I don't want to abandon this five-year-old blog, but I really don't know how I'm going to find the time to keep up with it. I have a moment of peace and quiet while Lindsay sleeps and Reed takes a cat-nap before his dream feed. Charles Reed is 8 weeks old. These 8 weeks have flown by... how did the first 8 weeks drag so much more slowly when my Lindsay was a newborn?
I don't have any big, sweeping statements to make about parenting two. It's like parenting one but twice the work. Reed is a snuggler who loves to curl up in the crook of my elbow. He is a good sleeper - right now he does about 10:30pm-5:45/6:00am without waking. Knock on wood.
His older sister just turned two-and-a-half. She has quite a few opinions and is bold about voicing them but can be swayed without too much trouble. She wants to do everything herself, but knows with certainty that there are some things that only grownups can do. I would say that age 2 is not so terrible for us. She loves her brother and her only fault is excessive love - her hugs and kisses are often too aggressive.
I'm learning every day that mothering is a process, not a task I can cross off my daily checklist. So many things we do throughout each day build on top of the previous day's lessons... about sharing, caring, growing, learning.
My bigger one starts school in a week. She and I are so enthusiastic and look forward to her growing independence. So glad I have my little one at home for some one-on-one time, which he rarely gets.
8.31.2011
6.30.2011
Lindsayisms, 28 months
"When I get [to be] a grownup, I'm going to ..." ... "cut with a sharp sharp knife"... "have a computer"... "touch the dirty dishes"... "park the car"... She is fascinated by all the things grownups get to do.
"Say, I DO like spinach!" (After picking all the spinach off the pasta and telling us she doesn't like spinach, we said just try one bite...) ... then realizing that got a laugh out of us, "Say, I AM hungry!" She draws her inspiration from Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, of course.
"Privacy!!!" (in the bathroom)
She is very interested in talking about gender differences, and has fun identifying people as a boy or girl. She knows that boys are handsome and girls are pretty, so she says things like "Baby Reed is going to be handsome." (And "Baby Reed is going to be nudie when he comes out (but we have clothes for him)."
She is quite particular about her naptime / bedtime routines ... TWO books, TWO songs, and prayer. If you skip a step you're dead meat. She is also learning that some books are way too long so we will read only one tonight.
Favorites: still mac n cheese, peas, broccoli, peaches, raisins, chicken sausage, fish, sweet potatoes, sweets of almost any sort (but she recently rejected blueberry sorbet).
3.26.2011
Praying
In early March Lindsay started praying a real prayer on her own: “Dear Lord, Thank you for this food. Thank you for this day. Jesus name pray. Amen.” (“Now we eat now!”)
January-February 2011 (Potty training, big girl bed, & birthday)
Favorite things: Play-doh, raisins & cranberries, mac & cheese, peas, Ollie & Gertie & Gossie books, any Eric Carle books, building towers and knocking them down, helping Mommy cook or do laundry or vacuum, doing things “self” (“I do it self”). She is easily motivated to eat healthy foods if we tempt her with a treat at the end.
On February 7 Lindsay spent her first night in her new big girl bed in her new room. She settled right in that first night, but it did take her about an hour and a half to fall asleep – and she slept on top of the covers and upside down. The second night she was sideways, and by the third night she got the hang of sleeping under the covers with her head on the pillow. We went cold turkey and she hasn’t been back in her crib since she had that first night (and nap) in her bed.
On February 11 we found out the new baby is going to be a boy. We came home from the ultrasound and sat Lindsay down to tell her that there is going to be a new baby soon and that he is in Mommy’s tummy. At first she was confused and wanted to look under my shirt to see my tummy. Then we offered her the ultrasound photo, but that is confusing even for an adult. So we took her upstairs and Paul said to her, “Where do you want the new baby to sleep?” And she immediately said, “My old room!” We got out the infant gear and she definitely understood that we were preparing the room for Baby Reed.
By her birthday, February 21, she was asking to go to the bathroom “self” which meant she wanted the door mostly closed and wanted to bring the stool over to the toilet, put the potty seat on the toilet, and pull her pants and underwear down herself, even going poop with no fanfare.
Lindsay’s birthday: Grandma Fullerton came from Ohio to spend 5 days surrounding Lindsay’s birthday. I made a strawberry layer cake and lasagna and stuffed shells and cousin Karl’s family came over to celebrate with us. Lindsay loved the candles, the cake, and all the attention. On the night of her birthday, she could be heard from her room saying, “Good night, I love you! I be two years old now.”
One more birthday event was getting rid of her “baby” sippy cups with the soft tops. We had her choose which cups to give to baby Reed and put them in a bag. She chose all the correct baby cups and kept the big girl cups. We had been hanging on to them as a comfort for her but she obviously doesn’t need them. (She loved them!)
1.31.2011
Can't Keep Up
Things I want to remember: Lindsay is entering the terrible twos, but she is so much a sweetheart right now... giving kisses and hugs and repeating everything we say down to the tone of voice and snuggling in tight at bedtime for just one more book (with pointer finger and a serious look in her eyes that she is prepared to negotiate).
