corners of my home

The boys don't have a room of their own--their beds are in our room--but Dieter has this little corner of his own, nonetheless. I very much like the idea of him having a small, restful and cozy place. I bought this peg rack at a garage sale, not really knowing what to do with it at first. I like it holding these things--hand knitted snake, a drawstring bag I made for the boys, fairy wings from the midsummer night celebration, and a playcrown. Oh, and a glow necklace from Halloween.
Here's a close-up of the little bag. I'm becoming very enamored of drawstring bags just lately.
And what does it hold? Puppets and finger puppets. They were needing a little bag to contain them . . .

what the green pumpkin brought

Just thought I'd share what the Green Pumpkin brought the boys this year. These are all wonderful--the boys are really enjoying them (and the mama too).

Hedgie's Surprise--we first discovered this one in the library and Dieter was captivated it by it. A hedgehog helps a hen defend her eggs from a rascally tomten. I adore the illustrations by Jan Brett.

Miss Bindergarten Stays Home from Kindergarten--perfect for flu season. I just love Miss Bindergarten and this book is just as sweet and simple as the others with its rhyming text and homey, domestic illustrations.

The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters--we already had the Jolly Pocket Postman (held over from Faith and Jacob's childhood), which is much more complex (though Dieter loves it). This is the original and much simpler--a hit with Dieter too, though perhaps not as much as the Pocket one.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew--we all adore this one and it is such a great way for children to learn (from a book, anyway) where food comes from. It's sweet and approachable for little ones, but touches on a lot of gardening principals, like pollination and organic gardening. In the end the groundhog treats all his animal friends to a big Thanksgiving dinner. It's adorable.

meatless supper #6

This week for Enviromom's Meatless Supper Club I delved back into the Moosewood Cookbook because I just love how friendly and simple the recipes are (and I adore the hand lettering and the illustrations by Mollie Katzen). Wednesday is usually soup night over here, and I have some barley hanging around that needs to be used up, so I chose the Mushroom-Barley soup. I'm a chronic under-reader of recipes, and to be honest I thought I was going to be making a "cream of mushroom" type of thing. Instead, this is an earthy, simple, mushroomy soup. You have to like mushrooms. I love eating this way and in my ideal world would be eating all earthy like this most of the time (in reality we order out for pizza or get Subway frequently). So how did the family like it? Ken is always up for an experiment, Faith and Dieter didn't like it, and little Rainer, bless his heart, ate some of the broth and all his mushrooms! My boys like to pretend they are animals and Rainer said the mushrooms were his bugs (bugs to be eaten . . .). I served this with pear slices, grapes, and acorn cakelets.

Mushroom-Barley Soup--adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook

1/2 c. barley
6 1/2 c. water
1-3 T. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb. of mushrooms, sliced (I used 2 bags of mushrooms from Trader Joe's--so actually more than a pound)
1/2 t. salt
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. Marsala

Start the barley cooking in 1 1/2 c. water and simmer until tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onions in butter in a skillet, then add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 t. salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is very tender, 10-12 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and Marsala.

Add the saute with all its juices to the pot of barley, along with the remaining water. Simmer another 20 minutes. (The recipe says to add a good grinding of black pepper but I forgot this).

Happy soup night!

novembering the house

On Sunday the little boys and I had fun sweeping through the house and removing all the Halloween stuff. We replaced it with the Thanksgiving decorations--it was fun! I love how the boys get so excited by these little rituals. I am no home decorator at all (I aspire to do better in the future . . .) but it is meaningful to me to see how these little family traditions affect the children. At some level I think they are nurtured by these rituals and hopefully will remember them as they grow and leave.
First thing in the morning we changed the postcard in the little frame, turned the calendar page, and turned the page of the Around the Year book. Dieter is always so excited to do that! We also did a little cleanup of the nature table. That ceramic leaf is something Jacob or Faith made years ago in elementary school. Same with the ceramic owl (made by Jacob).
The little pumpkins are also ceramics from Jacob and Faith. The squirrel nutcracker is something my mom was getting rid of last year, so a grabbed it. I'll have to get some nuts for the boys to crack . . .
Turkey candleholders--also from my mom. These have been around since I was a little girl growing up. I love having them now. Next weekend I'll pick up some candles for them at farmer's market.

