Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving my husband, the kids & I traveled to his Mom's house in Tacoma. Gerritt's godfather Ananth joined us as well. We cooked most of the food at our house in the morning & took it with us in order to fully enjoy visiting & relaxing with grandma. We were planning to deep fry the organic, free-range turkey I bought at Costco at one of the nearby Chinese restaurants for a small fee, however, the restaurant has discontinued this service. So we were responsible for providing the main course for the Thanksgiving dinner. We have not had a good experience baking turkey in the past (it turned out too dry), so we were understandably nervous. Thankfully, my husband has done some investigating & borrowed a tried-and-true brined turkey recipe from one of his coworkers. We were not going to rely on brining alone, so he bought the Reynolds Oven Bag to ensure a moist bird. Our efforts were successful as the turkey turned out great! I've immediately decided to post the turkey recipe on my blog (before it gets lost) & a few of my other favorite Thanksgiving dish recipes. Some day, Sophia & Gerritt may ask for family Thanksgiving recipes & here they will be for all to read!


Baked Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Preparation & cooking time: about 1 1/4 hours
Makes: about 2 cups, 8-12 servings

Ingredients:
One 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries, picked over & rinsed
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cups of orange flavored liquer (or orange juice)
1 tsp of grated orange peel (or more to taste)

Mix all ingredients in an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until berries are tender when pierced & juices are syrupy, about 1 hour. Serve warm or cool.


Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Dijon Mustard

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh Brussel sprouts
1/3 lb bacon (I like to use the nitrite-free turkey bacon from Trader Joe's)
1 Tbsp finelly chopped garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Soak the sprouts for 10 minutes to clean them, then rinse under running water. Trim the bottom of each Brussel sprout & discard any tough outer leaves. Quater the sprouts.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon slices until they are fully cooked, but not crispy (an iron cast skillet is perfect for this). Remove when done & set aside, leaving the fat in the pan. If not enough fat was left, add additional coconut oil to the pan. Add the garlic & the sprouts to the pan at the same time. Saute the sprouts until they begin to turn golden, then add maple syrup, salt, pepper, Dijon & water. Stir well to combine. While the Brussel sprouts are cooking, cut the bacon into small pieces (1/4 inch or so) & add back to the pan with the sprouts & seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes more, while stirring occasionally, until sprouts are barely limp. Taste & adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.



Roast Turkey with Sage Garlic Butter

Preparation & cooking time: 2 3/4 - 3 3/4 hours, plus overnight to brine
Makes: 12-16 servings

Ingredients:
Brine & Turkey
1 cup kosher salt
1 turkey (12-18 lbs) (I really liked the organic, free-range turkey from Costco)

Sage Garlic Butter
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
2 Tbsp chopped garlic

Gravy
1/2 cup flour
1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth, warmed
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

1) Make brine: Boil 1 qt. water with salt in a pot, stirring until salt is dissolved. Add 2 qts. cold water & let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, remove leg truss from turkey & discard. Remove neck, tail, & giblets & save for broth if you like. Pull off & discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird inside & out. Lower the turkey into a container big enough to hold it & cover with brine. If breast isn't submerged, make more brine, cool, & add. Chill, covered, at least 12 hours.
2) Make butter: In a food processor, whirl butter, sage, & garlic until smooth.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lift turkey from brine, rinse, & pat dry. Set turkey on a V-shaped rack in a 12- to 17-inch roasting pan (big enough so turkey fits inside rim).
4) Slide your fingers between skin & flesh of bird, turning bird to make pockets of space on the breast, back, & leg areas. Still using your fingers, slide about 1 Tbsp. sage butter at a time under skin in all the pockets. Place bird, breast up, on rack.
5) Roast turkey, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until a meat thermometer insterted straight down through thickest part of breast to the bone registers 160 degrees, 2-3 hours. Transfer turkey to a platter & tent with foil. Let rest in a warm place 15-30 minutes, then carve.
6) Meanwhile, make gravy: Pour drippings into a clear measuring cup, using a flat spatula to scrape off browned bits stuck to pan. Skim fat from drippings, reserve 1/4 cup of fat, & discard the rest. Measure drippings; add hot water if needed to make 1 cup total.
7) In a large frying pan, heat reserved fat over medium heat. Add flour & cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add drippings, whisking into a smooth paste. Whisk in about 1/2 cup broth at a time, letting mixture come to a boil between additions. Stir in sage.

