Salt and Chocolate

we made healthy bars

2012-01-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

We made a healthy bar recipe over the weekend. These are the "smart cookies" from Honest Pretzels (such an adorable book--we keep coming back to this one). These are a healthy, minimally sweet bar with oats, wheat germ, applesauce and dried fruit and nuts. I made them to put into the boys lunches as their snack. They are good for a healthy treat. I posted the recipe a while back--here--if you'd like to try them (scroll down to the very end of the post. The other cookies in that post are excellent too. We made some over Christmas and loved them.)

I'd love it if you linked me to your favorite granola bar recipe if you have one. My favorite is still this.

weekend crafting

2012-01-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

Rainer received this book for Christmas and on Sunday he asked to do a project from it. I admit to feeling a bit grumpy at first, because this kind of project requires a lot of adult help (or at least it does for Rainer), but on the other hand, how can I really argue with the desire to make something? So we followed the (easy) instructions and I think these turned out pretty cute -- and I was no longer grumpy. Rainer made two and Dieter made two. And now they are decorating our nature table.

Afterwards, the boys got out a big tub of art supplies that Dieter received for his birthday and they made lots of things on their own, so a nice balance was struck.

seen on my walk

2012-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

{hydrant}

{winter branches}

{red berries}

{branches and a pretty house}

I missed most of last week, but now I'm starting back to my {new} walking routine. My #1 resolution this year is to take a 20-minute walk most every day. I'm trying not to think too hard about it. It's best if I just put on my shoes and go out the front door. I'm not a natural exerciser, but once I'm out there I'm just fine. It's hard to deny the pleasantness of a winter walk. The air was especially nice tonight--cool and still. There was a lot of beauty to be seen just in my regular loop around the neighborhood.

a new pouch :: and jury duty

2012-01-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

{view of my lap at jury duty}

{new zippered pouch}

I was so happy to get a chance to cut into this beautiful Lotta Jansdotter fabric over the weekend. My goal was small--to make a new zippered pouch for myself. I use these little pouches to carry pens and lip balm, mints, and so forth. It makes me happy to look into my purse and see such cheery fabric staring back at me.

I've made this pattern several times before and love it for its cute design, the way the the zipper is positioned along the front instead of the top, and its juxtaposition of 3 fabrics. Tutorial found here. (I fiddled around with the measurements a bit, fyi).

So, jury duty. To be honest, it was just what I needed right now. I never did get called into a courtroom. I used the time to bliss out with my iPad, read blogs, finish Catching Fire (book 2 of the Hunger Games series, which I am loving), and best of all to make notes and lists and figure stuff out and plan stuff.

In particular, I had a chance to read Heather's post about home routines and to think about how I'd like to adapt her system to my own needs. I feel myself "coming back" a little, feeling a bit more optimistic about getting it all done somehow, and excited about going forward into 2012 and into spring. I guess I really needed a day to sit in one place and think a lot!

{the back of the pouch}

{pouch front}

hello monday!

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello jury duty and spending the day reading and hoping not to get called (my i-pad is loaded with books).
Hello end of semester one, minimum days this week, and being halfway through the school year already. (Before you know it, it will be summer!)

Hello little boys getting super crafty this weekend.
Hello little glued projects and "gifts" all around the house.

Hello brothers being super silly and putting on "shows" and dances.
Hello home-made costumes of stuffed animals and lots of playsilks.

Hello crisp sunny days and cold wintery nights.
Hello new bike (a gift for Dieter for his birthday).
Hello riding a two-wheeler.
Hello hand-me-down bike with training wheels for Rainer.

Hello catching up with correspondence.
Hello trying to get rested and work up some energy.
I'm tired but ready for the week and feeling optimistic.

How about you?

I'm linking up with Lisa today for Hello Monday. What are you saying hello to today?

some scenes from the weekend

2012-01-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

{just a bit of christmas decor left hanging in the studio}

{cinnamon rolls for breakfast saturday morning}

{cutting into some delicious fabric}

{had to try this after lisa leonard posted it on her blog}

{sunday crafting}

{nature table freshen up}

{lunch at sharky's}

How was your weekend? I've been exhausted lately, so I tried to keep it pretty low-key. I did do a little cleaning, got the laundry done early (meaning it's not still lying clumped in a basket Sunday night as it usually is!), did a bit of crafting with the boys, and had a few meals out. I even had a chance to do a bit of sewing (which always makes me happy). How about you?

more january birthdays!

2012-01-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Ken and Ben's birthdays tonight. Ben's birthday is later in the month, but he is going back to college tomorrow, so we wanted to celebrate him early.

It was actually quite fun assembling a combined party for the two of them. It gave me a chance to contemplate them as a father and son and to think about how alike they really are. They decided upon a meal (Ben's favorite)--sausage linguine with salad and garlic bread and a chocolate Kahlua cake for dessert. Of course there were homemade cookies as well, as per our tradition (or at least it is our tradition on the years I can get around to it). And now I am sending Ben back to school with a big tupperware of individually wrapped cake slices and some decorated cookies as well.

Happy Birthday Ken and Ben! You guys are awesome!

dreamy/practical

2012-01-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

{stopping by Trader Joe's--a typical Friday}

What are you up to this weekend? I am super-ready for a break. It was a typical Friday the 13th at my work--lots of commotion and busyness with warm Santa Ana winds stirring things up. So happy to have made it to the weekend at last.

Dreamy
:: try making crepes with the boys. I'm inspired by the instructions in my "new" issue of Everyday Food. I just bought the January 2011 issue for my iPad and it comes with a little video tutorial on how to do the crepes. It doesn't look too hard and I'd love to try it. Hopefully the boys will get a kick out of it.
:: make a festive combined birthday dinner for Ken and Ben. Ken's birthday is this weekend. Ben's is at the end of the month, but he'll be back college by then, so we're celebrating him now. There will be sausage linguine, cookies in the shape of "19", and a huge chocolate cake.
:: make granola bars and peanut butter power balls with the boys--to have on hand for this week's lunches.
:: I'd love to cut into my bit of Lotta Jansdotter fabric and make myself a zippered pouch. We'll see if the opportunity arises.
:: take a trip to Santa Barbara for the Natural History Museum--Dieter and Rainer love it, and we haven't been in awhile

Practical
:: all the usual suspects--laundry, cleaning, cooking (at least the weekly shopping is mostly done. I make a stop at Trader Joe's on Fridays on my way home from work, then pick up a few more things at our local market over the weekend--whatever I couldn't find at TJ's.)
:: make a trip to the Post Office
:: clean the bathrooms using this technique (I can use whatever inspiration I can find).

I love a 3 day weekend. Enjoy your extra day!

resolution: more beach trips

2012-01-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

{playing on the beach last Sunday}

One of my top resolutions this year is to go to the beach more often. Why? Because the beach is generally awesome and is soothing to the soul, because I need more fresh air, because it is close and we are lucky to have it, and because it is a good way for the boys and I to spend time together on the weekends.

I'm so inspired by Lisa Leonard, who seems to stop by the beach spontaneously either alone or with her boys quite often. She doesn't seem bothered by the mess or inconvenience--she seems to make it happen in the natural course of her week or month and sometimes stays for just a short time--it doesn't necessarily have to be a big deal. I'm enchanted by this thought and I want to make it happen for our family.

In reality, I'm bothered by the cold, I'm not a big fan of sand in our shoes and clothes (especially after the fact), and I tend to make the inconvenience of packing and unpacking a beach bag more of a hassle then it needs to be. What I'm wanting to do this year is figure out work-arounds to make it easier to visit the beach and also to adjust my attitude so I emphasize the positive more than the parts I don't like. I want to figure out my beach bag, shoes that I enjoy wearing on the beach, something to wear that keeps me warm enough but is reasonably light in weight, how to unpack easily and not make too big a deal about it. And I want to figure out some places to easily stop for the beach (mostly we just visit my parents and walk down to the beach from their house, because they live so close, but I want to discover and explore some other beaches too).

Hopefully I'll be updating throughout the year as I work on my goal!

*By the way, I don't know Lisa (except from reading her blog). I'm just so inspired by her positive attitude and approach to life. She gives me a lot to think about!

new year's resolutions, 2012

2012-01-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

{an evening walk--in keeping with my #1 resolution}

2012 is feeling decidedly like a "resolution" year for me. I'm ready and excited. I thought I'd share some of what I've jotted down:

:: walk for 20 minutes every day (except Thursdays)
:: stick to a bedtime routine
:: make stuff--get back into sewing
:: read more books
:: maintain my weight
:: go to the beach more
:: keep blogging
:: spending freeze for the first 3 months (for myself)
:: get back into some Flylady routines or some sort of house cleaning routine that works for me
:: keep current with my calendar/planner/journal
:: stay organized with household things like menu planning and grocery list making
:: book a spring break vacation (done! happily I made reservations at beautiful Costanoa for spring break--so excited!)
:: stay in touch with friends
:: figure out for real how to manage paper clutter. For real.
:: try to reduce our house clutter overall.
:: reduce our food waste. Eat simply and eat up what we have.
:: stop spending too much time online at night, after the children have gone to bed.

I've been doing great on the walking resolution so far, which is huge for me. Really, if I just do that one thing I'll be far ahead.

How about you? What are you contemplating this year??

more about green juice

2012-01-09T20:47:00.001-08:00

Quite a few of you were asking about how we do green juice, so I thought I'd give it its own post.

The point of making green juice (rather than making a green smoothie), is that the juice is less sweet and more veggie-centric. We love green smoothies, but it was getting to the point where all that fruit, which green smoothies are loaded with, seemed like a lot of sugar, when what what I was really wanting was to get more greens into my diet. That was the point where I started craving a juicer (more on the juicer below).

Juicing is really "anything goes", but we do stick to more or less a loose formula. We also don't want it to be all vegetables because I want the children to drink it too--so we add some apples to sweeten it.

Green Juice

--a good handful of kale leaves
--a head of romaine lettuce or a "heart of romaine" or two (I often buy the organic hearts of romaine at Trader Joe's and they fit perfectly in the juicer)
--a cucumber is nice to add because they are really juicy and add to the total volume
--an apple or two, depending on the size--to add some sweetness to the juice
--a lime or half a lemon, peeled

Feed everything into the juicer. I usually go in the order listed above. You might find the juicer doesn't extract a whole lot from the kale. Don't panic--just go forward. To get maximum extraction from green leaves you have to have a special juicer, which most of us don't have. I still believe I'm getting a lot of vitamins from the kale even if the juice doesn't seem that plentiful.

About buying a juicer: I agonized for months about this--I wasn't sure if I should buy a cheap "starter" juicer or go for something a bit more high-end, hoping my results would be better. In the end, my mom found me a good Breville juicer at the Williams-Sonoma outlet, for a really good price and she got it. Hooray! I love the Breville and would recommend looking around for a good price on one.

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello first full work week of the new year.
Hello looking forward to a day off next Monday!
Hello dashing off on my commute in the dark of morning, with cup of coffee in hand.

Hello beach trips and farmer's market trips.
Hello reading on the couch with the boys.
Hello playing with the boys and making block towers and cleaning the gnome house.
Hello giving in and letting them play on the computer too.

Hello green juice--so hydrating and yummy.
Hello wishing I could make you more often.
Hello eating healthy but also stealing cookies from the freezer.

Hello Monday!
I'm not quite ready for you, but oh well! I think it's going to be a great week anyway.
What are you saying hello to today??

I'm linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday. I love Lisa's blog, her sweet family, the way she keeps it so real and so "her", and her mad photography skills. What bloggers are you loving right now??

some scenes from the weekend

2012-01-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

{sunday afternoon beach trip}

{sunday morning playing downtown/farmer's market}

{playing}

{making roasted veggies}

I did a lot of things from my "dreamy/practical" list. Ken and I had a fun Saturday evening going to see "New Year's Eve" (even though it was kind of awful) and having dinner at Chipotle, my fave. We also tore through 4 episodes (2 on Friday and 2 on Saturday) of Grey's Anatomy. We're on season 7 I think.

I made a big green juice on Saturday and the boys shared with me. I want a big green juice like that every weekend. I'm glad the boys drink it too.

We have gazillions of Christmas cookies left over in the freezer, and enjoyed eating some of those.

I didn't get any sewing or cutting done (not even close!) but I did get in some walks, so that was good.

I need to seriously get back into some Flylady routines. The house needs some attention.

The boys had a great time playing on the beach until they got into a bitter argument over a sand dollar. How I wish they could get along better. I was really lucky with Jacob and Faith, who rarely fought.

I bit off way more than I could chew Sunday afternoon, and ended up grumpy. I had in mind that I would do a lot of cooking ahead for the week. I roasted two pans of vegetables, made fruit and nut bars, cooked a big batch of white beans, assembled a lasagna for Monday night, plus made a nice chicken dish for Sunday night. It was too much! The boys ended up spending way too much time on pbskids.org and I felt frazzled. A couple things would have been ok, but not five things!

We are more or less set for Monday now. How was your weekend?

a fabric bucket for carrie

2012-01-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

I can show this to you now because Carrie received her package yesterday. I was a bit behind in my Christmas sewing this year (this is the only gift I sewed, as a matter of fact), but I did manage to complete this at the first of the year, which I consider a success.

When I was visiting Carrie last fall, I realized that I had never made her a fabric bucket! Nor a zippered pouch! Now I have partially corrected that. It was fun to package this up with some jam and tumbled rocks and such and send it off to her.

