thankful tuesdays

good advice if you are preparing the feast.

we're all thankful for something this time of year. hopefully.  even in my family's darkest moments we have found gratitude.  i know this year has been full of ups and downs for everyone including my family.  i do hope that we all have a chance to gather on thursday, eat good food, and take a moment to give thanks.  here's what i am most thankful for...

• my husband, my son, and the growing, very hungry baby in my belly 
• the super folks  heroes at the heart ministry center that delivered thanksgiving meals for over 400 families in the omaha metro last saturday
• my brother and his family who are making our thanksgiving feast
• all the coats the preschool parents, parishioners, and CCD children at our preschool collected for the heart ministry center's clients
• my MIL is getting better everyday and can use a walker and get herself out of chairs.  she'll be home in a couple of weeks!!
• that i live a world where a parent can overcome his greatest grief to celebrate his children and make life better for other kids through art.
• that it is tuesday which means it only two more days to my favorite holiday!!

have a happy thanksgiving all!

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feeling guilty about all the yummy food? drink a smoothie.  smoothies solve almost all problems.

blueberry banana smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 c. frozen blueberries

1 1/2 T/ ground flax seed

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk 

blend together in blender and feel the guilt melt away. 

getting in the groove

weeks 13 and 14 of this pregnancy were a bit rough as far as the morning sickness goes...i've had morning sickness since about 5 weeks so i'm kind of over it.  plus, i'm now in this weird morning sickness + nesting phase which leads to a lot of unfinished projects, a house that looks like a bomb hit, and a grumpy mommy at the end of the day.  i also have not done much cooking or meal planning for the past two months.  see the empty slots on our what's for dinner page for proof.  i'm not promising that i'll be getting back to that anytime soon, either.  however, i did more cooking and prep this past week/weekend then i have in a long time.  yesterday i cut up a bunch of fruit for the week, hard boiled a dozen eggs for snack times, made granola for my morning yogurt, made a pot of black eyed peas (i froze some and saved some for my favorite 101 cookbooks recipe), doubled our dinner so that i could put some in the freezer, and made these cookies with hendrix.  oh, and i made breakfast instead of making mike take us out. for the first time, in a long time i feel like i have a head start on this week's meals and snacks.  this pregnancy has me craving protein like crazy and eating small meals throughout the day does better for me.  so, if i have no quick snacks then bad things happen and i get sick. hopefully, this week is a little better and my prepping helps out.

here's what we're having for dinner this week...

chile colorado burritos with yellow rice and pineapple
tartiflette with green salad
black eyed peas with leeks (adding beef kielbasa for mike)
venison chops with mashed potatoes and sauteed collards with mushrooms
mushroom meatloaf with roasted brussel sprouts and cheddar squash muffins

{check out amy's meatless mondays for great ideas or a whole month of meatless mondays.}

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if you are in the omaha metro area and are wanting to help make thanksgiving special for folks in need then please consider joining the dessert drive that the heart ministry is hosting this week.

if you'd like to help the folks and small businesses in NYC that were affected by sandy then check this site out.

whoa baby. here we go again.

hendrix made this in preschool

well, it's official.  we're expecting.  for those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile you know that i have been baby crazy since about hendrix's first birthday.  i am happy to say that shortly after hendrix's fourth birthday in march we will be saying hello to another baby.  baby #2 is due may 7th.   i'm getting pretty excited now that the morning sickness is starting to go away and my energy is coming back.  also, if your morning sickness is real bad....zofran is your friend. for reals. hendrix is pretty pumped too and has been pretty great on the days i am feeling especially gross or tired.  mike is like a deer in headlights, but what can you expect?
which brings me to the story i promised to tell all of you...the one about how we brought hendrix home and we had no food in the house.  hendrix was born about 2 1/2 weeks before his due date and i was on bed rest the week before he was born. silly me thought you actually went around your due date and that i had time.  i did not.  also, mike can not be trusted at the grocery store.  i remember coming up with a list of a few things for him to get based on a few quick meals i figured i could throw together.  he came back with cans of chef boyardee. gross.  see why i insist on giving new parents food, slow cookers, and recipes? i did, however, have my slow cooker that my girlfriend, becky, had given me at my baby shower.  becky has five boys...i think she understood the need for a momma to have some arsenal and how great it is to receive something non-baby related at your shower.  because really...how many blankets and hats does one baby need?  i broke that slow cooker out and used it all the time.  it was a few weeks though before i could really come up for air and go to the store for what i really needed....easy snacks + meals. let's face it, actual meals don't always happen in the first few weeks. so, that brings me to what i think you really need to stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with before the baby arrives....

