13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi

GINA BACHAUER CONCERT SERIES @ Jeanne Wagner Theater (Salt Lake City, October 13)

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012-13  GINA BACHAUERCONCERT SERIES CONTINUES WITH MEDALIST LORI SIMS


The 1998 Gina Bachauer International ArtistsPiano Competition Gold Medalist returns to Salt Lake CityOctober 13th for a solo performance at the Jeanne Wagner Theater, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center at 7:30 PM.
Lori Sims has performed throughout NorthAmerica, Europe, China and South Africa including engagements with theNordDeutscheRadio Orchester in Hannover, theIsrael Philharmonic, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the SpokaneChamber Orchestra, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, and the Memphis SymphonyChamber Orchestra.  Her 2000 Alice Tully Hall recital debut in New York receivedcritical acclaim from Bernard Holland in the New York Times, a concert in whichshe debuted the award winning Etudes of composer Curtis Curtis-Smith. Her 2005Weill Hall Recital and 2011 Zankel Hall Recital also received considerablecritical acclaim. In 2012, she will make her seventh appearance at theprestigious Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, where she has beenfeatured as soloist with the Gilmore Orchestra, a solo-recitalist, masterclassartist, and chamber musician.  
As a chamber musician, Ms. Sims has been featured at the El Paso Chamber MusicFestival, with the Fontana Chamber Players in Kalamazoo, and with Opus 21, a chamberensemble dedicated to the performance of 20th and 21st Century compositions.Her recording with violinist Renata Artman Knific of Sonatas of Americancomposer, William Bolcom received 5 stars and high praise from the BBC MusicMagazine.

Pianist Lori Sims other awards include firstprize co-winner of the 1994 Felix Bartholdy-Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin,Germany, winner of the 1993 American Pianists’ Association Competitionwith outstanding distinction from the jury, and the silver medal winner in the1987 Kosciuszcko Foundation Chopin Competition.  
Ms. Sims’ program that evening will include:

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988                                         JohannSebastian Bach
INTERMISSION
Ballade No. 1 in G Major, op. 23                                      FrédéricChopin
Ballade No. 2 in F Major, op. 38
Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47
Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
Tickets are available through Arttix.   Tickets$15 (Students $5) - http://www.arttix.org/ - (801) 355-ARTS.  For moreinformation about Lori Sims please visit www.bachauer.com.
Lori Sims is available for interviews. Please contact our office to arrange a time with her. 

Day of the Dead Celebration @ Utah Cultural Celebration Center (West Valley City, November 2)

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Celebrate Mexican Heritageand Culture at Day of the Dead Celebration
WHAT:             UnaMano Amiga and The Utah Cultural Celebration Center present the 9th annual Dayof the Dead altar display and community gathering, a folk art exhibit and eventrecognizing this significant and expressive Mexican holiday. The freecelebration features a variety of exciting, educational, and hands-onactivities for the whole family.                       WHEN:            Altar DisplayOctober 29 - November 6, 2012Mon - Thurs, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and by arrangement
Day of the Dead CelebrationNovember 2, 20126 p.m. - 9 p.m.
WHERE:          Utah Cultural Celebration Center                       1355 West 3100 South                       West Valley City, UT 84119                                               WHO:              Everyone is invited to the altar display and Day of the Deadcelebration free of charge.
WHY:               The Day of the Dead is actually a two-day Mexican holidaycelebrated November 1-2. For two days and nights families and friends gathertogether with other community members to pay respects to and remember the dead.Altars are constructed at gravesites or in homes with food, beverages and otheritems once owned or appreciated by the deceased.  It is believed that forthese two nights - one for children; the other for adults - the spirits of thedead return to be with family and friends. The more elaborate the altar, themore likely the dead will return to be with loved ones once again. Objectsrepresenting the person in real life are used to entice the spirit to travelgreat lengths to return to earth, if only for one night. Day of the Dead bread,flowers, water, mirrors, sugar skulls, candles, skeletons and Catholiciconography are traditional items used as part of Day of the Dead altars. Therituals and altar construction date back to the ancient Aztecs, ancestors toMexicans. 
                       On November 2, the community altar will be on display at the Utah Cultural CelebrationCenter, along with many activities and events, including traditional Mexicanfood, music, dance ceremonies, games and paper flower making/sugar skulldecorating for kids. Bring the whole family to experience this one-of-a-kindcelebration of Mexican heritage and culture here in Utah.
For moreinformation about the altar, celebration or other events at the Utah CulturalCelebration Center call 801-965-5100 or visit culturalcelebration.org.      

