Deelish Dish

at the warfront

Hello, friends. How are you? I've missed you. I'm writing this while sitting on my couch, sporting red plaid pajama pants and three-day dirty hair, inhaling my second cup of coffee and cold leftover bread pudding. I don't have the energy for simple things like washing my hair and making breakfast, you see. Why? Because I'm [insert horror movie music] SLEEP TRAINING. So blogging, as you can understand, has sadly been at the bottom of my list. I haven't cooked up anything of interest, nor do I have any news other than...zzzzzzzz. This parenting stuff is kicking my ass.

For those of you with experience, any advice? I'm on Day 4 with my 6-month-old and he's now getting pretty good at falling asleep in his crib within half an hour, but can't seem to stop waking every 2-3 hours in the night. Sometimes he'll fall asleep after I go in and help him find his dummy, or shush him and rub his back. Other times, he won't settle unless I give in and nurse. This is the kicker, I know. We're working on it.

Any tips? 

(By the way, the melodramatic chick in the picture is totally me, minus the curlers. And the sleeping baby.)

happy father's day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Here's a great new book I've just started about the pleasures and perils of a father's first year. It's quick and fun, and a great gift for a new dad. We spent Lovah's first Father's Day in the park with a picnic, bocce ball, and family. Hope you all enjoyed a sunny, love-filled day too! 

where the babymommas at?

Dear Abby (Internet, that's you),

If someone had told me that at the ripe old age of 26 I'd be married, with a baby, and friendless, I would have laughed and then cried, and then punched them in the face. Seriously, ladies, do I need to move to Utah or something? Where all the babymommas at? I have joined moms' groups, I've participated in the (mind-boggling) forums, I've showed up to the socials, even loitered at the park hoping some friendly gal would come by and we'd share breastfeeding advice as we pushed our tots in the bucket swings. Ha! How I wish. You think finding a mate is hard? These playdates I've been going to are like speed-dating with Stepford wives and the PTA women from Weeds. Let me paint you a picture as to why I have no "mommy" friends:

1) I live in Marin County, one of the most affluent areas in the world. Women here are career and income focused, waiting til 30-35 to have a baby, and then returning after a brief 3-month maternity leave. 

2) My Lovah and I are eight years apart. That means I have friends who are only just now getting engaged, while his are established at home with a few already older children. 

3) Our baby is the first grandchild on my family's side (in the area, at least), while Lovah's sister has a 10-month-old, but they live in Scotland. 

thank you + mother's day giveaway!

Hey y'all! Let's all take a timeout and celebrate some mushy stuff. 1) You! I want to say a big THANK YOU! for following this here blog thingy and coming back every day to talk about absolutely nothing while eating some food. It's been almost two years now yet, in the words of Bryan Adams, "It still feels like our first time together..." (errrrr). Well, anyway— Mwah! That's for you.

And 2) It's almost my first Mother's Day! [Insert Twilight Zone music.] Craaaazzzyy. Who'da thunk it?!

So, in celebration, I'm giving away this cutesy-putesy mini heart springform pan. You can make your own mama some cheesecake, a tart, quiche maybe? Or a decadent chocolate cake for your lovah next V-Day? Nothing says I love you like a heart-shaped quiche...you know it.

And to boot, I've got a surplus of chocolate I want to get rid of. Some all-natural dark chocolate with sea salt, dark chocolate with chili & lime, and milk chocolate with honey & green tea. You wouldn't think such ingredients would work together but man, you'd be wrong.

i want my body back

I've waited, I've been patient, but now, after almost 3 1/2 months since giving birth, I want my body back. People, not only do I have a 12K race in August and two weddings to attend in October, bikini season is around the corner. And aside from the pancake-butt and bat wing-arms I need to address, I've decided my mental and emotional states need boosting too. All work (read: baby) and no play (read: my previous life) make Anja a dull girl. 

Here's how I plan to execute this much-needed mommy makeover:

1) Get in shape. Hide the New York Super Fudge Chunk, hand me my dumbbells, let's do this. I've been going to some post-natal aerobics classes (see photo above for a spot-on representation) but it's time for the big-wheel stroller to meet the bike path.

