Happy Halloween!

Mackenna's 1st Halloween was low key, and most importantly- we got some great photos of her. After all, thats what the this year was all about! She wore a pumpkin costume that her cousin Connor wore 6 years ago, and was adorable.

Mackenna "trick or treated" at our friend Ethan and Jessies for some Reeses, and stopped at The Wescotts for some photo opps. We were home early, and had this delicious dinner that I made in the crock pot: Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. Definitely a meal to try if you want something very easy, with a little spice. With a little one around, the crock pot is my best friend. 

Since next year Mackenna will be 14 months old on Oct 31st, I think it's safe to say that this is the last Halloween that she will be in bed by 8:00. 

Here is our little pumpkin! 

 Thanks for the Reeses Jessie! 

Photos w/ Jen & Jack!

Ending the night with a Halloween book....

Blast from the past!

Since Ben & I have so many old "real photos" laying around  the house, I have spent some time scanning and uploading them to our computer. It's been fun seeing some old memories, and some photos of each other that are from before we met. I thought "blast from the past" photos would be a great idea for my blog. I hope to do them on a monthly basis.

Here are the first few!

My sister Abby. Age 10 perhaps?

Ben, Kati & I on the ski lift. Circa 2008.

Ben, Jen & Pete. From a time "before me."

First Snow.

On October 28th, we had our first snow of the season & Mackenna's first snow ever. 

We paved our driveway JUST in time.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Skewers

Here is another DELICIOUS chicken recipe. 

Great as an appetizer or a main course. I have turned into quite the chef on my maternity leave, which is reason 4,824 that I am not looking forward to going back to work in  4 weeks. Who is going to make us these delicious meals? 

Honey Balsamic Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs skinless, boneless   

Marinade:          

 1 tsp ginger grated

2 tbs balsamic vinegar   

1 tbs oil

2 cloves garlic crushed

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce.)          

sesame seeds for sprinkling on top

2 tsp onion powder        

2 tbs honey       

1 tsp pepper     

Cut chicken thighs into 1/2 inch pieces.In a separate bowl, mix the marinade and pour over the chicken. Add salt to taste. Mix completely so that all the chicken pieces are covered. Let marinade for 1-2 hours. Drain and skewer a few chicken pieces on each bamboo skewer. Heat a non stick pan on med high until hot. Lower the heat to med/low and add a few skewers to the pan. Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes or until caramel brown.Turn over and cook second side until caramel brown. You will notice that as the chicken cooks, it first releases some liquid and then the liquid starts to caramelize. It will then coat the chicken. Make sure your heat is not too high when cooking the chicken. Baste with extra honey if you like and cook for an additional minute or so. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve.You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven.

Note: I turned this into a meal by serving the skewers over lentils and rice. You could also serve it as an appetizer. Recipe adapted from www.BigOven.com

The week after we had Mackenna, Ben and I realized that it was our 2 Year anniversary and we had planned absolutely nothing, nor did we have time to buy a gift in between the feedings and hourly diaper changing. So, we got an iPad. Ben likes to say that he got the iPad for me. However, I've seen him play his fair share of Angry Birds and Big Buck Hunter on it... so I beg to disagree. Anyhow, the iPad is perfect for cooking. I've downloaded an "app" called Big Oven that lets me search thousands of recipes, and create meal plans on it. The best part? I can access the meal plans on my iPhone, which is like an instant grocery list. And as you can see below, the iPad doubles as a cook book in the kitchen.

The perfect drink to go with this recipe?

A lemon mojito.

The perfect sous chef for this recipe? 

Mackenna. 

Aunt Abby (aka: The Crazy Aunt from Kansas...)

Mackenna cannot WAIT to meet you. Skype is not enough. Less than one month until you come home- the countdown is on!

Photos of Mackenna's first chats with Abby.

Columbus Day Weekend

In the continuing theme of "Mackenna's firsts," she added two more to her list on this long weekend. 

• Her first hike.
• Her first road race. 

Bald Pate Mountain

Mackenna went for a hike with Ben & I, Judy, Talia, Connor, Kathy, Skip... and Becky & Dewey the dogs. We went to Bald Pate Mountain in South Bridgton, about 15 minutes from camp. It was HOT for mid- October.

