Top 10 Moments of 2010

2010 was a year full of ups and downs for our family. We had our fair share of challenges with every one of us landing in the ER at least once! Thankfully, we had many more happy times. Here's our list of the top 10 good moments of 2010:

10. Tom continued to improve Bergemuda this year with the addition of the playground. The kids absolutely love it, and it was totally worth the wait!

9. Sydney learned the meaning of the word 'brave' this year. She rode a camel at the Loudoun County Fair, she rode an elephant at the circus, and she got her flu shot without crying!

8. We had plenty of fun times at the pool, but one of the best was when Sydney would stand on Tom's hand. She was so excited to be so high in the air above the water, and it made for one of the year's best pictures.

7. Syd's second birthday party was a lot of fun. We had plenty of family and friends with us to celebrate, and Sydney really enjoyed it.

6. Nina surprised me with an awesome baby shower at Lightfoot in April. As a lot of folks know, Tom and I had our wedding reception at Lightfoot, so it is a very special place for us. It was the perfect location to celebrate the impending arrival of Cole with our closest family and friends.

5. Last year, because of the snow, we didn't end up celebrating our birthdays until 2010. But - when we did, it was awesome. We enjoyed dinner at Benihana (mahalo, Jodi!), and everyone had a great time.

4. In the last 12 months, Sydney's vocabulary has exploded! She can now speak in full sentences and tell us exactly what she's thinking. She's had us laughing more than a couple times this year with the crazy things she says.

3. A big moment for Sydney this year was starting preschool. Although it was difficult for her at times, she's really come a long way with the transition to becoming truly independent and being away from mommy a couple times a week.

2. On December 7, Tom, Sydney, and I witnessed Cole crawl for the first time. It was awesome to be able to share this very special milestone as a family.

1. What else could be our number 1? On April 27, we welcomed the arrival of our son Cole Thomas. What could be better?

We are truly thankful for all the blessings of 2010. And, we're already excited to see what 2011 holds in store! To start, Sydney will be turning 3; Cole will be turning 1; and Tom and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary (we're even thinking of renewing our vows!). Thank you to everyone who took part in making 2010 such a great year. We can't wait to share more good times in 2011.

Cole Thomas at 8 Months

Our little boy is growing like a weed. The last time he was weighed, he was hovering right around 20 pounds. He's currently wearing 12-month clothing, and he's eating a ton. In addition to eating every orange vegetable (which explains his handsome orange complexion), he's also eating peas, green beans, pears, and now bits of pancake! And - he recently learned to drink from a straw. He continues to puke after almost every meal, but the amount has significantly decreased. He finally seems happy. Until now, he hadn't really been a smiley baby. Now - almost all of the sudden, he's started to grin, smile, and laugh. I'm hoping this change in disposition is because he's beginning to feel better.

He's crawling everywhere and trying to climb the stairs. He's beginning to pull up on the couch and certain toys. He can stand while holding your hands. He loves to play pony boy and peek-a-boo.

Besides the digestive problems and allergies, Cole seems to be a healthy baby. Knock on wood: he's not had a bad cold or illness yet. His sleep patterns are improving. He usually takes three naps a day. The first and third nap are usually 30 minutes. The middle nap runs about 90 minutes. He still wakes up once a night to eat, but last night, he slept through. I'm hoping last night was the beginning of a pattern!

The only other thing I'd like to point out is his awesome hair. It's getting longer now, but still stands on end!

What Happened to the Pictures?

A lot of folks have been asking about our Picasa site. Recently, we decided it was time to lock it down. You can still see the pictures, you just have to be included on our list of e-mails. If you are interested in being able to view the Picasa site, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll add you to the list. I uploaded a bunch of Christmas pictures today!

Christmas 2010

Wow - have we had a fun-filled couple of days! Christmas eve, we got things started with a trip to Pump It Up - a local inflatables party place. Syd and Tom had a blast sliding down the slides, maneuvering through the obstacle courses, and bouncing on the bouncers. We even met up with Syd's friends Chloe and Jacob - twins that are in Syd's class at school. This activity was meant to drain some of Syd's energy and ensure a good nap before heading to Jodi's house for the Bergeman family Christmas; however, all it did was drain her energy. After a non-nap, we headed to Jodi's for Christmas eve dinner and presents.

We had a yummy dinner at Jodi's, including Honey Baked ham, mashed potatoes, carrot cauliflower casserole, cheesy bacon green bean casserole pot pie, and fresh rolls. Dessert was double layer pumpkin cheesecake. I think the highlight of dinner, though, was our Christmas crackers. For those who don't know, Christmas crackers are wrapped cardboard tubes that look a little like an oversized Smarties candy. Everyone had one, and we all opened them at the same time. Each one opens with a little bang and a prize inside. Most of us got paper crowns, but there was also a mini harmonica and a yo yo. The paper crowns made for some fun pictures.

After dinner, we opened presents. To describe the opening of presents as a free-for-all would be an understatement. Things were crazy this year. At one point, I looked down to see Sydney opening one of Tom's presents. Wrapping paper was flying, and gifts were everywhere! Some gift highlights included a netbook computer for Sarah, diamond earrings for Grandma, and an electric toy guitar for Sydney.

We headed home to put the kids in bed around 7:30 pm. Before they hit the sack, we put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Sydney slept really well. We didn't hear a peep from her until 8:00 am. The first thing she said when I walked into her room was, "Santa was here???"

We headed downstairs, and she was so excited. She received exactly what she asked Santa for: a music box (a preschool version of an iPod). She also received blocks, a magnadoodle, and a ton of stocking stuffers (think slinkies, coloring books, little toys, candy, and even a pair of princess pajamas). Cole received a variety of baby toys and some blocks. He found baby spoons and binkies in his stocking.

After we opened presents, we headed over to my parents' house for the Drumheller family Christmas. Lorraine had had planned shoulder surgery on December 23, so she had been there recovering for the past couple days. We enjoyed breakfast casserole, coffee cake, and cinnamon rolls while opening presents. Some highlights included a Nook for mom, handmade sock monkies for Syd and Cole, and a new wallet preloaded with pictures of his grandchildren for Papa.

