diapers and skinny jeans

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.  We are off to spend the whole day with both sides of our family and have a lot of driving ahead of us. After seeing this post  a few days ago, I just couldn't help myself and needed to satisfy my chocolate cake craving.  The recipe can be found over at Teresa's place.  Both are fantastic blogs to spend some time getting inspired in!  The recipe is high in protein, grain-free, gluten-free, heart healthy and dairy-free... just to name a few.  It's also jam packed with nutrients, so don't even begin to feel bad about eating that last piece. We'll be back soon, but for now we're signing off to take a few days to be thankful with each other.

I've been seeing a lot of Florida friends boasting some yummy orange pictures and lo and behold, while grocery shopping, I was able to snag a bag of Valencia's!  There is something just so fun about making your own juice, and this is the perfect start to our summer.  Cheers!

This is the first post in my food series - hurray!  Now I already know I am really, really  terrible at baking, but for some reason I fare better in the breakfast department.  I found it only fitting to start this off with a favorite fancy breakfast of mine:  baked eggs. This recipe is based off of this one I found and tried a while back, but the great thing about eggs are they're so versatile and can be customized basically any way your palate desires!  Here's how I made mine: -     -     -     -     - INGREDIENTS: 1-3 organic cage-free eggs 3 tablespoons butter 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream 4 strips of bacon (or any cured meat -- pancetta might be nice!) grated parmesan or romano cheese coarse ground salt freshly ground pepper STEPS: • preheat oven to 400º • place one tablespoon of butter on the bottom of each ramekin you'll be using for your eggs • pour a little of the heavy cream to coat the...

As we approach nine months, we've been experimenting with self-feeding, chunkier textures, and new flavor combinations.  We've gotten the okay to start adding simple proteins so we are making some new choices for breakfast- eggs!   * It's important to note that babies cannot have a full egg (I.E. egg whites) until at least after a year old.  The yolks of the eggs are perfectly safe, but the whites of the eggs contain a protein which still remains a high allergen for those under one year of age. As far as technique goes, I found it was pretty simple to crack the egg and dump out the whites while cradling the yolk, then you can mix the yolk with breast milk or formula to scramble in a small frying pan until crumbly.  We paired Sofia's meal with some small chunks of avocado made for little pincher fingers! ;)  As a precaution, you can watch your baby for a few days to double, triple, (or quadruple) check for any type of allergy before introducing new...

Being healthier, living on a budget and getting serious about it this time has been going... a lot better than I thought!  I don't want to get too excited too soon, I still have to make this a habit but I wanted to share that I've been making a conscious effort that has (so far) been working. Today's lunch as pictured:  sourdough loaf toasted with avocado, cream cheese spread, dressed greens with lime and olive oil, cucumbers and sea salt.  And of course a granny smith apple to top it all off.

T his is the second time we've visited this spot up on the north side for brunch, and even though the wait for food was a little longer than usual this time, Kanela did not disappoint.  Our server was awesome and even gave us our french-pressed coffees for free because of our wait.  I'm sold.  (And we'll definitely be back).  If you go, so far we've tried the Lorraine Scramble, Red Velvet Pancakes, Stuffed French Toast, and the Portobello Benedict.  My favorite would have to be the Lorraine and the Red Velvet.   Naturally. Oh, and did I already mention how nice it was to have Hector and Illiana still in town?  It's been amazing.  We don't see these two nearly enough since the distance between Chicago and Boston, but I'm hoping we can take Sof on a road trip out east when she's a little bigger.  I've never been out that way and I'm always up for a new adventure!

O ne of my favorite things has always been to relax with my family over brunch with a nice cup of coffee.  What is deceiving about this photo, though is the size of that cup.  It was nearly the size of your standard soup bowl!  I didn't realize it until I got into the car on the way home, but I felt my heart racing incredibly fast and I was having trouble breathing.  I was sitting there thinking I'm anxious or having a panic attack, but couldn't think of any reason why I was upset.  Then, it hit me.  I had drank way. too. much. coffee.   I didn't even think that was possible!  I know now that I have to be careful when indulging in coffee and all of its caffeinated greatness-- with great caffeine content comes great..errrm.. responsibility?

