The New Quests of The Turetzky Family

Well, I would like to blog about a whole bunch of stuff, but I just don't have the time right now. I have 4 papers (1 two-page, 3 one-page) to write and 10 hours of community service to do before I can really let myself blog more! For the time being, enjoy the pics and pray for me that I will survive the last few weeks of this semester!! Lila and me in Uncle Wayne's backyard at his 30th b-day party yesterday. I can't help but post bathtime pics--she's just so cute and loves her baths! All last week Lila would just fall asleep in this chair just like this. One of Lila's newest tricks is to arch her back. This pic is right after we were outside checking the mail, that's why she's wearing her shades :o) Last Sunday Lila and me playing. Look at those thighs!! (She's over 15 lbs. now!) Also from last Sunday. Lila's making a new face--lips pursed. Notice the Mary Jane booties I crocheted her--aren't they cute?? Making a cute little surpised looking fac...

Most people who read this blog probably know that Darren has food allergies. He is allergic to soy products and dairy products (nope, it's not lactose intolerance). This presents a bit of a challenge for me in the kitchen. Earlier this week when I was looking for a dessert recipe for St. Patrick's Day, I came upon a recipe for a chocolate jelly roll with green-colored filling and peppermint patties sprinkled on top. I did not realize until I read the recipe (and then looked at more recipes for jelly roll cakes) that in general, jelly rolls do not call for any milk or butter. Well, that is pretty exciting to me! Anyway, I of course tweaked the recipe a bit and adjusted the recipe to my own taste. One adjustment was not intentional though. I was going to make a White Mountain Frosting for the filling, but Lila distracted me and I ruined it (it's one of the few frosting recipes that doesn't call for butter, but it takes about 10 minutes to beat it!!). I improvised and used...

It doesn't take much to brighten my day...just throw a couple compliments my way and I'll be smiling all day! Yesterday I felt pretty. It's not one of those things that I feel on a daily basis, so it felt pretty good.  On a typical day I don't do my hair, I don't shower until it's nearly noon, and soon after the shower I'm covered in spit up. Oh, the glamorous life of a mother! And on the topic of my hair, it's falling out like crazy now that all those wonderful pregnancy hormones are gone! (I've read up about it and I know that it's just the "extra" hair that I had while I was preggie, but it's still not fun to see so much hair coming out!) Yesterday was one of those pretty typical days. I showered well before noon, but opted to wear a hat instead of doing my hair. I wanted to weigh Lila so I weighed myself first, then held her and got back on the scale to find out her weight. Lila weighed 15 pounds and I weighed less than I did be...

Last weekend was gorgeous! We finally had a weekend that felt like spring. There wasn't anymore snow in the yard and definitely none on the nearby tennis courts! With a little coaxing from Darren's parents (ok, it didn't take much!), we decided to put off our homework for a couple of hours and enjoy the great outdoors. If felt so good to play tennis! We hadn't played since last October when I was eight months pregnant with Lila. I will add that I think it's always good to put off homework for a little physical activity--it's an investment in your health! (One of these days I'll get up on my soapbox and blog all about my passion for fitness and wellness!) So we played a little tennis and then went to a nearby man-made fishing pond where Darren's neice Emalia was fishing. Enjoy the pics! Lila getting ready to go outside; Lila in the stroller at the tennis courts. A shot of Adria looking goofy as she's mid-air. Darren running for a deep corner shot. Dar...

Back when Darren and I lived in San Diego we discovered an Arabian restaurant called Ali Baba's. That is where we had our first taste of naan and hummus. At Ali Baba's the naan they served was as big as a dinner plate and oh so yummy! As most of you know, we spent last summer in Connecticut. While we were there myself and the other Apx wives would get together once a week for an afternoon of food and movies.  On one occasion I brought over naan and hummus. Per Mindy's request I am posting the recipes I used this summer for naan bread and hummus. Hummus 2 cups garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), drained if using canned 1/3 cup tahini 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic (or less according to your own taste) 1 teaspoon of salt 1 Tablespoon of olive oil Pinch of paprika 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (optional) Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add olive oil until you reach desired consistency. Garnish with the paprika and parsley and a little oliv...

I have been far too busy all month, and it's only the 10th! All I can do is think about what I'd rather be doing when I'm working on my homework. I seriously have a list of ten things I'd like to blog about...so I'm going to cross one off the list, even though I really should be doing some reading for class tomorrow!  One of my homework assignments is a 4 week long project that requires me to eat a flexitarian diet (semi-vegetarian). I'm actually really enjoying this and I'm trying all sorts of new recipes in the process. Here's one that I thought was so delicious I just have to share it! It is a recipe from The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook  which I have tweaked just a little. Winter Squash with Cranberries & Raisins 2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded 1/2 cup Craisins 1 small apple, chopped 1/4 cup raisins Juice and grated zest of 1 orange 1 1/2 tablespoons honey Pinch of salt 1. Preheat the over to 375F. Place the squash cut sides up in a lig...

So my sisters have made some comments about this pic of Lila that I posted on my Facebook page. The night I posted the pic I had just finished adding captions to all the pics and then my computer froze. That is why my sisters were left wondering. Well, this is not a picture of my baby in a straight jacket. It is her Woombie . It is the BEST swaddling device. The first night I put Lila in it she slept for five hours straight. This was when she was about 7 weeks old. At the time it was a record. Unfortunetly, Lila outgrew her Woombie in record time. I think we only used it for two weeks or so and then she was too big. I wish I had discovered it before she was born. The great thing about it versus just swaddling your baby in a blanket, is that they can still move their arms a little bit to get comfy, but they can't flail around and wake themselves up. It is made of stretch cotton and a little spandex and it zips right up. It is amazing and not a torture device!!

Lila playing with Daddy after church today. Bath time last Saturday night. Hanging out with Daddy a week ago. Gnawing on her favorite toy from Uncle Kyle. Looking cute in an outfit from Auntie Clarissa. Showing her Buddha belly to the camera. Looking cute in another outfit from  Auntie Clarissa.

Lila, my sweet pretty baby, did not want me to sit down with her all week! Actually, today in church was no different! For the last week, unless she's sleeping, she doesn't want me to be sitting down when I'm holding her. Since I've been all by myself all day for the last week, this has simply worn me out!! Thankfully, my friend Mindy told me about The Happiest Baby on the Block while I was pregnant with Lila. This book tells about a baby's "fourth trimester", the first few months when they still want the comforts of the womb. This is where white noise, the swing, and the sling come in. With these three tricks up my sleeve I was able to keep my sanity this week. When Lila is just crying (colicky I suppose you could say) and she's been fed, burped, and diapered but she still is crying, I just turn on the vacuum or my white noise track on my docked iPod and she immediately calms down. It is amazing!! Then she is calm and she can go into the swing and fal...

What a week! I am so glad today is the first day of a new week. Darren had many work meetings this week as well as exams, and it felt like all week it was just me and Lila. I was called to the Enrichment Board in R.S. two weeks ago and also had one meeting of my own this week, which Lila joined me for since Darren wasn't available for babysitting. Also, I missed all of my yoga classes this week  because I didn't have a babysitter. Yesterday Darren had an all day manager meeting from 9-6, and afterward his regional manager took him out to dinner (and I had actually made him dinner yesterday--now he gets to have it today!). After he finally got home, he met at our house with my cousin Meghan's husband and they worked out the details of their iPhone app they're creating for a contest at school. Meghan came over too, which was nice, although I'm afraid I bored her to death because I was so dead tired! That is how my week left me feeling, dead tired. And maybe I shouldn...