toddlers and baseball

I thought it was just all in our head for a long time that my kid may be having the slight bit interest in baseball. It didn't really occur to me and my husband how realistic it is and how much he's very into the whole thing till the horrible plate collision his favorite player, Buster Posey, endured 2 weeks ago. He and I even made this get well soon card for his idol. On a daily basis he asks for the game, imagine how much he asks for it when they have a day off. Now he doesn't actually ask to watch the whole game. He'll pop in and out but get upset if we dare change the channel. Typical 3 year old reaction. 

This is the real baseball I hid from him. He thinks he's Tim Lincecum and attempts to pitch it. Bad thing is he attempts to do it by our car.

So with much request from mommy, he just holds on to it, and cuddles with it. 

So here we are, hours from tonight's game (which is now showing as I write this), and he just sat there on the chair while staring lovingly at our fireman neighbor's big fire truck. Tonight, he cried and exclaimed "OHH BASEBALL GIANTS!" when Edgar Renteria received his WS ring. I don't even know if he knows what's going on, or maybe because I was blubbering like a fool quietly, but it was cute and sweet knowing now that he's getting older, he has his real interests and loves them truly, even to the verge of tears while eating a chocolate cookie. It might be a stage, it might be a life long thing. I'll enjoy it though for now because it's interesting seeing it through his eyes. His eyes just see the game, and the players, not the money they're paid, if any controversy surrounds them, if there's drama or what their records are. It's just plain sweet baseball.

Summer Mantle

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas, silly beans. The season changed which means season change of my mantle, because I like giving myself extra work like that (and I'm indecisive). The theme, coming straight to you from Captain Obvious, is summer.



I went to the little antique fair last weekend here in my town. I got a few finds, including that big crate right there that is labeled from Antioch, CA. I put a few of my usual stuff up there, some stuff were kicked out. They got TDY orders to other duty stations around the house (excuse the military jargon).

This summer mantle has a boat. I've never been on a boat, unless you count this bamboo kayak I was on, other than that, never. I like them too. I think they're cute. Well, this boat is more like a yacht. It makes me want to wear Ralph Lauren and a sweater around my neck.

Among new guests is my birdcage filled with a star fish from the Philippines, I got from Monterey and some rocks I smuggled from lover's point, a book and skeleton key I got from an antique shop in Pacific Grove from our very first visit to Monterey since leaving it in 2008. 

Another item I got from that antique shop was this Paul Gauguin book which I'm sure I've talked about before and my "wow how did you survive a month of not being watered" succulents and "and."

Here are some of the homies that re-directed. Like my never going to disappear nest. It's on top of my coffee table books on my *surprise*, coffee table.

I found this beauty at that fair too. I've always dreamed of owning one of these. Maybe even washing my hands and face with it in the middle of the night. That whole indoor plumbing put a damper on it though, so I'll just display it. Plus I also think it's a reproduction since it only had an $8.00 price tag, or I totally just got a super bargain.

My pussy willow vase that I cannot get rid off till all of the buds fall off is in my family room now. I think the height works well here. I wonder how long it'll take before they poke eyes out.

I had to kick out the giant tweed chair out of the living room. It was just way too big for the space, plus my cats thought it was a scratching post. I can't get rid of the cats because I love them too much, so we just relocated the chair to our master where it fills the void of the now fired Ikea Klobo. This is a view of the living room with my son.

Sans son.

Sans big chair. Now featuring, little rocking chair.

New corner for my living room.

I'm really enjoying my living room. I give it about, say, till October, when I get rid of all of the little stuff and re-purpose and re-decorate.

Rainy days and cookie thieves

I made s'mores cookies yesterday. Probably the best idea I've had this weekend. Somebody seems to agree with me.

I placed a chock full of graham crackers in them. It seems crazy, but it actually makes sense.

That is also oozing bits of chewy marshmallows.

It is just so delicious, according to this little boy.

SOOOO GOOOOD.

Chocolate coma.

