Domestic Reflections

Quinoa Salad With Fennel, Carrot, Zucchini and More.

2012-01-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

I figure as long as I'm on a posting roll, I may as well share with you a really yummy salad I made. Now, I know I have mentioned on more than one occasion how crazy I am about this quinoa salad with apples and aged gouda. (It still might be the best.) Then, the other night for Supper Club, Alice made this quinoa dish. Also really, really good. But today I wanted crunchy and fresh with lots of flavor. I remembered a salad my friend Megan made and asked her for the recipe. I followed it mostly and made a couple of changes just because I had different ingredients on hand. It was so very insanely delicious. If I do say so myself. ;-)

Quinoa Salad With Fennel, Carrot and Zucchini

I think it's really important to chop the vegetables finely. I'm not sure why, but it's just better.

2 c. cooked quinoa (cooled to room temperature)
1 small zucchini, chopped finely
5 small carrots, chopped finely (I had a beautiful rainbow assortment which worked nicely)
1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
1 small head fennel, chopped finely
2 small shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
zest and juice of 2 meyer lemons
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a serving bowl. Mix together remaining dressing ingredients and add to quinoa and vegetables. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.

Eating Healthy (ish).

2012-01-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Although it had nothing to do with New Years Resolutions, sometime about a month ago, B and I started to get serious about eating healthier. B has had a health issue over the past couple of months (nothing serious, thankfully, but impacting his quality of life nonetheless). We (mainly I) have been researching like crazy to find non-medical (lifestyle) ways to address it. The Western doctors he has been seeing only go so far. One of my frustrations with Western Medicine is that unless something has been proven to an absolute certainty, they don't even discuss it. As in "Doc, should I be eating less crap and more veggies?' "Well, there's nothing that has shown that would help." BAH.

Anyway, eating healthier will help us in many ways -- of that I (although not a doctor!) am certain. Problem is there is just so much conflicting information out there. There is common sense (less meat! more whole foods!), but then there are lots of other seemingly worthy factors to consider. We have been dabbling in the Alkaline Diet (as that is what is supposed to most address the issue he is dealing with), but it is very extreme (basically vegan with no fats at all, even plant-based ones....um, hello salad with lemon?). A few friends are raving about the GAPS diet, and I feel aspects of that could help us. Also, eating based on our doshas (which, of course, are different from each other) is intriguing, as is food combining. But again, there are so many conflicting theories! So hard to know which path is right for us (which again may be different from each other ARGH!!!)

So. Here is where we are. We juice lots of green leafy vegetables for about three days at a time and start the day out with a big glass. Water with lots of lemon. Very little coffee. (This is all the alkaline stuff.) Fewer starches (mostly for him.....I haven't gotten serious about it yet). More bone broth. And a cruciferous vegetable everyday. Got that idea from Martha Stewart Living. I mean, I already knew they were really good for you....but the idea of eating one (or more) everyday? Sounds good to me. Plus we happen to love all those vegetables. Here are some of the recipes we have tried or will be trying soon.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Greens

Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Broccoli Soup (the best I've had)

Wilted Kale and Roasted Potato Winter Salad (this is one of our all-time favorite dishes)

Raw Kale Salad (we have had many variations...they are all good as long as there is lemon, olive oil and some good cheese)

Cole slaw (loving this version!)

Jalapeño and Lime Marinated Kale Tostadas

Baked Eggs With Tomato Sauce, Kale and Gruyere

Broccoli Slaw

Cauliflower Salad with Green Olives and Capers

Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots

The stand-by: roasted with lots of olive oil and sea salt until crispy (broccoli rabe, cauliflower, kale, etc.) -- the kids love it this way

Anything I'm missing? How do you love your cruciferous vegetables?

photo credit

A Request.

2012-01-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

This might sound a little silly, but reading blogs has been an important part of my life in the past few years. I have gotten to know many of you through your blogs and been inspired, laughed out loud, felt connected to.....a bigger something. If I had to pick one blog that has impacted me the most, I believe I would have to say it is Kelle Hampton's "Enjoying the Small Things." I posted a link to her amazing, life-changing birth story almost two years ago. Kelle is an amazing human. I can't say more than that.....just read her blog if you don't already. (Or, at least, please, please read her post from this morning.)

Today her sweet little Nella turns two. Kelle and her family have a goal this year of raising $200,000 for the National Down Syndrome Society in honor of Nella's second birthday. They are so close to their goal. Please join me in helping her.

photo via kelle

Summer Vacation.

2012-01-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Is it too early to start thinking about summer vacations? Nah. It takes some planning! Some foresight! B and I took the plunge the other night into: 1. Where should we go? and 2. Where should we stay? and 3. How on earth do we find a place to stay? That's always the hardest part it seems, for us anyway.

Neither of us are feeling motivated (at the moment, anyway) to take a big trip this year with the kids involving major time changes and travel time. And let me tell you: you need some motivation if you're going to undertake something like that with three small ones! So, we are looking closer to home (but not too close!) and trying to figure out where to go. It's a wee bit overwhelming as there are so many incredible places to visit. I would personally rather come across an awesome place to stay and have that be the driving factor. You know, one of those "my friend's aunt has this beautiful house on the lake that never gets used, and you should really see it...." In other words, I hate going on VRBO and trying to find somewhere to stay. Too overwhelming! Too untrustworthy!

Here's where you come in: How do you guys find vacation rentals? Any super secret tips? Anyone ever done a home exchange?

Also, where is your ultimate summer vacation? A house on the lake? A beach rental? Camping in the Sequoias? A lodge somewhere? Tell us, please!

all photos on my pinterest "places i'd like to be" board

More Family Photos Than You Ever Wanted to See.

2012-01-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

I never showed you the photos that Kim took while she was here in October (except for the photo we used for our card this year). Family photo sessions are getting more and more painful (why oh why do my kids hate having their picture taken??), but she somehow manages to capture the kids in their natural state (which is what I think her genius is as a photographer.....well, at least one of them!). And I apologize for the onslaught of photos....I just couldn't narrow them down any further. ;-)

Once.

2012-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I've told you all before that I'm usually a couple years late seeing good movies. This time I was about 5. Better late than never, right?

B watched the movie Once the other night (he was having a camp out in the playhouse with the kids and watched it on his laptop while they were sleeping....yes, it is about 84 degrees right now during the day and the nights have been blissfully warm!) He immediately had me come watch a few of his favorite parts with him after it ended. The next night, he insisted we watch it together.

All I can say is I loved every minute of it. It is a sweetly intimate, simple story that is also very powerful. And the music, written by the two main actors, is fantastic (OMG! this song!). B declared it the best movie ending he had seen in as long as he could remember. I told him I would be a better person if I could watch a movie like that once a week. (Hey, we might have had some wine that night, what can I say?) I know for sure that I fell asleep that night thinking about it and woke up the next morning doing the same thing. Gah, I love when that happens.

Have you seen it? Did you love?

photo credit

New Year, New Ideas.

2012-01-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

I found this list of rules for happiness a couple of months ago on pinterest (I think through Kate of Wit and Delight....don't you just love her??).

I really can't imagine a better, more complete list, can you?

I always have big aspirations for goals, resolutions, hopes, dreams, determinations at the beginning of a new year. I guess it isn't that surprising that come March (or earlier), I've forgotten (or blocked) most of them. But this year, this list right here feels so timely... exactly what I need. And just to keep it extra simple, I want to focus on # 4 and 5 in 2012. I think it really all starts there. Everything flows from giving more and expecting less, no? I really believe we are here to give to others.

Also, I would very much like to be here more. I miss this place. In truthfulness, when I started this blog, I liked the semi-anonymity of it all. I didn't tell very many people I knew about it. I've become a bit too self-conscious about it, but I don't want that to be a factor so much anymore.... I really likes what Blake said about blogs. I know that I most love blogs that give me a little peak into some one's life. Not the best photos, the best advice, the perfect recipes (although I like those too!). I would like to pop in here regularly for more reflections and anecdotes and ideas and snapshots from my day. I want to record this life that is happening. The good and the not so good.

2012 has a good ring to it, and I am looking forward to what is around the corner. :-)

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

I hope that this year brings you joy, health, laughter and above all, peace. That is what I am hoping for my own little family. :-)

photo by 180/360 and card design by saj (thanks ladies!)

chestnut soup.

2011-12-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

I really want to share this recipe with you all, but I feel like no one is reading blogs this week! Maybe you are though, and maybe there's still time to put this on your special menu. I really think you should.

I have always felt a bit indifferent toward chestnuts. I mean I love the idea of them (who doesn't love the idea of chestnuts roasting on an open fire?!), but they often taste like overcooked baked potatoes to me -- too starchy and not enough flavor going on. B and his family, however, being the good Portugueses that they are, live for them this time of year. (His uncle is even a chestnut farmer in Central California....when he sends packages, he uses chestnuts instead of the styrofoam peanuts howcoolisthat?)

OK, since I'm always trying to be the good wife (and since B and the kids are now official Portuguese citizens, I'm feeling the pressure), I have tried a few recipes trying to incorporate chestnuts into our seasonal celebrations. This soup, by far, is the best. It has the most intoxicating flavor and is rich without having much added fat. It is really simple, clean, lovely all the way around! Yay! Maybe now I can be an honorary Portuguese! Yay?

Chestnut Soup

4 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
24 oz. vacuum packed cooked chestnuts (Trader Joe's sells these right now in 6 oz. packages)
About 8 c. rich chicken stock

creme fraîche and chives for garnish

Melt butter in a large pot. Saute onion, carrot and celery over medium heat until soft (8 minutes or so). (You don't want color on the vegetables.) Add chestnuts and then enough stock to just cover the vegetables and chestnuts. Simmer for about a half hour to allow flavors to meld. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a little creme fraîche on each bowl of soup and garnish with chives. Saude!!

Feeling Grateful.

2011-12-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

{photo credit unknown....anyone?}

The whole gratitude thing sometimes comes easily to me and other times not so much. I never feel very sorry for myself, but it is easy to take things for granted from time to time. Right now, a feeling of thankfulness and being blessed is overwhelming me....I'll take it!

(In no particular order.)

~ My three kids are at an age (and size) that can still fit on my lap. And they all crawl on to it every single day. It is one of the best mom feelings ever.

~ I am in a position to choose to stay at home with my kids. When things seem crazy with them, I try to remind myself that I am choosing to be here.

~ Incredible babysitters. We have two sitters right now who blow me away with their love, patience, creativity and care for our children. After Sasha left, I was convinced no one could measure up. And although we still miss "Fa-Fa" greatly (sniff sniff!), and no one could replace her, I know our kids could not be taken care of by better people.

~ Green juice. B and I have been juicing again. I feel so energized when I drink one of his concoctions in the morning.

~ The heated seats in my car. I never had them before, but boy are they the best. You can get warm and toasty without that hot, dry air blowing in your face.

~ My Heath dishes!! B's anniversary gift to me a few months ago was a set of Heath dishes. We didn't register for any when we got married, so that's how we justified it. Plus, they are pure awesomeness and I will never need dishes again! They were finally delivered a week or so ago and yesterday I washed and stacked them in my kitchen cabinets. Aren't they pretty?

~ My tribe. It sounds cliché, but I have an incredible group of girlfriends. Its true that you need a village and I have one.

~ Sunrises. Although I have been known to complain a bit (a-hem) about my children's early-rising tendencies, I get to see the most amazing sunrises over the mountains. I have always loved sunrises more than sunsets for some reason, and at this point in my life, I get to experience them on an almost daily basis.

~ My kids love school. We don't have to convince them to go, and they don't want to leave when we come to pick them up. I know they are being taken care of by some of the most skilled and caring people on the planet.

~ My baby (OK, toddler) spontaneously says "please," "thank you," "you're welcome," "amen" (at the end of our blessing before dinner), "be excused?" (after dinner), and "I love you so much, mama" (when taking a rest from nursing). I swear, I still have to remind my older two kids about manners, but this one, she's got it.

And you? What are you feeling grateful for?

On Slowing Down.

2011-12-07T08:03:00.001-08:00

{is it just me, or do you want to be holed up in this sweet farmhouse right about now?}

I really, really love this time of year, however, it allfeels so hectic at times. Part of me wants to cozy up with my family inthe house, reading, baking, making crafts, hanging out in our PJs all day. But alas,there is too much to miss out on if we did that!

Finding that personal (and very elusive!) balanceseems more important than ever. I came across a nice quote by the ownerof Rancho Gordo Beans in his December e-newsletter (of all places!)....

Time for my annual vow, here and now,to take it easy. The focus should be friends and food. Family, ifyou can cope with them. There's no prize for spending too much money onpresents. There's no shame in obsessing about food and making it your tributeto the season. And there's no shame in just "checking out" if youhave to.

I don't know why, but I like that alot. :-)

Then, I recently started receiving a dailyemail from a parenting site ("you can do it!!") and this particularone really resonated with me.

You enjoy parenting most when youfeel expansive and

flowing -- the way you feel whenyou're not under any

kind of pressure.

One of the most common pressures ofmodern life is

*time pressure*: having to besomewhere or do

something by a certain time. Youngchildren naturally

live in the moment, not by the clock,so subjecting

them to time pressure usually leadsto discord.

To reduce time pressure in your dailygroove...

Decide that geniality (feelinggood) is more

important than punctuality (being'right').

