Is my fear spreading to my child?

I have a fear. 

I have an obsession with this fear.

I have an unhealthy obsession with this fear.

I have a seriously unhealthy obsession with this fear.

I refused to get over my seriously unhealthy obsession with this fear.

Ok... so can you guess that there is something seriously bother me about this fear?

I have a fear of choking and it's not just a fear but as I mentioned above... it's HUGE.

I can't swallow pills.  

I refuse to learn how to swallow pills.  

I will cry if you try to make me swallow a pill.

That's how major this obsession is.  I crush, I eat, I chew, I open them.  I use OJ, sprite, (not coke),  & gelato to hide the taste.

My crippling fear has taken over and I refuse to move on.  It has started to affect Valentina too.  At 6 months, the doctor said she could start having small pasta.  (the teeny tiny ones like stars)  I was so happy that i went out a bought a box.  I made them for her and she didn't like it. Every time we tried, she just pushed them out with her tongue.  It took about a month for her to even eat a spoon of it.  Then I figured that maybe she needed to get used to the taste.  So, I bought a box of smaller pasta (for 4 months).  That made a huge difference and she was finally accepting it.

One day,  I was feeding her and she got some pasta caught in her throat. She gagged on it but immediately coughed it up.  I gave her some water and she was fine.  I grabbed her bowl started to feed her when she started crying.  I guess she got scared because she refused to eat anymore.  When Carlo got home that night, I told him about it.  At dinner time, he tried to feed V and the same thing happened.  One look at the bowl and she started crying.  I had to smash her food through a mesh strainer for her to eat it.

At this point, she should be on finger foods but my fear is stopping me.  I know exactly what to do incase she does choke but the fact is... I can't do it. I know I will panic.  I make Carlo feed her anytime she requires chewing anything.  In fact, when we went to the pizzeria, I was scared that she would choke.  My friend Jill was trying to reassure me that everything was ok but there was still that WHAT IF feeling.

Then I wonder if she's just not ready.  We've given her a few things like prosciutto, bread and potatoes and she's fine but only if we feed her.  She hasn't gotten the idea of feeding herself yet.  She should be able to chew somethings but I just can't bring myself to give her bigger pieces of food.

I NEED HELP!

Pre-Valentine's/February Birthday Bash

Since February is all about the L.O.V.E. and.. birthdays, I think this post is still appropriate. (Even it if is after V-Day)

The saturday before Valentine's Day, our "COF" aka Circle of Friends finally got together for a night of friendship, great conversation... and of course PIZZA!  We met at our new favorite joint Strabiglia which is where Carlo took me to celebrate my birthday (a week before my actual birthday).

Strabiglia is newly remodeled and you can see from the picture, the back room had lots of space for large parties.

 I was pretty happy to be sitting by the dessert table (who wouldn't be!!) and Carlo so graciously pointed out the giant tub of Nutella! :)

It's not a party until you get the babies together!  Agustin & Valentina met while they were still in the womb.  Agustin is about 5 weeks older than V.

The minute she saw him, she smiled and as you can see.. she wanted to hold his hand!

She kept smiling at him and wanting to play with him. Valentina is such a social butterfly. She'll go with practically anyone..

even the chef!

Because this was the 2nd time in 3 weeks that Carlo and I had been there, Massimo the chef asked if we wanted a small pizza for Valentina.  For someone who has kids of his own, you would have thought that he might make this pizza a bit smaller for a 9 month old!  It was her first pizza and she did very well eating it.  NO choking or gagging!

Some of us ordered a focaccia as an appetizer which was DELISH!!

Carlo was craving some mussels so he shared them with Paola... one of the February birthday girls!

 Gian Luca & Mirian shared an appetizer of their own...

 Mirian is Agustin's mom and a fellow February birthday girl.  Her birthday is on Valentine's Day.

The night was perfect. Lively people...

great conversation..

laughter and smiles..

and a lot of LOVE

Valentina and her god-mother Elisa.

