At Home in Albuquerque

Refrigerator Pickles

2011-07-06T11:09:00.000-06:00

I am on a cooking tear since the CSA is giving us cucumbers, zucchini, and beets faster than I can use them up (I accidentally typed "beer" for beets. How awesome would a local beer CSA be? Maybe if I wasn't expecting again.). Anyhow, here's another recipe for you. I doubled it and made some annotations where I changed things.

Fast Homemade Pickles
From Everyday Food

In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups white vinegar, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tsp coarse salt, 1/2 tsp mustard seed, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 2 to 4 small red chilies [I just substituted some dried red pepper flakes], and 1/8 tsp tumeric. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Arrange sliced cucumbers [I also used half an onion] in clean glass jars, along with fresh dill fronds [I just used dried]. Pour hot brine into jar to completely cover cucumbers and seal jar. Refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours (or up to 1 week).

Peach Clafouti

2011-07-04T06:13:00.000-06:00

Hi there. It's been six months since I've blogged. I've missed it. As an apology I'm offering this recipe for fruity, custard-y peach clafouti, which is so good that you should go make it right. now. Even G, who is now eighteen months old and has proven to be a very picky eater, thinks it is amazing.

Peach Clafouti
From Everyday Food

5 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. fine salt
1 1/4 pounds peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch slices (4 1/2 cups)
confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour until combined. Add sour cream, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk to combine. Pour mixture into 3-quart baking dish. Scatter peaches in a single layer in the batter. Bake until custard is browned at the edges and center is set, 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm, dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Discovered

2011-02-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

I found this book buried in the stacks at Goodwill last weekend. Suddenly, after months of feeling creatively blocked, its kitchy 1970s aesthetic is calling to me. I feel new ideas percolating for the first time in a long time . . . perhaps, perhaps.

Someday, I think, this photo would look lovely rendered in crewel work.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was an early night. We started 2011 at the kitchen table, cups of coffee in our hands, talking about goals and projects and plans for the upcoming year. I love the sense of a clean slate, of new beginnings, of holding hands with someone who looks forward along with me.

One

2010-12-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Despite all three of us having a stomach bug this week, we pulled off a little family celebration today. It was everything we had been looking forward to and more. I can't believe how quickly time has flown, and how much I love being her mother, more and more, day by day.

First Frost

2010-10-30T17:54:00.001-06:00

Where did autumn go? I'm in a state of shock that it's almost November. And that in December, G will be a year old.

Billy and I spent the morning in the garden, where I lingered over the few remaining plants. We divided some of the garlic we harvested in the spring and replanted a few cloves. It's the first time I'm growing something from something I grew the season before--- I felt strange sense of pride when I put the garlic back into the ground.

We also planted potatoes, and tomorrow is daffodils, tulips, and newly-divided iris. It's really the last possible weekend to do so, but I plan on enjoying it rather than rushing through. The morning sun and the cold air was just the thing I've been needing.

A Pruning Back

2010-09-11T06:38:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, I took a few lazy shots while pruning a few of our rosebushes in preparation for fall. Other than that, I have not taken photos, nor gardened, nor read a book, nor done anything crafty since August 18. I've cooked only a few meals. Thankfully, I have a partner who is determined not to let us starve or eat boxed macaroni and cheese all the time. The house is a in a state of . . . well, let's just say it's in a state.

My return to teaching, so far, has felt pretty unmanageable. I think getting into the details on a public space would be unwise, but I'll acknowledge it's been a struggle. I miss being home with G, of course, and I miss the slower pace of our days. I miss reflecting on this blog, too.

Still seeking some balance here.

Saturday Morning

2010-08-22T18:02:00.001-06:00

It was a busy week around here. Spending Saturday morning in the kitchen was extremely soothing.

List 16: Back to School Memories

2010-08-09T06:00:00.012-06:00

I know, I know. I missed last Monday. I have the feeling that may be happening more and more frequently . . .

1. Your mom threatening you with death if you played outside in your new clothes before school started.

2. That fresh, clean notebook that you were just itching to write stories in, but you had to save it for (sigh) math.

3. Waiting for the school bus in the cold morning mist, knowing that by recess it will be warm enough to run around in just your skirt and T-shirt.

4. Parting from your sibling as you went into separate classrooms. Simultaneously missing her and being relieved you don't have to spend waking moment with her.

5. Reuniting with your friends after a summer that seemed to stretch on forever.

6. Being full of hope that your teacher would be nice. That first cutting comment (which now just seems adult, human) that made you decide that she wasn't.

7. Picking those last lingering mosquito bites under your desk.

8. Sliding the plastic lunch tray down the line. Choosing red milk or blue milk for snack.

9. Learning the card game that will be the card game during recess this year.

10. Stepping off the bus in the an afternoon haze of excited exhaustion, finding a wriggling schnauzer waiting for you and mentally preparing your list of possible snacks and television shows.

(16 down, 84 to go.)

One Week

2010-08-06T15:10:00.001-06:00

In exactly one week, my summer and my maternity leave are coming to an end. I've been wanting to write about this for awhile but am not sure what to say, since the thought of going back to work reduces me to a blubbering, worry-filled mess. That said, I am so grateful that G and I had this time. Eight whole months to fall more and more in love with someone every single day. Eight whole months to watch every single shift and change, no matter how minuscule.

It's amazing to me that since G's birth, time has moved simultaneously slower and faster. On one hand I was enjoying all the baby coos, the little garden projects and work done at home at a meditative sort of pace. Watering plants, baking bread, folding tiny socks into each other . . . little sensory revelations. On the other, I couldn't believe how fast she was growing. I couldn't believe how a whole day could pass absorbed in nothing but her. I found myself forgiving my own unrealistic expectations on how much I could actually get accomplish when I was so utterly absorbed with an infant. The concept of "getting things done" has shifted, and that wasn't what this time at home was for, anyway.

In the past few weeks I've found myself working up into a paralyzing frenzy--- Freeze meals! Clean everything! Prepare every lesson you can before going back to teach! What are you doing?! You are not prepared!!!--- and then find myself grateful for a partner who reminds me that life will get in the way despite your best efforts, so why not enjoy another summer evening on the patio with a drink in hand? He has repeatedly reminded me that working or not, I'll always be G's mama and we will all always love each other.

And that makes me smile, instead of panic.

More Zinnias

2010-08-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

These zinnias just make me so happy, as does the little hummingbird that has been visiting them all day, every day. I started these from seed and though we only have a few, I honestly wasn't expecting any. Apparently, dogs think zinnia seedlings are the most delicious things in the world.

They're just such cheery, simple, farm-y old-fashioned blooms. I love them. I love that I grew them.

Four Days, One Zinnia

2010-08-04T10:32:00.000-06:00

Stillness

2010-07-28T20:04:00.002-06:00

Tonight I went for a short walk alone. There were a few inches of water in the arroyo, just enough to make a soft sound. I sat at the edge of the concrete with the mountains to my back and the mesa, the open West in front of me. There were clouds backlit by the setting sun, and mourning doves flying back and forth over the water, landing on telephone wires and trees, cooing and then moving on to settle at the bank, mauve feathers and gentle eyes glowing in the late light. It was the kind of quiet, clear blue evening that made me understand why people like Georgia O'Keefe and D.H. Lawrence came here--- it was a landscape for poets and painters to explore over and over again, to feel utterly alone in, to try to understand.

List 15: Proust Questionairre Part II

2010-07-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

Inspired by the 19th-century parlor game and regular Vanity Fair feature. If you want to play along, leave yours (or a link to yours) in the comments!

1. Where would you like to live?
Where I am suits me just fine. Of course, I'd take a villa in Tuscany in the summers.

2. What is your favorite occupation?
Being a domestic goddess.

3. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Romantically? The desire to take care of his partner. Platonically? Same as everyone else, a sense of humor.

4. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
A sense of the ridiculous.

5. What do you most value in your friends?
Humor, loyalty, forgiveness.

6. Who are your favorite writers?
John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Jane Austen, Alice Munro.

7. Who are your heroes in real life?
Dolly Parton.

8. What is it that you most dislike?
Hypocrisy.

9. How would you like to die?
On a blanket under an apple tree in bloom.

10. What is your motto?
“We are here on this earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.” ---Kurt Vonnegut

(15 down, 85 to go.)

A Morning Sew

2010-07-24T07:45:00.002-06:00

This project had been sitting for, well, weeks. Yesterday morning I gave myself permission to ignore the rest of the to-do list and just sew during G's morning nap. It was remarkably soothing.

Ironing, on its own, is a chore I abhor. I just don't do it. But ironing as I sew is another thing entirely. It gives me pleasure to see garments take their (imperfect) shape. And the scent of hot, pressed cotton is one of my favorite things. It reminds me of summer afternoons spent in my grandmother's dark and cavernous living room, sewing some doll clothes on her Singer after a long, bright morning spent in the garden. It is the feeling of working side by side with someone you love, guided by their knowledge, seeing their enjoyment that you enjoy working with your hands, too.

The smell that rises off the iron always takes me back there, immediately. And for that I am grateful.

Beet Salad

2010-07-22T14:34:00.000-06:00

It has been so incredibly hot here. Unbearably hot. Like, over 100 degrees, have-to-leave-the-house-with-G.-at-7:30-in the-morning-if-we-want-some-fresh-air hot. I don't want to use the stove at all, obviously, and so some beets sat in our fridge for quite awhile. We get them in the CSA frequently this year, and the only way I knew how to prepare them was by roasting the bulbs and sauteeing the greens (see here). Even before the current heat wave, I did the roasting early in the morning to keep the house cool. Now? Fuggedaboutit.

So I was quite happy to find this recipe for a raw beet salad yesterday. No turning on the stove and everything was already in our pantry. Easy-peasy and delicious.

Currently Loving

2010-07-21T11:07:00.000-06:00

Loving this photo series.

Loving this quilt.

Loving this blog.

Loving this performance.

Loving this honesty.

Adventures in Baby Food #3: Peach Puree

2010-07-20T17:59:00.000-06:00

This smelled so, so good as I was making it. G tried some tonight and absolutely loved it. If I had any spare time these days (i.e., a baby who wasn't crawling around chasing two poor dogs every spare minute), I'd be inspired to make some peach preserves, too.

Directions are basically the same as the plum puree below.

List 14: Proust Questionairre Part I

2010-07-19T06:00:00.011-06:00

Inspired by the 19th-century parlor game and regular Vanity Fair feature. Look for Part II next Monday. If you want to play along, leave yours (or a link to yours) in the comments!

