august cooking challenge- menu week 3

note: since i'm making a point to eat what's stocked in my fridge or pantry, i didn't need to purchase too many extra groceries this week.  this weekend, i will head to CA to spend time with family.  i hope to keep on cooking through the end of my challenge! :)

for my august cooking challenge, here's what i planned for week 3:

M, 8/15- Salad- "Crunchy Romaine Toss" courtesy of AllRecipes

(rating: B; review: i enjoyed this salad, but will make changes next time: less lettuce, more ramen noodles, green onions, not substitute with red wine vinegar--mistake, meant to use apple cider vinegar, and grabbed the wrong bottle.  otherwise, the taste was distinctively different. :)

T, 8/16- Chicken- "Chicken Spaghetti Toss" courtesy of TasteofHome or "Chicken Spaghetti Salad" (i made the first one)

(rating: B; review: i only cooked it with 1 lb. of chicken, which proved to be too much.  i also boiled the frozen chicken first, and then finished cooking the rest with the onions.  i wouldn't do that again.  i would defrost the chicken, and then cook it with the rest of the ingredients.  i didn't have enough green onions, so i threw in half a chopped onion, as well.  also, i don't like lemon pepper, so i only used pepper instead.  i thought that with all the pasta this dish required, it tasted a bit too bland.  so, i sauteed the rest of the onion with some more garlic in butter and oil.  it tasted better, but next time, i'll make sure to have more green onions.  it might also have been too many noodles for this dish... i thought that it was a good dish, but just need to adjust the amounts here and there.  hubby also liked this.)

W, 8/17- Pasta- "Italian Pasta Bake" courtesy of Pennies on a Platter

R, 8/18- Beef/Turkey- "Ginger and Steak Salad" courtesy of Pioneer Woman

F, 8/19- Vegetarian- "Macaroni and Cheese Casserole" courtesy of Moneywise Moms

Sa, 8/20- Leftovers- "Taco Ring" courtesy of Jenn's aunt

Su, 8/21- Slow Cooker/Casserole- "Taco Soup" courtesy of Jessica

new mom tip #2

new mom tip #2


the carseat is quite versatile.  while your baby rides in it in the car (its main purpose), it also serves many more possibilities, such as: a make-shift high-chair, crib, bouncer, and the most-important, next-to-the-shower-seat-while-mama-takes-her-much-needed-daily-shower.  all while playing "peek-a-boo" without the words... as mama showers and little sleepyhead cozily nestles in the carseat in-between the door frame.  God bless the multi-purpose!

tips

i am going to start a new "new mom tip" section... albeit, it might be about newborns (been there, done that), infants (we're still put-putting here), toddlers (not quite there yet)...


new mom tip #1

whenever you leave the house, get out of the car, or a store, look towards the direction of the sun and shade your carseat/baby's head away from the sun.  pull the shade down.  whether you do it or not, your child will turn away from the brightness.  with blue/green eyes as being the most sensitive, your child's eyes will thank you.

eight months

our girls turned eight months today on 8/10/11!

where.does.time.go?

as they near closer to one year, i can't help but have mixed emotions with all that we have experienced these past eight months... most importantly, gabriel and and my life was changed... forever... as were the girls' lives!

became a mama for the first time.  to twins.  identical.  girls.  surreal then, and sometime surreal now.  second nature, it has become, though.  naps, feedings, pumping, juggling both, co-managing double tears, cloth diapers x2... have i done this before?  never.  i would like to say that...

we were all thrown into the headbands, matching-outfits, coordinating earrings, toothless grins with beautiful deep-blue-black-hole eyes....

they are so different now than eight months ago... it's amazing to see how much growth a person can have through measurable length... born as preemies with 4#15 and 18" and 4#14 and 19" in such a low percentile for their weight, yet, they're now growing like little beautiful weeds with their height and holding their own with their weight.

i feel so old in one way, but i feel so young in another light... partly because my daughters bring out so much youth to my life.  they envision things and have different glasses on than i do with my own blue-with-yellow-laces-eyes...

did i think that i'd look at a ceiling fan the same way months ago?  hardly.
did i think i could love two little babies of mine this much?  sounded far off.
did i think that i'd be able to leave them and return to work?  definitely not.  so glad that i didn't.  so privileged that God blessed us with such beautiful gifts that i had a safe escape to not return to work.
would it have been a different story with one baby?  i don't know.  it's never been about one baby; i have two.  always has been two, always will be two.
did i think we'd have identical twin girls?  jokes aside, wasn't a thought in my mind that God would split my egg.  betcha your cards that i'm so thankful that He did.

