There are times that I am befuddled at things that Sam will say or do. The mind of a toddler is a twisty fantasy fueled by belly button lint. I am going to start posting things that she does or says that are just really funny.

Today I said something I never thought would would say.
Sam! Stop trying to cut Anna’s tail off with your knife! (This is a play knife for her play veggies) She really wants to be your friend but you can’t maim her.
But Mommy I need her tail to put on.
What?!

Sam: Mommy, I’m still hungry.
Me: Okay, what do you want?
Sam: I want eggs!
Me: Okay sweetie, I’ll make you a couple of eggs for lunch
Sam: Need BUTTER!!
Me: Apparently we are raising you right.
Sam: Yup Mommy…..where’s the butter?

Now that some of you have your “Sam” fix, I can get back to our cooking experiments.  When I last wrote we were discussing The Dutch Oven Cookbook.  We have done a few more recipes for the book, and here they are.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables

This recipe ROCKED!  We have made it several times and maybe tweeked it just a bit.  We were introduced to a new spice called Garam Masala.  Those of you who cook indian food will recongnize it.   We actually added a little bit of hot sauce to this just to round out the flavor a little bit.  The original recipe follows.

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 medium parsnips, peeled, halved, and cut at an anle in 1-inch slices
2 medium turnips, peeled and stemmed
2 large carrots, peeled and stemmed
4 large shallots, peeled, stemmed, and halved
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
3 Tbsp Brown suger
1/2 tsp of grated Nutmeg
1 tsp of garam masala
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, nutmeg, garam masala, salt, and pepper.  Pour the mixture over the root vegetable that are combined in a 5 1/2 quart dutch oven.  Roast uncovered for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Now we did ours in a 9×13 pyrex pan and found that we needed to roast it for an hour or so before the vegies were tender.  We also added a little hot sauce to the wet mixture the second time we made this, and it did improve the flavor for us.

Okay, so here is an update on the cookbook journey Jason and I are undertaking. We’ve decided to one cookbook a month. This will ensure that we don’t just try one recipe and make a judgement on the whole book. Our first choice to start in is the Dutch Oven cookbook. We picked this up last year on our way to Nashville.   We went up in July and of course I was very pregnant at that point and had to stop a couple of times on the trip to walk around, use the bathroom, and well etc.  On I-24, just off of the South Pittsburgh exit there is a Lodge Outlet store.  Both Jason and I wanted to try to find it and see what we would discover.  We really do love our cast iron.  (Ask us about The Hammer sometime.)  So we find the store and we were impressed by the quantity and variety of cast iron they had.  In fact they even had a wok.  Seriously?  A cast iron wok?  This thing was so heavy, but it would be a great heat conducter.  I want it just because.  Anyway this is where we found the Dutch Oven Cookbook.

Our first recipe was Yukon Gold Potatoe and Leek Soup.   I ended up making a double recipe, so we could freeze some to have later.  Overall we liked the soup, and after a day in the fridge it tasted a little better.   Even with the comingling of flavors we would do some tweaking of the recipe.  For example the leeks are sauted in olive oil.  Better would be leeks sauted in butter and bacon grease.  (sorry Mom, but it really would taste yummy)  We would also add some more salt and pepper to the mix.  We might even add some crisp bacon as a finish just before serving.  Admit it, bacon just makes a lot of things better.

This cookbook has a huge variety to recipes, so look back to see what we make next.

Jason and I both love to cook. This would be very apparent to anyone who saw our wedding registry. Life got interesting last year when I got pregnant and Jason had to pick up most of the cooking duties. I decided that chicken and salmon were gross, and I would no longer deem them acceptable eats. Jason thought that I had lost my mind about not liking salmon anymore, but I was firm in my belief that it was gross. Needless to say trying to fix food for a pregnant woman can test the fortitude of even the greatest of men. Jason really did do a great job keeping me feed and indulging some of my cravings. That brings us to the cookbooks. I love reading cookbooks and pick out what I want to make, but…..I just never get it done. Jason also likes the cookbooks, but never seems to go to them for inspiration. That is about to change. We are challenging ourselves this new year. We are going to pick a cookbook and make a new recipe each week. We haven’t decided if we will use a cookbook for a month with a new recipe each week or a different cookbook each week. I think the Japanese cookbook will be interesting.

By the way I am eating chicken again.

1.  Be calm

2.  Babies are much sturdier than they appear.  Logically I already knew this from experiences with other babies, emotionally I felt like everything I did was going to cause lasting harm… somehow.

3.  Be calm and patient

4.  Tiredness becomes a way of life.  When someone volunteers to help out with your new addition, take them up on it.  This allows you to breath, take a shower, and a nap all in one day.  I emphasis the shower and nap part.

5. Be calm, patient, and flexible

6.  Lean on your husband.  He can be a sturdy rock when the tidal wave of emotions hits you over and over again.  Yes, you can use them to cry on.  They really won’t think that you’re weak or losing your mind.

7.  Be calm, patient, flexible, and accept advice with grace

8.  Sitz baths…..so good.  If you do not know what this is, well ask your health care provider.  If you’ve done one before, you know of what I speak.

9.  Be calm, patient, flexible, accept advice with grace, and cherish your child

10. I know you are expecting a list of 10 items, but I’m tired now.

- Sandra