summer harms

winning at celery

2012-02-27T13:58:00.000-06:00

For years I've wanted to like this stalky stuff, and now I've finally figured out my strategy for eating it.

1. with almond butter. for some reason this is a better pairing than peanut butter for me.
2. in juice. as in, freshly-pressed juice to start your morning. (i bought a juicer, and i've got a new hobby.) i have been sipping a few celery stalks, a few carrots, and a bit of orange every day. apples make the most awesome mix, so i try to save those for an extra sweet glass on the weekends.

Do you eat celery? I like that it's one of the cheapest veggies to buy organically. I find myself grabbing a couple bunches every time we go to the store now.

in-home retreat

2012-02-24T10:06:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I love to sneak away in my house. When I can't be banging around in the kitchen or creaking on the hardwood floors because shhhhh! Hadley is napping. I'll steal away to our bedroom upstairs or the guest room.. there's something self-indulgent about hanging out in the guest room. Just like there's something thrilling about sitting on top of a bed that's neatly made; perched on top of the covers with a quilt on my lap. It's one of my guilty pleasures. I almost never nap during these retreats. I am usually so pumped that I am sitting down and have two free hands, so pleased with the success of a sleeping baby and a cozy spot, that I couldn't possibly fall asleep.

Now, I say this like it happens a lot. Like I just sit around on beds until Grant comes home. ha ha ha HA. Not really. That's just not how life works, no matter how many kids you do or don't have. But every once in a great while, an opportunity pops up for a teeny retreat. Just a moment or two of quiet. To sigh, close my eyes, pray, be in a different room of my home. Do you ever retreat at your house? Let me encourage you to make your bed and go sit on it!

kombucha

2012-02-23T08:22:00.004-06:00

what it is. what you do with it. why you want it. how you make it.

kombucha is a fizzy tea-based beverage. it's tangy and bright and sparkling.
if you like the taste of cider vinegar, you will love kombucha tea.
you drink kombucha for fun, for your health, or both. read about all the awesome benefits! (it's detoxifying, cancer-preventing, probiotic rich, digestion improving, anxiety reducing..)
you'll see it at Whole Foods by the cold bottled fruit drinks (please buy the strawberry kind of G.T.'s kombucha sometime. uhhmazing), but you'll have to shell out $4 a bottle.
you can make it at home for super cheap!
kombucha is made by fermenting tea (just regular old tea) with a scoby.
a kombucha scoby looks like a wet pancake. don't be too scared of it.
SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. in other words, the good stuff we want in our gut.
making kombucha is easy. drinking your homemade kombucha is fun. buy some swing-top bottles and it's like having a teeny tiny brewery in your kitchen.

so. would you try it? do you already drink it? and you want it every day? let's make some!

Home Brewed Kombucha

get your gear: buy a starter culture (scoby), or find a friend who can give you one. you'll also need a pot, a gallon glass jar, thin towel, rubber band, and tightly sealing bottles or jars for bottling

3 quarts filtered water
1 cup organic sugar
5 black tea bags, organic
1 kombucha scoby
1/2 cup kombucha tea from a previous batch (or store-bought kombucha)

**these amounts are for making 1 gallon of tea. if you'd like to start smaller, you can make 1 quart! use 3 cups of water, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 or 3 tea bags, 1 scoby and 1/2 cup finished kombucha

1. Make the tea. Add filtered water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, pour in the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the tea bags and remove the pot from the burner. Let steep for 3-4 minutes and then remove tea bags. Let most of the steam out, then cover and let cool. (this takes awhile, so plan ahead.)
2. Prep the 'bucha. When the tea is at room temp (if it's too hot it can kill the starter culture) pour it into the gallon glass jar (or quart jar if you're making the small batch). Add 1/2 cup of kombucha from a previous batch and the scoby to the jar. Cover the jar with a thin towel or coffee filter, something that will let a bit of air in but keep dust out, and use a rubber band to secure it.
3. Let it do it's thing. Leave your kombucha undisturbed in a warm, dark place for several days to let it ferment. You'll know you have finished kombucha when you see a new baby scoby has grown! And depending on how sweet or sour you like it, you can let it ferment anywhere from 4 days to a couple weeks. One week is pretty average. Just give it a taste and if it's too sweet for you, let it sit longer. Keep in mind that the fermentation process takes longer in the winter, or if your kitchen is cool, like mine. Still, 7 days is about right for our tastes.
4. Bottle it. When the kombucha tastes just right to you, remove the starter culture (there should be 2 scoby's now) and put them in another bowl or glass jar. Pour enough kombucha over to completely cover them. Set aside. Pour the finished kombucha into pretty soda bottles or glass jars, seal, and store in the fridge. As you pour you should see lots of tiny bubbles. You want to keep the bottles tightly sealed so it stays nice and carbonated!

What to do with your starter culture: You can either start the process over again with both of your scoby's, give one away to a friend, or add one to your compost. Or, you can take a little break from brewing and just leave your scoby's covered with kombucha and a dish towel in a cupboard. It will stay alive without any babysitting. If after a couple weeks you are concerned about starving your little scoby's, add a couple cups of sugared tea or some store-bought kombucha. They'll be ready to roll when you want to make your next batch.

My scoby supply is thriving. If you'd like to buy one of mine, leave me a note in the comments!

Next time we'll talk about flavoring your kombucha with fruit. oh goodness.

being a student

2012-02-22T07:34:00.000-06:00

Lately I've become a student of a few things.

of Steve Jobs. I am reading his biography, the 500+ page one (whoa), which is basically the story of the greatest company ever. It's extremely fascinating, and full of words like "diodes" and "bitmapping." Did you know Steve originally wanted to call the Macintosh "the Bicycle"? crazy.

of Cheeseslave's Healthy Whole Grains online class. Totally registered for this. It starts this week. Can't wait!!! (Hurry and register if you want to get the launch discount!) By the way, did you hear that Grant bought me a waffle iron for valentine's day?!

of Mad Hungry. Not typically a fan of cooking shows, I am surprised at how much I like this. Usually I just get embarrassed for the person I'm watching.. it's so unnatural. But Lucinda Scala Quinn is a pretty smooth sailor, and I've actually tried several things that I've learned from her. So, I dvr it for when I'm on the couch nursing Hadley.

of the U.S. Constitution. Grant and I are watching the e-course Constitution 101 offered by Hillsdale College. (hello, Bethany and Elsa!)

of Downton Abbey. Well, I'm more of a fanatic than a student. But maybe I am learning a little lesson on 1920's culture in England :) I hope my sisters are watching this. I hope you all are watching this. I hope you get a little shiver when you hear the theme music play. (I'm in love.)

cozy days at home

2012-02-20T17:55:00.000-06:00

are my favorite, I think. We thought about making a quick trip to a city somewhere on President's Day, but both of us have declared that we're really glad we stayed here today.

Today has been one of the days where we stay in and enjoy. We focus on good food and getting chores done. We make smoothies. We have "dinner" at the noon meal. We enjoy the giant snowflakes that fell all day long. We eat soup for breakfast (me. I did that.) We turn on the Harry Potter soundtrack. We make venison stir fry. We fold laundry and run the dishwasher. We bake sunflower seed cookies. We call direct tv about our bill, again (Grant). We take two 2-hour naps (Hadley). We put some chili on for tomorrow. We wonder at how the day passes so quickly when we're all home together all day.

Pretty nice for a Monday in February.

scrambled eggs with sauerkraut salsa

2012-02-20T09:35:00.001-06:00

Let's bend the rules of winter, shall we? Let's not get sick. We're on the homestretch, I can feel it. And I can really feel a difference in my body this winter. Remember when I talked about friendly bacteria food? On that subject, I have a tale to tell..

I catch the same bug, every year, a few times a year. I know it well, I can predict it's course, and I've yet to beat it before it's full-blown. Until now. Part of why I love my probiotics, as well as some nutrient-packed chicken broth (I have a mug every morning), is this boosted immune system I am currently enjoying. It's amazing. Where I usually would've had a couple rounds of the sore throat/sinus infection junk by now, this winter my body is fighting back and I've felt healthier than ever. No phlegm! Praise the Lord! because I still haven't figured out how you can be a mom and be sick. Fellow mothers, please advise on this matter.

Scrambled Eggs with Homemade Sauerkraut Salsa

3 eggs per person

coconut oil for frying

shaved parmesan cheese

salt, to taste

salsa for topping

Melt a tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs directly into the skillet and scramble. Layer well-salted eggs in a cereal bowl with parmesan cheese. I do a couple layers of eggs, cheese, eggs. Top with a heaping spoonful of sauerkraut salsa. Eat while steamy.

So I have this yummy cold-fighting recipe for you today. It's what I eat for breakfast every morning; quite possibly the breakfast of winter champs. Sizzling scrambled eggs, layered with tangy parmesan cheese, and topped with spicy homemade sauerkraut salsa.. a kimchi-like concoction that Grant and I created, and it's very yummy with tortilla chips.

KIMCHI: if you've been watching Top Chef this season, you will be familiar with this foodie term by now. if not, let me explain: kimchi is basically like sauerkraut, but with bonus flavors. it's a fermented Korean side dish, usually has a cabbage base, as well as a variety of other spices and veggies. so, think exciting, colorful sauerkraut!

Sauerkraut Salsa

1 large red or green cabbage, cored and shredded

3 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 large red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 or 3 anaheim or poblano chilies

2 jalapeño peppers

handful of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 T. sea salt

4 T. whey (you can substitute with an extra T. of salt if you don't have this)

*I do all of my veg prep in the food processor, pulsing until it gets to be a small coleslaw-like texture. You can make it as coarse or fine as you like. And since you're going to all the work anyway, might as well make a huge batch, right? I triple or quadruple this recipe :)
**My salsa is pretty pink from throwing a red cabbage into the mix.

In a large bowl, combine all the chopped veggies with cilantro, salt, and whey. Pound with a meat hammer, or knead with your hands, until juices have released, about 10 min. This creates a nice brine. Place the mixture into 2 quart-size glass jars, packing it down as hard as you can, until the juices come to the top. The top of the salsa should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars. You can stuff a folded cabbage leaf into the jar to make sure the salsa stays under the juice, I like to do this. (Everything submerged= no mold.)

Cover jars tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days, or more if your house is cool. Fermentation takes longer in lower temps. Transfer to the fridge when you're ready, and eat with cheesy scrambled eggs or tortilla chips!

Since it's the dead of winter, I let mine go for 5-7 days. I also put the jars into a cooler with an old towel to try to keep them at a stable temp. You don't need to do this, but it's a nice way to keep them cozy. (pressure builds inside the jars as salsa ferments, so be aware that there may be leakage and the lid may pop when you open the jar. this is normal.)

What are your favorite foods to fight colds?

homemade reese's peanut butter cups

2012-02-16T06:10:00.000-06:00

so, candy is about 100x better from your own kitchen. this peanut butter filling is scandalous. i can't remember the last time i really felt i needed to lick the spatula clean, but there was a sense of need here. that spatula was done licked clean. the taste isn't authentic factory-made reese's, but it's powerful. superior, even. somehow reminiscent of a peanut butter pie, minus the overload of vanilla pudding. i've been toying with the idea of giving these to grant for so long, and now it's done. and will be repeated again soon. because these are just insane.

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
adapted from the nourishing gourmet

peanut butter core:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup ground nuts (i used sunflower seeds, which were perfection)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. honey
pinch of salt

chocolate coating: 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 2 T. honey

In a small bowl combine all peanut buttery ingredients and mix well. Spoon into muffin cups and place in freezer. While that's chilling, combine chocolate sauce ingredients in a 2-cup measuring glass and place in a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring, until everything is just melted and remove from heat. Spoon chocolate sauce over the chilled peanut butter mixture and place back in freezer. Freeze for 20 minutes, remove from pan immediately, using a butter knife to pop them out. Store in fridge or freezer. Makes 10 big peanut butter cups.

this chocolate coating is rather deep and dark, which i loved. if you like more of a milky mellow chocolate, feel free to cut back on cocoa or add more butter and honey.

by the way, i am making these next Halloween. they're so easy! don't let me forget.
enjoy!!

happy valentine's day

2012-02-14T17:10:00.000-06:00

grant's example to his students today of how to make a valentine. it's for me :)

Grant is making me dinner. (it's a surprise!)
I am making him dessert. (chocolate sauce involved.)
Later we will cozy up and read The Hunger Games. (out loud. on the couch.)

I call this splendid. (romantic.)
Happy Valentine's Day. (to you and yours.)

In my next post: grant's valentine dessert. (you will want it.)

Hadley

2012-02-13T07:43:00.001-06:00

hey, girl.

you're really cute. you're good at playing, pursing your lips, whispering to your toys, holding your spoon, waving, and standing up next to the couch. your cheeks are irresistible, you're not quite eight months old, and you're the best.

satisfying things

2012-02-09T09:22:00.002-06:00

I've been reading Psalm 103 daily, for over a year now. I love it so much.

He satisfies us with good. Think about that. As a general rule, we are hard to satisfy. But this verse assures that He provides everything that is wholesome and constructive for me. Lately the Lord has been teaching me about being content. As a new mom, I'm often discontent with what I'm not able to get done each day. As a selfish girl, I'm discontent with how much time I have for myself. Too often, especially in the winter, I think I'm discontent with the whole season. I am controlled by the calendar; letting myself be driven only by whatever exciting thing is up next.

Why hold out for the future, or for more time, more anything, when He can satisfy me today. Not only does He satisfy us through His Word, and with a deep joy in knowing Him as Savior, He orchestrates every minute of the daily grind providing the daily bread of grace. He works in real, perceptible ways. I've been purposely looking for the small, satisfying things He allows me to enjoy; every happy little moment is from Him. Sneaking my sleeping babe safely back to her crib and letting me get an extra hour of sleep? That is extremely satisfying grace. Standing at the kitchen window with a steamy mug or working alongside my husband on dishes or being showered and breakfasted before lunchtime.. all so satisfying! Once I start seeking out the satisfying things, it's clear to me that the Lord cares about today. I am thankful for this. And the more thankful I am, the more contentment flows in.

Lord, may I be satisfied in You today.

coconut flour banana bread

2012-02-08T09:47:00.001-06:00

Some things I really appreciate this week: new library books, the baby in bed with us on weekend mornings, getting things done while dinner bakes, no tv nights, and this banana bread. This, my friends, is my favorite coconut flour recipe to date.

I had prepared myself that this loaf might not turn out like true banana bread... could I really swing an authentic banana bread on my special diet? I wasn't sure. But I had to go for it.

Happy to report, this banana bread is delightful. Most importantly, it's moist. And dense! It even has a glazey kind of crust on top. Mellow-sweet and cut into thick slices, it reminded me of pound cake. The coconut taste is barely there, and the cinnamon brings out the banana flavor without being intense. I usually prefer my banana bread cold (weird?) but you must eat this hot out of the oven. I fell in love.

Coconut Flour Banana Bread
adapted from Nourished and Nurtured
GAPS friendly, grain and gluten free

2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
6 eggs
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Melt butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the honey to the warm butter (or oil) and stir to combine. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk eggs until frothy with a hand mixer, about 1 minute. To the eggs, add salt, vanilla, and butter-honey mixture and mix well. Measure out coconut flour and, while holding a strainer over the bowl, add it to the wet ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps. (while I normally skip sifting, coconut flour likes to clump, so I do take an extra minute to do it here.) Add mashed banana and cinnamon and mix well.

Pour batter into a generously greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes before sneaking a piece, if you can stand the wait. Enjoy warm from the oven with lots of butter. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container.

coconut flour banana bread, in my favorite loaf pan

and i haven't forgotten about all of you lovely wheat-eaters! here's a link to my favorite banana bread recipe with regular wheat flour :) it's delisch.

pickled carrot sticks

2012-02-07T05:07:00.000-06:00

Hi guys. If you read my probiotic post the other day, I wanted to mention one more thing. You don't have to be somebody to try fermenting. I used to see the term "lacto-fermented" and immediately thought, okay, that's over my head, that's not me. I was scared. But now I know how easy it is..

1) put something in a jar. 2) let it sit. It's way easier than canning! Do you have some glass jars in your house? great. You're ready to go. I only started fermenting things in November, so I'm no expert, but you can see I already love it. It really is a cinch. Right off the bat, as soon as my first batch of 'kraut was finished, I started eating something probiotic at every meal, and filling my cupboards and countertops with more ferments. It's totally a normal thing now. It's totally my hobby.

