photo taken after 10 week ultrasound
I know the posts have been few and far between the last couple of months but I've been a little preoccupied with the newest member of our family - who will be arriving this holiday season :)
I'm finally coming out of the first trimester fog and have started tackling fall inventory for the shop. Pictures of those to come...I'm also on a mission to find a killer peach cobbler recipe - so if you know of any, send them my way.
I know I've done several food-focused posts in a row and this will be the last one for a little while - honest. Probably.
On the wonderful advice of a friend, we went cherry picking and this great U-pick orchard only an hour away. There were plenty of branches low enough for Little Mr. to reach all by himself - which made him very happy.
We'd read some reviews on the place on yelp before going, so we came armed with our own buckets - which meant we didn't have to wait for another family to come back from their cherry picking madness before starting our own.
So off we went. Rows and rows of cherries - Rainier, Bing, Van...mmmmm
Then, of course, there was the eating of cherries. In general they're pretty great just as they are but who can resist....
or this...
yea... me neither
apparently I also can't seem to resist adding almonds to yummy baked cherry desserts.
If you'll excuse me, I need to get a scoop of ice cream :)
I mentioned in an earlier post how Little Mr. is all about helping these days - especially when it comes to cooking. One kitchen project that was fun from beginning to end were the homemade bagels.
Why have I not done this before? I am a big fan of the boiled carbs but usually have a difficult time committing to an entire store bought bagel - Do I really want to consume 4 servings worth of bread in one sitting? That said - "mini" bagels are usually too small, get lost during a proper toasting, and rarely seem to have the right texture.
When you make your own, you have the ultimate portion control. And you get to pick the toppings :)
(clockwise from top left corner: parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sugar, sun dried tomatoes)
sprinkle sprinkle
Smitten Kitchen has a wonderfully involved bagel recipe that I'm sure makes delicious bagels, but there were just too many words for me.
In the oven - The sun dried tomato didn't really workout as a topping...they just got charred.
I did happen upon this bagel recipe that I could do in a day. And here are the results:
time to eat :)
...eats together :)
Little Mr. is all about helping these days. While I'm cooking he'll inevitably come up to me and say "Mommy help you?" So at not quite 2-years old, he's pretty great and flipping eggs and general stirring, pouring, and sprinkling.
This weekend we made two things that had lots of sprinkling involved. First up - chicken enchiladas:
shredded rotisserie chicken from the store since we didn't have any leftover chicken to use.
Queso Fresco and mozzarella
corn tortillas
"helping" can be tricky to define sometimes...
hard at work putting everything together
ready for the oven.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the finished dish. It was pounced upon almost immediately after it came out of the oven. And I LOVE enchiladas so every time I put one on a plate for myself photography is a serious afterthought :)
We learned quite a few things on our first excursion to NY with a toddler. Although this wasn't the first time Little Mr. has traveled afar, this is the first time he hasn't been portable (i.e. strap him in the Ergo and go).
trying on hats in Soho
The 5 hour flight
That's it. Some things worked better than others, most notably snacks and stickers. The coloring was a nonstarter. One thing we were quite excited to discover was that the pressure change didn't seem to bother him. I was a serious water pusher the entire flight especially takeoff and landing, but on the flight back he wasn't interested in anything that would encourage swallowing and didn't seem any worse for wear.
Out and About in the City
We didn't bring a car seat and I'm sooooo glad! To and from the airport we reserved a car through a service that provides car seats and once we were safely at our destination, we were all subway, all the time.
We brought the cheapest umbrella stroller we could find - and it worked great. It cost about $20 at Babies r Us, folds up in a flash (which was important given the subway travel), was extremely lightweight and we didn't worry about whether or not it got messed up (which it didn't).
Naps happened whenever and where ever although he never really slept enough during the day...but does anyone sleep enough when they go to NY?
We'd hoped to keep him on his 'regular' schedule just 3 hours ahead - no such luck. The sun was shining bright and he was up at 7am that first morning and his regular 6am every morning thereafter.
tunnel of Indian food goodness.
Grownup Vacation
HA!
