Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

It's been a wonderful week so far, filled with family, friends, and of course tons of food. Over the weekend it really started to feel like the holidays since Matt finished work last Friday. No better way to kick off the holiday break than with cocktails and cheese plates! We had a bottle of St. Germain so made some fancy gin & elderflower cocktails in non-fancy glasses.

Matt's grandma also came over to bake our annual holiday cookies with me, a tradition I really love.

We baked up a storm! We made the traditional Crunchy Chocolate Pecan Cookies, Peanut Butter Truffles and Snowballs (we call them Crescent Cookies) but also a few new ones including White Chocolate, Cranberry & Macadamia, Nutella with Sea Salt and Peanut Butter White Chocolate Pretzel. Thankfully about half of these left the house to go to my office, our neighbors and to Matt's parents. I am sugared out!

We also took the kids for a festive day out with a little shopping, a cozy lunch at a creperie and a ride on the North Pole Express with Santa. (Couldn't get a pic with Riker's eyes open).

Once work wrapped up for me on Tuesday evening, my grandma, sister Amanda and her fiance Justyn got to our house for our annual Christmas Eve-Eve dinner (Nana's Tomato Mushroom Mac & Cheese), wine, movies and hanging out. They always come a day early because my sister and I cook all day on Christmas Eve day, and it's just nice to extend the holiday for one more night.

Usually on Christmas Eve I get a little stressed with all the cooking I have to do, but this year we cut the appetizer list down a bit and planned a dinner menu that I could mostly cook in advance, which really helped. It was totally stress free and much more relaxing. And when everyone arrived at 5:30, we were ready to go!

The dinner menu included:

- Baby greens with homemade balsamic dressing, cranberries, blue cheese and pecans

- Breaded chicken cutlets (we bought these from the butcher - one less thing to cook - and dressed them with fresh lemon, balsamic reduction and arugula)

- Kale and ricotta stuffed shells with butternut squash sauce (this is amazing - get the recipe here)

- Green beans with olive oil and fleur de sel

- Eggplant rollatini (made by my aunt)

Desserts included a wide array of cookies, truffles and pie.

Christmas morning with Riker was so much fun. This was the first year he really knew what was going on and looked forward to it for weeks, and seeing the joy on his face as he ran down the stairs that morning was one of the best feelings in the world.

Sadly I didn't snap any pics of Riker and Carson opening presents since we were too busy enjoying it with them, but that's the point, right? 

Since we're usually starving during present opening, the day before I had prepped some fruit cups for us to eat while breakfast was in the oven. They were a great way to start the morning before all the rich foods that come with Christmas dinner.

For breakfast I had pre-made (and then reheated that morning) a Broccoli & Cheese Quiche on whole wheat crust and a Cranberry Orange Bread, which slightly reminded me of being a kid since my mom always loved that flavor combination - every time cranberries were in season she would make Cranberry Orange Relish, and oftentimes on Sundays we would have orange cinnamon rolls. This bread was sort of a mashup of the two and tasted like home.

We cooked up some bacon on the side (I buy Applegate Farms and everyone loves it), along with coffee and mimosas of course. :)

My sister left after breakfast to head to Justyn's family's out in PA, and after naps, showers and a second cup of coffee we were off to Matt's parents' house for the big extended family celebration. It's so fun having a group of little cousins running around now. Their excitement is contagious and they're just so cute.

My two loves!

We got home late last night and are all pretty wiped from the week of parties, so we've just been hanging home in our PJ's all day. Matt and I both have off work until after New Year's, so it's nice to be able to just be bums today and not worry about the usual weekend to-do list. On Sunday we're headed to the Poconos for a few days of skiing and kid fun at the indoor waterpark, but until then, it's R&R for this bunch.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for a great 2015!

Carson's Story

Hello, world! As you can imagine it's been a bit of a whirlwind week here. After spending a week in the hospital and then a week at home adjusting to having a newborn with us, we're finally getting into somewhat of a routine. We're still not sleeping much of course, but I'll take no sleep any day if it means having a sweet face like this in my arms.

