Tales of Me and the Husband

a day trip to ogunquit, maine.

we finally took a day-trip up to ogunquit, maine to try this restaurant i’ve been talking about for awhile.  steve had the day off, the sun was out, so bam!  why not?  southern maine might be one of the most gorgeous coastlines and, given the hot weather we’ve had, we took full advantage.  lunch and then a walk along the coast it was.  the lunch was a fried haddock sandwich for steve (he declared it one of the best, and he’s had many) and fish tacos with all sorts of fixings for me.  it was delicious.  then we took a quick trip to the stonewall kitchen flagship store on the way home.  i can’t help myself but visit whenever i’m nearby (which is rare).  
it was a beautiful, perfect day.

some thoughts: parenting, insecurities, and clean slates.

so, when my blog has a few too many days of sweet pictures of the love coasting its way through the hunt house, i think, “time for a serious post?”  truth be told, there’s always an opportunity for one… a serious post, i mean.  always something requiring work in my life (i mean, work on my character, ya know what i’m saying?).  some dusty place that need shining and shaping up.  ah, life.  such a bitch sometimes, eh?

right now?  it’s patience with lindsey.  oh my, is it ever.  she’s all drama these days.  throwing her jacket down in disgust because she has a dentist appointment she didn’t anticipate (and it is your fault!), giving you ‘tude because, well, she’s a girl and she can, dammit!  she’s the girl who you ask to brush her teeth and she floats around the house dreaming and reading old diaries and making up rules for a imaginary club and drawing a picture and, you get the picture.  three hours later you check back in for the fourth time, “did you brush your teeth?” only to discover the answer is no.  as the mom who’s needing to remember to check back in and make sure this or that has been completed, it’s not so fun.  i know this isn’t unique to lindsey, any of it, really.  in fact, i was a bit of a dreamer myself (which my mom likes to remind me of!  bless her!) and i’m sure it drove my mom crazy (correction: it did drive my mom crazy).  in fact, i remember pretty much every single sunday running out the door to my family nearly pulling out of the driveway as they drove to church yelling, “wait!”  always late.  i was always late.  so quickly i forget these things and expect so much of these little people.  they deserve my respect and my patience, just as i hope for theirs.  too often do i hold them responsible for their past transgressions, letting my anger get the better of me on a wednesday because of what happened on a monday and tuesday.  a clean slate.  we all deserve one, right?  the answer is clear.  a resounding yes, and that includes lindsey.  that one trying my patience these days!

my insecurities.  a lot of you have asked about what they were and what they are.  i presume you’re looking for some commonplace between you and i… a place of insecurity in your life that i might also struggle with?  i’m sure we’d find it.  commonplace.  insecurities are real and they are nagging, aren’t they?  my insecurities have changed with time.  from filling another woman’s shoes to loving my children truly as my own, they have shifted through the years.  lately it’s more the latter.  well no.  i know how deep my love for them goes and it’s deep.  what i worry about is what you think.  the audience, you guys (yes, you!), thinking i love parker more.  i worry i’m putting too much on my blog/instagram/etc. about parker–parker’s new toy, parker’s latest food, parker this and parker that.  he’s the newest baby in the house and i think he’d be dominating the blog whether each hunt was truly mine or not.  but, my step-mom fears get the better of me.  i find myself checking in with steve, “too many posts with parker?”  his answer is always no, knowing full well (i think!) that shannon would have done the same with her newest baby… after all, with babies, everything is a first!  everything seems worthy of recording and photographing and keepsaking and then, of course, sharing.  but, truth be told, there it is, all the while.  the little nagging insecurity.  what will they think… opening my blog to another post featuring parker?  i wonder if you’re feeling badly for those other young ones in my home.  and, if you are, i can assure you: they are being well-loved and cared for too.

so, i realize this was a bit rambling.  but, these things have been on my mind and instead of thinking about them in the wee hours of the morning, i wanted to write them down, flesh them out, and hit ‘publish post.’  there they are and thanks for reading.

parker’s new (old) toy.

