Wednesday 31 March 2010

Easter


Last year for Easter I filled Steve's basket with a few pots of wheatgrass as a bed for the eggs and small gifts. It looked so much prettier than the plastic green grass, is better for the environment, and -bonus- the beasties loved nibbling on it for the next week. I'll be doing it again this year. You can grow your own, but the city of Vero Beach apparently doesn't contain wheatgrass seeds. Next year: pre-order?

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Tuesday, Random

  • Yesterday was our tax day. It was brutal. I. hate. 1099's!
  • I don't like sleeping without Steve at night but love snuggling with him for afternoon naps when I get off work.
  • Last week I had a turnip inside me. And now a grapefruit? Can that be right? 
  • Am looking forward to my first prenatal massage soon. With growing belly resting on a pillow.
  • Soon the baby is going to be able to hear my voice so am I really going to curb the cursing? At any rate I need to start reading out loud more. Thinking of starting with Il Piccolo Principe in Italian (Le Petit Prince by Saint-Exupery). 
  • I love that I can tell Steve absolutely anything. I can't imagine it any other way.
  • Teepee or a rocking horse for that corner in the baby's room? For what it's worth I have a great one in mind for either. 
  • Love looking down at my feet after I've gotten a pedicure.
  • It's awesome working in a hospital again. And to be contributing to a retirement plan again.
  • Sunday's breakfast included these dreamy orange scones, right now I'm making white cupcakes with sweetened condensed milk "frosting," and dinner tonight was a pan bagnat, a sammich that would have made Bill Huxtable blush.
  • Steve working nights means I go to bed too late doing nonsense. And pay for it the next morning.
  • I need a haircut. Oh how I need a haircut. 
  • I bought some chai powder mix but it's way too sweet for my liking. Who can I pawn it off to?
  • Steve is going to be surprised with spring training baseball tix while I get my massage. It will be his third game this year, he has done well.
  • Am two shakes and a lamb's tail away from a new, handmade, very oh-so-spring blanket on our bed. Not that I don't love last winter's Anthro comforter, but this one is perfect for the now.
  • Marmousch, Steve + I are taking a mini road trip Friday night. I am excited. 
  • I think Easter week is one of my favorites of the year. More laidback than Christmas, weather is (usually) stunning, music in church is brilliant, and there's picnicking to be had.
  • I am off to eat a cupcake now. The rest I'll give away (promise).

Monday 22 March 2010

rough day

I woke up this morning feeling awful - not physically sick, just overwhelmed and tearful and not feeling like I could face the day-to-day grind. Pregnancy can be frustrating like that sometimes, I think.

But am grateful for:
Marmousch who brought me treats in the form of her coffee, fresh bread, and snuggly baby towels. And Steve who made me put my feet in the rainbow reflections of light coming through the window. Just to make me laugh.

Friday 19 March 2010

big big deal

Poor Steve. He had to work tonight--the night his fantasy baseball draft had been scheduled. And there was nothin' he could do about it. But miracle of miracles, folks.
He actually let me do his draft.

You heard me. Now granted, there were pre-rankings involved and I had him on the phone in a panic a few times and his league peeps were very gracious to the clueless wife- even going so far as to giving her a prompt when Greasy Gnomes was up to select. But I did it and husband is happy with his beloved team so this chick is going to bed happy too. Dizzy but happy.

I think this was a real turning point in our marriage :)

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Wednesday 17 March 2010

a bit of green

In today's honor I'm sharing my favorite green-hued knitting project of late. It's the Big Bad Baby Blanket pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch, otherwise known as my First Trimester Labor of Love. I still used Koigu's Painter's Palette merino but in ?-technicolor is it called? Something a little brighter and exuberant.Anyhow, it knit up like a dream, super easy, came with me to Maryland, Delaware, pulled out on countless car trips and lunch hours at work. There was some cursing involved but really, hardly any compared to some of the hairy moments I've had with other projects. I cannot wait to wrap up a chubby wobbly baby in this.

No animals were harmed in the taking of this picture. Tortured maybe. Happy St. Patrick's Day, love Bruno.

Tuesday 16 March 2010

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow--

Yeah yeah, I'll throw on some green scrubs for work but really am solely concerned with the menu. 

Last year...I remember cooking up a storm for it. Watercress soup dipped with these delicious toasts already spread with a relish of anchovy and butter and shallot and shall I go on? Guinness cupcakes with espresso cream frosting (here)..that skyrocketed me as a shoo-in for Wife of the Year 2009 but inevitably I blew it the next month. (I'm already out of the running for 2010 after making Steve cancel our wine club membership. I mean, really? With a wife four months pregnant that is just silly.)