The Titanic 100th Anniversary Concert @ Salt Lake Choral Artists (SLC: Oct 20)

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Remembrance and Reflection
The Titanic 100th Anniversary
Saturday October 20th
2pm & 7:30 pm
Libby Gardner Concert Hall


After a highly successful Summer Choral Institute, the Salt Lake Choral Artists are embarking on our 2012-2013 concert season with a new home at 700 North 200 West, 21 concerts, and seven choirs!. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic and SLCA's first concerts on October 20 will honor the memories of those lost. Donald Patriquin's "Titanic Requiem" will have its Utah Premiere with orchestra and soprano soloist, Carol Ann Allred.
Utah's own Don Corbett, whose grandmother was on the ship will be telling us her storyand displaying some artifacts from the Titanic era.
We'll also perform Samuel Barber's haunting "Agnus Dei," "Little Elegy" by Stephen Paulus,and the Utah premiere of Ola Gjeilo's "Sunrise Mass." You won't want to miss it!
Get your tickets today for the 2:00 matinee or the 7:30 evening performance at Libby Gardner Concert Hall.Order online using promo code EB121020 and save $2 off the purchase price!

Stewardship and Special Events Manager @ Natural History Museum of Utah

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Stewardship and Special Events Manager
University of Utah Job Requisition Number: PRN02720B
Full time -- Must be available for evenings and weekendsThe Natural History Museum of Utah seeks a full-time Manager of Stewardship and Special Events. The position will ensure that Museum friends and supporters are appropriately thanked and acknowledged for their generous contributions to the institution. It will also oversee and coordinate the full range of special events produced by the Museum’s development department including our annual benefit in June, receptions and activities for our Copper Club and Explorers groups, exhibit previews for Museum members, and more.To read the complete job description and to apply for this position visit the University of Utah Jobs Website

JOB: Gift Services and Administrative Assistant @ Natural History Museum of Utah

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Gift Services and Administrative Assistant
University of Utah Job Requisition Number: PRN01589N
Part time (up to 19 hours per week)The Natural History Museum of Utah seeks a part-time Gift Services and Adminsitrative Assistant for its development department. This position, which provides complex administrative support for the fundraising department at the Natural History Museum of Utah, is perfect for someone looking to put their superb organizational skills to work in support of the Museum's fundraising efforts. To read the complete job description and to apply for this position visit the University of Utah Jobs Website

12 Ekim 2012 Cuma

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

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Hi, Everyone! I have a great little snack or side dish recipe to share with you today! They are my Oven Baked Zucchini Fries! Here on the East Coast, we've had temperatures in the high 90's every single day for at least two weeks now, and I don't know about you, but I can't even think about food when it's this hot! I literally feel like melting every time I step outside. So I've been trying to come up with light and easy meals and snacks using ingredients that are in season right now. One of my favorites - zucchini! I made a really good Zucchini Chocolate Chip Loaf last week, and these delicious zucchini fries this week! These "fries" are oven baked which means you're saving all those calories (always a good thing!), they have great flavor from the parmesan cheese, and are crisp on the outside, and really soft on the inside! The perfect summer snack or side dish! Here's how I made them...

OVEN BAKED ZUCCHINI FRIES(Adapted from All Recipes)YOU WILL NEED:
1 large zucchini, peeled
1 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (you could use seasoned for extra flavor)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:1. Line a baking sheet with foil (you can spray it lightly with cooking spray) and preheat your oven to 425 deg F. Peel your zucchini, cut off the ends and cut it into "fries". Toss with the olive oil, making sure that every piece is well coated.

2. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and salt. Cover the olive oil coated zucchini pieces with the bread crumb mixture (shake off excess breadcrumbs), then place them on your baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until the zucchini looks crispy and golden, and is soft when pricked with a fork. Serve warm!

Happy Baking, Everyone!I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Bubbly Nature Creations, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Be Different, Act Normal and Country Momma Cooks.

Julia Child - My Life in France

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Hi, Everyone! I hope you're all having a great weekend! We had no plans for this weekend, and since life is usually pretty busy for us, I love it when I have nowhere to go and nothing to do! Yesterday we went to get some produce at a local farm; we got some delicious peaches (that smell heavenly!) and fresh sweet corn (the best sweet corn I have ever had in my life! It was as sweet as candy!) Here's a glimpse of my lazy Saturday morning... English Breakfast Tea, fresh fruit and a Julia Child's My Life in France. This is my idea of a lazy summer morning!

