Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Cake Takes the Cake

My son turned one a month ago. We decided not to throw him a big "First Birthday" party because he'll never remember it and we have so many adult and baby friends we'd need to invite that we'd never find a suitable party venue we could afford.

What we did instead was show up at a local park on his birthday with a picnic blanket, cake, water, and a few snacks. We also texted and emailed a bunch of people at the last minute inviting them to stop by for a piece of cake. The impromptu get-together meant we kept our numbers and budget low.

The cake I chose was really more suitable for adults than babies, and slices were more like incredibly rich, moist brownies than cake. The key ingredient that made for this texture? Mashed banana. It was dense enough that revelers didn't need forks or plates, which was perfect for the park. Peanut butter frosting served alongside made for an optional topping.

I am looking forward to making this cake again. It was really good.  Find the recipe for the cake here (I used coconut oil instead of olive oil). I also used this frosting recipe.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Baby! I hope there are countless cakes in your future.

-------

Pick-Me-Up

My morning coffee (and afternoon coffee and evening coffee) is hot chocolate.  I don't particularly enjoy the flavor of coffee and I love not being dependent on the caffeine of coffee or tea (though I do also like tea), so I often drink cocoa when I want a hot beverage.  

I'm sometimes given intriguing flavors of drinking chocolate as gifts.  One of the more recent was this Belgian white chocolate pictured above.  It's smooth and unassuming, heated up in milk (and my favorite office mug). Despite one co-worker teasingly announcing that my frequent breakfast of oatmeal and hot chocolate is "baby food," I'm not giving up this habit.
------

Baby Nibbles

Now, now.  Calm down.  This is still a food blog, and one that's not morphing into a parenting blog.  But a few weeks ago my baby started snacking -- you certainly can't call the tiny amount that gets into his mouth a meal -- so I thought I'd share.

His first exploratory tastes were of: lemon juice, avocado, guacamole, salsa, cheese grits (in Louisville, KY), and plain yogurt.

His first playful bites were of: a lime wedge, pureed carrots with a little Hungarian sweet paprika (turns out he's not so into purees), mashed potato and peas (and then I stopped making purees), pear (quarters with a finger-hold notch cut out of each side), Gala apple (peeled and served like the pear), cinnamon apple oatmeal, pasta, cucumber, sweet pickle, steamed broccoli, CSA grapes (in a mesh feeder), and scrambled eggs.

He's getting better at: bread.  I'll end this post with a video of my own Cookie gumming down (though he's got two teeth in there!) unsalted butter on toast fingers.  He's also had French toast, waffle, and toasted baguette slices with cream cheese.

-------

Current Favorite Things

1. Giant salads (pictured: tomato, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheese, greens, oil, and vinegar)
2. Three-week-old babies (one in particular)
3. Episodes of Downton Abbey (Watch it instantly on Netflix)

Best of all? Combine all three!

-------

"We'll eat you up, we love you so."

Here's to the people and restaurants who provided special snacks and meals in the first several weeks after I gave birth to my son (three weeks ago today).

• My smarty-pants husband had Thai delivered from Cheers for the two of us, our doula, and the midwife, an hour or two after our home birth.
   
• Moss, Rachel, and Hero brought fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and slices of pie from Pies 'n' Thighs for dinner that first night.  Turns out that two pieces of fried chicken was EXACTLY what I wanted after 8 1/2 hours of labor.
  
  
• Nick came by with dark beer (good for milk production, they say) and ice cream and chips and...numerous other good things.  Matthew C. also brought beer (which turned out to be more for my husband than for me).
  
  
• Tim and Holly made lasagna and fennel salad, and delivered it with chocolate cake (and brought their gorgeous 6-month old daughter).
  
  
• David and Molly donated homemade chicken pot pies, ready to cook, and chocolate-coconut hand pies (pictured above).  Oh, yum!
  
  
• Carmine's was the first place we "ate out" with the baby.  We only purchased two slices of pizza at the counter, but they still let us sit in the back (which is usually reserved for people ordering from the menu), away from the construction noise on the street.

Inedible but Lovely "special mention" goes to Willow and August's cherry blossoms and two bunches of flowers from Matt C. -- not to mention all the other friends who stopped by or mailed cards and gifts of rattles, blankets, onesies, books, lullabies, and more.  Sorry I haven't named you all here!

I feel really, truly blessed. 

A few notes from the cookie jar...

5 1/2 days old!

"Cookie" was my grandfather's nickname when he was a little boy (and, as he became an adult, people also called him Cook).

As of Thursday, March 24th at 12:34 pm -- a good time for lunch or anything delicious to come into one's life -- I have my own little boy "Cookie." Cook is his middle name, officially, and I hope my grandfather, who passed away in December and is very missed, would be pleased to know that.

This little boy is tantalizing and sweet, of course, but I'm also working out how to fit blogging into my new routine.  I have no intention of quitting the snacks, so fit it in I will.  And, I realized, a new vista of snacking has opened up before me once the kid is on solid food.  How exciting!

