Splish Splash

 Charlie discovered the joy of splashing in a puddle all on his own.

 Tripp joined him and they had a blast stompin' away!

Ah, the simple pleasures in life...

Our Favorite Sandwich Bread

I've baked LOTS of bread over the past 4 years and tried multiple recipes.

There are so many different breads for different occasions and when deciding to replace store bought breads with homemade, the biggest challenge was sandwich bread.

I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this Soft Sandwich Oatmeal Bread for bread machines by Melanie Cooks. SO, So good! I've adapted the recipe for us and bake it in the oven after letting my bread machine do all the dough work because I don't like the thick crust on my bread baked in the machine.

Here's my adapted version of Soft Sandwich Oatmeal Bread:

1 1/4 cups plain almond milk (warmed to body temp)
2 tbsp olive oil, melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 cups flour (1 1/2 cups of King Arthur bread flour and 1 1/2 cups of stone ground whole wheat)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in order of manufacturer's directions and set to 1.5lb dough cycle. If you are doing it by hand, knead until you have a smooth dough and let rise until doubled in size. Shape into a loaf and let rise for 30 minutes more. I take the dough out of the bread machine, shape into a loaf and place in my loaf pan and cover w/ lightly greased plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, maybe longer if you have a slow oven. Or maybe mine is fast? I start checking at 20 minutes. I think this loaf took 22.

Straight out of the oven, I brush the top with melted butter or olive oil and top with more oatmeal for the rustic look and because Tripp will magically eat bread crusts with oats on it.

 Cool on a wire rack, et Voila!

The best homemade sandwich bread!

Winter Nature Table

Well, not table because our Waldorf-inspired nature table is actually a shelf.

And, yes, I know it's Spring but I forgot to post our Winter shelf pics.

A nature table is ever-changing.

Ours contains bits of nature we collect during the season as well as little elements that reflect the season.

The Winter shelf is not as colorful as the Autumn as it reflects the dark, cold winter in which most of the colors of the natural world are gone and resting to burst into bloom during the spring.

But, there is something peaceful about the simplicity of the Winter nature table that I love...

in it's entirety

When I took the picture, Tripp has pulled some of his autumn colored eggs out and added them to the shelf.

He replaced this arrangement...

That's the beauty of the nature shelf...gorgeous, playable elements of nature and the seasons brought into the home for learning, loving and respecting.

Next up is the Spring shelf, blooming with life.

Meal Plan 3/27/11

So, I did fairly well last week sticking to the menu and it was nice to be back in that groove.

The only days we veered off course was Thursday (I took a LONG & much needed afternoon nap and we ate leftovers) and I switched around Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This week's Menu:

Monday: Garden Salads in tortilla bowls w/ steak

Tuesday: Crockpot Pintos w/ ham bone, greens, cornbread (from last Thurs that we skipped)

Wednesday: Pumpkin Pancakes, eggs, bacon

Thursday: Sweet & Sour Chicken, rice, stir-fried veggies

Friday-Sunday: we'll be at my Parents & a BBQ competition :)

More Baby Signs

Charlie is so funny with his interpretations of sign language.

He's added a LOT of signs to his repetoire lately.

If I show him a sign, he likes to repeat it ON me.

If Tripp shows him a sign, Charlie will actually copy him.

His favorite other than "milk" while nursing is "more". 

"More" gets him more food, so of course it is a fave.

The funniest is "cracker" because he does it on top of his arm with his little pointer finger as opposed to the correct way of knocking on your elbow.

But, he especially likes to sign "cracker" on my arm and then, he does it correctly.

Another thing that is pretty darn cute is that he asks to know what a sign is for something. 

He was in my lap this morning eating an apple and kept signing "cracker" and then showing me the apple slice and turning his little hand up questioning me.

After I realized what he was wanting and showed him the sign for apple, he got all bouncy on my lap.

Then, he pointed to other things nearby asking for the sign.

It AMAZES me at the amount of information such a young person can understand when they can't even talk themselves.

I remember when Tripp was this same age and again...amazed.
Tripp had several more words in his daily vocabulary than Charlie, but they both can understand SO much at the ripe old age of (almost) 15 months. 

These little humans we created are just too cool.

