just because...

more good cooking...

i don't consider myself a "good" cook by any means, but i've certainly been giving it a go. after all, cooking is just following directions, right? well, that's the problem with me. following directions is so tedious. :smile:


we had several brown bags filled with all sorts of potatoes from our csa box. red ones, yellow ones, even a few purple ones i'd gotten at trader joe's. well, in addition to all those potatoes, we had a few leeks. i don't think i've ever had potato leek soup, but it seemed we had all the proper ingredients, so i set about googling a recipe and came across this one at pinch my salt. a simple recipe accompanied by a series of gorgeous food-y photos. perfect.

a few hours later (after a run to the market for cream) we were dining on delicious homemade soup. lucy liked it. i loved it. jeremy thought it good but hinted to add garlic next time. a "good" vote on all three counts means that this one definitely has repeat-ability. which is nice, because it was quite cheap (notice the lack of meat, aside from chicken stock) and easy to make. even for a cook without a potato masher--mine appears to have gone missing. or perhaps i never had one at all. who knows. lack of a masher just meant our soup was very hearty in texture--perfect for all the rain we've been getting here in northern california.

next up--empanadas.

have i mentioned...

just how much i love bok choy? oh, that's right. i probably have.

just looking at this photo gets my tummy rumbling. if there wasn't a cozy baby napping peacefully on my chest, i might just get up and make some more for tonight's dinner. yum.

we got ourselves out to the farmer's market on saturday morning. haven't been in quite awhile, as our csa box has been keeping us pretty satisfied. but we're on a mission to up the veggie intake and eat a little less meat, so off we went, braving the threat of rain. we scored raisins, two loaves of artisan bread*, the last bit of bok choy available, and even a tiny container of california-grown strawberries amongst a few other treats. the strawberries were from santa barbara, which is a good 5-hour drive from us. i rationalized my purchase by figuring that santa barbara, though far, is much closer than chile or ecuador--which is where trader joe's is currently importing all of its berries from. and lucy LOVED the berries. specifically, when i covered a few of them in chocolate. (we were making chocolate-covered almonds, but the darn strawberries kept crying to be dipped too!).

we also got a bit of grass-fed ground beef from a local farm. not sure what we'll do with it, but it's on the menu for this week. i'm thinking empanadas from this site if i can find the time to make the dough. sleeping babies are just so snuggly. nature's pause button, i guess.

*a note about the bread we bought at the market--i've got to start making my own again. it's infinitely cheaper.

he's smiling....

hudson's toothless grins have become a much-adored part of everyday life around here. the kid even has a dimple--no kidding! (of course it's impossible to caputure on film).

this post is just a "sigh-of-relief-and-a-little-observation" post. i think we're finally hitting the "coast" part of life with 2 kids under the age of 2. at the very least, we've adapted to our "new normal." which certainly doesn't mean that every day is coast-y. but a little bit of coasting makes the uphill stuff much more manageable. it's getting fun. and the smiles make it all the more worthwile.

you might even say they're contagious...

we're so spoiled...

well, hudson is, anyway. check out his new longies, made with love by my brother's girlfriend jaime. super soft, super stretchy. easy to get on and off. and as cute as could possibly be. we LOVE wool over fitted diapers. thankfully hudson's skin seems to be getting a little less sensitive and he's able to wear all those fitteds i made him a little more often. which is good, because i'm a lazy cloth diaper-er and hate stuffing pockets. anyone else?

thanks jaime!

farm box friday...

i so look forward to our csa delivery. now that it's only coming every other week (we couldn't keep up with eating everything in a mere 7 days) we're able to use everything at a leisurely pace, trying out new recipes. but by the end of 2 weeks, i'm eyeing the packed-in-plastic produce at trader joe's and itching to get our new box delivery to freshen up our fridge. here's what came today:

~ 2 pounds navel oranges (um, 2 oranges weighing a pound each! huge!)

~ 2 lbs fuji apples

~ 2 zuatano avocados (guacamole coming right up!)

~ baby bok choy

~ a red cabbage

~ grean leaf lettuce

~ kale

~ leeks

~ carrots (carrots with stems attached are like, the cutest thing)

~ italian parsley

~ yellow onions

~ french fingerling potatoes

i get SERIOUSLY excited when i find baby bok choy in the box. so good. and wouldn't you know, i'd never ever cooked with it until starting our csa. now i'm totally hooked. we've had it on its own, in soup and in pasta. lucy calls it "lettuce," (we let her believe that anything green is lettuce--hey, it works) and gobbles it right up. so satisfying!

on a side note, our farm newsletter announced that our farm owners welcomed a baby girl into the world on january 1. they named her lola. eep! isn't that cute?

so. we watched food, inc.

i'm sure most of you eco-minded folks have already seen this. we were late to jump on the train, but watched it over our computer the other night. wow.

