35 weeks!

hello friends!

not much happening over here these days aside from growing this little baby.  {little being the operative word: as seen below, we seem to have had a growth spurt!}

also, there was halloween - a quiet but fun night for us...fewer trick-or-treaters means more leftover candy for your resident preggo!  win-win.

i can't carve faces very well, so i improvised (:

hope you're enjoying your week!

i didn't run away, i promise!

you guys...i have no idea where my time has gone these days.

as a quick catch-up, we are at 34 weeks (!) can you believe it!

oh, and i also had a little birthday...welcome to the last year of my twenties - here's to making it great!

last weekend for part of my birthday celebration i wanted to go to a pumpkin patch.  {really getting wild, eh?}  there is a great farmer's market close to home and they have so many beautiful pumpkins.  i wanted one that was unique looking but that i could also bake with after a few weeks.  enter the fairy tale pumpkin.  i had no idea about this pumpkin, but evidently it's super sweet and a little spicy, aka great for pies. 

this weekend we spent our mornings at a childbirth prep class, and we're both glad we signed up - i'm sure a lot of parenting is instinctual, and most of it is learn-on-the-fly, but there is a lot about what actually goes down to get this little person here that honestly i was glad to have explained to me, point by point.  {and of course there were some points which i'd be just fine not having heard, thank you very much...}  jordan's take-away message from the weekend was profound gratitude that men cannot give birth.  no, honey, but they can buy jewelry for those who can (:

tonight we're a little pooped - jordan is reading the paper and i'm making applesauce.  then later, we're watching scandal - have you seen that show?  i'm obsessed.  we've already plowed through the first season in maybe a week.  netflix, you are both a blessing and a curse.

not the fairy tale pumpkin, but another fave

i hope you have a great start to the week!

green veggie wash.

if you haven't gathered already, i am no fan of germs...and i am even less of a fan of chemicals commonly used to get rid of them.  this has lead to some creative solutions when it comes to keeping my home and family healthy.

one of my favorites such fixes is this veggie wash. 

like everyone, we try to buy organic produce when possible, however the money tree in the yard hasn't bloomed yet this year, so generally we buy conventional.  regardless of whether they're organic/ conventional, fruits and veggies are not clean when you bring them home from the store.  from tree to table, they have been handled by a lot of people, and who knows how many of them washed their hands after a sneeze?  {i know, i don't like to think about it either}

washing with water is good, but not great, and i honestly feel like the food tastes better when it's cleaned with a little more effort {don't you feel better after a nice bubble bath?  i thought so}. 

so here you have it: green veggie wash

what you need
castile soap {i recently picked up the citrus variety, and love it - especially for this use}
water
baking soda
small spray bottle
small shaker {i reuse an old spice shaker, which you can refill as needed - works like a charm}

the spray bottle i have is from the target $1 section, and holds about 5 oz.  i use between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon of castile soap for every 5 oz of water...just add the soap and fill up the bottle - give it a little swirl {no need to shake, it will mix when you add the water} and you're good to go!

step 1: spray your produce with the soap solution

step 2: sprinkle with baking soda {baking soda is a mild abrasive, so it will get in there and really clean the skins}

step 3: scrub the fruits & veggies to work in the baking soda {bonus: this will leave your hands super soft too}
step 4: rinse

note: yes, you definitely need to wash hard-skinned veggies, even those whose skin you don't plan to eat -  including squash, carrots, even watermelon.  {remember the listeria scare a few years back?  the actual fruit of the cantaloupes was fine, but the bacteria on the surface was transferred to the fruit when it was cut, making everyone sick...moral of the story?  wash your fruit.}

so there you go!  now go clean some veggies! 

butternut squash soup, two ways.

today at the grocery store i found myself face to face with a really good sale on squash {$0.79 per lb!}...and thus came home with 8 lbs of butternut squash.  i would've had more, but they did not have any spaghetti squash and the acorn squashes just looked meh...another gourd for another day. 

so this afternoon jordan went to play a little golf, and i decided to cook up my prize.  i made a gigantic pot of a really basic squash soup {our standard recipe is here}...i didn't have any sweet potatoes, so this version just included an onion, carrots, celery and butternut squash.

i usually wait until the soup is cooked before adding any spices {this goes for salt too} and blending, and when this step arrived i decided to have a little fun.  why make one type of soup when i could make two?   {or 3 or 12...8 lbs of squash will make a gracious plenty}

here are my two creations...if one of them strikes your fancy, try it out and let me know how you liked it!

south of the border

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon mexican oregano

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

sprinkle of cinnamon

cayenne to taste

sub-continental

1+ teaspoons turmeric

2+ teaspoons madras curry powder

sprinkle of galangal {ok- not an indian spice, but i like the slight sweetness this adds}

cayenne to taste

measurements are of course subjective since it will all depend on how much soup you're working with...i now realize that because of that fun fact, this is a terrible recipe to follow - sorry about that...play with the flavors though!  i am sure you will make something delicious.

happy eating!!

