pain relief options, birthing methods, etc, I had completely failed to research what life would be like once we actually had an outside baby. I knew that newborns go through tons of diapers, cry a fair amount, and sleep most of the day, but that was pretty much the extent of my newborn-baby-knowledge. Being the planner that I am, I don't actually know how I allowed this lack of preparation to happen. Fail.

Looking back on the first month with our little girl, there are a few things that have made our life just a little bit easier. I'll be the first to tell you (because I am convinced new parents try to seem invincible and no one actually says this out loud) - the first 2 weeks with a newborn are HARD. Well, actually the first 4 days were smooth sailing. We brought her home and she slept about 20 hours each day, only waking up to feed and get changed occasionally. But after day 5 exhaustion set in. Our cute little Nugget was waking up every 60-90 minutes at night to eat. Awesome. After a week of this, I was a complete mess. I felt like I was failing as a mother, even though she was breastfeeding and gaining weight like a champ. The more I talked with other moms, the more I realized that these feelings are completely normal, and like a right of passage. It's just a combination of exhaustion [a total of 5 hours of sleep a night...maybe], stress [am I doing this right?!], frustration [didn't I just feed you 20 minutes ago??], emotions [I cry at commercials], and hormones [holy hormonal roller coaster, Batman]. Normal!

Once we hit week 3 with Charlotte, we really hit our stride. We all figured each other out and Andy and I became her baby whisperers - "oh that cry means gas", "she's clearly hungry now", etc. Our confidence as parents improved, and our little Nugget began sleeping in longer stretches (it's amazing how 4 hours of consecutive sleep makes me feel like Wonder Woman). While a lot of this can be credited to Charlotte's developmental advances with age, there were a few products that pretty much saved our sanity in the first month. While these may not work for everyone [let's be honest, every baby and family situation is SO different] these are the things that worked wonders for us. We aren't experts, so these are just based on our humble opinions and experiences. I hope they help some other desperate, new, sleep-deprived parents to get through the first few weeks.

Our 15 must-have products for month 1:

Clockwise:
1. Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Rock n Play This item is listed first, and for a very good reason. This RnP is the one product that single-handedly saved my sanity (I'm not exaggerating). The first 3 weeks consisted of my little angel Charlotte waking up fussy and crying every 60-90 minutes. Needless to say, this was very tiring for Mommy. The newborn napper in her Pack n Play didn't seem to do the trick for her anymore, and after about 2 weeks of nearly sleepless nights I finally caved and bought this RnP. The first night she slept in two FOUR HOUR stretches. Like.... 4 hours straight....twice!!! I was so excited that I woke Andy up, then I had a tough time falling back asleep after (very similar to my reaction when I was little and couldn't sleep the night after we got home from Disney World). If you are a new parent and struggling to get sleep, buy this RnP right now. Go. Buy it. Use it. Thank me later. Sure, in a perfect world I'd put Charlotte in her crib and she'd sleep for hours straight, but until that happens, the RnP is my best friend.
2. Avent 0-3 month Soothies According to her pediatrician, Charlotte is a "grazer" - basically she acts like she wants to eat very frequently, but falls sound asleep 3 minutes in. Technically this is called "non-nutritive sucking" because it's not really a meal, it's just for comfort. Well, as much as I love to comfort my baby, I'd prefer to not be a human pacifier at 3 am. Enter the Soothies. We don't use these a ton, but when our sweet little babe is being particularly fussy we pop one of these in and it's instant relief for her. I think we have one of these in every room right now, just in case. Final perk? Pacifiers have been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS... win win!
3. Halo Sleep Sack Micro-Fleece Swaddle Charlotte has been swaddled since day one in the hospital... and those people are experts! We even had one doctor swaddle her with a built-in hoodie using just a regular old blanket. It's pretty much baby origami! We got really good at it using the A+A blankets, but I was nervous that they just weren't warm enough anymore. We tried out this sleep sack with built in swaddle and it's fabulous. SO easy to figure out, very warm and cozy, and wonderful for middle of the night changes because it zips right up for easy access.
4. Chicco Keyfit 30 Carseat in Romantic This car seat was one of the items I spent the most time researching before baby. We ended up with this one because of the high safety ratings, ease of cleaning, and reasonable price (have you seen the prices of some of infant car seats?! Yikes!). Because you aren't supposed to use warm bulky clothing in the car seat, the included foot muff is also very warm and convenient for the winter months. And I love the neutral colors, though the "Romantic" color is very hard to find.
5. Gerber Newborn Onesies with Mitten Cuffs Charlotte was lucky enough to be gifted tons of beautiful newborn outfits - she will be one well-dressed little girl! The problem? They were all MASSIVE on her because she was only 5 pounds 10 ounces. These onesies were the only clothes that fit her for about 2 weeks, which meant that she pretty much lived in them day and night. The other great thing about these onesies are the little mitten fold-over cuffs so she can't scratch her face.
6. Bose Sound Dock and iPod Ok you don't need a super fancy sound dock and iPod, but what I do recommend is some way to play white noise when baby sleeps. We have a Sleep Sheep which also plays white noise, but it only plays for 45 minutes, after which Charlotte woke up. We downloaded the SleepPillow app for an old iPod we had, and play it loudly all night using our sound dock (Charlotte's favorite is the rain sound). The first night we used the white noise, it worked beautifully in two ways: first, Charlotte fussed less. Second: it allowed me to block out some of the little noises she makes so I was able to sleep better as well. Find a way to play white noise... it's great!