honestly, the documentary concreted many of my suspicions--basically that if you don't know where your food is coming from, chances are the answer isn't going to be something you want to hear. i was already familiar with some of the information provided--the horrors behind factory chicken farming, the fact that it's far cheaper (in the short run) for a family to eat a diet of fast food rather than a diet of fruits and veggies, america's dependance on corn, and the far-reaching effects of monsato's stronghold over genetically-engineered seeds & crops. all depressing stuff, really. which plays a large part in the changes we've made in our own household over time (switching to organic whenever possible, shopping at farmer's markets, joining a csa, raising chickens for eggs, etc.).

still, there were more than a few instances during the film when my mouth literally dropped open--meat being routinely washed in ammonia to rid it of potentially harmful bacteria. the fact that a single fast-food hamburger contains beef coming from 1,000 cows. the disgusting lengths that monsanto has taken to stamp out small farms and farmers. the many disguises that corn has when listed on an ingredient label.

so. where do we go from here?

jeremy and i have agreed that it's high time to look for alternative sources of meat. we regularly buy beef and pork from trader joe's, with some chicken thrown in on occasion. not that we're big meat eaters--certainly the opposite is true. but it's time to make the switch to grass fed and local. my stomach feels queasy at the idea of buying (and consuming) any more factory-farmed meat. and, as i've said here before, i do believe in the whole "voting with your food dollars" thing.

we are now looking into either joining a meat csa with regular pickups, or buying directly from a local farm as needed. both options are expensive. which means we may be looking into more veggie-based meals to help cut back on our meat consumption. with our farm box bounty, it shouldn't be too hard. i'll keep you posted when we make our decision soon.

we eat fast food so rarely it's almost not worth mentioning--maybe 4 times per year. this will not be hard to give up. as for the rest of dining out, i really don't know. we always try to pick places that serve fresh, quality food. but every now and then, a girl likes a cheap taqueria burrito. i guess from now on, it'll be a cheap beans and rice taqueria burrito. ole.

the case for cloth...

i think it's well-known that we're a cloth-diapering bunch around here. making the decision to use cloth diapers (first on lucy--at around 4 days old--and on hudson since birth) was a fairly simple one. i knew that i didn't want my child (or future children) sitting around in chemical-treated diapers. i knew i didn't want to add needless piles of trash to sit in a landfill for hundreds of years. i knew cloth was cuter than plastic diapers.

what i didn't really know, at the time, was that cloth diapers really do work better than disposables. i can make this judgment fairly, as i have worked as a nanny for many years and am familiar with the shortcomings of diapers like huggies and pampers. blowouts and leaks, bits of gel left behind on baby's skin, dysfunctional velcro tabs that render an unworn diaper useless... while we've had slight trouble here and there with our cloth diapers, for the most part, i'm absolutely thrilled to be using them. i think it's safe to say that in terms of "good, better, best," cloth diapers are at the top--and because of our great satisfaction and success, they're also served as a gateway to many other changes that we've made. my "better in cloth" list follows here:

1. cloth rags for cleaning. you probably know that we've been without paper towels in our household for.... i don't know how long. it's been quite awhile. cloth rags are great for cleaning up big & little messes, super durable, cheap and easily washed. what's not to love? i keep a huge stack of them under my sink, and toss dirties out into a mesh basket (to guard against mildew) in the garage. i wash once a week or whenever our stack is getting low.

2. cloth napkins. another no-brainer. i bought a set of 10 napkins in a neutral color, and keep them near the table. they get tossed in with the cleaning rags and get laundered whenever we start to run low. i often use my personal napkin several times before washing, unless we've had an especially messy meal. lucy has a set of her own (carter's washcloths in fun colors).

3. cloth nursing pads. light-years better than the "eco-friendly" disposables i used the first time around with lucy. with hudson, i used (and still use, on occasion) pads made from materials like hemp fleece, bamboo, flannel and wool. if you're ever in the market for cloth nursing pads, i cannot tell you how much i love my wool-backed pads. wool here serves an identical purpose as it does in cloth diapering--creating a barrier for moisture but still allowing for breathability. i also made myself a bunch of PUL (polyurethane laminate) backed pads. these are wonderful because they're trim and don't show up beneath clothing, but must be changed often because they hold dampness against the breast. i always use wool-backed pads overnight. 15 sets has been more than enough--especially because we still do laundry daily around here. i estimate i could have gotten by with 6 pairs.

