I got the dreaded daycare call this afternoon. Christopher is warm, they can't get a good temp reading on him (they do it under the arm) but it was in the range of 98 - 101. He was also Mr. Fussy, which he rarely is. So, I called the doctor before I left and found out I could get in if I could get there in 30 minutes. They really wanted to see him since he had the RSV diagnosis earlier this month.
I debated picking up Madeleine and weighed the hassle of going back to daycare with entertaining both of them while we waited. She's been sniffly and hovering around 99 so I thought maybe we'd get home and get them to bed early. I've been feeling off and battling a sore throat myself so early to bed sound good to me.
We all go to the same doctor so when she knew I went to the walk-in Sunday, and was sent away with no drugs, she checked me out too. Official tally: 3 fevers, 3 ear infections, 1 case of tonsillitis and 1 case of some variation of strep throat. Lovely. We are all on the same z-pack of varying dosages.
David and I talked and he called his mom to see if she could come out here for a week. We'd like to make sure the kids are back to 100% (not just fever free) before bringing them back to germ-infested daycare. Since he can't stay home with him for long periods of time (can't wheel around with him on his lap - Christopher doesn't know to hold on!) I'd be the one to stay home .... and I was already home with him for 8 days earlier this month, a few days last month, a few days the month before. It has been one looooooooong winter.
So, his mom arrives late Thursday morning. I should be staying home from work anyway tomorrow since I am running a temperature and I'm the one with strep. It'll give her the opportunity to spend time with them AND them the opportunity to spend time with her AND maybe mommy will have the opportunity to get a few things done around the house since I'm pretty invisible when Nana comes to town!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
English Toffee
We live about 5 miles away from a local community college that offers lots of Continuing Education classes. I've taken a few classes here and there and signed up to take a candy making class last Saturday. English Toffee, Old-fashioned Rock Candy and Truffles were on the agenda.
By far, the toffee was my favorite. No surprise though, since I love the stuff. I've only attempted to make candy once and that was a disaster since the thermometer broke on me in the pan and I had to throw it all out. All I need to do is invest in a decent thermometer and I have another 'tried and true' recipe to add to my must-make Christmas baking list.
David laughed a me for taking a picture, but I don't care. I was proud that it set up correctly! My batch ended up being a lot thicker than it should because we only used one pan per batch. We were supposed to share a batch between 2 people but there were only 4 people in the class. YUM, more for me.
Three pounds is a LOT of toffee. I need to dig out my rollig pin and chop some more up and bring it into work. Whacking the toffee into small pieces is a great stress reliever too - bonus!
English Toffee
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 cups pecans -- chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons salt
18 ounces chocolate
Melt butter in a pot on the stove top, Add sugars and corn syrup to the melted butter. Stir in water. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 240 degrees. At 240 degrees add about 3/4 of the chopped pecans. At 260 degrees lower the heat and finish cooking until it reaches 300 degrees, stirring constantly. Should take 15-20 minutes. Mixture should be a beautiful, bubbly, golden brown color. At 300 degrees remove from heat.
Add vanilla and salt. Stir quickly. Pour the mixture out onto 2 rimmed baking sheets (approximately 10 x 15). Smooth out the toffee to 1/4 inch thickness. After 5 - 10 minutes, sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let sit 5 minutes or until they start to melt. Spread with spatula to smooth over toffee. Sprinkle with freshly toasted nuts that have been chopped fine and allowed to cool. Break into bite sized pieces and store in an air tight container for up to a month in the refrigerator. Will keep for a week or so at room temperature before it begins to break down. Makes about 3 pounds.
By far, the toffee was my favorite. No surprise though, since I love the stuff. I've only attempted to make candy once and that was a disaster since the thermometer broke on me in the pan and I had to throw it all out. All I need to do is invest in a decent thermometer and I have another 'tried and true' recipe to add to my must-make Christmas baking list.
David laughed a me for taking a picture, but I don't care. I was proud that it set up correctly! My batch ended up being a lot thicker than it should because we only used one pan per batch. We were supposed to share a batch between 2 people but there were only 4 people in the class. YUM, more for me.
Three pounds is a LOT of toffee. I need to dig out my rollig pin and chop some more up and bring it into work. Whacking the toffee into small pieces is a great stress reliever too - bonus!
English Toffee
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 cups pecans -- chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons salt
18 ounces chocolate
Melt butter in a pot on the stove top, Add sugars and corn syrup to the melted butter. Stir in water. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 240 degrees. At 240 degrees add about 3/4 of the chopped pecans. At 260 degrees lower the heat and finish cooking until it reaches 300 degrees, stirring constantly. Should take 15-20 minutes. Mixture should be a beautiful, bubbly, golden brown color. At 300 degrees remove from heat.
Add vanilla and salt. Stir quickly. Pour the mixture out onto 2 rimmed baking sheets (approximately 10 x 15). Smooth out the toffee to 1/4 inch thickness. After 5 - 10 minutes, sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let sit 5 minutes or until they start to melt. Spread with spatula to smooth over toffee. Sprinkle with freshly toasted nuts that have been chopped fine and allowed to cool. Break into bite sized pieces and store in an air tight container for up to a month in the refrigerator. Will keep for a week or so at room temperature before it begins to break down. Makes about 3 pounds.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Growing up so fast!
