Foods I Love and Baby Update

Max is 7 weeks old today.  I think I'm finally getting used to mothering a newborn (getting up every 2 hours overnight, preparation for diaper blowouts, dealing with baby meltdowns).  No, it's not easy, but babies must use their cuteness as a weapon because as soon as I get frustrated he looks at me and does something adorable.  Oh, babies!

I've cooked a few new recipes and I'd love to blog about them.  However, I'm typing this with Max in a  baby sling and sleeping on my chest and I don't know how much time I have.  Instead, here are some foods/drinks (both homemade and store bought) that I've been loving lately:

1.  Soups and stews - Summer is winding down and temps are dropping into the 60s at night.  My husband brings me fresh sweet corn every weekend (he gets 12 ears for $2 in Lancaster County) and I've been making corn and cheddar chowder and creamed corn. I've also made a large batch of chunky chili. I froze the leftovers for future meals. I know it will come in handy when I have a crazy day in a few weeks and I don't want to order takeout.

2. Edy's Fruitbars - I'm sure I mentioned this before, but these popsicles are the bomb! Costco sold them all summer in a 24 pack and ShopRite often has them on sale. Of course, you can probably buy them at every grocery store in America. My favorite flavors are Mango, Grape, and Lemon. The best part is that they are 80 calories a pop and have no artificial sweeteners.  I started loving these during my pregnancy and I'm still hooked on them.  Good thing I have a chest freezer in the basement.

3.  Boxed Wine - Yes, wine in a box. I was skeptical because I associate boxed wine with cheap, inferior product, but there are some decent choices out there. I decided to try boxed wine because I'm nursing Max and I have to limit my alcohol intake.  I enjoy cooking with wine and I also enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, but I felt that opening an entire bottle could be a waste.  I picked up two brands (Bota Box and Volere) at Costco and I was pleasantly surprised. I love that the wines stay fresh for 4 weeks (or more) after opening and that they come with a spout that allows you to pour just as much as you need, whether it's a full glass or just a splash for your favorite recipe.  I've been keeping one white blend and one red blend on hand for cooking and meals.

I've also learned a few things that have worked for me in parenting a newborn.  I know that every single baby is different, but here are a few things I've realized:

1.  Embrace the fact that you'll be up at odd hours.  I do most of the baby duty because I'm on maternity leave and my husband is working.  I'm also the one with the food since I'm nursing.  Max gets up every 2-3 hours (including all night long), so I use my DVR to record daytime talk shows and cooking shows to watch at 3am.  I also use the HBO GO app and the Netflix app to stream movies and television shows during those lonely late-night feedings.  I like to save the most interesting shows for 2am... gives me something to look forward to.

2.  Noise-canceling headphones are great for meltdowns.  No, I'm not telling you to ignore your baby, but when I can't figure out what Max wants I hold him in my arms and turn on my iPod.  I can see and feel him, so I can still console him, but I can listen to Thriller or my favorite financial planning podcast while my baby cries it out.  Sometimes I even sing to him.  By the time the album ends or the interview is over, he's often asleep.

3.  Amazon Mom is the bomb.  It's a version of Amazon Prime that offers free 2-day shipping on tons of stuff (including non-baby stuff) for free for 90 days.  I've used the service so much that I'll be paying the annual fee to continue it.  I've been able to find rare items in the exact color/style I need and have them delivered within 48 hours (or less).  This comes in handy for everything from DVDs to breast pumps to diapers.

4.  Baby wearing is convenient.  Granted, Max only weighs 7 pounds or so, but it's really convenient to wear him in a sling during the day.  I haven't tried it on an errand (I just use a stroller), but the baby sling is great for afternoons when he's fussy and just wants to be held.  I can keep him very close to me, but still fold laundry, start dinner, read email or do anything else that requires two hands without worrying about the baby monitor.  It's one of those things that works for me for now.

So that's my update.  I'm looking forward to getting some free time to write up some recipe posts, but until then this will have to do.  I'm happy that I'm still loving to cook and bake, despite the fact that I have to schedule my cooking around caring for Max.  I'm looking forward to Max getting big enough to help me in the kitchen.  What have you been up to lately?

Photo Update

Yes, I'm still here!  I'm 32 weeks pregnant (just 8 weeks until my due date) and I'm taking it easy.  I'm still working every day, but I'm limiting my time in the kitchen and I'm spending more time relaxing, sleeping and getting ready for the arrival of Baby Powell.

Instead of sharing a recipe today, I'm going to share a series of photos from my iPhone that illustrate what I've been up to in June.

