Homemade gnocchi = crazy delicious

Last Sunday morning, my darling husband awoke with a spring in his step and offered to take the Sadester for the day so I could relax. Relaxing isn't exactly my forte, so instead of reading a book or watching a rom-com, I spent the day unwinding the only way I know how. Cooking!

I drank some coffee, slapped on an apron, and made my very first batch of gnocchi.

Now I'm not a pasta lover. Heck, I avoided the stuff for years. (Carbs! Egad! Silly, 20 year old Sarah). But gnocchi is different. Throw some sweet potatoes and squash in with all that flour and voila! It's healthy(ish). Plus, Sadie LOVES pasta, so I wanted to give her a homemade version of her favorite dish.

Sadie's Gnocchi Delight (recipe modified from myrecipes.com): 

Gnocchi:
1 c cottage cheese 
3 c sweet potato/butternut squash mash (boiled, cooled, mashed/pureed) 
3 tbsp brown sugar 
1/2 c parmesan cheese (good ol' Kraft will do just fine) 
1 tsp nutmeg 
3 1/2(ish) c flour

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add flour until a soft dough forms. Sticky dough is a pain in the butt to work with, so add as much flour as needed for a malleable dough consistency. Working on a floured surface, divide dough into 8 portions. Roll each portion with your hands into a snake, then cut into 1 inch pieces. Drink a beer, thinking about HOW MUCH FUN rolling gnocchi snakes can be!

 

 

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Working in batches of 25, drop gnocchi into the water, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook until all of the gnocchi float to the top of water. I love this part because when they're done they just pop up, as if to say "eat me now, oh gnocchi master!". Scoop out the gnocchi into a strainer and then transfer it onto to a lightly oiled pan to cool. Boil/strain/cool the rest of the gnocchi.

Remaining Assembly:

1/4 c butter (mmmmm) 
2 cloves minced garlic  
1 minced sweet onion 
2 c chopped spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp pesto  
parmesan cheese

Sauté the first 6 ingredients in a pan, add gnocchi, sauté some more, then dish it up, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

 

It turns out making gnocchi was easier than I thought, tastier then I could imagine, and it's Sadie's new favorite food. Oh happy day!

Dust bunnies are a baby's best friend.

Well it looks like I didn't get around to writing "Our Summer Vacation(?) - Part 2". C'est la vie!

So instead, I'm going to blog about dust bunnies.

Sadie has, oh gee let's see, approximately 50 toys. She has toys that spin, toys that whirl, toys that talk, sparkle, spin, bounce, roll, stack, and sing. However, her favorite toys are those which hide under dressers and inhabit the dark, scary corners of the house: dust bunnies.

From 5 meters across the room, she will spot the little suckers, crawl past her miscellaneous other toys (at lightning speed, I might add!), then proceed to inspect said bunnies...

...by sticking them in her mouth. Bleh. Ick. Yucky. Gross.

She spits out the furry carcasses when I ask her to, although there was that one poop that resembled that of a coyote, or some other scavenging carnivore.

The Sadester - AKA Dust Bunny Hunter

 I need to get my hands on a Dustbuster Mini Vac and put this kid to work!

Our Summer Vacation(?) - Part 1

If one more person asks me how our summer vacation went, I may just throw my empty box of wine at them.

No, I suppose it wasn't THAT bad. In fact, overall we had a pretty spectacular time. Hmm. Where do I begin?

We had this trip planned for months. Some of our close friends from our Toronto days invited us to their wedding, which sparked the whole voyage. We decided to make the wedding an excuse to do a big ol' family road trip to Ontario to visit my husbands family, our friends, and of course, to attend the wedding. 

3 week road trip? With a baby? Pfft no problem! We'll take it slow and roll with the punches. Ahhh so naive, we were.

We packed our bags, Sadie's bags, Sadie's toys, Sadie's gear, and Sadie's food, and headed west. I once backpacked around South America for 2 months with a knapsack and water bottle. The times have certainly changed.

