Pierogi

As I mentioned in the Weekend Update, we made pierogies last weekend - 202 to be exact. Here is a picture-by-picture demonstration of the different steps. First, make the dough. This is Husband's job - the dry ingrdients, the well for the eggs and wet ingredients.

Then, he rolls it out and then rolls it out and then rolls it out until it's paper thin.

Next, he uses a coffee can to cut uniform circles.  This used to be my job when we had more people to the assembly line.  It's a good job for a beginner - or child.

Then, he takes the filling he made earlier out of the fridge.  It's a mashed potato and cheese mixture that tastes delicious all by itself.  Seriously.  I know this because I got to eat it with a spoon to "see if it tasted ok".  Now, we begin my part of the process.

I get to take 1/2 teaspoon of the filling and place it into a circle-shaped piece of dough.  The picture below has a beginning pierogi which was filled with like a Tablespoon of filling.  I adjusted and then adjusted more through the process.  I forget that I should fill like a normal person and not fill with as much filling as I would enjoy.

Then, I folded over to make a half circle.  I press the edges together and crimp with a fork. 

Then, I'm done and there's a perfect pierigi - only 201 to go!  Below is the first tray ready to be frozen.

We freeze them in sheets and, once frozen, put in freezer bags.  When it's time to eat, we drop the frozen pierogi into boiling water and then pan fry them with butter and a little garlic salt.  (By "we", I mean, the boy serves them that way.  I just wait for them to hit the plate before my involvement.)  It took us a full day, but it wasn't that rough of a process.  We got an incredibly late start.

Weekend Update - Drinking, Cooking, and Napping

The title certainly sums up my weekend. On Friday, after work, I went to a Happy Hour which was a lot of fun. The cosmos were much appreciated after such a long week.


On Saturday, Little Miss woke up and begged Husband to wake up with her. So, he did. He made her breakfast and brushed her teeth while I got to sleep an extra hour or so. It was glorious for everybody. Also, Little Miss informed us that she did not want me to wake up and be with her. Who am I to argue? Late morning, we drove Little Miss to the In-Laws' apartment so we could do some baking for Easter dinner. We went grocery shopping and then started preparing and freezing 202 pierogies. It was a long day, but they came out well, I think. We'll know definitely next week when we eat them (well, some of them).


On Sunday, Husband woke up with Little Miss again. I joined them for pancake breakfast. Then, we got ready to go to Kielbasa Factory to pick up some kielbasa for Easter. Little Miss was given a lollipop (which you can see above) which she loved. When we got home, Little Miss and I took a nap which brought us right into dinner and bath time.

We Couldn't Be More Proud

The other morning, Little Miss was trying to work the remote control. She was unsuccessful. So, she handed it to me and said, "Screw it! I'm going to go play. Excuse me." Mouth open, I asked her to return to me and repeat what she just said. She looked at me wide-eyed and said, "Excuse me." I said, "Before that." At this point, she thinks she's in trouble so the eyes start welling up and the mouth starts to quiver. So, I assure her that she's not in trouble. It is her first offense. She already knows I'm not happy so I was feeling a bit lenient. She whispers "Screw it." I asked where she heard that phrase before and she said "I don't know" which is her common answer to confrontation. So, I followed up and asked if she heard the phrase from Mommy or Daddy just to cover all bases. She said no. I said that it is not a phrase for little girls to say and asked if she understood. She nodded.


Later that night, I asked her again if she was supposed to say those words and she said "NO, never". Then, I asked where she heard the words again. Sometimes, if she's in trouble or thinks she is, she'll clam up and it takes some time to get the real answer from her. So, she looks at me and says "Nanny!" Now this is definitely not true. My mother rarely curses and, if she does, it has never been that phrase. So, I tell her that I don't think that's the truth and realize that our moment of truth has passed. Then, I immediately call my mother to let her know that she is a bad influence on my child.


Note: all laughing has been done away from Little Miss so she is not encouraged because next time she will know better and will get punished.  Privately, I am pleased she used the phrase in the correct context. 

Weekend Update - Family, Friends, & Chick-Fil-A

Last weekend, we babysat our little nephew. Little Miss was a teeny bit jealous to share her parents and her toys. At one point, she had a little tantrum at which point her little cousin just looked at her and laughed. It was kind of funny. Husband took Little Miss grocery shopping while I stayed home with Nephew. Then, when he came back, we switched and he watched Nephew while I took Little Miss out for lunch.

