Hi all!

We had a nice long Christmas vacation, and while I’m sorry to have left you for as long as I did, I’m glad to have had the time to focus on family and trying to get the house back in order after the handmade holiday shenanigans that went on all through December.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the only place in my house that was not an absolute mess on December 26th:

Additionally, you may see less of me on here for a while because we’re down to one computer in the house at present, and that somewhat limits my blogging time. Pray for our sanity, people.

Here’s a rundown of our Christmas, in pictures:

I know I promised tutorials and pictures of all of the wonderful handmade gifts, but in the excitement of finishing them, I forgot to take pictures, and the lighting was bad on Christmas day. You’ll have to live without them for now (though there are a couple of things I’ll make more of, so you can look for tutorials on them in days to come). My New Year’s resolution is to let myself get away with things once in a while, so I’m letting myself off the hook for this.

My other resolution: each day, in addition to everything we do for Ada, I’m going to do one thing for D, one thing for the house, and one thing for me.

Today’s gift to myself was a trip to the pool with Swimmerbee in her new swimsuit. How was that a gift for me?

Look what I got to look at the whole time!

Happy New Year, all!

Hi all,

My apologies for the long hiatus. We had an excellent Thanksgiving vacation, and I have a lot of photos I’d like to share, but we seem to be having some difficulty with the computer that has the memory card reader built in. There is a backup card reader somewhere, but I haven’t the foggiest where, so until we get the issue resolved, I’m going to hold off telling you about the trip, other than to say that Ada is a lucky little bee indeed to have the family she has.

In other news, shortly after coming home, Littlebee caught her first cold. It was heartbreaking. You’d think that after all the time we spent in NICU with her as a little one, we could handle the sniffles, but we know her better now, and we’ve gotten accustomed to being able to fix whatever is upsetting her.  It’s tough to watch your little one gurgle and sniffle and choke and not be able to make it all better. We used that sucker-bulb thing, and it made her furious. We propped her crib mattress up at an angle, which worked beautifully until she woke up and wiggled until she was trapped at one end. We ran the vaporizer constantly, went through a whole box of tissues, and did our best to comfort her when she was so congested she couldn’t eat (it’s pretty tough to get a decent milk meal when you can’t breathe through your nose). We worried and fretted and she just smiled and giggled through it all! It’s funny how much more miserable we were than she was.

Now she’s better, has mastered sitting up, has a clearly visible tooth (though I haven’t had any success taking a picture of it yet), and is back to tearing through the living room at breakneck speeds. Today, she stood up.

That’s right.

She was sitting up by the coffee table, bouncing up and down while holding on to the table’s lower shelf. This caused her to bump her head over and over on the underside of the table, so I figured I’d do her a favor and move her before she got hurt. I sat her over by the sofa, and showed her it was just as easy to hold onto the sofa, but less likely to cause brain injury. She happily bounced up and down there for a few minutes, then slowly pulled herself up to a stand. I would have taken pictures, but a) was afraid to leave her unattended with her sweet little head that far off the ground, and b) would not have been able to share said pictures with you anyway, dear reader (please see aforementioned computer woes). She stood for a few seconds, then sat back down and did laps around the living room.

Aside from chasing Speedybee, we’re working very hard on a handmade Christmas. The stores out here started playing holiday music on November 1st, and we decided that was the last straw. We’re not participating in shopping madness this year. Instead, we’re trying to make everything by hand.

Unfortunately, I can’t share the details of these projects with you, as their recipients read this blog. Suffice to say that after the holidays, there will be a lot of tutorials up. I’ve drafted up some pretty awesome gift patterns, and D’s working on a couple of cool electronic gifts for our nephews.

We put up our tree on Saturday. We have a cozy little house, and every year, we fret about where to put the tree/how large it should be. This year, D was doing a bit more fretting than I was, so I handed complete control over tree selection. He came back with perhaps the loveliest 7-foot tall tree I’ve seen (again, pictures to come; it’s disheartening to type that over and over).

Well, I’m having a hard time feeling motivated to continue this any further without any visual aids, so I’m going to stop right here and say that I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you here tomorrow night.  Hopefully with photographs.

Well, all, I must apologize for the delayed return to the blog.

Somewhere, between the family visits, plane trips, baby showers, and more family visits, Littlebee caught her first cold.

It’s a doozy.; the poor thing is so stuffed up she can’t breathe through her nose, which means that she can barely eat, and that she wakes herself up constantly during the night as she spits out her pacifier to breathe through her mouth, then realizes that the pacifier is missing and cries for it.

It’s a full-time operation to keep the baby hydrated and free of boogs,  her vaporizer full and stocked with inhaler fluid, and my heart from breaking as she cries and there’s no way I can explain to her that this will pass soon.

To top it off, she cut her first tooth last week, and there seems to be another on its way in.

