Chicken Thighs in a French Onion Sauce

EJ loves onions. He stands next to me, stealing raw slices, as I'm chopping them. No joke. So this meal is a big hit for him while I'm prepping and when it finally hits the table.

I came across the recipe and decide to modify it and make it safe for my food allergy family. It does take some time to pull together, so it's definitely a weekend meal. But it's worth the work.....plan on everything taking 2 hours.  I like to serve it with a simple green salad and a Schar Gluten Free Baguette.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp or vegan butter or olive oil
2 lbs sliced onions
2-3 chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless-skinless chicken thighs, dried, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Chopped parsley for garnish
Optional:
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Equipment Needed:
Large oven-safe pan with lid (or cover with foil)
Cheese grater
Foil

Let's Cook!
Heat oven to 350 degrees
1. In a large pan, melt vegan butter or warm oil over medium heat
2. Add sliced onions, stirring occasionally until golden brown (about 30-45 minutes)

3. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, 1 minute
4. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock, bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes
     Chicken cooked in new pan
5. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive over medium-high heat
6. Sear chicken thighs for 3 minutes per side, set aside 
     Return attention to original pan
7. Add remained 1 cup of chicken stock to the onion sauce mixture
8. Stir in balsamic vinegar and mustard
9. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until sauce is reduced to half, 5-10 minutes
10. Place the chicken in the onion sauce, cover pan with lid or foil
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through
12. Remove pan from oven
This can be the last step, if you are dairy free.

This is EJ's giant bowl!

13. Sprinkle with cheese and broil 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted
14. Garnish with parsley

Serve!

Contains: Optional milk (cheese topping), mustard

Recipe inspiration: http://www.closetcooking.com/2015/04/french-onion-chicken.html

Apple Pie Crumble | VEGAN | GLUTEN FREE

One of the hardest parts of the holidays, making sure we have a safe dessert for EJ! Imagine being a kid and watching everyone else enjoying an amazing piece of pie....and you can't have any. I've purchased all the frozen safe versions and they are just ok. Nothing beats a nice slice of FRESH homemade pie.

With a little trial and error, Mission Accomplished! Even the non-allergy family members were going in for seconds. Truth be told, nothing beats the real thing but this a nice runner up.

Ingredients: 
Wholly Wholesome Gluten Free Pie Shell (found at Sprouts in frozen section)

Filling: 
4-5 medium Granny-Smith apples: peel, core and slice
2 tbsp vegan dairy-free butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar (to taste)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (make a slurry)

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup of gluten-free quick cooking rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup of vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/4 cup of vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum)

Equipment Needed:
Medium sized mixing bowl
Sauce pot
Baking sheet
Foil

Let's Cook! 
Heat oven to 375 degrees
1. Melt vegan butter and cinnamon over medium heat
2. Stir in apples, sugar and water
3. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes or until lightly softened
4. Remove pie shell from freezer and put it on a baking sheet
5. Lightly poke the shell with a fork (as stated on the shell directions)
6. Stir the corn starch slurry to the apple mixture
7. Continue to cook until for about 1 minute until bubbly the mixture is thickened
8. Let the apple filling slightly cool while you prepare the crumble
9. In medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt
10. Cut the vegan butter and shortening into the mixture until is resembles coarse crumbles
11. Pour the apple filling into the pie shell
12. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the pie filling

13. Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil to avoid scorching (as started on shell directions)

14. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until juices are bubbly and topping is golden brown
15. Cool slightly

Serve! 

Contains: corn (cornstarch), soy (vegan butter), palm fruit (sustainably sourced shortening)

Chicken, Mushroom, Carrot, and Potato Soup

It's that time of year.....cold season! And when one kid gets sick, the whole house gets sick. Time for soup. Luckily my kids love soup! Homemade soup always tastes better than store bought and you can control what goes into it. With food allergies, knowing exactly what's in your food is mandatory.