If you want to try your hand at it, here's a very simple recipe to start with: pickled carrots. these are completely amazing. crunchy, garlicky, dilly, perfectly pickle-y.. but in a carrot stick. We always keep carrots on hand so it's easy to whip up a new batch, because they go fast.

Pickled Carrot Sticks

from the nourishing gourmet

6 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

3 cloves garlic, quartered

1 T. chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp. dried

1 T. sea salt

1 T. whey (you can use an extra T. of salt if you don't have whey)

filtered water

Place carrot sticks into a quart mason jar and add the rest of the ingredients, shaking gently to settle the carrots if needed. Fill to within 1 inch of the top with filtered water. Cover tightly and allow to sit at room temp for 4-7 days. You can try them at 4 days and see if you want them to be more sour or not; to get them more sour/soft leave them out at room temp longer. Because the carrots are more dense than a classic pickle, they take longer to ferment. They also stay crunchier, which I love.

After fermenting at room temp, store them in the fridge- they last for months!

In my last batch, I added some red pepper flakes for a little pop. Can't wait to try them.

If you're curious, "lacto-fermented" simply means it is fermented with lactic acid, or whey.

you know you live in a small town

2012-02-06T09:45:00.000-06:00

if locking your house seems a bit much.
if you can smell the coffee shop's roast wherever you are in town.
if you say you live "in town."
if the UPS guy just walks in your kitchen door to drop off a package.
if snowstorms make you think about going into a ditch, rather than getting in an accident.
if everyone gives 4-digit phone numbers, because the first 3 are always the same.
if tater tot hotdish is on the school menu. (maybe that's a minnesota thing?)
if random people know what you pay for rent.
if your chiropractor tells you, "your grandma called and wants you to stop by when you're done."
if you have to look decent at the gym. you will see someone you know on the treadmill next to you.
if it's wintertime and all the cars in the grocery store parking lot are left running.
if you rent your movies from a green box, instead of a red one.
if you get waved at whenever you leave the house.
if you've forgotten about stoplights.

some lessons learned by a city girl.
maybe not so city anymore.
(i've let go of locking my car.)

meeting Rick Santorum

2012-02-02T19:56:00.000-06:00

if you follow me on twitter or facebook, you've probably already heard the news. we had a brush with celebrity the other night when we saw Rick Santorum! so fun to see someone in real life that you see on the news every night- and i got to shake hands with a presidential candidate! for a newsy girl like me, this was super exciting.

probiotic staples

2012-02-01T17:29:00.000-06:00

Without realizing it, I have a 2012 resolution. I'm going to eat some kind of probiotic food every day.

You've been hearing about probiotics lately, haven't you? New commercials are popping up every day advertising some kind of balance your digestion probiotic formula. Just watch for them! The world is realizing what our aching tummies and weak immune systems have been missing... probiotics to the rescue! right? Only probiotic supplements can be expensive, and some of them may not be very effective. Did you know that you can get those extremely good for you probiotics in your food? That's what I've been doing!

So what do I mean by "probiotic food"? I mean fermented food. When you ferment something, you saturate it with beneficial bacteria, creating your own blend of probiotic magic. It's easy, inexpensive, and a streamlined (easily digestible) way to send those friendly little bacteria straight to your gut. These foods usually have a tart, sour, or pickled taste... but have no fear. Once you catch on to the flavor, you won't want a meal without some on the side. Take it from someone who throws a little sauerkraut or a pickle on everything these days.

Fermented foods sound old-fashioned... (ahem, sauerkraut) because they are! The idea is old. Tried and true. We used to ferment foods to preserve them through the winter before we had deep freezers, and, well, preservatives. We lost a valuable medicinal food when we abandoned the idea of fermenting stuff we wanted to keep. But it's not so very lost, is it? You can ferment today! Why not have a homemade pickle instead of a vitamin? Or some homemade root beer?
Here's a great page to read on why fermented food is suuuuuper good for you and how to start.

Some of you have been asking what methods I use to make my yogurt, kombucha, and other fizzy fermented delights, so here's a guide to the probiotics in my kitchen, what it is, how I made it, and my favorite way to use it. (click on the name for a link to the recipe)

Sauerkraut
fermented, finely shredded cabbage. i love sauerkraut with grass-fed beef hotdogs, mustard, and caramelized onions. you should also try it on top of a burger, with sweet squash or potatoes, or with a picnic style meal like cold chicken, deviled eggs, and chunks of cheese.

Yogurt
you know. creamy, tangy, it's made by culturing milk. i love to use yogurt to make thick yogurt cheese, which can then be used just like cream cheese. you'll also get whey when you make the cheese, which is so handy for other fermenting projects. (pictured at the top of this post, in the kerr jar)

Kefir
a fermented milk drink, basically drinkable yogurt. so easy to make! we use it in smoothies, in scrambled eggs to make them extra creamy, as a substitute for buttermilk, and we pour it into our chili instead of sour cream.

Water Kefir/ Kefir Soda Pop
a fermented, fizzy drink made by placing water kefir grains in sugar water and flavoring with fruit. just like soda, but with probiotic benefits. we keep it in a pretty swing-top soda bottle and drink it at dinner.

Kombucha
naturally carbonated sweet and tangy tea. i like to have mine fruit-flavored. now that i bought a kombucha culture starter (called a "scoby" or "mushroom"), i don't have to buy those expensive bottles at whole foods.

Dill Pickles
garlicky, fermented cucumbers. i love to eat them with a burger, egg salad, or straight out of the jar. and there's another kind of pickle i will be telling you about very soon- a new favorite of mine!

Probiotic Mayo
whey is added to homemade mayonnaise to make it even more zesty and healthy. use it on sandwiches, in dips, or on a burger.

there are still more things that i've cultured on my countertops that i have yet to tell you about, so stay tuned! you can probably tell, but i'm pretty excited about bacteria. my body just loves it!

what about you guys? are there any sauerkraut lovers out there? or kombucha addicts? have you ever fermented anything in your kitchen? (on purpose or by accident?)

sprouting lentils

2012-01-23T22:31:00.000-06:00

hi guys! for those of you who are interested in growing some sprouts, here's my simple method.
it takes like 2 minutes. info on why sprouting is good for our tummies: why sprout?

1. pour a 1 lb. bag of dry lentils into two quart jars. rinse and drain, then fill jars with water and cover. (i do this before i go to bed.) let lentils soak 8-12 hours.
2. after the soak (in the morning), drain the water and rinse them again. set your drained jars at an angle in a loaf pan so air can flow. just let 'em sit all day (not soaking, just dry.)
3. in 8-12 hours, (before bed) you can rinse and drain again. place the jars back in the loaf pan. continue this process (rinsing every 8-12 hours) until you see sprouts! mine are usually ready at the next check point- which is on the second morning.

you can let the sprouts get as long as you like, but i stop when they are about 1/4 inch long. they're sweetest at that point. when you're done, just screw lids onto your jars and store in the fridge until you want to cook with them.

for easy covering/draining, you can get some fancy green sprouting lids like mine for cheap on amazon. or use a dish cloth to cover and colander for draining. or you can make some sprouting lids out of cheesecloth! super easy. just cut a square of cheesecloth and screw the mason jar band (not the whole top) over the cloth.

wondering what to do with your sprouted lentils? i know! i hadn't cooked a lentil in my life until recently. they may be humble (and not too pretty in pictures), but man, they are dirt cheap! you cook sprouted lentils just like dry lentils- toss them into a rustic lentil soup, or you can make my favorite chicken chili. also, rachel has a yummy recipe for them including caramelized onions. check out tastespotting for more good ideas!

i especially love this one for cooking lentils like baked beans.
and this one for lentils and fried eggs.

lunch today: green chicken chili

2012-01-19T09:24:00.001-06:00

Here's what I know about today:

Today I woke up on my own, without being summoned by miss Hadley, at about 6 am. (we went to bed at 10 last night! aren't we lucky?)
Today I tweezed my eyebrows and cleaned the bathroom instead of going back to bed. (finally. those 2 things get skipped a lot.)
Today I will read Mockingjay, but try not to go too fast. because then it's all over!
Today I will roast a chicken for dinner. We have to have "the chicken dinner" at least once a week. mm.
Today pilates might be done.
Today I need to write down the recipe for the biscuits we had last night.
Today Grant will come home instead of coaching basketball. yaaaaay!
Today we will dvr/watch the presidential debate together. and make lots of comments about it. Does anyone else think the news is fun? I am so into it.
Today there's a high of -1 degree. That's the high. I will be wearing a scarf and stocking cap in my house. Forget washing my hair.
Today for lunch I am having green chicken chili. I definitely know that.

We love love love this chili! I had almost finished my bowl pictured here, so it looks pretty thin, but it's actually really hearty. You will find me eating this for lunch or a snack several times a week. I make a pot whenever I can, which is every time I make a batch of broth.

(the weekly process: roast a chicken, make chicken broth from the leftovers, make chicken chili with the broth, repeat.)

It's hot and simple and deliciously spicy. Spicy in a chilies kind of way, not a hot sauce way. It suits winter perfectly, and I like that it makes my nose run. We love it with sprouted lentils (method explained next post), which is sort of weird for a chili, but you can use beans if you prefer. Lentils make a nice texture I think, and they have such a mild flavor that the chilies really shine.

Green Chicken Chili

adapted from health, home, and happiness

2 T. olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped (yellow or red)

2-4 anaheim or poblano chilies, or a mix (more is better. these aren't hot.)

1-2 jalapeño peppers

1 T. sea salt

1 tsp. cumin

3 cloves garlic

8-10 cups homemade chicken broth* (I just pour in enough to fill my pot 3/4 full)

1/2 of a 1 lb. bag of dry beans or lentils, soaked

3 chicken breasts (I pop mine in the pot still frozen)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and chilies when the oil is hot, and cook for a few minutes until the onion is tender. Add the salt, cumin, and garlic and stir for a minute more. Pour in the broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Add lentils (or beans) and chicken breasts when it's boiling, turn the heat to low, and let simmer 40 minutes. Snatch chicken breasts out, shred, and return to the pot. Ladle into bowls and enjoy while it's steamy. (It's even good room temperature, too.)

I like to split and scoop an avocado as I eat mine. Be sure to add some cilantro or monterey jack cheese for topping if you like. And I always pour in sour cream, yogurt, or kefir (my favorite) to make it extra creamy and tangy.

Yep, it's going to look sort of foggy green like pea soup. Just embrace it. Dig in and you will love.

*If you need a good recipe, here's the post that I read before I started making my own broth. I find that I love the taste of the broth just plain, so I don't even add any veggies to mine! Super easy.

coconut flour blueberry muffins

2012-01-16T11:38:00.000-06:00

I put my book down in order to make these muffins. Pretty big deal lately. It was snowing outside that day. and when it snows, something sparks in me- the impulse to bake.

Baking is my first love in the kitchen. Grandma once told me that she didn't really love cooking- she loved baking. That was the first I realized that those were two different things. You get that, right? totally. Anyway, I grew up baking. What little girl doesn't love to pick out a recipe, use her mom's stand mixer, and present the steaming result to her dad on a white paper napkin with a glass of milk? That was me. Baking was simply following instructions and getting a chocolate chip cookie at the end. and I loved following instructions. I was very by-the-book.

Now, of course, I have learned to love cooking. Majorly. To the point where it's almost the only thing I do in my free time. Where baking has the comfort of precise amounts and directions, cooking takes confidence. It took awhile for me to gain it, but I'm not too timid now, thanks to lots of practice and inspiration from the blog world. (Truly, reading blogs has been a cooking school of sorts to me.)

Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins
adapted from the wholesome home

3 eggs
3 T. melted coconut oil (or butter)
3 T. honey or crushed dates
1/8 tsp. almond extract (which is basically 1 drop)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup sifted coconut flour
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

These muffins are super simple. They're shorties as far as muffin tops go, but they taste so delicious. We had them with our Christmas breakfast and I couldn't wait too long to make them again.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend all ingredients, except the berries, in a blender or with a hand mixer until very smooth. Line a muffin pan with 6 paper liners and drop a few berries into each cup. Spoon batter evenly between the lined muffin cups (over the berries) and top each with more berries. Bake for 12-16 minutes and enjoy warm with a big pat of butter. **If you want more rise in your muffins and don't mind an extra step, you can separate the egg whites and beat until stiff, then fold them into the batter.**

I've really been enjoying coconut flour lately, as it makes such a nice grain free option. If you've never used it before, don't be afraid. It is more dense than wheat flour and requires a lot of eggs to accompany it, but it bakes up really nice and has a lovely naturally sweet flavor. I just keep it in a ziploc bag in my fridge and use a fork to "sift" before measuring it out.

Today, given the choice between cooking and baking, what would you pick? I'm not sure which one I'd choose... I guess it depends if it's snowing.

hello, you dear old blog!

2012-01-12T16:58:00.002-06:00

well, hello blog! (and all the lovely readers behind it) happy 2012! so it's January, and we've got all winter ahead of us. but this year is really rolling. i'll try to recap my holidays and report on the first dozen days of twenty-dozen.

holidays.

played a few games of Ticket to Ride, Scattergories, Taboo, Charades.
won Trader Joe's gift cards (by winning at said games).
did some team-sudoku on the iPad with Grant.
watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Help, Dive!, and The Thin Blue Line.
read The Hunger Games.
drove the car... slept in the car.
ate clementines, blueberry muffins, cashews, yummy eggs, dirty snowballs, Chipotle.
drank strawberry kombucha.
received a dreamy dutch oven, kefir grains, a new coat, grassfed beef, & a cozy cowl.
spent Christmas money at TJ's and on a food processor and juicer.
shopped the mall with Grandma and aunt Chelsea and a stroller.
listened to family stories, visited friends, shared babies.
new stocking up with Hadley's name on it!

life, now.

reading books, getting to bed on time (most nights), eating chicken chili.
watching the caucus/primary news. (hi, grandma!)
deep into the Hunger Games trilogy, with a brief Breaking Dawn interlude.
just bought Sophie the Giraffe this morning, for my teething darling.
itching to taste my homemade kombucha.. just a few more days!
also brewing some fruity kefir soda pop and experimenting with my new juicer.
filling up our deep freeze.
running over the '12 budget with grant. nothing says January like a new budget.
excited to watch new Parks & Rec tonight!
warmest January ever? we are taking walks without coats.
feels like spring, but the Christmas decorations are still up.
so happy to see snow yesterday. the world got all gray and white, just like January.
my little doll is sitting up so sturdily and playing with her blocks and fake coughing.
my guy is in the thick of basketball season and excited about doing our taxes.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:02:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, friends!

Grant and I will be carrying on the Christmas tree camp out tradition tonight, and leaving for Nebraska at 4 am! How are you celebrating the Savior's birth? We'll be at my parents' house for the next few days, and then I will see you in 2012!!

....

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

....

Isaiah 9:6

Joy to the world!

on the twelfth day of Christmas..

2011-12-24T07:57:00.000-06:00

i think i've saved the best for last.

today's Christmas treat: peanut butter balls with banana and coconut, rolled in coconut sprinkles, and frozen. i present to you: dirty snowballs.

grant and i knew we wanted peanut butter balls with coconut this year. i created the coconut sprinkles, but adding the banana was his stroke of genius. you have to try this flavor combination to believe it. then, and only then, will you understand why i keep digging into my freezer.

dirty snowballs

2 cups coconut sprinkles*, divided
roughly 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 ripe banana
a few tablespoons shredded coconut (for rolling)

prepare coconut sprinkles. *see recipe here. to a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, banana, and 1 3/4 cups of coconut sprinkles. blend thoroughly with a hand mixer. use your hands to shape mixture into 1 inch balls and roll in remaining 1/4 cup coconut sprinkles (and some plain shredded coconut for pretty color contrast). place coated balls onto a baking sheet and let harden in the freezer. once completely hardened, remove from pan and store them back in the freezer.

just try to stay away from your freezer now.
(these are also yummy at room temp, but frozen or partially frozen is way better.)

on the eleventh day of Christmas..

