27 weeks and a What to Expect giveaway

In my mind I’m on top of things and taking belly shots weekly.  Or at least monthly.  Let’s just settle for a six, almost seven week up-date, okay?

Note to self, it’s time to stop wearing short cardigans, that is unless I’m trying to channel Tommy Boy.

Ironically, not one darn maternity piece of clothing seems to fit right this time around and it just seems too darn soon to be constantly tugging at my pants.

Wasn’t there an entire Seinfeld episode about a white shirt with ruffles?  This looked cute in real life.  Alex said so.  Smart guy right?

Anyhoo.

I’m just getting a taste of third trimester fatigue while clinging to one last week of second trimester bliss.  Wardrobe complaints aside, I feel great {exhausted, but great}, which I’m thankful for.  I’m healthy and so is baby and you certainly can’t ask for more than that.

We’ve been pushing the pedal to the metal around here and I’m trying to stay motivated.  We still have a pretty long to-do list before baby arrives.  A big part of our to-do list obviously involves getting ready for baby.  {No, it’s not all about my random nesting projects like cleaning out the garage or picking out exterior paint colors…}  It might not make any sense, but Alex and I sort of feel like a first-time parents our fourth time around.  Everything feels different.  We’re out of “baby-mode.”  All of our baby gear is supposedly out-of-date and to tell you the truth I don’t remember any of the basics.

Maybe it’s like riding a bike?

Just in case crossing our fingers doesn’t work out I’m thankful to have some new reading material to help along the way.  New copies of What to Expect When You’re Expecting and What to Expect the First Year are now sitting on my nightstand and I’ve been referencing them frequently.

You would think that at this stage of the game I already have my fair share of pregnancy and baby-related reading materials.  I do, but they’re all out of date so I appreciated the fresh tone of the current What to Expect book.  And yes, while not that much has changed {clearly women have been having babies forever} there are still plenty of new tips and ideas and it’s always nice to be familiar with the up-to-date medical information, and advice.

Guess what?  The team at What to Expect.com has given me three books to giveaway.  One lucky reader will receive a copy of What to Expect Before You’re Expecting, What to Expect When You’re Expecting and What to Expect the First Year.

Maybe you’re a first-time mom, or like me this isn’t your first rodeo, but could use a refresher course.  Or maybe you know someone who is expecting…these books would certainly be a welcome gift.  To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment.  And go check out What to Expect.com, it’s a great online resource for new, seasoned and expecting parents.

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 12th at 5pm PST.

Plans for Spring Break.

It’s officially spring break and I guess you could say that our official plan is to not have a plan.

We have nothing major on the calendar beyond a mini-baseball camp for Henry and I can’t wait.  No pre-school.  No elementary school.  No horse-back riding lessons.  No piano lessons.  No little league practice.  No speech therapy.  And while a teeny-tiny part of me wants to panic, the rest of me is super excited.

umm…could somebody please tell me where my seven year-old went?

See this week I have plans to become *that* mom.  I have this little dream of being the mom who drops her kiddos off somewhere while wearing her jammies.  Strange I know, but my kiddos have always been little and required a parent to walk them to their classroom or practice.  Now that Henry is in second grade I can drop and go…so this week that’s just what I plan to do.  Just once.  At baseball camp.  And then I envision heading home with the littles and lounging around drinking coffee and doing puzzles.  Or something like that.

Yes, I dream big.

You see, the rest of the time I’ve become *that* mom.  And ironically, while we have done our best to push back, say no and limit our schedules, eventually you just do reach that next stage when it’s time to add a lesson here or activity there.  Of course this also translates to lots of snacks on the go, more time in the car and less time at home.  The kids adapted easily, however this homebody is still adapting.  Without hesitation I’d say William has earned his little brother stripes.  He is a trooper.  I’ve also made a note to make sure that baby girl’s car seat is pretty plush because she is going to be a gal on-the-go from the get-go.

So this week we’re saying yes to saying no.  We’re sticking close to home and making our own adventures.  We’re boldly wearing our jammies well into the morning. {maybe just yoga pants? see I’m chickening out already.}

Happy Day

Our Easter weekend was the perfect combination of family, fun, work, play and celebration.  This Easter was a first for us – we were on our own – just our little family of five.  It felt both exciting and strange.  Growing up it wasn’t a real holiday without a large gathering of family members.  I have to admit a part of me still feels the same way and I realize that now Alex and the kids do too.  At the same time I knew that this Easter weekend was a wonderful opportunity for our little family to forge ahead and establish our own traditions.  We read about the death and resurrection of Jesus from the Jesus Storybook Bible.  We dyed eggs, held our own egg hunt.  We dressed up and went to church.  Together we proclaimed that He is Risen!  And thankfully, Grammy and Gigi dropped by for a visit and my brother Andy came over for Easter dinner.  Which pretty much sealed the deal – it was indeed an official holiday in the eyes of my children.  We had company.  Whew.

