Day Zero update, 25 down!

Since January, I've been slowly ticking off items on my 101 list.

Did you create a 101 list? Link up if you want to share!!

Momma needs a drink

Remember when I posted about my first Lambic?

Well, I still like them! And now that it's summertime I thought I'd try something that I've always wondered about. Beer floats! Vanilla ice cream atop a frosty lambic. This one is sour cherry and it's delish!

CSA Week 8 and 9

In this week's CSA Bag I found:

I'm so-o excited about those gorgeous heirloom cherry tomatoes. A tomato tart seems just the thing!! I'm also intrigued by that melon and hope to find an interesting recipe, or else we'll just gobble it up tomorrow morning at breakfast.

A girlfriend of mine was kind enough to pick up our CSA produce while we were away. I've been so curious to know what she got and how she prepared it. Just when I couldn't stand it any longer, she emailed me!

First off: she received new potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, pint tomatoes, large and small onions, and corn.

That adorable little girl is her daughter, Lillian--the only girl out of six babies born to the families in my birthing class. I love her! And not just because her table manners are so clearly advanced.

Heidi set only two guidelines for herself as she determined how best to incorporate the produce into her family's weekly menu:

1. No other grocery trips! (She's a whole foods and farmer's market devotee)

2. Incorporate herbs and other vegetables already harvested from her personal garden

The heirloom tomatoes inspired a pasta dish that graced the table just in time to welcome her sister from out of town, and otherwise she kept things simple in order to let the produce do the talkin'. This approach is a Heidi hallmark.

So here's how she did it:

Ears of Corn--several to grill and eat this week (try with lemon basil butter or pesto) the rest to blanch and freeze

Cucumbers--simple tomato/cucumber/onion side salad with herbed vinaigrette, also tzatziki sauce served with pan fried panko cod

Onions large and Small--sliced in salads, sliced in tomato/squash bake, minced in recipes

New Potatoes--roasted with rosemary, Hawaiian red sea salt, smoked paprika flakes, EVOO, and ground pepper

Pint Tomatoes-half reserved for cucumber salad, half reserved to roast and toss with pesto pasta

Three Heirloom Tomatoes--peeled and chopped for pasta recipe to include 5-6 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped basil, 4 oz. goat cheese (she used Sweet Valley Farm Dairy Tomato Basil/Farmer's Market), 1/4 cup EVOO, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, sea salt to taste, heated and served over 1 package DeBoles whole wheat pasta.

It's fun to see how other families use the csa produce, and I really missed my veggies last week!

Thanks Heidi! You can invite us over for dinner anytime!! :)

It's that time

Again, and already!

I guess we've been so busy with our existing child, and life in general, that the last month whizzed by without too much angst over lost time, and now here we are! The two week wait is my least favorite part in the baby-making process because there's nothing to DO!!

And this time I'm going to treat pregnancy tests like junk-food and not even tempt myself by bringing them into the house until the end of the waiting period. Last month I wasted a lot of money peeing on sticks, and I learned my lesson!

How do you keep your mind off the inevitable?

Slowly but surely, transitioning to a toddler bed

We have taken a second step toward moving Roscoe from his swing to somewhere that is not his swing. For a long time, I assumed that "somewhere" would be his crib. After careful consideration we decided to skip the crib altogether and go straight to a mattress on the floor.

On Saturday afternoon we disassembled his crib and reorganized his room.

Roscoe now has an upgraded reading corner, and a mattress on the floor.

We hope that he'll take to this arrangement. Knowing him, he will not. So we have postponed until next weekend step three of our "as we go" plan, which will be to persuade Roscoe to sleep in his new bed.

What did you find helpful in facilitating this transition for your little ones?

Hey Ya'll!

We're back from our beach vacation--not so well-rested thanks to a child who reverted to infant sleeping habits while we were away! Our return trip on Friday was even better than the drive down because we drove through the night and were asleep in our own beds by 4:00 am. When we woke on Saturday morning, we still had a full weekend ahead of us.

The isle of palms was as perfect a summer travel destination as I can imagine. The ocean was so warm, and the beach uncrowded with compact sand (not the kind you sink into that causes sore calves!). Our proximity to Charleston was a big highlight and we alternated early mornings spent in the water and late afternoons exploring either the city or other nearby islands.