After 2 days of driving and 2 nights of sleeping (courtesy of the Econo Lodge, and my welcoming and lovely aunt and uncle), we reached our first destination, my in-laws rental cottage on an island in Algonquin Park. 

* Since I'm a self proclaimed foodie, I have to quickly blurb about our food stops en-route. Timmy Ho's, Subway, and more Timmy Ho's (coffee, coffee, java, java, ya, ya, ya). We also dined in a couple of family friendly diners in Quebec. I use family friendly loosely. We walked into a restaurant called "Restaurant" (that should have steered us away right off the bat, but Sadie was hungry and they had high-chairs), sat down in the packed, yet eerily silent dining room, and ate our shitty food shamefully while Sadie schreeched and squeeled LOUDLY in delight at her peas and rice pudding. The head shakes and eye rolls made it pretty clear that our kind wasn't welcomed there.

We totally redeemed ourselves, though, when we stopped for lunch at Montreal's Cafe Santropol. We were greeted with servers smiling and gushing over our baby, sat in a garden patio, where Sadie could hurl her watermelon and bread in any direction she pleased, and ate some of the best sandwiches we've ever encountered.

Noshing at Cafe Santropol, Montreal

Ok, back to the cottage in Algonquin Park. Long story short: mosquitos + snoring + other nighttime noises = Sadie waking every 15 minutes + the whole cabin waking every 15 minutes = a short cottage trip + a swift drive to Owen Sound to decompress in my husband's parent's country home. We ate, slept, swam, and regained our sanity. Bliss!

The Little Mermaid

TBC. Part 2 coming soon!

I Am Mama. Hear Me Brag.

I mean c'mon. C'MON. Seriously? How did I produce something THIS beautiful?

I'm having one of those days. Fellow mommies out there know what I'm talking about. It's a day where I'm completely in awe of how awesome my baby is.

Every parent believes their babies' shit doesn't stink, so I know I'm a smidgen biased because she's my own spawn, but C'MON! Look at those cheeks. Don't you wanna just kiss em'. Not to mention zerbert the heck out of that beautiful, baby belly!

It's quite possible that Sadie's genetic makeup consists of the best genes my husband and I had to offer. She's a blond-haired, blue-eyed, baby bombshell. (And yes, 2 brown-eyed parents can have a blue-eyed baby. Although there was that one time with our 70 year old mailman...).

So the pretty little thing above is the reason I haven't been blogging as frequently. I simply can't take my eyes off her. Not only is she cute as a button, but she's uber fun right now. Over the past 2 weeks she's learned to eat with her hands, sit up from a laying position, semi-crawl (well, crawl/nosediving/face planting), and in the blink of an eye has morphed into this little, vocal, independent being.

Ok. I need to go peek at her while she's sleeping, then clean something.

Welcome To Play Group

If there is one, single piece of advice I could give a parent-to-be, it's to join a play group the minute the wee one is born. My husband and I moved into an uber family populated neighborhood just before Sadie arrived, and we were lucky enough to be invited into a local group. For those of you who are curious on how these things operate, here are some rough guidelines:

Welcome to Play Group.

The first rule of Play Group is: you do not talk about Play Group.

The second rule of Play Group is: you DO NOT talk about Play Group!

Fight Club is my favorite movie. But for reals...

The third rule of Play Group: Don't be shy! Play groups are great for the kiddies, of course, but they're also a way for parents to chat about the joy/ridiculousness that is parenthood. Share, share, share. Chances are the other parents have been through it, are going through it, or will go through it at some point.

The fourth rule of Play Group: Don't compare your baby with the other babies. All babies are unique individuals, and develop at different rates. I've lost sleep over the fact that the Sadester is slimmer than other babies. Then I realized that all of her food is fueling her upward growth. At this rate, the kid's going to be 6'2" in preschool.

The fifth rule: It's impossible to keep your child 100% safe from germs. Your baby will drool on other babies' toys. Other babies will drool on your baby's toys. It's just how it is. However, if your little tyke is sick and contagious, best to keep the little Petri dish at home.

The sixth rule: If hosting, be sure your large, scary looking doggie doesn't charge the door barking when others arrive, resulting in a room full of crying babies. My bad.

