We Made It To Friday

Hello!

We made it to Friday. Now we can breathe a sigh of relief for a few days before the work week hits us again. I got in my three work-outs this week. Now I have just one week left before the baby is due.

Tonight I tried making a bean soup for the family. It had garbanzo beans and kidney beans with carrots, onions and brown rice.

My husband had two bowls, but the rest of the family wasnt as impressed.

There was actually some tears involved with the bean soup.

I think next time I may skip the kidney beans.

Although they did like the banana muffins.

Darling Rose cooked these up.

There are many things that I want to cook up for tomorrow, but Im feeling a little lazy about doing it. Its probably because Im tired right now and every day this week felt long and tedious. I would just love to just sleep in tomorrow and not have to do anything, but I feel like Im on this countdown or limited timetable...like I have all these things that need to get done before "it" happens.

Ha, Ha!!! Like the end of the world is coming next week or something. Like there is life as I know it now and then there will be life as I know it after "it" happens.

The "after" feels like a mystery to me. Not a bad mystery, but it makes me anticipate the future. There just seem to be so many unknowns. Like I wonder how I will handle the lack of sleep at night when the baby comes. How will the babys disposition be...I pray he will be born healthy... How much will I weigh a few weeks after the baby is born... Is he really a boy or did they get it wrong...How will the labor go...What day will it occur...I wonder when I can get in my first run, its been so long since Ive run...how will homeschool go after the baby is born...

So, many questions...

So I suppose thats why I feel this pressure to prepare. And this weekend I am feeling the need to prepare by getting the food situation squared away.

But I am so tired; but I usually feel better after a good nights sleep.

I also wanted to get some belly shots taken this weekend. Some artistic ones with my husband. However, the gal who I wanted to do it is in the hospital right now on bed rest because she is also pregnant with her 6th children. She is 36 weeks along but shes already dilated to 6 and 50 percent effaced.

So, after yesterdays post, I should be glad that Im not dilated so big because I wouldnt want to be on bed rest. But I still want pictures taken, so I just may have to coach my daughter on taking some pictures of her mom and dad. And maybe we can come up with something nice.

Well, I should go and write out that grocery list for my big shopping trip.

I hope you all have something fun planned this weekend!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Whole Wheat Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies The fingerprints we miss

The other day, I overheard Daughter #2 saying to Daughter #1, "Im only going to have one kid. More than that is just too many."

I quickly whipped my head around and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Mommy.  You always tell us that three kids is a lot of work," she stated.  

I asked, "Do you think Mommy doesnt like having three kids?"

"You always say three is hard work so Im only having one," and she walked off.

After she left, I wondered what decisions she would make for her future life based on her current one.  I grew up with two brothers (younger) and had in my head that I definitely wanted an older brother and that I wanted my kids to have an older brother.  As we all know, this did not happen.

I wonder how many of my actions will determine their actions.  I wonder how many of my own choices help them decide their own.  Im curious to see if Children take on the strongest parts of my personality - my activist side, my cooking side, my writing side...my baking side.

I do know that these cookies caused a major stir in the house because of the smell of brown butter.  Daughter #2 has never been one to INSIST on eating a cookie after Ive told her that one is enough but this particular bunch has her all worked up.  She came home from school today after I had baked a bunch for the teachers and danced around the kitchen saying, "But I want one SOOO BAD!"  I told her no and to eat her fruit and her crackers for snack.  I heard her mutter later, "When Im a mom, Im just going to bake and eat them all."  Hmm....not sure about my influence on this point.

The trickier part of these cookies are making brown butter.   (For a great tutorial, check out this post on Simply Recipes.) After that, there is nothing different from a regular cookie making trek except for the use of whole wheat flour.  Before you tell me that youre not interested in a whole wheat cookie, let me assure you that no one will know and no one can tell.  Theyll only wonder what makes this cookie so special. I love it because the whole wheat gives a thicker, less "spread out" texture and toasted flavor of whole wheat provides an extra interesting note to this killer cookie.

