Instant Pot Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo (HAPPY MARDI GRAS!)

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

Tree at New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

This year, I was able to make it down to Scott, LA for their parade.  This is always my favorite:  the floats aren't anything amazing like what you see in New Orleans, but my friends live on the parade route, and they throw a big shindig with lots of food and I get to see some of my favorite people on the planet.

Yes, that is a Minion Porta-John.

Robin wins for best catch--hula dancing dolphins with coconut bras.

And I got to meet this lil' cutie, my friend B's new baby!

As per usual, since I am no longer a resident of the great state of Louisiana, I have to work on Mardi Gras. In fact, I will be in training all day learning how to use our new accounting software.  HOWEVER, we will be taking a break over lunch to have the annual Mardi Gras Potluck (coordinated each year by yours truly, because I just can't give it up.)

Last year, I made a boudin king cake, before that it was bacon gouda grit fritters w/pepper jelly sauce, then it was king cake cupcakes, and before that it was another king cake (sans boudin).  This year, a coworker is picking up a king cake kringle from Supreme Bakery here in town, so I decided to make gumbo.  I've done gumbo several times here (see list at the bottom of this post for links), but I've never made it in my Instant Pot.  So I figured...why not?

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 8-10 two-cup servings) 
* Note: if cooking for a smaller group, you can halve this recipe...or you can freeze part of it. It freezes really well.

• 4 cups cooked brown rice (aka 2 cups uncooked rice, cooked)
• 1 lb small or medium shrimp, tails/shells removed
• 1 lb smoked sausage (andouille if you can find it), cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
• 1 tsp olive oil (as needed) 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used both red & green since that’s what I had on hand) 
• 2 stalks of celery, diced 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup instant roux 
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (or 2 cups regular + 1 cup water)
• 6 cups water 
• 2 cups chopped okra, strung* 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 Tbsp parsley 
• 1 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or more to taste after cooking)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the rice in your preferred method (I used the Instant Pot) and set aside.

2) Set the Instant Pot to Saute and cook the sausage (about 4 minutes). Once browned, remove the sausage and set aside in a medium bowl.

3) Put the okra in the pot and stir for about 3 minutes.  You'll see "strings" of slime coming off the okra--this is good, as cooking out the slime now will keep it from being slimy in the gumbo.  It will start to brown a bit as well, which is a good thing--adds flavor.  After the 3 minutes are up, remove the okra from the pot and set aside--you can put it in the same bowl as the sausage so you're not making extra dirty dishes for yourself.

4) Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and saute until softened and the onions start to go translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

5) Mix 1 cup water & instant roux together and then add to the pot, stirring until the roux thickens (just a minute or so).

 

6) Add the sausage, okra, rest of the water, chicken broth and spices to the pot and stir well--make sure nothing's sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Then lock the lid on, make sure the lid is set to "Seal", Press "Manual", and cook on "High" for 10 minutes.

7) Let the pot de-pressurize naturally (about 10 minutes), then open the lid and throw in the shrimp.  The residual heat from the gumbo will cook them without letting them get too tough & chewy.

Serve over rice (or with the rice mixed in, because my co-workers are a bunch of Yankees who aren't used to assembling their own gumbo bowls), with a side of potato salad and french bread.  

...and a side of red beans, jambalaya, veggies, Jimmy Johns, and king cake....  Because it's a potluck. And you start Keto tomorrow...so one last hurrah!!!

My Other Gumbo Recipes:
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (made from scratch)
Pressure Cooker Gumbo
Gumbo Risotto
Duck & Sausage File Gumbo
Slow Cooker Gumbo

Steen's & Tabasco Spiced Pecans

Hey y'all!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  I hope you're having a wonderfully relaxing day full of mulled wine, cider, and hot cocoa (while your kids play quietly/destroy your in-laws house).  I wanted to share a little Christmas snack with you (that pairs well with beverages of all types).

This idea came to me while I was having a beer at Lost Forty Brewing down in Little Rock, Arkansas.  They have these AMAZING molasses & black pepper glazed pecans that I have to get every time I'm down there.  

I like to make glazed pecans around the holidays (because they're delicious and make your whole house smell like a spice factory). I've shared a few different recipes for spiced pecans with you before--some in the oven, and some made using the microwave.

