A little catching up

Last year it was snow, this year a hurricane.  I'm seriously considering changing my birthday!  We got most of the celebrating in before hand so by the time Monday rolled around it didn't really feel like my birthday anyways.

Saturday 10.27.12

Riesling and I went to work while Daddy did some birthday shopping and errands. In the afternoon I made a quick run to the grocery store for a few Hurricane Sandy supplies then we walked down to our local Harvest Day, where we picked up some fresh local grown beets, goat cheese from another local-ish farm, and a homemade treat for Sofee dog.

Langhorne Harvest Day with my little Black Kitty

Per my request we all got cleaned up and fancy for an earlier dinner reservation at the Blue Sage.  It's a wonderful vegetarian restaurant but the food is so diverse and creative even a non vegetarian doesn't miss the meat.  Dining with Riesling is an interesting adventure but she always does better than I expect. We tried really hard to get a family picture but non of them came out very good.  But I do love this one of Riesling and her Da-Da

Sunday 10.28.12

The Robinson crewed joined us for a little lunch and birthday cake.  I made a batch of roasted acorn squash soup, put it in the crockpot and made a little tray of cheese (including our goat cheese purchase) & crackers and called it a day.  Jim is always in charge of my birthday cake (no matter how many woman family members offer to get him out of it) and he made a delicious gluten free pumpkin spice cake with homemade pumpkin cream cheese frosting and candy corn.  Since it's the one time of year he does any baking, he likes me to stay close by the kitchen in case he has any questions but would definitely be fine without me.

Monday 10.29.12

Jim was off work because of the approaching Hurricane, so it was a little bit of a bonus to spend my actual birthday as a family.  We spent the morning and early afternoon prepping the house for the heavy winds & using as much electricity as possible.  I got all the laundry and dishes done and tried to cook up stuff that was in the fridge and forced us to eat leftovers for lunch.  The day ended with no power and scary hurricane wind & rain.

We ended up being without power until last night.  Five days without electricity is a wee bit inconvenient with a little babe but I can't even think about complaining.  I know that Sandy destroyed and damaged a lot of homes and there are still so many people suffering through the devastation. Our house is completely unharmed even though 4 huge pine trees were uprooted from the property behind our house into the only empty field in the neighborhood.  Friends, family, and neighbors were all so generous.  I was particularly warmed by the support of our neighbors. Part of the neighborhood got their electricity back within 24hrs and without a second thought they opened up their homes for us to shower and stay overnight when the temperatures dropped; prepared meals and invited us and other families in for coffee or a hot dinner; set up generators for families with elderly or small children; and one guy even ran multiple extension cords across the street so we could plug in our fridge.  I love knowing that we are raising a family amongst people that care.

8 months

Can you believe my little girl is 8 months old already?!  Everyone says they grow up fast...

She is so super active, adventurous, and sweet right now.  I'm amazed everyday at how much she is absorbing and the new skills she picks.  She crawls like a maniac, pulls up to standing with no problem and is squatting down to pick up toys while holding on with one hand with greater ease each day.  I think we will have an early walker on our hands.  What an exciting (and terrifying!) thought. 

It was a beautiful day here so we tried to spend as much time as possible outside playing soccer, exploring the grass & leaves, and enjoying the fresh air....

 We ended the day with a little Sofee dog bonding, carrots & butternut squash for dinner, a cozy bath, and an evening guitar lesson with Daddy...

 

Make your own cleaning spray

I have been using baking soda and vinegar for a lot of the household cleaning for awhile now but had not been able to break away from store bought cleaning spray for the counters and general cleaning.  I came across a "recipe" in The Grid and finally got around to making my first batch over the weekend. 

What you need:

White vinegar

Water

A clean spray bottle

Lemon, cinnamon, and tea tree essential oils

Fill the spray bottle half full with vinegar.  Add water until you have about 1 inch remaining at the top.  Add 10 drops each of lemon, cinnamon, and tea tree oil.  Shake before each use. 

