Nathalie's Notes

Friday Favorites

Me:

Thomas Kemper Ginger Ale

Crackers

Otter pops

My new prescription for morning sickness

Sam:

pulling his own grapes off the vine, choking hazard be damned

coloring Lucy with chalk

going for rides with his dad

Puking for a good cause

Why haven't I written? Well, I'll spare you the details but I've been spending more time in front of the toilet bowl than my computer these days. Luckily, it's for a good cause. Sam's going to be a brother!

Sam knew before I did. On three different occasions he came over to me, lifted my shirt, pointed to my belly and said: "Baby!"

I'm just sure I'll feel better one of these days, so please keep checking back :)

Deceptively Disasterous

It's a little bit pathetic that my writing niche will most likely be cautionary tales from the kitchen but you've heard the saying, "write what you know."

An hour before we were scheduled to leave the house this morning, I decided it would be a good idea for Sam and I to make these frozen yogurt pops I've been meaning to make one of these hot days. Three ingredients, people. I had plenty of time.

Source: "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld.

The recipe calls for:

2 cups plain low fat yogurt (I had plain whole milk)

2 cups frozen berries thawed in microwave for 1 minute. (I used fresh)

1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (Is this the same as powdered sugar? Because that's what I used).

Popsicle molds or those little paper cups that remind me of the nurse's office

Nathalie's Notes: To this I would only add the following: A pile of damp washcloths, a Wet Vac (unless your dog happens to have more of a sweet tooth than mine), Tylenol and time for a shower or a nearby park with a water feature.

Okay, so first you combine all the ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I used the food processor but would suggest a blender so you can just pour the mixture in the molds/cups instead of spooning it.

To whom it may concern: According to the cookbook: "Each popsicle (only 100 calories!) contains less than 1 gram of fat. Calcium-rich yogurt helps build strong bones and teeth, and berries add a little Vitamin C - an antioxidant that helps boost the immune system and aids in healing."

Nathalie's Notes: No matter how cautious your little helper seems to be about pushing the "puree" button, you never know when he'll work up his confidence so I recommend unplugging the machine after you've removed the cover. Just a tip.Also, know your equipment. I pulled the blade out to protect curious fingers and watched helplessly as the liquid dripped through the hole I left and all over ... well, everything.  

Bonus tip:  the popsicles work well as an ice pack of sorts for the occasional fat lip.

Meatless Monday: Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus

Source: a combination of Google searches. I tried to find the easiest one with the ingredients I'm most likely to keep on hand. Of course, now that I'm addicted to it I make a point to never run out of garbanzo beans (chick peas). Healthy, tasty and delicious as a dip for veggies, spread for sandwiches or just scooping with a spoon. The last one might not be as healthy as the first.

You need:

• a food processor or blender (I think the processor works better)

• 1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans - drain and rinse

• 2 cloves minced garlic (I always double this because all of us like garlic, I'm already married so I worry less about my breath, besides it's super good for you!)

• 2 Tbl. water

• 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil (Is that really so much harder to say than the stupid sounding EVOO?)

• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander   

• Anything else you think would taste good. I add sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Let me know what you toss in there, especially if you like it!

Puree. Let flavors "meld" 15 minutes or longer. I don't know why I put meld in quotes, it's in the directions it just sounds silly. Also, you'll be tempted to skip the last step and not wait. Save a little bit anyway. Taste it in 15 minutes and next time you'll likely wait a little longer.

Mommy & me haircuts

Sam & I got haircuts tonight. People ask why I don't just cut Sam's hair myself. Hell, I don't even cut his nails. Below is a picture of why I wouldn't dream of cutting his hair. I would most likely stab him in the neck and everyone would blame me even though he'd be the one who moved. So I just avoid the whole blame game and ER visit and leave his blond locks in the hands of a professional.

Dana tried to put him in his own special chair: "No!" Our new favorite word.  Then she put the cape on him: "No!" Then, she offered him a sucker: "No!" Finally I just held him in my lap and she made it quick.

It's really, really short but I like it better than I thought I would. Matt, on the other hand loves it as much as he is likely to "love" haircuts. His comment on the way home:

"He was cute with long hair but this is much better. He looks like he has parents now."

Descending Mt. Magazine

Progress report: I've lost 35 pound of magazine today. I find that more embarrassing than liberating, though. Mostly because that was just one of the piles Matt pointed to as an example of what he perceives as "too many" magazines. I didn't agree that there was such a thing until I started culling them and saw the same headlines ad nauseam: "Get organized! [we know you'll just add this issue to your current clutter]," "10-minute meals! [lies, lies, lies]," "Lose 10 pounds [without doing a damn thing different]!"
"[Since you aren't really going to lose said 10 pounds, here's a yummy cake recipe that'll never turn out like this picture]!"

