Preparing for Birth

We are almost there! For the last month or so I've been manically nesting, cleaning, gathering birth supplies, and organizing absolutely everything, both physically and emotionally. It's awesome how Mother Nature takes over and prepares a space for a new little being to come into the world!

This weekend we got the birth tub. Yay! Papi and Ori handled the physical labor of setting it up while I read off the instructions on how to do so. Go Team!

After the tub was set up, Ori decided that the only thing I was missing to make my birth experience complete was a bath toy. So he made me one out of legos. So sweet. He's going to be such a good big brother. He even made the baby a rattle out of paper cups that he filled with bottle caps and taped together and decorated, along with a welcome sign today. He's very excited to meet his new little sibling:~)

Now that the important stuff is done...we wait. 

The Official (And Very Late) Announcement

I know it's been quite awhile since I posted here, months actually. I think about posting all the time. I've even written numerous entries in my head. But alas, my creative energies are focused elsewhere these days. Ten beanie points to anyone who can guess where that energy is going:~) Yep! I've taken up stick figure art! Hahaha! Ok, just joshin', that's Ori's art. He drew that about a year ago right after asking us if we would "grow him a baby". And, you guessed it, we obliged and are currently growing him a baby. (We try to give him everything he wants. Hahaha!) In all seriousness, I wish it was that easy, but as reality would have it, it was quite a long and bumpy journey to get to this point. But here we thankfully are, 32 weeks prego, excited, and very happy. Yay!
Here's to welcoming more love (and hopefully more posts;~) into our lives in 2013!

Happy New Year All!

From one very happy big brother and his Mommy and Papi

Look Mom, No Training Wheels!

He did it!!! After about 15 minutes fumbling with trying to ride his new "big boy" bike with training wheels, Ori said, "I'm ready to take these things off." A running push from Mommy and he was off. Yep, that easy! After about an hour he was getting himself started and riding like a pro. Amazing! I definitely credit the balance bike for his ease in making this transition. Oh that, and some motivation from seeing his buddy Kai riding his bike without training wheels. Go Kai! The best part of the whole experience was watching Ori's face light up and hear him say, "I'm so happy of myself"-his exact words. Check him out.

Ori Soars into 4

Ok, I know I'm really late posting this, but better late then never. At least it's still July, right? Between having our fabulous niece out to visit, and traveling ourselves to see family, it's been a rather busy, albeit fun, month. 

So here it is, Ori's 4th birthday post. Check out the happiness on that face. He was over-the-moon to have a dairy-free chocolate cake on his birthday. He will tell you that his favorite part about birthdays is the cake, yet he always has to scrape off the buttery frosting and only have a small piece so the dairy in the cake doesn't upset his tummy. But today was his day to indulge, so I whipped him up his very own non-dairy chocolate cake. Delish! 

But this cake wasn't his only one, oh no, in the long held tradition of kids who have holiday birthdays, he had yet another cake (dairy-free also of course;~) for his birthday party the weekend following his actual birthday so he could share the joy of turning four with all his friends. This year, for the first time, he asked for a party and specified that he wanted a kite party. So that's what the little dude got. And despite the cold, foggy, San Francisco summer weather (and oddly timed sprinklers), it actually turned out to be a perfect breezy kite flying kinda day. Thanks Mother Nature! 

The party was held at Aptos Playground here in the city. It has plenty of  open space and is high up so you really get a good kite-flying breeze. Plus, it has two large picnic tables, bathrooms, and play structures. I ordered kite kits which the kiddos got to decorate using fabric pens and glitter glue. The kites were on the small side but were sturdy, easy to put together and actually flew. They were also probably easier for the little ones to handle, so the size did have it's benefits. In all, it was a really fun day for all, there is really nothing quite like the the happiness flying a kite brings. So simple, yet so satisfying:~) I'm glad my little man had a great 4th birthday!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake and Frosting

This recipe is adapted from Ori's Papaw's famous Screwball Cake recipe. Thanks Papaw!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine and mix together:

1 1/2 Cup Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1/4 Cup Cocoa

Make 3 holes in above mixture and add:

1 T Vanilla

1/3 Cup Canola Oil

1 T Apple Cider Vinegar

Pour 1 Cup Cold Water over all

Mix well and pour into a 9" square or round baking pan.

Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Makes one 9"x9" cake. For a double layer cake as shown above double the recipe.

