the giving of thanks

When the news of the world - both afar and close to home - has seemed sadder lately, it's all the more poignant to stop and give thanks for all the good things.

It was our first Thanksgiving as just the four of us -- no traveling, no hosting, and not even a turkey!

As it turned out, I totally loved it.

I didn't do any prep yesterday, I didn't stay up late last night making pies, and I didn't set an alarm for this morning.  I got up when the kids woke up, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and coffee and conversation with the girls while Nathan got to sleep in.


Sarah: I'm thankful for coffee
Nell: I'm thankful for milk

Sarah: I'm thankful for my daughters, Nell and Marie
Nell: I'm thankful for my baby dolls

Sarah: I'm thankful for our home.
Nell: I'm thankful for my room and my bed!

Sarah {looking over at Ree}: I'm thankful for babies in jammies
Nell: I'm thankful for dammies too

{and really, what's not to be thankful for here? alpine pajamas with elbow patches!  pigtails!  and perhaps she's planning on auditioning for a new installment of Home Alone?}

After breakfast, we got down to the serious business of making the feast.  Nell helped with the rolls, the pie crusts, and the whipped cream.

Everything came out deliciously, and Nathan set the table oh-so-nicely while I cooked everything.  The china is our wedding china, and the silver belonged to Nathan's great-grandmother, Nell's great-great-grandmother, Nellie.

Candles were lit, prayers were said, tears of gratitude were shed. {ok, that was just me. but I challenge you to sit across from the sweetest three-year-old in the world folding her hands in prayer and not get teary-eyed over all the goodness there is to be had in life.}

Nathan gave Nell a tiny crystal glass of very watered-down wine this year, and she was so thrilled about the whole thing it was a delight to behold.  She promptly declared, "I'm thankful for wine!"

Two pies seemed just about right for the four of us.  I added a dash of freshly ground pepper to my pumpkin pie this year, and it was a good call.  And the chocolate pie is and always will be my Grandma's recipe.  I miss Grandma and Grandpa every time I make it, and my heart is full.

As it turned out, Ree was a big fan of whipped cream.

In the late morning today, when the pie crust dough was chilling and the dinner roll dough was rising,  I went out for a short run by myself.  Usually, if I'm able to sneak in a run at all, it's with the double stroller and both kids in tow, but this morning, Nathan was home and so the girls stayed in.  I donned my running tights and shoes and enjoyed the cold fresh air and a bit of time all to myself.

My first mile was a bit under a 10-minute pace.  Although I wasn't really pushing myself or thinking about it, when my iPhone informed my of my pace, I found myself musing a bit about my pace in running, and my pace in life.

Five years ago, I would have pushed myself and tried for a sub-seven minute mile.  I could go for a run every single morning, and I usually did.  In retrospect, I hardly know what I did with all the free time I didn't even know I had back then.

But my heart was smaller then, and I didn't even know it.

Butternut Squash, Arugula, Caramelized Onion, & Feta Quiche

Shortly after Marie was born, a friend from church brought us a delicious meal including a spinach quiche.  Quiche!  Why don't I think to make quiches more often?  Our two-year-old loved the "egg pie" and devoured several pieces over the following days, spinach and all!

I've made quiche a couple of times since then, with a particular fondness for a zucchini and caramelized onion one I made in August.  I tend to approximate my ingredients, based loosely on Julia Child's quiche but with any ingredients I like instead of the bacon (um, I'm a vegetarian).  I also find that I need another egg or two (her recipe calls for just three) to fill up a pie plate!

Earlier this week I made two quiches: a bacon one for my meat-eating, vegetable-hating husband, and a vegetarian one for Nell and myself.  People, it was so good I was literally raving about it to an audience of one: myself.  Yes, it's probably pathetic to compliment one's own cooking, but when your toddler doesn't give you too many kudos and your husband can't quite comprehend why anyone would want to eat something with vegetables in it, sometimes you have to just give yourself a pat on the back.  This quiche required some serious back-patting.

Here's a recipe for you, sort of.  If you make it, tell me what you think!

