autumn treasures

Most seasons start out gradually as they work their way to their "best moments". Winter doesn't usually come barreling through (unless you live in New York). Winter starts out with a chill in the air and frost in the grass that glistens in the sunshine that is peaking through the clouds, trying to keep those mums in bloom just a little bit longer. And Spring, it makes it's entrance with tiny tips of tulips poking through traces of snow on the ground and the sound of birds flying back home from their warm winter on the beach. Summer makes the least prominent entrance. In July when the temperatures are near 100 degrees everyone always says "When did Summer arrive?".

This past week has been one of those weather urban legends. The ones that you picture an old farmer to tell when harvesting his last crop of the year. The temperatures have been in the mid 70's to mid 80's, gorgeous blue skies, bright sunshine.... and slowly changing foliage. That slow change in color gives me the chance to take it all in, and really appreciate and recognize how sometimes the insignificant things in life truly are the most spectacular.

summer sauce

Every August, I look forward to what I refer to as a taste of pure sunshine. The anticipation of that first taste as the aroma fills the house while the tomatoes are cooking. But there is so much more than that. There were the first chilly months of March and April, when I tucked those tomato seeds into a small peat pot of soil and cared for them in my warm home. I diligently watered those baby tomato sprouts until they were ready to be planted in my garden, that I had lovingly prepared for months.

The first few flowers start to bloom on the tomato plants in about June, and I know there are still many weeks until the tomatoes will be ready for picking. Every day when I water them, it's a constant reminder of all that I've put in, and all that I will surely enjoy.

When those tomatoes start to turn yellow, then orange, and finally red I grab the closest basket, bucket, apron (or dress), and gently twist the tomatoes off of the vine and gather all of the ripe ones. Most recently, 18 ripe ones. My first batch of summer sauce, of the year.

Preparing, planting, watering, picking, chopping, cooking. The brief time line of the journey... all the while dreaming of this very moment. The first bite, of summer.

While all of my other tomatoes hang out in the garden and ripen, I can only imagine how they'll end up.... salsa, sandwiches, bruchetta .... and my mouth waters with anticipation.

<- what was left over after dinner! Head over to my cooking blog to get the recipe.

New look

It's hard to believe that it will be August in a few days! Where did the summer go? It's almost time for Owen to go back to school, and the days to get shorter. Before we know it, we will be picking apples and pumpkins, and going for hayrides. Sometimes when life gets crazy, we have to tell ourselves to slow down and enjoy the ride.



I have just begun a new ride, that at the moment, I wish wouldn't be going so slow. I finally took the plunge and got braces! It is something I had wanted to do for more than five years, so it's hard to believe it's actually my current self. There is the whole surprise factor when I look into the mirror. If I'm just sitting still for a little while, I almost forget that the braces are even there. That is, until I open my mouth and feel the brackets inch painfully past my cheeks. It is without a doubt the most painful decision I have made, but what will most certainly be one of the most rewarding in the end, as well.



One thing that I have found very therapeutic through these rough couple of days has been my gardening. I can get lost in something so natural and organic, while I have all of these metal and ceramic contraptions in my head. It's comforting to me. Our garden has been rapidly producing what is sure to be an abundant supply of tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, carrots and peppers. There is even a huge toad (which, unfortunately I haven't been able to snap a picture of yet) that Owen refers to as Beans (ironically, because he hangs out by the beans AND beans is a lizard character in the movie Rango). I consider beans to be the guardian of our veggies because he is always there, eating potentially harmful bugs from within the wooden walls of the garden.



I am planning on starting a blog of just recipes, and post one recipe a month. I also intend to post at least one "family" update on this blog per week. Especially when I get back into my routine this fall when Owen goes back to school. My most recent blog exclusively follows my journey through braces, and you can find that here which I plan on updating at least once a week as well.



Now, I'm going to spend time with my family and enjoy the rest of the weekend before we get packed up and head to New York on another kind of a journey. The one that ends with the last of my siblings getting married. Cheers!

Owen loves Jesus Is A Rock

Sonrise Christian Preschool - Singing 'Jesus Is A Rock' at chapel

On the brink

Facebook and I definitely have a love/hate relationship. There are times when I'm missing friends or family, and it's nice to be able to connect with them even though they are hundreds or thousands of miles away. It's comforting to log on and see new pictures posted by a friend, and those miles don't seem very long. Almost as quickly as you can view a picture, you feel like you are there with them.

