Pinterest in Real Life: Vegetable Latkes

I've started a board on Pinterest called Toddler Food in order to find some inspiration for recipes for my picky eater. It's not that my guy doesn't eat; it is that all he wants is carbs. Peanut butter. Crackers. I'm trying to find ways to work with what I know he will eat while slipping in some healthy options.

I decided to resort to my childhood favorite food - latkes. My son loves tater tots, so why not see how latkes go down? My inspiration came from a latke recipe from the blog Prudence Pennywise. I modified mine down to a very simple degree as a taste test for a toddler palate. And this recipe is easy - you will be done before you can say "potato pancakes".

Vegetable Latkes

Ingredients:

3 peeled russet potatoes, shredded (you can do this in a food processor but I used a handheld grater)
1 egg
4 tablespoons of flour (I used wheat flour)
1 cup of cooked peas
3 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
Pinch(es) of salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place shredded potatoes in mixing bowl.
2. Add egg, flour, peas, salt and pepper, then mix together.
3. Heat up oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Place heaping spoonful into skillet and flatten until thin. (I found the pan could hold about four latkes at a time.)
4. Cook for about 3 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining mixture. (This recipe cooked about 8 latkes total.)

To get my son excited about this new food, I had him "help" me in the kitchen by stirring the mixture with a big spoon and watching me flip the latkes. As with any new food I introduce, I gave it to him with my fingers crossed.



He gobbled it! Then he stole mine off my plate! And then this was me...



I have plans to make them next time with broccoli, carrots, cheese, maybe fish! I love you, Pinterest.

Week 20: Tanks For The Memories

A $5 tank that wasn't made for maternity, but I'm making good use of it now.

Tank: H&M (similar)
Shorts: Old Navy
Hat: H&M (similar)
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Flats: Kenneth Cole (similar)

I remember when I bought this tank top over three years ago. When I tried it on, I thought, "Man, I'm swimming in this. It is like a maternity top." But since it was $5, I thought I could make it work. I was able to wear it a couple of times, either early in maternity or post-partum, but it always seemed better suited as a full-blown maternity top. All these years later, I feel like I've gotten my money's worth. With the warm summer months ahead, I will be floating underneath my fluttering stripes.

Week 20: Yes to the Dress

Thus comes the time in my pregnancy where I dig through my closet for options.

Dress: Banana Republic (similar)
Scarf: Cost Plus World Market (similar)
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden (similar)

When trying to determine what might fit me for the next few weeks while the belly bursts forward, I ask a few simple questions. Is it A-line or shift shaped? Does it normally need a belt? Will it be long enough in front to cover my lady bits?

I found a whole lot of yes in this dress, which I wore before here. I paired it with my favorite new scarf, a birthday gift from one of my best friends, and a new maternity outfit was born. I'm going to name her Bella because she had me feeling quite cute all day.

A Mother's Day Breakdown

It all started out so well. Keagan brought home a gift for me that he made in his day care class.



I managed to snag it away from him before he tore it to shreds while playing with it in the backseat.

On Mother's Day, we went to this lovely park we discovered near our new house. There are built in BBQ pits, just begging for us to return with coolers and lawn chairs this summer. There is a playground with two twist slides. The best part is that the lawns are expansive,



There was one member of our family that was STOKED.



Just as I was telling the old man to slow down before he throws out a shoulder, I noticed that Kevin and Keagan were laying down in the grass.



If there is one thing I know about the men in my family, they aren't prone to lying down when there is fun to be had outdoors. Keagan was cuddled flat against Kevin's chest and I surmised that maybe he wasn't feeling well. Kevin suggested he just needed a nap, though my watch read 9:35 AM.

After his morning snooze, Kevin took him into the kitchen to snack before we headed out to another park to meet up with family for a big picnic. While I was applying mascara, I heard, "Teal! Come here! I need you!" in a frantic tone. I bolted downstairs to discover Kevin covered with vomit. It was like a scene out of the Exorcist. The room was coated. We took our crying little man into the shower and immediately cancelled our plans. It was straight to bed with Mommy to watch cartoons for the rest of the day.



When Keagan went to bed, I had a little breakdown of my own. As a working mom, you carry loads on your shoulders you didn't even realize you were bearing. Exhausted, the tears came hard. With all the bills, the unpacking, the job responsibilities, and the lack of time to complete it all, I wanted to have this one day of pure joy. I wanted to watch my son run and play at the park while I stuffed my face with a giant sandwich in order to appease the other little one I have growing inside me. I wished I could have spent the day honoring family. And, selfishly, I wanted a day that was about me and the celebration of all that goes into motherhood. That sounds terrible to read back to myself, but it is the truth.

