I was playing around online looking for some fun dinner ideas that all 3 of us could happily eat.  I came across this amazing recipe for pizza bites and immediately put it on the menu for the first week of the year.  Instead of using pepperoni, I used sautéed vegetables (we keep a kosher home).  These were a huge, huge hit (well, not so much with Aaron), that Solomon and I agreed there were going to make the rotation more often.  While we were eating, we were talking about other ways to make these delicious (yes, we talk about food while eating food).  We brainstormed a whole bunch of ideas, and finally settled on a nacho pizza bite.  I mean, we love pizza, the pizza bites were awesome and we love nachos.  It seemed like a no brainer.  The result was amazing!

Here’s what you need:

• pizza dough (store bought or make your own)
• 1 can vegetarian refried beans
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• jarred jalapenos, chopped (as many as you would like)
• one tomato chopped

Preheat the oven to 400* and lightly grease an 8 x 8 pan, bundt pan or whatever you would like to use (this is really versatile).

Combine beans, cheese, jalapenos and tomato in a medium bowl.

Divide the dough into 16-24 pieces (depending on size of dough).  Flatten out the dough and using a small ice cream scoop, scoop a ball of the bean mixture into the middle of the dough.

Pull the edges of the dough around and pinch shut to form a dumpling.  Place dumplings seam side down in baking dish.  Depending how many you make, you can put them side by side, or layer them one on top of the other like a monkey bread.Sprinkle the top with a little oregano.

Cook for 20 minutes, then add a sprinkle of cheese to the top and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, Greek yogurt or whatever you would like for dipping.

Though Aaron is still a little young to really help in the kitchen (though he does like to help stir and pour things in), I think this is the perfect meal for him to help make when he’s a bit older!  It willbbe so much fun to make the dumplings, and to let him and his siblings brainstorm other ideas for pizza bite flavors!

What recipe have you tried lately that became a regular on your meal planning rotation?

I’ve been part of the Featured Blogger program at Wayfair (formerly CSN), and love the chance to try out and review products.  They literally have everything you could think of, so when I was given a voucher and allowed to shop I had a really, really hard time deciding what to get.  Lately, it seems like most of my purchases are Aaron-centric, and that’s OK.  So it’s no surprise that when Solomon and I sat down to pick what we wanted, it was a little bit Aaron focused.  See, we’ve turned the attic into a playroom for him.  We still play downstairs a lot, but there’s a ton of space up in the attic so we were able to put some great hand me down toys up there that take up a lot of space. 

We also got Aaron a ball pit for Hanukkah, and have a little mini puppet theater which he received too.

Plus we have the chalkboard, and the beginnings of a little arts and crafts area, as well as some toys.

    As much fun as it is up there (even Aaron’s older cousins think so), the room was missing something.  It just looked bare.  The only bit of decoration we had were some cute curtains.  Enter WallPops!

We were able to choose 2 different wall decal sets to decorate the walls with.  The curtains have cute animals on them, so we definitely wanted to stick with animals.  We weren’t so into the cutesy cartoon animals, and didn’t really want any lifelike animals either.  We found the WallPops! ZooWallogy line on a different website and were so excited that Wayfair had them.  We liked that they weren’t too realistic or too cartoony, but were bright and not garish.  The fun prints made them funky, but not too childlike or too adult.  They are honestly the perfect blend of kid, fun and funk.

We chose Antoinne the Monkey for one wall,

and Riley the Giraffe for another wall. 

I was actually surprised how easy these were to use.  Even though the stickers are big, they came off of the sheets neatly, in one piece and didn’t stick together too much.  They went on the walls really easily and cleanly, with just a few bubbles underneath that were very easily worked out.  They also come off the walls very nicely and can be repositioned as much as needed (the blue monkey was moved 7 times until he was just right).  I also loved the accessory pieces, like the grass and leaves that came with the animals.

I really, really liked these WallPops! and can’t recommend them enough.  Wall decals are such a fun way to decorate and so easy to use!  Plus, they are really, really cute.  Aaron loves chatting with his monkey and giraffe friends and looking at the bright colors, and Solomon and I feel accomplished that we finally got those walls decorated and did it so easily!

Thank you so much Wayfair for letting us try these out! 

It should come as no surprise when you see him that he loves to eat.  Loves it.  He gets so excited for mealtime that he jumps up and down.  He begs people for food, and then I feel like I don’t feed him enough, which I think must be impossible.  He loves to look at food, and even be part of the whole cooking process since he always manages to find his way into the kitchen when I’m cooking.  The thing is, he doesn’t just love food, he seems to already have somewhat of an appreciation for it (at least I hope he does).

