Monday, February 20, 2012

Gratitude and Grains


This morning Miss V and I went on a short walk. She wore her best friend Fern's eggplant hat to stay warm, and I bundled her up inside my fleece. These little outings are now the highlight of my day! Needless to say, life has become much simpler around the Ross household since she was born just over a month ago. (FYI, simple does not always mean less stressful, hardy har har.) Sometimes that simplicity seems mind-numbingly boring, but it's really the most wonderful thing in the world. This time that I get to spend so intensely connected with my daughter will be gone in a flash, and I'll be reminiscing about her newborn days. I was reminded of how precious all of it is by some shocking news I received today. My step-cousin died suddenly this morning (they're not sure of the cause yet, possibly a heart attack), leaving behind three gorgeous children and an amazing wife. I'm giving Vivian lots of extra snuggles and smooches today and am feeling extra grateful for my wonderful husband Clint. I hope if you're reading this you take a little extra time today to show love and gratitude to those who are special in your life.

It's been a while since I've posted any food deliciousness, and I don't have any pictures or fancy reviews today, but I will share links to some yummy recipes that have been happening around here lately! I've unintentionally been exploring lots of new and different grains, and let me tell you, there's a whole lot more to breakfast life than oatmeal! You should pick a recipe or two out of the list to share and enjoy with those you love!

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, and Soy Free Mac & Cheese. This was so good we made it two nights in a row.
Crunchy Kale and Coconut Bowl. My first time eating farro. A new favorite.
Barley, Walnut, and Pear Salad with Raisins. I didn't have high hopes for this one, but it rocked my socks off!
Buckwheat, Chickpea, and Sweet Potato Jamaican Jerk Wrap. Was delicious as leftovers on a bed of spinach.
Toasted Four Grain Cereal. There's a tiny bit of prep the night before, but in the morning you just turn on the stove and within a few minutes have a warm, nourishing breakfast.

I have a lot more amazing recipes on my Pinterest page if you like what you see here!

4 comments:

becca said...

Aw Lizzie, I love your thoughts about being at home with a baby. That makes so much sense to me.
Hugs to your step-cousins's family!

Sharon Telschow said...

Seeing your smiling face and Viv's little head floating there in front of yours just makes me so happy I could cry. And those socks. Those tiny socked baby feet!

Kristy said...

Thanks for the recipes! I made the Barley, walnut and pear salad for dinner tonight. It's a strange combo with the dressing and I was out of vegetable bouillion so I used chicken, which makes it not veg friendly, but still tasty.

Maggard said...

She is too cute in the eggplant hat! Thanks for the reminder too that simplicity is ok. It won't be forever and we need to enjoy these pages of our book!