2011-12-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

has everyone else scampered off from blogland for the holidays now? well. i'm still here. are you still there? we don't start our Christmas traveling until 4 am the morning after Christmas, and i still have recipes to rave to you about, so today (and maybe tomorrow) things will be up and running around here.

i like to be cozy at Christmastime. like, extra extra cozy. like, going out of my way to fill life with little luxuries. i think it's all the little twinkle lights. here are some of the ways i've been pursuing coziness this year..

waking up early to read by the light of the Christmas tree

keeping a Holiday pandora station on 24/7

sipping hot chocolate from my red stripey mug

taking my mini Christmas tree from the kitchen up to our bedroom at night

new pajama pants! (totally Christmas, right?)

thickly thick socks

hot chicken chili at least once a week

watching a Christmas movie every day (and re-watching, lots)

reading the Christmas chapters in my bible every day

late night batch of hot carrot fries

singing carols and wearing scarves around the house

bundling up with a quilt and turning down the heat (it's not that cold this year)

listening to my favorite acoustic Christmas album and soaking in the tub

spreading a blanket on the floor to make a gift-wrapping station

feasting on candy coconut sprinkles

…..

today's tradition: is brand new. i am going to be making these sprinkles every Christmas from now on. honestly. i won't forget about them, because i am completely addicted. they taste like browned butter and exactly like Samoa girl scout cookies! i love them so much, i wrote a poem for them. :)

i eat them plain,

they are insane.

i will eat them on cake,

every time i bake.

i eat them on toast,

and that's worth a boast.

i put them in a ball,

with peanut butter and all,

and wish a merry Christmas,

merry Christmas to y'all.

(hint, hint. there is a yummy peanut butter ball recipe coming your way!)

candy coconut sprinkles

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 T. coconut oil, melted

2 T. honey

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. vanilla

pinch cinnamon

in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. using your hands, mix all together, making sure to incorporate the honey throughout the mix. spread sprinkles onto a large baking sheet. bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes, then re-set your oven temp for 325 and let them continue baking another 15 minutes as it heats. you'll know they're ready when the sprinkles look golden brown and smell toasty.

these may be the best thing that hit your mouth this Christmas.

use on top of yogurt. ice cream. peanut butter toast. brownies. cake. and please eat them plain!

on the tenth day of Christmas..

2011-12-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

today's cookie: outrageous chocolate chip. peanut butter + oatmeal + regular chocolate chip cookie= outrageous. (grant's Christmas pick)

grant.
doesn't have classes any more. (except the ones he teaches)
doesn't have to buy any more text books.
gets to come home to his wife and baby instead of driving far away from us.

is done with grad school.

has his masters degree.

how could i have forgotten to tell you guys?! it's the big news of our life. grant is finished! woohoo. i am super proud of him, and so happy to have him home! so happy. those two years flew by, didn't they?

so when grant came home from his final class last wednesday night, i was waiting for him inside the kitchen door, with open arms, and.... peanut butter cookies.
because that is the kind of guy my guy is. he doesn't want cake. he just wants peanut butter cookies.
i made him another batch this week as part of his Christmas gift.

outrageous chocolate chip cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup oats

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream first six ingredients. Add next four ingredients, then stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (do not over bake!). Yields 4 dozen cookies.

what kind of food does your guy like to celebrate with?

on the ninth day of Christmas..

2011-12-22T06:57:00.000-06:00

today's cookie: Suicides. be careful not to choke as you take the first bite! the snowy pile of powdered sugar has been inhaled (and coughed on) by many a Harms. but it is so worth it.

steve is my father in law. steve has introduced me to many awesome things. like shooting a handgun, his baked beans, christmas music playing out on the front porch, and grabbing the salt shaker with a napkin when you're at a restaurant. (those little bottles can be gross!) these crisp buttery cookies are steve's favorite, and when i married into the family, they became mine as well. oatmeal crispies would be their official name, i guess, but the Harmses usually just call them suicides. they are the tops. i'm telling you.

mmmm. i love the smooshing part... making them nice and flat on the pan before they bake. so fun! they taste great straight out of the freezer, by the way. in case you are like me and get desperate for a taste of butter. basically, if you need a snowy Christmas cookie in your life, here. take these.
you're welcome.

on the eighth day of Christmas..

2011-12-20T06:57:00.000-06:00

baked status: the oven has been busy, busy the past two days: dark chocolate brownies got baked over the weekend and are nestled safely in the freezer for later. then yesterday i made candy coconut sprinkles and did all of the peanut butter baking: grant's outrageous cookies, dirty snowballs, and plain old peanut butter cookies. woohoo!

today's tradition: spritz cookies.

my grandma is coming to visit us today! yay! how perfect that i should be posting about spritz today, as she was the one who brought them into my life. thank you, Grandma!

for years, my favorite Christmas treat was the almond bark pretzels. mmm. my twin sister liked the toffee, but i could take it or leave it. (now i would totally take it!) as i got older my tastes gravitated more toward the peanut buttery candies, and i still consider them big faves. but in recent years, i must confess: simple, old-fashioned spritz have moved to the tip top of my list. every year Grandma would bake them in pretty wreath shapes, but i used to think they were boring! what a silly girl. now they are my little loves. packed with butter. butter.. how i have grown to appreciate it. and the hint of almond in the batter is the deal breaker. i cannot imagine anything better.

as simple as they are, spritz can be tough to master. over the years i've tasted many a spritz, but none can hold a candle to Grandma's classics and these from my friend Tesa's oven. thank you for sharing your recipe with me, Tesa! it's super close to Grandma's.

now you have to tell me your favorite Christmas cookie.

maybe i love to make it, too!

image via martha stewart recipes

on the seventh day of Christmas..

2011-12-19T06:57:00.000-06:00

we bake.

Christmas baking is also my number one, best of all, most favorite Christmas tradition. (along with Christmas Breakfast. and stockings. and tacos and caroling. and everything else.) this week is the most bakingest week of the year, so i am devoting the remaining 5 days of Christmas to it. that's right! all Christmas baking, all week long. some of my old favorites and maybe some new ones too.

tradition: when i was growing up, Christmas baking began every year where it always did: The Green Cookbook. Mom's worn-out, falling-apart green binder of looseleaf paper, magazine pages, and newspaper scraps which held all of our beloved recipes. my grandma's pretty cursive penmanship lined so many of those pages. as us girls got older, we got more involved in the baking. i can remember siting in the kitchen making a plan of attack, carefully selecting which cookies and candies would be gracing our table. (of course we had a card table temporarily stationed in the dining room to stash all of our finished products. didn't you?)

here's what could be found within the pages of the Green book.

haystacks

covered pretzels
pfeffernussen

chocolate marshmallow fudgies

rice krispie wreaths

spritz
toffee
scotcheroos

sugar cookies with sprinkles

peanut clusters
fudge, of course

bavarian mints

peanut butter balls

mom, feel free to chime in and remind me of the other 30 i am forgetting.

what did you grow up baking?

this year, since i am eating a little untraditionally (gaps diet), i have an untraditional baking plan! i will still make a few of the Christmas classics, but it has actually been really fun figuring out how to swing new Christmas treats grain free. it's easier than you think. i even took requests from grant and now i feel like i have too many good ideas! here's my plan so far: lime cheesecake (for grant), dark chocolate and date brownies (for me), classic peanut butter cookies (for both of us), lemon blueberry muffins (for Christmas morning), and peanut butter coconut balls (for old times sake). mmm. i can't wait!

on the sixth day of Christmas..

2011-12-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

tradition: caroling!! did you know people still do this? yes. we do! after the taco feast, all the Harmsies get bundled up and bunched into cars. we head out to the front doors of friends and family, bringing them a loaf of Judy's famous homemade bread, shivering and singing our hearts out. i love it.

my favorite moment of the whole holiday is in between tacos and caroling, when we gather in the living room to rehearse our songs. you can't even imagine the wonderful sound until you are in the middle of it. 30 brothers and sisters and sons and daughters singing a cappella in one living room. it's amaaaazing! i can't wait to see Hadley's eyes light up when we start singing this year.

when we get home from caroling, we read the Christmas story and open gifts and have a birthday cake for Jesus! do any of you guys go caroling?

on the fifth day of Christmas..

2011-12-16T13:29:00.001-06:00

the tradition: instead of turkey, the Harms family always has a taco supper on Christmas Eve! yummmm. how lucky that i married into this deliciousness. if you came to the Harms Farm on Christmas Eve, you would see the kitchen island covered with heaping bowls of all the taco fillings of your dreams, homemade guacamole, cilantro and limes, plenty of chips and fresh salsa, and lots of sliced fruit. you'd also see all 32 of us snaking our way around it, piling our plates high and sampling the salsa as we go.

we love to do the chicken for our Christmas tacos in Heidi's chipotle marinade. (have you ordered her soap yet?) :) if you're a Chipotle fan (who isn't?), you will love this concoction.

feliz navidad!

i cannot wait to eat tacos.

on the fourth day of Christmas...

2011-12-15T15:42:00.000-06:00

go ahead. make a paper chain. it will feel like elementary school again.
cut the strips. grab the stapler. link away.
it's soothing. like knitting. or coloring.
i'm hanging mine above my favorite window in our house.
(it's the one where i take almost all my photos.)

on the third day of Christmas..

2011-12-14T08:04:00.000-06:00

let's stuff our stockings with soap, people. and on that note, can we just talk about how nice it is to be showered? i know about the shower. it is a blessed place. after giving birth, i experienced the phenomenon of showering as a mom. the newness of the newborn in the house had steamrolled me. it was incredible. so amazing! but showering was a needed link to normalcy. the simple soap routine felt like an old friend. my two hands were relieved to know exactly what to do in that realm. the shower became a small luxury spot in my world. so why not get a little fancy with my soap?

i don't know much about soap on a rope, but i do know that i tend to stock up on soap at Christmas. it's a little tradition for me. it just feels like the time of year to do that kind of thing. and i don't mean dial soap. i'm talking about lovely, i'm a baby mom now, i'm splurging soap.

growing up, mom would change out the soap at the sinks in our house during Christmastime. it was such a treat to wash our hands with cranberry ice or fraser fir or some pepperminty variety. this year, i'm getting my Christmas soap from the newest shop on the scene. my sister in law put her handcrafted soap on the market! i am super excited. she just opened. for a couple years now, our family has been spoiled with Heidi's yummy smelling soaps. they are my fave. i even use her unscented bar as my face wash. pop over to

Heidi's Shop

to see her super affordable soaps. i'm getting a few of the rosemary mint and a couple cedarwood. there's even hard lotion bars, too! perfect stocking stuffers. order yours today!

merry Christmas to you, and may all your sinks smell nice.

on the second day of Christmas

2011-12-13T11:04:00.000-06:00

i have so many happy memories of Christmas Breakfast. (thank you, Mom!) it's my favorite of all my family's traditions. the smell of the eggs baking and coffee perking as we dig into our stockings just slays me. i've always been extra enthusiastic about the morning meal, but then on Christmas.. it's magical.

yes, i think there's something to the idea of combining Christmas with breakfast food. it feels so right. and i love how on holidays, with a houseful of family, breakfast stretches out almost to the cusp of lunch. hence, the beauty of holiday brunch.

this eggy spinach parmesan dish is the epitome of brunch fare. please make it! it's incredibly versatile. you can eat it hot, cold, room temp... you can eat it plain, with a generous slice of monterey jack (my fave), or topped with homemade mayo and Christmas ham. it's already a sister to quiche, but by adding a few things you can turn it into true quiche in a snap. (see bottom of post for recipe)

last friday, my mother in law invited a couple of us Harms girls over for brunch. it was majorly scrumptious, and so fun to have a cozy time together over cozy food at their cozy farm. (with our cozy little babies!) she served us scrambled eggs and sausage, citrus punch, roasted zucchini with parmesan, and her gingerbread waffles. can you imagine a better menu? seriously, if you want to give someone a sweet Christmasy gift, invite them for brunch! make them waffles! they will love it.

spinach parmesan quiche variation:
increase spinach to 1 cup and cheese to ¾ cup. decrease eggs to 3.
to egg mixture add ⅓ cup cream cheese, ⅓ cup milk, and 4 chopped green onions.
bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes. crust optional.

(grain free for me? yes! judy made my waffles out of my butternut batter! isn't she sweet? they were so wonderful smeared with coconut oil and topped with extra extra cinnamon. i felt totally in on the waffle fun.)

on the first day of Christmas

2011-12-12T07:20:00.000-06:00

let the 12 days of Christmas begin! and where better to start than a hot cup of coziness? word to the wise: relaxed, coffee-drinking shopping is the way to go at Christmas. have you noticed that like 70% of Christmas shoppers are walking around with a cup of hot something in their hands? it's like we cannot dream of touching a cart at Target with both hands. no. one hand must contain Starbucks. you must master the one-handed driving of a shopping cart so you can keep sipping. you must. (i actually love this phenomenon. it kinda makes me feel like we're all upping the cozy level of Target.)

a chai latte has been my Christmas drink of choice this year. warm and peppery, silky smooth.. it's so cozy i can hardly wait for another mug. and i've been making my own! it's the perfect way to start a nighttime. i recommend the following routine:

1. once your babies are asleep/the dinner dishes are cleared away/laundry has been started or finished/lunches made/house is picked up/work is done, go to the stove.

2. make chai. pour it into a mug and watch the steam rise.

3. take your steamy mug by the handle and pad around the house in your thick socks while it cools.

4. find your Christmas tree. stare at it. sip. stare. sip. enjoy.

5. then go sit yourself down at the computer where you can Christmas shop on amazon or write that blog post you want to write or huddle into the leather recliner with a blanket and maybe watch A Christmas Story. continue sipping while it's piping hot.

homemade decaf chai concentrate
adapted from cheeseslave

½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp nutmeg
2 pinches ginger
1 cinnamon stick (2 inches)
cardamom/peppercorns/ anise are also great, but i didn't have these in my cupboard:)
4 ruby red spiced rooibos tea bags (i used the trader joe's brand)
4 cups water
milk or coconut milk
honey

1. add all loose spices to a coffee filter. bring edges of filter all together and tie with a string. presto! a homemade tea bag.
2. fill a saucepan with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. add your homemade tea bag and the 4 rooibos bags to the pan. turn off the heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
3. at this point, remove the rooibos tea bags. leave the homemade tea bag and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. or you can just let it steep all day. (24-36 hours)
4. when finished simmering/steeping, remove tea bag and pour into a glass jar to store in the fridge. keeps for about a week.

to make your latte: pour half a cup's worth of the chai concentrate into a small saucepan. turn the heat on and let it get nice and hot. add honey to taste; stir until blended. stir in milk or coconut milk. pour into a teacup or mug and enjoy.

wishing you many merry mugs.

what's your cozy Christmas drink of choice?

welcome to!

2011-12-11T22:51:00.001-06:00

starting tomorrow.
i've got something special cooked up.