But this time I decided to "Cajun" the recipe up a bit...by using Steen's Cane Syrup instead of molasses.  Steen's has been around since the early 1900's, based out of Abbeville, LA (just south of Lafayette).  Sugar cane is big business in that part of the state: about $2 Billion worth of business, covering about 400,000 acres of farmland across 22 parishes, and providing jobs to about 17,000 Louisianians.  

I see Steen's used much like some folks would maple syrup or honey--drizzled over pancakes, served with biscuits, mixed in with glazes for BBQ...there's tons of recipe ideas on their website.

Also, because I like my spiced pecans to be sweet, smoky, salty, and spicy, I wanted to add in some Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce.  If you haven't tried this yet...MAN.  You are missing out. It is the #1 used condiment in our house, and goes great with nearly everything.  Scrambled eggs, chili, grilled meat, pepper jelly, queso sauce... I even added some to a beef stroganoff the other night. It's a really well rounded, balanced flavor profile with just enough heat.

This is a super-easy, quick recipe. Takes about 10 minutes of actual labor to make, then you just let them cool and package them up!  I made several batches this Christmas to share with coworkers.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp Steen's cane syrup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups pecans (about one 12 oz bag)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350*F.
In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the pecans and stir over high heat, until it comes to a boil.  Then add your pecans and stir continuously for about 3 minutes--the syrup will start to thicken (but don't let the syrup  burn).

Then transfer the pecans to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan, and separate as much as possible using a spatula.

Bake for about 7 minutes, then remove from the oven, separate pecans more if needed (otherwise they'll cluster together when cooled), and let cool completely.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. If you try them, please let me know what you think!

Dickey's Pralines

So earlier in the week I shared the first half of my candy-making adventure with my friend Amy. Now it's time for the rest: PRALINES!

I've made pralines before, from my friend Nana D's recipe. So this time, Amy brought her brother-in-law Dickey's recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
16 large marshmallows
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
These are another candy that can be a bit finicky about weather, but not as much as divinity.  Even so, best to make this on a low humidity day.

Put all the ingredients in a pot, except the vanilla.  Cook over medium heat until the marshmallows melt.  Stir constantly, until at soft ball stage (about 240-250*F).  

Remove from the stove, add vanilla, and beat until thick.  Then spoon onto parchment paper and let rest until cooled completely.

So--in the interest of candor:  Our first batch didn't set up properly.  We only brought them up to about 236*F, forgot to add the vanilla, and then didn't really do the whole "beat until thick".  As such, the batch we made at my house stayed soft, like a caramel.  Still super delicious, but a little limp and sticky*.  They did finally start to properly harden the next day.*

* "That's what she said."

As I mentioned in the last post, I decided to dip some of them in chocolate.  I figured if they didn't harden up, at least the chocolate would add some structural integrity.

Amy decided not to accept defeat, and made a second batch at her house the next day.  We met up during the work week and swapped candies: I gave her half of the divinity (and some of the chocolate dipped pralines) and she shared some of her properly set pralines.  And I gotta say--while the first batch were really tasty, the second batch with the vanilla---man.  It's crazy to think how much just a tiny bit of vanilla rounds out a flavor profile.

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Divinity

When I was a kid, my family used to have candy making days around the holidays. We'd go over to my Grandma's house, or an aunt's house, divvy up the roles and duties, and make big batches of fudge, divinity, sugar cookies, rice crispy treats...all the yummy sugary things. And then everyone would split them and take them home.  Well, after all the fun I had with my friend Amy and our gumbo-making adventure, we decided that WE would have a candy-making day!

We decided on divinity, and pralines.  Today's post will talk about the divinity, and the praline post will go up later this week! (edited: It's up now, here's a link!)

Now, I have my Grandmother's recipe for divinity, but Amy was wanting to try a recipe from Sucre in New Orleans that looked super-yummy.  (For those who want it, I've shared my grandmother's recipe at the bottom of this post.)  The main difference between the recipe we tested is...Jello. My grandma always made "Jello divinity".  Called such because... you guessed it... it has Jello in the recipe.  Since divinity base is just vanilla flavored, using Jello is an easy way to add flavor--my Grandma always used cherry Jello.  Divinity is one of those finicky candies that really needs to be made on a day with very low humidity (preferably <50%).  Adding gelatin helps ensure that the candy sets up properly, and helps it to dry faster.  

