Green Pancakes

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One of the women in my mom’s group made these for a playdate. She told me the ingredients and jotted them down in my head, promising to make them on St. Patricks day. A great way to get a dose of spinach in the kid without her even knowing.
I should have made them on Sunday because Monday’s are rough. I never sleep well, Shane is out the door super early and Kaili always seems wakes me an hour after I have finally fallen back to sleep. This morning I managed to put 2 feet on the floor and drag myself to the kitchen to make them, you know to keep up my appearance of mom of the year.

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St. Patricks day was a good excuse as any to make these, it made more sense then on a random Tuesday, although I can see doing that too. Also, can we please shout from the rooftops that if people are so inclined to shorten the name of this Irish holiday that they do so correctly. It is St. Paddy’s day, not St. Patty’s day! Patty is a woman or something between two pieces of bread, not a day.

Green Pancakes 

2 cups flour, white, whole wheat flour  or whatever you fancy.

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS maple syrup, the real stuff.

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

3 TBS melted butter

Pam, or coconut oil spray for pan.

Preheat a griddle or non stick pan to medium heat.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a *blender or magic bullet combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, spinach and melted butter until completely smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Spray pan with oil and spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan.  When bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges become slightly dry, flip it over and cook until down.

* I used my magic bullet and it worked great.

 

A Week In Photos

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Kaili has been calling her bathing suit her “swimming costume”, so there’s a chance she’s British.

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Warm weather into the evening.

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Quinoa tabbouleh, my favorite go-to summer dish.

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Someone is showing interest in makeup…already.

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Breakfast alfresco.

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2 o’clock sky.

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Coloring and chocolate raisins with the dino’s.

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20 weeks.

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Soux chef preparing the halibut.

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Artful

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This weather we are having has been glorious. We have been spending our afternoons wading in the hot tub and eating popsicles like it’s mid July. Please don’t take my sunshine away Mr. Weatherman. Along with outdoor activities, I have tried to keep K busy with some inside art each day. So if you need some inspiration to pull your kid out from in front of the TV, I got your back.

Wine Cork Clovers

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Shamrock Cookie Cutter Printing

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Nature Walk Collage

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Coffee Filter Butterflies

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Hurry up Spring, I am ready to get all Easter up in here.

Halibut with Caper Butter and Kale {Culinary Bucket List-March)

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I don’t know when I decided that I liked capers but it must have happened somewhere in my 20s. Now, I like them in all the food. I had them for the first time in a chicken salad sandwich with grapes, brilliant idea.

I struggled with what to make this month. Not that I can’t come up with a delicious recipe I haven’t tried, that is not a problem. I wanted one  that wouldn’t have me  in the kitchen all day or packing on the LBs. I figured I should throw in some healthier recipes every few months as I’m not getting any skinnier here in the next 5 months…know what I’m saying?

Since it’s now summer in San Diego I decided on a fish dish, a sweet and salty fish dish. I came across this recipe when I googled “halibut recipes”, wow she is so clever. I followed the recipe more for the ingredients and used my own sense of time. I find that when cooking fish it’s best to trust your own knowledge rather than some stranger on the internet.

This dish was really good and it will now go on rotation.

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Halibut with Caper Butter and Kale

2 Halibut steaks

Olive oil

1 Tbs. Butter

2 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 Tbs. sherry vinegar

1 head kale, chopped

2 Tbs. Capers

Season the halibut with a little salt and cook in a hot oiled pan. Cook quickly until golden brown on each side, but do not cook it all the way through. Add a little more oil if necessary.

Once the fish is cooked on each side, turn off the heat and add butter. While it finishes cooking in the residual heat of the pan, baste the fish every now and again with the melted butter.

Put the onions and garlic in an oiled pan over a medium heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until golden and caramelized. Pour in the sherry vinegar and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir the kale into the onions, add a splash of water to help it steam and cook until wilted, adding a little more water if necessary.

Add the capers to the buttery juices in the pan of fish.

To serve, plate the kale and onions and top with the halibut steak. Spoon over the caper and parsley butter sauce and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Good Food Channel

A Week In Photos

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Birthday party fun.

