Birthday's - an intimate celebration

I love birthday's!  I think they should be celebrated and all about YOU!  What I don't love is that they have become so commercialized and expensive, just like every other holiday.

So, we have decided that Juliana's birthday celebrations will be intimate and inexpensive, but still very special!  I know as she gets older she will want friends at her party, but for right now, we keep it with just our family.

For her first - all of her cousins and Aunts and Uncles and grandparents were there - which means 20 people!  I did splurge on first birthday photos which I totally recommend our photographer - MYG photography.  For her second, it was just grandparents and a couple of my sister's came with family.  She swam, opened gifts, and ate her favorite - French Fries and Michael's delicious crazy Italian cake.

I am not saying that you shouldn't do big birthday parties, I am just saying we choose not to right now.  There is a part of me that feels guilty or thinks we should do more.  I even looked into the Little Gym, but I just can't imagine spending that much at this point.  Growing up, we never had huge birthday parties with catered food, goody bags, and 20 kids.  We had us (which in a family of 6 kids, it's a lot!), and a cake, and maybe a special dinner in or out somewhere we liked.  So, I think we will keep it simple, stress free, and selective for as long as she let's us!!!  And we will continue to take advantage of all of you and your kid's party! Thanks for the invite!

Juliana's Second Birthday!

You can't have a birthday celebration without a birthday cake and having a child with food allergies can make this difficult to pull off.  Luckily Ashley found a recipe for an egg free chocolate cake and it far surpasses the cake we made for her first birthday.  The cake was a bust the three times we made it for Juliana.  The cake for Juliana's celebration is called a Crazy Italian cake which is fitting if you met her mother.  Everyone that ate the cake loved it and commented on how moist and rich it was even though it was egg free. I attribute the moistness to the addition to balsamic vinegar.  My only modifications to the recipe are minor and do not alter the finished cake in anyway.  The first change was to use regular sugar instead of castor sugar. Good luck finding the caster variety if you go that route. My second modification was to use Enjoy Life semi sweet chocolate mini chips (more allergen free goodness) in place of chopped dark chocolate. The only bad thing about this cake is that its so delicious I end up eating more of it than I should and not leaving enough for Juliana.  In fact I may go sneak a bite of the last piece after I finish typing this post.

Grab the original recipe from Chelsea Winter at
http://chelseawinter.co.nz/egg-free-chocolate-cake/

Work - Life Balance

One thing Michael and I are implementing now that Juliana is a little older, is a once per month date night, and we each get one evening to ourselves each week if needed.  This is proving to be both fun, beneficial, EXPENSIVE, and tiring!

Pre - baby, we used to go out, a lot.  We went to new restaurants every week.  We had a "restaurant week" schedule.  Our friends would come to us for recommendations for their special occasions.  We were definitely "In the know".  Post baby, well we try.  But now we realize what a waste of money it is to go out and drop $200 on food and drinks.  But we also enjoy and really look forward to the time together.  We enjoy it a little too much, and we pay for it the next day.  Parenting hungover is like hell on earth.  A non-stop toddler whose favorite thing to say is "come on momma/dadda, come on, let's go play/running/scream!"  There is no time to order pizza and watch "Friends" re-runs on Netflix. And it is not fair to Juliana to just lay around and not play.  So we suck it up, drink a lot of coffee, and play our hearts out!

I also love having girl time with my friends and family.  I have been able to meet them at new places around town, catch up on life, and just have break from my "jobs".  Michael goes to Brash on his day and enjoys the time to "just be".

   But, I think we need to find some new activities for date nights though to mix it up.  What do you like to do with your spouse or friends?

A Few of my Favorite "Costco" things

Since having Juliana, and discovering her food allergies, we have found a love for all things Costco! Costco offers many organic options, and we love their other household type products as well. So here are a few of my favorite things to buy at Costco!

GOODFOODS tableside chunky guacamole.  One of best features of this item: single servings!  We all know Guac does not save well over night, and using a whole bowl with smaller families may be difficult.  This solves that problem, and they are freaking delicious!  Large chunks of avocado, cilantro, tomato and other REAL food ingredients.  Juliana eats it with a spoon right out of the container.  And I add it to our tacos and other southwest dishes every chance I get.

