A few good gems

Friday greetings!! This has been an exceptionally cold week in Houston, and while the temps don't seem to be rising, I'm looking forward to burying into my warm covers on Saturday morning. With soup. And hot chocolate. And yes, I'm a messy eater.

Moving on . . . Despite my Valentine link party on Wednesday, I've managed to scare up a few more good gems since the Internet is chock-full of fascinating tidbits that take me away from academic writing. Thank you Internet.

I've seen recommendations for the app Waterlogue on all types of social media. I'm a sucker for a fun app, and I'm anxious to try printing some of my creations. Here's what I like to call Indie Reclining:

My friend Kate sent me a link to this interesting article about adolescence and just how very, very, very difficult the whole stage is on PARENTS. Yes, poor us. Thanks Kate!

This recipe for Warm Winter Vegetables with Farro looks tasty (and healthy). Shutterbean also has a Reset Button Salad that I really like.

via Shutterbean

We are die-hard Full House fans in this house. So, of course, I have to link to Danny, Jessie, and Joey whenever possible. Um . . . Danny doesn't look so good. (But I still love him.)

Danny Tanner, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Jesse stop by Jimmy's bedroom to teach him a life lesson about leaving "Late Night."

Love this list of 50 books written by women authors. 

And one last note of inspiration (mostly for myself), and then I'm off to contemplate the weekend. And carbs. And maybe a few more carbs. Later!

Valentine's day with big kids

Now that the calendar has ventured into February, I'm keen to say something about love and hearts and sparkly, pink glitter. Personally, I tend to leans toward the state of a mind that Valentine's Day is a made-up, greeting card holiday. But my kids love it, and I feel duty-bound to try to make a tradition out of every little thing so they'll forget those times when I was a screaming lunatic and locked myself in my room because THREE HUNDRED SOCKS ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR.

Plus, Valentine's Day can be a bit of let down for teenagers, particularly girls. I've realized of late that Rebecca is a hopeless romantic, and hopeless romantics especially love Valentine's Day. And sometimes, you've just got to help a hopeless romantic out.

From the time our kids were little, Sterling and I have celebrated our kids with a special Valentine's breakfast. We decorate the table and use heart plates, and I gather a few small, lovey gifts to put next to each place setting (and by lovey, I mean clothes for the girls and something weapon-like for PJ). In years past Sterling has made pink, strawberry milk, pink scrambled eggs, and heart shaped pancakes alongside hashbrowns and bacon and any other fatty breakfast concoction we can dream up. One year we even hung pink and red and white streamers and balloons in the doorway to the kitchen so the kids could run through. It was very . . . celebratory.

As the kids have entered high school (with early morning activities), we've had to adjust the festivities (because no one really enjoys a Valentine breakfast at 5:15 AM). I think this year we will have a Valentine dinner the night before (Thursday night) -- but we'll be serving breakfast for dinner, which is one of my favorite things in the entire world. So I'd better get thinking about decorations and menu items.

This recipe for Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon French Toast with Strawberries seems, well, divine. 

via OurBestBites

Or these Mini Puffed Oven Pancakes with Berry Sauce. I've actually made these before and loved them, but be sure to double the recipe because the kids need a lot to fill them up.

via OurBestBites

Oh Happy Day has an entire list of fun ideas. I'm kind of hip on Heart Balloons in a Closet. It's a simple but unexpected surprise to brighten up my family's day. 

via OhHappyDay

These fantastic fruit stickers have been making their way around the Internet for a few years now, and I'm thinking of printing some out for lunches. Nothing says 'high school cool' like lovey fruit stickers. 

via Twig & Thistle

I'm also considering this heart t-shirt. They had some hip, raglan-sleeve heart shirts for a while, but they seem to be gone. Need. Raglan. Valentine. Shirt.

via HelloApparel

And for my daughters who are far, far away? Love these printable love cards by Jones Design Company. 

via JonesDesignCompany

Sharing a little love on Valentine's Day is a fun, memory-filled tradition for our family. And since that family is currently winging its way out the door -- I plan to live it up while the getting is good! Hearts for everyone . . .

A few good gems

Happy Friday, y'all! A few of our favorite things from internet world this week:

I find these machine embroidery illustrations so inspiring:

Amanda deftly captures the moment when a child ever-so-subtly moves into the next phase.  A snippet: "I'm trying so hard to support their evolution but some days it feels like holding icicles in my hand. I am so tender, careful not to squeeze too hard...the ice melts beneath my touch, the shape constantly changing."

