Let It Snow Snow Snow

I woke up and looked outside. I had no idea it was supposed to snow. What a surprise!

I immediately prepared everything we would need to take a quick trip outside to play in the snow. Remember my recent post about acquiring an amazing Catimini sweater for next to nothing? Dalia's snow pants are from that same trip!

My heart was warm today with the thought of showing Dalia snow. I love being outside. I love fresh air. Winter air helps me breathe better (totally weird but true). Once Dalia woke up I brought her right to the window (the same one we spend hours at gazing away at the birds eating from our feeders) and showed her snow. Her smile was incredible.

I love watching Dalia see new things. I love being a part of her childhood and reliving those beautiful experiences through her eyes. It is magical. It is what life is all about.

So obviously I had my camera handy to take plenty of shots for daddy. He melted (no pun intended) on the phone when I told him his little angle was making snow angles (and she really did make them, instinctively). Topping off the trip outdoors was a ride in her new wagon (shout out to Grammi and Papa for the sweet Hanukah gift).

And now I get to share it with you guys as well.

And how did we end our afternoon of fun? A delish batch of "good for you" home made muffins (think flax meal, oat flour, ground nuts, applesauce, and a splash of organic blue agave). I topped our snack off with a delicious, traditionally-brewed cup of red almond tea (in

my absolute FAVORITE mug) and cuddled up on the couch to a(nother) episode of that red furry Elmo.

Crispy Kale Chips

Baked, not fried.

As we continue to strive for a healthier and more vegetarian diet (actually we just finished our last bit of meat in the freezer and are now doing the vegetarian thing), we find ourselves amazed by what we find at the market. Kale is not something that is foreign to our diet by any means; we love dark, leafy greens! But when you have a sandwich and you want something delicious, a little bit salty, and crunchy, the options are pretty limited. After much research I decided to whip up a batch of crispy kale chips tonight.

You might enjoy them--give 'em a try!

1 bunch of kale

2 tablespoons evoo

salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350

Rinse kale and thoroughly dry kale(very important--dry=crispy)

Tear into about 2 inch, bite-size pieces

Toss to coat with evoo

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and then add kale

Bake for 12-20 minutes, until the kale feels like paper

Remove and salt (feel free to add whatever spices or herbs that suit your buds!)

Other culinary adventures:

I was a mad woman in the kitchen today whipping up some treats for our little girl:

mango and banana pudding

asparagus with fresh basil

broccoli with garlic

carrots with parsley

steamed pear

And for the bigger people:

a batch of whole wheat, flax, wheat germ, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies

yum yum yum

Happy Friday

Baked Goods

I went to sleep last night smelling this awesome baked good, a creation of H-I know I am a lucky gal:

Somehow in our crazy life as new parents, we manage to bake-a LOT. If you know us, you know we love to cook and watch cooking shows.

And it just about made up for the complete lack of sleep we got last night. Yes, no sleep is exactly what happened. Oddly enough, when you (H) are running on empty to begin with AND you (H) find yourself stumbling around at 4 am trying to put a cloth nappy on a wiggling, screaming 5 month old baby, you (H) sometimes put the baby back into pee soaked jams only to hear the voice of a somewhat grumpy yet wide-eyed and laughing mommy.

It was a pretty hilarious run of events and we wish you could have had front row seats. But, our home smelled like fresh baked banana bread, and that, my friends, made it all better.