Teriyaki Chicken with Soba Noodles

On Friday, Josh and I tried soba noodles for the first time in Robin Miller's Teriyaki Chicken with Soba Noodles recipe. We used rotisserie chicken, teriyaki sauce, cilantro, red bell peppers plus the noodles and seasoning. It took no time at all and made even better leftovers.

Here's a link to another chicken and soba noodle recipe from Robin Miller that's fairly similar. I'll probably try it sometime - Honey-Jalapeno Chicken with Sesame Soba Noodles.

Veal with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

If you don't like cleaning dishes, don't make this recipe.

I had never eaten veal before, so when I saw the Bon Appetit recipe for Veal with Mushrooms and Tomatoes, I was intrigued.

The resulting dinner took a bit longer than most we make on weeknights, and Josh repeatedly commented on the amount of dishes it generated.

Then, he tasted it.

It was really good - not a regular recipe but good once a year or so. If only I could get the South Park veal episode out of my head...

Fish and Vegetables with Pesto Baked in Foil Packets

I made a Bon Appetit recipe for Fish and Vegetables Baked in Foil Packets with Pesto.

The dish was easy and tasted great, but not so good for leftovers. Josh and I would need to halve the recipe for future use.

It took maybe 10-15 minutes to prep, then I could walk away while they bake. Great when you have a 9 month old playing nearby!

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

Josh and I both love mascarpone cheese, so when I saw the recipe for Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars from Giada de Laurentiis, I knew we had to try it.

The bars were easy to make, but I would just use 1-2 ounces of cream cheese instead of a whole container of mascarpone, because I thought that there was way too much of the chocolate-mascarpone mixture.

Josh LOVED these. I served some small bars with vanilla ice cream. He told me that all day at work he'd be looking forward to eating that at night... so I guess I'll make these again!

Lamb Chops with Spicy Rub & Curried Mushrooms and Peas

I also used the "5 Spices, 50 Dishes" cookbook to make Lamb Chops with Spicy Rub and some Curried Mushrooms and Peas.

Both were great, but we don't plan on cooking lamb regularly (although Josh cooked it PERFECTLY!).

The curried mushrooms, peas and tomatoes were fantastic. It will be a great side dish to add to our list of repeats.

Here's to hoping that lamb goes on a huge sale...

Grilled Portobello Slices with Avocado-Ranch Sauce

Josh and I went to Jasper's for our fourth wedding anniversary. One of the dishes we had was portobello mushroom fries with an avocado-ranch dipping sauce. They were amazing, so we wanted to try a slightly healthier version.

We sliced three portobello mushrooms and grilled them after adding some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. We combined mashed avocado and ranch dressing to make a dip.

The mushrooms were fantastic, but next time, we're going to try combining half of an avocado, ranch dip mix and some sour cream.

Mild Fish Stew with Potatoes

I have never really eaten Indian food, but I bought a cookbook called "5 Spices, 50 Dishes" earlier this year since Josh was interested. We finally got around to trying some of the recipes.

One we tried was for a Mild Fish Stew with Potatoes, using catfish, coconut milk, potatoes and other ingredients.

While grating the ginger, the house started smelling great.

I liked it, but it's not a recipe that works for two people since leftovers just don't work with reheating catfish.

That being said - I'll definitely look for an excuse to make this again.

If you haven't made Indian food before, this cookbook is a great starting point. The premise is that you can make the dishes without a ton of ingredients, and that includes the 5 spices alluded to in the title.

Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Chips

When I make coffee cake for breakfast, I have a very happy husband. That was the case two weekends ago, when I made one, adding some leftover cinnamon chips.

Josh has never been crazy about cinnamon chips, but admitted he liked the addition.

The recipe I use is from the Fredericksburg cookbook, but here's a link to a similar recipe.

Turkey Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper and Arugula Penne

Another recipe from the Peace Meals cookbook that I recently tried was a penne pasta with sweet Italian turkey sausage, roasted red pepper and arugula.

