On Mother's Day

As I sit here nursing my baby girl this morning I can't help but think back to two years ago, Mother's Day shortly after our miscarriage. To the sweet life just 8 weeks growing who made me mommy that I would never get to cuddle or meet on this earth. It was a hard day with tears and sadness. And today I pause for a moment to remember my first baby who someday I believe I will get to meet.

But joy does come in the morning. This year, I'm so thankful to cuddle and snuggle Emersyn, this sweet baby girl who I get the opportunity and privilege to raise and teach and love. Words can't express how much I love her and how blessed I am to be called her mommy! 

So Happy Mother's Day to all, especially to those struggling to become a mommy and those that have experienced a loss. Special grace and peace to you.

And to Emersyn: 

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

il Lazzarone: What to expect

 

Now that the restaurant announcement has been made, here’s some things you can expect from an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria and more specifically, what to expect from il Lazzarone!

Oven
At il Lazzarone, our wood fired oven is an Acunto Mario, made on the main street of Naples, Italy by a fifth generation oven builder. Why this oven? For true Neapolitan pizza you must have a wood fired oven capable of achieving over 800 degrees constant temperatures. The mouth of the oven and the oven dome height must all be constructed within specific ratios to achieve a true pizza Napoletana. Our oven is constructed of all hand laid brick made from the soils of the Campania region of Italy. In our opinion, there is absolutely no oven in the world capable of producing a better product. We are very lucky to have received the first one imported into America.

Size
Neapolitan pies are traditionally 11 inches round. For an average appetite, you'll likely want one pie per person.

Cook Time
Due to the extreme temperatures and the craftsmanship of the oven, the pizza will cook between 50-90 seconds.

Ingredients
Less is more. A good Neapolitan pie is minimally topped with the freshest natural ingredients to strike the perfect ratio of flavor.

• Dough: the dough is made simply of water, flour, yeast and salt with no added preservatives or additives
• Sauce: San Marzano tomatoes are a very rare tomato native to Italy. At il Lazzarone, we use only DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes which insures the tomatoes have been grown in a specific historical region outside of Naples. The magic of the San Marzano comes from the soil which they are grown in. These specific tomatoes are considered the richest and sweetest in the world and are grown around the base of Mt. Vesuvius in a soil extremely rich in minerals. This very soil is where the material for the oven is harvested and made into bricks for our oven’s hearth and dome, creating a symbiotic relationship between ingredient and oven.
• Flour: Our flour is a 00 flour which holds an 11.2% protein ratio. This 00 flour refers to the size of the mill. 00 is the finest mill on earth and creates a soft silky crust. 00 grade flour is also a requirement for true Neapolitan pizza.
• Cheese: For our cheese, we hold true to Neapolitan standards as well using only fior de late (fresh mozzarella) or mozzarella de bufala. All of or cheese hold true to the artisan roots of old and are completely hormone free.

 

Charring
Also due to the high temperature cook time, the crust has a slight charring on bottom and edges characteristic to Neapolitan pizza giving it another depth of flavor and texture.

  

Wet or Soupy
Unlike typical American pizza, a delicious pool of flavor forms in the middle of a Neapolitan pie during its short time in the oven making it  what one might call wet or "soupy".

Knife and Fork
As to not disrupt the "soupy" middle (thereby making the crust soggy on the way to the table) these pies are meant to be served whole, uncut, and eaten with a knife and fork.

Organic/All Natural
At il Lazzarone, we're passionate about authentic real food therefore our ingredients are organic and all natural incorporating both local ingredients with special authentic Italian imported items. Our cheese is always rBgh free and our meats are antibiotic and hormone free.

Moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Til the Easter season!
I haven’t found my way to The Purple Carrot in far too long and after making this carrot cake a few days ago, I knew it was the perfect thing to share. We found it to be extremely moist and delicious! I’ve been doing a lot of juicing lately as well and I never know what to do with all that pulp. 
Enter: a great way to use up pulp from juicing carrots!

Moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (makes one 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch cake pans)
*adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients:

• Carrot cake
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspooons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots (I used the pulp from juicing carrots, works great!)
• Cream Cheese frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounce cream cheese softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla – I ended up using almond because I was out of vanilla and ended up loving the flavor with this cake)

Instructions:
Cake

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees and grease two 9 inch cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan
2. In large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla and milk
3. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
4. Stir in carrots
5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean

Frosting

1. Combine all ingredients and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Nom, nom, nom!
Happy Easter, all

Seven Months

Seven Months

Seven months old and getting to be such a big girl! It's hard to believe you're more than halfway to being 1 year old! You've changed our lives in so many ways but nothing would mean anything without you. We love and treasure you, Emy!

