A CSA Quandry: Sorrel

Hello blogging friends.

I need your assistance.  Anyone know what to do with this?

We got a whole bunch of sorrel in our CSA basket and I have no idea what to do with it.  Suggestions?

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From my bookshelf: City of Bones

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments - Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I did not really care for this book and do not understand all the hype.  It is considered a young adult book, but that does not sway my judgement. It is not like I only read literary masterpieces all the time.  I get just as excited about a new Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) book or Twilight book as I do Cutting for Stone or The Winds of War.

To me, this book seemed very one dimensional.  Lots of action with superficial character development.  I did not care about the characters.  They were not likeable to me.  So I did not really cared what happened to them.

Now with that said, I will disclaimer this review with the fact that I "read" this book by listening to it on CD.  And I really did not care for the narrarator who made the characters sound like a bunch of whiny, bratty kids.  So would I feel differently if I read it?  Maybe.  But I am not going to spend the time to find out.

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Stream of Conscious

Welcome to the randomness of my brain.  Little B is battling cold-after-cold around here.  And we are all a bit short on sleep and dealing with cabin fever.  Two weeks of this makes for a very scattered mama.  Just when I start to think about one thought another one interrupts it.

I have tried fighting this scattered feeling for the past few days, but it is being really stubborn.  So today I will embrace it. Considered yourself warned.

I failed miserably this past weekend with a recipe that I attempted to make - lemon barley risotto.  Note to self, when they say vegetable stock, they mean vegetable stock.  Chicken stock is not always a good substitute. I had to throw out the whole pot of barley.  It was really gross!

I am dreaming of this front porch. I just want to park myself on that swing with a good book and a pitcher of sweet tea... and I don't even like sweet tea!
 

I am running out of ideas on things to do with Little B while she is sick and therefore homebound. Independent play does not seem to be in her vocabulary. Sometimes I think that it would be easier with two kids in that they would entertain each other.  Don't know if that is true or wishful thinking. Anyways, it is too hot to be outside (triple digits!) and we have exhausted all of my indoor ideas.  Looking for suggestions.

Nothing like a good box to keep a toddler busy for 5 minutes.

And on that same note, can I just tell you how grateful I am that Netflix has a plethora of Thomas the Train videos on their instant queue?  Thomas the Train is an answer to a prayer for this worn out mama and snotty baby.

A big, fat thank you to my top referrers to my blog.  I am humbled that anyone actually reads this blog.

Literaria

Origamibug

Be In The Moment
The Big Mama Blog

This week I have been playing Adele's Rolling in the Deep, My Only Swerving by El Ten Eleven, and Carlos Bertonatti's Summer Days.  These songs have been weaved into our mornings.  As we go about our morning rituals of sipping coffee, making breakfast, getting dressed, etc, these songs ease us into the day.  I could (and do) listen to them over and over again.

David and I have been daydreaming of packing everything up and moving out of the city and into the country.  After Little B goes to bed, we will often stay up talking about where we would like to move, what our house would look like (he would build it of course), how much land do we want, would it be near water, etc, etc.  These are all just far away dreams right now.  And I am sure we have a very romantic idea of what country living would be like.  But sometimes, the idea of trading in our cramped house, with little storage and one bathroom, in the middle of traffic noise and hustle and bustle for a quiet place of our own where we are not right on top of our neighbors sounds really magical.  I want a big garden that isn't blocked out by our neighbor's trees.  And I want Little B to be able to play in our front yard without fear of the crazy cars speeding down our street trying to cut around the highway traffic.

Anyone have any good tips to keep mosquitoes from biting the little ones?  Little B has been eaten alive by mosquitoes and nothing I do seems to deter them. I feel so bad because her bites swell up really badly.

