a spin on tradition

Every St. Patrick's Day, we celebrate with one annual tradition in our family. We make delicious Reuben sandwiches. These simple sandwiches have most of the typical ingredients, with a healthy little spin. As vegetarians, we replace the classic corned beef with a ripe, green substitute -- avocado!

Reuben sandwich for the vegetarian palate
Recipe makes one sandwich

Ingredients
2 slices rye bread
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced (or mashed)
1/8 cup sauerkraut
2 thin slices swiss cheese
Thousand Island dressing

Set oven to broil. Spread a layer of Thousand Island dressing over both slices of rye bread.
Lay slices of bread on a baking sheet, setting one slice of swiss cheese on each bread slice. Broil until slightly toasted. Spread sauerkraut and avocado over one slice of toasted bread and cheese. Close second toasted slice over first to complete sandwhich. Eat and enjoy!

Serve with a side of veggie chips, potatoes, or as an appetizer.

starting seeds

I have been lusting for spring. This winter was mild, but even so, I want sunshine and green and birds. I have already been out in the garden a few times to start the annual spring clean-up. It is still too early for us to start plowing our garden, but we did start some of our seeds inside two weeks ago. Every year, we stockpile egg cartons, as they make the perfect starter containers.

Here is what we do:  Remove the lid off the egg carton. Fill each egg cup with damp potting soil so the soil is level with the side of each cup. Make a slight indent in the top of the soil in each cup. Place two or three seeds in each indent, then cover them with soil.

Once planted, we store our seed starters in a clear tub with a lid to cover it (plastic wrap can work, too) and place it in our dining room window, which gets plenty of Southwest sunlight in the early spring. The soil should remain relatively moist. When the seedlings get to be about 4 inches tall or so, they need to be transplanted from their egg cartons to a larger container, such as plastic cups or even pots. If you are past your last frost, they can already be planted in the garden, but need to be gradually hardened to the elements before they can be moved outside.

sugar and spice and everything nice

Sugar and spice
and everything nice
that's what little girls are made of

Sunshine and rainbows
and ribbons for hair bows
that's what little girls are made of

Tea parties, laces
and baby doll faces
that's what little girls are made of

As Esme turns five years old today, I cannot help thinking of how hard it is to keep up with her. She can play with her doll or in her kitchen for hours, humming and whispering all the while. She will dance to music--or dance without it, get swept up in the magic of an audio book, make fascinating and intricate collages out of scraps and do-dads, stir fresh fruit into her oatmeal, and pick out the brightest outfit known to girl-kind. She will curl up in your lap and listen as you read book after book, turning the pages and pausing at pictures. She will climb in bed with her big sister, shining flashlights together under the quilt and sneaking giggles until they both fall asleep.

Happy birthday to you, dear Esme.

hints of spring

Spring is right around the corner, and our garden is ready for the season change. Strawberries and daffodils are already coming up at the end of our mild weather Winter. The chives and mint are ready to harvest. And we have even spotted a few violets! With the promise of warmer weather, we are starting our seeds indoors this week. We saved seeds from last year's bounty, including tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. 

Last night, Mother Nature surprised us with a carpet of snow. I was beginning to think we were not going to get a decent snowfall this Winter. I had to get a closer look, especially since everything is beginning to sprout. 

Right now, I am... watching the snow, even as it melts before my eyes... thankful for the beauty and joy in my life and my home... making my week's to-do list of chores and preparations for my littlest one's upcoming birthday... listening to my girls giggles, even though they are not feeling well... gathering my motivation to kick-start my busy day... enjoying a quiet moment, a hot cup of tea, and a mid-morning snack... 

prenatal belly dance video

The following is a video of a full-term pregnant woman belly dancing with her daughter six days before the birth of her baby. Traditionally, belly dance was practiced prenatally and performed by a woman during labor and childbirth, helping the woman's body overcome the pain associated with childbirth. For more information on the subject, check out my post, Belly Dance as Traditional Birth Dance.

The video follows up six days after the birth of her son, dancing and nursing. The video is both beautiful and sweet. Enjoy!

 

my week

This week was a busy one. I have still been spending nearly all my extra time building Heartbeat Artistry's online presence. But, to get out of the house, the girls and I met up with a few friends and saw the new Studio Ghibli film, The Secret World of Arrietty, which is based on one of our favorite children's books, the 1953 novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

The telltale imagination of a Studio Ghibli film was perfectly captured in this story, which follows the life of the tiny people who live hidden from "human beans" beneath the floorboards of a quiet country house. The daughter, Arrietty, is seen by one of the "beans," which leads to an exciting and suspenseful adventure. The movie was just as delightful and fantastical as the book.

Yesterday, I was quite under the weather. I took a nice long nap in the morning, but it did not help that I awoke to the shock of finding the kid's play room a complete wreck. A disaster. Debris everywhere. I could barely even get the door open. In fact, it was so far gone, that I had to take a picture. You likely would not have believed me otherwise.

I recruited Esme to help me tidy. She even boxed up a handful toys to pass along to someone else. We will be moving rooms around soon so that we can paint and repurpose a room or two. I will try to post before and after photos of the remodel for your viewing pleasure. The rest of the morning was spent on a few chores around the house to catch up on things--laundry, dishes, and straightening up my desk. As for the afternoon, I spent most of the day parked on the couch to revive my good health. Two of my kitties cuddled with me to help move my recovery along, first fluffy Butler, then sweet Midnight.

My knitting also kept me company today. I worked on a hat for my dear cousin's new baby to wear after her birth. The first one I made turned out to be too large for a newborn, so I adjusted the pattern very slightly. I will post photos as soon as the hat is gifted.

I have a handful of goals for the next few days. First of all, this cold needs to go. Next, I need to clear the toy room of furniture and toys and prepare to paint the walls. Finally, I need to figure out another knitting project to keep me going in the evenings during story time.

But in the meantime? I have my happy girls to read to me and my dear husband to brew hot tea for me to sip as I get better.

a day on the town

The whole family was together for a wonderful day, which we decided to spend out on the town. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect for walking and wandering and looking, so we spent a good couple hours outdoors.

We wandered in and out of a few shops and stopped in a cafe. In one little shop, we came across some crazy finds, which the girls heartily tested out right away. Evelyn found this crazy bejeweled feather ring.

Think that's good? Check out Esme's gawdy green flower ring! And the headband sets it off perfectly.

We also went into a woodshop where David picked out several different woods to work with on upcoming projects. He found walnut, a couple types of rosewood, yellow heart, sycamore, and red heart. Most of these blanks will become hand-turned handles for whips.

So what makes for a perfect day out? Being together with my sweet ones. Laughing about the little things. Hugs. Warming cups of yum. Sweet smells and dabs of whipped cream. Colors. And charms. Dirt, evergreens, and long sidewalks. Fashions and finds. The sun and the smiles.