Zucchini Carrot Fritter

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zuccini_carrot_fritter

Of all the recipes I have to get vegetables in Baby Monster, this is the one that he always enjoys.  And when you serve it with a dill sour cream sauce, it works as a great adult appetizer or munchie.  Adults love it, Baby Monster loves it–win win!

Ingredients
2 medium zucchinis, grated
2-3 medium carrots, grated
3 large eggs
~1/4 cup flour (I use whole wheat)
pepper, nutmeg to taste (salt optional*)
1 cup olive oil (for shallow frying)

Directions
Grate your zucchinis and carrots.  I use my food processor with the grater attachment to save time.  Add eggs and stir to combine.  Add your seasonings and stir again.  Then add your flour and combine until the vegetables become pancake like.  You may need more or less flour depending on the size of your vegetables.

Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan over medium heat.  I take a cookie scoop to scoop the vegetable mixture, place it in the hot oil, and then I use the back of the scoop to flatten it out to make a pancake.  Alternatively, you can use a spoon to do this, but I find the cookie scoop the easiest.  I usually put about 4 or 5 in a pan, but don’t over crowd your pan because it will cool your oil and makes the food more greasy.  Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a power towel covered plate.  You can serve as is or add more salt before serving.

*Salt should not be consumed by babies and young children, especially if they have difficulty drinking water.  Every child is different; use what you see fit.

Sonogram #1

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sonogramSo I went in for my first OB appointment for this pregnancy.  I know it is very very late, even my doctor said so.  But scheduling prevented us from seeing her the previous week; trust me, I want to go in as soon as possible.  Everything was normal, and I’m actually 9 weeks 4 days instead of 9 weeks (which they based on my last period).  I didn’t hear the heartbeat, but that’s because she said it was too early (which I remember happening with my first too).

This pregnancy is different than my first for so many reasons.  I guess the good and bad thing is I have an incredibly active and happy 19 month old.  It’s bad because I feel like I’m neglecting him in a small way because I feel so incredibly exhausted and nauseous.  If I had a choice, I would lay on the couch or bed all day.  But it’s good that my son makes me get up and attack the world, albeit at 75% some days.  I’m not sure if it is him or this pregnancy in general, but I don’t feel as nauseous as when I was pregnant with him.  There are some days where smells overwhelm me, but not as often or as horribly when I was pregnant with him.  But it makes me wonder if I am actually pregnant sometimes or if I’m about to miscarry because I don’t feel pregnant like I was before.  I can’t tell if my son distracts me from my pregnancy woes or if this pregnancy is just different or maybe this pregnancy isn’t to be?  Who knows.

Another huge difference is I don’t feel quite as excited (maybe emotional) as I did with the first.  I think I’m more concerned about how to balance life with two kids around, which parts of me feels like I’m neglecting this new child because there’s no excitement surrounding their impending growth and arrival.  And perhaps the excitement isn’t there because my husband didn’t come with me to the first appointment.  He worked from home while he watched our son, so I was at the office on my own.  We could have gotten a babysitter or brought the kid with us, but we decided against it.  If there was any excitement to be had, I had no one to share it with (even though I do like my OB, it would be really awkward getting super excited with her).

We haven’t told anyone about the pregnancy, although I have a feeling a few of our friends are surmising the possibility that I am with child.  I did tell a good friend from back home and my brother, and both are incredibly excited.  Then we tell my parents Saturday morning.  I go back to the doctor again in two weeks, we check the new baby progress, and hopefully around May we can let the cat out of the bag.  Until then, mum is still the word since the likelihood of a miscarriage is still high.

Paternity Leave?

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There’s a lot of controversy about the lack of maternity leave here in the US, let alone paternity leave.  But I wanted to chime in on my thoughts regarding paternity leave after a few radio hosts criticized Met’s baseball player Daniel Murphy.

I hear what the radio hosts are saying.  Men are unable to breastfeed.  Men aren’t physically pushing the child out.  Their roles, especially with this growing family, is to be the provider.  And that means going to work and earning money.  Fair enough.

But I believe that a lot of bonding happens at birth.  The new baby has finally entered the world and is experiencing all these new senses, of which is seeing, smelling, and touching.  It is a scary time for a baby who is suddenly in a new world, and it is looking to the parents as they explore these senses.  Many studies suggest that skin to skin contact is important for both mother and child in those early hours.  But I also want to add that I think it’s important for dad’s too!  This is such a special moment for both parents and new child, that missing it means they can never get that moment back.

