Bunny

A Bunny Cookie Jar - It's a pricey cookie jar, ringing in at $100. And it's creepy because it reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Warning: this scene is a bit bloody. Watch at your own risk).

13 Things MetaBaby's Learned

MetaBaby is growing up so fast. It's so exciting for us to watch his learn new things. He doesn't have any real words, though he does start to whine "mamamamamamama" if I don't pick him up from his nap in a timely manner. We've been signing with him, but the only sign he has a firm grasp of is "more"...probably because it gets him more food. That said, you can tell that he understands more than he's letting on.

For example:

1. When we ask "do you want some O's (i.e., Cheerios)," he grabs his bowl and walks to the cereal cupboard.
   
2. After I pour said O's, he runs to the living room because that's where he's allowed to eat them.
   
3. When we open the refrigerator, he runs over, pushes us out of the way and reaches in to grab the mustard.
   
4. When we ask "do you want some more water," he walks to the refrigerator and stares up at the water spout.
   
5. When we say "would you like some yogurt," he walks to the refrigerator and tries to open it.
   
6. When we open the refrigerator, he runs over, pushes us out of the way and reaches in to grab the metal tube of chile paste.
   
7. When we ask "where's your tummy," he pats his tummy.
   
8. When we ask "where's your ear," he pats his ear.
   
9. When we ask "where's your nose," he pats his ear.
   
10. When we ask "where's your daddy's nose," he honks MetaDaddy's nose.
    
11. When we say "are you hungry," he signs "more."
    
12. When we say "do you want more," he signs "more."
    
13. When we say "give me a hug," he runs towards us, arms extended!
    

Cooking Last Week

I'm excited about food these days. I get home from the farmers' market on a high, ready to start cooking. Unfortunately, MetaBaby goes for a nap after the market, so I have to bottle it up and keep quiet. Ah well...here I am.

Last week, in no particular order, we had the following:

Braised baby artichoke risotto - A bit time consuming, but worked out better than I expected. Even worked well as leftovers. Though I truly love artichokes, so I might be biased.

Chicken legs braised with tomatoes, onions, and garlic - This felt like home cooking at its best. Cooking time was close to an hour, but I'm sure it could be adapted to work with a crock pot or the like. We'll definitely do this one again.

Grilled Haloumi, salad, and cous cous - This was a really fast dinner because it cooks in no time. Haloumi is an interesting cheese that doesn't melt, so you can grill or BBQ it. In fact, it's a nice option for vegetarians if you're ever wondering what you can do other than grilled vegetables. The only flaw with this recipe is that it was hard to find. I tried Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Albertsons, and eventually found it at Bristol Farms. Keep in mind that it's very salty, so don't salt it or pay the price.

Cous Cous & Sautéed Vegetables - This is a quick and delicious stand-by recipe. I love getting tiny shiitake mushrooms from the farmers' market and just toss them in. No chopping makes the quick dish even faster. And it's a versatile recipe so you can add and subtract ingredients as desired.

Chicken Legs Braised with Tomatoes, Onions, and Garlic

This recipe is from my newest purchase, The Art of Simple Food. I wasn't going to get this book, but the Cook's Library had a book signing with Alice Waters, who started a food revolution back in the 1970s. Though I couldn't go because it was between 1 and 3 (can you imagine poor little MetaBaby? And poor little me trying to calm poor little MetaBaby? CRAZY!!), they're nice enough to offer to get the book signed for customers. So far, it's a lovely cookbook filled with tasty, fresh, nutritious homey recipes, as well as several variations to help the cook adapt the recipe to his or her tastes.

This recipe was delicious, and great for leftovers. It looks like it might be adaptable to crock pot and such, which makes for a time saving alternative. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice to take advantage of the juices.