To be honest, I'd never had NON-cherry flavored divinity. So I was interested in testing out Amy's recipe.  And we were completely delighted with the results.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 egg whites, room temp (tip:  I made scrambled eggs for breakfast that morning, so I used the 3 egg yolks in that--no waste!)
1 packet Knox unflavored gelatin (we added this to the original recipe, to expedite drying)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup candy cane bits (I used crushed Starbrite mints)
16 oz bag dark chocolate (63% or higher) for melting 
Optional toppings: pecan halves, crushed peppermints
also need - parchment paper

DIRECTIONS:
First, I cannot reiterate this enough--you need a LOW HUMIDITY DAY. Below 50% is ideal.  My weather app said we had 60% on the day we did this and that worked out okay.  But part of the divinity process is letting it dry out--and if the air is too humid, that won't happen, and you'll have a sticky mess on your hands.

In a large non-reactive pot (stainless steel, glass, enamel, ceramic), combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Then heat to 250*F.  Don't stir until 2/3 of the mixture has melted and become transparent.  Once you hit this point, you can put your egg whites in a stand mixture and beat them until stiff peaks form.  (Timing can be tricky, so it helps to have a second person to manage this.)  Use a candy thermometer to keep constant watch on your sugar/mix temp (or a probe-type thermometer affixed so it's not touching the bottom or sides of the pan).

Once you're at 250*F, add the gelatin to the egg whites, and then slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg whites while beating at a low speed (another reason a stand mixer is a must for this).  The syrup will "cook" the egg whites in the process.  Keep the syrup in the center of the bowl--if you get syrup on the bowl it will form crystals instead of combining with the divinity.  Increase the mixer speed to high once all the syrup has been added.and continue to whip until the mixture cools and looks slightly glossy.  

Then fold in the vanilla and the candy cane bits, and then you can either put it into a piping bag (FYI, this stuff is SUPER STICKY, like making marshmallows), or just drop it by spoonfuls onto the parchment paper.  If you're feeling fancy, drop some extra bits of candy cane onto the top, or top with some pecan halves.

Now...chill out.  Or go make pralines.  Because it's gonna be about 3 hours before these guys are dry enough to do anything with.

BUT...once they're dry, you can get ready to dip them!  Put the chocolate bits into a microwave safe bowl, nuke for 1 minute, stir, and then nuke for another 30 seconds or so, and stir again.  Use a small spatula (or your fingers) to dip the bottoms of the divinity one at a time into the chocolate, and then use the spatula to lift them out and place back on the parchment paper.  

Let set until chocolate is fully hardened. (They'll cool faster if it's cool in your kitchen. We generally keep our house around 68*F in the winter, but on this particular day, we did a self-cleaning cycle on our oven, so the kitchen was at about 74 degrees...I had to open a window to get the temperature to drop so that the chocolate would finally harden.)

We had some extra chocolate left over at the end, so we also tried dipping a few of the pralines, and made some pecan clusters.