If you are a fan of Julia Child or enjoyed the movie Julie&Julia, and haven't yet read this book, I would definitely recommend it! It's an endearing account of Julia's life and culinary adventures in Paris, and it is laugh-out-loud funny! From all the funny stories and familiar moments from Julie&Julia to insights into post-war Paris and Julia's memories of Le Cordon Bleu and Parisian life, it's a heart-warming story of her love for her husband, their life in France, and good food! It's a perfect summer read!
I love this part of the book where Julia describes how her teacher at Le Cordon Bleu made scrambled eggs- "His eggs were always perfect, and although he must have made this dish several thousand times,  he always took great pride and pleasure in this performance. Bugnard insisted that one pay attention, learn the correct technique, and that one enjoy one's cooking - 'Yes, Madame Scheeld, fun!' he'd say. 'Joy!' It was a remarkable lesson. No dish, not even the humble scrambled egg was too much trouble for him. 'You never forget a beautiful thing that you have made,' he said. 'Even after you eat it, it stays with you - always."
Have a great rest of your weekend, Everyone!

Summery Peach Cobbler

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Hi, Everyone! Happy Weekend! I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far! I'm sharing this delicious Summery Peach Cobbler recipe with you today! Fresh peaches are one of my favorite things about the summer, there is just nothing that can compare to that fresh peach smell! This peach cobbler is deliciously sweet and juicy and is the perfect summer treat paired with some vanilla ice-cream! Have a great weekend, everybody! 
SUMMERY PEACH COBBLER(Recipe adapted from All Recipes)*Serves 6*YOU WILL NEED:
Peaches:
6 - 7 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 - 8 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup boiling water

To sprinkle on top:
3 tbs white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon


DIRECTIONS:1. First prepare your peaches. Begin by peeling them (you can do this by cutting a cross into each peach, placing it in a pot of boiling water until the skin begins to peel off itself where you made the cross, and then place it into a bowl of ice water). Once you've peeled your peaches, cut them into thin slices.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 deg F and grease your baking dish. Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl, and add the sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice and flour. Mix well and transfer into your baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then take it out of the oven and spoon your topping on.

3. While the peaches are baking, prepare the topping. Combine flour, white sugar,  brown sugar, baking powder and salt, then add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. At the end, pour in the boiling water and whisk until you get a nice, smooth batter.

4. Take the baking dish with the peaches out of the oven, and spoon the topping over the peaches evenly. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar (I ended up using only about half of it), and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream!



Happy Baking, Everyone!I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Be Different, Act Normal and Country Momma Cooks.

Kitchen Tip: How to Peel Hazelnuts

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Hi, Everybody! I'm always so excited when I learn a new kitchen trick that makes cooking or baking easier and faster! I love hazelnuts and love using them in my baking, but I don't love trying to peel them unsuccessfully and making a big mess. Traditionally you peel the hazelnuts by roasting them first, and then rubbing the skin off, which is a lot of work and the skins don't come off very easily. I was so excited when I saw this method of peeling them! All you need is some boiling water and baking soda, and the skins literally slip off themselves! Here's how you do it...


1. You will need 2 cups of boiling water and 3 tbs of baking soda for 1 cup of hazelnuts. Start off by bringing the water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Once it's boiling, add the baking soda (this will make the water bubble up and fizz). Then, add the hazelnuts. This is what it will look like:


2. Boil the hazelnuts for 3 to 5 minutes. After three minutes, take one hazelnut out and check if the skin will come off easily by rubbing it between your fingers. If it's not coming off, boil them for a little longer (I boiled mine for about 5 minutes to get the perfect). The water will turn a reddish black color, this is normal. In the meantime, prepare a bowl of ice water and set it aside. 

3. Once the hazelnuts are done, drain them and place them in a bowl of ice water. You can start peeling them immediately. The skins should pretty much slip off by themselves when you rub them between your fingers. 



4. Dry the hazelnuts thoroughly with a paper towel, and they are ready to be used! This method is so easy, so quick and always works! Try it out and see for yourself!

I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie.

Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian Museum

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Hi, Everyone! I hope that you are all having a great weekend and enjoying the last few days of the summer! I can't wait for the fall to be here, I'm ready for the heat and the humidity to be over already! I wanted to share some pictures of a recent trip to Washington DC. As soon as I found out that Julia Child's kitchen reopened at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of what would have been her 100th birthday, I wanted to go and see it! I just read her book My Life in France a couple of weeks ago, and just love her whole story, and so I was so excited to get to see her kitchen! Here are some pictures from the exhibit, sorry they are not the greatest quality since they were taken with my phone. If you are a fan of Julia Child, it's definitely a fun place to visit! You can find more information about it here!
 By the entrance to the exhibition
A view of the kitchen. Julia Child donated everything to the Smithsonian Museum in 2001. 
Another view of the kitchen
 The kitchen shows the hundreds of utensils that Julia owned, as well as lots of her appliances, dishes and pots and pans.
All of Julia's copper cooking pots and pans!
Julia Child's diploma from Le Cordon Bleu.
 Unfortunately this was as close as you could get to the kitchen, it would have been so neat to be able to walk through it, but it was really interesting seeing it like this too! 
So if you're ever in the area, are a fan of Julia's and haven't seen the kitchen, it's a fun thing to do! They are also opening a new exhibition called Food: Transforming America's Table, 1950 - 2000 at the Smithsonian American History Museum at the end of November! I hope you liked the little tour of Julia's kitchen, and hope you get to check it out for yourself sometime! Have a great rest of your week, Everyone, and Bon Apetit! 

11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe

A Living Legend in Tap, Savion Glover Dances His Way to the Fox Cities P.A.C.

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On October 23, the famed Newark "hoofer" Savion Glover returns to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center with his latest work, SoLe Sanctuary.

Christened by the legendary Gregory Hines as, “the greatest tap dancer that hasever lived,” SoLe Sanctuary is Glover’s personal homage to the men and women who paved the way for tap – people like Hines, Jimmy Slyde and Sammy Davis Jr. Glover’s as much a composer as a choreographer, and his reverence for rhythm and the art of tap has cast him in many roles, from Broadway’s Bring  in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk to working behind the scenes, dancing the role of Mumble the penguin in “Happy Feet 2.” 


Featured artist on "Dancing With the Stars"


Dancing alongside the legendary Gregory Hines

 

Tickets for SoLe Sanctuary are $28.
Reserve your seat today at foxcitiespac.com!

Five By Design Stops at Local High Schools

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On Thursday, October 4 Five By Design's Club Swing turned back the clocks to the Big Band Era at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The group is known for their velvet vocals, singing songs that have stood the test of time like “Cocktails for Two,” “Mona Lisa” and “Sing, Sing, Sing." 

The performance was a hit Thursday night, but before the curtain even rose, Five By Design was out and about in the Fox Cities, visiting with students at Appleton East High School and Kaukauna High School.

At Appleton East High School the group members Lorie Carpenter-Niska, Catherine Scott, Kurt Niska, Michael Swedberg and Terrence Niska sang with the students and gave them great advice on pursuing a career in music. At Kaukauna High School the group introducedstudents to the music of the '30s and '40s and answered questions.

Five By Design's performance and local student workshops were supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, which is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contribution from the Wisconsin Arts Board.







How 'Bout Them Apples?

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*I wanted to sneak some apples into a recipe to see if I could get Trent to eat them and unknowingly get some fruit.  {Don't judge me, peeps.  You know we're facing this in his speech therapy.}

Chicken Apple Quesadillas
Ingredients:
-cooked, cup-up chicken
-sliced up apples (I peeled them, not sure you need to and chopped them really finely to be extra sneaky)
-grated cheese
-tortillas
I didn't put amounts because it can be as much or as little as you want.

1. Mix apples and chicken together.
2. Sprinkle a little cheese on 1/2 of a tortilla, add apple/chicken mix, sprinkle a little more cheese.
3. Fold tortilla in half to make quesadilla.
4. Cook in skillet until cheese is melted and quesadilla is crunchy.

B and I loved them.  T wouldn't try them...  I will still call it a victory because these were super easy to make and B enjoyed them - that in itself is almost a miracle!

*On Friday, for speech, I was to bring some apple.  We used apples last time and the goal was to get Trent to touch and interact with the apples.  He did!  This time, I brought some of the leftover apple from our quesadillas.  He and the therapist painted with the apples, then acted like dinosaurs and TRENT ATE 18 BITES OF APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I almost cried when the therapist and I discussed his session.  What a big moment!

*Saturday night, I bought Snow White and the Huntsman off pay-per-view.  {Hopefully my apple reference isn't too far of a stretch with this story.}


PlotIn a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

Review: I would say this movie was okay.  Charlize Theron is fantastic as the Evil Queen (and I thought her creepy brother was great too).  Chris Hemsworth was also great as the Huntsman. Kristen Stewart?  Meh.  She was less twitchy than she is as Bella Swan, but overall, she's just not that interesting.  The plot was pretty good, but I'm glad this only cost me $5.

Good thing I like apples.