Coincidentally also regarding cookies (and also of the non-edible variety), Rachel's 2 1/2 year old daughter was playing with my phone last night.  She and I enjoy the app Cookie Doodle.  It's pretty fun.  You can (virtually) bake, decorate, and eat a whole cookie jar's worth of treats.

Here's a photo I found in my inbox this morning.  I guess my little friend accidentally emailed it to me (she's smart, but not smart enough to have done it on purpose).  It features just a few of the cookies we've made using this app.

-------

Not Pictured: 1 Slice of Dean and DeLuca Iced Lemon Bread

(photo by Dan)

Eaten before and after Infant CPR and Safety class at Birth Day Presence.

-------

Shower Power!

Jeff and Michelle are having a baby (they beat me to it).  I felt privileged to attend one of their baby showers last weekend -- and not just because the food served there was excellent.



But it was.







The party was held in the back room of, and catered by, a charming local bar called The Richardson.  They laid out a great spread of grilled sandwiches/panini, veggies, pickles, cheese, deviled eggs, pretzels, and meats.



I believe I ate quite a bit. 





Seriously intense, moist, and attractive cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and carrot cake) were provided by another local favorite shop, The Blue Stove.

Congratulations, Jeff and Michelle!  And thanks (also to Jeff's mom, who hosted) for the party!

Poetry Tuesday: An Imaginary Tantrum

Un-True Story

Juice box straw broke the camel's back.
We both say please.  The shorter, cuter one wins.
She's sunny; I feel my own rumble.
Balled hands could bite the dirt in rage.
Shod feet remember how to stamp.
Someone over thirty is shouting in my head:
"I want juice, too!" She calls it, "Elmo,"
And isn't even three.
So that must be me.

Somewhat Blurry, Boring Photo Essay: I Manage Not To Buy Anything at the Renegade Craft Fair, But, Man! If That Purse Had Been Affordable...

Apologies for taking all of these with my phone.  And that they're not great shots in terms of composition or subject, either.  But I was afraid to get too close to anything in the booths.  I would rather save than spend.  Mainly, I just wanted to give the girl with the lemonade stand some props.  Good idea, little girl!

Not pictured: Amazing cinnamon cherry-cheese babka roll from the nearby farmer's market and fresh mango bought at the edge of the track/soccer field. 

-------

Bittersweet Bon Voyage

The other day, I had to say goodbye to Ms. Revelie, as well as to her mom and dad.  They're moving on to greener pastures (literally greener than NYC).  That they provided going-away goodies (mini chipwiches and fancied-up Two Bite brownies from Whole Foods) for our office before taking off didn't make their bittersweet farewell any more sweet than bitter.  But, as is my habit, I managed to eat through the pain.

Take care and fare well, friends!  Keep those baby pictures coming.

 
(photo taken by ?? on Rev's first visit to the office in November, 2008)

-------

Pickle Party!

A few weeks ago I babysat my best baby friend for a day. She and I visited a pickle party as part of our frolic. Dan and our friends made a whole slew of fresh produce into pickled produce while I chased the tot around the apartment. The final jars weren't sealed for long-term storage, so we were told we should eat them after a week but before a month went by.

Saturday, Dan and I broke open our jars of pickled cucumbers (including gherkins) and radishes [pickled with garlic and red peppers].

The verdict?

"The pickles are delicious. I say." -- Dan.

"The gherkins [made with dill and shallots] are my favorite." -- Me.




Pardon my baby talk.

On the Hook

I attended last night's "launcheroo" for The Meat Hook and Brooklyn Kitchen Labs, a neighborhood butcher shop and teaching space being opened by the good people of Brooklyn Kitchen.

From the BKK blog:

At the helm, Tom Mylan and Brent Young (formerly of Marlow and Daughters) will provide the best meat and charcuterie this side of just about anywhere. The Meat Hook will exist inside the larger Brooklyn Kitchen Labs, which will feature 2 full teaching kitchens, so we can have more classes, including weekends as well as special events.

The space will also have a much expanded Cookbook section, as well as bulk food goods and spices.

They're aiming to be up and running on November 11th. That seems ambitious, given how raw the space still is, but I'm on board.





I didn't see a lot of "store" at the event, but it's a lovely, big space. There's a large open shop floor, a dry-goods room with a giant antique scale, a gorgeous white (enamel?) cooler and stove, an impressive meat grinder, a teaching space with skylights and a splendid exposed brick wall, and a second story that will hold another classroom alongside office space. Read more about the plans.








The launch event was fun and casual and tasty -- neighborhood folks, Brooklyn Kitchen friends and friendly strangers (I even got to meet the adorable BKK baby Moxie), pickles, nibbles, beer, Lillet cocktails, and slices of a nice sweet potato pie with graham cracker crust. I was already a Brooklyn Kitchen fan, and I'm pleased to welcome its sister establishment to the family.




The Meat Hook is and will be located at 100 Frost Street in Brooklyn. Opening soon!



Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make some sweet potato pie of my own!