A simple variation on our common theme of turkey sausage-based pasta dishes - easy and good to eat.

Baked Plantains

One of the food blogs that I read regularly is Bitten by Mark Bittman. A recipe for Baked Plantains appeared, and like many of Bittman's recipes, the simplicity of it made me want to try it.

Simple it was, and a great reason to use ripe plantains!

Chicken, Tomato and Feta Couscous Salad

One of my newer cookbooks, Peace Meals [a Houston Junior League cookbook] was beautiful to look at, but was unused... until I made this salad.

The salad called for chicken, tomato, feta, herbs and couscous with a light dressing. It was a meal I ended up making for my family for dinner, and they really enjoyed it.

My obsession with couscous continues, and the fact that this makes great leftovers to bring to work for lunch does not help!

Shrimp Pasta with a Garlic White Wine Alfredo Sauce

A few weeks ago, Josh and I bought some fresh pasta from Central Market. The sole I had been planning on making was not available, so we decided to improvise and make a shrimp pasta. We also picked up some of their alfredo sauce made on-site.



We made a sauce with roasted, minced garlic, white wine, a few tablespoons of alfredo sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. We cooked the shrimp, some cherry tomatoes, arugula and basil, adding in the cooked pasta and some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

It was a great dinner. We tried making it again with most of the items on hand, but added peas instead of basil. It was definitely missing the basil, but some lemon juice we added to the sauce added a nice touch.

What a cutie!

Ben's First Zoo Trip!

About 10 days ago, Ben got to his Aunt Alicia while she was in the US for a wedding. He took his first trip to the Houston Zoo! We arrived when it opened, and that was a great decision due to the small amount of people and the rising temperatures outside. His Aunt Alicia, Opa Peter and Oma Angie were excited to see him!

It was very hot outside, but Ben had a cool hat and sunglasses to help mitigate the effects!













Ben seemed to have a lot of fun - he was constantly looking around. He saw some animals but was really focused on the other children walking around and the plants.

There is a red panda cub at the zoo - we were able to catch it eating!



We were all very hungry and tired from the heat after a couple of hours, so we went to PotBelly for lunch. Ben had some of his bottle during the zoo, and he fell asleep as soon as we drove out of the zoo parking lot. After lunch, Alicia hung out with Ben and me at home.



Later, Oma Angie, Opa Peter and Uncle Aaron came to have dinner with us and see Benjamin!



A fun day, but unfortunately it was back to work early the next morning!

Does he ever sleep?

Lately Benjamin likes to stand up - supported, of course - which means our arms get tired pretty quickly!



He continues to interact with the dogs, who like to lick him. However, as soon as Ben touches them, they run away!



This month, Josh and I celebrated four years of marriage. For the first time, we actually went out to dinner... he even got me flowers (besides the day Ben was born, this was the first time since our proposal!).



Ben's Auntie Raechel arrived back from Europe on Saturday so he got to spend time with his Opa Dean and Oma Glenda.



Ben then made quite a mess at lunch!





Later in the weekend, at home, Ben became very interested in playtime!





A couple of days later, we got Ben a small baby drum toy since he likes to drum on boxes... he really enjoys playing with it!

Vaca Frita: Crispy Beef

And finally, the last recipe we tried over the weekend - Vaca Frita, or Crispy Beef. This did not take nearly as long as the beans, and Josh liked it. It was also the first time in a really long time that I was the one cooking the steak!



[my photo looks a bit different than the one in the magazine, possibly because I'm not a food photographer but more than likely due to the fact that I cut the onions larger so I don't have to eat them!]

Frijoles Negros: Black Beans

Josh loves black beans, so I tried making them over the weekend. Over 5 hours after I started, the final product was ok, but not much different than what we could get in a restaurant.



It, like other recipes from the weekend, was based on a Food & Wine article on Cuban food.