Changing OBs

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Warning: This is a long, rambling post. Read at your own risk.

Very often Always, I am a typical little sister. When I don't know what to do, I ask my big sis what she did. And if it was good enough for her, it is good enough for me. So when B and I got pregnant 4 years ago (almost exactly! just realized that!), I went with the OB she had picked. (The OB Patty and I saw in college and our early married years stopped doing OB, so we needed a new doc.) I had a very normal, low-risk pregnancy and a pretty normal delivery. At the time, I thought my delivery was all complicated and crazy and how happy I was to not end up needing a c-section. Since having T, I have learned that my situation was all too common.  

Oh? You're 40 weeks? Let's induce that baby! We'll put you on a Pitocin drip, we'll break your water, we'll get you an epidural. And maybe you can have your baby vaginally...but probably not.

I now know how lucky I was that my delivery ultimately ended the way I wanted.

Fast forward a few years, and I've learned A LOT. {If B is reading this, I know he's rolling his eyes.}  I used to be so mainstream (which is not a bad thing), but the more I learn, the more un-mainstream I become. And I'm proud of it! So I found myself knocked up again.  And still with the same OB. And confused about what I wanted out of this experience with Baby Gurl. I've been watching a lot of documentaries and learning a lot about the practice of obstetrics in the US compared to other countries. I've been learning about hospital births vs. birthing centers vs. home births. {Yes, I would deliver in a birthing center. No, Brent will not go for that. To quote him: 'I am a regular guy who goes along with all your hippie requests. This is 1 request too many.'}

I've also felt ignored at my doctor's office. Yes, I'm low risk and healthy, but when EVERY appointment is at a minimum 30 minutes late (and sometimes closer to an hour and a half) and my doctor is always rushed (if even at my appointment), it's hard to not question the level of care being received.

When you combine those 2 things together, I've felt very conflicted the last few weeks. Part of me feels like things worked out with Trent, and I'm smarter now and can use that to my advantage and why rock the boat. But part of me feels like I don't have a doctor who cares as much as I'd like and is a little too mainstream for my taste. And it was stressful thinking about that and closing in on the 3rd trimester.

So I contacted a few other local mommy friends and got a recommendation for a new OB and got assurances that it wouldn't be bad to change doctors this late in a pregnancy.  I had a meet-and-greet with the practice (they have a very small practice of only 1 OB and 1 midwife) and spent more time with them in my meet-and-greet than with my old OB my entire pregnancy with Baby Gurl. I was able to talk with them about my 'typical' delivery with Trent and what I hoped would happen this time around.  When the response was 'That's pretty much our normal protocol', I knew I had found my new doctor.

New OB recommended I sleep on it and wait a few days before making a decision, which I did. However, when, 2 days later, my 28 week appointment took an hour and 20 minutes for me to see my doctor for 4 minutes, that was the final nail in the coffin. The very next day I 'fired' my old OB and set my 30 week appointment with my new OB. And I am beyond thrilled. I cannot wait for my next appointment (which I already know is designed to give me 30 MINUTES with the doctor or midwife).  I have a ton of questions! And am writing a birth plan (which I totally rolled my eyes at with Trent)! And can't wait for one of these 2 amazing ladies to delivery our daughter!

So there you have it...the whys behind my decision to switch OBs at 28 weeks. Hopefully that somewhat made sense! I still have a few things to talk over with B - including him...you know...meeting the new doctor, but he has been completely supporting of me switching doctors, and I honestly finally feel so at peace!

Who Knew 'Independent Play' Was a 4-Letter Word?

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One of my issues when I had post-partum anxiety after Trent was born, was that I felt like I wasn't doing enough for him. It sounds crazy now and was crazy then, but it's what was going through my brain. He was 2 weeks old, snoozing/eating/pooping/occasionally awake, and I was worried I wasn't keeping him entertained or showing him enough affection.
I sometimes still have those moments where I worry I'm not doing enough.  Trent is finally really seeming to enjoy independent play. Not for hours on end but for 20-30 minutes, he is content to drive his trucks or trains around the house or look at books or 'cook' (you should try his birthday soup, it's divine)...you get the picture. It's so nice because I can SEE that he's having fun, and I can fold a load of laundry, make dinner (haha...like that happens in our house), or prep for the next day.
But those old doubts creep back in. That if I'm not giving him 100% of my attention all the time, I'm not doing enough. I know it's not rational, and luckily, I'm not in the throes of post-partum again, so it's easy to knock those doubts out quickly and enjoy the freedom to just get sh*t done. I just wish I could get those doubts to go away. I guess at the end of the day Mommy Guilt is always there about something.
Does anyone else ever feel this way?
Naked train time.  Who wouldn't be happy?