Once fully dry, store in an airtight container.  This recipe made a BUNCH, so I divvied most of them up as gifts for my coworkers.

~~~

Grandma's Divinity

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup karo syrup

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

2 egg whites, room temp

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 small package of Cherry Jello

1. In 2-quart saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat. Without stirring, cook over low heat (small to medium bubbles breaking across surface of liquid) until temperature on candy thermometer reaches 260°F or small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball which doesn’t flatten until pressed, about 40 minutes.
2. In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beating at high speed, gradually add hot syrup in a thin, steady stream. DO NOT SCRAPE SIDE OF SAUCEPAN. Continue beating at high speed until mixture begins to lose its gloss, about 3 minutes.
3. Reduce speed to low. Beat in vanilla. Continue beating at low speed until mixture holds a peak and does not spread when dropped from a spoon, about 8 minutes. (If mixture becomes too stiff for mixer, beat with wooden spoon.) Immediately stir in nuts.
4. Working quickly, drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper* Let stand until set. Store in tightly-covered container.

Boudin King Cake - Happy Mardi Gras!

As you know, I get to travel to Louisiana about 4 times a year for work.  And I generally try to schedule the first quarter visit so that it overlaps with my favorite Mardi Gras parade--the Scott parade, which rolls past my friends Bonnie & Paul's house, so they always host a big shindig and it's a great chance to see all my old friends.  

But this year, I couldn't make it happen. I had to schedule my trip much earlier in the year, and missed Mardi Gras season altogether.  And was very, very sad.

So sad, that I convinced my coworkers to let me host a Mardi Gras potluck at our office, on Mardi Gras day!  (This really didn't take a lot of convincing.  My coworkers are generally down for anything that involves food and chit-chatting over lunch.)

My colleagues were up for the challenge. Our CFO made gumbo, the compliance team brought red beans & rice, our social media manager (whose wife's family is from Abbeville, LA) made crawfish macque choux...one of my teammates made shrimp cornbread, and a senior scientist (who also lived in Lafayette for a spell) helped me put together a shrimp boil, with jumbo skrimps fresh from the Gulf. We even had bread pudding with bourbon sauce.  Everything was AMAZING.

And me...well, I was so inspired by all the tales I heard of Twin's Bakery making boudin king cakes, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Now, if I ever make this again, I think I'll use the sheets of crescent roll dough from the refrigerated section.  I tried using pre-made pizza dough with this version and it ended up a little doughy.  But overall, it tasted amazing.  And it was relatively easy to put together!

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 12 servings)

2 rolls of pre-made dough sheets (again, I'd recommend trying crescent roll dough)

1 package boudin (I was able to find Richard's at my local market, which hails from Church Point, LA) - 2 links, casings removed

1 egg

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you could opt for pork cracklins instead, like the Twin's original)

1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted in butter for about 5 minutes

2-3 Tbsp Steen's cane syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, then roll out one of the dough sheets. Place one of the links down the center of the sheet, and then using a knife, cut slits along the sides, and then braid the slits together (over/under).  Leave the first two and last two unbraided, so you can use these to "tie" the two sides together.

Now roll out the second sheet and do the same, with the link curving toward the first braid.  Once braided, curve the two sides together until they meet (you may have to break the boudin link) and then use the unbraided ends to combine the two sides.  Mine ended up a little wonky where the two halves met, but it still baked up just fine.

Heat the oven to 350, and then bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and drizzle with the Steen's syrup, and sprinkle on the bacon and pecans.  Cut into about 12 pieces and serve while warm!

So while I didn't get to spend Mardi Gras season with my LA peeps, we still got to have a great time, eat some great food, listen to some good Louisiana music...

...and enjoy each other's company.  Because Missouri Yanks can pass a good time at work, even while the entire state of Louisiana enjoys their day off. :)  Happy Mardi Gras y'all!  

Adventures in Parenting: 15 Months In, and 2017 Mom Resolutions

Time for another update! 

Weight: ~27 lbs (meaning he weighs roughly the same as his 3.5 year old cousin)

Teeth: still loading, at approximately 80%

The Kid:
He's been walking for over a month now, and is getting better at it, though he still trips a lot.  He's also getting better at handing his sippy cup back to us or setting it down on his high chair, rather than throwing it.  I mean...he does still throw it, but less frequently.  He's also starting to pick up a few more baby signs at day care and use them...but in his mind, the sign for "milk" is essentially the same as "want" for ANYTHING.  So we see the sign for "milk" accompanied by pointing a LOT.  Still not a lot of words, but plenty of babbling, and he also sometimes "sings" along with songs (not words, just the tune), and likes to bop along with music. He's still generally a smiley, happy kid (until he's not, and then it's time for a nap or bed).

I'm not sure this kid will ever sleep under a blanket. He's too busy flopping back and forth, apparently trying to figure out which corner of the crib his head fits best in.