S'mores cookies

Preheat oven to 350F

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate squares
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Melt the butter and chocolate together. I just microwave mine for 2 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Afterwards, add the eggs, sugar and oil. With a mixer, beat until the mixture is well blended and thick resembling fudge, add vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and dark cocoa and mix again until dough has formed. Fold in the graham crackers and marshmallows until well combined but avoid over-mixing. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll 1 inch size balls using a spoon (or I use and ice cream scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Flatten a little bit to help the cookies spread in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes and place on cooling rack afterwards.

I personally think the cookies were better straight out of the oven or the next day--- but I can also just be weird like that. Enjoy!

From A Distance photo challenge

I decided to enter this photo for the I Heart Faces photo challenge of the week. It's a photo from one of my client photo shoots. I love shots like this where it was just really a good time to have a camera in my hand. I love this job so much. The son decided to go for a spur of the moment sprint during our session and dad ran along side him.

http://iheartfaces.com

Quick dinner pastas

We're back in the grind. Vacation is over meaning it's back to cooking daily and the excuse of being lazy is no longer plausible. I was in a funk the last month. I had no energy or creativity to come up with new ideas so I stuck to what I knew and made Filipino food after Filipino food. It's comforting, it's home, it's what I know, but my creative juices weren't flowing.

I've had a lot of coffee the past 2 days. It's a good sign, really. It means I'm back to making quick meals.

This was my quick less than 20 minutes dinner.

Calamari Linguine

Ingredients:
2 cups worth sliced calamari (I just buy the frozen kind)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced (or I used Tastefully Simple's garlic garlic)
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes, or more if you want it hotter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
1 package linguine, cooked according to directions, 2 cups of cooking liquid reserved

Cook your pasta according to directions. But seriously, you can cook your pasta while you're making the "sauce" because they'll be done in about the same amount of time.

In a sautee pan heated to medium heat, add your red chili pepper flakes, lemon zest and garlic. Lightly sautee for about a minute, then add your calamari plus 2 teaspoons of salt. I rinse mine first before I add it, Make sure you drain most of the water before you add it. Then add the juice of the lemon and continue cooking until you see the edges of the calamari curl a little, about 2-4 minutes. You don't want to overcook it because calamari tends to get tough. I used garlic garlic which I got from a party I went to, but fresh garlic works.

Add the pasta once the calamari is cooked. Follow with the cheese then combine everything together. Adjust your salt if it needed and if the pasta seems dry, add 1 cup at a time of pasta water. Finish it off with the cilantro, serve right away.

Photo uh, every 3 days

Well I'm already off to a fantastic start. I'm posting photos every 3 days now.

Day 2 was a short but sweet visit by E's godmother and her fiancé.

 Day 3 was a photo taken while hanging out in our front yard, soaking up some beautiful spring sun rays.

Day 4 is lounging down and watching TV in mom and dad's bedroom after a very exhausting park day.

Photo a day project

I'm debating starting a photo a day on Elliott. I've been ooh-ing and ahh-ing on Kerianne Brown's Photos lately. I've been in so much awe on how much she's done with natural lighting. I'm currently in the process of just gearing up my studio and well, the money isn't rolling in as quickly as I would want it, so buying gear wouldn't be so wise right now. I'd love to invest in strobe and the whats-its of photography later on down the line, but these are all the arms I have and I feel like I've always had a good knack with natural lighting.

I'm still understanding my new camera which I'm so in love with. I needed a project and a lot of people have been doing these a photo a day projects. It seems to be too much work but I need a challenge. So this is me testing it. Testing, testing--- is this mic on? So Day 1--- it's cloudy and crappy outside. A complete turn around on how yesterday looked which was 82 degrees and a dream weather for anyone that wishes to come to California. My son woke up at 6:30 today as oppose to his 8:30 schedule, and all he wants to play with is his new Toyota matchbox car.

Happy weekend everyone. I'm braving taking my child to the movies for the first time today. I'm armed with cash for popcorn. I got this. 

Spring dining table

Really, not much has changed. But there is one little addition this spring to my dining table. No, not the purse hiding on one of the chairs! Although, I should have moved that before taking this picture.