We headed home for nap time around 1:00 pm. Sydney finally took a nap, and we woke up refreshed and ready to go to Max Grandma and Big Papa's house for dinner. Grandma made a traditional turkey dinner, and we were whipped by the time dessert rolled around! The kids were at home in bed by 8:00 pm, and we were soon to follow.

Whew! That even sounds like a lot. Today, we're taking it easy as we wait on the snow to arrive. This particular storm has been difficult to pinpoint. We've had predictions from a dusting to 14 inches! I guess we'll have to wait and see. Merry Christmas!

Grasshopper Brownies

It was a well-known fact that you could prowl the halls of Argon ST around 1:00 pm and usually find a free lunch. We had lunch catered almost daily for different meetings and lunchtime learning sessions. One of my favorite desserts from the local caterer was a brownie that was covered in mint cream and topped with a thin layer of chocolate. This recipe is a pretty spot-on recreation.

1 box of brownie mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
2 c confectioner's sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 t peppermint extract
green food dye
6 T butter
1 c chocolate chips

Prepare brownies as specified on the back of the box. Let cool.

Mix sugar, 1/2 c butter, and peppermint extract until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Let set (about 15 minutes).

Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Poor chocolate over frosted brownies. Let set (about 1 hour).

Enjoy!

Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole Pot Pie

This may be a new holiday favorite - to go along with the double layer pumpkin cheesecake!

1/2 lb bacon sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
12 oz bag of fresh trimmed green beans
1 stick butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1 1/4 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook bacon in medium dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crisped. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate then discard all but 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings. Saute onions in remaining bacon drippings until softened, about 5 minutes, stir in garlic and cook for a minute. Reduce heat to low. Boil green beans in pot for 5 minutes, until just fork tender. Transfer beans to a ice water bath. Add beans to onions and garlic along with the crisped bacon.

To make sauce melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper until well combined then whisk in chicken broth until thick and creamy, for about 3-4 minutes. Once hot and creamy stir in shredded cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce over beans then transfer to a 9 inch pie plate. Trim square puff pastry edges to more of a round (does not have to be perfect). Lay puff pastry over beans, folding edges under. Cut 4-5 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until puff pastry is nice and golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing into.

Pizza Bake

This was a good change of pace. It definitely tastes like pizza. The sausage and pepperoni was a little much for me, but Tom and Sydney loved it. I didn't use all the sausage or pepperoni called for in the recipe. Next time, I may even cut it back a little more. Regardless, this will be a new addition to the regular rotation.

1 (19 ounce) package Bob Evans® Italian Sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 (16 ounce) jar pizza sauce
1 (2 ounce) package diced pepperoni
1/2 c sliced yellow bell peppers
2 c shredded four-cheese Italian blend, divided in half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned. In large saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain. In 9-inch square baking pan, combine sausage, macaroni, pizza sauce, pepperoni, yellow peppers and 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sausage mixture. Cover and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until sausage is fully cooked.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We celebrated Daddy's birthday all weekend! On Saturday, Tom and I enjoyed a spectacular date night. We went to Tom's company's holiday party and then headed over to Melanie and Colin's house for a fabulous house warming party. On Sunday, we hosted a little family party. Tom's parents and Jodi and Sarah came over. We had a great spaghetti dinner with chocolate iced cake for dessert! Happy Birthday Tommy! We love you.

Thank You Mom!

For my birthday, mom quilted me the most beautiful, awesome table runner. It is a blue, white, and silver print with poinsettias and perfectly matches our dining room. It also fits our ridiculously long dining room table - which is no small feat. She also gave me a rosemary bush and decorated the dining room table for Christmas. I absolutely love everything. She has a creativity and knack for decorating that I just do not have. I can't wait to celebrate our birthdays tonight at the table!

This Week at Preschool

This was a really fun week at preschool. On Tuesday, Syd celebrated Christmas with her classmates during their classroom Christmas party. We made candy cane reindeer, decorated Christmas cookies, played Christmas freeze dance/duck-duck-goose and pin the nose on Rudolph, and ate a ton of snacks. She also received a stuffed reindeer that she's been bringing everywhere with her! Earlier today, the reindeer was "dressed" in Cole's shoes and was dancing in the living room.

On Thursday, Syd participated in her school's Christmas pageant. The pageant involved each class singing a Christmas song in front of all the parents and friends. All of the kids had some sort of prop; for example, one of the older classes sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer while wearing headband antlers and shaking jingle bells. For Syd's class, they had babies (for Baby Jesus). Although it was not even close to recognizable (I actually had to check the program to confirm), Syd's class sang Little Baby in the Manger. They all had their babies and rocked them while singing (see the picture of Sydney)! Other songs that were performed by other classes included Let There Be Peace on Earth (with bells), Away in the Manger, and Must be Santa. The Pre-K kids performed Frosty the Snowman as the grand finale. The whole program lasted about 40 minutes. After the program, we headed back to the school cafeteria for a reception - complete with peanut-free cookies! Yeay! It was a really great way to finish off school before Christmas break (by the way, I love how Syd's school can actually celebrate Christmas).

Anaphylaxis - What Is It?

Before Sunday, I was under the impression that anaphylaxis was the inability to breathe. If you had asked me on Sunday whether Cole was having an anaphylactic reaction to bananas, I would have said no because he did not exhibit any signs of difficulty breathing. He did not cough, wheeze, hiccup - nothing. Also, his tongue and lips did not swell. This is the number one reason I did not drop everything and take him to the hospital immediately.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Here is the official definition of anaphylaxis from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network:

An anaphylactic reaction may begin with a tingling sensation, itching, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms can include hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing or other difficulty breathing, coughing, swelling of the mouth and throat area, vomiting, diarrhea, craming, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may begin within several minutes to two hours after exposure to the allergen, but life threatening reactions may get worse over a period of several hours.

In some reactions, the symptoms go away, only to return one to three hours later. This is called a “biphasic reaction.” Often these second-phase symptoms occur in the respiratory tract and may be more severe than the first-phase symptoms. Studies suggest that biphasic reactions occur in about 20% of anaphylactic reactions.

