We have been taking our two pugs to dog training over the past few weeks. Actually, it is slated for puppies. Our dogs are the oldest ones in the class.
We have been learning some new tricks - like the difference between stay and wait. The stay command means that the owner will return to the dog. The wait command means the owner will be calling the dog to release them. Good stuff to know but remembering which command to use is harder on me then the dogs.
We have been getting help with one specific problem. One of our dogs is a ... Poop-eater. I know it is awful. After explaining our situation we were given a helpful tip. Cayenne Pepper. Sprinkling the pepper all over the poop makes it extremely distasteful. So far it has been working. Hopefully we will break this little fetish.
Those are some fine....
Those are some fine motor skills you've got there. After JT's cereal and fruit for lunch there is a bit of down time while the all important bottle is being warmed. So we are working on JT's fine motor skills.
I dump out a bunch of Gerber "sweet potato" puffs onto his table and I let him have at it. At first there was a lot of swishing the puffs around or knocking them completely off the high chair table. But now, we have mastered the picking up of the puff! JT even knows they are tasty so he makes a move for his mouth. We have not quite mastered getting the puff in our mouth on our own. That dang thumb seems to get in the way. Check out the awesome motor skills action here...
In other food related news, JT finished up his turkey a few days ago. I managed to score some ground pork and ground lamb at the grocery store. Thursday, JT had his first taste of pork with some sugar snap peas. I also made some peaches this week. So he should be trying that in the next few days. Slated to up are potatoes and then who knows what, asparagus?
I dump out a bunch of Gerber "sweet potato" puffs onto his table and I let him have at it. At first there was a lot of swishing the puffs around or knocking them completely off the high chair table. But now, we have mastered the picking up of the puff! JT even knows they are tasty so he makes a move for his mouth. We have not quite mastered getting the puff in our mouth on our own. That dang thumb seems to get in the way. Check out the awesome motor skills action here...
In other food related news, JT finished up his turkey a few days ago. I managed to score some ground pork and ground lamb at the grocery store. Thursday, JT had his first taste of pork with some sugar snap peas. I also made some peaches this week. So he should be trying that in the next few days. Slated to up are potatoes and then who knows what, asparagus?
Self Commitment
About a week or so ago, I decided to organize and de-clutter a whole bunch of paperwork that had been amassing. In fact, it was a filing cabinet worth of papers. It took about two days to muddle through it all and then rearrange things so that it all made sense.
In the midst of this process, I came across some papers that I had forgotten about. Your lovely blogger was inducted into her college's Sports Hall of Fame. Well, not just me - the Women's Cross Country Team for ten years of excellence. Yours truly was a member of the team for two of those years. I even have a lifetime sports pass to college events and use of the fitness center.
It got me thinking. First, it has been ten years since my last competitive race. What?!?!?! Has it really been that long? How have I managed to stay away so long? Shoot the running shoes that I am currently using are nearly 3 years old. That is not right by runner's standards.
Second, I should totally get back into running. No, it does not need to be competitive. I do not have to be setting pr's every time. I can start by getting back into a routine with the elliptical and then work in some street runs. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get rid of those last naughty pounds from pregnancy.
So, I picked up some new sneakers, found a race where I would be allowed to run with JT in the jogging stroller, and have started slowly putting in time with the elliptical machine. I have three months before the race. More than enough time to be ready.
Here is to a healthier me!
In the midst of this process, I came across some papers that I had forgotten about. Your lovely blogger was inducted into her college's Sports Hall of Fame. Well, not just me - the Women's Cross Country Team for ten years of excellence. Yours truly was a member of the team for two of those years. I even have a lifetime sports pass to college events and use of the fitness center.
It got me thinking. First, it has been ten years since my last competitive race. What?!?!?! Has it really been that long? How have I managed to stay away so long? Shoot the running shoes that I am currently using are nearly 3 years old. That is not right by runner's standards.
Second, I should totally get back into running. No, it does not need to be competitive. I do not have to be setting pr's every time. I can start by getting back into a routine with the elliptical and then work in some street runs. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get rid of those last naughty pounds from pregnancy.
