Tyrone & Stephanie

Tytus Nathaniel is born!

tyronebcookin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:29:00 +0000

A beautiful boy, Tytus was born on Tuesday March 2nd at 2:34pm weighing 7 pounds and 13 ounces. He is 19.5 inches long.

We went to the Hospital on Monday March 1st for induction. We left with our baby boy on Friday. He has been healthy, eating well, sleeping well…and yes, all those other bodily functions (pooping & peeing well)!

Of course we are biased because we are his parents but right now we can’t believe how ’stinkin’ cute he is (as Stephanie would say)!

Yesterday we went to our ‘Newborn Club’ appointment and his weight HAD NOT dropped the usual 10% after birth, so apparently he is keeping his weight up!

Who knew my culinary skills would come in handy for swaddling, I wrap him up tight like a burrito!

[we are sorry blog posts come so infrequent now, but we are new parents and that keeps us busy...plus you can come see us and catch us online on facebook, where we have more pictures of Tytus and you may find us online for 'chat' in between naps , diaper changes, and feedings!]

http://www.facebook.com/tyronebcookin

http://www.facebook.com/stephanie.w.barton

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

Tytus Nathaniel is born!

A tasty trip to San Francisco

tyronebcookin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:46:08 +0000

We took one more trip to San Francisco to try a couple of places and visit and old favorite before the baby comes. We visited Dynamo Donuts & Coffee, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and for lunch we went to Rocco’s…in the video you may need to increase the sound to hear my voice sometimes. Its a work in progress, I am an amatuer at any kind of video making. Enjoy!

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

A tasty trip to San Francisco

Update to Culinary Mystery!

tyronebcookin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:54:06 +0000

Remember when I wrote this post with pictures:

Culinary Mystery (you need to read this to understand the rest of the post)

Well after almost 2 years someone wrote in a with a link to the answer! But first I want to ask why Arthur from Sheffield England DID NOT KNOW what it was, when it came from his neck of the woods!

Joe writes this: I have come across one of these and Googled to find out what it is. I can confirm, it’s a double sided fork / skewer for serving steak…Hope this helps!

Here is the mystery solved Link.

Its funny because at the time I had exhausted all kinds of Internet searches including Google and had not come up with anything…but first you got to know what your looking for! And it was almost 2 years ago!

Thanks Joe!

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

Update to Culinary Mystery!

New Year & New Crib X2

tyronebcookin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:50:38 +0000

Yep, thats right…we moved into our new ‘crib’ on the 30th and finished the final touches of hanging pictures in the new place on the 31st. Then on the 1st I came home from work and put together our new crib, which Steph’s parents bought us…we picked it up from JC Penneys.

So now we are in our 2 bedroom apartment literally on the backside of the building we were living in previously so there was no loading of vehicles or trucks for moving stuff.

A friend of mine I met thru work came over and helped me move all the big stuff (good tip: Home Depot sells four wheel flat moving dollies for $19, get you some, they are handy for all sorts of things) he also brung a 6 wheel dolly and a Mikata (?) cordless drill with tool bits. That was quite handy for breaking down and putting together our bed.

Later in the evening Lindsey a friend of Steph’s came over and helped us finish all the small stuff as I cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed all the floors…earlier Steph cleaned the bathroom (that about wore her out!). So don’t worry, there was no heavy lifting for Stephanie and I kept her well fed all day (and the help).

This month we will be taking some professional pictures for our late Christmas gift to the ‘homefolks’ (it was scheduled earlier in the month but Steph’s Grandma passed away). We will also be attending some ‘baby’ classes thru Kaiser Permanente (our insurance and hospital conglomerate).

Steph thinks the baby has hickups (right now as I type this) because the jumpy movements are pretty rhythmic…he’s proven to be pretty active without any hickups tho’. Ask Stephanie, she’s not getting much sleep and quite frequently yelling OW! ~ And at the same time there is some comedic value in it all for me!

We’re (or should I just say Stephanie) scoping ‘Craigs List’ for our odd and end furniture we will be getting for the babies room…ahhh window shopping on the web

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

New Year & New Crib X2

December News

tyronebcookin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:42:55 +0000

Unfortunately Steph’s grandmother (on her fathers side) passed away recently. I was able to get time off of work to travel with Steph to attend the funeral in Green Bay WI. Although it was a sad time, it was also a good time to be with Steph’s family and spend time catching up, visiting, and meeting more family not previously known by me. I cooked the last dinner meal before we left (and David cooked breakfast that morning, Steph’s brother) and we had a great time. David and Steph were also in the kitchen helping me out with the menu I prepared for dinner.

