The Treehouse Diary

The End.

2012-06-13T08:34:00.000-04:00

I have pained over writing this last post.

What should I say?

How should I say it?

So, I'll just dive in.

It occurred to me the other day, amidst the

birthday planning chaos and other things,

that this little blog of mine has only become a source

of stress for me lately.

I feel guilty when I can't post regularly

( which has become more frequent).

Stress and guilt are 2 things I could definitely use

less of these days.

Don't get me wrong, I love this space.

I have loved sharing what I could with you all.

It has been a great way for distant friends and

family to keep track of us.

I also really wanted to make this blog a way to make

some small income as well.

As you other bloggers know that really takes

work and structure.

Work that I am willing and want to do but without

certain resources cannot achieve.

So I have made the difficult decision to shut it down.

I'll leave the blog up for another month and

will then delete it forever.

Thank you to everyone who have visited here.

2012-06-08T07:18:00.000-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

Celebration.

2012-06-06T08:56:00.000-04:00

There has been, and is going to be, quite

a bit of celebrating around here.
First, G. and I celebrated our 6th wedding

anniversary on Sunday.

June 3, 2006

We had a lovely dinner at one of our favorite
french restaurants in
New Hope followed by a
shot and a beer in New Hope's
most famous dive bar (John and Peter's).
Diversity.

Vichyssoise and Beet Carpaccio.

Nom Nom.

Second, is G.'s birthday party on Saturday!

It's a big one so it should be quite an event!!

I'll post when I can.

Can't wait to share all the birthday
shenanigans with you.

You may have noticed our absence last week.

Well, I've been diving into the 30 Day Vegan workshop

and my detox process (Eeek).

I also had an ear infection.

Yuck.

I also owe you a product review
but with all the planning and prepping
I think I'll put it off until next week.

I'm also going to start a new little segment
about what goes down on
Mondays around here.

As this blog matures I feel structure starting to form.

2012-05-25T08:51:00.001-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

Sweaty hair...

and puffy eyes!

Up from her nap and looking CRAZY!!!!

(crazy cute)

Kitchen Tour.

2012-05-23T09:08:00.001-04:00

We talked a bit about our space yesterday in the workshop.

Kitchen space that is.

I thought I would share some highlights of my space.

First, let me say, I am very fortunate and grateful to

be able to do my thing in this kitchen.

I have lived in many apartments with rickety appliances

and below average counter space.

So, in this season of my life, I am happy

to say I have a wonderful kitchen in which

to nourish family and friends.

It was completely gut renovated about 9 years ago.

Enjoy the tour..

Shelving space in the island provides a home for cookbooks.

Incidentally, I am just bringing them back out of hiding since this used to happen...

Why yes, that is a "bikini" onsie she's wearing.

I forgot all about that outfit.

Ah, memories.

I try to keep as many items in the pantry in glass jars.

Some things stay in their original packaging as long

as they can stand on their own.

I hate having bags of things piled up and hard to find.

I recently added that under shelf storage for

potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger.

It. is. priceless.

You may also notice the little white board on the door.

I use it to make my grocery lists.

As soon as I run out of something it goes on the board.

When I don't have time to transfer the list onto

paper I just snap a pic with my phone and,

whammo, instant list.

This is the message center.

You can read about that here.

It's not usually this clean.

But in a perfect world it would look like

this all the time.

Pot rack.

Oh, how you've provided sweet sweet cabinet

space for more kitchen gadgetry.

More about how this came to be here.

I like to keep the mixer out because I'm more

compelled to use it if it's in front of me.

Even the filtered water has a little space of it's own.

Here's a wide shot of the whole room.

You can see the corner of the skylight which provides

amazing natural light.

So that's our kitchen.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

And, just for fun, here was yesterday's lunch

A wrap crafted from all the little leftover

produce scraps that were

hanging around my fridge.

