A Year of Firsts

This is the year of many firsts for Lyla. I remember shortly after she was born, the nurses kept telling us to look for her first wet diaper. When they saw that yellow line on her newborn Pampers turn to blue they celebrated and then celebrated some more. Since then, each day has brought many other firsts, and all are constant reminders of how quickly my little girl is growing up.

She had her first car ride.

Followed by her first night at home, her first restaurant experience, her first round of visitors and her first mass.

In July she celebrated her first 4th of July, went on her first walk, met her cousin Sophia for the first time and had her first bath.

In August, she had her first play date, her first party and her first round of shots. (That was one first that was not so much fun.)

In September she went on her first plane ride, visited Pittsburgh and Kansas City for the first time, went to her first wedding, spent the night at Grandma's for the first time, met her Kratofil cousins for the first time, slept in her own room for the first time and watched her first football game (one in which her Uncle John dominated).

In October she went on her first road trip to Notre Dame, rolled over for the first time, picked out her very first pumpkin and celebrated her first Halloween.

As you can see, she was not pleased with the group shot.

And last week, she had her first bowl of rice cereal.

She was no pro. I am pretty sure she got more on herself then in her stomach, but that's fine for now. We are just in the practice stage anyway. But this first felt like a big first. I experienced the same feeling that I had when I packed up her newborn clothes: proud of my little girl for growing, and learning and doing so very well, but sad that my teeny, tiny 6 lb 10 oz baby is no more. 

I know that this first will lead to another first and that with each passing day she will grow bigger and stronger. She is rolling for now, but in no time she will be crawling, then walking, then running. I get emails about where your baby should be in terms of development each week. It tells new moms  what they should be working on with their little ones and how they should be progressing. Last week it said that at 20 weeks old Lyla should be rolling one direction, be able to lift her head when on her stomach, laugh out loud, and reach for an object. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride when I realized that not only can Lyla do all of those things, but she is dominating them. She rolls not just one direction, but both. She has been able to lift her head and hold herself up on her arms for almost two months now. She's been laughing for weeks and not only does she reach for an object, she rolls towards it, picks it up and then rolls back to where she was. My little girl is kicking butt and taking names and I am one proud mama.

With my pride though, comes nostalgia. I have loved watching Lyla learn and develop with each passing day, but time is flying and I am afraid I will blink my eyes and she'll be going to Kindergarten. (I am thinking that my husband should start preparing himself now for that day. Pretty sure I am going to be a mess.)

As these days fly by and Lyla grows bigger, I keep telling myself to cherish these times. To pause and memorize specific moments so that I will never forget. To not wish away the present, but live in the "now." And this past weekend when Lyla's Fischer aunts came to visit, I did my very best to do just that. As she laughed and played with her aunts,  I sat back and watched, trying to freeze frame each smile, each look, each moment of love. She may not stay teeny and tiny forever, but she'll always be my little girl and I want to remember every precious moment, every first. 

Lyla wanted to make a very special meal for her aunts' visit. She requested, flank steak with mushrooms, roasted coriander, chickpea and lime rice (recipe below), greek salad, bread and for dessert, peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars (recipe below). 

Marinated the steak over night.

The mushrooms!

Greek Salad with feta, cherry tomatoes and olive dressing.

Roasted Coriander, Chickpea and Lime Rice (recipe from McCormick):

Bring 1/2 cup of jasmine rice, a bit of sea salt and 1 cup of water to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on low for 18 minutes.

In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of roasted ground coriander, 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Whisk together. Add in 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes, 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup of green onions.

Add 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas and the cooked rice. Toss together and serve!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread bars (recipe from Fine Cooking):

First, to make the shortbread, finely chop 1/2 cup of unsalted peanuts. In a bowl combine 7 oz of unsalted, melted butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the peanuts and 9 1/2 oz of flour.

Once combined, place the mixture in a 9x13 sized pan, lined with foil. Press the dough flat into the bottom of the pan before pricking it all over with a fork.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then bake the dough for 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Drop the oven temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let it cool completely.