In Cole's case, he experienced hives, a sensation of warmth (his skin was hot to the touch), vomiting, a drop in blood pressure, and a near loss of consciousness. His initial reaction just included the hives and the sensation of warmth; his second-phase symptoms included the vomiting, drop in blood pressure, and near loss of consciousness.

Never during Cole's case, did I consider administering his EpiPen. Again, this was because I was under the impression that the EpiPen was only for use on children who were not breathing or who were having difficulty breathing. I did not know you could administer the shot to a child that had an open airway.

Again - I was wrong.

According to the EpiPen Web site:

If your child shows signs or symptoms of an allergic emergency, inject the EpiPen Jr. immediately, then promptly call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. Signs of an allergic emergency may include:

- Closing of breathing airways
- Wheezing
- Sneezing
- Hoarseness
- Hives
- Itching
- Swelling of the lips or tongue
- Numbness or tingling of the lips or tongue
- Skin redness
- Fast heartbeat
- Weak pulse
- Feeling anxious
- Confusion
- Stomach pain
- Incontinence
- Faintness or unconsciousness

Also according to the Web site: Don't be afraid to use the EpiPen during an allergic emergency. Using it at the start of such an emergency may prevent the reaction from becoming worse. There are no absolute contraindications to using an EpiPen in a life-threatening severe allergic reaction.

I am so thankful that I took Cole to the ER on Sunday. Things could have ended much worse, and I'm lucky that I've had this experience to learn what I should be doing. So - this is my PSA. For those you who are new to allergies, I hope this post can help you if you find yourself in an allergic emergency situation.

Holy Bananas!

Sunday morning, I decided it was time to start Cole on fruit. So far, he's done very well with vegetables. He's had pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, acorn squash, green beans, and sweet peas. For his first fruit (besides pumpkin - which I don't really count as a real fruit), I decided to go with banana. Banana is typically considered a mild fruit that's easy to digest. Here's a great description of banana from one of my favorite baby food sites (www.wholesomebabyfood.com):

Bananas are also known as one of nature's own antacids. They are known to help protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. The reason for this seldom known and almost odd fact is that bananas contain "mucilaginous bulking substances". They help the intestines with producing a mucousy lining and are very very easy to digest.

Awesome! I thought that maybe bananas could even help Cole with his acid reflux. So, we went for it. I mashed up an organic banana and went to town. The first sign of trouble came when it was clear that Cole didn't really care for the bananas - I mean, really - who doesn't like bananas? I gave up after getting maybe 10 little baby spoonfuls of bananas in him.

After breakfast, I headed upstairs to drop Cole's crib. He's recently learned how to crawl and how to sit up from a laying position, so I figured it was time to drop his mattress so he didn't take a header. I got as far as taking the mattress out of the crib, when I turned around to see Cole's head and neck covered in hives and his skin a fiery red. It was clear he was very itchy, too. I quickly took him downstairs to show Tom. We decided to go ahead and give him some Benadryl and keep an eye on him.

He seemed to get a little better. After the Benadryl, he stopped itching, but the hives and red skin were still present. He was able to take a little nap, so how bad could it be? After his nap, I was on the phone with Grandma Bergeman when I noticed he was almost falling asleep (passing out) in my arms. I was able to keep him from losing consciousness (although I didn't realize that was the case at the time) but as he became a little more alert, he immediately started projectile vomiting. All the bananas - every last bit of them - made a return appearance. After the vomiting, he lost all his color; he was grey. At that point, I called the 24-hour nurse line. The nurse who answered suggested I take him straight to the ER.

At the ER, I was told that Cole was experiencing anaphylaxis also known as a severe allergic reaction to bananas. He was given an epinephrine shot, steroid shot, and another dose of Benadryl. Within minutes, he was 100% better!

Needless to say, this experience was a scary one! Cole's headed back to the allergist for a follow-up this week. I'm hoping to learn more about this particular allergy and get some advice on how to proceed with introducing Cole to other kinds of fruit. In the meantime, I'm going to follow this post with a PSA on anaphylaxis. Stay tuned.

Christmas with the Chabots!

This past weekend, we were so excited to spend time with the Chabots - Cole's Godparents! We met at Mimi's Cafe for lunch. It was so nice to hear about their plans for Christmas and an upcoming family celebration they're hosting. They were also nice enough to spoil the kids with fun gifts. Sydney absolutely loves the gifts! She is the proud new mommy to a baby doll she named Strawberry Shortcake. Also, Sydney and Cole received a Little People nativity scene that Syd's been playing with non-stop since Sunday. On Monday morning, the first thing she said after opening her little eyes was, "Can I please play with my Baby Jesus toy?" The nativity scene has also been a great learning toy. Since receiving it, we've had plenty of conversations about how Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth. We've also been reading What is Christmas? by Michelle Medlock Adams. It's a great little book that talks about everything Christmas and why we have a Christmas day. A big thank you goes out to the Chabots for being such great Godparents and giving such fun gifts! Merry Christmas to you!

Pot Roast with Vegetables

I made this about a month ago for the first time. At the time, Tom was out of town, so my parents came over for dinner. My Dad proclaimed this the best pot roast he'd ever eaten. We'll see what Tom says when he tries it tonight! If he's lucky, I'll make some rosemary focaccia to go with it.

1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 yellow onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot; heat the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside.

Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in your crock pot. Add the vegetables and herbs around the sides of the pot. Once your meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Odds and Ends

I've been posting a lot of recipes lately. I figured it was time to post a bunch of family-centered odds and ends.

Syd's been on a roll lately. Here are some things she's said that have had us laughing:

- Dad: "Who taught you to dance like that?" Sydney: "Jesus."

- "Where there's smoke, there's fire!"

- "Just visit pbskids.org."

- Sydney: "What flavor lollipop is it?" Mom: "Butterscotch - I think you'll like it." Sydney: "Probably not - it's brown and has scotch in it."

Cole's been on a roll, too. He's hit several milestones:

- He can sit unassisted.

- He has started to rock on all fours.

- He's eating all sorts of vegetables, including sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots, and green beans. Next up is peas.