Friends, I think I just had an a-ha moment. The worst parts of the day for me (by far) are when Iam feeling rushed to get the kids ready and out the door to be somewhere. The reminder that feelinggood is more important than being on time is so important! And that means that if you know me in real life, I am probably going tobe late more often. ;-) I am going to make getting places with my kids ahappier process.

Here's to enjoying the wrapping up of 2011 in the ways that have meaning for you and your family! And also to letting go of the things that add more stress or frustration than joy and harmony. xoxo

photo credit

Waldorf Schools on The Nightly News With Brian Williams Tonight.

2011-11-30T14:46:00.001-08:00

If you are interested, The Nightly News will be featuring Waldorf Education tonight on NBC. Reporter Rehema Ellis recently visited The Waldorf School of the Peninsula (the school in the NYT article a few weeks back). I have not seen any previews, but I hope to catch it tonight. I hope they explore more of the curriculum and don't just focus on the no technology aspect. Here is a link to the program. It's kind of crazy all of the attention Waldorf has been getting lately!

And I promise this isn't going to become my soapbox topic. ;-)

How to Roast a Turkey For Dummies.

2011-11-21T13:24:00.001-08:00

I have roasted many turkeys. I have bought fancy, heritage varieties and supermarket ones. I have tried many methods for keeping the meat succulent and moist. There was the Martha-wine-and-butter-soaked-cheesecloth version. Butter and locally-sourced herbs smeared under the skin method. In the smoker. In the convection oven. Basting every 15 minutes. Low temp. High temp. Brining -- wet and dry. Every year something different it seems.

What I can say for sure is brining works big time. Don't even bother roasting one if it hasn't been brined, in my opinion. The good news is that Trader Joe's sells ones that are already brined! For like $1.99/lb.! So you don't have to use a huge garbage bag of salt water in a cooler (or bathtub of ice, which happened to me one year as I recall). Oh, and it is my understanding that kosher turkeys have already been salt treated so they are (effectively) brined, so if you can find one of those, that will save you some time as well.

But all that other business of trying to keep the breast meat moist? I dunno. Sure, butter is always going to help. It helps everything!! But who wants to be bothered with things that don't really pay off that much? I roasted a turkey last week (just because I like it that much and Trader Joe's had them and I wanted to make a bunch of soup later in the week). And I could not be bothered, friends. It was like a Tuesday and I was tired. It was a dinner just for the five of us (no guests, no pressure). So I followed Elise's simple method, and you know what? Best turkey ever. Flip that bird upside down and almost every problem is solved. The only thing is you don't get a pretty golden breast side, but who cares? You get a pretty golden back (see below). The one thing I would alert you to is a brined bird will cook more quickly than one that isn't so start checking the temperature early (my 14 pound turkey was done probably 45 minutes before the recipe said it would be).

{see? backsides can be pretty!}

The only other (strong) suggestion I would offer is to make this Onion Marmalade. It's more like a chutney, in my opinion. Whatever it is, it is the perfect sweet-sour contrast to all that starchy richness going on with a turkey dinner.

Oh, and here is a recipe for basic pumpkin pie that I love. (But I made Smitten Kitchen's Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings this week and those were to die.) I also make my grandmother's "Spirited Cranberry Sauce" nearly every year. Gosh, I miss her.

What do you make? Any tips or favorite family recipes?

UPDATE: After reading this post, I am reminded why it is so important to seek out buying a "happy" turkey. I am afraid the $1.99 ones from TJ's do not reflect the true price of raising a healthy animal!

Brenda's Virtual Book Tour!

2011-11-16T20:58:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure I ever told you guys this, but the very first blog I read was Brenda Ponnay's Secret Agent Josephine. Her honesty and wit and playful approach to life sucked me in, and I became a life-long blog reader (hers and others!) because of it.

A couple of years later she was in San Diego house sitting and we had the chance to meet. And you know what? She is even sweeter in real life. From then on we became "real life" friends. The type of friend who would drive an hour to your house when you were 8 months pregnant to do crafts with your kids. The kind of friend who would stay up late fretting with you over the details of your birth announcement. The type of friend who "got it" when you poured your heart out about subjects that not everyone is interested in hearing. A real friend. And those don't come along very often.

Brenda is on some new adventures in her life, one of which includes her status as a children's book author! She has written 3 darling books:

Of course the books are filled with her sweet and whimsical illustrations. Did I forget to mention she is an amazing artist?! The kids and I received advance copies and I'm happy to say they got the "mom and kid seal of approval."

In case you don't know much about Brenda (or "SAJ," as she is affectionately referred to around blogland), I thought I would put together a little interview....

{SAJ and her daughter Bug}

Have you always known you would work in a creative field?
No. I didn't think there was any money in art so I majored in Journalism in college. I thought I was going to be a newspaper reporter. I always wished I could be an artist but I didn't think I was good enough. Turns out I'm better at art than I am at grammar and punctuation so here I am illustrating. Life has a funny way of twisting and turning.

When are you most productive (time of day and/or under which circumstances)?
Morning. I love to get up early, have a cup of coffee and just go go go. By about three in the afternoon I fizzle out dramatically though.

Have you ever had an a-ha moment?
I might be in the middle of one right now. I'm not sure I can really explain it though since I'm still working it out in my head myself...but I do feel like being an author/illustrator might just be what I want to do with the rest of my life. I don't know. It's too soon to tell. :)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I like to imagine myself living on an apple farm in central California. I have a long dirt driveway and the grass grows naturally. It doesn't matter if I don't mow it regularly. There are chickens but I'm not so far out in the sticks that I can't drive into town for an espresso or a yoga class. I have a well-lit studio and I can lose myself in my art frequently. I want to be close to my daughter and I want friends stopping by to sip wine and chat. That's my dream. That's where I want to be in ten years. Or traveling the world, either one.

What are some of your favorite children's books? (Besides your own -- haha!)
Old 60's books about Paris! I love Ludwig Bemelmans' classic Madeline stories, of course. I grew up with Beatrix Potter so those are close to my heart too. I love Ian Falconer's Olivia books and Octonauts by Meomi... there are so many more but I think those have to be my top favorites.

What is something on your to-do list that never gets crossed off?
Bookkeeping. I need to do my profit and loss statements for the year and I keep putting them off. I hate math. I'm also really bad at scrubbing toilets. I always leave that to last too.

Most valuable life lesson to date?
Don't try to do too many things. Just pick two or three and do them really well!

Best advice to other moms who are contemplating a new venture?
Save your money! I guess that's sort of a moot point with the way things are going with our economy but I've seen the dark days of desperation and I don't wish them on anyone. Also, treasure your time with your kids. There's room for both your venture and your kids but don't sacrifice your kids for your venture. You'll always regret it. The black dog walks in the noon-day sun.

The books are available on Amazon in print or compatible with your iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Nook, etc., etc., etc. for just $2.99! Entertain your kids at the dentist office without resorting to Angry Birds! Buy a set as a gift! Support a mom just like yourself!

And more good news: Brenda is offering you a chance to win a print of your choice from the ABCs book. (They would be perfect hanging in your child's room!) To enter, leave a comment on this post by November 30th sharing your favorite "D" word. Mine is (obviously) "domestic"....what's yours?

Also, be sure to check her blog for other stops on her virtual book tour over the next month....she's got a bunch of fun bloggers lined up!

pumpkin spice lattes.

2011-11-11T13:54:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again. People go a little crazy for the PSL at Starbucks. I have been known to indulge in a couple every season. I think they are worth the hype personally, but at nearly $4 for a "short" (yes, I still order "shorts") and with the extreme sugar headache which always ensues, I decided to take matters into my own hands. (Well that and a friend was coming over one afternoon and a fancy-ish coffee drink seemed in order.) I think these cost something like 20 cents each and were made with mostly organic ingredients. They were barely sweet (the way I prefer), but you could certainly add more brown sugar if you like.

Pumpkin Spice Latte For the Rest of Us
(makes 3-4)

2 c. half and half (although I think almond and coconut milk would do nicely here....or regular whole milk)
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
pinch salt
2-4 T. brown sugar (could use agave, honey, etc.)

Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. Pour in heated mugs. Top with a shot of espresso and (unsweetened) whipped cream.

{bonus: your sweet girl will like it too -- just make sure you skip the espresso part!}

meal planning monday.

2011-11-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

{that's a fuyu right in front and a hachiya on top}

OK, did my grocery shopping, took inventory of the fridge and I'm ready to plan some meals. Also, we are in full swing with persimmons right now....Fuyus from our tree and Hachiyas from the neighbors. I think they are my favorite fruit ever!

Dinners

Roast Chicken
Cornbread Stuffing
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Cranberries

Pork Chile Verde (using leftover pork roast)
Tortillas
Green Salad (with sliced persimmons)

Turkish Lemon Egg Soup (I add spinach and will use chicken stock made from the roast chicken)
Fresh Bread

Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese

Snacks

Honeycrisp Apples with Aged Gouda (kudos to my friend Jehanne for hooking me on this delicious cheese!)
Persimmon Pomegranate Salad
These super yummy Persimmon Bars

things that make me happy.

2011-11-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

For awhile now, I've been wanting to come come up with a list of things that make me happy. Not in some self-indulgent, look-at-all-the-cool-things-I-like kind of way, but one that I could go to when I'm feeling a little down or depleted or not grounded. Too often, I feel I click the "Buy Now" button or reach for a cookie in those moments, instead of doing something to cause a more meaningful shift.

I really didn't intend to share it here at all as it's sort of a personal thing, but the idea (not mine) seemed like such a good one, I decided to post it. (I was inspired by this list.) Perhaps you will create your own. And maybe share it on your blog (or here)?

Turn on music
Bake something and deliver it to a friend or neighbor
Go outside and check on the garden
Paint or draw with the kids
Do a few sun salutations
Read something inspiring (I just found this blog and love it)
Make a to-do list
Clean off my desk
Clean out my closet
Take a hot bath
Get under a blanket with the kids and read to them
Call a friend I haven't talked to in awhile
Write a thank you/thinking of you note to someone
Talk to my dad
Laugh (I have two friends in particular who can make me laugh within the first 3 seconds we start talking)
Get a pedicure
Check something off my to-do list that has been nagging me
Drink tea (I am especially fond of PG Tips with a splash of half and half and a little sugar)
Go to a bookstore
Go to a coffeeshop by myself and order a fancy coffee drink

**I plan to add to this list as I think of things (or when you give me good ideas), so check back!

I even started a pinterest board of photos of things that make me happy! OK, now it's your turn. :-)

photo credit: 1, 2

words to live by (for me, anyway!)

2011-11-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

photo credit

waldorf in the ny times.

2011-10-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

{this looks very much like our children's nursery and kindergarten classrooms: photo © Sarah Baldwin, Bella Luna Toys}

Did anyone catch the article about Waldorf Education on the front page (!) of the NY Times on Sunday? It was an interesting take on the subject....apparently lots of high-tech types working at companies like Google, Apple and Yahoo are sending their kids to a Waldorf school in Silicon Valley. This would be of interest, of course, because Waldorf schools have a pretty strict no-screen policy. I loved the quote by one father (an executive at Google) in response to the argument that kids need computer time to compete in the modern world: "It's super easy. It's like learning to use toothpaste....we make technology as brain-dead easy to use as possible. There's no reason why kids can't figure it out as they get older." Also: "If I worked at Miramax and made good, artsy rated R movies, I wouldn't want my kids to see them until they were 17."

I personally have been surprised by how many parents with science and technology backgrounds send their kids to our school. You sort of expect the artsy, hippie, educator types to be there (and they definitely are!), but there are many of the other that I didn't expect.

The part of the article I found a little disappointing is that it didn't highlight the curriculum of a Waldorf School and the things it does offer....only what it doesn't. The curriculum is very rich and dynamic....and purposeful. (Here is a super brief overview.) This is what keeps us coming back (well, that and the wonderful community of families). I guess the article served its purpose however: to highlight the education and challenge the idea that our children need to be taught through technology. As Alice said this morning: "I wonder if this will lead to an explosion of interest in Waldorf Education. One NY Times article can change the world!" Preach it, Alice Q. Foodie!

So, did you read it? Thoughts? (This subject is probably the one that I get the most comments and emails about so I am curious... There is definitely a lot of strong feelings on the subject from both sides!)

p.s. Another NY Times article on Waldorf Education.

photo credit: bella luna toys blog (a new favorite....by a waldorf early education teacher!)

some good eats.

2011-10-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I've been making that have been tasting just right. No pictures this time, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

These peanut butter cookies. My friend Melissa first made these about a month ago and we shared them out of a ziploc baggie one night during a parent meeting at school. They were sooo good that I texted her for the recipe that night. I have made them twice already. They are really peanut-buttery and nice and chewy (I'm not crazy about the thinner, crispier ones). Try them and tell me what you think!

Kale Bruschetta. This is what you need to do. (Need. And soon.) Stem and coarsely chop a bunch of Lacinato kale. Boil in salted water till tender (7 minutes or so?) Drain and squeeze out water. Grill some slices of caramelized onion bread from Bread and Cie (if you're local....otherwise just use a nice European-style country loaf). Rub with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Spread bruschetta with some good ricotta (I was lucky enough to get some Gioia from the farmer's market recently.) Top with kale, sprinkle with crunchy sea salt (I like Maldon) and drizzle generously with olive oil. You can sprinkle some chile flakes too if you want some heat. I always do. This dish is insane. I ate it for dinner twice this week (with a fat glass of red wine, which I also highly recommend).

