Sienna Kai: 7 Month Update

This little nugget is 7 months old today!

What a fun month – other than a terrible week with a cold and some days where teething has being giving us a hard time, it’s been so great. Her personality is really starting to present itself and she’s so enjoyable to me. She is very interested in everything – just really paying attention to details ie. my earrings (ouch!).

There’s been a lot of eating going on. Sienna seems to want to try any food at sight and so far she has enjoyed experimenting with different flavors and textures. I’m doing a mix of purees and baby led weaning and it seems to be working great for us. She loves cinnamon sweet potato fries, hummus, blueberries and yogurt with chia seeds. She’s also been chewing on some foods to help her with her teething – she chomps on apple rings and cucumber slices and they seem to do the trick. I am only giving her two “formal” meals per day and some snacks throughout. I have noticed however that now that she’s realized that food exists, her interest in milk has definitely declined. She used to down her bottles and now she takes her time and doesn’t even finish them half of the time. She does the cutest “excitement leg bounce” when she sees that I am getting her meal ready :).

We tried the bucket swings this month and she loves them! She was cracking up the first time I put her in one and we’ve been back to the park a couple of times since then. She is also getting much more comfortable with spending more time on her belly but still won’t roll over. She is in no rush! Lately she gets a little frustrated since she really wants to sit up but isn’t quite there yet – we’ve been practicing and she’s slowly getting better. It’s great seeing her get stronger and just develop these new skills – so neat to witness. She loves taking Charlie to the dog park and being out and about, just like John and I, she doesn’t seem to be showing signs of being a homebody.

Her sleep has remained consistent (knock on wood) and we seem to have a really predictable/set schedule. She is still sleeping in the merlin suit, I’ve tried to put her in the crib without it a couple of times but it hasn’t worked. She still can’t seem to settle herself and put herself to sleep without it. I would like to get her sleeping suit-free by summer time as the suit is warm and it’s going to be hot around here. So I guess that’s my next challenge.

We are currently in escrow for our first home and if everything goes well, we will be moving later this month. I am excited for Sienna’s new room which is bigger than her current one. Also, the house is bigger so I won’t have to worry about tiptoeing my way around while she’s asleep.

This upcoming Monday we will start out with a nanny. I am going back to work for three days a week so we hired someone to watch her. Sienna and I loved her from our interview and I am really hoping that they are a good match as I can’t help but to feel worried about leaving her. I feel very thankful and lucky that I got to spend her first 7 months of life exclusively taking care of her – moving forward, my goal is being able to maintain a healthy work/life balance so that I can be the best mom I can to her while still moving forward with my career as well.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

My cooking “window” has shifted around here. Sienna used to take three long naps every day and usually, it was during the third nap that I would tiptoe my way around the kitchen to make dinner or work on a recipe that had been floating around my mind.

We’re down to two naps and the one that Sienna dropped was my “cooking nap” so I have been cooking at different times of day now. A couple of weeks ago we were in this transition phase where Sienna was going through some developmental milestones and being held a lot was what she needed at the time. Right now, it looks like she is able to play by herself for some time and although she still kind of freaks out when she sees me walk away, I don’t necessarily have to be holding her. As long as she can be seeing me or John then she’s good for a bit. Lately, our early morning alert time is either used up on a walk or in the kitchen. Sienna no longer slouches in the bumbo so she can just sit comfortably and watch anything going on in the kitchen. This pie took about one hour to make including prep time and for the entire time Sienna did great just observing what I did and listening to me chatter about cooking. Also, she definitely wanted in on these mashed potatoes:

She seems to be very interested in food these days and I couldn’t be happier about that. Of course my dream would be to raise a little foodie who loves to spend time in the kitchen with me but I know toddlers get through a “picky” phase when it comes to food so we’ll see how that goes. There is only so much I can control. For now, I am trying to expose different flavors to her palate and she seems happy about it. I set aside some mashed potatoes and stuffing without salt and pureed it for her so she could try the pie as well. I’m hoping she likes it! Lentils are high in protein and iron so this is a great option for infants.

