Four Years Ago Today

The most perfect little girl was born. I can't believe it has been four years since Agnes arrived in my life. It has been the best four years of my entire life. She is the most amazing, smart, funny, sympathetic, beautiful, loving, and wonderful little girl in the world. I am honored to be her mommy.

Every year I repost my birth story. I have a friend who doesn't understand birth stories but she will in October when she has her first baby. She will love her story and it will bring her so much joy when she thinks of it. I love my birth story. It is my story. It is Sean's story. And, most importantly it is Agnes' story.

This was first posted on April 28, 2005 at 9:38 p.m. She was 4 days old.

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Hi everyone,

Wow, I never knew how in love I could be with someone. Miss Agnes is the most wonderful gorgeous little girl I have ever been around.

Okay, on with the birth story. It is a long one. Friday we went for our OB appt. and they did an ultrasound. My amniotic fluid was low so the OB said “You are going to be induced today!” We headed over to Labor & Delivery and we were EXCITED! We got into our room and they gave me something called Mizo (?) to get my cervix softened. By Saturday morning I was still at 2 cm. I was a bit bummed, so they gave me Pitocin and said I would have the baby that afternoon. I called Laura (my birth assistant) and she came down to the hospital to help Sean with the hypnobirthing affirmations and massage. Well, about 3 hours later they had the Pitocin so high, the nurses and doctors were a little freaked out that my surges weren’t killing me. So, I was having loads of contractions but I just wouldn’t dilate. That night they gave me Progesteglandin (SP, excuse my spelling of this stuff my mind is mush LOL) to get my cervix going. They checked Sunday morning I was still only 2 cm. At this point I was so tired I was convinced I was never even pregnant. The doctor on call gave me 3 options at this point. 1. Go home (don’t think so), 2. Have a C-section, or 3. Break my waters. I opted for number 2 because I was extremely exhausted and just wanted my baby out, but then the doctor said they don’t really like to perform them unless they are absolutely necessary. Fine, but why did they offer it? The broke my water and hooked me up to Pitocin and away we went. In 3 hours I was 6 1/2 cm dilated and we were excited! It was at about this time I decided to have an epidural. The hypnobirthing completely worked, I was not in any pain. The reason I took one is because my body was tired and not really responding what I was telling it, I don’t know if that makes any sense at all. Got the epidural and 3 hours later I was at 9 1/2 cm!! Woo-hoo!! Our families came flying down to the hospital, nurses and family members were taking bets on when she would come out, and all was good. It was around this time the epidural ran out Sean and Laura worked with me and we continued with massage, music, and hypnobirthing affirmations. It was absolutely amazing how well it worked. I was completely relaxed and ready to accept whatever turn my birthing took. However, I was not expecting what happened. I was stuck at 9 1/2 cm for 3-4 hours. The doctors told me I had to have a c-section (hmmm, wouldn’t this had been easier 9 hours earlier??). Anyhoo, they wheel me into the OR and my only request was everyone be laughing when we brought into the world. I have always thought it would be the best way to be born. At 8:30 p.m. they pulled her out, we were all laughing, and she was just PERFECT! Then all hell started. My anesthesia wore off. I could feel the doctors moving my insides, pulling things, and I could tell them how many hands were in my stomach. At one point I just lost it and started screaming bloody murder. It took them 10 minutes to call the anesthesiology back into the OR so he could help me. He finally got back and knocked me out completely. It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me or Sean. Surgery without anesthesia! Can you even believe it? There is much more to the story like hospital admin. people trying to find out what Sean and I are going to do about it. We haven’t really made up our minds but we think they should have to pay for therapy to get over the trauma and of course a million dollars wouldn’t hurt either. We are so pissed off about the whole thing. Although, it was horrifying, scary, at least two things happened on my birth plan; Agnes came into the world with laughter and she came into to the world to me and Sean.

We love her so very much. I can’t even imagine life without her. Our life before her has faded and she is everything to us.
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The last line explains how we still feel about her. Happy Birthday Bug. May the next year bring you much joy and happiness.

I love you,
Mommy

Super yummy, Super, easy, Super soup

I made this for dinner last night and we ate it for leftovers tonight. It is really, really good. Sean is not a big fan of soup and he had two big bowls last night. This is a definite keeper.

Meatball Minestrone ~

1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans**, undrained
1 (32 oz) container of chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
1 (1.4 oz) package of dry vegetable soup mix (Knorr makes a good one)**
1 (16 oz) package of frozen meatballs (I used Trader Joes mini-meatballs)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Italian diced tomatoes**, undrained
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
1 cup ditalini pasta**, uncooked
1 (10 oz) package of fresh baby spinach

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until they are tender. About 5 minutes
2. Stir in the beans and chicken broth, bring to a boil.
3. Stir in vegetable soup mix until dissolved. Add meatballs, tomatoes, and red pepper (if using), and return to a boil.
4. Add ditalini and cook, stirring often for 15 minutes until ditalini are tender. If the soup seems too thick add water until it is to the consistency you like.
5. Add the spinach and stir until it is wilted, about minute.

