three bears buckwheat porridge

three bears buckwheat porridge (papa bear, mama bear and baby bear helpings)

i like to always change it up when it comes to our meals. it's not often that it actually happens. it's so easy to get in the routine of buying the same ingredients for the same types of meals...based on what we like and what becomes a cinch to pull together. but when i do try new things, i'm always happy i did.

recently it was buying buckwheat (when toasted also known as kasha) from the grain bins. this whole grain improves your circulation, great for cardiovascular health, has necessary amino acids (i've read, a more complete protein from a plant source than even soybeans) and packed full of protein. i didn't really look at any ways to prepare it, just followed the directions of 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts water and served it as i would our side of rice at dinner. none of us really loved it as a side that night, in terms of it being a substitute for rice, alongside salmon and asparagus with lemon butter....but when i had the bright idea of making it a hot cereal for us the next day, my thoughts on kasha immediately changed. apparently using it as a cereal is common and you should check out recipes in your cookbooks and online.

emily and i started a tradition of breakfasts together once a week on my day off, a couple of months back. so i gave it a whirl at one of our thursday get-togethers. it has since made it's way to our breakfast table on numerous occasions. the toasted groat, gives it a very nutty flavor, which is so hearty in the morning. i'm spreading the word, because aside from being packed full of great nutrients and being more rarely used grain, it really is a tasty creation!!

buckwheat hot cereal (feeds approx 4)

3/4 cup dry buckwheat (kasha)

1.5 cups of water

one can of light coconut milk

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 dash of nutmeg

top with dried cranberries and cashews (or whatever berry and nut you prefer)

cook buckwheat and water as you would rice, by bringing water to boil, adding buckwheat and turning it down to simmer with lid on for 15-20 minutes.

after buckwheat is cooked, add coconut milk, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir (keeping the flame on simmer, just to stir it all together)

spoon it in to a bowl add your desired toppings and dig in. great way to start your day.

three is no crowd

on her first plane, en route to wyoming (look at that mini-ness!)

evia's first big trip was when she was four months, when we traveled to wyoming for my cousin's wedding. we hadn't taken a real trip since then. a few weekends out of town here and there, but not time spent really just soaking up each other, while doing activities that were all about being in the moment and taking it all in. 

i've been wanting to do a special trip just the *three* of us, before the new baby arrives. and although i had my sights set high on some place amazing like the bahamas or maui, i never got it together. instead evia and i decided to piggy back on one of d's conference trips to san diego. i knew it wouldn't be the family vacation i had hoped for, but when we were all together it would be great and evia and i would have some special boding time while d was working.

we decided to go down one night early, so we could all go to the san diego zoo together. i had been once before and remembered how spectacular some of the exhibits were. it was every bit as amazing as i remember it and so much more so with a 22 month old! we had a magical time and as soon as we left (literally in the parking lot) we talked about the next time we would be back. the whole trip in san diego turned out to be just as wonderful as day one at the zoo. it was truly a precious time together that i will never forget.

here are a few images that chronicle the special time we had as a family of three. two more months and our lives change forever with the addition of another baby girl. we can't wait.

impromptu sleepover with auntie anna and steven - e's still talking about it

valentine's dinner, table for three

playground fun at waterfront

playing on the steps of the convention center, where d was in his conference

evia excitedly greeted her papa each night

our convenient view of the convention center where e could watch papa and 4,999 other attendees enter and exit the building

would love to say our whole car ride looked like this, but the 6 hour return in oc/la traffic made for a not so happy toddler

breakfasts were spent with papa, before he was in session each day

a visit to petco park, where e had been instructed by papa to say "go dodgers"

the highlight of our trip as a family, zooing-it

more playground fun. this is what our days looked like...just mama and e time!

playing at the children's museum, where she made clay sculptures, learned about recycling, made papa a valentine and read stories with mama

 

after getting caught in the rain, a little good ol'fashioned hotel tv watching

birch aquarium

a few minutes before someone went head first off the steps into the pool - luckily instinct kicked in and she held her breath. mama's instinct also kicked in...fully clothed mama got in the water for a "swim" too and quickly picked up my little slippery muffin.

her face of uncertainty, post-"swim"

in search of the perfect burger

akil's precious daughter, aminah, when we visited "the hook bistro"

descending upon yumminess

our friend akil knows about our (particularly *my*) love of a good cheeseburger. when he learned we were spending the week in san diego he immediately had a burger joint picked out for us and guessed what our menu picks would be. this isn't the first time we've been introduced to a burger by akil and his family. about a month ago we met in oxnard at the hook for another incredible burger experience.

