This past (long) weekend was important for family time because Kyle headed back out of town for business on Tuesday morning (after being away the previous week). Gotta soak it up for the few days he’s around! I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, but since his start-up is young and fragile, it’s important to take advantage of these opportunities so the company will continue to thrive. Growing pains are good. As I type this he is en route to Colorado…10 hours into the 18.5 hour drive. Ouch.
So anyway. Saturday.
He slept in while I did my morning thing with P.
Breakfast #1 of hash browns (roasted potatoes made in advance in the oven) topped with a fried egg and coconut bacon.
Breakfast #2 of quinoa, Udi’s GF granola, peanut butter, & almond milk. Plus even more almond milk so everything drowned.
I’m all about the post-photo almond milk pour. But then I’m a soggy food person (soggy cereal, soggy salads, soggy everything).
Lunch was a big salad with all the fridge contents I could gather, including carrots, tomatoes, avocado, & hard boiled eggs on a bed of spring greens.
Kyle finally woke up in the afternoon [he’s not lazy, he was doing night shifts]. I made him lunch and then we headed off to catch the very end of the Davis Farmer’s Market.
I wanted to get some stuff for us to eat that evening because I had planned on doing a small plates kind of thing instead of an actual meal for dinner.
Here’s how our wonderful Satur-date shaped out.
If you asked any of my close family and friends what I wanted most at the end of my pregnancy they would tell you a mimosa. I love mimosas. Actually I just love champagne.
So when I went into labor Kyle put this in the fridge before we headed to the hospital.
It was a wedding present that we kept saving for a special occasion. It’s pathetic that it took this long…why I feel like saving things for later is beyond me. I need to focus more on living it up in the present. Seize the day! Pop the damn cork!
So we finally did. This past weekend. After the bottle sat in our fridge in Santa Monica for 2 months and then another month here in Davis. Lame.
At least we finally did it up right!
To go along with our fancy Dom Perignon, we enjoyed dinner nibbles al fresco.
It was so awesome we decided to make it a weekly tradition.
The spread: strawberries (farmer’s market), GF crackers (glutino and Mary’s Gone black pepper) and non GF crackers (Milton’s), goat gouda (farmer’s market), candied walnuts, [not pictured] hard boiled eggs.
I knew I wanted the same goat gouda we got at the famer’s market last weekend. Beyond that, I just chose what looked good. I was going to get grapes, but the berries at the market looked crazy awesome (and they were!). The Co-op was completely out of the original Mary’s Gone crackers, which are my number one choice in GF snacks. The black pepper was on sale so I decided to take a chance. For the record, I don’t really like peppery things, but they taste the exact same as the OG flavor (to me). The glutino crackers were also yummy. I’d never tried them before and normally I wouldn’t get both at once but Kyle urged me to treat myself so I did. They taste very similar to their (delicious) GF pretzels.
Along with the candied walnuts and hard boiled eggs it was a great feast. We had two rounds of the above, so by the end the cheese and champagne were gone and we were both stuffed.
Sunday wasn’t overly exciting.
I started the day with potatoes and an egg (again).
And then had a PB&J with coconut bacon. More on that later.
We went on a family walk in the afternoon, followed by a trip to Walmart. I don’t think I’d ever been to a Walmart before this. Whoa. There’s some seriously amusing people watching there.
We went to get a bocce ball set for our house-warming/Memorial Day party, but ended up getting lots of food for the party there as well. I was really surprised by all the veggie options actually! They had a decent gluten free pantry section and vegetarian frozen section, and although it wasn’t organic, the produce was pretty impressive as well. Noted.
Kyle and I got take-out sushi for dinner because I didn’t feel like cooking.
Of all the days to be overcast and gloomy, the weather gods chose Memorial Day. The day of our house-warming party. Wah wah. It even drizzled in the morning! First “rain” since we’ve been in Nor Cal.
I don’t have any pics of breakfast because I was busy getting the house ready – vacuuming, cleaning, cooking, etc.
I did throw together a snack plate at some point around noon. Basically a repeat from Saturday night.
In spite of the crap weather, we had a great turnout. And P finally got to meet his buddy Kevin (born 4 months before him). Seems like their baby shower was only yesterday, and yet, I had only JUST announced my pregnancy at that point (although not yet on the blog).
Now our little group has 3 babies and another one on the way… Hands on the belly pics are totally creepy and yet totally necessary.
We almost pass as adults.
For food, we had a mix of options.
Sabra hummus. Naturally. A few people brought salads (corn, black bean, & tomato and macaroni). A lot of people brought booze.
I made a spinach dip with greek yogurt.
And some other small bites.
Nestle candy.
Chips and Sabra salsa. Yum! Jalapeno business.
Orange water (made with our neighbors oranges).
We offered both kinds of burgers (veggie and regular) and sausage. I had a serious dilemma in deciding what to BBQ. On the one hand, it’s my party and I should be able to call the shots in what food is offered. But what kind of hostess doesn’t take into consideration her guests’ diets and food preferences? Almost every time I go to a friend’s house, they accommodate me and Kyle, offering veggie fare. Of course, I always offer to bring my own as well. Is it rude to say, I don’t eat meat, so you can’t while you’re at my house? Maybe. I’m not sure. Does Emily Post have a response to this etiquette inquiry?
Beer was definitely a given.
My little nugget enjoyed lots of attention.
Family photo op!
By the time everyone left, it was bed time for P. I didn’t feel so hot after snacking the day away, but I still felt like I needed something before bed so I had a few handfuls of nuts.
After bath and story time, I nursed P til he fell asleep. Then I made Kyle a veggie strata for the road and packed him a bunch of healthy food so he wouldn’t be stranded on the road with only gas station crap.
I sent him to the store to get a foil pan to made the strata in and he came home with a bread loaf pan. Oh well. I made it work.
The next morning was bittersweet because we had to say goodbye to Kyle, but then we hit the road to go to see my mom.
I had an oatmeal/granola/banana creation that I drowned in almond milk.
Happy Birthday Grandma!
My sister and I took my mom out to lunch at La Boulange for her b-day.
So many yummy things on the menu to choose from! I ultimately went with a salad…even though the breakfast fare (and fresh baked goods) are so tempting.
The above is my smoked trout salad with apple, potatoes, avocado, walnut croutons, and greens. The walnut croutons weren’t at all what I expected (they were actually fresh walnut bread chunks), but I liked them. It was a really good salad and I’d for sure order it again.
P fell asleep during lunch while still maintaining his grip on the rings. Standard.
Mom and baby sis.
And now I’m back in Davis. What a weekend!
Looks like a great weekend! And I always try making Meeker food to eat on road trip…but I’ll be honest, I think he prefers the gas station crap. 🙂
(also, bummed you’re not headed out to CO with Kyle this time, but I totally get it. That is a LONG drive for the little guy. Maybe next time!)
I can totally relate with the husband traveling. Mine is gone at least 2 weeks a month. It’s so hard with a little one. I can’t imagine having another kid right now. It’s difficult and he feels like he’s missing out on a lot. I’m glad he’s looking for another job but I can understand he doesn’t want to be stuck in an office all day.
Ok, first things first – love love the pic of you holding P with him eating his fist at the party, close second is the family one, you look so in love with your life. Second thing – he is crazy for those rings?! I wonder what it is about them – so lucky u r capturing all this pictorially and lyrically.
Your carrots and eggs (googeys) look so different to our ones – how do you get such small carrots, and they always look so smooth? And the eggs are small & almost round…. Ours are longish. That salad with the walnut bread looked great, I had a Niçoise salad with seared tuna for lunch today – was lovely. Come visit me (with P of course) I will buy you salad!
Your new backyard is huge! Glad u had date night too 🙂
Ok, be quiet Lori – hey to P x
Cheers
Lori
Oh I have that same dilemma too. We are 100% vegan but strange enough no friends that eat vegan. We just never know what to serve at a BBQ and provide for those that don’t eat vegan. Glad we aren’t the only ones with the problem. ha-ha Your weekend looked lovely!
My family all eats vegetarian but our friends don’t. So when I’m having a dinner party (or cocktails and snackies) I make all vegetarian stuff that is super-flavorful and very filling so they don’t “miss the meat” (and I’ve only had compliments, never any complaints). On the other hand, when we’re just having some people over to bbq, I tell them they can bring meat to grill if they want. I know some veg* folks won’t allow animal products in their homes, but I don’t do that. I won’t buy meat for them, but I won’t force them to eat a grilled veggie burger either (somehow veg grilling options just don’t appeal to as many people, whereas I can make a dinner option where no one will even care that it’s vegetarian).
It looks like a great open house, sorry the weather was a bit gloomy. I don’t think it’s rude to not serve meat at your house. I think people would probably enjoy trying new foods they don’t typically eat, at least I know I do. Especially with all the great sides you have as well.
i’m sad i missed this!!! i think i need to plan a special trip just to davis this summah. game?
Yay more chunky little P pics!
Your yard is huge and beautiful. I definitely have envy. As for party food, I don’t provide or prepare meat for guests. If we ordered pizza or something, then I wouldn’t care if someone wanted pepperoni, but I’m just not comfortable cooking or touching meat. My husband is welcome to, though. I offer non-weird veggie food so it’s accessible to all (i.e. beans and cheese instead of seitan or soy products).
Looks like such a nice little party!
Funny that you saved the champagne for so long; I do the same thing! Saving nice things for special occasions.. but there are so rarely times where you think ‘well this is certainly a special occasion’ during the moment
well sometimes its kinda a novelty. but since hes gonna be gone for well over a week, i think itll get old.
im still possibly going to join him at the end. i havent bought a flight bc they dont know how long itll take them to clean yet, but im still thinking about it…
truthfully, im not thrilled (read: scared) w my first flight w baby being solo 🙁 i have to muster up the strength!
it sucks, huh 🙁
but having his own business > office job
youre so sweet lori 🙂
youre right on the grilling options. field roast is good stuff but $$$$ so aside from that theres not much grilling products i would serve a meat eater who’s not interested in non-meat to try and win them over. i had lots of ideas but it was a casual thing so apps were pretty much enough.
for the most part people just brought theyre own meat.
totes. imma call you today i think. pending p’s nap sitch.
i know what you mean. and at the same time (without getting all deep on you), i think wtf am i waiting for!?! life is short, i should just enjoy it now!
thank you! like i said, our yard was a huuuge selling point for the move 🙂
i didnt touch the meat. kyle handled it minimally, but we basically let others do the grilling on the meat products. i kinda feel similar to you about it being in the house. trying to be inclusive as best i can without compromising myself.
Breakfast #1 sounds SO fantastic. I am seriously so intrigued by the coconut “bacon.” I need to make that ASAP!
If you and Ethel talk like the above commentary, in real life – then please, PLEASE, can I be part of your gang?!?
ha! sounds good sarah 🙂
BBQ seems like a weird exception, doesn’t it? If I were having people over for any other kind of meal, I wouldn’t serve meat, and no-one would expect it. But I think because BBQ is such a meat focused concept, I would feel odd not providing meat if I were having people over (just like I would never assume that there’d be anything vegetarian to BBQ if I were going to someone else’s house). Although I would definitely make people cook it themselves!
exactly! id never cook meat if it were a sit down thing, but theres something about bbqing in a casual outdoor setting that makes it seem like im neglecting my job as a hostess by not providing something. we got regular burgers but not very many and told everyone else to byo meat. kyle let them cook most of it, he just manned the grill so the veggie burgers would be separate and utensils /grill space didnt mix, etc.