Snack Time

We've recently added snack time to our evening routine.  I'm fairly certain it's Connor's favorite part of the evening.  A few weeks ago he enjoyed it so much that he ate two helpings of yogurt and Cheerios.  We're used to our good eater but this even surprised us so much we had to document it.  For your viewing pleasure, here's Connor eating a ridiculous amount of yogurt.

And here's the time lapsed version.  

State Fair 2011

One of our favorite fall past times is the New Mexico State Fair.  We took Connor for the first time last year, but this was the first time he could really get in on the action.  I've been going to the fair since I was nine years old.  There were some new experiences for me this year since I'd never done the little kid activities.  Our first stop was the Red Barn to check out the farm animals.

Then we headed to the McDonald's Farm.  None of us had been here before.  Connor was a bit reticent at first.

But he soon figured out the rhythm of the farm.

After the farm we hit up the petting zoo.  We thought Connor might be scared by the animals but that was not the case.  These goats were fearless, and also really hungry.

After all that hard work on the farm, we headed to the Indian Village for Navajo Tacos and some dance performances.

Our final stop was the model train section of the Bolack Building.  There was a watermelon carving contest in the courtyard so Connor got to watch model trains while chowing on free watermelon.  Best.day.ever.  He would have stayed there for hours, days even, but eventually we had to leave.  

We're looking forward to going back next year. 

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

This is not just a set of obligatory baby-eating-spaghetti pictures.  This is Young Master Connor enjoying Bucatini All'Amatriciana.  I got the recipe from my epicurious app.  We had put aside some plain noodles for Connor but he wanted the real deal.

Bucatini are thick spaghetti noodles that are hollow.  The texture is great and they taste wonderful with lighter sauces.  All'Amatriciana is a preparation with a light, pancetta-infused, spicy tomato sauce.We buy the Giada brand Bucatini from Target which just happens to have a recipe for Bucatini All'Amatriciana on the back.  The exact recipe I used is here.  It's a new favorite and will be making frequent reappearances on our table. 

Yard Work

A few weeks ago Thomas was cleaning up the backyard when Connor insisted on helping.  They make a great team.  

We rewarded our little work man with a chicken fajita dinner. It was a big hit.  I tried to sneak some carrots in with the chicken and beans.  You'll see them left behind.  Oh, well.  

Take Us Out to the Ball Game!

This post was originally written on May 15, 2011.  It didn't post for some reason, but it's too cute to delete.

Last weekend we all went to the Isotopes game.  My company provided tickets for employees and their families.  We attended last year but Connor was too little to take much in.  This year he had much more fun.  It was Little League night so we watched the parade of dozens of teams around the field. Connor loved it!

He also loved the Dion's Pizza.  He ate a large cheese slice mostly on his own.  He did NOT love the mascot, Orbit.  We took him to the life-size bobble head statue of Orbit for a picture.  We made it within three feet of the statue before Connor started shaking his head emphatically and saying "no! no! no!"  We made it to through the top of the fifth inning and got to see the taco race.  All in all, it was a great night.

Dining out

Before Connor came along, Thomas and I loved to go out to dinner.  While we dine out much less frequently as parents, we haven't had to give it up entirely.  Last week we went to one of our favorites, The Range Cafe.  The food is good, it's close to home, and there are cows suspended from the ceiling.  The last few times we've been there Connor has spent most of the dinner turned around in his chair grinning at other customers, waving at our server, and "ooooh"ing at the flying cows.

He did take a break from all the spectating to order himself a grilled cheese sandwich.

Where's the boeuf?

Disclaimer:  This post is not about Connor.  Grandparents can stop reading now.

Having a one year old is almost a guarantee of spending New Year's Eve at home.  Last New Year's Connor was about 6 weeks old.  He woke up every.single.hour.  It was not the most fun I have ever had.  This year we wanted to actually do something fun and special so I decided to make Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. Thomas cooks better and more frequently than I do so I wanted to do everything myself as a treat for him.  I was also eager to prove/improve my cooking skills.  I started cooking at 2:00 in the afternoon and served dinner at 8:00 pm.  I did not take more than a 10 minute break.   In addition to the boeuf, I made mashed potatoes and buttered haricots verts.  The boeuf was pretty darn good but the sauce stole the show.  After we each ate two portions, we continued to dip our bread in the sauce until we were stuffed.  My mouth is watering as I write this.  

Here's my tablescape. 

And here's the boeuf.  

I swear it tasted bettter that it looks.  It's beef cooked with bacon and a whole bottle of wine.  How could it not be good?  It will probably be a while before I spend that much time cooking a meal but I'm glad I did it this time.

Bon Appetit!