Shredded red cabbage, a handful of spinach,

half an avocado, micro greens,

a few slices of apple

( a delightful addition I might add),

and a couple of sliced cherry tomatoes.

Delish!

Workshop.

2012-05-22T09:40:00.000-04:00

The 30 Day Vegan Workshop is under way.

I've done my shopping and I've planned our menu

for the first week.

I'm really excited to learn more about the menu planning.

I never really did that but as Iris gets older and eats

more of what we eat it makes sense.

photo from Beauty that Moves

Breakfast.

I'll be sharing some highlights of

our journey here.

We hope you'll follow along.

I also wanted to share some links of other

things I like/participate/learn from.

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

http://consciousparentingsummit.com/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Enjoy!

2012-05-18T07:52:00.001-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

Working on our new sleep routine. Ha!

It looks like I could use another 12 hours.

First harvest from my deck containers!

French Breakfast Radishes. My fave.

Product Review: Mimiccreme

2012-05-17T09:52:00.001-04:00

MIMICCREME.

I spotted this in whole foods and it inspired this

whole product-review-like post.

What is it you ask?

It's an almond and cashew cream!

If you don't have a super duper powerful blender

(like a vitamix) this is a difficult

thing to make.

It comes in several flavors

(plain, hazelnut, vanilla)

also sweetened and unsweetened.

I'm working with the straight up plain

unflavored unsweetened variety.

The ingredient list is short.

The only red flag was the "natural flavors".

What the hell does that mean?

Other than that it was sea salt and sodium biocarbonate

(baking soda).

Also, this product is not raw which would be totally

kick-ass if it were.

Whatever, it's vegan, soy free, cholesterol free,

gluten free, and maybe most importantly, non-GMO!

So my first thought was, Vegan Ice Cream.

It's almost summer.

It was time to dust off the old ice cream maker.

I adapted a recipe from Vice Cream, my favorite vegan/raw ice cream "cook"book.

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream

adapted from Vice Cream

2 1/2 cups Mimiccreme (plain, unsweetened)

2 dates (soaked)

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

2 tsp. minced ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

I put everything in the blender and got it nice and smooth.

Add it to your ice cream maker according to it's directions.

What went right.

It was quick and easy to put this all

together and it tastes fantastic.

What went wrong.

In the blending process the "cream" seemed to

lose it's... creaminess.

I'm not really sure why.

Which brings me to my next problem.

When it was done in the ice cream maker and I put it in the freezer it froze up super hard.

It was nearly impossible to scoop and had to sit out for

quite a while.

Not good if you're having a major snack attack!

Next time, I would combine all the

flavoring ingredients seperately

and mix them into the "cream" by hand.

Not sure if it would solve this problem

but it would be worth a try.

Ok, so that was ice cream.

One other thing I tried was a chai latte.

When I drank coffee I had to have a nice frothy cream with it.

I didn't mess around.

If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right!

You can read more about that here and here.

Anyhoo, I thought a nice chai latte would be nice once in a while and since I'm trying to seriously limit my dairy (and meat) intake this might be just the replacement.

I was right.

It frothed beautifully using my handy dandy frother that I bought at ikea for $2.99.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of this gorgeousness.

But can't you just picture it in your mind?

Overall, I give this product a big thumbs up!

I hope you enjoyed this post.

I'll do another one next month and if there is anything you think I should review/try leave a suggestion in the comments.

It can be anything (within reason).

*Never paid to promote products. It's just for fun!

New beginnings.

2012-05-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

Goodness, where to begin?

Well, let's start with a toddler who decided to bail out of her crib.

She wasn't hurt thank god!!

All I heard was a thud and when I opened the door

(after sprinting to it) I found her sitting on the floor with 2 bears and a couple of binkies like she was gonna plot some kind of Toy Story style escape.

We had no choice (other than buying a new crib) but to convert her crib into a toddler bed to avoid possible injury.

With new found freedom comes new found challenges.