It's ok kiddies. My bark is worse than my bite.
Unless you're a cat. 
Or a squirrel. 
Or a mailman. 







The seventh rule: Don't offer to host unless you've baby proofed your home first, or at the very least, have hidden the fireplace tool set (specifically, the machete). Yup. My bad again. To my credit, we're renting and the machete doesn't actually BELONG to us. To my discredit, I was oblivious to the fact that it was there for about 5 months.

I like to be a jokester in my silly little blog, but seriously, my daughter and I are so, so, so happy to be part of such an amazing group of mommies, daddies, and kiddies.

See you Monday, friends!

Smorgasbord O' Sugary Sweets

It appears I only have time for one extracurricular activity in my life. Now that I'm baking for the Sunday Musquodoboit Harbour Farmers Market, I fear my blog is going down the crapper.

So below is the best I can do for y'all this week - an agglomeration of my weekly creations.

(And yes, I came up with "agglomeration" by looking up a synonym for "smorgasbord" on thesaurus.com. My wearied brain couldn't come up with a word THAT good on its own.)

Rolo Surprises

"Heavenly Hash" Brownies (Not to be confused with Heavenly "Hash Brownies")

Carrot Cake Cookie Sammies with Cream Cheese Frosting

GIANT Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

Cinnamon Buns

 Hand-Dipped Peanut Butter Chocolates

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (See my recipe)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

 Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

And I'm spent.

Honey, I'm Home!

* Warning - The following blog post contains boasting, bragging, and tooting of my own horn. Reader discretion is advised.

I'm the luckiest stay-at-home mama in the whole wide world. Motherhood has been surprisingly easy on me so far. I often wake up singing with a hop in my step and a big ol' grin on my face. Other mothers often ask me "Sarah, what's your secret?"

My secret? (Other than the fact that I have an awesome baby, of course!)

My partner works from home. 

I don't have to watch him leave for work every morning, or count down the minutes until he pulls into the driveway at night. No sir! His office isn't a car ride away. It's a stroll down the hall.

My heart goes out to all those moms or pops out there who don't have this luxury. I also cannot IMAGINE how single parents do it. I'm spoiled, so very, very spoiled.

So what's a typical work day in the Miller home?

6:30am - The Sadester awakens.

6:35am - I head straight to the coffee maker, miraculously making coffee without actually being conscious.

7:30am - Sadie is changed, fed, loved, and her play stations are already destroyed.

8:30am - Robin stirs and I throw Sadie at him. I then shower, eat, walk our pooch, and make Robin's morning "oatmeal supreme". Yes, he eats oatmeal every morning. So weird.

9:30am - Robin puts on his work clothes (jogging pants) and heads down the hall to his office. Sadie and I play, stroll, eat, and sleep the morning away.

12:30pm - Lunch time! I throw Sadie at Robin and eat my lunch. Being the good little housewife that I am, I make my man some grub too. No Subway or McDonald's for this guy! Homemade soup & sandwiches everyday.

1:30pm - Sadie and I play, stroll, eat, and sleep the afternoon away.

5:30pm - I hear the glorious sound of Robin shutting off his computer then promptly do a jig. Sadie also shuts down her computer so she can spend time with her daddy.

Gotta meet my milk quota. My boss is such a hard-ass.






I should also mention that I annoyingly pop my head into the office throughout the day. "Robin! Look at the size of Sadie's poop!" "Robin! Sadie ate blank this morning and now her farts smell like blank too!" You get the idea.


But alas, all good things must come to an end. One day Robin will be needed back in his main office, and poor Sadie will be stuck with me all day. Until that day comes I'm going to milk this for all it's worth, and not take for granted how wonderful our situation is.

Where The Wild Thing Is

Our baby girl hits the 6 month mark in 2 weeks. WHAT the WHAT? Has it really been 6 months since she popped out of me, so teeny and goobery? With each passing month, I'm flabbergasted at how she's changed, and how my husband and I have adapted as parents.

