Spooky Eats

For the Halloween-timed e-newsletter I got to finally put together some Halloween-ish recipes! They're all inspired by Pinterest, but I made my own tweaks and edits to change them up a bit. I had fun making these!

Do you make anything special for Halloween?

Candy Corn Fruit Cocktail

Pineapple, Cantaloupe and Cottage Cheese Salad

(you could also use whipped cream, but the boss prefers something a little more healthy)

Inspired by this Pinterest post

Green Goblin Grins

Granny Smith Apples with Peanut Butter, Sliced Almonds and a Drizzle of Honey

Inspired by this Pinterest post

Mini Pumpkin Patch

Parsley-topped Carrots on a Bed of Spinach-Avocado Hummus

Inspired by this Pinterest post

Spicy Spider Eggs

Olive-topped Deviled Eggs with a Kick

Inspired by this Pinterest Post

Stuffed Jack-O-Peppers

Beef & Wild Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

Inspired by Pinterest, adapted from CitronLimette.com.

Cooking pics

I've started doing most of the photography for the recipes I make for work. Justin was a good photography teacher! I've still got a long way to go to understand the camera...I usually just mess around with the settings until the picture looks good vs. adjusting the settings to a known good setting and then taking the picture.

I took a little break when we moved, but here are some of my latest creations:

Pappardelle Pasta with Sauteed Maitake Mushrooms, Chives and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Justin thought this one was really good. I really love pasta dishes that incorporate veggies (or mushrooms) that are sauteed and softened in a white wine until it's reduced. It makes for a nice light flavor.

Grilled Pear & Blue Cheese Crostini with Bacon and a Cranberry Pear Vinaigrette

Who doesn't like bacon on things? I'm glad I decided to sprinkle a bit on top -- it went really well with the blue cheese and pear. 

Crisp Asian Pear, Daikon & Avocado Salad with a Sicilian Lemon Vinaigrette

Someone had something similar at a restaurant in Vegas so we decided to see if I could recreate it at home. I was not excited to make or even try this dish, but it was surprisingly ok (mostly because of the lemon vinaigrette) and I got to use my mandoline slicer. I don't know that I'd make it on my own, but it turned out better than I anticipated.

Mixed Medley Tomato Bruschetta on Cheesy Garlic Crostinis

I have always enjoyed bruschetta, but every time I have bruschetta I can't help but think how much better it would be with cheese. So for this one I added some cheese. I do what I want! I also rubbed the toasts with garlic. I made and photoed this dish early in the morning...I'm not ashamed to say I ate it for breakfast.

Portobello Mushroom and Fresh Basil Pesto Pizza on Cornmeal Crust 

I used Red Fresno peppers instead of bell peppers (allergic!)...it gave the pizza a nice kick and helped the rest of the flavors stand up to the pesto, which I personally think can overpower a dish sometimes.

Spice-rubbed Pork Chops with a Pear-Ginger Chutney

Wooooeeee was this good! I adapted it from Cooking Light, with the biggest tweak being that I swapped apples for pears. I thought the cumin in the pork played nicely with the ginger in the chutney, and the rest of the ingredients were all well represented too. I like when you can taste all the flavors in a dish without one overpowering the other. 

Nails

One of the things I really don't like doing is cutting Rolin's fingernails. If you asked Rolin, he'd say one of his least favorite mommy + Rolin activities is having mommy cut his fingernails.

He hates it.

Probably more than I do.

Today, however, he did something to try to stop me. He picked up a rogue fingernail clipping, held it up for me to see and then suddenly lunged forward in an attempt to shove the clipping in my mouth.

I had been trying my best to secure him with one arm and clip his nails with another -- a position from which he was unable to escape. However, done with sly quickness, his shoving of the clipping allowed him to slip from my grasp.

It was one of the grossest, yet one of the most tactical, moves I've ever seen him make.

He's growing and getting smarter every day. He's a rascal, that one!

Troubling Ta Tas

In the midst of our move I developed a medical issue that turned out to be not an issue. And for that we can all thank the Almighty.

