Passover, Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons, Haroset, Snuggling, and BAA 5k!

On the plate:  Dark chocolate coconut macaroons
                      Haroset

Soundtrack to cook to:  Dave Matthews Band's Under the Table and Dreaming.  Brings me back to high school.  :)

Phew!  Last week was a very busy week.  I was cooking non-stop and making sure that the boys would have plenty of treats for Passover and for Easter.  Celebrating both of our religions had me running around like a mad woman, but it was great to see the boys gather so much joy from both.

That previous Sunday, we met up with a friend of Joseph's from medical school for brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Del Frisco's Grille (Chicken and waffles and fried pimento cheese...need I say more???).  Joseph's friend Gaurav and his wife Shikha brought their beautiful newborn son Rohan along with them.  We were so excited to meet the little guy for the first time.  Alex was very interested in seeing the little darling, as well.  Rohan slept so soundly and when he woke up, he was all smiles.  It was a delightful treat to have brunch with Joseph's friends on that rainy morning. 

Alex, ready to dig into red velvet waffles and bacon.

Shikha, Rohan, and Gaurav on their side of the table.  What a beautiful family!

Gaurav, Joseph, and William, as William was undoubtedly in the middle
of throwing something on the ground with Joseph attempting to catch it.  :)

On Monday, April 14, we celebrated Passover with my sister Kristen and her fiance Pete.  (We chose to keep it small because we already have to do a shortened Seder because the kids get pretty antsy and loud during it.  We wanted to limit the "show" to a few people that would understand and would roll along with us.)  In a few years, it will be better, but until then, we have to do it this way.

I had a lot of fun, looking up recipes and trying new things.  This was my first time to cook a complete dinner for our Seder because we've gotten catering in the past (I was either too tired because of a newborn or too nauseous from being pregnant to cook in the house).
I found two awesome, delicious, and simple recipes for Haroset (an apple and nut dish) and dark chocolate, coconut macaroons.

Here's a very simple recipe for Haroset that's non-traditional, but oh so delicious.  I've tried a lot of Haroset in my time, and I think this recipe is by far the best!  Haroset is an apple, nut, and wine side dish that's prepared with spices.  It is supposed to symbolize the mortar that the enslaved Jews used to make bricks.  The Passover Seder itself, is very interesting as it is very thorough in explaining the meaning of Passover and all of its symbolic dishes as well.  We were very happy to share this evening with Kristen and Pete.

Ingredients:

• 3 Fuji apples, seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup, finely chopped almonds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup orange juice

Seed, core, and chop the apples into small pieces.

Then, sprinkle in the cinnamon, sugar, honey, and orange juice.

Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse it until the almonds are in small pieces.

Mix the almonds into the apple and spice mixture and you're done!

I chose to use orange juice instead of sweet wine, since the kids were
going to be eating this.  The orange juice gave a delightful sweetness
and brightness to the apple dish.  It was absolutely delectable.

This makes A LOT of Haroset.  I mixed this in with my overnight oats
for the next morning's breakfast and it was incredible!

Even if you're not Jewish, this apple and nut dish is super delicious and nutritious.  :)

One of the typical desserts to serve during Passover are macaroons.  So, when I saw that Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs, posted a recipe for dark chocolate coconut macaroons, I just HAD to try it out.  Plus, she used the words "gooey," "fudgy," and "brownie-like" to describe the texture of the macaroons.  I mean....c'mon, who could say, "No," to that??!!  Plus, the food processor did almost all of the work.  I whipped these up in less than 20 minutes and had them in the oven during the Seder so they were hot, gooey, and fudgy just in time for dessert.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz, unsweetened chocolate (99% cocoa)
• 14 oz, sweetened, flaked coconut
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, melt half of the chocolate.  Then, take it off
the heat, and drop in the rest of the chocolate and stir until the remainder
of the chocolate is completely melted. 

Place the sweetened, flaked coconut into the food processor and
blend for one minute.

Then, add in the sugar and cocoa powder and blend for another minute.

