whole parenting family

Weekly Eats Saturday // Volume 2

October 31, 2014

Hi hi hi. Did you see how we’re doing weekly linkups & comment love on meal plans? Volume 1 for your perusal. I cannot tell you how awesome it was to read all your posts, comments, and take your advice and food ideas to heart. AA said in total shock “YOU MADE A MEAL PLAN???!?” Yes, I responded. Because of my friends in my computer!!!!! If you’re new, it’s very simple. Bloggers write a post with their meal plan (replete with pics, puuuleeeaze because this mama eats with her eyes). Normal people share via comment what they’re going to feed their brood or own gullet. You’re holding me accountable for making a meal plan and giving me inspiration. I cannot thank you enough!! Add your comments & links! Open all week! — Sunday: Dutch Pancakes & Pork Meatballs. I had a wonderful girls’ weekend a while back with my mommy dear friends. We all love food. They are all amazing foodies. One gave me this meatball recipe. TO DIE FOR! Do not overcook it like I did the first time I tried it. Mary, they were nothing like yours. Hoping to make it better this go ’round. Your recipe is AMAZING! Dutch pancake recipe here. Meatballs . . . 1 egg 1/2 cup finely chopped cooking apples 2 or 3 teaspoons snipped fresh sage 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed 1 pound ground pork -Mix and form into 1 inch meatballs. -Bake at…

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Week Eats Saturday :: linkup, comment up, food help for meal planning

October 25, 2014

Hi friends! I’m so so so excited about this new linkup. I also have no idea what I’m doing. Patient with me? Pretty please? So here’s the plan. I am going to slap this baby up here every Saturday morning until you tell me to stop. I’m going to meal plan aloud, and then get really excited about all the ideas you’re telling me, and probably change my meal plan all up. But that’s okay! If you’re a blogger, follow the linkup below and post your actual meal plan blog page. If you’re a normal person, {hi, Molly}, comment with a recipe or seven that you’re going to do // like or just food planning tips. Share your wisdom with the masses! I have a few recipe posts from the past. 4 Easy Family Recipes // 7 Yummy Recipes // Quinoa You’ll Like // Whole Grain Pancakes // and Baking for the Mama Heart (and more, yes, search for “food” in the search box. My plan: Sunday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Monday: Swiss Chard & Sweet Potato Gratin. Tuesday: Veggie Bean Soup. Exactly what it sounds like. No recipe. Just chop veggies & beans and add cheese. Basic basis soup. Wednesday: Tilapia (white fish) and coconut rice with mango & red pepper & onion. My BFF made this for me. And it is SO good. Thank you, Sarah! And check out her recipes over there. White rice (long grain or short) cooked in coconut milk, fish pan friend with seasoning of…

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instagrammer? help?

August 27, 2014

What I think my day looks like: What my day really looks like: So now I’m on instagram. WHOOOOOAAAAA NELLY! It’s all because of two ladies: Jacqui & Grace. Follow them & their blogs/social mediums? Better or trouble! But I need your help. How do I operate it? How do I connect? How do I find other things I’m into? What the helllllo are ###HASHTAGS###? Come be my friend? Maybe when I figure it out I’ll get the old grammar whammer up here on ye old blog. It’s crowded. Speaking of that, what would you like to see/not seen on the home page around here? Can you be my consultant? Won’t you be my neighbor? Punchy mom after long day with kids. Forgive the iPhone photo dump. X to the O. Best line of the day: SuperBoy shows me his finger complete with long booger adhered: “MAMA WHERE CAN I PUT THIS? In your nose?” Um. I have enough of my own. #dutchnoseproblems #peoplewithbignoses #bignoseshavebigboogers –see what I mean about the hashtags? She’s not too sure about this boy bonding going on here.  

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dear nurse having a bad day

August 25, 2014

So you have a bad day, taking . . . down. Sing a sad song just to turn it around. You say . . . don’t lie. Something something something. You had a bad DAAAAAY. You had a bad day. Maybe I should sing this for Kelly’s lip-sinc contest? Dear Nurse Having a Bad Day, I’m so sorry my two children and I are bothering you at your workplace. I’m so sorry that one of them is in the sling, fussy and unhappy because I interrupted his nap to drag him to this place of needles. I’m so sorry my four year old is inquisitive and squirmy and trying to read his free copy of Highlights {doesn’t that take you back?} from the lobby–a copy which you are quick to inform him MUST STAY IN THE LOBBY. Did you have a bad night? Did you not get enough coffee? I am genuinely sorry. I understand. I also had a bad night with a four year old who couldn’t sleep, a thunderstorm with lightening and thunder so pounding I literally leapt up in bed and snatched my baby to my chest shaking when I thought our house had been hit. It hadn’t. He didn’t like that kind of middle of the night wakeup that didn’t involve immediate nursing. I also haven’t had breakfast. Because I was sleeping til the last minute, trying to avoid the puddle spots all over the bed, some dried, some fresh of either spit up, or a leaky diaper. I…

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taking peace and quiet when you can

August 22, 2014

What am I, Italian? Love the hand gestures, dork. My parents generously offered to watch the big kids for a weekend getaway for us and BabyLoves to go to the Lodge. It’s our magical home away from home in Wisconsin. The acreage includes hills, a trout stream, paths in the woods, lots of woods, more bugs and dirt than you can shake a stick at. It’s paradise. We scooted out Friday night in time for the stars to guide our path. We slept in. We talked all day. I mean, literally. It was probably the first time we’d had uninterrupted conversation for . . . years? I took my time cooking in the kitchen. No rushing, cajoling to eat, or fake “gotta go potties” so they can escape. Just sweet meals with my sweet man and big baby. Heaven. Later that night my parents dropped off the big kids so SuperBoy & AA could camp in a tent in the yard–a big notion drawn from reading the Hardy Boys aloud. And they could all go fishing. Not sure if there were any worms on those hooks. Not sure if they had hooks. That little white speck? That’s SweetPea–view from kitchen window! That little red speck? SuperBoy harassing her. This reminds me of a Thomas Cole sort of painting. Enormous landscape; small people. Because a girl needs to know how to catch dinner: And a boy needs to know how to wash up afterwards. And my heart & hands are full, wearing my…

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BabyLoves sleeps and sleeps happily

August 20, 2014

I couldn’t have ordered up an easier sleeper. *dodging shoes & old tomatoes now* Please, take pity on me as SweetPea never slept through the night til after we night weaned her (that’s fancy crunchy talk for stopped nursing her when she cried and woke up at night) at 12 months and then my poor sainted husband spent 4-6 weeks rocking her back to sleep most nights. Now you can think, oh, you should have let her cry it out; it’s your own fault she was a bad sleeper. Had that thought or similar? Fair enough. But she was a real peanut size wise and breastmilk was her best caloric intake. And I didn’t intend for it to keep going. Every night we’d stare at the ceiling and murmur out of exhaustion to each other should we go get her? should i go in there and nurse? should we come up with an actual plan here? So when this fat baby–sorry, but when you start out at an ounce shy of 10 pounds and you’re already clear up near 15–I mean adorably big baby latched on happily, nursed himself asleep, and has been an amazingly sound sleeper ever since the get-go, we have been relieved and delighted. I’ve written a ton about sleep and lack thereof. So search sleep on the homepage if you need tips or help or commiserating. My most read post on it is this little ditty here. I have a new sleeping helper to tell you about, too. I…

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