We've had it pretty easy so far. Sadie's been a fantastic sleeper. She's interactive, loves to eat, and is generally fuss-free. Lately, however, she's come down with case of "Baby Rage". It turns out 6 months is where the baby shit hits the fan.

I'm scared.

I vaaant to suuuck your boobiiieee.










You see, Sadie is very active and curious. She is, how do I put this? INTENSE. Up until now, her undeveloped motor skills have restrained her ability to seek and destroy, but I'm bracing myself as she becomes more mobile, vocal, and opinionated.

The Sadester's been eating solids for about a month now, and has been happily devouring everything pureed I put in front of her. However, she took a bite of apples yesterday, spit them all over my face, grabbed the spoon, threw it across the room, and proceeded to WAIL until I gave her some carrots. Yikes. She's also ripped leaves from plants in the blink of an eye, claimed my cellphone, toothbrush, and spatula as her own, and has started laughing wickedly when my husband tries to put her to bed at night. I feel genuine sympathy for her toys, as she viciously bites, pulls, and smashes them around her exersaucer. I wouldn't be surprised if her first words are "SADIE SMASH".

I suppose I had it coming though. The hyperactive apple hasn't fallen far from the hyperactive tree. Now how do we prevent her from becoming a little monster? Is there a "What To Expect When You're Expecting A Shit-Disturber" book?

Let the parenting (and baby-proofing) begin!

The Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries

Last summer, while enormously pregnant and unemployed, I started an amateur baking business called Sweets! By Sarah and sold my treats at the Musquodoboit Harbour Farmer's Market. Business boomed (relatively speaking) so I continued to pump out cupcakes, cookies, and cinnamon buns until my aching back and swollen feet made me call it quits.

The same summer market is starting up again in a couple weeks, so I've decided to dust off my old recipe book and give the business another go. I've acquired a new business partner, Sadie McBakerson, who will either be the key or the absolute downfall of my venture.





So what does this mean for my loyal readers out there? Why, more of my butter-filled, sugar-packed (but totally calorie-free) recipes, of course!

I slightly tweaked the following cupcake recipe from The Busty Baker, which in turn, has been adapted from Julie Hassen's 125 Best Cupcake Recipes. I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to try it out, hoping to incorporate it into my baking repertoire. I like to think I invented the frosting recipe myself, although I'm sure the same recipe can be found somewhere else on the internet.

The Razzle Dazzles - Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes With Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh, but I'm cheap!)
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
I usually perform the "dump and mash" technique when baking, but since I'm trying to make money off of these bad boys, I thought I'd be a good girl and stick to the recipe.
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Beat the last 8 ingredients together in another bowl (I use a handheld electric mixer). Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until smooth. Fill large cupcake liners 3/4 full, then bake for 25 minutes at 350º.


Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Instructions:
Beat the first 3 ingredients together until creamy. Gradually add icing sugar and beat at a low speed until smooth.


Last but not least, ice the cupcakes as you desire. I chose the "pink, swirly turd" look. I also added a schtickle of cream cheese icing and a fresh raspberry on top.

They sure don't taste like turds! The cupcakes are chocolaty, moist, and packed with raspberry flavor. This recipe's a keeper, and will be a fine addition to my market menu.

Just to be sure, I better sample a couple more...

We Salute You, Sleeping Baby

Long weekends are never long enough. "Pleeeeaaasee call in sick tomorrow" I begged my husband last night, the smell of BBQ and suntan lotion still fresh on my skin. Victoria Day Tuesday should be a statutory holiday too. Bah humbug.

Let us recap the weekend, shall we?

The weather was sublime. Blue skies, a light breeze, and the temperature hovering around 20-25º. We barbequed, had a constant stream of visitors, and played with Sadie and our pup on the lawn 'til sundown every night.

We even squeezed in a family hike at The Bluff Trail. The trek is rugged enough to give mom and pop a workout (but safe enough to lug around your 5 month old) and TOTALLY worth the effort for the breathtaking views. Sadie had fun too, especially when her butt exploded and we had to change her on a rock. That kid's a trooper.

