Teething Biscuits

I swear this baby has been teething since he was about 2 months old. And yet we still have no teeth. I keep thinking it is going to happen or they are moving closer to the surface. But alas, still all gums. Not that I have an issue with it, I just wish he would get some teeth and maybe chill for a bit instead of being Mr. Fuss bucket. He is generally a happy baby, but there are times where he is fussing and nothing really calms him down, expect maybe a bath, but it isn't bath time. I usually resort to baby wearing at times like these.

But anyway, back to the point.

I wanted some teething biscuits for the wee one but didn't feel like buying them. Generally if I can make it, I will, since then you know the ingredients. So over the weekend I made some teething biscuits.

I think they are Leland approved.

Wholewheat Molasses Teething Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I used grapeseed this time around, but next time I will be using coconut oil)
1 tablespoon rice milk (or soy or cow’s milk)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheatgerm

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolk, molasses, oil and milk.
Add flour and wheatgerm to bowl with wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together in a dough. You
may need to add a little extra milk if the mixture is too dry and doesn’t come together.
Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into desired shape (batons, circles etc). ( I didn't roll the dough out, instead I just
patted it out until it was even and a good thickness
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 12 minutes or until firm and browned.
Cool before serving.

Makes 8 3-inch biscuits. ( I ended up getting more out of this, but maybe I just rolled the dough out thinner.)

Chaos

I feel like this past week has been complete chaos hectic.

School is starting to pile up, with the semester over half way over, I have a lot to do before the middle of December. I am trying to avoid thinking about this, but I have to think about it.

And we have been dog sitting all week. Good dogs, but it is a lot to add to the baby mix. And while I like dogs, I am not a dog person. I don't plan to have a dog until a certain little boy is begging, if he ever does. (Please don't Leland.)

But I think it is safe to say, Leland loves the pups. Loves them.

There was also an anniversary to celebrate this week. On Tuesday, was our 3 year anniversary of being married. We went out to dinner for it, which was a nice change of pace. And Leland fully enjoyed himself. He sat in a high chair, sucked on a couple of fries and tried to bounce the whole time. He also started to get loud at moments, not unhappy loud, just loud. It was pretty cute. He really loves being out in public.

A photo before dinner.

The pups are going back to their owners this weekend sometime, so hopefully next week will be less hectic.

And our freaking Carbon Monoxide detector went off tonight. The fire department was called and they came to check out the house. Did I mention that Leland had already gone to bed at this time. Yep- that happened. The beeping woke him up for a bit, but I was able to easily get him back to sleep. But we still had to leave the house. So I scooped him up and put him in the car seat and then sat in the car with him and the cats for 30 minutes. Thankfully he stayed asleep the whole time, even when I put him back into bed. But I am worried about sleeping tonight and about him sleeping tonight ( I have already checked on him a couple of times). Turns out it was nothing, just poor circulation in the house and lots of cooking going on. We will be keeping the kitchen window cracked on cooking days from now on.

One good thing about this is I didn't even know if we had a carbon monoxide detector and kept meaning to ask our landlord but had not got around to it, so now I know. It has a creepy voice that says "warning carbon monoxide" over and over again with beeping.

Here is to next week being better.

E.C.

One of Jeff's cousins introduced us into Elimination Communication. I really liked the concept, so I decided we would do this with Leland. While we haven't quite figured out his schedule of elimination, he isn't quite regular yet, we will start putting him on the potty every night before or after bath time. And then progress from there.

I knew I wanted to start this once he was able to sit up on his own, I just had to find a potty ring, and I did the other day. So now we begin. And he is already peed once while doing this! Not that he knew what was happening, it was still exciting.

First snow

So starting Tuesday night and continuing all Wednesday we had the first snow of the season, which also ended up being his first snow. So I was all excited to put him in his Chiefs snowsuit and Chiefs knitted hat. But once we got outside he was not having it, at all. I think the pictures show this, don't worry as soon as I snapped this pictures we went right back inside. This could be a problem with living in Colorado. But hopefully he will get over it, sometime.

