Recipe of the Day: Chiltomate

I came across this recipe for a tomato-habanero salsa (aka chiltomate) in the outstanding cookbook Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez. The thing I like about this cookbook is that it teaches a lot of basic Mexican cooking techniques and how to apply them to simple, fresh, and elegant Mexican dishes that aren't too intimidating. He focuses on guacamoles, salsas, moles, and adobos, along with main course meals focusing on these staples.

I wanted to try a simple salsa that would be spicy and this recipe fit the bill. It is similar to the basic salsa served with baskets of tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants, except it has a unique fruitiness and y'all....it is HOT. And delicious. It goes great with scrambled eggs at breakfast, too.


Ingredients
1 1⁄2 lb. tomatoes, cored
1 habanero chile, stemmed
1 tsp. kosher salt or 1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
dash or two of sugar (optional)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1⁄2 small white onion, minced

Directions
Heat oven to 500°. Place tomatoes and chile on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast, without turning, until chile is browned in spots, about 10 minutes; transfer chile to a blender, and continue roasting tomatoes until blackened and cooked through, about 20 minutes more. Let tomatoes cool and then peel and place in blender along with salt and garlic; puree until smooth.

Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add purée, and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered and stirring often, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Directions from a similar recipe from Saveur magazine

Recent Reads: Spring 2015

Just a few quick book recommendations of titles I've enjoyed this spring...

Fiction
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
The Raven Cycle trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater

Non-Fiction
Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist
Redefining Girly: How Parents Can Fight the Stereotyping and Sexualizing of Girlhood, from Birth to Tween by Melissa Atkins Wardy
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley by Kim Cross
Wearing God: An Exercise in Enriching Our Spiritual Imagination by Lauren Winner
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Audiobooks
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Martian by Andy Weir
Dune by Frank Herbert
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Recipe of the Day: Banana Pudding

I hate bananas.

I've tried to like them, but I just can't even.

But that being said, this is definitely the BEST banana pudding I've ever eaten. Anytime I make this, people want the recipe and it's one of my most requested desserts at my family gatherings. I didn't come up with it, but I adapted it to use homemade whipped cream which is one of my unbreakable cooking rules (along with homemade frosting). But if you want to use Cool Whip then go right ahead! I'll never know and I'll never ask.

Ingredients
3 boxes instant pudding (French vanilla, cheesecake, white chocolate)
3 cups 2% or whole milk
8 oz sour cream
16 oz cool whip (or 16 oz container of heavy whipping cream)
1/2 box vanilla wafers
4-5 bananas (or no bananas in my dream world)

Directions:

To make homemade whipped cream, place mixer bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for at least 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, make the pudding). Slowly whip together heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla, slowly increasing the speed to full power. After 45 seconds or so, sprinkle in a few teaspoons of confectioner's sugar. Stop once cream forms stiff peaks. 

To make the pudding, combine puddings with milk in the mixer. Stir in sour cream, then fold in Cool Whip or the homemade whipped cream.

Layer wafers, sliced bananas, and pudding mix in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Crush a few wafers and sprinkle on top of the last layer of pudding mix. Keep the pudding covered in a refrigerator. Serves 10 easily.

Unless you're crazy, lick all bowls and spatulas involved in the making of this dessert.

Poem of the Day: "Why I Wake Early" by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light–
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

My Cloth Diapering Experience

I've had several people ask me about my cloth diapering routine, so I thought I'd share a little bit of my rationale for doing it and the system I've worked out for managing them. There's a lot of information out there, and it can be overwhelming to a new mother. I admit I was a little intimidated by the idea at first, especially with everything else that goes along with having a baby, but looking back, it's been a decision I have never regretted. My routine is fairly simple, and I'd like to share it.

First, I decided to do cloth diapers for several reasons: to save money, to avoid unnecessary waste, and because I really didn't know any differently. Several of my friends cloth diaper (CD) so I had lots of support. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I think the cloth diapers keep Catherine drier and more comfortable and help her sleep through the night. And they come in such pretty colors and patters. These are all great bonus reasons I wasn't anticipating.

Gratuitous rainbow arrangement of diapers. This will never happen again.

I also realize cloth diapers aren't a realistic option for a lot of people for various reasons such cost, day care requirements, and the ick factor. I don't really care if people CD their babies or not. Time and energy are the ultimate precious resources with babies, so I totally get not wanting to waste time stuffing diapers. I personally don't mind that bit of extra work. I also have a supportive family who are all on board with CD (once they realized I wasn't talking about the kind you had to fold and safety pin). I wouldn't want to do that either!