snack time!
granola (loose and bars)
yogurt
applesauce
hummus + pita chips
black beans, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips
cut veggies
oatmeal
fruit
dark chocolate

homemade freezer meals!
lasagna
pizza dough
marinara
pizza pockets
runzas
quiche
sliced meatloaf for sandwiches
pot pies
rainbow soup
quinoa pancakes
whole grain muffins
chicken hand pies
enchilada's
burritos

store bought freezer meals!
ravioli
trader joe's gyoza dumplings (so good!)
trader joe's burritos
.....

• if you are still building your pantry, check out my pantry checklist.  to spread the cost out when building your pantry just add a few items every week to your shopping list.  you'll get there in no time. 
• to see more tips on prepping food for a new parents, check this post out. 
• to see what supplies i think a new baby and parents actually need...check this post out. 

anything i am missing? let me know.  be kind, though.  remember i have pregnancy brain.

being grateful

yesterday a little baby boy from our community passed away after a long battle with cancer.  his family belongs to the same parish our preschool is at and i saw firsthand how the community rose up to support this family.  facebook pages were started to inform folks of fundraisers and to simply ask people to pray.  people  turned out in droves to do whatever they could.  in the end, this baby boy got some peace and slipped away from this earth.  i first found out about his passing on facebook.  of course, when i was trying to tune out my own child who was driving me crazy.  then just like that i realized how lucky i was to have a boy who threw tantrums, spills milk on the rug, calls me princess when i wear a skirt, makes himself fart, refuses to go to bed, hugs me when i don't feel good, and is a healthy boy.
then this morning i wake up and see the devastation that is hurricane sandy.  thousands and thousands of people without power, damaged homes, or worse.  kids who are mostly likely pretty scared. it made me realize that in the end all this trouble with the drought, earlier this year,  in my part of the country was small stuff compared to what the east coast is going through.
it's too bad that is takes tragedies for us to realize what we have and to be grateful.  i guess that's how life works.  today i am grateful and send much love to those who need it.

rainbow soup

garden tomatoes from earlier this year.  now my garden looks like the apocalypse hit .

when i posted the top ten slow cooker meals, i heard from a lot of new mommas and soon to be new mommas.  (remind to tell you all about the time i came home with a new baby and no food in the house. it was my first and i apparently thought i was going have time to cook.)  this recipe is for you ladies...it's easy to make, freezes well, can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove top, is super healthy for growing babies in the belly, super great for recovering new mommies, and if you use a little clever marketing...a toddler might like it.  hendrix calls this rainbow soup and loves it.  oh, it's pretty darn cheap to make too! i posted about it a few years ago, but i figured it was worth sharing again. it's basically a very versatile minestrone recipe.  feel free to add some cooked, sliced italian sausage if you like. always add parmesan cheese. xo!
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i love this twist on the traditional minestrone. it is so colorful, versatile, and delicious! don't have butternut squash? use potato. or sweet potatoes.  don't like yellow squash? use green beans or zucchini. you can use kale or spinach instead of cabbage, too. cannellini beans, pinto beans or chickpeas would work in place of the kidney beans, as well. get creative!  this works especially well if you froze any of your garden's bounty earlier this year. 

