TL;DR- A birthday, a thank you, and a meal plan

My baby boy isn't much of a baby anymore. Life happens so quickly! I can hardly believe it; he turned 2 years old on Friday. From the time we learned we were going to be parents, my husband and I have been put to the test in a thousand ways we never dreamed of. To say Calvin was a surprise is an understatement and it's been a whirlwind experience from the start. But we've made it, so far. While we all still have our struggles, we are all mostly happy. And we're a family with a very strong bond and large, loving support system. We are forever grateful for the advice, love, help, and support we've been given. I don't think I'll personally be able to say "Thank you!" enough or show just how much you have all meant to me; and to Charlie and Calvin. Though, if you doubted us or turned your back on us because our situation didn't fit your ideals, thanks for that too. You've given me the ability to muster up strength I didn't know I had and get through the day. You've taught me a lesson that I can pass on to my son, and maybe one day he'll know to avoid people like you. He may not be able to keep people like you out of his life completely, but he will know to seek people who care for him and will help him, no matter the circumstances. Because that's what children need. They need help, care, and unconditional love. Of course they need shelter, food, and water, but they need to be protected and loved in order to thrive. And that's exactly what I try to do. I try to love, care for, respect, and protect my son. I also strive to do the same for my family, my friends, and anyone I may come into contact with.

Recently, a few people have said that I am an inspiration to them; that I'm a role model. To them I'm someone to look up to or admire. These are probably some of the greatest compliments I've ever received and I am very thankful for them. So please don't let what I'm about to say lead you to think I'm belittling those compliments. I'm glad that these wonderful things are thought of me, but I have a hard time believing them. I'm also terrified I'll do something to let those people down, as they are dear friends who I count as family. Yes, I've been through a lot in the past few years. Yes, there are days when I don't know how we'll make it to bed time, but we do. I do often find myself with a "To Do" list a mile long and there is never enough time to get it all done. However, once a week, I usually manage to pull it off. I don't go to work or go to school, but my job is to run my household and care for my family. I keep quite a busy schedule, despite being a "stay at home mom". I actually consider myself a "stay on the go mom". But I do NOT do it alone.

I have a wonderful husband who works ridiculous hours putting up with truly snotty college kids to pay the bills. He's a fantastic father, and most days he isn't aware. He loves his son and he loves me to the ends of the earth and he makes sure we know it. He takes pictures with passion and care so that we will always have memories of the days that we're living right now. I have parents who give unending support in more ways than I can count. You know, they dealt with a lot when we first found out about my pregnancy and no one really asked them how they were doing. I'm fairly certain it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine for them. There were many concerns, but they gave Charlie and I the space we needed while still being there waiting just in case we needed them. And boy did we ever. Charlie's parents have also been extremely supportive from the very beginning (after the shock wore off some). They have helped us in more ways than I can really say and I don't know that I will ever be able to repay them. We've gotten immeasurable support from our extended families, dear friends from all over the globe, a few members of my church, and even some kind strangers. Chances are, if you're reading this, you've helped me or us in some way. If you're reading this, there is a good possibility your kindness has helped me get through the day.

I guess what I'm ultimately trying to say is thank you. Just...thank you.
__________________________________________________________

On a lighter note, here's our menu for the week. As usual, I don't assign a meal to a day or a day to a meal because I'd rather not set myself up for failure.

BBQ Beef (This will get made this week, by golly!)
sweet potato fries
cornbread

Grandma H's Spaghetti Sauce
pasta
side salads
cheesy bread

Sausage and Lentil Stew
dutch oven bread

Monte Cristos
home fries/roasted veggies
apple sauce

Buffalo Chicken Dip
veggie sticks
tortilla chips
fresh fruit

Risotto
sauteed veg
side salads

Other things to make this week:
bread (both plain and cinnamon raisin)
pumpkin pies (for the freezer)
Calvin's birthday cake

Tuesday night we're having Calvin's little family party at my parents since it's the only night we're all off. My mom is making lasagna and salad. I'm contributing the cheesy bread and the dude's birthday cake. On Saturday we are leaving for a little weekend away. As a family. Like, all of us. Charlie included! I can't tell you how excited I am! Due to these events, one or more of the planned meals may not get made. But I have everything I need to make all of them, just in case.