Next up this month I am going home to visit for a few days…why is it when you travel home there’s always too much to do and not enough time to do it in? I feel like last February when we blew thru town we were in such a state of ‘rush, rush, rush’ I could not enjoy our time with my family. Hopefully this time will be more relaxed since we both have jobs, a place to live, and are pretty much settled. Unlike last time.

Steph’s pregnancy is going better now that her vomiting has seemed to stop for almost 2 weeks now…things were really getting rough for her. She was also started on some additional meds to help with the nausea. She is due end of February and I hear her friends are starting to plan a baby shower.

A few changes I am going to make is that this blog/website will be moving back to a ‘free’ platform so for now you can go to http://tyroneandstephanie.com and look at all our stuff from the last 3 or so years but eventually that site will go away and you will have the new blog at http://tyroneandstephanie.blogspot.com which is were this new letter/post is coming from. Although I will try to keep the domain name, so maybe it will still be tyroneandstephanie.com? I will know for sure later.

The reasons are several, easier to maintain, to use, and I can manage my pictures thru picasa. Plus this is all tied together with my email. And did I mention free? Yeah, I like free stuff. I will also not have to pay for it, or keep up with maintenance as I think things will be getting a tad bit busier pretty soon for us.

I am collecting my experiences as a husband with a pregnant wife that I will probably post later as I think you will find them funny, insightful, and/or something you can relate to ( of course if my wife lets me )…until next time, say a prayer for us husbands!

Oh, almost forgot, Stephanie’s birthday is this month on the sixteenth! Wish her a great one if you remember!

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

December News

Its a boy!

tyronebcookin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:11:46 +0000

We went to an ultrasound on Thursday to find out the sex of the baby (or that’s why I went, and to see that all was well and healthy), and it was a boy!

Stephanie and I had an arrangement, she would name the girl, and I would name the boy. So he will be named Titus Nathaniel. Two strong, great Biblical names that together mean (appropriately) Giant Gift of God!

Titus means Giant in the Greek, and Nathaniel means Gift of God in the Hebrew. We will probably call him Ty or Nathan after he is born, but because I am stubborn and never actually cared for being called Ty myself (I prefer Tyrone – except my older relatives get away with it) I will probably have to warm up to it, I will probably call him Titus…

No matter, all is well. Just to be clear, if it was a girl I would be just as excited and made sure she grew up to be “Daddy’s little girl” as much as was possible if it was up to me!

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

Its a boy!

Getting Prepared (in a different way)

tyronebcookin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:54:19 +0000

Yesterday I was up making coffee in the morning and I realized a lot of things really need to be thought out before this baby arrives. Yes, I know there are diaper choices to think about, strollers, beds/cribs, etcetera…but thats not what I am really talking about.

All you mothers out there, especially the recent ones I want to pool your knowledge for my thoughts and questions, you Dad’s too. So here is my idea & question:

As I looked at the electric water kettle, coffee been grinder, and french press…I thought to myself: I don’t have any time for that with a baby! I need coffee right away every day! I need to either buy already ground coffee and get an automatic coffee machine (with auto starting timer) or I need to stay with my coffee snobbery and get one of those cuisenart coffee makers that grind the beans and brews it all on a timer that can be set 24 hours in advance (which those are available to buy). I need convenience!

What practical things do most people forget to think about that can be changed to save time before the baby arrives? (Things like my coffee example.)

Mom’s and dad’s? What do you say?

*[photo by Ballistik Coffee Boy]

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

Getting Prepared (in a different way)

Quick @ Home Fraps/Smoothies (blender needed)

tyronebcookin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:50:12 +0000

Fraps: The Basics- Use cold coffee- put 10 regular ice cubes in2 blender, poor milk & cold coffee in to just below top of highest ice cube (adjust ratio 4 ur tastes), @ this point I use caramel, chocolate, or some other flavored syrup to both flavor & sweeten, pulse blend & listen 4 no more ice cubes bouncing around (time in between pulses allows 4 remaining chunks to sink back down), @ end give it about a 3 to 5 second ‘on’ blend…if 2 liquidy use less ‘liquids’ next time. But if you don’t get enough liquids n’the blender its harder 2 get ice cubes blended. These make about 12 0z glasses of Frap.

