Potty Time and Tantrums

Gideon knows when he is wet or dirty. He lets us know. He also alerts us when he thinks he has to go to the bathroom. Because of this, we have been “potty training” for a couple weeks now. I put it in quotes, because so far we have just been sitting on the potty with no success.

Well, Gideon has learned a couple things, but not how to go in the potty.

He has learned that if he is on the potty, Momma will read to him. He has a captive audience to request entertainment and request he does. We read and read and read. And read some more.

Gideon has also learned Itsy Bitsy Spider hand motions. I do not normally sing traditional toddler songs to him, but it is hard to make up hand motions to Lily the Pink. Songs with hand motions are more amusing during potty time.

It amuses me how quickly Gideon learns how to manipulate us to do certain things. Children are very crafty. I do not mind reading to him on the potty. I know eventually he will figure it out. Tantrums on the other hand are a new manipulation technique he is trying as well. Sadly, they do not work on me the way Gideon expects they will.

Other than complete ignoring, eye rolling and sighing are my two responses to tantrums. I know why kids get spoiled. It is much easier to forgo parenting and give into that annoying whine or all out fit. Anything to shut the noise up. Unfortunately, for Gideon’s short-term happiness and my ears, I want him to be a productive, lovable, and loving adult, not a spoiled brat that still acts like a 5 year-old at 25 years of age. That means, whining and tantrums get him absolutely no where.

Living with an almost 17 month old sure is not boring.

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Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal

I got this recipe from a friend last week. I tried it out on Gideon and he ate his portion and then begged me for mine. This recipe makes enough to feed 2 people. I think it is originally from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

Because this recipe uses such a small amount of canned pumpkin, you can freeze the rest in 1/4 c batches for later use in oatmeal or muffins.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

1 c. milk
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp.cinnamon
1 c. old fashioned oatmeal (not quick oats)
2 tsp. peanut butter

Place all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Stir. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 1 minute.

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New Dress Shoes

New Dress Shoes

Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre

I get most of Gideon’s clothes from two places: gifts and garage sales. I hate paying full price for clothes that are worn for such a short time and Gideon does not care where his clothes are from. Heck, he would be happy to wear his birthday suit all day, everyday.

I usually hesitate to buy used shoes because they are often very worn. I was very lucky this weekend though when I found these almost brand new suede dress shoes for $4. Awesome!

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Imagination at Work

It is a bit of a joke with our friends and family regarding Gideon’s lack of toys. He does have toys, but they all could easily fit inside a single laundry basket, with room to spare. There are different reasons for this, but Gideon is illustrating the biggest reason right this moment.

For the last 30 minutes, he has happily been pushing around the empty laundry basket. Upon giving up this activity, he has decided to sit underneath one of the dinning room chairs and occasionally drag said chair around the room.

Who needs expensive toy structures when household equipment is so much fun?

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I am sorry if any of you get this post filtered since I do discuss breasts in the context of breastfeeding.

Weaning has unexpectedly taken a turn for the better.

Because of a busy schedule Tuesday of morning Bible study and lunch after, Gideon fell asleep in the car on the way home. This resulted in no milkies before nap. Then, my Tuesday night ladies came over and Ries did the bedtime routine resulting in no bedtime milkies. Gideon only fussed a minute or so around midnight and then slept until 4:30 am when I fed him.

All that means that Gideon went 24 hours between nursings. Whoo hoo! Today, he fell asleep on the way home from HEB so he again skipped his milkies. Perhaps we can get down to just that early morning feeding and an occasional bed time one.

I have realized that boys and men of all ages have trouble ignoring breasts in their face. I mean really, who can, but…

I have noticed a couple times when I am either wearing nursing tank top or (for whatever reason) not wearing a shirt, Gideon has tried to baby bird me. A few times, I have been changing his diaper, putting the desired objects right in his face. He cranes his neck, opens his mouth, and tries to reach me by sheer force of will. It is quite funny to watch.

