A Very Fondue Christmas

We decided to try something new during our intimate Christmas Eve at home, inspired by my inlaw's newly-created tradition, we had ourselves a very little fondue Christmas {Eve}.

The thought of preparing a traditional ham and potatoes meal...sounded like a lot of work for just the 2 of us...all to leave the next day and not enjoy leftovers.

So, we gave our fondue pot a work out, while Miss L enjoyed the festivities from the comfort of her highchair. Our theory: fondue flavor success is dependent on the marinades and dips.

Here was our menu:

Asiago Cheese Champagne Fondue -
It was okay...I wouldn't make it again though.

Dippers: Roasted parmesan cubed potatoes, soft pretzels, pita bread, pepperoni

Followed by wedge salads.

Entree Fondue

Canola Oil in the pot
Dippers: Marinated beef sirloin, chicken and shrimp
Dips: Horseradish, Cumin and Avocado

Recipes:
Horseradish Dip
1 1/4 c. sour cream
4 tsp. horseradish
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Avocado Dip
1 avocado, mashed
4 drops of liquid hot pepper
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Cumin Dip (our favorite)
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. Cambozola Cheese, cubed (cross between a brie and blue cheese)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt, pepper, chili powder - to taste

Chicken and Shrimp marinade came from a dry packet of "garlic, herb and wine marinade" - the kind found in the produce/deli area of your grocerer and you mix with oil. Sooo easy and soo good!


Beef Marinade came from my Big Oven App - "Best Steak Marinade in Existence"

Best Steak Marinade In Existence recipe

Dessert was cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory - one slice of original...one slice of banana cream.

And here is a photo of our little doll - on her first Christmas {Eve} - in her jammies already!

She was happy to learn Santa was on his way!

Enjoying some toys, while mommy and daddy fondue!

A Second Nine Months {Book Review}

The moment the pregnancy test gives you a positive sign...the natural reaction is to rush out to the book store/library/nook store/etc., and purchase all of the baby books on what to expect, how to raise the happiest baby on the block, getting your baby to sleep, having a "scheduled" baby, what foods to eat, etc.

In my mind, each book has a little take-away, however, people should not live their life or parent their children by one particular author's recommendation. Every child is different, and not one book is going to give you the "best" baby/child/teenager. Perhaps the exception to my theory is the bible.

After nine (er, ten!) months of overfilling your mind with these books in an attempt to create your own "baby manual," it is a welcome refresher to read a non-baby book. I found just the right book. I love reading light-hearted, fictional "chick" books filled with antecdotes about food, fashion, and fun that I can easily relate to. Which is why I was soo excited to quickly read cover to cover, The Second Nine Months, by Vicki Glembocki. One Woman Tells The Real Truth About Becoming a Mom. Finally.

It is a memoir about what motherhood is "really" like...she shares each month post-delivery of her daughter - the countless pediatrician visits because the doctor thinks the baby is "failing to thrive," breastfeed highs and lows, the emotions of going back to work, finding a {suitable} daycare provider, and all of the excitement and frustration of the initiation to motherhood.

As one reviewer wrote, "motherhood is not one giant hallmark moment."

People don't tell you this, movies don't exhibit reality and in some way nothing anyone could say would prepare you for this challenge...although it is the best thing to happen to you.

If you are a new mom and looking to escape the plethora of books written by the "most respected" pediatrician in the field...I would highly recommend this light read to take your mind to a fun-place, a place where you can pour a glass of wine and laugh outloud, a place where you share the real honesty about motherhood with only your best of friends.

Next book on the nook: "Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay: And other things I learned as a new mom," by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

Cajun Chicken Pasta {Recipe}

I'm a big fan of browsing recipes to find something new to make. Last year, I found an "app" that fits my interest in searching and storing new recipes, Big Oven. It is a free app and I have it on the ipad and my android phone, as well as being able to visit it online at http://www.bigoven.com/ .

I made this Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe on Saturday for some friends we had over, I'm sure you could sub shrimp for the chicken. I made a salad and breadsticks to accompany this dish. We opted out of desert, as we are trying to "eat better" in the new year! This is one of my favorite recipes from Big Oven and slightly reminds me of Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi recipe.

Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe

It is yummy! Enjoy!

Rubber Ducky Time

We love bath time!! Personally, I always have and my bath time became much more enjoyable with the purchase of our recent home, which came stocked with a jetted, soaker tub in our master bath.

With that said, once the umbillical cord fell off Miss L...we were excited to get started with 'real' bath time. An experienced mommy friend of mine suggested we register for the Fisher Price "Whale of a Time" bath tub. We did and this has been a bit helpful, however, most of the time, we enjoy getting in the tub together. Miss L loves the jets, and of course we have plenty of bath books and toys.