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Morning walk. Thinking about helping ourselves to some oranges.

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Cutting practice, look at that perfect form.

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A day at Big Bad SeaWorld.

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Let’s Hang out in North Park.

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Lunch date.

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Artist. Her people are coming along nicely.

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First school photo.

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Eating our money’s worth at a Churrascaria, a birthday lunch for Uncle Wags.

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You’re My Friend

~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

Lately when Kaili sees my hideous c-section scar she comments on how I have an owie like she does and points to her hand. I always tell her how that was way the Dr. got her out of my stomach, then she replies, “ya, you let me out.” Ha, more like dragged you out kid.

"I'm in the mighty forest."
“I’m in the mighty forest.”

She says some wild things that just remind me how great this age is. While strolling around SeaWorld she was pointing out every man saying “that’s not my dad!” At least she wasn’t asking them if they were her dad, awkward. She had less interest in the actual mammals and fish this time around, poking around the stores and just being on the go was more exciting. We wandered around the entire park until mama had enough. We visited Shamu last, he was her favorite this time.

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My favorite is when she takes my hand and says “I love you, you’re my friend” in the cutest little voice. My heart flutters.

Twins?

~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

I have been day dreaming  about this little one inside me, who will she look like, what color eyes will she have? From what I have read she is basically Kaili’s “twin” or in other words, a genetically unique sibling conceived on the same day but born years later. Since they are from the same batch of embryos and the same treatment cycle, how similar will they be? Will they have a special bond, same personalities or is that all hogwash? It’s all a little surreal and surely fascinating scientific stuff.

{Here is a nice article about another couples story “Twins” born 5 years apart”.}

The many faces of Kaili

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17 Week Bumpdate

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I considered skipping this weeks blog post because there isn’t much to say but then I got the amnio results. I will make this a quick one to fill you in. Everything is good under the hood. Chromosomes are as they should be, there are no signs of a nural tube defect and it’s still a girl. I had to ask.

I had my monthly Dr. visit this week as well. The wait was three times as long as the actual appointment and all that happened was I heard the heartbeat and got put on some restrictions.  Due to placenta previa I am now on pelvic rest, no running, no extreme activities and no lifting more than 15 lbs. If I have any bleeding, spotting or contractions that don’t stop with rest I have been directed to head straight to Triage.  Let’s hope we can skip that part this pregnancy.

See, that was painless.

Onwards to 18 weeks.

A Week In Photos

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Caught her mid sentence.
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Helping daddy wash the car.

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At dawn, we ride.

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My other sidekick.

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I thought this color was appropriate.

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A birthday cake for moi. Carrot cake with coconut cream cheese frosting.

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Dinner at PrepKitchen. We didn’t like the dessert one bit.

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Front yard fire gazing.

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A salad to be.

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So much chocolate, so little time.

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Quiet time + a good book.

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Enjoying a birthday Macaron.

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16 Week Bumpdate

~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

The baby is supposedly the size of an avocado.

mmm guacamole  

Some women can feel movements by now but me, not so much.

I had my second tri ultrasound and amnio Wednesday. I have to say I am SO GLAD I went back to the Perinatologist I saw with Kaili, so glad. The ultrasound went well. Baby looked good, measuring a week ahead. Unlike Kaili at 16 weeks, she didn’t want to pose for the camera.

I don’t have velementous cord insertion this time around but I do have placenta previa. The Dr. told me sometimes it resolves itself, sometimes it doesn’t and different doctors recommend different restrictions. She said my OB would fill me in next week at my appointment. From what I read, previa tends to pose more of a problem after 20 weeks. In the words of Shane Snyder “it’s always something.”

The amnio wasn’t as bad as I remember it. It did hurt and it seemed to last longer than last time but once again I am really glad I went through with it. I followed it up with 24 hours of bed rest and am feeling just fine. We should get the results in 10 days.

Today I am 17 weeks and ready for this baby to make herself known. I turn another year older this weekend and am going to treat myself to a birthday cake, a mani pedi, a date night and a hot bubble bath.