The Zoe and Silas Show

Silas got an Elmo prop plane from Grandma & Grandpa Dutra for Christmas. Zoe has recently decided that the plane is her favorite toy in the whole world. This music is all you hear around our house these days. My favorite part of this video is the way she stops in front of the stove to check out her cute self. At first it sounds harmless enough, almost soothing. After 30+ minutes of it going continuously, however, you might feel differently. Then she drives it into a corner and the propeller gets stuck, making the most awful grinding sound. It almost broke Derek the other day - he had to finally put it away! I swear I can hear it in my sleep. But the kids love it, so back out it comes :)

My friend, Megan, brought a proscuitto & goat cheese strata to a brunch we hosted last year. It was absolutely delicious. She referred me to the recipe on Epicurious.com , and I filed it away in the "recipes I want to try" part of my brain. Epicurious is a great source of recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines, which are two magazines I subscribed to pre-children. As I posted recently , we do a lot of brunch get-together's with friends. Today we hosted a twin family brunch - one couple, Carrie & Steven, are expecting b/g twins in May; the other couple, Sam & Keith, have 1-year-old twin boys named Nathaniel & Elliot. I thought it would be fun to get everyone together to give Carrie some ideas and info about planning for their new arrivals.  Sam is a vegetarian, so originally I thought about making a vegetable quiche. I realized it wouldn't be enough to serve 6 adults and 4 kids, so I decided to look up the strata recipe. The recipe as po

Our little goof balls are the definition of " monkey see, monkey do ". Typically, Silas will start doing something and then Zoe will copy him, but it definitely goes both ways. It started at some point this summer, and it has become a hilarious and annoying dynamic between the two of them. And yes, these are the same tupperware bowls that have been providing entertainment since August :) They recently figured out they can use the toy bins for this same effect. They just make the wispy scandinavian hair more static-y! Sometimes the mimicry is funny, like in this video. And sometimes it's silly. Silas likes to chew on a soft cloth when he's tired. Of course Zoe started doing it too. She will shove any stupid thing in her mouth and walk around with it, but she doesn't get the pleasure and comfort out of doing it that Silas does. Here she is with a bib that she pulled out of the laundry basket. And sometimes I want to strangle them. One starts getti

Squeezing dental care into the daily routine has been something I have been avoiding for the last 9 months. All the books say to start wiping the gums off with a damp cloth as soon babies start eating solids. Ha! If you've been at our house for mealtime, you would laugh too. The pediatrician will ask you about dental care at the 12 month well baby visit. When you have twins, life is just nuts most of the time and I have viewed these timelines as recommendations, not as mandate. As I mentioned recently, my Grandma Westerlund was a dental hygenist . Now that we have molars coming in and S&Z are 15 months old, I am trying to brush their teeth more regularly. I bought them kid-sized toothbrushes and fluoride-free toothpaste at Target a few weeks ago. I keep them in a cup on the bathroom sink. I'm trying to teach them the routine: we get them from the cup and put them back when they are done. One night before bed I showed them what to do, one at a time sitting on my lap.

As we are looking at our 4th major New England snowstorm in less than a month, everyone is cranky. Silas & Zoe are stuck in the house for days on end because the double stroller can't get out on poorly shoveled city sidewalks. Derek is sick of shoveling and driving home from work in bad traffic each time it snows. I am cranky from long commutes, running late, and inconsistent childcare arrangements due to weather. On days like this I turn to easy comfort food that might make us feel a little better. I associate runzas with my Grandma Halseth. Here is a picture of her with my mom and Aunt Sue. Grandma would often make homemade runzas when we would come to visit. Apparently many people consider them a Nebraska thing because there is a restaurant chain there called Runza . I was looking for something to do with a head of green cabbage from our farm share late this summer, and I came across a recipe for Runza Casserole. It is probably the easiest casserole I've ev

We had Silas & Zoe's 15-month well baby visit with the pediatrician on Friday morning. I have come to dread these visits. Up until recently there has usually been some area of development that I have been worried about. Following a few of these appointments we have ended up with referrals to various specialists or we end up going over results of tests that have been done. In the last year we have been referred to genetics, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and neurology. On top of that additional stress, the well baby visits usually last 2+ hours and the kids always get shots. Now that Zoe and Silas are moving around so much, it's tough to have us all locked in a small exam room for so long. The drill has been that the nurse assistant comes in, we strip them down, and heights and weights are checked. The kids stay stripped down to their diaper until Dr. Rundquist comes in for the exam. The exams take a long time, because there's lots to discuss and check with two kids. Afte

Even though S&Z had their 15-month well baby visit today, they were still total goof balls two hours later at lunchtime. As usual, Silas thought Zoe was hilarious! Eventually a game of monkey see, monkey do got started, which was interrupted by Silas attempting to feed Zoe strawberries...

