sunlit path

there is a nice network of trails behind my mother's residence. 

last weekend we had a couple of amazing spring-like days and so we met her for a stroll. things were a little swampy in spots with the recent snow melt, and the little creek was full.

at the end of it all tristan had fun with yia yia's new magnetic screen door. 

hopefully it will keep the stink bugs out.

speaking of yia yia, here is her latest knitting creation. she designed this sweater herself. isn't it lovely? i took some buttons off of an old sweater of mine and attached them. 

tashi wasn't happy that i had her stand outside in the cold to take a picture, 

but she does love the sweater.

we have been meeting up with our pals and enjoying the border

between winter and spring. days have been breezy, bright, exceptionally cold 

AND exceptionally warm! there really is no knowing what is next. 

it is time to start thinking about seeds: literal and symbolic. 

what will you plant in the coming season?

wishing you a happy weekend!

hello to lucky 13

our new years eve was quiet. we had some dear friends over for a fantastic spread of greek afelia, winter squash risotto, and black eyed pea salad, all recipes from cookbooks by tessa kiros. our meal was followed by some bubbly, some gifts, and dessert, and then our friends moved on to their next stop. 

 

we brought the midnight hour in lazily, by the fire, watching new years eve tv, munching on biscotti, lined up on the couch with our laptops. my brother danny is visiting from new york city, thus making enough people for a rollicking game of quao.

the next day we slowly woke up and prepared for another celebration with families from our playgroup, and a few other friends with small children. our house was buzzing with the play of children aged almost-four to four weeks! and the food! there was vegetable lasagne, gratin made from home grown potatoes, black eyed pea sausage stew, chili, homemade bread with goat cheese chutney, smoked salmon, guacamole, cake and cookies and stout beer and spiced cider. it was a hearty welcome to 2013.

wishing you all a fabulous 2013 full of positive things. keep smiling!

p.s. today is my daughter's 15th birthday. 

FIFTEEN! 

i can hardly believe it myself. tashi is the bright beacon that paved the way for us as a family. 

she amazes us with her brilliance, her creativity, her groundedness, and her humor. 

we love her beyond language! happy birthday tashi!

more on our celebrations next entry!

friday with friends: star prints

as a counter balance to all the complex music and big people gatherings, there was our friday playgroup. it was a beautiful day in greenwood, virginia. and the kids made star prints! cut an apple in half horizontally around it's mid section (not from stem to base). if the kids are hungry (as ours were), you can cut off any excess apple & chop up for snack. leave a cross section with the star, dip it in paint, and press it to paper. 

oh my stars! 

or flowers. or bugs. or just lots of paint on paper. . .

 

 

friday with friends

playgroup has been such a highlight for tristan and i, an opportunity for us both to play with others, share food, crafts, and conversation. every friday we meet in the warm home of our friend, and the hours unfold. we have open play. circle time. snack. a craft or activity. and lunch. 

in celebration of autumn eve, we made thumbprint trees today. the crafty crow leads the way again!

the food, oh the food! when you get a bunch of health conscious mamas together 

you can bet the food will be good. 

i contributed this tasty very green avocado tahini dip, a recipe i found on my friend britt's 

have fun do good blog.

the cat even came out of hiding today. i think she's getting used to our raucous playgroup crowd.

tristan took a nice nap when we got home, and i spent a good chunk of time searching for recipes that used poblanos and ground beef, since i had both on hand. i found this recipe video for making poblano beef ricotta lasagna. i had ricotta left over from the skillet lasagna i made the other day, so went right to work on this one. tristan woke up mid way, but was happy to stir the bechamel sauce and munch on some spare lasagna noodles. it was delicious, if i must say so!

tristan wasn't a big fan of the mildly hot poblanos though.

once i separated them out from his serving he remained skeptical, but in better spirits.

wishing you a happy friday and a very joyful weekend welcoming autumn.