10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba

Spiced Carrot Muffins

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Hi, Everyone! The other day, I realized I had a huge two pound bag of carrots sitting in the fridge that really needed to be used up, so I decided to make some of these Spiced Carrot Muffins! They are really good, and I thought it would be a good way to get rid of all the carrots. Well, I only needed 2 carrots for this recipe, which means I still have a lot of carrots left to use up! These are some of my favorite muffins, they are wonderfully moist and have that warm taste of cinnamon and allspice which goes so well with the carrots! They are a quick and easy (and relatively healthy!) breakfast or afternoon snack to make! Happy Baking!

SPICED CARROT MUFFINS(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma)*Makes 12 Muffins*

YOU WILL NEED:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup sugar1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground allspice2 large eggs1/2 cup canola oil2 large carrots, peeled and shredded3/4 cup peeled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped1/4 cup golden raisins
DIRECTIONS:1. First, prepare your carrots, hazelnuts and golden raisins. Shred the carrots using the largest holes on your box grater, then set them aside. Soak your raisins in boiling water (or orange juice) until nice and plump, then drain them and set them aside. Lastly, peel your hazelnuts (you can find my post on how to peel them really easily here). Once peeled, coarsely chop the hazelnuts.

2. Next, in your electric mixer bowl, combine eggs, sugar and oil. Beat on medium speed for about a minute, until you get a nice thick and creamy consistency. In a different bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Then, with the mixer running on low speed, begin adding the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Once incorporated, fold in the shredded carrots, hazelnuts and raisins.

3. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F, and line a standard size muffin pan with liners. (To make your own bakery style muffin wrappers, check out my tutorial here!) Spoon the batter into the prepared liners, filling them up about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until they are golden brown on top!
Happy Baking, Everyone!
Check out my posts on how to easily peel hazelnuts and how to make your own bakery style muffin wrappers here:

DIY Bakery Style Muffin Wrappers                   How to Peel Hazelnuts Easily
I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Be Different, Act Normal and Country Momma Cooks.

Homemade Czech Dinner Rolls

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Hi, Everyone! I hope you have all been having a great summer! After a month away, I'm finally back! We were back at home in Prague visiting my family for the past couple of weeks, and while we were there my mom and I made these delicious dinner rolls that I wanted to share with you today! I love homemade bread, especially the smell of it baking, it fills the house with such a cozy, inviting smell! These rolls were some of the best I've ever had! They were very easy to make, and other than the time it took for them to rise, they were very quick to make! Here's the recipe...

HOMEMADE CZECH DINNER ROLLS*Makes 16 rolls*YOU WILL NEED:500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour42g fresh yeast (about 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast)1/4 l water (about 8 1/2 oz)2 tsp sugar4 tbs oil*Toppings: You could add an egg wash on top of the rolls and sprinkle them with coarse salt or poppy seeds. 

DIRECTIONS:1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes to give the yeast time to activate. Sift flour into your electric mixer bowl, and add the yeast mixture and the oil. Mix on medium speed, until a nice dough forms. Place it in a greased bowl, cover it and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour. 
2. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into two halves. Roll each piece into about a 9-inch circle, then cut each circle into eight triangles, as if you were cutting up a round pizza. Then, roll each triangle like a croissant and place the rolls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven to 430 deg F (220 deg C) and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rolls begin to brown on top. Let cool for a couple of minutes before eating. 


Happy Baking, Everyone!I will be linking to: Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, 

Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian Museum

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Hi, Everyone! I hope that you are all having a great weekend and enjoying the last few days of the summer! I can't wait for the fall to be here, I'm ready for the heat and the humidity to be over already! I wanted to share some pictures of a recent trip to Washington DC. As soon as I found out that Julia Child's kitchen reopened at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of what would have been her 100th birthday, I wanted to go and see it! I just read her book My Life in France a couple of weeks ago, and just love her whole story, and so I was so excited to get to see her kitchen! Here are some pictures from the exhibit, sorry they are not the greatest quality since they were taken with my phone. If you are a fan of Julia Child, it's definitely a fun place to visit! You can find more information about it here!
 By the entrance to the exhibition
A view of the kitchen. Julia Child donated everything to the Smithsonian Museum in 2001. 
Another view of the kitchen
 The kitchen shows the hundreds of utensils that Julia owned, as well as lots of her appliances, dishes and pots and pans.
All of Julia's copper cooking pots and pans!
Julia Child's diploma from Le Cordon Bleu.
 Unfortunately this was as close as you could get to the kitchen, it would have been so neat to be able to walk through it, but it was really interesting seeing it like this too! 
So if you're ever in the area, are a fan of Julia's and haven't seen the kitchen, it's a fun thing to do! They are also opening a new exhibition called Food: Transforming America's Table, 1950 - 2000 at the Smithsonian American History Museum at the end of November! I hope you liked the little tour of Julia's kitchen, and hope you get to check it out for yourself sometime! Have a great rest of your week, Everyone, and Bon Apetit! 