12 days of sweet stuff about Christmastime. our traditions + things to make, do, enjoy.

yours, summer

pumpkin bars with salted cinnamon "icing"

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

**disclaimer. this is an unsweetened treat. if you are not on a sugar/starch restricted diet, i have no idea if it will taste good to you or not. try it to find out!**

so, i made it through thanksgiving on the gaps diet. it was actually awesome! i had a full plate, seconds, leftovers, … and dessert. naturally sweet pumpkin bars made a perfect substitute for traditional pumpkin pie. in fact, i think i like them better than pie. i've always preferred cookies or bars. i bet i'm not alone on that. anyway, they smell as yummy as pumpkin pie in the oven.

these squares remind me a little of custard. if you choose to make them with the coconut flour they will be a little more dense like a traditional cake-bar. i like them both ways. they're great hot out of the oven (as they are in the photos here), but i really love them iced down good and cold. store them in the fridge for sure, and maybe even pop one in the freezer for a few minutes before eating. mmm. when they're chilled, you can smear coconut oil all over and pretend it's icing. i always do. but make sure you also sprinkle heavily with cinnamon and sea salt- this finishing touch really gives life to these treats.

i know we are all more familiar with pumpkin bars rather than butternut, but i recommend trying them with the butternut. it is sweeter than pumpkin, really rich and mellow and lovely.

pumpkin and butternut bars
grain-free, gaps friendly, unsweetened
adapted from finding my niche

2 cups butternut or pumpkin puree, or a mix (keep in mind that butternut is sweeter)
¼ cup coconut flour (optional)
1-2 T. cinnamon (can add other pumpkin pie spices such as nutmeg and cloves)
1 T. pure vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 T. plain yogurt (butter or coconut oil also work well, room temp)
8 eggs, separated

crack egg whites into a medium size bowl and set aside. in a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients (including egg yolks) and blend until smooth. whip egg whites until light and foamy, then fold into cake mixture. pour into a parchment-lined and greased 9x13 pan. bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

serve warm, cold, or toasted. with lots of butter! or my "icing." store in the fridge.

salted cinnamon "icing"
(too simple to be a real recipe, but)

coconut oil
cinnamon
sea salt

layer each piece of cake with coconut oil, dust with cinnamon, and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.

what i eat

2011-12-06T06:23:00.000-06:00

a GAPS kitchen is not as scary as you might think. look how harmless mine looks! but it is busy, i will tell you that. as i'm getting ready to head up to bed there are lentils soaking by the sink, yogurt dripping in the fridge, and broth simmering on the stove. sometimes there's even stuff culturing on my counter. if that gives you the heebs, don't worry. it grows on you. fermenting is fun! and super good for you. a major part of gaps is filling your body with probiotics, and believe me, we want all of those probiotics! (especially if you've had antibiotics recently) so far i've made yogurt, pickles, beet kvass, and a monster batch of sauerkraut. and i have a kombucha starter on my christmas list! have you ever had a sip of kombucha? yummy stuff, guys.

i know, i am a nerd. a couple months ago i would've been one of you guys clicking away from this post.

but don't leave yet, there's still plenty of normal food to go around! and guys, once you start eating this way, it really (very quickly) becomes normal and super uncomplicated. i cut out grains and sugar months ago, even before i had found gaps, and things got really, really basic for food around here. that's the nice thing about being a bit limited in the kitchen, it simplifies dinner. i'm being honest. i think i enjoy making and eating my food more now than ever! here's our grocery list and typical menu.

you'll notice i don't have any nuts, fruit, or honey listed, which are all gaps-friendly. that's because nuts are crazy expensive, especially if you buy the kind that are recommended and easily digested (soaked). and i haven't been doing fruit or honey yet, so we haven't needed those. hopefully soon!

i'm pretty sure everything listed is gaps-legal (the parmesan "flatbread" is grain free), but maybe not for everyone. gaps is done in stages, and is a very individual thing. it all depends on what your body tolerates. hopefully this gives you an idea of a real life gaps diet. i am always finding new recipes and gaining more meal options, so this list isn't complete. i already forgot to mention crustless spinach quiche! and i promise to share some of those recipes soon! any requests?

best of the weekend

2011-12-05T13:20:00.000-06:00

sight: the blue window light at 5 o'clock- when lamps come on and our living room looks so cozy.
sound: the crunch of snow. jingle bells on our door. carols. it's a wonderful life and the bishop's wife.
smell: pumpkin bars baking (recipe coming soon!). the big christmas tree at church. hadley's breath.
taste: the pumpkin bars, of course. new chili. green onion and parmesan omelets.
feeling: nursing by christmas tree light. harry potter at graham and audra's house. grant coming home from his very last saturday class!
project: the ice rink. using up zucchini. making everything fit in our fridge.

GAPS questions

2011-12-05T05:30:00.000-06:00

hi guys! i'll try to answer all your questions and wonderings from the comments on my GAPS diet post the other day. ps. miss hadley says hi.

1. How is it working for you? Notice any differences? it's going great! it doesn't even truly feel like a "diet" because 1) i eat as much as i want and 2) i seriously love everything i eat. it all tastes so delicious! once you eliminate sugar, i think your tongue starts to appreciate everything else more. and yes, i have seen so many differences! i can tell that lots of stuff is happening inside me- for the good. but, no matter what i eat or don't eat, i am reminded everyday that any healing that happens is the Lord's work and all the glory goes to Him.

2. I'd love to hear more about the foods you're eating and how long you'll be doing it for. i will be doing an in-depth post (with a grocery list!) where i will tell you guys what i eat! as for how long i will stick to the gaps diet, i'm not sure. i think it will probably just end up being a gradual process of incorporating things back into my meals, rather than a finishing point. even once i am "off" the diet, it's not like i will start to eat unhealthy things.. not with the knowledge i have now, and my tastebuds the way they are. i'll continue eating a lot of what i do now, but i will splurge here and there, and probably have some starches/grains. but really, i do enjoy eating such nourishing stuff. (and no junk. you never feel guilty!)

3. What do you do when you go out to dinner or to another person's house? well, we aren't eating out a lot right now, which isn't that sad because Subway is the only option in our teeny town:) when we were in the city, we did eat at Chipotle and it sat okay with me. i still only ordered things that would be gaps-friendly, if not exactly "legal" :) you just have to do the best you can, when you can! basically, we eat at home almost always (this is normal, not a big adjustment) and if we ARE eating somewhere else i will eat beforehand or bring along some things to munch on. it hasn't been a big deal, so i am super thankful!! most of the time if we are eating elsewhere it's at my in-laws' house or my parents' house, where there are always options for me. i think people don't realize how many possibilities there are for easy gaps snacks and meals! (i'll be sharing some, don't worry)

4. I'm curious to know if you have any information about the creator's son's autism? How did she know he was cured? yes! amanda, since receiving your question i found a wonderful article, written by Dr. Natasha herself, telling her son's story of healing. you can read it right here.

this post is part 2 of my little GAPS series. you can also read part one: i'm doing GAPS. part 3 is coming soon with a list of what i like about gaps.

oh happy december!

2011-12-01T09:08:00.001-06:00

it's morning. at this very moment hadley is nestled into her crib, still sleeping away. i am nestled into our attic bedroom. i am showered. yessss. my hair is static-y. i am wearing jeans (aka not pajamas), my lumberjack slippers, and thinking about turning on our little electric heater, which i pretend is a wood burning stove. and i am too scared to creep downstairs for fear of waking up the little girl, because we have got a really good thing going on here. but i am celebrating up here in my chilly room. because it is december! and there is snow! just a little early morning dusting, but it's very happy. snow in december is the best of all! i hope it snows for you, too.

as i sit here thinking decembery thoughts, i'm looking at old photos. they are getting me in the mood. here are a couple from december 2009. doesn't that sound old now? we had just moved into our new house then. i remember how pretty our tree was!

we destroyed it with lights. so glowy! it made our walls look almost pink. and do you remember my sack lunch advent calendar? i loved that thing! maybe i will have to bring it back. and… remember the blizzard?

harms farm. christmas eve 2009.

oooh. i hope we have another blizzard-full season ahead. according to the farmers' almanac (everyone goes by the almanac around here, you know) we are in for a whopper. like, 100 inches of snow or so. yeah. we have winter here in minnesota. no big deal. :)

but back to december 2011. here's what is going on so far:
1. the tree is up. this year we did a mixture of white and colored lights. it actually looks amazing.
2. our tree is not drippy with garland or spangled with ornaments. but it does have lights! 1,300 lights. on a tree that is way too small for 1,300 lights. that's how we like it.
3. if you've been following me on twitter, you know that i have already been watching Christmas movies, a gigantic guilty pleasure in my life. i'm with you guys who melt for The Family Stone. it's on at my house. over and over.
4. i'm letting my hair get dark. darrrrk. hello, winter blonde. at least according to rachel zoe's stylist, natural is so major right now.
5. only 3 classes left until grant gets his masters degree!!!!!
6. hadley is currently into sitting up and smiling so big her cheeks might pop. (she woke up at this point in the writing of this post. we got her dressed and fed and made some eggs for mom. she's playing on the floor now. i should be working in the kitchen instead of blogging...)
7. for christmas music i am enjoying the vince guaraldi trio holiday station on pandora, my old nat king cole stash, and michael buble's new album- which i am listening to on spottify.
8. the christmas quilt is out.
9. grant is planning another ice rink this year!
10. i've started making chai lattes after hadley goes to bed. mmmm.
11. basketball season is in full swing. (grant is coaching again.)
12. i've only gotten a couple Christmas gifts, but that's okay. amazon prime is my bff.
13. pajamas are really big around here. all day. at your house too?
14. we have a ton of yogurt in our fridge. homemade!
15. i will definitely be doing some more posting about GAPS. thank you guys for your awesome, honest feedback and cheering me on! i ate it up. how fun that some of you have been thinking about trying GAPS for yourself! i love that so many of us are thinking about the same stuff. i will be sure to share what i eat and some of my favorite recipes.

mind the GAPS

2011-11-28T20:28:00.001-06:00

so... maybe you've noticed a trend in my recipes lately. what's with the grain free food? and squash? why are some labeled "gaps friendly"? allow me to explain! i am currently eating a certain way to heal my gut (gut = the intestinal tract), and i am using GAPS as my guide. you heard right! i am willingly giving up grains and sugar. (don't worry, it's temporary!) i am making yogurt and sauerkraut and bone broth. i spend my day dreaming of fermented foods to try. do i sound like a weirdo yet? ok. just wait. it gets even better! but first, i better explain some stuff.

GAPS stands for "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" and is a healing protocol that you can follow anywhere from a few months to 2 years in order to heal chronic disease, severe allergies, or mental illness. (paraphrased from Kendahl of our nourishing roots) it was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a neurologist and neurosurgeon who sought an answer for her son who was diagnosed as severely autistic. thanks to her research, he is now cured.

basically, the idea behind the GAPS diet is that gut health = whole health. i was completely floored when i encountered this concept. our digestion affects our whole system, even our brain chemistry! duh! it makes sense that what we put in our bodies would affect how they run. those little bacteria (flora) in your intestine? they are hugely, so hugely important! they make sure we digest our food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate toxins. if the good bacteria aren't healthy and thriving and outweighing the bad, we have trouble, my friends. poor digestion. toxic build up. a compromised immune system. a perfect setting for health problems. i like to think of it this way: "All diseases begin in the gut" (Hippocrates said that. i just quoted Hippocrates! who am i?!) once i understood the concept of the gut being the "second brain" of the body, everything made so much sense!

why do GAPS? people might choose to do the GAPS diet for things as big as autism and depression, or as small as body odor, acne, and feeling bloated! here are some of the symptoms and disorders it addresses:

ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning/behavior/social problems, substance abuse, depression, OCD, manic-depressive, schizophrenia, allergies, asthma, eczema, chronic cystitis, yeast overgrowth/candida, thrush, colic, bloating/gas, indigestion and heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, picky eaters, Crohn's disease, leaky gut (gut dysbiosis). in the GAPS protocol, Dr. Campbell-McBride "teaches how to help conditions that have stumped doctors for years... Until now, the only treatment was aimed at the symptoms, and there weren't whole body evaluations or any lasting help. The answers only involved more medications and side effects." (from kelly the kitchen kop) but now we have GAPS! a "medicine" that gets to the heart of the problem, or rather, the gut. yay!

how did i get started with GAPS? oh wow. after so many hours and hours of research on a thousand subjects! once you start pouring your life -and food- into a tiny baby, you really think differently (extra carefully) about your health. you pay attention to stuff. i had to take an antibiotic this summer, and for me, it only took that one antibiotic to realize how important gut flora is. i just knew something was off inside me. looking back, i now know that i have not had a healthy gut (a proper bacterial balance) for years. (here's a list of symptoms involved with yeast imbalance.) i had heard of GAPS through some of my favorite blogs, but i believe it was this post on the nourishing gourmet that gave me the push to do it.

so, what do you guys think? do you think i am completely mad? i don't even know how weird i sound anymore. i am so into all this stuff. i just talk about it like it's normal. you know, guts and stuff. i could talk about it all day! it is absolutely fascinating to me. are you bored? are you still here?! are you sick of me talking about health nut stuff? who wants to come over to my house and make kefir?!

but seriously, i think i will come back later and tell you some of my thoughts on how GAPS is going and what i actually eat. if that's okay. (i know it's okay, because it's my little blog and you guys are so nice!)

**if you want to read more... awesome posts with better explanations than i can give on the subject:

The GAPS Diet: What it is and Why You Might Consider Doing It.

Gut Health 101

simple roasted cauliflower soup

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

it's so nice to have a pot of soup going.
especially if it is chilly. if have a tiny one to take care of. if you are trying to eat things other than sandwiches for lunch. if you have company coming. if you want to feel housewifey. if you are hungry. if you.. anything.

i loved this soup. i ate it for lunch 3 days in a row, and snacked on it in between. it is simply simple. it might become a weekly thing here. on a weird whim, i gave my first bowl a dollop of cool guacamole… it's the hot-cold thing. i love it! the cilantro in the guac tasted really nice with the cauliflower. try it.

roasted cauliflower soup

1 head cauliflower, roasted*
butter or coconut oil
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth (i'm just guessing, please do whatever looks good to you)
sea salt

guacamole, sour cream, yogurt, cilantro, or parmesan cheese for topping
this soup doesn't require many specifics. feel free to tailor the amounts to your own tongue.

*cauliflower roasting directions right here
heat butter or coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. sauté chopped onion until soft and translucent, add garlic and stir for a minute more. in a blender or food processor, combine chicken broth and roasted cauliflower florets. puree until smooth and soup-like. you may need to do this step in several batches. add cauliflower mixture to the pot and season with sea salt to taste. garnish with your favorite creamy kinds of toppings.

toasty butternut pancakes (grain free)

2011-11-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

so i made these pancakes at 2:30 in the afternoon. yes, i was flipping pancakes at such an hour. it felt strange. pancakes for breakfast? sweet! like on snow days and stuff? yes. pancakes for dinner? of course. like all the time! pancakes at 2:30? ...weird. but let's face it, the batter was sitting in the fridge, i was hungry, my husband wouldn't be home for another 7 hours, my baby was content outside my arms, umm.. i already knew how good they were, and therefore: i was having pancakes! strike while the cast iron is hot, guys. (and please do cook these in a cast iron. mmm.)

so would you like to play a game?

do i love these pancakes because they

a. taste like fall?

b. are mildly sweet and spiced just right?

c. cook up deliciously, delicately dense?

d. use up leftover cooked squash. (or pumpkin puree)?

e. have 5 easy ingredients and are grain free?

f. all of the above.

if you circled "f" in your imagination, you are correct!

butternut pancakes (grain free!)

2 cups cooked butternut squash*
8 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

combine all ingredients in a blender or mixing bowl with a hand mixer. grease a cast iron pan with coconut oil and bring to low-ish medium heat. not too hot, now. use a large spoon to pour small dollops of batter (not much bigger than coin-size) in the pan. wait to try to flip until bubbles appear on top and pancake is clearly a cohesive cake :) enjoy immediately or place on a cookie sheet in a 200-degree oven until ready to eat. or toast them when ready! i call them "toasty butternut" for a reason. i toast mine. so good.

makes about 16 small pancakes.
top with butter, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
these taste sweet enough to me, but if you have a sweet tooth you may want a tablespoon or two of honey in the batter.

*sure-fire way to cook winter squash: cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out pulp and seeds with an ice cream scoop. put squash face down in a dish, fill with 1/2 inch of water. bake at 350, or whatever your oven is at for something else (300 or 375 are great), for about 60 minutes, or until the squash is super soft. remove from oven, flip and scoop out yummy flesh. top with coconut oil and sea salt and enjoy right away, or use in your favorite recipes. or you can put the whole squash, uncut, in the dish with water and bake for about 90 minutes, then do the cutting and scooping at the end.

a roasted chicken

2011-11-20T15:41:00.000-06:00

yep, this is Thanksgiving week and i am posting about chicken. forgive me. it's just so good.

guys, roasted chicken is like a batch of scrambled eggs. … let me explain.

both such simple meals, you can count the ingredients on one hand, yet you put your feet under anyone's table and they will always taste a bit different. they have their method, you have yours. so. i'm not here to tell you how to roast your chicken (or scramble your eggs, for that matter) but i am going to share my little story.

when i married grant i didn't even know how to buy chicken, let alone cook it. i learned pretty quickly, (350 degrees for 45 minutes yields a great, moist chicken breast) but i clung to my boneless and skinless comfort zone. until one day.. ok, it was only a few weeks ago.. i decided i was going to be brave and roast a whole chicken, and a new world opened up. hello, bones and skin! you are my friends! cooking chicken breasts has lost its luster on me. i admit, that first time i was nervous having a whole bird in my hands, but it was a cinch. seriously, so easy. and suuuuper delicious! it has become my favorite dinner. i want it for my birthday.

to encourage you to try going whole with me, and just in case you don't already have your own signature method (i didn't), i'll share what i am doing. but i guarantee it will turn out different in your kitchen, and you will love it that way. and so will i!

whole roasted chicken with carrots

one 5 lb. ish chicken

4 to 6 carrots, peeled and chopped into sticks

sea salt

minced garlic

olive oil

parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme

rinse chicken, inside and out. use a cast iron pan or glass baking dish or roasting pan- pick your favorite. set chicken in the pan (breast-side-up if your priority is crispy skin, breast-side-down if your priority is extra moist meat) pat chicken dry on top and bottom. sprinkle the cavity with salt and stuff with minced garlic. rub the outside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and herbs. my photo at the top shows a pretty sparse sprinkling, i tend to smother it with herbs these days. arrange carrot sticks all around the chicken, give them a drizzle of olive oil and don't be shy with the garlic. roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 ½ hours. remove from oven, let rest 10 minutes for juices to settle into place. carve and serve.

