Carnitas
These Carnitas are simply the best. The orange juice gives them a hint of sweetness that pairs so perfectly with red onion and avocado. I doubled this recipe for Kaili’s party and it made the perfect amount. Serve with corn tortillas, sour cream, guac or salsa.
Recipe adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen
Ingredients
3 pounds pork shoulder (butt) roast
1 cup orange juice
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs Cumin
water to cover
Directions
Cut pork shoulder in pieces and arrange in a large cast iron pan. You want a pan you can cover at least partially and is large enough at the base so the meat is in a single layer (or close to).Add the garlic, salt, cumin, orange juice, and enough water to just cover the meat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cover loosely.
Allow meat to simmer until tender and liquid is evaporated. If liquid evaporates and the pork in not yet fork tender, add more liquid {half water, half orange juice} and continue to simmer.
Once the liquid evaporates and the pork is tender, there should be rendered fat in the pan. Break the meat up into small chunks with a fork.
Turn heat to medium and fry the meat until brown and crispy.
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Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
If you love cream cheese frosting then be prepared to be blown away by this recipe. I am pretty sure this is my new favorite cupcake and it’s a cinch to make. It’s semi-home made being that you get to start with a boxed cake mix. The original recipe I used called for a Devils food cake mix but I decided to go with a Dark chocolate cake mix because, well…duh, dark chocolate is always best.
Recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake
Chocolate Cake
1 box Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcake liners.
Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, gently whisk oil, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
Pour cake mix into wet ingredients and mix.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Coconut Cream Frosting
8 ox cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Beat cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes.
Add vanilla and coconut extract.
Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Pipe or spread coconut frosting on cooled cupcakes and roll in shredded coconut.
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Red Velvet Cupcakes
I made these cupcakes as one of the desserts for the grown folks at Kaili’s Fiesta. Martha never fails me, so I knew I would use her recipe. Of course you must have cream cheese frosting, nothing else will do.
I used gel food coloring that I found at a craft store for the cake and frosting, the color is much more vibrant than the liquid food coloring. I also found these cute cupcake toppers. Planning a party is so much fun, don’t you agree?
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Recipes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.
* I wanted a few different colors of frosting, so I divided the frosting into 3 batches and colored them separately. You can use a spatula to frost them, that’s the easy way or you can get fancy and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Enjoy!
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La Villa {Little Italy}
Last Sunday was the Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy. Every year my dad is there with all of his amazing Plen Air paintings on display. If you haven’t had a chance to check out his art, please do so here.
We took the Trolley down there to check out the scene and say hi to my dad. {but really we went for the food, shh!} If you haven’t been to Little Italy in San Diego, the main street is lined with amazing restaurants. If you are part of our family you will know that decisions don’t come easily. So when Shane spotted a place we hadn’t been to, he made an executive decision, that’s where we would be eating lunch. We were the first ones there but the place was packed when we left.
We ordered a few different wood-fired pizzas, a salad and a sandwich. Everyone was very pleased with what they had. I think it was some the best pizza I have had outside of Europe, delish.
The Burrata on my pizza was the richest, creamiest, most amazing cheese. I tried to find some at a market down there without luck. Once I do find some I am going to recreate this pizza.
The Little Italy ArtWalk happens every year on the last weekend of April, aka Kaili’s birthday weekend! So plan ahead and take at trip to Itlay without leaving the country. Stop by Steve Kell’s booth to say Hi, then head over to La Villa for a lunch. { get the Margherita pizza with Burrata! }
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1 Year Checkup and a Few Sea Lions
This morning we headed to the Pediatricians office for Kaili’s one year appointment,these are really no fun at all. She only weighs 17 lbs and is 28 inches long. The dr. isn’t worried about her weight although she is a little low on iron. It’s because the girl just doesn’t eat much. Maybe I should start giving her some steaks to gnaw on, they can double as a teether too! Speaking of teeth, Kaili now has 3 top teeth with one on the way, 4 bottom teeth and a molar.
She received her TB test, Iron level test and got 4 vaccinations. Poor thing tried to be so strong but alas a few tears were shed. The Dr. said to expect a fever from the Chicken Pox vax for the next few days and a fever from the MMR vax next week. Fingers crossed she sails through without any side effects.
Shane’s folks have been in town since Kaili’s party last weekend and we have had a busy fun-filled week. Shane and I got out for a date night, we don’t get those very often so it was fun to not have to worry about diapers and cleaning up the floor under a high chair for a change. We enjoyed a glass of wine at a French wine bar downtown then hit up Brian Malarkey’s restaurant, Searsucker.
We took Shane’s parents to a few yummy restaurants and we took Kaili to SeaWorld for her first time. I love SeaWorld!! We got ourselves a 2 year membership and I fully intend on getting good use out of it. Kaili had a great time and was such a good girl. She sat through the pet show and the dolphin show. She loved looking at all the Seagulls circling around waiting to get a snack of dolphin food, she enjoyed watching mommy feed the ducks during lunch and she loved the Skyride she went on with Grandma and Grandpa. She wasn’t too sure about the Sea Lions, I think it’s because they are so loud.
