Mom and Sophie Honeybee at Gather in Berkeley with my boobs hanging out. Living the life! 🙂
Next to neurofeedback and well-formulated, high quality herbs, coconut water has been key to curing my mood issues. It regulates blood sugar instantly. My hormones are balanced with herbs and I balance my blood sugar with a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and coconuts. I’ve once again removed all refined sugar (including alcohol), flour and wheat from my diet. For the first time in 5 years I am free from depression, have tons of energy and zero mood swings! I feel silly for falling off the wagon for so long, but I learned so much about myself during that time, and things just keep getting better and better.
They aren’t impossible to open, but also not the easiest. G opens the top, I drink the water with a straw, then he cracks it in half and I make a big green smoothie with the meat, bananas, dates, blueberries, mango and spinach.
me and my coconut water
In was proven to me last night that coconut water is in fact a vigorous body detoxifier. It’s comparable to asparagus which is a very powerful acid reducer and detoxifies quickly.
Some info on raw coconut water found here:
It’s a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.
Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas – once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.
On to raw almond milk. I’ve made a couple of attempts to switch Sophie over from organic soy which required fitting freshly blended almond milk through a baby bottle nipple. I used to simply pour it through a strainer, but that was no longer cutting it. I tried a coffee filter and a few other things before finally making an effort to find a nut milk bag. I found a “Diana Stobo’s” bag at Whole Foods. You can also find good bags online here.
Anyway, I was so excited after producing silk-like almond milk that I wanted to make out with Diana Stobo, whoever she is. I made Sophie’s bottles then George and I opened our first Thai young coconut. It was beautiful. For dinner we had the water from one coconut, the meat from one coconut, almond milk, bananas and dates mixed into a smoothie. It was wonderful and I feel awesome this morning.
Kicking it intermediate raw ninja style! 😀
We went to Grass Valley last Sunday to meet, Dan McDonald the Life Re-generator on Youtube. I found his tutorial videos a couple of months ago when I went looking for an immunity juice recipe.
We are really getting Sophie introduced to fruits and vegetables early. We always have lots of whole foods in the house and we do all our shopping together. She loves to hold on to apples, lemons, ginger and other stuff while we are rolling through the grocery store. When overweight, unhealthy people tell me that Organic is a scam and that they can’t remember what broccoli tastes like, it freaks me out. I’m definitely going to make a huge effort to set a healthy example for my child(ren). Though I grew up on a pretty normal American diet, we weren’t allowed to have Coke, Fruit Loops, Snickers, Cheetos and stuff like that in our kitchen, which actually pissed me off when I was a kid. We didn’t eat at McDonald’s or Burger King and there wasn’t alcohol in the house and no one smoked cigarettes. I attribute this to my eating habits as an adult and my desire to take a healthy lifestyle to the next level. I can get off track, even for several years at a time, but after having a child, it has once again become a priority.
Anyway, it was a beautiful spring day at the Sivananda Ashram. Not a cloud in the sky. I didn’t take one freaking photo of the meditation or yoga buildings which are beautiful. I couldn’t even find them on Google Images. To make matters worse, most of these were taken at the picnic tables near the least attractive area of the Ashram. At least I remembered to bring my camera.
Big outdoor yoga deck.
Taking vegetarianism seriously. Have you hugged your pet Black Angus today?
Hey, what’s Dan doing?
WOW! Dan’s the man!!
I know everyone is aware of little Miss Honeybee’s story, but I wanted to share some information with you all. The name began as Butterfly as a tribute to northern California Redwood clear-cutting and Julia “Butterfly” Hill’s inexhaustible efforts to save Luna. When the word Honeybee left my lips and fell onto George’s ears, we both fell in love with it. She is named for the vanishing honeybees suffering colony collapse. Albert Einstein said it best, “If the honeybees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.”
Support organic local growers!
I spent years and years properly combining and eating hippie food. Somewhere in my mid-thirties I acquired a taste for gourmet food. I gave up eating well and started taking tons of supplements prescribed by my naturopathic doctor to make up for my indiscretions.
