Menu: Slow cooker Asian pork and grilled chicken

Sorry for the delay. I have pink eye. In both eyes. It's my first time to have it and I am not a fan. Fortunately, my little one has not contracted it.

Okay, on to the menu. Since I am late, this will be my last menu of only four days. But, the slow cooker recipes is one of my FAVORITES of all time (not just slow cooker recipes, all recipes). My husband requested it again the next week, and we have already entertained with it to great praise. Enjoy!

This week, we are marinating two times. A marinating tip: poke holes in the meat with a fork or knife to help it soak up the flavor. I always use a zip-top bag for easy cleanup, too. (Also, although we are not using acidic marinades this week, never marinate meat in an acidic marinade for longer than two hours. It will cook the meat.)

Day One:

Slow Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast

TRY THIS. Even if you have picky eaters, I promise. It is so delicious. Make the entire recipe, we will be using the leftovers later in the week. (Store leftovers with the sauce.)

Brown Rice

You want rice to soak up the YUMMY sauce.

Stir Fry Veggies

1. Use your favorite frozen Asian medley
2. Defrost in the microwave (they will be cooked)
3. Put about 1 T of canola oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over med-high heat
4. Allow pan to get really hot, then add veggies, stirring constantly.
5. Once veggies are crisp, and browned a little, add 2 T Teriyaki sauce and 1 T soy sauce

Day Two:

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

4-8 leaves Boston bibb lettuce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped pineapple

1. Warm up leftover pork and sauce
2. Serve in lettuce leaves, topped with cilantro, carrots, and pinepple
3. Squeeze lime over top, if desired

Curry Cous-Cous

1. Make cous-cous according to package directions, but use chicken broth instead of water.
2. Add 1/2 tea curry powder

Lime Black Beans (This is a quick side dish b/c I was pressed for time. Post suggestions if you have them)

1. Rinse and drain one can black beans
2. Warm in microwave with a little water so they don't dry out
3. Squeeze lime juice over the top, season with salt

Day Three:

Marinated Grilled Chicken

Make at least 4 chicken breasts, you will use two tomorrow. Choose your favorite bottled marinade. I love this aisle at the grocery store. If you have ones that you love, please share them with the rest of us! I love a good balsamic one. I have a friend who swears by Italian dressing. Any would work here.

1. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours.
2. Grill in a grill pan or outdoors until cooked through (I usually do 8 minutes/side).

Roasted potatoes

Remember my "go-to" side dish? I seriously make it about every 2-3 weeks.

A green veggie of your choice

I love blanched asparagus. I put asparagus in a pan with about an inch of water, cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes, drain, and season with salt, lemon juice, and butter.

Day Four:

Chicken salad with roasted red pepper dressing

Use lots of veggies from your fridge, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, whatever you like for a good salad meal

Crusty bread

Have you discovered Pillsbury Italian bread? I'm obsessed. So easy and yummy.

Happy Eating!

~Mamacita

Baby Product Reviews: 0-3 Months

Everyone has opinions, especially new moms! This begins a series of posts recommending our favorite baby products for each age range, starting from 0-3 months. For more information on some of the products, click the link.

Favorites: 0-3 months

Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets

I received one of these as a gift and ordered more right away. You don't need any other receiving blankets at all. These are made of lightweight, breathable muslin and they are huge! I swaddled my daughter until 3 months old and these are the only blankets that were big enough to contain her squirming. Since I stopped swaddling, I have used these as a carrier cover during a nap, as a nursing cover in a pinch, and as a tummy time blanket. She is 8.5 months old, and when it gets colder I plan to start letting her sleep with these blankets in her crib.

You can buy a pack of 4 for approximately $44 on amazon.com. Keep a few for yourself and give some to other new moms!

Activity gym/play mat

This was my daughter's favorite "toy" from 3 weeks to 5 months old. She loved looking at the toys hanging over her head. I gradually watched her progress from looking to batting to reaching to chewing, etc. This makes a great tummy time or back time mat. They are very easy to spot clean and throw in the wash. Even after my daughter could roll around on the mat and sit up unassisted, she still enjoyed playing on the gym. I put it away when she started trying to pull herself up on it around 7 months old. Some of the toys are still in her toy bucket.