3 Bug Bandz and spray on her arms and legs and she was still bit!

 
This drought really needs to end.  3 years is ridiculous. Triple digits in May and June... even more ridiculous.  It is depressing to look around and only see brown.  But we do what we can to endure... frequent trips to the library to enjoy their paid-for-cool-air.  And of course mandatory ponytails and pigtails.  No one likes hair sticking to their neck.

I am considering opening up an Etsy site.  I have been making little girl hair bows like crazy.  Definitely a product of the severe cabin fever.  Little B and all her friends could wear one and still have some left over.  What the heck am I going to do with all these hair flowers/bows? Know anyone who wants one?

Whew!  How's that for a brain dump?  Normal posts will resume soon once we get through this snotty phase.  Until then... stay cool my friends!

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The Hunger Games Cast

I am so excited about the Hunger Games movie that is due for release in 2012.  The only other movies that I get this excited about have the been the Harry Potter movies.  I really hope they stay true to the book!

Here's the cast so far for Hunger Games:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  You may recognize her from Winter's Bone.  Now that I can visualize her as a brunette, I think she is going to be a fantastic Katniss.

 

Josh Hutcherson will play Peeta.  I am not familiar with him as an actor.  And I am not sure about the look of him for Peeta.  He just does not match my idea of what Peeta looks like.

Liam Hemsworth will play Gale.  Hubba-Hubba!  Don't really need to say much more than that.

Elizabeth Banks will play Effie.  She is perfect for the part!

Woody Harrelson will play Haymitch.  I always imagined Haymitch to be more on the chubby side.  But I think Woody will be a good Haymitch.

The most recent addition to the cast is Lenny Kravitz.  He will play Cinna, Katniss's stylist.

So what do you think of the cast so far?  Good choices or no?

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Meal Planning Monday

via

Here's what we are eating this week.

• Monday: Black beans and rice
• Tuesday: Coconut crusted tilapia with grilled corn
• Wednesday: Grilled pork chops and sweet potato fries
• Thursday: Individual grilled pizzas - I will be making my favorite beet pizza!
• Friday: Dinner out with some friends in town for the weekend

Do you have your own version of Meal Planning Mondays? If so, I would love to read about it. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

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Happy Weekend!

This weekend is going to be a good one.  I can feel it!

We have so much going on, but all of it is exciting and fun.

We are hoping to kick the weekend off right with some homemade breakfast biscuits. My favorite part... David is in charge of breakfasts on the weekends which means I get to sit back and relax.

Hopefully I will be able to squeeze in some reading time.  This is on my nightstand right now.

I have a few random projects that I need to wrap up around the house.  We will see if any of those actually happen.

We have plans to hang out with a few friends.

And of course, go swimming too.

I swear I can never get this girl to sit still long enough to get a good shot of her in her swimsuit.  She is too excited to go "swummin".

I will definitely be eating a whole bunch of this throughout the weekend.  In my book, this is the best way to get your all vitamins in for the day.

Homemade salsa made from our garden's tomatoes

And then on Saturday night, I am going to get all gussied up to go out for a much needed Girls Night.  Hooray!  There will be wine and gossip and then some more wine.  It is going to be fantastic.

 

Yep, this weekend is going to rock.  I love it!  This is what summer means to me - Non stop fun. 

What are yall up to this weekend?

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Keeping track of your sword

Well, that is one way to not lose your sword.

She is so afraid I am going to take away her little treasure that she won't put it down for a minute.

Silly girl.  Everyone knows that you never touch someone else's sword for fear of playground retribution.

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From my kitchen: The Great Fridge Clean-Out Pasta

This recipe was invented a very long time ago... in a galaxy far far away.

Just kidding!  I couldn't resist.

No, but seriously, I invented (aka - threw together) this recipe way back in 2000 when David and I had just started dating.  In fact, this is the first meal I ever made him.  I guess it must have been good considering that he has stuck with me this long.