Butternut Squash, Arugula, Caramelized Onion, & Feta Quiche

1 pie crust, either homemade or store-bought.  I used one from Trader Joe's, because I can't do it all on days when I work right up until dinnertime!

4-5 eggs (I honestly can't remember how many I used.  Ridiculous!  Just see what looks right.)
1 c. cream (or milk, if you want it to be less delicious)
2 c. cubed butternut squash (aim for bite-sized pieces)
1 sweet or yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 handfulls of fresh arugula, either whole or torn into pieces
Approximately 3-4 oz. of crumbled feta (I had a 6 oz. container and put about half in this quiche.  Oh, and I'm sure goat cheese would be delicious, too!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash of nutmeg

First, par-bake your pie crust for 7 or 8 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  (Or make a crustless quiche if you prefer, and omit the crust altogether.)

Caramelize your onion in a bit of butter in a pot or saute pan.  Keep it cooking over low heat until it is nice and brown and the whole house smells lovely.  Set aside.

Cook your squash by sauteing over medium heat (or you could roast it in the oven with a little olive oil!) with a drizzle of olive oil until it is tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Set aside.

Whisk together your eggs, cream, salt, and pepper.  Add crumbled cheese and handfuls of arugula.  Finally, add your caramelized onions and cooked squash, after they have cooled slightly.  Poor mixture into pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until center is well set when tested with a knife.  Mine took a bit on the longer side, but I had two quiches in the oven, so your baking time may vary.

Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

It's delicious as leftovers the next morning for breakfast, too!

And I promise -- it's way tastier than my poor iPhone photos can possibly convey.

Easter

After a stressful morning of church music duties for Nathan and a stressful morning of 'single-parenting' it in church for me, we enjoyed a nice Easter afternoon at home with a few friends.

Little Miss Source-Of-All-Stress was cute as could be in the same dress she wore last May for her birthday party -- altered back then to fit her, and let out to still fit her now.  Yay for a sweet little dress that pulls double duty!

Nathan has a habit of jiggling Nell around in photos to try to get her to smile.  What he may or may not realize is that this tactic results in off-center photos like this one:

Nathan did most of the day's photographer duties, since at 39 weeks pregnant I wasn't feeling like doing much crouching and bending.  In fact, I wasn't feeling like doing much of anything, but I managed to make rolls, green bean casserole, roasted asparagus, and a pound cake -- and was very grateful to the friends who brought the rest of the Easter dinner foods to share!

Before we ate, Nell and her little buddy Ian got to have an egg hunt, largely planned by Nell's godmother (and Ian's mum), Cara.  She did a lovely job including things the kids could enjoy, like stickers and even a little book for each of them once their Dads helped them piece together the Bible verses hidden in some of their eggs.

This girl has sure grown a lot since last Easter!

{And incidentally, it would appear that I have, too.}

I just LOVE the picture below, because as Nell is reaching for the egg on the bench, you can see that Ian's been caught red-handed in the background, trying to snatch one of Nell's eggs right out of her basket!  Hahaha!

Nell received some little gifts from her Grandma C. and Grandpa S., too. and has been quite entertained by her little wind-up walking duck ever since!  She brings it to me and declares, "Duck!  Walk!" and squeals with glee when I wind it up for her.

After the egg hunt, we sat down to a table nicely set by my dear husband, ate probably altogether too much good food, and celebrated the Resurrection, the end of Lent, and the end of a crazy season in Nathan's life as a church musician.

And my house still has fresh flowers in it, which makes me about as happy as a very pregnant woman can be expected to be, I think.

assorted thoughts: seven quick takes

one

Yesterday marked one month from my due date of April 27.  One month!  How did that happen?!  I'm not sure if I can accurately say that the months have 'flown by,' or anything like that, but I do think that a second pregnancy is really a different experience from a first, in the sense that you already have a toddler needing you all. the. time., and less time for navel-gazing and prenatal yoga and birth classes and reading in preparation for the labor and all those good things.

two

I'm going to publicly admit that making the perfect cup of coffee usually eludes me.  Recently when we had a little family reunion in Arizona for my youngest brother's wedding, my brother Jonathan made this amazing pot of coffee that was just perfect.  Why can't I make coffee like that?  Is it just that coffee made by someone other than oneself will always taste better, seem like more of an indulgence?  Do I have an inferior coffee maker? (Probably; it was free.)  Or am I simply unable to attain to the proper ratio of water to coffee grounds?