I'm eating a ton of Rita's Water Ice.  It's a Philly-area favorite and my favorite (only) flavor is lemon.  I buy it by the quart and I can eat the whole quart in two days.  It's much lighter than ice cream, pleasantly tart, and great for a pregnant lady on a hot day.  If I ever move away from Rita's I'll be sad.

It's baseball season!  As some of you know, my husband loves the Phillies, so our evenings are almost always spent with a game playing in the background.  In past years we've been to several games during the season, but I can't take the heat this year.  Fortunately, we were able to score some seats in the shaded and air-conditioned Hall of Fame Club this past Sunday, so I was able to enjoy a game live and in person.  And the Phillies lost.  Go figure.  They aren't doing so well this year.  I still had fun.

I'm doing the best I can to prepare for my new role as mama to this baby of ours.  We've spent evenings in breastfeeding class, newborn class and childbirth class.  I'm even reading this book that's supposed to teach me how to soothe my crying baby.  Yes, I'm overwhelmed, but I'm also excited!  And I'll let you know if the book works for us.

I don't feel like cooking every night.  When I do cook, I often forget to pull out the camera.  We go out to eat often.  This is some pad thai that I enjoyed (courtesy of a Groupon... check out that site!) a few weeks ago.  I miss cooking.  I'm looking forward to getting back to my routine soon.  Part of my lack of desire to cook comes from my small appetite.  This bowl of pad thai lasted me three meals.  I have no idea what's going on, but my stomach seems to have shrunk.  I thought pregnant ladies were supposed to be hungry all the time?

E and I celebrated our 10-year college reunion this month.  This photo is from a booth that was set up at the event.  I can't believe I graduated from college a decade ago.  I also can't believe that I've known this man for almost 14 years.  We go waaay back.  Back to the days of Tommy Hillfiger t-shirts, pagers, and Timberland boots.  Back to living in an un-air conditioned dorm room and having no car.  Back to eating all of our meals in the dining hall and treating ourselves to midnight pizza delivery with Tropicana Twist from 7-11.  Yeah, we go way back.  I love this man and I'm looking forward to our next adventure as mom and dad to this cute little kid.

So cooking?  Not so much at the moment (although I did make some killer blueberry pancakes yesterday and I'm in the process of writing a few product reviews for Potluck, the ShopRite blog).  I'd love to do some summer canning, particularly something with berries, so we'll see how July goes.

What have you been up to?  Any graduations, reunions?  Is anyone else relying on takeout?  Please don't tell me I'm the only lazy/busy one out there.

Getting It Together

If you haven't noticed, I've been a bit inconsistent in my writing schedule lately.  I'm so happy and excited to be pregnant, but I won't lie, carrying this baby has taken much of my energy and changed my appetite.  I'm about 21 weeks pregnant which puts me in the middle of my second trimester.  Apparently the second trimester is the "honeymoon trimester" when all symptoms are minimal and I'm supposed to be feeling great.  Well, I'm still quite sleepy and my appetite is low, so for the most part I save my energy for my career and I let everything else fall to the wayside, including cooking and blogging.

However, I recently had a burst of energy, so I have some random things to share.

1. I turned 32 last Monday!  I celebrated by having dinner with my mom and husband at my favorite local Italian restaurant, La Casa Pasta.  Of course, my appetite is very unpredictable, so I wasn't even able to finish a half portion of my favorite entree, the lobster ravioli.  Yes, that's right.  I was only able to eat one out of three ravioli.  At least the leftovers made a tasty lunch the following day.

2. We bought a new dishwasher on my birthday, too.  Our 6-year-old LG dishwasher bit the dust, so we replaced it with an affordable and well-rated Whirlpool.  While the LG was very pretty and super quiet, it ended up being a hot mess, so I don't recommend that brand.  We've had the Whirlpool for two days and while it's a bit louder (but not loud by any means) our dishes are much cleaner and drier than with the old LG.  Wondering why we needed a dishwasher after just 6 years?  We're heavy users.  Sometimes we run two cycles per day.

3.  Speaking of appliances, lemon furniture polish (like good old fashioned Pledge) is an excellent cleaner/protector for stainless steel.  I learned this from a salesperson at Lowe's and would you believe that an old school furniture polish works better than special stainless steel cleaners?  Plus, it's cheaper.

4.  Grilled asparagus is pretty great.  Asparagus is in season right now.  I normally roast it in the oven, but last night we fired up the grill and I just placed it right on the grates.  All you need to do is trim your asparagus, toss it in some olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste and grill it for 5-7 minutes.  Even my husband, who is pretty neutral about asparagus, liked it.