To make the peanut butte filling, combine 1 cup of peanut butter and 3 oz of room temperature butter in a mixer. Add 3 oz of confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of hot water. Mix until smooth. Add in another 3 oz of confectioners' sugar and another tablespoon of hot water. Mix until thick.

Spread the peanut butter mixture over the cooled crust.

In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to a boil. Pour over 5 oz of chopped bittersweet chocolate.

Let it stand for 3 minutes before mixing.

Finally, spread the chocolate ganache over the peanut butter mixture. Let it rest for 3 hours or refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

In Honor of Jillian: Low-Fat Banana Bread

I am addicted to Losing it with Jillian. I do not know what it is about this show, but I am hooked. Ever since I saw the last 15 minutes of the very first episode I was done for. I was never a fan of The Biggest Loser, so I am not entirely sure where my addiction is coming from. Perhaps it is because I am an avid runner and am hooked on the endorphins that result. I cannot imagine my life without my workouts. They are my sanity and as crazy as some people find it, I love them. Or maybe it’s because I truly enjoy healthy homemade meals over greasy restaurant food. Or perhaps this is just a freaking good show, either way I am a dedicated viewer.

In any given episode, Jillian surprises the contestant’s by showing up at their houses and promptly moving in with them for a week of serious booty kicking. In that week she teaches them everything they need to know about healthy eating (throws out all the junk food in their house and always takes them to Subway – a little advertising – at least it’s not the extreme and obvious product placement that was The Biggest Loser), exercising (sweat, blood and tears) and even does a little family intervention when necessary. Jillian screams and yells at the contestants as is her known way. There is often crying and occasionally throwing up. It’s great. 

At the end of the week, Jillian sits the contestants down and they all make vows of what they are going to accomplish over the next six weeks before her return. This usually involves a weight loss goal, family promises, and lots and lots of tears and hugs. And with that Jillian is off, only to return six weeks later for the big unveiling. 

The show ends with Jillian’s return and the contestants get to show off their new bodies. Often there is drastic weight loss and obvious change, other times the contestants are looking healthier and fit, but it’s not the “wow” moment you were expecting. Either way, episode after episode, I am impressed with Jillian and her ability to significantly change these people’s lives in one short week. Granted, I am not a complete fool and know that during those six weeks there is presumably a lot of coaching and guidance from Jillian’s staff, health professionals and access to her website (jillianmichaels.com) which is stocked full of helpful weight loss tools. But still, what this show is doing for families across America is truly amazing and inspiring. 

So in honor of Jillian and all she is doing to fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes and the general unhealthiness that plagues our country, I wanted to share some healthy recipes for everyone who is working hard to achieve their weight loss goals and/or lifestyles changes. I do not believe in forbidding any one item from your diet (side note – when I say “diet” I am not referring to the modern term of dieting, but rather the food we consume each day – we all have diets). Rather, I am a strong proponent of moderation, healthy choices and active lifestyles. For many people, the idea of completely cutting out one type of food – be it carbohydrates, sugar, desserts, etc. – can actually be more harmful than occasionally allowing it. By eliminating particular foods, many people end up wanting it more, unable to get it out of their minds, eventually resulting in a blown diets and binge reactions. Although this is not the case for everyone, I have seen it happen enough to know that for me moderation, healthy choices and an active lifestyle is where it’s at. 

Often on Losing it with Jillian the contestants say something along the lines of “I do not know how to make healthy choices,” “I need someone to teach me,” or “I do not know what is good for me and what is not.” These statements appall me time after time. I am waiting for the moment when such statements will no longer shock me to my core; it has yet to happen. Instead, it is jaw to the floor and me yelling to Adam in the other room “how the hell do they not know!” 

Often Jillian will discover that the contestants consume high quantities of fried, processed, greasy food. Many times there are scenes of a family gulping down fast food/high calories meals from McDonald's and other similar chains, as well as myriads of other “oh so not good for you” items. It would be one things if these occurrences were once every couple of weeks, but for many of these families it is daily affair. It is no surprise that many of them are at high risk for diabetes and/or using sleep apnea machines because their bodies cannot breathe on their own. It is truly heart breaking, often times, infuriating and even more proof that we need better education and wellness programs in our schools and workplaces.