Seven Months

What you weigh: 17 pounds 9.6 ounces

Eating: You don't love solids but we've been experimenting with different veggies and some fruits as well as egg yolks. So far most of it ends up on your face and bib. Besides that, you usually nurse when you get up, then around 10, 2, 5, and at bedtime.

Sleeping: Sleeping this month hasn't been your forte, ha. Nighttime is pretty hit and miss these days. You're waking up on average three times a night and haven't had more than a 5 hour spurt at all this month. You're still napping about twice a day for 45 mins to an hour. Your favorite place to nap is still on mom but you have napped in the stroller and car seat a little now too.

Clothes: You still range from 6 month to 12 month clothes but I'd say average is in the 9 month range.

Favorite Activities: Sitting up, scratching on everything you touch, smiling, laughing, making silly noises, waving, sticking your tongue out, being outside.

Least Favorite Activities: This month, sleeping "good"

Big moments/firsts:
- We took our first road trip to Nebraska this month which was quite a feat considering your history with car seats!
- You're talking so much more and can make noises like ba-ba, ma-ma, and da-da
- We've finally ventured down to Kansas City with you now that we're able to be in the car longer.

Seven Months Pictures

Seven Months Videos

Six Months

Emersyn, how did you become a half a year old already? It's hard to believe time has gone by so quickly. This month especially has vanished with a blink and you continue to grow so quickly right before our eyes! Your smile is infectious and you bring so much joy to our lives every single day.

Six Months

What you weigh: approx 16 pounds, 8 ounces

Eating: You're still eating about every 3-4 hrs during the day. The end of this month you tried some peas and a little banana. The peas, you did not know what to think about but didn't mind the banana as much. 

Sleeping: Still taking a few naps a day, mostly in Boba carrier or in mommy's lap. Towards the end of the month you started waking more frequently at night and I'd say your average was three times a night. We had a pretty rough week this month too where you wanted to keep mommy up all night long! You still sleep in a swaddle at night but mommy's hoping to try and wean you away from it soon because you are getting so big!

Clothes: You're mostly wearing 9 month clothes now with a few of your bigger 6 month clothes still fitting and a few smaller 12 month clothes fitting. 

Favorite Activities: Your latest activity is sitting up all by yourself! We set you down with toys all around you and you go to town. You LOVE crinkly sounds and your favorite "toy" is a crinkly baguette bag ha. I don't blame you. It's crinkle noise is far superior to silly baby toys with crinkle noises. You're reaching for everything in sight including mommy's hair, earrings and daddy's glasses. 

Least Favorite Activities: You're overall pretty agreeable and besides the always mentioned car seat there's no big things you really hate to do. Sometimes you don't like baths but you get used to them. You're lenient about huge groups of people, especially when new people are trying to talk or play with you.

Big moments/firsts:

- Sitting up

- Much more aware

- Tried a few solids 

- First Valentine's Day. Daddy and mommy both claimed you as our valentine

Six Month Photos

il Lazzarone

If you keep up with The Purple Carrot on Facebook or Instagram, the following is not new to you but if not, guess what?



Yep, this is happening! For years now Erik has been toying with opening a pizza place and even almost bought a building in Kansas City a little over a year ago when we lived there but it just never quite worked out. Fast forward through our move back to St Joe, our house remodel (which is still in the works even though we live there now), a new precious baby aaaand here we are!

What?
This niche restaurant will be an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria called il Lazzarone. (I know, I'm sure the concept is shocking after how little we talk about pizza around here ;) It's not like we road tripped around the US just to eat pizza or anything).

Il Lazzarone: What is the meaning of il Lazzarone, you ask?
There is a lot in our name. The name represents not only a class of people but a way of life. Pizza started out as a peasant food. The il lazzarone or lazzaroni was seen to be this peasant class of people in Naples originating around 1770. Though the lazzarone were poor, they were known for living completely free, content, satisfied. The lazzarone avoided the rat race. They worked but they laughed. They worked but they rested. They worked but they stopped and ate… frequently. The only thing a lazzarone would eat was pizza and melon (accompanied of course by wine). They loved life, they lived freely, and most of all, they seized the moment.
That is what we wish to offer and convey. Come seize the moment, put your day on hold if just for 30 minutes, and come. Come to the table were you can experience both art and authenticity through food, wine and atmosphere.

Where? il Lazzarone will be opening at 1628 Frederick Avenue in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

When? We’re currently making progress on the work that needs to be completed on the inside and our Acunto oven is on its way here from Naples. Tentatively, we’ll be opening Spring 2014.
Follow along
Follow along with our building progress and updates via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Coming up Coming up soon is a post on what you can expect to find at il Lazzarone!