Note: I know there are a lot of options out there for play gyms. I recommend one that has plenty of dangling toys, including one that lights up and plays music. I had the Baby Einstein Seek and Discover Deluxe Activity Gym. My daughter loved it, but the company had to send me 4 different stars until we got one that worked well. The first star only lasted a month or so. Their customer service was great, but next time I would buy a different gym to avoid the hassle. I can't be too disappointed though because I only paid $24 for my gym when Target had a big sale. Check amazon.com for reviews before you buy.

I think this looks cool.

Baby Bjorn Babysitter 1-2-3 (Bouncer)

This is one of my very favorite baby purchases. I waited until after my daughter was born to buy this because I didn't know if she would prefer a bouncer or a swing. I borrowed a neighbor's swing for a few days after we came home from the hospital. She hated the motion but loved sleeping in it, so I nixed the idea of a swing and ordered this bouncer instead. It creates the same cuddly space that a swing creates and she will be able to use it as a regular seat even after she is walking. She took many, many naps in this during her newborn days. As she got older, she liked to sit in it and watch the world, play with the toy bar, kick to make herself bounce, and interact with me. I often kept this in my bathroom to use while taking a shower. It was my go-to "bring in the car" item for picnics, trips to the grandparents' houses, etc. She is 8.5 months old and creeps and cruises but still enjoys sitting in it. I love that it is plain and a welcome break from all of the bright baby items that fill the rest of my house. The cover is reversible and washable in the washing machine.

Note: The new version of these bouncers is called the "Bjorn Babysitter Balance". It comes in a bunch of cute colors but is more expensive than the Babysitter 1-2-3 (which got better reviews). I would try to find an online retailer that still carries the 1-2-3, or look on craigslist.org. I ordered mine online but I can't remember the retailer.

Travel System

Most people in this day and age buy a travel system, which is a combination infant car seat/stroller. This was a lifesaver during the first few months when you want to get out of the house. You can transfer a sleeping baby into the car, stroller, house, church, restaurant, etc without interrupting a nap. In the early months, I would plan my outings during a nap. She fell asleep in the car on the way to our destination, and we would run errands and return home where she could finish her nap in the living room. Since the car seat and stroller are meant to fit together, you can shade the baby from light and sun very easily.

Note: I had the Chicco Cortina Travel System in Discovery and I would recommend it. I chose it because it has the highest ratings in Consumer Reports. We used it exclusively until 6.5 months when she switched into a convertible car seat. Unlike some other brands of infant car seats, the Chicco does not fit well over the top of a shopping cart. This was a disappointment at first but then I decided that it wasn't a safe idea to do that anyway. During grocery trips, I either put the carrier in basket part of the shopping cart or used the Baby Bjorn (especially if I was buying a lot of items). The Chicco car seat installation using LATCH is much easier than some other brands. In hindsight, I would not buy a second base for another car because this one is so easy to switch. Save your money for a convertible car seat!

Baby's First Year Calendar

I wish I had bought one of these before my daughter was born. With pictures, videos, and my personal blog posts, I have kept track of her changes and milestones and recently began to fill in this calendar for her. It will be a great keepsake. There are stickers to mark important events and accomplishments. I will now plan to write in the calendar whenever I notice something new or have a funny story that I want to remember.

You can buy one on amazon.com for about $12. I bought two in order to take advantage of the super saver shipping (gets me every time!) so now I have one for a future child.

Blackout Curtain

The sun rises in front of our house and shines right into my daughter's room. To make matters worse, the rectangular window is topped by a semicircle. Before she was born, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a double curtain rod, a blackout curtain, and a 95-inch drape that fit the color scheme of her room. It works perfectly! I am convinced that this is the only way she will sleep in until 9 am. The rest of the house is bright and her room is pitch dark. I am sure that it also contributes to her excellent napping during the day.

Baby Bjorn Air Carrier

This front carrier was perfect for me and my husband up until 7 months old. I used it almost every day if my daughter wasn't asleep in her car seat during an outing. Around 20 pounds I bought a new Beco carrier because the Bjorn hurt my shoulders. I am very thankful for both carriers and I don't regret buying this one first. I will definitely use it with my second child. It is a great carrier to use for younger babies. My daughter faced inward until she had good head control and could face out. She loved to be in the Baby Bjorn in the grocery store, on a walk, etc. The Air Carrier is much cooler than the Original Bjorn during the hot Texas summer.