So, I picked up some new sneakers, found a race where I would be allowed to run with JT in the jogging stroller, and have started slowly putting in time with the elliptical machine. I have three months before the race. More than enough time to be ready.
Here is to a healthier me!
Jumperoo!
JT loves his exersaucer. He can turn around in it, stand, and bounce up and down. Unfortunately, it is located in our basement. I feel uncomfortable leaving him in it by himself if I am upstairs. So I wanted to find an option that let him stand up while he was upstairs but not take up a load of space. Insert the Doorway Jumper!
JT is still getting the hang of it but I think he likes it!
JT is still getting the hang of it but I think he likes it!
Sugar Snap Peas
I ran out of carrots today. That meant JT would not be able to have turkey and carrots for dinner. I did manage to whip up some sugar snap peas. You can only imagine what JT had for dinner instead, right?
It was an odd combination but not bad. JT still managed to "gobble" the entire meal up. I am thinking about making some "mashed" potatoes but I feel like he hasn't tried a new fruit in a while. Maybe I can pick up some peaches in the grocery store.
The Inevitable....
I have been avoiding this for a long time. I have managed to wiggle my way out of doing it but that just won't happen anymore.
The time has come for us to start looking at childcare/babysitters.
I am currently a board member for the spouses' club on post (for the non-military "post" is government area where my husband is currently stationed). Yesterday, I attended our usual monthly luncheon with JT in tow. The past seven months have been fantastic. JT primarily slept through them or napped a bit and enjoyed looking at all the wonderful people's faces.
Not so much yesterday. He was so enthralled with everyone that he bypassed his usual 10:30 to 11:45 nap. I started his lunch a bit early. So halfway through his feeding, the unbelievable sound of baby screaming began. Goodness, you would think I was murdering him! I was totally embarrassed. I just became one of those people who couldn't handle their kids' tantrum in public.
After what seemed like an eternity but probably only 15 minutes, JT gave his last terrifyingly awful holler and passed out. Dead to the world asleep. The rest of the luncheon went off without a hitch. Sigh!
So I understand that I might need to leave JT home with a babysitter so that I can live my life as an adult. I am just not ready to make that adjustment. Yes, we have left him alone with grandparents. That was rough but I managed it. I just feel weird leaving him with a stranger - albeit, I would find one with emergency training (CPR) and who can deal with the dogs as well.
Very few people understand JT, his moods, crying, his expressions like I do. But I suppose I should try finding someone I trust to look after him if I have to be away for a few hours.
The time has come for us to start looking at childcare/babysitters.
I am currently a board member for the spouses' club on post (for the non-military "post" is government area where my husband is currently stationed). Yesterday, I attended our usual monthly luncheon with JT in tow. The past seven months have been fantastic. JT primarily slept through them or napped a bit and enjoyed looking at all the wonderful people's faces.
Not so much yesterday. He was so enthralled with everyone that he bypassed his usual 10:30 to 11:45 nap. I started his lunch a bit early. So halfway through his feeding, the unbelievable sound of baby screaming began. Goodness, you would think I was murdering him! I was totally embarrassed. I just became one of those people who couldn't handle their kids' tantrum in public.
After what seemed like an eternity but probably only 15 minutes, JT gave his last terrifyingly awful holler and passed out. Dead to the world asleep. The rest of the luncheon went off without a hitch. Sigh!
So I understand that I might need to leave JT home with a babysitter so that I can live my life as an adult. I am just not ready to make that adjustment. Yes, we have left him alone with grandparents. That was rough but I managed it. I just feel weird leaving him with a stranger - albeit, I would find one with emergency training (CPR) and who can deal with the dogs as well.
Very few people understand JT, his moods, crying, his expressions like I do. But I suppose I should try finding someone I trust to look after him if I have to be away for a few hours.
Gobble Gobble!
