Winter food

The dairy-free diet is working well for Maggie so we're cooking without most dairy these days (when I say most, I mean cow's milk products except for butter in moderation). I was told she could probably handle butter and it's been fine. I'm learning about cooking with alternative ingredients as well as trying simple alternatives for snacks, etc. Maggie can tolerate goat milk products so she drinks the milk and eats the cheese. With all this, I've had some interesting conversations and gotten great ideas from friends that have eliminated one thing or another from their diet.

                                Our helper in the kitchen






Dishes I've made recently include:
1. coconut rice pudding (brown rice, coconut milk, and vanilla) - was ok but not awesome. I'd use white rice next time and maybe spice it up a little.
2. vegetarian bean chili with tofutti sour cream (used up canned ingredients in the cupboard including tomatoes, diced green chili's, 3 types of beans, jarred roasted red bell pepper, dried shitake mushrooms, onion, and frozen corn) - turned out nice and light
3. slow cooker whole bean soup (very simple-just dry Mayocoba beans, beef broth, water, and salt - set to simmer all afternoon) - always a good filler. Michael's family calls these "soupy" beans I think.
4. slow cooker pulled pork (boneless pork shoulder, homemade bbq sauce, pulled pork spice packet) - super yummy and lots of leftovers.
5. roasted winter root vegetables (red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, shallots, garlic, parsnips, extra virgin olive oil) - really liked this combination.
6. turkey tacos with tofutti sour cream - always an easy favorite (we sometimes substitute crumbled tofu or fish instead of turkey).

Leave me a comment if you want a full recipe.

Recipes to try:
1. Chicken curry made with coconut milk
2. Slow cooker pot roast
3. Shrimp scampi
4. Muffins using canned pumpkin and/or applesauce (would love to serve these as "cupcakes" with some kind of dairy-free frosting for Maggie's birthday in March)
5. Goat cheese pizza

Hope this inspires!

Moments

We've caught Maggie on camera during some really fun moments lately and we've been laughing a lot at how goofy she is and the things she says and does. This is a really fun age, just shy of 2 years old. I really never knew how fun it is to be around a little one day in, day out. I'm lovin' this girl. 

 

Maggie pre-bike ride rockin' the glasses with her helmet and baby Maxi by her side







Showing off her new handmade apron (I was gifted a matching one!) and new watermelon hat (that goes with a watermelon bathing suit) to grandparents over for dinner

Smothering the cat before bed wearing her kitty pajamas

Sun!

Today feels pretty good. Lately, it's been dreary with the socked-in foggy/cold weather and it's been getting depressing. I was starting to dream about spring and all the fun stuff we could start doing in a couple months. Friends are talking about starting their gardens and I have to remember that it's only January! Good time to do some digging and fertilizing before spring planting though.

I woke up this morning after a really fun night out dancing with old and new friends. Good, goofy memories and have I said how much I love dancing? I especially love dancing with my friend Jessie, she is a blast to hang with. So much confidence, such a kind heart. To wake up a little later than usual, have breakfast made for me, and things going generally well started off the day right. To fully clear my head from the night before we set off on an awesome trail ride, Maggie in the trailer. It was perfect. Michael spotted a bobcat just off the trail and our destination was the last cycle-cross event of the season where friends were riding. It was good to see so many people out exercising, staying healthy, and kids playing in the dirt laughing.

We've joined a bike team this year and are excited to get involved. Our first club ride is in April and Michael is doing his first mountain bike race with the team tomorrow. I'm feeling pleased with the slight changes I've made in my life over the past few months. I feel like I'm growing into a new phase of my life and I'm excited to see what the next year holds for us.

Cute pic of Maggie last week - she desperately needed to play and run despite the cold weather! That's one of her favorite binky's that her Tia Boo-boo got her before she was born :-) Ha ha

Humbled Domestic Artist

Started reading my new book The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & The Comforts of Home. Very good read, I feel inspired and would recommend this book to all my creative friends and family. The author writes in such a way to where I totally relate. I understand how she feels about being a modern women with domestic aspirations. She's a wife and mother and I feel grateful to read her thoughts about being creative while being a parent, especially because I'm in a stage where all of my creativity is going into my family, not into myself, and she writes about this happenening to her. Thank you to my mother in law who asked me before Christmas what I wanted. This is a book I've been eyeing for awhile but not something I could justify buying just for fun.

Ok, I can't believe I'm writing this but when I voiced this to friends last week and rehashed it with Michael (to reiterate that I was so sorry), now I want to share it here not only for a good laugh but so I can learn from my mistakes. Learning from my mistakes - added to my short list of 2011 New Year's resolutions.

