Creamy Polenta with Chorizo and Peppers

With all the overcast weather lately, I've been craving comfort food. I've been really into quinoa and polenta the past few months. They are both so versatile that you can really do a lot of different things with them. This recipe is simple, quick, and uses just a few ingredients. It doesn't need much seasoning because the chorizo adds a ton of flavor. Unfortunately, we devoured it so quickly that I didn't get a photo.

Chorizo and Peppers
3-4 oz chorizo
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

Partially brown chorizo. Add onions and peppers. Continue cooking until sausage is browned and onions are translucent. I added a just a few grinds of garlic pepper.

Creamy Polenta, adapted from this
2 1/4 c chicken broth
1 1/4 c milk
1 c dry polenta
1/3 c Parmesan cheese

Bring broth and milk to a boil over medium heat. Slowly pour in cornmeal, whisking continually, until smooth (the polenta will become very thick). Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.

Top polenta with the chorizo mixture, and sprinkle with parmesan, and enjoy!
You can check out the other recipes we've tried and loved here.

What are your quick and easy go-to dinners?

Share your links below!

+, Lauren Aiken

Baby Nora: 2 Months

Hello again! After a 6+ week hiatus, I am back to blogging again (hopefully :)). I originally started Nora's updates as weekly, but let's be honest - I am the only one who wants to read the details of Nora's growth and development each week. Instead, I'll be posting monthly updates, and some photos in between, because really, who can resist that sweet little face??

 So much has happened over the past month and a half so I will inevitably leave many things out. My apologies to those who have been waiting for an update on our little Nora (especially to the great-Grandmas!).

Nora is now almost 11 weeks, and we've seen even more change in her over the past couple of weeks. Since this is a "2 month" update, however, I will stick to where she was at 2 months.

Weight: Little Nora is not so little! She weighed 11 pounds, 11 ounces at her 2 month check-up and is now 23 3/4 inches long (as compared to 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 19 inches at birth)!!

Health: Nora's 2 month check-up was great! Her pediatrician said she looks wonderful, and she did a couple things she isn't really supposed to do until her next check-up. Maybe baking in there an extra 2 full weeks is a good thing? She had her 2 month vaccines and was such a little trooper. She cried immediately but wasn't fussy at all the rest of the day.

Since Thanksgiving, Nora has had clogged tear ducts off and on. We've learned that this is fairly common for the first year and have been using warm compress and gentle massage to open them up. She got her first cold after our Christmas travels, but we'll save that for the 3 month update.

Social: My friend Jodi was in Nashville for a work event and spent a morning with us. We've also done all sorts of traveling over the past month! Grandma Weir came to stay with us while Matt traveled to London for 10 days in early December. She also got to spend some time with my Aunt Liz, my cousin Lara, and Great-Grannie Weir. The day after Matt returned, we drove to Indiana just before Christmas. We spent a few days there and left (luckily before the snow storm hit) on Christmas Eve to fly to Virginia. Flying with Nora went smoother than I anticipated, though I was still exhausted by the end of the day! We had a wonderful Christmas with the Aikens and headed back to Nashville a couple days later.

Sleep: Nora started sleeping through the night just before 2 months! We've decided to make her bedtime earlier since it takes her anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours to fall asleep. Some nights she goes down right away, while others she cries for a long time. She sleeps somewhere between 8-12 hours.

Several weeks ago, I started to notice that she would wake up around 2 or 3am. However, it wasn't the typical wake up (and cry) to eat. Instead she was just moving around and grunting. Her swaddle was getting loose, and I quickly realized it was causing her to loose sleep. We had been swaddling her with a normal blanket, and since she is much bigger and stronger now, she was working her way out of it. I did some quick research and read great things about the Miracle Blanket (pictured below) so I thought we should give it a try. The first night we used it, she slept 8 hours, the second night 10, and every night since then (with the exception of this week with her cold), Nora has slept for 10-12 hours! If you swaddle, I highly recommend this blanket!!

Morning naps are still pretty sporadic. She'll fall asleep in her swing or bouncer for short intervals. She goes down in her crib every day from 2-4pm (we are gradually making this a bit earlier so as not to interfere with an earlier bedtime). I'm also considering putting her in her crib for a short morning nap. Any advice/opinions on this??

Diet: Milk, milk, milk! Nora's eating every 2-3 hours during the day for 15-20 minutes each time. After her 4pm nap, she eats every hour until bedtime (usually equivalent to 3 feedings). We're not sure if this helps her sleep through the night or not, but it certainly decreases the evening fussiness.

Clothes: Newborn clothes are long gone. Nora's in 3 month clothes for the most part, and some 0-3. I found a couple newborn size diapers the other day and just could not believe that she ever fit into them!

Crying: Nora is a happy happy girl these days, flashing us lots of smiles. We have yet to hear her laugh, but I am very much looking forward to those first giggles! Evening is the fussiest time of day for Nora. And she starts getting antsy just before it's time to eat - if I'm late, she lets me know :). The only time she cries is if she's overly tired. She missed a few naps while we were travelling, and we got to really hear her belt it out! 

Postpartum: Since my last update, I've been cleared to resume normal activities at my post-partum check-up. Since I have hypothyroidism, my levels were tested around 6 weeks pp to adjust my medication to get them back on track. (I'd love to do a post on hypothyroidism and how it affects pregnancy for anyone with questions). Also, I ended up having an ultrasound on both my thyroid and my uterus (due to abnormal bleeding), and thankfully those were both clear!

I've started exercising again, though still pretty lightly. After doing an abs workout a few days ago, my incision was a little sore. I am eager to get back to normal activities but have realized over the last month that a csection actually is major abdominal surgery, and it will take a while to heal completely. I've lost about 33 of the 40 pounds that I gained and am not trying to lose the rest. I'm focusing on eating as healthy as I did before Nora (sometimes convenience takes precedence though) and working on toning up that stretched out middle section :).

Milestones: There are so many milestones to cover, and I know I'll miss a ton. Nora showed off her gummy little smile for the first time around Thanksgiving. Since then, she's gotten smilier every day! I usually snap photos of her on my iPhone so I'm realizing I don't have any photos of her cute little smile here. Her attention span has increased so much from month 1. She can go hours without napping now. She intentionally bats and kicks at toys on her activity mat. She drools a ton, which I've learned has more to do with preparing for solid foods than teething. She loves sucking on her hands (and arms...), basically as much appendage that will fit in her mouth! Her favorite things to look at are ceiling fans and photos on the wall - she's pretty easily entertained! Nora's neck is getting super strong, and she can hold it very steady at almost 90 degrees now. She lifted her head really high at her 2 month check-up and rolled over onto her back for the first time! She did it twice more while we were waiting for the nurse, and I caught part of the last one on video. Oh, and how could I forget those sweet little coos?!

Happy 2013 to all of you!!

+, Lauren Aiken