Weekend.

Another great weekend This seems to be a trend! Please excuse the cell phone photos scattered throughout- my camera batteries died on Wednesday and I got supr lazy about buying new ones

Friday afternoon I got a text from Patty asking if she could come for a last-minute surprise visit (yes!). James and Emily also arrived from Bloomsburg, so we all had a really exciting afternoon. I had intended to take the kids on a long walk in the morning, but the time got away from us and then James showed up, so that was that. We spent most of the day making….

…crêpes! Veganomicon has a wonderful basic crêpe recipe, and I thought they’d be fun to munch on, so Friday morning I whipped up a double batch of batter and left it on the counter, and every once in a while we’d whip up five or six crêpes and fill them will different things. We did some asparagus and guinea fowl eggs, and I did sauteed baby chard, but of course the winner was homemade raspberry vanilla chia jam and shaved dark chocolate

James and Emily hung out for a while before heading outside to unload the car. Jack serenaded us all with some tunes- he has taken to asking for a pick whenever he plays, which is just so funny and wonderful.

I can’t wait to get him in guitar lessons next summer, I think he’ll really enjoy it!

Emily and I ended up laying on a blanket in the front yard while James unloaded the car- whoops!

New flats! My old ones were so gross, they smelled awful and there were holes in the sides so my feet brushed the ground whenever I wore them. I was going to take a picture to show a comparison, but upon reflection I decided it was just too icky. The new ones have some major improvements, including a sturdier wedge and elastic along the top for a better fit. In love!

Everything I do has taken on a whole new level of requiescence now that classes have ended; even my free time has taken on a whole new charm, because I know that there isn’t a paper waiting for me around the corner, or a book I should be reading for next week. I can enjoy an hour in the yard with the kids fully. I know that by the time August rolls around, I’ll be itching to get back to school, but for now I’m feeling just fine This summer is really something special-

…especially with this beautiful wedding to look forward to! I have three friends getting married this year, and first out of the gate is an old friend of mine from high school. I got my invitation on Friday- so cute! It’s beautifully hand-stamped, and I love the buck/deer pair- it’s so them, woodsy and natural and lovely I’m actually going to the wedding with my best friend from high school, and since her boyfriend can’t come, we’re going as dates! We’re also running the Color Run together the day after. Yeeeaaahhh!

Patty got in later in the day with two Maoz falafel salad bowls.

I love her.

We got home with enough time for a glass of wine (or three) and a big batch of brownies. Patty is vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and nut/seed-free, so getting together has been such an educational experience for me. We take gluten-free options when they’re available, but the kids and I are not totally gluten-free, and we have no issues with nuts, seeds, or organic soy. Patty and I have always bonded over our love of food and cooking, and now when we get together I always feel challenged (in an exciting way!) to come up with new ways of preparing the dishes we love. Not always an issue, because fruits and veggies are all vegan, but it can be tricky with baked goods- especially when the host hasn’t been to the grocery store in a while… I ended up making a really basic tray of brownies with coconut oil, gluten-free flour, cacao powder, and some other brownie basics. They were delicious! Fudgy and cake-y all at the same time!

We ended up crumbling some on top of our breakfast bowls- gf overnight oats with rice milk, banana, cinnamon, and fresh vanilla, topped with crumbled brownie, raspberry chia jam, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, whipped coconut cream, and buckwheat groats.

It was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time, totally rich and decadent

After breakfast, I took Patty to the Wrightstown Farmers Market. She hadn’t ever been, and I had been dying to take her!

This guy was selling greenhouse-grown full-sized tomato plants! I was so tempted, but I want to see how my seedlings do before I invest in a full-sized plant.

Young leeks and onions! I was also tempted to pick up some of these, but I totally didn’t need them at all, so they were bypassed. Maybe next week (although I doubt it, because CSA!!!!)

Spring turnips! Young kohlrabi!

The Blooming Glen radishes always look like art You can see them from the parking lot!

They had the young chef and owner from Cafe Blue Moose come to demonstrate a few dishes. I am dying to check that place out, especially since they have a ton of vegan and gluten-free options!

The Milk House stand at the market wasn’t stocking strawberries, and Patty and I were on a mission, so we went to the farm to try to track some down.

We were victorious 2 quarts for me and the kids, 1 for Patty, and none left at Milk House. We cleaned them out! Truth time:

They were the most delicious strawberries I have ever tasted. I say was, because they are GONE, all of them, because we have a strawberry problem. It is highly probable that during the writing of the rest of this post, I will have at one point saved my draft and driven over there to get more.

All was not lost at the farmers market, however- collards, green garlic, shallots, asparagus, baby chard, dinosaur kale, and arugula!