I’m getting back on track, so here is a tip for the day: always eat your salad at the end of your meal consisting of dense foods such as meat, starchy vegetables, beans and/or soy products. Properly combine food to alkalize. I used to have a chart like this on my fridge. After you eat this way for awhile and see how much better you feel, it’s pretty easy to remember which foods fit into which category.
Lately I’m really preferring shaved over chopped salads. I love the texture of a thinly shaved salad. Easier to chew completely, which is better for absorption and digestion. Also, these days I have four favorite things in the kitchen. My Vita-Mix, juicer, OXO salad spinner and my knives and mandoline. Salad dressings turn out so much better when lemons (peel on), oranges and ginger are juiced before pouring in the Vita-Mix to blend with other ingredients.
Sometimes I don’t come home with perfect tasting whole foods. You know what I mean? Tasteless cucumbers with bitter skin, or ucky, dehydrated celery? It’s especially irritating when paying top dollar at Whole Foods (who is overpriced in my opinion). It’s just the way it is with bad weather and less than stellar crops. This year in California prices remain high and quality hit or miss. Luckily today the fruits and veggies I found are all super-fresh and fantastic tasting. Particularly the cucumbers and cabbage (so sweet). Obviously, the perfect ingredients, make a perfect salad!
There are so many raw fresh dressings that can be made. Fresh juiced apple and lemon mixtures, with different herbs. Blended red pepper with juiced orange and basil.
Currently, I’m in love with this one:
2 juiced lemons (1 Meyer lemon and 1 Eureka if your in the mood for more sour than sweet)
1/2 inch juiced ginger
raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
really good, cold pressed olive oil
2 cloves garlic
blend in Vita-Mix
This is the photo of the first salad. The second was beautiful, with sugar plum tomatoes, shaved carrot and apple. I forgot to take a picture before I started stuffing my face. Other stuff in here: cucumber, cabbage, celery, basil, parsley, coriander, fresh garlic, arugula and romaine.
I know, this is going to get boring …. where are all the photos of Sophie you ask? I’ve been breaking my back washing whole foods lately. If I were wealthy, I’d have someone washing my freaking vegetables.
Look at this scrumptious salad dressing, made in the juicer and Vita-Mix:
1 avocado (makes it so super-creamy)
handful of fresh organic basil
1 juiced lemon (with peel)
1 juiced orange (w/o peel)
(remove peel from oranges and grapefruits because it has toxic stuff that is not good for the body)
1/4 cup raw organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
The color of these pureed peas are such a bright green. Store bought jarred peas are almost brown. So far, Sophie doesn’t seem to be loving them. I’m hoping she wasn’t very hungry last night and this morning. Going to give it another try after she wakes up from her nap.
2 cups of very lightly steamed organic peas
1/4 cup filtered water
blend in Vitamix
Updated to add: She was a little more into it … after I sang to her and applauded every time she opened her mouth.
Breakfast yesterday. Juiced Grapefruit, orange, lemon, ginger and mint.
ahhhhhhhh Meyer lemon season. Right. On. I’ve eaten these lemons all the years I’ve been in CA, but, until recently, I had no idea what they were. All I knew was they looked like an orange, were delicious and had more juice than I’d ever experienced with either oranges or lemons. I also figured they were some type of lemon/orange hybrid. I looked them up on Wikipedia and enjoyed reading the Meyer lemon story. Originally from China.
Another addiction at the moment? Arugula (rocket salad). So peppery, so good.
very zesty Meyer lemon dressing:
2 Meyer lemons juiced in the juicer (with peel)
1 juiced orange (peeled)
olive oil
raw organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
sea salt
fresh basil
2 cloves fresh raw garlic
blend in Vita-Mix
These aren’t even Meyer’s … I already juiced the two I bought today.
chopped salad:
spinach
romaine
arugula
broccoli
apple
sugar plum tomatoes
raisins
parsley
cilantro
basil
Sophie walked on Sunday, March 6. Just like that, she was off. Ten minutes later, we found her in the refrigerator.