Unfortunately, lately those friendly images have been overtaken by annoyances. For the past week, every time I have logged in I have found an abundance of potent negativity that is running rampant. Like an unstoppable force it's overwhelming my news feed. If it's not someone complaining about something, or purposely trying to start drama, it's just general negativity. The kind that makes me want to just delete my account.

But.... that tiny bit of sparkle makes me ride it out. It's the sparkle, those close friends and family, that help me see the silver lining of a negative world, as well. So, I can tough it out for them on Facebook.

And a Facebook account on the brink of deletion lives on to see another day.

Designed for the Side Sleeper

After five excruciating days AND nights of neck pain I had had enough. I knew that one night I went to sleep pain-free, and the next morning I woke up barely able to move my head completely to the side. Over the next few days that pain gradually got worse until there was so much resistance, I could not look completely to my right OR my left. This pain was at the base of my skull, and felt like someone had put a metal bolt right through my neck - very Frankenstein-esque.

In the past, I have been no stranger to waking up with neck pain. SO, I decided to invest in a new pillow. I was quite skeptical on how something as simple as a pillow could cause or prevent so much pain. Little did I know, there were hundreds of different kinds of pillows for different kinds of sleepers. Crazy? Well, not so much. It makes sense. Brian likes a thin, soft pillow. I have always needed something of more substance.

I went out on my adventure of pillow shopping. So many to choose from. But I must say, they do make the overwhelming white redundancy more manageable by creating a color system for different sleep positions. *cue harp* ~ a whole section of pillows designed for SIDE SLEEPERS! Has this been the cause of my random neck pain for the past 10 years? Was it really THAT simple?? Part of me wished it was a cure, and the other part wanted to stay oblivious just because it seemed so simple.

Last night, I made the bed in fresh sheets and shoved my huge, thick, FIRM side sleeper pillow into the pillow case. It was so plump that it looked like a stuffed sausage. I climbed in bed, and immediately felt how comfortable my head and neck were. No strain, not one bit of pain. "We shall see how I feel in the morning" I thought to myself as I quickly drifted off to sleep.

Next morning..... I woke up to Owen climbing into the bed. I looked to my left... NO PAIN! Ummmm, seriously?? I excitedly moved my head back and forth. No resistance, no pain! Hallelujah!

Wow. This pillow was worth every penny.

For the love of.... Gymboree?

Owen, April 2008. Wearing Gymboree, of course.

First let me all tell you how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. He is so supportive of my Gymboree obsession. Whether or not he actually appreciates the fine detail in design or not, he will at least sit there and listen to my whole talk about the new line. He patiently watches while I show him every new item I just purchased. He puts up with a lot when it comes to my Gymboree obsession. So much so, that he even wants to start up a Gymboree franchise (also because he probably feels like he knows the whole company because of me). Who better to put in charge then a Gymboree addict, right? ;)

But see, that right there is true love. Loving every single thing about your partner. The weird quirks they have, and appreciating that person for who they are. The Gymboree side of me is something reasonably new, within the past five years. This wasn't something Brian "signed on for" when we were married almost seven years ago. But, he loves how passionate I am about Gymboree clothes, that passion is something I've always possessed. It was just expressed in different ways before I was a mom. Now being a mom has over taken me, and I am most proud of the accomplishments of my child, and general mom things that might seem dull to non-moms. My husband even says that he thinks our son is the best dressed kid whenever he takes him to the playground, or when we are out as a family. To me, that is just as sweet as him telling me I look beautiful. To me, it is sweet to hear those words because I know it's coming from his heart. He knows how happy it will make me when I hear it coming from him, knowing that he notices and cares. It's true, I respect his opinion and like to know that he thinks I'm doing a good job.... even if his positive comment is about our sons wardrobe.

I put a lot of thought into what our son wears each day. His outfit is always perfect coordinated, from head to toe... all matching. I always get compliments from teachers, other parents, and strangers. But, it will always mean the most when it's from my best critic..... my biggest fan.

Balsamic Chicken with White Beans & Spinach

Ready in just 30 minutes, this entree brings the flavor of Tuscany into your home!

This was a big hit in our house, Brian and I both had leftovers for lunch today. Can't beat that!

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup

1 can (about 15 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained

1 bag (about 7 ounces) fresh baby spinach

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
  
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Stir the soup and beans in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the spinach. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the spinach is wilted.