Congratulations!!

Congratulations to my beautiful sister Andrea and her new *fiance* Blake!! I am excited for the blessings the future will bring to you two!

I love you both mucho!

99 Days to Go!

I can't believe we're in the double-digits to the countdown!

Due Date: May 6th

7 Quick Takes - Friday, January 23, 2009

--- 1 ---

Thank you Everyone for your continuing prayers! I've heard from people across the country letting me know that they are praying for me, are committing their midnight wakings with a cranky baby to prayer for our family, are sending encouraging links to me about supporting a husband during a time of upheaval and unemployment, and even comments from "lurkers" who've come out of the woodwork to let me know that we are in their thoughts.

I appreciate them all. Immensely. Your prayers and thoughtful notes keep me bouoyed. Thank you.

--- 2 ---

No news yet on location or timing, we've sent out cover letters and resumes to all parts of the country, but we do have one interview lined up for next Friday! The job sounds PERFECT and is in a part of the country that we've been eyeing so we are waiting, cautiously, and I'm trying not to be too optimistic. But I PRAY that it works out! Please pray for my husband's safe travels (it will be a 14 hour drive to make this interview, each way) and that the interview goes well!

Michele, have you been praying extra hard? It's in your neck of the woods . . .

--- 3 ---

We went to the Los Angeles Zoo this past Tuesday for the first time. We enjoyed a beautiful day but I frankly wasn't as impressed with the zoo as I thought I'd be. We're trying to take advantage of any time we have left down here and take in a few of the sites/locations we haven't had a chance to visit yet (still want to check out the Getty's newest exhibit and the missions in San Diego - my great-grandmother was born in one of the Asistencias to the mission). Nevertheless, a great time was had by all and Lloyd loved the animals, especially the prarie dogs, ocelots and giraffe's. He also had a great time petting the sheep and brushing the goats in the children's zoo. Next time I think we'll just head to a farm! :)

--- 4 ---

It's sort of strange not having television. We completely missed the hoopla of all that was the inauguration this week. We have internet, so I read a few articles, saw a few pictures of Michelle Obama's choice of clothing for various events, etc. but I didn't get inundated with it like we normally would from switching back and from from FoxNews to CNBC to whatever else.

It was refreshing.

T. and I are still avid movie watchers and have kept Netflix hopping but it's been much quieter around here. Peaceful even. We may have to continue this experiment for a while . . .

--- 5 ---

We are officially in Week 25 and I am feeling very, very pregnant. The baby is kicking more than Lloyd did, harder than I remember and earlier in the pregnancy. He is kicking so hard sometimes that he moves my shirt visibly! Lloyd never or rarely did that, and not until much later. Phew!

It is getting to be quite difficult to reach my feet and socks are becoming a bit of an issue. I mastered the sideways sock maneuver last time (bending your knee and lower leg sideways while sitting on the bed so that you can get your sock on) and am starting to use the technique again!

Maybe I should take advantage of a cheap pedicure while we still live in a place that I can show it off for a few more weeks! :)

--- 6 ---

Craigslist is my friend. I've been on it lately like it was my job. Researching houses in the various locales that we've been considering, getting an idea of the market, searching for jobs. We're buds.

--- 7 ---

Any good book recommendations? I need something new . . .

I'm participating again this week in 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Go visit her to read her 7 Quick Takes along with the other participants!

Daybook

For Today, January 19, 2009

Outside my Window... we are enjoying a beautiful sunny day and my son is showing his grandma how he is a whiz at basketball.

I am thinking... that I am very blessed, even in times of uncertainty.

From the school room... Lloyd is loving identifying items in his books, especially this one because there are so many pictures of different things on each page. I think it is about time to start some matching/memory games as he seems to love them!

I am thankful... that we've had a few people interested in seeing the townhouse so that we can hopefully get out of our lease soon. We can not afford the lease without employment for more than a month or two, and we'd be much better off financially the sooner we get out of it. Two people have come by (please pray for us that we can find someone to take over our lease!) and I'm hoping that one of them is ready to sign on the dotted line!

From the kitchen... Hamburgers and Super Fresh and Tasty Lentil Salad. Followed by ice cream (for the calcium, of course!) Yum!

I am creating... A happy, kicking baby boy!

I am wearing... A black t-shirt (seriously, if you're pregnant, you need one of these shirts. They are the best fit I've found), jeans and flip flops and big coral chandelier earrings.

I am reading... ummmm, nothing at the moment, unfortunately. Trying to focus on researching jobs, advertising the townhouse and getting ready to move. Somewhere. And trying to keep things neat and clean so that we can show the place without much notice! :) We turned off our cable, though, both to save money and to prep for moving (we will probably be the only ones not glued to the TV tomorrow for the inauguration. We didn't plan on not watching it, we just sort of ended up that way! Oops!), and so I'm hoping it will cause me to get going on that reading list!

I am hearing... Lloyd playing with his Grandma outside on our patio.

Around the house... we are keeping it neat and clean and organized so that we can show closets, pantries and storage spaces to anyone who wants to come see the place. We are planning on starting boxing everything up mid week.

One of my favorite things... the peace felt after prayer. Learning to leave it up to the Lord.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... we are going to the Zoo tomorrow and packing a yummy lunch to take with us! Grandma is headed back to NE on Wednesday and the rest of the week we are just going to be busy beginning to box things up, send out resumes and cover letters and follow up on jobs and try to be at the top of the Craigslist ads on Friday for weekend house hunters! :) We are doing well on the meat front of going through our freezer, but trying to decide what to do with ten more cups of pureed pumpkin . . . :)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing . . . one year ago! Look how much he's grown!

Award Season!

I am really terrible about these blog awards. I've received a few, and appreciated them, but never really remember to acknowledge them or remember the "rules" I need to do to accept and give them out again . . . some of them remind me of those chain letters. . . but two of my favorite bloggers recently awarded me some lovely, thoughtful awards and I appreciate them immensely! I wanted to take the time to thank them, and award some of my own favorite bloggers!

This past week I received the Octamom Award from the lovely Jessica of Shower of Roses! Before I post the rules, for The Octamom Award, grab your chocolates!

1) You must eat a piece of chocolate in honor of accepting The Octamom Award.
2) You must eat yet another piece of chocolate when you put the award on your blog.
3) Try to go by and see the other good folks I'm going to put a link up for.
4) Feel free to add or subtract from the rules as suits your fancy...except that chocolate one...I must insist on that.

