1st halloween: g is for giraffe..

When I was 21 weeks pregnant with G, we found out that he would be a boy and had already decided on his name and that giraffes would play a role in his nursery decor. The costume was a given. The funny thing was that we found it last September, guessed on the size and hoped for the best.

Luckily, it could not have been more perfect and G did spend his very first Halloween as the cutest giraffe I've ever seen ;-) This boy will do all he can to get out of wearing a regular hat but, a giraffe hood? Bring it on. He was happy as could be all suited up.

We took him to the walking path around our local resevoir to take these photos. He was so intruigued by all of the leaves and surrounding trees that he didn't even attempt to crawl around. This may become a new favorite spot for seasonal photo shoots.

Happy Halloween all!

fall baking: carrot pumpkin muffins

Autumn is my favorite season with the vibrant colors, crunch of leaves underfoot and the cool, crisp weather. In my kitchen, fall means that my oven starts getting a workout, exploiting the delicious, plentiful apples and pumpkins to turn out cakes, muffins, cookie bars and breads. Some of my favorite recipes are complicated with long lists of ingredients that need to be precisely measured. Sometimes though, you just need a quick, easy fix that takes 30 minutes, including baking time. This is it.
I've been using this very simple recipe for years, dating back to my Weight Watchers days. Usually, chocolate is the go-to cake flavor but, for breakfast muffins that would be more baby friendly, I went with carrot this time and the results were delicious enough to share:

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins

1 box carrot cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1 can (14.5 oz) pure, packed pumpkin
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cupcake pan with 12 paper inserts, or mist with cooking spray.

Mix dry cake mix and pumpkin until combined. Batter will be thick but, do not add any wet ingredients. Fold in raisins and cranberries. Divide evenly among cupcake tin.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

on my {one day} wishlist right now...

I have a very well stocked Google Reader. It's bursting with blogs of creative types - photographers, craftspeople, cooks. I love to browse though the updates for inspiration, recipes and a bit of window shopping. Every once in a while a stumble across something that jumps off the screen and says "Take me home! I'm perfect for you." But, my rational self says, "Hello sister, you are saving for a larger home, you have baby clothes to buy and *ahem* you have NO room for this stuff. Maybe one day but, today is not that day."

Still window shopping is fun and putting together a list of fun, inspiring and maybe-will-be-mine-one-day things is harmless. Right? So here goes:Avid-reader mom + loaded diaper bag + very little home storage + running all over the city for work = Kindle 3 solution. In Graphite, I think. This one would actually save us storage space. So, really, it just makes good sense. Well, if I'm dreaming of the Kindle 3 it would need to be protected and a case with a light for night-time reading would be a natural extension. In Apple Green *yum* because, is there really another option? I think not.

Her name was Lola, she was a freaking gorgeous camera bag! Oh, oh, oh Epiphanie. You nailed everything a woman could want in a bag...a girlie photog's DREAM. Yes, I already have a camera bag that is fairly new but, we are talking window shopping here. And, this one doubles as a large, beautiful bag. Dual duty always makes more sense. This necklace wants to be around my neck. Perfection.

Or this necklace, this one is just perfectly fabulous too. I can't decide.

Chalkboard thought bubble by Rachel. What a super fun photo prop...oh the possibilities!

A speedlite for my beloved Canon. Because, sometimes you just need a little more light.

mom-friendly meals monday: shredded chicken tacos..

I was fortunate enough to stumble across the best, simplest recipe you could imagine on a message board I frequent. With only a few ingredients, no prep work and a rave from the friend posting it, I had to give it a try...and am SO glad I did! This will become a staple in our meal rotation. It was so good, in fact, that I was even motivated to give you a visual. I may or may not have devoured this plateful just after taking the shot...
Shredded Chicken Tacos

Package of chicken breasts (+/- 3 good size breasts)
1 can corn (14.5 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can black beans (14.5 oz)
1 packet taco seasoning (I used McCormick)

Add all ingredients, including liquids in cans, into crock pot and cook on LOW 8-9 hours.

Shred chicken with two forks and mix all ingredients when finished cooking. Serve with hard or soft taco shells with cheese and the fixings.

This is the easiest recipe I have ever made and is just delicious - and healthy!!! If you are watching sodium in your house, McCormick also makes a low-sodium taco seasoning packet. If you aren't a taco fan, it would also be delicious served over rice...with a dollop of sour cream, of course.

ten months of you...

