Well, this is the beginnings of the Peach’s Halloween costume and the beginning of my tragic slide into craft angst.

When I was seven I was given the role of a woodpecker to play in the school play. When I came skipping home to my mother telling her I needed a woodpecker costume in two days, I didn’t notice how all of the color drained from her face.  As I’ve mentioned before my mother is not crafty.  I realized this the day she presented me with the World’s Saddest Costume–one of my brother’s white t-shirt with two “feathers” cut out from a brown paper bag and half drawn in with a blue ball point pen.  And then a couple of feather-like shapes drawn onto the t-shirt with the same blue ball point pen skipping fabric every inch or so.  And not in a straight line.

You have to understand that I took a vow. As grand a vow as Scarlett said when after she ate that scrawny carrot and held her fist claiming she would never be hungry again.  Well, I promised my future children that they would never be embarrassed by their Halloween and or school play costumes!

Fast forward 30 years later and here I sit tired after a week’s worth of cleaning, cooking, baby wrangling and a full time job eating those innocent words I spit out as I furiously attempt to finish the Peach’s costume in time for Halloween.

It was so innocent at the beginning. I came up with the sweetest idea. How about a widdle bumble bee Halloween costume?  Make a cute little a-line jumper made of warm black and yellow  felt that will keep her cozy and match it with a hand knit hat. Perfect right?

Perfect for CRAFT FAIL.

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I gotta say, I love my slow cooker.

Every spring/summer the old crock pot languishes in the pantry, completely forgotten until there is that nip in the air.

I must admit, the love wasn’t always there for my dear friend, Crock Pot.  In fact, throughout my youth and young adult life I pooh-poohed this kitchen workhorse for it’s stew-like recipes and childhood disdain for chili. (You would hate chili too if you grew up with a brother who used his gassy bowel like a weapon. I would start cry every time I saw my mother pull out a can of beans.)

But one read-thru of my sister’s in law cookbook Slow Cooker Cooking, by Lori Brody, well, I had to try the slow cooker again.

With recipes as amazing as Moroccan chicken and apricots, boeuf bourginon and lamb you can eat with a spoon, how could I not love this piece of kitchen wizardry.  I must admit tho’–these aren’t your typical throw-stuff-in-a-pot-and-walk-away. No, I spend about 15-30 minutes prepping if not longer at times. So, I like to put it together Sunday night and cook it Monday day, coming home to a cooked meal that can feed us for at least two nights.

My new favorite recipe is Pork Stew in a tomatillo sauce, from a new slow cooker cookbook called The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World which features different recipes from around the world.

Please note simple does not mean easy. Unless you consider hand roasting 3 lbs of tomatillos easy.

It was my first time cooking with tomatillos and I’m still shocked at how cheap they were. And I’m still shocked at how unbelievably good that stew is! Topped with a little feta (I couldn’t fine queso to save my life!) and a bit of cilantro.

So perfect for a cool fall evening.

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The emphasis now that I have a baby is not what I will go for Halloween, but what the Peach shall be.

But I remember when I would spend months contemplating what to go as for Halloween. I always try to do something significant to the times.

Here I am as Chelsea Clinton circa 1997 when she was just entering Stanford University as a freshman.  With two friends dressed as bodyguards. One dressed as a suit and the other as a “civilian” student. God I thought I was SO CLEVER! Thanks Rosemary for sending it along!

I will show you pictures of the Peach later this week and share with your the tragic tale of woe that is her Halloween costume.

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I do love a good jumper.

That and a nice onesie and some baby leggings is all a little lady needs to look well dressed in my opinion.

I have these wonderful grandiose plans to make a few for the Peach before the end of the new year out of these fun fine-waled corduroy fabrics.

There are some very cute patterns out there, but my wonderful day care provider is actually also an uber seamstress and pattern maker! And she offered to turn my favorite little rooster jumper into a pattern.

She also gave me this very clever pinafore she made that crosses in the back which is too cute for words. I might have to try that pattern too!

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What can I say.

I love this kid.

And already she’s doing military style push ups.

And POOPING ON THE TOILET. Seriously!

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Well, I love a good pickle. A good lacto fermented pickle.