Whole Wheat Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
Makes 5 dozen

Ingredients
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
Make brown butter.  Heat a heavy pot or skillet over medium heat and add butter pieces.  Whisk frequently to ensure even melting of the butter. After about 5 to 6 minutes of melting, the butter will foam up and subside.  At this point, watch the butter carefully to see if the bottom of the pan is becoming covered in brown specks and the color of the butter has turned from yellow to warm brown.  The difference between brown butter and burnt butter (which is used in other recipes) is about 15 seconds. Once the pan bottom has golden specks, remove butter from heat and set aside to cool for about 2 hours.

 Whisk together flour,  baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.  Set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on low speed for about 1 minute until just mixed . Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition, then add the vanilla extract.  Scrape sides of the bowl.  

Add the flour mixture and mix slowly until just combined.  The dough will be stiff.  Add chocolate chips and mix until chocolate chips are incorporated throughout the dough.   Scoop cookies however you normally like; I use a tablespoon scoop.   Make sure to lightly press down the tops of the cookies so that they have a chance to spread out evenly and nicely.

Bake for 16 minutes, until golden brown and the flavor of nutty brown butter fills your home.

Serve warm  or cool.

Printable recipe

Read More..

Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins with Carazuc The things we do for love

With Husband now home, there has been a lot of adjustment.  Ill be truthful - the first days of adjustments have been hard for me.  The wakeups happen much earlier, there are additional lunches and breakfasts to pack and prepare, and I need to be much more alert and on the ball.  Im helping manage and orchestrate the lives of five people, not four, and Tuesday - lets just say Tuesday was extra special.

In an effort to help Husband adjust to the commuting life back in the US, Ive found myself doing things I never thought I would.  Ive analyzed bus routes, compared alternative modes of transportation, looked at carpooling possibilities and hunted down a bus line in order to see how his commuter life could improve.  On Tuesday, I got out the map that charts the bus that travels around our city and takes its passengers to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station.  I wanted to find every single stop near our house - ones that could be reached by foot, others that could be driven to.  I wanted to check ease of parking, ease of access, and the best scheduling in terms of his early morning commute.  As I drove the route, I began planning in my head, my future as a bus driver.  Just kidding.  As I drove, I had a moment of wondering - WHY AM I DOING THIS?

Let me be clear.  Husband didnt ask me to do it.  I wanted to do it. I wanted to find the best way for him to get to work.  I wanted to help him negotiate a tough commute and give him lots of options.  I wanted to get him to work faster, easier, with less stress.  And so I took an hour out of my day to figure it out.  Turns out there is a bus stop right near our house, a quick 4 minute walk away, that he doesnt have to drive to, and he can catch the bus there.  When I found the stop and measured and calculated time and scheduling efficacy, I did a huge fist pump in the air as I felt it was pretty darn awesome.

Why do all of this nuttiness?  Because Im crazy?  Maybe, but not likely.  Because I love driving around aimlessly up and down streets, as if Im on a treasure hunt for bus stops? Not quite.  Because I have time to spend and gas to burn?  No way.  I do it, because I love Husband.  I find myself wanting to do something lovely for him, even if that loveliness is something as mundane as working out his morning commute.  I dont want to go into a full sappy speech about why he is so wonderful and how much I love him.  I know it.  Because there is no one else on earth that would get a personalized bus route and parking analysis except for Husband.

After driving like a bus driver all over my city, I came home and whipped up some of these muffins.  Im continually experimenting with Stephen James Organics Carazuc, because I love the flavor and the sweetness it adds while being a healthier choice than refined sugar.  You can use maple sugar or brown sugar in place of the carazuc if you cant get your hands on carazuc.    The muffins turned out to be something that Children loved, so it turned out to be a pretty darn good day after all, with the bus routes, yummy muffins, and a lot of love.

Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins (with Carazuc)
Makes 12 to 14 regular sized muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
? cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
?  cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton - Trader Joes or So Delicious)
½ cup carazuc (or brown sugar)
3 large ripe bananas
1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen unthawed

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cupcake/muffin pan with liners. In a medium bowl, measure out and mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash and squish bananas and carazuc (or sugar) together.  Add vanilla, oil, and coconut milk..  Mix well.

