The Best Rhubarb Cake...Ever!

There's something about having a baby makes that makes people do nice things for you. They buy your baby presents or make food for you or offer to clean your house.

For instance, my friend, Tara, recently brought over the most delicious rhubarb cake. It was so good that I absolutely had to share with everyone! As she explained, it's a perfect "entry level" recipe to learning how to love rhubarb (because, we don't necessarily think of deliciousness when we think of rhubarb). You honestly have to try it!

The Best Rhubarb Cake Ever:

1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1+ teaspoon vanilla (for a richer flavor use close to 1 1/2 teaspoon)
2 cups chopped rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the brown sugar, butter, and egg. Whisk together in a small bowl the the flour, salt, and baking soda. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and then the vanilla. Stir in the rhubarb.

Pour into a buttered 9x13” baking pan. (You can divide among round cake pans- just shorten the baking time).
Stir together 1/3 cup sugar (torbinado or granulated) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle on top of cake.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Thanks, Tara!

Homemade Baby Food!

I know baby food is about 6 months away, but I'm already planning to make Braeden's food from scratch. There's nothing wrong with good old fashioned store-bought baby food, nothing at all, in fact. It's what I ate, and I turned out just fine! :) But, my love of food and cooking makes homemade baby food an obvious choice, doesn't it?

I know what you're thinking... The idea of making my own baby food seems like a cumbersome process, one that an average working mom might not want to take on. But, I don't plan on being the average working mom. :) Besides, I have a feeling that I could make a few weeks of baby food in a single Sunday afternoon.

I've been researching and it seems like we already have everything that is needed: a stock pot and a steamer basket (or a roasting pan), and a food processor or immersion blender!

And, while the first few months of baby food making will be simple purees of fruit and/or veggies, eventually, we'll be able to dive into our baby food cookbook!

2 Weeks Old, today...

Braeden turned 2 weeks old this morning... And, it may sound silly, but he has changed so much in the last 2 weeks. He's awake for longer periods of time (as opposed to sleeping for 20 hours a day, he's only sleeping for 18 hours a day!), he seems to be interacting with us (who knows if he's actually interacting, but we think he is!), and depending on which angle you look at him, he looks more and more like me :)! Below are a few shots from the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!

In a rare moment of complete activity, Braeden was kicking and cooing and almost smiling! It was adorable!

When Nathan's parent's and sister were in town, Braeden was the star of 15 or 20 photo shoots.

He was only 3 or 4 days old in the next two photos. This was the first time he was "actively awake", seemingly noticing he couldn't get to his hands, "responding" to the sounds I was making to make him look at the camera...

Nathan and I have been camping out in the living room since we came back from the hospital, stealing cat naps whenever we can. We're coping with this strange new round-the-clock schedule, and counting down the months until Braeden gets on a nighttime routine. I'm just so grateful that Nathan took a month off of work!!!! I don't know how I could have done this alone...

Braeden Michael Clark: 5.2.2010

I had the best intentions to write this post within a few hours of coming home from the hospital (on Monday!). I couldn't wait to show our friends and family our beautiful baby boy...but, Braeden had different plans for us. Perhaps this is true for all new parents, but he has us under a spell; neither Nathan nor I want to do anything other than obsess over him. With that said, take a look at his first photo shoot (at 2 days old). He's such an adorable little nugget!

Birth Announcements

With Braeden's arrival only 1 week away (hopefully), we have decided to start working on the birth announcements. We think that a "family oriented" announcement is the best approach for us - considering we're feeling more like "a Family" these days, instead of "a Couple". And, after tons of inspiration-research and a few rounds in Publisher, we agreed on a spring/bird-inspired card. Here's a sneak peak at what's to arrive in your mailbox within the next month or so...

Nursery: check! (finally!)

We have 3.5 weeks before Braeden is due, and we're happy to report that the nursery is complete!! Well, almost complete. But, it's complete enough to unveil to our friends and family!

Nathan and I didn't want a cookie cutter nursery. We wanted something fun, imaginative, semi-gender neutral and able to transcend from baby to toddler.

What do you think?!

We added lots of personal touches! I made the crib bedding (nope, I had no previous sewing experience, but it's amazing what you can learn from podcasts and other online tutorials!). I combined several tutorials and applied a "figure it out as you go" method. The results: not too shabby!

Nathan made a frame out of wall molding for our National Geographic map, and then nailed it directly to the wall. Hanging artwork above the crib could be dangerous if it's not secured, so we decided that a taped poster and a completely secured "frame" was the best solution.

