I'm Back, Baby!

Hello, Reader (yes, I know there is only one of you!) -

It's hard to believe it but my new baby girl will be 4 weeks old this coming Thursday! Much of March has passed by in a blur, to be honest. We are sleep-deprived and adjusting to Life With a Newborn, which we forgot all about. Here's one observation: Any attempt to sit down and share a meal with your husband will be interrupted by said Infant. I am talking about breakfast, dinner, even our delicious Dairy Queen Blizzards that the Hub so thoughtfully picked up for us last night. Infant will invariably begin to cry for her own meal, or just wants to be fussy/be held/be changed. So the past 4 weeks have meant eating in shifts. I try to remind myself that this stage is short-lived and that it will get better soon!!!! Mantra... it will get better soon...

So, Reader, in an attempt to shed these last 12 pounds of baby weight I am looking for tasty alternatives to the Crap I Craved While Pregnant, such as cheese, nuts, chips, and the like. I have read on various blogs about Kale Chips, which seems bizarre, if you think about it. My grocery store has an iffy produce section but last week I wandered over to the greens, and lo and behold, there was kale! So I decided to try it once and for all. It is rainy and dreary today; the kind of weather you want to indulge in warm chocolate chip cookies and milk. So, instead, I took out the Kale. You get the salty, crispy, chip-like feel, but a good dose of greens.

Kale Chips

Kale
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 350. On cookie sheet (I covered mine in parchment) tear kale into pieces. Do not include the fibrous stem.

Toss kale with olive oil and salt.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy.

Note: next time I may add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to see how it adds to it!

Cookie Monster

Is it normal for an almost-39-week pregnant woman to have such an intense craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies that even though she is exhausted, decides to whip up a batch on a Sunday afternoon? That's what I did today. The Hub even offered to go out and buy me some sweet treat, but I knew only warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk would do. There's probably about 10 other things I should be doing, such as resting, or setting up the pack 'n play, or organizing something.

I do love to bake. In fact, I love to bake a million times more than cooking, to be honest. I think it's also a calming mechanism for me. A few days before my wedding, I decided I would make a nice dinner for my parents (I was living at home at the time) and decided to also make an apple pie from scratch. I had never made a pie before, and I know my mom thought I was nuts to take on such a task right before the wedding, but it did help me with my stress.

Unfortunately, I think the baking may have to take more of a backseat very soon because I don't think an infant is conducive to that hobby, plus I have over 35 pounds of baby weight to lose! I've already eaten 3 of these cookies today, and I imagine that might push the weight up just a bit more. Can't wait to get weighed tomorrow at my doctor's appointment!

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips (note - I did not have enough semi-sweet chips, so I added some milk and dark chocolate to make up the difference)
1 cup (130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 30 min, preferably longer so you don't end up with a flat cookie.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!!)

Nesting Mode

I am 35 1/2 weeks and counting and now that we have a new chest freezer in the basement, I no longer have an excuse to delay making up some meals in preparation for #2's arrival. Wednesday I decided to make Cooking Light's Ground Turkey Chili, found here. This is a staple in my house. I doubled it so I have enough for 3 dinners. I also decided to make cornbread, however I didn't look to make sure I had cornmeal in my pantry... so instead I had buttermilk and melted butter, but no cornmeal. This is typical of me. So I improvised and made an Irish Soda Bread instead.

I also decided to jump on the Marcella Hazan bandwagon of late and make her Simple Tomato Sauce, which I read about here. It is almost too simple that is seems impossible that it could taste good. Butter, canned whole tomatoes, and an onion. The verdict: I really liked it. It almost reminded me of the pizza sauce on Bertucci's pizza. It was very light, yet flavorful. The hub thought it missed something, like basil or some seasoning.

Next on the cooking front will be Bolognese sauce & meatballs. (Yes, I'm Italian) Although the thought of making meatballs nauseates me right now, so I may have to recruit the hub.

It's really true about the end of pregnancy and the overwhelming urge one has to get things in order. I have a big list for this weekend, which includes packing my hospital bag, getting the carseat ready and out of the attic, etc. Now that the Big Girl Room is complete, I have to make sure the nursery is in order for the new occupant!