Tell me, readers: how do you make the perfect cup of coffee?

three

Coffee, by the way, is best enjoyed first thing in the morning and then again during nap time, preferably with a slice of toast spread with creamed honey and sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon.

four

I found this dining room corner hutch listed on Craigslist for FREE a couple of weekends ago -- can't beat that price!

Nathan and his brother picked it up and moved it in, and I am loving the addition to our dining room!

five

Like most New Englanders this time of year, I'm so ready for spring.  Enough with the cold weather and snow already; give me crocuses pushing their tiny heads up through the dirt in my front flower beds, and tulips blooming cheerfully in the yard.

In an effort to usher in spring despite the icy piles of dirty snow still in our yard, I bought some of the $1.50 bunches of daffodils at Trader Joe's and created a simple but bright little spring mantel display.

six

This week is a little crazy; I've had rehearsals in Plymouth (about an hour and fifteen minutes away) every night except Tuesday, with another one tonight and a concert tomorrow.  While I may not be in love with everything on the program, we are doing Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and the second movement {starting around 3:45 into the linked video} pretty much makes the driving {and the practicing of an Amy Beach symphony... sigh} worth it.   That and the fact that I get to carpool with a friend and chat during the long drives!

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I just think that is a beautiful piece of music.

seven

Once I make it through the end of this week, I get to focus on the last details of pulling together my upcoming violin studio recital for my students, and then... getting ready to have a baby!  I think it's time to start thinking about packing a bag to take to the birth center, a toddler overnight bag, and a snacks-for-Dad bag.

All of this probably means that Nathan and I should try to settle on a name pretty soon, don't you think?  An agreement has not yet been reached, and it would just be awkward to have a baby that doesn't get named for days on end after her birth, don't you think?  Now accepting name recommendations... just don't publicly recommend one you know I'm actually considering because then you'll open up the floor to criticisms from not-so-innocent bystanders, and we all know how {un-}charming that is.

* * *

For more quick takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Have a lovely Friday, everyone!

Homemade London Fog {Earl Grey Tea Latte}

Once upon a time, I used to occasionally enjoy drinking a London Fog from Starbucks.  Earl Grey tea, milk, vanilla syrup... it's warm, comforting deliciousness in a cup.  It's basically a charming name for an Earl Grey tea latte, but somehow the name makes it all the more appealing, don't you think?

Well, these days Starbucks isn't within our budget the way it was a few years ago, and hey, that sugary vanilla syrup isn't healthy anyway, right?  So, I make my own London Fogs at home!  It's a nice way to step it up a little from an ordinary cup of tea when I want something that feels ever-so-slightly indulgent.

I can't promise it tastes just like Starbucks's version, but I can promise you that it's cheaper and better for you!

You'll need an Earl Grey tea bag {or loose leaf tea, but I'm not always that fancy}, some honey, a bit of vanilla extract, and milk.  {I used half and half this morning because we were all out of milk}.

Boil your water, steep your tea bag, and add honey according to how sweet you want it.

{You could also use sugar, or any sweetener of your choice.}

Pour in your milk.  {Sometimes I heat my milk up first before adding it.  I even use the steamer wand on my oh-so-fancy $5 yard sale espresso maker if I'm in the mood for steaming it!}

And add the tiniest bit of pure vanilla extract.  A few drops, or maybe 1/4 tsp.

Sit down, put your feet up, and enjoy your homemade London Fog.

I'm sure my little 'recipe' is far from the first to grace the world wide web, but in case you, dear reader, have never enjoyed the sweet comfort of a London Fog on a chilly morning or cozy evening, now you have something new to try.  Enjoy!