 At the top!

 Enjoying lunch with Dad.

 Stretching out in the sun.

The view.

 The crew.

Waterford Road Race

For the third year in a row now, I have run the Waterford Fall Foliage 5K with my in-laws. Last year it was freezing cold for this mid- October race, and this year it was HOT- in the 80's. I think I even got a sun burn.  It was great to run the race with Ben and Mackenna this year. (Well, Ben walked the race- but I got to pass them along the run and wave hello.) Mackenna was such a hit, and Ben said his race time was so slow because all of the other race participants came up to him to adore the baby. 

Youngest race participant.

 Connor running the kid's "Fun Run"

Wine- Braised Chicken

... Try it tonight. 

When I think of fall and winter, I think of one- pot meals. I also think of red wine. Tonight I made "Wine- Braised Chicken," a one- pot meal with wine as a main ingredient. This meal was absolutely delicious and felt like comfort food. It's a new favorite. We served it with sliced french bread, but it would also work well served over rice or egg noodles. 

Ingredients

• • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 5 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 slices bacon, cut into pieces
  • 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 pounds total)
  • coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 6 medium carrots, sliced crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as a Pinot Noir or French Burgundy (I used Pinot Noir.)
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Using cotton kitchen twine, tie thyme, parsley, and bay leaf into a bundle; set aside. (Note from the author: I have no idea what kitchen twine is. I just threw the herbs in the pot!) 
2. Heat a Dutch oven or 5-quart heavy pot with a lid over medium-low. Add bacon; cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (leave bacon fat in pot).
3. Raise heat to medium-high. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Working in three batches to avoid crowding, brown chicken about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
4. Add onion, carrots, and garlic to pot. Cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and flour; cook 1 minute.
5. Add wine, broth, chicken, and herb bundle. Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes; uncover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard herb bundle; stir in bacon.

Enjoy! 

Oh right, it's also hunting season.

In between being busy with work and spending time with his daughter, you can find Ben in one of these places: In a duck blind, in his tree stand, or in the aisles of Cabelas. And when Mackenna is sleeping in his arm, he is usually playing Big Buck Hunter on the iPad with his other arm. 

It wouldn't be a true "Siemen family blog" if the months of October and November didn't mention hunting. So far Ben has been successful at hunting duck, goose, and pheasant. (And the occasional pesky wood chuck.) He's hoping there will be a deer or two to add to that list. He's also hopeful that he'll be able to pass along his tree stand and camouflage to Mackenna someday. Time will tell! 

Introducing Mackenna's Future BFF... Madisyn!

Good friends of ours, Hollie & Mike, welcomed a little girl into the world on September 30th. They named her Madisyn. Not only do Mackenna and Madiysn share the same initials (MS) but they also share the birth month of September. Hollie is a co-worker of mine, and it was such a joy to share my pregnancy with her. We could chat about every pregnancy milestone, from the first kicks to the delivery. And now as moms- we are excited to continue to share our little girl's weekly milestones. And I must say, it's nice to have milestones with them on the outside of our stomach rather than on the inside! Our daughters are sure to be great friends in years to come. Here are some photos I snapped while we visited them at the hospital.

 Mackenna: 1 Month Old.   Madisyn: 1 Day Old.

Proud Fathers

Congratulations! 

Mackenna's 1 Month Check up

Mackenna is growing and gaining at a healthy "normal" rate and we couldn't be happier. At her one month appointment, she weighed in at 9 lb 4 oz (1 lb gained from her birth rate) and is still 21 inches long. She is in the 50th percentile for both her height and weight. Everything is looking great, and Ben and I both love her pediatrician- Dr Melanie Murray.

One Month.

 I'm a month old!

• I sleep for 6 hour stretches at night.  
• I love the bath. 
• My hair is still red, but my dad's not ready to call me an official "redhead" yet.
• I can allllllmost smile.
• I sleep with my hands by (or over) my face.
• All of my newborn pants are too short for me. Do they make baby "tall" sizes?
• I love to lay on my stomach. 
• I like to stretch out on my activity mat and look at all of the hanging objects.