Salmon is hard to get right - easy to overcook, not enough flavor, too fishy at times.  These marinated salmon filets are our "go to" for nights when have nothing planned, or don't have time to make an elaborate dinner.  They are individually frozen in vacuum sealed packages.  The flavor is also exceptional and not spicy at all.  We usually pan sear them, but you could bake, broil or grill them and serve with a side of steamed veggies.  This is a way to get your kid to eat fish.  Juliana won't eat it any other way.

I am Italian and grew up on homemade "suga".  Pre-made pasta sauces just don't cut it.  But, I also know how long homemade sauce takes to prepare, and how much work goes into getting it just right. I am not saying this compares, but I am saying this sauce is really good.  We add some organic ground beef and extra veggies to make it last a few nights, because a good sauce is even better the next day!

What good is a yummy sauce without a perfect pasta?  Well, don't worry, Garofalo organic pasta is legit.  Made in Italy and only ONE ingredient.  Duram wheat semolina flour.  It cooks perfectly, especially al dente style.  We will eat it plain or with a little butter and cheese as well.  

Funny how as we have a moved away from fake to real stuff, even our oil has changed.  This Avocado Oil has now replaced Canola, grapeseed, vegetable, and even Olive Oil in some cases.  We really like the flavor and the fact that Avocados are such a healthy fat to consume.  It is a little pricier, so we still use Kirkland Olive Oil for some dishes.  But I don't feel so guilty when I add this to recipes now.  

Taking a break from food to talk clothes.  Specifically children's clothes.  Babies and toddlers grow out of things before you can remove the tags.  Costco sells 3 piece play-sets and PJ's by Carter's for a lot less.  They have them all year and change the selection for each season.  We also found some really cute DKNY dresses for the spring, and some nice "workout" gear and swimsuits.  I would recommend you look at Costco for the everyday items your children need.

Okay, back to food.  If you know us, and as you read our blog, you know quinoa is a huge staple in our house.  From sweet potato quinoa patties every morning, to quinoa skillets every week, we use A LOT OF QUINOA.  And why wouldn't you?  A complete protein that cooks like a grain.  Easy to make, fills up recipes, mild flavor, and healthy as can be.  We all 3 love quinoa and Juliana screams when we say the word!  I don't know if one brand is better than others, but I buy their's because we eat it so much, and it has met our needs.

Italian wife, hispanic husband. Good tortillas are not found in the store. Have you ever read the ingredients in your typical store bought tortillas (flour)?  Do it.  Right now.  I was so over all of the additives.  These uncooked tortillas have only 5 ingredients.  They cook up in a skillet and are so good.  It is like having fresh, homemade tortillas whenever you want.  They also make corn, but unfortunately, our Costco does not carry them yet.  We keep checking.

And to wrap this up, because I could go on for DAYS, here a list of all of the other items we like to buy at Costco: organic ground beef, organic chicken breast, organic canned black beans and corn (BPA free cans!), organic frozen broccoli, organic frozen blueberries, organic corn tortilla chips, and they used have an organic pizza kit we loved but they stopped carrying it at ours last month - boo.

We have purchased some other cool stuff - like a nice canopy/tent for the outdoors (and we got married under it!), toys, a microwave, bed sheets, and a nice padded kitchen floor mat.  Their return policy is the best - just keep the receipt (make a photocopy in case it fades), and at any point, you can return the item.  We returned a microwave years later because it quit working and they gave us a replacement.  No hassle.  No questions asked.

What are your favorite things to buy?

Today is National French Fry Day so it's also one of Juliana's favorite days.  She is a French fry fanatic who could (and has attempted) to eat nothing but fries for dinner. Nothing simpler (and tastier) than potatoes fried in avocado oil topped with a little sea salt.