...while this year I don't have it as together as all that. With three recipes to choose from, I want to make Irish soda bread and will try to convince my dinner date, Marmousch, to make Suzanne Goin's recipe for corned beef and cabbage with parsley-mustard sauce (from Sunday Suppers at Lucques). By the end of the night it won't be just Irish eyes that are smiling.

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Monday 15 March 2010

random here and there

  • The race was amazing. I'm still on a high from the finish which for me began at the top of the "Heartbreak" Hart bridge all the way into a seriously awesome 1/2-mile decline into the Jags stadium where it felt like the thousands of us en masse were encouraging each other at every step. But the best part was that I got to do it all with Lamb. Am proud of all three Mariani women including Marmousch. A yearly tradition from here on out, baby will love it I am sure. 
  • I can't wait to start showing some of the stuff I've been knitting and making for our little. This is the current project on the needles but it's going to be awhile yet. 
  • I've won an ebay bid on another vintage globe. This one is just 9"! Hurry up mail. 
  • Am looking forward to a few hours at the beach either today or tomorrow.
  • I've stored away all my sweaters and boots. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm excited to get myself in skirts and dresses again. 
  • We're late to the game this year and are watching all the academy award nominees now that they're coming out on DVD. I can't justify the $10 ticket to the movies anymore and then the $8 bucket o' popcorn + $6 soda that husband can't say no to. Precious is on its way to us, probably the one I'm most excited to see. 
  • Am searching for a kickass strawberry shortcake recipe out in the blogosphere. I've used an Emeril one in the past and though great it's a little too reinvented for me at the moment, know what I mean? I'm looking for a simple light-as-a-feather cake with the dollop of cream and a few plump strawberries on top. Simple.

Friday 12 March 2010

happy weekend

Off to Jacksonville where Saturday I'll be running the Gate River Run 15k with Lamb! Supposedly it's a really fun and high energy event with bands at every mile, people waving in front of their houses as you go through neighborhoods, and a finish at the stadium on the Jumbotron. Lots of well-hydrated thoughts my way please!

Thursday 11 March 2010

this spring

1. buy a big terra-cotta pot and start a container herb garden.
2. a weekly bouquet of flowers.
3. make a paper flower wreath for our door (inspired by that one).
4. bake fresh bread more (if I do it at least once that will be more).

Monday 8 March 2010

Our wonderful news


(Really and truly.
Our first child will be here at the end of August.
I've had a ridiculously smooth pregnancy thus far.
And because the thought of either a boy or girl makes us so excited we can't see straight, we will not be finding out the sex.
And-this probably explains all the food posts of late.) 

Friday 5 March 2010

happy weekend

It's rare for Florida to have this chilly weather in March. But if it continues into the weekend, I'm looking forward to a long Sunday run and napping with my hot water bottle tucked under the covers! And continuing to polish my way through the frozen key lime pie until I finally become generous (and smart) enough to hand it over to the neighbors. I wish Steve had more of a sweet tooth so he could pick up the slack.

Wednesday 3 March 2010

two things

1) Here's the recipe for dutch baby pancakes.Thank you Marmousch for making them for me all those Sunday mornings growing up, and for the recipe.

whisk 1/2 c. milk (I used soy and it turned out great) with 1/4 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 T melted butter. Stir in 1/2 c. flour and 1/8 tsp salt. Pour in a greased pie pan, bake at 425 until puffed and golden, ~14 minutes. Top with 1/2 c. berries and confectioners' sugar or other topping (like sweetened condensed milk, my drug of choice).

2) We've been procrastinating on filling out Steve's new-hire insurance paperwork so Hoodes graciously said he'd handle it for us. So good of him.

Tuesday 2 March 2010

breakfast-ing

Sometimes I go to bed excited about breakfast the next morning. It's the little things in life.

These are English muffins (recipe here) I made one weekend for homemade egg mcmuffins that lasted a whole two days in our house. And my new favorite is Greek-style yogurt mixed with sweetened condensed milk, and fruit swirled in. I have the day off tomorrow and am thinking a dutch baby pancake topped with the leftover condensed milk? Don't mind me, just rambling.

look! it's me + my best friend.


I had wanted to make these into a stop-motion video but am too tired right now. Loser. But I really have no business being up.

that, and how is it March already?
photos by Aubrey Trinnaman. I love her list of a-life-worth-living photo documentation opportunities here.