The bucket pattern is from Maya Made. It's a fun pattern that always sews up nicely. Hopefully starting off the new year with a sewing project bodes well for more sewing in 2012. I have in mind simple things like bags, table runners, patchwork quilts, and zip pouches. What are your sewing plans this year??

(By the way, the outer fabric is from Ikea. The lining is from JoAnn.)

(Also by the way, when I clicked over to Maya's shop to find the link, I noticed she has some new patterns--for nesting fabric buckets and a cotton knit skirt. More sewing inspiration!)

dreamy/practical

2012-01-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

{stopping at Trader Joe's on my way home from work}

It seems like a good weekend for a dreamy/practical list. Here's what I hope to do--

Dreamy:
:: read An Everlasting Meal on my iPad. Devour Tamar Adler's good writing + read her blog musings + watch her videos. Get inspired.
:: snuggle the boys and read books to them. Picture books for Rainer. The Long Winter for Dieter.
:: farmer's market trip on Sunday (fingers crossed that the boys will be in a good mood for that one).
:: a quick trip to the beach
:: date night with Ken on Saturday
:: make a big glass of green juice

Practical:
:: laundry, as always. Wash, dry, fold, and put away. Preferably be done before Sunday night.
:: figure out my blog settings (happily this is done! Thanks to kind and helpful Emma).
:: make a big pot of white beans on Sunday to have a head start on Wednesday's meal.
:: clean off my nightstand. Place a vase with some flowers in it.

What do you hope to accomplish this weekend? You can see I'm much more inclined to dreamy at the moment. How about you?

calendar love 2012

2012-01-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

I love the "fresh" feeling of January. I love taking down the Christmas decorations (which start to feel so cluttery after a few weeks), contemplating my intentions for the new year, and breaking out the new calendars. Last year I went a little calendar crazy, buying several for various rooms/occasions, but this year I'm enjoying getting back to basics with just my favorite wall calendar and planner. The wall calendar is my usual Nikki McClure. I think this is my fourth year. I'm addicted to her graphic, sometimes weird, always amazing papercuts and the words she pairs them with. I always hang this above the nature table. The boys love turning the page at the first of the month.

I also get a Little Otsu planner each year (I think this is my third). More and more I'm using this not as a planner so much as a "one sentence journal" sort of thing (I do write more than one sentence--a little summary of what I did that day).

I like how there is also a space for a weekly to-do list and more room to write thoughts and ideas in the "notes" section. This year one of my goals is to keep up with this little planner/journal even in the summer. Last year I stopped writing much in the summer and now I regret it. These are fun to look back on.

By the way, I buy both the Nikki McClure and Little Otsu calendars from Buy Olympia.

instagram 366?

2012-01-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

January 1--birthday table under construction.

January 2--gift tags. Getting a late Christmas box ready for mailing.

January 3--going out for ice cream on his actual birthday.

I'm thinking of doing a 366 project (a photo a day for one year), but with Instragram. A lot of people whose blogs I read and whose Flickr streams I follow have done these photo a day projects before, but I've never been able to really get one going. I'm no photographer, but I do like the idea of recording daily life. I like the idea of persuing the project with Instagram. The stakes are much lower because Instagram is so friendly--no real worries about having the photography be "good". And it's just so darn easy to whip out the iPhone and record a moment. I love the ease of that.

Anyone else thinking about a 366 project?

By the way, I'm looking for someone to help me figure our why all my photos are cut off on the right (on my blog) when I link my photos from Flickr. Any thoughts? Do I need to make my blog template wider or something? I'd like to resolve this this year.

celebrating 7 and 22

2012-01-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

Jacob and Dieter both have birthdays this week, so we decided to celebrate both boys on New Year's Day. I made two lasagnas (one spinach and one meat) and a big salad and bought rolls at Trader Joe's. We also had two cakes: a yummy almond cake for Jacob and a white cake with raspberry frosting for Dieter (which my mom kindly made and brought along). It was fun and festive with Gam and Papa plus my brother James and his girlfriend Lori all in attendance. We had to move the table into the living room again and add a card table at the end--just like at Thanksgiving. I also made sugar cookies in the shapes of the numbers they were turning, but no one had much interest in those (but Dieter would have been disappointed if I hadn't made them).

Cute memory: I looked down the table and saw mounds of fluffy white cake with the frosting all eaten off on Dieter's plate. He's a boy who likes to eat the frosting first.

Happy Birthday to Jacob and Dieter. I am so proud of my January boys!

on new year's eve

2012-01-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

We had a really fun time on New Year's Eve saying goodbye to the sun at Meditation Mount (our tradition) and playing games and eating snack-y type foods later at home. Our game of Sorry was particularly raucous!

Some favorites and notables from 2011--

:: pillow forms. I was so happy to discover pillow forms--so light and clean and better than the heavy Ikea pillows I'd previously been using which were constantly leaking feathers.

:: table runners. My favorite quick sewing project of the year. I barely sewed at all this past year, but the table runners were fun and satisfying.

:: my favorite movie: The Descendants. This is my favorite kind of movie--kind of real, kind of weird, where the characters are not necessarily totally admirable, and yet the message is uplifting in the end. Others from the past that are like this: The Cooler and Sideways.

:: my little red coffee filter holder. I love making coffee this way now.

:: new recipe favorites: warm arugula salad with chickpeas, Morroccan chicken stew

:: favorite new blogs: Simple Lovely, A Cup of Jo

:: favorite new website: Momfilter

:: on-line tutorial: long lasting curls

:: best books: the Little House series

:: favorite social networking: Instagram

What are some of your favorites from 2011??

year's end

2011-12-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

We are saying goodbye to 2011. Frankly, it was not my favorite year ever and I'm not sorry to see it go. But I did have fun choosing a memory from each month--

January--cupcakes at Dieter's birthday party.

February--a trip to the mountains and real snow.

March--balloons on a downtown walk.

April--a trip to the desert for Ken and the boys. Not my memory, but they are all crazy about the desert and rocks and it pleases me to think to think about that.

May--mother's day presents.

June--summer mantle.

July--a trip to the pool.

August--an abundance of radishes.

September--boys playing in the garden.

October--making cookies for Rainer's birthday.

November--arranging the pie table at thanksgiving.

December--a trip to Carpinteria on the solstice.

I have lots of thoughts about the old year, the new year, and making my resolutions. But that's for a later post. Happy New Year's Eve to everyone! I hope you celebrate it just how you like.

a mama-made kindle pouch

2011-12-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

On Christmas day, Faith decided on a whim to order the cheapest Kindle with her Christmas money. We've both been talking lately about wanting to get back into reading (more books, and less time spent on the computer) and the idea of carrying our books with us in an incredibly lightweight little package was so compelling. The little video about it on Amazon captured both of our imaginations. We especially liked the part where the woman is relaxing back on her sofa, reading her lightweight Kindle, feeling at peace knowing that all her books are backed up in the Cloud! Anyway, Faith waited not so patiently and finally her package arrived Thursday night and she very much wanted me to make a little felt pouch for her Kindle.

The first book she bought was 1984 (I love hearing her tell about how every single essay she wrote in high school somehow related back to 1984! It lives in her heart). And she also bought one of the Hunger Games books.

I loved making this little pouch. I somehow fell away from sewing and creating this year, which was a shame, because I so strongly believe in creating over consuming. It felt good to make something, and we were both pleased with how it turned out. Such a simple rectangle, but so satisfying.

The felt is from my small stash of good wool felt, and I lined it with cotton batting for extra protection. I made the little button tab in a print from an old skirt I bought at a rummage sale a few years ago. And the button is vintage, from my friend Carrie. I do hope to do much more creating in 2012 . . .

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

We are having a sweet and mellow day, most of us reading our Christmas books or playing with our toys. The boys both received big wooden cranes from Santa and have been having fun figuring out how they work and making deliveries to everyone in the family. We had our traditional Christmas breakfast of quiche and coffee cake and my parents came up to join us. Later, we will go to their house for a delicious dinner.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are enjoying your day.

on the winter solstice

2011-12-22T21:27:00.000-08:00

We had such a nice winter solstice. I feel like today was my true Christmas gift--it was just so natural, everything worked out as I had hoped, everyone was happy. And we were all together.

We started out with such a delicious lunch at Crushcakes in Carpinteria. I had the best huevos rancheros ever! Actually, all the food coming out of the kitchen looked amazing. Faith got a delicious looking salad. Certain of us could not resist a cupcake--Faith and I split one.

After the lunch we went to Carpinteria State Beach to go tidepooling. It was a great day to be there--a minus tide and no crowds--beautiful sunny weather. It was refreshing to be out in nature. The boys adored it.

In the afternoon we colored and listened to Christmas music. For dinner we had soup and biscuits and a big tray of cookies for desert outside by the fire.

The soup was this chicken and rice soup. So simple and yummy. I also made a split pea with barley, and Rainer ate bowl after bowl! I was really surprised and so pleased.

After dinner I set out a huge tray of cookies and we carried it outside with mugs of hot tea.

Ken made a big fire and we sat around. Winter solstice--yay!

By the way, we are taking Rainer in for out-patient surgery in the morning to get his port removed. I'm not a big fan of handing him over for surgery. Hopefully this is is last ever (it should be)! Say a little prayer, please, for all to go well, if you are so inclined. Thank you!

what we've been up to

2011-12-20T21:06:00.000-08:00

{gingerbread Dala horse}

I am feeling very Decembery, Christmassy, and relaxed since I declared that I would enjoy this break and promised not to stress out. It's amazing what an attitude adjustment will do. We've mostly just been hanging out and instagraming* about it. Here's what we've been up to:

{spritz}

Breaking out the cookie press was really fun. My mom bought it for me a number of years ago, and I finally got it out and used it. Even the boys were able to squeeze out a few cookies (it takes a great deal of hand strength!).

{the littlest angel}

Carrie sent the kids this vintage copy of The Littlest Angel. It's kind of strange; have you read it? I'm not sure if I entirely "get it." Dieter has taken a liking to it. The "understanding angel" looks like Ben.

{gingerbread}

We approached the gingerbread cookie making as a kid-lead project. We made the dough a day before. Today we rolled and cut to the kids' content. There were gingerbread men and boys, trees, mushrooms, woodland creatures, stars. Gazillions of them.

{gingerbread fox}

The decorating was also child-led. We only decorated about a fourth of the batch. We just kept it mellow.

{december mantle}

We even put up a little December mantle, something I thought I would not get around to-- I was so overwhelmed this month. But gladly I had a few minutes to make these little vignettes. The Dala horses are instant mood lifters. (I love them so much, Carrie! Thank you!!)

{dinner in}

We also had dinner of just popcorn and snacks one night, and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Rainer really got into this--preparing the snack, setting out a candle and decorations. So sweet, and exactly the sort of thing I want him to enjoy and remember.

*are you on Instragram? Come follow me at Faeriemb.

on break

2011-12-16T20:59:00.001-08:00

So here is what I'm thinking-- I got through the week somehow and now here we are on break. I'm exhausted and feel sick. I'm not terribly organized for Christmas, but we have presents, we have a tree (partially decorated), I even have a tin or two of cookies in the freezer. We have a small stack of Christmas DVD's and a ton of Christmas CD's. We have each other. That's really everything we need, no? We can snuggle on the couch, read books to the kids, eat the cookies, listen to the music, look at the tree. I officially promise right now to enjoy it and not to stress. Are you in?

{I love finding the little groupings the children put together in the winter village. That dark complected gnome is one of my very favorite characters in the village. Love him!}

butterfly pasta with kale from 'the family dinner'

2011-12-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

I was inspired to try this recipe when I saw it on Marvelous Kiddo and realized that I had the cookbook right on my shelf. I like blogs for just that sort of everyday inspiration. If you don't have the book, the recipe can be found here, on the book's own website. I ended up using only one bunch of kale and added bacon-- it was delicious. Also, I love the sundried tomatoes from Trader Joe's--not the jarred ones, but the dry ones that come in a little pouch--so sweet and flavorful!

What new recipes have you tried lately??

some scenes from the weekend

2011-12-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

{from farmer's market}

{eating their veggie tamales}

{at the poppy fountain}

{pretty display of teapots at the coffee shop}

{hot cocoa for the boys}

{at the tree lot}

I've gotten out of the blogging habit lately, but I do like keeping the blog current, so I thought I'd get back into the swing of things by posting some picture heavy, small posts. I've been tired (and stressed!) lately, but we had a little pocket of weekend contentment. On Sunday morning I set out for farmer's market with the boys, with low-to-no expectations for how it was going to go, and it turned out to be sweet, happy, and simple. I've found that the key to a happy farmer's market experience is to go in for 1 or 2 things, tops, and then let it be fun and child-led. My shopping list this week consisted of one item (kale), but I ended up buying some pretty red berries for Christmas decorating as well. After that, I bought the boys tamales and they played in the lovely sunny weather. And we went for coffee and hot cocoa. Dieter got a Christmas tree shortbread and Rainer got a brownie bite. Good times, I am telling you. Later, we picked out a tree. The rest of the weekend was busy and crowded, but I so appreciated that morning with my boys.

right now

2011-12-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

I've been way too tired to blog lately, and basically just falling into bed soon after the little boys are asleep. I'm still here, though. Working, doing Weight Watchers, doing a few Christmassy things (but mostly Christmas projects will have to wait another week until I am out of school).

I can't resist taking a lot of pictures of the little Wintry Village as the boys add to it each day for advent. The first 5 items were new this year. A tree, an owl, a weasel, a bear cub, and a guinea fowl. I got these in the summer when they were on sale at Wooden Wagon. It was fun having them tucked away ahead of time for the advent calendar. I love this winter activity and I hope the boys continue to love it too for years to come.