The heat was welcomed, and the humidity was tremendous. While the forecast called for thunderstorms every day, they usually didn't roll in until the evening, which was just fine with us. We arrived home just as white as we were when we left, in part due to religious application of high spf, but probably also to intermittent cloud cover. The palm trees in Charleston reminded me of California and elicited on more than one occasion lively discussion about "palm manicure" preferences.

While we assumed that vacationing with a 13 month old would be fun on many levels I don't think we expected Roscoe to be fully engaged in our vacation itinerary. So we were pleasantly surprised by Roscoe's determination to keep up with his older cousin Mack, his fearlessness in the ocean waves, and how he was drawn to the sand like a sea turtle to the moon. He was mesmerized by everything he encountered at the aquarium, and eagerly explored all the trucks at the fire museum.

Vacationing with our extended family was a nice change of pace and every night a different family was responsible for preparing dinner, so as the days' adventures were winding down, we gathered around the dinner table for some well earned sustenance. What a great way to end the day!

Then it was tucking in the babies, hopping online, night walks on the beach, and games!! We played a new one called Mad Gab that I would give two thumbs up. Ever played it? Give these a try (read the words out loud and try to figure out the phrases.*):

We thought it was hilariously fun!

We also managed to leave the kids one morning to sneak away to a little beach house restaurant for breakfast where I discovered the deliciousness that is cheese grits. And speaking of southern food, I had my first sweet tea, and a perfect plate of fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and chow chow.

Long walks and runs on the beach were our only form of exercise and proved to be quite romantic. Andy and I don't often find ourselves with uninterrupted time for discussion not centered around our parental responsibilities, and it certainly was a luxury to share the surf while indulging in bigger picture conversation. Ocean walks at dusk were just what we needed.

We left Charleston wanting more, which is how it goes with vacation I suppose. But there was something special that we found down there. Beyond the culture, and history, location, and lordy, THE FOOD! We reconnected as a family, and in our own company we grew more confident (we are afraid to travel no more!!) and more appreciative of each other.

As we left the low-country behind we decided that any vacation in which you part wishing for even just a few more days to further soak it all in, but also fulfilled and gratified with just the contents crammed into your four door sedan, is a wild success.

* amazon.com, for he's a jolly good fellow, do a google search

Greetings!

Today was our last full day in South Carolina. We are sad. But we had so much fun!!

We perused boutiques on King street, trolled for cupcakes, ate lunch at S.N.O.B, enjoyed a family dinner on the waterfront, and tasted vanilla, walnut, and other yummy infused olive oils. I bought a bottle of blood orange olive oil and a fig balsamic vinegar (mmm... good for so many things!). I was in the mood for southern eats and found a tall glass of sweet tea, some peach sangria, and fried green tomatoes!

It looks like our day was completely centered around our food--and, well, it kind of was!

301 posts!

I began blogging Marbles Rolling on April 25, 2009. I was 35 weeks pregnant with Roscoe and intended to post about the final weeks of my pregnancy and then to share our journey as new parents with our family and friends. In the beginning, Andy even posted on a regular basis. I imagined that the blog would serve as a space where I might post weekly updates and pictures to more or less document Roscoe's milestones.

I had no idea how much I would grow to love my new hobby.

No Idea. Whatsoever.

Looking back there was a lot that I didn't know at 35 weeks.

Like how insanecrazy we would feel during the first year. Or how difficult it would be to surrender to my new role--a fact that came to me mostly in hindsight. Or how delicious motherhood can be. and is. except for when it isn't! A year of contradictions, with rewards too overwhelming and wild to put to words.

Writing has always been an outlet for me, but before I discovered blogging I hadn't found a format that made much sense for the way I like to write. I have so many journals, all blank. Diaries? check. I even tried a word document-type journal. Nope. Didn't work.

Turns out that blogging is for me! Not only do I enjoy it but I've kept up with it. I look forward to it, and despite my busy days I find (and savor) a sliver of it to jot down something that stood out for me.

Life is fun, and good, and every day is extraordinary--of course I know this to be true about my own life but, after reading and following the lives of other moms in the blogosphere, it appears to be universal.

I'm flattered that you've made Marbles Rolling a part of your weekly routine. I've enjoyed sharing my adventures and getting to know many of you through your own blogs.

In celebration of my 300th post I want to open up the floor:

Do you have any questions you've been wanting to ask?

Come out of hiding and post a comment! Or become a follower! I'd love to get to know more of you.