Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

It's the pumpkin patch dilemma. Everyone is dressed in their sweaters and plaids and boots, parents are following their children around asking them to "just please look at the camera!" "Just smile nicely!"

The children run from pumpkin to pumpkin declaring each one to be the best. They see the glory of the big orange balls, the autumn light glinting off the pumpkins, the corn maze holds mystery to their imagination.

The adults check their watches or their phones, getting caught up in a text conversation.

"Hurry, hurry, haven't you picked one out yet?"

They drag the pumpkins to get weighed and then load the children in the car to cries of 'but we weren't finished yet.'

The pumpkin sits on the front porch steps, maybe with a carved face or not. The pictures are liked and commented on, 'oh my goodness, your kids are SO cute!'

And everyone moves on. 

Pie is made with canned filling from the store or a ready-made pie is picked out from the bakery section. And it's eaten and for the most part enjoyed. I'm not judging here, this was the way we danced on Thanksgiving weekend. And it was good. 

It struck me this weekend when we were out at the pumpkin patch, the great extent we go to make memories and to capture everything and then to share it, as if the capturing and sharing make it more real. Parents chasing their children around, bribing their children for pictures when all the children want to do is run and delight in the pumpkins. Minus the bribing part, that was me. It wasn't the perfect pumpkin picking that I wanted, and it wasn't just the children who were being fussy and grumpy.

Sometimes, its better to just let the littles set the pace, to follow them around the pumpkin patch, marveling at how they walk, noticing what they notice. Sometimes it's better to not care so much about capturing the perfect picture but to make the perfect memory. Sometimes it means picking out a knobby pumpkin and hefting into the stroller for the ride home. Sometimes it means not being perfect and not being all cutesy and not having any of those pictures to share. Sometimes the only pictures are of everyone being distracted and looking the other way but sometimes there's the one magical picture of sunlight and autumn and life. Real life just like you live it everyday, captured just how you are right then. 

And that's really okay. And that's really real. And that's really beautiful. 

In which my Khaira-baby turns One!

Khaira Tatiana Monique,

You're one today, baby girl. Crazy how fast a year goes. You were so little, so new and needy. My little blue-eyed baby, looking so much like your Daddy. 

Your blue eyes sparkle most of the time, your smile makes everyone else smile. 

We've shared lots of time together, you and I. Lots of cuddle time late at night, lots of walking in the living room, lots of crying for you and me both. 

And now you're growing up, sleeping by yourself and happy, so very happy. 

You love being close to me more then anyone else and I love that. 

Always stay close, baby girl. Always keep that sparkle alive, stay close to mama but stay closer to God. He will be your Rock and your safe place. 

We're so happy you're part of our family. You are loved and treasured. 

Happy Birthday, little princess! 

 

10 on 10: June Edition

I started out with good intentions this month, being on a family weekend trip to Jasper helped me remember to take lots of pictures. And so I did. Until we were on the way home. The rain, the mud, the getting stuck in the mud, the finding supper and the unloading of everything kind of distracted me from taking more pictures. But here's my set for this month. 

1. Probably one of my favorite moments from the weekend. We walked down to the very full and  very fast-flowing river amongst the pinecones and wild strawberry flowers. It was so nice to just be the four of us and to treasure the sacredness of our family. 

2.My treasures. 

3. Baby Markus was such a highlight to be cooed over by his older cousins and uncles. 

4. I love his bright eyes!

5. My girl, in a rare quiet moment. 

6. Mother and son. Love the love and safety that is depicted here. 

7. Coffee before we started the drive home. 

8. Special treats from a special bakery. 

Pastries and Proscuitto: the First Picnic of the Year

When the weather turns nice and you shed your jackets, when you start to see a glimmer of green in the grass, when the sky is a glorious blue with just enough white clouds to make the blue really pop, there is really only one thing to do.

A picnic.

We riffled through our drawers finding some summery wear, made sure the stroller was in the van and headed off to our local Italian supermarket. It is the most delightful store and really, the only place to go when suiting up a picnic. I was in charge of choosing the meats and cheeses. Jared and the girls picked out some bread and pastries. 

We fit everything in the basket under the stroller and headed out. Where we were going, we weren't exactly sure. The afternoon was fresh, our spirits were high and we had nothing to do except enjoy. We've explored the trails in Edmonton's River Valley over the year that we've lived here, marking places to come back to in the summer and picnic. It was to one of those locations that we headed towards but a missed turn left us on the wrong side of the river and so we found a new site.

We laid out our goodies - aged Cheddar and  Prima Donna, cheeses from England and the Netherlands. Prosciutto and white turkey breast, sundried tomato ciabatta bread, garlic stuffed olives, and sparkling apple juice.

And it was good. 

Kilmeny ran back and forth between the playground and the picnic table, laughing at the sheer delight of being able to do so. Khaira laughed at her sister's antics and the general happiness.

And we, we were happy too. Sharing good food, and conversation. Reading bits of a book aloud and dreaming a little. 

We ate pastries and just swept the crumbs onto the ground. We took time to eat, and to read. To nourish our bodies and our souls. 

And it was very good.  

 

What are your essentials for a good picnic?