Make ahead: Chill sage garlic butter, covered, up to 4 days; bring to room temperature when ready to use.
Note: If you want a guaranteed moist turkey, bake the turkey in the Reynolds Oven Bag (turkey size). The bags are commonly sold in Safeway, QFC & Top Foods around holiday time. Just follow the directions on the package.


Pumpkin Pie

I've used a common pumpkin pie recipe, but added 1/2 cup of ground flax seeds (get your omega-3s whenever you can!) & substituted dry ginger with fresh ground ginger (to taste) for a more flavorful pie.


Gerritt enjoys playing with grandma


Sophia!


More love from grandma


Sophia & Daddy


The Thanksgiving table (Gerritt has his hands on what's important)

The First Snow

Gerritt & the tiny snowman


Gerritt & Sophia building the snowman


Gerritt & Sophia


Sophia!

I was expecting the first snow in December, however, it came on the weekend before Thanksgiving this fall. It started to snow on Sunday afternoon & snowed for most of Monday. On Tuesday the snow has stopped, however, the city was paralyzed. Gerritt's school was closed so we were confined to our house once again. I was just trying to figure out what to do with the kids, when we've heard the laughing voices of children outside. They were trying to sled down one of the hills in our neighborhood. So I had an instant idea to do the same. We even had a sled in the garage (we bought it after the last winter's snow storm when we were stuck in our house for more than a week with no equipment for outdoor activities). After sledding, we built a snowman. The snow wasn't sticking, so the best we could do was to built a small one. Of course, the snowman had to have a carrot nose!


Sophia loves to play pick-a-boo in my husband's bathroom (she's wearing her favorite "hat" made out of a broken rubber ball cut in half)


She closes the door, I knock, she opens it & I yell "Pick-a-boo!" or "Where is Sophia?"


This little girl has the funniest laugh!

I often have to get creative when staying indoors for a prolonged period of time. We usually read books, watch movies, color & do various puzzles. Gerritt is into the comic book superheroes now, so I've learned about the Superman, the Spiderman, the Batman & Robin & their enemies such as Mr. Freeze, the Cat Woman, the Joker, the Two-Face & the Pinguin. Sophia's started to be interested in book reading as well. Her favorite books so far are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle, Bear About Town by Stella Blackstone, My First Book of Colors (no author) & My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. As a result of all this reading, she understands many more words than she can say. Sophia also loves to play a pick-a-boo game, & it's a quick way to make her giggle. This is probably not the last snow this season, so there will be many more opportunities for us to be creative!


Playing with his train set is one of Gerritt's favorite indoor activities


Mommy's & Gerritt's coloring project. Can you guess who colored which car?

The Weekend Before Thanksgiving

Gerritt at his first theater show


The living room before...


... and after organizing

 