I can't really tell if there are any other "rules" for selecting other Octamom Award winners, other than perhaps being a mom, an inspiring blogger, and perhaps a little too busy at times to remember to acknowledge said thoughtful blog awards (maybe this is just a problem that I have. If you quickly send both a thoughtful comment and personalized thank you note upon receiving said awards, please disregard that last sentence. It may not apply. I'm sincerely awarding it to you because I'm inspired by you as a mom blogger!) so without further adieu, here's a little hit parade of Octamom buddies, just to get you started on a web session that will take you deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of Blog World. Be sure and leave a trail of chocolate wrappers so that you can find your way out again.....

And my nominees for the Octamom Award are . . .

• Michele of Frugal Granola
• Hannah of Cultivating Home
• Kristi of Da Baums
• Anne of Under Her Starry Mantle
• Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight
• Kari from Kari and Steven and our Abundant Blessings
• Carol of Pure Sugar
• Kayla of Kayla Said (who is mama to several pets and just has a fun blog in general. So I deem she gets the Octamom award anyway!)
  
• Jen of Conversion Diary
  

And then in July (yes, July of last year. i.e. Six months ago) Michele of Frugal Granola kindly bestowed on me the Arte y Pico award. And I regret to admit that I never acknowledged it on my blog. I am such a bad blogging buddy. And the thing is, Michele and I correspond via comment on one another's blog or e-mail almost once a week! We've even discovered we went to the same church . . . lived in adjoining cities . . . in ALASKA . . . when we were younger! Which makes not acknowledging it even more heinous. I apologize Michele! Thank you for honoring me with this award!

The Arte y Pico Award rules . . .

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award, be it through creativity, design, or interesting material, and that also contributes to the blogger community, no matter the language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) Award winners and the one who has given the award have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Show these rules.

So without further adieu, here are my Arte y Pico award nominees!

• Melissa from Chasing Cheerios
• Kimi of The Nourishing Gourmet
• Pink Wallpaper (which I discovered, pretty much, yesterday)
• Anna Spiro from Absolutely Beautiful Things
• Beach Bungalow 8

and, because this is my blog and I feel like it, I'm giving one more . . . so the sixth nominee is

• Jessica of Shower of Roses (whom I read all the time!)
  

And for some reason, I feel that someone else gave me an award once, sometime in the past year, and I've scoured my comments, but can't find it. If you did, and if I never acknowledged it, please remind me and I will thank you again!

There, that should do it. I think this is a great annual exercise for me!

Change is in the Air

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.

Pauline R. Kezer

Looks like we are going to be growing branches.

Tuesday morning T. got the news that his firm was going to be restructuring the equity department, following a "new formula" in this changing market and was, rather unceremoniously, laid off.

So now we're quickly looking to see what is next.

Luckily, his boss, the president of the company and several others in his former firm are providing good recommendations for him and referring him to several openings, so we are beginning to have some irons in the fire, but it is still a very anxious time for us.

I begin my seventh month of pregnancy next week.

We will probably be moving within a month (about 99% certain of that) and having to break our lease a few months early. We're not sure at this point where we'll be moving to. We're looking at positions from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco to Denver all the way to New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina. We were initially looking to stick to the Western States, but there are some fantastic opportunities that we just have to consider elsewhere.

So, there is certainly a lot going on in our household this week and for the next few weeks. Writing lists of things to do to get our townhome available for lease. Revamping menu plans to use up what is in our freezer and pantry before we move. Trying to go through our storage boxes and closets some more to cull even more away so that we don't move what we don't use or need, prepping resumes and cover letters, connecting with former colleagues and old contacts to see if they know of anything open, preparing to box up our house, once again, and move, once again, to the unknown.

And a lot of prayer. For guidance. For stability. For making the right decisions for our family. For peace.

Please pray for us.

"Atlas Shrugged" : From Fiction to Fact in 52 years

T. sent me this link to a Wall Street Times editorial. He knows me, that literary snob (with an economics minor, mind you) that I am, would immediately want to pick up this tome from our bookshelves and read it again. I think I last read it in high school. Very, very interesting.

This is a great, eye-opening article. Read it here.

Menu Plan Monday!

Better late than never, no? I normally try to get my menu-plan out on Sunday evening, but this week, with our busy weekend, it just didn't happen. No worries, though, it has allowed me to think a bit more thoroughly about this week's menu!

Last week's whole wheat cranberry pecan cinnamon swirl bread was a winner! I see myself making this once or twice a month for breakfasts! I'm trying to intersperse it with a few of my other breakfast bread recipes, for example, I made banana muffins on Friday for snacks and breakfasts, but see this becoming a permanent part of the repertoire. I ended up not making the granola or graham crackers I'd scheduled for last week simply because we were enjoying this bread too much! I've set it up to bake those items this week instead . . .

This week the weather is scheduled to be gorgeous at the beginning of the week, and cooling down towards the weekend so I am planning accordingly. We picked up a huge pot roast yesterday for a steal, so plan on cooking that up and using it for quite a few meals. We'll also be planning for guests as we are looking forward to having my mother-in-law visit for a few days beginning next weekend. I plan on making a batch of that aforementioned fantastic bread for a special treat during her stay!

Finally, T. and I are going to try to get back to abstaining from meat on Fridays again. We'd done it for a while, but had fallen off the wagon. He is on a low-carb diet, so this makes it a bit more difficult, but we are going to work through it. My goal is to make a well-balanced dinner on Friday's, either using fish or eggs or fully vegetarian, without going overboard, which is my tendency. I tend to think of not being able to fall back on meat as a challenge, and I tend to go out of my way to search and search for recipes that are going to be so good we won't even know what we're missing (even though we LIKE fish and seafood!) What I really NEED to remember is that we are abstaining for a reason; It is to humble oneself before God and as an act of repentance. It is a small, small sacrifice and is a reminder of what God gave (namely, Jesus' death) for us.

I'm thinking about picking up a copy of Twelve Months of Monastery Soups for Friday inspiration. It focuses on simple soups highlighting the bounty of the season, not to mention they are all meatless (only a few have fish or seafood).