Left to right, starting at the top:
7. Graco Pack n Play in Bermuda. Since Charlotte is sleeping in our room for now, this is baby-central upstairs. All diaper changes happen here, and for now we are storing current-sized clothes under the newborn napper. Heads-up: as of the time we registered for this item, it was the only Graco PnP that had a supported changing station. All of the other changers were flimsy and baby would roll when placed there. Was it our number one color choice? Not really. But it's sturdy and we love it.
8. Diaper Pail. In the world of diaper pails, this one is pretty basic, and that's why it's so great. Forget specialized bags or scented re-fill things. This sturdy diaper pail uses a standard trash bag, so we can use what we already have. It really traps the diapery goodness in the pail and is very easy to use. Skip the Genie thing and get this one. 
9. Munchkin Wipe Warmer. We didn't think we needed a wipe warmer, but we got this as a gift and Charlotte sure appreciates it! Life as a newborn can be tough enough, why not spoil them with a warm wipe?! I'm so glad we have this!
10. Pre-fold cloth diapers. We aren't cloth diapering, but these pre-folds are great as burp rags! Forget the pretty, fancy burp rags and go for these. Super absorbent, and cheap!
11. Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Very thick and effective diaper rash cream. We are using it at the first sign of redness and it's wonderful!
12. Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes. Best. Wipes. Ever. Just get these wipes. They get the job done!

13. Aden + Anais blankets. We used these for swaddling at first until our little escape artist started to wiggle out of them. These blankets are great for dozens of things - we like to cover her car seat with one when we're heading to the pediatrician because it's lightweight, but still keeps her warm and cozy!
14. Crane Drop Cool Mist Humidifier. Because she was born in fall, it was inevitable that the heat would be on for the first months of her life. And because the heat was on, the air got very dry - this humidifier was a lifesaver to keep her skin from drying out, and also to help her nasal passages stay nice and clear. Plus it's adorable, and the cool mist kind of freaks Andy out!
15. Chicco Keyfit Caddy Stroller Until she is big enough to go into her City Mini stroller, this lightweight caddy is perfect for quick trips to the store or pediatrician. Her Chicco carseat clips right in so I don't need to wake a sleeping baby. There's lots of storage underneath, and it folds very flat to fit in the trunk of our sedan. I've used this countless times already!

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

I totally made this recipe up. Ok, don't worry, it's awesome! Recently I was put on bed rest because our little baby girl decided that she might want to make an early appearance into the world. As a result, I've had a lot of free time on my hands, which I have been putting to good use making up lists of foods and recipes that I am craving. Feeling the crisp fall air rolling in, my food cravings have been turning to comfort foods, squash, and hot beverages. Anyone else??