Chocolate Frosting

In a medium bowl sift together:

3 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Cocoa Powder

Blend in:

3/4 Cup dairy-free margarine or non-hydrogenated shortening

1/3 Cup and 1 T Soy Milk

2 t Vanilla 

Melt in a double boiler or microwave:

2 ozs. Dark Chocolate

Beat into frosting until smooth and spreadable.

Lazy River Days

Russian River Guerneville, CA

The Great Outdoors

As a child, going on vacation meant we would all pile in the RV my parents had borrowed from my grandparents and head off for several weeks each summer to camp at a state or national park.  For a family of seven this, I imagine, was the most economical (and probably the only) way we could go on a family vacation. But regardless of the reasons why we vacationed like this (you know, as apposed to taking all five of their children on long flights to places like Disney World), most importantly, we always loved it and had a great time. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from those trips all cramped inside the RV, only to be set free into the great outdoors to play in rivers and creeks, and hike to waterfalls, and climb enormous rocks and trees. It gave my siblings and I a sense of freedom and independence that we couldn't find within the confines of our carefully planned suburban community made up of asphalt, concrete, manicured yards and stucco houses. To this day the smell of pine trees and campfire in the crisp morning air gives me a sense of peace like no other. So, as you can imagine, I was more than excited to share this experience with my own kiddo. 

So last week, along with four other families, Ori and I took our first camping trip to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, a sweet little redwood shaded campground with a creek running through, and only about an hour drive North from San Francisco. We loaded up the Prius with a tent, sleeping bags and thermarest mats, cooking gear and enough food to last way longer than the two nights we were planning to be there, swim suits, extra clothes, a bike and a scooter, a net, bucket, shovel and a magnifying glass to check out all the interesting little critters, and we were off. In the next three days Ori spent every waking moment in pure bliss running around with all his buddies, climbing tree stumps, playing hide and seek in the redwood forest, splashing in the creek, catching fry (baby fishies), riding bikes, and roasting marshmallows on a stick. He was on top of the world to say the least. In fact he had such an amazing time he begged and pleaded and cried when we had to leave:~( And all I could say is, "I know little man, I'm sad to leave too, but we will do it again soon." 

Here's the photo recap of our trip:

Climbing with his buddies.

Reaching new heights!

Ridin' n scootin'.

Racing leaves down stream, and kicking back at the end of a fun filled day enjoying his first s'more:~)

Pickin' 'Em 'N' Eatin' 'Em

Hahahaha! Anyone who has kids of their own may read that title and think this post is about something entirely different. You know, something way less tasty than what this post is actually about;~) Ok, now that I have totally regressed (and probably stolen your appetite even with the picture of delicious chocolate dipped strawberries above (just think of it as an effective dieting strategy;~), let's move on to what this post is actually about--STRAWBERRIES! 

Yesterday we meandered down Highway 1 to Swanton Organic Berry Farm for our annual strawberry picking adventure. (See here for last years post.) It was a gorgeous sunny day on the coast, perfect for pickin' n eatin' red, ripe, juicy strawberries. 

Check out the photo journal our our day below. And don't miss the super easy, super yummy, chocolate dipped strawberry recipe below.

"Hey look a sign we can read. Let's go find the BIG ones." 

"OooOoo, the perfect berry...."

"...and it's mine, all mine!"

"MmmMmm"

"Here it goes..."

Mmm Mmm GOOD:~P

Now that you have your appetite back here's how you make these decadent little morsels of juicy, sweet, chocolate goodness.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

LARGE, JUICY, RIPE STRAWBERRIES

DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS

TO MAKE:

Wash and thoroughly dry strawberries. Then melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a dish in the microwave. (I used a pyrex measuring cup which I placed in a pan of water and heated on the stove. It worked great and ended up being the perfect size to dipped the berries in once the chocolate chips were melted.) Before dipping the berries, line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place it next to the container of melted chocolate. Now, holding the strawberries by their stems, dip them one at a time in the chocolate and then place them on the cookie sheet to cool. (You can also place them in the fridge to speed up the process if you can't wait;~) Oh, and something you probably won't read in other recipes, when the chocolate starts running low and you can no longer dip the strawberries, you have to use the leftover berries as you would a spatula to scrap up the remaining melted chocolate and then eat them to clean up. Total time saver;~)