Little Miss and I met my friends at Chick-Fil-A after which we stopped in at Coldstone to pick up some ice cream. Little Miss has been enjoying our monthly trip to the ice cream shop to get her favorite blue ice cream. It's Cotton Candy flavored and looks absolutely disgusting, but she loves it. Husband left when we returned to hang out with the guys, but it was a fairly easy afternoon. Little Miss took a nap while Nephew and I hung out. Then, the In-Laws came to pick up Nephew. There was dinner and bedtime. Pretty low-key evening.

On Sunday, Little Miss had some Daddy time and then we head out to my parents' house. Little Miss had some time with the cat who was so good with her. Sister and Nephew metus there later. The kids had fun playing Tag and running around. Then, my mom, Little Miss and Nephew drove to the mall so I could pick up some lipstick while Clinique was having its Bonus Gift promotion. It was definitely a fun day. Little Miss fell asleep going home, but we managed to squeeze in a bath before bedtime.

Then, on Monday night, we went into peek in on Little Miss before heading to bed and found her in the position above. Lately, she's been sleeping in the oddest positions. This is one of the odder ones but not the oddest. She gets very angry if you try to stretch her out so we usually leave her. It's cute and reminds me of how she slept as a baby in the crib with her diaper-covered bottom right in the air.

Weekend Update - Cherry Blossoms

Well, last weekend was pretty low-key. I planned on bringing Little Miss into DC to see the Cherry Blossoms. At the last minute, Husband decided to go along. We did not calculate time to get into the city with a billion baseball fans so it took us an hour and a half to Metro into the city. Because Little Miss's highlight of any trip into the city is the Metro, she was more than pleased. We were worried that she would need to go to the bathroom, but she was fine. I should have been more worried about Husband who has a teeny tiny bladder. Regardless, we made it into the city and it was pouring rain.

Behind us, they closed the Smithsonian Metro stop because of the crowd so we decided to walk to the Cherry Blossoms and keep going until we were too cold and wet to go further. I reached that point after a block. So, we crossed the street to the public restrooms. We took a few pictures, Husband used the facilities and we turned around to walk back. While walking to L'Enfant Plaza's Metro station, we decided to take a cab home. Of course, in the cab ride home, the weather cleared up and it was absolutely beautiful (which is evident in the sunny photo below). We got home and relaxed.

On Sunday, I took Little Miss out to get her portraits taken in her Flower Girl dress (shhh, the portraits will be Mother's Day presents). The highway was closed on the way so I had to take a detour. I should have taken note of the sign that symbolized my luck for the rest of the day. We get to the portrait place only 5 minutes late. Little Miss is perfectly angelic until the camera comes out and then she just goes insane. The dress has a bow in the front which Little Miss figured out how to untie. She kept covering her face. At the end, we went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch, and Little Miss freaks out. I give her my iPod to amuse her while I ate lunch quickly. I got a piece of cake to go and then we went home. I was supposed to go to the grocery store, but Little Miss fell asleep on the way home. Of course, when we got home, she wouldn't nap so I ended up taking her grocery shopping during which she informed the entire store that "Daddy was cranky." That did cheer me up.

Movies Watched in March 2011

1. The Back-Up Plan
2. Limitless

I didn't read or watch a lot of movies this month. I enjoyed The Back-Up Plan more than I expected. I enjoyed Limitless while watching, but it's a movie with which I find many issues upon leaving the theater. However, it was a great afternoon so I can't complain. Plus, it's 2 hours of Bradley Cooper - how can that be totally bad?

Books Read in March 2011

1. A Lot Like Love by Julie James
2. Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl

I did very little reading this weekend especially when you count the second on my list is a short story that I've been reading off-and-on since last year. Still, both were very entertaining. I think this was Julie James's best book yet. I definitely hope to read more this month. I have a wonderful pile of books to read!

Little Miss Has a New Trick!

Little Miss has a new trick! She came home today and said she could spell "Mommy", and then she did! I asked her to spell "Daddy" and she said "Q" and then "S". So, the important thing here is to realize she's brilliant and has her priorities straight.

Menu

We all contributed food to the bridal shower. So, here are the recipes for the dishes I contributed.

Arugula Salad with Almonds and Parmesan
Ingredients:
1/3 c toasted natural almonds
3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and ground pepper

1 bunch arugula (1/2 lb) trimmed

1/3 c shaved Parmesan

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine almonds, oil, lemon juice and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and Parmesan and toss to coat. Serve topped with more Parmesan. (NOTE: I have to mention I throw the arugula, almonds and Parmesan in a bowl and mix the other ingredients in a container with a tight lid. I mix the dressing and then toss to coat before serving.) I love this because it's such a simple, quick salad.

This next recipe is one that I got from a friend. Online, there are many similar variations. This one is a funny salad because if you describe it, many people will turn up their noses, but it's super tasty.

