Still think we should have named him Perseid....

Holy moly I have a one year old today! Where did the time go? He just started walking and there are 8 teeth in his mouth, but I still feel like he was born yesterday...How did this ball of cheeks and forehead become this little person? It is overwhelming to me.

We spent the day talking about Joe's memories of when Jude was born. In Joe's words "Wait Wait! Mommy. First Judey was in your belly, and you were like this (puffs out he cheeks and holds arms out to the sides) and you ate like this (imaginary food goes into mouth a la cookie monster). THEN we went to the beach and Aunt Ewizabeth came to visit and Nanny got bawoons from the lady who is big like daddy and I woke up and you were gone and daddy was gone and Judey was out of your belly. AND THEN Poppy got me my airplane and megansarah played with me in the backyard."

Which is a pretty accurate description of Jude's birth I think.

Taking Advantage

I took advantage of the kind nature of our green grocer. Seriously I feel a little bad about it. But he had blueberries for 99 cents! I took 4 pints of New Jersey Grown blueberries and 1 pint of blackberries because I had this idea that I would make a red white and blue cobbler for the Fourth (raspberries are coming in our CSA share tonight)...but then we got home and the boys did this....

Which made me think "Oh it is not so god awful hot this week, maybe I won't melt in a puddle of Pectin if I jam some of this" Last week I canned the 4.5 lbs of cherries I received in our CSA share in 85 degree weather (at 9pm by the way) and Christ on a bike the apt was like a sauna.

So I got Joe the potato masher, threw all the berries into a pot, added pectin, and lemon juice and made some jam! This is the first time I have changed a recipe or not used one from the Can Jam that I am silently lurking around. So I hope it comes out well, but from what we tasted it is yummy!

And might I add that we skimmed the foam directly into our classes of ginger ale? Prompting Joe to exclaim "Momma you made it reeee-spendent!" while kissing his fingers. Not sure where he got that from.

anywho here is the recipe which is kind of like

the recipe from the Ball Book

Blackberry Blueberry Resplendency

2 pints blueberries

1 pint blackberries

1 package powdered pectin

1 tsp grated lemon peel ( Joe helped rough chop it)

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 cups sugar

Put the berries in a pan. Mash the heck out of them. Stir in Pectin. Bring to boil stirring every time you remember you are supposed to be stirring frequently. Add sugar stir to dissolve. Stir in peel and juice of lemon. Return to roiling boil. Boil Hard 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim foam (add to your nearest beverage seriously it is delish!) Put the Hot Jam in your Hot Jars with 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes

I got 3 wide mouth 1/2 pints, 1 wide mouth pint and 1 small (i think 4 oz?) jar.

Weeks in PhotosS

Here's what has been keeping me away from the computer for so long. It's been crazy hot and busy here...We love Brighton Beach! Personally I love it because there is always someone who is larger and more pasty white than me wearing less then me!

Building sand castles

Falling off the 100 mile wagon at Citi Field...Holy Moly Disco fries are delicious!

What's a seventh inning stretch without Peanuts and Cracker Jacks? (and beer?)

The downfall of marrying someone 80 feet taller than you is that he always looks funny in self taken photos..

First Jam: strawberry!

Bike riding every night

"Mommy I don't want a picture of my bike!"

I need a basket on front to really complete the look

Round one of strawberries and cream

This scariness was in the house we didn't bid on

Relaxing and chasing robots at Grandma's pool

Cherries!

Second Jam: cherry jam (not quite set so more jam sauce than jam)

assorted fruit booze- so far raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb

weekly trip to transit museum

The house we did bid on! And offer was accepted and now we wait to see what comes out of renegotiation. I wish it were like on the TV where you say yes I want it and someone hands you the keys...

Playing in the woods of MA makes me realize that we are making right choice by moving out of Brooklyn

Looking for bears with Steve.

And there you have it. Everything that we have done that I haven't been writing about. We are still eating pretty close to 100 miles but its getting harder in the heat....

Toddler Tuesday

Sleeping through the night with monkey
Cake #2 at Grandma's House over the weekend
A night at Gaelic Park
Not Allergic to Blackberries
Beach Playdate
Being a bulldozer
Making tracks in the water

Go there now!

