The City By The Bay.

We're off to one of our very favorite cities for the weekend. We're joining some friends (hi Alice! hi Lisa! hi Susan!) and have jam-packed a bunch of fun stuff into a 48 hour period...including, but not limited to, dinner tonight at Zuni and an extra special private dinner tomorrow night at Boulette's Larder. We're also planning on meeting up with dear friends who live there (hi Bill and Cindy! hi Carrie!). Oh and did I mention the little babe is coming with? Of course she is! She goes everywhere with me still.

p.s. a big thank you to my dad (by himself no less) for watching the monkeys this weekend!

image via here

Obsession: Citrus.

I am crazy in love with all things citrus right now.

It started about a month ago when our neighbor Joe -- an amateur citrus farmer with dozens of exotic varieties -- gifted us several big bags of these gems (including the out-of-this-world Barcelona Orange). Our friend Mira was staying with us at the time and we ate and cooked with oranges and lemons all week long. She made this Florentine orange sponge cake (no recipe, just by memory and feel...don't you hate when that happens and you can never get the recipe?), and then I made this insanely good (if I do say so myself) orange cornmeal cake made with olive oil and white wine. Truly to die for. Will share the recipe with you one of these posts....

Also, I can't get enough of the scent in our yard right now. All of our citrus trees are blooming. It is seriously the best scent in the world, no? Especially on a warm evening..... Ahhhhh.

Then. I became mildly obsessed with this darling clementine print that Jones is hanging in her daughter's nursery. Isn't it just the sweetest?

Finally, for now anyway, I just had to have the orange letterpress cards that Stephanie shared the other day on her most excellent blog.

clementine painting by jamie shelman

The Other Photo....

Thank you for all of the nice comments about the birth announcement. And for those of you that asked, yes, I think that I have officially set the bar so far out there now that you can send birth announcements anytime you want within the first year....why should wedding presents get all the breaks??

Kim did such a great job on the photos that I had a hard time picking out my favorite. This was the runner up. Same idea, obviously, different setting. I was bummed I didn't get to use it on the announcement, but then I remembered I could use it here on the blog! Now it's out there forever. I just love those chunky cheeks. Yum.

Radical Homemakers and a Strawberry Jam Recipe.

So, I started reading a new book. Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity From a Consumer Culture. Have you heard about it? I am only 100 pages or so in, so I can't really give you a synopsis yet (I'm no good at those anyway), but I will say it really has me thinking about several issues. One issue being the idea of the family as a productive unit, rather than a consumptive unit. Making things rather than buying them. Doing it yourself rather than paying someone to do it for you. Not being a pawn in the evil corporate world's marketing game.

Too deep/complicated/uninteresting/confusing? I apologize.

Why don't I just give you a recipe to get you started? Good idea. We all eat strawberry jam from time to time. And probably you bought it in a jar at the store, right? Turns out, it is very simple to make and is a great way to use up past-their-prime berries.

Quick Strawberry Jam

from The Gourmet Cookbook

1 lb. strawberries, hulled, halved and mashed

1/2 c. or so sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)

2 T. pectin

2 t. lemon juice (or to taste)

pinch salt

In a 12 in. non-stick skillet, stir and simmer all ingredients over moderate heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool and put into pretty jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

That's all! See? Don't you feel all Laura Ingalls Wilder now?

Seriously, though, have you read the book? What do you think?

Little E's Birth Announcement.

Turns out, that whole confession thing works. It actually motivated me to address a few of those lingering issues..... To wit: Little E's birth announcements have gone out (most of them anyway)!!

Here's what I did this time around. (Photo by the amazing Kim...)
A letterpress card (designed by the also super-awesome Brenda):
Brenda told me to use these envelopes (in "papaya). Because she knows this sort of thing.

I love how this announcement turned out. Makes me a little sad it is our last one, you know?

Design Mom Pregnancy + Birth Story.

I wrote up another version of Little E's story.... Check it out here.

We Went to the Desert.

When B's parents were in town last week, we went to the desert with my parents, my niece Taylor, my sister Molly, her husband and sweet baby boy, and my sister JoJo. JoJo took some pretty awesome pictures using her (film) camera.

C-Man found a frog to show us.The kids went swimming in a natural pool surrounded by boulders.
We checked out a field of wildflowers, of course.The kids found lots of caterpillars and such to bring home in their bug boxes.Little E found a cozy spot on GiGi's lap....

We Are Juicers Now.

Help! We got a fancy new juicer recently and are looking for tips..... We like vegetable juices primarily, but a little fruit here and there to make it taste good is fine. We love beets, greens, ginger, everything really. Any good recipes/combinations?

xxx

photo via weeping cherries

Meal Planning Monday....on Tuesday.

minestrone with rancho gordo flageolet beans, sausage and garden swiss chard (with pistou to swirl in)
fresh baked bread
oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

pasta a la norma with robertson garden eggplant
green salad

cioppino
garlic bread

pizza with market baby artichokes and leeks
chopped salad

Confessions.

1. I have an addiction to Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Clouds (with caramel and pecans).

2. I have been yelling at my kids too much.

3. Little E's birth announcements have still not been mailed even though I have had them on my desk for almost a month now.

4. I can't stop watching Sober House.

5. I eat most of my meals these days standing up. Bad, bad, bad.

6. I really owe a call to a good friend of mine.

7. I like sleeping with my baby.

That feels better. Now, what about you? Anything you want to get off your chest?

This Is Six Months.

My baby turned six months the other day. How did that happen?

She continues to be the happiest, smiliest baby yet.
Also, it has not been confirmed, but we may have another Serious Case of Daddy's Girl going on in the house. See for yourself.....

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

via soulemama

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble.

Love rhubarb? Hate rhubarb? I understand it's one of those foods that people feel strongly about. I feel exceptionally strong about the fact that I LOVE IT AND CANNOT EAT ENOUGH OF IT COME SPRINGTIME. I finally tracked some down at Whole Foods the other day (where has it been hiding?) and came straight home to make one of my favorite recipes.

Now, if you think you don't like rhubarb, I beg you to reconsider. Pair it with strawberries and you have one of those heavenly, unforgettable, made-for-each-other flavor combinations. Please. Trust me. And if you have extra rhubarb, please send it my way. I have a pile of recipes to make with it.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

from the Gourmet Cookbook

2 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved

1 1/2 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1/2 in. thick slices

1 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1 T. fresh lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 1/4 c. oats

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into 1/2 in. pieces, slightly softened

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Gently stir first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into shallow 3 quart baking dish.

Stir oats, brown sugar, flour and salt in medium bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture forms small clumps.

Crumble topping over fruit mixture. Bake until bubbly and topping is golden, about 40-50 minutes. Serve warm with unsweetened freshly-whipped cream.

Inspired By Soulemama....

{this moment}: A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
via soulemama