Lately she's been occupied with singing a medley of 5 songs from Sunday School, complete with hand motions... she will flow from Jesus Loves Me into This Little Light of Mine into Making Melodies in My Heart. It's priceless.
Her food preferences are getting pickier but she is motivated by the promise of a small dessert. Her favorites are still pizza, pasta, and peas.
We started potty training Jan 16 -- she had been telling us since 22 months (late December) that she was so ready to wear big girl underwear and go on the potty. So far much success with #1 and so-so success with #2.
I'm enjoying my time with her so much knowing that it's soon to be divided.
12.12.2010
About 22 Months
I am more amazed every day at this little girl who lives with us.
Recent things I've overheard:
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the drain."
"I want to eat dinner in the Christmas room."
"I want to share with friends. I want to say please and thank you." (She says this about 500 times a day. There are worse things, right?)
Mommy or Daddy: "Lindsay, what is your last name?" Lindsay: "Full-lah-ton"
Still calls music "sissick", and if you ask her to pronounce it correctly, she says "poo-sick."
She wants to try to dress herself, and has started trying Pull-Ups and can almost pull it up herself.
She loves Christmas!
Recent things I've overheard:
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the drain."
"I want to eat dinner in the Christmas room."
"I want to share with friends. I want to say please and thank you." (She says this about 500 times a day. There are worse things, right?)
Mommy or Daddy: "Lindsay, what is your last name?" Lindsay: "Full-lah-ton"
Still calls music "sissick", and if you ask her to pronounce it correctly, she says "poo-sick."
She wants to try to dress herself, and has started trying Pull-Ups and can almost pull it up herself.
She loves Christmas!
10.05.2010
19.5 Months, Lindsayisms
... Having pretend phone conversations with household items that resemble a phone: a banana, a small rectangle piece of wood, etc.... "Hell-oh? Grandma? Papa? Daddy? Hell-oh? Bye bye."
... Asking for opera music "op-ah sissick" during meals and pointing to the iPhone or iPod dock. Then I bribe her and say if you eat two more peas you can listen to opera music! Mean Mommy.
... Pointing out letters everywhere she sees them, and actually getting P and W correct every time!
... Talking about pee pee and poops in the potty, but not doing anything about it. Obsessed with toilet paper, but I won't let her have it until she goes in the potty (she did once, so she got to play with the "tissue").
... Watching Mommy cook and talking about how the oven is hot. Asking me to cut her food ("cut it, Mommy").
... When she is in trouble, says "I sorry, Mommy" and she means it. Cute. Makes me melt.
... "So polite" ... she is proud of her manners when she remembers to say please and thank you.
... Singing "Rain, rain go away, come a day." Forgets a few lyrics, but the enthusiasm is not lacking. Sometimes combines Rain, Rain with "Row, row, row boat... May may may"
... Counting: "free, fibe, seben, nine, teh!"
9.04.2010
18 Months... Time Flies!
Lindsay is now 18.5 months. I'm wondering how and when this happened. She is in 18-24 size clothes, wears a size 5-6 shoe (one week she fit into her 3s and 4s, and the next week she had burst out of them!), and speaks in sentences. I don't know where my little baby went.
We are having so much fun with her--specifically in the area of trying to interpret and translate her jibber jabber.
We spent the month of August on Lake Michigan with my family, and during that month away I noticed so many changes in Lindsay. She said her first 2-word sentence in early July (16.5 months) then by mid-August she was putting everything together.
One morning I woke up to hear her in her pack-n-play (in the vacation cottage) saying, "Daddy work. Daddy plane. Bye bye. Grandma Connie plane? Bye bye. Mommy and Lindsay plane? Noooo." She was having her own perfect little monologue. And she had all the details just right. Yes, daddy had in fact gone away on a plane to work, and Grandma had left to head back to Park City, and Lindsay and I weren't going anywhere.
And a couple of days ago Lindsay and I were having dinner at the table together while listening to Puccini's La Boheme on my computer, and she says, "Pretty music. Mommy's pretty music,"... which reminded her of "Mommy's pretty flowers" on the counter. I can't get enough! It's fun to see where her mind takes her with each new thought.
She is also very into counting (like her dad). Most things that are more than one are "two." And for colors, most things are "red" or "blue."
She loves swimming (and going under! She actually asks for more!), running around, trying to figure out how things work (like her mom!), and narrating her life. I can't wait to see how all this develops.
We are having so much fun with her--specifically in the area of trying to interpret and translate her jibber jabber.
We spent the month of August on Lake Michigan with my family, and during that month away I noticed so many changes in Lindsay. She said her first 2-word sentence in early July (16.5 months) then by mid-August she was putting everything together.
One morning I woke up to hear her in her pack-n-play (in the vacation cottage) saying, "Daddy work. Daddy plane. Bye bye. Grandma Connie plane? Bye bye. Mommy and Lindsay plane? Noooo." She was having her own perfect little monologue. And she had all the details just right. Yes, daddy had in fact gone away on a plane to work, and Grandma had left to head back to Park City, and Lindsay and I weren't going anywhere.