Ingredients:
1 package chicken thighs or breast: cut into pieces
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 yellow onion: halved and thinly sliced
1/2 lb of mushrooms: halved and sliced
1/2 cup of wine (sub water if needed)
2 large carrots: peeled and sliced
4-5 medium red potatoes: diced into 1" squares
2 cups of chicken broth or stock
2 cups of water
2 tbsp cornstarch: make a slurry by adding 1 tbsp of water
Fresh thyme and parsley: coarsely chopped
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Equipment needed:
Cast iron dutch oven or large pot with a lid

Let's cook!
1. Dry the chicken pieces with a towel and then season with the paprika, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat pot over medium-high, warming 1-2 tbsps of olive oil until hot
3. Add the chicken and cook 2-3 per side, until lightly seared but not cooked through
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
If the pan is dry add 1-2 tsps of oil
5. Add the onion to the pot and cook until it begins to soften, 2 minutes
6. Stir in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper ,cook until the juices start to release, 4 minutes
7. Slowly pour in the wine, deglazing the pan and scraping up any brown bits from the pan, 30 seconds
8. Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot, stir, and cover for 4-5 minutes, occasionally stirring
9. Pour in equal amounts of chicken stock and water until everything is submerged
10. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, return chicken to the pot, cover
11. Cook, stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 12-15 minutes
12. Remove from heat and stir in herbs, season with salt and pepper

Serve! 

Contains: corn (cornstarch) 

I served the soup with hot bread: https://www.schaer.com/en-us/p/baguette

Recipe inspiration: https://sunbasket.com/recipe/braised-chicken-with-carrots-potatoes-and-thyme 

Do not feed the animals

It's pretty common that you see this sign in parks and zoos. You take notice and hopefully don't feed the animals anything. Maybe the animals are on a special diet, they don't want them being overfed, fed the wrong food....either way, don't feed the animals. It's clearly stated, you follow the rules.

Now there are some rules that aren't posted but should be common sense. DON'T FEED KIDS YOU DON'T KNOW. Outside of food allergies and special diets, you are teaching the kid to accept candy from strangers!!

As parents, we try and teach our children to be safe. Look both ways before crossing the street, hold my hand, don't leave the park with anyone but Mommy, watch where you're going, don't take food from strangers. I don't care how cute you think my kids is, how my kid is looking at you while you're eating (believe me, they are well fed) or even if my kid asks you for food......DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.

Things you should do as a parent; find and ask the kids parent, tell the kid to go get their parent, just say no....be a responsible adult.

Teaching a child that it's ok to accept something from a stranger is wrong. No matter how many times I can tell my kids, don't take food or candy from a stranger....it's CANDY! So as responsible adults, we should teach kids to ask their parent first. So when someone tells them, "you don't have to ask your mommy," their sensors will go off!! I want to empower my kids to make the right decisions but it does take a village of people who respect the rules.

DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.

You do too much!

"You do too much with those kids!" I hear that a lot. Yes, I'm exhausted and tired but it's all worth it. No, it's not just for the smiles on their faces. Or even just to wear them out. 

Until I had EJ, I worked full-time. I remember sitting in the office wishing I could be the one spending the day with Sophia. When we moved to the Silicon Valley, I got that opportunity. I'm taking full advantage of being able to spend my days with them. We are creating memories. They'll be able to look back at pictures and see all the fun things we did together. One day, I may not be able to stay home. And the last thing I want to be doing is sitting back in an office saying, "Shoulda, woulda, coulda when I wasn't working." 

We made a list of places we wanted to explore and we are crossing them off our list. It's as much for me as it is for them. 

And have you ever stayed in the house with 2 kids all day long? How does the house look at the end of the day??? A DISASTER! Every single toy is thrown across the floor, the house is tee-peed with toilet paper, dishes piled up in the sink and anything you thought you'd get done.....still sitting there. We leave the house in order to keep it IN ORDER. I'd rather kill myself being out of the house doing something rather than have 2 kids bouncing off the walls and cleaning all day! 

The Quiet Dinner

With 2 kids a quiet dinner is rare. Most nights consist of me shoveling the food down my throat in a race to finish eating before the kids. They usually have a 5 minute advantage on me! Basically leaving me 2 minutes and 43 seconds to consume as much food as I can before a plate goes flying to the floor. I've become a winning marathon eating champion with only a few losses under my belt. With quick reflexes, I've been able to add a few saves to my title too! Never knew I could simultaneously shovel food with one hand and quickly grab a flying plate with the other. If this was an olympic sport, I'd be on the team for sure.