Chinese Salad
Ingredients:
2 large bags of cole slaw OR 2 heads Napa or Bok Choy cabbage
6 green onions
2 (3 oz) pkg of ramen noodles with Oriental Seasoning packages
1 (6 oz) pkg slivered almonds
2 TBS sesame seeds
1 c vegetable oil

1/2 c sugar

6 TBS white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Slice the green onions. Crumble the ramen noodles into a broiler pan, add the almonds and sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch. In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the ramen seasoning packets. Cover the jar and shake. Refrigerate. (NOTE: I make this ahead and keep the cabbage, noodle mixture and dressing separate and combine right before serving.)

The next recipe is a beverage. It's almost all alcohol so it won't work, obviously, if you don't drink alcohol.

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch
Ingredients:
3 TBS sugar
1 c pomegranate juice
2 (750-mL) bottles sparkling wine, chilled
3/4 c late-harvest white wine, such as late-harvest Riesling, chilled
2 oranges, thinly sliced crosswise
1 c diced fresh pineapple (1/2 inch)
1/4 c pomegranate seeds
Ice cubes, for serving


Directions:
In a punch bowl, dissolve the sugar in the pomegranate juice, stirring vigorously. Add the sparkling wine and late-harvest white wine, then add the orange slices, diced pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Serve the sparkling pomegranate punch over ice cubes.  (NOTE:  um, funny story.  When I made this recipe originally, I thought it said 3/4 of a bottle of Riesling so I just added the entire bottle.  I've been making this recipe revised with 2 bottles of sparkling wine and 1 bottle of Riesling.  It's super delicious.  We doubled the recipe for 20 people on Saturday and it went in a blink of an eye.  I didn't add all the fruit, just sliced oranges.)

Weekend Update - Bridal Fun!

As I may have mentioned before, Little Miss and I are in a wedding in May. This past weekend was the surprise bridal shower and surprise bachelorette party.

The theme of the bridal shower was nesting dolls. It started with the invitations and extended to the cake, favors and prizes during the shower. The cookies above were the favors, and they were absolutely adorable. I am not lying when I tell you that half of the pictures I took over the weekend were of the cookies. The cupcakes are below. One of the bridesmaids did a fantastic job of arranging and decorating. I know I couldn't have done as good of a job.

Although, the shower was a surprise, the bride knew she'd be getting a shower. So, in preparation, she had her fiance bring a gift for Little Miss. The Little People bridal set was a great gift. Little Miss plays with it often already. You can't see it in the picture, but Little Miss is also wearing a t-shirt that says "I'm the cutest Flower Girl ever". She'll be wearing it some more so I'll have to take a picture of it before the whole journey is over.

Last, but not least, here is a photo of the bride with her bow bouquet. After the shower, we all kidnapped the bride for a surprise bachelorette party. We had a nice dinner in the city, went around the city and then spent the night. We had a lovely brunch the next month to cap off a fun weekend. It was a fantastic weekend, but I'm looking forward to lying low this weekend! 

The Pledge of Allegiance

The video speaks for itself.  I'm very impressed that Little Miss has learned the pledge throughout the school year, and it's absolutely adorable.  I love how the one word she's always had correct is "indivisible" and absolutely love how she says "America".



Weekend Update - No News is Not Necessarily Good News

I did no Weekend Update last weekend or the weekend before. This is mostly due to the fact that I did nothing. The weekend before I had the beginnings of a cold. So, I spent most of the weekend in bed or on the couch. I did small errands, but essentially the weekend was lost.


Last weekend, Husband had a friend over on Saturday to watch sports. On Sunday, I cleaned a portion of the apartment with the rest of the apartment in the schedule over the next week or two.


So, that's my exciting life. Don't be too jealous.

Book News

A friend of mine has a book coming out. First, all the details - The book is called Her Own Best Enemy by Cynthia Justlin. You can buy it from the following sites: Barnes & Noble for the nook, Amazon for the Kindle, and Smashwords for the ePub file. I mean, the book is only $2.99 - why not treat yourself to a nice, Tuesday morning treat?

Here is the blurb:
Desperate to track down her ex-husband who disappeared along with their son, Grace Stevens delves into his past and uncovers evidence of a shocking dual life. The man she thought was an ordinary computer consultant is in fact a former high-ranking Special Forces officer with unique skills in military intelligence. With nowhere to turn she is forced to plead for help from Keith King, the one man she hoped to never see again. Against her better judgment she’ll have to put her child’s fate into his hands.