Oh the challenges!!

All of the wonderful sleep routines that we had down pat.

Gone.

It's a brave new world... mostly with a toddler who won't go to sleep until 10pm and a nap is not a sure thing.

I remind myself that this stage is only temporary but it's difficult to imagine when you're in the thick of it.

There has been quite a bit of this, however.

Couch napping.

And chaise napping.

I quite like being able to keep an eye on her

and steal a little kiss every now and again.

Washing her dishes.

This, coupled with a father-in-law who gave us quite a scare last week (everything is totally fine now!), was enough to sap my motivation to do just about anything.

Time to pick myself up and get on with it.

The 30 Day Vegan Workshop begins this week,

I've been experimenting with one of the products I want to review for you and I have a pretty big birthday party to plan for G.!

Let's do this thing!!

Family First.

2012-05-07T09:44:00.001-04:00

Please excuse me this week.

I have some family matters to attend to.

I know I've been blog lite these past weeks but we'll be back next week with gusto (provided everything goes well).

I've promised some product reviews and I can't wait to share my finds with you!

Until then dear friends.

2012-05-04T08:31:00.002-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

I didn't capture anything worthy of a moment this week but I did stumble upon this oldie 

and just had to share.

Quite possibly my most favorite picture ever!

Mama's Mac-n-Cheese.

2012-05-01T08:49:00.001-04:00

After this post I had some requests for the full recipe of this bubbling cheesy gem.

Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Mac-n-Cheese

Well, I am happy to share it with you.

Let me tell you up front that I don't always have exact measurements because I've been making baked mac-n-cheese for so long that I just wing it.

But I'll do my best.

The interweb is an infinite abyss of information so find one you like if you're not comfortable "wingin' it"

and you can add almost anything to it.

Here we go.

Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Mac-n-Cheese

Pasta.

Boil off 1lb. (one box) of whole grain elbow macaroni or any smaller shaped pasta that you prefer.

Veggies.

Steam two bags of organic diced butternut squash until tender.

Wash and chop swiss chard. Remove any large stems.

You do not have to precook the chard.

Set aside.

Bechamel.

Be sure to use a pot large enough to incorporate

all you ingredients in the end.

Make the roux.

Melt about a half stick of butter and add in about 3-4 tbsp. of flour.

Whisk constantly until it turns golden.

Add in about 3-4 cups of whole milk and 1-2 cups heavy cream and whisk until your roux has dissolved and the mixture starts to thicken.

Season with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg.

Add your cheese.

I used 3 cups shredded cheddar but the possibilities are endless.

Whisk together until mixture is smooth.

Finish it up.

Add in the steamed squash.

Use your whisk to mash and puree the squash into the bechamel.

Add the pasta.

(You'll want to switch to a mixing spoon at this point.)

Mix until the past and sauce are well incorporated.

Add the swiss chard.

Mix well.

Transfer to a casserole dish.

Top with grated parmesan and bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 until bubbling and golden brown.

You could skip this step and put it right in the freezer or bake and freeze or put it in the fridge for later or just start eating it right out of the casserole dish.

Let it cool a little first though.

I hope this was helpful!

If I left anything out or you have a question leave it in the comments and I'll address it for you.

2012-04-27T08:08:00.001-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

When Elmo attacks!

Morning makings.

2012-04-26T10:48:00.000-04:00

Once again I find myself in the kitchen

early as can be.

I love it.

I'm whipping up a little something for a friend about to bring new life into the world for the second time.

Butternut squash and swiss chard mac-n-cheese! Woot!

Before.

And after.

In all it's bubbling-golden-brown-goodness!

Nursing mama's need there iron.

One last fire on this chilly gray morning.

The aftermath.

Who could complain about dishes while

surrounded by all this beauty?

Certainly not me.

And just because it makes me smile, and my last early morning "culinary adventures" ended in song, please enjoy this one.

Random Things.

