Lately

Lately I’ve been thinking about making stuff for the new baby. Then I decide not to after all because I just don’t feel like it. I did start knitting a little pair of pants as well as a pair of booties but neither have been completed yet and may not be until after baby is born. I have bought a few fun things there and there in anticipation of him, though, and that makes me happy.

Lately my kids have rediscovered their love of yogurt. We always have some on hand but lately they’ve remembered how much they like it and ask for it for breakfast all the time. I buy the Mountaintop High brand in vanilla because it’s not as sugary-sweet as other yogurts (I seem to remember being told it doesn’t have HFCS but am not sure if that’s really true) and I like the vanilla flavor. I like mine with fresh berries if we have any and granola. Peanut likes granola only (or granilla, as she calls it) and Wingnut likes it plain. Wingnut likes it so much I have to cut him off at 3 kid-bowls-full or he’d eat the entire 32 oz carton in one sitting. Needless to say, we sail through the stuff. Good thing it’s usually on sale. I’ve never paid more than $3 for a big carton, and usually just a bit over $2.

Lately I’ve found berries for a decent price. It’s rather uncommon this time of year so I’ve been enjoying it. We’ve especially been loving strawberries. Both my kids love them but especially Wingnut. He’d rather have strawberries for breakfast, lunch, or dinner than anything else – even corn dogs! It’s also been nice that strawberries have been on sale lately because we ran out of strawberry freezer jam recently and store-bought strawberry jam is just not the same. Last week I grabbed a few extra pounds and made more. It’s awesomely good and I love the way it looks in the short, squatty half-pint jars.

Lately, while making jam, I left a bunch of un-hulled strawberries in a strainer on the table. Peanut was in and out of the kitchen, snitching a strawberry here and there. I didn’t realize until later that she had only taken a single bite out of each berry before abandoning it on the table.

Lately I’ve been picking up a box of Charleston Mini Chews whenever I go to Target. They’re pretty good on their own but my favorite way to eat them is with a little peanut butter. Chocolate, peanut butter, and vanilla nougat? Yes, please.

Lately I’ve been feeling quite rotund. I can’t tie my shoes and have a hard time even putting on my socks.  Then yesterday I put on a maternity shirt only to discover it’s pulling already. You know you’re getting quite large when maternity buttons are starting to burst and you’re not even 30 weeks yet.

Lately I’ve been wishing for spring and we aren’t even in the middle of a hideous winter. We’ve had very little snow and it’s been nice and overcast which I love but it still tops out at 40 degrees so we still need coats and it’s still super dry. I much prefer spring and fall jacket weather. When I start wishing for spring I tend to make foods that are spring-y to me so this week I made Santa Rosa Valley Salad. I had some asparagus hanging around so I added that into the mix as well. I love how this salad makes cold weather tolerable for me.