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being at home surrounded by children and animals and flowers, with an hour or two to be alone and read in bed.

2. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Pessimism.

3. What is your greatest extravagance?
Fresh flowers in the depths of winter.

4. What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My peasant-stock stubby legs (although now they are competing with my softening jawline).

5. What is your greatest regret?
Deciding not to study abroad because I was afraid to leave a boy.

6. Which talent would you most like to have?
Any sort of musical ability.

7. What is your current state of mind?
Wistful.

8. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Can I go backwards in (fictional) time and be Elizabeth Bennett?

9. What is your most treasured possession?
My tweed teddy bear, made from my grandfather's old coat by my grandmother and I.

10. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Having to make small talk at parties.

(14 down, 86 to go.)

Currently Loving

2010-07-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Loving this dress.

Loving this website.

Loving these book recommendations.

Loving this image.

Loving how this list brings back some memories.

Adventures in Baby Food #2: Plum Puree

2010-07-13T09:01:00.000-06:00

This week we got some absolutely gorgeous little plums in our organic CSA box. Because the cousins of plums, peaches and nectarines, are on the so-called Dirty Dozen list, I was eager to make baby food from these even though I love, love, love me some fresh plums.

I followed the directions in a book called Mommy Made, which someone was kind enough to give me for free at their tag sale. Unfortunately, I think the book itself is out of print, but here's what I did:

Plum Puree

You will need 6 small plums, washed, peeled, halved, and pitted. To peel plums easily, immerse them in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then remove and allow to cool. The peels should slip off easily with your fingers or a paring knife. Be careful when pitting them; blanched plums are slippery!

Place the prepared plums in a steamer basket (or cover with just enough water, as I did after my steamer disaster). Cover tightly and simmer for about two minutes. Test for doneness with a fork. Transfer plums from the pot to the food processor with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking water in case the puree needs to be thinned (mine didn't). Puree, cool, and transfer to a freezer tray. After cubes are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and label with the date (most frozen fruit and vegetable purees keep about three months). This made six cubes/servings.

When I taste-tested the puree it seemed quite tart for baby tastes. I'll probably mix it with rice cereal or a milder flavor like banana.

Also, for those of you interested in making your own baby food, this seems like a really good site.

List 13: Things I Saw in Vermont

2010-07-13T07:25:00.001-06:00

1. A tiny hummingbird in the bee balm, a chipmunk running back and forth on the stone wall.

2. Morning mist rising off the glass-still pond.

3. A woman carrying fresh donuts on a long thin stick.

4. The red covered bridge that means “home” to me.

5. The chubby hands of our baby reaching up to pat the lined cheeks of my 97-year-old grandmother.

6. A swampy roadside field of orange daylilies upon orange daylilies.

7. Workhorses grazing near the creek, their tails twitching as they pull up grass.

8. “Mare’s tails” clouds stained pink by the sunset, framed by almost-black pines.

9. A tomato plant threaded with loops upon loops of spider webs, the webs themselves clustered with early morning dew.

10. Family, family, family.

(I know it's Tuesday, but we were having problems with our internet yesterday and I did not want to miss a week! 13 down, 87 to go.)

List 12: Things I'd Like to Tell My 20-Year Old Self

2010-07-05T06:00:00.004-06:00

1. That waitressing job you loathe is going to make you a lot nicer to people in the future. It's true, what the old people are saying--- it builds character.

2. That guy you have been with all through high school and think you're going to marry? You'll stay with him much longer than you should, but you won't marry him. Thank goodness.

3. You're not fat. Also, some of your friends have eating disorders.

4. Stop being so cruel to your little sister. She's still at home, she misses you, and she's going to be an amazing friend to you in the coming years.

5. Stop studying so much and have some fun. No one cares about your grades. You're not going to apply to Harvard Law like you think you are. In fact, you're going to quit graduate school and be totally happy with that decision.

6. The fact that you love to sew, that you love to save recipes, that you love to visit your grandmother so you can help her in her garden--- these are nothing to be embarrassed about.

7. You will learn to like, even love, beer. You will stop liking Mike's Hard Lemonade.

8. You don't "hate other girls." You're going to find women whose friendships you value and that will last a long time.

9. It's okay to feel your feelings. And yes, even your older self knows that sounds corny. But it's true. Related to that, it's okay to set boundaries with other people and ask--- no, insist--- that they respect them.

10. Your twenties will start off hard, but you'll move into your thirties learning three things: 1) most of your anxieties and worries didn't even happen, 2) most shit doesn't matter at the end of the day, and 3) you are happier than you could have ever planned for, anyway.

(This list inspired by Brooke, who was inspired by Andrea. 12 down, 88 to go.)

Refrigerator Pickles

2010-07-03T14:31:00.001-06:00

It's cucumber time in our CSA box, and no one in the house really eats cucumbers, plural. I mean, I like cucumbers just fine, but give me several at a time and I'm kind of at a loss with what to do with them. Thankfully, I found a recipe for pickles on Prudent Baby, but since I did not have all of the ingredients on hand, I did my own little take on refrigerator pickles. I suggest using wide-mouth jars for this.

Refrigerator Pickles
two large cucumbers, thinly sliced (I like to use a mandoline)
half a red onion, thinly sliced

1 and 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced (I used some from our harvest, yay!)

Arrange cucumbers in clean jars and put a layer of red onion on top. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for one minute. Pour liquid over cucumbers and onion and seal jars. Refrigerate for 3-4 days to let flavors meld.

It hasn't been three days yet, but the onion is turning the most gorgeous hot pink thanks to the vinegar and curry powder. I did a little taste test and they're quite good already!

And while we're on the subject of pickles, can we talk about real, honest-to-goodness canning? I love love love the idea of canning. Every summer my grandmother and I would go berry picking, hull strawberries on the porch while chatting, and then make a big batch of jam in a very humid kitchen. It was wonderful. The bagful of fresh, jewel-toned strawberry jam she sent me home with was just a bonus; it was the process that I loved.

However, I find canning solo intimidating as hell. I'm not growing enough in our garden to want to put up our own vegetables, but I'd like to try a batch of jam or pickles just for fun. Does anyone have any tips, a fail-safe recipe or a book that they love? I feel like since I am in New Mexico I am ethically obligated to make green chile jam (great with cream cheese and crackers), but every time I cook with hot peppers I foolishly rub my eyes afterwards. Or worse.

Summer Colours Week: Blue

2010-07-02T06:00:00.015-06:00

Joining Jan at Poppytalk for the final installment of Summer Colours Week!

Some of my favorite things about summer: road trips (blue skies), sewing (blue fabrics), and working in the garden (where I found this discarded blue eggshell).

Summer Colours Week: Red & White

2010-07-01T06:00:00.022-06:00

Joining Jan at Poppytalk for Summer Colours Week!

Summer Colours Week: Green

2010-06-30T06:00:00.003-06:00

Joining Jan at Poppytalk for Summer Colours Week!

Plums from the tree in our backyard, chard from our garden, and produce from our CSA. The recipe for "Not Guacamole" is here.

Not Guacamole

2010-06-29T10:12:00.002-06:00

I am really, really terrible at making guacamole. It seems like it should be so easy, but somehow it isn't. There was one time in college where I mixed the avocado with vanilla yogurt. I . . . I don't know what I was thinking.

I adore avocado and we get a lot of them in our CSA, but I am the only one who eats them, so it can be a challenge to use them all up. Last week I tried mashing one and mixing it with breastmilk (as advised by my baby nutrition book) for G, but it was met with much the same response that the college concoction was.

So now, if I have not completely turned you off from avocado FOR LIFE, here's how I like it best:

Not Guacamole
diced red or green onion
10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
one avocado, cubed
juice from one lime
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro (optional)

Toss all ingredients together (add some drained and rinsed black beans if you like) and serve with tortilla chips. I may or may not have eaten this whole thing for lunch yesterday.

Summer Colours Week: Yellow

2010-06-29T08:39:00.002-06:00

Joining Jan at Poppytalk for Summer Colours Week!

Summer Colours Week: Pink

2010-06-28T20:00:00.009-06:00

Joining Jan at Poppytalk for Summer Colours Week!

Garlic

2010-06-28T13:27:00.000-06:00

After curing thirty garlic plants in our shed for two weeks (well, closer to three . . . I got busy), I spent the morning cleaning off the bulbs for storage. I'm happy to report that very few of the bulbs had any mold or damage, so I feel like it's my first truly successful gardening experiment in New Mexico! It was hard-won, too. When we planted these in the fall I was six months pregnant, and even though I thought I was taking it slow, the activity sent me into early labor. Fortunately the doctors were able to stop it, but as I said with the shallots, I am going to use the SHIT out of this garlic. We have a nice amount to share and maybe even a few to break up and replant come fall--- I don't know, though. We do use a fair amount of the stuff on our own.

I plan on making pesto with some of this, along with basil from our garden, tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will have enough basil leaves to make a big batch for freezing.

There was just something so nice and slow and meditative about sitting in the sun this morning with a dog next to me, peeling the papery skins away to reveal clean white bulbs, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my back and the smell of dirt and garlic on my hands while the baby napped.

List 11: Things I Saw on The Road

2010-06-28T05:53:00.000-06:00

1. The sun rising over the Sandias as we left Albuquerque--- black mountains, bright sky.

2. An old dog standing by the side of the road in Santa Fe.

3. The shift from open vistas to brush and dark pines, stands of cottonwood trees along irrigation ditches.

4. Signs of rural decay--- crumbling adobe, tumbledown barbed-wire fences, abandoned trailers painted with graffiti. These are beautiful to me.

5. A single truck on a long dirt road, throwing dust as it drives towards the horizon.

6. Cows with their sweet-faced calves, Appaloosas with their leggy foals, tails twitching happily.

7. Iron gates to ranches, displaying cattle brand symbols.

8. Pronghorn antelope walking along the side of I-25 single-file.

9. Rain falling in dark sheets on one side of the car, perfect white clouds on the other.

10. Blue mirages on the highway, blending road and sky.

(11 down, 89 to go.)

List 10: Articles of Clothing I Have Loved (Or, Proof I Need to Work on My Fashion Sense)

2010-06-21T06:00:00.007-06:00

1. Green Osh Kosh B'Gosh corduroy overalls. I mean, they were green. And they were corduroy. And they were overalls. At least I was five. Somewhere, there is a picture of me dancing in these overalls, also wearing a cockeyed boater on my head and holding a cane. I don't know, either.