Ken and I both really like the idea of observing a month of thankfulness and calm before moving on to the crazy holidays. I think these little changes in the home serve as a good reminder . . .

sunday afternoon

I'm always thinking about and reevaluating how to do my Sundays during the schoolyear. Sundays can be so stressful because of having to get ready for the Monday of a busy workweek. There is SO much to do. In the last year or two I think I've erred on the side of getting too much stuff done on Sunday, in hopes of having a smooth week. This year I'm experimenting with doing less. For example, I'll plan the menus for the week and make sure the shopping is done (earlier in the weekend) but I'm no longer trying to do any cooking in advance on Sunday. I'm letting the little veggie packets slide (they're time consuming). I'm still taking the little ones to farmer's market in the morning and this weekend I think I struck a nice balance of playing with them in the afternoon (and still getting some work done). In the scene above we're eating popcorn made by Faith and playing a matching game. I have to say, everyone had such a good time with that! It was a good reminder for me to slow down. Dieter can play the matching game well now--soon he will be beating Faith and me, I'm sure. Rainer still doesn't totally "get it" but was happy to wander around the perimeter. Sweet times.
Some of my early matches--which I'm showing you because I love these tiles so much.
Sunday afternoon/evening also went well. I started dinner early so I would have time to clean up along the way. In the end, Dieter and I had time to play "the fairy game" (which we just made up) and I was surprised at how much he liked it. Rainer got these blocks for his birthday and has little to no interest in them, but Dieter and I have kept the game going for two evenings now.

The working mama lifestyle is busy and I hate not being the one to drop the kids at school and pick them up (because Ken is here local and I have a long commute), but in truth I like my job and my working is pretty essential to our financial wellbeing. So there it is--I move forward and make the best of all of it, constantly tweaking and reevaluating our routines as necessary.

Thanks for all the waffle suggestions yesterday, there is some good stuff in there!

healthifying our waffles

:: half whole wheat flour and half unbleached all-purpose (instead of all white)
::pure maple syrup, or agave, or blueberry sauce instead of fake syrup (Faith still misses the Aunt Jemima, though)

::freezing the leftovers for midweek breakfasts instead of buying frozen. I always feel good about "made from scratch."

I'd love to hear about healthy breakfast upgrades you've made recently.

meatless supper #5--Zucchini Crusted Pizza!

Just a quick post tonight. I am almost past the deadline for Enviromom's meatless supper club! I was once again fairly uninspired for this week's meal and I let the deadline creep up on me. I decided to flip through a few cookbooks last night and settled upon this delicious zucchini-crusted pizza from The New Moosewood Cookbook. I actually have the old Moosewood cookbook too, and somewhat prefer it because the newer one has been too de-fat-ified in my opinion, but for this recipe the fat is basically the same in the newer book and it made a slightly smaller pie, so I went with this one. And the results? Yum! I loved this and it is way better than the other time I tried zucchini crusted pizza (I can't remember what recipe I used that time, but it was too low fat and fell apart).
Did the kids like it? No! Oh well. I still stand by my philosophy of serving healthy whole foods over a lifetime and they will learn to love eating healthy. Faith was observing just tonight on our walk that we eat way healthier than a lot of families (in her experience) and she's glad. Nonetheless, she is still picky about zucchini but I think she will come around. By the way, one advantage to living here is that we still have zucchini in the garden. There are tomato slices on there too (under the cheese) also from the garden. I thought this was delicious and could eat it every day. Ken liked it too, but maybe less than I did.
Served with a salad--I have a big bag of spinach from Trader Joe's to use up and we had strawberries from farmer's market so I made this.
In other news it is cold and blustery tonight and we are thrilled. I just looked up the temperature online and it is 52 degrees. Hooray! Faith and I took the boys for a walk in the moonlight and it was a big hit. Dieter especially loves the houses with Halloween decoration. Happy fall nights to you!

enjoying right now

::my new Lisa Leonard necklace. I love this heartfelt, handmade jewelry. Wearing it just feels "personal" somehow. It is extra special that the children's names are stamped on the back.

I have to be honest--I love Lisa's style and I want more of her work. Look at this beauty. These would make great gifts . . .

::flowers brought to me at work last week by Ken and Rainer. And then they took me out to lunch. How sweet is that?
::these little drawings that Rainer is bringing me constantly now. He churns them out!
::a finished knitting project! This is big news. I started this snake in March--I kid you not. I was so excited to learn how to do increases and I loved seeing the snake's tail form, so why did this take me so long to complete? The body was really boring to do after the increases were over and you have to knit 4 feet of it before you can do the head. I found myself rarely picking it up. Nonetheless, I still want to go forward with my knitting and still want to book a private lesson. Must get on that!
::very much enjoying this boy enjoying the snake.
::this lipstick, found in my drawer at work. This is a simple pleasure because I haven't had a Clinique lipstick in a very long time so it is a nice surprise. I brought it home because I always apply lipstick at home in the morning but rarely have a chance to at work. I'm sure that's why I lost track of it . . .
::and I love the look of the birthday garland that is still hanging in the window. It is so festive and it makes me happy.

happy birthday Rainer!

Rainer turned three over the weekend! We had a little family party for him on Sunday.

