Crunchy Peas

color

Warning: this post is vain, frivolous, and totally useless--but I don't have much else to write about today.

(forgive my "third position ballet stance", old habits die hard)

I have been trying so hard not to buy black, brown, gray or white.  Color, my wardrobe needs color.  I am finding it very hard to dress myself these days.  It is such an "in between" time in the seasons right now.  Do I wear short sleeves?  Are ankle pants allowed right now?  Is it too early for flats without socks?  Clearly I think way too much about this.  I love fashion- always have, however, I am not so sure that it loves me back.  I know what I like and what I think looks good in the magazine...but putting it together for myself is tough.  So, I took a little risk with my funky green shoes and chartreuse scarf today.  Also, I was able to muster up the courage to wear my thrifted vintage coat for the first time.

Spring weather, cute shoes, what else can a girl ask for?  Well, maybe this bag to pull it all together!

emmeline apron

Ta da!

 

It was fun and fairly simple to make.  The most tedious part being the bias tape (making it).  I love this bright colorful fabric from Alexander Henry.  I think my favorite color combination right now is this red and aqua.

The contrasting fabric is red and white polka-dot.  Those tiny dots are hard to photograph.  Photo credits go to Emma. I made her take a bazillion and yet we still didn't get very good ones.  I did not hand sew the bias tape on.  I used the machine and if I were to make this apron again (surely I will) I would make that same decision again.   Next time I will use thread that is the same color as the trim.  I was trying to be all artsy fartsy and I used an aqua thread-- it is far too revealing of my lame sewing skills. The reverse side is a little blue dot pattern.  You can see it in yesterday's post (it was the liner in the little clutch I made.)

This apron is pretty cute on, especially flattering in the area that I am, ahem- lacking.  Now its your turn.  Get the pattern.

monday already?

I am fairly certain that I missed something...I thought it very rude when my alarm went off this morning.  Can it really be Monday again?  The weekend seems a bit of a blur, although I do remember having a fair amount of time to sew on Saturday.  I made the Emmaline Apron and tried to photograph it last night.  I just hate using the flash, and couldn't get a good picture.  So, guess you'll have to come back tomorrow to see that. 

Emma's best friend turned 7 yesterday. 

Bowling and pizza ensued.

Can you pick up on the black light effect? What is cooler than seeing your teeth glow?  Taking pictures in that lighting also proved to be difficult- that, and the fact that they never stop moving.  All that giggling and fluttering about...I remember what it was like.  Emma (above in blue) was funny about what ball she would use.  It took me a while to catch on, but I realized the reason she would not come and sit by me in between her turns- was not that she found me to be "uncool" (to my relief) but that she wanted the pink ball. She would not leave its side.  She stood there coaxing it to herself through the entire 10 sets (am I saying that right?  I know nothing about bowling!)

I made The Birthday Girl the "artsy" clutch from Bend the Rules Sewing and we filled it with a ribbon belt (which took exactly 5 min to make!!) and bubblegum, chapstick and nail polish.  Emma jumped on the "handmade" bandwagon and insisted that she also make the card.  We both had such joy working together and giving away our handiwork. 

Oh they are quite a pair! Seven years old is the limit.  I will not allow 8.  Stop it already.

Okay, Monday begins, apron tomorrow- see you then!

one by one

We were here.

All. Five. Of. Us. Together. At 4am.  One by one the children found refuge, escaping their bad dreams, loneliness, and cold silent rooms.  Stumbling into the warm, safe envelope of familiarity, they each carved out a small space for themselves in our bed.  Their buns at my back, elbows in my tummy, soft feathery hair tickling my nose, whispers and whimpers- we slept (sort of.) 

All occupants are gone now (minus Sophie who makes her home here most of the day) each off to their own day's direction.  Work, school, play dates.  Alone, I paced the house looking for a place to start cleaning up (overwhelmed by the choices :) Down the hall and past the bedroom I walked, seeing the bed. I was drawn towards it with the fresh memory of how my day began.  Pulling the covers back in effort to make it, I stopped.  There was still warmth under the sheets from the squishy little bodies that snuggled there just hours ago. I smiled and left it unmade- counting the hours until we could all be there together again.

Then I went off to sew and bake and read and watch the movie that blockbuster sent me in the mail over 3 weeks ago do the dishes.

a little side note

I have that itch.  It is back.  It doesn't ever seem to quite go away.  As Laurel approaches her 2nd birthday, it has become more intense.  Another baby for us?

(Laurel Baby when she was actually a "baby")

I am not good at big decisions.  I can handle little ones with ease.  This morning I made the decision to have oatmeal instead of waffles.  Then, at the gym I decided to skip the third set of shoulder presses. After lunch it was time for the girls to nap but I made the decision to do one more puzzle with them.  But another baby?  That is big. 

