Category Archives: eats

DIY turkish coffee

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So I’ve stumbled upon a great way to make your own Turkish-style coffee. In your own kitchen! Without any fancy equipment! The catch: you have to be sleep-deprived, one-armed, desperate for caffeine and short on time. What a delightful state in which to be. Ready? Go!

  1. Pour the remainder of yesterday’s coffee into a mug. This is important, lovelies. It has to be yesterday’s coffee. Today’s coffee is not an appropriate substitute.
  2. Place mug with coffee into microwave for about a minute. Walk away.
  3. Hear microwave go off, but leave it because you are likely unable to get to the microwave anyway.
  4. When you are able to get to the microwave again, press the timer for another minute.
  5. This time you are able to get to the microwave and take a sip. It’s getting there.
  6. You will only be able to take one sip before setting it down in an easily-forgotten place like the bathroom while changing someone’s diaper.
  7. Time goes by, but you realize you’re not caffeinated yet and must find that coffee. Aha! Found.
  8. Place mug with coffee into microwave for about a minute. Walk away. This is when it begins to really turn into Turkish coffee: thick with settling dregs…
  9. Take another sip.
  10. Repeat steps three through nine several times throughout the morning, possibly into the afternoon.
  11. By the time the mid-afternoon rolls around, that same cup of yesterday’s coffee is just about the perfect cup of Turkish coffee with the dregs perfectly settled at the bottom. Aaah.
  12. Happen to have some Turkish Delight on hand? Score!

 

Gingerbread Friends

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We’ve had a lot of fun with this book Gingerbread Friends lately. We’ve read it at least once a day for the past week and were inspired to try the gingerbread recipe that’s illustrated throughout the story. It’s a really good one – I was surprised that Wren liked them because they are a bit “spicy,” but she does. Or maybe it’s just the act of biting off their heads and limbs that she likes. Regardless, we’re getting our required holiday share of ginger and cinnamon these days. Oh, and butter. It’s really no wonder why I’m not shedding the baby weight very quickly this time around… sigh.

I love a book that inspires action or creativity, like when we planted our bulbs in conjunction with Planting a Rainbow. What is your favorite book that inspires you to do something? Green Eggs & Ham, anyone?

Have you tried Plum Organics yet?

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Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about tips for baby feeding magic. What if you let baby choose what’s for dinner?

Check out their cute “Quest for Yum!” video and see what happens! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIMWdA5K9pw&w=560&h=315]

Today Wren and I went to our local Target and picked up a couple Plum Organics for Tots fruit purees to try – strawberry and banana “mish-mash.” Wren loves fruit smoothies so I thought they would be a hit with her – and they were! And truth be told, me too. Usually I add some kind of juice or vanilla yogurt to sweeten a smoothie, but now I’m thinking that a super fresh fruit puree like this obviously doesn’t need any extra sweeteners. And with Halloween around the corner and candy everywhere we look (sigh), we don’t need ANYMORE added sweeteners, thank you very much.

While I didn’t use too many pre-made baby foods with Wren, I bet I will be more likely to take advantage of them with our new little birdie. And I’m pretty sure these will make me feel better about not doing everything from scratch because they’re healthy, tasty, organic, portable, resealable, easy to use. No jars, yessssss. I’m a bit disappointed that they can’t be recycled, but I’m sure the packaging engineers at Plum are working on this, right?!

One thing I love about the product line is the range of flavors, from traditional banana to more interesting blueberry oat & quinoa and spinach, peas & pear. We didn’t shy away from introducing any strong flavors or textures to Wren and this has served us well because she eats almost anything now at two and a half, and is willing to at least try a bit of everything new-to-her that we put in front of her. Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures and adventures for us and we hope to continue to encourage this with our little birdies. I’m sure she’ll go through a pickier stage like most children, but I’m very grateful that hasn’t hit home quite yet!

Have you used the Plum Organics products? What are your thoughts? Have any favorites?

