Grandpa Jim and Grandma Dixie's visit

Earlier this week my dad and his wife, Dixie came to visit us for a few days. Here are some highlights...
Asher taking a lesson in architecture from Grandpa Jim

A trip to Monkey Joes
My dad got Asher a serious remote control car for Chanukah. This thing can even do back flips! Asher named it "Grandpa Jim".

Lessons in Architecture...

...from Grandpa Jim.

Quite the Vocabulary!

During Asher's bath time as I was pouring water on his shoulders he says, "Ay, que rico!" (Meaning: Oh, how nice!)

He's heard the expression many times but not in this context! It's amazing how much and how fast they pick things up.

Fire Hat!

Fire trucks have been Asher's latest obsession. His friend Michael from our playgroup had one of these hats that Asher loved, so I ordered him one from Amazon. He's been wearing it all around the house--- and with the siren going!

30-Minute Chili

This was sooo easy! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal and as a bonus, it freezes well. I loved the subtle flavor the lager gave to it. I added 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder that gave it a deeper, richer flavor.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 pounds ground beef chuck
• 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) mild lager beer
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Optional: 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, chili powder, chipotles, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice, cocoa powder if using, beer, and beans. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly and beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Green Mango Salad

This is the best salad I have made in a really long time. The layers of textures and flavors are amazing! And as a bonus, it's very healthy, plus low in calories and fat. Serve it as a complete meal by adding cooked shrimp, chicken, or tofu if you are vegetarian.

• 2 firm green mangoes
• 1/4 cup dry shredded unsweetend coconut (the kind you use for baking)
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (fresh wasn't available at my super market so I used 1 Tablespoon of dried and mixed it in with the dressing)
  
• 3-4 spring onions, sliced
• handful of peanuts or cashews, left whole or roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• Optional: 1 cup cooked chicken (sliced), cooked shrimp, or fried tofu if vegetarian (cut into small cubes)
• Optional: 1/3 cup chopped cilantro -I happened to have some on hand so I threw some in
  
• Optional: 1 fresh-cut red chili
• SALAD DRESSING:
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce, OR vegetarian fish sauce, OR 4 Tbsp.soy sauce
• 3-4 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. (or more) brown sugar (I used honey)
  
• 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce (I used chili paste instead)
  

1. Place the coconut in a frying pan or wok (no oil required). "Dry-fry" the coconut (as if you were stir-frying it) for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, or until it turns a light golden-brown and is fragrant. Set aside. Tip: Once the coconut is toasted, remove it from the pan right away and place it in a bowl, otherwise it will keep on toasting.
2. Peel the mangoes and discard the skin. The flesh of the mango should be firm and light yellow-orange.
3. Using a medium to large-size grater, grate the flesh of the mangoes into a mixing bowl. (Note that there is a large flat stone at the mango's center.) I used my mandolin on the julienne-cut setting for this and found it a lot easier than grating.
   
4. Prepare the dressing by mixing together all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl or cup. The dressing should be a mingling of sweet, sour, spicy and salty, but more sweet than sour. Set aside.
5. To the bowl of shredded mango, add the bean sprouts, coriander, spring onions, cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu (if using), the fresh-cut chili (if using), cilantro (if using) plus half the toasted coconut. Toss well to combine.
6. Add the dressing and toss again. Do a taste-test. Add more fish sauce or soy sauce instead of salt. If you prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar (honey works too). If you prefer more spice, add more chili sauce. If too salty or sweet, add more lime juice.
7. Place on a serving platter. Sprinkle the nuts over top plus the basil and remaining toasted coconut. Enjoy!

Curious George Live!

Since Asher is a big Curious George fan, Moises and I took him to see "Curious George Live" last week. His eyes got so big when he saw George come to life on stage!

Happy New Year!

On our way out to celebrate 2010!

Since moving to the Quad Cities we started a tradition to have New Year's Eve dinner at a particular restaurant just a few miles from our house called the Red Crow Grill. I guess we just like the idea of not having to drive far in the snow with a bunch of crazies out on the road. It also happens to be a really good restaurant. So last night was our 4th New Year's Eve dinner there (where did the four years go?!), and after wards we stopped by our friends, Meredith and Simon's New Years Eve party where Asher partied it up with some other little kids including his friend Jade.

Asher wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Car Shopping

This week we went car shopping for Mommy! We needed something bigger to accommodate our expanding number of troops in the Eilemberg family!

We got to the dealership at about 2:30 (Asher decided not to take his afternoon nap mind you!) and got out of there a little after 7:00. Asher did amazingly well! Part of the credit has to go to our saleswoman. She was so good with him by letting him sit on her lap and help her prepare our paper work. She also let him rummage through her top desk drawer full of markers and papers to go to town with. It turns out she was a pre-kindergarten teacher years back!

So then, Asher pulls out all of her business cards and as he's looking on the backside he points to the Audi logo and says, "El carro de Papi!" (Papi's car) And he was right! I can't believe the little details he picks up on. Mr. smarty pants!!!