Meet Baby E

Holy moly - time is flying. It has been over a month since I posted...and here's my favourite reason for my silence:

Baby E is almost 6 weeks old now and is changing every day. She's starting to track objects with her eyes and give little smiles. E took her sweet time joining us (10 days late).  But the labour and delivery went smoothly.  She was born at 6:10pm and because we had a midwife birth, we were home from the hospital by 9pm.  

Here's one view of her nursery.  Eventually I'll start her off with naps in her crib.  But for now, she sleeps in our room. The curtains and rug come from Ikea.  The decal is from Etsy.  The crib is from Sleepy Hollow (not shown is a dresser also from Sleepy Hollow).  The glider and ottoman are from Kijiji.  

E sleeps relatively well.  Many nights she'll have a 5-6 hour chunk of sleep.  Since she's growing well (over 10 lbs at 4 weeks, from 8 lbs 9 ounces at birth), I don't wake her for feedings.  But some nights are more trying with little sleep and lots of screaming (from E, not me).

This past week, Giz came to Ottawa and hosted a meet and greet.  

Between visiting with guests and taking care of E, I didn't have a lot of time to take pictures (I really need another arm/hand).  But here are a few pictures of the food:

Antipasto platter:

Boston Cream cake from Rideau Bakery (a big hit):

Mixed pastries also Rideau Bakery:

Half-eaten spread...including wraps (varieties: chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, and roasted veggies), one of Peter's tyropitas, fruit platter (not visible in picture), black bean salad (also not visible in the picture).

Peach Ice Cream for September Virtual Cooking Club

I'm not entirely sure where August went and how it is that we're in September.  For that matter, what happened to the summer?  I'm in total denial that the leaves are changing colour, the days shorter and the nights cooler.

September is my family's busiest month of the year.  It's birthday month.  We all have at least one of those months; you know what I mean.  This September is a very special birthday month.  My mother is celebrating her 90th birthday.   For mom's big day I've decided to make her one of her favourite treats.  She loves peaches and loves ice cream so what could be better than fresh peach ice cream

Making your own ice cream is simple, fun and gives you a world of options.  Don't be afraid to experiment.  I don't believe there are many commercial ice creams that taste nearly as fresh while leaving out alot of the fat content.

  

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• Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Place the peaches in a blender or food processor; process until finely chopped. Combine peaches and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour peach mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.

Tilapia with Mushrooms

I like to eat healthy but must admit that fish somehow never makes the top of the list when I'm planning meals.  I'm trying to change and really have to make a conscious effort to include it in my diet.

While in the grocery store I noticed some really fresh tilapia and remembered seeing a recipe on Pinterest that looked pretty unintimidating.  Although the  recipe was more involved, I adapted to my own taste and was hugely surprised at how simple, delicious and satisfying this meal was.  So for all of you who are iffy about fish or concerned about not knowing how to cook it, fear no more - so so simple.

2 pieces of tilapia
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp butter, margarine or oil 
2 Tbsp of water


Heat 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Saute the mushrooms and the water.  Cook until the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are mostly cooked (about 5-8 mins).   While the mushrooms are cooking, spice the tilapia on both sides.  I used Trader Joe's 21 Salute (my very favourite spice mix).

Add tilapia to the skillet and sear until cooked (about 3 minutes per side)

Place the tilapia on the serving dish and spoon the mushrooma  over the top.  I added some sweet potato fries.