Bastardized Zuni Chicken. I love Zuni Chicken (who doesn't? I mean, besides vegetarians?), but on a weeknight I really can't be bothered with all the steps and fussiness. Here's what I do and I think it's pretty darn near perfect. Get yourself a nice organic chicken (3-4 pounds or so) from Trader Joe's. Rinse and dry it very well. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Place on a plate and put in in the fridge uncovered. Leave it there at least 6 hours (I like to do it in the morning before I plan to serve it). About an hour before you want to serve it, roast the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan for 45 minutes at 450 degrees (or until done). Meanwhile, take about a half cup of currants and soak in boiling water for a few minutes to plump them up. Drain and then cover the currants with red wine vinegar. Then, take a loaf of the same caramelized onion bread mentioned above and cut most of the crusts off. Tear the bread into bite size (or a bit bigger) pieces and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. After the chicken comes out and is resting, put the bread under the broiler for a few minutes until some pieces are browning nicely. Drain the currants and use the vinegar (add more if you need to in order to make 1/2 cup. Add about 1/2 cup olive oil to the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the hot croutons with the currants, vinaigrette and a bunch of spicy greens (I love arugula and other strong flavored greens). The greens will wilt slightly. Serve the bread salad with the roast chicken. DIVINE.

There you go! Some fall-ish food for y'all. :-)

my baby is two!

2011-10-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it but my baby turned two years old yesterday! Please don't tell me she isn't a baby anymore. Look at those chubby cheeks. Look at the big, brown give-me eyes. And her little baby voice. Don't get me started. She will always be a baby to me, methinks. :-) Thank you little girl for rocking my world in the best possible way.

I was going to give you a big update on everything she's doing (I might still) and a re-cap of her birth, but you can just read about that here and here. (And belly shots are here!) But I will give you a few Instagram photos of her over the last month or so.

{eyes}

{my constant companion}

{at a tea party with sister}

{hanging with her friend Dash and sister}

{she loves her some in-n-out}

{picking blackberries....also: "following her bliss"}

{checking out the flowers at bi-rite}

{baby mama baby}

{baby bikinis aren't just for the toddler and tiara crowd...are they?}

And a little video too (because it's been way too long). This was from right after we got back from our trip in July FYI. Terrible quality and I had a to cut a bunch out cuz she's naked and I'm a little worried about creepies. Not that anyone who reads my blog would be creepy!

confessions.

2011-10-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

1. I continue to dislike family dinner very much. There is complaining about the food (C-Man and Juju), arguing/pestering (between the same two), spills (usually Little E) and other huge messes. B is usually still working when the kids need to eat (5 p.m.) so it's usually just me overseeing the chaos. I don't like it one bit. Someone please tell me why the experts have decided Family Dinner Together Always and Forever is the single biggest indicator of a child's health, happiness and professional success. I mean really. We are together all the time. We eat breakfast and other meals together. Isn't that enough?? Sorry. I guess I needed to get it off my chest.

2. I feel a little guilty about how much I am enjoying Little E. She can do no wrong in my book. It is true she is an easy baby/toddler, but I know it has a lot to do with her being #3 and my last baby. I wasn't able to enjoy and relax the others as babies like I am her and I feel a bit bad about it.

3. When I get a break from the kids (by either having a sitter or B watch them), I come back and am just as easily frustrated by them. It seems I would have more patience, a renewed energy, fresh perspective, but really it feels like I was never away.

4. I am scared to take a Bikram Yoga class (pouring sweating and getting yelled at?), but a friend of mine is begging me to do so and swears by them. Anyone? Thoughts?

5. I'm having trouble finding the desire and time to blog when there is Pinterest and Instagram to entertain me. If you're looking for me, I am probably over here or hanging out as "missjora" on IG. (Let's follow each other!)

Anything to get off your chest, or am I the only one?

Other confessions here.

apple and pear picking.

2011-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, after C-Man got out of school, we went up to our local mountains and did a little apple and pear picking. I have come to accept that (at this point anyway) B and I enjoy the experience way more than our kids do. They aren't super duper excited to pick fruit, but they were very happy when we found a pear farm that had a friendly farmer ("Mr. Carl"), goats, chickens and horses.

{taste tester}

{c-man helping with the pears}

{on a mission...with big brother leading the way}

{pear tree}

{a girl, not a baby?}

{why you don't see many photos of this guy lately....I always get the "funny man" face}

{ju-ju wasn't feeling well, but she did try the apples}

{"mine"}

{bags of pears}

things to cook this week.

2011-10-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

spinach quiche
green salad with apples and walnuts

chicken enchiladas
pot beans

spicy squash salad with lentils and goat cheese

texas red chili (I am still on the hunt for a good recipe.....this sounds interesting)
cornbread

pear and frisee salad with bacon and blue cheese (recipe from this month's everyday food)
homemade bread

pear and chocolate brioche bread pudding (also from everyday food)

oatmeal clafoutis (breakfast)

What do you have cooking? Do tell.

a surprise concert night.

2011-09-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes B manages a very nice surprise. On Friday night, he took me to see Bon Iver (3rd row center, hells yes!)....and it was sorta a perfect night in all the ways you hope for. We stopped at our favorite spot to get some wine and a bite to eat. Two seats at the bar were open. We drank delicious Sancerre, ate mussels, steak tartare and a little cheese plate. Then we headed downtown. We parked the car, took a walk past the place we shared our first kiss nine-plus years ago and headed over to Spreckels Theater. We walked in just as Bon Iver was going onstage. Show was amazing. Plus they played almost every song from their first album, which of course is how I fell in love with them in the first place. The only slight disappoint I had was that I was sending them E.S.P. messages like crazy to play my favorite cover ever, but my frequency must have been off. Usually when I try that hard things come through for me. ;-)

But! I found this new cover and it is as good IMHO. I just love that slow tempo. Plus I've had a soft spot in my heart for Bonnie Raitt since Nick of Time came out during my junior year of high school. This song gets me in my core in all sorts of ways. Oy. I think I may have listened to this song 47 times already. And isn't Justin's beard hot?

p.s. bon iver is on instagram (@boniver)...thought you fellow IG addicts might like to know!

guest post at the littlest.

2011-09-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

I just posted over on one of my favorite blogs: the littlest. Elizabeth is finishing up her Italian vacation and I shared a memory (and recipe!) from a trip to Amalfi from long, long ago. Check it out!

Why the South of France Is All That.

2011-09-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

{view of the coastline from one of our walks}

I think it's almost universal how people feel about the South of France. It feels a bit silly talking about how beautiful the area is, the beaches, the light, the landscape, the weather. You might hear people complain that it is touristy or pricey, but everyone I talk to seem think it's pretty freaking spectacular. (There's usually a reason places get touristy and pricey in the first place, I suppose....)

{typical mode of transport....or a maserati}

{mediterranean}

B and I kept saying that the place feels like a cliché (in the best possible way). Everyone wears white linen pants and espadrilles and shirts with the collars turned up. Every young woman has the perfect top knot and straight bangs. There are boats everywhere. The fanciest European cars pull up next to you at the local market. Awnings above restaurants in perfect pastel colors. There are big bright striped sun umbrellas lining the beaches. The weather is never too hot or cold (yay for sundresses at night!). I find it oddly reassuring when I discover clichés like this are true. That it hasn't all been dreamed up and (just) force-fed to us in bad Hollywood movies (like this one...which I saw when I was probably about 15 years old and yes, it made me want to come to the South of France).

{secret swimming coves everywhere}

{in our neighborhood....for reals}

This is a lovely quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald in Tender Is the Night, who spent a great deal of time there. (B and I both read the book on our honeymoon in the area seven years ago!)

...The diffused magic of the hot, sweet south had

withdrawn into them -the soft-pawed night and the

ghostly wash of the Mediterranean far below....

a sea as mysteriously coloured as agates and cornelians

of childhood, green as green milk blue as

laundry water, wine dark.

Isn't that nice? How could you not fall in love with the place? (And maybe the person you're experiencing it with?)

{"our spot" for coffee each morning}

My favorite part of our trip this year involved the days I spent with B exploring little towns on the Côte d 'Azur. Sasha, thankfully, was there to watch the kiddos, so that meant B and I could wake up, throw clothes on and walk down to the town and have coffee. And talk. And look around. And not be responsible for any small humans and not have to be anywhere anytime soon. In fact, for the two weeks we were there, we probably had plans 1 or 2 days (and those plans were loose). We never knew what we were going to do. It was such a beautiful contrast to the way our life is at home. Sometimes we hopped on a bus or a train and went to another town. Sometimes we drove. Sometimes we just walked. In fact, everyday we walked. A lot, like for hours. Our journeys almost always involved finding the next beautiful walking spot. There are so many paths that wind along the coast, each more impossibly gorgeous than the last.

{there were stairs, lots and lots of stairs}

And so we would walk, we would talk, and then of course, we would eat. Sometimes we'd pick up sandwiches and tarts and fruit and such, other times we would find a place to sit and eat and drink some rosé and have a proper French lunch. I liked it all, frankly.

{peeking down to a beach}

{waiting for the train in villefranche}

{relaxing in the sun after lunch}

{the most amazing and exclusive beach club....someday we will be "official" patrons, instead of the other kind ;-) }

{i picked this house...check out that retractable awning!}

Also, how could you not love a place where every single house (no exaggeration) is named? It was hard finding the house numbers, but the name was always proudly (and beautifully) displayed.

{our house}

It's safe to say B and I are still committed Italophiles, but there is certainly something magical about the South of France. I'd go back anytime.

p.s. I worked really hard to write a post without any kid pictures....how'd I do?! ;-)

She Swims!

2011-09-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

I feel like pounding my fists on my keyboard right now. A post about our trip (yes! remember that trip?) that I have been working on for no fewer than 10 days just evaporated into thin air. Trying not to hate on blogger too much.

As a consolation prize of sorts, I give you this video of Little E. We recently put her through those swim lessons the other kids took, and sure enough, after 10 days of lessons, she swims! And jumps off the side of the pool! We've been through the lessons three times now and I still can't get over how well they work. (p.s. Please also feel free to disregard the fact I sound like an injured horse in the video.....) (p.p.s. Why is the video so small?? Gah, I need serious help with blog issues right now!)

Video upload from domestic reflections on Vimeo.

Miss Sasha.

2011-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

{little e adores sasha}

I am feeling quite grateful. Perhaps it is that extra glass on Albariño I had tonight, but I'm going to say no. I have been blessed. And tonight it is all about someone who came into our world a year or so ago and helped us with the kids, and then came into our hearts. Miss Sasha (or "Fafa," as Little E calls her).

{she is such a natural at caring for others}

It is true we have had many truly wonderful sitters though the years (um, how could we not??) but immediately we knew there was something so special about her. The kids loved her. They hugged her when she walked in the door and giggled at her jokes. She had an affection for them that was so genuine (I remember when she early on came up with the nickname "Little One" for the baby). She would speak in different accents to the kids when they got cranky. She sent me links to yoga classes taught by her friends after particularly difficult mommy days. She is a gourmet cook and cloth diapered like a natural. She is 24 and has lived all over the world. She was the type of girl that you couldn't wait for the kids to take their naps so we could just hang out and talk already. And she spoke Italian to the kids, OK?

{with her dear friend kira in vence}

Last Monday she left for 27 months to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. Yep, she's that good. And tonight, I received the following email from her (which would obviously be the impetus to this rambling post). Go ahead and skip over this if it is not your sort of thing, but if you wonder (like I do) what it's like to enter the Peace Corps, please read on. Sasha is a truly special person. We have been blessed to have her in our lives.

Buenos, friends and family! It has now officially been a week since I arrived in Guatemala for my 27 months of service in the Peace Corps. The rural life is taking some time getting used to as I spent my last night of civilization with a dear friend who I met studying abroad in Florence, drinking champagne at the Four Seasons in Georgetown (thank you Peace Corp stipend!). The next day I was with 9 other volunteers looking like a bunch of deer in headlights as we got on our flight from DC to Guatemala. On our arrival we were briskly whisked out of Guatemala City by a police escort and by night we were boiling water for safe drinking. So much for a light transition…

Within this past week I have received 4 vaccinations and taken 2 servings of malaria medicine. I wasn’t privileged enough to experience the psychedelic side effects of Aralen, but unfortunately I did have multiple nightmares accompanied by fears of mudslides and volcanic eruption from one of the 23 surrounding volcanoes. With the amount of rain coming down on our tin roof and the numerous lightning storms, I have had quite a few restless nights.

So, many of you asked me what I was going to be doing down here in the Peace Corps. Like you, I was a bit dumbfounded and uninformed of what I was actually going to be taking part in. Well, I finally found out and I’m here to save the world!

Ok, as much as I wish I was Captain America, I haven’t reached that level quite yet. For now my world consists of the rural villages of Guatemala and they need to be rescued from chronic malnutrition. I was surprised to learn that GUATE is the 4^thworst off country in the world when it comes to being malnourished. In a place where 49.8 % of the children under the age of 5 and 66 % of all women suffer from the lack of a balanced diet full of veggies, I for one am THRILLED to push my culinary and nutritional knowledge on these poor tortilla loving Guatemaltecos.