If you’d like to see tons of photos of Sophie, visit http://www.bountifullove.wordpress.com
It’s the place George posts photos of her quickly for family and friends.
Also, I wanted to say hello to Connie! I know she checks in here for new posts. Miss you and hope to see you soon … we’ll be visiting Florida at some point this year!
I’m out of my mind right now with tons of fruits and vegetables. I never thought I’d go all the way, but I was sick on and off for weeks, for the first time in probably 10-14 years. I finally broke out the dusty juicer, and got healthy again, literally overnight. Though I’ve been 80% vegetarian for 26 years, I’ve never been turned on by the vegan or raw movement. The word vegan makes me think of complicated, dense recipes. When I hear “vegan”, dancing in my head are stale cookies, too much tofu and funky-meatless-gourmet dishes. All that transition food. Then, raw foodism makes me think of hard, cold vegetables and a lot of crunching and chewing. But, I’m hear to tell you, the juicing has been fantastic and delicious. I feel better than I have in 5 years. Right now, I’m doing a 30 day cleanse, so I’m juicing a huge drink in the morning; starting my day off with a Lemon Ginger Blast. Then for lunch I’m having a big salad with new, exciting, raw salad dressings made in the Vitamix. I love my Vitamix.
Look at the size of these beets and this chard. George said, “that’s what she said” 🙂 AND, my new salad spinner. I’ve wanted one of these oxo spinners for a long time, so the seven dollar Ikea one we had, hit the road.
Can. You. Dig. It?
I totally cut and pasted this information below.
Are there really people still left in the world that don’t get it? If so, here’s their “scientific” proof. Better quality health and taste. Especially for babies and young children.
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The debate about the advantages of organic foods is over. According to a new $25-million study into organic food – the largest of its kind to date – organic food is more nutritious than ordinary produce and it may help to lengthen peoples lives and prevent disease.
More Nutrients
The European Union funded study found that organic fruit and vegetables have up to 50% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. They have also more vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc.
According to other recent studies, organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And people eating organic food have improved immune system, better sleeping habits and are less likely to be overweight than when eating “conventional” foods. (Can you imagine the benefits of eating both raw and organic food?)
Better Taste
The taste of organic fruits and vegetables is often superior to any conventional produce. That’s why many top restaurants use organic produce in their menu. Today, most fruits and veggies are manipulated to look and stay good. The strawberries from your ordinary supermarket may look great on your cake but they have virtually no taste. However, the taste of fresh organic fruits is irresistible!
Safer for Babies and Children
The advantages of organic foods might be highest for babies. The average baby is born with 200 toxins and carcinogens in its body. By the time kids reach their 2nd year, most have pasted the lethal limit for the toxins. By feeding your child organic food, it will have about 1/6th the amount of carcinogens in its blood. Thus you will decrease the chances of illnesses significantly. Therefore, especially for infants and children a raw organic food diet is incredibly important.
Irradiation?
Do you ever wonder why organic vegetables and fruits seem to spoil so much faster than produce from normal supermarkets? The reason is that many foods are irradiated. Irradiation kills bacteria and extends food life. But, it also alters the molecular structure and life force of the food.
Some irradiation methods use radio active substances, others high energy electrons or X-rays. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my food pure and not irradiated. So one of the advantages of raw organic foods is that it still has life force. Raw organic seeds grow – cooked and irradiated seeds don’t
GMO Secrets
Organic food stores don’t sell genetically modified (GM) food. It’s suspected that GM food causes allergies and decreases your immune system. Government is being secret – at least vague – about the health consequences of GMO food. I’ve read enough to not want to take a chance. Do you?
Shocking Animals
Organic meat, fish and poultry is healthier for you. Organic farmed animals are raised without dangerous chemicals, growth hormones or antibiotics. Pesticides used in ordinary farming don’t just affect the animal who eats it first. They accumulate in their tissues (mostly fat). Animals on top of the food chain get the highest concentration of these chemicals. Conventional animals full of toxins and dirt.
A cow, chicken or pig will retain most of the pesticides it has ever eaten (directly or indirectly through other animals). Factory farm animals are fed great quantities of (polluted) fish, food doused in pesticides and fed many unnatural compounds never eaten by wild animals.
