What's on your plate this summer, mate?

(baked artichokes instead of chips with fresh salsa)


I was talking about grocery shopping with some friends recently. Around here, we spend around $125 a week on groceries. Yes we coupon.
At least $60 of this is going to produce each week. Then dairy (cheese! Milk! Yogurt! Kefir! Local fresh eggs!) and bread and tofu/ice cream/other random groceries such as couscous or maple syrup!
It got me thinking about how much fresh food we eat (comparatively speaking) and I thought I'd ask as well as share in hopes of picking up some new ideas (because I'd honestly rather spend less but not get less quality and fresh food, and I think if I learned more fresh food recipes then my prepackaged (I.e. Veggie burgers) meals would be even more reduced. Here is what we buy most weeks in the summer (and all from the farmer's market) that is fresh::
Eggplants 2-3 large
Yellow squash 7ish
Carrots
Artichokes 4-6
Onions (green/red) lots
Tomatoes 4-6
Aparagus 1 large bunch
Mangoes 6
Strawberries 1pint-1quart
Blueberries 1pint-as much as a gallon
Sprouts
Peaches 5-6
Apples 1-3
Corn 9cobs
Bananas 1large bunch
Pineapple occasionally
Lettuce red/purple lettuce and spinach both
Bell peppers red/green 5-6
Watermelon 1-2
Lemons 9ish
Garlic of course
Avacadoes 2-3
And I think thats it. So tell me- what would you make with those veggies and maybe just one or two other ingredients? I want to make the most out of our summer meals and we really love food, so please share!



- mamma pie

Working Mama

The reason I've been away so much lately? I have a job. I'm nannying part-full time for a family who share many of my own views about parenting (not "child rearing," because I don't think children need to be "reared.")
They're very nice, their daughter is a joy. I don't love working, I won't lie to you about that.
It's hard. My girl gets a bit jealous, she is a copycat of the finest sort, picking up the few things I'd rather she didn't notice. Their girl can be a bit bossy to Little berry, and naptime is a killer.
In many ways it feels like having another kid. It makes me not want anymore to be precise. The rivalry, attention seeking behaviors, and the balancing act of handling two is more than I want.
I know many women with more than one child and while I don't think they regret it, I do see that they seem to be able to balance things much better than myself.
And I think I would regret having two or more. I need more than two hands for my one kid as it is.
- mamma pie

Let's call her baby starbucks

How to make the best cup of coffee, a story in pictures by little berry.
First turn on dada's coffee mach-masha-mashene.



Are you paying attention? It's this belly button right here. Don't touch those other belly buttons.


Hey! Look at me. I'm trying to show you something!


Now get some more coffee. Dada says you can't ever use too much.


Pour some in the cup.


Check and make sure you got it in there, alright?



Now stir it around so it looks pretty. Mamma says it smells like poop.



Hmmmm. What am I forgetting....?


Oh, some magnets would be yummy. Let's add those. Mamma says that's a no-no, but I think it's a yes-yes!


Now taste it to make sure it's yummy. Sometimes the magnets don't dissolve very well.


Yep! It's good. We sure did make it yummy! Those magnets give it a real earthy flavor.

*no coffee was harmed in the making of this post. Thanks for dropping by!

Etsy features: Le Petit Owlet

This is my first Etsy feature shop and I know you are going to love it.
This shop has so much creativity and love going into each item. I'm a huge fan of cloth diapers but I think that the commercial diapers that are so popular (which I use) lose a lot of character. This shop, Le Petit Owlet, satisfies me on every level. Her diapers are CUTE. I mean, hello, ADORABLE, babylust inducing, lovely.
Each of her diapers are handmade with lots of love and care, and in case you don't know much about cloth diapers, these are excellent quality. She offers choices in materials like wool, which is all natural and eco friendly. easy to care for, great for baby's bum. You can even custom chose your fabrics if you don't see anything that suits your fancy, but you will. She has the sweetest prints!
How much better could it be?
Well, as it turns out, it does get better. This shop has so much character and charm, from her really beautiful vintage dresses to her lovely little boy's face and her handmade pads for breastfeeding mammas.


Please go check it out, and visit her blog as well. You're going to love her.

Take my word for it

This morning, as Pappa Starbucks was walking out the door, he unplugged my iphone and handed it to me. I was standing in our kitchen and I turned it over in my palm and gave him a smooch goodbye. As he walked past me in the kitchen, his arm brushed my iphone out of my hand and it landed face down on our linoleum floor.
Little berry saw it on the floor and lit up. She loves the Peekaboo barn App and thought she was going to get a turn.
I quickly swooped down to pick it up. I've dropped it getting in the car before in the parking lot and thought "yikes! glad that wasn't on cement!" But I never put a cover on it because I love the sleek lightweight feel of it in m palm, the ease of carrying it in my pocket without a case.
The screen is glass, so all those cracks are slivers of glass waiting to cut your face, making flicking the screen nearly impossible. Go put a case on your iphone. Even pricey hardcover ones are cheaper than replacing it. A new screen is $79 and a new Iphone is about $100. A new iphone PLUS a new case is about $120. Even if you're terrible at math you can see that a new cover is your best option, just go do it. You can thank me later.