I really like the idea of starting new "traditions" for our family. This year, I made veggie bacon for breakfast/lunch and the girls loved it. I think it will be great to have the girls associate the sounds of veggie bacon softly sizzling in the skillet with Christmas.
The Loot
We got way too much stuff. The re-gifter I complained about yesterday actually got three great presents for the girls. 2 good books and a classic kids game (Chutes and Ladders).
N (almost 4) got a veterinarian doctor kit. It's really cute. I had seen it and thought about getting it for her. The one thing I don't like about it is that all the animals are in cages and there is a set of keys to open each cage. The keys are on a big key ring. All the cages make it look sort of like a jail. (Great educational toy, she can learn vet skills and jailer skills from it!) (No, I'm being terrible, it's really cute and she loves it. I just happen to be feeling a little smart aleck-y.) When N opened it, she said, "Where are the band-aids?" She is very into band-aids. What almost 4 year old isn't though?
Miss N also got a way cool video game called Pixter (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2280&e=hasflash). I'll write more about it later, after we explore it, its capabilities and what I think she's getting out of it. But for now, I'll say THANK YOU to the person who got it for N. N played with it for 2 hours straight and I got a little break to cook dinner. Right now, it's the best gift ever. Because of it, my husband got to talk on the phone with his brother which is something that he doesn't get to do that often.
Miss K (19 months) received a couple of (pretend) phones. She's all excited about the beeps they make. I've been letting her run around with our real phone 'cause sometimes I just need something that will occupy her interest. We have unlimited long distance with in the U.S. so I don't worry about domestic long distance calls, but I do worry about her calling 9-1-1 or somewhere like China or South Africa. Finally, some toy phones she likes. Finally, I get my phone back.
Random Sleep Paragraph
Miss T (4 months) is now taking a nap in her cradle. I've been working on getting her to fall asleep on her own the last couple of weeks. She actually is such a mellow baby that she falls asleep on her own quite easily. The first time it happened, I laid her down under her mobile so I could do something with one of the other girls. I never expected her to fall asleep, I just needed two hands for a minute, but I was delighted. I've been trying to get her to practice falling asleep on her own at least once a day.
Part of the Day
Tonight, I spoke to my parents on the phone. My Mom is sick. She has bronchitis. She's tired and she's 80. I worry about her. She sounds terrible when she coughs. Hearing her cough made me so sad not to be there. On the other hand, being there would be really hard with 3 little ones.
Traveling on a plane with all 3 and going where the weather is miserable doesn't sound like a recipe for any fun. I would like to be with my parents at Christmas (like to in the sense that it would make my Mom happy), but I don't want to 'cause it is depressing there (I really dislike winter). It's also very hard for me when we are back there as things are not baby-proofed. I end up chasing kids, trying to cook in a space that isn't my own, and having to be charming and the perfect daughter all at the same time. Too much pressure. It's much calmer staying home and doing our small family Christmas. I like calm. (Or relatively calm as 3 little girls are pretty crazy!)
Food
To end on a cheerier note, I'll post the recipe for our Christmas dinner. It looked all Christmasy 'cause of the red bell pepper and the green skin on the zucchini. (I left out the carrot today). I typed up the recipe to email to someone who is a vegan. I realized as I was cooking it that it's actually vegan if you leave off the parmesan cheese. You could add some chicken breast if you wanted to make it non-vegetarian. I really love this dish! It has a nice warm flavor from the garlic and the onion.
Colorful Butterflies
1 medium-large onion
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced into matchstick strips
1 carrot sliced into matchstick strips
1 zucchini sliced into matchstick strips
4 ounces of snow peas, trimmed, strings removed
8 ounces farfalle pasta (bow tie/butterfly shaped)
~3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 large ripe tomatoes cut into about 8 pieces each (I tend to use roma
tomatoes recipe originally called for plum)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly torn basil or 1 tablespoon dried
Pinch of sugar
~1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I don't measure, I just cut a fresh
lemon in half and squirt in a bit from both halves)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Grated Parmesan
Cook the pasta. Drain and set aside
Either blanche the pepper and carrot strips for 30 seconds in boiling water and then add the zucchini strips and snow peas and cook for one minute longer. Drain and rinse under cold water.
OR
Microwave all the veggies in covered bowls for approximately 1-2 minutes and then let sit covered until you are ready to add them to the sauce. (This is easier and gives a good texture for the veggies.)
Heat the 3-4 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the onions and saute until they are pretty tender.
If you want, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil as you add the chopped tomatoes, wine, basil (dry or fresh), salt and pepper, and sugar. Cook 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the other veggies and lemon juice. Cook 1-2 minutes. Mix in the cooked pasta and toss well. Serve and top with the freshly grated Parmesan.
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