Sofia

Is 9 years old too young to babysit?

Our neighbor Sofia is a familiar face over at our house

She reads stories, has tea parties, plays cards and games with Samantha. She always helps and encourages Samantha to clean up her toys and reminds her to use the potty.

She holds, rocks, burps and feeds Thatcher a bottle.

I'm working on getting her to change diapers :)


She walks, practices tricks, feeds and loves Lollipop


What about when she turns 10, is that okay?

6 Weeks Old (almost)

It is hard to believe that little Thatcher is going to be 6 weeks old tomorrow. It has gone by so quickly and he has been nothing but an angel. He is more alert now and has longer periods of awake time. He has grown out of his newborn clothes and newborn diapers. He sleeps through the night (except for the one night when he danced around like a marionette for a couple hours - time to force the swaddle on this guy to keep those arms and legs contained!), he's a good eater and loves to cuddle. He enjoys relaxing in the swing, tummy time on the floor and stroller rides. Sounds perfect, right? I think so :)

He looks cute in Sammie's jammies

Shares his blankey with Lollipop

He is starting to have a little personality

and beginning to smile

He is popular with his big sister and best bud Connor

He LOVES the water

and cuddling with Daddy after bathtime

He likes to pose

And do Tai Chi

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

It's easy to throw a healthy shrimp pasta together in 20 minutes or less. The recipe below is a good base to follow. I used fresh basil, whole-wheat spaghetti (I actually recommend using Angel Hair) and Asiago cheese.

Spicy Shrimp Fettuccine

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve immediately.

Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast with Watermelon-Jalapeno Salsa

It feels like summer in Santa Barbara and this is the perfect dish for warm weather. Grilled chicken on the BBQ with a fresh fruit salsa. This salsa would be a good accompaniment to fresh fish too, especially seared ahi tuna.

From Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed seeded watermelon
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled ripe mango
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 1 small)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt



Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator up to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Combine watermelon and remaining ingredients. Serve watermelon mixture with chicken.

Art from the Heart

Samantha and I met Karen Putnam, owner of Art from the Heart, about a month ago and she invited the little budding artist Samantha to an intergenerational art class. It is an art program for all ages, from 6 months to 106 years young. It was held at the Samarkand Retirement home here in Santa Barbara which, by the way, isn't a bad place to end up at. It had the look and feel of a high-end hotel with cruise ship activities. Residents were playing shuffle board, taking dance lessons and lounging by the pool. I am sure there is maid service and BINGO, sounds good to me!

Karen led the group through several art activities and songs. It was really sweet to see the older one's interact with the younger one's and vice-versa.

Below are some pictures of Samantha with her new British friend Ms. Janet. I could tell Ms. Janet got a kick out of Samantha. Samantha painted a flower vase for her and then they tossed a ball back and forth. Samantha spilled paint on her nice shoes as well as hit her in the head with the ball. I kept apologizing for Samantha but I don't think she could hear me.

Random Kid Pic Post

Samantha playing "gently" with her brother

Sam teaching Thatcher all about technology

Thatcher looking very alert (a rare moment)

Sweet Sammie

He's not fond of the pacifier but has taken a liking to his fist (I am not giving up on the pacifier though)

Halibut en Papillote with Potatoes, Green Beans, and Sweet Onions

After Thatcher was born we were spoiled with homemade food deliveries by friends. Then we ate everything we had in our freezer. Then family arrived and we ate out nightly. And if I even look at another Trader Joe's sodium-laced, frozen, pre-made meal, I may get sick. With that being said, I am back to cooking and finally made something worth sharing.

Cooking fish encased in parchment paper holds in the moisture giving you a better chance of not overcooking it. I don't know about you, but when I overcook fish, I get so mad! Dinner is basically ruined.

I was awful at cutting the paper in a heart like the recipe below suggests (I am sure my toddler can cut shapes better than me) and after several attempts and an almost empty box of parchment paper, I gave up and just wrapped each piece of fish in a square sheet of the paper which I presume works just as well.

From Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 4

8 thin (1/4-inch) slices lemon
4 fresh bay leaves (optional)
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces small new potatoes, quartered
6 ounces green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Cut 4 (15 x 24–inch) pieces of parchment paper and fold in half, like a book. Draw a large heart half on each piece with the fold being the center of the heart. Cut out heart, and lay it open.

3. Lay 2 slices of lemon in the center of 1 side of each piece of parchment; top with 1 bay leaf, if desired, and 1 halibut fillet. Sprinkle fillets evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle each fillet with 3/4 teaspoon olive oil. Fold other side of heart on top. Starting at the top of the heart, fold up both edges of parchment, overlapping the folds as you move along. Twist the end tip to secure tightly.

4. Place parchment packets on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest for five minutes.

5. Cook potatoes in boiling water 8 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Add green beans to pan; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well; keep potatoes and green beans warm.

6. Working with one packet at a time, carefully open fish packets and pour liquid from packets into a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, juice, mustard, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir well with a whisk. Add potatoes, beans, and onion to oil mixture; toss well to coat. Divide vegetable mixture evenly on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 fillet.