Sunday Dinner - Grilled hamburgers with oven-baked fries
To-Do: Feed sourdough

Monday Breakfast - Oatmeal for Lloyd, banana muffins for me
Monday Lunch - Leftover hamburger patties with green salad
Monday Dinner - Smoked sausage frittata with green salad
To-Do (My busiest day in the kitchen this week - figure might as well make a big mess once!): Soak oatmeal for Lloyd's breakfast, Make granola, Make bread crumbs out of last week's sourdough, Make instant pancake mix, Make dough for whole wheat graham crackers for Lloyd, Soak chickpeas, Make sponge for bread, Hard boil a dozen eggs

Tuesday Breakfast - Oatmeal with Raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me
Tuesday Lunch - Leftovers
Tuesday Dinner - Pot Roast with Roasted Red Potatoes and green salad
To Do: Soak oatmeal for Lloyd's breakfast, Bake Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread, Roast some Cajun Crispy Roasted Chickpeas for snacking

Wednesday Breakfast - Oatmeal with Raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me
Wednesday Lunch - Pot Roast French Dip sandwiches
Wednesday Dinner - Shepherd's Pie using some of the leftover pot roast and green salad
To Do: Roll out and bake whole wheat graham crackers

Thursday Breakfast - Oatmeal with Raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me
Thursday Lunch - Egg salad with sourdough toast
Thursday Dinner - Leftovers
To Do: Soak oatmeal for breakfast. Make biga and soaker for bread

Friday Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me
Friday Lunch - Egg salad sandwiches
Friday Dinner - Smoked fish pate with sourdough and Minestrone soup (I halve or quarter this soup recipe - it makes a TON!)
To Do: Bake a batch of whole wheat cranberry pecan cinnamon swirl bread

Saturday Breakfast - Eggs, bacon and sourdough toast
Saturday Lunch - Leftovers
Saturday "Snacky" Dinner - leftover smoked fish pate, beef stick, cheese, sourdough bread and popcorn. Preferably eaten while sitting on the couch, relaxing and watching a movie.
To Do: Go to the Farmer's Market!

Sunday Breakfast - Whole wheat pancakes and scrambled eggs
Sunday Lunch - Probably out as we'll be picking up T.'s mom
Sunday Dinner - Tamale casserole (My recipe is similar to the one linked. I'll be making it in advance so it is ready to be popped in the oven when we get home from picking up my mother-in-law) with green salad
To Do: Make menu plan for next week!

For more menu plans, check out Organizing Junkie! Have a great week!

Instant Pancake Mix

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes that I keep on hand for easy weekend breakfasts. I love that it is made with all "real" food (no powdered milk or vegetable oil here) and can easily be augmented depending on what kind of flour you prefer, or even additional spices or flavorings to add (I love adding cinnamon or orange juice and rind to my batter). As my little guy has recently developed a love for all things pancake, I see myself making this much more often!

Instant Pancake Mix
from Nigella Express

For the Pancake Mix
4 cups flour (I use a mix of unbleached, all-purpose and whole wheat, see note below)
3 Tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.

To make the batter and the pancakes

For each 1 cup of mix, add and whisk together:

1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Heat a dry flat griddle or pan - no need to oil it.

Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle and, when bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides, a minute or so per side.

Makes about 7-8 pancakes roughly 6-8-inches in diameter.

Cook's Notes:

• Normally when I make up a batch of the mix I multiply the recipe by 1.5x and use 2 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour and 4 cups of white whole wheat flour.
• One cup of the mix, prepared, is enough for a light pancake breakfast for our family (two adults and one toddler). We'll make up one cup of the mix when we are also eating eggs and breakfast meat. If we are low on eggs, and eating the pancakes as the primary breakfast source for two hungry adults, we'll probably make up two cups of the mix, use most of it, and have a bit left over for a mama and toddler breakfast on Monday.
• This recipe is great as noted, instant-style, but it can also be easily augmented to make it a "soaked" batter. The night before, simply soak the quantity of mix you are going to make in 3/4ths of the amount of milk or buttermilk required. The next morning, add the remaining milk, butter and eggs, stirring to the consistency you prefer. Cook as directed.

Enjoy!

Weekend Review

We had a great weekend here in Santa Monica and hope that everyone else had the same! The weather here was gorgeous; sunny and beautiful! And we took advantage of it!

Saturday we started our day by heading to the Farmer's Market. It's been on our list of things "to do" nearly every weekend, but with bad weather and a lot of traveling over the holidays, we hadn't been for weeks. It was nice to get back to normal and see what was available and fresh. We hadn't really planned ahead to attend, so didn't have more than a few dollars in cash between us, but snapped up some fresh strawberries and a bag of blood oranges; some of the first of the season!

I know, I know, we are super lucky to be able to have these summer fruits "in season" and locally grown nearly year round. We are certainly blessed and enjoying them!

Though we weren't able to buy any, we met a new vendor that is going to be a regular there who is providing locally grown, grass-fed, pastured beef! I am so excited! He always brings ground beef and several steak and roast cuts to the market, but he also sells beef by the quarter, half and whole. This is something that T. and I have been mulling over, so it was fantastic to get the chance to meet him! I hope to buy a bit of beef next week from him to try it out.

We also met an organic poultry farmer who provides organic, pastured chickens, ducks and eggs. The eggs are a bit cheaper than I can even find in the store for cage-free, non-organics per dozen so we'll certainly be planning ahead for next week's "shopping" trip!

After the Farmer's Market we headed to the local children's barber and Lloyd got his second haircut ever! A New Year, a new do! It is shorter than it's ever been cut and he looks like such a little boy now! He's a cutie!

Saturday night Andrea and Blake watched Lloyd while T. and I went out on our anniversary date! We browsed Main Street Santa Monica, poking our heads in several stores, which was fun (something we rarely get to do with Lloyd!) and then headed to dinner at Manchego, a Spanish cafe and tapas bar. We had a great time, fantastic food and just enjoyed being a "couple" again.

Sunday we headed to mass and then went to the beach! It was another gorgeous day, about 72 degrees and sunny, and we couldn't waste it indoors! I even had a chance to wear a "summer" maternity top I didn't anticipate wearing for at least a few more months! Lloyd had a great time in the sand . . .

We headed home for lunch and naps and spent nap time taking down the Christmas tree and decorations. It was nice to get our house back to normal, but it was sad to see it go. Lloyd was so excited this year about Christmas; every morning he went around the house pointing out Christmas lights and the tree to be lit, and was so excited every time it was complete! He also pointed out his pickle ornament to everyone in the room, several times a day, and loved "kissing the mama" in our nativity sets. We had told him that we'd be taking it down today before he napped, and it was certainly easier to remove without him under our feet, but I have to admit that it was sad when we brought him down after the nap and he saw all the changes. We probably should have had him be more involved.

