There are those foods that remind you of childhood. One taste and I’m in a time warp (cue flashback scene a la Ratatouille) back to that little girl running a muck in her parents’ restaurant. Even though it was a Chinese restaurant, my brother and I managed to eat our share of french fries and ketchup.

If there’s one condiment that is all about being a kid, it’s ketchup.

Now that Mini-me has started on solids, I’ve been paying even closer attention to what goes into the food that we eat as a family. Sadly, these days store bought ketchup means high fructose corn syrup and GMOs. There must be a better way to satisfy my ketchup craving and not eat all the “bad stuff.”

Solution: Homemade ketchup

I am looking forward to seeing whether Mini-me will be a ketchup girl like Mommy or take after Daddy and prefer mustard. Maybe she will be a fan of both!

The beauty with homemade ketchup is that you can really customize it to your taste. I personally enjoy a bit of kick in my food.

Not that much, mind you. My taste buds can’t handle habaneros. Jalapenos are stretching it. But Sriracha oh how I love thee.

Ketchup from Scratch (makes approx 12 oz.)
1 6oz can of organic tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dry ground mustard
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp agave nectar
1 cup water

Let’s Mix!
Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Pour into storage containers (mason jars) and either use right away or use within 1 week.

Sriracha Ketchup
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Let’s Mix!
Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Use for dipping french fries, topping on a burger or whatever else your heart desires.

Some foods are just meant for each other:

Peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, peas and carrots… chicken and waffles.

And the famous springtime couple: strawberry and rhubarb.

The pairing of strawberry and rhubarb is one for the storybooks. Each is great on its own, in strawberry pies and rhubarb crisps. Even when rhubarb strays from strawberries and finds itself with blueberries in a blueberry-rhubarb crumble, it’s just not the same as when rhubarb is back at home – paired with it’s longtime love, strawberry.

The sweetness of the strawberries paired with the tang of the rhubarb is heaven on a spoon (or fork). Cue fireworks!

As much as I love and adore pie, making pie can be a bit tedious, especially if you make your own crust. Sometimes, you just want dessert as soon as possible with the least time in the kitchen as possible.

Solution: Make a cobbler.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobber (serves 4) adapted from Simply Recipes
Filling:
4 cups rhubarb, leaves removed, stems cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups strawberries, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
lemon zest from one lemon

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup rice milk (or cow’s milk)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
whipped cream, optional
mint leaves, optional to garnish

Let’s Bake!
Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Set aside to macerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Then using a pastry cutter (or food processor) cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then mix in the milk, egg and vanilla until the mixture is just combined.

Divide the filling among 6 ramekins (or place all in a 2 qt casserole dish), and drop scoops of the cobbler crust dough on top. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the crust turns golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

I’ve been dairy free for about 6 months now.

It wasn’t exactly by choice.

When Mini me was born in October, there would be days when she would cry for hours nonstop from gas pains, throw up and have this ugly rash on her squishy little face. We finally discovered that she has a dairy intolerance. Since I wasn’t about to quit nursing, just one month in… away went my froyo, macaroni and cheese, morning lattes and occasional cheesecake.

It sucked.

My pregnancy nausea was FINALLY gone, and I thought a trip to Coldstone was finally in sight. Ah, but my dear cheesecake ice cream with graham crackers and strawberries, I will have to wait a few months longer till we can be reunited once again.

Giving up my guilty pleasures meant a good night’s rest and a happy baby, so I didn’t think twice about it. I like to look at it as my initiation into motherhood. Isn’t that what a big part of being a mother is all about? Mothers make sacrifices for their children all the time without a second thought.

I don’t miss dairy, not really anyways, until someone tempts me with a slice of pizza… then a part of me wants to cry.

One of our easy go to meals at home is pasta. After a few months of doing either a marinara sauce or roasted veggies, we needed something different.

Enter the mighty avocado. We’ve been going through a lot of avocado lately, because Mini-me happens to be quite fond of it.

Since she’s still so tiny, she doesn’t eat much of the avocado, and so there’s plenty left for us adults. Just enough, for two servings of avocado pesto pasta.

This pasta dish is so simple to make if you have a food processor. Just cook the pasta according to package instructions, blend up the sauce ingredients, mix in the pasta and dinner (or lunch) is ready!