Yes, another ground beef and quinoa recipe

Sticking with the quinoa theme I gave a try at a beef quinoa enchilada skillet recipe with my usual few modifications.  The main thing I wanted to address was the 74% DV of sodium so I substituted Rotel in place of red enchilada sauce. This probably changed the finished texture of the dish which led me to my second modification.  The recipe called for a 1/2 cup of quinoa and I was not pleased with the dish when the cook time was done.  I threw another 1/2 cup of quinoa in a separate pot in order to thicken the dinner.  While the quinoa was cooking I decided to drain the excess liquid from the skillet.  The recipe did not call for the beef to be drained after cooking which is customary for us to lower the fat.  I added the cooked quinoa to the skillet and topped with cheese. I went to the broiler with the skillet in order to get just the right amount of browning on the cheese. The recipe listed 1 cup of cheese but I eye balled it and may have come up short which is a mistake I will not make on the next go round.

Ashley and I couldn't wait to eat so we didn't allow time for the cheese topping to form a hard crust so naturally I added more shredded cheese. Pictured is Ashley bowl with her dollop of guacamole and her trusty chipotle sauce.

Grab the original recipe from Boys Ahoy

Role Reversal Rocks

Ashley: I was home with Juliana for the first 6 months of her life.  It was hard.  It was busy.  It was exhausting.  After returning to work, I felt like I was running out of steam working, doing daycare runs, doctor appointments, and getting dinner prepared.  Michael left the house at 6:30AM and didn't return until 6PM.  I was working in outside sales and had to be in the field every day.  It was overwhelming.  Juliana started refusing bottles at daycare and I was being called away from work everyday to nurse her.  Once she developed food allergies, there were too many "careless" mistakes at daycare and we could no longer put her life at risk in the care of others at such a young age.  Therefore, we started interviewing nannies.  Talk about expensive.  A good nanny cost $30,000 per year.  Yeah, you read that right.  We could not afford this price tag, we felt so conflicted and scared.  During all of this, Michael was laid off from an Oil and Gas career that was 20 years in the making. It was a huge shock and blow to our family.  He held our insurance, he had the steady career while I bounced around, and we had considered me resigning and him being our sole provider (we were taking steps such as adding me to his bank account).  Funny how life works out.  I realized that I really enjoyed work.  I needed to work to be myself.  BUT, we had to find a new solution for Juliana.  Michael got another job quickly and was miserable.  We were stressed, depressed, and our new marriage (we married one month after his layoff) was on the rocks. So we made a decision.  He would stay home with Juliana and I would find a position with higher earning potential.  Doors were shut so many times, but finally a position I was supposed to take prior to having Juliana opened up again, and I was offered the job.  I get to work from home most days and spend time with my family without feeling like I am running ragged.  Michael does the cooking, cleaning and doctor runs.  I can focus on work while I am at work, and on Juliana every evening.  It is the best balance I could imagine.  The role reversal was difficult for me to accept.  A man is supposed to be the provider of the family.  To this day people say, he will find something when oil comes back.  But honestly, I don't think we want that.  At least not right now.  If I can continue to provide for us, I need his support to focus on my career and reach my goals.  If he is okay with his new job (which is waaaayyy harder than mine), then I don't want him to work outside of the home.  I am the type of person that needs to give 100% of myself to whatever I am doing.  I could not do that when we were both working.  I felt like I gave 50% to every task.  So, if you are like me and considering a "role reversal", GO FOR IT!

Crockpot chicken

Tonight's crockpot dinner of chicken, red potatoes, and green beans is one of Juliana's favorites. Note to self: add more green beans because she tears them up. For the longest time I made this dish omitting the fresh squeezed lemon juice, but once I added it in the dish was way beyond delicious.  While the recipe calls for 1.5 - 2 pounds chicken breast I modified to 1 pound of breast and 1 pound of thighs for a bit extra fat.  As mentioned I will increase the 1/2 pound of green beans because Juliana can't see to get enough of them.

Grab the original recipe from The Magical Slow Cooker

One Pot Mexican Quinoa

With Ashley taking a break from eating wheat I wanted to find a hearty dish that didn't include pasta. Thanks to Yummly I found a dish with quinoa that I mistakenly thought included ground beef. Half way through completing the recipe I said to myself "where's the beef?" and as is customary for me this one pot meal doubled to two pots. The first pot contained the recipe ingredients with the second having the ground beef as well as bell peppers and onion. We've found most recipes lacking in their heartiness and we say "we should add this and that to fill out the meal on the next go round." So in the end the I added bell peppers, onion, ground beef, taco seasoning, and cheddar cheese to what was intended to be a meatless dish. As with any new recipe I try there is some trepidation as to whether Juliana will eat the dish and I'm happy to report that this will be a new entry in our rotation.