Egg Salad

Josh was shocked to hear that I had never made hard-boiled eggs before. There's a first time for everything, and I made them this past weekend.

The egg salad recipe I used called for tomatoes, parsley, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. I liked the combination - colorful and light. We ate the sandwiches on some great bread, and that added a lot.

Curry Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had never cooked with curry before I tried making these cookies. At first the combination of curry and cookie sounded strange, but these are so addictive!

Even Josh couldn't stop eating them! The combination of coconut, red curry (I used a quarter of the amount in the Curry Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip recipe from Cookie Madness and thought it was just right), chocolate chips and oatmeal is great.

The recipe also calls for sea salt and I loved when I would bite into a large sea salt flake. I didn't think I could find another repeat chocolate chip recipe but this is unique and delicious that it will be repeated.

Enchilado: Seafood Stew

Saturday and Sunday night, we had recipes from Food & Wine - a Cuban recipe article by Lourdes Castro. On the menu for Saturday was the Avocado and Onion Salad with Enchilado, a Seafood Stew.

The stew tasted pretty good, although we tend to like anything with tomatoes and shrimp. The pimientos added a nice touch.

Avocado and Onion Salad

If you read a couple of postings, it becomes apparent pretty quickly that I like simple recipes. It's not because I don't like challenging myself, but more that I try to cook while my son remains distracted with toys, or stays asleep.

Lourdes Castro provided Food & Wine magazine with some Cuban recipes, including one for Avocado and Onion Salad. I can't stand onions, but Josh loves them [and I LOVE avocados].

Great salad - but needs to be significantly smaller if it's only for the two of us.

Avocados sure are addictive.

Honeydew and then Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

On a slight departure from a New York Times recipe for Watermelon or Cantaloupe Agua Fresca, I tried Honeydew.

The mix was somewhat refreshing but pretty bland.



The Cantaloupe version was attempted soon after, with a much warmer reception. Still, it may be easier to just go to El Rey when I want the juice!

Tomato Soup with Two Fennels

When I read "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg, I was determined to make the Tomato Soup with Two Fennels. The recipe sounded so simple - it had to be good.

Unfortunately, while I'm sure the soup was cooked fairly well, it just didn't work for me. I'm blaming it on the spicy shrimp pasta that Josh and I make - as many of the flavors were similar. It was almost like I kept on expecting to taste shrimp or artichokes when I was eating it.

However, the fresh goat cheese with the soup was definitely appreciated... and will be bought again soon.

Mango Buttermilk Smoothie

The New York Times recently had a "recipe" for a Mango Buttermilk Smoothie.

I use the term recipe loosely only because like other smoothies, this hardly takes any effort, and is a continuation of my blender usage.

The smoothie called for buttermilk, mango, banana and strawberry. I couldn't really taste the mango, but this will be a great recipe to go to when I have leftover buttermilk in the fridge.

Avocado, Mango and Tomato Shrimp Tacos

A few months after Ben was born, Josh took me to a Cuban place called El Rey. I instantly became a fan of their summer special. However, it's located pretty far away from us, so we tried to re-create the tacos at home.

Luckily it's a very simple recipe to mimic. You chop tomatoes, a mango and an avocado. The peeled and deveined shrimp we cooked were covered in a spice mix of cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and chili powder - different than the El Rey seasoning. Then put the cooked shrimp in a corn tortilla with the tomatoes, mango and avocado pieces.

We liked putting a small amount of sour cream on the tortilla before the shrimp - helped keep things in the tortilla!

Fresh Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone Sauce

There are few things that I like more than summer berries. or chocolate. or mascarpone cheese.

I put some strawberries and blueberries in a bowl, then added a mixture of white chocolate sauce and mascarpone cheese. Yummy goodness that Josh insists I must make again (make, of course, meaning chop fruit and mix two things together). I don't blame him.