From Day 1, Solomon and I have always been on the same page with feeding children.  We want our children to enjoy and appreciate food.  We want to be able to feed them real food and take them to real restaurants where they will try and enjoy a variety of food.  We want to avoid kid’s menus whenever possible and have our children enjoy what we enjoy.  We want our children to be exposed to lots of flavor, color and textures.  That’s why we let Aaron enjoy food that’s flavorful and sometimes spicy.  In fact, he tends to prefer spicy food.  He also likes foods that pack  lots of flavor.  I don’t know too many 14 month olds who love grapefruit, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, polenta, and roasted red peppers, but Aaron loves things that pack a lot of taste!

 
Sometimes I wonder if we’re being a little foolish, since we are much more careful with what Aaron eats than what we do.  That’s not to say that we don’t eat well (I’d say we eat clean 80-90% of the time), but we do eat some things that we wouldn’t be willing to give Aaron (namely some sweets), which is kind of foolish.  Why is it OK for us and not for him?  Of course, there are some things he can’t eat (like nuts), but I do think we are more aware of what we eat because of him.

People always comment that it must be so nice to have a good eater, and I can’t help but think how untrue that is.  Yes, Aaron is a big boy who loves his food, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good eater ALL THE TIME.  There are days when he will eat absolutely anything that is put in front of him-he’ll happily eat his veggies (or drink them since he usually loves green smoothies), and will chow down on everything else.  On the flip side, there are days when it seems all he wants to eat is fruit.  Fruit is always, always the fall back food for Aaron.  When in doubt, fruit. 

Sometimes Aaron will eat 1/4-1/2 an avocado in one meal, then won’t touch it at all the next day.  The thing is, we just never, ever know what to expect.  With a toddler, I think it’s all about being prepared.  Always having options on backup that you know he’ll eat, but are still healthy.  For us, that is Dr. Praeger’s veggie burgers (seriously), cheese and fruit.  I don’t like to have to go to the default food, but sometimes he just won’t eat.  You know what though?  That’s OK!  Sometimes I don’t feel like eating much, or only want to eat the same food repeatedly.  Sometimes I want to eat a million different things, and sometimes I want a few bites and then I’m done.  The bottom line is that Aaron, and all babies, are people, just like us.  Yes, their palates are slightly different, but that’s no reason they can’t have an off day or a day where they barely eat.

For the most part, we feed Aaron what we are eating.  In restaurants, we share our meals with him.  He doesn’t particularly care for typical kid’s food anyway, like mac and cheese (or any kind of pasta for that matter) or fish sticks (with the exception being chicken nuggets.  He loves those).  We just try to feed Aaron the way we would want to be fed if we didn’t have the power to make all of our own choices.  Yes, Aaron can make decisions regarding his food.  He can pick out which foods he prefers from his tray, he can reach for what he likes at a table and he can express his like and dislike for foods.  At the end of the day, we just want him to enjoy food.  Eating it, and the experience.  It’s not the easiest thing, but it’s really a lot of fun watching his tastes and palate develop!

 
See, he even likes to dig through my cookbooks and pick his favorite recipes!

I know it’s so simple, and everyone in blog world seems to be making peppermint bark, but I want to share too!  I didn’t follow a recipe, I just kind of figured it out.  It worked.  Really well.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
• 10 oz. white chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. canola oil, divided (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, divided
• 25 peppermint candies.

First, melt the semi sweet chocolate chips, in whatever manner you like to use (double boiler, microwave).  Stir in 1/2 tsp. canola oil and 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract.

Spread on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Freeze until hardened.

While in the freezer, use this time to get out your holiday aggression and beat the peppermint candies into pieces.  I use a meat tenderizer and a plastic bag, but any way that breaks the candies works.  Set these aside.

Once the chocolate has hardened, repeat the above melting process with the white chocolate chips.  Spread on top of the semi sweet chocolate, and sprinkle the peppermint pieces on top, lightly pressing them into the chocolate.  Freeze until hardened.

Once the bark has hardened, you can break it into any size pieces you like.  This is so simple, so yummy and everyone seems to love it (even Solomon who isn’t really a mint person)!

Are you in the holiday spirit? 

Are you a peppermint bark fan?  What’s your favorite holiday treat to make?