On Sunday, I cooked mussels in a white wine sauce. I cooked the kids their own dinner prior to ours, not because the kids wouldn't like it, but because I didn't want to share. AND we got the kids down before we sat down to eat. Just the two of us were sitting there, it was so quiet and calm. I was slowly eating and enjoying my meal. By enjoying I mean being able to actually chew my food rather than swallow it whole. Such a treat!

As much as it was an enjoyable treat to have a quiet dinner, I realized that it was only nice because of the daily chaos. The craziness, crying, screaming, fighting, running and flying plates....with all that drama I am able to appreciate the quiet moments. It made me love my daily chaos a little bit more. Because in that chaos you discover smiles, laughing, dancing, learning and teaching.

No it wasn't a nice, fancy dinner out. We don't get to do that very often. It was just a moment at the table with my hubby enjoying a delicious meal. Some couples without kids have that every evening. It made me think. Sure it was nice but I did pick the right path for me. I wouldn't feel complete without my kids. It's a rough, bumpy path filled with gallons of coffee and wine.....but it's my perfect chaos.

Boxed Dinner for 2

I've always loved finding new recipes, shopping for ingredients and cooking. Now with 2 kids, that's been challenging....to say the least. My recipe rotation has gotten B-O-R-I-N-G due to the lack of newness. And with the added stress of EJ's allergies, finding new recipes for the whole family is nearly impossible. Find me something delicious that doesn't include Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Peanuts or Tree-nuts....and that also doesn't include his other possible allergens; soy, mustard and peas. And while you're trying to find that recipe, imagine 2 screaming children behind you.....yeah. Oh and did I mention, I need meals 7 days a week since we really can't eat out. Good times.

A few people had mentioned the box meal delivery services. They ship you the ingredients, you cook. I honestly wasn't sure how it would work for my family but I gave it a shot. I was able to try Blue Apron for free through a fellow member of a Mom's group!

I only got a picture of 2 of the meals because I ended up doing the steak meal as a lunch on Father's Day. The lemon-pepper sauce that was supposed to accompany the steak did not turn out correctly. The instructions said to add the butter then the lemon and water, the butter sizzled to nothing but oil. So it ended up just being a plate of mashed potatoes with sugar snap peas and radishes. The ingredients were fresh and the meat was of great quality. Just didn't turn out like pictured without the sauce, so I didn't snap it. (I did remake this recipe and nailed the sauce by adding the butter last, not first.)

Seared cod with an asparagus, potato and radish salad. This was surprisingly better than expected. It called for tarragon, which I'm not a fan of, so I did cut how much I used. Super light dish with interesting flavors. Only complaint, they sent 2 dishes with radishes included. I felt it should have been a bit more mixed up.

Last, the hoisin glazed chicken meatballs with zucchini and brown rice was my least favorite. About halfway through, I couldn't handle the sweetness of the hoisin sauce. I would never attempt to make this again.

After seeing my photos on Instagram, a friend told me about Sunbasket. Same concept as Blue Apron and the same price point. They do offer 2 free meals with your initial order but I did have to pay for this box. And honestly, it was worth every penny! I was able to select the 3 meals from 7 different options. Which is important to not have 2 dishes with the same ingredients on back to back nights. But most importantly, the flavors were superior!

First up was the salmon with mango salsa. Bonus, I learned a new cooking technique for salmon! I had NEVER attempted to pan sear the salmon with the skin on. I may never cook it any other way. HA! The mango salsa was so good but next time I will probably cut the pieces a bit smaller. Not pictured was a coconut cream sauce.....to die for.

Pork belly and kimchee fried rice. My mouth is watering just looking at the photo. I had never attempted a dish like this before. Now I am trying to find out where to find some pork belly so I can recreate this one!!!

Last up, thai turkey lettuce cups that we had for lunch. I wasn't sure these would be filling enough for dinner but I was wrong. We were stuffed! My hubby said it smelled like a restaurant in the house. HA!

I honestly am so excited for this weeks box to arrive. These are going to be our weekend meals and I'll be making the kids a separate easy meal like gluten-free pasta and baked chicken strips. We'll also keep my boring rotation during the week. Or maybe because we've added in these yummy meals, my rotation won't seem so boring. Either way, I'm excited to have some new flavors and cooking techniques in my kitchen!!!

No wheat please!