Project 365- Week 11

April 16- April 22 

1. I love, love, love the children's library at the downtown library branch. It has the most delightful area for children to play and all sorts of interactive puzzles and games. There's even a fish tank built into the wall. We love going there. Kilmeny made herself right at home this last time we were there, took off her shoes and began playing with the farm animals. 

2. Snuggles on the couch. Love my girls so much. 

3.  First picnic of the year!! Food: Italian Centre, Place: Edmonton's River Valley, Date: April 22, Earth day. Not that we really celebrate Earth Day but it is good to be reminded that the earth is God's and He has placed us here to be stewards of it.

4. Chilling on the couch with my Khaira-baby. Her eyes are so big, so blue, and so expressive.

5. Orange julius with a movie at Moshers on a Saturday night.

6. It was a particularly rough day, the house seemed to be a huge mess, and I was trying to get us all ready to get out the door for Dad M.'s birthday. Kilmo who had been, well, two all day totally turned around and started putting the laundry away for me. I was shocked to tears. She grabbed a big stack of my clothes, and opened my drawers and started stuffing the clean clothes in, all with a big smile on her face. It was priceless and such an encouragement. One of those times where I really felt God leading me gently.

7. Kilmeny having her second cake pop of her life. We normally just get her water at Starbucks, I don't want to get in the habit of always getting her something so that it stays a special treat when we do get it. It is so fun sharing these moments with her, her eyes were so big and she kept saying 'special treat, Mummy, very special treat.'

Small Celebrations

I'm celebrating today. All the little things that make up my everyday life. The occurrences that happen and then they're gone. I'm choosing to celebrate today, in all it's realness. Join me?


My little girl painting her nails, I think she sported three different colors by the time I got to her. Is she not SO cute?

 

The fact that I can cook for other people. I get to do what I love and fit it around my girls' schedule. It also totally stresses me out, one of those ironic things about being an artist. We love it and we hate it.

My small kitchen. A total mess. I'm not even kidding. The counter is covered in dishes.

Kilmo had granola for lunch while I put the finishing touches on the client's dinner. She loves granola, I make it healthy on purpose, and it kept her occupied when I needed her to be quiet. 

My two healthy adorable girls. I love them more then I can say. All the crazy, frustrating, precious moments. Long nights, long days, and no naps. But they are worth it.

Tea. What can I say? Some days I drink a lot of tea, it's one of my little refreshments. Today was one of those days.

The fact that I have lots on my heart to write but I don't have the time except to do little bursts like this one. But, I can write while my girls dance in the living room. And their giggles give me fuel to go on, choosing to see the beauty in the mundane.

Oh, and that I can take pictures throughout the day and then edit them on my phone while I feed my baby. I.love.that.
Someday, I'll use the 'big camera' but right now I'm just glad to capture life.

Friday Moments

 Fridays are for getting outside and enjoying the bright blue sky and soaking up the sunshine. For celebrating little things like first swing rides and being able to clamber all over the playground without fear. For hope and birdsong and the fresh smell of spring. For shopping with Mummy and sharing lunch with Daddy. For soaking up all the little, crazy, beautiful moments that make up life. 

Enjoy your weekend, friends, and all the lovely messy bits! 

Paper Mache Spring Eggs: A Pinterest Inspired Project

I was inspired by the colors, the hope of spring, and the fact that I could actually make them. I pinned them to my 'spring' board way back in the middle of the winter and last week, on the first day of spring, I made them. In fact, I decided that we would make a tradition of celebrating spring day in some form every year. 
One needs a little party when winter lingers on.
We got a dump of snow the next day and resorted to wearing our winter woolies again but it was springtime inside the house. 
These came together simply and are the perfect activity to keep a toddler and baby busy and occupied. 

What you'll need:

Plastic Eggs
Tissue Paper
Blue and Green Food Coloring
Black Tea Bags
Beans, Rice or other grain to fill the eggs (or not)
Time

I combined a couple different ideas for these eggs. I love the idea of coloring eggs but I also wanted to do something that would last beyond just this spring and would make a good activity to do with Kilmeny.

I followed this fabulous tutorial for the eggs. Because I was dying the eggs, I went with all white tissue paper.
I let the girls play with the eggs and got Kilmeny to fill the eggs with some black beans while I made the paper mache mixture.
I divided the mixture into two bowls, adding 4 tea bags to one bowl and a couple drops of blue and green food coloring to the other bowl. Go easy on the food coloring, a little goes a long ways and you want the eggs to be light-colored. At least I did.
While the mixture cooled, I cut the tissue paper into strips and helped Kilmeny fill the remainder of the eggs. And then we taped those little guys all up.
 I also showed her how very cool it was that the eggs made noise when you shook them.

Then the dipping and covering of the eggs began. I didn't let the eggs dry between layers, I just kept dipping and wrapping and dipping and wrapping until the egg was all covered. I then made sure it was somewhat smooth and put it on a tea towel to start drying.
Once the eggs were all done, I left them on a cooling rack overnight. They took at least that long to fully dry. 

And we cleaned up. You may or may not have beans everywhere when you're done.

