Fashion Update

Clothes have always been inconsequential to my oldest daughter.

Even after she could dress herself, Natalie happily wore whatever I laid out for her. I would find a cute outfit, hold it up for her approval and she would obligingly shrug, "Sure, Mom. If you like it."

It's a good place to be, as a mom.

No battles over clothing. No refusal to wear what I buy. No "I don't like that color" or "This tag is itchy" or "I don't wear plaid." I was free to indulge my own whims, choose whatever I thought was cute.

Until now.

Last week, I bought an outfit for for Natalie at Gymboree, one of my all-time favorite kids' clothing stores. At 11, Natalie has almost sized out of Gymboree clothes. But when I saw this shirt-and-jeans combo, it was so sunny and cheerful, I immediately thought of her.

I bought it, brought it home and showed it to her as soon as she get home from school.

"What do you think?" I asked, expectantly.

She grimaced ever so slightly. "It's cute, Mom. But it's not really me."

And I saw, in an instant, she was right.

That outfit is not right for a sixth-grader, especially not a sporty, tomboy sixth grader who would rather climb a tree or read a book than worry about looking cute.

Natalie is growing into herself. She's learning who she is - and who she's not. And naturally, that trickles down into what she wears. She's spurned my suggestions to wear boots, claiming only girls who care about boys wear boots. She's decided skirts aren't practical for school; how can one do flips on the monkey bars with a skirt? And she's adamant she wants her hair long and straight, for no discernible reason.

That's not to say Natalie doesn't care how she looks. She dresses in fun jeans and t-shirts most days, and she is thrilled when I buy her anything purple (her favorite color) or anything with a touch of glitter. She jumps on any opportunity to get a pedicure, and she is growing more conscious every day of her reflection in the mirror.

If fashion is defined as what you wear reflecting who you are, then it's time for a fashion update.

Natalie is not a little girl anymore. But she's tuned in to who she's becoming, and she likes herself.

It's a good start for style.

Welcome to The Parent 'Hood, a weekly blog round-up of all things parenting. I host this carnival every Monday, along with some of my favorite blogging buddies (FriedOkra, Vita Familiae, To Think is To Create, Joy in this Journey, Lovefeast Table and O My Family). Post your link using the tool below, and your post will show up instantly on all the host blogs. (How cool is that?)

A few bits and pieces:
1. Today’s link-up will run from this morning through next Sunday night. A new link-up will start next Monday morning.
2. Link the unique URL of your parenting post, not the homepage of your blog. Otherwise, your parenting post will get buried under new content on your homepage and be hard to find when readers click through later in the week.
3. We ask that you please include a link somewhere in your post back to The Parent 'Hood, via this post or The Parent 'Hood welcome post on any of the other hosting blogs.
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Here, Taste This : Homemade Granola

I cannot go to bed without eating a bowl of cereal first.

It's a habit that probably started back in my TV news days, when my schedule and body rhythms were whacked. (Anyone else regularly pull through Carl's Junior at 9:30 AM and beg for a bacon burger and a chocolate coffee shake?) When I worked on the 11:00 PM newscast, I would get home about 12:30 AM. I would watch the Late Late Show (sometimes with my brother, who lived with us for a while) and I would play as many games of Solitaire as it took for my brain to calm the heck down.

Then I would have a bowl of cereal and go to bed. The childhood familiarity of crunchy grains and creamy milk would settle my soul and I would fall asleep around 2:00 AM with a smile on my face.

These days, my body rhythms aren't quite as messed up. But I can't kick the cereal habit.

Which brings us to today's "Here, Taste This" recipe.

Homemade granola. Have you tasted it? Have you made it? Have you had it with milk?

It's a revelation. And I should know, since I've been eating it before bed almost every night for the past three years.

You can eat it with yogurt too, of course. Or use it to top ice cream. But it's meant to be eaten in your jammies, before bed, with ice cold milk.

Sweet dreams.

Homemade Granola
(Adapted from BooMama's recipe)

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups whole oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped raw almonds
1/3 cup chopped raw pecans
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, melt butter. Mix in honey and vanilla.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour nuts and salt.

3. Pour the butter mixture on top of the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

4. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden. Let it cool for 5 minutes then use a spatula to break it up into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Tips:

1. Sometimes, I add in 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed. It helps to remember to do this before you put the granola in the oven.

2. This recipe is highly customizable, yes? I love it so much as is, I can't bear to mess with it much. But I'm sure you could add dried fruit, some cinnamon and swap out the nuts without problem.

3. Don't let it cool too long before you scrape it off the baking sheet, or you will end up with huge granola chunks that you will have to break up with your fingers.

4. The first time I made this, I ate the whole thing in about one sitting. That's not good for the ego. These days, I often make a double batch (use two baking sheets if you do this; the granola needs space, man), which means I can go about a week before making some more.

To be a Child in the Fall

Color explosion.