Every Saturday the kids go over to my friend’s Mum’s house to play and give me some time to write/read. It was a great opportunity to spend some uninterrupted girl time with Patty, so we dropped J & C off and picked up a pizza from Jules. Patty hasn’t been able to find any comparable vegan pizza in New York, so she always gets one when she comes to visit:

Medium whole wheat with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, poblano and yellow peppers, red onions, and Daiya cheese

We took our pizza over to Afton Lake to sit on the Starbucks porch and watch the geese. It was a little overcast, but still really lovely.

Look what we found:

A goose sitting on her nest! Check out that egg! We tried our best to sit as far away as possible so we wouldn’t disturb her. It was so neat! Of course my first reaction was, I wish Jack and Carolyn were here!

Oh, wait, who’s that guy in the green shorts?? ;D Ally’s Mum took the kids down to the other side of the lake to feed the ducks, and we spotted them just as we finished up our pizza and tea!

Patty had to go back to New York, so we drove her to the train station and gave her lots of hugs and kisses and begged her to return as soon as she could

The rest of our day went something like this:

We got suuuper lazy and crashed on the sleepover mattress in Jack’s room with a bowl of strawberries, a movie, and a bar of chocolate. Zonk. Megan stopped in to lay on the floor for a few minutes, and then she and Emily left to go to her apartment. James and Luis both worked until eleven, so the kids and I had a really quiet, peaceful night

Sunday was more of the same- aside from a trip to the grocery store, we didn’t leave the house and didn’t want to. I had originally planned on going to Yoga on the Steps in the morning, but for once I was deterred by the rain. It was mostly the drive- if it had been closer, I think I would have been more inclined to just wing it, but I was sleepy and I couldn’t bring myself to drive down, hunt for parking, drag my stuff out, and then do yoga on wet concrete. I gave myself some much-needed permission to be lazy and opt out, and then compensated with a run around my ‘hood

We did have a fun family dinner last night- roasted veggie and bulgur salad, grilled asparagus, and marinated tempeh.

Jack and Carolyn don’t like the grilled veggie salad, which is so bizarre since it’s everyone’s favorite thing ever, but I won’t make them eat something the genuinely don’t like, so they got asparagus and lentils instead

Dinner was followed by a science show on the porch. James is amazingly curious, inventive, and intelligent, so he has a passion for experimenting with the laws of physics and chemical interactions. His visits usually include an appearance of Non-Newtonian fluid, exploding champagne glasses, and attempts at hydrogen production. Last night, it was dry ice vs. water and table syrup.

Dry ice is extremely dangerous, so the kids were limited to watching through the sun room doors, but it was still way fun. James produced a continuous flow of foamy little bubbles (table syrup) as well as a steady stream of thick white fog/vapor (plain water). Neato! James is the coolest. Jack and Carolyn (and Momy!) are super excited to have him and Emily around

All in all, a nice weekend together. I find with my brothers home, I am more reluctant to leave the house. We tend to just stay home and spend time together, and I think that’s okay Looking forward to seeing my writing workshop on Wednesday night, and then first CSA pickup on Thursday! New running shoes coming my way at the end of the week, since the ones I’m in right now are way worn out and likely causing the mild pain in my right knee.

It’s shaping up to be a calm and easy summer- just what I’ve been needing! I won’t lie, I’m missing classes (read: Chris) terribly, but I keep reminding myself that missing something that is going to happen again in September is only serving to distract me from the time I have right now to spend doing other fun things. Like cooking, and reading- the two things I am about to do….right now.

 

Mother’s Day Weekend

Gahhhh, this weekend, and Mother’s Day in particular, was so awesome! One of the best in my memory! It started with a phone call from Patty, asking if it would be alright to come out to visit. It pretty much set the tone for the rest of the incredible weekend Saturday morning the kids and I went to the farmer’s market for broccoli rabbe, vanilla beans, asparagus, kale, and some flower pot painting. Jack painted a beautiful flower pot for me, and the woman running the booth helped him fill it with a mint plant.

He’s extremely proud of his plant. We check it every day and water it every other day. At this rate, our entire garden will have been totally free! Our tomato plants are looking really happy, too, which is good because I was afraid the replant would traumatize them.

After the market, I brought the kids home for naps, followed by a trip to Hamilton to pick up Patty. She arrived with a container of Babycakes chocolate chip brownie bites.

We are best friends for a reason We left Hamilton and went directly up to Doylestown, taking the most roundabout route because we were too busy talking and eating to pay attention to where we were going. Typical. We finally arrived at Sandy Ridge Farm, where they were celebrating the grand opening of their new market!

It is super cute and stocked with tons of fresh produce, as well as heaps of products from local businesses- Owowcow, Brad’s Raw, and Solebury Orchards were the big names. The kids were really excited to see Maurya, Julius, and Moms, and Carolyn just clung to everyone and bounced from person to person.

Snuggle bug! The market was really cute, but with some super high prices. A simple box of shredded kale was priced at $4, which is double what we pay at the farmers market for twice as much, but overall it’s definitely a step in the right direction! We scored a container of fresh pea tops for $3. It’s great knowing that there are different options out there, in different areas, so we have tons of options. I am really interested to see what the market near Owowcow will be like!