One thing that is making me happy currently: I took about 5 minutes a week or so ago to survey the food we had onhand (pantry, freezer) and to make a little chart for myself of what we have and what meals can be made with it. I loved having the sense of frugality and organization that came with that. Just knowing what I need to use up made the meal planning and shopping list planning so much easier. Little things like this give me a disproportionate nerdy thrill. Am I the only one I wonder?

One of the meals that came from this: refried bean chili, suggested by a reader (M. Meyers) on an earlier post. I made a half recipe and cut back on the spices. I loved this! I know it's not the most photogenic recipe for sure, but it was flavorful and homey and warm. Oh, and I found a cornbread recipe I'm enjoying too--maple cornbread from a recent issue of Real Simple. Unfortunately I can't find it online, but it was in a recent issue I'm pretty sure. It's sweetened entirely with maple syrup--no white sugar at all. I freeze the extra squares and re-heat them as needed for weeknight meals. Again, this makes me feel so homey and domestic.

Weight Watchers is going well. I've lost 12.6 pounds but am actually trying to maintain now. The timing is good, going into the holidays. I've learned so much. I should do a post pretty soon. Mostly success is all mental (having a good attitude, stopping "messing around") and also portion control and common sense. Portion control is key for me. You know when you see a blog and they show a pretty picture of one or two homemade cookies and a cup of tea? I always want to be that person who can only eat the one or two cookies. So now that is what I have been doing and it feels really good. Very moderate, which is what I like.

Sorry for the random "catch up" post. Happy weekend, almost!

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-12-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello just two more weeks of work and school.
Hello looking forward to vacation so much.
Hello lunches packed and ready for morning (that lunch above is my typical, almost-daily lunch during the week--with the addition of cornichons!)

Goodbye busy weekend with lots of outings and birthday parties.
Hello coloring with Dieter (my boys love their Christmas coloring sheets).
Hello getting out all the Christmas books and having at them.

Hello celebrating our "first date" anniversary (we always go back to the same restaurant and it is so good).
Hello eating too much (but it was worth it).
Hello baked brie. Hello steak with bernaise. Hello rich dessert.

Hello celebrating advent by building our little "Christmas Village."
Hello getting some new toys on the advent calendar this year.
Hello little boys being excited each morning when they get to cut down a toy.

Hello trip to the zoo.
Hello cool and sunny pretty weather.
Hello reptile house and capybaras.

Hello making the first batch of cookies and freezing them.
Hello holidays fast approaching.
Hello picking Faith up from the bus station this Friday.

I'm linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday.
What are you saying hello to this today? I'm getting very much in the Christmassy spirit and am looking forward to cookies and Russian tea and reading Christmas books and watching Christmas movies and most especially the tree.

I need some recommendations for Christmas movies. Which are your favorites??

talk about gift bags and cookies

2011-11-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

Amy was asking a few questions in the comments yesterday, so I thought I'd do a little post. She was wondering about these fabric gift bags I made last year. I love sewing bags, and I hate wrapping with wrapping paper, so these are right up my alley. I don't think my little ones will miss out on the joy of ripping up paper, because I don't imagine we will ever totally convert to these bags. I use these more for my own wrapping, while other family members still rely on paper. As far as asking for them back to use next year (for extended family members) I would just see how it goes. If they want to keep them, then I'd hand them over, of course. Otherwise, I'd get them back. It all depends.

I get a lot of questions about the recipe I use for my sugar cookies. I should state right up front that these are not delicate, high-end sugar cookies (those recipes tend to produce a really hard to handle dough). I like these because they taste perfectly yummy, but the dough is easy to work with. They make a nice, thick cookie with edges that stay pretty well defined. They are delicious with a glass of milk and they don't need any frosting or sprinkles (but the children love the bright decorations, so we usually do decorate them). Have fun!

Here are the links to the recipes:
Celebration Sugar Cookies
Best Sugar Cookie Icing

more pics from thanksgiving

2011-11-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

We had a fun and family oriented, simple, potluck style Thanksgiving. I have a smallish, single wall oven, so oven space is really at a premium. Here's what we do: my mom heats up her dishes thoroughly at her home in her own oven, then transports them in a cooler lined with thick towels and pieces of cardboard (the cardboard is used to separate the layers of dishes). It works great, and the food arrives hot. I'm not sure how long you can hold food this way, but I'm guessing about an hour or so.

I made three pies this year, simply out of the love of pie: apple with crumb topping, traditional pumpkin, and Toll House. Yes, this messed up my diet, because I am impossible around the leftovers. Fortunately, they are all gone now.

Me and Faith. It was really fun having her home from college.

Setting the table.

James, Lori, Faith, Jacob.

Ken and Rainer.

Ben and the little boys.

I can't believe December is nearly upon us and we only have three more weeks of school and then another vacation!

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello being tired but ready for getting back into the routine of work and school.
Hello laundry that is washed, dried, folded and put away.
Hello feeling a bit more organized than usual for the week.

Goodbye teens that have all gone back to college.
Goodbye random multiple coffee outings over the entire vacation (I loved this one with Faith on Thanksgiving morning).
Hello getting back to reality with my eating and weigh-ins.

Hello advent calendar, assembled and ready to go for Thursday (still loving doing the advent calendar this way).
Hello cleaning up and taking down the fall/Thanksgiving decorations.
Goodbye golds, browns, and yellows. Hello bright and festive colors.

Hello Monday. I am excited and grateful for a new week and for my family and job.
Hello Monday. I am ready for you.

I am linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday. What are you saying hello to today?

trip to kansas

2011-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I flew to Kansas for a visit with my good friend Carrie. It was so exciting to be flying off alone for a trip of my own--I never do that! Usually Carrie visits here, but this time it worked out for me to visit her and I'm so glad I did. I adore the town of Lawrence (I used to live there) and it was really fun being back. I'm super-hoping to go out a lot more now. It was especially fun to get a dose of cold weather and wear layers that don't have to be peeled off throughout the day. I'm not much of a vacation photographer at all (I prefer to be in the moment) but here are a few instagram/iPhone photos that I was inspired to take while there.

Colorful display of Klean Kanteens--they were so pretty all lined up this way that I very nearly bought one! (Wouldn't it be fun to have all the colors lined up like this on an open shelf at home?).

The dairy selection at The Merc was so beautiful. So much inspiring packaging! I was jealous of their awesome health food store. (Actually, all the shopping was awesome--so much local and handmade stuff).

Me and Carrie.

Cookies at Wheatfields.

The Mad Greek and Weaver's. Two of my favorites.

Little hand pies at Wheatfields.

Breakfast the last morning at Mirth.

Carrie--it was so fun. Thanks for hosting this time! I can't wait to visit again!

new cookbook: 'teaching dad to cook flapjack'

2011-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Rainer and I made this sunflower bread on Sunday. It was really tasty, despite the fact that it's kind of dense and low (my 100% whole wheat bread attempts always turn out that way--tasty but low). We found the recipe in a new book that I've actually had for quite some time. I read about it on 101 Cookbooks and had it on my wishlist for a few months then finally decided to buy it for myself. It's lovely. The book originally started out as a collection of recipes Miranda Gardiner compiled for her father, after her mother passed away. Just a collection of family, homey dishes he could whip up for himself. In truth, it's more of a family cookbook, though, and contains lots of pictures of the author's young family and dreamy shots of their location in Great Britain.

I love how this book is organized into not-your-usual categories like "well-loved food," "mid-week morsels," "chance encounters," and "ozone inspired" (tales of beach-side cooking). Details like that, along with inspiring photos, are what I love cookbooks for. It doesn't even matter very much how many of the recipes I end up making, as long as I'm inspired in my cooking and domesticity. This book is a lovely read for that.

These caramel salties look delicious and very well may end up on a Christmas tray over here pretty soon.

Eek! I love this photo of her boys in a homey kitchen. This picture accompanies a recipe for "deluxe toad in the hole."

I must make these jam tarts too.

I will say, it is frustrating to be doing Weight Watchers when I am faced with so many delicious recipes to try! I figured trying the Sunflower Bread would be a fairly safe bet to start, but even so I could only really eat a slice plus some of Rainer's crusts before I had to stop. Alas.

By the way, did you know I have a little Amazon bookshop? You can see some of my other favorite cookbooks here and "home" books here.

Thanks for all your sweet comments on work/parenting balance on my last post. It's so nice to feel supported and to bounce ideas off each other. I went back and answered some questions in the comments, so check back there if you asked one. Also, someone asked about the acorn cakelet pan a few posts ago. It's from William's Sonoma. A similar one is here.)

more scenes from the weekend and thoughts

2011-11-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Ken was away this weekend, so I had the boys to myself. I wasn't sure how it would go--he is their main caregiver after all, and it was a long weekend (with Friday's holiday), but we ended up having a great time. It was really fun to cozy in with them. We read a lot. I am obsessed right now with the Little House series and so is Dieter. Rainer likes it a little bit and plays close by while I am reading aloud to Dieter. It is fascinating to read about what those pioneers went through. Caroline Ingalls is my new role model for mothering.

Other fun things this weekend--
:: a fun playdate on Friday with new friends we are just getting to know
:: two dinners at Gam and Papa's house on Friday and Saturday nights--it was a treat to get to spend some extra time together. My mom fed us well and the boys got to watch Wild Kratts which they only get to do at the grandparents house
:: a trip to the natural history museum in Santa Barbara on Saturday--it was rainy and cozy there--a perfect day for it. We hadn't been in awhile and the boys were fascinated. Dieter said it is his favorite museum.
:: a trip to the park Saturday morning. The boys decided to dry the whole playground with some towels I had brought. They had a blast and were thoroughly wet by the time they were done. We packed a snack and they talked me into bringing cookies.
:: a walk Sunday morning to Farmer's Market to buy honey and apples (and a tamale and some very expensive almonds at their request).

Also on Sunday we made some leaf mobiles. I sent the boys outside to gather the most colorful leaves they could find, then we dipped them in wax and strung them on threads. I was thrilled that these turned out as well as they did, given our lackluster selection of leaves in So. Cal. I actually think this is quite pretty.

We practically had the museum to ourselves. I love this museum and have in mind to pony up for the membership every single year. In this scene they are looking at the salamanders.

Early morning in the park. The boys awoke very early that day. And somehow I found myself eating a cookie at 9am. By the way, the recipe for these is here.

Friday night at my parents' house my mom served this beautiful loaf cake. She was so excited when I took a picture. She said, "oh my, I'm going to be on the blog!" So here you go mom--your cake is on the blog.

I love spending time with my boys, and I'm still trying to figure out a balance between enjoying them and playing with them vs. rushing around and doing laundry/cleaning bathrooms/making lunches/making dinner and cleaning up the kitchen. It's just so hard to figure that out when you are a working mom. Still, we had fun and we started the week fairly organized, so I think it was a success.

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello feeling a bit exhausted but happy after a weekend alone with the boys.
Hello happy park and museum outings.
Hello beautiful cool fall weather.

Hello thinking about Thanksgiving (I can't believe it's next week!).
Hello getting ready for my little trip to Kansas over the weekend.
Hello making packing lists and shopping lists amongst a busy week at work.

Hello leaves dipped in wax.
Hello brothers having fun and also fighting.
Hello reading chapter after chapter of On the Banks of Plum Creek.

I am linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday this morning.
It is suddenly mid-November and I can't believe it!
What are you saying hello to this Monday morning?

eating lately (on weight watchers)

2011-11-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind in posting what I've been eating and making lately. Here's an update.

We made pumpkin muffins over the weekend and made some as acorn cakelets. I love serving these with pumpkin butter. I used my zucchini bread recipe and instead of zucchini used a can of pumpkin. (3 points for 1 muffin or 7 points if you eat two).

These are healthy "cookies" sweetened only with banana and dried fruit. I think they are nice for what they are, but the children are not impressed. I like to eat this sort of thing, but at 4 points per piece, it's a little hard to fit this in on Weight Watchers (because frankly, I'd rather take those 4 points and apply them to a real cookie, or, alternatively, for a healthy snack, I'd rather have apple slices and a string cheese: only 2 points). Recipe found here (via Pinterest).

Corn chowder! This is a very homey old-fashioned type of corn chowder that calls for canned corn and dry milk. I like it and Rainer ate this for several days as leftovers. (8 points for a large cup-and-a-half portion).

Beef and vegetable soup. This is a fall/winter favorite for us. It's really hearty and brothy and heavy with vegetables (I always add extra carrots). I've posted the recipe before. A bargain at 4 points for a cup.

My newest breakfast (5 points): a hearty slice of sunflower loaf (this is a really heavy bread I found at the health food store) with a teaspoon of almond butter and 2 teaspoons (!) of honey. I like it sweet.

I've saved the best for last: Moroccan Chicken Stew. Ok, so this is admittedly not the most photogenic recipe, but it's delicious and kid friendly. Easy too. I've made it twice so far. I still have more sweet potatoes and couscous on hand, so I'll be making this a third time pretty soon. I'm thrilled that the boys both eat it. The recipe says it makes only 4 servings, in which case it would be 14 points per serving (and the servings would be very large), but I counted mine as 3/4 of a serving at 10 points. So, it's kind of high, but hearty and delicious. Maybe I should count this as 12. Anyway, this one comes highly recommended. I didn't have fresh ginger or stick cinnamon, so I used 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Delish!