Until I am officially sworn in I am known as a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee) which is lowest rung on the Peace Corps todempole. Each day consists of 8 hours a of Spanish emersion classes, medical sessions with such invigorating topics as: “how to be diarrhea free” where the 2 hour sessions concludes by telling everyone there is no such thing as being diarrhea free in Guatemala, it is inevitable. Lots of information and frijoles are being crammed into this small group of 10 gringos but I think we are ready to stomach it. It’s quite a nice bunch and I am one of the two Californians, we shine pretty bright down here in Guatemala.

Every ex Peace Corps volunteer has said that this stage is the hardest part. Being true, I already miss the comfortable accommodations of home, the freedoms of America and most of all my amazing circle of friends. I’ve had a couple days where I’ve had to ask myself, “what the heck am I doing here?!” and I can’t always give myself a legit answer but somehow I have managed to talk myself into this, and yes, I am staying. My birthday is going to be an interesting day as I am not allowed to celebrate in an American manor (ie: lots of friends and booze). Therefore, it might consist of me, my host mom, her 40 yr old daughter, some relatives and maybe 2 other Peace Corp volunteers; and if I’m lucky, a piñata. It will be an experience incomparable to any of my past birthdays. Your state-side care packages will be more than welcome to lift my droopy spirits!

I would now like to take this opportunity to give you all my updated address as I may have given some of you an incorrect one via facebook, apologies!

PCT Sasha Escue

Cuerpo de Paz

Apartado Postal 66

Antigua Guatemala

Sacatepequez 03001

Guatemala

Cental America

Envelopes are the best way to send anything as boxes seems to get lost in the post.

I feel like this experience is going to go by so quickly so I will try my best to keep everyone informed. I have a blog in the works and I will get that link out as soon as I’m ready.

I miss you all so very much.

Lots of love and muchos besos!

{i do love her, can you tell?}

Summer Day.

2011-08-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know a lot about poetry. But I know what I love. I love this poem. (And every poem by Mary Oliver.) I've been thinking about it lately, as summer seems to be in full force, yet knowing autumn is just around the corner.

The Summer Day

by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper. I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar from my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her ple forearmsand thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is/

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

photo credit unknown (please email me if you know who it belongs to!)

Guest Post For Bridget.

2011-08-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm still here. Just back from camping, which is *interesting* with three little ones! Today, I have a post up on new mom Bridget's blog. Check it out!

Things to Cook This Week

2011-08-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

{my new favorite dessert....i've been dreaming of it ever since my friend iris made it the other night}

I have an over-stuffed refrigerator and freezer and pantry right now. There is so much good stuff at the farmer's market, I just can't help myself. Time to plan out what to make this week!

Simple perfect tomato sauce (using the buckets of roma tomatoes from the market and my new tomato press!)
Grilled Skirt Steak and chimichurri sauce
Sauteed corn with tarragon (Melissa's recipe)
Steamed garden green beans with garlic and breadcrumbs
Roasted Tomatoes and baked boucheron goat cheese
BLTs
Pavlovas (using the meringues and berries from the farmer's market)
More of Casey's insanely good sangria!
More cold brew iced coffee (I'm kinda obsessed...have you tried this??)

photo credit

A Story From Our Trip (A Guest Post by B!)

2011-08-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I found the below passage in an email from B....complete with instructions regarding when/how to post it (i.e. not on the weekend when we all know nobody reads blogs!). It has been quite awhile since we last heard from B, so be sure to let him know how much you missed him! ~Jora

Enough this day of nursing babies, of baby toes and baby clothes, and of all things neonatal.

Instead, for one day only, let us turn our attention to more important matters: alcohol. And when you’re talking Italian alcohol, you’re naturally talking about ~~wine~~ beer. That’s right, beer.

As it happens, for two decades at least, beer drinking has been on the rise in Italy, from you-never-used-to-be-able-to afford-it levels 20 years ago, to you’ve-got-to-try-this-Italian-microbrew levels today. Today there are 50 craft brewers in Tuscany alone.

On both of our last two trips we have visited Italy’s up and coming brewer, 20-something year old Iacopo Lenci. Iacopo lives in Lucca and is the brewmaster/owner of the award-winning Birrificio Brùton.

Iacobo also happens to be the son of acclaimed winemaker Agostino Lenci of Fattoria di Magliano, who also runs an agriturismo in southern Tuscany (where we’ve never been), but which you can check out here.

Iacopo has built a following, and now retails his beer internationally. The beers feature the “Bruton” logo, but are sold by their lyric names like Bianca, Brùton di Brùton, Lilith, Momus, and Dieci (“10," as in alcohol percentage). I recently drained my 401k and bought these two at Whole Foods:

We learned of his Slow Food restaurant and brewery outside of Lucca in a Travel and Leisure article a couple of years ago. There it was written of Iacopo and his ground-breaking brewery/restaurant, “This guy’s the future of Italy. This is the only way it’ll go forward.”

If you can stand Italian charm, passion and humor, you can check him out here. The sound quality is poor, but it’s worth a listen if only to hear the anecdote about how his grandmother served him sangiovese as a youth. The clip is seven minutes. After that, you’re on your own ladies.

Herein lies the boatload-of-baby-photos-post

2011-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

This post is for my friends who complained they never saw my pictures from last summer. I'm making up for it in this post. Behold, baby photos!

Little E was a little dream on the plane rides. Here she is all snuggled in with her baby for the overnight to London.

On an after-dinner walk near Monaco.

Watching brother and sister in the tide pools.

Again.

Napping at Plage Mala. She sort of specializes in sleeping on Mediterranean beaches.

Hi.

Getting "nuh-nuh" on the Côte d'Azur. This is the one and only time you will ever get a shot of my "nuh-nuh." In fact, I may take it down later today, so get your fill. HA.

I love these baby feet more than you will ever know. They taste really good too.

On a walk in "our neighborhood."

Kickin' it Riviera style on Paloma Beach.

I do love a little Boho Baby, don't you?

Topless shot.

This is pretty overexposed, but I love that she posed for this photo. Also, the purple band-aid on the knee? She is so girly.

I told you she was an expert at sleeping on the beach.

Sweet, sweet girl.

Sitting on Sasha's lap, throwing rocks into the sea. She could (and did) do that for hours.

Cheeks.

Cheeks 2.

Cheeks 3.

Another beach shot (imagine that!).

We went to Vence to check out Keira's digs (that's her with the dark hair, sitting next to Sasha.) Little E was a natural at cafe life.

And that's Keira's boyfriend Cedric. Ahem. He wore espadrilles and striped shorts, owns an art gallery in the little town square, and they live together in the apartment above the gallery. Just like out of cheesy middle-aged lady life in Europe movie. Little E took to him like an old friend.

Here she is charming Keira and Cedric.

First shot in Italy.

After our big meal at Il Latini (evidenced by the food on her romper). There is a story behind JuJu's interesting outfit which I will have to tell in another post.

Asleep in Florence's Piazza della Signoria.

I love her snuggled right into my collar bone.

Sadly, one of the only family shots from the entire trip. Happily, eating gelato at a new favorite place in Florence, Perché No.

She woke up in time to check out the Duomo.

Hanging at the apartment in Lucca.

Little E had this intense love for our friend Bill (and vice versa). Every morning she would wake up asking for "Ba? Ba?" And then all day long whenever he left the room.

Again.

Sleepy head again. We had a lot of naps on the go, I guess.

Looks comfy, no?

Self-portrait at the pizza place. She was sorry she missed the pizza that afternoon.

Waiting for brother and sister outside their language school.

Our friend Ernesto from the bar we went to all last summer was soooooo happy to see Little E.

Sweet baby. Sweet red Vespa.

OK, those were Little E's highlights from the trip. I have to say I like traveling with her a lot. :-)

So, What About the Food??

2011-07-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Right there is the most common question I get now that I'm home. And seeing that I'm having a hard time reflecting thoughtfully on the trip at this point (what trip? it seems sooooo long ago now!), I guess I will share some of the better gastronomical points of the trip. Sound good?

We discovered Thierry (or The Chicken Man, as the kids called him) and his roast chickens the first morning in Cap d'Ail. They were AMAZING. Crisp, salty skin, tender flavorful meat. We bought them whole a couple of times to eat with the kids and also ate his chicken sandwiches, which came on a perfect baguette, sliced lengthwise, with potatoes (which cook in the drippings) and then slathered in some sort of spicy mayo sauce. Oh mah gah.

This dish here was one of my favorites of the whole trip. B and I hopped the train over to Nice one morning and looked in earnest for a non-touristy, non-kebab place to eat. We found a sweet little cafe filled with locals on their lunch breaks (always a good sign!) and ordered up this special: tuna tartare "nicoise style." Which basically meant with olives, chopped egg, tomato, lemon, olive oil. Sooooo delicious.

Same lunch: we ordered this mixed starter platter: fried zucchini blossom, marinated artichokes and beans and mushrooms, some bruschetta with roasted eggplant and a bunch of other goodies. Of course, we were drinking a bit of the house rosé.....when in Nice, right?

One night, we went up to Eze Village, which is one of those places I believe you must see in your lifetime. We went on our honeymoon and sat in this exact spot and drank champagne. The views will take your breath away (I guess this post is going to be filled with cliché and hyperbole, sorry!). Anyway, we didn't plan on ending up here this particular night and it is the fanciest place I have ever been AND we ate dinner in their opulent dining room ANNNNNND I was wearing a dress from Target (Calypso collection FTW!) I almost told B "No, we cannot go to Eze Village tonight because of what I'm wearing" but then I came to and went for it. And this champagne, well, it was mildly life-changing. So much so that B got home that night and called his dealer-bookie (I mean wine guy) and ordered us up a case. Which we had waiting on our doorstep when we got home. I love coming home from trips, don't you?

There was lots of sweet, sweet watermelon consumed on our balcony. I like this photo of C-Man digging in, juice dripping down his chin (and belly).

This is a beautiful tart with zucchini, caramelized onions, goat cheese and I'm honestly not sure what else. Our nanny (and friend, really!) Sasha had a friend living in Vence (about 45 minutes away) and she came down for a visit one day and ended up staying with us for 10 more (at our insistence). The kids adored Keira and she cooked stuff like this for us and painted the girls' toes and gave them piggy back rides and did cannon balls into the pool with them and colored for hours at a time with C-Man. Need I explain further?

This is something Sasha was making while we were in France. Her boyfriend is from Southern Italy so she has spent some considerable time there with his family (I try not to hold it against her too much). Anyway, they own a bar and it gets super hot as you can imagine and one of the things they do to keep cool and fuel their caffeine addiction is make the above drink. You basically put leftover espresso from the morning into a plastic bottle (we used an ordinary water bottle) with some sugar. Place in the freezer. In the afternoon, maybe after a big lunch and while the sun is beating down on you relentlessly, take the bottle out and shake like a mad woman. The result will be a perfectly slushy-sweet-bitter coffee treat. YUM.

I loved this salted butter. It was, of course, sweet creamy French butter but with crunchy flakes of sel de mer in it? Try spreading that on toasted fig and walnut bread every morning you are in France!

I always eat the prettiest, fanciest yogurts when I am in Europe. It can't be helped.

Our grocery store had an entire wall devoted to rosé wine. There also might be a sommelier set up there in the aisle doing a champagne tasting. Now that's what I'm talking about.

A lovely dinner with the kids in Cap Ferrat, which I have decided is the place we are moving once we hit the lotto. Gotta get on that.....

I eat fancy tuna on vacation too.

And cheese. Lots of cheese. This was particularly soft, creamy and stinky so I took a picture. It was most excellent with that baguette (which had that crackly crust and light as air interior, you know what I'm talking about? why can't anyone here make something like that? anyone?)

One of our favorite dinners in France. No photos of the food, just this one of us slightly bleary-eyed from all the vin we just consumed (is that really six glasses in front of us?!). For dinner we shared a whole fish caught that morning in the Mediterranean.

Here is my attempt at a roasted fish dinner the next night. Turned out pretty well if I do say so myself!

We may or may not have had far too many cheese courses on the trip....this one put together by yours truly (and Sasha) at home.

We also may or may not have had more than our fair share of delicious champagne on the trip.A shot of one of our lovely dinners at home. I miss that balcony.

Our first meal in Italy. (We ditched the Switzerland part of the trip, which I was secretly thankful for, and headed straight to Italy from France.) We had hit that part of the drive that involved restless kids (one of whom was on the verge of getting car sick) and we needed to get out. Fast. No time to scout out places for lunch. B dropped us at a simple looking trattoria in Levanto (next to the Cinque Terre) that was full of people and went to park the car. I got the kids situated at a nice outdoor table and ordered for everyone. By the time B got to the table, this beautiful risotto al mare per due was there. All I can say is that Italy never disappoints. NEVER.

We arrived in Lucca later that day and our friends Bill and Cindy (and their kids) arrived just after us. The adults went to dinner that night at a place we found and loved last summer, Gli Orti. This here is a plate of summer figs and prosciutto. I do not know why prosciutto in Italy is so much better: it is so soft that it melts in your mouth. No chewiness. This plate was perfection.

