Seacoast Bound

Ahhhh.... the weekend is finally here.  The husband is headed to Chicago for work, and I decided this was the perfect time to abscond to Maine with Baby J for a little mini-vacation and grandparent time.  Crashing with my parents is the best.  They always take such good care of us, and they live at the beach.  They also happen to live in one of the best little corners of New England ever, right near the fabulous hidden gem that is Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  I honestly couldn't be more excited if I was off to Paris. After a slog of a month or so, this will be such a treat.  On my top 10 list for this little getaway:
1) A second birthday party for my cousins' beautiful daughter, thrown by parents who know how throw a great party!  I can't wait!  Happy Birthday lil' S!  Baby J can't wait to hang out with you and check out your legendary jumping castle!
2) Hanging out with my sister who will also be at home.  Spending most of the day in pajamas, going for a latte run, maybe perusing some outlets, procuring some things to cook a lovely dinner, and chatting the day away sounds just about perfect.
3) Perhaps a wee bit of shopping at Goody Two Shoes for Baby J, whose recent growth spurt finds him with a serious lack of socks. 
4) Take-out from Loco Coco.  Yummmm.  Can't get enough of their taco salad with grilled shrimp.  And their flan is life-changing (inasmuch as a custard can be). 
5) I sadly won't be traveling with the espresso maker, so mornings will find me at Breaking New Grounds for a perfect latte.  They are no competition for the husband though.  If the lawyer thing doesn't work out, he has a very promising future as a barista.
6) Picking up some beautiful fresh fish from here to cook up dinner.  We just don't get enough fresh seafood living in land-locked VT, and mama has a hankering for some halibut (I'll share my simple favorite preparation).
7) Next door to the fish market is the charming little wine shop called South Street and Vine.  They have the most amazing selection of cheeses and they let you try before you buy... love that!  They also have a great wine selection with some very special yet affordable finds; "wine for the table, not the cellar" is their motto.  I can't wait to sip some and chat with the family while we all prepare dinner. 
8) Whenever I am in Portsmouth, I love to stop in and check out what's new at Nahcotta, an amazing little gallery/gift shop downtown.  They always have the most unique pieces by local artists; a feast for the eyes!
9) I'll have to bring the husband some of his very favorite bread from Beach Pea Baking Company; a fougasse for him, and perhaps a mini-passion fruit cheesecake for me.  Because you only live once...
10) Long walks on the beach every day will be priority #1!  I can't wait!
Brace yourself, seacoast, here we come!

Pics are of my mom's rock art around my parents' home. 

I love the way she uses nature to create meaningful design;  very organic and easy on the eyes. 

Can't wait to hang out among the rocks!

For your morning

I give you Baby J's first encounter with a bagel...

What is this thing?

Whatever it is, it's awesome!

The start of a beautiful relationship. 

Minutes later, the bagel was on the floor, and the puppy was even happier than the baby.

And finally, Baby J's latest work of art.

Loving the purple and green and the delicate finger strokes.

Brilliant again, Baby J.  MOMA here we come.

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Green Products I'm Loving

I am always on a quest for good, organic yumminess to add to my life, and  I've recently come upon a few notable products worth sharing. 

1) Dr. Bronner's Organic Spearmint Peppermint Shaving Gel The husband and I recently vowed to stop buying those pressurized cans of shaving cream which, even when CFC-free, will spend a lifetime in a landfill somewhere.  We are already huge fans of Dr. Bronner's Magic Peppermint Soap, whose delightful tingliness on my face is just as important to my morning wake-up ritual as my double lattes.  When I came upon this shaving gel in a local shop dedicated to organic beauty products, we decided to give it a whirl. We both love; the tingliness is still there and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.  We both feel happy to be free of the metal can and its tub-staining rust rings. Says the husband, "it is kind of like putting grape jelly on your face, but it's cool."

