How I Came to Appreciate Cooking

Once upon a time, I used to be absolutely petrified of cooking. I convinced myself that whatever I attempted to make would either come out undercooked or burnt. So I never tried in fear of failing. The only thing that I loved to make were reservations!

As my relationship grew with my now husband, I forewarned him one night that should we get married, I won't be one of those wives who cooks. I felt that spewing the verbal disclaimer early on was only fair. Me + cooking = never going to happen. For the reason noted in the first paragraph above - and because I'm an instant gratification person. When I'm hungry I need food pronto. I felt that it took waaaay to long to prepare and cook a meal. By the time you sat down to eat it, you just wanted to take a nap because of how daunting of a task it was to bring that one little meal to fruition! I certainly didn't lack gusto for eating food though. Just cooking it.

Mr. Wonderful was unphased. I was surprised there was no long drawn out discussion about the avoidance between yours truly and the kitchen. There was no questioning me about why I wasn't even willing to try. He just said "ok" and that was that. I thought, "Wow. That went better than I thought it would". Was it really a non-issue? If so, would it stay that way? Because I was pretty resolute about rotating between fast food, take-out, and restaurant dining every night.

Then something changed.

A love for cooking started to evolve.

It shocked me. And everyone around me.

I started watching Rachel Ray one day. And because I'm a lover of Italian food, I subscribed to her magazine. Every month when they came in the mail, I flagged the recipes that looked delicious and dared myself to attempt to make them. One after the other, they all came out delicious. This wasn't rocket science after all. I started building a cook book library and also began picking up food magazines like Bon Appétit and Cooking Light and making some of the recipes inside.

I think a combination of things compelled me to begin cooking. I was curious if I would develop a love for it as so many other people have...and also because I started to feel convicted that when the time came for me to be a wife, that I wouldn't be making home cooked meals for my husband - and our children. I was raised in a family where both parents worked, and although my mom was certainly tired at the end of her long days, she cooked practically every night - weekends included {my dad cooked up meals every so often too}. I started to view cooking for my husband as another demonstration of my love. When this mindset set in, I wanted to give cooking a try all the more.

I cook usually 5 out of 7 days, and make breakfast most weekends. I also love to bake. I never would have thought this would be me! But I really do enjoy it. Who would have thought?! Certainly not me!

Last week while buying Ilah's beginner books, I spotted a little something for myself and mommy got a book of her own....

When I spied this recipe keeper - and looked inside - it was a must have. I have ripped pages from countless food magazines, flagged many recipes in my cookes books - and now I have a place to put them all.

On the front inside cover is a note pad to jot down items you need to get from the grocery store.

Throughout the book is colorful, swoon worthy photos....

There are many recipes throughout the book...and pictures to go with each. I can't make something without seeing a picture. I need a visual. So I just love this.....

Another thing that will come in so handy are these two pages of "substitute ingredients"and "equivalents"....

Tabs for easy finding....

Pages to write out your "special recipes" {these pages will be be filled with recipes handed down from my mom and recipes to our favorite meals that I make often}.....


Each tab has a pocket where you can place recipes that you've torn out of magazines {well, that's what I use the pockets for!}....


There's another pocket at the back of the book to place even more recipes.....

This Recipe Keeper only cost me.....

I also watch various shows on the Food Network to get ideas for new things to cook/bake up and then visit their site to obtain the recipes.

I'm certainly no Martha Stewart. But I sure do love to wander through her site and add some of her recipes to my collection : )

Bravo's "Real" Housewives

I’ve been hooked on Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise ever since 2006 when it all started with the ladies of the OC {who remain my favorite because I feel they are the most authentic}.

Since then, the Housewives show has seem to gone astray from their original objective. Inadvertently perhaps? What once was a show that initially was supposed to center around affluent women - that viewers were to be intentionally envious of because of their lavish lifestyles - now sort of takes on a new direction as season after season, many of the “real housewives” now become a tad more relatable as we see their once overflowing money well, running dry. From just one season to the next, some of the women’s story lines are stark contrasts as we see them get bumped out of upper class status and witness how they adapt to their newfound lifestyle.

When these women {and their families} hit financial hardships, Bravo didn’t replace them with new affluent women/families. Instead, we were/are able to see their stories evolve and get to see how our favorite – or not so favorite - housewife adjusts to her new “reality”. These new realities consist of divorces, job losses, law suits, evictions, mortgage defaults, bankruptcy filings and other not so great details of their current happenings in life. There are many online sources that shed a bright light on the Real Housewives women and as a viewer you can become privy to all kinds of information that you will never come to know about by solely just watching the show {my go to source is here}.

