35 Down, 5 To Go

In less than one week, Lent will come to a (much-anticipated close), which, among other things, roughly translates into: if I'm so inclined, my sugar/alcohol intake may officially resume again. Cause for celebration, right?

But if I'm being honest, I must admit I'm a bit shocked at how easily I've adjusted to such a major dietary change in such a short time span. The human body is fascinating, with its ability to adapt, adjust, start fresh, and keep going. I was reflecting back on what the last 30+ days have been like, and I was struck by what a positive experience this sugar/alcohol fast has actually been. I can't even believe I'm admitting this to the public blogging world, but it really hasn't been that awful. Don't get me wrong, of course I had some moments of panic, doubt, grumpiness & weakness, and I'm sure every member of my family would willingly attest to that. But overall, I think I've handled this okay. And truth be told, I've sort of learned how to function without all that sugar. On the couple of rare occasions I've allowed myself to have sweets (just a bite, for taste), it was somewhat disappointing because it was large jolts of OVER THE TOP sweetness. Sickening sweet. Like, Fruit Loops sweet. Hostess Cupcakes sweet. All this time, I've been giving my taste buds the equivalence of a cardiac arrest because I simply didn't think I could go without. Shame on me! I've got more strength and will-power than I've ever given myself credit for. I mean, good gracious, if I somehow found the strength to push out two babies, I can certainly find the strength to JUST SAY NO to cake/ice cream/cookies/chocolate/pastries!

Alcohol, however, is a totally different beast. NOTHING ELSE can give me that relaxing wind-down feeling like a glass of wine.
Nothing.
I mean, why else do you think Jesus drank wine at weddings? Jesus is the smartest.

Now, what's a little sacrifice without a little reflection? So here is the Reflection Section of my blog, where I thought it appropriate to share some things I've learned through this experience. First, let me introduce  you to 3 of my new best friends:

• Sparkling water has changed my life. Something about those little bubbles make me feel like I've just kicked the "fancy" level up a notch. If I may quote Emeril Lagasse, BAM! Regular water becomes fancy water! And when it's infused with the essence of lime or orange, it's extra delightful. DOUBLE BAM! Drinking it out of a wine glass has almost brainwashed me into thinking I've got something pretty snazzy in my glass. Extra hidden bonus: the carbonation from the sparkling water usually makes my tummy feel full, so when I drink it throughout the day, I tend to feel less hungry/snacky. Awesome! I will definitely continue this trend. (Disclaimer: if the water has become flat and lost its fizz, I refuse to drink it. Who wants sparkling water without the sparkle? Pointless)
• Popcorn saved me in my darkest I-want-sugar-now moments. A while ago, we stopped buying those super convenient microwave bags of popcorn and opted for the big giant tub of kernels you can get at Costco (so much cheaper, so much healthier and SO MUCH TASTIER!) At night when I would crave a sweet treat, I would often make a small batch of popcorn on the stove, and season it with salt & garlic powder (and on rare occasions when I must have been PMSing, cayenne powder was thrown into the mix). I got to a point where I wasn't even adding a smidgen of butter! This is huge, as I am a passionate lover of salted butter (just ask Alicia). But once I went without, I realized I just didn't need it. And--stop the press-- the popcorn still tasted fantastic.
• LARABARS! Do y'all know about these? You can read all about 'em here, but in short, they are GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE * NON-GMO * VEGAN * KOSHER delicious, tasty bars. Coconut cream pie is hands-down my favorite, and I will drive across the county just to stock up. So, if anyone out there from Larabar-land is reading this, SEND ME FREE BARS! Please! I'll eat them and blog about them and come up with new flavor ideas and sing your praises until the end of time! This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

So as it stands, the plan is to continue with a sugar-free/"light" alcohol diet during the week, with sweets/plural glasses of wine allowed on the weekend. All within reasonable moderation, obviously. 

Except, of course, when Summertime heat arrives and homemade ice cream season begins. All bets are off then, and rules of moderation will no longer apply. Obviously.

Spring Has Sprung

One of the best things about living where we do are the consistently mild seasons. Winter throws some chilly morning curve balls and lots of rain our way, and the sky will inevitably lose its crisp blue and make way for some boring gray days, but other than that, the major difference between all four seasons is all of about 20 degrees. I mean, my kids don't even own heavy winter jackets. Here, we believe in the power of LAYERS, and for the majority of winter, a hooded sweatshirt does the job quite nicely. And socks. We are eventually forced to leave the flip-flops at home and start wearing those bizarre sock-things (my low-point of the year). Even our weekly Farmer's Market keeps going strong throughout the entire year, "braving" our mild winter. Sure, the tomatoes will eventually disappear altogether for a period of time, but my favorite lettuce farmer is faithfully there every single week. I never has a reason NOT to have a gorgeous green salad on the dinner table.

