October Snapshots.

Oh, October.  You are so lovely with your crisp, golden days distracting from the inevitable winter.  Please come back...
 

//Some recipe links to go along with some of those pictures//
divine crackly banana bread
bread-pudding-pancakes
super yummy apple galette
peach and blueberry pie

Late Night Doughnuts.

Oh, doughnuts, doughnuts.  The perfect autumn breakfast (...and lunch...and dinner).  Making your own doughnuts really isn't that difficult, and what better activity to do on a cold fall night?  We made these Sour Cream Old Fashioned doughnuts from Handle the Heat a few nights ago, and they really were divine.  (There may or may not have been a few hot, angry tears shed when the last crumb was devoured...)

Here's the recipe, transcribed for ease.  I just did a vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk glaze (with a little sea salt!), which worked just as well.

DOUGHNUTS:

2 1/4 cup (255 grams) cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 2 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sour cream Canola oil, for frying

GLAZE:

3 1/2 cup (350 grams) powdered sugar, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup hot water

In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until sandy. Add the egg yolks and mix until light and thick. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream, ending with the flour. The dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter or two differently sized biscuit cutters to cut out as many donuts as possible, dipping the cutters into flour as necessary to prevent sticking. You should get about 12 doughnuts and holes.

Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot with a deep-fry thermometer attached. Heat to 325°F. Fry the doughnuts a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry on each side about 2 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Let drain on a paper bag to soak up the excess grease.

For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. Immerse each doughnut into the glaze. Place on a wire rack above a sheet pan to catch any excess glaze. Let sit for 20 minutes until glaze is set.

Here is a picture of a super cute baby, and one of some beautiful golden leaves in Giddings Square, because I know you probably won't mind.  

4 Months.

Evangeline grows cuter, stronger, and smarter by the day.  She loves to talk and will hold "conversations" with us.  She always wants to be included in what Alex and I are doing: when we talk, she'll begin to talk too; when we laugh, she laughs.  Such imitation is so precious, and terrifying!  I'm beginning to understand the importance of my actions and their influence on her.  Such responsibility is so overwhelming...

Much to our delight, she is willfully choosing to be cozy these days.  She is also growing increasingly sensitive to strangers, and would rather Mom and Dad hold her than anyone else.  (In a horribly selfish way, I sort of love that.)  While wary of new people, she is intrigued with new things.  Though she has gotten very good at grabbing and holding on to things, we've noticed that she prefers to gently touch them, as if she is fascinated by the how they feel.  Completely adorable.

We just love her so much.

Current Baby Stats:

Skills: Being super cute; doing sit-ups with a little help from Dad; giggling; grabbing and holding her toys (her favorites are colourful chains and Sophie the Giraffe); can stand by herself if holding on to something; vocalizing very loudly; pumping her legs super super fast. 

Dislikes: Tummy time; the car; strangers; the vacuum; not being able to see us. 

Loves: Reaching out and touching everything she can (especially anything glass and/or shiny and the palm tree); listening to Glenn Gould's Bach; showers and baths; being read to (D'Aulaire's Greek Myths, lately); cuddling and being cozy; smiling; putting her fingers in Dad's mouth. 

Long Weekend.

It's midnight as I sit down to write this, and I still hear Evangeline fitfully wriggling in our bedroom.  This is the latest she's ever ever gone to sleep.  As soon as she entered this world she initiated an eerily strict sleeping schedule which involved being asleep by ten, awake by eight, and only one groggy awakening in the middle of the night.  I sure am one lucky momma.  And one super spoiled momma at that, complaining that her little one went to bed a whole two hours later than usual.  Wah.

Hah! Yikes.

Alex is having some much loved cozy time with Sleepy Little Lady now, giving me the opportunity to sit down to this little blog and type out a few words...Let's see.

This past long weekend was busy for us (love those long weekends).  We spent Saturday making tamales (literally an all day affair), doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, catching up on all those things that we had put off for the past few weeks, and, most exciting of all, Alex began building a frame for my Nolli map of Rome.  Hurrah!  Even thinking about the costliness of getting something that huge professionally framed hurt our heads a little, but then I found this great tutorial on how to build your own frame.  It probably would have been a day project had he had the tools...but little Chicago apartments don't really accommodate miter saws.  But, as I have mentioned, Alex is invincible, and so decided to start building one anyways.

We took advantage of possibly one of the last warm, sunny Sundays, and took the train to the Botanic Gardens.  The fall flowers and foliage are at their peak: the deep reds, purples, oranges, and yellows astounded us with their vibrancy.  I'll never get tired of these Northern Autumns.  They fill me with awe every time.

On Monday we rearranged the apartment.  Yes, again.  I refused to hang anything on the walls until couches and bookshelves were in their proper and final places, and finally, after about a month of hemming and hawing, I finally grew sick enough of my own indecision and the stacks of art and mirrors lying about.  Hanging art and moving furniture always helps me to feel as though I've been extraordinarily productive and much more organized and deliberate than I normally feel.  Cheers to that!