   

(Emma the morning after she was born.)

I quite like being pregnant, and I actually like giving birth.  Being a Douala and childbirth educator I am constantly around "baby bumps".  I keep thinking that it might be time to get one of my own.  My husband is not quite on board yet, er- maybe that is putting it lightly.  I have some reservations of my own but they all seem so trivial in the grand scheme of things (gaining weight again, another year or more of nursing, reduction in "me" time).  Really, when it comes down to it, I have the rest of my life to be completely organized, to have a spotless house, to enjoy hours on end crafting/shopping/exercising/doing whatever I want.  This time (you know before my uterus shrivels up) is so short.  This is me hearing my clock ticking for the first time. 

(Hannah at birth)

I love being a Mom, challenges and all.  After 3 girls and 7 years of parenting, it feels like I am just hitting my stride. In fact, there are even times when I think I know what I am doing!  A big family seems so warm and jovial, so fun and lively.  So, I guess I will go on having this internal discussion with myself.  Babies are the best- how do you ever get over them?  How do you know that your family is complete? 

a little of this and that

I don't have anything very specific to blather about today. It just seems to be a normal sort of Monday- errands, recess monitoring (where I get to wear a whistle), dishes, laundry...etc. etc.  There was, however, a coon skin on my entry way floor.

I love Sophie (just a little) when she lays like that.  There was also a bit of art going on in our kitchen.  My friend's husband works for the local newspaper and every now and then she brings us the ends of the newspaper rolls (think last few squares on the toilet paper).  These ends are not big enough to print anything substantial on so they are pretty much useless to the Pressman.  She tells me that they actually sell them to the public for a couple of bucks- it may be worth checking out in your area.

I love covering the table with this paper.  Sometimes we color directly on it with colored pencils or markers, other times it makes a great tablecloth- like when painting with someone who is not yet 2.  By the way, the cute smocks came from Morgan and you can find them in her etsy shop.  This little painting project kept them busy long enough so that I could prep dinner.

Makin' this.  A very tasty way to get your Omega 3's.    And lastly, Hannah brought home her Valentine's Day card for me.  She made it at school and "it had to dry" so I wasn't able to receive it on the rightful day.  The outside was beautifully decorated (sorry no picture) but catch what it said inside:

   

She dictated her thoughts to her teacher.  What a fruit she is....the jungle???  I am glad that she gave me props for my dancing though- I so deserve that one!

ps: Is three. long. weeks. really necessary?  I am ready for Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy to hook up already!

Two Bracelets, One Day

(I have always dreamed of having smooth flawless olive toned skin with dark green eyes and blackish hair- alas I am a bit pink and mostly white with some ruddiness thrown in.  Try not to let my housewife hands detract from the jewelry.)

From Emma. She knows that I like the look of "simple and understated".  She stapled the pom-pom to the yarn.  When I asked her how she was able to make the yarn just the right length for my wrist she said, "I just measured my own and then added a tiny bit more because you have skinny bones Mom."  I do lover her dearly :)

From Carl.  What was that I just said about simple and understated?  Oh never mind.  Diamonds are good too!

Happy Friday!!

warm hearts

I love the way we love.  Little gestures like:

kisses and nuzzles,

and "pupcakes" made just for me...

they all make it almost unbearable at times.  Do you ever feel like you might just burst with bliss?  I'll be the first to admit that this does not describe every waking moment of my existence, but quite frequently I have to stop and pinch myself.  Maybe it happens in the middle of the night when I share a pillow with Laurel Baby, and her sweet breath warms my shoulder that is sticking out of the covers.  Other times it happens when I am completely encircled by the little arms and loud giggles competing for who can get the most tickles from me. Sometimes it occurs when I see my husband from across the room and I feel that fluttery feeling in my stomach again like I did when we first met.

(taken as part of our engagement photos- 6 months after we met)

These are the flashes of time that stop me and I have to ask, "Is this for real?  Could my life really be so swell?  What did I ever do to deserve all this?"  Basking in sweet, real, deep love all year long.  May you have the same! Happy Valentine's Day.

best bread

I could eat a sandwich for every meal for the rest of my life.  It seems as if I would never tire of them.  Oven roasted turkey breast, pepper jack cheese, tomato, lettuce/spinach, peppers, oil vinegar, salt and pepper, mmmmmm. A few of you chimed in over the weekend and said that you use a bread machine too so I thought I would post our favorite bread recipe.  It came to me via a former student (and friend) and I have been making it 2x/week.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

3 T molasses (I use honey- maple syrup works too)

1 C boiling water (for my machine I add 3 extra tablespoons to this, you'll have to experiment)

1.5 T butter

*Gently sprinkle the following ingredients over the top of the liquids (in the order listed)

1 1/4 C whole wheat bread flour

1 3/4 C white bread flour (you could try adjusting this ratio so that you have more whole wheat four and less white flour, but I haven't been very successful with that so far.)

