It takes a village

It seems like no matter where I go, no matter what the temperature is outside, I am admonished by a little old lady when I don't have a hat on Gus's head.

Lucky Number (Twenty) Seven

Happy Birthday, to my wonderful, fabulous, loving husband. I love you, and I love us!

Spotted

A personalized license plate that read: "YHOSBHTN"
Right next to it was an ichthys decal.
I'm sure Jesus often wonders the same thing. Why do hos be hatin'?

Crackaroni 'N Cheese

Soooooo delish. Definitely NOT for you calorie-counters out there.

Macaroni and Cheese 101
*note: I skipped the entire bread part. I also halved this recipe and it made about 6 big servings.*

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Might as well face it, I'm addicted to Gus

I know I'm breaking the Bumbo rules by putting him on surfaces, but I can't help myself. I like him to be at eye level.

Survey Says

It was pretty much a tie between the Flo fans and those of you who just want her to go away. You either love to hate her, or hate to love her. She definitely elicits a strong reaction, so she must be doing something right.

Important question for all the TV watchers out there

Do you find Flo, from the Progressive commercials, to be a cute, endearing, quirky, and huggable creature with her tricked-out name tag, OR an annoying, vomit-inducing, contrived character with too much makeup? Discuss.

And yes, I realize I am simply playing into the hands of the marketing guys at Progressive, who have clearly done their job, because I am, at this moment, blogging about their spokesperson. Damn you Progressive!!

Things you don't want to hear your nurse aide scream out to your little old senile incontinent patient

"No Mrs. X!! Don't put your hand in it!!"

Rotund

Gus's first trip to the playground. He loves basking in the sun. He always smiles when the natural light hits his face as we go from indoors to outdoors.

Homemade Granola

A few of you asked for this recipe on Facebook, but it'll be a lot easier to post it here. I've been wanting to try to make my own granola for a while because it's so expensive at the store. Well, I finally did, and it is wonderfully easy and even tastier than the most expensive granola you can buy!

This recipe is courtesy of Mark Bittman, who has a fantastic food blog called "Bitten" on the New York Times website.

Mix together the following:
6 c. rolled oats (not quick or instant)
2 c. mixed nuts and seeds (whatever you have on hand; I used a mix of sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pecans - which I chopped up finely in the food processor, leaving a few chunks for texture)
1 c. dried unsweetened coconut (this is optional; I opted out, since I didn't have coconut on hand)
cinnamon, to taste (I probably used a tablespoon)
dash salt
1/2 to 1 c. honey or pure maple syrup (I used 1/2 c. each; I'd say if you don't have real maple syrup, use a full cup of honey. Please don't ruin this recipe using Aunt Jemima!!)

Once you mix all of that up, spread it out on 2 cookies sheets. I actually threw a little canola oil in mine because when I stirred it, it still seemed a little dry. Put it in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it will brown evenly. I probably cooked mine closer to 40 minutes because it didn't seem to be getting crunchy enough. In retrospect, 30 minutes would've been perfect, as it crunches up nicely when it cools to room temperature.

Once it's cooled, add in your raisins or other dried fruit, if you like, then put in an airtight container. Voila! This makes enough granola to get Adam and I through a few weeks, easily. It was probably about $6-7 worth of ingredients.

Added bonus: it makes your house smell sooooo good while it's baking!

If you have your own granola recipe, please share!!

Separated at birth

I have to give Adam credit for noticing the resemblance. At first, I was shocked that he would suggest such a thing. But, really, I have to be honest. The pale, bald-headedness of my Angus really does look a bit like Uncle Fester.

Who, Me?

"Nah, you got it all wrong lady. It was THAT guy." To which I say, "whoever denied it supplied it, Mr. Gus!"

Happy Friday!

Gus is getting excited about his weekend with Daddy! Hope you all have something to be excited about too!

