Nectarine Fried Rice

So the original idea was pineapple fried rice, but I was lacking ingredients. We didn't actually have a pineapple. Without the main ingredient, I searched the shelves of my fridge for a new creation.

We were at the end of the farm box, and I had been putting off practical things like going to the grocery story. What was actually left? Some evil looking red beet leaves, a spicy green pepper, and garlic( I recently bought a braid of garlic) were what needed to go into this dinner.

To replace the pineapple's sweetness, I grabbed six super ripe nectarines. They tasted great in oats so why not rice? My daughter recently labeled peaches as the other mango, so there was even a vague sense of tropical appeal. I diced them up and wished for the best.

Two cups of riced cooked in a large pot with a tablespoon of coconut manna, garlic, and the spicy green pepper.

In my frying pan I scrambled six eggs, while I waited for the rice to be finished. The end was simple. Peaches, scrambled egg, beet leaves, and small square cut pieces of deli turkey meat were added to the large pot of rice.

The look of this stuff was colorful and much pinker than most of what we were accustomed to eat. I told my kids this dinner was basically sugar in a bowl.

The result was a new favorite meal!

Farm Boxes

Baked summer squash chips

Enjoy salmon with dried orange peel and rosemary

Kale with thin slices of garlic

The entire meal

So it's farm share season again and sometimes having a box full of produce is heaven, and other times it can be overwhelming. I love to cook, but this summer there are a few distractions. My kitchen and I kind of broke up when I decided to go back to school for my MFA in creative writing. Instead of looking up creative ways to make different veggies, I've been mashing up paragraphs I once thought made a fairly decent manuscript.

So what brought me back to my kitchen? Beets were the beginning of it all. Even if I was not feeling super creative when it came to food, I did realize that I didn't want to waste anything in the box. All green leafy things go fast in salads and stir-fries, but the beets were sitting in the fridge for the whole week. I dreaded them and we eventually roasted them with a potatoes and chicken. My kids found this fun because beets color everything red. We would end meals with kids covered in beet lipstick and blush. It was fine, but there had to be new ways to enjoy the red beasts in the fridge.

As we learned new ways to prepare beets, I realized that maybe I could learn to like a vegetable I once wished would disappear. Red veggies can be a lot of fun. So we got adventurous starting with a summer slaw. I grated only veggies from the box. This slaw was made of refreshing cucumbers, sweet beets, and juicy carrots. I did have to boil the beets in water first, but the rest of the slaw was raw. We all enjoyed this, so I went a little bit further.

Baking with beets can be interesting. I started with grating beets into a chocolate cake. As friends on my Facebook cake promised, beets added a special kind of moistness to the cake that is unique in comparison to the fact that adding carrots to a vanilla cake doesn't really change a lot to the overall texture of the yellow cake. Plus, when chocolate is involved, I most likely can be convinced to try the recipe. Well, that is kind of lying. I don't usually use just one recipe. I love to pick and choose from many different methods and then come up with something from scratch. Our beet cake was basically made of:

 2 1/2 cups of flour
 1/2 cup of melted chocolate chips
 (melted along with 1/4 a cup of butter)
 6 medium grated beets
 1/4 cup of sugar
 1 egg
 1 tablespoon of baking powder
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour in a standard loaf pan

If I were to make this again I would add 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut. I also tried to use very little sugar, but this would taste amazing with some cream cheese frosting.

However, not everyday is a cake baking day so what else could a person do with these beets to pretend they are not actually a strange looking vegetable? Make pink pancakes. There are tons of pictures of these if one just searches for pink pancakes. Some of the recipes are flour free. We kept things simple and added the beets to a standard family pancake recipe:

2 1/2 cups of freshly milled flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 or 2 mashed bananas
(add a cup of shredded beets)
1 teaspoon of butter (for the griddle)

Our pink pancakes were actually more red.

Beet, Cucumber, and Carrot Slaw

Beet Chocolate Cake

Beet Pankcakes

The new challenge this month is figuring out what to do with all the different kinds of summer squash. As one can see at the top of this post, making the squash look like chips is helpful for my kids who have decided they don't really want to eat squash. I don't blame them when it appears in every other meal. We will be hiding it in things like squash pasta, pancakes, and other things that make it less squash-like.

As for time, well I will always want to be working on several things at once. Right now I should being driving to pick up something to add to our veggies tonight. As one can see, I'm still super torn between writing and cooking. Reconnecting with my kitchen might take a little bit more time, but there are plenty of new creations to find. Maybe I can try to work on two things at once, right? Cook, write, cook...

The World of Mom

For those of you who follow my blog, you know I love to write about pregnancy, postpartum, and some other random stuff.  I sat down the other day and realized I am not spending much time writing about being a mom.  For so many years I've been mom growing a baby, so I kind of let the mom title slip.  Let's also be real, I have an almost 2 year old, a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and a 5 year old in my mix of six kids.  Wiser moms than me have said, "I blocked out a lot of those early years."  I know what they mean. 

