Author: chefmeetsgirl

he's a culinary institute of america grad in medical school. she's a journalist, who prior to their meeting, used the oven solely for storage.

spring tofu chili

two problems: first, it went from a near heatwave here in d.c. to 50 degrees, overnight. we were eating cool, summer foods then suddenly needed something to warm us up! second, i bought tofu from costco. that means i bought about five pounds of tofu. as the expiration date drew near i had to find a way to use it all up (apologies to my carnivorous husband, who might be having red meat withdrawals).

this tofu chili was an easy fix for both issues. rich, warm, and perfect for these cool spring nights.

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dairy-free lemony apple cake

sounds gross, right? well, i’ll tell ya, it definitely tastes “healthy”… but it’s a dessert without dairy, and those are the only kinds of desserts i can eat these days. mila has a milk protein allergy, and the dairy i was eating was making her belly hurt so bad. it took a little while for us to realize that was what was making her so upset, but once i cut dairy out of my diet she started feeling much better, so — i’m dairy free, for now.

cut to this cake. it’s not the best cake i’ve ever eaten, that’s for sure… it needs butter, butter, butter. but it smells amazing and tastes pretty good and satiates my desire for dessert, at least tonight.

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a lady at trader joe’s made me cry

it’s not christmas, but i was walking around trader joe’s with my one-month-old daughter wrapped tightly to my chest, softly singing jingle bells. for some reason, when she starts to fuss, it’s the only song that ever pops in my head. i actually changed the words and now sing mila bells, mila bells…

so, i’m picking out a bag of chips, patting my daughter’s back and singing mila bells, when this lady at trader joe’s made me cry.

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the shortest two weeks

i’m not sure how it happened but somehow our little mila is two weeks old. two weeks and three days, as i type this. these have been the shortest two weeks of my life. it feels like it’s only been a few moments since she was born, since we brought her home, since we’ve been a family of three. she already looks so different; chubby cheeks and thighs, little dimples on her hands. we are so lucky and thankful to be her parents — and not just because she’s been eating every four hours since she was a week old. she’s so sweet and cuddly and smells so good (most of the time). after she eats she just kind of melts onto you and falls asleep. she’s mostly patient with annoying photoshoots and does such a good job latching and eating. she rarely cries, but when she does otis redding can make her stop. we can’t wait to see what kind of little person she will grow up to be.

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its our due date!

the big day is here! we’ve been anxiously, nervously, excitedly looking forward to february 10 since the day we found out we were having a baby. now it’s here, and… well… nothing! this little lady doesn’t seem to want to hang out with us just yet. we’ve been begging her to join us for days. i’ve been taking lots of long walks (from the living room to the kitchen) and drinking lots of raspberry leaf tea (which obviously doesn’t work but still tastes pretty good), but she seems pretty happy right where she is.

steven and i, on the other hand, would love to have her out here with us! can’t wait to meet her, to name her, to introduce her to the dog ; ) c’mon, baby!

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diy: pom pom fringe pillow

my family has a tradition. every new year’s day, you’re supposed to make a pillow case for someone you love. it’s a little good-luck charm that lets them know you love and are thinking about them! growing up, i accumulated a million pillowcases. okay, i guess really only one a year, but that’s still a lot of pillow cases. i’ve loved making one for steven every january 1st, but this year i have a new little sweetie to sew for! this pineapple pom pom pillow case makes the sweetest addition to the nursery that’s waiting for her.

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