Evolving Mommy

I Need Tunes!

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:11:00 +0000

I went to the gym for the first time in over a week today. It was glorious. Just being there was wonderful and my workout was great with the exception of my iPod.

You know what helps my gym motivation? Music. I can easily run a 5k distance but without great music it isn't likely that I'll hit the 5k mark, I just lose interest. So besides my running shoes, water bottle and towel I need my iPod. Need.It.

The only problem is that my iPod is a Shuffle from circa 2005, which makes it a senior citizen in the world of mp3 players.

I have nothing against senior citizens but my little Shuffle is barely cutting it. You see, Shuffles don't have play lists. They don't have gigabytes upon gigabytes of space to hold music and they only play straight through the music you have loaded on it or they play random selections.

This is trouble when you are running and you know you are about to hit "the wall" and you need THE perfect song to help you push through it and keep going."The wall" can happen to anyone. It just pops right up in front of you all you feel like you can't/don't want to keep going when really you can and probably do want to keep going. So random songs, and not knowing when and where you will finally come across the perfect song is obviously not conducive to pushing myself harder, further, faster, longer.

This is where a Nano comes in handy.

I don't have one though. I want some play lists people. I want to pick music to match my mood and motivate me at the gym. I am so tired of one size fits all music for the gym.

I want to be able to get to my current favorite wall buster song (or my other favorite, or my other favorite, or my other favorite, or my other favorite, or my other favorite)* in a flash, instead of the 10 minutes of searching it took me today, by then it was frustration in my iPod that was making me want to stop running and find something else to do and not the running itself.

Now I just need to figure out a way to talk Luke into letting me upgrade my iPod.

Oh, who am I kidding it isn't Luke I have to talk into it, it's me. Because what mom doesn't daydream about spending money on herself only to completely chicken out when she has the cash in hand.

*I like a big variety of music as is easily seen in the above links. See, I totally need playlists right?

A Camper's Recap

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:21:00 +0000

Rambling Thoughts About My Baltimore Bloggy Boot Camp Experience

I'm not even sure I fully conveyed my rosy, happy, mushy feelings about all of the Bloggy Boot Campers, the sessions, the fun and the lessons learned. It is amazing, 5 minutes with almost no sarcasm...that never happens.

*Email subscribers click through to post to see video.

Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

I love when recipe ideas just sort of come to me. Suddenly I just had a craving for chicken covered in a creamy and spicy peanut butter sauce. Of course I had to run to the store to gather the ingredients I was craving and make it happen. I am so glad I did.

The sauce when mixed with the rice and chicken has a great peanut butter flavor without being too peanut buttery, if that is even a word. The spice from the chipotle chilies in adobo really cuts through the peanut butter and adds a really nice background heat to the sauce. The more chillies you add the more spice you'll get, or course, so I would add on chili and taste test the sauce to see if you would like more. Remember you can always add more spice but you can't take it out so add you your minced chilies in increments.

Enjoy!

Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup chicken stock
1 or 2 chipotle chilies in adobo finely minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/4 cup green onion thickly sliced
1/4 cup salted peanuts
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice

Warm grill to medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Cook chicken on the grill turning mid way through. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or the juices run clear and the center is no longer pink when cut into, cooking time will vary with the size and thickness of your chicken breasts. Make sure to test the temperature of your chicken breasts in the thickest part of the breast. When chicken is cooked through, let it rest on a plate for a minute or two before cutting it into slices.

In a medium sauce pan cook garlic, onion, and red peppers in olive oil over medium high heat just until soft, about 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock, peanut better, minced chilies and adobo sauce to pan and stir to mix thoroughly. Turn heat down to medium low. Cook sauce, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve place sliced chicken breast on top of brown rice and topping with about a quarter of the spicy peanut butter sauce. Sprinkle green onion and salted peanuts over top and enjoy.

Other Evolving Mommy recipes you might enjoy:

Oatmeal Batter Bread

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:44:00 +0000

Bread Baking Challenge - Week 8

Batter breads are a busy baker's best friend. With shorter rising and preparation times batter breads get you in and out of the kitchen fresh baked bread in hand. I have made oatmeal batter breads in the past with mixed results so I thought I would find a whole new recipe and give it another shot.

Linda Larsen's Oatmeal Batter Bread recipe, found at About.com is a fairly simple recipe. Actually I would say it is a good gateway recipe from making quick breads to making more complex yeast bread recipes. Yeast is involved in this recipe but because it is a batter bread it's a little less intimidating. After all there is no kneading required. This is a good beginner bread, yes Deb, that means you could do it too. A word of warning though, we used this bread for sandwiches but judging from past and current experiences oatmeal batter breads do tend to crumble more easily than your average sandwich loaf, I'll share a bit more about that later but now I think I should disclose something to you.

One of my personal bread baking challenge rules is to follow each weeks recipe to the letter. This week I was confronted with a little dilemma, this batter bread recipe calls for 2- 2 1/2 cups flour and does not specify what kind of flour. I have been around the baking block enough to know the recipes author most likely intended for all-purpose flour to be used but since it did not specify I took the law into my own hands and improvised a bit. The improvisation in question? Whole Wheat flour. Yes, I used whole wheat flour, I would do it again and I would suggest that if you make this bread that you do as well.

I'm a rebel. So there.

We tested out our Oatmeal Batter Bread loaf by slicing it, toasting it and making it into the base of one of our favorite dinners, the always messy, always delicious fried egg sandwich. Now to be clear fried egg sandwiches are always a messy meal in our house. Every time we make these sandwiches Luke and I happily wolf down our sandwiches, never setting them down, all the while discussing how much we love our messy friend egg sandwiches.

