Week 42: A Jolly Good Time

What's new?

"Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish." 

-Louis P. De Gouy, "The Soup Book" (1949)

Thank you, to my friend Emily, for the wonderful butternut squash recipes AND for harping on me about getting a slow-cooker, in Week 42! I have used it twice already, and I just adore this kitchen gadget. I ended up getting the large one with the ceramic insert, which is cool because I can make big batches of freeze-ahead meals or a pot roast, if I choose. It's all dangerous and a huge timesaver. This one also came with a dip warmer insert, which Ted will love for his queso habit. Since I am deliberately meat-free 3 nights a week now ("deliberate" implies that I am talking about legitimate, nutritious vegetarian food, not chips and salsa because I was lazy), the first slow-cooker recipe I tried was the coconut-butternut crockpot soup recipe from Superhealthykids.com. I basically used this recipe as more of an inspirational springboard because I ended up using an acorn squash rather than a sweet potato, adding 2 cups of baby portabella mushrooms, an apple, garlic, 2 TBS more of cumin, cinnamon, lots of black pepper, and I omitted coconut flakes (though I did use lite coconut milk). The end product was extremely rich and earthy, with more of a cream-of-mushroom meets butternut squash and cumin flavor to it than anything. 5/5 stars from this mushroom fan, and if you've always wanted to be a mushroom lover but don't like the texture, I recommend them this way (crockpot + puree = soup). This made about 12 servings. 

Other Week 42 Newness:

• New beer! I haven't tried a new beer in so long! The sadness! And, to make matters even worse, my favorite kind of beer is a good porter, which I have not had in about 1.5 years. It's one of those things...I guess you could say "trigger food" although beer isn't really a food...But it's one of those things that used to be a larger part of my life when I was chubby, much like a lot of homemade yeast breads and pasta and rich cheeses :) mmmm....rich cheeses.....Cutthroat Porter from Odell Brewing Co out of Ft Collins (CO) was good! I thought it had a very strong coffee aftertaste, which I like, but it wasn't as sweet as some of the more chocolaty porters, if you happen to have a preference. I would have it again, though it is nowhere close to replacing my 1st favorite (Mac and Jacks Porter, Redmond, WA) or 2nd favorite (Black Butte Porter, Bend, OR). I forget how expensive some things like this are here in KS (craft brews). Pacific Northwesterners are spoiled. That's all there is to it.

• Wonderscope Children's Museum. I liked it okay, but it wasn't as neat as some of the other museums and discovery/learning centers we have been to in Kansas and Missouri. Henry had a GREAT time, but I think my bottom-line rating for this place is, I am glad we checked this off of our list, but we won't go back unless we are in the area of Shawnee, KS :) I am sure that if we lived there, we would love it. However, if I am going to drive that far, I would just as soon drive to the Kansas Children's Discovery Center out in Lawrence, KS or the Patee House Museum up in St Joseph, MO or the Overland Park Botanical Gardens or Ernie Miller Nature Center...We have been so spoiled with amazing learning opportunities in our midst, and I love exploring them all with Henry! 3/5 stars for Wonderscope :) 

Week 34: Treasures (Ecological, Historical, Psychological)

What's new?

Picture, if you will, a half-groggy, non-caffeinated mom, still in her pajamas, enjoying the quiet of the first of the end-of-summer cool mornings in Kansas. She goes outside to clean up the toys in the yard and drain the kiddie pool. Reaching for the foam alligator toy in the half-dark of morning, she, who also happens to be an amateur bug collector, jumps through her skin with a half-masked yelp as she grabs something very large, spiny, and dark. It ain't right, folks, this early in the morning. Then, she goes to turn on the porch light, heart now racing with excitement (rather than primal fear), as she knows she's found a true treasure...a giant robber fly! WOW!

And that, my friends, is how Week 34 began :)

When I had my brief moment of fame, sorting insects for the Entomology Department at the San Diego Natural History Museum, I got to see a non-giant version of this guy. Seeing this guy, however, is a first, and such a treat! The Genus Promachus, it is said, can deliver quite a painful bite with it's needle-like proboscis and is a great predator of the insect world. However, the larva of these guys might be eating the roots of my grass, among other creatures. Who invented lawns, anyway? What a terrible idea, in any climate.