This meal gives the illusion of taking a lot of time since it consists of a protein, a starch and a veg; illusion is definitely the key word here. I can make this for dinner using stuff I usually have on hand - no advance planning required.  Healthy, quick and delicious. Takes less than 45 minutes start to finish. Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts 2 chicken breasts Salt and pepper 1/4 c. flour 1 T. vegetable oil 1. Dry the chicken with a paper towel. Pound out the thicker side of the chicken breast so that it will cook evenly. Season both sides with salt and pepper. 2. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess. 3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, ~ 10-13 minutes total. 4. Remove chicken with tongs and tent with foil. Sauteed Veg Here you can use whatever you have on hand, I usually do zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms. Add 1 T. olive oil to the

Sometimes great days happen organically, and sometimes great days require some planning. Yesterday was a great day that falls into the latter category. At the beginning of December, following a 3pm dentist appointment, I found myself with an hour to kill before I needed to get home to relieve Julia. I decided to go to the Village and check out a cool new store called Regeneration . While I was shopping, I ended up chatting with a neighborhood mom who was out with her 17-month-old son. Come to find out, she lives 3 blocks from us. We exchanged contact info, and I proceeded to round out my free 45 minutes with a martini and appetizer at a great local restaurant. The mom and I started e-mailing that night about getting together. She joked that we were "cut from the same cloth", because I was celebrating an unexpected free moment to myself with mussels and a martini.  Fast forward nearly a month; I thought it might be one of those notions of a friendship that would never co

This recipe came from my Aunt Sue many years ago - I think the e-mail I have printed out in a recipe binder is from 1999! When we used to have friends over for brunch, I would usually make a quiche. Now the mornings are just too hectic with S&Z, so I have been making an "overnight" egg dish for these occasions. I can put the whole thing together the night before, and then just throw it in the oven 30 minutes before our guests arrive. Served with a side of fruit, it's a delicious, make ahead meal.  Serves 4 adults and 2-3 kids 9 x 13" glass casserole pan 3/4 lb breakfast sausage or turkey sausage 1 onion, chopped  2 c. shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese 8 pieces of bread, crusts removed so everything fits in the bottom of the casserole dish 8 eggs, whisked 1-1/4 c. milk Salt and pepper 1. Brown sausage and onion; drain. * I haven't tried this, but it occurred to me today that an optional addition would be to also saute peppers and mushrooms w

I have learned over the last few months that Silas has a tough time with transitions. When Derek gets home from work in the morning and I'm getting ready to leave, he gets irritable. When I get home from work in the evening and Julia is getting ready to leave, he often has a mini meltdown. Of course, the evening transition is more difficult than the morning because he is tired. Because he is a sensitive kid, I am constantly brainstorming about how I can make these transitions easier for them. The most recent trick has been to take them into the nursery to chill out and re-focus in a smaller space. I have noticed that they LOVE pajama time, mostly because it involves shedding the day's clothes and having some time in their onesies before getting ready for bed. They like this stripped down time so much that they have started toodling around the house in order to get the last bits of energy out before putting on pj's... They have a lot more fun now that they're both w

This picture was taken on January 12, 2011. As soon as I saw it, I thought of these; they were taken on January 4, 2010. A lot changes in a year, but apparently I am still rockin' the same haircut and love that fleece sweatshirt on a cold winter day at home. Oh, the babies are still stuck to me like glue too :)

I knew this would be a challenging winter, having two newly-minted toddlers at home. Julia tries to get S&Z out for a walk several times per week, but that's not possible after a big snow dump. Double strollers and unshoveled city sidewalks definitely do not mix! I also try to make plans 2 of my 3 days off from work, but getting out is proving to be more challenging this time of year. As the cold weather wears on, we are definitely having to get more creative with our indoor activities! Rachel & Keith gave us a water table for S&Z's birthday. First we tried it inside with water, We quickly learned that "only" 1-2" of water makes a BIG mess with two kids!!! The next day we put play balls in it instead. My MOT friend, Wendy, had given us the idea about the play balls when they went on sale at the end of the summer. She even found them for us at Target! You might remember how much fun S&Z had playing with them at Sydney & Ivy's bir

My friend and co-worker, Rebecca, writes an awesome food blog. She focuses on local, organic, sustainable food. Check out the blog at  http://ecofoodie.blogspot.com/ . Her most recent post really inspired me. Tonight I'm making the Broccoli Stir-Fry with Chicken and Mushrooms . I hope her EcoFoodie Fantabulousness might inspire your family as well!

