Play Land

We had an awesome day at Talbots today.  Lukas didn't get fazed by all the bigger kids who ran around him.  He was so curious and played the whole time.

He especially loved the little playhouses

 and even got to play in the slides!!!

Gloria's Sweet Corn Soup

I called this soup Gloria's Sweet Corn soup because it is inspired by my grandma's corn soup she made for us when we were little kids when it's storming outside and the school is cancelled.  The smell of it brings me back those days.  I want to start making the same memories for Lukas so I am making my own version of soup for him.  It's a little bit more time consuming but it's so worth it.  Here's how I did it.

You will need: 2 Leeks (chopped)  4 sweet corn (grated) 2-3 sweet potatoes (peeled and cut lengthwise) and 3-4 cups of boiling water

Grate all corn and set aside

Put corn cobs to a big pot then pour boiling water into the pot completely submerging the cobs.  Add chopped leeks and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat into medium level and let it simmer for 10 minutes or so.

After the soup has been simmering for 10 minutes, take the cobs out and discard. 

Then add the grated corn into the soup and stir.  Let it reduce for another 10-15 minutes or until the soup thickens - stir occasionally.  Take out few scoops of sweet potatoes and leeks and finely chop for texture, you may skip this part and continue on pureeing the soup with an immersion blender if your baby is younger or if you prefer a smoother version.  

For Lukas who is over 10 months old I plan to mix in cooked brown rice to this soup to add more texture for his palette.  Happy eating to you all!!

*Fun Fact about Leeks and the reason why I used this instead of an onion- 

A good source of dietary fiber, leeks also contain goodly amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Easier to digest than standard onions

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach"

Home made simple marinara sauce for pasta night

Since going out takes us a whole process we have been dining at home 90% of the time.  But I try my best to make each meal special and cook with lots of love even if its the simplest pasta sauce!  

Frozen in time....

I have been working on my wall for a while now and its been coming along pretty nicely.  I hope to add Germany and Rome to this wall of memories.

It's been whisked into submission

My friend and I went for breakfast at this cute little restaurant in Palo Alto that serves probably the best Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict served with hollandaise sauce that was whisked to perfection. .

Then to burn off all that butter we so happily consumed, we walked around the area and looked over the old historical homes that's respectably restored by its current owners.  

Home built in 1895

Close Up!

I was at first very hesitant to taking Lukas do a professional photo session because I didn't want him to feel the pressure of "performing" just for the sake of a photo but I did receive a gift card for Classic Kids Photography and thought I should use it for Lukas' first birthday. This place does old school black and white photos by hand so it makes everything extra special.  I have to say the photo session went smoothly and was completely stress free.  The staff was so friendly and professional and gave Lukas lots of room and space to breathe so he eased up towards them on his own time.  Can't wait for the results!

My very first mother's day..

I think it's just appropriate to spend mother's day to the person who gave you the honor to become one - your child and today we spent it doing just that.  I didn't want to do anything big cause 1. I really feel special enough to just be with Lukas and Mark doing some of my favorite mundane things and 2. For a mother's day gift Mark surprised me with a trip to Vegas to see my long time music hero Paul McCartney, I mean how cool is that!.

 Being silly around Lukas 

 Walked around an outdoor mall to people watch

  From my husband who always surprises me

Reading to Lukas about Star Wars

This holiday made me think of the years when life before Lukas seems silly, adventurous yet meaningless and how much I have evolved.  Motherhood is full of surprises but what amazes me the most is our ability to find strength and patience we never thought we have and that no matter how big love is it still continues to grow even bigger.  Although life now has transitioned to its simplest honest form I am thankful for it only has become grander.  Thank you son!