Laughing Matters

Last night Adam and I were both reading in bed. Gus was quietly and cutely sleeping in his cradle. The dogs were snuggled up together. The wind was howling outside. It was a peaceful, cozy scene.

Then. Scooby burped. A very loud, human-sounding burp.

And I started laughing. And I couldn't stop. Tears were streaming down my face. Adam just put his book down and propped himself up on his elbow to watch the spectacle. I hid under the covers until I could compose myself, a good 5 minutes later.

I haven't had a good laughing fit in a while. It's very cathartic. You never know what's going to trigger one.

Bye Bye Bush

Good luck with that legacy, Dubya. You'll need it. Way to pat yourself on the back tonight. Did anyone else catch a sheepish sort of "get me the heck outta here" look going on? Can't blame him.

The Weed

My munchkin has shot up to 13 lbs 13 oz! Looks like he will need that fat for this cold snap moving in tonight!

Puppy Love

Mon Petit Cochon Avec Gynecomastia!

At least it's not pendulous gynecomastia (nursing school joke).

Um yeah, so, about that....

Remember my post on the 6th about taking my tree down that day? Yeeeeeaaah... well, it finally happened today. The holiday season is officially over in the Lornitzo household. But never fear, Mardi Gras is here, and we are raring to go!

I made it!

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and well-wishing regarding my return to work. As usual, the anticipation and the dread was much worse than the actual event. It really wasn't so bad - it even felt good, in a way, to be back. I knew Gus was hanging out with his papa at home and having a good ol' time while I was working, which helped tremendously. And I was able to sleep pretty well in between my shifts.

So we are back in somewhat of a routine. It is safe to say all the preciousness from the birth has passed, and we are now just one happy, new family going about our lives. But that is a great feeling as well!

Unreal

Today is my last day of maternity leave. I don't think I have to tell y'all how that makes me feel.

The Most Depressing Place on Earth

It has GOT to be the Harrison County DMV. Seriously. You are just about guaranteed to see a morbidly obese, greasy-haired, partially toothless Mississippian clad in a too small pastel sweat suit that reveals all the butt cheek dimples you never ever wanted to see. One sign read: "No test will be started after 4:00 P.M. No acceptions!!!" This was just one of several misspellings. The employees behind the desk practically have a permanent eye-rolling thing going on. Oh, and if you are a new reader and missed the picture I posted way back when of the "building" that houses the DMV, it is actually a converted mobile home surrounded by a high chain-link fence complete with barbed wire at the top. But, if you do remember the picture, you'll be happy to know that the government did find room in the budget to purchase a legitimate, universal blue handicapped sign for the parking space instead of the handwritten cardboard one.

I covet.

I want a whole slew of Le Creuset stuff, but I'll settle for this one beautiful turquoise French Oven. I definitely feel its absence in my kitchen.

Airing Out

We don't believe in censorship at the Lornitzo house, but I am making an exception to preserve my baby's dignity. Here is Gus, battling his first bout of diaper rash with his typical good attitude. We shall overcome!

Living in the present

I really am taking the Christmas tree down today, I promise! Will any of you confess to being a fellow sad sap who just couldn't bear to do it yet?

A Dream Fulfilled

Adam had been waiting for the day when he would take his son into the woods on his first hike, and that day finally came yesterday! A very sweet desire, sweetly realized on a beautiful January day in the DeSoto National Forest. Here are some pictures of our happy little family getting some much needed exercise and breathing in the clean forest air.

Gus & Grandpa

So this is the new year!

Everyone says it, but it doesn't make it less true - that it is impossible to believe another year has gone by. And to think, this time last year, Gus didn't exist in anyone's mind, let alone in my uterus or on the outside! Yes, life has changed for us, but I am happy to report that it doesn't feel like we are living a totally different life now than we were a year ago. It's just that now we have this completely adorable little doll-baby with us wherever we go! How fantastic! I am so grateful for all that 2008 brought our way, and I eagerly await the blessings of 2009!!