Gerritt & Daddy wearing their 3D glasses

It was another busy weekend for us. On Saturday I worked my usual shift at Planned Parenthood (9 am - 1:30 pm) & then took Gerritt for his first theater show in the afternoon. We saw the Little Red at the Storybook Theater in Kirkland. Thankfully, the show was only about an hour long & he sat through it just fine. In fact, he didn't want to leave the theater after the show was over & insisted on going to see another show right after. When I told him another show was not playing for a few more weeks, he broke into tears (a sign of a missed nap). It was fun to have a special mother-and-son outing as well as to experience the theater again. We've been pretty much confined to our house ever since Gerritt's birth & it sure feels nice to reclaim some of our old life back.
I called in sick for my scheduled hospital shift on Sunday due to a bad cold, however, instead of resting I spent most of the day organizing the house. There is no such thing as a day off when you are a mother. There is simply too much to do! Our living room turned into a large playground after recent inheritance of Luly's toys, so I made it my mission to go through all of them. Some were put away for storage in a garage (doll houses, dolls, doll furniture, etc. - the kids are just not old enough to play with them yet); some were put into a large Goodwill pile (mostly soft toys that collect allergens & dust, & toys that may be cute, but don't have much learning value), & others were simply thrown away. It is amazing how much time it takes to determine which shoe belongs to which doll, which door belongs to which truck & which puzzle piece goes into which box. Many of the toys & toy parts were mismatched & mixed together in the toy chest. Now we have room for a Christmas tree!
My husband should have not bought me that Starbucks coffee special on Sunday afternoon because I don't drink coffee & when I do, I have way too much energy. So... while he took Gerritt to his first 3D movie experience (it was the Megamind movie), I proceeded to vacuum & wash the hardwood floors in the living room & our bedroom (of course, I had to move all of the furniture to give the rooms that special deep cleaning). I also filled up & then put away the dishes in the dishwasher & washed a couple of piles of laundry. It started to snow on Sunday afternoon, however, I was able to rake & put away most of the fallen foliage in our front yard before the snow got too heavy. Later that night I also prepared dinner. Somewhere in between I fit making fresh hummingbird nectar (I always worry about them when it's snowing or freezing outside). I really should stay away from coffee...


First snow this fall - a view from our porch at 11 am


Beautiful snowflakes at 5 pm


A little hummingbird grateful for sweet sugar water

The Miracle of Xylitol

The Spry tooth gel I use for my kids' dental care


A cool chart I found via Google


One of the xylitol products I use in baking

Gerritt had another dental check up & tooth cleaning this week. His teeth were in excellent shape, & I felt so grateful to have discovered xylitol about a year ago. I've decided to go a Google search on the topic in order to share xylitol's benefits with others.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol sweetener used a sugar substitute. It is found in fibers of many fruits & vegetables. Strawberries, raspberries & yellow plums are examples of xylitol-containing fruits while corn, mushrooms, lettuce & endive are some of the xylitol-containing vegetables.
Xylitol is a "tooth-friendly" sugar. It has a dental plaque-reducing effect by attracting & then "starving" harmful micro-organisms, allowing the mouth to remineralize damaged teeth. The same effect also interferes with yeast, so xylitol should not be used for making yeast-based breads. Xylitol is specific in its inhibition of Mutans Streptococci, bacteria that are significant contributors to tooth decay. Xylitol also inhibits the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae as well as the attachment of Haemophilus influenzae on the nasopharyngeal cells, making xylitol nose spray a very marketable product.
Saliva containing xylitol is more alkaline than saliva containing other sugar products. When saliva is alkaline (its pH is > 7), calcium & phosphate salts in saliva start to precipitate into those parts of enamel where they are lacking (the remineralization process).
Xylitol is safe for pregnant & nursing women, & its regular use reduces the probability of transmitting the Streptococcus mutans bacteria from mother to child during the first 2 years of life by as much as 80%. Although it may seem like a good idea to use xylitol to care for your dog's teeth, it should never be done as xylitol is toxic to dogs, causing severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) & resulting seizures & death.
Xylitol may be used for cooking & baking. Xylitol doesn't break down with heat & has the same sweetness as sugar (simply use the same amount - 1 part of xylitol for 1 part of sugar). One teaspoon (5 grams) of xylitol contains 9.6 calories, as compared to one teaspoon of sugar, which contains 15 calories. Xylitol has a lower impact on a person's blood sugar (compared to that of regular sugar) with a glycemic index of 13 (glucose has a glycemic index of 100!). Xylitol consumption can result in temporary gastrointestinal side effects such as bloating & diarrhea, however, adaptation occurs with regular intake.
Xylitol is used around the world, mainly as a sweetener in chewing gums & pastilles, as well as in oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, fluoride tablets & mouthwashes. I even found a recipe for an inexpensive homemade mouthwash that may be a good addition to one's oral care routine:

Add 1 teaspoon of pure xylitol, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt & 1/4 teaspoon of calcium lactate. Put these ingredients in a glass & cover with hot water. Stir to dissolve the powders. Then, wait until it's a comfortable temperature. Rinse & gargle with the mixture. Take your time. The longer the exposure to your teeth & gums, the better. If possible, try to do this a few times a day.