The Sunday Meal

Since we decided to go out for dinner on Saturday night, SOMEONE (Carlo) wanted to have a "light" meal on Sunday.

So, did we have salad? white rice or white pasta?

NO...

Pizza & potato chips... 

Can someone please tell me what is "light" about that?!?!

My 33rd Birthday

I know that my birthday was a few weeks ago but I hadn't blogged about it because I wasn't sure which blog to post it on. Well, I don't have that problem anymore!

Despite having to stay home and do laundry ALL DAY LONG and having to go to school it was a great day.  My Facebook got bombarded with messages. I stayed up until 2am answering every single one of them. I felt so special.

Valentina gave me one of the best gifts ever!  She was playing in her playpen watching some cartoons on YouTube when I walked by and saw this....

She decided she had enough of this sitting down business and started pulling herself up.  Now this is how she watches her cartoons.

My MIL (who is just super nice) was here babysitting V and then went home to cook me a birthday dinner.

First course- Minestra (mini bowtie pasta in beef broth)

I LOVE Roasted Bell Peppers!

Valentina had already eaten but decided she was hungry too!

Veal cutlets are soo yummy!

Valentina enjoyed some mashed potatoes

2nd course- Veal, mashed potatoes and bell peppers

And to make my day even more special, when I got home from school, Carlo had told me to go to the kitchen and put away Valentina's food (that she didn't finish).... sneaky sneaky... I saw these beautiful flowers waiting for me on the table.

I gotta say.. it's not so bad turning 33!

Valentine's Day Recap

I haven't forgotten to post my Valentine's Day events... I promise.  I've been trying to hurry and merge the two blogs into one so that I can focus on the other project!!

This Valentine's Day was a super special one.  Not only was it Valentina's 1st Valentine's Day... BUT obviously it was her Onomastico or Saint's Day.  As you may all know, Catholics (especially Italians) are very much into Saints. Every city in Italy has a Saint and it's celebrated as a holiday.  June 24th is the day for St. John the Baptist.  St. John is the patron saint of Torino and therefore most people (aka large companies) are closed.  The day will usually consist of some kind of festival with fireworks in the evening.

Carlo's saint is Carlo Borromeo and his "day" is November 4th. My saint is St. Sophia and she is celebrated on September 18th.  Now, I (as a member of the LDS faith) don't believe in saints nor do I worship them BUT here in Italy, it is considered "bad manner/rude" not to acknowledge someone on their Saint's Day. It's almost like a second birthday.  So of course, our Valentine's Day is literally a celebration of LOVE!

 Unfortunately, I had class that night but we celebrated the best way we knew how... 

with a heart shaped Pizza!

Valentina had already eaten dinner but that wasn't stopping her from begging for a piece of pizza.

As I was preparing dinner, I didn't realize that there was a package in the fridge. Carlo had gone to the chocolate shop near our house and bought a special dessert.

We spent the evening eating, and watching Friends episodes on DVD.  There was no where else I'd rather be.. than with the ones I love.

The Sunday Meal

One of my resolutions for 2011 was to start cooking more and I am happy to report that it is actually going very well.  So much that I will be starting a new "segment" called: The Sunday Meal. (look how fancy I sound!)

This is basically to continue to inspire me to get my cooking groove back!  As you might have noticed, I have a little button on the left side of my page that says: "Make family dinner a priority."  Having family dinners is very important to me and Carlo.  We will ALWAYS wait for the other before we start eating, unless we give the other permission to start. I love that we make it a priority and hope that as we get busier with life and kids, we'll keep it that way.

So, let's get this started!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Mezze Maniche Rigate w/Tomato Basil Sauce

Meatloaf w/skillet roasted Potatoes & zucchini w/cherry tomatoes

The pasta and sauce were easy breezy; especially the sauce since it came from a jar! (Barilla and I make great things together!- little joke between me and the hubs)

I used my MIL's meatball recipe for the meatloaf as well as her method for skillet roasted potatoes.  The zucchini recipe I got from my very trusty Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

It was all very delicious... especially the zucchini. Valentina loved them so I'll definitely have to make them again!

Change is on the way...

Last year, I made a New Years Resolution to start a family blog.  So far, it's worked out pretty good and I've been happy with it.  Really happy.  However, these past few weeks, I've finally started to get my mind back into working order.  My desk is organized.  The house is somewhat under control.  The baby is teething and cranky yet becoming more active which means more time sleeping.  Things seem to be coming together.  I feel like I can start up again on my Italian lessons and job hunting.  I've put both on the back burner for too long.  The Italian is coming along but slowly.  I would like to speed things up to find a job.  The job hunting stopped with I found out that I was expecting.  I concentrated on teaching English which is great but it's not paying the bills.

Now that V is almost ONE, she'll be ready for Day Care and social interactions.  I must find a job to pay for daycare and to help more around the house.  So, with that said, I've decided to merge my family blog back into this one and keep this as my main journal blog.  Things will go on as usual.  All posts from the family blog will be imported here.

I have also decided to change the name.  La Dolce Vita was chosen when we still lived in Texas.  I just picked it because I wanted to reflect what I thought my life in Italy would be like.  It is true, my life here is sweet but it has bothered my that my blog title and URL are not the same. My Sweet Monkey was chosen at the request of my hubby since he once said that I "looked like a little monkey" when I was younger.  Now that we have V, we often refer to her as the little monkey and now I want to focus more on our life as a family in Torino rather than just a blog about living in Torino.  Does that make any sense at all?

I will utilized all of the cool fun features Blogger has to offer and use Pages to keep a list of recipes that I'm learning, links to the site I like, blogs I read, and any information that I think will be helpful.  I will spread the love of other site and post buttons and badges and hopefully create one for my blog as well.  I register with Blog Directories to get my blog out to those who want to know about my life in Italy. I want to find friendships and build network relationships with other moms especially with those who are expats like me.

I will now start replying to comments.  I also find it nice when someone thanks me for my comment or adds to what I say. I feel like I should have done that from the very beginning but it's never too late to start.

I will start a Facebook Fan page for this blog.  I have gotten friend requests from people I don't know and since there is no indication of how they found me (from a friend or blog) I ignore the request. I have been asked if I have a Fan page and I think now is the time to start one.  I know several other blogs I read are thinking about making one/or already have one and it's a great way to keep up on their post or daily musings without intruding too much into their personal lives.

I WILL NOT start a Twitter page for this blog.  I am not opposed to Twitter but I just feel that almost everyone I know lives 5,000 miles away from me so it doesn't serve a purpose to me... or this blog.

Lastly, as a hobby that I hope to turn into a future prospect for employment, I will create a new blog with all things TORINO.  It will serve as the main info point for the information I have gathered. Places I see, Gelaterie I frequent and events in town.. I will try my best to put it all out there so that those who write me for information can go there first.  I enjoy writing and I love taking pictures. I am working harder at improving both so that one day I can maybe get some freelance work out of it BUT if anything, I really hope this can serve as a step into my "current dream job" which is to be a City Tour Guide. I think it's the perfect job for me (and Carlo agrees it would be great).

This new blog isn't active yet, in fact I can't decide on a name and wether or not to buy a domain. As soon as it's ready, I'll reveal it here..... on the new... MY SWEET MONKEY!

xoxo
Sonia

TV is a mom's best friend: Sandrino!

When I was little I remember reading the Richard Scarry books.  I don't remember much of of the stories or characters except for the worm that drove the apple.  I think he was my favorite.  I just remember liking those books.  So, I was really happy when I saw that a Richard Scarry cartoon was on Rai Yoyo. Rai Yoyo is the channel that Valentina watches.  It's cartoons/programs for preschool kids.  We put it on for her to hear the music and listen to Italian but mostly because these cartoons are so short that it keeps her attention span long enough for me to get things done.