If there are any leftovers, you may wish to enjoy the thickened results as a stew, or reconstitute the soup with addition broth or water (that is what I used) to your desired consistency. We even had leftovers from tonight so I put it in a ziplock and put it in the freezer.

**Cannelli beans are white kidney beans.
**I am fortunate to have a grocery store that sells a lot of bulk food. I used their dry veggie soup mix but the Knorr one would work just as well.
**Ditalini pasta are little short tubes. If you google the image to see a pic. You could also use elbow macaroni.

April Fool's!

Agnes wanted to fool her daddy today so we made meaty cupcakes. We had so much fun piping the mashed potatoes on like icing. Little did Sean know that when he bit into them they were meat-loaf iced with mashed potatoes! Agnes could barely stop laughing to ask him "How are your cupcakes? They aren't cupcakes! They're meat!!" She is just so awesome!

Petition for Better Food Regulations

Hi everyone!

My friend Alex just launched an online petition to defeat House Bill HR875. I want all my friends to sign it! Go to http://www.LeaveMyFoodAlone.org to learn more and sign the petition. House Bill HR875 will change our food laws to hinder the local farmer and make it harder to produce and buy organic foods and buy fresh, local produce at farmers markets.

Here is a link to his blog for more information - http://blog.alextiller.com/

Please let your friends know about this House Bill and pass this petition on!! This is such an important issue so please post the petition in your blogs.

Thanks!

Wow. Just wow!

I was reading Cooking with Rosie when I came across a recipe that made me drool. It is a recipe for Capellini con Prosciutto e Mascarpone. I knew I had to make it for dinner this week. Well, I couldn't wait until later this week...I made it tonight. Oh. My. God. It was a bowl of perfection. Sean gave it a 4 out of 4 stars. Miss Agnes ate a HUGE bowl full.

The recipe includes on a few simple ingredients but the outcome is perfection. I added a couple of things to the recipe. I threw in about 1/2 clove minced garlic and a couple handfuls of fresh spring peas. YUM!!

Capellini con Prosciutto e Mascarpone
160 g capellini or angel hair pasta (about 4 bunches)
3.5 tbsp butter
1 small or medium onion, finely chopped
100 g prosciutto cotto or cooked ham, finely chopped
250 g (2 3/4 cup) mascarpone

salt to taste

1. Bring to boil a medium pot of salted water but don't add the capellini yet (they cook quickly).
2. In another medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat and add the chopped prosciutto and onion. Let gently simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Place a medium heat-proof bowl over the cooking prosciutto-onion mixture and add the mascarpone. Using a spoon, gently stir the cheese until it is melted. (I put my bowl over a separate small pot of simmering water).

4. The mascarpone will take a few minutes to melt, but it will still be cool to touch. Don't be tempted to heat in the microwave because it will be heated through once the hot, drained pasta is added.
5. Once the mascarpone has melted, cook the capellini pasta for a few minutes and then drain well. I threw the peas in with the pasta.
Miss Agnes stirring the peas. She loves to help me cook!
6. Add the pasta and prosciutto-onion mixture to the mascarpone and stir until well blended.
7. SERVE IMMEDIATELY before it starts to cool down. Garnish with parmesan (if desired) and fresh chopped herbs.

Thanks Rosie!

Daring Bakers - March ~ Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I followed the recipe for the pasta and Béchamel sauce. We were given the option to use whatever fillings we wanted so I made an artichoke & sausage lasagna that my family loves. I don't make it very often so I thought this was the perfect time! Plus, as you can see in the pasta pictures it was a cold and rainy Pacific NW day, which is perfect for lasagna.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:

A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches. Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.

A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.

A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick. The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
Note: although it is not traditional, Enza has successfully made pasta with a marble rolling pin, and this can be substituted for the wooden pin, if you have one.

Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.

A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.

Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

It was SO hard but I am really glad I made the pasta. I'm not sure I would do it again but it was really fun!



Béchamel

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

My lasagna recipe I used.

