Vegans Can Do Soul Food

I was recently given the book, Vegan Soul Food: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant as a lovely surprise gift. I hadn't even seen it around, so it wasn't on my radar. I guess having a newborn does that to us, right? Anyway, after having some tasty grub (which i also lovingly call my breast milk, but that's another story) at the Red Bamboo restaurant in NYC, i was hopeful that i could make my own 'Po Boys' and Johnny Cakes. And i was right!

J and i tested out the book with 2 simple recipes - Fried Green Tomatoes and Johnny Cakes. The tomatoes we used were from our own backyard. I've never had them before so i can't compare to anything. But, they actually were juicy and i loved the Multipurpose Coating for Dredging Food recipe that came with it.The cakes were nice and plump, and better served with a tasty gravy or chutney of some kind. I can't wait to try more recipes like Blackened Tofu Slabs wit Succotash Salsa, Sweet Cornmeal-Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits, and Spicy Mafe Tempeh. Any of them would go down nicely with a glass of Cinnamon Applejack Toddy.

A lovely touch to the cookbook are Terry's addition of suggested music for each recipe - a great idea because who doesn't dance around in the kitchen while cooking?! I sure do - it keeps Li'l C happy while i'm busy cooking.

Boys Can Wear Leg Warmers

I find it funny how people think leg warmers are just for girls. They are actually quite practical! I don't know about you, but my little boy's pants all ride up the leg when he's in the carrier. Also, now that the weather is turning, having that extra layer on his legs is such a nice thing. I have 3 pairs of leg warmers, to match various outfits, of course. The ones above are the pair i made, following Never Not Knitting's easy pattern!

Edited to add: It took me a bit longer than it should to make these. I am still learning how to balance 'non-mommy' time with my wee one, especially as he is such a short napper! Though whenever i do knit (or sew-even more rare!), it reminds me how therapeutic it is. So soothing for my soul. Thank goodness i have realized i can knit while walking Li'l C to sleep in his carrier!

A Camera to Play With

Since before Li'l C was born, i wanted a camera with video, one that was quick and easy to use. I love my SLR but i wanted something that could capture things ASAP.

So, we treated ourselves to this little number. I made it a top priority to make a case for it, as i already dropped it - it's that small! It takes amazing photos with really vibrant colours, and of course, i can now get my wee one doing cute things like laughing, talking, and rolling over! Mind you, i'm not quite a director, and Li'l C gets too distracted by the camera, but it is such a gift nonetheless!

Not Quite Canning, but Close

I wish i had time to can all the great stuff that is in abundance in Ontario right now, but at least i canned some tomato sauce from the tomatoes we had - grown both in our garden and my parents. Remember this post?

I also made pumpkin bread pudding for Thanksgiving dinner with friends, from Hannah's great blog Bitter Sweet. It called for Fudge sauce, and since we had so much left over, i get to store it. I love Bonne Maman jars, and it looks so scrumptious with chocolatey goodness inside. Too bad i sneak a spoonful of it from time to time...too bad for my post-baby belly i mean!

A Quickie Antique-y Trip

On our way to family Thanksgiving dinner recently, we took the opportunity of having a borrowed car - thanks again Mom and Dad - and went to my beloved Aberfoyle Antique Market. It truly never disappoints. We haven't been able to go yet this season (hmmmm...i wonder why!) and had just over an hour to speed-walk through the vendors.I always go with a list so that i don't forget all the things i'm looking for, and of course i don't just stay on the list, but i am very happy with our latest finds. We all walked away with something, cute 'butter' flower dishes for me, a rocking horse for Clem, and records for J. Oh, and some cool

Most exciting are the two new ceiling light fixtures we got to replace the old cheesy and broken ones. Makes me feel like our house is truly coming along. Though, the list of fix-it and reno work i do have is still rather lengthy.

From this: to this :
and from this broken fixture that broke during some especially brutal pile-driving for the new Go Train work (don't ask!):
to this lovely piece, circa before IKEA:

Cute Boys Clothes Do Exist

It looks like i can find cute baby boys clothes, both used (usually vintage) and new. But of course, i still am committed to making some great outfits like this one, my second from Oliver +S's playsuit. This one is size 3-6 months. Baby C work it for my sister's wedding this past September.

I'm starting a Flickr set dedicated to this, as i want to showcase the goods i've found with y'all!

What I'm Thankful For

As another Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, i have a lot to be thankful for this year. It was a holiday that took me by surprise, as has a lot over these last 3 months.

Being a new mom has taught be a lot about patience, simplicity, priority, and love. I have my baby boy to thank for that. And, i have my partner to thank for helping me get through these last few months.

I love how we can look back at the whirlwind these last few months have been, to notice that summer flew by without us noticing too much, but also how amazing it is to have our baby be welcomed by our friends and family as he has. Thank you to all of you.

On another less mushy note, i also have our garden to thank - for a new kind of abundance and love of the Earth. Look at the squash we grew, by surprise i might add, in what we lovingly called Gumball's Garden - luckily his first solid food might be some of that lovely yellow Turban Squash. I didn't get to invest as much time and energy in the garden as i would have liked, but i admired it by the window and when getting a few minutes out back with Clem. Next year, i know we'll get more time there!

He Loves to Bathe

My little ones loves bathtime - it's when he gets out that makes him upset. That's understandable - it's pretty cold outside of his bath. He cheers up pretty fast though because after bathtime is a massage...

Clem is asleep on me as i write this, but i just wanted to share this photo and send a quick hello...