sadly my husband jokes about the speediness i can eat a burger in. yes, mama's eat faster than they've ever eaten in their lives - but my burger is always gone before d can get two bites in. it's not something i'm proud of, but i blame it on the fact that fast food and sweets were always extremely special treats growing up and maybe i was afraid if i don't get it down quick i won't get to keep it. :) to put my rapid-burger-chewing into words, i love burgers and am always in search of the perfect burger.

so on the last day of our extraordinary week playing in san diego we went to akil's suggested smash burger. we weren't disappointed. whenever i go to a new burger place i try to order the most basic version so i can really get an idea of what it is they offer...and expand from there. so i ordered the all american with cheese on their classic egg bun. for those of you who remember enjoying mcdonald's as a kid, but don't eat there anymore purely on principle or more realistically on your increased knowledge of just what it is you're eating - this particular burger was a fun way to relive the tastiness, but with a freshness and a whole-product that was in a totally different class. cheese (extra gooey), pickles, ketchup, mustard and red onion. my mouth is watering a little bit talking about it.

but don't let me mislead you this was no "mickey-d's." the varied menu and build your own burger were so unique...take the spicy baja for instance: pepper jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy chipotle mayo and fresh jalapeños on a spicy chipotle bun...definitely one to try next time. or how about the veggie frites (these were off the hook!) if i could get veggies every time i ate a burger, i would be eating at these places more regularly! flash-fried asparagus spears, carrot sticks and green beans. we couldn't complete the meal without a drink, so the rootbeer float with fresh vanilla ice cream and ibc rootbeer, completed the decadence. 

veggie frites! a curse if you live within driving distance of this place.

essential for a rootbeer float to be served in a icy mug

lil'one apparently doesn't share my excitement for burger joints!

  what's your favorite burger?  

don't just pass through paso

coffee shop at our hotel, a little slice of the past

although separated by a 6 hour drive, my dearest friend becky and i always make an effort to get together. we now have families and the visits although once consistent, lately have gotten fewer and further between. between the 7 of us, a lot of schedules need to come together to make it work. about a month ago, becky suggested neither of us drive the full 6 hours, but we pick a halfway-point AND leave the others behind, for a 24-hour mama getaway! i jumped on it and after a couple emails back and fourth we settled on a date, a location and a hotel to rendezvous.

since i was as young as i can remember, our family drove up to the bay area at least twice a year to visit family. the 101 has never been a foreign road to any of us. we always had a routine -  places we would stop along the way, good bathrooms, good food, good stretching, to break up the drive. there were some locations, we would simply just pass through. until a couple of years ago the only time we stopped in paso robles was to get gas on the way to lake nacimiento or to eat something yummy at a&w. 

two years ago and four hours into our drive, while returning from my northern california baby shower, my sister, mom and i stopped in paso for a quick bite. we stumbled on the cutest grassy town square, surrounded by brick buildings built in the 1800's, quaint boutiques and a plethora of eateries. our quick bite, turned into a couple hours, as we walked, shopped and soaked up this little central coast gem. sometimes you don't need to go half way around the world to enjoy a vacation that meets all your needs. paso sounded like the perfect spot for becky and i to meet. 

the town has been revitalized. not something you see much of these days, new shops, opening, old shops continuing and a young energy that's mixed with old. all working together. it's so refreshing and hopeful in an economy that has been in rut for some time. becky and i walked along the square, popped in wine shops, gazed at the art galleries and picked up a few handmade items at the etsy-ish boutiques. the food we ate morning, noon and night, exceeded all our expectations and could have been served in any city known for culinary excellence. i encourage everyone to see what paso robles has to offer and maybe stay a while. 

paso robles town square, with brick library in the center of the park

powell's sweet shoppe, filled with all the scrumptious candy you remember from your childhood

so fun to be reminded of how fun they once were

gelato in unique flavors like dark chocolate with orange zest and honey lavendar

the ambiance at our delicious restaurant of choice, robert's

mama's becky and jessica on the 24 hour escape

artichoke heart stuffed with cream cheese, green onions and chipotle remoulade

macadamia nut crusted halibut, papaya-coconut butter and broccoli

dessert: warm cookie bar with vanilla ice cream

our departure breakfast at a classic paso eatery, the cowgirl cafe

the beauty of this coastal drive alone is worth the trip

take off the pressure and use the pressure cooker

we gave away our microwave about 4 years ago, we don't own a toaster oven (although on the list of things to buy), but instead use the conventional stove top and oven for all of our cooking needs. i rather enjoy reheating things the old fashioned way, making popcorn and just cooking in general when things take a little longer to reach perfection. 

