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Cutie Pie

Posted by on 14 December 2010, 8:31 pm

Admit it. You want to nibble on those cheeks :)

I can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since my last post. In that time, I haven’t done much on the cooking front. Well, I’ve cooked, but most of the meals have been pretty lackluster, and the few times I’ve made something more elaborate I didn’t have time to blog about it. I always wondered how new moms could possibly not have time to eat. After all, you need to eat in order to have energy to care for the baby, right? Right?! Well…I now know that yes, you do need food, but most of your meals will be consumed with one hand as you feed or otherwise occupy your baby.

So, we’re not doing much cooking or baking. How are we spending our days?

We’ve been trying out new toys…like the Bumbo chair. (Despite the serious face, I promise she liked it!)

We’ve been wearing stylish outfits.

We’ve been begging Daddy to stay home from work and keep us company.

And in general, we’re just being adorable.

Caring for Lucy is a more-than-full-time job. At times, I’ve wondered how I can ever return to blogging when I’ll soon be juggling motherhood AND my real job. But my fellow moms tell me it gets easier as you hit your groove and your baby settles into more of a schedule. We’re not there yet, but I know we will be.  Here’s hoping regular posts will resume after the new year!

Filed under Baby.
11 Comments

Two Weeks In

Posted by on 8 November 2010, 9:50 am

Hello from the world of motherhood! The past two weeks have been exciting and exhausting. On one hand, I can’t believe I’m someone’s mama. On the other hand, I can’t believe I had a life different from the one I now lead. My focus is no longer on myself; it’s on my daughter and her needs, which is why I don’t have much to report on the food blogging front. Our meals have been simple and quick, and if I’m being honest, my husband has done most of the cooking as I learn the ins and outs of breastfeeding. (Turns out he’s a pretty capable chef, btw. I even sent him on a solo grocery store run and was quite impressed by the quality of the meat and produce he brought home.) Speaking of which – I have NEVER been as hungry as I’ve been in the past two weeks! I thought my pregnancy appetite was voracious, but damn, breastfeeding has blown that away. I need to eat about every two hours, and chug water in between meals. It’s amazing!

So, my food has been kind of boring, but life with Lucy is anything but. It’s true what they say – babies change a little bit EVERY day. I look at her face now, compared to the photos from the first few days of her life, and I see a totally different little person. Her cheeks are starting to fill in (thanks to a fabulous weight gain – she’s now over 7 lbs!) and her personality is starting to emerge. Example: what we’ve dubbed her “judgmental face,” which appears when we don’t seem to be meeting her demands.

(She already knows she’s smarter than us.)

For the past two weeks we were lucky to have Corey at home with us. We got brave and took Lucy on a few brief outings, including her first trip to Golden Gate Park. After a brief struggle with both the carseat and the stroller (two items that will make even the smartest person feel like a moron), we enjoyed a lovely walk in the sun.

We also made our first trip to the pediatrician, who declared that Lucy is absolutely perfect. (We knew that already!) As I mentioned, her weight gain has been phenomenal, which makes me feel even more confident about breastfeeding. I was pretty nervous to take her to the doc, but Lucy seemed completely unperturbed by the experience. Perhaps because it was around 90 degrees in there? She just sat back and enjoyed a little baby sauna action.

Right now we can’t manage more than one brief outing per day – travel is exhausting for everyone. Afternoon naps make the late nights a lot more manageable.

All in all, I’m happy as can be. Today is my first day on my own as Corey heads back to work. It’s a little intimidating to be doing everything on my own, but I know I’ll get the hang of things. Thanks for your kind words of support and for understanding as I take a little more time to focus on my little girl. Normal cooking and baking activities will resume soon enough!

Filed under Baby.
23 Comments

Fresh From the Oven

Posted by on 26 October 2010, 10:23 am

Miss Lucy Rose Teague arrived on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 7:06 p.m. She’s long (19.25″) and skinny (6 lbs) and absolutely the best thing I have ever accomplished. I am incredibly thankful and blessed with a beautiful daughter and a supportive, loving husband who couldn’t be prouder of his little girl.

Allow me to share a few photos now and some additional details after we’ve been home a few more days. Thank you all for your kindness and support.

Filed under Baby.
48 Comments

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Posted by on 20 October 2010, 10:12 am

I have always been easily influenced by cooking and food-related shows. This started when I was in graduate school and my flexible schedule allowed me to watch Food Network when I should have been working on my master’s thesis. I’d see a recipe prepared on air and immediately decide to amend that night’s dinner plan, rushing to the store for any missing ingredients (and further delaying the aforementioned thesis). This practice subsided when I returned to the workforce; I still watched my favorite shows, but limited myself to weekly grocery trips and a somewhat structured menu plan that made much more sense for someone with a full-time job.