anna's minestrone
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 -2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 t. dried
coarse salt and pepper, to taste
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained (or fresh, chopped)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 lb. shredded green cabbage
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. yellow squash, chopped
1 c. green peas, frozen
1 minced garlic clove
7 c. water
shredded parmesan for serving


STOVETOP: in large pot, heat oil over medium - add onion, carrots, celery, red pepper flakes, rosemary, s&p (to taste) - cook until onion begins to turn golden (5-8 mins.) - add tomatoes, cook 1 minute - add butternut squash, cabbage, beans, and 7 c. water - bring to a boil  - reduce to a simmer and cook until all veggies are tender (15 minutes) - stir in peas and cook 5-10 minutes - season with s&p, stir in garlic - serve with parmesan on top - enjoy!
SLOW COOKER: omit olive oil.  combine everything BUT greens and peas.  cook on low for 6-8 hours.  before serving, turn to high and add greens and peas.  cook until greens are wilted. - serve with parmesan on top - enjoy!

mondays + breakfast

i didn't do much cooking this weekend.  mike's mom is still in the hospital and is kind of having a tough time. much of the weekend was spent shuffling hendrix to one place or another so that i could make it up to visit her. so please keep sending her good vibes. 
i did eat some of these mind blowing pumpkin cinnamon rolls courtesy of my friend summer.  i also made this rueben bake on saturday night.  so easy and so delicious. on thursday, i made this roasted beef, mushroom, and barley stew.  huge hit with hendrix!
finally, here's 5 minute breakfast for you all...
......
apple pie oatmeal
1 peeled, chopped apple
1 generous TABLESPOON of brown sugar
generous sprinkle of baking spice
1/2 cup of oats
1 cup of water
combine ingredients in a small pot and cook in med to med high until cooked through and thickened.  about 5 minutes. serve with milk.

back to school dinner

on monday, we had a back to school dinner for hendrix.  i put out the white tablecloth, used name cards, and printed out BE BRAVE signs.  i put together a little gift bag filled with flashcards, white boards {to practice writing}, eraseable makers, and a superhero cape.  we talked about school and what it meant to be brave. 

i had read about this back to school dinner tradition in a few places and really liked the concept.   i think it is so sweet and gives adults the chance to get excited about back to school, too.  did you get pumped for the first day or were you like mike and dreaded it?  i absolutely loved the first day of school, buying school supplies, and talking about summer at recess. 

for dinner i made slow cooker korean ribs with rice and red cabbage.  just make the rice according to package directions and saute your thinly sliced red cabbage in olive oil and sesame oil.  season the cabbage with salt and chinese five spice.  it's also great with bok choy or carrots.  to make the ribs...

slow cooker korean ribs

3 lbs country style pork ribs or beef short ribs

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. water

5 - 10 whole jalepenos

combine ingredients in slow cooker (meat can be frozen which is a bonus) and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  serve over rice with veggies on the side.

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i'll be back soon with a menu plan for next week.  in the meantime, don't forget to check out our what's for dinner page for dinner ideas.



homemade animal crackers



mike came home with the cookie cutters that his grandmother bought at the town grocery store in the 1930s when she lived in this house we now call our home. mike's mother had made cookies with her mother, in this house, with those exact cookie cutters.  then he made cookies with his mother and grandmother in their house in another town.  now the cookie cutters made their way back to this house.  i was so awe struck with the bag of cookie cutters that mike's mom had saved all of these years.  there are ones for every holiday.  i knew which one hendrix would like the best.  an ax shaped cookie cutter.  so hendrix and i made animal crackers with the lion, owl, bird, horse, dog, and alligator shaped ones.  and the ax shaped cookie cutter. 
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homemade animal crackers
yield 2-3 dozen depending on size of cracker

