7 Quick Takes Friday - vol. 2

- 1 -

Both Millie and Silas are playing T-ball this summer. It's a very informal little group from our church. The kids play every Monday night, and I love that it's so relaxed and laid-back. Millie is enjoying just getting to hang out with all the other kids. But Silas? He is all about the T-ball. I don't think think I've ever seen such a focused 3-year-old. Even in the outfield he pays close attention to every pitch, watching wherever the ball goes, hoping that it will come his way. Meanwhile Millie is distributing hugs. But we're having fun!

- 2 -

That hot weather I've been hoping for is here! And despite the mugginess, I really, truly am happy that it's finally HOT. I spend too much of the year layered to try to stay warm, so I'm thankful for these real summer days. And I love seeing the peppers and eggplants in the garden thriving, rather than struggling along as they had been.

- 3 -

We currently have a pet frog at our house, though I suppose I should clarify that this is a temporary pet. While I was shopping at our local Salvation Army last week, (finding some great deals on clothes for the kids!) Tom and the kids found a tiny frog in the parking lot. I don't know what possessed Tom to decide to keep it, but they came into the Salvation Army to find some sort of container for the frog, and settled on a gravy separator. We've named the little guy "Salvy" in honor of where we found him, and we've told the kids that we'll take him back to the field behind the store once he's bigger. But for now he seems to be doing okay eating bugs from the garden and living in his "mobile home", pictured here:

- 4 -

The other day we met up with friends at this splash park. The kids had so much fun, and it was free! Hard to beat that on a hot day.

- 5 -

I'm still getting out and running, and it is feeling good again. The first couple of weeks I had a lot of pain in my knees and ankles, which was different than anything I'd experienced during all the years I ran competitively. Seems I just needed to get those joint muscles strong again, as everything is feeling fine now, and I'm glad to be getting some good exercise.

- 6 -

Once again, I've checked out more books from the library than I can possibly get around to reading. Gardening is the main focus these days. I've especially been enjoying Eliot Coleman's Four-Season Harvest, which has me scheming about getting Tom to build some cold frames. The prospect of harvesting fresh kale and spinach all winter long is awfully enticing.

- 7 -

And on the subject of reading, it is finally starting to "click" for Millie! We're working on it a little bit everyday, and we are seeing some good progress. It has helped tremendously that she is finally motivated to work on it, and it is often her asking me if we can work on reading. She still has to work hard at consciously sounding out nearly every word, but it's coming along and she and I are both feeling encouraged.

This post is linked to Conversion Diary.

Pomegranate Muesli

It is finally feeling like summer where we are! With these higher temperatures, a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal doesn't hold much appeal in the mornings. So I was eager to try out a recipe for muesli, in which you soak oats overnight in liquid. I got this recipe from the book Eat for Health by Joel Fuhrman, and I've adapted it slightly. You could certainly substitute any fruits according to preference or what you have available.

Pomegranate Muesli
Serves 4

1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup oats, steel cut or old fashioned (not quick or instant)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
handful of raw cashews, chopped
1/2 cup halved grapes
1/2 cup cubed cantaloupe
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
handful of dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, currants)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (optional)

Soak oats in pomegranate juice overnight in refrigerator. Oats will absorb the liquid.
In the morning, combine oats with remaining ingredients.

This post is linked to:
Life as Mom

Strawberries and More

Our strawberries are ripe! Though we've had to share a few with some of the wildlife in our backyard, we've been picking a bowlful each day this week. The berries this year are big and sweet. Much improved over last year, though I'm not entirely sure why since these are the same plants.

Here are the lovely pods on our pea plants. I checked the seed packet and these are actually called "Blue Podded Shelling" peas. They're a dutch strain that I got through Seed Savers Exchange. I have really enjoyed them because they're just beautiful. The kids have enjoyed being able to snatch some peas for a snack.

The zucchini plants are getting bigger, and I'm sure will be crowding everything else in no time.

Tomatoes are showing promise.

And my lettuce continues to grow even with all the salad we are eating. We can't keep up, despite sending some along with a friend. Who else wants some lettuce?

And here's my favorite non-edible in the yard right now. Tom bought me this tiger lily last spring, and it came back even more beautiful this year.