When it rains, it pours. Think of us, and I’ll see you when things are a little happier around here.

you see this in the window of the local photography studio:

(click for biggerer)

Touching, no?

Happy Thanksgiving, all! See you Saturday!

I’m so excited! We leave on Friday for my dad’s in New Mexico, where Ada will meet her uncle, grandparents, great grandpa, and my uncle, aunt, and cousin (I’m too lazy to figure out what that makes them in relation to her – I know there are greats and seconds involved). It’s been a while since we’ve introduced her to anyone new and close to us, and we’re very much looking forward to showing her off.

Since there’s still quite a bit of packing to do, and we’ll likely be quite busy while on vacation, I expect this is the last you’ll see of me until after Thanksgiving.

As for today’s activities, we spent most of the day running around and picking up travel necessities, doing laundry, and of course, crawling all over the house. Littlebee discovered the bookshelves today, but was happy enough to just caress the spines of all those lovely books rather than pull them all down. I know next time I won’t be so lucky.

I realized that now would be a perfect time to make that nursing cover I’ve had on my to-do list (lest I flash someone on the plane), so I whipped one up.

Seen here as modeled by my duct tape dress form/body double

I just can’t get over this fabric. It’s gorgeous, and I couldn’t love the color more! I bought it to make a shirt for Ada, and will have to get more to do that on our return.

Deep mustard and charcoal.

Aaaaaand, in celebration of all of the delicious flavors of fall, I made Mark Bittman’s Autumn Millet Bake (via 101cookbooks, an amazing food blog) with a few adjustments:

-instead of 3/4 c. millet, I used 1/4 c. millet and 1/2 c. quinoa (because I didn’t have the full 3/4 c. millet and I didn’t want to add grocery shopping to my list of errands today). Highly recommended move. This made the dish so light and fluffy!

-instead of water or vegetable stock or cream, I used beef broth. There was some left in the fridge that needed to get used. It would have been just as good with veggie stock, but the beef broth was fine.

-I was rather generous with the “1 cup” of cranberries. I love cranberries.

D wasn’t as impressed as I was, but I’d eat this again in a heartbeat. Mark Bittman is one of my favorite food writers, and Heidi Swanson’s 101cookbooks blog has never failed me yet, so when Heidi recommends a Bittman recipe, you know it’s going to knock your socks off. Well, if you like that sort of thing. Sorry, D.

I toasted the millet a bit longer than the quinoa.

This is how I measure a cup of cranberries.

Things I’m thankful for today:

Running water. When the Bee gets crazy at snacktime, I’m so grateful that I can just jump in the shower with her and be done with it.

The heater. I am a huge wuss, I know, to be turning the heater on in Southern California, but man, was that nice.

Sharp kitchen knives. Ever tried skinning a butternut squash with a dull knife? I’m so glad I’ve been keeping up with the knife sharpening thing.

That’s all for now! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Tonight, I made what is sure to become a holiday tradition around here:

Onion Pie with Bacon, Lavender, and Blue Cheese.

You read that right. Nearly every single one of my favorite flavors, all in one delicious package.

I did not take pictures of the cooking process. You are lucky you got a picture of an uneaten piece (well, that’s a lie – I took a big taste out of the other side of this slice). The reason?

In order to bake this thing, you first have to produce 2 cups of caramelized onions (this meant cooking down 5 onions). You also need to cook up four slices of bacon (I used 5). By this point, the house smelled so good I had to open a window to keep from losing my mind. I suggest you don’t make it while hungry.

Long story short, it’s sort of like a quiche, but really, it’s more like a giant plate of caramelized onions, bacon, blue cheese and lavender held together by just a minimum of egg and milk. I could eat this every day. D even had seconds!

Things I might do differently next time? Instead of caramelizing the onions the usual way (with a little sugar and butter in a frying pan), I think I’m going to brush them with olive oil and oven-roast them. Anything else? Nah, it’s perfect.

Look for it at our holiday party in tartlet form, guys. F’reals.

What else?

I’ve had this red yarn sitting around my house for ages. I loved it in the skein, but it just never seemed to make its way into a project. Until now! I spotted this hat (ravelry here).

Unfortunately, it’s a crochet pattern, and I knit. What to do?

I’m teaching myself to crochet during Ada’s naps. Here’s the progress on the hat so far; I think it’s going to be the brim of the hat.

She loves to sleep on my lap, and nowhere else. Am I committing some terrible crime by allowing this to continue? Maybe, but she’ll only be little enough to sleep like that for a few more months. In the meantime, I’m perfectly happy to snuggle in and make her some cute winterwear. Only two more days to go before we hit that cold weather!!

Oh, and lest I forget:

Things to be thankful for today?

Ada’s Great Grandmother has chosen the nickname Gigi (from GG – short for Great Grandma). It’s so cute I could die. I’m a huge fan of adorable grandparent nicknames. Hear that, Jupa?

