FFV: Monterey Bay Aquarium

For most a trip to the aquarium might connotate memories of your rigid second grade teacher, your bologne sandwich that got smashed in your brown lunch bag, or in my husband's case, the smell of his bus buddy's regurgitated lunch on his lap.  Once thought of as a dark and musty smelling place, an aqaurium is not always the first place an adult wants to visit, but in the new milenium it should be high on your list; now that we're all adults we can choose our exploration buddies, safeguard our lunches and no more Miss Nelson (if only she could stay missing forever). The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a state of the art facility with a contemporary and open design.  Full of discoveries for the whole family (and I do mean ALL ages) we at SFPP are impressed at the scope of activities for children. Should I take my baby? It's tough to know where to take your baby and what to expose him/her to...in this family we tend to try things out and if it's not working we just leave. (most of the time it works out well) It's kind of like when you have a new baby and you try to go shopping alone, sometimes you just have to ditch your cart!  It is our philosophy that children should be allowed to explore the world with guidance.  CC is 9 months old and LOVED the aqarium. He toured along with us in his kelty kids pack. This facility is stroller friendly, it has wide aisles and stroller designated parking for smaller spaces but we find it's easier to keep CC happy in the pack where he can see above most people and he typically just takes a nap in it when he's ready.  When out of the pack he loves to trace his hand on the glass to follow the fish and laugh with the speedy penguins. I am confidant that he will continue to enjoy and his enthusiasm will build each year that we visit. A SPACE FOR BABY - Splash Zone Infants &Toddlers - Coral Reef Kingdom Coral Babies (0-1) This area is gated and carpeted, a safe place for babies to get out of the stroller and relax on their backs or crawl around and explore things at their own level. Waterbed Play Area (0-3) Few people have a waterbed anymore but here at the aquarium babies can discover all the wonder of this retro furniture concept and experience the feeling of a wave without having to get wet! Touch Pool - (Enchanted Kelp Forest) At 40 feet long this exhibit gives participants of any age the rare opportunity to sea and touch the creatures of the ocean. Bonus points for the nearby anti-bacterial cleansers. Another great baby friendly feature is changing stations in both male/female bathrooms for diaper duty. Breastfeeding  and Bottlefeeding parents are still in need of a quiet space for mealtimes so you'll have to get creative, snag a quiet moment when it presents itself! If it's warm enough there's a beautiful outdoor area where you multi-task and watch the sea otters Kelp Forest Diver Sandy Shore & Aviary Secret Lives of Seahorses

Family Friendly Vacations: Monterey, CA Part 1

For any parent, but especially for a new parent, finding the right "get-away" is a difficult mix.  I put "get-away" in quotes because traveling with kids can be challenging and you're never fully on vacation;let's face it, taking care of the little ones is a full time job :-) Planning, packing, and traveling can be overwhelming and that's just getting there. SF Peninsula Parent will assist you in the planning stages with our Family Friendly Vacation Features, this month we start with Monterey, California.

At just 90 minutes from the peninsula Monterey provides a misty beach haven and a deep breath of fresh air. No work. No Chores. No Local Drama.  It's close enough that any parent, even with a tiny newborn or rambunctious toddler can make the drive and yet far enough to be a world away from the chaos of home.  Room service anyone?

Monterey is no different from any other city in that it's undergone changes and growth in the past decade and even the past year...check out how it's changed since the last time you've visited.

Downtown/Alvarado Street District

Major Landmark: Monterey Marriott Hotel

I love the feel of downtown Monterey, it has everything I need but regardless of our week day or week end arrival, it never feels congested.  You can easily load up your stroller and pick up your morning coffee, the necessary family rations, (you know the drill, bottled water, maybe a few sodas and beer to keep in the room to save money, more baby wipes because you left the new pack on the roof of your car when you pulled away) take-out dinner, the works! Here are a few of our favorites:

Ocean Suishi -165 Webster Street

Great Suishi for a great price! There's not much room for a stroller here but we put our BOB in a nearby corner.

Rosine's - 434 Alvarado Street. 

A great family resturant with FABULOUS desserts. Send your husband next door for a beer/espn break.

Brittannia Arms - 444 Alvarado Street

24 draft beers plus all the favorite imports and domestic beers in a bottle. Keep this pub in mind when your husband is dragging his feet because vacation plans collide with his major sporting event that he just can't miss!