So, sometimes it can be difficult to feel like you're really experiencing 4 whole seasons when you live in these parts. But what I somehow forgot was that Spring also has a SMELL that accompanies it, and over the last few days, that smell has made a comeback and permeated the noses of every member of my family. It's that sweet, clean-air smell, mixed in with the scent of freshly cut grass. It's beyond delicious, and we've spent more time outside in the last few days soaking it in than we have in the last few months. (Side note: I also now know we've hit Spring because my allergies are going bananas, and I've got a kleenex permanently attached to my nose and my allergy eye drops bottle is close to empty.) Why, HELLO SPRING!

But for this housewife, perhaps the most exciting event Spring has brought with it thus far is the return of the clothesline!  I am back to drying our clothes outside in the warm sun with that aforementioned sweet Spring smell permeating every fiber of every clothing item we own. It is heavenly, and my inner Hippie is thrilled. Sometimes I even kick off my flip-flops and hang up the clothes barefoot. Oh yeah, Spring makes us do CRAZY things!

When I was last utilizing our clothesline, all the way back in 2009, I always hung our laundry during Ella's morning nap time because she was way too little to set loose in our yard with most of my attention focused on hanging clothes instead of her well-being. Plus, a crawling baby in a big open yard space who puts EVERY THING SHE SEES in her mouth is a recipe for teary disaster.

But now! Look at my big 16.5 month old girl, loving every second of being outside, digging in the mud with her bare hands, enjoying the breeze and the shade of the hanging damp clothing!

It's very difficult to take a photo of a child who doesn't sit still for more than a second, but here she is in action, probably figuring out a way to take a mud bath without my knowledge, because apparently this is her new favorite past-time. Please take note of the incredibly delicious inner thigh rolls which I insist on pinching every 5 minutes. And the pig tails! We'll show that mullet who's boss!

See? In this next one, she's trying to sit down in the mud in secret. This is how she repays me for dressing her in darling, clean clothes. Or maybe she just really likes to see me doing copious amounts of laundry on a daily basis. Either way, we now have an entire sub-category in Ella's wardrobe, entitled: "Play-clothes That Mom Won't Won't Freak Out About If They Should Happen To Become Drenched In Mud".

Another advantage of using our clothesline is that Ben gets to brush up on his clothespin-finger game. Who knew that hours of entertainment would only cost $1? Ben could probably spend hours placing the clothespins on his fingers, while running around trying to scare us with his new awesomely long, creepy fingers. I'm not sure how this game might affect his finger blood circulation, but we figure the advantages far outweigh this one teensy disadvantage, so we're going with it.

Also, when the sun is shining so cheerfully and the air is smelling so sweet, how can you NOT take a picture near the backyard blossoming peach tree? Plus, these two are so in love these days, I have to make sure and document it as much as possible. That way, when Ella is 16 and livid with her father for not letting her date gross boys and in sheer frustration they both might utter words they don't mean, I can whip out this picture and remind them, "See? You love each other! Now hug it out!"

So I guess what this self-proclaimed "Fall/Winter Girl" is saying is that though I do love some cozy rainy days with a pot of soup simmering on the stove and a warm fire crackling in the fireplace, and orange is totally my new favorite color, I am thoroughly enjoying what Spring has brought us so far. Like....I LOVE IT. It feels wonderful to have fresh air in our lungs, in our home, and to drive with the with the car windows down. I'm even slightly excited about a major Spring Cleaning project we have coming up. And the thrill I get from buying a new pair of flip-flops never gets old. So maybe what I'll say from now on is that I'm a "Fall/Winter/Spring Girl". Or, "I'm Not Into Summer/Heat" for short.

When In Ireland....

Image via Wikipedia

Even though I'm only slightly Irish (thanks to my full-blooded Italian father), and at home and NOT in Ireland today, I thought some homemade Irish Soda Bread would be an appropriate contribution to the St. Patty's Day feast we'll be attending as a family later this evening. After researching approximately 7,925 Irish Soda Bread recipes, I think I found and adapted a recipe and have, in my humble opinion, come pretty darn close to "LA ULTIMA" of all Irish Soda Breads. And yes, "la ultima" is an ancient Irish phrase, dating back to the days of yesteryear.