I chose to use the BumGenius 4.0s since they're the most popular kind and offer flexibility with liners and inserts. Many other kinds of diapers are out there, and I kept my fingers crossed that they would work. Thankfully they did! We used disposables with Catherine for the first eight weeks since her legs were too skinny for the cloth diapers. CD is not too much different from using disposable diapers (except for two extra loads of laundry per week). And after you have a baby, your laundry exponentially increases so you'll hardly notice. ;-)

My Setup

• Changing pad. I have the Playtex DiaperGenie Smart Cushion from Target.
• Basket with cloth wipes, spray, and disposable wipes. I like the Cotton Babies wipes. 12 come in a package, but I might buy a second to have more. The recipe for spray I use is simple. In a small spray bottle from the travel-sized toiletry section at Wal-Mart, I fill it mostly with water and then add 1-2 pumps of Catherine's Burt's Bees bath soap, and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil from Trader Joe's. I just shake it up when I am ready to spray it on one of the cloth wipes. It smells great, and Catherine hasn't had any serious diaper rash. More recipes are here.
• Diapers. Most sites recommend 24--I have 28. Depending on how much your baby wets, you might want more or need fewer. Catherine's diapers are very absorbent so they can last a little longer than disposables. I chose the kinds with snaps since Velcro is the silent killer in your laundry. It snags on EVERYTHING. Beware. The BumGenius Freetimes work great at night, but have to be air-dryed so they take a little longer in the laundry. Other friends of mine like GroVia and TotsBots.
• 2 PlanetWise Reusable Diaper Pail Liners. One for the trash can and one in the laundry. 
• 2 PlanetWise Wet Diaper Bags in size medium 
• SimpleHuman step trash can. Any trash can will work. I just wanted one that would look nice, last a long time, and close silently. I'm weirdly particular about my trash cans, too.

I wash Catherine's diapers with Charlie's Laundry Powder every 2-3 days. I hang dry the liners and tumble dry the liners and wipes with some felted wool laundry balls my sister made for me (you can also purchase these online, but they're much cheaper that way). Then I stuff the liners back into the diapers while watching TV or something at night. I add the newborn liner with the regular adjustable liner at night for extra absorbency. When we are out and about, I take a few extra CD in her bag and use disposable wipes. I always keep some disposable diapers in her bag as well for emergencies. They occasionally get used when camping or traveling or if someone in the nursery can't figure out how to use the cloth diaper. 

I hope this has been helpful for you as you embark on your CD experience. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

My Favorite Things: Late Summer Edition

A new series of posts where I will recommend books, movies, TV shows, and any other thing I happen to find worthy of my (very limited) time

BOOK : Letters of Note: Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun Usher
Originally a blog, this is a collection of letters from all sorts of people, some famous, some not. It is like the ultimate grab bag of intellectual candy. I never knew what would come next. Letters from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol, Ernest Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald, letters from the President to young children, a boy asking Frank Lloyd Wright to design a dog house.  I could go on. Even if you're not the biggest fan of writing letters yourself, this book is a treasure trove of historical and cultural moments caught on paper. If, like me, you happen to LOVE writing letters, there is no better inspiration to be found. And, just today I found he as a new book coming out soon called Lists of Note. A list of lists! Squee!

TV : Black Mirror and Outlander
Black Mirror has been described as a modern-day Twilight Zone. Each episode is stands alone and makes the viewer question the potential dark side of technology. They are all set in the (not-too-distant) future, but without seeming too space rocket-y. I was gripped through all six episodes of both seasons. It can be hard to find, but worth watching and discussing. The "White Bear" episode caused a minor freak out on my part, and I'm still thinking about it...as I am all the episodes for that matter. Take my advice and know as little about the plots of each story as possible. The way the world and its problems unfold is one of the best parts about watching this show.

Outlander is based on one of my favorite book series EVAR. I thought it was moving a little slow for my taste, but I didn't realize there were going to be sixteen episodes, and they're only on number five. I just can't wait for Claire and Jamie to GET. TOGETHER. So far, I think the series as a whole is very well done. The casting, set design, and production values are all outstanding (Claire's knitted accessories are particularly lust-worthy).

BLOG : Brain Pickings
I know this has been around for a while, but if you've never taken the time to read this blog (and I never did) it is SO worth it. I take a few minutes each day to peruse the articles, and I'm never disappointed. I love how it takes a book and highlights all the best parts. I've found a lot of wonderful things and learned even more. I am currently reading Seneca's book On the Shortness of Life after this outstanding post. This blog is one of those things I am always glad I took the extra time to read.

What delights are worth your time these days?

SATM Challenge, Week Four

I am going to cheat a little bit on this one. This past Monday and Tuesday saw no remarkable novelty activity, but this past Saturday and the one prior to it were each special. On August 30, I participated in my first 5K race. My school's musical theater department held a Run4theArts 5K race and Kevin and Catherine (in her stroller) and I participated.  I hadn't planned on running, but as I was walking, I realized I didn't want to waste this opportunity to 1) do my best and 2) check something off my bucket list. Secretly, I also just didn't want to be dead last. I picked up the pace after a half-mile or so and proceeded to (mostly) run the rest of it. I'm not a runner, nor was I in any sort of shape for running this much, but I felt exhilarated to cross the finish line. I came in 12/17 in my age group and 51/103 overall. Had Catherine had an official number, she would've placed first in her age group. I look forward to racing again soon!

This past Saturday I made a very simple and very tasty spaghetti sauce from scratch--I'm talking from like actual tomatoes. I'd never done that before, nor had I ever blanched tomatoes or made a flavored oil. I found peeling blanched tomatoes to be an oddly satisfying thing (along with peeling chickpeas for hummus). I also made a Smitten Kitchen recipe, which I'd been wanting to try again since the lemon bar disaster of 2012. This was another tiny step in becoming a more confident and creative home cook. My next cooking challenge will probably come from a new cooking blog I'm just now learning about called How Sweet Eats. Pretty much everything on her blog looks amazing and it comes highly recommended from my friends Nathan and Samantha.