Recipe Tofu-Brocoli-Quiche

Last night I while trying to figure out dinner, I came across this vegan recipe! Tofu Quiche with Spinach and Broccoli. Now if you wonder why I would be looking at a vegan recipe website... well because I love vagan recipes. I am by no mean vegan, but I like having option on how to prepare my meal. And I find that often vegan cooking proposes very healthy alternative! I usually go from there and than modify the recipe to my liking and that is exactly what I did! The results was GREAT (and I suspect that even if you stick to the original recipe, it will be GREAT)... here are the ingredients I used. 

Otherwise I followed the exact same preparation instructions.

1 deep-dish store both pie crust (or make your own!)
1 cup of brocoli.
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 cup of fresh chopped baby spinach
1 cup of finely chopped mushroom.
1 tbs of nutmeg,
1 tbs of basil,
1 tbs of ground pepper,
1 tsp of paprika
300 gr of medium tofu,
1/2 cup of milk,
1/2 cup of Chia seed (or grounded flax seeds
2 eggs
1 cup of shredded cheese (your choice, I used old cheddar)
2 tsp corn starch




First I boiled about 1 cup of brocoli.
Then I sautéd 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 cup of fresh chopped baby spinach (not boiled) and 1 cup of finely chopped mushroom. I added the brocoli and 1 tbs of nutmeg, 1 tbs of basil, 1 tbs of ground pepper, 1 tsp of paprika. (I did not add salt but you could).

In a blender, I put 300 gr of medium tofu, 1/2 cup of milk, 2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 cup of Chia seed (or grounded flax seeds) and 2 eggs.

In a bowl, I mixed the vegetable to the tofu mixture. I added 1 cup of shredded old cheddar-cheese.

I used one 9 inches store bought deep-dish pie shell which I precooked at 350 degree for 12 minutes.

I firmly pressed the mixture in the pie crust and left it in the over for 45 min at 375. (Or until fully cooked in the middle.

And voilà!

This recipe used a whole lot of ingredient but most of them could be changed depending on your taste! We are planning on trying it with zucchini, red pepper, feta cheese and olives!

Hudson is 15 months!

Hudson is 15 months and officially, she still fits in an infant bucket! She now weights just under 22lbs at 21.8 lbs and is a very impressive 27 inches tall. So basically, she continues to hover at the very bottom of the height chart. With every passing day, it is becoming obvious that her body type will make her more of a short track speed skater than a swimmer. (Yeah... I am still thinking Olympian here... I can dream, right?)

With that being said, the last month has been one of many adjustment. 2 more teeth came out (for a grand total of 4), we battled jet lag and mommy went back to school, and we settled on a new (yet again) bedtime strategy! This one!

Except, I took his first advice (which was also the same advice given by our pediatrician).... If Hudson can't sleep through the night now... it's probably because she can not... and not because I failed as a parent to give her a proper sleep routine or sleep training..

"I don’t recommend any forced sleep changes during the first year of life. Probably the only exception to this would be an emergency involving a nursing mom’s health. There are many suggestions in books and magazines for pushing “sleeping through the night” during a baby’s early months or during the first year. I don’t think this is the best thing to do and I am quite sure that the earlier a baby gets “non-response” from parents, the more likely he is to close down at least a little."

So Hudson still pretty much breastfeeds through the night... Still doesn't sleep well and wakes up multiple time through out the night... and that will probably be the case for a while longer... but at least I now get 1 very decent nap a day from her!!!

So Hudson's favorite activities are (In that order) : 

• Breastfeeding (yes, I am starting to believe it is a hobby of hers!)
• Giving treats to the cat!
• Being tickle by daddy!
• Swimming!
• Cleaning (especially the floor)
• And listening to Pingu Pingu

The house is so calme right now... we could hear a mosquito fart

Ouf! What a week! It was back to school for Tristan and me! I had really meant to write a year in review post but time just keep slipping away! I will however try really hard to finish posting about the trip on Japan and the trip to Vancouver/Seattle. I also wanted to write an up-date about Hudson's sleeping "problems" but that will also have to wait. Beside there is very little to say... she is still a horrible sleeper. We have been nursing through the night for the last 5 days. I am sleep deprived (is that new) and dealing with an over tired grumpy little lady! Breastfeeding has become this double edge sword. It is so convenient, healthy and makes dealing with a sick/teething/grump toddler so much easier. But on the other hand, it makes me the sole provider of comfort, which can be a daunting task when you hit your 5th day in a row without proper sleep! But enough of this said...

What I really meant to write about today was : ME! My PHD student self... and how I fared in my first semester back after having Hudson. So here is it... my self-assessment report card as both a mommy and a grad-student...