Tuesday of this week was JT's last dinner of chicken and pears. I didn't quite realize it until that evening. So I quickly prepared some ground turkey that evening along with our dinner. I did do something a little different though. When I prepared the chicken, I fried it up with a little bit of water. This time I had a half-used container of chicken broth in the fridge. So instead of the water, I added the chicken broth. Yes, I realize it has salt and some other spices, which I have not added into JT's diet yet. But the chicken was so bland last time. I could not help myself.
On Wednesday, I pulled out the first batch and mixed it with the pears. I received a weird look from JT. I tried it and yep - it was a weird combination. Luckily, it was not weird enough to stop JT from eating all of it. Thus on Thursday I paired the turkey with carrots. Much better reaction. Even I thought it was tasty.
Next up, JT should try potatoes or sugar snap peas. YUM!
On Wednesday, I pulled out the first batch and mixed it with the pears. I received a weird look from JT. I tried it and yep - it was a weird combination. Luckily, it was not weird enough to stop JT from eating all of it. Thus on Thursday I paired the turkey with carrots. Much better reaction. Even I thought it was tasty.
Next up, JT should try potatoes or sugar snap peas. YUM!
Kansas Weather
Saturday brought some very awful weather events here in Kansas - nearly 100 tornadoes in a 24 hour period. We spent a good majority of the day under a tornado watch. Thankfully we came out of the day with just a lot of bad wind and nasty thunderstorms. But less than an hour's drive away, there are some areas that have been battered.
It brings me to emergency preparedness. Being originally from the great state of New Jersey, being ready for an emergency was never really at the forefront. We were ready for blizzards and had several flooding situations but nothing really on the scale or magnitude of a tornado.
Once we moved out here, I realized that I needed to designate a safe room. I stocked it up but after yesterday we need to re-asses/stock what is in the safe room. Here are some of the things you should have in your emergency bag/safe room:
Water - a gallon a day per person for 3 days (that means 9 gallons for us)
Food - enough for 3 days
First Aid kit - preferably one that contains masks and any medications
Sanitizing Wipes
A Multitool - one that has a can opener if you stock your food in cans
Flashlight
Weather Radio (battery or handcrank)
Phone charger (battery one if available)
Important documents (birth certificates, social security cards, passports, etc)
Formula and Diapers (for those with little ones)
Pet food and leashes
Local Area Maps
I also try to keep:
A change of clothes
Rain gear
A pair of boots
Blankets/Sleeping bags
Bowls
Matches
Fun Stuff for JT
Since I can not be serious for the entirety of this post, I present to you the Severe Weather Alert Boogie as interpreted by my son:
The alert came on the television for a tornado warning for Riley county. For some reason, the powers that be picked the most techno computer voice possible. It created a really nice beat, right?
It brings me to emergency preparedness. Being originally from the great state of New Jersey, being ready for an emergency was never really at the forefront. We were ready for blizzards and had several flooding situations but nothing really on the scale or magnitude of a tornado.
Once we moved out here, I realized that I needed to designate a safe room. I stocked it up but after yesterday we need to re-asses/stock what is in the safe room. Here are some of the things you should have in your emergency bag/safe room:
Water - a gallon a day per person for 3 days (that means 9 gallons for us)
Food - enough for 3 days
First Aid kit - preferably one that contains masks and any medications
Sanitizing Wipes
A Multitool - one that has a can opener if you stock your food in cans
Flashlight
Weather Radio (battery or handcrank)
Phone charger (battery one if available)
Important documents (birth certificates, social security cards, passports, etc)
Formula and Diapers (for those with little ones)
Pet food and leashes
Local Area Maps
I also try to keep:
A change of clothes
Rain gear
A pair of boots
Blankets/Sleeping bags
Bowls
Matches
Fun Stuff for JT
Since I can not be serious for the entirety of this post, I present to you the Severe Weather Alert Boogie as interpreted by my son:
Carrots and Incisors
This Saturday was a big day for many reasons. One of them being a huge tornadic event including the entire state of Kansas (I plan on sharing more in another post). The others are a bit more fun.