He even looked behind the couch to see if we'd stashed the tree there. So sad.

We ended our sunny, "summer in January" weekend by grilling out hamburgers and enjoying them with some oven fries. YUM!

How was your weekend?

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

It is my personal opinion that there needs to be another category added to the list of food groups.

Crispy-Salty.

I am a Crispy-Salty kind of girl. Popcorn, tortilla chips, roasted, salted nuts . . . if the item has a satisfying crunch with a hint of saltiness, I'm a fan. And lately, being pregnant, I've been craving this combination more and more. Unfortunately, too many nuts make me break out, popcorn gets stale and tortilla chips don't fall under the "nourishing, protein-rich" category that my doctor keeps recommending me eat. However, after flipping through the December '08/January '09 issue of Cookie Magazine, I found the perfect new snack.

Crispy, Roasted Chickpeas.

Now, the original recipe was for a cinnamon/sugar-based flavoring, but I augmented it to fit my cravings (I've never been a sweet/salty fan), and to make it a bit more nourishing. The result? Fantastic. Super frugal, (a bag of dried garbanzo beans is what, $1.50? I could make three batches of this with one bag), super easy and super tasty. Even my son, Lloyd, loves them! (I think he is going to be a salty-crispy lover too!) They're the perfect snack to have around for anyone; they're gluten-free, nut-free, trans-fat free, protein-rich, capable of being augmented to fit whatever flavor combinations you like and best of all, they stay nice and crisp for several days.

Have I convinced you yet? Let's get cooking!

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

makes 3 cups

1 cup dried garbanzo beans/chickpeas

3 cups cool water

1 Tablespoon whey

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons, or so, seasoning mix* of your choice (if your seasoning mix is salt-free, I recommend adding 1 teaspoon sea salt). I used my favorite cajun seasoning mix (the original Creole version)

*If you DO want to make the original recipe from the magazine, the mix is 2 Tablespoons raw sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt. Review the starred instructions below the full recipe for more details about the original recipe.

Place the chickpeas in a jar at least three times larger in capacity than the quantity of chickpeas you'll be soaking. I used a quart sized mason jar. Cover with water and add the whey. Allow to soak overnight, uncovered, for 12-24 hours.

Once soaked you will have close to 3 cups of soaked chickpeas. Drain, rinse and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, toss the beans with the oil and half of your seasoning mixture. Spread them in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet (I found that I needed about 1 Tablespoon of oil to coat, rather than two, but the original recipe calls for two . . . )

Roast them in the oven until crunchy and no longer soft in the centers, about 45 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent burning. Test one for flavor.

After removing from oven, immediately toss the beans with a bit more seasoning (to your taste). Allow to cool and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

*The original recipe called for tossing the chickpeas with sugar only before roasting, and then with cinnamon and salt after roasting. Since my seasoning mix was already combined, I didn't worry about this and it turned out fantastic! I used less than 2 Tablespoons of seasoning as mine was a bit spicy, which is why I recommend tasting before adding more.

Enjoy!

This recipe is being re-posted for Fight Back Fridays hosted by Food Renegade! Please take a moment and go visit the other contributors.

7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

Hot wax is not sexy.

On our anniversary on Wednesday we had a lovely, candle-lit dinner after Lloyd went to bed. After dinner, we lit several votives around the living room, moved a small plate of candles from the dining table to a side table for ambiance, and enjoyed our dessert with the flickering of Christmas lights and votives.

We then settled in for a History channel marathon (yes, we're nerds) and, around 10pm, decided it was time for bed and began blowing out the candles around the room. By then, I was lounging sleepily on the couch with my head against the arm when T. blew out the candles on the plate on the side table by the couch.

Immediately wax flew everywhere within a two foot radius. All over his arm, the side table, the couch . . . and my head and arm.

It is not a nice way to end a relaxing evening - hot wax being blown across one's forehead. Luckily, I had my arm up above my head so my sweater got the brunt of the blow, but still. I could have been BLINDED!!

We then spent the next fifteen minutes attending to our "wounds," turning on all the lights (there goes that relaxing ambiance) and trying to clean off the wax from the couch, the table and the floor. And my hair. And forehead. It kind of dulls down the mood when one is faced with using cleaning products to end the night.

Those people who find the pouring of hot wax on themselves and others sexy? I don't get it.

--- 2 ---

Speaking of our anniversary, T. got me the best gift ever! A one-hour pre-natal massage at a boutique spa here in Santa Monica! Might take advantage of that this weekend before our date night. . . . How sweet is that?

A note to all men with pregnant wives: Good gifts for birthdays, holidays and anniversaries include things that make her feel pretty and special and that she can use immediately in her current state (i.e. not clothing that she will need to lose baby weight to get into.) Massages, cute shoes, purses and roses all fit the bill. I'm lucky to have a good husband who knows that (he bought me a cute pair of shoes and a new purse for Christmas too! :).

Thank you honey! I love you and I can't wait for our date night on Saturday!

--- 3 ---

Speaking of birthdays . . . I just realized that I have a "Big" birthday coming up just a few months after this little guy is born. One of those milestone ones that change the first number of the double digit of one's age. Yikes!

So now I have more impetus to get in shape after the baby arrive (a.k.a. pictures of said birthday celebration in hopefully a cute, new outfit!) I'll have about four and a half months between his due date and my birthday. . .

In my recent issue of Cookie magazine I came across this lady and her post-natal workout and it seems right up my alley (focus on muscle work, rather than peppy cardio, via dance technique) and also seems to focus on the areas that I had trouble losing. Has anyone tried it? Any other suggestions?

Though a little more than I'd normally pay for an exercise video, it does keep me the appropriate distance from the gym that I prefer. Namely, out of it.

--- 4 ---

Lloyd finally got his last Christmas present - a play kitchen! It took me WEEKS to find the perfect one in our budget. You wouldn't believe how many play kitchens out there that I vetoed - too plasticky, too big, too pink, too many noises and whistles, too expensive . . . . we are so pleased with the one we found (and it was one of the cheapest ones! I was willing to spend much more but found the perfect package in this one). It is nice and small with a small footprint, made from wood, and fits perfectly in our little townhome. And it is not pink.

