Join me

On March 4, 2012, I invite you to join me in marching forth.

Who: Fellow bloggers and readers

What: Marching forth on the 4th

Where: On your blog, in your heart, wherever so you choose

Why: "Only when we march forth can we turn our ideas into realities. Action is the great separator between the Have's and the Have Not's. It turns ideas into I Did's." - Joey Reiman

It's a day to take action, take on new experiences, celebrate an accomplishment, let go of a grudge, make a change... you name it. In past years, I've mentally celebrated this little holiday. But this year, I thought it might be fun to invite bloggers and readers to participate.

Here's the scoop. On March 4th, I will post a picture of the button below. In the comments section, I invite you to either link to your blog where you've posted a bit about how you are marching forth, or just feel free to comment if you don't have a blog. Or, just simply feel free to privately celebrate the day, in your heart or in private conversations with a friend or spouse.

What do you think? Are you in? :)

Just because...

A few (somewhat) recent snapshots from my iPhone. I've been terrible at taking photos lately, however the next few weeks will be better. :)

Hope you have a great Tuesday!

Mr. Evans taking Nina on her first slide at Olivia's 1st Birthday party.

We're starting Nina Lorraine early. Great-grandma Lorraine would be proud.

Five bits

1. Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And, you can't save time to spend it on another day. - denis whitley

2. Imperfection is beauty. Madness is genius. And it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. - marilyn monroe

3. Wanderer, there is no path. You lay down a path in your walking. - antonio machado

4. Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. - john de paolo

5. Do not mistake ... movement from achievement, activity for productivity and rushing for results - unknown

Italian Wedding Liquor

My mom's side is Italian (my biological grandmother was born in Italy). I don't look Italian, but I can make a fantastico from-scratch spaghetti sauce, drink some robust Italian red wine with the best of them, and most importantly, imbibe in some Italian Wedding Liquor.

The tradition goes back centuries (and generations in our case). The liquor is sweet and strong, and is passed out to one's guests upon entering a wedding reception. At our wedding and at Mr. Evans' bachelor party, it created quite the memories. My godfather, Uncle Ray, provided our liquor. He's awesome at making (and drinking) the liquor, so a few weekends ago we all ventured over to his house to learn how to make liquor. In our case, our bottles will be sealed for Nina's wedding day. Evelyn's parents also made liquor for her big day. See photos that I took of the girls posted here.

Here is Nina at home in our basement with her loot. Mr. Evans suggested a photo like this to be used on her wedding day... far in the future. :)

Is it just me or are her cheeks getting more plump every day?

Five bits

1. We must not be shallow during the depths of our life. - unknown

2. Teamwork makes the dream work. - rev run

3. Change is an easy panacea. It takes character to stay in one place and be happy there. - e. dunn

4. Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are little coarse and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble. - emerson

5. If you aren't going all the way, why go at all? - joe namath

Lobster Dinner

No, we're not talking drawn butter, bibs and shell cracking. For Mr. Evans's birthday dinner last week, I cooked up two lobster dishes. These don't necessarily go together for a meal, however individually they're verrry tasty. What birthday boy wants, birthday boy gets. :)

The lobster roll recipe is from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook My Father's Daughter.  The secret is adding tarragon and miso.

The pasta dish is from Ina Garten's cookbook How Easy is That?. You can also find the recipe here. 

Oreo Cupcakes

Birthday dessert #2 was Oreo Cupcakes. Click here for the recipe. Don't you love that there is an Oreo at the bottom? Also, this recipe makes a big batch so Mr. Evans took these to work as his birthday treat. We did not have Strawberry Cake and Oreo Cupcakes in the same night! :)

Strawberry Cake

It's a tradition to make a heart-shaped cake for Mr. Evans's birthday, which happens to be on Valentine's day. My mother-in-law passed down the pans to me, so I always love to make a new treat.

Mr. Evans loves oreos and strawberries... but not together. So, birthday dessert #1 was Strawberry Cake. We ate this after the birthday dinner I prepared for Mr. Evans. For the cake recipe, click here. There are fresh strawberries in the cake batter and frosting. Yum. Stay tuned for dessert #2 tomorrow.

This cake tastes better than it looks (my frosting skills and camera skills do not do it justice). I encourage you to try it!

Five Months

On Monday, Nina Lorraine is five months old! Yipee!

She loves to roll over, talk to herself, watch her surroundings, smile, spit up and play. Her momma and daddy love her roly-poly thighs, kissable cheeks and sweet personality.

Will you be my valentine?

In honor of February 14th (Valentine's Day and Mr. Evans's birthday) Nina and I wanted to celebrate.

Happy Birthday to the best husband and father. I love you, I'm yours.

Nina has these pictures to share, as she truly is daddy's little sweetheart.

Five bits

1. Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible--it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, off you more joy than any material possession could. - barbara de angelis

2. A woman unsatisfied must have luxuries. But a woman who truly loves a man would sleep on a board. - d.h. lawrence

3. I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart. - ee cummings

4. Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold. - zelda fitzgerald

5. A successful marriage requires falling in love, many times, always with the same person. - mignon mclaughlin

6. To keep a fire burning brightly there's one easy rule: keep the logs together, near enough to keep warm and far enough apart for breathing room. Good fire, good marriage, same rule. - marnie reed crowel

7. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. - ephesians 4:26

8. A peaceful home is as sacred a place as any chapel or cathedral. - bill keane

9. I am always interested in how big things begin. You know how it is; you're young, you make some decisions... then swish, you're seventy. You've been working your profession for over fifty years and that white-haired lady by your side has eaten over 50,000 meals with you. How do such things begin? - thornton wilder

10. Love is patient, love is kind. - 1 corinthians 13


Note: I know this is really 10 bits, but with Valentine's Day I wanted to add a few I liked. :)

Just because

Happy Friday! Here a few recent snapshots from my iPhone. Nothing fancy, just little Nina. :)

(Don't mind all the bibs... she never goes without one, so you miss her cute outfits. But no fear, they're under that wet formula bib).