Boomer Esiason’s comments most angered me.  He speaks as if Murphy’s livelihood is at stake; that if he doesn’t show up to Opening Day, his family will become homeless and starve.  It is a slap in the face to the men who are living pay check to pay check, and really do face this incredible dilemma when they have a child:  do I miss the birth of my child and miss a day’s worth of pay that means I can pay help the rent or buy food?  I’m sure Murphy has saved and invested his earnings from baseball.  And I’m sure missing a day or two of baseball will not end his career let alone cause this catastrophic downfall to the poor house.  Murphy is of the small privilege class who is able to take paternity leave, and receive no financial consequence (only negative local media).

This just speaks to our culture and our views of fathers in the lives of their children.  Is this why we see many deadbeat dads?  Is this why many mothers feel incredibly stress after a child, especially if they suffer from post-partum depression?  We as a country need to start valuing the roles of fathers, from day 1.  Not from the point when a dad needs to begin disciplining the child or when the child becomes less dependent on the mother.  A family is a two parent household, and involves more than just bringing home a pay check.  Fathers are important too, and it’s time that we need to make sure they know that.

Monterey, CA

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monterey_bay_aquariumSo the other weekend we did a family overnight stay to Monterey, CA.  We had a free night at the Intercontinental that was expiring, so we thought why not just drive the two hours south.  Since Baby Monster loves the aquarium part of the California Academy of Sciences, we thought it would be a good to take him to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The price tag can be steep for a family, especially if you really can’t see the entire aquarium in one go because your toddler gets tired and bored.  But we happily discovered two things about admissions to the aquarium:

1.  If you buy a ticket an hour before they close, you can return to the aquarium the next day with the same ticket for the entire day.

2.  If you are a hotel guest at any of the hotels in Monterey, they sell two day passes for the price of the regular one day admission.

This was great for us.  We spent about 2 to 3 hours each of the two days we were in town.  It meant we didn’t have to over tire our toddler out by seeing everything in one day.  And we didn’t spend the $120 I thought we might spend to do the aquarium during the weekend.  Win!

Pregnancy Woes

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So I’m about 6 weeks pregnant, which is nothing to write home about.  The risk of miscarriage is still pretty high, which is why we haven’t told any of our friends and family about it.  I have noticed subtle differences from my first and this one.  Most notably I feel as though I’m not as crazy as I was with my first.  I remember consulting the Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy every other day because there were times I didn’t feel pregnant or had weird feelings I was unsure about.  There are times where I do feel as though I may not be pregnant, but they are few and far between.  I think it’s mostly cause I’m battling terrible allergies whilst chasing around Baby Monster.  The book is still very helpful, even the second time around.  There’s a lot you forget about pregnancy, perhaps your mind telling you that you can have another one.  But as of right now, it’s not as terrible as the first.

Puerto Rico

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Oliver_kingWe went to Puerto Rico when Baby Monster was almost 3 months old.  It actually was pretty easy to travel with him at that age, and it was super helpful having my mother and brother there to help out.  That was a picture of him sitting on our king size bed in our hotel room.

For the most part, it was easy to do many things with a baby in a stroller.  It was also helpful that at the time he could sleep anywhere.  Old San Juan was an excellent adventure with many things to see, especially for someone very new to the world.  And Old San Juan is pretty stroller friendly.  We also did the Bacardi Tour, which was also pretty stroller friendly.  You have to break down the stroller when you are on the tram ride to the distillery, but then you can set it back up when you get there.

Helpful hints about Puerto Rico.  It’s like traveling to another city in the US, except they also speak Spanish (they all know how to speak English).  So you can definitely find creature comforts you would expect back home.  This includes formula and diapers!  So we packed just enough diapers and formula to get us through traveling for a day.  Once we arrived to our destination, we went to the local grocery store and stocked up on what we needed for the baby.  And leave the travel crib behind if you are staying in any hotel.  Most have pack n’ plays for your baby.  Just call and make sure they have them, and when you check in, remind them again that you need that set up ASAP.  Finally, pack a lot of light cotton clothing!  It gets hot, and you want breathable fabrics for your baby.

Also, before you go to Puerto Rico, ask your pediatrician about water.  We went in November, and it was soooooooo incredibly hot.  Some may recommend giving more formula or breastfeed more, but others might say a little water is ok.  The same thing goes for sun tan lotion when they are super young.

Baby #2

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So when I bought this domain I was being a bit presumptuous because we don’t have a second child.  My husband and I were actively trying to have another child the last couple of months.  And yesterday was the big day, where I had a positive pregnancy test.  I’ve already made my first prenatal appointment next month (my doctor doesn’t like seeing pregnant women until closer to 10 weeks).  So I guess this is really happening, which is scary and overwhelming and awesome.  And yes, I’m keenly aware that I shouldn’t announce this before 13 weeks.  A friend and my husband are the only people who know, but I just needed to put this down into words.  Crazy stuff!