3/4 C old fashioned oats

1.5 tsp salt

1 T sugar

1 T vital wheat gluten

2 T powdered milk

2 T ground flax seeds

*Make a shallow well in the center of the flour mixture and add:

2 t active dry yeast (for bread machines)

*I usually select the rapid whole wheat cycle. This makes a 1.5 lb loaf. We have found it to be very yummy! I would love to try your favorite bread recipes if you are so inclined to share them :)

By the way thank you for all the "handmade" encouragement yesterday.  I should like to exchange gifts with you next time!

I made something

My niece turned 11 over the weekend.  For me, this is a tricky age to buy for.  I really struggled with what to get her.  She is at that "in between" stage.  Not quite a teenager, not a little girl anymore. And too, I always go back and forth between gifts that are practical and gifts that are totally frivolous and fun.  I wanted to make her something because that is my thing now, right? Handmade.  A couple of months ago I found Meg's blog  (don't you love it how I use her first name like we are close personal friends) and bought up a few of her patterns.  More recently I snatched up her adorable apron pattern! When I went searching through my patterns for something to make Haley, the pattern for this reading pillow caught me.

I thought it would be fun/easy to make and that she would enjoy it.  I already had all the supplies that I needed so I set out to work.  The pattern calls for making you own cotton cording...I cheated and used a package of ready made.  Attaching this was the trickiest part of the whole deal.  My zipper foot saved me and I made it through just fine.  The rest came together fairly easily,  which is more that I can say for my selection of a book for her.  Do you have any idea what kind of garbage is out there for girls this age?  Maybe I was my selection was limited but it seemed that I had to choose from stories about hooking up with guys (again, she is 11), dragons/magic/witches, or Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  Don't get me wrong, Little House in the Big Woods is our current favorite (along with the show Little House on the Prairie which we rarely miss each day at 4:00pm) but I didn't really think this kind of book was Haley's style.  So, I fell back on good ol' Nancy Drew.  I thought it would at least keep her attention in a wholesome way.

When my girls saw how this pillow works, they immediately started requesting one of their own.  I definitely see more of these in my future.  At the party, this pillow was up against other gifts like a Karaoke machine, American Idol dvds, gift cards galore, a mp3 player, and on and on!  I was proud to offer something so low-tech and heart-felt.  I am not sure that it was received with the same enthusiasm...but that is understandable I guess. When she opened it, Carl was so sweet. He read my mind.  He gave me a little pat on the leg and said, "It was really neat, Honey- you did a really nice job on it." 

I had fun making it.  The pillow turned out cute, and it is the thought that counts right? Happy Monday.

friday night = pizza night

We have started a little tradition around here.  For the last few months most Friday nights are "pizza nights".  Homemade pizza nights.

It is easier than you might think. During the summer months we grill them on the barbecue- yummmm.  I use my bread maker to mix and knead the dough.  The cycle takes 1 hour and 20 minutes and makes two crusts. I just dump in the ingredients and wait for the beep that tells me it is done. I know that bread makers have kind of gone out of fashion these days.  They are plentiful at thrift and second hand stores for less than $10- but I love mine and use it a lot. Here is the recipe that I use for the crust:

1 cup + 2 TBS water

2 T olive oil

1.5 cups of whole wheat bread flour (regular whole wheat flour works too)

1.5 cups of white bread flour

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp (approx) Italian seasoning

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

2.5 tsp yeast (for bread machines)

Place ingredients in the machine in the order listed.  Use the dough cycle which will knead and allow for rising. Remove dough and divide in two.  Roll each section out according to the thickness that you prefer and top with favorite toppings.  Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 min. ** Bread machines vary and you may have to adjust the water and flour measurements.

I just use the ready made sauce in the jar (how "un-Martha" I know) and our favorite toppings include canadian bacon and pineapple for the kids and tomatoes, artichokes, fresh basil and mozzarella for the adults.  Recently, we invested in a pizza stone- although I don't really notice any major improvements in the taste of the crust.  The round pizza baking sheets work fine too. 

The girls really look forward to pizza night and are starting to get creative with it.  Tonight Hannah asked me if there was any way that we could incorporate shrimp on to her side of the "kid" pizza.  I told her I would have to think about that one.

Cheers to Fridays and preparing/eating wholesome homemade meals together!

seeds, dirt and tiny hands

I love fresh herbs. Over the summer I was swimming in basil...how I miss it!  I was gifted a beautiful kitchen window garden last Mother's Day (thank you Carl) and it came with seeds to grow herbs de provence- which I did.  It was wonderful to watch it grow above my sink- and even better to clip some foilage for cooking.  Once the summer was over I unthinkingly packed it up.  I guess I just figured that the growing season was over- inside and out. So a few weeks ago I thought about it getting it out again (when I paid $2.99 for some fresh dill).  There isn't any reason that I shouldn't be able to grow them inside- even if it it winter.  While the ground outside is covered in about 10 inches of crusty snow, it is a balmy 70 degrees inside.  So I put my helpers to work.  They loved getting their fingers in the dirt.