Ladies who Lunch

This past weekend, I got together with three of my college roommates (we were missing a few others, you know who you are, but we're having a girls weekend in a few weeks)! We had a fun lunch and day full of catching up, relaxing, eating and taking a nice walk outside (in February, no less).

Sometimes, there is nothing better than getting together with your girlfriends. Thanks, girls!

Pretty tulips.

Pam, Megan and Kayla! Kayla is expecting Baby #1!! See below for our menu. It's a bit spring inspired.

Menu

Cocktail & Mocktail - Sunny White Sangria

Appetizer - Sartori Cheese platter, dried figs, dried apricots, crackers

Lunch - Tea sandwiches and Conservative Apple Walnut Salad with GOP Cranberry Vinaigrette
           Turkey and Basil Tea Sandwich recipe
           Cucumber and Arugula Tea Sandwich recipe
           Salad recipe (the name is a long story, but the recipe is from my mother-in-law) - see below

Dessert - Pam's Sugar Cookies

Pam made a yummy dessert! She blogs at Cupcake Confessions. Check her out here. Seriously, you'll be hooked... and your mouth will water!

Conservative Apple Walnut Salad with GOP Cranberry Vinaigrette
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 T white sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1 c. red onion, chopped (or less)
1 T Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
10 cups salad greens
2 apples, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped and roasted walnuts

In a food processor, combine cranberries, vinegar, onion, sugar and mustard. Puree until smooth. Gradually add oil and season with salt and pepper.

In salad bowl, toss the greens, apples and walnuts. Coat with dressing.

Five bits

1. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - maya angelou

2. Keep not standing fixed and rooted. Briskly venture, briskly roam. - goethe

3. The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea. - isak dinesen

4. You're not going to get somewhere if you don't know where you're going. - unknown

5. None of us suddenly becomes something overnight. The preparations have been in the making for a lifetime. - gail godwin

Out On A Limb

My cousin, Lauren, who also is mentioned by me here, recently blogged for LoziLu here. LoziLu, a women's only mud run taking place across the nation, was founded by Lauren and her husband, along with their two friends. Check out their site here to sign up. I also just have to add that I'm inspired by these fitness plans developed by Lauren!

Ok, back to her blog post. Lauren's post mentions that famous quote about going out on a limb because that's where the fruit is. Her post prompted me to question myself... Do I go out on a limb? Do I push past my fears? Do I try new things? One of my quotes recently on "Five Bits" said, the things you're scared of are usually the most worthwhile. Same thing, right?

I am currently facing a task that is outside my comfort zone. And you know, Lauren's post was just what I needed to realize it's ok, if not desirable, to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Maybe you need some encouragement too? :)

A beautiful tree in Kenya. I snapped this photo while there on a mission trip a few years ago. If I were out on a limb, this one would be pretty nice.

Or, maybe you'd prefer one of these trees in the Maasai Mara? :) I took this photo while on safari.

"Stage 1" Baby Food

As promised, here is my adventure in making "Stage 1" baby food for Nina. She started on a rice cereal about two weeks ago and is doing great. However, it's time to start on some more flavorful food... flavorful at least for her palate. :) I've decided to make (most of) Nina's baby food not only to save money and provide her healthy and preservative-free food, but more importantly because it tastes better. She deserves to eat "real" food just as much as an adult. :)

Here's my game plan. I'm a planner and overly organized, so I'm always thinking ahead. Keep in mind, these are guidelines only. The amounts of liquid and solid nutrition (and the timing to do so) are totally up to you and your baby, and me and my baby. I'm sure they'll be (lots of) changes as I go. Personally, I formula feed and have followed the feeding guidelines in The Baby Whisperer and Baby 411 - this is what has worked for us.

From my research (or so-called internet searches and basic knowledge and books), this is the deal...

Stage	Age Range	Type
1	4-6 months	Single ingredient, pureed (blender) food (if your baby is ready)
2	7-8 months	Single and combo ingredient, strained (food processor) food
3	9-12 months	Integrate more texture and chunks
4	12+ months	"Table Food"
This go around we're at Stage 1, so I made the following: peas, bananas, carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. I'll supplement with purchasing pears, apples and rice cereal. Here are the supplies to be sure you have on hand. ** a good blender (tried a food mill, but didn't work as well) ** containers to freeze the food (you could use ice cube trays or containers of your choice, but I used these and then these when the others ran out) ** food from this grocery list...   10 oz bag of frozen peas   4 ripe bananas   1 lb bag of carrots   1 large butternut squash   2 sweet potatoes Here's what I did: Peas - steamed them, pureed in blender along with water to desired consistency (resulted in about 12 1-oz. containers) Bananas - since they were very ripe, pureed in blender along with a little water (resulted in about 12 1-oz. containers) Carrots - chopped and steamed carrots, pureed in blender along with water (resulted in about 10 1-oz. containers) Squash - cut in half and roasted in oven at 400 degrees for 70+ minutes, pureed in blender with a little water (resulted in about 24 1-oz. containers) Sweet potatoes - roasted on same sheet pan as squash, pureed in blender with a little water (resulted in about 12 1-oz. containers) Pears and Apples would work the same way, although I didn't make these fruits this time. How easy is that? These little cups now reside in our freezer. Perfect to grab and go. I know this post is a little lengthy, but maybe it will help someone out there. Next time, I'll post on Stage 2 foods. We're going gourmet - you just wait. :)