Warm Spring Salad

I made this salad for our Saturday BBQ and Sunday lunch with friends this weekend, and it was a big hit!  It also fit my criteria for offering plenty of leftovers.  We're having it for dinner tonight as well!

Note - In my opinion, the strawberries are not optional.  You want them.  :)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, sliced into rounds or half moons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup diced strawberries (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or other sweetener)
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt & lots of pepper, to taste
• lemon zest, for garnish

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and place into a medium pot. Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover with tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15-17 minutes, or until fluffy and all the water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, remove from heat, and let sit covered for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, grab a very large skillet or wok. Sauté the leek and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add in the asparagus and sauté for another 5-10 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender, but still a bit crisp. Stir in the strawberries (optional), peas, and parsley. Heat for a few minutes and then remove from heat.

3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt) to taste. Pour dressing onto skillet mixture and stir in the cooked quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper & enjoy! This would also be lovely with nuts or seeds sprinkled on top.

Recipe from Oh She Glows

Weekend Moments

This was one of those weekends in DC that you say to yourself "I'm so glad I live here".  And then it becomes summer and you can't wait to escape to the beach, the mountains, or anywhere the air is cool at night.  But when this spring weather comes along, we are so grateful to welcome it with open arms and open windows. 

Our weekend started a bit early since the Husband had the day off work on Friday.  Thursday night he went to the baseball game, so after I put the baby to bed, I was so excited to veg on the couch with a glass of wine and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (I know, I know...it's such a waste of time but also such a guilty pleasure).  However, in hindsight I wished I had spent that time practicing yoga, writing, or reading a book.  I ended up falling asleep on the couch, waking up at midnight, and groggily dragging myself to bed.  What followed a couple hours later was a wakeful baby who did not want to sleep by himself after about 2am.  So...by Friday morning, I was exhausted. 

We still managed to make it out of the house on Friday to visit with a friend for lunch.  Note my "It's noon and I still haven't showered" look.  

After lunch I went for a run to attempt a "reset" to the day.  It helped.  After a refreshing shower, Liam and I went to visit with a neighbor who was getting ready to move out of state.  That visit turned into "let's go get gelato down the street", which turned into "oh let's just grab an early dinner."

That night I had plans to go to a former colleague's going away party (lots of moving and transitions these days!)   I figured I would still have time to eat dinner out, help the Husband put Liam to bed, and make it out of the house by 8pm.  I was so looking forward to catching up with old colleagues, and really wanted to be there.  But, my "overplan" bug bit me again.  Dinner lasted til 8.  Baby didn't get to bed until 9.  And by that time I was so exhausted from being up much of the previous night, and it would have been ridiculous (and very "reliving my 20s" of me) to show up anywhere at 10pm.  So, I ended the night with a mixture of happiness and disappointment.  Happy that I got to spend so much time with our neighbors and friends during the day, but disappointed that I allowed myself to over commit once again and miss out on an event I really wanted to attend.  Graham - I'm sorry I missed your party.  I hope I can make it up to you soon!

The rest of our weekend was a bit of a happy whirlwind...

BBQ with new and old friends on Saturday afternoon.  I made this lovely spring quinoa dish.  Will share the recipe soon!

       

 Sunday afternoon lunch with dear friends who we wish we saw more often

Celebrating a milestone birthday on Sunday night with longtime friends that are more like family (I love this photo the Husband took.  Looks like such fascinating girl talk, doesn't it?)

Kitchen Sink Salad

I have an obsession with salads.  I find it very therapeutic to chop vegetables and toss them all into a bowl.  I'm also a big fan of prepping a meal once, and then eating that same meal for lunch the next day (and perhaps - if you're lucky, lunch or dinner the day after that).  This salad gets made just about every week in our house, and I tweak little things to mix it up.  In the summer, I'll add fresh corn cut off the cob.  Last week, I made garlic croutons with some day old bread that was hogging room in our fridge.  It's great with chicken or shrimp, and a mix of herbs would also top it off very nicely.

And I haven't even started talking about the dressings.  I made the creamy balsamic that goes along with this recipe, and it was good.  Next week I plan on making it with a garlic ranch dressing.  But I've also had it with Annie's Green Goddess dressing, and it was equally as fabulous.

For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
(makes 1 2/3 cups of dressing)
4 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra light olive oil

For the Salad:
2-3 heads of Romaine lettuce, finely chopped
3/4 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 - 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 avocado, pitted peeled and diced
1 cucumber, peeled seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 can of artichoke hearts, coarse chopped
4-6 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
Whisk together garlic, mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, Nature's Seasoning, and salt until well combined. Add the balsamic vinegar and whisk well. Slowly add in the olive oil (while whisking).

For the Salad:
Add all ingredients to a large bowl (more or less of each ingredient depending on personal preferences). Toss with desired amount of dressing and serve.

Adapted from My Life as a Mrs.  

Weekend Moments

Watching the rain outside our bedroom window on Friday afternoon

Saturday morning run - my first run since I became pregnant over a year ago.  It felt so good to get out there again.  I started off very slowly and it was only 20 minutes, but hopefully I'll be able to build up my endurance again if I can run at least once or twice a week.  

Meeting Daddy at our favorite coffee shop

We ended the weekend with an easy Whole Foods tamale dinner, and Liam decided his late afternoon nap needed to be extended past his normal bedtime.  He started teething this weekend, which meant much less sleep for both of us!