2) Eat better. Rice pudding and ice cream don't count as food groups. And bread, oh god, the bread. Get it away from me! (I say this now until morning comes and my peanut butter toast is not next to my coffee.)

3) Book a massage. I've never had a massage in my life and think it's about darn time. Extra oil, please.

10 things i can do now that i'm a mom

1. Be the first to board an airplane

2. Let the twins out in public

3. "Accidentally" ram rude people in the heels with a stroller

4. Go days wearing sweats

5. Use "well did you birth a baby?" as a rebuttal for anything

6. Get out of any commitment "because of the baby"

7. Join the playground conversation

8. Think poop jokes are downright hilarious

9. Go to bed before 9 (hell, I always did)

10. Rake in the gifts on Mother's Day

10 things i can't do now that i'm a mom

1. Get that cartilage piercing I've always wanted

2. Pepper every sentence with "like" and "dude"

3. Eat tuna or cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

4. Go out and get wasted on a whim

5. Let the twins out in public

6. Go days wearing spaghetti-strap tanks and my favorite Lucky cut-off shorts

7. Blast dirty rap music in the car

8. Join the hungover conversation

9. Think poop jokes are funny

10. Get the satisfaction from screaming expletives when I stub my toe, sit in traffic, watch reality TV, etc.

introducing my greatest creation...

She's ba-aaaack. That was a long trip to Mommyland but I have survived (barely) and brought back with me a gift...introducing the bun straight from the oven, Little Deelish Dish! My best creation yet. Sigh. Sob. Fall asleep on the spot.

I'll spare the gruesome details but to catch you up, we were due the 12th, set to be induced on the 19th, when I went into labor the night of the 14th after days of Braxton Hicks contractions. And to think I was planning some "Why-Isn't-My-Baby-Here-Yet Apple Muffins" the very next morning! By that time we'd already welcomed our beautiful little boy into the world—screw muffins! It was a very long night followed by a blurry few days in the hospital, but we're now home and so, so happy. He's a week old today and a total delight. I mean, duh. All the snorting, squeaking, spastic arm-throwing, fire hose-peeing, round-the-clock cuddling, coma sleeping, and endless diaper-soiling included. Just the best.

I hope you'll excuse me while I come and go...we have friends, family, paternity leave, and a precious new babe to enjoy! Thank you all again for the kind words and support. Lots of love from our new family. xoxo 

happy end-of-pregnancy and new year!

I'm almost to the end of my rope! That looooong 10-month rope called pregnancy. Can it be? That was the fastest, yet snail-pace sloooowest, pregnancy ever. Is it almost time again for blue cheese, red wine, sushi, coffee, and chocolate galore? Oh yeah, and for a kid to make its appearance, of course. I might do a forehead dive on this keyboard from a wave of excitement and fear. I remember finding out one afternoon in early May and running a 10K the very next morning thinking ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod...and now I'm one week from the big day. Holy *%@&.

Well, I may be 10 days from my due date but here are some stats that might say otherwise: already 3 cm dilated, 50% effaced, -1 station, and without a mucus plug (I'm sorry, ew, I know). The doctor refuses to make any predictions but tells us he'll be on call all weekend. As in, this weekend. As in, today and tomorrow. Let's reiterate: Holy *%@&.

So in case all hell breaks loose (or just my water), let's do a quick recap of the last 39 weeks. In summary, the first pregnancy of Ms. Deelish Dish went like this:

-found out on a Friday in May, ran a 10K that Saturday morning, told all our close family that afternoon

-ate about 200 nectarines and peaches from May-September, many of them coming back up after a long bus ride home from the city—one time in a Pasta Pomodoro restroom (mamma mia)

-never had one morning of sickness, only about 3 months of dinner-time nausea (usually post-bus ride), luckily not too severe

-cursed a Golden Gate Transit bus driver for making me s-i-c-k

the countdown begins

How friggin' hilarious is this baby shower invitation? The genius behind it is my insanely talented coworker, Ryan. Check out more of his work here. 

I wanted to post Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies today but had an extremely bad result with Martha's recipe over the weekend. Don't try it, and if you do, skip the cayenne. Anyway, back soon with something delicious. Hopefully.