Valentine's Day

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, Nell was coloring with a red crayon and drew something that inadvertently looked kind of like a heart.  So, since Valentine's Day was rapidly approaching, I turned her artwork into a Valentine's Day card for her Daddy.

Nathan and I have never been a couple that went out to fancy dinners or bought one another expensive gifts for Valentine's Day, but celebrating Valentine's Day with a toddler can be all kinds of fun!  I wore a pink shirt, dressed Nell in pink, and served heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast.

Dinner was our usual Friday night dinner: pizza!  But it seemed especially appropriate since pizza is my Valentine's number one favorite food.

I know.  Valentine's Day was last week already.  And everybody and her mom makes heart pancakes on Valentine's Day.

Basically, the photo of Nell is the real reason for this post.  Because she's cute.

{phfr}

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for another {phfr} post today!  Auntie Leila's {phfr} post today was somewhat themed around the importance of recording the little things one accomplishes in a dreary month like January, and I love that idea.  As a fellow New Englander, I can attest that these below-freezing temps that have been dragging on and on are getting me down, and the bone-weariness of late January has certainly set in.  Each morning seems harder than the one before to get myself out of bed, and some days I'm just counting the hours until the next time I can go to sleep.

It doesn't help, no doubt, that to save on the absurdly expensive costs of our oil heat, Nathan wants to keep the heat no higher than 60 degrees, SIXTY DEGREES!  We negotiate on this matter, the sort of negotiation that involves me turning it up to 62 and him turning it back down, and so on and so forth.  And there may be some complaining involved, but only in my weaker moments.  For the most part, we press on.  Eagerly awaiting the coming of warmer days.

Have I been getting anything done lately?  Oh, but I have!  A few little things here and there.  See...?

{pretty}

Food can be pretty, right?  And is there anything prettier than fresh, juicy cranberries oozing out of baked goods?  I baked up a batch of these fresh cranberry chocolate chunk brown butter cookies over the weekend, and even though Christmas is past us now and you might be thinking that the time for using cranberries is over, you should make these; you won't regret it.  They were just slightly too sweet for my taste, but the soft texture is just wonderful, and the fresh cranberries are the perfect bursts of flavor in each bite.

{happy}

A local consignment store has had not one but two 25 cent sales in the past two weeks, with bins and racks full of children's clothing marked down to just a quarter apiece.  I went twice, and in total got 36 pieces of clothing for a mere $9.00 altogether!  A few things that fit Nell now (including a lovely navy blue baby Gap coat and some fleece-lined pants!), a few things she'll grow into, and a few things for the new little lady when she arrives.  I had just finished sorting our bins of baby clothes in the basement, too, so I could actually remember what we could use more of in each baby size and what we really didn't need.  I got a few items for friends' babies, too!

The picture is just a few of the items fresh out of the wash.  Most of them are already stored away in their respective size bins for future use.

{funny}

I just finished my biggest knitting project yet.  Don't be too impressed: it's only a scarf.  But considerably larger than the washcloths I've heretofore knitted, and unlike the baby blanket I started but haven't yet finished, this project has now actually been completed!  Small accomplishment perhaps, but an accomplishment nonetheless.

I was feeling rather pleased as I donned it this morning, expecting heaven to burst open and a messenger of God to deliver knitting accolades -- or at least that my husband, who had sat beside me sometimes as I knitted in the evenings, might say something nice -- but instead what I got was a snarky comment about how he really, truly, things the term 'infinity scarf' is the most ridiculous thing in the world.  Humph.

{real}

I may as well poke some fun at myself and admit that I only just got around to putting the final hem on the curtains in Nell's room.  The curtains I made with fabric I bought while she was still snugly inside of me, almost two years ago.  The curtains I began sewing before she was born.  The curtains I almost finished and then hung when she was a newborn, stitching away at my machine while she slept in the moby wrap.  Yes, those curtains.  Those curtains that pooled on the floor for the past year and then some.  I measured, marked, took them down, and hemmed them to be floor length at last!  Much better now, I think.  And as always happens with these sorts of projects, once I got started it took me all of one day's nap time to finish them, so of course, I should have done it ages ago.