I give myself a C+

I really would deserve A for Effort... but the sad truth is that I almost lost my sanity trying to joggle my house life with my school life. In fact, I did such a poor job at it that I even considered quitting. I did so poorly that by mid-October, I was ready to give up. I was so far behind in all my school work that it did not even seem possible to obtain passing grades in any of my courses. How did it come to that? Well, there was many reasons... Hudson, the commute, the wedding, the oversea conference... but in fact... I was the only person to blame. I made poor choices (perhaps I was just naive) and paid the price. I have since then learned from my mistake. And I feel ready, this semester, to do what I wasn't able to d o in the fall! Enjoy my life. Here are some of the things I have learned along the way: 

- Even thought it looked like I was home most of the time, I do need 40 hours a week to get all my work done. At first, I had assumed I could squeeze in my homework at night when Hudson is asleep (I know funny isn't it), if it wasn't for Gavy who stepped in and started babysitting for me, I would not have finished the semester.

-Having a daughter is great, but it will greatly limit your ability to go away for conference, talks or to attend schmoozing event.

-Having a kid at home makes it really hard for you to show up at impromptu time to meet with students or faculty.

-Playing lego with your daughter is a whole lot more appealing than writing a 20 pages essay...

-No matter who much you LOVE the course you are taking, if you haven't slept in a few days, you will not be able to concentrate.

-Keeping a house clean, a daughter happy AND finishing a conference paper while planning a wedding and running back and forth between swimming lessons and doctor's appointment is not recommended.

-Realizing that I much rather spend my days playing lego with my daughter than reading Ricoeur for the 10th time...

-Realizing that I much rather clean my house than be reading Ricoeur for the 11th time.

-Realizing my husband is just not into cleaning... 

-Realizing that my husband still has no idea what is the difference between a night and a day diaper.

-Realizing it is nearly impossible to write a paper while breastfeeding my little wiggly baby...

But amidst all this, I also found out that :

-I love my field of study.

-I have a department willing to support me.

-I have a husband wiling to learn the difference between a night and day diaper.

-I have a house that still doesn't look too bad when messy.

but more importantly...

I am truly grateful that no matter how hard it is... no matter how little sleep I get... no matter how many conference I have to pass on...

I am happy I get to stay home all day with Hudson and study what I love all night!

And that is why I am looking forward to all the challenges this new semester will bring forth!

Because at the end of the day... when I finally get to rest my head on the pillow... I know I was lucky enough to be doing what I always wanted to do!

And if you wonder... one of the grade came out this morning... and I got an A+

And even though I gave myself a C+

Another thing deserves an A+

This:

  

   

The Cauldron

 

If you know me, you know how passionate I am about the Olympic. 

So here it is! 

The 2010 winter Olympic cauldron!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

My idea of a great boxing day? Is to head out as far as possible from a mall!!! So we made our way to Capilano Suspension Bridge! We had a great time!

We must have had a VERY lucky day. We had the pleasure to witness a golden eagle steal a fish from a bald eagle! Chris caught it on his cellphone camera!

Merry Christmas

Hudson is 14 months! 

Merry Christmas from the whole family!

The day before Christmas, we ended up once more in the hospital. Husdon had a high fever and severe diarrhea. In about 2 hours we were in an out with what looked like a stomach bug. By Christmas she was a bit better and stayed up to open her gifts! In all we had a great time ;-)

Where in the world are we now?

Well, here we are in beautiful British Columbia! Actually we've been here for just over a week now! With the holidays, we have been extremely busy! So here is a little up-dates!

First off, we flew with Sunwing airlines on December 22. After a long drive to the airport and a short stay in a ditch on the side of the road... the roads were really icy. And lots of cars just slide off the road. But not us... No sir! Instead, we purposely drove straight into the ditch... Yes, that's right! lol Well the whole story is that we took the side roads because the highway was close for an accident. Tristan needed to pee so we stopped on the side of the street. We gently pulled over on what looked like a snow covered shoulder.... but it was in fact a ditch!

So we finally made it to Brampton, where we had a quick little Christmas with Great-grand-pa and Great-grand-ma. Hudson received a stuff animal (a black cat) and it was a hit! It was not left her arms since then. The poor creature is already so stinky and dirty, but she loves him SOOOOOO much! 

Then we headed up to the airport. We were early and avoided all the line up. Except the airline made a screw up so we ended up having to go through security TWICE! With a tired hungry baby!!! On the worst day of the year to fly! The airline representative give us such a bullshit explanation as to why the mistake, it sent me fuming! I highly doubt we will ever fly with then again! (I would like to take a minute and apologize to Aircanada for saying they were the worst.... they are now second worst to Sunwing!)

The flight was uneventful and Hudson slept the whole way. (Yeah!) And made it to my in-laws in Richmond!

The days that fallowed were very busy getting the last minute shopping done (Including Daiso!!!!) and sightseeing! 

   

The saga goes on!

It's the end of the semester... not easy to be in school, working, taking care of a baby.... AND a husband...