This wonderful white tray! I found it at Airman's attic on base and it was an ugly blonde wood and I just picked it up with the hopes of maybe giving it some type of bold color and using it to organize but on a spur of the moment day, I decided it should be white. My darling hubby painted it for me one afternoon and it found its way on top of my unironed table runner.

I love how the grains still show. I might sand it a little one day to give it a little bit of a rougher edge but I love how it looks.

Now I just wish the rain stopped so I can fully indulge on spring.

Sole with creme fraiche, rice and asparagus.

So the fish recipe is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe--- except hers I think lacked A LOT of ingredients. No offense to her, I love her, but it needed cheese and lemon and not shallots (because I don't have shallots) so I adjusted her recipe just like a chiropractor would to someone's back. I was going to make this tomorrow, but hey, risotto didn't sound that appetizing tonight so fish it is. It's so creamy around your mouth delicious. It's one of my favorite ways to cook fish and so nummy yummy.

Let's start with dicing some pecorino romano. 

Then let's whoosh and grate it around in the food processor because grating this would be a pain.

It will look like this afterwards. Now set it aside.

Grab an 8 ounce container of creme fraiche and mix it around in a bowl.

Add about 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard.

And capers. I put about 2 tablespoons worth because my husband LOVES capers, but add as much as you want.

Put about 3 tablespoons of the cheese in this mixture.

Zest 1 teaspoon worth of lemon zest. This is a meyer lemon which I find sweeter and tastier than your regular lemon, but any lemon will do.

Add it to the mixture of creme fraiche.

Place about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in as well.

Chop up 1 sprig of spring onion.

And 2 tablespoons worth of parley. Add it to the mix as well and stir and combine until they're merry and happy. Also, no picture, but add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

These are sole fish fillets. We love sole fish, but you can use this with any fish. I bet this would be great with salmon too. This is just what I happen to have. Dry the fish with paper towel then season with salt and pepper.

On top of the fish, add the creme fraiche mixture.

Spread it. Like seriously, don't let a single fillet not be covered. Preheat your oven to 450 F and bake this for 15-20 minutes.

For the side. I chopped up some asparagus. Preheat a skillet and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, when that's all heated up, add all the asparagus for a lovely saute.

Add a pinch of salt

Crack some fresh pepper

Then a dash or two of paprika. Every time I hear the word paprika, it makes me think of paprika from blue's clues. I watch it too much with my child.

Then we'll make French style rice. I usually do my rice the Asian way; rice + rice cooker. But I learned the French cook it like pasta. So boil a pot of water, then when it's boiling, generously salt it, just like you would pasta.

Then add 2 cups of rice. This is jasmine rice. It's all we buy--- in 25 lb sacks.

Cook the rice for about 10-15 minutes or until it's al dente. As long as it had no bite, it's good. I was very nervous doing this but it turned out great. Then drain like you would with pasta then finish it off by rinsing it for a few seconds. I still find this extremely weird.

Because we're making French rice, add some butter. This is 4 tbsp of butter for the 2 cups worth of rice. Stir together until butter is all melted.

Then plate everything all together. Rice on the bottom, fish on top, and asparagus around. Perfect for tomorrow just in case you practice Lent or it's fish Friday at your house (which coincidentally is both for us) .

Sole with creme fraiche

Ingredients

5 fillets of sole, dried with paper towel
8 oz of creme fraiche
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp zest of lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 spring onion, chopped
2 tbsp minced parsley
3 tbsp pecorino romano, grated
2 tbsp capers

Place fish in a shallow baking dish, salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 450F

In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients. Once combined, add to the fish making sure all the fish is covered. Bake for 15-20 minutes until mixture becomes bubbly.

Sauteed Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Preheat a large skillet, add olive oil. Once the pan is heated saute the asparagus and add salt, pepper and paprika. Saute the vegetable until fork tender. Remove from heat immediately to prevent it from over cooking.

French style rice

2 cups of white rice

Boil water in a large pot, once boiling salt the water.

Add 2 cups of rice and boil in medium heat for 10-15 minutes until tender or al dente.

Drain the rice in a colander then rinse then add to a large bowl with 4 tbsp of butter. Mix together until butter has fully incorporated with the rice.