I think lasagna is one of those go-to comfort foods for many people. Traditionally, I stick to a hearty meat sauce, herby ricotta, and layers of pasta. Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with a traditional lasagna, but I was really craving and autumnal version of the classic - something that was a little lighter, but still comforting and something that accentuated the classic fall flavors I had such strong hankerings for. And so butternut squash and mushroom lasagna was born.

I poked around the interwebs for recipes (that Andy could make me, of course) and nothing caught my eye. Meh. Obviously, the next logical step would be to make something up. So I did! I completely made up a recipe. And you know what? It worked! Beautifully! Yes, I was as surprised as you. Squash and mushrooms replaced the meat, and bechamel replaced the red sauce, but the general idea was still there. Luckily I had made enough lasagna in my life to know the "basics" - no runny ingredients, use good pasta and multiple thin layers, have flavor packed into each component, and there must be a cheesy top.

If you like fall flavors, you will love this recipe. It's warm and comforting, but not super heavy, and the flavors all complement each other perfectly. Try it, you'll love it. This isn't the fastest recipe you'll have in your book, but man oh man is it delicious... and worth every ounce of effort! Oh, and make sure you get a 3 pound squash for this recipe as the butternut squash layers are the best part of the whole dish! Yum!

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

Makes two 8"x8" pans, or one 11"x13" pan 

Ingredients
Butternut Squash Layer:
1 large butternut squash (3 pounds) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mushroom Layer:
1 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned
3 tbsp. chopped sage leaves
1 (10 oz.) box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt and pepper, to taste

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tbsp. butter
5 tbsp. flour
4 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

lasagna sheets (fresh are best (1/2 lb), but you can use dry - just follow the directions on the package)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese


Directions:
Make the butternut squash layer. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and spread out on the baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once, until the squash is very tender. Puree the squash (or mash) until smooth. Transfer squash to a medium bowl and mix in the ricotta, mozzarella, and egg. Stir to combine, then set aside and allow to cool.

Make the mushroom layer. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. In the meantime, chop the mushrooms in a food processor (you can also chop by hand, but I found the food processor to be much easier!). You can go as chunky or fine as you want with the mushrooms, but smaller pieces make neater lasagna layers. Add the chopped mushrooms to the onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to cook down and release their liquid, then continue cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes total. Add the sage and spinach. Cook for 3 more minutes, then set aside and allow to cool.

Make the bechamel. In a medium pot, whisk together the flour and butter over medium heat until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the milk. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a few grates of nutmeg. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna: You can use an 11x13" pan, or two 8x8" pans. (If you use the 8x8, you can freeze one for later... this is what I did and it will come in handy as a quick dinner when baby is here! Just assemble in a foil pan and cook according to the directions below. Cool, cover tightly with foil, and freeze. To re-heat, allow the lasagna to defrost in the fridge a day or two ahead of time, then cook at 400 degrees until heated through.).

In the bottom of the pan, spread a thin layer of bechamel, followed by one layer of pasta. Continue making thin layers as follows: squash, pasta, mushroom, bechamel, pasta, squash, pasta, bechamel. You should have two layers of butternut squash mixture and one layer of mushroom. Make sure you save enough bechamel to make a thin layer on top! On top of the last layer of bechamel, sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until melty and hot. If you want a toastier top, feel free to broil for 2 minutes at the end. 

Phew! A lot of steps, but it's totally worth it. Enjoy! :o)

Broccoli and Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Disclaimer: this recipe sounds strange. The first time I stumbled across this dish I was so confused - broccoli and peanut butter... together?? Ew. But alas, it is a delicious combination! The peanut sauce is salty, spicy, and slightly sweet and paired with the broccoli and chicken it makes a (surprisingly) delicious dish. Trust me! Oh, and you can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and using vegetable stock, so that's always a bonus.