we're so blessed with our miraculous babies... they are a dream not wished, but a dream come true.

we love you, willow kate and coral bliss!

love, tati si mama :)

august cooking challenge- menu week 2

note: i'm really proud of myself for week 1... even with twins and although, i sometimes ate at 9p.m.! lol.  i made a point to cook/plan every night... and, minus the night with leftovers, i did just that. :)  i love that i added new dishes to my recipe box.
also, since i did meal planning for two weeks, i had planned to use a lot of leftovers, so this week, i've only had to shop for fruit for groceries!  yay!!! :)

for my august cooking challenge, here's what i planned for week 2:

M, 8/8- Salad- "Shredded Chicken Salad" courtesy of MrsJanuary
(rating: A; review: from the previous night, i used the leftover chicken that my lovely husband deboned for me.  :)  that gave me one less thing to cook/to do, so i immediately started sauteing the full chopped with two peppers-red and green, garlic and oil.  from there, i added the chicken broth that i had used a bouillon cube to create, a full can of tomato sauce, and the spices.  instead of using iceberg lettuce, we chose to use romaine lettuce of which i shredded one of the organic three packs of lettuce from Trader Joe's.  atop, we put the "chicken sauce," as well as parmesan cheese.  usually, i shred my own cheese, but i was limited on time with a hungry hubby's belly. :)  it was DELISH.  i mean, absolutely delish.  when i finally set down to cook it, it had a bit too much lettuce, i'd say, and i decided to grab my previously used, but not entirely used, yellow corn tortillas from thursday night's dinner.  i then ate the mixture in the tortilla like a taco.  yum!!!  next time, i'll just serve as tacos and use less lettuce- yum x2!  and, i'll probably serve it with brown rice and homemade black beans.)

T, 8/9- Chicken- "Baked Honey Mustard Chicken" courtesy of AllRecipes served with brown rice, veggies, and black beans
(rating: B+; review: i quickly made the marinade, but didn't have enough mustard.  so, i used a bit more honey and mixed in some dry mustard.  the "sauce" was very good to put on the chicken.  we glazed the chicken, cooked it, and alongside, i had already cooked homemade black beans, and some frozen quinoa frozen mixture from TJ's- so what, i cheated!  the chicken tasted quite sweet, but not too much, however, my hubby LOVED the quinoa... i told him that he would since it's a "superfood."  as for the chicken, it tasted yummy, HOWEVER, whenever i make something, i always try to think of a way to make it better.  if i had marinated the chicken longer than just cooking it, then it would have tasted more moist.  so, next time, i'll marinate it for at least a couple of hours to allow the juices to really penetrate the meat.  otherwise, great meal!)

W, 8/10- Pasta- "Tomato and Garlic Pasta" courtesy of AllRecipes served with spaghetti noodles and homemade garlic bread
(rating: A-; review: i am so impressed with this dish.  yes, i was able to use up all of my tomatoes, and i substituted 2-3 T tomato sauce for 1 T of tomato paste.  that wasn't what impressed me.  hours later, and the dish's taste is still in my mouth.  i added garlic powder to the sauce, as well as put a bit more basil, himalayan ground salt, and pepper to it.  boiling the tomatoes like this instead of chopping them before and then boiling them was quite brilliant.  got the skin off fast, but also they tasted quite yummy.  this dish tasted as one you'd buy at Olive Garden.  served with homemade garlic bread with butter and garlic powder, i am still impressed that this dish still leaves such a taste in my mouth.  i asked my hubby if i should add chopped onion to it next time, and he said no.  the basil is what really makes this dish.  fresh basil might make it taste better, but i used dry basil.)

R, 8/11- Beef/Turkey- "Turkey and Parmesan Pasta" courtesy of Moneywise Moms
(rating: B-; review: i thought that dish was okay.  i didn't finish making/eating it until late--almost 11p.m.--but, i served it on leftover noodles.  i thought that it was okay... very liquidy with the diced tomatoes.  not quite flavorful...)

F, 8/12- Vegetarian- "Vegetarian Fajitas" courtesy of Moneywise Moms
(rating: B; review: i didn't have mushrooms nor black beans--not sure where they went--so, i just used one red onion, a red and a green pepper, made my own sauce, and served it on a Trader Joe's homemade wheat flour tortilla with some sour cream.  i thought it was yummy, but my hubby didn't like it.  :(  he rarely likes "only" vegetarian meals...)