A day or two later we went to Florence (which is going to require its own post....lots of adventure good and bad!) and had to take our friends to Il Latini. I know it is a tourist trap and Rachael Ray featured it on her show, but we love it and the atmosphere can't be beat. We ordered "family style" and the amount of food we consumed was borderline obscene. It was so very tasty too: ribolitta, pappa al pomodoro, 3 types of pasta, plus more...... As I said, obscene. I snapped this photo of JuJu taking a break after the antipasti. She's such a listener and observer. I adore that girl.

Oh yes, we had the cantucci and vin santo (this might be the first place I ever had the two together....years ago when I studied in Florence).

The fruit. What do they do to the fruit in Europe? It tastes as it should (and not a shiny pile of mealy mush thankyouverymuch). We ate lots of cherries and nectarines, as evidenced by this photo of Little E.

This year we found an amazing pizza place in Lucca (it was closed last year while we were there). Now, I have not been to the capital-of-all-things-pizza-Naples (husband has), but this was the best pizza I have ever had (husband was smitten as well). We ate here a lot.

This is what it is like to travel with dear friends who happen to love your kids. And vice versa. A million sets of hands and arms to help, snuggle, hug, etc. As it should be. I loved traveling with them.

No food in this photo, true, but this is the teeny, tiny pasticeria that sold us handmade gnocci. Isn't the floor beautiful? And isn't my girl sweet?

Big news: I discovered the best combination of gelato ever: pistachio and caffé (with a bit of peach on top). That is all.

That same little pizzeria sold what is called cecina....they translated it as a "chickpea cake." It is very simple: made from chickpea flour, olive oil, salt and water and then poured onto a large round cast iron skillet and then baked in a wood-fired oven. This was one of my top 5 favorite foods of the whole trip.

The sweet little cheese shop where we bought our cheese.

I almost didn't include these last 2 photos since the quality is so, I don't know, gross? But I decided I needed to tell you about Tordelli alla Lucchese. It's a classic dish served in almost all the restaurants in Lucca (and no doubt in homes as well). A meat-filled pasta with a meat ragu, but the most delicious one you might have ever eaten. It might have brought tears to your eyes. Very little (if any?) tomato, and melt-in-your-mouth pork, veal and beef. Oh yes, I would fly back there tonight just to have this again.

And this soup here (again, you may choose to avert your eyes) is another Lucchese specialty: farro and bean soup. I'm crazy about farro in all forms (including this soup I make....although it is slightly different from the Lucchese version.) The soup was so simple and so utterly perfect and this fall I am going on a mission to replicate it. Will report back my findings.

Whew. OK, that took a long time to write up. Will try to show more photos and stuff soon. xo

girl crush.

2011-07-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

From time to time I get girl crushes. This time it is Madeline Follin.

What I Brought Back.

2011-07-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do very much shopping when we travel (I knock out more than my fair share when we are at home....husband, please refrain from commenting!). I hate lugging stuff around, some of it inevitably breaks or gets damaged somehow, you can buy most everything on the internet these days, there isn't a lot of alone time to get any quality shopping time in.... But there are always a couple of things I can't seem to leave without. Here are a few that I brought back with me this time.

Linen Towel. I'm not usually in the know about fashion things ahead of time, but I am here to tell you that the women in the Côte d'Azur do not use ordinary beach towels. No siree. They carry beautiful, thin linen ones that they use as a wrap or sarong, or tucked neatly under their arm. I am a convert. I hate the bulkiness of regular beach towels, don't you? Plus you can use these as a picnic throw, a nursing cover-up, tablecloth, the possibilities are endless.

La Mia Cucina in Citta. I was finally, finally able to meet up with the lovely Erin. This was like 2 years in the making, no exaggeration. More on that later, but she did tell me I absolutely needed this cookbook. No matter it is in Italian. I may not be anywhere near fluent, but what I do know in the language is food (plus I live with a fluent Italian, so he can do translating as necessary). I am sooooo excited about this book. It has beautiful photos and recipes for all the things I love to eat.

Tomato Press. I have been coveting one of these for years. True, Williams-Sonoma has been selling them for awhile, but I knew by looking at them that they were the presses you can find in any ordinary Italian housewares shop (think: Ace Hardware) and it was the principle of the matter. I wanted one from Italy. And this trip, I got one.

Latte per il Corpo. Again, I know you can now buy Santa Maria Novella products in the U.S. (I think they have stores in L.A. and New York). But I love going to the "pharmacia" and "museo" in Florence. It is really worth a stop. Gorgeous place, gorgeous products, intoxicating scents. Really, go there if you get the chance. I picked up a couple of old favorites and some new ones too, like this Latte per il Corpo (Body Milk). I am in love with the beautiful bottle.

Parmigiano Reggiano. We buy cheese, without a doubt, every time we travel (in Europe anyway). In Italy, we always bring back parmigiano reggiano. We get the super aged stuff (3 years) and use it throughout the year. I really think it tastes better than anything you can get here. Last year we went a little bonkers and brought back 10+ kilos (which I think is over 22 pounds). That was a little excessive. This year we brought back a much more modest amount.

Cantucci. (Or almond biscotti, but that name doesn't do them justice.) Italians aren't known for their desserts (except, of course, gelato). But what I appreciate about their sweets is that they aren't "sugar bombs," as Melanie pointed out. (Making her recipe for upside-down apricot cake/crostata today, by the way.....) These cookies are served all over Tuscany, usually with a glass of Vin Santo (for dipping!) at the conclusion of a meal. I adore them. I usually wouldn't bring this sort of thing back, but we met a really nice woman in Lucca whose family makes them and I went ahead and bought a few bags. And yay! They didn't get crushed thanks to my most excellent packing skills. ;-)

{not my espadrilles, nor my legs....these belong to Alexa Chung}

Espadrilles. I couldn't get over how many people really wear espadrilles in the South of France. It's sort of a cliche I suppose, but old women, men, kids, they all do! I had to pick up a pair of them in wedge form because I'm a wedge kind of girl. Had to.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. Ok, I admit I may have looked up GP's list of French pharmacy products when I was over there. I bought a few of her recommendations, but this is my favorite. It is a non-greasy body oil that is supposed to be used for all sorts of things, but I just like the way it smells and the slight sheen it gives my skin. I never tan anymore, but I did get some sun over there and this makes a tan look quite nice, I might add. ;-)

What do you bring back from your trips? Anything special?

i'm baaaaaaaack!

2011-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well hello there! We are back. We made it. We had many adventures. Many unforgettable times. Some hardships along the way too (hello tiny kids and major time change!). Many, many good times with friends. Lots of family bonding too.

But where to start here? I'm no good at the "summary" post.....it's just too overwhelming! I will say that this summer was better than last, that our kids are turning into excellent travelers and truly enjoyable people to be around.

As I begin to wade my way through the mountains of photos I took, here are a few from the beginning of the trip.

{i took this the morning we woke up in our house in cap d'ail....i never tired of this view!}

{at plage mala....um, is my baby turning into a big girl or what?!}

{c-man, thinking, watching, soaking it all in}

{one of our first nights in france....a little seaside walk and playtime in the tide pools}

I will be back with more (hopefully) very soon!

summer shoes

2011-07-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, I'm Casey, I write a design and lifestyle blog over at K.I.D. Collective. Jora and my husband are cousins, so I've had the opportunity to hang with this lovely lady in person and like most of you, claimed Jora and her sweet family as part of my own. She is also one of the responsible parties for inspiring me to start my own blog a couple of years ago. Thanks for that Miss Jora!

I don't know about you, but for me, this is the Summer of the baby shower. I love finding a perfect gift for a friend, but when it comes to babies, I'm a little lost. A few months ago, I came across these amazing patterns to make baby shoes and I decided to make my prego friends a pair of handmade mocs for their wee little one.

As much as I know Jora loves France and Italy, she has a bit of hippie in her too. We've chatted about taking a trip to Marfa and sleeping in a teepee at El Cosmico. We both have a bohemian side that doesn't always show but it's there, somewhere. When Jora asked me to put together a post while she is away, I decided these summer shoes for your kidlets might be the perfect project to share.

Things you'll need.

A small hide (or remnant) of super soft and buttery leather. The weight is a 3-4 ounce.
A pattern from Sewing with Me. It's only $4.50 and there are tons of styles. If mocs make you cringe, try the little Mary Janes!
Scissors.
A hole punch with that is the diameter of your needle (super small). You can pick this up at a craft store like Michaels or Jo-Ann's.
Heavy duty thread for top stitching
Heavy duty needle for top-stitching through the leather.
Sewing machine with a needle for leather. You can hand sew this. I would ONLY hand sew this if I have a sharp needle that will punch through the leather. Using a hole punch to hand sew would be painful and time consuming.
About 2.5-3 hours. I did the top stitching while watching a movie last night.

In all, these little mocs took me under 3 hours. I had a hard time with my needle not being sharp enough, luckily, I had the hold punch that worked out perfectly. So if your needle is sharp enough, you won't need the hole punch for top stitching.

I adapted the pattern to add some fringe. Gotta have that fringe. My next pair I'm planning to adapt a little more too, to be more like the mocs I wear, more often that I would like to admit. These shoes are com-fy! And that's that. Have a great weekend!

Photos: K.I.D. Collective iphone

Escaping the Heat

2011-07-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Hello there! It's Heidi from Las Ramblings, formerly known as Snook 'n' Bubs. Nothing like a guest-post invitation from Jora to get you to finally give your blog a total makeover. I did not, unfortunately, get an invitation to go to Europe despite considerable effort. My least proud moment came I think when I lobbied for Little E's ticket. It went something like, "Come on, Jora! The baby doesn't know a crepe from a cannoli!"

All kidding aside, it is a great honor to be here. Like many of the other guest-bloggers, DR is the first blog I ever read, and it inspired to me to start my own blog. DR also turned what was formerly a multi-faceted acquaintance (long story) into a friendship I absolutely treasure.

So on to the topic at hand: favorite summertime memory. This brings me back to my childhood in Escondido, an inland valley of San Diego County. That's Escondido above, where temperatures in July and August are consistently in the '90s, and can often creep into the three-digits. Our house was not air-conditioned so the order of the day back then was to escape from the heat as best we could. Here are my three favorite ways in which we did just that:

We took the bus to a nearby beach. Why a bus? Well, my mom is a New Yorker and did not, until I was in high school and gunning for my own driver's license, drive a car. But to my mom's credit, that did not stop her from getting us the heck out of Dodge. My mom, younger brother and I would schlep our cooler, beach blanket and boogie boards about seven stifling blocks to the bus stop, wait however long, and then climb gratefully into the air-conditioned heaven that was our bus to the beach. When the bus doors opened and we felt that blast of cold air- oh my! It took a little over two hours to make the 35-mile trip, but it was definitely worth it. To this day, it is not officially summer until I have fully submerged myself in salty, undulating water. Aaaah!

We also went to the movies. A lot of movies. I'm pretty sure there were some illegal double-features thrown in there. You know, when you leave one theater and slyly slink into another. There also may have been some R-rated movies that my brother and I should not have seen. And there was definitely a lot of smuggling-in of frozen yogurts obtained from non-movie-theater sources. But again, we were hot, and the only thing that mattered was air-conditioning. Couldn't resist the Breakin' poster. Just like the beach, the movie theater remains one of my happiest places.

And finally, there was ice cream. We had two parlors nearby (by which I mean less than an hour-long bus ride)- Farrell's and Swensen's. Both of them have since left Escondido, and with them went the scenes of many childhood days spent inhaling ice cream sundaes when all attempts at cooling my exterior had failed. But I will always remember them fondly, and love some ice cream.

I know these memories are simple, but the simple ones sometimes have the most sticking power. I hope you are all finding memorable ways to escape the heat this summer!

On the road again.

2011-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

I'm Torrie, from a place to share... honored to post on one of the very first blogs I stalked while figuring out how to start my own. Her ideas... her recipes... her finds never cease to inspire me to enjoy life, to cherish motherhood- and domesticity, to get real, to get in kitchen, & to get my wallet out :).

Over the holiday weekend, I built up the courage to tackle a project that I've procrastinated for months- well, years. Sorting through endless piles of unread magazines- reading, tearing, clipping, filing, tossing, burning (not really, but it'd sure be a lot easier!). I started with the long lost Cookie collection. I am nowhere near completion on this project, yet I'm kinda getting a kick out of all of the "old-new" information/ideas/tips/products... never before seen {by me} in the blog world.

Whether abroad, or just across town, time spent traveling with kids is dramatically increased during the summer months, so I thought I'd share a few travel-related 'Cookie Magazine ideas'...

play a game that's travel-friendly & embraces different cultures...

Image via

keep them busy

Image via

(with activities that don't involve loud noise, paint, &/or batteries)...

Image via

keep them safe...

Image via

facilitate {long} naps...

Image via

find a {drive-in} theater near you...

Image via

...& when traveling through foreign lands and overseas is simply not an option, why not bring culture to you??

Image via

what i'd take to italy with me... if i were going... but i'm not.