Carson actually came a week before she was due, so she caught us by surprise - thankfully we had been baby prepping like crazy the last few weekends. Last Monday started like any other Monday. It was supposed to be my last week of work before maternity leave, so I had a list of things I planned to power through that day. But after dropping Riker off at my in-laws' and coming back home to start work, I realized I hadn't felt the baby moving at all. She nearly always moves after I eat, but I got nothing from her after breakfast; I even tried eating a sugary snack - a peach, some crackers, and some chocolate covered almonds - to get her kicking, but still, she didn't move. That made me really nervous, so I set a timer and paid attention for the next 2 hours to see if any movement occurred at all - nada. I called my doctor, and thankfully they told me to come in right away.

Matt left work early so he could come to the appointment with me, and after throwing my hospital bag in the trunk just in case it was needed, we sped to my OB/GYN's office. Let me tell you, that was the scariest doctor's appointment I've ever had in my life. The nurse hooked me up to a heart rate monitor, but was unable to find a heartbeat for Carson. After a few minutes, she left and called another nurse in to try. The second nurse wasn't able to find a heartbeat either. At this point Matt and I both lost it. Tears just started pouring out as I imagined the absolute worst. Every terrible thought was running through my head, and I really thought we had lost her. The nurse handed us a box of tissues, said she was sorry, and went to get the doctor. We were both beside ourselves with grief.

When my doctor came in, she calmed us down and said not to panic yet. She repositioned the monitor a bunch of times and kept pushing on my belly trying to get Carson to move. Finally, FINALLY, after about 10 minutes, we heard a very faint heartbeat. The emotions I felt when hearing that little thump thump is indescribable. I felt elation, incredible relief and joy, while at the same time anxiety and fear that something was wrong with our baby. The heartbeat was so faint that while we could hear it, the monitor didn't even register it on the computer. We went right in for an ultrasound, which told us that miraculously the baby had gone breach over the weekend (on Friday, the doctor had said she was in proper birth position, head down); she was now head up, and while her heart was beating, she was not moving or breathing. After seeing all this, the doctor immediately sent us to the hospital for an emergency C-section. More emotions erupted at this point - we were both so scared that something would go wrong before the delivery, or that she would have brain damage from not getting oxygen, but at the same time excited since we knew we'd be having a baby that very day - in just 2 hours.

Last pic of the bump before heading to the hospital!

After a quick ride to the hospital, a bunch more tests (all of which confirmed that Carson needed to come out right away), and surgery prep, I was in the operating room by 4:00. It took two doctors up on foot stools to push and pull Carson out since she had lodged herself up near my rib cage, and had the umbilical cord wrapped around her entire body and around her neck twice. Apparently when she flipped over the weekend, the cord tangled her up and nearly strangled her. After she was born, they had to keep watch over her and not let her cry until they were sure her throat and lungs were okay, which thankfully they were. By 4:29, we were the relieved and proud parents of a healthy baby girl.

Had I not realized she wasn't moving that fateful Monday morning, the turnout could have been much different and we might have lost her. I am SO thankful that my doctors' office had posters up reminding mothers-to-be to pay attention to their baby's movements so I knew that something was off, and so thankful that they took me seriously when I said I didn't feel her moving that day. It was the greatest feeling to hear her cry when she was born, and to finally hold her in our arms.

A day or so later Carson ended up with jaundice, which is a fairly common problem, but meant we had to stay in the hospital a few extra days while she underwent phototherapy in the nursery. The hospital was so great and gave us a room to stay in even after I was discharged so we could be with her the whole time, and so I could feed her throughout the night. By the time we finally got the green light to take her home on Friday, we were more than ready to leave the hospital and start life as our new family of 4. Talk about a week of ups & downs!

We were welcomed back home with a decorated house, flowers inside & out and our families there to celebrate with us. It made the homecoming even better.

Riker was glad to have us home too (I missed my little guy!), and he's already taking quite the interest in his little sister. So cute.