For those of you who have not had a fried egg sandwich the yolk dripping out all over your fingers as you eat, I must tell you, you are most definitely missing out. The oatmeal batter bread added a nice nutty flavor and a little sweetness to our sandwiches. We thoroughly enjoyed it, even if our bread fell apart on us a bit here and there mid-meal.

I like that in less than 2 hours I can claim victory over my bread and celebrate my win with a nice warm slice of fresh bread covered in butter.

While this bread is quick I am not so sure it's versatile. A messy fall apart fried egg sandwich with oatmeal batter bread is great, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich gets two thumbs up because of the pb&j "glue" that helps hold the bread together. A turkey sandwich may not be such a winner though, since the bread may not hold up to the toppings as well. The slightly sweet and nutty flavor of this bread is wonderful and its texture is soft and almost spongy so I think it would make a great side for a big bowl of soup.

Will oatmeal batter bread have a repeat performance in our home? Well, I can see myself making this bread in a pinch or if I feel the need for instant gratification. Also, Luke and Maddy loved it and I can see them requesting it in the future, so I guess that is a yes.

Flavor: 4
Hands on time: 4
Total time: 4
Recipe: 4
versatility:3
make it again: 3
Catherine: 1
Luke: 1
Maddy: 1

Total Score: 25

Previous Bread Challenge bread reviews and scores:
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls - Week 7
Cheesy Pretzels - Week 6
Light Rye Bread - Week 5
Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita - Week 4
Carrot Raisin Quick Bread - Week 3
Potato Bread - Week 2
Focaccia - Week 1

How I'll be Living it Up with All my Own Snacks and a Pile of Books

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:54:00 +0000

Circles.

From my to do lists, to the laundry, to the kiddos to play dress-up, back to the to do list, to the laundry, to the bedroom, back to the kiddos for some puzzles.

I spent the day running in circles preparing myself for my first trip away from Luke and Maddy. I am getting on a plane and flying on my own. No lugging a car seat through security. No juggling all of Maddy's, and Luke's, snacks while simultaneously dragging what seems like half our worldly possessions behind me in a cheap rolling suitcase or two.

I am going to miss them, but I am excited. The hours between Denver and Baltimore seem like a welcome rest time. I am positive that I will thoroughly enjoy sitting on my booty immersed in books without Maddy, or Luke, interrupting me every 3 minutes, or every 30 seconds for that matter.
Luke is not really a talker, but as soon as I pick up a book all he wants to do is talk, talk, talk, about things that mean absolutely nothing to me. Does seeing a book in front of my face suddenly spark a dozen conversation topics in his brain? It seems so.

No Luke, I don't want to talk about the increased horsepower in the new BMW. Could you please tell me about that random billboard you saw three weeks ago some other time? Also, I don't really care which TVs Consumer Reports gave the highest ratings to either.

Seriously, it makes me batty.
Tomorrow I'll have an assortment of books and magazines to read through without the constant fear that I am just about to be interrupted. Yes Ma'am, I am living the high life.

I made a handful of lists today and even though I woke up this morning in a panic because I had completely procrastinated I am going to bed tonight feeling quite calm because I totally over reacted this morning. Traveling is so much easier when I don't have to worry about my ~~kids~~ oops, I mean my kid and my husband.

I won't have time to go to the gym tomorrow, or the whole weekend for that matter but the upside to freaking out and running around like a crazy woman all day unnecessarily is all those extra calories I scorched. Obviously I planned it that way, or something.

She is cute, but I am looking forward to only having to look after my own snacks.

Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:33:00 +0000

Monday Yumday

Slow cookers are pretty much the best thing ever. Okay my slow cooker is pretty much the best thing ever as long as I remember to actually use it. When I actually remember to use it things like Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast. Not only do we get a dinner out of this yummy crock pot meal, we also get a good start on two additional meals.

Yes, you read that right, three dinners. If you play your cards right you will have Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast, Pineapple Cranberry Sauce to use with grilled pork chops or salmon and BBQ Pork Pizza. By adjusting the amount you make of the Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast to suit your family size you can get a head start on additional meals for your family. Below you will find the instructions to make Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast to get 4 servings and basic instructions to help you turn one dinner into three.

A slow cooker really knows how to make a pork roast. Without fail pork roasts come out of the slow cooker moist, tender and bursting with delicious flavor. Whether making three meals or one this Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast should go on you must make list.

Spiced Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast

3.5 - 4 pound Pork Roast
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 a large onion sliced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 15 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve juice for later use)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/8 cup soy sauce

Mix garlic, onion, cranberries, pineapple, pineapple juice, cayenne, cinnamon, thyme, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce in crock pot. Stir to combine. Nestle the pork roast down into the mixture.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Roast is finished when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

To serve slice roast and top with pineapple cranberry sauce.

Meal #2: Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Cranberry Sauce
Reserve 1/8-1/4 cup of pineapple cranberry sauce for each future serving you will need. For example if you have a family of 4 you will need about 1 cup. Place sauce in the freezer safe container or bag. Before serving thaw and then warm in a medium sauce pan. Grill four pork chops to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To serve top each pork chop with a quarter of your Pineapple Cranberry sauce along side couscous and steamed vegetables. A quick easy and flavorful meal in less than 20 minutes.

Meal #3: BBQ Pork Pizza
Shred or slice remaining pork roast into small pieces. Each pizza will need 1 - 1 1/2 cups pork. For each pizza you are making mix 2 teaspoons of BBQ sauce into 1/3 cup of your favorite pizza sauce. Using homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust, or your favorite store bought crust spread the sauce over each crust. Stir 1 -2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce into your shredded pork and then spread the pork over the crust, (feel free to use more BBQ sauce if you are so inclined). Spread one diced Roma tomato, 1/2 cup sliced green bell peppers, and 1/2 cup sliced onion. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese over pizza, followed by 1/4 cup shredded cheddar. Cook until crust is crispy and cheese is melted and slightly browned around the edges.

