Admittedly, these days, what cooking I'm doing shies completely to what I used to do. Granted, I still try to be a bit adventurous, but my time constraints, particularly during the dinner-prep time of the day, prevent me from doing very much without either one hand being preoccupied with holding Baby or having to dash to and fro to keep her from completely melting down from the lack of attention. And somehow, I still do put dinner on the table, albeit more simply these days, but I just need that daily outlet somehow.
So the past couple of weeks - last week, one of Hubby's friends, a fellow architect from NYC, was in town - we wined and dined with him on Wednesday. And boy, I gotta admit, it's tough preparing a dinner w/a child in hand in the middle of the week. Typically, Hubby does logistics (setting up the table, cleaning up, moving stuff around) while I do the cooking - alas, with Hubby at work, the logistics part of the program fell on me. However, I did find my newfound best friend to be most helpful: ziplock bags. Marinating and even seasoning is much easier, without having to fuss with bowl and plastic wrap or multiple utensils. I lopped into one bag 4 tilapia fillets, seasoned lightly with just salt and pepper. Into another bag went steaks, with premixed adobo seasoning and onions. And anticipating my friend Melissa (no red meat) joining us for dinner, I also marinated in another bag a couple of chicken breasts, with the same adobo seasoning, some thinly sliced onions, and juice of 4 key limes. These three bags constituted the main course - easily done.
Side dishes that evening, I chopped up some vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash), mixed with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Starter was shrimp ceviche - quick-boiled shrimps, chopped, marinated with lime juice, salt, and pepper for about 6 hours, and then mixed with cilantro and chopped cucumbers. We also had a simple spinach salad, mixed with pre-made candied pecans and mandarin oranges (from Trader Joe's, thank goodness for their premade stuff!). For the tilapia, I also made a red bell pepper and olive chutney, in mango juice - this mixture, I made the day before, and set in the fridge overnight to let the flavors meld together. And for dessert, some fresh black berries and strawberries, served with a mixture of marscapone, heavy cream, and sugar - so good! All in all, a pretty good dinner, though by the end of the evening, I was fading quite fast, and had to excuse myself to turn in for the night.
And with mommy-brain, I can't even remember what else I cooked the rest of the week!
Alas, oh well... we come now to this week. One night, I marinated strips of beef in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper - this mixture I simply dumped into a pan and baked until cooked through (about 1 pound beef strips, 350 degrees for 30 minutes). These strips went into tortilla shells with spinach and field greens, and some cheese. On the side, we had a potato salad, consisting of diced red bliss potatoes, sweet and sour cucumbers, and mayo. Last night, I prepared a beef tagine, with dates, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, tomatoes, zucchini, and carrots, spiced with cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, and chili powder. I started up the tagine at about 4:30, lightly fried ground ginger and garlic powder, then browned the beef, and finally mixed in the veggies and fruits. I added just enough water to cover after browning the meat, then set it on low until about 7:30. We ended up meeting with some friends out for dinner, but we did taste some of the beef and carrots... I must admit, it was damn good! We will save the tagine for another day - and yes, this is about as close to slow-cooker cooking as I would like to get.
So that was the general extent of the cooking this week. We had a couple of bad days this week, resulting in Hubby bringing home dinner and us going out for dinner. Baby is still settling into some semblance of a routine, which leads me to my rant: Parenthood is not easy. Yes, I know, we had warnings about this long before we had Baby, but the reality is that no experience, no amount of product, no discussions can really prepare you for the full-blowing experience of parenthood to your own offspring. Having your baby scream and cry in your ear for even an hour can be debilitatingly exhausting - and hell if you get a chance to relax any time after that. Some people may seem to look for an easier way out, pushing off responsibility onto others, or just ignoring the baby's cries all together, but truly, Baby's staying whether we like it or not. Unfortunately, however, the role of the mother never ends, not even in the middle of the night while the world sleeps - and the morning alarm clock is set without any hope for a snooze alarm, not without extensive rewiring.
