Fig Fail

I love figs so much.  We bought our house during a horrible drought, and I wasn't sure the fig tree in the backyard would ever recover.  But luckily it survived, and is now big and beautiful. I have been waiting anxiously for the figs be ripe so I could make massive amounts of fig preserves.  Last summer we went out of town right as the figs were perfect, and I vowed to make sure that not a single fig was wasted this year.  So, I had stocked up on mason jars and found the best looking recipe.  A few days before the figs were ready to go, I made 1 batch of preserves with the few figs that were ripe already as a test run and they were just perfect.  I was ready to can away.  

So the day of my big harvest rolls around and I am ready to spend the day inside hiding from the heat with my very first little canning factory.  I go out with my bucket to start picking, and saddle up to my tree to find that there is not a single fig left on the tree.  The carnage was all over the ground.  A gang of squirrels and birds had binged on my fig tree.  At least I got 2 jars of figs, so it wasn't a total waste, but still a total fig fail for me in the end.  Lesson learned, next year I will put a net over my tree in hopes my vision of fig goodness can become a reality.  

An homage to my singe batch of successful fig preserves.  RIP fig carnage.

Summer Lunch

Since my husband and I both work in education, summers always provide some amazing time off that I always do my very best to take full advantage of.  One thing I love about summer when I have an easier work schedule and/or time off work, is to make an amazing lunch.  During the school year, lunch is something that stresses me out more than anything since it is yet another thing I have to think about getting ready to the night before or at 6am the next morning as I run out the door.  Not to mention the fact that I usually eat lunch in a meeting or at my desk.  So summer luxury to me means enjoying making and eating a great lunch.  

BUT...considering the facts that it is incredibly hot and I am 6 months pregnant, I am not cooking up a storm here.  We spend a week in Seattle and I was in love with all the beautiful fresh food at Pike's Place Market that has inspired me to see what I can do with all this summer goodness that does not involve standing in front of a stove.  

I can stand at the stove long enough to make eggs though.  So we have been eating lots of "put an egg on it" sandwiches, salads, and quinoa bowls.  

 Josh whipped up this amazing salad with roasted corn, black beans, purple onion, cherry tomatoes, chives, and a spicy Boca mock-chicken patty that I am now constantly craving.

However, I can't avoid the stove and oven forever.  My fig tree is finally producing some ripe figs, so fig preserves are next on the list.  I will crank down the AC and throw on a sundress and do some stirring to get my hands on fresh fig preserves.  In the meantime I will be thinking of great ways to enjoy some fresh fig preserves (besides with a buttered croissant which sounds amazing but can not become a staple of my pregnancy diet no matter how much I would like to have that for breakfast every morning.) 

Hoping you can slow down, beat the heat, and enjoy all that summer has to offer!  

Some thoughts on maternity fashion

Being pregnant right behind both Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton has given me some fun maternity style watching. I know that these people are famous and being looked at and photographed is part of their life, but it has made me think about how open for comment women's bodies seem to become when you are pregnant.  Both in a good celebrated way, and also in a negative way like poor Kim experienced with all the news stories about her pregnancy weight.  When your body is changing in such a rapid and different way combined with hormones, I think it is more important than ever to wear things that make you feel good.  I personally think that this goes hand in hand with being comfortable.  Oh Kim, why did you insist on uncomfortable sausage casing-like clothing for so long?

  In the last month she seems to have found a much more flattering and comfortable style that makes me feel relieved for her swollen feet.  Much better.  Flat shoes are really awesome Kim, glad you decided to give them a try.

And then there is Kate...man, to be that classy while pregnant impresses me.  I know I could do it with a team of royal stylists and if I got to start with a size 0 bod to begin with, but how realistic is it to pull off the maternity style of a pregnant princess?  Not very. I accept that.  Plus, I accept that I am going to roast in the Texas heat and that adorable coats and tights are no option for me.  

So, what are real, not professionally styled and shopped for women to do? I can still wear my own clothes that are on the stretchy/flow-y side now, and have gotten some great hand-me-downs from some stylish post pregnant friends. I won't act like I won't grab some easy and cheap maternity clothes from Old Navy, but I hope I can stay creative and think outside the box and not automatically reach for stirrup pants and a giant tunic OR attempt to squeeze into things that just aren't gonna happen and then feel bad about it.   I am really in love with Bluebird Blog.  How adorable, vintage-y, comfortable, and fun are these outfits? 

 Plus, there are vintage finds which is easy for me to pull off in Austin, and they are hot weather friendly!  Please note her comfortable shoes - amen sister. Consider me inspired.

Whew! Ok, I'm back

It has been far too long dear blog.  I have thought about blog posts many times, and am now officially back.  I found out that I was pregnant in early March which we are both so excited about.  But the first trimester was a tough one, and creating anything but a tiny person just felt out of the question.  I who love to craft, cook, etc. couldn't handle the sight, smell, or thought of most foods, and didn't have any creative juices.  When I wasn't making it through a day at work, I could be found taking a nap or...well, that was kind of it.  I was not friends with food.  All I could handle eating was fruit, milk, and graham crackers.  (Now that I say it it sounds pretty delicious, but at the time it had lost its charm.)

