A year in review

This is a very long post so be ready to be bombarded by a lot of our very favorite family photos...

A few days ago I was thinking:  "Well, it's the end of the year, I'd better start making some new year's resolutions and set some goals."  And then it hit me that this year has gone way too fast and A LOT has happened for me to just dismiss it like it's my tendency with most things and events.  I decided to change that and relish a little on what has transgressed throughout this year.  Even mundane things can have a huge impact in the life of a young family so I'm thrilled to share these very special moments with you.

January

We celebrated our 10th year anniversary.  Big deal right?  Yes it is!  We actually celebrated a few weeks early with a trip to Maui.   It was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations to date.  I'm so thankful to have had this opportunity. Isaac keeps asking to go back to Hawaii so that means that even he had a good time :)

February

I had not 1 but 2 baby showers!!  I'm very thankful to have such loving, caring, thoughtful, and generous friends who took time out of their busy schedules to organize such lovely events.  I must admit that it was very awkward at first, but I quickly got over it and enjoyed everyone's company and love for our new baby on the way.

This year will be forever imprinted in my mind because our beautiful angel was born on Feb. 13th, 2 weeks before her due date.  She came to this world to fill every day with sunlight and joy. Welcome to our lives Andrea.  I cannot imagine life without you.







Dave turned 39 on February 24th.  We had a weekend long celebration of his birthday, first by spending the day in San Francisco, starting with brunch at the Cliff House and then dinner at Umami with some very special friends.  Then we headed into the wine country for a couple of days of wine tasting and relaxing with the whole family.   Yes, Andrea is only 2 weeks old :)

March

Our son's school sponsored a Parent's Night Out, and we had our first "Date Night" of the year.  We were able to get care for Isaac but we brought Andrea to dinner with us.  Fortunately she slept through the entire dinner and we got some much needed couples time at Oasis in downtown Pleasanton.

My good friend's dad passed away this month.  It was a very heart breaking event for the entire family and we felt it important to be there for our friends.  We drove to L.A. to be with my she and her family.

Our church sponsored a St. Patrick's Day dinner and we were able to partake in that.  We were fortunate to have a few of our very closest friends join us with their families.  A real treat!

April

Our angel was baptized this month.  The heavens opened and down came God's special dove to introduce the newest addition to the Catholic church:  Andrea Berenice Chacon.

This month Isaac and daddy took part in a "Daddy and Me" soccer series.  They both enjoyed themselves on Saturday mornings while Andrea and mommy visited the Pleasanton farmers market.

May



Our gorgeous, and very talented niece graduated college this year.  We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to join in the celebration of her achievements.  While in Santa Barbara we  had a lovely time as a family visiting old stomping grounds and favorite wineries.



This month we also enjoyed the visit of my most special and oldest nephews (and niece!) Jesus, Pablo, Ana, and Pedro.  I am so honored to have had them visit and we enjoyed their company as we took in the sights of beautiful San Francisco.

June

Dave traveled to Germany this month, his first major work travel in a couple years.  We all missed him greatly, Isaac in particular.  We are very thankful for skype because it makes these absences a bit easier to handle.


My dear Cousin Mayra got married this month and we had the joy of joining her and her family in the celebration.  It was such a treat to partake in this wedding because it was clear to us that Mayra and Daniel are perfect for each other.  We are also thankful to have had our sister in law Cindy watch Isaac while we were at the wedding.

July

My very special, and oldest guy turned 3 this month.  I cannot imagine life without him.  He has brought such joy to our lives and changed them for the better.  We celebrated his birthday with lots of special friends at "Pump it Up" in Pleasanton.  The highlight of the day was to watch his face light up as he saw his birthday cake decorated with 4 of his very favorite Cars figures:  DJ, Snot Rod, Wingo, and Boost.  Daddy proceeded to surprise him with an collection of Cars, (sold out) figures during our trip to Disneyland (coming up in September).  This has been a very special year for Isaac indeed.





