29 Jul

Who kneads Wheatfields?

Posted by Rebecca in In the kitchen.

Ava and I did a lot of baking this weekend, starting with another no-knead bread recipe. I had no idea you could make bread like this at home–it was really fabulous. I can’t take any credit, though, because I didn’t do much at all.

The only ingredients are flour, a very small amount of yeast, salt, rosemary and lemon zest.

Toss in a bit of water, then set it aside for 12-18 hours. Here’s the result:

Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest for a couple of hours…

And put it into a pre-heated dutch oven and bake for an hour or so.

That’s it! Couldn’t be easier.

29 Jul

It’s neither cute nor green…

Posted by Rebecca in In the kitchen.

But it does the job. Or at least part of it.

28 Jul

A change of scenery

Posted by Rebecca in Olivia.

Olivia’s eight months old today.

She just figured out how to clap yesterday, and she still spends a fair amount of time babbling. She has yet to say “Dada,” but it isn’t because we aren’t trying. (She does say “Mama,” but I think it’s more in reference to need than to me specifically. Need a toy? “Mama!” Need to be picked up? “Mama!” Need a nap? “Mamamama!”)

She’s sporting six teeth (four top, two bottom) and is really mastering solid foods. I don’t think she had anything pureed all weekend–she’s self-feeding most of the time now. She’s weighing in at a healthy 21.5 pounds. Bry called her “Butterball” yesterday, and I would have scolded him had I not referred to her leg as a drumstick early in the day.

Olivia is still a very good natured baby. She takes two long naps a day, and while she wakes up once or twice every night to nurse, she goes back down very quickly. She’s working hard to keep up with Ava, and her knees are rug-burned and red from crawling. She’ll pull herself up on occasion, but I’m not really encouraging that.

Despite my pleas otherwise, she’s determined to move through this short baby phase as quickly as possible.

28 Jul

Because it’s 90 degrees before noon

Posted by Rebecca in In the kitchen.

The little coffee shop down the street makes iced coffee with coffee ice cubes. Simple, smart and easy to do at home–I just freeze the leftovers from the morning pot.

I’ve only been drinking coffee for a few years–I had my first real cup when Ava was five months old. Despite days (months) without much sleep, I felt like a new woman almost immediately. I still can’t believe they don’t hand this stuff out at the hospital when they send you home with a newborn.

I had to quit cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant with Olivia, but now that she’s a bit older I’m back on (back off?) the wagon. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to bother her at all. In fact, the other day I was walking out with two travel mugs, and Bry said, “Wow, thanks for making me a cup!” I said, “Um, that’s my car cup.” Bry: “What’s the other one for?” Me: “The office.”

Perhaps I should think about cutting back just a bit.

27 Jul

Happy birthday!

Posted by Rebecca in Family.

Today is Katie’s 27th birthday, and I found myself thinking about just how amazing she really is.

One of my favorite stories about Katie involves Teach for America, the endeavor she took on after graduating from college. The first few months were rough to say the least, but Katie’s comment was that “the only thing worse than going back was quitting.” It perfectly illustrated her commitment to finishing everything she starts, not to mention the dedication and hard work she shows for anything that’s remotely important to her.

She’s a fantastic sister and a wonderful aunt to Ava and Olivia.

Do you have a favorite story about Katie? Please share it in the comments section below.

27 Jul

First bites

Posted by Rebecca in Olivia.

Cheese!

26 Jul

Looking to the West

Posted by Rebecca in Wild weather.

The first part of a long line of thunderstorms rolled in just a few moments ago. We need the rain–it’s been a number of dry days in the high 90s.

26 Jul

Summer chores

Posted by Rebecca in Ava.

Ava helped me stem the green beans that Dawn and Karyl gave us last weekend. I can remember doing this as a kid while sitting on the front  step of our farmhouse, and Karyl said she had her kids do the same. I guess it’s a summer rite of passage for both city kids and country kids!

25 Jul

Apparently “full sun” is relative

Posted by Rebecca in Outdoor life.

Remember that previous post where I boasted about our two new “really gorgeous” lantana shrubs? Yeah, about that…substitute “gorgeous” for “dying.”

I’m thinking that our west entry way is just a little to steamy.

Any ideas?

It’s been a rough couple of days–nothing is working out. I made another cherry pie yesterday, and despite using the same recipe all four times, this one was soupy and just awful. (I’m guessing it was under baked–I took it out after I found it boiling over into the bottom oven, creating a fair amount of smoke and a dreadful smell. I think I might have to start over with a new oven at this point.)

Also, I tried to wash a spot of chocolate off my face this morning, only to realize that I haven’t had chocolate in days and the spot wasn’t going anywhere. Could it be an age spot at 30? So much for that daily SPF. How do I get rid of it? What if it reproduces? Maybe a few more and I’ll finally look tan.

My friend Lori commented on my perfect life a couple of days ago, and I thought it was only fair to show that things (and people!) are far from flawless around here. Call it truth in advertising.

23 Jul

Beer bread

Posted by Rebecca in In the kitchen.

Some might argue that this is a waste of a perfectly good bottle of brew, but I recently tried a new beer bread recipe from Epicurious. There’s only a handful of ingredients, no kneading and no rising time. What could be better?

Maybe beer bread with cheese. Or herbs. Or bacon.

I have some experimenting to do.

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