Why, oh, why do I do this to myself? I set a 20 minute time limit and started at the top of the pile. I sorted my magazine mountain into three piles: "Recycle", "I want to read more of this" and "keep for reference" - these were mostly writing trade magazines and magazines I want to write for. When I got my first national magazine gig it was awesome to have a nice pile to sort through to get a feel for what's come before. Having said that, surely I don't need every single Oprah magazine I've purchased, especially since that magazine doesn't work with freelancers, allegedly. I'm still planning to break in.

I tried not to think of the money I've spent on these magazines after my stomach got queasy during a rough tally of the stack before me. I have to look at it as the cost of doing business since magazines I buy for market research are a write off. That doesn't mean, however, that I have to trip on all of them on the way to the kitchen when I'm 93.

Chaos

"Well at least you're all settled into your house." Someone said to me recently. I kind of laugh-cried, not sure how to answer. Sure, you would think that after five years in a house, fixer-upper or not, one would be somewhat settled.

Except that we're not. At times it's been better than others but there is always some project going on that spreads construction debris, dust and miscellaneous project paraphernalia throughout the house.

The improvements are substantial and I'm thankful for them but I am beyond ready to feel more at home here. When I was pregnant with Sam we were planning to move to Portland so we put a substantial amount of things in storage. It's still there. While some people argue that it's just stuff and if we haven't needed it for this long we don't need it. To that I say, but I want it. It's my stuff.I am willing to get rid of some of it but not till I get the stuff that I thought I was only temporarily parting with back.

So all this is coming to a head lately as we are making a big push to settle back in. Now that we've got all the rooms where they're going to be, we can figure out where things really go. And donate what doesn't belong here anymore. I love my new office. There's just one problem. It's about a quarter of the size as my old one.

For Mother's Day, Matt volunteered insisted on helping me get a start on clearing out my office. He is hardcore. He also got a lot of ammunition to mock me for the rest of our marriage.

"Are you a depression era throwback or something?" He'd mutter, incredulous as he opened a box full of other empty boxes and then another full of plastic bags and tins. And don't even get him started on the magazines and wrapping paper.

"I thought we got rid of these last time we moved?" He said, just a hint irritated.

"Well, I labeled them as something else so they'd get in the van." I confessed. At the time itseemed clever. Now I wonder if maybe I do have a little bit of a hoarding problem. All these boxes and piles of magazines do make me feel kind of claustrophobic but I can't seem to get rid of them. I'm going to have to, though, because the image of me as an old lady working my way through rat tunnels of, ironically, Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Ms., Utne Reader, scrapbooking and writing magazines to ge to the kitchen freaks me out.

As I type this, there is not one single room in my house in order. Not one. I am either going to go crazy today or I'm going to start by getting rid of some magazines. Just a few.

Growth Chart

  The difference a year makes!

Rocks & Roses

Weekend update, the unfunny version:

I always imagined I'd be the kind of person who would gray gracefully. Nope. I nearly caused a car accident this Saturday when I did a Sam check in the rear view mirror and saw this flash of white in my hair. It's actually long strands of clear dental floss. I freaked a little as I plucked it and forgot about, you know, traffic. It's not like the first time or anything but it was the first really obvious one and then, when I plucked it there was another in its place.

I stopped traffic again the next day when I did another Sam check in the rear view and saw that he was chewing. Except that I hadn't given him anything to eat. Then I heard this teeth on gravel sound. I stopped at the stop sign and got out of the car to fish in his mouth. Rocks. He smuggled in a mouthful. As I pried them from his baby piranha teeth he bit me twice before saying: "Rocks. Ucky."

Sam, by the way, didn't get the memo about being on his best behavior for Mother's day. It's okay, though. I love him anyway. As much as today is about celebrating mothers, for me it was also an opportunity to acknowledge how blessed I am to be one. Even when it means cleaning up puke - Sam's, the dog's and subsequently mine.  

Friday Favorites

Me:

• Long naps (when Sam takes them, I mean)
• Being able to take a nice nap while Sam's napping after I've done some Sam-free chores (i.e. all of them) I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened.
• Watching Sam take a book and go off by himself to "read" it

Sam:

• The word "No" (said firmly but not in a bratty way). Sometimes he'll put his hand on mine to teach me what it is I'm not supposed to be doing.
• Lucy's leash and other strangulation hazards he picks up along the way
• Books - in big piles. It is amazing how fast he can clear his bookshelf onto the floor.

Link of the week: My friend Emily blogs about real life and creative parenting over at Emily Chadwick. She's honest and hilarious. What's not to love?