My little monkey,

It's written all over your face in your ten month photo that sitting still is just not cool with you right now. Just when we think you are pausing to catch your breath after a marathon session of cruising along furniture, walls or crawling at warp speed you are up and off again, stopping only to eat and sleep. You have become incredibly curious about your world and it's workings. You explore every inch of our home, get down on your belly to look under furniture and doors and we can almost see the wheels turning in your brain as you try to figure things out.

You have started to become a better communicator. When you want something from me, you will assertively call out, "Mama!" When Daddy walks into a room or, leaves it, he hears "Dada!" You point to things that interest you and are making all kinds of pre-verbal sounds - more each day.

But, the best part of ten months? You are the happiest baby I have ever known. You smile, giggle, coo and belly laugh all day long! We are so incredibly blessed to be your parents.

At {TEN} months you:

• love to play hide and seek. We will hide around a corner and, as you find us you break out in peals of laughter
• are chewing through the rails on your crib. You may only have the two bottom teeth but, they are sharp and strong!
• are a big fan of our windows. We have large windows with window sills that are the perfect height for you to rest your little arms and peer out at the world below. You spend a lot of time walking back and forth along the sills, watching the cars come in and out of our complex and particularly love the show put on by our landscapers using the leaf blowers.
• wear mainly 12 month clothes now. The pants are still a bit long but all of your 9 month pants are highwaters...you are stuck in between, my boy. You are still wearing some of your 6 month onsies though (thank you Carter's). You are in size 3 diapers and likely will be for a while longer.
• eat anything we put in front of you. You still take fruit and veggie purees but are also a big fan of chicken, fish, ground turkey, rice, banana, toasted cheese sandwiches, hummus on whole wheat and cooked veggies. At dinner time you eat whatever we cook. It is a pleasure to see you enjoy your meals and use that well developed pincer grasp to self-feed.
• love music! You dance to the Toddler Tunes channel on our t.v., the music on your exersaucer and love listening to your kid's music playlist on Mama's iPhone when we are in the car.
• have discovered the drawer of baking pans under the oven and like to drag them out and use them as vehicles to navigate the kitchen floor, or as very loud make-shift musical instruments.
• are starting to show a bit iof separation anxiety. You don't like to see Mama or Baba leave the room and protest loudly when we do.
• are becoming more social. You enjoy interacting with other kids on our playdates, share toys and are gentle in approaching your friends.
• give hugs. While you are mostly on the move all.the.time. you do have some quieter moments where you will fling your little arms around the nack of whoever is holding you or, will sit quietly on a lap and cuddle.

It is so hard to believe that you are just two months from your 1st birthday and have come so far from the sweet, tiny bundle we brought home from the hospital. We are loving every little bit of your growing and changing but, stay a baby just a bit longer for us, okay?

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

good {friday} morning, baby boy...

He played in his crib this morning while I folded and put away laundry. Lots of not-so-tiny-anymore onesies, pants and sleepers. Every time I put away laundry lately I'm struck by the relative size of his clothes now compared to just weeks ago.
Now, when he wakes in the morning I go in to find him standing in his crib, reaching up to me and, sometimes, greeting me with "Mama!"

And then, there are the early morning giggles. The best way I can think of to start the day. Today they were due to the sunlight streaming in though the blinds. Apparently bright lines of light are super funny. Who knew?

Whether I get the punchline or not, I hope he always stays this light-hearted and happy.

mom friendly meals monday: ghoulash...

"Ghoul"-ash...perfect name for a fall dinner recipe, no?

At first glance it seemed that this recipe would be too time-consuming to make with a 9 month old crawling around my ankles. But, it turned out to be the opposite so, I needed to share for this weeks Mom-Friendly Meal Monday. It's cooked in stages and each only takes a moment, then sits for 10-20 minute clips. Perfect for a busy mom, actually! It's a simple twist on a classic American recipe and was delicious. Even G thought so!

Ghoulash
(adapted from a Bobby Dean recipe I recently came across HERE)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1.5 pounds lean ground turkey
1 large onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, fire roasted
1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Instructions:

1) In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in the oil about 10 minutes, breaking meat up with a fork as it cooks. Add the onion; cook and stir for 5 minutes.

2) Add the remaining ingredients except the macaroni. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the macaroni; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Let the goulash stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Servings: 8 to 10