It's super easy, cleans great, and really cheap.  The essential oils seem a little costly at first glance, but keep in mind you're only using 10 drops per bottle and a bottle of cleaning spray last me a good while. 

Apple Picking

We ventured out to Styer's Orchard last weekend for a little family hayride action & apple picking.  It was a little chilly to start but turned out to be a beautiful sunny Fall day.  Riesling really loves being outdoors will stay pretty content in the Ergo for a long while.   I just love this picture of us together.  Doesn't she just look so content?

 Daddy snatched her away for a little while so she could experience some apple picking first hand...

She loved the few and enjoyed numerous "horsey" rides from Daddy...

We always come home from the orchard or strawberry picking with more than we know what to do with, but I make it a point not to let any of go to waste.  I decided on applesauce for our first round of apple treats.  I made a simple batch for Riesling by peeling & cubing a few apples, steaming until soft, than right into the food processor with water until it reached the right thickness.  

For the adults I decided to try crockpot applesauce.  I modified this recipe slightly (less sugar and a touch of vanilla) and it turned out really great!  We had it for dessert all week and a batch in the freezer for later.

More Thrifty Finds

Speaking of good deals...

Nothing beats a little early Sunday morning trash picking.  A new set of tires and a little cleaning and this guy will be good as new.  Then we will just have to wait 5-6 years for Riesling to start riding a bike

Thrifty finds

I love a good garage sale, flea market, or thrift store find.  It's of course a hit or miss kind of thing and if you're really searching for a specific item(s) it can take time and patience.  I tend to hit Craigslist for bigger, more specific items and browse the thrift store or flea markets for books, records, & clothing.

I'm lucky enough to have a decent thrift store really close to the house, walking distance in fact.  It's small so sometimes the selection is limited, but they are really good about checking stuff and don't really put out clothes with huge stain or holes or really disgusting stuff.  Jim and I have had some good luck in there with paperback novels for only a $1.00 and some random clothing items on their sale days where all clothes are only $1.00 (normally $3-$5).

Since we didn't find out whether our little Riesling was a boy or girl ahead of time I did very little shopping for baby stuff.  However, I would allow myself to go crazy in the children's book section, at only $0.25 each how can you resist! Kids clothing is always only $0.50 so on a few occasions I found something really cute and took the risk on whether it would work for the gender, season, etc.  Since Riesling's arrival I had little luck finding anything her since until recently.  My theory is that a lot of newborn and 3-6 months sizes tend to get mucked up with poop and spit up stains, so they never make it to the rack.  Once she hit the 9 month mark in clothing (and now 12 month!) I started finding some really great stuff.

Recently I got her 2 pair of sweats, a pair of leggings, a nice pair of pants in a toddler size, a little jacket, a sweater that might be cute for Christmas, a pair of jammies, and several cute tops....all for $0.50/each!  Including this cute little top (leggings are from H&M).....

TGIF

 I don't know why but this seemed like the longest, fastest week ever.  Makes no sense, I know.   I also can't make sense of the jumbled To Do lists I have scattered throughout my house, purse, and car.  For no good reason it just was a hectic week for me, maybe more mentally than anything else. Regardless, I'm happy that it's Friday.  I'm also happy that my favorite season is in full swing.  I'm craving anything and everything pumpkin, hot apple cider and a heaping pile of brussel sprouts! 

I'm afraid to actually write anything since my brain is scrambled plus  I only had one cup of coffee and it's nearly 1 o'clock so I will just shower you with links.  Perhaps an little light reading, some topics, of general interest, and of course a few recipes I will be putting to good use....

25 Vegan Pumpkin Recipes

My favorite way to cook brussel sprouts

Roasted acorn squash soup (we ended up with 3-4 random guys growing in our spaghetti squash patch!)

A few to follow up on my rant about healthy living....

Economics of Junk Food 

Debate over whether organic is actually healthier

Fast food vs. healthy food

And a  little parenting to top it all off....