Lovelies, this was my first sponsored post – yee-haw! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Plum Organics, visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PlumOrganics.

nesting: salsa and pacifiers

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I was gifted with a child-free day today and made use of my special (read: don’t know when this will ever happen again!) time on last-minute nesting projects like finally turning all those October tomatoes into roasted tomato salsa and a big batch of roasted tomato soup. Since I was in the mood to boil water, I also sterilized a bunch of pacifiers. Funny juxtaposition, isn’t it? Ah, well, such is life right now.

I can’t really even begin to describe the great sense of relief I have now that I don’t have to stare at all those tomatoes every time I come through the back door. I’m so grateful they didn’t go to waste because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to them once our babe arrived; I just dreaded the thought of having to see them again as I was walking through the door with a new little birdie. Whew!

Have a great weekend in your nest, lovelies! Here in Traverse City there are a couple really cool things happening that I just had to mention: an indie art fair and the nation’s first XC ski race of the season, for which they are hauling in shaved zamboni snow from the local ice rinks. Something for everyone…

still pregnant

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A few people got to wondering if we had welcomed another little birdie into the world because I haven’t posted in a few days. Well, I’m here to tell you that the babe is still tucked safely inside at 38.5 weeks and counting! Feeling (almost) ready for this new adventure, or as ready as I think we can be…

Chris and I finally agreed on boy and girl names, which shall remain a secret for a little while longer. Hey, a girl’s got to have some secrets!

And I finally finished covering the rocking chair cushions that have been waiting for me for months in the basement. They used to be white in Wren’s room and not able to be removed, but they had gotten so stained and yucky after almost 2.5 years of continuous use that I couldn’t take it anymore and tore them off. Now that they’re back on and look great because of some fabric that my friend, Sandy, gifted me, I’m ready to rock away with a new babe in my arms. What do you think?

Oh! I also just realized I must really be craving iron and getting my body ready because yesterday I cooked beef for dinner, which I almost never do (Chris wondered if it was his birthday!), and today I’m making a big batch of molasses cookies, along with a slew of from-the-garden beet & chocolate muffins. IRON!

So there’s a brief update for you, lovelies. Yup, still here. How is your week going? What’s been happening in your nest?

Happily cool and rainy

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Wet, cool fall has decided to officially arrive in northern Michigan after making a brief appearance then quickly running away for the blazing hills for about two weeks. It’s actually quite a relief because I don’t have the guilt of not playing in the backyard when I’ve got a mountain of indoor projects that I’d like to tackle. Funny how that works, isn’t it? After a trip to the grocery store and long enough at our local children’s museum, we’re settled back in our nest while the rain coats the windows outside. It feels good. Looks like this weekend will be chilly and rainy too and I’m looking forward to lots of indoor (nesting) projects like figuring out what I want to do with this surprise bounty of October tomatoes. I’m starting with about six pints of salsa and then moving on to tomato jam if I have some tomatoes left. Any other ideas, lovelies?

What fun things do you have planned for your weekend? Are you looking forward to a lazy weekend in your nest? I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Bundling up in northern Michigan…

Happy Fall! Click on.

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This photo was taken at our wedding – it’s been seven years this weekend, yahoo!

Happy fall, lovelies! My favorite season is officially here. Welcome pumpkins & bittersweet, apple cider & cozy scarves, curried squash soup & jeans, wool socks & beautiful leaves. I’m fond of sharing with people that I think summer is really a bit boring with its predictable and hot palette of blue, green and brown. Fall is so dynamic in northern Michigan with its sweeping storms, ever-changing clouds and wild colors. Green turning to orange, yellow, red.  And pops of aubergine! It’s odd to be so full of vigor and yet death and dying at the same time, no?

As Zane wrote the other day, we’re also now entering my birthing season (!) so welcome to you too, little birdie #2. We look so forward to meeting you. And soon! Today marks 35 weeks. Where has the time gone?

Do you have plans this weekend to nest, harvest, pick a bushel or two of apples, watch a football game or plant some hope-filled bulbs? If you have a few minutes while you’re cuddling up inside with a mug of hot cocoa, click around here.

Enjoy your first fall weekend! XO