A Smile For Your Day

When I stopped in at daycare yesterday, I happened upon one of the cutest things I have ever seen.  Since I had to go back again today to administer more ibuprofen to the teething sweet baby - last night was even worse for her! :( - I told myself I had to take my camera in hopes I witnessed the sight again.  Unfortunately, Audrey's mad at me because I had just given her the medicine so I didn't catch a smile but here is how lunchtime goes at daycare....

I can't help but fall in love with the miniature high chairs and the fact that she has a lunch buddy!!

Pearly Whites

Daycare was closed yesterday for a summer vacation day so I got to stay home and play with Audrey all day.  The first odd thing that happened was towards the end of a nice long walk a man in a car accosted me.  I had noticed that he drove passed us while we were waiting to cross the street because he looked at Audrey - I thought to check out the cute baby!  I didn't think any more about him, crossed the street and kept going.  All of a sudden he pulls up next to us which meant he turned his car around to come back and find us. He was angry because Audrey wasn't covered in a blanket (nevermind it was 75 out!) and her feet would burn (the stroller's canopy was down so only her feet were exposed).  I could tell that it didn't matter to this guy what I said so I didn't even try to defend myself.  Besides, I don't have to explain myself to him.  But then I got nervous because we were right in front of our house so I kept walking so he wouldn't know where we lived. Now I'm worried we'll run into him again since we take walks everyday. The whole thing really upset me, #1 because of the nerve of this jerk, his tone and the manner in which he approached me and #2 because it caused me to be rude back to him which I'm not normally.  I was curt and snippy and that's not like me.  It really amazes me how people just offer their opinions when it's really none of their business.

The other odd thing that happened was that after our walk, I noticed that Audrey was very warm and sure enough, she registered a 100.4 degree fever.  Other than that, you'd never know she wasn't feeling well.  She was her smiley playful self all day, even if she did take a third, extra long nap in the afternoon.  Things definitely changed come nighttime.  Bill and I awoke to a very unhappy little baby who was inconsolable.  Audrey had to be rocked to sleep but then kept waking up about every hour or so just crying hysterically.  It was a rough night.

This morning started off okay - just a few tears and a lower fever of 99.4.  The fun started when she was eating breakfast and the real crying began.  It was then it occurred to me that teething has begun!  I think the spoon irritated her gums.  I felt along her bottom gum and there may be a left tooth coming in.  When I touched the top gum, Audrey cried even harder and I think I felt her right tooth coming in.  She, herself, kept trying to touch her gums so this obviously explains her sleepless night and fever.  We didn't get to finish breakfast and she could barely finish nursing and then fell back to sleep until I had to wake her for daycare.  I just ran out over lunch to buy Orajel and co-workers told me about some teething tablets that I still have to get.  I also stopped in to see Audrey at daycare and to give her more Tylenol and the staff said she's been great and just cried a little after her nap.  I have a teething ring in the freezer at home so hopefully between that and the Orajel, we'll have a more peaceful night tonight.

Part of me is a little sad because I love her big gummy toothless grin and this is just more proof that she's growing up.  She'll be 9 months on Tuesday so I suppose it was about time but I'm still bummed.

Dinner is Served

This blog has definitely taken a turn towards family entries - okay, they are mostly about Audrey - but luckily good dinners have begun to return into our mix of meals.  Dinner still leans towards the quick and easy but here are some yummy meals we've had recently.

This first one wasn't recent actually and in fact, I promised many entries about it but never got around to it.  It might of had something to do with the fact that this was my last real meal before morning sickness kicked in full force so it's only been recently that I could think back about this dinner and not feel ill.  Here are some shots of our Cooking Extravaganza #2 with Matt and Sara.  Unfortunately, I don't remember everything that was made amymore.

Course 1 - Lobster Bisque made by Sara

Course 2 - Duck with duck fat potato confit and bacon polenta made by Matt

Course 3 - Moroccan spiced lamb chop with twice baked potato and grilled vegetables made by Bill

Course 4 - Chocolate covered strawberry ice cream bon bon with walnuts made by me

We had another foodie night with Matt and Sara right before the Fourth of July this year and we were fresh off of our Alinea dinner.  We took turns making courses again and even tried our luck at making Alinea's Hot Potato Cold Potato.  Definitely wasn't the same but for our first attempt, it wasn't too terrible either.

Course 1 - Bill's Hot Potato Cold Potato - Using a dixie cup and toothpick: cold potato and white truffle oil soup with a hot potato, crimini mushroom (since we obviously can't find black truffles at the grocery store!), chive, parmesan cheese and butter on the toothpick

Course 2 - spring mix salad with candied pecans, pears, crumbled blue cheese and homemade strawberry vinaigrette made by Bill

Course 3 - the most delicious short ribs, which happens to be from the cow we all purchased, made by Matt

served with a take on a twice baked potato and a slaw salad - both Julia Child's recipes made by Sara

Course 4 - I believe this was also a Julia Child recipe - pound cake with rum sauce and strawberries also made by Sara

This next meal is just one that Bill and I had at home recently.  There is a seafood truck - yes, a truck that sells seafood - that comes up to Iowa City from Texas about once a month and sells seafood.  I know, we were totally skeptical and slightly grossed out too (the oil spill didn't help things either), BUT, we had only heard great things so we decided to check it out and are so glad we did.  Bill bought shrimp and lump claw crab meat and decided to make crab cakes for dinner that night.  I LOVE crab cakes.  If they are ever on a menu, chances are that's what I'm ordering.  The ones he made this night were the best ones I have ever eaten.....seriously. We served the cakes with a cranberry walnut salad, biscuits which I jazzed up with cheddar cheese and fresh thyme and a mango salsa (not pictured).

This last dinner was also just something Bill and I whipped up at home a few weeks ago.  If you're a follower of this blog, you may remember my experience the first time I ever had pork belly.  Pork belly is basically the slab of meat that bacon is cut from.  Imagine bacon as a main course.  Awesome, right??  We were so excited when we found out we could buy it but we weren't sure what to do with it.  We ate at Perennial in Chicago about a year ago where they braised pork belly in red wine and then finished it on the grill so we decided to try that.  We served the pork belly with a caprese salad and celery root puree - which was SO GOOD!  We've had celery root puree a number of times - most recently at Alinea - but we'd never made it ourselves.  I highly recommend trying it - peel, cube and boil the celery root just like you would if you were making mashed potatoes.  Instead of mashing them, put them into a blender.  I actually mashed them a little first with butter and cream but I think you could just add it all straight in the blender.  Yum, yum, yum!

After writing this I wish we were having a super yummy dinner tonight instead of just leftover pizza!  Happy eating!