Sa, 8/13- Leftovers- "Egg Salad Sandwich" courtesy of AllRecipes
today was a really difficult day, so i didn't make my egg salad.  i did eat leftovers instead.  as for the egg salad sandwich, i have made it before, and it's quite excellent.  very tasty!

Su, 8/14- Slow Cooker/Casserole- "Weeknight Ravioli Bake" courtesy of KraftCanada

august cooking challenge- menu week 1

for my august cooking challenge, here's what i planned for week 1:

M, 8/1- Salad- "Veggie Salad Pasta Toss" courtesy of KraftCanada 

(rating: C; review: tasted better warm than cold, too many noodles, the fresh parsley tasted gross for leftovers; wasn't thrilled with it, and will probably not make it again- if i were to, then i would do dry parsley instead, less noddles, and more dressing)

T, 8/2- Chicken- "Herbed Tomatoes, Chicken, and Rice" courtesy of KraftCanada 

(rating: B; review: using my newly-made Italian Dressing Seasoning Dry Mix, i found that this was too little chicken for the amount of tomatoes, so i would add a couple more chicken breasts or cut back the amount of tomato liquid. also, i added a few extra pressed garlic cloves that are from Trader Joe's in a red container in the frozen section. as for the rice, i used leftover rice, which saved me time and $.  to make this again, i would throw in a pinch of the Italian Dressing Seasoning Dry Mix, less tomatoes, and a bit more chicken.  all in all, not a shabby dinner.  my hubby really loved it!)

W, 8/3- Pasta- "Spaghetti With Zesty Bolognese"* courtesy of KraftCanada

(rating: A+; review: used the Italian Dressing Seasoning Dry Mix again, both once i turned it into an actual dressing, but also threw in a pinch of it, as well, and i believe THAT and the [extra] cream cheese absolutely made this dish.  served atop spaghetti noodles which made it taste absolutely yummy!  by the way, substituted ground turkey for ground beef.)

R, 8/4- Beef/Turkey- "Green Enchiladas"* courtesy of my mom; served with black beans, brown rice and "Caramel Brownies" for dessert
(rating: A+; review: when my siblings and i were younger, my mom grew tired of rolling enchiladas for a family of six.  she designed this "casserole" as an alternative to enchiladas while still serving its yummy taste buds.  created with the simple ingredients of mild green enchilada sauce, yellow corn tortillas from Trader Joe's Trader Joe's- huge taste difference opposed to some others!-, ground turkey, and mozzarella and cheddar cheese, this dish is to die for.  serve with the choice of sour cream or ranch dressing; both will delight your stomach!  the black beans were presoaked for 24 hours, and cooked in the pressure cooker the following day with a chopped onion, 1 T of salt, and a few garlic cloves.  the rice was cooked in the rice cooker with a bit of butter.  and, as for the brownies!!!  i need to blog about those later. :)

F, 8/5- Vegetarian- "Real Macaroni and Cheese" courtesy of Moneywise Moms

(rating: B-; review: too little flour, broccoli, mustard were required for the recipe.  i kept adding more flour and, of course, mustard, to even itself out, but it still wasn't thickening.  finally, tasted a bit too mustardy, but not that white cheddar taste i preferred.  hardly that taste, actually.  would need to find a middle ground with the measurements next time)

Sa, 8/6- Leftovers- yay!!!  had some more of wednesday night's dinner. :)  it's now all gone!  boo! :(

Su, 8/7- Slow Cooker/Casserole- "Baked Slow Cooker Chicken" courtesy of AllRecipes; served with veggies, and "Foil Potato Packets on the Grill"*
(rating: A-; review: put the foil balls in the bottom of the crock pot, about a cup and a half of chicken broth, a few peeled carrots, stuffed the chicken with two onions, three garlic cloves, removed most of the skin off the chicken based on a review that i read so that the meat is lathered with spices and not the easily removable skin.  was quite surprised with how hard it was to remove the chicken- actually quite a process!  smothered the chicken with garlic powder, sea salt, powder, meat tenderizer, Mrs. Dash, and cooked it on high for about 1.5 hours, then on low for about 3.5 hours.  the chicken FELL off the bone!!!  soooooo soft and moist, but not as moist as i imagined it to be.... my veggies were the carrots and onions that i threw in there, which cooked surprisingly soft, but the onions were still a bit resilient to fully softening up.  after trying to work the grill- not my forte, i resorted to my toaster oven, and cooked 10+ potatoes in the way directed in the second recipe.  put sea salt, olive oil and pepper on them, and they tasted like a healthy version of french fries; my husband was quite impressed.  he LOVED them.  will make this dish again, perhaps with more veggies next time. :)