I had EJ tested for allergies back in February. He tested positive for peanut, milk, wheat, eggs and some tree nuts. I left the office with an Rx for an EpiPen. My mind was racing and I was scared. How do you avoid all of those foods in everyday life? How allergic is he?? I instantly joined allergy Facebook groups for support. Worst thing I could have ever done. Post after post of parents talking about how they had to Epi their child today. It made my anxiety levels go through the roof. I wasn't sleeping, jumping at every cough he made, watching him for scratching, basically I was making myself crazy. I unjoined those groups and read up on the facts and how and when to use the EpiPen. I felt I had gotten to a place where I felt empowered and in control. But I also understood how quickly things can go south.
One thing I didn't do, remove all the allergens from our house with the exception of peanuts. Sophia is 4 and I never wanted to penalize her by removing the snacks from the cabinets.
On Tuesday, the kids were having a snack while I got together Sophia's ballet bag. EJ was having his rice crackers (in a purple bag) and Sophia had a little snack pack of Annie's bunny grahams (in a purple bag). She left her bag on the table and EJ managed to reach for it. When I came back downstairs, he was holding the bag and sharing them with the Grandparents. I could tell he had eaten at least one since he had crumbs on his mouth and a little bit of redness on his chin. I ran him upstairs and wiped his mouth off and gave him a dose of Benadryl. My heart and mind were racing. It was only wheat, no peanuts....we'll be OK. We'll be OK. After 30 minutes, the redness around his mouth was gone. Whew, no other symptoms. I felt relief and honestly some excitement thinking that maybe he wasn't really allergic to wheat!
We headed out to lunch and as we were ordering lunch, EJ starts vomiting. I start cleaning him up and he starts yelling, "OUCHIE, OUCHIE, OUCHIE!" I bring him out to the car to change his clothes and as I removed his pants, his legs are covered in welts. Welts that are spreading fast all over his body. I start wiping off his skin with a baby wipe to get the skin clear from any throw up. He starts vomiting on me and then coughing. My mind is racing, is he coughing from vomiting or is he having trouble breathing. I grab his inhaler and give him a couple of puffs as I run back into the restaurant to grab my in-laws.
At this point, I know I need to use the EpiPen. The EpiPen, I never wanted to use. I have my MIL call 911. They agree I need to use the EpiPen. I pull the blue pin out and hit the side of his thigh and it pops. EJ let out the loudest scream and grabs at my hand. I count out-loud; "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10." I remove it from his leg and quickly grab him, holding my poor little boy on my chest. Within a minute the paramedics arrive. The hives are subsiding and he's breathing normally. They escort us quickly into the ambulance.
We arrive at the ER and suddenly his entire body is swollen, hives start forming and he starts coughing again. It's even worse this time and he's screaming in pain. They administer another Epi, more Benadryl and oral steroids. I'm terrified knowing how quickly things can go south. This is his rebound and it's worse than the initial reaction. After all that he falls asleep on me.

(I took these photos in order to document his reaction so I could show them to his doctors. They actually came in very handy when being transferred to Stanford. They thought he still looked pretty bad until I showed them these photos and then agreed he was improving and didn't need more treatment.)

After an hour, I started seeing the redness and hives disappearing. It was such a relief. A wheat cracker did this. A WHEAT cracker?!?! We ended up having to stay the night at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Luckily we didn't have anymore rebounds and no other treatment was needed. 

It's so hard to keep calm around food now. Having to worry about contamination, will he react this way to any other foods?

We are seeing his doctor in the morning and we'll have to put together a new plan of action. Stay tuned......

Surprise Trip to Disneyland

With the help of my mother-in-law, I was able to convince my husband that they kids were old enough for Disneyland! He was set on waiting until EJ was old enough to remember. But why should we make Sophia wait for her brother to be old enough?? She's turning 4 and clearly recalls events from 2 years ago. She's ready and so am I! I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 13. I mean, this is why you have kids! To do all the stuff you've been wanting to do but felt funny about doing without kids.
Luckily, I have a high school friend that is not only a huge Disney fan but also a travel agent for Disney! Score. I send over our wish list for the trip and she does all the work for me. Seriously, don't plan it yourself. She sent me so many tips and features, I would have not know about. Bonus, a promotion came out after we booked and she was able to apply it to our existing trip and got us a refund! Yeah, she's cool like that!
I decided to keep the trip a surprise. Do you know hard it was to keep a trip to Disneyland a surprise??? I was busting at the seams with excitement!! Not only was the trip a surprise, a few of her classmates from LA were meeting us at the gates!
We planned on waiting until we were at the gates of Disneyland to tell her where we were but we were bursting at the seems and broke the news once we arrived.