I've made Irish Soda Bread before, and was a bit disappointed by its dry scone-like rock-in-your-stomach texture (thanks for nothing, Barefoot Contessa) but this recipe yields a delightfully moist rustic looking loaf, and the crust---oh my heavens, the crust is AMAZING. I think it has something to do with the multiple buttermilk/melted butter basting's that are involved. Which brings me to my little baking secret: Basting with butter = buttery beautiful results.

Anyway, just make it. It took me all of 5 minutes of prep time, which is more than I can say for most recipes in my repertoire. I'm pretty sure Saint Patrick is singing its praises from heaven as I type this. Enjoy!



Easy Irish Soda Bread
Yield: 1 loaf
(liberally adapted from recipe by MP Welty via AllRecipes)


Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 c. raisins (or more if you really love raisins)
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
•  
• For basting:
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet (alternatively, you can use a pizza stone, or if you have neither, a large lightly greased baking sheet will work too).
2. Put raisins in a small bowl and add the 1 1/4 c. buttermilk- allow the raisins to soak in buttermilk for about 15 minutes.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,  mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir in the egg and the buttermilk/raisin mixture. Switch to the "dough hook" attachment and allow the dough hook to knead the dough slightly. If necessary, sprinkle a little flour on top. Form dough into a large round and place in prepared cast iron skillet (or pizza stone or baking sheet). In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Brush the loaf with the butter mixture about every 15 minutes while it bakes. To sweeten the loaf, sprinkle with sugar after each basting. Enjoy!

She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain

We were greeted with cloudy dark skies and rain sprinkles this morning, and although I'm typically a huge fan of precipitation in general, I knew that what I needed today were some warm, sunshiney skies to lift my spirits and take us into this much-anticipated weekend. It's funny how the world of nature outside can often mimic life, isn't it? 

And then I looked outside at our peach & nectarine trees and I was thrilled by what I saw. Our first blossom flower of the year! We've had dozens of buds just waiting to burst open for a few weeks now, but this pretty little flower beat all the others to the punch. I realized that this is a huge indicator that Spring is around the corner, indeed. Pretty soon the dark, cold, rainy days will be over and brighter, longer, warmer days will take its place. I wonder how long this tiny little blossom flower had to endure the winter's chill before it was ready to burst open in full bloom? Pretty brave for a little flower if you ask me.

In the meantime, we endure the remaining storms, and we sit & wait with hopeful anticipation for the refreshing start of a new season. Thank God for new seasons, if not for any other reason other than clothes & fashion just don't get any cuter than Springtime, right?

A Bit of Advice

Image by TW Collins via Flickr

When the week is unrelenting and exhausting, I think it's vital to find ways to cut corners and keep on truckin'. It's Wednesday, and my family is in a deep state of survival mode. We're doing our best to get to Friday all in one piece, and I can hear my mother's soothing voice playing over and over again, "just let the little things GO!"  So, the laundry pile is 20 feet high, but my kids are safe and their tummies are full and there's been no blood shed.

I say, when life hands you buttermilk, make pancakes. And so tonight I looked in my fridge for dinner inspiration and decided upon a feast of fluffy multi-grain & flax-seed buttermilk pancakes and a swiss chard, mushroom & feta cheese scramble. Not too shabby for corner cutting, eh? I'm so grateful to have kids who think breakfast for dinner is a sign of a celebration rather than a sign of a frazzled and at-her-wits-end Mama.

Male Bonding

Dan arrived home today looking weary-eyed and dejected after a particularly grueling day at work. It breaks my heart to see him suffer in any capacity, especially in the realm of work-related stress because Lord knows the man works harder than anyone I know, and adding any extraneous pressure to his already overflowing workload somehow feels unjust. But that's just me and my unbiased little opinion. And although these days or moments of job-related tensions are few and far between, I found myself in a mild state of panic, racking my brain on the words and actions I needed to contrive to bring my husband comfort and support. Though this may come as an alarming shock to some (bite your tongues), I tend to be the more...."emotionally-spirited" spouse in our marriage, where Dan is typically the calm, cool and collected rock that anchors us. I tend to scream and yell and cry and complain and excel at sharing EVERY EMOTION I HAVE. He's gotten really good at looking at me with raised eyebrows and telling me to relax. It's a marriage made in heaven.