This pie is such a hearty and delicious alternative for dinner. The ingredient list is also pretty simple so it’s definitely not an intimidating recipe. Leftovers can be reheated either in the oven or in the microwave. And just for fun, here’s a photo of my other kitchen helper – he keeps the floors and he loves sunbathing in the morning.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie – Serves 6 – Vegan – Gluten Free

Ingredients: 

For the Mash:

• 5 golden yukon potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of earth balance
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Stuffing:

• 1.5 cups of uncooked green lentils
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 medium carrot – diced
• 1 medium sweet onion – diced
• 2 garlic cloves – finely minced
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the potatoes in half and place in a large pot. Cover with water and boil for about 20 to 30 minutes – until the potatoes are cooked enough to mash. Drain the water and move potatoes over to a bowl where you can mash them with a fork or potato masher. Add earth balance, salt and pepper and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a large saucepan (I used the same large pot used with the potatoes as our saucepan isn’t big enough) sautee the carrots, garlic and onion with the olive oil. Cook enough to make the onion translucent – about 5 minutes. Add the broth, lentils, tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper (I did about a teaspoon o salt and a little less pepper). Bring to a boil and them simmer for about 30 minutes, just make sure the lentils are cooked through but not as much that they become mushy.

Add the corn and peas to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Grease a square pan with either earth balance or olive oil. Add stuffing into the pan and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake for about 15 minutes – until the potatoes are golden.

Cool before serving – if you serve while it is too hot it will most likely be runny and not thick enough to hold.

Enjoy!

Hoppy Rhapsody

I remember my first sip of IPA. I had just moved to San Diego and I had never tried a hoppy beer. John’s favorite beer at the time was Stone’s IPA and it was with him that I tried it for the first time. He told me what IPA meant and the whole story of how hops were added in the beer in order to allow the beer to make the long journey from England to India. I remember tasting the bitterness of the hops and grimacing in disapproval. People drink this for enjoyment?

Fast forward five years and I am officially a hop lover. I’ve learned to differentiate styles and flavors in beer. It’s not surprising that I’m a beer fan since we live in America’s Beer Capital – however, personally I’ve had a really cool beer journey. From not being a beer drinker (ever!) to living on 30th street (home of so many breweries), to going back home to Mexico and noticing how the craft beer movement is catching up down there… so awesome. I’m a little bit of a snob but not in a negative pretentious way, if that makes any sense.. I know that craft beer tastes better if it is poured in the proper glass so I rarely drink from the bottle anymore, yet I can still sip on Pacifico’s on the beach on a warm day. It’s just so neat to learn and understand a beverage. What goes into it, the passion behind the brewers who make it, the combination of ingredients…All great things take time and effort and I find value in the art of crafting beer.

Image via @lalo1981_

 

Here are my 5 favorite IPA’s right now – all so delicious!

1. Insurgente La Lupulosa – American IPA – 5 Hops – Fruity – Malty – Hints of Caramel – Made in Mexico (YES!).

2. Modern Times Booming Rollers – American IPA – Citrus – Tropical – Refreshing – “Light” Bitterness.

3. Pizza Port Lono – Mango IPA – Silky – Golden – Juicy – Well Balanced – Robust – You can actually taste the M A N G O!

4. Alpine Nelson – Golden Rye IPA – New Zealand Hops – European Rye – Malty Flavor – Dry Hopped.

5. Stone Japanese Green Tea Collaboration – Herbal & Hoppy – Bitter Finish – Light – Dry – Grassy.

Cheers!

Simple Red Curry

Cooking Thai food is slowly becoming less and less intimidating to me. It’s already hard to dive in and create recipes with ingredients that you are 100% familiar and comfortable with… let alone when you throw in new spices and textures.

We used to buy bottled up curry sauce all the time, usually the one we found at Trader Joe’s. And while the flavor is good, I’ve never been sold on the ingredients labeled on the back of the bottle. I’d like to assume that due to shelf life that needs to be prolonged, I find ingredients like: dehydrated coconut milk instead of real coconut milk on the label. And that cornstarch is added as a thickener. Not surprisingly, sugar is the third ingredient (!!) in most of these bottled curries… a fact that I just chose to overlook when I just needed to make a “quick dinner”.

It’s nice being able to create a healthier blueprint of these sauces at home. You need fewer ingredients than you would think (sigh of relief).

I heard this quote once and it has really stuck with me: “If we don’t have to be sick, then we have to make time to be healthy”. Amen.

This curry is easy to make and it only takes about 45 minutes to come together with plenty of leftovers for the day after or perhaps enough food to host a nice casual dinner with friends.

This was my second attempt at making this recipe and we loved it! A dry lager is recommended as a good beer pairing for the spice level :).