Then I got pregnant and entered a whole new level of monkey see, monkey do. Food-related programming is like a drug for pregnant women. You see delicious food. You start thinking about it. You can practically smell it through the TV. You find yourself unable to concentrate on anything until you find, purchase and/or prepare the particular food that’s wormed its way into your brain. Takeout is the easiest and fastest way to get a fix, but cooking at home is a great way to burn off some of that third trimester nesting energy. And that is how an episode of  Throwdown with Bobby Flay prompted me to spend a couple of hours making meatballs and tomato sauce from scratch.

I sat through that episode staring at those meatballs and cursing my refrigerator for its lack of ground beef, basil and grated cheese. I contemplated sending Corey on a late-night grocery run but ultimately decided midnight meatball-making wasn’t the best idea for someone accustomed to a 9 p.m. bedtime. I held out until the next day and finally received my fix.

As far as meatballs and sauce go, these recipes from Maroni Cuisine in Northport, NY are surprisingly easy. The meatballs are baked in the oven (rather than pan fried) and the ingredient list is fairly simple. The sauce simmers for a mere 20 minutes, though you’ll need a bit more time to ensure the onions and garlic cook to a nice golden brown. I didn’t change a thing in either recipe*, so I encourage you to visit the original listings on Food Network’s web site and whip up your own bowl of carby, meaty comfort food.

*The only alteration I might make next time is to add a little heat (perhaps some crushed red pepper?) and a bit more salt to the sauce, and to make the sauce a day in advance. I found that the flavors were much more complex on the second day.

Filed under Beef, Comfort Food, Pasta.
10 Comments

Saved By Zero

Posted by on 19 October 2010, 6:44 am

I’m on maternity leave but don’t yet have a baby to care for. Therefore, I have quite a bit of time on my hands – to clean, to organize, to think about things in great detail. Last week, I decided it had been far too long since

a) I wore real shoes (these beauties, in black, became the norm a long time ago), and

b) I went on an actual date with my husband. You know, a date spent in a real restaurant with fancy cocktails and detailed conversation and sleek decor, as opposed to a sandwich shop willing to overlook my faded maternity leggings and the trail of crumbs clinging to my pregnant belly.

After hearing some buzz about Zero Zero, a new-ish establishment specializing in Neapolitan-style pizzas and pasta, I decided we should venture to SoMa for a night on the town. Because said evening began at 5:45, it took some time for Corey to realize this was indeed an actual date…apparently he didn’t notice the flats and lip gloss I donned for the occasion?! I even popped my antacids with a bit more subtlety than usual.

Once we established the significance of this event, we settled back to enjoy the ambiance. Zero Zero doesn’t skimp on the aforementioned sleek decor – we sat upstairs and had a great view of the main seating area and bar, as well as some funky murals that adorn the walls.

As for the food, San Francisco is teeming with restaurants that offer this exact cuisine. I’ve dined at quite a few of them and have to say that Zero Zero wins the prize for both quality and value. We split three items, starting with fried brussel sprouts with pickled onion, pear and pancetta. What a fantastic combination of flavors! I knew I’d love the crisp pancetta, but the pickled veggies and sweet pear actually made the dish.

Next came a panzanella salad with more pickled onion, avocado, cucumber and heirloom tomatoes. This was light and refreshing with subtle hints of basil and arugula. The bread was just as it should be for panzanella: soft without being mushy, and with a light garlic flavor. I could have eaten this as my meal and been perfectly content.

And finally, the big finish – the Castro pizza with housemade sausage, sopressata, mozzarella and basil. The toppings were ample and tasty, and the crust was equal parts blistered and chewy. (Don’t you hate it when pizzas like this are burnt to a crisp? This one was perfectly cooked, in my humble opinion.)

We had zero zero room for dessert, but Corey sampled a cocktail from the restaurant’s interesting bar menu. The Ninth Ward was a blend of bourbon, falernum, St. Germain, lime and bitters. It looked a bit like rose-tinted dishwater but Corey loved the layers of flavor.

I thought this might be our final adult hurrah before Baby T. makes her way into this world, but my doctor thinks I have a bit more time to wine and dine. I’m 39 weeks pregnant today, and she feels reasonably sure I’ll make it to my due date – if not a few days after. Only time will tell!

Filed under Dining Out. Tagged 
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