We didn't get to see Fela! like we'd hoped - I'll just have to wait until they go on tour. And most evening dining consisted of take out, but we had some great brunch and amazing lunches thanks to my sister's appreciation of delicious food!
mmmm crazy creamy cheese grits with crispy bacon crumbled on top. again mmmmmm
All in all it was a great trip, with great people and good weather. We even got to take a requisite Central Park picture during a marathon walk through the park after which we rewarded ourselves with cookies from Levain.
Happy Travels!
Next posts:
We've been on vacation :)
We spent 5 days in NY visiting my amazing sister who just graduated from Parson's New School with a Masters Fine Arts; her art was also recently featured on Oprah - more on that later.
Here's a few pictures from our trip.
A few of my favorites from the Hells Kitchen Flea Market
seltzer bottles so awesome they deserve two pictures
More to come.
Mr. Man helped me with my photo recycled T-shirt photos recently and I just love the little glimpse of our life that's in this pic.
That door on the far left is painted with chalk board paint. It's one of the first things I did after we finished unpacking...or at least decided we were done unpacking.
That hat on the doorknob is my backyard hat. Sometimes Isaiah doesn't like to wear his hat when we go in the backyard, but if mommy is wearing her hat then he's a little more agreeable (occasionally). Truly, the hat is great because we don't have much shade back there and wearing sunglasses while mowing or whatever just doesn't work.
That little stick leaning against the door frame is the top part of Isaiah's broom. He likes to 'help' sweep.
And the big wooden cabinet is actually used as our pantry right now. It was going to be my craft closet until we realized how little cabinet space out kitchen has. The pantry houses tea, baking necessities baking powder/soda, flours, bittersweet chocolate chips,and various nuts; dried fruit, canned goods, wine, and more tea. Our cookbooks sit on top.
Anymore, it's rare that Mr Man and I find ourselves in a picture together - just the two of us. And so for V-Day, this picture was just as important to us as dinner was.
By the way - dinner was great too :) We finished sentences and had complete thoughts over adult drinks. No crayons were involved and no double checking to make sure we didn't leave behind a sippy cup, toy truck or beloved Elmo doll ;)
We went even took a walk and went for coffee - it's the little things.
I am no stranger to "the resolution."
I resolve to do things better, different, or never again on a semi-regular basis; depending on whether or not I am feeling particularly resolute about one facet of my life or another. That said, I rarely make New Year's resolutions - although I do make plans.
I don't take anything away from the devout New Year's resolution makers - January first signifies, among other things, a new beginning, a new stage, and when better to act upon a newly discovered (or long standing) area of improvement.
I, however, try to find a new beginning to fit whatever my need may be at the time.
i.e. each meal is a new opportunity to make a health choice. Each month is another chance to rethink the budget. Each Saturday afternoon is a great opening to call grandma, mom, aunts, uncles, friends - you know the ones who left a voice mail weeks ago. And with a toddler there are seemingly infinite number of opportunities to improve my patience.
Also, there can been a lot of pressure surrounding a New Year's resolution. Is it enough to resolve to floss each night? If it were March first, sure, but on January first "I will floss" seems so mundane. New Year's resolutions must be lofty, there should be magazine articles, talk show episodes and newspaper columns devoted to discussing their merits. Budgets need to be balanced, entire new organizational systems must be undertaken, food journals need to be diligently logged....
Am I saying all of this just to explain my lack of a New Year's resolution?
No.
I'm trying to each less sugar and I'm working on not feeling like I need to get every single thing done everyday - sometimes it's OK to just sit :)
My silly boys.
Have you ever had this much fun eating applesauce?
My mom came over this past Saturday to spend some time with her grandson, giving Mr. Man and I an afternoon all to ourselves.
It was glorious.
Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista
Because if you haven't had Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista...then you haven't REALLY had Irish Coffee
Then it was off to Pier 39 for an overpriced round of air hockey. There used to be several places all over the bay area you could go to play air hockey but they have almost all disappeared. Next year, for my birthday, I want my own air hockey table. I know - how awesome would that be.
my guy in his air hockey-ninja stance. yea, I lost this round
And then to celebrate his air hockey victory - brownie sunday from Ghirardelli
good times
It's apple season at my dad's house. And, as is the case every year around this time, all visitors are encouraged to have an apple to munch on, no matter how short their stay. If, for whatever reason, your apple ends up sitting on the kitchen counter, forgotten amidst the riveting conversation, don't fret. My father will make sure that a couple end up in your purse, pocket or one of the extra shopping bags that always seem handy in these situations.
This past weekend my dad was coming over to our house to, among other things, drop off a few apples (and I quote) "Not too many, maybe a dozen or so"
I believe the total was actually closer to 16 - keep in mind that our house was not without apples before he arrived.
So I've made an apple tart
Yes, the skin is still on the apples. I don't do this when cooking for others but the skin doesn't bother anyone in this house so I don't bother with the extra step.
I've made apple bread
it ended up being a bit on the dry side, especially considering I put 2 1/2 chopped up apples in it.
We also had a bunch of pears sitting around, though it was in no way the fault of my father, so I also made red wine poached pears. Sorry no pictures of the pears, but I can tell you that they were delicious!
After all of that we still have about a dozen apples crowding out all of the other fruit in what used to be the fruit bowl, but has now become the fruit table; plus a couple of apples I have at my desk at work. And so I ask of you - send me your apple recipies.
You should know that I'm not going to make apple butter, no matter how brilliant and simple your recipe may be. I love apple butter, it's delicious, but this is not the year for me to decide to take up canning. Additionally, I make a pretty rockstar apple pie (remember, I grew up with an apple tree in the backyard) so don't get any ideas about passing along some run-of-the-mill apple pie recipie.
With the ground rules set, let the recipie sharing begin; these are perishaible items we're talking about so let's not dilly dally.
I know I promised a picture of various, cosy neck accessories. But this past Saturday afternoon something amazing happened. We came back from quick trip to the beach
and the little guy immediately went down for a nap...and then the big guy took a nap too!
So I got comfy in a little spot by the window with a cup of tea, a magazine, and some thread.
Over the course of the hour I had done a once-through in the magazine - one that had been sitting, untouched, for a couple of weeks.
I also made these:
oh - and do you see my awesome chalkboard door in the background? LOVE!
Having a bit of a panic attack of sorts. The kind I know is silly and will pass shortly but, in the moment, quite urgent.
I hope I’m a good mom. I mean really, that’s a lot of pressure – much of it self afflicted.
I also want to garden, and sew, and knit and crochet and cook and dance and play and teach and love and be loved and I, of course, feel like it ALL needs to be done right now.
Oh, there’s just so much doing to be done.
Almost every night, after the little one has been put to bed, and dinner has been eaten– you'll find me standing in the dining room, staring at the dishes in the kitchen, or the stuff I still haven't organized on the table, or the unfinished scarf/pair of earrings/hat….just staring.
I know that I can only pick one before my mind becomes completely useless, but I'm steadily working through scenarios in my head where all three can be completed, if not simultaneously, then at least in rapid succession.
At some point, when my mind starts racing faster than I can realistically keep up, I hear this calm voice of reason “Julia, come sit down.” And that’s really all I need most nights, to cuddle on the couch with my husband, a skein of yarn, a glass of wine and Top Chef from the previous night (what did I do before DVR?).
I know, I know I try to do too much. And then the thought of everything I want to do paralyzes me - until nothing gets done.
This fall my mantra is ‘pick one thing’
For now, the yard will have to wait. I'm content just enjoying the walnuts and oranges - but come springtime it's on!
That one thing is etsy/artfire. I hope to have a few pieces (earrings, button scarves, and knitted cowls) up on etsy and possibly artfire by the end of this month. Yea I know, 3 weeks isn’t a lot of time, but I've thought it out.
But assuming someone actually wants to buy something – I’m looking for nice, inexpensive, packaging ideas…anyone?