So, the mild state of panic. But what could I say, really? What do you say to someone who is visibly in the moment, working something out in their head?

I helplessly listened, I tried to offer loving support and insight. I waited for him to decompress in a way that I would decompress: talking. Talking to close friends, talking to family, blogging (my silent form of talking). Talking, talking, talking. And then sleep. And probably a little shopping. And hopefully a no-water, soy chai latte. Grande.

But tonight, it was Ben's turn to became his rock, and he didn't even know it.

After dinner, the two of them practically sat in silence while playing with Ben's wooden blocks. They sat there next to each other, in complete unison, building, thinking, designing, and occasionally verbalizing their engineering strategies. There was some obvious bonding occurring, and the two of them were in a zone of testosterone that I could not enter, nor did I want to. That's when it struck me how different we are; in times like these, Dan craves the quiet solace of "the cave" and I run from it, screaming like a crazy person. While I find incredible consolation in talking "it" out, in this moment, I think Dan derived the exact equivalence within the comfort of his home, holding his boy in practical silence. Building castles and towers and buildings and helicopters.

Sufficed to say, I think Ben earned himself a sticker on his chart today, fair and square.

True Confessions

Image by Back to the Cutting Board via Flickr

So, I just ate a slice of cheesecake.

Triple chocolate. You know, THE most sinful kind of cheesecake that can possibly be in existence. So not only did I break the no sugar cleanse, I broke it and kicked it and slapped it and spanked it and punched it and then killed it. And then just for fun, I rolled around in it.

I have but one defense. I'm a weakling, and when Chocolate speaks to me, I listen. I will do WHATEVER chocolate tells me to do. Tonight, it told me to eat him. And I'm not one to disobey.

Also, Ben really wanted some cheesecake, and what kind of mother would allow her 3 year old his OWN slice of cheesecake just moments before bedtime? Not me. So really, I shared a slice of cheesecake, out of sugar-overload protection for my son. I'm telling you, parenting is unyielding.

I'd like to say that I feel riddled with guilt, but my body is in complete sugar-buzz mode and loving every second. There's a small party going on in my belly right now. My bloodstream's like, "HELLOOOOO SUGAR! How's it going old friend? It's so great to see you! Where have you been? Can you stay awhile?" and I can hardly sit still while I type and I'm fairly certain I could endure a Lord of the Rings marathon if I had to. That is, until I sugar-crash and burn.

And because I'm having a moment of complete honesty here, I feel it necessary  to report that triple chocolate = triple fun. It probably also = a triple roll on my thighs. TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Lent will understand.

The Last Straw

Sometimes when your almost 4 year old son turns into a sassy, defiant little "bundle of energy" that you hardly recognize anymore, you need to dig deep in your bag of tricks to bring him back on track before he slips away into a land of bratty defiance forevermore. In times like these, a Mom in such circumstances draws much inspiration from the likes of Mary Poppins and The Supernanny. In fact, I'm tempted to write an advertisement for a nanny, rip it to pieces and place it in my fireplace, and patiently wait for Mary Poppins to arrive on our doorstep. DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES.

Anyway, in my world, bribery positive motivation seems to work magical wonders, so I've created Ben a sticker chart. The components are quite simple, really. You just need some flimsy poster board (thanks, Target), some rainbow-bright markers, and an assortment of relevant stickers. And by relevant, I mean monster truck/Sesame Street/Clifford/football oriented. Fortunately, when you're 4, there is just nothing cooler than stickers.

Ladies & gentlemen, I present you with Exhibit A of Mommy's Desperate Attempt to Regain Control, Order and Peace in My Home:

It's "Ben's Good Behavior" Chart! Please take note of the many colors and somewhat straight boxes I had to make. I even had to whip out the ruler for this complex little creation:

The categories are few & simple, and earning stickers is fairly easy. I'm doing my best to set him up for success, and when he has earned a whole row of stickers, he has earned himself something extra special- a "special treat", if you will. In Ben's mind these are what qualify as special treats:

1) ice cream cone (he's a strawberry or vanilla guy. I'm doing my best to turn him on to Peanut butter & chocolate)
2) Spiderman t-shirt
3) A movie rental of his choice
4) going on a date with Mommy to Target

Obviously, I'm pushing for special treats #1 & #4.  Because if we've been successful enough in our bribery positive motivation efforts, then by golly, Mommy deserves a special treat, too! Come on, sticker chart...Mama has big hopes for you.

Veteran parents: It gets easier, RIGHT? PLEASE? RIGHT?