Ideas for reducing sugar overload at Halloween 

Parent Like a Caveman

Cry it Out?

Give Health a Try

I'm primarily a perimeter grocery shopper, meaning I only go through a few of the aisles.  I hit the produce section heavy, organic when possible and within a reasonable price range; the two aisles of organic, gluten free, and natural products at my local store; then a few items in the freezer and dairy case (which has decreased significantly recently since we've been trying to reduce our dairy intake).  Although I occasionally need a random item, like mustard or vegetable broth, I rarely actually shop in the majority of my local grocery store.  What's down those mystery aisle anyways?  (I'm guessing a lot of sugar and artificial crap)

A few weeks ago I was unloading my cart at the checkout and starting feeling weird and self conscious about my selections.  Like everyone around me was watching and thinking nasty thoughts. It was basically a mound of produce, a few gluten free items, and a pint of Ben & Jerry's (I am human after all).  Maybe it was the mid calf length floral, bohemian style skirt I was wearing combined with my darling little baby strapped to my chest in the ergo that made me feel a little out of place.  For a short moment I actually might have cared that the cashier and the lady behind me were giving me glances indicating god knows what about me.  Then I looked at the man in front of me with his fried chicken, chips, chips, and more chips, cookies, soda, and bologna accompanying his overhanging gut and pitting edema and thought....."Why the HELL am I embarrassed!?" 

I know a lot of people argue that they can't afford to eat healthy, which I think it ludicrous.  I do realize that organic is more expensive and some of the specialty items we purchase are not affordable for everyone but that doesn't mean you can't eat healthy on a budget.  I think the bigger issue is taking the time and effort.  Preparing your own food takes time and planning, not to mention the clean up.  Some nights I absolutely DREAD the thought of going into the kitchen (in which case I probably order sushi) but most nights once I get going I'm always happy that I made the time and put forth the effort.  Jim and I are constantly reevaluated our lifestyle choices in an effort to improve wherever possible.  Not just with our food choices, but with everything from cleaning products to managing our budget better.  We actually work pretty hard to try and live healthy and happy.  Maybe we should all try just a little harder and see where it takes us.

Florida preview

We survived our first big family vacation to the beach!  We had to make a trip to Florida for Jim's brother's wedding, so we decided to extend our stay and make a little vacation out of it.  I was really nervous about the whole thing:  flying with a baby dealing with a place that didn't have all the amenities of home, a wedding, the ocean....it just seemed like a lot could go wrong! 

Riesling actually seemed to love every minute.  She loved the ocean and the sand, took nice long naps, and even made it down the aisle in her flower girl dress.   I'm hoping to posts some more details about ours travels and the wedding this weekend but for now a few pictures of Riesling discovering and enjoying sand for the first time...

 

Monday...

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” 

 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Letters from Riesling

Dear Friends & Family,

Every day there seems to be something new to discover.   Now that I can sit up, crawl and given the circumstances,  pull myself up to standing playtime seems to be filled with endless possibilities.  I can cruise around at will, gathering all my favorite toys or new ones I have yet to discover.   I have also been figuring out some interesting things about these toys.   If I bang two of them together they make banging sound, but depending on which two toys I choice the sound is quite different.  Why is the sound deeper or louder?  Some things makes a jingling noise when I shake them but other things don't.  There must be a reasonable explanation for this, but since I have yet to determine the jingling factor I usually just test each one out.  Some thing are just best as for some good old fashion chewing.  Why do those wood blocks test so much better than the plastic ones? 

So many questions I have yet to find the answers to. Some times I can barely tear myself away from all the fun and excitement of my scientific studies.  I often am so overcome with fatigue that my legs are wobbling and cause we to fall over and become clumsy.  Mommy says this means it's time to lay down and relax.  I think not!  One must persevere.  I would venture to guess that great scientist and explorers of the past did not take time for a morning nap.  As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, "There will be sleeping enough in the grave."