Keith has officially hit rock bottom. Framed for the theft of deadly missile components, the cynical Special Forces officer is in danger of losing the only thing he can count on: his career. His one shot at clearing his name lies in locating Grace’s ex, who was working with Keith on a secret mission to take down a cutthroat military traitor. But to team up with Grace he’ll need to spend 24/7 with a woman who has every reason to hate him. Out to use each other for their own agenda, desperate mother and disillusioned soldier find they must work together to stay alive, and in the process discover that sometimes even the best of enemies fall in love.

You can also read the first chapter if you click here.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree (or Preview to the Teen Years)

Because Little Miss has been very sick this week, I bought her a giant Princess balloon to raise her spirits and for being such a trooper. The balloon came with a clothespin to weigh it down as well as to attach it so it won't fly away. Little Miss evidently pinched Husband with the clothespin. When she asked me if she could pinch me, I said no. She rain from the room to Husband and whined, "That's not fair!"


It's only partially amusing because it was such a normal reaction, but it's also scary because I know somewhere my mom is laughing her butt off at karma's cruel joke.


Usually, when this happens, Little Miss runs to husband and says, "Daddy, talk to Mommy!" She hasn't figured out that her daddy is not the boss of me.

March Madness

Cartoon by Andrew Toos

Husband was doing his favorite routine today - watching tv. He's been watching college basketball and yelling at somebody. I ignore him most of the time (if not all of the time). After he yells, he usually turns to Little Miss to assure her that he's not mad at her or yelling at her though, to be honest, she barely bats an eye when he yells either. Tonight, he turned to her and explained he was just yelling at basketball. She looked at him and exclaimed, "Again?!"

Lullabye and Good - wait, a minute!

The other day, Husband went to pick up Little Miss. After a rough day, she was sleeping when she got home so he carried her upstairs with his briefcase and her bags. It is quite a struggle to carry everything and then unlock the door, but he does it. He gets her inside and put her in bed. After all the jostling and shifting, Little Miss stays sleeping until her little head hits the pillow. At that point, she opens her eyes, looks at Husband and says "It's not night night time, Daddy!" She then sits up, gets out of bed and runs around the apartment. Husband, I imagine (as I wasn't home) just heaved a big sigh.

Weekend Update

Last weekend was super busy. Husband was out of town last week for business. On Friday, I went to bed gloriously early.


On Saturday, my poor nephew was sick so his mommy and I couldn't go to the movies, but I equally enjoyed watching cartoons in my jammies with Little Miss. After lunch, we drove to the airport to pick up Husband. She enjoyed watching the planes land and take off. She ran to Husband when he exited the gate and then went to pick up his bags from the baggage carousel. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home, and she took a pretty long nap when we got home. We had a nice dinner and then Husband went to a friend's birthday celebration at a nearby bar.


On Sunday, we got up and went into the city for brunch with Husband's current and former co-workers. It was a lot of fun. I may have had too many mimosas which gave me a hangover (without the buzz) later in the day. We took a little nap after brunch before heading to Sister's house to celebrate Mom's birthday. We bought Mom Unbroken and a basket of flowers. We also made shrimp cocktail, stuffed tomatoes, arugula salad and cupcakes. Sister made Crab and Corn Chowder and bought yummy cheesy bread. We came home to watch the Oscars. It was good fun that left us exhausted. It's now Tuesday and we're still recovering.

Movies Watched in February 2011

1. Ramona and Beezus
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
3. Red
4. The Social Network
5. Queer as Folk
6. The Dresden Files

First, I should mention that you may have remembered that I saw The Social Network already. I rewatched on DVD. Second, the last two are TV on DVD. I watched the first disc of both series and am continuing with them. I’ve already seen most, if not all, of Queer as Folk and I’m watching The Dresden Files for the first time (I read the first book on which the series was based).

Books Read in February 2011

1. One Day by David Nicholls
2. Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is book #32 of the In Death series. The order can be found here.)
3. Promises by Marie Sexton (NOTE: This is part of a loose series though the author writes you can read the books out of order. You can find more information on her website.)
4. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is part of the Sinners on Tour series. You can find the upcoming order here.)

I was a bit distracted this month so not a ton of reading. Just wanted to note that the second to last book is male/male romance and the last is an erotica book so stay clear if you’re not into that type of thing.

Going Mad

We're hanging out and having the last of our girl time before Husband comes back from a business trip. Little Miss was playing with my iPod while I was reading the end of my book. First, you need to know that, ever since I've let Little Miss play with my iPod, I've been very careful to teacher her to treat it well (it's a process).  Anyway, she was spinning around on the floor on her bottom. She placed the iPod on the floor and continued to spin. She then looked up to me and said, "Mommy, I didn't drop your iPod and you didn't go mad."