Why I love the east coast

I've just eaten my body weight in mussels. Mussels that were caught this morning, and cooked by my sister this evening. That was the appetizer. We've just gotten the babies to bed, and a big mess of salmon is up next.

Oh yes, and my family is here! My mom is hanging out here at my sis's because the Farmhouse is cold and empty, and this place is full of cuddly grandsons. Pictures of whom I will have shortly (I've mostly been taking video of the ridiculous cuteness of two 9-10 month olds playing "together", but lord knows I haven't figured out how to upload -- let alone download or edit -- that stuff yet!)

I should go help Julie in the kitchen... earn my keep and all.

We've created a monster

A peanut butter monster.

Tim is beginning to assert his independence in the realm of eating: he wants to feed himself and has become touchy about accepting food coming at him on the end of a spoon. However, he still kind of sucks at feeding himself. If food is too mushy he plays with it; if it's too slippery... well, you can imagine. And we're trying to limit the amount of processed starches he gets (cereal, etc.) Without the help of a spoon, he doesn't end up eating much.

Enter peanut butter. He freakin' LOVES it, and when we mix it with anything (apples, yogurt, ricotta cheese, bananas, even squash), he'll take what's on the spoon and pop his mouth open for more immediately. Couple this with experimental food chunks that rarely make it to his mouth, and Tim can both learn to eat and satisfy his hunger. Also a good way to make sure he gets plenty of fat and protein -- we've found it's too easy to end up feeding Tim all carbohydrates, which is a dramatic departure for his little body from the more balanced breastmilk he's grown up on. (Sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, carrots -- all favourite foods, and but holy sugar batman!)

I know the going (but changing) wisdom is to not give kids under a year nuts, but... oh well! Dad started sneaking Tim licks of his peanut butter toast a month or so ago, and he was clearly not allergic, and natural, organic, nothing-but-peanuts butter is, frankly, super healthy for him. (Tim also likes almond butter, and we'll try cashew butter soon.)

Mr. Little Baby, eating PB-dipped baby cheerios:

Saturday Stew Night

We always say that we love belly-warming stews, but in past years have gone whole winters without getting around to actually making them. (We have relied instead on varieties of chilis, which of course have their place on a winter's menu.)

I'm at the kitchen table watching Sweetie McPie organizing the makings of "beef and beer" a long time favourite stew involving -- you guessed it! -- beef and beer, seasoned with nutmeg, worcestershire, malt vinegar, etc, and topped with slices of crusty loaf spread with (stew-side down) grainy mustard, which gets nicely toasted in the oven. For this is a oven-safe-pot stove-top-to-oven dealio. Deeelishus!

I mention it because I feel we are on a roll. Last week, I made sauerbraten, and it was totally amazing. I threw several chunks of it into the food processor for Tim, and he loved it too. I would link to the recipe, as I used the one in the Complete Canadian Living cookbook, but it's not on the web site. A tragic oversight. An excellent trick in the recipe was to use crushed gingersnap cookies thrown in five minutes before serving to thicken the gravy. (I can link to the recipe I used for the braised red cabbage I served with the sauerbraten - it was also a winner. I've never actually cooked a Jamie Oliver recipe before; I found this one by searching on "red cabbage and bacon" a combination I thought would be an excellent complement to the stew... and bingo! Or, as Tim would prefer: B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-O!)

Hmmm. McPie just lamented "It's too bad we don't have any cabbage"... perhaps cabbage is a natural sidekick for beef stew?

So, Saturday is now stew night (or Sunday, if we procrastinate), and I look forward to future experiments in belly-warming.

(That said, we will be travelling for many Saturdays of the coming winter: at least three of the next four weekends. Details to come. In short form: Nova Scotia/China; Huntsville winter fun; Caribbean cruise.)

In Appreciation of My Mother: A Domestic Lament

Dear Mum,

I apologize for all those years when I didn't put my dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I'm sorry I left dishes and every other kind of clutter on any surface of the house. I'm sorry for ever expecting you to make my toast when I was perfectly capable of making my own. I apologize for leaving behind a mess in the kitchen after making a lunch. I'm sorry for pouting when you said "I shouldn't have to ask you to do it"; I know that having to ask me to pick up/put away/clean up every little thing made you feel like a nag.

Mum, rest assured I am getting my just desserts, my karmic reward for every dirty plate I left behind. Every day, as I weigh the cost/benefit between nagging or just doing it myself, I know that I caused the same drudgery, back when I didn't know better.

I know better now, as I suspect my charges will too. One day. Years and years from now.

Thanks for not giving up on me. I won't give up on them, either.

Love,
Heather

Hello to you, and 2010 too!

The longer I put it off, the harder it is to return. You know? Like, where do I start, how to catch up? Not so much that nobody cares what I had for lunch, but prolly nobody cares what teeny miniscule milestone Tim hit today. Which is what's going on these days. Milestones. And also, napping.

Yep, I've given up my free time -- the one to two hours I can count on Tim to nap each morning -- toward catching up on my sleep. Our night-time sleeping leaves much to be desired (and let me tell you I've written many a blog post in my head about that), so I've been giving up blogging/cleaning/showering/emailing/reading/etc time to the pursuit of sleep. Tim does have an afternoon nap, but it is more variable in timing and length and location, so I don't count on it for free time. It's just a breather. Lately it's been happening in the stroller on the way home from the grocery store, which gives me an excuse to keep walking and thereby get some exercise.

Because I've given up working out, too. Okay not "given up" in the strictest sense... Just, well, see "napping", above. That used to be my workout time too. (Still get a couple w/o's in each week, but they are getting lamer.) Kid is way too active now to just put him down and work around him. We're in the "chase" phase of our relationship, so waking time is either play time, eating time, hauling around time (if I'm determined to get something done), or hoping time (hoping he stays put with the pots and pans to play with while I whip something up in the kitchen.)

At least half of my very-few readers can relate, right?

So, I nap with Tim most mornings, and it's actually a heavenly couple of hours, the two of us all cozied up. He's lovely; my favourite. But the rest of the day is busier, trying to catch up on those "lost" hours.

Anyway, I won't bother trying to catch up here; instead, I'll forge ahead with optimism and a new plan. How about I try to write something every day, even if it's only a sentence?

And I'll let you know that all is well. We're so good, we're piggin' out on peanut butter toast!