This is healthy, easy finger food for 1-year-olds.  1 can beans of choice, rinsed and drained (I used pinto beans today) 1 zucchini, diced 1 summer squash, diced 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame Olive oil Salt and pepper Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and summer squash, saute until getting soft, ~ 5 minutes. Add beans and edamame, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat a few more minutes. Cool before putting on the trays of little ones. S&Z will probably eat this 2-3 times this week. Depending on how it goes over, I might make quesadillas with the leftovers. I love meals that can do double duty! Obviously you use whatever veggies you have on hand -- I've used "soycatash" from Trader Joe's before and that works really well too, as does throwing in some sliced mushrooms if you have some that need to be used up.

Zoe and Silas crack me up. They are beginning to figure out their likes and dislikes in the world. They are learning about human agency -- that they can make choices and impose those choices on the world (i.e., mostly on their parents and each other).  Most of the choices they can make at this stage are related to what toys to play with and what foods to eat. Food is placed on their trays at mealtime and it is up to them to feed themselves. You really can't force a kid to eat something they don't want to, and there is definitely no reasoning with a 15-month-old.  One day they might like one thing (frittatas), but not another (beans). A day later, they refuse the frittata, but they are all over beans. Zoe tends to be very skeptical of anything we try to feed her and she usually turns her head away. The food has to be placed on her tray for her to look at it, touch it, and ultimately decide if she wants to put it in her mouth. The main exception to this is oatmeal or cream

My paternal grandmother, Maryjane, was a dental hygenist. She was very proud to have earned a four-year degree at a time when not many women attended college. Maryjane's brother and father were both dentists. As a young child, a visit to my grandma's house in Duluth wasn't complete without a fluoride treatment over the bathroom sink. Grandma had teeth stuff everywhere -- tooth magnets, stationary, etc. She even had a large wooden tooth next to the driveway at her lake cabin in northern Minnesota! My aunt Sally sent me a package around Christmas this year. She had been going through things and came across some Christmas ornaments that my mom had made for her years ago. My mom was an amazing seamstress and craftsperson, but she isn't able to do this type of stuff anymore due to a visual impairment. Sally knew I would appreciate the beautiful things my mom had made so she sent them to adorn our family Christmas tree. At the bottom of the box of goodies were two small gif

I tend to have all the ingredients on hand to make this easy, one skillet meal. We buy chicken breasts that are pre-portioned into packages of 2 breasts each. These are great because you can pull one package out of the freezer when you get home from work and soak them in hot water in order to quickly thaw. Many of my go-to quick recipes use instant rice as a shortcut. This chicken and rice dish takes about 30 minutes to make. Arroz con Pollo Adapted from The Best Simple Recipes 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper 2 T. vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fine (I use frozen chopped onion, ~ 1/2 12 oz. bag) 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use prepared minced garlic as a shortcut) 1 T. tomato paste (I always have a tube of Amore double concentrated paste in the fridge for these recipes that call for such a small amount. Not worth opening an entire can!) 1/2 t. red pepper flakes 1-1/2 c. instant brown rice 1-1/2 c. water 1/2 c. c

People often comment on how interesting it must be to be a twin. By definition a 'twin' (n.) is "one of two identical or similar people, animals, or things; a counterpart." I like the last part of this definition the best, "a counterpart"... A 'counterpart' is defined as "either of two parts that fit together, or complement one another." There is something idealistic or romantic about this notion to me, the idea that Zoe and Silas complement one another. It's also interesting that their astrological sign is Libra. The scales are the symbol of Libra, and to me this embodies balance with another person or thing. "For a Libra, everything is better if it's done as a pair. Libras are good when paired up, too, since they epitomize balance, harmony and a sense of fair play." It sounds like S&Z chose the right astrological sun sign to be born in! I am always excited when I meet an adult twin, because I want to hear that the

Tonight is the first night I've cooked in several days. New Year's Eve & Day were spent celebrating with friends, and then I went down for a day with that darn bug. Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I'm returning to one of my favorite sources of recipes - Eating Well magazine. Eating Well is a gorgeous publication based out of Vermont that embraces local, seasonal, healthy cooking. Our friends, The Pritchard's, gave Derek a subscription to EW for years, and this is where I first came across it. You can find the print mag in many grocery stores. I use online recipes to save $$ and for convenience, but if you feel like browsing a beautiful food magazine, this is definitely one to try. On tonight's menu is Lentil-Sausage Casserole . For us, this is a recipe made with staples like rice, frozen spinach, a can of lentil soup (which I always have on hand in case I'm inspired to make this easy recipe), and turkey sausage. We like spicy stuff, so I use ho