Other Week 34 Awesome Newness:

• While visiting the Parkville Farmer's Market for the last variety of local peaches, we discovered the jaw-droppingly beautiful little town of Parkville, MO! The Parkville Farmer's Market is tiny, but absolutely every farm had the most beautiful of wares. A 45-minute drive from Fort Leavenworth, just like anywhere, and worth it. English Landing Park, which hosts the market, is a wonderful, large park that overlooks the river, and Parkville has quite the history behind it. If ever there was a ghost story to be written, this place would be some great inspiration.

• Now that I am no longer studying for the Praxis II Middle Grade Science (which, by the way, I PASSED!!), Ted and I decided to go back to our tradition of trying to read a book together during deployment. We picked Why Can't You Read My Mind, by Jefferey Bernstein. Having read a few marriage devotionals or counseling-type books before, we decided to give this one a whirl because we thought it seemed a little more focused on the partnership aspect of ANY relationship and managing thought patterns with one another and less about roles in marriage. I am a Christian woman who also happens to be married, but I grow very tired of book after book where the focus is the woman (and man's) "role" in the marriage. How is continually defining your "role" in any situation EVER helpful to the GROWTH of that institution? If you worked as part of a team of project managers and all you ever did during meetings was dole out roles, how would that inspire members of the team to continue to create, inspire one another, and stay loyal to the business? Duh. How about focusing, instead, on each member as an individual, outside of a box, capable of creative thought and inspiration beyond belief, to one another?

From the Amazon reviews:

"They claim that one of the most significant steps is to focus on yourself rather than your partner by ridding yourself of toxic thoughts, "negative thoughts that have lost their basis in reality and have gotten out of control." Examining nine toxic thought patterns (such as jumping to conclusions, labeling one another and playing the "blame game"), the authors provide well-researched explanations, relevant examples and practical alternatives to transform negative thoughts and behaviors into positive and constructive ones." 

When all you have are your thoughts and a prayer because the other part of your team is rarely present in the flesh, the brain God gave you to manage your thoughts and your words becomes a powerful tool, and pretty much, your only one.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Week 31: An Old Woman Lives in My Bones

What's New?

Most of Week 31 was spent taking a large, deep, relaxing breath, enjoying the presence of family, who played with, cuddled with, read to, built things with, pretended with, ran with, and chased after their 2.5-year old cousin/nephew/grandson. It was GLORIOUS, my friends. While this, in itself is not new, it had been a year since we made the trek up to see everyone; enough time to get homesick as hell. I never thought I would be one of those people who only saw their family once or twice per year, and I have never quite become used to it. One day, I will be back, and until then, there is a whole wide world to explore, scattering pieces of my glow-in-the-dark heart as I go.  

Week 31 newness:

• Pinchknitter Yarn! My family lives in the Camano/Stanwood, WA area, and I just now noticed this sweet little specialty yarn shoppe in Stanwood! I spoke with June for a while about their products, and she explained why bamboo textiles are actually horrible for the environment, while hemp is truly environmentally friendly. They have a TON of alpaca wool and a beautiful assortment of wool in general. I can't wait to visit this place in November when we return!

• Gooseberry Patch Freezer Recipes - I am LOVING this life-changing compilation of the art and science of freezing food. The recipes are quite fattening, I won't lie, but for whatever reason, I lose and maintain my weight MUCH easier when I eat 2-3 hearty "meat-and-potatoes" meals a day rather than snacking all day on low-calorie stuff. Casseroles and hearty stews? There goes 5 lbs. No joke. And eating this way enables me to run to my heart's content without becoming anemic or waking up at night with dumb leg cramps. There is your weight-loss lesson of the day. The bestest part about this little book though are the little tips and explanations about proper freeze/thaw techniques. A deployment MUST.      

• BABY!! SIL #3, Whitney, will soon be poppin' out a brand-new baby bee, and we very much enjoyed spending time with this new-momma-to-be at her shower. She is one hard-working woman, and we love her like crazy.