And there you have it one main course and the start of two more, one for later on in the week and one in reserves in your freezer.

Other Evolving Mommy recipes you might enjoy:

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls - Bread Challenge Week 7

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:19:00 +0000

Soft and warm dinner rolls straight from the oven, is there anything better? Tonight I say no way. Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (amazon affiliate link) really came through this week with a delicious Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls recipe.

Warm rolls with butter, are almost too easy to eat. I was able to stop myself from eating the whole pan tonight but I could have just kept right on buttering and eating without even realizing how much bread I was actually taking in.

These rolls have a light whole grain flavor while still managing to be soft, fluffy and light. Did I mention melt-in-your-mouth? Or the pretty golden brown tops peaking out from the pan?. We ate our rolls with soup tonight but I would serve these as a side dish with most meals.

There are several variations that come to mind for these rolls. Beyond using the whole wheat recipe and shaping the dough into different shapes, such as Cloverleaf, Butterhorns, and Parker House rolls, there are a number of herbs spices and seeds that could be added to make these rolls into something totally different. The Better Homes New Cookbook even included instructions on making this recipe into hamburger and hot dog buns.

With the basic recipe being so simple to follow and the ingredients being normal household ingredients I give this recipe a thumbs up. The only thing missing is additional information about dinner rolls in general. Despite this, there is ample information to help you make various rolls using the basic Dinner Roll recipe as a starting point.

Maddy and I made these rolls together this afternoon and even with a 2 year old helping we were able to get the dough mixed and kneaded and then later shaped in about 30 minutes all together. Total with rising and baking these rolls took about 2 hours and 15 minutes from start to finish.

With this recipe being so yummy and straight forward I definitely plan to make it again and if the reactions the rolls received at the dinner table from Luke and Maddy are any indication I am sure they won't mind. I would suggests making these rolls if you like the taste, softness and slight sweetness of a classic dinner roll.

Flavor: 5
Hands on time: 4
Total time: 3
Recipe: 4
Versatility: 4
Make it again: 5
Mommy Score: 1
Daddy Score: 1
Maddy Score: 1
Total: 28

Previous Bread Challenge bread reviews and scores:
Cheesy Pretzels - Week 6
Light Rye Bread - Week 5
Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita - Week 4
Carrot Raisin Quick Bread - Week 3
Potato Bread - Week 2
Focaccia - Week 1

Olympic Sized Goals

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Every 2 years I get a burst of inspiration in the form of watching crazy talented athletes from around the world do things my body has never even thought about doing. I can't even ski down a bunny hill let alone a crazy steep mountain through fog and snow.

Watching these people, who have obviously worked so hard, excel at what they are doing always makes me want to set goals for myself. Luke likes to get in on the goal setting action too.

This year however, we have refrained from any goal setting, which is probably for the best since I have yet to touch a tennis racket despite my goal of learning to play tennis and Luke's dreams of doing handstand push-ups are no closer to fruition even two years after setting our goals while watching the Beijing Olympics.

Maybe I should renew my goal of learning to play tennis, but honestly I have something else in mind that doesn't include any sweating. I'm thinking my goal this Olympics should be to promptly turn off my TV after the closing ceremony and forget how much I have enjoyed sitting on my butt with laptop and warm tea in hand and Luke and Maddy cuddled up next to me, all three of us intently watching the TV.

Yep, I set high goals don't I?

Hi My Name is Catherine and...

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:42:00 +0000

5 Random Things to Get to Know Me

In less than 2 weeks I'm headed of to my first blog conference and instead of assuming that everyone knows me, and that well, everyone knows everything about me I think it is safer to assume that not many people know me and not many people know all that much about me.

So as a quick and informal way to introduce myself and to everyone, not just the people attending Bloggy Boot Camp in Baltimore with me, I have pulled together a few random things that you may not know about me. For a three of my loyal readers, you may already know some of things or you may not you'll just have to watch and find out.

Okay now it is your turn...

Bloggy Boot Campers feel free to link a get to know me post of your own. It doesn't have to be a vlog or a list of 5 things just do what feels good to you, but please do share.

What do you guys think, ignoring the terrible You Tube video thumbnail, would you dare to be seen in public with me?

Asian Steak Marinade - Monday Yumday

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I grocery shop with a budget each week so the best steak are not always an option. Actually the best cuts of steak are generally not an option so we are big fans of using fresh homemade marinades to make up for our more budget friendly meet choices, we use marinades to add flavor to meat as much as we use it to help tenderize our steak. This Asian Marinade is a great way to add ginger and soy flavor to less expensive cuts of beef as well as nice cuts that you may normally not marinate.

Asian Steak Marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure to use a bowl or container that has a lid. Place meat in bowl turning to coat. Let meat marinate for at least 2 hours turning periodically. Meat will have more flavor the longer it is left to marinate and letting sit over night results in great flavor.

Other Evolving Mommy recipes you might enjoy:

Cheesy Pretzels - Bread Challenge Week 6

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:57:00 +0000

While cruising through one of my many beloved cookbooks this last week I came across a recipe for Cheesy Pretzels that seemed quick, easy and kid friendly. Since I was looking for something to make with Maddy and Boo quick, easy and kid friendly were just what I was looking for. Betty Crocker Baking for Today provided our recipe for the week.