And most important of all, Lloyd loves it! It seems like something he'll play with for many years (along with the next little guy) and it is very sturdy and well made (plus, if it lasts the test of time and we have a little girl in the future, because it is wood, it will be easily paintable if we choose to make it a bit more gender neutral. I'm thinking white and pistachio green . . . but that is a few years down the road! :)

If anyone is looking for a play kitchen, I highly recommend it (though be patient with the delivery timeline! :). The directions were clear, the parts lined up, and it only took about three hours to put together (primarily because there are a lot of little parts - not because of the difficulty.)

We also received the Melissa & Doug Food Groups Play Food for Christmas and it fits nicely in the little fridge. High quality, REAL food (no Big Mac's in this set) and made out of wood. Thank you Nana and Grandpa!

--- 5 ---

We are officially in Week 23 and I am feeling very, very pregnant. I've got heartburn this time (maybe that means the baby will have more hair?), occasional middle-of-the-night leg cramps (though I'm trying to drink more milk to combat this), crazy gastro-intestinal stuff, little peach fuzz on my belly that wasn't there before, crazy dreams, and a rapidly diminishing belly button.

Oh, and I can't see my feet any more. I painted my toes this week just in case. While I can still reach them.

I don't understand how people can't KNOW that they are pregnant. Hmmm . . . I've gained 15 pounds in five months, all seemingly in THIS area (imagine me indicating my protruding belly), haven't had my period, and, oh yeah, I feel this vaguely kicking, turning feeling at random times of the day and night in my lower abdomen. But I can't POSSIBLY be pregnant. Must've been something I ate.

--- 6 ---

Speaking of being nerds (see item 1, above) has anyone else heard about this December 21, 2012 doomsday/apocalyptic/magnetic pole-shifting / black-hole-in-the-Milky-Way-lining-up-with-Earth-and-the-sun-exactly event supposedly prophesied by the Mayans, the I Ching, Nostradamus, Merlin, the Oracles in Delphi and so on? A little spooky, yes?

Time to get right with God, and stock up on beans and rice! :) I'm speculating we'll be hearing a lot more about this in the next three years!

Keeping in mind that I have a strong faith in God and believe that anything that does/doesn't happen is in his plans - this IS, nonetheless, INTERESTING!

--- 7 ---

TGIF. Ahem, excuse me,

TGIF!!!

Yesterday was, apparently, a cursed day for my family. Not only did we end up at the Emergency Room (Lloyd's second trip to the ER in under two years) for a one-inch gash under his chin he acquired after he ran away from a diaper change and slipped in my bedroom, landing chin first on our footboard (luckily he only had to have some of that skin glue and no stitches. Praise the Lord!) but we had two job losses in the family. Not T.'s, luckily, but still, all in the same day??

Awesome.

But today is a new day and only the Lord knows what is in store for the future! Please keep us in your prayers!

---7.5---

Oh man, she took my baby name! Now I'm going to have to start all over.

I'm participating again this week in 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Go visit her to read her 7 Quick Takes along with the other participants!

Wanted: A Safe, Cheap mattress

I've been researching buying a safe twin mattress for Lloyd and have been dumbstruck by both the price and the jumping through hoops one has to do just to find one! Evidently, California has one of the strictest fire-retardant mattress laws in the country. Which means that all mattresses sold in the state have fire-retardant chemicals, and lots of them, in their mattresses . . . which can be anything from boric acid, which is a known insect pesticide, to melamine, PVC, antimony (a heavy metal almost identical to arsenic), and formaldehyde.

I've found some "organic" varieties that claim to use only cotton and wool (wool being stated as a naturally fire-retardant fiber) but other sites state that the wool may still be treated. Unfortunately, treated wool doesn't have to be disclosed due to mattress labeling laws in effect.

In fact, these mattress labeling laws also don't have to disclose what kind of flame retardants are used at all in any mattress, just that they meet the requirements to pass the open-flame test.

The only other option, is to request a PRESCRIPTION from one's doctor to get a chemical-free, toxic-free mattress. Seriously. And even when people have those prescriptions, they often find it difficult to order a mattress to meet it at all, since a lot of mattress store's don't order in the ones and two's.

Plus, have I mentioned how ridiculously expensive these non-toxic mattresses are? You'd think that they might be cheaper; they use less fillers, and less chemicals, but the cheapest I can find for a twin is around the $600++ range (up to several thousand). Plus, if you order one from online, a lot of places have $150-$200 shipping charges. Yikes!

And now that I've been researching this, I feel obligated to consider getting a new crib mattress too! Sigh . . . not to mention the worry I have about the chemicals and toxins in our (T.'s and my) new mattress, which we just bought this last year.

But here's the thing. My babies sleep on these mattresses for 12-15 hours a day for years. I want the twin mattress for Lloyd to last him until he is eight or ten. What is $600 - $800 spread out over the next eight years? Roughly 30-cents a day?

I'm also considering the organic futon route. On the floor (you know, unless I can find a bed for him that is made from wood not treated with formaldehyde, glued with toxic glues or painted with VOC-filled paint that we can afford. I'm about ready to go chop down my own tree for heavens sakes and just make it myself!) (This futon, by the way, also looks interesting). Maybe we'll just get an iron bed.

But alas, the mattress police also have a hand in the futon market. Prescriptions needed for chemical-free ones of these too. Double sigh.

I'm so frustrated with the hoops to jump through and the cost factor, I'm about ready to just go buy some organic cotton batting, sew a twin-sized bag and start stuffing myself. Don't the Japanese sleep on the floor? They live long, happy lives I hear.

Other than my conservative-leaning/firmly Catholic/preppy J-Crew and Lily Pulitzer-loving ways, reading some of my posts, you might just call me a hippie! :)

P.S. A Big Thank You to Andrea (not my sister) who sent me these two links recently for alternatives to purchasing new, non-toxic mattresses, with suggestions on covering your current, conventional ones:

• Here's one link for a mattress wrap, and
  
• Another forum link with some great information about half-way down the page from Nightgen on other alternatives than plastic for covering conventional mattresses

Thank you Andrea!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Third Anniversary My Love!

It doesn't seem so long ago that we shared this day, but look at how far we've come!

Three houses later, one beautiful boy that has enriched our lives immensely, and another on the way . . . . it's been exciting!

I love you mucho, and I look forward to continuing to spend the rest of our lives together!

Love,

Sarah

Whole Wheat Cranberry Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Phew! That title is a mouthful, but this bread is so good, it is hard to "name" it without including all of it's delicious ingredients!

