downsizing

I have a habit of cramming warmish eggo waffles slathered with peanut butter in my mouth while packing lunches, ironing uniforms, and french braiding hair in the morning.  It always ends with me feeling rushed and less than satisfied. Lately I have been trying to take more time eating.  The more I can make an event out of a meal...the more I remember eating it (and this prevents me from wanting to eat again in 5 min).

My Tante tells me that European women do not eat "fat free foods". Nor do they diet.  They just eat smaller portions- sitting down.  So this morning I played make believe.  I was pretending to be French, eating real french toast.  I cut out a hole in my sourdough bread and fried my egg in the middle.  I used butter.  Real butter.  I sat and ate in a small cafe downtown next to a fresh flower market at my dining room table. Then I had coffee.  I love the lattes that my local coffee shop makes.  I buy their coffee and make my own at home most mornings.  For some reason I just couldn't replicate the taste.  I finally asked them their secret.  Are you ready?  Here it is:

Yep, full fat milk.  Great.  I began wondering, "why do I settle for less taste just so I can have more?"  Doesn't it seem to make more sense to prepare foods the way you really like them and just eat less?  I am going for quality over quantity these days.

So, I had to downsize my cup.  The white one looks more French anyways don't you think?  I use a stove top espresso maker but I saw this the other day and think that it would be nice to eliminate the extra step of warming and foaming my milk separately.  Consider that a huge hint Valentine :).

Wanna play pretend with me? Be sure to visualize quaint European settings while eating. Here is the recipe for the puffed oven pancake that we ate this weekend:

2 TBS butter

3 eggs

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. milk (feel free to use whole milk :)

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butter in deep dish pie pan and melt in the oven.  Meanwhile beat eggs until fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. (I think I mixed too much, our pancake was a tad tough).  Pour batter into warmed pan and bake for 20 minutes or so.  Top with your favorite jam and powdered sugar.  And...if you are really feeling European add fresh whipped cream.  Enjoy!!

a.m.

Mornings are good aren't they?  Saturday mornings are even better.  I have always been a morning person.  After about 8pm I am not worth very much- things start to go down hill.  Usually I have to ask, "so how did that movie end last night?" I get this trait from my father.  We have no need for alarm clocks.  For the most part we seem to just wake up when we are supposed to.  Setting an alarm makes me nervous.  It is typical that I wake up at 15 minute intervals before the set time waiting for the "beep".  Even though I am not much of a sleeper-inner, just knowing I could if I wanted to makes Saturdays something to look foreword to. 

So, this Saturday morning we indulged in puffed oven pancakes.

Growing up we always had a "real" breakfast on Saturdays in place of our cereal on weekdays.  I always looked forward to watching cartoons.  (Whatever happened to Looney Toones?  Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Coyote and Road Runner were the best!)

Some of us ate our pancakes with orange marmalade, which we pronounce "marm-a-lawd" in our best English accents. Others opted to eat their pancakes bare.

I have been doing some sewing the last few days.  I was feeling a bit sheepish after such a kind feature over at Sew Mama Sew.  Thank you to all the people who visited!!  It was fun to read all of your comments.  I do hope you come back often!  Anyways, I really haven't sewn very much as of late.  I have been on more of a crochet kick these days.  Hannah is hurting for clothes.  I hate to buy anything for her knowing that spring will soon be here.  So, I whipped out a few skirts for her. (that is all that she will wear)

This is the twirly skirt from houseonhillroad.  I used a light-weight denim and some vintage trim I have been saving.  I love this pattern.  It is so easy.  I especially love that it doesn't require a double fold hem- those are the worst.  I will do almost anything to avoid them.  Like sew ribbon on the edge as you would bias tape.

Not the greatest picture, but a super easy pattern from the Autumn 2005 issue of Ottobre. And yes, I finished the edge with ribbon.  I have had this fine-wale corduroy since October.  Better late than never I guess.  I made it a tad big so that she can wear it again next fall.

I took Mama K's advice and turned one of the thrifted sweaters into longies for Laurel.  They work great over cloth diapers.  Wool absorbs wetness especially when it is lanolized (I use this and this).  Normally I would use the sleeves and make pants using this technique...but I wasn't sure that they were long enough so I used the britches and bloomers pattern again.  Whew! That was pretty linky.

Hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning!

finger writing

Still a few stragglers home sick today.

I couldn't let their brains turn to mush...so we set about to practice our letters.

 

The fun way!

(Try explaining the difference between shaving cream and whipped cream to someone who is almost 2.  Tricky. After a few tastes I think she started to catch on!)