Hooray for Salmon

We've officially settled into our temporary housing situation - a cozy 2 bedroom apartment on the third floor. G and I have been hanging out at our new crib during the week while Michael has started traveling for his job.  It's not too bad, and the three of us make sure to get out and about on the weekends when Michael is home.  Along with mother-son bonding during the week, G and I have been enjoying some pretty tasty dinners.  Here's a twist on yummy crab cakes in which salmon is used.  Kind of reminds me of the days when I went to graduate school in Baltimore :).  Plus it's a great way to get in those Omega-3s - which are essential for brain development, as well as protein.

Salmon Cakes

5 oz. package Chicken of the Sea Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper (or more depending on your liking)
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
cooking spray

1.  Combine all ingredients with only 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl.

2.  Form mixture into into 4 balls.  Roll in remaining breadcrumbs & flatten into salmon cakes about 1/2 inch thick.

3.  Cook on skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until golden brown on each side.

4.  Serve with veggies and starch of your choice.  We love to have oven baked sweet potatoes with our salmon cakes.  I usually serve a salad for my husband and me and a green veggie for G.  Sometimes I'll serve with stewed tomato casserole which also go well with it.

Checking in with Griffin at 15 Months

15 months ago, a precocious baby joined our family.  Things have not been the same since!  Watching Griffin develop into a little person has been an amazing experience…he’s packed full of personality and smarts.  My husband and I often joke that Griffin is going to be tutoring us someday!  Griffin recently had his 15 month check up and he’s developing quite well.  Here’s a little information about how the G-man is doing…..

Height:  33 ¼ inches (95%)

Weight: 29 lbs. 3 oz. (90%)

This boy is growing like a weed.  The doctors says he’s the size of a 23 month old....Griffin’s father is hoping for a sports scholarship someday – lol!

Gross/Fine Motor

• G is running around everywhere!  He is much more fluid walking over uneven surfaces and is developing an awareness and caution for them.  He continues to climb up the stairs and can alternate his legs to climb when an adult is holding his hands. 
• One of G's favorite things to do is walk around carrying things as well as to push chairs around our house.  When you ask him if something is heavy, he grunts when trying to pick it up!
• Griffin is able to open all of our door handles – scary!  We haven’t had any major accidents until this past week.  He opened our garage door which does not lock and fell from the stairs.  He did a full flip in the air and landed on his back.  He was scared but okay with a little bruising.  I told him that he would have won and Olympic gold if it hadn’t been for the landing – ha!
• Griffin’s height is an asset to him when he wants to reach for things.  We have to make sure that we push items far enough back on our tabletops, top of our dresser, and top of our bathroom vanities. 
• Griffin is able to brush/comb is hair and brush his teeth.  He looks forward to brushing his teeth and runs to the bathroom saying ‘tee tee’ each morning and night.
• He’s able to use a toy hammer to hit a variety of objects.  He hasn’t hit his finger yet, but he’s hit mine and boy did it hurt!
• Griffin will use a spoon/fork with assistance to eat.

Vocabulary – Griffin’s receptive and expressive vocabulary are immense. 