Inorganic animal food (meat, fish, dairy and eggs) is a main source of pollution to the environment. According to research animal food contribute to as much as 95% of the toxic chemical residues in the American diet. Meat, fish and poultry have 10 times the amount of the dangerous chemicals DDT, DDE and TDE as conventional produce. In addition intensive farming is incredibly cruel to farm animals.
One of the most outrageous advantages of organic foods is that organic farms treat their animals much more humane. They place a great emphasis on animal welfare. Just for this reasons, switching to an organic living makes sense. And even consider becoming vegan.
Save the Environment
Organic food facts are especially striking if you consider the environment. Conventional farming methods erode soil and use dangerous pesticides that may take centuries before they’re gone. Think of the DDT, thought to be harmless but appeared to be extremely bad for your health. Even though this pesticide has been forbidden for many years now, it’s still found in virtually all waters, human beings and animals in the world…
In addition, over time, artificial pest controls become less and less effective, so that even more chemicals must be used or other methods found. One of the huge advantages of organic food is that buying it has a huge positive impact on the environment, the animals and people who live on it.
Top 10 Organic Foods
These foods contain the most pesticides. If you’d like to eat an organic raw food diet, you definitely want to consider these:
- Meat and poultry
- Dairy products
- Strawberries
- Bell pepper
- Spinach
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Celery
- Apples
- Green Beens
I’ve been juicing lately. We were all sick here so I wanted to get rid of the nasty little viruses. For immunity, juicing kale, beets, ginger, and garlic is a sure way to knock it out. I felt better within 12 hours. Here I’ve juiced organic apples, lemons, lots of ginger, garlic, a bunch of kale, spinach, celery, carrots, parsley and cilantro. George likes these too, so I’m feeling lucky!
Eating a lot of Swiss chard and kale. Warmed and softened, but not overcooked, so it retains it’s nutrients! So good with shallots, olive oil and garlic.
Also, liking this recipe- egg, ricotta cheese and kale on top of healthy bread.
Look at this kale! Yummy!
I have to laugh at this place setting. Plastic burnt orange plate, purple glass and multi-colored place mat. Lovely.
The Babe swings every day. She just turned 10 months old on February 27. On that day she clapped when I clapped, did a funny thing with her tongue when I did it, and took two steps. She’s been crawling since she was 5 months old and is FAST. I don’t think there is much reason to walk, which is why it may be taking her longer than we thought.
Oh my gosh, so much to write. So many things have been happening. We were going to go up to Tahoe for a white Christmas, but there were too many storms and too much traffic – bad road conditions. We changed our plans and spent Christmas in San Francisco. It was great fun. I forgot my camera which bummed me out. We spent Christmas night at The Redwood Room which was groovy. We lounged on red velvet couches with Sophie and had stinky cheese and wine.
My obsession at the moment is “Power Foods” by the editors of Whole Living Magazine. Since becoming a house wife and stay at home mommy, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to marry G’s tastes and my own. I love vegetables and super healthy recipes with stuff like tahini, tempeh, and quinoa. George loves beef, butter (I mean this guy LOVES butter), pizza and mac and cheese. Power Foods has given me lots of in between recipes to play with. All the recipes I’ve tried so far work – really well.
Chicken Breasts with Fennel, Carrot and Couscous came out SO FREAKING GOOD!
* 4 boneless, skinless free-range chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
* 3 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
* 1/2 cup oil-cured pitted black olives, halved
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 2 cups cooked couscous
Directions
1. Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil, fennel, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon paprika and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. To skillet, add reserved chicken along with any accumulated juices, apricots, olives, orange juice, and broth. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft and chicken is opaque throughout, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with couscous.
Read more at Wholeliving.com: Chicken Breasts with Fennel, Carrots, and Couscous
Let’s start from the beginning of our preparations to leave South Carolina. Before we left town, I wanted to get over to Pardee Midwifery to see Barbara, our midwife, to say good-bye and get a photo of her with Sophie. We will never forget her and wish we could deliver our second baby at Pardee! All of the ladies are so wonderful! I will get my birth story written and will send it out to Barbara as well as these photos.