If you have a babysitter (or get one through the Intercontinental, see our review on Wednesday!) Check out:

Cibo - 301 Alvarado Street

Fine Dining but still business casual, live music until 1 AM Tuesday through Saturday and until 10:30pm on Sundays.

Doc Rickett's - 180 E. Franklin Street

Live Entertainment, DJ Spin, Comedy and More...

Fisherman's Wharf/Upper Wharf District

Portola Plaza - 2 Portola Plaza

If you're in the area for a conference, you'll likely end up here.  The largest landmark of the upper wharf area, the portola plaza is a welcoming hotel with large banquet facilities and a great Thanksgiving Feast!

Historical Walk 

Beautiful turn of the century buildings, and an easy to follow walk with yellow cylinders in the sidewalk!

Green Belt

Great for biking,jogging or strolling with the little ones!

Benne Hanna - 136 Oliver Street

On the back side of the plaza, just opened!

Pino's Italian Cafe - 211 Alvarado Street

Italian Deli and Coffee Shop

Our favorite coffee shop and sandwich deli, especially good after a massage. (Check out the spa at The Clement, featured on Wednesday this week!)

New Monterey/Lighthouse District

The Clement Intercontinental Hotel - 750 Cannery Row

The ultimate place to stay in Monterey!

Check back on Wednesday for a full feature

Monterey Bay Aqarium - 886 Cannery Row

Check back tomorrow for a full feature!

MyMuseum - 425 Washington St.

8500 sq ft. of hands-on exhibits! Great for PreK-3

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - 647 Cannery Row

Every time I walk in to this shop I feel like I'm in heaven...a little kid in a candy shop who can't make up her mind, so I get a sample size of just about everything!

The Chart House - 444 Cannery Row

Fine Dining Perfection with a view of the bay. Sign up for their consumer program and get mailers for free desserts on your birthday and other special offers.

Bubba Gump's - 720 Cannery Row

My favorite chain resturant with the family - there's something FANTASTIC about putting up the stop sign anytime you need something!!!

All Photos Courtesy of Cuevas Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Back from the Birthday Bloggin' Hiatus

We're back from Monterey, still unpacking but trying to  hold on to what's left of our little escape.  Look for our family friendly vacation,  guide to Monterey coming soon!

In the mean time, we'd love to hear your feedback on our new logo (still in progress!)

Email us at SFPeninsulaParent@gmail.com 

This Weekend: Foster City Art & Wine Festival

See more photos from Cuevas Photography

Photos courtesy of Cuevas Photography, all rights reserved.

Looking to get out for some fresh air this weekend?  With the family in tow I checked out the foster city art & wine festival today:

This is a stroller friendly event! (We put CC in his kelty kids backpack)

Location: Leo Ryan Park

Event Parking at the corner of E. Hillsdale and Shell

Sunday Hours 10am-5pm

Wine Tasting: 

Wine Glass, $5 (one time fee)

Each wine pour $5

Beer: $5

Food: $3-$12

A variety of craft booths, a stage for live music, firetruck on display, and an art exhibition (indoor center).

Rides: The zipper, ferris wheel, a giant slide

Kiddie Rides: Motorcycles, mini rollercoaster, train ride, swings, "surf n ride", and you can win your very own goldfish :-)

Check out more weekend events in the right column!

You know you're a mom when...

You're baking your own birthday cake.  Don't get me wrong this isn't a pity party - I enjoy the fact that most recently my mom's night out has been to a wilton's cake decorating class, the basic type. It's been great to have a creative time out since I stay at home with my son. This morning I was chuckling to myself about how much my life has changed...trying to select ingredients to bake my own cake.

I was a high school teacher before I decided to stay at home, well, really I was pushed out of the professional nest...when I lost my job at 9 months pregnant.  But it was the push I needed - I was too afraid to stay home because of the money but also because I was afraid I'd go insane. I'm on the border of insanity most days though I like to think that 9 months in -  I have a better balance -  and the money, well it's not worth the time away from my boy.

With that said there are sacrifices that have to be made when you're making it work on one salary....birthdays, baby showers, holidays, graduations all become and awkward dance when you don't have the money in your monthly budget to be dishing out presents to your loved ones.  This summer feels especially tight as we are trying to get into a place to call our own home. There are parts of me that long for my 23 year old birthday days where I would go all out on the personal grooming: new hair cut, mani-pedi, brow wax, definitely a new outfit and then out to dinner and drinks, probably dancing too without a care about the cost because, afterall it's my birthday. The thing about that is once that day is over - it all feels a bit empty.

This year I think I'll take the short drive to the beach with my favorite boys and eat a  slice of that cake in the sand. No candles or balloons needed, just the two greatest gifts in my life.

What's For Dinner? Pizza!

By Linda Larsen, About.com

I love using mustard in pizza sauce. I tried for years to duplicate the tang of commercial pizzas, and finally hit upon mustard. It works for me! Use my Yeast Pizza Crust¹ for a truly homemade treat.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• Thin Pizza Crust or 2 Boboli® pizza crusts
• Pepperoni
• Chopped green peppers
• Canned mushrooms, drained
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook onion in the olive oil until tender. Add tomato sauce, paste, mustard, seasonings and water. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until thickened and blended, about 10 minutes. Spread over the pizza crust and sprinkle toppings over. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes until heated through, crust is crisp, and cheese is melted and beginning to brown. 8-10 servings

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The Parent Perspective: Home Buying

It's funny how a baby changes your perspective in life on just about everything. I remember after CC was born it was as though I was looking through a brand new lens. This lens is a beautiful gift and it also complicates things on occassion.

My husband and I have been in and out of the home-buying market for three years. 1,095 days later, yep we're still 1st time homebuyers. The struggle is to stay in the bay area where our heart is though from time to time our minds have wandered to our hometown near Sacramento and at one point wandered 1300 miles to a suburb of Denver. Come to think of it, we almost were Colorado residents but something in my gutt felt wrong, REALLY wrong. My husband was heartbroken...needless to say we weren't speaking in the airport on the way home. But a strong marriage survives and learns from such squabbles...I'm told it even survives buying your first home. (Heck, we survived the birth of our first baby and almost 3 months of his unknown dairy allergy so I'm confident we'll be just fine :-) Needless to say, we're exhausted and trying to stay hopeful.

Prior to having a baby we may have purchased property in a less than "safe area" or new construction in a high traffic neighborhood. Now when we're looking at property if I'm clutching my baby close, I know we're in the wrong place. Recently we were in a peninsula neighborhood I was questioning only to, minutes later, witness a drug deal 50 feet from us. That was it for me...on to the next idea.

The bay area is where we've resided for more than a decade after leaving the small town where we grew up to attend college (my husband is pushing 15 years but he's older than me, wink wink) and for better and for worse it's our home. We've also made the decision that I will stay home for the next couple of years to raise CC and a future baby #2 and therefore our purchase price is limited by our one income. In many neighborhoods this puts us on the price border of a townhome or a single family home...thus a big part of our delimna. Many of the townhomes are newer and need less work, tend to have more square footage than the tiny sfh we can afford and sometimes offer amenities such as a pool, playground, and regulations to keep your neighborhood looking well-kept. BUT, there's also that pesky HOA fee, regulations on what you can paint and how you can remodel, not to mention the close proximity of your neighbors.  The sfh we're able to purchase are SUPER tiny but do offer a garage and a yard (even if it's an amazon at the time of purchase).

Our latest search has lead us to the Willow Glen and Cambrian areas of San Jose. We'd love any feedback you may have, email us at SFPeninsulaParent@gmail.com

What's For Dinner? Fresh Berry Crotsata

Okay, not exactly a dinner recipe! I can't get my mind of Farmer's Market tonight (if you're our San Carlos neighbor, we're looking forward to seeing you!) especially as we may be moving to the south bay :-(  A little dessert for dinner (or after dinner) never hurt anyone!

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook20recb-2009may20,0,4717590.story

From the Los Angeles Times

Recipe: Mixed berry crostata

Total time: 50 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time
Servings: 6
Note: This crostata dough is adapted from one by Nancy Silverton of Mozza.

Crostata dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Dash of salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar and salt. Distribute the butter over the top and mix until the butter is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal.

3. Combine the ice water and vanilla and sprinkle over the top of the dough. Mix until the dough comes together and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten it into a disk, then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mixed berries and assembly

3 cups mixture of blackberries, blueberries and cut-up strawberries

5 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Crostata dough

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Vanilla ice cream

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the berries, sugar and cornstarch and stir gently until they are well-coated. Set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the crostata dough out to a roughly 16-inch-diameter circle. Leave it a little thick; the added texture is better. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet, then place the sweetened fruit mixture in the center and distribute it in a low mound, leaving a 2-inch border.

3. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit to form a 6-sided tart, with the fruit showing in the center: Fold one edge over, then fold the second edge over, pleating the dough as necessary and pressing firmly on the pleat.

4. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with a little water and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the crust is brown and the fruit is soft and thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Rotate the crostata halfway through baking for even coloring.

5. Remove the crostata from the oven and cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving with vanilla ice cream.

Each serving: 470 calories; 6 grams protein; 59 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 24 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 61 mg. cholesterol; 36 mg. sodium.

Ready to Pop?

When  you're prego and close to your due date you feel like you could "pop" any minute...but that's not the kind of "POP" I'm talking about. I'm more so I'm referring to the kind where you're not going to be able to hold your tongue for two more minutes because a well-intentioned relative (let's call them an "outlaw") is all up your nostrils. For an extravert preggie this kind of attention may only be mildly annoying, but for an intravert like me it's a total invasion of space and my "peaceful zone". I was especially protective of my space before my baby, CC, was born as I did not want him to come home to 1050 square feet of chaos.  The truth is that there are several sets of feelings to consider here, including the well-intentioned outlaw. I say put that outlaw in charge of meals for the first couple of weeks after the birth of your baby. Does this mean you have to see the outlaw every day (even multiple times a day?) NO.  After your baby is born, unless you have a sleepy perfect angel baby that people sometimes whisper about, you will barely have time to think much less make a meal for yourself.  It can be a good break from the household for one parent to go pick up food but that gets tiring quick.  Have your outlaw be the "meals coordinator". 

Meals Coordinator

Many people will offer to drop off a meal, not just family and friends but co-workers and neighbors alike. TAKE THEM UP ON IT! A due date is a moving target so you can't really make too many plans until after the baby is born - it is then that you know what day you'll be leaving the hospital and when you'll start needing meals. Your newly appointed coordinator can rally the troops and work with them to find a good day/time to drop off a meal. If the coordinator is computer savvy, email is a great tool or they can create a google calendar that all contributors can view.

Meal Drop-Off

When you have a baby you're not always in a good space for company...this ranges from I'm so sleep deprived that I'm going to fall asleep here on the couch while you're talking because I'm too afraid to say I need to go back to bed, and I'm breastfeeding and my milk is all over my shirt, to my baby continues to projectile vomit everywhere.  People will understand if you need time to recooperate but you have to be honest with where you're at. One family I know left an ice chest on their porch so that people could drop off meals without disturbing them or their sleeping baby. My advice is to tell local visitors to expect to stay about 20 minutes...that may seem extreme but right after birth, let me tell you , the most important thing for a new mom is REST so your body can heal (and produce milk if you choose to breastfeed/pump). Can you really REST with people in your house? :-)

What's For Dinner?: Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell for Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

12 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough lower stems removed
• 1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
• 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 pound orecchiette pasta
• High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and then immediately plunge in the salted ice water. This will prevent the broccoli rabe from being overcooked and will set the lovely green color.

Drain the broccoli rabe and squeeze out any excess water; coarsely chop. Place the broccoli rabe in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it is a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and parmigiano and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you probably will need more salt. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined. Taste for seasoning once again-it should be full-flavored, slightly bitter and creamy at the same time. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (If you are making the pasta right after the pesto, just use the broccoli rabe blanching water.) Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the cooking time on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, place the pesto in a large skillet and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; place over medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet with the pesto. Stir vigorously to combine and cook until the sauce is creamy and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, if desired, and stir vigorously. Garnish with more parmigiano. Voila!

Per serving: Calories 420; Fat 13.5 g (Sat. 4.4 g; Mono. 5.5 g; Poly. 2.7 g); Cholesterol 18 mg; Sodium 286 mg; Carbohydrate 54 g; Fiber 3.5 g; Protein 22 g

Photograph by Con Poulo

What's For Dinner: Grandma J's Chicken Tortilla Casserole

3 cups boneless chicken, diced or shredded (cooked!)
12 corn tortillas 
1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of chicken soup 
1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of mushroom soup 
1 cup chicken broth 
1 onion, chopped 
2 cans mild green chilies 
1 can sliced or chopped black olives 
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese 

In a bowl, combine chicken, chilies, soups, broth and olives 
In a greased 9 x 13 pan, layer half the tortillas cutting to fit the pan 
Top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese 
Repeat layers, top with cheese. 
Bake @350 uncovered for approx 30 mins.