All in just 9 Months!

9 Months Old

10-21-10

9 Months Ago

1-21-10

9 Months Before That

(April-May 2009)

And Roughly 9 Months Before That

(Summer 2008)

It is AMAZING how much can change in 

9 short months!

My First Movie (Appropriate for a Baby Halloween Thriller)...

Ok, so this is my first "movie".  

Yes, it is super corny, but I love corn.  

Yes, I am still learning to splice and dice and cut down, but hence the "learning" and is there really such a thing as too much of a good thing (meaning Charlie-Marie)? 

Yes, it is a bit over dramatic, but that is what I was going for...?  

Yes, the music is a little odd, but since I am not the savviest of computer savvies I only had access to a handful of my thousands of music clips from iTunes (not sure why).

So enjoy this 4 minute Halloween Spine-Chiller...At least Charlie-Marie thought it was creepy...

I Made It Monday: Homemade Produce Wash

So, this really isn't FOOD or COOKING...but it is related and I was pretty excited about finding out about it.  I've always wanted to wash my produce better than I have been and commercial produce washes are all so expensive.  So I was pretty excited when I found out about this home made recipe.  I think it works great!  I keep the spray bottle right under the sink for fast easy access.  I wash a lot of my produce now before it even goes in the fridge after grocery shopping.  Just don't prewash produce that will breakdown or go bad faster like berries, lettuce, mushrooms, etc.  Our system is that if it is in the fridge and not in it's original store bag than it has been washed.  ANYWAY, I'm rambling so here is the recipe.  MAKE SURE you follow the direction about using a deep container or you will have a mini volcano overflowing!  :O)  Enjoy!

Produce Wash Recipe

1 Cup water

1 Cup vinegar

2 Tbs baking soda

2 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:
~  Mix ingredients in deep container (there will be fizzing from the baking soda and vinegar.
~  Pour into clean spray bottle.
~  Spray vegetables and fruit generously.
~  Let sit for a few minutes then rinse off well.

Shake your booty!

I Made It Monday: Nigerian Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce

Before you look at the ingredients and think "YUCK!  Peanut Butter and BEANS?" you just have to try it.  You actually don't taste the peanut butter, it just makes the sauce creamy.

For my birthday my parents sent me a new cookbook called "World Vegetarian" by Madhur Jaffrey's and this is the second thing I made from it.  The first was lentils and rice.  I have been trying to cook more with beans so this book has been a big help!  I definitely takes some forethought when it comes to soaking and cooking the beans, but super easy to do soaking over night or cooking during the day since you don't have to hover over it.

We ate it over rice and I thought it was really good.  Dan really liked it, but had to add his Franks red hot sauce to it...but he adds it to his spaghetti too so it doesn't say much.  He just likes hot food!  I did agree that it might need a little something, but then I did forget to add the salt which we tried to add in later.  It was even better the next day (I thought).


Nigerian Bean Stew with Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans soaked and cooked per directions.  Do not drain the beans from the cooking water
2 tsp salt, or to taste
3 Tbs peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic gloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 large green pepper, seeds removed and cut into small dice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbs smooth peanut butter.

~  Soak and cook beans per directions, but do not drain after cooking.  Add salt to the beans, stir to mix, and leave the beans in their cooking liquid
~  Put the oil in a wide, medium pot and set over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and pepper.  Stir and fry just until onion is translucent, turning the heat down as needed.
~  Add the cumin and stir once.
~  Put in tomato sauce, cayenne, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of water.
~  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Turn the head down to low and simmer gently, stirring now and then, for 15 minutes.
~  Meanwhile, put peanut butter in a small bowl.  Slowly add about 6 Tbs of cooking liquid from the beans, mixing as you go.  Stir this mixture back into the pot of beans
~  When tomato mixture is finished cooking, pour into pot of beans as well.  Stir and simmer.
~  Cover, turn heat down to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot.

T.G.I.F.

I said smile and this is what she did.  She's never done that before and hasn't done it since.  It was pretty funny though.  It is actually one she meant to look like this!

Oh, and her T-shirt says, 

"cute little girl seeking adorable little boy.  must have hair and love strained veggies.  No mamma's boys please."

Because I said so...