First, another landmark in JT's culinary adventure - carrots. I threw a bag of baby carrots in the microwave with a bit of water to cook them. Then into the blender!
Really, making baby food is not that difficult. I encourage people to try it. You do have to give up about a half hour of your day but it isn't hard. Plus, there is a bit of cost savings over the jars. I usually get about 7 - 10 days of meals out of every fresh batch I make. The cost at the grocery story is only about 3 or 4 dollars. If I want 7 - 10 baby jars, each of those jars costs about a $1. Saving 4 dollars a week is big.
Anyway, off my little baby food making soapbox, JT really liked the carrots. They are nice, sweet, and have a good texture. Here is a video of his reaction:
In other digestive/food news, yesterday I saw the stirrings of JT's first tooth - the lower left central incisor. It is probably the explanation for his recent increase in screaming, as well as, all of the drool we have had to endure. I think there are a couple of other teeth that are close to "erupting" as well - right lower central incisor, along with the upper incisors. My ear drums are going to hate me.
First, another landmark in JT's culinary adventure - carrots. I threw a bag of baby carrots in the microwave with a bit of water to cook them. Then into the blender!
Really, making baby food is not that difficult. I encourage people to try it. You do have to give up about a half hour of your day but it isn't hard. Plus, there is a bit of cost savings over the jars. I usually get about 7 - 10 days of meals out of every fresh batch I make. The cost at the grocery story is only about 3 or 4 dollars. If I want 7 - 10 baby jars, each of those jars costs about a $1. Saving 4 dollars a week is big.
Anyway, off my little baby food making soapbox, JT really liked the carrots. They are nice, sweet, and have a good texture. Here is a video of his reaction:
In other digestive/food news, yesterday I saw the stirrings of JT's first tooth - the lower left central incisor. It is probably the explanation for his recent increase in screaming, as well as, all of the drool we have had to endure. I think there are a couple of other teeth that are close to "erupting" as well - right lower central incisor, along with the upper incisors. My ear drums are going to hate me.
Chicken......and pears
On Wednesday, JT took a new turn in his food explorations. For the first time ever, he experienced meat! I was excited about this and had a bit more fun making it than my usual stuff fruit/veggie in microwave, cook, then mix in blender. I picked up a package of ground chicken meat. I actually did something close to cooking. I dumped the package into a saute pan, added a bit of water, and then sauteed the chicken on medium heat. Hurray! I plopped the finished product in the blender to break the chicken up further. Poured that into my food containers and set them in the freezer.
Boy, I had a good time doing all that. But the eating part is what matters. JT did not have a great response. The meat has more substance and less water. So even when blended, it comes out in a very gritty paste. Let's just say lunch was a dud. I even tried adding some broccoli to it. No go. I got some advice from other moms - try adding some sweet fruits/veggies to the mix - pears, pumpkins, apples.
Dinner rolls around and I decide not to let chicken die like I let the avocados (partially because cooking a package of ground chicken makes about 8 2-oz baby sized meals). I heat up a container of chicken and heat up the last two "cubes" of pears. The pears definitely smoothed out the texture of the chicken. I also went in for a taste myself. It seemed a weird idea but why not test it out. I was surprised at how good it was. It was not overly sweet and I still got that chicken flavor. JT loved it. Now he has a what I feel is a more normal type diet - cereal in the am, fruit or veggie at lunch, meat and fruit/veggie for dinner. If only I ate so well!
Sorry for the lack of picture on this one. Sometimes I just do not catch everything!
Boy, I had a good time doing all that. But the eating part is what matters. JT did not have a great response. The meat has more substance and less water. So even when blended, it comes out in a very gritty paste. Let's just say lunch was a dud. I even tried adding some broccoli to it. No go. I got some advice from other moms - try adding some sweet fruits/veggies to the mix - pears, pumpkins, apples.