Chicken Legs Braised with Tomatoes, Onions, and Garlic
Makes 4 servings

4 chicken legs
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced thick (or diced large)
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 bay leaf
1 small rosemary sprig
1/3 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
4 tomatoes, diced course, or 1 small (12-ounce can organic whole tomatoes, diced (including juice)
1 cup chicken broth

Season the chicken with salt and pepper the day before, if possible. Though I didn't, and it was still delicious.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan* over medium heat. Add olive oil. Place the chicken legs into the pan skin side down and cook until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes. Turn and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and add the onions. Cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side up, and pour in any juices that have collected. Pour in the chicken broth. The liquid should reach halfway up the chicken;add more if needed. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook at a bare simmer or in a 325°F oven for 45 minutes. When done, pour the braising liquid into a small bowl and skim the fat. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Return to the pan and serve.

*Note: Non-stick pans don't brown food very well, so use something else, if possible.

Sautéed Vegetables with Cous Cous

This is such a quick and easy recipe, I love it. The original version from Weight Watchers is a vegetarian dish called Creamy Polenta with Sautéed Vegetables, but we're not big polenta fans. The following worked much better for our particular preferences, to which I also added the proscuitto for additional flavor (we really like proscuitto).

Sautéed Vegetables with Cous Cous
4 servings

1 cup cous cous, prepared per package
75 grams proscuitto (1/2 package) torn into small pieces
8 large shiitake mushrooms (6 ounces), stemmed and thinly sliced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/2 teaspoon freshly gound pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare the cous cous per package.

Use a cast iron skillet or spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the proscuitto and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms softened, about 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook 1 minute. Add the vermouth, bring to a boil, and cook until it reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Stire in the pepper and salt.

Serve immediately.

Writers' Strike

The writers' strike seems to be getting a lot of press. I should think it's a nationwide issue since, while it is about the entertainment industry, it's also about our favorite shows, future movies, and newly emerging technology. That is, back in the day, writers got a raw deal when they agreed to pitiful residuals on DVDs because no one thought it was a money maker. Now, they want to make sure they get their fair share of the pie with regards to new media like downloads and DVRs.

I'm sure it's tough to decide to strike regardless of your industry; giving up your paycheck for an indefinite amount of time to stand outside your office and picket. Yes, some make an obscene amount of money. But so do the producers, directors, and studios. So while you may not feel for people who already make a good living, it is all about proportions.

Anyway, one of our favorite shows these days is 30 Rock. I couldn't help but wonder if Tina Fey, the show's creator, producer, writer, actor, was going to picket. After all, she was a writer and head writer (the first female) on Saturday Night Live for ages before she moved up in the world. She is. Good for her.

Update: Alec Baldwin's 2 cents.

Shopping With an Antsy Toddler

Here are some good tips from Baby Center to help keep your high energy toddler from driving you crazy while shopping. They're common sense ideas, but sometimes the obvious logic gets lost in the midst of running errands.

For example, go with someone to help you watch him. This is especially valuable if he's insisting on getting out of the cart or stroller. Currently, my tactic is to grab what I need (e.g., at Target), then browse. If he gets really unruly, we can just leave. If we're on a walk and we go into a store to browse, his threshold is much lower. As a result, I don't do much shopping or browsing, which is fine because I'm not a big shopper. It's for the best, isn't it.

Another good tip they suggested was to take your toddler to the playground before shopping. This will get more of that high-octane energy out, so he'll be more likely to sit in his stroller for a while. This might not fit into a tight schedule, but if you'd just like to get out and do a little shopping for yourself, this might buy you some time.

Take what you can get.

Now, if MetaBaby ends up becoming a drummer like the article said, we might be annoyed. We might have to channel his energy into quieter pursuits like dancing. Hmm...that might not work if he has MetaDaddy's Irish dancing legs. Eh, we'll see.

The Swedish Chef by Andy Samberg

Tivo helps me watch things I would never otherwise watch. Well, I wouldn't watch most things these days without the help of Tivo since we never know what's going to happen when. And time, valuable that it is, is better used with the aid of a fast-forward button (the less ads in my life, the better).