He's also starting to understand how things work. If given a phone (or anything remotely phone shaped...like a remote), he'll hold it up to his ear.  The other day he held our infrared thermometer up to his forehead to "check his own temp".  Aaaaand there's the trash can.  Things go into the trash can A LOT.  ...on the plus side, it forces us to wash his toys more often?

He's been moved up to the toddler room at day care, which means napping on a cot and trying [again] to get him weaned off the bottle.  Hopefully this round will be more successful.  They tell me he's an excellent eater--he's the only kid in his class who will sit at the table & keep eating until he's finished all his food.  I'm hoping he doesn't start picking up bad habits from the other kids. :)  His use of utensils is improving, but if he's having trouble scooping or stabbing his food to get it into his mouth, he'll generally just chuck the fork/spoon and start using his hands.

Rather than using push-along toys, he wants to sit/ride on toys, or go for rides in his new wagon. 

Riding the Gator with his cousin while Gma supervises.

Unfortunately, it's a bit cold most of the time for wagon-riding outside, so we've been doing a lot of indoor wagon-ing.  But that's fine. I give him a bag of old Mardi Gras beads and suddenly it's a one-float parade!  (...where the rider puts on all the beads and doesn't throw them to anyone. Still gotta work on that.)

Waiting patiently for a ride, in his Abita onesie.

He also got his first haircut.  We waited until Christmas so his aunt (who is a hairdresser) could do it for him.  Buh-bye, baby mullet!

There's also this kinda cool new development, where he wants to sit in our laps while we're sitting on the floor, and then play with his toys while sitting there.  It doesn't always last long--he'll get up, go play with something else, and then come back.  Since I don't get as much snuggle time as I did when he was a baby, I kinda really love it.  He'll plop down in my lap, and then I pull his Mega Blocks table in front of us, so that we can both play (read: I build something cool, and then he destroys it.)

The Mom:
With 2017 starting, I've had a chance to look back & reflect on 2016.  I think the best word to describe 2016 for me is 'transition'.  I've transitioned from a mom who Googles every time her kid got a runny nose or fever, to a mom who doesn't freak out, but can focus on soothing her kid (usually with lots of snuggles, which is just awesome) and helping him feel better.  

(<3 me some baby snuggles)

Because kids get sick. It happens....a lot. And it's generally not doctor or Google-worthy.  You just give snuggles and hugs and extra sleep and plenty of fluids and a little medicine if needed.  I've also transitioned from a scatterbrained working mom who can barely hold it together to...well, a less scatterbrained working mom who can better focus on work at work, and kid at home.  

I still don't find time to cook as much as I'd like, but it's getting better.  Things are constantly changing....and that's okay.  Things never really get easier, they just change.  You get better at dealing with the challenges in front of you, and then the challenges change, so you adjust, too.

The Holidays:
Christmas was fun.  We got to spend time with family--well, Lil' Man spent a lot of time with family.  My nieces & nephews used to get really excited about seeing me...but now they just get excited about seeing the kid.  I've essentially been replaced by a younger, cuter, more fun version of myself.  

At least the littlest one  (age 3.5) still wants to play with me.  I think she harbors some resentment against Baby J for no longer being the baby that gets all the attention.  At one meal, I heard her say, "Daddy, make him stop looking at me."  

Lil' Man doesn't still get the whole "unwrapping presents" thing.  He'd get distracted and play with the wrapping paper, or just get bored and go play with a toy that was already unwrapped.  

I'm sure next year he'll be more into it. Now that he's mobile, a lot of time was spent just trying to keep an eye on him and making sure he didn't get into anything he wasn't supposed to have.  Easier at my in-laws, because there were 6 adults and 4 kids sharing the responsibility.  Lil' Man loves his family and getting all the attention. And he now has more toys than he needs, so it looks like it's time to cycle some out and pass them along or put them in a consignment sale later this year.

(This is just the living room.  There are plenty more in his room and downstairs.)

We also got to have a Christmas gathering with our old trivia friends.  We haven't gotten to play trivia...well...I think at all in 2016!  That's really sad, now that I think about it.  Everyone's having kids and such & just a lot of life changes.  But this was the first time we all got together with the kids, and it was REALLY fun.  It's nice to see how our group of friends has evolved, and to watch our little "2nd Gen" kiddos run around and play together.  I like the idea of watching them all grow up together.

The Resolutions:
New year, new year's resolutions, of course.  There are so many things I COULD say: drink more water, walk more, lose weight, go to the gym, be a good mom/wife, etc.  But let's keep it simple.

1) I got a 5 year One Line A Day journal for Christmas, so the plan is to write in it each day. I can manage a couple sentences.

2) Eat More Breakfast.  This was inspired by an episode of The Sporkful.  I'm a notorious breakfast skipper. So far, so good. I'm planning to use Instagram to help me track my progress.

3) Actually unsubscribe from the junk mail I get, instead of just deleting it daily.  This one is nice, because in theory, it should only require a concentrated effort at the beginning of the year--when everyone's will is still strong.  That effort will decrease the amount of mail later in the year.  It's really the ideal resolution.
