three girls at home

Back in the saddle again

2012-02-08T16:13:00.001-08:00

I have been drawing every day again lately. T is 16 months old and plays pretty well on her own now, and that means I can draw. Well, at least I can draw for a few minutes at a time. So here are a couple drawings I have done lately from my small moleskine sketchbook of "tiny things".

since I was here last...

2011-02-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

Almost a year has passed since I last posted here... and probably no one has really noticed that I disappeared. But, if anyone did notice here is a quick update:

This year I had a new baby, was very sick with pre-eclampsia during and just after pregnancy, taught several drawing and painting classes, and then got sick with what seems to be a never-ending sinus infection... it's definitely been a year of ups and downs. I have hardly made any art in months, but I made a beautiful baby, so it's not like I was doing nothing at all. Hopefully I will have more time for art again soon...

Baby sling warning by CPSC

2010-03-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well, there has been a big flap in the babywearing world in the past couple of days. It seems we are about to be warned that "slings" are unsafe by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The problem is this: No matter how you wear them, no matter how you cut it, BAG SLINGS ARE ALWAYS UNSAFE (You can see one in the photo to the left). I teach this all the time in babywearing classes. A bag sling can not support your small baby in a safe position and I ask parents who bring them to me for help to simply throw them away (many have!). When a baby is crunched into the bag part of the sling the baby has no support for a safe spine and head position in this style of carrier. A child can get curled up with chin mushed against chest and can have what is called Positional Asphyxia, or PA, which basically means, they can't breathe because their tiny airway is crunched up. So, yeah, bag slings are bad.... however, many carriers support children in safe and comfortable ways to support their back and head in a way that is safe and appropriate for their developing spine and neck.

The problem is, this is one style of carrier and the media seems to be jumping on all baby carriers and slings as being potentially harmful. Well, let me say this... most things are potentially harmful if used incorrectly, whether it be your baby's car seat, their crib, their swing, their stroller, or their sling or other baby carrier. The important thing that most media sources are failing to report is the information that parents need for safe carrying in a sling or other style of carrier. As parents we are given more instruction on how to keep our babies safe in cribs and car seats (though not enough) Here are some guidelines for safe babywearing:

1) Your baby should always be CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS. That means their head should be high on your chest.
2) Your baby's knees should always be higher than his or her bum so that your baby is sitting safely on their bum.
3) Your sling or carrier should extends up your baby's back to their armpits (if they have head control) or to support the back of the head (if they do not yet have head control).
4) Your child's face should NEVER be covered by the fabric of the carrier or by your clothing.
5) Your baby's bottom should never be below your waist level (if they are close enough to kiss they shouldn't be below your waist).
6) Your baby's head should always be higher then their body.
7) Your baby's head should always be supported unless they have complete head control.
8) Your baby should be snug against your body, not dangling or flopping away from you as if in a sack.

This is a good list of guidelines, and most carriers if used correctly by parents meet these criteria.
If at any time you, as the parent, feel that your child is not safe or comfortable you should take the carrier off and seek help to make it work correctly.

There will be a class on babywearing safety and safe positioning at the Center For Breastfeeding in Sandwich, MA on March 22 at 10:30. If you have questions or concerns I urge you to email me (nora@pinkletinkbaby.com) or come to the class. I am always available to help with slings and carriers.

Let me just say it again... Babywearing is a good thing, but bag slings are bad.... like anything, babywearing can be done incorrectly (just as there are accidents in cars, cribs and strollers!) and things can go wrong. But when done right, babywearing can be your most treasured and special baby bonding expirience. You, as the parent, need to be educated about all aspects of taking care of your baby and it can be a tough job, but babywearing should be something that you strive to do because you and your child will benefit by it. As with everything in life, it is hard to separate fact from fiction sometimes... but the facts in this are simple, babywearing is safe when you follow the rules... just like driving and swimming and using a carseat... all safe and good things, when you are educated and informed.

Here are some useful links to other sites with information about bag slings and sling safety.

What is a bag sling?