After making chicken satay the other night we found ourselves with some extra peanut sauce (never a bad thing) and I figured I would give it a try as a stir fry sauce and it ended up working perfectly! I think I will always meal plan to have these two dishes in the same week so I can make the sauce once and use it for two recipes... hooray for laziness. Give this recipe a try. It might sound a little weird at first, but it's truly delicious, not to mention very healthy! Enjoy :o)

Broccoli and Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

serves 2

Ingredients

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 cups broccoli florets

1/2 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1/4 cup stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable all work fine)

1/2 cup peanut sauce

red pepper flakes to taste (about 1/4-1/2 tsp)

salt and pepper to taste 

cooked rice for serving (optional)

In a large wok or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove to a plate. Add the broccoli, bell pepper and stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is crisp-tender. Return the chicken to the pan and add the peanut sauce and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat everything evenly. Cook until everything is heated through, 2 minutes. Serve the stir fry on its own or over rice. Enjoy while hot. Yum!

Chicken with Peanut Satay Sauce

Ok ok before all you know-it-alls get antsy, I realize this isn't a "traditional" satay sauce. I didn't grind my own peanuts, I omitted the ginger, and I'm fresh out of lemongrass, but this is still a delicious peanut satay inspired dish. For those of you unfamiliar with satay, it is basically meat that has been marinated and grilled, then dipped in a sweet and salty peanut butter sauce. It's divine. This version is no exception. 

After researching a variety of satay recipes, I found some common ingredients and decided to venture off on my own to make a simplified, yet tasty version using what I had on hand (gosh that seems like a problem of mine). I am happy to report that the experimenting paid off! I wasn't planning to blog this dish, but halfway through dinner I forced Andy to stop eating so I could snap a few photos to add to the blog. He got a little grumpy, but I succeeded. The flavors of this dish are appealing to both adults and kids alike, and this could easily be served as a main dish protein along side a veggie and some rice (edamame in our case), or it could be served room temperature as an appetizer. Whatever floats your boat. Enjoy!

Chicken with Peanut Satay Sauce

Serves 2 main dish portion

Ingredients

Marinade

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

Peanut sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (the "natural" peanut butter is better than a Jif or Skippy type of peanut butter, but use what you have on hand)

1/3 cup chicken or beef stock

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. lemon or lime juice

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. soy sauce
dash of cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Other

wooden skewers (1 per chicken strip) soaked in water for 30 minutes

non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the marinade except the chicken. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat the marinade evenly over each. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, skewer the chicken strips onto the soaked wooden skewers. Discard any remaining marinade.

In the meantime, make the peanut sauce. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together all ingredients for the peanut sauce. Once it begins to simmer, cook for 5 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and transfer to a small serving bowl.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. 

Serve the chicken skewers along with the peanut sauce. Yum!

Basil Pesto

Ahhh pesto - such a humble sauce. A few simple ingredients come together to make a classic pasta dish that's hard to beat. Our herb garden really did well this year (well, not all herbs, but most did fine) and we found ourselves with a ton of extra basil... not a bad thing! I decided that it was time, once and for all, to try my hand at a yummy basil pesto. Traditionalists will tell you that pesto should only be made with a knife or mortar and pestle - no food processors or other electronics. Well, sorry traditionalists, but I don't have an extra 30 minutes to spend in my kitchen milling a pile of herbs to fine bits. (I'm sure it tastes awesome. If you have the time and patience to make it by hand, by all means go for it... and bring me some when you're done!). I chose to use my food processor for this because it is just so darn convenient.

Beautiful Basil From Our Herb Garden

Because pesto is such a simple sauce, it's vital to use the best ingredients you can manage. That means no "parmesan" out of a green-lidded can, kiddos. Use the real stuff. Trust me. Also, look for basil that is young with smaller leaves if possible. I find that when basil matures and flowers it tends to get bitter, which will impact the flavor of your sauce (ick). Finally, take the time to toast the pine nuts. Holy cow do they taste so much better when you toast them! 