2. A bright pink, tie-dyed, gauze maxi dress I picked up at some thrift store in Vermont while in high school.

3. I used to wear said maxi dress with hot-pink Chuck Taylors that were platform-height, thanks to a double sole.

4. And to top it off that maxi dress and the Chuck Taylors, because, you know, that ensemble just wasn't BRIGHT enough, I had my Blossom hat. Speaking of, did you know Mayim Bialik was on What Not to Wear last year? She is, unfortunately, my fashion spirit animal. Shit. Stacey and Clinton, call me.

5. An oversized men's pea coat I bought at an Army and Navy and wore all through high school, college, and graduate school. Can I just say how great the grunge era was for teen girls struggling with their developing bodies?

6. A hand-me-down "University of California Athletics" double-layer T that my cousin gave me in 1994 when she moved in with her boyfriend and I was visiting them in San Francisco. It was his, she wanted to throw it out, and she snuck it into my duffle. That thing was ancient then and even older now. I still wear it to bed most nights. I will be devastated when it finally dies.

7. My Red Sox baseball cap. Clinton and Stacey can pry it from my cold, dead hands.

8. Seersucker trousers. These currently do not fit me and probably never will again, but they are never leaving my closet because they are awesome. And, unlike numbers 1 through 6, not embarrassing or regrettable, as long as I don't try to squeeze into them right now.

9. Vintage Frye boots. I was on my way to finally splurge on the real thing, to make my first big fashion purchase as an adult, when I stumbled across them at the Garment District in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the exact size and the exact color I was planning to buy. It was my best bargain/find, ever.

10. An bright orange and white sundress with a very, very full bodice (trapeze?). It has about the ugliest print and ugliest shape ever. But it is so comfortable, and it has pockets. Pockets!

(10 down, 90 to go.)

A Summer Manifesto

2010-06-20T10:54:00.001-06:00

The spring manifesto was something I really enjoyed doing, and since the start of summer is upon us, I thought I'd do another one (thanks to Julia for getting me started on these). A lot of things I want to do over the next few weeks are really a continuance of or a variation on a theme from my spring list, but here it goes:

Get outside with G every day. This is a particular challenge here right now since it's almost a hundred degrees by noon, making it necessary to get out the door before her morning nap or right before bedtime, or it's just too hot. We just sat in the paddling pool last night before bed. That was lovely.
Continue to try new recipes. We're slated to get over two pounds of zucchini in our CSA box tomorrow, so . . .
Rebuild my wardrobe as environmentally responsibly and thriftily as I can - meaning a lot of sewing and browsing second hand stores. I wrote about a set of particular challenges before and I'm still working on them.
Finish sewing two more articles of clothing for the Wardrobe Challenge.
Get that Diana camera out and get the film--- from my trip to Vermont last summer--- in it developed. There's so many little places in Albuquerque that would look amazing captured on film. Does anyone have an online film processor that they like?
And finally, this is more of a chore, but something that will make me feel better in the long run: Prepare the household for my return to work. I know, I know. There are tons and tons of women who do this every day. But for the last sixth months I've been recovering from a very difficult pregnancy and, following that, just allowing myself to enjoy this time that will never happen again. I'm kind of dreading G's transition to daycare (well, probably more my own than hers) and the shift in our family time once I am working again. I have a new, busier position when I go back to teaching, and ideally I'd like to be as organized as possible to ease the adjustment. At home, this means building up a store of breast milk, freezing meals, and . . . ? Any advice here, people? Or any freezer-friendly vegetarian recipes? I keep telling myself that if I work on school for an hour a day and do a household task every day, I'll be TOTALLY SET by August. And then I think, bah, forget it. Because the whole thing reminds me too much of this article.

Reflect, slow down, enjoy. That's what I said and I'm stickin' to it. Until I completely freak out.

Baby Food Success!

2010-06-19T17:28:00.000-06:00

This batch of carrots went much better than the last one! And I would dare say G agrees.

It's very simple really--- wash, peel, and chop a cup and a half of carrots; cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until very soft. Puree, cool, and freeze. Put cubes in a freezer bag labeled with the date; they can be kept frozen for up to three months.

The only pitfall was a few remaining (albeit very small) chunks after pureeing everything in the Cuisinart. Has anyone ever used a food mill? Are they any better?

Five Senses Friday

2010-06-18T08:23:00.001-06:00

Tasting:

lots and lots of fresh peaches and nectarines from our CSA.

Seeing:

my baby, slowly but surely testing out her knees and elbows in preparation for crawling

Smelling:

fresh laundry off the line.

the oniony bite of shallots from the garden.

Feeling:

that time is running by way too fast.

excited about some upcoming visits with family.

Hearing:

the birds starting to call at five o'clock in the morning (because somebody wants to get up early these days).

The Spring Manifesto, Revisited

2010-06-17T16:22:00.001-06:00

Can I just say I am so glad I started this blog back in March? I feel like it gave shape to my days while wading through the fog of newly-minted motherhood. It's been so nice to hear from others, and so nice to try to remember to snap a photograph or jot down the little things day by day. Since staying home, time has simultaneously moved at a snail's pace and at warp speed--- G is growing (and almost crawling now!) before my eyes, and I will be returning to work before I know it. But recording things here has helped me reflect, slow down, enjoy.

The other thing that has helped me reflect, slow down, enjoy is Julia's tradition of seasonal manifestos. Since the summer solstice is only a few days away, I thought I would revisit my spring manifesto today and post a Summer one in the next few days.

From my spring list:

Try new recipes with the produce from our farmshare. They always have such an amazing array of vegetables in the spring. So, not as many as I thought, but I did try a few new recipes: whole wheat pizza with spinach and artichoke hearts, chocolate-orange zucchini bread (amazing), roasted cabbage for Saint Patrick's Day, dill-basmati rice with chard and chickpeas, grilled tofu with sesame carrot salad during a heat wave, zucchini-bran bread, and roasted beets. There was also this epic disaster, which I may reattempt tomorrow.

Sew a little floppy hat for G. so that her perfect baby skin is protected from the Southwestern sun. Check!

Raid the fabric stash and sew a top or dress for myself. Check and check!. I've been getting a lot of use out of both in this heat. I still have to complete two more pieces for the wardrobe challenge.

Take more photos, either with the digital or Diana camera. Digital = done. I've taken almost daily photos of G and a lot for this blog--- endless macros of flowers and food, it seems. Sadly, the Diana is still sitting on the table by the front door. And all the roses I wanted to shoot on film have faded.

Set up our flower and vegetable beds for a summer of (hopefully successful) growing! I think I just got overly ambitious with this. Between having a baby and not knowing much about gardening in the Southwest, I look at my original plan and feel like I set myself up for failure (and indeed, most of the seedlings failed. I still don't know why.). Some things are struggling in the heat right now, but I harvested a lot of garlic and used quite a few shallots in cooking. We'll have chard very soon, and tomatoes and peppers a bit later. Something ate the dahlias and zinnias. I'm very sad about this; I was looking forward to a mini cutting garden.

Learn how to care for the many rose bushes that came with our house. Check! Two bushes came back to life beautifully. Some other ones limped along. I'll keep trying.

Walk more. G and I (and one of the pups) walk almost every day. It's so nice not to have to do the pregnant waddle anymore.

Get back to reading, even if it's just a page or two each day. Most days I've done this. Right now I'm previewing a lot of YA novels for my return to work. My favorite reads this spring were Journal of a Solitude (thanks Brooke!) and Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business (don't look at me like that). G's favorites were Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and, of course, Goodnight Moon. We just signed up for the summer reading program at the library today!

Explore a part of New Mexico I haven't seen yet. Well, this just didn't happen. But we have some things in the works for summer.

In the hectic thick of things, I can be really hard on myself about not finishing the day's to-do list. But typing this all out, I feel like I actually accomplished quite a bit in the past three months. And, most importantly, I feel like I tried to hold on to the things I enjoyed, while letting go of those things that didn't get done (because, frankly, I didn't enjoy doing them). So, to repeat, I am so glad I started this little project. I'll post a summer one soon!

Sauteed Beets and Greens

2010-06-15T10:11:00.000-06:00

Since beets are an oft-hated vegetable, this is a bit of an awkward follow up to my zucchini rant. I fully admit I'm a former beet skeptic myself. We get them every once in awhile in our CSA box, and while we've begun enjoying the greens, I often found the beets themselves going ignored and ending up in the compost.

Well, no more. Tonight I made roasted beets and sauteed it with the greens (and with shallots from our garden! Recipe here.) along with whole wheat pasta in an herbed ricotta sauce, washed down with white wine. Yum.

Now on to that kholrabi that's been sitting in refrigerator. What the hell does one do with kholrabi?

The Only Form in Which Zucchini is Delicious

2010-06-14T13:30:00.002-06:00

I don't care, I hate zucchini. It tastes like a furry, starchy, bland cucumber (which is saying something), and I hate it. Those steamed vegetable sides you always get at weddings? The only reason I don't pick out the zucchini is because I'm a grownup now. Sigh.

Growing up in Vermont, seemingly everyone grew zucchini in their gardens and then just gave it to each other. There were always tables on the roadside in front of houses with giant piles of the stuff and a big sign saying "FREE." I don't ever remember stopping, not once. You know why? Because it sucks. Because our house was already filled with all the zucchini people could give us. It was an endless swapping of green, phallic vegetables that went on all summer. There are stories about neighbors sneaking zucchini onto each other's porches in the middle of the night.

In any case, it always seemed to be a challenge to use it all up. My grandmother sometimes made it eggplant-Parmesan style, breaded, fried, and baked in layers of sauce and cheese. That was bearable. Somewhat. Baked goods (like this one) are better.

Inevitably, I know someone is going to read this and claim, "Mmmm, but I love zucchini!" No. No you don't. People love Ben and Jerry's. No one loves zucchini. That's like when I would read my celebrity gossip while pregnant and some expectant actress would claim her cravings consisted of kale and chard--- and I would scream "Liar!" at the computer monitor in a hormonal rage while reaching for another spoonful of Nutella.

Perhaps I'm just bitter because we got more of of the green menace in today's CSA. Gawd. At least I used up last week's before today's two pounds came rolling in! In any case, here is a recipe for zucchini-haters who can't bear to waste food.

Zucchini Bran Bread
From Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

3 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 c vegetable oil
4 cups grated zucchini
2 c unbleached flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c bran
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (I also add raisins)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the oil, then stir in the zucchini.

3. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the remaining ingredients. Stir into the zucchini mixture until evenly moistened. Scrape into prepared pans and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let sit five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

List 9: Songs for a Road Trip

2010-06-14T06:35:00.001-06:00

1. Sweet Thing, Van Morrison

2. Blame it on the Tetons, Modest Mouse

3. Chicago, Sufjan Stevens

4. Sweet Jane, Cowboy Junkies

5. New Slang, The Shins

6. Another Travelin' Song, Bright Eyes

7. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen

8. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

9. Kamera, Wilco

10. I Got a Name, Jim Croce

Thinking about the soundtracks to past trips and ahead to another drive along stretches of open Western highways. Also inspired by Abby's recent road trip posts. And also asking you, dear readers, for new music recommendations (they don't all have to be as mellow as the ones above).

(9 down, 91 to go.)

Adventures in Baby Food

2010-06-12T14:52:00.001-06:00

Remember this post where I stressed that this blog is incredibly selective? Well, let's consider today's post in the interest of full disclosure.

After G went down for her nap, I decided to forgo my own naptime and spend the afternoon to make baby food using local, organic vegetables from our CSA box. I lovingly washed and peeled and chopped carrots, read up on vegetable purees and freezing in this book, and washed out some BPA-free freezer trays with my all-natural dish soap. I was stopping during each step to take natural-light, macro shots of the food for this very blog. Yep, I was feeling quite Earth-mama. Like I'd got this homesteading housewife thing down. I was going to make the most natural baby food ever, and I was pret-ty damn proud of myself.

I measured out the carrots.

I put them in the steamer. I added plenty of water to my favorite, fancy-schmancy Calphalon pot and brought it to a boil (this where one should ask the question, how hard is it to boil water really?). I lowered my special steamer, the one with the plastic feel to protect my nonstick cookware, into the water and covered the pot. The recipe said to steam root vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes. I checked after 15, and they were still a bit firm for baby food, so I set the timer for 5 more minutes and went to get out the food processor.

At this point, I said to myself, Mmmmm, something smells like brownies. This is because I like my brownies slightly burnt and crunchy at the edges--- I hadn't noticed that the all water had boiled off in twenty minutes and THE GODDAMN POT WAS FILLING THE KITCHEN WITH THE SCENT OF BURNING PLASTIC STEAMER FEET.

And so my happy Earth-mama reverie ended with me frantically grabbing a potholder, tripping over begging dogs, and running outside with a smoking pot of local, organic carrots that now smell (and probably taste) like burning chemical fumes. The steamer feet are stuck to the bottom of the pot. The carrots won't be used. No artistic shot of the end product to be taken.

If I hate wasting anything, it's time, food, and money (it sounds awkward but I wanted to emphasize that order). Nap times are precious, stolen moments where I get to focus on an activity completely, and yet I've been sitting on the couch since, pouting and trying not to cry about an afternoon spent on said cooking disaster (and afraid to attempt any sewing). I suppose the upside is that Amazon is currently having a sale on this very pot, so I've already ordered a replacement, but I'm going to take my own nap before trying this again.

Five Senses Friday

2010-06-11T07:00:00.003-06:00

Tasting:

mini cupcakes in celebration of several family birthdays.

Touching:

a cool washcloth against the back of my neck. It's been so hot and dry here I can feel the moisture lift off my skin in an instant.

Hearing:

the blues-y sounds of Chris Smither.

the thunk of moths against the screen door at night.

Seeing:

another almost-whole robin's egg, that lovely blue jumping out against the pavement on our walk.

a chocolate lab puppy romping in tall grass. Why do puppy tails wag differently than those of adult dogs? In any case, it was ridiculous and made me happy.

Smelling:

thirty bulbs of garlic curing in the garden shed.

Rosemary and Lavender

2010-06-09T11:17:00.000-06:00

They make our patio smell so, so good. Someday, I want to plant banks and banks of lavender along our front lawn.

Summer Supper

2010-06-08T07:50:00.001-06:00

After an incredibly hot, busy week, we had a refrigerator full of vegetables and no desire to really cook them. We tried several new recipes last night and, though I try to avoid text speak, ZOMG. This supper was easy to put together, asked for minimal time in the kitchen, and oh-so-good.

We used this recipe for grilled tofu and used the remaining marinade on some zucchini. It made that dreaded vegetable almost, dare I say, enjoyable? (Side note: I am starting to think this mystery plant could be zucchini. What a cruel, cruel joke that would be.)

Balancing out the tofu was this sesame carrot salad, just the right amount of cool and crunch, and some steamed broccoli.

We ate in on the patio, watching the sunset, and everything was so, so good.

Heat Part III

2010-06-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

The container gardens are faring a little better than the garlic in this drought (the heat and dryness has been extreme, even for New Mexico). I love the fuzz on tomato stems and the scent of the leaves. I want to make pesto with the basil soon, but am afraid to deplete it. There is nothing nicer than fresh basil.

I'm proud that my procrastination means two rows of chard that were planted about three weeks apart--- so we'll have at least two nice batches in the coming weeks (we even grew chard and spinach in our sunroom last winter).

Finally, I was so excited to see that the zinnia seedlings are thriving. I love cut flowers for the house, but always hesitate to spend the money on them. Now I have a mini cutting garden of my own.

Heat Part II

2010-06-07T11:51:00.001-06:00

It's so hot here that last night all three of us took a dip in the paddling pool. G leaned back into both of us, waving her arms and splaying her fingers to feel the coolness of the water. She quietly watched the wisteria branches in the breeze, turned her head in wonder to follow the sounds of the mourning dove in its nest.

This morning I went out to harvest the garlic and found the shell of a robin's egg. I was so grateful for the color against all of that brown.

The dogs kept me company in the garden while G napped. I love brushing up against their warm fur in the sun, their companionable snuffling and snorting. They are glad to play in the dirt as much as I am.

I gathered 30 garlic bulbs in total, bundling and hanging them in our shed to cure before I braid them together for storage. The whole space is full of their scent. Between the heat, the garlic, and the grapevines, I wondered if I'd been transported to Sicily.

List 8: Recipes We've Made Over and Over

2010-06-07T07:00:00.004-06:00

(although some not in this heat.)

1. Mexican Grilled Corn

2. Grilled Baby Artichokes

3. Cold Sesame Noodles

4. Honey-Sesame Grilled Chicken Wings

5. Mushroom Ricotta Pizza

6. Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic

7. Sweet Potato Pizza

8. Quinoa Muffins

9. Mustard-Roasted Potatoes with Dill

10. Cashew-Caramel Cookies

(8 down, 92 to go)

Heat

2010-06-06T10:11:00.002-06:00

We pulled this garlic bulb from the garden on Friday evening. It started as one single clove and now it has, well, more than one. So I consider that a success. I'm harvesting the rest later this evening.

It has been incredibly hot here this week. The roses are turning into dried, perfectly preserved blooms right on the bush. I can barely keep up with the deadheading. The garlic and shallots are going limp, the chard threatening to bolt. It's been the kind of heat where you don't want to go out after 8 o'clock in the morning, but rather take a cool shower, wear the thinnest cotton top possible, draw the curtains, and stay inside and read books under fans while sucking a popsicle.

This week I drove out near the Sandia Mountains and saw a long rattlesnake dead, laid out in a flowing 'S' on the yellow line of the highway. I saw bison and Appaloosa horses corralled by the side of the road. On evening walks in our neighborhood I kept mistaking hummingbirds for giant bugs. Last night we discovered that there is a mourning dove nesting in the wisteria that covers our patio. She looks shy and a bit scared of the dogs, and I can't help but wonder why she chose that spot. These animals all make this place seem wild and still a bit foreign to me. I like that.

More reading today, and more waiting for rain.

Three Bags Full

2010-06-01T19:44:00.000-06:00

Today I spent the morning cleaning out my closet. In addition to carrying another human for nine months, we now live in a much less walker-friendly city, and the shape of my body has definitely changed. I returned to my pre-pregnancy clothes and almost nothing fits. Well, some of it technically fits. But it shouldn't be worn in public. And dresses are currently out due to breastfeeding. In addition to appropriate fit, I found that I just don't like quite a few things anymore. Things that made sense in preppy, wintry New England just don't work here.

At the end of the morning I had three bags full of clothes to consign or donate and felt close to the verge of tears. My body feels different, my sense of place feels different, and my style feels . . . in question. As a teacher and a new mother, I feel like I'm always on the verge of dowdy, and right now it's in danger of outright sloppy. And since I've been staying home for the past sixth months--- while trying to become less and less of a consumer--- it's hard to give myself permission to invest in a few basics, or even know what to buy.

Participating in Julia's Wardrobe Challenge is helping (at least I can develop a skill while trying to make some things. I think a skirt or new purse is next on the list), and a few nice finds at the thrift also brought a smile to my face this morning.

However, I would still love your comments on a couple of things:

1) Where do you find style inspiration? I find that a lot of fashion magazines don't make sense for my budget, lifestyle, or line of work. I do like checking out Wardrobe Remix , What I Wore, and La Fille d'Or. Are there any other websites you all would recommend?

2) If you sew, are there any favorite patterns you've used to create clothes for yourself?

3) What is your favorite place for accessories?

List 7: Summer Memories

2010-05-31T07:00:00.003-06:00

1. Slip n' Slides. Wet grass stuck to knees and elbows.

2. Finding tiny wild strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries in the woods.

3. Wiffle ball, T-ball, and Little League games. Being assigned to right field and completely not giving a shit. Fending off mosquitoes and staring at the sunset, or people watching, or picking dandelions only to realize--- too late--- that a ball is headed my way. The handslapping rhythm of "Goodgame, goodgame, goodgame, goodgame" after a win or a loss.

4. Riding bikes with neighborhood kids at dusk, smelling hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, waiting for fireflies to come out so we can catch them in Mason jars.

5. Going to Seward's for ice cream, my parents insisting there is a drip on the cone we need "help" with.

6. Floating on the lake in inner tubes. Trying to "surf" and inevitably falling.

7. Being convinced that if swallowed, a watermelon seed would grow out of one's stomach. Or one's butt.

8. Sitting around a campfire, smoke in eyes, while the uncles tell terrifying ghost stories.

9. Riding with the car windows all the way down, hand riding the air, or riding in the back of a pickup truck.

10. The feel of a hot car seat on a wet-bathing-suited bum.

What are yours?

(7 down, 93 to go.)

Five Senses Friday

2010-05-28T06:43:00.002-06:00

Tasting:

Salads laden with ranch dressing. Why, despite all my hippie and domestic leanings, do I love storebought ranch dressing so?