What are you having this week?

Chugga chugga chugga

This is a very cute book, by the way. But mostly, I just feel
like a train chugging slowly up hill.

I'd like to start this post by saying thank you. A gigantic thank you to my dear husband who put me to bed early last night after he put the baby to bed. He also did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen for me. Apparently he knew I needed to sleep for 10 hours. <3

Our apartment is a disaster because all of the things maintenance was supposed to do on Friday didn't get done. They only did about half of what I had written down and I came home yesterday evening to find our bathroom in shambles. The good news is they are finally making the repairs we've been asking them to for months. I am ever so grateful for that. Though, I'd really like to take a shower. Anyway. I have lots to do over the next couple of days so the upcoming posts I told you about last week are just going to have to wait a little bit longer. And I'm rethinking the cornbread post all together because to me it's more of a discussion than a post of me prattling on about my opinion. Though, I have eaten cornbread in several different parts of the country...I don't know. MY BRAIN IS OVERLOADING WITH LISTS AND INFORMATION SEND HELP! Or coffee. Chocolate is nice, too. Or hugs. Do you like rocks? My cat is snoring. The Cardinals are losing the World Series to the freaking Red Sox right now; it's awful! Hi!

I need to make it through Halloween and Calvin's 2nd birthday, then maybe I can breathe for a week and get some real writing done before our trip to Williamsburg and Thanksgiving and the holiday madness that is bound to take place. Deep, cleansing breaths.

As usual, I'm running behind. But here's our menu. My budget is tighter than a corset on a drag queen this week because it's the end of the month and we had to prepare for the little dude's birthday. So this menu involves many potatoes. But we like potatoes around here, so that's okay. Again, I don't assign and meal to a day or a day to a meal because that's crazy talk.

Pot Roast
Rice and gravy
Carrots/winter squash

Meatloaf
Roasted red potatoes
Veggie of some kind
Applesauce

Loaded baked potato soup
Side salads

BBQ Beef (didn't get made last week)
Corn bread
Sweet potato fries

Garlicky chicken kabobs (with chicken and veggies)
Whipped sweet potatoes with coconut and ginger
Fresh fruit

Other things that will get made this week:
cookies
caramel apples (Trunk or Treat)
bread
Rice Krispie treats


Calvin will probably have birthday pancakes on his birthday (Friday), so one of these meals may not happen. Trunk or Treat is Wednesday at church. We're taking Calvin Trick or Treating at the downtown shops and stores so Charlie can actually be there for it.

What are you having this week?

Photo credit: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/chugga-chugga-choo-choo-board-book-id-0786807601.aspx

Never let it be said...

...that I'm lazy while I'm grieving. I'm one of those people that handles bad news better by focusing my energy on busy work or a project. If I have too much time to think about it, I'm an absolute wreck. I think that's the case for a lot of people.

Back in August, my grandpa Joe (Pap) passed away. It was an especially difficult loss for the whole family. It wasn't a completely unexpected passing as he'd been progressively getting sick for a while, but it was rather sudden. Then early this morning, my Grandpa H lost his 2 year battle with cancer. While also very sad, I'm just so glad to know that he is reunited with my grandmother. Like my Daddy said, they're probably somewhere in the great beyond fishing. But only to make my grandma happy.

So today (and for the next few days), I'm grieving again. I've had a few good cries, then I sucked it up, and got moving. I broke down 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, froze the chicken, and used the bones/scraps for stock. I made, strained, and froze 2 quarts of stock. I got a few errands run. I made dinner and fed my family. I made and packed Charlie's "lunch" for the night. I've folded laundry. I've done a load of dishes. I made dried apple rings. I'm working on apple muffins now. And I think I'll have to vacuum again tonight after Calvin is asleep.