- He's stringing some syllables together. My favorite is mamamamama.

- He can pick up Cheerios and gets about 50% of them in his mouth.

As for Tom and me, we're very much looking forward to a couple date nights that are in our near future! Woo hoo!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

A few months ago, my friend Jessica made me dinner. It was spectacular - crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches. When I asked her for the recipe, she said she was a little embarrassed to share it because it was so easy. Well, sorry Jessica - it was sooooo good, I have to share it with the world! I hope you don't mind! :)

This is the BBQ chicken I used on yesterday's BBQ chicken-crusted smoked macaroni and cheese.

Chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ sauce - choose your favorite (ours is good old Kraft Original)

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with BBQ sauce. Turn on low for 4 hours.

VOILA!

Shred the chicken with two forks. Put the chicken on buns and make chicken sandwiches or use the chicken for some other use: macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken pizza, BBQ chicken salad... Yummy! Thanks so much, Jessica!

Gobble, Gobble!

Thanksgiving was a load of fun this year. We had planned to start the day with a Turkey Trot; however, when I fed the baby at 3:00 am and heard the sleet hitting the roof, I pretty much knew the Turkey Trot was going to be a no go. I'd really like to start a new family tradition of doing a Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning, but I need to find one with same-day registration. That way, we don't pay and have to skip out if there's inclement weather.

We had our traditional Thanksgiving morning. We ate breakfast, watched the Macy's day parade, and combed through the Black Friday ads. This year, we were lucky enough to have Sarah Fram join us for the morning's festivities!

As usual, the turkey ran behind schedule. This year, I decided to make a breast instead of a whole turkey. It worked out really well, and we'll probably continue with that strategy next year. We ended up eating around 2:00 pm. Syd was a good sport and did pretty well waiting to eat and then taking a late nap. After dinner, we vegged out in front of the TV and watched football. For dessert, we had double layer pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin pie. Yummy!

After the kids got up from their naps, we headed over to my parents' house for a second round of dessert. They hosted an entire houseful of folks! It was good seeing everyone, and my lemon cupcake was awesome.

We were back at our house to put the kids to bed around 7:00 pm. After a full day of eating, we were beat. We hit the hay around 9:00 pm! Another spectacular Thanksgiving in the books.

BBQ Chicken-Crusted Smoked Macaroni and Cheese

This is to die for... really - it's not very good for you. But - it tastes awesome!

1/2 lb cellentani (use any pasta of choice)
2.5 T butter
2.5 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
2 c milk, I used 2%
2.5 c shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1 c shredded BBQ Chicken - stay tuned for a recipe
1/2 c shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a square baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Original recipe: http://www.picky-palate.com/

Lazy, Lazy Girl Lasagna

I call this Lazy, Lazy Girl Lasagna because Lazy Girl Lasanga is when I use no bake lasagna noodles. This recipe takes it to a whole new level of lazy.

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce
1 15-0z ricotta cheese
2 c + 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
1 c parmesan cheese

Boil noodles according to package directions. Brown and drain ground beef. Combine noodles, beef, and tomato sauce. In a separate bowl, combine cheeses. In a 9 x 13 pan, place 1/3 of the noodle mixture. Cover in cheese mixture. Repeat. Top off with remaining noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 25 minutes.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

This was a huge hit today; it was also easy to make. Today, I just served it in a prepared pie crust; however, this could easily be dressed up to serve as a traditional cheesecake in a spring form pan with a homemade graham cracker crust. I'd probably just make one batch of the regular cheesecake filling and then a separate batch of the pumpkin filling.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Update (12/23/2010): Today, I made a new version of this cheesecake. I used three 8-0z packages of cream cheese (instead of two), 3/4 c sugar (instead of 1/2 c), and added 1/2 c of sour cream (after adding the eggs). I also used 1 c of pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin and all the spices. I made it in a springform pan with a graham cracker crust: (1 c graham crackers, 5 T butter, and 1/8 c sugar). I baked it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Carrot Cauliflower Casserole

This is a Bergeman-family recipe that has been passed down from Grandma Ruthie! We eat this casserole at every holiday meal. It may sound a little questionable, but it is one of our favorites. I will admit that steaming cauliflower is a stinky proposition. So - here's a tip: put your carrots and cauliflower in your steamer, and then put your steamer outside to do the deed. On Thanksgiving, you can drive by our house and find the carrots and cauliflower happily steaming on the front porch!

1 small bag of mini carrots
1 large head of cauliflower - chopped
2 c grated cheddar cheese
1 c bread crumbs

3 T butter, melted

2 cans undiluted cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam carrots and cauliflower. Layer steamed carrots and cauliflower with cheese in casserole dish. Pour soup over vegetables and cover with breadcrumbs. Drizzle butter over bread crumbs.

Bake 40 minutes.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

This year's turkey was possibly the best ever. For the first time, I decided to cook a fresh turkey breast instead of an entire turkey. I figured that we only had five adults eating and a 4-lb turkey breast and 4-lb Honey Baked ham was probably plenty of meat! I was right because we have plenty of yummy leftovers for tomorrow and the next couple days!

I followed a Rachel Ray recipe, and in the end, the turkey was delicious. It was moist and incredibly flavorful. I even made the gravy, which turned out spectacular.

1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
6 fresh bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
2 to 3 cups apple cider
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

How to Support our Troops This Holiday Season

For several years, our family has been involved with Neighbors International. Neighbors is a foundation that provides funds and volunteer services to local charitable, educational, religious, public safety, and similar organizations that serve our neighborhoods and communities. Specifically, we have been involved with the care package donation efforts for our troops. We collect items to fill care packages. For example, we've collected Halloween candy, Girl Scout cookies, and helped organize and facilitate donation drives at work. We've always really enjoyed preparing care packages for the troops. A simple thank you for what our troops do seems a little inadequate; preparing care packages helps us actively give back.

I researched other ways we could give back to our troops this holiday season and found several opportunities:

Holiday Mail for Heroes: You can send holiday cards to servicemen and women.

Help Them Call Home: You can buy prepaid phone cards for servicemen and women.

