Tag Archives: Alice

Cake in the face and a bad, bad nap

Full disclosure: I’m at work right now. I’m drinking my second cup of coffee. And my normally good napper is crying. It’s a strangled, all-out, I’m-going-to-cry-until-I-fall-dead-asleep. And it’s been going on for 45 minutes. Earlier in the morning, when this nap was on Attempt #1, I finally aborted the effort and got her up again, fed her a snack, played with her, changed her diaper. Attempt #2 has been a disaster: I’ve been in twice. I’ve nursed her. I’ve sung. I’ve rocked her. And I’d get her up . . . but she really needs this nap. If I get her up, she will be miserable. I will be miserable. All are punishéd.

She’s just going to have to cry until her energies are spent and sleep finally claims her.

It’s hard!

I’d almost forgotten just how hard it is to listen to your little one wailing her lungs out, because Alice is such an easy baby and has been a good sleeper since the get-go.

So all that to say: my head is starting to hurt, my emotions are going “zing” and I need to dwell on some positivity. If not, this twitch in my face may become permanent.

Let’s just talk about cake.

They are only two occasions in life that celebrate a gloriously messy cake-in-the-face moment. One is your wedding, and the other is your first birthday.

This birthday girl started things off a little dubious . . .

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Hey–this is actually pretty good, you guys.

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Should I pulverize it with my fists?

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And here’s to hoping that soon the cries will subside so that my brain doesn’t start melting into a puddle of goo and so that Alice’s vocal cords aren’t permanently destroyed.

Corn and Bacon Bowls

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This fantastic weeknight dinner has been our number one go-to for the past year or so. And not just for reasons of desperation and because we want something quick and known to fall back on, but because we actually love it. It tastes friggin’ good, and requires (at this point) zero thought power to throw together.

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It only requires one skillet (and a rice cooker), so minimal dishes.

And it tastes much better than your shirt.

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Really, Alice. Bacon and corn versus some kind of tiered ruffly concotion? The choice is clear.

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What?

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You try to deny me my taste of shirt and I’ll . . . I’ll . . .

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WaaaaAAAAHHHH!

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Okay, okay–no one’s denying you anything, little one.

(Well, except for knives and pointy things, small things that you could choke on, papers that you could slobber on or tear up and eat, proximity to anything hot, proximity to any kind of stairway or precipice, foods you can’t chew due to your lack of teeth, your dad’s Club Soda, your dad’s can of beer, your mom’s glass of wine, your mom’s hot cup of coffee, the car keys since you bit the panic button and set off the car alarm, anything in the bathroom including soap, make up products and faucets; my hair, earrings, necklaces, and other pullable parts of my outfit, your dad’s glasses, the guitar, dishes and breakable items, anything you might destroy with your saliva, and anything that might destroy you with its saliva . . . wait, what? Anyway, other than these things it’s all yours, kid.)

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That’s more like it. You better remember who’s in charge here.

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Anyway, matters of household authority and the very persuasive “WaaaAAAH” power-play aside, welcome to our humble creation, Corn and Bacon Bowls.

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Ingredients

1 lb bacon, diced
2 cans sweet corn, drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch green onions, diced
Cooked rice, to serve

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Fry diced bacon in a 12’ skillet over medium high heat, until browned. Remove most of the grease from the skillet (carefully!). Add the corn to the bacon and continue to cook over medium high heat until corn is browned, stirring only occasionally (so that it has a chance to brown) and adding the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as it cooks. Taste and readjust seasoning if needed.Turn off the heat and stir in the green onions. Serve over rice!

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