*leftovers!-- when you're stuffed, you get to pick all the extra meat off of your bird and save for meals later in the week. we make ours last and last. it's so nice.

**make broth!-- once the meat is picked off, put the bones and parts into a pot and cover with water. bring to a low simmer, skimming off any foamy scum that rises to the surface. let it simmer overnight, or up to 24 hours. strain, and enjoy!

it's dark-during-dinner season, so we'll have to have a lamplight photo now and then. we'll make it work.

stuffed acorn squash

2011-11-13T20:33:00.001-06:00

at this time last year i was a pregnant person in hiding. wedged into my puffy vest and strategically draped with a scarf- no one knew my little secret! but the squash. the squash knew. squash was making me sick. it haunted me. i could hardly stand the sight of it. the smell was worse. if you had told me then that i would be eating squash right now i would've gagged. but here i am, squashing it up!

no really, i am squash-smitten. i have been roasting squash night after night. it doesn't get old. cut them open (ask your strong husband for help) throw them in a pan and dinner is already started! i am reveling in my new-found friend of a vegetable. on friday night, we ate one of my favorite squashy recipes so far: yummy savory goodness stuffed into the heart of a silky sweet acorn squash, and topped with cilantro! you have to, guys. you just have to.

stuffed acorn squash
adapted from real food freaks

2 acorn squash
1 lb. ground beef (we just got a bunch of grass-fed for our freezer!)
1-2 tsp. a mix of sausage-like seasonings.. i used parsley, sage, thyme, nutmeg, cloves
3 T. coconut oil or butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milled flax
handful fresh cilantro, torn for topping

1. preheat oven to 400. cut squash in half and use an ice cream scoop to remove seeds. place halves, cut-side up, in a glass baking dish and dab a little butter or coconut oil in each one. put about 1/4-1/2 inch of water in bottom of the pan to prevent bottoms from burning. roast for 1 hour.
2. meanwhile, brown the ground beef, adding seasonings as you go. transfer to a mixing bowl to cool. sauté onion and peppers in the same pan, adding the garlic in the last minute. combine veggies with the ground beef. once this has cooled, add the beaten egg and ground flax. use your hands or a fork to mix.
3. after one hour, remove squash from oven. mound the stuffing into the 4 halves and bake for another 20 minutes. let cool for 5-10 minutes, top with fresh cilantro, and dig in.

yummmm. i cannot wait to make this again!
another squarshy idea coming soon.. you should get excited now. it's gonna be good.

homemade mayonnaise

2011-11-10T13:23:00.000-06:00

rich and creamy and way easier than you think. it took me exactly two minutes to make!
i can spare two minutes to get a jar of i-know-exactly-what's-in-this mayo.

now two things before you start.
1) set your egg on the counter a couple hours ahead of time. a room temperature egg will ensure the mayo gets properly whisked and thickened.
2) i have read that macadamia nut oil is perfect for making mayonnaise because of its mild flavor, but i used olive oil. because who keeps macadamia nut oil in their lazy susan?

homemade mayonnaise
2 raw egg yolks*
1 cup of oil
sea salt to taste
lemon juice to taste
dash of vinegar, mustard, herbs, or garlic

add your room temperature egg to a food processor or blender, turn on, and start pouring the oil in.. slowly, slowly. take at least a full minute to pour the entire cup in. mayo should be looking thick, and will thicken a bit more in the fridge. add salt and lemon and seasonings to taste at the end. store in a glass jar in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
use on sandwiches and burgers, in deviled eggs, for making chicken salad, or with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce.

*if you can, please use a pastured egg from a trusty source! raw yolks are super healthy and safe when coming from a pastured egg. hop over here to read about pastured vs. free-range eggs. happily, we have found a few local farmers who supply us with eggs every week!

normal.

2011-11-09T08:53:00.000-06:00

hello, hello, hello!
sorry i've been gone so long.
there has been lots of stuff.
enough said. right? because i've got recipes to share with you and life to update on!

so awhile back someone sent me a formspring asking about the challenges of being a new mom. one challenge i ran into is the concept of "normal." the first few months i had to realize- things are not going to get back to normal. there is a new normal. normal now includes a baby! how awesome is that? and now that we're almost 5 months into it i have reached the point where i've stopped waiting for and wondering what our "regular days" will be like and just started living my day. are you wondering what it's like? okay good, because i want to write it down. someday i will be glad i did.

wake up
somewhere between 5:30 and 7:30 am ish.
(depending on if Hadley hears daddy leave for early morning basketball practice.)
we bring her upstairs to our room to nurse and sing the good morning song.
while she's eating, i use the iPad for my devotions and a bit of Spurgeon.
we like to watch dad get ready for school, check facebook, play words with friends.
we'll usually find a good youtube video to watch while mom gets dressed.
if she woke up on the early side she might go back to her crib for some "finishing" sleep.
(rare and awesome!)

daytime
we head downstairs for the day.
Hadley hangs out pretty happy on the floor or in her exersaucer for a few minutes while i scamper around the house opening shades, taking probiotics, putting dishes away, washing my face, etc.
i hold her on my hip while scrambling eggs.
we go to her room to get her changed and outfitted and usually play on the floor a little bit.
we pray about the day, sing our favorite songs.
we walk around and visit all the mirrors in the house, because that is cool.

we spend the rest of the day before daddy comes home singing songs (lots and lots), walking around the house while mommy tries to do one-handed things, nursing, bouncing, blowing bubbles, watching mom eat with much fascination, talking about silly things, looking in mirrors, smiling and sucking on fists, rolling over, getting new diapers, napping in mommy's lap, sitting in the bumbo or 'saucer if mom needs both hands in the kitchen, more nursing, iPad playing, dancing to a pandora station... and then daddy comes home! yay!

evening
most days daddy has errands to run around town, so Hadley gets to ride along with him. (yay! carseat!) and while they are out and about mommy gets to have both hands to work!
i put on some jazzy music, clean up the kitchen and make dinner.
chopping carrots to bing crosby is a fave.
Hadley and Grant get home and the little girl may be taking a cat nap, if the drive was long enough.
we catch a bit of the evening news, talk about our days, eat dinner- most of the time Hadley will sit pretty happily in her bumbo seat on the table with us now, just watching us stuff our faces.

between 7 and 8 pm the little girl gets ready for bed: cleaned up, changed, and pajama-ed in her room. such a happy girl! she loves this time of day. mom and dad do, too. she's super "talkative" and smiley. we sing "goodnight ladies," mommy reads goodnight moon, make ridiculous noises, and play "1, 2, 3, yay!" (daddy makes up fun games.)

nighttime
we head over to the couch. Hadley gets swaddled and nestled into mommy's arms for one last nurse before bed. mom and dad might watch parks & rec while she is drifting off... and then daddy carries her to her crib. she is usually in bed, monitor turned on, by 9 o'clock ish. and she will sleep all night long. praise the Lord!

i head to the kitchen to clean up dinner, wipe the counters, prep stuff for tomorrow, put meat in the fridge to thaw or a pot of broth on the stove to simmer overnight, eat a snack, get a load of laundry started or do some folding and putting away. sometimes grant and i have business to take care of like making Christmas lists and shopping on amazon and talking about Thanksgiving (yay!), so after Hadley is in bed we meet on the couch for things like that.
then we grab our water glasses, phones, iPad, pump, laundry, (some nights we have to make two trips) and head upstairs to brush teeth and sleep so we can start all over!

and that is a normal day.
it's pretty lovely.
i am thankful for every minute of it.

Christmas is always invited

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

jumping the gun with a Christmas post today? i don't know, but my brain has already been there, doing that. for some reason october is the catalyst... my heart is totally into fall; the spicyness, the chill, the football, the orangey mums... and then suddenly, a dash of Christmas. nowadays, any time i think of something i want to pick up at the store or buy on amazon, it automatically goes on my mental Christmas list. too early? maybe. but it's keeping me from spending money today. :)

if i were making my list today, here's what i'd say.

a. a cozy pair of flats. happy with your flats? fill me in. maybe i need those ones that look bendy?
b. almond butter. mmm. yes. i love asking for food for Christmas. almond butter is expensive!
c. food processor/blender. my kitchen needs some help. (fingers crossed for a 12-cup processor!)
d. new robe. nothing expensive, because it will be getting spit upon. but white is nice for bleaching.
e. the music man. i want to put this movie on our iPad and take it wherever i go in life.
f. weck canning jars. pretty. glass. storage. end of story.
g. herbal tea. grocery store gifts are my fave, remember? i'd like rooibos and chamomile, please.
h. non-maternity yoga pants. i thought my maternity ones would still work… uhhh. no.

and today She & Him released a Christmas album! how fun is that. go take a listen! the previews of the Christmas waltz and sleigh ride sound super sweet. like an updated Carpenters Christmas vibe. definitely going to Spottify this one come december.

The Christmas Waltz
Sleigh Ride

our baby wipes & soap, etc.

2011-10-19T22:02:00.002-05:00

i am thinking back… back, back,

back before i had changed a diaper.. back to the last month of pregnancy.

i felt pretty prepared, (although now i know no one can ever be truly prepared for being a parent) but i was still unready as far as products. what would we need for a baby? what should we use on a baby's bod? and why isn't it in my house already?! i don't know if any of you are at this point, but after a bit of hunting around, i got hooked up with some products that i think are tops.

soap | shampoo: the calendula castile bar by Apple Valley Natural Soap Co.

(scroll down to read bar description)

i emailed the lovely shop owner about which bar she recommends for babies, and she was super sweet! she told me about this castile option and we love it. very creamy, gentle, unscented, and doubles as shampoo. after 4 months, we're still on our first bar, so it's absolutely economical.

you should see all the shampoo/body bar options they have! i could go crazy there. i also bought bug spray from this awesome company over the summer. can't wait to buy from them again.

baby wipes: Baby Bum Drops from Natural Family Botanicals.

(scroll down to read description)

for $12 you get 50 of these drops. 50! this box is going to last us forever. it's so nice. and we haven't had a single diaper-area issue to report, so we are pretty happy about this purchase. here's what we do: put one drop in a cup of very hot water and let dissolve, then pour the solution over a stack of paper towels cut into thirds. boom! baby wipes. and you don't have to run to target when you're out! you can also use the solution on cloth wipes or in a spray bottle, but we like the throw-away option for now.

really, that's it for the day-to-day things. the only other products we've used so far are: California Baby super sensitive everyday, cradle clear lotion, and unrefined coconut oil. oh, and we use Charlie's Soap liquid laundry detergent. can't forget about that!

i've been super happy with everything, so just had to share with you guys.

best of today

2011-10-18T22:42:00.001-05:00

sound: the heat kicking on.
sight: hadley's new closed mouth smile. or her rolling over all by herself.
smell: woodsmoke. i don't love our neighbor's junky backyard, but i will take the smoke smell gladly.
taste: raw apple cider vinegar. proof that grant has taught me something.
feeling: clean sheets and a heavy bedspread in a cold bedroom.*
*disclaimer. must be accompanied by a tall, handsome, warm husband.
blog: family dressed in tweed. monster cookies.

ps. this post was created entirely by my left hand! while nursing!

a warm bowl on a chilly day

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

not chilly where you live yet? i understand. i live in minnesota and this week i've been okay with no socks! crazy, crazy. and those of you who know me know that is big; my feet are wimps when it comes to cold. but hey. everyone, the cold is coming. soon we'll be all wrapped up in our scarves, feet shoved into boots, and pleased as punch about it. or at least i will.

i made this a couple weeks back when it actually was cool outside. a fluke fall day. i was even wearing slippers. think late afternoon, gray skies, thunderstormy, pumpkins on doorsteps, leaves descending from the walnut tree in your backyard… this bowl goes perfectly with all that. i ate it up and felt all steamy inside. it was an amazing snack for me, and so easy, but has also been substantial enough for dinner. several times. it's a new favorite.

quinoa and caramelized onion veggie bowl

apology in advance for these guessing-measurements. i just threw it together. it'll taste good.

½ red onion, sliced
3 T. olive oil
1 small zucchini, or whatever veggie you have
1 cup soaked, cooked quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt, to taste

heat olive oil on medium until hot but not smoking. add sliced onion and a sprinkle of salt. cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. add zucchini (or another veggie) and sauté until desired softness. mix in the quinoa and garlic, stirring for a minute or two more- until everything is well combined and steamy. on a sidenote: i am very, very sad that the zucchini is going to disappear soon. i am eating my fill of it this week. zucchini chips everyday! everybody talks about it like "oh, i just have to find a way to use up all this zucchini..." i have the answer. send it to ME!

what we're listening to today

2011-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

in the fall, i tend to gravitate toward mellow music and jazzy stuff. i'll be honest: i love enya. she fits fall like a glove. also, harry connick jr. is a regular while i'm making dinner. and norah jones while we're changing the diaper. and you know nat king cole is my guy. but today Hadley and i are listening to these two lovelies.

the bottom window is the 2011 music video from our camp maintenance men- grant included, of course. hadley loves watching these guys! (if you like grease, you might enjoy this.)

some of you have been asking

2011-10-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

can you talk more about Hadley? you are so sweet. thanks for caring. i feel like there are so many people that already love my little girl. she is shooting me a smile as i type this, just so you know. we'll say it's for all of you :) so, honestly, i could talk non-stop about miss Hadley. but i have been keeping the spotlight soft as Grant and i decide how much exposure we want her to have. it's just a personal thing. i will be sharing bits and pieces about her i'm sure, but we are still figuring out what feels like it belongs on the blog, and what belongs with us. i know you guys understand, because you are great like that.

Hadley actually has her own blog now! it's a private one, just a little spot for us to stash photos, videos, and leave her notes and document little things like today we read goodnight moon for the first time. it's so nice that we live in a time where there are such things as blogs. i would never get anywhere with a baby book. i don't even get photos developed anymore.

are you going to post your birth story? the answer is yes! i know, i love hearing how other girls experience the biggest event ever. and i am excited to tell you what it was like for me! the reason you've been waiting so long is two-fold: 1. i've been afraid to tackle it! birth is huge. and personal. knowing what to say and how to mold it into a post is tricky! 2. a story takes time. something i am not rich in right now. it also takes concentration.. a little hard to come by also :) but don't worry, i'm working on it! i've already got the timeline all written up.

any more questions for me? ask away! leave them in my comment box or send me a formspring :)

welcome, interruptions.

2011-10-06T11:24:00.003-05:00

the minute Hadley is happy in her swing or settled down for a nap my mind is absolutely reeling with thoughts of all the things i am going to get done. that is how i tick. i am a hopeless perfectionist who thrives on being producive and is easily stressed when things pile up. but, i can't let myself get carried away with the to-do list because the job will no doubt be interrupted before i finish. i will hear her almost 4-month-old voice carry through the house, and my progress will stop. time's up! and then i have a choice. let my heart sink at the thought of everything that didn't get done, or be grateful for a tiny baby that needs me and will surely be smiling when i pick her up and say, "hi, babycakes!".

priorities. they get absolutely skewered when your first baby hits the scene. sleeping and eating and surviving are your assignments. but now that sleep has become a regular part of life again, other jobs are back in the front of my mind. and i am constantly asking myself "should i be doing this right now?" -constantly trying to pinpoint what is the most pressing. my to-do tasks feel like so many shuffled cards rather than an ordered list. any one of them could be the most important thing at the moment. gradually i am stacking them up though, realizing the things that can wait, and remembering that real life comes with interruptions. and i pray that when they show up uninvited to my being-productive party, i will respond in a joyful way. maybe i can even learn to expect them, realizing the oppprtunity to see God design my day. (did i think I was in control?)

so for the time being, the bits of my day where i can accomplish things are random, and i am still figuring out how to best manage it. i do struggle with feeling behind, feeling like i am letting people down. some nights i go up to our room and lament the fact that our sheets aren't freshly washed and the stuff that was sitting on the floor yesterday is still there today. but (note to self:) this is the season i am in, it won't always be like this, and i can't handle it on my own. this is what the Lord has given me today! and i say welcome to it. His grace is sufficient for today. by His grace, Hadley will be mothered, the scrambled egg pan will get scrubbed, and the toilet paper will be replenished. and miracle of miracles, maybe an email will even be responded to! but only by His grace.

ps. there were innumerable interruptions in the writing of this post. it takes an average of 3 days now to complete and hit publish on my thoughts :)

the perfect date.