Let's Say Thanks: You can send a free printed holiday card to servicemen and women.

Operation Hero Miles: You can donate your frequent flier miles to servicemen and women.

I thought I'd share my findings. I'm looking forward to writing a couple thank you/holiday notes with Sydney. We'll also probably buy a prepaid phone card. It's the least we can do for those who are spending their holidays far from home protecting our freedom.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This dinner was great for a variety reasons: it was so far from what we normally have for dinner, it was a nice change of pace; it was incredibly filling - especially for a "vegetarian" meal; and it tasted great (really - what else matters?). Tom had initially said he didn't want couscous, but then he changed his mind. In the end, he couldn't stop raving about it!

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

Giving Thanks

This week, I lost a friend I've known since I was 14 years old. I also learned about a friend whose son (about the same age as Cole) is battling a malignant tumor. These two events along with Thanksgiving next week have me thinking about all the things I'm thankful for.

- Two healthy, happy children.
- A wonderful husband, who is also a phenomenal father.
- Having family that will support us no matter what.
- Grandparents who love, love, love to spend time with their grandchildren.
- Hitting the jack-pot when it comes to my sister-in-law.
- Tom's job - he loves it, and the company is stable - can't ask for more than that!
- Argon ST - a family friendly company that has afforded me more flexibility than I could ever imagine.
- Having long-term friends who love us the way we are.
- Having amazing mommy friends who help me be a better mother.

I can't say enough about our family and friends. If we haven't told you recently, please know we love you very much. We hope you feel as blessed as we do this holiday!

Operation Christmas Child

Sydney's preschool curriculum includes two service projects per year. I absolutely love this because it starts teaching compassion and charitable giving at an early age. Her first service project was Operation Christmas Child (www.samaritanspurse.org). We compiled a variety of toys, school supplies, and hygiene items and packed them in a shoe box to be sent to a needy child. All this week, we discussed how some children do not have toys and how nice it would be to send them some. We also discussed how sometimes giving presents can be just as fun as receiving them. At first, I didn't think our conversations were sinking in. Then, Tom said that last night before she went to bed, Sydney thanked him for all her toys! How sweet!

Today, we went to school, and Sydney got to present her shoe box at chapel. I think the entire process was an excellent learning opportunity. In fact, I'm really looking forward to a party we're attending soon that is also sponsoring an Operation Christmas Child build party. I think it will be great to reinforce what we've already learned. Also, because I have every intention of sending Syd back to school again next year, I'm going to start collecting fast food toys and books to donate next year. Our playgroup goes to the mall once a week for lunch. If we each donated a toy or book every other week, we'd have hundreds of toys or books to donate by the end of the year! I think I may approach the group and see if they want to participate.

Funny Stories

A couple quick stories about the kids that I want to remember to tell them when they get older:


- I took the kids to visit mom's school last week. They have a school dog - very sweet - who hangs out in the guidance department. The dog was sitting so nice in the hall, and someone asked Syd if she'd like to pet him. She took one look and said, "No, thank you."

- The other day at breakfast, Syd said, "Um... I have a little problem here." She'd spilled yogurt down her front. Just the way she said it was hilarious.


- When Syd first started talking, she'd surprise us all the time with random words and sayings. One time, Tom said, "I can't take it!" And Syd said, "Not another day." ("I can't take it! Not another day." is a tagline the Washington Post uses in their ads for the Mega Jobs section. Tom and I had never realized how he usually says "I can't take it!" and I always answer "Not another day.") It's amazing what they pick up!

- Cole recently got his hands on a crayon that had made its way under the couch. Although I was able to take it away almost immediately, he did shove it in his mouth pretty quickly. Before I knew it, he'd rubbed his blue hands all over his face. Thank goodness for non-toxic crayons! He was a pretty cute smurf.

- Syd recently told her dad, "I love you, dude."

- Syd was playing in the living room and blurted out, "We cut prices, not corners!" Wow - and I thought we were pretty good about letting her watch TV!

Happy Half Birthday to Cole!

At the end of October, Cole turned six months old. This little boy has certainly been through a lot in the last six months. When Cole was about four weeks old, we started to notice that Cole was experiencing digestive difficulty. After five months of testing, we uncovered an allergy to peanuts and a severe case of GERD. Thankfully, things seem to be getting better! Cole has been thriving lately (he weighed in at 18.5 lbs at his six month checkup). Here are some milestones we've been proud to celebrate with our trooper of a little boy:

- Cole can roll from his back to his belly and from his belly to his back.

- Cole started eating solid foods! He currently enjoys pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, and sweet potato. Next on the menu is acorn squash and then green beans.

- Cole can sit up unassisted for about 30 seconds at a time. We're crossing our fingers that he can sit up for his Christmas picture.

- Cole can scoot backwards.

- Cole can get up on all fours and rock.

- Cole recently tried a Cheerio. He's not quite ready, so we'll try again in a couple weeks.

- Cole can grab his binky and put it in his mouth (about 60% of the time).

Cole's puking has decreased significantly. He still pukes after almost every meal, but the amount has decreased and he's not in pain. For him, the "right" combination of medication seems to be Prevacid, Pepcid, and Gaviscon.

In other news, Sydney really spoiled me when it came to sleep. To this day, she's still a very good sleeper. As for Cole - we're still working on things. For the longest time, he'd wake up (and not go back to sleep) after 40 minutes. Now, we're slowly getting on a decent schedule with three predictable naps: usually a 40-minute nap in the morning, a 90-minute nap in the afternoon, and a 40-minute nap in the late afternoon. His morning nap has been as long as 90 minutes and his afternoon nap has been as long as two hours! At night, Cole usually sleeps from 7:30 pm to 6:15 am with a feeding around 2:30 am.

We have come so far. Happy half birthday Cole!

Pumpkin Cake

I've made this cake several times already this fall. It is really moist and yummy. Bonus - it is dairy-free.

2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

This wasn't necessarily awesome the first time around; however, I think it has potential. For me, the Dijon mustard was a little too horseradish-y. I think I'll use prepared honey mustard dressing next time around (instead of making my own). If I make my own, I may use plain yellow mustard instead of Dijon. Either way, Tom loved it, and with a couple changes, it could be a go-to.