Exhaustion is just the tip of the iceberg. And Hubby wonders how in the world it is that I got mastisis a couple of weeks ago in the first place!
And speaking of snooze and rewiring - it is now quite late. I will be catching some zzzz's before my early-morning riser wakes me up in the morning.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The rose colored glasses live on
Ha! I just read one of the articles on babycenter.com, of suggestions to help new moms boost their energy and mood through eating certain foods. Their first suggestion: breakfast. My breakfast usually doesn't even happen until noon or afterwards, much less being able to fix something to eat - try doing that when you're half starved, got a crying baby, and haven't even gotten a chance yet to go to the bathroom since you've gotten up in the morning. I've tried cooking during the day before, and it really doesn't happen - whatever it is that I cook usually ends up either overcooked or burnt. Impossible.
But, hey, it's good to have that idea out there that someone, somewhere, is really enjoying the first few months of their motherhood, like it's a damn walk in the park. Just not happening here, not in the near future. And I suspect, not for most new moms.
With that said, however, I did make a really good fish tonight. Or rather, I prepared it, then Hubby cooked it while I took a shower with Baby. Tilapia loins, sauteed in butter, with a tomato and carrot sauce. Seasoned tilapia loins with salt, pepper, and parsley. Sauteed the diced tomatoes and carrots in butter, in a pan that had remnants of the spices from my berbere this afternoon, and set the sauce to the side. Then, browned the tilapia loins in the same pan. Hubby served the tilapia loins with the sauce - tomatoes worked wonderfully with the tilapia and butter!
OK, off to rest, hopefully to get some energy renewal for tomorrow.
But, hey, it's good to have that idea out there that someone, somewhere, is really enjoying the first few months of their motherhood, like it's a damn walk in the park. Just not happening here, not in the near future. And I suspect, not for most new moms.
With that said, however, I did make a really good fish tonight. Or rather, I prepared it, then Hubby cooked it while I took a shower with Baby. Tilapia loins, sauteed in butter, with a tomato and carrot sauce. Seasoned tilapia loins with salt, pepper, and parsley. Sauteed the diced tomatoes and carrots in butter, in a pan that had remnants of the spices from my berbere this afternoon, and set the sauce to the side. Then, browned the tilapia loins in the same pan. Hubby served the tilapia loins with the sauce - tomatoes worked wonderfully with the tilapia and butter!
OK, off to rest, hopefully to get some energy renewal for tomorrow.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Damn.
OK. I really have to admit, being a mother has GOT to be the most thankless job there is in the world. Here I am, 4 o'clock in the morning, having fed Baby at 2:30, and she's still awake, practicing her language skills no less. I've had a collective 6 hours of sleep in the past 36 hours, and my patience is nearing its end - and unfortunately, this is the norm as opposed to the exception during this whole maternity leave. And the end of my leave will coincide with the time when she really starts to develop - it makes me think that this country REALLY has its values completely screwed up when it comes to human development.
And somehow, I can wake up in the morning, look at Baby and marvel how cute she is; but when I'm up like this in the middle of the night, I'm ready to take the first flight in the morning out of here to Barbados. And really, just set up shop and not come back.
So this leads me to my pet peeves of motherhood that all those websites and books would have you believe - but, really, are true only on TV.
8. "Take naps when your baby takes naps." OK, let's dissect this idea. Typical feeding schedule: every 3 hours, and this takes place after the typical every 2 hour feeding that happens in the first couple of weeks of a baby's life, during which time Mom's supposedly trying to heal (right, lack of sleep does not equal proper healing). Baby takes, oh, somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes to feed. Then, typically, baby does not go to sleep immediately after feeding, and oh, there's the diaper change that takes place before feeding, which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes, depending on whether your baby unit decides it's time for projectile anything. So there's a max given already of 45 minutes eaten out of the 3 hour clock. Then if baby decides it doesn't want to go back to sleep after it eats, well, you can be up for upwards of an hour or more entertaining the baby and interacting with it - which actually does happen with my Baby. So, an hour and a half or more later, baby finally decides it's time for a short nap - and then, guess what, the whole process starts again. Nap, I don't even have time to gather up all those bibs she's spit up on before getting ready to feed her again, much less take time out to nap!
