11 months

There's an old wive's tale which says that a baby "born in the caul" or with the amniotic sac intact will become a midwife. It is also supposed to be a symbol of good luck. Maia's sac had already ruptured at the start of labor (I felt it pop, as I was very familiar with the sensation because it's the way all of my kids' labors began), but it didn't leak until she started coming out. And she was born still covered in the sac.

So I guess it should come
as no surprise that Maia
found all my birth and baby
books that I had piled next
to the basement door ready
to be put in storage bins.

Maia is 11 months old now.
She loves her blue bear, and
messing with her brothers'
stuff.

Sorry for the Friday delay...we have a 24 hour stomach virus whipping through the house at the moment, which I got first, lucky me!
Friday was red, white & blue day in Ryan's class, so I made an appropriate bento...

Ryan's
lunch:
blanched
spinach;
carrot
sticks;
Tofutti
cream
cheese
and
rasp-
berry
jelly
sandwich
topped
with
more
cream
cheese and blueberries & strawberry stripes; edamame; mini apricot ginger tart; mini strawberry rhubarb tart.

The mini tarts were the challenge for my new Bento: Impossible group. I randomly chose three ingredients from the back of The New Basics cookbook, which ended up being ginger, apricots & pastry.

Apricot Ginger Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry
2 T. crystallized ginger, diced
6-8 dried apricots, sliced
1 T. sugar

Thaw frozen pastry for 1 hour at room temperature. Cut into 3 inch rounds (or shape into a large tart pan for 1 large tart). Place on non-stick baking sheet. Dock pastry with a fork except near the edges.
Top with ginger and apricots. Sprinkle with sugar. Fold in edges 1/4-1/2 an inch.
Optional: top with remaining stripes of puff pastry.
Bake 15 minutes at 375F.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry
1/2 cup fresh ripe strawberries, sliced
1 stalk ripe rhubarb, thinly sliced
1 T. sugar

Thaw frozen pastry for 1 hour at room temperature. Cut into 3 inch rounds (or shape into a large tart pan for 1 large tart). Place on non-stick baking sheet. Dock pastry with a fork except near the edges.
Top with a layer of rhubarb & then a layer of strawberry slices. Sprinkle with sugar. Fold in edges 1/4-1/2 an inch.
Optional: top with remaining stripes of puff pastry.
Bake 15 minutes at 375F.

Winter Soups, Part 2

Enjoy these delicious
soups with your family.
Spring will be here soon!

Mushroom Barley

1 onion, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. walnut oil (optional)
4 chopped sage leaves (or
1 tsp. dried crushed leaves)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 large carrots, diced
6-8 white button mushrooms, halved & sliced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup barley
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water

Combine first 5 ingredients over med-low heat, cooking until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add next 3 ingredients (garlic powder, carrots & mushrooms) and cook another 5-10 minutes until mushrooms darken.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes.

Split Pea Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, washed and chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 T. margarine
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1 carrot, chopped
2/3 cup dried split peas
1 medium potato, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water
1 cup frozen peas
pepper to taste

Combine first 7 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions & leeks are soft.
Add split peas, potato, vegetable stock and 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1.5-2 hours, until split peas are softened.
Add frozen peas, remaining 1 cup water, and fresh black pepper to taste. Cook 10 more minutes.
Turn off heat. Blend until creamy but lumpy using an immersion blender or food processor.

Pasta & Bean Soup

1/2 medium onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 cups tomatoes, diced,
chopped or crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 can chick peas, drained & rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup small pasta (I used mini farfalle)
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

Combine first 6 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions are soft.
Add tomatoes & vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10-15 minutes.
Add chick peas. Cook 10 more minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Cook 15 minutes.

Carrot Ginger Soup

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger (or 2 tsp.
chopped jarred ginger)
1 T. olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
5-6 large carrots, chopped
1 large potato chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried dill
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water

Combine first 5 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions are soft.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium & cook about 40 minutes.
Turn off heat. Puree until smooth in a food processor or with an immersion blender.

If you prefer a milder soup, reduce ginger by half and cayenne pepper to just a sprinkle.