Simple Red Curry – Serves 6 – Gluten Free – Vegan

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower – chopped
• 1 red bell pepper – chopped
• 2 medium carrots – peeled and diced
• 2 small Thai dragon peppers – finely diced (found at 99c ranch market)
• 1/2 onion – finely diced
• 1 block of extra firm tofu – pressed and cubed
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons of curry powder
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fluid ounces)
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, Thai chilies and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are transparent.

Add the tofu, cauliflower, red bell pepper and curry powder. Stir so that the powder coats all of the vegetables. Add veggie broth and tomatoes (with juice). Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk, chickpeas, salt, pepper and allow to cook for another 15 minutes,this time uncovered, until the desired thickness is achieved.

Check for seasonings and serve atop a bed of rice or quinoa.

Enjoy!

Sienna Kai: 6 Month Update

Whoa! We hit the 6 month mark!

This past month with Sienna was pretty eventful. We traveled, tried new foods, went to our first arts and crafts baby party and we got a pretty bad case of teething with a side of cold (still trying to get better!). Insert sad face emoji here. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your baby sick, luckily she still shows me little hints of her personality which give me comfort and remind me that everything will be alright.

Moving on – The big thing that I noticed this month is that she really started to explore the world. She tries to grab everything she can reach and she is taking time in observing everything in detail. It’s like everything was out of focus for a while and all of a sudden she can see detail so it’s all new again. I say this because our daily routine at home is fairly consistent and she knows her space already, however, things that never used to get her attention are now so attractive to her. The fridge for example. We have magnets and photo booth pics all over it and now every time that we walk by it, her little arms stretch out and try to grab a photo. It’s pretty cute. She also has been a fan of being held in a standing position, her legs are getting strong!

She loves Charlie so much! I notice that she is constantly looking around the house for him and every time he is close she reaches out to touch him. She also gets a kick out of seeing him play with his ball. She starts laughing when he starts chasing it or when she sees him running around at the dog park. I feel so happy knowing that they are going to have each other in their lives.

Sienna tried a number of new foods this month and so far she’s loved everything! She can’t sit up on her own yet so she still gets a little frustrated sometimes as she still needs to be propped up or held during meal times. She doesn’t seem to mind different food textures so whenever I give her food that I make, I don’t really puree it that much for her. Yesterday we were out eating and John and I were taking turns holding her as she was fussing quite a bit, we had french fries on the table so I figured I’d just hand her one to hold and play with to see if she would calm down a little. She went bananas! She even started shaking a little when I pulled it away and wanted me to give it back to her…. ha! I guess I don’t really know anyone who doesn’t love french fries.

Sleep has still been great – John and I always joke that we will probably get the other end of the stick whenever we have our second… We are officially down to two naps a day and early bedtime. She wakes up cooing now which is so cute to hear on the monitor, she’s quite the talker. I’ve noticed she’s more interested in exploring her vocal skills than her motor skills as she still doesn’t roll over (she’s done it like 3 times total) or move around much when she’s laying down. We are done with swaddles and now use the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit for all naps and nighttime sleep. I’m hoping I can transition her out of the suit before summer hits as it’s definitely warm inside the suit. Also, she loves sleeping with her little fluffy puppy. Whenever it’s nap time she grabs him and holds him close to herself, I swear right now she likes to snuggle more with him than with us. One of the nights that she was sick we tried to bring her in bed with us and she didn’t love it, she fell asleep back in her crib with her pup 🙂

Her dislikes right now are getting changed, the car seat (doing a little better but honestly it’s still on the dislike list), seeing mom or dad walk away from the room now that she knows what distance is and getting her face wiped off.

Our trip to Guadalajara was a lot of fun. She did great with the time zone transition and seemed to be more adjusted than our first visit during Christmas. I was able to hang out with my close friends on evenings while my parents took care of her and did our bedtime routine with her. My wish is that she grows and learns to love trips back to Guadalajara as much as I do, it’s important to me that she gets to know my family down there so this was a great start. We will probably head back down there in the summer and hopefully in the future we can leave her with her grandparents for a couple of days.

And before I wrap this update up:

We started marking our wall with her height! Granted I know we won’t be living at this house during her entire childhood but I had always wanted to do this whenever I thought of being a mom.

Thank you for another month together Sienna Kai! I love you!