Corn, Tomato and Avacado Salad + Chicken

About a month ago, I was heading back home after a business trip in Dallas. Since I had already finished the two magazines that I brought, I went browsing through the airport store. I ended up choosing the Food Network magazine. The last page (non-advertisement one) included a recipe from Aida Mollenkamp - her Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad.

Of course, buying another food magazine or cookbook is never a good idea for me as I've run out of space on my cookbook shelves. Josh is designing me a bookcase that he'll build. But I am glad when I find a recipe I want to make over and over. This is one for multiple reasons.

The salad has corn (fresh off of the cob), tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and avocado with a lime-cilantro dressing. It tastes like summer. After roasting lots of vegetables and using the oven, it was great to just chop and blend to get a nice, refreshing lunch.

My blender is in use again. After a long hiatus (I craved smoothies during my first trimester - in fact, most mornings, they were all I could keep down), I am now using my blender again. It all started with the dressing for this salad, which I could see myself using for some tacos and other dishes as well. And, if I rinse the blender immediately, my hubby (who is the official dishwasher in our household) is happy!

I feel better after I eat it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing after eating out most of the time. And this salad? It's faster than eating out anywhere (including driving time).

So I had to change the recipe, but still - this find alone was worth the subscription I have to Food Network magazine (it's actually the reason I subscribed).

I'm not a carnivore but I do like having meat in my meals. We had half of a rotisserie chicken left from the night before, so I chopped up the chicken, barely heated it through in the microwave and added it to the salad when I was ready to serve it.

I think it is pretty obvious I'm making this again.

A computer nerd already?

Benjamin is now 8 months old. Sometimes it seems like it has been forever since I've gotten nights of well-rested sleep. The three times he has slept through the night for me thus far, I wake up worried instead of staying asleep! However, more often than not, it seems like the 8 months have flown by. Josh and I are noticing new developments all the time. Over a month ago, we noticed Ben had mastered the concept of object permanence. A couple of weeks ago, Ben found the wireless computer mouse for my laptop and started playing with it. It did not take him more than a couple of minutes to realize that the movement of the mouse would manipulate the screen! Then he started playing with the mouse, but looking at the monitor while doing so... Benjamin now looks out for it and the digital camera. Lucky for me, at this developmental stage, they are only within his reach if I put him or them that way!

This is a photo from two weekends ago, when Ben really started playing with the mouse. He also is very interested in Josh's computer keyboard.



On the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend, we went to a wedding - Ben's first. It was nice to see some of Josh's friends again. Benjamin went through multiple outfits, but was extremely well-behaved. During the ceremony, he sat next to me in a church pew and was entertained by his cardboard version of Dr. Suess' "Hop on Pop." At the reception, Josh and I were even able to catch a dance - that does not happen too often anymore! Of course the little guy got pretty tired and fell asleep there. Soon after, we headed home. His routine was messed up for a few days - our fault for keeping him up.



The next day, he had a small fever (reached 100.1 F for a couple of hours then went down) and we figured he was teething. Since his fever went away on Sunday, for Memorial Day we drove to Seabrook. Ben got more time in the swing!



Ben loves to look around at plants and so he did that with his Opa Peter.



He then read colorful books with his Oma Angie.



We then went to Sudie's with his Uncles Alex and Aaron, who both had graduated the previous week. Yummy seafood!

It turned out that Ben must have been sick because sure enough, a couple of days later, Josh and I both were sick. There's nothing like having a sickness, a sick husband and a little one who depends on you - that's when you realize parenting really is the one "job" that has no offhours! Ben was really good all week. His routine was off but at least his mood was pleasant - you can't ask for anything better!



Luckily we were almost back to normal for the weekend. I was able to cook quite a bit and Ben enjoyed some bonding time with his Daddy!



Ben cannot pull himself up yet (even from lying down to sitting up), but he can pull to a stand sometimes when he grabs my arms and I move up just a little. He laughs so much when he is able to stand and hold on / drum on to a stable place, like a table or ottoman! He also drums on boxes - he's going to be a noisy one in a few years!