Thursday, March 29, 2012

What's cooking?

Dinner is in the crockpot; diapers are in the wash; I've walked the dog, met a friend at the park, went to Target, and completely my "To Do" list for the day and it's only late afternoon. It's a supermom kinda day here. Unlike yesterday when I felt like I was chasing my tail all day and needed a IV drip of caffeine. Take the good with the bad, right?

So what's cooking at the Robinson ranch tonight?

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

3-4 peppers (I like red best)
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 C spinach, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 C. basmiti rice (cooked according to package)
1 C. firm tofu, cubed
1 jar pasta sauce
oregano, basil, crushed red peppers, salt & pepper

Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out seeds.
Combine beans, rice, spinach, onion, tofu, and spices.
Scoop into peppers and place in crockpot.
Cover with pasta sauce.
Cook 3-4 hrs (longer on lower setting)

Photos

I'm working on writing Riesling's birth story but it seems to be taking forever. In the meantime you can enjoy some images which I have titled "Birthing Pain in Stages"

I'm fine Dad. I just need to sit for a minute.

Do not even think about talking to me until I open my eyes


I could care less who sees me in this state

***And then there was transition, pushing, and the actual birth of my dearest Riesling. You will have to use your imagination because I thankfully have no pictures of my primal grunting, deep throated moaning, and high pitch screaming. ***


You need to repair what?


I seriously think she is biting off my nipple

Pain? What pain?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Time is flying

Riesling had her one month birthday last week. I can't believe how much she is growing and changing right before my eyes.


Grilled Romaine

So easy and so delicious.

Cut heads of romaine lengthwise.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic
Repeat on other side.
Grill open face down first until browned (only a few minutes).
Flip with tongs and grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Monday...

"If the wind will not serve, take to the oars."

~Latin Proverb

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

1 Month

It's hard to believe one month ago I looked like this....

My dad was planning to drive from Ohio when he got word that I was in labor, hoping to make it here before the baby was actually born or shortly following. Last minute he decided to just come on over, check out the big belly, and relax with Jim and I until the baby arrived. He took these belly pictures less than 24 hrs before Riesling was born. It's hard to believe that this little person that has completely changed my life was all snug and cozy in my belly not so long ago....

Web browsing

I was doing some early morning blog and general internet catch up and a few non baby related things caught my eye....

Letter from John Steinbeck to his son regarding falling in love.

AMAZING NYC rooftop garden...with chickens!

Love and recipes for escarole.

Yummy Shamrock shake that would make a perfect summer treat.

The Hunger Games soundtrack.

My holistic doctor, Wendy Warner, on the Dr. Oz show.

Things on Toast. If only I could eat toast...

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Happy Vernal Equinox

Although today is the first official day of spring, the weather has been absolutely fantastic for the past week or so. I'm particularly fond of spring this year, which feels a little strange to me since we had such a mild winter. Must be the babe. Regardless, we have been doing our best to take advantage of the pleasant temperatures and sun filled afternoons.....

Friday Jim and I spent the afternoon gambling with our baby in a bar. So it was actually scratch off lotto tickets and lunch at the South Philly Tap Room with about 5 other people in the whole place, but there was still a moment when we both looked at each other and thought, "this is Ok, right?" Judge us if you must but we decided indeed it was Ok and we will do it again soon (probably without the lotto tickets, they were from the mother-in-law. We're not really gamblers).

A good portion of the rest of the weekend was spent working on the garden. Riesling loves hanging in the Ergo or Moby while I putz around the yard or just sit in the sun, chattng with Jim while he performs all the labor intensive work.



Every year we get a little better at gardening but this year looks to blow our past efforts out of the water. Jim is following Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and has dedicated a lot of time and effort to feeding our family in the upcoming months. Last weekend he made this little hut to keep pest and varmints out of our lettuce and salad greens....


Pretty serious, right? I think I'm going to ask Jim to start doing a weekly/biweeklky guest post on the garden since he's really the expert. He use to have his own blog but abandoned it due to lack of time, which is understandable. But I think he can manage a few post a week....whatcha think Jim?

Monday, March 19, 2012

Monday...

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

~Christopher Robin to Pooh

Friday, March 16, 2012

Meet the Family

It has been a busy few weeks at our house. We've had so many wonderful friends, family, & neighbors stopping by to meet Riesling. She will certainly never be lacking love in her life, especially from her family.

The Robinson family....

Grandma & Grandpa

Aunt Becka & Uncle Tim

Great Grandpop & Grandmom

The Stidd family....
Papa

Aunt Rachelle, Uncle Rich, and cousin Elliona
missing-cousin Jevin, because he's 8 and NOT interested in his picture with a baby!

And the festivities continue with Aunt Jenn scheduled for a trip from Ohio next weekend. HooRay!!!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Spring....

....made it to the Robinson house

Lantern and floral bird candle-gift from office Christmas exchange
Riesling's current reading list- James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web, Moo Baa LaLaLa, Guess How Much I Love You, & Barnyard Dance
Mom's current reading list- Dragonfly in Amber & Beyond the Sling

Terracota pots- reused from shower decorations
Pinwheels-Target (I decided I was too busy to make my own this year!)

