Where has the time gone????

As you can tell (and from a few emails from people who have informed me that our blog hasn't been updated in a while), we have been QUITE busy the last few months and somehow our baby is turning 1 next month.  Can you believe it?!?!

He is quite a mover and a shaker these days with a very strong personality (don't know where he got that from)!  The last 11 months have been a journey for all of us... and Michael and I appreciate our parents more and more EVERYDAY.  But with all the frustrating aspects of parenting come all the rewards... the pride that comes with each milestone, the smile that you can't contain when your baby laughs, and the overwhelming love when that sweet little guy snuggles up against you.

Although I wish I was as productive as I used to be, I'm spending every free minute with an amazing little boy who is growing up too fast for his mama.  So in the mean time, keep up with our photos at our Tumblr blog: http://mmerschat.tumblr.com/  (It's much easier to update with photos from my phone!)

Michael is still cooking (thank goodness!) but I haven't had time to post recipes and photos.  But this week, he made this AMAZING chicken dish!!!!!  Quick and easy mid-week meal: Chicken Saltimbocca with Asparagus.  You will be licking up that sauce.  So good!

Heath's 7 Month Update

It's official!  We're homeowners!  And Heath has his very own room!  Not bad for a 7 month present...

It's very bittersweet moving from the city but we're excited to start our new life in the 'burbs - Kensington, MD, to be exact (even with the ridiculous amount of raking we need to do!)

At about 20 pounds, Heath is sitting up well, rolling all over the place, and starting to pull himself up.  Soon he'll be crawling and we'll have to fully baby-proof the place, but until then, he's helping mama unpack by staying put and playing with the packing paper.

A few weeks ago, we spent a gorgeous weekend down in Chapel Hill, NC, for homecoming.  We were very fortunate to have time to drop by the art museum.  Love that place.

Even got a family photo at brunch.  Heath is becoming a wonderful and relatively quiet restaurant baby (SOOOO thankful)!

And he's really getting the hang of eating too!  So far his favorites are pear, red pepper, and bread.  We LOVE watching his expressions when he tried new foods... it's the best dinner time entertainment ever!

And last but not least, Heath attended his first rugby match a few weeks ago.  We don't know what he was saying, but he was yelling and cheering for the guys on the field.  I think we have a future rugger on our hands.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Heath's 6 Month Update

Last Friday, our little pumpkin turned 6 months old!  He continues to be the most charming and happy little guy and has started grabbing and exploring EVERYTHING he can get his hands on... and of course, putting it right in his mouth.

A few weeks ago, he went on his first plane ride and did awesome!  We only went to Florida for a weekend to attend a wedding so it wasn't too long of a flight, but we're glad he was a great baby on the plane.

We're working our way up to the 5.5 hour flight to San Francisco.

At the wedding, our handsome little man stole the show with his super cute outfit at the wedding.

And thank goodness for the chewbead necklace that our friend (and experienced mama) got us.  It was perfect for the trip and for Heath's little teeth that just broke through last week!

Our little guy still loves his baths... and they are especially necessary now that we've introduced solids.

We're doing Baby-led Weaning to introduce whole foods and incorporating him into our dinner routine.  So far he's loved bread, banana, and broccoli.  Here's a video of his first taste:

Although he still likes nibbling on his toes too.

Heath's 5 Month Update

I figured I should just do a Heath update since it's taken me so long to post!  Last Thursday, he turned 5 months and I can't believe my little baby has gotten so big already.

The photo above is his 4 month check-up (done 2 weeks late... so more of a 4.5 month check up) and we got the fancy NASCAR-themed room!  Heath weighed in at 16 pounds 4 ounces (65th percentile) and 27 inches tall (95th percentile)!  Yesterday, we upgraded to size 3 diapers so he's probably over 17 pounds by now.  How is my little baby boy growing so fast?

A couple weeks ago, we met Grandma and Grandpap up in Pennsylvania at the cabin (close to FLLW's Falling Water) and Heath had a great time in the crisp mountain air.

He played with Grandma in the front yard...

And Grandpa introduced him to his first toad!  It was a great weekend trip!