The finished dish

The aftermath

Fourth of July

We have had a very busy weekend with lots of swimming and family!  Juliana also got to run her first 1K this morning, while Ashley ran the 5K. Juliana has been "training" in the mornings, but it all fell apart at the run.  She got mad, walked off, and wanted to be carried after about .1 miles.  Life with a toddler, unpredictable and full of excitement (aka tantrums).

She was the youngest kid in the race and looked adorable. My hope is that we can instill a love for exercise so she stays active and healthy - both mentally and physically. As for my 5K, well I finished! This was after drinking a bottle and half of wine yesterday, eating junk food, and waking up at 5:30AM to get ready. I had a lot on my mind and ran for my Cuz James - he is in ICU due to complications from cancer. He is more like a brother to me, and seeing someone you love suffering really puts life into perspective.

Time to Make the Donuts

M: We were invited to a morning birthday celebration for one of Juliana’s friends with a menu of donuts. Any store bought donuts were out of the question for Juliana so Ashley found two home made donut recipes for me to attempt. The first recipe was for a traditional donut while the second was for a Japanese donut. After two failed attempts at the first recipe I decided to throw in the towel at 2am with the plan to give it another shot after a 4 hour nap. Ashley’s plan was to wake up and run a few miles as part of her half marathon training so I would be up with her giving me plenty of time work on that recipe before the 8am party. You know the saying As the saying about best laid plans so long story short I tried the Japanese recipe. The problem I had with the first recipe was getting the yeast (to activate) and luckily yeast was not needed in the second recipe. The prep and cook time were also 30 minutes shorter so double win. While the finished donuts were not what you think of when you hear the word donut I can say they were a hit with Juliana.

All the work and lack of sleep was worth it to watch Juliana sit with the birthday girl while they both ate a donut…or two..or three.

A: Birthday Parties - fun and stressful! For most people, birthday parties are about cake, presents, and junk food. For us, they are about baking, prepping, and hand washing. So, when we got the breakfast birthday invitation (you know you have a toddler when parties are at 8:30AM), I sent a message to my friend to see what she would be serving: chick-fil-a chicken mini’s, donuts, and fruit. So donuts, that would be fun to figure out! I found two recipes that were free of all her allergens and Michael got to work the night before the party. I went to sleep with plans to go running at 6:30AM. But…..I woke up at 7, Michael was up, still trying to make donuts as they didn’t come together the night before. So, I was on baby duty and getting her other food prepped and ready to go. Off we went and all I can is, pictures are worth a 1000 words. Michael is so committed to our family and his role as a SAHD

About Us

Ashley’s Version - Michael took me on a date to see King’s of Leon in the fall of 2009. He “courted” me like no man ever had. He treated me like a lady (and that is what he calls me - for my beer drinking abilities!). I kicked and screamed at first, but I soon came to my senses, and realized what an idiot I would be to walk away from someone who made me his world. We lived a fun life: bars, high-end restaurants, just picking up and going whenever and wherever our hearts desired. But my heart started to desire a children. The baby fever was at an all time high in 2013. So, on July 24th, 2014 - we welcomed Juliana Grace into our family. That next year would be the best and the hardest year of our lives. Here is a quick run down of events: Our beautiful dog Kobe unexpectedly passed away when Juliana was 8 weeks old, Juliana had to have an MRI and other test done to rule out seizures at 11 weeks old, Michael was laid off after 20 years with Marathon Oil, Juliana got diagnosed with severe food allergies, Michael’s new job is terrible so he resigns, Michael battles depression, Ashley battles anxiety. Yep, in the span of ONE YEAR. So here we are now. - OPPOSITE FAMILY! I work in corporate America for a Fortune 500 company as a small business consultant. Michael is a stay at home dad to our 2 year old daughter. I hope you enjoy our journey!