Love always, 

Riesling

Garden Fresh Recipes

The garden has been flourishing lately.  A lot of crops are coming to an end but that usually means we have a large harvest of one or more specific thing.  We've had beets, summer squash, potatoes, eggplant, peppers and green beans galore!  Here's what we've been eating lately....

Squash soup. Squash, onion, & potatoes from the garden!

Grilled jalapeno poppers.  This time we were careful to remove the ribbing and cook the suckers longer and they turned out oh so delicious.

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese.  I honestly didn't think I like beets until we grew them in the garden.  So freakin' delicious!

Peppers stuffed with quinoa, black beans & sauteed onions and carrots from the garden.  Slow cooked in the crockpot.  

And my FAVORITE swiss chard recipe.

Jazz night

Our town has free jazz concerts a few times throughout the summer and fall.  They have them at this great old farm area that is now preserved open space.  It's a nice area within walking distance from our house and I've always wanted to go and check it out, unfortunately it just never seemed to fit into our schedule.  Last night we finally made it down.  Jim had been out of town so it seemed like the perfect way to spend some much need family time just lounging in the grass and listening to the band.

Daddy and Riesling dancing

Mommy obessing over cute little tufts of soft baby hair

Riesling gracefully displaying her double chin and wrist rolls

Monday...

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”  

~Oscar Wilde

Ohio

Some things are just undeniable country living, like riding 4-wheelers....

 Elliona, age 6

 

 giving Papa a ride

Big Girl!

Riesling has taken some major leaps and bounds in the past week (I have been trying to finish writing this for about 5 days now so I'm really referring to last week).  Labor Day weekend we were in Ohio visiting family, playing with cousins, taking family photos, watching the big kids ride 4-wheelers (a video hopefully later this week), and meeting Granny Granny Stidd. Riesling was being her usually cutie pie self but nothing out of the ordinary.  If anything the larger groups of people had her a bit on the shy and reserved side.

 

 Papa & his ladies

After a nice long car ride, we arrived back home mid afternoon on Monday.   Within a matter of hours Riesling decided she wanted to start sitting up.  She has been able to sit with assistance for some time now, but only if you put her in that position she was super wobbly and never stayed there long.  Monday evening I walked into her nursery and she was sitting there in her crib with teddy bear in hand and the BIGGEST grin on her face.  I think it was definitely a very proud and exciting moment for Miss Riesling.

I decided it was time to put the bumpers on her crib because she was moving around so much and bumped her head a few times.  She was also starting to pull up on the railing so I thought that might distract her from it.  Wrong...

 

Apparently all she needed was a few spoonfuls of banana because by the end of the week she was pulling herself up to standing in her crib, with the help of her bumpers!   Jim lowered the mattress all the way down, which oddly I kind of felt bad about.  I watched her each day try to solve another piece of the puzzle, figuring out how to coordinate her movements and put those little muscles to work in the correct sequence, her little mind exploding with the idea of depth perception.  She went through all that work to figure out how to pull herself up and was so proud and then we take it away from her in an instant.   How confusing!  Of course no one, especially me, wanted to see her little head topple over the edge so safety trumped exploration.

In the end I don't think it had much of an effect.  She's climbing and exploring more than ever, which explains why it took me almost a week to finish this post. 

Tonight's Dinner

Brought to you by the Robinson Family Garden*....

Eggplant* parmigiana (recipe here) topped with kale* (add after the cheese has melted for about 5-7 minutes until crispy), spaghetti squash* with marinara sauce (follow prep instructions here), and steamed green beans*.

Man o Man do I LOVE garden season!

First Foods

A little follow up to starting "solid" foods with Riesling for any interested readers....