Barbara Davenport, RNC, MSN, CNM
Victoria Harris Fleury, MSN, CNM — Victoria is so bubbly and helpful. She’s the one I spoke with on the phone when I was only four weeks pregnant! She spoke to me for a long time. I knew they were for us after that conversation.
Martha Dysart, CNM — Most of our appointments were with Martha. I almost requested that she come in for Sophie’s delivery, but after meeting with all three of our midwives, I felt confident that whoever was on call would be great!
The front of Pardee Midwifery where I visited for a year and a half. However, they just moved about a block away.
Where George and I sat waiting for our appointments. For the record, we never waited more than 10 minutes! Love them!
We made it to California!! Life is good! We went to Carmel and Monterey for a couple of days and it was as magical as ever. George went back to work yesterday and seems to be settling in well. The baby is fantastic and seems to like the new neighborhood and all the walks we’ve been going on! I will get this blog together and catch up soon! I have many many photos to share!
I spoke too soon. We are still waiting for a date. And we are still in South Carolina. I can’t really participate while so stuck in anticipation and the unknown. We will have a date by the end of the week. Why in the world would they need more time?
This is all I’ve got:
Monday George is going to northern California for his first meeting. Our ETD is Monday August 30. It’s been crazy. I’ve been selling a lot of stuff. I found a new house to rent for our first year and it’s adorable. We love it and are so excited!
I’ve been feeling like I haven’t accomplished much, but I decided today that I’m not doing bad. Things are coming along.
It was hot today, and I don’t mean just Gordo. He put a shirt on after I started snapping photos. He complains of putting on too much knee surgery, newlywed and pregnancy-sympathy weight. Personally, I think he looks great.
****
So my BMBFF (best mamma blogger friends forever), Irregular Tammi and Little Fists do fun blogging stuff and I’ve decided to jump on board. Which, of course, simply means that I’m going to steal all of their ideas. Tammi has frequent posts called “Things I’m Into Right Now”. I’m going to try it but I’m going to call mine, “Cool Shit I Found Online Today While Pissing About”. Here’s a couple of things I saw recently that I dig:
Bob Dylan made out of cassette tape. Found this over at Blackwatertown.
I’ve somewhat jumped on the Tracy Anderson band wagon. While researching her videos I clicked on this funny lady whom I thought was Ms Anderson. I think it’s hysterical. In order for you to think this is funny, you may need to have some experience watching Tracy Anderson. Or, maybe just have a ridiculous sense of humor like me.
UPDATE
Via Tammi (see what I mean, I’m a theif), check out Catalog Living. Funny!
And George said his new supervisor looks a little like Dick Dietrick. So I looked him up here to see what he looks like, and found full frontal nudity!
The Hayes family came over yesterday. Oh, all the baby angels in one room!
We talked a lot about the move and the logistics of it all. There were NO good-byes yesterday. I know there will be many visits with them in CA and back here in SC!!
Brothers from different mothers.
So we have news. George is interviewing with his company for a transfer with the northern California branch. He is flying out next Monday for his final interview. Obviously, we are very excited. We are 95% there. Unless something goes wrong, we will be back in the Sierra Foothills within the next month.
We are trying to eat all of our frozen food. Today I found an organic whole chicken. Score. It’s rainy here so crock potting seemed like the right thing to do.
Lots of organic seasonings. Onions, carrots, tiny red potatos, garlic, fresh rosemary, etc., etc.
This would be George making fun of me for taking photos of my cooking and sticking his face in the picture. I love him.
Sophie is so funny. Yesterday when her dad got home, she did all sorts of things. She rolled over for the first time which we were able to capture on video. Also for the first time, I handed her something and she grabbed it and held on to it with both hands -and then put it right in her mouth, of course. She also watched Dylan walk across the room and watched his tail wag. She never seemed to “see” the dog. We had fun last night!
I’ll post the video later. 🙂
This photo cracks me up!