{this moment}...Future Attachment Parent.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from Soule Mama, whom I love reading. A single photo – no/few words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

 

 Future Attachment Parent...

 cloth diapered doll, breastfeeding dad ;) and cosleeping duo 

A Lunch Playdate

I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful group of mama friends.

Not a week goes by that we don't all meet up for something fun at one of our houses and we generally visit the park at least once a week...then there is storytime at the library, La Leche League and all the other fun events around town in which we all enjoy venturing together.

Thursday, we all went to our friend, Amy's house for a fun lunch date.

We each all made something quick, easy and healthy and brought it to share.

We had a wonderful assortment including a FAB Greek salad, noodles w/ peanut sauce (recipe to follow), hummus w/ carrots, pitas w/ feta & mozz served with homemade tzatziki & feta sauces, homemade chewy granola bars and peanut butter cookies. And Landon's extra sweet tea was a nice addition to our meal! 

The kids had a blast as usual and the mamas enjoyed chit chatting.
I especially enjoyed talking about one of my favorite topics...organic foods raised the way nature intended, specifically meats.

 Had I known the chopsticks were going to be such an issue, I wouldn't have let Tripp talk me into letting him take them. But nonetheless, he gobbled up his noodles.

Hen Hen was the lucky recipient of the other pair of chopsticks.

Charlie was smart about it.

He waited until all the big kids were done eating and off playing.

Then, he stealthily climbed up onto the table and helped himself.

Thanks Amy!

We had such a nice time!

Noodles with Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup of chicken stock

3 TB peanut butter

3 TB tamari or soy sauce

1 1/2 TB honey

3 cloves of garlic

2 tsp of lime juice

1 tsp sriracha or other chili paste, optional

1 tsp fresh grated/diced ginger, optional

soba, udon, ramen, vermicelli noodles (spaghetti works as would most any other noodle of your choosing)

Toppings: chopped peanuts, green onion or chives, julienned veggies, bean sprouts, etc

Mix all the ingredients for sauce in a small sauce pan and simmer/stir until combined. Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the directions and drain. I like to rinse mine under cold water briefly, so they aren't too sticky, but its optional as well. Pour sauce over noodles and stir. Serve with your choice of toppings but I highly recommend the chopped peanuts if nothing else :) 

Enjoy!

Muffin Tin Meals

AKA the Toddler Snack Tray

My kiddos have plenty of times that they are just too busy to sit down and eat. 

I often will make them a snack tray to leave out and they can eat as they please. 

This is not only a good way to eliminate meal time fuss, but also a way to get healthy foods into their growing bodies.

I have a small divided tray that I frequently use.

But many times, I will use a muffin tin.

Any sort of divided dish or even small bowls or ramekins would work well.

orange slices, cucumber sticks, grapes, organic wheat thins and avocado cubes in the center

There are tons of foods that work well for this, even if you are leaving it our for an hour or so.

The options are really up to you and your kiddos!

We generally try to include a nice variety and my oldest really likes taking on the task of deciding on what to fill each section.

This particular one is definitely more of a snack tray menu.

The boys had not really eaten their breakfast and this was the perfect way to tide them over until lunch.

Making it a muffin tin meal, is just as easy and a great way to appeal to a picky eater or for when there are multiple mouths to feed, each with their own taste preference.

Lunch is the time that we most often break out the muffin tins and generally include a heartier menu.

Boiled eggs are a favorite as well as using one tin for a dip of some sort like hummus, peanut butter or sour cream with an assortment of veggies or pitas and other dipping foods.

Even the pickiest eater can't resist a nice, colorful assortment that allows them to pick and choose which items they'd like to eat.

Foods we like to include on trays/tins:

apple slices

boiled eggs

carrot sticks
raw baby spinach leaves
pasta/quinoa/coucous

cauliflower

peanut butter balls

cottage cheese

avocado

grapes

orange slices

pears

kiwi

broccoli

beans/lentils/peas

cheese cubes

melon balls
nuts (although temporarily they are off until Charlie is just a little older)

cubes of grilled/baked chicken

pretzels/crackers/breads

cream cheese balls
berries ;)

dips: yogurt, hummus, sour cream, peanut butter, bean dip, salsa, etc

See? 

The list can go on and on...

And if you ever get tired of coming up with ideas or want to make your muffin tin meals really creative, 

Muffin Tin Mom will not disappoint!