What's your Starbucks name? This article reminded me of a silly tradition we started at some point in the last ten years. When we visit a restaurant/cafe that asks for a name for our order, we take turns supplying some crazy fake name. There's something satisfyingly insubordinate about it. 

YES to this piece on Diana Nyad and the documentary The Other Shore. This part so resonated with me that it's kicked me back into gear on some of my "other shore" goals: "One day she woke up and felt the weight of an incomplete life. It was that simple. Something was missing. To hell with lost time. Because sometimes the only way to get rid of the haunting is to strap yourself to the ghost." What's your "other shore"?
 

via OWN

My mom sent me this wise, tender, and practical article on the ministry of presence and how those of us outside of the zone of trauma and loss can better communicate with those who are smack in the center of it. 

Oh, I love La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows series. As their website puts it, they "film beautiful, rare, and intimate sessions with your favorite artists, and the ones you are soon to fall in love with." Check out Of Monsters and Men, Emiliana Torrini, the Lumineers and the first one I ever saw, My Brightest Diamond's lullaby to her son, I Have Never Loved Someone (which I have probably already posted here but here goes again):

My Brightest Diamond | I Have Never Loved Someone | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

This would be fun and easy to make for Valentines Day. I'm thinking you could just as easily use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and embroidery hoop:

Via Pinterest, where the link to the original is broken. Anyone know where this came from?

Happy weekend, all!  Hope it's filled with some rest, some get-'er-done, and many good things. And a little silliness. See you back here on Monday.

---

Reading: Anna Quindlen's new novel, Still Life with Breadcrumbs. Also the always inspiring, kick-in-the-pants Steal Like an Artist (Austin Kleon). 

Eating: these coconut chicken tenders were a huge hit here. Also, I'm suddenly a huge edamame fan. It's my favorite snack right now.

Listening to: San Fermin's Sonsick and Oh Darling. 

And what are you reading/eating/listening to these days? Do share!

A few good gems

Wishful thinking. Image by Philipp Reiner

Hi all. We are expecting a "wintry mix" (shouldn't that be 'wintery'?) of precipitation tonight, which means my kids are expecting the day off from school tomorrow. I'm thinking they may just get their wish, since even one teeny, tiny flake of ice  in Houston SHUTS DOWN THE ENTIRE CITY. And . . . sleeping in would be a-okay with me as well. 

Regardless of weather, let's get this weekend started right. I really slaved over these links, because you know how I hate surfing the Internet and all. BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT!

This Op-doc video, Sarah's Uncertain Path, is a powerful look at a pregnant teenager in impoverished, rural Missouri.

I've seen lots of heartwarming stories of adoption of the Internet as of late. Read this incredible story of a woman who has adopted five children from Tanzania (and started an orphanage as well). I've also been following global adoptions on this blog and . . . here.

George Eliot is my very favorite Victorian-era writer. I'm sorta like a George Eliot groupie. I just saw this book review, and my Amazon trigger finger is itching.

I loved this essay of all the places Katherine Coplen has lived. I don't know Katherine, but I appreciate her chronicle of college-priced housing. My favorite line described her third residence: "There were three bedrooms of varying sizes and shapes. One had a door both to the hallway and the kitchen (a snack door, obviously)." I read that and thought maybe we were related. Because I really like snacks.

Somewhere, in the vast recesses of Facebook, I came across a recommendation for a little app called Duolingo. Now I'm obsessed and have to set a timer to limit my duolingo time. Duolingo offers courses in Italian, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese. I'm working on French, natch. You can play/learn online or on your smartphone.

Becca likes to take a granola bar to school everyday to eat after track. I always feel a little bad packing them because they seem mostly like junk food. Going to try these for next week. 

Going to whip up this Winter Citrus Salad for lunch this week. 

I know my kids are older, but who wouldn't enjoy a woodland creature bookmark? WHO? 

And on that note (the woodland creature note), I'm out of here. The Saratov Approach finally comes to Houston this weekend, so you'll find me there!

Spaghetti squash . . . I never knew I loved thee

I hate to be "jump on the bandwagon" girl, but I'll admit here and now that I've gone paleo. It's been nine weeks now (minus the week of Christmas when I drank a slurpee and ate cheesecake -- so NOT paleo). I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you that, for me, not eating sugar is really key to my overall health and well-being. Also, not eating anything my body might possibly perceive as sugar. Sometimes I even have to hold my breath when I'm on the cereal aisle.

