Peanut will SO be getting one of these.

But if he doesn't like Spiderman-- Wait... That's just crazy-talk.

Jazz Hands!

Just when I thought I couldn't be more excited about being a dad...

I see this.

Coolest. Toy. Ever.

The Sweetest Thing

We received the cutest V-Day card from Mom and Dad Ejaz. I just have to share.

Surprise Package

Hmmm. A package...

I'm liking where this is going

Beautious

and delicious!



Thanks Pika!

Nursery Update

Peanut's nursery has been turned into shambles. You can draw your own conclusions.

Whole Foods

It's a beautiful thing. I have to smile every time I walk through those doors. Everything is just so pretty. I paid a visit early this morning. "Good Morning", the produce boy greeted me as he stacked nectarines in a perfect pyramid. "Good Morning", I replied... and actually meant it. He looked really happy to be surrounded by all that whole foodiness.
I'm not even 10 steps in the door and already distracted by the striped orchid bouquets. I have to remind myself 'Resident's salary. I'm here for the cat.'
The only bad thing about Whole Foods is that I can't afford to do all my shopping there. So I only grab the cat food today and get in the express line; the nine items or less line. The lady in front of me manages to rack up a bill of $90. I didn't see how many items she had, but best case scenario would make it an average $10 for each item! Yikes. I'll be sticking to toothpaste and cat food for awhile.

What's for Dinner?

Even with millions of recipes from cuisines around world available online, sometimes I just don't know what to make for dinner. When nothing else strikes my fancy, I turn to pizza. I'm always in the mood for pizza and love this simple dough recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

Ingredients:
1 package active dry or fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water (105º F to 115º F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water.
2. In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. (The pizza dough can also be made in a food processor. Dissolve the yeast as above. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse once or twice, add the remaining ingredients, and process until the dough begins to form a ball.)3. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.)
4. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500º F.
5. Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 ounces each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
6. To prepare each pizza, dip the ball of dough into flour, shake off the excess flour, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface, and start to stretch the dough. Press down on the center, spreading the dough into an 8-inch circle, with outer border a little thicker than the inner circle. If you find this difficult to do, use a small rolling pin to roll out the dough. Lightly brush the inner circle of the dough with oil and arrange the toppings of your choice over the inner circle.

This pizza is topped with garlic, spinach, ricotta and mozzarella.


Hubby approves.