the business of being born

I really don't watch that many movies, but I've just seen some good ones lately that I feel the need to blog about. A couple of people thought I'd like The Business of Being Born and they were right. It's a documentary so it comes with bias but it is SO fascinating, especially if you've been through a birth or about to be going through one. [Disclaimer for the weak-stomached: you will see births happening and Ricki Lake naked.] Here is the synopsis from the film's website:

"Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.
Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.
The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.
Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?"

chicken tetrazzini

This recipe is turning into a complete indulgent favorite for us. I got the recipe from my friend Sallie when she brought it over after Meg was born. This is total comfort food and I won't pretend it's healthy! (Even if you sprinkle peas in it, which I recommend.) I make one batch, divide it into two 8x8 pans, and freeze one for later or give it away.

3-6 chicken breasts, already cooked and cubed (I roast mine 30 mins. at 350)
1/2 stick butter
1 large can mushrooms, drained
1 T. parsley flakes
2 cans cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom)
8 oz. container of sour cream
salt & pepper
1 lb. box of spaghetti
parmesan cheese

1. Cook chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet, add mushrooms, saute about 10 mins.
3. Add parsley and chicken. Cover and let sit for 10 mins. (I often skip this step.)
4. Add cream of chicken/mushroom soup and sour cream.
5. Meanwhile, be cooking the spaghetti (break into smaller pieces first!).
6. Mix in cooked and drained spaghetti into the chicken mixture, then place in buttered casserole dish, and top with parmesan.
7. Bake at 300 for 15 mins. or until heated through (longer if it was frozen).

chicken noodle soup

The three of us have been feeling under the weather all week, and yesterday we got a wonderful surprise - some friends showed up with warm, homemade chicken noodle soup and bread! It was the most thoughtful gesture since I didn't feel like cooking and the delicious soup made me feel better immediately. I am overwhelmed! Thank you, Ted and Joyce!

fall festival

Tonight we went to a fall festival held at our church with games, ponies, and lots of kids in costumes. Meg dressed up as a bumblebee and to our surprise she didn't mind wearing the get-up. This was our first "Halloween"-type outing with her so it was just as fun for us!

after the wedding

We just finished watching this movie - it is heavy duty but I would highly recommend it. I am not usually into deep drama but it provides a lot of food for thought. [Thanks for the rec, Jeanette!]

presidential parents

Click on this link for a very interesting and semi-funny article on past and future presidents and their imperfect parents. These guys seemed to have a drive to excel in spite of the failings of their moms and dads! This is my favorite line: "...in this era of parental perfectionism, studying the unusual ones [parents] can lend hope to parents that our children, too, can rise above our foibles and failings."

bedhead

We haven't figured out a way to tame Meg's hair (pulls out all bows and clips) and it is especially exciting first thing in the morning.

farmers' market

We walked to the farmers' market on Park this morning - about a mile away. The weather was so nice we didn't even break a sweat! Everybody brings their dogs so Meg was loving it. There were tons of beautiful pumpkins that they were giving away for free so we chucked a nice big one under the stroller and rolled it home. Sad to say this is our first Halloween/fall decoration of the year!

the banana

I was in the living room talking on the phone, when Meg became eerily quiet in the kitchen. I heard some quiet smacking sounds and became suspicious. I turned the corner to find her chewing on a banana she had pulled from the table, peel and all!! She looked very proud of herself.

the color of water

I think I am the last person to have heard about this book. Where have I been? It is hard to put down - one of the best I've read in a long time.

indiana

Mark and I have been in northern Indiana for the past few days for my grandmother's memorial service. I brought my camera but didn't take a single picture, sadly. Indiana's beauty is grossly undervalued, in my opinion. The leaves were beginning to change and some of the trees looked like the photo above. It was an awesome weekend - lots of relatives, lots of laughs, lots of love.

minestrone

Since we are well into October, I can now pretend the weather is cold and start making soup! Minestrone is one of my favorites - easy, flexible (you can put whatever you want into it), healthy, and freezable. Here is the basic way to make it:
1 onion
1 zucchini
3 carrots (or 1/2 bag baby carrots)
can diced tomatoes (undrained)
can garbanzo beans (drained)
3 c. V-8
1 box (or 2 cans) vegetable broth
1 T. parsley
1 t. basil
1/2 c. dried pasta (macaroni works)

1. Chop fresh vegetables and saute in oil in a big pot until onion is cooked and other vegs begin to get soft.
2. Add all of the other ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Simmer for 15 mins.
3. Add the pasta for the amount of time it needs to cook. (e.g., if it needs to cook 10 minutes, let the soup simmer without the pasta for 5 mins. and then add the pasta for the remaining 10 mins.)

Other vegetables I have tried that work well: froz. green beans, edamame, spinach, celery, potatoes.

wholehealthmd

I will share another website I have been using for years: www.wholehealthmd.com. It has great recipes as well as really interesting nutrition information. You can click on "healing kitchen" and then click on a huge list of ailments ranging from the trivial (bad breath) to the serious (kidney stones) and it will tell you foods and recipes that will treat and/or prevent it.

unclutterer

My friend introduced me to unclutterer, a great blog that I now read regularly. I recommend it! The blog has lots of contributors who give organizing/paring down tips. Some of my favorite topics of theirs are ideas for homemade toys. [Thanks, Mireille!]

a twofer

We went to the hospital today to see baby Aubrey Wolfe, and we got a great surprise - Daniel Dasher was born this morning and we got to see him, too! Both babies are perfect and I'm so glad I got to meet them today. Welcome!!