My little brother, who is not so little anymore. I called him tonight, and he answered the phone by telling me what kind of pizza he’d like. Then he asked me how I am at driving in the snow.

SNOW! Oh, I hope I get to see you, snow. I’ve missed you, old friend.

Hi all,

At one point last year, I’d started trying to keep a blog elsewhere. I’ll admit that my follow-through was not great, as the urge to blog gave way to the urge to nest. Not really anything worth carrying over from that one, save this recipe. It’s probably the best thing I’ve come up with all on my own. I’ll post it here, for posterity, even though it’s a spring recipe. I miss spring already.

Buckwheat and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Spring Veggies

I was trying to figure out what to do with the fresh peas and fava beans I found at the farmer’s market, and decided to make a buckwheat and goat cheese ravioli. We tried it last night, and to great success! D ate a second serving, even though he’s not a fan of peas.

Here, for those amongst you who may be curious, is what we did (yes, he helped!).

1 c. buckwheat flour (they have it at Henry’s in the bulk bins)
about 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
olive oil
pinch salt
about 1/4 c. milk or water (I used milk)

goat cheese

butter
english peas (fresh is best)
fava beans (they’re only in season for a couple of weeks, i.e. right now)
or whatever vegetable. It would have been good with asparagus, too, I think.

Mix the buckwheat flour and half a cup of the all-purpose flour with a pinch of salt in a medium or large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the egg and milk. Drizzle some olive oil over (maybe a tablespoon-ish?) Mix until well combined (you’ll probably have to get your hands in on this), then knead on a floured work surface for about ten minutes, sprinkling with flour until the dough’s surface is no longer sticky. Let the dough set for about half an hour (I shelled the peas and fava beans while I was waiting).

Roll the dough out until it is as thin as you like (buckwheat flour makes a tough dough, so you have to really put some muscle into it), then cut out ravioli with a cookie round (2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter). Put a couple of chunks of goat cheese (not too full!) on each round, then fold over and smash the edges with a fork to seal them. Let the ravioli set for a few minutes while you get a pot of water on to boil.

Drop in the ravioli and veggies (or wait a minute to add the veggies, if you like them crisp), and let cook until all of the ravioli float to the surface. Strain off the water, toss with butter and a little salt.

Mmmm.

Sometimes, you need to drop everything you’re doing and just enjoy life. I’ve had a great time doing just that over the last few days. We’ve been spending a lot of time with friends and catching up with family, which seems especially important since we’re spending Ada’s first Thanksgiving away from home. I hope you’ll pardon my absence, but rest assured that it was time well spent.

With Thanksgiving around the corner (and let’s not even talk about Christmas, people), I’ve been thinking a lot about the things I’m thankful for. I know it’s hokey, but I can’t help myself.

D and I try to keep a “less is more” philosophy so that we can avoid clutter, both physical and emotional, as much as possible. When we decided to grow our family, we very much liked the idea that all you really need to keep a baby happy are love, diapers, and boobs. Everything else is a bonus. Of course, we’re lucky enough to have a few more goodies than that, but we’re trying to stick with a “one in, one out” policy on toys, and we’re purging baby clothes as soon as Littlebee outgrows them.

There are those around us that think we are ascetics, crazy people, or that we fall into that (large) category where the two overlap. To them I say: Please take a look at this incredibly charming family living a fabulous life in 380 square feet (via ohdeedoh). Not only do I love that their parenting philosophy so closely mirrors our own, but also that they look so blissfully happy with so very little.

So here are the things that I’m grateful for today (beyond love, diapers, and boobs):

My husband, who is going to laugh at me for calling him beautiful, but he’s the most beautiful man there ever was, in every sense of the word.

This little one, who never fails to give me a lift (and a good chuckle).

The imprint this little ear leaves on my forearm after a nice long nap on my lap (if I ever get another tattoo, I know what it will be).

The walking foot on my sewing machine. It’s a recent purchase, and I’m wondering how in the world I ever got along without it!

Somehow, in between packing and wrapping up arrangements for our trip, finishing up a project for a friend’s baby shower, working on Christmas presents, and medicating our cat (she’ll be fine, guys, no worries), I’ve managed to squeeze in a few minutes here and there to work on a (very belated) gift for a friend. I’ve been giving that walking foot a workout!

A sneak peek:

Note: yes, that is dupioni mixing with a knit. I washed and dried the dupioni in the machine first, which radically changed the material, but in a very good way! I’m going to want one of these for myself!!

We had a lovely day today. Went to the Wild Animal Park this morning with friends (always a great start to the day),  came home and worked on our conversation skills.

You can see it here. Please excuse the poor video quality. It was taken with the camera I had nearby to capture any surprise situps.

Please keep in mind that the Bee gets a little camera shy. You’re seeing the subdued version of the babble.