The weather here is still cool and rainy. The peppers and eggplants are continuing to straggle along, as we wait for an increase in temperatures.

This post is linked to
A High and Noble Calling

Radish Snack

Radishes are certainly a kid-pleasing vegetable to grow. Usually the first to germinate, first to ripen, and easy to pick. We've never done anything besides throw sliced radishes in with our typical salads at suppertime. But the other day I tried something a little bit different. Simply spread a bit of cream cheese on sliced radishes, then top with sliced olives. And there you have it: a fancy radish hors d'oeuvre!
I would describe my relationship with radishes as amicable, as opposed to, say, passionate. And now that I think of it, I feel the same way about olives. So I will admit that I didn't find these terribly exciting. 5-year-old Millie, however, found this new take on radishes to be far preferable to their presence in a salad, and Tom thought that the cream cheese nicely offset the bite of the radish. This left them both wishing for a few more radishes in the garden.

This post is linked to
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Menu Plan - Week of June 15

Last week we mostly stuck to the meal plan, but at the end of the week I ended up changing things a bit so that the kids could make some more recipes out of Pretend Soup. Tom was gone to a conference several evenings, and the kids were in need of some fun diversions, so cooking was what we did.

We ate plenty of salad, and will continue to do so since there's still lots of lettuce in the garden. I don't have any main dish salads on the menu since I've got some other vegetables that need to be cooked, but I'm planning on salad for lunches.

Yesterday we went to visit my sister and her family and while I was there I noticed that my sister had the new 2-book set by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat For Health. Dr. Fuhrman's books have had a major positive impact on our eating habits, so I've been looking forward to reading his newest book, and my sister was kind enough to let us borrow it. I've been feeling like we could use some more super-healthy meal ideas, so this week I'm going to try out some new recipes from Eat for Health (EFH).

Here's the plan:

Monday - Vegetable stir-fry, baked tofu
Tuesday - Quinoa bean salad (EFH), roasted beets
Wednesday - Sweet potato stew (EFH)
Thursday - Pasta, beans, spinach and peas in lemon sauce
Friday - Vegetable garbanzo wraps (EFH), orange sesame kale (EFH)
Saturday - Sweet potato risotto
Sunday - Leftovers

For more menu plans, be sure to visit Organizing Junkie. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Wear We Are

I don't have a very large selection of baby carriers. I have a few carriers that essentially get the job done. And although I used a couple of other carriers when Isaac was smaller, now I am just using my Ergo and my Maya Wrap ring sling.
Right now Isaac is 9 months old and weighs about 23 pounds. I sometimes wear him in front in the Ergo if we are out, but at home he rides on my back every day...
...because that is the best way for me to get a little work done. Like weeding, but mostly fixing meals, cleaning up the kitchen, or hanging out laundry. But weeding in the strawberry patch makes a lovely picture, don't you think?

My ring sling is a Maya Wrap Lightly Padded. I like using the sling for quick trips or if I'm just carrying him around and not trying to accomplish anything. Anytime I don't really need two hands or if I don't feel like messing with the buckles on the Ergo.
Silas (3 years old) saw me pull out the sling and wanted some snuggle time too. I was happy to oblige.
So, if you are looking for a minimalist approach to babywearing, I'd say that's what we're doing! Just a couple of carriers, but they work for us.

Bike Rider

She's mastered riding a two-wheeler. After some wobbly, shaky rides...
...she is now confident and having fun.
And who says you can't ride a bike and have elegant hair?

Here's a close-up:
Um, where'd my baby go?
This post is linked to:
Finer Things Friday
PhotoStory Friday
Family Friday

You Capture - Nature

Here are some pictures I took as part of the You Capture challenge. The subject this week was nature, so I just took some shots of what's growing around our house. Though the peonies are actually at a neighbor's house. Enjoy!

Isaac - 9 Months

Lettuce Abounds

I think next to radishes, lettuce is next on the list of "instant gratification for gardeners". Lettuce is easy to grow and easy to eat. No need to heat up the kitchen or hunt down a recipe. Just add your favorite dressing and you're all set.