This month we also had the opportunity to visit one of our most dear to heart places on earth:  Yosemite.  We brought the whole family along and we enjoyed a lovely visit hiking, bike riding, and taking in the sights.




On July 29th I ran the SF Half Marathon with a PR of 1:58.  I am very grateful for this opportunity, for the joy of running in one of my very favorite cities and courses, and for the time that my husband allowed me to train.  It was such a treat to have had my family greet me at the finish line at such early time in the morning.  Fortunately the hosts had Irish coffee for all finishers so I was able to share with my hubby, a treat for his hard efforts.

August

On this month we enjoyed our first camping trip as a family of 4 with very special friends.  Isaac spent the whole time harassing our friend's dog Meli, but otherwise everyone had a good time :)



This month I helped coordinate  my very special friend Tracy's baby shower along with another special friend, Indira.  I was a bit intimidated by the whole event at first but I quite enjoyed working with my teammate, and I must say, we put together a pretty nice shower.  I hope you enjoyed it Tracy.








This month we took our very first Disneyland trip with the family.  This was Isaac's 3rd birthday celebration and so he was surprised and very specially treated with a collection of about 20 sold out Cars figures that his dad spent months bidding on.  The most memorable time was watching Isaac play with all his favorite characters until about 2am!  Glossy eyes and all, he still posed for this photo.

September









I turned 35 this year.  My most special gift was having lots of special friends and family join in the celebration of my birthday.  Dave and I put together a "Spanish Nights" themed dinner party and we think (we hope!) everyone had a good time.  It was a nice treat to have had my good friend Maria and her family join us from L.A. with my God-daughter Brianna.

October





This year I participated in the Nike's Women's Marathon, my second marathon to date and I finished with a PR of 4:10.   I can't begin to mention how thankful I am for this opportunity, for living so close to a city I love which hosts one of the most sought-after marathons in the US, and also for my husband who allowed me the opportunity to train.  Those early morning and weekend runs were tough but he pulled through just like I did.  It was definitely an amazing gift that I will never, ever take for granted.



A few days after my marathon I underwent 2 (minor) surgeries which proved to be not-so-minor-afterall! For starters I wasn't able to breathe through my nose for 2 weeks.  Wait.  Did you hear what I just said?  2.  Long.  Weeks.... Might I mention that I'm somewhat (translate, A LOT!) claustrophobic and completely paranoid about not being able to breathe?  I had multiple anxiety attacks and long sleepless nights, but at last I was able to breathe through my nose for the first time in over... 20 years?  So I guess it was worth it afterall.  Quite conveniently I wore a ninja mask for halloween so it wasn't so bad afterall :) Surgery wasn't bad.  Recovery... S.U.C.K.E.D.!.!.!.!.!.



I stayed home passing out candy while my "Cowboy" and "Zebra" went out trick or treating with daddy.

November



This month my honey treated me to a series of 4 Thai cooking classes--an amazing experience to say the least.  We cooked (and enjoyed)  a total of 24 dishes.  I especially enjoyed having such an experienced chef master guide us in the process.




This month Dave took his second business trip of the year to none other than Japan.  I dream of visiting this country.  Hopefully one day soon.

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house and we had the pleasure of having 2 very special families join us:  The Seegers and the Haneys.  We had a lovely spread and overall a very special celebration thanking God for all our gifts.

December





This has been an incredibly busy month for us and I'm sure we were not alone.  For starters I was very busy with choir rehearsals for our Advent/Christmas concert on December 14th.  Again, I am forever grateful for the opportunity to partake in such a special event and for my husband who took charge of the kids during the multiple rehearsals leading up to the concert.




I am also thankful to have participated in our yearly MOMS cookie exchange.  I heart these women and I cherish the special times we spend together.  I also heart their special baking talents.  We enjoyed their cookies for several weeks to follow.