Jillian is doing her part to help educate and fight this epidemic and I want to at least do something to help support individuals like the ones one this show. So with no further ado and in the spirit of healthy choices and moderation, here is my better for you, cannot resist banana bread. It is perfect for breakfast, snacks, dessert or just anytime you need a boost of energy (see below for alterations). This bread is packed full of healthy ingredients such as whole wheat flour, low-fat yogurt and is overflowing with vitamin packed bananas. It tastes so great, that you wouldn't have know it is low-fat until I told you. This bread is not dry or bland like other low-fat baked goods and I know Jillian would most definitely approve.  So use this recipe instead of the other full-fat ones and remember it’s all about moderation, healthy choices and active lifestyles.

Low-Fat Banana Bread:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of butter

2 large eggs

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

3 large ripe bananas

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl add the softened butter and sugar and beat until mixed. Add one egg at a time and beat until fully incorporated. Add the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A little bit at a time, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir only until ingredients are mixed. Do not over mix the batter.

Pour into a Pam sprayed loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.

Alterations:  Adding 1/2 cup of chocolate or peanut butter chips to this recipe will turn it into a decadent dessert (and a much better option than chocolate cake!) that the whole family can enjoy without adding too many extra calories. In fact, try dark chocolate chips which are full of good for you antioxidants! And if you need a power breakfast, feel free to add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to provide an extra energy boost and help you power through your morning.  

Continue to look for other “In honor of Jillian” recipes and feel free to leave comments for any other "In honor of Jillian" recipes you would like to see!

It's All in the Chips

One of my favorite childhood memories is opening the garage door to my parent’s house after a long day of school and being met with the sweet aroma of cookies baking in the oven. My mother is a great baker. She can whip together a dessert in no time. My love for baking originated in her kitchen. I use to pull up a stool and stand next to her as she whisked together eggs and sugar. I loved when it was my turn to pour in the flour or if I was really lucky, to add in the vanilla. It was not unusual for my stories of playground happenings to be retold over a shared cookie and a glass of cold milk. I loved those days and I still love baking. Freshly baked chocolate chips cookies were a staple in my childhood and now with a kitchen of my own I love testing the limits on what truly makes homemade cookies the perfect dessert.

This past weekend, my younger sister Kathryn came to visit. Somewhere between shopping, sappy girl movies, pedicures, several wonderful meals and one sensational bottle of Chilean wine, baking was involved. Rather than go with a traditional recipes we decided to mix things up a bit with 2 variations of oatmeal cookies. I had on hand, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, peanut butter and cinnamon chips as well as baking M&Ms (for a little color). We knew we wanted peanut butter chips in our cookies, but we were toying with the idea of cinnamon chips as well. 

Logically it did not seem likely that cinnamon and peanut butter would play nicely together in one cookie, but after a few taste tests by Kathryn and the memory of a childhood friend’s favorite snack – peanut butter, cinnamon and banana sandwiches – we had to find out for ourselves. Just in case our experiment did not work out, we split the oatmeal batter in half and made one batch with peanut butter and cinnamon chips and another with peanut butter chips and baking M&Ms. 

Both batches exceeded our expectations. The cookies with M&M’s gave the sense of home that all chocolate cookies require and the cinnamon chips gave an extra kick which played off of the touch of cinnamon in the batter. In fact, Kathryn and I both agreed that the cinnamon and peanut butter cookies outshone the others, especially in combination with the oatmeal. I do not think that we will settle for regular oatmeal cookies ever again. Now the only question is, what flavors should we experiment with next?

Oatmeal Cookie Dough (originated from Allysa Torey’s More from Magnolia):

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups oats

Combine the butter and sugars until smooth. Mix in vanilla and egg. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix all together then add the oats and 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Cut the dough in half and put one half in a separate bowl. Add ½ cup of cinnamon chips to one batter and ½ cup of M&M’s to the other. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Enjoy! What other cookie flavors have you experimented with?