What can I say–I’m on this probiotic kick right now, thanks to some inspiration from this guy. Thanks to my OSV days, I was pretty hip to making pickles ages ago, but since leaving the farm for  the high-tech world of Silicon Valley, I opted for buying some fancy pickles instead of brining them myself.

But after spending upwards of $6.00 for a jar of pickles, I thought I could make my own.

However,  I’m a total slacker and had a vague memory of seeing Martha “pickle” her own carrots and celery and cucumbers using the left over brine from purchased pickles.

One buck worth of small cukes picked up at the Farmer’s Market , et voila!

I’ll let you  know how they taste in a week…

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Dear Plastic,

We’ve been friends for years. I still love you and all, but I think we should part ways in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had some seriously fun times together. All of that stock frozen in plastic ziplock bags. You didn’t even complain when I used you again and again. And oh, those bendy thin plastic cutting boards and I go way back.  I could barely even think of making mirepoix without one.  And let’s not forget all those trips to the gym holding my water too–man, that was fun.

But now, I think we need a little space. Like a lot of space. Starting with my cutting boards.

A quick trip to TJ Maxx and voila–cheap yet good looking bamboo wooden cutting boards to do chop many vegetables in the future.

But, Plastic, forgive me, here’s the really hard break-up letter–getting rid of my beloved tupperware-esque Glad plastic containers. But at least these are cute and colorful… And plastic water bottle, you were an expensive habit that is now broken stylishly with this great water bottle.

Don’t worry, plastic, you still have a role in my life, but I think the co-dependence needs to end!

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I made a bit of a reference in my last post, but,  the Peach has been eying my dinner for awhile and I think she’s ready to broaden her palette past cereal.

So Mama went to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market and picked up some nice ripe organic goodies for the Peach. No peaches tho’–would that be cannibalism? (Haha! I’m such the comedian…)  But I did find some great zucchinis and pears that I steamed and pureed into future meals.

I don’t know why, but I’m amazed at how easy it is to make baby food from scratch. And delighted as I wasn’t too jazzed on feeding the Peach jarred baby food.  Have you ever tasted jarred baby food? I did when I was drunk off of too many mimosas at a baby shower ten years ago and nearly threw up. The memory of that taste still turns my tongue!  I’m sure they’ve improved through the years.* but I tasted all of the Peach’s soon to be food and was very delighted with the taste. Particularly the pear.

For some reason, I was sure that it was going to be hard and I’ve have to follow very specific recipes. Boy, was I wrong.  This book was sort of like my training wheels for making baby food.    There is also this great site called Babyfood 101 that my darling friend Suzy hipped me too. And my darling daycare provider introduced me to this great site, Wholesomebabyfood.com.

The other great thing is that you can make larger batches and freeze the rest, so a Sunday morning spent cooking can take care of a couple of weeks of food. Nice!

*Oh, and for anyone that is into jarred baby food, there is this great review of them on CHOW. Check it out!

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I am all about using up leftovers.

Like this great red and white polkadot oil cloth I bought to cover the top of the Peach’s changing table/dresser.

I had a long fat quarter that was perfect for baby bibs!

Thanks to my serger and 10 minutes of time, I am now the owner of four matching red and white polka dot bibs that you can easily wipe off the butternut squash/peas combo of baby food doom that don’t make it into her widdle mouth!

Please, may I have some more?

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Have you heard of Style Rookie?

It’s this brilliant fashion blog by a 13 year old. Yes, that is correct.

Thirteen, people.

When  was thirteen, I thought the height of fashion was frosted pink lipstick. I was more interested in that baggy shaker knit mustard yellow sweater  I saw at the Limited the last time my mom drove me to the mall than having an opinion on the spring 2010 Steve McQueen shoe collection.

And certainly I didn’t think I was cool enough to even think of this outfit, let alone wear it. And here is Tavi rocking it out.

It really saddened me when I read on her blog that she sometimes is made fun of in her school for the way she dresses.  But she is confidently doing her own thing and I respect her great self confidence to live her live and dress the way she wants.  And she found people who appreciate her unique take on style through her blog.

Man, being a teenager is tough enough–there is such pressure to fit in. But I salute anyone who wants to march to their own drummer and be as joyous in it as Tavi.

I’m buying my Team Tavi t-shirt tomorrow!

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