2012-04-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

I wasn't feeling too bloggy last week so I decided to

give myself a break.

I like breaks.

I'm still working on my photography skills.

Here's a little taste (punny!!) of my David Loftus FoodiePac from Hipstamatic.

Learning about lighting and some
homemade tricks to

help in that regard.

This little one seems to be enjoying dress up more and more.

Nothing like a mama made pillow case dress over organic terry pajamas.

It's a look worth rockin'.

I made this lovely concoction from one of my pins on Pinterest.

It's a goji berry lemonade.

Apparently, it's supposed to work like a liquid sunscreen.

I'm not sure if it worked but it sure does taste good.

And these two...

the best of friends!!

And finally, for a baby who felt less than 100%,

a movie in a basket.

I want to start doing a kind of product review post once a month.

I've seen some things in the grocery store that have

piqued my interest.

I had a lightbulb moment.

It will also include anything from apps to cleaning products.

Look for that soon.

Enjoy every moment!!

2012-04-20T07:53:00.002-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

Miso Soup!!

Thank goodness for suction cup bowls!

We took the week off to enjoy the weather and for Iris to recuperate from yet another cold.

We shall return on Monday!

2012-04-13T06:48:00.002-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - no words - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

SOOOO Excited!

Dandelions 3 Ways.

2012-04-11T09:24:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if this is a post about dandelions or an exercise in trying to improve my food photography.

Let's say both.

Not perfect but I'm still learning.

Anyway, in a perfect world I am a master forager with infinite knowledge on all kinds of edibles, including mushrooms, making the most of the wilds that surround me.

But alas...

Let's start with what I do know.

Dandelions are extremely good for us.

And, in our chemical-obsessed-kill-the-weeds society,

we take them for granted.

All they want us to know is that

they're here for us...

if we need them.

That's why they're like...ya know...everywhere.

So get outside and start plucking those

usually demonized little buggers.

I like to pick them in the quiet of the dewy morning when the interior of our house is at it's calmest and I can slip away

unnoticed (most of the time).

It becomes a mini meditation with my eyes on the ground and my mind focused on the task.

When my bowl is full and my fingers numb from the cold earth I head back inside to clean my harvest.

This is easy.

Give them a rinse in said bowl then strain out the water and refill the bowl with cold water and let them rest.

Most of the dirt will settle to the bottom of the bowl.

They seem to enjoy sitting in the water.

I've kept them on the counter for several days in a bowl of water and they live quite well like that.

Dandelions are rich in vitamins (Vitamin A especially), minerals and are an excellent liver cleanser.

The entire plant is edible including the root so try to get some of those too.

You can use them in several simple ways.

The first is tea.

Simply place a handful of leaves, roots, stems in a teapot.

Boil water.

Pour over dandelions.

Let steap for 10 minutes.

Drink.

The second, and probably most common way, is in a salad.

I use smaller younger leaves when making salad.

They are delicious!

The third is to juice them.

You can use the whole plant for this one.

Mix them in with other greens and vegetables or

just on they're own.

Here's to your health!

PS - Do not pick dandelions in yards that are treated with chemicals or near yards that are treated.

2012 TDL: Update!

2012-04-09T07:21:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd kick the week off with an update

First, here's the list.

1. Chalkboard paint and frame out the bulkhead in the kitchen.

~~2. Reorganize my Pinterest boards.~~

3. New curtains in the dining room.

4. New hummingbird feeders.

5. Laundry room renovation

6. iPhoto overhaul. Delete/Albums/Save

~~7. Empty at least 2 of Iris's "old clothes" containers.~~

~~8. Grow some of our own food.~~

9. Update/Reorganize some blog stuff.

~~10. Tap the maple trees~~

#2. Done.

I added a few new boards and organized my pins accordingly.

Now I can find things easier.

I could go on all day about the silly things (in my opinion) that people pin.