I’m very jealous of my little sis. She is a craft savant.
She just started crocheting and made this for Sophie
She’s also a gifted photographer, baker, gardener and so much more!
A couple of years ago, she decided to become a professional photographer. She designed a website for herself (yes, she can do that too) and now has successfully photographed many weddings and family shoots. Just like that.
Last winter she started baking. Baked an apple pie and won “best pie in town”. Just like that. She’s even in the local newspaper.
This year she decided to start gardening. So, she had a bunch of dirt brought in, dug and hoed and planted about a billion different veggies. She grew them fabulously, then pickled, bottled and canned the stuff. Just like that.
She finally started a blog. It’s going to be one of those blogs that makes me feel super inferior. 😉
She’s interested in her swing again for some reason. But now it’s on full power … had to ratchet it up a bit for the little mover and shaker. Her arms and legs where flying everywhere!
I still haven’t written my birth story. It’s no longer fresh in my mind like it was the first week. Perhaps writing it now will still help document more than I’ll be able to remember in ten years?
I want our lives to sound like this song. To be this song. Gentle and soft.
Oh my. So so precious. Chickadee “ch ch ch ch” … Jaybird “jay jay jay jay” … uuhhgg, too cute!
Hello there! Sophie is 13 weeks old tomorrow. I do wish I would have blogged before now, but I always feel that way when I drop out. I’m still here and I check in on everyone’s blog, but I’m unable to write. I definitely had postpartum depression. I probably still have it. The baby is doing fantastic. Though I haven’t taken great care of myself the last three months, she is healthy and happy.
We ordered this “jumperoo” because she is constantly wanting to rock and roll. She would love it if I carried her all over the place and danced for her 18 hours a day. I’m too old for that, unfortunately. She’s still a bit too small for this thing and was more interested in flirting with her dad while he took pictures of her. They are so in love with each other!
George is the man I dreamed about when I was little girl. On June 23, 2009, all of my dreams came true.
What in the hell is happening? Motherhood. I can’t even believe it. Nothing could have prepared me for what has gone on here in the past six weeks! I have a little creature in my house that is beautiful and demanding! And I am the perfect mother for her – she says, “jump” and I say, “how high”? It’s all true, what they say … I’m exhausted. So many things to write about. But someone just woke up. I love her.
George just got home from work and is going through mail. We recieved our new insurance cards with Sophie’s name on them. Awwwww. Things are so darn cute these days.
The baby girl is a week old! I have so much to fill in here; I would like to share my birth story and our experiences so far – everything is still processing. George went back to work today which was sad. However, it does feel good to get back to a routine. I am planting the seeds for some sort of schedule for all of us.
Sophie is doing fantastic! Much much more to come!!
Sophie Honeybee Lawrence
April 27, 2010
11:42 PM
6 pounds 15 ounces
21 inches
My water broke last night at 11:30 … been laboring at home for quite some time now (8 hrs). Will be heading to the midwifery/hospital when my contractions are a bit closer. They were about 11-12 minutes apart, but when I got out of bed they slowed to every 30-50 minutes. Still shooting for a water birth. We’ll see over the next several hours how it all turns out!
Can’t wait to meet the little girl and bring her home! We are so excited! 😀
George came with me again today for my 40 week checkup and I think it was our final visit! Last night I had a lot of hormonal changes – things that can happen when the body starts getting ready for labor and delivery. I experienced night sweats, breast tenderness and cramping. I was checked by Barbara again this time and I am 1 cm dilated and 80 percent effaced! Things are happening, but, technically, I could stay 1 cm for several days or even a week. I know I really can’t tell, but I think Sophie will be here within the next couple of days! Last week I said, “Tuesday or Wednesday of next week”. It will be something if I guessed it right. Just a lucky guess, I’m sure!
… was glorious! Springtime has been so fantastic. This weekend it got even better after Lee and Heather brought over our first strawberries. I’ve been waiting. I’ve been terribly homesick for California so strawberry and peach season here in the Carolinas has made life so much better. It may not sound like much, but sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can make a big difference.
