My little super trooper...

Today was a tough day to be a parent. It was Sebastian's 3 year assessment for the perinatal clinic. It was a busy morning. We saw a psychologist, speech therapist, dietician, doctor, physiotherapist, social worker and a nurse. They did so many tests with him and we were all exhausted by the end of it. For the most part, he did great, but he needs to be followed up by a couple people and that just made me so sad. I know they are following up with him for his own best interest, but last year when we left perinatal, we didn't have to see them again until this year. This year however, we'll be back again soon.

He may have some fine motor issues, so we have to get an occupational assessment done. He was having a few troubles with some concepts with blocks and stuff and that sort of sucked. Plus, the psychologist wasn't very patient with him and said he probably has some attention problems, which is a very common side effect of preemies. So we have to meet with her again, in addition to the occupational therapist. His speech assessment went fine. She noticed he was a bit short on attention at times, but worked hard to engage him and give him breaks and change things up. That was nice of her. And, pretty much, he did fine with most of those types of things. The dietician went over his typical eating day and then suggested we come in for lunch and get watched by the feeding team, which is a team of 5 different disciplines who watch his eating and then offer suggestions to help with eating issues. The doctor also noticed the attention issue, but went on to say he might have an ear infection, but she's not quite sure. She was incredible though looking in his ears, trying to see if birds were there, and making cute little bird sounds. She also said we might want to get his adenoids looked at. Then there was physiotherapy. He should get some orthotics and really shouldn't be wearing crocs or sandals as he doesn't have enough arch support to wear them. This could explain some of his clumsiness though. And then there was social work, blah!!

Needless to say, both my husband and I left there feeling pretty deflated. After early intervention discharged us, saying that everything was on track, we really thought he was doing well with everything, so it came as a bit of a blow that there might be all these issues. Nobody came right out and said he had an attention issue, but everyone of them noticed it, and said that it might be more of an issue than a "normal" three year old. I know they are looking out for his best interests, but man, it was still hard to take. I left there just wanting to cry my eyes out. I know in the big picture, Sebastian is doing really well. He's a great kid and I should be so thankful for who he is and what he overcame, and I am. It was just tough to hear about all these potential new hurdles he's going to have to overcome. At least his sportball is helpful for him, and swimming, and dayhome too. Now we just need to find him a preschool.

I'm going to give him some extra hugs in the next few days, because I love him, and he amazes me. He's sweet, and he's kind and he says the most heartwarming things sometimes. And, he's growing incredibly well. He's past the 50th percentile for his height now, and at the 25th percentile for weight. He's made huge progress considering when he started out, he wasn't even on the chart for either!! He's still very lean and has stayed that way since forever. He's my little miracle, and I'll always be so proud of him, even if he has a few more things to deal with now!! I'm including some pictures of just what a sweetheart he is.

Adventures in dumpling creation... Cheesy Jalapeño Shrimp Potstickers

The second Daring Cooks' challenge is hosted by Jen of use real butter and it is Chinese dumplings which can be steamed, boiled or fried (called potstickers).



I was very excited about this challenge but time seemed to just fly by and here we are on reveal day and I only just finished the challenge today. I love being part of the Daring Kitchen and trying out new recipes each month. It is neat to make things I might not otherwise get around to making.

We were required to make the dough for the dumplings and after that we were free to fill them however we wanted. I made a sort of east meets west cheesey jalapeño and shrimp potsticker. They turned out well and I had a lot of fun making them. So here is the recipe:

dough:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

Make the dough, Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.



While the dough is resting, you can make the filling:

12 raw shrimp with tales and veins removed
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (I did this by feel, but I am guessing it was about this much)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chives straight from the garden, rinced and chopped
1/4 cup jalapeños (I used canned ones)

To make filling: place shrimp and jalopenos in food processor with metal blade. Pulse until small bits. Add chopped chives and Worcestershire. Change to grating plate, add cheddar. Change back to blade again and pulse until cheese matches in size.



To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.





If you want to check out some other filling options and different cooking methods, check out the daring kitchen site for that.

It was a great challenge and I'm glad I tried it!!

My kids amaze me...

