If you're feeling adventurous...

I didn't use to like to cook - in fact, I hated it. And still, nowadays, I would almost always prefer to bake something than to cook a meal. BUT over the last 12 years of marriage and 4 1/2 years as a stay-at-home mom, I have learned to love cooking, or at least like it more than I used to.

I have found that the trick is variety. If I don't have cook and serve a variety of foods throughout the year, I get seriously bored and start to hate it all over again. I'm just not the kind of Mom who can serve Mac-n-cheese or hot dogs or spaghetti or whatever night after night after night and be satifsifed. It's just too boring for me. I need variety to keep me interested in doing it.

Disclaimer: There ARE a couple of go-to meals that I make on a regular basis that are easy and don't take a lot of thought and prep work - if I tried to be Julia Childs every night I think I would probably just lose my mind. Therefore, we do, on a regular basis eat hamburgers, pizza (every Friday night is our family pizza night and we make our own, which is fun), quesadillas, and all sorts of those lame-o Campbell's soup recipes (those have saved me in a pinch many a time). Gotta love an easy dinner.

BUT I am constantly trying new things in the kitchen, and the members of my family are usually really good sports about putting up with some of the random things I have served them.

Here is my latest venture into new recipe territory:

Roasted Tomatillo and Chicken Chilaquiles

It's like a casserole. I saw the video for it online, and as soon as I saw that the sauce was basically green salsa (made up of tomatillos, garlic, jalepeños, onions, cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice), I was sold. Can you really go wrong with that mix of ingredients? By the way, if you've never heard of tomatillos (which I hadn't, before I made this), they are really small bright green tomatos with a husk on the outside (you peel this before using them). They have a delightful light lemony flavor (click on the green salsa link if you want to see a picture of them).

So anyhow, instead of using noodles or rice, this casserole-type dish uses whole wheat tortillas cut up into strips - interesting, no?

Anyhow, so the rest of it is shredded roasted chicken (and yes, I roasted a chicken the day before for this recipe, because I don't think it would taste the same if you just used cooked boneless breasts), more cilantro, green onions, cumin, chili powder, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (for the exact recipe, click here).

Then you top the whole thing with queso fresco (a soft crumbly mexican cheese that reminds me a little bit of mozzerella - it is soooo yummy, and you can get it at Walmart), and mozzerella.

It was delicious!!! And if you like mexican food, especially green salsa, I am betting you will love it, too.

HOWEVER, as much as I loved the overall flavor of this dish, there are a few things that I would change when I make it again.

#1)I will probably take some of the cilantro out - it was a bit overpowering

#2) I will probably cut down on the green onions, too, just to lower the intensity a bit.

#3) I am thinking that next time, instead of tortilla strips (I don't know that I was crazy about tortillas baked into a casserole - the soft texture bugged me a little), that I will do brown rice and black beans, and then serve the whole thing with whole wheat tortillas to eat as a wrap instead of a casserole. Yes, I think THEN it will be perfect.

Anyhow, overall, it has a really rich flavor with a delicious hint of spices and lime - soooo good!

Purse update

I'm sure you've all just been on the edge of your seats wondering which way I would go... ;) I decided to go with the camel-colored satchel (the first purse pictured in my last post). I was leaning toward the hobo at first, but not necessarily because I liked it more - more because it was my "safe" option - I always have hobo bags (I do love them!), and the dark brown would have been just like my old purse, just a different color and a little bit bigger. I decided that I needed to try something new, something more fun, so I went with the satchel, and I'm glad I did. I didn't want a bigger bag, because #1) I don't double my purse as a diaper bag (I have a diaper bag for such things!), and #2) I didn't really want the temptation to cram it with more and more stuff (which I would have). And I just needed to choose something different this time. I love my new, cute purse. I love the beautiful purple satin lining, I love all the cute little compartments (the anal organizational freak in me is REALLY loving these!), and I just love the overall look of it. It's fun sometimes to not go with the same old, same old, y'know?

Indecisive me - HELP!