Yet on the flip side, a few Housewives have greatly profited both personally and financially as a result of their exposure on the show…becoming authors, recording artists, earning income from public appearances and tv appearances, becoming the face of a product line, and in Bethenny Frankel’s case, getting a show that focuses solely on her. These Housewives are “gettin’ it while the gettin’ is good” – and I don’t blame them.

Many viewers tuned in to vicariously live through these once {and some are still} well-to-do women and momentarily indulge in their expensive taste. It’s what made us a repeat viewer. Now we tune in to see….DRAMA. Drama, drama, and more drama. Is this really how we like it?

This past season, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has mainly focused on the demented behavior of cast member Danielle Staub, who apparently thinks she can be subtle with her antagonistic behavior. Not so much. I thought it was hilarious that Bravo titled one of the recent shows “Staub Wounds”. No kidding.

Because nearly every show is centered around Danielle’s crazy antics - and how all the other housewives react to her outlandish ways - the viewers unfortunately don’t get to see much into the lives of the Jersey women. If things don’t change up next season, I won’t be tuning in to “The Danielle Show”.

The Housewives draws a mass appeal. With record breaking ratings each week, it’s likely the Housewives franchise will continue to expand to new cities and no doubt, audiences will continue to grow. Gossip is circulating that Bravo’s next “Real Housewives” may come from the cities of New Orleans, Dallas, and Boston. I think Chicago should be thrown in there {and maybe bring back former OC housewife Kimberly Bryant who relocated to Chicago after season 1}.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills began shooting this past March. Kim and Kyle Richards, who are Paris Hilton's aunts, will be in the show. Count me out. Even though I’m originally from California, I have zero desire to see The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. As appealing as Bravo presents these women to be….no thank you.

Another Real Housewives that I know I’ll be skipping the next season of is The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Because quite frankly, I can’t stomach watching the majority of these women be so pretentious. Also, I’ve had enough of the ridiculous behavior that these grown women display. Oh - and I’m over the phantom known as Big Poppa.

Bravo is getting ready to introduce us to The Real Housewives of DC and I’m really looking forward to tuning in for reasons noted here! Following tonight’s episode of Bethenny Getting Married? {Do you watch? Do you like?}, were going to get a sneak preview of what’s to come on the RHODC {which premiere’s August 5th!}. You can get to know the women here. In addition, you can read some "interesting" things about the DC housewives here, here, and here.

The Real Housewives series might go international. Several media sources say that Bravo is thinking about expanding their empire to Dubai. In Greece, The Real Housewives of Athens will begin airing on Antenna TV in October 2010. And in the United Kingdom, casting is underway for another version in the beach town of Sandbanks in England. Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to tune in to these shows!?!

Our Monday

Over the weekend I made the decision that although it's extremely hot here in Atlanta right now, it shouldn't be a reason why I don't get out and walk and stay committed to losing weight. Because I don't want Ilah to be out in such crazy heat {nor do I}, my walks just need to be done first thing in the morning, after Ilah has had her first feeding of the day {which is around 8 a.m.}. So this morning I was out of the house by 9 a.m. while the weather was in the 80's and bearable. We even got some breeze. Where it came from, I have no idea - but I was thankful for the little bit that did wisp by!

There's a big loop by our house that is just shy of 2.5 miles if you walk it in its entirety {which is about 50 minutes}. I like walking along this path rather than walking inside of our subdivision because I'm unable to return home after only walking for all of 10 minutes!

With sippy cup in hand, filled with refreshing water, we strolled the path this morning.....

It felt good to be out early in the morning. I never have to be anywhere early so a morning walk is something that I can plan into our day at least 3 - 4 times a week. I liked taking my daughter out for some fresh air, giving us both a change of scenery, and personally being active.

This morning I got a little bold and walked all the way to Super Target!....

I needed to pick up something from Target so I figured why not just walk there. It's not too far from where the loop is - where I was already walking - so I just kept going...all the way to Target {where air condition awaited us}! I easily walked 5 miles today. Phew!!

I decided to peruse the toy aisle for fun. I have only purchased stuffed animals and books for Ilah - no toys - so I was curious what things are on the shelves these days. My mother is always buying and giving Ilah something new and fun so the girl is definitely not deprived!

This cute little potty seat caught my eye since Ilah gets so excited watching Dora, The Explorer....

I used to LOVE playing with Play-Doh when I was little!! There are so many neat things that you can make with play-doh now, like this "cake makin' station".....


Ahhh....the "My Little Pony" days!! I wonder if Ilah will be into them as much as I was....