10 Bean Soup

After spending a week away from home and enjoying eating out a little too much, it’s always nice to settle back into the routine and eating homemade meals again. I’ve always loved going to the grocery store and now that Sienna is a little bit older and more aware of her surroundings it’s a fun little outing for us. I remember when she was only a couple of weeks old and I was dreading going to the store… How much time do I have in between feedings? What if she starts melting down while I’m debating if I should get gala or granny smith apples? #firsttimemommyproblems.

I love Sprouts because I can buy bulk. All of our homemade meals tend to be vegan so we always have a lot of beans at hand. I bumped into this 10 bean soup mix in the bulk section the other day and since the weather is back to being a little chilly at night I thought – heck, I’m making another soup. I promise that once we hit warmer days, I will be posting more salad and “hot weather” recipes.

This soup turned out delicious – husband approved! I did add some cooked quinoa that I already had in the fridge to John’s bowl. I wanted to make sure the soup worked as a full meal for him so that seemed to do the trick. Also, I left the seeds in the jalapeño for more of a spicy soup. If you are looking for a milder flavor, make sure you deseed the bad boy first.

10 Bean Soup – Yields About 4 Cups – Vegan – Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of 10 bean mix (found it at Sprouts)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large zucchini – diced
• 1 jalapeño – minced
• 2 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 large carrot – diced
• 1/2 medium onion – minced
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• avocado for garnish

Directions:

Rinse and soak the bean mix overnight.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño an cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the carrots, salt, pepper and cumin and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir so that the vegetables don’t burn and cook evenly.

Add the tomatoes (with the juice), vegetable broth and bean mix. Bring to a boil and then bring the heat down to a simmer.

Allow beans to cook for about 1 hour then add the zucchini. Stir occasionally and continue to cook for another 30 – 40 minutes, until the beans are tender. If the broth is reduced too much, you can always add another half a cup.

Serve in bowls and garnish with avocado cubes.

Buen Provecho!

Guadalajara Trip Recap in Photos

1. Pre flight Smiles.
2. Acapulco Chairs Happiness.
3. The Other JC In My Life.
4. Winning.
5. Cresslers.
6. Hacienda La Magdalena.
7. Wedding Mode ON.
8. Desayuno Mexicano Para La Cruda.
9. Siblings.
10. Craft Beer Mexicana.
11. Abuelos.
12. Farewell Pinguins.

NEDA Week: Celebrate People

February 22nd marked the first day of the National Eating Disorder Awareness week. Each year that passes, the meaning that this week has for me grows. It marks another year when I can say that “I made it”. Although there are still times when I struggle, I know that I am “on the other side” of my eating disorder. Sometimes, I still hear that disordered voice in my head – however, I am now able to listen to it, acknowledge that it’s there and then let it go. It’s not my -TRUTH- anymore. I’ve learned to detach from it and come back to myself.

About a month ago I met Jessica Raymond. She is the face behind Recovery Warriors, a site with tools that help girls during their recovery from eating disorders. She also lives in San Diego and it was great to connect with someone else who fought her eating disorder and is now giving back to society and the community. I heard her say that recovery is like surfing. You can have periods of time where you are just patiently sitting on your board, waiting for the waves in peace. A period of time where everything feels steady. Then there’s times when the waves hit you and you just have to ride them, not knowing the outcome, unaware if you’re going to make it out “alive”. She said she’s learned to treat emotions like waves. You have to acknowledge that they are there, you have to ride them to realize that they are fleeting. That they are not permanent. That they will pass. If you think about it we all pretty much go through a sort of “surf recovery”.. our lives are filled with steady moments that sometimes change into a set of crazy waves.

I know that sometimes it’s hard for people to talk or think about eating disorders. I also know that more people than you think you know, struggle with them. So I don’t think that talking about them is in vain. Now that I have a daughter my priority is to raise her with a high self esteem and self love. I want to celebrate her for who she is. I know that a big part of this is the example that I set for her, in how I treat myself and how I treat others.

This year for NEDA week my goal is to celebrate people and I want to invite you all to do the same.

I come from a family where friendly “banter” is part of the dynamic. Mexicans love speaking their minds and although the intentions are never hurtful I’ve noticed it’s easier to laugh at people than to compliment them. We love instant gratification and it takes way less time to find something on the outside of people that you can talk about than actually taking time in getting to know people, asking the right questions and finding something lovable/admirable inside of them. It takes work. It takes dealing with feeling vulnerable.