Correct Positioning

Common Sense

NY Times Article

Northhampton News report

Clarification for Lucy

2010-02-13T08:51:00.001-08:00

Clarification for Lucy, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

My daughter Lucy is entering fully into the spirit of Valentines day this year, complete with heart shaped pieces of red and pink paper, crayons, and glue... she is thrilled to be making things and the fruits of her labors are scattered over the table and the floor around her. "See my clementines!" she shouts with glee! And Ella corrects her for about the thousandth time, "Silly, Lucy, you mean 'valentines'." What's a mom to do but laugh and paint the picture that pops into her head? And, then it dawned on me... clementines do have one important thing in common with valentines besides a rhyming ending.... they are both at their best when they are proffered after dinner with some nice chocolate :)

Lunch

2010-02-12T09:11:00.001-08:00

Lunch, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

My sense of smell is beginning to return. The sniffles are a little less. It's more like a golf ball up my nose now, not a baseball. With my sense of smell back I can taste things for the first time in days, and I was desperate for good bread. Man may not be able to live on bread alone, but I would make a case that man could live on bread, milk, and fruit alone... at least, I could quite happily....

I finally took a picture of this door that I really like. I wanted to sit and paint it, but in the shade on the other side of the street it was about 25 degrees and windy, so only a photo. When the weather is better I want to paint it though.... right now I think sitting in the wind and the cold would probably bring back the disgusting drippy nose and make the cough more ear (and throat) splitting.... my daughter is complaining about how my cough woke her up this morning.... well, tough luck little one, mum's got a cough and is very tired.

sick and snow

2010-02-11T08:26:00.001-08:00

journal page, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

it snowed down sludge and it's cold and windy today.... and I am sick. I have been for a couple days now and it's a nasty snotty disgusting cold. I feel like someone stuffed a baseball up my nose.... it's both totally stuffed up and dribbling... gross.

On the bright side, I got to do this little sick self portrait with a nice new W&N series 7 kolinsky brush.... I have been slowly replacing all my lousy old worn out brushes (synthetics and blends mostly) with good brushes and I must say, I do love a good brush.... especially in teeny tiny sizes like size 2 and down, it's nice to have brushes that will actually carry a bit of paint even in a very small size.

I made a few valentine postcards for my daughters today too... I will drop them in the mail later today... they are always so thrilled to get mail of their very own :)

cool videos and what have you

2010-02-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am sick with a snotty and disgusting head cold and I spent the day being a total sloth and sniffling and watching youtube videos and reading blogs and stuff like that... and I spent way too long watching the videos at Peter Woolley's website... if you register there you can watch a whole heap of demo videos in watercolor... cool stuff... he makes it look pretty effortless and his art has pretty cool light effects... worth checking out if you are into watercolor.

I also checked out Tommy Kane's blog for a while... it's good fun and he does some pretty great line and wash and he is a pretty funny guy into the bargain :)

Ella's all better and wishing for vacation

2010-02-09T09:02:00.001-08:00

Ella's all better and wishing for vacation, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

Ella had her follow-up appointment at Children's Hospital with the pulmonologist. They said her lungs are completely back to normal from the pneumonia and pleural effusion and all back in October. I heaved a huge sign of relief to know that! Not that I thought there would be anything wrong still, but it's good to know it's well and truly behind us.

The landscape here is an imaginary coastline in Prince Edward Island... We go there for our family vacation in the summer, but this year we can't go until August and planning our reservations right now seems so silly when it seems so far off! Alan will be away for most of the summer on a research vessel in the Pacific though, so August was the earliest we could go! I am so wishing for summer though... and tomorrow it's going to snow :(

lagoon nebula sketch

2010-02-09T08:56:00.001-08:00

lagoon nebula, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

I made this sketch last week in about 15 minutes before going and teaching a painting lesson to the 7th graders at the Waldorf School. The kids really struggled with this painting, but I found it a lot of fun and pretty easy... just goes to show the different perspective I am coming from than them I guess. This painting was a real walk in the park compared to some paintings I did in 7th grade though, so maybe they just like to complain.

parking lot drawing and chinese food

2010-02-09T08:53:00.001-08:00

parking lot drawing and chinese food, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

The Jeep was a 5 minute drawing while waiting in a parking lot while Alan ran into CVS. The color tests in the upper right are Stabilo fine tip markers. The chinese food container was from our chinese food leftovers from the weekend.

a gnome went for coffee

2010-02-09T08:51:00.001-08:00

gnome and the upper couple of stories of Coffee O in Woods Hole, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

Drew this a few days ago while sitting in the Dyer's dock parking lot in Woods Hole in the car.... it was cold but sunny and I had an hour to kill before meeting Alan for Coffee at Pie in the Sky... the building is prettier at Coffee O, but the coffee and pastry are better at Pie in the Sky :)