Snacking Survival Tip #1

Chilly at an outdoor restaurant? In a pinch, paper toweling makes an effective blanket.

Phone Photo Flashbacks

I found a couple dozen photos on Dan's phone that I didn't realize/remember existed. Their discovery comes with some lovely food memories of the recent past.



Hey! Remember that awesome bánh mì we ate in Chinatown with Kate and Luke and Melissa near the bike polo and soccer fields? I think those are shrimp chips to the right of the sandwich.




(photo by Dan)

Ooh! And remember the pretzels I made for H's first birthday?



(photo by Dan)

And how she wouldn't eat the blueberries, but really enjoyed squishing them with her fingers? And spilling them?



(photo by Dan)

Those were some good pretzels. I should make more.

Menu Curation: First Birthday

(photo by Dan)

My best baby friend is one! I met up with her and some other admirers in the park Wednesday night to celebrate. I thought I could tempt her with some snacks, so I toted blueberries, healthy crispy rice cupcakes, gelled-juice jigglers, and homemade soft pretzels.

Hero seemed happy I was there. My menu wasn't such a hit, though.

• Blueberries (which at other times she has adored) got smushed between thumb and forefinger, then rejected. A plus: she loved smushing them.
  
• We'll speak more of the disastrous crisped rice cakes when I post this week's CSA wrapup. Though Hero actually did eat some, they were a mess.
  
• The jello didn't interest her at all, texturally speaking. She just shook her head at me. [Aside: I went home and absent-mindedly stuck the jello in the freezer, creating something amazing.]

It's not like the girl didn't have anything to eat. Her mom and grandma made a delicious carrot cake, which Hero really enjoyed. She also tried and seemed to like bites of my soft pretzels. We adults loved them even more, and they didn't last the evening. You might want to make some yourself.





Soft Pretzels
Recipe from The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler by Lisa Barnes
Makes 48 2-3 inch pretzels

This recipe is milk free, nut free, and vegetarian. 2 pretzels have 80 calories, if you're interested. It's a good to make with older kids who can roll and shape dough, paint on egg, or sprinkle salt!

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
coarse salt, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 F. I used a baking sheet with a silicone mat, but you could also use parchment paper on the baking sheet.

Put the yeast in a large bowl with the warm water. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, flours, and one of the eggs. Stir with a fork to combine into a dough. Turn out onto a floury surface and knead until it is elastic (maybe 2-3 minutes), adding a little more flour if it's very sticky.

Tear off small pieces of the dough and roll into any shape you want (classic pretzels, circles, hearts, twists). You know what would be cute? Xs and Os -- they stand for "hugs and kisses" AND you can play edible tic-tac-toe!

Place an inch or two apart on your baking sheet. Brush with the second egg (beaten) and sprinkle with whatever you want to sprinkle them with.

Bake 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite mustard.

Some will eat sand; I prefer cupcakes

This afternoon I sort of crashed A's first birthday party by tagging along as R and H's friend in tow. The host mom, J, was as sweet as her backyard space, as lovely as her birthday girl daughter, as friendly as the other guests in attendance, and as welcoming as the mini cupcakes from Crumbs (I had two -- vanilla M&M and chocolate Oreo). I felt right at home.



Baby guests gathered around the play area to eat a little sand and occasionally drink water from plastic watering cans.



Adults and kids alike enjoyed pasta salad with peas, broccoli, and tomatoes (my favorite dish); carrots and hummus; blue tortilla chips; and a pitch-perfect fruit salad served in a carved watermelon "bowl." I don't know that a one-year-old always knows when it's his or her birthday, but everyone at this party seemed to know it was a celebration. I had a great time.

Did I mention there were Jello shots for the grownups? I had two strawberry-coconut servings. Right on.

Will work for pie

You don't have to give me a cute-and-small-and-delicious cherry pie as a thank you for babysitting your child if she (or he) is this adorable (and cute and small and delicious):



But I'm also not inclined to turn down a gift from The Blue Stove.

So if you do happen to have an extra mini pie from said establishment lying around and you happen to want to give it to the babysitter (who happens to be me), you probably won't have to insist.

Poetry Tuesday: A villanelle for Hero

A Missive from the Miami Metro Zoo

Are you sure that babies don't eat curly fries?
We're small and cute and teething is a pain;
Ah, ah. I must swallow these, my sighs.

And yet I tried a clementine - that flies?
I'm telling you that french fries rarely stain.
Are you sure that babies don't eat curly fries?

A baby, such as I, a baby tries
To be the cutest yet - with little gain.
Ah, ah. I must swallow these, my sighs.

A frozen carrot answers not the whys -
The whys, I mean, like why must I refrain;
Are you sure that babies don't eat curly fries?

I know there's milk, but have you seen my size;
Must I not grow? Eating is not in vain!
Ah, ah. I must swallow these, my sighs.

And you, my father, hear you not my cries?
If I may not eat that, shouldn't you explain?
Are you sure that babies don't eat curly fries?
Ah, ah. I must swallow these, my sighs.

(What's a villanelle?)