"Mom, Isaiah is covered in chocolate," I heard Joel calling out to me as I scrubbed a toilet in the next room.  Friday is usually cleaning day unless I'm in the hospital (which happened a couple of weeks ago, but I'm fine now).
"What do you mean, covered in chocolate?" I shouted back.  Seriously?  The chocolate was on a high shelf in the pantry.  How could Isaiah actually get it?
"Um, most of the chocolate is gone.  I just smelled Charis' breath...Dominic's, too.  It smells like chocolate." I'm so thankful my baby didn't eat all the chocolate alone!  Did I mention that we made chocolate chip cookies yesterday?  These children are not deprived from treats.

I rushed out of the bathroom I was cleaning to find Isaiah sitting next to my giant gallon jar (it was one quarter full yesterday) that was almost empty.  His face had a chocolate beard on it and I had only been cleaning for maybe 5-15 minutes.  He looked up at me, as I grabbed the jar away.

I ran up the stairs with baby in my arms and put him safely in his bed so I could clean up.  The left over chocolate chips were covered in water.
 "We were making chocolate pudding on our pretend stove," Charis informed me.  They were not attempting to really make Granny's chocolate pudding.  I'm glad they cannot reach the knobs on the real stove.  I had to smile over how creative they were being, even though I was pretty angry at this point. 

"Go to your ROOMS!" I told all the kids.  Mommy needed a moment to be alone in quiet.  Who was going to throw up?  How much chocolate did they really eat?  It turned out that the chocolate was eaten by several children, so they could not have had that many pieces each.  But, there goes our cookie supplies for a couple of weeks.  If only they knew that those pieces of chocolate could have made even more yummy cookies!

Yes, I love being a mom.  Eating some chocolate isn't the end of the world.  They may not want to sleep tonight, but we did not have to call poison control.  I'm thankful this time it was just chocolate.  We have had moments where a child ate all the teething tablets, or broke something made of glass.  These moments have been worse.  However, being a mother is filled with times that I will probably block out.

Port Townsend Living

Sometimes I am not grateful for what I have because I get caught up in the fact that the average age of people living in Port Townsend is 52 and that my family is only one of a handful of families at church.  However, there more things about Port Townsend than the ages of it occupants and lack of generations.  I know that I can take my family to certain businesses and be greeted with cheer.  I know the food will be amazing and that it is sourced carefully.

Recently, I noticed that I seem to get hives when I eat peanuts and soy.  I have not been for official allergy tests, but from what I can tell, if I stay away from these products I am fine.  This made me really sad since I LOVE Thai food.  The problem is solved here in Port Townsend because of this wonderful restaurant called The Banana Leaf.  This is a family owned business with the best Thai food in town.  Not only is the food authentic and beautifully presented, but it is also a place that welcomes kids and families openly.  The first time we went to the restaurant, we had four kids, then five, then six, and all of these times we have been treated well and our kids have been kept happy.  The wait for food is short and since my peanut allergy, I have been able to get all my food free of allergens.  I also noticed another family while I was there a few months ago who had similar problems and the restaurant worked nicely with them also.  Thank you Banana Leaf for making your restaurant feel like a meal at a friend's house.  I love this restaurant.  P.S. the coconut ice cream is made in house with real chunks of fresh coconut flesh.

Next, my favorite breakfast in town is served at Sweet Laurette's Cafe & Bistro.  If you like the idea of coffee made with homemade caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or even chocolate sauce infused with orange peal, then this is an experience you don't want to miss.  Of course all the usual coffee beverages await you as well and three different kinds of chai.  Organic free range eggs are an option and one can choose from basic breakfasts such as steel cut oats or classic egg and bacon, to farmers scramble and lemon and blueberry dutch baby.  I usually order the farmers scramble because it is slightly different depending on what seasonal veggies are available.  Don't forget to check out the coffee shop if you are not looking for a whole meal.  There are French style treats that bring back my memories of Nantes and Paris.  Laurette loves kids and there is a box of toys in the cafe.  We have gone there as a retreat and my kids have played happily while my mom and I drank cups of coffee.  The outdoor seating for the meals is also great in the summer.  The scents of herbs in the air may make you feel like you are in Provence.  I have not been to dinner at this restaurant, but it is on the list for our next date.

Now lunch can be tricky, I don't usually go out to lunch, but the best fish and chips in town is at The Silverwater Cafe.  Sweet potato fries are an option.  Their menu if filled with plenty of other options.  I also enjoy their tea menu with flavors you cannot find just anywhere.  My husband and I have also enjoyed the Silverwater Cafe for romantic dates including meals of steak and hazelnut halibut.  This is another great place for a kid friendly meal.