After so much hospital food, I was also excited to get back to eating normal food. Food with lots of color! While my parents were with us, they took care of the cooking which was great and super helpful. After they left and we were on our own, I took to making quickie meals - green smoothies, frozen carrot soup, Hilary's veggie burgers with goat cheese and tri-color peppers, and salads. 

Last night's salad was my favorite so far. It included:

- Frisee
- Red peppers
- Cucumbers
- Beets (no time to roast fresh ones these days - I used a can of beets I had in the pantry)
- A handful of mixed nuts
- Blueberry vanilla goat cheese (snagged at Trader Joe's during our big haul last weekend)
- Olive oil & vanilla balsamic vinegar
(Matt and Riker added sliced up Italian sausages to theirs for some added protein)

So colorful and tasty!

We even snuck in a mini date night already, if you can believe it. Riker had a sleepover on Tuesday night with his cousin, so Matt and I decided to seize the opportunity and go out for dinner. There were multiple reasons:

1. Dinner without a 2-year-old in tow is quite the relaxing experience!

2. Carson is probably one of the quietest babies, ever. Riker was colicky from the beginning, but we got lucky with this one - she only cries when she needs something (fingers crossed it stays that way!). We figured we'd take a chance and see how she did at a restaurant, and she slept peacefully under her canopy through the entire dinner.

3. It was beautiful out, and I really needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Dinner al fresco sounded perfect.

4. I've been craving sushi since the day I found out I was pregnant. 

And...

5. Mama has also been itching for a cocktail since the warm weather set in a few weeks ago. I am currently breastfeeding, but my doctor says one or two cocktails is fine, so I thoroughly enjoyed this Lemon Ginger Martini with my sushi and edamame. Yum!

While we're settling into parenthood of 2, blog posts will probably slow down for a bit, but I'll post as often as I can. I have some new recipes to share and a giveaway coming up, so I won't be idle for long! :) In the meantime, I'll close this crazy long post with one more pic of the babe. Despite the sleeplessness, our house feels so warm, full of life and surrounded by happiness. So in love with my little family! <3 

Chamomile, Pear & Blueberry Smoothie (Recipe ReDux)

I have a new smoothie recipe for you this morning - one with an unexpected ingredient. I'm a huge coffee lover and really enjoy the daily morning ritual of sipping on a hot mug (or these days, iced cold mason jar) of rich dark coffee. But I also enjoy my fair share of tea.

Although I enjoy drinking herbal teas before bed or making all kinds of crazy flavored iced teas for daytime, I honestly never have cooked with tea before. So when I saw that this month's Recipe ReDux theme was about cooking with tea, I was a little stumped. But then it hit me. Why not replace the usual milk or coconut milk in my morning smoothie with some brewed tea instead?

Tea packs a bunch of health benefits, so drinking it in the morning with breakfast can give you a nice boost. This is also a great way to incorporate tea into your diet if you like the idea of tea, or want to get the health benefits, but don't really care for drinking it on its own.

I used chamomile tea in this smoothie, and it added such an interesting herbal, lemony flavor to the smoothie. I have tons of different fruit teas at home so I see more experimentation in my future. Use whatever kind of herbal tea you have on hand and see what you like best!

Chamomile, Pear & Blueberry Smoothie

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 frozen pear (I peeled, chopped and froze mine overnight)

Small handful blueberries

1/2 cup cooled chamomile tea (I also brewed this the night before so it was chilled by morning)

3 Tbsp. plain yogurt

1 tsp. honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Babymoon & Philly Food Spots

This past weekend Matt and I had the chance to get away for a little babymoon weekend just the two of us. My parents came down from Vermont and wanted to spend some alone time with Riker, so after having a family dinner Friday evening, Matt and I hit the road for a two-night stay in Old City, Philadelphia. The first time we did a babymoon, when I was pregnant with Riker, we did a 4 day trip to Martha's Vineyard which I would've loved to do again, but the drive was too far. Philly is so close to us but we don't often go for overnighters, and this was the first time we stayed in Old City in a couple years. I forgot how much I love this town!

