HER FIRST DECEMBER many chilly outings dressed in the cutest layers, first christmas tree, first stocking, first christmas presents! no pictures with santa though {too scary}. funny and true, she cut her two top front teeth on christmas eve. christmas was everything we expected it to be for wren and more. she loved every single moment.
she looks huge in her chair now – look at her! i’ve been standing her up in her crib in hopes that she’ll start pulling herself up to stand. as you can she in the photos she’s pretty excited about it. the one challenge this month has been disciplining her. she is a very curious and determined baby. i absolutely do not mind her exploring, but there are a few restrictions, one being the cat’s food and water. it’s been exhausting telling her ‘no’ repeatedly while redirecting her attention elsewhere. the worst part is she finds it all hysterical. it usually ends with me laughing and giving up.
i think it’s funny that almost all the pictures taken for this month are of her wearing those polka dot pajamas.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FRESH, HOMEMADE GRANOLA with warm milk on a chilly day. last year my sister-in-law shared this recipe with me, and i have been addicted ever since. hot out of the oven. nothing compares…not even those insane chocolate caramels topped with sea salt from trader joe’s. and if you’re in search of a last minute gift to give, look no further, it makes the most charming christmas gift. buy a simple glass jar at target, wrap some red/white baker’s twine around the lid, add a cute tag – perfection!
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
– 1/4 cup raw honey
– 4 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes {optional. too sweet for me, but others enjoy it}
– 1 cup mixed raw nuts, almonds sliced or slivers, crushed walnuts, and crushed pecans
– 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
– 1/2 cup dried fruit such as apples, cranberries, cherries or blueberries
set oven to 350 degrees*. warm honey and coconut oil on stove. in a large bowl add rolled oats, shredded coconut, and raw nuts. pour warmed honey and coconut oil over dry ingredients in the bowl. mix. add salt to taste.
spread onto a large oven-safe baking dish. bake for 10-15 minutes until top layer is toasted golden. mix the granola and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until top is toasted. repeat until the mix is fully toasted – keep an eye out because at this point it will toast quickly and can burn within a matter of minutes. it can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on the size of the baking dish. once the mix is toasted, remove from oven. add dried fruit. cool before storing in an airtight container.
enjoy!
*if you are concerned about baking the coconut oil beyond its smoke point, you can bake the mix at 280 degrees. i do this and it turns out great, but does take more time. check on the mix every 15 minutes for about an hour to an hour and a half.
ONCE A WEEK I MAKE A NICE MEAL which generally means a recipe is followed, more than five ingredients are used, wine is poured and maybe even a side of french/sourdough/baguette. the rest of the week we eat light, simple foods to stay within our budget. this is one of the easiest meals that we eat regularly – whole grain pasta with peas and parmesan, sometimes with chicken, and served with a salad. this recipe usually makes enough for two additional lunches.
- 1/2 package of whole wheat linguine
– 1/2 bag of frozen peas
– 1/2 cup parmesan cheese {pecorino works well too}
– salt + pepper to taste
– olive oil or butter
– chicken {optional}
– italian parsley {optional}
boil pasta according to package directions. during the remaining four minutes of cooking pasta, pour in half a bag of frozen peas. after pasta and peas are cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and peas. add pasta and peas to a medium sized bowl, add a bit of reserved pasta water, and a few tablespoons of butter or olive oil to coat pasta and peas lightly. add salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese {add more if you like it especially cheesy, i sure do!}. if you have leftover chicken or italian parsley, add that. i also find that an extra sprinkling of pepper at the end makes it nice and spicy. enjoy!
a few years ago my beautiful friend wendy asked me to design her wedding invitations and requested that i illustrate dogwood branches and blooms. these branches always put a smile on my face, reminding me of my friend and how much i love springtime.
while preparing for the craft faire i rediscovered the illustration and decided to print a few flat notes – they were a surprise hit and i also sold a set the first day listed to my shop. i added more sets to my shop just in case you might want a little piece of spring during the cold months ahead.
MANY FIRSTS… first thanksgiving, first time eating a ‘puff’ without gagging, first time eating chicken {gagged, of course} and the first realization that crawling forward is so much easier than scooting backwards.
wren caught her first cold and naturally came the discovery and thrill of all things associated – the panda humidifier, nasal aspirator, sucking on sweet clementines, waking up at the bottom of a propped mattress, sometimes upside down face first into the bumper {horrible, but funny!}. the top two photos are from thanksgiving. she was so happy to have daddy home that morning. i bought her the most adorable outfit for thanksgiving and completely forgot to take a picture. i also had plans of dressing her like a pilgrim but managed to forget about that too amid the last minute scurry to get food prepared for thanksgiving dinner.