Anyways, back to 2000.  So David was coming over to eat dinner for the first time.  And while I remember being super excited with that giddy early relationship anticipation, I also remember being really stressed because I had not had a chance to go to the store and buy the makings for my perfect dinner.  Work was crazy, traffic was unbearable and by the time I got home, there was no time.  I was left to the mercy of whatever was in fridge and pantry.

I had a half a zucchini, some leftover sausage, canned tomatoes, a box of pasta and bell pepper slices leftover from my take-out quesadillas.  And like any Martha-Stewart wanna-be worth her kosher salt, I improvised.  I cooked the sausage, sauteed the vegetables,  and boiled the pasta.  And then I threw it all together into a bowl with a dash of salt and pepper and called it a day.

Taking a step back to survey the situation, I saw that it actually looked really good... AND after taking a small bite, I realized that it actually tasted good too.  The cooking gods had smiled down upon me.  Whew!

David came over and enjoyed my pasta concoction so much that he asked for seconds.  And since that night, we have made this meal more times that I know.  Part of that is sentimental.  And part of that is because sometimes it is just time to clean out the fridge... and this pasta dish handles that so well.

So last Friday when I realized that our CSA produce was building up and the door to the fridge was threatening to bust open, I knew it was time to grab the box of pasta.  Here's what we put into it last week.

 
The beauty of this dish is that, with the exception of the sausage and pasta, the ingredients change all time.  Sometimes it has mushrooms and no zucchini.  When we don't have fresh tomatoes, we use spaghetti sauce.  Sometimes, if there is half an onion that is just sitting there, we throw it in.  It is wonderful in its versatility.

This dish has become one of our favorite go-to-meals.  Something that we can throw together on a crazy weeknight when we don't have the time or the mental capacity to think about food.  Much better than grabbing take out.  And the leftovers taste even better the next day.

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From my bookshelf: Barefoot

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nantucket.  Three friends trying to escape their everyday lives. Writing that is easy to read and not too intense.  An interesting cover to suck you in.  Yep, we have the makings of a good beach read.

And that is exactly what this book is.  A great beach read and exactly what I was looking to read to kick off the summer reading season.

The characters are likeable and the story flows well.  It wasn't choppy and the author moved between storylines very well.  Now will this book have you thinking about a year from now?  No, but that is okay when it comes to light beach reads.  The point is to enjoy the book in the moment.

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Workout strategy for a busy mom on a budget

Like everyone else, I workout for many different reasons...  

 

An attempt to reclaim the flat abs that I once had before having a baby (sigh).  To have energy to work, chase my toddler, and handle everything else that life throws my way.  To maintain strength and metabolism as I approach my mid thirties.  But most of all, if I don't workout, I don't have sanity.  It is as simple as that.  I just feel better when I work out.  I smile more.

Hanging with Little B after a workout.  Sweaty and slightly flushed.

Truth be told, I never have and never will be a skinny girl.  My family's nickname for me growing up was Thunder-Thighs.  Charming, huh?  It ranked right up there with Colleen-Weenie.  But that is a whole other blog post.   Anyways, the point is that while I have never been overweight, I have always had some meat on my bones and have had to work hard at being healthy and fit.  This is very unlike my husband, the natural athlete, who decided to ride the MS150 from Houston to Austin after 3 days of training where the most he biked was 20 miles - Don't you just hate him!?

Pre-baby, I could go to a spin class at the gym or run around Town Lake whenever I wanted to.  It was relatively easy to just get up and go.  But now with Little B, not only is my available time much smaller, I also have to take into account child care, budget constraints, nap time, blah, blah, blah.  Working out now required some pre-planning... something I had never really done before.  

As with all of my adventures, I started with baby steps.  And fast forward a year and a half, I feel as if I now have an arsenal of things that make working out so easy and part of routine.

Here are a few things that have helped me.