Add blueberries to the dry mixture. Toss until blueberries are well coated with flour mixture. Add dry blueberry mixture to the wet mixture. Use a VERY light hand to mix at this point. The more mixing you do the tougher the muffin so try not to over mix. You want everything well mixed together but not over mixed.

Divide batter equally in liners. Bake until golden brown, about 22-30 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then enjoy.

Printable recipe

Read More..

Where We Went For Our Anniversary

Hi everyone!
This weekend has wore me out...what with the weather being in the 80s and me being three weeks away from delivering a baby, I get tired out just walking around and find that I have to sit at every opportunity.

But, nine years ago we got married outdoors in Norskedalen Park in Wisconsin. So we went there today...

Enjoyed the beautiful scenery...

And also watched a civil war reenactment.

My husband and I have never been to a reenactment before, and we were quite surprised at how much thunderous noise the canon balls made.

Here are some rebel troops...

Standing in front of authentic homes from that period, which we also were able to walk through.

Now the rebel soldiers are "advancing".

Everyones clothes are very period exact.

And if you know anything about the civil war,

you will know that there was a huge death toll.

Ahh...here are some union soldiers as well.

Oh, and there we are.

This is actually another gym outfit Im wearing.

My gym outfits are so comfortable I often wear them out and about too.

Ok, well, we have to have at least one mushy picture for our anniversary weekend.

Today, was a good day for food.

Daddy Rainmaker talked me into eating some ice cream, so I picked up a twist ice cream cone at MacDonalds, because I love those cones and they are "supposedly" only 150 calories.

Also, for another treat, we went to Culvers where I had a roasted chicken cashew salad minus the cheese with some low calorie raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

That salad contains the perfect trifecta of healthy fats with the cashews, protein with the chicken and of course greens with the salad.
And, yes, I did have a honey crisp apple today, as well, from when we picked them yesterday at the apple orchard. It was delicious!

Well, I hope you all had a nice weekend as well.

Theres still more fun things to come this week.

I see a midwife on Tuesday, and my birthday is this Thursday on the 14th.

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Three Days And Counting We Pulled Out The Big Guns

Hello again!

After last nights contractions and then nothing happening in the middle of the night, I decided to pull out the big guns.

The pancake breakfast.

Except for the last one, I always had a pancake breakfast meal before going into labor. Well, the family always has a pancake breakfast on the weekend and I dont usually participate. I usually eat my oatmeal and whatever else I eat.

But this morning, my husband insisted. "Its tradition," he says.

So... I thought, "Well, if this could get things going...why not?"

So, I dutifully counted up each and every calorie and tried not to cringe too much when I partook of the white flour two-pancake feast.

Maybe if I dont go into labor today, it will be because I just didnt go all out on the pancake breakfast. You know... slathered on the butter and syrup and grabbed a few more pancakes for good measure.

I mean... it doesnt even look that festive does it?

But, hey, I did put butter and syrup on it.

But not going into labor meant we could watch this...

Our sons last flag football game of the year.

And, so, it was nice to get this picture of him grabbing the flag off the kid on the right.

This is two-year-old Stavescare pretending to "play dead" after pretending to get shot from one of his siblings.

He actually falls to the ground.
Its the cutest thing.

Also, cute is 6-year-old Iris Anna.

And four-year-old Peach Blossom...

And theres me.

Warming my little bump in the sun.

It was way nicer than I thought it would be this morning.

This last weekend of October is just beautiful!

Well, Im in a great mood today...labor happening or not.

I told my husband, "If this baby doesnt come by Monday morning, your co-workers are really going to razz you."

But as we talked, we looked over my past labors, and historically speaking, Ive gone early on only one baby. So, if you look at my past, going early is really only a 20 percent possibility.

What makes me think I should go early this time?

So, I think we might carve some pumpkins today.

My husband are I going to go on what may be one last date before the baby comes...to Barnes and Noble where I might pick up an "eating clean" cookbook. I also might get my McDonalds twist ice cream cone.

And, I may still blog again today, because, well, why not?

Well, I hope youre all enjoying your Saturday!

Thanks for stopping by and checking on me. I appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..