Betty Crocker's Cheesy Pretzels recipe makes 16 pretzels that are about 3-4 inches across.

Coming out of the oven the pretzels had a nice soft golden color and had a very slightly crispy crust and was soft and chewy on the inside. The cheesy smell that filled my kitchen while our pretzels baked was intoxicatingly yummy. What can I say I have weakness for cheese...and bread... and well a lot of other things too.

In my book the kid friendliest recipes are FAST and this one fits into that category. The girls had a blast helping measure and mix ingredients and knead the dough.

It took us about 20 minutes to make the dough and shape it into pretzels. The shaping is where the fun really began and the girls enjoyed rolling the dough into long snakes and then twisting them into pretzels that honestly didn't look much like pretzels at all. Once our pretzels were all formed we baked them for 20 minutes.

Once finished they cooled for a few minutes our afternoon snack was ready to eat with a little marinara sauce for dipping. An afternoon activity, snack and this weeks bread recipe in less than 45 minutes? Now that is what I call awesome.

Most of the recipes in Betty Crocker's Baking for Today are well written and easy to follow and this one is no different. The recipe even includes quick instructions for changing up the ingredients a bit to make Peanutty Pretzels too.Every ingredient in the recipe is very basic and there is not yeast involved at all so this is a very simple and kid friendly recipe.

I recommend this recipe if you are looking to mix it up a bit for snack time. This recipe could also be a good base for mixing in different cheeses, herbs, or seasonings with completely different flavor results. I personally am thinking it would be fun to make some cinnamon sugar pretzels or some plain whole wheat pretzels to dip into peanut butter sometime. By replacing the cheddar with some Parmesan and herbs and shaping the dough into bread sticks instead of pretzel shapes you could have a quick and easy bread stick to accompany a meal.

I'm a dipper so I really enjoyed dipping my pretzel in marinara sauce, Maddy takes after her mommy. Luke on the other had is not a big fan of straight carbs for snacks so he could take or leave the pretzels, Maybe I should see if I can whip up a chicken pretzel for him. This recipe does not give you the soft pretzels from the mall, these pretzels are less doughy and a slightly buttery and biscuit like. I just need to say this one more time...Cheesy Pretzels are very very kid friendly.

Flavor: 4
Hands on time: 4
Total time: 5
Recipe: 5
versatility: 4
make it again: 4
Catherine: 1
Luke: 0
Maddy: 1

Total Score: 28 out of 33 possible points

Light Rye Bread - Week 5
Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita - Week 4
Carrot Raisin Quick Bread - Week 3
Potato Bread - Week 2
Focaccia - Week 1

I'll Admit, I'm No Super Mom

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:28:00 +0000

There are days as an at home mom that end with me feeling like a rock star. I take care of my child, our best buddy Boo and manage to not just keep the house clean with two 2-year-old tornadoes running around but actually have it looking better than when the day started. Not every day is like this though.

I know that everyday I am able to care for my daughter I am getting my job done. Luke and I have discussed it several times. My job, first and foremost, is Maddy and on days that we have her, Boo too. Even though I know this I can't help but feel that my job includes so much more.

Luke goes to work everyday and earns the majority of our income. I can't help but feel like making sure that the house is livable, the refrigerator is filled, we have clean clothes and there is at least a plan for dinner is the least I can do.

It's not that I want to be super wife/mom/maid. I am not going to pretend to be that woman or pretend that I aim for that kind of unrealistic perfection. Although I wonder why I feel a little some trepidation at laying my unsuper-mom-ness out here for everyone to see. There are such interesting pressures that women put on themselves when worried about what other women will think.

Honestly, while I'm making confessions I am also not a super wife or probably a super woman either. I'm just a plain old brown hair white girl.

Today I cleaned a bathroom from top to bottom and took care of two sweet girls. However, the perfectionist in me remembers that although "clean master bath" was crossed of the to do list, "vacuum" and "laundry" were not.

Tonight I am trying to remind myself that sometimes I need to look at what I did do and not worry so much about what I did not do. You know, celebrate the victories and not think of everything else as failures.

I cleaned a bathroom. Today was not a failure.

I cleaned a bathroom and cleaning bathrooms suck. Today was a success.

I just have to keep telling myself that, right?

Needing to be Needed

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:06:00 +0000

When my tiny baby was born 29 short months ago she was a snuggler. A little warm bundle of snuggly love. The snuggly time abruptly stopped when she was about 8 months old and couldn't get enough of everything that was going on around her and could no longer spend time cuddled up against my shoulder, chest or lap.
I instantly missed those sweet moments and thought there was a chance my cuddly baby had outgrown her need to cuddle. I didn't love it, but I knew that even if she wasn't curled up in my lap or arms all the time anymore she still loved me so I took it in stride. Every time I was lucky enough to have her initiate some cuddle time I would do my best to burn it into my memory because who knew when the next cuddle session would happen.

Kids grow up and their needs change and adjusting to those changing needs can be difficult for a mom when your needs haven't changed. I for one still need cuddles. I am a hugger, hand holder and snuggler by nature. Although I struggle with it, I have to remind myself that motherhood is not always usually ever about my needs and is all about the needs of the kiddo I love.
Just recently there has been a never ending flow of love coming from Madeline. She wants to be held. She stands next to us hugging our legs or insisting on holding our hands even if our hands should be busy do something else like cooking dinner. We hear things like "Mommy, I need you" or "Daddy, I want some hugs please," while she reaches up on her tip toes trying to get up to our level for a hug or a snuggle.