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 heaping teaspoon of baking spice
1/8 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 cup of rolled oats (can grind them up if you like)
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of all purpose flour

cream sugar and butter.  add egg and vanilla, mix well. in a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.  add to sugar mixture and mix well.  form dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight. 
preheat oven 350 degrees.  take a hunk of dough off your dough ball and warm up with your hands.  roll out onto a floured surface.  cut out shapes and bake on parchment lined baking sheet for 5-8 minutes.  store in an airtight container at room temp for up to one week.

brave new beginnings

today hendrix started preschool.  i'll be honest (and dramatic) it felt like the beginning of the end to me.  soon he will be four, writing his name, reading books, then before i know it...he'll be bringing unsavory girls home.  i feel like i fell into a vortex.  one day he was born. the next he was 3 1/2 writing "H"s.

last night, we had our back to school dinner.   i'll tell you more about it this week and share my recipe for slowcooker korean ribs with rice and purple cabbage.  our theme this year is: BEING BRAVE.

mostly, i think i am just emotional because that is what mothers do.  we love our children so much that sometimes our hearts and tear ducts can't handle it.  we are so proud of them and want so much for them.  my brother once said the greatest and worst thing about having children is watching them grow up. 



my friend, anjanette, told me to try to remember how lucky i was that my kid was healthy and that i could bring him to any school we wanted.  she's right.  my son was born healthy and today went to preschool healthy and happy.  i am the luckiest mom in the whole world to have hendrix as my son.

monday mail + being brave

hendrix got a postcard in the mail today from his favorite book store owner.  he was so blown away by the fact that he was old enough to receive mail and that it went into a mailbox all the way downtown and ended up in our po box all the way out here.  3 year olds and their awe and their story telling are pretty great. 

.....

hendrix starts preschool next week.  i get pretty emotional when i talk about it.  there's parent teacher conferences, field trips, writing your own name, learning phonics...this is the real deal, folks.  i know he is a little nervous so i am going to try to reign in my emotions.  also, i am planning a back to school dinner.  i have seen some other mommas do them around the internet and like the idea.  this year our theme will focus on being brave.  i'm going to pick up a few new books and a writing tablet for him to open at the dinner table the night before school.  then we can talk about how all sorts of people need to be brave in all sorts of situations.  i am working on making him this cape, too. 

so, if you don't hear from me much this week, it's because i am taking advantage of our last week of summer and getting ready for a new chapter.



GSW {menu plan} :: thirteen

elegant dinner at our house



1. grilled chicken with avocado & grilled corn salad

2. pork ragu over noodles serve with green salad topped with apples, almonds, and bleu cheese tossed in a simple vinaigrette {weekend dinner alert!}

3. salmon with chickpea, feta, and parsley salad {salad keeps well in fridge for lunches or snack time}

4. grilled pork tenderloin with peaches

5.  black bean stuffed peppers

going to a party? bring dessert and a hostess gift...
fruit crisp + place mats

put aside cleaning your house and freeze some tomatoes...
how to freeze tomatoes
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we'll be finishing our {play}barn this weekend and hoping for rain.  thankfully, our friend, tony, is coming to help and his daughter will be here to play with hendrix.
if you are looking for something to do this weekend in the omaha metro, try...millard days, shopping the furniture sale at oh darling!, dundee day on saturday, take a road trip to the nebraska state fair, or go to the world O! water festival at chalco hills on saturday.

monday jumpstart

photo via bhg



hello! did ya'll have a nice weekend? we did, but towards the end got pretty sneezy. ick.  however, we are plowing ahead because who has time for such things.  here are some things to jump start your {food} week...

peanut butter banana bread with quinoa flour - yum!

let's open the conversation between farmers

preserving {food + friendships} house

the mornings feel like fall around here.  which always makes me want this one dish dinner.

these placemats are on the "craft to do list" this week

overloaded on cherry tomatoes? make this!

mike got a fire ring to cook food on. we're having a halloween party to unveil it's greatness!

garden inspired food + drink ideas for the last days of summer

GSW menu :: twelve

if hendrix can make dinner. so can you.



it's thursday! which means that it is one more day until friday and the weekend! it also means it is time for next week's menu plan.  this weather is making me want to give mother nature a big ol' wet one.  right on the lips.  if only she'd send {more} rain...

onto the menu.  we're going to still celebrate summer's bounty, but we're going to add some fall flavors, too.  because why not?  some kids are already in school and this summer was one giant heat wave. here it goes...