• New art (here are some photos of the new art mom brought last week). "Housetree" by Swedish artist, Mattias Adolfsson. I love his creatures and sketches as much as Hayao Miyazaki's.  

new art

Specialty yarn shoppes and and freezer recipes, goodness gracious, you'd think an 80-year old woman wrote this post! Well, maybe she did. So, in honor of all of our inner old souls, here is new poem:

An old woman lives in my bones.

She smacks her lips and clinks

her teeth against glass jars of whiskey.

Sipping, slurping, rocking.

Creaky wooden chair of 

cracks and fissures,

Rivers of time,

mapping the loves of her soul.

She clicks her tongue with closed eyes

and listens to 

the treefrog chorus.

By, Becca @Allbrandnewin52.blogspot.ccom

Week 28: Climb Aboard, Explorers!

What's new? Photo cred for the hop tree, giant swallowtail, and milk snake go to Wikipedia, all others are my own.

This year has been so much fun, as my 2.5 year-old has become quite the little wilderness explorer and will actually stay near me/stay on the trail. It took quite a bit of training and hiking practice to get him to be able to do that, as he is a definite runner/anti-hand-holder :) Yesterday, as we were out walking, he pointed to a vine of poison ivy and said, "That's ivy. Dooooon't touch it; it'll bite ya!" I've had various people look at me strangely for pointing out things like poison ivy, stinging nettle, and wasps to my preschooler, I guess the thinking being that it is better to not bring these things to their attention at all. I couldn't disagree more, as bringing awareness and the ability to describe your surroundings is probably one of the most important things that you could teach a child this age. Compassion and respect are learned by observing nature. Don't even get me started on the nature deficit disorder hypothesis described by Richard Louv. For the record, we steer clear of most snake habitat. The milk snake (above) was one I saw out on a trail run, and other than that, all we have seen are garter snakes and brown snakes. Momma is good with that :) 

In Week 28, we began our KS/MO bug collection and compiled a species list of new things we have seen in KS/MO this year. I also discovered that I have a new favorite Scentsy, Apple Press (and you know how I am about favorites!). Also tried and loved a new gadget. Many of my British crochet buddies use ergonomic crochet hooks. I am not sure why I never have, considering the fact that I crushed my thumb joint years ago. It kind of took a bit of getting used to, as my "form" had to change (kind of like anytime you switch to an ergonomic version of anything)...Totally worth it though!

Eastern-tailed blue (most common butterfly that we see)
giant swallowtail
great spangled fritillary
gypsy moth
plume moth
milksnake
brown snake (Storeria dekayi)
plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix)
hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata): smells DELICIOUS, FYI!!!

Week 27: Sources of Energy and Motivation

What's new?

We hope you all enjoyed a safe and relaxing 4th of July in Week 27! This week, we tried a new yummy, easy quinoa recipe PACKED with pre AND post-running goodness. These muffins are amazing! Two muffins for breakfast provide me with enough energy to last until lunch without snacking. Normally, only a hard-boiled egg holds that kind of hunger power :) Quinoa is cheap, easy to prepare, and 1/4 cup of quinoa has 7g of protein, 30g of carbs, 3g of fiber, and 10% of your daily Iron. We call this nutrient-dense awesomeness. Why must we eat nutrient-dense awesomeness? Currently, life is much different than it was one year ago. I am solo-parenting a very energetic 2.5-year old. I am studying for a very hard exam in a couple of weeks and gearing up to become a student and eventually, go back to work as a middle grade science teacher (and/or maaaybe a high school biology teacher). I am also getting mentally prepped (maybe) for the Great Wall of China Marathon (May 2014)! I need foods that provide energy, motivation, and sleep. Do such foods exist? You bet they do! Do these foods include leftover bratwurst, beer and flag cakes from our 4th of July celebration? Noooot so much :) 

Bob's Red Mill Golden Quinoa Muffins

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 cup fine ground cornmeal

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbsp orange zest (I didn't have any oranges, so used lemon)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arther white whole wheat flour)

2 tsp baking powder

package instructions, per Bob himself: "In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the quinoa grain, cornmeal, and raisins. Stir to moisten, cover and let stand refrigerated for 1 hour. Can be refrigerated up to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375 F. Oil muffin tins and set aside. Sit into the quinoa mixture the honey, oil, egg, orange zest, salt, whole wheat pastry flour and baking powder. Mix quickly, being careful not to overmix. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 muffins."

