Happy Friday from this little squish squish! He’s getting so big. I can’t handle it! When people mention his birthday, I admittedly get a little snappy because I know all too soon he’s going to transform from this little squish squish to a sticky finger toddler. They say your baby is only a baby for a year, and it’s so true!
What’s on your plans for this weekend? KJ has a play date this morning with his preschool class at a local park that I was thankfully able to rearrange my schedule so we could attend. We can stay for an hour and then I have to head home to work, the sitter is coming later and will meet us at home. I’m thankful for the opportunity to rearrange my schedule to do things like hit up a Friday morning playdate. However, on the flip side, no one is coming to do the work for me. Often, rearranging my schedule or taking time off during the week results in me having to work a bit on the weekends or more at night (if I can keep my eyes open.) It’s a constant balancing act!
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Food & Favorites
Free Turkey Friday + $100 OFF + Hungry Hobby Holiday Ebook
If you didn’t hop on the free turkey deal last week from Butcher Box, NOW is the time because for TODAY ONLY, they are giving new members a 10-14lb free-range turkey FREE PLUS $100 OFF your first box!
We’ve been enjoying these free-range turkeys for a few years now, and they NEVER disappoint. They come out mouthwateringly juicy and full of so much flavor every time!
For those of you subscribed to my library of resources, I sent this deal above along with a direct link to my healthy holiday recipes ebook to your inbox today! So if you are new around here, make sure to check out this ebook full of yummy healthy holiday recipes!
First Foods/ Beaba Babycook Neo
KK started eating his first purees this week! It’s funny because I feel like most Moms start by making their baby food and then give up by baby #2. With KJ, I was so overwhelmed by all the food sensitivities and sleep issues. I didn’t even consider making his baby food, like not even for a second. But, this time around, I’m totally into it.
After an initial catastrophe with the Baby Brezza Glass Baby Food Maker not working, I bought the Beaba Babycook Neo, and we’ve been rocking and rolling since. So far, he’s had green beans, carrots, and avocado. I’ve been saving all his first foods to my Instagram highlights section! So if you want to watch a hysterical video, go check out the highlights and watch him eat green beans for the first time. It will make your day, I promise.
Let me know if baby food recipes are something you’d like me to share! Also, I know someone will ask about baby-led weaning. So, I’ll likely do what one of my best friends did and start introducing one or two steamed pieces of the food before giving him the puree. But I won’t start doing this till he can sit up a little bit better. And to be honest, I’m not uber interested in baby-led weaning.
The French don’t do that at all, and their kids are some of the most adventurous eaters out there, so it’s not necessary to give your kid pieces of food and let them throw it all over the kitchen before they develop a pincer grasp in hopes of them being great eaters. So if you are into BLW, that’s great! It’s one of those personal choices in parenting that’s a preference, and I’m uber supportive of the practice in general. However, as a Dietitian, I can tell you there is no HARD scientific evidence that BLW creates less picky, better eaters. And feeding with purees can still be baby-led. If they turn their head away or act done, don’t force-feed them, that’s baby-led!
Wandering Bear Coffee
My latest shipment of Wandering Bear coffee came in, and it’s keeping Mama alive, you know? There isn’t a stronger iced coffee on the market. I’ve loved Wandering Bear for as long as I can remember. I used to order through Thrive Market, but now I order through their website. (Use code HungryhobbyRD for a discount!)
Crate&Barrel/ Carlsbad Tavern
After our fiasco with me ordering two tables and returning both of them at Ashley Furniture a couple of weekends ago, I learned that taking kids’ furniture shopping is impossible. So, when I found a table online at Crate and Barrel that I loved, I knew I needed to see it at Fashion Square in person without kids in tow. I LOVED the table, so we got a quote, and I ended up ordering it a few days later. We’ve been using a ginormous table we bought from the previous homeowners that my Aunt then painted for a few years now. Our new table is a grey/brown wash that fits the style of our home and is on the smaller size, leaving me room for food photography next to the window. We got different chairs, but here is a picture of the table! With all the shipping delays, I’ll probably have it next year sometime, but at least it’s ordered!
After the mall, we headed to dinner at Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale. I knew immediately after we sat down and I started reading the menu about the world-famous ghost and scorpion burgers that this was my kind of place, but not so much for Mr. Hungry, haha. We ordered a starter of chips and salsa, which brought the HEAT!
And, of course, it’s a challenge to eat dairy-free at a Mexican restaurant, but I enjoyed my tesque chicken salad and didn’t feel like I was missing out at all. I also had a DELICIOUS jalapeno mule!
I would go back there because the atmosphere was amazing. They had a wonderful patio with a water show. But I think it was a tad too spicy for Mr. Hungry, but if you love spicy food, I’d highly recommend it!
Farmed Salmon Cookalong
I attended a farmed salmon cookalong hosted by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, where we had the chance to learn about farmed vs. wild salmon. Personally, I’m not too fond of the taste of sockeye salmon, and I can never find wild Alaskan salmon, so I usually end up eating farmed. I had resorted to just turning over the package and making sure the farmed salmon was from a country with higher standards like the US, Canada, or Europe. I avoided farmed salmon from Asia, Indonesia, etc.
During this cookalong I learned a lot about the certifications I could look for (vs. just looking at the country of origin, which of course, guarantees nothing) and some facts about wild salmon I had already suspected. For example, in some cases, did you know that wild salmon is hatched in hatcheries, placed in salmon farming pins for a significant portion of their life, vaccinated, and then released into the wild to be recaught? Not exactly wild, in my opinion, but they can still call it that. So, I learned that if I’m going to eat farmed salmon, I should look for an ASC certification.
This certification ensures high standards and sustainability of farmed salmon, including factors like the salmon pens having 98% water and only 2% fish, so no overcrowding or poor living conditions.
Oktoberfest
My MIL and I attended an Oktoberfest/Beer tasting at our parish, and it was so much fun! We got to learn about different types of beer and eat a traditional German meal! I love wheat beers or those without strong hops, which there were plenty of! Particularly I loved the San Tan Brewery Devil’s Ale. Did you know that monks used to drink beer during their fasting periods? If we could drink during fasts, I’d sign up a lot quicker to participate, that’s for sure. Haha!
Great Harvest Bakery
All my recent reading about French food culture has me obsessed with the quality of food and food enjoyment. So, when Mr. Hungry mentioned the bakery down the street, I knew it was something I needed to check out. Our source of homemade bread (my Aunt) moved to Flagstaff, so we haven’t been spoiled with homemade bread in a while. (She did attempt to teach me how to make sourdough. I have the pictures and everything. Maybe someday, when I have more time, I can revisit that, but for now, I just don’t have the time or patience to devote to the delicate art of baking bread.) So I checked out Great Harvest Bakery and learned they mill their own flour, including whole-grain options! I got a loaf of the marble rye, and it was DELICIOUS. I’m a customer for life.
Fitness
Week 4 of the Aaptiv train for your first 5K program.
Week 24/25 of the Expecting and Empowered Guide! (Use code hungryhobby10 for 10% off!) Also, in case you missed this reel I made –>
Friday Flashbacks
Slow Cooker Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup (Dairy-Free)
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