“hey parker, we got you something.”
“really!?  cool!  what is it?”
“you ride on it!  it’s really fun!”
“for me???  really????  thanks!”
“this is gonna be awesome!”
 “what does this button do?”
“wheeeeeeeee!”
we’re full-on obsessed with this kid around here.
can you blame us?

the beach on a sunday.

the last time parker had a true beach day he was a little guy and had zero opinions, really.  this time, he could protest if he wanted.  but alas, he did not.  he sat happily on our laps for over an hour, taking it all in.  (except when his feet touched the sand.  he wasn’t having that.)  so, i declare him a beach bum!  after his mama’s heart!  anyway, it got up to 75 degrees on sunday and i about kissed the sand.  my mom and dad were up which was great and about half of our clan was around too.  it was a really good day.  i’m pretty much always ready for summer, but after this weekend, bring it on.

ways to make your salad awesome (so your kids will love it).

i’m big into salads as the main course in this house.  a whopping bowl of salad with lots of stuff really can be called a main course, right?  right.  luckily (and really, luckily, because i think i’d be driven to insanity otherwise) my kids like their salads.  william and lindsey in particular.  they will take a huge plate of salad and eat it no problem.  i don’t always serve it as the main course, but it often comes before the main course.  growing up in my home, there was never a spaghetti night (or anything, really) that didn’t start with a big salad first.  it was to be expected.  so, i guess i’ve inherited that (although, sometimes i’ll cheat and skip the salad).  my kids have come along, quite graciously, for the ride.  i started william and lindsey young on the salad front–three and five–so this probably lends itself to them being so good about eating it.  nathaniel and jordan are a little less into the salad (or at least more vocal about it) but they take some anyway.  
so, here’s my ways to spice up an ordinary salad thus making it a main meal and making it awesome so your kids will like it.
bbq chicken salad: inspired by a cheesecake factory salad, i make this with romaine, spinach, and to make the kids especially happy, a head of chopped up iceberg as well (but not only iceberg cause, let’s be honest, there’s not much goin’ on there in the way of nutrition).  then add a can of drained black beans, corn, shredded cheddar, and bbq chicken.  to get the bbq chicken i boil some chicken breasts, let them cool, then shred them (i like the ‘pulled chicken’ consistency here) and then toss them with trader joes bbq sauce… some bbq sauces are seriously stocked with high fructose corn syrup so check the ingredients if you’re trying to make it especially healthy!  toss it all together with some annie’s ranch (again, most ranch dressings are full of msg, so check ya labels!).  it is delicious and the kids love it.  also, i haven’t done this but i think it’d be good: hard boiled eggs on that baby as well.
taco salad: another keeper.  to get taco salad, start with the same stuff as the previous salad–romaine, spinach, and iceberg.  a note: i use baby spinach leaves always–the big adult spinach is a bit tougher and i’m not the hugest fan.  then cook up a pound (or two) of ground beef.  add a little seasoning to this if you like: chili pepper, cumin… you know the drill.  then shredded cheddar, corn, beans (any kind of bean, really.  pinto or white kidney beans would work well here too).  cilantro, a couple big scoops of salsa… and then at the end, some sour cream and crushed up corn chips as well.  i find that this one doesn’t even need dressing cause there’s enough wet stuff on the salad already.

*always go easy on the dressing and, in my opinion, skip the creamy ones.  they’re usually pretty nasty ingredients-wise.  a little bit of dressing goes a long way and when the salad really calls for creamy, go with annie’s (or another good, msg-free brand).

what about you?  any fancy salad recipes to share with me??  gimme ’em!

a lenten fast (a little late).

