what's for dinner tonight?

I have been slowly collecting recipes over the last few years.  I am what is probably best known as not being a very good cook.  Love to bake, not so much into the cooking.  The thing is, I like to eat :)  SO that is slowly changing with my recipe collecting.  One thing that has changed drastically, is the fact that I cook every night now.  Before I started staying home, my husband and I both commuted and did not even get home until most people were clearing the table.  So the thought of tackling a recipe starting at, say around 7 or 7:30 always seemed daunting and more likely that I would be dead from starvation by the time dinner was ready.  Enter Oliver.  One quickly realizes when they become a mother that the single greatest impact they might have on a daily basis is what goes into their children's mouths.  However, I am so, well, ignorant and not creative when it comes to cooking.  It is so easy to find a few simple recipes and get stuck in that rotation, you know?  So I mixed it up tonight.  I was craving something sort of reminiscent of southern food, but not heavy and fried or with ingredients I would never find.  Enter Southern Living.  yup.  You know that magazine that your grandmother probably read?  And probably still does, because frankly, it is kinda old lady-ish?   Well, there are some good recipes in there.  And tonight was a winner all around, even with my husband who is a picky eater and a 2 year old (aren't they all pretty picky?): Black-eyed Pea cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes and Slaw.

Recipe from Southern Living:


1 (15 oz) can of black-eyed peas, undrained
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (6 oz) pkg of buttermilk cornbread mix - I couldn't find this, so mine wasn't buttermilk.
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. Southweat chipotle salt-free seasoning blend - This is Mrs. Dash, but they couldn't say that for whatever reason
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp lime zest
1 TBsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 (12 oz) pkg fresh broccoli slaw
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4 " thick slices


1/. Coarsely mash peas with fork.  Stir in garlic, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir until blended.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter for each cake onto a hot lighly greased griddle.  Cook cakes 2 mins or until edges look dry and cooked; turn and cook 2 more mins.
3. Stir together 1/3 cup sour cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.  Stir in slaw.
4. Place each cooked cake on a serving plate; top each with 2 tomato slices.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Top with slaw and serve immediately.

I have to say that the slaw left a little something to be desired, but it was such a good, summer time meal.  We played music and had a few laughs, it was a nice night :)

bloomers

How was everyone's weekend?  Ours was good, part relaxing and part chores - so productive but not overwhelming! 
I finally got around to making 2 of my bloomers I talked about here.  I still have the daisy trim left to sew on another pair, but I will see how these do first.   I will say that I took FOREVER deciding on the trim.  There are soo many cute options out there.  I just had to get the daisy one, but I also liked the other two for their vintage feel.  I am so excited about these things people, I think I am just going to start pumping them out!  Even after I have the baby, I know I will keep wearing them.  Before I got pregnant, I kind of avoided my dresses b/c of all the running, chasing, bending over you have to do with a rough-and-tumble little boy.  But now I won't have to! 

various trims

two finished products

Blog Thursday

Wow.  Haven't done this one in awhile!  I couldn't resist the image below,  This sweet little girls vintage romper {on the left} is so cute.  Her mom belongs to the blog Cakies, which is one I always check and always forget to mention!  Be sure to check it out.

And a blog called The Glow.  All it features is stylish mama's and their children.  Now I don't want to make a blanket statement here, since I haven't read through all of them.  But the thing that struck me about each of these ladies {at least Jenne and Meredith pictured below} was how, well, normal they were and what nice little insights they offered.  You'll see what I mean if you read through it.

on my mind

Some things I have been coveting as of late.  Besides, you know better maternity clothes and dying my hair "ombre" ;)

Saltwater sandals {for me, not a child ;) }

aden + anais original muslin swaddle, top; and bamboo, bottom

new baby clothes from sweet william

Phil & Ted's stroller

If anyone sees this stroller used in their neck of the woods contact me!!  I have scoured craigs list in San Diego (and orange county and LA for that matter) and these things go like hot cakes!  I don't prefer the acid green, but you know, if it's a good deal I 'll consider it ;)

