summer porridge

okay, okay, i'm aware that it's not summer.
but, i've been eyeing this recipe for awhile and just had to try it.
so, i didn't use summer fruits...i just adjusted for whatever they had that looked good.
and it turned out delicious!

this is a great make-ahead breakfast.
they last anywhere from two to five days in the fridge and can be made in advance, assembly-style.
they are also perfect to send in your hubby's lunchbox, when he leaves too early for breakfast!

i've listed three different combos but the possibilities are endless!
try a few and then start experimenting!

and please add the chia seeds.
they are beyond healthy for you and you can't even taste them!

Summer Porridge (sounds better that refrigerator oatmeal, yes?)
Makes one serving.
1/4 cup raw, old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat/no-fat, plain, greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds

Okay, that's the base oatmeal mixture.
Combine all of the above into little, 8 ounce mason jars and shake well.
Then...

Mango, Honey and Almond
Add 1/4 cup diced mangoes, 1 teaspoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.  Shake again.

Apples and Cinnamon

Add 1/4 cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon honey, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Shake again.

Cherry Vanilla
Add 1/4 cup chopped cherries (or raspberries would be great!), 1 teaspoon no-sugar cherry preserves, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Shake again.

And you're done!  Refrigerate overnight and up to five days.  Enjoy cold!

right now...

right now, we are...

enjoying a Christmas train and kicking feet

exploring a beeeeeautiful January day in the mid-50's!

appreciating a helpful dish-washer.

loving the perks of being early pregnant.  (one of the only).  

i need to go to bed at 8:52pm.

loving/hating inside-only play when it's -10 degree wind chill outside.

adoring this cinnamon roll swirl on my baby's head

imagining what i will sew with these gorgeous fabrics my mama sent me!

relaxing with decaf tea and berries, watching snow fall against the sun, while my boys are still snoozing

watching these yahoos play in the cold.  mama elects to stay in and observe.

enjoying the flat(ish) belly, while it lasts!

favorite winter crafts....so far!

a few of our favorite winter crafts so far!

snowmen!

snow ice cream!  recipe coming soon...

and maple snow candy.

i remember this from when i was a little girl, reading Little House in the Big Woods.  

anyone else??

snow painting with spray bottles and droppers full of colored water!

snow marbles!  balloons filled with colored water, frozen overnight and upwrapped!  

beautiful!

and a sunny, beach lunch to really round things out ;)

hello, Baby.

hello, Baby.
i decided to write you notes throughout your stay in the womb.  i hope i keep it up!  i am notoriously bad about keeping a journal but i've kept this little blog running for awhile so hopefully that'll inspire me.
we weren't expecting you.
well, let me rephrase.  we weren't expecting you so soon.  we agreed on a starting month to try to get pregnant again and prayed a lot about it but definitely weren't expecting to actually get you on the first try.  mv was a second try and jack was a first so maybe we should have known better :)  so, your daddy was in california when i took that little test and saw that little line and i was very surprised.  honestly, Baby, the first thing i thought was, oh no...morning sickness.  and then, i bowed my head and prayed for forgiveness for thinking that as my first thought.  i laughed as i thanked the Lord for you and laughed as i already knew how much i loved you, in that little line.  and i do love you so much already, Baby.  i do.
i told your daddy, when he got home, when i was six weeks along.  he was expecting something else when i emerged from the bathroom, as i had him going that i wasn't pregnant.  when i brought the little jewelry case out, with a tiny green pea inside, he was a little confused.  but, when i told him that's how big our Baby #3 was, he smiled and got choked up and just couldn't believe it.  he is so, so happy, Baby.
i told your nanny and paw paw and uncle vince on christmas morning when i was seven weeks along.  we wrote a little note in the runaway bunny for them to open.  nanny just thought at first that we were telling her that we were coming to see them in august, but a few seconds later, she understood and burst into tears.  i had fooled her too!  later that morning, we video chatted with g-ma, poppy, and your great memere and did the same thing! i love a good surprise, Baby.

it hasn't been very easy...but then none of my pregnancies have been a breeze.  i am very, very tired...probably from chasing your two brothers around all day :)  mv is 3 years and 3 months and jack is 15 months.  active boys, your brothers are.  and i am sick most of the time.  very nauseous and food doesn't look very good to me right now but i tell myself it's okay because that just means you are growing strong, Baby!
you aren't sticking out of mommy's tummy too much yet...just maybe as much as a very big, mexican dinner :)  but, i'm not in any maternity clothes yet and haven't gained (or lost) any weight yet so that always makes your vain mommy feel better.  (hopefully, your more self-less daddy can teach you about vanity...)
we saw you for the first time last week, in your ten week sonogram.  you kicked around for me and it kinda choked me up for a second!  your mommy doesn't cry too, too often so that caught me by surprise again.  you looked great, Baby.  the doc said  you were measuring just perfectly and your heart was beating so fast.  i just love sonograms...they calm your worried mommy down.
we will get to hear your heart beating again in a few weeks and hopefully your brothers will understand a little more of what that means when they do.
we all love you so much, Baby, and can't wait to meet you in august.

perfect hollandaise

This is a cheat.
I didn't take step-by-step pictures.
But, again, this is just a journal for me so I want to record my favorite (and easiest!) hollandaise recipe ever.

I made it just the other day for my sweetie's birthday breakfast in bed.
It's our splurge food.
We adore it.
I can totally eat it out of the bowl with a spoon.
I don't.
Very often.

But, hollandaise sauce is so so versatile!  (Besides just a spoon...)
My next favorite, besides over poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and English muffins (as seen above), is smothering steamed asparagus, next to poached halibut fillet.
Yum.
Or over smoked salmon.
Or over smoked salmon omelet!
Oh, the possibilities.

Anyway, the recipe is super easy and doesn't require the typical hollandaise "fuss".
Enjoy!

Hollandaise Sauce
Makes about a cup or so.
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 stick, unsalted butter, melted and cooled just slightly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (optional)
Hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Get a small saucepan of water simmering.  This will serve as your double boiler.
In the (stainless steel or glass) bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks.  Add the lemon juice and whisk until well combined.  With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter (it works best if pouring from a spouted container).  If it starts to separate, you are drizzling too quickly!  (Or your mixer isn't whisking fast enough).  *You can absolutely do this without a mixer.  Just use a stainless steel bowl and whisk by hand and drizzle the butter in with the other hand.  It's tricky, but do-able for sure.* Once all incorporated, place the bowl over simmering water and whisk by hand for 5 minutes.  Do not stop whisking.  If it starts to break, lower your heat and whisk faster!  It should start to look very creamy after a couple minutes and continue to thicken as the 5 minutes end.  Once 5 minutes are up, turn off heat and add salt, pepper, and mustard or hot sauce, if using.  Taste and adjust seasonings, as necessary.  You can leave the sauce on the warm water for up to about 10 minutes (while you get the rest of the meal ready), but you'll have to whisk occasionally to prevent separation and breaking.  Serve while warm and enjoy!

coming in august 2014...

...and we couldn't be more thrilled!

homemade puff paint

i found this little recipe on (where else?) pinterest and unlike some pinterest crafts, this paint turned out perfectly!

we used it for painting a polar bear in homeschool the other day but had so much fun that we tried it again for our afternoon craft of the day!

it's easy and cheap and a fun sensory craft :)

pour some craft glue into a small bowl.

add an equal amount of shaving cream.

mix, mix, mix!

and paint!

mommy is soooo creative with her amazing smiley face.

don't worry, the clean up is very easy too.  just wipe everything down.  and soap and water takes care of your hands.  and face.  and little brother's hair.

the dried artwork.

closeup of the "puff" when it was dry.  

easy afternoon of fun!