PART 1: JUMPING BACK IN

After having Little B, it took me a while to get active again.  I don't do well with the sleep deprivation that a new baby brings.  I needed something simple and did require much thought process.   So I would put her in the stroller and just go.  Sometimes I would walk.  Sometimes I would run.   I didn't focus on pace or route or anything - I just focused on getting out of the house.  My body felt weird, my running was wobbly, my joints hurt - but I kept at it. A few things really helped me at this stage.  A good stroller and some motivation.

I purchased a used BOB stroller off of Craigslist and I love it.  It was a third of the price and slightly used condition.  It has a small pencil-tip-size hole on the umbrella part... So what!  I did also buy the BOB cupholder attachment for the stroller and highly recommend that as well.  It holds everything... your phone, keys, ipod, two drinks, etc.  This mama needs her coffee in the morning so that cup holder came in handy.

The motivation came in the form of podcasts, audio books, some kickass music, and later on, some walking buddies.  Podcasts made me feel human again, in touch with the outside world.  They were my life line out of the world of round the clock feedings and dirty burp cloths. Audio books made me feel literary again without needing an available hand to hold a book.  And kickass music... does that really need any explanation.  I only listened to these when I was out walking.  So if a book was getting really good and we were nearing the house, I would do another lap around the block just to hear what would happen next in the story.

The walking friends came about a few months into my stroller/walking routine.  I kept running into the same people out pushing their strollers.  After a few conversations, we just started texting each other spur of moment when we would head out for a walk.  It was great.  I got to know my neighbors.  I made some new friends.  And now that Little B is older, she has a gang of buddies to cause trouble with.

Some days we would walk 20 minutes and other days we would walk an hour and a half.  Now I am not saying that this workout will make you look like a swimsuit model, but it did help me get my endurance back. And don't underestimate pushing a heavy baby in a stroller.  It definitely got my heart pumping.

PART 2 - REMEMBERING THE WEIGHTS

While the walking was a nice stepping stone, I knew that if I wanted to gain some strength and feel comfortable in a bathing suit ever again, then it was time to add some weights.  My body tends to respond better to a weight routine than any cardio workout.  That is how I trim inches and get that toned look.  For me, weight training gives me the most bang for my buck... or in other words, the most results for my time.

I didn't go out and join a gym or hire a personal trainer because, quite frankly, we didn't have the budget for it and I still had the issue of childcare.  If we did have the money, I would mostly likely hire a personal trainer just because I know that results would come a lot faster.  But you do what you can with what you have.

For me, to get a refresher on different exercises, I tapped into our Netflix account.  Netflix has workout DVDs that you can have sent your house, but they also have some on their instant streaming feature.  It was perfect.  I could workout while Little B was napping or after she had gone down for the night. 

I prefer the Self series of workouts.  They have ridiculous names like Bikini Ready Fast or Slim and Sleek Fast, but they did the job.  A good overall weight routine. As I would get used to the workouts, I would increase the weight I used so that it remained challenging. 

The other series I like is 10 Minute Solution: Pilates.  These were nice because whether I had 10 minutes or an hour, I could still fit in something.

Now, with that said, I do try to change up the video workouts as much as possible.  That helps to prevent me from getting bored, but also different workouts use different muscles.  Which is good because I want to keep challenging my body in order to trim down.  I don't want my muscles to get too used to any one kind of activity; otherwise my body will hit a plateau. 

***Please note - if you have never done weights before, I HIGHLY recommend going to a weight class like Body Pump or hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions just to make sure that you get your form right.  It is worth the money, because you can really hurt yourself if you don't have correct form.****

PART 3 - KEEP ON GOING

This is where I am at today.  It is so hot outside (103) that walks/runs even early in the morning are out until the end of summer.  So we adjust.

As you may recall, I go to a dance class once a week on the weekends when David can watch Little B.  The class is amazing cardio, super fun, and I get to hang out with one of my friends.  I look forward to it every week.