And a couple of days ago Lindsay and I were having dinner at the table together while listening to Puccini's La Boheme on my computer, and she says, "Pretty music. Mommy's pretty music,"... which reminded her of "Mommy's pretty flowers" on the counter. I can't get enough! It's fun to see where her mind takes her with each new thought.
She is also very into counting (like her dad). Most things that are more than one are "two." And for colors, most things are "red" or "blue."
She loves swimming (and going under! She actually asks for more!), running around, trying to figure out how things work (like her mom!), and narrating her life. I can't wait to see how all this develops.
8.01.2010
17 months
I made a little photo album including many of our relatives, and she can name almost all of them. She butchers some of their names -- for instance, Grandma Connie is "Hahn-hee."
She is getting into finger-play songs and imitating the hand motions. She especially likes the Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Wheels on the Bus.
She loves getting naked and splashing in the water -- and (believe it or not) getting dunked under in the pool! "More pool"...
She has started collecting things: rocks into a bucket, for example; and taking the lids off the empty tupperware containers and putting them back on. She is mastering her puzzles.
Her favorite personalities are Elmo and Dora (on the computer and the iPhone).
Will report back at 18 months!
7.04.2010
16 Months
Lindsay is now a very active little girl. She runs, doesn't walk.
She is independent and fights an adult's hand around hers when walking down the street. We fight harder!
She said her first noun-verb sentence on Friday: "See dog?" We were staying in Ps parents' Airstream trailer and she woke up the morning and remembered there had been a dog nearby and couldn't wait to see it.
She loves to introduce herself. She points to her chest and says "Lindee." Then points to Mom or Dad and confirms our identity.
She is learning all about possessives in the past week or two. She sees something that is hers and tells me "Lindsay's" - same goes for Mommy's and Daddy's.
She is obsessed with stairs and ledges. She has to sit on every stoop when we walk around the neighborhood.
She is increasingly afraid of water if she isn't sure what the deal is.
Her memory is really developing: we will arrive at a particular place and she tells me something about it that she remembers. Like we drive into our neighborhood from being away and she inquires about her neighborhood friends: "Paul?"
We pass playgrounds and she asks to "play."
She told me our new carpet in the hallway was "pretty."
Her favorite foods are cheese, yogurt, bread, pasta, and bananas. Although really any fruit will do. Pineapple is another favorite. She loves to ask for "pasta" and all of her favorites.
She has always loved her doll (Dede) but now she wants to read to her.
Her favorite books are Each Peach Pear Plum and a new book called Let's Go (Baby Einstein), which shows all sorts of vehicles. We told her maybe once that Daddy goes on the highspeed train and Lindsay has ridden the subway. Every time we read the book she reminds us that the highspeed train is Daddy's choo choo and the subway is Lindsay's.
At her 16-month appointment she was 23 lbs. 8 oz. (50th) and 33 inches (99th).
We are waiting for her eye teeth.
She sleeps 7pm to 7am and naps for about 1.5-2 hours at noon.
Most of this I'm writing down so I will remember. I'm going to try to do this more.
She is independent and fights an adult's hand around hers when walking down the street. We fight harder!
She said her first noun-verb sentence on Friday: "See dog?" We were staying in Ps parents' Airstream trailer and she woke up the morning and remembered there had been a dog nearby and couldn't wait to see it.
She loves to introduce herself. She points to her chest and says "Lindee." Then points to Mom or Dad and confirms our identity.
She is learning all about possessives in the past week or two. She sees something that is hers and tells me "Lindsay's" - same goes for Mommy's and Daddy's.
She is obsessed with stairs and ledges. She has to sit on every stoop when we walk around the neighborhood.
She is increasingly afraid of water if she isn't sure what the deal is.
Her memory is really developing: we will arrive at a particular place and she tells me something about it that she remembers. Like we drive into our neighborhood from being away and she inquires about her neighborhood friends: "Paul?"
We pass playgrounds and she asks to "play."
She told me our new carpet in the hallway was "pretty."
Her favorite foods are cheese, yogurt, bread, pasta, and bananas. Although really any fruit will do. Pineapple is another favorite. She loves to ask for "pasta" and all of her favorites.
She has always loved her doll (Dede) but now she wants to read to her.
Her favorite books are Each Peach Pear Plum and a new book called Let's Go (Baby Einstein), which shows all sorts of vehicles. We told her maybe once that Daddy goes on the highspeed train and Lindsay has ridden the subway. Every time we read the book she reminds us that the highspeed train is Daddy's choo choo and the subway is Lindsay's.
At her 16-month appointment she was 23 lbs. 8 oz. (50th) and 33 inches (99th).
We are waiting for her eye teeth.
She sleeps 7pm to 7am and naps for about 1.5-2 hours at noon.
Most of this I'm writing down so I will remember. I'm going to try to do this more.
5.24.2010
15 Months
At 15 months, she is very active and energetic, running all over the place, and saying so many things.