Because it's boring to post without a picture, here's one of us at the Botanic Gardens.  A year ago, we were standing in that exact same spot, only Little One was a biiiiiit tinier!  What a difference a year makes...Thank you, God, for this wonderful family of mine!

5 Movies You Should Watch Now.

...and which you can watch now, because they're on Netflix Instant!

1.  I know this came out a while ago, but Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing is really truly fantastic.  I watched it when it first came out and was delighted, but after a recent re-viewing, I was astounded: it's inspired.  Do yourself a favour and watch it now, whether or not you have seen it already.

2.  Alex and I have been sort of on a learning-about-wine kick after reading a hilarious Roald Dahl short story about a wine connoisseur (the story is called Taste--read it!).  You can only read so many articles on tannins before you end up with a strangely chalky sensation in your mouth, so we were pleased to discover A Year in Burgundy, a new-to-Netflix documentary following Burgundian winemaking families.  It was very informative, and so fascinating to see these different families and how their lives completely revolve around the art (or the science) of wine-making. 

3.  Apparently, in the 1930's, the Galapagos Islands were the perfect destination for those seeking perfect solitude and nearly complete isolation from society.  Until, that is, numerous people ended up on the same island.  The Galapagos Affair, which documents the lives of a few Germans living on the island of Floreana, is intriguing, terrifying, and definitely worth the watch. 

4.  Yes, Silver Linings Playbook did come out two years ago, but it was just recently released on Netflix Instant.  I really do love this story.  I love its honesty.  I love the broken characters.  I love the idea that everyone can find happiness.  It's rough and complicated, charming and simple.  Serve with tissues. 

5. Upstream Color.  No words.  Just watch if you're ready for a beautiful, terrifyingly strange experience.  Then come talk to me. 

Lazy Bread.

At the thought of baking bread, a whimsical and pleasant image arises, usually involving flour covered aprons and milkmaid braids.  There's something so earthy and natural and wholesome about bread baking.  These thoughts make me long to attend Kneading Conferences  and be a hip, down-to-earth, linen-clad member of a 'Grain Alliance'.   But then I remember, honestly, that I really don't like making bread.  I think it's the kneading...and the waiting for the bread to rise, punching down, and waiting again, and, dear goodness, the dough between my fingers and under my nails that just won't go away.  Ultimately, my distaste for the art crops up to my own impatience and finickiness.  I'd rather spend my time baking pies and mixing cocktails.  I guess I'll never be on the cover of Kinfolk.

However.  

Lately, I'm very skeptical of all the preservatives, additives, and "dough enhancers" found in grocery store breads (dough enhancer is not a secret baker's term for yeast).  I know, I know, old news.  They've been there for decades.  But bread is a probably my second favourite food group, and I don't like the thought of all that stuff going into my body at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  So a little while back, I began buying Ezekiel bread.  But after a while, even though my stomach said "yum yum," I felt a little guilty about spending 4+ dollars on a loaf of bread.  Enter personal dilemma.  But then I remembered that I a while back I pinned a recipe for World's Easiest Bread on Pinterest-Land-of-Rarely-Realized-Dreams.  

So I took a look at the recipe, and it has changed my life.  Exeunt personal dilemma.  As it turns out, I can bake bread without having to be covered with sticky dough.  But more importantly, I don't have to be wondering every time I swallow that carb-y deliciousness "hmmm, what's in this?" 

Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast (I use regular yeast--just use hot water so that it proofs)

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until it comes together.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours.   Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes (I suppose you can probably do this with bread pans if you want a more traditional shape...I'm going to try to bake the current batch this way).  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

I love that I can mix the ingredients together, go to bed, and then have fresh baked bread an hour after I get up in the morning!  It's nothing special, but for basic, easy, no-effort-required bread, I'm very satisfied.  Enjoy!  

Christmas with Baby: Dreams and Plans.

As there are only 86 days till Christmas, I've naturally been thinking about what we should give Evangeline (and what I should give Al, but because he reads this I'm not going to elaborate any more on that subject).  I know, I know, Christmas is not about presents.  But I just love love love giving presents more than anything, especially when I'm giving them to my cute baby and wonderful husband.

Alex and I have discussed the idea of the Four-Present-Christmas for Evangeline.  I'm sure you've seen the corny, catchy phrase: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.  Perhaps it's not that realistic, but we're going to give it a shot.  I really am in love with the idea.  Our hope is that this practice will help instill in Eve the knowledge that the presents she receives are more than just stuff, but that they are signs of our love for her, that they remind her of gifts the Wise Men gave to Baby Jesus, who is The Most Important Gift God gave to us!  (This is also something I constantly need to be reminded of!  Double efficacy!)

This said, I've been thinking of things for her that fall under those categories for this year.  Here are some of my thoughts...

1.  Something She Wants: obviously she doesn't want anything at this stage, so I'm just thinking of things I want for her...such as these little GAP sherpa booties:

I'm thinking about this Jumper.  Evangeline is so active, and just hates being left alone.  It would be perfect to put her in so she could have fun and be near me while I'm cleaning the house, or making dinner, etc. etc. 