Paintastic conversion

2010-02-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

So, a while back I figured out how to take apart an Elmer's Paintastic paint brush and turn it into a waterbrush much like the far more expensive brushes like Niji and other companies make for doing watercolor painting while traveling. My kids wanted waterbrushes like my Nijis and I didn't really want to spend a lot of money... so I put it off and put it off and then one day my mother gave them some Paintastic paintbrush pens and I took one apart figuring that it must be basically a waterbrush... and it is, basically, with a little modification. So, here is what I do to convert a Paintastic into a waterbrush. (this happens to be a mini Paintastic that I am demoing here, but they come in a larger version too, which can be handy as well)
Find yourself some Elmer's Paintastics like this:

Unscrew the top and you will have the two halves of the pen like this:

Then you need to pull out the blue end on the paint reservoir piece like this:

Now pull the tube off of the blue end, like this:

Pull the second, smaller tube out of the blue piece now and you should have all these pieces:

Now, throw away these pieces. You don't need them... I have tried using the brush with and without them and they don't seem to make it any better particularly, so I just take them out and throw them away. So, get rid of these:

Now, take the paint reservoir piece and pour out the paint... don't worry too much about getting it all over your sink, it's kids paint, it washes off things really easily!

Now, rinse out the paint reservoir really well until the water you dump out of it runs clear. When it's clean you can fill it with water and then put the blue end back onto the filled water reservoir like this:

Now, if your Paintastic brush has been used by your kids already then you will need to clean the brush end by running lots of water through it. If it's new and unused the brush will be clean and you can skip this step. If your brush is full of the paint though, it's best to run a bunch of warm water through it until the brush looks clean and the water runs clear

Now you can put the brush all back together again. If the brush has been used in the past I usually squeeze a full reservoir full of water through the brush before using it to paint to be sure that any paint has cleared the whole system.

Now, simply refill your waterbrush reservoir with water and you are good to go! :)

Ok, now as far as I'm concerned this is the best part about the mini Paintastic brushes. They can't do as fine painting as some waterbrushes, but for quick sketches they are fine and they fit PERFECTLY into a twelve 1/2 pan paint box! (ok, I know my twelve 1/2 pan box has 14 half pans.... but, hey, they fit, so why not!)

Hope you all find this useful... if nothing else, for those with kids who have these anyway it's a good way to re-use them and not just throw them away when the paint is used up, which I like. I also refilled one for me with black ink and it makes a nice little ink brush pen for doing quick brush sketches.

Have fun!

First grade

2009-09-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

DSCN9681, originally uploaded by nora_gardner.

E began first grade last week at our local Waldorf School. She loves it and can't wait to get there in the morning each day. She seems so much happier now that she is in school. She has a large class and a teacher she loves. I am so glad to see her so happy as the last few weeks of summer vacation were a little rocky and she seemed to be really wearing out on being at home with me and L. I think she is getting to an age where she needs some time when she doesn't have a little sister begging to be a part of everything she does and I am so happy that she is going to a school where I feel she will be taken care of and taught well.

today

2009-09-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am tired and I have spent the evening staring at my old art books wondering "what next?". I am finding it hard to feel enthused about drawing things outside the kitchen somehow... in this Autumn weather somehow I am pulled unavoidably to draw pears and apples, garlic, fresh baked bread... to caress their contours on the page as though caressing the fruit itself. I remember painting some apples once in watercolor.... those apples live forever in my memory so that I can almost smell them, taste them 8 years later

I think I may be obsessed with two things... art and food

2009-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote a letter to a friend recently about wishing I could set up an easel in the produce section and draw and paint there all day.... and, while I didn't actually set up at the grocery store, I did set up in my kitchen... I love drawing in the kitchen... the familiar contours of garlic, peppers, the dirt still clinging to mushrooms, bowls full of apples and pears. My two passions converge in the kitchen... art and food... and I am happy there.

summer's end

2009-08-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

It feels suddenly like summer is finishing up. The tomatoes and raspberries are heavy with fruit, the sunflowers on my table remind me of Vincent and the air in my kitchen smells of ripe fruit in bowls on the kitchen table. The heat and haze of August is slowly giving way to the cool breezes of Autumn... it is hurricane season, when we begin to lay things down in the freezer and hope with fingers crossed that a hurricane doesn't come and take our power for days on end so that we have to eat up all that defrosting abundance in the basement. My girls are in their element in the garden... muddy fingers and toes, raspberry stains, and wild hair combine to herald their exuberance in the harvest of the fruits of late summer. The eat more than they bring indoors and I don't mind... I laugh at the smears of raspberry juice on faces and dresses. They are me 20 years ago, and it makes me so happy to relive my childhood through them.

our days at home

2009-08-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about getting back into blogging lately... I wish I had more time... I love to record our days and what the kids are doing, but somehow it only happens when A is away on a boat in the middle of the ocean someplace.