What else?

Lots of other newness in Week 27:

• St Joseph, MO Remington Nature Center. An easy, 45-minute drive north from Fort Leavenworth (and well-worth it!), this is a beautiful building containing a plethora of phenomenal displays of native wildlife and ecological processes. The displays are both living and taxidermic, and both interactive and audio/visual. I HIGHLY recommend this place for kids and adults of any age, and the Riverwalk pathway is open at dusk, if you want to go for a great nature walk an hour or so prior to the center opening (at 10:00am). $3 admission for the general public and listed as one of the Blue Star facilities if you are a military family. 5/5 stars! :)

• Some new children's fiction worth mentioning: We are big Sandra Boynton fans around here, and I was looking for a book I knew Henry would respond to about feelings. I have seen other things that claim to be for his age-group that are either way too over-the-top serious, emotional, or just not enough to keep him coming back to read it. Boyton's Happy Hippo, Angry Duck is just our speed :) And you know what? I can think of plenty of adults of whom this would also be their speed...I am putting this under our "deployment resources" for sure. 5/5 stars. Dr Seuss always gets 5/5 stars. Biscuit books...Henry is obsessed with them. I honestly would rather read a lot of other things, but because he loves these so much, and we have already read all of the ones at the library, I figured it was time to own a few. Our new bugs book is actually non-fiction, and it has beautiful artwork and explanations of spiders, so it gets 5/5 as well. 

• Wine in a box (Bota Box Reisling). The same neighbor who told me about Green Smoothie Revolution also advised me to try wine in a box. This woman has some good advice! Why not? And white wine, too! I think the last time I drank this much white wine, I was 21...In all seriousness, this is nice for single wine servings, when you really only want one glass, and Ted and I had tried Bota individual boxes camping many times, so I knew it would be okay. Good for exhausted moms and girl's nights :) We'll just call this a momma deployment resource. 

• New neighbors...yeah, yeah, what is new, right? This is pretty much a constant. They seem very sweet, and their little girl is exactly Henry's age. He already let her give him a hug and liked it :) 

• New running shorts! It's gross how long it has been since I purchased new running shorts. Think about it: Running shorts are like underwear, but grosser. Okay, don't think about it. A message to the 15-25 year old girls who have decided to make the ONLY good fitting running shorts their latest fashion statement: "Keep your paws off of my running gear! I am flattered that you want to stick your twiggy, non-running legs in my running shorts and wear them with tall socks and a messy bun and this is considered fashion, but please. $30 for a cheap piece of nylon gives me ulcers, and thanks to you, this is how much I now have to pay. Go find something else!!"

:)

Week 26: Climbing Mountains and the BEST Foodie Penpal, Ever

What's new?

Week 26 was full of mostly deliciousness and a smidgeon of growing pain. In addition, I have had the worst bout of insomnia for the last few days (who knows), so please bare with me as I typo my way through this post and regale you all with the Newness.

• My Foodie Penpal package arrived!! Oh my goodness - A huge, cyber-hug and a thank-you to the beautiful and thoughtful Laura (and please check out her website, Urban Starlings!). As I opened her package, I LOVED how each item was individually wrapped. Each totally non-fat item :) Yum. First of all, the Sahalie Tuscan almonds were devoured within 2 days of opening. Second, dry Italian salame. The end. But not really...Sonoma Jacks soft cheese wedges and coffee candies. Cheese straws. SWEET note. What it was, was a celebration in a package. 