4 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c Dijon mustard
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 T honey
1/8 cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 minced green onion
salt
pepper
1 c crushed pretzel

Preheat oven to 340 degrees.

Pound/flatten chicken breasts until about 1/4 inch thick. Combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, cayenne pepper, garlic, green onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Set half of mixture aside to be used as dipping sauce. Coat chicken completely in remaining mustard mixture, and then dredge in pretzel crumbs. Place coated chicken on baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Stitches!

Yesterday, Sydney woke up from her nap, and I put her on the potty as usual. I noticed we were out of toilet paper, so I told her, "Mommy will be right back! I'm going to go get you some toilet paper." I stepped into the hallway to grab an extra roll and heard a big bang. I went back into the bathroom, and Syd was face down crying in between the wall and the toilet with her bare hiney up in the air. I picked her up and suddenly realized she was bleeding. I was so surprised she was bleeding, I think I actually yelped. Then, I saw the actual wound. Oh my gosh - it looked like a crater in her forehead!

I quickly stuck a bunch of toilet paper in her head and called my dad. I knew the injury was ER-worthy, I just didn't know whether it was ambulance-worthy. Dad told me to call 911, which I did. But - as I was on the phone with 911, I managed to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding had stopped, and Syd stopped crying (and wasn't acting funny), I decided I could handle a trip to the ER without an ambulance. I called my dad back and had him come to the house. I got Syd in the car. I called the Bergemans and asked them to come care for Cole. I called Jodi, and she took care of dinner for her parents and crime scene clean-up. Really - our family scrambles well. Everyone was activated within a matter of minutes.

Dad, Syd, and I went to the ER. Mom met us there. The nurses at the ER took one look at the wound and said, "Yeah - that's definitely going to need stitches." We requested that a plastic surgeon do the stitches because the wound was on her face. The only problem was that the plastic surgeon was in surgery at Fairfax hospital. Three hours later, he was with us at the ER sewing Syd up. She ended up with three stitches on the outside and two stitches on the inside.

What a day. Thanks to everyone who helped - it takes a village! We are so incredibly blessed to live close to family that is so supportive of us. We love you!

Today, Syd is resting and watching TV. She's not all the way back to normal, but we're getting there.

Double Digits!

Well, officially, Sarah doesn't turn 10 until this Monday. However, we celebrated her big 1-0 this past weekend - complete with a candyland cake! I figured I'd take this opportunity to review some of my favorite Sarah moments from the past 10 years:

- When Sarah was first born, Tom refused to hold her. He deemed her still in "larva stage." After much encouragement, he agreed to touch her foot.

- When Sarah was little, I remember eating dinner at Jodi's house. Sarah was in the pack and play, and everyone else was seated at the table eating. Sarah started to cry, and everyone looked at Jodi. Jodi immediately declared that she was going to let her whimper a little because she didn't want her to get used to us picking her up every time she cried. After a couple minutes of Sarah crying, Sammi the dog started crying too... as if to say, "Hello people - are you deaf? The kid is crying - come and get her!"

- Once when I was in the car with Sarah, we passed a firetruck with lights and sirens blaring. Sarah said, "Oh... someone must have left their closet light on." It turns out Jodi had been telling Sarah that if she left her closet light on, she'd burn down the house.

- When Sarah was 4 or 5 years old (I think), she told Jodi that she should go to Quilts to get gas for her car. She meant Sheets!

- One of the first Christmases that Sarah could tell us what she wanted, she said she wanted a Baby Alive. That Christmas, she screamed, "I want a Baby Alive!" at the Santa on television during the Macy's day parade and at the mall Santa as Jodi was hurriedly pulling her away!

- Sarah once told me that if she had a farm, she'd have all kinds of farm animals, including rubber chickens.

- My favorite Flip video I've taken was on Christmas eve two years ago. Sarah was so excited that Santa had visited the house and left presents! She just couldn't believe it!

- Sarah is extremely helpful when it comes to Cole. She loves her cousin and helps her aunt take care of him every chance she gets!

Sarah is growing into quite the little lady. We're so blessed to be such a big part of her life! Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Election Day

A week ago today was election day. Sydney went to school, so it was just Cole and I at the polls. We went to our usual polling place and recorded our vote. The line was much longer than usual, which I think is great. You shouldn't be allowed to complain if you don't take responsibility for your civic duty. People have sacrificed their lives to protect our right to vote!

Happy Halloween!

What a week! This past week, we attended three Halloween parties, practiced trick-or-treating at both grandparents' houses, and did the real thing last night. For the first time ever, I took Sydney trick-or-treating - for real. We went to three houses on our street and four houses on the next street over. By the end of the night, she really had it down... she was yelling, "trick-or-treat" at the top of her lungs and saying, "thank you, Happy Halloween!" after she got the goods. When we got home, she ripped off her costume and ate candy until waaay past her bedtime! All the excitement caused Baby Cole to pass out without even eating his pre-bedtime meal (not to worry - I woke him up and fed him when I got home)! Here are some of the week's best pictures:

Syd getting a nice push from her friend, Madalynn

Baby Cole sporting his dinosaur costume

Sydney's preschool Harvest party

Waiting for friends at our playgroup Halloween party

Practicing trick-or-treating at Gamma and Papa's house

Trick-or-treating on Halloween at Cliff and Leigh's house

Slow-Cooked Asian Chuck Roast

This was really, really good. Not too spicy, but plenty of zip!

1 (2 1/2 - 3 lbs) Boneless beef chuck roast

Flour

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 bottle (20 oz) Wegmans Asian-style BBQ sauce
2 cups Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Thai culinary stock
2 pkgs (8 oz each) Fresh baby corns, cut to 1-inch rounds
1 pkg (16 oz) Frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
2 pkgs (16 oz each) Wegmans Asian Classics Udon noodles, thawed per package directions

Dust meat with pan-searing flour; pat off excess. Heat oil in large braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add meat. Brown, turning to brown all sides, 3-4 min per side. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Stir in BBQ sauce and stock.