1. shrimp tacos with spiced peach jam
2. slow cooker jambalaya

3. eggplant stuffed with couscous + pine nuts (sub other nuts if you like)

4.  chicken, butternut squash, and quinoa stew (weekend dinner alert!)

5. quick miso glazed salmon with your freshest veggies on the side

make a pie because the weather is nice....

brown sugar peach pie with coconut streusel

salad for lunches...

arugula with pecans, roasted squash, goat cheese, and bacon

herb garden going a little too crazy? start freezing!

how to freeze herbs

kids already back in school and you are frazzled?
top 10 quick {DALS} weeknight dinners

on a schedule

photo by cami rawlings

i'm sure you have all seen the schedules on pinterest.  there's one for SAHMs or cleaning or menu prep, etc, etc.  they are enough to make anybody feel overwhelmed.  who has the time for such schedules? apparently i do.  apparently my organization skills are just borderline ocd.  i've talked about breaking up the cleaning duties and keeping up on the daily messes before and when i talk with the women of the pathway program during our "managing a home" discussions, i tell them the same thing.  something about cleaning your entire house in one day, while children run underfoot, is soul crushing.  and, really, aren't there other things to do.  in general, i don;t mind housework.  i even kind of like it.  see the line about possible ocd above.  however, i do not like it while i am doing it and hendrix all sudden needs me to do one million things for him.  also, a toddler's help is cute and all but let's fact it...it is not really all that helpful or realistic . he has his own chores like picking up after himself and feeding the dogs so i am not too worried about him learning about cleaning. so, i decided to come up with daily must dos along with one chore a day that would help me keep up on the actual cleaning of the house, as well as, the picking up, dishes, etc.  that way i can spend most of hendrix's naptime doing more important things like staring at a wall and building up my energy resources. i've been doing it for a couple of months now and it really has been working. who knows how it will work in the future or if we add more kids to the mix, but for now it works. and that is all that matters. the house is clean and i have time for my ever growing list of projects and more time in the garden.

MON: purge traffic areas (these get cluttered over the weekend) &
help hendrix pick up his playroom (the rest of the week i don't care where the toy is as long as it is in the play room, but on monday we re-organize and throw away any broken toys or trash) | 30mins

TUES: dust | 20 mins

WED: clean bathroom | 15 mins

THURS: do floors | nap time (it's all wood floors or tile in my house)

FRI - SUN: off or time to do projects

DAILY: dishes, laundry, pick up the house, and sweep (we have 2 large dogs and 4 cats)

what do you think? do you clean when the feeling hits you or do you break it up over the week? am i crazy? don't answer that.  i'm off to clean to clean the bathroom. however, i don't think i am only one that is struggling to find ways to keep the house together while teaching the kids the importance of cleaning up after themselves.  and still finding time to spend with our families and doing the things we enjoy.  it's a conversation i have often with my friends who are mothers. so, perhaps a schedule isn't the worst idea?
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also, i leave you with this quote for Design Mom's Living with Kids post yesterday:

Motherhood is such a demanding career, yet it makes me restless. I felt trapped in the early months caring for an infant both times. I wanted to get things done, to be on the go, but I was needed to sit, nurse, and be still.
and check out this article for some discipline problem solvers.  i have put some of them into practice and let me tell you...they are working. for now.

happy birthday to the best husband!



