Category Archives: Friday Food Facts

10 Month Photo Session + Friday Foodie Fun Facts: Mushrooms

09/19/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Our past few monthly photo sessions have been quite eventful to say the least, but it seems Avery has calmed down a bit since then. She still fights with her bear, as if it just insulted her crazy, curly hair, but keeping her on the chair wasn’t as difficult this time.

Going Mom had to work later than usual, so I figured I’d try and take a few 10 month pics alone before she arrived home. If I tried this for her 7th, 8th, or 9th session, I would’ve failed miserably….and maybe have an injured baby!

For this reason, I started with her on the floor in fear of what might happen if I set her on the chair and step away.

But, much to my surprise, Avery actually stayed away from the chair’s edge once I gathered the courage to test her. Matter of fact, she didn’t do much at first.

No worries, she quickly warmed up and started flashing some funny/crazy faces as she tosser her bear around. Here are some of my favorites from the solo session before my wife came home to assist.

I'm cute and you know it! — I’m cute and you know it!

There might be poop and there might not....only one way to find out! — There might be poop and there might not….only one way to find out!

What? I can't hear you! — What? I can’t hear you!

Yeah, that's what I thought! — Yeah, that’s what I thought!

Thankfully, Kelley arrived home ready for more picture taking, so we went back to the chair. I suck at getting Avery “dressed up” and choose clothes that make it easier for diaper changes over how she looks. Sorry, Avery, that’s why people always ask “How old is HE?”

Since it was late, Kelley opted just to put a bow on Avery after I talked her out of picking a completely new outfit. I’d say Avery was just happy to have both parents at home and spending time with her.

I'm on to you, bear.... — I’m on to you, bear….

Still cute....check! — Still cute….check!

Our love for Avery is unconditional, and her personality develops more and more each day. Not long ago, we had a baby who would just lie dormant wherever we sat her and she was completely reliant on us to move her. But now, ha, she’s zipping all over the house and makes it apparent she’s ready to walk very soon!

I could go on raving about our sweet girl forever, but now it’s time for Friday Foodie Fun Facts. This month, I have partnered with Life of Dad and The Mushroom Council and recently published a sponsored post for #ShroomTember with a recipe and details on how you can win $500. Today, I’m going to share fun and interesting shroom facts from The Mushroom Council’s website.

Besides being delicious when cooked or raw, mushrooms deliver a host of beneficial nutrients not found in many other foods. Their wide variety and multiple uses make them perfect to always have on hand. Instead of the normal list, here’s a handy infographic to loaded with mushroom info.

The healthy benefits of mushrooms span far and wide, and if you’d like to learn more, visit The Mushroom Council’s page on the nutritional benefits of mushrooms.

Hope you found one or more things you didn’t know about mushrooms and you’re inspired to go out and try some this weekend.

Are you a fan of mushrooms or can’t stand the sight of them?

Any favorite types and/or recipes?

Food, Friday Food Facts, Life, Parenting

Learning to Walk and Butt Spins + Friday Foodie Fun Facts: Pears

09/12/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Only 3 days left until my “bet” that Avery would be walking by 10 months will expire. Of course, technically, this counts as walking, right?

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She’s getting very close, just needs to let go and realize she doesn’t need support to stand on her own. It’s hard, but we are trying not to rush it as that will make the task of keeping up with her all that more difficult! A crawling baby is hard enough as it is!!

Although, she does give us a break every now and then just to spin on her butt….

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This is pretty new and took me a while to actually capture on video, but now she does it multiple times a day. Her Aunt Lindsay, Going Mom’s sister, said she just likes a panoramic view, and I fully agree!

But I don’t think she’ll be “grounded” much longer. I’ve been catching her working on her leg strength with squats to prepare for her momentous first steps.

What do you think? Before 11 months for sure or would say even longer? I feel pretty confident she’ll make those steps before her 11 month mark, but only time will tell for sure.

Maybe she’ll be motivated as we start going to meetups with the Dallas Dads Group another stay-at-home dad, David Kepley, and I just started with a lot of help from some great guys at City Dads Group.

Our first official meeting is tomorrow, at nice park with a miniature train to ride! How do you think an almost 10 month old will handle a train ride? I think she’ll love it.