This recipe is from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads and was such a success I had to share it! I lightly adapted it and made mine half sourdough/half yeast driven (and will explain where I veered from his original below) and added a bit of whey to the biga and soaker, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and have included the recipe in almost verbatim format below. I had my first slice this morning and it has been such a joy to eat it toasted up with cream cheese on top for breakfast (Lloyd loved it too! He wasn't interested in his oatmeal as long as my breakfast was visible!) We will be making this again. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!

Please keep in mind that this bread will take at least two days to make (and the doughs can sit in the fridge for longer if something comes up - mine ended up waiting an extra day while we went on an unexpected hike!); the first day to make the biga and soaker, which soak the flour overnight, and the second day to assemble and bake the bread. Actual processing time is very minimal though!

PS - Keep an eye out for one of my most treasured gifts from this past Christmas - Grandma Norma's rolling pin! Don't you adore it's green handles?

Whole Wheat Cranberry Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Bread
makes 1 large loaf
lightly adapted from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads

Soaker

1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
3/8 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup milk, buttermilk, yogurt or nut milk (if I use milk, I add 1.5-2 teaspoons of whey to it to help in the soaking process. Yogurt and buttermilk already have whey.)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or other dried fruit

Combine the flour, salt and milk in a bowl and mix for about 1 minute until all of the flour is hydrated and the ingredients form a ball of dough. Add cranberries and use wet hands to knead the dough until evenly incorporated.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours. If it will be more than 24 hours, place the soaker in the refrigerator; it will be good for up to 3 days. Remove it 2 hours before mixing the final dough to take off the chill.

Biga

1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (I substituted 6 Tablespoons of freshly fed sourdough starter. If using starter, the dough will be very tacky. If using active dry yeast rather than instant, use 1/3 teaspoon of yeast mixed in a bit of warm water to bloom first before adding to dough)
6 Tablespoons milk, buttermilk, yogurt or nut milk (if I use milk, I add 1.5-2 teaspoons of whey to it to help in the soaking process. Yogurt and buttermilk already have whey)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Mix all of the biga ingredients together in a bowl to form a ball of dough. Using wet hands, knead the dough in the bowl for 2 minutes to be sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the flour is fully hydrated. The dough should feel very tacky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead it again with wet hands for 1 minute. The dough will become smoother but still be tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

About two hours before mixing the final dough, remove the biga from the refrigerator to take off the chill. It will have risen slightly, but need not have risen significantly in order to use it in the final dough.

Final Dough

All soaker
All biga
7 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
5/8 teaspoon sea salt
2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (I substituted 1 Tablespoon of active dry yeast, bloomed slightly in warm water prior to adding to dough)
1-1/2 Tablespoons honey OR 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or Muscovado sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pecans, or walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (3 generous Tablespoons brown or Muscovado sugar plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon) for spiral swirl

Using a metal pastry scraper, chop the soaker and the biga into 12 smaller pieces each (sprinkle some of the extra flour over the pre-doughs to keep the pieces from sticking back to each other.)
If mixing by hand, combine the soaker and biga pieces in a bowl with the 7 Tablespoons flour and the salt, yeast, honey and cinnamon. Stir vigorously with a large spoon or knead with wet hands for about 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are evenly integrated and distributed into the dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky; if not, add more flour or water as needed. If using a stand mixer, put the pre-dough pieces in the bowl along with the 7 Tablespoons flour and the salt, yeast, honey and cinnamon. Mix with the paddle attachment on slow speed for 1 minute to bring the ingredients together into a ball. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed, occasionally scraping down the bowl, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pre-doughs become cohesive and assimilated into each other. Add more flour or water as needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

Dust a work surface with flour, then roll the dough in the flour to coat. Sprinkle the nuts over the surface of the dough and knead by hand for 3 to 4 minutes, incorporating only as much extra flour as needed, until the dough feels soft and tacky, but not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest on the work surface for 5 minutes while you prepare a clean, lightly oiled bowl.

Resume kneading the dough for 1 minute to strengthen the gluten and make any final flour or water adjustments. The dough should have strength and pass the windowpane test, yet still feel soft, supple and very tacky. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the prepared bowl, rolling to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for for approximately 45-60 minutes until it is about 1-1/2 times its original size.

When the dough has risen, dust the work surface with about 1 Tablespoon of extra flour and gently transfer the dough to the floured work surface with a plastic bowl scraper (try to not to rip or tear the dough). Roll the dough out to an 8-inch square approximately 1/2 inch thick.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface, pressing into the dough, and roll it up into a tight loaf. Place the dough into a greased bread ban (it can also be based as a freestanding loaf on a sheet pan or baking stone). Mist the top of the dough with pan spray, (I found that I did not have to mist it as I had plenty of oil left over on the dough from the greased bowl) cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for approximately 45-60 minutes until the loaf crests above the pan.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pan on the middle shelf and immediately lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for another 25 to 40 minutes (mine took 30 minutes) until the loaf is a rich brown on all sides, sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom and registers at least 195 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.

Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!!

New Years Resolutions . . .

I've resolved this year not to make New Years Resolutions. Rather, I've resolved to making New Years Goals and Plans for the year! I've organized them based on categories that I want to focus on in my life, both personally and for my family as their wife and mother. Some are much more important than others, some I'm well on my way on already (it is just a renewal of energy for what we're doing), some are challenging and others are just fun whims and crafts! It is my hope that by writing them down and posting them, I review and remember them often!

I've also been reviewing and updating my 101 Things to do in 1001 Days that I wrote early last year recently and found that I was well on my way or had completed quite a few of them! I'll also be adding a few new items to that list in the next few weeks. . . I've never quite made it to 101 Things (and still haven't)!

Health Goals

• Continue to change our diet to a more nourishing diet. This year I'd like to incorporate more grass-fed and pasture-fed beef and poultry into our diets (and budget) and continue to learn and grow in my use of sourdough and whole grain baking, and specifically adding in soaking phases for my grain and legume preparation. I also plan on trying out some new lacto-fermented recipes, specifically condiments (mayonnaise and ketchup being my priorities, escabeche is another goal/whim, along with batches of salsa, cortido, roasted peppers and pickles, which were big hits around here before) and might finally make some water kefir! Wish me luck!
• This spring I hope to revisit my green thumb and plant some tomatoes and peppers in pots on our back patio, along with an herb garden!
• Breastfeed the new baby and eat a nourishing diet for him.
• Once the baby is born and my milk supply is healthfully set, I'm going to work on losing the baby weight, and more, and get to a healthy weight - primarily with an increase in exercise, a low-er carb diet (i.e. reducing grain consumption, primarily; I do not limit fresh fruits and veggies) a 'la Eat Fat, Lose Fat, and a healthy attitude!