My kids amaze me. Truly. They are both incredible in very different ways. Sebastian is growing into this incredible little boy. There is nothing baby about him anymore. He loves Dr Suess, playing with cars, trains, running, I am especially fond of the fact that he loves being chased and running. I hope he has a passion for exercise as he gets older that was built on a foundation of fun as a kid, but that's another whole topic. Yesterday, we took him to see UP and he was great. He watched the whole thing (very cute movie by the way), and when it was over and the credits started rolling, he said he wanted to watch it again. Sweet!! And, he loves "castle movies". I told him if it was a castle (Disney) movie, that meant it was probably a good movie, so now any time we watch a Disney show he says "it's a castle movie". He's so grown up in many ways. He is mastering the art of potty training (still slips up but hey, he's three), he is thoughtful and helpful with his little brother, he is still cuddly and overall, just a fun person. I look at him and I am so blown away by how far he's come from his tiny tiny start.

On the other hand, there is Sullivan. Sullivan is huge by comparison, and I swear, his thighs are wider around than Sebastian's thighs are. He's getting close to 20 pounds and he's not quite five months old. He's starting to make those raspberry sounds and it is so cute. And, he's moving, big time. He rolls onto his tummy all the time now, and if you place him on a blanket, it's like his personal mission to get off the blanket. If you turn away for a few seconds and then look back, he's usually rotated himself 90 degrees as well. It's great. And, he's so laid back. He's generally a fairly happy baby. It doesn't take much to please him and all you need to do is give him a look and he is all smiles. He puts absolutely everything into his mouth (which Sebastian never did), and is curious about everything. He is so completely his own person and I just love that about him. I love that he and Sebastian are very different about things because it really highlights the fact that he is his own person and not just another baby.

They keep me busy and I love it. I am having so much fun with these guys

I'm starting a new blog, dedicated to fitness and food and my attempt at losing weight. I will be tracking my exercise efforts there and my I hope you'll check it out.

http://fitnessvsfood.blogspot.com/

Fitness first...

It is so easy to have a lot on your plate. Life is busy. Sometimes, fitting everything in seems nearly impossible. So, what should the priorities be. Well, that depends on what you want out of life and on what really matters to you. Obviously kids rank up there pretty high. That is a given, yet in order to be the best parent, you have to take care of yourself, and it's choosing what you want to do to take care of yourself that should become your first priority. For the most part, this is going to be time for yourself. It could be time spent on a favourite hobby. It could be time spent reading. It could be time spent exercising. It could be time spent watching tv. Everyone has things that they want to do to help better themselves. So, it's important to pick something that matters to you and makes you a better person.

For me, that is running. When I run, I clear my mind. Life's problems don't seem nearly so grand as they did before the run. Running helps sift through all the thoughts in my brain and figure out what I really want or need to do. I love running, yet I don't always make it a priority for me. I know that sometimes, I will come up with any excuse not to run, yet I don't know why, because when I do run, I feel so much better for it. I'm happier, and healthier and my kids end up with a better mother because of it. So, I need to make this my number one priority. If I have time for me, I need to use it for fitness. Maybe it won't always be a run, but since I have a race or two coming up, I sure hope it is for fitness. I am doing a 10km race in September, and I would really like to finish it under an hour. At the rate I have been training lately, that won't happen, so I need to make training my priority. Because if I do, then I really could reach my goal!!

So, I am stating it here and now, that I want to finish a 10km under an hour. I need to put the time in to accomplish that. When I do put the time in, I'm happier and a better person for it. So, I need to put fitness first. I can't use excuses anymore to prevent myself from being the better person I know I can be. So I will try to document my efforts and see if I can make them pay off. Because when I do this for me, then everyone around me benefits. So, it's time to put my best foot forward and make running a true priority...

Trying apple strudel...

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Time for our next challenge, and challenge it was. We got to make and stretch dough for strudel. My friend Cindy and I made apple strudel together. We had a busy month, so it was tough finding the time to fit it in. As a result, we didn't really stray too far from the recipe. Stretching the dough was tough, but we managed to get it about 2 feet by 18 inches before it started ripping. We served it with hot vanilla sauce.

