Apologies... and promises....

Babies change things. 

It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize. Life has been a little hectic lately between a wakeful 4-month old, a hubby accountant in the midst of busy season, and my recent return to work. Yikes. The concept of a "meal" has morphed into me grazing through the fridge and pantry and piecing together some semblance of food. Ahhh motherhood. Totes glam.

Cooking keeps me sane and grounded, and I could certainly use some of that these days. Don't get me wrong, I love my little Ladybug more than life itself, but every once in a while a girl just needs a mental vacation [via cooking] :) I think I am more writing this to hold myself accountable, but I am looking forward to cooking and blogging about it this weekend.... it's long overdue. Suggestions are welcome, as always :o)

On a positive related note... my little Lovebug is 4 months old! Can you believe it?! Where did the time go?? I leave you with a photo of the light of my life... I could smooch those cheeks all day! 

:o)

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Cilantro

Do you have a flavor combination that you always gravitate towards? In our house it always seems to be one of three combinations: chocolate & peanut butter, lime & cilantro, or garlic & rosemary. Anytime I run across a recipe with those combinations as main ingredients it is almost always sure to be a hit. True to form, the combination of shrimp, lime, and cilantro in this recipe did not disappoint. 

Because this is a cold pasta dish, I think it would be especially tasty in the hot Summer months, but I decided to make it now because it fits in with our healthy eating regime for January... Biggest Loser is on again in the Tremble household (I hope to retain my title from last year!) and healthy dishes are dominating the menu. 

This was the first time I have cooked with Soba noodles and I am hooked! They are sooo good and I am happily searching for more ways to incorporate them in our meal rotation. 

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Cilantro

Serves 2 

Ingredients:
6 oz. Soba noodles
1 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp. agave syrup
zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp. lime juice (about 1 lime)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook the Soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large serving bowl, mix together the soy sauce, tamari, 1 tbsp. of the oil, Sriracha, and agave. Add the cooled Soba noodles and turn to coat in the sauce.

In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest, juice, garlic, shrimp, a pinch of salt, and the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the shrimp and lime juice mixture. Cook until the shrimp are barely cooked through, and then pour the shrimp and lime juice over the Soba noodles. Top with the cilantro and green onion and serve cold*. 

*This tastes even better if you make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until it's time to eat!




Slightly adapted from Food & Wine

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!