Speaking of tea, I love Pippa's Real Tea.  You will find every flavor of tea under the sun.  There are fruit infusions that my kids love because they like to eat the fruit when the tea is gone.  This is also a very kid friendly business for a morning or afternoon treat.  

If you love pizza, you have to have a slice, or a whole pie, at Waterfront Pizza.  This is not just pizza, but the perfect combination of flavors.  You can also build your own, but I have never wanted to because the Greek pizza and the pesto combo are the best.  Their crust is made with a special sourdough starter adding a unique flavor to any topping. 

Better Living through Coffee is a town favorite for all kinds of healthy treats and fantastic coffee!  I usually buy their coffee beans to have at home.  This is a better adult retreat, but I have brought my kids here with me often.  There are views of the water adding to experience.  If you want to guess my favorite coffee drink, it is the salty caramel latte.  Also, keep in mind the large drinks have four shots of coffee in them, so you may feel jazzed all day long.  

So yes, this is all about food.  All of these places are happy to see children in their businesses and the food is affordable.  I love the fact that I can go out to eat in Port Townsend and feel a home in the many amazing restaurants.  If you ever visit, you will probably get to go to one of these places.
 

Nursing Boobs

For those of you who do not want to hear about the human body, this is not the post for you.  However, this is a post I keep trying to find and it is just not there.  What happens to my boobs when I am no longer nursing?  How long will it be before I shrink back to that smaller cup size?  Is it worth buying an $85 dollar bra because it is the only one in my size that is actually comfortable?

Maybe boobs are more of a topic of conversation for me because I not only have to find a bra, but it must work with a prosthesis.  Since I'm not in the target age range for most women with a prosthesis, I really don't like the styles of basic mastectomy bras.  For the same price, I can go to a store like Nordstrom and have them sew in a pocket for any bra. 

When Isaiah began to give up nursing during the day, and only fed about once a day, I noticed my nursing bras did not fit.  I tried to stick it out thinking, I will wait until I REALLY need a new bra.  However, my neck started to hurt, and I had to dress up for a special event, so I gave in.  My loving husband sent me shopping for clothes and I knew I would hate every dress I tried on if I did not have the right sized bra.  We all learned that from shows like What Not To Wear, right?  The lady at Nordstrom gave me about 50 different tee shirt style bras to try on after figuring out my size.  To my surprise I was the same size, just a different shape.  Weird.  I was in bra size denial!  How was it possible? 

I left the store with this bra:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/chantelle-intimates-rive-gauche-3286-full-coverage-underwire-t-shirt-bra/3066738?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=Cappucino&resultback=1094
It comes in two colors and I got it in black.  I freaked out when I looked at the price at the end.  I promised myself I would base my purchase on fit, not price.  Risky, but I needed the right one.  This cost me over $80 when I was done with tax.  I swallowed and looked at what I had left for a dress.  It all worked out, but the problem with loving an $80 bra is that is it hard to consider buying more than one and since one needs at least two, I searched elsewhere hoping to find something similar.  However, I am still thrilled with this bra after 6 months of wearing it and it even still looks new.  No signs of stretch, so maybe it would be worth having a few of these.  Even with such perfection, I opted out of running back to buy another one because I keep expecting to lose my nursing boob size.

So that was six months ago and rotating one fitting bra with two that are way too small (4 babies ago) I started to look at True&Co.  Most of their bras they put in my personal shop after taking the quiz were $68 or less.  Plus, there is a free at home try on option.  I really liked this because I never have 2 hours to try on bras at multiple stores.  I got my first box and almost nothing fit, but one bra.  It was in a color I hated, but I kept it anyway because it was pretty comfortable.  Overall, I still like my Nordstrom Chantelle bra, but this one works well too.  It has not held up looking new for very long.  I got the bra in beige, so that might be part of it.  I am still happy with the purchase and attempted a second round of at home try on bras.  This time I was thrilled because I loved the fit and the bra that worked actually looked cute too.  Plus, it has the option of being worn two different ways.  I will post those links:
Bra 1
https://trueandco.com/bras/triumph/everyday-magic-wire/2363
cost me $46
Bra 2
https://trueandco.com/bras/betsy-johnson/stocking-stripe/2571
cost me $48
Both of these bras cost me way less than two Chantelle bras, but I still feel like the Chantelle bra is my favorite.  I also had to sew my own pockets into the True&Co bras.  However, the quality of these bras are great.  My experience shopping has been very nice.  I sometimes question if I am working with the correct size because I'm still in denial that nothing has changed after a few months of not nursing, but that is just how it is.   I will say everything on this list works really well with a prosthesis.  I looked for full coverage bras that have a built in shape, so it is easy to sew in a pocket.  These all sort of have a similar shape to nursing bras, but are really pretty. 