2) Kiehl's Açaí Damage-Correcting Moisturizer  I've long been a Kiehl's junkie, but was recently hating on them after looking up some of their products of on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and being shocked and appalled by some of the chemical goo in my favorite products.  As if they sensed my disappointment, Kiehl's recently lauched their first 100% organic skincare line in these açaí products (there is also a serum, a cleanser and a toning mist, but I have yet to try those).  I decided to give this moisturizer a try upon needing a new product to accommodate my suddenly shiny post-baby skin (after years of nothing but dry, dry, dry).  I am loving this product.  It feels amazing on, has a great scent, and a little goes a long, long way.  It is supposed to be "damage-correcting", minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  Sold.  I use this during the day, and my beloved Lunaroma Cucumber Rosewater Facial Cream at night for a totally edible and organic skincare regimen.  Perfect.

3) Ecover Lemon and Aloe Vera Dishwashing Liquid In our continued quest to change over to all natural and non-toxic cleaning products, we've been exclusively using this yummy stuff.  It smells great, doesn't dry your hands, and just got all of the cheese off of a baking sheet that we used to make nachos grande for dinner (which is another post unto itself - delish).  One whiff of this stuff and the fake lemon smell of other dishwashing liquids will seem downright gross.

4) Weleda Baby Products  I think I may have mentioned these before, but they are so worth mentioning again.  My favorite is the Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash.  I love a two-in-one product, and this one is perfect for lathering Baby J head to toe.  It smells incredible, has no scary ingredients, and is so gentle on his skin.  I swore by their Pregnancy Body Oil as well.  Weleda just knows how to take perfect, natural care of mama and baby.  *Bonus tip: order your Weleda on Diapers.com with a case of diapers and you bump yourself into free shipping territory, baby. 

5) Nature's Path Flax Plus Maple Pecan Crunch  Granola.  How cliche.  Seriously though, the husband is a diehard sugar cereal fan, and tends towards breakfast offerings that include high-fructose corn syrup when left to his own devices.  I've long been on a search for a healthy cereal that meets his high breakfast standards: it must not taste like cardboard, it must not have fiber in the name, it must not resemble twigs, it must be delicious.  I finally hit the mark with this tasty cereal, which also contains healthy flax and omegas, along with pecan and maple crunchiness.  The whole box was gone before I could try it myself, so I will have to give a personal review next time, but I take the rapid disappearance as a high endorsement. 
And it is organic to boot.  Score.

What new (or oldie but goodie) green products are you loving?  I'd love to hear about your finds.

Just Because.

Sweet potatoes.  Delish.

New Brekkie Find

You know I love my steel cut oats.  But I am always looking for new and healthy quick breakfasts to add to the mix, and I just found a winner.  A huge sale rack of Old Wessex products caught my eye at the co-op last week.   After examining all of them, I settled on trying their Organic Creamy Oat Bran for a few reasons: 1) I have enough crunchy/toothsome brekkies in the mix with my steel cut oats and granolas, and 2) Something about a smooth, creamy hot cereal just seemed really comforting and appealing for the coming winter months (note: there is no dairy in this cereal).  This pick was a total winner.  It zaps up in the microwave in just two minutes, although it could be cooked on the stovetop if you were having that kind of day.  More often than not, though, I have no time to eat before leaving the house in the morning, and need to have something quick and easy to fix at my desk, and this fits the bill.  You simply put 1/3 cup oat bran and 1 cup water in a bowl, zap for 2 minutes, and voila: a hot, creamy breakfast that is low in calories and fat, and packed with dietary fiber, which makes it oh so filling.  Not being one to leave things unadorned, I add a half a smooshed banana (we have lots of those to get rid of since Baby J started eating small amounts of banana with his oat cereal), a splash of soy milk, a bit of honey, and a wee dollop of almond butter; upping the protein and vitamin content of this already awesomely nutritious breakfast.  The result: tasty, easy, filling and healthy, and eating this warm, comforting bowl reminds me of when my mom would make Cream of Wheat for us before school in the mornings.  Now if only my sisters were around to chat with over breakfast like back in those days... 

Happiness + Sunday Soup

I am so happy today.  The crescendo of my fall chaos has come and gone, the sun is shining and the baby is napping.  We started the day with a delicious breakfast of poached eggs and honey-oat toast, plus Skype sessions with grandparents and good friends (always heartwarming).  Then it was time for my two favorite Sunday activities: a long walk in the woods and cooking up a big pot of soup for the week ahead.