Dinner rolls around and I decide not to let chicken die like I let the avocados (partially because cooking a package of ground chicken makes about 8 2-oz baby sized meals). I heat up a container of chicken and heat up the last two "cubes" of pears. The pears definitely smoothed out the texture of the chicken. I also went in for a taste myself. It seemed a weird idea but why not test it out. I was surprised at how good it was. It was not overly sweet and I still got that chicken flavor. JT loved it. Now he has a what I feel is a more normal type diet - cereal in the am, fruit or veggie at lunch, meat and fruit/veggie for dinner. If only I ate so well!
Sorry for the lack of picture on this one. Sometimes I just do not catch everything!
Cocoa-Rubbed Steak with Bacon Whiskey Gravy
Wow. I can not believe it. I have not posted an actual recipe in a really long time. It feels refreshing to get to share a new recipe. This one was very very yummy. No complaints at all. I would even venture to do it on a slightly bigger scale (small dinner party). It comes from the food network magazine. So here it is:
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1-pound New York strip steaks (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 strips bacon, diced
1 leek (white and light green parts only), finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup whiskey
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Steps:
1. Make the steak: Mix the cocoa powder, both paprikas, brown sugar, cayenne and 2 teaspoons salt; rub on the steak and bring to room temperature, 30 minutes.
2. Make the gravy: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add the leek to the drippings and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the whiskey, then return to medium heat; if the alcohol ignites, let the flames die out. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium- high heat and cook until the mixture is reduced by one-quarter, about 8 minutes.
5. Whisk in the heavy cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy coats a spoon, about 7 minutes. Stir in the butter, reserved bacon and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
6. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter; when it melts, add the steak and sear until a dark crust forms, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Season with salt. Slice and serve with the gravy.
The Final Product:
First, I made a few changes to the ingredient list. I only had sweet paprika so I left out the smoked paprika. I switched out dark brown sugar for light brown sugar. Instead of bacon, I found this great package of diced proscuitto. What the heck, it's better than bacon, why not use it? I didn't have any leeks so I chopped up half of a small onion. The recipe is fairly simple to follow. No major changes to that - except I could not get the gravy to thicken after adding the heavy cream. I added another tablespoon of flour and that did the trick. Next time, I might lower the broth amount to 2 cups so that it thickens faster.
The steaks were so complex - chocolatey cocoa flavor, the sweetness from the sugar, and then a little heat from the paprika and pepper. Neither taste was really overpowering. As for the gravy, I realize I did not mention what whiskey I used. Here goes - Wild Turkey Bourbon. Nothing fancy. Actually, the Wild Turkey has such a distinct smell and flavor that you can easily pick it out in the gravy but it is tempered enough that you are not knocked out by it.
Overall, a great dish to get me back into the "cooking" swing of things after my hiatus.
Cocoa-Rubbed Steaks with Bacon-Whiskey Gravy
Ingredients:1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1-pound New York strip steaks (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 strips bacon, diced
1 leek (white and light green parts only), finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup whiskey
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Steps:
1. Make the steak: Mix the cocoa powder, both paprikas, brown sugar, cayenne and 2 teaspoons salt; rub on the steak and bring to room temperature, 30 minutes.
2. Make the gravy: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add the leek to the drippings and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the whiskey, then return to medium heat; if the alcohol ignites, let the flames die out. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium- high heat and cook until the mixture is reduced by one-quarter, about 8 minutes.
5. Whisk in the heavy cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy coats a spoon, about 7 minutes. Stir in the butter, reserved bacon and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
6. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter; when it melts, add the steak and sear until a dark crust forms, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Season with salt. Slice and serve with the gravy.
The Final Product:
The steaks were so complex - chocolatey cocoa flavor, the sweetness from the sugar, and then a little heat from the paprika and pepper. Neither taste was really overpowering. As for the gravy, I realize I did not mention what whiskey I used. Here goes - Wild Turkey Bourbon. Nothing fancy. Actually, the Wild Turkey has such a distinct smell and flavor that you can easily pick it out in the gravy but it is tempered enough that you are not knocked out by it.
Overall, a great dish to get me back into the "cooking" swing of things after my hiatus.