I am working on making a doll... well, two dolls... for the girls for christmas.... early to start I know, but if I don't start now it will never happen in time. Things are too busy around here though. I am in a wedding this weekend, work is busy with lots of orders for baby carriers coming in and going out... but here I am... here we are... going through our days slowly and quietly at home more often then not. I am looking forward to cool Autumn days... I miss the cool damp smell of leaves on the ground and the chill of a rainy fall morning. I am beginning to feel that I am done with summer and ready to turn my head, heart, and hands to work of making my children's playthings for christmas.

Ok... so, I didn't fall off the earth

2009-03-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hi anyone who reads this... I just wanted to say, HI!!! here I am! I have had a busy few months, with my husband away on a boat in the Pacific (right near Tonga... he was studying seismic activity on the ocean floor in the month or so before they had the volcano erupt there... probably obviously in hindsight, it was pretty wiggly), and with 2 major illness going through me and my kids in one month. Oh... and I spent 12 hours doing a painting that I was asked to do for by daughter's school's auction, and 6 hours doing art for the school calendar, and I was asked to take over a friend's business at the end of March.... so, it's been busy. Anyway... Onward.

little dolly lost

2009-02-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

So, what should a mom do when her daughter has lost her favorite doll... the one mommy made for her at christmas... the one that she sleeps with every night... and you know it must be in the house someplace, because you haven't gone anywhere all day... what should a mom do when she has looked in every conceivable hiding place for a doll and all the inconceivable ones too... we're talking sifting through the trash and looking into freezers and under beds... then what? I feel like a terrible mother, like I like should just know where to find it because I am the mom... but I don't... I have exhausted all the possibilities several times over and the doll still has not come forward and admitted to hiding. How could it have even gotten lost in the first place? My immediate thought is to beg the two year old to tell me where she put it and hope that she knows, but she seems as confused by this as I am... and with A away, there is no daddy to help look either. What to do (she said while wringing her hands and tearing her hair)?

life is what happens...

2009-02-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

i haven't posted in ages, and I really don't have an excuse except that I have been busy and my husband is away in the middle of the ocean on a research ship for the next month and half... so, I have been being a single mom for E and L and that doesn't leave a lot of extra time in my day for writing. But I recently started yet another diet, and in an effort to make it work I have downscaled some cup-o-cake recipes and you can find them here at my other bloglosergourmet.

The winter here has been long and gross... we have been busy with snow and ice and I have to saw, though I like winter, I am ready for spring about now. This slushy muck we are getting right now is pretty nasty and I am not looking forward to cleaning up after it.

It's howling outside right now, and I imagine that I will have to go out into it soon... wish me luck in getting the driveway cleared of a ton of leaden sludge.

gingerbread cake

2008-11-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread Cup-o-Cake

Into a large coffee mug put:

5 Tbs all purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
a rounded 1/4 tsp ginger
a rounded 1/4 tsp cinnamon

mix it all up and add:

1 Tbs very soft butter (or oil)
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp molasses
2 Tbs milk (or 1 Tbs milk and 1 Tbs well-beaten egg)

Mix it all very well and microwave for 1 minute and 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Turn it out of the cup to cool or eat it straight from the cup. It's yummy with some canned peach slices and a little bit of whipped cream

Enjoy!

tis the season (almost)

2008-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't posted for a while. The kids have been sick, I have been sick. There has been that every present problem of too much to do and too little time. E is on a decorating kick. She is obsessed by snowflakes. I know, I know... It's only November, and a little early for snowflakes, but E is insisting on making piles of them. They now brighten every window in the house here, and all the front windows at E's grandparent's house too. And she makes pretty darn great ones for a 5 year old too! I will have to post some pictures soon.

I gave out my cake in a cup recipes to a bunch of friends... they are all the rage... I foresee everyone swearing off them after a few weeks of one a day and gaining a few pounds... but it's fun while it lasts.