As always, I'd love to hear your Weight Watchers tips, tricks, and "good deals."

torn from 'whole living' this month

2011-11-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

I am *trying* to be better about using my magazines and then moving them along -- either to recycling or the library (if they are still pretty much intact) so that they won't pile up so much. I use the clippings in my various little notebooks or files. Here's what I saved this month . . .

:: I want to make this dark chocolate bark with sea salt and pistachios. Yum!

:: I loved this piece on mindful eating--such a good reminder of slowing down and enjoying your food. Very relevant to what I'm doing right now with the weight loss.

:: I'm definitely trying these "recipes" for homemade perfumes. Just blend essential oils as listed into jojoba oil and dab on pulse points. I'm really excited to try this. I'll blog it when I do.

:: I'm ready for some recommendations for natural deodorants. I'm getting tired of making my own and am on the lookout for a new one. I'm especially interested in the one mentioned that only has to be applied once every few days. That would suit me perfectly.

Also clipped: book recommendations to file for later and a small piece on morning rituals, which I'll take into my health notebook.

Do you clip magazine articles? Do they end up being useful or just contributing to paper clutter? I'm trying very hard to only clip what I truly find useful then to distribute it to where it belongs pretty soon. The recipes for Thanksgiving side dishes look delicious to me, but they are only aspirational, not something I would realistically make, so I did not cut them out.

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday!
Hello colder days and rainy days.
Hello cleaning up the Halloween stuff and freshening up the nature table.

Hello acorn cakelet season (we love you and are going to make a lot of you!)
Hello pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter.
Hello double pumpkin-y goodness.

Hello second batch of fall leaf cookies (for the soup party that didn't happen).
Hello freezer full of cookies.
Hello feeling better and going back to school today.

Hello bright rain jackets.
Hello holiday on Friday.
Hello midweek trip to Santa Barbara (to find out some Rainer test results).

Hello block structures out on the floor all the time.
Hello dark nights and lighter mornings.
Hello holiday season that is nearly upon us.

I'm linking up with Lisa today for Hello Monday.
What are you saying hello to on this first Monday in November?

dreamy/practical

2011-11-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our soup party. Although we thought Rainer was getting better and he even went to school on Tuesday, the rest of the week he's been feverish and coughing. We certainly don't want to expose anybody, so the party is off. Ken is really sick too.

So, we're having a stay-at-home weekend devoted to rest and healing. I think a dreamy/practical list is in order.

Hoping to do this weekend . . .

Dreamy
:: cozy in, on this cold fall weekend, with bowls of soup (there will be plenty of that) and cups of ginger/honey/lemon tea for the sickies.
:: read big stacks of books to the boys--our new Green Pumpkin loot + selections from the fall book basket + favorite picture books + our current chapter book (On the Banks of Plum Creek, which we are loving).
:: I already baked up a new batch of fall leaf cookies for the soup party, so we may as well frost them.
:: make lists of holiday things I want to do this year
:: sew a bag (any bag will do!)
:: play gnomes and tea party with the boys
:: bake muffins (wholesome ones for weekday mornings)
:: enjoy a cold weather walk (for me)

Practical
:: sadly, my various piles of clutter have gotten way out of hand, so I need to deal with those this weekend
:: clean, clean, clean!
:: laundry galore
:: make elderberry syrup using Angry Chicken's recipe

What are you doing this weekend?

what the green pumpkin brought

2011-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

The Green Pumpkin did not disappoint. He brought six new books--

Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog (a follow up to our beloved Traction Man is Here. We love the first one especially well, but this one is cute too).
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon (by the same author as the Traction Man series. A rather offbeat re-telling of how the dish ran away with the spoon).
The Pencil (a companion volume to our beloved The Runaway Dinner. The boys like it, but Runaway Dinner is still my favorite).
Iggy Peck Architect (the boys really like it. It's about a young boy who loves buildings and constructing things).
The Paper Princess Flies Again (another follow-up book. This is a sequel to The Paper Princess. The artwork is fantastic. This time the Paper Princess is in Mexico, which I also like).
City of Angels (by the same illustrator as the Paper Princess series. True landmarks in LA are illustrated and explained. We used to own this when Faith and Jacob were younger. I think it will give us lots of good ideas for day trips).

There were no tears this year about giving up the candy. I advocated (to Ken) for the boys to be able to save out 8 pieces for eating throughout the week. That seemed to satisfy them and they gave up the rest happily. It also helped that they only trick or treated for a very short time, so what they were giving up was not all that much.

Now we need to "restock" wishlists!

on halloween night

2011-10-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

We had a sweet and very simple Halloween. The boys were thrilled. Rainer recovered enough from his fever to go trick or treating (but they didn't stay out very long). Tonight the Green Pumpkin comes!

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Monday!
Hello Halloween and trick or treating
Hello little boy with a fever who will have to miss his Kindergarten costume parade :(
Hello green pumpkin visiting us tonight and leaving stacks of books for the little boys
Hello start of November and turning the calendar page

Hello piles of laundry clean, but not folded
Hello frantically trying to get the house in order and plan the soup party (it's next weekend!)
Hello another full week of work but looking forward to a holiday coming up in a couple weeks
Hello last week of dark mornings and driving to work in the dark (I like that)
Hello turning the clocks back next weekend
Hello new week!

I'm linking up with Lisa today for Hello Monday.
What are you saying hello to this Monday?

thoughts on halloween

2011-10-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

We are keeping Halloween really simple this year, which is how I like it.

When Jacob and Faith were little, I had a good run of years where I made complete home-sewn costumes from a pattern. I especially remember making a batman suit for Jacob one year (with a stretchy, full-body suit!) and an Obi-Wan Kenobi outfit. For Faith I remember an Esmerelda costume and a flannel bunny suit. All of this stuff got a tremendous amount of play from in the dress-up basket afterwards. I enjoyed doing this, but making costumes from scratch from a sewing pattern is very time consuming. Lately, I just haven't been able to find the time! I wish we had saved all those costumes, but alas, I got rid of them before the boys were in the picture.

Now I'm more in a "keep things simple and use what you have" mode. I encouraged the boys to choose costumes that easily could be put together with things we have around the house. Rainer is being a super-hero ("Super-R") and Dieter is being Obi-Wan Kenobi and carrying a lightsaber. For both of these I supplemented what we had with some thrifted shirts and some new pants. I sewed an R onto a shirt for Rainer. That's it! It took hardly any time to gather this together and everyone is happy.

We kept the decorating really simple too. The boys just opened the Halloween "box" and had a blast setting out all the little toys and decorations they found in there. I'm not stressing at all about having the house decorated to adult or mommy-blogger standards. The boys have really had fun pulling this stuff out and the day after Halloween it will all be whisked away and stored until next year. For Thanksgiving I think I'll be a little more motivated to have a hand in the decorating.

As far as candy goes, we have a plan for that too. The boys will eat a few pieces of their Halloween candy that night (3 or 4 pieces?) and save out a handful for subsequent nights (maybe 5 or so more pieces) and the rest will be left out for the Green Pumpkin who will exchange the remaining candy for books. That way, the boys won't feel deprived of candy, but most of it will not be hanging around.

I like keeping it all low-key. How are you handling Halloween this year?

eating this week (on weight watchers)

2011-10-29T11:02:00.001-07:00

I had a good Weight Watchers week this week--I lost 1.8! Now I am very nearly at goal (still have 1.2 to go) and I am beginning to contemplate maintenance and what that will look like. Here are some of the things we've been eating--

I made these corn muffins from this book but alas they were unpopular with the family. I admit they were a little dry, but good enough (to me) with a little butter and honey. (3 points per muffin or 7 points for two muffins. Sometimes it just works out that way).

I also made this chicken chili from Dinner a Love Story. Again, not a hit with the family. I thought it was fine. I'm still looking around for a family friendly chili recipe. (6 points per serving + 2 points for the guacamole).

I'm trying to keep things fresh with my lunches at work, yet still eat very light for lunch. I don't want to always fall back on my favorite lunch and end up getting sick of it. This was a bagel thin with mashed avocado and tomato slices plus sea salt. Fruit and raw veggies on the side plus two of those super tiny oatmeal cookies from Trader Joe's. (6 points for the entire lunch).

For Rainer's birthday dinner he chose steak and pilaf, which I thought was so cute. He's also a huge mushroom fan, so I sauteed some for him. My mom made that amazing salad. It's her "famous" go-to salad. (14 points for the plate, because that pilaf is really buttery. I weighed out my steak at 3 ounces).

Ken and I had a "date night" last night and ate at Chipotle. I got the tacos to save on a few points since the burritos are so super huge. I counted these as 15 and they were super delicious and filling but not overly so like the burritos can be. I did not get any cheese or rice in these, but I did ask for a little sour cream.

Another new lunch. I got the middle eastern flatbreads from Trader Joe's and the white bean hummus. Toast the flatbread lightly (you have to bend it a little bit to fit it into the toaster) and spread with the hummus and add the tomato and cucumber slices right into the sandwich and fold it over. Fruit for dessert. I counted this lunch as 6 points.

I had a lot of treats this week (ice cream cake from Rainer's birthday, and some of the leftover cookies) but not to exceed one per day, and I counted the points. One of the things I really like about Weight Watchers is that you can eat really light and healthy but also add in a treat now and then so as not to feel deprived. It's really working out for me, and now, with nine pounds lost, I'm really feeling thinner and lighter.

ice cream birthday cake

2011-10-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

I love the simplicity of this cake. Not a cake really, but delicious ice cream in a cookie crust. Super yum and so easy to make.

I got the original inspiration over at Momfilter (I am loving that site, by the way). I did mine just slightly differently than described. I took a package of "Joe-Joe's" (the Trader Joe's version of Oreos) and smashed two rows of them in the food processor. I combined the finely smashed crumbs with a stick of melted butter and pressed the mixture into a springform pan and baked for 10 mins (350F).

After the crust cooled, Rainer and I spread in softened chocolate ice cream (the really good super-premium stuff from Trader Joe's) and sprinkled over broken Joe-Joe's. I let that set in the freezer for awhile, then we spread over softened vanilla ice cream and put it back in the freezer. That's it! I let it soften a bit before I cut into it, but it was still super hard to cut through that crust, though. But worth it. I loved this cake.

Thanks so much to everyone for weighing in on my birthday post. It sounds like a lot of us are on the same page. I'll be answering your questions about Halloween soon, in a post this weekend. Happy almost-weekend to all!

more thoughts on celebrating birthdays simply and at home

2011-10-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed celebrating Rainer's birthday simply this year. I'm not against children's birthday parties at all--I do think the birthday child should be specially celebrated--but I'm not a big fan of the huge parties that seem so common these days. Nor am I a fan of the piles of presents that come with them.

I have done a lot of children's birthday parties in the past (mostly for Faith and Jacob over the years--some really cute ones--and a small party for Dieter last year), but more and more I am warming up to the idea of not having a birthday party for them, other than the family party of course, and then just doing various seasonal family parties throughout the year to foster a sense of community and fun (without all the birthday party stress and expectations). That sounds just about right to me.

So we kept things simple this year and it was really great. Breakfast, cookie decorating, a swim, and having the grandparents up for dinner. You should have heard the boys shouting for joy when their Gam and Papa arrived! Such a sweet sound.

Thanks so much for all of your sweet birthday wishes for Rainer! In answer to your questions: the morning present he opened was Tegu blocks. They are wooden magnetic blocks. I think magnets are so fun the play with and do you think I could resist magnets encased in beautiful wood? No way. Rainer has been having lots of fun with them so far. They're a success.

Our cookie frosting sets nicely in about an hour and the cookies can be stacked and frozen after that. Best of all, they contain no raw egg, so there are no worries about that. Here's the recipe:

Best Sugar Cookie Icing

1 c. powdered sugar
2 t. milk (I always have to use more than this, maybe like 2 T.)
2 t. light corn syrup
1/4 t. extract (vanilla or almond)
food coloring per your preference

Push the powdered sugar through a sieve to remove lumps. Blend powdered sugar and milk with a whisk, then whisk in corn syrup and extract until smooth and glossy. Divide into ramekins and color as you wish. We apply the colors mostly with a spoon and spread them around with the back of it. Allow cookies to set in a cool place.

Rainer had hoped and dreamed for the "duel action lightsaber" for months and months and was so excited when he got it. I love keeping the gifts simple. He got the Tegu blocks and the lightsaber, a new blank sketchbook, and my parents got him a board game and some clothes. Truly, a boy does not need more than that.

Brotherly love! (Except when they are fighting over the new lightsaber. Dieter can barely keep his hands off it).

How do you handle birthdays at your house?

hello monday!

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Monday!
Hello birthday celebrating and feeling light and hopeful.
Hello making the table look pretty and enjoying bright fall colors.

Hello pleasantly warm days.
Hello playing in the park and taking a swim at the pool.
Hello snuggly story times with boys on the comfy couch.
Hello playing with new toys and being super excited.

Hello fall pears.
Hello strawberry guavas from the yard.
Hello apple slices every day for a snack.

Hello browsing the Thanksgiving issues.
Hello coffee at home with frothed milk in a favorite mug.
Hello planning Thanksgiving and looking forward to seeing the teens in a few weeks.

Hello first pumpkin-spice latte of the season.
Hello ordering it with half the syrup to save on calories.
Hello fun quick coffee date with Ken.

Hello parent-teacher conferences (both boys are doing great and their teachers love them).
Hello trying not to eat too many birthday leftovers.
Hello new week. I feel refreshed and ready for you.