Saturday Night Live isn't as funny as I wish it were. If I didn't have a fast-forward button, I'd never watch it. But I do, so I do. I saw this one, and I laughed out loud. Maybe it's because I loved the Muppet Show so much as a kid...um...well, maybe I still do. Anyway, I found it on You Tube...enjoy while you still can.



I LOVED the Swedish Chef, especially while dancing. I found this post that says this is how Andy Samberg actually landed the gig. He used to annoy me, but as of late, he's started growing on me. Funny how that happens.

A Wedding in L.A.

What a great time to have your wedding. A friend got married last night, the weekend daylight savings ends. That extra hour to recover from last night's festivities was much appreciated. I suspect MetaMommy had one too many glasses of wine...a total of 2. Essentially, I was really, really tired last night. So much so that MetaDaddy found himself helping get MetaBaby back to sleep after his 2 A.M. wake-up (MetaBaby's, that is). Generally, I do it. But this was a weekend (i.e., no work the following morning), and I could hardly move, so I didn't feel compelled to say "no, no...I'll do it."

The wedding was lovely. It was at our impressive Los Angeles cathedral. Once the ceremony ended, we walked across a courtyard for the cocktail hour, followed by the reception. The priest joked that nowhere else in Los Angeles provides the opportunity to park, pray, eat, drink, and dance all in the same venue. Also impressive was that it held what felt like around 300 of the couple's nearest and dearest. Turns out, that's a lot of people. I'm just glad I wasn't in the kitchen...musta been craaaaaaaaaaazy!!

So Congratulations to the couple! And to all of us who are recovering with the aid of that beautiful, extra hour.

(Can you tell this is my favorite day of the year?)

Around the Internet

Udon Noodle Bowls - I'm not saying you should go out and buy something you don't need. It's not in the best interest of keeping green, frugal, or clutter-free. However, sometimes...a girl can dream of cute stuff. And they come with chopsticks!!

A really expensive cat toy - It's fun to watch kittens and know that you don't have to change litterboxes. It's a win, win.

Natural pain remedies - You might not believe or agree with me, but massages and chocolate are excellent remedies. Just think about the stress they dissolve away. Think about it...

Feel Your Boobies - Speaking of heath concerns, don't forget the basics :-)

Disposing of cooking oil via Sustainable Works - Learn how to dispose of cooking oil responsibly. Little things mean a lot.

Wall Street charity boxing event - Here's what the people managing your money and balancing the world's fortunes do on their time off. Nice.

A Partial Parody

Inspired, I set out to do a parody of The Major General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance. However, it's a long song, and I realized I'll never finish. Mostly because I have a toddler, but also because my patience runs thin these days.

So, I present to you my unfinished symphony, so to speak. Sorry it's so lame, but maybe it'll remind you that you might suck at some things, but at least you're not me :-)

I Am the Very Model of a Modern Mommy Blogging Stuff

I am the very model of a modern mommy blogging stuff,
I've information about food and poop and tushies in the buff,
I know the pains of labor, and I quote Seuss easy off the cuff,
From Sam I Am to Eggs and Ham, and other sorts of verbal fluff;
I'm very well acquainted too with blogging matters sure enough,
I understand the blogosphere, the blogrolls, memes, and widget guff,
About html I've data on tables and css
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress

With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
to impress

The Politics of Movies

I'm not here to get political. Other people are much better at it, and some of them even get paid for their banter. However, when I come across good dialogue, I feel compelled to share it, even if it seems political.

That said, read the following from the November 1st Democratic presidential debate while remembering Jack Nicholson's character Col. Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men.

WILLIAMS: Now we turn to our lightning round in which each of the candidates will have 3.75 seconds to spout pandering clichés that demonstrate how the campaigning process has reduced their minds to pabulum. Senator Clinton, which issue would you like to obfuscate next?