i have to admit, sometimes you just want things done in a jiffy and at the end of a long work day, with a tired and hungry baby, cooking dinner can be a challenge. we tend to prefer making meals ourselves. it saves us money, we know what we're getting and it's almost therapeutic for me. i grew up in a household where my mom, who worked full-time, cooked every night. there was no question, so it seems only natural that i would provide the same for my family.

then i discovered the pressure cooker. this was a gift from my dad one christmas. he always comes up with good gifts to get us girls. things you wouldn't think of as needing, but always wind up coming in handy. the pressure cooker has been a good friend to me this fall and winter! a full meal complete with veggies, meat and grains is ready in 15 minutes! it has been such a blessing, to get a hot, home cooked meal on the table, before diegas even walks in the door. 
it's also allowed me to experiment. barley that usually takes 1.5 hours on the stove top, takes a mere 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. the beauty of it, there is no measuring involved. throw in some stew meat, some broccoli, a little wine (maybe some teriyaki, ginger and other spices), some beef broth and whatever other veggies and barley. brown the meat first and then add your other goods, before putting the lid on and counting the minutes from when the steam starts to escape via the weight. it's a comforting sound to those that grew up with hearing it around dinner time, in the colder months. and the taste is pure comfort too! try any combo of veggies, grains (and meat if you so choose. chicken also comes out deeelish)!

rice cake treats

i must be hard up for some sweets (as if i don't have carrot cake, ice cream treats and cookies in the house), because when i looked at the rice cakes that have gone uneaten for the last month on the counter...i thought i can make rice krispy treats out of those. i did a quick search online and found nothing (have only ever made rice krispy's once as a child at amanda's house and wasn't sure how to go about it). so i thought i would put my kitchen experimenting hat on and give it a whirl. i made a small batch with organic brown rice no salt rice cakes. kind of takes the health out of it, when you're mixing it with jumbo, corn syrup filled marshmallows, but somehow still felt a little better for me than the real thing. see photos below for a step by step. they we're approved by hubby who really did say "i like these better than real rice krispy treats." yes!

i used 2 rice cakes in small ziplock (4 rice cakes total) and crushed with rolling pin

about 2 tablespoons of butter and roughly 10 marshmallows

stir until melty

stir in the crushed rice cakes

press into a pan or dish of your choice, i used a bread pan for this small batch

cut into single servings and enjoy!

not your ol'easy bake

stirring the ingredients at her big girl table (carrot cake prep).

most of us ladies remember easy bake ovens. there seems to be something innate the comes into play in most cases, between the interests of boys and girls and their loves of tractors versus dollies. although at evia's age, it seems being in the kitchen is loved by all babies, regardless of gender. after all mama spends so much time in there, what's she doing above that high counter? the stool has become our good friend, as evia peers up and over the sink, "helps" with dishes - finds things to grab and mama to swipe away. i find myself constantly repositioning her to keep her safe. as much as i try to include her in the kitchen, she wants more. more mama time or more kitchen time? i'm not sure - but i'm eager to work on both. (re-reading this i sound so 1950's...mama's in the kitchen boys and girls liking wheels vs. dresses...i'm generalizing here, obviously).

i woke up and instantly decided to bake a cake with evia sometime during our day together. she's only ever tasted cake once at her 1st birthday. but mama has become a little more relaxed with letting her try things with sugar. she only gets tasters and it's pretty tasty stuff! so with the carrots we had on hand and the recipe my mom's been baking since the 70's that she passed along to me as part of her personal recipe collection, i decided to give carrot cake a whirl. after my sweet woke up from her nap, i asked her "would you like to bake a cake with mama?" she, i think unsure of what she was agreeing to, answered with an enthusiastic "yes." (or maybe she does know what cakes are, as she shows me everyday she knows things i had no idea she knew). 

substitutes don't always work out (and with all the substituting i did with this recipe, this one definitely didn't look pretty in the end), but boy did we have fun! we got flour on the face, i spilled some batter on her head, we stole a bite hot out of the oven - it was such a great activity together! on a side note, i brought all the ingredients, measuring cups, bowls etc down to her big-girl table and made it super user friendly - she could reach it all. she was happy stirring, for most of the ingredient prep and i was able to throw it all together. papa was pretty happy too, when he came home that evening and there was a cake with no official purpose. 

sometimes there is no good reason to bake a cake other than to eat it!

finished product. looked a little crazy, but tastes soooooo good.

earlier in the day, getting our giggles out.