During all of this I had some time to reflect on happy memories. I found that I'm ever grateful for something that I got to share with both of my grandfathers before they passed- my love of cooking. A few years ago, I made a big Italian dinner (spaghetti, sausage, homemade sauce, and homemade meatballs) for my mom's side of the family. I remember making sure not to use too much garlic, because Pap wasn't a fan of garlic. And last year, when Calvin and I went to visit him (and my aunts) in Texas, I cooked dinner for Grandpa H. I made him fried pork chops, corn, and broccoli. I was trying to use up some veggies my aunts had so when I asked him if he liked broccoli he said, "As long as you've got cheese sauce to put on it!". A little cream here, a little butter there, add lots of cheese and ta-da! Cheese sauce. Cooking is such a big part of my life so it helps heal my heart just a little knowing that I was able to cook for both of these special men.

I love them both and will miss them greatly.

Four Generations- Grandpa H, Daddy, me, and Calvin

Pap holding Calvin at 7 days old

Happy Father's Day!

Calvin (about a week old) with my grandpa Joe Middour

Calvin (11 months) with my grandpa Tracy Hinson

Calvin (13 months) with my Daddy at my wedding dinner

Calvin (1 month) with Charlie. This is one of my favorites.

I'm so blessed to have all of these amazing men in my life. They are wonderful fathers and the reason I'm the semi-sane, decent human being I am today :-)

Cross posted to http://thegigglymommy.blogspot.com/

Photo Friday

This is the recipe box I mentioned in last week's Friday post. It is one of those things that I'd probably risk my life to run back in for if my house was on fire. It's nothing fancy. I'm not sure if it was once part of a kitchen set- the kind with matching storage tins and a bread box or if it was just something she always had. She could have even picked it up at a yard sale**, for all I know. But, it holds recipes she used for many years; recipes my daddy and aunt Lorna grew up with. There are recipes clipped off of food boxes and cartons, there are some hand-written on scraps of paper, and some more carefully written on index cards. There are also memories. A thousand memories of her. In the kitchen with a cigarette in one hand, spatula in the other, and the phone between her ear and shoulder. Memories of Campbell's vegetable beef soup, pistachio pudding, and Barnum and Bailey's animal crackers. Those awesome swinging saloon doors at their house in Spartanburg. Going to the bakery thrift store with her, which was just the best thing ever because I could always get snack cakes or cookies. Going to the Piggly Wiggly. That awesome Mexican restaurant next to their antique shop in Las Cruses. The story of how they found Chile, or rather, how she found them. Taking great-grandma (her mother) up the mesa in Grand Junction to buy some cherries [one of those 'you had to be there' situations]. I could go on for days...

The recipe right up front is for her spaghetti sauce. It's written in
my Aunt Lorna's handwriting.

Growing up in a family where everyone cooked regularly and where I was encouraged to cook from an early age almost certainly guarantees that some of my best memories will involve food. Funny how an old, beat up box filled with paper can be one of my most valuable possessions, right? Family and fond memories are nourishment for the soul just like food nourishes your body. Don't let anyone tell you different.

Elle

**My grandma was the yard sale queen! She always found the best stuff. 

Photo Friday

Earlier this week I was feeling nostalgic. I'd seen an old, beat to hell, blue Celebrity wagon while driving around Anderson and nearly had a breakdown. My Grandma H had one that looked similar and the memory of her came rushing back so fast it made my head spin. So I decided to make a batch of her spaghetti sauce. It's nothing fancy. It is an extremely simple meat sauce that she, more than likely, got off of a package once upon a time. Even so, it is delicious. It's savory and just...yummy. It took me forever to be able to recreate it after she passed away. I finally got the recipe from my Aunt Lorna when she gave me my grandma's old recipe box (another story for another time; remind me to tell you about it). To make a long story short (too late), I made some and let Calvin have at it.

It's a requirement to have a spaghetti-face picture of your kid, right?

