Adventures in Cooking, Part One

A few weeks ago, I ordered the "Dora and Diego" cookbook so that Gizmo and I could cook up some mean (and healthy) breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  I let her choose the first item to create, and she picked Dora's Empanadas.  

In my opinion, this recipe was entirely too in-depth, as we had to cook the broccoli, grate carrots, then roll out dough, cut out circles, fill them with broccoli, carrot, and cheese, then fold over and seal.  Gizmo had a great time, as the rolling out of dough was her favorite part. 

After 12-15 minutes of impatient waiting, our final product was finished -

We had them for lunch with dipping sauce (Dora calls for salsa, but we only had sour cream - a much finer dipping sauce, I believe).  After all that work, here was Gizmo's reaction:

She was underwhelmed, and after one bite, she declared, "I don't like empanadas".  Gonzo, however, thought they were the greatest thing since her rice cereal earlier that morning:

Today's cooking adventure was much simpler - chocolate pudding with crushed up chocolate chip cookies and whipped cream on top.  Gizmo didn't have much trouble eating that for a snack today....

Happy 1st Birthday!

She came into the world right on time, calm and happy, and has maintained her cheerful demeanor throughout her first year with us. She is a perfect mix of Mitch and I, easygoing and lovable, but with a (not so) quiet determination when she wants something. Her smile and snuggle make me melt every day, and I can't imagine life without her. She loves her sister more than anything in the world, and I love watching the two of them develop their lifelong bond.

Happy birthday, my dear sweet Genevieve. Our lives are complete with you!

On the Move

My sweet, almost-11-month-old Gonzo is walking. Lots of steps. On her own.

The kicker is, she hasn't crawled at all. She doesn't even want to try. She can't pull herself up. When she is sitting, she keeps falling backwards to try to stand. But boy, when she's up, she's going.

Watch out, Gizmo - she's going to be chasing you before you know it!

Gonzo....

.....survived the flight to Illinois last week, and actually did an awesome job for an active almost-10-month-old.

....has graduated to eating more solid foods than baby foods.

....took her first steps while in Illinois, much to the excitement of her extended family.

....took her first nosedive into the carpet and Grama and Papa's, and had a bruised nose to show for it.

....made her first car trip from Illinois to Minnesota. Her parents lived to tell about it.

....has gotten her first ear infection. A double ear infection. Ugh.

....has regressed in her sleeping patterns even more, as she can barely even stand to be in the crib with this infection.

....will not take a bottle. Could she be weaning herself off the bottle already?

....has parents that would do almost anything for a full night's sleep. Literally, almost anything.

No One Can Resist This Face - Updated!

I can resist it.

Gonzo, our wonderful, happy, smiley, non-crying baby, has decided to be a pill at bedtime.

Since Day One, this kid has been a sleeper. When she was tired, she would go into her crib and fall asleep. Naptime, bedtime - it was all a breeze. Her only fault in this area is that she has yet to sleep through the night.

Lately, she's decided that she doesn't want to go to bed at night. We've covered all the bases - diapers, teething, even flipped her on her stomach to sleep. That helped for a while. Now, she just wants to scream. And scream. And scream some more. All with the Nuk in her mouth. It takes her over an hour before she wears herself out and falls asleep.

Oh, baby gods, please get my sweet little Gonzo to sleep, because mama and daddy need some rest.

Instead of Folding Six Loads of Laundry, I Decided to Blog

It's been a while since I've sat down to blog, and we here at Casa Fifty Below have been enjoying the beautiful summer-like weather we've been having in the northland. We know all too soon the snow will be on the ground, so we've taken advantage of the 80+ temps and have been outside! (I am a little annoyed that I am running the air conditioner in October, though....)