7. "Just let others take care of chores around the house." Right. Hubby works during the day, comes home around 8, tired and hungry. I usually have dinner somewhat ready by the time he gets home, we eat, watch some TV, set Baby to bed, and then we, exhausted, also go to bed. So we're supposed to just let the plates pile up in the sink, the laundry fester, mail go unanswered and unorganized, and the piling method take over the house? This "let others take care of stuff" can actually happen if we lived in the society we used to live in, where we have a collective community that can help take care of things, not in the typical American household. Or, unless, of course, if you have hoards of money to spend on hired help - and that's assuming you also have hoards of money to pay for things like mortgages, groceries, and day care. This idea piles right in with the nap idea - it's great only if you HAVE the help around the house. Otherwise, the chores still fall on you. Oh, and try fixing dinner with screaming baby in hand.
6. "Get back into shape by taking baby out on walks." There are days when I am not even able to set foot out the door because Baby has gone fussy. I've lost weight by eating breakfast at 2, having another snack (AKA, lunch) at 4, and running up and down our stairs getting this that and the other thing and doing the chores around the house to keep it in some semblance of order. Walks, we do take them every so often, but it's not something I can plan on a regular basis.
5. "The way to take care of your baby is X, Y, and Z." There's a reason there are so many baby books out there. No one knows how exactly to take care of a baby but the parents. Everyone's got a theory, not one book has all the answers, and there's a bit of truth in everything everyone says. Which really doesn't say all that much - when baby books measure 2" in depth on average, they say enough shit that some of it is bound to stick.
4. "Get back together with your spouse." Every website I've seen touts some level of sexual intimacy like it's the duty of the woman ripped apart to mend all things back together. Ahem, lack of sleep? Where's that hired help already? Somehow, I think this idea stems from the same people who invented pantyhose.
3. "X, Y, and Z is a side effect of pregnancy." I've already dropped 30 pounds since bearing Baby, and carpal tunnel still hasn't gone away. I think it may be a side effect, period, bearing baby or not. Mood swings, I was even keeled during the whole pregnancy, and now, I have mood swings enough to bring the Titanic up from the depths of the ocean. And I have cravings for food unlike anything I felt during pregnancy. I'm sure it stems from the fact that I haven't been getting enough rest, and my body is turning to food to help replenish its energy levels. But then, cold lasagna straight from the fridge is mighty tasty...
2. That gush of love for Baby? Yeah, it happens - during the day. At night, pacifier goes into her mouth faster than I can blink. And still, she's practicing her language skills through it.
1. "Motherhood is a whole new experience." Oh yeah! Understatement of the century! Nothing can prepare you for this, no amount of babysitting, reading, watching, learning. Nothing prepares you for the pang you feel when baby is crying, right in your ear, and it's your child - and you don't know what to do to help it feel better. Granted, if my mother were around, she might be able to help me learn a bit of how to do this parenting thing - but then, there is plenty my parents did that I'd like to undo, and they took full advantage of their hospital's nursery until I was 4 months old - so unfortunately, my surviving father also has no idea what it's like to raise a newborn. It's at times like this that I really do feel like I'm treading this path alone, plodding along, and really hoping I'm doing things well by Baby.
But then, Barbados does look really appealing.
And somehow, I can wake up in the morning, look at Baby and marvel how cute she is; but when I'm up like this in the middle of the night, I'm ready to take the first flight in the morning out of here to Barbados. And really, just set up shop and not come back.
So this leads me to my pet peeves of motherhood that all those websites and books would have you believe - but, really, are true only on TV.