Linking up with Lisa on this Monday morning. What are you saying hello to?

scenes from a birthday morning

2011-10-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Rainer is 5 today!! We've been having a fun day, with cookie decorating, present opening, and swimming. We are expecting his Gam and Papa for dinner tonight. Here are some scenes from the morning--

Gifts wrapped and ready . . .

the table set for breakfast . . . (he wanted chocolate croissants for his birthday breakfast--super easy for me. I just buy the frozen ones from Trader Joe's) . . .

opening one gift in the morning . . .

cutting out and baking cookies . . .

and cookie decorating. Both boys loved frosting the cookies and I was so happy for the help. After that it was off to the pool for a swim. It felt like a relaxed summer day.

Off to get ready for dinner now. I am so happy and grateful to have this boy turn five! It's a joyous day.

eating this week

2011-10-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

I'm in my seventh week on Weight Watchers now and still enjoying it and being successful. I've lost 6.4 pound so far--which feels like a big accomplishment. I've been carrying this extra weight around for so long and it just was not budging on its own (if anything, it was going up). So, I'm feeling very good about dropping it and moving closer to my goal (I have four more pounds to go).

Here is what I've been eating. This bean bowl (above) was a good solution to a quick Wednesday night meal. Normally Wednesday is our soup night, but I hadn't gone shopping. I soaked beans all day while I was at work and cooked them when I got home. I cooked rice too, and after that, it all comes together pretty quickly. Original idea for bean bowls found here. This time I did 3/4 c. rice, half a cup of beans, a tablespoon of Lemon Goddess, a big handful of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, salsa, a quarter of an avocado, and a dollop of light sour cream. A nice big bowl of deliciousness for only 10 points. (It's even better with brown rice, but I was out).

A little trick I discovered this week: frozen bananas. I had some bananas that were about to get over-ripe, and I didn't want to make banana bread, so I peeled them, broke them in half, and froze them to use later. I discovered that they taste great (kind of like ice cream) straight out of the freezer. The only caveat is that they are quite cold, so you need to hold onto them with a cloth napkin. The advantage to eating them frozen is that it is more treat-like and it takes longer to eat.

I freeze them individually on a little tray, then transfer them to a bag. These are also nice to have on hand for smoothies. As you can see, they don't turn brown in the freezer.

Baked apples. This is not a diet dessert in the least, but it is important to me to be able to cook and bake special treats as part of our family life. It's something that I like to do and I feel it's necessary to figure out a way to fit it into my diet or else my diet won't last. These baked apples are 10 points (not counting the little dollop of ice cream), so I used some of my extra "weekly" points. One of the things I really like about Weight Watchers is that it allows me to have a treat if I want to. And a nice thing about baked apples is that they are gone in one sitting (I halved the recipe) so I don't have to deal with leftovers hanging around. Scroll down for the recipe.

I also made stuffed peppers. I love these. They are so cozy and comforting. They are 9 points per pepper (actually a bit less because all the meat in the recipe doesn't fit into the peppers--I need to buy more peppers next time). I think the 9 points is a fairly good deal because all you need on the side is a salad. Original recipe found here.

I made these chicken legs via DALS. I thought they were tasty and so did Ken, but unfortunately the boys wouldn't touch them, so they are not a repeater. They did make a good diet dinner, though. Chicken legs are only 3 points each--a great deal. And I love that organic ones are readily available at Trader Joe's.

What are you eating this week? I'd love to hear any tips and tricks you have for dieting or healthy eating.

Sugar-Crusted Apples

This is an old recipe from one of my mom's old clippings. I love that it's old fashioned like that and passed from her to me.

I halved this.

6 large cooking apples, preferably Rome Beauties
1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 c. orange juice
Whipped cream (optional)

Core and peel apples. Mix next 3 ingredients and cut in butter. Brush apples with egg and roll in mixture (I ended up pressing it on with my hands). Arrange in shallow baking dish and fill cavities with any remaining mixture. Pour orange juice in bottom of dish. Bake, uncovered, in moderate oven (350), 1 hour or until apples are just tender. Serve warm with the sauce in baking dish, and with whipped cream, if desired. Serves 6.

hello monday! {linking up with lisa}

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Monday!
Hello cool nights and hot days
Hello cooler temps than last week (thank goodness)
Hello back to work and early mornings
Hello coffee and podcasts on my commute

Hello trip to the pumpkin patch
Hello hay mazes and sunflower mazes and tasting the first pumpkin pie of the season

Hello picking one pumpkin and listening to a sweet live trio
Hello hay ride and petting animals in the petting zoo

Hello baked apples and counting every point
Hello week with almost all my "extra" points already used up
Hello looking forward to meeting my friend on Thursday for our coffee and weigh-in

Hello playdates and making new friends
Hello changing out the rocks in the tumbler
Hello tree climbing and running in the back yard

Hello playing pretend
Hello celebrating the yellow gnome's birthday

Hello new week. I hope you are a good one!

I am linking up with Lisa today for a Hello Monday post and you can too.
What are you saying hello to this Monday?

for faith

2011-10-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Faith gets homesick for her little brothers sometimes, so this is for you, Faithy. The little boys have been in a dress-up phase lately. They love to get out their blue suitcase of costumes and mix things up a bit. I'm loving it. Dieter was very serious about photographing that outfit in the top photo. After we got the shot of the whole ensemble, he wanted me to get individual shots of the sword, the holster, and the shield. He has decided to go as Obi Wan Kenobi for Halloween. For Rainer we are going to put together a superhero outfit. Fun times.

thrifted + new

2011-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

In honor of Faith's new style blog, I thought I'd post an outfit too. This is a new blouse that I got on sale last weekend paired with a corduroy thrifted skirt. The skirt is vintage Gap (from the 90's maybe) and although you can't see it in the photo it has some visual interest to it from seaming near the hemline. The boots are new, from my mom. Thanks, mom!

Who is your favorite style blogger? I like Kendi.

Also:
Laura
Jentine
Jessica
and I love any outfit that Joslyn posts

I'd love to hear your recommendations!

santa barbara art museum

2011-10-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

I had the day to myself on Saturday and decided to drive to Santa Barbara and go to the art museum. I've never been there without a little boy literally tugging on my arm, hurrying me along. In truth, I think they are very good sports whenever I take them there, but it was so fun and relaxing to get to walk through on my own this time. I took pictures in the galleries where it was allowed. I was so attracted to these brightly colored pieces. I thought you might enjoy seeing them too.

Also on Saturday, I shopped the sale at Anthropologie, got a bowl of turkey chili at Crushcakes, went to Chaucer's bookstore and looked around for as long as I wanted, had a cup of coffee, and hit the Trader Joe's on Milpas before heading home.

What's your favorite way to spend a day to yourself?

weight watchers update

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so absent from the blog. I've just felt so uninspired, lately! Hopefully it will come back soon. I will say I am still having fun doing Weight Watchers. It's especially fun doing it with a friend. It feels like a challenging project rather than drudgery (which weight loss often can be). Last week we both got our five-pound stars and we were so happy!

Here's a selection of what I've been eating. The above lunch is some lentil soup I pulled from the freezer (handy having that in there) and a rice cake with a quarter of an avocado--plus the usual fruit and veggie sides.

On Tuesday I made this salad to go along with our usual pizza. It has leftover cooked veggies on it--brussles sprouts and broccoli. I also found a vinaigrette recipe I like--here.

I tried a couple more Weight Watchers recipes--a coconut brown rice and some honey-ginger chicken skewers. It was ok, but not a repeater. Still, it was fun to try.

Wednesday is usually soup night. I made my quick black bean soup and set out a "rice cake bar"--rice cakes and various toppings--almond butter, honey, ricotta, tomatoes, avocados, etc.

Also last week? We made these definitely non-diet cookies (we took a big plate of them to our new neighbors). I plugged the recipe into the "recipe builder" on Weight Watchers and came up with 3 points per cookie (it was almost 4 points per, but the recipe eeked out a half dozen more than I had estimated at first, so it brought down the points to 3.) So high! That's the thing about doing Weight Watchers--it makes you realize how high calorie most food is and that we really should be eating one or two, not six! These were totally delicious and worth every point. Recipe found here.

lunch in paris

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I finished Lunch in Paris over the weekend. I read this in short bursts of time over my lunch hours at work--it's a perfect read for that. It's subtitled "A Love Story, with Recipes," but I found myself much more interested in the love story part than the recipes. Frankly, the recipes seemed almost like an afterthought here. I'm a little tired of the "memoir with recipes" format, unless it's done very very well (as in A Homemade Life, for example, which I loved). That said, it was really interesting to read Elizabeth Bond's perceptions of the cultural differences between Paris and New York (where she is originally from). Especially interesting was the differences she noticed in food and eating. The French really do have tinier portion sizes and a very different attitude towards eating. Eating is just a more formal, sit down event. On the one hand it's very admirable and keeps everybody thin. On the other hand, when the author just wants some comfort Chinese food and movie watching on the comfy couch, it's really hard for her French husband to relate to and to join in (although he tries). There's another interesting scene where the author is sitting around the table with a family group, her mother-in-law included, and is made to feel deeply ashamed for requesting a "normal" slice of cake rather than a tiny one. I found that very sad! There are a lot of other cultural comparisons the author makes, but she does end up settling in and loving her life in Paris. It's a fun read.

Related: here is a very interesting article on food and weight gain while living in New York, written by a French woman. The opposite perspective!

weight watchers update

2011-10-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm in week four now of Weight Watchers and I am still really enjoying the program. I love the revamped system--you have plenty of points to "play" with and you never have to feel hungry. That was my problem before--feeling starving and deprived all the time. This new version is much more flexible so you can make room for your real life. Love it.

So far I've lost 4.6 pounds all together. That feels pretty good to me--I feel healthier and lighter. I'm going to keep going at this slow(ish) pace because I truly want to make a life-long lifestyle change and not just be faddy about it.

I thought it would be fun to have a little weekly "roundup" of what I've been eating and recipes I've been trying. Maybe you'll find a little tip that you like.

I found this suggestion for "Danish pastry" by scrolling through the WW app on my phone. It's been my go-to breakfast all week. What I love about it is that it's kinda sweet and the protein from the cheese holds me all morning until my snack (I have to eat a 10am snack daily). Basically it's just a piece of cinnamon-raisin bread, toasted, topped with 1/4 c. of cottage or ricotta cheese mixed with 1 t. brown sugar, a bit of vanilla extract, and sprinkled with cinnamon. It's yummy with my morning coffee and something quick for work days.

This lunch was my other good discovery this week. I take the ingredients separately and combine them at school. Toast a piece of whole wheat bread in the toaster, smoosh a quarter of an avocado over it, and then break up two sardines over the top of that. Super yummy! The top part of the Planet Box is where I transported the two sardines and the quarter of an avocado. That's the empty shell of the avocado that you see in the top. I also bring the usual fruit and veggie sides (and two tiny oatmeal cookies from Trader Joe's that I counted as 1 point).

Another favorite lunch on the program: a bagel thin, toasted, spread with 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance, and layered with turkey or ham. There is something about the toasty, buttery fragrant bagel layered with the lunch meat that is nicely satisfying. I serve this with 3-4 cornichons, some raw veggies, and fruit. You can also see two small animal crackers in the photo. These are the Trader Joe's oraganic ones--they are barely sweet and not rich or buttery in the least so I don't count them for any points.

Another work take-along: 1/2 c. whole milk yogurt, one teaspoon honey, some blueberries, and 1 tablespoon granola. This works much better with fresh rather than frozen berries. The frozen berries add too much liquid. I sometimes eat this for snack. (My other, more frequent, snack is a string cheese with lots of apple slices).

I also tried several of the Weight Watchers recipes for dinners. This is the Coconut Curry Shrimp from the recent Weekly. I loved this. My curry powder was a little bit spicy, which added some nice flavor to a light dish. I served it with glazed carrots.

A possible solution to our unhealthy Tuesday nights? We order pizza on Tuesdays. This week I piled on a bunch of veggies on the side and was feeling much better about the whole situation.

Another WW recipe: Paprika Chicken with Noodles. This was a bit bland, but I loved the cabbage mixed in with the noodles, and the best part was that my little boys ate it up enthusiastically. I love when that happens.

Anyone else doing the program? What did you eat this week?

pumpkin bread recipe

2011-09-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

{chocolate chip pumpkin bread in the center}

Sarah was asking for my pumpkin bread recipe. We added chocolate chips to this batch, but it is also delicious plain. If you want to make pumpkin butter as well, I've blogged it before, here and here. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread (from the Chinaberry cookbook)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 2/3 c. flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. coarsely chopped nuts if desired (we used chocolate chips instead)

Preheat oven to 325. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl, then combine with the dry ingredients. Fold in any add-ins you are using. Bake in two smallish loaf pans for 50 minutes.

I put this into the "recipe builder" for Weight Watchers and it came out to 6 points per slice if making 16 large slices. High, but that is to be expected for a baked good. Worth it! I used some of my "weekly" points.

the autumn equinox

2011-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

{equinox tea}

{carrot oatmeal cookies}

{favorite cucumber sandwiches}

We celebrated the autumn equinox on Sunday with a little tea. The boys and I baked in the morning we sat down to our tea about 2 o'clock. It was sad without any of the teens there! We carried on without them, though. I texted Faith and she said she was sad to miss the cucumber sandwiches. We had an uncharacteristically fallish day, with the sun not peeking out and the temps staying cool all day. So cozy and fallish!

The carrot cookies were delicious, but the boys didn't like theirs. I think the taste of the fresh grated ginger was too strong for them. Next time I'll just use ground ginger.

enjoying right now

2011-09-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Welcoming canned pumpkin season! We made our first loaf of pumpkin bread this weekend.