Here's our 4x4 foot box of lettuce, with spinach along the back four squares:
That's some good salad just waiting to be made! I've said it before, but I'm loving those contrasting colors. Especially that shade of pale green.

So, what else is going on in the garden?

The strawberries are getting closer to being ripe:

And I'm loving the colors of the pea blossoms. Just waiting to see what the purple pods look like.

Oh, and the kale! Mustn't forget the kale. It's still quite small, but I'm already snipping some in the mornings to put into breakfast smoothies.
(And in case you're wondering, that's red lettuce to the left of the kale, and swiss chard to the right.)

So things are coming along nicely, though a bit slow. The weather has been fairly cool and we're just needing some warmer temperatures. Come on summer!

This post is linked to
Talk About Tuesday.
A High and Noble Calling

Menu Plan - Week of June 8

We had a fun time in the kitchen last week getting the kids more involved in preparing meals and snacks. We'll be doing more of the same this week, this time using some recipes from Pretend Soup.

One of Millie's favorite recipes last week was the Rainbow Raisin Cole Slaw. Here she is busily mixing it together:

Have you ever seen a kid so happy about cole slaw?

This week we'll be eating lots of salad, since we now have a great crop of lettuce, spinach, and radishes ready in our garden. I'm planning to do a main dish salad one night this week, and I'm sure we'll also be doing some salads for lunch and as sides. Can I tell you how much I love being able to step outside and harvest lettuce, then sit down to eat it within the hour? It doesn't get any fresher than that!

So, here's how the menu plan is shaping up:

Sunday - pretend soup, leftovers, snacks
Monday - Hearty Supper Salad
Tuesday - Roasted vegetables, cole slaw
Wednesday - Veggie chili
Thursday - Breakfast for supper - hashbrowns, smoothies
Friday - Sweet potato risotto
Saturday - Pasta, chickpeas & peas in lemon sauce

I'm planning to post some garden pictures this week, so be sure to check back in!

For more menu plans, visit Organizing Junkie.

7 Quick Takes Friday - vol. 1

- 1 -

Tonight we had the first salad of the spring with lettuce from our garden. All the lettuce is growing really well, so it looks like we'll be eating a lot of salad for a while now.

- 2 -

On the opposite end of the nutrition spectrum, Tom just bought some Mt. Dew and Pepsi Throwback. It's a limited-time release of Mt. Dew and Pepsi using an old recipe from years ago. So, instead of high-fructose corn syrup, it's sweetened with plain old sugar. I sampled both, even though I usually make a point of avoiding caffeine. I was not disappointed.

- 3 -

Isaac has three teeth now, two on bottom and one on top. The other top front tooth looks like it will come through any day now. He seemed to be really uncomfortable last week before the top tooth came through, but now he's back to his normal, happy self.

- 4 -

Local farmer's market begins this weekend! Looking forward to supporting local farmers in the area, and hoping that I'll find some garlic scapes.

- 5 -

I may be getting back into running. I've been inspired by Tom's consistency with his running. While I was a runner in my pre-mom life, I've hardly ran at all since Millie was born almost 6 years ago. I ran a couple of times this week and it felt okay except my knees are pretty sore. But I'd love to get back to it.

- 6 -

My niece was born last week! My sister and her husband welcomed their fourth child to their family, a baby girl named Caliah. We hoped to go see her last weekend, but the kids had fevers so we didn't make the trip.

- 7 -

Tonight I was struck by how much difference a year makes when kids are so young. Last year at this time it seemed Millie could barely manage to ride a bike with training wheels without getting distracted and steering right off the sidewalk. Now she can ride her bike without training wheels, and she is so confident as she zooms down our block. I can hardly believe how much bigger and stronger she is this summer.

This post is linked to Conversion Diary. If you've never read any of Jennifer's posts, head over there now and look around. It's good stuff!

A Thursday Morning

A typical morning at our house, playing in the backyard.

Isaac is surely contemplating eating some grass or clover.

Getting loved on by Millie

Look closely and you'll see there is indeed a tooth on top, adding to the two on bottom. Isaac is our earliest teether of the bunch.

Here's Silas with his summer hair cut.

And Millie showing off the feather and rock she found to add to her collection.
I can hardly think of a better way to spend the morning.

Radishes

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.