Use same amount of ice cubes and 8 to 12 ounces of flavored yogurt for great smoothies quickly.

Or find big cans of Cafe D’Vitta at Sam’s or Costco (they have caramel, chocolate,….flavors) same directions as coffee drink except add 1 scoop (scoop that comes with it) and then add milk, blend(only use mix, ice, and milk. no reason to add flavors or coffee, unless of course you want to). They are great, 4lb canisters, by the time you figure how many Fraps this canister of powder mix makes it is WELL WORTH IT for a 10 dollar, 4lb, can of mix.

Additional things I do: Add more caramel sauce to it, or mexican or regular chocolate sauce, a few coffee beans to blender for speckled look, add peanut butter, find the Dulce De Leche sauce in ’select’ groceries stores…yum.

Steal lots of BIG STRAWS – (McD’s or Coffee Shop straws) haven’t found that they sell the big ones in any stores yet so I just get a few each time I am at Stab*cks, Pete’s, or McD’s

This is not definitive…just a quick guide for my friends who asked. If you have a coffee shop friend get him to let you ‘have’ a big buckets of Big Train powder mix.

In my professional making and drinking opinion, powders work better than flavored syrups and help thicken Fraps to smoothness better….Using powdered creamer IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, you will soon become tired of the ‘taste’ that comes from powdered creamer, try using some powdered milk.

[picture by foodista]

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

Quick @ Home Fraps/Smoothies (blender needed)

A Napa Birthday!

tyronebcookin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:00:59 +0000

My wife knowing she would be out of town, and I would be working on my birthday (July 4th!) planned a trip to Napa for later in the month. So last Tuesday we headed out for a few days in Napa Valley.

What’s in Napa? Wine, wineries, vineyards, restaurants…all kinds of culinary delights!

Tuesday morning after a mere 2 hours of driving we arrived in Yountville, home of many Restaurants more notably Thomas Keller’s French Laundry. Then we could also talk about Ad Hoc, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery…But we also wanted to visit Michael Chiarello’s Bottega! Not to mention the yummy deli sandwiches at the Oakville Grocery Co…Ok, so as not to drag this out here is how it went in a nutshell (I will post pictures afterwords where you can use your expertise to match them with the experience):

Breakfast at Lou’s Cafe a favorite local place (Tuesday morning) then on to Napa Valley. Stop at Yountville and get macaroons, brioche, eclairs, and coffee at the Bouchon Bakery. Next we headed to our appointed wine tour at the Robert Mondavi Winery (Excellent! I read the book The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty) which helped form pictures, places, and the ‘feel’ of the book I read about the Mondavi’s…it was like a sense of coming full circle – completing a study, if you will - for me after reading the book and drinking the wines then being able to get an inside look at the winery and history.

On the way back to Napa City we stopped by the Oakville Grocery for a little lunch outside at their tables with sandwiches from the deli.

Later Steph and I checked into the The Inn on First (Bringing a touch of San Francisco to Napa Valley its a luxury Bed & Breakfast) you will just have to trust me on this one, or check the link, it was worth it! Excellent! Jacuzzi/Hot Tubs in the rooms…complimentary champagne and chocolate truffles, all the services you could think of and the Chef, Jim, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy (Le Cordon Bleu) who cooks you a signature breakfast every morning (included in your stay). Mercedes, Morgon, Jim (Jamie was on holiday) all graceous hosts! This was in Napa the city, not Yountville. All of it is considered in Napa Valley

Then we went for a little walk around town and ate and excellent meal at Allegria. We didn’t even order a real meal, just ate multiple choices from the appetizer menu! We once again headed out for a little walk and stopped at Cole’s Chop House for a dessert. A Banana’s Foster which some may consider a classic…it came to the table FLAMING. It was an impressive display even though thats what I was expecting. That was for Steph, I enjoyed a warm chocolate brownie paired with a caramel gelato and chocolate sauce.

The next day we had a breakfast quesadilla that was sent out by the chef, and of course there was all the cold breakfast things like cereals, oats, granola, fresh fruits…Then we headed of to the other side St Helena where stopped in to tromp around the Culinary Institute of America in Greystone after asking, wandering, and looking at everything they would let us see (I believe classes were in session) we headed out to the side of the establishment to visit the school store/shop. Some of the stuff was unique to the CIA but a lot of it was like being in a Williams-Sonoma, not really anything I wanted to buy that I didn’t already have or see a need for. But it was all interesting just the same.

