an apple (or 3) a day

we were on a trip up north last weekend and on the way back stopped in a sweet roadside apple shed. the man working there asked about a dozen questions about where we were coming from, where we were going, what we were doing...i think we were a pleasant interruption to his day. then he let us mix and match our own peck of apples. yes, a peck - finally a visual to the lullaby that i sing to olivia about 7 times a day!

anyway, we ended up coming home with this...

 

which created the perfect simple centerpiece for the table in our little nook like this...

 

and best of all, then i made this.

what more could you want?

i love soup

 

as the days get cooler and evenings get cozier, there is nothing better than a big pot of homemade soup. i love soup any time of the year, but there is something about fall soups that is especially comforting. we are members of a csa, and it is exciting to see what each week's box will bring - and thus what kind of soup we will be eating that week! a recent box brought us an acorn squash, and supplemented with a butternut squash from the local market, my talented husband came up with this scrumptious soup. i have attempted to capture his masterpiece in the following, very loose recipe:

roasted squash and garlic soup

preheat oven to 400-425

cut the top off a bulb of garlic, drizzle a little salt and oil on top and wrap in foil

cut each of the squash(es?) in half, scoop out the seeds, and dust with the following: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg (pretty much whatever looks good in your spice cabinet - a mixture of the sweet and savory flavors of fall)

place garlic and squash in oven for about 20 - 30 minutes (until you can easily stick a fork in each)

towards the end of baking the garlic and squash, take a big pot and cook up a bunch of pancetta or bacon. render out the fat and cook until crispy. take out and set aside. when cooled, crumble it up. if cooking pancetta, you can leave the fat in the pot; if using bacon, you'll want to get rid of most of the fat.

in the same pot, saute one chopped onion with salt, as well as some celery and carrots (if you haven't noticed yet, hubby doesn't measure. just use what feels good to you.) add some thyme and a bay leaf.

when the squash is cooled off a bit, scoop out the insides and add to the onion mixture in the pot. open up the garlic - the bulbs will be soft and squishy, so scoop them out with a fork and add to the pot. pour in about 4 cups of stock (we use chicken). cook for awhile (maybe 20 minutes), adjusting the seasonings as needed. hubby likes to add sage towards the end.

puree (we use this nifty device to puree our soups). you can add a little cream to thicken and add body to the soup. garnish with some sage leaves and your crumbled pancetta or bacon.

we enjoy our soups with paninis. we recieved this panini grill as a wedding gift and it has been very well loved. the paninis in this picture are simply homemade crusty bread, soppressatta, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. oh, yum.

now i must run as tonight's white bean soup is about finished!

 

oliver.handmade giveaway!

 

starting to get that holiday list together and looking for the perfect something for the expectant mom or new baby in your life? hop on over to this blog to get details on how you can win an oliver.handmade onesie or t-shirt! the winner gets the design and size of their choice. this contest will run through november 22. and be sure to check back to my shop in a few days...i am working on some holiday bibs made with an adorable vintage fabric and will have them posted by the end of the week. happy shopping!

baby gear 101...part 2

 

inspired by a dear friend (that would be you, jz), today i thought i would focus on the early days of breastfeeding. i am certainly no expert, so i'm just going to offer a little advice based on my own experiences and challenges.

if you choose to breastfeed, this is the very first activity that you will engage in with your child (beyond the cuddling upon your initial meeting!) many experts suggest that you attempt the first feed within the first hour after birth. hopefully you will have someone with you who can help make sure that the baby is latching on correctly. whether you are lucky enough to have someone to help you or not, i also recommend having dr. sears' breastfeeding book and the nursing mother's companion on hand.

in the first few days, it will seem like your baby is nursing all the time - because they are! they are not getting much at this point, but it is necessary for them to nurse so that they can get the hang of it and so that your milk will come in. (side note: i was told that a great way to help with milk production is to drink a dark beer a day for the first 2 weeks. um, yes please.) though this constant nursing is vital, it is not always the most pleasant experience for the new mama. this was my personal breastfeeding challenge - the pain. oh, the pain. there were times i was in tears even before putting my little one on, knowing how much it was going to hurt. my mom was with me, reassuring me that the pain would go away, that in six weeks it would magically disappear. six weeks?!?! there was no way i could fathom dealing with the pain for that long. i was convinced that something was wrong. i went to a la leche league meeting hoping they could 'cure' me but they said that everything looked perfect. perfect?!?

well, it turns out that my mom was right - in a month the pain was significantly better, in six weeks - totally gone. in fact, much like labor pain, i can't even remember what that pain was like now. but in the meantime, here are some products that really helped me:

soothies: these cooling gel pads are awesome. keep them on at all times except for when actively feeding your baby.

breast shells: i was so sore that even the slightest brush of my shirt killed. put these on as a barrier to protect those sensitive puppies.

lansinoh: apply this cream to help heal faster when you get cracked and blistered. and most importantly, go without a bra and shirt whenever possible. yes, that's right. walk around topless as much as you can. air drying is the best treatment.

once you get past the pain, breastfeeding is the most wonderful thing in the world. it is the ultimate bonding with your baby. in the first few months you will spend hours upon hours nursing your little one. i found that it was vital to have my nursing space prepared before settling in - sometimes you are there for 45 minutes or more! i got a little basket and kept it stocked with some snacks, water (you get very thirsty while nursing), soothies/lansinoh/breast shells, a magazine (US Weekly, please), a breastfeeding guide, my cell phone, and the remote. also essential in the early days is a nursing pillow to help support your baby and give your arms a rest. i had a lot of back pain from hunching over while i nursed, so try to prop yourself up with pillows to help with your posture.

another item that you're going to need is a good nursing bra or 2 - i had one for day and one for sleeping. you'll also want some nursing pads - both disposable and washable. after about 6 weeks, you can start using these amazing nursing pads which are awesome while wearing a swimsuit or a dress/shirt that you don't want to wear a bra with.

now relax and enjoy this precious experience!

 

getting in the spirit

 

yes folks, it's november 3rd and as you know from my last post, i've been bit by the holiday bug. and now that we have a little one to show off, i have already spent a tad too much time searching for and thinking about the perfect holiday card. if you are doing the same (i know i'm not the only one), hopefully soon i'll have my own little handmade cards for sale in my etsy shop. but until then, i wanted to pass along another resource. a blog that i sometimes visit for ideas on organizing, financial matters, decorating, and the like is simple mom. the woman who writes it is an inspiring and creative graphic designer. one of her many talents is designing customized photo cards that you can purchase and insert a photo of your choice and print to your heart's content. and...she's having a giveaway if you'd like a chance to have one of these for your very own holiday needs! check it out: www.simplemom.net

and if i can't get the perfect shot of olivia, i'm just sending out the above photograph taken two years ago. don't we look awesome.

happy day before november 1!

 

 

halloween...in the past few years this has not been my favorite holiday, as i've gained, in my adulthood, a strange fear of all things creepy and spooky. but i know that in a few years i will again be able to enjoy, through my little one, the excitement that comes with costumes and candy. and i do look forward to this day because it means the next day is november and that means...the day i can officially start playing holiday music! got the cd's down from the attic yesterday and can't wait to pop in ol' john denver and the muppets.

but in honor of today's holiday, i'd like to pass along a scrumptious pumpkin bread recipe:

3 c sugar
1 c oil (i use canola)
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2/3 c water
1 t each: ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

mix and pour into 2 ungreased pans (i like to line them with parchment paper). bake about 60 minutes at 350.

enjoy!!

 

baby gear 101...part 1

i'll be the first to admit that when i was pregnant i was obsessed with baby gear. i spent way too much time on this here computer, searching and comparing and adding and subtracting from my registries. the fact is, there is a lot of crap out there. babies r us and other such corporations have done an excellent job of making you think that you NEED this, that, and the other baby essential. there are, of course, some things that you do need...and lots that you don't. over the next week or so, i am going to present a series of posts that outlines what i have found to be quality, essential items for my own little babe.

today i'll focus on the first few days of that little newborn's life. first and foremost your little one will need to be kept warm. hats, socks, little mittens, and of course, blankets. my little one loved to be swaddled. we found two brands of swaddling blankets that we liked - and as an added bonus, both of these come with swaddling instructions: swaddle designs ultimate swaddling blankets (warm and cozy) and aden and anais muslin blankets (light and airy), seen below...

 

later on we used these velcro swaddling blankets, but at the beginning these just seemed a little big and it is easier to get a nice tight wrap with the other blankets.

another essential in those first few days - at least if you wish to take your little one from the hospital or birthing center to your home - is an infant carseat. we like the chicco keyfit30:

 

i think it may be a little heavier than some other carseats, but i'll take the weight if it means added safety. this is also a very cozy seat and fits babies up to 30 pounds or 30 inches. my little one is (a tall) 7 months old and she's still fitting in it just fine. with the chicco, you can get a corresponding chicco stroller to create a travel system. however, we prefer a simple snap-n-go. this is much less bulky than the travel system and in the first few months is all you need in a stroller.

once home, you will be spending most of your time with your babe in your arms. but if you'd like to have a chance to, say, eat or shower, it is a good idea to have a nice soothing swing. we have a very small house so we didn't want to get a big, obtrusive swing, so we found this little travel swing to be perfect. in fact, there were several nights that our little one slept in the swing all night long.

 

there is a whole world of baby carriers out there and this in itself can be a stressfull decision, as many of the carriers are not exactly cheap and there seems to be one for every occasion. over this post series i'll outline the carriers that i think go well with each stage, but for the first few weeks, a simple across-the-body sling seems to work well. we have a peanut shell

 

as well as a hotsling - one for me and one for hubby. i've also heard that these are nice as well. the across-the-body slings are also useful later on, as a support when the baby can sit on your hip.

for diapers, we chose to use seventh generation. these are chlorine-free, so they are much healthier for your baby's pristine body, and they also biodegrade faster than the average diaper. if you sign up for amazon's subscribe and save service, you get a discount on the diapers, no tax or shipping costs, and a regular schedule of having your diapers delivered. if you choose to use cloth diapers, i hear that these are nice.

check back...future posts will include breastfeeding, bathing, and soothing essentials! and don't forget, you can never have too many onesies.