During the week in the afternoons when Little B is sleeping, I put on headphones (listening to music, audio book or podcast) and do about 30 minutes to an hour of squats, lunges, situps, bicep curls, pushups, etc.  I use my weights as much as possible and try to do as many reps as possible.  My goal is to fatigue the muscle being used - remember bang for your buck.  Sometimes I will add in a move that I learned at dance class or learned from my friend who is doing Crossfit. 

Just recently, I also have been getting ideas from Crossfitmom.com.  Seriously... this lady is very pregnant and could still kick my ass.

I save the Netflix workouts for those days when I need some extra motivation or my brain is just not functioning at full capacity (i.e. I have not had enough coffee or sleep).

So that's how I do it.  At the end of the day, I am happy that I am doing something to stay in shape.  And each day I get stronger.

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Dear universe, have you seen my brain?

Dear Universe,

I seem to have misplaced by brain.  Have you seen it?  I can't remember where I have left it.

I have done some pretty stupid stuff this week...

• I left my car keys on one of the shelves at the library - Thank you random old guy that helped me find them
• I added salt to my coffee instead of sugar - Blech!
• I have been to the store 3 times this week and have forgotten toilet paper each of those 3 times. And yes, toilet paper is on the list that I brought with me each time
• I ALMOST drove away with the gas pump thing still attached to my car.  I realized my craziness just as I put my car into drive.  Of course, when I got out and the guy next to me was staring at me, I acted completely natural like I meant to do it.  And Little B, sitting in the back seat, was a good girl and did not rat her mama out.
• I tried to pay at the checkout with my Randalls reward card (not a credit card)... and I wasn't even at Randalls.
• Little B walked around with her shirt on backwards for the first half of today.
• Twice, I have signed my signature using my maiden name... and I have been married for 3 years

So universe, I have no idea what heck is going on this week that is causing my brain to be on the fritz.  Maybe because it is 103 outside.  Maybe it is this cold that I can not seem to shake.  Maybe it is because of my little one that refuses to sleep.  Who knows!

But, universe, pretty please... will you find my brain and deliver it back to me very soon? I miss it so!

Best regards,
A previously smart, pulled-together lady with a full set of marbles

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Surviving the Little Helper stage

Little B has a new theme the past few weeks that is endearing, but also driving me a little crazy at the same time.

Little B cleaning the floor

"Help. Mama." as she pulls all my shoes out of the closet.

"Mama. Help." as she grabs all the clean, folded washcloths and proceeds to scrub the floor with each one.

"Help. Mama." as she colors the pages of my favorite cookbook with her fat blue crayon.

"Mama. Help." as she locks me out of the house as I am bringing in groceries.  Don't worry.  I had my car keys on me.

"Help. Mama." as she pulls all the spices off the spice rack as I am cooking dinner.

"Mama. Help." as she throws my library book into the trash.

I need help for my Little Helper!  I know this is just a stage.  And it is very cute.  But sometimes you just have to get stuff done... without help... like going to the bathroom.

Getting ready to vacuum

 Some things we have figured out how to "help" in a good way.  For example, when I vacuum, Little B pushes her little popper toy all around the house and shows me any areas I have missed.  That we have down.  And when I cook, I give Little B her own spatula and bowl to mix stuff in like mama does.  But her interest in that only last 5 minutes.

So I am issuing a plea for help and suggestions from other mamas.  Please help this rookie out! How do you survive the Little Helper stage?

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How to Meal Plan

As I have mentioned before, we are big fans of meal planning.  For us, it just makes so much sense.  It eliminates the stress of "Holy S*%! It is 5:30, the natives are screaming for food and I have no idea what to make!"  And we eat healthier, get less takeout, and waste a lot less food.

Everyone tackles meal planning in a different way, but I have a simple methodology on how I do it.  I have gotten so many questions about it, I thought I would share it here.

My method:

• First, I look in fridge and pantry and see what needs to get used up.  I might have half a zucchini, leftover chicken, some parsley, and a cup of shredded cheese.  This part is important to me because it helps us use what we have, not waste, and not spend as much money on ingredients that we would have to go out and purchase.