• I either nurse her or the babysitter gives her a bottle first, then she is offered food.  At first she was taking a few sloppy spoonfuls or even snubbing her nose at the bananas all together.  But, not to worry because it's not about getting her belly full or providing essential nourishment at this point, that's what the "liquid gold" is for.   
• I finally purchased some appropriate baby feeding supplies.  I bought a few different types of spoons (option 1, option 2),  some small storage containers, plus some plastic bowls (which I don't think I'll use for a few months but they were on sale).
• I also started forcing her to keep a bib on.  Apparently banana stains?  I got a few of these as gifts and they seem to be working well and easy to wipe clean.
• I've been using our Magic Bullet which is working for us at this point since I'm making such small portions. I will probably switch over to the food processor when I start steaming veggies and cooking stuff so I can make larger patches and freeze some.  I also stopped mixing in breast milk with the bananas and she seems to prefer it. 
• A lot of folks follow the 4 day wait rule, which means you offer one new food at a time and wait 4 days before introducing another.  Our pediatrician said we could extend the period to 5-6 days since I was concerned about food allergies.  I waited 5, which means we started avocados this morning and she LOVED it!  I offered her just banana first which she tolerated but with little enthusiasm.  Then I mixed in the avocado and she went crazy.  It was pretty darn cute.
• I also started her on a probiotic.  I purchase it from my acupuncturist but I'm sure you can find one at your local health food store.

Curry

It's green bean season at the Robinson garden...

We get loads and loads of these things every day or two.  We share with neighbors, family, and our sitter but we still always have a hefty amount for ourselves.  Most nights we just steam them as a side dish but last night I decided to get creative and tried this curry recipe.  I had everything on hand except the coconut milk, so it was just a super quick trip into the store on the way home from the gym.  I used basmati rice instead of brown rice but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.

It was a little time consuming but mostly because my vegetable prep was interrupted several times by my fussing, teething Miss Riesling.  I ended up strapping her in the ergo and went to town.  In the end well worth the extra effort!  The curry had a nice flavor and I loved the crunch of the fresh green beans.  It made a large enough amount that it's on the menu for lunch today.  YUM!

Nanas!!!

I can't believe my little monkey is old enough to be trying foods!  I know some parents start their babes a little earlier, but we were in no hurry.  I knew from the start that I wanted to do a full six months of exclusive breast feeding. I view breast milk as a superfood for babies and found a lot of comfort in knowing that Riesling was getting the exact nourishment she needed plus for us it's convenient, travels well, and is not messy.  I was also a little concerned about food allergies and sensitivities since I have several myself.  Her six month birthday was two weeks ago but we had a couple of hectic weeks ending with traveling to Ohio, so I decided to wait until we got back from our little trip. 

I did a little research, mainly here and here, and spoke with a few mom friends with older kids to get some tips and pointers and ultimately decided that I will just kind of see what happens and adjusts my methods accordingly.  I plan on making most of her food myself but did pick up some Earth Best's organic pouches that were on sale when I was out today thinking they might be good for traveling situations.   

I had planned on starting with avocado but there were none ripe at the grocery store so I went for the classic banana instead.  I heated half a small banana in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds just to soften it.  Using a fork I mixed some of it with breast milk.   I also left some of it in little chunks so Riesling could try grabbing it and feeding herself.  During this process I realized I didn't even have a baby spoon, expect for this one by Boon that was given as a shower gift.  It's intended to put the food in the handle portion and squeeze onto the spoon, but the spoon part is kinda big and I think Riesling had a hard time with it.  Even delaying it by nearly two weeks I was still not really prepared!

All things considered I think her first try went well.  Daddy captured every moment on this action packed 5 minute video.  Action packed might be an exaggeration but you might found it a little exciting if you like babies.  And possibly thrilling if you particularly like my baby.

At this point we're experimenting.  It's mostly about introducing her to textures and the idea of feeding herself so I don't worry if little or none actually goes in her mouth.  Consistency seems to be a big issue.  Today I tried putting some in the Magic Bullet to make it a little more soupy and she seemed to like that better.  I also tried storing some of the uneaten overnight and she really snubbed her nose at it yesterday morning.  I tasted it myself and it did taste a little funny but I'm not sure why....maybe the breast milk?  So for now we're sticking with small, freshly made batches once or twice a day.  We do a little with the spoon, some off my finger, some on the tray....it's a real party over here people!