Meal Plan 3/21/11

Gosh, darnit!

I used to be such a great mother and wife when I only had 1 kid.

Every single thing we ate was homemade from scratch and either we grew it, someone very close to us did or if it came from the grocery store or local health food store, it was organic. 

I had every meal and snack of the day planned out in advance and we dined in gourmet fashion.

<Sigh>

Adding another in the mix 14.5 months ago and I STILL haven't gotten back into that groove. 

I've come to the realization that it may never fully happen again.

I laugh (to myself, I'm not that mean) when mamas to only 1 complain about being tired, cooking and their house being messy.

I know I did.

But now that I know how just adding 1 more little one to the family can throw things off, I do find it hilarious that they can't find the time when I long for it.

 I really want to get back on the meal planning train.
It keeps me sane and keeps our budget happy.

My meal planning has waxed and waned over the past year, but this time I mean business.

And if I post it publicly, then somehow I will be accountable, right?

Plus, we have a couple of fun things coming up and money is always tight.

Meal planning means we're far less likely to go out to eat and that is always a drain on any budget.

So, here is this week's dinner menu and I've already grocery shopped.

Sunday: our Spring Feast

Monday: Chicken and Veggie Crockpot Fajitas over brown rice in a taco bowl

Tuesday: Stir-fried veggies and noodles with wontons

Wednesday: Salmon cakes (thanks for the reminder, Laura!) on a salad w/ lots of raw veggies

Thursday: Crockpot Pintos (w/leftover hambone from freezer), kale, cornbread

Friday: homemade pizzas or maybe pizza bread

Saturday: Roasted Polenta w/ goat cheese and Spinach, Red Pepper, Cauliflower Frittata

Sunday: baked potato bar w/ lots of fixins'

Our Spring Equinox Feast

I was almost hesitant to plan a large Spring meal today.

Last year, we didn't do too much and the year before, we went all out celebrating the arrival of Spring.

And Spring is historically and physically associated with fertility.

It is the time of the year that new life is everywhere.

After our first, big Vernal Equinox celebration 2 years ago, I got pregnant with Charlie not long afterwards.

And BOY, was that a surprise!!

Seriously.

A big surprise.

I didn't want to dare tempt the Universe with too much attention towards fertility at this very moment, but we were travelling home on Will's birthday, I was sick the following day, and so we never had our big meal and cake to celebrate his 32nd year of life.

So, I thought...well, what the heck?

Let's do it big...

but hopefully, all that fertility energy of spring will manifest itself in other ways in our life that need it.

The Menu:

Deviled Eggs

Honey Lime Couscous and Avocado Salad

Broiled Lamb Chops over Organic heirloom Lettuce w/ Sesame Mustard Sauce

Challah

Strawberry Cupcakes  

The deviled eggs are easy to make and need little explanation in regards to their significance. An egg is the essence of fertility and life. In fact, dying and decorating eggs in most common thought to be an Easter tradition, but actually it originates in pagan celebrations on the Vernal Equinox...Ostara or Eostre (which is the original word origin for easter). 

This quick and easy appetizer or snack can be made in a variety of ways. I went with a more classic approach. I took the yolks from 6 boiled eggs (they didn't all make it to the final plate thanks to my helpers) and mixed them with a tablespoon or so of mayo, 2 teaspoons of prepared mustard, 2 pinches of dill weed (my special twist), salt/pepper to taste and then, filled the centers of the eggs. To serve, I sprinkled the tops with paprika. Tripp wanted his eggs plain as you can see in the pic above :)

The honey-lime couscous and avocado salad was meant to be this recipe with quinoa, but I didn't realize I was out of it, so I just made a pot of couscous instead. We pretended the couscous were tiny seeds and the presence of avocado is not only delicious, but also is an in-season food and adds a nice springy green coloring. This was YUMMY!

The lamb was my version of PF Chang's wok-seared lamb that they serve on a bed of iceberg lettuce. I broiled the lamb chops with a touch of sesame oil and salt & pepper. Then, I thinly sliced it and served it on top of some beautiful and tasty organic lettuce from Isis Gardens in Tupelo, MS at the North MS Green Festival that a friend and I attended. On top of the slices of lamb and lettuce, I drizzled the oh-so-delicious  sesame mustard sauce. 
If there were actual good sources for lamb around here, I would eat it (this) more often.
So.Good.