Fall practically pounced this year. Nothing gradual. Nothing held back.

Autumn is extravagant.

Parking lots become galleries for nature's best works.

Forest turns cathedral.

Lakes glow with hues not their own.

And children pick up leaves to remember the beauty of this day. This season.

This is worship, to play under the trees and celebrate the beauty, unconcerned with the season ahead. Because today, the sky is brilliant and the ground is golden and the leaves rain down like kisses.

Lord, let me always be a child in the fall.

Marathon

I am tired.

I realize a mother of four saying she's tired is about as newsworthy and shocking as the latest poll results. ("Obama's in the lead still? You don't say!")

But this tiredness isn't the day-to-day variety. It's deeper. I feel it in my bones. I'm not just tired, I'm weary. Wrung out. Spent.

I told a friend recently that being a stay-at-home mom to young kids must be like running a marathon. There are days when I glance to my side and see breathtaking scenes around me, and I feel my legs pumping, and everything is in a rhythm and I think, "Yes! This! This is what I was made for! I'm fulfilled here! I could run forever! I love this!"

And then there are other days, especially lately, when I feel the length of the race and I stagger and stumble and, even though the scenery is just as amazing, and in my deepest heart, I know I will miss running this race when it is over, I am too exhausted to care much.

I just want a break.

I have been a SAHM for more than a decade now. Eleven years I've been at home with little ones, wiping bums and giving baths, cutting apples and playing Legos. I have savored giggles and laughed at spilled milk (because, really, what else are you doing to do?) and I have wallowed in the blessing of it. God has heard my daily prayer, as it sloshes out of the overflow of my heart. "Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you."

But thankfulness doesn't negate fatigue. I suppose a certain amount of weariness is to be expected in this broken world. Unlimited energy and creative drive is our future, not our present.

So I will continue to run this race. I only have a few miles left, and yes, I know after this one I will start a different race, that of being a mom to school-aged kids and teenagers, but that's a different race for a different season and right now, I need to keep focus here. Today, and tomorrow, and this week, and I will daily seek patience and endurance and joy.

Especially joy.

Because an exhilarating finish deserves nothing less.

Here, Taste This : Late Summer Vegetable Soup

I have been horrible about getting to the farmer's market this summer.

And I am the less for it.

Spending an hour or two shopping fresh produce, admiring the plump tomatoes, the pyramids of glossy zucchini and squash, the rainbow chard laid seductively at child's level - it's one of my favorite ways to spend a Friday morning. I walk the street and mingle with fellow moms, pushing babies in strollers, and grandparents strolling hand in hand, and the hurried business person grabbing a bag of veggies on a break. I chat with my favorite farmers and trade recipes for that week's special and I feel rich in community.

And my home is never without fresh flowers.

The fact that I haven't been at all since school started earlier this month is perhaps the most devastating, because it means I don't have enough late-summer produce on hand to make my favorite vegetable soup. This soup is summer in a bowl, full of the season's bounty, and it's freezable, which means you can make a big batch today, have a bowl for lunch, then freeze the rest for an evening in January when you will have forgotten that the world can be warm and green and filled with the goodness summer offers.

photo credit : Everyday Food

Late Summer Vegetable Soup
(adapted from Everyday Food)

4 ears corn, husked
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
30 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise sliced into semi-circles
2 cups green beans, ends removed, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1/2 cup orzo pasta
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the corn off the cob. If you haven't done this before, it's fairly simple. Just stand the corn upright in a large bowl or plate. With a sharp knife, slice down; the kernels will fall off in thick slabs. (This is messy!) Try to resist eating the corn that very minute. It's tasty.

2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. (I sometimes shave to turn my burner to medium-low to prevent the onion from browning before it gets soft. Do what you have to do.)

3. Add your broth AND 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add the zucchini, green beans, corn, tomatoes with juice and and orzo. Cook, uncovered, until orzo is tender, 8 to 11 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Be sure to taste this before you serve it. This salt needs seasoning.)

Tips:

1. To freeze, let the soup cool and ladle into freezer bags and place on a flat surface in your freezer. (That ensures the bags will freeze flat, which makes them easier to store.) I like to freeze the soup in 2-cup portions, which is just enough soup for lunch. But again, do what you need to do.

2. This soup is so adaptable,so for those of you who like to tinker, tinker away. Substitute veggies, use frozen corn instead of fresh, add herbs, experiment with toppings. Have fun.

3. This soup is perfect accompanied by a thick, gooey grilled cheese.

Summertime

Outside my window, autumn glows.

Golden sunshine hangs in the air, shadows lay long on the ground. Leaves throw off everyday green and display proud their true beauty. The breeze is crisp, the sky crystal and the apple orchard down the street is turned into amusement park, laden with the bounty of MacIntosh, SweeTango, Honey Crisp and the laughter of children decorated with caramel and grass.

But inside my home? It's summer.