Today's breakfast consisted of rice cereal and ripe bananas. One thing I've learned with her breakfast foods is: Cereal without bananas = yuck.  Cereal with bananas = awesome. Sofia has been doing great with her baby food ever since we started, I'm so proud of her!  I was just talking about how funny it is that with most babies you'll have to do the, "here comes the birdie/airplane brrrrr brrrrr" thing to get them to open their mouths.  With Sofia, it's the exact opposite.  She will SCREAM if you don't shovel the food in her mouth fast enough.  Ready and waiting.  Aggressive eater.  (I wonder where she gets that from). I've been meaning to post more of Sofia's meals on the blog for any of you going through the same thing and wondering what types of foods are suitable for a 6 month old.  We still breastfeed at morning and in the evening but make sure she has at least 2-3 "real-people" meals a day now.  I think she's an ad...

Couldn't resist the pretty fall colors.  I love when I can find inspiration in unexpected places! Farmer's Market- Andersonville.

Well we all know that vegans are freaks, but as Cherise Grifoni says, "even zombies and humans can coexist at the dinner table".  The minute I read the opening line of her new book , I knew I liked this girl!  So, what's the deal?  Am I going crazy vegan?  Am I really giving up bacon, hot dogs, and chicken wings?  The quick answer is no.  The more realistic answer is, I'm trying to be healthier and eat a little lighter and a little cleaner.  I have felt so exhausted, so run down and so... dense?  Haha.  Is that even a real feeling?  I don't know, but it sure felt like it to me lately.  I'm slow and I'm weighed down.  I know I'm not giving my body the proper fuel it needs to make it through the workweek, produce breast milk, or have enough energy to be a mom to my near 5 month old.   Burning good fuel (aka wholesome, clean food) will make me feel better in the long run, lose the last 20 pounds of this baby weight, a...

Have you ever wondered how to make your own baby food?  I found myself thinking the same thing last week when we started Sofia on solids.  Some people will tell you to wait til at least 6 months, and if your baby has been content on breastmilk or formula alone, then I also think it's best to wait.  Sofia, though, is about four and a half months old and was already tugging and biting at my boob, trying to hold her own bottle, staring longingly into our eyes as we ate our people-food and waking up in the middle of the night (when she's slept the night through since 4 weeks).  We knew something was going on.  Luckily, we got the OK from our awesome doctor to start solid food and I just so happened to have this amazing book from my cousin Jill.   We started Sofia with a simple, organic short grain rice (she hated it), so we have slowly been introducing simple purees.  Slowly being the key word, here; you're always going to want to wait around 3...

We've been learning to live a little simpler as of late, which even happens to cut into our weekly brunches.  Today we decided to wake up a little earlier and make some Bongo Room worthy red velvet pancakes (with a side of bacon, of course) right from home.  And you know what?  They were absolutely delicious.  But what's even greater than not having to whip out your debit card at the end of your meal is spending time in the kitchen with the people I love, including Sofia!  One of her new favorite things is to sit in the sling while I cook... we just have to start being more careful now as she just figured out she can use her hands to, you know, grab things and other fun things like that!

from here Really... is this brunch overkill?  I cant help that I'm a fan of food and great photos.  These ones from Have Cake, Will Travel deserve a spotlight tonight.  Hellooo carbs.  Get in my belly!

My New Roots - How to Make Nut Milk from My New Roots on Vimeo . Everything about this video is just awesome.  I've fallen head over heels for Sarah B . and My New Roots as I embark on my own journey in wholesome living.  Plus, you know I'm a sucker for well made videos.

Sofia and I took a trip to the Wicker Park Farmer's Market today and were able to pick up some farm fresh raspberries, blackberries, lettuce and other goodies.  Not to mention was Sunday the perfect day to go to the Northside of Chicago (no traffic!!!) but today was just an all around beautiful day.  It was sunny with a breeze and the air was cool.  I walked with Sofia kangaroo style in my Maya Wrap  and we walked a good mile to where we needed to be.  Such a fun day.  Now on to the good stuff: This is my version of the Raw Berry Pie that I saw a few weeks back on Whole Family Fare.    I can't wait to have a nice, cold slice after our carnitas tonight.  

from here Of course the best part of the weekend is breakfast.  Even more specifically- going out for breakfast.  It's been a tradition Erick and I have had since we first met, and now we get to grab brunch as a family. Now for the hard part:  picking where to go out of all the lovely places in Chicago.  Hmm.  These photos from SimplyBreakfast aren't making it any easier to decide, and are totally making me hungry.  Do you ever go to sleep early JUST so you can wake up and have it be breakfast time?  Cuz I.  Definitely. Do.  Gnite y'all!