Smoothie Popsicles.

I have a smoothie obsessed toddler at my house. He is constantly requesting them. While I’m pretty sure that he would drink a smoothie any time of day, I have limited them to breakfast time only.  I am a big fan of smoothies at breakfast because it allows me to pack a lot of nutrients into a cup and makes for a quick breakfast. In fact, Monday mornings are always the most rushed at our house so Mondays are designated smoothie days.

Some mornings he will drink more of his smoothie than others so I occasionally find myself with leftover smoothie. I hated to waste all that goodness. So I’ve started making smoothie popsicles. I have a set of popsicle molds so I simply pour the leftover smoothie into the popsicle molds and place the molds in the freezer. Then we have delicious and nutritious frozen treats, in a variety of flavors that we can enjoy later.

Now that the warmer weather is just around the corner, I’m looking forward to enjoying these frozen treats on our back deck after dinner.

NYC.

My sweet husband recently took me on a weekend getaway to NYC. I love that city. It has such a special place in my heart as that’s where my husband was living when we first met. I met him randomly one weekend, when he was back home in Arkansas visiting his family and friends. At the time, I was still in law school. The first time I went to visit him was during the break in between the spring and summer semesters so I was able to stay an entire week. He took me to all the normal touristy locations but we also spent hours just walking around the city and sitting in parks watching people. By the end of that week, I was in love with the city (and the man that would soon after become my husband). Not long after my first visit, he got an amazing job offer in Arkansas and decided it was time to move back and I was overjoyed that he would be in the same city as me after so many months living apart.

Since then, we’ve tried to go back at least once or twice a year. The city has such an amazing energy. There is always something new to do or see or eat!

Here are just a few snapshots from our recent trip:

One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten- the Lobster Roll at Pearl.

Got to have pizza in NYC! This is from my favorite place for pizza, John's Pizzeria on Bleeker Street.

Home remedy for upset stomach.

I recently suffered through a terrible stomach bug that lasted about 7 days. During this bout of sickness my mom reminded me of one of my Grandma J.’s home remedies for an upset stomach- drinking warm jello. I know it probably sounds strange but at least in my experience it really does help. Basically, you mix up the jello like you would if you were making it normally but instead of letting it get firm, you drink it. My Grandma J.’s always said that the jello coats your stomach (or throat), which will help to calm it down. I think that sometimes it just helps to get something of substance in your stomach and this does just that. My Grandma J. gave this to my mom and uncle when they were growing up and my mom always made it for me and my brother when we were sick.

This is very easy to make: Add desired amount of water to a coffee cup and microwave until warm, approximately 1 – 1 ½ minutes (time will vary depending on amount of water used). Then add 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite flavor of jello mix and stir until combined. Strawberry has always been my favorite.

The next time you or a loved one are sick, give this a try!

Mom advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

My last post was about caring for a sick toddler. Well, as soon as the toddler was feeling better, I got the toddler’s stomach bug. Luckily the toddler only had a mild version of the stomach bug but I was not so lucky. I don’t recall being that sick in a very, very long time.

The stomach bug hit me the Friday night, mid-bedtime story, of a weekend when my husband was out of town. While my toddler slept peacefully through the night, I was up sick the entire night and by the time he woke up, I was exhausted, weak and my whole body hurt. I was in no shape to take care of him that day, even though I had planned a fun filled day for us. My in-laws had told me just the night before to call them if I needed anything. So at 6:30 that morning, I sent a text letting them know how sick I was and asking if Slade could come to their house for a few hours that morning so I could get some sleep. Within 20 minutes they were at my house, which is quite impressive given that their house is at least 30 minutes from mine, picking up my son and whisking him away for the day.

I fell instantly asleep as soon as they left but when I woke up a short time later, I began to fell this tremendous guilt because I wasn’t spending the day with my son. I had planned a fun mommy-son day for us and now he was at his grandparents’ house and I was at home alone. I am frequently plagued by this “mommy guilt” that I don’t spend enough time with my son, which is probably made worse by the fact that I work full-time.

As I sat their feeling tremendously guilty, on top of terribly ill, it suddenly occurred to me that I should not feel guilty at all. All I did was ask for help and asking for help is not an admission of failure. I am not superwoman and most importantly, no one expects me to be. Everyone gets sick and it’s usually at the most inconvenient times. The reality is that no one is judging me but me. I am the one who allows myself to feel so guilty for missing a day with him. So when this mommy guilty sets in, I’ve realized that I need to remind myself that my son is very loved and very well cared for even though I am not by his side 24 hours a day. Instead of feeling guilty, I should be happy and thankful that I have family that live nearby and who want to have an active role in our lives, so much that they will drop everything they are doing to come get him, not only because they want to see him, but because they want to help me. And while I was at home feeling miserable, he spent the day with his grandparents having a lot more fun with them than he would have had at home with a sick mommy.

So my point is- don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs a little help now and then and it doesn’t make you any less of a mom.



Caring for a sick toddler.