For more Nourishing Resolutions please check out
The Nourishing Gourmet's Nourishing New Year's Resolutions Carnival!
Thank you, Kimi, for hosting!

Faith Goals

• I gave T. the Spiritual Disciplines Devotional for Christmas in the hope that we would both read and benefit from the practices. My goal is to faithfully move forward through this devotional as a couple and grow in our faith.
• I also hope to begin the discipline of praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I've been inspired by Jen's focus on creating "hard stops" throughout her day and would like to purchase this copy of the Liturgy so that I can bring them with me wherever I go. Here's some other great inspiration and I just found this downloadable version of the Liturgy from Universalis for our PC or Mac.
• Continue to follow and celebrate the liturgical calendar in our home.
  

Reading Goals

• Begin (again) and finally finish reading Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI (it is truly a fascinating read, but I just always seem to be reading three books at once and have a crazy schedule whenever I pick it up! I need to focus on reading it and savoring it. By itself.)
  
• Reread The Screwtape Letters and read for the first time The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
• Read more of the Bible.
• Read some of G.K. Chesterton's works
• Read and study some of the works of the early Church father's
  
• Relax and read something fun and light in the summer. Chick lit anyone?
  

Mothering Goals

• Be consistent with loving discipline
• Be a good example of a Christian and continue to teach him in the faith
  
• Potty Train Lloyd!
• Develop and be consistent with home pre-schooling. Set up a "schedule" (maintaining flexibility, of course, he is only almost two! I'm just trying to make sure to schedule time in MY schedule to focus on Lloyd's learning) for pre-school and develop better habits (my own) for demonstration and patience when introducing new concepts.
• Love, love, love my babies!
  

Craft Goals

Learn to embroider better, and then embroider more

• Embroider a Maria mantle for our Christ candle in our Advent wreath
• Maybe embroider some retro tea towels?

For Little Lloyd

• Sew two more smocks for Lloyd
• Make a Quiet book for his birthday
• Sew some lined/room-darkening curtains for Lloyd's room/nursery

For The New Baby

• Sew a few cute burp cloths out of cloth diapers
  
• Sew a few new blankets for him

Homemaking Goals

It's all about Reducing, De-Cluttering, and Organizing!

I received the book Confessions of an Organized Homemaker from my mom for Christmas, and while I began reading it at her home, got busy going through her cabinets! I've been inspired and am full of ideas! My main goal is to go through our (small) home and really focus on only keeping what we use and need regularly out, and then storing (nearby) the remainder while donating anything that we do not need nor use.

So far I've gone through our primary kitchen drawer of kitchen tools and reduced, de-cluttered and re-organized and I'm already very pleased with the outcome! I've also gone through our bathroom storage and re-organized, but still need to de-clutter a bit.

In the next few weeks I hope to go through our storage space (which is outside of our home and in front of our parking spaces); I know that there are a few boxes I've avoided going through since we've moved that I just need to go through and probably get rid of 75% of it!

We are also hoping to make some changes to Lloyd's room, which will also be the new baby's room. We'll be getting him a twin bed at some point in the next six months and I hope to sew some new curtains for his room as well. We will probably be purchasing the two dressers that go with our new bed in July (and finally having a complete bedroom set! MAYBE before I'm 30! :) and then moving T.'s dresser into their room for Lloyd.

Maybe it is an early nesting phase, but I'm super inspired! Wish me luck!

T. and I are working towards paying off debt so I'm planning on updating and revising our family's budget (which has primarily been his "project" - that Excel-fiend husband of mine) with him and adding a few more detailed categories to further delineate in detail our spending. I, as the wife and mother, will try to keep more up to date on it with him. I also plan on keeping closer track of our spending by saving all of our receipts (which I am very bad at. To me, they're clutter and annoying so I throw them away the minute I have a few stacked up in my purse; instead I plan on storing them in a manila envelope!) and recording them once a month to get a better idea of how and where we actually spend our money, rather than focusing all of our energy on how we plan on spending our money and then wonder where it went.

Finally, I'm continuing to build my homemaking binder. It is currently all on our hard-drive, but I'm working on tweaking my homemaking schedule, and continually saving ideas for celebrating the liturgical year. Hopefully this year I'll actually print these out and start organizing and using them more effectively!

What are some of your New Years Resolutions/Goals/Plans?

Menu Planning for the New Year!

The Holidays are over, we are back in Ordinary Time, and life is getting back to normal! No more holiday feast foods, no more traveling, we're just looking forward to getting back to a normal routine!

I'm excited to get back to menu-planning (I realized I hadn't done it since Thanksgiving!) and I know that we eat better when I focus on meal planning and how best to use our resources. This week I am trying to use up some ingredients that we already have in the freezer and pantry, and trying to restock some of our basics (breads, granola, graham crackers, etc.) to make breakfasts, lunches and snack planning easier.

Also, this Wednesday T. and I will be celebrating our Third Anniversary! We'll be enjoying a nice, candle-lit dinner of T.'s and my favorites at home, and then my sister, Andrea, will be baby-sitting Lloyd on Saturday night while T. and I go out on a real date! I'm looking forward to it already!

Sunday Dinner - Penne with creamy bolognese sauce with homemade sourdough bread and green salad
To-Do: Bake sourdough bread and bake loaf of whole-wheat cinnamon cranberry bread

Monday Breakfast - Whole wheat cinnamon cranberry pecan toast with yogurt cream cheese
Monday Lunch - Steak quesadillas (using leftover steak from last week)
Monday Dinner - Roast chicken with roasted potatoes and green salad
To-Do: Soak oatmeal for Lloyd's breakfast, Make granola

Tuesday Breakfast - Oatmeal with Raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me (oatmeal is currently too "slimy" for my pregnant palate. I can't get it down! :)
Tuesday Lunch - Leftover spaghetti
Tuesday Dinner - Leftovers
To Do: Grocery shopping and hard boil a dozen eggs

Wednesday Breakfast - Whole wheat cinnamon cranberry toast with yogurt cream cheese
Wednesday Lunch - Chicken quesadillas
Wednesday "Our Anniversary!" Candle-lit Dinner - Grilled Skirt Steak, Risotto and Green Salad with Pots de Creme for dessert
To Do: Make special anniversary dinner food!