• He is able to identify and say several body parts including: head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, leg, knee, foot, toes, fingers, nails, & hair on himself and others. 
• He follows simple directions (i.e. Bring your shirt to the laundry room, Put the nail file in Daddy’s drawer, Find the ________ book) and answers simple questions related to wants and needs (i.e. Do you want to go outside?, Are you all done?, Do you want more?, Where is (specific toy, book, person)?)
• He is a walking dictionary – lol!  I have been taking a word inventory of what he says, and it is now over 100 words!  I really think that his interest in books as well as our family’s verbal nature have helped Griffin’s expression.  However, I also feel that he’s always been a verbal kid and quite social, so these factors have helped as well.  It’s really cool to take a word inventory of what your child says.  Remember - do not focus on word pronunciation but on the fact that your child is using the same word to name an object.  For example, if your child consistently calls a butterfly “buh,” that counts as a word.  The pronunciation and articulation of speech is developmental and ‘buh’ will eventually become ‘butterfly.’  If your child is not using a consistent sound or word to name something, it should not be counted on his/her word inventory.  Words that your child imitates should not be counted.  Words that are counted should be ones that your child independently states.  Give it a try, and you’ll be amazed at how many words s/he is actually expressing!
• G states the names of family members and familiar friends.  He is not saying his own name yet and calls himself ‘baby’ when he sees a picture of himself.
• Griffin sings e-i-e-i for Old McDonald as well as 'row, row, row' for Row Your Boat.  He also likes this Country song where the chorus is "Girl, you make my speakers go 'boom boom'!" and he fills in the boom boom part.
• G is filling in the words of favorite books.  This is so cool to see!  It’s also neat to see what books he gravitates to as well.  I hope it continues as it’s important for kids to develop a love of reading.
• Some letter recognition is emerging and G identifies and names the capital B and D consistently.  He can identify and state the letter G from his name.

Social skills

• This child has never met a stranger…he readily engages with people and seeks them out.  Griffin has been very interested in reading emotions of people’s faces, faces of characters in his books, as well as faces of models in advertisements (getting the mail is one of his favorite things).  He is able to make a happy, sad, and mad face.
• We’ve started doing some 1 minute timeouts this month.  I’m not really sure they are making a difference.  The harsh voice and ‘no’ really don’t make a difference either.  Our pediatrician says that some kids get really upset and hurt by the harsh voice and ‘no.’  I guess Griffin carries his ‘happy-go-lucky’ nature to the disciplining as well.  We’ll have to keep trying different techniques to see what he responds to best when it comes to discipline.

New and favorite foods

• G’s pediatrician says that he can eat everything now.  We tried peanut butter on some whole grain bread yesterday, and it was a hit!
• G continues to enjoy all kinds of foods, but favorites are black beans, guacamole, cheese, blueberries, yogurt, and a variety of quesadilla creations.  He likes chicken and hamburgers especially when they are dipped in BBQ sauce J.

Sleep Patterns

• G has always fought sleep and it’s been an ongoing battle in our house.  Everyone has his/her own tolerance to listening to a baby cry!  I’m happy to say that G has been going to sleep at night without any tears for the past 2 months.  I read him 3 books and then put him in his crib with some of his favorite books.  I turn on the sound machine for 45 mins and play a song from his musical lamb.  He is generally asleep between 7:30 and 8:00.  It has been nice for both mom and dad to have an evening finally!!
• As for naps, I think G is a reverse napper…..he catnapped up until 7 months old.  Then, he took his first real nap.  Well, it seems that now he will go down for 2 naps a day.  These naps are generally 1 hour in length, but sometimes longer.  I guess he’s finally wearing himself out – haha!

That's our little nugget in a nutshell.  He certainly keeps me on my toes!!

Rockin' Rotini

A quick recipe from the other night that incorporates all of the basic food groups....enjoy!  I know my little guy loved this!

Rockin' Rotini

serving of cooked rotini pasta
ground sausage crumbled and cooked (I used half of package for the three of us)
2 cups of sauce (your choice - jarred or homemade)
1.5 cups of cooked peas

1) Cook sausage in a skillet and combine with tomato sauce.  Cook and simmer.

2) Add sauce to pasta.

3)  Add peas.

4)  Eat and enjoy!

Mangia Mangia!

Let's Get Together!

Socializing is so important for children of all ages and starts when they are babies.  You don't need a ton of toys for your baby to learn social skills.  S/he will learn a lot by observing your behaviors and those of others.  Finding other children that same age as your little one can be challenging for SAHMs.  Thankfully there are many programs available such as these nationally based programs:

• Gymboree
• The Little Gym
• Kindermusik
• The Music Class

Many cities also have their own programs and you can find them using Google and typing 'programs for babies (city name).'

I decided to begin classes at Gymboree when Griffin was 4 months old.  He began classes at The Little Gym as well when he was 7 months old.  Both programs have been wonderful!

Gymboree creates a fun environment for children to explore.  All of the equipment and props used are in primary colors - which is ideal for babies.  The star of each session is a puppet named Gymbo the Clown...the power that this clown has is amazing!  Each child is mesmerized by the movements that Gymbo makes.  Now that Griffin and his friends are older, they often can be seen looking for Gymbo when he plays 'peek-a-boo.'  It really is cute to watch!  Gymboree sessions are language rich as well as exploratory based.  The teacher engages the children in several songs that feature rhymes and basic concepts.  When exploring the gym area, the babies are exposed to a weekly theme (i.e. tunnels, slides, etc.), and there are several stations to visit.  During the classes, the teacher also works individually with each child or in small groups on a specific motor skill.  I must say that Griffin truly loves his Gymboree teacher, Ms. Liz.  Liz has been teaching the class for several years, and you can tell that she truly loves what she does!

The Little Gym is another program that has a highly concentrated focus on gross and fine motor development incorporated with music and social play.  This program works on developmental milestone goals which they introduce at the beginning of each class.  It lives up to its name and the babies are encouraged to use real gym equipment (i.e. balance beam, uneven bars, rings) with help and spotting of course.  Here is a video of Griffin  on the balance beam.

Here's another video of Griffin receiving his award at the end of the class ceremony.

Forming friendships with other moms has been an added perk to participating in these programs.  We have a great group of several moms who take turns hosting get togethers in which the dads are also included.  I know that my husband has enjoyed getting to know the other fathers as well as interacting with other couples who have kids the same age as Griffin.  Always a good sport, he's enjoyed getting in on the fun on many occasions!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to you!  Hope you are staying cool :).  Just wanted to quickly share a great lunch recipe that I made for Griffin today.....scrambled egg, cheese, and broccoli quesadilla.  It's super easy.  Just scramble one egg, cut up some steamed broccoli, and add to half a tortilla (I buy the ones that are whole grain with extra fiber).  Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top of the egg and broccoli and fold over the tortilla.  Brown each side of the tortilla in a skillet.  Viola!  You have lunch!  I served Griffin's with some fresh cut up pineapple.  Enjoy!

Kid friendly tilapia

Back again with another quick recipe for the whole family!  This recipe is so easy and takes no time at all.  The bonus -- It's delicious!

Kid Friendly Tilapia -- My Way

Tilapia fillets
Panko bread crumbs
Seasonings:  I use basil and garlic powder
Butter or margarine

1. Rinse fillets.

2.  Spray a glass or Pyrex pan with cooking spray.

3.  Place Panko bread crumbs in a bowl.  You can eye how much you will need depending on how many fillets you are cooking.

4.  Add seasonings.  You can eye this as well.

5.  Add 1-2 T of butter or more depending on how many fillets you are preparing.

6. Microwave at 10 second intervals until butter is melted.  Stir until bread crumbs are coated.

7.  Cover fillets with bread crumb mixture.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

9.  Another way of making this is to put spaghetti sauce on the fillet and then cover with the bread crumbs.  It is quite delicious!

Enjoy, friends!!

 About a half of fillet shown here.  This was my son's serving.

Paired with sliced sweet potatoes - yummy!

One in a Flash Birthday Party

We recently hosted Griffin's first birthday celebration.  I was so excited to plan his party and went with the theme 'one in a flash.'  I chose this theme because I am a crazy picture taker, my kid is full of smiles, and I wanted to have a fun photo booth for party guests.  Here are the highlights of the party and how I did it on a budget.....

Invitation -- from Photo Affections....got them 50% off with a special they were running.

Our dining room consisted of the food and main decorations.  The color scheme was primary colors.  I made a balloon wreath using coupons for Hobby Lobby (1/2 price ribbon) and Michaels (foam wreath and floral pins).  The balloons I bought from Party City.  I saved the leftovers to be inflated with helium on the party day.  The picture in the middle I printed on my computer and laminated.  The party hat that's on Griffin's head was obtained through a clip art search.

I posted month to month photos on either side of the wreath.  I found two packs of birthday die-cuts at the Dollar Store to use for the pictures (5x7's printed at Walmart 1 hour photo).

We have a great group of friends!  Throughout the year, we've had several gatherings for our kids.  I created a poster with pictures of Griffin and his friends to hang in the dining room.

Everybody loves good food!  Since the party was from 2-4:00, I served finger foods and treats.  Finger foods consisted of two fruit and cheese platters, veggies and hummus tray, veggies and spinach artichoke dip, Tostitos scoops, and pita chips.  The treats were as follows:

 Cupcakes from The Cupcake People in Lawrenceville, GA.  I bought 3 dozen in Birthday, Oreo, and Turtle Flavors.  I had purchased cupcake holders at Walmart in the clearance section after Valentine's Day for $3 a piece.  I made the cupcake toppers by printing pictures of Griffin, clip art number 1, and clip art party hat from the wreath above.

 Camera cookies were made using sugar cookie dough, cookie icing, and oreo cookies.  I purchased a set of 3 rectangular cookie cutters on Amazon.com for $6.

 My mom made G-shaped cookies using a recipe that my Italian grandmother and her aunt made up years ago.  Typically, the cookies are made into an S-shape.  My grandmother used to make L and P-shaped ones for my brother when we were younger.  These cookies are good to have with coffee...secret ingredient - cognac.

I printed labels for each food item and put them on primary colored cardstock purchased from Target.

To go along with the theme, I had a craft table where the kids and their parents could decorate a foam picture frame to take home with them.  Each child had a ziploc bag with his/her name on it. Inside the bag, I placed the frame and ten birthday themed stickers.

I put the craft table in front of our fireplace to prevent any adventurers from climbing up!  The mantle was simple decorated with streamers from the dollar store and some of Griffin's cards he'd received in the mail.

Next, I had the photo booth set up in our sun room.  I hired Tammy from Lasting Moments by Tammy Photography.  I purchased a backdrop from LemonDrop Stop for $70, and Tammy loved the backdrop so she kept it and subtracted it from her fee.  I purchased funny props from the Dollar Store.  I am really glad that we had the photo booth.  The kids could be silly, and what parent doesn't love having professional photos taken of his/her child?!  I plan to use the photos as enclosure in thank you notes. I haven't posted the individual child photos for privacy reasons, but you can get the idea from our photos below :).

We also had some outdoor activity options....I filled our Munchin inflatable duck tub with bubbles and purchased a variety of bubble blowers. Two of our older guests (ages 2 and 3) had a ball with this activity and were soon soaked in bubble solution! I purchased a bubble machine for Target for about $15 and put it on our deck.  The kids loved watching the magical bubbles and many tried to pop them.  I put several beach balls on our lawn and the kids also enjoyed this activity.

Smash cake time!  Instead of ordering a cake, I made a carrot cake for Griffin from a recipe I adapted in one of his baby food cookbooks.  I bought a Wilton 6-inch pan from Michaels using a 50% coupon (approx. $3) and I also bought a pan from the Williams Sonoma Outlet that had 6 4-inch cake pan slots (approx. $12).  I made a bottom layer with the six inch, a middle layer with the 4-inch, and I used my 'one' cookie cutter to make a number one for the top.  I frosted with homemade cream cheese icing - a recipe I got from allrecipes.com and decorated with the cookie icing I had purchased for the 'one' cookies.  Griffin enjoyed his cake!

This adorable felt birthday hat was a random find at Tuesday Morning for a whopping $4.99!!

I'd say this party was a success!  Our family had a great time, and I think our guests did too!  The best part was seeing this happy birthday boy!