NJ

S, Jeff, and the Monkeys hosted Thanksgiving Dinner in NJ. If I had to describe S in one word I would have to say she's a "doer". While the rest of us are daydreaming about what we should be accomplishing, she's already completed it and on to the next thing. And she doesn't just get things done; the execution is perfection. Dinner was amazing. The menu was superb. Individually the dishes were scrumptious, but the real treat was how all the flavors worked together. Additionally, everything was on time and hot. That is no small feat. You really outdid yourself, S. I'm thankful for you!

CT

Ok, time to play the catch up game in a big way. Yes, I've missed a whole month of posts. How much longer can I blame it on a new baby? At least until he turns 1, I figure. The baby and the holidays. That's my excuse. In April I'll have to think of something else.

I love the holiday season for many reasons, but mostly because everyone makes an extra effort to get together. I only see my Connecticut family once a year, so visiting them is always a treat. This year was extra special because it was also an opportunity for everyone to meet the baby for the first time. Riz had to work, so Manu and his brave Mom drove from Jersey to Connecticut the Sunday before Thanksgiving (I'll explain why we were in Jersey in my next post). We spent several days visiting with family.


My Mom also joined us which was really sweet. She wasn't planning on coming until Thanksgiving, but was able to clear her schedule and arrive a couple of days earlier. I hope she doesn't regret it. Manu kept us up night after night while in Connecticut. My lamb who is currently sleeps from 6pm-10pm and from 10pm to 6am was waking every 2 hours and was absolutely inconsolable. I still can't figure out why but it was bad news. Sorry, Mom! Here are Grandma and Manu at my Aunt Phyllis' new and absolutely gorgeous home in Farmington. When I grow up, I'm going to live in Farmington. With its tree-lined streets, quaint storefronts, and all its New England-ness, it's right up my alley.

Here's Manu with my cousin, Erum. Some people are just "baby people". My siblings; all baby people. Me, not so much. I like babies well enough. Of course I'm head-over-heel in-love with my own and I do have more interest in babies since Manu's been born. But I'm never overcome with the desire to cuddle other people's babies for hours on end. I kinda just like to rock them a bit, sniff their baby head, kiss their cheek, and then return them to their parents. My cousin Erum on the other hand awoke one morning, ran downstairs to the living room where Manu and I were playing on the floor and announced:

"Oh my God! When I woke up this morning I thought 'It's been 14 whole hours since I last saw him!' I missed him so much! Come here!"

Really? That's so not the first thing I think of in the morning.

We did get to see the Aunts briefly as well (a short hour before bedtime on our last night there). Manu loves his Aunts and they love him right back. Again, baby people. It was wonderful to have so many eager babysitters around for a bit. We'll see you guys in a couple of weeks for a proper visit at Christmas!

Manu and I had a great little vacay in Connecticut (save for the night time fiasco) and really enjoyed our time spent with all of you. We're already looking forward to next Thanksgiving!

5:30pm

At 5:30pm each day we begin Manu's bedtime routine. He's usually asleep by 6:30pm which leaves Riz and I a few hours to ourselves before we crash. I try hard to make dinner something special for the two of us. Breakfast is hurried. I usually eat lunch with one hand. Dinner is our time to sit together without jumping up to grab a burp cloth or retrieve a toy. It's nice.
Last night's dinner recipe came from Williams and Sonoma. It was easy and quite yummy so I thought I'd share.

Rosemary and Orange-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 chickens, each 3 1/2 lb. and cut into 8 pieces

3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total, peeled
and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed
well and finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus
sprigs for garnish

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag or large bowl and pour in the marinade, coating the chicken evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

Place the chicken and the marinade in a large, heavy roasting pan. Arrange the sweet potatoes and leeks around the chicken, making sure to coat the vegetables with the marinade.

Roast until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, the skin is brown and crisp, and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and potatoes once or twice while cooking. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Place the pan with the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat, and add the orange zest and juice and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the potatoes are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes around the chicken and pour the sauce over the meat. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Diane Rossen Worthington, Author, Seriously Simple (Chronicle Books, 2002).

Fun Chicken!

For Arman's first Halloween, Tahera found a fantastic design for a baby chicken costume. Starting with a couple onsies and a pair of tights, she was able to transform our little guy into the feathered friend you see below.

Once we (finally!) got his costume on, we took him to the mall to see everyone dressed up. We paraded him around the mall a little bit (the entire Macy's cosmetics department dropped what they were doing to ogle our little chicken)

After we'd finished at the Mall, we took him outside for a few more picture before the drive home.

Even though Manu was a little too young for candy this year, his first Halloween was still a really fun time.