We reap what we sow. This is what I want to teach my daughter.

Find time. Learn to love people for who they are. Don’t be quick to judge strangers. Know that how you treat other people is only a reflection of what is inside of you. Love yourself. Ride the wave. And to all my fellow recovery warriors: I love you all! We are doing this – we are living life freely!

Quinoa “Ramen”

The other day I was craving ramen but a) I didn’t have all of the ingredients for ramen and b) I was looking for a healthier dinner option. We had a lot of leftover miso paste from our last trip to the Asian market and I noticed we also had seaweed, kimchi and vegetables that could join forces and turn into some sort of ramen-ish soup.

With no noodles in the house I decided to just cook some quinoa in a miso broth and it actually turned out pretty good! For a vegetarian option, you can soft boil an egg and add it to the recipe below.

Quinoa “Ramen” – Yields 2 Large Bowls – Vegan – Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa
• 1 quart of vegetable broth
• 1 head of broccoli
• 12(ish) shishito peppers
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of miso paste
• 2 large handfuls of red spinach (you can sub for regular spinach)
• 1/2 cup of kimchi (look for an option with no fish sauce if you want a completely vegan dish)
• sesame oil for garnish
• roasted seaweed for garnish
• salt, pepper and olive oil for roasted vegetables

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 375F. Cut the head of broccoli into florets and spread on a large cookie tray along with the shishito peppers. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and dissolve miso paste in the liquid. Add quinoa and bring down to a simmer, quinoa will begin cooking.

In a small pan add the olive oil and cookthe spinach lightly until it’s wilted. Set aside.

Assemble two bowls with: seaweed, 1/4 cup of kimchi each, wilted spinach and roasted broccoli and shishitos once they are done roasting.

When the quinoa is ready add quinoa to the bowls and then ladle some broth on top. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Enjoy!

Sienna and I are headed down to Guadalajara for a few days later today and I am hoping that she will do good on the flight. Wish us luck!

Trader Joe’s Finds & Faves

I’ve heard people say (mostly girls but I’m sure it applies to most of us) that it’s hard for them to leave Target without buying something that they didn’t even need. Yes. Guilty. I do have to say though that I’m pretty good at just walking straight to the aisle or department of the item that I need, grabbing it and heading to the registers. I don’t really browse at Target that much. Take me to Trader Joe’s though and it’s a totally different story.

Trader Joe’s is my Target. Obsessed! I walk down every aisle, EVERY time. We don’t really do our groceries there, Sprouts is cheaper and less tempting for me. Not to mention they do bulk so that’s that. Anyways back to Trader Joe’s. I’m a fan. When we lived in Hillcrest we used to live so close to one that I’d pretty much go every day. Now that we’re further I don’t find myself going as much but when I do I make sure to take my time and check out any new stuff and pick out some of our TJ staples. Here are some gems from my latest visit:

1. Organic Baked Teriyaki Tofu – I love how it’s already pressed and seasoned. Perfect for when I don’t have the time to press and marinade a regular block. It’s a couple of dollars more than just their regular tofu but so worth it!

2. Cold Pressed Juices – Looks like TJ’s caught on the juice craze and went their own route. The juices are delicious, made with only fruits and vegetables and cold pressed. They’re 5.99 a piece which is cheaper than the cold pressed competition.

3. Inner Peas & Inner Beans – We’re quite the snackers over here so I’m always looking out for healthy snack finds. We love snacking on nuts, hummus, baby carrots and these crunchy peas. This was the first time I bumped into the beans which I’m pretty sure will live up to their name.

4. Preserved Tunisian Lemon Slices – I was totally wooed by the presentation of these bad boys. The slices look perfect and so pretty! Not to mention I have had my eye on this Cauliflower Cous Cous with Preserved Lemons and Chickpeas Recipe.

5. Almond Butter – Gimme that! Nut butters are a staple in our kitchen and this one is hands down our favorite. No fake ingredients and so delicious. We get one or two jars every time.

6. Roasted Seaweed – Put some hummus on it and eat it!

7. Japanese Green Tea IPA by Stone – IT’S BACK! Boo-yah! John and I were on a serious beer hunt for this beer when this came out about 3 years ago. I’m a big green tea fan so I knew I had to try it. I didn’t even know that they had released it again and BAM! There it was. Happy early Valentine’s Day to me!