This is what being a parent is all about!!!!

The next morning we arrived at the gates and she was surprised by her friends and some friends and family!! We had a fantastic 2 days that my princess will remember for a lifetime. <3 p="">

Happy 4th Birthday Sophia!

Hard to believe that my little lady turned 4 years old! We planned a surprise trip to Disneyland....you know how hard that kind of secret is to keep in???? The week leading up to the trip she started asking if we could go to Disneyland. Hubby thought she was onto us. I had to remind him that she is only 4 and isn't mature enough to play off a ruined surprise. HA!
I told her we were going to visit Grandma's house in San Diego and we'd have a little party there. She seemed a bit sad about a party with no friends so I quickly threw together a cover party before we left town. Of course, a Frozen themed party. All the decorations were from Amazon and the cute little themed labels were from Pinterest. Everything came together so easily and turned out super cute.
Now I love cooking but I haven't done much baking so I did cheat and buy a cake mix in a box. Madhava Chocolate Cake Mix from Whole Foods. Seriously try it!! I did make a homemade buttercream frosting. Not only did it taste amazing but I NAILED the color with gel food-coloring.
At the end of the day, I had a very happy little girl. Simple party that left the biggest smiles....that is until she saw we were at Disneyland!

Slow Cooked Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes and it's super quick and easy to prep! Well as long as you remember to get it cooking at lunch time! LOL! A few times I've remembered at 3pm and unless you want to eat at 10pm....ha. 

If you're short on time, purchase mirepoix from your grocery store. It's onion, carrot and celery already chopped for you. Trader Joe's has it for sure.

Throw everything into the slow cooker and 6 hours later you have super flavorful, juicy chicken. I prefer crispy skin so I carefully remove the chicken and broil for about 5 minutes.

I normally pair it with yukon potatoes, carrots, red bell peppers and onions. Chop, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 for about 30 minutes. I like to wait until the ends of the onions start to get dark and crispy. YUM!

Perfection!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/slow-cooked-chicken-recipe.html

'The Wifey' Sandwich

With EJ and his food allergies, I have to eat lunch at home more often. It's scary eating out with him so I'm having to get more and more creative to keep it interesting. This sandwich isn't all that creative BUT it's so delicious!!

La Brea Bakery Cheese Semolina Loaf
Roast Turkey Breast Slices
Salami
Swiss Cheese
Butter

Melt butter in an iron skillet. Once the butter is bubbling, add the bread, open-faced with the cheese on top. Once the bread is golden brown and the cheese starts to melt put it on a plate and fill with the turkey and salami. Cut and enjoy!

My hubby likes mayo.....I don't think it's necessary. I like it just the way it is. And I call it "The Wifey" because if you aren't already married, you will be after you make him this.

Mussels in White Wine

Oh, Ina Garten.....you can do no wrong in my book! Seriously this recipe is on point and I may never order mussels while eating out again.....I doubt they'd be as good as these. No joke. 

When I came home with 3 lbs of mussels, my husband gave me a crazy look. 3 lbs for 2 people? You know what, not only did we eat every single mussel but nearly drank the sauce straight from the bowls. I really nailed the timing on these too. They were perfectly cooked. 

I followed the recipe exactly. I may ease up on the salt next time. But that's a personal preference as my husband said it was perfect. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mussels-in-white-wine-recipe.html

I paired it with a toasted bread and a simple salad with the best blue cheese dressing I've ever had! I found it at Whole Foods but they've been out of stock the past 2 visits. I'm seriously bummed. 

MDHD (Mommy Attention Deficit Disorder)

I've been making a real effort to get out and link up with other Mom's. You know to have a "real" conversation with someone over the age of 3. It's going well but I've come to the conclusion that I have MDHD (Mommy Attention Deficit Disorder). I'm no doctor but I'm showing all the symptoms. I've consulted WedMD and it's not looking good.