Touching:

the cool side of the pillow in the middle of the night.

Hearing:

the whir of fans throughout the house.

Seeing:

tiny, perfect baby peppers!

Smelling:

the desert air filling with moisture, promising a bit of rain.

Remnant Project #1

2010-05-26T12:21:00.003-06:00

So after failing to complete a project during Kids Clothes Week and picking up some very inexpensive remnants, I thought yesterday would be a good time to experiment sewing something for G without a pattern. I was originally inspired by the pillow case dress tutorial on Freshly Picked, but wanted to tweak a few things and use only what I had on hand (namely by doing self ties rather than elastic at the neckline). In full disclosure the tutorial looks really excellent, and any difficulties I outline below are due to my own experimentation-during-sleep-deprivation process.

After measuring G's chest and length, I cut two appropriately-sized rectangles, then a J-shape for the armholes.

I also made my own binding and self-ties. It was my first time doing this and I was pretty proud of it!

After finishing the first version of the dress, though, I realized that I had made a pretty dumb mistake. I had cut the body to the size of G's chest, but did not add any flare to the skirt, so I couldn't get it over her ginormous baby head (I can say this. I have the C-section scar to prove it.). Plus, even if I could have gotten it on, the dress was so narrow (and G so increasingly mobile) that she would have been very, very uncomfortable in it. But I was really proud of the binding work around the arms and the casing I had made for the self-ties. Plus, since I was working with a limited amount of fabric to begin with, my options were pretty limited. And finally, as you should know by now, I am a very lazy seamstress.

So, I cut the dress about an inch and a half below the armpit, leaving just a little bodice. Then I trimmed the rest and sewed it together to fashion a wider, fuller skirt.

Finally, this is what I came up with. I am still debating adding rickrack to the bottom of the skirt, but I can't decide between the yellow or the navy blue in my stash.

Below is a detail of the binding around the armholes. The self-ties go through a casing across the neckline and tie at each shoulder.

And here is the fuller, gathered skirt so I can actually get it over her head:

G is growing so rapidly that it won't fit her for very long, but I feel like experimenting without a set pattern helped me learn a lot about construction and fit (albeit through my mistakes). Plus, the total cost of this dress was around $2.50 and some stolen time during naps.

So voila! A relatively quick and easy summer dress for baby and a learning process for mama.

(I also feel like I should add a disclaimer at the end of this piece. A couple new moms have asked me how on earth I find the time to sew with a baby. Let me just stress that blogs, including this one, are incredibly selective. I might be showing off a project I pieced together during a few of her naps, but I'm certainly not showing off the dirty dishes in the sink, the piles of dog hair hiding under the couch, or the stack of unopened mail I still need to sort. Some days I make choices to put those other things aside so I can enjoy a bit of creative alone time--- please don't think I have it all together, because I definitely do not!)

Two Garden Questions

2010-05-25T12:44:00.000-06:00

1) Back in March, my dad helped me bury compost in a long trench down the center of our raised bed. Then this popped up. I feel like it looks like an actual vegetable, maybe from seeds in the compost? Does anyone know what it is? Maybe squash or a cucumber?

2) How do you know when garlic is ready to harvest? Do you wait until the plant flowers? I have no idea. We planted this way back in October, and the stalks are pretty big, but every time I dig one up the actual bulb only has one or two cloves on it. We had planned on planting corn and edamame in the raised bed, because I assumed we would be harvesting the garlic in the spring, but it's certainly taking its sweet time.

Seersucker Tank

2010-05-24T16:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, so like Lost, this top is done, in a technically-speaking, sort-of-kind-of way. I will happily count it as one of my three garments for the Wardrobe Challenge. I'm really happy that I persevered with the seersucker (my original post on its difficulties here), because the top is amazingly airy and comfy and perfect, weight-wise, for the hot summer months ahead. I struggled a lot with the binding, too, and save for a few "off" puckers at the armholes, it came out better than I expected.

Though I'm happy with the feel and the fit, I'm not sure if I like the top's simplicity. I didn't do the original neckline I planned on (which you can see in the pattern and on the model here). If you've been reading then my bitching about binding, buttonholing, and sewing in general, then you could have probably predicted this. I tried, I really did. But I would sneak off to sew during G.'s naps, stare at the neckline directions for the nth time, and just go, Wha? And since I want to, you know, wear this summer top sometime this summer, I decide to just hem the bottom and be done with it.

Except . . . it just doesn't feel quite done. Maybe it's just because I originally planned on a different look. But I'm still squinting at that neckline and thinking about possible embellishments I could add. Part of me is debating some rosettes in the same seeersucker, with bright buttons in the center. Is that too juvenile, even if it's just one or two along the shoulder? Rosettes in a bright color like red or kelly green? Embroidery, perhaps? Just leave it as is and let (my nonexistent) accessories do the work?

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them in the comments below!

On the Worktable

2010-05-24T12:47:00.000-06:00

While I was finishing this top this afternoon, I took a photo of what was cluttering my workspace. Seersucker, my trusty measuring tape, and a striped shirtdress I'd love to be able to recreate. I do have a thing for stripes.

More on the completed top soon!

List 6: Things I Like to Do in the Summer

2010-05-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

1. Buy lemonade from kids at their sidewalk stands.

2. Go to the farmers market or drive around looking for tag sales.

3. Grill. This has been particularly enjoyable since falling off the vegetarian wagon during pregnancy. Grill these chicken wings. Grill this corn. Trust me on both of these things.

4. Go to a baseball game, be it major league Red Sox or minor league Isotopes.

5. Drink iced coffee, drink sun tea, drink lemonade, drink limeade, drink cold beer. Drink summery drinks.

6. Sit and read a ridiculously stupid book.

7. Sit on the patio after G. has gone to bed, sip gin and tonics, and play cribbage.

8. Sit on my grandmother's porch in Vermont and chat while shelling peas or hulling strawberries.

9. Sit around a campfire and make S'mores.

10. Sit at a mountain lake at dusk, next to someone who does not need to talk, and enjoy the stillness.

My summer involves a lot of sitting.

(6 down, 94 to go.)

Reversible Sundress

2010-05-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

So, like the matching sunhat I made, this dress is going to be big on G. for quite awhile. That's okay, though. It can go from baby dress to toddler tunic, hopefully--- after all the stolen time during naps and all the struggles with buttonholes (and finally settling on snaps) I'd like her to be able to wear it as long as possible!

The dress is a McCall's pattern, M2213. I used an orange batik print on one side and a Japanese-style tree/flower print on the other. I added scalloped topstitching in orange thread, just to make sure the two layers stay neatly in place, and there are reversible pearlized snaps to secure the straps. It's not perfect, but I like it. And aside from all my bitching about buttonholes, the pattern was super-easy--- I'll definitely be doing different variations in the future.

(Since rediscovering my love (love-hate?) for sewing, I've really been enjoying the baby dress posts over at Posie Gets Cozy. They are certainly inspiring and definitely worth a look.)

Remnants (and Remaining Projects)

2010-05-21T09:09:00.000-06:00

I know this space is quickly in danger of becoming the "macro shots of flowers and random lists" blog, which is certainly not what I intended it to be. It's been a hectic few weeks here and I've been feeling stressed and not very creative. Things like trying new recipes and sneaking in some crafty time during G's naps have had to fall by the wayside. Perhaps the bigger problem, though, is that I reached an impasse with two sewing projects (this one and this one), and between the general busy-ness of life and sleep deprivation, I just did not have the motivation to power through either and was feeling rather bad about it.

Thanks to the interwebs, though, I think I may have resolved my buttonhole phobia. What's that, you ask? I finally mastered the buttonhole? No. Pfffffffffft. That's for suckers. Or decent sewers. I (hopefully) found a way around it is all. Although I originally thought that snaps were not an option since the garment I am sewing for G is reversible, it turns out that you can indeed do reversible snaps! And yeah, maybe this is a cop out. But I do think snaps are easier for baby clothes anyway. So it's avoidance, but with an excellent rationale. And we'll see just how long I can avoid buttonholes for. (Also, my machine has an automatic buttonholer foot, yet I still can't get a full buttonhole. How is this possible, I ask you? How?)

Speaking of avoidance, I may forgo the fancy folded neckline intended for this top and just make it into a simple tank. I've finished the binding since the last post and it isn't too bad. We'll see.

Lastly, I wanted to post some pictures of the pretty remnants I picked up yesterday when I went to get the snap setter. Because no matter how many times I promise I am going to use up my fabric stash first, or that I am just going to the store for notions, I just can't resist a good sale on fabric. It's like a new blank notebook. I love the openness and possibility of what I might make with it. In any case, the remnants above were $2 each, and the pink dotted Swiss print was something I had been eyeing for a long time. The dark print is a Dia de Los Muertos theme, with folksy flowers and sugar skulls, and just seemed appropriate for the Southwest. I think each print will yield enough to make a little smocked top or skirt for G, so if I can finish them before she seemingly doubles in size again, she'll have some cute clothes for summer.

More soon. Hopefully.

Five Senses Friday

2010-05-21T06:45:00.001-06:00

Tasting

Salads and popsicles, salads and popsicles. Hot weather food.

Feeling

Cold in the mornings and hot in the afternoons. It's desert life.

Hearing

A cat yowling in the bushes next to our bird feeder.

Seeing

A stunning array of red poppies and purple larkspur in someone's curbside garden.

Smelling

The flowers on the witch's broom (above).

Hoppy, yeasty goodness at a local brewery.

List 5: Books I Cannot Wait to Share with G.

2010-05-17T07:00:00.003-06:00

While little G. and I have already devoured board book copies of Goodnight Moon and volumes of Eric Carle, I am so excited to revisit other favorites with her. Ten I can think of off the top of my head include:

1. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak

2. Charlotte's Web, E.B. White

3. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, DuBose Hayward

4. The Little House Series, Laura Ingalls Wilder

5. The Cricket in Times Square, George Selden

6. Now We Are Six, A.A. Milne

7. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

8. Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

9. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Eleanor Coerr

10. Frog and Toad Are Friends, Arnold Lobel

I should also note that this very abbreviated list was inspired by Alicia Paulson's lovely post 'The Start' over at Posie Gets Cozy. She described the nostalgia and importance of best-loved books from childhood so well. The comments are worth a read, too. What about you? What book from your childhood would you love to share with someone else?

(5 down, 95 to go.)