I also did some urban exploring Monday morning with the Sadester while Robin did some house/yard work (score!). Sadie loves meandering with mommy in her baby carrier. She vibrates with excitement from all the new colors and faces. We were walking around Halifax's Citadel Hill and just as Sadie was (finally) falling asleep in her stroller...KABOOM! Off goes a canon. Then 20 more. It appeared we had made it just in time for the Victoria Day 21-gun salute. A HUGE oversight by yours truly.

Now it's Tuesday. The bbq is covered, Robin's back to work, and Sadie and I are both still in our jammies at 4pm. Oh well. I suppose Canada Day is only 6 weeks away.

Wheat and Wood and Sheep, Oh My!

I have a confession to make. My husband and I are hardcore Catanimals. Not to be confused with Furries, people that dress up like stuffed animals (and find it arousing? No comprendo), Catanimals are people that are addicted to the somewhat nerdy yet TOTALLY AWESOME board game, Settlers Of Catan.

You see, we don't get out much. Pre-Sadie, we socialized with the masses, drank beers in bars, and were hungover and useless the next morning. This lifestyle is difficult to maintain when you have a baby who wakes up at 5am and requires your undivided (and conscious) attention.

We recruited my younger brother and his lovely lady friend to join our games, so we now have twice-weekly Catanathons. It's also my brother's birthday today, so Isaac, this post is for you!

I should mention that these photos were taken a few months ago, before Sadie entered her EVERYTHING MUST GO IN MY MOUTH phase. Now we only start our games after her bedtime, which is coincidentally earlier on Catan nights .

For those of you that aren't familiar with Settlers of Catan, you're missing out. You need to buy this game and play it immediately! For those of you that don't like board games? You will like board games once you play Catan.

Catan Prospers!

Rage Against The Computing Machine/Happy Belated Mom's Day

I wrote a fantastic Mother's Day post last night, filled with heart-felt words and wit. I contently pressed "Publish" and POOF, it vanished into cyberspace. So here I am, rewriting it now. It won't be as good as my first attempt, as technology has left me bitter and uncreative.

Attempt # 2 :

Like Valentine's Day, I've always believed Mother's Day was a holiday created by card shops and florists. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my mother to infinity and beyond, but does a box of Russell Stovers once a year cut it? There would be no human race without the ol' broads, after all.

I consider myself pretty low-maintenance, so I told my husband not to bother with any forced, cliche gifts. However, the scallywag surprised me Sunday morning with a Calla Lily plant and a fine bottle of Belgian beer wrapped up like champagne. He knows me too well, as I prefer beer over champagne any day. He also remembered that the Calla Lily was our wedding flower (though I did not. FAIL), but now I have to keep it alive. Ugh.


The Sadester and I then spent the afternoon with my mother AND my grandmother. That's 4 generations, folks. Sadie's great grandmother is lovely, but I'll be dammed if she can't find something to complain about. What can I say? She's 93 and still tickin'. She deserves to have her overly salted soup served at exactly 170º f. We all ate lunch together, Sadie included. (That was a hoot, me trying to hide my big, lactating boobies from a nearby table of 100 year old men). As I sat there, I was overwhelmed with admiration for these 2 women. My grandmother has lovingly and selflessly raised my mother, who in turn, has lovingly and selflessly raised me. Now I'm trying my best to raise my daughter the same way.

So buy your wife some jewellery, and send your dear ma some flowers. They truly deserve a holiday all for themselves. Just don't forget to love them the other 364 days too.

These Cookies Have True Grit

Brace yourself. I'm about to share with you the best recipe a sugar-craving mother can have. It's simple, modifiable, healthy (oatmeal=healthy in my books!), and has kept me happily fueled over the course of my infant-rearing days thus far.

Seriously. It's THAT good.

Behold! The Cowboy Cookie. 

Ingredients:
3 c large flake oatmeal
2 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
*1/2 c pecans
*1/2 c coconut
*1/2 c cranberries
*1 c white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 c butter

* These dry ingredients can be substituted/omitted. I don't like nuts in my cookies, so I don't add them. You can use chocolate or caramel chips instead of white chocolate chips, raisins instead of cranberries, or none at all! I also LOVE coconut so I add a whole cup.