Using our hands

This baby really enjoys eating with his hands. I am glad we decided to do this from the beginning.

We have been dog sitting this week for some loser friends that are in Italy, how dare they ( just kidding). But the dogs have been loving us giving Leland table food. Because when he throws it on the ground, they can eat it.

The video shows him eating quinoa, thanks Jet's Journey for the idea! It is a little long, but you don't have to watch all of it for the idea.



Hands are also being used lately to put anything and everything in his mouth because someone is teething. I think he is starting to get some real pains too because he has been especially fussy lately.

And he has been trying to do something lately that I am dreading. That is moving. He has yet to continuously roll. He can roll both ways and will but he just goes back and forth instead of continuing in one direction. And this week he has started trying to get up on his knees, or get up on this feet and sticking his butt up in the air to push forward. Uh oh, things are about to change around here. Hopefully he will take his time to actually crawl. But I think if he hasn't accomplished it by Thanksgiving, he will do so that week. Being around lots of mobile cousins will be the push if he doesn't get there before that.

So please baby, wait until Thanksgiving. I am not ready to baby proof. I like that you stay in one spot when I leave the room.

My Chair

Leland now has a thing for his booster chair. If he is ever being fussy, just snap him in and give him some toys = happy baby. This is my go to when I am needing to get something done, or make lunch or possibly eat lunch. Sometimes while eating lunch he gets upset when I am eating and he is not, so I have to give him a little something. I think partially he just likes sitting up and being able to look around.

Plus look at this super cute and awesome hat I got off Etsy, and yes it is Chiefs colors of course. I made sure to order the large size for this big headed baby, I hope it still fits next winter.

Food!

About a week ago, we started solids. I had made some purees before hand thinking I was going to be all about purees. But then I started learning more about baby led weaning and decided I like this method better. So we are doing a combination of both methods until we run out of purees. And it really is amazing how well he can feed himself already.

Generally we have one to two types of purees for dinner plus something he can eat with his hands. We are still only doing dinner unless he screeches for some food when I am eating lunch, then I just give him something to eat with his hands to occupy him. I really don't know when to add more daily meals or when to add more food to those meals. Any advice?

So far he has had:
Purees:
Butternut squash
Carrot/sweet potatoes
Plums/pluots

Self-feed:
Toast
Quinoa
Chunky Applesauce (lunch time go to, I mean we know how much this kid loves apples)
Green Beans
Avocado (this wasn't very easy to eat since it was so slippery)

So far he has liked everything, there is nothing he refused to eat. Each time he gets something new, he gets the typical yucky face, but just has to adjust to the texture and taste and is fine after a couple of bites.

And each week we will try to add in a couple more foods. I am also going to try and just set aside parts of our meals (without added spices), so that I am not going out of my way to make him food. I really want to avoid him eating something different than us, so that when he has a 'choice' his only choice is our dinner and he will be fine with that.

Currently he eats two frozen cubes of puree each night, again I don't know when and how much to increase. And for this coming week of dinners, I steamed some butternut squash, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower, it is a big batch so I am sure Jeff and I will be eating some as well.

Eating with a spoon, whenever you give him purees, he must help with putting the spoon in his mouth:

Daddy giving him one of his first bites:

I am going to try and get a good video of him feeding himself sometime. It is pretty amusing to watch.

6 months

I still really don't understand how 6 months has passed. Sometimes it feels like time didn't exist before Leland and than other times I think really, how did 6 months pass?

The 6 month check up was Friday, here are his stats:
Weight: 16 lbs 6.5 oz
Height: 26 inches
Head: 44.3 cm

And here are his pictures:

A fall:

Poop face:

P.S. My first two articles are posted at 2nd Green Revolution.

Thai Red Curry

Adapted from Love and Olive Oil

Thai Red Curry

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 5 large)
3-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 container firm tofu, drained well and cut into 1/2-inch cubes You can use tofu, be we didn't this time
1 lb. purple bok choy, chopped into big pieces
1/2 pound of crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus wedges for garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and curry paste; stir until shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar; bring to boil. Add tofu, greens, mushrooms, and bell pepper; stir until heated through. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over brown rice or rice noodles.