At home, Heath sits in his Bumbo chair while we eat dinner and LOOOOOVES the fruit bowl.  He'll spin and push that thing all over (if he wasn't stuck in that silly chair!)  It's amazing all the toys we have and he prefers the fruit bowl and my water bottle!  Go figure.  

Last week, Heath even got a surprise visit from daddy at lunch time!  I don't know who was more excited: Heath or Michael... it was so sweet.

And last but not least, Heath is quite the roller now!  He has finally figured out that he can get places by rollin', rollin', rollin' over there.  He's also discovered his little toes taste delicious and we love watching him play with his sweet little feet (as you can see from the video).

All in all, it is just pure joy to watch our little boy grow and develop.  We have a feeling that his natural curiosity paired with his increasing mobility will force us to baby-proof our place sooner rather than later.  But we have learned to savor every minute with him because the last 5 months has been like a blink of an eye.

Chicken with Peach-Jalapeño Salsa

It has been so long since I've posted!  Can you tell I'm back at work and have less time to update our blog???  And since time is short, here's a quick and delicious Food & Wine recipe to use up those fantastic late summer peaches from the farmer's market!

INGREDIENTS
2 large peaches—peeled, pitted and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 medium jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 tablespoons peanut oil, for frying

In a bowl, combine the peaches, jalapeño, lime juice and sugar.

In a large bowl, toss together the flour, bread crumbs, cornmeal, salt, thyme and cayenne. Put the chicken in a bowl of cool water. Remove the breast halves one at a time, let the excess water drip off and coat them thoroughly with the seasoned flour mixture.

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the chicken, skinned side down, and cook over moderately high heat until golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the breasts and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 11 minutes longer. Serve with the peach-jalapeño salsa.

(We ate it with warm garlic naan and greek yogurt on the side.  Mmmmmm)

And so Heath has started daycare in my office building and seems to be doing great!  He has already charmed all the ladies downstairs and is rolling over all the time.

And he gets to hang out with me in my office and I can go visit him throughout the day.  I could not imagine a better situation.  I feel so lucky!

And it's officially football season!  Michael had so much fun watching the University of Tennessee opener last weekend with his little boy.

Heath is already practicing how to throw the football.

And Michael is also enjoying the first weeks at his new job at Wentworth Studio.  It's a bit of an adjustment from the 10+ years he worked at Ossolinski Architects, but he's doing great.

Smokey Bean and Spinach Sliders

Michael and I found this blog, Thug Kitchen, with great vegetarian recipes but written in a certain "flair" (which is unsuitable for children but we find it hilarious).  This recipe for smokey bean and spinach sliders has been a great make-on-sunday-eat-during-the-week meal.

Like usual, I'm just going to cut-and-paste the recipe so please be warned that there are numerous expletives in the following text.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups cooked kidney beans or 2-15 ounce can
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (use leftovers)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped all small and shit
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (like I said, it is near the BBQ sauce at the store I swear. You haven’t even looked yet so stop complaining. It is there)
2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (any breadcrumbs you have are fine. Got nothing? Just toast up some bread until it is almost burnt looking and real dry then grate them shits or put them in a food processor to get some tiny fucking crumbs. They help soak up all the liquid so don’t leave this shit out)

Warm the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. You can throw down some foil and then grease it if you are a lazy fuck like me and hate doing dishes.

Add the spinach and onion to a food processor and pulse until they are in tiny-ass pieces. Add the kidney beans, rice, garlic, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and seasonings and pulse until everything is all mixed up. It’s fine if a few larger pieces of the beans hang around but you want this looking like kinda paste-like. Place the bean-spinach mixture into a medium bowl and add in the fucking breadcrumbs. This should be slightly sticky and hold nicely when you form it into a ball. If it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Taste it and add more spices and whatever until it tastes good to you. Can’t do that shit with ground beef.

No food processor? It’s all good. Just cut up the spinach and the onion extra tiny and add everything but breadcrumbs to a big bowl. Now pound on that shit until it looks like chunky mash potatoes. Then add the breadcrumbs and do all the other shit I say above.

Divide the mixture into 16 patties if you are making sliders or 8 patties if you are making regular burgers. Whateverthefuck you want to do. Place them on the baking sheet, spray them lightly with oil (slow your roll, I said LIGHTLY) and bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom is a crispy golden brown. Flip the patties and bake for 15 or until both sides look awesome. If you are doing full size burgers you might need to let the sides go 5 extra minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Pile them high with red onion, avocado, whatever additional deliciousness you’ve got and chow the fuck down.