8. "Take naps when your baby takes naps." OK, let's dissect this idea. Typical feeding schedule: every 3 hours, and this takes place after the typical every 2 hour feeding that happens in the first couple of weeks of a baby's life, during which time Mom's supposedly trying to heal (right, lack of sleep does not equal proper healing). Baby takes, oh, somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes to feed. Then, typically, baby does not go to sleep immediately after feeding, and oh, there's the diaper change that takes place before feeding, which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes, depending on whether your baby unit decides it's time for projectile anything. So there's a max given already of 45 minutes eaten out of the 3 hour clock. Then if baby decides it doesn't want to go back to sleep after it eats, well, you can be up for upwards of an hour or more entertaining the baby and interacting with it - which actually does happen with my Baby. So, an hour and a half or more later, baby finally decides it's time for a short nap - and then, guess what, the whole process starts again. Nap, I don't even have time to gather up all those bibs she's spit up on before getting ready to feed her again, much less take time out to nap!
7. "Just let others take care of chores around the house." Right. Hubby works during the day, comes home around 8, tired and hungry. I usually have dinner somewhat ready by the time he gets home, we eat, watch some TV, set Baby to bed, and then we, exhausted, also go to bed. So we're supposed to just let the plates pile up in the sink, the laundry fester, mail go unanswered and unorganized, and the piling method take over the house? This "let others take care of stuff" can actually happen if we lived in the society we used to live in, where we have a collective community that can help take care of things, not in the typical American household. Or, unless, of course, if you have hoards of money to spend on hired help - and that's assuming you also have hoards of money to pay for things like mortgages, groceries, and day care. This idea piles right in with the nap idea - it's great only if you HAVE the help around the house. Otherwise, the chores still fall on you. Oh, and try fixing dinner with screaming baby in hand.
6. "Get back into shape by taking baby out on walks." There are days when I am not even able to set foot out the door because Baby has gone fussy. I've lost weight by eating breakfast at 2, having another snack (AKA, lunch) at 4, and running up and down our stairs getting this that and the other thing and doing the chores around the house to keep it in some semblance of order. Walks, we do take them every so often, but it's not something I can plan on a regular basis.
5. "The way to take care of your baby is X, Y, and Z." There's a reason there are so many baby books out there. No one knows how exactly to take care of a baby but the parents. Everyone's got a theory, not one book has all the answers, and there's a bit of truth in everything everyone says. Which really doesn't say all that much - when baby books measure 2" in depth on average, they say enough shit that some of it is bound to stick.
4. "Get back together with your spouse." Every website I've seen touts some level of sexual intimacy like it's the duty of the woman ripped apart to mend all things back together. Ahem, lack of sleep? Where's that hired help already? Somehow, I think this idea stems from the same people who invented pantyhose.
3. "X, Y, and Z is a side effect of pregnancy." I've already dropped 30 pounds since bearing Baby, and carpal tunnel still hasn't gone away. I think it may be a side effect, period, bearing baby or not. Mood swings, I was even keeled during the whole pregnancy, and now, I have mood swings enough to bring the Titanic up from the depths of the ocean. And I have cravings for food unlike anything I felt during pregnancy. I'm sure it stems from the fact that I haven't been getting enough rest, and my body is turning to food to help replenish its energy levels. But then, cold lasagna straight from the fridge is mighty tasty...
2. That gush of love for Baby? Yeah, it happens - during the day. At night, pacifier goes into her mouth faster than I can blink. And still, she's practicing her language skills through it.
1. "Motherhood is a whole new experience." Oh yeah! Understatement of the century! Nothing can prepare you for this, no amount of babysitting, reading, watching, learning. Nothing prepares you for the pang you feel when baby is crying, right in your ear, and it's your child - and you don't know what to do to help it feel better. Granted, if my mother were around, she might be able to help me learn a bit of how to do this parenting thing - but then, there is plenty my parents did that I'd like to undo, and they took full advantage of their hospital's nursery until I was 4 months old - so unfortunately, my surviving father also has no idea what it's like to raise a newborn. It's at times like this that I really do feel like I'm treading this path alone, plodding along, and really hoping I'm doing things well by Baby.
But then, Barbados does look really appealing.
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