Cookbook recommendation

I asked for and received the Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal for Christmas.  Last night I tested the yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and it's delicious!!  I'm so excited, I can't wait to try some of the other recipes in there.  There are tons of cakes/cupcakes, cookies, muffins, scones, pies, and more.  Everything looks amazing.  I highly recommend getting this book!!

Lentil Soup

This is something you can just throw together, and it's super easy :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry lentils
• 4 cups stock* (32 oz)
• 4 cups water
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 onion, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb cooked meat (I used a couple chicken breasts; you can add stew meat, sausage, turkey, ground meat, or you can skip it and add more veggies)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (I just chopped up some baby carrots)
• salt, pepper to taste (plus any other spices you like; I also added some rosemary)

*I used chicken stock, but you can use vegetable, beef, or whatever you have, depending on what you're adding in

Directions:

• In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion and garlic until tender and translucent
• Add stock, water, spices, and rinsed lentils; bring to a boil.  Cover and turn down heat; simmer for 15 mins
• Add chicken, carrots, and any other veggies you like.  Cook until carrots are tender and lentils are plump; approximately 10 more minutes

You're done!!

My poor sick baby :-(

C is sick.  He is congested, has a cough, and is wheezing.  I called the pediatrician just to be safe, even though I didn't think they'd say anything besides push fluids, use steam (I had already sat in the bathroom with the hot shower running), humidifier, etc.  When they heard he was wheezing they said I needed to take him to the doctor or urgent care (gotta say, freaked me out).

I got an appointment for that day.  Of course, he had taken a nap and wasn't acting sick at all.  He was smiling and cooing at a little girl in the waiting room, smiling at the nurse, flirting with the receptionist, he had his charm on full blast.  I felt so silly, and knew I'd look like the crazy paranoid first time mom who brings her kid to the doctor for every little thing.  I was like, "they told me to bring him because he's wheezing... umm... yeah he's acting fine now."

The doctor heard the wheezing, and was concerned (they don't mess around when it comes to babies and breathing), so he prescribed Albuterol and gave me a nebulizer to administer the medicine.  C freaks out for a second when I first turn the machine on (that thing is LOUD), but then he relaxes on my lap and lets me point this vapor into his face.

I told the doctor that I was a little freaked out about the wheezing because my husband has asthma and I'm worried that C will develop it too.  He said that because of C's age it's too early to call it asthma, right now it's Bronchititis (or bronchiolitis or something bronch- related), but we're going to treat it like asthma (enter Albuterol).  I'm REALLY hoping that this is a one-time thing and once he heals up we'll be done with breathing issues, but I'm preparing to deal with childhood asthma.

The cherry on top is I think I'm starting to get what C has (the cold, not the asthma).

I will not get sick, I will not get sick, I will not get sick...