Lasagne coi Carciofi
(Lasagne with Artichokes and Béchamel Sauce)

1-pound whole milk mozzarella cheese (preferably fresh) or 4 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh spinach pasta sheets
1-pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups stemmed and sliced white mushrooms
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers, well drained, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (13 ¾ ounces) artichoke bottom or heats, drained and cut into ½ inch pieces.
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 recipe béchamel sauce
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 350°


1. In a large skillet, crumble the sausage and cook over medium-high heat, for about 8 minutes, until browned. Drain well. Transfer the sausage to a double layer of paper towels and press out the excess fat. Wipe out the skillet.
2. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the roasted peppers, artichokes, sausage, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Remover from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a colander and drain off all the excess liquid. Cover and set aside.
3. Prepare the béchamel sauce.
4. Lightly oil a 13x9x2 inch rectangular baking dish.
5. Spread ½ cup of the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange one-third of the noodles over the sauce, spreading evenly to cover. Top with half the sausage and vegetable mixture; sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Arrange another layer of noodles over the cheese, and then top with the remaining sausage mixture, 1-cup mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Arrange remaining noodles on top. Spread with the remaining béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella and 1/3 Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over the top. Sprinkle with parsley.
6. Place baking dish on a sturdy rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Back for 45-50 minutes, until the top is browned and the filling is bubbly.
7. To serve, let the lasagne rest, covered (I loosely put foil over it so the top doesn’t get soggy), for 5 minutes before cutting.

Serves 9-12








This lasagna is so freaking good. The artichokes, Béchamel, sausage...it all works so well together! YUM!!

My Kitchen, My World - Ireland

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Well, it is a few days late but better late than never! Guess what we had for dinner? That's right we had corned beef and cabbage. Now, let me stop you before you say "But corned beef and cabbage isn't even Irish!". Guess What? You're wrong! It is an Irish dish. It may not be a very popular dish in Ireland but it is most certainly an Irish dish. I did some research on this because I was tired of people informing me it wasn't Irish. I figured the tradition had to start somewhere so I decided to find out the answer. I found a great article written by Megan O. Steintrager. The entire article can be found at Epicurious.

Here are some highlights from her article~

Americans still think we live on corned beef and cabbage over here," says Irish cookbook author and teacher Darina Allen.

In fact, the dish that's synonymous with St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish in the U.S. is so rarely eaten in Ireland—for the holiday or otherwise—that some people wonder if it's actually Irish. In Irish Country Cooking, Malachi McCormick says he likes corned beef, but then adds: "But our national dish? No, it's a New World dish!" Furthermore, thanks to the many awful versions served in bars in the U.S.—and washed down with plastic cups of green beer—this one-pot meal is often reviled by Irish Americans and Irish-for-a-Day Americans or, at the very least, relegated to a sloshy once-a-year tradition.

So let's set a few things straight: First, corned beef and cabbage is most definitely Irish. Second, when properly made it's "delicious," says Allen Third, with the current multicontinent trend of chefs looking to the past for inspiration coupled with a craze among food-lovers for all things cured, this briny classic is poised for a comeback.
Although corned beef is "almost a forgotten flavor in Ireland," according to Allen it was once an extremely popular and important food for all classes. To "corn" something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing). In the days before refrigeration, corning was essential for storing meat, especially from large animals like cows. Historically, beef that was slaughtered and corned before the winter was served with the first fresh spring cabbage to break the Lenten fast on Easter.

Corned beef has always been associated with Cork City, because, Allen explains, "that was the provisioning port for boats before they crossed the Atlantic." In fact, between the 1680s and 1825, corning beef was Cork City's most important industry. The meat was exported to Britain, continental Europe, and as far away as Newfoundland and the West Indies.

These days in Ireland, corned beef is still most associated with County Cork, where Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery School and the Ballymaloe House and restaurant started by Allen's mother-in-law, Myrtle Allen, are based. Corned beef is sold at the English Market, a huge covered market in Cork City, and is also available at the Farmgate Café within the market—Allen says Ballymaloe House also serves it occasionally for lunch. "So there are people who eat it all the time."

But even in Cork, Allen says, corned beef "seems to be a flavor that a lot of older people enjoy more than younger people." Why, then, has corned beef dwindled in popularity? "The Irish economy is very, very strong, and with that comes changes in people's diets," she says. Yet for Irish immigrants, many of whom fled their famine-stricken homeland during the heyday of corned beef, the dish remained important. "The immigrants brought it with them and it became sort of like a cult food," says Allen. "I think what happens sometimes when people immigrate is life stands still. Their memories of a country, and of the traditions, stay as it was when they left."

But with so many chefs looking to the past for inspiration, corned beef could be poised for a comeback in its country of origin. "[Irish] chefs are serving a lot of peasant foods and highlighting them again," says Allen. D.I.Y. fever could also play a role in corned beef's return to the Irish table. "Over here, just as over on your side [of the Atlantic], a lot of younger people are getting involved in curing their own bacons and hams and things again, making sausages and salamis," says Allen, who runs a series of "forgotten skills" courses at Ballymaloe Cookery School, teaching students how to keep chickens, make homemade sausages, build a smokehouse, and so forth.

So there you have it. If you are Irish, Irish-America, or just wish you were Irish enjoy your corned beef and cabbage! Here is our St. Patrick's Day dinner!


Now, if I could only go to Ballymaloe Cooking School!