Cook meat in slow-cooker 4-5 hours on HIGH or 7-9 hours on LOW. Remove just the meat from slow-cooker; transfer to clean platter.

Add corn, broccoli, and noodles to slow-cooker on HIGH; stir to combine. Cover; cook 5-15 min, or until vegetables are thoroughly heated. Stir before transferring to serving platter and topping with meat.

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken

I got this recipe from my mommy friend, Lisa. It was delicious. This time, I served it with plain rice. Next time around, I think I'll stir fry some carrots and baby corns to serve with the rice.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts2/3 c soy sauce1/4 c brown sugar1/4 c water2 cloves garlic, minced2 t ground ginger2 cans sliced water chestnuts1 bunch green onions, chopped

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic and ginger. Spread water chestnuts and green onions over chicken and pour soy sauce mixture over the top. Cook on low for approx. 5 hours.

Ginger-Lime Beef Stir Fry

This wasn't the best ever; however, it has potential because the sauce was good. Next time, I'll add a bunch of stir fry vegetables, triple the sauce, and serve over rice. Today, I served over rice noodles, which were good too.

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
12 ounces boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with green onions and lime wedges, if desired.

Italian Chicken with Chickpeas

My mom would love this meal. It's got her favorite: chickpeas! I served it over rice.

1 pound chicken breast tenders
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 cups sliced onion
1 cup green bell pepper strips
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, chickpeas, and tomatoes; cover and cook 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

My Brave Little Girl

Today was a good day for Syd. Grandma came over and watched Cole while I took Syd to swimming lessons and then to get her flu shot.

Syd did great at swimming lessons - what a difference a summer of swimming makes! She was able to do all the different exercises and activities at class, including jumping in, blowing bubbles, kicking and paddling, and holding her breath. The instructor even let Sydney practice "swimming" from her to me!

After swimming lessons, we headed to the pharmacy to get our flu shots. Right before we got there, Syd and I talked about the word brave and what it means. We decided that she would be very brave for her flu shot. First, I got my shot, and then she got hers - without even one tear or cry! She was so brave, she got to pick out a lollipop. What a brave little girl - way to go Syd!

Fancy!

Nothing says romance like a new TV! That's what my handsome and handy husband got me for our ninth anniversary.

Every morning, Tom watches the kids while I get about 30 minutes to myself to take a shower and get dressed. I recently told Tom that the only thing that could make it any better was to have a television in the bathroom so I could watch the news while getting ready. Voila! This weekend, he installed a new TV, and it is AWESOME! I can't wait to get ready tomorrow morning.

The Bergeman Kids Are Pretty Darn Cute

My kids are adorable... I know, I know, I'm biased. But - I bet I could find several people who agree with me. Anyway, here are some cute moments from this week.

Cole's recently started napping in his jumperoo. Twice this week, I've turned around to find him passed out. And, it's not a slow process. I swear he's jumping, jumping, jumping one minute and out cold the next. Then, he wakes up about 15 minutes later happy go-lucky and jumping again.


As for Syd, anyone who knows me knows that we do not do sugar that often. Sydney does not receive candy, cookies, ice cream, even juice on a regular basis. We usually save those treats for birthday celebrations only. Anyway, she got her hair cut today, and the stylist gave her a lollipop. Here's a picture of her (with nap hair) enjoying the moment!

Taco Rice Bowls

This recipe is very versatile. I actually won a chili cook off with this recipe several years ago (in the most unusual category). Anyway, tonight we ate it like a rice bowl with guacamole and salsa on the side. You could use it as burrito or taco filling, dip, nacho filling - there are plenty of possibilities.

1/2 lb ground beef
Taco seasoning
1 1/4 c cooked instant rice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn (the mini can), drained

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until warm.

If I were eating dairy right now, I'd definitely serve it with cheese and sour cream. However, tonight, like I said, we had it with guacamole and salsa. Sydney had two enormous helpings!

Preschool

It's been about a month since Sydney started preschool. So far, so good. She's been enjoying class and adjusting well to being without mommy. One of my favorite parts of school is when she brings home artwork, which happens just about every time she goes to school. Recently, I opened Sydney's backpack to find this sun picture. I said, "Oh wow, Sydney! God made the sun!" Sydney didn't miss a beat and said, "No, mommy - God didn't make that sun; I did!" She must feel pretty strongly about this particular picture because she said the same thing to almost anyone who asked her about it. Anyway, needless to say, we're really enjoying her mini masterpieces!

Avocado Dill Pasta

Right now, I'm not eating any dairy, and this pasta dish was awesome because it was oh so creamy!

8 ounces bow tie pasta or 8 ounces wagon wheel macaroni
2 medium avocados, halved,seeded,peeled and coarsely chopped
6 slices bacon, crisp cooked,drained and crumbled
2/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the avocados, bacon, dill, lemon juice,olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Sleep Training

When Sydney was born, I found myself really struggling to find some sort of schedule. I called my friend, Kate, who sent me a book called On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. I read the entire book in a couple hours and immediately started putting the principles to work. Anyway, long story short, I am a big believer in sleep training - teaching your children to put themselves to sleep. Everyone wakes up during their regular sleep schedule, but going back to sleep when you wake up is a skill that takes a while to learn - especially for children. Sleep training for babies is not easy! Mostly, it requires letting them "cry it out." The first night or two are usually the worst: they'll cry until they fall asleep. Then, the amount of time they cry significantly decreases until they're able to put themselves to sleep in a matter of minutes - most times without any tears at all! The entire process takes less than a week.

I wouldn't say that our week is totally finished (we started last Thursday night); however, we're very, very close. Cole is routinely going to sleep for naps and at night without crying. When he wakes up, he usually only cries for a couple minutes and then it's back to bed! Today was definitely a milestone: both kids took their naps in their own rooms and fell asleep on their own! I love this for several reasons: Cole is learning to be an independent sleeper - like Sydney - and Mommy will, eventually, be able to count on this time as child-free time to work, do chores, or prep dinner.

Hail sleep training - I'm a believer!

