Because of the limited amount of cupboard space in my kitchen I tend not to have many gadgets.
I try to keep it simple.
good quality knives
good quality pots and pans
several pairs of tongs
food processor
various cutting boards
a good blender and hand mixer
a decent toaster
nice mixing bowls, measuring cups etc.
this winter I purchased my first crockpot and have no regrets.
but lately I've been really into my krupps Panini press.
I love that thing.
It makes an ordinary grilled cheese seem so much tastier.
I love using different toppings to make delicious pressed sandwiches.
these are a few of my favourite combos
ham, pear & gruyere
smoked turkey, apple & chutney and brie
boconcini, arugula & roasted peppers with pesto
parma ham, artichoke, sundried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella
tuna, cheddar and sliced tomato
old cheddar cheese with a hot bowl of tomato soup
blue cheese with roasted onion soup
and finally- Lulu's personal fav. just cheese with a side of ketchup.
On a more personal note,
I seriously can't believe another week has come and gone and that March is almost over.
Poor Lulu has been going though a bit of a clumsy stage, and has suffered yet another mouth injury.
I think this is #4.
She was trying to do her version of pilates on her "swiss ball" (her bouncy outdoor ball) like mummy,
but rolled off of the ball and did a complete face plant onto the deck outside.
ouch.
There was lots of blood and tears and a nice fat lip to top things off.
This, just after her bruised cheek finally faded after she fell into a hall table while dancing last week.
notice the lack of lulu photo opps lately.
her face had more grill marks than the sandwich pictured above..
Just to make things worse, she's had a bad cold all week (me too) and is really going through hell with the teething thing. (me too)
despite all of this, she is still as sweet and affectionate as ever and told me I was "gogeous" the other day while stroking my cheeks softly.
I could get used to this.
my own little ego booster.
But she had a bit of a meltdown today during a playdate at the coffee shop and was inconsolable when she accidentally let go of her balloon (that I got her to calm her down after the coffee shop meltdown) and it went floating up into the sky.
meltdown #2.
I may have gone through an entire box of Kleenex today.
I finally broke down and gave her some Tylenol to help take the edge off and help her sleep, which seems to be working so far tonight..
could this be THE night that she finally sleeps 12 hours straight?
I can only hope.
Despite the colds, sleepless nights and serious teething issues, much was accomplished this week.
Stupid things that felt really good to cross off my To Do list.
went to the dentist. Look ma no cavities!
had the car fully detailed. those goldfish crackers really do a number on car interior carpet. feels like a new car again.
had a lovely date night with big daddy (despite the sniffles and coughing) we went to tutti matti again and everything was delicious.
we shared the Antipastio della casa-Insalata caprese with bufala mozzarella and a selection of imported cheeses, cold cuts, marinated vegetables served with crostini
we also shared the Carpaccio di manzo- Beef carpaccio served with fresh arugula & parmigiano
and I had the Tagliatelle con funghi-Fresh saffron tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, truffle pate, garlic and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil..mmm.
If you go, try the olive oil ice cream for dessert, sounds weird, but was fantastic. creamy and very sexy.
as usual the service was impeccable and even better the chef and owner came to chat with us about food, wine and Italy.
what's better than that?
hmm. oh yes we got a new roof this week. looks great and gives the house a completely different look.
I finally threw out all the dogwood evergreen outdoor arrangements and changed them to something more..alive.
oh yes, we had my parents over for a nice dinner.
nope I guess this is not going to be the night where Lulu sleeps straight through.
sigh.
guess I can't cross that off of my list.
I just spent 45 minutes of back rubbing, rocking, humming lullabies, and still she ends up in the bed next to me.
maybe tomorrow will be the night.
I swear, we have been more sleep deprived than when lulu was a new-born.
Is this normal for a 23 month old?
anyone??
9 comments:
Man-o-man...teeth do a number on them, don't they? All I can tell you throug my experience is that all of a sudden, a tooth will cut through the gums and everything will stop, like magic. You just have to hold on until that damn tooth cuts. :) Hope you're all feeling better soon!
Doesn't it feel good to cross things off the lists?! I need to start a new one... I really need the car detailed... and a panini press :)
Sorry to hear that Lulu is having such a rough time. Poor little sweet pea. She may be cutting several teeth at once (including molars)... which may be what is making it such a bad experience for her. Hang in there!
Hmm... never thought of actually getting a pannini press. But I am a big fan of grilled cheese variations - i love using up bits of good bleu or cheddar or what ever is left from the weekend Cheese Boutique run.. especially with left over roast pork or beef. Always use El Chaperone's cast iron fry pan and squish 'em down with a spatula.
I want a panini press...thanks for the inspiration too.....your combos sound so yummy.
Good luck with the teething, can't help you there...it sucks.
We're off to buy a panini press this weekend! My husband was looking at one a while ago and debated on whether to buy it or not. I just showed him your pic and it's done it's convincing.
I hear you on the teeth thing, i hate teeth. I hope you all get better soon. And your dinner at Tutti Matti sounds delicious as usual. We will make it out there eventually.
gorgeous...how adorable is that? She sounds like a little gem.
Now I want a pannini press....
We are still going through the sleep thing (and my son is 3 on Friday). I think some kids just don't sleep that well.
We swore by the Highland's Teething Tablets - it was the ONLY way he got through it (plus baby Motrin). He would ask for "the teeth pills" when his mouth hurt.
And the panini press - it sounds kind of intimidating, but really cool!
yes. it is totally normal that you are more sleep deprived now. At least that was my normal. Don't stress. It gets better. It seems to me that they become aware of this big old world and growing up is such hard work. She is probably about to grow an inch or have a cognitive leap of some sort. Things always get super pronounced with my girls before a spurt of some kind or another.
Your comments are off on your last post....I gotta say...stunning photos these days.
Gorgeous...what a great word to come out of a two year olds mouth form her heart and head.
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