Her newest words: play, stroller, no (with a head shake), please, peas, bread
Her favorite / most frequent words: pasta, chair, milk, baby (was "dede" until a few days ago), diaper, water, banana, hi (with wave), bye-bye, mama, daddy
Her favorite activities are: pushing the laundry basket, taking out all the tupperware containers, holding her dolls, pushing her doll stroller, taking a bath, going to the park/playground
Her favorite books are: Goodnight, Baby; Each Peach Pear Plum; Goodnight Moon; Pat the Bunny; Maisy Bakes a Cake
4.26.2010
Giving Meatless Monday a Try
I'm not really the type to jump on any old bandwagon. I'm not the earliest adopter. I didn't get the first generation iPhone, and I waited several years to get a DVD player. I wait things out to see if they're gaining traction before making my move.
So it has been with this newfangled idea they're calling Meatless Monday. I've mostly ignored the background babel. Meatless Monday is a concept initiated by The Monday Campaigns in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
When I first heard about Meatless Monday it sounded to me a bit like Backwards Friday, an annual event we had in grade school when all the kids wore their clothes backwards. It was something you do once for the novelty of it--it wasn't something anyone would make a lifestyle out of.
I have to admit that I didn't initially investigate the concept or read up on the why and how of Meatless Monday, but it didn't sound like something I'd try, much less permanently implement (even though I am generally quite content forgoing meat). But in the burgeoning movement to reduce one's carbon footprint, and toward greater long-term health, my interest was slowly piqued by this one-day-a-week vegetarianism thing. After all, I do love a good eggplant parm. How hard could it be?
I'm particularly interested in a fresh start on Monday after gorging all weekend. The cheeseburger right off the grill at Saturday's barbecue melted in my mouth (washed down by a bottle of beer), but following it with two pieces of The Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake was just unnecessary (but worth every bite!).
Monday is a new beginning. Monday speaks to me in tongues of crispy vegetables and protein sources low in saturated fat.
In his bestselling books, Michael Pollan has endorsed quasi-vegetarianism, and others are taking note. Giving up one-seventh of meat consumption (the equivalent of one day per week) is practicable, Pollan says, and I agree. I can do this.
So I mentioned it to my husband this weekend. "Honey, will you do Meatless Mondays with me?" I expected him to laugh and reply with a sarcastic, "Yeah, right." But in a surprising moment of marital support, and without asking why, he said, "Sure. Starting tomorrow? Pasta Mondays." I told him tomorrow we could indeed start with pasta--a win-win (easy for me to cook, even easier for him to like). But in my secret scheming, I plan to slowly intervene in this carb-lover's lifestyle--after all, replacing a hearty protein with an empty carb is not helping anyone. Next week we'll try a tofu or bean dish.
We're aiming to try this for the long haul--for ourselves and for our planet. Meatless meals can be less expensive and easy to prepare. I'm all for that as a bonus.
So it has been with this newfangled idea they're calling Meatless Monday. I've mostly ignored the background babel. Meatless Monday is a concept initiated by The Monday Campaigns in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
When I first heard about Meatless Monday it sounded to me a bit like Backwards Friday, an annual event we had in grade school when all the kids wore their clothes backwards. It was something you do once for the novelty of it--it wasn't something anyone would make a lifestyle out of.
I have to admit that I didn't initially investigate the concept or read up on the why and how of Meatless Monday, but it didn't sound like something I'd try, much less permanently implement (even though I am generally quite content forgoing meat). But in the burgeoning movement to reduce one's carbon footprint, and toward greater long-term health, my interest was slowly piqued by this one-day-a-week vegetarianism thing. After all, I do love a good eggplant parm. How hard could it be?
I'm particularly interested in a fresh start on Monday after gorging all weekend. The cheeseburger right off the grill at Saturday's barbecue melted in my mouth (washed down by a bottle of beer), but following it with two pieces of The Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake was just unnecessary (but worth every bite!).
Monday is a new beginning. Monday speaks to me in tongues of crispy vegetables and protein sources low in saturated fat.
In his bestselling books, Michael Pollan has endorsed quasi-vegetarianism, and others are taking note. Giving up one-seventh of meat consumption (the equivalent of one day per week) is practicable, Pollan says, and I agree. I can do this.
So I mentioned it to my husband this weekend. "Honey, will you do Meatless Mondays with me?" I expected him to laugh and reply with a sarcastic, "Yeah, right." But in a surprising moment of marital support, and without asking why, he said, "Sure. Starting tomorrow? Pasta Mondays." I told him tomorrow we could indeed start with pasta--a win-win (easy for me to cook, even easier for him to like). But in my secret scheming, I plan to slowly intervene in this carb-lover's lifestyle--after all, replacing a hearty protein with an empty carb is not helping anyone. Next week we'll try a tofu or bean dish.
We're aiming to try this for the long haul--for ourselves and for our planet. Meatless meals can be less expensive and easy to prepare. I'm all for that as a bonus.
3.22.2010
Cooking Day #2
You may have heard about the cooking day (Plummelo Cooking Club, PCC) I planned with five friends in January. Six of us got together at Kate's house for a down and dirty meal prep day (three hours). We assembled steak fajitas, chicken marbella, turkey and roasted red pepper meatloaf, and a spinach and prosciutto lasagna. We did all of this with minimal prep--but everyone did her part and brought what was on her shopping list. It cost each family $37.50 to take home more than four meals' worth of food. It kept us eating well on busy weeknights for days, if not weeks. (I think there is still a Ziploc of the chicken in my freezer.) It was such a success that we had to plan another one.