"Those" People
Uh Oh. Yep. I do not know when exactly this transformation happened but the realization smacked me in the face today while I was enjoying my early morning hour to myself.
I have become one of "those" people.
"Those" People - people whose status updates on Facebook perpetually revolve around their child.
Do not get me wrong - you are not a weird person for writing about your kid. Kids do some amazing and unthinkable things. I just enjoy something different every now and again.
So now, feel free to hit me upside the head next time I have 3 status updates in a row concerning JT. I am not quite sure when this finally came over me. I feel somewhat obligated to include him in status updates because we are so far away from family. I do not want them to miss out on his growth or the fact that my ear drums no longer work properly. I promise to try to update more about me - yet, who wants to hear about me doing laundry all day. I guess I need to find a happy medium between shouting from the rooftops about JT and sharing my own thoughts, which I do in fact have.
Since I am still in shock of this realization, I leave you with a video of the tiny person who is a consistent object of entertainment (and sometimes frustration):
I have become one of "those" people.
"Those" People - people whose status updates on Facebook perpetually revolve around their child.
Do not get me wrong - you are not a weird person for writing about your kid. Kids do some amazing and unthinkable things. I just enjoy something different every now and again.
So now, feel free to hit me upside the head next time I have 3 status updates in a row concerning JT. I am not quite sure when this finally came over me. I feel somewhat obligated to include him in status updates because we are so far away from family. I do not want them to miss out on his growth or the fact that my ear drums no longer work properly. I promise to try to update more about me - yet, who wants to hear about me doing laundry all day. I guess I need to find a happy medium between shouting from the rooftops about JT and sharing my own thoughts, which I do in fact have.
Since I am still in shock of this realization, I leave you with a video of the tiny person who is a consistent object of entertainment (and sometimes frustration):
A little disappointed...
While on our vacation, we ate dinner at the fantastic Kouzzina by Cat Cora at the BoardWalk Hotel at Disney World. They present some wonderful Greek food. We have made it a point to stop in there every time we go since it has opened. My personal favorite dish there is the Avgolemono soup. It is a light lemony soup with rice and a bit of shredded chicken. I requested the recipe from the restaurant. Unfortunately, I have not yet received it. There is a very sad foodie in this corner. I might just have to search for it online and then make several attempts at perfection. It was the only disappointment of our trip but I am still holding out hope to receive an email in the next few weeks.
NurturMe baby food recap
This road trip was an eye opening experience. For traveling mommas, I really must recommend the NurturMe baby food.
It was wonderful to not have to carry around a collection of baby food jars. All I needed was the pouch and some water. We were able to mix the food to just the right consistency that JT likes. Not to mention the food was quite tasty. I now keep a collection of the pouches on hand for any day trips we might take. It is so easy to throw the pouch in the diaper bag and take off. It also mixes very well with JT's cereal. No complaints from this front. Oh, and I almost forgot the biggest reason to use the pouches, JT enjoyed the taste of the quick dried apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, and peas.
It was wonderful to not have to carry around a collection of baby food jars. All I needed was the pouch and some water. We were able to mix the food to just the right consistency that JT likes. Not to mention the food was quite tasty. I now keep a collection of the pouches on hand for any day trips we might take. It is so easy to throw the pouch in the diaper bag and take off. It also mixes very well with JT's cereal. No complaints from this front. Oh, and I almost forgot the biggest reason to use the pouches, JT enjoyed the taste of the quick dried apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, and peas.
Broccoli
JT's food adventure hit a new landmark - Broccoli. He thoroughly enjoyed it. I prepared a bag of Steamfresh broccoli cuts in the microwave. Dumped the contents in the blender and in no time flat we had baby broccoli. Here is his reaction to the broccoli:
I realize I did not write much about pears. JT will be eating pears for a little while longer because the four pears I cooked and pureed turned out a lot of baby food. As a matter of fact, I added a dinner time feeding to our schedule. JT gets cereal in the morning, our new/testing out food at lunch, then a mixture of some older food (pears, apples, peas, etc.) and cereal. He really likes the mixture at dinner. JT has also taken to playing with his spoon. Someday soon he will be able to feed himself!