Making coffee. My mom got me this red coffee filter for my birthday and I'm loving it. It's by far the easiest method when making coffee for one.

Changing out the toy baskets in the boys' room. These Eric Carle sewing cards are another gift from my mom. So pretty!

The fall zinnias!

Welcoming autumn.

Hanging pictures in the entryway.

My new dala horse from my friend Carrie. I love it, Carrie, thank you!

What are you currently enjoying?

popsicle party!

2011-09-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

{jumping together}

{popsicle lovers}

{sensory table}

{breaking the ice blocks}

{scavenger hunt coloring sheets}

{picking a leaf for the scavenger hunt}

{a friend}

The late-summer popsicle party--is it becoming a yearly tradition?

This year's party was much bigger than the first. Ken did most of the work--making super cute hand drawn invitations and hand drawn scavenger-hunt coloring sheets, clearing the yard of any random roots or thorns that might be tripped over, and making colored ice blocks with gemstones hiding inside. I cleaned up inside (a plus of having a party is that even though it's a lot of work, you do end up with a clean house and yard afterward), made a cheese ball, shopped for popsicles, and cut up a bunch of raw veggies.

We're not really party people or super-social generally, but we do like to do these family-oriented parties for the boys' sake. We can model being social and neighborly--and it's just fun! Last year's party was way more mellow and intimate. This year's was big and raucous, but I can honestly say the kids seemed to have a blast and the parents were saying, "you guys throw the best parties!" One dad was commenting how nice it is to throw a party "just because" rather than for a specific occasion or birthday. I couldn't agree more--to me this is much nicer than a birthday party--no gifts, no weird stress for the birthday child--it just low pressure and fun.

This was so successful, it look's like we're going to do a soup party in a couple months!

doing weight watchers

2011-09-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

{dinner sides}

{breakfast}

I had a very good first week on Weight Watchers and was excited to lose 3.4 pounds at the first weigh-in. The program is very healthy and, despite my big week-1 loss, I'm aiming to do it very slowly and try to adopt a true, healthy lifestyle change which will remain permanent. I have 10 pounds to lose (total) and my friend that I'm doing it with has 40 to lose, so we are in it for the long haul. I find maintenance to be the hardest part, so that will be my real area of challenge and focus after I've reached my goal.

A couple little things I'm enjoying:

:: Laying out a bunch of healthy sides at the dinner table, to be enjoyed by all and that add no points to my Weight Watchers day. I'm loving the "free" fruit element to the updated program. It really promotes healthy snacking!

:: A poached egg breakfast. The one above consists of a poached egg (2 points), a bagel thin (3 points), a teaspoon of Earth Balance (1 point) and a side of slow roasted tomatoes (0 points). I made the slow roasted tomatoes by slicing the tomatoes in half, drizzling with a tiny bit of olive oil and some basil, and roasting in the oven on its lowest setting all night. They become very dense, sweet and yummy. (I don't count the drizzle of olive oil, but I should). In lieu of a roasted tomato, I use a sliced fresh tomato. They are so good coming out of the garden right now!

a short camping trip

2011-09-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

{playing in the creek}

{trailmix--our custom blend}

{running around the campsite}

{view from the tent}

{having his s'more}

{campfire}

{evening cocoa}

{playing in the tent}

{for real-time camping inspiration}

We went on a very quick (less than 24 hour) camping trip this weekend. Our first ever! The boys loved it. We kept things very simple and went to a pretty campground not too far from home. We kept the food simple too--bratwurst, beans, and so forth. I wanted to let this be an easy trial run, just to see how we'd all fare. My favorite part was how happy the boys were with it all. They loved running around outdoors and playing in the tent. They required no entertainment. And they asked when we were going back next, and if we could stay longer next time. I was worried that no one would sleep, but we did surprisingly well on air mattresses with comforters and sleeping bags layered over. It was actually really cozy, and we all slept better than I anticipated.

One thing I especially noticed was that after returning home, they played happily and creatively for a long time with no need for the grownups to intervene. I saw them playing with the farm and gnomehouse, the wooden trucks, finger puppets and a sock puppet. I think the outdoor time gave them a fresh perspective on their toys and helped them settle in more happily than usual.

scenes from a random monday night

2011-09-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

{reviewing the recipes}

{a bunch of fall leaves, off the apple tree}

{dieter's school work}

{playing with his lightsabers}

{dinner}

{dinnertime boy}

I never got around to posting these on Monday, so here are some Monday scenes on Friday. This is how the evening looked that night, plus a family walk. It was dark by the time we got home. Although it looks calm and peaceful in the photos, any weeknight for a working mama is a bit busy and frantic feeling. Making time for the walk certainly helped.

The chicken also had a yummy cucumber and yogurt sauce. I was able to use homemade yogurt and a home grown cucumber, which is always fun. Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber
a radish, finely diced
1 T. mayo
some grated lemon peel
a good squeeze of lemon juice
a pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste, with a dash of paprika

This is also delicious over salmon.

some scenes from the weekend

2011-09-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

{a weight watchers breakfast}

{september nature table freshen-up}

{zinnias--rainer loves to cut them and bring them in from the garden}

{fondue!}

{brothers}

{grating beeswax}

{lipbalms}

{sunday dinner}

It was Faith's last weekend here. Her dad is driving her up to Santa Cruz tomorrow, and Jacob is heading up there pretty soon as well. We had a little "fondue send off" party for them. Faith and I also had an "off to college" mani-pedi on Saturday, which is something we never do. It was really fun.

The boys and I also made the lip balm from issue 1 of Action Pack. We are still having fun working our way through that issue. We ended up with way more lip balm than I had intended, but I reminded myself that the boys really had fun and what's the harm in having too much lip balm? We had a little chunk of beeswax onhand and we didn't have to buy anything new for it, so it was just a fun project. Today I saw Rainer go to the fridge to get some lipbalm and I thought that was very cute.

I loved this Weight Watchers breakfast I got from the booklet they give you when you join: whole grain flakes (I like Heritage flakes), milk, some nuts, one apple and one banana, diced, and a sprinkling of cinnamon over all. Delicious! I'd love to hear your favorite Weight Watchers tips and tricks if you have any.

what's on your september mood board?

2011-09-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to totally clean off and re-do my inspiration board in the studio, and it felt SO good. Even though the change of seasons is subtle here, especially in the fall, I do so love to honor them in little ways that I can. In doing this moodboard, I felt drawn to images of home and domesticity, children's rooms, fall dressing, and late summer produce.

Feeling and doing in September this year . . .

hot days and cool nights
back to school
lots of produce coming in from the yard
new school supplies and shoes for the boys
shorter days
Weight Watchers and a walking program for me
moving out the teens

How is your September shaping up so far?

a room for dieter and rainer!

2011-09-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

{bed and desk}

{baskets with toys}

{beds, with room for playing in between}

{dieter's bed}

We are SO excited that Dieter and Rainer have their own room now. Excited and grateful. Both Ben and Faith are off to college this year, but Ben's college started much earlier than Faith's, so we have already been able to convert his room. Hooray! It is such a joy to see these boys sleeping and playing in, and enjoying their own little space. This is not a "designed" children's room, but I thought I'd post it anyway, just to put it out there. We do have a strong notion that we want to leave it uncluttered. Most of their toys are still in the bins in the living room, and that's how we like it. They can bring a bin into their room for quiet play, and then clean it up and put it away at night. Other than that, we don't have any real plans for the room. Curtains are very controversial in this house, so we probably won't be doing that. I would like to hang some artwork and maybe a garland on the wall.

Some notes about the furniture: Ken brought down from northern California the old beds he and his sister used to sleep on in the 50's. The desk is from Pottery Barn Kids purchased on sale several years ago for Faith (she never used it much, but it's perfect for the boys), the bookcase is from Ikea, purchased a few years ago for Ben--again, never used much, the baskets are new from Ikea. The little white dressers are from Target, purchased when the boys were infants. Not great, but they'll do. It is a happy coincidence that they fit perfectly in the closet.

scenes from the weekend

2011-09-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

{classics, for sale at our yard sale}

{cooling off at the yard sale}

{sunday craft, from action pack}

{dipping an origami boat in wax}

{late summer bonfire}

{labor day picnic}

{wax dipped origami boat setting sale}

{i love the waxy boats just as much as the boys}

{boys in nature}

We had a fast and busy Labor Day weekend, but it was good. Saturday we had a big yard sale, and I was thrilled to sale a few bulky furniture pieces and a lot of little things besides. We are in the process of moving both teens out and away to college and reclaiming their rooms for other--much needed--purposes. The yard sale was hot but fun, and it's always nice to see your old things going to a new family that is glad to have them. (We sold a lot of books too, which, sadly, we were unable to keep due to lack of storage space. Someday we hope to have more bookcases and to never get rid of loved books again).

Other fun things from the weekend: making origami boats, dipped in wax, from Action Pack (super fun!), having friends over for dinner Sunday night and enjoying a big bonfire, having a picnic from the leftovers on Monday, and sailing our little boats out in nature.

And now it is back to school for real, and the long haul to Veteran's day.

sparrow

2011-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Sparrow magazine? The first issue came out today and I am really enjoying it. There is something about this magazine that feels inclusive. Working-outside-the-home mamas seem to be included. Those of us who are interested in whole foods and healthy living but are also a little bit mainstream seem to be included. The theme of the magazine is grounded, whole living in the areas of Body," "Mind," "Nest," "Connections," and "Flight." I am excited to have an article in "nest" on one of my favorite topics, loving the home you have. Head on over and take a look!

summer's end

2011-08-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is really feeling "over" now. I go back to work officially in the morning and the boys on Tuesday. I love having a routine, so I'm not too sad. Next year I do want to feel and be more productive and at the same time more relaxed. This summer had some very fun elements, but I never really felt it clicked for me. Too busy up front and then too lacking in my beloved structure and routine. I'm going to make some notes on what I *hope* to do differently next year.

One thing I want to get started right now is a regular Sunday project with the boys. Today we made these little origami balloons or water bombs, inspired by our copy of Action Pack magazine (issue 1). The instructions in the actual magazine were really confusing so we ended up using a You Tube video to see how to do it (SO much clearer). I did the actual folding, but I bet Dieter could do these pretty well himself now that I get it and can teach him. The boys enjoyed coloring them and throwing them.

Back to school will be tiring, so I expect I'll be posting a bit less frequently, maybe once a week for a month or so. In the meantime, I'd love to know--what is your favorite, go-to, easy kid and mama art or craft activity?? Next Sunday we're going to branch out and make origami boats.

some vegan meals and a recipe for plum syrup

2011-08-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have not been completely on-track with the vegan program this time around. I think I grossly underestimated how stressful this transition back to work would be and I just have not been able to do it. On the last 30 day vegan, I was very serious about it and remained almost entirely vegan the whole program, but this time I have not. I do hope to get back on track soon. In the meantime, I have eaten vegan when I can. I thought I'd share a few noteworthy meals with you.

A few nights ago I was home alone for dinner (very rare) so I made myself toast with mashed avocado, sea salt, and sliced heirloom tomatoes. Basically, the best thing I've ever eaten, or so it felt at the time. Yum! The heirloom tomatoes are home grown Cherokee Purples and they are so very yummy.

(Sorry, the photo here shows the lunch halfway eaten--I didn't think to snap a picture until partway through). This was not a very creative or inspiring lunch, but it was notable for me because I was going into work that day (I'm not officially back yet, but have had to go in a few days this week), and had to pack a quick vegan lunch, and it just turned out to be so satisfying. I borrowed one of the boys' Planet Boxes* and it just made it so easy to put in lots of little healthy sides. In addition to a pb&j, I took sliced cucumbers and radishes, plums, and cherry tomatoes--all from the garden. I loved being able to take so much home grown produce, even though the garden is small this year. I put a square of dark chocolate in there, but didn't even eat it because the meal was so delicious and filling on its own.

Over the weekend I made this plum syrup and it was just so good! I got the recipe from a vegan cookbook I've had for years--Teany. I'll share it with you at the end of this post.

To go with the syrup I made vegan pancakes from Susan's blog (I used the second recipe, using regular whole wheat flour and a little white spelt flour and instead of agave I dissolved some succanat into the wet ingredients). I was really impressed with these pancakes. Super yummy, nutritious, and easy to whip up on a Saturday morning.

Here's the recipe for plum syrup:

Plum Syrup from Teany

3 plums
2/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup pear or apple juice
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla extract
a pinch of black pepper (I omitted this)

Stem and pit the plums and cut into quarters. Mix everything together (plums through pepper) in a food processor until the plums are thoroughly pureed. Place mixture in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until syrup is thick. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve warm.

*By the way, I have NO connection to the Planet Box company--I just really like their product. It seems like I'm always raving about the Planet Box and leaving comments on other's blogs about them and such. Maybe it's just because I'm a lazy person, but I hate dealing with a lot of little containers or plastic bags in a lunchbox, so having a divided tray just seems like such a revelation for me. Sorry if I seem to go on and on about it!

back to school shopping

2011-08-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

{crewcuts}

{threadless}

We've done a bit of back to school shopping so far (shoes, t-shirts), and I thought it would be fun to post a little "review" of Crewcuts vs. Threadless, as we are trying both for the first time.

I used to love Hannas, but the boys have become a little burnt out on all the stripes and have wanted to branch out. After my Hannah phase, I mostly dressed them in thrifted shirts for a year or two. That worked out really well too, but this year I wanted them to be able to pick out what they want for back to school.

