Friday, July 13, 2007

weekly menu

It's the end of the week but maybe this will help out those of you looking to shake up the dinner rotation! Doing a weekly menu each Monday has been one of the most helpful things for our family to eat in and eat well.

Monday: veggie soup (sauteed garlic and onions, stock, summer squash, broccoli, fresh basil, dried wild mushrooms, rice, lentils, olive oil- blended in the pot with a hand blender makes the flavors *so* much richer)

Tuesday: mixed baby greens salad with beets (15 min in the pressure cooker!), sliced eggs, garbanzo beans and Brianna's vinaigrette

Wednesday: pizza with rustic whole wheat crust, summer squash, fresh mozzarella, basil, garlic, tomato, artichoke hearts, Trader Joe's pizza sauce

Thursday: baby bok choy with whole wheat noodles and black bean sauce, cucumber salad

Friday: bean soup and cornbread

I also baked a vanilla bean cake last night. Our upstairs neighbors just got back from Bali and brought back handfuls of vanilla beans. I felt so lucky to scrape out that precious vanilla and have the lovely scent on my hands hours later. The only unfortunate thing is I've realized how easy it is to throw together a good cake... ah, well.

Monday, July 09, 2007

playtime with Dad!

Paloma is getting quite mobile. Here she is, standing up on tiptoe! (She's on a magazine she was busy crumpling.)






And here she is playing with Dad, though she's mostly just giggling. Too cute!




More fun with Dada:








It's really fun to have an 8.5 month old. Her babbling is getting quite good. We think she does mean "goodbye" when she waves and babbles something like "bye bye." And I think her "mamamamama" babbling means me. :)

In a contemplative mood in the stroller:






And all smiles!


Our sweet Minkie!

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Verrieres and Sako

I'm a cherry-lipped dame, brilliant and beautiful, starring in all the latest films noirs. Kicking weakness to the curb with stiletto heels and wearing independence like a silk chiffon coat.

At least, that's life according to Verrieres and Sako. I *love* these designers. Obviously these clothes resist descriptions like "practical," "outdoorsy," or "sturdy" (or "baby-friendly"!). And that's perfectly wonderful-- I can't spend my entire life in Patagonia and plain cotton. And anyway, I would rather have loved a silk dress and lost it to spit up than never to have loved at all.

If you click the link above and click "Events," you'll see my favorites in their collection. The sheer wear is lovely, but I think the best pieces are the short white dress, the belted olive dress, the black double collared shirt-- I could go on. Basically everything shown in the runway shots are gorgeous.

I'm keeping my eye out for more from this Oakland-based pair!

Monday, July 02, 2007

Me Keeping Up With Me

Ok, I know they use that phrase "lifelong learning" to promote classes to seniors at community centers. Which is a terrific thing! But I feel like I want to be a lifelong learner right now, even though my life is incredibly full with parenting and MomsRising work. Maybe it's a desire for me to keep up with me, know what I mean? To make sure I'm caring for my own development and growth outside of mothering (because Lord knows how much development and growth I've experienced *inside* mothering).

Here's my list of Things To Do. I'm telling you, dear readers, so that I have some accountability (read: fear of The Shame!!!).
  • Brush up on/learn more French, Spanish, Italian, Malayalam by actually keeping my CDs by the laptop where I'll use them.
  • Brush up on plant biology in my much-loved biology textbook by Neil Campbell, and then move to a more specialized text.
  • Brush up on local architecture which I totally adore. Julia Morgan, B. Maybeck, John Galen Howard et al. have created such livable, beautiful spaces here in the Bay Area.
  • Brush up on local plants and trees. I should go to the local horticultural store that specializes in native plants- maybe they have a book.
  • Learn oceanography!!! I have loved this topic since having a passionate marine biologist teacher in high school and even attended CIMI, but that was many moons ago and it's time to get a text on this.
  • DANCE!! I miss dancing so. incredibly. much. I have to get this booty back to the studio. It's my favorite mode of self-expression.

Ok. Will you keep me on task? I'm so excited to pay attention to these things. Yay!