This month we also had the special joy of visiting the Sacramento train museum with our sister in law Cindy and her husband Darrell.  Isaac enjoyed all the exhibits, especially the "walk-thru" trains and the hands on playing areas.

Right before Christmas we spent 2 days visiting my family and friends in L.A.  We had a lovely and very special visit with my mom and sisters and we also got to visit with my 2 dear friends Maria and Paola and their families. I am so very touched by the gift of these few days spent with people I love.



On Christmas Eve morning we had a very special treat:   We got to partake in a Christmas themed sing-along at the Davis Symphony Hall, with our children. We enjoy any opportunity to expose our children to the arts and this was a perfect event for that.  We all dressed up for the occasion.





We celebrated Christmas Eve at my sister in law's house surrounded by many of her special friends. We had a lovely time and we are thankful to have been invited to this event.  This is Andrea's first Christmas celebration.

After the festivities daddy had a week to spend at home with the family.   We have enjoyed a week of utmost relaxation, enjoyment, and quality time.  We got to celebrate Boxing Day with special friends and amazing food on Wednesday.  We spent the day "Inner tubbing"  in the snow (fake but who really cares?) yesterday.  And we had a lovely day in San Francisco today.  We will be celebrating New Years Eve with good friends tomorrow so that pretty much rounds up the whole year.  I have spent the last few days in my PJs, reading, watching movies, playing, and drinking wine while enjoying my children.  The best gift  in my book!  I hope your 2012 was amazing in every way.

Cheers to an amazing year 2013!  Hope every blessing is bestowed upon you and your family.

What I've been eating (and drinking)

'This the season, I know, but I'm ready to get back on track. For the last couple of months I've cut down considerably on most animal protein, sugar, and refined grains. I don't eat much fruit but I upped my consumption of vegetables and fermented foods. I try to eat whole meals and snack less in between, and I stop eating at 7pm. My body has never felt better. Well, hard to keep up with this regime during holidays, travels, and festivities. I'm of the saying that when in Rome...I haven't exactly indulged in everything in sight but I have relaxed on a few things, especially drinking. My body has taken a toll that's for sure.

In the next few days I will be posting the last of my weekly recipes I committed to at the beginning of the year. I enjoyed this project and I'm working on some ideas for next year. More importantly I feel proud of myself for having finished it because during the course of the year I ran through several difficulties and I thought about dropping it more than once. I really don't like quitting something I've started but I had a lot of technological issues with my phone (photos), computer, and lately with my iPad too. I would like to continue a similar project next year but I need to be realistic with my time limitations too. Now that Andrea is super mobile and naps are non existent I find it very difficult to cook elaborate meals so simplicity will be my next theme.

Here are some cooking/eating goals I have for next year:

1. Get back to shopping at the farmers market for most of my fresh goods.
2. Buy pastured meat, eggs, and milk from a local source (I have already placed an order!)
3. Ferment my own vegetables. I am already brewing kambucha successfully.
4. Cook and eat vegetarian/vegan meals at least 5 days of the week. We are already doing 3 to 4.
5. Eliminate all refined sugar and flours and all processed foods from our diet. We have made huge progress on this. I now only bake with almond flour and honey or maple syrup. My husband loves his chips and frozen burritos so that's been hard to eliminate but at least we buy high quality snacks for him and the kids.

I hope you are all enjoying the festivities. Im off to watch a movie and drink some sangria. Cheers!








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Week 51--Ginger

Did you know that ginger is an herb?  Indeed so.  But its most common appearance is in its rhizome form, or the underground stem which is all too common in many cuisines.  It is also widely used medicinally to treat anything from digestive issues, to respiratory problems, to body pains.  I love the spiciness in ginger and I use it generously in my cooking.  I also drink ginger tea daily.  Lately I have even been using it in my baking and I just can't get enough of it.  I'm surprised I haven't yet featured it in this blog.  

