Curious Bird

:a new obsession:

For my birthday (back in April) I received a wonderful little juicer and we've been going juice crazy around here ever since. Felix gets in on the fun most days-- he loves to drop the fruit and veggies down the chute and watch as the juice and pulp come out. Although I love a good swampy green juice, so far my favorite combo is: apple (granny smith and gala); pear; carrot; celery; and lemon. So bright and tart and tasty.

Do you have a juicer? If so, what's your favorite juice recipe?  

:magic finding glass:

The title of this post is what Felix calls his magnifying glass. Hearing him say "magic finding glass" nearly makes me drop to my knees every single time. It is definitely one of the things he says that I hope sticks around for as long as possible. Like, till he's at least 30. Oh, okay that's crazy...20. 

Let's see...this week has really gotten away from me. Surprise. I'm moving in super sloooow waddlely motion around here -- 37 weeks tomorrow. That, and last weekend we did the 3 day potty learning method with Felix. It was a huge success (thank you dear Heather for telling me about it!) but I've had to be very aware in the "tell mama if you need to pee" department this week so everything moves along in the right direction. I'm a little afraid to type this as there could certainly be some back-sliding (like when the new baby arrives??) but  he has gotten it thus far so it's looking like we may have only one child in diapers instead of two! Wouldn't that be fantastic?! Indeed it would.  

Hope you have a great weekend. We're making personal pizzas on the grill -- a new idea that will likely work better than grilling one big pizza, something we still find a little challenging. Besides, I want pesto and artichoke hearts on my pizza and I'm guessing the boys (specifically Felix) will want nothing to do with artichoke hearts. 

For fun I will leave you with some favorites I've stumbled upon lately. 

This Washi Dress pattern is on my  post-pregnancy must-make list. So cute. 

Tricky people are the new strangers. An interesting read about keeping your kids safe. 

Felix definitely needs some tattoos from Tattly. Love the robot and the sun. 

 Take a look at Mars! So cool...and a little eerie. 

Pretty bracelets and a great tutorial. 

A delicious looking recipe for the figs that are starting to ripen on our little fig tree out back.

Be well out there, 

Leya  

 

:just as good the second time around:

I posted about my homemade belly balm when I was pregnant with Felix. It was lovely then and I'm finding it to be just as wonderful this time around. I always look forward to applying it post-shower. 

:ina:

Ina May Gaskin in the late 70s, on the commune she set up with her husband
Photograph: Ina May Gaskin

I just read a fun interview with the makers of Birth Story about Ina May on Babble. Love that lady! Also, it looks like their Kickstarter campaign I posted about last week has raised over 60% of its goal. Awesome. Thanks to those of you who've thrown some money in that pot. Go Birth Story go!

:on my must-see list:

Have you seen the trailer for Birth Story, the film documenting Ina May Gaskin's journey as a midwife and natural birth advocate? I am so looking forward to seeing this film it when it comes out. It premieres next week at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Fleet Foxes scored the movie, too. Bonus. 

 I just donated to the kickstarter campaign the filmmakers have created to make sure this film gets the widest release possible. Check out the clip above and see what you think. Consider donating if it strikes your fancy. 

Be well, 

Leya 

:something special on sunday morning:

Three words. 

Lemon. Ricotta. Pancakes.

I made them on Sunday and all members of my clan were overjoyed. Giddy, really. I will be making more very soon. They were so light and fluffy and wonderfully lemony. 

Recipe found at Smitten Kitchen, of course.  
Oh, and I chose to make the pancakes without topping with sauteed apples. Instead we had them with fresh blueberries and peaches from the farmer's market and a dollop of ricotta.
As Felix would say, everything was "tasty". 

 

:never too many:

Never too many pickled items in our refrigerator. This week: eggs, carrots, and bread and butter radishes (so good!). Waiting for the garden to supply me with lots of cucumbers and tomatoes so I can try out some of the recipes found in that book up there titled Tart and Sweet.  Also, here's a nice little write up about the book and the basics of canning from organic gardening.com. 