A couple of things I do that I find helpful:

• I utilize two baby washcloths in our tub. One for washing her with and one to periodically get wet and lay on her bare belly or back - whichever is exposed to the air. This cloth keeps her nice and warm.
• I recommend the Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Bath with Lavender scent, as well as the lotion following the bath - this makes for a sleepy {happy} baby.
• I place the temperature-gauging rubber ducky in the tub every time - especially when we place her in the big tub with me - as I naturally prefer a hot bath. The ducky bottom says "HOT" if the water is too warm for baby.

P.S. - the book "My Bath Pals" is awesome - she loves that it squeeks and it is small enough to pack along on trips.

Miss L during a recent bath in "Whale of a Tub"

A recent article online at WhatToExpect.com highlighted the following benefits to bath time, besides the obvious benefit of a clean baby.

• Boosts baby-mom bond - Taking care of your baby lets them know you care about them. Take advantage of this special time to gaze into her eyes, stroke his soft skin, kiss that hummy baby belly, coo sweet nothings and sing silly sings. Feeling your gentle touch and hearing your voice lets your little one know how much they are loved.
• Learning experience - tickle your little one's senses by trickling water gently onto her belly, teach her a lesson in cause and effect by showing her how to kick the water adn create a splash, count those little toes and fingers as you wash them, or give a play-by-play as you wash each body part.
• Soothing for fussy babies - After a long {er, stressful} day at work, a hot soak in the tub is calling your name...the same relaxation benefits are calming and comforting to soothe fussy babies. Follow it with an infant massage afterwards by using a few drops of lotion or fruit or vegetable oil (apricot, grape seed, or avocado are great!).
• Sleep inducer - warm bath, warm room and the warm feeling of being safe, secure, and loved work magic together and will put baby in the mood to snooze. Reinforce the idea by dimming the lights and keeping the noise and activity down after the bath is over.

Goodnight ipad {Childrens Book}

Everyone knows of the childrens book, Goodnight Moon...and we even have a Goodnight Minnesota version that we love (thanks Sarah Z!). But I had no idea until recently of this tech-savvy parody called Goodnight Ipad by Ann Droyd, (hmmm...this is awful close to "Android," the well-known operating system).



It serves dual-roles of acknowledging and appreciating our new, technology-oriented lifestyle by including copy such as "Goodnight Facebook friend, Goodnight Neflix Stream." Meanwhile, serves as a reminder that powering-down is important for all of us, no matter what age, and that all of these electronic gizmos will be fully-charged and ready to go in the morning for us.

Click here to experience the eversion format with video.

This is a must-purchase for Miss L. Her daddy has a free Amazon Prime account temporarily from the holiday shopping season, I think we will add it to the cart now.

Goodnight Blog!

Eager to Read

One might think I'm on a mission to create a baby genious, but in all reality, it was just a "day in the life of Miss L."

This morning, we got ourselves "presentable" in record-breaking time from waking up from a nap to pulling into the library in an impressive 26 minutes!!! This includes me brushing my teeth, a light make up app and a wardrobe swap; Miss L had a wardrobe swap and diaper change.

We enjoyed Storytime for Babies at our local library - which is 45 minutes of fun songs, rhymes, reading of books and toys. Miss L doesn't need much to entertain her when in a room full of 14-15 month olds...

The afternoon consisted of yet another nap, followed by a long walk outside in the unsually warm, sunny winter weather! I talked to her throughout the walk, describing the trees, the sky and beautiful sun, and children walking home from school.

We received a surprising phone call from our 12-year old neighbor, asking if he could come read a story to Miss L as part of a homework assignment. So...he came over to read a great story straight from the most popular street on TV.

We finished our night with bath time and our new favorite bath book, Water, Water, Everywhere.

Reading and Narrating for young minds is so important and I am proud to think of how much Miss L absorbed today. The forecast for tomorrow: 51 and sunny...in Minnesota...in January! I think another walk is in store!

The Sights of Christmas

With the week of Christmas filled with fun and travels to celebrate with family, blogging took a back seat. Below are just a few Christmas photos to document Miss L's 1st Christmas...

Getting photos of Miss L in her pretty, carefully selected Christmas dress was a bit of a challenge...as she wanted to chew on the decorative red and green satin ribbons and bows donning the front of her dress!

This is one of my favorite photos!

 We visited the "famous" MOA Santa. Although his personal approach was irrelevant this year...I'm sure in the coming years, she will enjoy visiting this special Santa.

Presents galore! Thankfully some family shipped wrapped gifts for us to open at home...which was fun!
And then, the best-wrapped ones are perfectly wrapped by my dear husband.
Mr. Cole makes the best tree ornament!

An AMAZING tree decked out! (not ours...of course, I wouldn't want that electric bill!)

Christmas Eve, Baby's 1st Christmas Jammies!

She looks like she just learned about "Elf on the Shelf!" That is next year, darling!

Merry Christmas!

Crawling {Almost}

We will be crawling any day now. Watch out Mr. Cole

Happy 5 Month Birthday Miss L

It is happening. Exactly what I expected, but not what I hoped for...once you have kids, time flies by faster than you ever imagined.

