Getting well

Slowly but surely the family is getting well after being sick for about 2 weeks.  I haven't been to work but one day last week and a half-hour this week, to care for baby and get over my illness too.  Darn viruses!  Lukaia is more energetic and playful than ever, yet she needs her rest to get over the last bit of her cold. 

The nights are the worst and after she gets up from a nap. Today she and I had a nice nap (encouraged by me, since I was still tired at 6:30am!).  Anywho, we're on our way back to normal here.

In the Left Corner, Lukaia!

In the left corner, weighing in at 25 lbs, is Lukaia Sophie the fastest hands in the West!

Chopped - we all can be subsistence cooks

Here's why I love Food Network's show Chopped.  Today's Dessert Challenge: Pineapple, corn, hot dogs.  What did the winner do?  A pineapple Napolean with chocolate sauce, topped with fried hot dogs coated with powdered sugar- and it looked yummy!  


Although this show only accepts professionals, specifically "Seeking dynamic, outgoing, experienced professional chefs. Men and women of any ethnicity and cooking specialty encouraged to apply", my entire culinary point of view was shaped by trying to create something yummy from what I had on hand.  Starting with my Hispanic grandpa, who was the patriarch of "subsistence" cooking.  Most of us Generation X-ers grew up with Depression-era grandparents (or at least those of us whose parents were in their 30s when they had kids).  So it may not be unusual to receive a homemade banana split, after begging them to take you to Dairy Queen (Sonic or Culver's if you aren't from the South).  Tex Mex Huevos Rancheros are good, but when he didn't have potatoes to add, he'd add some chicharrones to fry it all together- and then it became uniquely GOOD.  I realize the cholesterol here - fried pig ears, refried into eggs, but nevertheless.  Top that with some Homemade chili salsa from peppers and tomatoes in their garden, whoa, it always knocked your socks off!  (And remembering now, that "salsa" was mostly peppers, maybe half a tomato).


Whether or not you are cooking with just what you have in the kitchen and pantry out of a Chopped challenge to win $10,000, or out of necessity, it takes creativity, skill, and a love of food, not to mention the foresight to envision what things will work to jazz up a dish, or make a meal for an entire family without someone saying "ewewewe"!   Even following the directions for planned, coordinated meals isn't always a bullseye, for example: Thai Green Curry paste says to add brown sugar and fish sauce - absolutely not a hit in my household.  Trial and error is how you do it...but spaghetti with crab and coconut green curry last night for instance.  Its a winner!  I have yet to go to the grocery store to fill the fridge and pantry with coordinated ingredients, but right now its not for the challenge, just because I'm tired and taking care of little sick one.  But who needs meal planning - bring on the Chopped challenge!   

Sick baby syndrome

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Day 5 of taking care of a sick baby.  This is the pits!  Poor baby, no appetite.  At least now she is initiating the naps, rather than fighting them.   I'm trying to help her fight this cold virus and croup cough that she no doubt picked up her first week of daycare.  We actually made it to the first day of the second week, but of course paid for the whole time regardless of whether she's there.  (Alas).

Calculation: $360 spent on 2wks of daycare, 5 1/2 days used.
                   $75 spent on 2 pediatrician appts and one urgent care visit.
                   $40 spent for baby meds and supplies.
                   3 days work missed so far, plus one day off used.
                
Thank goodness I have saved up comp time and sick leave, and have flexibility to leave for family emergencies when I need to.  (Three cheers for being a government worker bee!)

While I'm not cleaning a snotty nose, comforting the cries and moans, or trying to avoid getting kicked from the crabby baby, I've been cleaning (which I hate) the house here and there while she's napping.  I've even had time to get on the scale and see that I've finally reached my first step weight loss goal -10 lbs lighter.  What has been the trick?  Weight lifting at lunch and eating smaller portions and not snacking (because of forgetting to and being busy).   And probably the fact that I'm tired and a little run down.  At least I get something positive out of it!  Woohoo!