I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Elle

Photo Friday

In yet another effort to make myself remember that this exists, I'm going to try an experiment. I'd like to post a picture each Friday. It may or may not have a caption or small post to go with it. Well, it may end up being 2 or 3 photos, but you get the idea. This is really to keep myself aware of my poor, often neglected, blog's existence and also to share a little of myself and my family. So here it goes...

This was the first time Calvin played in his sandbox. It was a mostly successful
adventure. I may need to invest in some safety goggles, though. Sand takes flight
quite well. 

I know it isn't food related, but you can see the pots where my garlic and asparagus live in the background. And my tiny gardener in training much prefers his pint-sized rake and spade to his beach-type sand toys.

If the weather is nice where you are, get out and enjoy it this weekend! If mother nature isn't being so kind in your corner of the world, I hope you get to enjoy your weekend anyway.

Elle

These are a few of my favorite things...

Last week was a tough one. I don't really want to talk about it too much. This week has been a little better, but it still has it's stresses. I may elaborate a bit on that in the future. But the point of the next few posts is to focus on the positive. I probably should have started this little series long ago. Well, I've started it now so heeeeeere we go!

I'm visiting my family in Texas. Calvin and I got out here Friday evening and my Aunt took us to the HEB (grocery store) on Saturday to stock up on food for the dude and anything I might need, too. We stumbled on this little gem pictured on the left- Central Market brand organic PRICKLY PEAR Italian soda. Y'all. Y'ALL! OMG! This stuff is amazing! I have pretty much given up soda because it's very difficult to find soda without all the crappy chemicals and HFCS for a reasonable price (I'm on a budget after all). But the weirdest thing in this is purple carrot juice. And really, how awesome is that too?! It was a bit of a splurge, I'll admit that. BUT! It was worth it.

If the Central Market brand is available in your area, check their products out! I mean, if they have things as awesome as this, you really can't go wrong.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

According to my posting history, I've not entered anything into this here blog since January. That's about 9 months of silence. Well, silence in the sense that I've not said anything in written form other than on Facebook and in email. Definitely not silence in this household. Seriously. My kid found his voice at 4 months old and he knows how to use it. It went from cute baby cooing to this new high-pitched squealing thing that is only adorable if you cover your ears and focus on how cute his face is. But in all reality, the squeal stops being cute in about 5 seconds and duct tape becomes and appealing option. Anyway, moving on...

The past 9 months have been interesting and full of changes. I've been a full time stay at home mommy, Charlie went from a crappy job at Lowes to a pretty rad job with as a security officer, Calvin has turned into a bottomless pit, I started a weight loss "journey"**, and I'm about to go back to work part time this week leaving Charlie home with the baby. That's a very poor summary because SO much has happened, but I don't have the time to write all of that down. That's what all of those pictures I've taken are for.

I'm not totally sure where I'm going with this so please bear with me. I want to keep it semi food related, but I'm going to blame any randomness on "Mommy brain". Seems legit, right? Right.

As far as Calvin goes, we've gone from strictly breast feeding, to formula feeding (that broke my heart), to rice cereal and liquidy purees, to chunky purees and Gerber puffs, to "big people food" cut into baby safe pieces. It took my little man about a week to get the hang of eating solids. We started him on rice cereal and stuck with that for almost a month. I'd mix in some banana or applesauce for a little variety, but he seemed satisfied with that and stuck to his bottles for the most part. But as soon as is 2 little front teeth came in all the way, we were off to the races. He loved my mom's applesauce, he liked peach-mango puree, I steamed and pureed all manner of veggies and fruits (broccoli and cauliflower, sweet potatoes, winter squash, Asian pears, apples, green beans, edamame, peas, peaches, cherries), and he LOVED ricotta cheese and yogurt. Most of it was experimental. He'd eat a few ounces here and there, but again stuck mostly with his bottle. Then it got to the point where when mommy and daddy sat down with a meal or a snack, he had to have it. This was another thing that was cute for about 5 seconds. Then we realized he was ready for the big leagues.  Now his typical meal plan for the day is something like this (keep in mind that he gets 4-7oz bottles a day in between all of this):

Breakfast- a banana and a 4 oz cup of YoBaby organic yogurt OR a few ounces of Cheerios with 1% milk
Lunch- Unsweetened applesauce and bites of whatever I'm having (example: If it's a sandwich, I get some extra lunch meat and cut it up for him.)
Dinner- Little bits of whatever I come up with that night. This kid will eat anything***. One of his favorite things is a sauteed chicken tender, alphabet pasta with a splash of olive oil, basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, a steamed veggie of some kind (spinach, broccoli, peas, corn, squash) and maybe some applesauce or cheese cubes if he's really hungry.

There's an old saying I learned not too long ago that "Before one, it's just fun" meaning before babies turn a year old, the solid foods are fun but most of their nutrition is going to come from breast milk or formula. That's all well and good, but formula does not keep my 10 month old satisfied for more than 2 hours. It's pretty amazing how quickly he went from hating textures and only wanting purees and mush to craving just about anything he can put in his mouth. Feeding an almost-toddler isn't as scary as I initially thought, but I still have some things to learn. Like, just because he has a total of 8 teeth now, doesn't mean he will use them. I've always got to keep this in mind when cutting his food. And the little stinker will let me know when it's too big or he doesn't want to chew it by spitting it out. I suppose that's better than him choking, though. Okay, yeah. The spitting it out thing isn't so bad after all.

Calvin's first experience with pureed broccoli was hilarious, as you can see!

I guess what I'm trying to say while taking you through this scenic route in my brain, is that I'm already proud of my non-picky eater. I REALLY hope this trend continues. I want him to try different seasonings, flavors and hotter spices (hotter than plain ole black pepper) now while his palate is so open and unbiased. And I think I'm well on my way to raising a healthy, well-rounded, foodie. Would you expect any less from someone like me?

:) Elle

**I despise the term "weight loss journey", but it's 3 am and I can't think of anything else. What I'm really doing is running my butt off with a Couch to 5K program and getting rid of all the crap food in my life. I'm focusing less on calories and pounds and more on getting my ass in gear.

***Okay, almost anything. Calvin has had everything from simple fruits and veggies to little bites of enchiladas and bison, but he will not eat a green bean to save his life. He's tried several different times and every time he makes the Mr. Yuk face. The conclusion I've come to is that he hates the texture. And since I REFUSE to over cook green beans (even for my son), I think it's just going to be this way. Also genetics. Charlie hates green beans.  But Calvin likes broccoli and spinach so I am not gonna complain. More green beans for me!

I've attempted to start a post about 13 times since my last update. There are so many things that have been on my mind and I can't seem to organize my thoughts. Scatterbrained is a good word for the way my brain is "working" (at least for the past few weeks). But there is a constant for me: my goal or mission during my culinary career. Local food is better for your health, better for the local economy, and while it may not necessarily be easier on your wallet, you'll definitely be getting your money's worth.

Two weekends ago I went on the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's Upstate Farm Tour, 2010. My grandfather, "Pap", would be so proud of the all the farming I did. Charlie and I went to 3 farms on Saturday and my parents and I went to 3 farms on Sunday. It was a lot of fun and fairly educational. It was really nice to see local farmers making a great effort to put the message of local, fresh, seasonal foods out there. As I explained in a previous entry farming, sustainability, and eating seasonally are very important to me. I'm glad to see that it isn't just a dying dream.