Basically, my "review" is that we like both the Crewcuts and the Threadless shirts. The Crewcuts shirts are incredibly soft and I love the trim fit of them. The sleeves are shorter and they are slimmer through the body than a standard boy's shirt. The Threadless shirts are also of nice quality (though not as nice as Crewcuts), and my boys really loved the fun designs. Each shirt has a clever title. The shirt Dieter is wearing in the photo is call "Loch Ness Imposter." Can you see it? Threadless is quite a bit more affordable than the Crewcuts too.

I love dressing boys! Boys are easy and fun to dress and it's nice sometimes having fewer choices than for the girls (although that was fun too, when Faith was little).

We are going to miss summer flip flops, though, as we trade them in for velcro tennis shoes. :(

If you have boys' clothing lines you love, please leave a link in the comments! For that matter, what shoes do your boys wear? Are they easy to slip on and off?

chaucer's

2011-08-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

We were in Santa Barbara today for Rainer's clinic appointment, and we did all sorts of fun things before and after, including a visit to Chaucer's. Independently owned bookstores are getting pretty rare around here these days. We have a used bookstore here in town, and a Barnes and Noble we sometimes go to in Ventura, but this is the only indy bookstore I know of around here. It's always fun for a visit, although I've never been here sans kids, so have never gotten a chance to really linger and look around.

The aisles are long and narrow. The bookshelves are wooden and very high. There were a ton of people shopping today--it was hard to get a shot without people in it.

The journal section was so appealing.

I loved the looks of this book . . .

. . . and these fancy notecards . . .

. . . and the Miss Read books.

The children's section is large and crowded as well.

I loved the Ragedy Ann stories as a child, did you? I'm still enchanted with the idea of toys having a life of their own, when people are not looking.

I like this cute logo on the back of the bag.

After the bookstore we went to Gelson's. Dieter and I wanted water (we were not prepared with our Klean Kanteens, alas!) and a Lara bar. Gelson's is a fancy grocery store--it's always fun to go in there and look around. Anyway, there are outdoor tables and chairs in front of the grocery store, and as we came out I saw the cutest eldery couple enjoying a meal together at one of them. They were really old--all white haired and frail looking. She was eating a pasta salad. They had a half gallon carton of Arnold Palmer on the table. He was digging into a pint of Haagen Daaz. I absolutely loved the whole scene and would loved to have stared at them a bit longer and take it all in. I love people watching.

a yummy vegan lunch

2011-08-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

I had such a delcious vegan lunch yesterday, just thought I'd post about it. (I may have posted this before . . . if so, my apologies). It's Angry Chicken's slaw with magic sauce. (Magic sauce recipe here). I really really love this meal. I took this in my lunch a few times over the school year, but of course it was even yummier eaten at home. This is a layer of leftover brown rice (reaheated in the micro), slaw with cilantro, grated carrots, and a few sliced scallions (I followed what Angry Chicken does and dressed the slaw with a bit of rice vinegar and sesame oil), and the warm magic sauce over all. Top with peanuts. So so good!

I had two thoughts when preparing this delicious lunch for myself:
1) Eating healthfully is so much work! How much easier it is to grab some random leftovers from the fridge or make a pb & j, rather than chopping a lot of fresh veggies and making a sauce!
2) How very very delicious it was! And how I felt like a million dollars after eating this way (the green juice helped too).

Dieter was super cute. He helped me grate a carrot then peeled an entire carrot down to nothing, just for fun. I remember liking to peel carrots too, when I was little.

{reading my phone while eating lunch . . . a bad habit I have}

prepping for 30 day vegan

2011-08-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

30 Day Vegan--Summer Session-- starts on Monday. I've prepared just a bit so far, by going through my vegan recipes and starting a shopping list. Heather invited us to spend some time in the kitchen this weekend, putting things in order and getting ready. I didn't do anything major--just straightened up and dealt with some piles of clutter--still, it feels good going into the workshop with an organized workspace.

Why am I repeating the vegan workshop? The major reason is that, left to my own devices, my diet tends to go off course. Once again I need to straighten out and eat more healthfully. I do very well with structure and following a program, so this is perfect for me. Also, the timing is so much better for me this time. I still have a bit of summer break left, so I'll have more time for food prep and for journaling the experience. Also, last time Rainer was in the hospital right at the beginning of the program and I had to jump right in, two days late, and never really felt rested and organized around the whole experience. I expect the whole process to be easier this time around, since I already have a number of go-to vegan recipes that I know I like and are successful. And of course, with the summer produce all coming due, it's the perfect time to eat more veggies! I love the idea of starting the school year eating healthfully and hopefully feeling more energetic, clearer, and centered. I'll have time over these next two weeks to stock my freezer and gather my recipes and shopping lists so back to school food prep should be pretty smooth.

Here are some scenes from the kitchen today:

{recipe box, chore cards}

{produce from the garden}

{kitchen windows overlooking the back yard}

{stove, toaster}

{open shelves}

I'm not a big fan of my dated kitchen, but I do like that it has a lot of counter space and overlooks the back yard. When I'm cooking dinner in the evenings, it gets the most light, which is nice. A few years ago, Ken painted the super ugly wood cabinets white, and that has been a lifesaver.

There is still time to sign up, if you're interested. Workshop starts on Monday.

flourless pb cookies

2011-08-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've seen recipes like this before and have always wanted to try them. These are peanut butter cookies made with only 5 ingredients and no flour or butter. They were super easy to mix up (I love a cookie that can be mixed by handl) and although I had my doubts going in, they turned out great. The texture is soft, so wouldn't replace my "regular" peanut butter cookie (which I originally got off the back of the Jif container, back in the day when we were still buying that. I was a die-hard Jif girl for many years but have since moved on to "natural" peanut butter--it was a hard transition . . .) but these are a nice change of pace. The thing that really struck me is that since you don't have to buy flour at all, these would be great for Faith to make at college--at least in theory. She's going to have a kitchen down the hall from her room. I can see her making these and sharing them with her roommates and kids on her floor.

Recipe found via Pinterest. Original recipe here. We froze the extras and they were excellent straight from the freezer. Delish!

staycation update

2011-08-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

Our "staycation" is drawing to a close. We have had fun, but it will also be nice to get back to a more regular schedule and get everything ready for back to school. I'm all about having a schedule, so in some ways this is a nice time of year for me.

We have been up to . . .
:: visiting the SB art museum. They had a little "scavenger hunt" for the boys to do, which held their attention a bit longer
:: after the art museum we played at "Kid's World"
:: playing with playdough
:: playing with ice blocks
:: drawing with sidewalk chalk
:: watching Chugginton DVDs and "The Parent Trap" (Linsay Lohan version)
:: making bead bracelets
:: making yogurt

Some notes about the yogurt. We had good success using a half gallon of whole organic milk (pasturized, but not "ultra" pasturized) + 4 T. of nonfat dried milk (to thicken it) + a small tub of plain greek yogurt. We heated the milk and dried milk to 180, cooled it to 110, added the yogurt, then transferred to jars and put on the lids. I incubated them on a heating pad and wrapped in blankets. I set the heating pad on medium-high, but the jars seemed so hot in the morning, so next time I'll try the medium setting.

The yogurt is great with fruit and honey. But now I have to figure out a way to use all of it before I go on 30 Day Vegan on Monday! Not the best timing on my part . . .

**Thanks so much for all your kind comments on my previous post. I hear ya' on most of that. By the way, I'm replying more in the comments now. It seems to be the best way to reply, so check back there if you have asked a question.

review: the rhythm of the family

2011-08-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I'm a huge Soulemama fan. Over the years, I've been so inspired by her blog. I especially love her style of quick and satisfying sewing projects and the way she brings so many personal elements into decorating her home. And her blog serves as a wonderful reminder to follow the seasons and celebrate home and family life.

I have Amanda's other books and eagerly pre-ordered this third book as soon as it became available in her shop. And on Saturday we came home from an outing and there it was in my mailbox: my own copy of Rhythm of the Family!

It's lovely. Amanda's style of photography is always inspiring--colorful and celebrating the home and seasons and the everyday beauty of family life. The book is full of her wonderful photography and is arranged by month. Each month has an essay by "mama", an essay by "papa", and a handful of projects to "make" and a handful of things to "do." You will be familiar with the style of writing here, and indeed with the style of the projects, if you are a regular reader of Soulemama's blog (and we all are, right?). Which is to say, having the book is like having a little piece of the blog "to go." You can throw it in your bag and head to the beach, pool, or woods and get Soulemama-inspiration wherever you may wander.

I love seasonal projects, and I love a simple project, as you know. Some examples of what you will find to "make" and "do" in the book: a recipe for potato soup, instructions for how to make a pillow, instructions for how to make a drawstring bag (to hold muffins), a recipe for muffins, the idea to make an "I wonder why" bulletin board, on which to pin all the questions the children might wonder about during the day (to look up later), a few recipes for natural remedies, having a "canning" party, and a recipe for green smoothies.

This is all exactly my type of thing. That said, nothing much is "new" here. Most of these projects and recipes have been mentioned or alluded to either on Soulemama's blog or others' blogs before. For example, I was happy to see an "everyday bread" recipe as I was flipping through the book, but disappointed to see that it is the same "WHO" bread that she has published previously on the blog. Some of the projects, like stamping on fabric, she has shown before but the instructions here in the book are a bit more detailed.

I'm very curious about the Soule's actual life. I think we all are a little. It all looks so picturesque and lovely from the outside. And how awesome would it be to be able to quit one's day job and sew and knit and cook, then blog about it, for a living? So when I heard that Soulemama and her husband (Soulepapa) were writing a book in "real time", over the course of a year, I hoped we might get a teensy glimpse into what real daily life looks like for them. Nothing personal about the children, most likely, but perhaps the adult perspective on things? I had an idea that it might be a little bit like The Happiness Project book. In her blog, Gretchin Rubin writes more generally on the subject of happiness, but in her book she writes really personally about her journey through a year of testing happiness theories. I think her wonderful "real"-ness and down-to-earthness is what has made that book an international bestseller (and one of my favorites). I had no real reason to think that this new Soulemama book would be like that, and indeed it is not. She has said before that she is just not inspired to write about the "dark underbelly" of parenting, but I did hope that we might get a bit more glimpse into their lives. Alas, it was not meant to be!

So should you buy the book? I wanted it and am glad to own it. It completes my set, and, having a hard copy, I'm more likely to get around to making some of these projects (trying the WHO bread recipe at last, for example, and making some postcard holders from tree branches). If you are on a tight budget and have her other two books, I think you could hold off on this. And if you are on a moderate budget, but have a bit set aside for mama-inspiration? I'd wait and see what the 3191 ladies come up with for their next print project or buy the paperback of The Happiness Project.

Do you have Rhythm of the Family? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

some scenes from the weekend

2011-08-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

We had a mellow weekend. Rainer is obsessed with picking the radishes from our radish patch (I encourage him to save some for later but he can't help himself!) so I was very interested to try the recipe for roasted radishes and their greens that I came across in my Whole Living magazine. I was so glad I found that, because I had no idea you could eat the greens. Yummy! On Saturday we had a fun book buying trip and drinks at Starbucks. You can see my selections above (except the new Soulemama book was not from the bookstore--that was in the mailbox waiting for me when we returned! So fun).

I'm off to the dentist again this morning. More tooth trouble, can you believe it?

staycation day four

2011-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today we:
:: cut up some plums for a picnic and discovered why they call them 'elephant heart plums'
:: did a child-led creative project (the best kind)
:: visited the Santa Barbara Natural History museum and the butterfly pavilion
:: picnicked in the museum back yard
:: had our usual Thursday night children's produce stand
:: read books and watched an episode of Project Runway season 2

Thanks for all your good wishes about my root canal. I'm feeling much better and the area is only a little sore now. Today will be a mellow day hanging out at home, breaking out some new legos, swimming at the pool, and hopefully cutting out some fabric for a new throw quilt (we'll see about that). The weather has been lovely and summery and the garden is so fun right now. The boys had an awesome time harvesting the radishes for the farmer's market last night. This staycation and staying close to home is exactly what I needed.

staycation day three

2011-08-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today we:
:: picked radishes in the morning
:: had yogurt with honey and fresh peaches from our tree
:: took the boys for a swim
:: saw the Winnie the Pooh movie (I'd say it was "just right"--not too scary)
:: had dinner at Soup Plantation
:: folded and put away laundry
:: watered the yard

A very good staycation day indeed.

staycation day two

2011-08-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

{painting wood beads}

{playing with the gnomeys}

Staycation day two was the root canal day, so I didn't get many photos at all. Rainer and I worked on painting wooden beads and finishing them with a little beeswax polish. This is the kind of project that requires a moderate set-up (gathering all the supplies, protecting the table with the plastic cloth, showing the child what to do) and I wonder why it doesn't hold their attention longer. Maybe it's a boy thing?? Anyway, Dieter didn't want to do it at all and Rainer painted maybe 10 or 12 beads, even though I was painting right there along side him. Oh well! We'll use these to string bracelets.

Other staycation events: going to Target to buy new undies (my boys LOVE undies) and some swimming goggles since we finally belong to a pool now (hooray!). Lunch at Sharky's. I'm glad I ate a big lunch, because who knows when I'll be able to chew again, after that root canal. Very sore now (but no more sensitivity to hot and cold, so that is an improvement). I guess I can exist on coffee and yogurt for awhile (I've been wanting to try making yogurt again . . .)

Today we are going for a swim and later to see Winnie the Pooh and have dinner at Soup Plantation (a favorite of mine and Faithy's).