If you have a pile of basil lying around, or if you just love pesto, please give this a try. It's the best version I've found, and pretty darn simple as well! Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups packed basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (yes, the real stuff), plus extra for serving

1 pound dried pasta (I prefer whole grain spaghetti, but use what you like)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water while you make the sauce. Reserve some of the cooking liquid before draining.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the basil, garlic and pine nuts until minced. You might have to stop and scrape down the bowl a couple of times if you have some runaways. Through the feed tube, slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the food processor running. Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss together the pesto and pasta until well combined. Add a few splashes of pasta cooking water to help the sauce stick (I know it seems counter-intuitive, but the starchy water is like glue!) and toss again. Portion into serving bowls and top with a little more parmesan cheese. Yum!

p.s. This sauce would also be great on top of chicken or steak... mmm

Stovetop Lobster Mac and Cheese

Yum. I feel like I don't even need to write commentary for this dish because the recipe title should be more than enough to lure you in. Lobster. Macaroni and cheese. Together. Yes. Now in my traditional Italian home, seafood and cheese rarely crossed paths, but this is certainly one time to make an exception!

This is a recipe that we have been trying to perfect for about a year or so. It always comes out great... but not perfect. Fast forward to Father's Day 2012 in Connecticut - Andy and I treated my dad to a meal of grass-fed rib eye steak and sirloin steak tips, tomato salad (his favorite summer salad), and a side of this lobster mac and cheese. I hate to admit it, but I think this side dish stole the show! I had to write it down quickly before I forgot what we did :o)

This would be perfectly delicious without the lobster, but if you can manage to add it, please do! The Mac and cheese base and technique would stay the same regardless of what add-ins you chose to use, so get a little crazy if you want.

Stovetop Lobster Mac and Cheese

Makes 6 typical side servings (or 4 "Andy-sized" side servings)

Ingredients

Meat from 1 lobster (if you cook and pick your own, only cook the lobster for 6 minutes or so, otherwise it will overcook later and get chewy. Ew.)

1 pound small pasta (I highly recommend fresh or refrigerated pasta if you can get it, but dried pasta would be ok in a pinch)

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. butter

2 cups milk or cream

1/2 cup mild or sharp cheddar, grated (don't use the pre-shredded cheese as the powdery coating it has on it will not yield a velvety smooth sauce)

1/2 cup creamy fontina cheese, shredded

8 oz creme fraiche

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (if you are cooking your own lobster, you get bonus points for cooking your pasta in the used lobster cooking water! It might sound icky, but we do it every time and it's a win-win). Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain and set aside.

In a medium sized pot over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to form a roux. Once a smooth paste has been formed, whisk in the milk (the sauce should coat the back of a spoon, but not be too thick). Continue to cook the milk mixture, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and steam, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in all of the cheese, creme fraiche, mustard, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Add in the lobster meat and pasta and stir to combine. (It might look like too much sauce at this point, but that's a good thing as the pasta will soak up some of the sauce as it sits.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the oil and toast the panko breadcrumbs until they are golden brown. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

I'm not usually a breakfast person, but since this little baby has been incubating in me, I am suddenly starving by the time morning rolls around. Like, my stomach grumbles loudly before I even roll out of bed. This is not normal for me. Towards the end of school I resorted to muffins and granola bars, so now that I am on vacation I decided it would be a good idea to make some muffins to have around for my morning starvation. My favorite type of muffins are definitely blueberry, especially when they have a little lemon zing to them and a sugary, crunchy top. Lucky for me, blueberries are in season and looking great, so I set off on my muffin making spree! 

This particular version of the recipe came out great. I made mine a little extra large because I like when the top puffs over and gets a little crunchy (the good type of muffin top, ladies!). These also freeze well - I defrost mine in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds so they get a little warm.

Blueberry Muffins

Makes 10 larger or 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup slightly softened butter, cubed

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried (feel free to use more than 1 cup. Frozen does not come out as well)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. If you have a muffin pan prone to sticking, I suggest also spraying cooking spray around each cup in case they cook over.

Make the crumb topping: in a small bowl, mix together all crumb topping ingredients using a fork. Set aside.

Make the muffins: in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until combined. Add the egg, oil, milk, vanilla, and lemon and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Evenly scoop the batter into the muffin pans (fill 10 cups 7/8 full, or 12 cups about 3/4 full). Spoon the crumb topping evenly over each muffin before baking.