Okay, so here's the deal. Lou got me two purses for Christmas. He couldn't decide which one I'd like better, so he just gave them both to me and told me to keep the one I liked best. If only I wasn't horrible at choosing between two good things. These purses are so different from one another, and that's one of the things that makes it so hard. One is a cute satchel-style handbag, and the other is a basic over-the-shoulder hobo bag. I am so indecisive when it comes to trivial decisions like this, so I'm asking my friends out there which one they think is better (those of you who haven't by now rolled your eyes at this post and gone on to the next blog). I am not writing the prices because this is a gift, so I am not using that as a factor (not to mention I don't know how much they cost because Lou didn't tell me). And NO, I am NOT keeping them both, so don't suggest that

Satchel handbag

(I have such small arms, I can actually wear this on my shoulder too, but having two thick leather straps there is not really as comfy as a regular over the shoulder bag)

Pros:

-cute and stylish (I love the retro big zippers and the color of the leather)

-lots of compartments for better organization

-no bigger footprint than my old one

-pretty royal purple satin ( though probably faux satin) lining

Cons:

-HEAVY!!! This purse weighs 4 lbs 5 oz when it has all my stuff in it! It weighs over 2 lbs when it is empty! I am wondering if it would be really annoying to carry around a purse this heavy all the time

-I am wondering if this is going to be dirty looking fast with such light-colored leather

-smooth leather. This part I actually like - it makes for a more polished look, but of course it scratches easily, and having three kids, I have to take this into account. Ditto about the "getting dirty" worry

front

side (you can see the retro-style large zippers here)

back of purse (that is actually a pocket you are seeing there)

Hobo over-the-shoulder bag

Pros:

-this purse is about 20% bigger, which means not only does all my stuff fit with no problem, but I can put more stuff in it if I want to down the road

-It has plenty of compartments to organize my stuff (not as many as the satchel, but it's enough for my use)

-It is not too heavy. It weighs about 3 1/2 pounds when full of my stuff (about 1 1/2 pounds empty)

-the dark color will hide the wear and tear better

-the soft hammered leather will not scratch as easily

Cons:

-it's a good bit bigger than the other purse. Why do I put this as both a pro AND a con? Being able to fit more stuff in your purse (thus making it even heavier) is not necessarily a good thing...

-the lining is not as pretty - some sort of microfiber (but then again, it's probably more durable than the satin)

-it's kind of boring and whatever. Just sort of your basic purse (but then again, at this stage in my life, should I stick with that? I don't know.)

So, what do you think?

The DeGaetano's fall...and then "my fall"...

Yes, I know that Christmas is three days away and it seems kind of silly to do a fall post at this point, but I'm just getting around to it, so whatever. Here's just a few picks from our fall days in Central New York

Clark Reservation

(Josephine clowning around)

Sigh - beautiful, no?

Watkins Glen

(this is Maria posing here :)

This place was like a hidden paradise - so pretty!

Pumpkin Patch & Fall festivities

Halloween costumes

This is Edward sampling his first lollipop...with the wrapper still on. Guess what? He still loved it. :)

The girls just goofing around in the leaves

My sister's wedding

Maria and Josephine were flower girls

Edward got to wear his first suit!

Love this shot!!

I was a bridesmaid, so the girls' dresses and mine coordinated. Can you believe that these dark-haired beauties are actually half me? Weird. :)

Grant me a moment of vanity, but I love this picture of myself (something I don't often say). I was so excited to have my hair all curly and fancy, and I loved my plum-colored dress. It was nice to get all dressed up and feel like a girl. ;)

Now for "my fall" Yes, that is my attempt at a clever play-on-words. I had a bad fall this past Sunday, and I mean BAD. I was going down the stairs, and had my hands full, when one of my feet hit one of the stairs wrong (I had slippery socks on), and I went flying like a cartoon character on a banana peel (expect that it was sooo not funny). At first I thought I was fine – just bruised up on my tailbone and elbows, but as I started walking/limping around, I started to feel sick to my stomach, then came a killer headache, then whoosiness, then I started shaking all over. Shock. My body was in shock, I realized. And the pain was getting REALLY bad in my tailbone – radiating and throbbing all over and getting worse by the minute. It came to me right away that I must have broken it. I called my Dad and described the situation and he said without hesitation – “You broke it. I can tell just from the way you sound that you broke it.” NO WAY!!! I thought. NOT NOW! Six days before Christmas. He told me that there was nothing a doctor could do for it (which I later confirmed with my doctor), and that I just had to get a donut pillow (to be able to sit down) and to take some Ibuprofen or Tylenol. That was all I could do. Great. I got off the phone and was pretty much shaking uncontrollably and hyperventilating (due to the pain and the shaking, I’m thinking), and at that point, Lou came down from putting the girls to bed and saw me and came over immediately. He’s seen me go through three child labors drug free and not make such a fuss, so I think he knew this pain was BAD. I kept trying to breathe through it like I have done in labor, but the pain wasn’t the same. It wouldn’t let up, there were no break, and the shaking and the nausea made everything that much more awful. I felt like I needed to sit down because of the nausea, but I was afraid to sit because my butt bone hurt sooo bad. I finally sat down on a nice gel ice pack with Lou’s assistance. It was very painful at first, but after awhile it all went numb, which was just wonderful. Lou went and got me a donut pillow from the his office. I got a blessing, so I feel good about that. We were going to get it X-rayed, but, after doing some research and talking to my doctor, we found out that there are really no benefits to getting an X-ray, because no matter what the X-ray shows, they treat it the same – light pain meds and rest. I am not going to expose my ovaries to radiation for nothing – not with the molar pregnancy in my past – no way am I taking a chance on messing up the rest of my eggs!! I know this bone is broken from my symptoms – I don’t need to pay $70 (which is what it would cost in co-pays) and blast my body with radiation to confirm it.
At this point, I am just struggling with the whole "taking it easy" part. I don't LIKE to take it easy - that is the OPPOSITE of my personality!! Obviously all my plans for Christmas have been altered quite a bit, but my family has been wonderful about stepping up to the plate to help pick up my slack.

My extended family has gone out and finished some of my last-minute shopping for me, Lou went and did the grocery shopping last night, and has been helping out more with the diaper changes and bathing the kids and all that (it’s a Christmas miracle! :). The girls have also had to chip in more. Since I can’t even bend over without wincing in pain, they’ve had to help out with even the smallest things. It’s really hard for me to ask for so much help, as I am a VERY independent person, but I suppose everyone needs a nice humbling experience from time to time to keep them grounded. I’ve been trying to look at this experience like that – like an opportunity to learn something. There has to be some good that comes out of it, right? Sigh, I hope so, because the whole “no exercise, no sex for six weeks” thing pretty much seems like a prison term/death sentence to me. Yeah, that's right - I just wrote "sex" on my blog. I never claimed that this site was G-rated. :)

So I will be spending the next six weeks trying to swallow my pride and accept help from others and getting a big lesson in patience. I guess I COULD use that. :) Even so, I am dying to be back to my spunky, bouncing all over the place self soon. This “taking it easy” stuff sucks.


Merry Christmas to all my friends and family out there - I hope yours is wonderful and free from broken bones! ;)

My new favorite

This is my new favorite baby product! It's a baby carrier made by a company called "beco". They have two models - the Gemini, and the Butterly II (I have the Butterfly). No, I am not trying to win anything or advertize for the company, it's just that when I find something I love, I always want to share... :)


It's a soft structure baby carrier. I've tried framed backpacks - they don't work for me because I am too short for them, and I've tried the wrap things like the Moby - I really don't like being wrapped up like a mummy - way too much fabric, and I've tried the Mei Tei - way too much tying and big bulky bows all over the place, not to mention uncomfortable for me.

If you check out the beco website, you will see that these puppies are not cheap, so I looked at them for more than seven months before deciding to invest in one (my mamma always taught me to not impulse buy:). But I have to tell you, they are WORTH EVERY PENNY!!

They are extremely well-made (not to mention made in the USA, which I always love to see), have super cute patterns available (the picture above is the pattern I have, but there are many others), can be used as a front or back carrier, carry children 7-45lbs (yes, you read that right - they last from newborn to toddler), and best of all, they are SERIOUSLY COMFORTABLE!!

Like I said, I've tried a number of carriers (Snugli, Bjorn, Ergo, Mei Tai, Moby, Infantino), and this is by far the best one I have ever found. Here are a few pics to show why I am in LOVE with this carrier!