In order to gain hall passes from the husbands, we pulled it off as a work day ("What. I'm making dinner!") and assured them they'd benefit.
This past weekend, again at Kate's, a slightly different group got together. Five of us this time, and again four recipes: the same steak fajitas (simple yet classic), garlic-citrus chicken, meatballs, and salmon cakes. We agreed that this round worked us harder, but it was the recipes' fault: they were a bit more involved. The meatballs required browning, the chicken required zesting (of limes and oranges), and, well, the salmon cans required opening. (It also involved squeezing, patting, chopping, slicing, bagging, admiring.) The shocker? Also exactly $37 per person. Awesome.
Cooking days with friends are hard to schedule and a logistical nightmare to organize, but so worth their trouble. Not only do you get three-plus solid hours of quality time with people you love, but also four meals to take home to eat that week ... and think of your friends while enjoying each bite.
You better believe this PCC is pushing on for #3 in May. Stay tuned.
In order to gain hall passes from the husbands, we pulled it off as a work day ("What. I'm making dinner!") and assured them they'd benefit.
This past weekend, again at Kate's, a slightly different group got together. Five of us this time, and again four recipes: the same steak fajitas (simple yet classic), garlic-citrus chicken, meatballs, and salmon cakes. We agreed that this round worked us harder, but it was the recipes' fault: they were a bit more involved. The meatballs required browning, the chicken required zesting (of limes and oranges), and, well, the salmon cans required opening. (It also involved squeezing, patting, chopping, slicing, bagging, admiring.) The shocker? Also exactly $37 per person. Awesome.
Cooking days with friends are hard to schedule and a logistical nightmare to organize, but so worth their trouble. Not only do you get three-plus solid hours of quality time with people you love, but also four meals to take home to eat that week ... and think of your friends while enjoying each bite.
You better believe this PCC is pushing on for #3 in May. Stay tuned.
3.17.2010
Things I Want to Remember
Lindsay, now four days shy of 13 months...
... Tucks her two babies into their "bed" (her rocker ottoman), covers them with her doll quilt my mom made, and gives them plenty of kisses "mmmmwa, mmmmwa"... prays with them (folding her hands), and says "night night" over and over again to them.
... Has discovered balls of all shapes and sizes. Around the house, of course, she has toy balls and talks about them. But this surprised me: This morning we were driving past North Station and she was looking out the window and saw all the stone/cement "balls" that block cars from driving into the building along the curb. "Ball, ball, ball"... she must have said it 20 times as she counted all the balls.
... Somehow climbed into the bathtub yesterday (thankfully there was not water in it).
... Noticed the "choo choo" T train today as we were driving and said "choo choo."
... Today started becoming really interested in feeding herself with utensils. I gave her a spoon to try to get her to eat some of her fruit and veggies (a struggle lately) and she was excited and proud to dip the spoon in the bowl and put some food on it and then put it in her mouth. Also, dipping food. I held a small bowl of tomato sauce for her to "dip" her pasta and broccoli in. She loved it.
... Tucks her two babies into their "bed" (her rocker ottoman), covers them with her doll quilt my mom made, and gives them plenty of kisses "mmmmwa, mmmmwa"... prays with them (folding her hands), and says "night night" over and over again to them.
... Has discovered balls of all shapes and sizes. Around the house, of course, she has toy balls and talks about them. But this surprised me: This morning we were driving past North Station and she was looking out the window and saw all the stone/cement "balls" that block cars from driving into the building along the curb. "Ball, ball, ball"... she must have said it 20 times as she counted all the balls.
... Somehow climbed into the bathtub yesterday (thankfully there was not water in it).
... Noticed the "choo choo" T train today as we were driving and said "choo choo."
... Today started becoming really interested in feeding herself with utensils. I gave her a spoon to try to get her to eat some of her fruit and veggies (a struggle lately) and she was excited and proud to dip the spoon in the bowl and put some food on it and then put it in her mouth. Also, dipping food. I held a small bowl of tomato sauce for her to "dip" her pasta and broccoli in. She loved it.
2.22.2010
One
Last night as I put my little girl to sleep, a tear fell on her sweet face. I sang Amazing Grace to her as I have done every night of her life. I prayed over her and thanked God for her life and her health. And then a tear fell. She didn't know tonight was any different, but tonight she was no longer a baby.
Her toddlerhood has been rapidly descending upon us in the month or more since she started walking and talking. This morning I put away all the baby things that still cluttered her closet--the Boppy pillow she fit so snugly upon when she was just days and weeks old; the size small sleepsacks; the remnants of a struggle with nursing. I realized it had been overtaken with size 18 months clothes and shoes with real soles. How and when did this happen?
At one, she says fish, duck, cheese, socks, shoes, yes, no, push, eyes, head, hair, ears, diaper. She holds the phone (her hand) up to her ear when the phone rings. She points to her toes. She sings to her babies.