The Hayes family came over this weekend for a cookout. The weather has been so beautiful lately that I didn’t think it would ever rain again. It rained all day! Didn’t get any good photos and the kids were a bit disappointed they couldn’t fish, but we still had a great time. We grilled scallops and shrimp, roasted veggies and made lemonade. Still planting herbs. Used fresh cilantro, basil, rosemary, mint and lemon balm today. All the food came out so good and I enjoyed scallops and shrimp for the first time in 9 months! Really enjoyed it and the company!
Gloomy day …
The lemonade came out super-tasty. I used fresh squeezed lemon, lemon balm, mint and organic sugar.
George’s work. He spent a long time peeling and de-veining …
… and grilling the shrimp. mmmm The first time I’ve grilled lemon wedges. I’ll do it again as they were great with the shrimp and scallops. After grilled, they have a nice smokey flavor.
Puffy and ready to go!
When we were shut in during winter, I started a puzzle to frame for the baby. G quickly joined in and it became somewhat of a race. He’s pretty funny. I thought it was a special thing to do for her and she’ll always know it was done while I was pregnant. We were also playing a lot of board and card games during that time.
Down in the basement. I placed the camera on the fireplace. G is posing and evidently eating Slim Jims?
Today we finished gluing it so it can be framed. I mentioned how loved she is and we both hugged and cried. As usual, it’s a special and nauseatingly romantic time around here.
I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com while looking for grilling ideas for the upcoming weekend. Though I do not eat beef or pork, I love free range organic turkey burgers and meatloaf. I’m not going to try these this weekend, but definitely soon. Fresh, sushi-grade tuna steaks, finely chopped, and grilled medium-rare with wasabi? Why haven’t I thought of this, or at least seen it somewhere? Yummy!
Tuna Burgers with Wasabi Mayonnaise
Ingredients
Makes 6 burgers
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice-wine vinegar
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound sushi-grade tuna, very finely chopped
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, trimmed and minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Canola oil, for cooking
- 1/2 bunch arugula
- Wasabi Mayonnaise
Directions
- Place vinegar and sugar in small bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil to form an emulsion; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Place tuna, scallions, soy, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sesame oil, and lemon zest in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Mix well, using your hands, to combine. Divide tuna mixture into six equal portions and form each portion into a 1/2-inch thick patty.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add enough canola oil to coat bottom of skillet. Add patties, and cook until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Place arugula in a large bowl, drizzle with reserved dressing, and toss to combine. Divide arugula evenly between 6 plates. Place one patty on each bed of arugula; serve immediately with wasabi mayonnaise.
I’m embarrassed to admit that we’ve been using paper plates lately. Terrible habit. Also, with pregnancy, I’ve used many, many tissues. AND, I’ve been taking longer-than-usual hot showers. Today, for Earth Day, I bought plastic, reusable “pizza plates” which will put an end to the madness. I don’t think I’ll be giving up the long showers, however, until the baby comes. As I type this post we are eating a homemade pizza. This time, I tried an organic pizza crust from Whole Foods. It’s pretty good.
Sophie has been moving around in my belly like crazy today. I experienced round ligament pain and other odd, unidentifiable feelings in my body. I walked and walked, for what seemed an eternity. Of course, I was hoping it would cause labor. Then I decided I’d prefer my water not break while shopping in Target. I also came to the conclusion that, with her assault on my bladder, it would be even worse to spontaneously pee in Target.
Lots and lots of baby laundry. I’m having a hard time getting her clothes and baby blankets washed. I didn’t want to take all the pretty packages apart and “ruin” them by fading and wrinkling them. I’ve been looking at all her things for 9 months. All the bows and pretty pastel colored outfits, and the snugly, cozy hooded towels and blankets. But, they need to be cleaned before she wears them, I think. Even the perfectly lined up, tiny socks and booties were difficult to drop in the washing machine. I don’t know, I think I’m getting overly-sensitive and hormonal, too. I’m doing that crying thing every time I see something cute or hear the word baby.