photo by hendrix


today is mike's birthday.  thank god he was born.  hendrix took this photo of his dad a few weeks ago.  mike has been enamored with hendrix since the very second hendrix was born.  he always has this look of  being completely entertained and satisfied when he looks at hendrix. he is better than anything or anyone i ever dared to dream for myself.  fatherhood and marriage have only made him more attractive in my eyes.  he is not one for birthdays and longs for his his youth some days.  but i wouldn't take him any younger or different.  celebrating himself is not his way.  celebrating others is, though.  so tonight we will have spaghetti & meatballs for dinner.  hendrix and i are making a chocolate cake filled with cherries for him today, too. afterwards, he'll probably go out and work on hendrix's play barn.  i love this man.  more than my heart can stand some days.  more than i can put into words. he is better than a dream.  happy birthday, my love.

play barn



a few months ago my friend, amy, posted a link for a slideshow of play houses.  they are amazing.  we were already planning on building hendrix a sandbox, so i thought he needed a little barn to go with it.  except play houses can be pretty pricy.  then mike found this cheap framer kit for a garden shed that with a little customizing on our part...would make the perfect play barn for hendrix...for much less than a play house.  then when he and any other children are done with it...it can be a garden shed or drinking barn (in mike's dreams). this weekend, we gathered our materials, picked the paint colors, built the base and leveled the ground.  by the end of the week, hendrix should have a play barn that is painted orange on the inside and red on the outside.  orginally, he wanted the outside to be painted both red and orange, but mike looked like was about to faint at the thought of that.  something about all the "other farmers" driving by and seeing that.  so, we compromised and will paint the interior orange with some leftover paint from hendrix's bedroom.  hendrix informed me that he would be putting all of his tools in it, so he "could do his work".  oh sweet boy.  he's still under the assumption that "work" is fun. ha! the barn is 7 ft x 8ft with 8 ft high ceilings so i will put in some shelves for his outdoor toys and a solar powered light because he will never go in it if it is dark in there.  next to it will be his sandbox and on the other side a parking spot for the tractor that his grandma got him for christmas last year. this place is kind of my inspiration except on more of a kid scale.  most of the decor will just be repurposed scraps that i have laying around, but i am super excited for hendrix and his friends to have a little play spot out in the yard and garden area.  personal spaces that are beautiful are something i hold dear to my heart...so i hope hendrix can love it as much. we'll post pics when it is complete.

things i love

this week has certainly ended well, hasn't it?  this weather is killer.  the rain on wednesday was blessed.  we haven't done a {things i love} post in awhile...so here it goes:



someone else doing the dishes after dinner

chevron dressers

asking hendrix "what the favorite part of his day was" at dinner

peace of mind in the fridge

taking morning walks with summer + kids

silver repurposed

seeing old friends, pregnant & happy, at baby showers

open houses

seeing old friends, holding their new babies

family breakfast

having a dream that mike was a monster truck driver and the truck's name was "methodical"

pinning fall style ideas

hendrix going to preschool (!!) next month & actually getting to buy school supplies



goldenrod {appearing on the roadsides} + zinnias



wild child

hendrix catapults himself everywhere.  all of the time.  his energy knows no bounds.  (even when he has a cold) he literally vibrates sometimes because he is so full of energy.  most days, when he is home with me, he is able to find things to absorb his energy.  when his dad comes home, though, it is a different story.  mike must be some sort of adrenaline rush for hendrix because every night is spent watching hendrix catapult himself off of his dad's body and screaming his ideas into mike's face.  needless to say, he can be a wear out sometimes.  most of the time it is fun to watch someone SO INTO LIFE. 

hendrix goes to a fantastic mom's day out program and is supposed to be going into the big kid room soon.  however, because of a few factors i am now exploring weather or not the program will be a good place for the now 3 1/2 year old hendrix.  to be honest, i think preschool for 3 year olds is a little overboard.  however, now that hendrix is 3 1/2, fully potty trained, and obsessed with what letters word begin with...i am thinking it may be a good outlet for his energy.  his desire and ability to learn is sometimes staggering.  and i have a hard time keeping up.  so, perhaps, instead of 5 hours, one day a week at mdo...he could spend 5 hours, 2 mornings a week at preschool. 

