The Mommy Games

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mar142013

A first birthday cake can be a tricky thing. You want something that your baby will love and can safely eat, but you also want something yummy for the adult party goers. After much consideration, I decided to make a banana cake for Rylan, since he loves bananas, and top it with a cream cheese frosting. Blueberries are also his current fruit obsession, so I used those as decoration. This was a huge hit with everyone, including the birthday boy. Rylan devoured his piece and then tried to steal his brother’s as well. This cake isn’t too sweet, and has no nuts or chocolate (though it does have eggs), making it a perfect first dessert. I made one 2-layer cake, but if you are having lots of guests over, you might want to make a smaller “smash” cake or cupcake for the birthday girl or boy, then a separate cake for everyone else. And it’s not just for birthdays, this cake would be fabulous any time!

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· Filed Under: Mommy Know How, Recipes, Sweets · Tagged With: 1st birthday, bananas, cake, cream cheese frosting, first birthday cake, party

Rylan 12 Month Summary

Mar112013

Rylan is 1! I honestly can’t believe it. Although he is acting older, he still has his precious little baby face, leaving me in a slight bit of denial over the whole year-old thing. I pretty much refuse to take him for his first haircut. I mean, look at that hair! You only get those crazy baby hair pictures for so long, and I plan on dragging it out as much as my husband will feasibly let me. It doesn’t help that he’s pretty much grown out of all his baby clothes (although I am more than happy to say farewell to onesies – those snaps are the bane of my existence). Thankfully, he seems to fully grasp his role as “baby of the family,” and is constantly laying his head down on my shoulder and smiling sweetly, or doing a little fake crying just to get your attention. He knows just the way to melt your heart and seems in constant pursuit of eliciting an “awww” from all those in his presence.

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· Filed Under: Baby Summaries, Mommy, Our Family · Tagged With: 12 months, Baby, first year, one year old, schedule

Chicken Curry with Apples and Raisins

Mar52013

So it has been busy, busy, busy around our house! We moved at the end of last week, and even though it was only a total of 14 floors, moving takes a heck of a lot of work. Thank goodness for my in-laws, brother-in-law, and husband who all pitched in to watch the kids, organize (we had people pack and unpack but I pretty much found clothes in the kitchen), hang pictures, and make many, many trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Things are no less crazy today as we have a construction crew in doing all kinds of last minute work. Tequila shots at 10 am sounds just about right to me.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: apples, chicken, curry, dinner, easy, raisins

Baby Things I’ll Miss the Most

Feb272013

With Rylan’s first birthday right around the corner (literally, next week!), I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I am going to miss him being my little baby. He will, of course, always be my baby, but as parents soon find out, babies grow up quick. Diaper changes are exchanged for potty training, trips to the mommy-and-me class with trips to school, bottles for cups, onesies for jeans, strollers for scooters, and the list goes on and on. My own mom is very pragmatic about this sort of thing. She took me and my siblings growing up as part of life and that her and my dad had done their job well if we were able to hit these milestones (seriously people, she didn’t even cry when I went to school or got married!). I’ve always considered myself in the same boat, until I actually had kids. Now the idea of taking Rylan for his first haircut practically sends me into hysterics. Guess I got a little of you in my too, Dad.

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Our Family · Tagged With: Baby, first year, love, mommy, new born

Praised Chicken with Mustard & Dill

Feb252013

As I promised in my last post, here is the recipe for “Praised” Chicken. It’s a Nigella recipe that I’ve been making for years, and is probably the most requested meal around our home in the winter time (it’s one of my husband’s favorites and both the kids love it, even my 11 month old). It’s like a super kicked-up version of chicken soup. It’s called “praised” because the chicken is first pan seared, then braised. It comes out super tender but with that almost roast chicken flavor. Plus, you get a nice amount of stock to keep in your freezer and use another time. You serve the chicken, veggies, and a little stock over rice with a side of Dijon mustard and a healthy portion of dill. It sounds a little different, but the whole combination is amazing. It’s these little additions that make this a company worthy dish. This a surefire crowd pleaser, and although it takes a little time to simmer in the pot, is really a cinch to make. This has Sunday dinner written all over it.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: braised, broth, chicken, Dijon, dill, dinner, mustard, soup

Let’s Get Organized: Menu Planning

Feb212013

This is Part 2 in the “Let’s Get Organized” series. If you missed it, here’s Part 1 on Recipe Organization.

Weekly menu planning can be life changing. With a minimum amount of time (we are talking 10 minutes tops), you can set your family up with a week’s worth of healthy, delicious meals and keep yourself from those last minute dinner time scrambles. A good meal plan accounts for all the various activities your family might have and gives you flexibility as to how much time/energy you have to invest in making dinner. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also line up breakfast and lunches, further streamlining your day. Here are my how-to’s for weekly meal planning:

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Organization · Tagged With: meal ideas, menu planning, organization, planning, recipes

Chicken Caesar Pasta

Feb142013

Happy Valentines Day! So, I had this lovely, romantic meal planned out for my husband and I that I was going to share with all of you today, but I just didn’t feel like cooking it! We all have those kinds of days, right? After battling a cold for a few days and having the kids all to myself while Brad was away, I just couldn’t muster the energy to make a more involved meal. Instead, I made one of my old standbys. People, this could not be simpler or more delicious. It’s like an elegant version of mac and cheese and I have been making it for nearly a decade (seriously, I got the recipe from one of my college sorority sisters). This is the dish that I often make to bring to people after they’ve had a baby or are just in need of a comforting home cooked meal. Not that it takes any time to put together, but you could easily make a double batch and throw one in the freezer for just that sort of occasion. I am constantly getting asked for this recipe, and am nearly embarrassed to share it because it is so insanely simple. Please don’t be afraid of the “Caesar” taste, both of my kids (2.5 and 11 months) devour this.

If you are having a “I just don’t feel like cooking” kinda day (even if it is Valentines!), give this one a shot. It’s a tried and true winner!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: baked, caesar, casserole, chicken, dinner, easy, Pasta, simple

Oven “Fried” Pickles

Feb112013

I love fried food, but rarely make it at home because I can not stand the smell. And then there’s that issue of the oil. What exactly do you do with the frying oil when you are done? I once heard Martha Stewart say that she dumps hers on the rail road tracks. Not exactly convenient. When I saw these baked “fried” pickles on Pinterest I immediately pinned them, only to find out that they linked back to a site that no longer existed (grr…). So then I started scouring the internet to find something similar, picked out my favorite bits from a few different recipes, and created the lovely plate of baked goodness you see above. They were a big hit on Superbowl Sunday and would be great for any party. Just dredge the pickles up and place them on the wire rack in the fridge and bake when ready. Crunchy exterior, flavorful pickle, easy dipping – all with no lingering fried smell or annoying left over oil. Oh, and I guess they are healthier too if you are still on a New Year’s kick.