Oh, and let's not forget the symbolism...
Lamb is a traditional Ostara/Easter food and the gorgeous green of the lettuce adds fantastic color to remind us of the life returning back to mother earth as well as a tasty representation of her bounty.


And the Challah...Oh my favorite bread on this planet.
A few years ago, I made this for the first time and have been hunting down the recipe ever since. I can NOT find it anywhere on this wide world of webs! And, ya know, that particular challah could have been so good because we were using the fresh eggs from our chickens.
Nonetheless, today's loaf was perfection.
And guess what?!
I didn't bookmark the recipe.
And, now I can't find it anywhere including my history.
I think there is a conspiracy against me and challah.

Anyways, I think I remember everything, so here goes:

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

3 2/3 flour

1 t salt
1/4 cup sugar 

2 t yeast

I added the ingredients in this order to my bread machine and turned on the dough cycle. When it was all done, I divided my dough into thirds and braided it. It rose for about 45 minutes and then, I brushed it with and egg wash, sprinkled on the poppy seeds and baked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Y'all...this loaf was amazing!
My braiding skills have really improved as well.

My mom calls challah, egg bread, so in that, you can see the connection to our Spring feast. We also topped it with the poppy seeds for an added equinox bonus.

For dessert, I went with my favorite strawberry cupcake recipe.
You can't go wrong with these.
Seriously.
Yum.
Strawberries ripen in the spring and the color is a nice pastel for the season as well.
I thought they'd be a nice addition since I didn't get to bake my hubby a birthday cake this week.
We didn't stick candles in and sing "happy birthday" to Will, but I'm sure he didn't mind.

So, we welcomed Spring with a lovely meal and enjoyed this gorgeous, albeit more like Summer Solstice with regards to weather, first day of Spring.

Stay tuned for more to come as we welcome Spring with our Spring Nature Table, do a little Spring gardening and more!

Blackwater River State Park

After a fun weekend in Navarre, FL with my parents and sis, her hubby, and my niecey-poo, we hit the road to go camping.

Our intentions were to go to the Florida Caverns State Park just an hour and 45 minutes away and explore the beautiful caves there.

Ah, but the best laid plans...

Let's just say that almost 7 hours of travel later, we end up at Blackwater River State Park only 25 minutes from Navarre...

Yeah, talk about major frustration.

BUT,

It actually worked out SO much better. 

The cavern tours were sold out for the day only to be closed the following 2 days and the campground was full. I have been wanting to go to Blackwater River for several years now and it didn't disappoint.

We arrived there 30 minutes before sunset and the awesome Park Ranger directed towards the campground, but also mentioned the primitive (and FREE!!) campsites in the adjoining State Forest.

One look at the park campground, we quickly realized Florida State Parks are designed mainly for RVs and camping in a concrete jungle set amongst the (beautiful) Pines was not what we had in mind.

So, we drove around to the State Forest just a minute or so away and this is what we found...

 This beautiful bluff overlooking the Blackwater River. 

It was perfectly encircled with huge pines shaping a gorgeous view of the sky.

Now, if you can't tell from the pictures, the Blackwater River is gorgeous with it's tannic and clean water that is on average only 2.5' deep with many, many sandbars. The river has this beautiful sandy bottom that rivals the gorgeous white sands of Florida's Emerald Coast Beaches. You can easily canoe, kayak and tube down the river and find your own private sandbar and beach to picnic and play.

 our little helpers...racing the setting sun to get the tent up.

ah, camping...hot dogs for breakfast.

ready for a little lunchtime hike to find a spot to picnic

Inspecting some thorns from our pavillion off the trail where we ate our lunch...

they were "Amazing" Tripp said.

Beautiful Cypress Swamp

Florida Champion White Cedar

 finding a spot to fish

 Look at that grin

I just love this pic for some reason.

 Party animals...they get it honestly from ole Papa Bear.

 Our mess.
Ahem.
Our Campsite

 Snuggling to stay warm Wednesday morning.
It was CHILLY!

 Tripp had succeeded in getting both pairs of his shoes soaking wet.
So, while his Keens dried by the fire, he had some makeshift foil boots :)

 Loaded up and headed home!

We'll definitely return to Blackwater River State Park again!
It will be even more fun when it's a little warmer and we can tube down the river.