Everyday Life for Four Seasons

It feels good to have finally made some progress on the hankie front. I decided to use some of the flannel I already had and see if it made for some soft, absorbent handkerchiefs. I cut some squares and rectangles to about the size of an unfolded tissue, and tried a few different ways of sewing the edges so they won't unravel. I'll tell you now that ironing narrow hems and sewing them does not make for an easy-to-make or easy-to-use hankie. So skip that step if you're doing this at home.


I settled on a basic overlock stitch, stitched right up to the edge. I have a Janome DC3050 and on my machine it's stitch #12. It was easy. Easy and boring. This was perhaps the most boring sewing ever.

I'm done with batch numbero uno and 'A' used them up just as fast I sewed them!


On the mothering front, I did something today that felt right at the time but now I'm not so sure. I went to the store and purchased a thermometer. No big deal, right? 'H' woke up with an extra-runny nose and said she was "cold," so right away I knew that she had a fever. But 'H' is different than 'A' and it was harder for me to read her signs. She was warm, but not terribly warm, and her eyes looked glassy, but not terribly so. I was on the fence with calling our pediatrician and I decided to buy the thermometer to see if I was right. Well, you know the story. Yes, I was right. She didn't want to put it in her mouth, but even with it dangling half out, it registered at 102.8. So I called. They can't see us until tomorrow, which is fine with me.

That's not the end of the story. After I gave her some Tylenol and she woke from a nap, I had the urge to take her temperature again. I didn't even stop to "read" her signs like I normally would have. I just stuck the darn thing in her mouth and prepared myself to trust whatever it said. I do not like how that feels at all! I do so much better when I put the external "wisdom" aside and just focus on what my child is doing and saying to determine how they feel and how their illness is progressing.

The thermometer is going to be put away until it's needed sometime in the future. For now, she's sick and after a few weeks of a cold, she may well have a secondary infection and get to take the "bubble gum pink medicine" like her older sister. We'll find out tomorrow.


Soup tonight for dinner, then an early exit for me, as I have a membership committee meeting to attend at our UU church tonight. I love soup night.

That's my girl! Checking for fresh animal tracks in the snow.

We did get a wee bit of the storm that hit the east coast today. An inch? Maybe less? Enough to freshen up the little bit we had on the ground from last week, but not enough to make me really happy. It's okay, we'll get it all in March and April, I'm sure.


'A' is a little better, enough to at least say she's on the mend. We're all having "Quiet, Alone Time" right now. I stopped enforcing it around Christmastime, and am so happy I'm back to it. We all need it so much. We each go into a separate room and do our own thing for an hour or so. There's no noise in the house, no talking, no music unless the girls want to sing or make music on their own. I'm an introvert, so I crave quiet time alone to recharge. It helps me to have the mental, emotional and physical "space" I need. Sometimes it's a challenge to get them to play separately during that time, but all in all, it's a welcome part of the day.


Outdoor fun was followed up by a frosted brownie treat, just for kicks. I love treats that are just for fun.

We kept it simple today. 'A' melted down into a fever and super-persistent cough, so off we went to see her doctor. I almost went out to purchase a thermometer because I was puzzled about why she would have a new fever after four days of antibiotics. But then I told myself that I was sure she had a fever, and a thermometer would only confirm what I already knew, so I should skip that purchase and put some faith back into my own intuition. Her doctor gave her a nebulizer treatment and that seemed to help. So here we are at home, nebulizer plugged in, ready to go if she needs it during the night. My hope is that she's done with her runny nose and constant cough within a few days. Some relief would be great for her. She's such a great kid.

Look at that face. Do I need a thermometer to tell me she's sick? No, I don't.

:: Remembering to sign the girls up for classes at the Y...


:: Staying close to my girl who spent the night coughing...


:: Enjoying the sound of chirping birds and the company of Grace...


:: Loving watching her learning style unfold for both of us...

Let's talk about food.

When we started eating locally grown veggies at the end of last winter, I saw the greens that were sold at the farmer's market, but wondered about other green vegetables... you know, green beans, broccoli, peas. Things that give your plate a variety of colors.

It's taken me a while this winter to figure out how it all works. There are a LOT of vegetables at the farmer's market in our area. We go to the Saratoga Springs, NY farmer's market every Saturday morning to buy our food for the week. It's a fairly large winter market, but we're so far north and I must believe that towns south of us have an abundance also.

Last Saturday, we bought kohlrabi. It's a member of the brassica (cabbage) family. The name has a German origin, the combination of two words meaning "cabbage" and "turnip". It is related to broccoli, cabbage and caulifower. After I peel the tough skin and steam or roast it, it tastes like the stem of broccoli.

Because it tastes like broccoli, and it grows in the winter, I think it counts as a green vegetable, don't you?

Like many of the winter vegetables, it's high in Vitamin C, and high in potassium. It's also a great source of fiber.

I have cooked it two ways: roasted and steamed. When I roast it, I cut off the tough, outer peel and cut the flesh into large pieces. Toss them with some olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven until tender. Tonight I steamed it. I left the skin on until after it was steamed, then cut the skin off, cut the pieces up, and served it warm.

So there you have it... kohlrabi! A wonderful addition to the winter table.