Note: The weight limit is 25 lbs, but your child may outgrow it before then. I tried to use it a few weeks after I ordered my new carrier and I couldn't fasten the top over my daughter's shoulders. She was about 20 pounds and 28-28.5 inches tall. Amazon.com sells this carrier for about $70 compared to $99 in Babies R Us and Target. Check craigslist.org. You can buy a used one in good condition at a fraction of the cost. It is easily washed in the washing machine.


Grandma's Spot Remover

I have a pooper. I can't tell you the number of times I had to wash poop out of clothes, car seats, blankets, etc. I wish I had tried Grandma's spot remover in the beginning! It works very well on new and old stains. You can buy a small bottle at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $3.99.


Bumbo

This is a great infant seat that helps babies build head and neck control. It allows them to sit assisted and observe the world. I started using this around 2 months old for just a few minutes at a time and then progressed from there. I believe that it helped my daughter build the muscles to help her sit unassisted about a week before she was 5 months old. I used it with a tray to help her learn to pick up toys.

Buy one used on craigslist.org for about half the price


Eurobath Primo Bath Tub

I didn't realize how much I liked my bath tub until my mom started searching for one to keep at her house. It is a bit larger than most baby bath tubs and my mom kept trying tubs that were smaller. The only problem was that my then 8-month-old daughter was getting close to outgrowing them! She ended up taking them all back and purchasing a Eurobath. She will have plenty of room in the Eurobath for a long time. I started using mine as soon as her umbilical cord fell off (2 weeks old). The baby can lay at an incline on one side of the tub and can sit up on the other side. There are many tubs that are created with this idea, but the Eurobath provides more leg room on the sitting side than the rest. I also like that the drain is located in a spot where the baby won't sit on it. It is very easy to clean and blends in with the typical white bath tub.

-Smart Shopper Mama

Here are a few more from Mamacita:

Boppy Travel Swing

My daughter loved this swing from the day she came home from the hospital. I love this swing for several reasons: portability, storage, safety, two incline choices, nice music, and cuteness. She is about to be too big for it, and that will be a sad day! We used this for soothing, independent time, and I used it often for her to sit in while I took a quick shower. Look at this cute gender-neutral one that they have at Target!

Conair Sound Machine

I LOVE this for white noise to help my little one nap. There are 10 white noise choices, and the volume control is great. I found mine at Walmart, but they are available at Target, Amazon, etc. For me, this is a must have!

Boppy Sleep positioner

This is a great, comfortable sleep positioner. It has a slight incline, good bumpers, and "memory foam." I was so grateful for it when my little lady was very congested. I highly recommend it.

Diaper Genie

You've heard of them, but I don't think you realize how wonderful they truly are until your precious brand-new baby is making 10-12 poopies a day! I have a very basic one, but I wish I had this one.

Have favorite 0-3 month products of your own? Leave a comment and share! Stay tuned for a post about breast-feeding essentials!

Menu: Pork Tenderloin Tacos & Greek Shrimp Scampi

This week, we will be cooking three times, but if you are in a pinch, you could even get away with cooking twice. We will make four meals total, but soon I will begin offering menus for five meals.

Day One:

*Pork tenderloin w/dijon-apricot glaze

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin (about 2 lbs.- this will feed you twice)

4 T dijon mustard

4 T apricot jam (Don't like or have apricot jam? Try pineapple, blackberry, or raspberry)

2 T brown sugar

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

*When cooking large pieces of meat in the oven, allow them to come to more room temperature before cooking. DO NOT go straight from the refrigerator or the meat will not cook well.

1. Preheat the oven to 425.

2. Place the pork in a foil-lined glass pan & season liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Stir half of the dijon, apricot jam, and brown sugar in one bowl. Stir the other half in another bowl. You will use one bowl for basting and the other for a dipping sauce.

4. Baste the pork liberally with the glaze and place in oven.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, basting with the glaze at least one more time during the cooking process. For pink pork, a meat thermometer should read 160, but I like mine at 170. The pork will still cook itself a little once removed. (Use a meat thermometer, so you don't have to cut into the pork and risk losing the juices.)

6. Allow pork to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. While pork sits, heat the other bowl of glaze in the microwave for a dipping sauce.

* Toasted Sesame Balsamic Asparagus

* Wild Rice/Any other grain (Feeling ambitious? Try Israeli cous-cous with pine nuts!)

Day Two:

* Pork Tacos w/ pineapple (serves 2)

Ingredients:

Leftover pork, cubed

1 small can of chopped pineapple

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

4 corn tortillas

chopped cilantro, for garnish

lime wedges, for garnish

1 T olive oil

1. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over med-high heat.

2. Add onion, sautéeing for about 1 minute.

3. Add pork and pineapple, sautée until heated through

4. Fill tortillas with pork mixture, top with cilantro, and squeeze lime juice over top

* Fiesta Rice

Halve the recipe (then it serves 4), leftovers make a great vegetarian lunch

Day Three:

* Greek-style shrimp scampi (Use the leftovers for day 4)

I LOVE this recipe. A few changes: either use more shrimp than called for, or a little less pasta, the ratio seemed off to me. Also, I love olives, so I add extra. Don't like olives? Use sun-dried tomatoes instead. You could also wilt in some fresh spinach for a punch of color and extra nutrients.

* Tossed Side Salad

* Crusty Bread w/roasted garlic

Have you ever roasted garlic? Oh, so yummy.

Roasted Garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Cut the top off of a whole garlic bulb.

3. Liberally pour olive oil over the garlic.

4. Cover in foil. (It should look like a foil ball.)

5. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until you can squeeze the garlic with tongs and it has some give.

6. Scoop out the cloves and spread over the bread instead of butter.

Day Four:

* Repeat Day Three exactly. (Is that boring? Then, make two new sides, such as blanched green beans, steamed broccoli, or roasted brussel sprouts.)

PLEASE COMMENT if you have QUESTIONS or FEEDBACK.

Have a WEEK-LONG MENU of your own? Email it to me typed exactly how you want it posted at newmoms09@yahoo.com, and I might post it to share and try myself!

Happy Eating!

~Mamacita

Resources we love

Mamacita loves:

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo

This book gives good, clear ideas for establishing a healthy eat/wake/sleep routine for your child. You have to take some of it with a grain of salt and not get too extreme, but I am convinced this is why my little munchkin slept through the night starting at 8.5 weeks. We will discuss this book and schedules/sleeping in depth later, but give this one a read!

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Mark Weissbluth

This is an excellent resource for ALL of your sleeping/napping questions. I especially like that it goes into toddler years. He discusses sleep patterns and gives suggestions based on medical research as well as parent insight.

Babycenter.com

I started using this website when I was pregnant. I love their weekly email updates. I continue to get them now and find them very helpful in tracking the development of my baby. I also love their tips and ideas for wake time with your baby, their experts who share about baby health questions, and their realistic suggestions and articles.

What to Expect the First Year

I loved What to Expect when I was pregnant, and I love it now, too. It is the most exhaustive resource I have found, and I know I can open it up and find something relating to most all questions that I have.

Menu: Fish tacos & Olive Chicken

This week, we will be making fish two ways and a delicious crock-pot recipe. Have I mentioned how much I love my crock-pot?! You will see that I use it at least every other week. Below, I have posted the menu breakdown day by day and links to the recipes. Below the links, I will write any changes or additions I made. Post your comments/questions and enjoy!

Day One:

Blackened Tilapia

Cook 2 fillets for dinner tonight, and at least 2 extra for tacos later in the week.

Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

Spinach Buy fresh (you will need at least 16 oz for 2 people), or buy a package of whole frozen

Lemon

Salt & Pepper

Dash of nutmeg (optional)

Crumbled, cooked bacon (optional)

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet on med-high heat

2. Add the spinach, a squeeze of half a lemon, and salt, pepper, & nutmeg to taste

3. Stir to wilt the spinach (covering the pan helps speed this along)- about 2-4 minutes

4. Serve with crumbled bacon/turkey bacon on top and extra lemon, if desired.

Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my "go to" side dishes.

Ingredients:

6-10 red or yellow potatoes, halved

4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled (depends on how much garlic you enjoy)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400

2. Place halved potatoes and garlic cloves in a baking pan (metal works better than glass, nonstick is fine)

3. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and you can pierce them with a fork. (You are NOT trying to make home fries, so don't over cook them.)

Day Two:

Olive Chicken

Make the entire recipe, you will eat the leftovers. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but if you had thighs, they would be good. I added the capers at the end.

Steamed Green Beans

Buy a bag of frozen green beans, steam in microwave, and season with butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Cheesy Orzo

This is one of my FAVORITE side dishes of all time. Make the entire recipe for delicious leftovers.