And, yes, I'm aware that Portlandia did a spoof on pickle-obsessed people like me.  ;)

ETA: People are asking, so here's the recipe for the bread and butter radishes. Enjoy!
Adapted from Chow:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch red radishes (about 13 radishes)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow or brown mustard seed
• 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 medium dried bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse radishes and trim off their leafy tops. Holding the stem end, thinly slice radishes with a mandoline or a sharp knife. When you get close to the stem, stop slicing and discard the end. Place radishes in a heatproof, nonreactive bowl, and set in the refrigerator while making the brine.
2. Combine red wine vinegar, sugar, water, salt, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and let pickling brine cool for about 5 minutes. Remove radishes from the refrigerator and pour brine over them. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes; cover and refrigerate. Use to top burgers, sandwiches, or anything else that needs a little tarting up.

 

:a new favorite:

Well folks, it seems I have I found a new cookbook to be added to my list of favorites. Honestly, I haven't been keeping such a list, but I'm going to start now and The Farm by Ian Kuaner is certainly going on it. I stumbled upon this lovely book at the library a couple of weeks ago not knowing a thing about it. Upon sitting down to give it a look one afternoon during F's naptime, I read it cover to cover, oohing and ahhing over each new page and recipe. Little sticky notes were even applied to several pages...and I don't even own this book. Yet. 

Ruth Reichl gave it a glowing review and I'm pretty sure Ruth knows what's good and what's not when it comes to food and books about food. I happen to like it because the recipes are roughly seasonal and very simple, yet so inspiring and clever. And it includes bits about canning and gardening and foraging, all things I aspire to do more of. It also includes recipes that call for unique ingredients I've always been curious about using. For instance, garlic-scapes. There is a recipe for garlic-scape pesto that I am definitely planning to try. I am also excited about Ian's recipe for swiss chard and ricotta pizza. We have quite a bit of swiss chard these days. The rubarb - sour cream crostata is calling my name, as is the chilled corn soup with red pepper relish. Doesn't that sound perfect for lunch on a sweltering day?

One thing I have tried, which should be no surprise to those of you privy to my pickle obsession, is the recipe for Pennsylvania pickled eggs. Go figure. I have always been a pickle fiend. Now I'm a pregnant pickle fiend, and that's serious business. The eggs turned out great, not too rubbery, perfect for slicing and adding to a salad (Ian recommends adding them to a watercress and radish salad). They are also just dandy eaten solo -- the beet colors them a lovely shade of pink. Felix is a fan as well, which is an added bonus. 

See if your local library has this book. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. 

More soon,

Leya  

:worth the effort:

Hi there, 

I finally got around to snapping a couple of photos of one of my latest projects. Just like the hanging planter bandwagon I jumped on a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist giving the tree stump table bandwagon a whirl. I'm so glad I did because now we have our very own tree stump table sitting on the front porch --it will likely make its way inside at some point. It holds my glasses of lemonade and Dustin's adult beverages brilliantly!

Of course this particular project took quite a bit more time, effort, and supplies than making my own plant hangers, but it was very satisfying. And no high dollar West Elm tree stump tables for me. No way!
I should mention that it also required help from the hubs (being pregnant got me out of having to do the real annoying part: applying coat after coat of polyurethane).  Thanks, Dustin. 

All you need is a tree stump, some sandpaper (we used a palm sander), a can of polyurethane (I chose a satin finish), a natural bristled brush for applying the polyurethane, and a little patience. And wahlah! You've got yourself a tree stump table. 

I should also say the following:

*our tree stump was dried out when we got it. A kind neighbor passed it along after having it in his garage for a year or more. It is riddled with imperfections and noticeable woodpecker...uh... pecks? I especially love that part.  

*I added some hardware to the bottom to make our table slide easily. I may add casters later on. Haven't decided.  

*I think the total cost was around $20. 

Have yourself a great weekend. 

We're going to pick strawberries and garden and hit some yard sales. Can't wait.  

xox, 

Leya 

:nothing to it:

Well, folks, I'll admit it. A while back I jumped on the hanging planter bandwagon. What a simple thing to make and the completed project is very satisfying indeed, so I think I'll stay put on this particular bandwagon for a while.

Just some string or twine or whatever you have really, a keyring or another type of gizmo for hardware; although, you can just do a loop at the top instead, and about 15 minutes from start to finish. Can't beat that, right?  Turned out better than my first attempt making fruit leather, that's for sure.

Posts from around the web I found helpful:

How-to by Skinny Laminx

Tutorial from Refinery 29

Happy Making!

-L.