2. Something She Needs: a highchair and a winter bunting (or two) are at the top of my list.  She'll probably get the highchair because I'm thinking the bunting will need to be here far before Christmas...

super cute Ikea highchair

precious L.L. Bean bunting.  

this GAP bunting (it converts into a snowsuit!--major plus) is darling.  Not sure about the warmness level though.  L.L. Bean probably wins that contest.

3.  Something To Wear:  this category will be the hardest for me to narrow down.  Especially since I recently discovered Zara Baby.  Dying.

a sweet little coat for Spring. 

oh, this dress.

And of course, GAP still exists...

Moonrise Kingdom, much? 

so little ladylike.

baby tights slay me.

4.  Something to Read:  Alex and I discuss baby books a lot.  Evangeline loves being read to, and has a pretty good collection of books already, including Hans Christian Anderson, Winnie-the-Pooh, and the Beatrix Potter Collection, but we are always wanting more.

Make Way For Ducklings was always a treasure in my house growing up. 

Rapunzel, by Paul O. Zelinsky

Ian Falconer's Olivia books are gems. 

Holy Donut.

Before leaving Maine, we stopped at The Holy Donut, a Portland treasure, and good enough to grace at least one of the thousand "best donut shops in the nation" lists.  Are we sure glad we did.

  

Apparently these doughnuts are made with potatoes.  This is what gives them such a soft, moist, bread-y texture.  Who knew the humble potato would be the secret ingredient in the Best Doughnuts in the Land?  (Well, I think they are the best...If I had to rank, I'd give them a 10/10.  Al gives them an 8/10.  This is pretty good: his highest ranked goes to the Doughnut Vault with "9.something/10".  I suppose he hasn't found his Beatrice Doughnut yet.)  

This was our selection: an old fashioned, a chocolate sea salt, a berry cannoli, and a holy cannoli.  Oh, the deliciousness.  Rich, yet light.  Sweet, yet mellow.  Perfect combinations of flavors that sent us reeling from their freshness.  Yum yum--they were truly exquisite.  I really can't bear to think about them any longer.  

Don't mock us for how many we ate.  There were three of us (Evangeline basically ate two herself), and we did go straight from the doughnut shop to the airport.  The only thing to make you even the least bit happy about cramped legs for four point five hours is the fact that you might have four of the most delicious doughnuts in the world, and definitely the best snacks on the plane.   

Next time we're in Maine, we just might have to go in and buy the whole shop.  

New Home.

We moved into our new apartment just days before we left for Maine.  It was a whirlwind of insanity. When you move you realize just how much stuff you have.  Yikes.  It was so terrifying just seeing everything half in and half out of boxes stacked up the walls.  Luckily, unpacking takes half the amount of time as packing does (we were packing through the entire month of August!  Something I've learned since having a baby: things now take three times as long as they used to pre-baby), and we're finally settled in to this lovely little apartment.  Everything has it's proper place and apartment living is back to normal.  The only thing we haven't done yet is put the art up on the walls...someone needs to come and give us a third opinion.

Evangeline gives it her stamp of approval.

I really do love our new place.  It's delightfully cozy, without feeling cramped.  Bright, freshly painted walls and white trim really make it seem very airy and a lot more spacious.  I'm very surprised that all our furniture fits, given that our new home is probably half, maybe two-thirds, the size of our old one.  But I suppose we never really had an inordinate much furniture anyways (we still are the proud owners of only two chairs).  The only troublesome aspect of the move was a brief, sweaty struggle with our box spring.  It wouldn't fit up the front stairwell.  It wouldn't fit up the back stairwell.  One beaten up box spring. One distressed and frustrated wife at the thought of sleeping on a mattress on the floor.  Luckily, I have an incredible, intelligent, stubborn husband.  If it won't fit up the stairwell, by golly it'll come in through the window.  And it did.  Somehow.  Note: we live on the third floor.  I'll never forget Al half leaning out of the third story window pulling our queen size box frame inside.  Terrifying.  But problem solved. 

Though the overall apartment size is smaller, we got an upgrade on kitchen counter space!  I'm so especially grateful for this aspect!  It really is a lifesaver.  Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the place all set up sometime soon. 

I'm have grand plans of getting a rug, some more chairs, a small kitchen table for casual breakfasts, and a smaller, round dining room table (the one we have doesn't really fit--that weird oblong shape).

I love these Industrial French cafe chairs.  Kitchen?

Love this rug. via French Connection

Luckily, getting a cheaper place we didn't have to sacrifice on location.  I love the neighborhood that we live in now.  Just a 5-10 minute walk west from our apartment is the most charming little area, with a stone piazza and fountain and plenty of wonderful shops and restaurants (including a bookstore that serves wine...what?!).  It's always full of families ("fleets of strollers" as my friend Mary says) and has such a fun, European vibe.  Big fan.  

1 year.

"I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is
not that strange?"

(Much Ado About Nothing)

Such a happy happy year this has been!  I feel so blessed every day by this wonderful man.  Thank you for always loving me, encouraging me, and helping me.  I truly cannot imagine my life without you.

September 7, 2013