After that, add the egg whites, salt, and vanilla extract and blend until
just combined. 

Next, pour in the beautifully melted chocolate and blend it until smooth.

Scoop the batter by the tablespoonful and place on parchment paper.
(You don't have to worry about putting them far apart from one another,
as this batter does not spread)

Place the macaroons in a 325 degree F oven for 15 minutes. 
Allow these beauties to cool for about 10 minutes, sprinkle them with
powdered sugar and INDULGE yourself in the most incredible
macaroons that you will ever have in your life.  Yes....they are THAT good.

Oh.my.heavens.  Chocolatey, fudgy, coconutty goodness wrapped up
in the perfect bite (or bites).  :)

Here's some highlights from our Passover Seder:

L'Chaim!!  Joseph, Alex, Pete, Kristen, and William, getting ready
to start our Seder.
Happy Passover 2014!  :)

We had some delicious wine, and I made sure to have some sparkling
apple cider for the kids.
Here's Joseph reading from our "Simply Seder" Haggadah.

Joseph and Alex, as Alex was dipping the bitter herbs into the salt water.
Fun fact:  One of Alex's favorite dishes that evening was eating the raw parsley
with salt water.  We have very quirky kids.

 Our Passover Seder

Alex, munching on some matzo.  Our children love matzo.

William, making a fussy face (because he was SO fussy the entire dinner)
while eating matzo.

Joseph managed to get some giggles out of William that evening.  :)

We gave Oscar the shank bone from the Seder plate.  Oscar immediately
ran into the next room, made himself comfortable on the rug, and would
not allow anyone near him, for fear of losing the shank bone. 
Here's Joseph, messing around with Joseph, while Oscar guarded
his beloved shank bone.  :)

Here's our boys in Music class :)

William loves to look at himself in the mirror
during Music class.

"Uhhh-raaaayyyy!"  (Hooray!)

The boys during lullaby time when they're
supposed to be lying down.  William
alternated between lying down, climbing
on me, and walking around the room.
He must have missed the memo.  :)

Me and the boys, lounging around and listening to music before nap time.
Their favorite "chair" is me, as you can see.  Oscar had to get in on the
action as well.  :)  Love it!

A blurry, but rare moment of William
actually wanting to snuggle with me!
*sigh* He only likes to snuggle before
I put him down to sleep.  I had to capture
this moment, because normally he's squirming
out of my arms and running around the house.  :)

And now...a moment for myself!  (Those are rare.) :)
Last year, I had an epiphany.  I wanted to do something to better myself, change my lifestyle, and lead a healthier, more active one.  I wanted to do something that was out of my comfort zone and wanted to challenge myself.  I've exercised on and off throughout my life, but have never stuck with a program and have never been consistent in my workout regimen.  Something needed to change.
So, when I turned 32, I decided to take up running and regular exercise.  As a goal, I wanted to run a half marathon.  (I've never been a runner and was most definitely that fat kid in P.E. class that dreaded the mile run.)  I told Joseph this, and being the amazing and supportive husband that he is, he decided to run a half marathon with me.  :)  We chose the "Run to Remember" that will be at the end of May.
I started training in November and began at a 12 minute mile.  Then, as the months passed, I got my time down to a 9 minute mile.  (WOO HOO!!) 
However, I have most recently run into some knee problems and have had to stop running completely.  I started seeing a physiatrist and began physical therapy last week.  They didn't want me to run, but wanted me to continue to do exercises and elliptical on a regular basis.  I told them both that I had signed up for a 5K and they were both skeptical, but I was determined.
This past Saturday, April 19, I dropped off the kids at my sister Kristen's place and ran the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) 5K at 8 a.m.!!!  It was absolutely invigorating and was so much fun to be surrounded by so many people who had the "Boston Strong" mentality.  The sense of community was amazing and felt almost electric.
The first half mile was slightly painful, but the rest of the run went wonderfully.  I felt amazing and ran the entire time!!  There were so many people at the race that I actually couldn't have run any faster had I wanted to.  The race finally cleared up at the 2.5 mile mark, so after that, I picked up the pace and ended up completing the 5K in 29 minutes and 31 seconds.  I figured that wasn't too bad for not having run for 2 weeks and having an injury.  :)
I'm super excited and more hopeful that I can do my half marathon in May.  I'm also really excited to complete the BAA distance medley that has a 10K in June and another half marathon in October.  :)  Let's do this, baby!!  (PS - BIG thanks to Kristen and Pete for watching the boys!!  You guys rock!)