Hubby and I decided to do only stockings as gifts to eachother this year. Throughout December, I would be shopping and pick up something fun and small for myself and tell Michael it was for my stocking (thinking this would help him along). Stockings have always been a big deal to me as my mom made them special each year for my sister and I growing up and she stuffed ours full with fun personalized gifts. I expected Michael to pick up where she left off once we started spending the holidays together but it's taken a few years to get there :-)

On Christmas Eve I stuffed Maggie and Michael's stockings and laid them near the fireplace. I went to bed and Michael stayed up. The next morning I made my way to the fireplace with tunnel vision. I was shocked to see only the two stockings I'd laid out the night before and no other. I also saw the three gifts I'd bought for myself still sitting on the table untouched. I felt heartbroken in the moment. I made up that Michael hadn't filled my stocking yet and that he missed the point after I had stressed how important this was to me. In a quick fit of anger, I picked up my gifts and threw them on the floor, the candy cane shattering. I said some words in anger, all the while Michael is standing behind me witnessing this. It's quiet for a moment and then he calmly tells me "Marin, your stocking is under the Christmas tree." I haven't felt like such a fool in a long time. I composed myself and went to the Christmas tree where Maggie and Michael were. Michael was the best husband I could have asked for in that moment. Turns out, my stocking was full of the best goodies - so heartfelt and personalized, it made me want to cry.

Michael is so patient with me. Lord only knows what he was thinking when I threw the fit (actually, he did mention later that his thought was to go on a bike ride when it happened :-) I am very thankful that he doesn't take me too seriously and that he is supportive and thoughtful throughout our marriage. It has been everything I have needed to counterbalance my personality and traits. I couldn't have asked for a better match in this lifetime.

Seen and Heard

I'm stealing this blog topic from my friend Patria. Patria is the best at posting seen and heards about her kids - I always soak them up! Maggie's language is exploding and I don't want to forget this special time so here we go...

Heard: Maggie trying to push her play stroller past Lita (grandma) and with a little bit of impatience said "way",  meaning "get out of the way". Of course, in the nicest way possible coming from a toddler :-) She is becoming more clear with what she wants and we're hearing a few 2- and 3-word sentences spill out.

Seen: waking and sitting up in bed in the dark and being such a happy girl after a good night's sleep. With Christmas come and past, Maggie has acquired new shoes and she especially likes the pale pink patent leather mary janes and the Wizard of Oz Dorothy red glitter mary janes. She almost immediately runs to her shoe basket to look for them after waking and wants to put them on. She also likes to clomp around the house in my shoes or tell me what shoes to put on.

Heard: little screams of delight when she sees something that excites her. There has been a lot of this over the past week.

Seen: getting ready for bed with Duke and Howey. Duke is Maggie's new stuffed huskie dog that my sister's family got her. She loved him instantly and we taught her that Duke is Howey's dad and Howey is the baby. She lovingly hugged each dog before bed the other night, one by one, giving them kisses on their snout. Each dog now has a special place under her arms. She also likes to feed them her milk from her sippy before bed. It's unbelievably cute to watch.
 
Heard: Michael or I saying 1 or uno (which she will not say in either language) and Maggie following with 2-3-2 after 1 and dos after uno. She will also recite numbers 1-10 in Spanish with me. Her 2-3-2 is used in lots of ways, like before she takes off for a run while playing or counting things.
 
Seen: Maggie riding in her friend AJ's motorized jeep. It's a 2-seater and they cruise around our court in it like they are going on a date!
 
Heard: Maggie is really loving with her friends, so lots of hugs and kisses. I witnessed AJ and Maggie giving a kiss to eachother as we were leaving and AJ pulled away and said something like "ooh, that was wet!" Uh-oh...
 
Heard: reading to us in bed when usually we read to her and she dictates who reads what. She babbled about each page she turned to and she got some of the characters and storyline right! More unbelievable cuteness.

Comical Christmas

What a nutty week. I woke up yesterday amused by the craziness happening around me. Maybe I was amused because not only are these things out of my control, they are happening Christmas week when you want everything to go as planned. I've been listening to David Sedaris and his commentary is hilarious. It's put me in a good mood because it reminds me that crazy funny stuff happens to us all and it is what makes life lively.

Maggie caught a stomach bug. I've been thankful to be with her so much this week as I originally planned on working an extra day but it didn't feel right. I wanted to be home. Hubby also caught the bug and hearing him vomit in the dark is not something I enjoy. My poor family - I'm hoping I don't get sick and that we have a peaceful holiday. We had to cancel a few things but it was needed. Really, how many fun events can you cram into one week? Sometimes it's too much.

I baked this year. Not something I usually do around Christmas. It seems everyone around me baked too. I've felt energized by it knowing that my friends and family are all out there in their kitchens enjoying the holiday in this way. I had a major winner - Florentine bars. I clipped the recipe from a Sunset magazine. The picture in the recipe looked so yummy and the author said that when she didn't bake them one year for Christmas, she never heard the end of it. They are shortbread bars with a honey-coated mixture of almonds and dried fruit on top. I made almond macaroons for work that turned out tasty but dense. It's basically a mouthful of marzipan. They definitely need a cup of tea or coffee to go with.

Maggie is feeling much better but she had the biggest blow-out of her little life today. Thank goodness I'm prepared for the most part when we go out. This one required a shower afterwards :-)

I'm not mailing Christmas cards this year. Just didn't feel up to it. This has definitely been a year in my life where I'm making choices and decisions that are true for myself and my family. It's been a really good thing. Here are some shots from our family holiday shoot. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!