To be quite honest, I was surprised at how light and sweet the broccoli turned out. No wonder JT gobbled it down.
Road Tripping
In case you have been pondering my lack of posts, you can lay your worries to rest. No, I did not fall off the face of the planet. We did something very exciting. We took JT on his very first road trip. It was filled with laughter, tears, giggles, sleepyheads, and screaming during dinner. We made it out relatively unscathed although my ear drums are a little worse for wear. Normally, I would try to write a day by day recap but 15 posts seems like a lot of overkill to me and the mountain of housework that we returned to is unbelievable.
The first part of our trip allowed us the opportunity to visit with a bunch of family. JT got to meet his cousin - who is one year older than him. They got along famously. His cousin even said "baby" whenever he saw JT. Then we got the pleasure to visit JT's aunt and uncle (my sister-in-law and her husband) as well as JT's grandma and grandpa Giesey. We got an extra surprise because our friends from Dickinson were able to drop by. Then JT got to meet Aunt Kathy and Uncle John. He had a lot of fun playing patty-cake. We finally met up with my parents in South Carolina. Then it was on to Disney World.
We spent 5 relaxing days at Disney. Well maybe not super relaxing, certainly fun filled. We went to EPCOT first. The Flower show was going on. I have never been during this time. The blooms were spectacular. I was perfectly happy spending all day just looking at the flora.
The next day we travelled off property to check out Harry Potter world. While I was impressed with Universal's architecture, I was really disappointed with the amount of space they had available. Yes, the shops in Hogsmeade are portrayed as tiny in the movies, but when I feel like I have no space to move, you might have made things a bit too tight. Claustrophobia set in...in Zonko's, in Honeydukes, in Flourish and Blott's, in Olivanders. Way too overwhelming and I heard lots of visitors remark the same thing. The rides were fun. I had an idea of grandeur for the interior of Hogwarts and was slightly let down. Not to mention that was the ride I didn't like. We actually had a bit of fun wandering around the Dr. Seuss world. I won't lie, I picked up a few Seuss outfits for JT, as well as, some board books for reading.
On Saturday, Andy and I left JT with grandma and grandpa S while we went to Magic Kingdom. There is a ton of construction going on in Fantasyland. I guess we will need to go back in a couple of years to see how it has turned out. We got on Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, the Mad Tea Cups, enjoyed a trip on the Locomotive that travels around the perimeter of the Magic Kingdom, and rode the Haunted Mansion. We came back in the evening and took JT on his first amusement park ride - Tomorrowland Wedway People Mover. He was totally impressed.
On Sunday, we entered the Animal Kingdom where JT went on his second ride - Kilimanjaro Safari. All the animals must have known he was coming because they were out in full force. We also walked through the Tiger walk in Asia . Andy and I got on Expedition Everest, then we headed home. That evening the hubby and I enjoyed a nice dinner to ourselves. But the next morning we were out on the road again.
We stopped in Columbia, SC again on our return trip. We had a free morning to kill so we went to the Riverbanks Zoo. JT got to meet some animals up close and personal. Namely, the giraffes. We paid 2 bucks and JT was able to feed the giraffes some lettuce. Yum. The giraffe liked him so much, JT was able to pet him as well.
We also stopped back in KY and was given a grand tour of the Battle of Richmond and the Woodford Reserve Distillery. Loads of fun.
The end of trips make me sad. This one especially because we got the chance to link up with so many fantastic people. It makes me wish for a time when we don't have to drive some obscene number of hours to get to see loved ones. Oh, in case you were wondering - we racked up 60 hours of driving time, 220 gallons of gas, and 4000 miles. Maybe I will post a slideshow of pictures in another post.