Abundance

2010-05-15T15:37:00.000-06:00

Even more roses from our garden. I'm hoping I can get to the city's public rose garden this weekend and take some pictures with my long-neglected Diana camera. It's sitting by the door, along with a bouquet, to remind me.

(Seeing as how Kids Clothes Week is almost over, I also stole some time during a nap today and attempted buttonholes for this. It did not go well!)

Five Senses Friday

2010-05-14T06:46:00.000-06:00

Tasting

Leftover sweets from Sunday brunch.

Feeling

The lightness of a discarded robin's egg, of an abandoned snail shell.

Hearing

Blinds clacking against the window sill, the wind shaking the plum tree at night.

Seeing

Rainbows in sprinklers.

So many roses in bloom I'm reminded of this.

Smelling

Basil seedlings and geranium leaves.

A Certain Slant of Light

2010-05-13T20:21:00.000-06:00

My favorite activity these days has been watering the garden early in the morning or early in the evening, enjoying the birds and the wind in the trees and those certain slants of light.

Kids Clothes Week: Days 1 and 2

2010-05-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

Well, I am glad that I started this early, because so far Kids Clothes Week has been a no-go for me. On Monday, G was having one of those adorably perfect days and I wanted to enjoy every moment of her babyhood, while her naptime was spent recovering from Sunday's brunch and preparing for another visitor. Yesterday it was the exact opposite. G's top teeth are coming in and her poor, inconsolable self couldn't bear to leave my side. When she did take a short nap, I spent it in the garden decompressing and weeding the raised bed. So, making kids clothes has been trumped by caring for the actual kidlet. As it should.

I also think on some level I'm avoiding the project because I'm still scared of buttonholes. I at least figured out how to attach the buttonhole foot to the sewing machine and set aside some scrap fabric to work on, but it's getting ridiculous at this point. I'm self-taught (or grandmother/mother-taught) in almost every craft I do; why on earth do I find buttonholes so intimidating? I haven't even tried one yet! I think part of the problem is when I have to 'steal' time to create (and how precious time does seem these days), I want it to be enjoyable, not frustrating. And since I'm predicting it will be frustrating, I'm avoiding it altogether.

In any case, I hope I'll get over this and have more to show you at the end of the week--- if 'real life' can be put on pause for a moment or two!

Radishes

2010-05-10T14:36:00.001-06:00

Okay, so they're sort of pretty. But what do you do with them?

List 4: Fun Facts

2010-05-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

1. I have an irrational fear of slugs, stemming from the time I was a nanny in the South of France and stuck in an old villa alone with a toddler during a thunderstorm. Gargantuan slugs started creeping into the house, from everywhere, in the dark, to escape the storm. I was scarred for life. I also realize that this sounds like some sort of bad Gothic parody.

2. Unnaturally blue foods (think Kool-Aid, bakery frosting) really, really bother me.

3. When we first moved to New Mexico we were unemployed and decided to make a few bucks as extras in a movie with Sam Shepard. We shot a cocktail party scene until four in the morning, in the middle of nowhere, and drove home on empty highways watching a full moon hang over the mountains while dawn broke.

4. When I was little I wanted a pony so badly I tried to fashion one out of a wooden sawhorse, with a flower pot for the head, an old bath mat for a saddle, and a belt for a tail. My father and a neighbor decided to play things up by putting manure under it. I was not amused.

5. I love to read, but most books (no matter how good) seem to leave my head as soon as I'm done with them.

6. Two years ago I started keeping a five-year diary. There's just enough space to jot down a few images from the day, and I love looking at the page and seeing where I was the year or two before. Life is so good lately it makes me smile.

7. Related to that, there is nothing I love more than a new Moleksine notebook. Which means I have half-filled Moleskine notebooks all over the house.

8. I go through cycles of collecting and purging, and always seem to find a use for an item a year or two after I've parted with it.

9. My Jack Russell terrier Chesney is named after a man in a pub in Bath, England, who walked up to my friend and licked the side of her face. The canine Chesney and I met much the same way, hence the name.

10. I have always, always longed to take this sort of trip.

(4 down, 96 to go. This one inspired by Brooke.)

Five Senses Friday

2010-05-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Tasting:

homemade salsa on spinach and cheese burritos.

Touching:

the knit cotton of a sweet little bathrobe my mother made for G.

Hearing:

the chirps of baby birds hiding in the ivy.

Seeing:

more irises blooming in the garden, more and more rosebuds.

Smelling:

cumin and garlic and oil hot in the cast iron pan.

An Unfurling

2010-05-06T10:25:00.001-06:00

The roses are finally coming out, little blooms slowly unfurling everywhere. It's amazing to me that the bushes recovered from the severe pruning I did in March--- the leaves are glossy and shiny and the buds look like they're about to burst into blossom any day now.

It was nice to stand outside in the morning sun and to photograph these roses, to enjoy another thing coming to life in the garden, to breathe in a few quiet moments while G. naps. I've been quietly overwhelmed this week by everyday things looming on the horizon--- and unfortunately my coping mechanism has been to do nothing at all and allow myself to feel even more overwhelmed. Today I think I began to breathe again.

I started reading May Sarton's Journal of a Solitude last night, and I was grateful to have discovered it (thank you, Brooke). I think Sarton's meditations on the importance of being alone and on the natural world were reminders I needed as of late.

A Little Preview . . .

2010-05-03T11:14:00.002-06:00

of the first project I'm working on for Kid's Clothes Week (you might recognize the fabric from here). I started early since I'm so frustrated with this shirt. But I may reach an impasse with both soon. Any tips out there on buttonholes? I've never done buttonholes and they really intimidate me.

List 3: Some Films I Could Watch Again and Again

2010-05-03T07:00:00.006-06:00

1. Amelie

2. It's a Wonderful Life

3. The Quiet Man

4. Annie Hall

5. Grey Gardens

6. Out of Africa

7. The Commitments

8. Rushmore

9. The Royal Tenenbaums

10. The Princess Bride

Five Senses Friday

2010-04-30T07:00:00.019-06:00

Tasting:

the first strawberry smoothie of the season.

the springy bitterness of broccolini and garlic.

Touching:

fresh laundry warmed on the line.

Hearing:

long-forgotten songs from childhood during Story Hour at the library.

Seeing:

baby plums growing on the tree in our backyard (I wonder what I can do with these?).

a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly floating on the breeze.

Smelling:

fresh water, runoff from the mountains in the arroyo.

In Progress

2010-04-27T10:15:00.000-06:00

This shirt has been hanging in the workroom untouched since Saturday. Because frankly, it is pissing. Me. Off. First, I had no idea that seersucker was so damn hard to sew! It wants to unravel the moment the machine touches it. I'm trying to be less of a lazy sewer and finish seams properly, but this is not the right fabric to learn on. Secondly, binding. Oh my word, binding. I just don't get it.

I think the finished product will be really cute, though. It's going to have some detail around the neck that you can't see yet. And I'm always a (seer)sucker for clean, crisp cotton and stripes in the summer. I'd love to knock off the striped shirt/printed skirt combo in this Design*Sponge post. So pretty.

And because I'm a glutton for punishment (I want to like sewing, I really do!) I'd like to do Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge in addition to Julia's Wardrobe Challenge. I've had some patterns and ideas for little G. kicking around for awhile, and a week to push through one or two of them would be perfect. Hopefully I'll get over my frustration and show off some finished products soon.

List 2: Small Things That Make Me Happy

2010-04-26T07:00:00.024-06:00

1. A new magazine.

2. A fresh piece of paper in a notebook.

3. An hour alone to browse a thrift store, an art store, the library.

4. Getting up early to go to the farmers market.

5. Toast and jam and tea.

6. Handwritten letters.

7. Full moons through trees.

8. A nap on a rainy afternoon.

9. Watching hummingbirds in the backyard.

10. Quiet evenings on the patio

(2 down, 98 to go.)

Five Senses Friday

2010-04-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

Tasting:

whole wheat toast with ricotta, honey, and sliced strawberries. A perfect spring breakfast.

Touching:

crisp seersucker for a new shirt.

Hearing:

thunderstorms rolling in at three o' clock in the morning.

Seeing:

a white cat lying in the middle of a lush green lawn.

Smelling:

the dirt, the earth after a night of rain.

Unofficial Flower Week: Lotus

2010-04-23T06:45:00.000-06:00

Nothing else is really in bloom right now, so I thought I'd close out Unofficial Flower Week with some old images of a lotus pond. These were taken at the Los Poblanos Inn, a historical inn and working farm in the area. I used to pick up our CSA box there when we lived closer, and I miss visiting the grounds every week. It's a charming place.

Unofficial Flower Week: Wisteria

2010-04-22T08:32:00.001-06:00

It's cold and rainy here today (which is great, we need it), so I thought I would repost some of last week's wisteria images for Unofficial Flower Week.

This wisteria overhangs two-thirds of our covered patio and is one of the things that made me fall in love with the house. What I didn't know, until this spring, is that it suddenly blooms all at once with a lovely but super-intense smell. I can't wait for the scent (and my allergies) to calm down a bit so I can sit out there in the evenings and enjoy a glass of wine after G. has gone to bed, dreaming of Monet and the gardens at Giverny.

Unofficial Flower Week: Irises

2010-04-21T11:52:00.001-06:00

It's Unofficial Flower Week over at Abby Try Again, and I thought I would play along.

Part of the fun of our first spring in a new house is being surprised by what's already here, what was just waiting to come into bloom. Between the hyacinth, lilac, wisteria, grapes, and irises, I'm willing to bet the previous owner had a thing for purple. I can't say I blame them--- it's a very satisfying color in the desert.

I took these pictures yesterday, and many, many more irises have bloomed today.

Speaking of flowers and purple, I'm enamored with these. They remind me of 'Violet Vale' in Anne of Green Gables, along with my own secret woodland space of my Vermont childhood.

Shallots

2010-04-20T08:22:00.001-06:00

In an effort to keep working on my spring manifesto, I tried a new recipe from Veganomicon (which was recommended by Julia when I asked about favorite cookbooks). Not only was I able to use all of the chard from our CSA box in a new way, the recipe also called for two shallots. I excitedly ran out to the garden and pulled some of our own--- which were definitely not ready and much, much too small. But I was feeling so proud and impatient that I used them anyway. I mean, when we planted these in October, the activity put my pregnant self in the hospital with early contractions. I am going to use every. damn. shallot. I am going to shallot the shit out of things.

The recipe I tried is below. When they say be careful not to burn the rice, they're not kidding. I served this with a dollop of plain yogurt on top and some Ranger IPAs. Delicious.