Homemade Soft Pretzels with a Sweet Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

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Hi, Everyone! Happy Weekend! I hope you all had a great week and have some fun plans for the weekend! If you're looking for something really good to bake over the weekend, I have the perfect idea for you! How about some deliciously comforting soft pretzels with a sweet and tangy honey mustard sauce? I've been wanting to make some of these for the longest time, and finally got around to doing it this week! Every time I walk into a shopping mall and smell the wonderful buttery smell of pretzels from one of the pretzel shops, it calls my name (and I try to resist every time!) and so I decided to try making some at home. I thought they might be good homemade, but I didn't think they would be THIS good! These pretzels are amazing! They are soft and buttery and taste so good warm, dipped in the honey mustard sauce! And the good news is, they don't need to rise for hours and hours, from beginning to the end they only take a little over an hour to make! They are the perfect treat for a chilly fall night! Happy Baking, Everyone!

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS(Adapted from Fifteen Spatulas)*Makes 8 pretzels*
YOU WILL NEED:Dough:2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp granulated sugar1/2 tsp salt2 1/2 tsp dried yeast (1 package)1 cup warm water
Topping:1/2 cup warm water1 tbs baking soda2 tbs unsalted butter, meltedsalt for sprinkling
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:3 tbs light mayonnaise2 tbs grainy mustard1 tbs Dijon mustard3 1/2 tbs honey1/2 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:1. First, combine warm water, sugar and instant dried yeast in a small bowl. Cover and let sit for five minutes, until the mixture is frothy. Meanwhile, combine flour and salt in your electric mixer bowl. Once your yeast mixture is frothy, add it to the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Then, using the dough hook attachment, knead for five minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 30 - 40 minutes. 
2. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into eight equal pieces. Preheat your oven to 400 deg F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper (or just grease them). In a small bowl, combine warm water and baking soda. On a greased surface, make your pretzels. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda and water mixture, then place them onto your prepared baking sheets and cover them, let rise for another 10 minutes.
3. Bake the pretzels for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown on top. Once they are done, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with salt. 
4. To make the honey mustard dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients with a whisk and chill for a couple of minutes. You can adjust the amounts of honey and mustard to suit your taste. Eat the pretzels warm dipped in the delicious sauce!


Happy Baking, Everyone!I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Taylor House Thursday, and Be Different, Act Normal.

Cranberry Orange Tea Bread

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Hi, Everyone! I hope your week is going well! I feel like we have really entered fall now, in fact, it has felt more like the beginning of winter here in Maryland these past few days! Mornings are becoming colder and colder and it makes me crave something warm and sweet to start my day off! And with a steaming hot cup of my favorite English Breakfast Tea, a toasted slice of this Cranberry Orange Tea bread makes for a great breakfast! The flavors of the bread remind me of the holiday season; the tangy orange flavor mixed with the juicy cranberries just remind me of Christmas! This is such a quick and easy bread to make, you can either keep it plain like I did and toast it up for breakfast, or drizzle it with an orange glaze to make it a little fancier! Here's the recipe...


CRANBERRY ORANGE TEA BREAD(Recipe from Whole Foods Market)*Makes 1 loaf*

YOU WILL NEED:2 cups all-purpose flour3/4 cup granulated sugar1 1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/2 cup milk1/4 cup orange juice1/4 cup (4 tbs) unsalted butter, melted1 tbs freshly grated orange zest2 eggs1 cup cranberries, chopped
Glaze:1 - 2 tbs orange juice1 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS:1. First, combine all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt) in your electric mixer bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (milk, orange juice, eggs, melted butter and orange zest). With the mixer running on low, begin adding the wet ingredients to the dry, until you get a smooth batter.
2. Next, preheat your oven to 375 deg F and grease (or line with parchment paper) your loaf pan. Add the chopped cranberries to the batter, and pour it into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown and the center is baked through. 
3. To make the glaze, let the bread cool, then whisk together the orange juice and the confectioners' sugar (make sure you've sifted the sugar so there are no lumps in it) and drizzle it over the bread!