I don't understand why a scene from Twilight needs to be pinned.

Just me.

Just sayin'.

But I find Pinterest to be such a great organizing tool.

No paper.

No clutter.

I can link to infinite websites, tutorials, and blogs.

#7. Done and done!

Garden and Workshop.

2012-04-04T08:16:00.001-04:00

So are you ready for all my good news that

I teased you with on Monday?

Our beautiful weeping cherry tree in all it's glory!

I'm so excited to tell you that I was fortunate enough to land myself a plot in our township's new community garden.

So #8 on the 2012 TDL is in full effect.

Some of the plots are reserved for our local food bank and I hope to donate any surplus we have to that cause.

Some of the loveliness I'll be growing:

2 types of tomatoes

(sungold cherries and some other heirloom)

Kale

Swiss Chard

Spinach (maybe)

Lettuce

That's what I've got so far.

If there is any room left I'd like to do a cucumber or squash.

The garden has a community asparagus, horseradish, and ruhbarb patch too.

I'll keep you up to date as things progress.

My other bit of good news is that I'll be participating in the

30 Day Vegan Workshop over at Beauty That Moves with the lovely Heather!

photo from Beauty that Moves

We've been doing well with eating better and I've been working out almost everyday!

This is going to be a great vehicle to help take us to the next level.

Let me also say we are not and do not plan on becoming totally vegan.

But we could stand to eat less meat and dairy, and have,

since my 10 day fast.

Significantly.

I always buy organic sustainable meat, fish, and dairy when I do.

I have my good friend (of the same name) Jamie to thank for both these things!

She's been hooking me up left and right.

Thanks Jamie!!!!

What we've been eating...

2012-04-02T08:55:00.001-04:00

I've been trying some new things around here as well as bringing back some of the healthier dishes I've made in the past.

Miso glazed salmon over Forbidden Rice with homemade peanut sauce topped with chopped unsalted peanuts and cilantro.

If you haven't tried Forbidden Rice, you must! It's a revelation!

I always cook my rice in vegetable stock instead of plain water.

I find rice to be bland otherwise.

I mix some soy sauce, jaggery, lime juice, fish sauce and miso and glaze the salmon with it as it bakes.

This is an oldie around these parts and also a favorite! You'll want to lick the plate.

The peanut sauce recipe can be found here.

Pan seared haloumi over a water cress salad with radishes, pumpkin seeds, heirloom tomatoes with a yogurt dill dressing.

This is new. I have always wanted to try haloumi ever since seeing it in the beautiful pages of Donna Hay Magazine years ago.

I finally got around to it and it was well worth it.

I simply cut it into slices, heated a nonstick pan with a scant amount of olive oil and seared it until it was brown on both sides.

The dressing is a couple tablespoons of yogurt, the juice of one lime and dill (fresh or dry). It doesn't get much easier than that.

Haloumi (if you don't know) is a hard cheese similar to the taste of feta but far less crumbly.

Sprouted lentil pate.

Now, the original recipe calls for cooked lentils but I like to raw this one up as much as possible so I spout the lentils a few days ahead of making this. I love to have it around to spread on crackers or dipping veggies. You could spoon it into endive leaves as an hors d' oeuvres or use it as a spread on a sandwich.

Lentil pate

adapted from Angelica's Kitchen

2/3 cup sprouted lentils

2 cups walnuts

1 tbsp. avocado oil (you can use olive)

3 cups diced onion

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tbsp. mirin

4-5 chopped cornichons

1 tbsp. Ume plum vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp.

1 tbsp. dried basil

Start the lentils sprouting about 3 days ahead. When they're sufficiently sprouted, saute the onion and garlic (you can leave them raw too but I like the sweetness it adds when they're cooked).

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.

If you need to loosen the mixture add a bit more vinegar and oil until you reach the desired texture.

Stuffed Zucchini with pine nuts.

