Enjoying the Simple Things

I love watching Quincy sleep. He is such a good sleeper, and I love just seeing him so peaceful. I wish I knew what he was dreaming about.

Oops! The flash kind of disturbed his sleep, and he rolled over. Too cute!


One of my 2010 goals was to make a better effort to spend time with some friends that I don't get to see that often. I am happy to say that in February, I was able to make that happen TWICE!

Quincy and I spent the day with my dear friend Mimi, her daughters Claire & Samantha, and the oh-so-handsome Tahoe.

Samantha was born FIVE months ago, and this was the first time meeting her!

Claire has grown so tall since the last time I saw her!


Now that Quincy is running all over the place, it was fun to meet up with Jaime and Maia for some Market Bistro take-out, and a picnic at the park!
Quincy warmed up to Jaime as soon as he saw she brought Teddy Grahams!

The kids LOVED the swings!


Being silly on the Jungle Gym


Kisses for Maia

Kisses for Jaime


Enjoying a beautiful afternoon in the grass

Blowing kisses to Mommy

Future Model?

He loves his bear blanket


Quincy will most definitely be a basketball player - HE LOVES IT!!!




VIDEO: The boys playing 'Rooftop Basketball'


Quincy CLOSE-UP


Sharing with big brother Forrest


Spending time with Great-Aunt Eleanor at her new home


Yesterday, we spent the afternoon with my parents and such had a nice time.
Being silly with Papa Tom


We took a nice walk through the neighborhood to the house with all the bunnies. We brought scraps of fruits and veggies to feed the bunnies and they loved it!


Then we discovered that there were babies in the front yard, and we were able to pet them. It made Quincy's day!




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In other news, I have been going to the gym 4-5 times a week, and taking Quincy with me to the Kids Club. He usually cries when I first leave him, even if there are other kids to play with, but the staff says that he usually stops after a few minutes and then starts to play with the other kids. He usually does so well until I return from my workout, and then he cries a little bit more, like he's relieved that I came back. It makes me sad to see him react like that, but I know that with time, he won't have that same reaction. And I know it is good for him to interact with the other kids there, and the girls who work there LOVE him. So that makes me feel good, because it allows me to do something for myself. I get to have some 'me' time, and get healthy, and that is a good thing.

For the last bit of this post, I wanted to include a recipe for some Mushroom Risotto that I made this week. I had tried risotto once before, and didn't like it, but I saw this recipe and it's all I could think about for a week. So I decided to make it. IT WAS FABULOUS. With risotto, you have to definitely have patience and pay attention to what you are doing - but it is so worth it. I served this Mushroom Risotto with grilled chicken breasts (which I seasoned (both sides) with Olive Oil, kosher salt & black pepper, and a little garlic powder, and then grilled outside (7 min each side on med-high heat). I also served a mixed green salad with tomatoes and homemade vinagrette. The meal was UH-amazing.

Here is the recipe:

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Prep Time: 10 minutes/Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
• 1½ cups arborio rice
• 1 qt chicken stock or vegetable stock
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 medium shallot or ½ small onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
• 1 container sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used half parm/half shredded mozzeralla)
• 1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat so that the stock just stays hot.

2. Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a saute pan and saute the sliced mushrooms until they're soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chopped shallot or onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until it is slightly translucent.

4. Add the rice to the pot and stir it briskly with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil and melted butter. Saute for another minute or so, until there is a slightly nutty aroma. But don't let the rice turn brown.

5. Add the wine and cook while stirring, until the liquid is fully absorbed.

6. Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process.

Note: It's important to stir constantly, especially while the hot stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching, and add the next ladle as soon as the rice is almost dry.

7. Continue adding ladles of hot stock and stirring the rice while the liquid is absorbed. As it cooks, you'll see that the rice will take on a creamy consistency as it begins to release its natural starches.

8. Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, for 20-30 minutes or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. When you're down to your last few ladles of stock, add the cooked mushrooms. If you run out of stock and the risotto still isn't done, you can finish the cooking using hot water. Just add the water as you did with the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring while it's absorbed.

9. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter, the parmesan cheese and the parsley, and season to taste with Kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper.

10. Risotto turns glutinous if held for too long, you should serve it right away. A properly cooked risotto should form a soft, creamy mound on a dinner plate. It shouldn't run across the plate, nor should it be stiff or gluey.

Makes 6-8 servings

ENJOY!