We planted cilantro, lavender, and basil yesterday.  This morning Hannah asked if there were any sprouts yet.  She is quite patient like her mother. 

Grow little seeds grow!

downsizing

I have a habit of cramming warmish eggo waffles slathered with peanut butter in my mouth while packing lunches, ironing uniforms, and french braiding hair in the morning.  It always ends with me feeling rushed and less than satisfied. Lately I have been trying to take more time eating.  The more I can make an event out of a meal...the more I remember eating it (and this prevents me from wanting to eat again in 5 min).

My Tante tells me that European women do not eat "fat free foods". Nor do they diet.  They just eat smaller portions- sitting down.  So this morning I played make believe.  I was pretending to be French, eating real french toast.  I cut out a hole in my sourdough bread and fried my egg in the middle.  I used butter.  Real butter.  I sat and ate in a small cafe downtown next to a fresh flower market at my dining room table. Then I had coffee.  I love the lattes that my local coffee shop makes.  I buy their coffee and make my own at home most mornings.  For some reason I just couldn't replicate the taste.  I finally asked them their secret.  Are you ready?  Here it is:

Yep, full fat milk.  Great.  I began wondering, "why do I settle for less taste just so I can have more?"  Doesn't it seem to make more sense to prepare foods the way you really like them and just eat less?  I am going for quality over quantity these days.

So, I had to downsize my cup.  The white one looks more French anyways don't you think?  I use a stove top espresso maker but I saw this the other day and think that it would be nice to eliminate the extra step of warming and foaming my milk separately.  Consider that a huge hint Valentine :).

Wanna play pretend with me? Be sure to visualize quaint European settings while eating. Here is the recipe for the puffed oven pancake that we ate this weekend:

2 TBS butter

3 eggs

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. milk (feel free to use whole milk :)

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butter in deep dish pie pan and melt in the oven.  Meanwhile beat eggs until fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. (I think I mixed too much, our pancake was a tad tough).  Pour batter into warmed pan and bake for 20 minutes or so.  Top with your favorite jam and powdered sugar.  And...if you are really feeling European add fresh whipped cream.  Enjoy!!

a.m.

Mornings are good aren't they?  Saturday mornings are even better.  I have always been a morning person.  After about 8pm I am not worth very much- things start to go down hill.  Usually I have to ask, "so how did that movie end last night?" I get this trait from my father.  We have no need for alarm clocks.  For the most part we seem to just wake up when we are supposed to.  Setting an alarm makes me nervous.  It is typical that I wake up at 15 minute intervals before the set time waiting for the "beep".  Even though I am not much of a sleeper-inner, just knowing I could if I wanted to makes Saturdays something to look foreword to. 

So, this Saturday morning we indulged in puffed oven pancakes.

Growing up we always had a "real" breakfast on Saturdays in place of our cereal on weekdays.  I always looked forward to watching cartoons.  (Whatever happened to Looney Toones?  Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Coyote and Road Runner were the best!)

Some of us ate our pancakes with orange marmalade, which we pronounce "marm-a-lawd" in our best English accents. Others opted to eat their pancakes bare.

I have been doing some sewing the last few days.  I was feeling a bit sheepish after such a kind feature over at Sew Mama Sew.  Thank you to all the people who visited!!  It was fun to read all of your comments.  I do hope you come back often!  Anyways, I really haven't sewn very much as of late.  I have been on more of a crochet kick these days.  Hannah is hurting for clothes.  I hate to buy anything for her knowing that spring will soon be here.  So, I whipped out a few skirts for her. (that is all that she will wear)

This is the twirly skirt from houseonhillroad.  I used a light-weight denim and some vintage trim I have been saving.  I love this pattern.  It is so easy.  I especially love that it doesn't require a double fold hem- those are the worst.  I will do almost anything to avoid them.  Like sew ribbon on the edge as you would bias tape.

Not the greatest picture, but a super easy pattern from the Autumn 2005 issue of Ottobre. And yes, I finished the edge with ribbon.  I have had this fine-wale corduroy since October.  Better late than never I guess.  I made it a tad big so that she can wear it again next fall.

I took Mama K's advice and turned one of the thrifted sweaters into longies for Laurel.  They work great over cloth diapers.  Wool absorbs wetness especially when it is lanolized (I use this and this).  Normally I would use the sleeves and make pants using this technique...but I wasn't sure that they were long enough so I used the britches and bloomers pattern again.  Whew! That was pretty linky.

Hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning!