yum

yum

i just whipped up a batch of granola, and man, its good.
super easy and healthy!
3c oats
1c unbleached flour
1/4c brown sugar or sucanat
1c chopped walnuts and almonds
handful of sesame/sunflower/pumpkin seeds, whatever you have
1/2c apple sauce
5 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp of whatever juice you have it the fridge
mix it all together and spread out on baking sheet, cook for 45 min at 400. when you remove it from the oven, make sure you really seperate the granola, so it doesn't become one big, hard sheet.
voila! serve with yogurt or whatever milk of your choice (soy, rice, almond, cow, goat) and enjoy!

february 10

Well, February has always been a tough one for me. The excitement of winter and the magic of the holidays are long gone, and I find myself in quite a funk. A February funk, if you will. Although it is the shortest month, this year in particular, I am finding it rather long. It's a challenging parenting month, because all I want to do is curl up with a good book, take long, hot baths, and watch old movies. Which doesn't really work with a curious 7 month old babe! Because we can't venture outside to play, it has been a lot of inside games and make believe, which is wonderful, but I need to shake things up a bit! So, because I seem to get a little down this time of year, I am going to try and be super appreciative of the beauty around me and make a list of things I love...

1. Curling up with my darling on the couch after the babe has gone to sleep with some yummy homemade pizza and soup.

2. The sunsets in Deep River.

3. These incredibly cute cheeks.

4. Quietly listening to Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits all day long.
5. Dreaming of moving to the country.
6. Henry's new smile, where he throws his head back and chuckles. Kills me!

7. How wonderfully playful and loving Pete is with the two of us.

8. How I am totally digging my yoga course.
9. This beautiful photo my Father-In-Law took of my angel.

10. All of the possibilities the future holds!
Hope you are all staying warm and remembering the special things that make you smile!  

cross your fingers

Well, some pretty exciting stuff is happening around here. Can't wait to fill you all in when things firm up a bit. For now, please send good vibes our way. We need all the luck we can get! Hope you're all having a great week! Stay warm, my sweets!

i heart breastfeeding

As Henry is getting older, his need to explore and absorb everything around him is growing. I've never witnessed such an eagerness to learn and develop. Our days are mostly spent with him reaching for everything, and me, making sure he isn't getting into anything he shouldn't. But then there are a few precious hours a day, when his search for entertainment subsides, and its just him and I.
Breastfeeding Henry is almost beyond description. Being able to sit still, and really feel the connection with my child has been one of the happiest and most tranquil moments of my life. Amidst all the playing and laughing and singing and dancing, he and I can sneak off and just be mother and son. Where he can rest his head next to my heart and I can see in his eyes that he knows he is loved. It is during these moments that I know I am doing my job well, and that things are just the way they should be.

slow life movement

A few days ago, Pete was driving to work, following a dump truck. The truck caught an overhead cable attached to a lamp post and pulled the whole lamp post down on top of our minivan. (i drive a minivan. i know...) Well, just thank god the babe wasn't in the car, because he sits in the back, where the crash occurred. Scary stuff. My love is okay, but we are vehicle-free for a few days. Which, actually, is great, because I want to walk more anyways, but a bummer as well, because you can't drive a stroller around in the snow.

Pete is also sick, poor angel, so it's a lot of tea, napping, and quiet time around these parts. Well, not so quiet actually, because Henry has developed quite the set of lungs. Henry LOVES to talk. But, that is just music to our ears, so sing away, my sweet love.


Actually, this change of pace is perfect for me, because I have been trying to slow things down anyways. More lingering, less hurrying. More time with the babe, less time in front of a screen. More doing and less agonizing about what needs to be done.
So this week, I think its going to be more of this, mixed with some yoga, studying and cooking. I just made some delicious hummus, if I do say so myself, and this week I'm going to tackle some soup, marinated tofu and maybe a pizza!
Have a great week! Slow down!

Cilantro, Jalepeno Hummus, adapted from 28cooks!
2 cloves garlic, minced (i just threw in whole cloves)
2 (15oz) can garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp  lime juice
1/2 c olive oil
1-2 jalepenos, seeded and chopped
3/4 c cilantro
In blender, puree garlic, beans, salt and lime juice. Slowly stream in oil until well blended. Stir in jalepenos and cilantro. (I just threw it all in the blender, to be honest, and it was divine. Plus, tons of pepper!) Enjoy!

just breathe.

Yesterday was just one of those days. Up all night with the babe (he's not a sleeper, I tell you) and up very, very early with him. Ran out of diapers. Okay. Used a towel. He wouldn't eat. His new thing is making himself gag, because its fun. Not so much fun for a scared mama that constantly thinks he's going to vomit.
Once in awhile, I just let everyday things get to me. Sometimes, I just feel overwhelmed, overworked. Luckily, I have this man, who reminds of the important things. Like breathing. After a much needed meditation, things seemed so much better. More clear. And we did what always works. Danced around the house to ZZ Top. He loves it. We love it.
Time is slipping by. The days go quickly. Someday, not too soon I hope, this little man will no longer need me as much. I need to gobble these days up, ingest them, consume them, treasure them. From now on, I most assuredly will.