Bake at 400F until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (for larger muffins about 22-25 minutes, for regular sized muffins about 18-22 minutes). Allow to cool slightly, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Check out those blueberries!!

Pizza Dough.... finally!

A couple of years ago, Andy and I ventured into the world of homemade pizza. At the time, that meant a ball of store-bought dough and a greased baking sheet...easy peasy. We loved experimenting with toppings and ended up making some pretty great creations! After researching pizza a little bit more, we adapted and updated our technique. We swapped out the baking sheet for a pizza stone, we played around with the cooking time and temp, tried versions with cornmeal vs. flour vs. oil as a base, and we experimented with types and quantities of toppings. 

The pizza was good. Real good. But something was still not quite right... the crust. Don't get me wrong, the store-bought stuff did it's job by holding the toppings and crisping up, but it just wasn't exactly what we were hoping for. We both agreed that we prefer a thinner, chewier crust as opposed to the puffy and doughy version that our store version provided for us. Thus began the new - and most difficult part of our - pizza endeavor. Crust. 

Well, as it turns out me and yeast do not get along. Our tumultuous relationship has become evident with my failed attempts at various homemade breads and baked goods, and apparently pizza dough, as well. (Insert discouraged sigh here). Not going down without a fight, I continued searching and discovered The Bread Baker's Apprentice and the slow and cold rise pizza dough method. Say whaaat? No warming water for yeast? No finicky temperatures to deal with? No proofing on the counter? Sign me up!!

This dough is perfect. I have come to realize that everyone likes their pizza slightly different, but for us this is THE crust for two reasons. One: it is foolproof and effortless to make (trust me, throw it in the fridge and leave it alone). Two: it has the perfect consistency, especially when baked on a pizza stone. The only downfall is that it takes a little planning ahead. For example, if you want to make pizza on Friday night, you should make the dough on Monday so it has proper time to come together by dinner at the end of the week (see this nifty fermentation timeline). Also, you need to take the dough out a couple of hours before you bake it, so if you aren't good at planning ahead this might take some serious iPhone reminders to plan for. It's worth it. Trust me.

Pizza Dough

Makes 6 balls of 6 oz. dough, or 4 balls of 9 oz. dough 

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups unbleached bread or all-purpose flour, chilled 
1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. instant yeast 
1/4 cup good olive oil 
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold 
cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Slowly mix in the oil and water on low speed until the flour is absorbed. Switch to the dough hook and mix the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until a smooth, sticky dough is formed (the dough should clear the sides, but stick to the bottom). Add more water or flour, as necessary, to create a springy, sticky dough (not just a little tacky... like sticky). The temperature of the dough should be around 50-55 degrees F.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter or on a board and dump out the dough. Using floured hands split it into 6 equal portions, and form the dough into 6 smooth dough balls. FYI: the dough could also be split into 4 (9 oz.) portions for a larger pizza. Lightly coat each portion of dough with olive oil (the spray kind in a can makes this easier) and put into individual plastic food storage bags. If you are using the dough within 3-5 days, pop it into the fridge, otherwise you can freeze it for future use (lasts up to 3 months). Just take the frozen dough out of the fridge about 5 days prior to the day you want to use it and continue with the next step.

On the day you want to cook the pizza - 2 hours before meal time: sprinkle the counter lightly with flour, and use a little more spray oil to spritz the top of the flour. Dump the dough ball on top of the oil/flour and gently press into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with more flour, mist with a little more oil, and cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Walk away for 1.5 hours.

1.5 hours later, preheat your oven and pizza stone to the highest possible temperature that your oven will allow (mine goes up to 500 degrees). Let it pre-heat for at least 30 minutes. If you are using a sheet tray, do not pre-heat the pan.

After 2 hours are up: Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and form one ball of dough into a large circle with floured hands. (If you're brave, try tossing it!). When the dough is about 9-12 inches in diameter, gently shake the pizza peel to make sure the dough hasn't stuck (that is a miserable situation to be in when you try to slide it into the oven, trust me) and add more cornmeal, if needed. Brush the outer 1 inch edge of the dough with olive oil, then top as desired**. 