As soon as the theme song for this show comes on, she almost always turns her head to look at it.  I noticed at first she really liked it, then didn't want to watch anymore.  Now, she's into it again.  So much that sometimes, while she's struggling to sleep, I'll sing the theme song and she smiles and calms down.  I'm not sure what the show is actually called in English because I've found different titles.  It's either, Busytown Mysteries or Horray for Huckle.

In Italian it's called Evviva Sandrino!

my favorite is the little news reporter bug!.. or the pigs who are twin brothers :)

World Nutella Day 2011: Nutella Monkey Bread

IT'S HERE!! World Nutella Day has arrived! 5 years ago... Sara Rosso of Ms. Adventures in Italy had a dream... that EVERYONE would eat Nutella on the same day and thus... WND was born.  Fast forward a couple years and Michelle Fabio of Bleeding Espresso joined in on the dream.


The Dream: To eat, drink, or simply play with Nutella. From Pane e Nutella to Chicken Enchiladas with Nutella Mole Poblano.. all you have to do is do what you love.... with NUTELLA!


I love to bake and WND is the perfect way for me to practice and show off my baking skills.  Last year, I mentioned that I was still in a funk and couldn't think of anything to make.  I was still in kitchen culture shock.  I've been here 2 years and I still have American ingredients in my kitchen so it was nice to finally get the apron on and get dirty.  I wanted to make something different for WND.  Something that hadn't been done yet.  I browsed the WND site for recipes and last night.. it clicked.


So, this morning, I started off the day right... with the breakfast of champions...

Hot Nutella Chocolate with Pane e Nutella & a banana.

After enjoying my hot chocolate, I noticed a smiley face in my cup..

It was going to be a great day!

I was already half way through my special secret WND plan when Carlo asked for his Marocchino.  So, I covered the inside of his coffee cup with nutella...

 and poured his espresso.

By the time I was ready to put my creation in the oven, I finally told Carlo (let him see) what I was doing.  I had made... NUTELLA MONKEY BREAD!  I had never made it before and to be honest, I liked making it from scratch.  Once we ate some of it, we decided that there were definite changed needed to be made so, I will post a revised version.  However, in the spirit of learning from our mistakes, I will also tell you what I did. 


I followed the recipe from Cooks.com.  I used the same ingredients except added more flour and mixed kept my wet ingredients together and the dry together, then mixed with an electric mixer.  Once the dough had risen (after 3 hours) I rolled up some balls and buttered the pan.  I didn't have a bundt pan so I used a springform pan.  (I also wrap the outside in foil and I'm glad I did). 


I used some of the ideas from SmittenKitchen and dipped the balls into melted butter, then brown sugar and cinnamon.


I had the idea of adding bananas but in the end, it overpowered EVERYTHING.  Next time, I'll omit that.  I also melted Nutella with heavy cream.  I was afraid the Nutella would be too strong but in the end, we wanted more! So next time, I'll just melt it without the cream.


Overall, I liked it.. Carlo did not. (but then again.. it was the banana that did it for me)  I'll try it again and hopefully the revised edition will be better.

Nutella Monkey Bread (adapted from Cooks.com & SmittenKitchen)

2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening ( I used butter)

1/4 cup warm water

1 pkg active dry yeast

5 cups all purpose flour (I had to add another cup of flour)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, melted (I added another 1/2 cup)

I mixed all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.  I mixed the yeast with the warm water and let it rest for 5 minutes.  In the meantime, I heated the milk.  As it started to bubble, I turned off the stove and moved it off the burner and added the butter.  Once the butter was melted, I added the yeast.  

Using an electric mixer, I mixed the dry (1/2 at a time) and wet ingredients.  (this is when i added the extra cup of flour).  After it was mixed, I moved it onto a floured surface and kneaded it for a few minutes.  I then put the dough in a bowl, covered and let it rest for 3-4 hours.