We visited the Milky Way Dairy in Starr-Iva, first. They raise Jersey cows and milk them for the production and sale of raw milk. The next stop was the Lucky Acres Alpaca Farm in Anderson County. The Alpacas are so sweet and their fur is wonderfully soft. The last farm on Saturday was the Split Creek Farm, also in Anderson. They raise and milk goats...lots and lots of goats. And can I just tell you that goats are some of the funniest creatures. Especially when interacting with chickens! On Sunday, my parents and I ventured a little further away from home. The first farm was the Sharon Rose Farm out towards Spartanburg. They do things the old fashioned way there. All their animals are grass fed (with a few exceptions) and they have just about every typical farm animal; cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and pigs. They have also recently started raising rabbits. The owners of the farm founded Native Meats, which supplies products to many restaurants in the area as well as individual families. After that tour (and some delicious gumbo made with Native Meats products) we headed out to Red Fern Farms where they raise lamb for meat and wool, and also seasonal produce. We didn't get to see the lambs, but we were able to sample some lamb meatballs and snow cones made with fresh, lemon-basil syrup. It was wonderful! Our final stop of the day and my final stop on the tour was the Bethel Trails Farm (no known website). This was another "we do it all" kind of farm. They had pigs, cows, turkeys, a few sheep, lots of ducks, chickens, and even an emu.

It was a really good experience. There are, of course, tons of pictures that Charlie and I will upload some day and share with the class. Until then, I'll leave you with the picture I've put in this entry. It doesn't just apply to just the Appalachians, you know. Eat REAL food; as fresh and local as possible.

**I would like to note that I understand it's not always possible for everyone. Money-wise, it could be difficult. It may also be difficult to find fresh, local ingredients in your area. My goal is just to spread the word and ask people to consider what they are eating and where it comes from.

Feeling a sense of abandonment?

Why, yes! I believe this blog has been neglected. I was really excited to start this project and then the enthusiasm fizzled as I started reading other foodie blogs. I got intimidated. There are a lot of fantastic writers out there who have far more interesting things to say and share. Most of my reader base is just friends and family, but I feel they deserve to read something a little more attention grabbing, too.

I've been thinking of ways to make this better. I don't want to do a 365 project, because I don't cook every single day. Plus, I have a feeling that I'd set myself up for failure if I tried a Julie/Julia-type project. My boyfriend had a few good ideas that got my little brain to churn. He said that I should take pictures of the food that I do make. Or rather, he would take the pictures since he's such a great photographer. I'll cook and work on my plating and presentation; then write about it and post pictures. [/tangent] Plating and presentation is very important to me. Not only do we like food to be super tasty, but we eat with our eyes first. If it doesn't look good, we're skeptical on how it will taste and we're also less likely to try new things if they don't look desirable. There are obviously exceptions to this rule, but I digress. [tangent] My Aunts also seem to inspire me. They love food and have opened up a whole new world to me. Aunt S is allergic to gluten, Aunt L has nut allergies, and they both can not tolerate a slue of other food products. But they eat fantastic things regardless! Lots of organic products, dairy/wheat alternatives, raw foods, etc. It really does amaze me sometimes. On top of being wonderful foodies, they are amazing writers. Inspiration times 2!

I'm going to be searching for fun new plates, bowls, flatware, etc. in thrift stores, antique stores and junk shops. (So if you love me and find an interesting piece of dinnerware, I hear great things about the USPS. Hintcoughhint.) Hopefully this will give me a bit of a push to stick with it.

I'm also trying to keep with my main goal that I set when I turned the thought of this blog into a reality. I'm going to be sharing rants about the food world, my mishaps throughout my culinary adventures (like that blasted Hollandaise a few nights ago!), and my triumphs as well. I will probably share some recipes. But truth be told, I'm a greedy slore and if I have any chance of putting a recipe in my cookbook I don't really want to put it out there yet. If you're really interested in a recipe I talk about, just send me an e-mail. I'm greedy, but I'm not that mean. I'll at least give you the basics and let you tweak it yourself.

Thank you to Charlie for encouraging me and coming up with great ideas. Thank you to my Aunt L and Aunt S for being awesome. And thank you to Howie for attempting to kick my butt into gear and reminding me that people actually want to read what I have to say.

I also have to change the layout a bit because it looks more like I should be writing about quilting and sewing rather than food. Long story short ("Well it's a bit late for that!")- Watch this space! I won't leave you hanging this time.

Elle