First thing first: I fit back into my prepregnancy jeans! woo hoo! yea, I'm talking about my nice ones too - my Banana Republic sized 0 petite jeans that I actually paid full price for (that's a different post). Once those fit - I went on a bit of a tear trying on all of my pants and skirts that haven't seen the light of day in over a year. Not only do I have my jeans to wear again, but I also have work pants again!
Truth be told, everything is still a little snug around the middle, and I haven't found made the time to get back into a regular exercise routine, except for my daily push ups. But all-in-all I'm feeling pretty good. And there will always be time to get up at the crack of crack to go for a run - but right now, with the little one still nursing at least once at night...coupled with my night owl-hours - I think choosing sleep over early morning exercise is the better way for me to go right now.
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On a different note - I got a chance to explore the local craft store and they are primed and ready for fall. The moment I walked in I was assaulted ASSAULTED by potpourri. I haven't smelled that much potpourri, in one place since the last fall harvest fair I went to with my mom - about 15 years ago.
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I love my DVR
But I'm back!
Oh there's so much to say I don't even know where to start. The two biggest things - My little guy turned 1 year old
and we bought our first house...and I bought a new camera...and we're still unpacking.
Getting settled into a new home takes time - doing it with a toddler around adds a different sort of challenge to say the least. All in all the important things have been taken care of and the living room is finally suitable for 'living'; the kitchen and dining room, on the other hand, are still works-in-progress.
The best part is that somewhere between unpacking, taking care of the little one and spending time with the husband - I've been able to make time for crafting - never mind that a majority of my supplies have been relegated to the garage for the time being (grrr). I've finished a couple more neck warmers. Well, they're almost finished - if I could just find where I put my jar of buttons...I'm also just about done with 2 more pair of earrings. Although, I'm pretty sure the hooks I needs to finish them off with are in the same box that the button jar is in. hmmm.
The bigger point is that I am making time and it's one of the things that's keeping me sane in the chaos that is relocation with child.
hehe...we have a house..
So, I like spinach. I pretty much always have.
I would have to give credit to both Popeye and my mom for my childhood spinach enjoyment. My mom really did a good job of making most veggies a regular part of everyday food eating, as they should be; It wasn't until MUCH later in life that I found out that all lasagna wasn't made with spinach...I KNOW! All-in-all, I like veggies -
except in the case of lima beans - there's just no redeeming value to the lima bean...icky.
Luckily, I'm a grownup now so I don't have to eat lima beans if I don't want to.
My little guy seems to have quite the sweet tooth so, in my attempts to foster his savory side I've been making these by the sheet full:
delicious looking right?
These are spinach, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, garlic powder and thyme. I've made variations with broccoli and I have a few asparagus I might experiment with this weekend. Most recently I've made some with spinach and ground chicken. They freeze wonderfully, they travel well, they satisfy my little guy's desire to feed himself, my desire to introduce new flavors to him...and our apparent mutual dislike for most things pureed.
broccoli
So right now these are my favorite 'baby food' but I'm not sure what the next step is. He loves freeze dried fruit - he occasionally has texture issues and doesn't want to touch anything mushy, but with a couple of packs of freeze dried bananas, blueberries or strawberries on hand we're good to go. He also like sweet potatoes, potatoes and eggplant (sometimes). He liked grapes a couple of weeks ago but apparently he's on the 'outs' with grapes right now.
Meanwhile, this is what the Mr. and I ate for dinner. Yup, another pizza. We like to make pizza. It's easy, it's also the most delicious way to eat bunch of veggies sitting on some bread.
Earlier this week Mr. and I celebrated out 3rd wedding anniversary. We met in college 11 years ago, started dating a semester after that and we've been together since then. We met before either of us was able to by an alcoholic drink - and now here we are 11 years later with a son who's about to turn one and in the process of buying our first home.
Taken today - out for a walk at the Berkeley Marina.
At our one year anniversary - a year before we had Isaiah. Don't we look well rested?
At a friends' wedding in NY - good times.
"we be clubbin!"
being silly somewhere in Berkeley
He's a wonderful husband, friend, and partner in parenthood.
Happy Anniversary!