We celebrated Lindsay's first birthday with our family and closest friends and Lindsay's little playdate buddies. I arduously baked some vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting for the big day. When it came time to put the birthday girl in her chair for her first experience with buttercream, she relished the attention. We lit the little pink candle in her mini cupcake and she watched with wonder as the flame flickered. What is all this? We sang happy birthday, dear Lindsay, and she clapped at the end. A little politician in the making?
We love watching her grow.
Update: At her 1-year check-up, she weighed 21 lbs. 4 oz. (50th) and measured 32 inches (99th).
Her toddlerhood has been rapidly descending upon us in the month or more since she started walking and talking. This morning I put away all the baby things that still cluttered her closet--the Boppy pillow she fit so snugly upon when she was just days and weeks old; the size small sleepsacks; the remnants of a struggle with nursing. I realized it had been overtaken with size 18 months clothes and shoes with real soles. How and when did this happen?
At one, she says fish, duck, cheese, socks, shoes, yes, no, push, eyes, head, hair, ears, diaper. She holds the phone (her hand) up to her ear when the phone rings. She points to her toes. She sings to her babies.
We celebrated Lindsay's first birthday with our family and closest friends and Lindsay's little playdate buddies. I arduously baked some vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting for the big day. When it came time to put the birthday girl in her chair for her first experience with buttercream, she relished the attention. We lit the little pink candle in her mini cupcake and she watched with wonder as the flame flickered. What is all this? We sang happy birthday, dear Lindsay, and she clapped at the end. A little politician in the making?
We love watching her grow.
Update: At her 1-year check-up, she weighed 21 lbs. 4 oz. (50th) and measured 32 inches (99th).
2.16.2010
Generations of Cooking
I relish the advice of my elders–one aunt in particular. Once a year four generations of women get together for three days of conversation, knitting, and eating. This year it involved a disproportionate amount of chasing toddlers, rather than knitting, but we still sat down to meals together–not just any meal, but a luxurious beef stew, a garlic and feta stuffed chicken, an orange glazed cake. The menu goes on.
I was a self-taught cook—mainly by trial and error. Most cooks learned from an older family member who knew their way around the kitchen blindfolded and had all their treasured recipes in their head (with no quantities, they just knew). My mother will admit that she is not the most enthusiastic cook, and I didn’t live near enough to my grandmothers growing up to learn in that manner like so many women do. My sister wasn’t into it until much later, and so I was pretty much on my own.
I envy that, for my aunt (who learned much of her cooking from my grandmother), putting a delicious home-cooked meal on the table for us is not only an expression of love but also she makes it look effortless. So I asked her what her secrets are.
Make ahead. She takes full advantage of a spare freezer in the garage and pulls out what she needs when she needs it. She made ahead the stuffed chicken breasts so that she didn’t have to spend quite as much time cooking on our weekend together. She baked them on a cookie sheet and they were magically ready at dinnertime (this is the seemingly effortless skill to which I referred). Same for the beef stew and the cake. I’m sure it was hard work for her, but to the untrained eye, she seemed to whip it all up in a matter of an hour.
Avoid tending to something on the stove. I watched her chop a few sweet potatoes and throw them into a crock pot with some butter. She could then set the gadget on high for 6 hours and avoid babysitting a pot. This is one trick I will surely try at home. The mashed sweet potatoes were perfectly creamy and melted in my mouth.
Canning and freezing fresh fruit and vegetables when they are in season. This deserves its own post.
See what I learned in a few short days of watching a more experienced cook? These lessons are invaluable.
My sister, whose husband is half Italian-American, tells me that her mother-in-law is her primary go-to source at holidays. And both of us have been known to call upon our step-mother, who also cooks by heart, for those big-piece-of-meat type dinners.
We always seem to call on those who have trodden the road before us, and they always seem to have the answers–because they learned from the generations before them.
Who do you look to for lessons in cooking?
2.02.2010
Girlfriends' Guide to Fooling the Husbands (er, Cooking)
Girlfriends will find any excuse to get together. And what better way to spend a cold Saturday than with food and friends. In order to justify our absence from our husbands and kids, we decided we’d better find a way to benefit them as well.
And girlfriends trust each other. Girlfriends share their opinions about everything–recipes and food are no exception. Most women I know are always looking for their next batch of great recipes, so we decided to get together and test some out.
The ultimate goal was to come home with four meals to enjoy throughout the week (or stash in the freezer for a busy night).
We accomplished several things during our three hours together this weekend: quality time, trying new recipes, and preparing meals to take home for our families. Here is how it went.
I invited 5 girlfriends who, like me, are busy moms who are into cooking and trying new recipes but are short on time. Six people was the perfect size. The dads planned on staying home for some quality time with the little ones.
I looked through my recipes on Plummelo for a few important criteria: little to no cooking on prep day; highly freezeable; no more than about 10 ingredients each; and using relatively inexpensive ingredients. We narrowed it down to 4. We wanted to start out with an attainable goal.