For this week I thought about featuring my favorite cocktail:  Ginger-lime mojito made with sake, but then I thought I would be cheating you since a cocktail isn't really a recipe per se.  So I came to my second best idea, a Moroccan stew with plenty of guess what?  Yes, ginger. I have made this recipe many times this year, many variations of it too.   I mostly make it with beef but this week I only had chicken so that is what I used. So this week I prepare for you a Moroccan style chicken stew with butternut squash.  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients (remember to choose organic whenever possible)

1 whole chicken cut into serving size pieces.  (I used Trader Joes organic, free-range chicken, a mere $10 for a whole chicken!)

1 large onion diced

2 cups chopped bell pepper ( I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange.  Bell peppers are on the top 12 dirty list so be sure and get them organic). 

1 large jar of marinara sauce (or 4 to 6 cups of freshly cut tomatoes)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut up into bite sized pieces.

2 to 4 cups of  cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 beer, any kind.

1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth.

8 garlic cloves 

1 2in piece of ginger 

2TB Garam Masala

2TB curry powder

1TB cumin

1tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2TB Extra virgin olive oil, separated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a food processor combine ginger, garlic, spices, up to cayenne pepper, 1 TB olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of beer.  Blend together until a smooth paste is formed.  Rub chicken pieces with spice paste and let marinade for 2 hours or overnight.

2. In a pre-heated large skillet brown chicken on all sides.  Set aside.  Add one TB of olive oil to same skillet and brown onions and bell peppers until tender. Add rest of beer and scrape bottom of skillet.  Add marinara or tomatoes and bring to simmer.  Set aside.

3. In a large roasting pan or dutch oven combine butternut squash, garbanzo beans, chicken, broth and onion mixture.  Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1hr.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.

4. Enjoy served over couscous, quinoa, or by itself.

   

Random thoughts

I've exercised consistently since my senior year in high school. That Summer before starting school I found my passion for running and have never stopped. I have found refuge and wellness in exercise when going through the most difficult and unlikely times in my adult life: during both of my pregnancies, while completing my degree (didn't miss a day, regardless of my load), through chronic sinus infections, after a night of drinking too much wine, after a night of zero sleep with a colicky baby,  whenever I wake up to tired or too depressed to want to carry on. It's my way of life. I don't think about exercising, I do it. It is the only way for me.

I've been drinking too much coffee. I am easily irritable.

I am concerned about developing diabetes. I test my blood sugar daily and continue to find ways to keep it under control.

my perfectionist tendencies bring me much stress and depression.  I strive to prevent my children from developing such behavioral patterns.

When I was growing up my mother seldom smiled or laughed. I find myself doing  the same and I struggle to break this cycle.

Every year I look forward to the holidays. They come and go too fast and I'm typically disappointed. I need to reevaluate my expectations.

I've been reading more and browsing less.  It's a good change.

Week 50--Spaghetti Squash

I'm beginning to think that I actually may finish all 52 recipes before the end of the year.   It's been a very fun project and I hope you have all gotten something from it.  

I have featured spaghetti squash in a different recipe but today I made a dish that is definitely worth sharing.  This is one I created and it incorporates a mix of flavors that may surprise you, but the end result was very well enjoyed by all in this family.  

Not-your -ypical Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients (remember to choose organic whenever possible)

1 large spaghetti squash

1 large onion chopped

1 large bell pepper chopped

1lb ground 100% grassfed beef 

8 cloves of garlic minced

1TB chinese seasoning

1tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/4 cup hoising sauce

2 cups of frozen spinach

2TB ground flax

Olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil and bake face down on baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes or until fork tender. 

2. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook onion until translucent.  Add bell pepper and cook until tender.

3. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.  Add garlic and all spices up to clove and cook until fragrant.

4. Add hoisin sauce and spinach and cover. Cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix in flax, turn off heat and let rest.

5. Once the squash is cooked, fill with beef mixture and bake uncovered in oven for approximately 10 minutes or just until heated through.

