drmommy

Vegetable Ragout with Polenta slices (Vegan)

2012-01-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

I modified this from a food network recipe (mine is much more simple)

1 onion, chopped
1 stick of celery hearts, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
2 yellow squash, cut into half coins
2 zucchini, cut into half coins
1 eggplant, cubed

1 small can tomato paste
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tube of cooked polenta (store bought)

Saute veggies in tsp of olive oil until soft. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato paste and 1-2 cans full of water (enough to thin the consistency a bit) and fresh herbs and simmer for 5-10min. Slice polenta into rounds and lightly sauté to warm through on both sides. Serve rounds covered in ragout.

Creamy Asparagus Soup (Vegan)

2012-01-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

I modified this from a weight watchers website.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
6 cups water and 3 vegan bouillon
2 bunch of fresh asparagus
1 package of silken tofu

Boil potatoes and onion in veggie broth until soft. Add asparagus until tender. Turn off heat and blend with immersion blender. Add silken tofu and blend until smooth. Could also use upright blender. Salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Healthy Date Hops (Vegan)

2012-01-21T12:18:00.001-08:00

My Grammie used to make Date-Hop cookies each Christmas. Not much to look at, but they are chewy and delicious, it just wouldn't be Christmas without them. This is a "healthy" no bake version that makes a great snack and incorporates the same flavors. I plan to use them to tempt Great Aunt Ally to come for another visit soon. :)

1 c pitted dates
1/2 c raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
tiny shake of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in cusinart until combined. Form into little bite sized balls, wrap in saran wrap and enjoy!

Cherry-Almond-Nutella Balls

2012-01-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

This was adapted from the Smart School Recipe ebook, a recipe by Kat from ( www.keepnthefaith.com). She suggested shaping these into little heart shaped treats. Since I was pretty sure my dear husband would not eat little heart shaped treats, I opted for balls.

1/2 cup nutella
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/8 cup sunflower seeds

Melt nutella over stove until it is just soft and oozy, then add all the other ingredients and stir until combined. Cool slightly before forming the balls and wrapping each n tinfoil. Store in fridge and pop them in your lunch for a hearty treat!

Raisin Bran Muffins

2012-01-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law makes a muffin with Raisin Bran cereal that you can keep the batter in the fridge and make fresh muffins over the course of a week. This is a version of that that I have doctored (Ellie Krieger style) to cut the fat and add some omega-3s to make a hearty breakfast muffin.

Dry:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 cups raisin bran cereal (I used Cascade organic)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Wet:
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup raisins

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately then combine. Stir in the raisins. Drop into muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 12-15 min.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

2012-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

Yum, yum, YUM!! What is the downside of Falafel? It's too dry! You have to slather it in hummus to counteract the dryness (which isn't all bad, I admit). This recipe makes moist, slightly sweet falafels that are so delicious I don't think I've ever make regular falafel again. And they are baked so much better for you then the fried version.

I adapted this from a recipe by Joanne of Eats Well with others (www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com) that I found in a free online book called Smart School Time Recipes by Alisa Fleming (www.godairyfree.com)

1 box falafel mix (the original recipe calls for garbonzo bean flour, which I couldn't find and the box has all the spices in it anyway!)
4-5 medium sized sweet potatoes
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 ground coriander
1 bunch cilantro (optional, I skipped this)
2 TBSP lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and puncture sweet potatoes and bake until soft, about 45 min (you could do this before hand and refrigerate them, or as my sister-in-law showed me, 6 min in the microwave will cook a sweet potato to perfection). Mix falafel mix with water as instructed on box. Add minced garlic, cumin, coriander, cilantro and lemon juice. Mash sweet potatoes into mixture. Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray. I like to line with tinfoil and spray the tinfoil with spray, it makes clean up easier. Form patties (a cross between a ball and a pancake) and place on sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 8 min then take out and flip over. Bake another 8 min.

Serve with pita or flatbread and sauce as follows;

Tahini-Yogurt Sauce:
1/4 c tahini paste
1 c Greek Yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon's worth of lemon juice.

Did I mention, YUM?

Quinoa Veggie Mix (Vegan)

2012-01-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is my go-to dish when I haven't really planned dinner and need to throw something together.

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water

Bring to boil then simmer, covered, for 15 min until water is absorbed.

1 onion, chopped
1 eggplant, cubed
1 carton extra firm tofu, cubed
approx 1/4 cup Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce

Saute until onions are translucent and eggplant is soft. Add tofu and cook for 1 minute until warmed through. Add Soy Vey teriyaki sauce to coat.

Handful of almonds, chopped
Handful of raisins
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
4 sticks of celery, chopped

Mix it all together and enjoy!

Ginger Apple Squash Soup (Vegan)

2012-01-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

I got this from a Weight Watchers website and modified it. I am loving my new toy - an immersion blender! Easier than putting batched in the blender.

3 Golden delicious apples, peeled and diced
2 packages frozen organic butternut squash
2 TBSP grated fresh ginger
4 cups water with 2 vegan bouillon cubes

Boil water and add apples, squash and ginger. Simmer until soft. Blend with immersion blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve! We had this with sourdough bread and a mandarin orange/avacado salad with rice vinegar dressing.

Vegan Curry (Crockpot)

2011-12-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

3 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans garbonzo beans, drained
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 package frozen chopped spinach
4 TBSPs Patak's mild (or hot!) concentrated curry paste

optional - you can throw in some cubed tofu just before serving, just enough time to let it get warm.

Cook on low 5-8 hours. Serve over rice with chutney (Patak's Major Grey is great!)

Prep Time: 10 min

Vegan Split Pea soup (crockpot)

2011-12-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

1 bag split green peas
6 cups water
3 vegan bouillon cubes (I use Edward and Sons "Not Chick'n" or Rapunzel's "Vegan with sea salt and herbs"- sometimes i mix them together)
1/2 package of MorningStar fake bacon cut into little pieces

Put in Crockpot on Low for 5-8 hours, serve with fresh bread.

Prep Time: 3 min

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-08-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, I don't make this one very often, but it is a delicious treat when I do!

4 chicken breasts, frozen
Veggie or chicken broth or bullion

Slow cook the chicken in the crockpot all day.

2 large potatoes, diced
1 large onion, chopped

Saute in butter or olive oil until soft.
Add two packages of frozen mixed vegetables. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Take chicken out of crockpot and cut up or shred. Mix in with potatoes and mixed veggies. Distribute evenly between 4 Marie Calendar's pie crusts.

In separate saucepan, make the white sauce:
3 TBSPs butter
4 cups milk
1/4 c flour

Melt butter and whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk and simmer until slightly thickened. (Will thicken more in oven). Season with salt and pepper.
Pour white sauce over veggie and chicken in pie crusts. (I don't use a top, saves a bit on calories)
Bake at 400 degrees for 20- 25 mins.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-07-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Ellie Krieger's recipe

1 c frozen blueberries
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp orange zest

Mix together and reserve.

3 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Mix together and reserve.

Dry ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together.

Wet ingredients:
1/2 c packed brown sugar
4 TBSP canola oil (can substitute 2 TBSP for butter, but I try not to keep that around. Once I used a TBSP of soy butter substitute)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c plain nonfat yogurt

Beat together with mixer.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Spread half the batter into 8 inch square glass pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle half the sugar/walnut mixture over the top. Spread all the blueberries with zest.
Spoon the rest of the batter on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Finished until knife comes out clean. Unmold and allow to cool completely.

For glaze:
1/3 c powdered sugar
2-3 TBSP fresh orange juice

Mix together with mixer, keep adding juice until the consistency is drippy. Drizzle over the top of the coffee cake.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry with Homemade Chutney (Vegan)

2011-07-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

Chickpea, Spinach and Tofu Curry

1 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds

Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add seeds and saute until aromatic (about a minute).
Add:

1 lb fresh spinach

Cook down.
Add:

3 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans garbanzo beans
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsps garam masala
1 tsp salt

Simmer for 15 min on low to soften chickpeas.
Add:

2 packages extra firm tofu, cubed

Simmer until tofu is heated. Serve over rice with homemade chutney.

Crockpot Peach Mango Chutney

1 jar sliced peaches, drained
1/2 package frozen mango chunks
2 TBSP minced onion
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 cider vinegar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Slow cook for 3-4 hours. (I wasn't completely satisfied with this recipe - not spicy enough and a little too runny. Stayed tuned for experimental updates!)

Salmon Cakes with Ginger Sesame Sauce with Scalloped Potatoes and Dirty Broccoli

2011-07-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

From my favorite cookbook Ellie Krieger "The Food You Crave". She has never let me down!

Salmon Cakes

6 slices whole wheat sandwich bread made into bread crumbs (I just buy the breadcrumbs in a container and use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
Three 15 oz cans of salmon, drained and picked over for skin and bones (these are cheap at Trader Joe's- brought some with us!)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 bunch of scallions (5 or 6), chopped white and greens parts
1 can water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tsp olive oil

Flake apart salmon in a bowl, add eggs and mix well. Add chopped scallions, chopped water chestnuts, pepper, cilantro and bread crumbs. Mix with your hands and shape into patties. Heat oil in nonstick skillet and cook patties about 5 min each side on medium-high heat. Serve with Ginger Sesame Sauce, below:

Ginger Sesame Sauce

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or 6 tbsp plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (I usually skip this one because it is very expensive and this is the only recipe I use it for so it goes bad before I use it up. Tastes great without it.)
1 tsp soy sauce

Mix together and put in fridge before making patties. Can use leftovers as a vegetable dip or over baked potatoes instead of sour cream. I aslo served last night....

Dirty Broccoli

2 bunches broccoli
2 tbsp olive oil
4 gloves garlic, minced
1/3 c plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and fresh ground pepper

Cook broccoli how you like (I like to boil mine). Drain. Saute minced garlic in oil until slightly browned. Add breadcrumbs and toast them in pan until browned. Add salt and pepper and oregano. Toss with broccoli and serve.

Scalloped Potatoes (Family recipe)

4 large baking potatoes, sliced
2 large sweet onions, sliced
flour
milk
butter, (or soy butter substitute in our case)

Layer of potatoes, onions, 1 tbsp flour, a few dollops of butter, salt and pepper. Repeat for several layers. Our milk in to cover the whole thing. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 or 2 hours. Put a pan under the bowl in the oven to catch the overflow as it tends to bubble.

Tuna Fish Casserole

2011-07-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is an old family standby. I usually keep the ingredients on hand and make on a night like Monday night where planning gets away from me and I have to scrouge around in the cupboard and throw something together. Not vegan, but always delicious and comforting.

1 package wide egg noodles, cooked. (I did not have these on hand so I used all the leftover pasta we had in the cupboard- some penne, elbow macaroni and thin spaghetti)
2 cans tuna fish
3 cans cream of mushroom soup (again, I didn't have 3 cans so substituted one can of cream of potato)
1- 2 cups milk (I just pour it in until it seems creamy enough and not too dry)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 bag frozen peas (optional)

Mix all together and cover with layer of cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs to make a nice crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. Can broil at the end to crisp the crust. Serve with Lawry's seasoning salt and a veggie of your choice.

Vegan Tacos/ Burritos and Spanish Rice

2011-07-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

Vegan Tacos

1 package SmartGround soy crumble meat substitute (either comes in Mexican flavor with spices included or get Original and add a package of Lawry's or McCromicks Taco seasoning)
2 cans vegetarian refried beans
1 can tomato paste
1/2 c water

Saute together until mixed and warmed through. Serve with flour or corn tortillas, we usually have guacamole, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese options.

Spanish Rice

1 large onion, diced
2 cups rice

Saute in tiny bit of oil until onion is translucent and rice is getting clear.
Season with:

Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt

Add:
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups water

Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat. Cook for 20 min.

For our vegetable I sauted a onion with sliced zucchini and seasoned with Creole salt.

Vegan Loaf and Corn Salad

2011-07-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Vegan Loaf

1 onion, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 baby carrots, chopped

Saute on stovetop until translucent. Season with:

1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Mix in bowl with following:

2 cups cooked lentils
3 cups wild rice mixture
2 eggs, beaten (can use egg substitute to be truly vegan)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 TB whole wheat flour
2 TB rolled oats
1 TB minced onion
2 tsp worchester sauce
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Form into two loaves and place in glass pan with sprayed on oil. Cook 20 min at 350, covered. Remove from oven and spread over the top:

1 1/2 cups ketchup mixed with
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard

Cook uncovered additional 20 min.

Serve with mashed potatoes. We also had:

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

3 cups corn kernels, frozen, thawed, microwaved or boiled then chilled
2 avocados, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
1/2 c thinly diced red onion

Dressing:
1 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp lime zest
1 TB lime juice (about one lime's worth)
1/4 c cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste.

No Oil Banana Bread

2011-07-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

Adapted from "Online Cookbook", a random website.

3 c flour (can do a mix of whole wheat pastry and white flour)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar

Mix in large bowl.

4 eggs
4 ripe bananas
1 c applesauce

Mix with electric mixer until combined. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.

1 c chopped walnuts
1 c raisins
1 sliced up banana (chunks)

Mix in raisins, walnuts and banana. Pour into bundt pan sprayed with oil. Bake 45 - 50 min at 350 degrees. Done when knife inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

2011-07-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Adapted from "Crock Pt Slow Cooker Best Loved Recipes"

4 organic boneless skinless chicken breasts (Costco) - can put them in frozen
4 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can hot green chilies (I don't add these to the crockpot, I put them on the table since only the boys like them)
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper

Add to Crockpot and cook on low 5-6 hours. Can also cook on HIGH 3 hrs.

8 corn tortillas, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 avocado, diced and tossed with lime juice.

Can add the cilantro and tortillas to the crockpot just before serving, but I prefer to put them all on the table in little bowls for people to choose what they want. Also, the tortillas tend to get too soggy for leftovers if they are mixed in with everything.
You can also use a dollop of sour cream on each bowl.

I served this tonight with a simple salad with grape tomatoes and a few tbsps of frozen corn kernels. I made a dressing by mixing the juice of one lime with 1 tsp of white sugar and tossed. Refreshing! My camera ran out of batteries so no pics of this delicious meal.

Vegan Goulash

2011-07-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

1 large onion
1/2 bag carrots, shredded
2 jars of Heinz Chili sauce
1 package soy crumble meat substitute

Saute onion and carrots until soft. Add crumble and sauce and let simmer 10-15 min. Serve over toasted English Muffins with choice of side veggie. Tonight we had broccoli and a salad with mandarin oranges, avocados and rice vinegar dressing.

CaribBEAN Sweet Potato Stew (Crockpot)

2011-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Modified From "Best-loved Slow cooker recipes"

3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps Caribbean jerk seasoning ( I didn't have this so I used some allspice and a little more cinnamon, a sprinkle of cayenne)
1/2 c toasted almond slivers

Combine in crockpot cook on LOW 5-6 hours. Serve over rice topped with toasted almonds (unless you burn them like I did! :()

Potato Broccoli Pea Quiche

2011-06-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, cut in small pieces
2 cups broccoli florets, cut in small pieces
1 cup frozen peas
6 eggs
1 c part skim ricotta cheese
2 c milk (fat free or 1%)
salt and pepper

Saute the potatoes, onion and broccoli in butter or oil until soft. (approx 10-12 min). Can also add a bit of water and cover with a lid for several minutes to steam them. Add the frozen peas and saute until frozen. Salt and pepper to taste. Grease two glass pie pans or quiche pans with spray oil or butter. Spread the mixture evenly between the two pans. Mix the eggs, milk and ricotta together and pour evenly over both pans. Bake at 375 about 40 min, until knife inserted in middle comes out clean and it is not visibly liquid. Serve with salad, applesauce or garlic bread. We ate ours tonight with leftover salad with apples, walnuts and raisins in a balsamic dressing.

Orzo Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes (Vegan with Vegetarian Option)

2011-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've decided to post our nightly dinners as a way to share recipes with friends. We eat alot of vegan/vegetarian optional meals. And I will quote sources where needed. Please post any of your recipes in the comment section! Easy to hard, variety is key!

Note: I'm an approximate cook. I add "enough" and "so it looks about right" but I've tried to be aware of actual estimates on quantity.

1 1/2 cups pitted Kalmata olives (Costco), cut in half
1 c julienned sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained (Costco)
1 package Ronzoni or other brand of orzo pasta
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
3-4 red peppers
2-3 tomatoes (my mom doesn't eat red peppers so I substituted tomatoes for her)
Feta (vegetarian option)
Veggie bullion

Boil orzo according to package directions for al dente. Add 2 veggie bullion to the water for more flavor. Cut the tops off the red peppers and seed them. Make a cut on the bottom so they are flat and stand up straight (ok it they are open on the bottom). Drain the pasta and mix together in a bowl with olives, sundried tomatoes and basil. Core the tomatoes and add the pulp to the mixture (don't want to waste it!). Stuff the peppers and tomatoes and place in ungreased glass baking dish. Pour about a cm of vegetable broth into the bottom of the pan and cover with tin foil. Bake on 400 for about 45 min. I used separate glass pans for the red peppers and tomatoes and put the tomatoes in about 20 min behind the peppers since they take less time. Serve with garlic bread. Sprinkle with feta for vegetarian option.

Lots of Love

2009-09-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

Lilah and Leif and their cuzie love.

First Camping Trip

2009-07-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the completion (!!) of Brent's PhD, we took a family camping trip to San Simeon for the Fourth. Needless to say, Leif "outside!" Kious loved his first camping trip. He woke up the first morning and pointed up and said "tent!". We saw the Elephant seals, took many wonderful hikes and played for hours and hours on the beach.

Sleepytime

2009-06-02T20:13:00.001-07:00

Fakey Faker

2009-05-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Again, from a while ago but too funny not to post somewhere.

Dancing Baby

2009-05-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

More recent video, our boy LOVES to dance!

We've all felt like this sometimes

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is from a few months ago, but it's just too funny not to post.

2009-04-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus due to loading issues on this site, we are back!! I will not try to catch up on the last few months, just a few of the latest cutest shots. As many of you know, my main showcase is now facebook. But here are a few of our fast-growing baby boy!

2008-12-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a fantastic 12 day thanksgiving trip. We went to Kerrville first to see Mimi and Pop and uncle Mark, then headed to Houston for a Prehn gathering. Here are some of the highlight pics. Sorry, I'm kinda giving away our xmas card photo card pic, but I know you'll all appreciate it anyway when it arrives!

Leif continues expand his mind every day. It is so much fun to watch him grow and learn before our eyes. Tonight I told him, "Go get your green cup for your bath" and he walked out of the bathroom, into the living room, got his cup and brought it to the tub! Amazing!!

Sorry no videos, I've been having trouble loading them onto blogger.....will keep trying though!

A smattering

2008-11-09T16:31:00.001-08:00

Leif is almost a year old! I can't believe it, truly. He is growing everyday, and along with Nana and Grandpa we are trying everyday to teach him new tricks. So far, for the audiences enjoyment, he can "clap clap", "shaky shaky" "grrr hulk" "schooch", find "mommy's bellybutton" and "leif's bellybutton" and give "kiss". None of which we have yet captured on film. But stay tuned! In the meantime, here is a smattering of some recent trips to the park, apple eating and balloon playing. Oh, and Halloween. :)

Ellison comes to visit

2008-11-03T19:13:00.001-08:00

Dawn Ogawa and her little Ellison came to visit last weekend. Leif sure had fun having a little friend to hang out with!

11 months

2008-10-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this is my little BABY!

Ducky Walking

2008-09-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

On the move

2008-09-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy two weeks! First Leif started to crawl....then to
crawl better....then cruising more....then his first unassisted steps!
All in two weeks! He is very proud of himself. And he did it all when his Mimi was here visiting from Texas so she could see! Here are some of the latest exploits on camera.

Walking!!!

2008-09-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Seattle

2008-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a great weekend in Seattle. Cousins Cassie and Rob tied the knot on a cruise ship and then set sail for Alaska for a week. Some guests, like my parents, went on the cruise, most of the cousins with little kids just went for the ceremony and then we got a little time to hang out together at the hotel. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the bride, as I was too busy baby-wrangling! Below are some highlights of the rest of the weekend.

Not quite all the cousins, but all the little ones at least!

Leif's first carosel ride with cousin Lilah riding shotgun.

Our favorite activity.

Cuncle (cousin-uncle) Travis has a great beard!

So Busy!

2008-08-11T08:44:00.001-07:00

So much mischief!

Swimming with Nana is fun!

My friend Viola - a lot of love!

My friend Willa loves Baby Leif.

I can stand up all by myself in my crib!

Lots of Fun

2008-07-23T21:00:00.001-07:00

Dad's helmet is tough to fill.

My friend Willa Browne!

Sleeping during a family hike in Will Rogers park.

I'm getting better at feeding myself sweet potatoes!

Lunch with Auntie Eve on Mommy's day off.

A new game that Nana and Grandpa came up with.

A choice selection

2008-07-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Having taken over 2000 pictures combined (not an exaggeration, sadly), I have selected just a few for your viewing pleasure.

The happy grandparents!

Who needs Sears?

First time in the big people pool!

Swimming with Molly MacDonald!

The Snoot!!

Lilah tried out a new hairdo.

Check this out

2008-07-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Please visit cousin Lilah's blog at theprehns.blogspot.com to see Leif and Lilah in actino together in Houston. More to come as our joint vacation at the Country Estate is upon us!!

Make me a Bicycle!!

2008-06-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you MacDonalds for this hilarious onsie. Who says message T shirts are only for big people?

First Father's Day

2008-06-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

We went on a hike through Sycamore canyon and boy was it fun!! Daddy bounced me and bounced me! But I sure was tired on the way home.

For Nana and Grandpa

2008-06-13T07:45:00.001-07:00

I miss you already Nana and Grandpa!!

For Uncle Kev

2008-06-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

My Little Boy

2008-06-08T19:58:00.001-07:00

Does he not just look like a little boy already?

Baby Yoga

2008-06-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

Boat Pose
"What? You expect me to just lie down? Like some kind of baby? ha! These abs are for more than show, sister!"

"Highchair? Who needs a highchair when you have a talking-grandpa-chair?"

The Latest

2008-06-02T23:14:00.001-07:00

Well, the days of my Chief year are winding down. Only two more weeks left! Then a month of vacation that we'll be spending in Texas and the country estate, then Mommy starts her new job working three days a week!! It's going to be a busy three days, but she is very excited for more time with this little man. Hopefully my blog posts will be more frequent and of a higher quality....and I can stop getting shown up by my older bro (nice video for Nana's birthday, by the way). :)

Below, some recent adventures. The first was a picture we were trying to document the massive urp on mom's shoulder, but we captured the newest fun expression, "sucking my lower lip". We think it is related to teething...... Next we have what I like to call "Baby Leif lap Willa". Visiting our friend Willa Browne who is almost 2, she very much enjoyed holding Baby Leif like a big girl, even though he was more interested in pulling her hair. Flirting already. And below that, Leif met another set of 2nd grandparents this week, his Grandma Jean and Grandpa Richard Nickoloff (my-best-friend-since-kindergarten Becky's parents). Boy, what fun! And below that, mom still spends alot of time watching me sleep, just like when I was a teeny tiny baby.

Through the Wilderness

2008-05-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest on the Leifmeister. You can see he likes his sweet
potatoes! We had a special treat this weekend with Leif's first
SLEEPOVER with Molly "the babies" Lash Macdonald! Of course Mom and Dad
were also lucky to have her parents spend the night, too. We went for a
beautiful hike and put the BOBs to the test. Also featured is Bill
"the daddies" Macdonald sporting the latest fashion trend, the Baby
Pouch! If we spend an obscene amount of money on a swath of fabric,
gosh darn it if we aren't going to convince our friends to do the same! (seriously, it's so worth it)

Mother's Day

2008-05-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

First Mother's Day!! We went to the bookstore and stocked up on some Curious George books and the Idiot's Guide to Baby Food, then we went home and had sweet potatoes!

These are some more park pictures. We had a lovely picnic now that summer is here.

Leif's friend Willa Browne! We went over to visit her and sister Viola at Eve's house. Willa is almost 2 and such a little person, she sure enjoyed entertaining Baby Leif!

Eating!

2008-05-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

The time has come! Rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, sweet potatoes, Leif is appoaching this phase just as he approaches all things in life, "Whatever you got, put it in my MOUTH!" After a few meals he started opening his mouth which was almost too cute for mom to bear. Below Mom and Dad model this new technique.

Catch up

2008-05-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

A few catchup pics from Solvang. We visited a miniature horse farm and hung out with Pop at the Knife Show. Despite the hot weather it was loads of fun!!

Just a random shot sitting with Grandpa. What a big boy!

More later

2008-04-28T07:06:00.001-07:00

MOre to come, but this is one of the cutest pictures of the weekend....

Giggle

2008-04-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Day at the Park, Part 2

2008-04-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our adventure in Ventura turned into a weekend extravaganza! We went up to Ventura for Mom's work retreat, which just happened to be on the beach (SCORE!), then we did a little outlet shopping (thank you MIMI!) and stopped off at the country estate in TO for "dinner". Which turned into the whole weekend! We went for a walk in Wildwood park and it couldn't have been more beautiful with all the wildflowers in bloom. We also took a trip to the botanical gardens. Altogether a lovely weekend (except we sure missed Nana who was at a bridge toury in Tennessee)...and my first one off pager since returning from maternity leave!! Little man seemed to really enjoy his first big trip, he is so interested in EVERYTHING these days, always looking around and wanting to see something new. He is almost too excited to sleep most of the time, but we are working with it. :) Anyway, here are some pics from the weekend....next weekend we are off to Solvang to meet up with Grandpa Joe for the annual knife show. We'll try to get a pic of Leif in lederhosen!

Day at the Zoo

2008-04-13T20:24:00.001-07:00

We braved the heat and took Leif for his first visit to the Zooooooo!! Aside from the heat (and mom's excessive -is there any other kind?- worry about baby getting overheated)...and the utter crush of raw humanity at every turn....and the fact that the animals all looked a little, well, depressed...it was fun! It was fun to just get out with Leif a bit. He really seemed to love being out and about. He was smiling and talking and chewing his toes. And he went to bed at 6:30 tonight so I think he really had a blast! It's fun to have Mimi here and we are looking forward to going to Ventura in a few days. Mom is surviving perhaps the worst haircut she has ever had....but at least at this point in life I have more perspective on it. :) And that's all that's happening here at Casa Kious!

Day at the Park

2008-04-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Kev inspired- 4 mths

2008-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

For hardcore Leif fans only, here is my attempt at movie magic for Lilah's cousin. :)

Walking (kinda)

2008-04-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

I mean, can you stand it?

2008-04-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the latest of our little man. He seems to be getting cuter everyday....at least to his fan club! His toes are his best friends these days....well, next to his fingers. He rolled over front to back for the first time completely unassisted on Sunday. And he seems to do something new everyday. Yesterday he started to do a clicking thing with his tongue, and did it alot today. He sure is growing faster everyday. He fits perfectly in the 6mths clothes of certain brands, but is already in 9mths of others! Mom got a new sling-thing called a Mobi-pouch (pictured below) which helps her hold all of his 17lbs while out shopping, etc.

The grandparents are switching places this weekend, Nana heads off to a bridge tournament and then off to visit Lilars the Wonder Girl while Mimi arrives from Texas on saturday. We are off to Ventura next week for Mommy's work retreat on the beach, not too shabby. Then we'll be heading up to Grandpa Joe's knife show in Solvang for the next weekend. GOod thing I bought a travel swing!

As for friends, you can see below Leif is enjoying hanging out with all his girlfriends...Viola is pictured on this particular date (you can see Molly is previous pics). And we just heard that he will have a new friend in November, maybe even on his birthday (!!) born to Mom's friend Tracy Thall! (hope it's ok to announce that tracy!) And of course, little Plac-Schwartz will be on the scene any day now (so exciting!) Ellison, you need to come visit soon so we can do some man things together!

Mom can't wait to find just a little more free time to keep in touch with everyone, but we are thinking of you all and look forward to hearing from you soon or maybe even seeing you!

Sir Leif Alot

2008-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still here! Life has been going at light speed it seems. I have been working WAY too much but even when I feel sad about it I just kiss my little man and feel so lucky that he is here.

He is having a wonderful time! While I have been on wards (which means working weekends, too) they have extended their usual 3 day a week gig into 5 days. I'm actually totally dumbfounded as to how anyone does this WITHOUT live-in grandparents! We would certainly all be more scruffy, dirty, hungry, cranky and stressed without them! Above are some picures of Leif's typical hard life with Nana and Grandpa....in the jolly jumper while nana folds laundry (laundry!!), in the corner of the couch with grandpa.

I got off early enough on Friday that Daddy and Mommy took little man to the P-A-R-K for the first time! Swinging was F-U-N!! See picture above. Imagine the thought bubble reading, "i don't know why mom and da make me wear this silly hat".

That's all for now, his highness calls.

Stroller Strides

2008-03-02T19:18:00.001-08:00

Mommy and Mimi and I went to Stroller Strides on Saturday. It is a new group Mommy and I have joined. It's like outdoor aerobics with your stroller. We walk and do squats and pushups and stuff (well, Mommy does, anyway). Mimi liked it alot too!

It can be very tiring, though. *YAWN* I get sleepy just thinking about it!

Mimi comes to visit

2008-03-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Mimi and Me!

I still love my Jolly Jumper! I especially enjoy slobbering and chewing on the edges.

Dad's new bike. I LIKE it!

I think this shirt just says it all.

Jolly Jumper

2008-02-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

This thing rocks! Cousin Lilah you should TOTALLY get one of these. Nana told me that Uncle Kevin loved this when he was little! Sorry about the orientation of the video, Mommy still doesn't have her entire brain back from pregnancy. :)

Check me out!

2008-02-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hi all, it's me, Leif. I decided to take over my blog because I am a BIG BOY and because my mom seems a little stressed out since going back to work. I'M doing great....I get to play all day with my daddy and my nana and my grandpa - it's awesome!! But Mom does seem to miss me, she covers me in kisses when she gets home!!

Just wanted to update everyone on all my new adventures, pictured below. Daddy took me for a ride in the laundry basket train the other day, that was real fun. I also like to sit on his shoulders...now that he has long hair I can grip it quite effectively! Mom took me to the store last night when it was about 40 degrees outside so thank goodness I had my doggie snowsuit to keep me warm!

Survived!

2008-02-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

I survived my first day of work! I just keep reminding myself how very very lucky I am, in everything about my situation. And really the joy of having him at all overshadows the sadness of leaving him, if that makes sense. Here are some recent pics!

Mystery Solved!!

2008-02-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

The mystery of the scrubs has been solved! My second family, Jean and Rich Nickoloff (parents of Becky and Mandy who are parents of Sierra, Hailey, Nicholas and Dakota) sent Leif the adorable scrubs which were personally monogrammed (see picture). Thank you guys, he just couldn't be cuter in them! I mean, they really bring out his innate cuteness. :) Love you!

Nursing in my Sleep

2008-01-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

ALOT of free time

2008-01-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, my secret is out. I spend all of my available time lying Leif on
the bed and trying to make him smile....then video taping it. I guess
it isn't really much of a secret. I'll try to keep up the
obsession-sharing once I start back at work next week.
Until then, please enjoy more VIDEOS OF MY BABY!

Sitting up is fun!

2008-01-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

Along with the un-fun excitement this weekend of the theft of two of
daddy's bicycles from our underground garage, we have also done a few
new things, like floating in the bathtub (the new pediatrician assured
me that I can stop worrying about getting water in his ears) and
sitting up in our Bumpo seat. Please enjoy my amazing head control!!
It also allows me to spend some quality time reading with Dad.

Whoa!

2008-01-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Secret Agents on the Move

2008-01-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

A recent joint mission on a top secret trip to California!

SleepSmile

2008-01-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Good morning Poppi!

2008-01-22T22:27:00.001-08:00

A little message for my bro Kev form his little girl on her trip to CA

Aunties Visit

2008-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

Leif's NY aunties came for a visit this weekend to meet him. We went to the Getty where Leif fully enjoyed the architecture and gardens.

This is a picture of him in his adorable mystery scrubs! They are a mystery because they arrived in the mail with no card and we still don't know who sent them! If you are reading this, fess up!! They couldn't be cuter.

Secret Agent Man, Take 2

2008-01-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Leif is a big boy, he got all his shots on Monday! One in each arm and
leg - OUCH! He did much better than his mom did. He felt so good, in
fact, he was ready and excited about his next Mission!

Secret agent

2008-01-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

We obviously have too much time on our hands.

Baby Tricks

2008-01-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of new parenthood (especially for the friends of the
new parents) is that every single developmental milestone is greeted as
if he is pooping pure gold. Please watch now as the uber-advanced Leif
Kious TRACKS KEYS!!

A little message

2008-01-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Even Crying is TOO cute!

2008-01-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

Is our singing really that bad, Leif?

Look who's talking!

2008-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe not talking but these coos are the highlight of my day. Every morning Leif wakes up in a great mood and we lie on the mat together and have Kick Time and Talk Time. This is rare captured footage that only took 30 tries to time right! He also says "Goo", "Hi", "Whoa" and "Ahhhooooo".

Christmas 2007

2008-01-02T21:21:00.001-08:00

There is something wrong with the blogger site so I can't write for each picture, but basically, here is more of our christmas extravaganza!! Kev, Leah and Lilah made is out from Houston (I bow down to them, travelling with a 6 wk old!) and it was THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! We always say that but this one outdid them all. It was just amazing to see our little ones together. Leif is definitely the BOY and lilah the darling little GIRL. She is so delicate and petite, her auntie was SMITTEN right away! You will notice that Leif is beating her up in this picture....we had to separate them due to his flailing arms. We also had the pleasure of a visit from the MasDonalds, with Molly Lash featured in the bottom picture. She was able to show our guys the ropes as she is 3 months ahead on the developmental curve. Lots more to come, we took several thousand pictures over christmas so I will slowly trickle them out. :)

2007-12-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Mishmash

2007-12-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone is clamoring for new pics and I'm falling behind! So here is a mishmash of a few recent shots. One favorite pastime, napping with our little glowworm (the green kiddopatamus is a swaddle wrap...or baby straight jacket, as we like to call it).

One advantage of having a big baby, y ou can use your Baby Bjorn right away! The baby must be 10 lbs to use it....no problem! This is the "recline" position.
Family portrait number 2. I must say our bookcases make an excellent backdrop!
Now that romy isn't getting as much love, he has to find new ways to amuse himself. For example, our new front loading washing machine, endlessly fascinating. :)

Tubtime

2007-12-02T13:38:00.001-08:00

First submerged bath: Leif likes it MUCH better than sponge bath!
All clean!

Not My Baby

2007-11-29T16:58:00.001-08:00

My adorable niece Lilah. I'm a proud aunt as well as new mom!

Mimi and Pop come for a visit

2007-11-29T16:42:00.000-08:00

Mimi and Pop arrived yesterday from Texas to meet the man of the hour. They came bearing gifts, of course. Mimi had several outfits which will be debuted on the site in the future, one at christmas!! And Pop surprised us all by wasting no time setting Leif up with an essential of a Kious man -- his own Kious Knife (pictured above)!!

Lessons from a 1 week old, part 2

2007-11-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

In the end, though, learn to self soothe. :)

Lessons from a 1 week old

2007-11-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

Utilize all the resources at hand

Happy thanksgiving!!

2007-11-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

random: our new bookcases!!

So much to be thankful for......

First Smile (sort of)

2007-11-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Eat, Sleep, Poop and the baby's doing fine, too

2007-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

Aww......
Finally a picture of mommy and baby! We ran into some friends during his first walk this morning and they asked how old he was. I said there was a direct correlation between the degree of mom's disheveledness and age of baby....so, 5 days!
Nana can barely contain herself. Can you see the visible glow?
Our little philosopher at work already. Brent is starting with Logic 101 this week.

Leif and Lilah

2007-11-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

They have arrived!!! No, we didn't have twins, I'm talking about our son and my brother's daughter. Only three days apart, these cousins are destined to be great friends!

Hugh Leif Michael Kious was born early Friday morning, Nov 16th 4:27AM.
Weighing in at 10lbs 7oz he was the king of the nursery! 22.5 inches long. He is named after his grandpas, Hugh Leslie Joe Kious and John Leif Prehn and his father and uncle, both of whom share the middle name Michael. We wanted to honor the great men he is lucky enough to have in his life.

Lilah Kalindi Prehn was born a mere two days later, Nov 18th 10:49PM. 7lbs, 8oz and 21 inches long, she is long and lean.

We came home yesterday and had a wonderful first night. I was almost sad to leave the excellent nursing care I received in the hospital, but it was good to get Leif home and start using all the STUFF we have accumulated. We actually got a decent amount of sleep and it was much more restorative than the sleep in the hospital. Nana and Grandpa Prehn helped to settle us in (indeed, they have been wonderful with all the support, both physical and emotional. Mimi and Grandpa Kious will take their supportive turn when they fly west in a week.) ....and we managed to pry Nana's grip from Leif in order for them to get home and get some rest, as well. :) "Daddy" has been very busy taking care of "Mommy" as well and getting peed on three times already (mommy has yet to experience this joy) and dealt with his first "poo up the back" incident. Needless to say, Brent is a natural as well as a quick study and I can't imagine a better new daddy. Of course Leif (by the way, pronounced like "leaf") is very excited to meet his fan club and we hope to see you all soon. Thank you for all the love and support you have been sending our way.

Here are some pics. The first four are baby Leif, the last is Kev and Lilah, sorry I don't know how to rotate it! Keep checking back, I'm thinking we are going to have a hard time not photgraphing this cutie.

Let's take a vote: Do the cousins look alike???

D-Day and Still Pregnant

2007-11-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

Well, we are coming to a close on Fishie's official Due Date (I know, we thought it was the 12th but in reality it is officially the 10th - not like it really matters!) and we still have NO ACTION.

Just thought I'd keep everyone posted. We'll let you know. :)

BABYWATCH 2007

2007-10-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

We are playing the waiting game. Here we are...... waiting for fishie......to make his debut......no pressure little guy. :)

Here are some pictures of his room, we set up the crib last weekend. (and yes, I know you can't have toys in the crib with him, but they are going to live there for now. )

I'm still working, albeit half and 3/4 days. Brent continues to hold down the fort, doing basically all the living space maintenance, errands and heavy lifting.

So, we'll keep you posted. If you need to find us, we'll just be here......waiting. :)

Baby Shower, Take Two!

2007-10-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone was afraid poor fishie wouldn't have enough stuff, my dear friends Eve and Leslie gave me an LA shower where I was lucky enough to have MORE love and support for my little fishie!!

The grandmas embrace!

Double Baby Shower!!

2007-09-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Mom gave Leah and I an amazing dual shower last weekend. The love and support from everyone was overwhelming....our little cousins are very lucky, very loved little babies.
Above is the cutest little Brent-mini-me sweater I've ever seen.
The other cousins, drove down and back from No Cal in one day with 4 lbs of snickerdoodles!! It meant alot to have them there.
The amazing Juddsters drove out from LA and, big surprise, Leslie won the True/false game about the factoids of our lives!
The Nickoloff clan! I still remember the day Sierra was born (in the green) so clearly....10 years ago, Becky and I were 21, I walked into the hospital room and thought, "There were two people in the room, and now there are three." It was mind blowing. Now she is the ultimate babysitter for her cousin Dakota!

The extrodinary and talented aunties without whose help we would have been lost!
The girls posing with the Butler of the day.

The onsies lineup. We can't wait to meet you Little Fishie and Baby Girl Prehn! There sure is plenty of stuff waiting for you!!!

Hard to imagine

2007-09-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe he will be this little.

Just for fun, Nana and Grandma Auntie Anne (Great Aunt?) kayaking in Alaska.

10 week countdown

2007-09-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

10 weeks sounds like less time than 2 months somehow.

So, we have been getting alot of advice about....well everything. All of it welcome, to be sure. Many people told me about Diapers.com, they are so cheap, they deliver to your door, etc. Fine, I think, I'm going to need diapers, I'll order a starter pack. So, I'm sitting at the computer after a long day, surfing the various array of diapers available to me at Diapers.com, which took approximately 30 seconds to become overwhelming. Maybe it's the hormones. Brent looks over and sees my forlorn expression so decides he must come to my rescue. So, he comes over, all we'll-figure-this-out-together and says:

"Ok, we'll just estimate. How many diapers does a baby go through in a day? 2 or 3? So, that's what, 60 or 70 the first month? We'll get 80 just to be safe."

Um, yeah. So, 10 weeks to go. I think I'll go get out the What to Expect books. :)