Simba

I got a call from my mom this morning that I had been dreading and expecting.

My cat Simba finally had to be put to sleep this morning. I got him as a tiny kitten, with barely any hair, back in 2nd grade (1993). So he was getting fairly old (18 years) and had some health issues (thyroid problem) but still upsetting. I named him Simba because when I got him I was obsessed with 'The Lion King'.

And in a way I am not too upset because I have been preparing myself for this for over a year. So every time I would leave KC I would tell him goodbye and act like it would be the last time I would see him. And I guess in June it was the last time I saw him.

Simba lived with Jeff, Heath and I in college. And I wanted to bring him to Colorado but he was already old and absolutely hated car rides, so I didn't think the stress would be good for him, driving across Kansas and all.

Simba was a great cat. He had a very loud meow and loved wet food. He would beg for it every. single. morning. And he would wait for your alarm to go off and then get in your face and meow. He hated doors being closed. He was a very sweet cat and would cuddle with any cat. He had the cutest little paws with white feet. And in the summer, we had window A/C units that weren't very efficient so we would only turn them on at night. And Simba, every night would plant himself right in front of it so no one else could feel the cold air, it was really cute. And when he was a tiny kitten he let me dress him up in doll clothes and push him around in a stroller, I even have a picture of it.

The last photo I took of him:

Cuddles:

with Ms. Kitty

with Heath

with Garozzo

Waiting for wet food:

For some reason Simba and Heath started this thing where they had to eat out of the container that holds their food when we would get new food, the tradition still goes on today with Heath and MJ.

Love you Simba, you were a great cat.

Apples

I have mentioned this before, but Leland loves apples.

If he sees you with an apple, he demands a lick. And if you don't want to share, you better not eat an apple or hide in the kitchen to eat.

The following videos show how mad he gets when the apple he is licking, stops being in his mouth.

Wordless Wednesday

His Papa stare:

P.S. He turns 6 months today!

Quinoa Patties

I really like quinoa, especially since it is a complete protein itself. But, I feel a lot of the recipes I try I am not a fan of, they end up too dry.
But this is one of the best quinoa dishes I have had. I also really like this one and this one.

We served these delicious patties with avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar.


Baked Quinoa Patties

From 101 Cookbooks

Makes about 12 patties

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature ( 5 oz dried, or a little less than 1 cup)
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup/ .5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh chives ( or green onions)
1/3 cup /.5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh dill ( I a couple teaspoons dried)
1 cup / 1.5 oz /45 g finely chopped kale
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (toasted) cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup / 3.5 oz /100 g whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
water or a bit of flour, if needed

1/3 cup / .5 oz / 15 g crumbled feta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

Preheat oven to 400F / 200C.

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, dill, kale, onion, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.

Add the baking powder and bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.

Gently stir in the feta.

At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch / 2.5cm thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. If you're still having trouble getting the mixture to hold - mix in flour, a couple tablespoons at a time.

Oil a baking sheet, and arrange the patties with a bit of space between each. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy hot, or allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Beef Stew

This past weekend we made some really tasty dishes, so I will be posting them for you. And I finally remembered to take pictures too!

First off is Beef Stew. This stew is thick and hearty. It is what a fall stew should be. And I don't trim the fat from the meat, because I like those fatty pieces that you get, it makes the stew so much better.

And if you have extra rye bread sitting around, butter it up and eat it with this stew, because it is delicious.

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Hearty Beef Stew

Serves to 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 lbs. bison ribeye steak, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
Salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups homemade chicken broth, divided
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
4 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
1/4 cup pearled barley
1 cup rye bread crumbs
1 c. frozen peas

Directions:
1) Dry beef throughly and season generously with salt and pepper.

2) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add meat so that pieces are not touching and cook not moving until brown (about 2-3 min). Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned (about 5 additional min.). Transfer beef to medium bowl.

3) Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom. Add onions and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 mins). Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 sec. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 min.). Add wine, scraping the bottom and stiring until thick and flour is dissolved.

4) Gradually add 2 cups of broth, stirring constantly, scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan. Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer. Add beef, return to simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.

5) Add potatoes, carrots and barley and additional 2 cups of broth, leave uncovered, increase heat to medium and cook for additional hour. (After adding the carrots and potatoes is when I added in the bread crumbs whether or not to add this would be based on personal preference and how thick or thin you like your stew sauce!)

6) Add the peas, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 min.

7) Discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Pumpkins

Today we went to a pumpkin patch with some friends.

Leland enjoyed it, he didn't get to do much besides take a nap and hang out in the Ergo but he did get to watch a bunch of crazy kids run around.

On the hayride:

Future farmer, chewing on something he immediately found when I sat him on the ground.

New baby goats! Born only minutes before this photo.

Family photo:

I just love this picture:

Our pumpkins:

And next year, oh my goodness it will be chaos with a 1.5 year old running around!

International Babywearing Week

Apparently it is International Babywearing Week.

And for those of you who don't baby wear, I seriously don't know how you get anything done. I recently posted about how I am still doing all naps in a carrier, so seriously, how could you get anything done?

Not only do we take naps in carriers, we grocery shop in carriers, we talk walks in carriers, we hold baby in carriers when he wants to be held but mommy needs to do stuff. They are part of our daily routine. And it is really hard to imagine life without them. Especially with traveling via airplane with a baby.

When Leland was first born we started with the moby:

and then I got a BabyBjorn:

and then I got my current fave, the Ergo:

I still use the moby as my go to for nap time, Jeff uses the BabyBjorn around the house and for nap time, and the Ergo is for everything else.

So if you never started baby wearing, your kid probably will hate for you stuffing him in a carrier now. But if you are pregnant now or when you do have a child, use a carrier! They are lifesavers.

Workin' It

So mama has a new gig, and she is really excited about it.

She recently got offered a position writing for this website: 2ndGreenRevolution

I will be working on my sample piece this weekend and I will keep you posted on when it is up on the site.
After that the contract ( a contract!) will be for 10 articles.

All of the articles will be about sustainability and I will probably focus more on food, but we will see what I end up being interested in.

So if you are interested in sustainability, check out the website, and add it to your readers, you can subscribe by RSS feed.

I am really excited about this!

Obessions

This little guy has a couple of new obsessions.

One with putting anything and everything in his mouth:

This includes apples when one of us is eating an apple. And when you try and take it from him, he screams and throws a fit.
Speaking of fits, when he is on his tummy and doesn't want to be on tummy he will put his head on the ground and cry. Too funny.

One with putting tags in his mouth:

He seeks out tags on his toy and has to stuff them in his mouth.

And this is how he saying hi. When he wants to say hi to someone he sticks his tongue out and says "Ahhh". It is super cute.

Oh and I totally get it now, how every parent think their kid is the funniest. Because this kid isn't even trying to be funny and most of the things he does are funny. Like the saying hi thing, the tantrums (for now), and when other people start to talk to him he sometimes give them this stare, his papa's stare. And it is hilarious. He will just stare them down and not give them the smile they are seeking. Okay last thing that I think is funny is when he has his serious face on in the bath and is kicking like crazy. He is really concentrating on those kicks.

Okay I will stop the gushing.

Wordless Wednesday

Bedtime reading:

Smiles- Toddle Along Tuesday

This week's Toddle Along Tuesday topic is: Something you love about your kid(s). Choose one thing, or choose many things! Link up an old post or a new post...whatever you'd like! There are no rules, except that you link up a post rather than your whole blog.

Like all other moms, you can't really say there is only ONE thing you love about your kid.

But currently, I am loving all the smiles I get.

Almost every time I look at him I get one. And he tends to think I am pretty funny, so they happen a lot.

It one reason he is such a great baby.

P.S. He is starting to throw tantrums, so it is not all smiles and rainbows over here.