Me at the BAA 5K on April 19, 2014
Ready to run, baby!  (Something I never thought I would
want to do for fun.)

The crowd before the race started.  See
what I mean about it being packed?

WOO HOO!!  Let's go!!

This was a really great week with lots of fun with friends and family.  I'm definitely more hopeful that with some physical therapy, I can finally get back on my feet and back into training for the half.  I'm doing my best to make a more positive change in my lifestyle and to be a better role model for our children.
Until next time...

Love and kisses,
Nikki

Overnight Oats, Park Fun, and Play Date!!

On the plate:  Overnight oats

Soundtrack to cook to:  Still hooked on Pharrell Williams' G.I.R.L.  It's really reminiscent of a mix between 80s Michael Jackson and 00s Justin Timberlake.  I'm really diggin' this album.

It's so crazy, but I swear, as soon as it's above 40 degrees outside, it feels like summer!  The boys and I have been getting outside as much as possible because we had a serious case of cabin fever.  Each day, I have found a way to get the boys (and dog) outside to a different park so that they could run around as much as possible.  We've had a lot of fun exploring our (not so new) neighborhood and checking out all of the parks that are nearby.  What's nice is that almost all of them are dog-friendly, so I can bring Oscar along with us.

Alex and William, cheesing around at a playground.

Last Tuesday, it was pouring down rain in the morning, so I decided to take the boys back to Sky Zone once again.  This time, I got there early enough so that we had an entire hour to jump around and play.  HA!!  I quickly realized that 30 minutes is pretty much the kids' limit in regards to having enough energy to jump and run around.  They were pooped after 30 minutes, and were continually taking breaks along the side of the trampolines.  :)

The boys at Sky Zone.

After a while, they enjoyed lying on the trampoline and
letting me bounce them.  :)

More music class fun!  The boys were given scarves and were asked to move the scarves around with the music.  William enjoyed playing "Peek-a-boo" with his scarves.  :)

Our happy guy, playing "Peek-a-boo."

Shhhh....he's hiding!  :)

Silly William playing "Peek-a-boo" in music class.

New breakfast obsession!!  This is something that I've read about and have played around with the recipe until I finally found the perfect preparation/combination.  The new sensation:  Overnight oats!

Ingredients:
-1/3 cup Banilla lowfat yogurt (banana vanilla yogurt) (or use your favorite yogurt - although I tried Greek yogurt with this and was not a huge fan of the thickness)
-1/3 cup Oats
-1/2 cup lowfat milk (If you want it more thick, use 1/3 cup milk)
-1 tbsp peanut butter (however, sometimes I use  1 tbsp cookie butter)
-1/2 tbsp chia seeds

In a small bowl, mix together the oats and the chia seeds.

Then add in the yogurt and cookie butter (or peanut butter).  After that,
pour in the milk.  Now here's the secret:  Mix this well to combine!!

(I was so disappointed when I would see people on websites putting big globs
of peanut butter on top of their overnight oats.  It's not incorporated and you
only get a few bites with the peanut butter.  Mix that deliciousness in
so that the peanut butter (or cookie butter) flavor is well-incorporated.)

Pour the mixture into a sealed container overnight (or at least 3 hours).
You'll have a delicious breakfast that you can top with some yummy
fresh fruit for the next morning.  Plus, it's super fun to eat out of a
mason jar in the morning.  Reminds me of drinking sweet tea out of mason
jars at my grandparents' home in the summer.  :)
It's a delicious new spin on yogurt and granola and is my new breakfast obsession!
Enjoy!