I have been following this crafty crow blog for a little while now, it is a great resource for all things kids crafty around the web and they are doing a fantastic giveaway right now.

so get over there and check it out!

and here is today's toddler pic (which made me think about the crow)

"Captain! I see treasure over der! Let's go get it before the CAW CAW CAW birds do!"

Our "Grow-No-LaLa" or further proof that I am really a Hippie at heart. It is a super basic recipe that at the heart is just toasted oats with wheat germ and honey. We try not to do nut snacks because Joe tends to share them with everyone we meet. So I guess this recipe was really born out of our love of oatmeal and the desire to eat it cold in the park...

2 cups rolled oats

a splash of cinnamon

a tsp of salt

3 tablespoons (or thereabouts) of applesauce or oil or fruit butter

1/4 cup of honey (about a 5 second squirt from the bottle) or molasses

1/4 cup of brown sugar

a splash of vanilla

a small handful of wheat germ

1 and 1/3 cup of stuff ( most often we add any combination of chopped honeyed almonds, golden raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, flax seed, chocolate chips)

preheat oven to 325 slightly grease a large baking sheet or two jelly roll pans

put oats in a big bowl, toss with Cinnamon and salt, add brown sugar, and honey. stir it up. splash on the vanilla, add applesauce. Now depending on what your stuff is add it now (nuts and seeds can go on before baking) Pop in the oven for 40 minutes giving it a shake and spatula flip every 10 minutes or so. When it comes out of oven add dried fruit, when cooled add chocolate. put into airtight container. It lasts us about a week and a half (I don't really know how long it keeps fresh as we eat it too quick to tell!)

Toddler Tuesday

"Shhhh Jude Mommy takin' a picture!"

Toddler Tuesday

Over the weekend my hubby found a dollhouse on the curb near our house. He called me saying "Hey I just found a dollhouse, I'm going to bring it home" It has been keeping Joe entertained for 4 whole days so far.....

Toddler Tuesday

Cherry Blossom's at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Toddler Tuesday

The day before my birthday we decided to try to do some egg hunts. We tried the Queens County Farm Museum, but the line was insane, so we went to the Zoo instead.
we stopped for lunch at McDonald's (not so 100 mile huh!) where Joe obtained a dragon and a helmet.
We rode the carousel. It was Jude's first time on one with horses.

Then we went home and dyed eggs for the Easter Bunny

over all a nice way to spend my birthday weekend.

Toddler Tuesday

So this past week we had a bunch of snow. Some said it was a hurricane of snow, or a snowrricane...Joe just called it fun. We ended up with about a foot and a half (up to my knees and higher in some places) in our backyard.

Joe is making snow tunnels. "For the mouse to get his motorcyle home."All afternoon he was taking little licks of snow whenever it got close to his face. He was sneaky about it. When the hubby came home and they shoveled out the driveway he stopped hiding his eating and said "Lunch is ready! I havin a snooow lunch. Mommy you can have tuna sandwich."
Our snowman. He was bigger than the 6foot hubby. His eyes are blue, his buttons are purple potato slices and he has craisin teeth. That is he did until some jerk teens decapitated him.

Toddler Tuesday

There was a 2 minute drum solo to go with this air guitar clip, but since it was done with a whisk and spatula I figured I'd spare your ears a little. And yes we are potty training which is why it looks like my kid owns no pants.

Toddler Tuesday

"I help you cook, I help you cwean up!"

Toddler Tuesday

Not quite a toddler, heck not even a rolling over baby yet, but the toddler said "Make Jude a picture on the computer." So here he is. I think this picture highlights the resemblance to my dad.

Toddler Tuesday

"Pwincess Wock Star...OOOOH YEAH!"

Toddler Tuesday

Toddler Tuesday

"I get the car not stuck mommy."

There are days when I can't believe how huge my child is. Although I don't remember him being very little (and I am not reminded by his brother, as number two is a giant porkchop of a baby) it always takes me by surprise when he initiates such a grown up thought.

The snow stayed around until a little after Christmas, and every day the kiddo worked with his little sand shovel and tupperware bucket to free the back end of the car. The day the snow disappeared he just said "I did it!!"