Browse Tag: parenting

kale, spinach, and chicken bites

I saw some kale and spinach bites in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and thought I could try to make my own for Kumquat.  I looked up a few recipes and made a few tweaks of my own.

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I started with onion sweating in butter and olive oil.  I bought frozen spinach and kale (1/2 bag each) because I didn’t know when I would have the time/energy to make these.IMG_9458

The spinach and kale went into the pan and I cooked it until all the frozen veggies were warm and soft.

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In the meantime, I shredded some parmagiano reggiano (~1/2 cup) and then set it aside in a bowl.  IMG_9460

I also found some leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, so I chopped some up and put them in the food processor.IMG_9461

The cooked spinach and kale went in with the chicken and I added some green onion.IMG_9462

It was all pulsed together to shred and mix everything together.IMG_9463

In the bowl that had the shredded cheese, I added the veggie/chicken mixture along with an egg and 2/3 cups of panko bread crumbs.IMG_9464

It all got mixed together and some salt and pepper went in to season it all.IMG_9465

Then I rolled the mixture into a ball and flattened it into a patty.  It got rolled in more panko bread crumbs and placed on a cookie sheet.IMG_9466

Here they are before going into the 325-degree oven.  They can sit close to each other since they won’t be expanding or anything.

IMG_9468When it was all done, the bread crumbs didn’t really brown but it was a little crispy on the outside and tender inside.  It stays together enough to use a fork for the small pieces and Kumquat really liked it!  I froze the remaining 12 and stored them for later meals.  Mission accomplished.

BART Adventure

IMG_9069 The girls planned a Happy Hour this evening and I was up to the challenge of going home, packing up the baby (and her stuff), and taking her to Oakland by Muni and BART.  It was easier that I expected and actually pretty fun.  I enjoy my girl time with Kumquat and love seeing the world through her eyes.  IMG_9087Something as simple as an escalator is like a new adventure.  It was also neat to see how she was able to figure out when to step off the moving steps at the top.IMG_9071I was afraid she would want to wander off each time I had to let go of her hand to unfold the stroller and I thought she would mess around or turn into a potato on the floor while we transferred trains.  Instead, she held my hand and stayed put when she was supposed to.  She even managed to walk up the stairs at to the Rockridge station platform all on her own power without pooping out.  IMG_9083Having a toddler is tough sometimes but I can’t describe how proud I am of her each day.  She’s becoming such a big girl and while she impressed me at my Work Holiday Party, this adventure impressed me even more.

Party Girl

IMG_7666I don’t really know what’s going on but Kumquat has been waking up in the middle of the night and partying.  My hunches are that she may be going through a growth spurt, teething, or she’s sick.  I’m thinking it’s a growth spurt since she seems well, I can’t feel any new molars, and she’s been asking for more milk lately.  All I know is that she was up from 4-6 am on Tuesday morning and she was up from 12-1:30am this morning.  She rolled around and was really restless so I wasn’t able to get any sleep too.  I really hope this doesn’t last long.  I came home sick with a fever of 100.4 this afternoon and my stomach has not been treating me very well for the past 24 hours.  This photo was taken earlier in the evening when I was hopeful that she would sleep better last night.  I was wrong.

Running Errands

IMG_7280Our afternoon errands ran a little long and Kumquat was desperately asking for milk.  So, I had to buy small milk cartons while at Target.  Luckily they had a mini register in the grocery section so I could pay for it and not feel weird about breaking open the package in the middle of the store.

I am also guilty of taking out the iPad during checkout.  I’m one of THOSE parents now.

By the way, I figured out how to rig the iPad mini with toy links connected to the shopping cart and a clear pencil pouch.  Worked like a charm without having to worry about Kumquat dropping it on the floor.  I forgot to take a photo of it today.

Parenting Dilemma

DSC_3680-2We went to Reese’s 3rd birthday party today and Kumquat and I had a little drama.  Kumquat’s favorite toy of the day was this shopping cart. She had such a good time pushing and pulling it back and forth in the front yard.  That was until an older girl came by and tried to take it from her.  They struggled for a bit and Janie really held her own but eventually the older girl won and Janie was left in tears.  I tried my best to mediate but the girl won because 1) The older girl is bigger and stronger, 2) I didn’t want to cause any drama with Michelle and Ryan’s new friends and 3) I don’t really know what the rules of sharing are anymore.  Kumquat was playing with it for a while so is this one of those situations when she’s supposed to let others play with it too?  All I know is that I now had a distraught little girl in my lap because someone had interrupted a perfectly good activity that she was thoroughly enjoying.  Honestly, I wanted to cry too.

DSC_3687Well, of course the girl played with it for only a few minutes and abandoned it in the play room.  Kumquat found it again and was so happy to have it back.  Not even a minute later, the same girl came by and took it from her again!!!!  Kumquat cried and I didn’t know what I should have done.  Do I yell at the girl to stop bullying a much younger girl who has no idea what “sharing” means?  Do I stand by and watch the bullying happen?  Do I allow Kumquat to fend for herself with the risk of someone getting physically hurt?  I could see the fight in Kumquat’s face and she was ready to throw down!  Alas, I wimped out and allowed the girl to take the shopping cart once again as I consoled my daughter with a red guitar, which seemed to help distract her for the moment.  I just kept telling her (and myself) that they would be going home soon and then Janie would have the shopping cart all to herself for the rest of the evening.  I was also putting on my mental to-do list to go online tonight to order Janie her very own shopping cart from Amazon.

IMG_5783So, as I had promised, the girl finally went home and Janie had the shopping cart all to herself and went about her merry way.  She had her balloon, fairy wings, and the shopping cart for hours to pushing, pulling, and playing without the threat of a bully taking it all away from her again.

Single Parent Day 3

IMG_2902Kumquat and I are in a groove now.  Only one more day before Jes gets back from Colorado.  I also got my sunglasses back.  I had misplaced them somewhere between my car and my condo last week when I got home from work.  I asked one of the association staff guys if anyone happened to pick them up and someone turned them in!! Woot!  Oh happy day!

This evening after Kumquat went to bed, I made some meatloaf tarts.  I have a general idea of how meatballs or meatloaf is made so I improvised with what I had.  Here’s what I did:

  1. IMG_6990I combined in a bowl the following: 1 cup shredded zucchini, 1 cup shredded carrots, 2 eggs, 3/4 lbs ground beef, 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), and a big plop of tomato sauce.
  2. IMG_6994Then the mixture went into a muffin tin.
  3. IMG_6997They baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and Ta Da!!

IMG_6999All done.  It’s so simple and easy.

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Now they’re all packed up and ready to go in the freezer.  I have 12 meals ready and waiting to be gobbled up by Little Miss Kumquat.  Hm…what should I make next?

By the way, she liked the egg tart I made for her last night.  Making baby food is fun when you make the time.

Oh yeah…one more thing.  I recorded this tonight for a dear friend who was asking me how to make orange segments.

Click here if you can’t view the video above.