I am exhausted. I am so ready to be done. Two more assignments, lots of marking and one class left... and the semester will be thing of the past...

Now how has Hudson been since I last wrote. Well after having all of those major improvement, we are back to square one... She started teething again last Friday... since, she has barely slept, no naps... up every 25 to 60 minutes. So... yeah... great...

Whatever I do, I just don't seem to be able to catch a break! But then, today I thought : "it must be murphy's law". It's like "if you stop looking for what you lost, and you buy a new one, you are bound to find the one you lost!"...

So if I can't sleep train my baby... I decided to potty train her! So for the last 5 days, we had a 100% success rate with morning... she loves the toilet... but not so much the potty. 

We are not using any reward system... really if she goes great, if she doesn't "oh well"... I don't expect her to go without a diaper either... if things keep going well (and minus the Christmas holiday)... the goal is to have her daytime potty train by 18 months (April)... as for night time potty training... well I am hesitant doing anything there because of her poor sleeping habits.

So that's that!    

My baby who never sleeps is sleeping!

It is 11 am...
I made breakfast
Did the weekly grocery, stopped by Dollarama...
Prepared a crockpot dinner
Did 2 loads of laundry, folded one
Stripped my cloth diaper
Did last night's dishes
Cleaned the kitchen
Swept the floor
Checked my e-mail
Wrote this post...

Did I mention Hudson has been with me all this time... Did I mention she is teething again and is in a crappy mood (and has been for 2 days now).

You see, my baby who never sleeps is sleeping much better. She is still not sleeping through the night but that was never my goal! My goal was to have a baby with proper sleeping habits, who would wake up well rested in the morning. As a bonus, I would wake up well rested as well.

So we made lots and lots of changes... the biggest one was without any doubt the fact that we were not going to force her to bed, actually we were not going to put her in bed anymore... We did as usual... dinner, playtime, bath, lotion, pj, reading a book... and then instead of going to bed, breastfeeding and fighting with her to sleep... we now go to the bedroom with the book, we put just a dim light one. I sit on the ground with her, read the book, breastfed her and then I tell her good night and close the light. The first night you could tell she had no idea what was going on... she played for close to 3 hours before she got upset and finally went to bed. It took her 2 nights to figure it out. Now when I am done breastfeeding her, she goes to the mattress, lights up her glowworm and usually drink a bit of milk from her bottle. Yesterday, she was asleep within 5 minutes! Just like that... I was still standing by the light switch... 

Actually even more impressive is the fact that yesterday morning, she went up the staircase, directly to her bed... (she brought me with her) I breastfed her and then she went to nap... once more on her own...

This morning was a bit different, I was not expecting her to nap this early. I was just giving her a snack and she fell asleep.

So Hudson now has 2 good naps a day, and my house is finally clean... my homework is finally getting done... and I am finally well rested! 

Hudson knows where her bed is... and she can get to it on her own. Basically when we realized at around 4 months that our daughter was not a good sleeper... and that the crib we had was useless in teaching her proper sleep habits... we went around looking... and this is what I found : the Montessori bed. I liked the idea and so did Tristan. We did the set up but then we never ended up utilizing it. 2 weeks ago, we really kick it in high gear... perhaps it is only a coincidence, perhaps she was just "ready"... but it has been working really really well for us... I still find it nerve wracking that she can basically get up and go anywhere in the room... but we baby proofed beyond imagination and so far, she really has not been wondering around (other than coming to our bed).

So this is where we are at... I am happy! I am so happy! The next step for us, is to get her to fall asleep when we are not in the room with her... we will see how that goes! 

The day we did not go to Yanai

On our way back from Nara, we saw posters of what seemed to be a very very impressive festival! The Gold Fish festival of Yanai! So the next day, we decided to head out that way. It was far about 3-4 hours from Osaka, but it really looked like it would be worth the trek. So we took a very early over packed Shinkansen... We had no seats, so we had to stand for close to 2 hours, with a baby in my boba.... Not fun.... but hey! We really wanted to go! 

We passed Hiroshima and kept on going towards Yamaguchi... and then... the rain... Not just a little bit of rain.... torrential down pour. So much rain that our connecting train stopped running because of severe track flooding. So we waited for close to 2 hours... just in hope they would reopen the seaside track. No luck... So we headed back towards Hiroshima unsure of what we would do next. Talk about a long trip for nothing.

 

In Hiroshima the weather was nicer, but by fear of getting stuck in an over crowded train in the evening, we kept on going toward Osaka... But once we got to Mihara station, a lot of people got out. We were curious... why would so many people, all stop in such a small place... so we got out as well. Turns out there was a Octopus festival on that day! So we joined in the fun and ate grill octopus arms for lunch...

Then we went back on the train and stopped in Fukuyama to take some pictures with the very nice castle...

And later that night we finally made it back to Osaka...


Not the day we had planned, but we had lots of fun still!