2011-07-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

hello, hello. i'm bridget from tales of me and the husband here posting while jora and her lovely family go zipping around france, switzerland, and beyond. am i a wee bit jealous? yes.

nevertheless, summer has arrived here in boston where i live and after a cold and snowy winter, we new englanders welcome summer big time. there's precious little of it, so we've got to make the most of what mother nature gives us and head to the beach, pool, and bbq's as often as we can. hear hear!

last summer, right about this time, my husband and i were jet-setting off to italy for the trip of a lifetime, much like jora and her hubs, but sans kids... so, i guess a little different. and when i say the trip of a lifetime, i mean it. it was perfect. we look at pictures and cry a little. here are some.

this summer, we're sort of stuck here in the u. s. of a. bummer. why, you ask? well, here's a little before and after to give you a good idea.

it couldn't be replicated perfectly as that string bikini top, size small, was downright scandalous as it struggled to contain my ta-tas, size large (my husband and i had a hearty laugh before i switched tops for the picture).

and, i don't have the glorious capri as my background... but a wall... in my house... while the rain falls outside. but, here you have it. in case you hadn't yet caught the difference between the before and after, i'm with child! knocked up! expecting! pregnant! so trips to italy in your last month of pregnancy are out of the question. however, jora and her hubs' ability to set off for a european holiday with kids in tow make me hopeful that i haven't seen my last of italy and beyond.

now, if i were going to italy, here are a few things i might want to take with me.

+ a cute orange suit, a bohemian-print dress, and a floppy hat +

+ some wedges, a striped scarf, and tortoise-shell sunglasses +

+ a bright beach towel, some beach reading, and an ice cold crodino +

not to mention, a lot of pesto, bread, tomatoes, wine, pizza, pasta, and gelato.

all the things jora is probably snacking on right now!

summer daydreaming: cabins!

2011-06-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! It's Blake from Salt, Teak & Fog. Jora also asked me to post something Summer-y while she's off living The Life. I was delighted to write something, since Ms Fabulous Vacations was a high school classmate of mine... and DR is one of my absolute favorite blogs.

And now for something just about the opposite of where Jora is!

Growing up in San Diego, my family always nixed the beachy Summer trips. Yep, I've never been to Hawaii. It's the cruel truth. Instead, we would pack up fishing poles, sleeping bags and latch-hook kits for a two-day (plus, sometimes) drive to Montana. Three kids in a van, lumbering along the scorching desert--anyone getting inspired?? It was fun, actually. Mostly.

Well, way back when my Dad was a teacher (at my high school, before I attended), he and his teaching buddies all purchased small parcels of land in southwest Montana. All in a row. (They called it the La Jolla of MT: funny.) Kind of a random pick, but not a bad idea, turns out. It's gorgeous, wildflowery country. When I was very little, we tent-camped for a good chunk of the Summer. Picture 70s gold tones: grassy fields, semi-naked children, pine cone crafts. The entertainment of a roaring campfire.

My parents casually planned to build a cabin or something more permanent... someday. Well, it was very casual planning because it never happened. Together with my brothers, we now own this little spot of pretty and absolute quiet... and I am an Unrepentant Daydreamer.

So, these days, with my own semi-naked child running around, I'm itching for some sort of cabin or fancy tent thingy, so we can relocate to MT for a good month or so each Summer and I can play Ma Ingalls. Of course, this type of daydreaming requires stockpiling inspiration (thank you, Pinterest!) and slowly making plans of our own.

Here are a couple of my favorite cabin fever-y dreams. Wouldn't you just love to spend a chunk of the Summer here? (You know, when you're not touring France and Italy!)

Classic Rustic Hideaway
With ancient wood-burning cookstove and general kitchen branchy-ness, of course.
I could sip lemonade on that porch for days.

Or, maybe a chic French-style "cabin"?
This cute minimalist retreat is actually right outside Paris.
Which translates perfectly to MT, right?? A girl can dream.

Then again, there's always fancy camping.
I'll never stop loving a classic Airstream or a posh tent.

images:
- header: me
- rustic cabin; stove; kitchen; flower: me
- french retreat
- airstreams; posh tent

I'm packing my bags....

2011-06-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!! Michelle here from Pretty Mommy filling in today...first off, I'm super excited to be writing on one of my favorite blogs and so, so inspired by Jora to take the plunge next summer and bring my two kiddos on some grand European adventure...but until then I'm doing a bit of fantasizing about taking a solo trip to some tiny Greek Island where I would spend my mornings walking the cobblestones, exploring crumbling, ancient byzantine castles, and my afternoons in an infinity pool gazing out at the sea with a good book in one hand and a cocktail in the other...no cars, just a trusty bike with a basket for transport, knee high daisies lining the pathways, dinner at the water's edge where I'd stuff myself silly with feta and fresh fish and then jet back home tanned and refreshed to my husband and two girls (who were perfect angels while I was away, right?)

In My Bag: Sunhat - Chance, Overnighter Bag - Clare Vivier, Arrowhead Amulet Earrings - Dream Collective, Navy Triangle Bikini (hey! this is a fantasy bag...no snickering) - Petit Bateau, Raglan Touring Dress - Loup Charmant, Sandals - K Jacques for Opening Ceremony, Vic Sunglasses - tenoversix, Greece on My Wheels - Edward Enfield...oops, and I almost forgot my favorite new sarong as well that can double as a shawl on chilly nights!

xoxo, M

my favorite summer travel.

2011-06-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! Molly here from My Favorite Things. Jora asked me to post while she is away on a summer holiday with her family and I'd be silly to say no, so here I am. I thought it fitting to share with you my favorite travel of all time.

(bondi beach)

My husband's little brother was getting married over in Sydney, Australia - so we courageously thought it a good idea to take a family vacation. I say courageously because we had a two and a half year old and a ten month old at the time. The flight was hellishly long (18 hours) but I have such fond memories. I can vividly recall how comical we looked walking into customs after we landed. Our two year old pulled his own carry-on, my husband was loaded down with the car seat and multiple bags, I was wearing baby Ben up front, a back-pack, a purse, diaper bag and pulling a suitcase. See, comical.

And although the trip took lots of planning and in the end lots of flexibility, I love that we were adventurous enough to have jumped at it. We grew, we stretched and created memories I will always treasure.

What exciting adventures do you have planned?

xo.
molly

summer is here for the taking!

2011-06-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Helloo it's Elizabeth from the littlest. Jora asked me to post while she is off on a fantastic summer adventure with her family. i am doing quite a bit of traveling myself over the next couple of months and cannot tear myself away from brian ferry's travel photos so i thought i'd share those and my top 10 list of simple but highly enjoyable things to do for summer.

1. sit on a colorful blanket and count clouds
2. eat castelvetrano olives and some deliciously cold vinho verde (both are the perfect color green)
3. put on the sprinklers (for just a little while) and run through them with your child(ren)
4. ride bikes
5. make lots of summer salads packed with fresh veggies
6. bbq, bbq and more bbq
7. plant a big beach umbrella in the sand and take a nap (ok, this might be hard with a toddler)
8. might i suggest a hammock or a canoe ride or a picnic?
9. walk through an outdoor market and sample some amazing cherries or peaches
10. slow the mind down and enjoy life

even though summers are not the same as they were when we were little, they are still a beautiful time to r-e-l-a-x.

p.s. you don't have to be in italy to be find the beauty in where you are! enjoy your summer!

images: brian ferry

A veggie burger recipe

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I'm Kristina from Lovely Morning, popping over to share a recipe that Jora actually shared with me a few months ago. Keeping with the summer food theme that Alice began on Monday (who knew we'd be so coordinated!), I have one very delicious veggie burger to share with you.

I've updated Jora's go-to veggie burger recipe a bit, because 1) I can't ever seem to keep my sticky fingers off the specifics of a recipe and 2) I'm always looking to cram more veggies and protein into food that my 16 month-old son will eat... I'm sure you mamas can relate?

I spent much of last summer trying to perfect a recipe of my own, before ultimately burning out and giving up on it entirely. But I'm happy to report that this one is staying in the family and will be a staple this summer in our backyard. It's decidedly old-school vegetarian... with no tofu or soy or frilly things. Just simple ingredients and lots of cheese, which it turns out might be the magic I was missing last summer. I added carrots because I like them and summer squash because I add summer squash to everything this time of year, due to the perpetual bumper crop that comes with growing your own zucchini. And I encourage you to toss in any and all herbs you might have in the garden or your fridge. I used parsley, thyme, oregano, even a bit of lovage.

I think if you follow the basic framework (and don't skimp on the glue - the cheeses and eggs), you could add all sorts of things to this with fantastic results. Chopped kale, beans, whatever!

The perfect old-school veggie burger
(Adapted from the Columbia Bar and Grill in Hollywood, way back when. According to Jora.)

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 large clove smashed garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 carrot, diced smallish
1 small summer squash, diced smallish
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
3/4 - 1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup each shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, or all of 1 kind
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons low-fat cottage or ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
various chopped herbs from the garden
Salt and pepper
Toasted buns or bread
+ whatever you like to dress your burgers in

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat, cook mushrooms, garlic, green onions, carrots and squash in butter (plus a bit of sea salt and pepper), stirring often, until vegetables are limp, about 6-10 minutes. Add oats and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly, then stir in cooked quinoa, mozzarella, cheddar, walnuts, cottage cheese, eggs, and herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

On an oiled 12- by 15-inch baking sheet, shape into 8 patties, each 1/2 inch thick. You might need to cook them in two batches. Broil 3 inches from heat until deep golden, turning once. The original recipe says 6 to 7 minutes total, but I think mine took almost 15 minutes last night. So watch them closely and flip them when you see fit. But definitely don't over cook them. Made that mistake the first time.

We ate ours last night with mayo, mustard, ketchup, avo, tomato, lettuce, pickles, red onions and radishes. I would have added sprouts if we'd had them. Cheese seemed like overkill due to the amount in the actual burger, but we've definitely doubled up before.

Enjoy!

Looking Forward to Summer Food.

2011-06-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is Alice, filling in for Jora again while she and her family are lounging on their favorite beach in the South of France! When Jora asked me to post something here, she suggested the theme of summer, so I thought I'd talk about some of the summer recipes I'm looking forward to making in the next few months. We don't really get our hot weather here until late July and August - around here, those are the days of popsicles, ice cream, tomato salads and grilled corn.
When I think about summer food, the first thing that comes to mind is a tomato and burrata salad - thick sliced heirloom tomatoes, sprinkled with sea salt, drizzled with olive oil and a tiny bit of good balsamic and topped with torn basil leaves and chunks of fresh burrata or mozzarella. There's almost nothing I'd rather eat when it's hot. Except maybe ice cream, but I guess that's not really fair.

We also eat a lot of chilled cucumber soup when it's really hot - which Jora introduced me to a couple of years ago.

The summer stone fruits haven't shown up in the markets yet, but when they do, I will definitely be making this Peach and Creme Fraiche pie again. If you're going to turn on the oven, you certainly want it to be worth while, and this recipe is easy and delicious. Lemon Meringue pie is another favorite - the Joy of Cooking recipe is perfection.

I might also try my hand at lobster rolls this year for a little taste of the East Coast. They were everywhere in NYC last fall, but they're kind of hard to find here.

Some other tried and true favorites I'll be making - Ian's Fresh Tomato Pasta, Farmgirl Susan's Tomato Pie, Zuni's Roast Chicken with Bread Salad (just go outside while the oven is on!), Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Summer Pudding and Fried Squash Blossoms.

For more inspiration - check out Mark Bittman's list of 101 Simple Summer Salads, or Deb from Smitten Kitchen's Summer archives. I predict you'll be craving fried chicken and blueberry pie in no time!

Until Next Time....

2011-06-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

{oh how I wish this is what my suitcase looked like}

Greetings from the land of packing and packing and packing and packing! We leave in just a few hours, but I wanted to be sure and stop by and say au revoir! and arrivederci! I'm not sure if I will check in while I am on our trip (we usually try to go off-line as much as possible) but I may sneak a post or a tweet or an instagram in.... In the meantime, I have a few old friends and a few new ones who are going to be posting while I am ~~sunning myself in St. Tropez~~ chasing my kids down with a bottle of sunscreen and ~~dining with my hubby in a seaside cafe~~ bribing my kids to please eat something with their third gelato of the day. You know, all the stuff I do here, just over there. Mwah!

photo credit

Granola My Way.

2011-06-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

{i love this photo just because of the yogurt hanging out on c-man's face}

I realize that title may qualify as Most Boring Ever, but I am tired. Little E has been waking every night at around 4 (or 3:30 if we're talking about last night!) asking for "nuh-nuh!" and "mama hold! mama hold!" Which I do not do until the *civilized* hour of 5 a.m., doesn't she know that?? Then, I don't go back to sleep, the other kids are up and ready to party at 5:45 or 6, and there you have it. TIRED.

Anyway, back to the recipe. Because you need this recipe. Although I do buy granola from time to time out of sheer laziness and a tendency to be seduced by almost any Trader Joe's product, I always regret it. Way to sweet and not tasty enough to warrant the calories. And yet, we need granola in this house. My kids, if asked what they want to eat (which I don't very often), will 99 times out of 100 respond, "YOGURT AND GRANOLA!!" (Or "yo-durt and bee-nola" if you ask JuJu....) I don't give it to them for every meal (although I am tempted, believe you me), but they usually end up eating it for one meal plus one snack per day....I am guessing anyway. So, I had to come up with a recipe that didn't make me cringe at the sweetness factor and it, of course, had to be tasty because that is what we are about in this house.

{nice and clumpy, see?}

Enter five plus years of trying recipes that leave me....unimpressed? unexcited? I like a nice clumpy granola (which usually means a lot of sweetener), I like a lot of nuts and seeds, and not much, if any, fruit. A friend of mine lent me her Whole Grain Baking book (which I love and am very sad to have to return!) and the recipe for the Maple Granola (with my modifications) is my standard now. I've made it a bunch of time and the kids are plowing through it at an alarming rate.