But here is what I did get for Mother's Day. I got to spend the day holding, kissing, soothing and cuddling one of the most important people in my life - one of the reasons I live. The overwhelming feeling of love and dependence that came from his warm little body stayed with me all day long, physically and spiritually. I had a dog that seized on an opportunity to snuggle up in bed with us all day and the satisfaction coming off of him was palpable. I have a husband who gave me a beautifully framed picture of Keagan and I in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and who convinced me that after a hard day it was perfectly acceptable to eat two Snickers ice cream bars for dessert. I spent the day surrounded by my loving, sweet family while I gave my heart, my hugs and my love out in giant doses. And isn't that what motherhood is all about?

Carmel Delight

Where have you been the past week? Oh, just living the life by the sea, that's all. A little mini-vacation with one of my best girlfriends from college was overdue. Here is a little peek at the getaway I'm still daydreaming about today.

At Dennis the Menace Park, Monterey:





Carmel-by-the-sea:

Review: Ivory 2 In 1 Hair and Body Wash

The thought of Ivory Soap brings me back to memories of my childhood. It is what we always used in bar form. I was given the opportunity to review their latest product, Ivory 2 In 1 Hair and Body Wash and I was very pleased with the results.

A mom on-the-go looks for efficiency and that is what is being offered up in this product. Wash your hair, wash your body and move on. As a body wash, I absolutely loved it. The texture is very thick yet soft. It feels like a shampoo (hence, the hair part...we'll get to that in a second) but glides on like a body wash. It wasn't sticky at all and left my skin feeling more moisturized than my usual body wash. And the scent I remember from my youth remains. It is sweet yet subtle, something I look for in my body washes. I'm not a big fan of strong, floral fragrances. This was just right. It also worked well as a shave cream because of the thick, conditioning texture.

I had my doubts about how it would work on my hair. I have really thick hair that requires a lot of conditioner if I'm going to get a comb through it post-shower. My gut instinct was that this would not serve as a shampoo for my needs, despite the conditioners that were included. I used it, but because of my hair texture, I wasn't totally thrilled with the results (lots of frizz). The next time, I required a lot of conditioner to make my hair manageable. My husband, however, loved the 2-in-1 use and said it left his short, fine hair really soft. I'm fairly sure he will adopt this as his go-to product. And at roughly $5 a bottle, I'm fine with him stealing it away from me because I know it will go to good use!

** Disclosure: I was supplied with a free bottle for this review via Influenster, but the opinions are solely my own.

Pinterest in Real Life: Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos

I've started this series of taking recipes I find on Pinterest and recreating them at home and I can't stop now! My husband is thrilled at my newly found obsession with cooking since he takes the reins the majority of the time (to great result, I might add. He's super talented and I'm not just saying that so he will keep making feasts for me.)

This week, we tried out a recipe I pinned for Chubby Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos. Original credit goes to the blog Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice for the recipe - I am just now a devoted follower to the tons of great recipes. And I will say this:

BEST. PINTEREST. FIND. YET.

We devoured these taquitos. Granted, cheese on top of cheese with a splash of chicken and spinach, deep fried, is hard to hate. But I'm sitting here the next day craving more. That says a lot. My husband mixed it up, making some variations such as beans/cheese/avocado/chicken and an Asian-flavored take with chicken/cabbage/carrots. When it was all said and done, he said that the Chubby Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos were the superior winner. I never win in the kitchen. Get in yours and make this now.

Below is the recipe with my variations on it in italics:

3 cups cooked shredded chicken (I like rotisserie)- (Yes to rotisserie! Easy prep and delicious flavor)

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream - (I didn't have sour cream so I used unsweetened goat's milk yogurt - perfection.)

1/2 cup salsa

1 + 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese - (I used shredded Mexican cheese from a bag)

1 + 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach, stems removed

coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

9 - 10 (6-inch) flour tortillas - (I used uncooked tortillas from Costco - made it easier to roll and they fried up like dough - yum)

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cheddar and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
2. Working with one tortilla at a time add 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture off center and spread out like a log. Roll up and set seam side down on a platter. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled. - (I used an egg wash to close up the tortilla seams.)
3. Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom. Heat on medium to medium-low heat, cook tortillas in batches, turning to brown each side. Remove to paper towels to drain.
4. Serve with your choice of dunking sauce. (We chose a corn, tomato and avocado salsa and guacamole.)