small + friendly

Adventures in Rice Cereal

 Jude turned 4 months and we got the green light to offer him his first real meal!  I am super excited that he can have a little something other than milk, especially after months of feeling guilty eating in front of him.  He watches every bite travel to your lips, gazing longingly and lunging towards your plate.  So we cooked up some rice cereal and while he did get about half of it on his face ... he loved it!  It was so cute to see him open his little mouth as wide as possible for each spoonful.  While my favorite milestone so far is still his tiny giggle, this one is right up there.  Next on the menu: mommy's home cooking! 

Mushroom Lover's Pizza

I was craving mushroom pizza, so inspired by this tart recipe, I whipped up this delicious pie.  It is great for Meatless Monday, I promise you won't miss the meat.    

Ingredients

1 lb mushrooms - try any combo (I did crimini and royal trumpet) sliced

1 bundle scallions cut into 2-inch pieces

5 cloves of garlic left in their skin (optional)

1 handful of thyme (optional)

1 lb pizza dough (I used store bought - TJ's) but I'm dying to try this recipe

6 oz. goat cheese

Hard cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven the 425. On a sheet pan toss mushrooms, garlic and thyme with a few generous glugs of olive oil plus salt and pepper.  

2. Roast for 10 minutes, then add the scallions and roast for another 15 minutes.  Meanwhile roll out your pizza dough.  ( I prep mine on parchment and slide the whole thing, paper and all, onto a pizza stone but a sheet pan will work just fine.)

3. Remove pan from oven (discard thyme sprigs) and pump up the oven to 450.

4. Assemble your pizza.  First brush the dough with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Then squeeze garlic from their skins onto dough and distribute.  Dot the dough with goat cheese. Toss mushroom and scallions on top.  Finish with a shaving of hard cheese.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.  Buon Appetito!

Happy Earth Day!

 

Jude wore his organic t-shirt to remind everyone to recycle!  I think Earth Day is a great excuse to celebrate all of the things we already do to help save the planet and reflect on areas we could improve.  I have always cared about the future of our Earth, but now I have a little person counting on me to help make sure there is clean water, fresh air, and fertile land for years to come.  

Today I am giving myself a pat on the back for washing cloth diapers, growing an organic garden, driving a hybrid, and living in a small house.  And I am also pledging to do more.  I plan to participate in Meatless Mondays, cut down on paper towel usage, and try to consume less.  Let's face it, Kermit is right, it's not always easy being green, but I believe little acts can add up to big change.  Thanks for doing your part.  

Super Simple Baby Blanket

When I was pregnant I made this awesome snuggly-wrap from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing For Baby.

Unfortunately, Jude did not enjoy to be swaddled:

 

I had fleece and the cute tattoo fabric left over so I decided to make this very quick and functional blanket.  Which, as you can see, he definitely prefers:

So here's how I did it.  You will need at least a yard of cotton fabric and matching fleece plus one pack of coordinating baby blanket binding.  

1.  Wash your fabrics and press the cotton.

2.  Cut your cotton fabric to the length you want.  (My leftovers were a little over a yard.)

3.  Lay your fabric on top of the fleece and trim the fleece to match. (The fleece is a little clingy so once you get it flat you shouldn't have to pin.)

4.  Starting at the bottom, close to a corner, pin your binding (shorter side on top of cotton fabric) to both layers.  At the corners create a mitered edge by pinching the layers with your hand, pulling the binding up to meet the next side, and pinning the fold nice and flat. 

 

5.  When you come to the end; trim the excess binding, leaving a few inches of overlap, and tuck the edge in so you have a nice finished edge.

 

6.  Sew all the way around the binding ,very close to the edge, with the cotton fabric side facing up.  I used a pretty close stitch, if the binding puckers adjust your tension.

7. Lastly, sew up and down the mitered corners so they lay flat and look nice and clean.  Enjoy!  

 

Awesome Plant Sale Today

If you live in Sonoma County you have got to check out the Willowside School Nursery.  Anyone who knows me, knows I love plants, especially cheap plants.  This little school nursery not only has smokin' deals, it teaches the students all about plants, including propagation and care.  Last time I was there I got some awesome specimens, check out these crabapple bonsai:  

 
Okay ... you're never going to believe how much they cost ... $5.  No that was not a typo, they are only $5 each.  They also have perennials, succulents, roses, and Japanese maples.  Now that I know you won't want to miss it, here is the info:    

Willowside School in Santa Rosa, CA on the corner of Willowside and Hall Rd.  

Plant sales are Saturdays from 9am-2pm on the following dates: April 17, May 8, May 29, and June 19.

For more info check out their website.

We are finally getting some dry weather, which means I will be spending all weekend with my hands in the dirt. Happy Gardening! 

-Carla

Happy Tax Day!

I hope everyone is getting money back!  Jude wore his "Daddy's little tax deduction" shirt to celebrate the occasion.  The check has yet to arrive, and I'm already scheming a thousand ways to spend our refund:  new front door, plants and patio furniture for the backyard, a new BBQ ... wait, what's that you say? ... credit card debt, birth hospital bills, college fund ... I'm sorry, I can't hear you, I'm busy dreaming.