like mommy, like baby

Davis has been taking his time getting into the talking thing. He says "Da." A lot. For everything. We've been working on learning some signs, but he's been a little reluctant to use those, too.

But, yesterday I popped a couple M&Ms in my mouth, rounded the corner and scooped up my boy. His little sniffer recognized the scent. He pointed to my mouth, said, "ma ma," then did the sign for 'eat' and 'more.'

This kid's no dummy. He can communicate when it really counts:

when chocolate's at issue.

new family fave

A while ago I clipped this recipe for Ham and Cheese Empanadas from FamilyFun magazine. I'm always looking for dinner ideas that appeal especially to kids for all those nights I'm cooking and Chad is working. {Nothing frustrates Mommy more than a dinner gone cold because the kids don't like it and the hubby is at work.} "Ham and Cheese" sounded promising, although I wasn't entirely sure what empanadas were. So, off to the store I went in search of empanada wrappers. No luck. I guess we're a little too far from the border for this type of thing to be in my local freezer section. The recipe said you could use frozen puff pastry, but who wants to spend $7 on puff pastry? Not I.

So, I turned to trusty Google. Have you ever looked up recipes for puff pastry? No wonder they charge $7 for the stuff. The recipes I found involved rolling out butter (yes, butter), layering it between dough, rolling it again, folding it, refrigerating, rolling, folding, refrigerating, rolling, folding, refrigerating. all. day. long. Pepperidge Farms really earns their $.

But, then, glory be...a cheater's recipe. Completely for me! I was a little skeptical (sour cream in a pastry?), but it was seriously YUMMY! The empanadas turned out very tasty. Chad even loved them re-warmed when he got home.

I didn't take any pics of our final product. Sorry. But, here is the recipe exactly as I did it, which made 9 empanadas and enough pastry for 4 apple turn-overs for dessert (which I made using food-storage dried apples. So, so proud.) Enjoy!

Puff Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter, chilled and diced (I reduced the butter from the original recipe because I'm at 6,000 feet....but it worked fine for me)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup cold water

1. Place flour in a medium bowl. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender, until mixture is the size of small peas.
2. Add sour cream. Stir with a fork, adding water, drop by drop, as needed, until pastry forms a ball. It should still be fairly dry. Don't add too much water!
3. Wrap in plastic and chill 6 hours or overnight.
   
4. When ready to use, roll pastry thinly (about 1/8 inch).

Yield: 12-13 5" rounds

Ham and Cheese Empanada Filling (I halved the original)

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
  
• 4 ounces cooked ham, chopped
• 1 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 4 ounces mild Cheddar, shredded
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten; divided
  
• Pinch of black pepper

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and parsley, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl, and allow it to cool.

2. Add the ham, bread crumbs, cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of the beaten egg, and a pinch of black pepper to the bowl, and mix well.

3. Roll pastry on well-floured surface until 1/8" thick. Cut into 5" rounds. Dust with flour, as needed, to keep from sticking.
   

4. To assemble the turnovers: Place 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of a pastry round and lightly moisten the edge of the circle with the egg mixture (add 1 tablespoon water to remaining egg). Fold the pastry in half and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork dipped in flour and pierce the top with the fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, then refrigerate the empanadas for 30 minutes or freeze for later use. (I didn't have time to refrigerate, but it didn't seem to matter)

5. Heat the oven to 375°. Brush the turnovers with the egg wash and bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet on the upper oven rack until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the empanadas to cool for a few minutes before serving. Makes 8-9 medium-size turnovers.

timeless

In an effort to turn my kids into art junkies, I'm always drawn to the children's books featuring art by the masters. The other day at the library, I picked up just such a book to read with my bitty boy: Baby Loves, featuring the art of Mary Cassatt. As I read these simple words with my baby, and looked at the beautiful works of art, I was touched to realize that, although the mothers in these paintings lived 100 years ago, their lives were not so different than mine. They spent their days caring for their children; they joyed in the cuddles of their little ones; they fed and bathed and taught (albeit in hoop skirts and puff sleeves), just like I do.

I feel so honored to be a part of this ageless sisterhood of mothers. And, just like this mommy, I love love love those after bath squeezes!

Maternal Caress
Drypoint and aquatint printed in color
14 3/8 x 10 9/16 in., 1891
Metropolitan Museum of Art

P.S. It is especially good to remember this honor when your darling, precious little one wakes you up (for reals and ready to play) at 4:30 in the AM. Just in case that ever happens at your house or anything.

Dear Lady...

...Who-Sat-In-Front-Of-Me-At-Gymnastics-Today,

I understand your desire for cleanliness. The gym isn't known for being squeaky clean. But, I had to snicker to myself today. I witnessed your 25 minute battle with your 2-year-old about the need to use hand sanitizer BEFORE being allowed her snack (even though said toddler already 'washed hands' with a baby wipe). I myself, am a fan of water-free hand wash. It is a lovely invention. And the fact that you fought that battle, rather loudly, in public wasn't even what made me cringe. No....laughter came when your child, thoroughly defeated and cleansed, got her snack. Potato chips and fruit snacks? For a woman so intensely concerned about bacteria getting ON the snack, I found it odd that you cared little about the nutrition found IN the snack.

But maybe that's just me?

See you next week! ;)

-Adri

self discovery

the 's' word

Shots. We do them a lot at our house. Dal gets one every. single. day.

It is usually a battle and, therefore, exhausting for everyone.

Everyone, that is, except Kate. She is fascinated by the whole thing and likes to strategically place herself where she won't get in the way (and thus, shooed away), but can still spy the action. I'm not sure what possesses this intense interest, but she does claim she is going to be a baby doctor when she grows up.

So, today when we left to go to her pre-kindergarten check-up at the pediatrician, she wasn't the least bit worried about the booster shots she knew were coming. She passed the exams with flying colors; the model patient. The nurse came in, told her to dangle her legs over the table and lay down. She had Kate put her hands across her chest and had me hold them there, just in case. But, this calm girl didn't even appear to mind what was heading her way.

Then, the poke.

Kate's eyes grew wide with a look of betrayal. She shouted "OUCH!" Tears began to roll down her face. 3 more shots. 3 more screams. Then, of course, lots of hugs and prizes and stickers.

As we left the office, I told her how proud I was that she was so brave. She, however, was not proud. She was mad. At me. I guess she thought I'd mislead her about how much those shots would hurt. Dal's shots are done with tiny needles; you can barely see them. These needles? Not so little. Going in, she was sure she could be more brave than her big brother. The whole painful part was a shock.

I think she's forgiven me now. M&Ms seemed to have patched things up. I'm not sure I've forgiven me, though. It seemed like this doctor visit was going to be my easiest yet. I didn't have to cajole or bribe to get the child in the door. I wasn't required to full-body wrestle anyone while the nurse did her thing (yes, done that. a lot.). Yet, that look she gave me--- sheer disbelief that I didn't tell her what was coming---I think that might be worse than the prying and pinning of visits past. I just want my girl to trust me.

It's a good thing we're done with boosters for a long while. Don't mention H1N1, okay?

the 1-year-old mind

"Can you help me put the fridge magnets back IN the box?"
...as he throws them across the kitchen floor.

"Can you show me how to put the legos back IN the bucket?"
...as he dumps them out on the train table.

"Help mommy put the books back IN the bookcase."
...as he carefully takes them off, one by one, and tosses them over his shoulder.

"Look! A new bath toy! Can you put the ball IN the hoop?"
...and Baby obediently puts in IN the hoop.

How do they ALREADY know the difference between work and play???