It is safe to say I am loving life right now. As is Luke. There really is nothing better than hearing your little one say "Mommy, I need you," and then crawl up onto your lap.
Her reasons for needing me may change but I know she will always need me because I am her mom and that is lucky for me because honestly I need her to need me. I am not afraid to say that. I'm not above loving to hear that I am needed either. I know this phase is not likely to stick around forever so I am going to take full advantage of it while it lasts and fill up my cuddle tank while the snuggles are flowing freely.

I wish I could figure out a way to keep her in this snuggle phase forever though.

Light Rye bread - Bread Challenge Week 5

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:48:00 +0000

Okay, 5 weeks down and only 47 more to go in my personal challenge to make a new bread recipe every week for a year. This weeks bread, George's light Rye Bread Recipe found on Simply Recipes, is my first ever experience using rye flour in my baking. Upon opening my bag of rye flour I realized that rye flour really is different from wheat flour. FYI, Rye is a grain but the flour is a lot more course than wheat flours, almost more like the consistency of corn meal.

This recipe included a bit of cocoa for added flavor and color and while mixing all the ingredients I was so excited by the yummy cocoa smell. It isn't often that my bread loaves smell like chocolate. The recipe makes 2 loaves of good size. The top of the crust came out nice and crispy while the inside of the loaf was soft and dense.The slightly sour flavor of this bread was so great with everything I threw at it. Toasted and buttered? So good. Peanut butter and jelly? Yes, Yes, Yes. Turkey with tomatoes, cucumbers and hummus? O.M.G.

Seriously though this bread slices perfectly, toasts beautifully and adds such a nice rye flavor to anything you use it for. Best of all, even though we have finished off a loaf of light rye bread, I know I still have another loaf just waiting to be devoured.

It took me about 25-30 minutes of hands on time to mix, knead, and shape this loaf. From beginning to end this bread takes about 3 1/2 hours. Here is where I make a confession, during my second rise, I completely forgot about the bread and let it rise for about twice as long as the recipe calls for, therefore making my actual beginning to end time longer than 3 1/2 hours. I actually think this little mind slip helped to develop even more delicious flavor.

The recipe is well written and even includes photographs every step of the way. The only ingredient that you may not have in your kitchen is the rye flour and since this bread can be baked in loaf pans, as I did, or free form it is a very beginner friendly recipe.

While I opted to leave the caraway seeds out of our loaves because I am not a big fan of whole caraway seeds, this bread could be modified with several different spices and added flavors. On top of rustic sliced bread or bread for sandwiches and toast I think this bread would be great made into dinner rolls or buns. All of the amazing flavor, versatility, and the great recipe of this bread come together to make for a bread I absolutely plan to make again. Ladies and gentleman George's Light Rye Bread Recipe is a keeper.Whoever you are George, I think I We love you. And I think you will too, seriously make this bread it is yummy.

Flavor: 5
Hands on time: 4
Total time: 2
Recipe: 4
versatility: 5
make it again: 5
Catherine: 1
Luke: 1
Maddy: 1

Total Score: 28
(How we score)

Stretching to Remember

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:31:00 +0000

I awoke to silence this morning.

Total silence.

The kind of silence that reminded that I was all alone in my house.

I have never spent the night alone in my house. Never.

I have had nights with just Luke. I have had nights with just Maddy. Never a night on my own.

This sort of silence is refreshing and strange. I have become so accustomed to the hustle and bustle of motherhood and marriage that this stillness, while amazing, is quite unsettling.

I am in a constant search for balance. A continual search to hold on to the individual in me while retaining all the important pieces that are only there because of the people I love. I am a wife and mother trying to find a way to just be Catherine sometimes too. The biggest impact waking up on my own had this morning was to remind me that I most certainly have not found the balance I seek yet.

If I was in possession of this sought after balance I would not have felt lost this morning without the people I make it job to care for. I don't know how to just worry about myself anymore. I know that at points in my past I was too good at just worrying about myself, somewhere along the way I have lost the ability completely.

I know it is completely normal to place the people you love above yourself. In fact I think prioritizing oneself at the bottom of the list runs deep in every mother. I can embrace this, actually I have embraced this, but I don't think I am going out on a limb here thinking that there has to be some exceptions to this sometimes.

So much of wife, and mother has been woven into Catherine. There are people around me who are able to look closely at my fabric and see through all the added threads of wife and mother to the original framework of me, the individual. I am the one that struggles to remember all those threads that made up me before the additions of the red that love wove though my life, Luke's calming blues so full of trust and patience, the brilliant white of my vows, deep browns marking the stability and comfort that marriage added, or Maddy's joyful yellow and vibrant, energetic orange mixing with the pinks of her pure and unconditional love.

I love that Luke and Maddy are so much a part of me. The goal has never been and will never be to tear apart my fabric to focus on those original stands that made me Catherine. The goal is to one day be able to remember and sometimes single out some of the pieces that are me, and me alone while retaining a firm grasp on the vibrance and beauty that are now a part of me because of marriage and motherhood.

Today is an exercise.

I'm stretching and bending and trying to relax enough to remember me, even if it is for just a few minutes while slowly enjoying my coffee or allowing my mind to wander to whatever intrigues me.

Maybe I'll neglect my assigned duties and spend the day listening to music that moves me instead of music that involves Elmo or "Pop Goes the Weasel."

Maybe I'll enjoy some vegetable soup and not have to worry that vegetable soup doesn't count as a meal to a certain person in my house.

Hopefully spending the day just taking my time and doing what moves me, instead of those around me will help me get over the unsettling silence and stillness that greeted me this morning and instead see the gift that the silence and stillness can be.

Beautiful Noodles

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:36:00 +0000

What do noodles have to do with anything?

A handful of noodles.

All the colors of the rainbow.