I am trying to come up with a) some fun inexpensive Thanksgiving and Christmas projects to keep E busy and b) some projects that actually produce something she could give as gifts to grandparents and aunts and uncles. Hmmm... gonna have to think on this one... I'll let you know.

some cup-o-cake notes

2008-10-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

ok... so, here are some notes about cup-o-cakes (that is, cakes made in mugs in the microwave.

my cornbread mug-o-muffin recipe works fine if you don't have buttermilk, just make the following changes: don't put in any baking soda, but put in 1/2 baking powder. Use regular milk instead of buttermilk (obviously).

any of the recipes can be made with less oil, though they are best eaten right away if you reduce the oil (they will get tough if leave them to cool when they are lower fat). I recommend using at least 1 teaspoon of oil or butter, and not omitting the fat completely for flavor and texture. If you reduce the oil or butter make it up with other liquid... basically make sure there are still approximately 5 tbs of liquid (if you used milk in the cake, just add more milk, if you used oj, use more of that, etc).

Know your microwave... some take longer some take less time. If you have a more liquid batter you will need to nuke it longer than you do with a stiffer, thicker batter.

be a kitchen scientist.... observe what happened if something doesn't seem to have worked, and try again using the data you have collected from making the cake once... lots of info on kitchen science can be found on the internet and in cookbooks... just keep at it or drop me an email if you would like some help! i am noisybnora@aol.com

oh... and for those of you who want to make the mug-o-muffin pictured in today's post, here is the recipe. It is

Apple Spice Mug-o-muffin

Into a good big coffee mug put:

6 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
about a 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I eyeballed it, it was about 6 or 8 shakes from the container)
about 1/8 tsp nutmeg (again, eyeballed, about 2 or 3 shakes)
1/8 tsp ginger (about the same amount as the nutmeg)

Stir it all around with a fork and add:

4 Tbs milk
2 Tbs very soft butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 of a apple, grated (my apple was sort of a medium sized one, about 3 inches across at the widest point)
1 Tbs pecans (optional)
1 Tbs raisins (optional)

mix it all really well and put it into the microwave for about 2 to 2 and a half minutes (I set it for 2 and a half, but ended up stopping it at about 2 minutes and 5 seconds cause it looked done to me). Let cool 3 or 4 minutes and then turn out of the mug to cool a little more before sharing it with the kids

oh... and if you want plain spice cake just leave out the apple and maybe cook for not quite as long

a lunch time muffin treat

2008-09-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

ok... today's mug o muffin was an apple sauce and maple syrup flavored one. it was basically this:

into a big mug put:

5 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tiny pinch ground cloves

mix it all up and add:

2 Tbs apple sauce (ours was home made chunky spiced apple sauce)
2 Tbs grade b maple syrup
1 tsp oil or butter

1 Tbs toasted peacans (optional)

mix it all up really well, and if it seems too thick add a little bit of milk to make it more like a cake batter consistency. Microwave it for about 1 and a half to 2 minutes. Turn it out of the mug and eat it up... yummy :)

More cake in a cup

2008-09-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

so, since my last cake in a cup post, I have come up with a couple more recipes. We now eat cornbread in a cup for breakfast a lot with a sausage and some grade B maple syrup. Yum!

Northern Corn bread mug-o-muffin

Into a large mug put:

2 Tbs fine ground cornmeal

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

mix it all up and add:

1Tbs very soft butter

3 to 4 Tbs buttermilk

mix it all up and nuke it for about 1 minute and 20 seconds. If you want to eat it now, just eat it right out of the cup, if not, turn it out of the cup to cool so it doesn't steam in the cup as it cools... its better if you don't let it steam, trust me!

bento boxing

2008-09-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

so, for several reasons we have started making bento box lunches for the whole family. For A because he goes to work every day and needs to bring lunch, for E because she is in school through lunch time now and is SO sick of peanut butter sandwiches (which she loved last year, but apparently is totally done with now), and for me because I never seem to find time when I am at home with a cranky toddler to make a decent lunch unless I put it together in the morning when I am making everyone elses lunches... L doesn't really get much of a bento right now, she is little and doesn't eat a whole container worth of food, but I sometimes make her a tiny one in a very small Ikea container with whatever fruit I am cutting up and some cheese and pasta or rice... but more often for L I just pull out some cheese and slice it as she gets hungry or give her a mini corn muffin or whatever she is after at the time... she doesn't really do meal times anyway!