I hate spending money on things I'm not sure I will be able to wear for long, but the fact is, the right bra size is important.  If things change then great, but if they don't it helps a lot to have the right bra.  I felt bad about my $80 bra purchase, but it has been the greatest so far.  I like my other to bras, and I am still thinking they may not work for long, so I'd rather spend less and still have the right size, then spend much more for 3 of the perfect bra, but that is just me.  I should also say that my True &Co bra 2 might end up as the second perfect bra, but I have only owned it for a few days.  If you have a prosthesis, sew in a pocket because it really changes how the bra fits.  I have gone without one, but there is so much more comfort with the pocket. 

My next challenge will be bathing suits.  I am not really looking forward to this, but who knows...it might work out as well as the bras.  I have realized that being pregnant a lot has made me think about clothing for the short term because my body has constantly been changing. This has made it hard for me to commit to certain things I really like.  It also has made me feel like I'm back in middle school trying to figure out what to do with my ever changing body.  It's more fun this time around because I always have the backup of yoga pants and a tee shirt, using mommy as my excuse.  I also must mention that I recently bought a pair of overalls because they are back in style!  I'm thrilled because overalls have been one of my favorite items of clothing ever.  You may just see a pic of me wearing them soon.  Hope this helps other nursing moms, because this is stuff I really wish someone had told me.

Curious what my house normally looks like?

Am I the only person who wants to cry because the whole house looks like this almost everyday?  The truth about having six kids, home day and night, is that your house will get trashed!  You better like cleaning and teaching your kids to help or hello nervous breakdown!  The boy's room is not in the photos because by some miracle they like to clean.  The parent's bed needs some help because laundry ends up everywhere to be sorted.
My little girls are MESSY!  How did that  happen with a mom who cannot focus when things look like this?  This post is for the moms who might think I have it together because they came over after I'd spent hours cleaning.  This is for the mom who has no idea how other mom's houses look like the Pottery Barn photos.  We are moms and we have to clean probably a bit more than the average person.

Spring in February!

I caught myself jogging on the trail near my house thinking about a lot of random things.  Yesterday my husband had the day off of work, so I got to actually go jogging at a time that was enjoyable.  Jen and I have been running in the dark once a week (that is when I haven't been sick because this year has been terrible in that way).  It is really great to get out into the night air when I normally wouldn't leave my house.  Some nights it's been really cold, others pleasant, and sometimes we have run into large puddles of water.  However, SUNSHINE changes everything.

As I flung open the door, took a deep breath, and thought about several minutes of quiet at 9AM, I gazed at the tall evergreen trees around me.  Typically at 9AM on a weekday, I am finishing up a math lesson, rushing to put a snack on the table, and convincing my kids that reading our history lesson will be fun.  I have mixed feelings about being a homeschool mom and running alone got me thinking.  If I had my kids in school, I might be able to pull off running more than once a week during daylight hours.  Maybe I wouldn't be alone, but still outside. 

A few paces later, I realized something important.  My oldest son is going to be ten in August.  By the time he's twelve I could just leave the kids at home for a thirty minutes while I go for a run.  My second oldest would be eleven and they could team baby sit the rest.  Is this insane or genius?  People have been telling me the crazy years of having six kids in eight years actually gets better.  In fact, it becomes easy?  Now I am starting to see some benefits.

The last couple of years I have been obsessed with trying to eat healthy, workout six days a week, and get rid of baby weight between pregnancies.  Yesterday, I made a promise to myself.  It's time for me to stop obsessing because time is flying.  I still want to be healthy, fit, and slim, but I also want to enjoy being a mom of little kids.  The trade is simple.  For a brief few years I have to compromise.  I cannot run at 9AM, or take a dance class, but I have later to do that.  I can continue to workout at home and jog occasionally.

Am I deflecting from the fact that I have put hours of work into losing weight and I haven't lost a pound?  Even though the scale tells my things I don't want to know, my clothing is baggy.  I have skipped measurements because I need a break from it all.  I just want to be happy with how I look.  I want breath fresh air and enjoy it.  I want to go on a run and think about ideas for my screenplay, or books I plan to write instead of how fast each interval is going to be.  It is time for a break and I'm fine with it.  Maybe the main thing holding me back this entire time has been thinking about it all so much.  I'm not saying it is wrong to want change after having babies, I'm just taking a break.

My husband told me once, "Happiness is a choice."  He's right.  I am making the choice to be happy with the fact my stomach isn't perfect, happy that I've worked hard and I'm feeling pretty strong, happy I can run fro 37 minutes after being sick at a nice pace and not get too tired...these are accomplishments.  There is so much out there about results, but sometimes we are not asking ourselves what actually counts as results?  Is it really just about being thin?  Is healthy just about being thin?  My answer, right now, is look for more than the basics and deciding to be happy will be much easier.