Avocado Pesto Pasta (serves 2), Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 servings of pasta of your choice, I used linguine
1 ripe avocado, pitted
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup basil leaves
juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to mix into pasta

Let’s Cook!
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. When done cooking, toss with some extra virgin olive oil in a large mixing bowl to prevent pasta from sticking to itself.

Blend the avocado, garlic, basil, lemon juice, salt and extra virgin olive oil together with a food processor till smooth.

Add the avocado sauce to the large bowl with the pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Inspired by a conversation I had with a dear friend, I’ve been spending some time in my “cocoon.”

After a whirlwind six months of taking care of a baby, trying to start a new business and keeping up with freelance work, I needed some time to just be a mommy. Babies grow and change so much in their first year, I didn’t want to spread myself too thin and miss these special moments.

I’ve been cooking (and eating) at home without worrying about recipe development, styling or photographing. I’ve been trying new restaurants and food trucks. I’ve been busy shooting and styling for clients. But, most of all, I’ve been simply enjoying being a mommy and soaking in all the time I get to spend with my little family.

Now I am emerging from my cocoon, not quite a beautiful butterfly, but perhaps a more focused and mature caterpillar.

I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I’m ready to tackle this blogging thing once again. I’ve missed you, my dear readers, but I’m back and ready to go!

Much love,
Melissa

Can you really have it all?

A career and children?

I know this topic has been a popular one in the news recently, but it’s also something that weighs heavily on my mind. My previous life was one of building businesses, building a career, with no babies as far as the eye could see. All that started to change when we decided it was time to start a family. Then everything flipped upside down when Mini-me was born.

Mini-me turned 5 months old last week, and just when I think I have a handle on motherhood, all hell breaks loose and I’m frantically trying to figure out what went wrong.

Sometimes I try to be Wonder Woman and do it all: blogging here, freelance design projects, photo shoots, oh and launching a business… all while taking care of a demanding 5 month old.

Life before Mini-me now seems so easy. I had so much time back then, why did I always feel so busy? What I would give to be able to just have one entire day, to focus completely on work and not have to stop every 10-15 minutes (30 minutes, if I’m lucky) to tend to baby.

Then I look at these women who are doing amazing things while raising a family: Jaden, Angela, Alison, Averie and Megan, to name a few.

For now, as I try to figure things out. I am thankful that I do get a taste of the best of both worlds: to work part-time at home, while being a full-time mommy. (To the left, Mini-me training for her future sous chef position in the household by helping Mommy push the grocery cart.)

If any of you more seasoned moms have any words of wisdom, I’m all ears!

To pay tribute to the best of both worlds, this sweet and sour fish is something that my dad cooked up for us during our trip to Virginia a couple weeks ago. It’s such a simple dish, but it sure doesn’t taste that way. Just fry up the pieces of fish, prepare the sauce, pour over the fish and you’re ready to eat.

Sweet and Sour Fish (4 servings if served with additional dishes, 2 servings otherwise)
Ingredients
4 fillets of white fish (tilapia, cod, swai, etc)
cornstarch, enough to coat each piece of fish
2 cups of vegetable oil, for frying the fish
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger, julienne
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornstarch paste (1/2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tbsp water), to thicken the sauce

Let’s Cook!
Cut the fish fillets into pieces about 2-3 inches wide, this is optional. Then coat each piece of fish with cornstarch. Heat the 2 cups of vegetable oil in a wok over high heat, when the oil is hot (I test by flicking a couple drops of water to surface of oil, if it sizzles, the oil is ready), carefully drop the fish fillets in the oil and let fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oil and set aside.

In another wok, or saucepan, heat up 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. Then add the ginger and saute for about 30-45 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium and add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch paste, mix well and let simmer for about 30 seconds. Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, sourness or add salt to taste.

Pour the sauce over the fish, serve with steamed rice and enjoy!

We spent the weekend in Radford, Virginia celebrating my dad’s 70th birthday.

It was nice getting away from the “big city” and just relaxing in the small college town where I spent my childhood. The thing I look forward to the most, after seeing family of course, is my dad’s cooking.

Being such food lovers, one of the things Paul and I enjoy doing when we travel is try the local cuisine. Though Radford is slowing improving, and we did find one darn great bakery downtown, there is still a lack of good eating in the area. So, we tend to eat at home a lot when we visit.