6.  Enjoy!  Our whole family ate only 1/2 of the squash.  We sliced it and served it with roasted brussels sprouts and arugula salad.  

Triple recipe week (47, 48, 49)

Who doesn't like BBQ? If you raised your hand that probably means you haven't had real, good, BBQ, the kind that incorporates savory and sweet tastes with tons of smoky goodness.  Ok, so you are not into it, I will respect that.  But, I would still urge you to consider giving these recipes a try because guess what?  They are vegan and they are good for you.  Did I mention that they are delicious?  Yum!

Barbecued Tempeh

Ingredients (Use organic whenever possible, especially the tempeh)

2 packages of tempeh, sliced into 1/4 inch "fingers"

1/2 beer, any kind will do (I used Longboard)

1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used one I bought at Sauced, a restaurant in downtown Livermore)

6 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1TB prepared horseradish 

1TB cumin

1tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour beer inside a medium saucepan and "steam" tempeh for about 10 minutes

2. Add BBQ sauce, garlic, soy sauce, horseradish, cumin and cayenne pepper and marinade for 2 hours.

3. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Southern Style Black Eye Peas with Kale

Ingredients (Use organic whenever possible, especially the Kale)

6 to 8 cups of cooked black eye peas (Use canned if you must)

1 large onion chopped

1 large bell pepper seeded and chopped

6 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 a beer (I used Longboard)

1 jar of prepared salsa (I used Trader Joes organic tomatillo/tomato salsa)

1 TB cumin

1 TB paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper (use more if you like your beans spicy)

1 tsp mustard powder

1 large bunch of kale chopped

4 cups of vegetable stock

1TB Olive oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan and saute onion until translucent.  Add bell pepper and saute until tender.  Add spices and garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add beer, salsa and stock and simmer for about 30 minutes.  

2. Add kale and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until just tender.  Do not overcook kale.

3. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Tangy Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients for slaw

1 package of broccoli slaw

1 package of shredded cabbage

1/2 red onion sliced thinly

1 cup of grapes sliced

1/4 cup of raw sunflower kernels

1 TB anise seeds

Ingredients for Dressing

2TB olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup cultured non-dairy milk (You can also use plain yogurt)

1TB maple syrup (or honey)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine all salad ingredients.

2. In a small bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  You may serve immediately or refrigerate.  The salad holds well if left overnight.

Week 46--Apples

I had a great week!  Rainy days tend to help me focus on the here and now since I'm not so preoccupied with what to do next... I spent a lot of time this week reorganizing the home, putting up Christmas decorations, cooking, reading, relaxing, and playing with the kids.   In other words, we spent a lot of time at home, which made me crave something homey and sweet.  This version of an apple crisp has about 1/2 the sugar of a regular crisp and uses coconut flour which you can easily substitute with gluten free all purpose flour or any other flour you have at hand.  Coconut flour is all I had so that's what I used :)  

Lucia's Apple Crisp (Gluten Free and Vegan)

Ingredients for filling 

8 organic granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into slices

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup of maple syrup (or honey)

Juice of 1/2 meyer lemon

1TB cinnamon

1/2TB pumpkin spice mix

1/4tsp cardamon

1/4 cup apple juice

1TB coconut flour

Ingredients for Crisp

1 cup GF rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup coconut oil softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4tsp baking soda

1/4tsp baking powder

pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

2. Coat a 9 x 11 baking pan with coconut oil

3. Combine apples with rest of filling ingredients and mix well. Place inside baking pan.

4. In a separate bowl combine crisp ingredients and sprinkle on top of apples.  Cover and bake for 35 minutes* (*Coconut flour burns easily so do not bake crisp for the entire time without a cover.  If you are using regular flour covering is not necessary)

5. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until done.

6. Enjoy topped with vanilla ice cream or just by itself.  I enjoyed mine with a cup of ginger spice tea :)