Last week Christopher finally figured out how to crawl forward and nothing has been safe since then:
This morning he was playing quietly with a few toys while I got ready for work. I stepped into the closet to grab my clothes, 30 seconds later I stepped out to see this:
When I picked him up from daycare this afternoon he was standing at one of the toy boxes. I called his name and he turned around, smiled when he saw me and threw both hands up in the air and shrieked. Scary part? He was able to balance and stay standing until he realized what he was doing and grabbed back on to the toy box.
What's next?
This morning he was playing quietly with a few toys while I got ready for work. I stepped into the closet to grab my clothes, 30 seconds later I stepped out to see this:
When I picked him up from daycare this afternoon he was standing at one of the toy boxes. I called his name and he turned around, smiled when he saw me and threw both hands up in the air and shrieked. Scary part? He was able to balance and stay standing until he realized what he was doing and grabbed back on to the toy box.
What's next?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
I've had enough cooking bombs in the last week that I decided to stick with an old favorite for supper tonight. Supper can be on the table in under an hour, unless you have to stop every couple of minutes to fish comeone out of a cabinet, drawer or out from underneath a chair when they get stuck. Christopher finally figured out how to go forward yesterday and hasn't stopped exploring.
I served them with oven fries and broccoli. Madeleine has been randomly complaining about onions, so I threw it in the food processor and pulverized it instead of just chopping it up. They are soft enough that even those with no teeth can gum them. Plates and high chair trays were cleared.
Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
Adapted from Cooking Light, 2006
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I only use 1/2)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (skipped, never seem to have any)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")
CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g
I served them with oven fries and broccoli. Madeleine has been randomly complaining about onions, so I threw it in the food processor and pulverized it instead of just chopping it up. They are soft enough that even those with no teeth can gum them. Plates and high chair trays were cleared.
Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
Adapted from Cooking Light, 2006
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I only use 1/2)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (skipped, never seem to have any)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")
CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Mmmmm ... waffles
Christopher had a great doctor appointment yesterday. Fever is still gone and the doctor said his lungs are sounding so much better. He is still coughing a bit but even those episodes are starting to dwindle. I never had to use the nebulizer, which I am very grateful for.
I need to keep an eye on him for the remainder of the week to make sure his fever does not come back. They often see secondary infections pop up in the lungs once the RSV goes away. Keeping fingers crossed the worst of this is over.
I've been home for the lat week, so I thought that I'd do a bit of cooking since I don't have much of an opportunity to cook during the week. The other day I grabbed some ham leftover from Christmas and a bag of split peas I had in the drawer and decided to make some spilt pea soup. Recipe was not designed for the crock pot but I ended up having to throw it in there because I had a fussy baby on my hands. Big mistake. It came out VERY watery.
Last night I decided to make a recipe I found on Recipezaar for Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs. I remember my aunt making them all the time for family gatherings and thought I'd give them a whirl. Another mistake. I baked them prior to putting them in the crock pot and I kept them on low. After 3 hours I had a pasty, tasteless mess. Usually I worry about too much liquid. Not a problem this time.
What have I learned from these experiences? The crock pot goes back into the basement and only gets used for the 2 or 3 recipes I know will come out good.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Is it Spring yet?
This has been one tough winter in our house. Poor Christopher has been sick once a month since September. Last Wednesday he was up a bit in the middle of the night coughing and when he woke up he was looking a little 'off'. His temperature was 99.7 and while he could go to daycare, I had a feeling I'd just be picking him up in a couple of hours. So I kept him home and ended up having to drive up and pick up Madeleine from daycare with a 101 fever at lunchtime.
Friday morning I called and got doctor appointments for the both of them. Madeleine has strep throat and would be good as new after a couple of doses of antibiotic. Christopher, on the other hand, tested positive for RSV. RSV is a respiratory virus and while it would be a bad cold to you and I, it poses a risk to those under 1 as they tend to develop pneumonia. I also learned daycare has a 7-day exclusion policy from the date of diagnosis, that is how bad it is for the little ones.
I was given a lesson on using the nebulizer (had to rent one) and we gave him his first treatment in the office. Oh yeah, trying to keep an oxygen mask on an 8 month old. Good times. He was so ticked he pulled on the elastic that you use to tighten the mask and let go - you can imagine how happy that made him and he ended up with a nice red welt on the side of his face.
They checked out his oxygen levels after the treatment and sent us on our way with the instructions to call if he breathing worsened and if we had to use the nebulizer. Knock on wood, we have not had to use it thus far. We have an appointment on Tuesday morning to go back so they can check and see how he is doing. His fever broke this morning, so I am taking that as a good sign.
Friday morning I called and got doctor appointments for the both of them. Madeleine has strep throat and would be good as new after a couple of doses of antibiotic. Christopher, on the other hand, tested positive for RSV. RSV is a respiratory virus and while it would be a bad cold to you and I, it poses a risk to those under 1 as they tend to develop pneumonia. I also learned daycare has a 7-day exclusion policy from the date of diagnosis, that is how bad it is for the little ones.
I was given a lesson on using the nebulizer (had to rent one) and we gave him his first treatment in the office. Oh yeah, trying to keep an oxygen mask on an 8 month old. Good times. He was so ticked he pulled on the elastic that you use to tighten the mask and let go - you can imagine how happy that made him and he ended up with a nice red welt on the side of his face.
They checked out his oxygen levels after the treatment and sent us on our way with the instructions to call if he breathing worsened and if we had to use the nebulizer. Knock on wood, we have not had to use it thus far. We have an appointment on Tuesday morning to go back so they can check and see how he is doing. His fever broke this morning, so I am taking that as a good sign.
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