Happy Baking, Everyone!I will be linking to:Mangia Mondays at Delightfully Dowling, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Skip to My Lou, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Taylor House Thursday, and Be Different, Act Normal.

9 Ekim 2012 Salı

Book Overload!

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Within the last 48 hours, I've read parts of 3 books.  Not THAT unusual for me to have multiple books going at 1 time, but what's totally weird is that all 3 of them are technically non-fiction. And all 3 insanely good in different ways.
Busy reading!
I don't want to turn this into a long 3-part book review, but I find my topics right now amusing.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - It's essentially about a woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951.  Doctors took her cells (standard procedure) and were able to get them to grow in a culture.  These cells were a part of hundreds if not thousands of scientific discoveries.

The Vaccine Book - written by a pediatrician presenting a lot of information about each vaccine. I don't think I want to get into a vaccine discussion here because I know it's a hot topic for a lot of moms.  But I wanted to make sure I was informed this time around.  With Trent, my post-partum had me too scared to even think about what I was doing.  I regret that a lot.  It was the place I was in at the time, but this time I around (especially given my more natural {weird according to B} tendencies), I wanted to make sure I know what I'm doing.

The Monster of Florence - about a serial killer in Florence, Italy who has never been caught and the disastrous police investigation to solve the crimes.

See?  Totally random, right?  But I highly recommend all 3!  {I guess I couldn't get away from there being a little bit of a book review after all.}

Therapy Begins!

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It's been about a month since we had our speech evaluation.  I forgot to blog about Trent's occupational evaluation, but it was a very similar appointment with the conclusion being he could benefit from therapy.  {I have a tag at the bottom of my blog labeled 'therapy' if you want to read about some of our journey that got us here.}  After both therapists writing their reports and submitting to insurance...here we are!  

Today is Trent's FIRST DAY OF THERAPY!  He will go twice a week for 1 hour for each type of therapy (occupational and speech), so we will be here for 4 hours/week.  I {so far} could not be more impressed with the center we have chosen.  Both of the therapists Trent will be working with on a regular basis are amazing.  So kind, friendly...Trent was smitten with both which is such a relief to me.  I am also so thankful for the amazing insurance my company provides.  We will only be paying a co-pay for these services, and we can get LOTS of treatments.  Whoo-hoo!

I type this post as I sit in the waiting room.  I won't need to be here going forward, but I wanted to be here at least at his first appointment in case he (or his therapists - ha) needed me.  I'm sure he won't.

I will post an update later today with how it went!

Therapy - Session 1

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Well, session 1 is done!  I promise I won't write a recap to every session, but I will post as we progress.

Up first - OT!  T worked with Ms. Maggie today.  She was not the therapist who evaluated Trent, so she and I spent about 5 minutes hitting the high points of our areas of concern, and off she and Trent went to play in the gym. She said she wanted to do more observation with him to see which direction she wanted the therapy to take which makes perfect sense.  After 45 minutes, they were back to talk me through what she had seen.  We are going to work a lot of his self-regulation skills and we already have some homework and things to try.  
1) We bought a sensory brush.  We will use this multiple times a day to help relax/redirect him.  I have some literature to read, and I am so excited!



2) We are going to work on removing the word 'No' as much as possible when talking with him  As that is a big fit trigger, we are going to work on setting expectations (which I feel we do) but then when he asks for something outside that, for which we do need to say 'no', we'll work on using different words to explain what the expectation we set was and just focus on what we need to do.
Next hour was speech/swallowing.  We were supposed to see Ms. Megan who evaluated Trent (and he loved her), but her water broke for a baby not due until November, so our thoughts are with her!  We saw Ms. Julie instead and focused a little more on his food/swallowing issues because his speech needs are more clearly defined.  I actually sat in on this session as it was a little unexpected for Julie to be his therapist, and she hadn't reviewed his file yet.  She was extremely helpful and positive and said we're going to take this very slowly to keep his trust up in us and not make mealtime a challenge.  It may be months before we see results, but it's nice to know we're not going to be fighting over things!  We have several things to bring next week and also a homework cooking assignment (he likes sweet potato fries, but she wants us to make our own w/ coconut oil and serve twice...the second time adding carrots!!!).
Overall, I am so optimistic about what this is going to do for our family and specifically for T.  Baby Gurl isn't due for almost 4 months, so we have a good amount of time to really focus on him, and for that I am so thankful!!
Because, seriously, doesn't this kiddo deserve the best?