Once, he had completely ignored milkies all day and then I got out of the shower. He saw me naked, pointed, and asked for “more.”

Ah, boys. Some things never change.

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Recipe: Keep the Vampires at Bay Hummus

One of my librarian friends taught me how to make hummus. She did not measure the ingredients and thus neither do I. I am sure my type A readers hate many of my recipes for this blaze attitude. The Internet is wide, go find a hummus recipe elsewhere.

The thing about hummus is that it is ridiculously cheaper if you make it as opposed to buying it at the store in those tiny overpriced tubs. If you are making plain or garlic hummus, making it yourself is definitely the way to go. However, I have never gotten sun-dried tomato or red pepper hummus to taste just right and adding those ingredients significantly ups the price. If those two flavors are your preference, I would still buy them.

The garlic in this hummus is strong enough to keep away hungry vampires, pesky husbands, and anyone else with a sense of smell. You can always reduce the garlic if it is too much.

Keep the Vampires at Bay Hummus

1 can chickpeas (garbonzo beans), drained
fresh parsley, rinsed
1-2 lemons
2 tbs. tahini
2-3 tbs olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled

Place the chickpeas in a food processor. Pinch off about a cup of the leafy bits off the parsley and place them on top of the chickpeas. Juice one lemon and add that to the chickpeas and parsley. Put the remaining ingredients in the processor as well.

Blend everything together until the hummus is smooth. Taste the hummus and add more lemon juice if it is too nutty or more olive oil if it is too dry. If after trying it, garlic is all you can taste and smell, you got the ratio just right!

Serve with bread, pitas, or on the end of a stake!

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Bits and Pieces

This morning has not been a great one and after three cups of coffee, things are finally starting to settle down here. Gideon has become a toddler extraordinaire so he pushes all the boundaries he can, preferably all at once and firast thing in the morning, so I feel irritated and frustrated with him.

He is currently sitting in my lap, sycophantically watching videos of himself on my phone. His favorite one is of him at about 7 months as my sister-in-law’s dog, Kylie, hops around him. In the video he is giggling uproariously.

A few days ago, Pullo was licking his leg and Gideon sidled up to him. Before I could stop him, he leaned down and licked the dog’s leg too! I guess he just wanted to see if Pullo was tasty.

One of Gideon’s favorite things to do is look at the Animal Planet Flickr pool on slide show. I call out the names of the animals and and he yells, “Oh, Wow!” every time the picture changes. It is hilarious and it keeps him still for about 10-20 minutes at a time.

The thing in my lap is getting restless, so I think I am done with this post.

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Recipe: Savory Bacon, Egg, and Bread Bake

This recipe came into being because I had some things in my pantry that needed to be eaten and I was feeling particularly lazy yesterday evening. Bear in mind the kind of cook I am and realize that the measurements are completely made up. When I was making this, I just tossed stuff in the bowl and stirred. When baking, I just peeked at it until it looked “done.”

We ate this for dinner with a salad on the side. It would also be great for breakfast for people, like Ries, who prefer savory to sweet.

Savory Bacon, Egg, and Bread Bake

4 slices of bacon
1 loaf sourdough bread or other stale loaf
3 eggs
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, or whatever you have on hand)

Fry the bacon slices and set aside.

While the bacon is cooking, slice the bread into one inch slices. Set aside.

Preheat oven at 350.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, Dijon mustard, milk, parsley, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Grease a 9×11 baking dish. Dip bread in egg mixture, flipping to cover both sides (like you would do if making french toast). Arrange the bread however they will fit in the dish with as little overlap as possible. Pour the extra egg mixture over the bread. Let the bread sit in the pan. Set aside.

Meanwhile, chop or crumble up the bacon. If you need to shred the cheese by hand, now would be the time to do that.