Two little girls determined to make something all their own.

Lots of focus and creativity.

A little bit of ribbon and a lot of patience.

A day filled with learning and creativity unbeknownst to the two year-olds in the thick of it.

Beautiful little girls end the day filled with pride in themselves over their fancy accomplishment; bright, beautiful and unique necklaces to match their shining personalities. I end a wet, cold, and gray day stuck in the house with pride in my favorite little ladies and a piece of my sanity still intact.

And that is why noodles are so very important.

List-o-mania!

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Sorry little 5 x 10 inch dry erase board, you have been replaced and subsequently moved to the bottom of the refrigerator, where Maddy gets to be your overlord. You helped me in so many ways but it is time for my love of list making to go to the next level and despite what some people may tell you, size does matter.

When I told Luke about desire for a bigger dry erase board I don't think he thought it would take up a 1/3 of the front of the refrigerator.

Luke knows that I am a crazy list lady so when came home to find my new favorite thing mounted on the fridge with 3 separate color coded lists, a recipe and the beginning of a grocery list already scrawled in neat little rows, he was visibly scared.

I'm excited just thinking about the possibilities...

things to do around the house, errands to run, blogging reminders, the menu for the week, things we need from the grocery store, notes to myself, notes to Luke.

Oh man, the list making is moving to whole new level around here.

Um, We're Potty Training? I Think. Maybe?

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I think you will all be happy to know that yes, I have done my grocery shopping for the week. Yes, Madeline and Luke came along. And no, Maddy did not go pant-less through the store. Thankfully, we have decided against using that strategy.

Let's just come right out with it, I am hesitant to say that we are potty training officially, which may come back to bite me later. Let me explain.

We are going for pressure free. We know our daughter and pressuring her to do things does not work. At this time in her life things have to be her choice, or at least seem like her choice or they don't really fly. That probably makes her sound spoiled which she isn't, she is just a 2 year old going through a "I make my own choices, dammit!" stage. Even though we seemed to have moved through the "drive mommy crazy by throwing my food on the floor" stage the ordeal is still fresh in our memories. Can you blame me for just wanting some smooth sailing for as long as possible. So we re trying not to rock the Evolving Mommy boat for now.

Not officially calling this potty training may bite me in the ass later on if we don't set up some sort of goal, framework or expectation for her to work with, but so far unofficial potty training has been pretty awesome. I am still looking into different ideas, tips, tricks, and props but for the most part I think we have had a very nice beginning.

I know what you are thinking. How did I go from posting about not knowing what to do to unofficially potty training in a few days?

Well, after sharing my thoughts with you last week I decided to let Maddy have some pant-less-time at home on Thursday afternoon just as a little trial run and it went really well. Zero accidents. I guess I have a modest daughter because she doesn't like going pant-less, unless of course we need her to be dressed, so it wasn't long before she started asking for underwear.

She didn't ask to wear diapers she wanted underwear.

Since then we have let her decide if she wants to wear diaper or underwear and she has only asked for a diaper once which didn't last long before she was asking to change into her underwear.

Toward the end of our first potty training try 4 months ago we had numerous "accidents" every day, which is pretty much the reason we decided to take a break from potty training. She wasn't ready so our success rate was getting way worse by the day instead of better. Why continue to force it on her? In a complete 180 from the first time she has had 3 accidents in 4 1/2 days.

I am trying my best to go with the flow and let Maddy decide her potty fate. So far I think she is taking the job pretty seriously. Of course Luke is out of town this week so I'm on my own in potty land. Maybe I should've held my tongue until Saturday, it is possible that my outlook may change a bit by then.

Honestly I think whatever happens we'll be fine...as long as she is peeing in the potty on her own before kindergarten*.

*Oh Madeline, please don't make me deal with diapers that long, please don't make me deal with diapers that long, please don't make me deal with diapers that long, please, please, please, please,please...

Piri Piri Shrimp - Monday Yumday

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Super Bowl Sunday is known for chicken wings, Lil' Smokies, nachos and chips and dip but our game day meal was a little different. We decided on some Piri Prir Shrimp, and a bunch of other things. Piri Piri sauce is a great African condiment simple enough that anyone can make it and versatile enough that it can be used in many different ways.

We love to skewer shrimp and grill them brushing piri piri sauce over the shrimp just before they finish cooking, then we serve piri piri on the side for dipping. I would also suggest grilling chicken and serving piri piri along side. Piri Piri is a quick, easy and yummy way to add extra flavor and spice to your meals.

4 Anaheim Peppers
1/3 cup olive oil
5 whole garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lime

See and roughly chop chilies into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Add chopped chilies, garlic cloves, and oil to medium sauce pan and heat over medium high heat. Cook letting oil bubble slightly until the peppers and garlic become fragrant and soften, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add all ingredients to blender and puree until mixture is smooth. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

If serving with shrimp:

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. While skewers soak warm grill to medium heat. Load shrimp onto skewers. Grill shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes, brush both sides of shrimp with a bit of piri piri sauce and turn cooking for an addition 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink.

Serve cooked shrimp warm with rice and piri piri sauce.

Other Evolving Mommy recipes you might enjoy:

2HS9A3JM476A

Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita - Bread Challenge Week 4

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:50:00 +0000

Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita from The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger is taking it's turn in my kitchen's hot seat this week.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with pita bread let me just say you are missing out. For those of you who are familiar with pita bread but only store bought pita bread I would also like to let you know you are missing you out. Warm pita bread beautifully puffed and fresh from the oven is so stinking delicious. Pita bread is a flat bread that puffs while cooking making a pocket in the center perfect for filling with anything you can imagine. Pita is also great for dipping, using like a tortilla and so much more.