Now let's talk about health... specifically, Neti Pots. I talked to my dad and found out that he and Mimi got our cold last week. Jeff's mom got it over the weekend. I'm finishing it up, as is 'A'. My dad said his doctor told him to use a neti pot. Jeff used ours all last week, and he reminded me tonight that I need to start using it again. So I did, and I'm so happy about it! What a wonderful way to scoot that cold out the door. I highly recommend it.

I wish you good health! Goodness knows I'm trying to find some for myself.

We said good-bye to Jeff's parents last night and they left at the crack of dawn to return home. Gymnastics today for both girls, with a trip to two separate libraries squeezed in between the classes (we like books).

Reading right now:

* The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
* Handmade home : simple ways to repurpose old materials into new family treasures by Amanda Blake Soule
* Good night, fairies by Kathleen Hague
* Emotional awareness : overcoming the obstacles to psychological balance and compassion : a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman
* Digging up dinosaurs by Aliki
* My first book of time Claire Llewellyn
* Little house farm days : adapted from the Little house books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

...along with many others.

I love this bright, white, dramatic winter sun.

Chowderfest in Saratoga Springs today. Cold! But good.

How do you do at bowling? Are you better than a two year old? I'm not.

Jeff's parents are here and we've been having fun. We went bowling and I was beat by everyone. That's okay, I play to have a good time, not to win. And with a competitive four year old like mine, I can use all the chances I get to demonstrate that point.


In addition to a game of bowling, we went to the Tang Museum of Art at Skidmore College. There was only one exhibit up - about the Hudson Museum. It wasn't enough to get a feel for it, so I'll go back another time.


To follow up on our cold issues, 'A' did indeed end up with a secondary infection, much to my surprise, and to the surprise of everyone at the doctor's office. Her nose has been runny and today she woke up feeling cold - something that is not normal for her. I took her to the doctor today and sure enough, she has a sinus infection. I bet if she learned to blow her nose better, she would be healthier. She's a great kid, but just so obstinate in some ways.


No progress on making our own handkerchiefs. I have some ideas about fabric though. Flannel? For softness and absorbency? I'll start there.

I've been adding some new recipes to my collection. Not all of them are easy, everyday recipes, but so far they've been delicious and have served the purpose of making me want to eat tasty food again.

This is what I made the other night, swapping out the green beans for turnips and the cilantro leaves for shredded cabbage (because that's what we have at the farmer's market). I toned down the amount of curry paste. This was a nice dish!

Fiery Tofu and Coconut Curry Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup red curry paste
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 (13.5-ounce) cans light coconut milk
2 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 4)
1 1/2 cups (1-inch) pieces green beans (8 ounces)
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed soft tofu, drained and cut into (1-inch) cubes
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Add curry paste; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add brown sugar; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, broth, juice, ginger, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour. Add carrot; cook for 6 minutes. Add beans, and cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tofu to pan, and cook 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves.


This is what I made last night, swapping out the chickpeas for cannellini beans (I eat tons of chickpeas but have a soft spot for cannellinis in soup). I left out the celery and parsley, again because I don't have any here. This soup surprised me with its richness. It tasted like a meal but went down like a soup. YUM.

Italian Chickpea Soup
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 16-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 stalk celery, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus a few sprigs for garnish

1. Bring broth, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, and 2 cups water to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, sweet potatoes, celery, and mustard, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes more, or until vegetables are very soft.

2. Mash vegetables and chickpeas to chunky purée with potato masher or large spoon. (Chickpeas will remain mostly whole.) Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish each serving with parsley sprig.


Tonight I'm using all of the wonderful, soft, fluffy and tasty shiitake mushrooms I got at Jeremy Zehr's booth at the farmer's market on Saturday. I love them so much! He gets $10 for each box he sells but they are one of those delicacies that are just worth every penny. I'm going to sauté them in some broth, wine and caramelized onions, and add them to a hot plate of fettuccine. Alongside, I'll serve a salad of mixed greens (thanks to Michael, who grows our winter veggies, we have fresh greens a few times a week) with black eyed peas and balsamic dressing. It's a dinner of earthy, buttery goodness. I can't wait to eat.

Great day today.


One of the things we did as the day wrapped up was finalize plans for a family weekend trip to New York City. 'A' has been talking for a while about wanting to see the Statue of Liberty and ride the subway. So that's what we're going to do! We'll be going the day after 'A's birthday, so perhaps we'll be able to arrange a trip to a vegan bakery for a birthday cake. I'm excited.

What a wonderful weekend! We took our girls to my sister's home in Connecticut on Saturday and after dropping them off so that they could play, eat dinner, and go to bed, we continued on to Brooklyn. We went there to celebrate an old friend's birthday. Before the party (it was a bowling party, at a hipper-than-you've-ever-seen bowling alley), Jeff and I went to dinner at a Thai restaurant and were reminded how much we miss New York City food. YUM!


On to other business: One Small Change. My small change for February relates to our tissue use. Our noses have been running lately and we have been using a lot of tissues. I don't buy ones made from the recycled paper, I buy the fancy lotion tissues. This cycle has to stop! We're moving to reusable, washable, cloth hankies. Now I have a few things to figure out:

What material will I use? Something soft and absorbent.

Where will we store the fresh ones?

Where will we store the used ones before they hit the washing machine?

How many will I need to make, and how often will they need to be washed?