4) Find time for self-care at least once a quarter.  Four times a year.  That's all.  Whether it be an outing with friends, coffee by myself with a book, or a trip to the salon... just something other than a solo trip to the grocery store (which I do still appreciate, but it doesn't quite count as self-care).  I tend to be the type of person who doesn't get another pedicure until all the polish from the LAST pedicure has disappeared from my toes. And haircuts...well...if I get one a year, that counts, right?  And while I love a great massage...if I don't make an appointment for another before I leave the spa...it's not going to happen for at least another year. It's not that I don't enjoy pampering--I'm human, after all, I LOVE pampering. I just don't make time for it.  And I need to work on that.
5) Keep the kid alive.  This is probably a given, but still a good goal.

If you'd like to share your resolutions, I'm all ears!  Happy New Year, y'all!

Adventures in Parenting: 14 Months In.

Hey all--it's the holiday season!  Which means life is crazy busy.  But when isn't life crazy-busy, really?  Anyway, here's what's been going on since we last chatted.

Teeth:  we have CANINES coming in.  Top row canines.  He hasn't even gotten his bottom 1st molars yet.  His teeth are confused and out of order and he's BITEY.

WALKING (and falling):  Yes, he's finally walking.  It started about a week ago, with just a few steps.  Now he can toddle most of the way across a room, and also stand up on his own.  And now...the falling into things.  Yesterday, he managed to trip and fall into a door, the dog, his bookshelf, and an end table. No serious injuries yet, just a few scrapes and red spots (and LOTS of tears).  Not sure why he always picks the hard surfaces to fall into, rather than the padded coffee table, overstuffed chairs, etc.

New House:  Finally got moved into the new place.  The first night, we were so busy unpacking that Lil' Man didn't get put down to bed until 9pm. I was expecting him to be restless and up all night from being in a new place...but he slept through the night.  Wow...maybe it won't be that bad, I thought.  And then he was up every hour or so the night after that.  After a week, he finally settled in and got back to (mostly) sleeping through the night, but it was a little rough there.

There are plenty other adjustments to be had--like all the cabinets have no handles so our current babyproofing locks don't work, so we had to buy new ones. Or the baby gate at the top of the stairs that he likes to smoosh his face up against and reach underneath.  And he's also discovered that he can pull all the fun toys and books and decorative pieces OFF the cube shelf in his room.

Tantrums:  From a scientific perspective, I get it:  it has to be incredibly frustrating to have so many ideas, wants and needs to express, but be so limited in the ability to communicate them to anyone else.  When all you can do is point and grunt, life is essentially a REALLY long game of "Hot & Cold".  Lemme carry you around, you point in the general direction of the thing you want, and then you start bawling when I walk too far past the thing you wanted (usually a light switch, a door knob, or his toothbrush). Or when I take away the thing you want to play with because we need to stop changing our diaper and go to the grocery store.

That being said...it gets a little old.  I dunno where he learned these dramatics from.  You always hear about the "Terrible Twos" and the "Threenagers".  But "Tantruming 14 Month Old" has apparently never caught on.

New Day Care:  He's been at his new day care for a few weeks now.  It's been an odd transition--at his old day care, they had moved him up to the 1's class, so he was the littlest guy in there, and the only non-walker. At this day care, they decided to start him in the infant room so they could have a chance to assess him and so that he wouldn't get plowed over by the bigger kids. So now he's the oldest one in the room.  Drop-off has gotten a little more challenging too, as he's having some separation anxiety when we leave. It's slowly getting better--and if we time it right, breakfast is there when we drop him off and I can just put him into a high chair, and he could care less if I'm leaving him so long as there's food to eat. :)

It sorta feels like a step backward, since they were weaning off the bottle, and getting him to sleep on a cot in the old 1's class, and now that he's in the infant room his new teacher is fine with giving him both a sippy and a bottle, and he's back to napping in a crib.  But his new teachers are great, the facility is very nice, and aside from a few tears at drop off, he seems to be doing great, playing well, eating well, etc.  

Playing tunes for his new girlfriend/groupie, K.

Utensils:  His first day at his new day care, they sent me a photo of him eating lunch...with a spoon.  I'd never tried actually giving him a spoon to eat with, so we're working more of that in.  He's got the general mechanics down, but actually getting stuff a) ON the spoon, and then b) KEEPING it on the spoon is a challenge.

Thanksgiving:  We decided to host this year, since we have the new, bigger house.  My in-laws came to stay with us over the holiday and seemed to enjoy the new guest bedroom with attached bathroom.  Lil' Man always enjoys having them visit, and cried big fat tears when the left and he couldn't get horsey rides on his grandpa's legs anymore.  We did a traditional dinner with ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, pea salad, stuffing, and of course pie.  Lil' Man loved all of it--especially the week's worth of leftovers. 

Oh, and Cool Whip.  We had to hide the container from him for the rest of the week until we'd eaten it all, because if he saw it come out of the fridge, he'd start pointing and pitch a fit if we didn't give him a spoonful.

Stay tuned for next month, where we get to talk about Christmas!