Milkymilk

Getaway

My mom and I got away to Newport for a couple of day this week.  It was the most luxurious thing I could imagine; sleeping in, eating breakfast someone else made, a stroll along the Cliff Walk, touring Vanderbilt cottages, lobster & croissants.  Good times.

Case of the Mondays?

God, I love Office Space.  Hmm, it has been a while since we've spread the love.  Let's start the week off right.  

I'm pretty in love with this hopscotch mat from CoolSpacesForKids.  It looks like a good way to get some wiggles out indoors during the chilly winter months. We could really use it today, we are getting our first wintry mix.  Whoo-hoo, slush!

It is the perfect weather for grilled cheese and tomato soup, YUM.  If you live in Connecticut, Liquid Lunch is beyond divine.  It is a bit of a hike form us, but I found this recipe for homemade tomato soup comes close.  The key is roasting the tomatoes, and double the recipe, for sure.

We are hosting Thanks Giving this year, for a predominately vegan gluten free crowd.  I'm thinking this turkey is a must.

We are entertaining the idea of a brownie giveaway soon...  Stay tuned folks!

Oh, one last thing.  Just in case you are hip to breastfeeding, A CUP OF JOE had a very inspiring and stylish post on nursing in public last week. 

A Sticky Job

So, I have been pretty absent here these days.  You might think I'm off parenting, baking, you know, doing what I should be doing.  Well, umm, how do I say this?  My life is consumed by sorbet. 

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  

Sorry, I just fell off my chair in a puddle of my own drool.  That is not embarrassing or anything.

It has been Sorbet Madness 2010 in here.  Sorbet Crazy Pants Central, and there is no sign of stopping!   Everyday a new sorbet!  Some have been better than others.  

 

Let's talk about the failure first: Mint.  Close your eyes and imagine a freshly mowed lawn in the middle of the woods.  Take a deep imaginary breath.  Ah, smells good!  Now put that in sorbet form.  Bad, icky yucky OH SO Bad!  Spit it out!

Not so bad, Buttermilk Sorbet and Honey Sorbet.  Harper, much to my surprise, loves the Buttermilk Sorbet.

 

The winners: Rhubarb Sorbet (fresh from the garden, super phat!) and Chocolate Sorbet.  

 

Okay.  When I told you Sorbet Madness 2010 showed no signs of stopping, I lied.  It stalled out on chocolate.  Really, it is chocolate.  Why try to top that?  I like to think this recipe is less fattening than the David Lebovitz one, which I don't dare try for fear I will never pry myself away from the freezer.  (Just lost the baby weight, and can't take any chances.)  It is based on Ina Garten's, who is fantastic as well.

 

Chocolate Sorbet

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup coco powder (the best you can get your hands on)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coffee
• 2 tablespoon coffee liquor, like Kahlua

Combine the sugar, coco powder, salt, water, vanilla and coffee in a sauce pan.  Let the ingredients melt together wile stirring over medium heat.  When the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and add in the coffee liquor.  Refrigerate overnight, and prepare according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  

Enjoy!

Picture Day & Etsy Finds

Harper's 2nd birthday is sort of exactly one month from today!  You see, she was born on Leap Year, so her first birthday is one month and two years from today.

Q:  When do you celebrate her birthday?

A:  I have no idea.  This year, though, we are celebrating it two weeks early.  

Q:  Just to make the situation more confusing? 

A:  More to avoid going into labor while we are cutting the cake.  

So, I ordered her Birthday Picture Day clothes this week:

 

This yummmy polka dot dress (but in bubble gum pink) from Rocker Baby Inc.

& flower flats from Old Navy  (White before Easter?  I know, but they were the only cute shoes I could find that were not sandals or made of glitter that gets into every little nook and cranny of our lives.)

I can't wait for the big day!  Let's hope she does not cry as much as last year..

Oh, and Beer's Best Friend Cookies are in The Storque today!  Check it out, Etsy Finds: Most Wanted Man.

 

Spreading the Love, #3

***Warning***  I'm making up for not posting here in forevers with a mammoth meandering post of posts.  

Harper had an icky chest cold this week.  She sounded like Yoda, and would cry when she coughed.  Poor baby girl.  So, like most sick kids, she got to watch all the TV and drink all the juice she ever wanted.  

Yesterday she sounded better.  I turned off the TV.  It was not till late last night I saw the horrific coverage of what is happening in Haiti.  If you have a US cell phone, you can donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "HAITI" TO "90999".  Or, for a list of ways you can help, click here.

(Abrupt subject change (I told you this meandered.)) While Harper had her icky chest cold, her super rad godparents came for a visit!  It was so wonderful to see them, even if Harps was a hot mess.  They brought her something I've been coveting for a while now, eco-dough!  So fun!   

Also this week, Our friend Josee posted on her blog her list of fave blogs.  We made the list!!!  Whoo-who!  I do love blogs, seriously, sworn addict.  I love far away friends blogs, like Josee's & Molly's.  We have moved so much over the years, it is beyond lovely to see and read about what our distant buddies are up to.

Of course, I love mama blogs!

Belle Plaine  Other than just being an awesome mama blog, Sara lives I suspect ridiculously close to our old place in Chicago.  So, it is a little like seeing reading about what could have been if we had been able to stay there.

Soule Mama 

Angry Chicken Although this is more of a craft & general bad ass homemaking blog than a mama blog.

Then, there are the design blogs.  Oh, lately it is an obsession.  This, I'm sure, is hormonal.  Often I don't like to look longingly at things that tempt me to spend money or feel like our stuff is not fabulous enough.  Sometimes, though, I just LOVE looking at pretty pretty things.  And so it goes:

Making it Lovely  (Again, a Chicago blog.  God help me, I even miss the winter there.  It is going to be in the 40s this week.  The snow has already mostly melted.  I feel deprived of my two months (at least) of winter white brutal cold spent moping indoors.)  Any-who, other than inspiring posts about the ongoing process of making a house a home and bits about style in general, there is a baby involved.  Need I say more?

Creature Comforts  

     

say Yes! to hoboken

Oh Happy Day

Last, but not least, the little bits of beautiful at A Collection a Day, 2010.

Please share, what are your fave blogs?