This week I felt like something hearty, so I decided to make a potato-leek soup, but I wanted this to be a bit different than the usual variety.  The inspiration for this recipe is a baked potato with all the fixings (an idea I got from Kath).  The leeks stand in for chives, and you could serve it with garnishes of shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream.  The real gems of this play on a baked potato are the "bacon bits", due to a new product we discovered at the co-op this week.

Awww yeah.  These things are like a cross between Canadian and regular bacon; nice and thick and meaty, and a lot less fatty than any other pork product we've recently used.  To be honest, I've never cooked with as much pork as I have this fall (veggie friends and Jewish relatives, please avert your eyes), and I don't know what this pork-a-palooza is about, other than the husband scoring that guanciale, and there being so much amazing local, uncured product for us to work with up here in VT.  In any case, these bacon ends are pretty amazing, but you could absolutely leave them out of this recipe for a veggie soup that would be equally delicious (and a tad more healthy).

Ingredients
1/4 lb. uncured bacon ends (you could also use regular thick-cut bacon or Canadian bacon, or omit the bacon for a vegetarian soup), roughly chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
5 small red potatoes, cubed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 cup milk or cream
Sprinkle of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1) Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the chopped bacon (or two tablespoons of olive oil if making vegetarian version).  Saute until the fat begins to render and bacon begins to brown.
2) Add leeks, turn down heat slightly and cook for 20 minutes, allowing leeks to caramelize, stirring frequently.

3) Throw in cubed potatoes and sweet potato, and add the stock.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a simmer, and allow to cook through until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

4) Puree soup.  This is another situation where I love, love, love our immersion blender (put it on your Christmas list!), but the puree could also be accomplished by transferring the soup in batches to a blender or food processor.

5) Stir in milk or cream and season to taste with parika, salt and pepper.
Optional: To really play up the baked potato theme you could serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped scallion, and additional bacon bits.

I am so looking forward to the month to come.  This big event at work that just passed was my first major project to tackle post-maternity leave and the pressure was really on in so many ways.  Now that it is over, I feel like my whole being has exhaled.  As I sat among my cookbooks with a huge, steaming latte this morning plotting our Thanksgiving menu and chatting with the husband, I felt more like myself than I have in a long time.   I'm excited to have more time and energy to spend in the kitchen and the woods in the coming weeks and to share the results with you!  Happy Sunday.

When the going gets tough...

This is it, people; the most hectic week of my fall.   My biggest event of the season at work is this Friday and Saturday, the little guy appears to be getting three of his top teeth all at once, and a head cold has once again descended on the house.  You will not be seeing any Beef Bourguignon this week.  When the going gets tough, the tough go to Trader Joe's.

No, there is not a Trader Joe's in the state of Vermont.  My love for this store runs so deep that I make periodic pilgramages to the one three hours away in Brookline, MA.  When there, I stock up on affordable and diverse wines, great cleaning products, and simmer sauces galore.  Simmers sauces are the nectar of the gods for working moms: chop some protein, heat some sauce, let it all simmer together while you drink a glass of wine and have a kitchen dance party with your baby, and suddenly, dinner is served and you feel much better.  Tonight, the household was crying out for Italian comfort food, so Trader Giotto's Cacciatore Simmer Sauce it was.  I chopped a pound of chicken, sauteed it with the rest of those mushrooms that were taunting me in the veggie drawer, poured in the jar of sauce, and simmered for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, I boiled a pot of water, and cooked some organic pappardelle noodles.

Pots bubbled away, and I drank a glass of wine, chatted with the baby, and answered my cell phone three times.  Then I drained the pasta, tossed it with the sauce and chicken and presto!  Dinner.

There were exactly two pans, two bowls, two forks, and one set of tongs to clean at the end of this meal.  Quickie dishes mean you can get back to folding laundry, making sure the baby doesn't attack the dog, and continuing to answer your cell phone that much more quickly.

Is this the kind of cooking I normally like to do?  Not at all.  I usually prefer all whole food ingredients, and sauces from scratch and not from a jar.  However, in a pinch, this still beats takeout on the economic and nutritional fronts, and still allows you to feel like you are actually cooking something for your family.  And to have that kitchen dance party, which is the key to surviving such stressful times.  I may go off the radar until this big event is over, but when I return, it will be with a bag of fresh groceries and something out of Ina, I promise.  Until then, I love Trader Joe's!