• Then I take a look at the store circulars that are mailed to our house.  I look for anything on sale, especially meat and produce.  If whole chickens are on sale, you know we are eating roasted chicken one night this week.

• I grab my recipe book (a mish-mash of recipes pulled from magazine, handwritten recipes from friends, etc).  I also usually grab a cookbook or two for some extra inspiration.  I usually like to try at least 1-2 new recipes a week, something that I have never made.  I find that in having no more than 2 new recipes per week, I am inspired but not overwhelmed.  It keeps cooking fun.

• I double check what our week is going to look like.  If David has a late client meeting or I have an afternoon appointment or errand to run, then that is not a night for some elaborate meal.  I make sure that evening we are eating leftovers or something really simple to make, like a slow cooker meal. 

• Then I sit down and map it all out.  My goal is to use all of our CSA vegetables and as many ingredients that we already have.  In the summer it is easier because we typically eat a lot of fresh produce that just needs to be washed and any meat that we eat goes on the grill.  The winter is sometimes trickier in that most produce needs to be cooked in some way before eating.  Typically at least one of the recipes listed on my Food page makes it on the list.  Those are our Go-To meals.  Meals that I have made so many times that I could probably make them without referring to a recipe.

• Next, I create our shopping list based on any ingredients needed for that week's menu.  I use the Grocery IQ phone app to do this.  I really like it because it groups things together (ex. dairy items), I can list things by store and I can email to it to my husband if needed.

And that is about it.

I hopes this helps.  Meal planning has made a huge difference for us.   I highly recommend whether you are cooking for one or cooking for the masses.  Meal planning makes things so much simpler and better organized.

And if you already meal plan and have some wicked cool tips or recipes, please share them!  That would make my day.

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My neighborhood

I feel very lucky to live where I live.  

We don't live in the fanciest neighborhood. Or the newest neighborhood. Or the neighborhood with the best schools.  And sometimes we get a little bit too much traffic cutting through as a shortcut to the highway.  But there is one area that my neighborhood kicks the ass of all other neighborhoods... Community.

I love that my 84 year old next door neighborhood, Wyndell (also known as The Angel), knows exactly how old Little B is on any given day.  This is the same neighbor that also chats with my dog every morning over the fence and throws her a "biscuit".

I love that every Tuesday I go to my neighbor, Michelle's, house to pick up my CSA vegetables and catch up on how work is going, if her baby girl is teething, and when we are going to plant her first garden in the backyard.

I love that people wave whenever they see me walking with my little one in the stroller and Wrigley trotting next to us... even if I haven't the foggiest idea what their name is.

I love that my neighbor, Ella, used to bring us apples from Maine every year... because according to her, you just have not lived unless you have eaten a Maine apple.  How we miss her!

I love that another neighbor of mine always pulls my trash cans up from the curb every Thursday... just to be nice.

I love that we have old retired military officer that drives around neighborhood in his beat-up truck... just keeping an eye on things, making sure all the kids are out of trouble, and no one is driving too fast.

And I love that if I ever have a last minute meeting, or the babysitter cancels, or I just need a break from my precious baby, then there are many of friends in the neighborhood that I could call who would gladly take my little monster, play her hard with their little kids, and deliver her back to me tired and ready for bed.  And of course, it goes both ways.  If they call me, I have their back.

I love our interesting mix of elderly and young families.  That balance of experience and youthful optimism.

And as I watch the young couple with their baby boy move into Ella's old house across the street, I am excited.  Another friend/neighbor to bring into the mix.  Which says "Welcome to the neighborhood" more?  Banana bread or chocolate chip cookies?

Hopefully you already live in a neighborhood like this, where you know your neighbors and appreciate their similarities and quirks.  But in case you don't, I challenge you.  The power of cookies is tremendous... Maybe drop some off on a front porch this evening and just see what happens.

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