So, anyway, back to bentos. We have been having fun making bentos... E likes getting to take sauce bottles and dip containers (she has always LOVED dip... think "you can eat this with ketchup? to the tune of "It comes in pints?"... if that doesn't make sense to you, well, go watch LOTR) . She loves anything that can be eaten with a sauce or a dip, so we send her a lot of chicken with a dipping sauce or salad bits and pieces that can be dipped in dressing... that sort of thing makes her very happy for lunch. A and I stick have been having more traditional bentos this week... fried rice with lots of garlic, grated carrots, chicken, and soy sauce (plus more things than i really want to list right now). We fill half to two thirds of our bento boxes with that and the rest with veg and fruit.

The cool thing about doing bentos has been that it has made me pay more attention to how much protein, carbs, and veg goes into each of our lunches. The deal is, a bento is about 1/2 carbs (traditionally rice, though we do rice, cous cous, pasta, bread, whatever seems to go with what we are eating.), then there is the other half (think of the whole box as 6 equil sections... 3/6 or one 1/2 is carb, then the other half is the other 3/6), which is 2/6 (or 1/3 for those who can do math) veg, and 1/6 protein. We usually swap our veg and carb and make it half veg and 1/3 carb, but we're kinda loose about that. Anyway, thinking this way about how much of each thing should go in has really helped me think about what to put in. I just go through the process... pick a carb from what we have on hand, say rice or noodles, a protein, say chicken, and a vegetable, say carrots.... I fill it all up in the appropriate amounts for the box and fill the gaps with things like strawberries or grapes... and it all works out great. If you want to check out my inspiration go to lunchinabox.net and check out useful things like where to get bento supplies (boxes, dip containers, small utensils, rice ball molds, etc.), or find out how big a bento you need for your age and gender. Its a great site and I highly recommed it to aspiring bento packers.

Oh, and bento is a cheap lunch option.... its a good way to use up leftovers.... hopefully I will put some useful bento box food recipes soon... until then... happy lunch packing :)

the easiest way to make instant cake

2008-09-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

ok... so, at first I was skeptical when I saw a recipe for cake made in a coffee cup in the microwave, and the original recipe I found (no offense to the person who invented it) tasted like a chocolate rubber band... but, I got to thinking (being a kitchen science geek) that this idea had potential... so, E and I got to work in the kitchen and came up with 3 variations. Here they are :)

Ella's magic chocolate cake in a mug

get a standard coffee mug (about 8 to 12 ounces) and put in:

5 tbs all-purpose flour
2 slightly rounded tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 slightly rounded tbs sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

mix these ingredients together and add

3 tbs milk
2 tbs oil
1/4 tbs vanilla
1/4 tbs white vinegar

mix it all up and heres the great part... lick the spoon or have your kid lick the spoon... no eggs, no worries

you can add come chocolate chips or nuts now if you want

put it in the microwave for 1 minute, maybe 1 and a half. check it at one though... since there are no eggs it cooks really fast... if the top is bouncy and a fork stuck in it comes out clean, its ready. Its good with a scoop of ice cream dumped right into the mug.

Version 2: Vanilla Cake with chocolate frosting

Get a coffee mug (a standard 8 or 12 ounce one works just fine) and put in:

6 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 rounded Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

mix it all up with a fork and add:

4 Tbs milk
1 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

mix it all up really well and make sure there are no flour lumps at the bottom of the cup. Microwave it for 2 minutes and the minute it comes out of the nuke put a handfull of chocolate chips on top. Wait five minutes and your chocolate will have melted so you can spread it around for frosting. Give it a few more minutes before you eat it, or it will be very warm still.

You could forgo the chocolate at the end and after mixing everything together just before you cook it you could add a couple tablespoons of frozen wild blueberries for a blueberry muffin in a cup...

and, just to be different:

Carrot Cake in a mug

Get a large coffee mug and put in:

6 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar (brown or white depending on your taste, I used brown)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

mix your dry ingredients up with a fork and then add:

4 Tbs orange juice (milk or butter milk would work too, though not be as good probably)
2 Tbs oil
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs finely grated carrot
1 Tbs chopped pecans (optional)
1 Tbs raisins (optional)

mix it all up and make sure its mixed all the way to the bottom (don't want flour lumps!) and put it in the microwave for 2 or 2 and a half minutes. Let it cool a little and eat it. It's really good with cream cheese and honey

Enjoy everybody

being poor-ish

2008-08-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

so, lately the full extent of our lack of money has been sinking in... its a little depressing, and makes me realize just how bad we can be with money a lot of the time. I mean, I know there are plenty of people who have way less than us to live on, and they make it, but it's still tough living on one income no matter how you look at it. It's not as though Cape Crud is the cheapest place to live either. Anyway, being cheap or frugal or whatever you want to call it means a lot more work for me in the end.

