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Monday, January 25, 2010

I have not yet tried this recipe, but I think it sounds really good. One of my favorites is chicken piccata, and we've been eating a lot of spinach lately, so I think this recipe may be a hit. You could use any kind of white fish for this recipe if you didn't want to use flounder.

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

4 (6-ounce) flounder fillets

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place rice in a medium bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge fish in flour.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Add wine, juice, and capers to pan; cook 1 minute. Add butter to pan, stirring until butter melts. Remove fish and sauce from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Add spinach to pan; sauté 1 minute or until wilted. Place 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup spinach, 1 fillet, and 1 tablespoon sauce.

I officially decided to make Hudson's 2nd Birthday Party a Robot themed party. These are some items that I have ordered so far and thought I would share them, because I think they are good finds. Paper Source has some other Robot items, including stationary, invitations, and more stamps. Oriental Trading is a great place to look for party supplies, especially toys for goodie bags. I have also been finding lots of great items and ideas on Etsy. I have been trying to find robot cookie cutters, and it seems they are hard to come by or expensive when you do. I placed a custom order on Etsy with yarnNink for two robot cookie cutters. Hello Hanna has some adorable placemats for kids and other items will be for sale coming February and March.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Make some paper valentine's by tracing your child's hand, hang some hearts in the window using wax paper and crayons, or make flower valentine's using paper and lollipops. You can find more kids crafts and the details to these on Martha Stewart's site.

Friday, January 15, 2010

The Phoenix Zoo has "Breakfast with the Animals" for ages 2-5 and a caregiver, coming up in March and May. For the month of March it is Monkey Madness, and then Incredible Elephants in May. It is from 8 am to 9 am. I have never been to this event, but thought it sounded like fun. Hudson loves monkeys, but won't be 2 until April so not sure if we will get to go. For dates and to sign up go here. The cost is $22.50 per child/caregiver pair for members, and $40 for non-members.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

This recipe is found in Giada de Laurentiis cookbook, Giada's Kitchen. These crackers are really yummy, and can also be used crumbled over soups or salads.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups grated pecorino Romano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.

Place tablespoon-sized balls of the dough on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.

Hudson's 2nd Birthday is getting closer, so I have been trying to think up some theme ideas. I love all of these amazing Robot Party Themes that I am finding online. This is one theme I am thinking about, but I still have some time to decide.

Directions1. Melt unwrapped caramels in a microwave according to package directions. Working quickly, spoon small dollops of caramel onto 16 wafers. Place a lollipop stick in center, and top each with another wafer to make a cookie sandwich. 2. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Dunk each cookie sandwich in chocolate and shake to remove excess. Top lollipops with sprinkles and place onto wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes or until firm.

I haven't tried making these yet, but think you could try many different variations of fillings and cookies. I found this recipe at Parents.com

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Disney is giving away one million tickets in 2010 to people who volunteer in their community. All you have to do in sign-up with a participating organization here and you get one day at Disney for free. They will also allow you to volunteer to receive a ticket and then donate your ticket to their participating organizations. What a great idea!!!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

I fell in love with these headbands the first second I laid eyes on them! They are from Anthropologie of course! I got one for Christmas and had to go back and get another one because I love them so much. They are $32 at Anthropologie.

Friday, January 8, 2010

These are few hair accessories that I made the other day. I will be posting these on my Etsy shop as well. I was inspired by some feathery hair clips that I spotted at Anthropologie the other day. I picked up some feathers, buttons, and things at SAS. SAS is located in Tempe on the corner of Apache and McClintock. They have great prices and a wide selections of materials, the store isn't the cleanest, but it is still a great place to shop! :)

I thought I should post this recipe while it is still cold outside. It is one of my favorite tortilla soup recipes, and is by Emeril Lagasse. It is different then most tortilla soups, because it is more of a broth based soup, then a thick creamy texture. It is packed with flavor and the fresh tortilla strips, chipotle crema, and sliced avocado top it off! The ESSENCE seasoning used on the tortilla strips, is also a great seasoning to use on fish or shrimp.

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with the Essence.

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Chipotle Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.

We started potty training Hudson this week, he has been ready to start for a little while now. He took an interest in it when he saw his friend Jackson using the potty. I printed out a couple potty training charts and hung them in the bathrooms. Each time he goes in the potty he gets a star sticker to put on his chart. He really likes being able to get a little reward each time. The charts are free to print online and they have all different characters to choose from.