Now I'd really like to get going on fixing up the second bedroom upstairs, even though it's unlikely that we'll need two separate kid bedrooms anytime soon.  We'll work on transitioning Nell to sleep upstairs by herself soon, but then I think the new baby will sleep in our room for a good while, unless she's a magical sleeping baby quite unlike her sister.  Still, there's no motivator like a baby coming, is there?  If a room is to be fixed up, perhaps now is the time to do it, necessary or not!

my new favorite baked oatmeal

For several years now, my go-to baked oatmeal has been this recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie (who doesn't love her delicious recipes?), using banana instead of applesauce and blending the wet ingredients to be really smooth in my blender before stirring into the dry ingredients and then baking.  I varied it somewhat and usually didn't use exact measurements, but her recipe was my starting point and I always loved the way it turned out.

Lately, though, I think I have a new favorite.  A little less healthy.  A little less banana-y (sometimes that's a good thing, no?).  A little more decadent.

But not altogether unhealthy, no, not at all!

Nell loves it, too.

And the real clincher?  Nathan, my picky-eating husband who hates oatmeal, went back for seconds the first time I made it!

I used a couple of different recipes for ideas, including this recipe, but I think mine is considerably healthier while still being utterly delicious.  Incidentally, I'm totally against artificial sweeteners of any kind, but I don't consider stevia to fall into the category of dangerous artificial sweeteners, and do use it from time to time.  It does have an aftertaste, but I can't notice it the least bit in this baked oatmeal. 

And finally, I keep meaning to make it with different add-ins, but so far each of the times I've made it I find myself going for the decadent version: chocolate chips and pecans.  One of these days I'll stop indulging my{pregnant}self and make it with blueberries, or apples, or dried apricots, or cranberries... let me know if you try it with different add-ins!

Decadent (or not) Baked Oatmeal

3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 packet of stevia (I have the packets of dry stevia from Trader Joe's; if you have liquid stevia probably about 1/4 tsp. is what you need)
1 T cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt (or just a scant 1 tsp.)
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. coconut oil (just scoop out about 4 Tbsp if yours is in a solid state, and melt it with the butter)
1 tsp. vanilla

add-ins:
a handful of chocolate chips (I think the mini ones work the best for nicely distributed yet not overwhelmingly chocolatey-ness!)
a handful of chopped pecans

OR you could try fresh or dried fruit, which as I said above, I keep meaning to try but somehow I can't quit the chocolate / pecan version quite yet.

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl.  Mix wet ingredients separately, beating your eggs lightly, and pour over dry ingredients.  Combine.  Stir in add-ins.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13" baking pan and spread out evenly.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 350, or until edges are lightly browned.  Serve warm, preferably with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

our summer CSA share: week four

I'm a bit behind on the weeks here, but in a way I like it that way, becasue it's fun to look back at my photos from a week or two ago and remember the yumminess.  Here are a few things we had with our bounty from week 4:

A kale and fennel salad similar to this one, with apple chunks and pepitas and a simple lemon olive oil vinaigrette.



Garlic scape pesto served over farfalle pasta.  And would you still be my friend if I told you that Nell ate this pesto by the spoonful, just plain?  And couldn't get enough of it?  Isn't that weird?





What to do with leftover pesto?  Why, put it on a pizza of course!



And finally, because there's a little bit of southern girl in me, I picked up a bunch of mustard greens (sometimes we get to choose between various options at the farm) and I made balsamic glazed chickpeas and mustard greens.  It doesn't get much more southern than mustard greens, does it?  Well, my Mom is from Virginia and my Dad is from Missouri, so there you have it.



Although I doubt either of them would have eaten their mustard greens with chickpeas!  A vegetarian twist on a southern meal, if you will.

That's what we've been eating around here lately.  What about you?  Have any good summer recipes to recommend?