The first part of our trip allowed us the opportunity to visit with a bunch of family. JT got to meet his cousin - who is one year older than him. They got along famously. His cousin even said "baby" whenever he saw JT. Then we got the pleasure to visit JT's aunt and uncle (my sister-in-law and her husband) as well as JT's grandma and grandpa Giesey. We got an extra surprise because our friends from Dickinson were able to drop by. Then JT got to meet Aunt Kathy and Uncle John. He had a lot of fun playing patty-cake. We finally met up with my parents in South Carolina. Then it was on to Disney World.
We spent 5 relaxing days at Disney. Well maybe not super relaxing, certainly fun filled. We went to EPCOT first. The Flower show was going on. I have never been during this time. The blooms were spectacular. I was perfectly happy spending all day just looking at the flora.
The next day we travelled off property to check out Harry Potter world. While I was impressed with Universal's architecture, I was really disappointed with the amount of space they had available. Yes, the shops in Hogsmeade are portrayed as tiny in the movies, but when I feel like I have no space to move, you might have made things a bit too tight. Claustrophobia set in...in Zonko's, in Honeydukes, in Flourish and Blott's, in Olivanders. Way too overwhelming and I heard lots of visitors remark the same thing. The rides were fun. I had an idea of grandeur for the interior of Hogwarts and was slightly let down. Not to mention that was the ride I didn't like. We actually had a bit of fun wandering around the Dr. Seuss world. I won't lie, I picked up a few Seuss outfits for JT, as well as, some board books for reading.
On Saturday, Andy and I left JT with grandma and grandpa S while we went to Magic Kingdom. There is a ton of construction going on in Fantasyland. I guess we will need to go back in a couple of years to see how it has turned out. We got on Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, the Mad Tea Cups, enjoyed a trip on the Locomotive that travels around the perimeter of the Magic Kingdom, and rode the Haunted Mansion. We came back in the evening and took JT on his first amusement park ride - Tomorrowland Wedway People Mover. He was totally impressed.
On Sunday, we entered the Animal Kingdom where JT went on his second ride - Kilimanjaro Safari. All the animals must have known he was coming because they were out in full force. We also walked through the Tiger walk in Asia . Andy and I got on Expedition Everest, then we headed home. That evening the hubby and I enjoyed a nice dinner to ourselves. But the next morning we were out on the road again.
We stopped in Columbia, SC again on our return trip. We had a free morning to kill so we went to the Riverbanks Zoo. JT got to meet some animals up close and personal. Namely, the giraffes. We paid 2 bucks and JT was able to feed the giraffes some lettuce. Yum. The giraffe liked him so much, JT was able to pet him as well.
We also stopped back in KY and was given a grand tour of the Battle of Richmond and the Woodford Reserve Distillery. Loads of fun.
The end of trips make me sad. This one especially because we got the chance to link up with so many fantastic people. It makes me wish for a time when we don't have to drive some obscene number of hours to get to see loved ones. Oh, in case you were wondering - we racked up 60 hours of driving time, 220 gallons of gas, and 4000 miles. Maybe I will post a slideshow of pictures in another post.
Avocados
This past Saturday JT had his first taste of avocados:
As you can see, it did not go over very well. This is the first time since the start of the food adventure he has made faces of such disgust. He has made "I'm not to sure about this" and "I guess this is alright" faces. But this was enough for me to decide against giving avocados another try on Sunday. We moved straight onto pears. JT really seems to enjoy them. If I had to rank his favorite foods: Bananas are at the top, followed by peas and pears, sweet potatoes, and apples.
Next up on the list: broccoli, carrots, possibly asparagus, potatoes, and maybe chicken or turkey.
As you can see, it did not go over very well. This is the first time since the start of the food adventure he has made faces of such disgust. He has made "I'm not to sure about this" and "I guess this is alright" faces. But this was enough for me to decide against giving avocados another try on Sunday. We moved straight onto pears. JT really seems to enjoy them. If I had to rank his favorite foods: Bananas are at the top, followed by peas and pears, sweet potatoes, and apples.
Next up on the list: broccoli, carrots, possibly asparagus, potatoes, and maybe chicken or turkey.
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