So, to save a little money on groceries I have been doing things like baking our own bread (it costs me about $1 to bake a full-sized loaf of bread versus paying almost $4 for a comparable loaf at the local grocery store), growing our summer veggies and raspberries (I originally bought $40 of raspberry canes and when they are in season we get about a half pint every 2 days for a couple weeks at a time... when you consider that it costs about $4 to $5 for a half pint at the local grocery store, then we have been eating free berries since the beginning of this summer), and trying to not buy any pre-made meals (ingredients cost SO much less than pre-made food). With all these things though, we are still just barely making it in our food budget now that food prices are rising a lot lately... an example: We buy bottled water because our water is of unknown quality and doesn't taste good. The water we buy used to cost 79 cents a bottle a couple months ago, now it costs $1.19. The bread we used to buy cost $3.09 when we used to buy it a couple years ago, now it costs $3.99. Yet our food budget has not changed. We still need to get the same amount of food with that $100 that we did before, but $100 doesn't go as far. So, what to do? And then there is the problem of new clothes and shoes for E. L can use E's hand me downs, and A and I are just out of luck cause we can't possibly afford new clothes for ourselves... I am running on 3 pairs of socks one of which has holes, but I can't afford new ones... I'll have to wait for Christmas for them.

I don't mean to complain really... just put it out there.... and maybe offer some of you reading a few good ideas of things you can do too (like take some raspberry plants off my hands! They are taking over my yard now!!), maybe a recipe here or there... a progect to do with your kids... a money saving tip now and then... some ideas for inexpensive things to do with your kids.

Going on a bear hunt

2008-07-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

So, we are off to PEI for vacation... I am glad and overwhelmed and tired... its tough being a mom at home sometimes.... too much to do, and always someone hanging on your skirt wanting something.... so, goodbye for now... we will be back soon...

Two little girls and Mom

2008-07-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

So, I must be nuts... I am trying to start a Cape and Islands Babywearing group, and making posters kept me up too late last night. Now I am exhausted and the girls are going a little wild this morning wanting to be out and about. I am not sure it's worth all the time I am putting in, and it certainly isn't making me any money or glory... but I want to help people to see that carrying your baby or toddler is so much easier than strollers and is so good for baby... anyway... enough... I have things to do... places to go... people to see...

The girls like to dump the Duplos everywhere every morning lately... I am going to break my ankle one of these days tripping over them... but the kiddlets are happy...

a regular morning

2008-07-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

So, here I am.... i have a blog (stupid word, blog, dont you think??). Now what?

Well... this morning E. and L. and I went to Woods Hole for a walk... it was foggy and dreary and lousy out... but lovely and salty sea smelling too. I put L. on my back in a wrap and we walked around eel pond. People are so shocked to see a baby on someones back... we must have had half a dozen people stop and stare and ask me how I learned to wrap her up there like that... which is great, at least they were positive about it and wanted to know what its all about and find out more about it. It also gave me a chance to plug the Cape and Islands Babywearers meeting on July 14th, which was nice. I even had a grandma tell me that she might try to come, which would be fun. I am finding that most people are very positive about the idea of babywearing, but hesitant to actually try it... why is that?? They will end up carrying the kiddo in their arms if they don't have a sling, which is so much more tiring, but it doesn't seem to occur to them that they could make their life a little easier.... people are such masochists sometimes. Or maybe some people just really don't like their kids enough to WANT to carry them and make them happy... I don't know... its something that I wish I could change... I would like to see more babies baing carried and less SUV style gigantic strollers. Anyway....

After our walk we headed home through Cape Cod summer traffic and the usual assortment of slow tourists in very large cars made the ride twice as long as it should have been... sometimes I wish I lived in the middle of nowhere so that I could avoid the tourists... then I would miss the people though, and the ocean, and the misty sea smelling mornings walking around the pond with E. and L.