2011-10-05T10:05:00.001-05:00

in our family, october 5th carries the title of "most beautiful day of the year," as it typically shows up with lovely weather and hits right when our autumn color breaks. it's true! today it is sunny and 85 degrees (way warmer than i could've hoped for. lucky me!) and the tree outside my front window all of a sudden has the prettiest mustard yellow leaves. and all the maples on maple street (right behind our house) are just reaching their prime. yep. october 5th is practically perfect.

it also happens to be the day grant proposed to me. four years ago! that was the perfect date.

isn't it fun to have another holiday in october?

you know what else is fun about october. the food. let's talk about it while i dig through my archives.

mmm.. grandma marian's apple crisp, the thing that changed my mind about cooked apples.

a jar of homemade salsa, one of grant's favorite things in life.

pumpkin bread sweetened with honey, which was one of the few things i could stomach at this time last year (hello first trimester).

roasted root vegetables, which i could eat for dinner every night.

savory apple and caramelized onion tart, apples + onion + cheese = you just have to try it.

homemade cornbread, to go with a bowl of chili when it gets chilly.

mmmmmmm. let's enjoy all this octoberness.

october.

2011-10-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

and we are loving wearing cardigans and plaid!

although we will be changing into a tshirt and flip flops later, because it's going to get to 80 degrees today. :) hey, the mornings are still chilly. that's my kind of fall. i will be giddy whenever the first snow flies.. which, historically, could be any day now, but for now i will take the hot sun! and of course, my bare feet. the day i have to give up my flip flops is a sad day indeed. have you gotten any cider-smelling candles out yet? you know that i have.

isn't our little pumpkin looking so grown up? she will be 4 months in a couple weeks!

we're headed out for a walk, where i will be going out of my way to step on crunchy leaves.
happy tues!

the september stride

2011-10-03T22:31:00.002-05:00

let's catch up, shall we?
how will you remember september 2011? i will remember it as the time when i was hitting my stride.

a few weeks ago i sat indian style in our bedroom, at 10 o'clock at night, tweezing my brows. that's when i knew. if you are choosing brows over sleep, you have definitely hit some kind of post-baby stride. the sleep deficit has officially faded away. yaaaay! my first thought when i wake up is no longer "i need a nap today." i never understood the power, the privilege, of sleeping at night until now. now, i know. that rhythm is essential. getting back to it is like being able to take deep breaths.

and let me tell you about this magic 3 month mark. the weeks sandwiching this phase are full of prizes! sleep, smiles, and naps, squeaks and gurgles too! september was a huge growing month for miss Hadley. for all of us. i think she slept through the night every night! thank you, Lord! she even has a bedtime and sleeps in her own room. wow. we are so spoiled, i know. i love that she is getting so strong and stable- carrying her on my hip is a feeling i've been waiting for my whole life.

so blogging was pretty scaled back during september. life was full, and so were my hands, most of the time. before i had a baby, i didn't understand "two-handed time." now i understand very well! two hands all to myself is an uncommon occurrence; these minutes must be spent very thoughtfully. i am learning so much about being unselfish with my time! speaking of which, has anyone caught any episodes of that new show Up All Night? the one about having a new baby? i'm just wondering, in those scenes where the husband and wife are standing at the kitchen sink chatting, or one is doing laundry and the other is making a meal, or they are staring out the window spying on their new neighbors… so.. where is the baby? always sleeping? :)

one more thing before i hit the sack: you should read this. she's got it. it's exactly what i wanted to write mid-july, if i had only had some time with two hands. i love it!

dressingless salads

2011-09-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

i've been mastering the art of the dressingless salad, guys.

just to warn you: things can get kinda weird without dressing. hope you're okay with that. i'm okay. i've become okay with a pretty motley blend of flavors. i never thought i'd have warm zucchini and a cold hard boiled egg on the same fork, but it actually works for me. here's the key:

1. top your normal salad base with sautéed veggies. hot and cold together in the same bite! it's revolutionary. i've been doing zucchini, yellow summer squash, carrots, onion, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. and make sure you use plenty of olive oil and garlic.
2. or eat your salad with a side of guacamole. having a bite of guac with every bite of leafy greens makes salad a lot more fun. and even better for your body! yay for good fats.

then i will toss in slices of chicken, shredded roast beef, a hard boiled egg, whatever kind of protein i have on hand. as long as you cram in the flavor (hello, garlic) you won't even miss the dressing! i used to be the one who, when finished with a salad, would have soggy lettuce scraps swimming in a pool of leftover dressing in my bowl. if you are a dressing-glutton like me, you should try this.

geography class was my fave

2011-09-29T09:58:00.001-05:00

grant sent me an email with a link to this game.
the other night we teamed up and took turns holding hadley, to try to get to the higher levels.

we are addicted.

garlicky zucchini chips

2011-09-28T11:37:00.001-05:00

last fall i bought a food dehydrator.. and did i use it all year long? ummm, nope. classic. i get all excited about something and have plans on how i will use it, and then it sits in the box forever because i am too lazy to get it out, put it together, and read how to use it.

but guess what? the dehydrator was not a wasted purchase! what i needed was a good recipe to inspire me to just go for it. and now that i've discovered these zucchini chips, it is constantly in use. (and using it is the easiest thing ever. don't be afraid.)

so, you're probably thinking zucchini chips? why would you want to go and do that? who really eats that? i get it. i know. but 'tis the season to eat zucchini and i'm always looking for easy, healthy snacks.

i didn't know how high i should get my hopes up for how they would taste, but i'll tell you- it's safe. get your hopes up. they are delicious! almost buttery, almost sweet, even. and the dehydrated garlic? mmmm. they are not crunchy in the same way as a potato chip, but if you are prepared for that, they will not disappoint.

garlicky zucchini chips

lightly adapted from the nourishing gourmet

2 large zucchini

2 T. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt... maybe more?

a few cloves of garlic, minced

thinly slice zucchini into coins and place in a bowl. drizzle zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and garlic, toss to coat. i did not measure anything, so feel free to use more or less for your taste. keep in mind that zucchini will shrink and seasonings will become stronger after dehydrating. i love lots of garlic, so i didn't hold back. spread zucchini on dehydrator trays and dehydrate until crisp and dry on 135 degrees, about 6 hours for me. check at 4 hours, because times will vary.

store in an airtight container and be sure to double the batch if you like them. they go fast!

**don't have a dehydrator? you can use the lowest temp on your oven! just know that it won't take as long, so after the first hour, be sure to check every 30 minutes.

2011-09-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

i am bursting to blog.

i can't believe i didn't post anything all week! i have so much to say and not enough fingers to do it.
a lot has happened this week… we have a brand new nephew, we had a visit from grandma (my mom) and aunt Kayleen, Hadley found her voice in a major way, i found several new foods to love (which you will hear about eventually), we turned the heat on, we shopped the annual rummage sale in our town, and we lost our dear grandpa Johnny. what a great man. we will miss him! i'm so thankful that i got to know him when i became a Harms.

in other news, this little blog of mine is now 3 years old. hip hip hooray! i forget what computer-ing was like before it was born. thank you so much for reading!

quinoa & cilantro salad

2011-09-15T09:50:00.003-05:00

hi, i'm hungry.
says the nursing girl. grant can tell you, i am always looking for something to eat! i could easily be eating hobbit style these days... breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies... do they have a meal for the 3 am slot?

the other day i wanted to make a snacky salad. something i could graze on throughout the day- that wouldn't be soggy and gross as leftovers. something with quinoa. and because i've learned that you have to plan ahead when you have a tiny tine on your hands, i started the salad right before i went to bed, rinsing and soaking the quinoa. the next day, while grant was holding hadley, i cooked the quinoa and whisked a dressing. the hardest part was waiting for the quinoa to cool so i could taste it all together.

quinoa and cilantro salad

1 cup quinoa
water for soaking

1 cup water

½ cup cilantro

2 large carrots

dressing

3 T. olive oil

a few squeezes of lemon

2 large cloves garlic

1 to 2 T. minced red onion

½ tsp. salt, or more to taste

**rinse quinoa with warm water, place in a bowl and cover with water. let soak 12-24 hours.
next day: bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil and add drained quinoa. reduce heat, cover, and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. while quinoa is cooling, chop cilantro and carrot, combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and whisk or shake to combine. i would recommend adding the veggies and all of the dressing to half of the batch of quinoa to start, taste and see if it's too strong, and add more quinoa to balance it out if needed. reserve leftover quinoa to make more salad later! enjoy at room temp or chilled.

so i wasn't sure if i'd be crazy about the taste of this salad. i was more interested in sustenance. but wow. um, it is actually so good! i want it in my mouth right now. that corn-cilantro salsa at chipotle? you know the one? it tastes like that! so yummy. in fact, if you have corn in your kitchen you should absolutely put some in. i used a chopped carrot because i thought it would be pretty and add some sweetness and crunch.

making this again. tomorrow.
consider it proof of my post from yesterday.

she loves me.. she loves me not

2011-09-14T03:43:00.001-05:00

dear cilantro,
i love you!
no, really, i do. i can't get enough.
what was wrong with me before?
so glad i grew up.

love, summer

i've realized lately how many things i've grown to / realized i like in the last couple years…

cilantro, of course

tomatoes

sweet potatoes

avocados

peppers

almonds

cashews

asparagus

onion, especially red

raw spinach

snap peas

chili

cabbage

brown rice

hummus

zucchini, not in bread

and so on. i'm sure there's more.

i'm curious,
what do you love now that you used to love not?

my simple nursing set-up

2011-09-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

did you know that i started a full-time job this summer? yep. it's called nursing. :) there's a lot of overtime and double shifts involved, but the benefits are awesome. one of the super nice things about nursing is that it doesn't get any more simple. you don't need anything. just you and your baby and you're ready to go! but honestly, the ready-to-go part is pretty important. i do have a uniform for this job. being ultra conveniently-clothed has become the way i live, so here are my two favorite items! it's been great not to have to mess with snaps or hooks or anything that fastens. my girl can eat on the spot, and believe me, it doesn't get more simple than this.

the Bandini by Hanes. these are super comfy, soft, and stretchy. straps slide off the shoulder easily. very affordable. i love.

the Core Cami from the juniors section at Target. who doesn't love a nice cami? they go underneath everything! and who doesn't love Target prices? i wish i had gotten one in every color.

okay mommas, tell me your faves for easy-access attire. and does anyone have any secrets for cold-weather convenience? i haven't had to deal with that yet.

blended salsa

2011-09-12T10:41:00.002-05:00

we love to make fresh salsa for a quick snack this time of year.. the kind with no heat or canning jars required. (although we like to make that kind too!) the other day i thought the chopping would go even faster if i gave everything a rough slice and tossed it in the blender. so i did.

it turned out nice, like a restaurant salsa texture, and it was nice to have it done so fast, but i'm not giving up the hand-chopped version either. we like to have some crunch and chunks along with the juice. if you like a smoother salsa, this is totally for you.

fresh blended salsa

2 medium size tomatoes

¼ green pepper

a few slices of onion (i always just wing it with the onion)

2 tablespoons cilantro

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon red wine or apple cider vinegar (i like to mix them)

salt and pepper to taste

roughly slice tomatoes, onion, green pepper, cilantro and garlic. slide into the blender, along with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. just give it a few quick pulses and you're done! i'd recommend adding the tomatoes last, so that they don't hit the blades first and turn into a smoothie :) feel free to play with this mixture, i always just make it work with whatever i have on hand, but this is what i shoot for every time.

enjoy!

9:11

2011-09-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

i was just a young girl when september 11th became September 11th. but i wanted to do something. i knew something earth-shattering had happened. i prayed. i made up my mind that whenever i looked at the clock and saw 9:11, it would be my reminder. i would stop and pray for the families of the victims and for the nation.

it's amazing how many times that has happened in the past 10 years.
10 years.
thank you, Lord, for preserving our nation.

backyard harvest

2011-09-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

over the summer we got our first crop of ruby red rhubarb. from our own backyard! remember when we planted those teeny baby rhubarbs?

and these are my two favorite things to do with rhubarb:

strawberry rhubarb jam

smitten kitchen's big crumb rhubarb coffee cake

what's your favorite rhubarb recipe?

homemade stir fry ideas

2011-09-07T06:35:00.001-05:00

there was a time, not so long ago, that i wouldn't have found anything i like to eat at the farmers market. honestly. but now that i've become a vegetable fan, fall is so much more meaningful. now, it's "harvest season." and we are so spoiled right now! it seems like all the good vegetables are growing currently, locally. yay. i got really excited when i saw this idea for diy stir fry vegetable freezer packages the other day on simple bites. (love this real food blog!) basically the concept is to stock up while things are fresh and in season, blanch them, mix them, and put them in the freezer to eat in the dead of winter. and you can just toss them in the pan frozen! nice.

i really want to do this! blanching has a lot of benefits, so i'm pretty excited to bring down my giant pot and watch zucchini bob around in it. of course the veggies in this photo were all eaten up at dinner the other night, so i haven't started the process yet. :) we love making a big stir fry in our cast iron for a super simple meal. here's what we do.

simple stir fry

(or yummy sauteed veggies, if you don't do the meat)

2 to 4 chicken breasts

a few good drizzles of olive oil

salt and pepper

4 cloves of garlic, minced

a few handfuls of chopped vegetables.. whatever you have on hand:

broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, snow peas, peppers, asparagus, etc.

maybe more garlic? :)

brown chicken in olive oil on both sides, adding salt and pepper to taste. once chicken has been cooking 15 minutes or so, add the veggies. drizzle with more olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add garlic. cut chicken into bite size pieces, toss everything, and continue cooking until veggies are tender.

i could eat this all the time.

just right.

2011-09-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

tank top. shorts. sun. stroller. sprawled sleeping baby.

i'm excited for fall, but i could live in summertime forever.
it's supposed to be super nice here all week, so we will be soaking it up and hitting the sidewalk later.

happy tues!

organic thursdays

2011-09-01T11:48:00.024-05:00

so there's a shop in our tiny town that gets a load of organic produce every thurs! i am super excited. i just got on the email list so i can find out what she's going to have ahead of time. last week the cripps pink apples were amaaazing.

happy september! can't wait to go to the orchard and wear jeans and watch football and…. make jar after jar of salsa. mmm. because that is what this month is for, of course. anyone have a food processor i can borrow? :)

preguntas

2011-08-31T22:47:00.001-05:00

hey i answered some of my formspring questions tonight! sorry i kept those of you waiting soooo long :)

going to have a good day.

2011-08-31T03:25:00.001-05:00

yesterday was grant's first day back to school. it is a notoriously rude day, cutting into any routines we had gotten into since coming home from camp and generally breaking the three of us up. i always have a hard time transitioning. i knew the familiar feeling would come while saying goodbye and watching him drive away: here we go... day 1 of the 270 that lie ahead. oh boy.

so i was determined to pray. it was going to be a long, 12-hour day for grant and potentially a lonely/sad time for me. but i didn't want my own (bad) attitude to rule the day. i asked Him to fill my heart with His joy. and i just wanted to write it down: He did. we made it! i found myself appreciating tiny things all day long… getting a pan washed, taking Hadley for a walk, eating guacamole, baking some chicken, opening the kitchen window, seeing the sun.. everything. i was not feeling discouraged. by His grace, i was feeling thankful- cheerful, even! thank you, Jesus for answering prayer! i love that our God is faithful. and He will be faithful through another school year.

unrelated photo is of a teeny flower i found in my broccoli from the farmers market. sweet, isn't it?
store-bought broccoli does not have flowers :)

it's kids week

2011-08-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

on Jeopardy! guys, it is pretty awesome.