After that time, I kneaded it for a few minutes and then formed the balls.  I melted 1/2 cup of butter and with a pastry brush, buttered the springform pan. (I really don't recommend using a springform)  I dipped the balls into the butter and then into  brown sugar and cinnamon covering them completely.  I placed the balls into the pan until the first layer was complete.  

(I had pureed some bananas and melted my Nutella.  At this point, I poured the bananas on top of the first layer and then the Nutella on top of the bananas.  I then built another layer of dough balls.)

Once I was done, I poured the rest of the brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the pan and baked at 200℃ (or 350-375℉) for 55 minutes.  I let it rest for about 10 minutes and then turned it over onto another dish and then poured some more Nutella on top and finished it off with chopped nuts.

Don't forget to check in on Monday, February 7th.  Our co-hosts will have the WND roundup  with lots of drool worthy recipes!

9 months and changing...

I don't understand how this time is flying by SO fast! I can't believe that Valentina is 9 months old.  Nothing much to report.  No doctors visits this month so for now, we'll just say that she's happy, healthy and Oh SO MUCH FUN!  

♥      She is now bottle fed when she wakes up.. and (sometimes) before going to bed.  At 8.5 months I cut her off completely.. I don't enjoy being bitten!!

♥     She's sleeping through the night again!!! She usually sleeps from 9pm till about 8:30am with an hour nap during the day.. if I'm lucky.  Most days her nap is only 30 minutes.

♥    She's giving up on crawling and opted for full on pulling herself up. 

♥    Her waving is adorable.  It's a cross between  the side-to-side & open/close wave.  She now responds to 'hello/good-bye', 'good morning', 'ciao', and sometimes 'bonjour.'

♥    She is taking an active role in brushing her teeth.  After her bath, we look in the mirror and "wave to the little girl who looks JUST LIKE YOU."  I grab her toothbrush, brush her bottom teeth and then rinse.  She then grabs the brush (with my help of course) and puts in her mouth and moves it from side to side.  She thinks she's so grown up!

♥    The one hand drinking is normal now.  She's such a 5th grader* and we tell her that when she refuses to use both hands to pick up her sippy cup.

♥    Hi-Fives are second nature.. especially after brushing her teeth.

♥    After she eats, she's full of energy and is content to just sit in her high chair.  That's also when she starts to talk the most.

♥    Mamma and Dada are practically heard every hour.  Once she's tired of playing in her crib or playpen, she starts calling for "mmm...mamma."   If I'm trying to wipe her nose.. that's when she calls for "da or dada... and sometimes daddy."  This week, she's been saying a lot of "pa" so it's only a matter of time when "papi" is being said.  One of my favorite things is when she wakes up, she'll look around and say "da.... dada"  I tell her that "dada" is at work and she looks for him.

♥    She loves to clap....... at EVERYTHING!  She'll clap when she wakes up (and that's how I know she's awake), when she sees her favorite cartoon, when she talks to my mom, sees Carlo's mom, when Carlo comes home from work, when she knows she's getting a bath... and our favorite.... when she's eating something she REALLY LOVES!  (like fruit!)

♥     and.... last but certainly not least...  she loves to give KISSES!.. but not just any kind of kiss but a full on sucking your face kiss!  It starts off as a sweet kiss... and once you respond... she does it again... then just sucks on your face (usually the left side).  She does it so much that I had to go and buy her a new pacifier and hope that she'll use that..... 

she started sucking on the RS presidents face on Sunday.... it was kinda funny!!

At 9 months

we're loving this stage!

not so sure she loves the camera in her face all of the time...

I wanted to get some shots of her crying...  it's so cute!!

*5th grader reference... is an inside joke in my family:  One day, I came home really mad at my younger brother.  I told my mom that he had rolled up his sleeves and he thought he was in 5th grade (because apparently all of the boys in my class did that) and so now that's what we say when someone tries to act older than they are.