The good news is that I'm slowly building up a repertoire of good, tried-and-true recipes that my whole family loves. Guys, my kids will totally go to the mat after school for these leftovers. And I'm all, "Now kids, let's not fight over the squash." Yep, my life is totally like that. 

My point is that regardless of your eating philosophy -- this is good, healthy, satisfying food. Make it soon.

[Note: This recipe is adapted from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.  I've changed the quantities slightly. For the original version, see Sanfilippo's website.]

Balanced Bites by Diane Sanfilippo

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (get one big one or two small)
2 TBSP bacon fat or butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 lb ground veal or beef
1 lb ground pork
4 slices bacon, crumbled
3/4 c full-fat coconut milk
small can tomato paste
1/2 c white wine or beef broth (add more if you need more liquid)
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (this may take some muscle. Consider it your workout for the day.) Scrape out the seeds and membrane, liberally apply sea salt and black pepper, put the halves face down on a cook sheet, and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
2. Let the squash cool for 5-10 minutes and then scrape the insides of the squash with a fork. This is the magic part. It turns into spaghetti. Except it's sugar free. Put all of your hard-won spaghetti squash into a lovely serving bowl.
3. While the squash is in the oven, get the sauce going. Melt the bacon fat or butter and then sautee the onions, carrots, and celery until soft. Add the garlic. Then add the beef (or veal), pork, and bacon and cook through. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bon Appetite!

Tap, tap . . . is this thing even on?

Photo not related to post -- just still dreaming about our snowy holiday.

First off . . . Happy 2014! I've got lots of hopes and intentions (that seems to be the new catch-word for 'goals') for the new year. I wouldn't go so far as to say there will be a new me in the new year, but I definitely am aware that there is room for improvement. So get ready for some really annoying posts about being healthy and choosing new drapery material for my living room and how I'm learning to discipline my work habits. Actually, maybe someone else should write about how to discipline my work habits. Anyone? Anyone?

Secondly, neither Annie nor I planned to effectively disappear from Nest & Launch. Seemingly, we had our editorial calendar well in place just before Christmas. But then Christmas happened, and Annie traveled across the entire world, and I traveled three hours away (by plane), and then it just all went kerfluffle. Or something like that. Here's the great thing about being your own boss -- you can give yourself time off! 

While we get all of our figurative ducks in a row, here are a few good gems to express our appreciation for your patience in this our time of hedonistic laziness. (Of course, I'm only speaking for myself there.)

• Check out this article on consumerism, gratitude, and kids in the WSJ. 
• Or this article, that thinks that American parents are missing the proverbial boat. Could be.
• I made PW's newly-posted hamburger soup this week. It was a big hit on a chilly day. Get this -- I even left out the potatoes, cuz, you know, I'm being healthy and all.
• I'm generally of a mind that the movie is NEVER as good as the book. But this list intrigues me.
• It's never too early to move on to the next holiday. Minion valentines!
• The Internet is a-buzz with calls to disconnect from technology (which is ironic, considering folks are using TECHNOLOGY to tell us we are ruining our lives with TECHNOLOGY). Check out this cool new gadget that promises to keep the phone out of your hand.

We plan to resume regular posting on Monday. See you then!

A few good gems

Less than two weeks till Christmas! I'm 88% finished with my Christmas shopping, and 100% fired up for the big day. Our best gift will be a Skyped conversation with our daughter in France. I hope I can hold it together and don't turn into a sobbing mess when I see her. I'm giving sobbing mess a 94% chance.

But there's still time to seize the season, so to speak. Here are a few good gems in case you need a little inspiration.

via Shutterbean.com

So, it's pretty much decided. I'm making this awesome peppermint bark as my friend & neighbor gift this year. Still need to find some cute containers.

I absolutely love this little kindergarten girl. She signs her entire holiday program for her deaf parents. She's a doll, and for some reason it made me kind of teary that she was translating the entire thing for them. 

via SweetPaul

For your holiday dinner -- antlers on placecards! What could be better?

Remember when I posted about Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge? Read about the books that meant the most to Elizabeth Strout in 2013. Really the entire series, of A Year in Reading: 2013, is undeniably cool.

Without doubt, O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is my favorite Christmas-time short story. I've forgone Madeline's Christmas and most of the kiddie Christmas books in our collection, but I do require an annual reading of this book. We have this illustrated version. But you can download the story (along with other O. Henry classics) here.

Check out this NYT's article on how to minimize the material aspects of Christmas -- how to have a great holiday with LESS STUFF. Be sure to check out the comments where other parents weigh in.

That's it guys! Have a great weekend. Stay warm!