Another milestone. I’ll post more later about the differences between the Aries child and the Taurus child. We are old and have much less energy than we used to (I suppose I should speak for myself ;-)). A Taurus is a much better fit for all involved. It’s going to be a wonderfully fun, smart, cuddly, quiet and beautiful life around here.
Today we had our 39 week apt at Pardee. George went with me, and wants to do so until the baby comes. I’m curious to see if we make it to the next one! Only ten days until my due date. Anyway, it went great. George met Barbara, one of our midwives, for the first time today. Sophie has dropped and is in perfect position. According to Barb, she is a rather small baby, under 7 lbs. But, she’ll continue to grow at a rate of 1/2 lb a week. We went to the hospital next door for a tour as well.
Not long now.
With all the nesting, we still managed to fit in a picnic and an antique run this past weekend.
Picnic tables at the antique warehouse. Next best thing to a beautiful waterfall, lake or meadow, in my opinion. 🙂
The place is huge.
I had to have the orange coffee cups, $8 …
… and this very cool, orange ashtray which is like brand new. $3 We brought it home and George said he was going to put it “in the place that ashtrays go for company who smoke”. Um, no, it will never be used as an ashtray! Now that I’m looking at this photo, the “mugs” hanger will go well with the orange mugs. All three, circa 70-something. G says if I keep going, our house will look like the set from That 70’s Show. Actually, right now, I’m into 30s-60s avocado and pink depression glass. Also, pink or blue Pyrex.
We’ve put new meaning in the word nesting, I think. Mowing, planting, washing windows and scrubbing down the deck. I think we are finally ready for Sophie’s arrival. We ended the weekend with a fantastic dinner made on the grill.
Master Griller and Efficient Man. I found the best organic, free range chicken. It was so good and George grilled it perfectly.
We did some deep, deep spring cleaning in our bedroom today. Sophie’s mattress and crib bumper came with many other registry gifts. So much fun!
“I don’t want to clean ..
… ah, I’ll do anything for Sophie”
awww … all ready for the baby girl 🙂
I’ve gained 20-25 pounds, which is exactly where I wanted to be at the end of my pregnancy. 12-15 pounds baby and 10 extra in my hips, thighs and butt for breastfeeding. I’m confident that my milk will be healthy and will come in just fine. I’ve been eating mostly healthy, organic foods. Every morning I start my day with organic plain yogurt for it’s probiotics. It has combated all the extra sugar in my diet and has kept my belly healthy and yeast free. I’ve also taken a probiotic capsule throughout the pregnancy as well. I take either my prescription prenatal vitamin or a pure organic prenatal. My prescription is much less expensive with insurance and I had it checked with my naturopath before taking it. It’s well-balanced and works well with my system. I’m also taking nordic DHA, extra magnesium and potassium and a good B Vitamin.
This is what I had yesterday for breakfast and lunch:
Breakfast
2 perfect, organic, farm fresh eggs with feta cheese
home fries made from super-sweet organic potatoes (I made these with onions, garlic, fresh rosemary and basil from our herbs that I planted this year)
fresh, organic orange juice
1 organic banana
1 organic red pear
Lunch
Leftover, organic free range chicken (cubed) and cucumber salad (two big organic Mexican cucumbers with red onion, olive oil and cider vinegar, rosemary and basil.
mmmmm … not one chemical, antibiotic or hormone. The taste of organic food is far superior than conventional food grown and raised on poor quality soil and feed. Those whom disagree and tell me organic is too expensive, usually spend money on cigarettes and/or booze. Can’t blame them, if they spend all that extra money on cigarettes, they don’t have to worry about the taste of their food. 😉
P.S. This all sounds so healthy … I have to add that, during the past eight months, my diet has been far from perfect! I ate tons of cake, Mexican food and other stuff I had no business eating.
I went to Hendersonville for our Dr’s appointment today and stopped by downtown to take photos of the tulips! George and I drove past them last weekend on the way to Bat Cave and they were so beautiful.
Sophie has dropped a bit and everything looks perfect. Only 2 weeks to go! I don’t care when she comes … as long as she’s a Taurus. That’s no earlier than April 20!
the beloved one 