Xylitol is all natural, relatively inexpensive, easily accessible & holds much promise in preventing dental decay. It is truly a miracle product!

Crockpot Roasted Chicken

Chicken & spices all loaded up


The crockpot


The finished product

This recipe is very simple to prepare & most of the cooking is done away from you. Since slow cooking the chicken takes 6-8 hours it's best to start in the morning or noon, at the latest, in order to have dinner ready by 6 pm. The chicken is done when the meat is tender & falls off the bones easily. Take care not to put in too much salt since some of the liquid will evaporate, making the flavors more concentrated.

Ingredients:

5- to 6-lb whole chicken
1/2 of a large onion, sliced
2-3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 Tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1 Tbsp of dry thyme
1 tsp of paprika
5-6 garlic cloves (whole or minced)
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 dry cardamom pods

Rinse the chicken well & pat dry; remove any excess fat. Place the onion & celery in the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in the Crockpot (slow cooking mode). Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken & sprinkle with the remaining seasonings. Cover & cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

Another ordinary day

Gerritt's playdough doggie (in case you can't tell, it has blue eyes, orange paws, blue tail, red leash as well as multicolored hat)


Thanks to playdough, Gerritt has transformed himself into a clown!


Gerritt's typical pose when he is asked to do something he doesn't want to do - he pretends to be sleeping & even makes snoring noises (he did this when I asked him to use his potty)

Today was a really productive day. Gerritt & I woke up at 8:30 am (Sophia usually gets up at 6:30 or 7 am). The first question out of his mouth was, "Can you stay home today, Mommy?" I've been working a lot for the past few weeks & Gerritt really missed me. After being reassured that I will be home with him & Sophia for the next 2 days, Gerritt happily proceeded to the potty.
After feeding kids their breakfast, I started making dinner (I know it's early, but better do it first thing in the morning while I have the desire & the energy). Today I made a roasted chicken recipe using my crockpot. The use of a crockpot is a must in this cold, rainy weather. Inhaling the delicious aroma of slowly cooking food is one of my favorite things about the fall season.
After loading all of the ingredients into the crockpot, we watched the Batman movie, created playdough art & built castles out of wooden blocks. Sophia took a 2-hour nap. We all headed to the Crossroads Mall as soon as she woke up in order to ride the train & the Mary-Go-Round, visit our favorite toy store, have a snack at Starbucks & pick up a few new books at the library. What really made me happy was finding two last Halloween costumes on sale ($4.97 each instead of the usual $22.50) in my kids' perfect sizes at the Old Navy to be worn for the next year's Halloween. In order to truly appreciate this find, you need to know that I've already made at least 3 trips to the Old Navy, 2 trips to Target & 1 trip to the Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts to scout the discounted Halloween costumes. Target's & Jo-Ann Fabrics' costumes did not impress me. The Old Navy's costumes are my favorite because of their price & quality, but the only costume I found at its post-Halloween sale a couple of weeks ago was that of a witch. Needless to say, finding the dragon & the bumble bee costumes in sizes 4-5T made my day!
Thankfully, Sophia started to feel remarkably better today (another cold started 3 days ago & she has been miserable with constantly runny nose; red puffy eyes & poor appetite). My Mom & my American Mom Chris have birthdays only 1 day apart, so I've talked to both of them to wish them happy birthdays. It is such a coincidence: my Mom's birthday is on November 14th (she turned 60 this year) & my American Mom's birthday is on November 15th (she turned 65 this year). I guess, I was meant to have a Scorpio mother!
Our nanny left for a 3-week vacation to Russia starting today, so I am looking forward to spending more time with the kids. Unfortunately, I don't have much vacation time left (thanks to frequent mandatory low census at my work), so I can only afford to take 1 week off without pay. My husband will take 2 weeks of vacation to fill the void. It should be interesting!
I gave Sophia a bath & she promptly fell asleep at 7 pm. Since Gerritt didn't take a nap today, he fell asleep at 7:30 pm, allowing my husband & I some uninterrupted time together. All in all a very satisfying day!