{at his birthday breakfast}

{one present was presented in the morning. He had no interest in it and didn't open it!}

{fall and number cookies were made. He was mostly interested in these}

{the birthday table}

{a simple meal of bread and cheese, zucchini soup, and sausages-- his favorites}

Wow, the years are going by so fast with this little guy, and he has certainly made them exciting. I can't believe he is three already. Pretty soon I'm going to have to stop referring to him as "the baby"! Things about Rainer--he is sweet and cuddly, his hair is so soft it feels like fur, he is really into kissing right now, he loves to build things and wants to figure out how things work, he's really into this book just at the moment, he loves to jump on the trampoline and play in the sandbox. He's a boyish boy. Happy birthday, little Rainer!

what I love: low-key outings

Saturday morning I thought it would be nice to take the boys to the park early--before the crowds and the crazy heat could make their appearances. I threw some things in a bag--no real planning--and we were off. It was very low key and fun.


And I discovered/rediscovered a love for thermoses. Faith and I bought this thermos on our Ikea trip last summer, but neither of us had used it yet. It has been a forgotten pleasure. I made a pot of tea, added milk and sugar (which is how we drink it), and bottled it up. How delightful it was to be able to sip hot tea while the boys played. Ken joined me and we were actually able to talk and sip quite a bit while the boys played together. And think of the environmental impact if everyone made their tea or coffee at home and stopped buying Starbucks as much. Of course that is what everyone did back in the 70's when I was growing up.



I think this is a turning point in our parenting. Rainer just turned 3 (more on that tomorrow) and we seem to be heading toward an easier and fun phase of parenting--when the children are just a bit more independent but still really like us and want to play with us(!). We're not quite there yet, but I can see it coming.

pumpkin butter and some pretty pictures

Pumpkin butter on banana bread with chocolate chips. Yum. Love all those strong flavors together. I know I've mentioned making pumpkin butter before. Here's the recipe: (from Glamour magazine, circa 1997!)

Pumpkin Butter

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
1/2 c. apple juice or cider
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
pinch of salt

Place ingredients in a saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil; lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, 15 minutes or until pumpkin butter has become dark and thick. Makes about 1 and 1/3 c. pumpkin butter.

It's delish. You will love it. Usually I use this recipe as kind of a "guide" for using up the rest of a can of pumpkin leftover from another recipe, in which case it's sort of a half-batch.
I also wanted to share with you some images from this book.



Pretty, aren't they?

finally!

I finally put up a little art wire to display Dieter's artwork. I'd been meaning to for ages. Such a simple thing, but I was way overthinking it. So now it's up and Dieter loves having his artwork displayed. I can rotate these out frequently because he's generating so much art both at preschool and at home. I figure I'll take pictures of each new display and, sadly, toss most of these as they are rotated out. I just can't bear to save all of it. That is just way too much paper clutter for me--no matter how it is stored. I'm a tosser. I have a few framed pieces of Jacob and Faith's youthful artwork and I'm fine with that. At most, I would say I wish a had just a few more nicely framed like that (it's expensive!, but even so) and don't regret tossing most of the rest. I have a strong feeling it's the process of creation that is important, not the finished work so much. I feel the same about their lego or block creations. That is why I dis-assemble everything at night when picking up--then they are inspired to create afresh the next day. How about you? Save or toss?

meatless supper #4

I'm participating in Enviromom's Meatless Supper Club and already we are at the halfway point! Last week I mentioned that I wanted to branch out and try new recipes this week, but it just didn't work out. Do you ever try to find a new recipe at the last minute, only to be frustrated by long lists of unfamiliar looking ingredients and the liklihood of having to stop at more than one store just to find everything? That happens to me sometimes, and it is so not what I am wanting in my life right now. I just want simple ingredients and not to buy anything that I'll use a teaspoon of and then have sit in the fridge indefinitely. So, I bring you this: pesto pasta. Not terribly original, but so good and healthy and very simple. I follow this recipe and it is delicious and a hit with the little boys. (By the way, if you haven't checked out Bread and Honey, you are in for a treat. I love Alicia and her cool recipes). I added zucchini and tomato from the garden, since the garden is still producing.
Yummy. What meatless meals are you loving right now?

I have been waiting for this

Representational drawings from little Dieter! For some reason I had set my mind to worrying about him being so reluctant to draw. As it turns out, he just needed more time. Now he has filled up an entire art notebook and is drawing on every random sheet of paper he can find!

{sea creatures are a favorite subject}

{as are volcanoes--lots and lots of volcanoes}

Why is it so important to me that he loves to draw? I think that if he can feel free and confident in his artistic expression right now, it will lead to greater creativity and problem solving later in life--and so much comes down to creativity, doesn't it? All those Nobel prize winners we have been hearing about lately who have made so many important discoveries, and who are so very impressive to me, are all very creative people. And now Dieter is on his way . . .

our day at the pumpkin patch

It was hot, it was dry, but it was seasonal fun nonetheless. I actually love this sort of simple, seasonal pleasure.



There's an old house on the property, isn't it lovely? I'd love to live in it for a day and be transported back in time. That sort of thing appeals to be very much. This in on the hay ride.


In the hay maze--a big hit with the boys.

{Entrance to the corn maze}

{In the corn maze}

{Climbing the hay pyramid. A favorite}

{Pumpkin pie at the pumpkin patch. It was delicious}

Happy Monday to everyone. Have a great week!