Barbies took over the entire "aisle 2". When I looked at them I was a bit surprised by how totally different Barbie looks these days. There are a gazillion different types/looks. All I will say is "interesting".


I think I will want Ilah sticking to her love of Dora for a very long time!.....

I was never into dress-up growing up {that I recall, but I was totally into Barbies} but I know many little girls love to zip into little fancy dresses, put their feet into "high heels" and adorn their pretty little heads tiara's.

Walking down aisles and aisles of toys today made me think about Ilah growing into a big girl and wondering what things will be her favorites in the upcoming years.

I managed to leave Target not buying one thing for Ilah. That might have been the first. I seem to always give into getting something for her.

At the end of our walk, Ilah was pooped....

Afterwards we went to my in-laws house for a few hours and then back home for naptime {for Ilah, not me. How nice that would have been! But I needed to get dinner ready}.

I hope you all had a great weekend...and that Monday was a good day for you!

Ilah's Beginner Books

A few days ago I headed out to look for some books for Ilah. Although she already has quite a few, they are "story books". I wanted to find some books that focused on numbers, colors and first words. I knew that Marshalls carried a large quantity of books for little ones - I also knew that I would need to really "search" through them. I was optimistic that I would find a few books for Ilah there and sure enough I did....

I couldn't believe that I found these two beginner books made by the same company. These books were no where near eachother. I couldn't believe that I found a pair : )

Yesterday afternoon, Ilah and I sat down to "read" together. We've been reading to her ever since she was a baby, although she obviously couldn't comprehend what we were saying. But I believe that reading to your baby is very important, for reasons outlined here and here.

The pages in the books are made of thick cardboard - very easy for little hands to turn : )

"Hey Mommy. What are you doing up there?".....

"Since you're taking pictures, can you get a close up of my little dress?".....

"Umm. Mommy. How long am I going to have to read this book?".....

Ilah had a better idea.....

The girl puts everything in her mouth these days! Her brand new books now have her little teeth marks in them. Ha!

"Mommy, forget reading time. Let me show you how I crawl"...

Yes, friends. Ilah is now crawling!!

The second half of the Number's book teaches simple mathematical concepts, up to the number 10.

The "My First Words Book" introduces babies to colors, shapes and the things that they see in their every day world.

Sure, I could have gone to a regular book store to get books like the ones above, but I love a good deal....

And there you have it. Two new books that are on Ilah's "summer reading list". Ha!

Fried Zucchini Recipe

For those that have inquired, below is the recipe that I used to make my fried zucchini. I made them on a whim one night when a sudden craving kicked in for Cheesecake Factory's fried zucchini but there was no way that I was going to make the trek there to get them. So instead I pulled up a highly rated recipe, headed out to the store to buy the few ingrediants that I didn't have on hand, and made my own! It was super easy, and super fast! Enjoy : )

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Reviews can be found here on Food Network

Cook Time:10 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings {I cut the below ingredients in half since I was only making these for me and my husband}

Ingredients:
Olive oil, for frying
1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 medium zucchini, cut into 3-inch long by 1/2-inch wide strips

Directions:
Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.

Stir 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, the panko, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to blend. Working in batches, *dip the zucchini in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the zucchini strips on a baking sheet.

*One ingredient, and additional step, omitted from this recipe is to first dip the zucchini in flour, and then into the egg to coat.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

Life After Baby

When I was pregnant I was told by many people that my life would “never be the same” once the baby came. Every time I heard this statement, it perturbed me - but I bit my lip. After all, despite the fact that I didn’t believe that to be true, I wasn’t actually a mother yet to know for sure just how my life would be altered. Would it be drastically, or minimally? Only time would tell. Still, I didn’t like the blanketed assumption that every woman who bore a child would start a whole new life in which she lived in the shadow of her former self.

While I knew that many sacrifices would need to be made, and that life from that point forward would be all about putting my child’s needs ahead of my own, I didn’t agree that my life would need to be altered so much so that I would have to put my love for travel behind me or not pursue my passions in life - or that I would never ever again be able to sleep in past 7 a.m. Perhaps I was being naïve to think that my life wouldn’t require too much of an adjustment….but I just had a feeling it wouldn’t.

When my daughter was born, she became everything to me. And even before she was born, I loved her more than anything. I was totally and completely enthralled by her and I instantly became devoted to giving her my all. While I was aware of all that would go into caring for her, I wasn’t overwhelmed with the new responsibilities that I would undertake, but instead I delighted in knowing that I would nurture and protect her and that being a mother would add to who I am – not replace who I am.