Flip the bread pieces over so that the sides that were down are facing up. This will allow the bread to soak up a bit more egg. If you think you need more egg mixture, just mix up another egg and some milk and add it to the pan. The size of the loaf you have will change the amount of eggs and milk you need. The bread should be coated but not necessarily soaked through.

Sprinkle the bacon over the bread. Sprinkle the cheese over the bacon.

Place foil over the dish and place in the oven. Cook with the foil for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is at its desired doneness. The more eggs you used or the tighter packed your bread, the longer your dish will have to cook.

Enjoy.

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A Thumbs Up

IMG_0657

Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre

This is Gideon’s bunk bed. The transition to the bed has been seamless. He still sleeps the bulk of the night in our bed, but otherwise, he sleeps here.

I still can not believe I have a toddler.

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Risky Business

Risky Business

Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre

Call me a relic, call me what you will
Say I’m old-fashioned, say I’m over the hill
Today music ain’t got the same soul
I like that old time rock n’ roll

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Recipe: Chicken Poblano Casserole

This recipe is posted per request from a friend who ate it with us last week. The method for roasting and deskining peppers included in this recipe is a handy one to know. I changed a couple ingredients to cheaper things, like green instead of red bell peppers, and I increased other ingredients. For the cheese, I used odds and ends that I had in the fridge. As long as it adds up to about 3 cups, it should be fine. This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken hanging around.

Chicken Poblano Casserole
modified from Cooking Light 2007

2 poblano chilis
1 bell pepper
1/2 small bag of frozen corn
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
3 1/2 c. milk
3 cups cheese, some combination of cheddar, colby jack, and moterey jack
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 large eggs
15 oz ricotta cheese (sm carton)
12-18 corn tortillas
2 c. cooked chopped chicken
1 c. sliced green onions

Preheat broiler.

Take corn out of the freezer and put the needed amount in a bowl. Set aside. (If you think about it, set the corn out a little early so it can thaw. You can always microwave it briefly if it is still frozen, later)

Wash and cut poblano and bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes. Placed on a foil lined jelly roll pan or baking sheet, skin sides up. Broil 10 minutes or until peppers are blackened. Place peppers in a plastic ziploc bag and seal it. Let stand 10 minutes.

While the peppers are sitting, in a large sauce pan, place flour, milk, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and the black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring very often, until thick (like gravy), about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Take the peppers out of their ziploc bag. The skins should easily peel off. Discard the skins.

Place the poblano peppers into a bender or food processor with one cup of the milk mixture. Process until smooth. Return the poblano milk blend to the remaining milk mixture. Stir and set aside.

If using a food processor, use it to chop the bell pepper. Otherwise, chop the bell pepper by hand (with a knife! You are not a ninja cook!) and put it in a large mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the corn, 1/2 tsp salt, the onion, eggs, cilantro, 1 c. of cheese, and the ricotta cheese. Mix well.

Cut the tortillas into four wedges each. Cut a couple of the tortillas in smaller pieces, about an inch square and save these for the last layer.

Spray a 13×9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half a cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Arrange the tortilla wedges on the bottom of the dish so that they slightly overlap and cover the bottom. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the tortillas followed by half the chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 c. of the green onions and 2/3 c. of cheese on top. Pour about 1 c. of the poblano sauce over the top. Place another layer of tortillas on top of the first layer. Repeat the layers with the remaining ricotta mixture, chicken, green onions, and cheese. Sprinkle the small tortillas pieces over the top of the last layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of it all.

Tear a piece of foil large enough to cover the dish. Coat one side of the foil with coking spray. Place foil, coated side down on top of the pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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Overheard on Labor Day

Overheard as Ries was changing Gideon’s diaper:

Sins are like mosquito bites and poison ivy. You scratch them and it feels good, but you sure will pay for it later.

I never knew diaper changing was so instructional.

Updated: In case you were wondering, I am certain that this conversation occurred because Gideon has some rather nasty mosquito bites on his leg on which he scratched all the skin off.

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