Frames-already owned
Prints-greeting cards from our wedding & fabric sample
Small flower pots with moss-already owned

Easter bunny-Riesling's first gift from Papa while we were in the hospital
Basket with cloth napkins-already owned
Flowers-local grocery store


House plant- already owned
Bird house-from my mom's kitchen

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Letters from Riesling

Hello Family & Friends,

The weather here has been so beautiful. My mom has been taking me for walks everyday. A lot of the time I snuggle up in the Moby and take a little nap. Sofee dog likes to walk with us too. She really loves chasing squirrels and jumping for sticks. On Monday we took a long family walk all the way to the library. I got to ride in the stroller and loved all the bouncing and bumps along the way. We stopped for ice cream on the way back, then toured Dad's garden in the yard when we got home. I loved all the time in the fresh air and sunshine. My least favorite time of the day is between 9:30-10 pm. It really makes me crazy and I have to exercise my lung capacity for about an hour before I realize that everything is Ok and then I fall asleep from pure exhaustion.

I'm still growing like crazy and have almost outgrown my 0-3 month onesies, which also means I'm starting to fit into a lot of the cute clothes I received as gifts. My favorite so far are the monkey Pj's from my cousin Elli. I'm starting to hold up my own head more and more each day as well. It's really a lot of work, so I have to take a lot of naps and eat often. It makes for a good life.

Love always,
Riesling


Monday, March 12, 2012

Monday...

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

~Charles Dickens

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Hello Spring?

Hopefully by Monday morning all the pinecones, snowmen, and red of my winter decor will be replaced with pastels and signs of spring....



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Orchids 101

Jim got me an orchid for our 2nd wedding anniversary. It was our second attempt to have this beautiful, majestic flower in our home. Even with all our love and devotion for nature the first one didn't fair very well and ended up in orchid heaven. When this one dropped all its flowers last year, we feared it was heading to its death bed. But the leaves stayed green at the bottom, so we knew there was hope.

We did a little research and came up with a better plan of care in hopes of helping it live long enough to bloom again. It really seemed doubtful for quite a long while. Until the morning of February 22 when the first new bud suddenly opened up and flowered. The same bright sunny day our beautiful little Riesling made her way until the world. Happy Birth Day Riese!


So what did we learn about caring for orchids?

Soil. Orchids need to be potting in a 'soil' mixture that allows for proper drainage but helps the roots retains moisture. In other words, not just potting soil that you would use with other house plants. We used a special orchid mixture that we purchased at Home Depot. You can also make your own mixture.

Watering. Watering too much or too often will kill the roots. And obviously underwatering is not the way to go either. We put a ice cube in the pot whenever it feels dry. Probably every 5-10 depending on the season (more often in the summer, less in the winter).

Sunlight. We had trouble with this one. You don't really want the plant in intense direct sunlight but it's not going to flourish hiding in the back corner of your living room either. The leaves should be a bright green color, a good indicator for whether or not your orchid is getting proper sunlight. Dark green leaves mean too little light while a reddish coloring indicates too much light. We had to move ours around a dozen times and before we found the right spot in our bay window.

Fertilizer. We realized that we were probably starving our orchid to death and it had no extra energy for producing flowers. So, we starting fertilizing it with special orchid food once per month. Over feeding will burn the roots so follow the instructions of the fertilizer you purchase.

So those are the basics. There are of course other things like disease, pests, etc that can affect orchids but thankfully none we've had to deal with and hopefully won't in the future. I just really love the simplicity and beauty of the orchid and think everyone should have an one to brighten up the home. A perfect gift for any of the upcoming spring holidays (Easter, Mother's Day, etc) I would highly recommend a lovely orchid. Just be sure to include a list of care instructions.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Letters from Riesling

Hello Friends & Family,

It's hard to believe that I'm two weeks old today. Boy does time fly. I went to the doctors today and I weighed in at a whooping 9 lbs 4 oz. The nurse was actually quite amazed with my weight gaining abilities and even accused me of supplementing with formula( gasp!) I take it straight from the tap only lady! There's nothing like being milk drunk 8-12 times a day and what's even better is that it's always ready and waiting for me. Thanks Mom, you rock!

I also had my first neighborhood outing with Mom and Sofee dog this afternoon. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and I passed out in the Moby and pretty much missed the whole thing. When I woke up some neighbor guy was staring at me and adoring my cute round cheeks. Not gonna lie, it freaked me out and I threw and tantrum right then and there. I also needed to poop, so that added fuel to my fire.

I finished the afternoon with some reading, tummy time, and a nap in the swing. What a great day! I hope you had a great day too.

Love always,
Riesling

Monday, March 5, 2012

Spring Fever

I'm back in my old jeans today...you know the kind with a zipper. The first trip to the bathroom was a bit confusing. After months of elastic waistbands, I almost forgot how that old button and zipper thing worked. I was dressed and even had my hair brushed before 8am, so the rest of the day I've been snuggling up with my lil Riese, reading our collection of Golden Books, and chipping away at my "To Do" list.

I decided to make a list for the week rather than the day. Newborn seem to be too unpredictable to set any strict deadline to things. Plus, who needs to stress about whether or not I finished the thank you cards or tax preparation today instead of tomorrow? Not this girl. I know this sweet little thing will be chasing boys and arguing with me about skirt lengths in no time, so I plan to sit back, relax, & enjoy every this stage as much as I possibly can.

I'm can't wait until we're able to get outside and enjoy some time walking around the neighborhood, into town to the library and coffee shop, and out to the park & hiking with Sofee dog. We think we all have a bit of spring fever in our house. I spent a few minutes getting inspiration for spring decor on Pinterst. I'm thinking about a collection of these paper pinwheels in a spring variety in vases of varying heights on my buffet and maybe a batch of terracotta pots covered in bright green moss for the kitchen table.....

Are you ready for Spring? Have you taken down all your winter snowmen and holly berry?

Monday...

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. "

~Washington Irving