Sandy Ridge was nice because the garden they grow in is right next to the store, along with the chicken coop and field, so that was fun for the kids to see.

They were both loving the chickens. We’re looking forward to visiting the Milk House chickens sometime this week

After the farm we went over to Maurya’s to look through a bag of second-hand clothes, all super cute and total steals! We had smoothies and then Patty and I went home to get the kids settled, make a gorgeous salad, and get ready to go to the movies! Patty hadn’t seen Gatsby yet, and I wanted to give it a second look, so we caught the late show. We totally stashed a boatload of dark chocolate and blackberries in my bag so we wouldn’t be stuck with gross movie theater food. Patty is my soul mate in so many wonderful ways ;D

Sunday I woke up early to hang with the kids while Patty slept in. We did our smoothie thing, and gave Grammy her mother’s day gift- a handmade wind chime made from antique silverware from My Creative Recycling (check her out on Facebook)! It’s totally gorgeous.

When Patty woke up, we left to do some grocery shopping before she had to catch her train back home. Of course, she couldn’t leave without checking out Greenstraw and grabbing some juice and wheat grass!

 

 

 

We hit up Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for snacks and staples. It was great to have Patty there to help with the kids!

We ended up picking out some exciting items…

Hemp cloth wipes! I used to do the cloth wipe thing in New York, but it got to be more than I could keep up with, so I stopped. Even though Jack is almost out of diapers (woohoo!), I still want to continue our efforts to reduce waste. I picked up a bunch of these hemp wipes, because not only are they great for diaper changes, but they’d also be dynamite kept in a pouch in my purse, always ready to handle sticky hands and/or messy faces! I am so excited.

After we finished our shopping and dropped Patty off in Hamilton, the kids and I zipped back home. They had a date with their beds, and I had a brunch date with my Momma!

Blue Sage, one of my favorite restaurants in the area! They’re an entirely vegetarian establishment, and most of their dishes can be made vegan upon request. The food is absolutely outrageous, but before last weekend they were only serving lunch and dinner. They just added a weekend brunch, and as soon as I heard, I knew it would be the perfect outing for mother’s day.

We took our time pouring over the menu. It’s prix fixe, and for $18 you get your choice of a starter, a main, and coffee or tea. There is also a soup available, as well as a side of potatoes and a number of fresh juices. I went with green tea, which came in this adorable stacked teacup/mug situation. Too cute!

Blue corn johnnycakes with dried blueberries- Mum’s starter. These were served with fresh berries and a maple mascarpone, and were absolutely delicious.

I started with the parfait, and…..oh my heavens. I seriously do believe that this may have been the single most delicious thing I have ever tasted. EVER.

It was drenched in this incredible cherry compote, topped with a salted caramel something, and had the most delicious crunchy and light granola mixed in. Seriously, the stuff of dreams.

I ordered the pan bagna for my main, which was also incredible, served with a delicious fresh salad.. I couldn’t even finish it, I had to take half home!

Mum got a wrap sandwich, which I ended up being too full to taste, but she said it was delicious, so it’s on the menu for next time (NEXT TIME, NOM).

We also got a side of the potatoes, because we had no idea we’d be stuffed full of deliciousness. I ended up taking these home as well.

I had such a blast being out with my Mum, and I’m really looking forward to doing it again. It definitely helped that the food was so outrageous.

After brunch, we stopped in to see Nana. Nothing much to report- she seems about the same, though it still surprises me every time just how much she forgets, and then by contrast, how much she can remember.

Weird side-note: since getting back to a regular fitness routine, I’ve found myself becoming more and more comfortable with seeing myself in pictures. It used to make me cringe, but now it’s really not so bad. And I don’t even look any different! Just another reason to keep going, I suppose.

Home again, and time to throw some dinner together for the kids! The weather was extraordinary, and it felt like a real summer night. I couldn’t resist cracking out some fresh veggies and firing up the grill

Yummm Chopped up and tossed into a bowl with some farro and a lemon-balsamic dressing…

Perfection. This is, hands-down, my favorite summer dish

My Mum presented me with a mother’s day card after I finished cooking.

BAHAHAHA. She asked Jack to sign the card, and that’s what he did. Best. Card. Ever!

We ended the night at Owowcow, because it’s Owowcow and we are obsessed.

Today served as a reminder of how much I have to be thankful for in my life. I won’t go into too much detail or try to list everything, but these past few weeks especially have been incredible, and it just keeps getting better as the weeks progress. I am thankful that this weekend provided me with some much-needed contact with one of my closest friends. Patty’s presence in my life is absolutely essential to my well-being, and I often feel like I just don’t see her enough. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing her in two weeks, and maybe even next week for a yoga event taking place on the steps of the Philly Art Museum. Fingers crossed!

It’s a good life we’ve got going here, and getting better by the day

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the incredible Mums in the world, especially my own <3