4. cloth menstrual pads. i, for one, cannot believe that i'm writing this. if you'd told me a year ago that i'd eventually be switching to cloth pads, i would have called you crazy. seriously. i'm not a pad girl to start with--hate them! but as you know, postpartum bleeding leaves you no choice. with lucy, i used box after box of disposables. the experience was horrible and i was in absolute disdain for every second of it. this time around, with some urging from my good friend, i decided to try cloth. we sewed up a little stash for ourselves (along with all those nursing pads) using wool, PUL, and upcycled knits and flannels. i started using them as soon as i got home from the hospital. and you know what? these things work really, really well. over the course of my postpartum recovery, i had only 1 leak (user error). the pads weren't bulky and i never had the gross "damp" feeling that i hated about disposables. best of all, i made no trash. jeremy certainly appreciated that, as he's the one who takes the garbage out.

my cloth pad stash (again, much too large--what can i say, i was nesting!) consisted of about 12 postpartum/overnight pads, 12 regular pads, and 8 liners. i kept used pads in a wetbag under the bathroom sink and washed them with the diaper laundry every other day.

i anticipate breaking out my pads again when the time comes for me to reacquaint myself with my diva cup. the liners will be just right for catching any leaks that are certain to occur. that thing can be tricky.

5. cloth wipes--now for mommies, too? yep. we've always used cloth wipes for lucy, and kept up with it as she potty trained. but it's been about a year since i made the switch to "family cloth" as well. jeremy doesn't partake, which is all too fine by me, but lucy and i (and hudson, too!) are believers in the wonder of cloth wipes. they're softer than the recycled toilet paper that we still keep on hand, are far more absorbent, and really leave the user much cleaner, in my opinion. we keep a big stack in the cabinet next to our toilet. dirties go in with the diaper laundry. so simple. and really not as gross as it seems.

well, there you have it. our list of all things cloth. it seems to me that what i love about cloth diapers (they work better) holds true with all of the items listed above. there's a certain quality to an item that's intended to be used for the long haul (and i'm not talking old navy t-shirts, if you know what i mean). i get a sense of satisfaction from not tossing. even if it means i have to do an extra load of wash. and i do so love not to have to make a desperate trip to target or the grocery store because we've run out of something crucial.

you'll notice i didn't include cloth grocery bags in my list... i really figure that if you're reading this blog, you've already made the switch. if not, consider yourself banned until you do. :)

movies i'm waiting for...

who's bringing the (organic) popcorn? also, i have to admit that your loyal blogger has not yet seen food, inc. it's on my list of things to do now that i can get through the day without a nap and/or stay up past 9 o'clock in the evening.

i hear it will change my life. or, at the very least, re-light the fire under my bottom to go and check out local sources for free range beef. we had stew meat from australia as part of our dinner tonight. australia. not even kidding. and while it was trader joe's no-hormone, no-antibiotic stew meat, it was still from halfway around the world.

australia.

so, that babies movie looks pretty cute, doesn't it?

hudson is 2 months old!

talents include: 

~smiling. the surefire way to melt a mama's heart.

~cooing. even better when combined with an aforementioned smile. 

~getting that big ol' head up. tummy time is finally fun!

~living up to his nickname of "the huddler cuddler."

~nighttime sleeping. don't want to jinx myself, but this kid has some pretty serious talent in the overnight department. naps are another story... 

to say that we've fallen in love with baby hudson simply doesn't begin to describe it. and while those words certainly aren't unique, the feeling behind them is absolutely delicious. 

cheers!

it might just be...

one of my favorite antique fair finds of all time... 

perhaps because i was :thisclose: to buying lucy a (used) plastic dolly stroller. you know, one of those really tacky ones. there's no shortage of  them in the thrift shops and consignment stores, and because lucy always gravitates toward the stroller at her preschool playgroup, i was getting quite tempted to go ahead and purchase one. despite the tackiness. i mean, if little girls want to push their baby dolls, who am i to say no on account of a little plastic? especially if that plastic can be had secondhand?

well. this little buggy caught the corner of my eye on sunday afternoon, while strolling through the alameda antique fair. i had to have it. and so we got it, for the fair price of $18. lucy pushed it right out of that booth with the proudest look on her face. and then steered it straight into a trash can. and into then a passerby's leg (the lady found it charming). 

we're working on her driving skills.

other finds: 

a little metal box for holding bills and things... 

two books--365 bedtime stories, and 365 nursery rhymes. both published in 1946, and originally belonging to a little girl named linda who wrote her name in perfect cursive on the inside front cover. too sweet. 

a little sweater had for $1. at first i thought it cute in an ugly sort of way. now i just find it rather ugly. oh well. it fits perfectly, and lucy digs the buttons. anything with buttons, for that matter. 

it was a trip of little things--a trio of embroidered potholders, a tattered tablecloth that will be made into pants, and something charming for hudson to wear for his 2-month photoshoot. which should happen tomorrow. how can it be that my sweet boy is already 2 months old?

super-simple sewing project...

if you have a little girl, sewing up a quick skirt seriously could not get much easier than this. the idea is based off of the very easy oliver + s lazy days skirt tutorial--leave it to me to find an even lazier approach to an already easy sewing project.