Thursday Breakfast - Whole wheat cinnamon cranberry toast with yogurt cream cheese
Thursday Lunch - Egg salad with sourdough toast
Thursday Dinner - Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
To Do: Soak oatmeal for breakfast. Bake homemade white whole wheat graham crackers for Lloyd, feed sourdough starter

Friday Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and cream for Lloyd, yogurt and granola for me
Friday Lunch - Salmon-salad sandwiches
Friday Dinner - Tomato basil bisque with homemade sourdough focaccia
To Do: Bake a batch of sourdough focaccia. Relax!

Saturday Breakfast - Eggs, bacon and sourdough toast
Saturday Lunch - Leftovers
Saturday Dinner - Anniversary Dinner Date out with T.!
To Do: Go to the Farmer's Market! Begin to take down Christmas stuff

Sunday Breakfast - Whole wheat pancakes and scrambled eggs
Sunday Lunch - Leftovers
Sunday Dinner - Creamy Corn Potato and Sausage Chowder
To Do: Finish taking down Christmas stuff and put away in storage. Make menu plan for next week!

For more menu plans, check out Organizing Junkie! Have a great week!

First Hike of 2009!

Well, it's January 3rd and it's a beautiful sunny day . . . . time for the first hike of the year!

T. has been very excited about hiking and camping more this year with Lloyd and was itching to get started. He researched and found a very easy hike (for his pregnant wife) and we made our way to the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains! Just a relatively short drive from our home, we enjoyed a great hike, a nice picnic, and a beautiful family outing! And we were back in time for Lloyd's nap!

I definitely recommend this area for family hiking and we'll probably go back again. . . . why?

• Short drive (about a half an hour) from our home
• Free parking and no entrance fee!
• A variety of hikes of varying difficulty levels and lengths
• A fun Old West movie set that we can explore, along with lots of picnic spots along the way!
• Not to mention all the other recreation areas nearby with great hikes (like the Strauss Ranch, which was just down the street)

Oh, and the scenery wasn't bad either!

7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

Lloyd learned a few new words while we were visiting Nana and Grandpa in Colorado last week for Christmas.

First, he named Grandpa "Pop-pie" - which is super cute.
He has a sign for Nana that looks like he is blowing her a kiss. She is the only one with a sign for her, so that is pretty special.
He started to refer to dog's as "goggies."
and finally, the one that I really need to thank my parents for (just kidding, it is also definitely my fault!)

Cookie.

He now does the sign for "cracker" while requesting a "Caw-kie" and if I deign to give him a formerly treasured Goldfish or otherwise salty-ish cracker he refuses. And asks, with his pleading eyes and increased knocking on his arm, for a "Caw-kie"

What am I to do? Oh yeah, I made cookies. (though they WERE made with soaked white whole wheat flour, and oatmeal, shredded coconutl . . . and holiday m&m's! :)

--- 2 ---

I know that they are supposed to be better for the environment and use less energy, water and detergent, but I do not like my front-loading High-Efficiency Washer. Reason Number One? All dials and switches and buttons are conveniently at child height, on the front of the washer, allowing LL to frequently change and disrupt the cycle - which inadvertently makes the washer deaf and dumb because it just sits there, full of water, until you come back to rescue it. Normally when you expect there to be a nicely washed load to switch to the dryer.

Reason Number Two? It mildews. It has a rubber seal around the front that, I guess is there to prevent potential leaks around the door, but it catches whatever is on your clothes (and around here, that could invariably be food or, even grosser items), traps them with a bit of water left over from various washes and creates a perfect little nesting bed for gross black mildewy mold stuff. Yuck. I've tried running hot washes with bleach to clean the thing, but that seems to work only for a little while . . .

Reason Number Twenty Four? The door locks in place the minute you press the start button. Inadvertently left a sock out? Too bad. The door is locked. Toddler stashes his sippy cup in the washer sometime during the process of loading the washer? Too bad. It will knock around the washer the entire load, making it sound like there are pirate marauders bounding up your stairs. Excellent.

Give me an old-fashioned, top-loading, all-metal washer any day.

--- 3 ---

We are in Week 22! Over half way there! Now that it is 2009 the pregnancy seems so much more real. Knowing that I am giving birth this year and we will be welcoming a new little one into our lives for the rest of our lives is exciting, but definitely a bit scary! Now that we've stepped over the January 1st marker, I feel like I am on a quick downward slope and feeling pressured to get things organized and ready!

And I'm not ready!

--- 4 ---

I've been loving reading the blog "Holy Experience" in the past few months. It is my morning cup of sustenance and inspiration. Recent favorite posts include:

Eight Lessons learned in 2008
which I'm especially enjoying because it is allowing me the opportunity to delve into her archives. And I was specifically enraptured with this post which was linked above as her number four. I think it might have been a good wake-up call for me from God to specifically make me read that one first.

How to Eat Differently this year
Which I just read this morning. It really ties into some of my New Years Resolutions on faith and was just what I needed.

Greet the Day

--- 5 ---

I also really enjoyed Jen's post on the Best Blog Post's of 2008. I especially enjoyed the link to this article about Peter Kreeft, an author who I've really been enjoying (still trying to finish his book on Prayer though!) and look forward to reading the link about J.R.R. Tolkien's view of the Eucharist.

--- 6 ---

I am busy going through some old cook books and trying to refresh my menu ideas as well as get rid of old, printed recipes that I won't make, are too similar to ones that I already use, or aren't all that healthy or nourishing.

I tend to "collect" vintage cookbooks and am having a ball. My favorites are the ones that have full entertaining menus for various occasions (a light Saturday lunch for 6? Crab cakes and tomato aspic anyone?) as well as the really old ones (I have a copy of the original "Joy of Cooking" - not an ORIGINAL, but a re-published copy of the original) that teach the homemaker how to completely use EVERYTHING. Want to roast a chicken? Step one. Have a man dig a hole and build a fire in the bottom for a kettle of boiling water. Those kind of recipes . . . love them!

--- 7 ---

Lloyd is loving some of his new Christmas gifts, especially this bead lacing set! We introduced it yesterday! We hope to put together his new easel for his Grandma and Grandpa this weekend!

I'm participating again this week in 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Go visit her to read her 7 Quick Takes along with the other participants!