Fresh Dill-Basmati Rice with Chard and Chickpeas
From Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

2 cups basmati rice
2 shallots, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp peanut oil [I used olive oil.]
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 bunch fresh dill, large stems removed, chopped finely, about 3/4 cup [I used 1 tbsp of dried dill.]
1 pound chard, washed and thick stems removed
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
freshly ground pepper
pinch of cayenne
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 lemons, sliced into wedges (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, rinse the basmati rice with a few changes of water, then cover with at least two inches of water. Set aside, allowing rice to soak for at least 20 minutes. When ready to use, drain with fine-mesh strainer.

Steam the chard until limp and bright green. Drain, squeeze out, and chop finely. [Next time I would probably skip the steaming step, as I like my chard a little less done. Just chop and throw in the pot when it's called for in the next step.]

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, fry for 15 seconds, then add shallots and onion. Sprinkle with garam masala and saute until shallots and onions are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add drained rice, folding to coat with spiced oil mixture. Add chopped dill, chard, chickpeas, water or stock, salt, lemon zest, pepper, and cayenne. Cover and increase heat to a boil, then quickly lower the heat to medium-low and tightly cover. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy, watching carefully as not to burn.

Remove from heat, sprinkle with lemon juice, and fluff rice, then cover again and let sit 10 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

List 1: Books I Want to Return To

2010-04-19T07:00:00.025-06:00

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , Betty Smith

2. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

3. A Room With a View, E.M. Forster

4. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons

5. Persuasion, Jane Austen

6. On Writing, Stephen King

7. The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck

8. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

9. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

10. Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

In no particular order and by no means exhaustive. Want to share? Please feel free to leave yours comments below, or link back to your own blog.

(1 down, 99 to go. See here.)

100 Mondays

2010-04-18T21:27:00.002-06:00

I'm a girl who likes to make lists. I can't even tell you how many half-filled Moleskine notebooks I have, filled with random thoughts and scrawls, lists of all kinds. My morning ritual? Writing the day's to-do list while I sip my first cup of coffee. Even if it means just rewriting yesterday's to-to list. Inspired by this site and this blog, I'm going to do a little list project of my own. 100 lists of 10, posted on Mondays. The first will go up tomorrow morning.

If you'd like to play along, please leave your feel free to leave your list in comments below each post, or link back to your own blog.

Five Senses Friday

2010-04-16T08:55:00.004-06:00

Tasting:

Eggs Benedict at a favorite old haunt, and the first iced coffee of the season.

Touching:

chucking a chubby baby chin for laughs.

Hearing:

this album by Calexico.

Seeing:

wisteria hanging down over our patio; reminding me of Japanese lanterns.

illustrations in well-loved books; seeing them through new eyes

Smelling:

fresh night air brought in by the fans.

Tunic Top and 2010 Wardrobe Challenge

2010-04-16T08:45:00.001-06:00

Let me start by saying I do not like this top. The full tunic thing it has going on, combined with my postpartum body issues, just makes me go "ugh." It would have been a great maternity top, last summer. But I'm too lazy to rip it out and start over, as it was slowly pieced together during little G.'s naps, and the weather is heating up. I don't like it, but laziness and necessity trump vanity, and I'll wear it anyway. Maybe it will be cute once I have a bit of a tan, with some skinnier jeans and some sandals. Maybe. I do like the fact that it has pockets. There, I said one positive thing about it. (And for some reason I feel that I should note that I did attempt to take pictures of myself in it, but I couldn't get the timer just right on my camera. That and my nursing bra is just too hot for the internet to handle.)

Also, it may be hard to tell in the photos, but the in addition to the daisy print, the fabric has clear sequin-type dots. I thought this detailing was really pretty and subtle, but let me tell you, it was a pain in the ass to sew. If I was sewing over more than one layer and hit a dot, the machine didn't want to cooperate. Pressing the fabric was even more difficult--- the dots would either stick to the iron or resist the shape of whatever I was trying to press. Seams just did not want to lay flat, and as a novice sewer, this was really frustrating.

The other two patterns I am waiting to try will hopefully be a bit more flattering, but I think the next project in the works might be a sundress for G. (to match this sun hat). She's far less critical of her wardrobe than I. As frustrated as I was with the end result, I had fun doing it, and I did learn how to put in elastic.

And oh! As I was preparing to post this, I was super excited to see Julia's wardrobe challenge. I definitely want to play along, given that I am wardrobe-challenged right now. I'm hoping I can make three additional pieces by the end of summer, not including the top above.

Here are my own self-imposed rules:

1. Use as many patterns and fabrics from my stash as possible. This probably means I'll need to put blinders on when I go to the fabric store for notions!

2. Adult pieces only (in terms of 'counting' for the challenge). As much as I love sewing for G., mama needs some new duds, too.

And while there's quite a few things I'd like to try, in terms of techniques and looks, I'm going to keep it to those two rules. Considering I do most of my sewing during the baby's nap, the simpler the better here. So--- three pieces, using what I've got, and dressing myself first. Here's hoping for a creative and stylish summer!

Wisteria

2010-04-13T08:41:00.007-06:00

We went away for a quick family trip and returned late last night. It was only four days, yet things at home felt different. This morning, I opened the curtains to find that the wisteria on our back patio had bloomed while we were gone. Most of the rose bushes I pruned are recovered nicely, with shiny new leaves. And then, behind the garden gate, I discovered the lilacs and the almost-ready garlic and shallots. Basically, the season has snuck up on me. I need to plant our greens soon, before it gets too hot. The second attempt at broccoli and pepper seedlings also failed, and at this point in the season it's probably best just to buy plants at the nursery--- though for some reason, I always consider that cheating.

I feel like spring always moves so quickly--- the daffodils already dry on their stems, the plum blossoms on the ground, the buds now leaves. Between the rapidity of spring and our ever-growing baby, I find myself wishing that time would slow down just a bit.

I've been plugging away on my spring manifesto. I actually completed a shirt for myself a few weeks ago and have written a post about how much I---ugh--- dislike it. More to follow soon!

Five Senses Friday

2010-04-02T08:35:00.000-06:00

Tasting:

The last of the frozen Thin Mints with a glass of ice cold milk

Touching:

fuzzy felt for bunny finger puppets

Hearing:

the birds sing themselves to sleep in the trees

Seeing:

our daughter roll over for the first time

a full moon coming through the white plum blossoms at night, and the flowers backlit by the sun the next morning. Something about light on white petals is so calming and pure.

Smelling:

the newly-blossomed hyacinths. If purple had a smell, it would be this.

Hippity Hoppity

2010-03-30T09:04:00.004-06:00

I love Easter, which I know is a bit strange since I'm not particularly religious. Maybe I just love all its commercialized trappings of spring--- the images of bunnies and chicks, chocolate eggs wrapped in shiny pastel foil, and the sugary goodness that are Peeps.

Of course, when I saw these bunny finger puppets I just had to make them. I usually don't post pictures of works in progress, but these are timely and since you can finish one in less than an evening, there's still enough time to make a whole warren of rabbits before Sunday. The two above are for my nieces. I did one with pink lining and one with purple, and I'm also debating embroidering the girls' names and a little daisy on the inside of each bunny's ear. I still feel like puppets need a little something else, and since I sliced my hand open the last time I attempted to make a pompom (I know, I know), I think I'll be forgoing the tails and raiding my stash to make the pretty collars instead. If I had time, I think I'd do some brown and black bunnies, too. They're seriously simple and fun to make. I'll post pictures of the finished product soon.

All this talk about bunnies has made me think of a few other things I want to share with you. Continuing in the crafty vein, I adore this Peep-themed Easter garland. It manages to be funny and pretty at the same time, and if I had a few more minutes to spare I'd be making it to decorate for Easter brunch. Maybe next year. And speaking of Peeps, if you haven't heard of the Washington Post's Peeps Show, you are missing out on some internet hilarity. Living in New Mexico I'm partial to slide 20, "Georgia O'Peep."

Finally, this New Yorker article reminded me of a beloved book from my childhood that I had completely forgotten about. I think I must have read The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes a hundred times--- yet I hadn't thought of it in ages until last week. The illustrations are totally charming and although I might have overlooked the message as a girl, I love the idea now: "plucky little girl bunnies who defy prejudice and believe in themselves can grow up to become fully actualized lady bunnies who raise smart, happy, kind children and do fulfilling work outside the warren." I cannot wait to share it with little G. when she's just a bit older.

Happy spring, everyone!

A Sun Hat for Little G.

2010-03-27T18:05:00.003-06:00

Okay, so first things first--- this sun hat is huge. It's more toddler-sized than baby-sized. But you know what? That's okay. Because it means more protection from the intense New Mexican sun right now, and that G. can still grow into it later. And frankly, I'm just happy I'm completing so much of my spring manifesto already.

In case you're interested, I used McCall's pattern 2213. The pattern for the hat includes a large bow on the back, but I opted to skip that. I'm not in love with the split brim at the back of the neck, sun-protection wise, but I wasn't confident enough to improvise just yet. I chose a cheery cotton print for the outer fabric, and the lining is cool green linen (it seemed a good color to soothe eyes looking out into the sun). The pattern also includes some adorable dress and bloomer designs. I plan on doing a reversible sundress and bloomers in the same print as the hat, reversing to a bright orange batik (orange just seemed far too bright and stimulating for the inside of the brim). I'm fairly happy with the way this little hat turned out, and it will certainly do its job.

Planting Time

2010-03-27T16:06:00.008-06:00

Today was a busy day--- I pruned four rose bushes, sterilized seedling trays, and replanted broccoli, pepper, and basil seedlings, and moved the dahlias and Bells of Ireland to our "greenhouse" to slowly harden them off.

Tomorrow I have three more rose bushes to do, and am hoping to propagate some houseplants (pothos and some branches that have dropped off our massive jade plant). I also need to check the garlic and shallots, realign the drip irrigation in the raised bed, pick up fertilizer, and look over our planting calendar for the rest of the vegetables. Busy, busy, busy. Spring is coming on fast and I'm not as ready as I thought I would be. In any case, I love the kind of physical tiredness that comes from playing in the dirt--- it's so satisfying.