Instructions:
Some people will tell you to mix the dry ingredients first, then cream the butter and sugar together, yadda, yadda, yadda. I, on the other hand, dump everything into a bowl in no particular order and mush it together with my hands. Use your hands. The squishyness feels oh so nice. If you like BIG cookies like moi, make baseball-sized dough balls, squish them down with the palm of your hand, and bake them at 375 until they're done.

Splendid. That's some good eatin' right there!

Dance Dance Revolution

I never used to like dancing. In fact, I detested it. High School dances were utter torture as I forced myself to gyrate to the "hits" of Crazy Town and Shaggy. In University, the only time you'd see me on the dance floor is if I was three sheets to the wind off Colt 45's. Heck, I almost died of embarrassment dancing with my husband on our wedding day!

Then Sadie came along, and Sarah got her groove back.

I used to be more self conscious, inhibited by my awkwardness, and afraid of how others perceived me. That changed after my husband watched a watermelon-sized baby come out of me. After that, I simply stopped giving a shit.

More importantly, my daughter loves it when I dance. We have dance parties nightly, my husband included, blasting old-school hip hop, Pistachio Mike, and shakin' what our mama's gave us. You know that quote "Dance as if no one is watching you..."? Well I dance as if my baby is watching me. It makes her laugh, it makes me laugh, and at the end of a long day of cooking, cleaning, and shitty diapers, a good laugh is just what I need.

So as the great poet Young MC once said, "Don't just stand there, bust a move"! 

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Before our Sadester was born, I was set on my decision to breastfeed. It's free, easy, and said to be healthiest for your baby. My daughter is almost 5 months old now and I'm still going strong. Free and healthy it may be. But easy? Not exactly.

All mother's experiences are different, just as all babies are different. While pregnant, I naively envisioned myself holding our daughter in my arms, her happily nursing while looking up at me lovingly, ending with her drifting off to sleep, drunk on milk. Pah! I had the receiving blanket pulled over my eyes on that one.

First of all, Sadie has ants in her pants too! She inherited my twitchiness. My bad. I wouldn't change a thing about her, and love her more for it, but boy oh boy is she a wiggly one. Sometimes it feels like I'm feeding a whole litter of piglets.

While nursing, Sadie's limbs just keep on moving, as if she's conducting an orchestra with both hands and feet. She plays my boobies like a pair bongo drums (and she's shockingly good!). Her new favorite maneuver is placing her foot underneath my armpit, kicking as hard as she can, and launching herself off my lap. She also has a death grip on my bra strap at all times, so if in the event she DOES fall asleep while feeding, she'll know the second I try to place her in her crib. She's a smart cookie. A little too smart.

Our little monkey is curious too. (Mmmm milk, milk, milk, DOG, milk milk, milk, DADDY, milk, milk, TV, milk, milk, milk, DOG). She'll turn her head around like a baby owl at any noise or movement, making it hard for her to focus at the task at hand.

Then there's me. I figured I'd be a natural milk machine. A regular Holstein, if you will. If she suckles, it will come? Nope. I have to work at making sure I produce enough. I pump on the side to stimulate production and have tried every lactogenic food I've heard of. I thought brewers yeast was the answer! Turns out it just gave Sadie (and myself) a bad case of gas. Sorry Robin...

Some women choose to breastfeed, some women don't, and some women simply can't. I respect them all! But at the end of the day, I'm happy I'm able to breastfeed, albeit a bit of a gong show, and I know Sadie loves me for my efforts.

Ok. Time to go feed my Hungry Hungry Hippo.

Birthdays, Babies, Brewskies, And Breastpumps

So my husband is originally from Ontario, myself, a born and raised Bluenoser. We lived in Toronto for 5 years or so, but when I found out I was pregnant, I WANTED MY MOMMY and we moved back to my hometown of Halifax.