start with an old shirt. the wider the shirt, the fuller the skirt will be. this was an old navy polo shirt, sized medium. i think i will use larger shirts going forward--this skirt that resulted from this shirt could have benefited from a little more fullness. 

look at me, i didn't press my fabric before starting. tsk, tsk. oh well, we're none too fancy around these parts. and naptime (crafting hour) doesn't last forever, does it? i think not. onward!
decide what length you want your finished skirt to be, and add 2 inches to that measurement. measure up from the hem, and cut straight across the body of the shirt. 

fold raw edge down 1 inch and press. what, mine doesn't look like 1 inch to you? well, that's b/c i'm lazy (remember?) and just eyeball it. stripes are totally helpful in this regard, don't you think?

fold down another inch and press. this will be the waistband of the skirt. 

sew up the waistband... 
make sure to stop and leave a little room to get the elastic in. 
measure the child's waist, take off an inch or two (depending on how tight you want it to fit), and cut the elastic. use a safety pin to help feed the elastic through the waistband. 

overlap the 2 ends of elastic and sew together with a secure stitch of your choice (i zigzag a few times). then sew up the last little bit of the waistband, making sure not to catch the elastic. don't forget to backstitch and all that. 

track down your little one and pester them until they decide to let you dress them up in your latest craft project. marvel at your handiwork, your frugality, your kiddo, and the cuteness that is the combination of the three. 

note: if your little one has a big ol' belly (like someone i know) a shorter length (above the knee) is really going to be your best bet. i've made a few of these now, and the longer ones end up looking a little silly--they ride down in the front (under the belly) and the hem looks super uneven. like, comical. learn from my mistakes, people!

lucy is 20 months!

can you believe i'm still going with this? yeah, me neither. anyhow, on to the pics...







new talents include--

~bartering. as in "lucy, you may have one cookie." "TWO, mommy. TWO!" (said with a quite serious face, i might add). 

~helping mommy & actually being kinda helpful. fetching diapers and wipes, tossing out trash, putting away laundry. that kind of thing.

~falling asleep in her own room, in her own crib, all by her self after being tucked in. a true labor of love for over a year and a half, but i'm proud to say we never "cried it out" and the girl has learned how to happily put herself to sleep. 

~adding words like "mozzarella," "chamomile," and "predicament" to her vocabulary. there's really nothing she can't repeat back when asked, but hearing her say certain words such as these is just a hoot. 

~throwing tantrums. she's going on two and is not afraid to show it, people!

~recounting the days events in toddler-speak: carm boz came day, member mommy? carrets in der!

(that's "the farm box came today, remember mommy? there were carrots in there!" for those of you who don't speak toddler-ese. 

ah, we love her. cheers!

another sad day...

on our mini-farm, as one more of our chickies has passed away. foster was known as the one in the bunch who would peck at your toes if you were barefooted in her presence. she was a good laying hen who gave big eggs through this past autumn. we noticed she wasn't sleeping with the flock and had lost her ability to jump in and out of the henhouse. now she's buried beside her best buddy porter. and she'll be missed.

part four of my new year 50...

here's the final bit of my list--remember how i was rushing to get everything out for donation? yeah, the people never came, seeing as how it was new year's eve and all. we now have a huge pile of stuff sitting on our porch. klassy.

44. felt gift bag--donated
45. too-big slippers--donated
46-49. never-worn bras (mental note to self: never buy based on what size you "think you'll become.")--donated.
50. teapot--donated.

proof of my purging lies below. it ended up being far greater than 50--counting kids clothes for donation we're probably much closer to 500. now if we could just tackle the garage....

part three of my new year 50...

we were out & about for most of the day today, so not nearly enough time to sort through things as i would have liked. i hardly touched my closet--bummer because the donation pickup for our neighborhood comes tomorrow. i'd like to get everything out by then instead of having to hold onto it for another month. anyway, here's what got ditched today:

34. a massive pile of plastic utensils (from to-go restaurants, i guess) cluttering our silverware drawer--bagged up & donated.

35. a hefty stack of feminine pads (i switched to cloth for postpartum bleeding this time around, so i didn't use the ones i had leftover from lucy's birth)--plan on donating to a women's shelter.

36. ceramic soap dish--donation box.

37. half-empty bottle of old conditioner i won't use--tossed.

38. bathroom scale (we have a cute vintage one now)--donation box.

39 & 40. two shirts (both worn to ring in the new year in the past, interestingly enough)--donation box. i couldn't fit into them now anyway, sniff.

41-43. three "going out" tops that quite literally made me wince in horror when i pulled them from the drawer--donated.

that's it for tonight. i hope to rise early, sift around for my final 7 items, and get them out to the curb before the pickup truck comes along. should be do-able. poor jeremy is still in need of 30 items--maybe i can help him too!