Time for a pantry update!

This fall I organized our pantry. To refresh your memory, here’s a shot from back in September before I whipped it into shape:

Here’s a view of it immediately after I cleaned and purged the pantry, got rid of the bulk foods baggies by organizing bulk items and spices in to jars, and labeled everything with chalk ink:

Here it is two months later after a big shop (so stuffed to the brim!) and not too disorganized:

There may be fewer items put in jars and neatly labeled, but overall it’s still organized and I find that finding items remains relatively easy. Success!

I had a feeling that since I promised to show you pictures of the pantry every few months the pressure would be on and I could keep it tidy. :)

As a bonus to this post, I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse into our fridge, which truth be told is actually quite organized these days.

Top shelf: water, apple and grape juice, milk, sourdough bread (for David and Miss Leyba), goat cheese (behind) and leftover (really old) smoothie (whoops!).

Second shelf: eggs, juice boxes, leftover polenta, tofu, milk; cheese (blue, Monterrey jack, and cheddar), garlic, and ginger in the cheese drawer.

Third shelf: more eggs, yogurt, potatoes, yams beer (behind, for David), limes (behind, for squeezing into my water), veggie dogs (for David and the peanut; I haven’t been able to find gluten-free ones for me yet).

Crispers drawers: carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, onions, lemons.

Can you tell I visited Costco this week?! (Hence the multitude of (mostly local) dairy products!) I think we’ll have to make a fritata to get through those eggs and I have plans for a veggie intensive cheddar mac and cheese with all that cauliflower (from an article called healthy comfort foods! Bring it!).

Nom nom.

What are your meal plans for the week? I need help. Easy, quick and vegetarian, please.

I love the internet. Each and every time I open my feed reader I feel amazed by (and in awe of!) the multitude of artists who share their work on the internet and inspire the masses. (See my shared items for a small sampling of the joy that awaits me each day.)

Quilters, knitters, designers, scrap-bookers, illustrators, sculptors, chefs, artists, photographers — there are so many talented people sharing themselves and their creative endeavors on their blogs. Isn’t the internet such an amazing place? I love it here.

In the same vein, I feel amazed by the numerous high quality free downloads on the internet. Gift tags, paper dolls, coloring pages. The generosity of talented artists and designers sharing their work with us, giving us such a special gift, makes me smile. Especially at this stage in our lives when I cannot afford to buy and support all the artists I follow online. (Someday!) In the meantime, I have bits and pieces of their works here in my home and it fills my heart with joy.

Some fun paper craft downloads we’re enjoying:

+ Build Your Own Cupcake (from Volume Twenty Five) – shown above!
+ Typographic Gift Tags (from Eat Drink Chic)
+ ‘Keep Calm and Carol On’ Printable (from Craftily Ever After)
+ Birdie Ornaments (via Creature Comforts) – hanging on our tree!
+ West Elm DIY Downloads (via How About Orange)
+ Dace Paper Dolls By Dallas Shaw (via Creature Comforts) – shown below!

Another post in our First on Friday series where we share a new activity from the week season.

Suddenly winter has come to wine country: cool weather and lots of rain. We’re finally packing away the summer clothes and cooking warming foods on the stove.

We’ve been making lots of applesauce, a new something for the whole family. It turns out that applesauce making is incredibly easy and delicious. So easy and delicious that I can’t believe I waited until I was thirty years old to try it. And so easy and delicious that I will never buy jarred applesauce again.

Here’s what you do:

Peel, core and dice up a couple apples. Throw them in a sauce pan with a little apple juice or water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15-25 minutes until the apples begin to fall apart. Mash the apple mixture up with a fork. Taste. Nearly die from the deliciousness. Run out to buy more apples to make more applesauce. (Just kidding. About the last part anyhow.)

You have got to give applesauce making a try!

As my friend Sarah Gilbert says, “It’s such a feeling of power and revelation, isn’t it?” She nailed it. Oh, yes, it is! That’s exactly what it’s all about. Not only does cooking from scratch taste better, but it feels so satisfying.

I have apples in the fridge. I think I’ll go make some applesauce to eat with breakfast. Excuse me.

We’ve been listening to all sorts of holiday tunes this month. Here’s a sampling of what’s playing in our house:

1. Erran Baron Cohen Presents: Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah
2. The 99 Most Essential Christmas Masterpieces
3. Wintersong (Sarah McLachlan)

4. Midwinter Graces (Tori Amos)
5. Christmas (Rebecca St. James) (note: this is a very Jesus intensive album!)
6. Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Other great holiday songs:

– One Little Hanukah Candle (Susan Salidor) (for the kids!)
– Miracle (Matisyahu)
– Candlelight (Maccabeats) (see their video here)
– Peace (Norah Jones)
– Winter Song (Sara Bareilles with Ingrid Michaelson)
– Silent Night (Jewel)
– Sleigh Ride (KT Tunstall)
– It’s Almost Christmas (Elmo and Sheryl Crow)

Albums I haven’t heard yet, but intend to request from the library:
– The Hotel Café presents… Winter Songs
– And Winter Came (Enya)
– December (George Winston)
– Christmas Classics

What are some of your holiday favorites?

A trip down memory lane…

2007:

Hugely pregnant with Miss Leyba, a couple days before I was put on bed rest for the rest of December.

2008:

Playing with Daddy and her stuffed dog Abbie.

2009:


Busy developing a puzzle addiction.

2010:

Busy working on projects and in dire need of a haircut (or at least a hair clip!).

We’re cherishing these moments of light brightening up the darkness in our rainy, cool California winter.

Each night, we eat dinner to candlelight. We sing holiday songs, such as this emphatic rendition of “I have a little dreidel!”

Each morning, we wake up in the dark. Now we tiptoe downstairs and turn on our tree. Suddenly the early morning wake-up routine feels so much more bearable (for Mama!) with a beautifully lit tree welcoming us downstairs each day, as we watch the sunrise.

We now know what a rainy weekend packed with three birthday parties feels like.

Here’s a preview:

Yep, we’re exhausted. Way too much fun.