We planned a dinner of Moroccan burgers to help test out this whole wheat pita recipe. The wheat flour in this bread gives this pita bread a slightly nutty flavor. Honestly I thought the flavor was lacking a little. This wasn't the best pita I have had or made for that matter. The biggest problem was that about half the batch didn't bake up well and I had to deviate from the directions and improvise to make sure that we would have pita's for our planned meal. Of the 16 pita's this recipe made about half ended up with pockets, the rest ended up as dense flat bread. The pita's that did end up with pockets looked and tasted fine.

Because I know you are all incredibly worried, I feel I need to tell you the Moroccan burgers were delicious. Seriously, oh, so yummy.

The recipe itself is well written, and easy to follow. Unlike a lot of bread recipes there is even additional information about this type of bread along with additional ingredient variations and ways to use your pitas. I love to open cook books and see more than a list of ingredients and a bunch of instructions. I think that is why I like sharing recipes on Evolving Mommy, I always love to read the story behind a recipe and the little changes that the author might make, or even just a little additional information about some of the ingredients. Even though I did not have complete success with this recipe I do think it meets the requirements to get all 5 points in the recipe category.

The Country- Style Whole-Wheat Pita recipe took about 65 minutes of hands on time and about 1 hour and 35 minutes for rising and rest time. Total this recipe took me about 2 hours and 40 minutes from start to finish. It would have taken slightly less on hands time if the suggested cooking method had been successful.

The pitas worked out well for the buns on our Moroccan burgers and we have made some pita chips to eat with hummus too. I think Pitas in general are a very versatile bread. Pita's can be stuffed with just about anything; tuna, veggies, lunch meat, egg salad, not to mention yummy Moroccan burgers, the possibilities really are endless. Beyond filling a pita you can make pita chips of all kinds as well.Pita's chips with cinnamon sugar to dip in vanilla yogurt? A yummy and healthily snack for you and your children. Plain or spiced pita chips for using in dips or homemade hummus? Sign me up! We have also used pitas in our house as a base for individual pizzas, my favorite was the breakfast pizza with salsa, egg, sausage and cheese. So to answer the question, yes pita bread = super versatile.

This is not the first pita recipe I have made so I can honestly say that I will make pita's again, but I probably will not make this recipe. I was disappointed with the dense non-puffed up pita's I got as a result of the directions for cooking from the recipe. I ended up switching from cooking the bread on a pan at the temperature, as the recipe suggested, to cooking them directly on the top oven rack at a very high temperature to get nicely puffed pita loaves.

Luke and Maddy both enjoyed eating the our successfully puffed pita's but because of my disappointment with the bland flavor and the pile of of un-puffed pita's this recipe is not getting my point.

Please don't let my disappointment in this one recipe deter you from making pita's in your kitchen. Pita's are fun to make and kids love to watch them puff up in the oven. I have always had good results from other recipes, and we especially love the Whole Wheat Pita Bread recipe from Epicurious.

Flavor: 3
Hands on time: 1
Total time: 3
Recipe: 5
versatility: 4
make it again: 2
Catherine: 0
Luke: 1
Maddy: 1

Total Score: 21
In case you missed it this is how recipes are scored and what this Bread Challenge is all about.

Stepping up to the "batter's" box for next week: Rye Bread

Potty Training on Aisle 7?

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:21:00 +0000

About 6 months ago Maddy's over excitable mommy decided that she seemed ready to potty train, Maddy not her mommy, and so begins our adventure...

Madeline seemed so excited about her potty, peeing in her potty and wearing underwear so we dove right in and unfortunately appearances can be deceiving and we essentially jumped the gun. Luke and I decided that instead of pushing it on Maddy and making things harder and more stressful on everyone we would drop the whole thing for a bit and let Maddy take the lead.

As a result for the last 4 months or so we have only talked about potty related things when Madeline brought it up first, we have encouraged using the potty only when Madeline has already decided to go and we have worked to be as patient as possible. Yes she is about a month shy of 2 1/2 but that doesn't mean that she is behind or slow, it just means that she is making her own way.

I have a confession and I really need to get this off my chest but I need you to promise that you will not tell Maddy.

Okay here goes, I am cool with letting Madeline make her own way but while I would rank peeing in diapers over peeing on my floors as more convenient for me I am over changing diapers all day long. No matter how much I love our cloth diapers I am also pretty over washing them.

Actually I am over all this diaper mumbo jumbo as a whole. Mommy is ready for a potty trained girl. BUT, and this is a big but, we are really trying to have Maddy take the lead here, because no matter how ready I am if she isn't ready then it won't happen. I have already learned that lesson.

I bring all of this up because in the past month or so she has been consistently telling me when she poops or pees in her diaper and asks to be changed, she has also started the interesting habit of hiding behind the curtain to do her business.

This is interesting because it means she is starting to understand what her body is doing before it does it. I have come to the conclusion that she understands her body's cues because on several occasions I have seen her drop whatever she is doing and race to the curtains to do her business. Also this curtain activity makes me think she likes a little privacy, you know privacy like a bathroom could afford her. I'm working on redirecting her to at least stand in the bathroom instead of behind a curtain.

She has also stripped off her pants and diaper a few times to go potty on her own without prompting. This usually happens when our buddy Boo is also around and using the potty, but either way it shows an understanding and desire, right? I should say that she isn't always every interested in the potty, but her interest seems to be growing lately.

So I told Luke I was thinking about letting Maddy have some pant-less time just so she can feel what is happening a little more and to maybe get her thinking about peeing in the potty more since she would be without her diaper safety net.