Autumn in New York

Look who has fallen behind again already. I know I said I'd post some pics from our NYC vacation like 3 days ago. I really had all intentions of following through. While I've been a super slacker blogger, I've been a super-awesome mommy and have been plugging away on Peanut's first Halloween costume. You're gonna love it!

So, yes. After a nasty Facebook message from my dear brother, I decided to abandon my mommy duties and blog. Happy now, uncle?

Uncle Faheem was studying for a major exam while we were in NY, but took a day off to spend some time with his favorite nephew first at Alice's Tea Cup for a scrumptious lunch and then strolling through Central Park.

It was lovely park weather and Riz took some fantastic shots of Baby and Uncle.

We managed a rare family pic too! So many more great pictures to share. Stay tuned for Part 3!

6 Month Checkup!

17lbs, 10.5 oz, 27.25"!!! Yay Manu!

Now about those shots...

The Hostess With The Mostess

I promised to post pics from our NYC vacation. There are so very very many that I think I'll have to do this in segments. First things first. Many thanks to our incredible hosts. Sadaf, Jeff, and the kids made us feel so welcome and comfortable all week long. Anyone who has ever hosted guests for an extended period of time knows how exhausting it is.
Jeff had a fresh pot of coffee waiting for us every morning.

S cooked a series of fabulous dinners; steak and frites, chimichangas, turkey tetrazzini , chicken tikka. All yum. Oh yeah, and on the last night S and Jeff volunteered to watch baby while Riz and I went out. So cool.

Jordan and Mina were the most gracious little hosts. Right away, Jordan was eager to share his toys with Cousin Arman.

He even fashioned a little hat for him to wear during playtime.


Following her big brother's lead, Mina shared with me her bouncy ball.

We had such a great time hanging out with you guys. I miss those sweet little munchkins already. Thanks for everything. From the fresh flowers to the hazelnut crossaints, it was perfection. I hope we can return the hospitality soon!

More NY pics tomorrow!

Whew!

We're back from our vacation (???) to NYC and we're exhausted! We did capture some fantastic moments from the trip that I'll share later today. However, for now, it's 6:33am and the coffee is ready.

Something Old, Something New

This is the way my little guy used to smile. Cute, right? Spontaneous and genuine.

But ever since we got back from our trip to Buffalo, he's been breaking out in a full cheesy grin. He does the whole bit: jutting his chin out, wrinkling his button nose, squinting his eyes. He totally cracks himself up. Where do they pick up this stuff?

A Walk in the (Schenley) Park

This is probably not an image that one would normally associate with Pittsburgh, but we do have some stunning city parks.

Saturday was an ideal fall day; "sweater weather" as I like to call it. We spent the morning exploring Bridle Trail in Schenley Park.

This is my favorite moment from our outing. I imagine that Riz is quietly commenting on the the beauty of the day and Manu, safe and secure against his dad, is hanging on to his every word.




Manu passed out before we made it back to the car. I think he was reserving his energy for rolling over onto his belly later that night in his crib.

Who wants photos?

It's Friday! It's Friday!

Hello, Weekend! Here I come!

I HEART (Buffalo) NY

Last week Manu and I took a 4- day trip to Buffalo while Riz did some last minute cramming for the last step (yay!) in his licensing exam. We stayed with my sisters who are hands down the BEST college-aged hostesses ever. If you are ever in Buffalo, I'd definitely recommend booking a room in their apartment. While there, I noshed on Aziza-made mushroom tarts and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. Sameena cut and colored my hair. Both provided evening babysitting services. Hello! We'll definitely be back.

Some highlights from our trip:

Manu for a out for a morning stroll in Delaware Park.

Manu greets his Auntie Aziza with his famous toothless grin. Unfortunately for him, it didn't score him any cheesecake.

While hanging out with his Auntie Sameena, Manu discovered the computer keyboard. It's obvious he inherited the techie gene from his father as he was able to log off of Windows twice.


Mom, Dad and Medina joined us for Eid. I don't know how Medina got Manu lay in bed with her like this. I've tried and tried but he just wriggles, squirms and whines his way out of it. He was so content with her.


Grandpa had the magic touch as well. Calm as can be.


Thanks for the great time, sisters. Thanks for the yummies and the much needed styling. Thanks for giving up your room and pretending that you didn't hear Manu screaming his little head off at 3am. We'll see you again soon!

Bad Bad Blogger

I know. I've been a bad blogger. Life has a way of taking over sometimes. You let a couple days slide and next thing you know, you've missed an entire month. I promise I'll be better....tomorrow. For today, I wanted to share with you some great pics Riz took this past Saturday. The morning light in our family room makes is so warm and happy and is ideal for capturing a lazy morning with our little boy.



Just up from his morning nap.

Snuggle time with Mom.

Full of smiles.

Dancing to the Sound of Music soundtrack.