1. Trouble Getting Organized - I am organized. It's my kids that don't seem to conform to my plans!
2. Reckless Driving and Traffic Accidents - Driving on 6 hours of interrupted sleep...what do you expect???
3. Marital Trouble - Well let's see. A kid either starts or ends up in our bed at some point....so.....
4. Extremely Distractible - I'm sorry what was I saying?
5. Poor Listening Skills - I swear I'd love to listen but either someone is screaming or I'm distracted by what child A is doing to child B. Oh crap, where did child A go????
6. Restlessness, Trouble Relaxing - Don't judge me....I'm surviving solely on coffee and nibbles of food. With a combination of prescribed medications, I'm able to sleep....sometimes. 
7. Trouble Starting a Task - Have you ever tried to do something in the middle of a tornado? 
8. Lateness - See #1. 
9. Angry Outbursts - I'm delirious....what do you expect?!?
10. Prioritizing Issues - I mean how come no one understands I just want to drink this one cup of coffee before it gets cold! My priorities are clear...no one seems to listen.

Do you have MDHD? 
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with MDHD, you’ll need to work together with your doctor to come up with the best treatment plan. Often, MDHD is treated with a combination of MDHA medications -- such as Wine, Vodka, Scotch, Martini's -- and certain talk therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy also known as Daddy gives you a day off.

The Birth of EJ

"We need to rush your baby to the NICU for a blood transfusion." The words you never want to hear after having an emergency c-section........

My doctor and I thought for sure EJ would be coming early. I had been having contractions on and off for weeks at the end of my pregnancy. On Thursday I went to see my doctor one last time before he went out of town. I hadn't started to dilate but my contractions were coming very regularly and he hugged me and said I'll see you in the next 48 hours. We quickly stopped in to meet the covering doctor and I was very upset about the possibility of delivering with him. But my contractions were coming so I was hoping that would be a non issue. We called Earl's Mom and had them come up because we were SURE it was happening.

Thursday night the contractions completely stopped. Friday, nothing. Saturday, nothing and now my doctor is officially out of town. I'd eaten 2 whole pineapples, walked, walked, walked and been bouncing on my exercise ball.....nothing.  Sunday (11/10), my actual due date, we get up and go to the farmers market and grocery shopping. Around 2pm, I start having contractions again but this time by 5pm, they were getting stronger and stronger. We finally head to the hospital around 7:30pm and are admitted at 8:30pm even though I was only dilated 2cm. The L&D floor was having a slow night and since it was my 2nd baby things should move quickly. Around 10:30/11pm the nurse came in and had me lay on my side and put me on oxygen.  She kept saying, "We need your baby to wake up." Around 12:00am the covering doctor walked in to give me an update...."not seeing what we need to see and we need to rush you in for an emergency c-section." I remember looking at Earl and rolling my eyes. He we go...."you just don't want to come back at 4am and deliver me." I said. He states I have 20 minutes to decide what I want to do and walks out of the room. The nurse comes back in and I start yelling and getting very frustrated with the though of having a c-section. This wasn't my doctor. What was his motive. Was there really a problem or was I just going to be another unnecessary c-section victim?

They left us alone to discuss our choices. Basically what my choice came down to was I am not a doctor with a medical degree. I had a doctor and the nurse telling me that I had to deliver now or risk loosing my baby or having a brain dead baby. As they were wheeling me into the OR, I still was struggling with my choice...yelling at the anesthesiologist about the number of unnecessary c-section they force woman into and was I going to be another one. He stopped our movement and looked at me and said, "They paged me to get up here immediately. I am only told to drop what I am doing and run if it is an emergency. I need you to give me consent to administer these drugs in a moment. I will not do anything against your will. But this IS an emergency."

"Fine." I glared at him.

The roll me into the cold OR and the room is filled with doctors and nurses busily getting everything ready. It was so cold and I was scared. Within minutes they had me prepped and suddenly they tipped the table back so my head was down. THIS freaked me out and I screamed, "Where is EARL???" A nurse ran out to grab him and they were already cutting me open. Within what seemed like seconds, EJ was out. "He's so white and pale." Earl says to me. "Is he OK???"

The doctors were cleaning out his mouth and stomach with tubes because he had swallowed meconium. It felt like an eternity before I heard his first faint cry. As they were still working on me, they gave me a few minutes with him before his trip to the nursery. At this point we felt better about our decision. We made the right choice.....