Our conversation went like this:

Me: "So I was thinking about letting Maddy go without her pants and diaper more to encourage her to use the potty."

Luke: "Where would she be going pant-less? Somewhere other than our home would be best so that she doesn't pee all over our floor."

Me: (said with complete sarcasm) "Um, yeah I was going to take our pantsless daughter to the mall or the grocery store so she doesn't pee on our carpet."

Luke: "That's a great idea, we'll take her to the grocery store and when she has an accident we'll just shout 'clean up on aisle 3!' and then run. We'll never have to clean up a pee mess again!"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen I married that man.

By the time he finished his thought we were both cracking up envisioning us running from grocery store employees armed with wet mops and paper towels while simultaneously potty training our daughter.

Since potty training our daughter in the grocery store is obviously not an option I have some questions for you, because you, the Evolving Mommy readers, are the smartest people I know, or don't know for that matter.

I would really like to encourage her to use the potty, but in a way that isn't forceful or stressful for either of us, I still want Maddy to feel like she's the one in the driver seat. I have a very, very smart daughter but she has a fiercely stubborn and independent streak in her just like her mother, so I think the best way is to make her feel like she is in control. Or at least create the illusion of control.

I would love your suggestions, tips and tricks. I would also love to hear what was successful for you and what were complete failures. Did you use M&M's? Maybe you went out and got one of those dolls that pees. Was your child the neighborhood streaker for a while? It may even be possible that you think my husband is a genius and we should potty train Madeline in the local King Soopers store.

If you have posted about potty training feel free to leave the link to your post in your comment. I'm in information gathering mode.

I know that a potty trained toddler doesn't mean the end of dirty diapers, but it would mean a smaller pile, right?

2HS9A3JM476A

Silly Ladies

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

One week ago today I spent the day having fun, hanging out and goofing off with some of my very favorite ladies.

What better way is there to spend time with your sister, mom and daughter than to spend a portion of your afternoon trying on purses, hats, scarfs, and sunglasses in a local Target store? It really is family time at it's finest.

We didn't spend the entire day trying on outrageous or ridiculous sunglasses but it was a highlight.

This week, I'm still laughing about all of our silliness and I'm missing my sister.

It is amazing how funny things can be when you're with people you are 100% comfortable with and who fully get your sense of humor. (and if they don't get your sense of humor they are more than willing to laugh at with you anyway.)

It is also amazing that with some people it doesn't matter what you do, it just matters that you do it together.

I'm so glad have these silly ladies in my life.
(After all, who else would willingly pose for silly pictures in silly sunglasses with me?)

Carrot Raisin Quick Bread - Bread Baking Challenge Week 3

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The Last 10 days have been pretty busy. Between my brother's 21st birthday, my sister visiting from Las Vegas, multiple family gatherings, a bachelorette party, visiting with my good friend Michelle while she was in town for the weekend and getting a little much needed hair cut I unsurprisingly ran out of time to bake until today. With the whirlwind week I had a quick bread was definitely in order.

This weeks bread: Carrot Raisin Quick Bread. I found the carrot raisin bread recipe I decided to make at cookingbread.com.

Although it is called carrot bread the predominate flavors in this bread are the cinnamon, raisins and nuts. Which is not a bad thing in my book. The orange of the shredded carrots looks so pretty against the light brown of the bread.

The longest part of this recipe was peeling and shredding the carrots. Other than that it took less than 15 minutes to get the batter ready and have it in the oven to bake. It took about 60 minutes for our loaf to bake and the recipe said it would take 50-55 minutes.

This recipe is written very short and to the point. I like recipes that give me a little background information about the recipe. This one did not include anything extra, but the recipe itself is written well and is pretty easy to understand. I am not always very good about following recipes ingredient for ingredient. I did manage to follow this recipe ingredient for ingredient but I can see many ways that I can add or substitute ingredients.

The batter can be made into loaves or muffins. Quick bread by nature aren't always the most versatile of breads because the number of ways to serve them are limited. Carrot Raisin Muffin? Yum. Carrot Raisin Bread grilled cheese? No thanks! Either way Luke, Madeline and I all give this bread a thumbs up I plan to make this recipe again with the addition of some of my normal additions and substitutions.

Flavor: 4
Hands on time: 5
Total time: 4
Recipe: 3
Versatility: 3
Make it again: 5
Mommy Score: 1
Daddy Score: 1
Maddy Score: 1
Total Score: 27

Coming up next week: Pita Bread

5 Little Things - The Week in review

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:56:00 +0000

The last 10 days has been crazy around the Evolving Mommy house. Here are 5 little things that kept me so busy in the last 10 days in 12 words or less.

1. My sister visited and we spent every second possible with her.

2. Kyle is 21! Don't worry Kyle I drank too much too.

3. Family gatherings galore. Which means lots of cooking and lots of eating.

4. Michelle came to Colorado. Yea for girl time!
5. Andrea, the bachelorette, got a night out on the town.

So there are a few of the things that kept me moving the week. I'm tired. Now that we spent the entire day getting caught up on regular life (i.e. cleaning, laundry, cooking, groceries and the gym) I plan to return back to my natural hermit like state in the week to come. Although I like productive days I think I like my Sunday's a bit more lazy.

How was your week? Busy? Slow? Just right?

Alright Moms, How Do You Pamper Yourself?

evolvingmommy@gmail.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Don't be too jealous but I'm also a lucky lady because I got to spend an evening with the ladies of Mile High Mama's and Mom it Forward Colorado for some pampering last week at Sephora in Boulder. Yay for #gnopamper! Yay for Haircuts! Yay for getting out of the house and feeling pretty!

Okay now it's your turn...spill the beans!