CLINTON: Obfuscate? Son, let me tell you the truth, because you can’t handle the truth. We live in a world with enemies. We fight elections where people play rough. Who’s going to do it? These two pretty boys? The left-wing nutjobs in our party who sit around watching Bill Maher?

I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, leads to victory. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about in Santa Monica dinner parties, you want me at that podium. You need me at that podium. And I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to the self-righteous liberals who rise and sleep under the blanket of the very victory I provide! I wish you’d just said thanks and went on your way. In any case, I don’t give a damn what answers you think you’re entitled to!

Dilbert's Toddlers

Ya, this explains a lot.

5 Places to Visit

CNN lists 5 places to visit before they're gone...like, for good. Interesting places, a couple that i've never heard of.
Better get cracking with the air miles :-)

1. Nauru - The over-extraction of phosphate has crippled the country's economy.
   
   
2. The Dead Sea - Evaporation and a lack of a water source is leaving a sad sinkhole in its place.
   
   
3. Mexico City - We were there, and there are some places where buildings are no longer structurally sound because of the uneven foundation.
   
   
4. Amish Country - I'd venture to say that the reason is not one most would expect.
   
   
5. Freetown Christiania - The Danish government thinking of taking back its land.

13 Costumes...mostly cute

1. Many Mini Mouses
   
2. A rather impressive pirate (á la Pirates of the Carribean's Jack Sparrow).
   
3. A rather impressive female pirate...not á la Pirates of the Carribean's ;-)
   
4. A guy built like a football player in an evening gown.
   
5. A cute little ballerina.
   
6. A cute little pink bunny.
   
7. Several cute little monkeys.
   
8. Some cute little Elmos.
   
9. An e-mail and attachment
   
10. A little race car driver (looked like pajamas with several patches attached and she was riding a toy car).
    
11. A woman in psychedelic colors and a large, blonde afro. Note: she could have just been crazy as this is Los Angeles.
    
12. A pretty impressive renaissance era dress.
    
13. A chef :-)

Nozin for Noses

For the germophobes out there, Nozin

Mmmm....99.98% germ mortality rate. Excellent, Smithers.

Via Daily Candy

Sleeping Babes

My sister-in-law has two kids, both of whom are great sleepers. She joked that her first was sleeping through the night by the time she was two weeks old. Her second, a little boy, took a bit longer, but not by much relatively speaking. When we visited back in February, we noticed that he would nod off while having his bottle. She would have to wake him to get him to finish the bottle, which only served to annoy him. He and his sister would then sleep through the night, regardless of ambient noise or light. It was marvelous to watch!


© Photographer: Brebca | Agency: Dreamstime.com

MetaBaby is nothing like his cousins. For the first 6 weeks, we were lucky if we got him to sleep before 6AM. We would both stay up trying anything and everything to get him to go to sleep. If he fell asleep, it was usually on top of one of us. 

Out of desperation, we tried co-sleeping and found that it worked really well for us. If he woke up in the course of the night, I could nurse him back to sleep without getting up.  This was a definite benefit given that I was still tender from my c-section, and I was dealing with a pretty bad case of mastitis.

After a few months of peace, the co-sleeping stopped working.  I realized that I was nursing him every time he woke up, but I started to suspect he didn't need it.  Additionally, he started moving and kicking more in his sleep, which was becoming annoying.  We moved him to his crib, but kept him in our room.  Though he woke occasionally, I didn't nurse him every time, so he was able to put himself back to sleep.  It was a good balance at the time.

But everything wears thin at some point, right?  The occasional wake-ups started taking a toll on our sleep, so we moved him to his room.  We (or was it me) resisted moving him  because we (I) thought we'd (I'd) miss his little baby breaths...but it turns out that what we really missed was sleep.  He still wakes up once a night, but sometimes...he doesn't!  Oh, those nights are good.