The next afternoon we splattered the eggs. I used about a tablespoon of brown craft paint and diluted it with water until I was able to get an even splatter with the toothbrush. You want to avoid too much paint on your brush otherwise it tends to make big spots which is okay if you like that sort of thing.
I let the eggs dry again, overnight, but really just a few hours is all that is needed.

And they were done. I love them. And so does Kilmeny.

Happy Spring!!

Peaches and Cream and Enjoying the Simple Things

Sometimes when we go away it's all about the food. We take ingredients to make some of our favorite special meals, we plan out menus complete with appetizers and desserts. We make time to create delicious food and memories together. And then sometimes we don't. We eat simply, we nibble throughout the day, and we make do with what we have. 

On our recent trip to the mountains, it was all about simplicity. Even the kitchen was simple, outfitted with the very basic of dishes and utensils. There was a kettle and pretty plates and two mugs, the perfect shape for wrapping our hands around after a brisk walk. 

Time was our friend and so we decided to have a leisurely brunch of pancakes, freshly whipped cream, peaches and eggs. And coffee, of course. 

 The pancakes came together quickly with the homemade mix.

The peaches came from a jar, sealed in the heat of summer and tasting of the sunshine that we will see again, soon, I hope. 

And the cream, it was whipped by hand by my awesome husband. He's the kind of guy who believes that there is a solution to every problem. You just might have to work a little harder and dig a little deeper but the answer is always there. I flipped pancakes, set the table, and ground coffee while he whipped cream. It was worth it. Totally worth it. 

Tips for  creating your own special breakfast:

Work with what you have- use a big pot to mix up pancake batter if there's only one bowl.

Make it a good experience  for everyone- let the toddler nibble on pancake while you bustle around making everything else. Especially when she's already been awake for several hours.
 

Enjoy the details- fresh coffee in mismatched mugs, tiny table crowded with good food, sunlight streaming in through windows that give an incredible view of the mountains.

Make it pretty- take a few extra minutes to plate the food or sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee.

 A simple breakfast but made so much more enjoyable but slowing down, enjoying the whole process and savoring each bit.

What do you do to make meal time special?

Blue Roses and Red Daisies

 It was my turn this year. It often is when we have a new baby in the house around Valentine's. With two little girls, the tradition isn't that old but it's still a tradition. It happened as all good traditions start, unplanned. One year we were enjoying a dinner cruise around the Sydney Harbor as newlyweds, the next we were eating dinner by the fire with a fussy baby who was not going to sleep by herself. Last year my husband surprised me with dinner and an overnight at a local hotel. And this year found us at home, enjoying each other's company and that of our little 6 month old baby. 

I purposely planned a simple menu taking inspiration from the Italian antipasto platters. My whole goal for the evening was quiet, relaxed, and simple. I knew I would want everything just perfect when my husband walked in the door from work but I also knew that he wanted a happy wife more then everything perfect. 

Decorations were simple (sensing a theme yet?)- pictures of us, a few scattered silk rose petals, and candlelight to give atmosphere and cover up all the little spots on the carpet and the dust on the shelves. 

 I framed our wedding vows and made them a focal point for the evening.  He brought home red gerbera daisies for me, he knows I love them more then roses. Earlier in the week, he bought me a single blue rose for the romance in the reality of life.

Kilmeny was fed, the kitchen was reasonably clean, and the dessert was finally put together. I had forgotten whipping cream and so sent Jared out to grab some, minutes after he got home. He's sweet like that. 

We nibbled our way through homemade focaccia bread, Romanello and Havarti cheeses, a winter salami, artichoke hearts and stuffed manzanilla olives. We dipped strawberries in chocolate, one of the few times I'll buy strawberries out of season is for Valentine's Day. Red and heart-shaped they are perfect for celebrating. 
We sipped tea and ate cinnamon meringue with chocolate mousse, topped with cinnamon whipping cream. We talked. We took pictures with our iPhones, they're still a novelty being only 2 weeks old. We talked. We made our baby laugh. We talked. We put our toddler back to sleep. We re-lived old memories. And we embraced this season of being parents to little kidlets and sharing in the reality of life. It's not always perfect and roses and stardust. It's hard, there are tears and meltdowns but it is beautiful and I really wouldn't have it any other way. 

linking up with Rebekah with  Dinner at Eight

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Your family will love you. Your guests will be impressed. You may not want to share. 

But you will. Because you can't keep all the warm, blueberry goodness to yourself.

My husband made this for our Saturday breakfast the other weekend. He also took all these pictures. He's rather amazing like that. 

Scramble up some eggs or make a frittata while you wait for it to bake. Or serve it up by itself, accompanied with some freshly ground, freshly pressed coffee.
We made it with whole wheat flour for extra nutrients, it was also the only flour we had in the house. It still tasted fantastic. You could even swap out the blueberries for some cranberries or raspberries or even strawberries to make a festive breakfast treat for Valentine's Day.  

She liked it. We all liked it. The last piece was split between all of us.

Find the original blog post for the cake here, it's not mine but it'll be made again and again in our home.

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake (from alexandracooks.com)

Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk
* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.


What's a favorite breakfast you've had lately?