Five Senses Friday

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

Tasting:

Vietnamese bun on an evening out with family

Touching:

Feeling the sun on our shoulders, fleece jackets becoming a little too warm

Hearing:

Little G. discovering her voice; a new variety of baby coos, squawks, and harrumphs

Seeing:

white plum blossoms covered with fresh snow one moment, and shining in the sun the next

Smelling:

fresh bread baking on a snowy morning

Garden Progress (and Lack Thereof)

2010-03-25T15:48:00.006-06:00

After yesterday's morning snowstorm, I'm hoping I can safely say that spring is finally here. The plum tree in our backyard is in bloom, and so many bulb flowers are coming to life. We planted croci, daffodils, and tulips last fall, but it's also been fun to discover what was already here--- like pink and purple hyacinth and other daffodils. Our more utilitarian bulbs--- the garlic and shallots we planted in the raised bed--- also seem to be thriving.

I also pruned my first rose bush today during G.'s morning nap. The class I went to was really helpful (see the tips here) and after I got over my fear of being too aggressive, I was pretty satisfied with the final shape. Now on to the next bush, and here's hoping they actually bloom.

My biggest failure and frustration though, has been the seedlings I started in late February. Remember this giant list of seedlings I started? They all failed. All of them, with the exception of three dahlias and three Bells of Ireland--- and those are currently being threatened by mold. I have no idea why this happened. Mostly I'm sad about the vegetables and herbs, because I wanted that self-satisfaction of eating out of our garden. But I keep staring at the empty trays and wondering if it's too late in the season to start again or not?

A Walk by the Rio Grande

2010-03-22T13:35:00.009-06:00

Today we took a walk by the Rio Grande. We saw the last of some migrating Canada geese, lots of lovely native plants, a roadrunner (before I moved here I thought that was just a cartoon. The real birds are fascinating to watch and remind me of some sort of prehistoric being), and a crazy-colored feather.

On Cookbooks

2010-03-20T16:42:00.004-06:00

“Anyone who eats three meals a day should understand why cookbooks outsell sex books three to one.”
---L. M. Boyd

I'm pretty certain I have a cookbook fetish. Looking at these shelves in our kitchen, I'm realizing that only a few volumes are regular, go-to favorites, while there are other that I just had to have, but have never even cooked from (Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking comes to mind). I think this is a personality quirk I inherited from my grandmother, who subscribes to more magazines and clips more recipes that it is ever possible to cook. It's also carried over to the digital realm--- my bookmarks are a disorganized mess of recipes and craft projects. Perhaps the fun is fantasizing about how good something might be more than actually making it, because despite all my collecting, we repeat many of the same meals (as nice as they might be) over and over again.

Part of my spring manifesto is to try new recipes, which is a particular challenge when cooking takes a back seat to a baby who clearly loves to eat as much as her mother does. So I'm returning to the overlooked books on my shelves, but also (of course!) continuing to have fun looking for new ideas. So please, if you are reading this and you have a best-loved cookbook, food blog, or link to an amazing recipe, leave them in the comments for me?

And here are my lists for you:

Most Used and Loved Cookbooks on My Shelf

Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home
Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson
Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin
Everyday Food (it's a magazine, but I always find at least one great meal in every issue)

Revisiting and Plan to Cook From Soon

Fast Vegetarian Feasts by Martha Rose Shulman
Great Greens by Georgeanne Brennan

Currently Checked Out From the Library

The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook by Cathe Olson (for pregnant and breastfeeding women)
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rogers
Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

Favorite Food Blogs

Five Senses Friday

2010-03-19T09:43:00.000-06:00

Tasting:

sugary shamrock-shaped cookies (a surprise from a friend) with a cup of afternoon tea

Touching:

thin cottons and linens, choosing fabrics to make some warm-weather shirts

Hearing:

the new album from She & Him

Seeing:

daffodil and hyacinth blooms in the back yard

Smelling:

wet dirt in the garden while giving the garlic and shallots a good long drink

Saint Patrick's Day Cabbage

2010-03-18T09:35:00.002-06:00

For some reason I really got into Saint Patrick's Day this year. I don't know if it's because I miss Boston, that spring is suddenly here, or that I'm simply feeling extra domestic lately. In any case, we had a nice little dinner for family last night. Early in the day I started a vegetarian "Irish" stew in the crockpot, substituting beef with tempeh and adding some Guinness to the broth during the last hour of cooking. The photo above is Chesney, our Jack Russell who knows he is not allowed in the kitchen during cooking, but who loves carrots more than anything in the whole wide world. So that's him right outside the kitchen door, begging.

Along with the stew we had some Dubliner cheddar, soda bread, pints of Guinness and the prerequisite that usually makes us both gag . . . cabbage. But, rather than boil the cabbage we got in our CSA box, we roasted it in the oven. It's quite easy and takes on a richer (and more enjoyable) flavor.

Roasted Cabbage
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

1 head green cabbage
olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
pepper
caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 400. Cut cabbage head into rounds 1" thick and arrange in a single layer on two lightly oiled baking sheets. Brush with olive oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until cabbage is soft and caramelized at edges.

Femivore?

2010-03-15T12:17:00.009-06:00

Someone asked me at dinner on Saturday if I had seen this article on the New York Times website, entitled "The Femivore's Dilemma." From their description I was very excited to read it, as it was about young women and mothers who are returning to the idea of homesteading, raising their own food and chickens. When I found the article I first noticed the picture, a woman in a dress and shawl cradling a chicken amid climbing roses and fresh laundry on the line. It just all seemed so staged and so very different than my grandmother's gardening uniform of mud-covered, $2 knock-off Keds from Kmart, elastic-waist dungarees and an old cardigan of my grandfather's. Then I actually read the piece . . . and it still left me rather uncomfortable.

The thrust of the article is that the rising interest in local food production, or "the omnivore’s dilemma, has provided an unexpected out from the feminist predicament, a way for women to embrace homemaking without becoming Betty Draper." Intellectually, I get it. I get that women of my generation are making the conscious choice to becoming crafting, blogging, thrifting, gardening, homeschooling mommies to varying degrees. And I like that my life is moving slowly towards this, which has always felt like a very natural direction.

What I don't like is that the tone of the article veers towards treating this choice as a trend, as something kind of kooky and twee. At the same time that the article points to homesteading as an "out" in which domestic work is validated, by the end of it still seems to fall back on presenting the traditional and tired dichotomies of any feminist discussion--- the either/or of women at work or women at home.

Perhaps I'm on the defensive here, given that I hold the handmade and homegrown dear, but it's annoying that the term "femivore" has to be coined at all, that domestic interests have to be assigned as part of a "movement." I realize the political implications of handmade and homegrown, yes. A lot of my choices--- which, as a 21st century woman, I know I am lucky to have in the first place---- are because I want to live a economically and environmentally sustainable life, and I know it is easy to be cynical about both feminism and the green movement. But to me, none of this is a disingenuous trend. It's wholly part of who I am, from childhood up to now. Busy, dirty hands are what have made me feel alive and engaged in the world.

(I've been kicking this around for awhile and given my state of sleep deprivation these days, it's as coherent as I can make it. But there is also a great response on this blog worth reading, and I would really love this to be part of a longer conversation and to hear what others think.)

Rose Care and a Garden Update

2010-03-15T11:30:00.012-06:00

This is all the promise our roses show right now. A few green leaves, a little bit of new life unfurling here and there, but the rest still and brown and dormant.

Before I moved to Albuquerque, I had no idea that roses thrived in the desert. I also had no idea that we would buy a house with eight established rose bushes, including a gorgeous climbing one with big coral blooms that is the focal point of our patio and precisely what made me fall in love with the property. However, our ignorance regarding roses became apparent pretty quickly and the blooms faded. My attempt to feed each plant in the fall, in which I lovingly measured out organic rose food and scratched it into the earth at the base of each bush, ended with the dogs digging it up (hey, it was composed mainly of fish bones and chicken manure, which is pretty much the canine version of caviar), eating it, and farting it out all night. This spring, I really hope to do better.

On Saturday I attended a rose pruning demonstration by the Albuquerque Rose Society. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the whole thing, being a breastfeeding mama and all, but here are a few things I did learn:

Albuquerque residents should prune roses the last week in March.
Give bushes a good watering before pruning.
4 or more "canes"--- or main branches coming from the ground--- are ideal. Fewer than that and it is likely your rose bush is not thriving.
Prune no more than 1/3 of the plant's height.
Branches should grow outward from the center canes. Prune any branches that cross (or will) the center, any dead wood, and any lateral branches smaller than a No. 2 pencil.
After pruning, seal cut ends with white glue (such as Elmer's) to prevent pests like carpenter bees from entering the plant.
To encourage growth after pruning, put 1/4 cup of Epsom salts around the base of the plant to encourage growth.

I wish I could have stayed longer, but I feel like even that small amount of information is helpful. If you have any other rose care tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below!

In other garden news, our zinnia, dahlia, and Bells of Ireland seedlings are all thriving. However, every other plant has been slow in sprouting or has not sprouted, period. Since I started them on February 20th, I am getting a bit anxious that they may not grow at all. I really want a successful kitchen garden this year, but I may have to start over with seedlings from the nursery if things do not improve shortly.

The bulbs we planted in the fall, though, along with the ones left by the previous owner, are showing signs of life. I love those little harbingers of spring, those croci and daffodils and tulips and hyacinth. They just make me feel happy and alive.

Five Senses Friday

2010-03-12T09:54:00.001-07:00

Tasting:

lots of spring greens

Touching:

chubby baby hands, the dimple above each knuckle

Hearing:

the Broken Bells album

Seeing:

the first bright gold crocus to bloom in our front yard

Smelling:

fresh, wet air after a week of freakish thunderstorms, sideways-snowstorms, and hailstorms here in the desert

Note: Five Senses Friday is a project intiated by Abby Try Again.

Spring Color Week: Blue

2010-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

A mix of New England blooms and New Mexican skies to close out Spring Color Week.

Chocolate-Orange Zucchini Bread

2010-03-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be honest. Despite all of my natural-girl tendencies, the only way I like zucchini is in a baked good. And since we got some zucchini and a huge haul of oranges in our CSA box this week, trying this new recipe seemed, well, necessary. I adapted a few zucchini bread recipes I've used in the past, and here is what I came up with:

Chocolate-Orange Zucchini Bread
makes two loaves

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated (roughly 2 medium zucchini)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
rind of one orange, grated
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, and orange rind. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients, then slowly stir into egg mixture. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool completely on baking racks before slicing.

This Morning . . .

2010-03-11T07:59:00.003-07:00

. . . we woke up to this scene. See? Spring is late in coming to New Mexico!

Spring Color Week: Mauve/Purple

2010-03-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Focusing on purple and mauve today for Spring Color Week. The photos are still from my archives, but this time all were taken in New Mexico.