Slide the topped pizza onto your pizza stone and bake for about 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven, rotating as necessary to ensure even cooking. Once the pizza looks ready, remove to a cutting board. Allow it to rest for about 3 minutes (the longest 3 minutes of your life... but otherwise it will be a mess!) then cut and serve. Yummmmm!

** Topping disclaimer: get as creative as you want with sauces, cheeses, meats, veggies, etc. But as a fair warning, less is more! If you have Andy-Syndrome (aka The Kitchen Sink Problem) you will be tempted to pile on tons of toppings. Don't. Resist the urge. Less is more. A light coating of sauce, a light sprinkle of cheese, and 2-3 carefully chosen toppings are all you need. Our favorite pizzas have been ones with cheese plus 2 toppings! Proceed as you see fit, but consider yourself warned :o)

Pepperoni Pizza... simple and delicious!!

Adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I am a sucker for cute desserts. "Cute" can have a wide array of meaning, depending on my cravings, but one thing is for certain - if I see a cookie that is frosted beautifully, I can't resist. When I was little, my mom and I would always make Christmas sugar cookies that had strong hint of almond extract in them, much like this recipe. We would cut out the typical holiday shapes, sprinkle the tops with colored sugars and sprinkles, then bake and devour. Simple. Santa was a huge fan. 

I always admired those perfectly iced cookies that you might see as wedding favors or on display in fancy bakeries (you know the ones I'm talking about... they have brightly colored, perfectly smooth and hardened decorative icing tops, almost too pretty to eat? Those). I never thought I could possibly make those on my own, but then Annie entered my life. She did a step by step tutorial for using royal icing to decorate, so I gathered the ingredients and dove in. Success! My cookies are not (and will not ever be) the most elaborate, perfect cookies ever, but considering that I have ZERO artistic ability I am pretty proud of how I can get some cookies to look! Give these a try and see how creative you can be... don't worry if they look terrible, the cookies are still delicious no matter what! :o)

Sugar Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen (depends on size)

Ingredients
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups AP flour, sifted
Royal Icing for decorating, recipe follows


Make the dough: cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, extracts, and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Slowly mix in the flour until just incorporated. Form the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the dough until it is firm, about 1 hour (at this point you could double wrap the dough and freeze for up to 6 months - put dough in refrigerator at least a day before you want to bake the cookies).


make the cookies: pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a smooth work surface. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness (if dough doesn't roll easily at first, allow to warm up for a few minutes then try again). Cut into desired shapes and transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes (cookies should not brown at all!). Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.


Adapted from Annie's Eats

Royal Icing

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
3 tbsp. meringue powder (craft stores with a cake decorating section should have this)
4 cups confectioners sugar
6 tbsp. water
food coloring (I swear by gel food colors... they rock!)


Beat all ingredients together using an electric mixer until peaks form, about 8 minutes. Icing should be stiff. Color as desired (split into individual bowls to make more than one color). Use a piping bag with a small tip to outline the cookies, then allow the outline to set (about 1 hour or more). Keep the unused icing in an airtight container. Once the outlines on the cookies are set, mix a tiny amount of water into the remaining icing. You are making "flood icing" that will spread out to cover the cookie but not be too watery and runny (when you drizzle the icing back into the container it should make ribbons that incorporate back into the other icing in about 5-10 seconds). Flood the cookies using the thinned icing - use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles that form. Allow the flood icing to set completely. You can use leftover outlining icing to decorate on top once the flood icing is completely set.


I usually split the icing process up over 2 days or so to allow adequate drying time between steps. Just plan ahead if you want to decorate this way! :o) 


Adapted from Wilton

It's been a while...

So my last post was in March.... sorry! We've had a busy couple of months. First, iPhoto crashed on my computer and I didn't want to post recipes without the pictures to accompany them. Oh, and we also got some great life-changing news.... I'm pregnant! Andy and I are expecting our first child in November and we are SO excited!! Needless to say, once we got the great news I got a little distracted and starting thinking "baby" more than "blog". 