• La Croix sparkling water. The grapefruit is my favorite, but I also gave the cran-raspberry a try this week. Not only does this beverage seem like such a splurge (is it because it comes in a can???), but it has no sodium, artificial color, flavor, or sweetener. When it is 88 degrees out, and you just finish a 5 mile run pushing your 35-pound son in the jogging stroller up a hill, those little, mini (but HEALTHY) splurges in life sure are welcome! And they will not give you a beer belly or digestive disorders (diet soda) :)

• My little Love is going to preschool. We toured the facility and signed him up, and boy has that experience elicited some major growing pains in this momma. On one hand, I have never been more excited for him to begin this (what I think will be a) wonderful experience. His teacher seems so amazing in all of the ways that I need his first teacher to be. He loved her (in fact, he keeps asking to go back and see her!). She reminds me of my Sister-in Law, Whitney's mom. Not super gushy or emotional, but sweet and caring. I think maybe a little bit of a control freak, which I liked. I think Henry will challenge her, but I think she can challenge him right back, in a loving but firm way. I am so happy that he will get structured, quality time with other kids learning about things like following directions, manners, trusting and (hopefully) bonding with other adults, and working as a group. On the other hand, I feel nervous. Since birth, the most we have ever been apart with him in someones care other than my husband is 4 hours, and that maybe happens once every 3-4 months. And usually it is no more than 2 hours :) I am extremely picky about who cares for him. For example, I would never in a million years do something like Sitter City. I would have all of the teeth rot out of my head and bleed to death before I ever, ever, ever did that. I know it is time to climb this mountain, and I sincerely believe that there will be a happy little boy at the top. Ted has been such an amazing husband listening to me freak out about all of this, even on deployment. I sure do miss his cool, calm and collected physical presence during times like this. I'm pretty sure Henry does too :)    

• A new recipe, which I super-modified from this month's issue of Southern Living, from a recipe called Chicken Salad Exotique. This is SO yummy and easy to make! I am completely, 100% obsessed with this kind of old-school chicken salad recipe:

1 baked chicken breast, cut up into small squares

1/2 cup of organic red grapes, halved

1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds, chopped

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup mayo

1 tsp oregano

a dash of salt and pepper

Week 26: The Halfway Mark!

image source

We are about to be 50% of the way through the year, people! How are you doing with your 2013 goals, up to this point? Are you where you envisioned you would be? Or have you become a little lost (either by accident or on purpose) and you are now brushwacking a new pathway somewhere? Perhaps you have found a really great view somewhere, and you aren't moving at all - You are just sitting, enjoying the spray of the waterfall. Maybe you didn't even make it up the mountain because you became so distracted by that amazing new pub near the trailhead, and you got to talkin' to some other distracted person, and the sun started to set...

:) 

We have tried may new things this year, and in honor of our halfway mark for Allbrandnewin52, here are 50 more new things Henry and I would like to do/try for the remaining 26 weeks:

1. squaw creek national wildlife refuge
2. potty training completion
3. KS/MO bug collection (pins only, nothing in vials, which means no spiders)
4. ditch the sippy cup/switch to full big-boy cups only
5. begin regular Pilates routine
6. begin training for The Great Wall of China Marathon (May 2014). This is kind of a big one since I have only run 3 previous full marathons, the last one being in 2008, when I developed bad Plantar Fasciitis. I really don't want to run TGWC half marathon. C'mon.
7. Oh, I don't know...maybe PASS the PRAXIS??! EEEEK!
8. finish current crochet project and complete about 5 more 
9. finish current book
10. finish the rest of current book pile...about 8-9 of them, not counting the teacher resources now on my list
11. finish writing current short work of fiction
12. finish writing current children's folktale series
13. start preschool
14. not sit in the parking lot and cry for 3 hours on the first day of preschool like a total loser
15. seriously. get a life
16. learn all of the species on the ceiling at T-Rex
17. say "please" and "thank you" consistently
18. make it through a playgroup session without trying to leave the building
19. Wonderscope
20. call my grandparents more regularly
21. learn new tree identification (list)
22. try one new beer per month
23. try one new smoothie week per week
24. try about 40 new recipes
25. teach my son to catch and throw a football
26. teach my son to hit a ball off of the T
27. teach my son to ride his bike
28. actually take my son to the pool, even though I am not a fan of pools
29. find a place to live in VA
30. successfully find a preschool in VA before we move there
31. apply to Educate VA (after hopefully passing Praxis)
32. meet new nephew/cousin
33. get my child to willingly eat a vegetable/food in general :)
34. complete a half marathon on Post before we leave
35. convince my neighbor that she likes running and is going to be a total badass at it. I am really good at this (convincing people of their secret badassness). It's like my secret talent.  
36. learn the second verse to "America the Beautiful"
37. learn the real words to "This Land is My Land/This Land is Your Land"
38. pick peaches from local orchard and freeze enough pie fillings for peach pie until the end of the year. Peach pie is one of my favorites!!!! And last year the peaches didn't do well due to the drought.
39. get a good juicer and begin juicing for preschooler
40. get rid of TVs
41. take Henry to an outdoor jazz festival
42. take Henry to the Renaissance festival
43. take Henry to Branson, MO
44. take Henry owling and to a local owl lecture at a nearby nature center while he is still obsessed with owls
45. Kansas City zoo! We've been to Omaha a few times now, but have yet to visit our own KC zoo!
46. get a cute grow chart for Henry's room
47. crochet pennant for H's room
48. make sure he can recognize his name (written) before he gets to his first day of preschool
49. visit Foucakes in town (local fancy bakery)
50. visit the Atchison farmer's market...