A Good Day

7 Plus 4(s) Things About Meme

What Works for Mom dared me to do 2 memes.  Who am I to back down?  No one, that's who.  So off I go.  Theoretically, I would tag 7 people.  Well how about this.  If you wanna play, then "Tag!" 

Meme #1 - 7 Unique Things
Rules for Meme #1
1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog

1- I like finding new music before it hits the mainstream.
2- My favorite yogurt is plain (with crunchy granola, no cinnamon!).
3- I used to eat lemons until I weaned myself off when finding out it was bad for my teeth.
4- I would never, ever, ever get a tattoo.
5- I didn't eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I was in my 20's.
6- My favorite childhood sandwich: peanut butter and mayonnaise.
7- Before I was 20, I never used moisturizer, which some think is unique. I did a little in my 20's. And I admit that upon hitting 30, usage has gone way up.

Meme #2 - 4 Questions & Answers
4 jobs you've had:
1- Usher
2- Cashier at a car auction
3- Personal bookkeeper
4- Accountant at a business management company (specifically, accountants for celebs)

4 movies I could watch over and over
1- When Harry Met Sally
2- The Princess Bride
3- The Sound of Music (especially as a kid)
4- Birdcage

4 tv shoes I watch
1- The Office
2- 30 Rock
3- Dr. Who (my husband's fault)
4- Monk

4 places I've lived
1- Los Angeles-the city
2- Los Angeles-the east valley
3- Los Angeles-the west valley
4- Los Angeles-the beach

4 favorite foods
1- Tortilla de patata
2- Roasted chicken
3- Cucumber salad with a tangy lemon dressing
4- Almost anything with avocado and cilantro (my version of catnip)

4 favorite colors
1- Burgundy
2- Dark green
3- Dark blue
4- Currently, oddly enough, orange (everything *baby* seems to be orange these days...I blame the manufacturers)

4 places I'd love to be right now
1- Seville, Spain
2- Paris, France
3- Kauai, Hawaii
4- Barcelona, Spain

4 names I love but could/would not use for my children
1- Boogie (short for Boogenstein)
2- Tristan (vetoed...too British)
3- Trinity (vetoed...too geeky)
4- Jesus Ignacio (nickname: Chewy Nacho) (vetoed, obviously)

The Germiest Places in America

Funny enough, people must know me as some kind of germ-o-phobe. Well, I kind of am one, and I've only gotten worse since MetaBaby was born.

MetaDaddy and a friend, completely independent of each other, sent me a link to an article by Health titled The Germiest Places in America.

Ew. Like I didn't have enough problems, now I have to start worrying about my sink more, which I already obsess about. It really brought out my inner Monk, which honestly, is more an outtie than an innie these days.

© Photographer: Madartists | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Here's a snapshot of the list, but feel free to go there if you really need to know more:

1. Your kitchen sink - Our sink is usually empty, and I clean it often. And yet, ew.
   
2. Airplane bathrooms - It's a port-a-potty in the sky.
   
3. A load of wet laundry - Ya, that makes sense.
   
4. Public drinking fountains - Ya, now I understand why bottled water got so popular.
   
5. Shopping cart handles - Done.
   
6. ATM buttons - I'm going to need more hand wipes.
   
7. Your handbag - I don't care who, when or why...never put your bag on the floor in a public bathroom.
   
8. Playgrounds - I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be that weird mom who cleans the jungle gym and swings. *le sigh*
   
9. Mats and machines and health clubs - Obviously, this is why I don't go to the gym. I knew there was a good reason.
   
10. Your bathtub - This makes sense, but I didn't need to hear it. I'm gonna have to go do some cleaning, now.
    
11. Your office phone - I used to have a bottle of alcohol in my desk...for strategic wipe downs. Crazy or not, those who laughed at me also borrowed it ;-)
    
12. Hotel room remote - Never trust anything in a hotel. Cross your fingers for a duvet because the covers get changed. Otherwise, just sleep without a comforter...you know why.