Here's what's new -

Gonzo has been growing like a weed. Her Snooki poof of hair is starting to calm down, but she is developing a serious bald spot on the back of her head. Luckily, her hair is long enough to cover it up. She is getting her first haircut tomorrow. She's also sitting up like the big six-month-old that she is. And by big, I mean big. She is in the 95th percentile for her weight. Gonzo loves her some rice cereal! Just last week Gonzo's first bottom tooth broke through, and the second tooth will be through before the end of the day tomorrow. She is, by far, the happiest baby I've ever encountered. Gonzo's favorite thing to do is to watch her big sister, and anytime Gizmo flashes a smile Gonzo's way, she lights up in a way that makes my heart soar. She is in one word - adorable.


Mitch and I made a whirlwind trip to Illinois last weekend to celebrate Homecoming at the University of Illinois.


We had not been on campus in four years, and while a lot has changed, there were a few things that still stayed the same.

Still the same - Mitch and I have a great time together. Man, was it nice to get away!
Different - we are not as young as we used to be. Staying up until 3am, then getting up early to go to the game means that we go to bed by 10:00 on a Saturday night. I think we are both still paying for the trip.


Different - the stadium. The renovations look fantastic! Also different - the team inside the stadium. The Illini are 6-0. Are you kidding me? We saw a great game against Northwestern, although the Illini tried their best to lose it.


Still the same - the squirrels on the quad are as brave as ever. Seriously, I was so close to one I could have petted it. (I know that seriously grosses you out, Mrs.)

Still the same - I love drinking beer at Murphy's. I mean love.


Different - the Marching Illini have a new director, who is doing a great job. Also different - my former MCHS students are all grown up! Several of them march at Illinois, and I was fortunate to catch up with a few of them after the game. I am beyond proud of them.


Today we went to Stillwater to the apple orchard. It was a beautiful day, and Gizmo was worn out from all of the activities. She rode the "Honeycrisp Express", and while she was excited at first, as soon as it started to move she began to cry. I walked alongside, holding her hand.


(Side note - while I don't mind paying the $2 for my kid to ride in a barrel behind a tractor, these people must be making money hand over fist with this racket!)

Gizmo also had a great time in the tractor area - her first experience in riding on a John Deere toy tractor! She had fun trying to chase Lil' Missy, although she quickly realized that she was far too fast for her.


I am loaded up with apples and am looking forward to making apple crisp, apple salad, apple sauce, apple pie, apple scones, and everything apple.

Until next time.....

Can You Feel the Love?

Just when I think Gizmo is starting to get used to Gonzo, things like this happen. Something tells me that Gonzo looks forward to torturing her older sister as they grow up!

My Best Moment in Parenting to Date

First, my apologies for my long absence from the blog. With company for two solid weeks, and then a 10-day trip to Illinois to visit Grama and Papa Poke, and THEN Mitch gone for the week for work, there has not been much leisure time for blogging. However, I am staying up late tonight to bring you this great moment I had with the girls last night. Sadly, I don't have a picture that captures it, but it just made my heart soar.

After dinner, the girls and I retired to the lower level, where the temperature is coolest in the house. Gonzo laid down for tummy time, and I encouraged Gizmo to lay down with her. She faced Gonzo on her tummy, then said, "Here, Gonzo!" and gave her her finger to grab onto. Gonzo grabbed her finger, looked at her, and smiled. Gizmo smiled back.

And there was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. I can't wait to watch it blossom.

The Cutest Little Baby This Side of the Mississippi

Little Baby Gonzo (a blog name has been decided! Finally!) is the sweetest little baby. Ever. She is also the best baby. Ever. Hands down. She rarely cries, is smiley and happy almost all the time, and when she's not busy smiling, she's sleeping.

One of her favorite things to do is have tummy time, which she is infinitely better at than her older sister. I am amazed at how strong this little two-month-old is. She is supporting her head by herself almost all of the time.



And to prove just how cute and smiley she is, here's one of her in her favorite place - the changing table. (I'm not sure why she likes it so much, but Gizmo loved it, too. I can't decide if it's the elevation or the window that she likes the best.) Her hair is growing so fast, I think she might need a haircut before her four-month checkup.