Love...true love

My love for pizza is a true love. It's such a big love, that it's not enough for me to enjoy eating it, but I also love to cook it. HH recommended I try this pizza from the cover of January's Sunset magazine. It was my first attempt at a cast iron skillet pizza and it was really quite special. The crust was slightly doughy around the thickest parts, so I know I need to par-cook it a little longer next time. The toppings however, came out magical. Yellow bell pepper, broccolini, red pepper flakes and mozzarella made for a slightly sweet, bitter, spicy and salty combo. There was no sauce, but I didn't miss it because it was not dry at all.

Man. I wish I had some more of this pizza.

I hate vegan cheese, but I love podcasts

So this lousy vegan diet is going on week number 2. Without cheese, I am left feeling completely unsatisfied by every meal. I just ate a giant tofu taco salad without my usual mound of shredded cheddar on top, and I couldn't stop thinking that my dinner was a complete waste of space. I got desperate last week and tried vegan cheese. Did you know most soy cheese has milk products in it? I was so sad to find that out. I found one completely vegan cheese and tried to eat it on a burrito. It tasted like rancid plastic, so I threw the rest of it out. To hell with you vegan cheese! You aspire to be what you simply cannot!

Let's talk about something else. I got an ipod for christmas and at first I was like, "oh, cool. a really long mix tape for the car." But then I discovered several podcasts that I'm in love with and I take this thing to bed with me and fall asleep listening to all my favorite shows. Here are some of them:

NPR stuff
This American Life - FYI coming to Showtime tonight!!

Fresh Air - But I get a twinge of guilt every time Terri Gross tells the podcast listeners to support their local NPR stations.

A Prairie Home Companion - It's just the News from Lake Wobegon.

Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - I can listen whenever I want! Much better than trying to be in front of a radio on a Saturday morning. I must admit that it makes me miss Whaddya Know very much.

Driveway Moments - Since I don't commute anywhere any more, I can finally catch all the awesome little stories from All Things Considered and Morning Edition.

Latino USA - This show only airs at an impossible hour, so I'm glad I can download the weekly podcast and keep in touch with what's going on with my people.

Sunday Puzzle - I have a big bad crush on Will Shortz and I love word puzzles. I have been playing along for ten years and it's my dream to be selected play on air with Liane Hansen and The Puzzlemaster.

Hidden Kitchens - Rarely on, but this show features awesome stories about food.

KCRW's Good Food - Since Hidden Kitchens episodes are few and far, I get my weekly foodie fix from LA's raddest NPR affiliate, KCRW. What's in season, food trends, new restaurants and food-related writing and literature. Do you know what salumi is? I do!

Quick ones
There is a series of short podcasts I love from a website called qdnow.com. They feature "quick and dirty tips" on a few different topics. I subscribe to Legal Lad (legal advice), The Mighty Mommy (parenting tips), Grammar Girl (grammatical questions), Money Girl (financial advice) and Mister Manners (etiquette).

Por Fin Aprende Ingles - These short, intermediate Spanish lessons help me brush up on my language skills. My only beef is that this one is kind of home made. Sometimes the audio is jacked or one of the hosts little kids is on pronouncing the vocabulary completely wrong.

Are there any other good podcasts out there that I should know about?

Oh, quick baby update. Ira can sit up and has two tiny teeth coming in. Finally! The teeth.

Baby Cheese-Us!

Those cheeks!
Originally uploaded by riblet.

I've decided to can the vegan diet for now. We're going to Tennesse this weekend to visit family and I think it will be to hard to have such a strict diet in the South. It might be hard enough to be vegetarian there. I've never been, so I have no idea. In my imagination, the South is a place where every food is fried in bacon fat. I'll just be a good little vegan and nix dairy when we get back. Since I've decided to have my cheese and eat it, too, I'm not messing around. I'm eating it by the handful. Bring the cheese, I say, bring it on!!!

Except Ira cheese, that I can do without. Poor kid has been spitting up lots of curdled milk (baby cheese). I feel like it has to do with getting his shots recently. He was pretty cheese-less before them, now it's like he's a cottage cheese fountain. Gross, I know. Well, it seems to be getting better, or less frequent.

I'm a little worried about taking Ira on the plane this weekend. I hope he doesn't freak out. I would be so embarrassed to be "the bad mood" on the plane to Tennessee. The family with the screaming baby is no fun for anyone. Fingers crossed!!

Gone vegan

Nationwide's Grilled Cheese
Originally uploaded by riblet.

It pains me to do this, but it's for Ira. Because his pediatrician suspects a dairy allergy in him, I have to go vegan for 3 weeks. Today is the first day and it's been very difficult! Almost everything I eat has milk or egg products in it. So while I struggle to find filling fare, I have to keep reminding myself that it's for the kid. I know, how can a cheese-itarian like myself produce offspring with a dairy allergy? It would be nature's cruelest joke. Here's to hoping this whole thing is just a false alarm.

Postpartum hair loss

Though I knew I'd have a bit of hair loss after Ira was born, I didn't think it would be so much! Every day when I comb my hair, I end up with a big pile of strands. It's even worse when I wash it. I find hairs everywhere. They're all over my pillow, all over the bathroom floor, sometimes wrapped around little Ira's hand. I'm amazed that I have any left at all. But there it is, thank goodness. And it still feels like I have a ton left. So glad I didn't have hair loss as bad as Britney's.

Ira had his 4 month check up today. He's 12 pounds, 12 ounces and 25.25 inches tall. The doctor says he's a little feather weight, but not to be worried. She also gave me some devastating orders. I must go without cheese for 3 weeks. I know! I'm not taking this well. You don't really want to know why, but it's for the good of the kid. Cheese makes up a huge portion of my diet. I have no idea what I'm going to eat if I don't have cheese! I might have to start eating....soy cheese.