I had always picture that when I was pregnant I would jump straight into maternal craftiness and that pregnancy would be finally be the motivation I needed to bump up to a whole new level of healthy eating.  Instead I just powered through the past few months eating what I could handle (which was sometimes milkshakes), and sleeping. So, now that the first trimester is behind me, I have some energy to do things besides work and sleep.  I have fallen in love with eating with some serious gusto, and I am getting really excited about the baby since it feels more and more real as I grow out of my jeans.  So I am felling much more like the pregnant self I had hoped for, but still with more milkshakes going down the hatch than kale. :)  Bring on this new adventure!  

p.s. It's a girl! Due 11.1.13

It's official, I love the Smitten Kitchen cookbook.  

I knew that I would since it is one of my favorite blogs.  I don't know why I gravitated towards this cookie recipe, but they looked so simple and perfect.  I made them partly because I had all the ingredients in my house and I was having friends over.  Who doesn't like brownie-ish cookies? 

 I was sad that I didn't have an adorable flower cookie cutter like this when I made them.

   

But I did have a great cookie stamp from Spoon Sisters that my Mom gave me for Christmas.

 No matter what shape, they will be delicious.  Here is the Smitten Kitchen recipe for Brownie Roll Out Cookies. Trust me that you won't be disappointed.  They are simple perfection. 

I can't wait to try many more recipes from this great cookbook.  

Way to go Smitten Kitchen!

I have been on a jar salad kick for a long time now.  I just think they are brilliant.  Of course these are all over Pinterest and blogs (including what seems to be the original, saladinajar.com - Very worth checking out.) Though they are all over the web, I will bring them up again because if you have ever eaten or ever wanted to eat salad for lunch, you need to jump on this bandwagon stat.  I have always had a thing for mason jars.  I have a million of them left over from our wedding.  Not only are they cute salad containers, they really serve a purpose.  I make a salad line up every Sunday and these puppies stay fresh and crisp for 4 days. I have tried pretty much every vegetarian salad topping I can think of and have yet to find something that doesn't work in this perfectly contained lunch.  As long as the salad dressing is on the bottom and the spinach/lettuce is on top, you are set.  

I can't find the original source of this brilliant little diagram, but this is such a handy resource to get you started.  Layer away this weekend and eat salad all week!  

A Classy cardigan for a classy baby

I finished this darling little shawl collared baby cardigan for our friends new baby Isaiah, and then put off weaving in loose ends and sewing on buttons since the final finishing stages are always my least favorite part of knitting.  Because of this poor planning, I made myself a bit carsick sewing these buttons on in the car on our way to visit him for the first time.

This pattern was simple and knit up really quickly.  I am going to start another for my dear friends who are having a little boy in March.  I am thinking I might try a hunter green or navy. Look how adorable this version from Never Not Knitting is in navy!

 I love something this adult and sophisticated for a baby.  Babies dressed like old men = super cute in my book. I think a little girl could really rock this look too.  Check out the Baby Sophisticate pattern  by Linden Down on Stockinette here!

  

Sweaters: a la boyfriends and Bill Cosby

I've got sweaters on my mind.  My dream is to wear slouchy cashmere sweaters all the time.  The sad thing is, I live in Austin, TX where there is a very, very tiny window of opportunity for wearing said sweaters.  Maybe this is why I don't own a slouchy sweater. Don't think I haven't tried.  Any time I have tried on a slouchy warm sweater, I have felt like I was being strangled by a wet blanket.  It is just too hot here to fall in love with them in person the way I do when I see them from afar.  My dream is to own a slouchy, casual cashmere sweater. The combination of laid back boyfriend sweater and the luxury of cashmere?!  Sweater perfection.    Until I live somewhere cold enough to justify a the purchase of this expensive dream sweater, I can look at these...

 J. Crew Cashmere boyfriend sweater $248

J. Crew Green Collection Cashmere boyfriend sweater $248

I work with Middle School students, and I have seen an alarming yet also awesome when done well trend this fall- Cosby sweaters.  True they have no idea that their giant pattern sweater is an homage to the one and only Bill Cosby since they were just babies when he was talking about pudding cups.  But I appreciate this flash back when done well.  

                                      

 Green Batwing Sweater  $45.76  

 Apricot Pullover Sweater $45.76  

 Blue Striped Loose Pullover  $33.44

Show em' how it's done B.C.

New craft=needle felting

Happy New Year!  I now realize that my holiday break from blogging became rather expansive. The holidays were all about family, friends, lots of cooking, baking, DIY projects, and a bit of travel.  Now that I am finally back, I see that sadly, what I wanted to share today could verge on being a bit "Christmas-y", but I am going to say that it is instead "Winter-y" which is totally appropriate for late January! 

                                   

 I have a new craft that I am loving - needle felting!  A big thanks to my amazing friend Chelle who started felting and brought all her supplies to the cabin we rent with our friends for New Year.  It was cold and rainy the whole time, so I spent some time playing with all her felting supplies by the fire.  (I definitely owe her some supplies in return for what I used!)  I just finished felting this deer and since my Christmas decorations were packed long ago, I am going to keep it out as a winter decoration for the time being.  I have so far been stuck on only making felted Christmas ornaments.  My Christmas tree is "Woodland" themed.  So they are right up my ally.    

I am now in the process of brainstorming some new projects that are not Christmas ornaments.  I love these felted hearts from lil fish studios.  They would make a great Valentines garland!

               Here is a great beginner's tutorial to make these cute little felted owls from     

              Instructables if you want to give it a try! 

                               

     Happy winter crafting!