Our family is at a stage of life where everything just flows. My oldest is not yet a teenager, my youngest is no longer a baby. We sleep though the night (mostly). We head to the playground without any extra equipment (save the spare diaper stashed in my purse). We play the same games together, laugh at the same jokes, enjoy each other's company. No one is too old or too young, nothing else intrudes, the innocence covers us all like a blanket.

Fall is a season to harvest, winter a season to endure. In spring, there is more work to be done than hours to do it.

But in summer? Gershwin said it right: In summertime, the livin' is easy.

Summer is a time for enjoying God and others, without reserve and without apology. It's a time for rediscovering the sheer pleasure of simply being alive: waking early or sleeping late, wading lake shores or tenting in rain forests, talking late under starlight or staring silently, for hours, at clouds.

Likewise, the summer of the heart is marked by leisure and pleasure, a kind of holy hedonism. We strive for nothing and yet have everything. We relish abundance without needing to hoard it or feel guilty about it. We heed the counsel that Scripture gives to rich people: don't trust in your wealth, which is so uncertain, but trust in God "who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."

In the summer of the heart, we get that: abundance isn't for trusting in. It's for enjoying.
- Spiritual Rhythm: Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul, Mark Buchanan

Corey and I, we've endured much. We've known years of famine, when the ground hardened into stone. We've known a firestorm so devastating, the entire landscape lay charred and smoking. And praise Jesus, we've known the rebirth of spring, when the barren bears new life and everything must be done right now, the plowing, the sowing, the watering, the weeding.

But now? It is summer. I make no apologies for drinking every drop.

Welcome to The Parent 'Hood, a weekly blog round-up of all things parenting. I host this carnival every Monday, along with some of my favorite blogging buddies (FriedOkra, Vita Familiae, To Think is To Create, Joy in this Journey, Lovefeast Table and O My Family). Post your link using the tool below, and your post will show up instantly on all the host blogs. (How cool is that?)

A few bits and pieces:
1. Today’s link-up will run from this morning through next Sunday night. A new link-up will start next Monday morning.
2. Link the unique URL of your parenting post, not the homepage of your blog. Otherwise, your parenting post will get buried under new content on your homepage and be hard to find when readers click through later in the week.
3. We ask that you please include a link somewhere in your post back to The Parent 'Hood, via this post or The Parent 'Hood welcome post on any of the other hosting blogs.
4. If you're on Twitter, hashtag Parent 'Hood posts with #TheParentHood.
5. Feel free to grab the code in the box under the graphic above to share the button love!
6. Share your own posts and read and comment on other blogs. Any good 'hood is all about community, right? Read, comment and enjoy as you have time.

Here, Taste This : Oatmeal Cinnamon Waffles with Yogurt

I am an unabashed breakfast lover.

I love rich, dark coffee swirling with cream in my mug. I love eggs with cracks of black pepper and crystals of kosher salt, scrambled, fried or "peeled," in Teyla's words. I love bacon sizzling in my oven (you do cook your bacon in your oven, right, so there's no greasy mess to clean up?) and I've been known to burn my fingers on crisp rounds of salty ham right out of the pan. I love spinach in my eggs and avocado on my toast and I will eat homemade donuts until I am sick.

So maybe it's no surprise that brinner (breakfast + dinner, but you know that, right?) is one of my favorite, simple, go-to meals.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Waffles with Yogurt, the recipe I'm sharing with you today, stands out in particular, because it's about as balanced a meal as brinner can be. It has whole grains in the waffles, and instead of being covered with sugary syrup, toppings include yogurt and sliced fruit. Serve it with Canadian bacon and, if you're worried about the lack of veggies, add on some sugar snap peas, and you've got yourself a brinner that's easy, delicious, healthy - and very kid-friendly.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Waffles

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together wet ingredients (eggs, milk and melted butter) in a second mixing bowl.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. The batter might be a little lumpy. That's OK.
4. Pour batter onto a heated waffle iron. My waffle iron takes about 1/2 cup of batter to make a perfect waffle.
5. Serve with yogurt and sliced fruit.

Tips:
1. If you don't have quick-cooking oatmeal, you can use whole oats. But the waffles will be a bit chewier. (Do NOT substitute instant oatmeal. It usually has added sugar and flavorings that will throw the recipe off.)
2. I haven't tried swapping the flour for whole-wheat flour, but I bet you could. Who wants to try it for me?
3. Plug your waffle iron in to preheat before you start making the waffle batter. That way, everything will be ready at the same time and your kids won't be climbing over the counter, asking if the waffles are ready yet because they are staaarrrvvvvingggg! Hypothetically, of course.
4. Have fun with the yogurt and fruit variations! When I was a kid, my Mom served this with strawberry yogurt and sliced bananas and strawberries. My kids prefer banana yogurt with blueberries and raspberries; it works better for making those all-important waffle faces. But what about mango yogurt with sliced mangos and coconut? Or vanilla yogurt with blackberries and granola? The possibilities, they overwhelm.