Moving Away and Making Friends

Something about me that you may not know, is that I live with my family overseas. We travel constantly and change our home address, to a different country, about every 2 to 3 years.

There are a lot of perks and benefits to this lifestyle but there are definite drawbacks.

We are currently preparing to do another move and with that one of those drawbacks is rearing its ugly head, those dreaded goodbyes.

Moving to a brand new country is tough enough, but while my husband quickly resumes work, I am faced with the difficult task of making friends, finding the necessary resources to help my family function in day to day life and just figuring my shit out.

Then, finally, everything is settled, friends are made and roots are starting to grow, and boom, time to uproot them again and say goodbye. Those friendships that you nurtured and tended must come to, not an end, but a pause that may potentially, if not worked on from a distance, become stale and then dissipate.

It's hard. It hurts. I've met some absolutely amazing people. From a woman whose life was dedicated to rescuing children from brothels in third world countries who is now a loving mother to a vivacious boy, to other moms who have given up careers to stay home and love and teach their babies to grow spiritually and emotionally. I'll miss them. I've learned from them and am grateful that I've had the privilege of crossing paths with them.

To you I say, don't take your friendships for granted. Cherish them for they will teach you things about yourself you may have otherwise not known. If you don't have many friends, put yourself out there, you'll be surprised at the people you will meet and even more surprised at who you may one day call a friend.

Baby O enjoying a relaxing lunch while the chaos of moving continues around her. Gotta love these kids

Walking Already?

It feels like just yesterday, my little girl was born, now, she is on the eve of turning 1 and she is starting to walk. Where is the time going?

I remember sitting in my hospital bed as she lay in my arms gently sleeping and holding on to a little piece of my hospital gown. I sat there and thought, "my life is simply...perfect. I love her and I'm going to protect her".

Fast forward and she is moving on her own and standing up by herself. My little princess, although still little, is not as little anymore.

She's on the move and ready to take over the world. Watch out world, baby O is coming.

Sorry for the blurry pic, but she won't still.

Happy Birthday Didiita!

I want to wish Didiita a very very happy Birthday.

You are a wonderful person and we love you oh so much.

MUAH!!

What time is it? It's time for lunch!

What's on the menu today for Lady O?

Well, it's scrambled eggs mixed with very tiny diced broccoli and cauliflower.

We've had a great deal of difficulty convincing O to eat her vegetables but we find that hiding them in eggs is a fantastic way for her to eat them. One of our many tricks.

Nom Mom!!!

A couple of steamed florets of broccoli and cauliflower tossed in a tiny bit of grapeseed oil, heated so it can cook to a softer consistency, then adding 1 egg and mix.



As you can tell, Baby O was enjoying her meal.

MOAR!

Today, baby decided she didn't want to finger feed but instead wanted mommy to finger feed her. HA!

This is a great lunch for mom too. 2 egg whites plus 1 whole egg and oh so yum!!! Healthy Mommy equals Healthy Baby!

Black Bean and Plantain Puree

One of O's favorite meals is Black Bean and Plantain Puree. It's a staple meal for her since it's chock full of healthy vitamins, minerals and protein.

As a matter of fact, I grew up on this stuff. My mother introduced it to me for baby O when I was at my wits end on what to feed her. 

The recipe is ridiculously easy and now, I pass it on to you to add to your stash of "What the F do I feed my baby" repertoire. 

I usually recommend homemade black beans. There are some great recipe links on Pinterest or anywhere on google. I prefer to make them my in a pressure cooker. Making a big batch at the beginning of the week, I have enough to last me until Sunday, when I make a new batch. 

Next week I'll post my own recipe for Cuban Style Black Beans. 

Black Bean and Plantain Puree:

1 Cup of black beans

1/2 plantain

1. Puree about a cup of black bean through your food processor or blender OR (since my daughter hates the noise), I press it through a strainer a bit at a time. 

2. Cut the tail end off your plantain and then poke it a couple of times with a knife or fork.

3. Wrap plantain in aluminum foil and place in oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 or until soft to the touch. 