On the way back thru we stopped at Dean & Deluca’s for ‘lunch stuff’. Then we went to the Yountville Park to have a picnic where we got run off by bees and the French Laundry Company Picnic (they had the whole place reserved)…but my interest was in who was catering THEIR company party?

Going to the French Laundry unfortunately was out of our budget range and we didn’t have a reservation. Looks like they were doing some heavy maintenance or construction to the back of it when we came thru, not sure. We also tried to eat at Ad Hoc but strangely enough they were closed both of the 2 full days we were in the neighborhood…but thats OK on to that nights reservations at Bottega!

We first took a little refresher back at The Inn on First and then, Bottega.

This is Michael Chiarello’s restaurant. Current Top Chef: Masters competitor and food network personality also owning NapaStyle trademark stores and Chiarello Family Vineyards.

It was wonderful! Or as my friends in England would say, Brilliant! I didn’t even make it to the ‘Secondi!’ course (Which was a shame for me…but I didn’t want to leave being in to much pain to enjoy it!) because we had multiple antipasti’s and pastas. Although we did skip to dessert, who could miss that?

What a night, we made our way back to the Inn slowly and took another walk. Unfortunately Stephanie’s pregnancy ’sickness’ decided to re-appear for awhile so it was early to bed for her…but besides her feeling bad, we couldn’t have ended the night any better…I spent some time just relaxing and thinking about what was going to come out of the kitchen for breakfast the next day…

More could be said and was done, But alas I have probably bored you with my excitement. Our time there was great, and my wifey did an excellent job with plans and putting up with me tasting and commenting on everything (more just to myself than actually being a critic of anything). Being only 2 hours away I am sure we will continue to visit and explore all the culinary avenues available to us.

[I suppose I should have took more pictures of the food, like in Bottega...But as you are 'in the moment' sometimes you can't be bothered.]

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

A Napa Birthday!

A new addition

StephanieRN — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:55:12 +0000

[Stephanie] Since Tyrone and I married in November of 2006 we have always had something on the horizon. At times it was a new job, a vacation, a move, and at one time we were anticipating picking up and going to live on a ship in West Africa. Now is no different we are still anticipating change and perhaps this time it will be the most life changing of all. I am pregnant am due in early March. We are so excited and plan on staying here in Northern California for at least a couple more years ( I am hoping for a 5 year plan, but we will see). I start my new job at Lucile Packard of Stanford in the Pediatric Intensive care on Monday and I am SO EXCITED. I have been very sick so far in my pregnancy but have been feeling better the past couple of days. Please pray that I continue feeling better and that I will LOVE working in the PICU.

[Tyrone] Some of you probably even forgot that you were subscribed to this blog since we post infrequently now that our lives has changed once again. But this (Stephanie getting pregnant) too was an answer to prayer and a hope that we had! I still enjoy working at Pepsi Bottling Group (the physical aspect of it is whipping my butt into shape and I am losing weight!) and in my ‘free time’ (I say that loosely NOW) whipping up great meals and doing experiments in our kitchen at home, my last one involved curing my own pancetta/bacon and then air drying it by hanging it in the closet along with the occasional watermelon carving or two…my food obsessed website is over at http://tyronebcookin.com and I post more regularly about food and aspects of it there. Also we are both pretty current and ‘real time’ with comments and messages on facebook. So you can find us there if you are not to intimidated by the internet.

We can hardly believe its AUGUST! And that we just came back from being in West Africa and Europe at the end of February and already are ingrained in our jobs, church, and life here in Northern California! (Thats right, not Alabama, Florida, or Texas…sorry!)

Write us an email, drop us a line, leave a comment, ask a question…we still love hearing from all of you out there and we will still post blogs on our life updates (although not as frequently as when we were traveling and doing mission work) and hopefully you can at least expect baby pictures by late March!

Tyrone & Stephanie

Post from: Tyrone & Stephanie

A new addition

Tyrone & Stephanie

Tytus Nathaniel is born!

Read More...

A tasty trip to San Francisco

Read More...

Update to Culinary Mystery!

Read More...

New Year & New Crib X2

Read More...

December News

Read More...

Its a boy!

Read More...

Getting Prepared (in a different way)

Read More...

Quick @ Home Fraps/Smoothies (blender needed)

Read More...

A Napa Birthday!

Read More...

A new addition

Read More...