The trailer for Winnie the Pooh is very sweet.

staycation day one

2011-08-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

{morning play}

{making a list of his trains}

{fresh sheets for everyone}

{picking peaches}

{watching the capybaras at the zoo}

{evening watering}

{ending the day with a trip for frozen yogurt}

We are on staycation around here, which means that for the next week and a half we'll be emphasizing mostly summery fun and relaxation (except for today. Today I'm going for a root canal . . .). So yesterday we kicked off our staycation with a trip to the zoo. We had a blast watching the capybaras, who put on such a good "show" for us. Usually I think of them as just lying there, but they were the most active animals at the zoo yesterday. So cute and strange! A great combination. We'll be taking other day trips and are planning to go see the Winnie the Pooh movie on Wednesday. Dieter was super cute last night, saying, "this was the best day of staycation ever!"

photos + journal

2011-07-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

When I saw this on Momfilter I loved the idea and could not get it out of my head.

I'm terrible at keeping any sort of photo album or baby book, but for some reason the idea of simply printing out a daily photo--on regular printer paper--taping it into a Molskine, and writing a few lines about your day--seemed doable and strangely wonderful. What I love is being freed from the rules--the photos are not high quality, nothing is "archival," it's extremely informal, and yet . . . already my boys are loving seeing what photo I select for the day, and they love for me to read my text to them. The author of the Momfilter piece (who has been doing this for a number of years) said that taking these off the shelf and seeing what they were up to in the past, be it two years ago or two weeks ago--continues to be a fascination for them.

Can I stick with it? I love this and am compelled by it, and I adore handwritten notebooks and have kept numerous journals over the years, so I hope so. But no way do I see myself doing a daily update once school starts. I'd be thrilled to update it once a week. We'll see what actually happens, but so far I'm enjoying this little journal.

children's produce stand

2011-07-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Scenes from their Thursday night produce stand (with a friend). Fun and summery.

i made a skirt!

2011-07-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

This was very easy to cut and sew up (it's Simplicity 7655). What attracted me to this pattern is that it is cut on the bias (so if done in stripes or plaid, it would come together in a chevron down the front seam. I'd love to do one like that). I cut this last week and sewed it up on Saturday. I know I always say this, but I love a quick project. This fabric is very thin, so I have to wear a slip with it. Also, I'd cut a size larger next time. Basically, though, I think this is successful, and very close to the summery look I was going for. (Because the home sewn clothes never turn out exactly as we had hoped, do they??)

rock tumbling

2011-07-25T20:39:00.001-07:00

Ken and the boys have gotten into rock tumbling these last few months. They love going out into the desert to hunt for rocks, and lately they've started tumbling their finds rather than just collecting them. It's interesting to see how different the rocks appear once polished.

In looking through these photos, all this stuff seems very male to me. No pretty wood or ceramic bowls here. Rather, all their gear is either found, thrifted, or at one time destined for the trash. Looking at these photos reminds me to be grateful for their male world and makes me see all this in a new way--seeing the beauty of it, not just the clutter.

Rock tumbling is really their thing, not mine, but I'll tell you what I do know. The rock tumbler stays in motion for a period of weeks, and during that time they have to periodically change the "grit" and scrub the rocks. They start with a rougher level of grit then change to finer sizes. The milk carton is used to dispose of the leftover detritus. The toothbrushes are used to clean the rocks of any stuck-on grit. They have fun trying to identify the rocks and gemstones they find. In the end, the polished rocks can be used for display, for gifts, or for selling at the boys' little Thursday night produce stands.

And for those of you asking about the tumbler itself, ours is a Lortone. They bought it from a local friend who had an extra, but I'm sure they can be found online as well.

green juice

2011-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

We've been making a lot of green juice lately. I finally got a juicer! My mom bought me this one on sale at the Williams Sonoma outlet for only $80, which is a great price. I very much wanted a Breville, but didn't want to spend a whole lot in case I didn't end up liking juicing. I wanted a Breville because I thought it would be capable of making green juice, whereas other centrifugal juicers might not do as well. I was very happy to find out firsthand that you can definitely make green juice using this juicer.

Through my research I found out that centrifugal juicers have their disadvantages (because the super fast spinning action causes the vitamins to oxidize quicker and also because they are not as well suited to extracting juice from green leaves as are masticating or twin gear juicers), but on the other hand centrifugal juicers are affordable, easy to use, and quick to clean. Those are really good advantages for as far as I'm concerned. I also rented Crazy, Sexy, Cancer again, mostly so I could watch the special features and see Kris Carr making her green juice (she uses a Breville in the video).

The reason I wanted to try green juice in the first place, rather than just sticking to green smoothies all the time, goes back to my vegan experience. I was drinking a lot of green smoothies, which I love, but green smoothies have a lot of fruit in them (thus a lot of sugar) and are heavy and full of fiber. I was craving the ability to mix things up a bit with a clear, clean, green juice that has more veggies and less fruit. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with a thick, fibrous smoothie. I like that with the juicer I can use vegetables that wouldn't work so well with in smoothie (like broccoli stems or carrots).

Faith and I have been loving the green juice. We base our recipe on the green lemonade that Susan of High Desert Home used to blog about all the time. We throw in other vegetables sometimes too. Yesterday I made one with romaine, kale, a cucumber from the garden, leftover broccoli stems, a few celery pieces, 3 apples, and a peeled lemon. It was very yummy, not too sweet, and I enjoyed the grassy flavor from the celery (or maybe from the broccoli stems, I'm not sure which). We've also made carrot-apple juice for the boys (who are not as into green lemonade).

Do you juice? What's your favorite combination?

a friday photo

2011-07-22T21:26:00.001-07:00

{Dieter and Rainer playing on our outdoor downtown stage}

Today we went to the park and the library in the morning and made a zucchini cake in the afternoon. Dieter chose "The Parent Trap" for his Friday movie. What did you do today?

morning, noon, and afternoon

2011-07-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is how the morning started. They were so peaceful and playing side by side. Usually they have trouble getting along for very long, so this was sweet and most welcome. I'm hoping we're going to go into a new phase of them enjoying each other and not fighting.

It was Rainer's clinic day (labs only, this time, no chemo because that is done for good!) and they had a little party for him with cake and pizza. A local hotel donates these cakes to the clinic when the kids are done with chemo.

And after clinic we took the kids to the zoo. Here is Rainer on the ant hill, sliding down on a piece of cardboard. This is maybe my boys' favorite part of the zoo. I couldn't help think, watching him play and slide, about how amazing and wonderful it is to have him here, healthy and intact, playing like any other kid, and done with meds and procedures. I'm so happy and grateful for that.

romantic getaway

2011-07-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ken and I just returned from a little trip to Avila Beach--just the two of us! It was fantastic to have a "real" vacation--without kids. We really needed it too--it's been a year and a half since our last--very brief--little trip. It's a wonderful thing to reconnect with each other, and the boys had a blast staying with my parents (and with Faith and Jacob) and getting to do all sorts of forbidden things like watch TV and eat more desserts than usual. I think it's so important for couples to make time to connect--whatever strengthens the marriage is good for the whole family. So hooray!

At dinner Ken surprised me with a sweet Lisa Leonard necklace. It's the "rain or shine" necklace--so appropriate and meaningful--with our names on the back. I love that he picked this out himself, planned the surprise, and that it has our names. I was truly surprised and pleased.

Now we are back to reality and tomorrow is our Santa Barbara day--labwork for Rainer (but no chemo!) and the doctor's office staff is throwing him a little "no more chemo party" and then we'll go to the zoo.

whilst folding laundry . . .

2011-07-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been having huge Sunday laundry folding sessions while watching old episodes of Nigella Bites. I haven't had any broadcast TV for over a decade now, but a long time ago (1999 or 2000, amazingly), my mom recorded a bunch of Nigella episodes for me on VHS tapes, and I still have them! I find Nigella so incredibly comforting, uplifting, and heartening. I adore her casual, down to earth, and unfussy style and all the scenes of domestic life and mothering that are sprinkled throughout the episodes. My favorite Nigella cookbooks are How to Eat and Feast. How about you?

welcome to the giraffe show

2011-07-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dieter and Rainer were inspired the other night to put on a spontaneous "giraffe show" for us in the back yard. I love it when they're creative like this. They made tickets and arranged the seating, then did a little "show". Pine branches were their costumes. We saw Lion King in Las Vegas overt the fourth of July weekend, and I think they were influenced by the costuming and style of handheld puppets in that. So so cute!

super natural every day

2011-07-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

{orzo salad}

{super natural every day}

I have a bad habit of spending any birthday or holiday gift cards immediately upon receipt. My brother kindly gave me a gift card from Amazon for my birthday (a great gift, as far as I'm concerned), and this is one of the books I bought -- Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. I actually don't have her other cookbook because I consider it too "high end" for me, but this one is ideal--very down to earth with lots of possible substitutions if you don't have or can't find exactly what's called for.

I'm the first to admit that I often buy cookbooks more for beauty and inspiration that to actually cook out of, and I'm fine with that, but on the other hand I like them even more if I find myself using the recipes. To that end, I jumped in and made something from this book right away--the orzo salad.

Do you you have the book? Make this! It's delicious! And so easy! Basically you make a broccoli pesto and toss it with cooked orzo, additional broccoli, lemon zest, and avocado. So, so yum. I used almonds instead of pine nuts and greek yogurt in place of creme fraiche, but still, so yum!

The book is full of veggie heavy, healthy looking dishes and lots of gorgeous photography. Am enjoying it so much!

faith turns 18!

2011-07-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

{faith at 18}

{the birthday table}

{dinner of her choice}

{cutting the cake}

{yellow with raspberry frosting birthday cake}

{after}

Faith turned 18! We had a truly fun day. Shopping at Anthropoligie, going to the art museum, lunch at Crushcafe, and dinner and a family party at home. For the meal she chose vegetarian chili, corn pudding, and chips on the side. My mom made the cake again: yellow box mix cake with her homemade raspberry frosting--Faith's request. I think of this as "birthday cake" flavor now.

What can I say about this girl? It is a truly amazing thing to have a daughter that has blossomed into such a beautiful young woman. I am very proud of her. She is so SO much more self confident than I was at that age, and for that I am truly happy. I'm excited for her to start college (I loved college and suspect she will too), but will miss her.

Some things about Faith:

she adores her little brothers and is wonderful with them
dresses cute and loves thrifting
is a huge Harry Potter fan
is a lot like me in many many ways which we often comment on and talk about amongst ourselves
is comfortable with her nerd/geekness
has a sunny disposition and is mostly happy
will be going to UC Santa Cruz in the fall
likes woodland creatures and gnomes and such

and just like that, chemo is done!

2011-07-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

{last dose of 6MP}

This afternoon, Rainer took his very last dose of 6MP--his last dose of chemo ever, after nearly three and a half years of treatment! This little boy has been brave and strong through leukemia. We are very proud of him, and so happy that at last he can be chemo-free. We celebrated with a little party.

{hand made cards for Rainer}

{water balloons}

{flowers}

{"cancer the crab" pinata}

{at the table}

{"kicking cancer's bottom"}

{homemade ice cream sandwiches}

{scooping up dessert}

{opening his present}

He still has to take an antibiotic for a month or two and will be going to the clinic once a month for check-ups, but no more nasty chemo drugs for our sweet Rainer. Hooray! Hooray! We are so proud of you Rainer! Happy day!

welcome zucchini season

2011-07-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

The zucchini season is well underway here, and I am loving it! (We are still waiting patiently for our tomatoes, though). The zucchini circles pictured here are from the book Honest Pretzels. They are yummy. (The children wouldn't eat them).

Also made so far: zucchini soup (x2), zucchini bread, zucchini chocolate chip cookies. I'm waiting on those tomatoes to make my favorite zucchini pasta. How about you? What can you not wait to make with your zucchini harvest?

healthy snack trays

2011-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy fourth, everyone! Hope you are having a good and fun day.

This summer I have been trying to make healthy afternoon snacks, at a set time, for the kids to eat. I want to avoid the "grazing" syndrome that is so easy to fall into. It's fun to try to make the arrangement appealing and colorful. Certainly, the bounty of summer fruits makes that easier. What's going onto your summer snack trays this season? I'd love to find a good veggie dip recipe if you have one.

plum love

2011-07-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

The plums came due early this year, and we've already made 18 jars of plum jam (plus this big jar to eat right away). I'm trying to embrace the plum love because plum jam is all we are going to have this year (sadly, the nectarine tree and the apricot tree both have low to non-existent yields this year). Usually I revere the orange colored jams as the superior jams, but this year it's all about the plums. And in truth, this is pretty darn good--I've been enjoying it every morning for the last few days (homemade bread recipe here, except now I use half whole wheat and I divide the dough into two pans instead of one).

crazy about rainbow order

2011-07-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

I love rainbow order and am always happy to incorporate it into a craft project. The boys and I were able to whip out this little rainbow garland in two sessions. They helped pick out and hand me fabric and I cut and sewed. Easy and satisfying. Especially since the art projects hanging on the line were looking crowded and droopy and the space needed something different. This is bare and bright for summer.

Their little bookshelf got a clean out too. I stashed away a bunch of books they are not using or that I don't enjoy reading to them and made some much needed room on the shelf. It's frustrating and super discouraging to me when their bookcase gets so crowded that we all start stacking books precariously at the top and on the floor. After I cleaned it out I of course attempted to arrange the books by color. Their spines are so tiny that it's hard to get a striking effect, but it's still kind of pretty, no?