4. Let cool

5. With a fork mash, plantain into pureed beans and voila! Black Bean and Plantain Puree for your sweet cheeks.

Enjoy their happy faces as they slurp this up! YUM!

What do I feed my baby? Part 1

My beautiful baby girl has hit this awkward stage when she likes to feed herself, only has 2 teeth and is rejecting her bottle for food. She is only 9 months old. What do I do?

To add to the complexity that is my child's appetite, she prefers (read really, really, really, really likes) foods that lean towards the sweeter side.

Here are some foods that my picky eater will indulge in. Maybe yours will too.

• Plantains- A GREAT add on that is full of lots of good stuff. The darker the plantain (yellow to black), the sweeter. Cut the ends off, wrap in aluminum foil and pop in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Let it cool and serve in bite size pieces for baby. Mix it in a puree with a veggie (beans and plantains are AWESOME), and you got a natural way to sweeten up purees with no processed sugars.
• Eggs- Many pediatricians recommend starting to feed baby eggs at around 8 months old, later if there is a history of family allergies. Consult your baby's doctor if you aren't sure. Eggs are a fantastic way to sneak in those veggies and a fantastic source of protein. My baby LOVES her scrambled eggs. I dice up and cook some spinach with them and perhaps some turkey and it's a quick lunch or dinner option.
• Steamed veggies- Yeah, I'm sure you've tried them all but here are a list of veggies that are usual baby favorites: Sweet potatoes, carrots, very very steamed broccoli, cauliflower, corn and peas. 
• Fruits- In general, fruits are generally pretty easy to feed baby. Pears are O's all time favorite. A few other's: Mango, Kiwi, Bananas, Apples and Strawberries. Bite size peices are key. Tip: Food Mesh holders are fantastic for teething babies. The colder the fruit the more soothing for babies. These are my favorites. 
• Yogurt- I've yet to meet a baby that doesn't like yogurt. Horizon Vanilla Yogurt is organic and oh so yummy. Mash some fruit in there and baby has a healthy snack (and so does mommy!). 
• Pasta- Very cooked whole wheat pasta or veggie pasta (yes, they do have it and it's a great way to sneak in a veggie), sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and yum!
• Cheese- Starting with soft cheeses (pasteurized of course), it's a great snack and a fantastic add on for meal time. Get that calcium in there mommies!!!
• Avocados- Avocados are in a category of their own. Oh so good with lots of good stuff plus healthy fats. Dice up a couple of pieces for baby and ohh...mouth drool for all. 

Yummy Mommy! Get your baby's food on and join in. Healthy mommy equals healthy baby! 

Real Housewives of Atlanta- Kenya Moore

Soooo...I LOVE watching Real Housewives of ANYTHING (except NY, I never got into it). RHO of Atlanta, Miami, Beverly hills, New Jersey...love them all. All them bitches be crazy, but there is one lady who deserves a special title in crazy town...Kenya Moore.

This lady is a total whack job...and I love it. Every time she opens her mouth I cringe at what is about to come out of it. Her claim to fame was that she was Miss USA in the early '90s. She has now joined the cast of RHOA. As this new season has unfolded, you see Miss. Moore clawing her way trying to convince her "boyfriend" to marry her/propose to her/impregnate her/give her a diamond. As the show has progressed, you can see this poor man's hesitation every single time the word "marriage" spewed out of her Miss. USA mouth. She looks so sadly desperate

Did I mention I love her for being crazy but hate her for being a total B??

Anyways, yesterday (or the day before yesterday...I forget), I was strolling through the internetz world and see this bombshell. This lady is actually faking this relationship with this man, making all this stuff up, just so she can get on the show. REALLY? AWESOME!!!!! This added a WHOLE new level of crazy to this woman. Who is saying such insane things? Who else but the "boyfriend". Salacious!

 If you are a fan of this show like me, you will enjoy this interview: Examiner : Kenya Moore 

Well, what can I say, BitchesBeCrazy!

Photo Credit: Bravo TV