Granola My Way
(adapted from Whole Grain Baking)

7 c. old-fashioned oats
1-2 c. unsweetened flaked coconut
3/4 c. flax meal
3/4 c. almond meal (this is my secret ingredient and very important, methinks)
1-2 c. sliced almonds
1 c. walnuts, chopped coarsely
1 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use safflower oil)
1 T. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine oats, coconut, flax, nuts, seeds and salt in a very large bowl. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk syrups, oil and vanilla. Pour syrup mixture over dry mixture, stirring and tossing with your hands until everything is well combined.

Spread granola over two parchment-lined baking sheets with rims.

Bake 2 hours, stirring after an hour or so. Let cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature. Makes a ton.

You can add dried fruit after the granola has been baked and cooled. I leave it out because I think it is sweet enough and my kids eat tons of fruit anyway.

Also, I know there are a lot of other recipes out there with less sweetener, but again, I like the clumps, which requires a certain amount, and the natural sweeteners in this recipe are hopefully better than regular sugar (that's what I tell myself anyway).

21 Memos From Your Child.

2011-06-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this and had to share. There is so much good stuff here, I feel the need to read it in bits and pieces.....

21 Memos From Your Child

1. Don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not have all I ask for. I am only testing you.

2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.

3. Don’t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

4. Don’t make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly “big”.

5. Don’t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.

6. Don’t make me feel all of my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

7. Don’t protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.

8. Don’t be upset when I say “I hate you”. It isn’t you I hate, but your power to thwart me.

9. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

10. Don’t nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

11. Don’t forget that I can’t explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I’m not always very accurate.

12. Don’t make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.

13. Don’t tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.

14. Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

15. Don’t tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real to me and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.

16. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.

17. Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.

18. Don’t ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm toward you.

19. Don’t forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult to keep pace with me, but please try.

20. Don’t forget I love experimenting. I couldn’t do without it, so please be patient with it.

21. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding and unconditional love, but I don’t need to tell you that, do I?

original author unknown

Kinda Cute. Kinda Sad.

2011-06-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

{c-man's "screen time"}

One of the somewhat controversial aspects of Waldorf education is the strict no-screen time for young children. We adhere to it most of the time (save for the occasional save-our-sanity weekend movie), and our children have pretty much never been on a computer (or asked to be, for that matter). That's why B and I were especially amused when C-Man created these cardboard laptops the other day during quiet time. They are modeled after B's laptop and his screen saver (which happens to be the middle photo here).

{screen saver}

{detail of keyboard...dude, how much time did it take to make all those keys?!}

{set-up on mama's desk}

Summer Vacation. Yes.

2011-05-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Friends. We are doing something a little crazy again this summer. We leave in a little over two weeks. We are getting a bit more ambitious than last summer in terms of moving around. I feel a little weird about sharing it here because I don't want to come off as a total braggart, but then again I am so excited and will have to explain the blog absence, right?

{*our beach* ... where it all began}

So......here's the plan. We fly into Nice, France and are going to stay in a house right by that favorite beach of ours that we found on our honeymoon some years back. Then, we are heading up to Switzerland to visit a friend of B's that runs a children's sports camp in the Alps --(Crans Montana to be precise), and then back down to Lucca (where we were last summer) to join some friends who are on sabbatical right now and traipsing all around Europe and beyond (bastards). We will be renting a car and driving between these three places, which should be fun and, to be honest, a bit stressful with the kids.

{crans montana}

OK, so, does anyone know how to lose about 5 pounds, get real tan and learn French...all in about 14 days? I need your tips. Ha. Also, I am getting in hyper-planning mode and I need your tips for entertaining kids and keeping them happy during the travels. I have some of my own (which I don't think I ever shared here....will try to get on that) but I am by no means an expert and can use all the help I can get. We take an evening flight out, so the HOPE is the kids will sleep from here to London (11 hours). Then, we have a short flight down to Nice which I'm not too worried about. But there is the adjustment to the time change and all the normal stressors that come with travel, so I want to do all I can to make the experience as easy on them as possible. But hey, as soon as we get to the Cote d'Azur all we will have to do is hang on the beach, so it can't be that hard! And I guess I forgot to mention that we convinced one of our favorite (and original) sitters to join us for the France part of the trip (she is in Italy right now with her boyfriend so it isn't too far for her to travel). We so can't wait to see you, Sasha!

{center of lucca}

So there you have it. Now you know what we're up to this summer!

p.s. if you have special travel tips for any of these areas, let me know that too! xoxo

Ten Things on My Mind.

2011-05-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

1. Threads for Thought Yoga Pants. I have a feeling you are just like me. You might wear yoga pants a little more than you want to admit? And it's probably time for a new pair? These are the best. I don't want to hear about your butt in Lululemons or whatever. These are better. And about $80 cheaper. And made from organic cotton.

{photo courtesy pink of perfection}

2. Almond Butter Cookies. Totally addicted to these cookies. They are healthy. Gluten free. Lots of protein. Make them. I promise you and your kids will love. (By the way, I have been using the Ghirardelli 60% Cacoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, per Molly's recommendation, and they are soooooo good in this recipe.)

{ok, not my pork, but it looked this good and was 10 times easier!}

3. Crock Pot Shredded Pork for Tacos. OK, so I had big plans to make Bon Appetit's Chile-Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos a couple weeks back, but I got lazy (actually, just too darn busy with three kids) so I came up with a shortcut and I can't imagine it tasting any better. Put a pork butt (don't let the name scare you! it's not really the butt of a pig!) in a crock pot seasoned with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Stick a couple of whole ancho chiles in there. Pour a bottle of Mexican beer over it. Cook on high for, I don't know? Five or six hours? It will be all shreddy and yummy and perfect to put in a taco (squeezed with lime and topped with avocado, cilantro and onion of course). Again, I promise you will love.

{me *serving* cocktails to b last friday night?}

4. Aperol Cocktails. You guys. YOU GUYS. I think I have an addiction to Aperol. And that's not really something to be proud of, if you know what I mean. It all started with Orangette's recipe (but using 2 parts white wine, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part freshly-squeezed strained pink grapefruit juice....it came out a bit less juicy and a bit more Aperol-y). But now, NOW, I have been converted to Zuni Cafe's Aperol Cocktail. We may or may not have put away many of these on back to back nights last weekend. Ouch.

{photo courtesy melissa clark}

5. My Butter Keeper. This wasn't my idea, and normally I am so not a kitchen gadget girl. But Melissa Clark highly recommended hers, so I had to try it out. I can't believe I lived this long without one now. Fresh, yummy, soft butter at a moment's notice. It doesn't get better than that. And don't go telling me you don't like butter. Shame on you. Don't you know that fat is good for you???! ;-)

6. JuJu's Paintings. I know every mom loves their children's art, so why should I claim to be any different? I love watching JuJu paint (she is so happy and free-spirited and in the moment), the colors she chooses and pretty much everything about them.

7. My Father's Daughter. I admit, I have a conflicted opinion of this book. I am not a huge GP fan (I know that's basically sacrilege around these blog parts)....it's something about the whole "faux populism" (not my term) of her cookbook and GOOP newsletter that just doesn't jive with me. But of course I was totally curious to check it out and you know what? She included a lot of things that I really like to eat and in fact, do eat. She gave me some ideas and I've tried a few things which, let's be honest, weren't earth-shattering, but were comforting and tasty and hit the spot on a weeknight after the kids were down and I had a nice fat glass of red wine in hand. The pictures are really nice too. (Where is that white embroidered dress from??) Maybe don't buy the book but borrow it from your friend Alice is what I'm saying? ;-) (I'm about 99.9999% certain she doesn't read this blog, but in case she does.... I loved you, Gwynnie, in Shakespeare in Love!!!!)

8. Old Navy String Bikinis. I think I have been wearing these for about 15 years. I am a firm believer that a string bikini is one of the most flattering two pieces you can wear. You can adjust the straps to fit perfectly (no squish!). I buy basic solid colors (black and turquoise are always in rotation). And I like the Old Navy ones because I don't worry about ruining them. They are seriously about $10 on sale and they look (I think) almost as good as the designer ones, and again, I don't have to worry about snagging the fabric or stretching them out, etc., etc.

9. Benton Bacon. I originally heard about Benton Hams quite awhile back and wanted to give them a try. And they are mighty good. Yes they are. Most of the time you can't order online and have to give the nice lady a call. She has a heavy Tennessee accent, but she will call you "honey" and let you know that while their ham is delicious, you absolutely MUST try their bacon. "You're in for a real treat, honey." Hoo boy. If you love bacon, you must order some. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

10. Oprah. I don't think I can say just how sad I am about her show ending. In truth, I have not watched it regularly since probably college and law school (hello, free time!). But she, and her show, have always been there, in the background of my life (and undoubtedly yours too). There really is no one else like her. So much positive has come from her. And so I have been watching some of the final episodes in these last weeks and again, hoo boy. Lots of tears. Lots. I love the Last Show Project that Mighty Girl is doing (hat tip to Sarah for sharing it). What was your greatest lesson learned from Oprah?

And tell me, what has been on your mind?

Happy Blogiversary to Me.

2011-05-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

{this is the cake i would bake for my blog}

Crap. I am the worst with dates. I never remember anything important. Like my blog turning three years old more than a week ago!!! How is that for anti-climactic? But instead of pretending it never happened, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. It has been a truly interesting and enjoyable ride. You have been there to see my babies growing up (JuJu was just six months old when I started?!), life changes happening in real time (a surprise pregnancy...remember that?), listened to my random musings/confessioms/rants, read what I've cooked, seen what inspires me, endured countless stories and pictures of the wee ones.... In truth, this blog isn't what I originally thought it would be, but I'm OK with that. The biggest surprise is still all of the AMAZING women I have met and reconnected with. (Either no men read this or none have come out of the woodwork....yet.) But seriously, I want you to know that you checking in on my blog (and of course, your comments and emails) makes my day. Truly! Mwah!

photo credit

simple holiday home in the south of france.

2011-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be dreamy to have a sweet, simple, earthy, happy home in the south of France? I really love this one (found on the awesome french by design blog). An all white house with pops of vibrant color? And a beautiful and tranquil pool to lounge beside? Oui, oui, oui!

Guest Blogger at Pretty Mommy.

2011-05-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that I was a guest blogger last week at Pretty Mommy! Michelle is a little bit busy snuggling her new baby Louisa. :-) Pretty Mommy is one of my everyday must read blogs, as you might already know. Check out her blog (and my post) when you can! And Happy Monday, friends.

Don't Hate Me...

2011-05-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

....just because I will be on this beach in 6 weeks. More details to come. (Soooo excited!!)

"this would be a major reason to go back in time"

2011-05-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

(That is a comment left by someone on this youtube video.)

A small intro. There is no music that reminds me more of my parents than Fleetwood Mac (also Steely Dan, but that is a bit more my dad's thing). As a result, Fleetwood Mac touches me at my core. I walked down the aisle to Eva Cassidy's version of Songbird. I think a lot of people feel this way about Fleetwood Mac. (I'm thinking of my friend Nichole, who once told me she fell hard in love with her now-husband at a FM concert some years back). Anyway, their music is haunting and Stevie Nicks? Well, she is a true mystic and I love her.

This video is just plain AWESOME.

Thanks to Jordan for tweeting about this video!

Regarding Mothers.

2011-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

{via}

After reading Joslyn's post the other day about the privilege and honor of being a mother, I got sucked into All Things Mom on the Internet. There are some beautiful photos and writings out there right now, in case you're interested. (I've posted a few favorite photos here that I've been pinning on pinterest lately.)

{via}

For sure check out Tory Burch's blog, as Joslyn suggests. There are some sweet stories about moms and daughters (and a few sons) and some great photos too (the one of Christy Turlington and her two small children SLAYS me).

{via}

But I'll be honest. All of the mother tributes and sweet memories make me a little sad deep down. My relationship with my own mother is quite complicated (I'm not sure this is even a very accurate description, as my friends in real life can attest).
There are many regrets, lots of unresolved issues, just a lot of sadness really. I read once that each person in this life has one area of great pain....and this, dear reader, is mine. (Deep breath. Exhale.)

{via}

But. I realized in reading those stories on Tory Burch's blog that there are many, many beautiful and sacred (to me) things that my mother taught me and my brother and sisters. Here are just a few.

{via}

She taught us how to appreciate and take pleasure in the small stuff in life: the first cup of coffee in the morning, sitting in the sun on the deck in the afternoon, kneading bread, walking on the beach....the little things that make up a big, rich life. She taught us to never, ever look down on someone based on race, disability, income level, their physical appearance. She truly does not believe she is better than anyone else (and I think this is rare in a person nowadays). If you are sick, there is no one, I repeat no one, that will take better care of you. She is a nurturer extraordinaire. She taught us to take pride in work that we did at home. She honored her role as mother and wife and did not see it as demeaning in the slightest. She taught us that things do not matter. What matters most in this life has nothing to do with something you can buy. She made things with her hands. Lots of things: clothes, food, toys, crafts. I get my great interest and enjoyment in food directly from her. She taught me that one of the greatest pleasures in life is feeding a group of your loved ones. She did all sorts of things with her life that had nothing to do with what her own parents did. She sort of reinvented herself, you could say. She doesn't live her life in default mode. She was a world class birther of babies....I was born breach at home unassisted (unless you count my dad being there), my brother was born at home after and hour and a half of labor, and my two sisters in birthing centers. She had something like a total of 18 hours of labor for 4 kids. You read that right. She always impressed on me how powerful and transformative birth and motherhood were for her. She could never watch a birth scene in a movie without crying, which is the same for me now. Nothing moved her quite like childbirth, I believe, and this is the same for me now too.