28 weeks.

twenty-eight weeks!  one week for every year of my life, now that i think about it.  that's a lot!

this week baby girl and i have been on a business trip in miami...she's becoming a well-traveled little lady already!   aside from having some seriously good {and huge} lunches, we didn't do anything crazy- i basically walked between my hotel and the office all week...but hey, it was a pretty walk (:  i did manage to squeeze in a club soda & cranberry happy hour with a girlfriend though, which was great.

anyway, i just got back tonight and am pooped, so my apologies for the lame post.  hopefully some belly pics will make up for my lack of energy.

you can't hide, baby!

i crack myself up.

hey there baby girl...i know two people who cannot wait to meet you!

hope you enjoy your wednesday, friends.

oh!  by the way!  i  made the bagels!  my camera sadly was out of commission that morning, but that just means i'll have to make some more to document.  stay tuned!

welcome, weekend!

i feel that this weekend is just full of potential.

we have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves this week, and i feel so well-rested that i am now ready to tackle some projects and get my creative side working.

i have a lot planned, which i love...there is something truly inspiring about keeping busy in my mind.   there is a wall which will get some color, floors which will be washed {am i the only one who puts off this chore until it literally cannot be avoided?}, crafts to begin, and a few recipes to try.

here are a few delicious things i am going to try to whip up this weekend:

{image and recipe via: abeautifulmess}

we have been stopping into a cute bagel bakery close by home for a few weekends now on our way to our weekly grocery shopping, and i love the tradition.  i have always been curious however, about making bagels myself: and truth be told, i am always a little disappointed in the cinnamon to raisin ratio in my CR bagels...so i will be attempting this recipe tomorrow morning, modifying the flavors, and of course loading them up with cinnamon (:

next up: granola!   {another recipe} i loooove granola.  i love the possibilities of adding new flavors, and i don't think it can be messed up too easily.  one tip i will share right off the bat: if you add coconut flakes, wait until there are only about 5-6 minutes of baking left because those little guys like to burn. 

i'll be back soon with updates, but right now i have some serious progress to make.  enjoy your weekend! 

holiday week.

a little while ago, we decided to cash in some time off from work and kick it at home for a few days...and this is just what we've been up to.  and it's been amazing.

we don't usually take time off and not take a 'real' vacation, since we're all about getting out and seeing people, new places, etc...but this time we just felt the need to relax and decompress. 

also, it completely worked out in that randomly - all in the same week - one of my dearest friends + her husband, my middle sister, also plus husband, and jordan's brother and crew are all visiting the area this week.  what luck, right?   so far we've been to 2 beach parties, eaten some fresh {as in off-the-boat-that-morning-fresh} crabs...none for the preggo sadly...hung out at my parents' house for a night with the sister, enjoyed lazy mornings with big mugs of coffee, had a fun girls night gabbing and eating {em: next time there will be wine!}, cooked some good meals {pics soon} and it's only thursday!

it's these times, these little moments, the 'nothing fancy' parts of life that we really try our best to soak up.  it's not always easy, but i believe in my heart of hearts that this is what this crazy life is all about.

i hope you're having a great week as well.

also, i hope you like ribs and margaritas because i have recipes for both on deck.

enjoy your thursday (:

paris, 2011

fall wishing

{via}

i loooove the fall: favorite season, hands down.

to me, there are few things better than apple cider, pumpkins, warm sweaters, boots, soups, crock-pot meals, a birthday, pulling out the chimenea and roasting marshmallows, i could go on.

instead, i will share a few things i've noticed around the net that i think are just perfect for this upcoming season.

{you will notice some of the below are clearly the result of wishful thinking, unless these things come in "larger than a house" sizes...but a girl can dream} 

i love these cutaway shoes...i wonder if they're comfy?

{via}

{via}

i've never been a huge dot fan,

but this sweater somehow isn't 

too cutesy.  i could do this.

finally!  i have been dying to find some cute

maternity pants.  just ordered these.

also FYI asos is having a 20% off sale for all 

full-priced items through Monday...code: Summer4Ever

{via}

i take a 7 in case anyone is feeling  

particularly generous (:

what are some of your favorite things about fall?

green vase cleaner

i don't usually love showcasing my dirty dishes, but for the sake of a new green clean trick, i will make an exception. 

you know how sometimes vases get a little grungy?  i wash them after my flowers fade, but still there is that little something left in there clouding up the glass.

exhibit A

well, my mom recently told me about the perfect thing to take care of this problem, and all you need is warm water and a little borax {seen below modeled by one of my favorite bowls...have i told you that my mother-in-law makes all of our dishes?  no?  good...now i have a new post idea (: }

i used about a quarter of a cup of borax.

mix this into your vase and add warm water.

scrub your little heart out   let it sit for a bit if you so desire. rinse, dry, and prepare yourself for the upcoming sparkle.

TA-DA!

maybe this is only exciting for me b/c now i have a clean vase, but i think it's a pretty neat trick.

happy green cleaning!

25 weeks.

 we are one week closer to meeting our little girl.  

lately she has been practicing her aerobics, and putting on some serious baby fat {bring it on}.

i keep reminding myself {daily...hourly?} to slow down...she will be here so soon, and all of these special little kicks and turns will be out there for everyone to enjoy.  i can't wait to see what kind of a personality she has, whether she gets his eyebrows or my toes, what her favorite snack will be, what kind of music she likes falling asleep to...

you name it, i wonder about it.

now, i believe someone mentioned a snack...