Now, being Friday, that means I have a few fun food facts to share. We’ve been receiving organic, local produce each week from a co-op we just joined, and I’ll start giving facts about one of the items we receive. Today, it’s pears.

I love pears and haven’t had them in a while, so it was a nice treat to see them in our last box. Being organic, I just grabbed one and ate it as is, no need to wash since even organic soil has nutrients. It was delightfully tasty and left me eager to learn more about this sweet treat. Turns out, there’s a lot to know; here’s a few things….

Before tobacco was introduced in Europe, pear leaves were smoked.
Pears are often recommended for weaning babies because they are low in acid and aren’t too harsh on a baby’s digestive system.
Pears have more nutrients per calorie than calories per nutrient which is surprising since they are so sweet. They are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, copper & vitamin K.
Pears don’t float.
Most pears ripen from the inside out, and if left on the tree to ripen, many varieties will turn brown and rot in the middle.
The skin of pears contain at least three to four times as many phytonutrients as the flesh. These phytonutrients include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and potentially anti-cancer phytonutrients like cinnamic acids. The skin of the pear has also been show to contain about half of the pear’s total dietary fiber.

Wow, I’d say when put against these bell-shaped treats, other fruits just can’t com-pear!

Happy Friday!

Food, Friday Food Facts, Parenting

Her First Time to See Fish + Friday Foodie Fun Facts: Carrots

08/29/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Do you remember the first time you saw a fish? Not filleted and cooked on a plate or those little golden crackers, I mean alive and swimming in the water.

I haven’t a clue about my fishy first, but I had the joy of showing Avery fish for the first time the day when I had to go to the doctor. Yeah, I had to go in for blood work as part of my unsolved issues I mentioned in this post.

So it was the most ideal way to show Avery fish for the first time, but the aquarium in the doctor’s office held several brightly colored species that she took interest in immediately. While waiting, I held her up close to the glass and her eyes would hone in on one, it would wisp away behind corral, and she’d lock onto another gilled guppy nearby.

The entire time we were waiting, Avery couldn’t take her eyes off of the lively underwater melting pot of fish, and I loved being able to experience her seeing something totally new for the first time. This excites me for everything new Going Mom and I expose her to, and going to the zoo will be splendid for sure!

I remember our first attempts at baby-led weaning with carrots and broccoli being the first foods. She had no clue what to do with those veggies at first, but it was a pleasure watching as she finally figured out they were edible eats.

We’re still feeding her the same veggies plus a couple new ones, and she’s still crapping them out confirming they don’t all end up on the floor! Also, as confirmed from her poop, carrots remain as her favorite food. After mommy’s breast milk, obviously.

Which leads me to today’s Friday Foodie Fun Facts. No, not breast milk, although that might be interesting, today I have carrot facts! I’ve changed several staple foods in my diet over the years, but carrots have always been present and welcome.

For those who crave a satisfying crunch without reaching for a bag of chips, carrots are a perfectly healthy option. Dip them in natural peanut or almond butter and I’m good to go! Another favorite of mine, is to dice them up and eat them with milk or yogurt like cereal. Much better than boxed, processed and sugary grain, and you still have a great crunch that never gets soggy!

Carrots have been cultivated for at least 5,000 years and are thought to have originated in Afghanistan. Originally, carrots were white, purple, red or yellow, but not orange.
In the 16th century, the orange carrot was developed in the Netherlands (Yellow carrots were cross-bred with red carrots) in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family.
Most veggies are best eaten raw, but carrots are more nutritious when cooked first. Carrots have tough cellular walls that make much of their nutrients locked up and indigestible. Cooking, however, partially dissolves cellulose-thickened cell walls, freeing up nutrients by breaking down the cell membranes.
Carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable, except for beets.
The longest carrot ever recorded was 19 feet 1.960 inches.
The heaviest carrot ever recorded weighed 18.985 pounds.
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, was reported to not like carrots.

Are you a fan of carrots?

Ever seen or eaten one a different color than orange? I had the opportunity to buy two large purple carrots a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them raw as well as roasted. Look at those massive things! Bugs Bunny would be envious…….his voice? Not so much.