We couldn’t survive without a lightweight stroller.  Unless I’m carrying him, Aaron is in the stroller a whole lot.  We needed something that was light, folded easily, had space underneath, rolled easily, locked easily and above all was safe.  We chose the Combi Cosmo (in red) and have been really happy with it.

We recently switched to Aveeno products and use the Daily Wash and Shampoo and Daily Moisture lotion, as well as the Calming Comfort lotion.  Aaron has eczema on his legs and arms, and this is soothing and gentle on his skin, plus is smells great.  I also have noticed his hair is a bit softer too!

Saline spray is perfect for when Aaron wakes up a little bit stuffy.  I’m not big on medicine, so this is a simple, natural way to clean out the gunk and help him breathe a little better.

A warm mist humidifier helps keep the air in Aaron’s room from getting too dry.  I think this helps him sleep better, plus the white noise doesn’t hurt either!  This also helps with the aforementioned problems of a stuffy nose and eczema!

Now that Aaron is way too big for the bucket seat, we had to switch him to a convertible car seat.  We chose one for each of our cars and have the Britax Marathon and Britax Roundabout.  Britax is one of the top rated companies, and we loved all of the safety features.  I will recommend that when you are in the market for a convertible car seat, bring your baby with you to the store and let him or her sit in the seats and try them out.  There was one car seat I absolutely wanted, but Aaron was really uncomfortable in it (it had side impact head guard thingies which he HATED).  Even if you buy online (you can find much better deals at places like Wayfair), try in the store!

As for all of the other stuff I “need”?  Well, it’s toys.  Lots and lots of toys.  Maybe I’ll do a post on Aaron’s favorite toys one day but for now, this is more than enough!

What are some of your must have items for your 1 year old?

Solomon and I decided to check out a CrossFit class this weekend.  We’ve heard about it forever and wanted to give it a try.  First of all, what is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning brand that combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics,powerlifting, kettlebell training, plyometrics, rowing, and medicine ball training. CrossFit contends that a healthy, fit person requires proficiency in each of ten general physical skills:cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance,coordination, and accuracy.  It defines fitness as increased work capacity across all these domains and says its program achieves this by provoking neurologic and hormonal adaptations across all metabolic pathways.

source

A.K.A. A BUTT KICKING WORKOUT

We went to a free intro class at CrossFit Newton and weren’t;t quite sure what to expect.  After signing releases (yikes), we got right to work.  We started with a warm up of some functional  moves such as jumps, toe touches (kicking the leg up) and walking lunges.  Then we did kind of a preworkout workout:

4 times through:

• 5 push ups (chest touches the ground, hands come up, then hands back down, push up)
• 10 squats
• 15 sit ups

After huffing and puffing through this, it was time to get down to the real work, a high intensity set of drills.  We did each exercise as many times as we could for a minute, then moved right on to the next one.  At the end of each set we got a minute of rest, then started all over again. 

3 times through:

• 1 minute kettlebell deadlifts (I used 54 pounds I think)
• 1 minute box jumps (jump up on the box, stand up straight, step down)
• 1 minute push ups
• 1 minute squat/push press with a medicine ball (I used 13 pounds0

Holy cow, did that kick my booty!  I haven’t worked out in a group atmosphere for awhile, so it was fun to be with other people, but also working with myself.  What I always liked about swimming was that even though it was a team sport, you are accountable also to yourself.  I liked checking in with myself during the workout and pushing my own limits.  It was nice to know that I only had to do each exercise for a minute (though sometimes a painful minute), so I could push myself to finish.

At the end of class, I was a hot sweaty mess, but felt awesome.  It was the first time in awhile I felt like I had an awesome workout, since I was definitely pushed harder than I am with even running.  I also loved the feeling that anyone could do Crossfit.  I like how even though you workout in a group, it is your own workout.  You push yourself as hard as you need to, and work within your own limits.  I also loved how each exercise was a truly functional move, focusing on how the body itself moves, and not just on building muscle.

Solomon and I are definitely planning to do this again, hopefully a few times a week.  We walked (fell) out of there and both felt amazing and so proud of what we did.  It set the tone for the rest of our day, and also prompted some conversations on ways we hope to clean up our eating and be healthier people in general.  I can’t wait for more booty kicking!

As for the booty shaping part of this post, many thanks go to Lucy Activewear. 

Lucy is a company that “[feels] that workout wear should not only support your athletic pursuits, but should be stylish and flattering too.”  I don’t know a single woman out there who wouldn’t agree with this sentiment!  Lucy strives to make clothes that fit and flatter (plus are really cute).  Their clothing fits any size or activity, and is carefully and beautifully designed, allowing you to perform your best!