I was forewarned by so many people that a baby can actually bring a great amount of tension into a marriage. You find yourself fighting about whose turn it is to get up with the baby, there’s less alone time for your partner and you to connect, date nights are few and far between, the baby gets all the attention, and if you are a stay-at-home-mom you barely find time to eat during the day - let alone have a moment to yourself, which leads to you being a frustrated mother at the end of the day who can’t wait to pass off your baby to your husband when he gets home, etc. These scenarios weren’t relayed as “possible things that might happen” – instead they were told to me as things that were “inevitably going to happen”. In essence, get ready for the life shift ‘cause things are a changin’. I just didn’t buy that in its entirety. I mean…surely, not every day would be blissful, right? I would need to have a higher patience tolerance level because there would be a lot to juggle. I could see that. There had to be days of feeling aggravated, exhausted, and overwhelmed, no?

Well let me share how the past six months have gone for me {let’ see if the above assumptions are true}.

• Not one time have my husband and I fought over whose going to get up with the baby. I won’t withhold the fact that we had a great amount of help from my mom {who stayed with us during the first few weeks of having Ilah home}. She often got up with the baby in the middle of the night, allowing us sleep in. Obviously that was nice. But after those first couple of weeks, we were on our own. And yes, we were sleep deprived. But that was part of it. We embraced it for it meant that we had a precious baby that God blessed us with.
  

• Ilah has always had a wonderful sleeping pattern and she has always been great with napping. She started sleeping through the night at 2 months old and not long after, began sleeping 12 hours straight every night, which she still does. This gives my husband and I lots of alone time together in the evenings {and on the weekends}, and even a bit of morning time together too.
  

• Because my mom lives so close {about 15 minutes from us}, we are still able to have date nights {even spontaneous ones} . My mom ALWAYS wants her grandchild! I know many people don’t have relatives close by who can watch their baby, so I know that we are fortunate in this sense.
  

• While we definitely dote over our beautiful baby girl, she doesn’t get all of the attention. My husband and I still have great conversations, are playful with one another, and are in tune with each other’s needs.
  

• Indeed my days start early, and a lot goes into taking care of both Ilah and our household simultaneously but I still have pockets of time to myself. It’s true though that some days you won’t be able to get around to eating when you are hungry, but there’s no greater feeling for me than meeting my daughters needs – whatever they may be. Her needs first, mine second.
  

• At the end of the day, no matter how exhausting of a day that particular one was, I have never wanted to pass off my baby to my husband when he has walked through the door {sent him to get take out that night, maybe!}. I have however thought about when was a good time in the evening to get in a relaxing bubble bath! And usually every time I am in that bubble bath, my husband will bring the baby in to see mommy and I quickly pull the plug to let the water out so that I can get out and be with my family.

Ilah has been such an easy baby…in every way. Will she remain that way? Only time will tell. For now, she is low maintenance and goes with the flow. I can take her anywhere, for any amount of time, and she doesn’t fuss or cry. She just kicks back in her stroller, taking in her surroundings and falls asleep when she’s tired. She’s been on looong car rides, she’s flown on airplanes….if you didn’t see her, you wouldn’t even know she was there. She adapts to new environments so wonderfully.

I’m sharing all of the above because I want new {and expecting} mom’s to know that raising a baby/child is an individual experience. While there are so many people trying to set up new moms for their “new reality’s”, I wanted to shed light on the opposite spectrum by voicing that you can have a baby who wonderfully enhances your life in ways that don’t call for you surrendering all that you are. I can attest that babies can be adaptable – that you’re life may not change too much – that your love life with your spouse doesn’t need to take a back seat – that life won’t just all be about diapers, bottles, playtime and endless hours of trying to soothe your crying infant. You may have a child who hardly cries. Look forward, with optimism, to what your new reality is going to be. Is every day going to be a piece of cake? No. Just as every day before having a baby wasn't. There may be days that you will want to put yourself in “time out” ; )

Life with two {or more} little ones will undoubtedly change things. But for now, it's just us two, with our one, loving every minute of it.

Busy Tuesday....Pictures of Ilah

No time for a long post like yesterday....but I thought I would at least post some more pictures of Ilah playing in her playpen over the weekend. After all, seeing new pictures of our sweet baby girl is one of the main reasons that you come to my blog!

Ilah woke up from a nap not too long before these pictures were taken. She plays with all of her toys so contently {until she's had enough and then the fussiness is heard - and boy, is it heard}. It's hard to tell which toys are Ilah's fav's because she plays with all of them equally. But she does get a kick out of the giraffe because at the end of its arms and legs is a "squeaker"! She GIGGLES and SMILES SO BIG when the giraffe "makes" those sounds!

We hope you have a great day!!