About two or so weeks before we moved, I called my OB/GYN to discuss some pain I'd been experiencing in my breast. It was a pain I tried to ignore, figuring it was something left over from breast feeding or it
was the result of the constant punching, smashing, slapping, stepping on, crushing, pinching, rump ramming or head butting my chest suffers from on a daily basis -- and all at the hands of the small child who used to find comfort and nourishment there. It's clear he has no memory of those days; you'd think he'd be more gentle with them if he knew that was his only source of food once upon a time.

Either that or he's upset with them. Let's just say he's forgotten.

Anyway.

Oh, and please prepare yourself. You'll be reading the word nipple a lot. Also breast. Also other words these parts of our anatomy go by.

Nipple.

See! I told you. Prepare yo'self.

So the pain started in the nip area on my right side. I ignored it for a few days until the pain spread. I started to get nervous, and I had a good reason to feel that way. I told Justin about it and we decided to wait three days to see if it would clear up on its own. It didn't. By that time the entire breast was sore and painful to touch, with a heavy dose of discomfort concentrated around the...umm...nipple. It was uncomfortable to hold Rolin (for reasons mentioned above), and even when lifting things I could feel some discomfort. I had had a few issues with clogged ducts and such while nursing, but this time it was different; plus I had no fever and felt fine otherwise, so I called the doc.

They were apparently concerned enough to get me in first thing the next day.

I was poked and prodded by the nurse. She kept apologizing, something I found to be ridiculously silly and annoying. I'd rather she make it awkward by taking a good, long, silent look while she felt around my
sad, deflated, post-nursing hoohaas instead of her saying sorry every 20 seconds. I wanted to say, "Get in there and study, lady! I expected to be violated!"

The nurse was puzzled. We both thought it'd be a clogged duct or something to do with mastitis even though I stopped nursing six months before, but the evaluation didn't point us in either direction. Instead, I left there with antibiotics (in case it was an infection of some sort) and instructions to go get a mammogram and a possible ultrasound on my right breast.

I managed to get in to have both the mammogram and the ultrasound Friday morning before we left for Rolin's birthday party in Grandview (this was another reason for rescheduling and rearranging party plans). The doctor in the mammogram center came in for a look as they too all figured the mammogram/ultrasound would show a clogged duct. It didn't. No one could see anything there (which is a good thing), but everyone was somewhat baffled by the pain, as well as some physical abnormalities (their word, not mine), such as more redness and a raised area, between the two breasts. They told me to call my doctor to discuss results and to get a referral to a breast surgeon for more evaluations. The radiology doc wouldn't go into any other detail beyond that.

Breast surgeon. That doesn't sound intimidating now, does it?

See, when the pain first arrived, I thought it may have been the result of some stress surrounding the move. Hormones are crazy, unbridled beasts, and, as the ladies will attest, totally unpredictable. I had a similar random pain in my ovarian area while working in Seattle...after tests turned up negative, my then doctor chocked it up to stress. I mentioned this to my doctor when I finally got to talk to her (and, oh, what a calming relief she was to talk to!), and she said stress and hormones could be a possibility. So we had a blood draw to check.

Everything was normal. Basically, we were back at square one. Well, sort of. A week later, the pain had somewhat dissipated, but I wasn't about to just pretend none of that happened. Better safe than sorry, ya know?

We were scheduled to move to Phoenix soon, so my doc suggested I get to Phoenix and then find an OB/GYN there to give me a referral to a breast surgeon. She also assured me that following up with a breast surgeon could be overkill, but, like I said, better safe than sorry.

Within our first week in Phoenix I visited an OB's office and got a referral to a breast surgeon. I had to wait another two weeks to get in to see him, but I finally did, with breast films, test results and all other information in tow.

By this time I was, and had been for a few weeks, virtually pain free. The doctor met with me in his office (just like in the movies, guys!) to go over the information I had and to discuss a few things before we went to the exam room. After a quick exam he told me it was a good thing I came in, but that everything is totally fine. Nothing to worry about.

The reason they had me check everything out is because generally women with nipple pain are in their 40-50s, not their 30s, and there is a type of cancer that can start and or camp out in the nipple that acts a bit differently than other breast cancers. Because the pain ceased, and because no one could spot anything at all in the mammograms or ultrasound, there was nothing more they had to look at or evaluate.

And since we're being honest here, I'll tell you that I pretty much stopped retaining what he said after that. He talked a bit about self exams, what was necessary and what wasn't so much anymore, but I was just glad to hear this doctor had no concerns at this time.

There. So now you know everything. It's been a wild few months for everyone, but things are beginning to get back to normal here in Phoenix. Hooray!

I'm still glad I went and covered all my basis with doctors and tests. Listen to your bodies, people. To quote my new OB/GYN, "We don't mess around with boobies!"

Weekend in Vancouver

Last weekend we traveled to Vancouver, Wash., for Justin's cousin's wedding.

I promise we'll stay in Arizona for more than a week at a time now...we don't have any more travels on our calendar for a few months. Hooray!

Passed out on puffs on the way to the airport.

The high temp in Vancouver all weekend was expected to be lower than the low temp in Phoenix. Follow that? I believe Washington also received record rainfall over the weekend. I was so glad I decided to bring a pair of leggings to wear with my dress for the wedding. I originally got them so my ultra-white legs wouldn't blind the bridal party, but they actually saved me the embarrassment of harming people with my goose-bumped, prickly legs. Sorry for that visual, but it's the truth.

We stayed with Justin's grandma during our trip. His parents joined also came for the weekend and his brother came down for the wedding. We all just hung out, ate food and enjoyed everyone's company while there. It was wonderful to see everyone and spend time together -- something that unfortunately doesn't seem will happen with much frequency anymore. It does make me sad that Rolly doesn't get to see some of his relatives very often, but I know most will come visit and, of course, we will get up there too when we get the chance! Washington will always be our home :)

Grandma hasn't been feeling well so Justin picked up a blood pressure cuff to double check things and help put her mind at ease a bit. 

Reading The Animals of Farmer Jones with Grandpa Lee.

 

We went to lunch at Burgerville in Vancouver. It was community appreciation day, and to celebrate they had some state patrol officers, Smokey the Bear and other members and services from the community present. There was also cake and crafts for the kids. Though he wasn't too sure about Smokey when we first arrived, Rolin was playing peekaboo with the bear by the end of our lunch. 

The wedding was at the Fairgate Inn in Camas. Rolin loved playing on the stairs and running around the big rooms in the front of the house. The ceremony was outside under a large, gorgeous tent, and the reception was inside in a cozy and warm great room with large windows and beautiful golden window treatments that made the room almost glow. The rain pouring down outside made it feel all the more romantic inside...perfectly lovely for a wedding, I think.

Team Thompson at the wedding ceremony. Please note Rolin doesn't always eat puffs, but they help keep him quiet and calm :)

Bride Megan and me.

We left early Monday morning and made it back to Phoenix in time to go to the DMV (wheeeee). We made it outta there just before Rolin went into meltdown mode. We were out of snacks, he was tired of the toys, Dinosaur Train on the tablet was no longer entertaining and he had a poopy diaper. Exactly what you'd want to deal with at the DMV, right? The good news is we are now officially licensed in the state of Arizona.

The face of anger and disappointment at the DMV.

July 24, 2013

Rolin's actual birthday day was in the middle of the week, but we still celebrated a bit at home. 

We set up his gifts with a balloon the night before so there would be something new when he came downstairs on his birthday morning. 

He sat and looked at the set up for a few minutes before he went over to discover its mysteries. 

Then he didn't waste any time diving into the pile of gifts. He kind of had his mouth agape in wonder and awe the entire time he was with his pile of presents, with both Justin and I saying Oohh and Ahh as we marveled in his sweet face and wondered how on earth he was already a 1-year old little boy.

Look at his mouth -- he was like, whoa, all morning. 

After presents, we had pancakes and fruit for breakfast.

Later that day I staged his official birthday photo shoot...these do not get any easier. I have probably 100 pics of him in various positions, sneaking away with only one or two good pics. At least I got one :)

I'm not even sure how this scene unfolded...Rolin on the floor, Lenny falling off the chair.

Somehow he managed to grab my cellphone in the middle of the shoot. That always makes him happy for a minute or two. 

Yay, a good one! So cute!

After Justin was home from work we went on a picnic at Cannon Hill Park, our favorite park for walks and playing. It was a lovely evening, complete with Jimmy John's.

Rolin ate (spilled) peas.

 

He also ate (his dad's) keys. 

He wasn't happy with his own water, of course.

I really hope he thought it was a special day for him. His mom and dad sure thought it was! 

We love you so much, Rollybug. You make us proud every day!

Temporary Scottsdalians

We spent 30 days in a temp housing condo in Scottsdale. It was nice to be set up in something other than a hotel for this transition, especially with Rolin. It seemed like a 30 day whirlwind, with all our to dos, doctor appointments, mail chasing, no cell service, waiting for our car to arrive and house hunting, so the days flew by.

Our digs were pretty sweet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one with a double sink!), fully furnished, large kitchen with nice appliances, washer/dryer, community pools, next to a park. It was no where near child proofed, so that made things interesting the first few days. We only broke three things total. Thank goodness for superglue.

Scottsdale itself is nothing to shake a stick at, either. Some areas are pretty swanky.

And the sunsets. THE SUNSETS!

The condo was in a community in the Scottsdale Ranch area, which is nestled around a man-made lake. We didn't have a lake view from our condo, but all we had to do is walk across the parking lot to enjoy the view.

There was also a fountain in the center of the community that Rolin really enjoyed watching. We made daily trips to the fountain (because he'd fall asleep on our walks, you see, so whether or not he seemed like he wanted to see the fountain, we went to see it anyway).

Fountain side re-hydrating with ice water. Sweet, sweet ice water.

We used the pool a couple times. There were two in the community, and they were almost always void of swimmers. Probably because it was too hot. Rolin loves the water, and loved sitting in his floatie near the pool's waterfall.

We would have gone more, but it was monsoon season while we were there, making for quite a few thunder storms and haboobs (sand/dust storms), not to mention excessive heat.

Nice to know this feature exists.

Visibility was down to 100 ft. in this sand/dust storm. Can you see the house in that pic?

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

The Thompsons came down the first week we were in Scottsdale to help watch Rolin while we went house hunting with a rental rep. They stayed for a few days, you know, just long enough to start to get used to the heat.

 Grandpa Lee soaking up some patio heat with Rolin.

We went to the aquarium later in the month to kill some time. Rolin seemed to enjoy it more than I expected he would. He seemed entertained the entire time and didn't cry once.

Gazing up at the fish from inside the under-tank bubble.

Jellyfish.

I couldn't help it.

No idea what this is. But it is interesting!

We got two stuffed manta ray toys at the aquarium, one for Rolin and one for a friend, as a memento. We had Rolin choose between blue and green mantas; he chose the green one twice...I thought it was so cute when he made his selection between the two. Now that we've moved into our new place I can't find the damn blue manta ray for his friend anywhere...it's making me feel crazy. I'll probably find it when we move out of this house. The dangers of moving...

Overall, Rolin did the best he could to entertain himself with the limited amount of toys we brought for our temp stay. He played peekaboo a lot and chased his red bouncy ball around the house.

He did end up playing with an empty beer box for a long time one night, so the next day we went and got him a truck he can sit on or push.

We realized too late that he doesn't quite yet understand the concept of hanging on to the truck when you go too fast when parents push you too fast. Sorry, baby!

The truck entertained him for a day or two, then he resorted to batting a stacking cup around as entertainment.

We also practiced speaking names of our loved ones, such as Aunt Brianna and Uncle Joe:

He really did enjoy going outside though, no matter how hot it was. He would get so sweaty and pink-cheeked, but he LOVED being outside. I'd have to drag him back inside kicking and screaming....at least he doesn't hate the heat, right?

Now we're busy getting settled in at our new house. We've had a crazy time since moving in too, as we were in WA for a week for Nanny's funeral, came back to AZ with house guests, and Rolin pushed through 3-4 teeth, had diarrhea and a terrible head cold. Needless to say, we're grateful for a low-key weekend.

Stay tuned for more updates!