it's very hard.  it's hard making decisions like this for your kids.  having faith in your parenting and decision making skills.  letting them grow up.   it's hard being flexible enough to make decisions.  parents have big plans for their kids and themselves prior to the baby actually being born.  then the baby is born and life gets real.

so tomorrow i will tour the preschool with my 3 year old. and i'll only cry when no one is looking.



forget flowers, feed the family

angry hendrix who was not a fan of carriers.



when i had hendrix i was not too wise when it came to preparing meals beforehand or asking a close friend to set up a meal train.  by the time he came i was so tired and overwhelmed that we relied on take out and other packaged snacks.  which did not do our pocket book or bodies any favors.  i then vowed that i was going to bring food to the new mommas in my life if i lived in the same town as i did.  unless, they were my friend summer who premade something like 40 meals before she had her second.  the girl took nesting to whole new level.  my friend, alissa, who lives out of town did do the next best thing for me when i had hendrix.  she sent me a spa certificate for mother's day.  it was then that i discovered the power of a massage.
so, our family friends just had a baby.  john is a very good cook, but they now have a newborn and a two year old so it's about to get real around their house.  today i am going to share some of my favorite freezer meals to bring.  i typically like to bring 3-4 frozen meals (that will last up to 3 months) and maybe one meal for dinner that night, something sweet + healthy, and a print out of my top ten crockpot meals. a lot of times, folks may get bombarded with meals and help in the beginning so freezer meals are good for when the excitement settles. 
the meals should be stored in such a way that they do not take much room in their freezer.  also, using the foil pans found in the grocery store for things like pot pie, quiche, lasagna, and enchiladas are a nice touch since it cuts down on clean up time for the new parents. things like soups and sauces can be frozen flat in a freezer bag.  things like burritos and runzas can be individually wrapped and stored in a freezer bag. all food should be frozen before delivery unless one is for dinner that night.  this time of year, it would be nice if you brought some recently preserved item from your garden, as well.  canned or frozen would be appreciated, i'm sure.  all food should include directions on thawing, reheating, and general use tips.  also, be sure to be aware of any allergies or food restrictions the parents have before bringing something like cashew chicken or spicy yogurt shrimp, for instance. ok.  here's a list of ideas...

marinara
pot pies
pizza dough
butternut squash soup
chili
burritos
pizza pockets
runzas
quiche
muffins
minestrone
pork tacos
quinoa pancakes
granola
lasagna
enchiladas

what do you bring when someone has a baby?  am i missing any must have? 

harvesting rants

i was going to share with you several ways to use those over sized cucumbers of yours or how i was re- purposing some old shoes to look like these puppies or what to bring to people who just had a baby. but i didn't quite get the news i was hoping for yesterday and it put me in a funk.  so instead i turned the sprinkler on for  hendrix and worked in the garden.  this is today's harvest.  obviously it is time to get to preserving tomatoes and cukes.  maybe even green beans.  but that is a post for another day.

while i was working in the garden, i was working out a lot of bad energy.  just letting it sweat out.  thinking about the conversation my friend, marti, and i had yesterday about people prophetizing about the state of food, posting pics of dinner, and then spending their nights watching four hours of television. it got me riled up.  then i was too short with hendrix and felt bad about my mommy abilities. then he made this face.

then i realized that i needed to calm the eff down.  i may not of gotten the news i wanted yesterday, but it was still good news.  i have a good life.  for god's sake, i get to spend the morning in the garden while my kid plays in the sprinkler. i get to have a garden.  period. i get to.  there are a lot of things and people that annoy me. (people who take themselves too seriously, the food network, and mommy judgement/guilt being some of the things) but in the end they probably do because i see something that i don't like about myself in them. so that being said.  (i know i'm brilliant, aren't i? also, i am a slow learner with a sarcasm problem) i'm going to have a banana smoothie and i am going to cheer back up. i'll be back soon with cucumber strategies, silver shoes, and what people with new babies really need.