I was in the recovery room waiting for Earl and EJ to come back from the nursery. When they arrived, Earl tried to hand him to me but my arms still were numb and I was shaking really bad. I just remember gazing at his little face and him looking back at me. He was so quiet and pale and cold.

(Blurred memories)
Once I got moved to my room, I kept doing skin to skin, trying to warm him up. Tried nursing him and he'd suck then give up. The nurse came in and gave him his first bath.  Our pediatrician arrives and I can tell he's concerned about something but says everything is fine. At this point it's already 7am and the nurses were switching shifts. My new nurse, Leslie, walks in. Her first order of business, move me to a bigger and quieter room. She grabs another nurse and they wheel me down the hallway. EJ is on my chest, I'm trying to keep him warm. Once in the better room, she starts taking a look at EJ and trying to help me get him to nurse. Moments later, I was hit with mind numb sickness. Nurse Leslie runs into the room and puts EJ down and helps me with a bucket. She takes EJ to the nursery to check on him. I'm sick, so sick.

"We need to rush your baby to the NICU for a blood transfusion." The words you never want to hear after having an emergency c-section........

I frantically started calling Earl. He had gone home to shower. I was beyond sick and could barely speak from the surgery and drugs. I couldn't process what was happening. My eyes couldn't stay open, I couldn't hear what people were saying to me. "He's missing blood. We need to find the bleed. He needs a transfusion. We have to give him formula. Here's a pump, start pumping." The NICU doctor came up to talk to us....I couldn't open my eyes, I was so sick and weak. "He's missing over 70% of his blood, he may not make it." She says. I remember Earl trying to talk to me.....but I couldn't speak, I couldn't open my eyes. This had to be a bad dream. They were checking his brain, heart, stomach, kidney's, liver....looking for a bleed. Then the NICU doctor ordered that my blood be drawn to look for his blood. After his first transfusion, he stabilized. His oxygen levels were still low but increasing. But we needed to know WHERE the blood went.

All I wanted was to hold my baby....see him. But I had to wait until Tuesday evening when I was cleared to move. After doing a 5 minute scrub in, Earl rolled me over to bed 15 where EJ was. So many tubes taped everywhere. I sobbed. I got to touch him but still wasn't allowed to hold him.

But we finally got an answer that evening on what happened. We had suffered a fetal maternal hemorrhage. At some point in the last few days or hours of my pregnancy, EJ's blood started transfusing into my blood stream. His blood was slowly draining from his body into mine. It's so rare, they don't have any information on how or why it happens. But we got lucky, so lucky that I went into labor. Sometimes this happens to woman and she just stops feeling her baby move.

We were so fortunate to be in such a great hospital with an amazing NICU. They acted fast and saved his life. So many factors that played into this happy ending. My doctor was out of town. Would my doctor have moved to quick to do the emergency c-section knowing my stance on them? Every single doctor and nurse, and I saw A LOT of them, stated had the doctor not acted when he did.....EJ would not be here.

Today at 9 months, EJ is a healthy and happy baby.

Thai Style Seared Scallops with a Coconut Curry Broth

My local farmers market seafood vendor did not have any halibut and it was a blessing in disguise. I may never make this recipe with halibut ever again!!! This was mind blowing delicious. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/thai-style-halibut-with-coconut-curry-broth-recipe.html

Seared scallops:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/seared-scallops-recipe.html

Seared scallops over creamy polenta with roaster asparagus and tomatoes

I really hate the presentation of this plate but it tasted great. My farmers market seafood vendor had some amazing scallops on hand. If I could eat seafood every night I would.

Seared scallops:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/seared-scallops-recipe.html

Polenta: I just added some ricotta cheese and butter at the end. 

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs over mashed potatoes

I've made this before but this was worth the repost. It was the hubby's birthday.....and he requested this dish.  I served it over butter mashed potatoes with roasted carrots topped with parsley.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Braised-Shortribs-367736

Chicken Meuniere with Tomato and Parsley Sauce

Not only is this dish vibrant and beautiful but it satisfy's all of your taste buds. The saltiness of the capers with the sweetness of the tomatoes....amazing.  The recipe calls for plum tomatoes but I use grape tomatoes from my farmers market. They are so flavorful!! And I'm pretty sure you can tell from the picture that I go a little overboard with the capers. I may be addicted to capers. But admitting that is the first step right....

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-meuniere-with-tomato-and-parsley-sauce-recipe.html