Liam at 5 Months

I get a lot of inspiration from other bloggers out there, and this post is inspired by one of my favorites - Ashley over at The Stork and the Beanstalk.  I love her witty sense of humor, her photos, and how she authentically captures her family's life.  Nevermind that her blog's gorgeous and simple design is one that my limited HTML knowledge can only aspire to!  So I hope she won't mind that I borrow (and slightly amend) her categories for tracking and reflecting on her children's monthly milestones.  Even though this blog isn't just about Liam's growth, it is about my evolution as a Mom and I'd like to track his monthly developments somewhere. So here we go...

Growth & Appearance
Liam, you're looking more and more like a little man each day.  Your face has filled out, and you have little rolls on your ankles, thighs, and wrists.  Dad measures you often, and your now over 27 inches and past the 15 lb. mark.  You're almost doubled your birth weight!  You're a very happy little guy, and smile at us and at strangers often.  You still have this big bald spot on the back of your head, and it looks like we cut a layer of your hair off (we didn't, I promise).  But overall, your hair is lightening up a bit from the color it was at your birth.  You're still in size 2 diapers, but I'm dressing you in mostly 6-9 month clothing now.  No teeth yet, which I'm fine with and I think you are too.  I love nuzzling into the rolls on your neck and feeling your head lean against my shoulder as you fall asleep.

Eating
Only breast milk for you!   But you're showing an interest in food.  Or maybe it's just that food looks interesting and things like glasses and bowls look even more interesting.  You reach for everything, and the majority of those things go in your mouth.  So it's hard to say you're specifically interested in food.  So far, all you've eaten is paper, in what we'll just call a lack of parental judgement on my part. 

Sleeping
You're starting to fall into more predictable patterns of sleep.  During the day, you want to sleep every 2 hours and are usually asleep for anywhere from 30-90 minutes.   We've also moved past the point where it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get you down for the nap.  I don't miss that phase.  At night, your bedtime routine is to have a massage, get pajamas on, read a book or sing songs, nurse, and then go to sleep.  You get a bath before your bedtime routine on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday nights.  We try to have you in bed by 8pm.  But sometimes it's 7:30 if you didn't nap well that day, or 8:30 if we start the routine late.

You can sometimes fall asleep on your own at night.  Naps, you need a bit more help.  But, if you wake up then you'll often put yourself back to sleep unless you're hungry or find yourself in an uncomfortable position that you can't get out of.  You wake up 1-3 times per night and now I've gotten lazy and just have you sleep in bed with me for a few hours since we both fall asleep during our night feeding.  Right now, I'm still sharing a room with you, although I miss your Dad so that might be changing soon.

Transitioning to the crib from the co-sleeper was a rough week.  But now you understand that that is the new place you sleep and you seem to like it.  I find you in all sorts of positions - on your side (that's a new one), on your back, on your tummy (although you sometimes wake me up when you end up on your tummy because you can't figure out how to a) get back to sleep or b) get turned back to your back).

Development 
Around 4.5 months you figured out how to roll from your back to your front.  At about this same time you forgot how to roll from your front to your back.  You're starting to remember it though so I know you'll integrate it again soon.  You also seem to like being on your side.

You thump your feet, which is so adorable.  One time, I tried thumping with you to see what it felt like.  It's quite a workout and core strengthener!  And when you get really excited you hit your sides with your arms, straighten your legs, and make little grunting/laughing sounds.  I still can't figure out why you find some things so funny, but you laugh at the most random things.  Like me saying "good morning", or "what's so funny?" I think you learn a lot of your new moves and sounds by observing other babies in our Waldorf class.

Favorites
I think I'm your favorite.  If someone else is holding you you'll often reach back for me.  But you're usually pretty comfortable with strangers as long as you know I'm there.   You love all of your toys and seem to give them equal play time. A recent favorite has been your Indestructible books - which you can crunch, crush, and put in your mouth.  You also love your silk, and rotate equally between playing with your bee, bird, and owl toys.  You can spend a long period of time exploring the texture of material - whether it's scratching the carpet, raking your fingers along the changing table pad, or swatting at the wall.  I love imagining what's going through your mind as you explore the details of what's in front of you. 

Nicknames

• Nugget
• Tara dactyl and Dolphin (you make a high pitched sound or squawk) 
• Monkey 
• Li'l Fish
• Thumper (you love thumping your feet against the floor.  I'm sure our downstairs neighbors love this too.) 

Books and Songs You Love

• Mother Goose
• The Big Red Barn
• The Napping House
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Patty Cake
• Liam's Nugget Song (the silly song I made up for you about how you're a nugget and you sit on a bucket.  I'm sorry.  I promise I'll stop singing it by the time you're 15)

It Starts With a List

For a long time, I've carried around with me a list of ideas and topics I envisioned myself blogging about one day.  But, the present seems like the best place to start.  Would be blogs of the past - perhaps I'll come back to you another day.

Liam and I are taking a parent-infant class at our local Waldorf school.   It's a wonderful retreat from our week and a time for us to connect, observe one another, sing songs, and meet other moms and babies.  Last week our teacher gave us an assignment to list what activities give us energy and think about ways we can incorporate them into our day.  Here's my list:

And retyped for easier reading:

Energy Contributions
What I'm doing now:

• Yoga (1x per week and mini 5 minute sessions at home)
• Daily walks outdoors with Liam
• Reading
• Journaling/blogging
• Preparing our food each day
• Taking a bath at the end of a long day

What I want to do more of or learn:

• Surround our home with more plants
• Consciously add more art and beautiful objects to our home
• Run outdoors by myself
• Learn to knit, crochet & felt
• Incorporate crafting into my life
• Re-engage my musical life and begin playing flute again

It's difficult to remember to make time for yourself when you have an active baby to engage and an endless list of to-dos and chores.  But, I find that investing time in myself allows me the space to be able to give more to those who need me.

Spring is here.  Outdoor walks are necessary!