{via}

As it turns out, all of these things I hope to pass along someday to my own children. I hope all of you moms out there have the loveliest weekend, and please, please, love those babies up. What an honor and great privilege it is to spend life with these small people.

{via}

{via....tara's photography by the way is utterly divine!)

xoxoxo

A Story of Springtime Chicks.

2011-04-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of years, we have introduced new chicks to our original group of "ladies" and each time it goes over....not so fantastic. The old ones are really mean to the younger ones. Like mean in ways I don't want to tell you about because you may not like chickens so much anymore. But I guess "pecking order" and "hen-pecked" are more than just old cliches. We decided to take matters into our own hands and breed a few (supposedly chickens are more likely to be accepting of baby chicks that are their own).

Step one: get a rooster. Obviously. We got one a few months back from our friend Eric the Bee Guy (i.e. he helps B with the bees from time to time, a real character, physicist Hindu yoga at 4 a.m. guy, someone who really deserves his own post....but I digress). The rooster was instantly beloved by our family. We have never named any of the chickens (although they are beloved as well), but the kids started calling him Rocky right away and it just stuck. Rocky was very sweet. He didn't pick on the hens (as I guess many roosters do), he didn't crow at crazy early hours (we didn't think so anyway), and he really completed the whole coop community down there. Very handsome too, that Rocky.

Now, you probably noticed I have been referring to Rocky in the past tense and that is never a good sign. But it's probably not what you're thinking (coyote, fox, dog, etc.). No, a neighbor didn't like the crowing so we had to get rid of him pronto. Good neighbors first, chicken keepers second. I must admit, I shed a tear or two the day our gardener took Rocky away. We were afraid to ask what his future would be, but B is pretty sure he is living on a nice property somewhere up in Escondido with no neighbors to bother. Fingers crossed.

Since it was springtime, we figured some of the eggs would be fertilized and potentially ready to be hatched after a bit. Unfortunately, none of our hens were very good "sitters" (I think I just read the kids a Beatrice Potter story about a chicken that was a bad "sitter," sound familiar?), so we had to take matters into our own hands. Which means B ordered an incubator like this:

{are we serious or what?!}

We set it up in the guest bathroom right by B's office and put about 25 eggs in it. The kids turned the eggs several times a day (in theory anyway). They marked "x's" on one side of the eggs and "o's" on the other to know which way to turn them. B made a big chart with 21 days on it, and the kids would draw an "x" through a number each night. We all checked throughout the day to make sure the temperature was right at 100 degrees. It really was the ultimate at-home science experiment (homeschoolers, take note).

About 18 days in, B was home alone, sitting at his desk and heard the tiniest "peep peep peep" and a little tapping. Sure enough a little crack appeared shortly thereafter in one of the eggs, and then another, and then another. Luckily, the kids and I got home in time to see several of the baby chicks push their way out of those shells. It was amazing. As B says, "they go from breakfast to a living creature in 18 days?!" I'm kind of crazy about watching or reading about any birth (as you know), but I was surprised how moving it was to see a little feathered creature find it's way out of a shell. Charlie informed us that baby chicks have an "egg tooth" that is there just to help it crack the shell and then disappears within a couple of weeks. Gotta love those Charlie tid-bits.

Here's what a seconds old baby chick looks like. Kinda dinosaur-like:

After a couple of minutes, the kids got to move the chicks over to the "nursery" that B had set up (a plastic box with a heat lamp, some food and water). The chicks almost immediately fluffed up like this:

{it really doesn't get cuter than this, does it?}

Thirteen hatched. Two didn't survive. We are told this was statistically a very, very good outcome. I was still pretty upset by the two that didn't make it. I could never make it on a real farm.

As you can imagine, the kids are over the moon. They slept downstairs in the guest room for almost a week to be close to the chicks and to be able to check on them first thing in the morning. Take a look at them going crazy for these tiny birds:

{sweet little chick face, plus two sweet daughter faces}

{i love the expression on her face...and don't worry, she's not squishing it!}

{mr. careful}

{she holds them so expertly, and they are very content in her hands}

{showing the chicks to her curious baby sister}

{smiles all around}

{a closer look}

{daddy thought it was cute to put the chicks on the girls' heads; little e isn't quite sure what to think}

{c-man had just made this bird feeder at school...he sawed oped a coconut, sanded the wood, nailed it together, yadda waldorf yadda....it was perfect for the chicks!}

{a girl and her free-range chicks}

Pretty cool, eh?? :-)

Update on the Juj.

2011-04-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

{a stolen photo of miss jujee on a play date with her friend benjamin}

So much to fill you in on with this little lady. She has come so far since starting school back in September. She was a shy, quiet one....determined that she wanted to go to school, but then hesitated everyday when B or I dropped her off. She would cling to us, burying her head in our legs (never crying, however). One day, on a (blessedly) quiet car ride to school, JuJu out of nowhere told B "I'm not going to be shy today, Da-ya." We had never said boo to her about "working on being not shy." We were fine with it. But the little lady wanted to push herself and you know what? She isn't shy at school anymore. She chatters away with all of the kids (there are 13 in her class), and she comes home with stories about playing with all of them from time to time. Her teacher tells us that she is one of the main "conversationalists" (if you can call a 3 year that) at snack and lunchtime.

{happy girl climbing trees}

It's funny, of the 3 kids, she was the latest talker, but this girl is the one with the gift of gab. She will yammer on about almost anything, just wind her up and watch her go. (Whereas C-Man is that thoughtful, every-word-carefully-chosen kind of talker.) I find it especially cute listening to Juju because she can't say her "k's," "g's," or "r's." I am trying to keep track of her special little language by writing lots of things down. ;-)

{"chattering" on and on and on and on...}

She hates to have her picture taken which is a big fat bummer because darn it (and maybe I shouldn't say this), I think I like taking pictures of her most of all. She has this wild spirit that intrigues me, and I just want to capture it with the camera! But she just doesn't like having attention placed on her in any situation, really. She will happily join group activities, but if you single her out, she resists. Oh well. I can still use the occasional bribe to get her to slow down for a quick snapshot or two. I also steal them when she's distracted. (These stolen photos are almost all the photos I have of her in a 2 month period!!)

This girl still loves collecting and caring for bugs and little animals. Oh boy does she love her creatures. Lately, it has been snails. She has 31 right now in a plastic case that she takes to the park, around the yard, to friends' houses, and checks on first thing in the morning. (I have to rush to turn off the alarm when we wake up because I know she's off to check on them right away.) She is no priss. Oh no. She gets dirty, throws herself into messy work in the yard, and isn't afraid of much (remember the gopher trapping anecdote from the other day?). She LOVES being outside. One of my very favorite things is to spy on her when she's outside "chattering" (that's our word for what she does) away to herself (and the snails).

{thinking...snails perhaps?}

She takes awhile to warm up to, but once you're in with Jujee, you're in. And let me tell you, it's so rewarding to be in with this girl. You will never, I repeat never, meet a better snuggler...B and I fight over who gets to sit next to JuJu. :-) We've used a few different sitters over the past months and she resists them all at first, but she has bonded tightly with Anna and for that we are very thankful. Once she's yours, she snuggles tightly in your lap, asks you to stay for a sleepover (which she has never had so I don't know why she always offers??), and will tell you all about her little life (and the snails, of course). She has an edge, though, and if she doesn't know you yet, or if you are her mom and she doesn't like something she is being told, she can fire off a look that could kill.

{this is the look that could kill, if it wasn't obvious}

As I said the other day, she and C-Man bicker constantly and have been doing so for awhile now. It is really heartbreaking at times. But one thing that gives me hope is how sweet she (and C-Man) are to Little E. She is gentle, patient, loving and so sweet with that baby....everything you would hope a big sister would be.

{our sweet middle child. i love her so.}

An Absence and C-Man Update.

2011-04-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Remember me? Is anyone even still out there? I confess, with twitter, pinterest and instagram, blogging these days feels...like so much work. Those others provide instant gratification! (By the way, are you on twitter, pinterest or instagram? Don't be a stalker, let's follow each other!)

You know the feeling of owing someone a phone call and the longer you wait, the harder it is to make the call? That is how it has been for me and blogging. So much to catch up on. So hard to know where to start! So maybe I will just dive in and update you on the kids. (There are family and friends from real life who rely on this blog to get their C-Man and JuJu and Little E fixes.)

{proud, brave boy}

C-Man. Such a big little man these days. He is long, tall and lanky and it is freaking this mom out! No more pudgy hands, chubby cheeks (well, maybe he still has those a little? a mom can dream....), and big fat curls on the top of his head. He lost his two bottom teeth. After being very scared by a bad incident at the dentist about a year ago, he finally went again and was so, so very brave (and still no cavities, yay!). He is obsessed with all things bees. He loves to share bits of trivia about them and "rescue" bees that seem to need a little help (i.e. drowning in the pond). He helped B harvest some honey just the other day and when he finally got the chance to try it, I asked him how it tasted. "It is so good I can't even tell you, mama." At school, we are told, he is one of the best participators in circle time (mostly with the singing), and he loves eurythmy (a dance and movement activity that is big in Waldorf) and all the handwork they do (knitting, sewing, felting, etc.).

He has been hanging out with an older boy at school lately and coming home with things like, "Did you know that when you are six you get a girlfriend?" NONONO, no you don't, C-Man. He continues to love telling his puppet shows, making everyone laugh, setting up "traps," tying knots, doing "science experiences," and what B and I call "word smithing" (he is the king of word games, rhyming, double meanings, etc.). His teacher thinks he will be a Shakespearean actor. ;-)

{funny man}

Here are a couple of C-Man-isms lately: he loves to go down to the garden and help B trap gophers. He has to think it all out first though, natch. "We need to first get a rock and tie a rope to it, make a pulley, hang it from the tree and lure the gopher out...." or something along those lines. (Meanwhile, JuJu has a hoe and is rather violently hacking away at the holes in the ground trying to get the poor thing "by force.") Then the other day: B was telling C-Man he will never be 2 or 3 or 4 ever again. He is going to keep getting older and older. "No I'm not, Da-ya. When I die, I'm going to come back and do it all over again." As matter of fact as can be. "Who told you that??? A friend? Someone at school?" we implored.... "Nobody at all. I just know it." Hmmmmm.

He continues to be so especially sweet with Little E. (He and JuJu bicker almost constantly and it is kinda sad.) He is very patient with her, loves to tell us cute Little E stories, helps her down stairs, while eating, teaching her new words, etc. He also has been especially cuddly with me, which is not typical. He isn't the touchiest kid in the world (unlike JuJu who loves full body contact with mama as much as possible), so when he gives it out, I'll take it.

He is also one of the most disciplined kids I know. Example: I give him a little teeny tiny chocolate bar as a treat (he loves nothing more than chocolate). "Mama, can I have the whole thing?" Yes, or you can save some for later if you'd like. "I think I'll save some for later." (Which he did, again natch.) Then (telling JuJu): "When you really, really like something, it is better to take tiny bites so it lasts longer." Also, as he sits down to dinner: "Mama, I like to eat what I don't prefer first and then eat my favorite thing last." Who is this kid??

So, there you have it. A little glimpse of my 5 year old little big boy. I have JuJu and Little E updates and some more food posts coming up soon. I have been cooking up a storm!

What's Cooking.

2011-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

This week my in laws are here, so we are making all sorts of things.

Big old pot of Minestrone with Garlic Bread
Caldo Verde (B's family is Portuguese after all!)
Rhubarb Chutney
Whole Wheat Cherry Scones
Potato, Leek and Green Garlic Soup (a riff on Alice Waters' recipe)
Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Gouda (again!)
Asparagus, Red Pepper and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese
Vegetable Korma and brown rice
Cinnamon-Rhubarb Muffins

What about you? Anything yummy?

For Japan With Love.

2011-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Please donate. This tragedy has affected someone just like me (and you). They need our help more than ever.

Something.

2011-03-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I am not alone right now when I say it is difficult to keep a positive outlook given recent events around the world. The devastation in Japan and the looming nuclear catastrophe has been keeping me wide awake at night. There really are no words..... And then hearing about sweet Maddie's passing on Sunday night... well, life feels particularly cruel right now. Sorry to be such a downer, but I don't know how to talk about much else. I did see this poem this morning on Sarah's blog, and something about it really resonated with me. Maybe it can help you in some tiny way too.

"After the Winter" by Claude McKay
Some day, when trees have shed their leaves
And against the morning’s white
The shivering birds beneath the eaves
Have sheltered for the night,
We’ll turn our faces southward, love,
Toward the summer isle
Where bamboos spire to shafted grove
And wide-mouthed orchids smile.
And we will seek the quiet hill
Where towers the cotton tree,
And leaps the laughing crystal rill,
And works the droning bee.
And we will build a cottage there
Beside an open glade,
With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,
And ferns that never fade.

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