BLT + C

2011-08-30T08:05:00.001-05:00

just wanted to remind you to have one.

put it on your menu-it's tomato season!

i do like to add a little C to mine. sharp cheddar, please.

baby faves

2011-08-29T05:45:00.002-05:00

1. aden + anais swaddles
2. swing
3. the first years jet stroller/being outside
4. vacuuming
5. iPad + white noise app
6. big bouncy ball

a few of our favorites that we've found so far.
like i told you guys before, Hadley loves the sound of the vacuum. her crying melts away when i turn it on. she is a big fan of her gray stroller too, and has been from the very beginning. in her world, going outside is the best, second only to eating. she also likes to hang out in mommy and daddy's arms while we bounce on the big ball- that's the go-to method for getting her to fall asleep. and i don't know what we would do without the swing we are borrowing. (thanks Casey and Ann!) she sleeps so nice in that thing! the iPad is well-loved for lots of reasons, a major one being that it keeps mom entertained while feeding miss Hadley. but we are also enjoying the white noise app, which also makes a grandfather clock sound and has a handy sleep timer.

and the awesome part is that we keep finding new favorite things everyday!

you were fitting inside me?

2011-08-25T11:36:00.001-05:00

something i haven't been able to get my head around since day one. how did she fit?

this was taken a couple weeks ago when we were hanging out at camp. flip that girl upside down and she is back where she came from! all curled up of course. i can hardly picture it, though. it's not like all of my organs emptied out so that she could grow. it's incredible how that works!

do you like baby legs in stripey socks? me too! (thanks anneliese!)

we gather on the couch

2011-08-24T15:36:00.001-05:00

for Pushing Daisies! it is such a cute show.
a few evenings this week the three of us have been clustered together on the couch in front of it. the humor is really clever and quick. seriously, you have to listen carefully or you will miss the jokes. i also like the Dr. Seuss style narration and the fact that it features a pie shop. not to mention Chuck's more than adorable dresses.

big thanks to my pal Marta for recommending it! it is so fun to have a little date on the couch (the new couch) with Grant while miss Hadley is eating. we've been watching it on thewb.com. isn't it nice that we can do that these days? find a new (old) show online and watch every episode, in order, for free!
what shows are you guys streaming?

the short & sweet of it.

2011-08-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

hey guys,
Just wanted to make a declaration of sorts. To you, and to myself. Now that baby Hadley is here, blogging time is stolen time. I still love popping in with snatches of daily life, and of course, our daily food! So, my posting may not slow down, but the words might. The posts may be short and sweet sometimes, but not any less heartfelt. I love blogging! I love that little details of my life are recorded without me having to keep a diary. I love making lists. I love knowing that all my favorite recipes are stored right here and shared with you guys. And I love all of you. But blogging is not designed to be a one-handed sport, which is how I like to be most of the day. (read: baby in my arms!) So here's to some happy, petite-sized posts. :)

favorite favorite snack

2011-08-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

can you believe i used to think i didn't like watermelon?

silly.

i just cut this one into cubes for Grant and me. anyone else love cutting watermelon? hearing the crack when your slice separates from the melon.. feeling the knife slide.. making a stop-sign shape when you cut the rind away. love it.

ps. remember this post? today Hadley is wearing that striped onesie :)

this week i like

2011-08-19T16:36:00.003-05:00

1. first tomatoes from the farmers market

2. getting back to tweeting/blogging!

3. hadley's pouty lips

4. stuff going on in our front yard

5. hearing the cows and sheep across the street at the fair

6. True Grit. i didn't know this movie was going to be so funny! i really liked it.

7. a new pomplamoose video song!!

8. the vacuum (or, rather hadley likes)
9. you guys! thanks for the awesome welcome back! :)

happy weekend.

post no.756

2011-08-17T22:32:00.001-05:00

hi friends! i've missed you! i've tried to imagine how to start this post a thousand times. my return to blogging post. but i can't think of anything dazzling, so i'll just jump in and keep doing what i normally do. just another post. :)

thank you guys so much for your sweet comments and emails and cards and thoughts and everything that came pouring in during my "maternity vacation" this summer. i am a happy girl to have such friendly and devoted readers! seriously. i was surprised (and honored) by the stream of requests to start blogging again. thank you! you guys are the best. and now that our sweet summer break is almost over.. and it has been the biggest summer of my life, of course... i think it's time. i am back. and i'm a mom!

so, to catch you up.

we just moved home from another awesome summer at camp shetek, and since moving home we've been getting back into the swing of things and introducing hadley to all the good things about august. we settled back into our house (which means a few carloads of stuff from camp), bought groceries for the first time in months, made tacos and fresh salsa, ate sweet corn from the farmers market, celebrated a couple birthdays, started football season, strolled hadley around the neighborhood, bought a new couch, rearranged the living room, ate a watermelon, sat in the sun, went to the county fair, worked on the new landscaping wall in the front yard (grant), watched 3 new movies, and made kettle corn 3 nights in a row. oh, and did i mention nursing and laundry? we do those things too! and hadley is two months old! she is awesome. and hilarious. i am amazed everyday at how she changes and gains new tricks. we spent the summer learning and loving and growing and enjoying our little girl and what an incredible summer it was. and it's not over yet! yay.

and here's what you really wanted out of this post. a bunch of hadley faces! here is my tiny little girl with the bright eyes.

more soon! so happy to be back with you guys:)

announcing

2011-06-19T22:26:00.004-05:00

hello friends! you can stop checking and being disappointed now, because our baby girl has arrived! hadley. the whole time it was her inside me. it had to be her. she is perfect and we are both doing awesome! happily starting our new life. i miss her every second she's out of my arms. studying her faces is our new favorite thing. and the way she stares us down is hilarious. we are in love. i'm going to be taking a little blog break so that i can spend every second smelling my brand new baby!
i am so happy.

thank you for all the thoughts and prayers and excitement!

sending you an ocean of love.
summer

ps. happy first father's day to grant! i've already cried about how great a dad he is. it's unbelievable.

while we wait

2011-06-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

hi friends! no baby news yet. :) thank you for all the thoughts and prayers! while we wait, have you seen brian regan? you should watch this hilarious clip. we've been spending some nights watching old favorites of him on netflix/youtube. i'm not at all a stand-up comedian type of girl, but this guy is different. seriously. last night i thought some contractions might start because my belly was shaking so much.

(sorry for the poor video quality. i couldn't find a better one for this joke.)

2011-06-08T15:23:00.001-05:00

dear baby

today is your due date! this day has been looming in my mind for so long that it has felt almost hypothetical. like when we reached it the world might just stop. but that day is real. it's here. i woke up and ate cheerios with granola. i gave your daddy a kiss. i checked the weather and facebook. i took a shower. i'm celebrating by doing normal things. because even though it's here, you're still in there- not to put any pressure on you. i'm done counting days! i'll just be patient until you're ready. i know life must be pretty sweet, sharing chipotle burritos with me. i wouldn't want to leave either.

but just so you know, i'm ready for you. the house is clean, laundry is caught up, diapers are standing by, meals are in the freezer, and my commitments are none. all i have to do is eat and drink and sleep until you come! speaking of which, i wonder when i will get caught by you. what will i be in the middle of when you decide it's time? i'm trying to stay on top of my showering, just in case.

there are so many things i need to get down before it's too late and you're not inside me anymore. i can't imagine that right now, but i know some morning soon i will wake up and be a little freaked out that yes, the bump really is gone. (and i will be able to see your face instead!) i have loved the curve you created in my figure. i love to take extra time staring at this stomach, trying to figure out the miracle. i've loved communicating with you through the funny barrier of my skin. i love to run my fingers over the firmness and picture you waking up from my touch. i love to talk to you every morning while we lay in bed, and ask you if you'll come today?

i've loved the shiver of your stretches, the mystery appendage that pokes my left side, the pressure from your burrowing head, the throb of your tiny hiccups, the lump of your bum pushing straight out in front.. you are so amazing to feel. no one else gets to know you like this. no one else gets to have this time with you. i will savor it until the end.

it's crazy how close we are to meeting. you'd think i'd have a better idea of what you will be like on the outside, but i am stumped. completely. come show me! all i know for sure is that it's going to be miraculous. our tiny family will be three. because you're ours! our baby.
who i get to meet any. minute. now.

i love you,
your mom

hugeness

2011-06-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

there's no point in trying figure out this week. what a strange thing it is to wait for your baby.
will it be tonight? will it be 10 days from now? i have no clue. i spend half the time being quietly ecstatic and the other half being completely oblivious; my usual coping method when something huge is on the horizon. it's a good thing i don't know the day or the hour this hugeness will arrive, because i'm not sure how i could handle it. the not knowing is where the luxury lies. i can relax because i'm not in control, and i wasn't given a schedule for this. yay.

i want to remember what i was eating/watching/feeling/doing during this little waiting game, so i'll try to record a few things here and there...

1. i turned on the classic movie channel yesterday to check if i should record anything good and happened to catch the one movie that i've been dying to find! room for one more. grandma recorded this for us once when i was a little girl, and i've never been able to find it again- until yesterday. it's such a sweet film. i love when cary grant has a father role. and i always wonder if people actually laughed at these movies when they came out.
2. sunday afternoon i went into a "see it, clean it" spurt and tried to get each room in our house looking the way i wanted it to, at least at that moment. it felt great.
3. saw the new x-men movie last friday. (grant introduced me to the x-men movies. he's a fan. now i'm a fan.) matinee price + sour patch kids + good storyline = awesome time. i always like james mcavoy.
4. these are a few of my favorite things: smoothies. with pineapple! BLT. sharp cheddar cheese. chicken salad with apples and red onion. salty granola. salty homemade popcorn.
5. i'm still feeling good, pretty comfortable. it's not hard to feel normal still. (does this mean i have awhile to wait?)
6. my lips are staying constantly chapped. weird.
7. the other night we had an around-town date which included filling the car with gas and getting ice cream at the hub drive-in. grant got a heath cone, and i got cookies 'n' cream in a dish- my latest (re)discovery. we drove around the neighborhood while we devoured our treats, discussing landscaping possibilities for our front yard.
8. we're working our way through star wars.
9. monday morning i got up and decided to make granola before i even ate any breakfast. i never put anything before breakfast. that's how compulsive monday was.
10. too bad i didn't know it was going to be 96 degrees before i had the oven on for over an hour.
10.5. needless to say, we had our first use of the a/c.
11. have you played 7 Little Words? i'm addicted to this game.
12. we listen to "somebody to love" by justin bieber whenever we get in the car these days.
13. i feel like i wander around my house lately- calm- but not necessarily getting a lot done. the computer is nice and distracting. blogging, a welcome occupation for my mind.
..so i might be back soon. :)

the flip.

2011-06-03T09:51:00.000-05:00

what will go on baby harmsie's bottom? we decided on the flip diapers. super excited!
i've heard rave reviews. i love how cool and simple they are. simple is my favorite.

also loving the chemical-free and only-buy-them-once thing, of course. but cuteness counts for something too :) just look how soft and fluffy those inserts are! and they have a disposable insert option too, very nice. they sent us 4 free packages of disposables when we ordered!

do any of you guys flip? i'd love to hear!

rachel's hippie pancakes

2011-06-02T12:45:00.000-05:00

when i go to the kitchen to make pancakes, i take the iPad with me. i need it because i'm trying a new recipe, obviously. probably from your blog. somehow i am always inclined to forget the pancakes i ate last time and am ready to give my heart to another. but the latest pancake trial was the 1970's pancakes from heart of light, and these will not be easy to forget. they were hearty and the right amount of fluffy. and yummy in a very wholesome, this is how a pancake should taste way.

the kind of yummy that finds you putting a pancake in the toaster at 4:00 in the afternoon for a little snack while you watch a re-run of friends. (this is why you freeze the leftover pancakes.)

rachel's hippie pancakes
lightly adapted from heart of light

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. melted butter

1 tsp. honey (or 2 tsp. sugar)

1 cup buttermilk + 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
sprinkle of cinnamon

mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. add melted butter to bowl.* whisk eggs and milks together and pour over dry ingredients. add the honey and cinnamon. stir just until combined. cook on a large cast iron skillet at medium-low temp for a couple minutes on each side, until golden brown. stack on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.
*i like to add the butter to the bowl beforehand instead of whisking it into the milk and eggs so that it doesn't get clumpy in the cold mixture.

enjoy! and yes, there is a bowl of syrup on my plate because i've decided that i dip my pancakes. don't mind me. i've just never bought into the syrup-soaking-in concept.

the one where we meet our child.

2011-06-01T20:29:00.005-05:00

it's here. JUNE. the birth month. the one when this "imaginary" baby that i've been carrying will become real. i kept reminding myself this morning. june first. june first! each time i realize it a little excited shake runs through me. i'm ready. speaking of which, i've been getting some feedback about the post where i mentioned feeling "peaceful" as we enter the waiting period for the baby. yes, i do! and i wanted to clarify something about that.

this is not because i am naturally a super relaxed and confident person.

by nature i am pretty shaky, but the Lord has been doing an awesome work in my heart throughout this pregnancy. with the coming of a baby, i've needed His guidance on fear, strength, trust, and peace, and He has given it in abundance. if i shared all of the verses/quotes/reminders i've written down on my notecards during the past months it would be enough fill 10 blog posts, but i want to jot down at least a few things so i can remember what the Lord was teaching me before the baby came.

best batch yet.

2011-05-31T12:53:00.005-05:00

you know how i feel about cookies. we are made for each other- the cookie and i. and you probably know how i feel about sheena's cookies. we are all forever in her debt. lately i've been playing around with the recipe.. cutting back on sugar, adding more oats, figuring out the eggs, etc. one time they baked up like meringues (yuck), and ever since then i've been timid with my eggs. but this week i landed on what i think might be perfection. the best batch yet. it's very exciting.

what's to love about them? peanut butter. chocolate. chewy softness that lasts for days.

i feel like i will never need another cookie in my life.

best batch peanut butter cookies
adapted from this recipe on the little red house

1 cup natural peanut butter (a good kind, please)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, divided (preferably not too large)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

i'll be very specific in my instructions, since i'm not sure which step caused the best batch result.

mix pb and brown sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 2 min. add one of the eggs and mix just until combined. add oats and soda, blend. mix in chocolate chips. add the last egg, using a fork to blend it into the dough. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use your hands to pack dough into 1-2 inch balls. (dough will not be very cohesive, so the hand-packing is necessary.) bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, use a fork to flatten at this point, then continue baking 2 minutes more.

*if you're concerned that your eggs are a little large, you could try using just the yolk of the 2nd egg.

enjoy! they blew us away. i hope that's how it is for you.

ps. wow. guys, thanks for the amazing response to the work-hating lesson i gave myself last friday! i love when a conversation is born through a blog post. and i'm hoping that now that i've bared my soul, it will help me stay accountable.

pregnancy faves @ 39 weeks

2011-05-30T15:51:00.014-05:00

happy memorial day! since i'm not going camping today, i can be here with you.. celebrating the start of my 39th week, woohoo! you know it's getting crazy close when i can see the due date as i scroll through the 10-day forecast. ahh! anyway, as i'm focusing more on staying comfortable in the home stretch, and as i'm still feeling fantastic, i've been thinking about things that have helped me feel good throughout the pregnancy... i know some of these are big no-brainers, but bear with me.

1. water. there's a tall glass of it within reach all day when i'm at home, my water bottle is a faithful sidekick when i leave the house, and grant and i try to beat each other in how many glasses we down everyday. staying well hydrated has been one of my biggest goals in pregnancy, because it's something i can absolutely control! i can't believe how super important it is for keeping both the baby (who gets an amniotic fluid refill every 3 hours) and me healthy. getting enough has helped me get rid of leg cramping, have zero swelling, and feel amazing.

2. walking. i kept my gym membership for 8 of the 9 months of my pregnancy, which means i committed to going at least 3 times a week. (sometimes this was so hard! and sometimes my workouts were super short, but i was always glad i went.) during this last month, i knew the weather would be nicer and i could do my workout outside in the sun :) anyway, walking. i need it. i feel lighter, more flexible, and more energetic once i've been for a walk. it's also been great for my mental health :) a long minnesota winter calls for regular bursts of walking.
3. yoga pants. i live in these babies. i also bought the full-length version. because staying comfortable is so smart! why wear jeans at home? seriously.