5.  Whole Foods is a great place to blow your paycheck.  I haven't cooked in weeks, but I had the day off for Good Friday, so mom and I went to the new Whole Check Foods in our area and picked up a few special items for the holiday weekend.  We bought several packages of their amazing hot cross buns and some fresh salmon.  I also picked up some Hawaiian black sea salt.  That salt is amazing and it deserves its own post.  I switched it out for the kosher salt in this recipe.  Beyond delicious.  You need black salt in your life.

So now that I have some energy I'm trying to ease back into cooking, baking and blogging... if I can stay awake.  Thanks for being patient with me.  If you miss me, you can check me out on Instagram (if you're an iPhone or Android user).  My user name is keeleypowell.  I'm also @keeleypowell on Twitter.  And there's always the Facebook page for My Life on a Plate:  facebook.com/mylifeonaplate

What have you been up to?  Have you discovered any new cleaning tricks or life-changing foods (hello black sea salt!)?

Cravings

I blame the baby, but I've been eating a lot of cereal these days!  Special K, Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, Fiber One... I haven't eaten this much cereal since high school.

Of course, I'm concerned about calories, sugar and nutrition, but sometimes the only thing that feels good to my picky stomach is cereal, so I just give in and go for it.  I also figure that I'm not drinking any alcohol, I'm avoiding most fried food and I haven't had a taste for dessert or many other sweet things, so I'm giving in on the cereal craving.

Of course, eating a few boxes of cereal a week doesn't really encourage me to get to creative in the kitchen.  I need to work on that :)  If I'm not posting a new recipe, you can bet I'm at my kitchen table with a bowl of cereal and some 1% milk.

Anybody else ever dealt with a strange craving or temporary food obsession?

Photo Stream Update

I've been pretty quiet lately, but since I'm up early on this cold Saturday morning I'm going to share some photos that have been chilling on my computer since... Christmas.

In December I took Amtrak up to New York with my mom and aunt to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.  It wasn't my first trip to NYC, but it was my first time seeing the Rockettes!  I loved it.

Of course we had to go around the corner and see the big Christmas tree and ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center... I've seen both before, but I love to go.  Plus, it reminds me of the TODAY Show.  I'm such a nerd.

Just like last year, E and I took about 100 photos to come up with our final image for our Christmas card (this isn't it, but this is typical of the chaos that ensues when you try to get two dogs to look at the camera).

We spent Christmas Eve enjoying a seafood feast at my mom's house...

And we unexpectedly enjoyed our final Christmas with my mom's beloved dog, Jonesie.  She passed away unexpectedly in January.  She was truly a member of our family and we miss her so much...

I didn't grow up with family pets, but my mom adopted Jonesie the same day we adopted Zelda.  All of our dogs are a huge part of our family and now we understand the pain of losing a pet.  She was such a sweet pup and she loved her mama more than anything.  I miss my "little sister".

We took some family photos outside on Christmas...

For Christmas 2012, this photo will have another family member... we're expecting our first baby in August!

To tell you I am excited is an understatement.  I'm feel excited, blessed, thrilled, anxious... all kinds of good stuff.  Of course, this may explain why I haven't been cooking much lately!  Food aversions and exhaustion are in full effect.  It's all worth it, though.  I'm thankful for the prayers from family and friends and we pray for our little one every single day.

And yes, I am going to continue blogging!

How's your weekend?  Anyone else have any big changes for 2012?

September Highlights

I shared this post about a month ago with highlights from my first summer with an iPhone.  I'm continuing the fun with some highlights from the past few weeks... and a peek into some upcoming recipe posts.

I can't stop taking photos with my phone... I just can't help it!

Apple Pie in a Jar... recipe coming (very) soon!  I promise!

Typical Saturday morning (if we're not working)... laptop, coffee,  Google Reader

E on the grill during our last barbecue of the summer

Chorizo Burger

Sourdough French Toast with Peach-Maple Syrup

I take photos of wines I enjoy so I'll know what to buy at the store.

Pepperoni Bread

E with our friend's teeny tiny Yorkie

Pumpkin Spice Latte - I couldn't resist.

Saturday night dinner date.

Psst... did you enter the Pretzel Crisps giveaway?  The contest is still open until Wednesday night!

Growth

I'm back.

I took an unexpected hiatus from blogging this spring.  I had the misfortune of experiencing a severe car accident in late April.  I was on my way home from work and in the blink of an eye I almost lost my life.

Without dwelling on the details, I'd call this life-changing, to say the least.  The "problems" that I stressed about before the accident are clearly in perspective now.  Health, safety and family come first.

Anyway, all drama aside, I'm still dealing with some injuries, but I am back in the kitchen and I'm returning to my job.  I haven't done much cooking over the past six weeks and I haven't been in the mood to take many photos, but my mom and husband took great care of me.  Now that I'm getting back to normal E and I just made our weekend grocery run and I'm looking forward to cooking on the grill.

I managed to plant my culinary garden back in April.  I wrote about it in this post.

April to Early May:

Today, June 10th:

My garden exploded!

I have a crazy amount of sage... and it's a perennial, so I've had this same plant for 3 years.

Strawberries!  Unfortunately, the goldfinches love them.  Any tips on how to keep them away?

I can't believe my tomatoes are already this big.

Zucchini blossoms... this is my first time growing zucchini.

My plants are flourishing.  My veggies (and fruits) are growing and I am healing.  Life is good.

I can't wait to share some new recipes.  I have a lot of cooking to do now that I'm finished my Ed.D.!  I've never appreciated my life as much as I do now.

Why I Don't Cook At Home

Actually, you all know I love to cook at home, which is why I have this blog.  However, I ran across this cartoon on theoatmeal.com that pretty much summed up the frustrations we all have when we spend a ton of cash on exotic ingredients to make a less-than-satisfactory meal...

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cook_home

Another Blogger Get-Together!

Keeley, Latoya, Nadette, Chavonne, and Maddy

I had the pleasure of hosting an impromptu blogger get-together right after Christmas.  This wasn't a food-blog meeting, but it included six bloggers:  Nadette from Eat, Read, Rant, Latoya from The Quarter Life Chronicles (remember these two from Homecoming Weekend?), Rene from Atlas In Her Hand, Maddy from The Maddy Chronicles, and Chavonne at Like It's Golden.  My friend Nakia also was there (I'm trying to encourage her to start a blog) and of course E was holding it down as the only dude in the house.  (He also did a fabulous job with the cleanup and the dishes.  I love him.)

It was my first time meeting Maddy and Chavonne and I'm so happy they made the trek down the NJ Turnpike (two days after a major snowstorm, in horrible traffic) to join us in The First State for lunch, snacks, and drinks.  I tried to make a nice spread...

I made Restaurant-Style Salsa (still tweaking this recipe to my taste), White Bean and Rosemary Dip (I'll have to share that soon), Chicken Satay (still perfecting this one, too), Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  Nadette made a very savory, cheesy, and enticing Carmelized Onion Tart.  Maybe she'll share the recipe on her blog.

The Carmelized Onion Tart

We (well, some of us) had some wine.  I like wine...

Nadette made cocktails and mocktails...

It was such a nice afternoon spending time with friends and making new friends... this is why I love blogging (and eating and cooking and sharing food, too)...

Rene and Nakia!

Latoya and Nadette

We ended our afternoon/evening by playing Michael Jackson:  The Experience on Wii.  My brother gave E and I both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of this game as a Christmas present.  It even came with the sparkly glove.  This game is beyond fun... I highly recommend it.  Just watch out, because it's a real workout!  To sum it up, the Wii version allows up to four players to perform all the moves from your favorite Michael Jackson videos.  Let's just say that all those years of watching Moonwalker on VHS during my childhood are finally paying off.

Remember The Time

I hope everyone who came to our home had as much fun as E and I!  Did anybody else get Michael Jackson: The Experience for Christmas?  Should I be embarrassed to be 30 years old and getting video games as Christmas presents?

P.S.
Maddy wrote about our get-together on her blog.  Go here to read more!
Nadette also wrote about it here.

ShopRite Blogger Get-Together

This is a long overdue post.  I spent November and December working nearly every day and now I'm enjoying a week-long staycation full of friends, family, coffee, and trashy daytime television.  Life is good.  I'm taking this opportunity to sort through my photos and share some fun food stories.

Back in mid-November I enjoyed a fun lunch with two of my fellow ShopRite bloggers:  Emily and Jessica.  I met these talented ladies who love to cook as much as I do at the NYC Food and Wine Festival back in October.  Since we all live in the Philadelphia area we decided to meet for a potluck lunch at Jessica's home in South Jersey.  We each made a Tyler Florence-inspired dish.  Emily made a bacon and apple panini, Jessica made an asparagus risotto (from Tyler's latest book, Family Table), and I made Tyler's Hunter's Minestrone. 

Emily hooking up some excellent sandwiches.

Jessica's Asparagus Risotto

Hunter's Minestrone and a panini.

Jessica's adorable daughter, Kiley

We had so much fun that I forgot to take a group photo, but cruise on over to Jessica's Blog and Emily's Blog to see what they're up to.  I'm loving the idea of blogger get-togethers and I hope to participate in more in the future!

P.S.
I set up a Formspring account for questions from readers.  Want to know more about  me?  Have a cooking or baking question?  Click here to ask me anything!