Another first: using a miter box/saw. Like sewing for me, this was Nathan's big project. The results: not too shabby


We searched and searched for the perfect functional art before we stumbled on the most adorable vinyl Hooting Owl Growth Chart. Ironically, all of the pieces of the wall vinyl were delivered except for the growth chart! Thankfully, the seller is committed to happy customers and has the growth chart on the way!

We were also gifted an awesome Pottery Barn-esque changing table, which was made by Nathan's friend, Shane. (Yes, he really did make it...Shane's something of a modern day craftsman!) Then, Nathan's dad applied a quick coat of espresso paint so it would match the room, while I made some new basket liners that complemented our color scheme...and voilà, it became the perfect addition to our nursery!

Here's a closer look at the Hooting Owl {sans} Growth Chart.

And here's a closer look at my first sewing project! I used this podcast to make the basket liners without a pattern. Worked perfectly!

Braeden has received several adorable stuffed animals and tons of books, but perhaps the most exciting gifts were the 4 animal paintings that we received from Nathan's brother, Jeremy. The monkey, octopus, elephant and lion couldn't be any more perfect! Thanks, Jeremy!

When the "final" details are added (old family photos, the growth chart and a mobile or two), we'll be sure to update the photos. For now, we hope you enjoyed the unveiling of Braeden's little nursery!

Super Photo Organization

Photo storage/organization has become something of a hassle since it went digital. I've lost my photos twice as a result of past computers crashing (you think I'd learn to back up my files after the first time!). And now, even with my photos backed up, nothing is organized. I just have the files in chronological order on a few CDs.

Enter: Real Simple's article on organization! This article describes the secrets of super-organized women, including what one woman does with her thousands of digital images and videos! It's genious! Organizing photos by year, and then by theme (i.e., parties, holidays, vacations, etc.) makes it infinitely easier to copy to a color coded disc and file in a drawer. Sure, you may rarely need to access these photos and videos, but at least they'll be off of your camera and computer, and in a safe place.

Now, all I need to do is figure out how to get in the habit of printing photos. Any thoughts?

BIG NEWS!!!!

Clearly, we have neglected our little blog child these last few months. Not a single post since Nathan's bday... We sincerely apologize!!!

And, considering we're already 6.5 months preggers, I doubt this will be "news" to anyone reading, but...we're preggers, and it's a BOY!!!!

These last few months have been amazing - eagerly awaiting response kicks from little Braeden as Nathan talks to him, planning and decorating the not-too-boy-themed nursery (stay tuned), and generally daydreaming about our little baby boy. 3.5 months to go and counting!!!!!!!

Nathan's BDay BBQ Menu

A few weeks ago, Nathan and I invited a couple friends over for a low-key birthday bbq. We had burgers, brats, beers, and a few mean games of BAGS. It was a rockin good time, of course, but my favorite part of the day had more to do with cooking/preparing a few scrumptious dishes than playing bags. Is that weird?

Awesome Buffalo Chicken Dip (serves 15)
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained*
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 box/bag of crackers/tortilla chips, whatever you'd like!

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and cook on 300 until hot and bubbly (about 20 minutes). Serve with celery sticks and crackers/tortilla chips. *I've made this recipe using chicken that I've boiled and shredded and using canned chicken...and I couldn't tell the difference between the two...

Aunt Dorothy's August Tomato Salsa (variation) (serves 15)
8 tomatoes, diced
2 onion, finely diced
3-4 jalapeno peppers, finely diced*
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 limes, juiced

In a large bowl, mix diced tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice. Then, process half of the mixture in a food processor and add back to the bowl. Chill for 2 hours before serving. *Depending on your heat tolerance, either seed the jalapeno or leave unseeded.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cup sliced red bell peppers
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 red onion, sliced
2 small yellow squash, sliced
1 large loaf of french bread, split horizontally
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill for high heat. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.

Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of bread, and sprinkle the bottom half with feta cheese. Layer vegetables and top with more feta. Wrap sandwich in foil and place in 350 degree for 20 minutes.

to protect or not to protect...that is the question

Nathan and I have been going back and forth with the idea of password protecting this site or leaving it open for anyone to stumble upon (i.e., via a search engine). And, after much debate, we've decided to leave the site open...at least, for the time being.

Blogger, our blog provider, isn't very user friendly for the "everyday reader". In order to protect our site, first we have to make our blog private, then we have to send out email invitations to read our blog, then if an invited reader doesn't already have a Google account, that person will have to create one, and only then is that person able to log onto our site. It's a cumbersome process that might actually deter our family and friends from reading - and we don't want that!

So for now, enjoy signing onto our site without any roadblocks.

XOXO,
Colleen and Nathan