While you were sleeping...

Despite being 3 years old, Gerritt needs about 15 hours of sleep per day. No, I am not complaining since I would rather have a child who takes naps than the one who never needs one. Lately, he has been napping from 1 pm until 5:60-6 pm, so Sophia & I often need to find something to occupy ourselves (in contrast, Sophia usually takes only one 1- or 2-hour nap per day). Sometimes we read books; sometimes we sing or dance; & sometimes we play hide-and-seek. This particular afternoon, I needed to rake some of the fallen tree foliage & Sophia was happy to help.


Smell the leaves...


Help Mommy with the rake...


Pose for photos...


Check mail...


Drive the car...


All in a day's work!

Our Trip to the Seattle Aquarium

Another rare sunny day in Seattle & Gerritt was prepared!


Gerritt found the sea otters to be utterly adorable!




Gerritt admiring the starfish (they can be touched, by the way)


Sophia trying to catch the fish


A sea anemone


Gerritt & Sophia fascinated with the Ring of Life (a plastic ring filled with slowly circulating jellyfish)




Instead of observing the fish in the Underwater Dome, Sophia spent most of her time crawling back & forth along the seating bench

This week, rather than going to the Crossroads Mall for our weekly day off activity, I've decided to take the kids to the Seattle Aquarium. Typically, I am a homebody & consider it too much trouble to go anywere unfamiliar or to a place that requires longer than 15 minutes of driving. So, I've really surprised myself by planning a trip to downtown Seattle (just the thought of finding parking there sends the chills down my spine) WITHOUT my irreplaceable GPS (my husband used it recently & forgot to put it back into my car) & with BOTH kids. I laugh at how bold I've become because I feared going to the grocery store with both of them not so long ago.
The Google maps came in handy again, & after writing the driving directions to & from downtown, we all headed out. Getting ready part is a true work out & a test of one's organizational skills. Stroller, diapers, wipes, snacks (usually protein, fruit, dairy), a change of clothes, kids' favorite toys, a blanket, Sophia's formula in a bottle, water, photo camera, money - the list is pretty long. I like to travel in comfort & be prepared for as many scenarios as possible.
The Aquarium was surprisingly full for a Monday morning, & I felt slightly annoyed since I don't like crowds. Of course, the Seattle Aquarium is nothing like the Monterey Bay Aquarium or The Sea World in San Diego, but we are fortunate to have it nonetheless. It turned out to be a fun day as Gerritt & Sophia explored the Aquarium's surroundings. Sophia was having so much fun, she refused her usual mid-morning nap.
We saw a multitude of indoor & outdoor exhibits with our favorite ones being the blue lobster, star fish, sea otters & harbor seals. The otters really knew how to have fun - they kept diving, chasing & playing with each other. Gerritt kept saying, "Aaah, cutie pie!" & laughing. The Underwater Dome was impressive as well - schools of large fish in the filtered sunlight. I could not contain Sophia in the stroller! She wanted to crawl, walk & run everywhere, so I got plenty of exercise along the way. Both of the kids really enjoyed the hands-on area where they could touch rockfish, sea stars & plankton, & I barely convinced them to move on from The Ring of Life - illuminated glass "donut" teeming with dozens of jellyfish.
As expected on the first trip, we didn't get to see everything. I felt happy not to get a parking ticket for going 40" over my allowed 2-hour time limit. No one pooped in their pants & no one had a temper tantrum. Seattle has about 6 months of the rainy weather left, so I am confident there is another Aquarium trip in store for us this year. :-)