This past week has been a mini-staycation but all good things must come to an end. Shane’s folks have headed home and Shane is back to work on Monday. Time for a cleanse I think, mind and body!
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Birthday Fiesta!
I can’t believe my baby is entering toddler hood. Kaili’s Fiesta was a hit and we had some pretty good food: tamales, carnitas, guacamole, rice, beans and for dessert, cupcakes! Recipes coming soon.
I had a blast planning her party, my creative juices have been put on hold since I stopped teaching so this was a fun outlet. I printed her monthly pictures in black and white, used a corner rounder on them and strung them above the table. I struggled with the umbrella topiary, they didn’t turn out like I wanted them too, but they were still cute. My mom helped me paint her name banner and helped me with the cooking. It was great having a bunch of our friends and family to help with everything and here to celebrate her big day. I love you all!
Kaili had a super fun day, maybe too much fun. She had a hard time winding down and it took a few days to get her back on schedule. I think she’s had enough sugar to last until her 2nd birthday.
Here is a glimpse through photos friends and family took.
Happy Birthday to my amazing daughter. Being your mom is the best thing to ever happen to me. I love you more than you will ever know!!
xoxo,
Mommy
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All {in a} Year
6 days! Less than a week and my sweet baby K turns 1-year-old. This has been the longest and shortest year of my life. It seems like just yesterday when Shane and I headed to the hospital to begin the induction process but when I see the pictures of her when she was a few months old and so tiny, it seems like ages ago.
I look back at the past year fondly {excluding the delivery and recovery} . Kaili has been a happy and easy baby for the most part. I have heard horror stores about parents who end up dealing with major sleep issues, food issues, bodily issues, sippy cup issues ect. ect. I think we have had it pretty easy and Shane and I will be the first to admit that when things seem difficult, we really have been lucky. Someone told me once that it’s all a trick to get us to have another one, haha.
She has become such the little lady. She is determined and focused and has become quite the copycat. It’s been amazing to watch her go from this
to this.
I am really looking forward to what the next year brings. I am excited to start our trips to the beach, Sea World and the Zoo. I can’t wait to watch her take it all in.
Someone asked me if parenthood was everything I thought it would be. Yes, yes it is. I was very well prepared to have a baby and I haven’t been surprised by much. But thinking about this more over the past few days, there are a few things I wish I knew before having Kaili.
- I really really wish someone would have told me I could have insisted on a c-section any time during the 36 hours of labor instead of having to wait until it became an emergency.
- That finding normal moms to be friends with may prove to be impossible.
- How many hours I would spend online researching different ailments and the amount of time I will spend worrying about her.
- That I would still be numb at both incision sites and have sporadic pain when working out a year later.
- How amazing it is to be able to stay home with her and get to watch her grow and learn in every way.
Happy almost birthday my little love, we are going to do it up big for you!
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Spinach + Feta Flatbread
How amazing was the weather last week? It was the perfect timing for Kaili’s swim lessons, I looked forward to getting in the water each day.
I don’t know about you but when it’s hot and summer-like outside I have a few favorites I like to eat. Fruit of course but I also love a cool Tabbouleh salad, Caprese and now these flat breads or on that list.
Spinach and feta are a perfect combination, add some sautéed onions,garlic and tomatoes and you have an easy and delicious meal.
Pre-heat oven to 425
Whole Wheat Flatbread
Shredded Mozzarella { or any cheese you want }
sautéed spinach with onion + garlic
Crumbled Feta
Sliced Tomatoes
I like to melt the mozzarella on the flatbread a bit to start. Once it’s to your liking, pile on the rest of the ingredients and pop back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the feta is starting to melt. Kaili and I devoured this 3 times last week and I am pretty sure we will again this week. It’s super easy and super good.
* I found an artisan whole wheat flatbread at Sprouts that only has 90 calories. A lot less than most flat breads or naan bread. You could also use Pita bread.
Enjoy!
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Sleep Troubles
In four months Shane and I will be Rome and let me tell you after the past month I am very ready for this vacation. We finally recovered from all the sicknesses we endured but now we are battling sleep regression. My great little sleeper is fighting every nap and bedtime with conviction. I thought maybe we were going to soar through the toddler years with a perfect sleep angel on our hands alas she is proving that to be a distant memory as she screams in her room.
Is it her teeth? Is it developmental? Is it separation anxiety? Yep, probably. I have researched all I can and I am now well-educated on the sleep facts of a 1-year-old. Still doesn’t help me. I taught Kaili to fall asleep on her own from a young age, no rocking to sleep, no co-sleeping and every night we had the same bedtime routine. It seems it has all gone to hell.
Is she ready for 1 nap a day? Maybe. So I gave it a shot and it backfired on me. Does she need her bedtime to be pushed back an hour? Maybe. That didn’t work either. Cry it out! I do and she is a persistent little thing, I can only take so many hours of listening to her wail until I have to say to myself “this isn’t working either”.
Hopefully I am jumping the gun with this post. Maybe she will be back to her normal self, welcoming alone time in her crib by the end of the week.
It’s quiet now, she must have worn herself out, only took 45 minutes. For all my friends that have children and have been going through this for months and months, I am sorry. Is it too early for wine?
The Art of Thyming 