*fabulous dish.  absolutely recommend it and will make again.

august cooking challenge- sample menu

as i posted earlier, my challenge started with the movie julie & julia.  i had to make it realistic for me, a new SAHM of seven-month old twin girls.  so, i decided that, for the month of august, i'd create a very simple meal plan and stick by it.

but, here's the thing: for the past couple of weeks, i haven't been much of a cook because the girls eat up so much of my time and also my hubby is hardly home since he's working so much.  what's the point to cook a glorious dinner when i'm the only one eating it... night after night?  so, G and i talked about the "idea" of cooking dinner more often (remember, it had been weeks!)... well, i mean "me" cooking more.

so, i came up with this plan of certain types of meals on certain days:

M- salad
T- chicken
W- pasta
R- turkey/beef
F- vegetarian
Sa- leftovers
Su- crock pot/slow cooker/casserole

i mean, i always find these incredible recipes... and, then i end up cooking chicken four nights in a row.  i needed something different for us.

so, a week ago, i did a lot of research through the sites i mentioned before, along with my newsletters... and, i sorta cheated. :)  i peeked at the weekly menu plans that Moneywise Moms emails, which then linked me to some other blogs... from there, i planned our menu for two weeks...

check back for what i planned... :)

the movie that inspired my new august cooking challenge

have you seen julie & julia?

a movie that i picked up at the library amongst some others, i have always wanted to see j & j.  for so many reasons.  i mean, i love to try new recipes, i'm constantly bookmarking suggested recipes (almost too many and although i 90% won't get around to making them); get AllRecipes daily, quick and easy recipes emailed to me... i'm more than willing to try something new.  it's like glorified time that i don't have but i wish i could spend on cooking more. :)

so, i watched the movie, and was quite impressed.  i won't divulge the synopsis, but one of the main characters takes upon herself a huge worthy challenge within a certain time frame.  it sounded like a good idea.  i wondered if i could do that.  i mean, the month of august was creeping upon me... would i be able to do something similar but scaled down to a more reasonable possibility?  yes, please.

now, let me back up for a moment.  i get emails everyday from two sites:

1. Moneywise Moms
2. AllRecipes

through some blog trails, i've found some more blogs/sites that interest me in this challenge:

1. KraftCanada
2. Pennies on a Platter
3. I'm An Organizing Junkie
4. Feeding Four
5. VitaMix
6. The Pioneer Woman
7.  Cooks
8.  Simply Alicia (my cousin)
9. Cooking During Stolen Moments: An Affair With My Kitchen
10. Annie's Eats
11. Stephanie O'Dea's "A Year of Slow Cooking" or here

the next time i write... i will share my challenge.  the more i blog about it, the more accountable i'm held. :)

have you seen this movie?  what's your favorite FOOD-related movie?

the TWO pumping necessities

there are two* necessities that you will LOVE for a good pumping session.  whether you're at home or on the go... you'll be so thankful for the both of these...

i remember when i was in Babies 'R Us, and i saw this hands-free pumping bra.  i thought, $40 is a lot to spend on that, and i kept on walking.  WELL, i went back to get it.  BEST CHOICE EVER.

if you pump, there are TWO necessities that you ABSOLUTELY will need.  i mean, absolutely, no choice around it, saving you SO much time... so, here they are:

1. hands-free pumping bra by medela.

(about $40)

now, look at how easy it is to use and still multi-task at the same time... even changing diapers, playing with your babies, paying the bills online... it's AMAZING.  look at all those possibilities here.  no more detesting your pumping sessions...  it's endless how much strength and time you'll save because you'll use it about 8x a day!  totally get your usage out of it!!!

now, two things:
1. do NOT buy one until AFTER you deliver.  you have no idea what size you'll be until you deliver.  until after your milk comes in.  there's no guarantee with estimating, so just wait it out.
2. you are ABLE to convert a former bra into this with a guide here.  the ONLY thing i'll say about this is your bra fastens in the back, and this hands-free bra shown above fastens in the front.  that is super convenient for when you're quickly assembling everything to pump... especially in the dark.  :)


2. a car charger for your pump by medela.

(about $18)

for pumping women on the go, whether you're SAHM, WAHM, or working moms, you will NEED this.  imagine a time when you are ready to leave the house, you time everything perfectly in order to return... only to pump.  if only you could eliminate that, and continue your ventures in the outside!  you can have a life!!!  this gives you that possibility.  i can't tell you how many times i had to return home in order to do that... or try and plan my day accordingly to come home and pump.  i've had this for five months, and it's been a complete lifesaver... saving time so i don't have to return home for ONE reason when everybody else/everything else is already with me on the go.  plus, it's AMAZING if you're looking to travel by car... just pump in the backseat.  lol.  :)  it's so easy to use, and it's the same exact function as a regular plug for the medela instyle pump.  now, for the privacy?  see below. :)

*3. a+a blankets.