But, it was my dad’s birthday party, and he wasn’t about to cook a grand feast for 25 people on his own. Not that we would let him anyways. So, off we went to the restaurant – well, what used to be my parents’ restaurant. They lease the building out these days, to another Chinese restaurant.

And what a feast did they treat us to! It’s one of those things you always hear about: the “secret menu” at Chinese restaurants. They can make some pretty amazing dishes, if you know the owner and/or know what to ask for.

Then, if stuffing ourselves silly wasn’t enough, two (two!) birthday cakes were brought out for my dad.

What an amazing time. After a weekend filled with laughs, hugs and lots of food, we are on our way back south to Atlanta this morning.

I hope you had a grand weekend too!

It was quite the shock when we came home from the hospital with a brand new person. Where do you even start?

We were lucky enough to have my parents stay with us for two weeks after Mini-me was born. Which was great, but also frustrating when Mom is telling you what healthy things to eat when a big cheese pizza couldn’t appear fast enough.

I am by no means an expert on zhuo yue zi, the month long confinement that many Asian cultures practice. Luckily, my parents weren’t too strict on the confinement rules, such as:

- No leaving the house for a month
- No showering for a month

Yikes, I can’t imagine not showering for a month. But, it is nice having someone cook every meal for you. Even if it is all healthy stuff.

Turns out, mom (and dad) were right. You don’t want to eat anything too heavy, especially for dinner, since you will probably be up every 2-3 hours at night feeding your little one. Eating really healthy food also had some really great side effects:

- I was able to keep my energy up for those late night feedings.
- All my pregnancy weight came right off. Back to my pre-pregnancy weight (actually 20 pounds less) in about 2 months.

Congee was one dish that my dad would make for me everyday. I like to call this my New Mom Congee recipe. After my parent headed home, congee was something that I continued to make a big batch of on Sunday night and keep it in the fridge for a quick and healthy lunch during the week.

New Mom Fish Congee (makes 6 servings)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup carrots, cut into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp dried mini shrimp
2 cups white cabbage, cut into 2 inch long slices
1 cup jasmine rice
9 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 cod fish fillets, cut into 1 inch wide pieces
scallions, chopped for garnish (optional)

Let’s Cook!
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ginger and saute for about 1 minute. Then add the carrots and shrimp and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Then add the cabbage, rice, water and salt. Stir slowly to combine all ingredients, then cover and bring the contents to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let the pot simmer for 40 minutes, without stirring.

Add the cod to the pot, stir to combine and let cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve warm, garnished with scallions, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, Paul! He leaves his twenties and turns the big 3-0 today.

He amazes me. He’s taking this whole turning 30 thing in stride and doesn’t seem fazed by it at all. Maybe it’s a woman thing, because I’m turning 30 in a tad under 6 months and I’m already starting to feel queasy about it.

But turning 30 really isn’t all that bad, right? We have a cute little house in a great neighborhood, good careers and a precious little baby girl.

Paul never asks for anything for his birthday, but I knew that I wanted to make this birthday special for him. A homemade birthday cake was the least I could do.

Before I even needed to ask what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, I knew the answer would be “cookie cake.”

I’m not sure what it is with Paul and chocolate chip cookie anything. Maybe it’s because it the only recipe that he knows by heart? I won’t blame him for loving those cookie cakes, they sure are yummy!

I couldn’t bring myself to just go buy a cookie cake from the grocery store, without at least attempting to bake one myself.

So, in the famous words of Barney Stinson of How I Met Your Mother: “Challenge accepted.”

This cookie cake turned out much more fluffy than the ones you find in grocery stores. And I will have to say that I prefer it too *grin*

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake (serves 12) adapted from Food.com
Ingredients
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 4 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

Let’s Bake
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Using a stand mixer, Beat butter, white and brown sugars together until smooth and creamy. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between additions. Then add the vanilla and mix well.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix together with a whisk.

Add flour mixture to the batter in the mixer and mix until the dough is well blended. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread dough into a 15 1/2 inch round pan (I used a 12 inch round pizza pan).

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie cake are a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Serve topped with powdered sugar, if desired. Enjoy!