My husband's parents came to visit us this past weekend and what a weekend it was. Unlike the typical wife/in-law relationship, I genuinely adore them both. I also love hosting visitors, as it allows me to be a tourist in my own city (just as having a baby allows me to be a tourist in my own life? Ah so...). Our Sadester was delightfully cooperative and let us drag her through a smorgasbord of family dinners, hikes, and activities over the course of the weekend.

We did, however, leave her home for an evening (big shout out to you, Nana Jan!) so my husband's parents could treat us to his birthday dinner chez The Bicycle Thief (voted best new restaurant in The Coast). We sipped on amazing wine, feasted on beautiful Italian food, and chatted about parenthood. Fantastico! The dinner was followed by an after-drink with some friends at the upstairs bar of The Henry House. It was the cat's pajamas. No seriously, I ordered a drink called the Cat's Pajamas. A sweet, citrusy, gin cocktail served in a china teacup. Lately my drink of choice has been water, served in a stream from the kitchen tap directly into my mouth, so this was a step up for me. We then had an after, after drink at Bearly's House Of Blues where I showed my in-laws how us East Coasters dance. 3am rolled around and they were dancing circles around me!

Now I don't want members of La Leche League to come beat down my door and kick me in the baby-maker, so I'll note that I had fridge full of pre-pumped, uncontaminated breast milk to feed my darling Sadie. We don't want her sipping on White Russians just yet.

But alas, our wonderful weekend is over and we're back to our usual routine. Sadie may not know it just yet, but she has 2 sets of wonderful grandparents who are madly in love with her. She also has a set of parents who think she's pretty alright too.

Revenge Is Best Served Hard-Boiled

Dear little shit birds who insist on egging our house,

Let me start by saying that my husband and I are good people. We say good morning to you as you walk by us on your way to school. We slow down the car and swerve around you during your road hockey games. Heck, we even gave out amazing Halloween treats this year, just so you'd think we were cool neighbors. So why, I ask you, do you feel the need to repeatedly egg our house? What have we done to deserve such punishment?

I understand you're young, and feel the need to rebel against your elders. However, you must understand that your eggs are hitting our daughter's window, waking her from the sleep it took us 2 hours to attain.

Now I'm a reasonable woman, with a "que sera" type of attitude, but if I catch you throwing eggs at our humble home again I WILL hunt you down. I will make you eat the carton of raw eggs I've set aside for you, shell and all, and you will like it.

Sincerely,

Your worst nightmare

The Martin Skorcheesies

At around month 5 of my pregnancy, the cravings took hold. I woke up every morning and made my first breakfast (egg, tomato, cheese, and avocado bagel-wich) followed by my second breakfast an hour later (egg, tomato, cheese, and avocado bagel-wich). At night, I couldn't sleep unless I had my sweet fix. This is when I discovered the wonderful world of baking.

My goal was to find recipes that satisfied my endless hunger (ME WANT COOKIE), and to provide my husband with something to nibble on too. I've always had a weakness for cheesecake, and Robin is a big fan of Skor bars... 

Light bulb! The Martin Skorcheesies were born. 

Recipe: 

- 1 8oz package of softened cream cheese

- 1/2 cup of softened butter (don't skimp with margarine or I'll slap you on the wrist)

- 1 tsp of vanilla

- 2 cups of icing sugar

- 1 bag of Skor Toffee Bits

- 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (for dipping)

Instructions: 

 - hire a babysitter for the afternoon

 - mix the first 5 ingredients into a bowl (keep 1/4 cup of Skor Bits aside for decoration)

- chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour

- roll into bite-sized balls and place them on wax paper

- place balls in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm (tee hee)

- place chocolate chips into a small metal bowl, then place the bowl in a pot of boiling water

- stir the chips until they are completely melted

- dip the balls in chocolate (get your minds out of the gutter) using a small, metal spoon, then place them on wax paper

- sprinkle some Skor Bits on top

- place them in the fridge or freezer to set and store

- use your willpower not to eat the whole batch

You're welcome.

Live Long (in the moment) And Prosper

I had an "aha" moment this morning while drinking my first cup o' joe. In fact, most of my clear thoughts these days are fueled by the sweet, sweet nectar of caffeine. I thought hard about what kind of mommy I am now, and what kind of mommy I want to be. Deep thoughts for 5am, eh?

