Bluegrass Saturday...Baby Chicks!

What would be awesome? 

Raising chickens in your own backyard. 

I hope to do so someday, but until then I will vicariously live through those I know who have their own chickens. I think it's wonderful that more and more people are getting backyard flocks, especially in the city. My mom got 6 egg laying chickens this year and 3 meat chickens. In addition, a couple of my coworkers got chicks this week! 

Today Megan had a Baby (Chick) Shower for her little ones. We held the babes, dyed some eggs and ate some yummy food.

This morning I hard boiled a bunch of eggs to bring...while listening to Bluegrass Saturday Morning of course.

Shortly after the eggs were done, Sebastian woke up for the day. We have been offering him solids at least daily and he is doing better all the time. We are trying new foods every 3 days or so. We tried oatmeal for the first time this morning and he liked it! Surprising because it is a little chunkier then most other things he has tried. I decided to make a list of things that he can currently eat because I keep forgetting what we have tried!

When he was done eating, I made some banana bread to bring along to the party. 

Good tip for storing ripe bananas for baking? 

You can just throw the entire banana in the freezer when it gets really ripe. Then when you need to use them, just let them sit on the counter and thaw for a bit, then gently squeeze and out pops the smooshed, ripe banana.

I used eggs from my moms chickens to make the bread. 
Bread made with local chicken eggs to go meet more local chickens!

It's not easy to ignore the 6 eyes watching my every move as I work in the kitchen. 

Off to Megan's to meet the chicks! 

Megan and some little balls of fluff.

Meet Flour...

...Crocodile...

 ...and Alder.

We also dyed a bunch of eggs. We used a couple methods. 

Marbleized eggs and silk-dyed eggs. 

The silk-dyed eggs are very easy and so neat when done. 

Sebastian came along to check out the chicks too. He is no longer such a little chicken himself. He is a lap-full of soft, chubby rolls.
Just as he should be.

Check out Megan's blog here. You can learn more about having your own chickens in the city on this post.

 Hope you have a good holiday weekend!

What's New?

Spring is just around the corner and I cannot wait to get my hands in the dirt.

As we anxiously await the warm weather and green grass, here is a little snippet of what has been going on around our home.

1. We started offering Sebastian solids.

2. He learned how to balance things on his head...

3. And he sprouted lemur ears. 

4. He has also convinced Penelope they can be good friends.

5. Magnus has found a new favorite spot to squeeze himself into.

6. I started a project that will likely turn into my first "before and after" post on the blog.

7. Magnus and Penelope continue to be as cute as ever. 

Other awesome things happening? 

1. My cousin Elise is due with her first baby any day. Eeeek!

2. My good friend Mari landed a job at The Hive Salon in NE Mpls. Go Mari! Seriously...she should cut your hair.

3. My sister Danielle and her husband Ben will be visiting again from NC very soon!

4. Again...spring is just around the corner!

10 Years Later

03.09.2003

we started dating

10.11.2009

we got married

08.30.2011

we moved into our first house

08.17.2012

we welcomed Sebastian

03.09.2013

ten years later I love him more then ever

The Little Man Moves

When I went to get Sebastian out of bed the other morning he looked like this...

...partially sideways.

Partially sideways? What's so great about that? Well, it means that this little SeboMonkey is starting to move. Not just kicking and flailing his arms...but he is beginning to wiggle his whole round body from one spot to another. And I think this is a big deal. 

Everyday I look at him and think to myself, how is he so big already? Everyday passes too fast and I do all I can to savor every single moment. It's little things like these that are totally worth savoring. 

Yup, those are mustache socks. 

Yup, that's the cutest face ever.

Nate's Caramel Corn

Seeing this on the kitchen table is always exciting...

Why? Because it means Nate will be making caramel corn. His is the best. I think it's so wonderful because the popcorn itself comes right from the Riverview Theater, it calls for an obscene amount of butter, and Nate must just have a special touch.

All you need is butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract and heat. 
Healthy right? 

It doesn't matter.

Soon enough you have this bubbly wonderfulness. 

Is that a word? 

That doesn't matter either.

Yummmmmmmm...

Sebastian joined in the fun for a bit. Then he got bored waiting for the caramel to heat.

The transition from highchair to crib included a face smash into Papas shoulder...this happens when he is zonked out enough to not care where he lands. 

As usual, Magnus and Penelope were not far from the food.

And we may have even tossed them a few pieces of popcorn.

Nate's Caramel Corn

A bunch of popcorn (popped) - (well, that's vague)

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 F. Grease large roasting pan, fill it with popcorn and warm in oven. Over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Heat without stirring to 250-265 F or when caramel forms a rigid ball when dropped in water. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour over popcorn and stir. Return to oven and bake for 45-ish minutes stirring regularly. Cool on lightly greased foil sheets. 

I have never made this myself...so have never read the recipe until now...love how it says "A bunch of popcorn (popped)". I will be checking with Nate to see about how much popcorn to use...update on that later. 

Bluegrass Saturday...Muffins and Mari

I headed to work at 8am this morn. When I got home shortly after noon, Mari was here taking care of Sebastian since Nate had to work today too. Then the 3 of us went to get some Aveda goodies, coffee and Noodles and Co. 

Who's Mari?...Oh, she is one of my besties and she is the shit.

On any given week night, you can often find the two of us watching crappy reality TV while eating macaroni and cheese and Stove Top instant stuffing...yup, at the same time...like, the best dinner ever.

Anywho, after we got home, Mari and Sebo both napped and I did laundry and started making muffins. Super yummy muffins. 

I have eaten these muffins a couple times...but have never made them. It is a recipe from Nate's aunt. Banana Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins. 

The recipe calls for oat bran...this is harder to find then you may think and that's why it took me so long to make the damn muffins. I thought I found it once, I was really excited about it. I came home and Nate pointed out the fact it was oat bran FLOUR. I had noticed this when I bought it but assumed it wouldn't make a difference. Nate assured me it would. 

Buzz kill. 

I finally did find oat bran...just plain oat bran all by its lonely self. 

Wrong                                                                Right

Then the muffin making starts.

Part way through, Mari and Sebo joined me in the kitchen.

Sebastian loves hanging out in his highchair staring at everything...

...and I love staring at his face.

The recipe doesn't call for muffin cups but I decided to use them so I can easily grab one (or two) when I am running out the door.

Of course Magnus wasn't far from the food as well.

Once the muffins were done...Mari and Sebastian spent some quality time on the couch.

Another good Saturday followed by what I expect to be a good Sunday and Monday...I don't work until Tuesday! 

Banana Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yields 18 muffins

1/2 cup butter (room temp.)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup ripe bananas

1 tsp salt

1 cup oat bran

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in oat bran. Blend dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas into creamed butter/egg mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Do not over mix. Fill greased (or lined) muffin tins about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Yum.

I tossed about a dozen in the freezer in hopes that I can throw one in the microwave on rushed work mornings. Not sure if they freeze well...we will find out. I will post an update to let you know how that goes.