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.