It was fun to make, and as a matter of fact, the very next day I made it again to serve to my family, this time however, a few changes were made. The second time, I basted the strudel several times while it was baking with butter and brown sugar. This made all the difference in the world to the taste of the dough. Also, I used only brown sugar for the filling the second time. And again, yum yum yum. I liked it the first time, but the changes I made the second time, definitely enhanced it. And, it was nice to be able to feel comfortable with what I was doing so I could make those changes. This time it was served with ice cream.

I loved this challenge and hope that I'll make another strudel sometime, maybe savoury. It was fun working with a dough I never have before and appreciated that I got to try making something I might not have otherwise.

Here is the recipe we used:

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.



4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.




Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Disney and me...

So, it will come as no surprise to anyone that I am somewhat of a Disney fan. I have liked Disney my whole life. Some of my earliest memories are of the movies like Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, etc. And, I have a piggy bank of a Mickey from someone who made a trip to Disneyland. And, my grandparents gave me a book about Disneyland. I remember going through it and being most excited about the Small World and the Haunted House. I knew someday I would get there, I just wasn't sure when. And eventually I did. It was our Christmas present in December of 1985. My brother and I were both so excited. Needless to say, in the early part of 1986 we were off to Florida, and it was great.

Disney continued to play a role in my life and in the fall of 1990, I was able to go to Disneyland for the first time in California. It was on this trip that I acquired my favourite stuffed animal, Brer Bear. To this day, Brer Bear keeps me company at night, and even my oldest son knows that Brer Bear is mommy's special bear.

After graduating high school, I was somewhat lost as to where I wanted to end up. I soon decided I'd like to work at Disney World, and knew they hired Canadians. I took a travel program with hopes that it would help me, and after two more trips to Disney, I got myself a job there. I was going to represent Canada at the Canada pavilion selling authentic Canadian food and drinks. It was the best job ever. I will perhaps write a bit more about that job another day, but it kept my love of Disney going.

After unsuccessfully trying to get into an out of province art school, I headed back to university. This time I got a part time job at the Disney Store. While working there, I went to Disney two more times and this was my first chance to experience the Disney Cruise Line. Let's just say, we were hooked!! As well, my husband and I ran the Disney Marathon on our honeymoon. It was the coolest way to see all the parks, and something I had wanted to do since I had worked at Disney. And what better marathon to do as my first marathon than the Disney Marathon. And, it was worth every training run. To this day, it is my favourite marathon destination!!

Eventually the Disney Store was left behind, but this would not be the end of Disney. Before I had my first son, we did a quick trip to Disneyland, yay!! And then in 2007, my husband gave me an entry to the Goofy race and a half challenge. I became a mentor with Team In Training, with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helping other people train for and run their first marathon, while helping them raise money for this very worthy cause. On that trip (in January 2008), we took our almost two year old at the time, and got to see Disney through his eyes, which was totally cool.

In the fall that year, I was pregnant, but was lucky enough to be able to go to Disneyland with a brother and sister. I didn't grow up with them, so it was really nice having a chance to get to know them better while also doing the Disneyland half marathon. I ended up finishing that race with only 18 seconds to spare, to be a legal finisher under the cut off time of 3 and a half hours (being pregnant made me end up walking a lot of it to keep my heartrate in check). And because I did the races in Florida earlier that year, I got the special Coast to Coast medal.

This spring, I was fortunate that I got to go to Disneyland Paris. I was super excited and it was so neat to see the differences at this park compared to Florida and California. It was a super fun day and so glad I had the opportunity to share it with my mom.

We're going to Florida again this year, and we get to go with friends. It will be lots of fun and we'll see everything all done up for Christmas since we'll be there in early December. And, we also get to do the cruise again. I couldn't be more excited.

Through the years, I have acquired various Disney items, my favourite being a set of dishes that we use when company visits. I also love the movies and my favourites are Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Monsters Inc, Toy Story & Toy Story 2 and, well, pretty much all of them. I love many of the songs from the movies as well.

Disney will always be part of my life, and I look forward to sharing that love with my children!!