I suppose I am considered to be a zany, non-traditional parent. I was tsked at while breastfeeding in the park one day, not because my feedbags were exposed, but because was telling my daughter to "EAT DA BOOBIE". When Sadie is being loud, I ask her to kindly "shut her pie hole". Probably not the best thing to teach your child, as I can already see her kindergarten teacher cracking up as our daughter politely asks her fellow classmate to "please, shut his pie hole". So I'm a bit coo-coo bananas. What mother isn't? At least Sadie will grow up with a sense of humor.

But back to my "aha" moment. After thinking about ways I can improve my parenting skills, I came to the most important one of all. To live, and to parent, in the moment.

My husband and I nostalgically reminisce about our daughter's her first few weeks on this planet. How small and cuddly she was (not to mention immobile and quiet!). These days she has more ants in her pants than I do and has a problem controlling THE VOLUME OF HER VOICE. We also find ourselves anxiously awaiting the days when Sadie can crawl, walk, talk, get a job, etc. I know it's important to reflect on your hatchling's journey and encourage him/her to develop, but now I'm trying my very best to stop and smell the roses...er...baby poop. I want to enjoy each and every moment with our Sadester. As you know, they grow up so fricken' fast.

So tomorrow morning while Sadie is snapping both of my bra straps simultaneously with her hand and foot, I will urge myself to be in the moment and smile. She is perfect now, and everyday is my favorite Sadie day.

My Daughter: The Baby Dumbbell

An upside to my inherent twitchiness is the drive to be fit. Just prior to my pregnancy, I was in the best shape of my life. I ran, played oodles of volleyball, and considered myself a bit of a gym rat. Now, 4 months after our daughter was born, I'm finally at my pre-pregnancy weight. Now it's a matter of getting back into pre-pregnancy shape. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a MILF, am I right?

Alas! This is easier said than done. Having a baby does scary things to your body. Carrying a 9 pound bundle of joy in your kangaroo pouch splits your abdominal muscles clean apart. The result is a stomach that resembles something out of a Dali painting. My mother once told me she lost a bar of soap between these muscles right after I was born. This was not exactly the case for me, but you get the picture. More importantly, who has the time to work out when you're home all day raising a baby?

So without further adieu, I present to you...

The Baby Dumbbell Workout Plan!

The moves:


 - Bjorn Lunges & Squats

   - Baby Bicep Curls

 - Upright Baby Rows

* Be certain your baby is happy, safe, and conscious while performing the moves above. I once did a set of Baby Bicep Curls, unknowingly of the fact that Sadie was fast asleep with drool dripping on the floor. Oopsy!

- Crunches
- Double leg lifts
- Push ups
- Pelvic raises

* Bust out the moves above as quickly as possible while your baby is playing safely in his/her exersaucer, swing, etc.

Be sure to include some cardio into your week too. I love to walk and run with Sadie. We have a top-of-the-line MEC BOB Revolution stroller that is great for sidewalks and trails. (Big shout out to our friends in Toronto for this amazing gift!).

Well, someone's done napping. Time to throw her in the Bjorn and get my sweat on.

Ciao!

Flawless Victory!

I read pregnancy books out the wazoo, and heard bajillions of horror stories about labor, but nothing prepared me for what was to come...

It wasn't that bad at all!


Sarah's recipe for an easy, breezy labor:
- 1 belly full of abdominal muscles prior to pregnancy
- 5 heaping piles of motivation to maintain abdominal muscles throughout pregnancy
- 1 calm and motivating partner
- 2 lovely nurses
- 1 perfectly administered epidural
- 1 serious bout of "the giggles" (I tend to be giddy when I'm nervous)
- 1 hefty dose of "I'm gunna get this baby outta me NOW!"
Yields 1, 9 pound, healthy baby

Don't get me wrong. I'm not belittling the labor process. Heck, I took the easy way out with an epidural. I just want all of the mamas-to-be out there with fears of "the big day" to fear not! It may not be that bad after all.