My girls and I like to hike - a lot. And taking a stroller on a hike...well, any Mom will tell you that it's not a plan. And carrying around 20lbs in your arms for over an hour at a time? Yeah...not happening. So that's the biggest reason I wanted a good carrier, so that our family could keep trecking around all over the outdoors and not be limited to tame stroller-friendly areas.

These last two pictures are from Watkins Glen (if you live in NY and you haven't gone - GO! It's amazingly beautiful). I hiked around for 2 hours with 20lbs on my back and was comfy the WHOLE time - amazing. No sore neck or back that night or the next day, either.

Here we are at the corn maze - it had been raining for days before we went, and there was no way a stroller was making it through the thick sticky mud everywhere - thank you, beco!

Clark Reservation - beautiful rocky areas to climb - if it weren't for my beco, we couldn't have gone.

Peek a boo!! Can you see the baby in this pic? :)

Elmwood Park - see these steps in the background? Built almost 100 years ago, and they are all over the park - no climbing up and down these with a stroller - beco saves the day again!!

Here's a pic of me wearing it in the front-carry position - yep, it's just as comfy as the back position (I wouldn't have believed it until I tried it myself), and I love how it gives me a chance to cuddle my now no-so-little baby. :)

If you are wondering where my girls are in all these pics - they are the ones taking the pictures!! They love to take pictures, and I think they don't do a half-bad job!

And finally my favorite pic of the bunch - the Trunk or Treat this year. Edward is in the crawling phase, so he doesn't really like to be in the stroller unless we're constantly moving, and if I try to hold him, he spends the whole time trying to get down and crawl away, so my beco saved me at the Trunk or Treat (a dark church parking lot is not really the ideal place for a baby to be crawling around, you see...) - he was safe and comfy the whole time, and since it was really cold out, I was able to snuggle him close to me and keep him warm.

Anyhow so there you go! As you can see, our beco has already gotten tons of use (I've only had it for a month now, and have already used it 9-10 times. And I don't just use it for hiking. At the end of the day, when Edward has had it and I'm trying to make dinner, I just put him in the carrier on my back, and I get to cook dinner in peace. He just chills and watches what I'm doing with no fussing at all - I love it.

I have always loved baby-wearing with all of my kids (I swear it is one of the best ways to bond with your babies), and this carrier has helped me to do it way more comfortably and was more often (those cheap carriers just don't cut it for long term use).

Conclusion: I love my new beco!!! And if you're in the market for a baby carrier, I highly recommend it. :)

Fall Treat - try it!

We have been doing everything pumpkin this fall - pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, etc. I love pumpkin desserts, can you tell?

So I had to try this one when I saw it on one of my favorite food blogs:

PUMPKIN PIE MILKSHAKES!!

If you love pumpkin pie, then your mouth is most definitely watering right now. If you click here, you can get the recipe. So stop drooling already and go make it. It is easy and super delicious - mmmmm, fall desserts...

Cake-smashing day (aka Edward's birthday)

In our family, we have a tradition for each baby's first birthday. We head out to one of our local parks and have a family BBQ. We went out to Clark's Reservation this year because a) it's close. b) it's beautiful in the fall.

Here's Maria entertaining Edward while we pack everything up. It was a beautiful day - warm and sunny, which was lucky, because in Syracuse, especially in the fall, you just never know.


THIS was our view as we had our afternoon cookout. C'mon, admit it - it's gorgeous. Thank you, Edward, for being born at THE perfect time in the fall - peak color season. :)

Mommy and baby (well, not quite a baby anymore, but he still is to me)

Edward and Grandma Louise (Lou's mom)

Josephine and Poppy (my Dad)

THE CAKE!! Our other tradition is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for the first birthday. No fancy decorations for babies who are just going to smash the cake anyway. :)

Yeah, that's right, Edward, jam it in there!

This is his second piece, and yes, he ate it all. (disclaimer, I am not big on overloading kids with sugar, but on their birthday, all bets are off!)

And without further ado, here is the traditional "first taste of cake" video.

My baby is a year old!!! AAAAA!!! Bittersweet. :)