Lucy sent me a pair of cut for me leggings to try out.  Here’s a video:

“The Cut For Me Legging features flat-locked seams and trim lines for you to cut the legging to your specific leg length—plus the slimming, moisture-wicking strength of lucy powermax™ fabric (Super supportive stretch fabric; wicks moisture; great for the gym and yoga).”

I thought these would be perfect for CrossFit since the gym was fairly cold when I went to check out a class, plus I knew these would give me a lot of freedom to move as much as needed.  I didn’t take any pictures wearing the leggings (cause I was a mess, a hot mess), but these were SO COMFORTABLE!  I hardly noticed they were there, and they let me move comfortably.  They kept my dry and warm, plus Solomon told me they looked great.  I felt like I looked strong and fit, plus I felt really confident wearing them (oh yeah, we ended up at the mall after.  I was totally comfortable walking around since I didn’t feel like I was wearing sloppy gym clothes).  My only complaint is that they were a little long, which is a weird complaint for me, since I’m always complaining pants aren’t long enough!

Thank you so much Lucy!  I have a feeling these leggings are going to get an insane amount of use, plus I see a lot of shopping in my future!!!

Have you ever tried CrossFit?  What did you think?

What are your favorite items from Lucy?

The problem is, the recipe makes a whole lot, and I didn’t trust myself not to just sit with the pan in my lap and a fork in my hand.  If I wanted to have any Congo Bars, it was going to have to be as minimal as possible.

I remembered a great find from Trader Joe’s.  Oh, TJ’s I love you. 

 
A squeeze bottle of sweetened condensed milk.  Really.  I just had to have it.  I had no clue what I was going to make with it when I bought it, but it was just a must.

Anyway, after 3 nights of craving these bars, I decided to take action.  I pulled my mini food processor and mini loaf pans out of my cabinets, and made a mini version of Congo Bars.  They were good.  Really good.  Perfect for sharing with that special someone

Ingredients:

• 4 graham cracker sheets
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• nuts (optional)
• 6 tbsp. coconut
• anything else you want to throw into the mix.

Preheat oven to 350*

Break the graham crackers into your food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs.  Add in the butter and pulse until the crumbs are wet.  Divide this mixture evenly between 2 mini loaf pans and press the crumbs down.

Drizzle half of the sweetened condensed milk over each layer.

Add chocolate chips, nuts or whatever toppings your heart desires (toffee bits or butterscotch chips would be fantastic).  I used nuts in one of the loaf pans.
 
Evenly divide the coconut and sprinkle on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

Savor every last bite

Anyway, the other night Solomon and I did something fun that I really wanted to share.  We had a date, and went trampolining!!

We had so much fun jumping around, trying to do flips (well Solomon did) and jumping off the walls, plus we got a great workout!  I didn’t want to bring my camera with me on the trampolines for safety sake, so I didn’t take any pictures, but oh my goodness was it a blast!  The trampoline gym even offers fitness classes and dodgeball leagues!  It was such a fun and different night out.  Afterwards we went for drinks and dessert.

Really though, the reason I’m sharing what we did this past Saturday night was that weeks ago I told Sarah I would do a post about what Solomon and I do for date nights now that we have a baby.  Sarah is about halfway through her pregnancy (and has the cutest little bump) and thinking ahead to life with a baby!

Solomon and I probably take a different approach than a lot of people do.  We aren’t clamoring to get out of the house for a romantic dinner or anything.  We are really comfortable bringing Aaron to restaurants (and he does well in restaurants).  We don’t go to places like TGI Fridays or Chili’s with him, we take him to real restaurants.  He enjoys real food with us (we aren’t big kid’s menu fans) and we actually enjoying going to restaurants with him.  He’s really fun and social, and we think eating out with him is a blast.

We also aren’t big movie goers.  For us, to spend money for a babysitter, to then pay to sit in the dark and not even get to talk is just not worth it.  No offense to anyone who is big into dinner and a movie, it’s just not for us.  Even before Aaron we weren’t big moviegoers.  I can’t sit still that long anyway. 

So what do we do?  Where do we find sitters?  How often do we go out? 

We are fortunate enough to have a lot of family nearby who are more than happy to watch Aaron, though we try our hardest not to take advantage of them.  We have found sitters through friends and family, and also through Sitter City and Care.com.  We have a pretty nice sized list of different sitters, of different ages, who we feel comfortable leaving Aaron with, and who are comfortable with not only Aaron, but with 2 dogs.

We don’t go out on dates all that much.  In the last few months we have just been nonstop busy with things to do.  Our weeknights are often busy, and our weekends feel packed.  So we are super content to relax together.  Whether we make a nice dinner, watch a movie at home, sit and talk or do something like a jigsaw puzzle together, we still consider this a date night.  It’s our time alone, together.

Even though we have been busy, we have been going out on dates a lot more,  just because things have come up.  We’ve had a few weddings to attend, and weren’t so into bring Aaron to them.  We also saw Sting.  THE Sting.  He’s so hot.  We ate dinner ate home, grabbed a drink before the show, went to Sting, then shared some dessert.

Please excuse the grainy iPhone picture.  We were actually quite close to the man himself. 

Next week we are going to see Straight No Chaser. 

For us, it’s so much more about spending quality time together, doing something fun.  We aren’t going to pay a sitter just to go out for the sake of going out.  We don’t feel bound down by our parental obligations to the point that we HAVE to go out.  We want it to be worthwhile, not just a forgettable dinner and a 2 star movie.  Honestly, I’d rather save money for a Vitamix then spend it just to go out.  It’s much more about just being with one another.  We look to sites such as Groupon and Living Social for ideas for things to do. 

What do you like to do for date nights?  If you have kids has what you do changed?  Do you go out as much as you used to?  Do you like to do something fun or relax with dinner and a movie?

To celebrate, they are offering huge savings (25% off!) at all of their stores, and other fun goodies!

Right now I’m loving the Happy Buddha Tee  (the big belly makes me think of Aaron!), and the spa pant. 

What do you think you’ll get with your 25% off?

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my fitness goals.  After Aaron was born, there were only two:

1. Run a half marathon
2. Run the NYC marathon

Well, I can proudly say I’ve done the half marathon, and it was a blast.  I had big plans to run New York (I was able to defer my admission from last year), but then a little something got in the way.  Breastfeeding. 

I don’t know why, since I don’t know anyone else this happens to, but the harder I work out, the more milk I manage to produce, which makes things hurt.  So the longer and further I run, the more pain I’m in.  The thought of training for a marathon knowing the kind of pain it causes me (I hurt for over a week after my half marathon), was just not appealing.  So I deferred again.  Except I don’t know if I’ll run next year or not, since I could possibly be pregnant again.  Who knows.

So because I don’t have any tangible goals, I have more personal goals:

1. Be Healthy.
2. Stay strong and fit so I can take care of Aaron.
3. Be able to stay in the jean size I’m currently in (a size smaller than before I was pregnant)!

Source

So now, I workout at home 5-6 days a week.  I usually end up lifting 3 times a week, and doing cardio 4-5 times a week.  I’ve felt good, strong and healthy.  But life gets in the way.

The last few weeks have been crazy.  We had a ton of Jewish holidays, Aaron turned one, we’ve had visitors.  My intentions are always there, but because of the aforementioned problem, I can’t workout first thing in the morning before Aaron wakes up (he’s a late sleeper).  So I usually workout when he naps.  Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and that’s just fine.  The problem is when it doesn’t happen more than I’d like.

Source

Last week I missed 2 workouts, so I ended up with 3 rest days.  Not a big deal, but I was a panicky mess over it.  I know, get over yourself Morgan.  I was convinced I was gaining weight.  I was moody, felt bloated and felt bad about myself.  I was such a mess over the simple fact that I didn’t get a few workouts in.  There are bigger things to worry about, honestly.

Then I realized that taking 3 days off, or even 3 weeks off isn’t the end of the world.  Taking a few days to rest my body and mind, or to spend time with loved ones won’t kill me.  I’m still strong and healthy (even though some of my eating choices haven’t been the best lately…hello birthday cake), my jeans still fit, and I can still bust out 5 miles without any problems.  So what was the big deal? 

I don’t know.  I need to learn to step back, relax and not freak when things don’t happen as planned.  Taking a few workout breaks is good in the long run, and it won’t ruin my goals. 

Sure enough, as soon as things calmed down and I’ve been working out consistently again, I’ve felt better about myself.  There’s no denying there is a connection between working out and your self esteem and mood.  The problem is, I don’t know how to cut myself some slack, relax and just enjoy a little time off.

Do you take planned rest days?  How do you feel when life gets in the way and you miss too many workouts?