Since it was such a beautiful and sunny day, I decided to pack a lunch and take the boys on a picnic after music class.  We found a local forest preserve, parked, had a delightful picnic at a picnic table, and then went on an adventure, exploring the forest preserve.

Alex and William enjoying a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich at the forest preserve.

Me and the boys on a beautiful day.  :)

We found a huge soccer field that the boys
enjoyed just running around and chasing each other.

They're so stinking cute.  :)

William and Alex, running around and chasing each other.

William and Alex on a tire swing. 
For 17 months old, William is very strong
and good with his hands.  He hung on like a pro
and enjoyed spinning just as much as Alex.  :)

"Higher mommy!!"

This fuzzy little chick loves to get his picture taken.  :)

Alex enjoyed bouncing William on this
playground equipment.

After breakfast each morning, we have a little down time where I'm cleaning up and putting away dishes.  During that time, the boys usually go to the living room and play with their toys.  This particular morning, I saw William scurry to the front of the house and wondered what he was doing.  I looked down the hallway and saw that William had found his "happy place" and sat himself down on the shoe tray and was "reading" a book to himself!  Alex saw this and thought he would join William as well.  :)

Alex and William, in William's comfy spot.

Oscar wanted to check it out as well.

Our fuzzy little chick, making himself comfortable.

Love.

We had an amazing weekend, weather wise.  It was around 70 on Saturday, so I set up a play date with one of Alex's friends from school and we met at Larz Anderson Park(one of our favorite places).  We had an absolutely wonderful time playing on the playground, in the park, and then enjoyed a delicious picnic together.  Joseph was on back-up call, so he took a separate car, just in case he was called in, and joined us for this play date. 
We had such a great time with this family.  I swear, play dates are as much fun for the parents as they are for the kids.  Lots of laughs and good times were had by all!  Thanks so much, Qing, Nader, Kian, and Kamrin! 

Qing and the cautious Kian on the playground. :)

Our little Hulk, William Billiam.
(Part of his pasalubong from Tita Kristen and Uncle Pete!)
Thanks! :)

William and Kamrin loved playing with the mulch exploring their surroundings.

"Uh-raaaaayyyy!"  (William's "Hooray!")

Kamrin and William - two cutie patooties

I monitored Alex while Joseph monitored William.  :)

William was in the middle of throwing a tantrum.  I'm sure Kamrin
was thinking, "Dude, chill out.  It's not that bad."  :)

Kian and Alex loved chasing each other around the playground
escaping an imaginary "monster."

Big boy William, at the wheel.

Alex and William on the field - after they tired of the playground.

Kian was such a professional, showing Alex and Kamrin how to
dribble the soccer ball.

Kian, setting up the ball.

The boys in action.

After a rollicking game of "chase the ball," the kids were starting to get a little "hangry" (angry because they're hungry).  So, we found a picnic bench, set up shop, and had a delightful picnic together.

Kian's in-depth conversation started off by whispering, "Boo boo," to
Alex.  Then, it continued with some more silliness and non sequiturs.
Kian and Alex were in stitches, laughing at each other.

Joseph and wiggly William.  Joseph had to master the art of eating
one-handed since he was holding wiggly William during the picnic.

Oh my goodness!!  Lol!  Kian.is.hilarious. :)

Alex was quite amused.

After the picnic, the boys wanted to go back to the playground to run around.

The little boys, acting like big boys. 

Whatcha doin', buddy?

William loves climbing up the stairs and then going down the slide.

William insisted on holding his sippy cup almost the entire time.
He would NOT allow anyone to hold it for him.

Joseph, doing his best Michael Jackson impression
with William.  LOL!

Alex and Kian, running away from the "monster."

Kian, Nader, and Alex, playing on the playground.

William, practicing to be an accountant when he's older.

William, climbing up just like the big boys.  Oy!  This kid is fearless!

Qing and Kamrin, having some silly tickle time.  Too cute!!

We were so thankful to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful weather last week!  It was so much fun to share this with Joseph and to make new friends with a wonderful family. 
Until next time...

Love and kisses,
Nikki