Just as your wedding day did. The most popular advice to engaged couples is "to enjoy the day, soak it all in, because your wedding day transpires so quickly!" And you think, "I'm sure it does, but I'm going to do things differently...I'm going to make sure I see everyone, enjoy the day, dance with guests on the dance floor...and so on!" But it never fails...it came and went faster than you said I do!

This same advice happens when you are expecting - "Enjoy them while they are young, they grow up fast" and "I don't remember my baby being that little." You assume you will write it all down, video tape every moment and find some miracle cure of Slllooowwwing time down. Nope!

Jeremy and I enjoyed this 5-year fun, so-called haze in our 20's - the time from honeymoon to pregnancy test. When time stood still and responsibility was as minor as cleaning Mr. Cole's litter box and taking out the trash once per week. We felt "forever young." Then Miss L arrived in our lives.
We welcomed her with open arms 5 months ago today. This next chapter of our life is filled with joy, fun, laughter, and excitement...but also moved at the speed at light.

Below are some photos of our informal monthly photo shoot (thanks to her Aunt Lynnae), and of a video of her nearly crawling.

Here is our list of milestone moments this month:

• Teething - we have been actively teething since December 1st...we went from seeing white gums (bottom, of course!) to now feeling bumps on those sore gums. Teething toys are plentiful in our home currently.
• Rolling over like crazy - every which way, every direction - which makes diaper changes a bit of a challenge.
• Smiles - no longer stingy with them, Miss L is smiling like crazy...and tons of giggles also!
• Interested in real food - recently had rice cereal, some mashed avocado and really enjoyed sucking on her Aunt Nae's pear - we look forward to the adventures of making our own baby food.
• Crawling - NOT YET...but any day now. We do a "backwards crawl" currently...more like a scoot.
• Thumb sucking - slightly - we are trying to "work" on this, as we would prefer Miss L attach to a pacifier versus her thumb.
• Baby Crunches and Leg Lifts - yes, she has abs of steel (unlike her parents), as she does these cute little crunches while liftting her legs. (See bottom photo)

All fun activities! She is napping and sleeping well (we are blessed!)...and a healthy, perfect lil' baby girl.

I think we will see a lot of changes between 5 and 6 months, and just like the other months...it will fly by way too fast!

Museums on Us {B of A}

I recently learned about this wonderful promotion offered by Bank of America and Merril Lynch, for their customers.

On the first {full} weekend of the month, each month, cardholders may enjoy complimentary general admission to many museums across the United States.

Click here to access the entire list.

I sure wish I would have known about this while living downtown Chicago. There are several museums listed, including a few of my favorites: the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Museum of Contemporary Art. This is definitely worth holding onto the Bank of America credit card that offers no miles or points.

What a {Great!} Year

For the first time in about 5 years, I did not write a lengthy and detailed letter to enclose in our Christmas card. So many friends and family follow us online on FB or on here...but for the record, 2011 was one for the record books. This weekend, we watched several shows on TV with the "top lists of 2011"- whether it was news, sports plays, etc. It always seems that the events that transpired back in January, hardly feel like it happened this year. We often wonder, "where does time go?" And now with children, it seems to fly by even faster. Together, we reflected on what an amazing and blessed year we enjoyed. Here are some of our highlights...

• Jeremy's promotion to Area Manager
• Our relocation to the North Pole, {aka Minnesota}
• A fabulous trip to Maui, thanks to Jeremy's leadership and management skills
• Surviving the Tsunami Warning, while in Hawaii
• Our new home...which we love
• My new{er}car...which I love
• Many blessings of generous gifts for baby L from many family and friends, including new friends here
• A healthy pregnancy and perfect delivery of Miss L
• Loving life with Miss L

Instead of waiting to see "what's in store" for 2012...I am determined to make it a great year. We look forward to an upcoming vacation with some of my family, starting solid baby foods and making our own baby food, exploring the Twin Cities, getting {back} into shape and doing my best to provide a fabulous life of experiences and fun for Miss L.

From our family to yours - May you have a blessed, peaceful and healthy 2012~

Hello Again!

Dear blog...it's been a while. Too long, in my opinion. Between the busy days that surrounded Christmas and our time spent in Michigan, visiting family and friends, the blog has been neglected. Did I mention the days spent in Michigan were mostly spent in a home with nearly-dial-up internet service and next-to-nothing cell phone service? Not only was I unable to blog, but I couldn't check Facebook updates either. Sometimes it is nice to un-plug for a while and enjoy some R&R...but boy am I happy to be back in the world with technology.

I have so much to blog about as we celebrated Miss L's First Christmas, enjoyed a fondue feast on Christmas Eve, went to MI for 3 Christmas parties, enjoyed a playdate with friends and cherished the baptism of our baby girl.

I promise to share our fun times and stories in the coming days.