Our Recipes
- Steak Fajitas from Real Simple
- Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaffrom Real Simple
- Chicken Marbella from Simply Recipes
- Spinach and Prosciutto Lasagna from Martha Stewart
I saved these 4 recipes to My Recipes on Plummelo and emailed them to my friends so they could save them into their recipe boxes as well. I put the recipes into My Plans and then into My Shopping List.
Here was the part where Plummelo really saved the day in this planning process: Once the recipes were in my shopping list, Plummelo adjusted the servings for me!
For 6 people, we needed everything times six (for a grand total of a lot of food). The recipe showed number of servings as 4, so I entered 24 (4 x 6), and the Plummelo shopping list automatically changed all the quantities for me (for example, 1 1/2 cups of ricotta became 9 cups of ricotta).
I then hit “Email Shopping List” on Plummelo and sent the combined list to my friends. We divvied up the shopping by section of the grocery store (which was also easy because the Plummelo shopping list is divided by category, such as Meat, Produce), and each went grocery shopping on our own schedule and planned to arrive with the assigned items.
One friend and I hit Costco for all the meat, and the others went on their respective treasure hunts. I was surprised at how little effort went into the shopping when we divided and conquered.
The day of, I packed it up the food and a few essentials (including my favorite knife), ready to take to the hosting friend’s house. We allowed 3 hours for our cooking adventure, with some time built in for girl talk and munching on freshly bakedmuffins.
We started out with the Chicken Marbella. One team of two trimmed the chicken thighs, another team minced garlic (of course, with the garlic gadget!), and another team measured spices, olives, capers, and prunes. In no time our chicken was marinating in the bowl, and we divided the massive quantity into 6 Ziploc freezer bags for each family to pull out on the designated night.
The routine went like this for the remaining recipes. Chopping and dicing, dividing and conquering (and washing some dishes in between). Meal prep is much more fun when it is organized in advance and shared with good friends. It’s also more fun digging into a huge bowl of ground turkey when wearing plastic gloves! We had a lot of laughs about food favorites and not-so-favorites, cooking blunders, and each other’s techniques, and fed each other bites of blueberry muffin while we worked. It didn’t seem like work at all.
It took us two and a half hours and $37.50 per family (that’s less than $10 per meal) to make 4 delicious meals that are ready for our loved ones to enjoy. Economies of scale definitely pay off!
Now we each have 4 new recipes in our repertoire and 4 new meals for the week. And after receiving a big thank you from more than one of the husbands, I know we have a hall pass for another girls’ afternoon out.
Try planning a cooking day with your friends. Let us know how it goes.
1.21.2010
Beets: An Attempt and Failure
I read a list published in the New York Times last week (first published in June 2008) that highlighted the 11 best foods you aren’t eating.
They are right.
I’m not eating beets. I’m not eating cabbage. I’m not eating swiss chard. I am definitely not eating sardines. But I am eating cinnamon, pomegranate juice, dried plums, frozen blueberries, and canned pumpkin. That’s a start, right?
Back to beets. Beets have always been a very mysterious vegetable to me. I didn’t grow up eating them. Not that I’m one to garden (I live on a lovely patch of pavement in the city), but beets aren’t something I’ve ever grown or harvested myself. And how do you cook them? I know they are absolutely sweet and delicious–possibly nature’s sweetest vegetable–once I can get my hands on them (and they stain, so watch out!). But unfortunately, when it comes to beets and other such vegetables, intimidation gets the best of me and I’m usually afraid to attempt cooking them.
But in the spirit of healthy eating and conquering my cooking fears (see a prior post on this topic), I decided to give beets a try. I had collected a little bit of vague advice from a friend. I thought the hard part was actually getting myself to purchase them at the store. Once I got them home it would be cake.
But in the spirit of healthy eating and conquering my cooking fears (see a prior post on this topic), I decided to give beets a try. I had collected a little bit of vague advice from a friend. I thought the hard part was actually getting myself to purchase them at the store. Once I got them home it would be cake.
(Humorous anecdote: The leaves were so long the whole beets didn’t fit in the standard size plastic vegetable bag at the grocery store, but, like a carton of eggs, I managed to babysit the unruly creatures all the way to the check-out line, gently place them on the rolling conveyor belt, and then–wham!–the otherwise very kind check-out bagger folded my beet stems to squeeze them into my reusable shopping bag! With a worried smile, I informed him that I wanted to photograph those beets. He rushed off to get another bunch for me.)
I thought maybe it was as easy as chopping off the stems and leaves and putting them in a preheated oven. I decided to make a few other vegetables at the same time, and threw in a sweet potato and a regular potato on the same cookie sheet. Maybe my attention wasn’t focused–I was just winging it. I pulled out the sizzling beets, oozing sticky juice, and let them rest for a while. They seemed tender when I pierced them.
I served them with our chicken dinner, proud of my accomplishment. But I needed a steak knife to cut them. I hadn’t cooked them long enough.
What did I learn? One, I am now capable of bringing home even the most intimidating vegetables. And two, I am now even more determined to give them another try–this time letting them cook until they are really done. A recipe like this Orange and Beet Salad would be a good start for me.