Week 25: Look with your Eyes, See with your Heart.

What's new?

"Look with your eyes," is something that I say to my son quite often these days :) Though I mainly say it as a command synonymous to "don't touch that!" - it is something that he understands on a deeper level than most 2.5-year olds. He genuinely seems to enjoy looking "with his eyes", and we have the most fun together reading our Eye Spy books and looking for birds and bugs. In Week 25, I was much inspired to take Henry to his first art museum. We had a blast. He surprises and impresses me with his little brain, and more and more, I love hearing what he is thinking about, as he starts to verbally express himself (though not much...I think he might take after his Daddy just a bit in that department), I find that I just want to show him the World in the way that you want to show off for someone. I want to grab his hand and present him with all of this amazing beauty and life. 

Of course, my expectations were that we were, realistically, going to probably last all of 6 minutes before we were done (because he had to be in the stroller). Not so! He really seemed to enjoy looking at all of the paintings. We tried to play a larger version of "Eye Spy" books, and it worked. He also got a kick out of the sculptures and the sound of his voice as it echoed in each room :) Some of the docents came over and commented on how well he was doing and pointed out some more cool stuff to see. We ended our hour-long visit with a trip outside, which was just an extraordinary terraced lawn/landscape with even more sculptures. I highly recommend the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, should you find yourself in the area. It is free admission, and parking is only $5.

Other Week 25 Newness:

• I received the most beautiful book of watercolors of local landscapes called, Return to Kansas. The artist is J.R. Hamil, a local who worked for Hallmark Cards for 15 years before deciding to open his own studio in 1973. His wife, Sharon Hamil, was a teacher and writer of curriculum materials in Kansas. She wrote the accompanying historical text in the book, a really wonderful gift from my peeps that just moved away. I will treasure it, always.

• We are now hamster-sitting for 5 weeks for some neighbors who are on vacation. Henry is obsessed with this mangy little thing, and I will admit, it has grown on me. She follows me around in her little ball and just mostly wants to be held. She rolls in her poo and pee, and I try not to think about it too much because she really is pretty cute. Messy little creatures...

• Henry and I are learning our owl calls. He memorized all of the species of owls in my bird book and then kept asking me what they sounded like...uh...I knew 3? So, we have spent some time on YouTube and in the Ornithology Institute's library :) 

• I learned that milk thistle greens are edible.

• Tried a new green smoothie for the week: Kale, cucumber, granny smith apple, and banana (just a little bit to sweeten, otherwise it is very "green").   

• Conducted my first interviews of preschool potentials for Henry and found one whose director I think I may have a small woman crush on who JUST SO HAPPENS to be the teacher for the 2.5-year old class! I am so excited to have found a preschool that has a 2.5-year old class that is a perfect fit for us, and we meet next week for the tour! I think Henry is going to have the best time.