Still no more sitting up, but she spent the whole afternoon faking me out.

Anyway, on to the recipe. I’ve got to get some work done on a project for a friend, so here it is, quickly. Please note that this evening’s photos were taken by my exceedingly talented husband!

Saag Paneer

8 oz paneer

1 lb. spinach

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 t. grated fresh ginger

1 t. turmeric

1 t. garam masala

3 t. olive oil

salt

1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk (optional)

1 cup plain yogurt (optional)

Cook the spinach until done. My preferred method is to pile it into a great big microwave-safe bowl, add a little water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about three minutes. If you use frozen spinach, you can skip this step.

Cut the paneer into small cubes (whatever size you like). Dust the cubes with turmeric and leave to sit for a moment.

Heat two teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering (traditionally, one would use ghee here, but olive oil works just fine and you’re probably more likely to have it on hand).

Fry the paneer until brown on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to the skillet and saute onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is translucent and has a little color on it.

Add the garam masala and cook for a moment more (until fragrant).

Drain the spinach very, very well, then add it to the pan and cook until all of the water is gone.. Salt to taste.

You can either eat this tasty treat as it is right now, or you have a couple of other options. If you’d prefer the “creamed spinach” version you get in some restaurants, remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the yogurt.  If, like me, you’re sharing this with someone who really doesn’t care that much for cooked spinach, and who would be horrified by creamed spinach, you can do like I did. Add a cup of buttermilk and a cup of yogurt to the hot pan. The milk and yogurt will separate, leaving you with tiny curds of deliciousness scattered all through your spinach, and creating a tart “dressing” of whey.

If you go this route, you may want to wait and salt at the end. We had ours with a bowl of dal (no naan, sadly).

The quick and dirty version I slapped together:

Dal

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. lentils

4 c. water

1 1/2 T. tomato paste

1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. turmeric

1/2 t. dried ginger

1/2 t. cumin

hefty pinch cayenne

1 t. salt

1/2 to 1 t. Sriracha (that amazing hot sauce with the rooster on the bottle)

1 t. cider vinegar

olive oil

Pour enough olive oil into a large saucepan to coat the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cayenne, and tomato paste. Stir together.

Add lentils and water. Bring to a low boil, then simmer for half an hour or until thickened and lentils have begun to break down. If using brown or black lentils, you may wish to simply cook until done, then puree half of the soup and add it back to the pot.

Stir in cider vinegar and Sriracha.

All in all, a pretty successful dinner (if not entirely faithful to tradition). D, who started the evening off telling me that, in truth, he really didn’t like saag paneer, said he’d eat this version again, and I’ve got a big pot of dal that should last me a couple of days!

Hi all,

Our biggest project going this week is getting the Bee on a schedule. She’s really taken to it, so the only hard part has been training myself to stick to it.

Today, things went so well that we got a chance to play out in the yard:

She sat up on her own once the other day, and keeps looking like she'll do it again!

and go for a swim. It’s fabulous living in Southern California where we can do summertime things in the middle of November!

Now that Ada’s napping on schedule, I’m getting around to a few things that have been on my “to do” list for quite some time. Today, I made paneer.

I love Indian food. My first introduction to it was in high school, when a family friend took me out to dinner and introduced me to chicken tikka masala, dal, and saag paneer. It was love at first bite. I’ve wanted to try my hand at making a cheese for a while, so when I started craving the creamy spinachy goodness that is saag paneer, it was easy to decide what the first cheese should be.

There seem to be two common ways to make paneer: one involving lemon or lime juice, and the other involving buttermilk. After a little research, I decided the buttermilk recipe was for me. People mentioned that it was lighter, sweeter and creamier than its citrus counterpart, so that seemed the way to go.

So, without further ado:

How to Make Paneer Cheese

Measure out four parts whole milk to one part buttermilk.

Put the milk in a heavy pan and heat on medium-high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Reduce heat to medium. Add buttermilk, then bring back to a boil. The curds will begin to separate from the whey.

After cooking for around 5 minutes, the curds will have completely separated. Leave to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Line a bowl with cheesecloth. Pour the curds and whey into the bowl, then lift and twist the cheesecloth to separate out the curds and press out the whey.

Tie a string around the cheesecloth and hang it from the faucet for 2 or 3 hours. Go do something fun!

Invert a salad plate over a dinner plate (the dinner plate will catch the runoff during this next step).

Center the cheese on the salad plate.

Place a pan full of water on top of the cheese (I just used the pan I cooked the milk in). Leave it there for 2 or 3 hours. Go take a nap.

When you pull off the pan, you'll have a squashed cheese patty.

Unwrap and either enjoy or refrigerate. Keeps for 2-3 days. I used 6 cups of milk and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk, and was rewarded with about half a pound of cheese. It's delicious!

Tomorrow: How to Make Saag Paneer!