Makes 16 sliders or 8 regular patties

And I know you all want more photos of our little bit of sunshine and smiles!  Here is our sweet little family photo...

And here he is with grandpap and grandma who came up from North Carolina to babysit a couple weeks ago while I went back to work for a few days.

And I just love this smiley little guy trying out his bumbo chair...

And here he is with our friend at his first dim sum brunch!  (He'll like it better when he can start eating the food!)

And our little man LOVES moving his arms to the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!  Here he is playing along with our friend's 3-year-old - just TOO cute!

And lastly, here's our little monkey helping mommy out with the laundry.

It's going to be quite a transition to go back to work in a little over a week.  Thank goodness our daycare is in my office building so he's not too far away but I'm going to miss seeing that face and kissing that bald head all day long.

Steak au Poivre

Happy 3 month birthday to Heath!  The last few months have been like a blink of an eye and we can't believe he's growing up so fast!

He loves to see everything that's going on - especially at the dinner table.  And this was an especially good dinner to watch us eat!  Here's another pretty quick recipe from Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS
Three 1-pound, bone-in rib eye steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup brandy
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Season the steaks with salt and black peppercorns and let stand for 45 minutes.

In a cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the oil. Working in batches, cook the steaks over moderately high heat, turning once, until medium-rare, 7 minutes per batch; transfer to a board and let rest.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the sauce with salt.

Slice the steak and transfer to plates or a platter. Spoon the sauce on top and serve.

HEATH UPDATE...
What a difference a month makes:

And he even has a favorite book!

It's such a joy watching him grow.  I can't imagine how big he's going to be in just another 3 months!

Seared Wahoo with Avocado and Salsa Verde

Always in an effort to cook with more sustainable seafood, Michael followed the suggestion of Barton Seaver to substitute wahoo for tuna.  I had never heard of Wahoo but I love the name, it's sustainable, and it tastes great!

Here's a fast and delicious recipe from Food & Wine for a hot, summer night!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 wahoo steaks, about 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds in all)
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Put the parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper into a food processor. Pulse to chop, six to eight times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup oil in a thin stream to make a coarse puree. Leave the sauce in the food processor and, if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify just before serving.

Heat a grill pan or heavy cast-iron pan over moderately high heat. Rub the wahoo steaks all over with the 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook the fish for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until done to your taste, 3 to 4 minutes longer for medium rare. To serve, top the wahoo steaks with the avocado and drizzle with the sauce.

AND HERE'S SOME HEATH PHOTOS!  He is smiling and babbling all the time now and he is just a joy to wake up to every morning.  He's growing up to be quite the charmer!

Lamb Burger with Green Harissa

Here's a great summer lunch or dinner for those of us that don't have a ton of time to cook.... from Food & Wine, of course!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
4 hot green chiles, such as serranos or jalapeños, thinly sliced
2 mild green chiles, such as Anaheim or yellow wax chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
Warm naan, chopped tomatoes and feta, for serving

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a medium bowl, combine the ground lamb with the cooked rice, egg and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and gently knead the meat to blend. Using lightly moistened hands, form the meat into 12 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the patties with olive oil.

Grill the patties over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the hot and mild chiles with the scallions, garlic and the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro and pulse until chopped. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and process to a chunky puree. Season the harissa with salt. Wrap the lamb in the warm naan with tomatoes and feta. Spoon some of the green harissa on top and serve.

(MAKE AHEAD The green harissa can be refrigerated overnight.)

HEATH UPDATE!

We are enjoying late spring and summer with our little guy!  Maternity leave is coming to an end and our little man is charming us more and more everyday.  Here he is the last couple weeks...

Can't get enough of those little toes!!!

Here's Heath's first rugby function at the Australian Embassy - isn't that an intimidating face???  (Honestly, it's probably just gas but he looks like such a tough guy with his rugby shirt on!)

And last but not least, here's my favorite bath time photo of Heath in his tiger hooded towel.  Look at that GQ pose - such a cutie!

It's hard to believe that his 2 month birthday is Tuesday!  Time flies...