Are you eating beets? If you are a beginner when it comes to trying new vegetables, many stores, such as Trader Joe’s, sell beets pre-cooked in the refrigerated section.
1.09.2010
My Cup Overflows, and Trying to Drink It All
It's an interesting concept that the more you have to do the more gets done... and the more you have, the more you want.
I don't know if this is something that comes with age, or maybe it's just a stage, but lately I've found myself biting off a lot more than I thought was possible to chew. In addition to raising Lindsay--which, until a month ago, I thought was a full-time job (and it still is!)--, the new gig at Plummelo, and managing a household, I'm finding myself wanting more.
There are moments when I just want to rest in the Lord. But I am a Martha and I cannot sit still. My latest whims include: 1) Waiting to go for baby #2 until I've ridden another (my fourth) Pan-Mass Challenge this summer; 2) Looking for guitar lessons so I can finally learn how to play it, now that I see how L's little face just lights up every time she hears music, I sing, or I practice my chords; and 3) Researching culinary school!? I am starting to think I am insane.
But my cup already overflows (Psalm 23:5). I am so blessed. Not only am I so thankful for all that God has given me/us, but it should be enough. Why am I not content with the things that are already on my plate and possibly don't get enough attention? Why do I need to stretch myself so thin? Are the priorities in my life (God, husband, child, work) getting enough if I am seeking more?
I don't know if this is something that comes with age, or maybe it's just a stage, but lately I've found myself biting off a lot more than I thought was possible to chew. In addition to raising Lindsay--which, until a month ago, I thought was a full-time job (and it still is!)--, the new gig at Plummelo, and managing a household, I'm finding myself wanting more.
There are moments when I just want to rest in the Lord. But I am a Martha and I cannot sit still. My latest whims include: 1) Waiting to go for baby #2 until I've ridden another (my fourth) Pan-Mass Challenge this summer; 2) Looking for guitar lessons so I can finally learn how to play it, now that I see how L's little face just lights up every time she hears music, I sing, or I practice my chords; and 3) Researching culinary school!? I am starting to think I am insane.
But my cup already overflows (Psalm 23:5). I am so blessed. Not only am I so thankful for all that God has given me/us, but it should be enough. Why am I not content with the things that are already on my plate and possibly don't get enough attention? Why do I need to stretch myself so thin? Are the priorities in my life (God, husband, child, work) getting enough if I am seeking more?
1.01.2010
Plummelo Blog: New Year's: A Resolution
New Year’s Resolution lists are usually full of items that may or may not be accomplished in the next 365 days. In past years, I’ve resolved to change dramatically from the mere human that I am into some sort of gym-going, flaxseed-eating, uber-organized robot. I’m learning each year that these visions of a new me don’t become habits at all, but just make me feel worse when I don’t accomplish what I set out to do on January 1.
This year, I’m resolving to take it one day at a time, not to beat myself up about it, but to be just a little more organized. I don’t mean the hanging folder, alphabetized, checklist sort of organized. I just mean I want to be more efficient in order to save time and energy.
Do you have this same resolution?
We at Plummelo want to help you be more organized about your recipes and your meal planning. Here are two ways to get started:
1. Organize your paper recipes (those you don’t have online):
I have a corner–yes a corner, not just a shelf–of my kitchen dedicated to cookbooks and paper recipes, with everything from 1990s Martha Stewart Living issues to Chez Panisse first editions. Of course the cookbooks will always be a well loved and inspiring part of my kitchen, but sometimes I want ditch the piles of paper. Even in this high-tech life, I haven’t totally done away with the scraps of paper. But I’ve taken a tip from my sister over the past few months and I’ve started organizing the paper recipes into a binder with plastic sleeves (I bought a pack of 100 sleeves at Staples). Where there used to be full issues of Martha, Real Simple, Cooking Light, and Everyday Food in that corner, now I’ve torn out only the recipes I use and I’ve put them in the sleeves and organized them in the binder by recipe type (main course, chicken, etc.). However, most of these recipes are online, so now I don’t even need many of my tear-outs (but I have kept many just for the pictures). I’ve saved hand-written recipes and those from other sources that aren’t easily found online.
2. Organize your online recipes (on Plummelo, of course):
I get into a surprising number of conversations about recipes. And I can’t tell you how many people have mentioned to me (somewhat like a bartender hears all manner of personal tidbits from thirsty customers) that they don’t remember where they found a certain recipe online. That same sister was recently telling me she wanted to make side dish with green beans and shallots, but she couldn’t recall where she had found it when she made it the first time. Online somewhere. (Great, that helps.) Well, she eventually went back to do a Google search and found it, but the hassle could have been saved if she had saved it to Plummelo in the first place (now, smartly, she has).
It’s as easy as installing the browser button on Plummelo and saving a recipe when you see one online that you have used or you think you might use. Then it’s always at your fingertips on Plummelo. And you can share it with your friends just as easily. (Or you can delete it later if you don’t end up using it.) Now I have that green bean recipe and you do, too! Less clutter and more recipes.
Wishing you all the best with your resolutions. Share them with us!