so yesterday william, parker, and i were at the grocery store.  i had this crazy idea pop in my head.  “william!  let’s give up sugar for lent!!”  (you’re probably thinking right now, “uh bridge, lent began in february.”  i know, i know.  i’m a little late to the game already thus I HAD BETTER NOT CHEAT.).  he hesitated at first but then was all about it when i told him we’d be keeping each other accountable, competing (in a sense) in our attempt, and working towards a nice prize at the end.  here’s the thing: i grew up catholic, through and through.  altar girl and all!  and yet, i seriously can’t remember a time where i ever gave up anything for lent.  whaaa????  that’s like heresy.  so, here we are, already almost half way through before it occurred to me that i should give it a go.  i guess you could say i’m easing in slooowly.  nevertheless, we’ve got till easter, and william and i are on a SUGAR-FAST people.  you might be thinking this shouldn’t be a hard feat for a girl who posts crunchy recipes like granola and almond milk.  but my friends… it is.  yesterday i ate nearly three glazed donuts because i COULDN’T HELP MYSELF.  and coke on ice?  i mean, it doesn’t happen often, but when it’s around–and it is sometimes because jordan buys his own and puts it in the refrigerator since i refuse to buy it–i will steal!  yes, i have succumbed to stealing (only like once or twice, guys, and i fess up!).  i steal something i refuse to buy!  what is that?  it’s so damn good too!  like my eyes practically roll back in my head (once it hits your lips!  it’s so good!  name the movie!) when i take the first sip.  and ice cream??  i mean, don’t even get me started.  so, guys, it’s on.  from now till easter.  no sugar.  that includes juice, by the way.  and if i cheat, i pay william $5 and if he cheats, he pays me $20 (haha, just kidding.).  and then if neither of us cheats, i take him out to dinner at one of our fave restaurants.  boom!  we’re doing this thang!
and pictured above are our snacks of choice. plus, not pictured, yogurt and granola, carrots, ya know, all that super exciting stuff.  i mean, it’s not as thrilling as cookies and donuts, no, but the lime chips with taboule salad is seriously pretty darn good.  and i don’t think it’s good cause i’m just convincing myself it’s good because it’s good for me (you totally know what i mean).
so, now that i wrote this here, it’s really on.  alright?!
you giving up anything for lent??

springtime.

spring is coming!  with the recent nice weather plus the time change, i’m itching for summer even more than before.  beach days, barefoot babies, watermelon, and playing outside till late… summer is my favorite season.  i bought some tulips, put out some easter-themed decorations, and even bought mini cadbury eggs to usher in spring.  there’s been a serious lack of sleep the past few days and this mama is running on empty (thank goodness for coffee!).  i think i’ve seen the clock change from the 4 am hour to the 5 am hour one too many times (a new tooth is coming!), thus the coming of summer makes it more bearable.  i like having things to look forward to.  and this week?  lots of time outside and maybe even breaking out the flip flops!  hope your weekends were lovely!

parker’s first guitar lesson.

Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver on Grooveshark

parker’s first guitar lesson went swimmingly!  alright, real story: we were all chilling in the bedroom and steve started strumming.  he only knows a few chords, i know none.  and what do you know, parker was fascinated.  he studied the guitar and steve, steve and the guitar, and i ached with the sweetness of it all.  i’m adding in the song because it’s one of my very favorites, is mainly guitar, and i sing it to parker just about every night as he falls asleep.  so, there it is.  one of the many sweet, sweet moments i don’t want to forget.

mame’s granola.

granola has been a favorite of mine since i could say the word.  when i was in preschool, the class was asked to bring in a recipe that the teachers would compile as a gift to the parents.  a cookbook of us little ones’ favorites.  i still remember my “recipe.”  it was pineapple, yogurt, and granola.  went something like this: put your pineapple in a bowl.  put your yogurt on top.  put your granola on top.  gimme a break, i was like four!  but seriously… perhaps more than any singular meal in my entire life, that is the meal i’ve eaten so much of.  i don’t know that i’ve gone more than a week without having it, barring, ya know, international travel or what not.  even the morning i gave birth to parker… pineapple, yogurt, and granola!  he pretty much came out demanding it.  
the granola has changed over the years.  i didn’t always have my mom’s on hand.  trader joe’s granny smith was a good stand-in (but has way more added sugar–like most store-bought versions–than this version…which has none!).  the yogurt is always the same: whole milk plain yogurt by stonyfield.  the pineapple is best canned (say what?!).  only because it needs a good amount of pineapple juice to sweeten up the plain yogurt.  and fresh pineapple doesn’t have the juice, ya know what i’m saying?  
it’s delicious, any time of day really.  i’d best give you the recipe now, huh?  mame is my mom, by the way.  that’s what her grandkids call her.  and what we refer to her granola as in this house when we’re lucky enough to have a batch whipped up by her.  this time, i made it!
mame’s granola
(i doubled this recipe and it made what you see in that jar)
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (we usually skip this part)
1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsalted cashew pieces (i used walnuts cause i didn’t have cashews!)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup oil (i used coconut oil and it’s really good)
1/2 cup honey (i used maple syrup)
1 T vanilla
mix and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on a sheet pan.
stir a bit when it comes out (unless you like it really clumpy).
a note from mame: 
recipe is terribly forgiving (you could probably tell?).
use what you have (add raisins if you like, or whatever else!).  
add flaxseed meal if you want!
do your thing, people!
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