DSLR vs. Camera Phone

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I get a lot of questions about what camera I use to take my photos of Baby Monster, especially from first time parents.  There are so many moments you want to capture, especially when your baby finally arrives that you want the perfect camera.  What do I tell my friends?  Get a DSLR if you want to learn how to properly use it.  Otherwise save your money and use a budget friendly point and shoot or your camera phone.

Why do I tell people they need to learn to properly use a DSLR?  Basically there’s no point in buying a camera worth hundreds of dollars if you are going to use it like a point and shoot that’s worth $100, or the camera that comes with your phone.  DSLRs on automatic mode do not give you an even better picture.  Automatic mode is behaving like a point and shoot.  But you must be saying, “It comes with that fancy zoom lens!”  Actually, the stock lens that comes with DSLR packages are not necessarily the best lens on the market.  And if you don’t know how to use the camera in manual mode (or even semi-manual) mode, you can’t even utilize the lens properly.  So unless you want to take the time to learn how to use a DSLR, save money and get a point and shoot.

Still not convinced?  Look at the two pictures below and try to guess which one was shot with a DSLR and which one was shot with a camera phone.

 

Oliver_Lights

baby_hike

So the first photo was taken with my iPhone 5 and second was taken with my DSLR.  Seriously, the first picture was just a camera phone and the second was with a DSLR.  So again, if you want to learn to use a DSLR, then go ahead and buy one.  Otherwise stick with your camera phone or get a point and shoot.

And if you do decide to take the plunge into the realm of DSLR, and are still wondering what camera I use…  I first learned on a Canon 20D, which is close to a grand in price.  It’s actually really hard to use if you are trying to learn on a DSLR.  As a present from my bro, he got me a Canon T3i which is much easier to use but still pretty powerful.  I don’t use the stock lens though.  I have a Canon macro lens that I am in love with and have never taken off the camera body since I bought it even though it’s a fixie lens (no zoom).

So yes, the conclusion again:  buy a DSLR if you are going to learn how to use it properly, otherwise stick with your camera phone or a point and shoot.

Creamy Tomato Soup

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tomato_soupSo I know what you are thinking–“how the hell do you give a baby soup if they aren’t even coordinated enough to use a spoon?!”  So not to burn them, I serve it luke warm.  Then I give them a vehicle (other than a spoon) to help them sop up the soup; with Baby Monster, I cut up grilled cheese and add it to the soup.  You can also use bread you have lying around the house, but I would toast it up first.  I also put a spoon in the bowl in the off chance he will try and use it.  He usually gets frustrated and sticks with his hands.  This meal will get very messy–there’s no way around the mess.  Just make sure you lay down a tarp on the floor, and you should probably smock up your baby too!

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes
1 celery stalk, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken broth (you can substitute with vegetable stock if you want to make it strictly vegetarian)
1/2 cup heavy cream
handful leaves of basil, roughly chopped
1/2-3/4 cup of olive oil
pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Drain the canned tomatoes, but save the juice.  In a bowl toss the tomatoes in olive oil (~1/4 of a cup) and pepper.  Then spread on a cookie sheet and place in the oven to caramelize, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a large sauce pan, heat the rest of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add your garlic, onions, carrots, and celery in the pot and stir around until softened.  Then add your caramelized tomatoes, tomato juice, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

When the carrots are soft, take off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and add your cream and basil.  Then take an immersion blender and blend the soup and until smooth.  Add more pepper to taste.

I’m Not the Nanny

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baby_monster_frogWe’ve lived in SF for over a year now, and it is not uncommon to find more nannies than parents out on the playground.  And this makes sense here in SF because the cost of living sometimes means that you need two incomes.  By no means are nannies or daycares or preschools are cheap, but it isn’t worth giving up that second income because you can’t really live.

We are fortunate enough that we can live on one income.  We might not be able to travel like we used to or enjoy nice expensive meals (and sometimes not save as much as we used to), but we are able to make it work in an incredibly expensive city.

Stay at home mom’s feels like a rare breed here in SF.  I do meet moms and dads on the playground, but more often than not they are able to work from home for at least part of the week/day.  I’d like to believe that I get mistaken as the nanny because it is rare to find a stay at home mom.  But I’m sure my race and looks also lead people to believe I’m the nanny.  By looks, I mean people mistake me for a teenager sometimes.  I always get carded for alcohol, and I still sometimes get carded for a rated R movie (especially if I don’t wear makeup).  Maybe one day when I’m out with Baby Monster people will think I’m the mother.