(aden + anais muslin butterfly patch swaddles- $37.99)

now, i know that i said TWO pumping essentials, but read below under "3+ months #6" and you'll understand why i included it. :)

for my twin girls, we have two sets of these = 8 total.  these things are awesome and TOTALLY worth every pricey penny.  just so you know, i do know that Target has a limited selection for a reasonable price.  my girls were born in december, and we have used these swaddling blankets EVERY single day since then.  not kidding... every day.  they are suitable for any season.

here's why:

from about 0-2 months, you'll swaddle your baby with these blankets.  they are oh-so-soft, which is exactly what my friend kim kessler donaldson said before i delivered my babies... she said she discovered them with her third child.  they are so so soft.  they do get softer each time you use them... and, they will soon smell like that sweet baby breastmilk (if that's what you do)... that heavenly sweet apricot/peach smell. :)

3+ months, my babies could care less about swaddling.  they fight it like all get out.  :)  so, we use them for the following:
1. to help prop up the bottles to feed the babies whether that's in the crib, carseat, stroller seat, or bouncer (remember, i have two)...
2.  we use them as burp cloths... now, yes, at the beginning i used the gerber prefold diapers as burp cloths, which were AMAZING, and we were always washing them so we needed tons of them with two babies... but, now that my girls aren't spitting up as much as NBs, i quickly grab one of these, place it on my shoulder, and burp, hold my baby or babies... ;) it's nice because it's more coverage in case there is a mishap.
3. use them as a stroller shielder.  in the hot AZ summer, my girls and i stay indoors, but also run a bunch of errands.  for the hot days, i'll put them in their carseats/stroller seats in the stroller, push them around, and whether they're sleeping or not, sometimes, i lie one of these atop the seat to shield my babies....
4. going with #3, i also use them as a sun protector for my babies when we're going somewhere, and i'm carrying one of them... i'll put it over her face to shield her eyes because my girls always close their eyes towards the bright sun with their beautiful big blue eyes... so, it's a simple fix.
5. quick changing table... say you forgot your instant changing table pad and you're in Target's family restroom, so you put this on their portable changing table, and an easy, light fix (true story) because you'll always have more than one on hand since they're so lightweight and easy to put in your diaper bag.
6. nursing cover/pumping cover... when i'm around family, and don't feel like isolating myself, they know that i need to nurse (those were the days- sigh) or pump, so i just take one side of the blanket, loosely tie it together, and i've created a triangular open pocket... an easy shield for your privacy even around others....
ALSO, i use this shield when i'm out and about, pumping on the go... yes, driving around town!  lol!  :)

what are YOUR favorite pumping necessities?

top strollers

thebump came out with a Top 10 Strollers' list... check it out here. also, Baby Center came out with their Top Strollers' list, as well.  check it out here.

three notes about thebump's top strollers:
1. Baby Jogger made the list (we have a different one, BUT, still the same manufacturer).
2. the orbit stroller is on there!!!  if i had only ONE baby, then i would have died and gone to heaven for that one. ;)  the futuristic sleek look is just awesome.  plus, it looks so functional.  i LOVED seeing this one at buybuyBABY.
3. the Phil and Teds stroller is impractical.  BBB said that, especially, the double is made very impractical with tons of room for error.  see a photo of the double here.  there are so many mistakes with this stroller.  i can go into much more detail, but with the bottom seat, it's unsafe for the baby, allowing the baby to touch the wheel, possibly the ground.  up close and personal, this stroller stinks.  i think it's quite $$$ for how cheaply designed/impractical it is = a pile of garbage.  poor kid whoever gets the lower seat... looks like (s)he might become claustrophobic. :( for less $, you can get my stroller seen down below! :)  

here's our Baby Jogger City Select stroller here.

everything about this stroller is awesome... it holds its purpose for a singleton, and can easily convert into a double!!!  here are all the 16 combinations that it can do:

BBB says that this is their #1 double stroller, which is awesome.  i already had my mind made up when i went there to check it out, but ended up purchasing it through Jogging Strollers 4 Less.  saved tons of $$$!!!

anyway, will blog later about how much i love my stroller!  meanwhile, what is YOUR favorite stroller and why?