4. nutrition. i never had it in my head that now i'm pregnant- now i can eat whatever i want. that is just silly. i also never had the idea that i should only gain "this much" during my pregnancy. that is dangerous. i knew if i focused on eating wisely (and exercising adequately), eating real foods and enough of the right things, my body would nourish the baby and handle the baby weight as it saw fit. because everything you eat matters, whether you're pregnant or not! white flour, lots of sugar, and processed food aren't going to give you much when it comes to nutrients, so i try to stay away from those, while protein, folate, good fats, healthy salt and water levels, calcium etc- these are all super important for building a baby! my favorite little meals/snacks during my pregnancy have been: scrambled eggs, pb on toast or anything, cheese and crackers, guacamole, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, carrots, smoothies, multigrain cheerios, and homemade chicken salad.

5. prenatal pilates. i have loved this dvd! it's been one of the best amazon purchases of the entire pregnancy. i heard that pilates does wonders for your oh-so-important pelvis during pregnancy, and i can tell you: it's true. those hands-and-knees positions are my fave. this dvd is nice because it's broken down into 10 min. sections, so you can workout for 10 minutes or 50 minutes, whatever you feel like! so when it was snowing in april, again, i could work out in the living room! close all the blinds, put in my pilates dvd, and stretch out. (it helped that grant bought me a nice pilates mat and hand weights for christmas.) and during these late-pregnancy weeks just moving around and doing something.. it feels so good.

6. plenty of sleep. i've had the luxury of sleep with this pregnancy. it's what i splurge on. i let myself sleep as late as i can, because i know how important it is. and i've been able to sleep long and hard almost up until the very end. i haven't even really needed naps (except on sundays, of course), because my nighttime is so lengthy. i think this is a huge reason why my energy level has been practically normal throughout the pregnancy, and probably why i only caught one cold this winter, and probably why i still feel like carrying laundry baskets up and down stairs.

7. stretch mark oil. this stuff has been great. one bottle has lasted me for-ev-er.

8. dried plums. :) okay, so they're prunes. and they are amazing little fruits! my digestion started slowing way down in my last trimester, and these sweet things keep me feeling sweet. don't knock 'em until you try 'em.

9. lastly, and most of all- i know it is only by God's grace that i've had such a happy, healthy pregnancy and i'm so thankful for it! throughout these past 9 months i have been feasting on His Word. so many awesome bible verses have been jotted onto flash cards and carried around the house and prayed over. it's been a really unique time of relying on Him for strength and peace. and He has been so faithful in everything!

on work-hating. (a lesson to myself.)

2011-05-27T12:10:00.006-05:00

a couple weekends ago we were driving around the city.. sharing a cup of red mango while we ran errands.. popping in at trader joe's with nothing on my arm, not even a purse.. there was no one needing a diaper change or a nap.. no gear in our car. the baby sat inside me happily, silently, easily. we had absolute freedom. and soon, i know things will change. that's what got me thinking.

when you're pregnant, you will (i guarantee) hear some funny things. it's a bit of a no-holds-barred phenomenon. some people love to warn you about how tired you will be after the baby comes. "say goodbye to your sleep," they'll say. they also love to tell you how many privileges you will lose. "enjoy it while you can," because good things are going to end soon. now i realize that these people mean well or mean to joke. but still, isn't it pretty telling of where our minds dwell? if things aren't easy, they aren't good. we are okay with hating work. we are selfish beings. most of whom have been unsuspectingly taught from a young age to have a negative attitude toward work and to treat it "as something most sedulously to be avoided." (elisabeth elliot) and i should be clear: when i say "work" i'm not talking about a career, but rather the ordinary tasks that make up our days.

well. i'll be the first one to admit that i am guilty of this way of thinking. and it hit me: i want to be careful that going into the life-giving work of motherhood, i have the right attitude. i want to undo the work-hating mindset that tends to linger in me. "it is, after all, mostly little, common things (work) that make up our lives. this is the raw material for the spiritual life." (again, elisabeth elliot) what am i going to do with this raw material? how will i respond to the little duties that go along with having a baby? those will be my raw material. how can hating work be God-glorifying, when we are called to be imitators of Christ- who did not come to be served, but to serve? He is our ultimate example, and if we want to grow in grace and be happy in Him, we would walk as He walked. taking the very nature of a servant. working.

there was something my mom used to say to us as we grew up that has always stuck with me:

whatever you do, do it with a happy heart.

or maybe the best version: if you're going to do it at all, do it with a happy heart.

(reminds me of colossians 3:23)

notice that the instruction wasn't:

whatever you do, hate it. feel bad for yourself. mourn the loss of the good old (easy) days.

yes, when there are 3 of us there will be less sleeping, less eating with both hands, less packing light, and more things that must be done before we can sleep, walk into a store, or head out the door. i realize this. but there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. ecc 3:1 we are entering a new season. a season that will surely involve work as surely as it will involve rest. (for i do believe that God is faithful to provide the times of rest and play, just as He provides the work.) i know that there will be work involved with having this baby in our life. i probably don't realize how much right now, but i do know that it will be amazing, sanctifying work. this will be an enormous, maybe the biggest chance of my life, to serve.

Lord, please bring this to my mind right when I need it, when I am exhausted and ready to give in to self-pity. Please make me a lover of work- a happy worker for You. Teach me to be thankful for the work entrusted to me and very importantly, to be faithful to that work. Your name is dear to me and I want to see You glorified. Please prepare me for the giving of self that is being a mom.

be brave.

2011-05-26T11:33:00.001-05:00

it takes guts for me to try anything artsy. it's just not in my nature. but i got it in my head that i wanted some "art" in the baby's room. and if there's one thing i've learned at preschool, it's that my favorite art is imperfect. imperfect, i thought... i can do that.

so i got brave. i bought white frames at ikea and a cheap set of watercolors. and painted. grant painted too! he is by far the artist in the family. and you know what? it was so fun. i sat at the table all sunday afternoon, just playing with paint. not worried about perfect. i love how they turned out!

before a baby.

2011-05-25T15:52:00.007-05:00

fooled you.
my absence from this spot has not been due to a recent birth. that was mean of me! i'm sorry. i've just kinda been in the zone lately. the "before a baby" zone. it's a fun place. but i've been in too deep to actually finish and press "post" on the 6 blog posts that i've started. which reminds me- i have new pancakes to tell you about. don't let me forget. (thanks to you sweet people who've been thinking about me. i love your emails and prayers!)

so, is it even may anymore? don't ask me. i don't have a clue about time. i'm just hanging out. in the zone. here, the days fill themselves without any prompting from me. there's been phone calls and pilates, laundry and dishes, movies and the music man soundtrack, check-ups and chipotle, bread dough and pizza crust, calcium and magnesium, walking and water. (by the gallon.) there's a lot of sleeping late and visits to the bathroom, too. and before i know it, i end up in bed at night, finished with some stuff.

i feel really peaceful as we enter this waiting period. i know it could be a long time, but i also know it could be any time. and i'm just so curious! i can't help smiling about it. while the mystery continues, my goals are to stay comfy and healthy and keep growing this happy, hiccuping baby. and maybe to keep on not crossing my legs. and to keep eating every couple hours. both of these jobs prove harder than they sound. but by the way, i am feeling great.. praise the Lord for that!

it's cool and cloudy today. i almost turned on the heat in our house, but instead threw on a big sweatshirt and socks and will be spending the afternoon baking cookies. i can't stop thinking about peanut butter and oats together. i've also been in the mood to turn on a movie lately, just to have something in the background. if there are any good ones that i should be dvr-ing, let me know what you know. :)

more soon! (unless, of course... you know.)

the first day of summer vacation

2011-05-19T17:20:00.008-05:00

back in the day, summer vacation would've kicked off with the first box of freeze pops sliding into the freezer and mom picking up our pool membership tags. i would've had my annual "summer schedule" mapped out, which would've included the lofty goal of vacuuming my room every morning by 9:00. swimming lessons would be on the calendar. the beginning of my mountain of library books would be checked out. (proof that i was a nerd.) at lunchtime we might've watched an episode of scooby doo while we rubbed sunscreen on our arms, preparing for an afternoon at the pool.

well, no pool for me today. (i was still wearing slippers this morning.) maybe it doesn't feel like the summer vacation of old, but that's alright. the summer feelings will come, soon enough. instead of popsicles and scooby doo, today has been like this:

the sorting of newborn onesies to be washed and grown-up clothes to be put away.

the smell of this coconut lime soap.

the sight of a pink geranium from preschool, a clean bathroom sink, grant's yard work.

the taste of these cookies.

the feel of a "shelf" of baby bottom under my shirt and some contraction-ish things going on.

the sound of "quando, quando, quando" by michael buble and nelly furtado.

the waiting for our date tonight: me, grant, spaghetti, and 2 episodes of parks & rec.

maybe later.. the playing of scrabble on the ipad. (i am addicted.)

and have i mentioned how excited i am for camp next month? ahhh! i can't wait to spend the summer with all the camp goodness. including this cutie... (who answers to champ, champion, champy, champy-poo, etc.)

and this one, of course. (who has popularized the wearing of wigs for most major camp activities.)

and a new one, too. arriving shortly. :)
bring on the summer.

it's here

2011-05-18T08:53:00.001-05:00

last day of preschool.. yaaaaay!! when i come back, i'll be on summer vacation!

big weekend + baby is now "full term" + a mommy cut

2011-05-17T12:02:00.005-05:00

this past weekend we went down to nebraska, because my sister graduated from high school! congratulations, chels! i got to talk with lots of old friends, eat lots of brisket and gummy bears, play dominoes with my grandparents, and try to grasp that chelsea is now at the point where i was- wearing the cap and gown. and me? i am going to be a mom shortly. time is so weird. we also got to celebrate grandma and grandpa's 50th anniversary... wooohoo! what a lovely legacy. we took some family photos to honor the happy couple- you can see our little family as you scroll down :)

...and i got a haircut! my wonderful stylist-twin sister squeezed me in for a summer cut that i so desperately needed. thank you, haley!! i feel more like myself being at shoulder-length again. love it. i actually told grant that having all those inches gone has helped me see myself as a mom. maybe that's silly, but i can picture it better now.

...and this week the baby is officially full term! it blows me away that this little person could be born today and it wouldn't be pre-mature. whoa. things are close, guys.

....and one more for fun. with grant's creeper eye. (on purpose. this is so him. i love it.)

about last week..

2011-05-16T10:47:00.001-05:00

the blogger malfunction has me feeling like i need to step back before i can move on. we missed a tiny bit of life there, so i'll try to recap. week 36 happened last week, and it was a fun one.

i started wearing my flip-flops. (yaaaaay!)

the sun came out and the trees greened up.

the heat in our house went off.

my basil sprouts popped up.

and the baby went down!

my baby-full form is shortening the black shirt.. but we're still going strong!

found out i am having braxton-hicks contractions after all, now that i know how to recognize them:)

am thankful they are painless and actually really cool to watch.

found out that smoothies are amazing when you're out of yogurt.

6 ice cubes + 1.5 bananas + orange + mango + strawberries= you must try this.

halfway done with may?! what?!

my sister is done with high school?! what?!!

baby harmsie now weighs about 6 pounds and we are nearing the end!

and maybe i lost about 6 inches from my head...

i'll show you soon!

judy's breakfast cookies

2011-05-16T09:42:00.001-05:00

sorry everyone, if you were wondering what happened to these cookies over the weekend.. blogger was having difficulties and deleted this post. but not to worry! here they are again :) i hope you enjoy. it's a judy recipe, so you know it's got to be amaaaazing.

breakfast cookies by judy harms
(to be eaten anytime, including breakfast)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups oats
2 T. milled flax
2 T. sesame seeds
2 T. quinoa

*add the "chunks" of your choice..
3/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 cups chocolate chips

cream butter and sugars. add egg and vanilla. mix together remaining ingredients and add to wet mixture. bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. makes 36 medium size or 26 large cookies.

three

2011-05-10T13:41:00.004-05:00

Happy anniversary, Grant!

Remember when you first told me you loved me the night before senior high camp? That was the best. I knew there was no going back from that point. And look at us now... today I've been your wife for 3 whole years and I'm sitting here with your baby inside me. That is the best.

Thank you for marrying me and being faithful every day to the vows you made to me. Being married to you has been... for lack of a better word, easy. It's been the most natural thing in the world. The two of us became one and nothing fell out of place. God is so good. I remember when we had been married 5 days and I already felt like it was just as possible that we'd been married 5 years. It was just right. What a gift you are to me, and I know it's only by God's grace that I enjoy you every day.

You are to me

all grace and no anger.

all courtesy and no rudeness.

all blessing and no burden.

all adorable and no annoyance.

all truth and no falsehood.

all perfect and no shortcomings.

all friend and never foe.

all good and no harm.

and I'm so thankful the Lord made me for you.

I'm thankful He designed marriage to be just what it is.

I love being one with you.

Ephesians 5:31 ...and the two shall become one flesh.

may 9, 2011

2011-05-09T21:46:00.003-05:00

dear baby,

yesterday was my first mother's day. thank you for making me a mom! it's been so fun - meaning, the best thing ever - to take care of you these past 8 months. your daddy got me some truffles and yellow tulips to celebrate, and we spent the evening getting ready for you. there is now a dresser in your room, a little rocking chair, a bookshelf, and a sweet crib that i will love to come rescue you from at the end of every nap. now all we need is you.

these days i'm feeding you fresh salsa and lots of strawberries, good sandwiches, and guess what else? prunes! aren't they yummy? some people say they're icky, but i could eat them by the pound. (although that's probably not the best idea ever.) i think they're really helping my digestion, which has slowed to a crawl in this last trimester. your mom's body is working hard to do this double duty thing!

lately i've been doing stuff like.. small clean-y things around the house, putting a few meals into the freezer for after you arrive, listening to eric hutchinson, doing end-of-the-year tests with the preschoolers, watching our yard green up and get mowed by your dad, getting into the hands-and-knees pilates positions because they feel so good, and singing my favorite hymns to you- so that you'll recognize them when you're here. and i can tell that you hear me when i sing!

a little update on you: wow, you are super strong now. and long. and heavy! there's getting to be a lot more of you inside me. each movement is so precise and visible, i can barely believe that they used to feel like tiny waves deep inside me. it's fun to be so familiar with your moves now.. i know just where your favorite kicking spots are, i feel your hiccups as soon as they start, and i know your little bottom sliding by my belly button better than anything else. i wonder if you've "dropped" in the past couple days because suddenly there is a lot more pressure going on down south. at your last check-up we found out that your head is "engaged" in my pelvis, so hooray for that!

so, we are now officially less than one month away from your due date. exciting! in fact, next week we will be "full term". very exciting. your dad and i are getting really close to finishing up another school year, and i know once summer vacation hits it's just going to feel like one big waiting game. waiting for you. we'll just be hanging out, maybe doing some stuff at camp, so come whenever you feel like it!

mom's praying for you. all the time.
i can't wait for you to come be ours.
loves.

your mom

cinco de mayo

2011-05-06T11:16:00.004-05:00

i know. i'm one day late. but i got a little too busy last night to do any posting... eating BLT's, buying diapers, tailor-sitting on the couch, reading a super interesting book on breastfeeding, watching leslie knope and tom haverford.. you know. anyway, isn't it nice that my craving for fruit salsa coincided with cinco de mayo? i know. it wasn't until i was home from school and already in the process of making it that i realized how perfect it was!

so, it's fruit salsa. there isn't much to it, except for a few minutes with a cutting board and remembering to break it out every once in awhile. it's best eaten immediately, but the more it sits together in the bowl, the more the juices fuse and make a nice salsa-like sauce.

make sure to give each fruit a pretty fine dice. you'll be surprised how much you like the tiny bits of fruit all together in your mouth.. way better that a traditional fruit salad.

if you want to make the homemade cinnamon crisps to go with this: lightly brush some tortillas with oil, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, cut into strips (a pizza cutter works nicely for this), and bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

and actually, we ate some of ours with regular salty tortilla chips yesterday, and it was pretty delish, too.

just a peek...

2011-05-04T20:09:00.001-05:00

the bedroom for the littlest harmsie is coming along.
new paint (robin's nest from benjamin moore)... check.
new trim (crafted by grant)... check.
crown molding (to cover up a bad paint job from before we moved in)... check.
sweet vintage chair that rocks (literally)... check.

now we just need to paint the doors and put them back in, then we can start moving in the rest of the furniture! i say "we" but you know who i really mean... :) thanks for all your hard work, grant.