off to never never maternity land

so.  I am 22 weeks pregnant.  Slightly over halfway there.  And you know what that means?  God awful ugly ass maternity clothes.  I hate them.  To me it signifies what may as well be the land of mom jeans - (you know the SNL skit, right?: "I'm not a woman anymore, I'm a mom!")  Same goes for maternity wear!  It is just like you give up, or rather give in, as the case may be because you don't fit into anything else anymore.  Go ahead and accuse me of being shallow, I get it.  Fashion is shallow.  But having worked on developing apparel lines, and in trend departments in my old life, it is hard to identify with this person that can't look the way I want to, wear what I want to, and in not so many words, feel comfortable.  And believe me, I know there are some cute things out there.  Like occasionally I find things at Gap or whatever...but let's be honest, it's rare.
I have been able to make do up until this point.  But last week it hit me - I need to put on maternity clothes and say goodbye to any semblance of my recognizable self.  I need to get humongo sized undergarments and ugly tent shirts.  But I kept thinking, for the most part I can still wear my dresses, they are just getting shorter than I'd like them.  So I started looking up bike shorts (ha!) or bloomers or something cute that is not as bulky as a pair of shorts, but something more than underwear - that way when my dress (at tthis point really becoming a shirt) blows up when I am chasing Oliver at the park, it's ok.  I was scouring cheerleading websites and american apparel and googling like mad.  Then, like magic, I came across this:

images and tutorial via honestly WTF

Thank you!  I am on my way to target as we speak, annoyed that I didn't think of this.  This might even buy me another week of wearing my normal clothes.


PS is it weird that I looked up how to become an avon representative today?  I figured it would be a way of earning money while staying home.  Do you have to know how to apply makeup?  Do you have to wear makeup??

Gwen Stefani to design a childrens wear line for Target

Yay!  Could it be?  Potentially something affordable and hip, Gwen Stefani told WWD that she will be designing a line of kids clothes for Target due this November (just in time for my #2).  This could be something really great as long as it's not too out there.  I like shopping at Target for Oliver's clothes, but sometimes, I have to admit I am a little bored by it.  Maybe this will be the perfect little line :)

image via Google images

waning popsicles

So this was the summer that was to be all about popsicles.  And it has been so far, and I have not been let down once.  But then, on Thursday I tried to recreate the magic of the 80's and make pudding pops.  They were disgusting.  You wouldn't know it from this picture, but I don't even think Oliver liked them -pudding beard or not.

I don't know what I did wrong.  Admittedly, I have never made pudding before, but it is not like it's hard, just follow the directions on the back.  But somewhere between then and the end (frozen) result was just gross.  Anybody else out there tried to make pudding pops yet?  So far our favorites around here are raspberry/peach and strawberry/peach.  No more pudding unless someone comes back to me with something to compensate for that experience!

Style documented

Everyone keeps talking about this documentary featuring Bill Cunningham; and it seems with good reason.  He is believed to be the originator of photographing and documenting street fashion. He rides his bike around NYC and takes photos for his columns in the NY Times.  I can't wait to see it as soon as it comes out on Netflix!

kids rooms and nurseries

As our little ones get older, many are faced with space issues and you have to get creative to solve them, as evidenced here.  Ohdeedoh is agreat resource for that, as well as just inspirational rooms and I look there quite frequently.  I mean, this post could be days long, but I will just give you a few I have been liking lately:

Check out these music prints by Jason Munn.  He has many to choose from, the ones pictured below are for Flight of the Conchords

via ohdeedoh

great inspiration for a shared space via ohdeedoh

city prints from Karen M. O'Leary via ohdeedoh

Gypsy inspired room via Ohdeedoh

hair again

I am still thinking about my hair...yes I know.  I read somewhere yesterday that ombre hair is about to be played out, but I still like it and am still thinking about it.  It can be as obvious or subtle as you like:

obvious (obviously):

google images

subtle:

Image via The Chelsea Handler show

See how Lauren Conrad's hair almost looks like she has just spent some time at the beach?  More blonde at the ends and around her face.  On the model above, Lily Aldridge, it is much more purposeful.  Both are equally pretty.    There are many examples out there, if you just google Drew Barrymore Ombre hair, or Rachel Bilson, or everyone's fave, Alexa Chung.
Apparently the new thing is tie dyed or rainbow tipped.  LC is doing it, so you know it must be "in".  I am a little old for this :)

image via The beauty Department

Do you remember when Carrie had Ombre hair forever ago on SATC?  I feel like that was the first time we saw it??

Loving..

These chairs.  I first saw them on Sunrise Hossegor, and immediately loved the look and colors.  They are made by Mama Silla. 
Mama Silla uses traditional Mexican techniques, but updates and modernizes them.  Don't they just look tropical and modern all at the same time? 

KM wedding

Did you see Kate Moss's wedding dress? And the veil? I loved it. It looked like she stepped out of Mucha painting to me. But I think she has great style and if it was ugly, let me tell you I would've been disappointed!!






photos via Daily Mail

4th of july weekend

How was everyone's weekend? Our's was filled with beach time, parades and good food. It was good, great even, and exhausting. At 5 months pregnant, the little day to day activities are starting to wear me out just a bit! I get tired when we finally get home from being out. Ha! And I still have awhile to go :)