I have two three (!) weeks of menus to catch up on so I’ll be short and concise with the details here, but I love our weekends and wanted to share the photos of the past couple. We have finally been at home! It feels so luxurious to not travel and have the downtime to do errands and hang out around town. Sundays are sacred football days so we try to plan very little for those days – thereby leaving Saturdays for swimming lessons, farmer’s market, grocery shopping, vacuuming, park play dates and everything else. Sometimes “nothing” turns into a really packed day, but as long as Sunday is left open, it’s all good.
Because Kyle and I both love doing swimming lessons, we switched them from Thursday to the weekend, that way Kyle and I can alternate who accompanies P in the pool. After a few weekends of us attending as a foursome, we recently realized that dividing and conquering is actually better for everyone. Solo bonding time with each child is getting to be especially valuable these days so we are constantly switching up who does what with who. Plus, we always hit up farmer’s market together as a family afterwards so it’s nice to have the one on one time first. Saturday morning market is great because we haven’t been making it to the Wednesday evening one as much (just doesn’t work with V’s bedtime routine). Sometimes we get breakfast, sometimes we just play in the park and listen to music. And get produce. Obviously.
On this particular Sabado I did swimming with P and waited until we got downtown to eat. So I needed a major breakfast by the time we got to market. Flour Chyld hooked it up with a bunch of gluten free goodies. I enjoyed an almond flour chocolate scone thing, half a baguette, half a coffee cake, and a soy misto (from SBUX). Cost $$$$ but the weekends are for splurging, no?
The weekends are also for bottle training.
Last weekend we did a bootcamp style approach to see if we could get V to take a bottle. I have a freezer stash of milk that could probably get V to her first birthday (no joke) so it was time to force her to use it. So Kyle gave her bottles and I pumped the entire weekend long. It only took her two bottles to realize what was going on. After that, easy peasy down the hatch. Kyle continued to give them to her all Saturday and Sunday and by Monday she was a pro. See that pic up there? That’s me (ME!!) giving her a bottle on Monday after she sucked me dry by noon. She must be going through a growth spurt so the timing of the bottle success could not have been more…uhhh…timely. She didn’t get any more bottles until next weekend when Kyle and I split time – him feeding her with a bottle after I nursed her for her first session in the morning. Still pumping, naturally, to keep that supply up.
Ignore the freezer chaos, I reorganized right after this photo was taken because my OCD couldn’t handle it.
The important thing to note is (a) it’s still popsicle weather even half way through October (we keep getting glimpses of fall and then – BAM – 90 degrees the next day); and (b) I finally figured out how to use the popsicle molds!
It only took me three summer seasons to do so. Fail.
This was nothing but watermelon and salt blended and poured into the popsicle mold. A friend made them a few months back and they were on my to-make list because they were SO GOOD. It seems odd how something so basic could be as good as it was, but really, it tasted like some fancy sorbet. Bonus, it’s a super easy (and healthy) thing to give to P that he thinks is such a treat.
THRIVE delivery!!! Oh happy day. 🙂
This chocolate bar is the best thing everrrrrrr. The almonds were good but nothing special. The (above) dark coconut toffee Alter Eco bar, however, was thebestthingI’veevertasted. I’ve already ordered another two in my next shipment. The (below) dark salted brown butter Alter Eco bar was only so so.
Another weekend ritual that’s seemed to stick – alt least these past few weekends – is waffles on Sunday.
I make a batch of the banana buckwheat pancake batter from Gwyneth’s It’s All Good, but make it into waffles instead.
We all love them and it usually provides four servings, so the one extra portion goes to mama on Monday. 🙂
They are so soft and light, which just proves that eggs are not needed for baked goods. We are getting much closer to vegan / vegetarian these days. Still eating meat at many dinners, but the rest of the day is animal free.
The next weekend…
Swimming, market, shopping, errands, repeat.
Saturday sips.
I got another baguette from Flour Chyld which I had with my kale and avo salad beast of a lunch. Everything KALE.
Bulk baking.
I owe you recipes.
I have a giveaway coming too. If I don’t disappear for another century. [Don’t worry, I won’t]
This week we went to a bike shop on the way home from farmer’s market. To do some shopping for my birthday! It’s been almost three years that we have lived in Davis now and it’s practically a criminal offense to not have a bicycle in this town. I’m embarrassingly behind. Soon I will get a pretty bike to haul my babes in our trailer. I took the photo of the bike above because I like the wheels/tires. I want flashy colored ones too. Maybe pink.
Friends stopping by on the way through.
I got a pedicure! And early birthday present from a girlfriend. I chose pink for breast cancer awareness. I love October. Feel up your boobs ladies. I mean it. Do it now.
That juice is alright. Not amazing. My favorite combo is beet, carrot, kale, apple, and ginger but there aren’t juice places in Davis and the WF doesn’t press juice either so I had to settle for a bottled one. This evolution sweet greens & ginger was celery and parsley ified, but decent nonetheless.
Oh hi waffle Sunday. Almond buttah in allll the nooks and crannies.
Block party with the neighborhood! I ended up bringing cookies because the pasta I made looked like vomit. Gluten free noodles aren’t easy to cook in bulk. Ugh. Lesson learned. P had fun playing with all the neighborhood kids and we had fun getting to know the rest of our neighbors that we don’t know.
You can freeze hummus? I never even thought of that!!
Hello Elise, my names lucy, been reading your blog for a while, found it when I was pregnant twomen years ago and still a vegetarian, up until six months ago I had been a veg for nine years! Anyway I always love each your recipes and take on things. And lately I have really wanted to transition back, my son has so excited allergies though too, soy is a big one and some others and I can’t seem to get a grip on what to do, this is turNing into randomNess. I guess I notice you talk a lot about veg meals still and was wondering your thoughs? If you’re going start full time again, if you miss it? Sorry for the novel!
One so many mistakes in that, writing on a phone!
Hi Lucy! Ha. I get the gist of your message.
I go back and forth and think about it often. There’s SO much more than I can write right here, but to briefly answer…
Yes. Now that P has “outgrown” (or whatever you call it when he no longer reacts to a food) various allergens, it makes me wonder if we could go back to a meatless way of living again. I do miss it. I don’t feel like eating meat is something I will continue long term.
P likes animal protein a lot, but isn’t as obsessed with it as he used to be. And now that he eats a decent amount of nuts, seeds, beans, and soy, I’m inclined to transition away from eating as much meat. Kyle is on board with whatever I want (he’s not a huge tofu lover, but would eat it once a week – otherwise he loves vegetarian meals). The one thing that’s prevented me from making any major moves is the caloric nature of a plant based diet. It takes a LOOOOOT to fill our family up. P is a vacuum. And meat is such a dense source that fills him up. Kyle and I also have massive appetites. Whenever we eat veg meals, we need to quadruple our portions and it just gets to be a little insane for our grocery shopping. Quality meat is $$$, but a little goes a long way. Anyway. I have no solid answers.
I will say we have been easily vegan for breakfasts and lunches lately and it feels effortless and natural. I’ve just gotten into the habit of making dinner be our meal with meat but that doesn’t really have to be the way anymore.
I’m really sorry about your son. Soy is hard because it’s in EVERYTHINGGGGG. I don’t know what other allergies your son has, but there are definitely ways to do soy free vegetarian. Once you eliminate other things though (nuts, seeds, gluten, dairy, etc), it gets really tough. Good luck! Let me know if you have any other more specific questions. I’m happy to help in any way.
Love the updates–aren’t weekends the best?!?!
yes!
Hello again! Thank you for responding (sorry for the typos in the last comment!!). I feel exactly the same way about filling up with meat, the cost is a lot lower then when we were full veg. I have been craving to go back to veg like crazy, meat has been hard to cook even, my husband’s handy in the kitchen and helps, I find myself just not interested. My son however notices as well if we eat different food. As of now he’s totally alergic to soy (you’re right, it is in EVERYTHING-sigh) and strawberries and bananas, gets major hIves from those guys. Peanuts seem ok, haven’t tried any nuts yet, have a big allergy test coming up for him, we’ll see. Had one when he was one, hoping it’s better. Mostly I find myself frustrated, a bit stuck. Always enjoyed your take and your baddass ninja cooking skills! Maybe I’ll transition like you mentioned, a couple meals a day!
Pingback: The weekly menu | Hungry Hungry Hippie
Sweet bebees. Food looks heavenly as usual! Love