Easter is one of my favorites though I’m certain I probably say something pretty similar at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  During this season of Lent we are called to feel, to remember the weight of the sacrifice that our Lord made for us.  And yet all too often instead of turning my focus to Him I easily turn that focus inward.  The heaviness of my sin, my selfishness and my pride weigh heavily on me.  Yet because of the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus – because of His great love for us – I’m able to repent of all these burdens and sins and be forgiven.  And just as He lives we too are once again made new.

Again and again.

Oh happy day!

He is risen.

Alleluia!

Life right now.

Life has been moving in busy extreme mode for oh I don’t know, the last two weeks?  Maybe forever?  Forgive me I’ve lost track of time.

There was last Monday’s meltdown {I’m never volunteering again!} which eventually paled in comparison to last Friday’s meltdown {the school district is suggesting what for my son?}

Last week was a week of meetings.  And e-mails.  And phone calls.  And if you know me, then you know how much this pains me.  I’m the gal that loves to hit the ignore button on her phone or ignore an e-mail until a response is deemed urgent.  I don’t know why I’m wired this way but I am.  Frankly a little part of me gets ticked off when “my time” gets sucked up by the {boring} tasks of life {i.e. phone calls, e-mails and meetings.}   And by “my time” I’m most likely referring to more important things like grocery shopping, drinking coffee, doing laundry, making dinner, carpooling kiddos, wrangling a neighborhood of hooligans, with a sprinkle of blog-reading and finding a new dinner recipe on pinterest.

So Monday I put my big-girl undies on, hopeful that this week would look different.  And it has.  We kicked-off the week needing stitches, {three for William}, tears {again, me}, more meetings {this time I’m prepared – watch out!}, lots of phone calls {made by me – ha!}, a little one who pulled out his stitches {after only 24 hours!}, e-mails {sent by me – take that!} and a little one who threw-up in the back-seat of the car.

One might argue that this week was actually tougher.

Maybe all of this sounds a little over dramatic.  Maybe it isn’t.  Maybe it’s just a reminder to myself that if I dwell on the overwhelming moments {they were abundant and real} then it’s all to easy to miss the beautiful moments that were also woven into our days.  Moments like meeting a friend’s newborn baby, celebrating my mom’s birthday, having my grandparents over for dinner, dinner with my best friend while the kids ran amuck, watching Alex and the boys play baseball together, and a glowing report at Henry’s parent-teacher conference.

Because sometimes life is like that.  The good weeks, the hard weeks.  The struggles mixed right in with the blessings.

And so we wrap up this week with Spring Break looming large and I’m hopeful.

I’m not going to lie, fresh tulips and cake help too.

Buttermilk pancakes save the day.

We’re wrapping up the week here.  I’m ready.  On one-hand I’ve been amazed at all that we’ve accomplished.  On the other hand it’s been a dozy.  Maybe I’ll blame it all on pregnancy hormones. {Why is everyone else so crazy and unreasonable?  Why am I crying?  Again?}

Yes, it could be worse. Yes, someone else has it harder. Yes, I’m thankful for my family, for my friends, for this life.  Yes, we are blessed.  But sometimes it’s just blessedly hard.

In the midst of all of this I’m beginning to nest.  {Of course!}  Anything and every room is fair game.  Right now I’m just getting rid of stuff.  I pride myself on not collecting or keeping junk around, but boy oh boy we have still managed to collect more than our fair share of things.  Thank goodness for the goodwill and an extra-large garbage can.

But when the going gets really tough it’s buttermilk pancakes to the rescue!  For breakfast!  Or dinner!  We’re easy like that.

They are simple to make and taste so much better than any mix.

To kick off the weekend, I thought I’d share our favorite Saturday morning recipe.

Buttermilk Pancakes  {from the Joy of Cooking, notes by me.}

Prepare and preheat your griddle to 350 degrees.

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour {When I’m in my crunchy-granola mom mode I use whole wheat pastry flour.  The kiddo’s and Alex can’t tell the difference.  They’re still good, just not as fluffy.}
3 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk together in another bowl:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk {shaken}
3 Tbs. melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing until just combined.  Spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake.  Cook until the top of each pancake bubbles and flip.  Cook until each side is slightly browned.  Serve immediately with butter and real maple syrup.

Makes about 12 5-inch pancakes.

{And yes, chocolate chips are a great addition.}

William, who is currently on a dairy, soy, egg, citrus, almond and peanut-free diet gets to enjoy his chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes instead.  {recipe below.}  They are surprisingly yummy but more muffin-y than pancake-y.

He gobbles them right up.

photo via

 Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes {adapted by me}

Serves: 4 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 very ripe medium banana

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 Tbsp water)

pinch salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon sunflower seed butter

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

3 Tablespoons coconut milk

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 Tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips {non-dairy, soy-free}

Instructions:

1. Preheat a skillet to medium heat or about 300-325 degrees.
2. Prepare flax egg by mixing flaxseed meal and water and letting set for 3-5 minutes.
3. Mash your very ripe banana with baking powder.
4. Add flax egg, oil, salt, vanilla, almond butter, almond milk and stir.
5. Stir in oats and flour until just combined.
6. Sprinkle in chocolate chips and fold gently.
7. Scoop scant ¼ cup measurements onto lightly greased griddle.
8. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side – until golden brown.
9. Serve plain or with a small drizzle of maple syrup and a few additional chocolate chips for melting.

