Desktop Wallpaper // May 2013

Once again, it's been ages since I've updated the blog. I can assure you that {sadly} there's been very little cooking going on in my household. Most weeks have been a complete blur, one rolling into the next, and I find myself frequently wondering where all the time goes.
Some of the happenings since I last posted have been: a 52-page elementary school yearbook which I've spent the better part of the past 7 months creating, the end of winter sports season and the beginning of spring sports {travel hockey, AAA baseball, travel lacrosse, and more hockey - 4 sports teams to coordinate and shuffle to equals one exhausted mama}...and the beginning of my third trimester of pregnancy!
Being pregnant this time around has been a whirlwind. So far it's been going by faster than the other two pregnancies and it's hard to believe I only have a couple months to go! Unfortunately, with all the craziness in my life I haven't done a thing to get prepared for the birth. I have so much to do! But now that a few of the big projects in my life are done I plan on dedicating my remaining pregnant time to getting ready.

I remember many years ago, when I was attending my first semester of college at a local school and living with my grandmother, she had a daily schedule of tidying one room of the house each day. With her being up there in age at the time, she wasn't able to tackle big projects anymore. She explained that doing things in piecemeal was her way of getting the whole house clean by the end of the week without wearing herself out. Nowadays, I find myself smiling, thinking of her and her routine, and how that's me these days! I waddle at a slow pace and things are happening in a gradual process. For someone who's usually an "everything has to be done yesterday" kind of person, it's taking some getting used to, but mother nature is forcing me to slow down whether I like it or not.
While on the subject of time management...the past couple months I've been making myself desktop calendar wallpapers. They come in very handy when I need to quickly reference what day it is...and let me tell you, there are plenty of days when I have no idea! I thought I'd share it with you guys {even though it's a week into May already!} as a gift to all of you mothers, or mother lovers out there. Just click on the link below that most closely matches your computer's screen size...I even made some for your iPhone. Enjoy!
1280 x 1024 | 1600 x 1200 | 1680 x 1050 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | iPhone 4S | iPhone 5

Happy Easter

My brother-in-law had to work today, so we hosted an Easter dinner on Saturday this year, and for the first time in longer than I can remember, we don't have to be anywhere, or host anything today. What a treat! I'm thinking this is the way it should always be, because starting a school/work week the day after a holiday can be a challenge. In my mind, all holidays should have at least one "recovery" day afterwards.
The baskets from the Easter Bunny have been ripped apart and the board game playing has begun, so I'm off to enjoy a lazy day with the family. I hope that whatever you have going on today, you have an enjoyable Spring day doing something you love. Happy Easter!

Farro & Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Fennel

My pregnancy food cravings this time around have run the gamut -- everything from the stereotypical pickles and ice cream {not at the same time} to sweets and chocolate milk. But I've also been craving healthy foods too. In particular, green vegetables {spinach, broccoli, or edamame} and anything tart and tangy {barely sweetened kefir, granny smith apples, and pomegranate seeds} have been topping the list.
It's a challenge some days to eat as healthy as I would like because there isn't always time to cook. But that's what makes salads such as this one a great option. It can be made ahead of time and at the ready whenever the urge strikes - and it makes a great packed lunch too. I had been on the lookout for some wholesome and substantial salad options when I found this recipe within the pages of a recent Williams Sonoma catalog {believe it or not, it's actually a great place to find recipes!} and knew I would love the combination of fennel and pomegranate.

However, as much as I try to love quinoa, I'm not the biggest fan of it on it's own. I like grains with more texture and chew, and because of that I find quinoa to be a bit wimpy on it's own {unless you're eating it as a breakfast cereal}. But paired with a grain like farro, it's a different story.
If you're not familiar with farro, it's the Italian name for the grain, emmer wheat - which is quite similar to the more commonly used wheat berry, or kamut. All are varieties of hard wheat with different names because of the region they're grown in, or the type of wheat plant they're harvested from. But I find them interchangeable in most applications, so if you have a hard time locating farro, feel free to substitute wheat berries.

Baby Makes Five...

As promised, I'm finally updating you all on what's been keeping me from this blog...and it's a BABY! This news may come as a surprise to some of you, especially those of you who know me well and are aware that I have two boys {one of whom is 11 years old and the other who's almost 8}, and that to the best of my knowledge my baby making days were over.
And as far as I knew, they were. But that wasn't always the case -- after my second son was born I thought for sure I'd have a third child. I came from a large family and always pictured myself with a house full of kids someday. But as the years passed by and no baby came, I settled into my routine as a mom of two and accepted that a small family might be what was meant for me. We live in a small home, not nearly big enough just big enough for us and once both of my kids reached school age I realized what all the fuss was about when more experienced parents told me that children were expensive! I figured with two kids we could do more for them and more as a family that we could with a bigger brood. Plus, I was finally getting a taste of freedom after years of chasing toddlers around the house!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Before I begin talking about these amazing cupcakes, I need to first apologize for my ridiculously long absence from blogging. I'm not going to go into the circumstances behind my absence now {all good, I swear!}, but I will in the very near future. I only had the time to get one post completed this weekend and I wanted it to be a recipe. Something special for you, to let you know that your visits here are appreciated and loved...even if I don't show up for two months.
It's a good feeling to be appreciated and to know you're loved, and I felt just that this past week when I brought these cupcakes into my birthday boy's 5th grade classroom. I always know a recipe passes the test when it's unanimously well-received by a bunch of kids -- because after all, when it comes to food who's more critical than children?

When my son, who turned 11 years old last week, specifically requested "Red Velvet Cupcakes" when I offered to bring a treat into his classroom, I was quite surprised. For one, neither of my boys are big "cake" kids {weirdos, I know} and secondly, I don't remember my son ever having a red velvet cupcake before. But he must have gotten it in his head from somewhere, because he was very clear about it. Even requesting the cream cheese frosting that traditionally tops them.
After some digging, I decided to try this recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery, along with the most delicious cream cheese frosting I've ever had from the Brown Eyed Baker. Both were a complete success and the finished cupcakes were met with comments like, "Have you ever thought about going on the Cupcake Wars?" and, "This is the best frosting I've ever had in my life"...along with, " You're hair is so pretty." Yes, I really won them over.