Ten Things I Learned in 2010

1.  If you really like a dress for your toddler, but they only have it in the next size up, and you buy it anyway with the thought that you will save it for later, she will immediately fall madly in love with said item and will want to wear it every day.  On the days she does wear it, it will flap madly about her wee, slight frame, making her look like Northeast Florida's tiniest bag lady.

2.  Second pregnancies are not necessarily easier than the first.  In some cases (mine) they're about the same.

3.  You can put off buying a new car indefinitely if you keep telling your husband that you just want to hold onto it for two more years (I've been doing this since before we got married in 2004.  Red has not caught on that two years has extended into six, and that I have every intention of extending it another four to six if at all possible.  The car's a 1999 Toyota Corolla, in case you're wondering, and even though it's ugly it runs like a top).

4.  Gretchen the dog doesn't like skateboards.

5.  Discontinuing our satellite TV service will not make me turn to more intellectual pursuits.  Instead, I will find other ways to waste my time (The Sookie Stackhouse novels!  Photoshopped holiday pictures of my dog!  Four seasons of Dexter available now from Netflix!).

6.  I don't need dairy.  In fact, I get can along pretty darned well without it, all things considered.  Many thanks to nutritional yeast, Daiya, and The Grassroots Market for stocking both.

7.  I like rhubarb.  And black eyed peas.  And mustard greens.  And sauerkraut.  Who'd have known?

8.  The hubby is still pretty hot, even after nine years of acquaintance and six years of marriage (might that be part of the reason I find myself in a delicate condition for the second time in three years?  It certainly plays a part).  And the child gets to be more fun every day.  My family really does rock.  Get 'em, Red and Bean.

9.  Cranberry Splash Sierra Mist is like the cute frat boy who lived across the hall my sophomore year at UNF - so tempting, so yummy, but so, so toxic in the end.  Foaming bright red toxic, in the soda's case.  Enough said.

10.  When you use a Tofu Xpress (Christmas swag!), you really have to press the entire block of 'fu at one time.  If you try to be cool and just press a half, the mighty spring of the Tofu Xpress will pulverize it into mush (if you press the whole block, the sides of the press will hold it together).  It will also take my making two involuntary batches of tofu ricotta before I figure this out.  At least the ricotta is delicious. 

Happy New Years, y'all.  Hope that 2011 will be just as educational :)

Beary Christmas, Darling

Hey, y'all.  I've been on a long and lovely blogging (and creative cooking) break, but I couldn't let today pass without wishing everyone the compliments of the season.

And sharing a little impromptu decorating done by Bean.  Nothing says Christmas like a polar bear covered in seasonal stickers from the dollar bin:

A profile shot:

(Please excuse the bad iPhone photos.  The best stuff always happens when I'm out and my camera is on the kitchen counter).

In case anyone in the greater Orange Park area is wondering: yes, the background of those pictures is the ladies' room at GrassRoots Natural Foods.  It's a very nice rest room.  It is also the only place where I could take a picture of Bean and Bear without her shouting "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" like a Secret Service agent diving between the president and a bullet.  The Christmas spirit this year extended to adorning stuffed animals, but not impromptu photography.

I'll be back in a couple of days with my Christmas swag update and hopefully some food porn.  Until then, enjoy the holiday weekend.

Much love to everyone, and a very Merry Christmas too :)

~ Kate