Lazy Posting

Pesto Prep

The rain has decided to water my garden today, so it is time to take some of my fresh pesto.  I avoid using nuts in my recipe as a few friends and kids or friends have tree nut allergies.  Today it is Fresh Basil, Fresh Spinach, Goat's Milk Ricotta, and a little love going into that blender.

Beyond the kitchen, I needed to wash off all the heavy soil and other stink from the last two days of gardening, so this morning it was an ultra cleansing round of olive branch to calm down the red from the sunshine overload and clear away the remaining fertilizer from under my nails.  Laundry is going, kids are comfy int their respective seats, one napping and one with a cup of chocolate raw-milk... so I'm off to the kitchen for a bit!

• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the spinach, basil, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture while processing until smooth.

Pesto Prep by messy-mommy-jeannine featuring Black & Decker

Farmer's Market Fresh

Tomorrow is Saturday, that means farmer's markets and gardening at our house.  Tomorrow is also predicted to be very damp with off and on rolling showers and late afternoon storms.  Since I am still somewhat bloated from baby weight, I'm thinking along these lines while I head out to enjoy the green growing things.  Of course, add a newborn in a cuddly baby wrap to complete the look and you'll get a pretty good picture of how I really do look out there.

Farmer's Market Fresh by messy-mommy-jeannine featuring blue jeans

Working Mommy Thoughts

So, the tiny little hobbit will be two weeks old tomorrow, and I've already begun interviewing again to get back to work full time.  I love my kids, both of them, and I wish I could stay home and be the full time mommy for our littlest one that I have been for his older brother.  Unfortunately, the reality is that a family cannot live on just one income unless it is already six figures and while my husband works very hard, few dairy workers make that much.

My interview tomorrow felt a little less than stellar; I had the feeling she had already selected a person from the applicants that would be hired.  It did help to get me comfortable with needing to focus on something other than being a full time mommy, and I have had to think hard about how to change my wardrobe to cope with the remaining weight postpartum.  We had some complications at birth so I have to cope with damaged muscles that are preventing me from jumping into exercise again (this will be explained in his birth story to be posted soon).

Tuesday's Interview Outfit as worn by me!

What I do feel good about is that I have had a chance to use Pinterest to build ideas on what to wear for an interview or work.  I'm thinking perhaps if I keep this up and can get some followers I'll have a chance at making a steady blog update about fashion for moms.  My style is somewhat casual equestrian mostly because we live out in the country and I rode for so many years (up until pregnancy made it unwise to do so the first time).

Instant mommy wear... just add burp cloth and mystery toddler hand-print stains.

I've been up to starting a casual and a business outline and trying to pick things I can wear for both... but oh how hard that can be with a tiny one.  I need to go through my closet and dressers, take out everything and donate so much of what I still have in there.  Most of those things will not fit again any time very soon and since the plan is still to get a new place for our family, I'd like a reduced amount of clothing to haul.

Follow Jeannine's board Fashion Ideas Post Baby on Pinterest.

Follow Jeannine's board Work Wear Post-Baby on Pinterest.

Spare Time

I think, perhaps it is just an illusion or a dream, but I think there was once a time when I had that mythical gift... SPARE TIME!

Perhaps it was just back in the days when I was crazy enough to believe life would never get better than those long walks on the beach behind my college apartment and I had no idea how the world would change.  Now my life is filled to a point of insanity and showers, toilet breaks, and hiccups need to be scheduled with military precision just to get through the day.  I would sell a lung for a nap, seriously...

In an effort to learn how to save time I wasted an epic amount of that precious stuff trying to learn some tips from the wilds of Google.  While I would love to write an article in the style of Cracked.com on how not to do what I just did, this is not that article. 

You see, I did manage to come down with an abundance of the stuff unexpectedly when complications with my current pregnancy lead to "Bed Rest" orders from the doctor.  This is about all the things I would like to do in my free time if I manage to get off of of the couch, recliner, bed or chair in the kitchen (I'm still cooking dinners and trying to be productive).

1.  Take the toddler to a farm.  How about it? Sunshine, cows, photo ops all over, and plenty of manure for my son to face plant in because he has all the grace of his mother.  Actually, before we had kids my husband knew I love to volunteer at or visit the local SPCA barns because it gives me a chance to give back to the horses in honor of my beloved pony long gone.  Now I want my kids to grow up knowing that though our food does come from those pigs, chickens, and cows, they are lovely animals that deserve our respect too.

2.  Swimming at the beach.  Ever had the joy of spending hours just watching other tan-less bodies flounder in the waves?  I live in a state known for our beaches and bars.  It is fun to know I am not really so iridescent that I glow in the sun, but getting to stand in the waves is a great reminder that none of the superficial things matter in the grand scheme of things.  Also, the smell of salt air is wonderful for the soul.

3.  Photographing birds in flight.  I love watching birds fly, butterflies too actually.  We have a cute little bird feeder up year round at the window and many of our visits to the botanical gardens are exercises in my husband dragging me out of the butterfly house after they start bugging us that closing time passed three hours ago.  I love flowers and want a garden to attract plenty of the lovely flying beauties, both insect and avian when we have the room for the garden of my dreams.

4.  Growing roses.  I guess this should go with the lack of room to have a garden listed above, but time is also a factor.  Being able to go spend those long hours with my fingers in the dirt and not have it all end when a particular neighbor who was super concerned with his lawn not looking green enough talks the condo association into spraying lethal crap all over the common areas leading to our plot.  Not only did it mean bringing my then crawling little man outside was a problem for exposure, but the delicious edibles I had planned to harvest and the tall blooms of flowers all became spotted in toxic nasty.

5.  Ice skate more often.  This is the land of winter.  Snow is on the ground and we have had some days of bitter cold causing big trouble lately.  We are also home to some of the best ice skating and hockey playing locations in the country.  I miss having the chance to go do figures and laps on the ice to clear my head in the cold.

So, what are your favorite things you would love to do once you find the free time?