Yes, one can only imagine my grocery shopping list.  Or bill.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m not gonna lie.  I’m having a pretty good time in the kitchen.  Dinners are fun to make, there is always a treat {or two} ready to eat, while yet another good recipe waits patiently in the wings.

As Alex so kindly put it, “Wow, Libby, you’ve really hit your stride.”  {And I’m 99% sure he wasn’t referencing my cooking skills, but rather my consumption.}  Ahem.

Perhaps this is just in contrast to those first-trimester pregnancy woes when food was the last thing on my mind and my family apparently starved?  I’m thinking yes.

Anyhow, for some reason I feel compelled to make sure that all of my most prized recipes are safely tucked away in one place.  Because what happens when all of those pinterest links stop working?  And mama needs to bake some cookies and she can’t find her recipe?  Surely we can count on the trusty family blog to always be around.  Right?

Yes, these are the thoughts that keep me up at night.

I’m pretty sure I have now blogged about these cookies at least 30 times. I don’t care. I can’t help it.  This time it’s in the name of recording a treasured family recipe.

Typically I can make a batch of cookies and will only eat one.  Out of the entire batch.  Not kidding.

These days I hoover them up like it’s my job in life.

They’re just that good.

THE Chocolate Chip Cookies via and adapted {no, I simply can’t let a recipe be} by me.

2 cups minus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour {in a pinch I’ve substituted whole wheat pastry flour and no one was the wiser}
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. coarse salt, such as kosher
2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups  light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, preferably about 60% cacao content
Sea salt

Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk well; then set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; then add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  Add the chocolate chips, and mix briefly to incorporate.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for 24 to 36 hours – and up to six days.  {You MUST do this.  I know, I know, letting cookie dough just sit in your fridge is practically torture, but it’s worth it.  And really, the dough isn’t that tasty.  Trust me, I know good cookie dough.  Persevere my friend, it’s cookies we’re after.}

When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  {I can fit about 9-12 cookies per sheet}

Sprinkle each cookie lightly with sea salt, and bake until golden brown but still soft, 8-10 minutes.  I like my cookies on the soft and gooey side so if you like crispy you will need to add some baking time.

Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack once cool.

Repeat with remaining dough.

These cookies freeze well too.  Yes, they’re practically perfect.

This boy.

Before the next big thing {little league baseball} takes over, its worth mentioning Henry’s first-ever basketball season.

According to Henry basketball was: “Pretty fun, but I’m not sure if I’ll want to play it again next year.  It does interfere with duck hunting season mom.”  This was especially comical coming on the heels of a game where he scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds.  While only playing two quarters.

{Now, before you think we’re the crazy point-tracking parents, let me clarify, my dad was there.  HE tracks this sort of thing.  This is especially worth noting because if truth be told, Alex and I – while we both played years of basketball – we were more of the bench-warming type.  Apparently twiggy arms and legs can only work so much magic on the court.  So to see their grandson nonchalantly playing and playing well was a real thrill for the grandparents.}

Anyhow, this boy, our Henry loved his basketball season for what it was.  Short and sweet.  We’re slowly getting into this world of extra-curricular activities as we’ve tried to avoid them at all costs.  But alas, it’s time for our kiddos to start testing the waters, to see where their interests and skills take them.

Spring Green Risotto

This has meal has always been a long-time favorite of mine, but recently it’s become a favorite of all SIX family members.  This is one-part miracle and another part *they don’t really have a choice*.  Quite honestly the baby loves this meal and really, who’s going to argue with a pregnant cook and her cravings?  So while this might be a case of which came first – the chicken or the egg? – the point is that this dish has become an almost weekly meal in our dinner rotation that everyone happily eats.

Amen.

That alone is reason enough to record the recipe for my children.  Because they will no doubt have only fond childhood memories of this spring-y comfort food.  Right?  Here’s hoping.

As with most of my favorite recipes, this too is one of Ina’s creations.  I really think it’s our mutual love of butter, hydrangeas and white kitchens that have brought us together.

I highly recommend making this dinner at the end of a long day.  There is nothing more therapeutic than chopping and chopping some more and then stirring and stirring some more.  It also requires you to make a big ‘ol mess of your kitchen and to use almost every utensil and dish you own.  To me, that’s all the more reason to love this dish.  Just be sure your hubby is on board for dish-duty.

Spring Green Risotto

recipe by Ina, adapted by me.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2-3 leeks)
1 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade {Ha.  This is where Ina and I differ.  I have however discovered a new chicken stock: “Kitchen Basics” is the brand.  It makes all other chicken stock look and taste like water.}
1 pound thin asparagus
10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving {Ina got me on this one…I’ve started grating all of our parmesan cheese and the difference is amazing!  You really should give it a try.}

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water.When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of more Parmesan cheese.