I found this one through foodgawker and immediately though of G. He has a slight obsession with zucchini (soup and tomatoes too).

I served it with a salad.

Recipe.

Roasted Beet Risotto.

Ok, this is probably one of my all time favorites.

Follow a basic risotto recipe.

Before you start though, clean 2 medium sized red beets and wrap them in foil. Roast them at 375F for about and hour or until tender.

Remove from oven and let cool until they're able to be handled while making risotto.

When the risotto is almost done, peel the skins of the beets and throw them in the food processor. When they're smooth mix them into your risotto.

I saute wild mushrooms and toast pine nuts and then top the risotto with them.

I also chop up a good amount of fresh basil and sprinkle that on top.

If you want to get crazy (which I do) a drizzle of truffle oil will take this dish to the moon and back!

I hope to improve my food styling.

I even bought the David Loftus Pak on Hipstamatic.

By some miracle I think this will help.

We'll see.

I also have some exciting things going on and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Soon.

Happy Monday Everyone!

2012-03-30T06:57:00.001-04:00

{ this moment }

a friday ritual - a single photo - no words - a moment I want to pause - savor - and remember

inspired by soulemama

Doing Daddy's hair.

Horchata.

2012-03-29T08:53:00.001-04:00

After seeing this horchata recipe on Pinterest (and promptly pinning it) I knew I had to try it.

It's kind of a new spin on horchata, actually.

Less sugar.

High in protein, vitamins, minerals,

and good fats.

Delicious.

It's my new favorite post-workout drink!

Here are my adaptations for the above recipe.

For the rice I used a very good quality Jasmine rice.

Why not?

I also mixed in some of my homemade almond milk which is infused with dates and vanilla bean.

It gave it a real creaminess.

Instead of using sugar I used just a touch (about a tbsp. per quart) of maple syrup.

If you're using maple syrup, use 100% pure maple syrup.

I whirled it all together in a blender,

strained it as directed, placed it in a mason jar with a cinnamon stick in it, and stuck it in the fridge overnight to infuse further.

When it was ready, I shook it furiously, grated some fresh nutmeg over the top, and enjoyed.

What a refreshing beverage!

I think we'll be enjoying this one for months to come.

Set in motion.

2012-03-26T07:59:00.000-04:00

It was silent here last week.

Mostly due to a sick little monkey who passed it on to me.

Ahhhh motherhood.

It was also a kind of transformative week as well.

My fast officially ended on Friday the 16th.

Part of that fast, as I mentioned before, is not only clearing our bodies of waste but our spaces too.

I had already had a few bags going.

One for Goodwill.

One for this friend and one for that friend.

#7 on my 2012 TDL can be checked off too.

My goal was to empty 2 of the nugget's clothes bins...I emptied all of them.

I cherry picked the items that were in excellent to new condition and gave them to friends and family who are expecting new little ones very soon.

Of course, I do have one box that I keep for very special items that I want to keep. Only to be passed on to my sister, Danielle, or Iris herself.

This is what the back of my car looked like the day of

the "big drop".

I have to tell you, I have not stopped.

I already have two or three more bags going, for various distribution.

Now, back to the physical aspect of the fast.

I felt amazing.

I looked ....

how do I say this without sounding like a jerk...AWESOME!

The bloat.

Gone.

The bags under my eyes.

Gone.

Eyes.

Bright.

Mood.

Bright.

Here's proof.

This fast gave me tools that I will use for the rest of my life.

More than the fast itself.

I recommend it to anyone looking to make a shift in there life.

I believe Laura Emily will be doing another guided fast in August.

We celebrated the end of the fast by trying a new restaurant.

So me.

I had heard great things, and as it is a Mediterranean restaurant,

I new I would be able to make healthy choices.

Falafel.

Babaganoush.

Zatter bread.

Oh my!

This little one loved it as well.

My adventurous little eater.

Spring cleaning is, and has been, under way around these parts.

I hope to keep it going.