Day Three:

Fish Tacos with leftover fish: with lime-cilantro crema OR with cabbage slaw

Both are delicious, try the other recipe another time!

Black beans & rice

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag of instant white rice, cooked (do not over cook!)

1 lime

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

1 T butter

1/2 T olive oil

1/2 t cumin

Salt & pepper

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat, add butter and olive oil.

2. When butter has melted and is hot, add cooked rice, cumin, and salt/pepper to taste.

3. Warm rice through, stirring well (some might get brown or crispy).

4. Add black beans and lime juice, stir until heated through.

5. Top with lime juice, and taste for salt before serving.

*Don't have time? Just microwave the black beans, mix with the cooked rice, throw in cilantro, lime, and salt/pepper!

Mexican Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

Salad greens

1 Avocado, sliced

1-2 T Sunflower or pumpkin seeds

1 Tomato, chopped

1 Cucumber, chopped

1 Carrot, chopped or peeled

1. Toss ingredients together and serve with your favorite vinaigrette. (I will include recipes for my favorites in a later post.)

Day Four:

Leftover Olive Chicken & Orzo

Tossed salad (use up your veggies!)

Happy eating!

~Mamacita

Cooking with a new baby is not impossible

Every Friday or Saturday, look for my post of a menu for meals for the following week. When I have time, I might also post a shopping list. Plan on the menu providing at least four delicious, home-cooked meals, with you only cooking 2-3 nights a week. My favorite resources are Cooking Light magazine, the Food network, and my family's/my recipes.

Before you read on, there are a few things you should know:

1. I love to cook. I learned from my parents (who are both excellent cooks) as well as the fabulous stars of the Food Network. I only started cooking regularly less than five years ago when I was a newlywed. Although you are reading from the perspective of someone who loves to be in the kitchen, these meals are accessible to anyone willing to try.

2. I love food- all kinds, all flavors! I like making and trying unique flavors as well as cooking classics. (See lists below for things you might need before I post my menus.)

3. With a new baby, I have learned that you have to be resourceful with your time. Thus, my "cook once, eat twice" philosophy was born! Every week, we will either eat the exact same meal twice, use the leftovers to make something easy and different, or freeze it for another time.

Here are some of my pantry staples that might help:

• red/yellow onions
• garlic
• low-sodium chicken broth
• canned tomatoes (plain and Italian flavored)
• tomato paste
• pasta sauce (Newman's Own roasted garlic is my favorite)
• canned beans (black, kidney, and garbanzo)
• pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, and orzo)
• rice (brown, white, and basmati)
• cous-cous (plain and pine nut & garlic are my favorites to keep around)
• white wine (small bottles, so no waste)
• sea and kosher salt
• many varieties of vinegar: balsamic, apple cider, white wine, and rice wine
• good extra virgin olive oil

Here are some of my fridge staples that might help:

• cilantro and flat-leaf parsley
• lemons and limes
• Dijon mustard
• Feta and parmesan cheese (I always keep these because they have a really long life)
• pre-minced garlic and ginger
• low-sodium soy sauce (stored in fridge once opened)
• Hoisin, Teriaki, and Fish sauce (stored in fridge once opened)
• capers, black/green olives, and roasted red peppers

Here are some of my freezer staples that might help:

• Meat: boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, pot roast, and pork roast (I buy them on special and freeze a lot at a time, but I also cook them fresh too.)
• Fish: white, flaky fish (i.e. tilapia), salmon, and shrimp (I buy them fresh so that this is the first time they have been frozen.)
• chopped and whole spinach
• artichoke hearts
• green beans
• asian stir-fry medleys

I am so excited that you dropped by, and I hope my posts about cooking and food are helpful, fun, and get a delicious meal on your table at least four times a week! See you Friday with the menu for next week.

~Mamacita

What we're about...

We do not have all the answers, but we have a blast being moms. We've learned from our mothers, each other, and friends, so we want to share our trials and triumphs with you. So, be on the lookout for posts about:

*baby toy and product "reviews"

*advice on nursing, scheduling, and sleeping

*books to read or not to read

*traveling with baby

*activities with baby

*a weekly menu of meals for mom and dad to make life easier

*guest posts from our friends and readers on various topics!

If you ever have questions for us, ask them as a comment and we will post an answer as soon as we can. Thanks for stopping by, look forward to sharing motherhood with you!