There’s been a nasty stomach bug going around our daycare the past few weeks and it finally made its way into our house a few days ago. I just hate having a sick little boy. I’m lucky enough to have a job that allows me the flexibility to work from home when Slade is sick so we spent the day at home together. Here are my tips for caring for a little one with a stomach bug based on my experiences with Slade:

Fluids. A stomach bug puts these little guys at such a risk for dehydration so ensuring that he is getting enough fluids is very important. At our house, we only drink milk and water and limit juice for special treats. So when he has a stomach bug he usually gets to drink strawberry pedialyte and/or juice. And because it’s something he doesn’t get on a daily basis, I usually have no problem getting him to drink it. But if I do, I will try to make it fun by putting his drink in a “special” cup.

TLC. I knew something was wrong when he walked into my room the other morning after he woke up and rather than running and climbing up onto my bed he said “mommy, hold me.” My boy only wants to be held when he’s sick, wants to see what I’m cooking in the kitchen or if he’s being bashful. It’s funny how he instantly turns into a super clingy boy when he doesn’t feel good- to the point of having to constantly sit in my lap or even lay on top of me. When he’s sick, I take advantage of his desire to be right next to me and give him all the snuggles, hugs and kisses that I can. We curl up on the couch and read books together or climb into my bed and watch Sesame Street. It’s hard to give non-stop attention, especially when I’m supposed to be working from home, but I try to make it a priority. I remind myself that chances are in a few short years, he won’t want to snuggle up with me when he doesn’t feel well so I should cherish the opportunity now. I can always do my work while he naps or after he’s in bed.

Food. I always struggle with what to feed my little man when he has a stomach bug. He usually has little desire to eat when he’s sick. While it’s important that he eat, it’s also important to take it slow with solids while his tummy is recuperating. I try to stick with bland foods until I know the bug is gone. Slade usually enjoys crackers, pancakes, oatmeal and applesauce when he doesn’t feel well. I will offer food and snacks at the times he would normally have meals and snacks but I never force it on him. If he’s hungry and feels like eating, he will. Sometimes he will find one thing that he likes and will stick with it. This time around he was stuck on applesauce. Luckily I had just stocked up on it because he ate every bit we had in the house!

Rest. Getting enough sleep is so important for little guys and can make or break a day. When they are sick, being well rested is even more important. When Slade’s sick, he will take longer than normal naps and will sleep later in the mornings. I also try to get him into bed a little bit earlier when he doesn’t feel well to ensure that he will get enough sleep at night.

Play. Let the toddler be the guide for what they feel like doing. Slade is always on the go but when he doesn’t feel well, he can be surprisingly still. Normally, we limit the amount of television he gets to watch to usually just 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday and none during the week. But when he’s sick and doesn’t feel like playing, we will have extra special television time together. We also read lots of books. I don’t worry about all this down time because I know that it’s important that he gets plenty of rest. Plus, as soon as he starts to feel better, he will right be back up and playing.

If your toddler isn’t better after a few days, you should consult your pediatrician.  

Simple side: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts usually don’t make it on the list of people’s favorite vegetables but I find them to be delicious. It’s only within the past few years that I have tried brussels sprouts. Not for any reason other than brussels sprouts just weren’t in the rotation of foods that my Mom and Grandma J prepared and I don’t recall ever even seeing them as a child. A few years ago, I watched Racheal Ray make brussels sprouts on an episode of 30-Minute Meals and I decided that I wanted to try them. It was only then that I learned that my husband is a huge fan. Ever since, brussels sprouts have been a part of our side dish rotation.

Roasting brussels sprouts is a easy and delicious way to prepare brussels sprouts. Roasting brings out a new level of flavor to vegetables that I just can’t resist.

Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound brussels sprouts

1 ½ - 2 tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the brussels sprouts in half. In a bowl (or zip top bag), toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil and salt. Cover a sheet pan with a piece of foil (for easy clean up) and pour the brussel sprouts onto the pan. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on desired level of roasting. I prefer for the brussels sprouts to be brown on the outside and still tender on the outside. During roasting, shake the pan one to two times to ensure the brussels sprouts brown evenly.

Adventures in Broiling.

After many attempts, I finally successfully broiled a piece of salmon! Woohoo! 

Broiling really is pretty great. You can just pop the salmon under the broiler and within a few minutes you have perfectly cooked fish. Through my trial and error, I learned that I prefer to have my salmon cut into the desired serving size before broiling, rather than broiling a larger piece. This cuts down on the cooking time and adds to the crispiness of each piece of salmon. I’m a huge fan of the crispiness I can get on the edges of the salmon when it’s broiled. I have also learned to brush a small amount of oil onto the fish rather than just drizzling some on. Too much oil so close to the burner in the oven equals a hot, popping mess.

The cooking time for the salmon will vary depending on these size and thickness. These pieces of salmon were pretty thick, so I broiled them for 10 minutes. When the salmon is done, the salmon should look opaque and it should flake easily.

While I may have finally broiled a great piece of salmon, I still find broiling to be a bit challenging. First, broiling makes my house smell smoky. This is likely to be user error and, so far, the smokiness has improved with each time I’ve broiled salmon. And second, this is less of a challenge with broiling and more of a need for better planning on my part, if I am planning to broil salmon, I need to plan the side dishes accordingly. I have one oven so choosing to make sides like roasted brussels sprouts with broiled salmon means that I have to take the brussels sprouts out of the oven before the broiling. That means that I either have to put the brussels sprouts back in the oven after the salmon is broiled or we have lukewarm brussels sprouts. I like sides that i I can just pop into the oven while I get everything else ready. So hopefully I will remember this the next time I broil.

Enjoy!