Pasta Stir Fry

This was a good one... will definitely add it to our regular rotation. I left out the scallions and used jarred ginger.

1 (16-ounce) package whole wheat linguine
Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and diced
1/2 small eggplant, sliced into small chunks, about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

While pasta is cooking, heat canola oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add onion, red pepper, ginger, eggplant and cook for about 1 minute. Add garlic, broccoli, tomatoes, and soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain pasta. Add it and the chicken to the vegetable mixture, toss and cook for another minute.

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with scallions.

Cole's Had a Rough Week

I was so good with Sydney - I never let her sleep with us and I taught her to self soothe and put herself to sleep when she was 8 weeks old. With Cole, it's been a completely different story. Mostly, Cole's been sick, so I couldn't do any sleep training. However, lately, we've had a pretty good bedtime ritual going, and Cole seemed to have a good night schedule - so I was beginning to think about starting sleep training. Then came Monday. Monday night, Cole didn't feel well, and I made the mistake of letting him sleep with us. Before I knew it, he didn't feel well again on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, he made it clear he was not going to sleep in his crib.

Well, crap.

Along with his new-found fondness for our bed, Cole all-the-sudden became very attached to me. That's nice and all, but Mommy needs a break. I knew things were bad when Jodi - who has a masters in putting babies to sleep - couldn't get Cole to go to sleep for his nap. In addition, Cole has been on a bottle boycott. Wow... things were spiraling out of control!

I decided we needed to make some changes - and make them quick! First, we enrolled him in bottle boot camp. Grandma B came over on Thursday and helped me get him to take a bottle: it only took over an hour and multiple renditions of the Mickey Mouse theme song and Old MacDonald. Oye. Then, Thursday night, I made him sleep in his own crib. That was painful! Although he went to sleep pretty easily, he did not go back to sleep after his midnight feeding. I think my ears are still bleeding.

The good news is that Cole's doing much better with the bottles and sleep today. It's been two and a half days now, and he's taken nine bottles and actually fell asleep on his own this morning after waking up at 4:00 am.

It's just a matter of time. At this point, I think we're past the hardest part of bottles and sleep. Hopefully, Cole will be taking bottles and sleeping without assistance soon.

Cole's Biopsy Results

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that Baby Cole's biopsy results came back negative. The bad news is that his results came back negative. So - we can rule out some things, but we haven't uncovered the reason why Cole has stopped gaining weight. He has an x-ray scheduled for next week. That should tell us whether his intestines are properly placed in his belly. After that, I don't know what we're going to do. The boy needs to stop puking and start gaining some weight! We'll keep you posted.

Happy Birthday Mustache Papa!

It was Mustache Papa's birthday, so we had - what else? - a mustache party! We had a mustache-shaped cake, and everyone got to try on their very own mustaches. Anyway, it was a load of fun - even Baby Cole enjoyed sporting his mustache. Happy Birthday Papa!

Another Visit with Doctor House

Cole and I went back to visit Doctor House yesterday. Cole continues to puke after almost every meal, and he just seems uncomfortable. So, I figured we needed to go back to Doctor House for a checkup. It's a good thing we went because we found out that Cole has only gained 8 ounces in the last 4 weeks. He should have gained around 2 pounds in that time. Anyway, between the poor weight gain and the puking, Doctor House decided to move forward with an esophagogastroduodenoscopy to figure out what's going on. For those who are interested, here is a link that describes the surgery:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly and we get some answers!

Update: Operation Stinky Pants

It's been 3 weeks since I did away with diapers for Sydney! Although it was difficult at times, I never backed down - she's not worn a diaper since September 6. So far, she's only really had a handful of accidents, and they've all been at the house - never outside of the house. It's still a work in progress: most times, she has to be reminded to go potty. But, overall, I'm very proud of my little girl. With all the changes lately (school, teething, and potty training), she's really been a good little girl and adapted well. Way to go Sydney!

Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

Until yesterday, I had never had stuffed peppers! These were fairly easy to make and delicious. Definitely a dish I could make for company. This recipe made more than enough filling for four peppers - probably closer to six. Also, I didn't use the cheese or butter. Instead, I used breadcrumbs and a spray of Pam for a crispy top. Finally, I cooked the peppers in a baking dish with tomato sauce in the bottom.

4 medium green bell peppers
8 ounces ground pork sausage
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Bayou Blast
1/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
4 teaspoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Cut off the top quarter of each bell pepper and reserve. Scoop the seeds and veins out from the inside of each pepper and discard. Set bell pepper shells aside. Remove and discard the stems from each bell pepper top. Season the insides of the bell pepper shells with salt and pepper, to taste. Dice enough of the bell pepper tops to make 1/2 cup. Set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, crumble and brown the sausage until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, and the celery. Saute for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the rice and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and Essence. Cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and parsley. Spoon the rice mixture into the bell peppers.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese. Season with a pinch of Essence and mix well. Sprinkle the crust over each pepper. (I used breadcrumbs and Pam). Top each crust with 1 teaspoon of butter and place the peppers into an 8-inch baking dish or pan. Add just enough water to cover the bottom, about 1/3 cup (I used tomato sauce). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are crusty and brown and warmed through. Serve hot.

Original sauce: Emeril Lagasse, Food TV

Citrus Chicken and Rice

This is an old recipe, but I love it. It's especially good in the summer (or on a 90 degree day at the end of September).

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c orange juice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c uncooked regular long-grain rice
3 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T dried parsley)

In nonstick skillet, cook chicken (I usually season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning). Set chicken aside.

Stir in broth, orange juice, and onion. Heat to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes.

Return chicken to pan. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove chicken to plate. Stir parsley into rice mixture.

Congratulations to Lorraine and Angus

Back on July 3, 2010, Lorraine married Angus Goldberg! At that point, Cole was only 8 weeks old, and we were in no position to be able to travel to their destination wedding in Camden, Maine. Anyway, today - we were lucky enough to be invited to a champagne brunch to celebrate their nuptials. The brunch took place at Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob's house. It was very nice with plenty of good food and great company. The kids were well behaved, and I think Lorraine and Angus really enjoyed themselves. What more could you ask for? Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg!