Where Is She?

Gisèle, to Jamie the other day: "Don't step on my {imaginary} witch, Daddy!!"

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I like bananas, but don't eat them often. Jamie and Gisèle eat them all the time, but Jamie won't eat them if there's any brown on them, so at any given time, I have 5-10 bananas in my freezer. This is a great way to use up some of those when I'm tired of plain banana bread (though I'm rarely tired of banana bread.) And it uses egg whites instead of whole eggs, so you could even call this healthy, right? Another favorite thing about this recipe - it only uses one bowl! Yay for minimal clean-up!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice
3 ripe bananas
2 egg whites
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 package chocolate chips

-Preheat the oven to 325. Grease 12 muffin cups.
-In a medium bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice, and bananas. Mash together.
-Add the egg whites, baking soda, flour, sugar, and oil; stir just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.
-Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes. Cool in the pan a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Miles at 4 Months

Miles had his 4 month check-up yesterday, and he is still a tall, skinny boy! He weighs 15 pounds (exactly half of Gisèle's weight) and is 26 inches tall. That means he's in the 50th percentile for weight, and the 90th percentile for height. He's a very happy baby, and loves to just sit back and watch what's going on around him. He's happiest when he's people-watching, and Gisèle is definitely his favorite person to watch. He sits up very well in his Bumbo or Exersaucer, and is trying to roll over (back to front.) He loves his bathtime, music, and watching TV with Daddy. And we love him!

**UPDATE - Miles rolled over front-to-back about 12 hours after I wrote this post!

Clam Chowder

(Yes, that's a lot of oyster crackers - just the way I like it!)

This is my favorite clam chowder! The onion & celery base gives it a great depth of flavor, and it doesn't take too long to make. Top it with a bunch of oyster crackers - enough to have at least one in every bite. Next time I make it, I'll try it with half & half instead of cream, for a lighter version.

Clam Chowder

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 an onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock
3 6.5 oz cans of clams, drained (reserve juice)
1 cup cream
2 bay leaves
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt & pepper
thyme (about 1 tsp)

-Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and celery until soft, then stir in the flour.
-Add the stock, juice from clams, cream, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes, and salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
-Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until potatoes are tender.
-Stir in the clams, taste & season, and cook 2 more minutes before serving.

Father Daughter Dance 2010

Jamie took Gisèle to the Father Daughter dance on Friday. It was their 2nd year going, and they had a great time! Gisèle got to wear a "princess dress" and new shoes, which she was very excited about. When they got home, she told me all about the carriage & horse, the cookies, the girls with dresses, the music, and her pretty necklaces. She even shared them with me. :) Here are some (slightly blurry) pictures - both before and after!

Before:













After the dance, we told her that she could wear her necklaces during the day, but not with her pyjamas. She decided to put off pajama time a bit so that she could wear her necklaces longer.(notice the absence of one pigtail):

Pasta Salad with Salmon and Peas

This recipe is adapted from the Pillsbury Fast and Healthy book - one that Jamie and I use a lot for weekday meals. It's nice and light, comes together quickly, and the fresh dill is wonderful in it. We had this with a side of fresh tomatoes topped with crumbled goat cheese, olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.

Pasta Salad with Salmon and Peas

8 oz (3 cups) dried shell pasta
1/3 cup light mayo
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
about 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp skim milk
fresh ground pepper
1 large pouch (7 oz) salmon (I used a total of about 9 oz)
1 cup frozen peas, cooked & drained (I used 1 1/2 - 2 cups)

-Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse.
-While pasta is cooking, mix together the remaining ingredients.
-Mix the pasta and sauce together. Can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.