Matt and I really make an effort to have regular date nights and time alone, but we don't often get to do an overnight just the two of us these days, and I have to say I feel like taking a short getaway every now and then really is important to our relationship. We had so much fun just being spontaneous and eating leisurely meals and laughing, laughing, laughing. Not that I ever forget, but spending some alone time together reminds me all over again how much I love this man.

***

We were only in Philly for a short time, but we did a lot of walking, a little sightseeing, and a whole lot of eating. My sister's boyfriend Justyn had recommended a bunch of pubs and restaurants we might like, so we had a list of places to check out.

Friday night we wandered around Old City for a while and stopped into Eulogy, which was an awesome little spot. Matt had a few craft beers and we split an order of their famous fries with homemade dipping sauces.

Our concierge had told us about a famous ice cream spot around the corner, the Franklin Fountain, which has been there since the 1920s. The line is insane even in cold weather, but so, so worth it. We ended up going there both nights so we could sample a few of their flavors as well as their homemade hot fudge and peanut butter sauce. Amazing!

***

Saturday morning we slept in and laid in bed till 9:00 watching HGTV and eating some fruit I brought from home. I honestly can't remember the last time we stayed in bed till 9:00 watching TV. It felt amazing. After we got moving, we split up for a while to do his & hers workouts. Matt went for a run around the city, and I went for a jog/walk on the pier. We were staying right at Penns Landing so could see the water from our hotel room, which was really pretty in the morning light.

The rest of the day included some time at the hotel pool, about 6 miles of walking all around the city - from Old City through China Town to center city - some great food, a stop into the famous Reading Terminal Market for a snack, a visit to the Philly Art Museum, a nightcap (for Matt) at Monk's Cafe, a visit to a really old candy store (the place totally looked like Willy Wonka's) for a treat for Riker, and of course ice cream to top the whole night off. I mean, after a morning jog and then 6 miles of walking, I figured I'd earned it. ;)

Our favorite food spots included:

FarmiCia

I had my heart set on a good brunch, so was excited when I found Farmicia on Yelp and it got such great brunch reviews. It was only a short walk from our hotel, too.

This place had a farm-to-table feel and the staff was incredibly friendly. We were starving by the time we got there, so ordered an appetizer of lox and capered cream cheese with bagel crisps.

For my meal I ordered a crab & spinach omelet with hollandaise and a side of cheese grits. I initially ordered a side salad, but the waiter convinced me to order the grits. Who knows when we'll be back again? They were pretty fantastic.

FarmiCia has a brunch happy hour where all drinks and cocktails are 50% off, and I definitely was feeling a little bummed that I couldn't have a Bloody Mary or mimosa like everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be doing. Oh well, only 2 more months till baby girl is here and then it'll be cocktail time. Until then, it's coffee for this girl.

Matt did partake in a breakfast stout to wash down his breakfast quesadilla and homemade scrapple.

Tria Taproom

We hit up Tria Taproom for dinner after walking the city and then walking around the museum for 3 hours, so it was quite the oasis when we arrived. Tria has a few different spots in the city, but we wanted the atmosphere of their taproom. Everything - both beer & wine - is on tap, and they have a list of really unique flatbreads.

We started with some oyster poppers, and what may have been the best salad I've ever had in my life. It was a burrata salad (if you've never had burrata, it's fresh mozzarella filled with basically strings of mozz that have been soaked in cream, and it's delicious), topped with wood grilled broccoli rabe, crispy shallots, red onions, greens, and fresh herbs.

We each ordered a flatbread too, which I really wanted to finish because it was so good, but I only made it about halfway through.

Matt's flatbread was topped with smoked mozzarella, fig jam, smoked duck, foie gras mousse, and fresh tarragon. No joke, he said it was one of the best meals he'd ever eaten.

I ordered the "breakfast flatbread" which was topped with smoked mozzarella, blue cheese, potatoes, crispy shallots, green onions and a fried egg (it came with bacon too, but I ordered it without). I've seen egg on pizza a few times on Food Network and have been wanting to try it, and have to say it was really good. The yolk adds a nice creaminess to the pizza.

I would highly recommend both of these places if you're ever in Philly!