On top of all that, pregnancy has brought on a strange sensation.... I have had absolutely NO desire to cook!!! I've never felt that in my adult life, as cooking and food have always been my go-to stress relief at the end of a long day. The past couple of months have been filled with makeshift dinners, take-out, frozen meals, and other general non-cookery in our kitchen. Oops. Now that I am just about halfway along in pregnancy, the urge to cook is slowly coming back, so I am hoping to have more blog posts in the near future. 


Until then, sorry for disappearing since March. More recipes coming soon :o)

Crab Imperial

I'm pretty sure that fresh lump crab meat is one of my favorite things in the world. If you haven't noticed a good percentage of the recipes on here revolve around this awesome ingredient, but I am always on the hunt for a new one to throw into the rotation. This crab imperial was absolutely fantastic! I had heard of crab imperial before, but I wasn't really sure what it was - it wasn't until my issue of Food & Wine came in the mail that I actually figured out what it is. It is basically a crab casserole which is usually served in scallop shells, topped with Parmesan and baked (basically like a stuffed clam, but with crab). The base of the casserole is typically mayonnaise, but this version from F&W caught my eye because the base is basically a hollandaise sauce thickened with a bechamel sauce - in other words... yummy! I also liked the addition of red bell pepper in this to add a little crunch and color, so I kept that in my version as well. Ok, this probably isn't the heathiest dish ever, but holy cow is it delicious! If you like crab, give this a try as a main dish or as an appetizer at your next gathering. Enjoy! :o)

Crab Imperial

Serves 2 (main dish) or 4 (appetizer)

Ingredients

4 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

zest of 1/2 of a lemon, finely grated

dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

1/2 lb. lump crab meat, picked over for shells

toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions

Make the bechamel: In a saucepan set over medium low heat, melt 1 tbsp. of the butter. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms. Add the milk and continue whisking until the bechamel thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Set aside.

Cook the vegetables: Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the peppers are softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Make the hollandaise: Melt 3 tbsp. butter and set aside. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a small sauce pan. In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and lemon juice. Place the bowl over the simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and whisk constantly until the egg mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and the bechamel sauce until smooth.

Put it all together: Adjust your oven racks to be 6" and 10" away from the broiler, then preheat the broiler. Lightly oil an 8" round or square baking dish. In a large bowl, gently fold together the crab meat, onions and peppers, and bechamel/hollandaise mixture until well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and broil at 6" away from the broiler for about 3-6 minutes or until it is browned and bubbly. Move the dish to the rack that is 10" away from the broiler and continue to broil for about 4 minutes or until it is completely warmed through. Serve hot with toasted bread. Yum! :o)

Adapted from Food & Wine

Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce

Mustard is one of those ingredients that I underestimate. As far as condiments go, I'm likely to reach for ketchup for my burger, or mayonnaise for my sandwiches, so mustard kind of takes a back seat. However, this meal is really all about the mustard. It's not overpowering, but it adds just enough tangy mustardy flavor to make boring-old-chicken into something much tastier. This will certainly be added to our rotation of chicken dishes as it was a huge hit! Enjoy :o)

Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, cut in half into two thin cutlets

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1/4 cup minced onion or shallot

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp. whole grain mustard

1 tbsp. smooth dijon mustard

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a large sautee pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the sautee pan and cook until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes (resist the urge to move them as they will stick).  Turn the chicken over and cook on the second side for about 3 minutes longer, or until the juices run clear when poked with a knife. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan, make the mustard sauce. Keep the heat on medium high and add the onion. Cook for about 2 minutes until slightly softened, then add the wine. Scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan, and raise the heat to high to bring the wine to a simmer. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until there is about 2 tbsp. of liquid left in the pan. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the heavy cream, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp. of pepper,  and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Shut off the heat and stir in the mustards. Return the chicken to the pan and allow them to heat through before serving. Be generous with the sauce when serving! Yum! :o)

Adapted from The Williams Sonoma Cookbook and Smitten Kitchen